#and most of it was kind of necessary anyway route

[gh-0-stcup]

That CBGB story was wonderful and I loved it. But Dean...did John raise you right? Did he??? Because you have about 7 million different issues and like 90% of them are John freaking Winchester-related.

[paleepeaches]

John Wick Yandere Headcanons

Never done this before so be kind to me! But anyway I just had these thoughts and needed to word vomit them up!

Warnings: NSFW, 18+, kidnapping, Stockholm syndrome, ddlg,

A/N: Wouldn't a fic be cute?

Okay so I know I'm not the first to say this and won't be the last but John is a fucking Yandere.

He's a full-blown stalker who probably sees you at a bar or even something so normal as a grocery store.

This man is LONELY af. Since Helen passed he can not find someone else for the life of him.

That's until you come along with your pretty doe eyes and sweet nature.

You can be younger than him and he'll be fine with it. John doesn't mind babysitting a cute bimbo like you

You'll catch his eye with your soft voice and sweet smile. Most people his age have a smoker's voice or are married.

He becomes OBSESSED with you quickly. I mean very swift like within 2 days of seeing you not even talking.

He'll just stalk tf out of you probably at your work. He'll see you bagging groceries or serving drinks and just observe you with customers.

He'll take note of what days you work and don't. He'll mark it on his calendar, and circle it in red like the old man he is.

Once he figures out your schedule and what time you get off, what route you take, if you drive or walk he'll follow you.

He's a skilled hitman so he knows how to disappear and follow someone without them noticing.

He'll stalk you all the way to your apartment and once he's sure you're asleep he'll break in.

He's scoped out your place enough to deduct that you have no pets. Even if you did he'd know how to handle a dog.

John is precise and determined which is why he'd be so keen on placing hidden cameras all over your house.

He'd position them in the living room, kitchen, shower, and even your bedroom.

He'd want to see your most intimate and private moments but not totally invade it.

Of course, you wouldn't find out. Your head is too stuffed in your phone scrolling through social media or online shopping. You got an addiction but it's okay once you're his he'll spoil you! John has a lot of pocket money from all his jobs!

How will he get you?

John doesn't half-ass anything. He's learned to see through tough missions. Even ones he didn't enjoy. Capturing you though...? He would enjoy it.

He'd enjoy setting a date, waiting outside your apartment with his car off.

He'd prepared all the necessary equipment such as ropes, duct tape, and a gun if he needed to threaten you but he'd find that would only scare you more and he didn't want his little girl frightened of him.

He'd go about it more skillfully, more stealthy.

John entered your home after he was sure you entered the deepest REM cycle. He snuck in the window you often left open. Poor forgetful you, always leaving windows unlocked.

One time he found your door unlocked which was a dreadful surprise for him. He locked it right after he watched you sleep for a whole two hours.

See? You needed him to look after you. He'd try to justify his insane actions with that.

With a completely guilt-free head, he'd enter your home, make his way into your bedroom, and see you asleep all cuddled up in your pink plush covers.

You'd look so cute and docile breathing softly.

He'd smile, admiring you before pulling out a clean needled from his jacket pocket. John pricked the needle into a vial of clear liquid, sucking up the fluid before administrating it to you.

Your eyes didn't even flutter open as he injected it.

"Such a good girl." John would speak softly to you, smoothing down your hair and kissing your forehead.

He'd pack your favorite stuffed animal, clothes, and even your cute collections of calico critters or sonny angels, whatever cute trinkets you collected.

He'd want you to feel comfortable at his home. Y'all's home.

[isan0rt]

You know, when you consider Azure Moon as a self-contained narrative, the use of ‘unanswered questions’ and ambiguity as a reinforcement of the themes of the route are really effective. I honestly think having the route not address the Slithers was the best narrative choice IntSys could possibly have made given the themes of Azure Moon.

Like. The developers didn’t really expect people to actually play all the routes; they designed the game so ‘everyone would have a different experience.’ As a result, all the routes have very different themes and scopes. Azure Moon is the tightest, most character-driven narrative despite not being the shortest route.

And Azure Moon is about grief.

Grief hangs over the entire route; except for Mercedes, every single one of the Blue Lions is haunted by the Tragedy of Duscur and the unanswered questions surrounding it. Felix loses his brother directly, and his worldview and best friend to the aftermath. Ingrid loses her fiance, but also her sense of security; without Glenn, her people may starve, and her personal future is now uncertain. Sylvain and Glenn were the same age, so we can assume they were friends, though his loss is less direct; Sylvain is surrounded by people broken by loss, including his own father. Annette’s father leaves her family in disgrace over being unable to stop the tragedy. Ashe loses his foster brother to the aftermath; and later his foster father as well. 

Dimitri and Dedue lose everything.

All of them spend the whole route wanting to find answers and some kind of closure for this event. It drives the entire narrative for all of the Lions actually from Faerghus. Mercedes, meanwhile, stands as an outside observer to that tragedy - but she is also dealing with her own personal tragedy and unanswered questions about her brother, and that drives her during Azure Moon.

And the thing about grief is that sometimes you never get closure. But you still have to move on, anyway.

That’s the whole point of Azure Moon. Dimitri has to move on. All the Lions have to move on. 

Mercedes cannot regain her brother, whether you find out his identity or not in the route. She has to move on anyway. Dimitri cannot reconcile with his family, not with Rufus (Did Dimitri kill him? We the viewer can never really know for sure) and not with Edelgard. He never finds out whether Patricia wanted to kill his father, or whether she loved Dimitri at all (and we the viewer don’t, either). He has to move on anyway. The Lions never find out the cause of the tragedy.

They have to move on anyway.

Involving the Slithers at that point would not only add a bunch of last-minute narrative complications that aren’t necessary in Azure Moon, it would undermine the emotional impact of the route (in much the same way the last map of Verdant Wind does, honestly). The themes of Azure Moon not only don’t need to answer the question of the Slithers; not answering that question is the point. Bringing up the Slithers at that point would take all the air out of the personal drama the route takes its entire runtime addressing.

Dimitri hesitates at the end. He stops, and tries to look back, and Byleth stops him. He has to move on. He can’t keep looking back at Duscur. He’s got to walk forward. 

And that means leaving his questions unanswered. 

[vampyrsm]

warnings; mentions of death (not bakugou or reader), injuries mention, blood mention, teeny tiny bit of angst that turns into fluffy comfort, baby used as a pet name.

There's a buzz of your phone on the kitchen table at 8:32pm, you don't make a quick dash to get it - already cooking dinner for when your husband gets home later that night.

Another 15 minutes pass, and there's no more buzz which can only mean it's one thing. Katsuki tried to call you. He's never one for calling twice, he likes to be quick and precise. If you're busy, he gets it. He doesn't pester. You love that about him, he respects your space because you respect the time he takes for his job.

Finally meandering over to your phone, you're not surprised to see the (1) New Voice Message! on your screen. You press it, going through the motions of pressing 2, then 3, and finally it starts to play.

There's some sort of background noise, maybe just the busy street he's currently patrolling. It's awkwardly quiet at first, always is with Katsuki on the phone. A man who prefers a face-to-face conversation.

"Hi, I was just callin' to uh—" He clears his throat, and there's a scuff of his boots on the concrete. "Just callin' to tell you how much I love ya, you mean the fuckin' world to me and—...yeah, I love you."

