#I'M HAVING EPIPHANY AFTER EPIPHANY TODAY WITH THIS AU

[alexgalaxyboo]

I didn't wanna make Price the king in the tangled au because it felt more fitting to have him with like the 141 and as a thief or a horse, originally and stuff BUT YOU KNOW WHO I CAN MAKE SOAP'S PARENTS?

Laswell and her wife that's who. Bam, lesbian queens (literally) and their magic flower baby.

[nemo-in-wonderland]

"Now we're standing here together At the crystal borderline All my memories are shattered Nothing's left of what was mine I'm tryin' to hold you But you slip away A candle cannot burn forever To whom am I to pray

Up we rise into the night We'll never die in the shadows We can break out of these days Darkness will blaze in the shadows Our kingdom will come When our dreams can grow wild Up we rise into the night We'll never die in the shadows

It's so hard to kill the demons When they live inside your heart Don't give up to find your fortune When you don't know where to start So come here and take me I'm already gone In a second life beside you Is where I want to belong"

"IN THE SHADOWS - Beyond the Black"

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

HELLO HELLO, EVERYONE.

So, I have been brainrotting SO MUCH ever since yesterday night about this whole thing, and today I just had ANOTHER epiphany, and I had was therefore COMPELLED to draw Cambion!Jacob and Cleric!Dorothea together.

I was actually going for a comical kind of artwork initially, but then the brain took a turn to the left, and well, WE WENT DOWN SENSUALITY LANE, and I have to be honest, even if this is just a sketchy kinda things, I am actually so happy with how it turned out.

Like, I can totally see the familiarity between Mephisto and Jacob (homeboy has been pestering daddy dearest for advices lol), and I am so happy I had this epiphany yesterday, you have no idea.

Dottie can resist to him, but only for so long (and Lathander can help only so much lololol).

Also,I kinda slightly modified Jacob's whole design, giving him another set of smaller horns (I kinda hc that cambions' horns tend to grow bigger with age, so Jacob, being a relatively young cambion, has smaller horns - especially compared to his brother Raphael. You can imagine the teasing these two have going on. Raphael cannot complain if then Jacob breaks into his House of Hope every other day and thrash the place lolol) and I decided to give him two pairs of wings, one bat-like and one bird-like, pretty much referencing Pathfinder!Mephistopheles' design AND also reconnecting his normal status as Rook in Assassin's Creed. (I do headcanon that among Zaynab, Karim, Raphael and Jacob, he is the only one with feathery wings as well).

AND I WAS SO FREAKING HAPPY TO *FINALLY* BE ABLE TO USE THAT QUOTE, BECAUSE FML THAT WAS THE MEANING OF THE WHOLE "MORNING STAR" THINGY FOR DOROTHEA ALL ALONG.

You see, in my canonical AU for Jacob and Dottie, Dorothea is Jacob's own Lucifer, and I WAS SO FREAKING HAPPY TO FINALLY BE ABLE TO USE IT HERE PROPERLY. Fml, it feels like freaking validation after almost 5 years of working on her character *gives a huge pat on the back*

That being said, I hope you will like this as much as I loved working on it and as much as I love them <3

--Nemo

[tinycheesecakedetective]

Potential Swap AU pt. 3(OLD)

I'm still thinking about making this official, mind you. Anyways, welcome to my third blog about this speculative AU project thing. Which isn't so speculative anymore, surprise! I call it Exchanged Fates, and all past and future updates about this AU will have the tag #exchangedfatesau. Today, we've finally reached the last Beast-Ancient pairing, Shadow Milk Cookie and Pure Vanilla Cookie! A fair warning, this one is longer than the others, so be warned. I talk waaaay more here.

Preamble There's a reason why these two are last. Knowledge is a pretty hard virtue to make something out of, and it's even harder when Truth and Deceit are two classic foils. You can make the truth a problem, but lies are always going to be tricky to make a good thing. Initially, Truth would be made into Judgement, but I scrapped it once I realized I couldn't think of anything for Deceit. So I took a break for a bit. I had a birthday and then several historical events just slapped me in the face-

Eventually, I had an epiphany. And I'd like to show you all now, if you'll allow me to. Behold,

Pure Vanilla Cookie, Beast of Despair and Shadow Milk Cookie, Ancient Hero of Hope

...I can feel my Danganronpa phase resurface. No time to waste, let's begin with Pure Vanilla. Throughout the story, he's presented as a paragon character, the most virtuous of the ancients. And it's somewhat true, but there's more to him than just altruism. He's quite sharp, able to discern the plans of his enemies and very emotionally intelligent, but is prone to some self loathing and suffers from an inferiority complex. I'm not *quite* well spoken enough to make a deep analysis on him, although I wish I was. He's so interesting to me and the fandom kind of brushes him off as this sweet old man-twink. Now he is, but there's so much more going on with him. If anyone does a deep analysis into him, I want to know immediately.

Sorry! Got sidetracked there, anyways! Why despair, hmm? Let's head back to his negative traits, the self loathing and the inferiority complex. Pure Vanilla struggles with his self image, blaming himself for how the flour war turned out and feeling as if he failed to protect the ones closest to him. Even after restoring his kingdom, he struggles with these feelings. Granted, it's not as bad as it was before, but you can still feel bits of it in Odyssey and in Beast-Yeast. Despite this, he still pushes onwards, being a beacon of hope for many. But there's only so much the soul can take. Even he can recognize when someone has to be stopped for the greater good, even if they did mean the world to him.

Fittingly, if he was one of the first to gain his soul jam, he'll be the last to turn, how tragic. Pure Vanilla would try everything in his power to save his friends, and when his efforts are unsuccessful, he has to stop them alone. Of course, the former ancients try to turn him to their side, and the battle of wills is long and painful. Since the roles are reversed, Elder Faerie exists and tries to help where he can, but he can see the writing on the wall and prepares for the worst. Eventually, Pure Vanilla falls. Despite everything he's done, nothing changes. He isn't strong enough to save them, and he isn't strong enough to stop them. He's only delayed the inevitable for himself, and even now his soul jam has begun to corrupt. Forced to face his own helplessness, he turns, finally joining his friends in sowing chaos across Beast-Yeast.

The Timeless Kingdom, once a refuge for escapees of the the other kingdoms, becomes stuck in time. Y'know how Blue Diamond emotionally manipulated those around her to make them submit to her will? Imagine that but worse. The kingdom feels like it's frozen in time. Nothing ages or rots, just... distorts. The moment you step foot there, you can feel your strength waver. Walking around, you see people consumed by agony as they stay in place weeping aloud, their bodies warped by a deep sadness as their hollow eyes stare back at you. Unlike the other beasts, Pure Vanilla's palace is open for anyone to visit, almost like he's flaunting his strength. You'll soon understand why. If you make the dumb choice and see him, you'll find him kneeling behind a veil. He'll greet you and talk to you for a moment. But don't be fooled. He's still a beast, and before you know it, you're overwhelmed. Visions of your greatest regrets flood your senses. Every action you've ever taken, every right and wrong choice flashes right in front of your eyes. Fight all you want, you're eventually consumed by it all, and become like the other residents of this forsaken kingdom. Forever reliving your worst moments in a never ending mental purgatory. If some of this sounds familiar, I took some inspiration from Bloozstella's blue diamond swap AU for this, by the way. Go check that out if you have time!

~~~~~~~~~~~

Now... Shadow Milk Cookie. The fandom's new favorite blue gremlin/pos. He's clever, charismatic, perceptive as hell, a lover of the theatre, and very cocky in his abilities. The very first time we see him, he gets to work immediately, corrupting some fairies, tormenting Pure Vanilla Cookie, and taking over the faerie kingdom, and that's just him toying around with them all. Interestingly enough, despite being the embodiment of deceit, he shares more truth than lies with the players and the hero gang, revealing Dark Enchantress' plans and telling them that all the other beasts have been awakened after his temporary defeat. His lies have been fairly obvious for the most part, which is a bit strange. I wonder if there's a reason for that...

So... Why hope? Why in the witch's oven would I make such a menace hope? Because of how he handles the truth. In canon, Pure Vanilla doesn't handle the truth too well. He'll confront it, but he has a tendency to get consumed in himself or worry about how others would take it. Shadow Milk, even before he turned to darkness, feels like he would embrace it without hesitation and keep moving like a runaway train. Pure Vanilla is reactive, Shadow Milk is proactive, and his curiosity and determination could make him overcome any obstacle. Probably why he's so dangerous, asides from the immense power he has.

You can probably guess that my head canon for him is that he was the last beast to turn evil, so naturally he's gonna be the very first cookie to get his soul jam! And he starts in the Blueberry Academy. Kind of, it's not formed yet when he begins. Our shadow menace starts out as an aspiring scholar/adventurer and thrill seeker. He's definitely a nerd, kinda like Wizard Cookie, and begins his hero's journey exploring the world. On one particular expedition, he visits the continent of Beast-Yeast, but doesn't make it that far before passing out. He wakes up in the company of fairy cookies who took pity on him, and is taken to Elder Faerie. Unsurprisingly, he tells Shadow Milk Cookie to go back to Crispia once he's recovered because this place is far too dangerous for him and he'll die. Unsurprisingly he takes this as a challenge, and during his stay he reads up on the place in the library. Far too invested to leave, he starts exploring beyond the kingdom in secret, and finds the soul jam deep within the forest.

Eventually he gets caught, and Elder Faerie wants to take the soul jam away from him, but whoops! It's already attuned to Shadow Milk and there's nothing he can do about it. Realizing there isn't much he can do, he at least offers to train him to use it properly, prompting a few training sessions before sending him off. When Shadow Milk gets back, he doesn't establish a kingdom. Instead he goes to find others like him first. For his research, of course. Eventually he ends up forming the group of the Ancients, and finally establishes his kingdom. He doesn't feel like he'd have a traditional kingdom. Rather, it would be more like the Creme Republic! It's a hub of the arts and sciences, a place where the brightest and most creative cookies can show their talents to the fullest potential. He finally founds the Blueberry Yogurt Academy in his "kingdom", and he, alongside a personal council makes the rules. In reality, the council does all the work and he acts more as a figurehead so he can focus on his own personal projects. He's definitely the most hands on with his subjects, hosting events, mingling with the commonfolk, exploring, etc. At least before the Dark Flour War... But that's a story for another time.

