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theunvanquishedzims · 3 years

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The Michigan Fleet authors posted their AUs so here are mine

theunvanquishedzims: I have SO MANY Boat Boy ideas but I'm sitting on them because I came up with a bunch halfway through the book and they got jossed by the end rollerskatinglizard: Hah! Uhhh, sorry? I think?? theunvanquishedzims: (i.e. Basil gets sad and weepy over Rich and Liam flirting at a party, Trimmer plays fairy godmother a la ripping half his shirt off, giving him a pep talk, and sending him back out there to Win Back His Man) rollerskatinglizard: *whooping* theunvanquishedzims: Jossed so hard rollerskatinglizard:Okay, that's DELIGHTFUL rollerskatinglizard: Trimmer is the most terrifying fairy godmother rollerskatinglizard: Anything else? :Dc theunvanquishedzims: Lemme get my notes rollerskatinglizard: *gleeful wiggling*

theunvanquishedzims: Okay so I stopped reading when the Sympatico grabbed Rich during the storm and it took me a month or so to get back and finish, so I was under the impression that the ship was still being fixed in drydock and not, y'know, actually being crewed and sailed. (Trimmer yelling "just let her sink" hits reeeeeaaaallly different when you know that) rollerskatinglizard: Ahaha oh dang theunvanquishedzims: So the big idea was the gangsters needing something from the Sympatico. Not the general thugs and delinquents crewing the Sympatico but the actual organized crime of the Fleet, who were getting pretty used to using ships like the Sympatico to run their dirty deeds through. Except it's basically impossible to get what they need out of it, even when they drag out one of the old IST guys. He finally tells them Rich was the one who did the heavy lifting for the past few years rollerskatinglizard: Ooooh! rollerskatinglizard: What an interesting idea! theunvanquishedzims: Hang on I need to restart rollerskatinglizard: Ah yes, computers theunvanquishedzims: Sorry, that turned into a dinner break and running errands During which I came up with a couple new AUs theunvanquishedzims: Okay, back to mafia: they track Rich down, probably snag him after he's been out boarding. Off work, not expected back on the ship, tired from all the exercise, etc. They're not overtly threatening, just pick up his skimmer and politely suggest that he comes help them, and he probably goes quietly because there's like, six of them. I'm thinking only one of whom was actually posted on the Sympatico theunvanquishedzims: So they get back to the Sympatico. She's been temporarily decommissioned until the Fleet can fix her broken processes, but that's also a cover story by the mob. They want to clear out all the smuggled goods and information, but she's basically a ghost ship, silent and empty, and even the other IST guy couldn't get more than a few blinking lights. She's sulking basically, she knows they're not there to fix her so she's digging in her heels and playing dead. Like a toddler going ragdoll when they don't want to go to bed. theunvanquishedzims: They explain to Rich that they can't get a response and want him to take a crack at it. "Has she said anything?" "Who?" "The Sympatico." "...we didn't talk to it." "Well that's half your problem right there." theunvanquishedzims: At this point you should watch Show Yourself from Frozen 2, and the crystal scene from Atlantis the Lost Empire. Stepping into the place you've been called, making your presence known, and having a greater power reach out for you. Shiny lights, chasing the spark of life to its source, and having the power consume and embody you. Rich is used to it but it's probably pretty freaky from the outside, and way less magical-looking than a Disney movie. Probably more like when Magneto activated the machine in the first X-Men movie. Step up, turn it on, and suddenly it's sucking the life out of you, making you a living battery theunvanquishedzims: In my head I am picturing the glowing blue eyes, lights cracking along the skin like lightning or circuit patterns, the implants glowing in his temples, standing at a terminal like a star trek deck, maybe a faint breeze-like movement of the hair and clothes to indicate the sheer power radiating off of him. In reality it's probably more like he falls down, gets up, stumbles along to a good spot out of the weather, and curls up in a secluded defensible spot to stare emptily at the wall for a few hours while lights randomly go on and off around the ship theunvanquishedzims: Just being trailed by six very wary mafia dudes who have probably never seen someone mind-meld a ship, and definitely not solo. He's like a zombie, and when he does talk it's very clear he's talking for the both of them theunvanquishedzims: If any of them are in sync with the ship they definitely feel the !!!Rich you're back!!! vibe theunvanquishedzims: No idea how that resolves, I guess it depends on how powerful the mafia is. If they're the kind of entrenched criminals who are ongoing characters, then they have Rich scrub out what they need then dump him back on his skimmer to face the fallout alone. He might report it to the spooks? Or at least try to tell Basil and Mitch theunvanquishedzims: If they're not recurring characters then they were definitely being tracked by the spooks, who move in once the Sympatico comes back online. Rich has to answer some very tough questions but he cooperates fully and winds up digging up a LOT of dirt out of the Sympatico, now that the mafia showed him where to look. It's another one of the super traumatizing moments that makes him look cool and heroic. Oh yeah, totally got kidnapped, single-handedly piloted a ship, and helped bust the mafia, please stop talking about it, I need a nap, and also someone to go with me next time I go boarding. theunvanquishedzims: (And then I finished reading the book and found out that the Sympatico had a new crew and was out on the water with her AI still fried and broken, how did no one notice that)

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theunvanquishedzims: Okay I don't have Trimmer's voice well enough to write this fic so I'm feeding it to you raw: Trucker AU theunvanquishedzims: Rich is a long-haul trucker, much to the disappointment of his elder sister Angela, who is in law enforcement and thought he had a decent future in it too. Athena is a pro wrestler and totally down to support her brother traveling the country (and hopefully being in the same city as him sometime, she wants him to see her kick ass!) Rich wants to pursue a degree in [tech or engineering] but college is expensive, and trucking is a good way to make money, on top of which you don't have to pay rent when you're on the road. So he's saving up for school, probably listening to a lot of audiobooks, podcasts, and training guides while chugging along. theunvanquishedzims: Not nearly as bad or sketchy as the Sympatico, but life on the road can get pretty sketch sometimes, especially when you're alone. Enter Trimmer. Or rather, enter Rich into the middle-of-nowhere trucker stopover bar where Trimmer is getting his ass kicked. theunvanquishedzims: (Gonna go ahead and say the bar is called the Sympatico, and this is a very bad night to be there, which is saying something because any night at the Sympatico is a bad night to be there.) theunvanquishedzims: Fortunately, Rich is not trapped there by the cold uncaring waters of Lake Michigan, he can just turn around and leave when he sees the nightly fight brewing. Unfortunately, he has a weakness for cute twinks, and no matter how much the guy is insulting their mothers four on one is really not fair, so he winds up wading in, scooping Trimmer up, and murder-stalking to the exit theunvanquishedzims: [At this point I pause to stare out the window and wonder wistfully what their canon meeting was like, who approached who, if Trimmer just straight-up used his lunch to hire a bodyguard or if Rich did the "are you gonna finish that" puppy-eyes and Trimmer realized how easily he could be bribed, etc etc] theunvanquishedzims: In the Trucker AU Trimmer waits until they're outside to go feral goblin on the arm that's holding him, Rich drops him, and negotiation commences theunvanquishedzims: I don't have Trimmer's backstory nailed down, the "teenage runaway" archetype doesn't really suit someone with a large loving family, but safe to say that whatever lead him to hitchhiking across the Midwest he is determined to see through out of sheer bullheaded stubbornness. The only thing worse than calling your parents to bail you out with bus money home is calling your grandma. It might have involved stabbing a college advisor when the guy got rapey, he's technically not on the run from the law, he DEFINITELY is not on track to getting his degree. Halfway between college dropout and missing person. If he was wealthy he'd be backpacking Europe for a semester, but he's not, so he's hitchhiking America. And getting molested by truckers, because Trimmer can't have nice things. theunvanquishedzims: He is really not interested in getting molested by Rich! But, as Rich points out, he did just save him from getting stabbed, Trimmer doesn't seem to have any exit options for this backwater town, and holy #&$^ the bar's on fire. (The Sympatico burns to the ground that night, to the betterment of the world at large.) rollerskatinglizard: You have no idea how much I'm enjoying this But you should totally post it Splick and Roach would both scream in glee theunvanquishedzims: Rich and Trimmer get out while the getting is good, and it's nearly dawn before they finally hash out details. Rich offers to drop him off at the next town, but they're still pretty close to the epicenter of the mass exodus so the next few hundred miles are probably not going to be safe for Trimmer. By this point Trimmer has found a bunch of the old textbooks Rich bought secondhand to study in his free time and come to the conclusion that [this nerd is a nerd] his story checks out. Just a college kid trying to scrape together the cash to get an education and make a decent living. Reminds Trimmer of Trimmer. (Reminds Trimmer of Joey.) rollerskatinglizard: ;u; <3 Beautiful theunvanquishedzims: So now Rich has a little traveling buddy! Helps him stay awake on the long hauls, lets him use the carpool lanes, even reads to him out of the textbooks sometimes, with commentary. Trimmer is really smart and surprisingly easy to get along with. They nap in the cab, eat in diners, and share motel rooms. Trimmer unclenches a little. Rich is good about not asking personal questions. They definitely watch Athena's fights on tv more than once, much to Rich's chagrin and Trimmer's loud encouragement. He started fanboying over it to annoy and embarrass Rich, but it is surprisingly cathartic to watch someone get trash-talked and respond by just BODYSLAMMING their opponent. ("Why are you rooting for her, you're the biggest trash-talker I know," Rich mutters into his beer, face bright red as Trimmer whoops and high-fives the waitress he got to change the channel in the sports bar.) theunvanquishedzims: ("She would wipe the floor with me," Trimmer responds with a smirk, watching smugly as Rich tries to figure out if Trimmer is having impure thoughts about his baby sister) theunvanquishedzims: (They have already established that Trimmer does not have impure thoughts about Rich, that Rich DOES have impure thoughts about Trimmer, but as long as he stays in his own motel bed that's fine.) (Trimmer still sleeps with a knife under his pillow but doesn't bother in the cab, where their co-naps occasionally verge on snuggling.) rollerskatinglizard: <3 <3 <3 *perfect* theunvanquishedzims: They finally reach their destination. It has been [days to drive a rig between NJ and CA] and they make it there slightly ahead of schedule. Rich drops off the delivery, Trimmer comes face-to-face with the reality of the trip ending. He'd been hitchhiking for months and felt like he was going nowhere, and now a few days and suddenly he's crossed the entire country, and almost kinda maybe had fun doing it! And California's as good a place as any to stay, at least he won't freeze to death if he doesn't find a place to crash for the night. theunvanquishedzims: Then Rich comes back and hands him a wad of cash, pocketing a stack of his own. "Got a cash bonus for finishing early! And since you're the reason I made it here this fast, I just figured part of it is your share..." he peters out, trying to explain his reasoning. They sit in silence for a while, both thinking about Trimmer in California, far away from anyone who would want to hurt him, with a few hundred dollars in his pocket. theunvanquishedzims: "...Let's get lunch," Trimmer finally decrees, and Rich can't keep the relieved smile off his face. They renegotiate some things over lunch, and then go to pick up the next load to haul cross-country. Together. rollerskatinglizard: AWWWWWW!!!! *YES,* I love it!!! theunvanquishedzims: And then eventually they go to college together, and get their degrees, and good jobs, and meet the families, and Trimmer absolutely drags Rich to as many of Athena's fights as they can manage on the road. It's just to save money, things are cheaper when you split the rent, Trimmer hollers on the phone. You put a ring on that boy's finger, y'hear?! Hellbender hollers back. I am so glad the word moirail exists rollerskatinglizard: YES God yes Also this AU pleases me greatly rollerskatinglizard: Blessings upon you for it theunvanquishedzims: ...technically the Michigan Fleet takes place in a post-Homestuck world, so theoretically it could have time to enter mainstream lexicon. It's better than "bromance" theunvanquishedzims: JUST THROWING THAT OUT THERE >.> rollerskatinglizard: Yeah, totally different feel than bromance!

