#and making sure the existing plot and writing is forwards compatible as i develop and expand things

[master-of-47-dudes]

Oh! For those of you who like Lancer, I've made major progress in the campaign I'm writing: Kindness of strangers!

LRBT-III, otherwise known as Blanche to the locals. This sun-baked dustbowl of a planet has the high honor of being one of the few habitable terrestrial bodies that anyone has discovered in the Long Rim, and probably the only one that's actually any use to anyone. Luckily- or not so luckily, if you ask some people- it was Union that found it first. Well, about 70 years ago when they stumbled across this star system they got it in their heads that the Long Rim's days were numbered. There’s untold millions living out there scattered along the emptiest shipping lane in the known galaxy who'd need a way out once no one needed to pass them by, and by Christ the Buddha Union was gonna be there for them waiting with open arms.

All of that is background, though. You? You’re a bunch of mercenaries who got their hands on a couple of GMSes, decided to make your manna selling violence for pay. Worlds like Blanche don't take to colonies very well, so even two generations in there's still plenty of frontier out there being settled and railroad tracks being laid. The people out there struggle day by day to survive, and people like you are there to protect them from those who got sick of the hard life. Not everyone out there has the guts to stand up for the little guy- that's why you're called Lancers.

A setting and a campaign all in one, Kindness Of Strangers and its (eventual) follow-up Dancing With the Devil are a series of Wild West-themed 2-mission adventures intended to take players from 0-12 as they find themselves embroiled in the midst of a corporate conspiracy to overthrow the Union-backed government of the isolated colony of Blanche and a ploy to seize control over a nearly completed Blinkstation. All the while, a strange religious movement worshipping an eons-dead alien civilization grows ever more influential in the background...

This campaign tackles themes of colonialism, nationalism, corruption, and conflict between indigenous peoples, settlers, and immigrants, all in a world where well-meaning intentions have gone sour and the ghosts of the past have come back to haunt it.

Kindness of Strangers, Missions 1-3

Field Guide to LRBT-PN

Exotic Gear Documentation

Variant Frame Documentation

Kindness of Strangers Worldbuilding Short Stories

Kindness of Strangers LCP, Maps, and Assets

This latest update includes the first(ish) draft of Mission 3: The Field of Blue Children, allowing play of the first half of Act 2 and extending the LL range from 0-3. Mission 3 is heavily intrigue and RP focused, featuring a wide suite of characters, relationships, and locations in the Tourist town of Baugh- a thriving immigrant community situated on a soda lake.

The PCs have been hired to investigate a bomb threat at the newly completed Baugh Pumpworks, and water filtration and chemical processing facility that stands to end the water shortage and threatens corporate control over the colony's water supply- but is everything really as it seems? In the process, the PCs will go toe to toe with teenage gearheads, Pinkerton-expies, and a group of Sparri Espadas who got roped into this whole mess, and uncover the mystery behind the threat!

Also, there's a subaltern that talks like a pirate and catholicism.

Anyway this mission also includes a custom NPC Template (kind of, I don't know how to design the LCP for that but i did include instructions on how it works), several new reserves, and several custom sitreps!

So, check it out- I'm always looking for feedback.

[frustratedpker]

Some thoughts and analysis on Clarabelle and Horace

I wanted to write this for a long time!

Buckle up guys, this is gonna be long!

As you probably know if you ‘re following my blog, I am a big fan of the series Pippo Reporter (Goofy reporter) written by Teresa Radice and illustrated by Stefano Turconi.

For those who are not familiar with the saga, it’s a series of stories that take place in 1930′s America revolving around the life of Goofy who works as a reporter with the narrative building up and leading to his first meeting with Mickey.

The stories feature the usual cast of characters but what I find fascinating is that not all relationships are established in the beginning of the story. (e.x Goofy and Mickey haven’t met yet, the Phantom Blot hasn’t become the Phantom yet...). I could even dare call it a prequel of the ‘cannon��� events.

Here’s where Claire and Horace come in! I ‘ll attempt to present a chronicle of their relationship, along with some analysis and the reasoning of why I find their ship so well written in this particular saga.

Let’s start with the first story!

In the first story “Cronista per caso” both characters are introduced seperately.

Horace is in this series the introverted mayor of the city and Minnie’s boss as she’s his secretary at the town hall.

