#accidentally saved this one to drafts instead of posting it whoops

[apricottheapricat]

21 ara!!!!!! And zeph:]

21. What are their hobbies?

Arachne: Doesn't have the time for any, but if she did I think she'd enjoy making stuff in some way. Maybe the classic spider thing of weaving/knitting things but she'd get restless pretty quick if she did that all day, so I think something more active would be better for her. Woodworking maybe? That's not really a normal thing for a royal to be doing tho, but anyways. Right now her main 'hobby' is cleaning the castle whenever she has time, mostly because she doesn't want to hire servants but she doesn't hate doing it either. She likes it being tidy.

Zephyr: I think his interest in weapons and combat as a hobby would've been somewhat spoiled by now with him having to use it to actually kill people, but he would still like them a lot. It was his main Thing anyway before it became his job, so he still likes cool-lookin swords n stuff and collecting/training with them. I bet his dagger that he has on him is the least fancy one he owns lol- you go into stabby-stabby murder guy's room and theres a buncha weapons in there but none of them are for murder purposes and he absolutely refuses to use them for that and risk ruining their quality.

[skenpiel]

ok! i got 117 posts in (except i accidentally posted one privately instead of saving it as a draft, whoops)! only uhh, 1481 posts to go. yippee

[untitled-tmnt-blog]

Whoops, accidentally posted day 12 instead of saving it as a draft... Oh well, this one can just be early.

[redjennies]

I want to start this post by clarifying that every time I use d&d alignment terms, I'm coming from a place of "it's an inherently limited and flawed way to look at character morality but I acknowledge that the terminology can be useful shorthand while discussing ethics, especially within the context of d&d characters."

with that out of the way, it's interesting that we haven't ever really seen Lawful Good paladin Fjord grapple with the Paladin's dilemma (to be lawful or to be good), but formerly-Evil-currently-Neutral wizard Caleb's overarcing ethical dilemmas actually hinge on a Lawful Evil version of it.

ETA: whoops accidentally posted this instead of saving draft. it now doesn't end in the middle of a sentence.

the absence of this common ethical dilemma makes sense for Fjord, who is really more lawful Good than Lawful Good. while he's still considerably less actively interested in committing crimes than most of the Nein, he doesn't seem to be too concerned with "Lawful as legal" and instead seems to be interpreting Lawful as a general sense of maintaining order and a rather interdependent personal code, and because of this, Fjord regularly chooses "to be good over being lawful" to the point where it wouldn't be much of a dilemma. as noted in a previous post, he also values chaos as a necessary part of the world even if he doesn't view it as his role in life, and so Fjord's need to protect and maintain order and his desire to do the right thing just don't come into conflict with each other because of how his sense of morality manifests. the two aspects are almost too entwined with each other for that to happen. Fjord's ethical dilemmas, to me at least, are about the temptation to forsake who he is as a person entirely.

Caleb, however, does seem to be constantly choosing between a Lawful Neutral mentality and a Neutral Evil mentality. I don't think we could ever really see Caleb truly go back to Lawful Evil. I think the combined sense of patriotism and callous cruelty that Trent instilled in him was too shattered after the murder of his parents for him to ever really reconcile the two concepts again, but they both remain as parts of him, informing how he exists in the world. when Caleb exhibits altruistic behavior, it doesn't manifest in a sense of "this is inherently good" but more a utilitarian sense of "for the greater good." we see this both in how he deals with small scale issues (the kidnappings of the party, "their deaths would be a waste") and large scale issues (the Cerberus Assembly and the Empire, "cut out the cancer"). even in cases where he is doing good things and wanting to do the right thing, Caleb has trouble grasping goodness for goodness sake and tends to process and rationalize his ethics through a very consequential lens. Caleb struggles with nonconsequentialist ethics that we see out of Caduceus and occasionally Fjord, and I pose it's because that sort of thinking is too representative of a darker side of him.

while he's grown a lot from the beginning, Caleb is still tempted by power and the desire to reach his goals by any means necessary. there is still a potential for a callous and cruel person that exists somewhere inside him. when I say Caleb probably could probably never truly go back to being Lawful Evil, I do not mean Caleb cannot go back to being Evil. he absolutely can, but the illusion of cruelty for a greater good has been shattered and his priorities have shifted. Caleb can be a patriot or Caleb can be callously in pursuit of a goal but he cannot be both. we see this capacity for evil in him in moments and we see it in his empathy for Essek, who shared the same sort of goals and sense of morality that Caleb did early on in the campaign, and we see him actively choose against it. when Caleb says "I think your intentions are good" and Essek responds with "My intentions were never good, they were important," I think Caleb understands exactly what Essek meant, better than anyone there, but he has been existing in a space for so long where he won't indulge that side of him, that he has to project his current mentality of rationalizing things towards a goal of a greater good because the reason can't just be that it was important. there has to be some Lawful utilitarian reason grounding it. for Caleb, it has to be one or the other, to be lawful or to be evil.

