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beyond-the-mirror · 5 years

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Music of the Night (V x Reader)

Welcome back to another chapter of Music of the Night!

From this chapter and on, this fic will continue a bit kinda like the musical and the movie albeit with a few changes on the plot. This is an AU after all, one that mainly focuses on our dear and mysterious Phantom and his relation with the Reader.

Tagging @minteyeddemon and @thedyingmoon as a special thanks for believing in this idea since before I started writing it. Hope you enjoy!

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Chapter 4: An Angel Ready to Take Flight

- Two years later -

“This trophy from our saviors, from our saviors from the enslaving force of Rome!”

The conductor signaled to the orchestra the start of the opera Hannibal’s Overture. Right on time, a parade of actors and actresses entered the stage from the side, marching while backup singers among them continued with the song.

“With feasting and dancing and song, tonight in celebration, we greet the victorious throng, returned to bring salvation!”

The scene flowed beautifully, the gorgeous red dresses and attires that the performers were wearing looked stunning from Trish’s place near the first row of seats. Next, the backup dancers appeared on stage, their choreography signaling the triumphant entrance of the war general Hannibal.

“The trumpets of Carthage resound! Hear, Romans, now and tremble! Hark to our step on the ground! Hear the drums, Hannibal comes!”

The soldiers and ladies of the court stepped aside to reveal the arrival of the great general, played by main tenor Ubaldo Piangi.

“Sad to return to find the land we love threatened once more by Rome's far-reaching grasp-“

“Gentlemen, gentlemen…” Interrupting Piangi’s solo, the conductor nervously tapped the stand before him, stopping the music altogether. “Monsieur Lefevre, we are in the middle of a rehearsal right now.”

Lefevre had sauntered into the stage accompanied by three other men.

“I am terribly sorry Monsieur Reyer, it’s only for a quick announcement.” Lefevre excused himself before quickly clearing his throat “Monsieur Rever, Madame Trish, ladies and gentlemen. Please if I could have your attention thank you very much.”

Making a brief pause and waiting until everyone gathered round, Lefevre continued “As you know, in a few weeks I will be retiring, it has been a great pleasure for me working alongside an extraordinaire crew such as all of you. And now, it is my pleasure to introduce you to these two gentlemen who now own our Opera House, Monsieur Richard Firmin and Monsieur Gilles Andre.”

He gestured to two of the men who stood by his side. One of them, which you presumed was Monsieur Firmin, stepped to the front and took the word. “It’s a pleasure to meet you all. And we are deeply honoured to introduce our new patron, the Vicomte Raoul de Chagny.”

The third man in question was tall and with a lean figure, he had warm hazel eyes and curly blond hair. He was rather handsome and looked to be well-mannered considering his posture the entire time.

“My parents and I are honoured to support all the arts, especially Fortuna’s well renowned Opera House.”

“If you allow me Vicomte, gentlemen.” Lefevre interjected, beckoning Carlotta and Ubaldo. “Signora Carlotta Giudicelli, our current leading soprano; Signor Ubaldo Piangi, lead tenor of our fine Opera; and Monsieur Reyer, maestro in charge of our orchestra.”

“An honor Signor, Signora, Monsieur. I believe we are keeping you from your rehearsal. My apologies for the interruption everyone, you may continue with your duties.”

The three men retired to the side of the stage while Trish ordered to repeat the scene once more from the top. The premiere would be that same night and the last dress rehearsals must go according to the tight schedule programmed.

Lefevre invited the new administrators to stay and watch the performers first hand, soon enough Trish joined them so he could properly introduce her.

“Gentlemen, I proudly introduce you to Madame Trish. An unparalleled choreographer and dance captain that’s been gracing our beloved Opera for these last years.”

“An honor meeting you.” Trish responded politely before showing them the routine the dancers were currently practicing on stage. “As you can see, we take great pride in the excellence of our ballet. We primarily focus on the discipline of our ballerinas rather than their mere talent, in order to ensure the success of our productions.”

The three man observed attentively at how the scene before them took place, impressed at the incredible skills and professionalism all the staff members showed for their work.

“Now I see why madame, especially that exceptional beauty performing over there.” Unbeknownst to you, Firmin pointed towards your dancing figure.

“(Y/N) (L/N).” Trish informed him. “A very promising ballerina Monsieur, one of the best this theatre has ever witnessed. Now please follow me gentlemen, we don’t want to stand in our performers’ way.”

As they gave the performers the space they needed, Raoul centered his bright eyes on you. He was enthralled by the swift flow of your movements, as if the choreography was basically second nature to you. The scene continued with the rest of the actors marching to the center, followed by a mechanical prop of a magnanimous war elephant.

“The trumpeting elephant sound. Hear, Romans, now and tremble, hark to their step on the ground. Hear the drums! Hannibal comes!”

A glorious crescendo filled the Opera House before the scene reached its finale. Silence took over for a few moments before the new administrators and the Vicomte clapped at the great performance they had just witnessed, not registering Carlotta’s frustrated voice as she strode towards them.

“That number was astounding! We are very excited about tonight’s gala-“

“All day! All they ever want is the dancing!” Carlotta rudely interrupted Andre “Allor… I hope you are as excited about dancing girls as your new managers, BECAUSE I WILL NOT BE SINGING! Addio a tutti!”

She stomped furiously to her personal assistants, ordering them to gather all her belongings for her. Carlotta’s sudden departure left Firmin and Andre in absolute shock, while the rest of the staff were simply unfazed by her attitude, already used to this kind of meltdowns from her.

“What can we do now?” With no other options at hand, the new owners had no choice but to follow Lefevre’s advice to this particular kind of situation “Grovel. Grovel, grovel.”

So of course, Firmin and Andre immediately took after Carlotta to stop her from leaving the stage, loudly exclaiming any possible compliment they could think of in order to appeal to her.

“Beauty!” “Principessa!” “Bella Dama!”

“Si! Si! Si!”

“Oh Goddess of Song!”

“If you excuse me, please.” Everyone turned to see the Vicomte approaching Carlotta with a rather calm and suave expression on his face “Monsieur Reyer, isn’t there a marvelous aria for Elissa in Act. 3 of Hannibal? Perhaps the signora-“

“Yes, yes, but no!” she angrily interjected “Because turns out I don’t have the right costume for Act 3 because somebody made a horrible disaster out of it! And I hate my hat!” She sobbed and lamented, very much like a spoiled diva in the eyes of the staff members. Raoul, however, remained unfazed by her sudden outburst and simply smiled warmly at her.

“I was wondering, signora, as a personal favor… would you give us the privilege of a personal performance? Unless of course, Monsieur Reyer objects.”

“No, aspette! aspette!” Taking in deep breaths, Carlotta composed herself, the Vicomte’s words having their desired effect. “If my managers command, Monsieur Reyer?”

“If my diva commands?” Reyer spoke in a mirth voice to appeal to her, which made her beam in joy.

“Yes I do!”

Reyer quickly returned to his position at the head of the orchestra, the pianist preparing himself for Elissa’s aria. Taking hold of his baton, the conductor signaled Carlotta.

“Signora?”

Carlotta first applied some throat spray and readied herself before confirming. “Maestro.”

Elissa’s aria ‘Think of Me’ was indeed an exquisite piece, only the most privileged voices could ever properly bring forth all the emotions contained in its beautiful lyrics. Carlotta Giudicelli may be an insufferable diva in the eyes of those who worked with her, but there was no denying that she had a rather wonderful voice. The entire theatre fell silent as a sign of respect to her magnificent singing, no one dared to interrupt her, no one dared to disrespect La Carlotta in such way.

That is until a snapping sound made everyone’s hearts drop, and the next thing they all knew, a heavy curtain was falling down right towards her.

“Signora!”

Panicked screams resonated through the stage. Raoul managed to pull Carlotta right out of danger’s way, her ample dress, however, ultimately made them both topple down due to the weight of its many layers of fabric. Many rushed immediately to help both the Vicomte and mostly the lead soprano, who was trapped beneath the heavy curtain.

“Oi Buquet! What in heaven and hell happened over there?!” Nico screamed furiously at Mr. Buquet, the man in charge of operating the changing scenery at the fly floors. “You are lucky nobody got killed for this!”

“It wasn’t me Nico, I swear! I-I remained in my position all the time, Lord Sparda knows I wasn’t near that curtain.” Buquet stuttered nervously, the poor man fearing the possibility of losing his job over this accident.

Adjusting her glasses, Nico walked around trying to look if someone else had been up at the fly floors tampering at the ropes, but couldn’t find nobody.

“What are you talking about? There’s no one else there.”

“Do you think… it could have been the Phantom?” Buquet murmured almost inaudibly.

“Please Buquet, don’t be ridiculous! Seems that I’ll have to examine the grid, the least I want now is a broken pulley or something.” She was sure Buquet hadn’t been responsible for the incident, for everyone knew he was a very hardworking and trustworthy person. So the only possible explanations Nico could think about were either one of the pulleys got damaged and broke down, or the rope wasn’t secured properly.

Meanwhile, the situation on the stage wasn’t looking pleasant at all.

“We are deeply sorry for this signora, I’m sure this kind of stuff tends to happen from time to time.” Andre tried his best, and failed, to calm down a ver altered Carlotta.

“Two years! For two whole years this kind of stuff has been happening! And has anybody done something to stop them? NO! So until you manage to stop this incidents, I refuse to set a foot in this Opera!”

As she stomped out of the theatre followed by her hurrying assistants, everyone could feel in their hearts that unlike her previous outbursts, she was not coming back this time. And now the question lingering in their minds was: What were they going to do now?

…………

The performers were gathered at the green room, already out of their costumes and in casual attire instead. All staff members were told to leave the stage so Trish, Lefevre and the new owners could discuss on how to proceed and find an imminent solution as soon as possible.

“I’m afraid we’ll have to cancel.” Firmin lamented as he wiped the sweat off his forehead. “We have lost our main star and there’s no way we can find another soprano for tonight’s premiere.”

“Calm down Richard. There must be a substitute, an understudy-“

“Understudy? With all due respect Monsieur Andre, but there’s no understudy for La Carlotta!” interjected Reyer who was visibly nervous about this turn of events.

Tension and concern filled the entire Opera, and as much as the Vicomte and Trish tried their best to control the situation at hand, still no plausible solution had been found yet. Firmin and Andre were mainly worried about the imminent decision of returning all the earnings, the Opera was having a full house that night after all and that could mean a terrible economic loss for the company.

You were currently sitting on the floor hidden behind one of the side curtains of the stage. Curiosity had completely taken over you and now you were secretly trying to listen to the discussion taking place on the stage. You didn’t mean to eavesdrop so rudely, but you were terribly worried and couldn’t help it. All the efforts of your friends, of the people you now considered pretty much your family. If a substitute is not found by tonight, then it all would be in vain.

“My nightingale, my angel of music…” a familiar voice filled your ears “Why are you worried? What is filling your heart with sorrow?”

You could feel his presence right behind you, but you dared not look back out of respect. The Phantom always kept his identity a secret, the least you could do to repay everything he taught you, was respecting his decision not to be seen.

“Our lead soprano is gone… if we don’t find someone, anyone, then…” you trailed off, fighting to keep your tears from falling. “Everyone has worked so hard for this production, I don’t want their efforts to be in vain…”

He remained silent.

A warm breath grazed your ear, making shivers run down your spine.

“I believe you are ready then…”

“Phantom? …What do you mean?”

“… I believe in you, my angel. Go forth, and bless the world with your divine voice.”

The presence behind you was gone.

“Phantom? Wait!” You turned around, but he was already gone.

Did he mean…? No, there was no way you could do this. You may have improved a lot since your first lesson with him, but were you truly ready to perform before a real audience? A full house? What if you get the lyrics wrong? What if you get nervous and stutter during a musical number? No, you couldn’t do this.

But the Phantom… he believed in you. The Opera, your friends… they needed you.

… Your father… he… he always believed in you.

Taking a deep breath, you slowly got on your feet.

…………

“Please excuse me everyone.”

Eyes turned to you, the discussion coming to a pause.

“(Y/N) is something wrong? You look worried about something.” Trish walked to you, concerned after noticing the few tears in the corner of your eyes which you quickly wiped away.

“Please, allow me to do it.” the words came out of your lips in an almost inaudible whisper.

The others on the stage looked at each other in confusion. “Miss, you don’t mean…”

There was no turning back. With great strength in your eyes, you voiced your request with confidence. “If it’s not too much of a bother, please allow me to play as Elissa.”

Everyone’s eyes widened in surprise. Andre turned to Firmin “But she’s just a dancer, there’s no way she can do it.”

“(Y/N) do you have any idea of what this entails?” Trish was looking at you incredulously, genuine concern in her eyes. “This is the main role we are talking about, not just anybody can perform it correctly.”

“I know the choreography as well as the lyrics. I can assure you I’ll be able to do it.”

With a sigh leaving her lungs, Trish turned to Reyer. “Maestro would you kindly call your pianist over? Allow her to sing the Act. 3 aria and we shall see if she’s fit for the role.”

“Right away, Madame.”

As the pianist rushed to the orchestra pit, the Vicomte beckoned you to the front of the stage.

“Over here Miss, don’t be shy. For the moment let’s just hear the beginning of the aria, understood?”

You nodded. As Reyer and the pianist got ready, you closed your eyes and remembered the faith your family always had in you, your father’s words, and the teachings of the Phantom.

And so, the first notes to the aria sounded.

“Think of me, think of me fondly

When we've said goodbye

Remember me, once in a while

Please promise me you'll try

When you find that once again you long

To take your heart back and be free

If you ever find a moment

Spare a thought for me.”

Silence.

“M-Magnifique! Absolutely magnificent!”

With wide eyes and clapping hands, you were congratulated by the everyone in front of you.

“(Y/N) that was wonderful!” Trish added in utter surprise “Now why hadn’t you mentioned you could sing like that before, darling?”

“To be honest, I’ve never sung professionally before. But I’ve been receiving lessons for a while and seeing our current predicament well… I decided to at least give it a try.”

“And what an extraordinaire performance that was.” Raoul walked to you and joined Trish at her side. “Miss (Y/N), due to our current circumstances and your impressive demonstration, we are proud to inform you that you may play Elissa in tonight’s premiere. We believe you will be able to deliver a breathtaking performance tonight.”

You could feel your eyes water again at their words. All those days you practiced, they were finally bearing fruit.

“Then I promise I won’t fail you.”

Trish gave you a warm smile. “Alright then, the show must go on and there’s no time to lose. Come (Y/N), we must rehearse your lines and musical numbers.”

A shadowed figure in the long abandoned Box Four smiled down at what was happening on stage before retreating. After all, the Phantom had a very important gala to attend that night, and there was no way he would miss his beloved angel performing on her debut.

…………

As Nico finally reached the grid high above the stage, she took out her flashlight and started inspecting the pulley of the fallen curtain. To her surprise, however, the device was in top-notch condition. Nothing broken, rusty or unstable

“Huh? Well that’s weird.” She had also previously checked the rope. It had no signs to have been cut or damaged either, so the only logical explanation left was that whoever was in charge of tying and securing the ropes made a terrible job, either that or… someone untied it and let the curtain fall on purpose. Then again, she couldn’t find anyone else on the fly floors other than Buquet, and he was too far away to have done it.

“Argh… I’ve already told them over and over again to check their damn ropes.” She muttered to herself before getting out of the grid.

…………

After one last conversation with Firmin and Andre, Lefevre decided to retire for the day. However, there was something else he had to take care to before leaving the building. He reached for the inner pocket of his coat, pulling a sealed black envelope with no name or address written on it, its only prominent characteristic was a lilac wax seal on the back.

Lefevre stared at the envelope for a few moments before putting it back in his pocket and proceeding with his task. Entering the green room, he spotted Trish and (Y/N) going over Elissa’s lines.

“Excuse me Madame Trish, may I talk to you for a few seconds. I’m afraid it’s a very important matter.”

She stood up and after instructing (Y/N) to keep practicing her lines, she followed him out of the room.

“What happened Monsieur Lefevre? Did something happen?”

He gulped audibly before answering. “Trish. You have worked in this theatre for a couple of years now, enough for me to realize how valuable and loyal you are for the company that I basically nurtured for most of my life. Which is why I trust you fully to complete the task that I’m about to give you. Please listen carefully what I’m about to tell you, and please, promise me you’ll handle this with complete and absolute discretion.”

Lefevre reached for his inner pocket once again and handed her the mysterious black envelope.

“I’m afraid I don’t understand Monsieur. What is inside this letter?” She inquired worryingly.

Lefevre inhaled deeply before continuing in a whispered voice “Inside this envelope there are exactly 1,800 euros. At the end of every month, you must place that exact amount of euros in a black envelope like this one. I keep them in the third drawer of my desk, as well as some lilac sealing wax and a seal stamp with a design like the one in this envelope. Then, you must take the money to Box Four and slide it under the curtain. That box must remain unavailable for the public always. It is imperative that nobody, absolutely nobody, sees you when delivering the money.”

“What? But who is this money for?”

Sweat started forming on Lefevre’s forehead, and when he remained quiet, it only worsened Trish’s concerns.

“Just… promise me that you will do it. And please… don’t ask anymore questions to me or anybody else.”

She hesitated. She had no idea of what was it that got Lefevre so nervous, and then there was the fact that he was willing to pay an unknown person such an important amount of money every month.

There was something quite sketchy behind all of this. And yet, she somehow trusted Lefevre.

“Fine… I just hope this won’t get me in any trouble in the future.”

“Don’t worry, I promise you this is the only thing you have to do. Thanks for everything Madame Trish.”

And with those words, Lefevre left the Opera.

Trish examined the envelope in her hands and turned it around. Her eyes centered on the mysterious lilac wax seal, or more importantly, the peculiar design of the stamp.

A single yet elegant ‘V’ decorating its center.

#devil may cry #phantom of the opera au #dmc v #v x reader #v x you #self-insert #fanfiction #fanfic

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bepoets · 4 years

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Please rank all of Josh's love interests and flirtations (if memory and research serves me right, those are Donna, amy, mandy, and joey) and why

Well Trish the time has come this post will describe my very Complex feelings about Amy Gardner whom you haven’t met yet but that’s okay here we go

1. Donna. The best love interest for multiple reasons one being they’re endgame and they’ve been dancing around each other since season 1 and they don’t get together until season 7. They’re the slow burn to end all slow burns. Donna is good for him they balance each other out. They sass and snark and banter with each other. She asks questions and learns and then also teaches him She’s that voice telling him to do good and to remember what’s important and 9 times out of 10 when he needs to talk something through that he isn’t sold on or sure of he talks to Donna. He values her opinion and her so highly. She’s invaluable. She’s brilliant but so kind hearted and her heart is so big and she’s smarter than so many people combined and he doesn’t even have the same education background as them. She wants to and can take care of josh and he wants to and can take care of her. They’re quite literally a perfect match. Plus they have the most romantic scenes.

2. Joey. I really prefer Joey & Josh in later seasons when they have more of that sibling relationship but I also really wish Joey had stayed around more I wish she’d run for something I wish she had become a congresswoman like they’d hinted at in s1. I love her so much she’s so good. But even when she was flirting with josh they always had a fun banter type relationship and I loved her making fun of him whenever possible like sticking her tongue out at him. Plus they have really sweet looks at each other I love it.

3. Amy. Ughhhhhhhhhhh. So here’s the thing about Amy. She’s brilliant. She’s so fucking smart. She’s smart and she’s (supposed to be) the hardcore feminist type (whether that really pulls through is hard to say) but whatever the point is she’s brilliant. She’s smart and determined and ambitious as fuck and it scares all the guys and she’s intimidating. And she’s also played by Mary Louise Parker who is... a goddess okay she’s stunning. Just holy shit. She breathes and I’m like yeah okay I get why josh is so obsessed with her I get it. But here’s the thing. I hate her and josh together. For multiple reasons and yeah one of them is because he’s not Donna BUT ALSO ! I think their relationship is just like ... bad. They fight all the time. Not bicker not banter they fight. They’re both so stubborn and hot headed and Amy will stop at nothing to get her way and she’s a power dater too they want the upper hand and they both out their jobs before each other but Amy still gets mad when the job is put before her. She also throws Josh’ phone in a pot of soup or chili or something. They’re just..bad for each other. And I can never tell what Amy is thinking she always has this same face on like show some emotion. But also we do get a good Vulnerable josh moment on the steps of his apartment with Amy so I can’t be too mad. Plus I mean! As I said! She’s gorgeous! And brilliant! I get it! Still hate them tho

4. Mandy. Since we never get to really see him and Mandy together I had to put it last. Also because ... Mandy is just so forgettable like half the time I forget she was a character I block her from my brain I can remmeber every plot of every episode of s1 and yet in my brain she is just never there even when she’s an integral part of the episode. I just forget she existed. Also I just have a feeling she was mean to josh and I don’t stand for that.