Claire is a fortune teller, a friend of Minnie whose advice she seeks in tricky situations. In the first story Minnie particularly seeks her advice for a matter concerning Horace and her job and Claire is happy to assist her.

Now, disney fans usually know that these characters are in most stories portrayed as engaged or in a relationship, so in this scene it’s established that in this narrative they don’t know each other (yet).

But for readers not so familiar with the disney canon (as I was when I first read the story) who don’t know that Claire and Horace are meant to be together, this scene still establishes them as two individuals associated with the main characters.

In both cases though, a link is made subconsciously between Claire and Horace, forming a base on which their relationship will be built.

As concerning the plot, this is the moment when Claire first hears about Horace who -as he’s the mayor- undoubtedly has heard of before (if not voted for) and she has her first glimpse in his private life through Minnie’s sayings. It’s a nice starting point in this episode for their subplot to begin.

In the second story, “Vasetto sospetto’‘, Claire and Horace don’t appear at all so I won’t bother examine this one.

In the third story though, “Crociera con ghiaccio”, we have the next clue.

“ [Mickey] won’t be able to attend [the cruise], he is very busy with his work! Claire, a friend of Minnie, will replace him (...). I could have taken Horace with me but he’s the mayor and mayors always have many things to do”

Once again Claire and Horace don’t interact and once again a link is made between them by reffering to them in such a way.

Here we are presented with a motif which is very important in “Pippo reporter”. The motif of ‘failed meeting’ as I call it. It has been established in previous stories that main characters (mainly Mickey and Goofy) had had many chances to meet all of which failed in the last moment.

Some other examples:

The reader, knowing by experience that those meetings are the most important plot points and meant to be epic (everybody knows that Goofy is Mickey’s best friend) now applies the same motif to Horace and Claire, even if they are not familiar with them.

Progress is also made in the fourth story, “Finale di campionato”

Here we learn Horace’s fascination with baseball and the whole plot revolves around him looking almost identical to his favourite baseball player, practically being his clone.

Horace ends up taking his idol’s place in the championship after the athlete’s mysterious disappearence.

Where has this player gone to?

At Claire’s aunt’s farm in the countryside trying to escape his overwhelming life as a sports celebrity!

“And he’s not at all ugly, isn’t he?” rushes to comment Claire upon first setting eyes on him.

That’s what I call forshadowing!

And her physical attraction to him persists on the entirety of the story. The first solid base is set for her later meeting with Horace and her -now undoubtful- falling for him.  At this point, even for not disney connaisseurs, it becomes evident that Claire will be Horace’s love interest.

Their official meeting happens in the fifth story, “La perla del fiume”!

I think that all necessary setting up has been established from previous episodes and now we are finaly ready -and curious- to witness their meeting!

Goofy: Oh, I haven’t introduced you! Claire, this is...

Claire: Our first citizen, Horace Horse, so mysteriously intruguing!

Goofy: And she is...

Horace: Claire la Belle, fascinatingly charming woman and fortune teller!

The attraction is instant and evident! A “love at first sight” that is actually believable. Why that? Because proper setting up has preceeded. It’s not the sudden ‘‘love montage’‘ that we ‘d get form a disney movie (I’m not accusative, I actually love them).

I can’t actually find a scene from the saga that explains how Horace already had heard of her, but with some guessing and common logic, I can assume that either Minnie or Goofy (who by now are his close friends) would have surely mentioned Claire to him and her involvement in some of their previous adventures.

It’s really realistic how they came together, getting to know each other through mutual friends.

Hoarce: You have a lovely hand!

Claire: Yours isn’t quite bad either! Would you mind me reading it sooner or later?

Horace: I would also have you read me your phone number!

Claire: What a brilliant idea! I always loved giving numbers!

They’re meant to be! (poor Goofy third wheeling)

I love how from the first moment they can’t get their eyes from each other.

There’s no more to say! They are so cute!

And they soon, almost at once confess their feelings to their friends (tbh Horace does try but Goofy is kinda oblivious, Minnie on the other hand is much more in sync).

And there is obviously a ball which they attend together:

I really like how Turconi makes sure to make their love so evident throughout the story’s events, event at a paranoic degree, just to show how in love they are:

I ���m sure someone’s getting their ears chopped off in that fight but they keep dancing serenely. And poor Goofy just ... exists there (I feel you fam)

Claire: They have stopped playing the music...

