#and then the next chapter also became exposition

[canmom]

nooooo stop writing sexy letters i'm trying to beat you at chrononauts

as mentioned a little earlier, today I read This Is How You Lose The Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone...!

Before we dive into the spoilers, a brief word about what this book is...

TIHYLTW is a semi-epistolary novel about time travellers Red and Blue and, essentially, their enemies-to-lovers romance as they play spy games across the broad, branching timeline, acting respectively on behalf of the ultra-high-tech 'Agency' and the biopunk 'Garden'. Each chapter consists of a brief vignette depicting one or the other at their work, ending with the discovery of a letter (in some abstract, poetic form like a dead fish) from their counterpart, followed by the contents of that letter.

A lot of the structure of this book is explained by the knowledge that this was written as a kind of chain-writing project: El-Mohtar and Gladstone hashed out the broad premise but then alternated writing the chapters, with Gladstone taking on the role of Red and El-Mohtar as Blue. Each would respond to the other's letter and advance the story a little bit. In essence, then, this is also something like a play-by-post roleplaying game. I have played both chain-writing games and play-by-post roleplaying so this all ends up feeling quite familiar.

What's remarkable, given that approach, is that this book manages to maintain a generally consistent voice and clear narrative progression. But knowing how it's written still gives you some insight, because you can read it in the light of improv comedy. For example, when Red describes Blue's world, so far undefined, as 'viney-hivey elfworlds', this is what in improv terms we call an offer: you define something and hand it off to the other person to iterate or play on it somehow. In this case, El-Mohtar has Blue gently rebuff this as 'full of silly stereotypes' and ask for a more genuine reply about her own life (this is early in the romance, where they are expressing mutual curiosity which also serves as exposition); Gladstone can oblige and give us Red's backstory.

In some cases, the fingerprint of chainwriting is very obvious. One chapter has Blue sign off 'see you in London next' - Gladstone responds to this by setting the next chapter in an alternate-world city called 'London Next', 'the kind of London other Londons dream'. This wordplay, reinterpreting the last entry in an unexpected light, is such a blatant chainwriting move.

Two writers who vibe, with a back-and-forth, is probably about the ideal scale for this kind of game. At university I played chain-writing games in a large group, where each player got to contribute only one section to the story; this too often became a 'too many cooks' situation, whose pacing would suffer from the lack of larger structure. As a player in that kind of game, you'd have to balance leaving your own fingerprint by adding elements to the story, and advancing what had already been written (I very much tended to the former). Too often it would fall to the last person in the chain to try and hastily tie the story up in some sort of resolution.

Play-by-post roleplaying games don't have that 'one entry per player' limit, but the problems of time zones/availability and the general principle to not 'godmod' meant that often the game would either die pretty quickly or turn into a situation where each person was essentially writing their own story in isolation, with minimal interaction with others. Which can be fun: a collection of web serials on a theme is a perfectly valid writing project. But it's not really a collab in this way.

A project limited to just two writers, on the other hand, can build up a rhythm, and this is what happens here. A lot of the charm of this novel is the playfulness of the back and forth, not just in the letters themselves, but also in the settings introduced and gradual expansion and iteration of the concepts. This feels like it would be a tremendously fun game to play (ehem).

Now, let's apply the Spoiler Zip, and talk about some details.

So this is essentially a spy story; it is a story of the two characters, both prodigy agents, mutually defecting from the Time War to elope together. Though there's plenty of drama when they get found out, death fakeouts, a kind of classic gay personality synthesis...

Most of the chapters end with a 'Seeker' appearing to swallow up the remnants of the letter that has been read. With 'hunger' becoming a symbol of the relationship in the letters, and the time travel theme, I guessed that this character would somehow represent a synthesis of the two characters retracing their relationship. Well, almost!

Broadly, the dénouement is: Blue strikes a (rather vaguely defined) decisive move in the Time War, but Red's superiors figure out some of the situation and set her up to entrap Blue; Red appears to have killed her (with a letter naturally), but she goes rogue and attempts to assimilate enough of Blue's being (through the letters) to enter the Garden and innoculate her against the poison at birth, thus allowing Blue to turn out to be alive and save Red from space prison. So it's not quite another 2010s SFF story in which a lesbian carries the ghost of her dead girlfriend in her head but... it sorta is, innit.

As might be evident from that paragraph, the time travel model in this story is definitely of the 'timey-wimey' variety. It's not really about that; the logic is much more poetic than it is, well, logical. Characters move very freely 'upthread' (towards the distant past) and 'downthread' (towards the scifi future). Their adventures tend to take them to fairly recognisable bits of history, with a reasonable sprinkling of mythology.

What they're actually doing in these places is broadly speaking similar to the card game Chrononauts if you've ever played that, attempting to shape the futures by changing the past, but generally speaking in subtle ways - we're given various examples of saving crucial people from disasters, inspiring inventions, and so on. Of course, they must have a reason for this subtle approach: in this case, 'chaos' is anathema to both sides.

Our characters, as superspies constantly assuming different identities and assassinating people and all sorts of other things, are pretty disconnected from the people whose lives they mess with - something that becomes more explicit later, with the remark that the work involves, often, killing and saving the same people in different timelines. As such, there are few particularly well-defined characters in the story besides Red and Blue - the only real exception being Red's scary, nameless Commandant. Now and then we'll get the allusion to a historical figure, such as Genghis Khan, but only rarely. These bitches have eyes only for each other. Their interactions are frequently compared to a game (mostly go, sometimes a little chess), and the places they pass through are relevant largely insofar as they constitute moves in the game.

This is where I think the comparison to Italo Calvino that I made earlier breaks down. Here, the setting is in large part colour: material for the playful romantic interactions of our two spies. There are definitely some imaginative setpieces - I liked the computer cult of Hack, and the prehistoric valley of bones - but in contrast to Invisible Cities where the relationship between Marco Polo and Kublai Khan is a frame story and the vignettes about cities are the main focus, here the balance is opposite.

On that front of setting, I think I found the factions themselves a little insubstantial. Of course, the point of the novel is in large part that their differences are generally superficial and should be transcended - but beyond that their natures are fundamentally opposed, we never get a huge sense of why the Agency and Garden are battling over the timelines. One is plant themed, the other is robot themed. One plays the long game, the other likes finesse. But both Blue and Red are in some major way alienated from their society - indeed, Red even suggests this is the major qualification for becoming a time agent in her society. They fight the Time War because... they were constructed to do it, because it's a relief from existential despair, and later, because it's sexy to fight a Time War with someone?

If interpreted as an enemies to lovers arc, well, it's not really that. More of a strangers to lovers arc; there is little to not antagonism outside of the occasional bravado about who will win the game. They're really the ultimate u-haul lesbians. But perhaps that's putting a foreign frame on it. 'Courtship through scifi strategy duel leading to transformation through synthesis' is literally a premise I wrote too, I can't possibly complain about it!

I refuse to add another 'lyrical' to the pile, but I can't deny the craft on display here. Still, sometimes the allusions feel a bit too 'local' to my time and place to belong to truly alien beings. Sometimes this is lampshaded - for example, in the first letter from Blue, Ozymandias is quoted, but immediately described as an 'overanthologised work of the early Strand 6 nineteenth century'. That sets up a callback later in one of Red's letter. Another time, Blue recommends Red a fantasy novel written in the 50s, remarking that it is (somehow) the same in every timeline it appears. It's tricky to know how to call this - if the allusions were made up or too obscure, you'd lose the playful way in which they are invoked, yet having a strange transhuman future creature throw out references that feel like they belong to a 20th century university student feels like it familiarises a little too much.

Some of the wordplay also feels... how to put this. The example I'm thinking of is that the characters start riffing on a 19th century etiquette book to help Red get the hang of letter-writing, and this makes reference to a scented seal (wax thing that is used to close an envelope). So Red embeds her next letter inside a seal (marine mammal). My natural assumption is that the characters are speaking $mysterious_future_language, but this kind of pun makes it impossible to read them as speaking anything other than English, right?

But that's the tone of this novel. It's constantly teasing. The Utena influence (I'm told Gladstone is a fan) is certainly strong.

There is something, too, to the way that Red's arc is to step away from the cyborg state where all her inconvenient organs and biological needs can be shut off, and expose herself to what we could call more human experiences - hunger, crying. This is clearly deliberate and rich in metaphorical valence (she is becoming more akin to Blue, and more distant from her utilitarian origin), but she's also coming towards us. This isn't a flaw in the novel, but more a limitation of the medium: we can only see through our own experiences, and thus to write a comprehensible emotional arc for an alien being, we must build our own 'bridges' (to use the novel's metaphor, see what I did there you fuckers) to their experience, and make them more human...

Taken as a spy story, I think the issue is perhaps that the characters are too important. Far from cogs in a vast, grinding geopolitical machine, it feels like Red and Blue are the most important people in all the universes, the only players that matter on either side. Their courtship is inevitable - they just don't need all these other chumps, who can't see how sexy it is to write emotional letters to your rival spy. Everyone else is basically an NPC.

As much as I rib it though, this was basically the perfect train book, and made that five hour journey pass in a breeze. I don't know that I'd really put it on Calvino tier, but I'd still definitely recommend giving it a read, it's a good playful book about lesbians doing a hilariously overcomplicated courtship and what's not to love about that.

As a final addendum - I've been gently reminded that El-Mohtar is 'the prototypical bi woman married to a man who goes to great pains to constantly remind everyone she's not straight', which, you know, fair enough lmao. If my bi granny hadn't married a guy (eight years her senior, no it did not go well), then I wouldn't exist! I just think it's kind of funny.

(and ftr? I don't actually give a shit whether the people who write a book belong to the 'right' identity category. On the contrary, I think everyone should write a gay romance at least once, it's good for the soul, maybe you'll realise you like it more than you thought you would, eh~)

[bengiyo]

Love Sea Ep 3 Stray Thoughts

Last week, Tongrak and Mut started to have sex on the beach, but then Rak rushed them back to the hotel so he could write his thoughts out for his novel. Mut was understandably frustrated and went to take a shower, which of course ended in sex (but Fort showed ass!). Rak became possessive of Mut, and once again tried to use his money to lock Mut down. We had a great moment of Rak checking in about how out they can be, and the two shared insights into their histories. We learned that Rak sees his work as an outlet to express himself, and that Mut has worked his ass off to earn his place in this community as a respected leader. We ended on some trauma flashbacks underwater for Rak involving his father who abandoned them, and a friend who may have been pregnant. Meanwhile, Vie had Mook come over to clean up her house and eat with her in a flirting ritual that seemed to work for both of them.

Aya is really pretty.

This weird issue with the italicized subtitles not displaying on the TV apps is driving me insane. Why do I have to pull up the episode in two places now??

It rains a lot in Thailand, so I like when they incorporate it into the shows.

Chapter 3: Where the Sky Touches the Sea

It's nice to see that Rak is able to talk nicely with a friend. He and Vie feel like they've known each other for a while, and know what each is going through. I'm curious how deep we'll get into this tabloid drama Vie is facing.

Is Kwan Rak's sister? What's going on with their dad that they're scared about him showing up around the granddaughter? I thought he was out of the picture?

Wondering what Mut must be feeling after not seeing Rak for a few days now after that incident.

Mm, Rak reverting to be as rude as possible like it'll scare Mut away.

At least he apologized after relaxing for a little bit. I hope he opens up about what's got him so stressed.

Oh fuck yeah give me the lore. Rak's messed up because his mom poured all her money into a man who didn't love her back, and his and his sister's names are messages to him.

Let's bond over family problems.

Oh, I'm kinda into this "Try it while you're on the island" proposal.

Are they trying to mirror that with this fake girlfriend proposal?

I'm not keen on playing in the sea at night, but they do kiss well.

Why is he in that bed with a towel on?

Mut baiting Rak into being the big spoon is sending me.

Unsurprised that Mut is a conservationist.

I like that Mut acknowledged Rak getting up early to see the community meeting.

Oh they have Ja playing an actor who shoves his costar away immediately. How fun.

This joke about the length of novel titles feels like they're alluding to people missing the point of the novel because title is too cumbersome.

"I'm not bi." She and Lom should meet.

Mut seemed real nervous about Rak seeing how modest his home is.

Wow, Mut's dad sounds cruel.

Okay but Rak was even more turned on by the idea that the neighbors would hear them.

The timeline is a bit vague here.

I feel like we got here a little fast, but I kinda like the way Mut is chasing this feeling with Rak he wasn't expecting to feel.

I really like Mook.

I'm looking forward to seeing how both of these guys' issues with their families play out. I feel like.we.mkssed some things this week that didn't translate into the adaptation smoothly, but I like the idea of Mut reaching for something he didn't think he could have, and a cynic like Rak being taken by that earnestness. Also amused by Mook likely having a crush on Vie while missing that Vie has been flirting this whole time. I wonder what our Mut Exposition Fairy will do next week.

[demonzoro]

as someone who doesn't read/watch jjk i'm very curious on how/why it went downhill (from posts i've been seeing)

akutami's habit of telling and not showing became really evident during the later chapters, when they started to introduce a lot more new characters and their fighting abilities, as well as their wider... world-building, if you want to be generous. bits of lore that would have enriched the story if it was shown through the narrative/charas/setting, instead of exposition dumps when it became immediately relevant for the reader to know a bunch of info in order for the imminent plot twist to make sense.

the magic system also feels like maths that doesn't make sense. a lot of the time, the flow of the battle is ruined because akutami is busy dumping panels and panels of exposition on you.

characters are also killed off in unsatisfying ways, and follow the same formula of "in a battle" > "have a flashback" > "dies", so much so that if a character has a flashback, you can probably expect them to be dead by the next chapter. this wouldn't be terrible if flashbacks or the motives/history of characters also happened outside of their imminent death, therefore building out why it would be sad for them to die/why this death is meaningful to them/the story before killing them off. instead, characters barely get development or depth until the moment they're about to die, and then they're dead LOL

the women are also undermined like crazy despite being set up as capable fighters with awesome abilities. meimei wields a giant axe. yuki has mass manipulation. maki is perhaps the only one with a somewhat impactful story arc. it's funny with a shounen brings up misogyny as a narrative obstacle while also being misogynistic... like the call is coming from inside the house

the start of jjk feels great because it makes story promises and intriguing world-building set-up that you are excited for the elaboration of... and it goes downhill because a lot of that is answered in boring confusing exposition, or never answered at all

[asimplearchivist]

𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓡𝓮𝓽𝓾𝓻𝓷

𝐂𝐇. 𝐈𝐈𝐈 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐏𝐎𝐈𝐒𝐎𝐍, 𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐂𝐈𝐋𝐈𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍. 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐕 𝐨𝐟 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓.