#tww

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tmnt-veelicious · 5 years

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Across the Stars - Ch.15

Again, sorry for the long wait :’Y I’m such a slow writer .. BUT THIS TIME WITH A REASON !!!!!!!!!!!! I had to think about a lot of things, plot-wise, and now I have a better layout of what I want to do - and had to work on some of my upcoming OCs (Trish might come sooner than expected !!!!!!!!!!) I feel that this chapter is small, but I didn’t want to expand too much, and I’ll be getting on chapter 16 RIGHT AWAY FNMDSMSBSJADB

!! WARNING, NSFW (18+) STUFF HAPPENING HERE !!

First Chapter --> HERE Previous Chapter --> HERE Next Chapter --> HERE

Muffled voices speaking from the other side of the door woke Donnie up. He knew there was nothing to fear as it was only April and Casey probably up and having breakfast. At least Vee's door was closed so the noise wasn't too invasive.... The mutant sighed softly, a hand going over his features, trying to chase the fatigue. Last night had been … interesting. From the misleading setup to Vee and Mikasa's situation; simply thinking about all of this seemed like a weird dream. Then, getting back to Vee's apartment and meeting up with the other humans had been no relaxing thing, having to explain the whole situation. April was devastated. To see Vee's scrapped hands and wrists and to hear about the chase had her worried in no time. And Casey... never have Donatello seen him so pensive, frowning as he listened to the whole tale. Something was definitely going on in the cop's mind and there was no way of telling about what it would be. The turtle tried to disregard that concern for now, prefering to glance at the woman laying to his side, still sleeping. The last thing he remembered was taking care of her wounds, both of them next plopping down in bed naked and just falling straight to sleep, thanks to exhaustion. But now he could finally take time to observe her and appreciate the masterpiece she forever was... She wasn't lying when she told him that her trainings with master Splinter had given her some bruises on her sides and her thighs, Donnie silently reminding himself to help her and give her tips about the bo staff. Her back facing him, he did not hesitate to get nearer, his arms carefully hooking around her form, his hands trailing patiently across her skin. A soft hum left Vee, her body slowly waking up and stretching in delight. ''Good morning,'' murmured Donnie, next giving light kisses along her temple. ''Bon matin, n'amour,'' mumbled Vee, smiling lazily, her eyes still closed. He could feel his heart swell once more, forever adoring whenever she would speak in French – even if it was as simple as a 'good morning'. One of his hands couldn't stop tracing her body, a low churr invading him. ''… You're so soft and warm.'' His rough skin against hers was not an unwelcomed contrast, both enjoying their differences. Lips slowly trailed Vee's neck and her jaw, every motions as tired as her. When she dared open her eyes, as she was carefully turned on her back, she was met with golden pools, strong arms encircling her being, hiding her from the world. Vee couldn't place a word, lips taking hers in a sensual manner, her whole body trembling even though she still felt numb from the sole act of waking up. Both didn't need to speak, their intentions already loud and clear. The woman's hands lift up in order to trail her nails at the base of the other's neck, wanting to keep him close. She wanted to get lost in this pleasure, lost in a world dimmed by hidden daylight. Lost in an eternal feeling of love, in arms she knew she could trust with her very own life. Vee could feel one of the mutant's hands squeeze lovingly at her hip, getting lower and lower, his lips going over her every features. ''You're eager this morning,'' commented Vee, still smiling. ''I didn't finish my inspection from last night. I have to make sure you're alright, everywhere.'' The woman could already feel his erection against her skin, amused: ''Didn't know you brought your bo staff in bed,'' she joked. ''Indeed, I call it 'morning wood','' answered Donnie. Both tried to hush their laughters, kissing once more. As the hilarity gradually died down and calm was back in place, everything seemed to go slowly. Time had stopped, giving the couple an eternity to express their love... Laying on their sides, facing one another, nothing else existed around - the bed their entire world. As one of Donatello's arms was hooked around Vee's shoulders, his hand lost in her hair, his other hand prefered to lovingly squeeze her ass, next moving to her core from behind, keeping her close as he slid a finger inside. She was already so wet, her scent intoxicating him. Her small mewls kept him high on a cloud, always keeping his pace slow as he couldn't stop kissing the top of her head and her temple. ''Ah, n'amour...'' Was that her new nickname for him? She used it twice now and, frankly, he loved the sound of it. ''You want more?'' quietly asked the mutant. ''Always,'' sighed Vee, lovesick. ''But I want to keep it slow... I want to feel everything...'' She had said that while starting to touch his penis, stroking at an easy pace. No one dared to move, continuing this mutual masturbation session as it simply felt so good. Every inches of Vee's body was on this strange verge of feeling either numb or highly sensitive, her mind dizzy from all the sensations. ''Oh Don...'' It was hard trying to keep her voice down, her desire to let out deep moans forever present in her throat... She was able to find the turtle's lips once more, prefering to kiss him again and again, translating every ounces of desire she was now feeling in her entire being. Their bodies finally got in motion, Vee resting once more on her back as the other prefered to get on top, hooking the woman's legs against his thighs and hips. Donnie paused, observing the artist's traits as he mindlessly lost his fingers in her hair, his thumb sometimes brushing some of her features. ''… What?'' asked Vee with a timid smile. His eyes kept reading her traits, forever looking so calm. ''You're beautiful... a real goddess. My muse...'' ''I wouldn't go as far as a goddess, but I'll still take the compliment.'' Smiling in turn, he finally leaned in to kiss at her neck, his hips slowly brushing against hers. ''You're so beautiful too,'' cooed Vee, her fingers and nails lovingly trailing the scales at the back of his neck, eyes closed as she let herself get drowned in this pleasure. That comment made the mutant hum, playfully nipping at her skin, unable to resist getting a small taste of her skin. The woman was putty in his arms, hushed whimpers of love leaving her, her body sticking to his so no inches of her whole self would be left untouched. A slow dance of their hips was ongoing, hands trailing one another and breaths lost in pleasure. The slow friction of both's sexes was too good to pass over; soon Vee's mind nothing more but a firework. ''Baby, turn over...'' Donnie's voice brought her back to reality, noticing how he was tantalizingly squeezing at her hip with one hand, silently begging for her to follow his order. Vee didn't need to be asked twice, getting in motion as the other backed up, sitting on his knees as he watched her go. Now laying on her stomach, she next felt the terrapin sit at her thighs, careful enough to not sit completely down in order to hurt her. His hands instantly went to the woman's back, petting with the right pressure so he could get some new mewls out of her. His touch trailed down, his eyes already on her ass as his erection was already nestled there. … He had first didn't really see himself as an ass lover, but each time he would see Vee's forms, he couldn't help falling for them a little more, especially those hips. All for him... He squeezed the cheeks lovingly, his mind lost high up in clouds. ''Fuck, you're perfect,'' his tone low, somehow translating his need. Vee's hips slightly bucked up to him in answer, definitely asking for more motion. She felt Donnie move, one hand grabbing her hip once more and lifting her waist a little, the other angling himself to her vagina. He was slow and agonizingly getting his tip in and out, smiling as he witnessed the human getting needier with each slips. Continuing his motion, his hands got back to her ass, a deep churr rumbling through him as he slowly massaged it, getting a little deeper with each movements of his hips. ''Oh oui, n'amour.'' Vee's body was tingling all over, feeling the right pressure to her walls – the greatest sensation imaginable. She soon felt Donnie hunch over her, his arms encircling her as he nuzzled her head. He kept his pace slow. ''Shit, baby, you feel so good,'' his lips found her temple, kissing her tenderly. The way his hips and lower abdomen would brush perfectly against her butt had the woman moaning softly into her pillow. Her mind had a hard time to form any coherent thoughts, but a quiet giggle left her after a while. ''What's so funny, now?'' inquired Donnie, smiling in turn, never stopping. ''I'm a turtle now! I have a shell on my back,'' said the woman dreamily, amused. Considering their position, he instantly knew why she was saying that, laughing with her. Gosh, he never wanted her to change... He propped his upper body up, sustaining himself by placing his hands on each sides of the woman, still sitting on his knees. Vee followed his motion, arching her back in turn, craving the proximity. She felt one of Donatello's hands cup the bottom of her face, tilting her enough to trail kisses along her jaw and cheek, getting closer to the corner of her mouth. ''N'amour, go harder,'' sighed Vee, lost in pleasure. ''If I do that, you'll have to cum with me, love.'' Yes. A thousand times yes! She felt the other back up once more, strong hands next lifting her hips higher, prompting the woman to be on her knees, ass in the air. Next she felt a caress along her spine, stopping in-between her shoulder blades and pushing gently to lower her upper body, next the mutant's fingers lost in her hair, at the nape of her neck. As she felt his penis back in, his free hand then got to her waist, his hold strong enough to keep her in place. ''Fuck,'' gasped Vee as she felt his change in pace. He didn't necessarily go any faster, but his thrusts did get a bit stronger. Each time their skins would meet sent a wave of pleasure across the woman's flesh, unable to keep her upper body down – lifting herself once more, this time in a proper doggy style position. Soft ''fuck yeah'' and ''oh oui'' left her, trying so hard to keep her voice down, her mind dizzy and spinning once more. She felt Donnie get a finger to her clit, rubbing it in a circular motion. That alone brought up Vee to rise up even more, soon seated on the mutant's lap, her back against his plastron. Moving in unison, the terrapin's arms were now encircling the woman, his hands lovingly squeezing her skin. He could sense the change in her breathing pattern and how her body was reacting in pulses, knowing then that she was close to an end. ''That's it, cum for me baby. You're so stunning when you do so,'' purred Donnie, nuzzling her temple and giving light kisses. He caught a soft smile on her lips, the artist abandoning herself in this pleasure, eyes closed. She threw her head back slightly against his shoulder and base of his neck, gasping as she finally got to her orgasm. The other's churr made her body tremble in delight, her quiet moans translating her infinite love for him. As she felt his arms squeeze her a little more, she also felt his release, some murmurs and gasps leaving the mutant. Heavy petting followed, both their hands unable to leave one another. ''Oh mon amour, je t'aime tellement,'' mumbled Vee, eyes closed, savouring this peaceful moment as her back was still against the other's chest. She felt Donnie's smile against her, peppering the side of her face with light kisses. ''Stop right there, French temptress, or else I'll go for a second round.'' ''I won't say no to that,'' added the woman in a dreamy tone. Oh, that was all he needed to hear. *** ''It's just so weird.'' Donnie stopped his motion, the coffee mug he was holding now resting near his lips, his eyes diverting from the news he was reading on his phone. He was now looking in Casey's direction, sitting at the other end of the table. Both males were alone in the kitchen, April and Vee occupied with getting dressed and ready for the day. ''What?'' asked the terrapin, frowning lightly. ''I dunno... just- seeing you here in plain daylight! I'm not used to that.'' ''That's not the first time though.'' ''No, but still...'' ''Well, better get used to it, my girlfriend lives here,'' added the mutant with a chuckle, next finally able to take a sip of coffee. Silence. And here it was again; that look in Casey's eyes... This time Donnie did not hide his concerns. ''Look, Casey, there's obviously something going on in your mind. Since last night you seem off and I want to know why.'' A dry and single laugh left the human, leaning back into his chair, arms crossed. ''What, you're some kind of psychologist now? Another one of your talents?'' ''It's called 'I have eyes and I'm not dumb','' simply answered the turtle. ''You remind me of Raph, in fact. He pulls the same shit attitude when something is wrong.'' Casey was now showing a stern look, some of his fingers lightly drumming against his skin, clearly thinking about what he was about to say. ''… Do you care about April and Vee's safety?'' he simply asked, his gaze never leaving the terrapin. ''Well, of course I do! I-'' ''Then what about those Foot ninjas that followed them that one night? And now, what about those bruises Vee got?'' cut the cop. Donnie was frowning: ''Those were situations out of our control.'' ''And yet they happened.'' ''Okay, what's your point now, Jones?'' asked the mutant sharply. ''April has been in those sort of situations before and she was able to handle herself. Sure, it isn't preferable, but she could have cut herself from us many times – and yet here we all are.'' ''April has the guts, sure, but I doubt Vee is fit for all of this.'' Joining hands, the mutant was now slightly leaning on the table, looking at the human over his glasses. ''So what? Are you implying that I should just get out of Vee's life for the sake of her safety?'' ''Knowing she was a stranger at first and was only involved in all of this from a single strike of fate; yes!'' ''Oh, so my brothers and I should never interact with any other beings and remain alone for the rest of our lives only for the sake of 'safety'? … We all know the risks, Casey, and that's why we do the best we can in order to protect the people that matter most in our lives.'' Casey sighed, looking down in defeat. ''Look, man, I did not mean it that way...,'' he mumbled. ''Then think before you speak,'' sternly added the turtle. ''You have no say in my personal life.'' A short silence fell in, the scene somehow frozen until April walked in, heading for the cop. She did not seem to notice the tension, patting her boyfriend's shoulder as she continued her path to her purse she had left on the counter nearby. ''I'm all done, Casey, we can go now!'' she announced in a cheerful tone, smiling. Donatello's expression shifted to a smile too once the brunette looked his way, hiding his discontentment. ''Where are you guys going?'' asked the mutant, trying to keep the mood light. ''Shopping and just spending some time together,'' she sweetly answered, one of her hands playfully ruffling the top of Casey's head. ''Are you going to spend the day with Vee? Will you be here for dinner? Maybe we could have a nice evening, the four of us.'' Casey's body tensed up a little, still feeling uneasy. Donnie for his part was quick to dismiss the invitation. ''I'll spend some time with Vee, but I might be gone before you guys get back. I have some business to attend to back at home. I appreciate the invitation, though!'' It was half a lie. He didn't really have any emergencies, but there were some projects he needed to continue. And, frankly, he knew he didn't want to see Casey again, at least for today. Their short conversation had put the terrapin in a sour mood. The two humans finally left the appartment, Donnie's smile fading and his gaze lost, a finger mindlessly tapping the table's surface. Why was Casey getting so defensive about the women all of a sudden? He could understand his concerns, but he should know better than anyone what were the risks of hanging with mutants!... The turtle got out of his reverie when he felt a soft touch on his right shoulder, then noticing Vee standing next to him. The sight of her made his heart drop, falling in love all over again whenever he would look at her. She was only wearing jeans shorts and a black plain t-shirt, but that simplistic, yet natural look only made her more desirable. ''What's wrong?'' she gently asked, her eyes meeting his. ''You look like there's a lot going on up here,'' she added, softly poking the side of Donnie's head. The terrapin could not stop his smirk, getting a hold of her wrist in his left hand and next bringing the top of her hand to his lips, his right arm sliding around her waist and keeping her near. A small churr rose in him, next nuzzling the woman's collar bone and base of her neck, a hushed delighted sigh leaving him. ''… I'd do anything for you. I love you so much,'' he mumbled. ''Oh don't worry, I already know that,'' replied Vee, amused. But her tone soon turned back to slight concern: ''… I feel like you're not telling me everything right now.'' ''It's not important.'' ''Do. Not,'' she enunciated, her eyes meeting his. ''I tell you my problems, you tell me yours. That's only fair.'' The other grumbled, finally mumbling: ''My problem starts with a 'C' and ends with a 'asey jones'.'' ''What did he do now?'' She could see uneasiness in his eyes, his hand on her waist squeezing a little in a slow pattern, surely trying to calm his thoughts. ''… I know I'm different. I know I'll never be able to live a calm, normal life and give you a chance to be absolutely safe with me.'' He swallowed hard this time. ''There's not a goddamn day where I don't have this small thought in the back of my mind wishing I could be human and live like everyone else.'' He tried to hush his feelings, his free hand going over his features and the ghost of a small smile appearing on his lips – somehow forced. ''I did not choose this life and I most certainly did not ask to be alive and given rational thought. … Yet here I am, trying to live the best way I can and definitely trying to get some good into my misery.'' His eyes were slightly glistening with held tears. ''… You have no idea how grateful I am for you to exist in my life – to love me for who I am! … I'm just a freak, a monster-'' Vee instantly brought him into a renewed hug, the mutant's head nestled at the crook of her neck once more. She never wanted to release him, a comforting wave escaping her as she tenderly kissed his scales. ''Don't you ever say that,'' she started, slightly pained. ''You're not a freak nor a monster, Donatello. … You're the most remarkable being there is and I've never felt ever more secured with anyone else before...'' His arms were now fully around her, his hands lovingly holding onto the woman as a shaky sigh left him, his features still hidden against her skin. ''Whatever Casey said,'' continued Vee, ''don't mind him. Maybe he's scared for me – about us – simply because he doesn't understand. … But he doesn't need to simply because there's nothing to decipher; we're in love. … We're here, together, always... Love of my life.'' Her hands were softly petting him in a soothing motion, her heart aching to see him this upset. ''Don't worry about anything,'' she added. ''I'm yours, Donnie, and I'll remain so as long as you want it to be.'' Their eyes finally met, unspoken feelings exchanged at that very moment. The woman noticed small wet trails that had now darkened the corners of the mutant's mask. ''Oh, n'amour...'' she murmured, removing his glasses and unknotting the purple cloth. Setting them aside on the table, her hands were next gently cupping his cheeks, her lips slowly trailing from his forehead to his snout and finally to his lips – forever soft and delicate. She felt his hands caressing her back once more, as if afraid to let her go. A low churr rolled like a wave through him, keeping Vee close. ''… What's 'love of my life' in French?'' he quietly asked as the kiss was over. Vee showed a smile, next nuzzling his temple as she answered: ''Amour de ma vie. … Tu es l'amour de ma vie.'' He smiled in turn, eyes closed and appreciating her show of affection. ''I love it,'' answered the turtle with a purr. ''… Everything sounds way better in French.'' ''Whenever you're upset, come to me and I'll speak to you in French, if it can make you feel any better,'' lightly joked Vee. That made Donnie smile again, bringing the woman into another kiss. He was a bit embarassed by his tears, usually not the type to showcase such emotions to others, but at the same time he knew he could display his true self to Vee without being judged. He hated being so preoccupied by his non-human nature to the point of getting such stupid concerns about his relation with the artist... He knew she loved him for who he was, yet to have found her felt like he discovered the needle in the haystack – the unique soul in this damn world that would ever look at him with love and wonder. ''You're absolutely perfect,'' he sighed, ending with several small kisses around Vee's features. ''And so are you,'' replied the woman lovingly. *** Looking through job offers was never the most exciting activity, yet it was probably one of the most crucial part of being a freelance artist. Vee was pretty much sending her portfolio to anything that had to do with her field. Illustration needed for a bigass bilboard? Why not? Logos for a website? Count me in. In-betweener for a 2D animation project? Heck yeah, she did have a slight animation background anyway. She heard the entry door open and close, soon hearing April and Casey's voices. ''Welcome back,'' said Vee outloud for them to hear, her eyes still glued to her screen. ''You're alone?'' echoed April's voice. ''Yep!'' She noticed from the corner of her eye a silhouette at her bedroom's doorframe, her gaze then meeting Casey's. ''Can we have a talk for a minute? Come to the kitchen.'' Vee slightly frowned at that demand, watching him move away before she decided to follow. She first noticed folded cardboard boxes in the hallway. Many of them. Her frown was constant as she finally set foot in the dining area, seeing the two others seated down at the table. Something felt off, yet she couldn't really pinpoint why. ''Jeez, why the long faces,'' tried to lighten Vee, taking a seat. '''Cause there's a lot coming in the next few weeks,'' started Casey. ''Vee, I'm moving to Casey's apartment...,'' announced April, somehow feeling uneasy about saying such news. The artist was silent, her eyes huge as she looked back and forth the two others. ''… Wait, what? When? Why?'' ''I'm moving next month, in three weeks...'' ''I just want her out of here, change address and erase her trace from Foot Clan and Purple Dragons' activities,'' added the cop. ''Okay, and what about me?'' asked Vee dryly. ''I can't afford this place alone, and I can't have a new roommate, considering that my boyfriend is a mutant!'' ''There's always an option-'' ''Option, my ass! It's hard to find an affordable place in New York, especially in such a short amount of time!'' she cut, her tone harsher. ''Good opportunities fly by at a fast pace, so that means I have to check constantly for announcements and shits. And I can't always do that because I have this stupid fucking job which I need in order to make money and now save for this bullshit.'' Oh she was mad now. April had a hard time looking up to her. ''… Maybe you could ask Donatello's help,'' said the brunette in a timid tone. Vee had enough, getting off her chair and making her way out. She did stop and turn on her heels, her eyes in this constant frown. ''You two just went about this behind my back, I'm sure of it. I can understand the concern, but the timing is poorly chosen and now I'm stuck with a problem that could've been avoided.'' She pointed to April: ''Also asking for Donnie's help is very unfair as he has nothing to do with this and he has other things to do than be my eyes.'' She did not let the others say anything else, heading for her room and starting to pack things into a bag. Vee couldn't think straight right that moment, her movements like a blur and her ears ringing with rage. ''Vee...'' The artist turned around, now seeing April by the doorframe. ''Don't,'' warned the other. ''I don't want to hear anything right now. Just ... give me space.'' ''What are you doing?'' ''I need to get out of here. I need to think.'' With this, she finally zipped her bag, grabbing her coat and shoes, heading for the exit. ''Vee!'' called out Casey from the kitchen. ''Fuck you!'' answered Vee, slamming the door once outside.

