#NGL this was tough to translate

[haveyoureadthispoem-poll]

"露の世は露の世ながらさりながら" (Tsuyu no yo wa tsuyu no yo nagara sari nagara.)

Read the English Translation here | Reblog for a larger sample size!

[deus-ex-mona]

h e l p who’s even keeping track of this kind of thing?

[juniperskye]

Silence is Louder than Words.

Sneak peek: Joel and Ellie return to Jackson, Tommy gets them set up in a home on the outskirts of the community (per Joel’s request). Joel notices they have a neighbor and takes an interest in her. Tommy lets him know that they don’t know much about you other than you had been through some serious shit, but that you haven’t spoken a word since you’d arrived in Jackson. Tommy asks Joel to keep an eye on you…and in doing so, Joel may just be able to break through your defenses.

Joel Miller x (Fem) Reader

Fluff/Angst

Word count: 3512

REQUESTS ARE OPEN - not edited, I did my best (ngl I had so much more planned for this but it didn't seem like it would work in this part of the story...so maybe more to come. IDK) - please be kind. Requests are open and feedback is welcome if it's constructive!

Warnings: READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!!! My blog is 18+, minors DNI, minimal use of y/n (there were parts it just couldn’t be avoided), No description of reader other than she/her pronouns and her sister was similar to Ellie (could be perceived as personality), implied age gap (kinda?), explicit language, reader has selective mutism due to trauma, Canon typical violence, PTSD, panic attacks, nightmares, insomnia, anxiety, mention of r*pe (past trauma, not detailed), mention of pregnancy (past, not detailed), mention of child murder (past, some detail), mention of murder. IF THESE ARE TRIGGERS FOR YOU, DO NOT READ!!!

I do not consent to having my work translated or reposted to any other site. That being said I do not own the characters portrayed in this story.

“Joel, it’s really good to have you guys back here…safe.” Tommy said, pulling away from Joel.

“We’re glad to be back.” Joel grunted.

“Well, I have you guys situated in a house on the outermost part of the community. I figured you’d prefer it that way.” Tommy explained.

“Thanks Tommy.” Joel nodded.

Tommy led Ellie and Joel over to a house that was quite literally on the outskirts of the Jackson compound. Joel took note of the lack of neighbors as they walked further and further and it put his mind at ease, knowing he’d have some privacy. As they neared the house, it was Ellie who noticed the small white house just off to the left of their own.

“Who lives there?” Ellie questioned.

“Oh, that’s Y/N’s house. She’s real quiet, y’all won’t have to worry about her stirring up any trouble.” Tommy informed.

“I thought you said no neighbors?” Joel gruffed.

“Joel, she’s quiet. You don’t have to worry about that. Honestly, I was kind of hoping you’d keep an eye on her, just make sure she’s okay.” Tommy pleaded.

“Tommy, I’m not gonna play babysitter for a grown ass woman.”

“That’s not what I’m askin’ and you know it. She just – she’s been through it. She keeps to herself mostly and Maria and I worry about her.” Tommy explained.

“Fine. I’ll keep an eye on her. But I’m not gonna go and chit chat with her.” Joel rolled his eyes.

“I wouldn’t expect that.” Tommy began. “From either of you.” He mumbled. “Why don’t y’all head in and get settled, you can meet Maria and me for dinner. Sound good?”

“We will be there!” Ellie replied, pulling Joel inside by the sleeve before he could decline.

Joel couldn’t help but wonder why Tommy was so worried about you. Tommy had boasted about how the people of Jackson were all strong and each held their own. They wouldn’t be here otherwise. So, what was your deal? He’d mentioned that you had gone through some tough shit, but what was it? He had to say, he was intrigued.

His interest only grew once he saw you for the first time. It was about a week after his and Ellie’s arrival back in Jackson. You had been walking around the mess hall with a basket full of homemade goods, passing them around to people. He’d seen you pass out a few bottles of what he assumed to be some sort of toiletries as well as some clothing items to various people.

Joel waited until Ellie had run off to sit with some of her new friends to ask about you.

“So, what’s her deal?” Joel inquired.

“Who? Y/N…I thought you weren’t playing babysitter?” Tommy teased.

“I’m not. I just want to know why you think she needs looking after.” Joel replied.

“Honestly Joel, we don’t know much about her. She hasn’t said a single word in the four years she’s lived here.” Maria informed.

“Bullshit. She’s said somethin’ at some point.” Joel scoffed.

“No, Joel she really hasn’t. She knows some sign, but she mostly writes stuff down if she really needs to communicate.” Tommy said.

“Damn. Well, what’s her role around here since she doesn’t talk?” Joel couldn’t help but be confused.

“She makes all sorts of stuff for the people of our community. She’s figured out how to make shampoo, soap, lotion, sunblock, toothpaste…I mean the list goes on. She also repairs clothing when necessary, she’s the best seamstress in town.” Maria smiled at how wonderful you’d been since your arrival, jumping right in to contribute.

Joel was taken aback at how much you clearly brought to the community. Despite your silence, you’d made yourself known. Joel could see how you were well liked based on the greetings you’d received from those you were delivering to. He found it very odd that you’d keep to yourself despite Jackson’s fondness for you.

Joel had always been a loner, but it had been due to his stubbornness, sarcasm, potty mouth and overall negative attitude. His mother had always said “Joel, ever the pessimist” when he’d say something even remotely negative in his youth.

Learning all this about you had only transformed Joel’s intrigue into a need to know you. He couldn’t help how he was drawn to you, he wondered if it was because, perhaps, you were kindred spirits.

Joel woke with a gasp, his body covered in a cold sweat. Another nightmare, it had been the same recurring dream night after night since he’d found Ellie. Every time he made it through the hospital, and he’d gotten to the operating room, only this time he barges in to see the doctor holding her brain in his hands.

He woke up the same way too. Startled awake, laying in a pool of his own sweat. Joel tried to get back to sleep, but it was no use. He thought about it and decided to take a walk to clear his mind, now that he and Ellie were in the safe confines of Jackson, he was able to do so.

Joel didn’t want to stray too far in the case that Ellie needed him, so he was more so pacing from the front of their house, over to the front of yours. It was a warm and humid evening; Jackson had been nearing Autumn and Joel was looking forward to the break in the weather.

A muffled shout pulled Joel’s attention from smacking the mosquito that had surely bitten him by now. He glanced back toward his house to see if Ellie’s light had been turned on – nothing. He shook his head, ready to brush away the thought when he heard a louder scream, only it was coming from your home.

Joel rushed to the door listening just to be sure and when he heard you scream again he was quick to open the door. He was surprised to find it unlocked, although the people of Jackson seemed at ease in their community.

He swiftly surveyed the room, desperate to find you and ensure your safety. Joel found you thrashing around on your couch, screaming, begging for help. He made his way over to where you were laying and gently placed his hand on your shoulder. He shook you a few times to rouse you, but when you woke, you hadn’t reacted how Joel would have expected.

“What? What are you doing here? GET OUT!” You shouted, pushing Joel away from you.

Joel shot up, mostly in shock at hearing you speak for the first time, but also to follow your request. He made his leave, not wanting to upset you any further.

You couldn’t believe it. Joel had come into your home and woken you up. What was he thinking? Why had he been there? Had your nightmare haunted you so badly that your screams could be heard from his home? You were horrified and humiliated. You had done so well, hiding your demons, shoving them down so far that no one could see, and in a single night they’d all come out and bore themselves to none other than Joel miller.

The next few days were horrible. You had done everything in your power to avoid Joel, who seemed to be seeking you out. On top of that, your insomnia had made a wonderful return. Your mind refusing respite in fear of Joel finding you in another traumatic night terror.

