#I’ve been tinkering with this post for two weeks and at first it was like four paragraphs

[notyourdaisybuchanan]

I just think it's special that Rooster and Hangman have kind of equal and parallel journeys in terms of character + flying development over the course of the film. What I mean is that their big individual triumphant moments in the narrative use their piloting choices to reflect emotional development. The film shows us from the start that they each have a Big Flaw--and the finale shows them overcoming these flaws.

Not only that, but the narrative uses their dynamic to introduce these individual shortcomings to us, the audience. Their first on screen conversation with each other is how we learn about their Big Flaws in the first place. Because of their relationship and the way they interact, we know how Rooster and Hangman are going to fly before we ever see them in the air.

For Rooster, it's "snug on that perch, waiting for just the right moment...that never comes.” We hear this over and over again, from both Hangman and Maverick–"Now you got it, don't think, just do." "Rooster, you got him, drop down and take the shot!" "Too late, had your chance.” "...same old Rooster." "You're not. flying. fast enough. You don't have a second to waste." This is Rooster’s Big Flaw–he doesn’t trust himself. He flies too slow, and he’s too careful, too hesitant in moments when he needs to believe in his abilities and let instinct take over. This is what Maverick and Hangman are trying to pound into his head the whoooole time. 

And then he’s on the mission, and Fanboy’s laser doesn’t work. And instead of waiting, well: "There's no time, I'm dropping blind." "Bullseye bullseye bullseye!"

This moment is HUGE for him. Fanboy is literally telling him to wait so he can line it up, and maybe a prior Rooster would have done that, but this Rooster has finally learned that he gets one chance and he has to take the shot that's in front of him. [Cue Hangman cheering.] The decision he makes as a pilot in this moment shows that he's learned what Maverick and Hangman were trying to teach him and that he's grown emotionally. He's more sure of himself now–he was always capable of taking the shot, but now he actually trusts himself to do it.

And then we have Hangman, Bagman, Mr. "Where's he going?" "That's why we call him Hangman, he'll always hang you out to dry." "Leaving your wingman, there's a strategy I haven't seen in a while." He's not a good team player; he flies solo both literally and metaphorically. We hear this over and over again, especially from Rooster–"Watch your back, Phoenix." "You put your team in danger and your wingman's dead." Hangman’s response? “They couldn't keep up." (And I can't stop thinking about "Hangman, the only place you'll lead anyone is an early grave." There's so much history there, and so much belief from Rooster that Hangman is Not a person to depend on in a moment of crisis.)

But then, Hangman’s ultimate moment of triumph is that he refuses to leave Maverick and Rooster hanging, that he is the one person who has their backs in a moment of crisis. We see exactly how concerned he is while waiting on the carrier, and we see him ASK to go engage in the fight to fly cover for his squad when the bandits aren’t even attacking anyone yet!! Like I could seriously cry about "Dagger spare, request permission to launch and fly air cover." Because he is specifically asking so that Rooster can go back and get Mav, something that we know is completely at odds with his Big Flaw. And then we see him presumably disobey orders to show up and save Maverick and Rooster's lives anyway. He learned from Maverick and Rooster–he's part of a team now, those are his wingmen out there, and he's not leaving them behind. 

So the film uses their big triumphant moments in the air to show Rooster and Hangman overcoming their respective flaws. It’s part of what makes the action of the finale so fucking good, because while yes, it is very satisfying action on its own, it’s also rooted in their character development. We’re not just happy that Rooster made the shot, we’re happy because Rooster making the shot means something about him. We’re happy that Hangman is the one to come through for Rooster and Mav because that means something about him and his growth.

The most iconic part is that the traits they each needed to adopt belonged to the other. Rooster is set up from the start as the pilot who won’t leave his wingman, even when it’s gonna cost him–“Should be us down there.” “But it’s not. And now you know a little something about Rooster.” This is the exact thing Hangman struggles with, and it’s what he overcomes to have his moment of triumph. Meanwhile Hangman is set up as the one who flies by instinct–”Yeah, you’re good, I’ll give you that.” He flies fast, he doesn’t overthink, and above all, he trusts himself as a pilot. This is the exact thing Rooster struggles with, and it’s what he has to overcome to have his moment of triumph. 

The fact that the two of them have parallel arcs like this? The fact that they both learn to be better, more complete pilots by adopting the strength that comes naturally to the other?

I just think that's beautiful.

[therealgchu]

WIP Wednesday - Surprise To the Shore Snippet!

late post for the day. woke up with a killer migraine, but still went to work. went home when i realized that looking at anything for longer than 5 seconds caused vertigo. came home. so, only been up and at it since 2:30.

i finished the next chapter in To the Shore! but, it won't be published friday, as friday is my 23rd wedding anniversary, and me and the husband are off on a little jaunt. this is the first time we're doing something like this. i'm terribly excited <3. i'll publish it on sunday.

so, today you'll get a sneak peek from the next chapter.

ok, enough of the numbered list. tagging the coemancer crew, as always. you peeps are the best!

branes are funny. Seven Days was begging to be written, and i have about 2/3rds of it done. and, something about working that made some things clearer for To the Shore.

if you want to read the whole thing, it's here on ao3.

if you want to check out Seven Days, it's also here on ao3.

sneak peek incoming!

It took about a week of intermittent work to get the camera in working order. Sam and Barrett helped set up a dark room in the basement of the Lodge, clearing out the spare storage room. Once the work was done, Cora started photographing everything and anything she could find. Walter, once again, was instrumental in assisting her new hobby, as he was her source for acquiring film. He felt it was a good investment as it “recorded Constellation’s endeavors for posterity.”

She had a good eye for composition, but it was quite the learning curve to understand the mechanics of things like aperture speed, film grain, and lenses. And, there was both a craft and an art to developing the film. It was a couple weeks before decent enough photos were produced, for which Cora showed off proudly to the members.

The first batch she showed to her dad, especially one photo of which she was particularly proud of, and thought he’d like. It was of him and Hwa aboard the Razorleaf, with Hwa holding onto his arm and laughing. 

“Oh, gum drop,” Sam said, a little choked up, “this is beautiful. My mom used to show me pictures like this. Can I have this?” he asked. 

“Of course. I can always make a copy from the negative.”

“Thank you so much,” he whispered to Cora, and hugged her tightly. He let her go, sniffled, and wiped his nose. “I want to get this framed. Have you shown this to Hwa yet?”

“No, I thought you’d like to show it to her.”

Sam smiled widely, “That I would. This is the best gift I think I’ve ever received.” He gave Cora another hug. “Do you know where Hwa is? Is she in her room?”

“No, last I saw her, she was downstairs working on her armor.”

Sam headed down the stairs, two steps at a time, and found Hwa was tinkering with the Mantis helmet, head down and goggles on, soldering servos. He walked over and put his arm around her waist when she stood up. Hwa jumped a little, but calmed when she felt him kiss her neck. “Cora’s first batch of photos are done. I wanted to show this one to you,” he said, and handed her the photograph.

She briefly glanced at it. Her body went rigid and her breathing stopped. She stared at it a couple more seconds, then dropped the picture. She removed his arm from her waist. and without a word, left the basement, leaving Sam flabbergasted.

It took him several seconds to register what happened, it was so unexpected. He picked up the photo and stared at it, trying to see what had affected Hwa negatively. It was just a photo of them on the Razorleaf. He thought he looked kinda goofy, as he was grinning from ear to ear, probably told some terrible dad joke that Hwa loved so much. And, indeed, she was laughing hard, hanging off his arm. There was nothing else in the photo.

He walked back up to see if Hwa went to her room. Finding it empty, he checked the rest of the Lodge. No Hwa. He paused for a minute, and thought about where she would be. He headed to the Waterfall Promenade.

[aspl1tl1fe]

Setting Up Audre 2.4

Moving on from the Sunflower Fresh Market and out of the blue building to the brick structure nestled in the middle of the Franklin Market public strip. 

This is where I’ve placed my Nectar Shop and Fromagore, which I’m hoping will eventually get a name, lol. I am thinking once I have a better idea of who all lives in Audre, and thus who will work/own this place something will come to me. However, I’m also open to suggestions.

So when I was taking a look at this world and kind of creating a mental build map, I wasn’t really sure what this section of the lot would be. I just knew I wanted tables in front of those large windows, so some kind of food/drink related establishment.

I don’t recall what exactly lead me to make this nectar focused as oppose to a café or diner, and even as I was working inside, I questioned if I should make it a different venue. I’m guessing as I imagined the courtship of my self sim and love interest, I also thought of date activities. Despite the fact that I don’t and have never drank, and have never really been (aside childhood trips) to any alcohol focused establishment, I imagine having listened to enough people talk about sampling wines or going to Napa Valley, plus well the nectar maker, made having a nectary in Audre seem natural. For me, I suppose, it also made sense for it to be near my grocer and bakery, although I can’t say the same for it being beside a pet shop, lol.

Here are some shots from just inside the front door:

The decision to also make this a Fromagore came as I was completing the first level. I was placing decorative items, and couldn’t figure out what to put in that spot beside the door. Around the time when I was trying to think of what goes with wine in real life I was catching posts on my dash of people tinkering with food processor that goes with @anitmb​’s hunting mod so that it could produce cheese. Then I went, duh, cheese, then patrons not only have the option of sampling, buying and making nectar but making and buying cheese as a part of the venue’s experience.

Here’s a shot of the sale’s floor from behind and then beside the register.

Those red shelves are custom wine racks. I found them way back a little after when talking about how shocked I was that there were very few cc racks online. I can’t remember who created these, but I am grateful to have a modern alternative. Clearly, like the food selves in my previous renos, the racks are bare, as I have not stocked them yet. 

Through the archway is a small sitting room, where guest can sit and enjoy nectar, cheese, and a good book. 

I imagined this place would throw seasonal events, that encouraged large crowds to sample wine and cheese. That it would also allow groups to rent the place out for more private sampling events, and in between these, regulars might use the siting area to have a glass of nectar and some cheese while on a date or enjoying some solitary time while reading a book.

That couch ended up here simply because I downloaded it sometime ago, but never used it. I didn’t know that it’s limited in how it could be recolored, but managed to make it work well enough to go along with the atmosphere.

I’m not entirely sure I’ll keep the walls in the sitting room, or if I will replace them. At the time I moved on to work on something else I was satisfied. As I look at these images now, however, I don’t like the combination of the molding with that arch, and the arch is definitely staying, lol.

I think I will end with this shot of the sales area from the sitting room:

This reno is a two level shop. I think I have enough pictures of the basement to fill their own post.

More to come next week!