#chapter #writing #tmnt #tmnt 2014 #tmnt 2016 #fanfic #fancharacter #oc #selfinsert #donatello x oc #donatello x selfinsert

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jjbamommies · 5 years

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Gondola Ride (Mista x Reader)

Mista paced anxiously in the meeting room waiting for you and Fugo to return from your mission. He had asked Bruno to send you, yet again, on another mission almost immediately. At first, Bruno objected his request, implicating that you needed your rest and time to relax. But after Mista had told Bruno of his plan, he agreed. Then, Bruno had offered to get the rest of the team involved, since they could all help him out. Hesitantly he agreed and Bruno called a meeting, announcing Mista's plan. Of course, they didn't tell Fugo since he was with you. Ideas were thrown all over the room from a fancy dinner date to a picnic date. Or even going to the arcade (cough). However, none of them sat well with him until Trish had suggested a gondola date. She thought it was really romantic, and everyone had agreed with her so that's the plan Mista decided to go with.

"Relax, Mista, she's not going to be here for another hour. Why don't you go get ready, Trish and I will help you." Bruno said taking one of his arms and ushering Mista to the bathroom. Mista nodded before speaking, "Will she like it?" "Of course she will, it's really romantic. And I thought of it." Trish said beaming as she followed Bruno to Mista's bedroom. "Go shower, we'll pick you out something to wear," Bruno said gently pushing Mista to the bathroom that was connected to his master bedroom. "Okay, let's get to work," Bruno said to Trish as he opened up the double closet doors. Trish began taking out clothes from the hanger and tossing them onto the floor deeming everything she's pulled out so far to be worthless. Bruno rummaged through his dresser and glancing at his very small collection of cologne. By very small, it was only one empty bottle. "This is seeming hopeless, dio mio." Trish said aloud as she pulled out the last top and threw it over her shoulder onto the floor. "You're right," Bruno said taking the empty bottle and showing her. "Tempo di shopping?" Trish nodded as they left the room to the living room.

"Bruno, we're back," Fugo said as he held the door open for you. Bruno froze up but you didn't notice since you were taking off your coat. "(Y/N), I have something to discuss with you. Seguimi." He gestured as he walked to his office. You followed him closely. 'I hope it's not another mission.' You thought to yourself as you couldn't stand Fugo's rants about Narancia being quite horrible at math. 'Idiota, Imbecille, Grullo' the list goes on and on for all the things he could call poor Narancia. You reminded yourself to be his new tutor so this wouldn't happen next time you get paired with Fugo."Si?" You said leaning against his desk. "I have another mission for you." You groaned. "Bruno.." You began but he cut you off. "I know, I know. It's just one more and I'll put you off for a week. How does that sound?" Bruno offered. You nodded appreciating his offer. "Alright, what do I need to do?" You asked him.

Bruno went over the mission with you which was an undercover intel in Venice. You said your goodbye as you left to your apartment to get ready. A knock was at the door and Bruno looked up. "I got Mista's suit. And a few colognes." Trish said, draping the suit over one of the seats and setting the different bottles on his desk. He grabbed one and sprayed it on his wrist, waving his arm around the weaken the scent then he smelled it. "Usa questo." He handed her the bottle and they went to Mista's room. "You're finally back," Mista called from the bathroom. "Qui." Bruno handed him the suit and the cologne. "We're going to go with the others at the canal and try to get a gondola," Trish said as they left. Mista put on the suit, looking at his reflection. It suited (haha puns) him well. He debated wearing his hat but decided against it thinking it was a special occasion and seeing his hair might make you happy as well since you rarely do.

Back at your apartment, you chose a dark red slip dress with thin straps that was quite tight. Looking at the mirror, you messed with your hair until you decided on a hairstyle that you like. (Straight, curly, down, up, braided, etc) Putting on heels that matched your dress, you think back to the fact you haven't seen Mista in such a long time. 'I wonder what he's up to. Or if he has a new girl on your mind.' You chuckled sadly remembering before you left, he was rambling on about a girl he was in love with. The thought about him being with someone did make you a little sad. But regardless, seeing his face light up as he talked about her made you so happy. You walked out of the door, locking it behind you as you walked down to the foyer. Your mind flicked back to the day you first met him. A smile crept onto your lips at the sweet memory that you treasure with you.

You finally reached the canal, looking around. Bruno had notified you that Mista will be meeting you at the canals so you were looking around for the gunslinger. “(Y/N)!” You turned your attention to a well-dressed man who was waving you over near a gondola. ‘That can’t be Mista, is it?’ Then again, you remembered that you were both undercover. You walked over to the brunet and smiled at his clean appearance. He even smelled good. You smiled at him and he returned it. “So what do we know?” You began. “Come with me first.” He got on the gondola and extended his hand to you. The sun was setting, lighting everything in sight a golden hue, even his dark eyes. You felt your heart flutter as your hand grabbed onto his and he helped you into the gondola. The boat took off as the string lights that were connected from pole to pole lit up. It was truly a breathtaking sight of the city. Busy admiring the lighting, you felt a tap on your shoulder as you glanced over, seeing all of the Sex Pistols holding a rose. You gasped lightly and took the roses. “(Y/N)... I have something to tell you.” You turn to Mista, as he was looking down at the water. “Che cos'è?” You asked, gently turning his head towards you. “This isn’t actually a mission.” Your eyes widened a bit but then you laughed. “I thought it was too nice anyway.” You admitted. He took both of your hands in his as he twirled his thumb over your knuckles. “(Y/N), I just wanted to do something nice for you for a change. You know, I thought that you deserved this.” He gazed into your eyes and you felt your face heat up. “Graize.”You began but he cut you off. “Ti amo tanto amore mio.” “Ti amo così tanto tesoro” You leaned in slightly and he closed the distance, pressing his lips to yours. Extra ending: Meanwhile, in the distance all of the gang was cheering as they all high fived Trish, deeming her the Goddess of Romance.

#cute fluff #mista x reader #guido mista #trish una #narancia and others #bruno buccellati #jojos bizarre adventure one shot #jojo no kimyou na bouken #jojos bizarre adventure #part 5 anime #vento aureo #no angst #venezia #gondola date

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rossetteaaaaang · 5 years

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Pinagtagpo pero di tinadhana

A story about two lovers that who fall and break for a reason. Trisha's pov I was in the middle of thinking about something, when my eyes got stuck in a man who's laughing with his friends. He got a shining eyes, pointed nose and dark but nice skin. I was never been this amazed with a man. I got choke with my own saliva when his eyes met mine, I immediately busy myself with the food in the table. I heard them laugh, after a minute it became silent so I slowly look at the stand where they are staying and they're gone, I took a deep breath. I was never been this nervous in a guy before. 'Oh, I've been staying here for 4 hours already pfft.' This place really got my attention. I love the designs and their food also. I don't know, there is something here that made me want to always go back. By the way I am here in Yoo-hoo restaurant. When I am bored in the house, I always go here. Well, I do really nothing haha. I don't have friends because I'm just new here. I stayed in Newyork for about 7 years. My mom told me that this is her hometown in Cagayan de Oro city. Well, it is nice here though. 'Kringggg kringgg' 'Oh, my mom' I answered. 'Hello mom?' 'Where are you!' She yelled in the phone. I close my eyes real hard. Here we go again. '*sigh* mom, I didn't go far okay? I'm just here at--' she interrupted what I was about to say. 'I know, you're at that restaurant again. How many times do I need to tell you that, stop going there huh?' She yelled. I really don't know why mom hate this place. It is nice and so comfortable to stay with. 'Okay okay whatever. I'm going. Mygad mom I'm already 22 yet you're still--' okay fine she ended up the call. When she knew that I was always going in that restaurant she became the beast that I didn't know she'll become pfft I mean, she's so angry that night and when I will ask her why she just always telling me not to ask anymore. Whatever, old woman now a days *rolled my eyes* 'Hey mom' I said and then kissed her forehead. 'You spoiled brat did y--' I cut her off 'Yes mom yes sorry okay?' Im here at my bed searching something, scrolling through my news feed and suddenly someone add me. 'Hmm, Troy Gabriel huh. How come he knew me? That's weird' by the way, he's the guy who I described earlier hmm. [Troy Gabriel have one message] 'Omg?' TG: [You changed a lot wow. You look like a Goddess] huh? Did he know me before? [Excuse me, if you wouldn't mind. Did we met before? You seem so familiar.] TG: [secret] what? So annoying, so I just seen the message. TG: [Heeeeey? You there?] [You're always be my seenderella] [I'm not yours] I replied TG: [hmm] Troy Gabriel POV I missed her so much. But, it seems she didn't know me. I still love her. In those 7 years that we're apart. My love didn't change a bit. That's why when I saw her in our favorite restaurant, my heart skipped a bit. Is there a chance that, she still love me? 7years ago (flashback) 'Hey babe, where do you want to go hmm?' I asked. 'Anywhere babe as long as I'm with you.' She said and then she hold my hand. 'How sweet pftt happy 5th anniversary babe' I said then kissed her forehead. 'Happy 5th years of being enemy babe' she said then laugh. What a beautiful view. I stared at her beautiful face. I can't imagine my life without her. I just love her so much and I will do everything for her. 'Let's go?' She said. 'Hmm' I nodded. We just keep on talking, laughing about anything while I am driving. We decided to go to Palawan. Then suddenly a large truck came our way. I tried my best to get away but I lost control. The next thing I knew I woke up in the hospital bed. 'Hey gab thank God you're awake.' My mom said while teary eyes. 'Mom? Where's Trisha? Is she okay? I want to see her--' I said and then when I was about to stand up she stopped me. 'Darling, im sorry but--' 'But what mom! I need to see her' I shouted I can't explain the feeling. 'Her mother decided to bring her in newyork okay? I'm sorry darling but she is unconscious she needs to be treated there. She needs a good doctor.' I cried while hearing those words. Its my fault, its all my fault. 'How many days I was sleeping?' 'One month gab' she replied. It was really bad, huh. I will never forgive myself if something bad happened to her. After 1month and 3days I'm finally discharged in the hospital. I called her many times but I can't contact her. I chatted her in all social media accounts but I didn't get any response, so I went to their house. I press the doorbell many times but no one appeared. Even their maid was (wala). Is it that bad? I need to see her really. When I was about to go, someone park a car. I was so excited maybe it was her. But when I saw that its her mother and there's no Trisha appeared. I immediately run to her mom and asked her where Trisha is. 'Tita where's Trisha? Is she okay? Tita I'm really sorry I did--' she stopped me. 'From now on you need to start your life without her. She doesn't need you anymore. She is okay without you. Your just putting her in danger! And she doesn't deserved someone like you. She lost her memory and its all your fault. As a consequence I will not let her know you.' 'wha-t? What are you saying tita? We promised each other! Where is she? Tell me Tita please tita' I kneel down begging for her to tell me where my Trisha is. 'I don't like you for her. She don't have future in you now go away' she said then went to their house.' (End of flashback) I tried my best to move on and forget about her. Even if it is so hard. But, I need to, for myself and for the people who still needs me. I smoke, I drink liquor everyday to forget her. I always go to the bar. I tried many girls. But there is no change. Its still her. 'Argg' I punch the punching bag real hard. I'm here at my mini gym. I saw her! And all of my anger were gone. I just want to ran to her and hug her tightly. My seenderella I missed her. That's why I searched for her social media accounts and then I found out that she has new account and then I added her. Gladly she accepted it. I will make her fall in love with me again.. Trisha's POV 'Hays, what am I gonna do here' I'm bored. [Someone's calling] 'Hmm who's this?' I answered. 'Hello?' 'Hey shang, where are you?' 'Who's this? And why did you know my nickname?' 'Long story shang hahaha' he replied. 'Wth? And where did you get my number? And who's this!?' 'Chill shang its me gab' 'Gab? The one who chatted me last night? Wth? Are you a stalker or what?' 'Of course not! You putted your number in your fb account.' Hmm ahh yeah I did. 'Ahh okay. What do you need?' 'Lets date hmm just a friendly date.' 'Are you insane? What if you're killer or what? I still didn't remember anything from the past and then I'll be dead no way.' I said hysterically. 'Hey, chill there seenderella. Do I look like a killer? Pftt and wait? What are you talking about, the past?' 'Never mind.' I said. No one should know it. Mommy told me that I'll start my life with something new. But sorry to say this that I really want all my memories to comeback and I will do everything I can to have it. 'Come on seenderella. Its on me. You don't have to bring money. My treat. Besides I'm really bored right now and hungry also. Come on.' Hmm, should I trust him? Well, I'm bored also. Okay, I'll just bring my pepper spray. 'Okay, where?' 'Yes! Uhm *clears throat* sorry. Where do you want to go?' He asked. 'What? Why me? You're the one who planned this out so you should be the one to decide where.' 'Okay what ever. Let's go in Mega mall. I'll pick you up' he said. Hmm okay he'll pick me up-- wait what? 'What did you say? Hey did you know where---' he ended up the call. What ever dude. Its your problem anymore. After 20 minutes.. 'Trisha there's a guy waiting for you outside' yaya maling said. 'Okay yaya thankyou.' It is him? He is really a stalker. How come he knew my nickname and then our house? I get my bag and then went out. I saw him beside his car. Hmm he's really handsome though. But I don't like him. Its just that there's something in him that makes me comfortable. 'Let's go?' He said while having a big smile in his face. 'How did you know our address huh? You're really a stalker' 'I have many source pftt. And this kind of face? Stalker? Really seenderella?' He said while smirking. 'What ever dude let's go' he is about to open the door for me when I stopped him. 'I'm not disabled I can do it by myself' 'I'm just trying to be a gentleman here. Attitude ka siszt?' 'Well I don't need it.' I said. 'Woah, chill there. Okay fine.' He said then went to his spot. [We arrived at the mall] 'Let's watch movie?' 'Sure, you said awhile ago you're hungry? Are we not gonna eat up first?' 'Your hungry also? Oh, okay sure. Lets go.' 'Not really, its you' 'oh so you're concern now?' Our day spent well. We enjoyed it well. Days passed being like that. We don't have days that we're not together. We always bond, eat foods and going everywhere. Until one day, we went to Palawan. I remembered this.. 'Ah, my head hurts.' 'What? You okay? What happened?' I stared at him for a long time. 'I finally remember everything.' Gab' POV 'What? You can now recognized me babe?' Teary eyes as I said to her. 'Yes babe' she said while crying 'Sorry babe' she added. 'Hey, its okay. No don't cry please. Thank God you finally remembered me.' I said while hugging her. 'Let's go to the hospital. You need to be checked babe.' 'Sure' she said. I was so happy finally. [2years later.] Trisha's POV Since I remembered everything. Everything seems to be perfect. Mom and I have talk and I forgive her. Also Mom and Gab. But something's went wrong to Gab. He changed. I don't know. He's always telling me that he's busy. Every time I planned out a date. He always refused. I need to ask him. I'm confused. [Calling gab...] 'Hey babe? Where are you' I asked. 'At house why?' 'Come here please let's talk. I need to ask something from you.' 'Sure, I need to tell you something as well, Trish.' He said. Trish? Is he mad? I'm nervous. [Minutes later] 'Hey babe, you're here.' 'Yeah' he replied. 'What do you want? Juice coffee?' I asked. 'No need. Let's talk about the main reason why I'm here.' 'Oh, okay' 'Now, ask' he said I sigh 'Gab? What's wrong with you? Do you still love me? Did I do something stupid again? Are you mad?' He close his eyes hard. 'Sorry Trish' he said. Tears start flowing down my face. 'So-sorry-- what? What Gab?' 'Let me explain first Trish. Okay? *sigh* I'm sorry. This passt few days I felt nothing anymore. The spark, my feelings were gone. I'm sorry I need to be honest with you. I don't want to hurt you and fake my love.' 'You're already hurting me Gab!' I shouted. It hurts so bad. What happened gab? 'Do you have new? That's why you're like that?' 'No I don't have pshh. I spent the whole two f week to sum up everything, Trish. I'm sorry. I don't know why I ended up this way. I need to find myself first. I'm sorry. Please do take care of yourself.' He said. 'Noooo, Gab please. Let's talk. What happened please' Im down on bended knees. I hug him but he refuse and then he leave. [4months had passed] Those 4 months was hell. I tried to message him but all of his social media account was deactivated. Even in the text I can't send him maybe he blocked me. I didn't have any strength to the point that all the food that I intake, my body refuses it. I tried suicide many times but I guess its still not my time. I t is really sad, that the person we thought to stick with us through thick and thin is already gone not thinking about the promises that they had made, not thinking about the memories that you had build together, the sweetness you had shared and the laugh and happiness you felt when you're still together. It is sad and depressing but you need to move forward for yourself and for the people who love you. I realized that, people come and go into your life but they are either a blessing or a lesson. I trust God and the process. I believed my man was just stock in the traffic. And he is the one who will keep on choosing me everyday even if how hard I am to handle with. And to Gab.. Its been 4months and 19 days since the last time we talked. Hoping you're doing good. Wherever you are right now. I hope that you took all of my advises that I thought you before. Be a better version of yourself. I'm also thankful for the days that I am with you. I experienced to loved and be loved. But I know its just a temporary moment. I'm sorry that I still misses you everyday. But don't worry, I finally accepted everything. I'm sorry for all the wrong decisions that I had made. I wish you all the good things in life though, you left me unattended. Do not rush things if you feel that you're still not ready for doing so, farewell old buddy, till we meet again. Be safe and be happy always. No more hate, no more bitterness. I hope I could tell you these so we can be good friends. But I know things won't turn out the way I wanted it to be. God allowed us to love each other, fall and break for a reason, so be it. Our pains will soon be our testimony that love is somehow isn't all about being together forever. I won't forget you and I will treasure our memories together. Please love your next as much as I loved you before. I guess and I hope that you have found someone better that I am. Thank you for the lesson, babe. Till we meet again.

#Short Story #Creative writing

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josiepalmerphotography · 5 years

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Lately my muse has been focusing the camera on flowers with very ethereal, blurred backgrounds featuring my beautiful Trisha. Oh, how I have bonded with her since we left the city! Even with everything that has happened, every second of this trip has been well and truly worth it.

Aside from all gushing thoughts I am usually all too pleased to share, it stopped raining today! This has been one of the only clear days all week and it was heavenly! The sun is finally setting now and I’m having a warm cup of tea. I don’t know where Trish wandered off too but I’m sure she’ll come back soon. She can always hear the kettle boiling a mile away.

Today has been peaceful, boring even. We sat together by the water for a long time. Trish was quiet, even more so than usual, humming a strange tune and scribbling in her notebook. I rested on a blanket a few feet away, reading and enjoying the feeling of the warm sun across my face. I’ve always believed that one of the telltale signs of true love is when you can enjoy shared silence as much as each other’s chattery company. I talk about myself and my own passions a lot but since I have recieved so many questions about Trish in the past few days, I’ve decided to talk about her a little bit more so for those of you that don’t want to hear me gush, now is probably the time to stop reading.