[𝓪𝓼𝓲𝓶𝓹𝓵𝓮𝓪𝓻𝓬𝓱𝓲𝓿𝓲𝓼𝓽'𝓼 𝓶𝓪𝓼𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓵𝓲𝓼𝓽] [ 𝐏𝐎𝐊𝐄𝐌𝐎𝐍 𝐌𝐘𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐘 𝐃𝐔𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐎𝐍 𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓 ] [ AO3 | SPOTIFY | PINTEREST ] summary ✨ ⤏ eliana wonders if getting her memories back does more harm than good. pairing(s) ✨ [tba] word count ✨ 3.7k a/n ✨ [header credit] | [divider credit] ⤏ this is mostly exposition, and for that I apologize, but I promise that it will pick up from here! now I've got a couple of chapters pre-written, so maybe I can stay ahead! :) ✨ MASTERPOST ✨ ✨ PREVIOUS CHAPTER ⤎ ✨ ⤏ NEXT CHAPTER ✨

Whatever Eliana may have expected in her idle postulations about dispelling her amnesia in the long, troubled years she spent without them, she could never have anticipated the conflict that the reality of it, in actuality, brought her. She wouldn’t have expected it all to come back at once, and she’d even had her doubts about how her wish might be answered by Jirachi on her and Lu’s journey home, but she supposed it only made sense that the ability which so mysteriously bound her to Lu and to Grovyle was the very thing that restored her mind to rights. It was…a lot to take in, admittedly, despite it all having already occurred—it was almost like experiencing her life all over again, fresh and new and painful.

To start: her recollections of life as a human in the world from which she was sent. That was an entire can of partially opened worms that she was not entirely keen on revisiting. 

The precious time spent with Grovyle—who, upon their introduction, was a Treecko—was far preferable despite the melancholic connotations surrounding the memories that they’d made together, unflinchingly traveling the frozen planet’s unforgiving terrain with purpose whilst learning to trust one another and—in so doing—built an unshakable bond. With it came an unavoidable toll—Eliana was forced to grieve the loss of her most trusted partner all over again, recalling everything from their first meeting to the split-second decision made to push him away from Darkrai’s malicious ranged attack in the midst of careening through the Passage of Time, with startling clarity. Her being thrown from the Passage, free-falling into a stormy sky, crashing into the churning sea below, bashing her transforming head into a rock to start the entire chain of events that led to her present state…all while Grovyle had been pitched halfway across the continent into the very forest from which he had originated in the dark future, alone and terrified of what became of her.

With that came everything else, too. Precious allies and dangerous enemies made while resolving themselves to a life spent on the run under constant pursual in effort to bring about a peaceful, whole, and better world at the cost of their own lives as well as those around them. Walking miles upon miles to confirm the original locations of the deteriorated Time Gears, painstakingly determining the extent of her inexplicable ability, all while trying to constantly outrun and outsmart their hunters. Wounds incurred for each other’s sake, tense naps taken with rotating shifts (for which the rester usually was never awakened), conversations exchanged that conveyed their deepest thoughts and feelings. Eliana had never had anyone closer to her than Grovyle by the time they were preparing for their journey back in time. Losing him—not once, but twice—in spite of her best efforts to prevent it was the hardest thing she thought she had ever endured in her life.

It also added that much more weight to the recent chapters of her experiences. She mourned the fact that she had failed to recognize him in Quicksand Cave and at Crystal Crossing, regretted ever hurting him due to the lies that had been orchestrated to demonize him and his motivations. She wondered at the fact that Celebi had recognized her instantly, but Eliana hadn’t had an inkling of who she was. She wished that she would have listened to her gut feelings to trust Grovyle sooner—it would have given them more time. It would have spared them some of the heartbreak they endured in the end. (And, if she had trusted her instincts to start with, she would not have been deceived at all.)

But, even still, Eliana recognized that the path she’d traveled had its purpose. She would never have met Lu if things had gone according to plan, after all—and she wouldn’t trade her second partner for anything for all the good that he had done for her (just like Grovyle had, but in different areas—Lu’s innocence and unflinching hope had juxtaposed Grovyle’s timidity and constant hesitation, but both had afforded her room to heal the fractured parts of herself that needed others’ influence).

It took several days for Eliana to readjust. Lu chose some lighter job requests for them to do that would help to keep her busy without any true danger because he had long since learned that she was able to think best while moving and working. He gave her ample space and didn’t verbally press her, but he always stayed within the reach of her voice. She found it difficult to talk much, nearly constantly bombarded by the impressions of her past life as they reemerged from the depths of her psyche while interacting with those from her new one. If the other Guild members had noticed her apprehensive, halfhearted greetings, they hadn’t said anything to her directly about it. She spent a lot of time taking in the brunt of the tide, per se, balancing the influx of emotions that accompanied each wave between acceptance and longing.

If Lu thought anything of her curling up in his bed at night to help fight the additional nightmares that cropped up, as well, he—mercifully—did not voice it.

Eliana thought that she would get used to it. She allowed herself those days to sit back somewhat and let her mind reconcile with the recovered pieces of herself that had been buried. She was grateful to realize that it had not changed her personality in any way, at the very least—now she remembered stories of people acting like complete strangers—but there was something in her that was simply unable to settle. She no longer felt like herself, to an extent, she mused. She had rebuilt an entirely different life here in the past with Lu and the rest of Treasure Town’s citizens, but she no longer felt as intense of a connection to them—as though a barrier had been raised since the full realization that she didn’t truly belong here had struck her. She was never meant to stay here—that a higher power (likely the one that had brought her to this world, she suspected) would grant her the mercy of returning per Lu’s fervent wish was a mercy unrepayable, but it felt…almost wrong in a way she could not articulate no matter how hard she tried. She felt like an intruder, a foreigner occupying space not intended for her. Even though she was supposed to feel complete with the recovery of her whole identity, she only felt even more fragmented than before.

Lu gave her time to broach the subject, as patient and as understanding as he’d always been. He also knew that she didn’t like to discuss things until she was fully prepared to do so, having ironed out her reasoning and line of thought prior. She began to relay some of her memories from the paralyzed, first—the tender ones, the lighthearted ones, and the dire ones that had defined her initial resolve to save the world. She spoke fondly of Grovyle and Celebi, relieved by the assurance that she could share vital information about their histories and personalities with Lu since he’d only known as much as she had. She shared the details that she had  desperately yearned to recall for so long, and he listened attentively without interruption—only offering gentle words of encouragement when she’d get a bit overwhelmed—all while preparing their supper. 

Once she was done, he began to ask questions: what it was like having to defend herself as a human (especially in mystery dungeons), what life was like in the paralyzed future, what remarkable events she witnessed and things she saw. These she answered easily—it was as if he knew how to avoid the topics that would bother her most, carefully skirting the more harrowing memories that had her jerking awake in the middle of the night and burrowing into his side for comfort in breathing in his scent to settle her racing heart. She would rather not think about getting chased by Primal Dialga and the relentless henchmen that followed her and Grovyle all over the continent.

She only felt brave enough to give him her confession once the fire had burned itself to embers and they were curled up in the dark. Restless and gazing out across the sea, Eliana had stretched her foreleg off the edge of their shared mound of hay (since made larger once Lu had figured out that she would need his direct presence if she would get any sleep for longer than a couple of nights) and traced her claws across the wind-swept stone floor.

“…Do you think it’s normal to feel like a stranger in my own skin now?” she asked quietly, barely audible under the susurration of the wind drifting through the open bluff.

Although she had her back turned to him, she felt Lu shift—likely to look at her. She wondered if her aura appeared as much of a mess as she felt. “…I wouldn’t know,” he admitted after a moment, and his paw rested between her shoulder blades. “But it doesn’t surprise me. You have two different halves of yourself that you’re having to stitch back together. It definitely won’t be easy in the long run.”

She’d figured that out quickly. Eliana sighed and curled her tail over Lu’s waist in gratitude. “Do I seem different?”

“Not really. You’ve been a little quiet, but I’m sure that’s a lot to take in.”

“I…suppose.” She swallowed. “Do I look different?”

“Ah. In that respect, yes.”

Eliana frowned and rolled over, studying Lu’s expression in the dim, ambient moonlight eking through the bluff’s gaping maw. “‘Yes’ in a bad way or ‘yes’ in a good way?”

“Neither. Auras are not inherently good nor bad,” he explained, “they simply are.”

He had explained to her it before in passing—or had tried to, since he’d been younger and without near as much knowledge as he had now. Eliana rested her cheek on the hay and gazed up at him with an expectant, inquisitive hum.

“Every Pokémon has a different aura, but it oscillates depending on their moods—that’s influenced by their thoughts or motivations. Yours has always been dark green, but…it was matte, almost. Now it has more depth, like everyone else’s does—so I think your amnesia stifled your aura until your memories returned.” He tilted his head slightly, his ears flopping over the edge of the bed. “I don’t know if that’s direct correlation or causation, but…that’s just what I’ve noticed. I’m sorry you don’t feel well.” He paused. “Is there anything I can do?”

“No,” Eliana sighed. “I guess I’ve just got to…get used to it. It’s a lot.”

Lu offered her a thin-lipped smile. “I’d say.”

Foregoing a response, she closed her eyes and hunkered in, burying her nose into the soft fur of his torso.

Lu draped his forearm over her back and tucked his muzzle behind her ear with a sleepy snuffle. “I don’t see you differently, if that makes you feel better,” he murmured over the crash of the surf against the cliffs far below. “You’re still my best friend.”

“Even with the additional trauma?” she posed wryly.

“Of course. I just hate that it’s causing you pain a second time over.”

“Maybe that just comes with the territory.”

“Perhaps.” Lu yawned. “Nevertheless, sleep if you can.”

“I’ll try. I’m sorry if I end up waking you again.”

“Don’t. I’m here for you. It doesn’t bother me.”

Eliana had her doubts, but then again she’d always had a hard time trusting that people  would sincerely choose to stay with her and had kept most at arm’s length for years. Grovyle had been the first exception to that rule in a very long time. She’d really had no choice but to trust Lu, but fortunate had favored her that day by giving her someone who would protect her when she needed it most.

“Goodnight, Lu,” she mumbled, lulled by the muffled thump of his heart near her ear.

“Goodnight, Eliana,” he returned quietly, pulling her a little closer.

She did manage to sleep—dreamlessly at that, to her immense relief. Lu roused her when he got up, and they went about their morning routine together. She felt lighter than she had in days, finally having released the pressure of her internal turmoil. She even offered to handle their daily Guild errands while Lu prepared for their missions, whereas before she’d clung closely to his side so he could handle the brunt of their social interactions while she found her footing again.

She called down a greeting to Diglett and Loudred as she passed over the security grate, picked her way down the winding staircase, and emerged onto the second floor. A couple of teams were already there conducting their business, and she glanced at both bulletin boards to see if there were any jobs she could add their pending queue.

None. Eliana’s mouth thinned as she tilted her head. She and Lu had opted to take the missions for dungeons most teams didn’t dare enter in order to help those in need, but there was a notable absence of them today. She supposed it didn’t matter. While they had been clearing their chest for the most part, she knew that it had been a trend for influxes of jobs to come in at different times. They had at least a week’s worth left over to do.

Eliana left the Guild to meet Lu at the crossroads, but he was nowhere to be found. She frowned as she stood in the center, squinting up the road that lead into town, then turning and staring down the road that branched off into the wilderness. He wouldn’t have gone into Spinda’s, so that left only one option.

Eliana trotted down the embankment that wound down the side of the plateau towards the beach and wound through the encroaching underbrush that had burgeoned under the summer sun. Team Razorwind usually trimmed the trails around Treasure Town, but she figured they might have been busy lately. Rock crumbled into sand before she emerged onto the beach proper, finally spotting her partner standing ankle-deep in the surf speaking to Lapras, whom they hadn’t seen in several months.

As Eliana approached, the transport Pokémon turned his head to greet her warmly. “Good day to you, Eliana.”

“Hello,” she returned with a smile. “It’s been a while. How have you been?”

“Well. Conducting Master Dialga’s business is time-consuming, but never tedious.” Lapras tilted his head to look at Lu. “I thank you for your expediency.”

Eliana bumped her flank into his hip. “I wondered where you wandered off to.”

“I asked one of the Krabby to fetch the pair of you for me, and he found Lu firs,” Lapras explained. “I bring news from the Hidden Land.”

Eliana stilled and sucked in a breath. The sand seemed to waver under her feet. She looked up at Lu apprehensively.

“The temporal and spatial anomaly surrounding me has finally dissipated completely,” he explained carefully. She couldn’t read his expression for once, and it made her heart beat faster. “But yours hasn’t.”

“As I am certain you are well aware,” Lapras continued, “you did not originate here. Master Dialga is toiling to repair the damages dealt to his realm, just as Master Palkia is his own, but they both have encountered some…hiccups, so to speak.”

“I thought all that was solved since we were able to evolve a long time ago,” Eliana pointed out hesitantly.

“That is true, to an extent,” Lapras agreed. “But Master Dialga has informed me that, in order to continue his efforts to mend the fabric of reality, certain obstacles must be removed.”

Eliana stiffened as the fur along her spine bristled. The last time she’d heard something like that…

Lapras dipped his head in apology, noticing her distress. “Forgive me, I worded that poorly. I only meant that you should be returned to your time, Eliana. Master Dialga instructed that you be brought to the Passage of Time in Hidden Land in order for you to be sent safely back, as the Dimensional Holes—while able to be summoned most anywhere—are far weaker and more prone to accidents.”

“You can go home, Eliana,” Lu added softly. When Eliana returned her attention to him, she realized that he was intentionally steeling his demeanor to hide his inner tumult—he hadn’t done that since he’d finally earned his confidence through their myriad misadventures, least of all towards her. “This is your chance.”

“I…this is kind of sudden,” she offered quietly, looking between them as she sat heavily on the damp sand and curled her tail around her legs.

“I understand,” Lapras said, “and Master Dialga instructed me to tell you that it is not necessary at this moment—he only wanted to prepare you for the inevitable. You will eventually have to return in order for time to be completely reconstructed. Your influence here will continue to cause repercussions into the continuum, which will hinder his efforts more and more. You pose the risk of causing irreparable alterations to the timeline.”

“That was the whole point of me being here, though,” Eliana responded through clenched teeth. “I was returned here after…after the future was healed. I don’t understand.”

“He does not expect you to, as it is an extremely complex subject to mortals. I myself do cannot comprehend it all. Time is by no means linear, and although your interactions with the past have—to present—been beneficial, it could cause deviations in the folding that has occurred. It is a critical, tenuous balance that cannot endure much more tampering.”

“I don’t have a choice,” she surmised lamely.

Lapras tilted his head. “Master Dialga anticipated that you would want to return to your time. Was his assumption incorrect?”

“I…no,” she admitted, “I just didn’t expect it to be motivated by something like this.”

