#while I also have that one piece fanfic up there with the unicorns?

[akikos-tribble-army]

Someone commented on my SangLing fanfic "ooc cringe" and I think it was meant as an insult??? But all I can think is "Oh, my sweet summer child"...

[mintywolf]

(I wrote this on the train coming home on August 26th although I am just getting around to posting it now because time is a weird soup.)

So okay.

****

I haven’t written a personal journal post in a long time but I want to write down EVERYTHING I can remember about my adventure to NYC to see the Critical Role cast so I don’t forget. It was SUCH a moving experience and I’m so glad I went even though I was scared.

So okay my big goal for this year was to finish the first chapter of my C3 prequel fan comic A Long Road Home (southerngothiccomic.com), have a print edition made, and meet Laura and Marisha at a convention so I could give copies of it to them in person. When the CR cast announced they were going to be at Anime NYC this year I figured that was the closest they were probably going to get to me in Virginia. (And getting autographs at NYCC is reportedly like hunting a unicorn so I figured this would be my best chance.)

I was also terrified, and almost talked myself out of it because I was nervous about giving them the comic, even though I already had a badge and it was what I really, really wanted to do. I know the cast loves to see fanart — and also, it has been revealed, reads the fanfic — but it’s also a pretty well-known taboo for a fan to show their fanfic to a creator and a graphic novel is an unholy hybrid of the two. I was also worried that it would seem presumptuous of me to present them with a fanmade prequel graphic novel because there’s almost certainly going to be an official one at some point, and afraid that at best they might politely tell me they couldn’t accept it (for the reasons that comic writers aren’t “allowed” to read fanfic), and at worst they might be kind of annoyed that it exists. Either way I’d be REALLY sad, and in the weeks leading up to the con I worked myself up into an irrational panic about this. Fortunately my friends managed to talk me into not backing out (and spoilers: it turned out okay in the end!) but I was still very scared.

Also I was so focused on the comic stuff that I forgot until after GenCon earlier this month to think of what I wanted to actually have autographed. I decided to get a big print of the chapter one cover from INPRNT, assuming that since I ordered it two weeks in advance with an eta of 5-7 days that would be plenty of time for it to get to me. Well, reader, it was not. (But please do not let me dissuade you from using INPRNT! To their credit when I contacted them and asked if I could upgrade to rush delivery, they expedited it for free. Unfortunately even with rush shipping it just missed me, arriving at my house while I was on the train to NYC.)

Pâté on the train going to see his biological parents. (Laura and Marisha.)

When I saw that it wasn’t going to arrive in time I was starting to panic because there is nowhere near me to have art prints made. It’s a 15 minute drive (past the alpaca farm) just to get to the nearest grocery store. Grasping at straws I was kind of like Should I . . . draw something? On paper?? With real media that I haven’t used in like 10 years??? I only have 3 days!!!

Fortunately my life was saved by @emphaticembroiderer who had the brilliant suggestion of sending my art ahead to a print shop in NYC and picking it up before the convention. There are indeed MANY of those in New York and I managed to find one that was open on Saturdays and able to make my print on short notice. (567 Framing on W 14th street. The owner, Jack Hu, did excellent work and was very kind!) By that point I was frazzled and didn’t want two of the same print so I decided to be self-indulgent and had this one made. Not my showiest piece but it is one of my favorite things I’ve drawn. (This turned out to be the correct decision.) It’s a 6 1/2 hour train ride from here to there (and it got a little delayed along the way) so by the time I got there it was after 5 and the print shop closed at 6:30 so I zoomed over there straight from the train station to pick it up. It turned out BEAUTIFULLY, and the owner was pleased with how happy I was with it and that he’d been able to help.

He enjoys that he is included.

Then I went and checked in to my hotel and that point really just wanted to lie down on a bed but I had plans to take Pâté to see Hadestown on Broadway that night because I wanted to make the most of my trip. (Also it’s important for our scrungly son to receive a cultural education.) In keeping with the theme of the weekend I wore the Laudna-themed sundress I made for GenCon with one of the poppies in my hair. An usher told me they liked my ensemble. :) I had decided to go for a front row mezzanine seat because I didn’t know when I’d ever have this opportunity again and I didn’t want to risk my miniature self being stuck behind a tall person. It was perfect; I could see everything and the performance was AMAZING. Pâté had a very good time too.

The next day was the CR panel and autographs!! I decided to wear my 1950s Laudna cosplay from GenCon. I had some doubts about it when I got there because without the rest of 50s Bells Hells the theme isn’t as clear and outside of a DnD-focused convention the recognizability of a CR character is kind of low, let alone an AU variant on one. But once I found the Critters my Pâté poodle skirt was appreciated. :)

This is Rach @dadrielle, Astoria @astoriacolumnstaircase, Abby @overnighttosunflowers, and me as 50s Hells at GenCon!

And okay I know this said a lot but it’s true, CR fans are the NICEST fandom to be a part of. <3 If you’re ever standing in line for a CR thing by the time you get there you will have new friends. (For comparison the other-fandoms cosplayers I saw at the hotel and on the way to the con didn’t even return my smiles, even though we were all clearly going to the same place.) I fell in with a group of people who were near me in line (including an amazing Owlbearman cosplayer) and we decided to all sit together. The panel was really great. I don’t remember everything that was asked because of everything ELSE that happened later that day but they hinted that Big Things are coming (including multiple live shows!! Please come to Richmond! Or DC! Or at least somewhere on the East Coast!) for the 10th anniversary and Momlan stepped up to the mic during the Q&A segment and revealed that Sam has achieved his childhood dream . . . to become a minotaur. :D

With the mindset of making the most of this trip I had intended to try to get a spot in line to ask a question but I was hesitant about being on camera (even in cosplay) and while I was dithering about it like 50 people got in line. (I was also Suffering by that point because my rockabilly Laudna shoes have like 3 inch heels and after walking from the hotel to the convention center I didn’t have the fortitude to dart over to the line in them.)

My question, which I hope to submit next time there’s a Q&A opportunity, was this: For Marisha. We’ve seen Delilah’s influence manifesting in Laudna’s fashion choices recently. Now that she has the means and the freedom to do so, what kind of clothes would she choose for herself?

(Because I am a little sad that — until a possible post-campaign oneshot — we’ll never get to see a high-level Laudna costume that’s totally of her own design and I’m really eager to know what it would look like! Let her be spooky and free!)

Afterwards the cosplayers were being rounded up for a photo shoot but I was anxious to get a good spot in line for my autograph with Laura at 2pm so I stealthed away with Ken (@elissabrat), a Jester fan I had met in line, who knew where they were and had one with Travis at the same time. When we got there we were told No, go away and come back in an hour and a half, because it was still only 12. So we went to the Artists Alley where we found a girl named Lea whom we had also met in the panel line and collected a few other stray Critters (Ken has a boisterous and inviting personality and importantly, is very tall, preventing the rest of us from getting lost in the crowd) and we wandered around seeking out all the CR fan artists we could find. (There were a lot! It was great. I got some prints.)

by Cait May and Maliveth

Around 1 we decided to go back and see what the line situation was. Before we parted ways I exchanged twitter handles with Lea, who looked at my profile and said “Wait . . . this is you?”

She told me she was a big fan of my comic and looks forward to it every week! and we were both kind of like !!! at each other for a moment. I had never met someone who recognized my art in the wild before. (On ANY other day this would have been the most amazing thing that happened to me, haha.) I was so touched to meet her. <3

I took out the two books I was carrying and explained why I was there and we all got hyped up about it. And it made it feel a little less daunting, to know that there was someone there who understood the quest I was on and how close I was to the end of it.

I was like 5th in line for Laura and since it was still early I got to participate in that bonding experience integral to every con, sitting on the floor in cosplay, with a very good Vex behind me. (Hilariously, even after the dig at them — or maybe unaware of it — in the most recent episode, there were a lot of Funko Pop resellers around us, haha.)

I sent word to Southern Gothic Discord to remember me fondly in case I died here. In fact I'm not entirely sure that I didn't.

It felt like there was a disproportionate amount of fanfare revealing my print because I kept it how it was packed by the printer, wrapped in paper in between two pieces of cardboard so it wouldn’t get bent, so there was this whole ceremony of peeling back the tape, turning under one of the cardboard protectors, unfolding the paper, and turning over the print. But Laura loved it. She made like a happy sob when she saw it (it was really cute) and she looked at it for a long time taking in all the details and said it was beautiful. <3 <3 <3 (No matter how much we love and ship Imogen and Laudna, NO ONE loves them or is shipping them harder than Laura Bailey. She asked if I was going to bring it to Marisha too and was careful picking out a spot so there'd be room for both of their signatures. :))

I told her I was really happy to meet her because I’ve been a fan since BloodRayne (so, um. 20 years) and she said “oh wow, that was OG days!” And she gave me just a really kind look like she understood how much it meant to me to be there.

Then I gave her the comic. You all were right, I was worried about nothing! because she is the sweetest and she loved it. I very nervously pushed it across the table and said it was a comic I had made and wanted to give her. She picked it up and started turning the pages and was surprised when she saw what it was. “Wait, this is a whole novel! You made this?”

I confessed that I had, and she asked how long it had taken, I told her about a year (it was actually longer; in the moment I kind of forgot not how many pages there are in the first chapter but how many weeks are in a year) and she looked just really impressed that I had made it and touched by how much work had gone into it. She said she couldn’t wait to read it and seemed really excited to hear that it’s still going online! (So no pressure on me there if she's keeping up with it now, haha. o.o) And she kept looking between the book and me like she couldn’t believe it.

Then she asked me if I would sign it for her. :')

Somehow I survived long enough to do so! (a little wobbly because my hands were shaking) and someone (I think it was the ticket scanner) made a joke about how I was the first person to give an autograph at a signing, haha. And then she came around the table and gave me a hug. <3 <3 <3

After that my soul was still on the ethereal plane but the rest of me managed to find my way (after a brief wrong turn) to Marisha’s line. (There was a really good Keyleth and Caduceus in line behind me and they kindly noticed and returned the Pâté sticker that fell out of Marisha’s book).

She recognized my cosplay as 1950s Laudna right away! which was very validating after my earlier indecision haha. She loved the Pâté skirt and thought the scissors embroidery on my collar was adorable. She really liked the art too and was kind of like “Awww” about the book like in an “aww it’s an Imogen and Laudna thing” kind of way (she also liked the glass bottle windchimes on the cover and I love that she noticed that detail because Laudna’s penchant for turning things other people have thrown away into arts and crafts is one of my favorite aspects of her character) until she opened it and started looking through it.

Then she said, “Wait, this is actually really good," and she asked me seriously if Liam “Art Dad” knew about it (I said he had liked some of my other art on Twitter but I didn’t know if he knew about the comic) and then she said — still looking at it, more to herself than me — “We’ll have to add it to our art catalogue.” I don’t know exactly what that means (and I don’t want to get my hopes up too high by speculating; I was too !!! in the moment to ask and now I’m going to be wondering) but . . . it sounds . . . exciting??

They also both enjoyed Pâté and his lil sunglasses. :)

I had gone up with the intention of asking my other burning question: How does being cold-blooded affect Laudna in cold climates? If she gets too cold will she enter a state of brumation like a lizard? Will she freeze solid?

But I forgot. And it really wouldn’t have been the right moment. Maybe when I come back with Volume Two. :)

You’re supposed to pay extra to get a quote put on there but they both did it anyway without even asking. I think they must be really pleased when someone brings them something personal that they’ve made to have signed and not something they’re planning to sell.

After that I just kind of floated away from the con even though it was only like 2:30 haha. Nothing else could have happened there that would have equaled or improved upon that experience. Although I did adopt a Tentacle Kitty. The vendor (correctly) guessed “you look like you’d vibe with our spooky collection” so I had to get a new buddy for Pâté. (50s Laudna, still readily identifiable as a witch wherever she goes.) Also I saw a very chill emotional support pomeranian in a backpack.

(On the way back I saw the mark of the Traveler graffiti’d in green on the sidewalk. Truly a blessed day. :P)

Afterwards I just sat on the bed in my hotel room amid the floof of my crinoline wondering what even is my life for the next few hours and being like !!!! at Discord. Then I met up with Abby (whom it was wonderful to see again!! thank you so much for coming to see me) for dinner and had a really lovely time going over the What Just Happened of it all and talking about Imodna over strawberry pancakes. As one does. Perfect ending to an amazing day. <3

It was SUCH an incredible, exhilarating experience, thank you everyone who pushed me into not giving up out of fear. Laura and Marisha are SO nice and gracious in person and it was just so rewarding, after all the work and love and time I’ve put into this comic, to be able to finally bring it to the people who inspired it! And to see it appreciated and admired by them! It was more than I ever could have imagined.

This fandom is the best. My heart is so happy and full of love right now. <3 <3 <3

[baileypie-writes]

Can I also get cream unicorn dating hcs too? Your Shining glitter one was so good!

A/N ~ Sure you can! I’m glad you liked the previous headcanons! I also tried something a bit different. I added little pieces of dialogue to the end of some of the headcanons. Lemme know what you think. Hope you enjoy!

~Cream Unicorn Cookie Dating Headcanons~

Fandom: Cookie Run Kingdom

Reader: Gender Neutral

Relationship: Romantic

Genre: Fluff

Warnings: Possibly OOC?

~Masterlists~

~Cookie Run Kingdom Masterlist~

They are implied to be human in this fanfic!

~~~🦄~~~🦄~~~🦄~~~

~ Cream Unicorn is someone who often daydreams. However, at one point, their daydreams are less about magical carnivals, and more about you. Their adoration towards you only grew over time, to the point where just seeing your face brings a smile to theirs.

“Huh? What am I thinking about?” They repeated your question. You asked it after seeing them just staring into the night sky, smiling to themselves.

“Someone special.”

~ The way they talk to you is practically poetry. They use only the finest selection of words for you, not accepting anything else. It’s like you’re being serenaded, but without song.

“Your smile is so precious, it makes the stars shine brighter. I believe it’s their way of smiling back at you.”

~ You’re someone who Cream Unicorn can never get tired of. While they enjoy spending time with others, you’re different. Your company is something they love, and even seek. You could say you make them feel complete.

~ They take you on the most wonderful dates. Picnics under the stars are by far their favorite. They’re always set up amazingly too. They want only the best for you, so they make sure it’s perfect. However, while those are their favorites, they are completely fine with doing whatever you want. You won’t hear one complaint from them!

~ Cream Unicorn is the best at comforting you. Their aura is already so peaceful and calming, so that alone can help calm you down. But their actions are very helpful as well. They give the best hugs, and say such kind and reassuring words. Their voice is so soft and gentle, it’s near impossible not to be calmed down in just a few minutes.

“It’s alright. Everyone gets like this sometimes. But don’t worry, unhappiness never lasts forever.”

~ Their kisses are the sweetest. They always kiss you on the hand, seeing it as one of the most respectful and sincere forms of affection. They love how it can make you feel like royalty in some way. They also love kissing you on the forehead, gently holding the sides on your face in their hands as they do so.

~ Not super into PDA. They just prefer to keep their affection private. However, they love holding your hand. Just walking around town with their fingers interlocked with yours makes them feel like you’re closer.

~ Butterflies love to follow them, so you eventually learn to use them as a sign that Cream Unicorn is nearby. The butterflies even start to take a liking to you as well! Everyone in town can tell when the two of you have been together, because you always come back with a tiny friend on your shoulder.

“Oh, I was wondering where that one went! They must like you a lot! Guess that means we have something in common.”