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theunvanquishedzims: Speaking of Homestuck! Wanna hear the Helmsman AU? :3 rollerskatinglizard: YES PLEASE theunvanquishedzims: Okay gimme a minute to get my notes, it's not based on One of Our Submarines but I can't remember the fic title. Have you read the one where the kids redesign the helmsrig and use that to garner support for Feferi as Empress? Lots of political drama, Sollux-centric, [spoiler], and in the end they win *but at what cost* (((If someone knows what fic I'm talking about please link me, I can't find it.))) rollerskatinglizard: No, I haven't theunvanquishedzims: It's good, if you like the nitty-gritty of rebellions. The piece I'm cherry picking is the new Empress introducing a new way of helming that allows more freedom. Instead of a single enslaved lowblood being hung up in tentacle wires until they drop dead, it's something you can unplug from, allowing psionics to swap out, take shifts, etc. So Empress Clearwater (yay seadweller name) is dead, long live Empress Clearwater, and she shakes things up by introducing her new helmsrig and orders it implemented Fleet-wide theunvanquishedzims: I don't think this universe is as bad as canon but it's still pretty rough on the bad ships, and the Sympatico is a very bad ship theunvanquishedzims: Angie is still a security officer, probably fairly high-ranking as a greenblood. Athena is a pro wrestler. Sports are probably a bigger part of life in a Fleet that doesn't center around conquest. The three probably grew up in the same neighborhood, maybe dabbled in quadrants before settling on hatefriends. Oooh, or ash, Athena setting them up to talk out their issues over lunch and then heckle each other over their other quadrants could fit in that quadrant. theunvanquishedzims: Rich is, of course, a helmsman. It's rare for someone that close to jade to be so powerful, he was actually planning on a career in tech, but when he got called in for psionic testing he basically crushed it. Possibly literally. And olive is still technically a lowblood, so off to the helm with you. theunvanquishedzims: His first posting is the Sympatico, and it's a nightmare. The one bright spot (dark spot? How do trolls even. *insert rant about Kanaya being pastel goth not goth-goth*) theunvanquishedzims: The one bright spot is Trimmer, a technician whose survival method is to lock himself in the helm dock and stab anybody who tries to mess with Rich when he's piloting. It's basically how things work in the superstorms, but 75-90% of the time instead of a few times a year theunvanquishedzims: Rich can barely talk most days, they communicate via chat client, and even that requires a lot of brainpower so they can't do it when the Sympatico has to fight something or do difficult maneuvers in space, which is pretty frequently. But Rich keeps an eye out for Trimmer, directing him through the ship to help him avoid people and fights, and tweaking things like hall lights when things get hairy. I think at least once he turned off the gravity, it cost him but it got Trimmer out of a really bad situation and gave him an excuse to hole up in the helmsdeck for a few days until things cooled off theunvanquishedzims: But all that is in the past! There's a new Empress, a new crew, and a new way of helming! theunvanquishedzims: The Sympatico is one of the flagships to roll out the new helmsrig. The original crew was disbanded, culled, reassigned. Trimmer was allowed to stay (at Rich's request) to ease the transition. It's a big day, lots of media attention documenting the new helmsmen, and Rich is doing his best to keep calm. He had to do some physical therapy to stand upright and be able to walk from the big speech to his shiny new helmsrig, but as a fairly young recruit he's not nearly as bad off as some older helmsmen whose bodies have atrophied. He's still pretty skinny though, especially when compared to Angie and Athena, who he reunited with (for the cameras) #helmsmenaretrollstoo, #greenc3<green, #omgishipit, see things are much better now, people can reclaim their lives and quadrants, helming is something to be excited for not scared of, etc. Lots of propaganda, lots of attention, lots of pressure to get this right theunvanquishedzims: And then he walks into the helm and Trimmer is there. Rich would probably have had a meltdown if he hadn't been, but no one can tell because they're so calm and professional. They're both cleaned up and impeccably uniformed, the plugging in goes smoothly, and the Sympatico comes to life and lifts off into the sky into a sunset that would make a Hollywood director weep. The cameras turn off, great job everybody, and things return to normal. Except Rich and Trimmer have no idea how to handle normal. For the first 8 hours it's fine, it's good, it's a little weird that Trimmer looks so tidy and that Rich is sitting in a padded chair instead of being flesh-jacked by tentacles, but it's fine. They chat over text, a little stilted but plenty to catch up on theunvanquishedzims: Rich spies on the new crew and gossips about how boring they are and how weird the ship looks with everything cleared out and well-lit, and wow where did that section of storage come from? Oh right that used to be a hidden smuggling nook. Haha nook. See they're fine, they're laughing at the same old jokes. DEFINITELY weird that Rich is physically laughing. And then their relief shift comes on, with the new 2nd shift helmsman, and it's time for Rich to get unplugged for the day and go. Go to his room, which he has now, or to eat, which he can do now, or any one of a million things that normal trolls do, because he's a normal troll now. (This is turning out a little different from in my head but I like it.) He makes it about two hallways, walking silently side-by-side with Trimmer, before he breaks down. Or rather Trimmer breaks down. Or maybe they both simultaneously break, there is a lot of breaking happening, and it's not great that it's happening in the hall where anybody could walk by and where the new helmsman is almost certainly seeing them and possibly reporting them, and Trimmer's flight instincts are to run back to the helm where it's safe but Rich isn't there, RICH was the reason it was safe and he's not at the helm, he's right there in the hall. Rich, I know not how, picks up Trimmer and gets them to him room. It' close by, thank goodness, and it has a lock on the door, how weird, and Trimmer is there. He missed Trimmer so so much. rollerskatinglizard: ;u; <3<3<3<3 theunvanquishedzims: [The following scene contains content too graphic for wigglers under the age of seven sweeps] rollerskatinglizard: *laughing* Hardcore conciliation!!! theunvanquishedzims: From Trimmer's POV: Merrill requested him to remain a tech on the Sympatico. Makes sense, he was the only one who treated the guy like an actual troll and not a drooling mass of computational power. They got caught up, it's weird how clean and quiet the ship is, no fights to report beyond a spat in the cafeteria that turned out to be pitch flirtation. His shirtcuffs itch and he wants to roll them up but it's day one of the new empire and he doesn't want to get culled for being untidy on the Empress's pet project ship. There's so many other things to get culled for, anyway. And then shift is over. (Weird, he's used to working 16-hour days and sleeping in the helmdeck half the time.) And he has to unplug Merrill (double weird, he's not used to touching Merrill unless it's for a physical repair. Very aware of Rich as a physical person, especially when he's standing up and not obscured in a mass of tentacles.) And then they leave, together, which is WEIRD, because for sweeps Trimmer has been sneaking out of the helmdeck to go on a food run with Merrill texting him directions, and there's no Merrill on screen providing guidance to avoid fights, but there's not gonna BE any fights, and everything is the same but different and looks weird and shiny and there's a giant troll right next to him, stalking him, why didn't Merrill warn him?! rollerskatinglizard: Oh NO, ahaha, oh these poor doofuses theunvanquishedzims: From Rich's POV: he's been seeing these hallways for sweeps, but not from this angle, the ship is so familiar but so foreign to him, and he can't hear her, can't feel her, and he keeps reaching out for her even after all that training he did to get used to the new tech, there's still an absence and some part of his brain that says not being linked to the ship means something has gone catastrophically wrong and everyone onboard is going to die, TRIMMER is going to die, Trimmer is freaking out and hyperventilating next to him, Trimmer's running out of oxygen and the ship isn't responding to him to tell him what's wrong with the oxygen, and then Trimmer goes to bolt back to the helm but that's full of strange trolls and a new helmsman, and that knowledge is enough to shake him back to the situation at hand. He doesn't know where he finds the strength or the presence of mind, but he manages to grab up Trimmer and get them back to safety. It's just that safety is now his berth, not the helm. They're alone in his berth. And Trimmer is still freaking out. Sh-shoosh? Shoosh. Shooooooosh. theunvanquishedzims: Everything is diamonds and snow and beautiful shining crystals (in the movies that will someday be made about this day.) In the moment there's a lot more hyperventilating and snot. Basically, culmination behind the entire fic: do they actually have feelings for each other, or was it just about mutual survival the whole time? rollerskatinglizard: INCREDIBLY ADORABLE AND INTIMATE COMFORT, *YESSSS* Thank you yes, I'll have a dozen God that's splendid theunvanquishedzims: And they're both freaking out, Rich is hungry and physically tired and needs to do a lot of stretches, Trimmer is not used to Rich being huge and mobile and right next to him, and they both have crazy big trust issues, but...yeah, they're pale. They're so pale for each other, and it was so hard during the transition not seeing each other and not knowing how the other felt, not knowing how THEY felt, if they really had feelings or if it was all a bad situation. And now they know. They have feelings. And because they're trolls and not humans, they can flop on a pile and talk about those feelings in a non-platonic way, and Rich can pet Trimmer's hair and tell him how pretty he is and how Rich is glad that Trimmer got it properly cut instead of just hacking it too short for someone to grab, and how much he worried in the hall about not being able to see farther than his own field of vision to keep Trimmer out of harm's way, and how this whole thing is so weird and Rich is so scared but he's just really, really happy that Trimmer took the posting on the Sympatico, because he pities Trimmer and he wants him around and he was so glad that Trimmer wanted to still be around him too theunvanquishedzims: The media always depicts piling as either the traditional fairytale highblood freakout, or an extremely mellow ASMR-ish chillout with lots of hairpetting and horn polishing. Not two midbloods looting a mostly-empty room for enough junk to make a large enough pile to sit on, shrieking at each other about their feelings and how weird this is and why didn't you SAY something, me?! why didn't YOU say something?! Three SWEEPS we've been dancing around this! Well I didn't know if you felt the same way or if you just needed me to survive! Etc etc etc. Lots of getting up and stomping around , pacing the floor while ranting, trying to scavenge more stuff to throw on the pile. Rich owns basically nothing and it's the first time he's not judging Trimmer for keeping his room a garbage heap, even empty pizza boxes would be better than trying to make a pile out of two sweaters and a toothbrush. rollerskatinglizard: XDDD TuT aaaaah, YES theunvanquishedzims: Rich definitely rips off a wall panel and pulls out some wires, Trimmer doesn't even question it, they've lived and breathed this ship long enough to know what every wire does and which are nonessential to ship functioning. And with the wall panel crunched up they can pile stuff around it to make it seem less sparse, and wow it doesn't even matter that he pulled a panel down, this is HIS wall in HIS room now, he can "redecorate" as he sees fit, cue more yelling about how he doesn't know what to do with himself or his newfound freedom. The whole thing is just yelling and cussing and grabbing and shaking. It probably looks black from the outside, but they are swimming in palest cream. theunvanquishedzims: Eventually they give up on the pile. They go through Rich's entire perigee of snack rations to avoid having to go to the cafeteria, halfheartedly make fun of Rich's chewing, then crawl into the recuperacoon together. Thank goodness there was such a big push to show off how great helmsmen's lives will be, Rich scored a blueblood-huge 'coon and he's still skinny enough that they can both fit in it together. They sleep together, in sopor like proper trolls with proper lives as opposed to surrounded by pink tentacles and misery. Tomorrow they'll have to venture out for food, and do Rich's stretches and physical therapy, and head to their shift like the galaxy hasn't flipped upside-down, but they're handle that together. rollerskatinglizard: Oh help, my heart!! TuT It's SO CUTE, AAAAAAAH theunvanquishedzims: Okay my computer has been trying to shut down for the last three paragraphs so I think it's time to log off for the night, but I hope you enjoy the AUs, I will tell you more tomorrow rollerskatinglizard: Thank you so much!! Have a good night! theunvanquishedzims: (In the original version Rich and Trimmer came face-to-face for the first time since the Sympatico was busted up and Rich pulled out for rehab, and basically had a giant pale meltdown right there against the wall. There was purring, and crying, and confessions, all caught on film. Athena and Angie definitely saw. It had to be censored out of the broadcast. Someone uploaded it to Troll Pornhub and it won a Troll Pornhub Emmy for Truth in Journalism, which was not a category the Troll Pornhub Emmys had before, so congrats Merrill and Trimmer) rollerskatinglizard: *dying* oh my GOD Rich would blush so hard he'd keel over

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theunvanquishedzims: I woke up to the idea of Rich as Fezzik and Trimmer as Inigo Montoya (book version.) rollerskatinglizard: Hah! Oh man, delightful theunvanquishedzims: Soft-hearted giant and stabby little friend rollerskatinglizard: Yesss theunvanquishedzims: Only problem is Trimmer's grudge seems to be against the entire world, not any particular murderer theunvanquishedzims: But they could definitely take on the Zoo of Death together rollerskatinglizard: It could be both, in the AU! Specific grudge and also he hates everyone theunvanquishedzims: Instead of not being left-handed he pulls his feet out of his boots and surprise! More hands to stab you with Makes the acrobatics on top of the cliff more exciting rollerskatinglizard: *dying* YES Perfect! theunvanquishedzims: I don't know who the Man in Black of most beautiful woman in the world would be, but Rich catching them jumping out a window to whisk them away on horseback is lovely rollerskatinglizard: *strokes chin thoughtfully* If Rich is Fezzik, I think Basil might as well be the beautiful love interest, and Mitch is his farm boy turned dashing rogue theunvanquishedzims: Mitch and Trimmer sword fighting rollerskatinglizard: YES theunvanquishedzims: Mitch going through hell and back to save his lady love, then Rich shows up with the horses and says "hello pretty lady" and Basil is just swooning over him rollerskatinglizard: Mitch is pretty chill with Rich by then, he can handle sharing Rich didn't try *hard* to kill him, after all theunvanquishedzims: He even made it a fair fight instead of ambushing him He put down the rock and Mitch put down the sword and they tried to kill each other like civilized people rollerskatinglizard: *laughing* Yes, exactly theunvanquishedzims: Rich even helped bring him back from being mostly dead rollerskatinglizard: They're practically best buddies now! theunvanquishedzims: Which I imagine is 1000x funnier because Trimmer hates this guy and doesn't want to help him but he has info Trimmer needs rollerskatinglizard: Rich just being reprovingly like Come on, buddy, he's cool really I KNOW you bonded over your sword fight with him Don't lie Trimmer: HE'S STILL A DIPSHIT theunvanquishedzims: Trimmer: It was a little fun to take the boots off I guess, I don't get to do that often rollerskatinglizard: Hahaha yes theunvanquishedzims: Downside of being the best swordsman in the world, nobody can touch you. UNTIL NOW. Trimmer: I killed the guy but now I have nothing to live for. Mitch: Have you considered piracy? Stabbing people all day and all the rope ladders you can climb rollerskatinglizard: *dying* theunvanquishedzims: Now Trimmer's life goal is to reclaim his title of Best Swordsman, which means fighting Mitch a lot rollerskatinglizard: Which they both enjoy Sometimes Trimmer wins, sometimes Mitch does rollerskatinglizard: Roach points out that Liam would be Miracle Max theunvanquishedzims: I was just about to type that! rollerskatinglizard: Heee! Good brain wave theunvanquishedzims: You need a cure for death? Nope, sorry. You need to it humiliate my mortal enemy? Coming right up! rollerskatinglizard: YUP theunvanquishedzims: Slipping Rich the holocaust cloak "because it fits so nice" rollerskatinglizard: Pfff yes theunvanquishedzims: Which is said with a million more winky faces than the movie rollerskatinglizard: XDDD Naturally Liam is a much higher-libido mad scientist-substitute theunvanquishedzims: He doesn't have a wife he has like six boyfriend minions hanging around in various states of undress. He got fired for banging the king when he was the royal miracle man, he did a good job but the prince found it icky. rollerskatinglizard: *dying* YES theunvanquishedzims: Basil as Buttercup tho. Basil: Mitch is a good friend. :) Just a great buddy. :)) Kind of smelly but a nice boy. :))) Someone: *might possibly find Mitch attractive* Basil: What? Why. No. Why would she. I mean yeah he's smart and muscular and tan and broad-shouldered and has perfect teeth and his sweat glistens in the sun as he does his chores shirtless, but c'mon, he's not THAT much hotter than her middle-aged husband. No way. rollerskatinglizard: *snickering* rollerskatinglizard: My cowriters very enjoy this AU concept, btw, thank you theunvanquishedzims: Excellent theunvanquishedzims: Trimmer: I told him I was there to kill him and he just...ran away? Mitch: Who does that? rollerskatinglizard: *snickering* theunvanquishedzims: Basil being a slobby peasant until two minutes after Mitch leaves, then realizing he has to take care of himself if he wants to keep Mitch's attention, and only then starting to regularly bathe and brush his hair and work on his figure. rollerskatinglizard: Snirk! Sounds about right, doofus nerd that he is theunvanquishedzims: Then he becomes a princess and has two servants per limb to keep him clean and shining, so when Mitch sneaks into the wedding announcement crowd his first view of Basil is 1. clean 2. shiny hair 3. dressed like a queen

_______________________________

General book chit-chat, no specific AU

theunvanquishedzims: I saw the post about the Sympatico crew having a very different view of Rich than his friends and now I am consumed with the idea of Rich being seen as scary by anyone who knows him for more than a single minute. Like, he flinches at the sight of a uniform, he can't stand to be in a room with more than one other person in it, and he's so busy working he doesn't really have time to go around carving out a territory rollerskatinglizard: Right? You'd think it'd be tricky, but apparently no theunvanquishedzims: And now there's video of him covered in kittens, and doing cool board tricks, and pretending a little barbel is too heavy to lift, and also he might be in the news for taking down a murderous conspiracy at the Mall. rollerskatinglizard: *laughing* Indeed theunvanquishedzims: Where did big scary monster Merrill go, who is this marshmallow rollerskatinglizard: What scam is he trying to run?!? theunvanquishedzims: Oooh, I pity the fool who is assigned to a boat with Officer Merrill. Double flinch response rollerskatinglizard: RIGHT? *OH SHIT, THERE'S ANOTHER ONE* And she's ARMED theunvanquishedzims: Try to blow off some steam by watching some wrestling, A THIRD ONE rollerskatinglizard: Some poor dumbass who sneered at Trimmer once ends up hiding out on a penny boat bc there's MERRILLS EVERYWHERE, IT'S NOT SAFE OUT THERE theunvanquishedzims: *dying laughing* I imagine a non-terrible Sympatico crew member meeting reformed Rich is like those Very Special Episodes where the hero's high school bully or childhood bad influence friend comes to town, and they're so nice and friendly and apologetic about what happened back in the day rollerskatinglizard: We actually have an encounter something like that planned! theunvanquishedzims: The hero's friends are all charmed and the hero can't convince anyone that it's all an act, he's secretly still terrible, look I'll prove it *does something that makes the hero look bad and the reformed guy look like a victim* Yaaaaaaaaay!!! Outside perspective is the BEST rollerskatinglizard: Rich and this random dude, both acting like the other one is a total menace Meanwhile, anyone who's known either of them since is like ....No?? He's a fine guy, perfectly reasonable Merrill, stop growling theunvanquishedzims: Two Spider-Men pointing at each other rollerskatinglizard: Hah! Yes theunvanquishedzims: Also the fact that Rich has gotten BIGGER since leaving the Sympatico is probably a shock rollerskatinglizard: OH yeah theunvanquishedzims: Richard "Cranky Because He's Slowly Starving To Death" Merrill rollerskatinglizard: I mean, it's a shock to Rich When he hits another growth spurt So it's definitely a shock to anyone else theunvanquishedzims: Oh yeah, he was like 17 when he was first assigned there, nowhere near done growing yet Richard "My Shirts Rip When I Flex Wrong" Merrill rollerskatinglizard: *snickering* He'd look so sheepish and disgruntled if someone gave him that "I flexed and the sleeves fell off" shirt theunvanquishedzims: I am so glad Trimmer got to him before, like, a gang could figure out he's easily bribed with food. Things could have gone so much worse, corruption-wise rollerskatinglizard: YUP theunvanquishedzims: I just finished Athena and the Midnight Chicken and WOW Rich was actually kind of close to giving in to peer pressure there, if Athena hadn't thrown herself towards the proverbial sword he might have let himself be talked into something he really didn't want to do. rollerskatinglizard: It's possible! Baby Rich is very weak to peer pressure theunvanquishedzims: If they had been smart and manipulative and laid the groundwork first it would have been even easier, not just "here's a knife let your ingrained killing instincts do the work" rollerskatinglizard: Yeah! It could've gone much worse theunvanquishedzims: In the wrong hands Rich would make a very good, very sad soldier But like, deep down inside sad where no one could see it. rollerskatinglizard: That was actually close to his original story when I came up with him