“At least it hasn’t caused anything catastrophic,” Lu told her, somewhat wryly. He placed a reassuring paw between her shoulder blades. “Lapras said we can have a day to think it over. Do you still want to go out today?”

“Yeah. We can…talk about it on the way.” Eliana swallowed. “Thank you, Lapras. You’ll stay nearby, then?”

“Yes. You can give me your decision in the morning. As I said, you needn’t depart now, but…Master Dialga heavily encourages it.”

“Of course.” Eliana allowed Lu to steer her off the beach, taking a shortcut towards the coastal forest that would branch off into the surrounding areas.

“I suppose Jirachi really came through, huh?” Lu mused after a long duration of silence.

“I just didn’t think it would involve such high stakes,” Eliana sighed. “Again.”

“It saves us from the deliberation, if nothing else,” he supposed. “I was worried that it would be the sort of decision we might cower away from.”

Eliana frowned, throat tightening. “I didn’t want…” She swallowed roughly. “…we don’t know how far into the future it is. What if—what if you’re not there?”

Lu stopped. Eliana dropped her head, but he kneeled next to her and drew her into a hug. She sank into him with some relief, squeezing her stinging eyes shut. “I will go with you all the way to the Passage,” he assured her, “but there’s no guarantee I’ll be on the other side. That’s just the nature of time.”

“I don’t want to trade you for that,” she whispered tightly. “I don’t want to lose you.”

“You won’t, even if I’m not there, but...something tells me we can’t be parted for very long. Perhaps that’s silly, but…you’ve taught me how to trust my gut.” He pulled back enough to gaze fondly down at her. “I’ve had the privilege of calling you my partner for this long. I could ask for nothing else.”

Eliana wanted to protest. She had found safety here in the past, with Lu, and she had no idea what lay in wait across the Passage. All she knew is that it would be different, but…

“Consider it another exploration,” Lu said, distracting her from the spiral she was in danger of descending into. “I don’t think Dialga would be sending you back if it were dangerous—he owes you too much for that. You’re the most capable person I know, and if anyone could handle it, I know you can. And if I’m able, I will continue to be there for you.”

She drew in a deep, shaky breath. She wanted so badly to find Grovyle again, but she didn’t want to exchange him for Lu. There was so much uncertainty surrounding the sudden reality of her being intended to return, but…maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. She would just have to deal with any problems that might arise when she got there.

“We would need to tell Wigglytuff and the others,” she said.

“I’m sure they will understand,” he replied. “Although Chatot may not be happy about it.”

“Are you sure you’d be okay by yourself?” she asked softly. “What about our team?”

“I’ve got the Guild,” he pointed out, “and I’m sure you’ve noticed that our types of jobs have been getting fewer and farther between, so maybe I could start looking into doing something else. I don’t know yet. I can handle myself most of the time, but if I needed help I could ask one of the apprentices.”

“…I would miss you,” she murmured.

“I will miss you, too,” he returned, “dearly. But I think this is for the best.”

“I know.” She reached up and squeezed him as best as she was able. “Thank you, Lu. For everything.”

“Save the goodbyes for later,” he chuckled, although she noticed that his voice had thickened with emotion he was concealing for her sake. “…But time is a funny thing. Maybe we should just say, ‘see you later’ instead.”

[hereticpriest]

Mercy Chapter 10 - Haelstruum

Rating: Explicit 18+

MDNI

Relationship: Obi-Wan Kenobi x Reader

To begin with, some warnings about this story: A/B/O Dynamics, Female Alpha, Male Omega, Some chapters may involve messing with the whole 'alphas are always dom and omegas are always sub' because I think nuance exists even in A/B/O dynamics, Fucking with the timeline (this is a blend of Canon, Legends, and original lore), Minimal use of Y/N (Explained in the first chapter), Reader is an alien species of my own creation and thus has a physical description, Familial bonds explored heavily, Clone rights explored heavily, Violence is more graphic than canon-typical however any graphic descriptions will be noted, AFAB reader, Not beta-read so I apologize for any mistakes.

Okay so I may have fibbed (unintentionally, the story pulled me here and I did not expect it) about us getting to Attack of the Clones this chapter. The next one, however, will cover quite a bit of AOTC.

Chapter warnings: Flirting, collaring, playing with A/B/O dynamics, slight dom!Obi-Wan, a whole lot of exposition and introduction to Haelstruum. I promise it serves a purpose!

Read on AO3

Part One - Part Two - Part Three - Part Four - Part Five - Part Six - Part Seven - Part Eight - Part Nine - Part Nine Point Five

Haelstruum is a stunning planet. Blue and so much stunning green in every shade you could possibly imagine, even in the dark of night. The larger continent of Vaelanis is covered in rainforest and thick jungle, shot through with a winding river from the mountains to the north all the way down to nearly the bottom. The second continent of Asfara is much smaller than Vaelanis, surrounded on the northern and western sides with thousands of islands of varying size. Once, Asfara was nearly of a size with Vaelanis, until a great earthquake followed by a catastrophic flood nearly half a millenia ago. The entire planet is nearly covered in forests, with peaks of grey-beige to the far north and far south of each continent. Unlike most planets these days, light pollution is negligible at best - even as they approach at night, the only spots of artificial light are in the port city of Vaelastra. The forests are dotted with clear signs of multi-coloured bioluminescence, creating a gentle kaleidoscope among the different shades of green. Between the two continents lies a massive ocean dotted with hints of bioluminescence, and split by a huge swath of vibrantly coloured coral. 

Your destination is Vaelastra, the port city and capital of the planet, built into the peaks of the mountains of Holnier Xul. Arriving at night wasn’t necessarily ideal, but it did give you a peek at how the planet became a whole new world in the dark. As your ship approaches the port, Obi-Wan steps up behind you, lacing his arms around your waist. His lips find your mating mark, and you shiver under his touch, the vibration of his purr providing comfort to your frazzled nerves as you stare out of the large viewport. You’ve been sent to Haelstruum for a multitude of reasons, though the primary reason is to collect a Jedi holocron that was found in a newfound cenote and offered to the Jedi Council by the Haelan Council as part of their attempts at continuing peaceful relations. It was also an excuse to give you what was effectively a working vacation - you hadn’t taken one since your knighthood began and the Council was forcing your hand. Taking your mate with you had been a ploy to further convince you, as giving you time with your little family was something you couldn’t possibly resist.

It was, however, your first time going back to your home planet. You were, frankly, terrified. Rightfully so, since they had sent you off with a Jedi as a babe. You wonder if your parents are still alive. Will they recognize you, with some sort of innate parental knowledge? Biological awareness of your own offspring. You have your doubts. Obi-Wan has been trying to convince you that everything would be alright. Master Sav Lasra was allowed back onto Haelstruum, and stayed for nearly a month after resettling rescued slaves. Anakin was just excited to not be stuck at the Temple for a while - he loved exploring new worlds, and this trip had encouraged him to spend an evening in the Archives researching your homeworld.

“Ugh, gross.” Your son complains as he approaches the viewport behind you, though you know he’s mostly teasing. You roll your eyes, twisting your head to give Obi-Wan a proper kiss just to bother his Padawan. Smiling against your lips, your mate hums, then breaks away to look at his student.

“Come to watch us dock, Anakin?” he asks, and the boy nods, affectionately bumping his arm against his Master’s as he comes to stand beside you both.

“I couldn’t see out of the window in my bunk. Are you guys gonna be gross the whole trip since there won’t be any other Jedi around?” Anakin asks boldly, and you snort, pressing a kiss to Obi-Wan’s fuzzy cheek as he begins to blush.

“I would say yes just to tease you, however, I know you did your research on Haelans in the Archives. You know that my people are… somewhat more primal than other species. We’re also an Omegan Matriarchal Democracy, which means that while I am Haelan, Obi-Wan will be deserving of more respect than me while we’re there. There will be expectations upon us and our relationship. The texts are unclear about the specifics, but I will not be surprised if there are certain things asked of me… Master Lasra implied that there are mating ceremonies that are extremely important to Haelans, and we may be expected to partake.” You explain, and Anakin listens as maturely as he can, only making a slight face at the mention of mating. Obi-Wan is red all the way to his ears, and you kiss the point of his cheek, squeezing his waist reassuringly. You’d both discussed the possibilities ahead of your visit, and cleared where the lines of your consent lay to avoid any awkwardness in the moment.

Upon docking, you are brought through the city to the Council chambers, a large circular room with a domed ceiling of star charts. Seven chairs line the far side of the room, and three more sit in the middle of the room for the guests. You sweep the room with your senses before allowing Obi-Wan and Anakin to take their seats, then turn your gaze to the Council. Each Council member is vastly different from the last, with a rainbow of different skin colours - violet, periwinkle, crimson, forest green, navy, blood orange and magenta. Four Omegas - two male, two female - sit alongside a male Alpha and a Beta of each gender. None of them look particularly pleased or upset to see them, though the male Alpha locks gazes with you in expectation for you to submit. The first of what you’re sure will be many metaphorical dick-measuring contests.

Tension rises briefly as you refuse to look away from him, knowing implicitly that you aren’t the one who should be balking from this challenge. Finally, the prim-looking forest green Omega seated next to the Alpha gives a quiet hiss, his teeth bared at what you assume is his mate. The Alpha’s nostrils flare, but he looks away obediently, giving the Omega man’s cheek a gentle nuzzle and kiss. You notice with some degree of curiosity a collar of dark metal around the Alpha’s neck, with what you believe might be a biolock at the throat. No one else on the Council wears one, and you wonder if it is characteristic of the two Council members’ relationship, or of Alphas in general. You smile, glancing at Obi-Wan to see his reaction and grinning discreetly at the pink on his cheeks and the purr rising in his throat.

Are you proud of your Alpha, baby? Does it turn you on that your Alpha is the baddest around?

Don’t tease me in public, Alpha.

I wouldn’t dare, sweetheart.

“What name have you chosen for yourself, Jedi?” The violet-skinned Omega woman asks, drumming her fingers against the arm of her chair as she adjusts regally in her seat, keen gaze burrowing into you.

“Mercy, my lady.” You reply simply, then gesture to those beside you, “This is Obi-Wan Kenobi, my mate, and his Padawan Anakin Skywalker, our son.”

Anakin flushes peach at the bold declaration, but you can feel his preening through the bond between you. You rarely go so far as to call him your son out loud, not wanting to call too much attention to your bond in a way that may concern the Jedi Council. Obi-Wan simply looks proud, if shy at the attention.

“And has this Mercy taken you against your will, Obi-Wan Kenobi?” The crimson Omega male asks, his force signature sympathetic and kind, “You will be protected from her should this not have been your choice. There are ways to break a mating bond.”

Despite the instinctual outrage at the mere concept of forcing a relationship on an Omega that rages in your heart, you know that this question is not for you, and you force yourself to remain silent and as non-reactive as possible. Obi-Wan flushes pink, both from outrage and embarrassment, but he knows he needs to go about this the right way. A way that Haela will approve of, and believe. Omegas hold all the power on Haelstruum, and he knows that you’ve continued that in your relationship even if you tease him. He has always held power over you, your throat laid bare in his hand, trusting him not to crush you. He takes a breath.

“Alpha, sit at my feet.” He says calmly, and you immediately slip from your chair to kneel before him, “Lay your head in my lap, darling. Show them the mark I gave you when I made you mine.”

The Council watches with interest as you lay your cheek against Obi-Wan’s thigh, arching your neck slightly and dropping your shoulders to make your mating mark visible to them all. He strokes his fingertips across the scarred imprint of his teeth.

“Mercy is mine. She did not have the chance to take me against my will, as she has always been what I wanted.” Obi-Wan states clearly, petting your hair out of your face. You relax against him, your posture submissive and supplicant, and even go as far as to close your eyes.

“Fascinating. It appears that despite being away from our people for so long, Mercy has retained her Haelan heritage innately.” The magenta Beta muses, and Obi-Wan hums his agreement, gesturing for you to get up and sit back in your chair. You do, obedient and loose, taking some time before you’re able to rip your gaze from the Omega that holds your heart in his fist.

“I’ve wanted her to be mine since we were young. But, neither of us were ready until far more recently. Our souls are entwined in the Force.” Obi-Wan informs the Council, squeezing your thigh possessively, then glances over at Anakin with fondness in his eyes, “She has raised my Padawan with me without asking for anything in return. She has selflessly given us her love. I cannot imagine us without her.”

You flush, and Anakin pipes up, shocking you both.

“I have a mother who gave birth to me and raised me as best as she could until I was nine. But Mercy is my mother as well. I think… I think my mom would be happy to know that a woman and Alpha as strong and kind as Mercy was raising me in her absence.” The young Alpha says, and you have to blink away tears at the love in your son’s voice. The Council members before you seem to soften at Anakin’s declaration, and finally, all of the tension bleeds from the room.

“We welcome you, Mercy and her sui’ruun. You will be given chambers with your ruunad and kuruun.” The blood orange Beta greets you all, and you can’t help but feel proud. You know Haelan, though not as well as you wish you did, and you know the words used are perfect. Sui’ruun means ‘family of my heart’ and is used to describe a family unit that does not limit itself to purely biological relations. Ruunad means ‘love of my heart’, and kuruun means ‘son of my heart’, once again acknowledging that your bonds transcend their biological limits.

“Thank you for your kind welcome.” Obi-Wan speaks for you, squeezing your thigh, “As discussed, we will be staying for at least a week, but perhaps two if time permits. Mercy would like to get to know her people better, and we wish to immerse ourselves in Haelan culture. We know this is a very rare opportunity, and both myself and my Padawan swear that we will show the utmost respect for the knowledge bestowed upon us.”

The Council members titter, looking between themselves for a moment before the forest green Omega offers Obi-Wan a wide smile. His eyes crinkle at the corners, and his Alpha stares adoringly at him, their tails entwined in front of their chairs.

“You are Mercy’s sui’ruun. She maintains her Haelan citizenship despite being sent to the Jedi, as do all Haela. Thus, you are one of us, despite your… unfortunate lack of marriage. Your kuruun, if formally acknowledged, would be offered the same status.” He informs you all, and you feel a rush of butterflies in your stomach at the concept of being married to Obi-Wan. He glances at you, clearly feeling that excitement but not totally sure of the source.

What’s got you so happy, my love?

I was… he mentioned marriage and… I will admit, it got me a little excited.

Obi-Wan blushes, but you feel a similar excitement from him.

Is that something you would like to inquire about? I would be thrilled to marry you, Mercy. The only reason I haven’t brought it up before was because it isn’t seen as a necessity back home since we are force-mates. This is not the first time I have considered it.

That’s why I didn’t bring it up either. I have thought about it, but we haven’t had a lot of time to consider marriage with how busy we’ve been lately.

