#and written and posted because i wanted to post one more thing before 2k19 here

[ylizam]

hold this thread as I walk away, LTiH, Caroline McKenzie-Dawson/Gillian Greenwood, 2564 words, inspired by this post. Gillian doesn't trust the look on Caz's face. Not a bit.

[doctorhelena]

Steggy Fic: Spies and Showgirls

I’ve written something for every day of Steggy Week 2k19! This is for Day 6 (tropes, clichés, symbols, and associations).  Previous days: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5

Summary:   Peggy goes undercover on the Captain America USO tour.

Rating: M

Notes: Fake dating for trope day. :) This is a WIP -  I’ve written the next few chapters, but I’m not going to post them right away because I need to make sure my spy plot is coherent and I don’t want to write myself into any corners! But I will definitely be updating as soon as I can.

Thanks to @roboticonography who thought up the basic premise and let me adopt it!

Read it on A03

Excerpt:

“Well, don’t just stand in the doorway, son,” said Colonel Phillips. “I haven’t got all day.” He jerked his chin toward one of the chairs in front of his desk, the corners of his mouth twitching as he watched Steve carefully cross the office. “I hear you’ve been busy trying to destroy the parts of the base Hydra didn’t manage to get with that explosion.”

“I’m getting a handle on it,” said Steve, with more optimism than he actually felt. He was still constantly underestimating both his size and his strength, and he’d damaged a truly embarrassing amount of government property over the past few days.

Phillips snorted as Steve sat down. “Well, I wish I could say your two left feet are about to be Senator Brandt’s problem, not mine, but unfortunately for me, looks like you’ll be the SSR’s headache for a bit longer than we thought.”

Steve leaned forward, suddenly alert, but Phillips shook his head. “You’re not coming to Italy.”

“But - ”

“But nothing.”

Steve set his jaw. “I can fight. I passed Basic. And the serum worked. I could - ”

“Stand down, soldier,” snapped Phillips. “I don’t care how big you are, or how fast you can recover from a paper cut, you’re not a trained agent and you’re not the army of super soldiers I was promised.” He leaned forward. “What you are is the best clue anyone has to recreate the serum.”

Steve nodded, a little warily. He’d been getting a taste of the lab rat life over the past few days, and he had to say that, given the choice, selling war bonds with the USO was starting to look pretty good in comparison.  

“Well,” said Phillips, with a monumental sigh that clearly conveyed that whatever was to follow was entirely Steve’s fault, “looks like Hydra’s interested too. Word is, they’ve managed to plant an operative in the USO company Brandt’s got you touring with. Now,” he held up a hand, “could be a coincidence, but realistically, if it quacks like a duck it probably tastes good with orange sauce.”

Steve blinked. “I, uh - ”

“We damned well can’t take the chance of Hydra getting their hands on you and recreating Erskine’s formula,” said Phillips, as if Steve hadn’t spoken. “But, knowing they’re there gives us a chance to ferret them out. Knock ‘em out and take ‘em in for interrogation before they get a chance to chomp down on that damned cyanide capsule they’ve all got.”

“I find a right hook to the jaw is generally quite effective,” said Agent Carter conversationally from the doorway, a canvas dispatch bag slung over one shoulder, a clipboard in her other hand. She smiled at Steve.

Phillips sighed and gestured her in. “Sit down, Carter. You’re late.” With her usual smooth confidence, she crossed the room and settled herself in an empty chair as Phillips continued. “You may be bigger and stronger than you were, Rogers, but I’m pretty sure you aren’t any sneakier. So, I’m sending Agent Carter here along to babysit you.”

Steve stared at her, startled, and Phillips raised his eyebrows. “I hope you aren’t going to tell me you don’t need a bodyguard, Rogers. ‘Cause I’d put money on her over you in a boxing match any day.”

“No,” said Steve, “That’s - not what I - ”

“You are not a spy,” said Phillips, “and she’s a pretty damned good one. And, like I said, I’d bet on her against most in a fight. Nobody sees her coming.”

“I know,” said Steve, turning to Agent Carter, who was watching him with a raised eyebrow, although she also looked a little like she was trying not to smile. “I don’t know the first thing about how to spot a Hydra agent. And the first thing I saw you - her - Agent Carter - do was take out Private Hodge with one punch. I just - wasn’t expecting this. Any of this.”

Phillips sighed. “Get used to it, son. Like it or not, you have a big target painted on your back.” He shuffled through his papers. “Carter’ll show you the ropes. Just do what she tells you, and for God’s sake don’t blow her cover.”

Steve found himself suddenly considering just what her cover might be, in a touring company full of chorus girls.

Phillips rolled his eyes. “If you’re hoping to see her in one of those little showgirl outfits, think again, kid. She’s going in on the administrative side, Senator Brandt’s representative.” He shuffled through his papers again and raised an eyebrow. “And, apparently, your girl friend.” He gave Agent Carter a sideways look.

“My - my what?” Suddenly it seemed very warm in the office.

Agent Carter sighed. ““We’ll need a reason to spend a great deal of time together without many questions being asked.”

“Oh,” said Steve, blinking. “That - that makes sense.”

“Don’t get used to it, son,” grumbled Phillips. “Nothing else in this damned army does.” He set his papers down, shook his head wearily at Agent Carter, then fixed Steve with a stern look. “Now, Agent Carter is in charge here. You need to follow her lead on whatever you might have to do to maintain her cover, but you need to remember it’s only a cover.” He raised his eyebrows. “I’m giving her full permission to use that right hook of hers. Do you understand me?”

“I wouldn’t -” began Steve, offended.

“I don’t think it’s really necessary to -” said Agent Carter, at the same time.

Phillips sat back in his chair. “Just making sure we’re all on the same page.” He waved his hand. “Now, get out of here. I’ve got packing to do.”

Read the rest on A03

[stop-breaking-my-heart-telltale]

Anons wanted an explanation for the placements I had on my previous tier list, but upon going back and looking it over, I realized that I wanted to move a few characters around, so I ended up getting a new template and remaking it. 

I wrote little bits about each character [yes, each one] below the cut, but be warned, it’s long. 

SS  

“I love you so much that I would sell my soul to make sure you’re happy”

Lee Everett: Lee is a goddamn legend. He deserves to be at the very top. He’s one of the best protagonists I’ve ever played as in a game, his backstory is incredibly interesting, and his relationship with and dedication to protecting  Clementine never felt forced and is one of the highlights of S1. Even now, having replayed S1 a million times, seeing him get bit and slowly become weaker and weaker as he refuses to give up on Clementine still breaks my salt encased heart. Watching him die in the end never fails to put that lump in my throat. I love him.

AJ: I love this kid. I was so worried that they wouldn’t do him justice when the game was announced and I saw the trailer, but I was floored by just how much I grew to love him. He feels like my kid, my responsibility and I want him to grow up strong and smart, but also human. His voice acting is terrific, and I think he’s one of the best child characters we’ve ever been given in video games. His relationship with Clementine rivals Lee and Clem’s relationship and that’s what I wanted. This kid earned his place at the top. 

S4 Clementine: This Clementine is my absolute favorite. While I love all the Clementine’s across the four seasons, I feel like she truly hit her peak in S4. I fucking love her, I’m proud of who she grew up to be, and seeing her journey to this point only solidifies that she’s my favorite. She’s strong and stern, but she has her softer moments with AJ and Louis/Violet, and what else is there really to say? She’s Clementine.  