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

I just posted a tweet from a writer who had only two people show up to their reading. Tons of writers, some of them very well known, responded with similar stories. I've had my own experience of that as the writer with the tiny audience, but it reminded me of the time in 1990 when I was an audience of one and the amazing person gave the workshop anyway and it changed my life and generated books and a friendship that still flourishes, and thank you Bob Fulkerson, who was the giver that day. Here's an essay/chapter of Hope in the Dark about the impact of that first meeting with Bob, the faith of writers, the mystery of how it all unfolds, and other related things. Happily this chapter begins with another dear friend who I had no idea was going to become the great writer he is now recognized as.... ON THE INDIRECTNESS OF DIRECT ACTION A friend, Jaime Cortez, tells me I should consider the difference between hope and faith. Hope, he says, can be based on the evidence, on the track record of what might be possible—and in this book I’ve been trying to shift what the track record might be. But faith endures even when there’s no way to imagine winning in the foreseeable future; faith is more mystical. Jaime sees the American left as pretty devoid of faith and connects faith to what it takes to change things in the long term, beyond what you might live to see or benefit from. I argue that what was once the left is now so full of anomalies—of indigenous intellectuals and Catholic pacifists and the like—that maybe we have faith, some of us. Activism isn’t reliable. It isn’t fast. It isn’t direct either, most of the time, even though the term direct action is used for that confrontation in the streets, those encounters involving lawbreaking and civil disobedience. It may be because activists move like armies through the streets that people imagine effects as direct as armies, but an army assaults the physical world and takes physical possession of it; activists reclaim the streets and occasionally seize a Bastille or topple a Berlin Wall, but the terrain of their action is usually immaterial, the realm of the symbolic, political discourse, collective imagination. They enter the conversation forcefully, but it remains a conversation. Every act is an act of faith, because you don’t know what will happen. You just hope and employ whatever wisdom and experience seems most likely to get you there. I believe all this because I’ve lived it, and I’ve lived it because I’m a writer. For twenty years I have sat alone at a desk tinkering with sentences and then sending them out, and for most of my literary life the difference between throwing something in the trash and publishing it was imperceptible, but in the past several years the work has started coming back to me, or the readers have. Musicians and dancers face their audience and visual artists can spy on them, but reading is mostly as private as writing. Writing is lonely, it’s an intimate talk with the dead, with the unborn, with the absent, with strangers, with the readers who may never come to be and who even if they read you will do so weeks, years, decades later. An essay, a book, is one statement in a long conversation you could call culture or history; you are answering something or questioning something that may have fallen silent long ago, and the response to your words may come long after you’re gone and never reach your ears, if anyone hears you in the first place. After all, this is how it’s been for so many books that count, books that didn’t shake the world when they first appeared but blossomed later. This is a model for how indirect effect can be, how delayed, how invisible; no one is more hopeful than a writer, no one is a bigger gambler. Thoreau’s 1849 essay “Civil Disobedience” finally found its readers in the twentieth century when it was put into practice as part of the movements that changed the world (Thoreau’s voice was little heard in his time, but it echoed across the continent in the 1960s and has not left us since. Emily Dickinson, Walt Whitman, Walter Benjamin, and Arthur Rimbaud, like Thoreau, achieved their greatest impact long after their deaths, long after weeds had grown over the graves of most of the bestsellers of their lifetimes.) You write your books. You scatter your seeds. Rats might eat them, or they might rot. In California, some seeds lie dormant for decades because they only germinate after fire, and sometimes the burned landscape blooms most lavishly. Thought becomes action becomes the order of things, but no straight road takes you there. Nobody can know the full consequences of their actions, and history is full of small acts that changed the world in surprising ways. I was one of thousands of activists at the Nevada Test Site in the late 1980s, an important, forgotten history still unfolding out there where the United States and Great Britain have exploded more than a thousand nuclear bombs with disastrous effects on the environment and human health (and where the Bush administration would like to resume testing, thereby tearing up the last shreds of the unratified Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty). Some of the largest acts of civil disobedience in American history were committed when we would walk into the place to be arrested as trespassers, thousands in a day. There too, as in peace marches, just walking became a form of political speech, one whose directness was a delight after all the usual avenues of politicking: sitting in front of computers, going to meetings, making phone calls, dealing with money. Among the throng arrested were Quakers, Buddhists, Shoshone, Mormons, pagans, anarchists, veterans, and physicists. We would barely make the news in the United States. But we were visible on the other side of the world. Our acts inspired the Kazakh poet Olzhas Suleimenov on February 27, 1989, to read a manifesto instead of poetry on live Kazakh TV, a manifesto demanding a shutdown of the Soviet test site in Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan, and to call a meeting. Five thousand Kazakhs gathered at the writers’ union the next day and formed a movement that shut down the nuclear test site. They named themselves the Nevada-Semipalatinsk Antinuclear Movement, and they acted in concert with us. Us by that time included the Western Shoshone who had come to endorse our actions and point out that we and the United States government were on their land; the Kazakhs identified with these indigenous people. Anyway, the Soviet test site was shut down. The catalyst was Suleimenov, and though we in Nevada were his inspiration, what gave him his platform was his poetry in a country that loves poets. There’s a wonderful parable by Jorge Luis Borges. In the last years of the thirteenth century, God tells a leopard in a cage, “You live and will die in this prison so that a man I know of may see you a certain number of times and not forget you and place your figure and symbol in a poem which has its precise place in the scheme of the universe. You suffer captivity, but you will have given a word to the poem.” The poem is the Divine Comedy; the man who sees the leopard is Dante. Perhaps Suleimenov wrote all his poems so that one day he could stand up in front of a TV camera and deliver not a poem but a manifesto. And Arundhati Roy wrote a ravishing novel, The God of Small Things, that catapulted her to international stardom, perhaps so that when she stood up to oppose dams and corporations and corruption and the destruction of the local, people would notice. Or perhaps they opposed the ravaging of the earth so that poetry too would survive in the world. A couple of years ago, a friend wrote me to urge me to focus on the lyrical end of my writing rather than activism and I wrote back, “What is the purpose of resisting corporate globalization if not to protect the obscure, the ineffable, the unmarketable, the unmanageable, the local, the poetic, and the eccentric? So they need to be practiced, celebrated, and studied too, right now.” I could have added that these acts themselves become forms of resistance; the two are not necessarily separate practices. All those years that I went to the Nevada Test Site to oppose nuclear testing, the experience was also about camping in the desert, about the beauty of the light and the grandeur of the space, about friendship and discovery. The place gave me far more than I could ever give it. Resistance is usually portrayed as a duty, but it can be a pleasure, an education, a revelation. The year after the birth of the Nevada-Semipalatinsk Antinuclear Movement, when some of its members were already with us at the peace camp next to the Nevada Test Site, I was the only one who attended a workshop there on Nevada and the military. The man giving it was visibly disappointed but gave it splendidly for me alone. As we sat in the rocks and dust and creosote bush of the deep desert on a sunny day, the great Nevada organizer Bob Fulkerson taught me that the atrocities of nuclear testing were not unique in that state with a fifth of all the military land in the country and invited me to travel into its remote reaches. He is still a cherished friend of mine and still the executive director of a coalition he founded a few years later, the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada (PLAN), the most potent statewide group of its kind, bringing together environmental, labor, and human rights groups. What came of Bob’s invitation changed my life and had much to do with my book Savage Dreams, the first half of which is about the Test Site and the strands of its history wrapped around the world, and before there was the book there was an essay version of what the Test Site and Bob taught me that appeared in a magazine with circulation of about half a million. A few years ago I went back to the Test Site for another spring action, and there I met several students from Evergreen College in Washington who had decided to come down because they had been reading Savage Dreams in class. If you’re lucky, you carry a torch into that dark of Virginia Woolf’s, and if you’re really lucky you’ll sometimes see to whom you’ve passed it, as I did on that day (and if you’re polite, you’ll remember who handed it to you). I don’t know if the Evergreen kids have become great activists or died in a car crash on the way home, but I know that for them I was a leopard prompting a word or two of the poem of their own lives, as Bob was for me. Borges’s parable continues. On his deathbed, Dante is told by God what the secret purpose of his life and work was. “Dante, in wonderment, knew at last who and what he was and blessed the bitterness of his life.” One day in Auschwitz, the writer Primo Levi recited a canto of Dante’s Inferno to a companion, and the poem about hell reached out from six hundred years before to roll back Levi’s despair and his dehumanization. It was the canto about Ulysses, and though it ends tragically, it contains the lines “You were not made to live like animals But to pursue virtue and know the world,” which he recited and translated to the man walking with him. Levi lived, and wrote marvelous books of his own, poetry after Auschwitz in the most literal sense. In 1940, in his last letter to a friend before his death, the incomparable, uncategorizable German-Jewish essayist and theorist Walter Benjamin wrote, “Every line we succeed in publishing today—no matter how uncertain the future to which we entrust it—is a victory wrenched from the powers of darkness.”

[many thanks to Rebecca Solnit]

[h-worksrambles]

Xenoblade Chronicles 2: I wanna talk about Tora

With the release of Xenoblade Chronicles 3 less than two weeks away, I’ve been thinking a lot about Xenoblade and the Xeno series in general. And I wanted to use this time to talk about a thought I’ve had for a long time about Xenoblade Chronicles 2 specifically. That being, the one character in the main party who had severe missed potential, the Nopon inventor, Tora.

Now, before I go on, I want to pre-emptively state something. I love Xenoblade Chronicles 2. It’s one of my favourite games on Switch and I go back and forth between it and Xenosaga Episode III as my second favourite game in the whole Xeno series. Furthermore, it has overall my favourite cast of characters in the franchise. It’s full of likable, complex figures with great chemistry. But no game is perfect, and even a wonderfully realised title is going to have missed opportunities. I know how much flack 2 gets from portions of the fanbase and I don’t want this post to either become a rallying point for bad faith criticism, or for fans of the game to feel like their game is gettting still more unneccesary hate. Plus, much like the last time I did one these character critiques/rewrites, I must remind you that writing from scratch is incredibly hard, and me playing script doctor after the fact is not me claiming to be a better writer than the people who worked on the game. Everything I say comes from a place of love for this title. But I think Tora is the victim of several missed chances and poor writing choices that result in him being the weakest member of the party by a long shot, probably the only one I dislike. And I wanted to talk about how he might have been improved. Also full spoilers for Xenoblade 2 naturally.

Tora enters the story in Chapter 2 when he shelters Rex and Pyra from Ardanian soldiers. Tora is a Nopon mechanic who lacks the aptitude to resonate with a Core Crystal and become a Driver. Becuse of this, he and his family have been working for generations to build an artificial Blade, one that can resonate with anyone, regardless of potential. This Blade is the android girl, Poppi. Tora and Poppi befriend Rex and Pyra and join them on their search for Elysium, as Tora hopes to one day find his father, who vanished several years ago.

There’s a lot about Tora’s character that does actually work. Tora is very different from previous Nopon party members. Unlike the deceptively mature Riki or the outspoken, sometimes cocky, Tatsu, Tora is an introvert who spends most of his time tinkering in his home. He doesn’t have much in the way of friends or a social life and latches on to Rex very quickly. To him, Rex, this ordinary kid who became a hero by wielding the legendary Aegis, is exactly what he wishes he could be, and he respects him greatly. He’s basically a nerdy shut-in orphan learning to get out and make friends, all while fulfilling his dream of being a real Driver.

Unfortunately, whille Tora is pretty well established as a character, between a lot of ideas not being fully explored with him, and poorly executed comedy that actively makes him less likable, he falls short compared to the rest of the characters. I think the first step to fixing Tora is pretty obvious to anyone who’s played the game: We’re taking any of the ‘jokes’ about him being into maids or moe, and we’re throwing them out of the window. I was gonna talk more at length at this, but frankly I believe it’s self explanatory. The last thing we needed was to make this character into Mineta 2.0. Stuff like this casts really ugly implications on to Tora and Poppi’s relationship, which we need to buy into for this character to work. But it comes up in Poppi’s very first scene and makes an awful first impression, especially considering Poppi goes on to be arguably one of the best characters. And it’s not like it’s in service of any character arc. Whenever it comes up in cutscenes or heart to hearts, it only amounts to ‘Tora does/implies something creepy, the other characters get annoyed, but he gets off with just a slap on the wrist’. I think a lot less people would deride Xenoblade 2 for being ‘too anime’ if it didn’t pull stunts like this. Not funny. Never funny. Always gross. Stop it. The other issue is that Tora is relatively tangential to the story, with his only big moment of relevance being Chapter Four. Problem is, Chapter Four...kind of sucks. It’s a filler episode full of half explored ideas, cringy jokes, and the worst dungeon in the game by far (Screw you, Old Factory).

This is where that plot about Tora’s missing dad gets resolved. When the party is in Mor Ardain, they find another artifical Blade, who Tora recognises as Lila, Poppi’s prototype, who was stolen the same night Tora’s father, Tatazo, vanished. It turns out that Tatazo was kidnapped by a group of Nopon, led by Charmain Bana, who wanted to use his research to create weapons of war to sell to the already tense countries of Mor Ardain and Uraya, lining their pockets as the people of these Titans go to war.

I think this is a great idea to introduce to Tora’s character. Tora and his family designed Poppi with the best of intentions shut up that other thing isn’t canon in my version. They wanted to become Drivers, and to allow even those like them who lacked the aptitude to do the same. But now that same technology is being used by selfish people as a tool for war. And it gets worse, because by Chapter Six, Torna are using that same technology against the party. Tora’s family legacy is now being used by a group of murderers who want to destroy the world and kill his friends. This could have been used to make the young, naive Tora reflect on his part in this, since he and his family effectively opened the door to allow them all to do this. Heck, we could have even seen him wonder if it was even right to create Poppi at all. But he doesn’t. Tora gets briefly mad at Bana but otherwise never brings it up again , nor does his outlook or attitude change at all. Sure Poppi gets a power up, and this is actually a great moment for her. But this is supposed to be the resolution of Tora’s character arc and he doesn’t do or say anything meaningful. Plus, after this he fades into the background, only providing unfunny otaku jokes. Sure, Mòrag and Zeke also kind of fade in and out of relevance, but at least their dialogue and actions in major story scenes subtly show new or changing aspects of their characters as the story progresses. I can’t say the same for Tora.  The thing is, we do get hints of this theme...in Poppi’s arc. In Chapter Eight, Poppi reflects on her nature as a living weapon, on what her technology could be used for down the line, with or without her say in the matter. And this is something Mythra is able to empathise with, having spent centuries being afraid of her own power, and wondering if the world would be better off without her. It’s a wonderful scene for both characters. But I can’t help but think this should have been an ongoing concern for both Tora and Poppi’s characters for most of the game, rather than just bringing it up now with just Poppi. It could have given Chapter Four more weight if its events had more of an impact on Tora, and if Poppi picked up on Tora’s own doubts, before she voices them to Mythra.