“We would happily go about the process of formally acknowledging our son, should he wish it. We would also like to inquire about how marriage works on Haelstruum.” Obi-Wan states and you feel your heart flutter like a bird caught in the cage of your ribs. The Council members seem to have a positive reaction, and the violet Omega nods.

“We will discuss this tomorrow. Stalwart will take you to your chambers, and we will introduce you further to Haelan culture in the morning. You will be fetched at the eighth hour for your morning meal.”

Stalwart, the navy Alpha, stands from his chair and approaches you, leading you from the room. On your walk to your chambers, he tells you the virtue names of the Council members. The violet Omega woman is named Lawmaster, while the periwinkle Omega woman is named Wonder. The crimson Omega man is named Regal, while the forest green Omega man who appeared to be the Alpha’s mate is named Poet. The blood orange Beta woman is named Wildheart, and the magenta Beta man is named Medic. Each Council member represents a region of Haelstruum, and speaks on their interests. Stalwart himself comes from the river people who live a constantly moving life up and down the river that gives the region life, Crea’nur.

You hesitate as Stalwart opens the doors to a comfortable looking living area, with branching paths to bedrooms and a fresher. Anakin heads in to try and claim the nicest room, while Obi-Wan follows him to ensure he doesn’t snag the master bedroom from them, and you watch them go fondly before turning to the other Alpha.

“I would like to ask you a question, however I worry that it might be sensitive.” You keep your voice low for privacy, and Stalwart smiles crookedly, showing off the tip of a pointy fang.

“Ask away. I’ll do my best not to be terribly offended.” He replies, and you chuckle, leaning back against the hallway wall.

“You wear a rather pretty collar. I wondered if it was commonplace among Haela, or if it was specific to your relationship.” You admit, and Stalwart raises an eyebrow, still smiling. Well, at least you hadn’t offended him.

“It is traditional for an Alpha to be collared by his or her Omega once they’ve been mated and wedded, while the Omega wears a corresponding ring.” Stalwart replies, “The collar can only be removed by their Omega, however, the ring can be freely removed. This symbolizes the truth of the dominance offered to Alphas by their Omega - we are only dominant because our Omega allows it.”

You nod, feeling an odd stirring in your chest that makes you take a deep, ragged breath. Stalwart smiles knowingly.

“Could I-”

“You can be fitted for one once you wed your Omega. I would recommend you visit the market while you’re here. You have a strong relationship with your Omega… I believe you would enjoy the offerings of a store called Open Hand in basic. You’ll notice that the market uses basic alongside Haelan for the few visitors we have.” Stalwart explains, and you nod eagerly, thanking him. He nods, leaving you in the hallway while you struggle with how much of yourself appears to be explained by your heritage.

~

“Genetic memory. You are exemplary of it.” Poet explains, circling you in the middle of a large fighting pit. The Council meeting in the morning was productive, and you had received the holocron as promised. Afterwards, Poet and Stalwart offered to teach you some of the things you’d been so curious about. It turns out that there was something to your musings about parts of your identity being nature rather than nurture, Haelan despite being raised far from your culture. Poet informs you that it is natural, part of your genetics, and that it has more to offer you than simply a strong spine and compassionate soul.

“This fighting stance you adopted instinctually is part of your genetic memory. Once shown the katas, your body will begin to move naturally. Your DNA remembers Druma even if you’ve never seen one. Kirroger will feel like old friends. Your home knows you and welcomes you, no matter how long it’s been since you’ve been here.” Poet explains, and you nod along, watching Stalwart demonstrate the katas for the Haelan form which roughly translates to ‘Way of the Kirroger’. Poet’s smile widens as he watches you begin to mimic his mate, instinct driving you, your blood singing as you stop watching and move on your own. You swirl, sliding to your knees and spinning under an invisible assailant’s attack, then driving upwards with a strike, followed by the smooth motions of a throw. Your blood roars in your ears as you slow to a stop to find your small family standing beside the Haela Council members, observing you with fondness in their eyes.

~

Sage requests a meeting with you, and Medic informs you that the requests of Sage are not so much requests, but demands. The mystic meets you in shaded chambers deep in the mountain, at the side of a cave lake of clear turquoise waters. Multicoloured fish swim around you, through vibrant corals and bioluminescent algae. Sage gestures for you to sit, and you do, adopting a meditation pose similar to her own.

“You are the child of Munir, an omen from the Gods, the great change. You were given away to fulfill your destiny, weiruun. It appears you are walking that path, and making your people proud.” Sage informs you, and you feel your world tilt. Your ears flick, tail winding behind you as you try to figure out how to ask the multitude of questions screaming in your mind.

“I thought I was considered a bad omen.” You whisper, and Sage nods gravely.

“A misunderstanding I sought to correct. There are a great many… miscommunications between the Haela and the outside world. You have a destiny that required you to be among the Jedi, but you were never unwanted. Your parents loved you dearly. They were endlessly proud of you.” Sage says, and you feel stinging at the corners of your eyes as you realize what she’s telling you.

“How did it happen?” You ask, and Sage gives you a sad smile.

“Your imran, your mother, was a warrior of great renown. She lost her life defending a group of Haela from slavers. Your imril, your father was lost shortly after, following those remaining threads to finish your mother’s work. Take heart, for they achieved their goal and kept a great many Haela from a terrible fate.” Sage explains, and you have to centre yourself in the Force to keep yourself balanced. An intense feeling of sympathy sinks into you like a blanket around your shoulders, and you take comfort in the embrace of the Force.

“Thank you for telling me their story. I will do my best to honour them, and live a life of which they would be proud.” You reply, and Sage smiles, squeezing your hand.

“You already have, little one.”

~

“Will you use Haelan vows?” Lawmaster asks, and Obi-Wan smiles, sweet enough to make you nearly swoon. He explains your plan, in which you will use traditional Haelan vows, followed by the Jedi code to honour your family. Anakin has been running you ragged, forcing you to take him through the katas for the Way of the Kirroger just like you’d promised him. He’s lacking instinct and a tail, but he has been making progress, and seems to enjoy the new form. It’s very adaptable, you observe, easily accommodating the vibro-weapons that Haela tend to use. You don’t think it would take much to make it into a new lightsaber form, though you keep that to yourself. Who knows if the Jedi would even be open to a new form? Mace Windu’s Vaapad is the latest addition, and even it is simply a variation of the pre-existing Juyo. No, until you’ve mastered your form, you will keep it to yourself and your little family.

Your wedding ceremony is set to occur tonight at sundown as per Haela tradition. It isn’t a long ceremony, as many Haela were traditionally wed during long hunts. After your wedding ceremony, you will undergo another called ‘The Claiming’, in which you will formally acknowledge Anakin as your son. In Haelan society, this doesn’t negate his true parentage. He can be both Shmi’s son, and yours. Biological and spiritual, side by side. You know he’s excited - he’s been practically glowing since you asked him if it was something he would consider.

Later that evening, you stand before Lawmaster once more as she recites the traditional Haelan vows. Both yourself and Obi-Wan are dressed in your nicest robes, and both of you have been put through very different versions of a Haelan spa day. Obi-Wan’s beard has been trimmed, oiled and brushed. His hair is perfectly coiffed, his smile serene as he gazes at you. You admire him shamelessly, pleased to find that his mating mark is fully on display. He holds your open hands in his, thumbs stroking across your palms, and your tail is wrapped around his thigh.

“I vow to always protect you from harm, to stand with you against your troubles, and to look to you when I need protection in turn. I vow to honour you, cherish you, and guide you through the darkness. I will raise our children with compassion, kindness, honour and wisdom. This I pledge to you as I take you as mine.” Obi-Wan recites, and you smile as his force signature brightens with every word.

“Your battles are mine. Your worries are mine. I will be your guiding light through darkness and despair. I vow to be your shield, your guide, and your provider. I am yours, and you are mine, from this day til the end of days. I vow to honour you and our children in a household full of love. You will never be alone - I will stand at your side through all of life’s challenges. This I pledge to you as I take you as mine.” You reply, shivering as Lawmaster pushes on your shoulder until you kneel at Obi-Wan’s feet. He stares down at you with blue eyes ablaze, clasping a collar of (favourite metal) around your neck. It sits just above your scent glands, leaving your mating mark in full view, and your eyes go half-lidded and pleased at the feeling of the cool metal around your throat. It feels right.

Obi-Wan lets you take his hand, and you slip a gold ring onto his finger, letting him see the surprise inside. The force crystal given to you by your old master many, many years ago gleams in the centre of the ring, and Obi-Wan gasps at the sight of it. He knows the significance - knows what it means for you to part with one of your most prized, and loved, possessions. You stand, tipping Obi-Wan’s head back delicately so you can press heated kisses across his mating mark. He grabs your collar and pulls you into a proper kiss that sends fire racing through you, down to the tips of your toes.

“You are one.” Lawmaster says, “Now, bring forth your child.”

Anakin steps forwards, his eyes darting between the both of you as if you’ll suddenly tell him it was all a joke. You chuff at him and he melts, chuffing back as he takes his place between you and your new husband.

“Who claims this child, Anakin Skywalker, son of Shmi Skywalker?” Lawmaster asks, and you clasp your hand around Anakin’s.

“This child is mine.” You declare, and you feel Anakin trembling, his Force signature brighter than the sun.

“And he is mine.” Obi-Wan finishes, taking Anakin’s other hand.

“Commit yourselves.” Lawmaster instructs you both, and you turn to Anakin in unison, offering him a soothing smile.

“I vow to protect you from all harm, be it of the body, mind or spirit. I vow to guide you through darkness and light, to follow the path laid before your feet. I vow to love you so dearly no one will ever have reason to question that you were meant to be mine, my son, my heart. I swear to give you shelter from the storm, feed you when you are hungry, support you when you are unbalanced, and forgive you when you err. I take you as my son, from this day until the end of days, and curse anyone who would try to part us.” You and Obi-Wan recite together, and you can’t help but smile at the way Anakin squeezes your hands so tightly you think he might accidentally break a bone.

“Do you accept this declaration of love and family, Anakin Skywalker?” Lawmaster asks, and he nods, clearing his throat before speaking hoarsely.

“I do.”

“Then, it is done. You came to us as Anakin Skywalker, and you leave us as Anakin Skywalker-Kenobi, son of two families. Never forget how loved you are.” Lawmaster claps her hands together, and you pull Obi-Wan and Anakin into a hug, smothering them both in kisses that even Anakin doesn’t try to pretend to protest. Together with your husband, you clasp a necklace around your son’s neck, an intricate cage of white gold around a crystal found only on Haelstruum called Crearuun. The crystal shines violet, and you can’t imagine a more perfect thing to represent your love.

[wordwarriors]

Pacing and Scene Transitions

Thanks to everyone who attended today. It was another great discussion. There was a lot of things covered today, I hope this hits the highlights.

Scene: The basic building block of a story. A story is comprised of many scenes strung together.

Chapter and story length: A very common question in writer’s groups is how long should my book be?

How long should a chapter be? The truth is that no one can answer that for you. Each book, short story, chapter and scene should be as long as it needs to be to accomplish what you need it to accomplish.

Chapter and scene length should vary. Chapters do not need to be uniform, nor should they be. Sometimes a short chapter can be an excellent set up for what comes next.

Pacing: every word should push your plot forward.

Slowing the pace can be used to give readers a break, to give your character and readers time to process previous events. This is the place to explore character motivations, backstory, etc.

Create slower pacing with detailed descriptions, longer phrases/sentences, and paragraphs.

Use heightened detail when you want to slow things down. Think of a slow-motion movie shot. This kind of shot amps up the focus on each visual aspect, allowing the viewer to experience a single moment in exquisite detail. You can utilize a similar technique and achieve a similar effect in your writing. (See example under the cut)

Create faster pacing with sharp, short sentences. Shorter paragraphs. Show don’t tell. (He wasn't nervous...his heart pounded). Limited amount of exposition. Action words. Keep the action going.

Use shorter words. Ex: Try not endeavor. Use adjectives and adverbs sparingly. Ex: The sharp sword pierced his delicate skin. VS The sword pierced his skin.

If you were looking for slow, say his perception slowed down at that moment. Then: The world stood still as the gleaming blade sliced toward him, the sharpness biting into his soft, delicate flesh as a blossom of red appeared across his chest.

So the fast one if mid-scene, but if you now want to slow the narrative and transition scenes the slow would be better.

When you want fast pacing, that is not the time to give the character backstory or explain why she has a fear of heights.

Some genres lend to faster or slower pacing overall, but your story should have both slow and fast-paced scenes generally.

Scene Shifting: When to scene shift and how; Scenes shift when there’s a change in place, time, or POV. Can also show a change in heart or frame of mind.

Ending a chapter, adding a break (the little stars in the middle or an extra blank line)

A cliffhanger is when a chapter ends in the middle of a scene, at a crucial moment.

The last line of the previous scene should set up the first line of the next.

Don’t teleport, don’t time hop, don’t have characters suddenly appear. Rather, show these things. It could be with a header.

At the Royal Palace Cordonian Royal Hospital Six months ago…

I use scene headers when jumping between multiple locations/POV in one chapter, but generally, you would use the narrative to show shifts.

Examples:

In the days and months that followed, Clarissa and Sarah became closer as they bonded over their shared enthusiasm for horses. One morning in late April, Clarissa stepped out into the cool morning air to find Sarah was missing.

Thirty minutes later, they were in the car speeding toward the beach. The next day, they met in front of the fountain.

The posh hotel she found herself in…. As she stepped out of the limo….. Three days later…

That night,

We will talk about setting scenes/establishing scenes next month, but for now, remember to make it clear who is in the room when you set the scene or have a character enter later, but be sure to include it so the reader isn’t surprised when someone speaks when the narrative never showed that they were present.

Example of Slow vs. Fast Pacing:

A great example of using heightened detail to slow pacing courtesy of @karahalloway. This slows the action down and gets inside the character’s head, exposing backstory, personality, and motivation, immersing you in the sensory feel of the scene.

Arriving at the side of the pool, I peel my sweat-soaked clothes off, leaving only my boxers on for the sake of modesty in case someone happens to walk in.

Taking a breath, I step out over the edge and plunge straight in.

The sting of salt hits my nose — not the same flavour as the Med, but then no pool's ever gonna compete with that — as the water envelopes me and I let myself sink below the surface.

I hit the bottom and the echoey silence settles like a blanket around me, soothing my senses, taming my pulse.

Feeling my lungs start to itch from the lack of oxygen, I reluctantly open my eyes and kick back up to the surface.

But I don't feel like returning to dry land just yet.

So, drawing a quick breath, I stretch myself out and dip into an easy freestyle. Half-a-dozen strokes and I reach the edge of the pool. Diving down, I flip myself around to kick off the wall, resurfacing into a backstroke.