~~~🦄~~~🦄~~~🦄~~~

~~baileypie-writes

[andmaybegayer]

Last ??? of the Week 2024-10-08

Flying with the sun and staying awake for eight hours overnight in Turkey and then not really having a schedule because you quit your job and are on holiday will have you forget when Monday is.

Listening: I failed completely to figure out why my bank card wasn't playing nice with Bandcamp right before my flight so I missed this Bandcamp Friday, so here's something I was trying to buy and couldn't: the Bluff City soundtrack from Friends at the Table, which is some really fun noir-ass synthy stuff

Bonus song since some of these are empty: "Lehigh Acres" from White Crosses has been stuck in my head, despite being almost as far away from Florida as you can get in the contiguous US.

Watching: Oh fuck all, I've been so busy finishing up at work

Reading: read The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out The Window And Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson, which has been kicking around my library for a while.

It's cute. It's a fun exercise in "if a guy was 100 years old precisely how much of history could he get himself entangled with." The translated prose gets a little tedious at times, and suffers from some Lavender Unicorn, but I guess that's trying to be faithful to the Swedish.

Constantly tempted to describe bits and pieces of it as "this must go so hard if you're stupid" but that's unnecessarily unkind to what is mostly a pretty funny book.

Occasionally goes "eh? eh?" at you to make sure you didn't miss the tremendously obvious historical reference and would be better if it didn't.

Points for detouring through Indonesia but deductions for not doing Afghanistan twice which would have been really funny.

Secondly reread an old MLP fanfic that's also drifted around my library for years since I read it in high school, which is University Days. I think this one did huge numbers in the fandom back in 2013 so you might have read it.

Cutesy whirlwind romance lesbian times with period accurate internalised homophobia and some fairly tasteful drama. Starts a little weak but gets much stronger after a couple chapters. A pretty ordinary fic other than the nostalgia, which counts for something. Suffers from some Lavender Unicorn but is mostly pretty competently written and doesn't suffer from basic errors, which is enough to count as "good" among a lot of fanfic of the era.

I have actually reread this before but the unique occurrence this time was that before I hopped my flight I remembered to pull down the accompanying clopfic which I have not reread since high school and got to experience the slow horror of realizing, while in flight, that a currently-in-use sex script I have was almost certainly derived from this.

Playing: Nothing much.

Making: Still working on Website League, although that's been interrupted by the trip. We're doing some stuff to try and make it behave more Cohost/Tumblry and it's getting there!

Also of course, photography out here in California. The parks are stupidly pretty and San Francisco is a lovely city. Really looking forward to spending more time in it later on the trip. Getting to exercise my new phone camera a little when I need to go wider than 24mm.

Tools and Equipment: You can fit at least ten days of clothing in a standard carry-on and still have room for other shit. You do not need more bags.

[coffeeanddonutscafe]

BG3 Chronicles of Misadventures

I was a bit sad today so had to use the best therapy in the world :D FANFIC WRITING THERAPY. *it's a joke* I'm working on a fic where Tav is the main caretaker of the group and she is so used to being the one - providing the emotional care to others - that she doesn't notice the subtle ways everyone is showing that she is appreciated and loved too. I haven't finished writing THAT fic - but I want to make something funny too. If you wanna check out some of my fluffy Astarion fics, CLICK here.

My RANDOM BG3 Headcanons for my fanfictions. (I'm thining of turning them into some funny BG3 chronicles - what do you think?)

Gale's Hidden Talents: One day, just as the sun was setting, Tav stumbled upon a scene that defied all expectations. There stood Gale, his usually ink-stained fingers now wielding brushes with a grace that would put any artist to shame. Before her eyes, he unveiled a landscape so vivid, it was as if the canvas held a piece of the world itself. And then, in the corner, an unexpected touch of humor: Astarion depicted as a bewildered goose, WITH SHARP TEETH - a stolen sandwich firmly in beak. GOOSTARION - was the name of that sketch. The sight left Karlach in peals of laughter, while Astarion's affronted expression was a masterpiece in its own right. (I really think that GALE WOULD DO IT - little passive-aggressive little comics on EVERYONE)

Shadowheart's Vulnerability and Cheese addiction: In a rare moment of candor, Shadowheart unveiled a piece of her past to Tav. It was a tale shrouded in mystery, starring a little mouse who once shared her world. Details were scant, but the mischief they got up to in Shaar's academy kitchen floor made for a tale that painted a smile on Tav's face, imagining a young Shadowheart orchestrating daring cheese heists. However, Shadowheart never told what happened to the mouse.

Lae'zel's Grudging Praise: Lae'zel's rare compliment was like a unicorn sighting - everyone heard about it, but few actually witnessed it. They were also legendary for their awkwardness. It was like watching a bull in a china shop trying to do ballet. One time, she attempted to compliment Tav's weapon-wielding skills by saying, "You would wield a chair with the deadliest dignity." Tav had to bite her lip to keep from laughing. It was like getting a compliment in a foreign language that had no direct translation into compliments as we know them.

Astarion's Confusing Support: In the midst of battle, Astarion's protective instincts kicked in, but it seemed like his emotional well had run as dry as a desert. He swooped in, attempting to shield Tav from an incoming blow, but his battle cry came out more like a dramatic sigh. He shot the attacker a look that was equal parts "I will end you" and "I need a nap," as if he was auditioning for a melodramatic play. "Touch my bloodbag, and you'll... maybe regret it, or not, whatever." Tav wasn't sure whether to be grateful or slightly miffed, but she decided to roll with it. After all, having a suave vampire who was one step away from a mid-battle siesta watching your back had its unique set of perks. Maybe Astarion just needed a double espresso and a quick catnap between skirmishes.

Wyll's Tap Dance Sacrifice: Wyll, the warlock extraordinaire, decided to offer himself up as bait to a gang of hobgoblins. Tav could hardly believe her ears. Ina moment of bravado mixed up with panick Wyll started dancing. It was like a one-man tap dancing show in front of an audience of sword-wielding hobgoblins. She half-expected them to start clapping along. Who knew that warlocks had such a flair for the dramatic? The hobgoblins were too stunned to speak. So they disengaged from the battle. Tav could swear, she heard Mizora laughing somewhere in the distance.

Halsin's Honey Escapades: Halsin, the wise druid, had a not-so-secret passion for honey. His quiet escapades into the forest to find his golden treasure were the stuff of legends. And the fact that he preferred to enjoy it in his birthday suit just added an extra layer of hilarity. It was like a scene straight out of a comedy play - "Halsin and the Honey Chronicles." Tav couldn't help but wonder if he had a secret stash of bear-themed underwear.

Withers Sassy Chronicles: Whenever Tav approached Withers, it was like stepping into a tabloid's editorial office. The gossip flowed freely, each insight served with a side of catty commentary and sassy flair. With a twinkle in his eye, Wither became Tav's very own gossip columnist, regaling Tav with tidbits that painted a vivid portrait of their companions, quirks and all. (they gossiped the most, even more than Astarion)

These uproarious moments turned their perilous journey into a laugh-out-loud adventure. Who knew that adventuring could be this side-splittingly entertaining? Would you like to hear more - in-depth stories about each of the gang members?

[tleeaves]

Hmm. The way I approach worldbuilding is different for everything I do, and if there are similarities or crossovers, I do like to have cheeky nods to that, because otherwise everything is a separate world (but the way I write, there's always multiple worlds and layers of reality -- the future will haunt the present as much as the past does because they are not separate except space is, to some degree). Everything coexists, and so I suppose I also have consistent lore that spans every single one of my works in that way, however, I treat the actual worldbuilding of each separate world differently.

Let's see if I can explain it more clearly.

Take, for example, Blood Upon The Snow, which is a Skyrim x TLH crossover fanfic. It is both an AU branching off canon where events from the TLH series unfolded differently, and takes place in Skyrim, which has its own set of worldbuilding, and so I have to find a middle ground to combine the two pieces of media and their separate mythologies/rules/etc. And the way I utilise the existence of a multiverse is different too -- I usually have greater beings that conduct the universal orchestra, in a sense, and they will shift depending on the story. In BUTS (...interesting), we're dealing with (semi-spoilers ahead) beings that shift between what TLH readers know as Greater Demons/Princes of Hell, and what in Skyrim are Daedric Princes. This implies the continued existence of demons or demon-like beings throughout the dimensions.

Then, let's take a look at the worldbuilding for my original series, Moralis. Also exists on a multiverse level, and each separate dimension has its own worldbuilding and rules. Earth 24 is the most like ours, 42 exists to juxtapose it not just in societal contexts but also its geography where the ocean exists in the sky and forests fill where the ocean should be, and Earth 13 exists in perpetual eclipse and relies on magical farming practices to sustain everything. These are just the most notable ones. E24 follows our rules: no unicorns, no mermaids, little to no magic in general. E42, by contrast, is brimming with magical life, and thus requires its own systems of law and governance to be managed (and in a much more reasonable system than whatever Ministry of Magic middle grade fantasy BS has going on), and merfolk, fair folk, giant folk, werecreatures, and vampires exist. Vampirism is a disease, however, rather than a distinct species. E13 has a magic that is not like E42 -- it's a product that can be made rather than something in the air that exists already. There's also gods/deities/celestial beings, but they're of a more vague nature than, say, Princes of Hell and Daedra, and they take up residence in either multiple places at once of just a single chosen area.

Then look at my other fanfic When Prometheus Gave Us Fire And The Gods Stole It Back, which, while yes, it does deal with demons and religion just the same as TLH canon, I've interpreted it differently and changed the lore of how things close to "vampires"/"demons" work. It has to do with a lack of the "fire" that makes humanity, and it deals with both Christianity and Greek mythology. Again, it exists on a multiversal level since we can physically visit places like Hell or the Underworld, but it operates on different rules and lore compared to other works of mine. Vampirism is still a sort of disease, but it has a more supernatural and occult lens, whereas in Moralis it's treated more like an STD than a plague that seems to pick and choose its afflicted victims. And not all other myths exist to the same extent.

Finally, my original standalone Wolfhound operates again in a different world, at different points in time, and with completely different settings and supernatural lore. No vampires, not-quite-werecreatures, no fair folk. There are references to their myths/stories, but they don't exist. Instead, we have other supernatural creatures mutated into grotesque beings through a curse on the land they live. There's an infectious disease element to the things that mutate, but that's where the similarities to other worldbuilding pretty much end. The world is a lot more steampunk than others I've done.

It's obvious by this point, but all my works have similar elements, themes, and inspirations. I do separate worldbuilding for each though because it often is custom made to fit the specific story I want to tell. This is my way, but it's by no means the right way to do things. I could tell dozens of stories using the same worldbuilding that E42 has in my Moralis series alone, and each of those stories would be fine on their own like that, just using the same, I guess, "game mechanics". I mean, we've seen authors like Tolkien do the same before. So, I don't think readers would find it weird. If they choose to interpret all your works happening in the same universe since they use the same mechanics/worldbuilding, all the power to them, it'll just power fanfics. I don't think there's much of a problem there. However, the sacraments and ordinances may need repetitive explaining? You never know where every single reader is starting.

Personally, when I've read authors who do different worlds for different stories, it's made the most sense to me and I guess that's where I also adopted it. It's when you use the same worldbuilding rules that you perhaps might want to explain more about that, whether everything does exist simultaneously or not. Otherwise, I can see that potentially getting confusing at times, as much as I also think it's not a weird thing to do. I mean, it's where the fanfics and fan theories would come in if it's unexplained, but that's why I point out there'd be questions about a few things. You can even have a "brand" of worldbuilding, like I've established above, and not use every bit of it all throughout everything.

Again, everyone is different, and there is no right way to do things here.

i realize i keep on using the same magic system for all of my writings. which, i guess, is on one hand objectively fine: i don't have to invent something new every single time which saves time and energy for me, therefore also i don't have to teach my readers a new magic system every time, and it's well put together—while not necessarily the most original, it doesn't feel like it needs to be, it's good and grounded and the point is it's supposed to feel only barely out of reach, like something the readers could touch, something your grandma would pull out of the back of a recipe book. the issue though is a) i don't know if it might be weird for readers coming from one world to another and finding the same system, and b) i worry it relies too much on people knowing how sacraments/ordinances in churches work.

tagging @alastairstom @tleeaves @chaosandtwo and @echow334 because you feel like people who'll have good thoughts/opinions on worldbuilding.

[rayshippouuchiha]

KHR Recs

These goodies are on FFN. Maybe some were transferred over to Ao3.

Russian Roulette by Vixen Tail

PreCanon OC born in Russia derails canon. Amazing world-building, accurate major events with mentioned divergences, slow burn endgame romance with Reborn, also she does have other relationships. I don't know how to talk about this fic without spoilers. This is a huge series, remember that. She's on the last part of the series now (vixen thinks) and the chapters are huge. I swear to God, this is the #1 khr fic for me.

Anything by wolfsrainrules and northeast.

Breathe Throught the Flames by NorthPeach

Ichigo is reborn. He has magic fire powers. And is that... a parent? Who's parenting him?

Some Say Ice, I Favor Fire by NorthPeach

"Consider actual unicorns. Dragons." Skull tried to warn you, Reborn. Hibari and Tsuna raise a dragon. Only 2 chapters but they're beautiful. Hibari loves his firstborn child and Will raise the best dragon ever.

Slip Up by wolfrainsrules

Undergoing rewrite under Slip Up Revamped. HP/KHR. Skull is Harry and the Arcobalenco learns what kind of person their "Lackey" really is.

Also on Ao3. All their fics are great. Those that aren't oneshots are not yet completed, however.

Out of this World series by Luki Fanfic

This one is on Ao3 as well. The series is about the 10th Gen plus Tsuyoshi going to a new world to build a life. There's a BNHA and a Pokémon crossover. BNHA is a more Slice of Life Humor while the Pokemon I purely Humor, not quite Crack. Pokemon does have Hibari, though.

Black Sky by Umei no Mei

HPxKHR Starts with FemHP being raised by the Black's before she gets with Xanxus. Fair warning, very long WiP fic. Also, stays with HP for a long time. Comes off with a very Period Piece since Dorea (femHP) was raised by Old People Nobility. Amazing worldbuilding. Everything slots together beautifully, from both fandoms. Also, Dorea is a single mom for a while because of Nono's bitch ass. But she does get to meet Daniella (badass grandma with a crossbow who led the Vongola during WW2, you will adore this character, she hated almost every family decision her son made)! Beautiful communication between Dorea and Xanxus, once they realize there are cultural and personal misunderstandings.

He Deserves Better by AliceVermillion

Cliche twin fic, Tauna runs away and is taken in by the Varia.

Keeping Your Character by Insanity-Red

OC's reincarnation was messed up. She ends up replacing Lambo and is aged up. Humorous, she torments Tsuna by being so blase about it all.

Don't Kiss and Tell by Luki Fanfic

Nana's family has a curse. They swap bodies with anyone they kiss. Kyoko and Tsuna take advantage of this at a young age. Great idea, both get to experience being a different gender (or rather, the expectations for boys and girls).