You could even have given more substance to the PoppiQTπ sidequest. Maybe make this scene the resolution to this arc as Tora, now reunited with his father, talks through his worries with him, as they work on upgrading Poppi, if he’s ok with knowing that people could use their research for evil, only for Tatazo to sadly explain that that’s the sad reality of being a pioneer. You can’t predict what your discovery could one day result in, and it’s up to Tora to decide if he’s willing to press on despite that. Then after QTπ is complete, we could see Tora and the now almost fully sentient Poppi, discuss this, reaffirming that Tora’s proud of Poppi, that he’s glad they met, and that they both still want to be Driver and Blade knowing the risks. I actually like the subtle detail that PoppiQTπ looks a lot like Mythra. It’s a great subtle expression both of how far Tora’s skills as an inventor have come, and of his admiration of Rex. He’s built a mini-Aegis so he can be like his hero. But I think this side quest could have been a much stronger conclusion to Tora’s character arc if the writers cut the cringy humour, and went all the way with the themes and ideas they set up.  

Truthfully, I didn’t need to change much because the ideas for Tora’s character arc are all there. What it lacks, is any real response from Tora that suggests the game’s story has impacted him in any way. But in the actual game, he feels like the exact same character he was when the game started, and compared to how much growth the various heroes and villains of Xenoblade 2 go through, he sticks out like a sore thumb.

Tora had the potential to be a really sympathetic and interesting character, a lonely boy genius who made a huge step in his scientific field, who gets to see the world with his new friends, but also has to come to terms with the ugly realities of not just the world at large, but his own creation. Unfortunately, the writing doesn’t commit to the ideas it introduces with his character, and drags him down with misguided attempts at humour, that cause many players to dismiss him outright. At best, he’s an accessory to Poppi, who is a far better developed and more likable character. The result is a huge wasted opportunity in an otherwise splendid game. And that’s a real shame.

[circa-specturgia]

It's Blorbo BLURSDAY.

(SORRY I didn't send any WBW this week, the new blog has me WORKIN so you get blorbo Blursday instead 🤣!)

Tell me more about one of your characters! Was there a side character that slowly became a main character? Perhaps the more you thought about them, the more you wanted to explore them in the world? If not then one character that you haven't thought much about recently but know will play a huge role? 👀

@bloodlessheirbyjacques (: ✨❤️

Happy Blorbo Blursday!!! (I’m surprised that we didn’t have an OC-dedicated day yet, to be entirely honest, with how established TSS and WBW are! So I’m glad we’ve finally got one!)

Thank you for the ask @bloodlessheirbyjacques I’ll try and answer all the questions best I can! ✨

Was there a side character that slowly became a main character? Perhaps the more you thought about them the more you wanted to explore them in your world?

I don’t recall any character who started off as side characters, though I admit the line of side character/supporting character/main character is a bit fuzzy for me as I’ve changed my thoughts on narration several times, and hope to explore each character more in depth than simply through the eyes of the “protagonist”, so I can’t say I’ve had any characters like that, though I do have two things that I can mention!

One is a character that, as opposed to the others, was a newer addition, still a very old idea but maybe added a year after the first group, whom I’ll talk about in he next question, and the second would be a character which I initially liked but ended up scrapping after a while and recycling some parts into a new character. They were a shapeshifting water bender type, with a very loud disposition, though I can’t recall any more details as my notes from then are totally lost when I lost my notes document from that time.

If not then one character you haven’t thought about recently but know will play a huge role?

One of the main cast, a character I mentioned in an earlier post and the one I mentioned above as a (technically?) newer addition would be Tamara Mkaroti Leonhardt-Arrentio. (If that middle name is in any way familiar from a previous post, you’re right, and I’ll get to that!)

I admit the details of how I came up with her are fuzzy in my head, as with most of the main cast, which have been seriously changed but originally created a LONG time ago.

She’s the older sister of Alix, daughter of the current king of Ahætiem, Ivo Leonhardt-Arrentio, and one of the brightest minds (adding an ‘of her generation’ to that statement would be a disservice as she’s plenty smarter than lots of people from generations before her too).

She decided not to inherit the throne out of preference, with that duty falling to her younger sibling, Alix, not particularly being one to enjoy people, gatherings, or politics, and much more enjoying tinkering and drawing designs of mechanisms, even from an early age, taking apart any small toy or trinket she could get her hands on, laying out the parts, sketching them, and putting them back together, sometimes attempting to combine them into new arrangements.

Upon completing studies at the schools and with tutors, she decided to travel, and learn more, picking up forge-work, blacksmithing, metalworking, and several other crafts, including those of engineering. In her travels she also learned of the achievements of Vayana Mkaroti, the Weavemother, progenitor of Weaving, and took up her name as her own middlename, as is Ahætieman custom to honor those whom works or deeds inspire a person.

Since then, she’s studied Mkaroti’s works, as well as those of scholars who came after her, and found a niche in the two areas: Specturgic Technology! Atzwerter engines, Aurecim engines, ways to apply matrixes into mechanical machines, all this is her lifeblood, constantly having new ideas and sketching them out, or working on a model, or proof-of-concept.

I admit I don’t have many exact ideas on her position in the plot as I’m reworking it currently as have only maybe 1/3 of the first part concrete, but I do know she’ll have a killer rifle she designed and constructed herself, engraved on her own as well. Oh, and with custom bullets of catalytic metals, and imbued with particular strings giving them unique capabilities. Aka, fire, ice, wind, “heavy” bullets, all possible.

Hope this answered some of your thoughts! ✨

Taglist! ✨ @bloodlessheirbyjacques @magefaery @athenswrites @writingonesdreams Let me know if you want to be added! ✨

[demcnsinmymind]

First Christmas after getting out tldr: he instantly tried to find his mom, a Christmas lover

In canon, Lance’s mom came across as a very lovely and kind woman, even with her illness. Before it, she was an even sweeter woman and I headcanon he just utterly adored his mom. I’ve made several headcanon posts about that relationship before but can’t help but repeat it here again: before canon, she was the only person he had no trouble openly caring about and showing that he cared about her. Maybe the way he showed that wasn’t quite as deep as some other children can be with their mom/parents, but it was pretty genuine and thoughtful for his standards. Just bringing her flowers every once in a while for no reason whatsoever, also bringing along a small and seemingly random trinket from his travels for work. Be that a mug, or a pin, or a hat, or a nice jacket or whatever, just a little something to give her to let her know that he thought of her while out and about.

Anyway, I headcanon that his mom is/was a huge Christmas fan. The type of person to decorate the whole house, collect tiny santas and reindeer and stuffed things, the type to knit and paint and tinker and craft, the type to make tea and cookies for everyone and whatnot, just a sweet sweet woman all the way through. And because Lance cared about her so much even if it might’ve not been super obvious a lot of times, he absolutely did wear the ugly Christmas sweaters and hats and mittens she made for him while coming over to Seattle on Christmas, complaining a little less about it just because he wanted to make her happy.

Then canon happened of course, he disappeared, her illness got worse and worse, and with him gone and having been her only child, Delia was put in a full time care facility around 2012. I headcanon he got out of Collingwood in August 2016, then ran from Danvers state hospital in November the same year, and it took him a couple of weeks of not just somewhat adjusting to the outside world, but also getting back to Washington because just like he said in canon - he just wanted to go back home. Naturally, he found his childhood home sold and with his mom no longer living there, and it took him even longer to track her down, and he achieved that with the help of Azzy. Since I headcanon as a huge part of the deal he made with it, one big aspect of it was that if he allowed it inside, it in return would get him back home and back to his family. So that’s a promise it actually delivered on by getting the info out of people through questionable means, but Lance got his mom’s location and decided to go visit her on Christmas Eve, her favorite holiday.

He thought of it as frustratingly cliché and almost cynical given his history and context, like straight out of a bad lifetime movie, but this wasn’t even really about him anymore, it was also about her, because by December 2016 he knew that she hadn’t seen him for 13 years and probably thought him to be dead. After a lot of sneaking around and trickery and naturally, a whole truckload of panic attacks all thanks to having to be inside a care facility that resembled as hospital (with Azzy having a field day over this), Lance ended up finding his mom and reunited with her, and it was both a fullfilling, yet at the same time heartbreaking little moment in time. With her dementia having progressed severely, she of course was no longer the woman he once knew, and she was barely there for the most part. Only the occasional brief moment or two where she almost recognized him though even then, she thankfully didn’t really understand or remember the fact that he’d been missing for over 13 years. And in the brief moments where she did recognize him as her sweet boy, there were some cheek touches and of course, a lot of tears for so many different reasons.

Lance spent maybe an hour or two with her there and Azzy certainly delivered on its promise and part of the bargain, helping with the remembrance bits by doing similar things to her brain for short amounts of time like it is doing at all times with Lance’s brain (keeping it in a sort of state extracted/suspended from its actual current time, just weird time/space distortion mumbo-jumbo where it’s like it’s been before the lobotomy/dementia), but of course, since it is a chaotic parasitic entity, it’s not exactly doing it out of the goodness of its nonexistent heart, or just because of the deal and its attachement to Lance, but mainly because each time Delia’s memories and mind are slipping away again, there’s another wave of emotional turmoil and pain in him, and naturally, that is its main food supply.

Anyway, visiting his mom on that first Christmas after getting out helped Lance a lot with coming to terms with his new life post canon, no matter how painful and definite it was to see his mom so much older and so severely deteriorated. But that first visit to her, one of the most important people in his life, and the fact that Azzy ended up delivering on its promises to him (unlike Nyarly before it) is one of the reasons why it’s a bit harder for him to see it as an entirely evil thing. Especially since at that point in time, he isn’t quite aware of its own entirely manipulative practices with him yet, and because he wasn’t told/didn’t realize yet just how much it is capable of when it comes to not just messing with his emotions/mental state, but also physiological aspects of his life and his surroundings as well.

Long story short: mom loved christmas. mom loved him. he knew both. first thing he did after getting out was visiting her on christmas, spending time with her, apologizing to her, falling apart a little and letting his guard and walls down in a way he can do only with her, made him feel a bit better about his situation, first big stepping stone on his path to recovery and reintegration into this ‘normal’ world post Collingwood.

[fearbased]

all this talk about tumblr breaking and it broke on me just before making this post :’)  was trying to come around sooner but funnily enough it was my first day back to work after a brief vacation. it was a very tiring day and i will be crashing after this post but to get to the point, my name is oso (21+, she/her, cst) and it’s been a little while since i’ve rped on tumblr so pls be patient with me! my muse is kaoru (hollow, he/him, 25) and he has the ability to induce fear. to be honest, it’s a new little trick he’s still getting used to as he’s only been in the institute for a little over a year and he only discovered his power a few weeks before that. here’s a link that goes a little more in-depth about kaoru and his ability but there’s still some tinkering around i need to do with his bio/past. under the cut i have a short little rundown of how he discovered his power and definitely a point or two that can spring into connections 

cw // mention of abuse . kaoru discovered his ability after receiving a call from a close friend getting into a violent situation with their partner. kaoru is above all else protective and where his ability would usually only manifest itself enough to intimidate others, this experience became a blowout that left the abusive partner in a catatonic state. kaoru was not aware of his ability until that moment and finally began to put two and two together on why, despite not getting into fights, others feared him when he would begin to get irritated. this happened in seoul so if any muses ran with the ‘outcasts’ or ‘rebellious’ side of society, they could have been this friend with the abusive partner

kaoru is very much a ‘stays on the fringes of society’ kind of person. he’s obviously a foreigner and that creates its own battles but his power continually creeping up throughout his life had always left him in the company of the outcasts rather than the classroom leaders. so, like above, if your muse was an ‘outcast’ or ‘undesirable’ in seoul up to three years before 2033, kaoru and your muse could have crossed paths whether on good or bad terms - or maybe even neutral terms. maybe they just so happened to exist in similar circles but never directly interacted until AFTER joining the institute

now... i’ll be honest, outside of this right now my brain is not working so i will definitely be hitting up the dms i’ve gotten to get to plotting but if anyone would like to plot, feel free to dm me a heart emoji and i could look thru your wcs or we could just chat about our muses until something clicks. i’ll get around to joining the discord once i am more awake and not quite as busy. i do have to say, i am excited to be rping with y’all and can’t wait to see what fun we can have!

[valenshawke]

Weekly Writing Report - May 13, 2022

One of the things that has really helped me keep on track on a lot of things is a daily or near daily log of things. Because data helps me make decisions or realize that hey, I can do this instead of that. My health tanked in 2020 and it's been an interesting time of tinkering with things to figure out what works. The only two things that HAS worked is keeping track of all the important things (weight, blood pressure, sleep, etc.). It’s the reason why I’ve lost weight and maintained that weight loss. I have something that works, so I’m going to apply it elsewhere. 

This is the first post of a weekly writing report. I’m probably going to tinker with this and figure out what works for me in terms of content and format. But there will be two major parts to this: Fanfic work and my “original” work. I use original loosely, it’s heavily derivative and I’m going to have to change a lot, and I mean a lot, of the lore. But that is needed, I have a much more complex view of institutions, culture, and politics than I did when I started this thing (I was 16). 

