#but i love the idea of them moving to london post game

[slasherdreamerbored]

Inspired by this interview bit of Emily Blunt & John Krasinski

[trulyhblue]

Bf Leah being wound up after a bad game and takes control. Smut pls!!!!

BLED BLUE

leah williamson x chelsea! reader

Warnings: Smut 18+, humiliation, dom/sub dynamics, age gap (legal + consensual), hate sex, enemies w/ benefits, rough, coarse language.

________________

Part of you wondered how long it would take Leah to take you home. There was not an ounce of blue in her body, taken only by the lifelong allegiance to North London, but the thought of you, a blue-born Chelsea girl, taking up the space under her sheets, was addictive.

Chelsea were the better team. Always was, and always will be. The Blues were better at everything. Their players were more advanced, their game plans had been executed to perfection. Arsenal were sloppy, poor, and unjust. It was embarrassing to the point where it stood out as entertaining to you. Seeing the almighty, reigning Arsenal fall on their knees and succumb to the superiority of your team was endearing, and you found yourself searching for the thrill increasingly more as the game progressed.

And the sight of the woman you hated oh so much angered by the defeated notion of the final whistle was your idea of an indescribable victory.

“What a shame, Williamson.” You snagged, clutching the fabric at your hips, looking down at her bent figure. “I thought you’d play well.”

“Ah, it is you.” She replied with just as much spite. “I thought I saw someone falling flat on their face. Makes sense now that I know it was you.”

You smirked, folding your arms over your chest. “Yeah, tried to show my humility… y’know, after scoring two goals tonight I thought it was only necessary.”

Leah scoffed, straightening her posture to display her authoritative height over you. “Both off deflections… sounds brilliant.”

“Player of the match worthy.” You bit back, stepping forward, pressing your chest against hers, suppressing the heat in your face. “Don't worry, I’ll make sure to credit your own goal in the interview.”

“Always have an excuse to talk about me. Can't stop, can you?”

“Is that what you think of me?”

“I don't think of you.” Leah shook her head, grabbing the hem of your shorts and fiddling with them persistently. “But if I did, I’d be sure to let you know.”

“If only I cared enough to hear it.” You tutted, not really caring about the openness of your situation. The stadium was still quite full, with both of your teammates lingering on the field. Fans were banking the barricade, no doubt looking for the two of you.

“I could tell you now if you’d like.”

“Aw, are you thinking of me now, Williamson?”

You felt Leah’s hand move to the inside of your thigh, pressing a tight pinch to gain any type of reaction from you. Biting your lip, you hoped that the post-game redness covered your blush.

“I bet you love the thought of people watching this, don't you?” She asked, glaring at you with such hatred that her words felt bittersweet. “Always so desperate for attention that you’d do it in front of everyone. Fucking needy.”

“You’re the one touching me.” In anger, you snapped. You didn't like the way Leah seemed so confident, so right in what she was saying. You wanted to be right. You were the one who won it for your team. You were better than her. She needed to realise that.

The only separation between the two of you was by your arms crossed over your chest. Leah was drawing furious patterns along your thigh, pressed up against you with her face above you, your height earning her to look down.

“Pull away then.” She uttered, now pulling you into a hug. You knew this would send fans into a spiral. Everybody knew about your rivalry with Leah. It was evident in the tackles, the cards, the teams, the games, the interactions. This was unclaimed territory. You had both teased each other after the games. There was always fire and spite, anger and resentment, but never contact. She told you to pull away, and by the tension that lingered, if you did she would let you have there was something else there. You felt it between your legs, running down your spine, making your core yearn.

It was in the way she kept her hand in between your thighs, deepening her fingers just below where you needed her most. She held you tight, closing any physical gap, forcing your arms to circle her waist as she wrapped her spare arm around the name on the back of your shoulders. You don't know why, but you held her back just as tight, breathing heavily when she started moving her fingers upwards.

“So tense.” She spat, rubbing your shoulder.

You shook her arm off, keeping the contact but still resistant. “I pulled it at training, of course it is.”

“Wasn't talking about your shoulder, baby.” She chuckled, her voice sending goosebumps down your neck. “In those thighs. Clenching them so hard and I'm hardly touching ‘em.”

That was when you knew your cheeks were burning.

There was a hint of humiliation in your tone, but your anger was still prevalent. “I didn't even notice your hand.”

“Yeah, alright.” Williamson grinned, pulling away. You felt the cold air nip your cheeks at the sudden loss of contact. Her fingers were no longer soothing the ache in between your legs. “Alright, baby, no, all that flushed cheeks from the big game, hm? Breathing so heavily cause you scored two goals, is that you’re so wet for me?”

“I’m not— you're so—”

Leah stepped away again, and you were too stupid to step forward in response. “God, is that what you're gonna sound like in the interview? You a mess, Baby, really. All flustered and red.”

“I'm not red.” You snapped. “And stop calling me baby. You're only four years older than me.”

Leah could see straight through you. “But you love that though.” She saw straight past your visible persona. “Why don't you show me how mature you are then? Can't call you baby if you prove that you're not.” She could tell by your flustered state, your wide eyes and your tainted disposition that you were struggling to handle the conversation.

“I don't need to prove anything to you. I just won the match. That's enough to prove that I'm better anyway.”