[babineni]

Angst 19 - "Please don't leave."

Thank you for this 💖 sorry it took me this long to post it mainly bc I accidentally saved it as a draft and then I didn’t check it so it’s been there for two weeks whoops

but anyway have some immediately post-PoE 1 Aloth x Watcher stuff, featuring Gaura first experiencing abandonment issues

below a cut bc it got long

Gaura pulled her knees closer to her chest and wrapped her arms around them a little tighter. She wasn't sure what she hoped this would accomplish. Her body forming the same, nearly suffocating knot that took the space where her heart was meant to be, hardly could have eased her sorrows. She hid her face behind her legs and allowed the tears to come but she didn't grant herself the same freedom when it came to the sounds trying to escape her. Not a single cry left her mouth. The Watcher was scared that if she voiced her anguish, she would never stop weeping.

She knew that her friends would leave her, once their quest against the Leaden Key was done. And yet, the Watcher was still caught off guard by some of the departures.

She was ready when Sagani said goodbye, in fact, she was relieved and happy for her, and wished her a speedy return to her family. She was ready when Kana said goodbye. She knew his mission wouldn't be over until he presented his findings after all. They still shed a few tears, but not many, and none of them were bitter or sorrowful. And Durance... well, if there was someone Gaura was happy to see go, it was him.

But then Pallegina left to report to the ducs, even though she knew the repercussions she would have to endure. Gaura offered a place to stay, a place where she would be valued, cared for and safe, knowing exactly how she would respond. But she couldn't help it, she couldn't stop hoping the paladin would reconsider and stay.

Then Hiravias left as one would expect of a follower of Wael's. Still, Gaura figured that even he needed a place he could return to, a place where he could keep the secrets he uncovered, a place he could call home. She was sad to realize she was wrong.

Then Grieving Mother left. Even though the Watcher couldn't bear children herself, she hoped the midwife would stay for all the women living in and around Caed Nua. She hoped that their connection built upon seeing and knowing one another would be enough. But it wasn't.

And then Edér left and...

And...

And the next thing Gaura knew was, that she was sitting by the hearth in Brighthollow's kitchen, trying to cry as quietly as it was possible.

'There you are. I've been looking all over for you,' Aloth's voice prompted the Watcher to look up and hastily dry her eyes. The wizard stopped in his tracks when he saw the miserable state she was in. For a moment, he awkwardly looked back at the doorway he just passed through but once the moment passed he continued walking towards her. He approached her almost perfectly silently, catiously, burying his own unease under the comforting presence of a friend.

'I just needed some time alone,' Gaura broke the silence. 'I uhh... The lady of Caed Nua shouldn't be seen like a mess. People look to me for guidance and... I'm being a sentimental fool.'

'Come now, you're hardly being fair towards yourself,' Aloth sat down beside Gaura, close enough for his shoulder to touch hers. He shuffled somewhat awkwardly, but he didn't move away from her, nor did he give any other indication of being flustered. For a moment, the Watcher felt the urge to wrap her arms around him and weep on his shoulder, but the moment passed and she stayed motionless.

Gaura let out a sigh and turned her attention to the hearth on her other side. The embers still had a glow, fainter than her own but enough to inspire some reflection.

'No, I have grown... weak here. Caed Nua has made me vulnerable,' she scolded herself. 'I think back to the person I was before I left the Valleys and... I'm not the same.'

'It is only natural,' Aloth answered. 'You have been through a lot. And I imagine, the Watcher abilities alone could change one drastically. But you have carried your burdens with grace and bravery,' he smiled at her shyly, 'and I... I'm glad I was around to see it.' He hesitantly reached for the Watcher's hand, the same way she reached for his months before in the Brackenbury Sanitarium. His touch was somewhat lighter but it carried the same warmth, putting a weak smile on Gaura's face.

'Well... I hope you still see that grace and bravery now,' she chuckled ruefully, as she turned back to the wizard.

'I do.'

Gaura's smile grew a little wider. But her heart still felt heavy.