The two of us met on campus, she was studying anthropology at the time but what really caught my eye was her little accent. It was so very faint and quirky, but something about it drew me in to her. Trish would put on these performance art style plays with some of her friends and watching her was mesmerizing. She’s a very reserved individual but watching her on the stage you would have thought she was a goddess. Our first talks were very short, she was an eccentric and I was always very grounded. I’m convinced that Trisha has more creativity in one toe than I do in my entire body. When I first heard her music, heard her play, it was like staring into a world I never knew existed. She always joked about how she was “from another plane” because she didn’t grow up in the US but listening to her sing, the phrase felt so literal. For someone a year younger than me, her eloquence made it seem like she was from a time long past. Classiness like that is so rare these days. From the moment that we started dating, we were inseperable. When she left that one semester after.....everything happened, it was like my heart had stopped beating. Deep down I knew it probably couldn’t have lasted forever. People like Trish never do well in this world; such an ugly place isn’t meant for those with keen perception. There was nothing I could do but accept it and hope that wherever she was and whatever she was doing, she was thriving among people that understood her. Her happiness was more important than our relationship. I know it sounds like the kind of shit everyone says when they love their partner but someone like her, well, they were meant to go much further than OSU. Trisha could master anything she attempted in little more than a few days. Maybe I was too average for her, too boring. It had always been one of my biggest fears despite how much she reassured me otherwise.

She showed up at my apartment a few months later. Even though she looked the way she always had, the look in her eyes was different. Wherever she was, it was very obvious that not all of her came back intact, I’ve never held someone so tight. Trisha tried to explain to me what had happened but the metaphors she used were so abstract and broken that I couldn’t piece together much solid information. I never asked her to elaborate. I loved her and she needed me, and that was all I had to know. And this is why I left, why I packed my bags in the middle of the night and ran off to a country I had never been to. She couldn’t be part of my world but maybe I could be part of hers.

If you gain anything from this block of text, I hope it will be the fact that when you find something special you have to hold onto it. Trust your gut, for it already knows your destiny. Writing all of that out was therapeutic. It’s helped me to remember all of the reasons why we’re here. I hope that you all enjoyed reading this even half as much as I did writing it!

#nature #botany #love story #journal #writing #rants #photography #off topic #i love her tho #my girlfriend is an angel

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justanotherprowrestlingblog · 6 years

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WWE Evolution: Review

Sunday 28th October,

from the Nassau Colliseum in Uniondale,NY

Trish Stratus&Lita vs Mickie James and Alexa:[***]

We had no pre-show matches for Evolution (thank god i would say) and this match should have featured Alexa Bliss but the Goddess got injuried in a live event and missed the event so WWE replaced her with Alicia Fox. The match was better than i expected because at the Rumble, Lita looked really bad and wasn’t expecting much from this, but both HOFs did their best and Mickie James shines and honestly i believe she is better then when she was in her prime. Fox was ok even tho had a massive botch. The match itself was the standard heel vs face tag team with Bliss trying to help her friends. With this match going on the first 30 minutes of the show (the ones free on twitter), Lita and Trish win was really predictable (and right) and even more when they announced that Bliss was out of the contest. Crowd was on fire during the match

Winners: Trish Stratus and Lita.

Women’s battle royal for a future title match: [**¾]

It was solid but also the worst match of the night but it didn’t turned out as bad as i thought, even tho i hated some eliminations,like the Iiconic one at the beginning to have a commedy moment, or like the winner of the first ever Women rumble got eliminated like nothing by Ember Moon. Thanks WWE. But at the same time, if your worst match of the event is just solid, it’s not a bad thing at all. The crowd loved everyone and the match and Nia got the win, as she will be an easy challenger for Ronda and it also set a rematch between the two since their match at MITB ended by DQ when Bliss cashed in her briefcase.

Winner: Nia Jax

Mae Young Classic Final: Io Shirai vs Toni Storm:[****]

Let’s start with the negative: why the hell this match only went 10 minutes? So rant mode off, but this match was very very good even tho it last just 10 minutes. It had drama, storytelling, good wrestling and also Storm is the only person in the tournament who didn’t got caught by Io’s moonsault, so in some way, they keep the magic and the effectivness around the move. Storm won and as i said in the reivew, she was my #1 pick to win the tournament and i’m so happy for her, because she deserved it the final last year and she deserved to win this year like shirai should, but for Io i guess they have already some solid plans in NXT, while Storm will be involved more with the UK brand rather then the main NXT one. Storm also defeated to win the tournament Jinny, Matsumoto, Yim and Shirai. Good lord, that’s impressive. This match was a good way to close a great tournament, wish it went longer, but it did justice to the whole tournament (full tournament review out later in the week/s as i need more time for it) PS: Storm entered with her MYC 2017 and NXT UK theme, after the bell they played her MYC 2018 theme. That’s so weird but fun (and geeky for a theme song nerd like me)

Winner of the MYC 2018: Toni Storm

Riott Squad vs Natalya, Sasha Banks and Bayley:[***¼]

Let’s start with another rand mode time: why the hell this match went longer than the MYC Final? I really really don’t get it, because this match at time felt a bit boring because they went too long and Shirai-Storm felt great but so short, but at least the six woman tag was a good match, topped my expactations and showed us that Liv can actually wrestle, since it was basically her best match so far in WWE. It started too slow but got much better in the final stretch and played out good, giving the babyface a great moment, like Sasha tributing Eddie. I still don’t like the Riott Squad, because probably they would be better by themselves rather than as a team, because they always make them lose as a team while in singles match they can pull it off. If their strenght is in the number, why the hell they can’t win a 3 vs 3?

Winner: Sasha Banks, Bayley and Natalya

NXT Womens Championship: Kairi Sane vs Shayna Baszler:[****]

Another rant mode time: not a fan at all of Kairi’s new theme. Just when i got used to her second theme, they change it. Usual WWE. Theme song rant aside, this match was really good, much better then their previous encounters. They finally nailed the match, even tho i wished we got a clean finish tho. The idea of having the other 2 4HW was great, they will be great in NXT, but this match was going really well and then a non clean finish took something away for me. The title change is fine because it was unexpected and came well, but still the interferences were a bit sloopy and could have been better or even non existent. Now, i guess we might get a team battle even with the ladies and this got me thinking: are we getting a womens war games too at Takeover? It would be interesting for sure. But before i jump to the next match, there is still one thing for me to say: stop thinking Shayna is just Rousey’s best friend: she is a really good wrestler and a great heel, because she is legit someone i would boo at a show even tho i like her and criticising her just because ronda is her best friend, while she worked hard in the indies too to get here, is just wrong.

Winner AND NEW NXT Womens champion: Shayna Baszler

Last Woman Standing for the SD Womens Title: Charlotte vs Becky Lynch:[****½]

No rant mode this time, but let’s say that it was the best match of the night. And i usually don’t even like Last Man/woman Standing match, but with the right booking they can be really good. This one was the one i was hoping for, yes not a perfect match, but really really good with drama, storytelling, it made the crowd involved even tho on commentary tried everything to get people behind Charlotte, but it was the hard fought battle that this feud really needed. A great feud which needed a great ending (for the moment). Even tho i wished the babyface/heel role would switch, this feud has been superb and probably gave us the best Becky Lynch so far in WWE, while charlotte really doesn’t fit well as a babyface cause she is a great heel, but she never fails to look good. Speaking of the match, we had violence, because the tables spots and chair spot were nasty and even Becky jumping from the ladder was risky. It was perfect on this, while not on the way the ref handled it. Becky won with a powerbomb on the table and probably will face Ronda rousey at Survivor Series in a champion vs champion, if they are planning the event as Raw vs SD Live again like last year. MOTY? Maybe not, because i still think NXT delivered it, but these two women had the best match and feud in the main roster so far. Kudos to both of them…and Becky good luck with Ronda.

Winner AND STILL SD Womens Champion: Becky Lynch

Raw Womens Championship: Ronda Rousey vs Nikki Bella:[***]

Some people are trashing the whole show just because of this match. Personally i wouldn’t call them fans but simply stupid, because it’s stupid to trash an event for just a match, which even wasn’t that bad. I didn’t liked it, but it could have been a lot worse. Not a fan of how they are booking Ronda matches at the moment, because if they cant have her squash the whole division, they shouldn’t have her going through a beating for like ¾ of the match and then win. She is a former ufc champions, she should destroy someone like Nikki who doesn’t even wrestle regulary since she got injuried. Ronda won and everyone happy like the happy ending for the event. Speaking of her challenger, i think this Nikki, used like a veteran, could be helpful in the division, only if she gets the get her opponent over and not get another title shot for basically being a Bella

Winner AND STILL Raw Womens Champion: Ronda Rousey

Overall: I wasn’t really expecting Evolution to be this good, i hoped it could be this, i feared it could have been worse but it really surprised me. It had a takeover vibe and it was great because it was really different. Even the crowd felt like a NXT crowd where they are hot for thw whole show and don’t slowly die because the events are too long. Honestly i think an yearly event like this would be awesome. Yes there are still some stuff that wasn’t good, but for once i really enjoyed a WWE main roster PPV from the start to the bottom and that’s what matters the most to me. Kudos to everyone involved and keep proving the people, who trashed this event because it was all womens only, that they are just wrong. [7.75]

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fabriziofusco80 · 7 years

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Saying Goodbye to My MotherPart Two

I've been journaling daily about the journey of helping my mother through the rebirth we call death. Although these moments are intensely intimate and personal, I am sharing them publicly (with the permission of my mother, who before she stopped communicating clearly, told me If it helps others, use anything about my story, my illness, and my death in your blog, in your books. If I'm going to leave this planet, at least let my life and my death live on through the hearts of those who might learn from it.). Mom even said, Maybe I'm dying so you can learn how to help others fall sick and die with trust in God. The other day, she said, I have a synapse to God. You have a synapse to me. We can bring others along with us.

Many who are following this journey on Facebook have said, There are so many who are about to experience this journey with loved ones, who might benefit by your sharing. I know that losing a loved one is a private, deep experience of the most intimate heart, but it is also a universal human experience. So I share this process with you all, in case it helps you deal with your own grief, your own illness, your own journey through the death of a loved one, or your own fall into grace. It comforts me to trust that such deep, universal human experiences blow open the heart, if we can simply stay present with the full adventure.

10/25/17

My daughter Siena and her father Matt left my dying mother's bedside this morning so Siena could get back to school and life. Last night, as she was going to bed, Siena shared with me the Nana Mojo Grief Tips that Mom shared with her before she stopped being able to communicate. The first in a long list of How to Gikuyrieve advice was that she wanted Siena to give herself permission to feel good, that grief comes in waves of sadness, but that between the waves, we're allowed to be happy, to do fun things, to feel good. Siena took that to heart. She has been such a trooper, staying in the intensity of the grief, being so present with her Nana, crying, laughing, feeling instead of running away from the intense emotions. And then laughing, playing, gathering fall leaves with me last night on our walk to create an art project with the bounty of autumn color.

I have watched in awe as my daughter has spent hour after hour, sitting-undistracted-beside her Nana in patient silence, just watching her beloved grandmother's raspy breath. Few adults have the resilience and strength to do what my 11-year-old is doing. She will be quick to heal because she is not fighting what life is offering to her and she has no barrier to the love that is all around her, now and always.

I will miss having Siena here as we wait for my mother to transition. My little Buddha goddess has been a breath of fresh life as we usher another life out. In her last moments, she asked to be alone with her Nana. From behind the door, I could hear her whispering her last love stories to the grandmother she adores and weeping her grief into her Nana's cheek. I can't remember crying that hard in my whole life. When she felt complete, Matt and I held each other and opened our arms to her, the three of us still family, resting in each others embrace.

After Siena left, I opened my mother's closet to get a sweater, and I was struck, as if with a thousand bricks, with the horror of seeing a closet full of Christmas boxes and realizing that my mother would not be around to distribute the hundreds of Christmas gifts she insists on buying every year. (The purchases usually made six months to a year ahead of time!) I sorted through a box of things I'm sure she intended to put in my stocking, as she has done for 48 years. This will be the first year of my life that my mother doesn't stuff my stocking. It sounds so trivial to my mind as I write this. Such a small thing, the discovery of the stocking stuffers, and yet, if you knew my mother, you would understand that such things were not trivial to my mother. Her love language is gifts. It frustrated her that she raised a family of minimalists.

This is what grief does, I suppose. You walk around, just living your life as if everything is normal, drinking your coffee, tending to the dishes, answering emails, and then you stumble upon something that humbles you to your knees. And you breathe. And you surrender to the emotion as you breathe. And you beg for mercy from what feels like unbearable pain, and yet you know you can't skip it. You know the only way to get to the other side is to go all the way through it without bypassing one bit.

And then, just as a labor contraction passes and you feel relief when you're giving birth, the grief passes, and the sun comes out, and there is love all around, and you find gratitude in everything that's still here. Unspeakable joy is only one or two breaths away from the agony of loss.

A sign on my father's memorial in my mother's home says, Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened. I say-go ahead. Do both. Cry because it's over. Smile because it happened. Hold the tension of the paradox and open your heart to how deep being human can go if you let it.

10/26/17

Last night, I curled up in blankets and looked at the stars over the lake at my mother's home. I remember my mother teaching me about all the constellations when I was a little girl-and how excited she was to show me the Southern Cross this past April when we were in Africa on safari together as her bucket list trip after her terminal cancer diagnosis. Mom and I were alone with our safari guide in the Land Rover, all curled up in the freezing cold under heavy wool blankets. Our guide turned off all the lights so we could gaze at the most magnificent African sky-an enormous show of shooting stars and constellations I don't recognize, set to the soundtrack of African bush animals.

This time, Mom is sleeping in the bed where she will die in her home and I was on the deck, feeling a jumble of emotions-gratitude, grief, joy, relief, tenderness, impatience, love, sadness. It brings to mind Rumi's poem The Guest House.

This being human is a guest house.

Every morning a new arrival.

A joy, a depression, a meanness,

some momentary awareness comes

As an unexpected visitor.

Welcome and entertain them all!

Even if they're a crowd of sorrows,

who violently sweep your house

empty of its furniture,

still treat each guest honorably.

He may be clearing you out

for some new delight.

The dark thought, the shame, the malice,

meet them at the door laughing,

and invite them in.

Be grateful for whoever comes,

because each has been sent

as a guide from beyond.

10/27/17

As a doctor, I have attended many deaths, and as a woman, I have been with about a dozen people who were dying outside of my work. Sometimes, as when my father passed, it is a peaceful, transcendent place. The death process itself is a holy meditation for those who witness it. This is not so much the experience I'm having with my precious mother. The between worlds place my mother is inhabiting isn't so rose-colored these days. When the inevitable time comes to lose a parent, we pray it will be quick and easy, a time of angels and tunnels of light, of professions of undying love, a time of transcendence. But it isn't always that smooth.

There is deep love at my mother's bedside. There is humor, as when my mother, eyes still closed, did a glorious fist bump after my aunt told her that my adorably messy sister, who lives with my mother, finally cleaned her bedroom. There is a lot of music. We spend most of the day singing to my mother, and she still sings along with us when she can. I think I sang the entire John Denver repertoire to her yesterday. Annie's Song made her smile the most.

But I don't want to sugar coat what is happening here at my mother's bedside either. There are agonizing moments, moments I can't un-see, moments that haunt me when I close my eyes to go to sleep, wondering if she will still be with us when I awaken. Last night, my beautiful mother put her hands to her face, like a child playing hide and seek. Are you in pain? I asked. She shook her head. Then clear as a bell, she said, I'm really hating this.

Tears. Helplessness. I feel so impotent. I want to make it better, but there are only so many John Denver songs.

My mother Trish thinks there are bugs biting her. At one point, she said, We're infested with mice. I told her that could never happen because she's the Trishinator. (We always joked that no bug or rodent could possibly survive her presence because she's always bombing the house with all kinds of scary poisons intended to get rid of everything but humans!)

Mom is busy in her mind, making to do lists, asking me what the schedule is. When I asked her if she's excited to go to heaven, she nodded, but then she added, I'm anxious. Hospice added some medication to help calm her nerves and settle the hallucinations that often accompany end of life. I succumb to their guidance, but like my mother, I really hate this. I think we overmedicate everything painful. I'm fine with optimizing Mom's pain medication, but I hate tranquilizing my mother in her last moments. I want her to be fully present for what is about to happen, but then, this is not about me. This is my mother's journey, and of course, I would never want her to suffer needlessly.

I told my 79-year-old mentor Rachel, who is also a physician, that I'm having a really hard time staying present with all this, that I have a strong (though I'm aware it's also pathologic) impulse to make it better, to ease her suffering, to DO something. I've spent 10 years in therapy interrupting my Savior Complex, so this feels like the ultimate pattern interrupt. I cannot save the woman I would most want to save. In fact, any attempt to do so dishonors her and disrespects her autonomous journey. But jeez, this is an intense initiation.

The death watch is brutal. Unlike a birth, which has a due date and a past due date, there is no due date on death. The waiting-breath by precious breath-is part of the journey. Rachel said, Alas the due date here is shrouded in mystery but no one dies on the wrong due date no matter how it appears to us. I believe that everything that happens in this period has deep meaning and value and is a profound learning in response to the events and conditions and beliefs of this lifetime or, even more likely, a learning related to a previous lifetime. I often wonder if the events of someone's death are even a service to others and final teaching transmitted to others in unforgettable terms. My own mother said that people die only when they are complete. We may never understand that completion, but it is profound, no matter how it looks to us. It is very very hard to watch but it does not need to be fixed. Our way of death of all things is not meaningless any more than our way of birth. As painful as it seems, it is in all probability a gift/teaching to carry forward to a better lifetime. Hard to be a doc at such times, isn't it? And even harder to be a daughter. I have really come to believe that control may not be the ultimate offering here, but your love and your trust of the unknown probably is. As long as she is not in pain or alone, all is well dear Lissa.

Rachel's words comfort me. My opportunity here is to simply be present with my mother, to resist the impulse to distract myself from what is so hard to witness and feel fully, to find meaning and joy in the moments of deep connection, to bask in the plane of love that washes over me every few moments and fills me with light and gratitude. Rachel says my love and my trust in the unknown may be the ultimate gift I can give my mother. This I can give. I trust the Great Mystery. I do. I never doubt it, not even on my darkest nights. Divine Beloved, this journey is yours. May whatever is aligned with Your will come to pass.

Love,

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thecorteztwins · 7 years

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MUTANT EMPIRE: SANCTUARY (CHAPTER 13)

@malakhvent @hexiva @ironbraze @magnetician @magnetiismus @muffiewrites @magnet-dad @unsere-befreiung Hello there, magnet-friends! I think you will SUPER ENJOY this chapter in terms of Magneto characterization. I totally did! I think the writer did a great job of portraying Magneto at his best and most balanced (though if Hex disagrees, I bow to his expert opinion) Okay, so when we last left off, Magneto was surrounded by the US troops, armed with magnet-proof weaponry, about to kill him. Things look grim. Then all of a sudden, the guy in charge, Major Skolnick, yells for his squad to “Abort mission!” At this, the mutants of Manhattan, now called Haven, start closing in on the squad. Magneto orders them to stop. Skolnick likewise lowers his own weapon. Looks like things will be okay! But then one of the soldiers yells that “the mutie” must be controlling Skolnick somehow and “Take them down!” Skolnick yells “No!” and sends out a wave of sonic energy that knocks all his soldiers unconscious. Holy shit, he's a mutant!