It's uncharacteristically sweet, so to say, for Katsuki. He only reserves that kind of adoration when he's in the safety and comfort of your arms in bed, or when you both share a late-night glass of wine on his weekends off.

It makes your stomach drop. There's something in his tone, he sounds sad. Something Bakugou Katsuki is not known for. He's known to be brimstone and fire, with sharp edges and mean scowls to anyone who doesn't know him.

Something just isn't right.

It's around 11:12pm when Bakugou finally gets back to the agency, his shoulders ache and his neck burns something fierce from holding up the weight of his gauntlets all evening. He rubs a gloved hand through his hair, pushing it out of his face when graced with the beautiful blast of the A/C when he crosses through the threshold.

The agency is quiet at this time of the night, something he's thankful for. The receptionist is usually gone by now, and only the night shift sidekicks should be on the 14th floor where they get ready for a long night of chasing villains.

He's a bit late returning from the end of his patrol; some fucking idiot trying to mug an elderly man on his patrol route. It should've only taken him five minutes tops but the guy had some sort of slime quirk, aka ridiculously difficult to get a hold of.

But he did it, and now he's back in the safe confines of his agency. He can shower when he gets home he reasons, he doesn't want to be apart from you any longer than necessary.

Today was... rough. To say the least, one of the first cases he has to take point on was difficult. Not in the sense that it was a skill issue on his end, he's a well-seasoned pro. Instead, this was because of the parties involved. There was a woman, a fiancée. Bakugou had arrived at the scene midway through, a call from another hero requesting backup. It wasn't on his usual route but it wasn't too far.

Anyway, once he got there he was confronted with something that had his heart genuinely aching. The woman mentioned before, was covered in soot and ash, the colour of her hair a muted dusty grey from what must've been from the concrete walls next to her that had been blown open.

But the most damning thing was the blood coating her face, and her hands and she was crying. God was she crying, it took everything in Bakugou to focus on the part of his training he had to take over and over as an up-and-coming pro. He had to be supportive, he managed to wrangle the woman down from near hysteria until she was crumpling in on herself as he held her whilst waiting for the ambulance.

The words she spoke stuck with him the most, she had mentioned the blood wasn't hers. Nor was it the suspects. It was her fiancé's. She said that she was just meeting up with him, that he had been away for a few days at work and they were going to go for a nice lunch together.

But it never happened, the wall of the shop next to them crushed him on impact leaving her standing in the aftermath.

"I never got to tell him I loved him today, I was—I was so busy with work. I, I thought I'd wait until I saw him. To kiss him, tell him I love him but I—I never got to."

It fucking made Bakugou sick. The thought of you being wiped away just like that made him uneasy, you both knew it was possible but he did his hardest to ensure it never fucking happened.

Because Bakugou doesn't know what he'd do without you.

So he left that voicemail, he wanted to actually speak to you but he was just starting his shift and he knew you'd be busy. He didn't think much about what he said, nor did he think that it'd get him into so much trouble the second he stepped into his office.

Immediately, he freezes at what he sees.

Eijirou is comforting you. Now, Bakugou isn't a jealous man and he doesn't make assumptions. But he is confused as to just why Eijirou is comforting you, and why are you crying?

He doesn't get the chance to speak though. You practically leap out of Kirishima's arms, the redhead startled enough to actually let you go and he wishes he doesn't when he sees you lunge for Bakugou.

But he relaxes, a bit, when you glue yourself to Bakugou's front with your arms tight around his neck to pull him a little more down to your level.

"Baby, wha—"

"You! You motherfucker!" You all but hoarsely yell, your eyes are all puffy and red from crying and he can't fucking think what the fuck he's done wrong to be called a motherfucker whilst also being hugged by you. Just what the fuck is going on?

"I thought you were dead!" Now he's even more confused! His eyebrows furrow, lips parting as if to silently ask what you mean but you continue anyway. "Never, ever, send me a voicemail like that again. I thought it was your dying declaration or something!"

Ah. He gets it now. He did send that voicemail right after he was free to leave the scene, he didn't realise his emotions were so visible when he sent that voicemail.

His face softens, tired arms wrapping around you until you're crushed against him. Bakugou presses his forehead to yours, taking a deep breath in to be washed over by the soft scent of your body wash.

"'M so sorry baby, just... Just had a rough day, really needed you to know how much you mean to me."

"You're so stupid, you know that? Of course I know you lov—" He cuts you off with a shake of his head, quietly asking you to not fight him on this. So you don't. You just let him hold you, let him kiss your cheek - your nose, and finally your lips.

Kirishima awkwardly clears his throat causing Bakugou to uncurl himself from you. Kirishima only offers him a wobbly smile, something Bakugou knows as Ei trying his hardest to not cry about how 'manly' it is to say how much you love your partner.

"You should check your phone more man. I was two seconds away from sending out a search party to find Dynamight." Kirishima is always one to continue a conversation, easing it away from the sad atmosphere that developed.

Bakugou scoffs, cocking an eyebrow. "Two seconds? Why hesitate, Ei? You want my spot that bad?"

Now it's Kirishima's turn to splutter, scoffing in disbelief but Bakugou can't focus on whatever Kirishima might be saying in response when he hears your soft laughter.

A reminder that you're right here with him, in his arms, and that you know just how deep his love runs for you.

[writingquestionsanswered]

hey, i love your blog, you’re so kind for doing all of this. kudos.

i was wondering if you have advice on how to not be terrified of sharing your work with the world? i write a lot of fanfiction (and someday hopefully some original stories) but i get so so anxious about ANYONE reading them so they usually end up rotting in my google docs, and eventually i stop writing them because i don’t get the motivation that comes from reader responses

but the issue is i’m not sure how to tackle this anxiety. as someone who has published works, do you have advice for this?

Tackling the Anxiety of Sharing Your Work

For my answer, I'm going to cobble together some bits from previous posts and add some new stuff. ♥

Sharing our fiction with others is one of the biggest steps we take as writers, and it can be scary no matter what you write. But, if you want to be published, it’s a necessary step. As with so many things in life, doing something that requires courage is often just a matter of taking a deep breath and doing it. "Ripping off the band-aid," as they say.

However, there are some things that might help ease the associated anxiety a bit:

1 - Try to Pin Down Your Specific Fears - One of the first things you may want to do is try to figure out what you're specifically afraid of or what's making you the most anxious about the prospect of sharing your work. If you can find the root cause, it might be easier to tackle the associated anxiety. Are you worried people:

will think your writing is bad?

won’t like your writing style?

won’t get your story/characters?

will judge you for what you write about?

will think less of you for writing at all or what you write about?

will blab about your writing to others?

will steal your ideas?

will see similarities between your story and others?

will make you feel tied to a project you might not complete?

I tackle some of these in the writing-related-fears portion of my Motivation master list.

2 - Don't Rush It - If you take the time to properly revise and edit your story, you can be confident in knowing you've put in the time and effort to make your story the best it possibly can be.

3 - Start Small - If you can, try sharing your story first with an "alpha reader," or in other words a trusted friend, family member, or community member who can appreciate your story. In this case, you might say you're not looking for specific feedback but just a general impression of what they liked about the story. This way, it's not about getting constructive criticism so much as getting over the hump of sharing it and getting the little boost of what they like about the story.

4 - Gradually Go Bigger - From there, you might try sending to a couple of beta readers and opening up to a bit more feedback. The great thing about this is not only are you conditioning yourself to sharing and getting the opinions of others, you can potentially use the feedback to iron out kinks in the story if there are any.