Louis: ....Do I really need to explain this? I mean, c’mon. If you’ve been following me for a long time- shit, if you’ve only been following me for a few minutes, then y’all know how much I love Louis. I can say with 100% certainty that Louis is my favorite non-playable character across all four games. I’ve made numerous posts, answered over a hundred asks, written thousands of words about him. Everything about him from his character design, his personality, his traumas, his voice acting, his expressions, his relationship with Clementine and AJ and Violet and Marlon and everyone- He’s the best. I love him. 

Rosie: Rosie is the bestest girl in the world. ‘nuff said. 

S

“I fucking love everything about you.”

S1 Clementine: Alright, before y’all come at me with the whole “Why isn’t little baby Clem SS tier you monster??” let me explain: I adore S1 Clementine. She’s still in S tier, after all. However, after playing through these games several times over again, I realize that this really is just the beginning of Clementine’s character and her growth. She’s lovable, she’s cute, and I want to protect her, but she’s not... a compelling character? She doesn’t fully come into herself and develop a stronger personality until S2. Like I said, I still love her and I can’t deny the impact that she had on the characters and us players, but she’s not my favorite Clementine of the bunch. 

S2 Clementine: I fucking love S2 Clementine. I’d actually say that she’s my 2nd favorite Clementine. I give S2 a lot of well-deserved shit, but she is the high point of it all. Something about her character is compelling to me, like how she’s stuck with a bunch of adults who underestimate her yet want her to do everything for them and she just... is so done with it hahaha. But her growth is what it really does it for me. We went from little baby Clementine who whimpered at a small cut on her finger to a Clementine who fucking sews her own arm up, covers herself in walker guts with barely a flinch, can shoot a gun with great accuracy and take down walkers like they ain’t shit, and can survive and make her own decisions. Also, her instant connection with AJ is great. Love it. Love her. 

Javier Garcia: Yo, I love this beautiful man. This man is honestly the best part of ANF, and without him it would’ve been such a shitty game. I found his backstory as an ex-professional baseball player booted from the league for gambling a cool concept. He’s hilarious and charming, too. Honestly, he deserved a better game with better, y’know? The only reason he’s not SS tier is because of the writing and his nonsense with Kate when you don’t want to romance her. It makes it seem like he led her on and then was like “Wait nevermind lol” which is annoying, but other than that, he’s great. Love his relationships with most of the characters, and the ending he got was pretty good. 

James: I don’t talk about him as much as I should because I find James fucking fascinating. If they ever made a DLC or a mini-game for twdg, I want it to be about James and his journey in finding and joining the whisperers, his relationship with Charlie, and how he escaped them. His views on walkers, his survival and killing skills, his past traumas haunting his every moment for fear that he’ll revert back to what he was, his extreme pacifism that ironically turns violent- just what a cool fucking character. And while he has his wild moments [cave scene, anyone? “Oh ouch!” hahahahahaa] he’s still one of my favorites. 

Violet: Oh, Violet. She’s amazing. I love her so damn much. If there’s ever been a character that I see a lot of myself in, it’s her.... which is why I tend to be a little harsh with her sometimes, but I can’t deny that she’s one of the most well-written characters across the whole series. She’s not perfect [both she and Louis do have their tiny inconsistencies that I blame the writing for] but that’s a good thing. And while I don’t ship her and Clementine, I 100% get why a lot of people do. Their relationship is adorable and way more compelling than her previous relationship with Minerva. 

A

“I love you <3″

Carley: My beautiful girlfriend... you were taken away far too soon. Carley’s one of my favorite characters from S1. I wish we could’ve had more time to explore a relationship between her and Lee, but what we did get is enjoyable. She’s a badass, and I will always love the moment she tells Lilly off for being a little bitch, even though it results in her death. Not a day goes by where I’m not salty about that one. 

Molly: Molly’s a goddamn badass. She scales buildings like it’s nothing, she named her weapon Helga, and her backstory with Crawford and her sister is terrific. Also, she’s funny and I love her. That’s that.

Omid: This dude was literally a light in S1. He brought us some humor when we needed it [ “...You broke that dude’s face.” ] and his relationship with Christa was so sweet. Also, him and Lee bonding over being history nerds? Yes, please. It’s bullshit that he was killed off two seconds into S2 but hey... S2 had a lot of bullshit in it so...  Justice for Omid 2k19. 

Luke: *deeeeeeeep inhale* Big Brother Luke did not deserve that bullshit. Literally one of the best characters in S2 and y’all just.... did him dirty like that. And for what? To make room for Kenny and Jane? Bull. Shit. Luke was so damn good, and the only reason he’s not higher is because of what they did to him after ep3. He starts out so kind and supportive and seriously like a big brother character then SUDDENLY he’s stupid and “makes it” with Jane while walkers are trying to eat us and then he gets himself shot and then fucking dies and akjsjdlkjasdkjaslkjasdklerwedascasads- 

S3 Clementine: ...So, here’s where y’all will probably get pissed. S3 Clementine is my least favorite of the bunch. Don’t get me wrong, I still love her and she is still in A tier, but... how do I explain it? She’s in her 13-year-old, emo/angsty phase and it’s hilarious when it shouldn’t be. There are moments where I do become emotional for her, like when David takes AJ away and Javi hugs her, or when Gabe dies and she’s saying goodbye, or when she gets her first period, y’know moments like that! BUT... then we have moments where Javi goes to talk to her and she’s all “HAVING PEOPLE IS GREAT AT FIRST BUT EVENTUALLY EVERYONE DIES” or when she straight up shoots that guy who gave her faulty bullets OR WHEN SHE’S LIKE “IMMA KILL ME A LINGARD” AND.......... it’s too much for me! I can’t take her seriously when she’s this angsty, even when I understand why she is the way she is. Again, to reiterate, I still love her but in ranking all four Clementines, she comes in last for me.... and I can already hear the shit that’s gonna be thrown my way haha

Conrad: The most underappreciated character in S3 and it’s nonsense. Don’t come for me, but this dude is my favorite npc in S3. I love Conrad, and I wish we got more of him. He does have his own little arch if you keep him alive through the end. His grief over Francine is heartbreaking and his downward spiral that leads him to act out and threaten Javi, Clem, and Gabe so that he can get his revenge is wonderful. And btw, he does apologize for pulling the gun on them and makes up for it in the future. And y’know what moves him up into A tier? The moment you let him kill Badger. One of the best kills of the game. I prefer it over beating the shit out of Badger myself. 

Aasim: This boy is my son, and I’m sorry, but he’s really fucking cool. You’ve got this kid who was sent to Ericson for being a pyromaniac [according to Kent, it’s not actually mentioned in game] and grew into this guy who documents everything so that they’ll have a form of history to look back on and help not repeat mistakes. His banter with Louis is funny, and even though he gets fed up with Louis for not taking anything seriously, he still cares deeply about him given how he reacts when Louis loses his tongue. His crush on Ruby is adorable, too. I just love him, he’s great. 