Generation Cross by Luki Fanfic

Ok, just read all the authors works. I hadn't realized how many of them I had saved. Tsuna dies and somehow wakes up in his mother's body with a 2 yr old him. First step, get a divorce.

Time Tourists by Caticature

Abandoned, but a great idea. Time travel to 1st Gen and they all look like kids. Misunderstandings ensue.

Harry's Housekeeping by Wolven Haven

HP/KHR Mistaken identity at the wrong/right time and place lead to Harry getting a cleaning job in the Mafia. Oh well, Harry's always been good at cleaning. P.S. Harry cleans up murder scenes! Not graphic. Timeline is during the forming of the Arcenbalenco. Skull is Teddy, who is superworried about his oblivious godfather.

Intuition Overdrive by vaporeanxglaceon

After Nono seals Tsuna's Flames, his Intuition goes into overdrive to compensate for the loss, leading to awake but catatonic boy. When Reborn arrives to turn Tsuna into the next boss, he needs to find a way to help Tsuna before anything else can happen. Iemitsu and Nana are parents who are trying their best but don't know what to do to help him. WiP, maybe abandoned. Such sweet Angst, though.

Red String by Lady Hallen

I think this one is on Ao3, too. HP/KHR FemHPxReborn Hyacinth(femHP) and Reborn have a meet cute and gets together. Super good, lots of chapters, WiP. I want to gush about it but I don't want to spoil it.

Fics by sakuradrmonalchemist

Their fics always have so much potential but seem to all be WiPs, keep that in mind. She has so many xover fics. For KHR, there are HP, YYH, Natsumes Book of Friends, BNHA, High School DxD, Sailor Moon, Yu-Gi-Oh, Batman, Tsukihime, Grimm, Kingdom Hearts, fate/stay night, Naruto, One Piece, Card Captor Sakura, Magical Girl Lyrical Nonoha and more!

Igneous by apathyinreverie

HP/KHR Harry/Reborn After Voldemort's defeat, Harry becomes involved in the Mafia, by being kidnapped/sold by his uncle. After a bad choice by others to have Harry recover under the safety of the Blood Wards (which no longer exist, you idiots), Harry's Flames are forcefully awakened and others try to force Flame Bonds on him. Reborn has a mission to find out if a Family knows how to forcefully activate Flames. He comes across a newly awakened, nearly naked, Sky that snap Bonds him. Very good, happens mostly in the HP world after that beginning, with future Arcabalenco popping up. Harry gets to pull off the We Are Not Amused Aura in Kingslys new MoM office with a dumbass Head Auror. It's beautiful.

Fortuna by 1458

In one world, Iemitsu left his family behind in Namimori. This is not that world. (Un)fortunately. Idiot dad Iemitsu who.... attempts to dad but has no clue how. Nana and Tsuna move to Italy with Iemitsu.

Of Organized Crime and Schizophrenia by AshGopal

Naruto/KHR Tsunade dies and expects to go to the Pure Lands. Instead, she's reborn a Mafia heiress who has a voice in her head. At least she's not alone. The Sannin are together once again. PS Ryohei and Mukuro are Sannin, too.

Not Quite Myths by Falia7

Tauna is Mythological Catnip. It starts with a unicorn and gets worse from there. Gokuderas in heaven, Reborn is ready to lose it, Tsuna is willfully ignoring everything. There's also a multinational cult in Tsunas honor.

No Ones Here to Sleep by mokona-pyuh

Naruto/KHR Skull is Gaara!Shukaku doesn't take kindly to being extracted from Gaara and yeets them into another world. Gaara is reborn with a giant Tanuki still hiding in his soul. Crackish.

Dusk to Dawn by reighost

HP/KHR Harry is reborn as Tsuna. Tsuna adpats to his new life and "Magic". Hopefully he can have a normal life. He makes friends with kid!Kyouya. Also Kyouya's family in this is amazing. If I ever write a fic with Kyouyas parents in, I'm going to beg reighost to let me play with them. Also, reighost is Araceil's amazing partner. They used to do a lot together. Dusk to Dawn is also a spinoff of one of Araceil's (deleted :'() fics.

Under Wing by reighost

HP/KHR After Sirius dies, Harry learns that he's not who he thinks. Desperate to escape dark!Dumbledore, he seeks out his birth family, the Hibaris. We get a peek at a few other fandoms on his way home. He's Kyouya's beloved baby brother in this.

Sincerely, Shattered Shards by You Light the Sky

Nana's family has a special gift. They can give pieces of their hearts away. But no one liked Tsuna's heart. Until Reborn came to town. WiP. Made me cry a bit.

The Final Boss by Sakura Hyuuga

Gamer!Tsuna, Accidental GenderBent!Tsuna! Tsuna's life becomes a game after a realistic dream where he hit yes to play. He thought it was just a dream when a prompt opened up saying only the female version was unlocked. When he woke up, it definitely wasn't a dream. She is not amused. Humor, WiP, funny 'omake' bits.

Of Steel, of Iron, of Stone by Seito

Warning:Angst, Terminal Illness. Tsuna claims he can't become Decimo. Reborn finds out why after a disastrous use of the Dying Will Bullet.

Burn Me with Fire by Shadowblayze

HP/KHR. After burning Quirrel to death, he starts dreaming of an angry man trapped in ice. With a mentor, Harry learns how to fly free. Blaise Zabini friendship

Trading Yesterday by Shadowblayze

HP/KHR With sequel, Stealing Tomorrow. Kawahira takes the Sky Pacifier after Luce's death and finds a new Sky to give it to. The remaining Arcobalenco panic and desperately try to find their new Sky. Meanwhile, 8 yr old Harry has been given the keys to his freedom, with one catch. He will die before his 30s.

Song of Truth and Light by TheSocialBookworm

Demigods are rare and feared. Someone so "No-Good" can't be one... right? Drabbles about Tsuna the hidden Demigod.

Xanxus' Babysitter by Starchains

HP/KHR. Harry ends up employed at Vongola Mansion and becomes Xanxus' personal servant. Harry refuses to let another old man's incompetence ruin a child. WiP

Kyoko by Discoabc

SI reborn as Kyoko. This is Not Ideal. Kyoko tries to get away from the future she know is waiting for r her. It goes... hrm. Well, it's certainly a different way to become part of the Underworld.

Oh wow babe thank you for these recs!!

[average-crazy-fangirl]

Welp, thanks to @laughable-illusions, I've gotten into Hero Forge, and have recreated my Big Five™ TES OC's (main game OC's), and now have a reason to rant about my OC's

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

Manei, Eternal Champion of the Arena.

Dunmer-Altmer halfling Battlemage.

Forced to play Hero at age 19, traveled through all of Tamriel, never met a single Daedric Prince, is the Tamrielic equivalent of an aethiest, is utterly convinced gods aren't a thing, and contracted Noxiphilic Sanguivoria a few years after marrying Erv.

Had quite a large crush on Ria Silmane, though they both just stayed friends. Manei did not take her death well.

We all love a tall trans bisexual/romantic buff lady, so Manei is here to fill that role.

Didn't ask questions when their husband, who was infertile, somehow got pregnant.

Found a random baby Argonian at the side of the river a few years after she and her husband retired and just said, "Sweetheart, we're parents now."

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

Erv Anesac, Hero of Daggerfall, Champion/First Guidance Councillor of all Daedric Princes.

One braincell is in that skull of his, and it's stuck in a Dragon Break.

Dunmer-Breton halfling Illusionist.

Absolute whore of a wereboar.

Uriel Septim had the ingenious idea to send Erv on a very important mission in his home of Daggerfall. Why Erv? He helped Manei locate a piece of the Staff of Chaos, and his family had a history of saving Tamriel*. Also magic dreams.

*his not so long ago family founder was the Vestige/Soulless One, who I may make a separate post about, an Emperor of the previous Empire and the fates decided to bring the family back into the drivers seat of the wheels of fate, and also thought it would be funny if the first person to defeat Mannimarko since his imprisonment, was a descendent of the person who imprisoned him.

Suffered real mental health problems after the Dragon Break.

Out of all Daedric Princes, Sheogorath was the only one who kept showing up for Thundas Tea, even after Erv's retirement, so he was the one Erv decided to go to when he wanted too make a deal.

Short, trans, pan, mentally ill icon of a wereboar.

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

Has-Strange-Dreams Anesac, Nerevarine, Skall Friend, Champion of Azura, Killer of Almalexia, inspiration for Lusty Argonian Maid, Older Sibling of the HoK.

Bigender icon of a panromantic.

Trained by xyr mother Manei as a Battlemage.

Was arrested after a certain Countess Alessia Caro decided she didn't like the look of a golden Argonian with red scales on xyr face, and glowing blue eyes, and framed xem for murder, and claimed xe were an escaped slave from Morrowind. How her plan worked, no one knows.

Didn't sleep the entire way too Morrowind and actually got to know Jiub, so he got visited by the Nerevarine while in Vivec City quite frequently.

Adventured Morrowind with Swissel after a letter was sent to them asking for help. Very fast speedwalking was heard from Cyrodiil, straight to Morrowind.

Joined Twin Lamps very quickly, and had to custom make a chain to be attached to the back of Swissel's clothes so they didn't kill racists.

Xe genuinely broke down crying when facing Dagoth Ur, leading to them both sitting on the group weeping, as Swissel killed the moment, pissed on the tombstone, and danced on the grave, as they physically rolled into the room, wearing so many layers of clothes they were just a ball of material.

Also broke down crying when Sotha Sil died, and when they learned who did it.

Went against Hircine during the Bloodmoon Hunt.

Punched Swissel after they found another of Sheogorath's artifacts, and became his Champion after xe became Azura's champion.

Left Tamriel with Dagoth Ur as xyr lover, heading to Akavir after Oddfrid's prophecy gave xym a very strange feeling.

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

Swissel Anesac, Hero of Kvatch, Saviour of Bruma, Champion of Cyrodiil, Champion of Sheogorath, Divine Crusader, Listener, Duke of Dementia, God of Madness.

Trained Dunmer Illusionist by their father Erv.

Non-binary, gay, whore.

Was arrested after a beggar payed a guard to arrest them for horrible singing. (the fact it worked impresses Swiss to this day.)

Was born after Erv asked Sheogorath to make so he was no longer infertile, the only real drawback was Erv could be pregnant, Swiss had blue and yellow eyes instead of red, and had a radar for Daedric Artifacts. The other drawback was they were very confuse by the idea of being in your mother's womb.

Could summon scamps and find Daedric Artifacts since the age of four, leading to thier best friend and travelling buddy, Nexus the germophobic Scamp.

Tamed a unicorn. The unicorn then tried to mate with Shadowmere during the Dark Brotherhood questline.

Grinned when Lex was transferred.

Dated Martin Septim, who mantles Akatosh. Then dated Lucien, who died and became an aspect of Sithis.

Was revealed ot be Pelinal Whitestake. They certainly giggled at the fact a dark elf was the reincarnation of the Wild Elf killer.

Laughed at how badly Mannimarco looked compared to their father's old illustrations.

Wasn't actually slowed down when they got the Staff of Everscamp. (the staff was only returned when they became Sheogorath at the end of their adventures)

Traversed the Deadlands by spamming a custom spell that turned them invisible and gave them night vision.

Became Duke of Dementia since the trauma of their adventures got to them a while before Sheogorath ever opened the Door in Niben Bay.

Blames themselves for the fall of the Thieves Guild and Dark Brotherhood

Wrote the Elder Scroll of Dragon, as foreshadowed by Martin Septim's last words before he passed into history as the last Septim.

Sometimes worries what Martin would think of them becoming a Daedric Prince.

Searched downright desperately for a Dragonborn so a repeat of Martin's death didn't occur. (They technically succeeded.)

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

Regan Dov, Last Dragonborn, Champion/Second Guidance Councillor of all Daedric Princes, Listener, Oblivion Walker. (With guest appearance, Swiss the Skooma Cat)

Jack of all Trades of a class.

Went to Skyrim to try and start a new life. The plan worked, unfortunately, they planed a quiet life.

Non-binary biromantic demisexual.

Sheogorath was the first Daedric Prince they met, where they were quickly called out for their mental health problems, given the wabbajack, and an arm length butterfly tattoo.

Abused the ability of Dragonborn to slightly lift the Dragon Fires and create a working portal to Oblivion form Mundus.

Outsmarted Herma Mora to save Miraak, ad three more dragonic siblings.

Feels dysphoria thanks to their strange dragon soul.

Like any dragon, purrs like a cat when happy.

Cannot get drunk under normal circumstances. (Daedric wine, here I come.)

Same with all regular drugs. Skooma is a minor stamina potion, moonsugar is a mage's best friend, and only nirnroot has worked to get them high.

Hosts party's for Daedra worshippers, and constantly has to kill Vigilants of Stendarr, either when they crash their parties, or whne they come to arrest them and take away the Daedric Artifacts.

Hides the fact their dragonborn like a dirty secret.

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

Hooo boy, one long post, ranting about my OC's.

What more can a hyper-fixated fanfic writer with writers block ask for?

[whaleofatjme1920]

Could Really Use A Wish Right Now (Mordetwi)

Could Really Use A Wish Right Now

[Mordecai X Twilight Sparkle]

[Warnings: none.]

[AN: I told you I was writing Mordetwi fanfic only I put way too much effort into it and it's 3.6K words long. Read this and enjoy it or I will never forgive you. Also, I’ve never watched Regular Show so like—]

Have you ever met someone in your life that makes you feel so utterly complete? They make your heart sing and the butterflies in your stomach spring to life just by existing in the same space as you.

The purple unicorn called Twilight Sparkle had honestly never believed she was never destined to meet someone who could inspire those things inside of her. When she was a filly learning about the common beauty that is ‘soulmate identifiers,’ she’d been disheartened to learn that she lacked all of them.

“It’s a simple exercise,” Princess Celestia began, watching as her students eyed her with wonder and excitement. “Unicorns have a special ability that allows us to hone in on not only our soulmate identifiers, but others as well,” she explained, her horn lighting up with a beautiful golden aura as it began to spread brighter and brighter. Her eyes closed for but a fraction of a second before a counter appeared over Celestia’s head. “See? Easy as pie,” she smiled.

“What does your counter mean, princess?” Moon Dancer asked, her brows quirking up.

Princess Celestia hummed thoughtfully. “It’s counting down the hours, minutes and seconds until I meet my special somepony,” she answered. “Though, I have a feeling it is not of the romantic nature.”

Another filly looked over, confusion etching his face. “That’s possible?”

Celestia giggled and nodded, magickally willing her counter away. “Not everypony is destined to have a romantic soulmate, nor do they always want one,” the princess started as she walked over to the still confused filly. She stretched one of her wings out, gently draping over him before dipping her head down and explaining further. “Friendship is just as important.”

The young male filly made a loud ‘ohhhhh’ sound before excitedly getting back into the lesson.

Princess Celestia then began to explain how to do the spell, focusing on feelings and intuition more than actual words.

“Have some faith while casting your magick,” Princess Celestia said, watching as her students paired up. “Don’t doubt yourself.”

The words of her princess echoed in Twilight’s head, the young filly bracing herself as her purple aura began to spread over her horn.

“C’mon Twi, I believe in you,” Moon Dancer said, her violet colored eyes sparkling with determination and her own horn igniting with light pink aura.