I repeat the pattern for about ten laps, enjoying the rare sense of peace that came with gliding weightlessly through the water, strokes moving effortlessly in time with my breath.

Eventually, though, I'm forced to call it quits as my body finally runs out of steam and my rhythm starts to falter.

Grabbing onto the edge of the pool, I pause to catch my breath, arms and shoulders tingling from the exertion..

Now contrast this to a fast-paced scene where we strip away all those details. You don’t need to know what the halls look like or what he’s feeling in this moment, the focus is on the action:

Men scrambled to their feet, grabbing weapons and scurrying down the hallway. The second the last man was through the door, Drake hauled ass across the room and swiped the keycard.

He sprinted up the stairs, making the first floor as he heard guards giving chase behind him. Footsteps pounded behind him and orders to halt rang through the hallways. He stayed far enough ahead of them that no one could get a clear shot off. Barely.

He knew where he was going and they didn’t.

He flew down the corridors and skidded around corners, weaving and twisting his way through the familiar halls until he found the door he was looking for.

He ignored the shouting as he hurtled around one last corner and dove into a small unused office, slamming the door shut behind him. He locked it and slid the desk in front of it.

By the time the guards got through the door, the room was empty.

“Where the fuck did he go?”

Drake was running through the secret passageways, on his way to freedom.

Please, if I've missed anything, feel free to mention it in the comments and I'll add it!

Also, check out these articles on Pacing and Scene Writing:

Pacing

Writing Scenes

November Event:

Live Discussion on World Building and Establishing Scenes on Friday, November 17th, 2023 12:00 p.m. CST

Please note November and December discussions will be on the third Friday of the month instead of the fourth

Word Warriors:

@karahalloway @aussiegurl1234 @harleybeaumont @alj4890 @peonierose @petiteboheme @twinkleallnight @lizzybeth1986 @noesapphic @thedistantshoresproject

@ryns-ramblings @tate-lin @nestledonthaveone

@aallotarenunelma @kristinamae093 @coffeeheartaddict2 @memorias-depresivas

@jerzwriter

[mrbottomhat69]

Evidence as to why I think Sarah x Jareth is one-sided (movie and novelization)

Addressing the massive elephant in the room, I know this is coming out later than I said it would. This semester was full of work and no time to actually sit down and watch the movie, since the only way I could access the movie is through my DVD edition.

Some of the evidence I have overlaps with the movie and novelization, so I'll start with the movie and continue with the novelization

The movie

.whether or not the events of the movie was a dream, Sarah clearly didn't expect anything to happen when she wished Toby away. Once it happened, righting her wrong became the main thing on her mind

.Sarah's stepmom mentions that Sarah should have dates at her age, implying either that Sarah doesn't have a lot of people she's close with besides her family or she's not interested in that kind of stuff

. A lot of the interactions between Sarah and Jareth carry this specific vibe that Sarah is less attracted to him and more trying to impress him like he's some sort of cool, older friend and she needs to prove to him that she's nonchalant and means what she says. The novelization leans into this a little more.

. Exception to the previous is the ballroom scene, where Sarah seems more dazed and confused than anything. She's just kind of going along with wherever and whatever the movement of the crowd leads her to until she realizes what's going on and breaks free.

The novelization

.The first chapter not only adds lore to Sarah's bio mom that was regulated to background details in the movie, but also gives Sarah the characterization of being fascinated by the idea of fame. Also in the first chapter, Jeremy is introduced via flashback/exposition. Who's Jeremy? The guy Sarah's mom left her dad for and Jareth's "real-world counterpart" (though more on that later). He seems aware of Sarah's fascination with fame (both in general and her mother's fame), with it being mentioned within the flashback to Sarah's 15th birthday that "he kidded her that a flashbulb meant they'd be all over the gossip columns the next morning, and all the way home he drove fast, to shake off the photographers, he claimed, grinning" (page 18). Both him and her mom are used to similar kind of stuff, so it makes sense that Sarah would admire having that kind of attention and that her mom would give her the chance to feel like a celebrity for a day as a gift.

.Going off of the above, this passage from page 16:

"Perhaps I will have a date, she thought, perhaps I will, but you will not like it, not one bit, when you see who's dating me. I doubt you will see him. All you will know about it is hearing the front door shut behind me, and you will sneak to the window, as you always do, and poke your nose between those horrid phony-lace curtains you put up there, and you will see the taillights of a wicked dove-gray limousine vanishing around the corner. And after that, you will keep seeing pictures in the magazines of the two of us together in Bermuda, and St. Tropez, and Benares. And there will be nothing at all you can possibly do about it, for all your firm views on bedtimes and developmental psychology and my duties and rolling up the toothpaste tube from the bottom. Oh, stepmother, are you going to be sorry when you read in Vogue about the cosmic cash that Hollywood producers are offering us for-"

She doesn't mention an actual thing about her fantasy boyfriend other than being a celebrity and them becoming the new couple everyone obsesses over (*cough cough* like the way Sarah's mom and Jeremy are described together *cough*)

.On page 65, at the point of the story where Sarah ends up in the oubliette, Jareth reminisces about Sarah and how she's "too young to be kept". Sarah, on the other hand, has no mentioned opinion on him.

.Close to the end of chapter 5, it's noted that Sarah only says "it's a piece of cake" to Jareth's question about how she was enjoying the labyrinth because she's trying to come off as nonchalant and not intimidated

.Honestly, the way the ballroom scene is described in the novelization makes me kind of uncomfortable. The other dancers leer at Sarah in a way that could be interpreted as sexual and one even makes a comment about her beauty after looking at her breasts and hips. She feels dizzy, but it goes away once her and Jareth are dancing together. He leans in to kiss her and she initially embraces it until she notices the room is silent and sees that the other dancers are around the two of them, attempting to hold back laughter. She tries to leave, but she can't and he kisses her in spite of her now being aware of what's going on. Only then does she break the bubble she's in and exits the ballroom scene. The whole point is that Sarah is uncomfortable with a capital U.

Extra point that @thehumantrampoline mentioned that I feel like should be mentioned:

"[Jareth's] an archetypal oxymoron. He's both the dastardly baby-stealing villain and the royal love interest trying to relieve the heroine's suffering, Cinderella-style. He's fucked either way by being both. [Sarah] doesn't know if SHE wants to be the villain or the heroine until he shows up and then she decides on the heroine... [Jareth's] just a story for a teen girl to grow up in, and as the villain [he has] to be defeated. He's so complex because his tropes contradict themselves, and he doesn't understand why he has to lose when he was only doing the job he was given."

(check out their post, it goes into a lot more detail than what I quoted)

Ultimately, this sums up what could be concluded from everything. Jareth isn't a reflection of love or someone she aspired to be with, he's a reflection of her desire of fame and the stories she caught herself up in. She doesn't love him, she loves the story he's a part of.

[cursedvibes]

At this point I would actually rather have a chapter of Sukuna and Kusakabe talking, even if it's just for stalling. Too many opportunities to give insight on Sukuna's higher understanding of "true jujutsu" have been wasted for cheap tricks.

If Sukuna's strength is being focused on, I want it to be something more than just him "being that good".

I actually liked his outburst with Maki this chapter. It's nice to finally see him invested and make hypotheses about the nature of jujutsu. I could see this getting more focus in the future as well, since Sukuna also has an exceptional body that used to be a hindrance to him and got him ostracised from society, only to transform it into something that became an advantage. Him and Maki have a lot of similarities and Sukuna seems to be aware of that and eager to explore all those implications. It could be an opportunity to give us more of his backstory and bring up the conjoined twin thing as actual text for the first time. What better time to go into it than when he is facing a twin, who has pushed her body to the ultimate optimum at the cost of her sister. With how the fight has been going, I definitely think the relationship and similarities between Maki and Sukuna will keep being a point of interest in the next chapters. A good thing because I agree that it is high time that Sukuna gets to show more of his character than just being an unreachable pinnacle of strength.

Kusakabe has basically been Mr. Exposition ever since the timeskip, so he could fill this role again, but I don't see much coming from it except another info dump because I doubt Sukuna would be interested in talking to him. So for the talking part Maki seems to be the better option, even if it is just some teasing to get Sukuna to open up even further. She is also pushing Sukuna to his limits, meaning we might get to see more than just the same Cleave and Dismantle attacks. They don't even seem to work on her, so he has to find something better. He wants to test his jujutsu against her body and for that to work he will have to bring out more variety and maybe even things like the Black Box, which he usually doesn't have to use. It could be a good opportunity to really show his knowledge and proficiency in jujutsu and also give us some more insight from Maki, see what her new body is really capable of and how she can use Split Soul Katana even more efficiently.

I still think it's a shame that we didn't get a trial for Sukuna to show how he would act in an environment where he can't rely on jujutsu and his strength, not to mention that the way he got out of that situation was stupid and pointless. But Maki could be another way we can get a bit more depth out of him and once he warmed up with her, we might finally get some good direct interaction between him and Yuuji that isn't just shallow insults we've heard dozens of times at this point.

[hash-driveway]

Down With Me

Roxanne, Sunnyvale's newest resident, meets Julian and Ricky after they return from jail. Troubled by her traumatic relationship with her ex, will she be able to open up in her newfound home?

Bubbles isn’t in jail in this one.  I need him for exposition ok!! Roxanne is all of us and we are all Roxanne.

Also on AO3!

NEXT CHAPTER

CHAPTER ONE

Roxanne’s favorite part of living in Sunnyvale was the way that the sun beamed down onto her porch in the mornings.  Her routine, newly developed since moving to Sunnyvale, had a sense of peace about it since moving away from the city.  Instead of dragging herself out of bed, to then drag herself to her soul-sucking desk job, then back to her lackluster apartment, she felt energized to begin her day.  

After rising from bed, she would get ready for her morning jog around the trailer park.  When she lived with her ex, she hardly ever had the time to keep up with exercise.  Instead, she would resort to not eating much throughout her day to save herself time.  She had to be as productive as possible. Now that she had this fresh start, she could take more time for herself.  It was something that she had to get used to at first, but once she did, she fully embraced it.  It felt good to let go of the pressure and stress that she lived in for so long. 

Roxie developed a rapport with some of her neighbors on her morning jogs.  She met Lucy and Sarah, two best friends (who Roxie was surprised to find out were not in a relationship) who did hair out of their trailer sometimes.  Lucy’s daughter, Trinity, lived with them.  Trinity was a little hellion, stealing barbecues and throwing bottles.  Luckily, when Roxie caught her trying to steal her barbecue, she wasn’t intimidated by the little kid’s attitude.  Instead, she earned the child’s respect by talking with Lucy about the situation in a way that didn’t make her feel guilty.  After that, the three of them became friends.  

She also met Bubbles, a peculiar guy with the most alarming Coke-bottle glasses she’d ever seen.  He lived out of the shed across the street from her trailer.  Roxie took it upon herself to put some cat food out on her first night, and Bubbles noticed and came to her door.  At first, he was a bit offended, assuming she thought that he didn’t feed his kitties sufficiently.  He fed them good, he said, better than most kitties in the world.  She believed him.  

And of course, Roxie knew Jim Lahey and Randy, the Trailer Park Supervisor and Assistant Trailer Park Supervisor, respectively.  Jim was always drunk, and Randy was always shirtless. They weren’t as nosy as her previous landlords, who would barrage her with emails about her hanging plants on the balcony, or the decorations she’d put on her door.  Since she was the leaseholder, she was the one who was always being contacted for stupid shit, like her ex parking in the handicap spot or being late on rent because he couldn’t be bothered to save any money.  Her ex never took responsibility for anything.  

Across the street from her new place sat a white single-wide with brown trim.  Two young guys, Corey and Trevor, lived there and completely trashed it.  It was unfortunate seeing the state of disarray Julian’s home was in while he was away.  

She had never met Julian, of course.  Bubbles spoke about him and Ricky so often that Roxie felt like she might as well know them.  Bubbles often told her about how excited he was for his friends to get out of jail.  

That’s why Bubbles stopped her on her run this morning.  As soon as she passed Julian’s trailer on her second lap around, Bubbles ran to her in a panic.  

“Roxie! Please, I need your help.  I don’t know how I’m going to get Corey and Trevor out of Julian’s place,” he exclaimed, taking a moment to whine stressfully, “He’s going to be back any minute, and they just fucked his place up.  They won’t listen to me!” 

Out of breath and hunched over, Roxie panted through her words, “Bubbles, I’m sure Julian will be able to handle it. Corey and Trevor don’t seem too bright.” 

Bubbles sighed, not feeling any better, “Yeah, well, they’re fuckin’ idiots, but they’re in there tearing the place up… Smoking, drinking, and playing video games all day and night.  They don’t even care to clean up after themselves.” 

“It’ll be okay, Bubbs, I promise.” 

The rest of her morning went on as usual: Shower, change clothes, and brew coffee.  She sat on the small porch of her trailer, basking in the sun.  Roxie had on a gray tank top which now soaked up the water dripping from her hair, and shorts.  While it was early spring, it surely got hot enough for her to wear summer clothes already. 

Placing her coffee down, Roxie reached into her pocket and grabbed her plastic cigarette case, which held half a pack and a half-smoked joint.  She was saving the weed for later, maybe if she hung out with Lucy and Sarah that evening.  Roxie lit up a cigarette and let time stop for a moment as the morning sun warmed her face. 

Just after, her trance was broken by the sound of a cab rolling up across the street.  She watched as Bubbles ran to the vehicle in excitement.  That must be Julian and Ricky, she thought. 

The guy who exited the cab first wore a button-up houndstooth shirt with Adidas swishy pants.  His hair was a dirty red, styled in a pompadour with impressive sideburns.  His eyes were covered by small oval sunglasses.  He was cute. 

“Bubbs!” He shouted as he gave Bubbles a hug, “I fuckin’ missed ya, buddy.” 

Bubbles whined and hugged his friend back, “Ricky! I missed you, too!”  Roxie smiled to herself, happy that Bubbles wouldn’t be so lonely anymore.   

As the two reunited, the other side of the cab opened.  Roxie was greeted by the sight of a tall man with black hair, slicked back and shiny.  His dark goatee framed his jaw, and as he turned to retrieve their bags from the trunk, his earring caught the light of the morning sun.  His shoulders were broad, and a gold chain rested on his chest. In one hand, he held a drink, which never seemed to spill in spite of the movements he made.  He was built, but not cut.  He looked like the kind of guy that you wouldn’t want to fuck with.  

Roxie watched as Julian propped both duffel bags onto one shoulder, and a small wave of fervor swept through her stomach.  She took another drag, and stole glances at Julian as she eavesdropped from across the street. 

“Bubbs, what the fuck happened to my trailer?” Julian’s voice was deep and steady despite his aggravated tone. 