Horace: Does it matter? Your voice is music to my ears!

I don’t know the bodycount of that fight, but good for them!

Claire: May I have this last dance under the moonlight?

Also Claire: May I also have this last dance under the sunlight?

And that concludes the ball and starts their relationship (dating at this point to be precise)

I particularly find the story’s ending very touching:

Horace: *spotting the motorcycle* Would you mind ... ?

Claire: Are you kidding?

Claire: It’s so romantic!!!

At the very next story (”Un ombrello, un capello, un monello”)  they’re already a couple:

The romance reaches its peak in “La piuma d’ oro” in which they get officially engaged and have their first (shown) kiss. This is actually the core of the whole episode and their relationship is for the first time, not a sideplot, but the actual plot.

[     you will excuse me but I sadly don’t have any pics from this story

                            have this little heart instead --> <3    ]

Their sideplot may have already concluded in “La piuma d’ oro”, but them being a couple now gains a plot forwarding role.

Claire: But what are you doing?

Horace: Making your dream come true my treasure!

In “Quel faro sui monti del lago” the characters find themselves entangled in another adventure only because Horace takes them on vacation in the place where Claire dreams to go (get you a rich mayor for fiance ladies)

And it’s time for their relationship to have its first test! While on vacation they meet this beautiful German (who **spoiler** turns out to be a spy)

Instant dislike! (I still prefer Silvia Ziche’s designs of displaying jealousy but Turconi gave us this fashionably annoyed Clarabelle so I can’t argue)

It was about time for them to endure jealousy. As in real relationships after some while not everything is seen through rose tinted glasses.

Still, everything turns out okay, leading to their last appearence together in the saga in the final story, “ Il rustico cavallerizzo”.

Minnie: The mayor has just arrived in the box of honour!

Lady: Let me see! Let me see! Is he in sweet company?

That’s how we leave them, together, officialy a couple and happy!

In conclusion, I really liked how this series treated them. Radice took time to first develop them as individuals, give them distinct personalities that also work apart. She made also sure to make them compatible and discretely foreshadow their romance, so when it comes it doesn’t feel forced or rushed but expected and natural. They also remain consistent as side characters who don’t disappear after their sideplot is concluded. They continue making appearences, both together and individually, that also forward the plot. The relationship between them evolves gradually, passing through different levels and situations to arrive at the point of ‘‘cannon’‘ events (by which I mean the disney lore outside of the saga).

I think that I said all I wanted to say, perhaps even more that needed to be said. But as I really like those characters and as I am a great fan of Radice and Turconi’s work I couldn’t pass up this chance to talk about them!

Thank you for reading and coping with my blabbering!

[doocentral]

“SCOOBY-DOO! AND THE CURSE OF THE 13TH GHOST” - MY SPOILER REVIEW

SPOILERS AHEAD -- I was so so SO excited for the "Scooby-Doo! And the Curse of the 13th Ghost" movie that came out on DVD and digital yesterday. I picked it up after work and went home to watch it almost immediately. My excitement and nostalgia for this movie was something I hadn't felt for a Scooby-Doo movie in a while. And...I finished it disappointed on a few levels... The entire concept for this movie was phenomenal: Let's take a 34-year old plot hole created from an obscure era of Scooby-Doo and resolve it with an awesome DTV movie in the 50th year of the franchise's life. But instead what we got was: Let's take a 34-year old plot hole created from an obscure era of Scooby-Doo and attempt to resolve it by writing out characters, rationalizing the supernatural aspects of the story, and creating even MORE plot holes. 