Marlon: Now, originally I put Marlon in a lower tier [the “I like your role in the story” type of tier] but upon reflection I actually find Marlon to be a compelling character. He’s high on the list because of how well he’s portrayed. Marlon has some of the best voice acting across all the games. There isn’t a single moment where I don’t believe what he’s saying, which says something. There are moments where Clementine will say something and I go, “Really? That’s the take they went with? Okay...” but not with Marlon. For only being in ep1, he played his part really fucking well. I won’t defend any of the shit he pulled because it’s awful, but I understand everything he did. He is a coward, a sheep hiding in a wolf’s coat, pretending that he’s got everything under control and putting all the pressure of a leader onto himself and it eventually breaks him. I know they killed him off to further the plot and show how ruthless AJ can be as a child growing up in the world, but I wish he survived past ep1 so that we could really get into the meat of his character. I’ll say it: I love him as fake-friend-to-full-on-antagonistic-character and his role within the story. 

Mitch: I fucking love Mitch and the only reason he isn’t in SS tier is because of how goddamn dirty the writers did him. You give me this boy- this butterknife wielding, foul-mouthed, angry, hilarious, bomb-making boy and make me fall in love with him and THEN YOU KILL HIM OFF IN THE STUPIDEST WAY POSSIBLE. “Oh, lemme just run at the crazy lady with a knife and- OOF! It appears I’ve been throat stabbed bleh-”  I’ve complained about this since ep2, but lemme say it again: Mitch had so much potential to be an amazing character but never got the chance to because we had to add to the death count and make us more afraid of Lilly even though it didn’t do shit because it was a reaction kill rather than one made out of malice. 

Tenn: Tenn is such a tragic character for me. In my personal canon ending, he dies because he was “messing up again” and AJ shot him. This poor kid was so full of hope that the walkers would go away one day, he’s so genuine and never wants to hurt anyone, even if they’re trying to hurt him, and he’s so fucked up from seeing Minerva that he stops thinking and tries to go to her even as she’s being devoured right in front of him. Tenn is like this game’s Sarah, but done right. He deserved better, but he was a well-written character and I love him. His friendship with AJ was so sweet which makes it even more heartbreaking when he dies. Yet another terrific child character. 

B

“I like you and/or your role within the story”

S1 Kenny: This dude is such a chaotic topic. I feel like 90% of the fandom has an incredibly strong opinion on him, and of that 90%, 45% of people absolutely love him and if you say anything negative you’ll get a boat to the head while the other 45% loathe him. Then you’ve got the 10% who don’t have such strong opinions, and that’s where I fall. I like Kenny, and I like S1 Kenny more than his S2 counterpart. He has a great arch throughout the season regardless if you’re his best pal or not. He has some funny lines, some emotional scenes. I’ll never forget the first time I played the scene where Kenny’s crying over Katjaa’s dead body while Duck is laying against the tree on the brink of death. And I definitely will never forget the part where he finds the boy in the attic. Overall, I like him and what he brought to S1. 

Katjaa: She was really sweet and her death broke my heart. I don’t have too much to say about her, but I liked her a lot. She loved her family and met a tragic end. 

Ben: Fucking Ben, man. This poor kid. Another character with wasted potential. I’ve mentioned this plenty of times before, but I wish we could get an alternative ending where Ben was the only one who survived and became Clementine’s new caretaker. There was so much room for growth. He just wanted to help out but kept screwing up and it’s just.... sad. 

Christa: I’ll be honest, the first time I ever played S1, I didn’t like Christa. Something about her rubbed me the wrong way and I didn’t care about her as much as I did Omid. However, the more times I replayed it, the more I grew to love her. She’s strong but sweet, and you can’t deny how much she loves Omid. And while I wish we did get to know what happened to her in S2, I can live with it remaining unknown.  

Chuck: As much as I like our guitar playing hobo friend who deserved so much more, I would probably put him a tier lower if it weren’t for the advice that he gives Lee on the train. Because of him, Lee stopped treating Clementine entirely like a little girl in need of protection and cut her hair, taught her to use a gun, and furthered their communication by building a plan together. Without Chuck and his wise hobo words, Lee might’ve fucked both of them over. Also, Chuck’s pretty badass with that shovel, he got a lot of chuckles out of me, but his death was off screen and disappointing. 

Andy St John: Okay. Okay okay okay. Andy. He is so high here [and so much higher than his mom and brother] because to me, he’s the scariest of the St John’s. Why? Because he’s the most normal-appearing of the three. He acts and talks like any normal guy would. He’s someone that I could see myself running into in real life. He’s so good at hiding how fucked up he is from everyone, unlike his brother who you can just look at and go “hahahahaha no thanks” and his mother who’s character design is just awful. I find him to be the strongest of the three, the smartest and the most dangerous. And the final fight between him and Lee is amazing. I love how you can be so furious with him that you keep punching him even after the prompt goes away and then his face goes all purple and swollen. Easily the greatest antagonist in S1.

Eddie: This dude is the best character to come out of the 400 Days dlc. End of story. 

 Alvin: He gave me a juice box and that automatically puts him here. Real great guy but we didn’t get too into his character. Wish we could’ve, though.  

Rebecca: She grew on me tbh. Didn’t like her in ep1 when she was being all pissy and all, but for the most part, she’s pretty good. 

Mike: I will forever wish the writers went through with the concept of Mike being one of the guys who attacked Christa because then he could’ve had a better character backstory. Regardless, I still like him. He’s pretty funny. 

Nick: Nick? Oh, you mean PURE WASTED POTENTIAL. I mean, they really did give us this super flawed but sympathetic and interesting character and kill him off-screen. They really did that. Honestly, S2 really pisses me off sometimes for the way they treated these characters. It all goes downhill once everyone escapes. Yeah, yeah, blah blah not everyone gets a meaningful death blah blah but y’know what? You can do better than that. I loved Nick and I was so excited to see what they’d do with him in the end but NOPE! Justice 4 Nick 2k19

Pete: What a good dude. He stuck by Clementine’s side even when everyone thought she was bit. Love him. Wish we saw more of him. 

Sarah: Ha. Ha. PURE WASTED POTENTIAL 2.0. What else needs to be said? This girl had the foundation for a great character but again, NOPE! I really liked Sarah! I wanted to teach her to use a gun to protect herself! The loss of her father fucking broke her and it was hard to watch but I wanted more and just ahaklsdjlaskjdlkakjaskjsaadkljas ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh-

Ava: Yo. Ava’s a fucking gorgeous badass. Really liked her and how she was sweet on Clementine. Also, it’s interesting that she stuck by David’s side like that. 

David: I have a lot of mixed feelings about David. On one hand, the complicated relationship between him and Javier is good, even if it’s a little bullshit at times. On the other hand, David’s an asshole.  But he’s a great antagonistic character. I do love that about him. The shit with him and Kate was a little annoying, but only because they didn’t ever elaborate on anything. On what level was the marriage fucked? Was it straight-up abusive? What happened to David’s first wife? Why did Kate and David get married in the first place? I got questions! But, like Javier, I think David deserved a better game with better writing. 

Jesus: This dude parkour kills walkers. Pretty fucking badass. 

Tripp: I feel like I don’t like Tripp as much as some people. I like him fine, but I know a lot of folks gush about him. I think he’s a good dude, a little pushy with Eleanor, but he’s loyal and strong. 