Magneto asks if they are dead, Skolnick says he could never do that to his own people, to which Magneto of course responds that “We are your people, Major.” Skolnick asks for Magneto not to hurt them, saying they're good men who were just doing their jobs. Surprisingly, Magneto does NOT react badly to this choice of words, or even make mention of his own tragic history with men just doing their jobs. Instead, he is just “saddened by the state of the world” and reflects on how ironic that the man these soldiers admired most was what they hated most. He then assures Skolnick that the soldiers will be deposited at Haven's border unharmed. Seriously, I appreciate how NOT bloodthirsty Magneto is in this book. I mean, I know we're all used to thinking of Magneto as a very noble villain who doesn't just kill willy-nilly, but let me emphasize once again that this was NOT the usual case for much of the 1990s, when this was written. This writer, Christopher Golden, has a take that's much closer to current Magneto or 1980s Magneto, which I find preferable because we've got enough dickbag villains in the X-canon. Skolnick says he joined the army to fight for the right of people to be free, and now he wants that right for himself and whatever children he may one day have. Man, it's a shame this character is unique to this book. Magneto decides he is genuine, that this isn't a trick, and asks Skolnick to help him organize his many new recruits. Skolnick says he doesn't want to fight against his former comrades, Magneto says that he will not have to if those former comrades will simply allow them their freedom. “I know you may feel as though I forced your hand, forced a decision upon you by my actions. Indeed, that was my intention. To force a decision upon many hundreds of thousands of mutants around the world. My message to those mutants is simple: stand with us or stand aside.” Skolnick says “I stand with you” and Magneto invites him to stand beside him on the platform when he goes to address the citizens of Manhattan/Haven. Skolnick says “Yes, sir!” and salutes him and “Magneto liked that. Quite a bit, actually.” Mags you egomaniac. Before the speech to his new kingdom, though, he has to deal with the X-Men some more. He trapped Storm in a car trunk earlier, exploiting her horrible claustrophobia. We learn that Magneto learned of this, and many other weaknesses of the X-Men, from when he tried to be one of them during 1980s. Good to know for you Magneto writers! Now that his fight with them is over though, he releases her and apologizes to her “but it was all I could think to do to expedite matters. I hope you understand.” Storm tells him that if he just done this in a place no one already resided in, like a desert island, then there might not have been an issue with his mutant city, “but you cannot simply appropriate one of the largest and most important cities in the world.” This is pretty much the only legit criticism of what he's doing, really, in my opinion. Everything else about the idea of a place where mutants can come and live free from persecution seems a pretty good idea to me. Now, the part where he's of course the one in charge and humans are second-class citizens, okay, not so great, but in the “desert island” scenario, it would be up to individuals whether they wanted to go there and live that way. So, hey, their choice. But in taking over Manhattan, an already densely-populated city, he takes away that choice. Yes, he's letting humans stay if they want, or leave if they want, but he has no right to make that an issue in the first place. There's also the fact that, as the novel pointed out earlier, it's really only the wealthy who ACTUALLY have the option to leave. Realistically speaking, a lot of people simply cannot just pack up and go live somewhere else, especially not on a moment's notice with no plan in place. He's adding to the disenfranchisement of a great many people who are already disenfranchised even if he's making things better for the ones who are mutants. That's pretty much my sole issue. I guess I should point out that Manhattan also already belongs to America, but...America is stolen land in the first place, I can't muster any ire at this. I have no love for the government having a city stolen, just the people who are caught up in it who probably didn't need any more shit in their lives. Everything else though, I'm on Team Magneto here. And I like that, I really like having a villain that has so many good points and it's so easy to agree with, and Magneto is such a great dude to use for that, and I really like Golden taking maximum advantage of this. Magneto's response, of course, is to say “It's just the beginning” and orders for Storm to be restrained, which she then is via a metal collar and clamps around her wrist. However, he still does not kill her, nor the other X-Men. He says this is because he still hopes they can be converted..and as “teaching tools, to show that Magneto cannot be defeated. A kind of ornamentation if you will.” Another thing I like about how Golden writes Magneto: He remembers MAGNETO IS A REAL DICK. He remembers his noble and sympathetic parts, he doesn't make him a 2D bad guy, but he doesn't go too far in making him a “good” villain either. He remembers very much what an egotistical and cruel man Magneto can be. Storm calls him vile, Magneto laments how sorry he is to hear that, how he's offered them this wonderful place where they will not be hated and feared and how they see him as a “terrible villain” for that but one day “you and all the X-Men will hail me as a hero.” Yeah, don't hold you breath, Erik. Storm admits she wants what he offers, but that the price is too high, saying the ethical fight is more important the physical one. I have mixed feelings on this. Like I know I just spent a big fat paragraph laying out why what Magneto is doing here is wrong, but I also feel like focusing on ethics while people actively suffering and dying from persecution is wrong. I mean, not every mutant gets to live in a heavily-protected mansion where everything is provided for them like the X-Men do. Most mutants have to live in the real world, have to have real jobs, may not pass for human, may not have powers adequate to defend themselves, etc. Of course the X-men can afford to focus on ethics first. But that's not the case for the people that Magneto has made this takeover for. I'm not saying I'm flip-flopping sides here, just I think there are flaws in both their arguments here and it's a very complicated issue...and I really like that, actually. The real-life struggles that the mutant struggle is meant to reflect are complicated in much the same ways, and something I'm still trying to navigate in real life too, so this resonates as a very realistic reflection of that to me, and I enjoy that much more than just a neat little simple solution that's presented as applying for everyone and if we all just do this we'll be fine, cuz that's bullshit. Magneto says he's already won, to look around herself. She does, and sees the great many mutants who are filling the city street for blocks. Storm: “Goddess. Where have they all come from?” Magneto: “From fear, from hiding. I have drawn them out of their terror, given them freedom, given them life. They have traveled here, are even now traveling here from around the world. They are the citizens of Haven. They are our long-suffering brothers and sisters, now vindicated. They are the hope for the future. Now do you see what I have done?” MIC. DROP. Cut to Beast seeing Trish Tilby (his reporter on-again-off-again girlfriend) interviewing Magneto and being really upset about it. Bishop, an X-Men who grew up in a horrible ant-mutant future, wonders if Magneto conquers the world, will that perhaps avert the horribe future he's trying to prevent from becoming a reality in this timeline? Meanwhile, on the human end, Gyrich (anti-mutant government dude) and Colonel Tomko (book-only character, military guy) deliberate their next move.

#xmen #x men #mutant empire #magneto #X men novels

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comicteaparty · 4 years

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May 30th-June 5th, 2020 Creator Babble Archive

The archive for the Creator Babble chat that occurred from May 30th, 2020 to June 8th, 2020. The chat focused on the following question:

What flaws does your protagonist possess, and how do you show this in story?

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

he tends to run away from things and people!

i show this by having him run away from things and people!

She's reckless and always thinks she's right. I show this by having her follow her opinions into dangerous situations haha

I have no idea how to answer the second part of that question

My antagonist

also reckless and always thinks she's right

what a pair

wow, you guys are typing a lot.

eliushi [a winged tale]

As the only wingless child, Florence is used to others ostracizing her. This causes her to believe that she’s worthless or at least a crappy replacement for her mother since she has trouble reading. This is shown by her being passive when confronted with the other winged children and tolerant being left behind. When her mother disappears, her first thought is to find her mother (to make sure mom is safe of course) but really because she feels she can’t possibly fulfill the roles her mother did for the winged community.

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

man i gotta read a winged tale seriously

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

For my comic uh lmao. It's been touched during OIYD!'s ctp chat but Cara tends to think critically on her romantic relationships, and thus even when things she goes well, she has her doubts and tries to end it before it develops lmao. Also she runs from her problems a lot (been addressed by her friend Ana through their last discussion). She done goof a lot of things but OIYD! will be pushing on her to how she gonna deal with those mistakes and her shortcomings too.

also like i guess how its depicted uh through dialogue and her body language. she physically closes herself off a bit when Ana was roasting her, and upon meeting with Richie too. so yeah lmao

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

Phaedra's faith and devotion to her patron goddess is, to her, a great strength - but in light what she'll have to go through, it could very well be the source of her breaking point. She's never had to consider other perspectives - to her, the line between good and evil is as clear as the horizon, and no one can tell her otherwise. I haven't gone into it much yet, apart from a few sentences in the first chapter, but it'll become painfully clear later. Her family has dutifully served the goddess for generations, and as such, Phaedra has effectively put all her eggs in one basket, and is extremely proud to have done so. As time goes on, we'll see how that works out for her...

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

AAAA

blurred lines between good and evil

I love that

Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)

Hooooh boy! My characters are basically just big buckets of flaws and personal issues. Izrekiel's flaws: * As a result of his amnesia and past traumas that still have an effect on him despite his inability to remember them, he changed from originally a fairly passionate, happy person to a rather reclusive and distrusting mess. I try to show this with his reluctance to speak much of the time, and how difficult it is for him to befriend Agatha. * He's also very quick to anger, which I show later in the story when he gets into somewhat petty fights with people. * Oblivious to even the most obvious of things, he often misinterprets people or misses nuances altogether. He is definitely not a social butterfly and comes off rather awkward most of the time. It happens a lot when someone makes a joke around him, and he just stares silently. * The rest are big ol' hefty spoilers! Agatha's flaws: * She can be incredibly bossy or "mom-ish," especially to her younger sister, but also to any random person whom she deems needs help. This is shown pretty obviously with her immediate urge to "fix" Izrekiel. * Definitely overbearing. She has the best intentions of friendliness, but she will stick her nose so far into your business that her nostrils will flatten. Mainly, she asks a lot of questions, and it can be rather annoying and obtrusive. * She also has a habit of not listening to what her younger sister, Maret. has to say. She often unintentionally ignores her, thinking her more "adult" issues to be far more pressing.(edited)

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

Sunny: -She’s fiercely independent. As a result it takes her a longer time to trust people and tell them what’s wrong. -Doesn’t like the idea of people telling her what to do, because she craves the sense of control she was denied in earlier years -Dislikes showing sadness since it makes her uncomfortable. So she defaults to anger instead. As a result, she’s more likely to lash out in anger and regret the actions she did in the heat of the moment. -Sunny needs to realize that people aren’t inherently monsters either, that people can be morally grey. Her black and white morality may be challenged in both her writing and her relationships. But we’ll see about that. Liam: -Pretty blunt about criticizing people. He grew up in a critical household but needs to learn that there are different ways to give criticism -Highly uncomfortable with conflict. You’ll find him trying to fix the issue as fast as possible and when that doesn’t work...he’ll flee and even outright lie. It makes him seem untrustworthy and unreliable. -he loves his family. But they are his biggest fears too; the fear of disappointing them, the fear of losing their love. -for a calm guy, he tends to hide a lot of incredible self loathing and guilt. How that will affect his relationships, particularly sunny, has yet to be seen.(edited)

chalcara [Nyx+Nyssa]

Nyx thinks with her axe. She’s pretty clever if she has to be, but her usual approach to problems is „off with their head.“ The consequences off that are what drive the majority of the story - she nearly gets herself and the people around her killed. The big problem is she‘s a drifter - she rarely sees the consequences of her actions.

chalcara [Nyx+Nyssa]

Nyssa‘s a bit spoiled and soft and while she overcomes that easily enough, it‘s the combination of her believing she can fix absolutely EVERYTHING and her incapability of dealing well with failure that brings her to her breaking point.

eliushi [a winged tale]

I really love that I can identify with everyone’s character flaws and that makes it all the more relatable

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

Lead girl: Naomi Belfry had to deal with fleeting moments of affection from her parents trying to give her a stable childhood altho everything came crashing after her father's absence. Trying to keep this spoiler limited, like children in her position, she escaped reality through imagination lens and her obsession in her interests in forensic and observation. - I plan to show this, whenever something perks her interest, whether it's witnessing a crime scene, dangerous object or observing people at parties. Naomi also lacks a sense of trust in others due to broken promises but it conflicts with her yearning for companionship and love. Will see how she juggles her different sides. I plan for her to be morally gray. Trisha Bennett: She is a big-hearted girl and loyal friend to Naomi. Despite the rumors of the Belfry clan, Trish sees the lonely girl who tried to push others away. Trish's flaw is that she always puts other's happiness before her own. From a young age, she cared for her siblings, sometimes her grandma. Everyone basically pushed responsibility to her, due to her inability to say no. She listens to Naomi's rambles about a new mystery she's discovered.(edited)

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

nervously stares at the dumpster fire that is Trigger Elliot

eliushi [a winged tale]

Give us all the FLAWS

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

there's so many ! Trigger's biggest flaw is his constant running away from his problems and taking ANY sort of responsibility. He takes his short comings out on those around him, and is constantly in a bad mood in the comic. His biggest hurdle is his past with his ex GF, Boggmouth, to which is his biggest fear and one that he's been trying desperately to run away from (so far that he changed his name, dyed his hair, lost his glasses, etc) Vahn has many flaws as well, mostly surrounding them as a mystery and that inability to step up to the plate. They're similar to Trigger in running away from problems, as they are more comforted with familiar spaces than new territory of becoming more or something else. Vahn also has a past they have yet to deal with!

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

wow i really like reading people's different character flaws! Krispy, your character Trigger is such a complex character. I should get on reading it (edited)

eliushi [a winged tale]

I’m curious how everyone thought of their flaws for their characters. Did they come to you naturally? What would you say makes a flaw compelling to read/draw/experience?

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

I don't really make a character and then go, 'alright, time to add some flaws.' Like.... the same trait or even the same action can be seen as good or bad depending on who you ask?

eliushi [a winged tale]

Totally agree. A trait when taken to the extreme can be a flaw (too kind —> becoming a doormat). How do you make sure that flaw is the “right” one or the one that most fit with your character and plot?

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

Even the extreme-ness may be different depending on who you ask. Some people may feel it was 100% justified; others may feel it was too extreme, or even the opposite, not enough!

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

I like to imagine how those flaws would work in real life. If those flaws carry the story and force the characters to develop/face consequences, I usually include them

eliushi [a winged tale]

So true keiiii and I like that approach shadow!

So what makes a trait a flaw for you keiiii

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

like look at all the disagreements IRL...

I don't like to divide character traits into flaws/virtues, personally. Like, yes, there are times I notice a trait and go "oh yeah, that's totally Bad, totally a flaw." But as a storyteller, I don't use that kinda judgment as a primary tool. I guess it's in the same vein as the whole 'no one is a villain in their own story' school of thought?

eliushi [a winged tale]

That’s fair!

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

It took awhile to develop my character's flaws! I start out drawing the character for fun. For some characters, I made them with intention of flipping Anime tropes, I felt some of them are so shallow, I want to flesh them out in my own stories. So as I write, their flaws are reflected in their upbringing. The personality gets revised over until I have certain ideas in mind, then their flaws come along with the creation process.? I have two sides of my brain cell where, I want to draw these children in a fun, safe environment. Then I got this other side, influenced by teen stories/games where I want to give them risks, be delinquents, have messy choices. I gravitate to stories of teenagers finding themselves?(edited)

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

What I do pay close attention to is: do the characters have major disagreements ever? If the answer is no, then I may have a problem.

eliushi [a winged tale]

All the juicy conflicts

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

I think I gravitated toward portraying a flaw I knew I had when I was younger. Something I'm able to look at with a more critical eye, now that I have more experience. Something I can portray both critically and sympathetically - so people can still like the character, but want them to grow past their flaw.

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

like, even if I don't think of a trait/action as bad, SOMEONE in the story would probably not agree with it. Stuff like that.

And vice versa

I do think HoK focuses a lot on greyness as an undertone, though. Not every story would benefit from this approach.

eliushi [a winged tale]

I like to design my flaw aligned to the LIE the character believes (in reference to character arcs) and see what sort of negative consequences that will be interesting for the characters to try and overcome

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

In my previous comic, almost every major player was BAAAAD, and that was the point of the story.

But HoK is not like that.

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

ooh the Lie that a character believes? That's interesting, Eli.

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

I think that makes for a good sympathetic protagonist - we're all told things that we may have to unlearn, or learn to read differently. For the protagonist, it's an awakening to the truth of the world around them. Their job as a protagonist is to accept that awakening, for better or for worse.(edited)

eliushi [a winged tale]

Yeah I like to approach character arcs using this reference https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/character-arcs-2/amp/ the flaw comes easier to me once I have the specific LIE developed

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

Ooooh that's a good one Eli and to piggy back off of you, LadyLazuli, a lot of character flaws I chose were observed from either close friends, family, and even myself! There's something about intimately knowing about these flaws that you can see how it unfolds in real life

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

this would be so helpful, I have a teen character for my slice of life, that I couldn't figure his flaws out, other than being anxious. Will look into these books.

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

You can try! It would help a lot I read somewhere that one of the reasons Princess Mononoke had such great characters wasn't because they were inherently good or bad.

Rather, they each had differing goals and that is where the conflicts are.

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

Yeah, one moment in that movie that really shines in that aspect IMO was when Ashitaka talks to Eboshi, and she retorts, "so you want us fight the samurai instead!" (i.e. instead of fighting the forest animals) This was not treated as a big moment in the movie; it was quick and pretty understated. Nonetheless, I feel it really hit the nail on the head with that particular theme.

like, "our disagreements are distracting us from the TRUE enemy: this third party!!!" is totally a valid theme, but it's not the only resolution in that kinda situation. I'm glad Princess Mononoke went for a different direction.

They did have a third party (heck, a fourth party too), but it wasn't what the whole situation was about.

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

I’m curious how everyone thought of their flaws for their characters. Did they come to you naturally? What would you say makes a flaw compelling to read/draw/experience?

yuh that's a good question. I just kinda look at the experiences I had so far or what my family or friends experienced and I'm like "what is a good thing about this flaw, what is not so good?" like there's some juggling to figure out like in some situations its great and others it's just lmao pain.

Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)

In my case, I didn't really "think of flaws" for my characters. My characters just kinda popped up in my head, and as I got to know them, their traits—both good and bad—revealed themselves to me.

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

for Cara's case its like lmao idk. a reflection of how my mom and I handle dealing with romantic relationships, and just seeing where that goes lol

for Richie, it's like that but what we like in men/masc-presenting folk but take it up to 10x and see what happens LMAOO

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

So basically it could be a case of veering one trait into the extreme

Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)

(Also, I totally agree that the characters in Princess Mononoke are stellar! Especially Ashitaka and Eboshi.)

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

yeah, but I also made sure there's nuances too since they aren't a true reflection of our own chimera they need to stand out as their own characters after all, not a voice piece

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

Yeah, the scene I still remember from that movie was when lady eboshi showed ashitaka around Irontown and he sees how she helps the lepers and the women be empowered. It showed that she’s a morally grey character

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

I always like messing with that kind of of diacomtomy between people and just lmao idk I just like seeing that despite differences things are connected lol

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

I really like the Disagreement-focused approach. Where would the characters disagree with each other? With YOU, the author? Would they ever call you out on something? Would you agree or disagree with the callout?

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

Also tuyetnhi I agree. While we can also include flaws of our own, there comes a time where our characters eventually develop into their own person

It’s like watching your child grow up

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

I learned that young durring my RP days in the early 2010s

lmao

Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)

And when Ashitaka reveals a rather selfish thought of his. Eboshi: Does that arm of yours want to kill me? Ashitaka: If it would lift the curse, I would let it tear you to pieces.

(I've watched this movie way too much throughout my life tbh )

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

@keii’ii (Heart of Keol) absolutely! Your characters won’t always do what you want. Sometimes they have ideologies that make you want to shake them or disagree. Because in the end, the characters aren’t you

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

I actually didn't see that as particularly selfish about Ashitaka (and I think that's a good thing that we see these differently)

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

They will make mistakes that you might not in real life. let them.

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

yeah lmao that's why in cara's situation I'm like "same" but also "Noooooooooooo why u do that"

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

@shadowhood (SunnyxRain) And they might not even see those actions as mistakes, depending.

And YOU will make mistakes (or "mistakes"... again... depending) that the characters wouldn't make

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

even stuff I don't even realized from other friends who looked at Cara and they're like "she's her biggest cock block; it's that personality." lmaO

Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)

You don't know how many times I've wanted to slap the shit out of my characters

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

honestly

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

@shadowhood (SunnyxRain) And they might not even see those actions as mistakes, depending.

@keii’ii (Heart of Keol) exactly! Hence these are the Lies they might have developed! They might have lies they grew up with that don’t match with ours

And yes....there are times I want to facepalm whenever I see my characters make a mistake I wouldn’t have. But I know that they’ll eventually develop out of it....or face natural consequences.

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

Anyone else here doing more grey-focused stories? Not every story needs to be that, you can have very mature stories that aren't grey. But yeah

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

I have a very grey character

Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)

I mean... I guess it depends on labeling. I have very strong opinions, but I feel like my characters could very easily be seen as grey by others

Especially my villain

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

I think "grey-focused" is less about the characters and more about the narrative, but yeah, it's pretty case by case

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

I think in that case Cara would be considered .... light grey?

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

This character did something VERY bad, and his actions have caused people to be split about his actions But he has deep regrets and guilt about it, even though it was a necessity at the time(edited)

Whether or not people forgive him or understand his motivations

Only time will tell

Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)

Oh yeah, my narrative definitely can be seen as grey.

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

since it's her narrative focus in the story but as there's some dark moments, most of it is just her just figurings thing out

dark moments as in lmao "i'm hurt in the feels"

not life death situations lmao

Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)

I switch between perspectives a lot in WotP, so it definitely can be seen as grey

chalcara [Nyx+Nyssa]

I don’t like grey morals that much, actually. My favourite narrative device is genuinely good people working at cross-purposes. Nobody is evil, or grey; but their personal histories and goals set them into conflict with each others.