Bubbles stammered as he explained to Julian how he tried to kick Corey and Trevor out of his trailer, but that they wouldn’t listen.  Julian shook his head and made his way into his home with Ricky following behind him.  A commotion erupted from the trailer– a combination of shouting and objects falling over.  Corey and Trevor really did trash the place.  There was garbage and empty bottles where the flowerbeds used to be, and the porch was filled with junk.  Roxie couldn’t imagine how disgusting the inside of the house was. 

Bubbles looked around, a distressed look on his face.  Roxie stood as they made eye contact from across the street, and mouthed: 

“Everything okay?” 

Bubbles whined again and threw his hands up in exasperation before heading over to her.  

“I fucked up, Roxie.  I tried so hard to get them to leave, but those dicks are so drunk and high all the time that they never listen!”

She snuffed her cig and patted Bubbles on the back, “You tried your best, Bubbles.  It looks like your friends have it handled.” 

As she spoke, Ricky and Julian were throwing all of Corey and Trevor’s shit out of the front door.  Ricky pushed Corey out first, then Trevor.  Their protests fell on deaf ears as Julian scolded them and told them to start cleaning his trailer immediately.  

When the two made their way over to Bubbles, Roxie started feeling nervous.  Nervous? Fuck no, she was probably just excited to meet her new neighbor…right? Right.  

Julian approached and consoled Bubbles, making sure that his friend knew that it wasn’t his fault.  

“It’s alright, Bubbles. I should have known those dicks were up to something fucked up.” Julian regarded Roxie, eyeing her up and down before greeting her, “Hey.” 

“Hi,” she waved at him, “Roxie.” 

“Jeez, Bubbs.  You went ahead and got a girlfriend while we were gone, huh?” Ricky teased. 

Bubbles groaned, “Ricky! She’s not my girlfriend.  Just my friend.” 

“Is that right?” responded Julian, the faintest inkling of intrigue in his voice, “Nice to meet you.” 

Roxie smiled, “Likewise.” 

They shared a brief moment of eye contact until Ricky shouted at Corey and Trevor to “pick up the fucking pace” because he “wanted to watch TV and smoke a joint” with Julian and Bubbles.  

“Boys, let’s hurry the fuck up and get Corey and Trevor out of Julian’s! I want to have a tiny bit of a relaxing evening.” 

“See you,” said Julian, “Let me know if you need anything.” 

“Okay.  Bye, Julian.” 

As the boys returned to berating Corey and Trevor, Roxie found herself smiling.  Was her face red?  Oh God, it must have been weird of her to only say goodbye to Julian, right? Maybe she was being too obvious.  

She grabbed the half-smoked cigarette from her ashtray and went back inside before she got too excited about meeting her new neighbor.  

[duckiemimi]

ever since the whole exhibition thingy idk what the hell it is I’m new to jjk (caught up though!!) i have no hope gojo is coming back. im kinda sad we’re still fighting sukuna :( i wanted to see gojo help save megumi but i also wanted to see everyone save gojo like i fucking love everyone jumping sukuna but I wish they did it before gojo died BUT IM SELFISH 😭😭😭

i also think shinjuku showdown dragged! i wanted to give the pacing the benefit of the doubt because weekly publications can affect how an arc is read, but i reread it again a couple days ago, back to back without pause, and well...it still dragged. i hope this is something the anime can improve on, and judging by how well season 2 was animated, i'm sure it'll come out better on screen!

OH, what i would've GIVEN to see an alternative version of their plan. there were so many things i disliked in this arc. i thought the way everyone stood idly—casually, even—while gojo fought sukuna was frustrating, considering the dire situation. i understand that jumping in would hinder gojo practicality-wise, and it would be disrespectful because it's also a fight to determine who's the strongest (blah blah), but couldn't they have looked for kenjaku while it happened—kenjaku who was their main concern before? why did they mobilize only after gojo died? if i recall correctly, kusakabe's reasoning behind this as one of the more prominent planners was that they needed to conserve energy and numbers to fight sukuna if gojo loses. but they quickly split up once he did anyway, so the plan just came off as inefficient.

the rest of the cast watching through mei mei's crows and every single person giving unified commentary in different fonts seemed so unnatural, too. i understand readers might need some technical background for the power system, but we established a narrator for a reason! done like this, gojo vs. sukuna seemed like a way to buy time to figure out what happens next in the story, what to write towards the next major plot point gege had in mind.

then there was also the issue of pov switching. i understand what gege was going for here and i'm sure it's the shibuya formula, but because of the lack of detailed planning on his part, it just came off as inconsistent and disjointed. hakari vs. uraume seemed more like an exposition dump if anything. speaking of exposition, instead of clarifying revelation, the constant flashbacks seemed more like retroactive justifications towards under-planned plot points. gege was struggling to put one foot forward every chapter, like he was being chased while running on sticky tar. any way to get to the finish line.

anyway, how this became a rant on shinjuku showdown, i'm not sure HAHA, but i hope that's okay with you. i don't think you're selfish! i think you have a point!

[katie-the-bug]

Last post about Left Behind, I promise.

I'm as surprised as you are that the book isn't over yet.

Anyways, for those just tuning in, our cast: Rayford Steele, pilot and newly minted evangelist; Chloe Steele, getting evangelized to; Bruce Barnes, source of spiritual guidance and exposition in unequal measure; Buck Williams, newly promoted magazine editor and reporter; Nicolae Carpathia, the Antichrist and the only character I like; Hattie Durham, Rayford's emotional sidepiece who's moving on to better things, and by "better things" I mean Nicolae.

In Chapter 20 Buck sees Chloe for the first time and is immediately "stunned." Oh god no.

In Chapter 22 Chloe becomes a born-again Christian. Or, technically, she recounts how she became a born-again Christian to Buck, who's deliberately gotten himself a seat next to her on a plane. She decides that Buck's sitting next to her is, rather than Buck being creepy, God answering her prayers. I don't know quite what kind of example this is setting but I don't like it.

In Chapter 23, Nicolae becomes secretary-general of a revamped United Nations, which the authors think means King of the World. Earlier in the story he had set a number of conditions to his accepting the role - such as disarmament of member states, his election being unanimous, and the UN being moved to Babylon (which has for some reason been rebuilt in this universe) - all of which are enthusiastically met. In a better book this would be evidence of a far-reaching ability to manipulate minds, but as it is I can't tell where Nicolae's Antichrist powers end and this world's endemic insanity begins.

Nicolae also discusses plans to create a one world religion as though religion is in any way the UN's business. What do the authors think the UN does?

Throughout the second half of the book Bruce has been emphasizing how horrible the coming years will be and how most new Christians will die horrible deaths. The characters have discussed this multiple times, but if they're anxious about it for longer than a few minutes, the narration doesn't show it. Usually I'd criticize such a thing, but this is, in my experience, pretty on-brand for Christians. I've heard several of my Catholic school teachers treat the persecution of Christians in America as an inevitability, before getting on with the curriculum as though they haven't just given a bunch of twelve-year-olds a new reason to be anxious. (I am bitter.)

After wrestling for a few chapters, in Chapter 24 Buck finally says the magic words (in a bathroom, immediately before a press conference with Nicolae) and becomes a True Christian. The immediate consequence of this is that he can now sense that Nicolae is evil despite having no hard evidence for his misdeeds.

Almost immediately afterwards Nicolae shoots two guys in front of an entire press conference, so I really don't think Buck sensing his evil was necessary.

And immediately after that Nicolae uses his powers to erase everyone's memories of the event - except Buck, who is protected by the plot God. Nicolae had previously something about how the people present will "understand cognitively" that he is in charge, even without remembering it, which sounds like the authors just wanted Nicolae to do something bad without it affecting the plot. Cowards.

At the end of it all Buck tells the Steeles and Bruce that Nicolae is without a doubt the Antichrist. All I can think is that it would be so funny if he were wrong, the Antichrist were someone else, and Nicolae just had powers for no reason. It wouldn't have made for a good book, but the book wasn't good anyway and it would at least be funny.

That's Left Behind for you. My posts about the next books in the series will be spread out a bit more because I'm going on vacation and won't have access to my computer all the time. Still, expect a considerable volume of posts about this over the next month or so, because these books are just so easy to make fun of.

See you in the next book!

[gotmesimpin4levi]

🚫‼️DISCLAIMER❗️🛑

This fanfic plot is not mine, it is the plot of the summer I turned pretty TV SHOW not book. All I did was replace each character from tsitp with an aot character. Above is a list of all the characters that will be featured in this story and who wil play them. There isn’t much smut at all just some kissing and ano more than two 🔞 scenes

A/N

I’ll try to post frequently and I’ll post multiple chapters at a time. I did add a bit of originality to it so it’s not just a straight copy and paste with different names. Lemme know is you wanna see more anime crossovers and please enjoy!

PART 1:CHAPTER 1

The air is hot, the water is warm, the sun was blazing in the beautiful blue sky. It was summer which meant that it was almost time to go to Carla’s beach house in Cousins. The place I grew up at with her two sons Eren and Jean, and of course my brother Connie. The place where I lost my first tooth. Learned how to ride my first bike. Had my first love. Cousins, was my home.

“Hitch! I can’t wear that! It’s so… slutty” I said with a disgusted but playful look. She held up a pink tube dress with long sleeves, the shoulders exposed and a pair of pink platform pumps.

“That’s the point y/n!” Hitch. Hitch and y/n, best friends till the end. Sometimes I wonder how we even became friends, it’s been so long I don’t even remember. We’re complete polar opposites. She loves to go out and party, I like to stay inside and watch musicals.

“And besides Eren’ll love it” she said teasingly

“No!” I protested “ We’re not even into each other like that” I lied. Eren and I were like a commensalism. I needed him to breathe, to live. But he never really paid attention to me like I did him. Whatever I did didn’t affect him so he didnt really care.

“LIAR LIAR pants on fire!” Hitch yelled out “ you like him and you know you do”

“Maybe” I murmured “ but he doesn’t like me back so I don’t need the outfit”

“Y/n, look you can’t stay the young gullible little sister forever. Whether you like it or not your changing. Actually you’ve already changed a lot! There’s no way Eren can resist a hot steamy make out session with you. No way! And you’ve gotta get out more!”

I knew I looked different but not enough for Eren to notice me. Right?

“Maybe but I don’t wanna get my hopes up”

“Girl if he doesn’t notice you then he’s cra cra. Here, take these just in case” she handed me along with her slutty outfit a neon green bikini ithong, a pink crochet cami with light colored cutoff shorts and a pair of white Tommy Hilfiger flip flops.

“Thanks Hitch, I don’t know what I’d do without you. I’m really gonna miss you”

“ hey don’t worry, I’ll see you in a week for your birthday” Bursting in to my room Connie said

“Come on y/n, moms pissed we haven’t left yet” I just blew him off. We walked downstairs and said our goodbyes. Connie drove, I rode shotgun and my mom, Hange, sat in the back seat. This was it, this was the beginning of our perfect, annual, summer getaway!

A/N

I’m soo sorry for the long chapter and all the boring exposition😭

My goal was to make it so that someone who has never seen tsitp could still read this fanfic and enjoy it so my apologies the next chapter is also long but a lot more entertaining!

CHAPTER 2

As soon as we arrive in Cousins every summer, we always stop at this gas station a few miles from Carla’s to get gas and snacks.

“Come on y/n let’s get snacks while Connie fills the tank. Connie just meet us inside when your done”

“Got it!” Me and my brother said unanimously

I walked in and went straight to the slushie machine. Half cherry, half coke. Perfection! I got a couple airheads, a bag of cheetos and made my way toward cashier. He was tall, very pale, and had red hair. He wasn't a very attractive guy but he wasn’t particularly ugly either. The closer I got to the register the more our eyes met and the more his attractiveness started to increase.

“ Hey, im Floch, and you are?” he said with a smirky tone of voice

“Hey im y/n” I responded. I reached out to slide him my snacks and slushie and when he reached out to grab them from me, our hands touched. I blushed, he chuckled a bit.

“ I don’t think I’ve ever seen you here in cousins, I’d definitely remember if I saw a pretty girl like you, this your first summer?” He said as he rung up my items

“Oh umm no I’ve been coming here since before I can remember I just don’t really get out much” I could feel my cheeks get hot as my mind was still lingering in the compliment he gave me.

“ Well if you wanna get out more, all us summer Cousins kids are going out to the beach for a bonfire, if you wanna come?” The way he said it. The way his voice lingered when he said “if”. This is what Hitch meant. I had to take advantage of this opportunity!

“ yeah sure I’d love to-“

“Love to what?” My mom said curiously. I could hear Connie “oooooohhhh-ing” from the back of the store

“Nothing! See ya later” I had a goofy cheesy grin on my face. I couldn’t believe it, a boy wanted to invite me somewhere! I had to be there. Mom and Connie followed me back to the car.

“🎶We wanted to believe there was no

No Hell on Earth worse than what we know🎤” I sang out.

“Y/n. No” Connie said hiding a smile

“But every day just seems to worsen We weren't prepared at all🎤”

“🎤Now we must rise to this occasion Devoid of all consideration” I heard my mom hun in the back. After a few more verses we were all screaming at the top of our lungs,

“SASAGEYO SASAGEYO SHINZOU WO SASAGEYO!!🎤🎶” the song ended just as we pulled up to Carla’s beach house. When I got out the car I met with Jeans eyes. It felt like I was looking at a completely different person. Like he hadn’t been my best friend since before I can remember.

“ Y/N!!” He said as he took me in for a big bear hung

“ jEaN!” I said as he lifted me off the ground still bear hugging me

“Damn,Look at how big you’ve gotten! You're not out little y/n anymore” I blushed a bit when he said it.

“Yeah I guess I am changing” I walked over to Eren to hug him but decided against it at the last minute. He, like Jean, looked different too. His hair was a lot longer, he was taller, and you could definitely tell he was more toned than before. But the main thing I noticed was his aura. Something felt off with him. Like he was masking an important feature that made him, him.

“Hey, Eren” i said

“I see you stopped wearing your glasses.” That’s it?! That’s all he said to me?

“Yeah I guess I grew out of them!”

“I liked you better with them”

“Well,” I started, “ I like me better without them,” I said in a snarky tone. Eren was acting differently. Something was definitely up. I looked over at Jean and he had a look in his eye. The kind of look he gave before he did something he knew was bad.

“ guys,” he began, “ you know what time it is?”

“ no. No, no, no, no,no!!” I protested playfully

“Y/N SWIM! Y/N SWIM!!” They all chanted. They picked me up, Connie at my feet and Eren and Jean on each arm. They carried me to the pool out back.

“1!” They all said with a swing. “2! 3!” Before I knew it I was catapulted into the pool. I could hear them all up there laughing and I couldn’t help but laugh too.