S2 Lilly: I fucking hate Lilly. I hate her so goddamn much. She pushes every wrong button with her bullshit “Where's our new recruits?? Lee would be so disappointed knowing he taught you all the wrong things! You’re one of my people now, Clementine” AND THE GODDAMN “Yes, Ma’am” SHIT. Nothing irks me more than every time someone from the delta acts like Lilly’s the baddest bitch and call her “Ma’am” I HATE IT AND I HATE HER. SHE KILLED MITCH. SHE KIDNAPPED MY CHILDREN. SHE DARES TO TRY AND HURT LOUIS LIKE HE’S NOTHING. AND I HATE EVERYTHING ABOUT HER....... That being said, y’all are probably thinking “wtf if you hate her so much why isn’t she in F tier???” and that’s because no other antagonist in these games has ever gotten this strong of a reaction out of me. Lilly is a damn good antagonist. She’s not perfect, and there are definitely things I would change or add, but she does her job and makes me absolutely livid [yeah yeah I know ha ha ha ha] every time she’s on screen doing her bullshit. I hate her and that counts for something. She’s easily the best “villain” in the entire series. 

Ruby: I love my funny little hot-headed medic. Ruby’s amazing and I love her. 

Willy: This kid really grew on me. I thought he was weird and creepy at the beginning but I adore him now. His brotherly relationship with Mitch should’ve been explored more, and at times his voice acting is kind of jarring, but I still love him. 

C

“You’re fine, I guess...”

Duck: He’s fine. I like Duck. I like the “what if” scenarios we’ve come up with surrounding his character, and his death always puts a lump in my throat, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to say I love him, y’know?

Doug: Again, he’s fine. He has some funny moments when you save him, and he’s got a cool little panda bear on his sweater but... yeah. He’s okay. 

Mark: Oh hai Mark. He’s cool, and the reason he’s not lower is because the iconic moment of finding him in the hidden room with his legs chopped off choking out the words “Don’t... eat... dinner” forever haunts my nightmares. 

Russell: I’m not a big fan of most of the playable 400 Days characters, but I think if I had to pick a favorite, it’s Russell. His backstory of being with the group that believed in the power of 7′s [I think it was 7 I dunno going off of memory here] was cool and his weird thing with Nate was fun and disturbing. He’s a pretty cool character. 

Carlos: I’ve made posts about Carlos before and how I think he had a lot of potential, but looking strictly at his role in the game and I’m left underwhelmed. I did get a lot of shit for where I placed him in my previous tier because he was [and still is] above S2 Kenny but I’m not going to lie and say I like Kenny more than him because... I don’t. I just think Carlos should’ve been given more development.  

Carver: A cool antagonist who was defeated waaaaaay too early in the game. They were doing a fantastic job at making me hate him with his treatment of Clementine, beating the shit out of Kenny, murdering Alvin and pulling all that shit with Rebecca, but killing him off so quickly didn’t make it feel as satisfying. Again, underwhelming. 

Sam: This pup betrayed me and he ain’t no Rosie, but we played frisbee so he gets a C I guess

Gabe: Y’know, Gabe could’ve been so good. But every time I play through ANF, he ends up annoying me more than Ben. What does that tell you? He’s fine, but he could’ve been a lot better. 

Mariana: I’m not so much “meh” on Mari because I think she’s sweet and likable! The problem is I don’t want to put her any higher because really? What did she do? She died horribly because Badger’s a piece of shit. 

Abel: Meh this guy’s garbage. I only put him up a little higher because the scene with him in the basement is really good. 

Brody: Brody is like the Mariana of S4 for me, just a bit better. I do like her. She had some development but her whole purpose was to die by Marlon’s hand and get the plot going. Would’ve loved to learn more about her, but I couldn’t give her anything higher than a C. 

Minerva: Controversial opinion but........ I don’t like Minerva as much as a lot of people do. If I could be brutally honest, if I were ranking these characters solely on how I feel about them without looking at their roles in the games and character development, Minerva would be in E tier at the highest. However, I can’t deny how tragic and complex her character and backstory is. It’s similar to how I feel about Lilly, but different. I think she’s just so fucked up from the delta that she’s become a husk of who she was and it results in her constantly pissing me off with all her shit. Also, the bridge scene alone bumps her up. That shit was crazy in a good yet tragic way. 

Omar: At one point, I forgot Omar existed until he got shot in the leg...... but he’s also God so y’know. I like him but I also had to make up my own little backstory for him so...

D

“Meh”

S1 Lilly: I don’t care about S1 Lilly in the slightest, she’s awful. They made her way more compelling in S4. And she killed my girlfriend which is bullshit on it’s own.

Jolene: If I could rewrite S1, I would’ve thrown out the Stranger and had Jolene be the kidnapper. As Danny said, “What a waste.”

Bonnie: She’s pretty disappointing, tbh. I didn’t like how the game help pushing her onto Clem and overall she’s pretty forgettable. 

Vince: He’s okay, I guess. He killed a dude one time. And shot a guy’s foot off.

Wyatt: “Meh” hahaha Eddie was a cooler character than he was

Jane: I wish Jane had been the Molly of S2 and stayed gone after she left the first time. I like that she taught Clementine some useful survival tactics and that’s what puts her on this tier, but I think we all know how I feel about the whole Jane vs. Kenny thing by now so... 

S2 Kenny: This Kenny actually moved up a tier because I fully took in everything he’s been through thus far and.... “Meh.” I don’t think he’s good for Clementine, I think she and AJ need a group like Wellington. I recognize that he’s a lot of people’s favorite, but like I said above in his S1 counterpart, I’m the 10% that doesn’t have that strong of an opinion on him. I’d much rather discuss other characters over him. 

Sarita: Forgettable, really. Except for when you get the chance to cut her hand off. That fucking scream of hers is anything but forgettable, yeesh. 

Walter: Again, mostly forgettable. His death was sad, and I do think he’s a good example of what happens when you’re too trusting in this world, but overall he doesn’t stand out to me. 

Kate: I probably would’ve liked Kate more if her romance wasn’t so damn forced. She has some funny lines, but she’s also pretty selfish and fickle when it comes to a lot of things. And I will forever be annoyed at her inability to keep her mouth shut about her and Javi’s relationship [or lack of] in front of David. 

E

“I don’t like you but you’re not the absolute worst, I guess...”

Danny St John and Brenda St John: I put these two together because they have the same issue: They’re fucking creepy. Where Andy was normal and deceiving, these two look like they want to cut my legs off and eat them. I think they’re much weaker in character than Andy was, even with Danny’s weird sexual fixation of his gun and Brenda talking about her husband. 

Vernon: He’s not the absolute worst because I do feel a little sympathy for him losing his daughter, but everything else just makes me not like him. 

Shel and Becca: Easily my two least favorite characters in 400 Days. I had no real interest in either of them. 

Arvo: This guy. I didn’t put him in as the absolute worst because of all the unnecessary shit Kenny put him through. No wonder he wanted to get the hell outta there. 

Clint: I literally couldn’t give a single shit about this dude or what happens to him. 

Eleanor: I don’t like Eleanor. I found her annoying. Her one good quality is her want to help people, but that want didn’t do much to help Tripp now did it, Eleanor.

F

“The absolute worst”

Larry: Did you expect anything else? Fuck this guy. 

Stranger: Worst final antagonist ever. You’re telling me I have to fight this Mister Roger’s tootsie pop? I’ll bet you $1 I can do it with one hand. Fuck this guy. 

Troy: Fuck Troy. All he does is smack Clementine around and then get shot in the dick. 

Joan: This lady is a laughably bad antagonist. The worst fucking “villian” jfc...

---

There ya have it. Do you agree, disagree? Maybe a character I found boring you really liked! Maybe you want to tell me why Kenny is the best/worst again!  We can discuss it. 

I’m always open to talking about these characters!