~~~~~

Finally... I'm DONE. No more foundation, now I can just think and edit. Mystic Flour's part is outdated with her release and now I have to rectify that in the future. I hope you all enjoyed this miniseries! I will be taking questions on both this AU and Fading Letters. I'll try to answer any questions a lot quicker this time, and hopefully the rest of this month is uneventful. Please.

This is being posted at like, 1 AM in the morning, so good night everyone! Hope you have a peaceful night!

[tessa-liam]

Turning the Page

Because I Love You - 7 -

Choices, The Royal Romance, AU 

Series Premise: As Riley Brooks journeys through life as a single parent in New York City, an epiphany strikes as she contemplates the future for herself and her two-year-old son. 

Turning the Page Series Masterlist 

Main Pairing: Liam Rys x F!OC Riley Brooks 

All characters belong to Pixelberry Studios, except William Brooks (Rys) and Matteo Magro, who belongs to this series. 

Category: On-going series, contains angst/fluff/depression. Cross-over fic with Choices, Perfect Match. 

Rating: M🔞Warnings - Series will contain crude language, NSFW material – not Beta’d - please excuse all errors.

Words : 2450

Because I Love You – 7 

Chapter Summary: Liam and Riley spend their first day as a family with William. A threat is revealed in Cordonia, while security is tightened in New York. Liam is called back to Cordonia.

Music Inspiration: When You Say Nothing at All, Alison Kraus & Union Station 

A/N1: In this alternate universe, after King Constantine orchestrates two individual scandals to humiliate and entrap Riley Brooks and Olivia Nevrakis in shame, Madeleine Amaranth secures her position as the Queen of Cordonia. Riley, as the King’s mistress and Olivia, in self-imposed exile. Tariq is never found.  

A/N2: My submission for @choicesflashfics, Week#62, prompt #1 - “Forever means nothing to me if I don’t get to spend it with you.” 

A/N3: My submission for @choicesflashfics, Holiday Prompt #18 - “If you throw that snowball, you’re declaring war.” 

A/N4: My submission for @choicesdecember2023, prompt, Food and Feasts - ‘National cocoa day.’ #choices monthly challenge 

A/N5: My submission for Choices Holidays Prompt Event, @angelasscribbles @choicesholidays, Week 3, “This is definitely going to land me on your naughty list.”

A/N6: My submission for Holiday Prompts 2023, prompt – Snowball Fight – Building a snowman. 

Brooklyn Heights, New York City 

The snow had drifted up against the patio door throughout the evening and continued to pile up as the new day began. 

William looked up and gasped. "It's snowing! Look, Mama, ... loooooooook!" 

Riley sauntered over to the glass door and gazed out at the beautiful sight. "It is snowing, LiLi. You are so right!" 

"Can we go outside and play, Mama? ...Pweeeeeze?" 

"Not yet sweetheart, it's still too early. But, maybe later today, the snow should still be falling." 

William grinned, his eyes lighting up. "Yay!" 

"You can show me all your favorite places outside in the snow." Liam chimed in, walking up to stand beside Riley with his coffee.

"Daddy, can you make a snowman with me?" 

"Yes, I can. In fact, I'm a snowman-making expert." Riley's eyebrow shot up quickly turning to see a smirking Liam beside her.

"Really? Wow." William excitedly clapped his hands. Riley smiled warmly at William's reaction, which mirrored closely with Liam's expression of delight.

"Yes, I have a special way of making them. Do you want me to show you how?" 

"Yes, Daddy, please!" 

Riley giggled, shaking her head. “Snow in the Capital?” 

“Not the Capital, but it was always snowing in Lythikos.”  Liam quipped back with a grin.

Liam whispered, “... and Mama can help too.” Liam smiled affectionately at Riley, softly stroking her cheek with his thumb. 

“But first, I would like to show you a train set at the toy store in the city! Would you like that, William?" 

"Yes, yes, yes! I want to go see the train." William excitedly bounced in his chair. Liam grinned, captivated by the joy in his son's expression.  

"Alright, let's finish our breakfast, and then we can get ready to go. We can also pick up some hot cocoa and marshmallows along the way." 

William squealed in delight. “Oh yes, Daddy.” 

Riley’s shoulders shook uncontrollably, with her laughter barely held. 

“You are having way too much fun, Li.” 

Liam bashfully looked at Riley and winked. “I will have Bastien prepare the car. We can go as soon as it gets here.” 

“Okay, little man. Let’s get you ready to go.” Riley walked to pick up William from his toddler chair as Liam made the arrangements. 

*** 

After visiting F.A.O. Schwarz in Rockerfeller center, as promised, Liam took Riley and William for a hot cocoa treat while admiring the huge Christmas tree in the center court. 

As they walked along the bustling streets of New York, Liam could not help but smile at how much fun his son was having, and truth be told, so was he. They had visited the toy store, where Liam had bought him a set of toy trains, and stealthily selected more toys for Christmas morning for William.

William was in awe of the trains, and he had insisted on carrying the bag personally all the way to the café by himself. 

As they entered, the waitress smiled warmly at them, and Riley was grateful for the privacy that being with the King afforded. She did not need any extra attention from onlookers. 

"Good afternoon, folks. What can I get for you?" 

Liam turned to Riley, "we will all have hot cocoa, with whipped cream and marshmallows."  

“That sounds delicious …yes, please.” Riley agreed. 

The waitress nodded, "you got it." 

As she walked away, Liam turned to Riley, "thank you, Riley." 

"For what?" 

"For letting me be part of William's life. I now know that I can't imagine not having him in my life." 

"I'm glad, Li. He's a very special little person." 

"He is. Just like... his mother." 

Riley blushed, "you're sweet." 

"Not as sweet as you." 

"Stop, Li," Riley laughed, shaking her head. 

"Hey, I have an idea. Why don't we go to the park after this? We can build a snowman." 

"That sounds wonderful. LiLi will love it." 

"… and later, I was thinking just the two of us," Liam suggested, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "We have a lot of catching up to do."

"Oh...that sounds nice too." Riley smiled coyly. 

The waitress returned with their drinks, and they spent the next hour talking and laughing, enjoying each other's company. When they were done, Liam paid the bill, and they headed out into the crisp, winter air. 

"It's a date then?!" Liam continued to watch William. 

"It's a date." Riley confirmed. “Oh, yeah?” Liam beamed. 

“Yeah,” Riley confirmed, squeezing his hand. 

"I meant what I said earlier, Riley. I want to be a part of your lives, both yours and William's. 

As they continued to stroll, Liam reached out and took Riley's hand in his, a feeling of contentment washing over him. 

"I know, Li. And we want you in our lives too." 

"Good. Because now that I have you back in my life.... I want us to be a family." 

"I love you too, Liam." 

"Forever means nothing to me if I don't get to spend it with you." 

Central park was beautiful, covered in a blanket of fresh, white snow, and Riley could not help but smile as she watched Liam playing with William. The two were building a snowman, and William was giggling and squealing with delight. 

"Do you like it, William?" Liam asked, grinning. 

"I love it, Daddy." 

Liam's heart warmed at the sound of the word, and he scooped up his son, twirling him around. "I love it, too, LiLi." 

"Daddy, look, the snowman needs arms." 