And maybe the writers here on Tumblr can give me advice on how to keep writing or proceed when I’m stuck. So, that’s the preamble. 

I will say this, while I will strive to be weekly, I’ll probably miss a week here and there. Much like the health tracking, I can miss a day here or there every couple of months. I can have a bad month. But I’ve also learned it’s important to start again. With that, more under the cut…

Fanfic

The Clare and Miata Meet Fic. Word Count as of 3 PM Pacific: 29,847. Words written since last report: NA (This is week one). Longest fic to date and lots of scenes still to write. I haven’t done outlines and I’m strongly considering doing so on some level with this fic. I have a “roadmap” in the early pages of the fic but given how often I get stuck on certain scenes, maybe a more detailed outline of what I want to do and how to get to beginning, middle, and end scene-by-scene will help. Otherwise, I know exactly how this fic is going to end, which is odd because I’m never quite sure how to write endings but this one already has the ending. Hell, it even has a real title! 

Clare apologizes to Miria. Need to start an outline. So the goal with this one is to actually write an outline and then figure out how long it’s going to be. Do other authors have an idea of how long their works are going to be? Maybe worth asking a professional author. How can you figure it out from an outline? Well, regardless, this one I’m definitely going to start outlining. So that’s the goal before the next report.

Miria’s Nightmares. Sequel to “Awakened Nightmares.” Word Count as of 3 PM Pacific: 1,091. Words written since last report: NA. This one, I feel more comfortable leaving it only as a roadmap. I only really need to write three nightmares and the in-between scenes to show that Clare knows, understands, and is trying to say encouraging/supportive things to Miria in her own awkward way, and Miria’s final dream. I have the ending done actually. This might be as long as my normal fics (about 10,000 words). 

“Original” Work

The Vampire Story. Work Count as of 3 PM Pacific: 97,015 (Whut…). Words written since last report: NA. … Teresa of the Faint Smile, give me the strength… This is one where it might actually be beneficial that I have a document of world-building in place as I write it. When I was 16, it was heavily derivative of Vampire: The Masquerade. As I got older, I tried to go more to Dune and The Godfather. That sounds so utterly pretentious, but you know what? Go big or go home. This will help me get away from the VtM. I still want this story to fall on the science-fiction side of vampires as opposed to fantasy. But it’d be more soft-science for obvious reasons unless I can get a better understanding of biology. The other big problem is I hate my main character. Like, utterly despise him. Given I was 16, he’s a wish-fulfillment self-insert. I’m going to probably finish this draft under this configuration of characters (I have 3 main characters, 2 alive and 1 dead. The dead one is pretty prominent as I never quite make it clear if there is a life after death or if she’s just a hallucination). Either way, she’s the one I want to be the live character and the current main character is the dead one since I just like her more. I did start an outline years ago, but it was years ago and this one will definitely benefit if I outline everything, and I mean everything. If nothing else, to see if it actually works for me. So, that’s next week’s goal. Outline what you have and the parts you need in-between. I’ll try to figure out the details as I write it.

Overall: I need more original ideas. Honestly, this is where I should probably do my own research on subjects that I find interesting. So, next week, read at least one article on transhumanism. 

So ends this week’s report. 

[polizwrites]

WIP Update - 24 May 2023

Another  slow-ish writing week  due to being sick. I touched 5 fics (5 WIPs  & 0 new works)  for a total of  1704 words.

On Ao3, I posted:

 Chapter One of Peresmešnik,  (aka Three Avengers and a Baby)  -- Bucky & Steve & Tony accidental baby acquisition hijinks.

Chapter Three of  Decision at Sundown  - TonyRhodey Western AU with identity porn sprinkled in.

Chapter One of  Beyond the Beast  - Stucky fantasy/supernatural AU

I  have  15 active WIPs  with my  current  deadlines being  the Stucky and Avengers Bingos events, as well as the May Adoptable & Monthly Mission for the All Caps Bingo.    Attack Plan for those events.

See  below cut for what I’m working on/planning to work on - arranged more or less by bingos/challenges/etc.  As always, feel free to send me   prompts or plot bunnies as well as asks regarding  any of these projects  or any other WIPs I’ve got out there.   Interaction really helps feed the Muse and keep me motivated!

Seek & Destroy Collab

After reading @psychiccatpanda‘s amazing   Morguna and the Green Queen, I  got the itch to explore the Soldier’s POV and talked  Faustie into   collab’ing with me!  We’re working on a new part of the series, and I’ve  contributed about 900 words towards the  2500-ish we have so far.   Going to see if I can squeeze any of my BBB squares into this fic.  

Stucky Bingo Round Four [SB_R4] (Ends 31 May 2023)

Twenty-one fills with three bingos and three WIPs with a couple of other vague ideas. Targeting completion of at least three more squares - stretch goal of a blackout.

* B1 - Mutual Pining -  Looks like the Centerfold fic idea I’ve been toying with for awhile is going back on the shelf - focusing on Chapter 3 of   Making All Things New instead, which is sitting at 1199 words - depending on time/inspiration, I may end the chapter here,  or try to wrap the fic itself up.

* O4 - AU: Supernatural -   Posted Chapter 1 of Beyond the Beast this morning -  the  Stucky fantasy AU (magician!Steve/ensorcelled!Bucky) that @bill-longbow   have been collabing on for awhile. I did a bit of tinkering with it to squish it into my BB_C4  Myth square and can also use it for for my BBB  AU: Medieval/Fantasy square Gonna count it toward this bingo’s Myths and Legends monthly prompt, too!  😁 It came in at 1642 words, about half of which were mine.   We’re still trying to figure out where to take this next.  

*Adoptable1 - Remix one of your own fics – Finally cracked this thanks to another 3 Prompts –> Summary game: Wings, Transformation, Confession.  I’m planning a Bucky POV of at least the first part of Take What Was Wrong (And Make it Right) the obvious title - Half of the Flesh and Blood That Makes Me Whole. 😁  Chapter one has been drafted - sitting at 1237 words and will post  on Friday.   Expecting at least one more chapter, possibly two, depending on how far I want to take the remix. 

Avengers Bingo Round Four [AvB_R4] (Ends 2 June)

This  time around the card is a 3x3,  so am looking at writing different   pairings for my two favorite Avengers - Tony and Steve.    I have eight fills completed and one WIP.  

* B2 - Crossover AU –  picking up my Star Wars fusion Stucky/Stuckony fic:  Never More to Go Astray.   Chapter 8 is sitting at 1106 words and will post on the 2nd - with (hopefully only) one more chapter to wrap the fic up. 

* B3 - Mistaken Identity -  Posted Chapter 3 of   Decision at Sundown  on Monday - it came in at 888 words and probably needs one more chapter to wrap up the fic. 

* C1 - Babysitter AU -  Posted Chapter one of Peresmešnik,  (aka Three Avengers and a Baby)  last Friday.  This collab with MagicaDraconia16. crosses over with my  ACB Babysitter square and involve s Steve, Bucky & Tony kidfic shenanigans.  It came in at 2248 words (my part - roughly 1400 words)  with another 500-ish already in chapter 2 (300-ish are mine).

Bucky Barnes Connect Four Alt-Juniverse Event (BB_C4)[ends 30 Jun 2023]

Signed up for this event over at @buckybarnesevents - you get a four-square card featuring ideas for AUs.  The prompts can be used as stand-alones or combined with each other or other events.   Thanks to crossovers, I finished out the card!   Once I do the paperwork, I’m hoping to grab another card before the event wraps up.

* C4 - Myth - see  SB   Supernatural AU square idea above - managed to squish the prompt in.  

All Caps Bingo [ACB_R1]  (Ends 30 Sep 2023)

I’ve got nine completed fics, five WIPs and  will be pursuing the One Fill, One Bingo  Challenge for Row 5.  

* I1 - Mutual Pining - may combine with the Stucky Bingo Mutual Pining or combine with something on my BBB card.

* G1 - Isaiah Bradley -  Planning to add more to The Fist, Defeated.   (possibly present day)

* G3 - Established Relationship -  see Stucky Bingo - Remix Own Fic

* G4 - Babysitting - see  AvB Babysitting AU above.

* O3 - Pararescue Sam Wilson - may try to squish this into an expansion of   A Rising Star -  a previous Flash Fiction Friday fill.  

* May Adoptable -   I’m going to use either   AU: Sex Worker or  Scenting  for Chapter 3 of   Making All Things New,  -- see SB Mutual Pining above.

* May Monthly Mission  - Sir, Yes, Sir is a perfect match for Chapter 2 of   Surrender (But Don’t Give Yourself Away) - my WinterIron –>Stuckony  Steve POV WIP based on the following 3 Prompts –> Summary game prompt :  Praise Kink, One Night Stand, Identity Porn. This probably final chapter is coming in at 2108 words with the plan to post it on the 29th - it crosses over with my WIB  Edging and BBB KINK: “Please let me come” squares.

Sam Wilson Bingo [SWB_R3]  (Ends 15 Oct 2023)

I have three fills and one WIP -  I need to work on cross fills between this and the All Caps and Bucky Barnes bingo!

* G3 - Joaquin Torres - see ACB Pararescue Sam Wilson above.

* O2 - Steve Rogers  – see AvB  Dog Tags  above.

WinterIron Bingo  - [WIB_R1]   (Ends 16 Dec 2023)

I have six fills completed and two WIPs for this brand-new bingo event that I’m helping mod!  Along with crossfilling against my other bingos,  I’m going to try to combine my B column squares for the Iron Soldier badge (complete a bingo with a single work). – Alpha Tony Stark, “That was not my intention.”, James Rhodes,Alpine loves Tony and Blind date.

* I1 - Edging - see ACB May Monthly Mission: Sir, Yes, Sir mentioned above.

* N1 - Bucharest –  I think I can fold this into a future chapter of My Love is Vengeance -  where a young!Tony and a recovering!Bucky have been kidnapped by Hydra, who still thinks Bucky is the Soldier.  

* G4 - AU: College Students – looking to expand Beaten to the Punch with some backstory on Bucky and Tony as science camp counselors to fit with this square - will also cross over with my WFB  Volunteering Together square. 

* O5 - Gentle – use this poem  as inspiration?

* ADOPTABLE1 - 1990′s   – picked this to prod me into picking My Love is Vengeance back up.  I do have a nice chunk of the next chapter  written (1168 words) -  and had a bit of inspiration that may allow me to wrap this up in  two more chapters beyond this one.  

Bucky Barnes Bingo  - [BBB_R5]   (Ends 10 Jan 2024)

Am still trying to match up squares to crossfill, but have two fills,  five WIPs and a couple more Vague ideas already.

* B1 - AU: Medieval/Fantasy -  see SB AU: Supernatural above.

* B4 - Shapeshifters -  a potential crossover with my SB  AU: Changed into an Animal square - but  I need  a plot bunny and it is a low priority fill at the moment.

* U2 - Clint Barton/Hawkeye -  Dredged up my year-old Winter Soldier/ young Clint WIP   You Can’t Stop It With a Gun.  Chapter 3 was already in progress and is now up to 548 words.    

* C2 - Yelena Belova –  see AvB Babysitter AU

* C4 - KINK: “Please let me come.”  See SB  Identity Porn above - Chapter 2.

* C5 - Marriage of Convenience/Pretend Couple -  next chapter of   Lady Natasha’s Consort and Lord Steve’s Companion.    Not quite sure where to take this next at the moment.  😕

* K3 - Magic -  Aro!Bucky sickfic idea?  

* Y2 - [image: IW Bucky with the good hair] Last week’s Flash Fiction Friday prompt [#FFF198 What Comes Next]   was a perfect match for an idea I’d already been playing around with to fill this square.   I banged out Getting Prepared -  an A:IW missing scene set between the time that T’Challa and Okoye come for Bucky and the moment he sees Steve again.  I will post it to Ao3 sometime in the next month or so.

* Y3 - Alpine  - see WIB Iron Soldier combo.

Warm and Fuzzy Bingo  - [WFB]   (no end date)

I got my card from  @warmandfluffybingocards back in February but really hadn’t done much with it  - however, I’m picking it back up for some crossover possibilities!

* N4 - Affectionate Teasing – I can fill this with Starting Something New , but am going to hold off on posting to Ao3 until the next Tony Stark Bingo round starts.  😁

* O5 - Volunteering Together – see WIB AU: College Students

————

On  other creative fronts:  I have a Sharky Stuffed With Character figure in progress. I have multiple commissions to work on and am prepping for a con in June  so am  pretty well booked up through early summer.

That said, if  you’re looking for one of a kind gifts for birthdays or other celebrations later in the year, check  out Stuffed With Character    over on Facebook for a full list of my designs (now over 100!).   These soft stuffed figures are  mostly Marvel and monsters, but I have some Star Wars, Star Trek, DC   and Disney figures as well. Plus I love to take custom design   requests  for any fandom!