'I still wish I could feel like I used to. Being able to say goodbye used to feel like... a gift of sorts,' she explained. 'Being able to let go of an attachment free of loss... or grief... was something I felt grateful for. I never mourned for things that were beautiful but... momentary. And in the Valleys everything was beautiful but nothing truly lasted. But now...' The Watcher sighed and let her head hang. 'Like I said... I'm being a sentimental fool.'

Aloth's grip on her hand tightened slightly. Gaura felt him caress a knuckle with his thumb. But the uneasy way he shifted his weight next to her made her wonder if this act of comfort was for her or for him.

'I'm going to miss them too... and I think... I think I understand,' he said. 'Being a spy hardly offers a life full of long friendships. It always felt more appropriate to keep my distance and to cherish moments for what they were without letting it become... more,' he sighed. 'If I were to follow your line of logic, then Caed Nua made me weak too. In no small part, thanks to you. I don't think you need me to explain why this happened to the both of us.'

The Watcher didn't reply, but she felt the ache in her chest ease slightly at the wizard's words. There was a bittersweet comfort lingering in the air and for the first time, Gaura felt that the silence of Brighthollow, which was now empty save for the two of them, was not all that suffocating as she has been feeling it for the last few days.

'Thank you,' she said, as she dried the last of her tears and straightened up. 'I needed that, truth be told.'

'Anytime,' Aloth smiled. 'Although I admit, it feels a bit strange to echo your own ideas back to you.'

'Perspective is funny that way.'

'Indeed.'

Gaura let out a long sigh, trying to rid herself of the rest of her tensions. She gave Aloth's hand a slight squeeze, then she stood up and stretched her limbs. She inhaled deeply, as if the comfort of the wizard's encouragement was a presence she could physically take with her.

'Alright, I think I'm good,' she said, while she turned to Aloth with a smile. 'You were looking for me for something I presume. I'm ready to listen.'

Aloth's smile, however, faltered at her offer. A shade of red tinted his face - one of shame and guilt. He avoided her gaze as he spoke.

'It's... it's not important. It can wait until tomorrow.'

Gaura's heart sank. He didn't need to say anything else. She felt the suffocation of the silence between them grow more oppressive, the longer she was processing the implication hiding behind his hesitant words. She should've guessed the moment he entered that kitchen. She visited him in his room just a few days earlier. She saw the maps, the list of names, the blueprint of a scepter called "Keybreaker". She saw everything she needed to see, but Aloth didn't say anything then, and once they were out of her sight, they were out of her mind.

'When are you going to go?' The Watcher's voice was shakier than she would've liked.

Aloth turned back to her, his gaze full of unsaid apologies.

'I was planning on leaving in two days. But if it makes things easier-'

'It doesn't,' Gaura interrupted him.

The wizard merely nodded as a response and looked down at his hands lying in his lap. The same hands that just a few moments ago filled the Watcher with the comfort of knowing she wasn't alone. He shifted his weight and decided have those hands grab his seat instead so tightly, his knuckles turned white from the effort.

Gaura approached him, fighting the burning sensation overtaking her eyes again. She swallowed hard, closing her eyes, trying to hold on to whatever was left of her dignity. But a moment later, she gave up: she let a quiet curse slip through her lips as she knelt down and let her head drop against Aloth's knees. She shielded her face with her arms, ignoring the wizard tensing up in shock at her touch.

'Please don't leave,' she whispered.

'I... I must,' an awkward answer came from above, prompting Gaura to look up.

'Let me just beg you in peace. Alright?'

Aloth's expression softened slightly. His gaze was still apologetic but his face reflected sincerity rather than discomfort.

'Alright.'

The Watcher hid her face again. 'Please don't leave,' she repeated. 'Please don't leave. Please don't leave.' Her plea to him turned into a mantra for herself. Her eyelids grew heavy as she continued and her tears stopped falling. She might've heard a spell being cast and she might have felt a hesitant stroke against her scalp right before unconsciousness turned her numb to the world around her, but she couldn't be sure.

[bisexualclarkkent]

I guess I accidentally brought my Clark blog @mrbigbluesky back by adding a post to queue instead of saving it as a draft. Lol whoops. I’ve been collecting posts to build a queue again and like eventually bring it back but I didn’t have any plans for it just yet lol. It had stopped being fun because it was getting zero engagement, and I’m not sure if this break has been long enough. So idk if you see one post and then more silence, you’ll know why.

[national-nobody-writes]

2020 Creator Wrap

2020 Creator Wrap: Favorite Works

I was tagged by the oh so talented @irolltwenties!