[mistymark]

the one with the stagehand // m.k.l

mark lee x reader // theatre au // 1.4k // masterlist

summary; in which mark really wants to impress y/n but singing is not the way to go apparently

warnings; nope this is a Pure piece // no real plot

requested; nope but I havent posted in ages so :// here

notes; sorry for not posting in forever !! but here is my third mark post of the night so hopefully y'all will forgive me

mark has been talking about auditioning for the next production for a while

it may or may not be because you are the director’s assistant

the dreamies laugh but still encourage him to go for it, sure he’ll fail and/or embarrass himself

and that would be fucking hilarious

so mark goes and picks up a script from the actual director and practices in their dorm at all times of the day

after hearing the script three times, hyuck starts quoting it, and has learnt more than mark

hyuck starts teasing mark that he’ll go against him for the lead

after standing on the kitchen table in the middle of the living room and belting the lyrics to the audition song to everyone at breakfast (and surprisingly getting a lot of compliments for it), hyuck decides to audition 

tensions run high as both hyuck and mark start practicing

to spite mark, hyuck asks you to run lines with him

mark retalliates by telling the director that hyuck wants to be the love interest instead of the lead

(jisung asks you if he can join the stage crew - of course, you said yes)

chenle asks shortly after

you think its really sweet that they want to support the theatre students but really theyre both there to see jaemin and mark crash and burn during auditions

on audition day, both mark and hyuck audition for the lead role

they havent spoken in a week

(markhyuck summer fight of 2017 y'all)

you sit with the director and judge them

you smile when hyuck walks on stage, knowing how hard he’s worked

mark is kinda really annoyed, scowling as he watches hyuck “butcher” the audition song

ur really surprised when mark rocks up on stage

because ”im really more of a rapper dude cmon”

but nonetheless he did

and you were ????? shocked??? he was Great

but when he saw ur face

he had the most SMUG grin

and u were instantly like >_>>>>

anyways

once auditions were over

they both stomp out of the theatre, refusing to speak

the cast list is posted two days later, and they both race to find out who got the role. both of them physically deflate when they see the name.

JENO?! 

they’RE BOTH Y E L L I N G

loud bois

jeno walks down the hall calmly, just checking if he actually got the role

he’s very startled when he sees he’s got the lead

mark and hyuck demand answers, and finally speak to one another again (that is before mark points out hyuck got the lead as jeno’s love interest) 

hyuck is s p u t t e r i n g

“I didn’t even audition for that role!!!”

he’s very confused, before he sees that mark’s name isn’t even on the list

smugly, hyuck points this out

sticking his tongue out at mark

until jeno’s like

yo wait mark’s name is here

mark’s name is flagged as “lighting and tech, to report to y/n l/n”

mark is honestly more rapt with that than he would have been if he’d been given the lead

during practices, mark mucks around with the lights, mostly on purpose, partly because he has no idea what he’s doing, just so you have to go over the lights with him AGAIN

chenle is mostly unseen during rehearsals, but he is heard because he keeps dropping props and bumping into sets

they all hear jeno’s voice for the first time, and realise he was probably a better lead than both mark or hyuck

though hyuck is adamant it should've been him

“the director just has it out for me I swear!!! he didnt like me at all last year”

“no one did” - renjun, 2k19

you hang out in the lighting box most of the time, because that’s the only place kun can’t find you and ask you a million more questions about his sets and costumes

mark loves it, he jokes and makes you laugh, until he misses his queue for a light or something and you dont talk to him for half an hour so he can focus

hyuck, at first, refuses to play the love interest the way its written, swaggering around the stage and saying things like “this is ridiculous” after all of his lines

after a few practices, he gets really into it, and doesnt even need his script, he’s spent most of his afternoons memorising all of his lines and stage directions

one practice, mark is not needed with the lights, because they’re just doing a props and set run-through with the full cast, so you ask if you can practice some of the makeup on him

mark, of course, says yes.

you blabber on about running the production, and how the director does LITERALLY NOTHING since the auditions, and just sits there while you do everything else

and how the hair and makeup girls were absent and barely ever showed up, and how you had to practically beg Jaemin to help out on the night (the agreement was; he wouldn’t have to attend any rehearsals other than the dress rehearsal, and of course, the nights of the performance)

as he doesnt have a lot of experience with makeup, youve given him the easy tasks

but it still means you have to learn how to do stage makeup

all mark can think about is how close you are to him

after a pause, you, as if for the first time, notice how sharp his jawline actually is 

and for a while, thats all you can think about

“thinking about me?” mark does one of those little half-smiles that bothered you (but you totally still thought it was kind of cute)

“always” you rolled your eyes, your tone dripping sarcasm

you stepped back, biting the inside of you cheek to stop a smile creeping up on your face

“I think I’m done.”

“finally” mark lets his head roll back against the edge of the chair, messing up his hair, and then stands up to grab the mirror

at this point, you let out a laugh, and mark furiously turns around “YOU TURNED ME INTO A FISH?!” 

you grin, “a very CUTE fish, you’re Flounder!” 

you're very proud of yourself; the fact that mark could even tell he was a fish was a good sign

“WE’RE NOT EVEN DOING THE LITTLE MERMAID!” he starts to rub furiously at his face, trying to get the makeup off, but ends up looking like he’s just been beaten in a fist fight

you can barely contain your laughter, “aw come on, that took ages!!”

later that week, after a six hour rehearsal, the director asks mark to change the lighting filters on the stage, even though he could have done it during the rehearsal

but I mean its okay I guess bc he has to stay back

and

you're staying back too

so like

;)))))

hyuck and jeno are laughing about the kissing scene next week, it hasn’t quite dawned on them that THEYRE actually the ones kissing

Jisung is frantically trying to find the lighting filters, even though he already gave them to mark, and then leaves after being told by you that he was stressing you out

in the lighting and sound booth, you’re going through the script again, marking areas the cast needs to go over and adding stage directions

you hums the duet that hyuck and jeno had been singing earlier as you do it

mark, who is balancing on a ladder on the stage, trying to fit the new filters onto the lights, nearly jumps out of his skin as he hears the humming come through the speakers around the theatre, the microphone in the booth catching every note of your singing

he smiles but continues changing the light filters, not being able to stop himself from singing the other part of the duet

soon, he’s screaming the lyrics as loud as he can to try and drown out some of your off key humming

you’re laughing in the booth as he screws up his face, his glasses balancing on the tip of his nose as he tries to block his ears with one hand and adjust the stage lights with the other

“now I can see why you’re on stage crew” you smirk, leaning down to talk through the mic, “you’re a terrible singer”

“a terrible singer, maybe, but even I can detect how off key your humming was” he yells back, sticking his tongue out and momentarily losing his balance on the ladder

[fancymuffinparty]

Just Say You Feel the Way That I Feel...

Rating: T; for suggestive themes and eating cake wayyyyy too fast

Pairing: Mikasa Ackerman x Annie Leonhart, Mikannie

Summary:  For Day Three of Annie Week 2k19! (Modern AU) @annieweek

Prompt based on this post. 

Annie needs a fake-fiance to try wedding cake samples and Mikasa’s cute and not really doing anything sooooooo...

Word Count: 1769

A/N: My first tumblr-exclusive one-shot of 2019! :O Ahhhh! I guess this coulda worked for Day One Sweets, but it’s a modern AU too so we’ll go with that! :)

Quick shout-out to Mikannie discord peeps that I haven’t chatted with in forever but i love y’all and HERE’S THE FIC I MENTIONED MONTHS AGO!!! :’D oof

*Title inspired by this song I heard at a wedding and was like-

🍰🍰🍰🍰🍰

“Be my fiancé,” Annie declares as she saunters into the room.