"It does. What should we do?" William picked up two twigs and poked them in to its sides.

"Can we throw snowballs at the snowman nowe, Daddy?" Liam laughed. 

"Of course, we can. Whatever you would like." 

Liam put William down and helped him scoop up a handful of snow, showing him how to shape it into a ball. Then, they began to throw the snowballs at the snowman, laughing and enjoying each other's company. 

As they played, Riley couldn't help but feel her heart swell with love and happiness. It was a sight she would never forget, and she knew that their lives together were just beginning. 

"Riley, watch out!" 

Riley turned to see a snowball hurtling towards her, and she ducked just in time, laughing. "Hey, that's not fair, you two!" 

Liam and William looked at each other, trying to hide their giggles, and Riley picked up a handful of snow, forming a snowball. 

"If you throw that snowball, you're declaring war."  

Liam ducked as her snowball flew past him.  

They shrieked with laughter, running around and chasing each other. As the sun began to set, Liam picked up his son and kissed his forehead and pulled Riley close. 

“This is definitely going to land me on your naughty list.” 

"Would that be a bad thing, Li?" 

"God, no!"  

Liam put William down and held his hand out for Riley, pulling her in close to his side. 

"And I love you, my love," he whispered, leaning in to kiss her. 

Riley melted into his kiss, savoring the moment, knowing that this was only the start. 

** 

Liam stood up and turned away from the fireplace after starting a warm glow, heading into the kitchen. Riley had prepared a feast of pasta, meatballs, and salad.

"Dinner's ready," she called out.

"Smells delicious."

"Hopefully, it tastes as good."

"William is fast asleep on the sofa. Let me get him into his bed."

"Okay, Liam, thank you."

They sat down and dug into their meal, both enjoying the warmth of the fire and the comfort of being together. Liam couldn't help but marvel at how normal things seemed.

As they ate, Liam cleared his throat, "I spoke to Leo earlier."

"Oh?" Riley's heart started to race, knowing that Liam will eventually have to go back home to Cordonia.

"We need to get back to the Capital."

Liam looked at Riley, his heart filled with love and sadness. "I wish I didn't have to leave you and William." 

As Liam looked st Riley, his heart tightened.

"Liam, is something wrong?"

"No, everything 's fine. Just a lot on my mind."

"Me too, Li. But we'll be waiting for you here." 

"I'll be back as soon as I can, I promise." 

"I know." 

"Wait!" Riley untangled her arms from Liam and ran to the kitchen. 

When his guard appeared at the door, Liam leaned in to kiss Riley goodbye, he could not help but think about all the moments they had shared together over the past few days. It was a bittersweet moment, and he couldn't help but feel a tug at his heart. 

"Ri, what are you doing?" 

"Just wait, you’ll see, Li." 

A few moments later, Riley returned, carrying a twig of mistletoe. 

“Ahhhh, I see.” Liam watched Riley with amusement as Riley was trying to figure out a place to attach it. 

"There. Now we can have our Christmas kiss." 

Liam laughed, "You' dont have to bribe me, love." ...as the mistletoe twig fell to the floor. 

"I know. You've mentioned it a few times." 

"Well, it's true." 

Liam picked up the mistletoe and held it over their heads, grinning. "My future queen." 

"My king." 

Liam gently wrapped his hand around her cheek as he tugged her close. They shared a passionate kiss, both of their hearts aching with the thought of separation. 

"I love you, Riley. With everything that I am." 

"And I love you, Liam. ....so much."

As they pulled away, Liam tucked the mistletoe in his pocket, determined to bring a piece of their love story back with him to Cordonia. 

"Take care of yourself, Riley. I will be back as soon as I can." 

"Stay safe, Liam." 

With one final look, Liam left the brownstone, his heart heavy.

Moroccan Royal Palace

The heat from the Moroccan sun was stifling, as Madeleine sat on the outdoor terrace reading the latest news from Cordonia. Looking up, she saw a familiar face walking towards her. 

"Father ..." Duke Godfrey had a grim look on his face. 

"The council has just received word that King Liam has been spotted in America with a woman and a child. He has a son." 

Madeleine's eyes widened, "with her? That cannot be true." 

"Apparently, it is. You know what this means, Madeleine." 

"Yes. Our plan has failed. We must change course. 

"How do you propose we do that?" 

"Liam has made his choice, and now we must make ours. There is only one way forward." 

"And what is the next step in our plan, father?" 

Madeleine smirked, "I couldn't agree more." 

"We must ensure that no one stands in the way of the succession of the true heir, your son." 

"How do you suggest we do that?" 

"It seems we will have to remove them from the equation. Permanently." 

Madeleine smiled coldly, "I've been waiting a long time for this. Let's get started." 

As the sun set over the Moroccan desert, Madeleine stood on the terrace, surveying the landscape, thinking.

Brooklyn Heights, New York City

Riley was startled when Bastien showed up at her door, but she couldn't say she was surprised. After everything that had happened, she had expected Liam to take extra precautions. 

"Your Majesty has sent a team of security personnel to protect you and young William." 

"Oh. I see.

"I apologize if it's an intrusion, but the King wants to ensure your safety and that of the Crown Prince.." 

"It's not an intrusion, and I appreciate the gesture. Thank you, Bas." 

What Riley wasn't expecting was the added security of Interpol.

Leo had also arranged for his Interpol contact, Damien Nazario, to oversee Riley and William's security when Liam has to return to Cordonia as an added precaution.

When Riley opened the door, she was greeted by a tall, muscular man with dark hair and a serious expression. 

"You must be Riley. I'm Damien Nazario. Your security detail." 

Cordonian Royal Palace

He shook his head, trying to focus on the task at hand. He had a lot to discuss with Olivia, and he didn't have time to get lost in his thoughts. 

As Liam stepped off the plane, he couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. He had missed Cordonia, but there was a big part of him that wished he could have brought back Riley and William with him.

But it was too early for that.

Something felt off. 

As he entered the palace, he was greeted by a familiar face. 

"Your Majesty, it's good to see you," Olivia said, smiling. 

"Likewise, Olivia. Shall we head to my office?" 

"Of course." 

As they entered his office, Liam's eyes landed on a letter that had been placed on his desk. 

As they walked through the halls of the palace, Liam could not shake the feeling that something was wrong. It was a strange sensation, and he couldn't quite put his finger on it. 

"What's this?" 

Olivia's eyes widened, "I have no idea. I didn't see anyone leave anything." 

Liam picked up the letter, and as he read its contents, his blood ran cold. 

"What is it, Liam?" 

Thanks for reading!

📌All fics & edits: @ao719 @txemrn @queenmiarys @sfb123 @twinkleallnight @alj4890 @differenttyphoonwerewolf @harleybeaumont @busywoman @karahalloway @kingliam2019 @imjusthereforliam @lovingchoices14 @kyra75 @tinkie1973 @emkay512 @malblk21 @kristinamae0093 @charlotteg234

📌Liam x Riley, MC /OTP @jared2612 @irisk12 @thesvnsins @walkerdrakewalker

📌Liam x Riley, OC @emersyn-in-cordonia @mainstreetreader @belencha77 @walkerdrakewalker @iluaaa @mysticalfangirl @queenwalton @bascmve01 @umccall71 @choicesfrog @amandablink

📌Liam x Sophie @charlotteg234

📌Submissions: @choicesficwriterscreations @choicesflashfics @choicesdecember2023 @choicesholidays

[beaniebea]

What inspired you to create Disney Musketeers AU?

Thanks for the ask! That's a good question...

I think the inspiration hit after I watched the MDG musketeers movie for the first time last year. It was a really entertaining watch and was also the first mickey mouse movie I had ever seen, since I didn't grow up with them.

For a while afterwards as I thought about it, I realized that it would have been the perfect movie for me if Donald and goofy were swapped for Oswald and Julius. I started thinking about the new brother dynamics they could have explored, and THAT got me thinking about all the little things about the movie I would have liked to change and improve to make it even better.

And after a while my brain was like "hey stupid, if you want it so bad, why don't you just make it?" And that was the epiphany moment for me I think. Fanfiction is the best way to improve upon something you love a lot, so I could just "remake" the movie as an AU. Badda bing, badda boom, BIA was thus born.

At first I wanted to make it a comic, but after sketching a draft of the prologue I realized it was going to be WAY too much work, so I switched to the illustrated fanfiction-type thing that the au is today. (I actually still have the sketched out comic pages from the prologue but they're so painful to look at 😭)

I still have a LOT planned for the au too, even though I've been taking a long (unpurposeful) hiatus of sorts. I'm going to get the next chapter out by the end of the month if it kills me!

Anyways, sorry that was kind of a long ramble, but thanks again for the ask!

[perry-88]

I've been wondering, what is your Figment AU about? I LOVE JII and I've seen posts but can't quite piece it together. It looks o interesting so far!