Twilight grinned at her friend, honing in on her feelings as she and Moon Dancer cast the spell - and she saw it! Moon Dancer was gifted with the first words on her forehoof - it’ll appear when she’s 13.

“Do you see mine?” The red maned pony asked excitedly.

Twilight nodded. “First words at 13,” she answered. “And me?”

“I can’t really-”

“Alright my little ponies, back to your seats please,” Princess Celestia said, her voice like honey and silk. Her voice carried on, oblivious to Twilight’s inner turmoil as she continued on with the lesson, explaining the different types of marks and the most common ones. “Does anypony have any questions?”

“What do you do if you don’t have one?” The young filly asked, her dark purple colored hoof held high in the air as she looked at the regal princess who had paused from her lesson to take questions.

“Excellent question, Twilight,” Princess Celestia’s regal voice complimented, briefly watching as stars that were reminiscent of Twilight’s cutie mark sparkled in her eyes before addressing her. “Perhaps it is an area of study you can go into,” the princess winked.

Twilight raised a brow and cocked her head to the side. “You mean to tell me that no pony in the history of ponies has ever lacked a soulmate identifier?”

Princess Celestia chuckled and nodded, her large, feathery wings fanning out for but a moment to show her amusement before nodding. “There’s always a special somepony for everypony out there, whether it be purely platonic or romantic!” The large white mare explained. Aura flowed from her horn and plucked a piece of chalk up from the chalkboard’s ledge. It floated around her head before she turned back to the board. “We learn about new soulmate identifiers daily,” she explained, writing down the notes.

Twilight shifted awkwardly in her seat before using her own magic to pick up her quill, taking down her teacher’s notes.

“Sometimes, soulmate identifiers come late in life or change depending on our advancements in magick and technology.”

The princess’s voice droned on and Twilight took down her notes diligently, ears flattened against her skull. The feeling of dread pooled deeper in her stomach.

“And sometimes,” Princess Celestia continued, “sometimes they just don’t appear until a certain age. Sixteen seems to be the latest.”

Twilight’s ears perked up. Sixteen, huh? She could wait until then. Maybe there was hope for her after all.

Sixteen came and went and Twilight found herself tearing up on her balcony, stargazing in an attempt to soothe her aching heart. It was just past midnight and she performed that stupid spell again and again with no luck. In the mirror, all she saw was herself, and nothing more.

“Twily? You in here?” A gentle male voice asked, gently knocking on her door.

The unicorn flattened her ears against her head and used her forehoof to wipe away her crystalline tears. “Just about to sleep,” she said, barely hiding her sniffles. She didn’t want to face Shining Armor like this.

The stallion’s voice exhaustedly chuckled. “C’mon, what’s wrong?” He asked.

Twilight sighed deeply and opened her bedroom door with her magick, revealing a white stallion with blue hair.

He looked over the darkness of Twilight’s room before tsking his tongue at seeing the sorry state of his sister. His dark blue hooves tapped quietly along the bedroom floor as he made way to her, his magick opening her balcony doors just enough for him to sit beside her. “What’s on your mind?” He asked, eyes gentle and soft.

Twilight lowered her eyes, unable to look at her brother before biting the bullet and deciding to explain it to him. “I… Am I destined to be alone?” She asked softly, voice cracking ever so slightly.

Shining Armor’s heart softened at the sound of his distraught sister before he wrapped his arm around her. “No, of course not,” he hushed. “You’re going to be just fine,” he cooed, rocking his baby sister back and forth.

“That’s so easy for you to say,” the purple mare said with a growing frown. “You have Cadence-”

“We’re not talking about me right now,” he cut Twilight off sharply. He felt her wince against him. “Sorry, it’s just,” he rested his head on top of hers. “You’re gonna be just fine. You have my word.”

Twilight took in her brother’s warmth, still bitter over the fact he had a soulmate and she didn’t, but spent time in his warm embrace. He’s her BBBFF for a reason.

From then on, and it came in small bouts, Twilight began to think of music in her head. Little songs of things she recognized, some things she didn’t, but music all the same. At first, she assumed it was just her head substituting the liminal spaces in her head with something melodic and pleasant, but over the years, it grew louder.

How curious…

She’d grown a lot since she was sixteen, seven years had passed and the soulmate identifying mark was but a scar on her heart. Though, the music in her head was triggered at the oddest times. She’d learned to tune it out through the years, that and the feelings of her pain over a lack of soulmates.

Her friends had already found theirs.

Pinkie Pie’s was a stallion by the name of Cheese Sandwich. They were bound together by a step counter.

Rainbow Dash’s was Apple Jack, and of course, they were tied together through shared injuries. Rainbow Dash had to apologize for all of Apple Jack’s phantom wing pain.

Fluttershy had a red string of fate connected to Discord.

Rarity had an almost ‘lost to legend’ soulmate identifier, one in which your reflection is actually your soulmate - and it led her to Fancy Pants, who was in every sense, her platonic soulmate.

And Twilight? She liked to say she didn’t care anymore.

Instead, she buried herself into her friendships and focused on her magick, honing in on the skills and abilities she did have and could work on.

It was one of those spells that brought her to him.

“And you’re sure this is a good idea?” Spike asked, his green eyes showing nothing but concern. His clawed hands anxiously grasped at his scaly tail.

Twilight nodded, her magick clasping the book to a close, sending dust flying in the air. She twitched her nose before sneezing slightly. “Yes,” she began. “If I do this right, we’ll peer into another…. Reality? Dimension? Oh goodness, I have no idea!” She giggled, glee dotting her face.

Spike’s eyes fell to the book as Twilight reshelved it. “Do we really need to be looking into other realities?” He questioned, voice still shaky and unsure.

“Of course I am!” Twilight beamed. “This was one of Star Swirl’s greatest spells, it hasn’t been attempted in centuries! If I can, maybe we can learn something and then?”

Spike groaned loudly. “Don’t say it-”

“We can write a research paper!” She giggled, her ears perked up and magick already begin to form around her horn. Twilight honestly pranced like a filly, giggling as she went over the spell in her head.

Spike narrowed his eyes before hiding behind the table and flashing a shaky thumbs up.

Twilight steadied herself before gearing up, the aura on her horn growing brighter and brighter. The violet hue almost became blinding as Twilight grit her teeth at the sheer energy flowing through her body.

She flattened her ears against her skull as she put more of her power into the spell. “I can barely hold it!” She cried out, hooves digging into the wood of her library floor. She tensed the muscles in her legs.

“It’s not gonna hold!” Spike shouted, bracing for an explosion.

“Yes it will-!” Twilight yelled back, exhausting her power as her horn heated up past boiling. Her horn was practically sparkling now, growing hotter and brighter, sparks flying as she poured more and more of herself into it. She hissed in pain as the sheer force of magick sent her flying back to her shelves, sending books and precious knowledge all over the place.

“Twilight! Are you okay?” Spike asked once it was safe to come out, uncomfortable with the heavy heat that lingered in the air. He rushed over to the dizzy unicorn, watching as she shook the books off.

“I’m fine,” she said, voice a little hazy as Spike took her forehoof into his hands, helping her up. “I just need to try again. Maybe I missed something?” She rhetorically asked, rubbing at her temple in an attempt to shove off her physical pain that cracked over her body like glass at its breaking point. Her hooves clacked against the floor as she shakily steadied herself, her magick grabbing the book from its place.

“Don’t you think that you’ve exhausted yourself today?” Spike asked, his voice soft and low. “You need to rest, maybe get some hay fries?” He suggested.

Twilight continued to page through the book, eyes scanning it faster and faster for any hint on what to do. Nothing. She groaned and angrily shoved it back into its place. “You’re right, let’s get something to eat,” she sighed, picking Spike up with her magick and placing him on her back.

Spike mentally sighed in relief as the purple unicorn trotted out of the library, his stomach growling the entire way.

Twilight now stands in the middle of some field in the late afternoon verging on evening, songs in her head keeping her attention bright eyed and bushy tailed. Spike was back home, sleeping, of course. She had all the time she needed to practice her spell, and she’d keep going until she got it right.

She powers up the spell again, the breeze sending her pretty mane flying and thankfully, out of her face as her aura grows. The purple color fizzles at first, almost as if it was asking her to not do so - to give up, but she grit her teeth and powers through it.

“Come on,” she growls, putting more and more of her power into the spell, her brain attempting to focus on anything other than the songs that were permeating her skull. Twilight steadies herself, hooves digging into the earth and kicking up some of the grass, the light emitting from her horn beginning to sparkle almost brilliantly. Twilight feels a smidge of hope, a smile blooming on her face before it falls.

She feels dashed!

“No!” She cries out, wondering why it was failing.

It flickers and sends sparks flying everywhere, and then it stops. It’s almost pitiful, seeing the magick drip from her horn pathetically like when you attempt to carefully pour something carefully and it dribbles out instead.

She angrily stomps her hoof on the earth, thoughts running out from her head until the music grows louder. She’d tried so many spells throughout her time to in a cain attempt to stop it, but still it persisted.

“You want me to listen to you? Fine! Fine!” She exclaims in frustration, voice rife with anger as she allows the song to overtake her thoughts. On pure intuition when the music is blasting through her thoughts, she attempts the spell again.

Twilight closes her eyes, attempting to hone in and completely misses how her magick takes on a different form. It bounces and swirls around her and rises and falls with the swells in the music. It bounces, small specks of the magick flow from the waving strands and begin to pool, slowly building up to a portal that swirls, growing brighter and brighter with a violet hue.

She’s mentally cursing herself for the energy she’s expending here, but at the same time, the spell is so close to its conclusion, she can feel it in her bones! She focuses on the lyrics of the song, taking in the sweet words. Is it a love song? She really can’t tell.

Remaining sunlight dances across her closed eyelids and Twilight can tell she’s used up all her power. She pants, coat covered in a foamy sheen as she shakes herself with the oncoming breeze. That was absolutely exhausting. She finds herself collapsing to the soft grass, taking in the scent of the earth and listens to the way the breeze shuffles through it. A long sigh escapes her lips before she opens her eyes.

Twilight lets out a yelp, jumping back several yards as she looks at the very confused creature standing with a pop can in front of her. “What the-, who the- what?” She begins to incoherently babble, her eyes wide with shock.

The creature in front of her almost drops his pop can before blinking. “What the- who are you?” Voice is male - must be a guy-

“Who are you?” Twilight asks, slowly standing on wobbly legs to the bird-like creature.

“I-I asked first?” He says, one of his eyes narrowing in confusion as he leans forward.

Twilight snorts and slowly walks up to the portal. “My name is Twilight Sparkle,” she answers hesitantly.

“M-Mordecai,” he replies just as hesitantly. “Why did you open a portal in my living room?” He questions as his beaked face draws closer and closer to the portal.

“I was trying to finish a spell, wait-” Twilight then pauses, her expression of hesitance turning to excitement. “I did it!” She cries out happily, beginning to hop up and down. “I really did it, I opened a portal to another reality!” She laughs, horn shooting off fireworks as a further expression of her joy.

Mordecai looks at the prancing purple unicorn with even more confusion. He hates to interrupt her, but he needs answers. “Why don’t you uh, take a seat and we can figure this out together?” He suggests, slowly backing up to sit on his couch.

Twilight stops prancing and blushes slightly before reeling herself back in, awkwardly trotting back to the portal’s edge. She places her hoof on it, watching as it ripples. She tries to step into it, displeased with seeing that it only dips in before bouncing back, sending her hoof flying back at her. She frowns. “Well, there’s this wizard named Star Swirl,” she starts, magick plucking his book up from her saddle bag.

The ended up talking late into the night, the light of the moon being the only thing that lit up their visages. Twilight had explained so much to Mordecai, and Mordecai to Twilight.

They were… Surprisingly more compatible than either of them had originally expected. However, nothing could prepare Twilight or Mordecai for what was about to happen next.

“Something about me that nopony knows?” Twilight hums. “I hear songs, a lot.”

“Oh dude, me too,” Mordecai seriously nodded. “But like, I’ve never heard the songs before? I can’t tell if my head is making them up or not,” he chuckles before his large wings crush his fifth pop can.

“What kind of songs?”

“There was this one about the Hokey Pokey, I think?” He began to list off. “And then another about the history of some group called the WonderBolts? But the one that stuck out the most was this one was about smiling,” he awkwardly laughs before rolling his eyes. “Weird, right?”

Twilight honestly can’t believe what she’s hearing. Those are all songs she’s sung at one point or another, with and without Pinkie Pie - that’s when she realizes it.

“You’re my soulmate.”

“What?”

“That’s-That’s our soulmate tie,” she continues, voice seldom higher than a whisper before light begins to sparkle in her eyes.

Mordecai’s eyes are wide. Soulmates? He was always under the impression he didn’t have one! He leaps up from his couch, not even caring about the emptied cans he’s sending to the floor.

The two laugh, feathers and hooves pressing against each other on the portal as they rest their foreheads in the same place.

“I’ve waited my whole life to meet you,” Mordecai wisps out, his voice soft and innocent. “Who knew all it took as a portal,” he chuckles breathily. “Eyes like stars and hair that falls so perfectly,” he compliments, wishing so badly that he could hold her.

Twilight hums and presses against the portal just a little tighter. “I’m so happy to have met you,” she whispers. He makes butterflies flutter in her stomach and her heart stop and race all at the same time. Is this what being in love feels like?

She honestly wished this moment could last forever. He was so close, yet so far…

There are so many more things they want to say to each other when the portal begins to glitch, the sparkles that made it gradually deconstructing and coming back to Twilight’s horn.

She gasps. “No, no, no!” She cries out, attempting once again to perform the spell.

“Twilight? What’s happening?” Mordecai questions, voice growing more and more panicky.

Twilight continually attempts the spell. “I don’t know! Nothing in Star Swirl’s journal-!” She uses her magick to pick up Star Swirl’s journal and looks through it, wondering if there’s any notes she can paw through. Anything, anything at all!

The portal disintegrates faster.

Mordecai bangs his fists against it, calling out for the purple unicorn. “Twilight! Twilight!” He calls out. There’s tears welling in his eyes.

Twilight begins to blink back tears as she reads the section in barely legible ink. It’s faded away with time, but it tells her exactly what she doesn’t want to hear.

‘The reality you open can only be opened once, never to be opened again by you or any other magick caster.’

It’s such an awful rule and almost too convenient, but she lets out a groan of frustration and flings the book back, attempting again and again to save the portal. It’s no use, the magick comes back to her faster than she can build it back up.

Her hooves grasp for Mordecai, attempting to hold onto him through the veil, tears wetting her fur. “Please, please don’t go!” She cries out.

Mordecai continues to claw helplessly at the portal as they stand on tiphooves and toes to see the remaining glimpses of each other, eyes now red and puffy.

“Don’t forget about me!” Twilight exclaims, voice cracked and broken.

“Don’t go, please don’t go!” Mordecai cries back, watching as the last of Twilight’s magick closes the portal, her cries still fresh in his ears.

The field is silent now and the moon hangs brightly in the sky. Stars dot the bluish black and Twilight can’t bring herself to move. Instead, she grips at herself, gazing up, and wistfully at that.

In another reality, Mordecai quietly floats outside, tears wetting his feathers and staining them as he gazes up at the full moon. The stars hang in the sky and alongside them, so too do airplanes. He watches their flickering yellow and red lights and brokenly chuckles to himself. He begins to hum, sending this one out to Twilight.