The movie had a great set-up and was going well for probably the first half of the movie. I'll discuss real quick what I personally like about this movie before going into what I didn't: 1) I thoroughly enjoyed the backstory of the Chest of Demons (COD) and learning about how Vincent VanGhoul himself had to capture the 13 ghosts (I'm going to refer to them as The 13 from this point forward) before Scooby and Shaggy ever released them in the original series. I think that's great character development, storytelling, and additional information that was lacking in the original series. I always had a hunch that Vincent was responsible for creating the COD and capturing The 13 in the first place, when really he didn't actually create the COD but rather discovered it and made the same mistake Scooby and Shaggy made. 2) I think that the design of Asmodeus (the 13th ghost that was never captured) was fantastic. His head shape is reminiscent of the COD itself as well as the collective entity of The 13 that we see escape in the first episode of "The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo". I *think* Asmodeus is supposed to be considered the first being to ever enter the COD, and him supposedly being the most powerful of The 13 makes him an interesting antagonist for the group. Especially when it's learned that he is actually Vincent VanGhoul's ancestor, adding to the world-building and justifying further Vincent's self-appointed responsibility to recapture The 13. His name is also interesting since��“Asmodeus” is actually a being believed to be the “king of demons” as he is also stated to be in this movie. Just an interesting tie-in to real mythology that the other twelve ghosts of the chest lack. 

3) Based on elements of the original series, I enjoyed the movie's occasional call-backs. I think bringing Flim-Flam back was a good choice and having him grow up a little but maintain the same personality was delightful (despite him not being a favorite character of mine AT ALL). The return of the Red Mystery Machine was great too. The COD was modernized in style (as was the Red Mystery Machine) but it still looked menacing. 4) The humor was for the most-part great. I think the joke of older people being scared of teenagers was great, especially when it suddenly and unexpectedly was said again by a different character. Other instances of humor I enjoyed were when Scooby and Shaggy were roleplaying as flight attendants/plane pilots or when Flim-Flam commented on Daphne's hair and Shaggy's green shirt (for those who don't know, Shaggy wore a red shirt in the original series).

Now for the things I took issues with... 1) I DESPISE how the lore and threat of Asmodeus was undone by the character we see throughout the movie just being a man in a costume. The whole point of this movie was to revive the supernatural storyline of "The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo" and finally finish the gang's quest. The ghost turning out to be a man in a mask ruined the story and I think this should be borderline false-advertising (not really but still!). I really wanted to see the characters struggle to face off with the most powerful ghost among The 13, who again are the most powerful supernatural entities the world has ever known! I would have LOVED to see them be brutally scared and terrified of this ghost because of who he is, and I also wanted to see someone maybe be forced or hypnotized or tricked into opening the COD again. If the real COD had been opened again it could've made the whole situation more dire. This would've made the ending of the movie really dramatic; watching the gang and Vincent and Flim-Flam work together to recapture the twelve ghosts inside the COD as well as the most powerful of The 13 as a whole would have been fantastic. I can only imagine the explosive scene and visuals we would've gotten if this were the case. I know I can't fault the movie for not going this route too much, but the fact it didn't and further downplayed the supernatural characteristics of the original show and Asmodeus left a bad taste in my mouth. 2) The absence of Scrappy-Doo was a debated topic for this movie since it was initially announced. Everyone speculated if he would make an appearance, be referenced to, or the movie just not acknowledge his existence at all. I'll admit, the "What's a Scrappy?" joke from Velma did get a laugh out of me but I almost would've rather had the movie ignore the problem altogether. My IDEAL outcome of this dilemma would just be for Warner Bros. to swallow their pride and include Scrappy in the movie. He was a prominent and regular character of "The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo" so reviving the storyline for a movie doesn't make sense without him there. I don't know if the joke was supposed to satirize the franchise's willingness to ignore the existence of this character but it just doesn't make sense story-wise. It skews continuity (which is my next point) and confuses fans of the series. Scrappy isn't an entirely untouchable or irredeemable character either; he has become a prominent and likable character in the "Scooby Apocalypse" comic book series. In fact he's one of the better characters in that comic series because of his character development and instilled morals. Why couldn't Warner Bros. just put in the work and make the character a functional and non-detrimental element of this movie? People hated Flim-Flam a lot more than they hated Scrappy, and even he got to come back. (But I also acknowledge they didn’t bring back Weerd and Bogel either). 