[I’ll check with Skates to see if it’s okay to post that bit]

theunvanquishedzims: I'm already nervous about those two Horrible Old Men rollerskatinglizard: Which two? theunvanquishedzims: My face went D: at the idea that there's more than two rollerskatinglizard: *pats u gently* theunvanquishedzims: The werewolf guy with the boys on leashes is the one that makes my instincts scream KILL IT WITH FIRE, but there's also the one with the scar on his face? I wanna say Arthur Carroway rollerskatinglizard: >u> Gosh, Zims, idk WHY you'd be worried about him Just bc my tablet keyboard knows how to spell Carraway That's no reason to be concerned! rollerskatinglizard: Maybe Splick made him the [tarot] Devil bc he's devilishly handsome! Did you think of that?? theunvanquishedzims: I am terrified of him showing up, I know I'll be cringing too hard to keep reading right away. Men who abuse positions of power are so squicky, I couldn't even stand to watch the Office and Michael Scott is like, the most benign example of the trope But yeah a guy like that getting to Rich as a younger more mallable person, fresh-faced and eager to please. Ugh. Such a bad ending. rollerskatinglizard: YUP theunvanquishedzims: William Sandgren is the other one, I think rollerskatinglizard: Fortunately Rich did get rescued originally! I don't do sad endings theunvanquishedzims: He looks cool, I don't immediately want him dead for my own safety rollerskatinglizard: <u< theunvanquishedzims: ...I will ignore that face and continue to think of him as the lesser of two evils for now rollerskatinglizard: Absolutely feel free! ^u^ theunvanquishedzims: When I thought about this earlier I imagined Liam actually being the one to start a pissing contest with Arthur. Rich guy vs criminal guy, my grandmother bedazzled the skulls of her enemies, your teeth would make a lovely necklace, etc etc "Well I'd love to get them around your throat" ;) rollerskatinglizard: You know Liam QUITE well theunvanquishedzims: I'm a visual learner, so all the illustrations are helping me flesh out characteristics. Liam smiling like a psycho while his face drips blood is very telling. rollerskatinglizard: Hah!!! Right? God, he's SUCH a little firebrand theunvanquishedzims: (Also, AU where Liam is the babydoll heir and Rich is the soldier mod bodyguard he climbs like a tree) rollerskatinglizard: We have definitely discussed that AU thoughtfully >u> It's good, v tasty theunvanquishedzims: Rich is all THIS GOES AGAINST THE RULES and Liam is all oh you like being told what to do hmm? >:3~ rollerskatinglizard: Rich: God this is SUCH a bad idea, I'm gonna get so fired Liam: Not if you're good enough at it! theunvanquishedzims: I imagine without a pregnancy they'd be able to keep it under wraps slightly longer than grandma Beaker rollerskatinglizard: True! theunvanquishedzims: "Under wraps" like everyone in the house can't hear them rollerskatinglizard: Pffff YUP theunvanquishedzims: Ugh now I'm remembering Trimmer being scared of Rich getting drunk and pushy and I'm sad again rollerskatinglizard: No one likes Rich's drinking except Rich rollerskatinglizard: It's okay tho, Trimmer trusts Rich more after that theunvanquishedzims:I think he'll figure it out given enough time. Rich: Well everyone drinks because work sucks. Basil and Mitch: Nope! Rich: Well I'm a soldier mod so it just LOOKS like I'm drinking a lot. Angie and Thena: Nope! Rich: Well I have trauma from the Sympatico so I need alcohol to deal with that. Trimmer: Nope! Rich: ...well I guess I have a problem then. :< Everyone: Yep! rollerskatinglizard: Indeed theunvanquishedzims: I am so curious about their origins, how the relationship developed, how apparently they had half a handjob between them and went NOPE NEVER AGAIN, how they wound up co-sleeping, if they ever cried on one another, etc etc rollerskatinglizard: I'm 100% certain that Rich cried on Trimmer at least once, while Trimmer awkwardly patted his hair and gently called him a wuss or something If Trimmer ever cried it would've been in the middle of the night, and none of them would ever mention it in the light of day theunvanquishedzims: Was that Trimmer's first posting? I know it was Rich's, so he kiiiind of didn't know any better, but Trimmer is older by a bit rollerskatinglizard: It definitely wasn't Trimmer's first, no, the latest in a long string of postings that went from okay to bad to worse theunvanquishedzims: Oh nooooooo No wonder he finally said screw it and got a solo boat rollerskatinglizard: Yep

#michigan fleet #boat boys #AUs are still my favorite thing #long post #richard merrill #joseph trimmer

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jedimordsith · 4 years

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You mentioned that you've come to have more empathy for Yoday but still wouldn't recommend him as a direct master for anyone. What were/are your biggest issues with him? There are several I could guess, and probably some I agree with, but I don't want to assume.

Ahahahaha. I’m in a ranty mood this week, so it’s a great time to tackle this ask! Here’s more than anyone ever wanted to know about my Yoda Feels.

My problems with Yoda come down to a couple things.

We have entirely different learning/teaching styles.

I have zero tolerance for cryptic shavit when there’s *actual communication* that needs to happen.

A lot of Yoda’s behaviors make sense when viewed in the context of the PT but I formed most of my opinions based on the OT before the PT was a Thing.

I don’t agree with the approach Yoda took in swanning off to Dagobah post RotS. AT ALL.

Different Learning/Teaching Styles

(In ESB) Yoda very much follows the Greek and Buddhist styles of teaching where masters ask questions that don’t necessarily have solid answers. This is a valid style and something @atamascolily consistently captures gorgeously in her fics. It also absolutely makes me want to stab people.

I’m like Mara Jade: a task-oriented learner. I want to know what I’m supposed to learning/mastering, why, how I’ll demonstrate success, and what the checkpoints are along the way. Meandering philosophical debates as part of an ill-defined training process are maddening. As noted, as I get older I am more accepting of this as a legit style and just not for me; this makes Yoda more sympathetic as a character but not any less annoying.

Also, when Luke asks honest and reasonable questions in ESB (like “why”) Yoda shuts him down flat and I’m extremely not okay with that. Luke is being genuine and respectful despite his own frustrations and as someone who is committing his life to the Jedi path he has both a right and a need to know things. Demanding blind faith when there are or should be reasonable answers of some kind is Not Okay.

Just Communicate Dammit!

With Ben Kenobi and Bail Organa gone, Yoda was the only person around holding a lot of key information. Did he share that information? Nope. He wandered around being a cryptic little troll “because Luke wasn’t ready” despite knowing full well that his health was failing. He gave Luke none of the information he actually needed to make informed decisions and didn’t even freaking write anything down!!

From a Doylist perspective, this is obviously largely because George Lucas et al hadn’t figured out any of the backstory yet. From a Watsonian perspective, this is unforgivable.

If your time is short (as his time with Luke was destined to be no matter how things went), it is critically important to be clear and use your time well. Yoda just didn’t.

Obnoxious Troll vs Grandpa Frog

The PT very much sets Yoda up as Grandpa Frog, a beloved grandfather figure who teaches the younglings regularly and who everyone understands as mischievous but loving. Viewed in that sense, a lot of how he treats Luke in ESB makes sense… but it doesn’t make it okay.

The younglings at the Temple literally grew up around the Force and Yoda. Luke did not. Luke didn’t even know WTF the Force was until he was almost 20. He got like 24 hours of introduction to it before Ben died. Compliments of Palpatine and the Purge and the war, there is almost no information available to him between ANH and ESB except what he figures out himself. Yet Yoda treats him like a disappointment and a failure for not understanding the scope of the Force and having doubts about its power.

Guess what? If Luke had grown up in the Temple, yeah, he’d be all about raising X-wings out of swamps. But he didn’t. He grew on repressed for his own safety on a farm in the middle of nowhere without a hint of a clue.

Now, through the lens of the PT, I can see Luke being a frustrating student for Yoda. He’s used to getting younglings who have been exposed to and trained in the Force by a range of other Jedi. Starting with an older student suffering from a ton of trauma and without any of the basics that he has to train in less than a fraction of the time shaping a Jedi would normally take is a massive undertaking and he’s old and tired besides. The whole family history with Vader wouldn’t make it any easier.

But you know what? Luke is young. He left his found family in the middle of a war and is undergoing hugely stressful training in the middle of a swamp so that he can shoulder even bigger burdens. Yoda has had 20 years of (mostly) downtime to deal with his own trauma and at least several hundred years of practice being a teacher and a leader. He’s the one in a position to improve things and accommodate and he doesn’t. I’m not okay with that.

Let’s Talk About That Downtime BTW

Again, from a Doylist perspective, I get why Yoda was hanging out on Dagobah, why he used things like visions to communicate with people like Kanan, Ezra, etc. periodically, and why he was Luke’s mentor in ESB/RotJ.

From a Watsonian view, though, I’m not freaking impressed. He was the Grandmaster. He was heartbroken over the Jedi and Padawans he couldn’t save. But what did he do for the remaining ones spread across the galaxy? Shavit, that’s what. Kanan, Cal Kestis, Feris Olan, all the Jedi/Padawans who got kidnapped and twisted into Inquisitors — they were on their freaking own while Yoda swanned off to Dagobah.

Oh, sure, he’d pop up in a vision here or there or whatever, but he had a safe place. And, apparently, the ability to reach at least some of them some of the time (see: visions and his connections to people like Bail Organa). Do I think any of those people probably wanted to live on Dagobah? Not particularly. But I think they’d have appreciated the safety and the chance to reconnect with what remained of their Jedi family, even if only briefly.

But no. Yoda hangs out, waiting for the day the twins are old enough to take on the responsibility to kill Vader/Palpatine and then… does nothing?! He just keeps hanging out even after both Luke and Leia have lost everything, lets them get all settled into the Rebellion without a word, and THEN has the nerve to be cranky and disgruntled when he actually does get one of them to train!!

YOU MADE CHOICES YOU LITTLE FROG TROLL. DON’T TAKE THEM OUT ON THE PEOPLE YOU DENIED CHOICES FOR 20 YEARS.

I’m Not Entirely Without Compassion, I Swear

*sigh* I have seen a lot of Yoda meta in recent years that makes me appreciate Yoda for what he was during the PT. He really *was* everybody’s loving Grandpa who worked for centuries to love on the Jedi, protect them, and take care of them well. He legit wanted all of them to be happy and safe… and his suffering when the Purge happened must have been unimaginable. Like Luke and Leia, he lost everything.

Unlike the twins, he didn’t get to rebuild or find a new family. While I believe what we have in the EU suggests he found peace and solace and a new home of Dagobah that was genuinely soothing to his wounded soul, he was alone and (whether he was or not) he did feel mostly helpless to do anything for his few scattered Jedi grandchildren who remained and suffered across the galaxy. He did face decisions in which there *weren’t* good, clear-cut answers.

I think if I’d met him first in the PT or meta I might have liked him better. But I still wouldn’t ever recc him as a Master for any character I like because I can’t imagine learning under him being an experience I would ever wish on anyone simply based on my own vehement loathing for his personal teaching style. I know there are people in the world who would thrive on that approach and I like to think I’ve got a good imagination, but I simply can’t conceptualize it as a positive, productive experience.

*As an end note, if you DO like Yoda or want to like him better please go read @atamascolily‘s fics, seriously. You’ll love them!

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pomegranate-belle · 4 years

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I was rewatching the DD Netflix series and I noticed how Foggy drinks a LOT. Like more than anyone in their trio except for that time Karen finishes a whole bottle of wine after killing Wesley which, that’s fair. But it made me play with the possibility of Foggy being mildly alcoholic, though a functioning one. I mean, the series doesn’t address their financial situation a lot (which annoyed me honestly) but Karen explicitly mentions that they’re out of money in the first S2 episode. Foggy cheerfully waved it off but come on, he comes from at best a lower middle class family, dealing with some college debt and has had to be hospitalized twice. His expenses throughout the series would be much higher than Matt’s. It annoyed me that the show never mentioned how badly Matt bailing out on the firm and insisting on taking pro bono cases would effect Foggys finances which would make him leaving so much more justifiable. Even after Matt ‘dies’ we’re shown him at a bar drinking his sorrows away. So foggy being a mild alcoholic to keep up with the stress? Plausible right? It made me want a post S3 fic where Matt notices all of this for the first time and finally gets it. Also worried/guilty Matt is my kink. Don’t judge me! Any chance you would attempt oh great author! (Sincere Flattery should get me somewhere right?). Matt Overhearing Fog and Marci arguing over how Fog going back to Matt and the stress might make his alcoholic tendencies worse, is a good place to start

I think you’re very right about Foggy having an unhealthy relationship with alcohol. On a scale of characters that includes Jessica Jones, whose alcoholism is front and center in her show, Foggy might not seem that bad off, but the fact of the matter is we’ve seen in Daredevil that he habitually deals with his emotions by drinking. A good deal of his drinking appears to be social, even some cases where he gets really drunk — ex: the night he and Karen “drink the eel”, the “avocados at law” night in college — but that’s not the extent of it. He drinks very heavily at Elena’s death (likely due to guilt, since he was the one who encouraged her to keep fighting for her home), it’s implied that he drinks almost nightly after Matt’s “death” at the end of the Defenders, etc. In other words, Foggy drinks when he’s upset or stressed out — I imagine that means he probably drinks often while working at HCB, because although his financial situation improves there dramatically it seems to also be a stressful job. This isn’t unique to Netflix Foggy either. Earth-65’s DA Nelson (from the Spider-Gwen comics) is seen drinking in his office when he’s in a tough position.

Alcoholism is a serious issue that I think requires a lot of gravity and thoughtfulness to portray without falling into common and harmful stereotypes or misconceptions, so these kinds of issues being used as whump/hurt-comfort fodder personally makes me a little uneasy. I don’t think it’s unreasonable for Matt as a character to be worried about his best friend, or want to help him, or even to feel guilty about the way his actions might have exacerbated Foggy’s drinking... But this isn’t really Matt’s issue. It’s not something he can “fix” for Foggy — this is a problem that already existed, and that Foggy would need to be active in seeking professional assistance with. It would be good for him to have a support system in that endeavor, yes — I think his family and Karen and Marci and the Mahoneys would probably all be on board with that, in addition to Matt — but it’s something Foggy personally would have to decide he was ready for.

I also agree with you that the show doesn’t do a great job giving us an accurate picture of Team Avocado’s finances — my guess is, mainly because they didn’t want to have to deal with them in a plot-relevant way. Saying “oh the firm’s in the red” is a shortcut to making N&M the underdogs/“little guys” by default and contrasting them with people like Fisk or L&Z. But making that poverty a reality in a more than cursory way would mean drawing attention away from the crime-fighting plot and putting a lot of energy towards “realism” that the show wasn’t interested in expending. I have, however, read a fic or two where this is addressed with Foggy living at the office because he can’t afford an apartment.

I think a story exploring both of these things — especially the effect an alcohol addiction could potentially have on Foggy’s already limited finances — would be really interesting to see. But I don’t know that it’s the kind of story I’d feel confident writing, and I’m not comfortable with the idea of leveraging these issues mainly as plot points to make Matt feel guilty. Thank you, though!

#alcoholism mention #thanks for the ask!

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ladyvialana · 4 years

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a few thoughts on FFXIV...

So, this game has basically taken over what spare time I have in my life and I have very few regrets (most of those regrets are early-game decisions that I can still work on, so in general no regrets). I was surprised to find myself enjoying the game as much as I did since I tend to prefer single player RPGs to MMORPGs, but it is Final Fantasy, so ...

Anyway, since this game has basically been living in my head for months now and I’m finally caught up to the main storyline (just waiting on the latest patch to download), I figured I would jot down a few fun thoughts and headcanons that I may or may not play with later in fic format.

General stuff:

- playing as a Xaela Au Ra is so much fun

- Dragoon kicks ass, as does Gunbreaker (my 2 mains)

- I am very much a melee/non-magical player but it has never been so evident as it has in this game and, as much as I want to try all of the roles, I fear I will suck so hard at Black Mage and any type of Healer (I will try them all, I’m just going to have to get used to positioning and spell speed restrictions)

- I really like the gathering and crafting side quests and jobs

- part of me still wants to get a house, but I already have an apartment and it’s fine? like I don’t think I need any more space, also it’s cheaper and much less hassle and I hardly spend any time there anyway, so whatever - unless houses allow you more inventory storage space, in which case I need a shitton more gil

- like all of the npcs are great? and there are some really fun character moments/storylines/developments with the scions that I really enjoy

- the way the lore/backstory with the ascians has unfolded is fantastic, they’re much more compelling as antagonists now than upon their initial introduction, like the stakes make sense as do their motives, and they’re sympathetic but you still can’t root for them even though you actually kind of agree with them, I genuinely did not expect to want to know more about them since they just seemed like such generic ‘dark/bad/destruction/chaos’ villains, but they’re great and I want to see how things turn out

Headcanons/NPC stuff:

- G’raha Tia is absolutely worth all the hype and I love him, why is there no romance option in this game???