These histories often cause or are brought by their flaws, too. But a flaw doesn‘t necessarily make you grey.

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

I don't mean grey as "an even mix of good and bad." I meant more like, the narrative does not take sides.

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

for Richie, i guess for his development as something that is a mere figment of fantasy and trying to be like "wow I wonder what being a person is like?" and he might just become a grey character if he ever experiences Cara's world lol

ahhh

yeah this story is probably pretty grey then lmao

chalcara [Nyx+Nyssa]

You can have a narrative taking side and still be good-people-in-conflict.

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

There is one scene I wrote where the morally grey character meets someone who he’s affected. She hates him, but understands his motivation. Both of them have a heart to heart and agree that they were simply two people who were involved in a tragedy, and it hurt everyone.

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

That's a thing too! But I'm specifically curious about stories where the narrative does not take sides

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

So in the end, it was a scene where the audience can sympathize with both, but these characters are in conflict

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

I feel you can't really have a character who will be universally seen as 50:50 good:bad. Different people will have different opinions about the same character.

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

that's so true like

idk, i guess this is an annoyance when protraying folks

and i'm like "ya just make it like it is, if you're intimate with their background or have relevant experiences with it"

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

In real life you’re going to meet people who may not like you

Some may even hate you

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

that's why I'm like gearing Cara as like that lmao

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

Not everyone is going to agree or like you, and it’s the same with charavters

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

yepppp

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

Just because another character dislikes your main protagonists does not necessarily make them a villain

Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)

That's what I'm thinking too. I may see a certain character of mine as leaning more good, and another as leaning more bad, but I know my readers are likely going to disagree. I call my villain a "villain" because he opposes the "heroes," but honestly, I know that a large part of my readerbase is going to take his side in the end.(edited)

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

In every villain’s mind they are the heroes of their own story

Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)

It reminds me of a quote from the Inheritance series

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

I don't 100% agree actually, but I do agree with something in the same vein

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

[me looking at my story] "who really is the antagonist? it's probably all of you" [points at 3 characters at the same time]

lmao

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

like not everyone actually thinks of themself as heroic -- but most will see their choices as reasonable given the circumstances.

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

I agree. Probably should have reworded it as “everyone thinks they are the protagonist of their own stories”

A protagonist can be “villainous” too.

Also tuyetnhi lmao you have so many antagonists

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

omg I missed this really good convo on Princess Mononoke, I LOVE Lady Eboshi's character. I was busy talking about character writing for another show(edited)

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

Yes she is a wonderful character! Let’s use her as an example

In her own mind she sees herself as a protagonist defending the leper’s and the women

And having to fight her way to the top from being a slave

She could have her own story herself!

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

it's like Cara has to fight her dreams, her family, her firends and her self as a cock block ya LMAO

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

Eboshi is fantastic. She's not good, she's not evil, she's just a person doing what she thinks is best. Even if she ends up doing more harm than good, her aim is to protect her people and strengthen her town. She does some truly heroic things as well as some heinous ones. And I love how Ashitaka lands squarely between the two factions - in his own way, because he seeks peace, he almost acts as a villain for both the gods and the humans. SO COMPLEX it's lovely.

Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)

aggressively throws love at Studio Ghibli

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

A related question that's fun to ponder is, who or what do they blame when things don't go well? (Obviously the answer's gonna vary a LOT depending on the circumstances, but something fun to think about)

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

lmaoooo oh man

Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)

Gosh, that's a great question.

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

Cara would blame herself if it's something she consciously done wrong, but if it's something out her control she'll blame the person or thing she thinks caused the inconvenience.

Cara: "Stupid sexy... man coming out of my dreams looking..... ass"

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

Don't we all wish we had a stupid sexy dream man to blame

(maybe not but lol)

Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)

Izrekiel would blame himself. Agatha would blame the powers that be. Ryukou would blame Izrekiel. Maya would blame Ryukou....

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

Hmmm that is a good question

Sunny blames others in the heat of the moment, but she’ll think back and regret it

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

for Richie uh lmao he blames himself for most things.

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

Liam blames it all on himself, and won’t tell anyone

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

Phaedra blames herself initially. Then, as with all things, deflect the blame to Ocean Satan.

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

if it something Cara done tho, I think he'll have to do some mental gymastics that he isn't outright hurting her feelings but getting his point across (hypothetical situation here lmao I need to draw faster)

ocean satan lmao

Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)

I feel that energy from him tbh

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

Ocean Satan/lucifer probably has his own fan following tho

Chethanists

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

Fata Morgana! Or the Bone Church (RIP)

but yeah, when the origin of all your world's problems is a single entity - BLAME IT

very easy

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

just like blaming an alternative god for the misfortune of humanity lmao

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

In my story, Naomi might go into deep thinking if things don't go well. It means the mystery got deeper and she wants to find out why did it not go well? It depends, I should write a case where the blame can go easily to someone, but the MC has a different reaction than others.(edited)

It depends on situation, I'm trying to think about something that makes the character blame someone? Jasper might be the type of kid, who self blames his own incompetence.(edited)

Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)

Thorn is impressively good at figuring out how to assign blame/responsibility to the right parties in the right proportions, but to be fair, he's had a lot of therapy

varethane

That thing about never having a character everyone will like is so true-- I feel like the most consensus I've ever had was over Teeko, the main character of my previous webcomic. Almost everyone agreed that she was a cinnamon roll, but there were others who considered her irritating (or at best, found her irritating at first but then got to like her)(edited)

I'm pretty sure the lead of my new comic will be significantly more polarizing

Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)

(He has PTSD from a dragonslaying mission that went bad, where he didn't give the order that made it all go wrong but was in a strong position to stop it and didn't, so Responsibility been kind of a major theme in his brain ever since)

varethane

Her major flaws are that she's kinda selfish and impulsive, and while I have a whole Arc planned, that type of character is just guaranteed to rub some readers the wrong way

Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)

Meanwhile, Leif is very well-conditioned to assign responsibility to "anything and anyone except my country's leaders and system of government"

Which is also changing over a long-term character arc! And there's definitely debate in the comments sections at any given stage about how reasonable he's being now

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

My favorite flawed character ever is Leona from Prague Race. I loved that comic but not gonna recommend because it is on forever hiatus. I'd never seen her flaws before in any other character and yet felt them deeply. Her flaws are to the point where you're not even sure if she is a good person. https://www.praguerace.com/comics/1438038533-06.jpg https://www.praguerace.com/comics/1438197522-07.jpg https://www.praguerace.com/comics/1438802007-08.jpg(edited)

varethane

She isnt, at all, but I still love her as a character ahaha

(Well okay she is a little bit at least)

eliushi [a winged tale]

Ahh I remember Prague race

It’s fantastic. I really enjoy the antihero/unconventional qualities Leona has(edited)

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

i LOVE her

I love her look

I love her attitude

she is like

my favorite character ever in webcomics

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

Ahhh so is her flaw having her desires supersede others?

Or desiring entertainment even at the cost of hurting others?

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

She is exceptionally curious, to the point of recklessness(edited)

eliushi [a winged tale]

Flo: blames herself Ash: blames anyone but Flo Ice: blames anyone but themself Bell: blames the person who is deemed logically wrong

I think Leona’s flaw is self-centredness. AFAIK it’s because she is going to die? Terminal illness? then she feels the world owes her everything

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

She was like that before that happened though

Like in the opening where she drags her friend into a sketchy shop and plays with the mysterious artifacts and falls into a new world

eliushi [a winged tale]

Ah so just a selfish character then?

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

All the while being like

"hey neat!"

eliushi [a winged tale]

Disregards others’ boundaries for her amusement and purpose

It’s a great flaw to explore

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

Oh that one is a very good flaw

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

Before this point it was more disregarding her own life for her amusement and purpose

It's her own fault she has a year to live

eliushi [a winged tale]

It’s all starting to come back haha

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

So basically she’s self entitled

Those types are tough to pull off

If there’s one character flaw I want to see more, it’s characters that struggle with taking a stand

eliushi [a winged tale]

For sure. I find antihero and passive protagonists especially difficult to write/draw

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

i might be the opposite because people complain about my protag being too passive lol

He just wants to live

/not live

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

Hmmm, I’m the opposite actually! I dislike conflict so I try to either run away or hide when it happens

So for me it’s easier to write someone who is scared of conflict and is seen as a coward than someone more active

eliushi [a winged tale]

Eli did the proactive choice to follow the minor goddess right? I see that as having agency

I meant more of writing them as compelling characters

Especially as protagonists

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

ahhhh i'm glad

i agree that stories usually read better when the main characters have a goal

it gives you a thread to follow throughout the story

eliushi [a winged tale]

For sure. Having a clear external goal to augment the internal one is key

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

What if the main character’s goal is not having a goal

Or being viscerally against the goals of everyone else

eliushi [a winged tale]

Against the goals is a goal in itself I think haha

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

Where it’s seen as against the cultural norm to have one....like Eli

Omg full circle lmao

eliushi [a winged tale]

But if the goal is to be passive then... that’s where I find it is difficult to write compellingly

Unless you have side characters that boost the agency

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

ugh can't talk about eli while talking to eli

i got confused lol

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

I think with those types it works with other characters also having goals

Exactly Eli!

.....oh my god this is getting confusing

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

ack now i got confused in the opposite direction

i think

eliushi [a winged tale]

Exactly shadow. Hence I designed ash, ice and bell to be strong voices to counteract quiet Flo

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

I love me some well-written passive characters TBH

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

mm i agree. if the mc doesn't have a lot of agency, other people need to to drive the plot forwards

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

Yeah! I did the same thing by having sunny be outspoken and Liam be the one that runs away

And she ends up having to call him out on his shit!

I wonder if their passivity can be both a strength and a weakness tho

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

I think I actually gravitate more towards passive ones than to overtly proactive ones, with all other factors being hypothetically equal

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

stares at Danbi

eliushi [a winged tale]

But I find there’s a point in which your passive character needs to make a change for their arc; stasis = death. Ultimately depends on the narrative and theme and with a negative arc it’s something to play with

Danbi is not passive I don’t think

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

Hmmmm danbi has a passive nature But you’re right now that I think about it

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

I think part of it is I'm currently in the "I need to take a break from those ultra-motivated shounen action MCs" phase

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

Me: Eli is passive! Eli: no Shadow: Danbi is passive! Eli: no

eliushi [a winged tale]

I find the passive protagonist is like the boy in hyouka

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

what's he like? i haven't read/seen that

eliushi [a winged tale]

Or a lot of those anime’s where the love interest or others drag them into things

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

Ahhh those types

You’re right about those being hard to write about because they can become satellite love interests

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

I'm thinking more along the lines of, when the story itself isn't about WE RESOLVE THIS BIG CONFLICT YES

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

With no motivation except for their friends/love interests

eliushi [a winged tale]

https://hyouka.fandom.com/wiki/Houtarou_Oreki

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

I have not actually read this, so not sure why this is the example to come to my mind, but: there's this manga? in which humanity is facing extinction, but people are just calmly accepting instead of panicking or rebelling. They're not trying to fix things, they're just living out their lives

varethane

In Wychwood, Felix is an extremely passive character (it's one of his biggest flaws, he's absolutely terrible at standing up for himself and..... I mean, atm he doesnt really have any opportunities to make decisions for himself, but if he does he second guesses himself and ends up doing nothing lol)

eliushi [a winged tale]

I see that as more of a choice of acceptance keiiii

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

Ooooh okay I see Eli

eliushi [a winged tale]

But I mean we all have different definitions and thresholds we refer as passive

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

I mean it's okay for us to define "passive" differently, as long as we're aware of how the different definitions affect the discussion

eliushi [a winged tale]

Yep yep

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

If I knew we were all going to die and there was nothing i could do about it, I think I'd just live out my life too. Spend time with family and cook good food.

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

In that case there is one character I have like that, but the reason he’s passive is because his hyperperfectionism has marred him and he’s severely depressed now

eliushi [a winged tale]

I’m more referring to a narrative passive character https://www.jimenainovaro.com/blog/2019/9/7/passive-protagonist-how-to-tell-if-you-have-one-and-how-to-fix-it

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

Anyway, HoK is like that: it's not about FIX THIS BIG PROBLEM WITH THE WORLD. The world does have massive problems, and there are multiple groups of people trying to fix, delay, or otherwise address those Big Problems in various ways. But the story itself is not about that.

eliushi [a winged tale]

Right so if the story is not about saving the world, in relation to the actual theme of the story, I don’t think Danbi is passive

Natasha Berlin (Pot of Gold)

ELUISHI

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

mm we're talking about the benefits of passive characters but that link is "how to fix it" ah

Natasha Berlin (Pot of Gold)

YOU’RE HERE

eliushi [a winged tale]

Oh hai!

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

I feel like that article is written with the assumption that you want the readers to root for the MC, which I think is.... not necessarily what you want.

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

Hello????

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

It depends on what kind of story you want to write I guess

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

yeah like lmao root when you feel like it worm

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

Yeah

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

I guess for my story it's just lmao done out of my curiosity and just seeing that to form.

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

Full disclosure, I do not read fast enough to have read the entirety of that article by now (edited)

eliushi [a winged tale]

Exactly shadow

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

But I think that also brings up an important point

eliushi [a winged tale]

https://threekookaburras.com/blogs/news/14720925-writing-tips-whats-wrong-with-a-passive-protagonist perhaps another viewpoint

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

WHAT is the "ideal reader reaction" you want with the story? (can break this down to "with this one scene/ arc" etc)

(can also have multiple ideal/desired reader reactions for the same story/ arc/ scene)

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

ooh that's an interesting question

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

(I also really like parentheses)

eliushi [a winged tale]

I feel like that article is written with the assumption that you want the readers to root for the MC, which I think is.... not necessarily what you want.

I recall you mentioning HoK is more like a character study. I think more conventional storytelling want the audience to be invested in the protagonist

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

i honestly don't really have an answer

just want people to know these characters and this world

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

Personally the reaction I want....is for other people to learn along with them

And hopefully touch their hearts

And yeah keiiii you DID mention that it’s more focused on character development at one point

eliushi [a winged tale]

Ideal reader reaction by act 1: exciting adventure here we go! Act2: oh no Act 3: oh that makes so much sense why everything is happening but how will they succeed Act 4: hope

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

OH that’s what you mean?

Natasha Berlin (Pot of Gold)

What’s an act four

eliushi [a winged tale]

Oops I meant season

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

I think. My four chapters are similar to Eli's

eliushi [a winged tale]

(Season 1 is act 1; seasons 2&3 act 2 and last season is act 3)

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

for me, like if to make my characters relevant to the audience isn't the main goal. like relevant characters doesn't equate to folks understanding to the nuances of their struggles. at least for me. I just want to write the story for the sake of it and what folks react to it uh lmao that's their reaction. stick for the ride if you want to see things panned out is my mind set

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

Arc 1: people are excited then sad...what the fuck shadow Arc 2: oh my god oh my god this happened it’s chaos angst time Arc 3: melancholic but going up in a way Arc 4: AHHHHHHHHHHHHH Arc 5-7: this is sweet as hell

eliushi [a winged tale]

Yeah I should rephrase: there can be many reasons why you want the audience to NOT root for the protagonist (ie protagonist is a serial killer and the reader is more keen to know if justice will be served)

But these are done intentionally and the protagonist is not passive in the narrative sense(edited)

Natasha Berlin (Pot of Gold)

Act One: Buildup Plot Point: NO NO NO NO Act Two: angst Plot Point: Act Three: Ships

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

like, I don't necessarily want anyone to agree with any of the characters. But I want people to be able to see why they think or feel the way they do. More importantly, I want people to FEEL that their (the characters') feelings are real and powerful. So I guess for every arc of HoK it all comes down to: "my heart is breaking and healing at the same time"

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

Natasha I relate to the ships coming in later part

same

Natasha Berlin (Pot of Gold)

I’m tryna have at least one ship sail in act two XD

eliushi [a winged tale]

I live for the AHHHHH and

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

dang I just love throwing curveballs

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

we can tell

eliushi [a winged tale]

Shadow will draw the ships for me

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

Oh the AHHHHH part is a ship

YES I DRAW ALL THE SHIPS

Natasha Berlin (Pot of Gold)

The is my favorite part of the story

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

not saying which ship tho sorry

Natasha Berlin (Pot of Gold)

Aside from the ships

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

lol

if I have to break up the structure for OIYD!

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

Yes the is a good scene More please

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

... nah it's too soon to share ask me again in 5 years or somethin

Natasha Berlin (Pot of Gold)

@Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!) mood

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

I'm like lmao i'm on ch. 3

and it's early to draw some conclusions of what structure i had set up, but I do have a clear idea where I want going with it. just... have to draw it lol

Natasha Berlin (Pot of Gold)

Dude I’ve basically scripted my act three and I haven’t even gotten to my first major turning point

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

same mood, same boat

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

I’ve only scripted up to arc 2

And I’m already feeling the chaos

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

for me uh.. I guess its main arcs are there

Natasha Berlin (Pot of Gold)

My act one is the most solid, followed by act three. I’m slowly figuring out the middle XD

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

Because shit gets dark in the end of arc 1

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

but I had chopped off like 8 chapters lmaO

Deo101 [Millennium]

I script... like one scene at a time if that..

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

so it's a lot shorter than it was originally intended but at least

it is more impactful for me lmao

just non canon content now lol

eliushi [a winged tale]

You got this Natasha!

Natasha Berlin (Pot of Gold)

YEAH!

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

I also can't script super ahead, at least with this story. With my previous comic I scripted like 2+ years worth of content in advance

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

oof that's my first webcomic lmao

and ... I stopped after the first chapter lmao

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

What reader reactions I want for my comic? Uhhh... Volume 1: Pretty world! And also some mysteries... Volume 2: Even more mysteries... culminating in the moment Volume 3: IT'S EVERYTHING I COULD'VE WANTED

Deo101 [Millennium]

yeah my next comic I'm planning ive got a script for like a whole thing but for this one im like "hmm... what seems fun?"

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

For me, I think the main factor is that the previous comic was heavily dialog-driven (you could convert it to an audio drama with minimal changes), while my current comic is very visual (you really can't convert it into an audio drama...)

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

EVERYTHING WE WANT CLAIRE?!!?!

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

Everything you want

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

EVERYTHING?????

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

Yes

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

man, it must have some good cheese in there

Deo101 [Millennium]

oh are we answering what we want our readers to think?

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

yea

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

Yiss

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

I'm like "I'm not qualifed to answer this because lmao"

Deo101 [Millennium]

I want my readers to be like oh this is fun! the whole time, i think

dont want it to change, want it all uphill

no stress or nothin just fun times

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

Deo reading your webcomic is like going to the beach Pretty chill

Deo101 [Millennium]

hell yeah!

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

Space beach!

Hey my rank just changed!

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

Wha

Deo101 [Millennium]

when you read my comic I want you to feel like youre sittin poolside with a cool drink and some sunglasses

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

it does have that vibe yeee

Deo101 [Millennium]

fuck yeah thats everything I could want babeyyyy

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

It has mojito pina colada vibes

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

aww yeee

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

Mine is just sangria

WITH SHOTS

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

I guess for OIYD! is just "bloody mary please say sike"

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

Is eightfish’s like....champagne

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

Refreshing glass of ocean water

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

Is this the "what drink would your comic be" topic?

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

lmao

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

salty

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

salt

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

Yes

Natasha Berlin (Pot of Gold)

Ooooh good question

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

Time to bring up my answer to that question again: "liquid bacon fat, so that it stays in your heart forever."(edited)

Natasha Berlin (Pot of Gold)

Hot chocolate

Dark chocolate kind

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

Holy shit that’s two sides of the spectrum right there

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

Omg keii

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

keii idk how I feel about that if I'm gonna have caradiac arrest reading your comic lmao

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

Heart Attack Of Keol

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

Clogging my arteries oh lord

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

You're killing me today kei

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

Omg

But wait is Phantomarine also a glass of ocean water

Deo101 [Millennium]

not read it yet but I feel like its that blue drink from applebees

do you know the one im talkin about, the one with the shark gummy in it

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

whaaaaat

We don’t have Applebee’s here do explain

YES?!