What I have now is this:

Once upon a time, Nigel had an epiphany regarding his "imagination should be captured" thing.

What if he captured Figments imagination?

He knew it would be risky considering Figment was made out of thought energy.

Although, despite this, he made a machine just for this occasion. (Probably resembles that contraption from the comics I forgot)

And persuaded him to wear the helmet.

And sit down on a chair.

Figment didn't know why Nigel was so nice today. although he liked that Nigel was in a happy mood.

Figment agreed to all of this thinking it would be better for the institute.

When Nigel flicked the switch, Figment felt strange.

He felt an array of emotions, sounds, thoughts and ideas, so on and so forth.

But he felt like those feelings were being taken away from him like a vacuum.

He didn't like that, so he asked Nigel to stop the machine, but he felt tired, so he tried to take those feelings back to him.

It worked! But the machine malfunctioned and broke down.

Nigel was disappointed that capturing Figments imagination failed.

Then he remembered Figment.

He ran up to him and saw that he was lying on the floor almost worn out.

Nigel became extremely sorry for this and hugged him.

"Nigel... don't cry."

Figment said, Nigel being extremely happy about him being alive looked at Figment.

His eyes were different.

Yes, his eyes were yellow and big, but he definitely didn't have three different colored circles instead of dots for eyes.

"F- Figment" Nigel said concerningly.

"Yes?" Figment said unknowingly about his slight appearance.

...... Nigel was still shocked that he made Figment like that.

Figment was waiting.

"You've, changed."

"changed?" Figment was confused by this.

He started to fly and said to Nigel, "Could I see?"

"Sure." Nigel replied warily, feeling odd about Figment.

They both went to the Academys bathroom to see Figments oddity.

As soon as Figment saw himself he stared at the reflection feeling bizarre that this is how he looked now, hoping that it was temporary.

Nigel was worried that Figment would do something uncharacteristically to him.

After some time, Figment broke the silence.

"Do you think this will wear off?"

Figment sounded a bit strange to him but sounding a bit disappointed, he answered with a hopeful reply despite him not knowing what to do.

"I'm sure of it Figment."

***

And so tomorrow happens and Figment sees that his eyes are alright.

Nigel sees that and he's relieved that it was temporary.

It really wasn't.....

[pisspope]

Oh, your tone is different than the others. Nobody else has challenged me. I’ll think about it today.

What about when the novelty wears off for him, when he’s finally satisfied that you belong to him completely? After he sees you, tear stained and glistening with his cum on your lips, realising that he has found someone so willing to be used the way he uses you. You love it, of course. But after he’s satisfied that you’ve moulded yourself to him, is there room for anything more?

ST.

I mean, this is kind of a game we're playing, isn't it? You get to be all shifty knifedark and send filthy little asks to me and my friends, and we get to try and piece together who you are. It'd be bold of you to reveal yourself to one of us. And if it were me, you could rest easy knowing I had the discretion to keep it secret. Mostly because this is fun and I want to see how it plays out. So, yeah, think about it.

I think the answer to your question really depends on what type of universe we're in. Because in canon, no, certainly not. He doesn't have the time to love and be loved in return. I mean we could play the delusional selfship card and say "well it would be different by virtue of me being there" (a card which i have played before and will play again), but he's definitely of one mind about what has to be done in his eyes. At BEST, he wills what's left of his estate to you post-rumbling, but I don't think there's really much to give after, y'now, the total destruction of his home.

now in modern aus and things of that nature? yes, for sure. it takes time, and in most aus i would think that any relationship you have with zeke would start out as fwb or something of that nature. it's probably only when you've been fucking for months that he has some sort of epiphany about it. staring down at you after it's all over, each of you so covered in each other's fluids that a well-trained sniffing dog couldn't tell you apart. like, "oh, they're mine. like, mine mine. like, oh god, I'm not just possessive of them I'm protective of them." i imagine that's an emotion that he runs from for a while, but cooler heads and softened hearts prevail. and i'm sure the makeup sex after that is insanity.

[quelsentiment]

🌳 2023 writing year in review 🌳

Thanks @feeisamarshmallow for tagging me!!

1. Number of stories posted to AO3: 10

2. Word count posted for the year:  172,831

3. Fandoms I wrote for: Video blogging RPF (Dream Team) and One Direction

4. Pairings:

dteam: every combination of dnn (both romantically and platonically) but with a preference for snf; dream & callahan

1d: zayn/louis

5. Story with the most:

Kudos: Wild Card (641)

Bookmarks: Wild Card (345)

Comment threads: Wild Card (77)

6. Work I’m most proud of (and why):

It's probably a tie between Wild Card and In Bloom. The first one because I managed to go past my insecurities and write whatever the hell I wanted to write even if it meant that the characters weren't always likeable, and the second one because I think it contains some of my favourite writing, especially in the first chapter, and I think it's one of my most memorable and personal stories

7. Work I’m least proud of (and why):

Maybe my Zouis fic because it's a band AU and I would have wanted it to be longer and more intricate, but at that point I had lost most of my interest in the fandom so I just did what I could then called it a day :/ I don't really know if I'll ever write for 1d again, although Zayn will always be close to my heart and I suspect I might still get a Zouis brainrot at some point, so who knows

8. Share or describe a favorite review you received:

I was so lucky to get a lot of lovely comments this year, and have people connect with my stories even though I'm new to the dteam fandom. Some of them were really meaningful and honestly made my day. On the lighter side of things, one of my favourite things that happened was someone bookmarking my fic In Bloom with the note 'trees', and also people losing their shit in the comments after I posted chapter 5 of Wild Card

9. A time when writing was really, really hard:

... over the past few weeks. tbh I haven't even tried writing because I've been too busy dealing with chronic illness and anxiety + the holidays. Hoping that it gets better progressively and I'm able to get back to it.

Otherwise I wrote pretty consistently and productively throughout 2023, with a break in August when I spent time with family.

10. A scene or character you wrote that surprised you: 

In general, writing Wild Card was a kind of epiphany because it was my first time writing from Sapnap's POV and it made me realize how fun it was for me. I guess he's really impulsive and proud while also being loving and kind of shy, and I just love that combination.

11. A favorite excerpt of your writing:

From In Bloom:

“But you loved him?”

George turns to look at him but Sapnap is still staring at the view, acting like he didn’t just ask that incredibly personal question. George guesses they’re past that anyway. There’s something about today that just doesn’t make sense, like their meeting is an anomaly that shouldn’t have even happened, and this is probably what makes it easier to share some things that George usually keeps close to his chest. That, plus the fact that Sapnap will disappear tomorrow along with the last remnants of winter.

“I did love him,” George says quietly as he sits down on the floor, soon followed by Sapnap. “I loved him the way someone loves their first boyfriend or girlfriend, you know? Thinking it’ll last forever and all that, even when all signs pointed to the fact that it wouldn’t. But he made me feel grown-up, like I had my life together or something, which is pretty dumb because we were only nineteen when we got together. It’s weird, though, because I feel much more like a kid now than I did back then.”

He lights up another cigarette and offers Sapnap the first puff, a cheap excuse to feel the cold tip of his fingers again.

“So from what I’m understanding, you’re regressing,” Sapnap says. The smoke surrounds him like a halo before the wind makes it fade into the city below.

“Yeah, exactly. God, I need a job or something. Like, an actual job. Maybe then I’ll feel like an adult.”

He extends his hand, wanting the cigarette back, but Sapnap holds onto it. Maybe he is addicted already.

“But what about trees, though?” Sapnap says, taking another puff. “You can’t give up on trees.”

“No, you’re right, I can’t,” George sighs dramatically. “That’s the tragedy.”

Sapnap finally gives him the cig back and they fall into silence for a while, just enjoying the distant rumbling of the streets below, and the quiet sound of their breathing.

For the first time since they locked eyes in Kensington Gardens, Sapnap suddenly removes his cap so he can run a hand through his hair. The hat is back on before George can even process it, and he curses himself for not having been able to take a mental photograph of how Sapnap looked without that shield of his.

He offers the cigarette again. This time, Sapnap’s fingers linger on his for half a second longer.

“I’ve been in love for a long time, and it’s never made me feel like I was an adult,” Sapnap says, breaking the silence. “More like the opposite, actually. Sometimes I feel like a little kid who won’t take no for an answer, who clings on to the idea that maybe if I ask in the right way just once, he’ll change his mind.”

12. How did you grow as a writer this year: 

I think one of my goals last year was to explore darker themes, and I think I kind of did that by having morally grey characters who sometimes act like assholes and act in questionable ways, particularly in Wild Card, Light The Fuse, Fade Away and an anon fic. Also I'm still on my way to getting more and more comfortable with writing (semi-)explicit scenes, and it's been fun to work on that again this year.