- the older scions are such dorks and I love them so much (like, that scene where they get their new clothes and weapons back is amazing, they look like kids playing dress-up ... and when Urianger is trying to walk on water and Thancred has to jump in after him, more of those scenes please, I love them)

- the twins are babies and should always be protected (jk, they will totally kick your ass, but they’re still super precious and I would die for them) and I love how they tease each other but they’re super protective of each other, adorable

- Thancred/Urianger is absolutely a thing!!! mostly bc of shadowbringers banter, but it’s there and it’s fantastic and I was not expecting this ship to hit me like this

- Alphinaud gets crushes on nearly everyone he meets, like not super serious or anything, but he’ll just follow them around with heart-eyes and posturing like he’s trying to impress them and it’s absolutely darling and hilarious (he totally had crushes on Estinien and Ysale during Heavensward and kinda had one on WoL during ARR but that faded away into super friendship ... he’s absolutely still got a crush on Estinien though and everyone notices and teases him)

- Alisaie likes to pretend she’s above all of that sort of nonsense but she’s just way better at hiding it than her brother, and she probably is better at rationalising her crushes but she definitely has them (WoL and Lyse, especially) and maybe hers are a little more serious/she gets crushes on close friends that build up over time ... the last one was Tesleen though, so no one really teases her about that like they do Alphinaud and his crushes (also because she doesn’t act way over the top like he does when he’s trying to impress someone)

- I would not trust Y’shtola with small children, they need at least a basic ability to take care of themselves before she should be put in charge of them for any reason, like she shouldn’t even be left in charge of herself if there’s work to be done/mysteries to investigate (Runar was always feeding her for a reason, not just because his feelings for her were adorable)

- I absolutely would trust Urianger with small children, as would everyone else, I would also trust Thancred, though other people would be wary of his reputation (but they’re both such softies for children, total dads, I love them)

- Of the older scions, Thancred is the only one actually any good at cleaning regularly, mostly because he just doesn’t own any stuff and he gets super paranoid about germs and dust whenever Ryne so much as sneezes, so he goes on a cleaning binge (she’s fine, he’s just an overprotective dad), Urianger and Y’shtola get partway through then find a book they’ve been looking for and just stop in the middle of cleaning to read it (that’s if Y’shtola even does her own cleaning, she just enchants brooms to go her work but they’re just not detail-oriented enough to satisfy Thancred’s standards of cleanliness)

- (possibly controversial, I don’t know the fandom well enough) Ryne > Minfillia, also Ryne deserves the world and all of the friends ever and there needs to be a way that she can keep in regular contact with the scions (esp Thancred who cries the next time he sees her in person and doesn’t bother hiding it)

- Tataru Taru=secret ruler of the world??? (Maybe Lalafell just give off that vibe)

- I am still heartbroken about Hauchefaunt and likely forever will be

- The Xaela clans and the Steppe are the best, I will not be accepting any criticism of this opinion (aside from the fact that Au Ra women should have more bodily variety than ‘petite’ :/)

- I was not expecting Gauis to return and definitely not expecting him to return like that (or look like that, like damn, get it Estinien)

Stuff I may write fic about:

- than/uri fluff???

- scions just hanging out

- twins being adorable terrors and dragging poor naive g’raha along and long-suffering WoL having to bail them out

- these are basically (mostly) canon anyway? I just need more

TL:DR

FFXIV is fun and I like the story and the characters and even the villains (who are not as one-dimensional as they seem) and it’s basically like a single player RPG in MMO format. Also there is an option to play as a giant purple dragon-man riding a chocobo, so it is clearly one of the most superior games of recent times (that or I’m just a sucker for squeenix)

#vialana's ramblings #ffxiv #ffxiv spoilers #kinda #gaming #text

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magnumdays · 4 years

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Magnum PI 2x20 - A Leopard on the Prowl review-ish

So I watched 2x20 after 2x19 both times and maybe that colored my view of it a little. In a both good and bad way. I enjoyed 19 so thoroughly I kind of just had a good feel going into this ep, since we started with some Miggy with the lads (always a good time) I had high hopes for this episode as well. At the same time I wasn’t sure how it was going to beat 19. Which it solved by not doing.

Yeah, as far as a season finale I’d say this one was pretty weak. Where was Ivan? Where was the personal stakes and involvement? Icepick is not a important enough character for us to care about and while there was some worry for Rick it all felt a tad bit lack luster - for a season finale. If not for the whole Higgins is leaving (which to be honest I was kind of figuring wouldn’t happen even with the way they’d been building it up) this wouldn’t have felt like a finale at all.

So yeah, this should have just been a normal episode. We could have skipped the Vigilant or Love tour ep. and used the Icepick plot for one of those instead and had a totally different season finale...maybe with Ivan? This seasons big bad? Or are they setting Ivan up as the whole series big bad? Because that would suck (as some of you know I found Ivan to be like the lamest bad guy ever.)

Yeah. That’s how I’d have done it but...

On the plus side we did get some nice moments, starting out we got Magnum worrying Higgins will go back to London and decide she wants to stay...maybe she’ll meet someone... (I swear, some lines make me think Lenkov is co-captain of the Miggy ship with me...)

And later when he’s out paddling he admits to himself he’s really going to miss her. We also have Miggy having a little bit of a thing with the “You’re bailing on our partnership - I’m NOT! Turing into a I’m sad you’re leaving but you know I’m still going to bother you all the time while you’re in England...”

I feel like if Rick hadn’t shown up we might have gotten some more emotion here. But he does walk in and I guess that’s a symptom of this whole episode.

There are a lot of things that could have leveled it up but failed to, emotion vise. Like how about Icepick doing the robbery to keep Rick safe because someone was using him as leverage? Instantly I care more about him and there for would care more about everything.

Or actually having Magnum work to “fix” the visa problem rather than just randomly handing it off to Robin. I mean I already winged about this in the 2x19 review a bit but having Magnum actually have to trade some favors or make some promises would have been nice. Maybe having him reach out to some dangerous contact he had at the CIA from back in the days or something that could come back to bite him.

Or radical thought HAVE HIGGINS ACTUALLY HAVE TO GO BACK TO THE UK. I didn’t think this was really a possibility even before watching the episode and while I don’t mind the whole “Higgy now owns Robin’s Nest” (in fact I really enjoy it) it did feel like a bit of a cop out. Like what was the point of the whole visa expiring and fake wedding fake outs? Nothing changed other than that she is now officially Magnum’s boss and own’s Robin’s Nest. Was that what it was all about? Then why not go there straight away and skip the whole fake wedding bit?

We had all this angsty build up with her deciding not to marry Mangum and then no one at all and time running out. It could have been a bit bittersweet and almost fixed the rest of the episode if it had just ended on Magnum and Higgins hugging at the airport or before she gets in the cab after everyone throw her a party. He could have gone “see you in six months” and she’d be all “Count on it“.

I’m not sure if they didn’t go that route because they were worried about not getting renewed and thought this would be their last episode ever and they wanted to wrap it up neatly with a bow on top or what?

It’s not like having a six month time skip would have been that big of a problem, or having the first episode of season 3 be Magnum constantly calling Higgins while she’s in London.

With the time difference this could have been hilarious he’d be phoning her in the middle of the night because it’s day time in Hawaii and/ or the other way around. Maybe there could even be some totally implausible snow. Miggy could also both have matching calendars with the days counting down until she can return... Then we could have had 3x02 in England when Magnum and Gordon (and maybe his son) come for a visit. (I may or may not also already ranted about this and how great it could be.)

So yeah, this was a fine random episode and I’d have probably really enjoyed it a lot as one - but because for this I had “season finale expectations” it didn’t really do it for me. I did try to not even think of it like that on my second watch and that actually made it work a lot better.

I it does have stuff going for it; there are no unrelated off-theme subplots to get annoyed by, Rick gets some actual good reason for being in the story, the investigation is fairly tight if in true Magnum fashion rather unbelievable, the word “laptop-ing” is used, a crazy fight on top of a moving truck, the Ferrari for some reason being able to drive in reverse but not normally (is this a thing? that just seemed overly stupid to me but I know nothing about cars.)

Plus we have Higgins saying goodbye to the lads, which is honestly like in my top ten Higgy moments of this season.

Verdict: My mother enjoyed it.

In end we do get our faves looking adorable (I really love Higgy in red)

Look at my babies being all happy

Seriously I kind of almost like this scene better as gifs because they look really-really happy when you just look at them, even if the conversation was somewhat...not what I’d been hoping for. In fact I actually want to talk about the weirdness of it;

Magnum: “So you’re not going?”

Higgins: “Um, you want me to?”

Magnum: “No!”

Why would she ask that? She actually manged to sound like she’s genuinely worried he is unhappy about her staying - when she knows he is the one that set it all in motion. When he’s been working so hard to make sure she gets to stay. This is either terrible writing or brilliant writing because either they forgot Higgy knows Magnum did this for her OR they’re revealing just how important Magnum’s opinions are to her (and how she’s still unsure he really wants her around). I don’t know, maybe I’m reading too much into it but it seems a rather strange thing to ask otherwise.

Now onto the next part of the conversation which is equally baffling.

Magnum: “I’m just... surprised. What did they do?“

I mean I guess he could be suprised if didn’t check in with Robin but wouldn’t he have called Robin to see how things were going on the visa thing? Shouldn’t he be saying “I knew Robin would come through for us you! What he/they do?” because he basically just trusted that Robin would fix it for him.

By just having this conversation go maybe a little different

“So you get to stay?”

“I do.“

(I’d love for her to say I do at some point because of the whole wedding that wasn’t...Maybe we could get a hug here... like come on guys! If there was anything that could have redeemed the whole thing a Miggy hug is pretty high on my list)

Slightly awkward stepping back moment.

“I knew Robin would come through for us you! What he/they do?”

It would just have read a lot better and given us a tad bit more payoff for the visa wedding wackiness that was the past few episodes. Which I’m still not sure why they did that because they sure as heck didn’t use it for maximum drama. I’d almost be able to believe they did randomly go to AO3 and check the popular fics and decided since Marriage of Inconvenience was kinda popular they should do something like that...and then failed utterly to execute it any kind of satisfying way. (I know I know, I’m giving myself way too much credit...)

Still, over all I’m not sure what I feel about this episode. There was nothing super wrong with it but it really wasn’t a finale. Higgins departure/ visa plot turned out to not really mean or change anything. No one but Icepick seemed to have more than like a second of feels during the whole thing. Some stuff just needed more.

So yeah, that’s my thoughts on the matter. I meant for this to be short because I didn’t think I had that much to say about this episode. As it turns out, I kind of sort of did. I guess that’s to be expected as it was the finale! What did you guys think? Love it or hate it? Somewhere in that even more dangerous “whatever zone”?

#magnum PI #magnum x higgins #magnum pi season 2 #magnum pi 2018 #Thomas Magnum #magnum x juliet #magnum x higgy

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queen-of-the-avengers · 5 years

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Words Can’t Describe...

Characters: Chris Evans x Reader, minor characters

Word Count: 1,651

Warnings: just fluff, super sweet Chris, skiing injury

Summary: You and Chris are high school sweethearts. You’ve been through every up and downs there are, and right now, you need him for a really big down.

Author’s Note: If you have any requests, please send them in! This is unbeta’d and any and all mistakes are all on me.

This is the December 15th fic for my 25 Days of RPF Christmas and prompt: “you’re in the hospital for the holidays so i came in while you were sleeping to decorate your room i love you merry christmas”

I am doing an 800 Follower Challenge and it would be awesome if you participated! It’s still going on!

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Chris Evans became a lot of your firsts in life: first kiss, first time you had sex, first time you slowed dance together, first date, and so many more firsts you hold dearly to your heart. He is your high school sweetheart, and everyone who knew you two knew you would be together forever. Being with someone since high school is so much more intimate than anything you’ve ever experienced. Chris knows your ups and downs, has seen you at your worst and at your best, knows what you like and what you don’t like, etc. Some might think it’s annoying to have someone who knows you so well, but it works for you two.

There isn’t a holiday you haven’t spent apart except for the summer of 2009 when he went to film The Losers that came out in April of 2010. You couldn’t spend the 4th of July with him which sucked, but he was happy doing what he loves on yet another film set. You’re so proud of what he’s accomplished and the person he’s become. He’s been through so much and has gotten you through so much in your life, you don’t think you can ever repay him.

There was one time at Thanksgiving when you were supposed to cook the meal for your entire family. Chris’ and your family were coming over to your house for the big celebration. You love hanging out with his family since they are so welcoming and inviting, but there was one small issue you forgot to mention to them when they appointed you the cook: you can’t cook.

You thought you would try it this year to prove to your family you’re more than capable of living on your own. They always did the grunt work for you, but it’s your time to do things for yourself. Chris usually does the cooking, but he’s out with his friends right now, and you don’t want to pull him away from that. He doesn’t get to see them often, so you have to pull yourself together if you’re going to cook this dinner.

Seven pots and pans, one burned ham, and several fried asparagus later, and you’re about to have a mental breakdown in the middle of your kitchen. Chris is coming home soon, yours and his family not long after that, and you’re not even close to being done. The turkey is the only thing you know how to cook since you slather on some spices and throw it in the oven. It’s the only thing you know how to not fuck up.

“Y/N, you home?” Chris asked when he entered the house. He could smell the food burning, but he knows how important this is to you so he decided not to comment on it.

“In here,” you whimpered. Chris enters and sees you in tears at the ruined food all around you. “I can’t do it. I fucked everything up, the turkey is in the oven, but I bet it’s fucked up too.”

“Hey, there is no reason to get upset. Not everyone knows how to cook,” he cooed and brought you into his arms for a reassuring hug.

“Our families are going to be here soon! What am I going to do? They expect a full feast when they get here!”

“Then that’s what they’re going to come home to. We can fix this,” he said positively. You give him a pointed look with a raised eyebrow. “Okay, I can fix this. Just clear out some of these pans and I’ll do the rest.”

“I can’t even cook a simple meal,” you sighed and started clearing out some of the dishes.

“Not everyone can. You’re good at a lot of things, just not cooking. But that’s okay because lucky for you, I love cooking. I’ll even let you help me. Don’t worry, I’ll be right here to oversee everything.”

“I love you,” you managed to smile.

“I love you too. Now, we have two hungry families coming over, so we need to get started right away.”

He saved that Thanksgiving and prevented it from becoming ruined for good. Both families arrived to a table full of food. It was a bitch to clean up, but you and Chris had fun. He’s saved your ass so many times, but you have your fair share of saving as well. Like, for instance, two years ago, Chris got pulled over for speeding and was arrested for it. Luckily this didn’t get out to any news outlet, so you were able to keep it on the down-low. He called you from the station to help him get bail, which of course, you did.

Chris looked so beaten up in the tiny holding cell he’s been sitting in for the past two hours. You were pulled from a work event to come get him, but you were glad to be pulled away. That work event was such a snooze fest. As soon as he saw you, his eyes lit up in hope you would come get him, but you could still see the shame behind that.

“Do you realize how fast he was driving?” the officer in charge told you once you greeted him. “70 in a 45. I should have him arrested for a federal offense.”

“No, please. Look, I know what he did was bad, but no one got hurt. Isn’t that the most important thing? At least he wasn’t driving on a crowded street. It was a back road, and there wasn’t a car around for miles.”

“Y/N,” the officer sighed.

“Please let him go. He’s not off the hook, believe you me. He’s sleeping on the couch tonight. Look, he won’t do it again. I’ll make sure of it,” you promised. Anyone who knows you knows that you can be stern and mean if you wanted to, which usually meant you got what you wanted.

“If I pull him over again, then I’m arresting him and he’ll have to go to court,” the officer sighs and takes out his keys.

“Yes, that’s fine. He won’t do it again. Thank you so much,” you sighed in relief. The officer let out your boyfriend with a glare, and you had to drag Chris out of the police station angrily.

“How did you get him to let me go?”

“That’s my uncle you dumbass. 70 in a 45? What the hell were you thinking?” you gritted out as both of you got into the car.

That was a tough situation to be in since you didn’t want to use the family excuse to have him let go scot-free. The good news is that Chris never sped again and has been a really good driver ever since. That, and you did most of the driving anyway. There’s a ton of other things you and Chris have gone through, but what you’re going through now has got to be the worst of the worst.

He took you skiing a few weeks ago, and you ended up hurt pretty badly. So badly, that you had to stay in the hospital for two months, which means you will be missing Christmas. It’s your favorite holiday since you have a ton of kids on your mom’s side that you love spoiling. It’s not Chris’ fault you wiped out so badly, but you’re angry with yourself that you thought you could do something you knew your body wasn’t ready for. You wanted to show off for Chris and look where you ended up.

It’s bad enough you’ll be missing Christmas with your family, but Chris got called to do some interviews and press events over the holiday. If it was any other time, he would have said no, but you made him take it since you’re going to be stuck in the hospital for a long time. You’ve been in and out of sleep for the past few weeks from the morphine they are giving you, so you’re not exactly sure who’s been coming and going, and who drops off what. What you do know is that when you went to sleep your room looked like a normal hospital room.

When you woke up, it was a whole different story.

Different colored Christmas lights hung from the ceiling, a small plastic tree with fake snow littered the top. The tree was decorated with white lights and small Christmas decorations. Christmas stickers are plastered on the windows, and a small section of the corner was covered with presents.

“What the hell?” you mumble.