5 - Use a Pen Name - You might want to consider using a pen name for anonymity. Pen names have many different purposes, but much like wearing a mask at a party, they can decrease your inhibition a bit because it creates a bit of a buffer between the real you and your writing.

6 - Post and Let It Go - Many writers get around the issue by simply not engaging with reader feedback, and if you're someone who cares what other people think or are likely to be daunted by the prospect of criticism, this may be the best route for you to go. Now, I know that with fan-fiction in particular, reader feedback is often used for improvement. But the truth of the matter is, you shouldn't rely on reader feedback for improvement anyway. Alpha readers, beta readers, critique partners, and editors are a much better metric for where to improve. When you get your feedback elsewhere, you can post your story and let it fly on its own without worrying about what others are saying.

I hope that helps!

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

I’ve been writing seriously for over 30 years and love to share what I’ve learned. Have a writing question? My inbox is always open!

♦ Questions that violate my ask policies will be deleted! ♦ Please see my master list of top posts before asking ♦ Learn more about WQA here

[couldsewyouastitchandsavenine]

When It Rains [Javi Peña]

My entry to @undercoverpena April Showers Challenge that I discovered randomly after talking to @pedroschka about wanting to write something similar. And while, Jo kinda closed the challenge, it's still officially 30th of April where I am, so, voilà.

pairing: javi peña x reader

w/c: 1,5K ish

warnings: mild cursing but it's just a fluff, overall safe to read, Javier experiences love at first sight should be warning on it's own but oh well.

Javier Peña hadn’t thought that it might rain. But then again, no one in this city ever did.

And yet, as if to mock him, the rain finds him anyway. A shower of rain bullets as though the skies themselves were at war, drenching the thirsty asphalt and showing no mercy to anyone caught beneath its relentless assault.

Seeking refuge under the narrow awning of the closed fruit vendor across the offices, Javier's fingers, jittery with nerves, fumble through the cold to pull a cigarette from its nearly crushed pack. It is soggy and limp when he finally manages to do so, yet placing it between his lips feels like a minor victory, pathetic as it seems. His attempts to light it, however, fail miserably—the wind, too cruel, mocking his weak efforts with gusts that make the flame dance and die before it could catch.

Defeated, Javier stuffs the ruined cigarette back into its pack. Crans his neck upward, staring into the relentless downpour of the dark, wet sky, and curses again.

Javier knows it’s late. Absurdly so—the kind of late reserved for ghosts and the lost, and standing there, shivering slightly and with his patience fraying at the edges, Javier feels like neither. Because all he feels is longing to go home. Where, within the confines of his four walls, he can find some semblance of peace, even if it often feels like little more than a stage for his unrest.

But home seems like a world away tonight, his jeep abandoned around the corner on a street now succumbing to rising floodwaters.

And he knows he has no need to be out there, exposed and weary—a quick sprint across the street and a shove through a door would land him back in the bullpen. Yet, the thought of returning to that fluorescent-lit purgatory makes his skin crawl. The oppressiveness of it all—the endless paperwork, the sprawling maps of drug routes stretching across his desk like an atlas of despair, the corkboard plastered with faces that seem to mock his distance from the resolution he so desperately craves—repel him far more than any storm could.

“Hey!”

Cursing louder than he intended, Javier’s hand is quick to reach for his gun, tucked into the waistband of his jeans. But then, his eyes meet yours and he hesitates—not out of fear, but surprise when you grin at him and shuffle closer, lifting your umbrella to cover both of your heads.

And then you smile—soft, tentative, yet disarmingly warm. It hints at something brighter, something warmer, and for a moment, Javier finds himself wondering how it would look fully unfurled, in its most radiant form.

He blinks the thought away at the same time as you speak to him again. “What are you doing out here?”

Javier bristles at your voice, tinged with concern, and then makes a gruff noise as he sizes you up. “Who the hell are you?”

His reaction makes you look down at your shoes briefly, as if trying to shield your disappointment from his harsh gaze. “Oh, I guess you don’t remember me?”

“Am I supposed to?”

“Well, yeah—I guess…,” you trail off with a shrug as you look back up at him. “Intel Division,” you quickly supply, deftly producing a lanyard with your DEA credentials from beneath your yellow windbreaker. “We work—”

“—I know what Intel does,” he interrupts brusquely. And Javier knows that his tone is more abrasive than necessary, but something about you, your hideous yellow coat, and your behaviour is strangely disarming. He isn’t sure if he finds it weird, scary, or if it’s turning him on. So, in order to compose himself, Javier nods to himself. Wishes he had a cigarette he could smoke. Lastly, he asks, “You new around here or something?”

“Nope,” you reply, your smile returning briefly. “Been here for a few years now.” You stop as if trying to figure out your next words. “We usually have briefings together, so I thought you’d—well, nevermind. Why are you here?”

“We do?” Javier asks, curiosity getting the better of him.

“We do, what?”

“Have briefings together?”

Your answer is a nod. “Yeah. I often sit across from you.”

At this, Javier’s expression changes slightly, and with a mix of embarrassment and perhaps a tinge of frustration crossing his features he looks away from you. Then, with his brows knitted together, he glances back at your face—his brain sifting through his mental directory of mugs and names, quickly finding none that match yours.

You chuckle.

“It’s fine, seriously, don’t sweat it,” you reassure him with a gentle voice, “I know I’m not that memorable,” you joke, waving your free hand around your face, but Javier only frowns at that. But, you ignore him, tucking your exposed hand back into the pocket of your jacket. “So, why are you out here?”

Javier sighs. Runs a tired hand over his face in a frustration that never quite went away. “My car—didn’t look like it’s going to rain this morning.”

“It never does here,” you supply mirthfully. “Where did you park it?” Javier doesn’t answer, but simply waves his hand towards the general direction where his jeep sits. “Great. Let’s go then.”

“Where?”

“To your car,” you grin up at him, gesturing in front of you.

—

Unlike Javier, you seem almost indifferent to the storm, your demeanour unfazed by the downpour. Yet as a particularly heavy cloud bursts above, Javier can’t help but note the slight falter in your steps, the struggle to hold the umbrella over both of your heads against the rebellious wind.

“Here, let me hold it,” Javier declares more than offers, his hand reaching to take the hold of your umbrella before you can protest. And even though it’s a simple gesture, the brief hand contact sends a subtle, warm jolt through him—a sensation that lingers unsettlingly long. “Better?”

“Yeah, thanks,” you breathe out, returning his gaze.

Javier quickly looks away.

The outline of his jeep materialises in the distance, a dark silhouette against the hazy veil of rain, but the journey to it feels overwhelmingly long. Javier's mind attributes the stretch to the silence between you, an oppressive, stifling thing that seems to thicken with each step. And even though he has never been one for small talk, he finds himself wanting to fill the void, to somehow bridge the gap, but he struggles to find the right words. And the ones he finds disappear before they could form into coherent sentences.

"It's okay," you say softly, your voice cutting through his reverie, as if sensing his discomfort. "We don't need to talk. We can just walk."

So walk you do, until at last you arrive at where his car is parked, the lone steel frame glistening with a slick coat of rain. What follows is an awkward moment as Javier’s hands pat down his pockets in a frantic search for his keys.