Rules: it’s time to love yourselves! choose your 5 (or so) favorite works you created in the past year (fics, art, edits, etc.) and link them below to reflect on the amazing things you brought to the world in 2020. tag as many writers/artists/etc. as you want (fan or original) so we can spread the love and link each other to awesome works!

I’m not a particularly prolific writer (WIPs for days, but completed projects? Not so much). Somehow in this hell year though, I did manage to complete more fics than in any previous year for a total of seven new works (~49k words, all on ao3), plus a chunky chap of a long running WIP (~20k words) so I’m actually pretty damn proud of myself! I also made some new fandom friends in 2020 which has easily been one of the biggest delights of the year & has definitely helped my creative momentum, so ty all for that. <3

Counting down from 5, here are my favs:

5. Downtime

I have endless love for JayRoy and it felt so good to finally finish something for them for once this year! All of my past WIPs primarily focused on them ended up firmly in my graveyard folder, including the fic that this one shot was originally meant to be connected to. I liked the way this turned out well enough to clean it up and post it on its own though, so at least now I can say that I have something published for them at last.

(Also it got me back into the JayRoy headspace enough to outline a whole YJ/Earth16 JayRoy fic that I’m excited to start drafting in 2021, so we’ll see where that goes...)

2.3k NSFW; A mix of playful sweet and roughness, just like them.

4. Mirror Image

Bluepulse Week really saved me this year in terms of forcing me to just write, damn it! Did I finish all the prompts this year? Nope. Did it get me to complete a handful of fics that I ended up really loving? Yes. This was one of them.

This fic zoomed into existence entirely out of necessity as an alt idea to a prompt that I had a much longer idea for, but didn’t have time to complete. It then got a positive enough reception that I decided to turn it from a crack-adjacent, passable one-shot to a slightly more developed two-shot by request of one of my commenters. Really, it was writing that second chapter that ended up endearing the fic to me.

6.3k Humor, time travel shenanigans & accidental dating. This fic is the sweetness of teenage crushes, the confusing mess of discovering your sexuality, & laughter with your best friend.

3. Soft Wesper One Shots

Would you look at that, another nsfw piece. Could it be that I’m starting to get to the point where I can look back at completed nsfw fics without cringing terribly? Love that for me.

This fic took me by surprise, tbh. I wouldn’t consider myself a part of the grisaverse fandom (I’m utterly ambivalent toward the OG trilogy & have no plans to read them), but I did fall deeply in love with the whole Six of Crows gang earlier this year to the point of having quite the book hangover afterward, unable to pick up anything else except related fanfic for a couple weeks straight. These fluffy, nsfw scenes were born out of that, and I was pleasantly surprised to see such a positive response to them in the comments. The whole SoC gang has my heart, but the dynamic between Jesper and Wylan in particular got my writing fingers itching.

3.7k Domestic, post-canon fluff & tender sex with flirty Jesper & blushing Wylan abound.

2. Stick With Me

Ohh, I still get warm fuzzies thinking about this fic! If I’m only low-key proud of the first three on this list, this is one I’m legitimately very proud of. I had this idea on the docket already from a convo with @ivyxwrites early this year (or maybe last year? who knows, time means nothing anymore) but used Bluepulse Week as the excuse to finally get started, and I ended up adoring the process of writing it far more than I anticipated.

As much as I love planning out meticulously crafted, plotty stories, sometimes all you want to do is pick some well-loved tropes out of a hat instead and run with them (in this case: stuck in a cabin, only one bed, & heated argument leading to confession). It was freeing to just mess around and have fun with this fic, knowing pretty much right from the get-go how I wanted it to unfold and seeing it so vividly in my mind. It also probably helped that I was writing it for Ivy; it’s much easier for me to stay motivated when creating directly for my friends.

Finishing this was also such a serotonin-filled burst of pure victory for me since, as previously stated, I’m terrible at finishing projects--particularly multi-chap fics, particularly within a decent timeframe.

25.5k A showcase of the essence of what I love about the best friends-to-lovers dynamic. Part character study, part wires getting crossed & uncrossed, and whole idiots to lovers. This fic is the warmth in the pit of your stomach from a yearning made real & the sudden clarity of realizing what you were looking for had already been there all along.