“Your… what?” Mikasa freezes, her coffee cup halfway to her lips.

“Only for like an hour tops,” Annie says. Her eyes are glued to her phone, focused on whatever email or text she’s answering.

“You know it’s me you’re talking to, right?” Mikasa queries, wondering which episode of the Twilight Zone this whole fiasco is supposed to be.

“Look, there’s this amazing baker that’s been written up in the Stohess Times,” Annie explains. “The reviews claim the cakes are out of this world. I guess he’s famous in his hometown or something. Thing is he only does wedding cakes… So we’re sampling them in like twenty minutes.”

Annie mumbles something to the effect of ‘Booked it!’ after shoving her phone in her pocket, then orders: “Get your coat. We gotta go now or we’ll be stuck in traffic.”

Mikasa can’t fathom a response to the blonde’s rambling, merely staring at her as if she’d missed some sort of punchline.

“You like cake, right?” Annie asks, her brows furrowed.

“Well yeah,” Mikasa replies, still unconvinced. “But why are you asking me?”

“Because you’re here and clearly you’re not doing anything,” Annie says, slipping on her jacket. “This was also the only appointment I could squeeze us in. They’re pretty booked.”

“Why don’t you just buy one?” Mikasa asks.

“Buy a wedding cake? For myself? What do I look like? A crazy person?” Annie scoffs, grabbing her car keys.

Mikasa doesn’t have the energy to put up any more resistance, though she desperately wants to point out that Annie’s practically a monster for sweets and therefore if the blonde were to buy an entire wedding cake for herself, she doubts anyone would be the least bit shocked.

Accepting the circumstances for what they are, Mikasa simply shrugs, grabs her coat, and follows Annie out the door. They’re about to hop inside her car when she suddenly remembers the next phase of her plan.

“Almost forgot,” Annie says, handing Mikasa a silver ring. “Might wanna slip this on.”

“Seriously? This might be too far- even for you,” Mikasa mutters, tentatively easing the ring on. After settling themselves in the car, however, she can’t help but admire the subtle gleam of it. “It’s almost an exact replica of yours,” she notes.

Annie nods, half-smiling. “It looks good on you, Ackerman.”

🍰🍰🍰🍰🍰

The trip is mostly silent. When her curiosity gets the best of her, Mikasa googles the famous baker they’re due to meet in but a few minutes. He’s a friendly-looking fellow named Nikolo from the Marley metropolis. The cakes are gorgeous and she admires the artistic quality to them. No wonder Annie had been so insistent.

Mikasa sighs and rests her head against the backrest of the passenger seat. She gets a bit carried away with her thoughts, allowing herself to imagine what it would be like if this was her reality. What if she and Annie were engaged? What if they really were going to pick out a wedding cake? What if the ring she’s wearing meant more than simply putting on a show? (For free food, of all things…)

But she quickly locks those thoughts back to the darkest corner of her mind where they belong and tries to focus on enjoying the day with her newly acquired fake fiancé.

“Okay, looks like we’re here. Let’s go, dear.” Annie’s out of the car before Mikasa can make an objection to the pet name.

They quickly walk into the bakery where they’re immediately engulfed in the sweet smell of sugar. Annie feels right at home.

“Hello! Welcome!” A tall, slim man greets the duo after they’ve entered the establishment. He introduces himself politely and shakes their hands, to which Annie offers the same in return.

“Wonderful to meet you, Nikolo,” the blonde says. “And thank you for fitting us in. We’re aware of how busy you are.” Without using so much as eye-contact as some sort of unspoken cue, she reaches for Mikasa’s hand, holding it ever-so gently and continues with, “This is my fiancé, Mikasa Ackerman. Soon to be Mrs. Leonhart.”

A blush flashes across Mikasa’s cheeks, enflaming the bridge of her nose. Yet somehow, she manages to keep up with the charade, inserting herself into the exchange.

“Thanks for having us,” she chimes in quickly. “My fiancé practically worships sweets and from what we’ve read online, you’re the go-to guy for wedding cakes.”

Nikolo accepts the compliment, albeit modestly. “I’m honored,” he says with a coy smile. “Now please. If you’ll just follow me…” He makes a civil gesture before leading them into a small room away from the show floor.

There’s a small table embellished with innumerable slices of cake, each looking like a uniquely hand-crafted work of fine art almost too pretty to eat.

Almost.

“So, there are many different styles as you can see,” Nikolo explains. “We have the chocolate delight, the raspberry white dream, the red velvet luxury, the lemon supreme, and of course, the classic buttercream vanilla. Please, feel free to taste and try them all, let me know what you think. I’ll leave you to it.” He quietly exits the room, closing the door behind them to offer his guests some privacy.

“…Wow,” Mikasa whispers in awe, still marveling at the decorative array of sweets.

“Still think my idea’s insane, Ackerman?” Annie quips.

“Most definitely,” Mikasa replies without missing a beat. “But this is going to be totally worth it.”

“Well come on then. We don’t have all day.” Annie hurries to the table and sits down, eyes locked on the slice of the white raspberry dream. Before Mikasa can even pull up a seat next to her, the blonde has already devoured half of the slice.

“Mikasa, you need to try this,” Annie manages in between chewing. She lets out a tiny moan, a sound that is practically sinful.

Mikasa rushes to sit down when she sees Annie shove another bite into her mouth.

“Hey now, slow it down there, Annie,” Mikasa warns, eyeing the blonde with a slightly judgmental look. “It’s not going anywhere.”

“Not my fault you can’t keep up,” Annie sasses back, cake still stuffed in her mouth.

“As your fiancé, I demand you-” Mikasa is unable to finish as Annie quickly shoves a piece of cake into her mouth, using the extra fork on the table.

“Mmmmph!” Mikasa grumbles incoherently at first but as soon as the burst of heavenly flavors overwhelm her senses, she’s practically fallen in love.

“How was that, darlin’?” Annie asks. Taunts, really.

“You’re cruel,” Mikasa replies, eyes rolling to the back of her head. “I need more.”

“Mmmm, that’s what I thought,” Annie drawls. “Maybe if you ask nicely.”

Mikasa huffs and reaches for a different slice of cake. Appears to the be the Lemon Supreme. Her mouth is instantly watering.

“Or I can help myself to this gorgeous specimen,” she asserts.

Annie gobbles down the rest of her own slice, feigning indifference. “Suit yourself.”

She scoops up a hefty serving of the red velvet luxury cake and devours the morsel in predatory fashion. Mikasa finds the blonde’s feistiness rather amusing.

“You oughtta savor the taste, Annie,” she suggests, chewing her next bite slowly. “You’re eating way too fast.”

Annie waves her off, cheeks stuffed to the max. “Believe me, I am thoroughly enjoying this experience.”

Mikasa heaves a sigh and shrugs, stealing a small bite of the red velvet luxury.

Oh, yes, she thinks, cherishing every beautiful second of this passionate moment.

This one’s her favorite.

“You’re making that face,” Annie says abruptly, interrupting her thoughts. “You like that one?”

Mikasa quirks a brow. “What? What face?”

“The ‘Mikasa face of approval’,” Annie replies, smirking. “No need to get all self-conscious about it. It’s cute.”

“Cute?” Mikasa’s chewing picks up, as does the frantic beat of her heart.