“Can we pretend that airplanes in the night sky are like shooting stars?”

Twilight’s ears twitch as Mordecai sings in the back of her head, her face tilting upwards to be bathed in the light of the moon. More crystalline tears fall from her eyes and water the earth. She sniffles and wipes away some more of her tears with her forehoof.

“I-I could really use a wish right now, wish right now, wish right now…”

Separated by realities, the symphony plays on. It’s a cruel reminder of what could have been should they have lived on the same plane of existence.

[sheepfulsheepyardinspace]

Do you have any Star Wars fanfic recommendations, or have a link to someone else's list? I really wanna veg out.

oh my god, DO I. this may have been the best ask in the world. i’m not really sure what u want a feel for, so i threw together some of my favorite longfics for maximum veg time from the ot/pt and links for swr and swtcw recs. they’re pretty much all luke-anakin/vader centric, since that’s kinda my bread and butter.

let’s start with frodogenic, who wrote the first longfic i ever read in sw and might be one of the funniest authors ever. they once reviewed my fanfic & i nearly cried from joy. anyway. 

The Father, 284k+, complete. “Ten years after ROTS, tormenting nightmares of his unborn child drive Darth Vader to extraordinary measures with unexpectedly drastic consequences. Clearly, experience has taught Darth Vader nothing...” 

this is my og star wars fic and boy oh boy is it amazing. i will never get over this. i don’t want to spoil anything but when i say the final chapters are great? i mean they’re legendary. sometimes i still think about them & wish upon a star that i could be such a great writer. vader’s amazing, han is spectacular, and the ocs are fantastic.

Far More Than Rubies, 70k+, complete. “Nine years after AOTC, tragedy revisits the Lars Homestead. Little Luke Skywalker is suddenly plunged into chaos as the rebel movements discover a secret military project that may make a crucial difference in the war with the Empire.”

the spiritual twin of The Father, FMTR takes a look at padmé’s character and relationship with both luke and anakin/vader that’s hard to beat. it’s darker and heavier than The Father, but it hits those same sweet, sweet emotional beats while raising the age-old question: if padmé had lived, what would she have done?

The Family Tree, 12k, complete. “In which Luke Skywalker is stranded in a tree waiting for a flash flood to recede. Too bad he's got company...”

okay, i admit, this isn’t a longfic, but it is a longshot, and it’s amazing. the imagery and description always blow me away, and the interaction (canon-compliant) between luke and vader just [chef’s kiss] get me. vader’s in full, glorious form, and it makes it all the harder when luke wrestles with the knowledge that vader is his father.

Sibling Revelry, 25k, complete. “After Bespin and before Endor, Darth Vader is shocked to discover that Luke and Leia are twins. He's even more shocked when Imperial Intelligence reports that Organa and Skywalker are, erm, a tad closer than previously suspected.”

this is complete crack and humor in the best way possible. it’s crack treated entirely seriously, and you will be in stitches, i promise. no matter how many times i’ve read this i break down.

KittandChips (@kittandchips) writes what i can only describe as food for the soul. the luke-vader interaction is insanely amazing, the world building of daily imperial life and imperial governance is amazing, and vader just has a special je ne sais quoi that u must read to understand––tragic, funny, and so, so fatherly. they’re currently rewriting the Force Bond Series to fit in with newer canon, so i will joyously binge reread the entire again (including the new Force Bond: Mustafar Weekend).

Force Bond 1: Orphan, 47k, complete. “After Owen and Beru are killed by a mysterious stranger, young Luke ends up as an orphan on Coruscant. It's a race against time as Obi-Wan struggles to find Luke before Vader realizes the boy is his son.”

Orphan kicks off the series, which tracks vader and luke’s relationship through the perils of luke’s teenagerhood while growing up under the eye of the emperor and imperial court. it’s filled with slow growth, struggle and misunderstandings as darth vader tries to single parent, and pay off in every installment. the entire series clocks in around 777k+ and is the most joyful, fulfilling reading you’ll ever have. promise.

darth-nickels (@darth--nickels) writes darker, twistier, and terribly, terribly heartwrenching aus. they’ve got a whole host, but let me introduce to my two favorites. also, check out their faux-academia on vader. it’s amazing and i love it, but i admit i am an academia hoe.

Dooku Captured, Pt 2, 16k, complete. “Dooku is taken alive onboard the Invisible Hand, and Sidious' web is torn. The Sith Lord wonders if death might have been preferable to clumsy interrogation by Anakin Skywalker.”

Dooku Captured is a longshot au told from Dooku’s pov which takes the beginning of ROTS and throws it on its head. it’s a fascinating outside perspective of anakin and obi-wan’s relationship and such and interesting examination of dooku’s psyche and especially his complex relationship with the jedi order, qui-gon, yoda, and palpatine. i cannot rec this one enough.

Black Mirror, 90k, incomplete. “The Ghost crew returns to the Lothal when they hear the Empire is investigating the Jedi Temple there. They learn Vader is alone and decide to take him out-- but what they find could change the course of Galactic history.”

Black Mirror diverges into swr territory, but make no mistake: this is entirely an examination of vader and, later, obi-wan as well as ahsoka. luke makes his appearance later in the game, and boy oh boy will you love luke’s portrayal is a microcosm of luke and vader’s relationship within canon. heed the tags, though.

jerseydevious ( @jerseydevious ) is, first and foremost, one of my favorite people on earth. secondly, though, she’s an amazing writer with a deep understanding of vader’s character and psyche, a flair for beautiful depictions, and the true ability to wring every emotion out of your body.

Two and a Half Men (with a baby), 13k, incomplete. “After a long day of bargaining with Hutts and attempting to ignore his past, Darth Vader is nearing the end of his rope. When he discovers his two-year-old son, it's the straw that breaks the semi-rational Sith Lord's back; in a rash act worthy of the Skywalker name, he scoops his son into his arms, steals a shuttle from his own fleet, and punches in random hyperspace coordinates to a destination on the other side of the galaxy. Unfortunately, father and son are not the only ones on the ship.”

Two and a Half Men will stick with you, dude. like no other. i promise. it’s a whirlwind ride with obi-wan, vader, and piett and as funny as it is heartbreaking. it touches on some heavy issues and doesn’t shy away from looking at the damage done to vader––again, heed the tags.

Helioseismology, 4k, complete. “Luke gets shot down on a supply run and caught in an ice storm. It's extremely lucky that his father followed him there.“

i’ll admit. im completely biased about this one because it was a birthday gift to me and i am sucker for litcherally anything when jd puts pen to paper, but believe me when i say you will be awed by the depth and tangled relationships between these luke and vader that jersey can illustrate in a stroke of the paintbrush. im love. always.

izzythehutt ( @izzythehutt ) i am blown away by the intricate dialogue and characterization, always. and the latin puns? im sold. im also a sucker for latin puns, but that’s a story for a different time.

In Loco Pirates, 34k, complete. “A down-on-his-luck Hondo Ohnaka manages to capture the unicorn of all bounties--Luke Skywalker, which sends Darth Vader, Lord of the Sith, on a painfully familiar trip to the planet Florrum to collect his prize. The failed negotiations leave Vader in the awkward position of being stuck in a besieged pirate bunker, trying to balance keeping his wayward child safe (and in his custody) with controlling the tongue of a loose-lipped pirate who--to the surprise of no one--has a bad habit of telling 'amusing' anecdotes from the Clone Wars.”

hondo, aka the best character of swtcw, is brought to life just as vividly on paper as on screen. his entire personality brings luke and vader’s difficulties in a sort of incredulous light, which makes it as funny as it is vulnerable and tragic. the sequel, Palpatine Ad Portas, brings piett into the spotlight, and oh man do his interactions with palpatine and vader bring u all the uncomfortable vibes. relish in it.

sparklight ( @littlesparklight ) man. lemme introduce u to an amazing prolific and detailed writer. i will never get over the series they’ve written & neither will u.

Where Our Intrepid Hero Doesn’t Get Away, 122k, incomplete. “One-shots surrounding either AU situations of canon/legends works where Luke would normally have gotten away (or Vader is simply inserted into the action to come pick his child up) but in these instances doesn't, or completely new scenarios of the same. There are no deep ruminations on consequences of the situations here, just our awful Sith dad picking his son up when he'd rather not be.”

exactly what it says on the tin. u know those glorious moments of fanfic where luke’s gotten captured and ur on pins and needles, waiting for vader to show up in a moment of dark glory? here’s the moment. here’s all the moments.

Space Race, 122k, incomplete. “Owen gives in to Luke's wish to attend the Imperial Academy and Obi-Wan is too late to avert it, though he's not too late to make sure Luke leaves Arkanis before Vader can gets his hands on him. Luke spends over a month running around the galaxy before his father gets him, and from there...”

this story relishes in chase and boy is it fun. it will keep you on the edge of your seat and it’s an amazing ride.

The Suns of Tatooine, 85k, complete. “Luke ends up on a moon swamped in dark side energy after a mission goes wrong, then his father appears... and then they go on a bit of a learning experience. This could've been the only thing that would come of getting through a Sith complex with his father, but thanks to going to free Han earlier than the gang did otherwise, more revelations are had. Will that change anything?”

this series is a thoughtful, contemplative piece examining the nature of the force and the relationship the skywalkers have with tatooine. the descriptions are beautiful, the inventiveness is amazing, and you’ll be thinking about it for long afterwards.

an additional few…

Between Flight and Longing; 34k, complete. “Luke Skywalker and Han Solo journey to the planet Balen'ar on a desperate mission and find more than they'd bargained for.”

a classic and it is for a reason. the interaction between han, luke, and vader is so spectacular and the slow trudge of going through the forest with your greatest enemy and best friend is something hilarious. the end is bittersweet and fantastic.

The Sith Who Brought Life Day, 13k, complete. “An Imperial officer loses a bet and has to get Darth Vader a present for Life Day.”

somewhere between terrifying and dull, this fic presents a canon-compliant look at the hunt for luke and the grinding wheels of the empire. the oc is amazing and it echoes in true star wars spirit: sometimes it’s just some dude who can change the galaxy.

Quintessence, 5k, complete. ‘“Well, Master, I think I’ve found the one positive aspect of this situation.” “Which is?” “The Temple won’t have to pay the costs for our funeral pyres.”’

pure hilarity and shenanigans abound in pre-aotc obi-wan and anakin hijink goodness. lemme tell u––u will deeply sympathize with mace windu afterwards. additionally, check out the rest of the author’s oneshots! they’re deeply thoughtful and the interactions the author writes between obi-wan and anakin are always gold.

some extras & shameless self-promotion

here’s a full list of recommendations for star wars rebels fanfic in case this is what you’re looking for (remember when this used to be a swr blog, lmao)

i’ve also written sw fanfic, both swr and luke-vader centric. drop by and tell me if it’s any good!

[igotswag77]

Courtly Love In Thrawnbine - My Review

This Tumblr inspired me to try again on the concept of COURTLY LOVE -- thanks for the nice art.

This is long... No tl;dr. I have been writing my THRAWNBINE fanfiction since 2014-2015. The initial transcripts were lost because my computer and the external hard drive crashed. Therefore, the research, development, key ideas, metas, etc. are gone. I have to start from scratch, hope some of them are in the cloud, and rely on my memory, which is another discussion. This piece here is not about the validity of the THRAWNBINE ship. It is a discussion of story elements I wanted to include as I write this fanfiction. It is not about me forcing any fan to accept my proposal. As a Star Wars fan, I like creativity and this piece is an example of what I think about when I develop my creative writing for fanfiction. It is what I want to do with my life right now because I can do it now.

However, a while back in one of the SWAG77 blogs here, my group discusses the idea of COURTLY LOVE: As I understand it as a beginner creative writer, it is how the COURT of the kings, queens, princes, princess, (on down) and knights in the Middle Ages and Medieval times expressed their love to each other. (x)

From my interpretation on my reading, not just Wikipedia but others, when noble single men, who were knights, often fought "religious wars" returned home to the court and would appeal to royalty to marry a certain young woman. They planned to "woo" these women with sayings, phrases, poems, etc. as an expression of their commitment and love. The issue is, most young women at a certain age (late teens, early 20s in the 13th -15th centuries) were considered "old maids" (spinsters) and they were made to marry whoever their families could get who were often older men 10+ their senior. Once married couples could not divorce, because of Church, and if caught cheating on their husband, women could be thrown away or killed. Many marriages turned loveless. When the knights returned home, they discovered the love of their lives was married, and therefore, they could not marry her because it was against the Church. Of course, back then, there were not a lot of sexual infidelities, because women could be killed for that, and any resulting child was forced into servitude, enslaved, or killed.

What couples did that time to express their love, devoid of sex to relieve that tension, the nobles created "courtly love" where the knight would serve his lady in any command and he would in turn be chivalrous along with his poems and sayings of love.

"The Lady and the Unicorn" (x), (x) tapestry art from finished in 1500 in France, is an allegory for "courtly love" by its subjects in the art, and symbols. The art comprises six tapestries that depict individual senses in each of them:

In the sixth tapestry, the words display, "À mon seul dési," while obscure in meaning it says roughly:

"To my only sole desire" "According to my desire alone" "By my will alone" "Love desires only beauty of soul" "To calm passion"

In my literature review to build the THRAWNBINE ship, I weaved the idea of "courtly love" as a plot element, in case my story hypotheses were inaccurate. That no matter what, Grand Admiral Thrawn knew he would have to serve under Countess Sabine Wren due to her royal status. By the time Thrawn meets Sabine face to face, she might be royalty with the rank of a countess, or she might be a rank higher than one because she has a direct right to Darksaber, as explained.

Sabine Wren might be a Marquise because she has an exemplary war record. I believe that Sabine Wren is the rightful heir to the Darksaber over Din Djarin because when Djarin defeated Moff Gideon, the Moff is NOT Mandalorian. All Djarin did is confiscate the Darksaber FROM Moff Gideon to give to the rightful heir. Lady Bo-Katan Kryze is not the rightful heir. She was given the Darksaber because Sabine believed in her. But the Darksaber is magical, like the Excalibur sword, and this saber did not choose Bo-Katan, and Bo-Katan never won it by ritual combat. The last Mandalorian who fought against another Mandalorian in ritual combat was Sabine Wren. Why Sabine gave it to Bo-Katan? Maybe the Sabine Wren character is like Nimue, the Lady of the Lake who gives worthy people the Excalibur, and in this case, it would be Sabine. But the Darksaber is ENTRUSTED to one that is worthy to wield it and NEVER lose it to scurrilous powers or persons. If Filoni et al. is using parts of the Arthurian Tales to explain why Sabine gave the Darksaber to Bo-Katan, then it was Bo-Katan's job not to lose the Darksaber. But she did and somehow, Moff Gideon "acquired" it -- he is definitely unworthy of it.

Maul, while he fought in ritual combat to obtain the Darksaber and killed for it, CHEATED during the fight with Pre Vizsla. Ritual Combat is a test of pure fighting skill, will, and strength. In the book, "Darth Maul: The Shadow Conspiracy", Maul has the fighting skill, a will, and the strength to fight Pre Vizsla, but there is the Force, and Maul used it to defeat Vizsla with his Force abilities in precognition. Maul knew all the moves that Vizsla would take before he made them. In my opinion, that is cheating.