1. The Rest Pt 1: Delicate (Remember Me Chap 4)

Oh, Remember Me. Of everything I’ve ever written, this story remains the one I’m most proud of and certainly the closest to my heart (not to mention the longest running, whoops). The first iteration of the beginning of this story was actually drafted back in 2017, but I walked away from it for a couple of years before deciding to dust it off and try again. It has spiraled into something far bigger in scope than I originally planned for, but I’ve come to love the path it’s led me down so far, and finishing this whopping 20k chunkster of a chapter was like breathing a huge (if temporary) sigh of relief.

This chap was particularly cathartic to write because it allowed for a number of convos between the boys that had really needed to happen, and was finally the ‘getting together’ moment the fic had been building toward for a while. It’s also so sappy I could die, but I will not be apologizing for that, lol. I was really hoping to get Chap 5 up this year as well, but y’know. Sometimes things just don’t work out like you plan for and that’s okay. 

Chap 5 does have 17k done already (with prob another 5-8k still to go) & I’m itching to share it, but no sense in rushing if the end result would suffer for it. Luckily, everyone in comments has been kind enough to beat me over the head with ‘take your time, we don’t mind/we’ll still be here!!!’ which I’m immensely grateful for. So, at least the pressure to hurry up and get it done is purely self-inflicted.

Of all my works, this fic has not only gotten the most passionate responses, but has also been the main gateway for me to interact with other bluepulse creators, which has been a real joy. Nothing brightens my day like the essays people leave me over there from time to time after discovering the fic. That kind of engagement is the highest praise, & responding is very self indulgent fun for me (bc, clearly, I could go on and on about this fic & YJ in general forever).

54.8k total so far (WIP). Bart & Jaime’s relationship journey from beginning to ‘current day’ (aka the moment the fic begins), using amnesia/memory restoration as a framing device. The high highs and low lows of first love, navigating a 3 yr age difference, and the long, winding road from best friends to lovers as the years roll on. Slow-burn-adjacent (in terms of both the boys’ relationship to each other and reader’s relationship to the fic bc of how long I take between goddamn updates).

Tagging @ivyxwrites, @incorrectbatfam, @paintingwithdarkness, @bluepulsebluepulse

[dontcallmecarrie]

I loved the latest chapter of TWIFFON! Thank you so much for continuing this and all your stories no matter how much they fight you or how long the gaps between posts are! I am wondering though, the small percentage of personnel that remained in SHIELD must have heard of their former colleagues branding themselves as SWORD and acting as basically the stark authorized version of what they are supposed to be doing (intelligence, combat with/against enhanced, etc.) and have to have opinions on this

So…this ask has been sitting in my drafts for a while since things got hectic again [very ironic, I know] and I forgot I hit save instead of post but…

1) anon, I’m very happy you liked it! At this point in time, TWiFFON’s the single most shameless self-indulgent AU I have going on and the Civil War arc reflects this the best.

2) as for the latter part of your ask: 

Due to time constraints [and things hitting the fan so often it’s basically background noise at this point], a lot of subplots got axed from what’s showing up in TWiFFON and is going to be covered in FtOS, the SHIELD/SWORD thing being one of the biggest. 

I must preface this by saying that thanks to the unreliable narrator thing we’re mostly seeing Team Tony [Eat Something And Take A Nap Sometime This Decade, GDI]. 

also because some POVs are harder to write than others and same way trying to map Steve’s train of thought gives me a headache, some of the stuff SHIELD’s pulled has me gritting my teeth and I’m not even a political science major, just someone derping around after having seen one too many tv shows, but shh

Okay, with that out of the way, here’s how it would’ve gone down had I possessed the time and energy to write this at length:

SHIELD wasn’t exactly happy about losing roughly 2/3 of its personnel [I’m approximating here for simplicity’s sake]: DC dealt them a huge blow, and the less-well-known part is that it was quickly followed up by an unintentional backhand from Tony when he ended up keeping the people he did. 

At first, SHIELD assumed that Tony was being Tony and going “finders keepers”, but attempts at reaching out and getting ‘their’ [SHIELD’s a bit of a douchebag in this AU, I guess] people back quickly show that this is not the case. 

No, their old personnel simply…don’t want to come back. 

And any attempts to convince them otherwise simply ends up netting SHIELD a very up close and personal encounter with SI’s Legal department over harassment and trade secrets and the risk of pissing off someone they cannot afford to alienate. 

So they stop. Reluctantly.

Bear in mind that SHIELD isn’t actually a villain in this; it still aims to fulfill its original role of protecting people from threats, but…it’s been shaken to its bare foundations what with DC, is desperately trying to stay afloat while under extreme scrutiny from everyone and with only a fraction of the people it once had [thus why they were trying so hard to get their people back].