You weren’t sure what had even caused your nightmare that night. You hadn’t had one in nearly a year, but thinking about it, there were a few potential triggers that came to mind. The first possibility was Maria being far enough along in her pregnancy to be showing, the second being Ellie’s striking similarities to your sister, and the last being Tommy’s mention of them finding and taking care of some raiders on his patrol that day.

Hell, it was probably a combination of all those things that had you reliving some of the worst moments of your life. You hoped that the feelings would soon pass so you could get some sleep.

“Tommy, I need you to be straight with me. What happened to Y/N before she got here? Like what do you know about her?” Joel pushed.

“Joel, I already told you we don’t know much.” Tommy huffed.

“But you know something!”

“Okay listen, she arrived here alone. She had a small pack with her and that was it. Maria and I sat with her and asked her dozens of questions, and we didn’t get a single word out of her. I stepped out to deal with something and when I got back, she had been writing her responses to Maria. I know that she had previously been with a group but none of them survived. And based on what I saw, I’d say whatever happened wasn’t pretty.” Tommy explained.

Joel just nodded, content with learning more about you. But still so curious to know what was haunting you. He couldn’t shake the feeling of wanting to protect you. Of wanting to find what was causing you harm and making it so it could never hurt you again. He’s trying desperately to figure out this need to hold you and make everything okay, why he was so drawn to you.

“Look Joel, Maria told you how much she does for the community, and you’ve seen for yourself that she sticks to herself, she’s quiet, and she doesn’t cause trouble. So, we don’t push her to know more. The last thing I will say is that whatever she went through…she is a damn good shot. Do with that information what you will.” Tommy patted Joel on the shoulder and walked off.

Joel sat with the information for a bit. Had you been forced to kill your way to Jackson, is that what was haunting you? That is something that is justified, those things, they aren’t people anymore and raiders well if you didn’t kill them, then they surely would kill you so again justified. It had to have been something far worse if you refused to speak.

Joel decided he’d observe you, and he’d be there when you had another nightmare. Since losing Sarah, Joel hadn’t really wanted to be around anyone. Tess was stubborn, more so than Joel, so she was able to force herself in – and even then he didn’t open up much. And well, Ellie, she was his second chance at being a dad. But you, you had come in and taken up residency in Joel’s mind and it was because of that feeling, one he hadn’t experienced in a long time, that he knew he needed to break down your walls.

And that is how Joel found himself trying to comfort you through another nightmare. Joel had been out walking late at night again, the nights had started to finally cool off and he’d found it helped clear his head to take walks like this one.

It was nearing two in the morning when he heard it, your cries for help. He made his way up your porch steps and carefully tried the handle, saying a silent cheer when the handle turned, and the door gave way.

This had been different than the last time, as he approached you, he noticed the tear tracks lining your cheeks and he could hear your quiet whimpers. He knew he had to do this right if he was going to get you to let him in.

“Sweetheart? Wake up, you’re safe. I’m here and you are okay.” He gently shook you.

You woke up, startled once again to find Joel Miller is the one waking you. This man had a lot of nerve letting himself into your house, yet again, and while you’d love to give him an earful right now, the pain of what your nightmare had brought forth in your mind was crippling.

So, you threw yourself into Joel’s arms. He wrapped himself around you and repositioned himself, so he was sat on the couch, and you were in his lap. Your face was buried in his neck and his arms were tight around your waist. He ran his fingers gently through your hair and whispered reassurances in your ear.

He held you until you fell asleep and when you woke up at sunrise, he released you and saw himself out. He knew he had to gain your trust, and it would take time. This is how it would need to be done, he would have to keep quiet and leave when the morning came.

A few hours later, after he and Ellie had breakfast, she was heading out to school. Joel was expecting her to leave like usual, so he was pretty confused when she returned to the kitchen carrying a small wicker basket.

“This was on the porch, I gotta head to class or I’ll be late!” She waved and headed out.

“Thanks kiddo. Have a good day.” Joel said goodbye.

He slowly pulled the items from the basket and a small smile graced his features. He brought them out one-by-one, a bottle of sunscreen, a bar of soap, some solid deodorant and a new flannel shirt. Beneath everything was a small note.

"Joel, I wanted to give you these as a sort of thank you and apology. Sorry for yelling at you that first night and thank you for last night. I figured you and Ellie could use some hygiene products that weren’t pre-apocalyptic. I also noticed how torn up your flannel had been and wanted you to have one that wasn’t threadbare.                                                                                                 -Y/N”

Joel’s smile grew, this was just the beginning of his mission to break down your walls and it was off to a successful start.

You proceeded to have nightmares at least twice a week for the next three months. Joel was with you for every single one. Each time he’d gently wake you and he’d shush you, assuring that you were okay. The only thing that had changed was that more recently, Joel would carry you off of the couch and to your room, where he’d hold you close until you fell asleep.

In the last week the nightmares had come every night, and while Joel so badly wanted to ask why, he knew that he had to let you come to him. You had spoken to him in two-to-three-word responses in the last few weeks and Joel was so glad that you’d been able to open up to him even that much.

What he didn’t know was that the reason your nightmares had become more frequent was because Maria had finally given birth. Seeing her with her baby had been killing you, it had brought back so many awful memories and you knew that you’d need to tell Joel. You’d wanted to tell him days ago why you had been having such a hard time, but you were also terrified of it changing the dynamic between you.

Something was different tonight; you had slipped Joel a note during dinner at the mess hall, inviting him to come by your place a bit earlier. When he arrived you couldn’t help but be nervous, you felt so unsure of everything, but you were starting to trust Joel and some part of you knew that he would understand everything.

You had decided it was now or never. He had been with you every night of the week and he never pushed you to share. He told you about what he had been through and some of the things he had done to get here and had let you meet him with silence. You supposed now was your turn to share.

“Joel?”

“Yeah sweetheart?” He tried to hide his surprise at your initiation.

“I want to tell you what happened…is that okay?”

“Of course, sweet girl. Only share what you’re comfortable with okay? I ain’t goin’ anywhere.” Joel pressed a light kiss to your temple.

“So, it started with my sister and I, she was younger than me, Ellie reminds me a lot of her. She and I well, we got caught up with these raiders. Well, they, they uh…” You choked.

“It’s okay honey, take your time.” Joel rubbed a soothing hand down your spine.

“They forced themselves on us and left us both beaten and bloody. After that, my sister was in a bad way Joel. She uh, she was reckless and careless, and she got herself killed. And well, I ended up pregnant. I found my way to this small group of people that were headed here to Jackson. I guess they had heard it was a community and it was safe. We lost people along the way and sometimes we’d stop and stay somewhere for a month or so if we found it suitable. Anyway, by this time there’s only four of us left and I had my baby…” Tears started freely flowing down your face and Joel gently wiped them away.

“Sweetheart you really don’t have to…” Joel could tell where this was going.

“I need to say it. I’ve never said this out loud and I need to. My son was born, and he was beautiful. But he had colic and so he cried all the time. I did everything I could to keep him quiet as we went but it was putting us in danger, and I knew it. I offered to let them go on without me, I told them that he and I would come when he’d grown out of it. But a little while later I’d woken up to find him dead.” You sobbed. “They had suffocated him, claiming that we’d never get anywhere with him crying all the time and that they didn’t want to leave me behind. I killed them all Joel. I didn’t even hesitate. I pulled my gun out and I shot all three of them and then I left and never turned back.”

Everything came together, it had all started to make perfect sense. You’d held onto this guilt for the last four to five years. Survivors guilt over the loss of your sister, guilt of not being there for your child – something Joel knew all too well, and the guilt of killing people that you once cared about. He completely understood, he too would’ve stayed silent had he been through all that you had. What is there to say when you’ve lost everyone.