“ Come on Jean, help me out of the pool” I said as I reached my arm out. When he grabbed my hand I saw a perfect moment for revenge. I had pulled Jean in the pool along with me. Connie and Eren just laughed and in that moment I saw a glimpse of the old Eren.

CHAPTER 3 Hange pov

“We are all set for your party tonight” the book store attendant said to me

“Great!” I replied.

“How was your?” He asked

“Oh my publishers didn’t send me on tour for this one, it’s been a pretty quiet release!”

“Are you on social media?” The girl asked. “You should really be on social media!”

“Ah, well, no, I’m not.”

“Are you working on something new?” He asked

“Always!” I replied Carla walked over and asked,

“How many copies did you make for tomorrow's night?”

“I think 20”

“Oh, that’s not nearly enough!” Carla protested “I’ve invited half the town!” She exclaimed. I looked at her in shock.

“What?” I said “ you said this was just going to be a small thing?!”

“Look, Petra,” she said to the store clerk “ I am so sorry but you might have to run to the Barnes and Noble in Portsmouth and get some more.”

“Business has been slow we haven’t had many copies of anything coming in” Petra said. Carla picked up a book off the counter and said

“ You must have 100 copies of this book?!”

I read the front of it

“ Levi Ackerman is the off brand Jonathan Franzen. Levi Ackerman is such a phony name. it’s like “hi I’m masculine but I’m intellectual” I mocked “ I bet Hemingway is his hero“

“Mm-hmm” Carla agreed

“ I bet he has horn rimmed glasses!” I teased some more.

“Yeah,see? I I held up his picture in the back of the book. “Yeah,” I heard a voice from across the room. “Contacts irritate my eyes.”

“Goodbye Levi!” The store clerk said as the man walked out the door.

“Yeah that was him,” Petra said “ he’s renting the Burke house this summer“

“Oh, that’s a nice place!” Carla said

I put the book back down on the counter ashamed of the situation.

“Sorry” I winced

CHAPTER 4

On the first night we always have Carla’s special, Stuffed bell peppers for dinner

“Eren, I heard you quit football,” my mom said

“Yeah. what’s it to you?” He replied

“ So, Connie, I heard you got a job for this summer?” Carla asked

“ oh yeah I’m gonna be working at the rec center-“

“Wait seriously!?” Jean cut off “me too!”

“Jean it’s not nice to cut people off”

“Sorry mom” Jean said he turned back to Connie “I’ll be a lifeguard at the pool”

“Saweet!!” Connie said. He always says dumb stuff like that.

“Y/n, as you know you're becoming a woman,” Carla began “ and here in Cousins we have our annual Debutante Ball and I think you should do it!” My mother practically choked at the news.

“ Ball?” She spat out “ that’s not really y/n’s style, right?” For the longest time I’d always seen Carla as a second mom. I always tried to please her and do everything like her. I even wished sometimes she was my mother. This would be my chance, my chance to do something for Carla to make her proud.

“ Sure,” I heard myself blurt out “I’ll do it. It seems harmless”

“Y/n, I don’t think you know what your getting yourself into” my mother lectured “ a ball is a lot of work and dedication and if I’m being honest you’ve never been one to really care about such things” I could feel the tension in the room rise.

“ Well Mother, it’s my decision and I’m doing it.” Eren rose from the table,

“May I be excused please?” He asked Carla

“Aren’t you going to finish dinner?” She rebuttal

“No, mom” he said sternly “now may I go?”

“Sure,” she replied. The table went silent.

After Dinner I went outside to find Eren. He was sitting along with his feet in the pool smoking a bud. I sat down next to him. He couldn’t have been more bothered to acknowledge me.

“ Smoking is bad for your health, you know?” I told him

“ Well it’s good for my stress,“ he replied. I looked into his eyes trying to find a glimpse of the old Eren, of who he was. Nothing.

“ hey you preached it first” he looked at me with a playful grin.

“ I guess I did, didn't I?” The tip of his bud met the concrete and he threw it across the pool.

“Are you seriously considering this ball thing?” He asked me

“”I mean yeah, I’ve gotten nothing better to do”

“Don’t let my mom make you her little doll because she never had a daughter”

“I don’t mind, sometimes I really wish I were her daughter!”

“Your better off with Hange, trust me”

Before I could get anything else out of him Connie and Jean came running at the house

“Come on Eren!” Jean had called “we ready to hit to the bonfire”

“ Can I come?” I asked joyfully

“ hell no!” Connie told me “ you're not old enough yet” I was furious at those words. I was old enough to go. And you know what? I didn’t need them, I'd go on my own. As soon as the boys left the house I ran upstairs to change into Hitch’s slutty outfit. To be honest I didn’t look that bad. I could get used to this me. The new me. I slipped on my shoes and tiptoed towards the door. Before I left I saw Hange and Carla sitting on the couch together watching a musical. My favorite one actually. West Side Story. I couldn’t help but wonder if maybe one day me and Hitch would be like that. Growing old together watching movies on a couch. I slowly opened the door and left. I’d walked in the dark for about 6 minutes until I heard the laughs of teenagers. I saw the glow of the bonfire and knew this was it.

CHAPTER 5

I walked down towards the bonfire and was immediately met with the smell of beer. I saw other kids drinking and making out. I walked out a bit more and I saw Floch, the guy from the gas station who invited me. He was making out with some blonde chick when he saw me. He quickly pulled away and ran over to me.

“Hey, it’s not what it looks like I was just-“ I cut him off.

“Just making out with some girl knowing good and well you invited another one here. Cuz that’s what it looks like to me!” He looked unbothered.

“That’s not it. See she was just holding your place till you got here!”

“And you know what? She can have that place cuz I don’t fuck with man whores.” Angrily I stormed off. How could I have been so foolish to really believe a guy liked me.I looked around a bit and I saw Eren. “ finally a familiar face“ I thought to myself. Until I saw him lean in and kiss another girl. I’m that moment my heart sank. I’d known Eren was probably interested in other girls but, to see it with my own two eyes boiled up a whole new anger in my heart. I could feel myself tear up. And Jean must’ve seen it too, because immediately after he came to me and pulled me away from the scene.

“Hey,” he shouted cheerfully “y/n is here!” I saw Connie’s head whip around.

“Y/n what the hell are you doing here? I told you not to come!” He had his arm around some girl I'd never seen before. She had her dark brown hair in a high ponytail, a Nirvana crop top on and a bikini thong.

“Because I can do whatever I want. I’m not a damn baby Connie!” He looked furious now

“Why am I even arguing with you? I'm taking you home now!”

“Con,” Jean interrupted, “just give her this one night.” Connie looked at him unamused “please 🥺” he said giving him a little pouty lip.

“Fine!” Connie said “but if you dare to even look at a drink you're out”

CHAPTER 6 Carla pov

“ When the boys threw Y/n in the pool today, I swear I almost saw a smile on Eren’s face. He was in a better mood today than I’ve seen him since him and Historia broke up” I said to Hange

“ I didn’t realize they were that serious?” She replied

“ Neither did I“ we both chuckled. “ he’s just always in such a bad mood. So unlike himself.”

“ since when did he quit football?“ she asked me.

“ A couple weeks ago. He only ever played football to please Grisha. I told you they weren’t getting along. I'm just gonna… let him have his space, you know? let him do his thing.” Hange looked at me with a concerned look.

“ don’t you think maybe it’s time you talked to him?” I looked at her blankly

“ There's nothing to talk about. Can we just have a really great summer like we said we would?” I leaned my arm out to touch her shoulder. We both laughed. “ How's your writing coming?” I asked her

“I just wanna hang out with you,” she replied “I could give a shit about that book right now”

“Liar! You give all your shits about your book. You give too many shits”

“It’s a mid list book” she said “ it’s been out for a month and it’s barely selling.

“ Well it is going to sell a ton of copies tomorrow and I can’t wait to read it!”

“ you never read my books“ she protested

“ Yes I do“ I lied. We both burst into laughter

“ read Levi Ackerman‘s book instead he’s got 150,000 followers on Instagram!” I chuckled a bit

“ you know it wouldn’t hurt you to put yourself out there more. Get on Tinder while your at it” I teased

“Oh my God, please stop!”

“Okay, okay. Maybe not tinder but what is the e app for the 40 and up crowd?”

“Oh I’m begging you stop!“ she cried out

“It’s Ourtime?!” I teased more

“No it’s not!” She said while laughing up a fit.

I scooted in closer and we laughed even harder. I looked at her with soft eyes.

“What?” She asked

“I really think you should let y/n have her deb season.”

“Please” she began “Debutante Balls are just so problematic!”

“I really want to see our girl in a white dress” I told her. Hange looked at me with sadness in her eyes.

“Fine. You win!”

“I always do” I told her

“ is still think it’s a bad idea” she exclaimed

“She might surprise you” I said as I rested my head on her shoulder “people can change you know?”

“Not us though.” She said

“Right,” I agreed, “ you and I are immovable objects.” We sat there together looking out on the lake.

CHAPTER 7

Yess! I had managed to stay. I turned around to talk to Jean but he was already gone with his friends playing an idiotic drinking game. I walked around a bit more until I saw some commotion over where Eren was. I quickly ran over to the scene to find a drunk Eren screaming at another guy.

“Give me the fucking beer back, Reiner!” He yelled

“Dude get your own!” He clapped back

“IT WAS MINE FIRST!” Eren lunged at the other guy knocking the beer out his hand. The two started throwing punches.

“Ereh, please stop, I'll get you another beer!” The girl he was making out with said

“Mikasa, stay out of this!” Eren yelled in a headlock. The boys started throwing punches at each other. I had to stop the fight. I ran over to Eren and pulled his arm back.

“The hell?!” Eren said. He had flung his fist back and striked me across the face. I held my cheek in awe. Jean came and held me from behind. Eren looked up and realized what he had done.

“I-I-I’m sorry, I didn’t” a drunken Eren said to me. My eyes started to tear up. I felt stupid for trying to come to this party. I ran over to the empty part of the beach and sat there and cried.

~

A little while later. I heard feet in the sand walking towards me. I looked up to find a tall white boy with short blonde hair and soft eyes sit down next to me.

“Hey” he said to me

“What do you want?” I replied back

“I just wanted to see if you were okay, that was a pretty nasty fall,”

“Yeah it was.”

“Is your far okay?” He asked

“Yeah it’s feeling a bit better”

“Well umm.. I have a cold beer if you want it?”

“I don’t drink.” I told him

“No,no,no me either,” he exclaimed “not to drink for your cheek.” I could feel my face get hot.

“Thanks” I held the beer up to my cheek “I’m sorry I didn’t even get your name.”

“Armin. Armin Arlert. And you?”

“Y/n L/n”

“That’s a very beautiful name”

“Thanks” we talked for what felt like hours. He seemed so familiar yet he was so far from it.

“Oh no” we heard someone from up the beach yell. “THE POPO ARE HERE!” I saw Jean run down the beach toward me. He grabbed my arm

“Come on y/n we gotta go!” Armin got up with us. Jean carried a wasted Eren on his shoulders to the car. He put Eren in the back seat and got in the driver's seat.

“Come on y/n get in the car” Jean yelled

“Actually I wanted to ride with Armin-“

“No actually you're gonna get your little ass in the car!” Jean had never used that tone of voice with me before. It was scary but effective.

“ When can I see you again?” I asked Armin.

“Well you could see me Saturday and the drive in movie and 8?”

“It’s a date” I said blushing “till next time

“Till next time!” He leaned in toward me and planted a kiss on my lips.

“Ewwww, Nasty” I heard Eren say from the back seat.

“Holy shit!” Jean said “I forgot about Connie! Don’t fucking move! I’ll brb” he raced out the car and down the beach to find Connie. I could help but smile at the thought of Armin. He made me feel so happy and warm inside. I felt Eren reach and his hand from the back seat and touch my hair.

“Your hair is like a little kid's hair,” he said, “always so messy. Y/n..” he started to say then there was a knock on the window. We both looked up to see an office.

“Have you kids been drinking?”

CHAPTER 8

The office trailed the four of us home. When she rang the doorbell my mother, Hange, answered it.

“Thank you so much for bringing them home, officer.” She shut the door “What were you kids thinking, getting drunk like that and having an officer bring you home?

“Mom,” Connie started, “ it wasn't even a big deal the cops just wanted to break up the bonfire!”

“ Wasn't a big deal? Con, you were escorted home by the police! THAT'S a pretty big deal to me!” You could hear Connie sniff the air a bit

“Were you guys smoking weed?” He asked

“What? Keep your voice down! Carla’s sleeping on the couch!”

“I wasn’t yelling you were mom.” Connie protested

“Just so you know Hange,” Jean began “ I wasn't drinking at all tonight. I was the DD I swear!”

Eren! You're the oldest. I expect so much more. What the hells got into you?” She looked at me “and when did you start leaving the house without telling anyone? And what the hell are you wearing?” I looked up at her

“It’s Hitch’s dress, and why am I the only one not allowed to go out-“

“It’s not that you can’t go out, it's just you need to tell someone before you leave.” She cut off “and how the hell did you even get there?”

“I walked,” I said under my breath. “You walked.” She mumbled as she put her hands to her head. “ you know better than to walk that far down the beach at night!” She's really pissed me off. I’d been her sweet innocent child for long enough. I deserved to have fun and to have my own life. She let Eren, Connie, and Jean live there life however but when I came to be I could do shit.

“Would you stop treating me like a child!” I lashed out at her. She looked me deep in the eyes, “if you wanna be treated like and adult… act like one!” She finished off her sentence in a stern voice. The kind that sent goosebumps down your arm.

“Then maybe y’all should too.” U was surprised to hear Eren say.

“Excuse me?” Mom asked as she looked at Carla’s boys “I just want you all to know that this night could’ve ended a lot differently if your family wasn’t your family.”

“We’re really sorry Hange.” Jean said

“Just go to bed guys.” I was the first one to leave. I went to the kitchen to grab a cold bag a veggies for my face. I went upstairs and changed into my night clothes. I laid back in my bed to sleep when I heard a knock through the wall. It was Jean. He’s still remembered our secret code from the summers before. I laughed softly before putting the bag back on my face and going to sleep.

CHAPTER 9 Eren pov

I got up from the bench to go to my room when I felt Hange grab my wrist.

“I don’t understand what’s going on with you?

“Nothing,” I told her “I’m fine”

“Eren!” I heard her say as I went into the living room. I saw my mother laying there on the couch. I took the throw blanket and placed it over her. I loved her but the sight of her made me so angry sometimes. I just wished she wouldn’t try so hard. So hard to pretend like everyone and everything was gonna be okay.