13. How do you hope to grow next year:

I don't really know. Things have been pretty hard lately so all I want is to be able to go back to writing and have fun with it.

14. Who was your greatest positive influence this year as a writer (could be another writer or beta or cheerleader or muse etc etc): 

In terms of other writers, definitely Selvish (I'm too awkward to tag him lol). I think we kind of have similar writing styles which is very comforting for me, and I just love how much thought he puts into the characters and their actions, and writes about stuff that's quite unique in the fandom, without shying away from darker themes

Other sources of inspiration were nature, especially trees, music as always (a lot of Susanne Sundfør and Paramore), films (Before Sunrise, Past Lives, That Summer Feeling) and tv (BBC Merlin and Bridgerton), plus probably other stuff that I'm forgetting about

15. Anything from your real life show up in your writing this year:

Yes!! As I said In Bloom is very personal, and a lot of the thoughts George has regarding his degree and his uncertainty about where his life is going were directly inspired by what I felt (also the fact that he goes on exchange in America). On top of that, some of the chapters of this fic are named after some of my favourite trees I encountered in the Pacific Northwest, and the first sentence about walking home from the library came to me as I walked home from the library

16. Any new wisdom you can share with other writers:

Something that I already knew but was definitely reinforced this year was that it's impossible and useless to try and predict how 'popular' your fic is going to be in terms of stats. Like Wild Card kind of blew up (in my standards lol) and I genuinely didn't expect it to because I thought that pairing was pretty unpopular. And then I thought a fic like Fade Away would get much more engagement because of the exes to lovers trope, but it didn't happen. So in the end, even though stats didn't influence me that much to begin with, now I'm just like 'whatever, I'll write what I'll write and see what happens'

17. Any projects you’re looking forward to starting (or finishing) in the new year:

I have one snf wip that I'm hoping to get back to soon. Otherwise we'll see where the year takes me

18. Tag some writers whose answers you’d like to read.

If you see this and want to do it please do!

[goldendiie]

ok i'm going to be an adult and give a little explanation as to why i've been missing for three months now. under the cut. heart.

BEFORE ANY OF YOU PANIC. I'm not quitting. I'm not saying goodbye.

I'm going to preface and say that I have been writing sarge/fillmore fanfic since I was fourteen years old. I am turning twenty-one at the end of the month. This December marks my seventh year of running this blog-- almost all of my teenage years were devoted to making cars fandom content.

I've realized, only recently, that I've trapped myself into a box by doing this. It was fun, for the first couple of years; I would just write whatever the hell I wanted, I would take requests, I would do anything. And then, once I started working on The Third Blink, and studying the 1960s, I realized that history was something I wanted to do professionally. I finished TB, and then I started working passively on Americana. I wanted to fully encompass the historical narrative of the peace movement, and make the argument that it self-destructed itself. More than anything, I wanted to spread knowledge. This is not to say that I’m not still having fun-- I have a blast doing this, and I always always always love talking to you guys about the AU. It's wonderful to know that I've created such an active and interested group based solely on the pursuit of this historical question-- even if it is through the lens of gay cars.

Now, four years after this all started, I'm waking up in that aforementioned box. The counterculture has become my entire life: I have dozens of books and resources saved for whenever I become an instructor, I'm an avid 60s alt fan, and I have an arsenal of potential theses that I want to approach in graduate school. But, in those four years, I haven't given myself the opportunity to explore more. I've been so headstrong about the 1960s that I failed to realize the vast richness of other historical pursuits. I was almost ignorant of them. This has been a hard epiphany to tackle. I've built my life around this, and it's hard to realize that I need to move on. (Alexa, play Landslide by Fleetwood Mac).

And, weirdly, South Park (of all things) is what brought me to the realization that I'm trapped in this box. I started watching the show, and then I started listening to different music, and enjoying different media. It was the most new stuff that I've ever consumed at once. At first, it was kind of terrifying: I had been one thing for the longest time. Once I started noticing that I was changing, growing into a different person, I didn't know what to do. But changing and growing is never a bad thing-- actually, it's the most human thing that anyone can do. Allowing myself this growth rather than continuing to confine myself into this box has been really, really awesome for me. I started laughing more, and taking things less seriously. I have new historical questions, and I feel as though I have been filled with life again. No longer am I disillusioned with my fanfic writing, or my professional work. I'm excited.

When I wrote the "everything happens for a reason" line in The Third Blink, I never thought much of it... until now. I think I was meant to find the cars fandom at fourteen (maybe earlier-- I made this blog at fourteen, but I was definitely in it for maybe a year before that), meant to start writing sargemore, meant to ask historical questions about the nature of their relationship-- All because it led me to where I am today. I'm applying to graduate school in December, and I still intend to write about the peace movement for my doctoral thesis. I think the same thing can be said about that life-changing epiphany that South Park (ugh) gave me: I've finally begun to realize that nothing is really that serious, and that changing and turning into someone you never expected to be is a good (even great!) thing.

After a certain point, I have to break out of this box. I can't always be Goldie, cars fanfic writer. I have to become myself, and I have to grow into my career and research pursuits. Becoming a better version of yourself is never a bad thing; nor is living your life free of any expectations. And, at any rate, a wise man once said: "It's futile to resist change."

So, I'm not saying goodbye. Not yet, anyway. I'm just taking a few steps back, becoming more passive. I still fully intend to finish Americana (and, maybe Nowhere, if I ever get around to working on it again), but I am not putting myself under any pressure to do so. It's been a long, crazy, incredible ride... But I think my retirement will be coming soon.

If you read all of that, thank you. I know this isn't stuff that you guys wanted to read, but the longer I went without saying anything, the worse I felt. Thank you.

Like I said, I'll still be around-- just not frequently.

Love y'all. -G.

[swinging-stars-from-satellites]

ALSO!!! Kaiju bros, Jaeger pilots au. (Either my au or your take on them being Jaeger pilots?? 👀)

vague idea for like... pretty immediately after their serious accident that you mentioned in your AU, mayhaps

---

Hermann is- not worried, per se, more just lightly concerned. Perhaps a little anxious, though he's not sure if that buzzing, restless sensation is his own or Newton's ghost drift from the other side of the Shatterdome. He's not been sleeping well, and he knows it isn't from lack of desire to on his own part. No, that certainly must belong to Newton.

This is how Hermann finds himself striding — or, well, hobbling, as it is, now, finding balance while leaning on a cane and thinking he's lucky to be cleared to return to piloting ever, let alone in as little as six weeks — towards the medical bay at three in the morning, well after most PPDC personnel have retreated to their bunks.

Perhaps, he thinks, almost hoping, it's nightmares. A natural trauma response and one that they are equipped to work through. If it were so, though, it's more than likely that the memories would have appeared in Hermann's own dreams. He almost wishes they had; wishes he had that knowledge of what his drift partner had gone through on his behalf. He's not sure if the knowing would increase or ease his own feelings of guilt. He still wants to know.

Newton is sitting up in the narrow infirmary bed, bent over a notebook with his glasses perched precariously on the very edge of his nose and a gel-ink pen held equally precariously in one hand. Newton, Hermann knows, has always been ambidextrous; it's a trait that has on occasion passed between them following the drift. Today, or tonight, rather, the pen is held in his right hand, left palm flat against the notebook as if to steady it. Both hands are shaking viciously, visible even from the door.

It's a side effect of the neural overload, one the doctors say will pass given time, along with the recurring nosebleeds and dizzy spells. For now, Newton is trapped in both the infirmary and his own frustration. Even without the connection of their drift bond, said frustration would be palpable in the air, thick enough to cut through.

Hermann clears his throat. "Newton."

"Hey, Hermann," Newton greets, too casually. Of course he's aware of Hermann's presence, just not acknowledging it except through the blip of recognition and, dare Hermann risk naming it, affection through the ghost of a currently unused drift bond. "What's up?"

He asks like it's the middle of a normal day, as if nothing has happened and everything is as it should be. As if his hands aren't shaking too hard to allow him to write down whatever epiphany had kept him awake; as if Hermann's aren't beginning to shake in sympathy or longing for a solution or or or-

"Breathe," says Newton, suddenly lifting his head to look at Hermann. Hermann breathes. "You good?" Newton blinks at him, eyes bloodshot behind the frames of his glasses, but gaze clear and more curious than actively concerned.

Hermann scoffs. "I came to ask you the same thing," he admits. Then, as an added explanation although it's not really needed, "Ghost drift."

"Oh. Sorry, I guess I was keeping you up?" Newton frowns, slaps his notebook closed and lets the pen fall from his grasp. "I'm fine," he says, which is almost surely a lie.

"Would you-" Hermann hesitates. "Would you like me to write down whatever it was you were thinking of?"

Newton stares at him. "I mean... you'd do that for me?"