Joel held you tighter, allowing you to cry softly into his chest. He wanted to give you a few moments to calm yourself down before he said anything to you. He knew how delicate this situation was, and he needed to do things right.

“Sweetheart, I want to start by saying how sorry I am. I am so sorry you had to go through all of that. I also want you to know that you can’t feel guilty, and I know that it’s easier said than done but darlin’ you did everything you needed to in order to survive. You wouldn’t be here any other way baby girl.” Joel pressed his lips to your forehead.

“Thank you Joel. For being here and for – for listening to me. I can’t quite explain it, but I trust you and so, I don’t know, I just wanted to tell you. Having you around has made me feel better honestly and it’s sort of the only way I can sleep anymore.” You explained.

“I trust you too baby, and you’re not the only one. I sleep better with you here too, having you in my arms these last few months, it’s been amazing. Besides Tommy and Ellie, I think you’re about the only person I trust.” Joel smiled down at you.

From then on, things had changed between Joel and you. He was the only person you talked to, you shared everything with him. Joel and you spent every night together some nights at your place and more recently, some nights at his. Initially, you’d expressed your worries in doing so, you told him you didn’t want the entire town to know, and you were worried about running into Ellie in the hallway.

Joel had told you that there was no need for some public spectacle and that there was no need for worries that it would get out amongst the townies. He also reassured you that Ellie was a good kid, and she could keep a secret.

So, little by little you opened up to Joel, Ellie, and soon enough Maria and Tommy too. The five of you had become a family, you’d found that you fit into it almost too well, so much so that it was beginning to scare you.

Despite your fears, you allowed yourself to fall. Joel had proven to you time and time again that he was there for you and that he wasn’t going anywhere. He’d also gotten you living by the philosophy that tomorrow isn’t guaranteed and you needed to take this life while you had it.

So, you did.

[o-sachi]

Orter Madl Relationship Headcanons

ᯓ character; orter madl (mashle) ᯓ tags; fluff, sfw, gn reader, no y/n

[🐟]: Ngl, I had a hard time trying to make rs hcs for this guy because he's literally un-romanceable in reality SOB.

— I'm not sure how you managed to bag this guy. But... congrats. Like, truly, you deserve it. Up until dating you, this guy has never shown an ounce of interest in romance AT ALL. Perhaps you could say that his type is simply "you"?

— But maybe he gets into a relationship since it's transactional; he gets something from you and you get something from him. He has always been a rational person, so this is the only way he can rationalize something like "love" if he even believes in such a concept.

— Perhaps he'll give more of his time to you than any other person. Not that he expects you to feel special because of that. Though, somehow, the transactional relationship is able to blur some boundaries and help both of you ease into spending more time with each other.

— You don't know it, but he does look out for you, especially if he gets something from you that's really valuable. He'll always be on the look for anything that's bound to threaten your safety. There have also been instances when he butts into one of your fights.

— There isn't a day when he doesn't question you or your motives. Again, he tries to rationalize everything. So he can't make sense when you do things selflessly for him. What's the point if you don't get more in return? You confused him plenty and those thoughts plague his mind more than he'd like them to.

— One day, while spending time together, he'll be staring holes in the back of your head. What's he thinking? Well, let's just say he's having the biggest crisis of his life (having thoughts/feelings that cannot be rationalized). He'll be in a pissy mood for the rest of the day, but he takes it out on everyone else but you.

— The change of heart happens excruciatingly slow, but there will be signs. Perhaps you won't notice it at first, but certainly everyone else around the two of you can see it—clear as day.

— Eventually, he starts to see your values—not as a wizard—but as a person. Your strength, unwavering determination, and goal oriented mindset all seem quite alluring to him. It just never occurred to him before that these things could mean something else out of a fight.

— Through time, he'll just let himself be drawn to you. After all, there's nothing wrong about respecting someone who upholds justice and righteousness like he does. You're strong and can hold your ground. If anyone will take up space in his life—it might as well be you.

— His idea of softening up is showing you his tough love. He knows the types of things you get yourself into as a wielder of magic, so he reminds you to get stronger everyday even if it kills you. He'll practice with you and show no mercy. In his mind, he's thinking of wanting you to become self-sufficient to the point that you can handle yourself even without him by your side.

— He hates it when other people talk about you, even praises annoy him. But if he hears anyone insult you... they'll find themselves buried 6 ft. deep under sand. Without knowing it, he thinks so highly of you now—that if anyone were to utter the mere thought of you pisses him off. At this point, he lets you walk closely by his side so that everyone knows you are not to be messed with.

— You'll never hear him say the words, "I love you." But on a special occasion—like your birthday or your anniversary— he'll do something sweet for you (much to your surprise). You walk into his training grounds, a vast space with a bunch of sand. In the middle is a big heart made out of sand with him standing right beside it. Then he says something like, "Today's a special occasion hence the shape," or something unromantic like that lol.

o-sachi © 2024 pls do not translate/copy/reupload my work on other platforms.

[lost-inanotherlife]

Lost S1 Rewatch after 20 years - scattered thoughts

Charlie is creepy as fuck. He's extremely volatile and while I understand that he's going through recovery and that's certainly tough on anybody, let alone a plane-crush survivor stranded on a crazy island, I still read his behavior towards Claire and, to a lesser extent, Hurley, kinda creepy and not-cool weird.

Justice for Shannon. Let's give her credit for impromptu translating from French into English while everybody gives her shit because she's not sure whether she can do it or not and doesn't want to mess up. Sorry if she's just a normie human being and not a highly-trained torturer or a crafty confidence man. Yeah, we should apologize to her.

Not looking for Claire was a dick move. The girl is about to give birth in 1-2 weeks, gets abducted by a someone who infiltrated the survivors, tried to murder Charlie and is now possibly hiding with Claire in the jungle... for almost a week? And people be like: well, I guess shit happens, amirite? It irks me a lot, ngl.

The structure of the episodes, the command of narrative techniques, the use of very specific and recurrent symbols... superb writing. Yes, there are some minor mistakes, some inconsistencies and some stuff that I personally don't like and yet... After 20 year this season still EATS.

After 20 years I still hate the "Love Triangle" trope. I hated it 20 years ago and things haven't changed, maybe they even got worse. Yes, I'm referring to the Kate-Jack-Saywer of it all. I used to ship Kate and Jack but, upon rewatching s1, I find that Jack is sometimes a bit of a dick towards Kate while Kate unnecessarily keeps doing these little manipulations when it's clear as day that Jack's got it bad for her and she already has him wrapped around her finger. I like that Kate and Saywer immediately clock each other as outcasts and outlaws and flirt their way around it but I think Kate dumps on him the same attitude Jack dumps on her and I'm like "please leave my man James out of your little machinations to play the doctor, thank you".

Speaking of, I know that a queer watsonian reading of Lost is... well, I don't want to say "impossible" because nothing is, but it is not an easy feat. Having said that, my headcanon is that Jack and Sawyer are the real soullmates, their chemistry is off the charts. I know that they've created these two cishet characters exuding straightness from every pore but there's so much of that between the two of them that it actually circles back to being very queer when they interact.

[moralesmilesanhour]

arachnophobia

genre: horror-ish pairings: none summary: playing with the idea of miles and miles g's fates being inextricably linked to each other. also spidey senses but make it a little weird wc: 2,072 warnings: spiders (like one spider), canon deaths, brief mention of blood...and translated Spanish for like two sentences (shout out to SpanishDict) A/N: ngl...this didn't turn out to be as scary as I originally envisioned it. but I still hope you enjoy it anyway! pls feel free to reblog and leave ur reactions in the tags/comments if you do <3

The floor. The floor was on the ceiling, though nothing was falling.