"Fuck, I'm really sorry," he mutters, relief and frustration mingling as he finally feels the metal contours of the key in his grip.

A dismissive wave from you and a brief smile of his later, you step back to give him room to open the door. As smooth as possible and avoiding any more rain on his neck, Javier slides inside, shivering as his body stills against the cold seat. Then, he glances up to voice his thanks, only to see your figure retreating—silhouette melting into the rain, causing him to feel a sudden tug at his heart—an unfamiliar sensation that’s filled with a sudden, inexplicable reluctance to let you go just yet.

Thus, Javier finds himself cranking down the window with haste. “Hey!” he calls out; sharper and louder than intended. But, it makes you stop and turn; look at him, and Javier’s heart skips for just a beat as he offers a tentative smile, propelled by a rash impulse. "Come on. This rain isn’t letting up anytime soon. Let me at least get you somewhere dry."

You hesitate for a second, your gaze drifting to your shoes for a moment before meeting his eyes again. And then, with a small smile, you’re nodding and making your way back to him—the umbrella hardly more than a token shield against the rain.

With soft words of gratitude, you settle into the passenger seat, and Javier simply nods—a brief, uncertain smile flickering across his lips as he starts the engine. The familiar silence envelops the space between you again, yet this time it carries an odd comfort. One that Javier appreciates more than he cares to admit.

But while the quiet lingers, Javier’s mind races, sifting through memories, briefings, and faces of informants and colleagues—none of which align with yours. It’s frustrating and he hates it, thus, he finds himself stealing glances—once, twice, pulled by something beyond his control.

It's only when a red light forces him to a stop that he finally gives in to the urge to speak. “I’m Javier… Javi,” he says, as if to reaffirm his identity and anchor himself in familiar territory. “But, you probably know that.”

Glancing back at him, you give him a small, knowing smile. "Yeah, you were the topic of my first briefing when I transferred here. Also, you don’t need me to remind you that you've got a reputation."

Javier chuckles, raising an eyebrow. "Hope it's a good one."

Your smile only widens to the exact point where Javier wants it, confirming that it’s, in fact, unabashedly beautiful—just as he assumed.

"Depends on who you ask, I guess. Men think you're a hero. Women, on the other hand, not so much."

A moment of strange panic flickers through Javier, but you sigh contentedly, your gaze drifting back to the misted window, deliberately steering clear of that particular rabbit hole—at least for now.

"Look," Javier starts again, his voice a blend of confession and curiosity, "I gotta admit, I'm drawing a blank here, and I’m usually better with faces." He pauses when you wave him off, but then persists softly, "No, really—I should remember. Especially those pretty eyes like yours."

You snort, giving him a look that mixes amusement with mild rebuke, but he just winks, finding himself strangely comforted by your dismissal of his compliment.

"You’ll live, Javi," you tease before finally telling him your name. And Javier repeats it, savouring the way it feels on his tongue, a subtle pleasure tingling through him as he acknowledges how much he likes the sound of it.

Pausing briefly, Javier steals another glance at you. “There’s a little place not too far from here,” he suddenly starts. “Open all night. Their food isn’t half bad, and the coffee’s strong. Thought we could head over for a bit, to dry off? Unless you’re not up for it.”

A moment of hesitation flickers across your face before a smile emerges. "Sounds good. I usually can’t sleep anyway... but only if it's not out of your way."

Something inside Javier’s stomach kicks. A gut-punch of pleasure that lines his insides with warmth that he doesn’t bother to dismiss. “It usually is, but I feel like going out of my way tonight.”

—

tags: @pedroschka, @itscolleenhere, @idontcareihavenoidea

[jesterwriting]

Yahallo~ I was wondering if you might write something for Crocodile x reader where reader is sweet and bubbly and affectionate. So, I've had a scenario in my head for awhile where reader is his wife and she goes to visit him at his casino one day just because he hasn't been home in a while and she misses him. Except she's never actually been to the casino before, much less introduced to most of his crew because she's Crocodile's happy little secret. So the bouncers don't let her in and reader decides to cause a commotion, which draws Crocodile out and I'm never actually sure what happens from there. Lol I'd like it to be mostly warm and fluffy, though. I love the idea of a big cold man being warm only for their lover.

I hope you have a lovely day. You're a beautiful honey bun. ♡〜٩(ㆁωㆁ)۶〜♡

pairing: crocodile x gn!reader

contents: established relationship, fluff, secret relationships, kind!reader, smitten!crocodile, crocodile calls you doll, kind of implied the reader tops him later which i personally think is very powerful of them

word count: 1.3k words

note: this is such a cute and funny idea <33 i took some liberties with this, there is no big scene at the door, just because the kind personality of the reader i was going for clashed with that a little bit. and i went a gender neutral route just because it's easier for me. i hope you still enjoy anyway! i absolutely love secret relationships and would love to do more with crocodile and this trope :3

playlist: diet mountain dew - lana del rey

Not once did you care that you were one of Crocodile’s best kept secrets. You understood why such precautions were necessary. Your husband was a powerful man with countless enemies, to have his one weakness known to all would be a terrible oversight on his part. Not only that, but it would also put you in a considerable amount of danger. You were soft, you weren’t ashamed of it. To remain kind in a cruel world took strength. In your opinion at least.

Sometimes, however, it took more strength than usual to remain understanding. This was one such occasion.

You had your own life outside of your husband, much to his dismay. It was half the reason he insisted on keeping your union under wraps. If Crocodile had it his way, you’d be by his side 24/7, or at the very least, surrounded by bodyguards everytime you left his line of sight. He was a cautious man by nature. One did not achieve the power he had by being reckless, especially not with those he loved.

That said, Crocodile hadn’t been home in days and you were starting to get worried. You knew his work was dangerous, keeping Alabasta safe from pirates was not what you’d call an ‘easy’ job. Instead of waiting around for him to return home on his own — inevitably to grump about the kisses you placed upon his facial scar, or the tender way you ran your fingers through his hair — you decided to seek him out. If there was one place where he would be, it would be at the casino.

Unfortunately for you, they wouldn’t let you in.

“Again, the casino is closed to all outside patrons for an event. I can’t let you in if your name isn’t on the list.” The doorman was starting to get frustrated with you stubbornness. You understood why, really you did. This was his job and you had been pestering him for the better part of thirty minutes. While you had patience, you were no saint. This whole situation was starting to get on your last nerve.

Pinching the bridge of your nose, you let out a sigh. “And I get that, but I’m looking for my husband. I know he’s in there, can’t you go get him for me and we can talk outside the venue?”

The doorman hummed, considering the option. Finally, he gave you the smallest of smiles, the first you had gotten from him the whole night. “That’s doable. What’s his name so I can send someone to fetch him?”

You chewed on your bottom lip. This wasn’t going to go well. How many people tried to sneak their way into events using your husband’s name? For all this man knew, you were another lovesick fan, trying to get a whiff of the hero of Alabasta’s cologne before you were escorted out by security.

Whatever. It wouldn’t hurt to try, you thought.

“Um. Crocodile?”

The doorman burst out laughing, head thrown back and tears spilling down his cheeks. “Listen, you’re a looker, but you’re not that good looking. Now scram, I have a job to do.”

With a deep breath, you tried again. “I’m serious, he’s my husband. Please let me in.”

“Yeah, and I’m the king. Don’t make me call security on you.”