3) This movie presents so many issues in terms of continuity. It's not the movie's sole fault; I don't think Scooby-Doo and continuity are compatible to begin with. But here's a couple issues with continuity I think need to be addressed if this movie is supposed to be a continuation of the original series:   a) The Sheriff at the beginning of the movie says that the gang "is almost 18 now" which means that they are still teenagers. I'm pretty sure that Daphne and Shaggy were supposed to be portrayed as older versions of themselves (maybe early 20's) in "The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo”. They were flying planes and traveling all over the world. And if time has truly passed between "The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo" and this movie, that would mean Daphne and Shaggy were probably like, 15 or 16, when they went in search of The 13 in the first place. I wish they would stop calling them teenagers in stories where it doesn't make sense AT ALL for them to be teenagers. Kids are able to enjoy Scooby-Doo just as much regardless of the gang's age because they just want to watch a talking dog be scared by ghosts and monsters. They're not watching because they personally identify with the gang since the gang are teenagers. The only time their age was maybe at all important was in "A Pup Named Scooby-Doo" because the very premise was that the gang were kids. Why do they have to be teenagers in this movie? The answer is, there is no reason. WB just insists they're still teenagers.   b) Before I say this, I just want to acknowledge that "Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated" is supposed to be an alternate universe to the "main continuity" (if that even exists) of Scooby-Doo. So it's interesting to see that both that series and this movie make reference to "The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo", yet "Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated" actually acknowledged the existence of Scrappy along with Flim-Flam. The same excuse was used that Fred wasn't in the original cartoon because he was at summer camp, however Flim-Flam in the "Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated" timeline is apparently serving 25 years to life for his con-artistry. This isn't something I'm mad about for this movie, just thought it was something that should be said since the movie decided to write-out Scrappy. 

    c) Just...don’t get me started on the continuity dumpster-fire that is the garage sale scene...it’s nostalgic but just...please don’t...

   d) After the gang discovers the crystal ball in the garage sale, Daphne explains a lot of the backstory to Fred and Velma in her bedroom. At one point, she throws an outfit on Fred, and when we see it land on Fred we can ALSO see a picture frame on her nightstand showing the whole gang unmasking the Moat Monster. For those who may not remember, the Moat Monster is the green villain in the flashback at the beginning of "Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island". I'm not saying that this case couldn't have been solved between the events of "The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo" and this movie; the case was a flashback in "Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island". But if this movie is trying to say that it takes place in the same continuity as "Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island", how can the gang be so baffled by the existence of real zombies and cat creatures when they, or at least Scooby, Shaggy, and Daphne, have encountered THE 13 MOST TERRIFYING GHOSTS ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH??? You could say that the events of "Zombie Island" don't ultimately happen in this timeline, which is fine, but then why reference that movie at all? 

4) Velma and Fred are very frustrating characters in this movie. I'll start with Fred here though. While I like the group-dynamic shifting with Daphne taking on leadership in their mission and making Fred step-aside, I don't like that they focused Fred's story-arc on him trying to find his place in the group. It's like the movie is trying to make us feel sorry for a man because a woman is stepping up for once. I liked watching Daphne take charge and show Fred that she, as well as Scooby and Shaggy, are able to handle things without his leadership. I have no sympathy for Fred in this movie, and when he reveals he actually went to cheerleading camp when he was gone in the original series? He instantly becomes 100% more frustrating than he already has been, Velma on the other hand becomes exhausting. After the crystal ball is discovered, EVERY SINGLE LINE OF DIALOGUE she has is devoted to her denial or skepticism in the supernatural. Yes, Velma would be the one to question the existence of real ghosts between her and Fred (this was central to her story-arc in "Scooby-Doo! Frankencreepy"). But when that's literally the only thing she has going on, Velma just becomes a flat, uninteresting, and annoying character. Especially when we, the viewer, know for a fact that the ghosts in the original show were real. And then her rationalization of the other twelve ghosts being hallucinations that Shaggy, Scooby, and Daphne experienced at the high-altitude of the Himalayas was maddening. I don't know if Warner Bros. was trying to undo the existence of the supernatural in this timeline of Scooby-Doo or not, but it doesn't make sense anyway because in the show, the gang wasn't in the Himalayas the whole time. They opened the COD in the temple and then traveled all over the world to pursue them. So Velma's explanation of this is ultimately as weak as wet toilet paper. And then her rationale is undermined by her reluctance to open the COD when they are boarding the plane at the end of the movie. All around Velma is my LEAST favorite thing about this movie. 