Annie’s still admiring her fake fiancé’s bashful expression, until she notices the small crumbs and frosting smeared at the corner of her mouth.

“You got something on your…” Annie points the mess out, to which Mikasa merely tilts her head, questioning.

“I got cake on my face or what?” Mikasa asks, setting aside her fork.

Annie nods, a smug expression adorning her face. “Mmmhmmm.”

Mikasa looks away, slightly embarrassed. Before she can grab a napkin and wipe the crumbs and frosting off, Annie reaches for her face, hand caressing her cheek tenderly.

“Here, let me help,” she says softly. And she slowly leans in.

Mikasa stalls, the anticipation looming over her as Annie eases closer and closer. The blonde gently draws her tongue over the smeared frosting, then merges their mouths together in a sweet kiss; innocent yet so deliberate.

Annie pulls away, but only slightly. “I think I got it.”

Mikasa’s breathing is hitched. “Is a… second helping possible?”

“Oh?” Annie hums. “You mean the red velvet or… do you want me to kiss you again?”

Mikasa’s just about had it with Annie’s sass, so without warning she slips her arms around her waist and pulls the blonde in closer. Their lips meet again, this time in a deeper kiss.

She can still taste the lingering presence of red velvet with every curious graze of her tongue.

“Oh, my! I am so sorry to interrupt!” Nikolo stammers as he walks into the room, wondering if he should just tiptoe out and pretend he didn’t witness their passionate makeout session. “Ummm… Just wanted to see if you two were doing all right.”

From the looks of it, it seems to be going very well.

The two pull away from each other, like shy bashful lovers. “We’re doing fine. Thank you,” Annie replies, clearing her throat.

“Everything tastes wonderful,” Mikasa adds politely.

“Perfect! Well let me know if you need anything.” Nikolo forces a smile, preparing to scurry away in humiliation.

“Actually, can we order the red velvet luxury?” Annie requests. “She really likes this one.” She shoots Mikasa a wink before interlocking their hands together.

“Of course!” Nikolo replies. “I’ll be right back with the order forms.” He excuses himself with a bow and promptly leaves the lovebirds to their own devices.

“Really, Annie?” Mikasa chuckles. “You’re really going to buy the whole cake?”

Annie’s gaze lingers to their joined hands and matching rings. Her little scheme to get her crush to try free wedding cake samples has seemingly rewarded her with the best of both worlds.  

She keeps that to herself, of course.

“Why yes,” Annie replies warmly. “Only the best for my fiancé.”

[thisnewdevilry]

Self rec fic tag

Rules: Post your fics you are most proud of! No limit on how many, just the ones you look at and just feel so pleased that you wrote something so great! Tag as many people as you like to get them to share their own fics! 2k19 is the year we love our own fics babes!

Tagged by @ihni, and this is a new one.  Props for the self-promoting positivity of this one, I like it!

So here are my fics, and out of the 22 I’ve got posted there, here’s my favorites....

Feet (Dinotopia).  Dinotopia was one of my first fandoms that I could recognize as being a fandom.  I was making my own fantasy-dinosaurs and drawing my OCs before I was even aware of the Internet, but this is the first time I’d every written something and shared it with the world... and I’m ridiculously proud of it.  It’s happy, and it’s colourful, and it was something that I reread every now and then when I have a need to smile.

Improvise (Dinotopia).  And then I wrote a tyrannosaurus rex giving a TED talk.  That was so much goddamn fun, and if I can make someone cry for a giant carnivore, I will do it and I will like it.

Dinosaurs Eat Man (Ghost Ship, Demon Knight, Legion, RED, NCIS, Criminal Minds, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Resident Evil).  I wrote a crossovergasm for my wife, once.  Badass women characters after the apocalypse, surviving.

Shackleton Was Wrong (Alien vs. Predator).  I have... opinions on the Aliens and Predator franchises (together and apart).  I was teased with the possibility of a character that was almost Machiko Noguchi, and then it was taken away... so I think this is my first official fix-it fic.  Scar survives, and Alexa decides to leave Earth with the yautja ship.  This is my hulking, iron-clad warhorse of a fic in a very limited-activity fandom, and every time I see a new kudos pop up, it makes me smile a lot.  

Things We Lost (Will Lose) In The Fire (Terminator Genisys).  I wrote this because I think Genisys gets an unfair rap (not as unfair as Terminator Salvation, but that’s another rant and rec).  The very first fic I wrote and posted was with Sarah Connor and Kyle Reese, but this is the one that got into the emotion of it, the maturity of it, and I feel really good about how it turned out.  

Coincidence... and Fate (The Mummy, 1999).  This fic ate my brain last Yuletide.  It’s the longest Yuletide I’ve written so far, and I’d never really tried writing alternate canon for any fandom before, let alone one of my favourite movies ever.  I am proud of the fact that I got it freaking done, let alone structured evenly and with humour that I feel captures the fun and adventurous scares of the source material.  It’s another small, not-very-active fandom, but I feel good about putting this contribution into the library/tag.

There’s others that I like and others that I feel are more similar to how I write my original stuff most of the time, but they’re not done, and I really, really want to get them done, dang it.  Maybe this list will change in the future.  I’m curious as to what’ll come up next.  

In paying it forward... I’m tagging @dhaunea, @pentapoda, @brodinsons, and... honestly, I don’t know how many other people I follow/follow me that have things they have written and posted online in a fic capacity.  Consider this your welcome, and please tag me back so I can go check out your things!

[luminoustico]

For End of the Year Writing Meme: All the questions sound super interesting so just use this as an opportunity to answer whatever questions interest you most

So funny story I put this in my drafts to complete in the quiet time of New Year’s Day, but then I forgot about it completely. BRACE YOURSELF.

A. If you could rec a piece of music to accompany one of your fics, what would you pick? Why?

Lies by Marina and the Diamonds, to accompany the latter half of Valse Melancolique. It’s a really good song to show Irene’s POV at that point, especially her reluctance to accept that the webs she’s spun are basically collapsing around her.

“I just want it to be perfect / To believe it’s all been worth the fight,” is the most relevant set of lyrics, IMO.

B. Who’s your favourite side-character from something you wrote?

I really enjoyed writing side characters like Rose and Finn, though Rose just edges it because I’ve been enjoying writing her in Don’t Complicate It. Finn runs a very close second.

C. Get any good comments on your stuff this year?

Sure! All comments are good comments, let’s be real. Unless they’re an obvious troll comment or those “update now!!!” kind of comments. Those aren’t so good.

D. Any drawings or pictures that had a big influence on your writing?

The artwork of the late 18th century and Roberto Ferri definitely influenced the tone of Valse Melancolique. Many scenes from certain stories were driven by a single image I had in my head as well.

E.  Who’s your favourite main character you’ve written?

Though I do enjoy delving into Ben/Kylo’s psyche, I enjoy writing Rey more – she’s more enclosed, and I love chipping away at characters to get to their truths.

G. Where do you think you grew the most this year?

Towards the end of the year, I began to realise that writing can actually be fun like it used to be. I’ve been so aware of the way the world is currently that I’ve been convincing myself that my writing must have a message, or it’s not ‘worthy’. I need to understand that I started writing not to pass on any morals or messages, but as a release and a way to find enjoyment in the constant buzz.