If Crocodile found out that the doorman called security on you, the man’s job would be down the drain before he could say ‘sorry.’ You didn’t want that, even if in your current irritation, you’d feel quite a bit vindicated. It was people like him that kept your husband safe, even if he did so in a rather frustrating manner.

You shuffled your feet, blinking a few times at the man who laughed in your face. Okay, maybe you did want him fired, but you were better than that. Kinder than that.

There was a commotion coming from the casino. You peered behind the doorman to see your husband surrounded by a hoard of Alabastan citizens, all clamoring for his attention. Your heart swelled at the sight of him, relieved to find him safe and sound. As much as you wanted to give him a piece of your mind for worrying you so much, the doorman’s glare was starting to get to you. Now that you knew he was alive, you could wait a little bit longer for Crocodile to return home.

“Well, thank you for your time,” You said as politely as you could. Even then, the words came out forced between clenched teeth.

The doorman merely rolled his eyes in response. Right before you turned your back, you caught your husband’s gaze. Crocodile’s eyebrows shot up at the sight of you, surprise replacing his previous annoyance. Flashing him a small smile and a wave, you turned to make your way home. You barely made it a few steps before Crocodile’s hand was on your shoulder, his grip firm enough to hold you in place. The crowd that surrounded him was gone, off to find someone else to celebrate with — or pester, as Crocodile was prone to say.

“What are you doing here, doll?”

Whipping around, you slotted your hands on your hips and hit your husband with the worst glare you could muster. You tried not to be disappointed when all you were met with was a glimmer of amusement. “Looking for you. It’s been days since you’ve been home, I was starting to get worried.”

Crocodile shrugged and took an inhale of his cigar. “There was no need for you to come here, I was coming home tonight.”

“And how am I supposed to know that if you don’t tell me. I’m not a mind reader,” You shot back.

Crocodile sighed, a cloud of smoke accompanied the action. You really wished he would quit, but you weren’t naive enough to believe you could convince him. The doorman coughed a few times, drawing both you and your husband’s attention. He looked absolutely dumbfounded at the scene playing out in front of him. His mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water, and you had hoped he had enough wherewithal to keep himself hidden so as not to earn your husband’s ire. Evidently not.

“I am so sorry,” The doorman started, hands numbly raised in surrender.

Wow. This man was the biggest idiot you had ever met. Crocodile slowly turned in his direction, a single eyebrow raised.

“You’re sorry?” Your husband's expression split into a furious glower, and for the first time that night, you felt truly sorry for the doorman. “And what are you apologizing for? I better like the answer.”

Before the man could speak, you placed yourself between them. “He was just doing his job, love. No need to get all fussy. Why don’t you walk me home and we can talk more? I’ve missed you.”

Crocodile’s expression softened when you grabbed his arm and leaned into his side. With his flesh hand, he wrapped his arm around your shoulders, pulling you flush against him. Before you left, Crocodile reached around you and into his breast pocket. When he removed his hand, there was a wad of beri in it, a fatter stack than usual. He tossed it at the doorman’s feet.

“Forget what you saw here.” Crocodile narrowed his eyes, his hook glinting in the dull lamplight. “Or I’ll be seeing you again. Privately.”

“Don’t flirt with the poor man, he looks like he’s about to wet himself.”

Crocodile merely grumbled — affectionately, you knew that grumble anywhere — as he started in the direction of your shared home. “I don’t flirt and I don’t fuss, you know this, doll.”

“Bold of you to lie to my face when I’m still not sure if I’ve forgiven you yet.”

You had. It was hard to keep the grin off your face when Crocodile was warm against your side, the scent of him filling your nostrils until your head was fuzzy.

Oh, how you couldn’t wait to kiss him pliant in the comfort of your bed later tonight. For all of Crocodile’s power, you had him absolutely wrapped around your little finger.

[twistedwonderlandimaginesblog]

Hei! I'm new here and on this fandom two questions can I ask from the kissing prompt #4 with Idia? And how many characters is the limit for each ask in this case? Thanks in advance ♥️❤️

(For the kiss prompts it’s only one character per ask and one prompt per request!)

Idia Shroud: 

4. An accidental brush of lips followed by a pause and going back for another, on purpose.

Idia was cornered.

The look on Crewel’s face told him all he needed to know; he would not be exempt from this project, regardless of his avoidance of people. It might be just fine for him to send technology to class instead of himself but this was still something that required two heads, no matter how intelligent Idia insisted he was. He was cut off time and time again with a cruel glare that sealed his fate, a main quest that had first been thought of as a basic side quest.

“We could be partners, if you want. You know me better than most others in the class anyway.” You had offered yourself up so casually, Idia suspected you had no clue that he was on your romance route at the moment; perhaps you were the perfect companion for this quest, just so he could raise his affection with you and unlock more interactions for the future.

This option being presented to him was also assuredly leading him down a certain path, and if he were to deny your kindness… a bad end surely awaited him. He could see the words dripping with blood and ink as your head tilted, awaiting an answer. All he could do was vigorously nod his head yes before disappearing, knowing there was quite a bit of work to do before he could let you step foot in his disaster of a room.

After hours of necessary prep work to not lower your affection you received the all clear from Idia to come over, your notebooks in hand as you prepared to settle down and finish the project in one night. You figured it would make it easiest on Idia but you had failed to notice the difficulty of the prompt Crewel gave, almost as if he purposely made it so Idia would have to have longer human interaction. He’s cursing his teachers name as he researched alongside you, sweating as time marched on.

“Ah, wait!” You pointed at one of his many screens, Idia glancing back to see what had gotten you excited. “I think this is the piece we’re missing! If we add that in, then it’ll all make sense, and we’re done!”

“…! You’re right!” You had found the missing puzzle piece, the final component that would have you both racing to the next cutscene. “There, it’s been added in… We’re done!”

After countless hours of reading over text and desperately problem solving to make the assignment work properly, you’d finally reached the finish line. You’re giddy as you come to sit next to Idia to admire your work, turning to him with a smile so bright it was more blinding than his screens in a dark room.

He must have missed the QTE, hit a wrong button somewhere in his brain, because his body moved before he had any idea what he was doing. In a move that was far bolder than his courage stat could possibly allow he pressed his lips against yours in celebration, the move so quick that you didn’t have much time to react to it. He must not have known the stun effect his lips had but you must have some sort of shield that bounced magic right back at him, as he suddenly became frozen in his spot staring at you.

The excitement that had given a brief boost to powers allowed him to melt the ice that had encased his body, his face and hair becoming a light shade of pink mixed his normal blue. If this were to go poorly he would have lost all your friendship points anyway, so what was one more for the road? He dipped down to steal another kiss, the very last kiss he would ever have in his life, before he pulled away with a concerned look on his face.

Maybe he shouldn’t have gone back for round two.

Maybe he should’ve hit the apology button.

Nothing he could do now except wait for your response.

[zvtara-was-never-canon]

https://www.tumblr.com/dragynkeep/723731318921363456/i-dont-really-understand-the-argument-that-aang

Thoughts? No pressure, don't read if you don't want

"The Lion Turtle saves Aang from making a hard decision" It literally didn't. Aang full on said the words "I have to kill Fire Lord Ozai." He is not happy about it, but he is willing to do it. Even AFTER the Lion Turtle gives him an alternative he still almost does it anyway while in the Avatar state, only stopping himself at the last minute. And even BEFORE the Lion Turtle he had been willing to admit "Fire Lord Ozai is a terrible person, and the world would probably be better off without him"

Aang WAS willing to do the same as Gyatso and take a life if absolutely necessary. But he had a different option, and he took it - again, after seriously considering going for the "just kill the bastard" route.