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

drop a big salt chunk at the bottom of it and YEP that's Phantomarine

Deo101 [Millennium]

very sweet but there are like 2 shots in it so you will get 1: brain freeze and 2: more tipsy than u think!

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

yuhhh

my mom always buy that drink deo

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

I kinda want to try it now

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

It's good

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

Applebees come to Canadia plz

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

lmaoo

wait what

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

We canucks want to get a brain freeze pls

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

there's no applebees in Canadaland?

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

Nope

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

omgGGG

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

We have a tims tho

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

also this might be getting a tad bit off-topic so watch out

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

okay tru tru lmao

dang tragic like

imagine making drink references in your comic and someone is like

"yo what is that? lemon juice?"

"........... lemonade?"

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

Sorry rebel. We are just perpetually off topic

Deo101 [Millennium]

the page that had orange juice in millennium everyone was talking about the orange juice

and same with the page that there was milk

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

actually this would be an intersesting question like lmao if your comic still makes references to your native place of being

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

The logo was funny deo

And cute

Although at first I thought the cow was a space pig...

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

like having orange juice in space i'm like yaaaa lol

Deo101 [Millennium]

okay but the page with milk also had a murder skeleton

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

But space pig

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

Skeleton milk

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

Mmmm yes taste the calcium

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

so much calc

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

Enough to bone milo

Deo101 [Millennium]

yeah everyone was like "he just wants the milk!"

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

Page with the clock everyone was talking about the clock

The way deo draws inanimate objects is just

Really memorable

I guess

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

whu

Deo101 [Millennium]

you would be the first person in my life to have ever said that

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

omg

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

(or maybe you just don't have anything else more interesting on the page :p)

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

The devil is in the details

Or should I say

bone milk

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

Crunchy

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

i don'tt hink I can handle bone milk since i'm starting to develop an intolerance to lactose

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

I'd love to draw my ships but anxious brain thinks, I shouldn't because no one knows them

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

I remember that there was a talk about the page on deo’s server

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

oh man ships worm lmao

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

And someone mentioned carbonated milk

Deo101 [Millennium]

I dont wanna think about carbonated milk

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

people like guessing Richie or Dean for Cara and i'm like ya'll missing the 3rd option

"it's the friends we made along the way"

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

Ot3 ayo

Deo101 [Millennium]

I think I was the one who mentioned carbonated milk though

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

dfjalkgjaeoifuiodj

Deo101 [Millennium]

gjsdaghsagjkhgjkasg

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

OT3

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

YOU WERE

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

Do it I dare you

Deo101 [Millennium]

shadow big brain w ot3

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

I meaaaaaaaan

I have a love triangle

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

if they were compadable with each other

probably LMAO

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

But if they get together

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

but lmAO

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

its a metaphysical paradox

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

AAAAA

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

But yeah I love the OT3 option

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

It would be actually interesting to see polyamory in a comic not about polyamory though

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

[puts down things to consider]

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

Cara/Richie/dean

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

I'm like I want to see as a possibiltiy

but it's also errrrrr enriched with Viet stuff and i'm like bruh

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

I too, like Eightfish, dare you to do it

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

how that would affect Cara's relationship with her family

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

I agree Eightfish! I like the secret polyamory in a comic, like Marmalade Boy had a poly family and only when I was older, knew about it. I reread it, was like holy cow! It is a poly family(edited)

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

:000

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

same with Dean's too since they're both tradtional vietnamese families to some extent

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

(Apologies for taking forever to type this) "Maybe no one talks about Interesting Things in your scene because there is no Interesting Thing in your scene" used to be my big fear, to be honest. But I feel more confident after a recent epiphany, and if anyone else has that fear, please know that if YOU see Interesting Things in your story, that absolutely counts.

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

aww thank you!! I need that reminder.(edited)

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

I'm like man

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

It was a joke because deo's milk scene literally has someone being cut in half! But I do agree with you keii!

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

like I would like to, but I ain't poly and I don't want to mis represent those communties ya kno? riP

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

And there's bound to be someone who likes the same interesting things as you

Deo101 [Millennium]

yeah keiiii I worry a lot that all my comments are about asses or something because they just dont care about anything else i'm doing

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

Because Lavender Tea was on haitus since I thought my main lead boy was boring but I realized my friends do like simple characters which don't have to have complex pasts.

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

I'm always like "lol my comic is full of boring conversations" But then every once in a while I get someone who says they actually really like the boring conversations and that just makes me :)))(edited)

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

People like to hyperfixate on the weirdest things in stories

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

@Eightfish (Puppeteer) YES!!!!! Interesting Talky Scenes FTW

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

Also I actually like the casual conversations you have eightfish

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

Well like would you have as many reader if your comic was just ass panel ass panel ass panel? :P

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

like sometimes I see people asking "how do I make a talky scene interesting" and I'm like... BUT TALKY SCENES ARE INTERESTING???

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

people can have the ot3 in their dreams and I'll recognize that but for me lmao I'm like i can't

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

It is a little challenging to make talking scene interesting visually

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

it is actually, like the way to keep it interesting I heard, is the angles, and not always focus on their face shots.

Deo101 [Millennium]

hands

give them an activity and focus on hands babey

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

OT3's, eh

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

Background props and angles is what I show

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

feet

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

i guess suffering through complex angles in my panels do really pay off

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

I wanted to challenge myself to draw silent panels and minimal dialogue.

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

I wonder if I sort of lucked out with HoK, in that the characters are often (though not always) locomoting while talking. That probably makes it easier to make it visually non-boring?

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

Ladylazuli i see you eyeing that ot3

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

same, I like to draw background props, different angles.

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

oh lord what u done shadow

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

Beautiful things tuyetnhi what you talking about

Deo101 [Millennium]

ACTUALLY huge sidenote but you reminded me joichi, whats helped me get my writing way more to where I like it is every conversation being like "what if I took out all these speech bubbles?" and then actually going through and cutting most of them out

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

what u MEAN DFJAKGJDKFdjl

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

I think the ship shadow is thinking of might be more ot7billion

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

fkaljfdghakldfj what

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

the more the merrier

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

oh god

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

I have shipped OT3 before. I researched quite abit into Poly and started making a story on the side, just to understand the system and responsibilities. Just know that it's not perfect, but there's some differences(edited)

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

yeah, I looked into poly relationships to but lmao even with the research and asking first hands accounts, I don't think I can do it justice

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

... me with monagamous relationships tbh

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

like it's hard working with a person in a monogamous relationship but also doing the same with 2 or more oh lord man

it's a lot of work for the persons who inciated and participating in such relationship struggles

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

it is still a big challenge. The good things I did hear for poly folks is, a strong sense of trust, and balancing the love between other partners. Also consent always(edited)

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

yeah

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

I’ve read testimonies of poly people and they stress that you need a LOT of communication

There’s a lot of trust and mutual respect needed to pull off poly

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

mhm

Deo101 [Millennium]

I'd argue you need that for any relationship!

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

Actually yeah you’re right! Every relationship needs that!

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

I may stick with monagamy couples most of the time. The only time I'll draw poly is a mention of couples, i feel I'm not the right person to write drama about poly relationships yet.(edited)

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

I'm like thinking like for poly persons that working with 2 or more partners like

Deo101 [Millennium]

thats why I dont write drama about any relationship LMAO

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

I have thought about writing a poly relationship once but er....I was thinking of doing villains in a toxic one

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

how does that play out like... since I think the possibility with being burnt out with communication with multiple partners

and the partners themselves like their relationships with the main poly person's partners too

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

And showing how it deteriorates through time when one partner is abusive and it destroys the other two

Oh I’ve seen an abusive poly in real life before

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

oof

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

One partner chose to have multiple male partners

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

so I have rip

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

But her boyfriend didn’t want that...and the female partner wouldn’t allow him to have other partners

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

also uh same but it was one guy with women as his multiple partners

the guy had a toxic masculinity mindset.

and i'm like to my friend like " Are you still going out with him?"

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

was he cheating on them though, or was it consented? Because infidelity is different from poly. My poly friends can't stress that enough(edited)

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

it was consented but from what I see it that for to established relationship he wanted like the women to be him as his partner

and they agreed to it

but he also was meeting with other women other than his poly partners

so i'm like

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

Okay that’s....not good. And I think that’s what needs to be addressed a lot I wonder if there are comics out there that talk about poly relationships

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

idk. like if it works with them, that's on them but i'm like idk how I feel if my partner will do that when I agreed to be only monogamous to him

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

yes exactly. Yes there are and usually healthy poly relationship. I have to go find it, but not many comics.

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

so lmao it didn't sit well for me due to my morals I guess

but if he, and my friend, and his poly partners had it work, I guess more power to them?

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

Okay but if your partner decides to be poly without you, that's not being poly, that's cheating

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

No, eightfish the thing is that they agreed to him seeking out multiple partners while being monogamous

so it's more like an poly-open relationship thing?

at least that's in my understanding

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

Not only that, banning your partner from seeking out others is hypocritical

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

like his partners doesn't have an issue with it

that's the distinction

idk man i don't understand well, and even equiped with this knoweldge I rather read other poly folks works about the subject than attempting poly relationship dynamics myself lmao(edited)

that's my two cents on it lol

yeah

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

like for some poly people, they like the idea of having multiple partners, so that there's less pressure to be a perfect partner. Some compare it to; having more than one friend? what do you guys think though?(edited)

Deo101 [Millennium]

idk I just have friends

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

I say that's some valid points. like they're varying degrees

Deo101 [Millennium]

im not poly so I cant comment

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

and the poly experience is varried so there's not right all to be all so yeah lmao.

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

yeah I think so too. TBH, I was feeling mixed when they compare romantic partners to having multiple friends?

but because I think the love for a partner is much deeper, but that's just me?(edited)

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

I say it's valid if you feel that, but i know folks will beg to differ on other responses

I guess for my experience, friendship love can be deep as romantic love and i'm not nesssarly lacking if I don't have love from a romantic partner nor a platonic friend

it's varied, fluid, and if it works for your understanding... I don't see the harm

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

ah when you explain it, I can see why, I do see friendship can be pretty deep and emotional.(edited)

Deo101 [Millennium]

I think for me, I feel love very deeply for my friends and also my boyfriend. the differences are paper thin between the way love feels for me, it really comes down to "I chose him to be the one im kissin and stuff" cause its not even "spend the rest of my life with him only", because I fully want my close friends to be with me the rest of my life! I would love to live near or with them and see them every day, so its not that sort of foreverness thats different.

its not something that I'm self aware enough to be able to pinpoint.

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

yeah!

Deo101 [Millennium]

also this is VERY off topic I feel

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

... very tru

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

oops, it was interesting though. I've been questioning about the differences between romantic love and friendship(edited)

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

Paper thin differences between deep friendship and strong romance are actually pretty relevant to HoK Though probably still off topic for this week's topic

Shizamura 🌟 O Sarilho

I feel like I'm arriving four years later to the party, but if we're talking about character flaws then oh boy do I have some for you! In O Sarilho, we have: - Nikita's big inability to open up to people and having absolutely no tools to deal with the traumatic things that happen around him. It's so much better to keep it all in, ignore the people who are trying to help you and just let it all come out through anger; - Shizuka always says the wrong thing. Always. It's her natural talent. She doesn't mean them that way but now they're out and that's what counts; - Franquelim avoids conflict (with good reason) to an almost complacent point; - Dária is completely unaware of her privilege and tbh her own sheer luck!!; - Steffano has some problems with making his intentions clear and privilege too, in a way he also a bad time standing up to his father's antics and correlates his relationships with how useful they are to him (and vice-versa)

eliushi [a winged tale]

I’m always curious about the creator’s process arriving at their stories and characters, including character flaws! I’m wondering how these flaws affect the character developments/dynamics and propel the story?

Shizamura 🌟 O Sarilho

at least for me, I am trying to write a story about cooperation, so figures the major flaw my main character would have would be... being very uncooperative

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

(Osarilho is amazing and illustrates that perfectly )

Shizamura 🌟 O Sarilho

()

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

Oh nooooo I was typing a long reply and accidentally deleted it

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

Shizamura 🌟 O Sarilho

OHNO I wAS LOOKING FORWARD FOr IT

looking at @keii’ii (Heart of Keol) is typing... with such antecipation

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

I should type in notepad and C&P but I never learn...

Shizamura 🌟 O Sarilho

well, I think character flaws need to relate in some way to the major storyline, to the big events and themes of the story, but a lot of what I got comes from my interactions with other people, seeing what they think and also how I think and evolve and rationalize stuff... but obvs that all needs to be molded in a way that serves the narrative

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

Anyway, I was starting to talk about my experience writing my previous comic, which was a conflict-driven story. What is the conflict (and/or theme), and why are these characters personally involved? What traits, goals, etc. of theirs keep them tied to this very unpleasant mess?

I didn't actually have to sit down for many days trying to figure that out. Once the biggest piece of the puzzle fell into place, the rest just followed pretty smoothly!

And the biggest piece of the puzzle was "what is it that I want to talk about with this story?"

Shizamura 🌟 O Sarilho

yeah! that kinda tends to happen xd find the big piece and the others follow

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

So I think that's sorta similar to what @Shizamura 🌟 O Sarilho said about cooperation. In my case, it was "romance can be VERY DESTRUCTIVE"

(I had seen too many "finding Mr/Ms Right fixes all of your life's problems" stories at that point in my life)

Shizamura 🌟 O Sarilho

romance doesn't put bread on the table

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

So I had: - one extremely manipulative, baby-faced MC & his love interest (figuring out that he was manipulative was a part of the First Big Piece that fell into place) - one guy who actually found his True Love, married her, but still had serious problems. He had not even begun to resolve those problems when his wife unexpectedly died - another guy whose OTP was himself x his sister who did NOT want any of that (no assault happened, but that does not make this okay) They all had other aspects that I'd consider flaws, but you can see how those flaws are central to the story.

HoK, on the other hand, isn't really a 'there is something objectively terrible going on' kinda story. (I mean there is, but the story doesn't focus on that.) So I approach it from a different angle that I can't quite articulate/describe right now.

Shizamura 🌟 O Sarilho

with terrible things it's easy to divide the characters in proactive/complacent axis

the "something terrible is happening, are you gonna do anything, or are you gonna let it happen?" but also the third option you are making the terrible thing

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

Yus

Shizamura 🌟 O Sarilho

some people transform into tigers.. to cope

carcarchu

i don't know if i've ever consciously thought about giving my characters flaws. all i think about is "this is the role they need to perform, and this is how they're going to do it"

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

Yeah, it's not like an MMO character creation process: "pick body. pick face. pick strengths. pick flaws." It's a lot more.... simpler and complex at the same time

Nutty (Court of Roses)

In Court of Roses, Merlow's main flaw is that he spends so much effort making others happy and comforted that he entirely neglects himself. He's had a traumatic experience in his past, and since it's still fresh and painful for him, instead of opening up about it, he drinks to numb the pain, if just for the night. Until the nightmares awaken him, of course. While he is an extremely social boy and thrives off the company of good friends, he is so, so afraid of them getting caught up in his troubles. So much so, that after an especially terrible nightmare, he attempted to run away into the woods to escape them "being hurt" in some way. He's constantly putting others before himself. Hopefully he'll learn through the other main bards (especially Nocturne) to take care of himself without guilt, or in a self-destructive manner.

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

As I think of Eliushi's question; when I typically think of flaws, I imagine they need to effect the character's life or relationships with others. Some of my older teen or adult characters, I can naturally imagine their flaws, since they are closer to real people.

While my cinnamon roll-like OCs are a little harder to figure their flaws, it can't be too dark or out of character. I figure I'll figure it out as I carry on the story(edited)

sssfrs (JOE IS DEAD)

Cricket is mean, antisocial, and irresponsible. All of the rest of the pirates hate her because she went behind their backs and did something destructive that got them all in trouble. She also has a learning disability that she's really hard on herself about, calling herself "stupid" for not being able to read. She also has no problem with killing or stealing. Captain Harriet Hopper is more of an outwardly good person, with strong moral values and a general capability of commanding respect, but she has very low self confidence, second guessing her leadership decisions and often relying on reassurance and guidance from others rather than taking control of a situation.

The rest of the cast are pretty much just ruthlessly evil with only a few exceptions.

DanitheCarutor

Julian: - They're completely humorless, they do not laugh, they do not smile, everything is VERY serious business! When a joke doesn't fly over their head, they will not find any shred of humor in it. All jokes made by them are purely accidental. - Julian has no self-worth. Self-care is practically non-existent, they don't care about sleep, hygiene, eating and anything else that would help them feel even remotely better. Also, other than with Apollo, they will never stand up for themselves or give anyone lip unless it's to defend someone else. - They are an OCD level workaholic/cleanaholic, and will clean and keep themselves busy regardless of environment. While they did pick up good domestic responsibilities and work ethic at a young age, these positive habits have turned into excessively defensive ones. - They're a tiny ball of stress that second guesses themselves constantly. They are on edge nearly 24/7 about everything, especially when it comes to their partner and his instructions. - Very unambitious overall, they don't see themselves with a future so they don't try to have one. - Julian can have quite a temper and can be an absolute stubborn mule sometimes. They used to get in a lot of fights, especially when defending other kids, now they're like those grouchy old people who'll yell at you to get off their lawn. - They refuse help from others, seeing their own needs and presence as a burden they try to keep as low a profile as possible. I try to show these flaws through Julian's actions, interactions, the subjects they talk about, body language and appearance. Admittedly a lot of their personality hasn't shown through yet, currently in the comic their slew of mental health and domestic issues are overpowering who they are as a person, they're essentially living in survival mode. Later on their personality will start to show more, with their general flaws not being as heavily influenced by poor mental health and a bad environment.

DanitheCarutor

Apollo: - While growing up, his education wasn't taken very seriously by him or his family, in turn he slacked off a lot of school and now isn't the brightest bulb in the box. The lack of good education is also coupled with being very sheltered, he started out in private school then moved into homeschooling, so he never developed any significant life experiences. - He lacks basic survival and emotional comprehension skills. These skills were never encouraged or experienced during his upbringing, so he never developed them. - Apollo is very much a spoiled brat, he puts his wants first before considering other people. Although being someone with a general good nature, he tries to do his best with his close friends, he's just not very good at being considerate. - He is extremely gullible and overly trusting. If someone he considered a good friend told him you could create diamonds through your nose by snorting wasabi he would probably believe them. - Apollo doesn't have a whole lot of respect for himself, letting people use him and swindle him out of his money and possessions. His upbringing has a lot to do with letting people take advantage of him, but it also has a lot to do with his underlying guilt for past events, he just doesn't see himself as someone worth respecting. - He's a raging alcoholic due to the previous point. But he is very stubborn about it, insisting he does not have a problem, and that he can quit any time he wants to. - Apollo is a very lazy person overall, he refuses to learn basic skills, doesn't even take care of his personal and environmental cleanliness needs half the time. I try to show Apollo's flaws the same way I show Julian's, although with him there is a lot more focus on actions since he's a much more active person. His bad decisions are a major cause for some of the current predicaments in the comic, and have had a large roll in the story so far.(edited)

SPOILER

Tantz Aerine (Without Moonlight)

Fotis' flaw is that he lets emotion take over him and tends to jump to conclusions. He's very precocious and has had to grow up too fast (he's only 14 and has experiences not many adults have, or should have) but he's still young and inexperienced. He makes errors in judgment though he learns fast. When he thinks coolly he's more likely to make a pretty solid call. But when he's angered, or feels intense grief, or intense joy or desperation, he tends to make less informed choices. Unfortunately living in WWII and Nazi-occupied Greece makes for a very unforgiving environment for trial and error. It shows often in the comic when he talks about things with older people- people that fight with their own demons and challenges.

kayotics

Oh crap, I almost missed this topic. My main character has SO many flaws

Deo101 [Millennium]

and we love him for it

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

it's not too late

list them!

kayotics

I must prepare myself

kayotics

Some classic Toivo flaws: - Serial romantic. He loves the idea of being in love, and is desperate for it. - Flighty. He's hard to keep around. He's afraid of commitment for various reasons, and coupled with the serial romanticism, leads to a lot of heartache for him. - Related to the last one: avoidant in general. If he can avoid talking about hard conversations, he will. - A lack of coping mechanisms. This comes out in a very real way in chapter 3 when it's revealed that all of the ghosts in his house are literal ghosts of relationships, made by him trying to avoid dealing with the breakups. - Impulsive and leaps before he thinks. He's the stupidest genius you'll ever meet. He's super smart, and pretty wise, but he's going to act first before he even thinks about it. (sometimes this is a positive thing, and leads to ingenuity) - Petulant. He's pretty childish a lot of the times. - Brash. This doesn't come out as much in the comic, but when he's dealing with new people or people he doesn't like, he can be quite rude.