While the Darksaber will work in a non-Mandalorian's hands who can wield a saber, the crystal used for plasma that Tarre Vizsla built, is responsive to the worthiness, nobleness, and chivalry of the wielder. Most stories written about enchanted swords say they do not work optimally in the wrong hands. Did it fail Maul, probably not, because Maul was so Dark Sided that he could "bleed" a lightsaber crystal for his uses. But I can imagine that a Mandalorian who uses weapons for his religion, like Tarre Vizsla who has the Force, would build his lightsaber in a way that his crystal, while it can be bled by a Dark Side user, still holds its resilience hoping for a worthy, noble and chivalrous Mandalorian to bring together the people and raise an army.

Another caveat to this story I think is Sabine Wren wielded the Darksaber while she was possessed by the Nightsisters trying to relive as Maul wanted. She almost kills Ezra Bridger, but Bridger was strong enough to pull the ghosts out of Sabine (and Kanan) in the Star Wars Rebels Episode 11, "Vision and Voices". Anyone who understands possession by spirits knows that not ALL of the spirits leave the body. Moreover, one possessed by spirits is not always evil. It is an ancient practice by those who are a part of the Vodoun culture in Western Africa, the Caribbean, Louisiana, and Gullah -- my culture (which I have some practice in it). Part of Sabine's ability to wield the Darksaber and other lightsabers come from the memories of the spirits that entered her body on Dathomir and the touch of the Daughter, which I have repeatedly written about on the Sabine Wren site (x), (x), (x).

The point is since the spirits entered Sabine Wren and not all of them left her in that SWR episode, and she picked up the Darksaber once clear of the complete possession, the Darksaber, especially the power of the crystal and the "spirit of Tarre Vizsla" encased in it, wanted Sabine to become the Mandalorian to rally all other Mandalorians together as one.

In SWR Trials of the Darksaber episodes, after Sabine defeats the Imperial Mandalorian, Gar Saxon, only to be killed by Sabine's mother, Ursa Wren, it shows that the Darksaber is rightfully hers. Why Sabine gave it away? The writers of SWR do not add scenes or dialogue meaninglessly, every piece of scenery with lighting, etc. and dialogue is added into each episode carefully to tell the story that these creatives want you to see. Sabine felt she did not have enough political skill to command Mandalorians, or better yet, military leadership to command Mandalorian -- for "you don’t tell Mandalorians what to do. You suggest it and they either heed your advice or not. (forgotten reference)"

Thrawn had to have learned that Gar Saxon died well before Season 4 Episode, "Heroes of Mandalore" part 2. Also, Thrawn knew a lot about Mandalorian culture through its history, philosophy, and art. What he did not count on is that he would find an artist -- Sabine Wren. I don't know when Thrawn discovered Sabine was an artist that painted the graffiti on the retaining wall. Through his studies, he deduced it was her by the armor she wears, the changes in her armor, and how important the armor is to the Mandalorian culture. This is why he was able to figure out that Sabine built the weapon. Her method of creating art reflects on how she builds weapons whether she knows this fact or not. But then, the Darksaber, which he has not seen, and would not really know its lore because it seems that story that Fenn Rau told Kanan is an "oral tradition" than a written one, and the fact that it was "liberated" from the Jedi seems like an embellished story -- liberated? More like "stolen" maybe? Thrawn had not heard that story. But Sabine knows it. I am not sure if Thrawn knew that Sabine is the rightful owner of the Darksaber. But during the battle sequences, he must have gotten glimpses of it and piecemealed what exactly it is as his job as a strategist to know what he is going up against. However, the Duchess Arc Reactor was not reconstructed to blast through Mandalorian Armor as the new leader of Mandalore, Tiber Saxon desired. It was a test and a chance for Thrawn to see the strength of the fight of Mandalorians (who fight each other all the time), and a chance to meet Sabine Wren in person. He had not met her. He met everyone except, her.

____________

I think that Sabine Wren would be a higher royalty if Filoni et al. were to write that Sabine is a rightful heir with a title. Therefore, she would be a Marquise who protects the frontier. In this fanfic, Thrawn would have to marry Sabine to obtain the title of Marquis to protect the border of the galaxy from the Yuuzhan Vong (lite = Grysks), and his military background fits in this fanfic story. Therefore, he will do whatever it takes to keep Sabine alive, protected under the symbol of the Darksaber and her people with his military (army). He would have to show "Courtly Love" with the addition of sex, to serve as her advisor, confidante, and supreme commander of her militaries. While he could keep his titles, they are not royal, but political, such as "Ranking Distant" or "Syndic" or "Patriarch" -- but that's the Chiss Ascendancy and he has been exiled from it (on paper: meaning officially he is exiled, unofficially he is in a black operation for an intelligence-gathering mission.)

As a separate story, he knows he really can't return under his current position back into the Chiss Ascendancy. But he can annihilate threats in the Unknown Regions using Galatic Empire resources -- of course, the Emperor nor Darth Vader like that idea. When the Deus Ex Machina scene occurred, wherever the space whales took Thrawn and Ezra, the end result should be, IMO, someone in the Chiss Ascendancy rescues them. And it can't be just two people, it has to be a group of them, mostly Imperials. And they take them to a planet, apparently under snow and ice in the Dave Filoni art.

Before I knew anything about SWR in my first fanfic, Thrawn met Sabine at an art auction.

After the Ezra Bridger Deus Ex Machina with space whales, it seems based on Dave Filoni's art of Sabine Wren and Ahsoka Tano, Thrawn officially meets Sabine. For many headcanons, metas, and short drabbles I can't get into atm, they kick off their relationship, and for Sabine, it is unexpected. And while Thrawn might strategically want Sabine to stay (to seal the deal), they have to have legacies. With legacies, Sabine would not want to leave unless she had to.

In this fanfic, any acts like these are about consent. I strive to write consent in my stories.

The conflict in this story becomes how the HAYLE did Sabine agree to all of this? She IS strong-willed like most Mandalorian women are. For Sabine to consent to this life path is:

Sabine DESIRES it; she WANTS to do a pair bond. She figures out that she is getting old and her biological clock is ticking, and perhaps she is tired of constant war and needs a break. But whoops, she did not think that her desire would overtake her and create many legacies. That does happen in real life. Therefore settles that now, this is her life. (This fanfic is the easiest one to write, but slightly dull).

From the LADY AND THE UNICORN held in Paris. Each tapestry depicts the physical senses: (1) Sight, (2) Hearing, (3) Taste, (4) Smell, (5) Touch, (6) Desire. There are allegories and symbols for each tapestry and element. The major symbols are a Lady, a young woman virgin, with a Unicorn, loyal to only her.

There is more information from this youtube: https://youtu.be/5hCWZNm3qpc. My issue about this video, while most of the information seems accurate, the poets are interpreting the tapestries with their modern experiences. In my opinion, it is difficult to understand these tapestries without historical context. To think the woman is in pain is a modern interpretation. Back then, people LIVED in real physical pain because there were no "doctors' like we have now; it is very judgy to make that assertion. Thus, the comments in the video are opinions, and the producers did not announce that opinions were going to be shared. It's kind of like the point of the tapestries was missed without the historical basis.

History for the THRAWNBINE ship is an important part of the fanfic. I am not a great writer, but I work hard to write it. I have reviewed the literature, not think up this ship out of my ass as some fans would assume. I have put a lot of work into it. Also, I am well-read on many Star Wars Legends books and the new Thrawn canon books. Therefore, it is not like I do not know much about Star Wars when I do. I have REAMS of information that I like to share with fans who ask me about it. A few fans do. Moreover, I am not so vain to think that my ideas are the ONLY point of view available. I like trying to write fanfics as close to the Star Wars canon because it is fun, and that is my thing. But there are other ideas out there. It would be wrong to say my way or the highway. Also, I am not young, and those who are asinine toward me, well, I know you're younger than me because I'm old, and I want to do this with my life, I like to do it, and I'm having fun. Some young people do not GET that idea until they fall flat HARD on their face with a lost future. But don't give up your bright-eyed and bushy-tailed aspirations -- you never know where life will take you, and you might be the one. Congrats. Believe me, life can get shitty when you're out there in the real world, like me. And when you can grab your chance at something you find fun, I say do it. Money isn't everything -- but it keeps the kids in touch. I bring up these issues because some young people take huge umbrage against the THRAWNBINE ship due to the perceived huge age difference. Okay, I can see why some young people are freaked out by that. Because someone taught them to be freaked out by the age difference. Moreover, I come from GenX, and most of us, aren't freaked out by that at all. Some of us are in that situation now. So it's no big deal to us. And any generation before ours -- THAT WAS THE WAY... I would not BE if not for huge age differences between my grandparents, great-grands, and great-great grands. Of course, for my greats- yeah, there wasn't much consent. But for my grandparents, at that time and age, there actually was consent. My grandmother was 18 years old when she married my grandfather at 26 years old. By 21, she had 3 babies. One is my father. So, I grew up not caring about age differences in relationships. But for some Millenials (not all) and GenZ (not all) and afterward (not all) -- IDK?

I guess the equivalence for some of the younger generation to understand why I am doing an age-difference story is that the younger generation demands older generation acceptance of relationships that were not allowed to exist in public because one could be killed. It was not until 1967 that people of different races could marry legally in all states. Shid, one couldn't divorce over irreconcilable differences (at will) until the 1970s. Women could not have their own bank accounts until the late 1970s, and LGBTQIA+ RECENTLY were allowed to marry legally in all states, although assholes are stopping them. Then... some of the younger generations are from IVF-assisted pregnancy situations. Some are surrogates. SHID.......... That was not allowed until the 1980s... Both 1970s and 1980s were when I grew up, when I hear younger generations wracking my brain over CONSENSUAL LEGAL age-difference, I think folks don't know the history and therefore are doomed to repeat it. It is NOT a suggestion to return back to that time where women had no choice. My fanfic is about a man falling in love from afar with a woman who actually has no clue, and he knows he is a lot older than her. Somehow, he has to tell her, and he is afraid because of rejection. Look, some Star Wars fans come from parents who have an age difference between 10+ years. If they grew up fine, and their parents are okay with their relationship, who would we judge? I am not talking about a child with a much older adult; that's not legal. I am not talking about nonconsensual (the age of consent in some states is 16-17 years old). I'm not talking about child marriage. My fanfic is about two adults making a choice to be together in an adult relationship. To say someone older can take advantage of someone younger due to experiences, well, that is a false analogy, and the opposite can be true, too. It isn't the age difference that causes bad relationships. It is the power and control, and all generations have individuals who use power and control manipulation to force and abuse another person.

Matthew Perry on that super expensive dating site was matched up with a young woman profile and wanted someone to talk to and have fun with. Not do unsavory things as the woman painted that picture. She lied about it too.

Matthew Gaetz is an asshole, and he deserves everything that the law can throw at him. I actually do not think he knew better. And as far as the young women, including the underage young lady, he manipulated them because he leveraged his power and control. This isn't because of age differences; it's about power and control by manipulation. "Oh, wow, I'm a big shot congressman; worship me." Bith, puh-leeze. You ain't shit. Look, fans teased me when I first discussed "Courtly Love," and I abandoned the idea because I could not justify it. Which is my choice; I made that choice, I chose to do it. But, some in the younger generation and nascent Star Wars fans must understand that you have no right to say who can fall in love with whom just because there a legal and consensual age difference. It is not fair. You cannot ask the older generations to accept your relationships and choose to have them if you can't accept, assuming that they are legal with consent. Because a long time ago, they were not... And when you have a longtime Star Wars fan who is older that is okay with your desires for legal and consensual relationships, killing us is not going to get these hateful toxic fans off your backs. You need longtime fans to be in your corner fighting for your cause because a lot of us have seriously fought for real shit, too. Not just protesting, but having rocks and police beatdowns and water canons, too. Blame by authorities for throwing in prison all the time. Shid...you should have seen us Spelman women rip a new asshole to fight Apartheid in South Africa against Amnesty International. We fought hard for that.

But you need to be cool with our stuff too. Just ask me. I'll tell you.

[lilydalexf]

Old School X is a project interviewing X-Files fanfic authors who were posting fic during the original run of the show. New interviews are posted every Tuesday.

Interview with Piper Sargasso

Piper Sargasso has 25 stories at Gossamer, but don’t miss her website where the fics each have cover collage art. If you are a fan of Mulder/Scully romance, there are a lot of MSR fics to read that are set in different seasons of the show. But like the show that never stuck to one type of story, Piper’s stories have variety, so you can also find AUs and /Other.  Big thanks to Piper for doing this interview.

Does it surprise you that people are still interested in reading your X-Files fanfics and others that were posted during the original run of the show (1993-2002)?

It does, but I love that people are still into it! Writers back in the day put so much work and love into their writing, and it's nice to know that the stories are still being appreciated to this day. As for my own stories, it puts a huge smile on my face to know there are still people out there checking them out and hopefully enjoying them.

What do you think of when you think about your X-Files fandom experience? What did you take away from it?

It was such a positive period of my life. I made some amazing friends who became something like older sisters (and some brothers) to me, even though I was a little ridiculous when I was in my early to mid-twenties. It was also a much-needed confidence booster. I was a pretty shy person and loved writing, but never had the nerve to show anything to anyone. My first fanfic was completely horrible, but because of it I made my first XF friend and super beta, Mimic117. Between her guidance and the encouraging words from my Yahoo group I was able to do something I really loved and felt great about myself and my abilities for the first time. That will stay with me forever. That first story was truly atrocious, but it was a catalyst for great things in my life when I needed them the most.

Social media didn't really exist during the show's original run. How were you most involved with the X-Files online (atxc, message board, email mailing list, etc.)?

I remember trying this cool new thing called an AOL chat room, but they were more interested in perving on each other than talking about the show. Once I knew about fanfiction I kept seeing that some of my favorite authors kept mentioning IWTBXF in their notes, a Yahoo group named I Want to Believe. I looked it up, joined, and with great trepidation made my introductory post. Everyone was so warm and welcoming, and talking to my favorite authors in the group was a little like meeting a celebrity and finding out that they're awesome in real life. After IWTBXF fell apart, an off-shoot called Beyond the Sea was created with almost all of the original group transferring over. I stuck to my little family there and didn't branch out into much else, other than the rare dip into Haven. Ephemeral and Gossamer, of course.

What did you take away from your experience with X-Files fic or with the fandom in general?

Mostly the overwhelming feeling of acceptance and confidence to write, something I was sorely lacking before in my life. I fell in with the best group, that's for sure! They made me feel like being a professional writer could be an achievable goal.

What was it that got you hooked on the X-Files as a show?

The commercial advertising. The pilot spoke to my supernatural-loving, angsty 15 year-old soul. I watched it religiously every week. There was nothing like it. It was off-beat, but serious (most of the time) and fulfilled my insatiable craving for the paranormal and weird. You just couldn't get that from Melrose Place and Beavis and Butthead, you know? It definitely helped that David Duchovny was adorable and the character of Scully was the strong and intelligent icon we needed in the 90's and beyond.

What got you involved with X-Files fanfic?