5) People have mentioned that there were potentially only 11 ghosts captured in the original series since one episode they didn't explicitly capture a new ghost but rather recaptured the four ghosts they had already captured. I just want to believe the Cyclone Ghost that appeared in that episode (which to some is actually an amalgamation of those four ghosts) is really just another one of The 13. That way we don't end up needing a "Scooby-Doo! And the Curse of the 12th Ghost". But I'm personally very fine with it if you disagree with me on this.   6) I don't know if it was or not, but I'm unsure if Scooby and Shaggy's gag with Asmodeus in the temple pretending to be meditating monks(?) was appropriate. Just a minor comment I wanted to throw out there since they decided to somewhat identify a specific culture in the setting of this movie. 7) This movie doesn't explain the ending well whatsoever. The lack of clarity I had after Asmodeus was unmasked was painful. And the plot-holes I found and questions I have are endless. Where has Mortifer been this whole time since he disappeared when he and Vincent finished capturing The 13 the first time? Is he immortal like Vincent or did he become immortal when the ghosts attacked him? What is his motivation to reopen the COD? Why would he want to reopen the COD when he's SIMULTANEOUSLY trying to sell it on the black market for being a priceless supernatural artifact? The COD is supposed to be an obscure and low-key artifact, so why would it even have value on the black market and how much would it even be worth? Would it's worth vary if it still contained The 13? If Asmodeus was really a disguise and not a real ghost, why couldn't Vincent use his magic powers? Why is there a secret FBI agent in this movie? Why does the FBI know anything about the COD? How could the FBI have even known that the gang might have the COD at the beginning of the movie? Did Velma actually misread the Sanskrit in the book, and did the REAL Asmodeus actually move on from the mortal realm? Is it even safe for Asmodeus to still be allowed out of the COD? What was the real Asmodeus protecting Vincent from this whole time, was it Mortifer? How was the real Asmodeus able to conceal himself from Vincent's and the gang's radar in the original show if he was apparently watching over Vincent in an attempt to "protect him"? Why was Daphne, Shaggy, and Scooby so okay with just abandoning the mission when they went back to school that year? Did they ever try to check up with Vincent to see if he managed to capture the 13th ghost? How did the gang just not know at all that Daphne had the Red Mystery Machine just chilling in the garage? Why does she have it if she evidently never drives it? Did Mortifer have actual magical powers or was he just a silly illusionist? If he isn't actually magical, then how was he able to drive that ghost car throughout the movie without being inside it? WHAT EVEN WAS THE CURSE OF THE 13TH GHOST?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! --- I could probably go on and on about my thoughts on this movie but these are what I wanted to talk about and mention since this movie was highly anticipated. I think it fails to satisfy what fans wanted out of its attempt to bring closure to "The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo". "The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo" is an obscure and borderline black sheep of the Scooby-Doo franchise so it was going to be really cool to see an "attempt" at resolving the unfinished story. I just think this movie could've done better and ultimately leaves a lot to be desired. I’m giving this movie a neutral 5/10.

(Understand this review is independent of That Groovy Scoobcast)

What are your thoughts? Do you agree with my opinions or disagree? Did you have other questions that I didn't mention already? Or any plot holes I overlooked? I’d love to hear what you have to say. 

[axlaida]

Omg! Victuuri 12 please! I would love to see their shenanigans with that one <3

Your wish is my command! °˖✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧˖°

I will admit, I got a little carried away… but I’m also really proud of how this turned out! I might upload it on my AO3 too! I hope you like it. Thank you for the request!! <3

Request a Prompt!~

12: Writer and Editor AU

In which Yuuri’s stuck writing a kiss and Victor, his editor, is a little too willing to help.

I’m stuck on a scene.

Victor smiled at his phone as he huffed out a laugh, and typed-

Again?

Don’t be funny. 2 long 2 explain. Come over.

Victor didn’t often make house calls – in fact, he never made a house call for his clients, but Yuuri Katsuki was an exception.

~

“You’re stuck on the kiss scene?”

Yuuri nodded; a light blush painted his cheeks. “I’m stuck on the kiss scene.”

Victor wasn’t entirely certain how to respond. He’d known Yuuri to often find himself in a slump. He’d struggle to find inspiration that his ideas were either mediocre or less attractive than Victor would’ve liked. Yuuri had the creativity to get through his slump, Victor knew he had, but given countless hours of waiting, Victor was growing increasingly impatient.