Could the Lion Turtle have been set up better? Yes. But that doesn't change that fact that Aang's view-point was challenged and he concluded that pacism does not have to mean "just let the bad guy kill everyone", and to say that he didn't is either complete dishonesty or an admission that this kids show was too complicated for you to understand.

"Aang is not only responsible for himself" Neither was Zuko. Yet he let Ozai live when he had the perfect opportunity to kill him - even better than the ones Aang got for most of his battle with Ozai - because he believed it wasn't his fate. Where is the hate for Zuko?

And where's the hate for Iroh for going "Oh, even if I could defeat Ozai, history would see it as just a brother killing another brother for power?" yet sending his nephew to a potentially fatal battle with his niece for the title of Fire Lord? Where's the hate for him for going "Well, what history will think of me is more important than me at least backing up the Avatar?" Why didn't Iroh, the White Lotus, or any of the adults so much as offer be by Aang's side in the battle?

If everyone is throwing the responsibility on his lap, then Aang is the one to decide how he's gonna handle that responsibility, and if other people got a problem with that, they better step the hell up and take charge for once.

"This might be a kid's show instead of Game Of Thrones, but people still died, so it could have had the main character save the day by killing the bad guy"

Buddy. Buddy. Come on.

Avatar TELLS us Ozai disfigured his son, and we see the scar on his face, but it doesn't SHOW us the gory details. We KNOW people died, and we see bodies, but we don't see burnt corpses, people being crushed under rocks and bleeding to death, or hitting the ground after a fatal fall. Nick downright had the writers change scenes before they were animated because they were considered "too violent." They even cut away when Sokka slices a watermellon with his sword because the watermellon in question was representing a human head - it wasn't even a human being!

Kids shows have very specific, often kind of absurd rules - Teen Titans is infamous because Cartoon Network let the villain kidnap, torture, and try to murder to murder the heroes and even be implied to be a pedophlie and we see him burn away a teenager's clothes, yet he HAD to be called "Slade" instead of "Deathstroke" because "Think of the children!"

Saying "Nickelodeon is never gonna let the good guy save the day by murdering the bad guy" is not at all absurd just because they let the writers get away with other tihngs.

And once again, even if they COULD get away with that, they still wouldn't do it because as the anon so kindly pointed out, Aang's arc and the entire theme of mercy the show had from the very beginning do NOT allow that ending to make any goddamn sense.

Characters saving the day through murder is not inherently more "mature" or "more satisfying to watch" than the hero being merciful, and this kids show is not Game Of Thrones, GET OVER YOURSELVES ALREADY.

You like a kids show. A cartoon for 7-year-olds. A show in a children's network. Just because it didn't talk down to it's target audience doesn't mean you can expect it to deliver stuff it never promised you in the first place.

[liyazaki]

honesty as a burden, a blade & abatement

for all his airy irreverence, Aye is incredibly serious about the code of conduct by which he lives his life.

at the core of that code is honesty- it's foundational to who he is as a person. it may have been the character trait he admired most in his uncle, aside from his warmth and kindness. Aye jokes; he's the king of saucy, sarcastic commentary- but he never lies (not to the people who truly matter, anyway).

and it's easy to understand why: Aye strives to honor his uncle's memory in everything he does. he's trying to emulate the man who had such an enormous impact on his self perception- on the entire trajectory of his life.

even the way Aye loves is a bittersweet nod to the man who taught him how to love himself first. when Aye meets Akk's constant rejections with empathy, he's honoring him. when he refuses to take the easy route and go on the defensive, he's honoring him.

Aye always, always takes the higher, harder road- away from the well-worn path, choosing to lean instead into what's tender and true.

that commitment to being so authentic, self-preservation be damned has to feel like a metaphorical blade he's turning on himself at times. I like to think I'd be strong enough to be so emotionally naked and vulnerable, but Aye makes me second-guess that notion.

the pain doesn't stop him, though- Aye's been through hell and back. he's used to carrying great and terrible burdens, and normally he bears up under the incredible weight of them just fine. Aye is enormously and consistently selfless in the thing that matters most: his actions.

but we're different with the people who know us best, aren't we? with the people who raised us, or who have seen us at our worst, our best and love us anyway. they have clear line of sight into what makes us tick, what makes us happy- and what makes us ache.

Aye and his mother clearly have an open, compassionate relationship, from the little glimpses we've gotten. in episode 8, she gently confronts him about leaving this quest for answers about his uncle behind, for his own sake.

she soothes his guilt and fear that they could've done more to save his uncle before asking the terrible, necessary question to her son who's clearly, deeply hurting:

and it's because of his commitment to honesty that we get to witness Aye in a rare moment of awful vulnerability.

he looks gut-punched by her question. Aye knows he excels at understanding the people around him, and anticipating what they'll say and do by proxy. as much as he tries to live as transparently and authentically as he can, he keeps the exhaustion and grief he carries close to the chest.

he didn't see that question coming, or that his mother was aware of how much he's actually hurting; how achingly lonely it is to carry what he carries.

the initial shock wears off, and Aye hangs his head as he struggles to answer. his tiredness has to feel bone-deep and never ending- but he won't lie to his mother, he just won't. I don't think he's sure he can answer "no" honestly.

so he ruminates, and he hesitates. his mother holds her breath and looks horrified, but she gives him time.

and then Khaotung serves a masterclass in micro-expressions as we watch Aye muster up a little of his signature lightness to give her the brave answer: "no. I won't leave you, Mom."

and here's what simultaneously breaks my heart and makes me fall that much more in love with this gorgeously-nuanced character: he's not lying (not in my book, anyway).

we're watching Aye pull from an internal well that's obviously near-dry. he has to be honest, and he has to answer in a way that won't devastate this person he loves so much- so he digs deep and he just does. he finds a way- a spark of the fire that keeps him going.

this is how Aye shows love: by always authentically showing up, always- no matter the cost to himself.

if there's ever been a character deserving of rest, of care, of love given freely without reservation or hesitation- it's Aye.

[crabbunch]

ETHUBS SLAY THE PRINCESS AU CHAPTER TWO ROUTES:

The Witch: This timeline's this au's version of Hermitcraft season 5 (the one with the NHO and the jungle). There's lots of plants. Etho is distrustful of Bdubs. There's frog and scorpion metaphors. But also if Bdubs is careful he can give Etho his knife and let her stab him. Which is basically the same thing as the jungle eating Etho, slowly driving Bdubs insane, and then also eating Bdubs. Or was that the convex. Whatever it doesn't matter. You get the vibes.

The Damsel: This one's based off of secret life. In stp, the damsel's whole deal is that your perceptions of her warp and twist her into something that is no longer a person. I kind of had a hard time thinking of something that fit but I eventually settled on secret life just because those tasks sure did weird things lmao am i right???? anyways this Etho seemingly says all the things she never said directly to Bdubs face and means none of them. Because she is only wish fulfillment. It's not satisfying to see the horse course leap up from the ground, no contribution from Bdubs necessary, anyways. He doesn't like this Etho.