[daveshevett]

Virtuscope Cyberdeck Build

New Post has been published on https://planet-geek.com/2022/08/22/stuff-n-bother/virtuscope-cyberdeck-build/

Virtuscope Cyberdeck Build

Somewhere in the 2nd year of the pandemic, I stumbled across a posting on Hackster.io about a design for a ‘Cyberdeck’.

A what now?

For those who don’t know, the term Cyberdeck was coined by William Gibson (the inventor of the terms “Cyberpunk” and “Cyberspace” by the way) to describe a piece of computing equipment used to to jack into the net in the future. These fictional machines were basically the hot rods of the grunge tech and hacker scene, able to do anything from simple education stuff all the way to allowing a talented hacker to penetrate the most well protected systems out in cyberspace. They were fast, personalized tech that marked the owner as someone serious about hacking.

BootDSC’s Original Cyberdeck Design

I’ll admit, I’ve read everything by William Gibson, Neal Stephenson (you know, the guy who actually invented the term ‘metaverse’?), Bruce Sterling, and Philip K Dick. In particular, Gibson’s portrayal of Ono-Sendai decks that could jack into and surf cyberspace are well wedged in my psyche. The idea of building and customizing my own ‘deck was too good a concept to pass up, so I took the plunge.

The Printer

There are basically 3 major components to a build like this. The case, the keyboard, and the computer. While it’s possible to build your own keyboard and computer, I wasn’t ready for all that, so I used off the shelf parts for that. The case, however, I’d manufacture myself.

The first phase of this was to get my 3d printer up and running again. I’d been doing a bunch of printing, learning the ropes as it were on how to use TinkerCAD and Cura to take a shape and turn it into a Real Live Thing. I built a healthy respect for people who operated industrial equipment. 3d printing isn’t a push a button, get an object system. It requires constant tinkering, adjusting, repair, and fiddling to keep it all working, and there’s a million small ‘tricks’ you learn in the process to keep a 3d printer running smoothly. It’s a good feeling when you can get your system dialed into the point where you can just power it up, prep the surface, and say “PRINT THIS”, and it works.

Some smooth first layer porn.

My printer (a Creality CR10) had been acting twitchy for a while. I’ve used it for a couple projects in the past, but nothing serious in the last year or two. The problem(s) turned out to be a combination of bad bed levelling, bad bed prep, and a completely horked print nozzle. Once I got those straightened out, I was printing clean, flat prints without any fiddling. I was ready!

The Design

I have to give full credit to BootDSC and the full on Virtuscope design on Thingiverse. This was my first exposure to decks, and I immediately went “I WANT ONE”. Fortunately, the Cyberdeck Cafe website had an entire build page that details all the parts needed. I set up my printer and started printing components, dove into Amazon and various websites to order the parts needed.

Printing the frame, hinges, panels, and other components took about a week. In that time, some of my components had started to arrive, most importantly the Raspberry Pi 4 that was to be the heart of the system, as well as a Geekworm X728 LIPO battery/power module. Screen, keyboard, and other componentry arrived over the next few days.

Display portion of the lid

Gluing the base panels together

This was my first decent ‘build from scratch’ project, and I learned early on I was missing a lot of build supplies. M3 screws and nuts, bolts, a good rotary tool (I had been using an old Craftsman tool I bought 30 years ago? But it died a horrible death partway through the build. The Ryobi rotary tool is excellent, though it really does sound like a dentist drill while in operation).

Eventually I had all the pieces I needed, and I could get on with the build.

I wanted to make one relatively large change – I wanted to use a touchscreen. The 7″ HDMI display I used has a ‘mouse’ function in it that connects to the Pi via USB cable. The problem though is fitting it into the lid of the deck was problematic. I ended up redesigning the lid to give it more ‘depth’ to allow the driver board and cabling to fit. Probably my first real 3d design project – I also had to redesign the component bay lid to make room for the new larger lid and hinge. Multiple prints later, it all fit together the way I wanted it to.

Bench testing the display and controller and realizing the lid needed to be deeper.

This is one of those projects that will really never end. I’m constantly modifying the design, adding new components, removing others. I found that the power connection setup on the back was really awkward, so I designed and printed a USB-C port to go in the opening. This means the whole thing can be recharged via USBC cable, or just run off a power adapter. Win!

I also ran into a problem with the touchscreen USB cable, which, as it came from the supplier, had a 6′ long cable with a ferrite core on it. I picked up a kit to allow me to truncate the cable and put a new end on it, but it turns out I got the wrong connectors. So I ended up just chopping the cable in half and soldering it into an older USB-A jack. I only need about a foot of cable, so that worked great.

The Final Product

I love how this looks. I love knowing that I built it, and there’s no other one thats just like it.

So what’s next?

There’s still stuff to do though:

The keyboard setup (a Royal Kludge RK61 USBC / Bluetooth keyboard), while fitting perfectly into the case, I find sort of difficult to work with. The ‘modifier’ keys are awkward and easy to get confused, and as it sits now, I can’t run it off USB while in the case. I have to pull it to recharge it and reconnect via USB.

The rear panel needs more love. The system is supposed to support a secondary Wifi interface to allow it to run Aircrack-NG and other tools without taking down the primary interface. I have the parts, but haven’t put it all together.

Finding the final location for the ‘stack’ (CPU and power board) is proving slightly problematic, as I need space for the USB connections and other wiring. Until that’s locked down, I really can’t mount the boards. I may jsut drill and mount them anyway to keep things from banging around.

Still need to get hte lid closures working – this can be done with a magnetic plate, but it seems a little iffy. May come up with something else.

Mouse input. Sigh. I had hoped the touch screen would work for this, but it really doesn’t. The screen is small (7″) and my finger is fat. I may explore using a stylus, but I think I’ll need some sort of trackball or thumbwheel or something.

Viewing angle – this may be the killer for me. For the lid / screen to work well, the viewing angle has to be relatively laid back. To do that, the hinge and cabling need to be very flexible, and finding that space is mighty hard. If I can’t solve the viewing angle problem, this will be likely remain a toy project, and not something I can use seriously.

Conclusions

I LOVED doing this project. It looks cool, I can say “I BUILT THAT” and I can keep tinkering and making it better. The Pi4 is enough horsepower to have fun on it, while still having decent battery life. Once I get the mobility stuff fixed up, I’ll start carting it around more.

[clefform6]

Video storage on the internet isn't reliable. Websites may shut down or even fail. Here's how to backup your social videos to your personal computer.

My personal story isn't too long. I was born in the United States attended school, worked, and then got my first job online. However, it also has several traumatic moments where I believed that all was lost forever. One of those moments was when my computer at home stopped responding. However, after a bit of tinkering, getting new desktops and moving the hard drive from the old into the new one I was able to restore all the work stored on that drive. It took me three days of sweating and literally tears. But, I learned one important lesson: Dropbox and personal file servers can be used to automate or manually backup my entire day's work. However, it isn't the most efficient option. The more data you save online, the more you'll have to pay for it to be preserved online. It's easy to use and it seems extremely secure. It's also accessible and can be downloaded anywhere you have access to internet. But what about times where WiFi or another internet connection isn't available? I keep my laptop handy for these times. It is my last refuge from the worst. There are two drives I own that I use to create RAID stacks. They both copy one another and keep one copy to protect myself in case one of my HDDs is damaged. I just copy things there, usually, and seldom do I make my laptop work. I am hoping 2 drives will not go out on the same day.. My other day of great sadness occurred just a few weeks ago. I am very careful not to lose all my work, as I mentioned above, now I copy it multiple times and access it from anywhere internet access is available. This was different, this was about Periscope. I have used it many times in the past. I even participated in live streams during the Riots of summer 2020. Periscope TV has now been shut down and all content will be gone in a matter of weeks. What do I do? The entire video must be downloaded onto my laptop to be saved offline. They are extremely special for me. It's the last time I've seen my friend, who vanished from the radars during Covid. Seems like it got him. reddit video downloader app It's a website that I utilize to download video clips from Youtube, Instagram, Facebook, and other places. I am a passionate participant with underground movements, politics and so I film a lot, save and post them on my Youtube channel. After that, whenever the live stream is finished the footage is downloaded to my laptop. This is the way I work. This lets me cross-post videos to various platforms. Not only can I share Youtube videos on Facebook, but I also can upload that video directly onto Facebook. It's a separate video. It's incredible the amount of live streams I have produced over the last eight years. I currently have three TB. Periscope Lives won't go out of fashion.. It's been very helpful to me a lot. mp4 download youtube It's a breeze. When I play a video I wish to download from Periscope, Youtube or Facebook and copy the URL using the share link. After that, I go to the website for video downloaders and paste the video URL where they want it, click the big button, and within seconds I see multiple choices to download the video, save it to my computer or desktop to transfer it across different platforms and simple preserve it for loved ones. Some sites are not able to help with Periscope, but this one does well, it is able to handle m3u8 files that other sites usually download on your behalf.. They work well, but don't get me wrong however, they're actually using online video feed fragments, so playing this file within VLC while it's fantastic, does not actually do the job - video is not on your machine but it's on the internet and plays from online as the player loads short fragment files one by one...

reddit video downloader app If you weren't aware, the windows copy command can help you to join these fragments and create a normal length video file. It is caused by the format for video Mpeg TS (or transport stream) that is used to create the video fragments. It contains all the data necessary for decoding video within each fragment. Each stream can be started from the middle with no interruption. The browser also allows you to save data because it only downloads the files which are relevant to what you're watching. If, for instance, you only watch only 25 seconds of the stream the player downloads only 3-4 fragments. In addition it will download the next 1-2 fragments. This helps greatly reduce total download needed to watch only 25 seconds from the middle of the stream. - not having to download all 1hr of video before that 25sec..

[sitp-recs]

Heartlines by @sorrybutblog

Harry/Draco (2022, Teen and Up, 22k)

Just as Draco Malfoy's life seems to be getting back on track, the magic at Malfoy Manor is spinning out of control. Auror partners Harry Potter and Angelina Johnson are assigned to the case and quickly find that nothing about the situation is obvious. The flare ups are unpredictable at best, downright dangerous at worst, and why has a Hogwarts first year gone missing at the same time? Featuring: Draco's penchant for fancy light fixtures (handmade), Harry's penchant for wearing only boxers to bed (handsome), a protracted (necessary-ish) stay alone together at Malfoy Manor, and more!

“Yeah, I mean he still annoys me.” Harry thought about it. “We spend all this time together and sometimes I just want to pelt him with small objects. Nothing that would hurt him. Just like, ping, a paper clip, or something.”

This was my first Cluefest pick (curse breaker Harry, my beloved! The “creepy nightgowns” tag might have done it too) and it instantly became a favourite. You can’t go wrong with case fic + unhinged house + forced proximity and I love how iota balances efficient and hot bodyguard Harry doing cool investigative work with a nice slow burn, slice-of-life vibes full of delicious UST. Boy, does this fic deliver! I love the initial animosity, both keeping their distance as if complete strangers, and how the forced proximity makes their dancing around each other an exciting mix of awkward tension and sweet domesticity. And the mystery running across two cases kept me invested in the plot the whole time, even as the alternating POVs stole the scene.

Speaking of, my favourite thing about this fic -  besides the kind of organic, conversational slow burn I just LOVE, feels so real - was the delightful low key humour. You know that bubbly feeling of being caught off guard by an unexpected line that make you snort out loud and go back to reread it? This fic is full of those subtly funny jokes, especially when we’re inside Draco’s head and catch him pining after hot shot Auror Potter in his offensive sleeping boxers, and offensive arms and thighs combo. Draco never stood a chane! For a quiet slow burn, I wasn’t expecting to laugh this much, and the dialogue was witty enough that I never knew when to expect it, which kept me fully engaged and smitten. What a treat!

Their personalities are also a delight, relatable and quite charming; I love Draco’s initial guarded and aloof approach, soften by his interest in tinkering with furniture and fixing things, by his gentle pining and mild self-deprecation. His recluse persona felt very realistic, a refreshing take on the “down and out” trope imo. Harry is a bit slower on the uptake - again, 100% on brand - and his friendship with Hermione cleansed my skin, especially when she teased him about Draco. On a side note, it’s interesting to notice how both Harry and Draco are perfectly content in their loneliness, each has his own routine and lives comfortable in his own skin, welcoming simple things like reading a book or having dinner in companionable silence.

Plus the way they’re so disgustingly sweet to each other after finally getting together? I live and breathe for Harry telling Draco he’s gonna teach him things, or playfully grabbing his foot, or reminiscing about being called “sweetheart” the night before (YES PLS, the way I’ve been obsessing over this endearment lately 🥺). This fic had all the things I love about a slow burn, great unhurried pacing, tentative romance, intriguing plot, charming dialogue. It did my heart so good after an insanely busy week, and I’m sure it will charm its way into someone else’s heart as well. Go ahead and don’t forget to leave kudos and comments!