"Of course," replies Hermann before he can feel uncomfortable about it. "May I?" He takes a step toward the bed.

Newt grins. "Yeah, s- sure, come on, man!" He holds out the notepad in shaking hands as Hermann carefully takes a seat on the mattress. "So I was thinking of this new strategy-"

It's after three in the morning. They both should be sleeping, but aren't. But. Across the quiet drift connection between them, tonight there is peace.

[gaily-daily-musings]

Obikin Force Dyad AU

What if Force Dyads only formed between a Sith and a Jedi? It's an impossible contradiction. It is a Sith's nature to hate. And Jedi do not form attachments. There is only one in recorded existence so very little is known about them

Obi-Wan and Anakin have always had an unusually strong bond. But it is only after he falls that it solidifies into a Dyad. It is a slow realization. A horrible dawning of an epiphany on the horizon.

Sometimes Obi-Wan feels him in the back of his head. Sometimes he'll even see him in the corner of his eye. But Anakin was dead. His mind was playing tricks on him. It wasn't him. It couldn't be.

Until he wakes one morning in a bed that is not his and Anakin is looking back with a scrunched face. Confusion and irritation in his beautiful blue eyes.

"Go away." The vision tells him. "I'm not in the mood today."

How rude. If anyone should be telling the other to go away it should be him. Also maybe he doesn't want to quite yet? The bed beneath him feels so incredibly real and it's much better than the hard ground he's currently lying on outside of this dream.

Defiantly, he settles further into the mattress. Take that vision! Though he is unable to close his eyes the way he means to. He cannot bare too look away from Anakin. Even if he isn't real.

The fake Anakin sighs. Like this whole thing is exasperating. Obi-Wan has never tried to touch his hallucinations before. Knowing it would disappear before his skin connected. But perhaps just this once? Maybe here, in his dreams, he could?

Slowly, he reaches out. His arm hovers over a scarred face. Just as his fingertips brush the beginnings of rough skin, a hand snatches his wrist. Stopping him in place. Anakin's eyes are wide. Almost scared. It twists inside of Obi-Wan's chest. Demanding he comfort his boy.

The hand tightens. Painfully so. Obi-Wan squirms. It felt so real. Too real. A thumb drags a fingernail down the sensitive skin of his inner wrist. Anakin's golden eyes watch as Obi-Wan shivers. His lips part. Confusion swirling in his irises again. Then Anakin brings the wrist to his lips. He inhales softly. Breathing Obi-Wan in.

Obi-Wan's mouth has gone dry. He tries and fails to licks his chapped lips. The false Anakin lays his hand against his cheek. Pressing close. He feels warm under his hand. Alive.

His heart crashes in his chest. Something is dissolving. Something is being rebuilt. Destruction and creation bloom alongside the other in tandem.

"You're real." Anakin–Vader–whispers.

Obi-Wan's hand trembles against his cheek.

"Anakin…"

Obi-Wan blinks. Anakin is gone. He is alone in his cave. Hand is still outstretched. The ghost of scarred skin kissing his fingertips.

[newtonsheffield]

I'm so hooked with your BaS AU!!! I love it so much. Do you happen to have any hc regarding Anthony's inner battle when he realized he was in love with Kate or was he fine with it inmediately?

You know... I haven’t written any Kate and Anthony at all today! Very remiss of me, greatest apologies! 

Very glad you're enjoying the BSCU (Bridgerton and Sons Cinematic Universe not my phrase btw)

Okay so Anthony realised he was in love with Kate here and it happened just days before they had dinner together in Insufferable. And it was a stressful two days for poor Anthony. Shall we check in?

Of course, the night he realised he was in love with Kate Sheffield, Anthony Bridgerton dreamt about her. Which, Anthony was a little ashamed to admit, wasn’t exactly a new phenomenon, He’d had many a dream about Kate where he’d woken up panting his body aching for her . But this was different. In this dream Kate had been sitting on his sofa, in a soft sweater and sweat pants and  she’d looked up smiling when he’d come into the room reaching out her hand for him and tugging him down onto the sofa with him, and he’d felt an odd sort of dreamlike contentment wash over him as she’d nuzzled her nose with his her eyes sparkling at him when she’d whispered I love you so much with her fingers in his hair and he’d sighed and said Yeah? She’d nodded that same content smile as he’d whispered Me too Just before their lips came together in the kind kiss that wasn’t mean to go anywhere at all. And then he’d woken up. And immediately groaned, because the Kate in his dream was happy and willing to receive his affections  and just the thought made his chest ache in desperation, but the Kate he knew in real life would cringe away from him if they were even in the same room together. So he’d resolved to try to get her not to hate him. He would be his most charming self.

Except that only served to make her more irritated it seemed. he wasn’t proud of the way he loitered in the lobby until he saw her walk through the front door and positioned himself by the lift so they were forced to ride up together. Chastising himself for the fact his plan sounded startlingly like something a workplace pervert would do. Kate raised her eyebrow at him as he made an after you motion with his hand, her fingers (nails painted a vivid cobalt today he noticed and tried not to think about how they’d feel digging into his back not helping the workplace pervert case Bridgerton) tapping away at the screen of her phone. He cleared his throat “Morning Sheffield.”  “Bridgerton.” She replied nonchalantly, barely looking up from her phone though surely she could hear the way his heart was thundering like a racehorse. Anthony cast around for a safe topic. “How’s Edwina?” He said lightly, that seemed safe. Apparently, not. Kate’s head shot in his direction her brow furrowed her stance instantly defensive.  “Too good for the likes of you.” Her voice was cold, slapping against Anthony’s face like a blizzard. Anthony felt his mouth fall open in surprise as he stuttered out “i’m not interested in Edwina.”  Kate’s cold glare pinned him in place as the lift door opened. “Let’s keep it that way shall we?” She said as she left, already halfway across the lobby with Lucy Abernathy before Anthony could even force himself out of the lift. 

Gregory had sighed “Can you be nice to Kate for 25 seconds do you think?”  Anthony had scoffed still a little rumbled by whatever the fuck had just happened in the lift “She was being mean to me!” hating that he sounded like a petulant 13 year old.

Of course his new found epiphany made it very difficult to work. His eyes kept scanning for Kate subconsciously startling himself anew every time he caught  sight of her. Her dark curly hair shining in the light, her intelligent eyes flashing in challenge at him, the way her eyes lit up when she smiled and jesus fucking christ she had a beautiful smile. She was nothing short of breathtaking, and yes she’d always been attractive, she was an undeniably beautiful woman but it felt different to let himself admit it now. To let the butterflies flutter in his stomach when they stood side by side in the kitchen as he made a cup of tea, possibly by his design who could say, and he hadn’t even been able to think of a witty retort when she’d made a disgusted little noise and said  “English Breakfast? You truly have no taste Bridgerton, Sad.” and left him standing there with a wicked little smirk on her face. Unable to think anything but God what a fucking woman!

 Even so his newly admitted love for her didn’t stop the savage thrill he got when he poked his head into her office as he left, possibly to buy himself a new sweater for dinner tonight he needed a new one anyway he reasoned, and said  “I’m leaving early.” Kate had barely looked up just hummed as if to say Okay? “Have a nice weekend Kate. Perhaps I’ll err see you out and about.” And she’d balked at that looking up with a very confused look on her face and said  “Jesus, only if I’m very unlucky.”  

Oh You have no idea Anthony thought and  he’d chuckled to himself all the way to the lift.  

[shiinapire]

captivated

chapter 10 ( written )

☛ masterlist ☛ previous ☛ next

synopsis: Huening Kai has always been a fan of the arts. He always presented them through pure white paper and vibrant paint whatever he found lovely. What will happen if he becomes enthralled by a stranger who is eating?

genre: crack (?), slice of life, strangers to lovers, and fluff. non idol au

taglist: @athoughtofblue @definitelynotcesia @pr0dbeomgyu @lokideadontheinside @tetsunation @envy-brr @jisungs-tummy @jovialsweetshottub

while the teacher was teaching y/n couldn't help it but stare at the space and think about the man they met two times, a very pretty man at that part but they suddenly cringed at the thought that the very pretty man had to see them cry over a spicy food they couldn't handle.

"that's it for today's class, i wish you all good luck for the new semester. class dismissed." as soon as the teacher said that the students started packing their things so they can have their lunch.

"man this course sure is making my neck hurt" y/n's seatmate, ryujin said. "same here, i can't wait to sleep already" y/n told ryujin who was packing her things. "i have to go now my friends are waiting for me, see you later!" "bye!" y/n said sighing while packing their things.