Another thing that’s probably useful to know: post-DC, SHIELD’s composed largely of the bases that weren’t on HYDRA’s radar [between, say, Colorado and the nation’s capital, where do you think they would’ve focused?] so the fighting wasn’t typically as intense as it was elsewhere. There’s more to it than that— if I were to go down this route, it would’ve culminated in a civil war in SHIELD while Tony’s trying to put out the fire Steve keeps fanning. 

…and I got off track. Whoops.

To sum up: SHIELD isn’t actually that bad an organization but it’s in a very sticky situation and so when people who used to be SHIELD don’t want to come back, it’s…something. Some people are more understanding than others [cough, some of the people Tony rescued and chose to go back, cough], so the perception varies from ‘all but a traitor to the cause’ to ‘sellout’ to ‘was so traumatized the mere idea of fieldwork is almost enough to trigger a breakdown’.

That’s how it was at first, anyway, back when it was just ex-SHIELD people with their Unnamed Support Group staying in touch via SI’s emails and memos and JARVIS.

Then Ultron happened, and Maria Hill saw that Tony needed help and she was able to give it, which was the spark that turned into a roaring fire. 

Which alone would’ve been bad enough in SHIELD’s eyes, because if it’d just been that it would’ve been seen as “oh shit SI now has a privatized security force aka private army” and “…wait so that’s where they went, *glares* I see now” 

but then

it comes out that this entire company is as much of a douchebag as the man who owns it, because these assholes have the gall to call themselves SWORD.

That is 100% an insult to SHIELD, straight-up. 

SWORD did it as a form of empowerment, of ‘I was in a bad place but I put myself together again with the help of my friends and am now here to kick ass and take names’, but to SHIELD? 

That’s the ultimate middle finger, especially with that insignia. Because just by staying with Tony it’s obvious enough that they don’t intend on going back, but now it also looks like SWORD’s just living it up and enjoying the resources that come with being Tony Stark’s minions while SHIELD is barely able to stay afloat [which…isn’t actually inaccurate].

Again, there’s different perceptions of it—but even the most optimistic of people can’t help but feel the new tension between SHIELD and SWORD. 

And again, even if they’re not happy about it, SHIELD still can’t afford to piss them off. Not when SWORD’s protected by SI, their CEO is terrifying, and they’d rather not cross the former Merchant of Death. 

tl;dr: SHIELD isn’t happy about this development, but…it’s not like they can do anything about it.

.

also this and the SHIELD Civil War subplot reminded me of an unintentional parallel would’ve really pissed SWORD off, if it were ever brought to their attention: they accidentally copied HYDRA with the ‘got hired by this other force, proceeded to make themselves at home’ thing. Of course, they’re the exact opposite of HYDRA and 100% focus on helping out their new home rather than corrupting it, but. The origin story’s similar enough that everyone involved would   h a t e   i t 

[afanoftheglassscientists]

The Glass Scientists Sunday Predictions

Well folks, the wait is almost over.  Tomorrow a new page will finally arrive, marking the start of a new chapter.  What will be in the new chapter?  Well lets explore that.

Chapter 8 Predictions

How is Hyde Taking Over Jekyll’s Body?

So before the break we got the chapter cover, which features Jekyll at a fancy  party being JUST FINE THANKS while being cuddled by a nightmarish monster, while in the background there’s another Jekyll that looks...a little different.

Now there’s been speculation that what’s going to cause Hyde to take over is Jekyll being angry and then Hyde getting angry and then whoops where’d that body come from?  For me however I think its important to know what upsets Hyde versus what upsets Jekyll.  As far as I know Hyde doesn’t care about the exhibition.  He might care about the Lodgers somewhere deep...deeeeeep down inside his soul which he doesn’t care to explore, but he doesn’t care if they lose funding.  The very word bores him.  What would piss him off would be if someone insults Hyde, so if he takes over and someone says Hyde’s not the hot shit he thinks he is then maybe he’ll reach for the umbrella.

Personally here’s what I think might happen: Jekyll mentally passes out.  There’s promises of a lot of nightmare fuel this chapter.  Unlike Hyde, Jekyll might not be able to ignore the nightmares.  He can pretend he doesn’t see them, but it’s going to put a strain on him.  At a certain point (probably at a party) its just going to take one more bad thing (perhaps the lost funding) for Jekyll to just be like...nap time.

Then Hyde takes over and there’s where my next prediction comes in.