Miles blinked as his eyes adjusted to the darkness of his bedroom. It would’ve been pitch-black if not for the street lamps and traffic lights providing a dim light source.

With careful steps, he moved to where his bed seemed to hang just above him, and let himself fall back onto the mattress. Again.

The sleepwalking began a year ago.

 Miles had just come home from school, and entered the bathroom to wash his face. No sooner had he turned on the faucet, he looked into the mirror and saw that his right eye was a coppery green. Stranger still, when Miles felt himself furrow his brows in confusion, his reflection’s eyes widened in surprise instead. That’s when he felt it on his hand.

A gangly, medium-sized spider whose legs took up about the width of his palm. The thing bit him just before he could slap it, letting its body fall limply to the tiled bathroom floor.

When Miles looked up again, both of his eyes were brown.

Not long after, Aaron Davis was found dead by his brother in a dark alleyway. No one had been charged yet for the murder - at least, no one who could be charged. The news reports just seemed relieved that another “criminal” was off the streets. It made Miles’ blood boil.

After the funeral, he rushed to the bathroom to escape the litany of “I’m sorry”s and whispers of “Jefferson’s boy” so as to not lose his mind before the day’s end. His eyes were bloodshot, still stinging with tears that he had tried so hard to hold back in front of his parents. Uncle Aaron would’ve wanted him to tough it out, right?

Heaving in front of the dirty mirror, Miles blinked, and the sight before him made his blood run cold. His reflection’s right eye was green again, and this time, a pair of cornrows seemed to brush his shoulders, framing a tired and gaunt-looking face.

 His face. And he looked angry.

“What the fuck…?” Miles muttered to himself as he held his own gaze.

“I should be asking the same thing,” his reflection replied in a muted, raspy voice, making Miles jump.“You did this, didn’t you?”

“Did-did what? I didn’t–”

“You killed him. I can feel it. Everytime you get hurt, every time you cry, your fear, your guilt, all of it–I can fucking feel it!”

Miles said nothing as his not-a-reflection began to tear up. 

It was technically his fault, wasn’t it? He ran to Aaron’s apartment for help, like a coward. It all went to shit after the fact. He didn’t dare ask about the autopsy results; Miles already knew what they would say. 

He’d watched the bullet blow a hole in his uncle’s chest.

“Yeah, you look guilty as hell right now,” said the not-a-reflection, shakily. “You got bit by something, right?”

Miles slowly began to back away from the mirror.

“H-how did you–”

The other Miles chuckled mirthlessly. “Felt a prick on my hand.”

“Y’know, I wonder…” he mused, venom seeping into his voice, “if it works the other way around.”

Miles squeezed his eyes shut.

“I’m dreaming. This is all a dream. You’re not real.”

His not-a-reflection smirked.

“We’ll see.”

After that day, Miles would begin to wander in the middle of the night, and end up standing in the hallway or in the kitchen. Sometimes he’d be woken up by his mother’s startled screaming, or realize that he’d gotten himself a glass of water. 

…And that was when his newfound twin was feeling nice.

One night, Miles woke up with his father’s strong arms wrapped around him, pulling him back from where he seemed to have been perched on the edge of the roof, like a bird ready to spring into action. Or a spider.

It was now the first week of sophomore year.

Miles could hardly stay upright as he rose to make his bed. Between the blaring of his alarm and all the bustling in the kitchen, his eardrums felt like someone was taking a baseball bat to them and hitting several home runs.

He squinted, and saw that the door was opening behind him.

“Mijo–oh, you’re up already?”

“Yup. I’ll be down in a couple minutes.”

“Alright, see you then. Don’t drag your feet.”

Once Rio gently shut the door, Miles realized that he wasn’t supposed to see things that were behind him.

School turned out to be even more of a nightmare; the swarm of students passing by in the hallways felt like a million invisible strings tugging each way. He finally reached his seat in homeroom, dizzy and irate, when one particular string seemed to tug at him. Violently.

His head snapped up.

“You got a twin brother, Morales?” A girl from his cohort last year whispered behind him, soundly oddly excited about the possibility.

“A new student will be joining us this week,” the teacher in charge of homeroom announced. As she read off of the attendance sheet, her brows furrowed. The woman even adjusted her glasses to do a double take. Miles knew exactly what for.

“That’s funny. We have another Miles Morales sitting right over there!”

The boy standing to her left was already staring across the room, directly at Miles. He felt his body temperature drop rapidly the longer he maintained eye contact with the other’s blank stare, so he looked away. 

Didn’t help much. Miles could still sense where he was going. He sensed a small shift in the light at the side of his head–not peripheral vision, but something more akin to the aura that surrounds your eyes when you get a migraine–moving to the back of the classroom.

This ‘twin’ started calling himself ‘Miles G.’ as the week went on, to preemptively avoid any inevitable confusion as his new teachers got to know him. There was never a point where he didn’t need to; the two Miles had all of their classes together, all except for fifth period. 

Miles G. tapped his pen on the desk impatiently as the professor explained the process of chemical bonding. He frowned when he noticed his leg bouncing on its own. It seemed that Miles was equally bored sitting in AP Literature.

That was where their similarities ended, though.

Friday afternoon, Miles was halfway through his daily school-issued PB&J when a painful jolt in his solar plexus nearly made him vomit it back up. The boy doubled over in his seat with a pained cry, and felt a warm liquid running from his nose. He looked down to discover that his uniform blazer was stained with little red dots.

“I’m telling you, I had nothing to do with it,” Miles explained frantically to the school counselor. 

The middle aged woman looked unconvinced, hands folded neatly on the desk in front of her.

“Then can you explain why both of your noses are bleeding?”

“He wasn’t there with me. I don’t jump people,” Miles G. chimed in, earning a glare from his counterpart sitting next to him. “What? I’m tryna help you.”

The counselor sighed. “Well, your teachers told me that they only saw one of you at the fight,” she turned to Miles. “So it seems like you’re off the hook. For now. You can go to class.”

The woman waved her hand dismissively as Miles shot up from his seat and stalked out of the small office and into the now-empty hallway. 

The encounter in the mirror at Uncle Aaron’s funeral suddenly came back to him:

“You killed him. I can feel it. Everytime you get hurt, every time you cry, your fear, your guilt, all of it–I can fucking feel it!”

Miles whipped around before the other could even say a word.

“Who the fuck are you?” he hissed.

Miles G. snorted. “You know who I am.”

“Why are you here, then? What’s your deal? Since you clearly exist.”

“You think it’s fair, Miles?”

Miles’ brows knit together in confusion. 

“What are you talking about?”

“I’m asking,” Miles G. took a step closer, “if you think it’s fair. That you get to sit up here comfortable while you have blood on your hands.”

The other boy looked away.

“...No.”

He nodded curtly, then brushed past Miles to go to class. “I’m here to make things fair.”

A pit began to form in Miles’ stomach as he let the words linger.

Miles G. was nowhere to be found amongst the sea of students spilling into the hallway when the final bell rang.

“Yo Miles, where’s your evil twin at?” asked Jason, current captain of the basketball team. “He’s supposed to hoop with us today.”

Miles shrugged. “I ain’t keepin’ tabs on him.”

The captain joked, “You’d better start. He could be outside framing you for murder right now!”

The group of boys surrounding him erupted into laughter as they all turned to leave. Miles couldn’t laugh; it was a little too close to the truth. 

“I’m here to make things fair.”

‘Fair’. ‘Fair’ meant leveling the playing field, evening out the score.

…Oh no.

With his heart in his throat, he threw on his jacket and bolted out of the building as fast as his long legs could carry him.

“I don’t know, Jeff, he’s just been…off, lately.”