A/N

thank you so much for reading this part! It’s my first real fanfic that I've done. I’ve been so excited to write this and it’s so great that people actually like it. Again please let me know what else you guys wanna see and part two will be out next Tuesday. I’ll try to keep this consistent. Thank you all for the support and I’ll see you in the next part!

[thatbanditqueen]

i’m obsessed w all ur fics but i gotta ask…

are u planning on midge and ep making up some way in the next chapter or are u thinking ab dragging it out? (also wanted to let u know i reread the only sure thing probably once a week lmaooo)

So I'm writing chapter 8 right now and...... they are going to be colliding into each other at the end. Followed by three very very very smutty chapters. This and the last chapter where they are not together have been the HARDEST for me to write because I have the smut headcanons for the next chapters rebounding around in my mind grapes and I just want to get there already and I want the build up to be good but I have discovered this about myself as a writer. I'm not great at slow burn or storylines that don't lead to somewhat immediate smut..... lol.... maybe I'm off, but my favorite chapters of Only Sure Thing are 2 through 6..... I did like writing the scene in 7 where Elvis walks in on Midge writing fake fan letters for the Colonel.... but some of that chapter felt flat trying to accomplish more exposition and where i see them going... idk i am an aggressively hard on myself person, but i guess I think my favorite thing to write is pre-smut verbal foreplay which is hard to do if characters are broken up... so, this was a really long way to answer your question. The short answer is yes, and I'm sorry because I'm still learning how to write stories but I see ch 9 and 10 being.... um.... fun....

Once a week? My love.... im so fucking honored to hear you say that because I am really fond of these characters and I reread it everytime I write a new chapter, but I also want to rewrite it, especially some of the clunky paragraphs early on where I feel like I was over explaining Elvis' bio.... I might one day....

This is something I'm struggling with so I'm curious to know what you think... I don't want them to make up totally until March 1961 bc Elvis is going to convince Midge to go to Hawaii with him and he's leaving like the day after they reunite. But I also don't think it's realistic that he wouldn't try to see her every chance he can and try to wear her resolve down... I'm having him bombard her with telegrams and phone calls, and sort of explaining how he's off filming two movies and doing benefits and events in Nashville and Memphis as the reason he doesn't see her for six months... but I feel like I need to write ONE "look let me prove I can be just friends" scene from Midge's pov, where E shows up at her place unexpectedly because he's super impulsive and hyperfixated..... and he wants to use any excuse to get her alone and bring her back to his house ... uh... ok apparently this post became part of my writing process...

Thanks for reading and supporting my own hyperfixation. Im always down to chat about them. I really hope the fan community doesn't dissolve bf I finish these stories....I know I'm moving at a snail's pace..

xoxo

norAHHHH

The Only Sure Thing forthcoming in the next few days Ch 8 vibes...

[danwhobrowses]

One Piece Chapter 1087 - Initial Thoughts

And We Are Back!

5 long looooong weeks for Oda to acquire his eye surgery laser vision but now we can resume the Egghead arc well...everything but the Egghead arc it seems

Still we finally get a manga dose of One Piece so let's see what we have

Spoilers for the chapter, support the official release also

An Ace cover page this time, shame we didn't do anything with the laser eyes but Ace and Capybaras make up for it

In the G1 shipyard there are two navy ships whose hulls are dented, apparently known as 'battleship bags' which Garp trains with

Jango and Fullbody are surprised that this is Garp's daily routine, but also that the second ship was Aokiji's!

Also these dents are caused by brute strength, no fruit or haki

Reminder too that Navy ship hulls nowadays are layered with Sea Prism, so I think this is the first instance we've seen of Sea Prism being weathered

I get that this dude has been present in the post TS Navy exposition but where's my man Bogard?

Back to Fullalead and Wolf is already in the drink

I mean Garp just tossed the mega-giant into the water like Thames Water dropping sewage

Vasco's next for the attack with a fireball

That's cold Garp, using the lesser pirates as a shield, but I guess since they're not your allies it's not morally ambiguous

Garp ain't even fazed either

Garp's fighting has managed to get all the slaves and marines back on the ship to escape

Oda my man, why did you bring Tashigi if you're not letting her do anything???

Coby, Helmeppo and Grus are fighting with Garp still, but the plan is to fall back

Aokiji's back and he didn't hear no bell

Garp gives the orders for the trio to leave while he holds ground, but Coby spots a woman in danger and jumps in to help

But Grus senses it's a trap, and he's right

Garp steps in but eats a stab from Shiryu!

Garp says the wound is nothing but Coby's still on the guilt

I wonder how Shiryu is bypassing haki? because Coby is known to have great Observation Haki, even sensing enemies below surface level

Cross Guild were foolish enough to bounty Garp? Seems that Crowns are worth 1 billion berry (how does Buggy, Crocodile or Mihawk have that kinda cash?) and Garp has 3, on par with an Admiral...and his otherwise absent grandson

The redshirts try to swarm Garp but Aokiji tells them they still wouldn't stand a chance

Mini flashback of how Aokiji became Garp's protege, turns out Aokiji insisted him into it

Young Garp definitely looks a lot like Luffy

So Kuzan was like 'I've learned everything the marines told me' but didn't know Haki? I thought all Vice Admirals knew it

Joint training led to Garp just venting at Kuzan about his family

"You have a habit of raising enemies" - well 'raising' is used loosely

Double punches from master and student sends both men flying

Now Pizarro starts gloating, taking aim at the escape ship

Pizarro's fruit does just feel like an advanced form of Pica's fruit

Pizarro being annoyed with Blackbeard being on the news is interesting, wonder if there's like a slight bit of dissent among the crew

Hibari, much like Coby, is annoyed that she couldn't help, but gets some reassurance from Kujaku

Garp is hopeful justice will prevail though, as we're left on a cliffhanger

It's good to be back

This chapter could've been a lot more action packed I feel, but I'm happy with what we got. Glad Aokiji showed more fight too, because making him look strong works for both Blackbeard and Akainu as well. Also kinda glad that the other Blackbeard members got involved, seemed weird that they would just spectate.

This is a point where Oda could easily move on to another plot section though, which I hope doesn't happen. But I'd also like Tashigi to do something impressive and if she can do something similar to Zoro's feat against Pica to save the ship that'd do pretty nicely. Realistically thinking there may be some navy backup, but we also can't rule out Perona and Moria getting involved, since Coby only escaped because Perona gave him the keys.

It's been 5 weeks but Oda has us leaned back in

[jamesnelsonart]

Chapter 4 writing breakdown

I'll post a bit about my writing choices of the latest Puffer and Clarissa chapter. Read more if you’re interested.

A fun little smash cut to show how much of a terrible parent Sharon is. Her explanation does provide some reason for this: She assumes everyone is just like her. Granted, if she didn't go around raiding villages with her robots, such animosity probably wouldn't exist.

I wanted to wait a good while until I revealed the state of the world and what exactly is going on with it. Since all these characters have lived here all their lives there's no reason for them to exposit such info unless they saw something that would prompt that conversation.

I wanted to wait a good while until I revealed the state of the world and what exactly is going on with it. Since all these characters have lived here all their lives there's no reason for them to exposit such info unless they saw something that would prompt that conversation.

As a result of being raised by her genius mom, Puffer knows the scientific names of lots of animals. ALSO a result of her mom-- she has no self-confidence, despite obviously being intelligent and strong from everyone else's perspective.

After the beginning, Killer Whale doesn't have a lot of scenes to show his personality. With this fake-out where he pretends to have a sense of honor for 5 seconds, it's pretty clear he's just a sadist who really revels in his work.

With Puffer and Clarissa back in a position of relative safety, they go back to arguing. But a certain submarine puts an end to that. Also you can see here that Puffer is not exactly skilled at delivering sick burns, because the only person she usually talks to is Sharon.

Killer Whale's first scene in the story features him getting beaten by Sharon. But Sharon herself is a dangerous opponent. Against ordinary people, the reader can see he's actually very threatening. Also, murder being his first option shows that he is not one for negotiation.

...But despite him being a murderer, he's also a little bit funny, due to how committed to his persona he is. The fact that orcas were attacking ships in real life as this chapter went up was interesting, haha.

Puffer is really naive. Being raised by Sharon will do that to you. Clarissa is more or a people person and can tell Killer Whale is joking. She also uses Puffer's idolization of her mom to boost her self-esteem some. So she's good at talking.

After fighting Killer Whale decently, Puffer gets enough confidence to think up a plan. Side note- Killer Whale manipulating wildlife to attack people for him shows a lot about Lord Jel's army. Everything is a tool for them to either use or discard.

Puffer actually manages to do some very successful trash talk here. So good that Killer Whale gets PTSD from being bullied by Sharon when they were on the same team. Impressive stuff.

A lot of readers were like "wow they sure became close real fast" but that wasn't my intention here. Puffer is not mourning Clarissa so much as she is mourning her self-image. In Puffer's mind, coming up with a plan only to believe she screwed it up does confirm a lot of what Sharon thinks of her. It's like the rug got yanked out from under her.

And with this final page, the townspeople call Puffer a hero. Despite working under her mom her whole life and believing in her cause, the first time she gets called a hero is when she's here with Clarissa. What will this mean? Wait for the next chapter to find out. That's all!

[linkspooky]

Hello!

I was wondering what inspired you to have Mimiko and Choso interact in Werewolf?

They are two characters I would never thought would interact, but I absolutely love their interactions and friendship throughout the fic. It’s like the Nanako-Mimiko-Junpei friendship that I deeply love!

Is one the reasonings is to give Choso a sort of found family?

Sure, I can give you a peek into my chaotic story planning process. So, as I've said previously before I even start a fic I jot all my ideas on paper. Basically just scenes I think would be cool or things I want to happen in the story. Brainstorming is obviously different than an outline though because you can't shove every single idea you have into a story, otherwise the story will be too long.

So in the outlines I try to be as efficient (read: lazy) and cut scenes and characters down, basically how can I tell the story in as few scenes as possible (every scene I cut I don't have to write, which saves me a lot of work yay!)

Werewolf and its prequel Three's Company basically started with the thought "I don't have a lot of female characters in my fic, I should write some more female focus fics." Then, Werewolf became "The Mai Fic". It didn't really materialize until I watched the Fear Street Trilogy, and the second movie ended on a shot of two sisters who were complete opposites and spent all their time fighting with each other spending their final moments reaching out for one another. All the chapters in Werewolf are named from tracks on the Fear Street soundtrack because of that inspiration. So basically it goes Ideas -> Characters -> Scenes -> Exposition and in between parts.

The plan was always to include Choso in the fic, because of two reasons number one Nobara never really had to face the fact she murdered Choso's brothers and felt very little guilt about it unlike Yuji, and second it's timeline wise takes place right after Origin of Obedience. Also, since my previous fic Butterfly Curve took a deeper look at Mahito, I wanted to feature Choso in a fic. The idea of making Noranso the main antagonist literally came from my friend going "It's kind of lame Choso has six other brothers but we're never going to meet them because Gege doesn't think they're important."

In my original draft for Choso's involvement in the story he was not going to spend time with Mimiko at all. The first plan was that Choso, Mahito, and the curse spirit Non/Not-Mai would all be visiting the village together and act as a secondary antagonist to Noranso. This idea got axed for two reasons, one it would be a pain to write three characters every time that trio was onscreen, number two I couldn't come up with a good enough explanation for why Non was still alivein some form after the end of the Junpei fic because that was sort of her final hurrah.

The next idea was to have Mahito and Choso together, to contrast their different beliefs of what a cursed spirit is, and what humans are. Mahito considers himself a "true" cursed spirit and despises humanity and human values, whereas Choso is ambiguous on whether he's human or a curse, neutral to humanity, and values his connections to his brothers in a really humanlike way. This idea got cut because I like Mahito. No, I really like Mahito. I know everyone hates Mahito, but that's exactly what I like about him. I wanted to make Choso the focus of this fic, the same way Mahito was the focus of my "Butterfly Curve" fic, but if I shoved Mahito into this one I knew he would take focus away from Choso. So I cut Mahito.

The third idea was to send in Choso alone, but I thought we already kind of had a scene like that in Shibuya, we saw Choso revenge driven and alone and fighting against Yuji. I didn't want to just copy that scene exactly but with Nobara instead of Yuji. So from then on I needed two criteria for Choso's inclusion in the fic, 1) it had to be someone he played off of well, 2) someone who wouldn't draw attention away from him.

That's when I decided to throw Mimiko in. Number one because I have used Mimiko and Nanako as a pair of twins to contrast Maki and Mai's relationship before. Mimiko being the weaker sibling between the two, needing Nanako to boss her around and make all her decisions for her resembling Mai always needing to be protected by Maki when they grow up together. Mimiko and Choso also resemble each other, they're both really morose, quiet, they're kind of broody outwardly, while hiding deeper emotions inside themselves.

Then I realized there was a deeper connection there, because Choso and Mimiko are both entirely codependent on their blood siblings. They were both abandoned by their parents so their blood siblings makes up their entire connection to the world around them, Mimiko and Nanako pretend they're the same person divided into two bodies so they won't ever lose the connection they have as siblings, and despite how much Choso genuinely cares about his siblings he's also like kind of delusional about his family like he imagines them in his head constantly cheering on big bro and imagines a more wholesome family than he really is. For example, Yuji is kind of neutral on Choso though he shows him some affection whereas Choso would die for Yuji in an instant.

So my idea was to have these two characters interact to show you can move away from blood family as the only family you're ever going to have. Mimiko has already taken the first step in this. After losing Geto her and Nanako thought there was no one else in the world who would take care of them, but then Michi made taking care of Mimiko and Nanako his only priority, and they were able to befriend Junpei which showed they can make connections with people outside of their closed off little family. The idea was also to continue Mimiko and Nanako's arcs from previous fics by having Mimiko just learn to function on her own by going solo the whole fic. Therefore to show this slight change in Mimiko's thinking, number one she goes out of her way to do something kind for Choso in their very first interaction because 1) she notices how much Choso is suffering from the loss of his siblings, and 2) she understands that loss because number one if she were to lose Nanako it would destroy her, and two she lost Geto who was the most important person to her besides Nanako.

Choso is in the middle of what is basically a desire for murder-suicide against the two people who killed his brothers because he believes he cannot live past the loss of them, and that was something Mimiko once belived that she couldn't go on without Geto and yet she made new connections to Michi and Junpei. Therefore when Choso has his big moment of attempting that revenge against Nobara that he's willing to die right then and there fore, it's Mimiko who pulls him back from the edge and literally heals him with RCT.

I also wanted to write a fic more focused on Choso's mourning of his brothers, because that was essentially kind of skipped over because he focused more on revenge than feeling his sadness at the loss of them, so in this fic Choso is essentially called upon to feel his sadness around someone like Mimiko who understands his loss. Mimiko realizes that Choso may act like the oldest brother, but deep down he's just a crybaby.