Read on AO3

Reblog the claiming post here

[theladyofdeath]

Life As We Know It {Chapter 22}

Summary: After the sudden deaths of Nesta’s sister and Cassian’s best friend, they gain guardianship of their nephew, Nyx.

Based on Life As We Know It (2010) and a prompt sent in by anonymous for our Nessian fanfic contest. This is a modern au.

Instead of doing a tag list for this story, we have decided to have a set posting schedule. Chapters will be posted weekly on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays. Occasional surprise chapters could be posted at miscellaneous times. Chapters will be posted on both my and Shelby’s blogs! >> @snelbz​​

Life As We Know It Masterlist

Shelby’s Masterlist

Tara’s Masterlist

Cassian was happier than he ever thought he’d be.

Over the past few weeks, he, Nesta, and Nyx had really become their own little family. It seemed that after all the heartache, after all the awkwardness, everything was falling into place. 

Since that night they had slept together, again, Cassian had spent every night with Nesta in her bed, and awoken to her face every morning. 

Cassian had been training his replacement at the bar, and the opening of his bar in Nesta’s restaurant was quickly approaching. 

Perfect.

Everything was going perfectly. 

It was a Saturday and both he and Nesta had off, which meant they got the rarity of spending the entire day together, just the three of them. 

And it was Halloween.

There was a little Halloween carnival going on downtown, just outside of the Rainbow along the Sidra. 

And although Cassian was happier than he ever thought he’d be, he did feel completely and utterly ridiculous as he looked in the mirror and saw his reflection, dressed in the Halloween costume that Nesta had bought for him. 

It could have been worse, he decided, donning the floppy hat it had come with. He didn’t have paint all over his face and he wasn’t dressed as a dog, like Rhys had been the year prior. Just a smidge of eyeliner Nesta had coerced him into letting her put on him. And he may only have one hand, thanks to the “hook” he had to wear, but at least he had a bad ass looking sword.

Even if it was plastic.

Nesta appeared in the doorway, wearing a green dress and matching slippers, complete with white balls of fluff adorning the toes. “You about ready to go, Captain Hook?”

He slowly turned to look at her. “Is it the hair? Hmm? Are you one of those girls where long hair automatically means pirate?”

Nesta raised a brow as she crossed her arms. “Are you complaining?”

Cassian blinked. “These leather pants are so tight that I don’t think my balls are going to survive the day.” 

Nesta’s grin was feral. “I promise to make it up to the boys once we’re back home.”

Cassian’s eyes narrowed. “Tease.” 

“Not a tease,” she crooned. “A promise.”

She gave him a wink before leaving the room and walking down the hall. After a curse about how turned on he now was, Cassian followed. 

At the bottom of the stairs in the living room, Nyx was standing up in his little Peter Pan costume. Cassian laughed, quietly. “You put the poor kid in tights.” 

“He looks adorable!” Nesta hollered, from where she had disappeared in the kitchen. 

Nyx looked at Cassian for a moment, slightly confused, but then recognition lit his eyes and he giggled, reaching up for his uncle. The second Cassian picked him up, Nyx was playing with his floppy hat. 

“Pretty damn cute, alright,” Cassian said, chuckling. “Ready, Nes? Bands start playing soon. A couple of local bands I know will be playing, I think you’ll like them.”

Nesta swept out of the kitchen with a tiny cooler bag full of water, juice, and snacks. “Then let’s get going.” 

After a short ride and a short walk, they entered the carnival and spotted Elain, Azriel, and Seph sitting in the grass, listening to the music. Azriel was dressed as Tigger, Elain was Pooh, and Seph was the cutest Piglet they had ever seen.

Cassian plopped down by Azriel and chuckled. “And I thought my costume was bad.”

Azriel looked over at him. “Shut up, Captain Jack.”

Cassian gasped indignantly. “I’m Captain Hook, you heathen.” He held up his left hand and shook the cheap, plastic hook in his face. “Get your pirates straight.”

The cousins were instantly squealing at each other, Seph having recently started crawling and Nesta couldn’t help but smile down at them as she sat next to Cassian. He slung an arm around her and pulled her into him, kissing the top of her head.

Nesta looked at Elain and caught her small smile, even though she tried to turn away before her older sister caught her. “What?” She asked, raising an eyebrow.

Elain shook her head, but that smile was still on her face. “Nothing.”

“Tell me,” Nesta said, leaning forward to see her around Cassian and Azriel.

“It’s just…” Elain blinked and Nesta could’ve sworn she saw tears shimmering in her sister’s eyes. “It’s just nice to see you happy.”

Nesta stilled for a moment. Was she happy? She supposed she was. It had all happened so quickly that Nesta hadn’t hardly realized.

She was happy. 

Judging from his laughter with Azriel, and the way his fingers brushed along her skin, Nesta assumed that Cassian was happy, too.

“It’s a good thing, you know,” Elain whispered, when Nesta said nothing. “A very good thing.”

Nesta remained quiet, but she leaned into Cassian’s side with a little smile of her own.

The music began to play, and Nyx was having the time of his little life. He stood and danced, having no idea what was going on, but loving every second of it.

There were small tents set up around the carnival, passing out candy and other little toys and treats for the kids. Helion was there, at a tent sponsored by Nesta’s restaurant, handing out cookies and brownies she’d spent the past few days baking. Nesta had always loved Halloween, and having Nyx to enjoy it with made her love it all the more. They walked around while the bands continued to play, Nyx’s little bucket filling up with more candy and treats than the little boy could ever eat. Cassian ensured Nesta that it would not go to waste, but she just rolled her eyes.

“You know, I’ve always been a fan of Tinker Bell,” Cassian said, while they were eating candy apples.

Nesta looked at him, brow raised. “Unfortunately, I can’t say the same for Hook.”

Cassian chuckled, looking at Nyx while he nibbled on some goldfish that Nesta had packed in the cooler bag. “And what about Cassian?” Cassian asked. “Are you a fan of him?”

Nesta laughed, softly. “Are you asking me if I like you, Nazari?”

Cassian’s eyes lit with amusement. “I care about you, Nesta. That’s what I’m saying.”

The words she longed to say got stuck in her throat. The truth she’d wanted to tell him since his birthday over a month ago, when they’d finally succumbed to their desire for each other. But she wouldn’t. She couldn’t, not here, not right now, with strangers around them. Elain and Azriel weren’t far, but…

Something about those words. She wanted it just to be the two of them.

So Nesta chose to smirk instead, reaching over and rubbing caramel off his cheek. “You aren’t half bad, I guess.”

He sighed, dramatically, looking up into the sky. “I knew it, you’re only in it for the sex.”

“Cassian!” She blushed furiously, hoping no one had overheard him.

Grinning, he leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers. Nyx threw a goldfish at them, hitting Cassian in the side of the face.

Nesta couldn’t stop her laughter as she pulled back.

Even after a month, Nyx didn’t like Cassian kissing her. The fit he threw the first time he’d seen them kiss on the couch while he was playing with his toys on the floor and they watched a movie would go down in history as the worst meltdown the two of them had seen.

Nesta thought his continued, but lessening, tantrums were hilarious. Cassian could only roll his eyes.

“Was that necessary?” Cassian asked.

“Da,” Nyx said, popping a goldfish into his mouth. It was the closest thing he’d come to yes thus far.

“He used to like me, you know,” Cassian said, looking at Nesta, “before the two of us were together.”

Nesta shrugged. “He’s protective, what can I say?”

“You can say, to him, that you like it when I kiss you,” Cassian replied.

Nesta laughed as Nyx threw another goldfish at Cassian. “He’s smart, Cass. He may be a baby, but he knows you’re talking smack over here.”

“I would never talk smack about a baby,” Cassian said, taking a bite of his caramel apple. “Even if it’s true.”

It wasn’t too much later that Nyx was falling asleep, his little, green cap long forgotten and tucked into the pocket of Cassian’s obnoxious coat. He gently rubbed Nyx’s back as he slept on the blanket they’d laid out on the lush grass. Footsteps and a groan alerted him to Azriel’s presence as he sat down next to Cassian. Seph, in a carrier strapped to his chest, had been asleep for nearly an hour already. Cassian couldn’t help but smile at his brother and niece.

“So you two are actually making this work, huh,” Azriel said, smiling down at Nyx.

Cassian’s laughter sounded as if even he had a hard time believing it. “I guess so. It’s just…so easy with her.”

“I get it. I completely get it,” Azriel said, looking at something over Cassian’s shoulder, and from the way his eyes softened, he knew his brother’s gaze had found Elain.

“I think she feels the same way,” Cassian said. “She’s hard to read, though. Easier than she used to be - thank the Mother - but sometimes… I just want to grab her by the shoulders and ask her what the hell is on her mind.” 

Azriel snorted. “Nesta is…”

When he didn’t complete his sentence, Cassian raised an amused brow.

“An interesting woman,” Azriel finished, at last.

Cassian laughed, quietly. “Yeah, she is. But, that’s what I like about her. She’s not a surface-level person, you know? She’s like an onion.”

Azriel blinked. “An onion?”

Cassian nodded. “A lot of layers.” 

Azriel laughed, quietly. “I would keep that one to yourself. Not sure how Nesta would feel about being called a vegetable that makes you cry.” 

Cassian chuckled, and shrugged. “I think it sounds nice.”

Azriel grinned and looked down at Seph. “Do you see it working out long term, then?”

“You make it sound like a legal document,” Cassian replied, snorting.

Azriel shook his head. “Fine. I’ll ask it simpler, then. Do you love her?”

He hesitated. “It’s only been a month.”

“And?” Azriel asked. “You’ve lived together for half a year. You've known her for over five years.”

Cassian was quiet. He contemplated Azriel’s question, watching the gentle rise and fall of Nyx’s breathing. “I don’t know.”

“You still think Rhys and Feyre didn’t know what they were doing when they set you up all those years ago?”

Looking up at Azriel, Cassian wasn’t expecting to find him smiling softly. “I still think they were bat shit insane,” he chuckled. “But… No. I get it now. They… They just wanted to give us the chance to be as happy as they were.”

“And are you?” Azriel asked, curiosity on his face.

Cassian looked around, finding Nesta laughing with Elain and Mor and Emerie and Gwyn. The smile as he watched her wasn’t faked. “Yeah. I am.”

Azriel’s smile was as genuine as his own. “Then I think you know.”

*

It had been a good day, and an even better night. 

Nyx fell asleep in his carseat on the way home, and Nesta had gotten him out of his costume and into a fresh diaper and pajamas without him hardly stirring. After that, when Nesta meandered into her bedroom, she found a half-dressed pirate with a mischievous glint in his eye. He had made a show of taking Nesta’s costume off with his hook, which had her unable to stop the wide smile, the giggling, that escaped her control. 

It was all sweet, adorable play until his lips found her skin, and then Nesta’s giddiness faded away as complete euphoria took control of her body. 

They laid together as Halloween faded away and November 1st approached. Nesta’s fingers danced over his bare chest. 

“Today was a fun day,” she said, quietly, as she watched her fingers move along his tattoos. 

“It was,” he murmured, already half asleep, his arm wrapped around her, tucking her into his side. He had spent most of his day chasing down Nyx, while Nesta had watched, a smile on her face, as Elain took picture after picture. She’d promised to email the best ones to Nesta as soon as she’d edited them.

She could tell Cassian was exhausted as she looked up into his handsome face, the eyeliner still smudged under his eyes. Sensing her gaze on him, he cracked an eye open and looked at her. “What?”

She shook her head, laying it back down on his chest. “You still have make-up on,” she chuckled.

“What?” He asked. “You don’t think I look pretty?”

Snorting, she nestled into his warm body, settling as his calloused fingers scraped over bare waist. She felt his lips press against the top of her head and in that moment, she realized that this was how it was supposed to be. Nothing had ever felt as…right as this did. As being with him did.

“Cass?”

He grunted in answer, and Nesta realized he was just about asleep.

She decided not to reveal the bit of truth she’d been about to, not when he very well might not remember it the next day.

Instead, she settled her head back on his chest, and said, “I had fun today.”

He mumbled something that sounded like me too, but within seconds, his breath had evened out, and he was asleep.

She wouldn’t reveal that bit of herself, not tonight. But tomorrow…

Tomorrow, she would tell him.

And she prayed he felt the same way.

*

It was hardly after eight when Nesta woke up and found Cassian beside her, in bed, with a sleeping Nyx on his chest. He was scrolling through his phone, his back propped up against the headboard, his sweatpants nearly blending into the navy blue comforter. 

Nesta blinked a few times before she yawned and said, “Good morning.”