“You’re up,” Chris grins from the other side of the room. It takes a few seconds for you to register that he's here, and a grin pops on your face because of it.

“You’re back. I thought you were in Florida.”

“I was, but I came back here. I hate leaving you on such an important holiday so I canceled everything that was planned to spend Christmas here with you.”

“You did that for me?” you squeak. “You did all of this for me?”

“You’re in the hospital for the holidays, so I came in while you were sleeping to decorate your room. I love you. Merry Christmas,” he smiles and plants a kiss to your smooth cheek.

“I love you so much,” you start to cry.

“No, don’t cry.”

“These are happy tears. I don’t know what I would do without you. I can’t imagine my life without you, Christopher Robert Evans.”

“Then you’re lucky I stuck around all these years, Y/F/N Y/M/N Y/L/N,” he jokes. He sees how tired you are, so he takes a seat next to your bed and picks up a book you didn’t realize was on the table next to you. “Go back to sleep. I’ll be here when you wake up.”

“Okay,” you whisper and let yourself fall asleep knowing you’re always going to be caught when you fall.

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themagicianshea · 5 years

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From now until November, we’ll be spotlighting some of our MHHE registered authors. Want to make art for them? Register here! Artists who register before July 6th get early access to claims.

MHHE Author Spotlight: Page161of180

What piece of work best represents your writing style, and how would you briefly describe it?

I think that my most representative piece is one called "You're a Story (I Can Follow)". It's a take on the Orpheus and Eurydice myth, that involves Eliot rescuing Quentin from the Underworld after the events of season four-- which, *heavy sigh*, I wrote in the middle of season four, before I realized how badly I would eventually a crave a story that gets Quentin back.

I think it speaks clearly to the things I like to do as a writer: the plot is there but not overly complex, the focus is on the characters (specifically Eliot and Quentin) and how they understand themselves and each other and who they are to each other, there are just an absolutely gratuitous number of flashbacks and memories and little moments that show the truth of any relationship (in my view), it's deep in the feels but ends joyfully, and it takes as both thesis statement and rallying cry that the beating heart of love is knowing someone really damn well and taking care of them as best you can, even if you are a full disaster every time you try to express it.

One of my favorite bits, which takes place near the start of the story, when Eliot is trying to convince himself that Quentin is actually following him out of the Underworld, follows below. If you want to know how I see Eliot in his relationship to Quentin (that is: desperately romantic and desperately dysfunctional about it), this is all you really need to read:

He cleared his throat once. It would have been almost comically affected, except for the fact that he actually did need to clear the choking lump that had formed if he was going to get a word out. “The thought occurs,” he said, keeping his voice deliberately casual, “that if we’re going to make it up however many stairs are in the Underworld Branch without me losing what’s left of my mind, the whole ‘ascending in silence’ thing isn’t going to cut it. I know there’s not much you can do about that at the moment--”

He grabbed the banister to cover the tremor in his hand, “--so you’ll just have to suffer through my sparkling conversation. Fortunately, I’ve cultivated a real gift for speaking to imaginary versions of you recently. And on the off chance you’ve bailed on the whole enterprise already, we’ll just-- chalk this up to the stage of the grieving process where I go full season 5 - season 6 hiatus Spike.”

Eliot actually could feel Q, then, but he knew it wasn’t coming from behind him, but inside him, the shard of Q that was a part of him, always, even all the months Eliot had repressed him. The part that was always watching Eliot with disappointed (but unsurprised) eyes as Eliot pretended every little thing about Q didn’t make him want to carve a shelter out of his body for this reckless little stormcloud of a man, with his awful clothes and embarrassing earnestness and the eyelashes that Eliot honest-to-God couldn’t not kiss every. Single. Time. he’d watched them flutter while Q flew apart with Eliot’s name in his mouth.

“Sorry,” Eliot said quietly, letting out a sigh. “I told myself that I was going to be better--” braver “--if I ever . . . saw you. Again. Ever so slightly less full of my own bullshit. But this is--”

Nothing like he thought it would be , for starters. In his relentless planning for what he’d do when he was free, he’d imagined what he’d say if Q was happy, if Q was furious, if Q had already fucked off and married Alice and they had 2.5 magical prodigies and Q hadn’t even thought of Eliot in thirteen years of however the fuck much time had passed. But never had he considered coming back to find Q-- gone . It hardly would have been conducive to maintaining his sanity. Nor had he considered what it would be like to find Q but to have lost the words . To be too chickenshit to say them, sure. To fumble them, abso-fucking-lutely. But to have mortgaged them away?

“-- it’s hard, Q,” he finally settled on. “It’s just-- really hard.”

He could imagine the Q behind him, and the Q inside him, both furrowing their brows.

“Oh stop it,” he shushed, in the familiar way born of having the time to learn every one of a person’s textbook moves. “You know you’re always worth it. To me.”

And: bonus answer! While I think "You're a Story" is probably my most representative work overall, it is a bit mournful in tone until the ending, so perhaps not the best representative of what my MHHE work will be like! For that, I'd recommend, "The Honor of Your Presence," which is the fully indulgent, outsider-POV, Queliot wedding piece that my heart needed: . A snippet (and strong contender for my absolute favorite piece of dialogue that I've written) follows below:

“Fine,” King Quentin says. “Forget the whole ‘obey’ thing. What about just love and honor ? That’s-- unobjectionable, right?”

King Eliot doesn’t answer immediately, and because he is wearing one of his looser tunics today, without the high-collared jackets he prefers, Rafe can see that the pulse in his throat begins to pound at a pace not unlike the palace’s fleet of messenger bunnies.

“Seriously,” King Quentin sighs.

“It’s not that it’s objectionable , per se,” King Eliot says, his voice a note higher than normal. Rafe might say it was verging on the hysterical, were that a word that could be fairly applied to a king. “Isn’t it just-- a bit gauche to come out and say it? What happened to preserving the mystery?”

What piece of work are you most proud of and why?

While I'm embarrassingly attached to everything I've written in this fandom (because I'm embarrassingly attached to the characters themselves), I think my personal proudest moment is a piece called "A Little Disguised, or a Little Mistaken". On one level, this is all about Eliot and Quentin's memory-wipe personas Nigel and Brian meeting and falling in love like the nonsensical soulmates that they are. But on another level, it's also about the parts of Eliot and Quentin that are immutable and come through no matter what, and the way that they keep making the same mistakes with each other (and getting the same things right) across their various timelines and identities. It's also, in large measure, about Jane Austen, for reasons. If you want to know what me writing a no-magic, modern AU romcom would look like (cough cough, MHHE!, cough), the first three-quarters of this are a pretty good indication.

“What can I make you tonight? And keep in mind-- we’re celebrating.”

That was right, Nigel’s text had said he had good news. Well, at least one of them did.

“Um. Something, like, fruity?”

Nigel smirked and it made Brian want to simultaneously slide to the floor and also reach over and pull Nigel in by the collar, but he did neither.

“Okayyy,” Nigel said. “Do I get anything more to go on?”

Brian shrugged one shoulder. “Surprise me.”

Nigel’s hands, always deft and sure, fumbled the glass for a moment, but he recovered it. “Why don’t you tell me what you don’t like,” he said once he had.

Nothing you’re offering , Brian wanted to say. But instead he cleared his throat and said, “Uh. Peaches, I guess? I don’t like them.”

Nigel nodded. “What don’t you like about them?”

They hurt to eat , Brian thought. “Too sweet, I guess,” he said instead.

“I’ll take your word for it,” Nigel said, already starting to gather ingredients.

“You’ve never eaten a peach?”

Nigel shook his head as he started muddling something with something else. “Allergic. Even the smell’s kind of overpowering, though. I get how they could be too much.”

As Nigel poured and shook and stirred, Brian watched entranced and a little sad that something Nigel did so naturally was so dangerous for him. Or maybe it wasn’t natural at all. Maybe Nigel was just a much better actor than New York had given him credit for.

Nigel finished his creation and placed it on a napkin, before sliding it across the bar to Brian. It was reddish-gold in color, shading down to a deeper purple-red at the bottom of the glass.

“Gin fizz with a plum shrub,” he said to Brian’s inquisitive look. “Anyway. Brace yourself. Good news incoming.”

What tropes can we look forward to in your MHHE fic?

Let's see . . . There's going to be about a millisecond of enemies-to-lovers, but let's be real-- these two are far too charmed by each other to stay enemies for long. Not sure any of the following are within the strict definition of "tropes," but they're among my personal favorites, so you can go ahead and expect some gratuitous cuddling of a puppy, some deep-meaningful-late-night-talks-even-though-we've-only-just-met (time is an illusion! they bond fast!), so so so much expressing of thinly-veiled feelings through artistic expression, and actively pining while also actively sleeping together. Also, am I going snow these ridiculous gentlemen in? (I'm going to snow these ridiculous gentlemen in.)

Fuck, Marry, Kiss (under the mistletoe) with three Magicians characters of your choice!

My fully honest answer is Eliot, Eliot, and Eliot. But my even more honest answer is that I'd rather sit back with a cup of tea and a plate of gingerbread cookies and sigh with deep appreciation while Quentin handles all of Eliot's mistletoe needs.

#mhhe #mhhe author spotlight #queliot #Quentin Coldwater #eliot waugh

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mysteli · 6 years

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fear of the unknown nsf*w (parker x mc)

A/N: an idea that popped into my head today and I had to write it up. Parker x mc and I’m really proud of it. hope you like it too.

Warning: smut

Words: 4458

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This fic: @vickypoochoices

Let me know if you wanna be tagged! 💗and let me know if the tags work because Tumblr is acting up.

Summary: After Parker ran from the fight, his worries take over and he finds himself coming to the conclusion that he could have helped Blake when she needed it the most.

Masterlist

IT LIVES BENEATH FAN FICTION FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN

Parker’s mind boggles with a million possibilities, as he continuously plays the outcome of the situation he abandoned and how it could end. Would it have ended successfully with the group finally ridding Pine Springs of whatever the fuck is in that lake. But then of course... it could end horribly, with no one coming back with their lives aside from Parker but that’s only because he bailed at the last moment.

Ugh... why the fuck would he do that? Why would he act like such a coward and look Blake dead in the eyes and reveal he’s neglecting her? What kind of frightened idiot would do such a thing? Him, of course. Because he carries zero courage inside him and he’s as cowardly as the days that come.

Parker might have just ruined everything he’s built in the last few months. This job was supposed to teach him to be more like his idols. The heroes that have inspired him for so long and his goal was be as brave as them one day. But no. He’s not brave. He’s a goddamn screw up and he’s not worthy of the badge he carries, displaying him as some kind of hero when he’s clearly an idiot in his own right.

He abandoned Blake, moments after he revealed that he loved her. A mixed signal no one wants to receive but Blake did and the pure, undisguised look of disappointment in her chestnut eyes is one of the worst things he’s ever laid eyes on and Parker wishes to never have to relive such a moment again because it tore him up inside and ripped at his heart strings. He knows he’ll never be the same again after this. Nothing will ever hurt him like look did. Blake deserves so much better than him and frankly, he may have just put her life in deep jeopardy.

Truth is, it’s been a few hours since Parker took off and sprinted back home, his fear dominating him completely until he arrived back at his place. That’s when guilt and worry stabbed and rattled his heart. All he’s done is pace back and forth recklessly for the last few hours, worry circling his mind and all he hopes is that Blake came out of that situation alive because if she didn’t... then he’ll never forgive himself.

Parker should probably just skip town now. He doesn’t have the strength to face Blake after this. He can only picture the anger and frustration flooding through her dark gaze the second she catches sight of him. She would resent him so much and call him out on the coward he has become. All this time he’s been putting on a brave face and taking each fifth head on but by then, he just couldn’t take it anymore.

Everything has just become too much for him to handle. His fear has crossed a line it can’t come back from and he’s suffered so much that his mind forced him to look for the exit and it’s unfortunate that he found it. Better things would have happened if he had stayed by Blake’s side but instead... he practically betrayed her.

Throughout the time he’s known her, Parker has found himself falling for Blake more than he ever thought he would. Hell, he managed to summon the courage to say he loved her but he couldn’t even dare to look at whatever the fuck is in that lake. Blake is a woman with many sides and personalities but each one always leads back to this courageous badass who knows what she wants as well as knowing what’s right. She’s beautiful, funny, smart and impossible to hate, unlike Parker who could be easily hated for the actions of his character tonight.

He won’t be able to sleep, eat or do anything because his mind will always lead back to the moment he cowered and his walls finally crumbled before him. Parker won’t ever recover from this.

Sucking in a sharp breath, Parker finally forces himself to stop pacing and drowning in his thoughts. To distract himself, he retrieves his phone, a small part of him hoping he has received some sort of text from Blake or anything letting him know she’s ok. At least, alive and well. However, a puzzled look crosses his features when he finds a voicemail notification from around three hours ago.

Curiously, Parker checks his voicemails, lifting the phone towards his ear and listening as carefully as he can, trying to not let himself get distracted by the mystery of Blake’s safety. His eyes widen when he recognises the voice that messily speaks into the phone, a constant buffering sound playing in the background and a clear sound of chaos.

“...Parker? I know you’re probably scared to death right now... and I understand that.” Blake’s voice speaks into the other side of the phone and the shakiness of the call causes her voice to break at times. Parker remains stunned as he listens intently to what she has to say. How did he miss this? “But... we need you. We need you... so much.” The more words Blake gets out, the more it appears like she’s been crying her goddamn eyes out. Turns out there are others on the verge of breaking. “I... I’m mad at you for leaving but... that doesn’t matter now because... if you come back... I’m sure we’ll win this. Besides... I can’t deal with the thought of losing you... and I never really got the chance to tell you properly but... I love you too. More than I’ve ever really loved anyone. And I... I want you to know I forgive you. You got scared and... I can understand that. Just please... don’t give up on us.” Just when it seems like the call is about to end, Parker hears a heavy scream echoing through the phone and it causes him to jump up out of his seat as his anxiety starts to kick in again. “Aaahh! Oh shit. No! Please don’t—“

And the call just cuts off.

Silence. Complete and utter silence. Erupting like a hidden tension in the room. Parker pants out of fear, running his hands through his dusty brown hair and starting to pace back and forth once again. Oh shit. No. No. No. What if she’s dead? After all this time, what if she was finally caught? Fear finally caught up to her and she called Parker and the next moment she’s dead! What if he answered? He could have gotten there and saved her. Helped her or at least been there to watch her take her last breath.

“Oh my god. This can’t be happening. Fuck!” Parker curses aloud, swinging his fist at the wall and a crack is left engraved as a reminder of the action. Agony overtakes him and he starts to fear the worst for a moment. “I need to see her. I need to make sure she’s not...”

That’s all the convincing Parker needs to wanna check if Blake is ok, the two sides of his mind finally agreeing on something. In one swift motion, he grabs his jacket and sprints out the door, slamming it shut on his way out — not even taking a moment to lock it securely. It’s not like Parker cares anymore. He could get robbed a thousand times or held at gunpoint and still all he would care about is the well being of the girl he fell for a little too hard.

It’s a sacrifice he’s willing to make.

Parker now has a mission. To get to Blake’s house as fast as possible. All this only to make sure that she’s ok and safe. Hell, all his hope and might is going into the idea that she could be alive. He’s praying and pleading that that is the case. He can’t afford to lose her. Not now. Not after everything they’ve been through. It would be too damn much to deal with. He wills himself to run as rapidly as he can and a sigh of relief escapes him when he finally makes it to Blake’s house.

Parker eyes the house for a moment, noticing how dark the house in. Not a single light is on and that only causes his worry and fear to rise even more. You’d expect them all to be extremely safety conscious after everything has happened. But no. Everything is just still, silent and dim.

Keeping the hope at a steady level, Parker rushes his way towards the front door, knocking as loud as his hands will let him. It’s practically the middle of the night and he is probably the last person any of them want to see so he isn’t expecting much of warm welcome. Just to see Blake’s stunning face again will be enough for him, even if he’s turned away. All he wants is for his mind to put at ease and he’ll be grateful to know that she is alive and safe.

After what seems like a countless amount of knocking, Parker receives no answer and his patience forces him to look for another way in. He dashes around the side of the house because that’s where his knowledge takes him. All the windows are still dark as hell and the house could easily be deserted on the inside. But Parker chooses to have hope.

His hazel eyes brighten up slightly when they land on the familiar sight of the window to Blake’s room. He glances around for a way in, completely aware how creepy he’s coming off right now but he has no other choice. He’s too damn desperate now. Parker spots a tree that leads up to the window and that leaves him with no other option but to climb it.

“Goddamnit.” Parker releases a reluctant sigh and throws all caution to the wind as he steadily makes his way up to the tree, careful and persistent with each step he takes. He couldn’t care less about his own health right now so there’s a noticeable hastiness with the way he moves.