"and then karina- oh hey why do you look so tired?" winter said staring at y/n who looked half dead. "mr lee kept calling everyone he sees thank god i was sitting at the back he couldn't see me" y/n answered while sitting slowly, drained from the previous lesson. "it's because you're so short that's why" haechan teased, earning himself a hit on the shoulder from y/n

"let me go get something from the store, anyone want to join me?" y/n asked. "me! i'm gonna need something to snack on i have mr lee after" jungwon said. "let me join too i want some snacks too" niki told.

arriving at the store the trio gathered at the snacks section. "riki what do you think i should get?" y/n asked riki who was picking his snacks one by one. "the biscuits" riki suggested, still getting snacks for himself. "why are you getting a lot of chips? it's only an hour lesson and how are you going to fit them in your bag?" jungwon asked. "i have a big bag jungwon, we can share some later if you want too" riki said finally finishing picking his snacks.

"finally! what took you guys so long?" ningning asked. "riki wanted a lot of snacks to eat anyways are you guys done eating? so we can go out and walk a bit or something" y/n suggested. "oh we're going to the library, ms park wants us to do a group presentation do you want to come with us?" karina offered. "it's fine i kinda want a breather anyways haha.. see you guys later!" y/n said leaving the cafeteria.

"do you think y/n will be okay?" jungwon asks. "yeah why?" riki questioned but then all of them suddenly had an epiphany. "y/n still doesn't know their way around the school.." giselle said "y/n will be fine, they have been studying here for awhile now" haechan assured. "whatever you say" the rest of the group said.

a/n: very short chapter huhu i have been busy this whole week T^T i'll try and post again on monday

© renwritings 2021. do not steal and/or translate my works

[myheartmightexplode]

As of Now I'm Down Straight Up

by MusicalSense

Summary

"He’s on his back again and this time he’s not looking at the sky; he’s looking right into the surprisingly blue eyes of Bert McCracken who just chokeslammed him into the ground and is now standing above him with his feet planted left and right of Gerard’s hips." Hallelujah.

In this AU Bert and Gerard didn't meet prior to warped tour and neither Three Cheers nor In Love And Death are out yet so technically it should be set in 2003, but like, the timelines don't really matter for this one. Inspired by an interview with MCR where Gerard talked about Bert chokeslamming a kid who got up on stage during their set.

There’s blood in Gerard’s mouth and he’s not sure if it’s his own. He runs the tip of his tongue over his aching front teeth and turns around to see if whoever headbutted him got away unscathed. He definitely felt his teeth slice through… something, which is kind of worrying since they are freakishly small and that means that he had a mouthful of some stranger which is… all a little unsanitary, isn’t it? A guy with a bloody nose bumps into him and Gerard gets a face full of Eau de Sweaty Armpit. He chokes a little and ducks and shoves – his go-to move in the pit – to keep Tall and Sweaty at a safe distance and then brushes his greasy hair out of his face. He’s standing at the edge of the mosh pit at Warped, probably too close to the speakers given his bad ear, but right now he does not care even in the slightest. He can feel each beat of the kick drum resonating in his bones and his heart is racing along with the music as the song crescendos and comes to a crashing, slightly off-key end. He will definitely have to incorporate something like that into their next record, he thinks.

“The next song is called ‘A Box Full Of Sharp Objects’.” Announces Bert McCracken. He looks good today, Gerard thinks. Really good. Sure, he’s just as sweaty as Gerard is, but the way his wet tangled hair looks with the red makeup smudges on his cheek and the manic glint in his eyes… Gerard gulps. Perhaps he does have a thing for boys who look like they would beat him up without hesitating and make out with him afterwards.

“Marry me!” Tall and Sweaty hollers next to him with the fervor and timbre of a frat bro after his sixth bear of the night. Gerard winces. Yeah, his hearing is definitely not going to improve anytime soon. Maybe he should start wearing the second in ear monitor too; he thinks he might be developing a tinnitus.

“Who, me?” Bert asks with wide eyes and an even wider grin on his face. He presses a hand to his chest in mock-surprise. Gerard’s not entirely sure but he thinks Bert’s wearing white nail polish on the left and black on the right hand. He wonders if it’s a Queen reference.

“Fuck yeah!” Tall and Sweaty yells. Gerard twitches. How did that guy even manage to keep his baseball cap in the pit? He’s pretty sure that he himself lost one or two pins and maybe his belt to the crowd.

Bert wags his eyebrows. “We’ll see about that later.” He turns to his bassist and giggles in that weird high pitched way of his. “Looks like I’ve got a date tonight, Jepha.”

Fuck. Fucking fuck. Why can’t Gerard be a sweaty frat bro? Sure, his Gran always told him to worry less and just ask for things because really, what could happen besides him getting rejected? But somehow he didn’t think that her advice would be applicable in this situation and yet… Oh god, she’d be laughing so hard if she could see him right now, thrashing wildly with the crowd at a The Used show mere hours before he had to be on stage himself just because he thought the singer was kind of cute and wanted to check him out live. The band launches into the next song, kicking Gerard back into action. He shakes his head a little and allows himself a small smile. So what if he has a tiny man-crush on another singer, he can still have a good time. He looks around quickly to check for people who look like they wouldn’t appreciate him throwing himself in their midst and when he doesn’t find any, he dives straight back into the pit.

God, he loves this so fucking much. The hot press of bodies around him, the elbows connecting with his ribs, even the feeling of sweaty skin sticking and unsticking from his. For a while he loses himself in the push and pull of it, careful to keep his head down so he doesn’t get hit in the face. Somehow he seems to be just the right height for that, not big enough to really stand his ground and not quite small enough to weave through the crowd like Frank does either. He feels someone pulling on the white stage shirt he’s wearing because it was the only semi-clean thing in his wardrobe after touring for a while. Somehow his stage clothes are always taken care of while his normal t shirts decompose in a smelly pile in a corner of their bus. Right now though, his last good shirt is dotted with small red blood splatters and he briefly worries about the state of his face which seems to be one big dull ache right now. He really hopes that the blood isn’t his; having to sing with a broken nose would suck balls.

His gaze connects with a short-ish dude with a bloody bitemark on his jaw and a bright grin. For a split second Gerard recognizes him as the person whose face he hit his teeth on but then he’s being hoisted up and carried on top of the crowd. He takes in a gasping breath and blinks up at the almost cartoonishly blue sky for a few moments. Sure, he’s crowdsurfed before, but usually inside smaller clubs and never at Warped where the audience looks like a boiling kettle full of rage and drunk scene kids. Maybe he should reconsider though, he thinks idly as he’s being carried away from the pit. Someone’s jewelry catches on his hair and the buttons of his shirt and he tries to keep his feet still so he doesn’t kick anyone in the head and there’s sky around him and the wavelike movement of the crowd under him, and he thinks maybe this is what it feels like to drift in the ocean during a storm, and then he’s being hoisted on stage.

‘Oh fuck’ He thinks. “Oh fuck.” He says. While no one’s technically going to kick him out for it he is technically also not supposed to be here and it’s taken him too long already; he should be jumping back right now; he’s seen other people do it and they always got away with it as long as they didn’t disturb the set, and he turns around and then someone grabs his throat and slams him to the ground and. Holy Shit.

He’s on his back again and this time he’s not looking at the sky; he’s looking right into the surprisingly blue eyes of Bert McCracken who just chokeslammed him into the ground and is now standing above him with his feet planted left and right of Gerard’s hips.

Actually, maybe he hit his head harder than he thought. He’s feeling a little faint right now. Bert’s hand is still around his throat. Gerard tries to swallow and chokes on his spit. He feels his pulse beating away frantically, even faster than the music now, and he wonders if Bert can feel it. The moment seems to stretch like the string of a bow being pulled back and Gerard worries that if he makes one wrong move he’s going to make it snap and hit him in the face.

Fucking hell. He’s going to die here. Above him Bert grins with all of his teeth and mouths along to the final chorus as the crowd goes wild. He locks eyes with Gerard and winks and then he. He licks his hand, from palm to fingertips, and wipes it on Gerard’s face and suddenly he’s painfully hard in his jeans. There’s sweat dripping down from Bert’s hair and his teeth still ache and he still can’t breathe properly and he thinks he just fell in love. He’s dying but man, what a way to go.

Bert, who doesn’t seem to have picked up on Gerard’s epiphany, gets up from his crouch and gets back to performing and after a second Gerard picks himself back up and leaps into the crowd before one of the security guys can usher him down and he still feels like he’s floating.

He doesn’t get back up on stage; it’s not like he could ask Bert for his number in the middle of a concert, right? Right. They’re either going to meet backstage or maybe they’re going to collab or, or, maybe they will never see each other again (‘Shut the fuck up Gerard you’re literally touring together’ His logical side tells him) but even if that’s the case, so what? It’s not like he just met the love of his life or anything. Ha.

He might be panicking a little.

Later that day, before he had time to change out of his blood splattered clothes (He thinks he might just keep them for the show, the red adds a certain element to the whole look…), he’s just wandering around when he comes across one of the billboards showing messages from fans and really just anyone who submits something via text message.