Rio leaned her head on her husband’s shoulder. She was hardly paying any attention to the news flashing across the television.

“More than usual?” Jefferson laughed, earning him a smack on the shoulder.

“I’m being serious. He looks dead in the eyes, like he’s not getting any sleep. I’m just worried after what happened in the summer. Scared me half to death, that boy.”

He nodded solemnly. 

“I still don’t know how he managed to even find the roof with his eyes closed.”

“You think we should still take him to the doctor’s, just in case?”

“Maybe,” Jefferson looked deep in thought. “Y’know, that reminds me: A week before school started, I was in the kitchen grabbing a mug from the cupboard. With my luck, of course it slipped right outta my hands–”

“It better not have been my good mug.”

“That’s besides the point, honey. Anyway, Miles is standing right next to me, and he catches it the moment I drop it!”

Rio’s eyes narrowed. “What’s special about that?”

“He wasn’t even looking in my direction.”

“Hm. Now that I think about it, sometimes he does this weird thing where he turns around and says ‘hi’ to me–”

“--Before you even enter the room!”

“Exactly! It creeps me out, sometimes. I thought I was going crazy.”

“At least he’ll never get robbed.”

The sound of the doorbell interrupted their conversation.

“Speak of the devil,” Rio said as she rose from the sofa. “I’ll get it.”

Her son stood in the door frame, his small suitcase trailing behind him as he waved and began to haul it up the steps.

She took it from him before pulling him into a warm hug. 

“Hola, Mami.”

Rio pulled back to get a good look at Miles’ face. She made a tsk sound at the newly-formed bags under his eyes. The pimples were another story.

“¿Qué tal te fue en la escuela? You look tired.”

“Teníamos un montón de tareas,” he sighed. “The usual.”

“And you’d better be doing all of it. Now get in here, your father’s waiting in the living room.”

Miles kicked off his sneakers at the entrance while his mother set his luggage against the wall.

“Dad…?”

“Miles, my man! How’s it–oof!”

Jefferson could hardly get a word in before Miles went in for a second hug. He gave his son a pat on the back.

“Missed you too, buddy.”

Miles quickly pulled away with an awkward smile, opting to plop down onto the couch instead.

“I thought you didn’t watch the news anymore,” Rio teased as she sat down with him. “All that ‘negativity’.”

He laughed, “I’ll make an exception for tonight.”

“You hear that, Rio? We’re cool enough for him to hang out with us again,” Jeff remarked.

Miles was soon sandwiched between both of his parents, but it hardly felt cramped. He wouldn’t have it any other way. A comfortable silence fell over the three as their faces were illuminated by the soft glow from the TV. It was Miles who broke it again:

“How’s Uncle Aaron doing?”

[brights-place]

HELLOO!! I was wondering if we could maybe gets some fluff dating headcanons for Demo from Trollstopia? Have a nice day and remember to eat and drink something!

Demo Dating headcannons𓊆ྀི❤︎𓊇ྀི

Pairings: Demo X Reader

Warnings: Fluff, Cursing

A/N: Okay the episodes whenever I see demo appear I get all smiley like a idiot because he's such a sweetie !! thank you for this request lovely Im doing this secretly in class do don't tell anyone teeheee (ΘεΘ;) - DEMO DATING HEADCANNONS LETS GOOO! - Demo is actually a bit of a softie at heart and can be surprisingly romantic. - This man is such a sweetie being able to show you love and affection whenever he can - "He parties HARD but cleans up the mess right after" something you enjoy to say to others to tell that he is fun but is also responsible something you loved about him! - Demo loves to show off his musical talents and will often serenade you with a mix of Rock and Classical music.

- NGL !! I see him as a bit old-fashioned and loves to treat his partner to romantic dates like candlelit dinners and long walks in the park together - though if you wanna rock out he will gladly take you to parties

- He's also a bit of a hopeless romantic and can be quite sensitive when it comes to matters of the heart

- He has a soft spot for small cute things and will sometimes surprise his partner with plush toys or other trinkets that he goes around finding that remind him of you - He enjoys surprising you with small gestures like bringing flowers or leaving romantic notes for you to find sometimes there in the bathroom mirror

- Despite being a rock troll he still has an appreciation for the finer things in life

- You both jam out for fun together and having fun - THIS MAN KNOWS HOW TO COOK AND CLEAN HE IS PERFECT! he rocks out and vibes with you whenever btu makes sure to take care of you and pepper you with love - Demo's voice soothing and light as he chatters about nothing and everything at the same time when he's around you but that doesn't mean he still isn't rockin out - His love language im thinking is physical touch and words of affirmation !! - Whenever you get sad and text demo he's kicking down the door with your favorite food and blankets - He Would act all tough but would drop it the moment your either tearing up or seeing you get super excited over something - But most of all he cares for you no matter what and I love Demo he's so sweet <33

reblogs + comments are appreciated ⸜(｡˃ ᵕ ˂ )⸝♡

©brights-place 2023 — do not repost on another platform, copy, translate or edit my works! if you fit my DNI list please don't interact!

[johaerys-writes]

[20 Question Fic Writer Tag]

tagged by @baejax-the-great thank you!

How many works do you have on AO3? As of now, 47.

What is your AO3 word count? 1,084,458

What fandoms do you write for? Currently neck-deep in my Patrochilles (Iliad/TSOA/Hades) obsession. But I've also written for Dragon Age (Pavelyan), Voltron (Sheith) and Castlevania (Trephacard, Lenector).

What are your top five fics by kudos? High-Flying Birds, Like Friends Do, Winter's Fruit, Jasmine and Yarrow, Where Blood Roses Bloom.

Do you respond to comments? Why or why not? I love responding to comments!! Even if it's just to say Thank you. I absolutely love rambling in my replies and getting into discussions about lore or characters' motivations and such. This is the fanfic experience at its best for me.

What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? Honestly I'm not great with angsty endings haha. Even if the fic as a whole is very angsty, the ending tends to be happy. I think the fics with the saddest ending are Loyal To The End and The Wound That Never Heals, both Hector/Carmilla (Castlevania). Some people have told me they found the ending of At The Water's Edge quite bittersweet.

What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? Now we're talking haha. Of my most recent ones, Twin Flames has a very sweet ending. Fall Into Your Tide also has a super hopeful ending, and another favourite is A Place To Be. I'm all about that comfort after the hurt babey.

Do you get hate on fics? I think I've only ever got hate once or twice? As far as I remember. I honestly couldn't care less about it, I forget it as soon as it happens lol.

Do you write smut? If so, what kind? Yessir. Not exactly sure what kind? Are there different kinds? I would say that my favourite to write is angsty smut with lots of complicated feelings. And also I do like sprinkling some kink here and there whenever I feel like it.

Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written? I've only ever written one crossover and I still love the fuck out of it, it's a Witcher/Dragon Age one with my OC Tristan Trevelyan and Dorian Pavus and it was sooooo fun to write oh my god. I would love to revisit that universe ngl!!

Have you ever had a fic stolen? Not that I know of? Depends on what we mean by stealing. I have had parts of fics of mine lifted and used in other fanworks without credit, it wasn't great but it's been a little while since then and I haven't noticed anything else (not that I've gone looking though).

Have you ever had a fic translated? Yes! A super lovely person has been translating High-Flying Birds into Vietnamese.

Have you ever cowritten a fic before? Yes! I've cowritten several fics with friends and it's always so nice, I love working with other people.

What's your all-time favourite ship? Oof that's a tough question. If we go by number of fics written, it would have to be Patrochilles. If we go by number of words written, it would have to be Pavelyan (almost 450k 💀). If we go by number of fics I've read and bookmarked, it would have to be Sheith. So idk if I can give a straight and clear answer lol.