Once he makes it to the top, Parker remains perched on the edge of the tree and his lands clutch the outline of the window, as his eyes try to find any sign of Blake in the dimly lit room, the moonlight being the only supply of light. All of a sudden, Parker’s entire expression widens in shock when he finally spots the woman that’s been on his mind for god knows how long. Blake Vance, seated at her desk with her head in her hands. She looks distraught with a sense of relief and Parker has never been so glad to see another human in his life. Without hesitance, he knocks on the window, alerting Blake immediately and her features appear confused when she finds Parker propped by her window. She rises from her seat and approaches the window with caution, playing out the debate on whether she should let Parker in after everything. Then again, she did leave him that message of forgiveness.

Blake can see the obvious relief in Parker’s eyes and every cell in his body struggles to remain calm as he finds Blake Vance standing before, alive and well. His anxiety remains at its peak however due to the thought that Blake may not wanna let him in.

“...Parker?” Blake reacts, her expression slowly transitioning into something unreadable. It’s like the idea has finally sunk in that he is actually there.

“Blake...” is all Parker managed to say, blurting out the only thing that’s on his mind right now.

Wordlessly, Blake opens the window and Parker warily leans back so she can swing it fully open. Their dark eyes meet and lock for an endless amount of time. They’re so skeptical of each other right now but also so damn happy just to be able to lay their eyes on such a face again. For a minute, they both believed that they’d never see each other again and a tension slowly gets caught between them.

Soon, Parker’s desperation kicks in and he steps through the window and swiftly wraps Blake in a well overdue hug, all his longing and power being poured out in this one action. Tears threaten to escape the corner of his eyes and he wouldn’t mind revealing the weakest side of him right now. This is his worst vulnerability. Her. She’s caused him to be this way and it’s not a bad thing. He needed to venture through his side of him and learn to cope with a near loss because he finds himself regretting being the coward that he was before. He wasn’t brought up to be such a failure and Blake taught him that he can be so much more than what he pretends to be.

Parker is surprised when Blake returns the hug, winding her arms around his neck and tugging him as close to her as possible. He shortens the gap even more by tightening his grasp on her and burying his face in her shoulder, revealing how helpless he truly feels right now. He pants into her shoulder, expressing his exhaustion from how quickly he ran before but he doesn’t regret it because it means he got to see her faster.

After what seems like forever, they finally part and reluctantly pull away but Parker takes a moment to skim over her face and familiarise himself with her stunning features. Blake opens her mouth to speak but Parker protests by scattering her face with desperate kisses and joining their foreheads as he finds himself enraptured by the hazel shade of her eyes. Her gaze is plastered with a meaningful bewilderment but a lost happiness at the same time.

“Parker... what... are you doing here?” Blake can barely get words out as Parker cups her face and his eyes search her body worriedly for any scars or wounds from the battle that would have went down while he was gone.

“I... I got your message.” Parker says in a breathy tone that highlights a shakiness Blake has never seen before. “...you scared the living shit out of me, Blake.”

Blake is slightly taken aback by his words and she struggles to stay calm and Parker plants featherlight kisses from her wrist all the way up to her neck, barely missing her lips. “I’m sorry... but I’m alive. We all are. We... we finished it.”

Parker swallows hard at the way she speaks of the concept of we. Clearly not talking about him when she says it. Parker distracts his doubts by brushing a strand of Blake’s hair out of her face, noticing how tousled it is and there is a minor bruise underneath her eye. One that wasn’t there when he was still at her side.

“That doesn’t mean you weren’t hurt.” Parker whispers, gesturing to the bruise underneath his eye and he plants a small kiss on her cheek, rubbing circles over the small sore.

“It’s fine... it’s nothing, Parker.” Blake assures, stroking the skin at the back of his neck with comforting intentions.

Parker releases a heavy exhale and arches his head back in slight frustration. “You’re right... I have no reason to be worrying about you. Not after what I did—“

“No, Parker. I don’t wanna talk anymore. Especially about that.” Blake interrupts him before anguish can take over the moment. She tilts his head down so he’s staring into her eyes and her eyes darken at the sight of him. That only tells him one thing. “I wanna make the most of this. It doesn’t matter what you did. It only matters you do now.”

“And what do you want me to do?” Parker dares to ask, seeming to know the answer already.

A knowing look washes over Blake’s expression and she lets her hand a drift up to roam through Parker’s dusty brown hair, her voice dropping to a low whisper. “It’s not what I want. It’s what I need. And that’s for you to show me how much you were worried about me. I can see that desperation in your goddamn eyes and I want you to use that to take me the best you can.” Blake seems so sure of this and Parker has no reason to protest or argue with her. “...I wanna feel normal again, Parker... and I can’t wait anymore.”

Parker only has to say one more thing before everything he’s ever wanted with Blake can finally become a reality. “You don’t have to wait anymore, Blake. I’m here for you.”

With that, a magnetic force causes their lips to meet at a drastic pace, every emotion they felt in that moment going into this one powerful, mind blowing kiss. All the worry, anxiety, doubt, anger, frustration, hunger, desire, passion, power, relief, happiness and above all desperation falling into the rhythm that’s easily built up the minute their lips meet. The familiar salty taste of Parker’s lips causes Blake to smile against his mouth, as she continues to drag her hands through his hair, abruptly tugging on a strand with a little force and that causes Parker’s lips to part and a groan escapes him.

Taking advantage of the situation, Blake slips her tongue into his mouth and he returns the favour quite quickly, pressing her closer to his body and deepening the kiss as best he can. This is probably the first time the intensity of a moment between them has been at such a dramatic peak. Parker can’t remember a time he’s wanted someone as much as he wants Blake right now in this moment. This is everything he’s ever wanted with her and he knows this is a memory he’s gonna wanna relive for the rest of his life. The same could be said for Blake, as this moment means as much to her as it does to Parker.

Starting to feel the desire building in her core, Blake moves her hands from Parker’s hair and instead lets them rest at his shoulders before tugging his jacket off his body as quickly as possible. The piece of clothing aimlessly falls to the floor and is left discarded and meaningless as the only thing that matters right now is the two of them and they truly feel like they only people in the world right now. Parker responds by biting down on Blake’s lower lip, stifling a moan out of her and that’s when his lips start to mindlessly venture away from her lips and down her jawline. He continues this pattern until he reaches the base of her neck which prompts him to suck at the skin of her collarbone, marking her as his with a love bite like no other. While this is happening, Blake takes her lower lip between her teeth to stop herself from screaming Parker’s name.

She’s lucky that Elliot is staying at Robbie’s tonight or this would be a much bigger problem.

Parker sucks harder at Blake’s skin and this time she can’t hold back the moan that hovers in her throat. “Parker...” She mutters his name and it’s like music to his ears, only motivating him to pleasure her even more.

In response, Blake drags her hands up Parker’s shirt, his muscles twitching and tensing up as she caresses his stomach and plays with the hem of shirt. Parker reluctantly loses contact with her neck in order to pull his shirt over his head, leaving him bare chested before. Sure, Blake has seen him shirtless before but this is a hell of a lot more intimate because this sight is only for her.

A smirk crosses Parker’s lips as he noticed Blake’s obvious reaction to the sight of him. “Huh. You like what you see.” It doesn’t really seem like a question when he says that.

Blake just rolls her hazel eyes and doesn’t dare to answer him, simply yanking him in for another kiss by the back of his neck. She starts leading him over to the bed and she knows they’ve made when her back knocks into the end. Realising, Parker lifts her up by her thighs and guides her onto the sheets. She sighs in contentment when Parker starts working his hands at her body, caressing her hips as he lowers his head onto her neck once more, leaving another hickey but this time on the other side. Blake moans satisfyingly in response and grips Parker’s hair firmly, causing him to lift his head and sit up momentarily.

Blake reacts by shooting up as well and bringing their lips together once more, in desperate need for some sort of physical contact between them. Parker responds by latching himself onto her arms and deepening the kiss. He takes this as an opportunity to remove her shirt, breaking the kiss only for a second to complete the action and Blake feels an instant sense of relief when he removes her bra as well.

His gaze wanders hungrily over the sight of her bare chest, as this is the first time he’s seen such a view before. Blake suddenly starts to feel self-conscious as Parker’s gaze drifts further down her body but at the same time, she can’t help but enjoy his affection.

Wordlessly, Parker gently pushes her back down on the bed and lowers his head into her chest, prepared to supply her with her as much satisfaction as possible. His hands caress her stomach as he kisses in between her breasts before slowly showering her chest with kisses. His attaches his lips to one of her nipples and flicks it with his tongue a few times. That’s when he sucks onto her nipple affectionately, stifling a few moans out of her and she pants at the affect his touch is having on her. She’s enjoying every second of it. Every twitch, every caress, every time his hand grazes a curve. Blake almost can’t handle it.

Parker finally lifts his head after what seems like forever and then he finds himself moving further down her body, leaving a pathway of firm kisses on her stomach before he reaches the top of her jeans. He slides the zipper down and tugs her jeans off as quickly as possible. His eagerness is starting to kick in because of how close he is to getting to taste her. It’s what he’s wanted for a long time and he’s prepared to make her feel as amazing as possible.

Once her jeans are discarded, Parker performs the same action to her panties before settling his head in between her legs. Only now does he realise how wet she is and he sucks in a sharp breath at such a sight. Maintaining eye contact, Parker teases her folds with his fingers and tongue, finding himself too eager to miss a taste of her when he gets the chance. Eventually, his mouth hovers over her clit and he takes her in his mouth at the exact right moment, when her anticipation is at its peak. She slams her eyes shut and savours the moment, enjoying the feeling as her body tenses up pleasure. Parker never slows his movements, not wanting to let her enjoyment falter as he cherishes the taste of her. His fingers continue to work at her folds and he plans to pleasure her this way until her release is mere inches away.

“Mmmm... Parker...” Blake moans out of satisfaction, her mind in disbelief that this moment is finally here. She eventually feels herself moving on edge and her release could arrive at any moment. “Baby... I think I’m gonna...”

Hearing that, Parker lifts his head with a smirk and lets go of her. She meets his eyes with irritation, raising her eyebrows at him questioningly. Parker stays silent and wordlessly removes the rest of his clothes and positions himself so he’s hovering over her. That’s when Blake realises what he’s planning instead and she can’t help but bite down on her lower lip as she imagines what that could be like. Parker notices how much her eyes have darkened and it drives him as his cock twitches in reaction. His teases her sex for a moment before finally sinking into her.

Immediately, Blake releases a pleasured sigh and her body is flooded with a feeling of relief at Parker’s movements as he explores inside of her. Blake has never experienced this kind of love before and she can easily say it’s the best she’s ever had in her damn life. Parker could say the same as well, as he’s enjoying this just as much as Blake. They both melt into each other, being sure to make the most of this moment because who really knows what tomorrow could bring? Maybe that’s why Blake was so eager to do this now and Parker can’t say he’s complaining.

Parker eagerly palms her breast as they continue to rock rhythmically against each other. Cries of pleasure echo throughout the dimly lit house and Parker steadies Blake by resting his hands at her thighs. They continue moving against each other until finally... they both reach release.

Later, they both lay sprawled out on the bed, entwined in each other’s arms. They’re both slick with sweat but extremely and undeniably satisfied. They’ve both never experienced sex as good as that before and they’re still in disbelief that a night like this ended up leading to that.

Blake tilts her head towards Parker and her hazel eyes light up with energy. “Well, that was... fucking amazing.” She mutters, her head dropping back down on Parker’s chest as he smooths out her slightly greased hair.

Parker lets out a breathy laugh, kissing the top of Blake’s head. “Sure was.” He agrees, burying his face in her hair. He meets her eyes for a moment and something immediately comes rushing back to him and frowns a little.

“What’s wrong?” Blake asks in a concerned tone, noticing his sudden change of mood.

“Nothing I just... thought you were gone for moment. It really scared me, Blake.” Parker admits, his tone breaking with a shakiness and Blake cups his cheek reassuringly.

“But I’m still here, Parker. You don’t need to worry about me going anywhere. It’s over now.” Blake assures, bringing their lips together briefly and he can’t help but form a weak smile, despite still being a little shaken up.

“Are you sure it’s over? Because I don’t wanna lose you.” Parker whispers, joining their foreheads together and Blake nods at his words.

“I don’t wanna lose you either. If another battle comes around, I’m sure you’ll fight this time and I’ll be right there by your side. Alive.”

#first fic ive been proud of in a while #hope ya’ll like it #playchoices #choices #pixelberry #chocies stories you play #fan fiction #it lives beneath #ilb #choices ilb #parker shaw #parker x mc #mc x parker #parker x mc fanfic #playchoices fanfic #mysteli #writing

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creativeashproductions · 6 years

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Thanksgiving Brings New Dawns // Noah Centineo

Summary: Meeting someone at their worsts brings both pain and some positives. Meeting an actor who lost himself in his new world isn’t what you like but apparently the universe sees it as a necessity.

Characters: Noah Centineo x Reader, and Centineo Family

Words: 2.8k

Disclaimer: This is part of @thewackywriter‘s Fall Writing Challenge! I’m Canadian so our thanksgiving is in October but I thought I’ll get it earlier! I’m also very sorry for not posting fics because I had slammed into writer’s block but this challenge helped!

Warnings: Swearing, mention of drugs and alcohol, mention of illicit sex (no smut), angst (I mean it is expected from me) and a lot of fluff!

A/N: We are now taking requests for Noah Centineo and To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before. Do post our work anywhere else without our explicit approval

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If you had been told you would be married by twenty-one years old following a harsh breakup when you were just discovering boys you would have sighed longingly at the mere thought. What girl didn't want to be married young and have a handsome husband until you were in high school. The years of awkward puberty, changing voices and developing cliques from the moment you were at high school orientation.

In freshmen year you found your best friend who you would share secrets, makeup, and clothes with until somehow you both couldn't fit into the other's clothing. The joys of having different cup sizes and different shaped curves; that was okay because you shared the other things instead. Her name was Allison with gorgeous long dark hair and glittering brown eyes, well they were until she started eating on the bleachers with her boyfriend. The boyfriend that carefully and slowly separated Lis from her friends and family. Over the months you would try to speak, but Lis would walk away to her boyfriend's side with sadness etched into her form. The entirety of Sophomore year was spent with a new group of friends, and a boyfriend on the football team, a cliche of course, with big blue eyes and hair you swore was spun by angels.

He was your everything. Until one day he wasn't. Apparently, he needed tutoring for his English Lit class where you couldn't help him in as he took the AP class. It was Allison that found you staring in disgust in the tutoring center on her way to the bathroom. The same Allison that knew you needed her more than anything.

It was Allison who brought you to the police station to report that a teacher was having illicit relations with her student. The same Allison who protected you from your seething ex-boyfriend screaming profanity and threats on his way out to stalk the police station the teacher was awaiting bail. The teacher who was teaching him the Kamasutra's many sex positions as if it was one of the assigned books in class.

Allison would soon explain precisely why she closed off from everyone and you wouldn't take her to the police station instead. You swore off relationships together. That was it you believed.

Until you met him.

It was your favourite time of the year when the leaves started turning different colours just before they would start falling off the tree branches. God, you loved the fall and what it would bring each year with the pumpkin patches and candy on every shelf in the stores. It was also the most significant time to lay in the park on one of the last days that would be warm enough to avoid layers but not cold enough to need thick leggings and a sweater.

You were reading among the children running around the lush green grass with footballs, baseballs with gloves and a few frisbees. You were in the middle of some novel you had been recommended a while back when you were still finding yourself as a soon to be senior in high school. Brushing the threshold of adulthood. It was a book about finding yourself again in dark times as a memoir by Cheryl Strayed.

"Hey."

"Hi." You spoke without really thinking about it. Your eyes still glued to the words written in the battered book from the many times you had read it since you first picked up.

"What are you reading?"

"How to convince someone to leave them alone without murdering them." You spoke once more humming as you found your favourite sentence of the chapter.

"Who is it by?"

"A wonderful author named 'Screw Off'."

"I've heard of them." Dog-earing the page you looked up to see the shadow casting down on your blanket.

"Who are you?"

"Noah." He spoke sitting down on the edge of the blanket showcasing a pair of black jeans worn beyond belief with the skin of his knees showing through the frayed holes, you saw it wasn't bought worn either.

"You look like shit." You spoke when you finally looked up to see his face. There were bags under his eyes that looked as if they were permanent. You could smell the cigarette smoke on his clothes, and a stain you believed was some form of alcohol on his shirt.

"Thanks. Really awesome to hear a stranger say that." Noah snarked uncomfortably, "Can I just sit here? You seem cool."

"Are you hungover? It's Monday morning man." You spoke giving him your full attention.