I'm sure there's more but those are the big ones.

#ctparchive #comics #webcomics #indie comics #comic chat #comic discussion #comic tea party #ctp #creator interview #comic creator interview #creator babble

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scottyunfamous · 7 years

Text

#RunningWilde Ch. 28 | Brixton

Sharpshooter in my backyard

Killed a small boy once and never told no one

If it wasn't for my shotgun

He'd be alive and I'd be halfway to heaven

Instead of sitting in the dark going through hell

You should've been here

-Green Mile

SZA

It was like standing in a recently abandoned museum, a time capsule, a shrine that was never meant to be, filled with objects that had belonged to another –his long lost lover -that accounted for a glance into her bleak history. A few days ago this was her bedroom and now it represented another time. Another life.

Gone.

Never again would Ash's porcelain hands curl determinedly around her Mora knife blades or the pretty pearl handle of her pistol, tucked away down the side of her bed. Nor would her hair of amber and rubies be pulled through her hairbrush that lay with wispy strands entwined between the bristles on her dressing table. Her signature -her red, red lipstick -would never grace her mouth again, and her exquisite body, the colour of moonlight and star shine, would never be wrapped up in her provocative way, in her black bedsheets.

They'd existed for many heated nights in that bed. It was so cold now, like they'd never really been there, like it was all his imagination and he'd dreamed up the beautiful nightmare that they once were.

Aiden sat in her room through the night, perched stiffly on the edge of her bed, staring at her things, enveloped in her fading scent –one day he'd forget what she smelt like altogether. He hoped that day never came. As every moment passed it was like he was losing her all over again, piece by broken piece, such tiny losses that he didn't notice it until he'd try to recall something accurately, like a memory of the way she laughed. He was unsure if the joyous, musical sound that rang in his head was what she actually sounded like or if he was making it up because he was too afraid to admit to himself that he was already beginning to forget.

He wished he could hear her laugh one last time. He wished they could do everything one last time, the good and the bad.

Every now and then his hollow eyes would lock onto the door. He half hoped in vain that this was all a sick joke and that at any moment she'd slink through the door, set her oceanic eyes on him and purr his name like she was the goddess of the seven seas. His Siren. It made it seem even more unreal that she was gone. All her things were here. All her things were here...

Aiden didn't say a word, he didn't move, he just sat there on the edge of her cold bed and waited for the sunrise, and hoped that it would chase the shadows away.

He took one of her sheathed Mora knife blades up and tucked it in his pocket. That would be his token of remembrance of Ashleigh York; a woman as furious and unforgivingly beautiful as a tidal wave. His freckled alabaster girl who looked art and made love like poetry.

The sun rose and he walked out of the door and ordered the maids to get rid of every single thing that was in there, every item of clothing, every trinket, every weapon, all of the furniture -everything had to go.

He wanted to do the same for Keegan, but since Sophia's death and the convenient disappearance of Jamie, the police were watching his brother's home closely. They weren't stupid, they knew that the Mafia was behind it but they couldn't convict anyone. There had been no trace of them at the crime scene. As if that wasn't reason enough, Keegan went missing and then the downfall of the UK's biggest drug lord happened soon after, and then there was the added disappearance of the Lockewoode girl. As much as everyone was keeping quiet, the streets whispered with Aiden's name. He knew that as soon as the cops had enough evidence, not even the ones in his pocket could protect him and his people, so it was up to him to make sure that that day never came.

"Get Mighty for me," he grunted in his husky sleepless tone to one of the maids over his cup of coffee. It was 6am and it had been a very long night, but there were still a few loose ends to tie up before the war began. The maid nodded and headed down the hall wordlessly. She returned a few minutes' later two steps behind a disoriented Mighty, barefoot with his dirty blonde hair sticking out at awkward angles from running his hand through it too many times and sleeping on it. Planning a battle strategy was stressful work. Aiden almost felt bad for waking him up when it was likely that his capo had only nodded off little over an hour ago.

"Long night?"

Mighty rubbed the sleep from his eye, "I could ask you the same thing, boss. So wassup?"

"I need you to find a girl. Jasmine."

"Last name?"

"Don't have one. All I know is that she was sleeping with my brother and now she's carrying his kid."

Mighty perked up and scraped his hair back, "Any idea where she's located?"

"No. All I have is a name."

"Okay...is Trish still about? She might know. She and Keegz were close."

"She's in my room. I'll go get her for you."

Aiden walked into his bedroom to find Trish already awake with lavender rings under her eyes, entertaining a well-rested Jamie. "I'll take over here," he said reaching for the squealing child as Trish opened her hands for the fiftieth time for her game of peekaboo, which she was regretting playing now. "Mighty's waiting for you in the kitchen."

"Mighty?"

"Yeah. Keegan's got another one on the way and I need to track down the mother. Do you know her? Jasmine?"

"Jasmine," Trish scrunched up her face in distaste, "Yeah I know her." She shifted off of the bed and readjusted the sash on her dressing gown, "Keegz sure did know how to pick 'em. Ugh!" As she shuffled towards the door she studied Aiden, noticing that the bags under his eyes were darker than hers. "Is it done?" She nodded her head in the direction of Ash's room.

"Yeah, it's done."

She folded her arms, resisting the urge to wrap them around him, "How do you feel?"

"I'm not sure yet." Aiden picked Jamie up, "Take the rest of the day off. You look like you need to catch up on some sleep."

"I'm not the only one," she said softly. She was looking at him in that way again, like she pitied him. He was glad she didn't move to comfort him.

"I'm fine. I've gotta go see my mum, finalise the details for tomorrow. I'm taking Jamie with me."

"Okay."

"Keep an eye on Heaven for me."

She frowned, clearly not pleased to have to associate herself with his premature midlife crisis again, "I thought you said I had the day off?"

"You do...from the baby," he smirked lazily like he couldn't be bothered but he couldn't help it. "I'd leave her with Dougie but...you know."

"Yeah I know," she rolled her eyes.

***

Aiden pulled up outside his mother's place at around 10 o'clock with Jamie in tow. He looked up at the pollution stained, graffiti bound walls of his childhood home, Myatts Field Estate, and sighed. Driver turned off the ignition and looked at the building with him. They'd come a long way. They had a lot of fond memories of growing up on the block but coming back here was depressing, only serving as a reminder as to why they'd been so eager to get out in the first place.

Aiden had thought about moving her out of here once, his mother, because that's what you did with your parents when they got old. It was your turn to look after them -but Aiden didn't think she'd ever really taken her turn in raising her boys. She hadn't earned the right to be spoiled properly. He'd been the one to raise himself and Keegan, and he had taken on the added pressure of trying his best to look after his mother on top of it.

His father, like Keegan's, was no staple in his life. Just another one of his mother's wastrel lovers, who was out before Aiden even made it into the world...and never bothered to come back.

She'd called Aiden her little man. For as long as he could remember, Aidan was told that he was the man of the house. That was so much pressure for a kid to bear, but bear it he had. He didn't want to be like the men his mother associated with. He didn't want to be like his dad, but in fighting the urge to turn into one sort of monster, he'd turned into another.

Instead of the junkie, he was the pusher.

So she didn't deserve anything more from him than the bare minimum because she'd barely given them that. He kept he fed, clothed, her bills paid, and made sure she was clean. It was the least he could do. It was the most he was prepared to do.

"I'll be back in half an hour," he said peering up at the second floor of the run down council block where he mother stood watching him from over the chipped railing in her night gown, smoking a cigarette, with her hair in rollers under a silk bonnet. "That's if I can't get out any quicker." He stepped out of the truck and fetched Jamie from the back. She shook her head at him disapprovingly, her yellow tinged eyes combing over his all black attire, his gang colours, and the huge truck he'd pulled up in. "Here we go," he muttered to himself. "Open the door," he called up to her. She kissed her teeth and turned to walk inside to press the enter button on her intercom. "HEY!"

She turned around, "What?" she snapped back in the same unfriendly tone Aiden had used.

"Put that out. I don't want you smoking around him." He held Jamie a little tighter, fearing that even from two floors up she could potentially ruin her grandson's life too.

She kissed her teeth again and stubbed out her cigarette on the side of the railing, making ash rain down, carrying its dying embers away in the breeze, and went to let them in.

Aiden nodded at his soldiers posted outside of her block as he passed. It wasn't safe enough to leave her unguarded yet and just because nobody had tried to harm her yet, didn't mean they never would. His soldiers shared their condolences with him and smiled at little Jamie as they went, some more heartfelt than others. Keegan had been well-liked amongst their makeshift family of ghetto misfits. His absence was felt across the board.

Titan stood to the right, outside of his mother's front door. "What's good, A?" They bumped fists, "Heard you went missing."

"Did you?" he replied, disinterested in talking about his short break from home -his small slice of Heaven.

Titan took the hint, "I'm glad you're back."

"Thanks," Aiden smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "How's she been?" he nodded toward the cracked door to his mother's flat with the same dull brass numbers and too bright red paint that chipped and flaked in areas, the surface uneven from being repainted so many times without care.

His mother reappeared, poking her head around the door and scowling, "She has been fine, now hurry up and come in. You're letting all the heat out."

Titan looked away, pretending that he didn't hear his boss being addressed in such a manner. Aiden entered without a word.

"There's my beautiful grandbaby," she cooed reaching for Jamie, "You look just like your father, so handsome..." her smile faltered but she recovered as quickly as she'd begun and nuzzled her lined face into her grandson's youthful skin. Years of recreational drug use had taken a toll on her appearance, aging her beyond her years. The term 'black don't crack' didn't apply to Grace Michaels, and it was a shame; she had been so beautiful. Jamie whinged and pulled himself closer to Aiden, gripping his shirt and burying his face in his broad chest. She pouted, "You're facety like your father too."

"You smell like cigarettes," Aiden scolded, leaning the baby away from her nicotine breath.

"Aiden, please," she said putting her hands up in defence, "I don't need any of your noise right now. I've just lost my son. If I want to smoke a cigarette to deal with it, I will. It's not like you let me do anything else. You've always got these bloody thugs of yours outside of my house, watching me like I'm a damn child."

"It's for your own safety, Grace."

Grace narrowed her eyes at him. She hated it when he called her by her name. She kissed her teeth, "Yeah, yeah, whatever. D'you want a drink?"

He furrowed his brow, "It's ten in the morning."

"Did I ask you for the time? Are you a clock? Do you want a drink or not?"

"No," he said tightly.

"Suit yourself. I'm having one." She sauntered into the kitchen and pulled out a bottle of cheap vodka. Aiden sighed internally -if it wasn't one thing with this woman, it was another. Take away her drugs and she turned to cigarettes, take away her cigarettes and she turned to drink. Take away her drink...and you were in for a headache, so Aiden said nothing when she grabbed a chipped mug from her cupboard and poured herself a double on the rocks at ten o'clock on that cold Thursday morning.

She was burying her son tomorrow.

Grace took a satisfied sip of her substitute medicine and led them into the living room filled with overflowing ashtrays of too many crumpled cigarette butts, dust on all of the surfaces, plates with dried food on them, and her net curtains stained yellow by tobacco smoke and dust.

Aiden kept Jamie in his arms. "The place looks like shit."

"Well give me one of your fancy-schmancy maids then and it won't."

He couldn't be bothered to explain to her that that's not what the Diamond Mafia maids were for. "You don't do anything all day and it's just you here, so why can't you keep the place clean?"

"Because it's just me that's here," she reiterated, talking out of her neck, "What do I care what it looks like? It's a shithole." Aiden didn't argue. The place was a shit hole, and no matter how many coats of paint or how much redecorating took place, she always made it revert back to this state. It had looked like this all his life; filthy. It looked worse than usual today.

Despite his hostility towards her he still asked, "How are you doing?"

She took a sip of her drink and smacked her lips together, "How do you think I'm doing? My baby's dead. I've gotta bury him tomorrow, and my other child treats me like I'm some mental patient to be locked away and dealt with at arm's length." She sunk down in the tattered threadbare loveseat and cradled her mug to her chest, "I feel like I'm a prisoner in my own fucking house. I can't go nowhere, I can barely wipe my own ass without seeing one of your men lurking."

"They're keeping you safe, Grace."

"I don't need to be kept safe, I'm fine. Ain't no one looking for me. It's you that's the criminal," she jabbed her finger in his direction, "You and your brother. That's why he's dead."

Aiden's jaw tightened.

"You can sulk all you want. I wasn't perfect but I didn't raise you lot to do the shit you do. There is nothing good down the road you're walking. It's either death or prison. Keegan was nineteen-years-old and now he's dead, Aiden, because of you."

Aiden breathed heavily but said nothing. He was used to these kinds of conversations with his mother, the classic blame game. It was another reason why he avoided seeing her. She never wanted to own up to what she'd done to them, never wanted to face the fact that had she done better by them, they would have never had to turn to the streets to find a family of their own. To survive. She loved talking about how bad they were, but when time came to take Aiden's money that he earned from being the criminal she loathed so much, she accepted it without comment. Her silence never lasted long; she still managed to turn around and run her mouth some more after she'd spent it all. He was used to it by now.

"I spoke to James; told him about the funeral."

Aiden's eyes flashed and his scowled tightened further at the mention of Keegan's sorry excuse for a dad. "Why the FUCK did you do that?" he barked.

"He's his dad."

"He ain't shit and he didn't do shit for Keegan. That man is not his dad. All he did was knock you up and leave."

She shrugged, "Yeah, well he didn't seem too bothered anyway. He won't be attending."

"Good. I don't want him there."

"It's not about you."

"Keegan wouldn't have wanted him there either."

"How do you know what Keegan would've wanted?"

"I know more than you!"

Sensing the tension in the atmosphere, Jamie's bottom lip quivered and his big doe eyes bounced between his uncle and his grandmother's turbulent expressions. If Grace gave Aiden anything, it was most definitely her temper.

Aiden took a pause and stroked the baby's chestnut curls reassuringly. His voice though, still tense, came out softer, "Look Grace, I came here to finalise the plans, not fight with you. We're going to St Bernard's church at nine tomorrow. Did you find something appropriate to wear?"

"Yeah, I bought something." She readjusted her slight frame in the chair, "I could do with some more money for shoes though."

"I gave you five hundred pounds."

"I had to buy a few other bits and bobs too. Look, stop being tight all right. It's not like you're strapped for cash, Mr big shot drug dealer!"

Aiden sighed and reached into his pocket, "How much do you need?"

"Two hundred should do it."

"For a pair of shoes?" he said incredulously. His mother wasn't exactly a luxury shopper; there was nothing luxurious about her. Two hundred pounds for some shoes was an unusually high amount for her.

"I'm going to my son's funeral. I'm not turning up in some cheap shit from Brixton market."

Aiden sighed, "Fine." He pulled out a wad of twenties and held it out to her, looking the other way as she snatched it avariciously from his hand without so much as a thank you. "What about grandma?" he asked with false hope.

His mum kissed her teeth, "Why are you even asking me about that old bitch? Don't look at me like that, Aiden. You know how she feels about us_"

"I know how she feels about you." Grace leant back in her chair and arched her brow. "Forget about it. I don't think they'd come anyway. It's not like they knew Keegan."

"Oh Aiden, piss off! Every time you come round you're always on this 'woe is me' rubbish. Why do you even give a toss about them? What have they ever done for us?" He wanted to point out that she'd never given them a chance too because she was too selfish to drop her petty issues with her family and let her kids meet them. "You're bloody rich, you've got everything you need. The world is at your feet."

"It's just money."

"Yeah well some people don't have 'just money'. If it's just money then why are you so damn tight with it?"

"I just gave you two hundred pounds," he said through gritted teeth.

"Two hundred pounds is nothing but a drop in the ocean to the great Aiden Michaels. I hear what they say about you, how you practically own South London. I bet you've got more dosh than you let on."

Jamie whinged again.

Aiden bounced him gently on his knee and tried to ignore the burning sensation in his chest. He'd had enough. He spoke low and fast, "His tombstone is engraved and the flowers have been ordered an arranged how you wanted them. I told the choir to sing the hymns you asked for, they're in the programme." He dipped into his inside pocket and pulled out said programme. On the front was a dashing photograph of Keegan in a tailored suit at a wedding they'd attended the year before. He looked so smart, so handsome and...happy. His smile was roguish, but that was Keegan -troublesome through and through.

Aiden had frequently wondered if his kid brother would ever grow up and be a little more serious. He'd hoped for it when Jamie came along but Keegan stayed the same. Aiden told himself that he just needed a little more time; after all, he was only nineteen.

But now his time was up and Aiden would never know.

On the back on the programme was Ash. His mother screwed up her face, "Oh, the little white girl's dead too. Humph." Her tone suggested something along the lines of 'good riddance to bad rubbish'.

"Yes," Aiden said tightly, mentally preparing himself for her ignorant comment that was sure to follow.

"How'd she die?"

"She got shot."

"Serves her right; stupid girl. She had no business running around with you lot the way she did, like some damn hussy, thinking she was bad 'caused she was getting dicked down by a nigger. I told you, they're all the same, them white girls, thinking they're God's fuckin gift to_"

"Are you done?" The fire in Aiden's chest blazed. He couldn't stand his mother's closed-minded ignorance. She was so bitter and hateful toward everyone and it made him even more ashamed to be her son than he already was.

"I never did like you and her together. You could've done so much better. That's the thing with you young ones; the sistahs' ain't good enough for you."

"Is that right?" he scoffed.

"Yeah, it is. The media got all of you fucked up thinking everything else but black is better. You'd have been better off sticking with your own kind."

"I did stick with my own kind," he said darkly.

"That trollop was not one of us."

"She was a human being, wasn't she?"

His mother kissed her teeth, "Okay, 'All Lives Matter'. You know damn well that ain't what I meant."

Why did he even bother?

Aiden got to his feet and readjusted the squirming baby in his arms, "I came here to let you know what's going on and to let you see your grandson, and I've done that."

Grace's eyes dulled and the corners of her mouth turned down. She jumped up and ungracefully splashed her drink onto her carpet that was in dire need of a hoover, "You're leaving already?" She sucked the spilt alcohol off of her fingers like she didn't want to waste a drop more than she had to.

Aiden averted his eyes. Even without the drugs she was still a junkie.

"Jamie's being fussy. It's time I got him home."

"And where is home, exactly? 'Cause it ain't with Sophia. The police have been here, asking about where his mum went. You know I don't like police at my house, Aiden," she snapped making Jamie fuss even more.

"And what did you say?"

"I told them I didn't know shit...but you do, don't you?"

Aiden gave her an ominous look.

His mother pursed her lips and nodded to herself, "Of course you do. There is something really wrong with you. For fucks sake, that's his mother, Aiden!" she shrieked gesturing at Jamie.

The child started to cry.

"Keep your voice down," Aiden hissed.

"Don't tell me what to_"

"D'you know what, Mum -shut up! Just shut the fuck up!" He took a quick step towards her and glared at her, and for the first time since her son entered her home Grace quietened down and shrunk away from him. "That bitch Sophia is the reason your son is dead. She sold him out," he snarled lowly, looming over her like today would be the day he repaid her for all of her wrongdoings.

Jamie's cries became louder.

Aiden blinked and backed away. He patted Jamie on the back and bounced him on his hip, "I'm sorry J. Sshhh, it's okay. It's okay."

He looked back at his mother who stood still shrunken into herself, looking at her son like she had no idea who he was, wondering how she could have created such a big, angry thing. But that was just it; she didn't know Aiden. She never bothered to, and that was why that big, angry man stood before her.

He sighed, "The car will be here to pick you up at eight." He walked out into the hall still trying to settle Jamie down.

"Aiden!" she walked out after him.

"What Grace?" he snapped looking down his nose at her.

"...Be careful out there, okay." She bit her lip then went onto her tiptoes and planted an alien kiss on his cheek.

Aiden stood stock still and blinked at her. It was the most affection they'd exchanged with each other in years, and he was unsure how to take it.

Jamie stopped crying and for a few second the three of them stood in the hallway suspended in an uncomfortable silence that was filled with words unsaid.

"I will. See you tomorrow." He straightened up and left.

***

Thank you for reading, sugar lips 💖. What do you think of Aiden's mum? Let me know in the comments below.

#Fiction #running wilde

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