He sat on the couch beside Yuuri, placed his laptop on his lap and quickly read through what Yuuri had written. He tried hard not to pull faces, but he could understand Yuuri’s fight with this chapter. The wording was all wrong. The sentence structure felt forced and the flow wasn’t there. Even Yuuri’s choice of wording was poor.

If he’d grade this, it would be a D- at best. And that was Victor being generous.

“Do you want my honest opinion, or would you prefer some constructive criticism that might not end with you hating me?”

“Delete that entire chapter,” Yuuri answered instead, waving his hand as he turned his back. “Just get rid of it. I’d rather not fight a losing battle, so I just won’t write the scene in.”

“Are you sure?” Yuuri nodded, and Victor sighed as he deleted the entire chapter. “Alright, now what?”

“Like I said, I just won’t write it.”

“But it flows with the story,” Victor said. “If I were to compliment anything about that chapter, it’s that your plan for it was natural. It was fun and exciting, and the readers would love it. Who doesn’t love a good kiss scene?”

“Me!” Yuuri pounced in his seat, turning to face Victor with an expression not-so calm like Victor had hoped. “I don’t love a good kiss scene when nothing about the scene makes sense in my head. They kiss, but that’s all I can write. That’s all I can come up with. There’s absolutely no emotion or-or love. It wasn’t convincing enough to prove that they do actually love each other.”

Victor placed a finger to his lips, thinking.

“Okay, humor me for a moment,” He said while readjusting the laptop so the screen was facing him. “I know you said you hate the scene, but talk me through it. Tell me how the scene plays out in your mind and I’ll write down what you tell me.”

“But that’s the problem I’m having.”

“As I said, humor me a moment.”

~

It wasn’t Victor’s best idea – not by far – but it gave him an insight. He had a sneaky look into the mind that was Yuuri Katsuki.

And sure, Victor could see where Yuuri was going wrong. While there was no emotion between the two characters, Yuuri didn’t have any feelings towards them either. To him, they were just characters – just two people he created for the sake of plot, and Victor wasn’t overly fond of that. He’d rather Yuuri be invested in the characters he created, not lazy or unmotivated.

But Victor wanted an understanding, so he didn’t say anything when Yuuri shrugged off why Adam didn’t caress Kelly’s hair, or why their kiss was so quick – so sudden. He continued typing, trying his hardest to ignore how warm Yuuri’s arm was pressed against his own, or how close Yuuri would be when he’d lean forward to reread what Victor just typed.

If Victor writing this, he’d already have them making love, but Victor was a romantic. He wondered if Yuuri had a romantic bone in him too.

“Do you have a lover, Yuuri?”

“I.” Yuuri paused, then cleared his throat. The blush was returning. “No, I – I don’t.”

He’s rather bashful, Victor noted.

“But you have kissed somebody before, yes?” He then asked, and as Yuuri nodded, he took no notice of his heart twisting. “Then think back to that experience. How did her lips feel, why did you kiss her, and what raw emotion came through while you had that kiss?”

Yuuri’s lips curled into a smile – perhaps a little too giggly for Victor’s relief – as he scrubbed a hand over his face. “It was when I was in college and I got very drunk…” Yuuri turned his eyes away, hiding his embarrassed smile behind the palm of his hand. “I knew he liked me and I liked him too, then one night we got drunk and we kissed, but… it was terrible. I was terrible at it, but so was he.”

“I didn’t expect you to be that much of a drinker,” Victor commented, smiling wider as Yuuri sunk into the couch with his hands over his face.

And suddenly, Victor felt it – the little shift in his brain, like something had just fallen into place.

“Maybe that’s where you’re going wrong here,” Victor began. “You’re not writing the right characters in this scene.”

Yuuri dropped his hands as he sat up, face close to the computer screen as Victor referred him to the previous chapter he wrote. It made sense for Adam and Kelly to get together, but Victor couldn’t deny that their compatibility was… the least bit interesting. It was stale and forced, and Victor realized what Yuuri had done wrong, something the author hadn’t noticed himself.

“It’s too forced,” Yuuri muttered as he took the computer from Victor’s lap, placing the slowly overheating laptop on his own.

“Exactly,” Victor smiled. “Why have Adam kiss Kelly when Adam could kiss his childhood friend, Jeremy? They have a clear deep connection. Adam cares so much about Jeremy, more than he does Kelly. Wouldn’t you rather kiss Jeremy than Kelly?”