H.  How do you write? Paper, pen, computer? Music, no music?

All of those. I write on my phone, on my computer, on pen and paper. Music and no music, it depends. Most often I’m listening to a playlist/album which then stops and I cease writing an hour or so later realising I’ve been writing in silence.

I.  What’s your favourite work you did this year? Why?

I’m always tempted to answer this kind of question with my most recent story. But I’m going to be really honest and say that star among the stars is a personal favourite. And it’s not just because of the pegging.

J.  What are the best jokes you told this year? Any jokes you thought were funny that people didn’t catch? Vice-versa?

I’m completely blanking on this one.

K. Who have you killed this year? Why did they have to die?

Qui-Gon Jinn (to match with canon), Molly and Sherlock (hey it was a story based on Dangerous Liaisons, and I was reading classical Russian literature at the time of plotting) and Kylo Ren a bunch of times (metaphorically).  

L.  Which character did you most write about this year, and why do you like ‘em?

I wrote more about Rey. As mentioned before, it’s because I like chipping away at a character’s surface but also it’s because I really relate to her, especially in regards to her feelings of loneliness and her tendency to put on ‘a brave face’. Plus I really admire her compassion and her strength. I envy it.

M. Meta! Have any meta about a story you’re dying to throw out there?

Not particularly -- just headcanons and reasons behind why I write what I write. (I’ve never been very good with meta anyway.) I really like it when other people meta my fic, or pick up on something I didn’t! That is an AMAZING feeling. 

O. Do you believe in outlines? Show us one!

I do indeed! I love my outlines. For some projects, I’ve got whole folders with docs labelled Initial Ideas, Plot Summary, Chapter Outline, etc. etc. I’ve got my notes app on my phone stuffed up to the gills with mini-outlines. I frequently use my story structure template, which is technically more for screenplays, but the breaking down into acts thing helps my brain figure things out. 

P. What are your pet peeves in other people’s work?

When an author relies too much on UST and ruins the pacing. Like, an author drags out the first getting together because they believe that the anticipation is the only thing generating comments. If it’s right to have them bang, have them bang! The awkward morning after is a delicious opportunity for UST -- just a different kind. 9 times out of 10, your readers are there not for the smut because they’re invested in the story and like your writing.

Q. Quote three bits of writing you read this year. Can be your writing, or not.

Let’s mix it up.

“ “Why did you do that?” he demanded as they ducked into a side alley. “What part of ‘keep a low profile’ is difficult for you to understand?”

“I’m a good haggler,” Rey said through a full mouth. She didn’t have any idea what she was eating, and she didn’t care. It took so much effort to chew each bite instead of gulping it down whole. “He was trying to cheat us.”

“You didn’t haggle. You pushed.”

“I did not. Why would I knock him over in the middle of his stand?”

Kylo just stared. “You need a teacher,” he muttered. He watched her eat for a moment, his expression somewhere between thoughtful and disgusted, before taking a bite from one of his own skewers. Disgust won out. ” -- Symmetry and Black Tar by audreyii_fic. (Grumpy smuggler Kylo Ren, spunky scavenger Rey, canon divergence. Excellent.)

“ "Ben," Rey breathes once Kylo's mere inches away. It's the name Luke introduced him with, the only name she knows him by, and he's never bothered to correct her. Why hasn't he corrected her? The question flees from his mind as she closes her eyes and he leans down into the space between them, kissing her full on the lips. It's not gentle, he doesn't know how to be, but she opens for him the way the flowers she loves so much bloom in the sunlight. ” -- the surface of last scattering by diasterisms. (It’s the apocalypse, it’s exactly the right time to meet the love of your life, right? Read for utter devastation.) 

“ Rey could spend hours in the Falcon’s inner workings. She’d spent so much time in the belly of hollowed-out Star Destroyers, which were horrific remnants of old worlds, cold and grey. The Falcon is alive, speaking a strange language she’s just about half-deciphered. Sometimes, on days where she misses the connection most and dreams of a boy reaching across the stars to find her, it feels like the Falcon doesn’t want to speak to her. It shuts down. Sparks spit at her, and mechanisms develop odd faults.Today, a jet of steam blows directly in her face, not harmful, but almost like a snarl of 'go away'.

Rey climbs out of the hatch, fetching tools. She works with that fault first.

“I’m not thinking about him,” she promises to no-one but the ship she’s looking after. ” -- If I was born as a blackthorn tree, by me!

R. If you had to rewrite one of your stories from scratch, which one would it be? What would you do to it?

Going to cheat here and head back to 2017. I’d rewrite Two Stars Aligned. What I’d probably do is make it a post-TLJ fic, where Rey and Ben decide to run away after getting involved in a secret relationship, but get shot down by the First Order -- after landing in Giaca, they become embroiled in Game of Thrones style politics and the ruling families, while the Resistance and the First Order conduct searches for them. I’d cut out the weird Force shit and make the redemption arc thing more organic by giving the whole story room to bloody breathe. Two Stars Aligned is actually the reason why I now try to stick to oneshots for exchanges and any anthologies I get involved in.

S. What’s the sexiest thing you wrote this year?

Sexiest thing written in 2018... It’ll have to be the pegging in star among the stars.

T. Themes, motherfucker, do you have them? What are they?

Feminism. Females being allowed to be as fucked-up and broody as the men they love, and perhaps, even broodier. Make women afraid of commitment, 2k19.

U. Any stories that took an abrupt U-turn from where you thought they were going?

If I were a blackthorn tree took a pleasing turn away from the initial outline. The initial idea was lots of secret trysts and stuff like that, but I much prefer the quiet romance with a note of hope at the end that it turned out to be.

V. Which story was the most viscerally pleasing to write? Tell us your narrative kinks.

Huh. Hm. Don’t Complicate It is turning out to be kind of fun to write; when I’m not allowing myself to be crippled by the brain goblins that is (they’re strong lately). It’s a combo of writing a trope/kink I’ve been wanting to write for ages -- A/B/O -- and remembering that it’s okay to have fun with it.

W.  Who are your favourite writers?

@kylo-wouldnt-like-those-chips - @conchepcion (every time I think I’m out, she pulls me back in *shakes fist*) - @introspectivenavelgazer - @audreyii-fic - @kylorenvevo - ambiguously - @fettuccine-alfreylo and SO MANY MORE (this post is long enough already!!)

X.  What’s your least favourite work of this year?

My least favourite has to be In Cars. It was an ambitious idea, which I didn’t really fulfil, I feel. Curse of being a perfectionist. I want something to be amazing. World-changing! Tear-jerking! I want Vestal virgins to weep golden tears over my words, already delicately transcribed onto ancient parchment by monks. Obviously, that’s an impossible standard, but I can’t help being cross when I don’t reach it.

Y. Why did you write? For fun, for a friend, for acclaim?

During 2018? Mostly for acclaim. It made 2018 a very difficult year for writing, and just a difficult year in general. I’m trying to make sure I have fun during 2019 with this stuff. Striving for perfection is a punishing task that no-one can ever accomplish because perfection doesn’t exist. Contentment does, though. As does happiness. And those should be more important.

Z. If you could choose one work and immediately finish it, what would it be? How would you end it?

I’d finish Sanctum, my priest Kylo fic. I’m split between continuing or rewriting anyway (the rewrite would include relocating the action to the medieval era, around the time Luther wrote that damned essay and pinned it to the church door). But I do know the exact image I want to finish on, which will remain whether I end up rewriting or not. It involves a name, a scrap of material and a rather fetching colour scheme. 

Ooh. Cryptic.