The Stranger: This timeline's based off of Etho's single-player world. More specifically, it's based on episode 404. Bdubs isn't supposed to be here. There's lots of Ethos. It's a sort of warped version of the true multitudes that Etho and Bdubs hold. They don't ever know each other. Bdubs isn't supposed to be on Etho's single-player world. His voice is familiar, but he's not supposed to be here.

The Adversary: This timeline is based off of various UHCs. Etho is good at fighting, and violent, and very very hot. Most importantly, she's not really mad at Bdubs. She's just kind of bored and lonely, and when he shows up, she's READY to fight to the death with him. For like, fun. If Bdbus plays his cards right, he and Etho can fight to the death as many times as they want, respawning just to pummel each other into a bloody pulp again and again and again. Peak romance <3. His other options involve running away, not getting in the right mindset and killing Etho "permanently" or dying permanently." Grian is incredibly unimpressed by the fact that Bdubs has a crush on the VERY MURDEROUS AND BLOODTHIRSTY PRINCESS. as if he doesn't have worse taste.

The Spectre: This one's based off of double life. Etho's kind of petty and passive aggressive but doesn't really outright make any moves against Bdubs. Bdubs acts like nothing's going on between them and like everything's the same as ever. They team up in the end, but it doesn't have time to go anywhere because they die right after that. And by die I mean Etho is swallowed up into the greater consciousnesses of Etho goddess edition and Bdubs into his own god.

The Beast: this timeline is based off of Survival of the Fittest. Mostly because it's super duper dark down in the basement, and I think that it's a funny dig at Bdubs' terrible footage where you can see absolutely nothing. However if you think about it getting eaten by a creature so that both of she can escape the cabin only to get taken away by your greater self before you can really taste the fresh air is sort of like killing a guy's teammates and then handcuffing him to you so that you have to team. and then loosing.

The Prisoner: This one's last life. Etho chops off her own head and trusts Bdubs to take it outside the cabin? Trusts Bdubs to believe in her? That's only one route. They can beat each other to death. They can get locked in the basement together and watch the eons pass. Idk how to explain it but this is just so last life to me. There's a fragile trust between them. It's all fun and games. They're both deadly serious. Grian is there. Head in hands.

The Nightmare: This one's based off of Mindcrack- specifically the Death Games and a few other pranks that Etho plays on Bdubs. I think that psychological damage via seeing every single timeline ever is sort of the same thing as the obsidian coffin. Also I think that needing a guy in the back of your head to recite "heart, lung, liver, nerves" in order to stop your organs from shutting down is very early videos Bdubs.

The Razor: This one is Hermitcraft season 8. Bdubs dies over and over and over again. Nothing he does stops it. Etho is silly and goofy and doesn't really realize the weight of the situation. "I'm going to kill you now ^_^" most etho core thing ever.

[juminies]

Aside from the BE2 mischaracterisation, do you have any other fanon Jumin pet peeves?

Sure do lol, I want to preface though by saying that I don't think any particular characteristic is wrong or out of place all of the time. He can act any which way if it's for a reason and he can do things he otherwise wouldn't if a specific situation calls for him to. Sure he wouldn't fucking say that usually but he might if he was stuck and you can definitely explore that! Even his route itself is an example of him being pushed to his limit and acting in a way he usually wouldn't, and both he and his friends point that out frequently. This to say that me saying I don't like it when people interpret him as xyz doesn't mean him being written that way is inherently bad, so don't let me discourage you from writing. Anyway!

I think I've mentioned most of this at some point or another, and honestly I feel like a lot of his most common mischaracterisations do stem from the same place BE2 comes from. Any part of him being incredibly domineering or overly possessive, making big decisions without consulting MC, trying to limit who she talks to, being suspicious of her, etc. On the contrary he is very much at her beck and call. Her happiness is his. He's not going to be immediately perfect but being protective does not inherently mean being controlling and I think it's a fine line that people can trip over very easily.

Kind of continuing from that, I dislike it when people think he's too demanding on a professional level. It's often to the point of people calling him abusive, and while I can't deny that he's strict and impersonal and often a bit oblivious to larger structures at play, on the whole he's respectful of the people that work for him and genuinely values their contributions to the workplace. He wants everything done to the highest possible standard and I understand it can at times have negative repercussions, but he's not just an unreasonable dick who gets off on the power imbalance.

I'm also really not a fan of people believing him to be overly traditional i.e. the very socially conservative, strict gender roles, no sex before marriage, children must attend church type. It just doesn't make sense. It's taking smaller aspects of his character or things he says out of context and blowing them out of proportion—into something they're simply... not? Even the things he does say directly (eg. not living together before marriage) could be swayed easily under the influence of his fiancée.

Sure he likes things done efficiently in a way he knows works, but he is both very knowledgable and repeatedly shown to be very open to learning. He's curious and asks questions and will try and understand things to the best of his ability, even when they're entirely unimportant. If he's made aware of his ignorance he will not continue to push it (unless you're Zen, maybe). Jumin is not stubborn if he has no reason to be! He is very much pliable. You can tell him off and he'll listen. He wants to hear your side of things. He likes it when people disagree with him; a fan of some healthy debate, if you will. And he is not!! selfish!! So much of what he does is for others. He very rarely puts himself first. He's trusting and beyond loyal and goes out of his way to make sure his influence/knowledge/money are used for good the minute he deems it necessary to help those around him.

It annoys me when people act as if he's clueless and sort of just sits back and lets his status do the work for him. There seems to be this narrative of him being foolish and relying on others to get him by but that is absolutely the opposite of what he's really like. His intelligence and resourcefulness are not just a façade created by his disposition or the way he was brought up. He tells MC himself that his father wouldn't have put so much trust in him if he wasn't capable of handling it. He really wants her to believe in him because he's used to people wrongly assuming. It's not like he's just the heir and has little to no role, or even that he only oversees a department or two. He has a VERY high position in the company and easily excels at it. Jaehee herself (who people tend to see as the overworked one) admits that Jumin works significantly more than she does. He's the director of a global conglomerate in his twenties and takes it in his stride.

Last but not least he is far from unemotional. He's just good at detaching himself from his feelings and viewing them objectively. It does not!!! mean he does not feel or he does not care 💜

[vodkacheesefries]

As much as I loved this scene, I felt like parts of the dialogue were a little disjointed. Which was odd because overall I feel like the dialogue edits based on what the players pick as a response usually flow really well and I don't notice like I did in this scene.

I wanted to make it feel more like a natural conversation while also playing around with what I imagined a Durge who is trying to redeem themselves would say and also adding a forehead kiss because I'm a slut for forehead kisses.

Overall, I'm happy with how it turned out and that I finished. Not bad for it being well over a year since my last multi-page comic! :)

(More thoughts overall about Astarion and my Durge, Knox, under the cut to keep this post from getting longer than it already is.)

Did a little sketch follow up

OKAY SO in my playthrough this happened shortly after Astarion's confession to Knox. They established they would back off on sex so Astarion could take things at a pace he was comfortable with, and really, it was probably best for Knox as well given the whole...well, everything going on in their life.

I like to imagine that that opens the doors for both of them to explore other expressions of intimacy, even if it doesn't come naturally and is difficult for them to do so. It's been over a couple centuries since Astarion has probably experienced any sort of touch, kiss, or hug, without the expectation of sex following. It's probably also been basically never since anyone has treated Knox with this kind of tenderness. So they're working on it, and they're learning together.