In high school I had a friend who was as obsessed with the show as I was. Maybe more, since she once had a slumber party that was exclusively to binge watch her taped episodes (the other girls who wanted to mess around with spells and the Ouija board weren't thrilled that she couldn't be swayed away from it) and she often drove me from play rehearsals in her convertible with the top down and the theme song blasting to the heavens, much to my delight and mortification. A couple years after we graduated she told me about the piece of fanfic she wrote. Insert a record screech here. What?! You mean there are thousands of stories dedicated to my favorite show? And hundreds more get added every month?! I was obsessed. If I could've stopped working and slept at my computer desk I would have.

What is your relationship like now to X-Files fandom?

Sadly it's nonexistent these days. I have great memories and it holds a big piece of my heart, but I haven't been active in a long time. I would love to see a huge revival, and would definitely want to be involved in that in some way, were it to happen.

Were you involved with any fandoms after the X-Files? If so, what was it like compared to X-Files?

I read a lot of Harry Potter fanfiction for a while, but I never could expend the kind of energy and time I did for the X-Files fandom. It came at a perfect time in my life, and so far nothing else has measured up to it.

Who are some of your favorite fictional characters? Why?

Besides XF characters? Off the top of my head I really love Hermione Granger, Buffy Summers, Elizabeth Bennet, and Claire Fraser for their sass and strength of character, Severus Snape for his complexity, and Christina Ricci's version of Wednesday Addams for her pure awesomeness. She's pretty much my spirit animal.

Do you ever still watch The X-Files or think about Mulder and Scully?

I do occasionally. I watched the series from season 1-7 so many times that I started to burn out, but I get on my X-Files kicks sometimes and binge it again.

Do you ever still read X-Files fic? Fic in another fandom?

Like with the show, I'll get nostalgic and need to consume all the fanfics my greedy little eyes can behold until I move on to something else. It can feel a little lonely though, if you'll excuse the drama. We're not in the heyday anymore, so it feels a little like walking through a ghost town. Many of the stories out there are suspended in time because the show ended, or people stopped writing.

Do you have any favorite X-Files fanfic stories or authors?

I know I have dozens, but I'm drawing a blank. My ultimate favorite is any well-written MSR casefile with UST finally resulting in RST. Those are my unicorns!

What is your favorite of your own fics, X-Files and/or otherwise?

I have a silly one called Baby, It's Cold Outside that I sometimes read around Christmastime. It was a fluffy song-fic, but I can see the scene so clearly in my mind when I read it and it's just pure fun. I also like my Donnie Pfaster series. I can see the potential in my writing with those, which makes me feel I could really write something special someday. Plus, he's such an interesting little slimeball to write and read about. Bless his heart.

Do you think you'll ever write another X-Files story? Or dust off and post an oldie that for whatever reason never made it online?

I still think about the two WIPs I haven't finished. I wrote myself into a corner with This Mortal Coil, and honestly I think it needs a total overhaul. I think Dana Scully's Diary would be a fun one to finish. I hate that I never finished them.

Do you still write fic now? Or other creative work?

I think about writing fanfic now and then and I've had a couple original novels sketched out, but there are so many other demands on my time that I haven't gotten very far. I still plan to see the novels through, even if no one but interested friends and family read them.  

Where do you get ideas for stories?

I used to watch an episode and really study the actors' expressions and actions, always trying to find new angles to the stories we all know. A lot of times things would just come to me and I'd get so excited I couldn't sleep until I wrote a good chunk of it down.

What's the story behind your pen name?

The friend who introduced me to fanfic told me the best way to choose a pen name was to make sure it derives from the show. For a couple days I looked at the titles and summaries of episodes and agonized over just the right name. Finally Piper Maru and the summary from Triangle, which mentions the Sargasso sea, stood out and just clicked.

Do your friends and family know about your fic and, if so, what have been their reactions?

My now husband always knew, and he thought it was cool that I had a hobby that made me so happy, but he was never a reader. My parents found out when I was about 24 and my step-dad would tell EVERYONE about it, much to my horror. Most reactions were of the bland, "Oh yeah? That's nice." variety but I definitely got some weird looks from others. The worst was when I found out how much of my racier MSR stories my parents read. My step-dad thought it was hilarious and teased me a little. My usually open-minded mom was uncomfortable, but tried to be supportive. It's all fun and games until your daughter starts writing psuedo-erotica for anyone to see!

Is there a place online (tumblr, twitter, AO3, etc.) where people can find you and/or your stories now?

Circe Invidiosa very generously hosts a page for me at http://pipers.invidiosa.com.

(Posted by Lilydale on January 26, 2021)

[uta-no-sin-sama]

Coming Soon to a Half-Dead Utapri Blog Near You: The Ballad of the Little Unicorn

Hi, everyone!

As I'm sure most of you who keep up with this blog are aware, the past few scenarios were a blend of Utapri and My Hero Academia. More specifically, the Utapri characters and what would happen if they met Eri from MHA. Those scenarios did a lot better than I thought they would (especially the ones with STARISH and Quartet Night lol) and I had a lot of fun writing them.

The thought of this crossover still hasn't left my mind in the month I spent writing those scenarios, so now I'm announcing a work in progress that I will be working on along with other headcanons, imagines and scenarios:

The Ballad of the Little Unicorn - an Utapri and My Hero Academia crossfic

That's right, a longer story relating to those most recent scenarios is in the works!

I'm still working out some minor details regarding the work itself, such as the number of chapters I want it to be and some plot points, but I do have a basic summary of what this work will generally be about:

It's been nearly four months since young Eri was rescued from Overhaul's clutches by Deku, Mirio, and the others involved in the mission against the Shie Hassaikai. The little girl has improved significantly since in trusting others, catching up in her knowledge when compared to other children her age, being happier, and simply being a child.

One day, however, Eri's newly-found normal life comes to a screeching halt when she wakes up from a routine nap to find herself in a city park far from where UA stands. She soon meets a beautiful young woman, who agrees to help the little girl find her way back home after accidentally bumping into her. The woman, who introduces herself as Haruka Nanami, takes Eri back to the performing agency where she introduced her to the members of STARISH.

The boys quickly agree to Haruka's idea to let Eri stay with them until she can help her get back home safely until one of them points out that their boss, Shining Saotome, would not allow anyone outside of the agency to be within its walls unless it was for a collaboration piece with another agency. On top of this, he would almost certainly use the little girl's powers for selfish gain should he ever find out about them. Not wanting to risk angering their boss while also not wanting to put young Eri in harm's way, Haruka and STARISH agree to keep the little girl's presence a secret from the rest of the idol agency while caring for her and continuing their work on an upcoming concert collaboration with two other idol groups. How long will they be able to keep the secret? Will Eri be able to get back home safely before Shining finds out about her existence? Stay tuned to find out.

This fic is mainly going to focus on Eri's interactions with members of STARISH and Shining Agency, but to my Quartet Night and HEAVENS fans, don't you worry! They'll be in this work as well!

I hope to post a new chapter every 1-2 weeks starting mid-November to catch up on all the requests - the first of which should be done by the end of this week, but I will let everyone know if anything should change about when new chapters will be posted. Of course, I will still do the things I was doing before starting this project: scenarios, imagines, headcanons and match-ups (yes, I do those now too).

This is the first full-blown fanfic I've written for this fandom and it is longer and in a different style compared to my usual works, but I'm excited to try to post some new material for this blog. I also can't wait for you all to read each chapter as well.

I hope you all are excited for this project to come to life as much as I am!

- Lizzie Rose

[ishouldbestudyingprobably]

Hey uh- could i request another barley x reader? the previous one was so cute! maybe some sort of date night one-shot? whatever you chose!❤️

Thank you so much for requesting!! I’m gonna become the CEO of Barley fanfics LOL! (I’d gratefully take that title tho)

To put you on a bit of context, this takes place AFTER the movie unlike my previous one-shot, of course I’ll try to keep it as spoiler free as possible considering the movie is going to come out to Disney + in just a few days and some of you haven’t seen it yet, but maybe I slip something so, please beware.

Also, I have been reading more fanfics in English recently and noticed they are written in a you-did-this-and-said-that way instead of how we do them in Spanish; I’ll be continuing to them in my way unless you guys tell me it annoys you or something.

WELL, SORRY FOR KEEPING YOU WAITING, LET’S GET TO IT! ALSO THIS IS SO LONG SORRY--

(Y/N) definitely had no idea how she ended up on the Lightfoot’s home. Now, listen, it’s not that she didn’t like them ‘cause she as hell did it was just confusing considering a few hours prior to that she was just walking around the neighborhood.

“Ian, come on! Show her your magic!” Barley was having a hard time since he was trying so hard to make his little brother show the girl how his magic worked and poor Ian was shy about it, sure his confidence had been boosted but, come on, that was way too much pressure.

“Barley it’s okay, really, I believe you. I bet it’s amazing and you guys make an incredible team together. Let Ian go.” the girl chuckled seeing as the smaller elf smiled thankful and made his way out of the room feeling relieved.

“What? No! Ian get back here!!” see, the boy with a cast on his arm was hoping to use his brother as an excuse to have the female the longest time possible by his side, he was definitely going to ask her on a date but needed that boost of confidence being in a room with people gave.

Although now that they were alone he wouldn’t lie saying it wasn’t enjoyable, but soon that intimate moment of piece was to be broken by the young girl standing up making the bed rigid on the side she had been sitting on.

“This was... fun. But I really should get going home, my family would be worried plus it’s lunch time and... You know.” (Y/N) tried to excuse herself as politely as possible seeing as how she didn’t want to give the impression she wasn’t having fun and didn’t enjoy the presence of the older son of the Lightfoot’s family. Barley soon realized he had to jump now and ask her out or he’d never get the chance to. “Would you like to meet me? Alone? Maybe drive around, have dinner...” the boy put on his widest smile as if that were going to make her accept his invitation.

“Wait, wait, wait, wait. Are you... Asking me out? On a date? Tonight?” the girl replied trying to hide her grin while putting a strand of her voluminous hair behind her pointy ear which had efficiently caught the male’s attention. “I wouldn’t call it a date, more like a quest to make you fall in love with me because I totally am and it would be pretty cool if you did as well? But, you could always call it a date, I wouldn’t correct you even though you’re completely wrong.” that was enough to make the small elf chuckle which made Barley’s heart skip a few beats.

“It’d be a pleasure to help you complete this quest oh-so-awesome Barley Lightfoot. How about 8? No need for formal clothes, quests don’t require suits or dresses.” now it was him who was chuckling, how couldn’t he? His friend had never ever ever played his favourite roleplaying game yet always tried her best to make as much references to it without completely failing at the process, it was adorable. “8 sounds amazing. Farewell, oh-so-cool-to-play-games (Y/N) (S/N).”

And so the time came and the bell started ringing; one, two, three, four times and just as the fifth was about to made itself present the girl rushed to the door “Okay, okay got it! I’m coming!” grabbing the door handle she opened it revealing the young elf wearing a suit -well, a modified one since the sleeves of his jacket were completely gone and decided to wear jeans with the suit, formal for sure- contrasting with her usual clothing. “We said no dressing up!” the boy just shrugged and clearing his throat he moved to the side revealing Guinevere 2 in all its glory. “Shall we get going?” the girl smiled and gladly accepted getting out and making sure to close the door.

They made their way to the van and Barley hurried to open the door of the passenger seat bowing as his friend got inside and closed the door trying -and failing- to hide his smile. As soon as they were both seated the boy opened her mouth and took a folded piece of paper from his pocket. “So, (Y/N)... I hope your ready for our quest because I’ve been planning this all day!” slowly the boy opened the folded paper showing a drawn map of different places in Mushroomton that he thought would be of interest and appropriate for a date surprising his companion in the process. “Did you realy do that? That’s so impressive…” the male just smiled and motioned for her to hold the map and turned on the engine.

“Now my incredible partner, tell me, which is the first stop?” he couldn’t help the excitement his tone glad everything was going according to plan at the moment.

“Uhm, well, the exciting-full-of-teenagers house of fun?” what kind of name was that? The drawing didn’t really gave much about the place either, not only because his art skills weren’t exactly… Clear?

But because he modified them to be fitting on the Quests of Yore world. “Heading there!” and just like that the car drive began. They both were constantly talking and joking, it may have been a date-quest thing but after all they were still friends, why would they be quiet?

When they finally arrived to the place she got out the car excited to see what it was about and found a luminous neon sign indicating the entry to the arcade.

“The arcade was the exciting-full-of-teenagers house?” again the elf just shrugged grinning which made the female roll her eyes. “Amazing! I’m actually thinking this is going to be the greatest day of my life…”

What can I say? Videogames were definitely something they both were extremely good at and that sparked a tiny competition between them. Driving games? You bet! That knock the clown game that’s always typically seen in carnivals at those cheesy romantic movies? Yup! In the end they decided to count the tickets each one got to decide a winner.

“I’ve got… 238 tickets, how about you, Lightfoot?” the boy didn’t seem happy and (Y/N) soon knew he was dreading his defeat. “I got 197....” mockery could be heard from the female’s lips before they cut off the rivalry and decided to combine both of their tickets getting 435 tickets which were enough for…

“A unicorn rubber?!” the girl sighed as they were gettin in the car again. “I hate this stupid games, they’re fun but you alway have to win around a billion tickets to actually WIN something.” she continued ranting, something Barley found really entertaining but cut her off mid sentence as they were running out of time. “When did you have to get home?” it effectively cut her off. There was a small silence

before she could respond “Around 10 I believe, you know how they are…” he just nodded and looked at his watch; it was 9:17 meaning they had to do a shortcut on their plans.

“Okay, we’re runnin out of time, skip the following two places and tell me the next one after them.” she did as asked and traced the drawn road with her fingers. “It says brainwash.” an odd name for sure.

“Brainwash it is.”

Of course, brainwash was referring to movies, they were going to watch a movie specifically a drive in movie, is there anything more romantic than that? No.

“Barley… This is so sweet, thank you! What movie are they playing?” turning her head towards the giggly boy she asked nothing but amusement in her face. “No idea. I’m gonna go grab popcorn, make yourself comfortable on top of Guinevere 2, please.” just like that he was gone and (Y/N) had a new adventure, finding the way she could get on the van’s roof.

After a while Barley got back with a huge stack of popcorn finding her loved one on the roof, smiling to himself he admired all of her features. Soon he got on top shaking the oh-so-special van on the process. “Here’s the popcoooorn!” he announced with an excited tone and put them between him and the girl.

The movie was ten minutes in and no noise was heard but the sound of chewing popcorn. Leaning in the female asked in the boy’s ear “Do you like this movie?” he replied in a whisper “No it’s so boring.” that’s when they both started laughing being shushed by the cars around them. “Let’s get out of here. We still have twenty minutes left.” Without bothering to take the popcorn they both walked north finding a calm forest where they laid on the grass looking at the sky. “So, Barley, is it true? That you like me?”

That was a very direct question he definitely wasn’t prepared for “Well, of course it is! You’re an incredible girl, an incredible friend and I bet you’d be an incredible girlfriend!” the girl chuckled making Barley’s heart melt. And then, he asked “Do you like me?”. Silence hurts, so much, but before any assumption could be made she replied “Yes, of course I do.”

Silence again.

“So, have you completed your quest now?” (Y/N) curiously asked. “I still have one more thing to do.” and, the kiss came.

QUEST COMPLETED.

Oh boy was that long... Hope you enjoyed your request and for everyone else, request! Don't be shy!