‘MCR rox my soxx’ He reads and smiles. Next up is a longer message. ‘Bleeding dude uknowho I choked meet me @10 bhind mainstg luv bert’.

Oh. Okay then. That’s definitely him, right? Gerard grins and touches the bruises starting to form on his neck. It seems like Bert wasn’t the only one who left an impression.

[popliar]

BTS: Love Yourself in Hong Kong

23 and 24 March 2019 - I loved it and had many thoughts about it below the cut.

For the Saturday 23 March show, our seats were basically looking onto the podium at the end of the catwalk so they were great. But the venue is honestly so small that any seat would've been good - this was the 3rd of 4 shows in Hong Kong, and probably the smallest shows they played on the Love Yourself tour and the smallest they'll play in years (except for Muster, lol).

For the Sunday 24 March show, our seats were one section further away from the stage, but it was still a great view with a broader angle that gave me a better view of the staging and VCRs. Both nights, I had a better view than I did at the Sydney Wings show in 2016 - this was just a smaller, closer arena.

And I enjoyed both shows so much! The shows were almost 3 hours long each but they felt like they went by in a flash. And they played so many songs, but also there were SO many more I wish they could've played - their discography is really wild at this point, it's just PACKED with hits.

In many ways the live show is the ultimate piece of fan memorabilia - but it holds a kind of tension within itself too. On the one hand, it's a unique, irreplaceable experience that can't be duplicated or repeated. On the other, especially in kpop where we have so much access to fancams and concert footage, there's pressure for the experience to meet the expectations that we have, to live up to the hype of the previous shows.

(Those two things play off each other too. How else would we - or some of us, anyway - know to watch out for those micro deviations, those little moments when Jimin runs away from Namjoon in Anpanman, when Taehyung and Jin look like they're gonna make out in So What?)

But this idea of the experience as unique and non-replicable is not quite true or not quite as simple as that. We live in an age of digital media and - this is especially true in kpop - incredibly high quality fancams and photos. Sitting at a remove of many metres, and viewing only one side of the stage, there were definitely moments that I 'missed' and had to discover later through social media. And also there's a concert DVD and a concert movie which captures maybe not your show in particular, but the essentials of this tour.

One thing that can't truly be replicated - the atmosphere. It made me laugh, in a delighted way, when the crowd just screamed and sang along to every MV and BT21 CF shown before the show. I just love the comraderie of fandom, the build of excitement. Or how pretty it looked when all the Army bombs were lit up, or when we all took out our phones. It was a good feeling. (Though as @proteinscollide said some Korean-speakers in the row behind us pointed out - it was noticeable that the crowd was much quieter when it was the Korean rather than English! LOL.)

Some of the very brief ments early in the show were repeated the following night, but their ending ments were unique to each evening. A Cantonese translator from behind the scenes translated after each of them spoke, except when they spoke in English - this helped me a little, but my Cantonese is so poor and the crowd was so LOUD that again I had to check on twitter afterwards for full translations! A few of them tried to also say some phrases in Cantonese which was very endearing; out of them all, Hoseok had the best pronounciation (which I guess fits in well with his history of having pretty good Japanese and English pronounciation too).

ETA: oh and I loved Jin with the disco ball sunnies and the pirate mask for each of the end ments!!! He's so ridiculous....I love him....

Notably on the 23rd, it was the first time Namjoon referenced their upcoming Map of the Soul: Persona comeback. On the 24th, he mentioned again that comeback was coming and it felt like it was really soon - you're telling me LOL.

Okay brief notes on the setlist:

Idol - what a way to start the show with a bang. As far as live staging goes, it's so dynamite.

Save Me/I'm Fine - I always feel like Save Me is such a tease because it stops right before my favourite verse from Hoseok and Yoongi lol but I DO love I'm Fine!

Magic Shop - lots of walking around on stage rather than choreo, this is such a lovely song!

Junghope VCR - this VCR omg. I had seen blurry fancams of it before but can we just pause and reflect for a moment on how immensely shippy it is? THEY ARE IN LOVE! SO DOMESTIC! THE RED STRING OF FATE don't look at me.

Just Dance - wow, Hoseok just makes such amazing use of the stage. Even after having seen the LY concert movie and NUMEROUS fancams, it really is true that the full impact of this stage is best experienced live (this is a great thread). The way he uses the entire space, on the raised platform and then on the catwalk, how he interacts with the crowd - he's just DYNAMITE.

Euphoria - the aesthetic of this song is so Jungkook to me, the optimism and the brightness. Also I don't know how but on the first night I somehow did not notice the gold glitter in the air AT ALL? I guess I was too caught up in JK and the dancers!

I Need U/Run - I JUST LOVE THESE SO MUCH THANK U. I was rewatching the MVs today and I just… what a time, what an era. HYYH gave us so much.

Minjoon VCR - this just screams Lake House AU, doesn't it? Separated by time but not space… Speaking of AUs, it's fascinating to think about how this was originally Yoongi and Jimin (shown in the concert DVD behinds). So they originally paired up Serendipity and Seesaw? I think it makes more sense the way it is now. Would be super interesting to see the unshown VCRs though.

Serendipity - I looked for Jimin’s tattoo both nights! And did not see it, argh! Yet the fansite photos clearly show, it was there. Sometimes, you don't see it at all at the time. This is a great stage, Jimin is such a magnetic performer and it's a super impressive dance. Also, bubbles!

Love - the boldness of Namjoon to perform this completely solo, no dancers, no stage effects aside from lighting - I admire that so much. He has the charisma for it. (Also it is very great when Namjoon slips off his robe and Hobi helps him put on his jacket, in a neat reversal of what they did for Boy Meets Evil/BST at an awards show a couple of years ago, p.s. Namseok.)

DNA - The screams for this! Both during the show and before the show when the MV was showing - it really speaks to how many people became fans in the LY era, I think. I think I've come really full circle on DNA. I grew almost tired of it when it was at its peak, but now with a bit of time and distance, I can really enjoy it again. That choreo is still wonderful. (And it's hilarious seeing that Vhope moment in the beginning get more and more casual over the course of this tour. At both shows, they just held hands or just hugged.)

Medley - the first night was I think Boyz with Fun, Attack on Bangtan, Fire, Baepsae, Dope. Second night was Dope, Go Go, Blood Sweat and Tears, Boy in Luv, Fire. I enjoyed both immensely! Hobi did the splits for the Baepsae dance break! I will never be over BST! I LOVE!

Airplane Pt 2 - this is just such a superior song and superior choreo, it's SO GOOD, thank you.

Taehyung VCR - this is so stunning, I can't even. When it pulls back and he puts his hand on the glass… and it frosts over... At the end my friend leaned over and said 'house of psychics' and was she wrong? NO SHE WAS NOT.

Singularity - this stage was immensely beautiful and breathtaking and Taehyung is purely charisma. I found out after the show that he was kind of sick on the 23rd? I honestly could not tell.

Fake Love - I've seen this so many times but you know what, this choreo is still GREAT. And Bangtan in all black, all emo is such a look.

Yoonjin VCR - this was the most straight forward of the VCRs. Again, fascinating to think it was originally Namjoon and Seokjin, Love and Epiphany.

Seesaw - the staging for this is so fun, Yoongi doing his dances and sliding off the bench and running back up again - he's so good at this!

Epiphany - oh good crying time. I did actually get a tear in my eye when this played the first night. It's just a song that means a lot to me… MUSIC, EMOTIONS! A POTENT COMBINATION! And Jin is very handsome.

The Truth Untold - vocal line all in a row like four flowers, they're just so good! The way this stage used the raised platform and the four screens was also really effective. It's such a lovely song.

Tear - I've seen so many fancams for this and the concert movie but I was still? blown?? away????? Rapline are just absolutely monsters of charisma and stage presence, and the way they deliver this with complete commitment - I was slain right there. Hoseok's ending verse, FUCK.

Mic Drop - NO ONE DOES IT LIKE BTS thank u

This was the 'end' of the show but of course we all knew there would be more. Strangely, or perhaps this is cultural, this led to a subdued interlude. There were definitely attempts to get fanchants going - sometimes successful, sometimes not, I laughed a little at some of the awkward pauses - and especially on the 23rd, there was a touching crowd singalong to Spring Day. But overall it was more subdued than I expected given how loudly the crowd did scream when BTS were on stage.

So What - SUCH A CLUB ANTHEM, it was so delightful seeing them all having so much fun! I had fun too! Fun for everyone!

Anpanman - the cutest fucking choreo, and the cutest fucking group, that is all.

Answer: Love Myself - all the ending feels… emotionally wrung out… a little exhausted… but just seeing how happy they looked and how happy I felt - I love concert.