Hyde’s Going to Face Consequences

The end of Chapter 7 is a turning point for Hyde.  He realized that he’s capable of breaking things instead of just trash-talking.  He doesn’t have to wait until they’re alone for him to show Jekyll nightmares.  He can be malicious.  He can cause damage.  He’s not at the “beat someone up to death” moment of evil, but he’s getting there.

If he does take over, he could feel like he can hurt Jekyll more for “wronging” him and proceed to ruin his reputation that Jekyll treasures.  But then here’s an idea: he can’t turn Jekyll’s body back into his own.  He’s stuck in a situation where he can’t escape.  There’s a chance he might accidentally give away their secret which I don’t think Hyde’s ready for yet because that would still inconvenience him.

And if Jekyll’s in nap time, Hyde can’t get him to fix his problems.  He’s going to have to find a way out by himself.  He thought he freed himself, but he just ended up trapping both he and Jekyll in a worse situation.

The way I’m thinking of it is like Jekyll’s driving, and Hyde is being an awful backseat driver, until finally Jekyll without stopping the car crawls into the backseat, forcing Hyde to quickly take the wheel.  Now Hyde can take over and drive as fast and dangerous as he wants!  Great!  Except the road is dark, and the lights are broken, and he’s lost.  The only one who knows where they were going was Jekyll and he can’t help anymore.  Its only as fun so long as he doesn’t crash.

In the original story as the potion started to go awry Hyde took over Jekyll on his own, and Jekyll’s body would morph into Hyde’s without the potion.  I think it would be interesting if the reverse happened as well.  Jekyll could be trapped in Hyde’s body, but now Hyde could be trapped in Jekyll’s.  Nobody’s going to win here friends.

Frankenstein’s Health Changes

Its only been a few days, but I think what would make Jekyll’s life even more exciting would be if Frankenstein’s health gets better or worse.  If it gets worse Jekyll will have to concentrate even more time care for a patient who hates him, and if it gets better Frankenstein might have enough energy to wander around the building and cause more havoc!  You saw Bedridden Frankenstein, now get ready for Walking Frankenstein.  The horror!

Some of the Lodgers Rejoin the Exhibition

I think if we’re going to see the Exhibition even happen we’re going to need more than just Jasper (dear gawd save him if he’s the only Lodger with a presentation there’d be so much pressure on him) so I think eventually the more logic-minded scientists are going to be like, “oh wait if we don’t do this I won’t have what I need to do the science” and rejoin the Exhibition.  My money’s on Ito being one of the Lodgers to rejoin.  Dr. Helsby and Miss Lavender are going to stay on Team Frankenstein.  I think that because obviously Miss Lavender got swept right off her feet by Frankenstein and Dr. Helsby is...Dr. Helsby.  Also on the chapter 6 cover Dr. Helsby and Miss Lavender are the most enthusiastic about Frankenstein.

Jasper’s also there, but he seems to give off a look like he doesn’t know what to think of the Modern Prometheus.  Given that he heard Frankenstein’s rally cry and still chose to keep working on the exhibition I think Jasper probably is one of the only mad scientists that wasn’t a huge Frankenstein stan.  You know a...FrankenSTAN!? 

...Anyway I’ve made predictions on what might happen if Frankenstein and Jasper directly met, and so obviously I’m very curious to see how exactly Jasper views her.  Speaking of Jasper...

Jasper Officially Joins the Concerned For Jekyll Club

I’ve said this before, and I’ll probably be repeating it in the future: Jasper is observant so long as he’s not distracted by his own worries.  He’s heard a lot about Jekyll and Hyde though observing Jekyll and overhearing conversations about him and Hyde, but he doesn’t let it sink in because of his own anxieties and distractions.  He asks Jekyll if he has anyone special and Jekyll just stares bug-eyed.  That’s weird-OH Herchel’s jumping again better hurry in there before he breaks something!  Jekyll longingly talks about how Lanyon taught him to dance.  Jekyll really seems to admire Lan-WAIT he doesn’t have to dance right!? He heard Lanyon talk about Jekyll and Hyde, but also he just want to hang with Rachel and eat chicken.  He might be curious, but he’s pretty good about minding his own business.

But if, say, Jasper started viewing Jekyll as a friend and sees him on equal ground, he might have reason to review what exactly he knows about Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.  Especially if Jekyll becomes far less successful at presenting himself as calm and collected while Hyde keeps showing off his new buddies.

Jasper’s not a Frankenstan (tm) but he’s also not a Jekyll stan either.  He admires all the Lodgers because they’re “real scientists” and he does appreciate Jekyll for saving him as well as being the first person to bond with him on werewolf nerdery but he’s not easily convinced by Jekyll’s usual tactics.  I think given Sabrina’s recent twitter drafts he might even be willing mock Jekyll’s sparkly attitude.  