TAGLIST:

@ferox-imagines @s-ferox

[fedeipox]

The Way of Time (Rdr2 fanfic) - Chapter 6 (3/3)

Part 1 here: https://fedeipox.tumblr.com/post/640021017292636160/the-way-of-time-rdr2-fanfic-chapter-6-13

Part 2 here: https://fedeipox.tumblr.com/post/640495394492710912/the-way-of-time-rdr2-fanfic-chapter-6-23

Chapter 6 (3/3) - Gifts

Words: 3k

Molly was probably able to hide all those bad feelings from the other people in camp, but she couldn’t hide them from Emily: she was good with emotions, and in reading poetry. However, she had talked too much, again, and she felt mortified for how Molly had treated her. Walking around with the weight of regret on her chest, she ended up in front of her tent where Mary-Beth was still reading and Tilly was washing some clothes.

“Hello, girls. Do you need help, Tilly?”

“No, I’m almost done.”

“Is it still that book? The one with the man who wants to visit the moon?” she asked to Mary-Beth.

“Ah-ah” she affirmed. 

Emily had soon found out that her books were boring and foolish, but she tried not to point it out to avoid insulting Mary-Beth. Besides, she had only three and she kept reading them again and again.

“How did the job go?” she asked to Emily.

“Good, I’ve made some money, so now I can buy you some other book. Something more interesting.”

“This one is not so bad. You have never wondered what goes on, on the moon?” “What should go on, on the moon? It’s a big cold rock.”

Mary-Beth widened her eyes.

“How do you know? You’ve been there?”

“No, of course not, but other people have.”

“You mean there’s folks living up there?”

Emily laughed, but then she saw Mary-Beth’s half hurt half curious face and decided to explain to her what apparently she didn’t know, that the moon couldn’t be colonized because there was no air and that men could only go up there with spaceships and space suits that allowed them to breathe.

“I’ve never heard of any of that” said Tilly.

“That’s because you have to wait until 1969 for that to happen.”

“So much time? We’ll probably never see that” replied a disconsolate Mary-Beth.

“But I can tell you everything about that, so it’s like you’ve lived that” Emily tried to cheer her up.

“Hey, what are you talking about?” asked Karen walking closer.

“The moon!” exclaimed Mary-Beth.

“Puff, again with your stupid fantasies?”

“It’s not a fantasy. Emily says we will walk on the moon one day.”

“Is that so? And how you expect to reach it? Riding a winged unicorn?”

Emily summoned all her patience and started explaining how Armstrong had been the first man to ever walk on the moon, how space rockets worked - without going into details that even she didn’t know, of course - and especially what gravity was, a new bizarre concept for the three girls.

“How the hell can you know all these things?” asked Karen who in spite of herself had started to get interested in what she was saying. 

“I learned them, at school.”

“Are girls allowed to learn these things at school?” asked Tilly.

“Of course. We learn everything.”

“That sounds great. Can you bring me with you when you go back? The future looks so much better than now” said Mary-Beth.

Emily giggled but almost immediately she turned serious. 

“If I’ll ever go back.”

...

The next morning Emily had an insistent itch on her head, and she perfectly knew the reason for that: a week, a week without a shower, a week without touching water. As she walked across the camp to reach Mr. Pearson’s kitchen and take some biscuits, scratching her head vigorously, she wondered how could those people live without washing everyday. It was humanly impossible. 

“Morning, Miss Emily!” thundered Pearson with his big scratchy voice. Emily was getting used to it, he was a sort of morning alarm clock for her.

“Morning.”

“Some big plan for today?”

“Yes, washing” she murmured.

“Aah nothing better than a good bath.”

She couldn’t but agree, the only problem was: who she might have asked for a ride in town? Taking a couple of biscuits and with that question buzzing in her head she started walking around camp. Charles was her first choice, he was the one she trusted most there, so she went looking for him. Only after a couple of minutes of empty roaming she learned that he was out hunting, so her choice moved on Lenny.

“I’m on guard duty. I can’t leave my place.”

“Never mind, I’ll ask someone else.”

Javier? He was still asleep. He had had the guard turn that night. Uncle? He found an excuse not to lift his ass from the piece of shadow under which he was seated, drinking from his bottle. Dutch? Never. Bill? Emily wanted to bath in water, not in blood. In the end, she thought about Hosea. The last thing she wanted to do was disturb him, but she had no other choice, that was becoming a matter of life or death and she couldn’t delay it anymore.

“Morning, my dear” the man said when she reached him.

“Morning, Hosea” she murmured and left a slight kiss on his cheek, a habit she had taken in those days and to which Hosea still hadn’t become accustomed. 

“How are you?” he asked a little embarrassed.

“Fine. I wanted to ask you for a favor.”

“What do you need?”

“I…” “Gentlemen, I’m going to Valentine for a little business.”

Emily turned around when she recognized Mr. Strauss’ voice and she fixed her eyes on the little man with the tiny glasses, walking quickly with his back bent and his ledger tightened to his chest.

She hadn’t even taken him in consideration, but after all, she didn’t mind with whom she was riding, she just needed someone who brought her to town and then back to camp. She turned again to look at Hosea and said a hasted “never mind” before she ran to Mr. Strauss.

“Good Morning, Mr. Strauss.”

“Morning, Miss Richardson.”

“You said you’re going to town. Do you mind taking me with you?”

“No, if you can keep the pace.”

“The pace? Y-you don’t… I thought you were taking a horse.” “I don’t ride horses, Miss, I walk. If that is a problem for you, you can go with someone else.”

“N-no no, it’s not a problem. I can walk.” “Good. Keep up the pace.” Without a wagon nor a horse, the little path that leaded out of the wood and on the main road seemed endless. Besides, Emily couldn’t fill the time with words because, let’s be honest, what kind of conversation could she have with Strauss? And only when they emerged from the trees she found the courage to ask him something.

“So, why don’t you ride horses?” 

“I don’t like them.”

Emily raised her eyebrows in surprise. She had just found something in common with the person she thought to be the most different from her. 

“Oh, well, you know, I don’t like horses, either. I can’t understand why they find them so interesting.”

“They’re easy and fast transportation.”

“Yes.”

Silence fell as they kept walking. Mr. Strauss had spoken the truth, he really had a fast pace, he almost ran with those short and skinny legs and Emily found it really difficult to keep up. For a second she wondered what was he going to do in town, but then she glanced at that ledger he tightened to his chest like a new born and realized that probably he was going there for some debts.

“Are you going to Valentine to recollect some money?”

“Lending.” “To whom?”

“I reckon you’re asking just to make conversation, but if you don’t mind I’d rather keep the names of my clients for myself.”

“Alright” Emily whispered and lowered her head. She was starting to regret her choice. Hosea would nave been a far better conversation partner.

“I know what you all think of me” said Mr. Strauss suddenly.

“Excuse me?”

“You think that what I do is disgusting, but if you think about it, compared to what other people do, my job is not so terrible. After all I don’t kill, I don’t steal, I don’t do anything which is not inside the limits of the law.”

Emily kept looking at him with wide eyes asking herself where all that was coming from. She had never questioned his “profession”, she had never spoken about it, nor expressed a judgement to his person. How could she express a judgement on a money lender in a camp of criminals? And, how could the others in camp express a judgement on him? After all, Mr. Strauss was right, they were thieves and murderers, and if they really despised him for the usury, they were a bunch of hypocrites. 

“I don’t think you do anything wrong Mr. Strauss. You lend people money and then ask it back with interests. You’re like a private bank.”

“I’m glad you are such an open minded type, Miss.”

“Who knows, maybe with your job you also help some people. If someone is in extreme need of money and you lend them some, you might save their lives.”

Mr. Strauss looked at her for a moment, a second really, before he fixed his eyes again on the road.

“I don’t understand you, Miss. You look perfectly sane but at the same time you insist on that deluded story of the time travel.”

Emily huffed. It was time to try and convince him too. And she tried, for all the way to Valentine she tried convincing Strauss that she wasn’t crazy, but she couldn’t. That man was so firm and attached to his principles that she had to give up. 

They parted when they reached town, with the promise to meet again in front of the general store when they had finished to do what they had to do. Strauss walked down the main road while Emily aimed for the Hotel. Mary-Beth had told her she had to go there for a bath. She climbed the four steps of the porch and walked inside.

“Morning, Miss. How can I help you?” asked the man behind the counter.

“I’m here for a bath” she said with insecurity. 

“I’ll have it arranged for you” he said and walked down the corridor to his right. 

Emily took the opportunity to look around: the room was rather basic with no paintings on the walls nor carpets on the floor. After all, in a town like that, what kind of luxury could they have?

“They’re warming the water, Miss. If you want to sit down while you wait” said the man coming back from the corridor and pointing to a chair.

Emily sat on the green worn out cushion and waited patiently for the water to be warmed and in the mean time she wondered how they were doing it. Maybe making it boil on the fire before pouring it inside the bathtub, just like she had seen many times in the movies?

It was exactly what they were doing and she found it out only when they let her inside the candle lit room with no windows. The average large bathtub was in the centre, a sort of basin with a mirror stood right beside the door while on the back of the room there was a partition panel for clothes changing. On a little table beside the tub there was a big bar of creamy soap and a brownish sponge, which she was sure she wasn’t going to touch. 

Emily looked around her carefully and then fixed her eyes on the piping hot water. For her all that was awful: wash in a copper bathtub, with a piece of soap that God knows how many people had touched, no towels, no carpets. But she had to do it or she was sure that in a couple of days she would have got fleas. 

Slowly and unsurely she undressed herself and dipped in the water. The lack of other kinds of soaps made her understand that in 1899 people made no distinction between shampoo and body soap, so she took the bar on the table and melted it in the water and, in the end, the general feeling wasn’t as bad as she expected. 

She made sure to wash her hair carefully, who knew when she had had the chance to wash them again, but she tried not to spend too much time just in case Strauss had got bored of waiting for her and had chosen to go away and leave her there. But when she finished, dressed up again in a hurry, quickly gave a look at herself in the mirror, ran outside the room, paid the man his twenty-five cents and walked out of the Hotel, she didn’t find him waiting out of the general store, and that meant he wasn’t done yet. She decided to cross the street and enter the store to have a look and maybe find something interesting. Now that she had her money, she could buy anything she wanted.

“Hello there. Nice to see you again, Miss” said the owner when he recognized her.

“And you too, Mister. Do you have any books?”

“On the top shelf, up there” he said pointing a finger to the corner of the room.

He really hadn’t a big selection of books and most of them were unknown for Emily, but eventually she found what she was looking for.

“I’ll take this” she said leaving the little red book on the counter together with a couple of chocolate bars.

“Tess of the d’Ubervilles. What is this? Some kind of silly romantic novel?”

“No, it’s the story of a fallen woman who commits murder and in the end she’s hanged” she replied with a little annoyance. Did she look like someone who liked silly romantic novels?

“Well, not exactly the kind of reading for a lady” he laughed.

“But it perfectly represents the patriarchal repression that 19th century society had on women and the wrongs of a hierarchical mindset.” The man’s eyes widened and an imperceptible “oh” left his lips, but he hadn’t understood a word she had said.

“I-is that all?” he asked pointing at her purchases. 

“Yes.” 

She paid for the book and the chocolate and left the store. Right when she stepped outside she saw Mr. Strauss walking down the muddy street with a man following him and gesturing widely with his arms. Emily left the porch and reached the two of them, being careful not to walk too closer: the last thing she wanted was to stick her nose in Strauss’ affairs, but the two of them were talking so loudly she could perfectly hear them even if she had waited on the other side of the street.

“I have already told you Mr. Downes: you have a week.”

“B-but Mr. Strauss I have a family, I’m about to lose my house a-and…”

The man stopped to cough, bending on his knees and grasping Strauss’ arm who withdrew with a disgusted face. 

“P-please, Mr. Strauss. I need some more time. Kindness… kindness will always be repaid. Be kind to me, please.” Strauss tightened his ledger to his chest and looked at the man with no trace of mercy on his face.

“You have one week” he repeated before he walked away. 

With a sorry glance at the poor man, Emily reached Strauss and the two of them took the road back to camp. 

“These cheap do-gooders are the worst. They believe that because they are benevolent with their neighbor everything is due to them. I have rules in my job, I expect everybody to follow them, with no exceptions.”

“Aren’t people who do good usually selfless?” asked Emily.

“I don’t get involved in matters of good and evil. That is a job for priests. All I care about is feed the mouths in camp, and the only thing I’m good at are numbers.”

Emily thought that he was a little harsh and insensible, but she couldn’t say he was wrong. Maybe it wasn’t the goal the problem, but the means. 

“You could try and… give him some more time. He looked kind of desperate.”

“I can’t delay a payment. If something happens and we are forced to flee, I won’t be able to recollect the money. And two weeks are more than an appropriate amount of time to collect thirty-four dollars.”

Just like it had happened with Javier and Dutch, Emily couldn’t find anything to reply. That man had his way of doing things, all the reasons to do so and no intention to change his mind, which meant that argue with him was impossible. 

The road back was made of scattered questions and long silences, but Emily didn’t mind too much. She was clean, she was smelling of soap, she had brought chocolate and she was in a great mood. Now, following Strauss’ fast pace wasn’t a problem anymore, on the contrary, it was Strauss turn to follow the girl, who was almost running. 

“Alright, thank you for bringing me with you Mr. Strauss” she said when they got to camp.

“No trouble.”

Emily ran to her tent where Mary-Beth was reading, as always. Anyway, Emily was surprised to find Tilly reading too. Not that Tilly didn’t like reading, but she preferred to avoid Mary-Beth’s silly stories.

“You can put down that thing, my friend. I bought you this” said Emily showing her the new book.

“What is it about?” asked a surprised Mary-Beth taking the book and reading the title.

“Just read it. It’s a little different from what you’re used to, but it will make you understand some things. And there is a love story in the middle.”

“Have you read it?” 

“A long time ago.”

“What do you mean ‘a little different’?” asked Tilly.

“It’s a little… dark sometimes.”

“Good, I like dark things. Can I read it too?”

“Sure, you can all read it. I reckon Karen will also like it” replied Emily opening one of the chocolate bars to take a piece.

“Karen doesn’t like romantic stories” said Mary-Beth.

“Who said it’s a romantic story? Chocolate?”

“Yeah, I’ll take some” replied Tilly stretching out a hand.

“You said there is a love story in the middle” stated Mary-Beth frowning.

“Ah-ah.”

“How… how can love not be romantic?”

“You’ll be surprised.”

[jackredfieldwasmyjacob]

I just finished re-reading Memorias de Idhún and HOLY SHIT I now understand my 11 year old writing fanfics about them as adults and obsessing about Erik and Eva literal babies in the books cause if that isn't the most fic inviting piece of media ever I don't know what it is like

I need to see their daily life 17-18 years from the end of book iii, where jack and Victoria live in the D'Ascoli mansion with the kids and "uncle" Christian lives with aunt Shizuko in Tokyo but comes to visit often and also once in a while uncles "Shane" and "Zaida" show up and Erik and Eva don't get along and it's almost something instinct wise, Eva hates Jack, and Erik Christian, they have ice and fire powers and can transform into unicorns but they don't really know what the hell is going on, until one day they all have to return to Idhún cause Uk-Sun is now a villain or something and Eva ends up falling in love with her and Erik with Shail and Zaisei kid and fuck now I have to write it don't I?