Yuuri said nothing, but he began to type, and that was enough for Victor to believe he’d finally sparked an idea in Yuuri’s mind. It motivated him to completely change the chapter, to twist the situation and have Jeremy find Adam instead of Kelly. He had Jeremy confess his love and attraction rather than Kelly, and as Yuuri was ready to write them finally having their first kiss, Victor waited with anticipation as Yuuri gave a brief pause and –

“… Crap.”

Victor sighed in defeat. “You nearly had it.”

“I know.”

“Think back to that kiss you told me,” Victor suggested. “Try to remember what it was like for you and the emotion you felt. Convey that feeling into writing. Make me feel like I’m kissing you.” Victor hadn’t meant his choice of words – or perhaps he had – but the way Yuuri chewed his bottom lip was worth every word.

But it wasn’t working for the author. He got over his embarrassment but as he hummed thoughtfully, he pulled a face. It wasn’t helping him progress onward, but Victor had another idea. Yuuri’s first kiss wasn’t the best experience, and both himself and the guy were terrible, which meant two things: Yuuri needed a real kiss, and he was open for kissing men, too.

Victor couldn’t help himself. “Maybe you just need to be reminded of what it feels like to be kissed.”

As Yuuri looked at him, his cheeks flushed a soft pink. “Are you suggesting I kiss you?”

Victor couldn’t deny his attraction. And sure, maybe he was using this as the perfect opportunity to kiss the man he’d been pining over since they first met, but why wouldn’t Victor take this as his chance? Despite the fear that Yuuri would say no, or agree to it and never have it develop into something more, Victor was willing to take that risk.

“That’s only if you want to.”

Yuuri was chewing his lip again, looking rather unsure of himself. Victor wondered perhaps he came on too strong, but he couldn’t deny there was a hint of excitement in Yuuri’s eyes – a flash of eagerness at Victor’s offer.

“If I give you one deep, meaningless kiss, it’ll change nothing between us,” Victor said, deciding to relieve some of Yuuri’s uncertainty with another offer. “But if you kiss me back, I will take that as something more. And I’ll be honest with you, I’ll be overjoyed if you do.”

Yuuri stayed silent, but the fast bat of his eyelashes had Victor’s heart yearn to move forward, and no longer could he hold himself back.

He gently removed Yuuri’s glasses and the laptop slid to the floor as Victor reached for him, draping his arms over Yuuri’s shoulders. Victor took his time to first press a soft kiss on Yuuri’s burning cheeks, deciding to ease Yuuri into it to help him relax.

His skin was warm – so soft against Victor’s lips. He wanted to give another.

When Victor felt Yuuri’s hands rest on his hips, He couldn’t resist. He leaned in closer, allowing their foreheads to touch before he made the first move to finally kiss Yuuri.

Their lips brushed. It was a gentle touch, something softer than the feel of Yuuri’s skin as it lingered too. But god, did Victor want more. It grew increasingly hard for him not to delve in for another once their lips parted. He had made an offer, and as much as Victor made his intentions very clear, it was time for Yuuri to do the same.

He waited with his heart on his sleeve. This was the moment that could make or break something for them. Victor didn’t often get nervous, but being so close to Yuuri, waiting for him to be kissed, completely terrified him.

And Victor gasped when Yuuri kissed him. There was something so heavenly about Yuuri’s kiss – a tender moment that took him back, surprising him in the best way possible as Victor could only smile against his lips. It was everything he wanted. For the time their lips locked together, the world itself ceased to exist and the reason behind their kiss was forgotten. No words could describe this; no rhyme or song would ever express the longing Victor had for this moment.

When their lips parted and their breaths mingled, Victor could only wish Yuuri good luck with his scene. To write a kiss so exact would take a thousand kisses, and Victor was happy to offer him every last one.

But Yuuri had done it. As Victor sat in his office hours later, still high from their kiss as he read through Yuuri’s final draft, he could give nothing but praise. He perfectly unveiled their kiss in the form of words.

He surprised Victor, time and time again.

~

I’m stuck on another scene.

Victor grinned as he typed-

Oh?

It’s a dinner scene. I think we should use your technique again and have dinner. Tonight, 8PM?

I’d be delighted.

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Read part two here! ~  Tumblr/AO3