I'm glad I waited to run Astarion's romance route until I got the guts to do a Durge run. For some reason I thought I'd have a lot less control over how I could play it, and with the exception of a couple early game situations that, in hindsight, I do think are necessary to establish what it is you're dealing with as a player, it's actually added SO much to the game. The extra layers it adds with Astarion as a romance choice are wonderful. That being said I am weak and I don't think I'll ever be able to play a truly evil "embrace the urge and ascend Astarion" run. I'm a sucker for a happy ending.

Anyway I just hit the start of act 3. I'm trying to play slowly because I have the Astarion kiss bug and I'd like to see it work at least once before the game is over, but I guess if I don't I'll just have to replay it lmao

(Also Astarion is the most difficult motherfucker to draw consistently and I just straight up gave up on the ruffles on his shirt in the end. 🙃)

[bodycountgame]

So Arthur and Nyra (I think it was them?) Both admitted to cheating before, and I was just curious if cheating is something that may happen in game? And if so is there going to be any kind of like trigger warning or something for it?

i think this depends on your definition of cheating, i guess. past the point in any of the routes where a conversation about exclusivity has happened, i don't plan for any of them to cheat, no.

for most of the relationships in body count, there isn't a conversation around exclusivity happening at the point where ROs may be also building relationships with other cast members. personally, i don't think it can be considered cheating if you aren't actually in an exclusive relationship, although MC might be disappointed and/or consider it a betrayal of some kind anyway.

however, based on the reactions to the cheating question in never have i ever, i know that this can be quite an emotive topic for people. i'm happy to add a trigger warning for betrayal(??) if you feel that it would be necessary, but i think that given the subject matter of the game it should be pretty obvious that the relationships shouldn't be taken at face value.

[steamberrystudio]

04/06/2023

Halloo~oo everyone! Just popping in for a quick tumblr update on GS (trying to be more consistent over on this site! 🤔 ).

In my last update, here, I was incredibly close to finishing the rough draft for Yuu's route. that is complete now. And I've been working on editing. I got sick mid-way through this week (feeling better now) so that slowed me down.

But I am about halfway through with the edit. A little less. Like...45% done editing. Yuu's route is coming in at 115,000 words uncoded at the moment. We'll see where it ends up when the revision is done.

Unlike some other routes I don't think Yuu is going to need to really heavy revision passes. I think it'll need one heavy revision, then a mild line edit and proofreading.

Most of my editing so far has been really focused on continuity and smoothing out character development. I haven't had to do any major shifting around of events.

I have sketched out one CG and have started compiling references for sprite variations (new outfits/hairstyles for Morgan and Yuu). So yeah, that's about where the route is currently. Drafting complete, revising underway! When the revision and proofreading is done, I'll start coding the route in and move to art!

A quick WSC update:

At my last update, I had finished up with Daaz's content for the shared part of the route and was getting ready to move into his exclusive chapters. I'd had a new idea and was considering if it was possible and how it would work.

I did a lot of brainstorming for this idea and have decided to move forward with it. It's added in some new (and cool, imo) lore elements that I'm excited to explore.

Something else I did for this project was start solidifying revision concepts.

For anyone who has not followed me or been with me for my previous projects, my revision process tends to be pretty extensive. I rewrite huge portions, delete massive sections, and inject large amounts of new content. (I don't think this is abnormal but for people not familiar with the development process of a VN it might seem weird to focus so much on revisions.)

I have been essentially plotting out some necessary changes (some of which are substantial) for that part of the process. I have a whole new timeline of edits and everything.

So yeah, that's kind of where WSC is at the moment. Now that I've done a lot of prep work for the end of Daaz's route I'll draft that and move on to finishing up Noel's content!

Anyway, that's all for now. I'm hoping that by my next post here I'll be in the middle of coding Yuu's route!

That's all for this update. See you in a couple of weeks!

[lillified]

is there a name for the fan continuity you’re making? (ie transformers earthspark, transformers prime something like that) also you probably get tons of people telling you this constantly but i really like how you portray megastar in your work, they are so messy and i love it, it’s fresh and new compared to. well. tfp and idw as the main offenders cough cough

anyways also want you to know you’re super cool and i love your artstyle its like the feeling of running your hands on smooth metal if that makes sense

hi!! tbh im not sure if ive ever properly said it, but the working title is The Decepticons! might be subject to change, but it works for now lol

as for the art style thing--I'm glad you mentioned it, because that is kind of what I'm going for! I love the blocky and geometric angles of things like gundams, but the thing that got me interested in robots was transformers prime, and I'll always be a fan of the sleek, modern, and organic appearance of the characters in that... I wanted to bring those together for my own art, because I think both of those are true to the spirit of TF :)

as for your second point--you should know that i will never pass up an opportunity to talk about my thoughts on writing and characterization and stuff, so forgive me preemptively for the long post, lol

thank you for the kind words! I agree that there are a lot of issues with how certain characters have been portrayed... while the comics were great for fleshing out certain classic characters, they also seriously flattened many others. These characters have decades and series long histories of exploration and experimentation that feels like it's been completely restricted to one of only a few avenues lately, and that bothers me a little bit. like, when was the last time we've seen a piece of transformers media where they have inventive takes on character relationships in the same way as Animated? what's the point of rebooting and refreshing if nothing new happens??

Megatron and Starscream are a great indicator of that for me--their relationship in G1 is bombastic, but also complicated and interesting. they're the most important decepticons by far and their characteristics are integral to the functioning and philosophy of the entire group, to the point that, for example, removing Starscream from the equation of the Decepticons, I'd argue, makes Megatron an entirely different character. They're necessary to eachother, but it really feels like (with very few exceptions) their relationship has only gotten flatter and flatter over time. Even Prime, which I'd argue has the most textually interesting and deep take on their relationship, is, very obviously, held back by an overture of cheap, aesthetic violence. I firmly believe you could rewrite TFP without any of the violence and none of the character arcs would have to change at all, because, at the end of the day, it's purely superficial--it has nothing to say, and exists only as a way to bolster Megatron's dominant image, and to satisfy the audience's assumed disdain for Starscream.

while obviously it is transformers, and nobody is required to think that deeply about it, I'm a dork and it's always bothered me specifically, because, outside of that, there IS a lot of complexity to the stuff that happens!! I like this series specifically because there is so much variation and so many perspectives that have touched this franchise, and, in the best cases, we get the underlying character arc in Prime, where Megatron and Starscream's relationship is a case of two people who respect eachother more than anyone else and can't quite find equal footing about it.

going the IDW route and turning their interactions into constant hostility is the easy way out because it adds the aesthetic of "maturity" via shock value without having anything to say; however, the actual most thoughtful variations on the characters can communicate that both of them are inherently flawed without any of that, and that's what I want to do. this is my writing exercise, in essence... I'm not trying to make the decepticons "good" and just show them frolicking about all the time, I'm trying to make a properly "adult" spin on the formula that actually treats the audience like adults instead of trying to shock them. I'm a nerd about this already so I'm not going to shy away from the intense relationship these characters have because it's too complicated and messily homoerotic to unpack. if I've got the liberty to, why not?

anyway. thanks for reading once again! i can never make these short and succinct haha. i feel like i repeat myself all the time but also I never run out of things to say about them. as always, I'm really grateful that other people are interested in these things--I know none of it is really super important and it's probably something only I ever think about, but I feel like I owe it to the people who have contributed their perspectives and artistic ability to this thing to care at least a little, lol.