Cassian’s eyes darted away from his phone, to her. He smiled. “Good morning. Little man woke up about an hour ago. Fell asleep again five minutes ago or so. Apparently he got worn out yesterday.”

Nesta chuckled. “I’d say so.”

“I was going to put him in his crib but he seems comfortable,” Cassian said. “I can, though, if you want me to make breakfast.”

Nesta shook her head as she propped herself up on her elbows. “That’s okay. I can make breakfast. I was in a french toast type of mood.” 

“Sounds good,” Cassian crooned, and Nesta reached up to kiss him, softly, before dragging herself out of bed. After slipping on some cozy shorts and one of Cassian’s oversized t-shirts, she was headed downstairs. 

Sunday mornings were her favorite, nowhere for either of them to be. Just time together and time with Nyx. She was humming quietly to herself after she’d made a pot of coffee, pulling what she needed to make French toast and bacon out of the fridge when there was a sudden knock on the front door.

Nesta froze, listening to ensure she had in fact heard—

Another knock, just as insistent as the first.

“Was that the door?” Cassian was carrying Nyx downstairs, the baby’s pacifier barely staying in his mouth as he sleepily leaned his head on his uncle’s bare shoulder.

“Yeah,” she replied, eyebrows furrowing as she reached the door and opened it.

Nesta froze as she found Alis Birch on the other side.

“Ms. Archeron, good morning,” she said, eyeing her choice of attire.

“Ms. Birch, good morning. What a surprise,” she said, trying not to panic.

“I hope it’s a good time,” she said, looking past Nesta to see what chaos she could find. “This is the last of my surprise visits.”

“I see,” Nesta said, then cleared her throat as she stepped aside. “Come in, please.”

Alis did not need to be told twice. She swept past Nesta and into the foyer, where Cassian caught sight of her. He stopped as their eyes met, and he hesitated.

“Ms. Birch,” he said, as if it were a pleasant surprise. “Nice to see you again.”

“You too,” she said, looking at Nyx. “Big Halloween, was it?”

“Fun Halloween,” Cassian corrected. “We were at the carnival downtown for most of the day. He had a blast.”

Alis nodded, but said no more.

“Have a seat,” Nesta said, gesturing to the living room furniture. “Please.”

Alis sat in a chair while Cassian carefully and slowly sat back on the couch, Nesta sitting beside him.

Before anyone could say anything else, Alis said, “The two of you have become intimate.” 

Nesta swallowed roughly while Cassian could only blink. After a moment, she collected herself. “I—We…”

“It’s fairly recent,” Cassian admitted, taking over when it was clear Nesta was floundering.

She wanted to demand how she could tell, but she was very clearly wearing his shirt while he wore nothing at all, aside from his sweats. They were cooking breakfast while the baby dozed. It was all so…domestic.

Alis would have been blind not to notice it.

She hummed once before opening her notebook and scribbling a few notes down. “The two of you have come a long way in a few months then, since you were barely even friends the last time I was here.” She threw Nesta’s own half-drunk words into their faces.

“Things have changed,” she breathed, yearning to reach over and take Cassian’s hand, but not wanting to look weak in front of the woman.

The woman who controlled whether or not they’d be keeping Nyx.

“So, this is not a fling, then?” Alis asked.

Cassian opened his mouth, but it was Nesta who politely said, “I’m sorry, but I’m not sure how our romantic life is an appropriate topic-.”

“Oh, it is most appropriate,” Alis assured them both. “If this is nothing but a fling, it could create a lot of drama in the home, which could in turn affect Nyx’s well being. However, if this is love, something that will become steadier day by day, then I could not be more overjoyed.”

You don’t sound overjoyed, Nesta wanted to say, but didn’t. 

“We are aware that everything we do affects Nyx,” Cassian said, not unkindly. “We thought it through before we decided to get together.”

Nesta almost wanted to laugh. Thought it through? They hooked up twice, and the second time it stuck. She wasn’t sure that was exactly thinking it through. In fact, there hadn’t been much thinking at all.

It just kind of...happened. 

Nyx had indeed lost his pacifier at some point and patted Cassian on the cheek.

“Babababa,” he chanted, which the two of them had learned meant he wanted his bottle and Cassian stood.

“Excuse me, I’ll be back,” he said, carrying Nyx into the kitchen.

Alis held Nesta’s stare, eventually asking, “Does Nyx have a support system, outside of the home?”

She blinked. “I’m afraid I don’t follow.”

Alis set down her pen and looked at Nesta as if she were the child in this situation. “Let’s say things don’t last. Let’s say whatever is between you and Mr. Nazari isn’t a love match and it falls apart. Aside from the two of you, does Nyx have other people who could step in to take care of him?”

“I don’t see why he would need it,” she replied, her voice cold. “Even if things don’t work out, Cassian and I will still take care of him. Nyx is our responsibility now. We love him.”

“And will you do that from one home?”

“We… I…” Nesta shook her head. “Ma’am, with all due respect, we haven’t even had time to figure out what exactly this is between us.”

Alis scooped up her bag and tucked her notebook against her chest as she stood. “That’s exactly what I’m afraid of. And I’d like the two of you to have that figured out before my next visit. I’ll reach out a few days before, so you can expect me. But I’d like this…” She gestured around her, “situation to be more straightforward before I return.”

She turned and headed for the door.

When Cassian came back, Alis was gone. He blinked, Nyx now awake, downing his milk. “Where’d she go?”

“She left,” Nesta said, quietly. “She’ll let us know when she’s coming next time.”

Cassian’s brows furrowed as he sat next to Nesta on the couch. “What’s wrong?”

Nesta hesitated, then said, “I think she thinks that us getting together is a mistake.”

Cassian looked at Nesta for a moment, then snorted. “She also thought that us living together, unromantically, and raising Nyx was a mistake.” 

Nesta said nothing as she watched her hands, quietly.

Cassian’s smile faded away. “What? You don’t think us getting together is a mistake, right?”

“No, of course not,” Nesta said, but it lacked passion.

Cassian watched her. “Nesta.”

“She brings up some good points, Cass,” Nesta breathed.

Cassian’s jaw ticked. “What does that mean?”

Nesta closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Well, what if we don’t work out? What will happen? We should at least have a plan.”

“You don’t think we’re going to work out?” Cassian asked. 

“I don’t even know what we are, Cassian,” she breathed, opening her eyes, but continued staring at her hands. “Am I your girlfriend? Are we exclusive? Is this just what’s convenient for us both?”

Cassian was staring at her, unable to think of anything to say, barely able to understand what had happened in the past thirty minutes since he’d gotten out of bed. “This sure as hell isn’t just about convenience, not for me. But if it is for you, I guess I’d like to know now.”

She still didn’t look at him. “I don’t know, Cass.”

He had no idea what to say, no idea what to do. He shook his head. “I’m going to take Nyx on my jog with me. When we get back, you let me know if this is still convenient for you.”

His voice was colder than she’d heard it in months, barely recognized it as he silently made his way up the stairs. She didn’t move, could hardly think as she heard him get changed and then dress Nyx as well. 

Her face fell into her hands.

This isn’t how she wanted the morning to go.

As she laid in bed with him the night before, listening to the steady beating of his heart after he fell asleep, she had a long list of things she wanted to say to him today, had a long list of emotions she wanted him to feel.

Pissed wasn’t one of them.

Unsure wasn’t one of them.

Nothing was going as planned.

It wasn’t until Cassian was carrying a babbling Nyx back down the stairs that Nesta looked up. Cassian wouldn’t meet her eyes.

“Cass-,” she began, but he strode through the living room and out the door, the door closing just a little too hard behind him.

No, this wasn’t how she wanted the day to go.

She didn’t get to tell Nyx goodbye.

She didn’t get to tell Cassian goodbye, or any of the other things she had planned.

But maybe it was for the best. Maybe things would continue to fall into place, just not the place that she had planned.

Nesta sat back on the couch, her face falling back into her hands.

As the first tear fell, she wondered if this was a part of Feyre’s plan. 

[ketterdam-it]

Mr.Crow

This is a sad-ish Kanej as parents oneshot with a happy ending! I’ve been tinkering with this idea for a while now!

Thank y’all for the support to get me here! Here’s my hundredth Instagram post, I hope y’all love it <3

“____” indicates time passing!

Jordie laughs, and Inej marvels at the sound, so light and carefree, she wishes she could keep it in a jar to listen to when the nights feel all too dark. The laughs echo through the small home, it’s still too large for just the two of them.

He’s only six months old and she can’t help but be amazed at how much he’s already grown. It fills her heart with warmth, for a moment she forgets the hole within her heart.

Jordie’s holding a toy, one of his favorites, a stuffed crow Kaz had gotten him when he was born. Mr.Crow, he’s called it, it feels so long ago, yet almost as if it were yesterday. The knife of grief plunges deep into her heart.

He has warm gold skin, closer to her own bronze, but his brown eyes are a shade of bitter tea dissimilar to Inej. He has Kaz’s eyes, it’s unmistakeable.

She watches him as he holds up the crow, babbling to it, and toward the empty chair beside him. He hasn't said his first word yet, she knows it's far too early for that, but his babblings are happy, and occasionally peppered with laughter. That's enough for Inej.

____

It's been a long day, the longest in a while. Just as Inej flops into bed, Jordie cries, and she's forced up. She sighs, pushing herself from the comfort of the mattress, she's so tired. Please, just go to sleep. He's been getting fussier ever since he began teething, and the dark circles beneath her eyes are more than enough proof.

She walks out of her room, and into the one beside it. Like a switch being flipped, the wailing subsides, turning into playful giggles as he clutches Mr.Crow. But Jordie hasn't even seen her yet. No, he's focused on his crow toy and the other side of the seemingly empty room.

Perhaps Inej would be worried, perhaps she would feel uneasy, but she's far too tired, and far too relieved he's worked it out on his own.

____

Letters have come in, from Wylan and Jesper, letters that have been left unanswered for weeks now. Inej has been busy, and there are many other thoughts that claim a higher importance for her than letters.

Over the past month Jordie has become more and more fascinated by the chair, Kaz's chair. And perhaps she'd notice, if there weren't so much to do, if it weren't something seemingly normal for a baby, if she weren't so damn tired. But sometimes nightmares haunt you more than the real thing, and she doesn't sleep much. When she does, it is not restful.

____

She misses him, and apparently she ponders on it for a moment too long, because Jordie begins to cry in her arms. She often loses herself in a universe of pain now, she’s thankful to always be brought back by the child in her arms.

"Well how about Mr.Crow and you play for a minute while Mama does some dishes, alright?" She asks, remembering he's only a baby, one which understands exactly three of those words. She shakes her head at herself as she sets him in his crib, placing the plush crow in his tiny hands. She really needs to get some sleep.

Thank the Saints for Mr.Crow.

____

8 letters and 7 weeks, she’s felt bad, truly, but only tonight is it finally enough to open them, and to respond, or try to at least. She placed Jordie in his crib with Mr.Crow a few minutes before, and now she has the freedom to sit down, to take a moment to herself.

A silent argument within her is battled out before she finally picks one up, the oldest. It says what she thought it would say, how they miss her, and Jordie, and they should visit, but they don't mention him and she sets the letter down. Disappointment and relief fight for a place within her.

She finally brings herself to pen her response, hours later, once she's read and reread all of the letters. But Inej is busy, and it sits on the counter for two weeks, still unsent.

_____

Three weeks, another letter, she feels bad, she really does, but she's exhausted. Her two saviors? Coffee and Mr.Crow.

It’s early in the morning when she gets a free moment to spare, she reads the letter quickly while Jordie is occupied. They miss her, and they forgive her for not replying, they're so glad she finally responded and are excited to see her next month.

What? She is not that tired, she wasn’t that tired. She never mailed her letter, and it never said anything about a visit. What is going on? Inej feels as though she's going mad, even so, that feeling ins't too uncommon these days. Grief is the worst kind of monster.

Jordie screams, startling Inej from her thoughts. Oh no. She runs out of the room, and to him. When she arrives, mere moments later, he's holding out Mr.Crow, and babbling toward the chair, happy babbling. It was a happy scream, thank the Saints.

"Jordie, who are you talking to?" She says with a laugh, shaking her head and walking over to scoop him up. He’s given her a real fright with that scream.

He looks at her, giggling, "Da!" He exclaims, clapping his hands together. Inej’s souls feels as though it’s being torn apart all over again, yet sewn right back up at once.

The curtain from the open window behind Jordie flutters a bit, a warm air surrounds her, it’s a soft comfort, like the softest hug. A hug so close to what Kaz used to give. A single tear slips from her eye, because she knows.

He is here with them, he never left her, he never left Jordie.

[bluemusickid]

Hi! I hope you're doing well 🥰 Can you I request one where Steve breaks reader's arm or leg by mistake during training and has to take care of her afterwards? Definitely won't mind if some smut is added 😅 Thank you!!