What's a WIP you'd like to finish but doubt you ever will? God I really do want to finish A World With You and I do think I will do it eventually, it's just that I know there's a LOT of it left and it's often really daunting. I also want to finish Where Blood Roses Bloom but, again, the plan I have in mind is kind of ambitious and it will take me a while to get there. Also, Blood Roses In The Snow is one I want to get back to, and that one would be easier to finish since there's only like a couple chapters left.

What are your writing strengths? Probably imagery, introspection, and I've also been told I write good action scenes!

What are your writing weaknesses? Dialogue, probably. It stresses me out the most haha. I also used to be able to write complex plots but it's gotten quite hard lately, idk why :(

Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic? I don't love it. I'm fine with a word here and there or even a phrase, as long as it's been sort of explained before or it's one that's widely recognised. I just feel like having a big chunk of untranslated dialogue in the middle of a story breaks immersion and I try to avoid it whenever I can.

First fandom you wrote for? Dragon Age, specifically Inquisition.

Favourite fic you've ever written? Noooo you can't make me choose, don't make me choose 😭 Damn that's tough. Twin Flames is still a huge favourite. A Place To Be is one I often come back to and I'm super proud of how it turned out. A World With You is the first fic I ever posted and the longest, I have spent so much time with it and it has a special place in my heart. And this might be cheating because it's my current fixation, but I feel like you're a walking disaster, and yet— is some of my best writing yet, I'm very fond of it.

Tagging forth to: @elveny @pikapeppa @mary-aries @darlingpoppet @pinkfadespirit @sketchass @starlightvld @petrowriting @in-arlathan @figsandphiltatos @heypax and anyone else who'd like to do this! (Also, if you don't want to be tagged for these memes let me know!)

[jolieblack]

📚🔍🚂 for the ask game :)

Thank you for the ask!

(Sherlock & Co Ask Game is here, if anyone else wants to play!)

📚 - Favorite story so far?

Tough one! They're all so good! OK if I have to decide on four favourites so far, I'd say

Illustrious Client, because it was the one that truly made me fall in love with the show and the characters (I can tell you the precise *moment* I knew I'd be hooked forever)

Thor Bridge, because the case is so neat, everything just ties together perfectly

Blue Carbuncle, because who doesn't love Blue Carbuncle

Creeping Man, because the modernisation of that one is brilliant (I find it one of ACD's weaker stories because of the unexplained supernatural element, but there's none of that nonsense here, so the podcast version actually makes it a better case than the original is); and because how it starts with Ratthew and then evolves into a human mystery/tragedy is pure storytelling genius

I'm sure the list will only grow!

🔍 - Have you guessed the solution to any of the mysteries?

I'm too familiar with the ACD stories and with classic crime fiction and the theory of mystery writing in general not to see most of the solutions coming, I'm afraid. So for me, the joy in listening is not so much "gasp Oh HE'S the murderer!!" but more "Ah, I love how they did that, I love how they translated that dynamic/that technology/that modus operandi to our modern age". I definitely didn't see coming that Robert (in Noble Bachelor) was in on it, and I didn't guess that the killer in Golden Pince Nez was related to one of the main characters inside the house.

🚂 - How do you like to listen to s&c/what do you do while listening to s&c?

I have a busy family life, so I listen to a ton of podcasts while doing household chores (such as laundry or the grocery run) just to brighten up the routine. But ngl, Sherlock & Co. is so special to me that I save at least the first listen of a new episode for a quieter moment of pure leisure time, when I know I won't be distracted or interrupted, so I don't miss even one second of it. But after that, I re-listen obsessively during my daily routine while we're waiting for new episodes to drop, and it's like The Gang is part of my life and I love it.

[aquariasmoon]

My half of my art trade with @misdre Be sure to check out their amazing half here !!

My first time drawing both Max and Rei (*/ω＼*) it was tough ngl lmao. Max's hair had me stumped for ages lmaoo, gotta love translating anime hair into your own style right? I went from grayscale to colour on this one 🤔 been trying to do that more with colour work it's certainly an interesting way to draw!

[rosyandraw]

Speaking of Damen’s POV. I’ve always wondered what Damen was thinking in Chapter 5 when he just got back from secretly rescuing Auguste and Laurent ask him whether he wanted to fuck him. Idk because the way you wrote it seemed so ominous.

Did Damen ever suspect that Laurent was ever groomed at all? Because I think it’s evident that Laurent portrays obvious signs of unhealthy experience like how he assumes that every favour should be repayed with sex etc.

Would love to know more on Damen’s introspection of Laurent. And ngl for someone as protective as Damen, I’m surprised that Damen didn’t take action on Bastian sooner. Like just beat him up already djdghshs

Okay this might get long so I’m very sorry! And I’ll put it under a cut because it could potentially be upsetting or triggering and I don’t want anyone to accidentally see it.

Damen’s awareness of Laurent’s abuse in canon and how I translated this.

Firstly, thank you so much for this question, and yes, it was meant to be a little ominous or dark because you guys all know what it implies.

I’ll start by saying it is a tough topic to navigate in fiction because the nuances can get lost on page and there is no one size fits all.

And that’s always very present in my mind when I think about Captive Prince and the way it deals with -and the ways it doesn’t deal with- Laurent’s abuse.

For Damen in particular I based NMFY and Damen's behaviours/reactions entirely on my opinion regarding the canon.

Did Damen consciously and actually think the words “Laurent was groomed”? No.

Do I think he was aware on many levels of the things he was witnessing, and cataloguing of Laurent's behaviours, and it's likely source? Yes.

I think Damen, like many of us, would never just assume something so brutal regardless of what’s in front of us. It’s not a standard thing to think or assume regardless of the people and circumstances around the person. Most people do not go around thinking of it because it is abhorrent and outside of -most- people’s experiences. I think as good people we -like Damen- would shy away from the conscious admission of the thought because we don’t want it to be true. Even when something is “off”.

And I believe that is at the heart of Damen's understanding in canon (and in my fic by extension). Canon Damen is very good at compartmentalising and actively not thinking about the things that upset him. His ability to repress his pain (Kastor, Jokaste, being made a slave, not getting to say goodbye to his murdered father, the prep and ring scene, the post, Ancel... the list goes on) is unparalleled and speaks to his own trauma response mechanisms. I think this very much extends to Laurent and the fact that he was, as Damen said "mishandled"

He actively shies away from it. He notices little things here and there and then quickly swerves away. An example that springs to mind right now from very early on is Pg 13 of Prince's Gambit:

There was something uneasily transgressive about the idea of sleeping in the place meant for Laurent’s uncle “the prince stays here often?”. The castellan mistook him to mean the keep, not the rooms. “Not often, He and his uncle came here a great deal together in the year or two after Marlas. As he grew older, the Prince lost his taste for the runs here. He now comes only rarely to Chastillon."

Damen made a leap but he doesn't tell us exactly what that leap is. We just know that the intimacy of Laurent sleeping in his uncle's bed made him uneasy. That something felt off. But the castellan mistakes Damen's meaning implying it is something normal and follows up with what is essentially the reason he thinks nothing of it. And then food arrives and Damen rushes off to it with the air of someone desperate to cut the conversation. A flash in the pan; noticed, documented, and quickly buried. One instance of many.

So, yes. I think Damen was only waiting for confirmation both in Canon and in my fic. He was actively repressing everything he had noticed and rejecting the conclusion he desperately did not want to think about.

Because what if he was wrong? That’s a terrible thing to assume or bring up or bookmark in your head about someone when you don’t know.

I think in Canon, and likewise what I attempted in my fic, it equates somewhat to: Schrödinger’s awareness. He doesn't know, but he also does.