"I'm avoiding the third degree from my sister." He sighed throwing himself down to look up at the sky, "She was blowing up my phone all night and until it went dead a few minutes ago. I love her, but she needs to back off."

"She's doing it because she loves you. Be happy about that. Be happy she cares enough to do something about it."

"What's your name?"

“Y/N" You merely spoke once more turning your attention to the clear blue sky.

"Well Yn you don't know the reasons behind my irritation." Noah snarked once more, "What are you reading?"

"A memoir of a woman that almost lost everything and decided to do something about it. She went on this great crazy adventure hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. She didn't have any guidance or experience, but she did-"

"She sounds stupid to go out without any training." Noah interrupted.

"She needed to do it to find herself."

"She could do that anywhere."

"Look man. Just because your life is shit doesn't make you an expert on how people should deal with their issues. How can you discover yourself in a society that has the internet at the simplest touch on their screens? She hiked because it gave her time to think without the disease of social media." You swiftly started gathering things up, "I don't know why you're drowning your demons in drugs, alcohol and partying in some typical teenage angst but honestly sounds like you need to find yourself."

"No, I-"

"Turn your phone off, talk with your sister and for god sake stop the self-medicating bullshit of drugs your 'friends' give you and the alcohol to numb the pain." You spat, "I don't understand people. You should find healthy alternatives. Gave a wonderful day you shitty person."

That was it. The toxicity of the 21st generation officially shattered your beliefs in humankind. Apparently, you were among the few handfuls of people that didn't judge and be terrible people in general. You wished you never met Noah even if you only interacted for a few minutes at most.

Noah stared after you quietly until you were a speck in the distant parking lot dragging a blanket and book in hand. It was then that Noah started the metamorphosis that would save him even if he wouldn't know for another few years. He began by buying "Wild" by Cheryl Strayed in the nearest bookstore. However, he would toss it in the back of his closet when his girlfriend Angeline texted about a party.

Two years later Noah would be trying to find his old iPod after his current one broke when he saw the sharp corner of something. Buried under clothing, near ancient scripts and unless items sat the book from two years back when he met that girl in the park who tore him a new one.

Despite the massive rager, his friend was throwing that included strippers, drugs, and a shit ton of alcohol of every kind something switched inside him. He forgot the iPod and sat down on the bed in his room to crack open the unread book. By the second chapter, he had texted his friends explaining he was done living the way he was before blocking the numbers and deleting the contacts. He took up healthy alternatives while finally opening up to his sister.tearfully.

September of that year you were picking up a few candles before you wandered over to the aisles of books you had always loved. You immediately went to the spiritual aisle where you perused the rows until a tan hand reached around you.

"This one is amazing." The hand gently removed a book as if it was an injured bird in dire need of help. You took the book from the person, "It's one of my favourites by far."

"'The Celestine Prophecy' by James Redfield ." You mumbled turning to face the person. There standing with a fresh complexion and calmness in his eyes was the boy from years before. The guy standing in front of you was the pessimistic asshole from the park.

"What the hell are you doing here?" You snapped.

"So you remember me." Noah spoke shoving his hands into his pants pockets, "I'm really sorry about that. I was a complete insensitive dick. I want to thank you though. Without you, I might be dead or on the cusp."

"How did I help you."

"You tore into me about self-medicating with drugs and alcohol. I ended up buying that book twenty minutes after you left the park. I didn't read it until I found it two months ago in the back of my closest. I swore off alcohol and partying." Noah quickly spoke as he blocked your path of escaping, "I'm completely sober now. I stopped smoking, drugs, alcohol and everything bad. I changed from relying on anxiety medication to working out routinely and doing yoga."

"You did?"

"In the four months I've been sober I've never felt so refreshed, awake and inspired." Noah grinned, "I have you to thank you for that. I'd think to take you out as a thank you."

You decided on the spot that Fall was definitely your favourite season, and Noah was the first person to crack your guarded heart. He was the first boy that awakened feelings you had felt since you first started dating your first boyfriend in high school.

By Thanksgiving, you were so in love with each other even if it seemed impossible in such a short amount of time. You spent as much time together as you could with his acting career and your school work and most nights you traded books on so many topics.

November was the official month Noah would blame the weather for the amount of cuddling he demanded. You didn't mind even when he tried to bribe you into coming to his family's Thanksgiving. He won.

By twenty-one you were engaged and married during October, you were adamant with your love of Fall and the season you got together with Noah. The first handful of months you were utterly wrapped in your love bubble surrounded by your animals in your house with your husband. You lived in blissed from the wedding until that fateful day you discovered you were pregnant.

Was it the most convenient time to be having a baby with Noah's exploding career? No, but when was it ever convenient to have a baby. You loved Dot from the pregnancy test you took.

Thanksgiving 2018

You hated your body while simultaneously adoring the bump you had grown over the months. The problem was trying to find clothing that flattered you was impossible. To the point, you stood in front of the full-length mirror in a bright orange cable knit sweater and maternity jeans.

"You look good in Orange.” Your husband spoke from the entrance of the ensuite.

"I look like a pumpkin Noah." You huffed crossing your arms.

"Pumpkin is the best part of Thanksgiving! You know that." Noah exclaimed pulling you into his chest. He was completely over the moon feeling the firm bump on his abdomen.

"I'm allergic to pumpkin." You emotionlessly spoke staring at the tiny stain on his lazy day shirt. The blue one that brought more vibrancy to the colour in his eyes with the minimal holes in the material. The sweater that mysteriously would reappear in the wash every time you tried to throw it out.

"Okay, gloom and doom we have places to be," Noah spoke yanking his shirt off by the neck of it. Your eyes scanning his excellent form that never failed you arouse you, especially with the pregnancy hormones, to his amusement.

"You know you can't do that!" You whined stomping your foot.

"Sweetheart we really don't have time for-"

"You say, and we won't be leaving until I've had my fill of you." You warned him as he gripped your hand to sit you down on the chair in the foyer.

He kneeled in front of you with your boots, once that fit your swollen ankles, to carefully place them up for you while grabbing the backpack he had lovingly filled with everything he read a pregnancy may need. A pair of flats that were black, a couple of dressy slippers along with some personal hygiene wipes explicitly made for pregnancy to be safe for baby. A few pairs of underwear just in case along with natural lotion and scrunchies.

"I love you." You mumbled looking down at the man that had ruined you for anyone else. All he did was grin up at you with his hands settled on your baby bump to press a lingering kiss to your unborn child.

"God I love you both so much." Noah breathlessly spoke all the while resting his nose against your belly, "I'm going to raise you to know you don't have to be a boy to be a knight in shining armour to save someone. Your Momma was my knight, she saved me from myself when I didn't know I needed to be saved."

"We're going to be late." You choked out as your emotions got the best of you.

Noah helped you get settled in the passenger seat of the SUV he bought mere weeks after learning about your pregnancy. The baby's room had been set up for months now with the door closed permanently to keep the baby's existence a secret. There was something about surprising your family with a joining member that had you keeping your lips sealed.

You were really early at Noah's parents, you traded locations each year for holidays, where they were still out for a while. As you waited in the car, he grabbed the box holding the high chair to set it up at the long dining room table. By the time he finished, you were waddling to the front door intent on getting to the bathroom. You struggled the whole time before coming out to find your in-laws just coming through the entrance.

"Noah!" Kellee exclaimed rushing to pull him into her arms, "I missed you!"

"Mom! You're squeezing too tight." Noah spoke squirming in her arms, "We had lunch a few days ago!"

"Well sorry for missing you." She sighed pushing back, "I still can't believe you bought a house here!"

"Hey, son," Greg spoke pulling him into a quick hug.

"Hey, Dad. We have a question, do you think we have enough room for another person to join us?"

"I guess. We can make room." Your mother-in-law spoke already trying to plan it out, "When are they arriving?"

It was that moment your immediate family walked into the room just hearing the end of her sentence. It seemed no one had noticed the high chair just yet.

"They're here already," Noah spoke with a half smile. You came around the couch that had hidden your stomach just as Taylor's eyes settled on the paper resting against your bump, 'Mommy ate a pumpkin seed'.

"Oh my god."

"Are you?"

"Seven months. Noah thought it would be funny to wear orange and be a pumpkin to announce it."

"Congratulations!" Mom exclaimed yanking you into her arms tightly. She leaned back to gaze down, "How did you keep it from us?!"

"By keeping busy and strategically already sitting in any cafe and the weather is great for baggy sweaters of Noah's." You answered swiftly. They all blinked in shock before crowding closer to ask more questions on the pregnancy.

"When are you due?" Taylor asked sitting on the couch near you. Kellee and your mom barred you from the kitchen with Taylor moving between rooms. Noah was watching some sports game with the rest of the people.

"Mid January." You grinned, "Your brother is best. He had this bag packed of everything. He researched brands of baby clothing and sheets that are the best for baby's skin. The nursery is set up with a bassinet in our room for the first two or three months."

"You're good for him," Tay spoke with a small grin.

"He's good to us." You breathed staring at his glowing complexion. Without knowing the rest of the world believed he was perfect and fought tooth and nail to defend your little family against the haters.

With a gleaming smile, Noah looked over to you holding his phone in his hand as your own pinged in your pocket. Glaring on the screen was simple from Twitter.

@noahcent has mentioned you.

Forever Tag List (Want to be tagged? Send us an inbox, we’re more likely to see that than a comment on our work)

@cityofsobbingfangirls @tas898 @barbidollash @trustnobodyshootfirst @winchesterfanfiction @deanwinchesterisamazing @oh-my-hecky-padalecki @padackles2010 @msimpala67 @deangirl5509 @heyitssilverwolf @therealme13posts @petlaufeyson @professionally-crazed @winterhurricane @tearsandbloodofmyenemies @blackwidow-romanoff @crazybarnes @marvelofcourse @takemetothefictionalworld @destiel67bellarke @ohmy-sammy @fightinthepain @vivabucky @waituntilthedustsettles @daydreaming1393 @cumonbucky @inhumans-of-shield @basicwhiskeyprincesss @soulfull-ofevans @spookass @glitterintheairblog @girl-with-wild-dreams @frickin-bats @darkestgrungeuniverse @shamvictoria11 @buckyappreciationsociety @sammysgirl1997 @fly-f0rever @archer-whovian-violinist @jenn0755 @anamarieswift2194 @unicornofdanger @ifyoudie @jealousbitxh @stormin-thru-glitter @sparklyaura @stilescstilinski @curlyxtomato @katshrev @its-sanaa-k @theoismydad @im-a-light-child @tmriddler @flirtswithdanger @divide-supermarketflowers @arkhamasylumpatient-blog1 @introverted-fandom-human @jennylj16 @potterandbucky @harleenq4life @runs-with-sciss0rs @superhero-lover101 @ridingmoxley @edward-lover18 @ridingmoxley @thefangirlliveson @the-crime-fighting-spider @bookworm-nerd6 @sebby-staan @caitlyn-blackwell

#twwfall2018 #noah centineo imagines #noah centineo #thanksgiving au #fall au #agentsofsupernaturalmarvel #agentsofsupernaturalmarvel masterlist #caitsy and ash productions #angst #pregnancy #fluff

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gukyi · 6 years

Text

inside the mind of gukyi

recently, i’ve been getting a lot of asks asking me for writing tips/advice/my process, so i figured i’d save everyone some time and make this post to answer your questions! if you still want to ask me about writing and have any specific inquiries, feel free to send them my way!

i am not a professional writer and these are not professional tips. i’m still a student and have lots to learn; in no way can this be considered complete. this is merely my process, how i write, and what i’ve learned over the past several years as i’ve explored the creative writing field both on and off tumblr.

this is a really, really long post. as you all probably know, i’m an extremely wordy person, and there is certainly no shortage of words in this. but i figured that if you guys can read a 50k jungkook fake dating fic, you guys can read this.

HOW I GET STARTED

i know that that blank, white word document seems insurmountable and daunting. i’m telling you right now, it’s not.

where my inspo comes from:

anywhere. i find inspiration in everything, i look at my life and the world around me and think “how can i write a fic about this?”. earnestly yours was inspired by a story told to my friends and i by the drama club director. moonlight melody was inspired by the time i went to florence over the summer and saw a student orchestra from germany perform in palazzo vecchio. the underwear thief was inspired by my dad’s own cat when he was a student. it’s ridiculous to say, but i am constantly thinking of new ideas to write. i have several unwritten ones floating around in my head right now.

when my thoughts are particularly dry or i just need to refresh, i’ll do this ask game where i ask you for a fic title and i will have to come up with a story. more often than not it will produce some fantastic prompts for me to work off of. this is how dirt and glitter galore will come to be.

how i turn that inspo into a story:

okay, i have an idea in my head. let’s take moonlight melody, for example. i saw the student orchestra perform and then i wanted to write a fic about it. so, without writing anything down, i started to think about what kind of fic it would be. would my characters be orchestra students? would the two leads be friends? enemies? strangers? how would they fall in love? where would they go? what would they do? what obstacles would they face?

i don’t need to answer all of these questions. all i need to do is to pick an alternate universe to place my characters into and pick a trope, and i’m off. for moonlight melody, i actually jumped through two other ideas before settling on what it is now. originally, it was a friends to lovers/acquaintances to lovers fic between two students on a school trip to italy. then, it become an enemies to lovers fic between the two warring top members of the orchestra. finally, it was a fake dating au to get revenge on the oc’s trickster of a best friend.

HOW I MAKE A PLOT

i have the idea. i have the au. i have the trope. now, i need to figure out how to get from point a to point b.

planning... sort of:

if you’ve been following me even for 5 minutes you probably know that i plan out probably about 2% of my fics. those fics are ice prince and the truth between us. those are genuinely the only two fics i have planned from start to finish before i even wrote down a single word of the fic. the rest of my fics have been lightly planned at best and were mostly the product of me making stuff up as i go.

i know that a lot of writers on tumblr like to plan out their fics ahead of time, which is honestly the less-chaotic way to go about it. almost every time i attempt to do this, i bail on the fic, so it’s clearly not my forte.

instead, i divide my “plan” of action into three parts: the inciting incident, the climax, and the resolution. i decide what is going to propel the plot forward, where the peak of the action and the emotion is going to be, and what the end goal is. this is really all i need to write a fic, because i can fill the blank spaces between each major part of the story with little scenes that will slowly snowball into the climax, and then the conclusion. these blank spaces are typically known as the rising and falling action.

so you don’t plan anything????

though these rising and falling action scenes are typically made up on the spot, once i have an idea of what’s going to happen in each individual scene, i will make a very brief bullet point that tells me how to go about it. taking moonlight melody again, i knew that the inciting incident would be hoseok stealing oc’s headphones as another prank, the climax would be the day that jungkook confessed, and the resolution would be the flight home. the scenes in the middle were wholly unplanned, though, to ensure that i wouldn’t forget anything, i had bullet points at the bottom of the document that looked like this:

gondola tour in venice (seokjin, hoseok, jungkook, oc)

they all go drinking

jungkook nearly confesses to oc but instead just throws up

brief, but the point is there. this is typically how i go about all of my fics. the main three parts are fleshed out but everything else is spontaneously thought of.

HOW I MAKE A CHARACTER

plots are pointless if your characters are boring.

creating a character bio:

these aren’t so much bios as they are background information. characters need context for existing so that the plot can move forward. i almost never write out little plans for my individual characters since this information i can typically remember, but if you can’t or if you think fleshing out your characters on paper is easier, by all means. my bios (in my head) consist of qualities and characteristics that are either 1) inalienable (meaning that they don’t change throughout the course of the fic) or 2) very present at the beginning of the fic but may change over time. to me, the character bios are how i view the character at the start of the fic, rather than the end.

this can include stuff like hobbies, occupation, and qualities. for jungkook from moonlight melody, it would look something like this:

photographer

best underclassman violinist

reserved but comes out of his shell around friends

supports taehyung’s antics

had a crush on oc for ages

general fine arts hoe

if you’re a fic writer, feel free to base your characters off of the traits they possess in real life/canon-ly, but also don’t be afraid to give their personalities a makeover. they should fit with your fic. you don’t need to retain their original traits just for your writing.

developing my characters:

this i almost always keep reserved for main characters only. all of my quirky best friends in my fics are flat (meaning they don’t have any character development) just because they typically function as comic relief and don’t need to have some big character arch to be important.

character development is how my characters go from enemies to lovers and friends to lovers because obviously, to go from such polar opposites, something has to change. quite frankly i’m not the best at character development but one thing i make sure about is that it’s subtle. it’s really, really unnatural for characters who have been enemies for their entire lives to suddenly just Up And Kiss like it’s nobody’s business. there has to be a slow shift because before they can be lovers, they have to be friends. subtlety is key. i’m still working on my character development skills because i don’t think they’re that hot.

making my characters realistic:

this is my favorite, favorite part of writing. favorite. i love it because i get to throw in all these dumbass quirks to make the characters fun and relatable and not boring masses of dialogue. this is the part where i get especially creative, because there are just so many things that make people tick. i throw in random traits and characteristics like “raw corn allergy” or “aspires to be instagram famous” or “frequently quotes vines for no apparent reason” because people in real life are like this. they aren’t robots, machines with the same general makeup but slight variations. everyone’s different.

in a more serious sense, this also applies to traits that are generally less favorable to society, even if they aren’t in the grand scheme of things. jungkook from the underwear thief regularly wishes for a black hole to suck him up and remove him from reality. the oc in start anew fears her own past and clings to it at the same time. broken rings & queens and kings’ oc often lets her pride get the better of her.

these characteristics make characters human, which in turn makes them relatable, which i think adds to the charm of my writing, because people feel like they’re kin with the characters they’re reading about.