OMFGGGG MY FAV WRITER SENT AN ASK ASDFGHJKL (Also full disclosure: this has been one of my kinks for a while :P)

Pairing: Steve Rogers x Fem!Reader

Warnings: slow burn (just a tad), 18+, SMUTTTT, unprotected sex (don’t be silly, wrap your willy), did I mention NSFW? Read at your own risk.

A/N: I would like to thank @imdarkinme for sending in this AMAZING ask! She’s a doll and I’ve been a fan of her writing for so long!! I would also like to thank @donutloverxo for converting me to a Steve Stan loool. I wanted him to be a bit dark here, but in the end his dorky side won. :P Without further ado, I hope you enjoy!! Send in your requests here and you can join my taglist here (or you could just send an ask lmao)! Thanks!

I post my stuff only on AO3 and here, nowhere else. 

The Learning Curve

You groaned as you got up from the mat, yet again. It was dumb of you to ask Captain Rogers to train with you. As a new recruit, you’d obviously wanted to impress him; he was the leader of the Avengers after all. There was only one tiny problem you forgot to factor in: the man was a Super Soldier, while you were...not.

“Come on, get up! We still have two rounds to go!” a voice bellowed from above you.

You mentally cursed at the voice. You’d tried to not let it affect you, but like many others, you had a bit of a crush on the Captain. But it wasn’t solely because of his looks, it was more about his passion to help and save and to protect. He was always so passionate, it was hard to keep away(which was a fiercely guarded secret). You felt like Icarus, when you were with him.

Getting up, you tried to block his punches, while getting in a few yourself. It was impossible, the man was a champ. You saw your opening, however, when he seemed to be distracted by someone approaching him from behind you. Seeing this as a golden opportunity to catch him off guard, you threw a punch aiming for his face. Unfortunately, he blocked the punch and pushed you, to ward you off. It seemed as if he too, forgot that he was a Super Soldier, pushing you a bit too hard.

You screamed as you fell to the ground, twisting to save your face, your arm breaking your fall. Your suspicions were confirmed as you tried to move your arm but couldn’t. Steve heard you yelp and rushed to your side, carefully inspecting your injured appendage. You squealed as he touched your arm, the pain indescribable. Steve whispered his apologies a million times, trying to haul you up by your waist, in vain. Finally, he gave up and picked you up bridal style, like you weighed nothing.

You gasped, partially out of pain, but mostly out of surprise at the sudden move. 

“Umm...Cap..tain..I..can..walk..” you stuttered, unable to keep the pain out of your voice.

He looked into your eyes and smiled, shaking his head. Oh dear lord. This man truly was gorgeous. Nearing the MedBay, he slowly placed you on the bed, his mouth tantalisingly close to yours as he lowered you onto the surface. You never realised how blue his eyes were, which at the moment were filled to the brim with anxiety and some other emotion; which you couldn’t quite place your finger on. Deciding you were probably delirious from the pain, you tried to focus on what the doctor was telling you.

“...so you’ll have to be on constant bedrest for the next two weeks before we can check again to see if you need a rod put in.” 

“Err, I’m sorry doc, what?” you mumbled apologetically, embarrassed by your thoughts.

“As I was telling Captain Rogers, you seem to have a hairline fracture in your ulna, which could require support. You need to rest and take it easy for at least two weeks. Training will have to be put on hold, and I suggest you call a family member to take care of you in the meantime.” the doctor said, scribbling notes.

“Oh, that..won’t be necessary. I can do stuff on my own, I’ll be very careful.” you said with a grimace, not wanting to seem weaker in front of Steve.

“That’s not gonna happen.” Steve said, firmly. “She’ll stay in my quarters. It’s the least I can do after breaking her arm.”

You stared at him, a million things going through your head. You and him, in the confines of a room, alone. Oh no. This was going to be torturous in more way than one.

“Oh no no no, Captain. I couldn’t. I wouldn’t like to impose. Plus, I’m feeling better already! I’m sure it’s more than manageable. Please..I..I’ll be okay, really.” you rushed, pretty sure that your voice was betraying just how fast your heart was beating.

Steve smirked. “This isn’t up for debate. Plus, I’m sure it would be easier for the others to check up on you when we’re away on missions.” he said, taking the prescription from the doctor.

You winced as he helped you up from the bed, the warmth of his hand making you hyperaware about what your life was gonna be like for 2 weeks. You sighed. It was gonna be a loooong two weeks.

-------

You realised after a week that your worries had all been for naught. Steve was an excellent caretaker. He made sure you took all your medicines at the right time, ate properly and rested enough. He was also a thorough gentleman, always calling a lady nurse when you needed to take a shower or get dressed; really respected your boundaries. But you couldn’t deny the shift in his behaviour towards you. At first, you felt like you were reading into it too much, but then it started to get more noticeable. They were little things, but it meant so much. He would insist on having lunch with you, no matter if you were quiet or chatty; Steve always was there. He brought your favourite blanket from your chambers to make sure you felt more comfortable. At night, he would make sure you were comfortable, get you hot chocolate, maybe even sit next to you till you fell asleep. One time, he held your hand till you drifted off; but you were sure that you felt him leave a small peck on your cheek as you nodded off.

If you weren’t falling for him earlier, you sure as hell were now.

------

After hitting the two week mark, you went to the doctor again for a checkup. All seemed well, there was no need for a rod to be put in but the cast would have to stay on. Steve was there throughout the appointment, listening intently at everything the doctor said with his full focus. It was quite distracting and kinda hot, and you couldn’t help but sneak glances at him periodically. On one occasion, he caught your eye and grinned, catching you in the act. You wished the ground would swallow you up just then: this man fully well knew that you had a crush on him and was enjoying messing with you.

You nearly gasped as you felt his hand on your shoulder, guiding you to the lift. Something was different today. Steve seemed buoyant, which was very out of character for him.

“The nurse isn’t available today, she had some prior commitments. If it’s ok with you, I’ll be taking care of you tonight.” he said, softly. You gulped, his tone messing with your train of thought.

“Uh, that’s ok, I can manage things for a night. I’ve already imposed on you quite a bit and don’t want to create more of a hassle.”

Steve smiled. “Sweetheart, you’ve not been a hassle, trust me. It felt nice having you around, I enjoy your companionship. Just a few weeks more and you can get rid of me.” he said, with a mischievous grin. You groaned inwardly; this man was driving you nuts.

“Oh no, I really liked staying with you. You’re great company! I don’t think I want to get rid of you, ha.” you said in a flourish, mentally cursing yourself for being such a blabbering fool around him.

Steve looked at you, his eyes darkening. He stepped closer to you, opening his mouth to say something, but the elevator seemed to sense the tension rife in the air and opened at that exact moment. You both snapped out of the haze you were in with Steve beckoning you to his quarters, his hand resting softly on your back.

Back in your room, you realised you needed to take your nightly shower. You were about to call for the nurse, when you remembered that she wasn’t gonna come. Shit. You’d have to call Steve to help with your sling. Closing your eyes, you sighed before you walked to his room, praying to God that you would get through this. Just go in, get the brace off, and get out, you whispered to yourself. With that mantra in mind, you hesitantly knocked on his door. A muffled ‘come in’ reached you, and you timidly entered the lion’s den.

Steve was tinkering with the laptop, clearly engrossed in some work. You felt guilty disturbing him, but it was kind of an emergency. 

“Is everything ok?”

“Yes, I..just needed some help with my sling; I tried to take it off, but it’s not coming off. Can you..unfasten it? I’ll be out of your hair in no time..”

Wordlessly, Steve sauntered over to you, turning you around to face the wall. Softly, his fingers undid the clasp of the sling, pulling the straps off your neck, his fingers grazing over your skin gently. You jerked, surprised by the small currents you felt with these small touches. Turning you around, he helped you take your arm out of the sling, his hands accidentally brushing the sides of your breasts. You didn’t dare make eye contact with him; you were sure you would say or do something you would regret later on. 

“All done.” he whispered, his eyes not leaving yours. You realised he was merely inches away from your lips; the proximity driving you crazy.

“Thanks.” you mumbled, wanting to run out of the room.

“Are you going to bed? Do you need anything to drink?” 

“Yes, I was just gonna head to bed after my shower.”

“You can shower here. I’d be able to keep an eye on you then and you won’t have to worry about any mishaps. See? Win-win.” he said with a grin.

You were about to decline his offer but stopped when he held up his hand. “You need to stop thinking that you’re a burden on me. I like doing things for you, it makes me feel like I’m not totally alone. These two weeks have undoubtedly been one of the best weeks in my life. I like you, and I know you like me. I just want to show you how much I care for you in my own, peculiar ways.” he said, taking your hand in his, drawing patterns on your knuckles softly.

Your mind raced with all the information. You never knew Steve felt this way, he was always so taciturn. Your gaze flitted to his face, his eyes darkening the way they did in the morning. He didn’t need words to convey what his eyes said; he felt the same way you did about him.

You melted as he raised your hand to his lips, placing a kiss which felt like petals grazing your skin. Leaning down, his lips inched closer to yours, his breath tickling your face.

“Tell me if I should stop, and I will.” he whispered.

You waited a beat before making your decision. Raising your lips to his, you touched his lips slightly before murmuring, “don’t stop.”

And that was it. You were lost in the maelstrom of emotions that was Steve kissing you. It started off sweet, with Steve engulfing your lips within his, taking his time to make sure you were enjoying. It turned heated the moment you ran your fingers through his hair, gently tugging on it. Steve ran his tongue over you, begging for entrance. You moaned and opened your mouth, prompting him to unite his tongue with yours, as if to memorise every inch of you. You broke apart, the need for air greater than your desire. 

He picked you up and carried you to the bed, placing you on it carefully. Being extremely careful, he pulled off your tee, eyes widening as he took in your bare chest. Kneeling in front of you, he took off your sweatpants and your underwear, leaving soft but searing kisses at every inch of skin he exposed. You sharply inhaled, already feeling yourself get wet even though he hadn’t even touched you properly.

Lowering you to the bed tenderly, he made sure your arm was resting comfortably, placing a pillow underneath the appendage. Placing his hand next to your head, he kissed you deeply, pouring every emotion he felt into that kiss. You moaned as you felt his lips trail lower, leaving kisses along your neck, laving your pulse point. Moving lower, he kissed your breasts, leaving small bites along the way. Taking a swollen nub in his mouth, he sucked on it while massaging the other, prompting you to groan and run your uninjured hand through his hair, wanting him inside you.

While he moved his attention to your other breast, he trailed his fingers down your body, leaving goosebumps in their wake. He finally reached his destination, his fingers soft against your wet nether region. 

“Steve, please..I need you..” you whispered in urgency. His intrepid fingers found your swollen nub and circled; gently at first, and then with more intensity. Moving lower, his digits swirled around your wet lips, before plunging into your tight channel. You gasped as he began thrusting, his knuckles bumping along your front wall, hitting your sweet spot. You had to refrain from arching your back, instead relegating to pulling his head down for a kiss. He increased his speed, adding another finger once he sensed how close you were. You shrieked as you reached your peak, breaking apart from the kiss. 

As you opened your eyes, recovering from your orgasm, you saw Steve look at you, an unspoken question in his deep blue eyes. You nodded, cupping his cheek, running your thumb over his soft, soft skin. You don’t know what power he wielded over you, but it didn’t matter. You had no qualms being caught in this spell he wove.

Shedding his clothes, he returned to his place, widening your spread legs with his torso. Sitting back on his heels, he took in your body, his gaze running over every curve, every stretch mark, every beauty spot on your body. Taking his hard member in his hand, he gave a few strokes before lowering himself, running his nose against yours. He ran his tip along your wet folds before plunging into you in one swift move. You gasped and closed your eyes, your head falling back against the pillow. He gave you time to adjust to his size, your walls snug against him. After a moment, he began moving, careful to not move your arm. He started off slow, making sure you felt every inch of him. You hooked your legs around his hips, urging him to move faster. He took the hint, his pace increasing with each thrust. The coil in your belly was tightening and you could feel yourself hurtling towards completion for the second time. Running your hand along his back, your hand made it’s way to his ass, pushing down, begging him for more. Steve held himself up, looking deeply into your eyes, as he sped up his thrusts. You could feel him within you, each thrust hitting your weak spot over and over again.

You screamed his name as you reached your peak, your legs tightening around him; wrapping yourself around him like a vine. He was close too, his thrusts now becoming frantic as he was chasing his end. Your walls contracting around him set off his orgasm as he moaned, spilling every last drop of himself inside you. You both panted, as he dropped his head on your chest, trying to catch his breath. You both stayed like that for a while as you ran your fingers through his scalp, enjoying the feel of his weight on yours. 

There were many things to talk about, sure.

But for now, this was more than enough.

-----

Tags: @chris-evans-indian-fanfic @donutloverxo @worksby-d @gotnofucks @imdarkinme @chris-butt @ozarkthedog