He also looks very out-of-place in his new duds, so it could be that he’s still in the mindset that while Jekyll could pull it off, he can’t.  Jekyll looks pretty bemused, but also a lotta tired, which I certainly can’t blame him for being.

I think I better stop here before this becomes a “Please Let Jekyll and Jasper Be Friends” post.  

Anyway that’s all I have for Chapter 8 predictions.  Once the next chapter gets rolling I’ll probably think of more, but until then let me give you a confession; Sabrina’s nightmare designs are excellent but also...chewy.  Like...octopus legs you’d find at a buffet...I’m saying I want to eat the nightmares HAVE A GOOD NIGHT BYE.

[imaghostwriter]

plot question tag game

i was tagged by the lovely @writingonesdreams whose wips all sound friggin amazing and who apparently tames lions in her free time

Rules: Summarize your WIP in one (possibly teaser-y) question.

the narrow aisle: 

if you are abandoned by those you love, can you find love in yourself?

alternatively:  can someone who’s to gay to function learn to function?

my fantasy novel (doesn’t have a title yet): 

is a kingdom built on prejudice and corruption worth saving?

alternatively: can five fuckwits get along with each other for five fucking seconds to steal a fucking crown, damn it?

tagging @i-rove-rock-n-roll, @marlettwrites, @dc-writes, @blueinkblot and anyone who feels like doing this! take it away, kiddos!

edit: whoops, i accidentally saved it in my drafts instead of posting it lol. well, better late than never!

[likeanemployee]

Whoops

So I accidentally posted instead of saving to drafts that nightmare thing but it was incomplete. I deleted because I'm not gonna finish it tonight and I didn't want to leave it posted for everyone half done but for anyone who saw it including that one like it'll be back

[viktuurificwriters]

Authors I Checked Out Last Week

I thought I added this post to my queue yesterday, but I accidentally clicked “Save as draft” instead... *bangs head on wall to get rid of the stupidity* Anyways, sorry for the delay and here are the authors I checked out last week:

1. LittleLostStar ( @iwritevictuuri )   - Author of It’s a Sign and Setting Sun. LittleLostStar is very good in describing emotions. I love how she described Yuuri’s initial anger and anxiety in Setting Sun. 

2. Llythl - Author of That April (You were Knowable). Llythl is an amazing writer, now I wonder where they are. The only work they have published for YOI is that one fic, which was last update around March. (I don’t know if they have a tumblr, but if someone does then please tag them in the replies.) That April (You were Knowable) is a wonderful presentation of how Yuuri and Viktor may have started out in getting to know each other. It’s not an overly dramatic or a whooping emotions-ride, but it’s “soft” and the pacing of the story is just right. 

3. Mhalachai ( @mhalachai ) - Author of Eight Days a Week, Midnight Salchow, and Water’s Edge. From what I’ve read of this author’s works, they have good concepts for stories. I especially like the concept for Water’s Edge. The pace was good and so was the build-up of suspense and tension. Definitely worth a read.

4. CelestialYuuri ( @celestial-yuuri ) - Author of Gotta have Soul. It’s an AU, where Yuuri and Viktor are singer-songwriters. The author writes the songs used in this fic herself, and that’s worth commending. Although her writing is quite fast-paced for my taste, Gotta have Soul has a good story and is worth checking out.

[hehulk]

syringe, splatter, potion, witch, chainsaw, lullaby?

Thank you love for the questions!! I accidentally saved this as a draft instead of posting it whoops

Syringe: someone you trust with everything

My mum. She is the best human

Splatter: your favourite artists or art pieces

I honestly don’t care about individual artists. I’ve not really paid much attention to visual art as a whole

Potion: something you’d change about humanity

As in some time travel shit or just randomly changing it? Coz I don’t wanna fuck with time travel, especially the past. Would I know it’s changed? Would it change from now or would the change have always occurred? Idk man, there’s a lot of things wrong with the world but I wouldn’t want to just randomly change it. You’ve gotta work for change

Witch: a power you wish you had

Shapeshifting. Or making my cat not bite me

Chainsaw: your favourite sound 

I don’t have one in particular? My cat purring is neat, and so is crackling fire, but there are a bunch of other sounds too

Lullaby: songs you love to sing

Every Fucking City by Paul Kelly

Cheers lovely! Have a marvellous day 😊