In Chapter 5 of NMFY it gives Damen pause, like most of Laurent’s glaring markers, the same way they do for Damen in canon. It’s something he makes a note of and something he endeavours to not question out right -not his place- and to make sure Laurent feels safe enough to know Damen would never do what Laurent expects.

This part in particular I based on Laurent’s assumption following how drunk he gets at Marlas in Kings Rising, that Damen probably fucked him. Laurent in CP and Laurent in my fic are both aware that being out of it (drugged, practically asleep, incredibly drunk) means it’s easy to fuck him and all he has to really do is lie there and it’ll be over quick, because his submission or compliance is the expected norm. Neither upsetting nor angering to him. Just is what it is. An expectation from experience. He’s less trouble when he’s half conscious: this he knows and equates it to ideal time to fuck him because docile is preferable and his comfort/consent has never been part of the equation.

In my fic Damen clings to the idea that Auguste would have said something if it had been true of Laurent. So whilst he’s aware something about Laurent is off, he consciously shuts the ideas down. But Damen doesn’t take time to be convinced both in my fic and in canon, he just absorbs it. There are no questions, it’s just bringing a hard buried suspicion to the forefront as fact.

As for Bastian I think Damen wants to so very badly. But he’s also aware that he can’t really do that given who they are. And he’s never exactly certain that it’s his place to do so. He (and me by extension or is that the other way around? Haha!) needs Laurent to pull the trigger so to speak. He’s protective yes but Laurent has his own agency and Damen wouldn’t overstep that.

Especially in a modern setting and in this setting in particular where he has to worry about the press and the truth of a certain situation which he can never afford to have out. Anything with the police is a no go for him. Just in case. Damen is aware that the Royal family, the secret service, they’d all flip if someone dug up -or dragged up- the truth so its best not to tempt fate. Which absolutely isn’t to say he can’t be pushed but as of right now he’s conscious of Laurent and his choices and what he might want -or not want- and his place in all of that. He’s not petty enough to lash out with jealousy at least. Like in canon jealous Damen is more derisive and sulky than aggressive or petty.

I am very sorry this got so long but I wanted to give it a proper answer 💕💕

[pastrygeckos]

Love going through 2 interviews, a company-specific assessment, and a translation/language test, only to then find out the role isn't happening any more. It's extra fun this time because it was starting to look like a pretty much done deal, but clearly that wasn't the case :( I'm on the second week of no shifts at all so ngl it's fucking TOUGH

[littleshysheep-at-da]

ooooAAAAAAAAUGHHHH.

oka's whole thing is so tragic. do u have anyheacanons for herand /or poti

I do not know what the “ooooAAAUGHH” is in response to but I feel like I agree 🤔 lol.

TBF Oka was quite literally born into the hands of one of the MOST manipulative man (Potimis) EVER. So I don’t think anyone who knows the full circumstances could really blame her but I know she’ll probably never stop blaming herself.

I like to think at some point Kyouya apologizes to Oka for what he said when they first met because he felt it was hypocritical and unfair. Which I think Kyouya is the type to not apologize for all the things he’s had to do for war, not because he doesn’t feel awful about it, but sort of because he’s resolved himself and apologizing would feel insincere and unfair (let me make this about Kyouya lmaooo my bias is so strong can you tell). But I feel like he would apologize to miss Oka for what he said to her and I also think Katia would jump in with her own form of not quite apologizing for her actions (because she was right to doubt Oka but not because of Oka herself but because of Potimis lying to her), but apologizing that she had to be put in such a position. Also Katia also is a bit of the tough love and would probably try to reason with Oka that she shouldn’t have to feel responsible for all her students just because they have a connection from their lives (as a way to sort of to try and lessen Oka’s guilt over everything). But yeah I think a lot of the reincarnations would apologize to her and try to do right by her own once they learn her full circumstances.

I would honestly be really interested on what Oka’s thought on Shiro are though? Like? To Shiro Oka is quite her savior who she owes a life debt but idk if Oka even remotely remember her at all. Like afterwards do you think she’s just like “the classroom Spider? What.” 😭 I think she would want to speak to Shiro about it which would,,, go as well as anyone (aside from Ariel) who tries to hold a conversation with her. I think once Oka knows who Shiro is she would try to include her with the other reincarnations (which has the vibe of a mother trying to get her child to socialize… sorry I love found family parent child structure sooooo much with KumoDesu lol I should make my Headcanon family tree…) it has… mixed results.

Also ngl I still find it SO FUNNY that no one taught Mera suffixs so he thinks the San (which is translated to Miss in English) is part of her name.

I genuinely call Potimis Elf H*tler cause… ngl the similarities are there. Thought they were the “superior race”, blond hair blue eyed (which obviously this one isn’t an evil trait and I feel I should specify that it’s just funny to me), actually really unhealthy themselves… y’know it’s there.

I also think Potimis sort of captures KumoDesu’s pacing when you think about it. Like the pacing of KumoDesu is REALLY GOOD, Kumoko struggles enough to make things feel intense so then when she gets overpowered it just feels so deserved. And I think seeing how fast Potimis goes from big deal to nothing that difficult to deal with is really interesting because it doesn’t feel rushed at all despite how fast that change happens? Like it’s interesting to think about that at a certain point Kumoko is sooo OP nothing is a problem of strength but more of tactics you make sure things play out the way she wants.

Also for Potimis I really think Ariel’s words to him sum it up (paraphrasing here) “was a life running from death really worth it?” Because yeah he spent so much time afraid of the inevitable did he ever really live? It’s kinda a good statement on how worrying does not prepare you for tomorrow only takes away from today.

At this point you might be able to tell the difference based on format but even if I don’t already have stuff Written down (most of what I have Pre-Written is Ship Based) I come up with stuff pretty quick! I have many thoughts! Way more than I remember to actually Write lol!

I’ll probably just start signing these Asks with this but: Again my Obligatory Thank You for Asking for my Opinion!!!!! I LOVE KUMODESU WITH MY WHOLE SOUL!!!!

[theshadowsingersraven]

1. How many works do you have on AO3? 4

2. What’s your total AO3 word count? 191,994

3. What fandoms do you write for? ACOTAR (active), Critical Role, Twin Peaks (active, not on AO3/may only live in my Google docs), Naruto (inactive but may come back to eventually)

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?  (uhh...my only active two haha so I'll just list those two)

a. A Court of Storms and Ravens (ACOTAR & CR. Az/Elf!OC from the Critical Role Universe)

b. A Court of Ash and Shadow (ACOTAR. Az/Ashwood Nymph!OC, Kallias' half-sister.

5. Do you respond to comments? I try to, but honestly my depresso espresso really makes that difficult for me. It ends up being the absolute last thing I have energy for.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? Sooo none of them are finished haha I simply yap too much to do something short/ a one-shot.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? So I guess that depends on if you consider a "complete" ending happy. For ACOSAR, I intend to write out how I want the entirety of the ACOTAR series to end. But with ACOAAS, it's mainly relegated to Az's mating bond, but with political intrigue and a sort of marriage-of-convenience trope. In simplest terms, the ending I have planned for ACOSAR is probably the happiest by default since EVERYTHING gets resolved.

8. Do you write smut? If so, what kind? Yes, but not often. I'm such a slow burn girly that I can't get into writing smut unless characters are sort of "ready" for that in the stage of their relationship. Like I absolutely started some Solriel smut because they're VERY close to approaching a relationship. Azrina on the other hand is...going through it lol.

9. Do you write crossovers? Yes! ACOSAR is a Critical Role/The Legend of Vox Machina crossover.

10. Have you ever had a fic translated? Not that anyone's told me!

11. Have you ever co-written a fic before? Omg no but it sounds fun!

12. What is your all-time favorite ship? Ooh. It's Solriel, ngl. They're easily the best, most compatible, dynamic and sympathetic couple I've ever written. And the crazy part is I didn't even write Solara to be with Az. She was my PC in a D&D Campaing that ran for two years, and I only discovered ACOTAR at the tail end of it.

13. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? My Naruto fic lol. I wanted to rewrite the series during the pandemic and it was a great idea then, when we all had to stay home.

14. What are your writing strengths? Dialogue, character building, introspection. I can write realistic dialogue like it's nothing, and getting inside a character's head is the most fun for me! I usually approach creating a character with their backstory/psychology prioritized so I can use that to inform their behaviors and then shape their personality, ideals, etc. around that. (i.e., Solara can't stand by and do nothing when she hears children cry, because she was once a child who no one helped when she was crying/sad/afraid.)

15. What are your writing weaknesses?  TALKING HEADS. God, I get very invested in dialogue and internal monologue and emotions that I forget about what the characters are doing physically. Are they still walking? What are their hands doing? Did the person drinking tea behind them at the coffee shop leave or are they still there? If its an ACOTAR fic--what are Azriel's shadows doing from the last time I described them? Did I forget to make them move again??

16. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic? So, I technically (only technically) sort of have because I use Elvish language in my fic, but I made up the language and only have a few key phrases. I made it to be inspired by a mix of Spanish and Tagalog.

17. First fandom you wrote for? Ooh either Harry Potter or Naruto, probably, I don't fully remember.

18. Favorite fic you’ve written? AHHHH this is tough! It's so difficult because I love my fics for very different reasons. ACOAAS is very political drama romance and very focused on the mate bond, on the injustices and genocide the Meliae (ashwood nymphs) faced for over several centuries. It's sort of like Bridgerton-level focus on romance and the bond but like with very real political and ethical stakes. ACOSAR is me just finishing out ACOTAR how I want to, so taking up all the unfinished plot points and tying them all together. So we get to go to the Spring Court for a bit and help Tamlin get his shit together, we spend time with Eris and try and help him kill Beron, we learn about Mor, we investigate Koschei, etc.

I think if it's judging it by effort required, then ACOSAR has to be my favorite. I love Solara so much and making her fit into the world and affect things going on while essentially going off of no plot/writing my own entirely from picking up where ACOSF (and now HOFAS) ended.

~~~~~~

Tagged by: @zenkindoflove

Tagging: EVERYONE. All of you. If you read this, I have indirectly tagged you and I want you to talk about your writing!!

[gravehags]

also once i had to turn in an analysis of the three ages of woman and i had to spend hours on some italian websites to figure how was the room in which it was exposed with worldreference.com as my only weapon, and i'm convinced i wouldn't have had to pull an all-nighter if cardi c translated for me, and also stopped me from passing out at the exact time i was supposed to go to class and waking up at 12pm oops (and also gave me a hug because that shit was tough ngl)

-unhinged family anon

he most definitely would have helped and would have loved every second of it, the nerd.

[lesbianlotties]

20 questions for fic writers

thanks for tagging me @lilolilyr !! ily <33

1. How many works do you have on ao3?

120 works!

2. What’s your total ao3 word count?

oh i didn't want to be outed on this but... 1,262,993

3. What fandoms do you write for?

i have written for 18 fandoms! currently i'm only writing for yellowjackets. but i might write more for ronance, i could update the warrior nun fic. and who knows, maybe a new season/movie will get me writing wednesday and the old guard again!

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

Aftermath Kudos: 3,605 - aka "holy shit a lot of people were reading wednesday fanfic huh??"

make my menace into someone you'd adore Kudos: 2,179 - ronance coworkers enemies to lovers my beloved!

through the grief can't fight the feeling of relief Kudos: 1,381 - very soft warrior nun fic

five times Deena and Sam met in secret (and one time they didn’t)  Kudos: 1,154 - ngl i didn't think fear street fics got these many kudos but this was a lovely time!

Elvis cloned by aliens (you never know...) Kudos: 912 - it's literally insane to me that a one shot got this many kudos! (let's get it to 1k? 👀)

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

yes!! i think like 99% of the time. i just love it so much. i love saying thank u because i'm genuinely SO thankful for every comment. and i have a feeling if i reply it might inspire people to leave more comments. and also sometimes it's a chance to just talk more about the fic! which i love doing, there's nothing like getting to talk about it

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

hmmm i don't love writing angsty endings, as you'll see by the fact that i wrote these two super angsty endings and then i went and wrote a sequel/alternate ending for both ghsjfdghkdfjg but anyway there's:

I'm sorry (it should've been me) - nancy tells robin she loves her but she's too late (in the rain)

If I could hold you for a minute (darling, I'd go through it again) - laura lee reincarnated as the bear and you know what happened to it

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

oh most of them lmao hmm i think i’m going to go for these “everyone survived post canon and they move in together to be happy and heal as a family” Extremely Uneventful Subject for tog and Who would I be without you, without them? for yellowjackets

8. Do you get hate on fic?

hmmm no i think that’s never happened! the closest thing might have been someone suggesting i always killed certain character when it’s the entire opposite. or the funny alternative, when someone literally only mentioned the men in the background of the story in every single comment they left lol but even those were mostly nice comments!

9. Do you write smut?

i do yes! not much and i only yielded and started writing it recently but i’ve loved it so far lol four of my most popular yj fics are smut, one of them is one of my favorites ever, and there’s that one ronance fic i posted on anon first… iykyk

10. Do you write crossovers?

i’ve done two! Immortals and Librarians for tog and gunpowder milkshake and (Red) Room For 8 for ocean’s 8 and hill house

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

not that i know of!! hopefuly not

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

yes! 【翻译】Being with you (Makes the flame burn good) by R_H_Felidae_Athena

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

i have tried but they haven’t been posted/finished yet :(

14. What’s your all-time favourite ship?

okay so that’s a Tough question. judging by amount of fic written it’s robin and nancy, my current favorite is lottie and laura lee, but i also just rewatched bly manor and let me tell you, there’s no one at the level of dani and jamie <3

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but probably won’t?

there’s too many 😭 going as far back as the ocean’s 8 days there's the haunted house one, then fear street enemies to lovers, my warrior nun fic, yellowjackets coffee shop au, and all the ideas i haven’t even started ghsjfdghjf

16. What are your writing strengths?

oh don't do this to me. i literally never know what to reply to this. i... well i'd like to think i'm good at characterization and maybe dialogue!

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

hmm i think i have a serious lack of discipline that means i only write when the mood is right and i will never stick to a schedule or plan or routine lol and okay i'll admit it, i might be too lazy to do the research necessary to write certain things/stories so i just avoid them 😭 but in my defense it's because too much research for academic reasons made me allergic to it

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

hm. i did this somewhat regularly with the old guard and in one ronance fic but looking back i don’t love it very much, it’s just okay i guess. this is just for me personally!

19. First fandom you wrote for?

ocean’s 8 hgsjdfghjf closely followed by the haunting of hill house

20. Favourite fic you’ve written?

VERY very tough question!! they’re all my babies and i couldn’t possibly pick any fav- actually i have a few! but i’ll keep it to 3 special ones that funnily enough are far from being my most popular ones (pls read them i worked so so hard on them)

God's very simple and love shouldn't burn - aka my lottielee manifesto! 

If you rewrite your life, may I still play a part? - stranger things, nancy wheeler choose your own adventure fic!

my heart (is like a haunted house) - tog, andy falls in love with quynh’s ghost

tagging: @natscatorrcio @dufrau @eskawrites @scorchedhearth @sapphicscience @yee-hawlw @reesesfastbreak (if you want to! no pressure!) and pls pls anyone that sees this and wants to share say i tagged u!