HOW TO WRITE DIALOGUE

i have a couple answered asks about writing dialogue: this one about using dialogue to start a story and this one about how to make dialogue seem natural and this one about how to use dialogue to propel a story rather than prose. dialogue is another one of my favorite parts about writing, and i would generally consider myself a dialogue writer rather than a description writer.

i write dialogue by listening to how people speak. this can be in any context, from people in real life to movies and tv shows to youtube videos. every now and then i will just take out my headphones and listen to other people talk, their mannerisms, they way they conduct themselves through their voices. then, i will take that and apply it to my own characters. granted, i embellish my characters’ speaking patterns slightly because obviously i want my characters to be more exciting that the people i know in real life, but the basis is the same.

colloquialism and vernacular plays a big part in this. people don’t speak like they write research papers. at least, i don’t. even as i write this, this is how i would be speaking if i were telling you all of this information in person rather than typing it out and posting it. i almost always write how i speak. it’s just the kind of language that flows most naturally to me. so, in my fics, i make sure to use slang words and abbreviations and whatnot because that is how i speak regularly and that is how other people around me speak as well.

when i say embellish, i sort of mean making them sound cooler than the people you know in real life. ain’t nobody who i speak to on a regular basis saying cool analogies and figurative language. that’s the part that i typically embellish. for example, jungkook in the underwear thief tells taehyung, “i’m gonna have to wash these again just because you put your blackhead-filled nose up to it.” now, i have never heard the phrase “blackhead-filled nose” uttered before in my life. but i made jungkook say it as an embellishment on his already realistic speaking patterns.

one thing that i was asked to include is how to vary action words after dialogue to make the story seem less “he said she said” and more professional. i’m guilty of doing the “he said she said” thing a bunch, which is apparently a big writing no-no, but jk rowling also has a habit of doing it so take from that what you will. generally, i like to stick to a couple of main action verbs that explain emotions like “furrowed brows” (represents confusion) or “sighs” (resignation) or “groans/complains” (annoyance). or, i’ll just go straight into an action verb that doesn’t have anything to do with speaking, like “smirks” or “rolls eyes” or something like that.

HOW I STAY MOTIVATED AND PRODUCTIVE

this is a misleading subtitle because i am, on a regular basis, neither motivated nor productive.

motivation and other elusive social concepts:

the only thing i can vouch for concerning motivation is that if you aren’t enjoying what you write, stop writing it. it’s that simple, really. i have a lot of wips that will die along with the end of the earth without anybody besides myself seeing them because i got to a point in the fic where i just wasn’t enjoying myself anymore. above everything else, when i write i want to be having fun. it’s a goddamn hobby and it shouldn’t be a chore. i find peace of mind when i write, and so i will continue to do it.

reading also helps a lot. i typically try to read, whether it be fic or an actual published novel, every single night. if i am reading something that i am especially enjoying or that i find just... genuinely outstanding, then i’m more inclined to want to work on my own thing because holy shit, that thing i just read was so good i want to do that.

productivity? never heard of her:

you may or may not be familiar with the fact that the majority of moving on was written between the hours of 12am to 7am the day it was going to be posted, with a 3 hour nap during that time period. don’t do that.

i try to write for at least an hour or two every night, but the key word here is try. if i’m particularly busy or just not feeling up to it, i won’t. it’s really no big deal. a lot of the times my productivity will go up and down like the wall street stocks with most of it occurring closer to the time i want the fic to be posted. on those days, i set myself mildly strict guidelines for writing time and try to get as much of it done as possible. i know that i can write about 1k an hour, but if i’m really in The Mood then i can write 1k in 30 minutes.

MY UNCONVENTIONAL (OR CONVENTIONAL) HABITS

i write best when it’s dark outside, and some of my finest work is produced roughly at 2am. i will listen to the same song over and over and over if it’s the only inspo i can find for a fic (i’m looking at you, moonlight melody). my writing spaces have to be neat, whether they be my desk or my bed. i always try to have water with me because stay hydrated, folks! i check my word count like every five minutes even if i haven’t written anything. if i’m not feeling inspired for a fic i will typically turn to tumblr to see if you guys can elicit some sort of inspo for the fic, either by asking you guys to ask me questions about my fic or working on a wips page. my word count estimates are either right on target or gross underestimates. i have a habit of repeating opening clauses for effect, typically three times right after each other.

ANSWERING YOUR QUESTIONS

hopefully most of the things you guys were looking for were already answered, but i did get some requests for more targeted answers. bear in mind, this is just how i would go about doing these things, so you can do whatever you want with this information!

how to structure sentences and make sure they’re the right length:

try to mix long sentences and short sentences together. a line of dialogue doesn’t need be accompanied by a big paragraph all the time. you can often just make a new paragraph right after the quote; you don’t even need an action verb. balance out your sentences. if you have a long paragraph with long sentences, make the next line a couple of words.

how to make a sfw fic interesting:

i’ve said it before and i’ll say it again: a fic does not need smut to be interesting. not everything needs to be sexual in nature. when you think about it, most books aren’t sexual in nature, and there are plenty of interesting ones out there. alongside the plot, what makes a story really interesting are the characters. see the character section above for how i try to keep my characters fun and lovable.

how to write smooth sentences/have flow:

one rule of thumb i always try to follow is to not have each new paragraph start with the same word. there are plenty of ways to start a new paragraph with a word other than “you” or “then” or “so” and it makes your writing interesting and diverse. to have flow, try to find cadence in your writing. a rhythm, perhaps. read your sentences back to yourself. it should flow smoothly on your tongue and the words should come to you naturally without any thinking at all. if you want to change topics, do so slowly. don’t try and pull 180 turns with your writing, it’s abrupt and unnecessary.

how to be detailed:

figurative language. that’s it. any type of figurative language. rhetorical devices work, too (here’s a great list). figurative language is the spice of writing. try to use metaphors, similes, analogies, and allusions that are relevant to the time period in which your story is set.

alongside this, try and think about everything that your character is doing during that scene or that dialogue, and not just their face. think about how the world is interacting with them. are they nursing a cup of coffee? tapping their feet? is the wind blowing their hair slightly? see your characters as people and not just faces.

how to title:

ugh, titles, my nemesis. i title all of my fics after i write them because when i’m finished with the fic, i’ve got a pretty good grasp as to where the story is headed and can name it accordingly. some tips for titling are to find those cool word blogs/sites and snatch up a word from there that seems to match or think of a common phrase/idiom/whatever that matches your fic and either use it or alter it slightly. quite honestly though, most of my titles come straight out of my ass.

HOW TO NAVIGATE THE BTS WRITING COMMUNITY

bear in mind that this is just how i have personally experienced the community while writing here on tumblr and that this is not representative of everyone’s experiences. also these are mostly just tips so you are under no obligation to take my advice or believe what i say!

if you are an sfw writer/uncomfortable with writing smut, cool. that’s cool. that is so cool because me too. i know that the pattern on tumblr is that nsfw fics get hella press and everyone else is left in the dust, and this may cause you to feel the need to include smut in your fic to gain notes but please, don’t. don’t do it. it’s not worth it because you should always 100% be comfortable with what you are writing. do not let other people determine your writing (unless you are writing something distasteful in which case um, maybe stop that?).

writing should not be a chore. do not let people on tumblr, whether they are your followers or not, pressure you into thinking/feeling otherwise. you are doing this for free. you are getting nothing in return except for notes on a social media website. you do not owe anybody anything.

there is no secret sauce for becoming a quote unquote “popular” blog. popularity is overrated anyway and quite frankly any decent human being on this website, even if they have 100k followers, will tell you the same thing. it’s all a hoax. write what you love and love what you write and people will find your blog. readers can tell when your heart isn’t in it. don’t let the numbers get to your head because they’re almost pointless.

be a nice person? people like nice people? it’s pretty self explanatory. here’s the thing. you don’t owe your followers anything but they don’t owe you anything either. don’t treat them as such. they aren’t less than you because you write and they do not. love and respect your followers because they will do the same to you.

HOW TO WRITE LIKE A WRITER

write. write write write write write. don’t stop. even if it takes you months, years to write. do it.

i hope this was helpful!! i could probably go on and on for a million years about each of my quirks and habits when it comes to writing, but i wanted to make sure that you guys finished reading this thing before the turn of the next century. i also have a tag on my blog called #writing tips where i answer some questions a little more specifically, though there may be some repeated information just because my process hasn’t changed all that much. as always, message me with feedback for this post or any additional questions you might have concerning my writing process or with some specific requests for writing tips!!!

#this is all over the place but at least she's finished !!!#writing tips #I RLLY HOPE THIS GAVE YOU GUYS A GOOD INSIGHT INTO MY WRITING ~PROCESS~#im a crapshoot i am well aware of this.

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suneatersupportsquad · 6 years

Text

hay bails

request :: could you do an imagine similar to Left Behind? It doesn’t have to be in the suicide forest but could it also be a pairing of colby & the reader?

pairing :: Colby Brock x reader

dedication :: anon

WARNINGS :: minor character injury, darkness, fear

note :: it’s 1am two days before i start school and i’m writing this on 4 doses of melatonin so if this sucks, i’m really sorry <3

find more fics at my new blog @trapboysbunny

It was November and the boys had decided to go back home to visit family for Thanksgiving. You and Colby had been together for a few months and he felt bad leaving you stuck home alone, so him and Sam decided to ask you to tag along. Colby figured it was about time that he had introduced you to his family anyways; he somehow found himself talking about you during every phone call with his parents and they were dying to meet you.

Thankfully, they ended up liking you as much as you had hoped. You and Colby spent the day with them, and Sam with his family, until the time you guys had all agreed to meet up. It was a little bit sketchy where the boys had decided to meet up, behind an lazy, faded Wendy’s on the edge of the woods. The light coming from the building was almost yellow and you shivered as you watched shadows pass through it. Now, you and Colby were just waiting for Sam to show up. It didn’t take long before his car pulled up and he stepped out.

You all exchanged greetings before heading into the woods. They were alive with sound at night, branches snapping and rocks tumbling down small hills past the edge of the trail. You heard the boys whispering to the camera, a few steps ahead of you. “Alright guys, tonight we’re going to be visiting an old, abandoned farm in our hometown. We’ve been thinking about this place for years, and tonight we finally have an opportunity to check it out.”

To be honest, you were a little bit freaked out. The possibility of there being a mountain lion or a wolf or, really, any other large creature that could be stalking you guys was a little too real for you. A twig snapped a few feet behind you and you jumped, accidentally bumping into Colby’s back. He turned and wrapped an arm securely around your shoulders. “You okay?”

You nodded, pressing your sweater paws to your face. “Yeah, just heard a branch break behind us a little bit. ‘M fine.”

Colby rubbed your shoulder reassuringly and peered behind you into the darkness, ignoring the camera Sam was pointing at the both of you. “It was probably just a possum. It’s fine.”

Not wanting to seem like an attention hog or a scaredy cat, you simply resigned to nodding solemnly and urging him to go back up the trail with Sam, which he did. After a while longer, you spoke up again. “Are we almost there yet?” you asked, hugging yourself as you stepped over fallen branches and between overgrown bushes of random weeds.

Colby hummed as confirmation, reaching back and squeezing your arm. “Yeah, baby. Almost there.”

You huffed but pushed onwards. This is a long walk, dude. We better not be lost.

As you came closer, which you assumed you were because Sam pulled out the camera and began to tell the urban legends about this place, the brush grew denser and the darkness almost seemed to thicken. Panicking a little bit, you reached forward and entwined your fingers with Colby’s. He simply squeezed your hand, rubbing patterns into the back of it with his thumb. “You’re okay. I won’t let anything happen to you,” he whispered as the building came into view.

It was an old, red barn, just like in the movies. The roofing was black, and the trim was white, with big, dark brown doors just waiting to be swung open. Now you understood why, even after all these years, the boys had wanted to explore it so badly. The barn seemed to be in good enough shape; from what Sam was saying, it had held up for a good few decades. It could surely hold up for a few more. You couldn’t really understand why it had been abandoned in the first place. Truthfully, none of you knew. You had asked Colby and his parents earlier that day and no one had any sort of clue as to why it may have been abandoned. The family that had lived there before had, apparently, been hermits because no one in town seemed to have known them, or at least remembered them.

You pushed aside the thoughts of the sketchy circumstances and followed the boys closer and closer to it. It was a just a building, you had convinced yourself. An abandoned building. In the middle of the woods. Miles and miles away from home. If something happened to the three of you out here, would anyone ever know?

You shook off the thoughts once again and entered through a busted window with the boys, Colby helping you down from the ledge. It was actually pretty cool inside, and way bigger than you had expected. There were stables and maintenance areas and lounges, and all kinds of other crazy rooms that you wouldn’t even think would be in a barn. The second floor was cute as well. If we’re being completely honest here, it kind of sparked the idea of having an open concept floor plan when you and Colby get a place of your own. Anyways, while one half of the barn was filled with stables and other rooms, the other half was filled with hay bails that almost reached the ceiling.

Exploring the more open part of the barn didn’t take long, and it didn’t seem to hold the boys’ interest for very long either since it was so empty so, after a good hour or so of poking around, you all decided to climb the hay bails and see if there was anything to do on top of them. Unfortunately, there wasn’t really anything interesting up there, so you all resorted to the next best thing: hay bail races.

Lining up at one end, Sam counted everyone down and you all sprinted across, trying to see who could make it the fastest without getting hurt or stuck. “3... 2... 1!” Sam counted before the three of you sprinted across. Something in the pit of your stomach told you this was a bad idea, but all you wanted to do was have fun with your boys. It didn’t bother you that it was pitch dark or that you were all running across old, probably unstable stacks of hay 20 feet tall. Besides, there was nothing else to do here and they were supposed to make a twenty minute video for their channel. Content is content. What could go wrong? you though before your foot caught in a gap between two hay bails, and you went down.

You yelped as you felt something in your hip stretch a little too far, sinking down between the hay bails to mid-thigh level. You tried to even out your breathing a little and calm yourself down before doing anything else. You won’t be any help if you’re a mess Y/N. After a few moments of deep inhalation, your breathing pattern evened out, but your hip began to tingle with a burning sensation. And suddenly you heard their voices.

“Where did Y/N go?” you heard Colby ask as he shined his flashlight over the hay bails, which surprisingly had given you all a lot of running room.

“Here,” you said through gritted teeth. Once you had caught their attention, they came running towards you. “Maybe you shouldn’t do that.”

“What?”

“Run,” you said. “That’s what I was doing and...”

“Are you okay, or are you just stuck?” Colby asked, kneeling beside you.

“I - my hip hurts a lot. I think I pulled something. Also, I don’t want you so close to this. Back up. This could cave in or something.”

“Are you okay for me to get you out, or do we need to call for help?”

You looked up at him warily, then at Sam, who still held the camera. “Are we gonna get arrested if you call for help?”

Colby nodded on his bottom lip contemplatively. “Maybe, I’m not sure.”

You rolled your eyes. “Just get me the hell out of here. I don’t want strangers lifting me out of a hay bail.”

Sam and Colby nodded, each taking one arm and heaving you out. You hissed at the pain, a burning stripe shooting down your leg and up your side. “You think you can walk?” someone asked, you weren’t sure who. At the moment, all you knew was that you were tired and in pain.

You shook your head no and let one of them - probably Colby - heave you up into his arms. You were all a little sad that this adventure had to end early, but your boys would rather have you healthy than hurt. “I have an idea,” Colby blurted randomly, shaking his head as he carried you to the parking lot of the lazy Wendy’s on the edge of the woods, Sam trailing not far behind as he gave a recap of everything that had happened. “Let’s not to that again.”

You chuckled fondly, leaning your head against his shoulder. “I agree.”

#minor character injury #darkness #fear #Sam and Colby #colby brock #colby brock imagine #colby x reader #colby brock fanfic

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