“But you needed help to get there, didn't you?” She retorted. “It’s not your name on the score sheet, it's mine. Look,” she pointed up to the screen, almost condescendingly, above the stands, where WILLIAMSON (OG) was printed boldly in white below the score. “All that hard work and I still get the mention.”

There was a fight for dominance, but the fight was so clearly won when you audibly gulped, unable to come up with just enough answer to compel yourself into a deeper state of anger. If anything, you were willing to resort to forbidding, but you were stubborn and bled blue.

“You’re just mad that you lost and we won. Chelsea was always better anyway, and you were just too slow… bet that's always the case.”

Leah’s jaw clicked, her lips settling into a thin line.

“In what case?” She muttered distinctly.

“You know what case.” You failed to notice the challenge, finding yourself in a superior position of confidence to realise the hole you were digging for yourself. “Slow and boring… on and off the pitch. You definitely get around, but you never seem to see one person twice. Maybe that's because they don't want to see you.”

Leah grabbed your wrist, yanking you off the field. It was a tradition that you would see the fans after every game, so you tugged back in retaliation.

She pivoted to face you, glaring at you with so much affliction that you yearned for more.

“You seem really interested in how I ‘get around’. Sounds like you wish it was you.”

No matter how hard your body was willing to succumb to her words, you stood firm by scoffing, rolling your eyes at her cockiness. “If only I was so desperate.”

“I’ll show you just how desperate I can get you.” The captain spat, holding your forearm now, easily leading you further down the tunnel where fans or players could no longer find you. “Didn't even properly touch you before and you were a needy mess.”

“You’re always so fucking sure of yourself, aren't you, Williamson?” You snapped back, hearing the clad of your boots fail to drown out your ungrateful tone. You did not care for what Leah was so keen to impress you with. Never had anyone told you that Leah did not impress. She was determined to make sure everyone was supplied with the right things for their needs. She valued giving pleasure over receiving. But if there was one thing she hated, it was brats like you.

You stood outside the Chelsea changing rooms, your kit still adorned on your figure.

“Go get your shit.” She snarled, letting go of your arm and jabbing you forward.

You scoffed, stopping dead in your tracks. “And what? You're gonna wait for me and drop me home? I have a license, Williamson, I'm not your fucking—”

You couldn't finish your rant, yelping when Leah cut you off, grabbing the collar of your shirt and mashing her lips against yours. One of her legs found its way between yours, her knee pushing against your core. A moan fell from your lips, and the woman wasted no time in slipping her tongue in, caging your figure between you and the wall.

She waited until you were kissing her back before grabbing your neck. She instantly moved down to litter harsh kisses down the nape of your neck, using her hands to move underneath your shirt, massaging your breasts. You were a mess beneath her, breathing heavily when the pressure on your clit intensified when her knee started rubbing patterns up and down.

“Swear at me again and see how it turns out for you.” She muttered in your ear, relishing the whines that fell from your lips as her knee continued its work. “If I tell you to grab your bag, that's what you do, yeah? You understand, Chelsea?”

The nickname left you shrinking, her words making your core glisten. You weren't completely sure whether the Arsenal girl was planning on taking you home. You didn't understand why you were all of a sudden pretty much moaning at the friction of her knee.

But you weren't fucking complaining.

“My teammates are in there.”

Leah let out a laugh. “You had no problem letting me touch you in a filled Stanford Bridge, Babygirl. I think it’d be healthy if your teammates realised who fucks their Stargirl after a home game.”

“You haven't fucked me, yet.” Your cheeks flushed a deep crimson, the thought of the England captain fucking you sending you into a spiral.

“Go get your bag and then I can use that pretty mouth for something other than moaning my last name… not that I mind when you do that.”

You wasted no time in doing as you were told, forever thankful that all of your teammates were either still interacting with fans or showering. You grabbed all of your stuff and quickly followed Leah over to the away changing rooms.

She let you walk through, since none of the girls were present, grabbing your belongings and chucking them inside her cubby. You felt her figure cage you back into the nearest wall, her hands how playing with the hem of your shirt, inching it further up your waist until it was completely disregarded, and you were left in your sports bra and shorts.

“Why so quiet?” Leah asked, kissing down the column of your neck, fondling your breasts. You sighed at the growing ache in your core, throwing your head back when Leah’s knee came back into contact with your clit.

“Some— someone’s going to walk in.”

Leah snorted. “Like you would mind.”

You huffed, grabbing the back of her neck and pushing her head further down your body. Leah’s knee stopped in return, leaving you writhing at the loss of pressure.

“Use your words or you can get off yourself.”

“Like you could get me off.” You retorted.

“I don't make brats cum.” She spat, moving back up to tower over you. “I edge them until they’re desperate and getting themself off my thigh. I treat them like brats, and maybe you need to work a little fucking harder for what you want.”

“You were just teasing me!”

“You're just desperate.”

“No.”

“No?”

“Leah.” There it was. Music to her ears.

“What?”

You whined, using your hips to drag yourself along her knee.

“What was that, Baby? Couldn't hear you under all those whines.”

“Leah, c’mon.” You stated potently, getting more impatient by the minute. “I'm not begging.”

The number six shrugged, looking down at you with wide, innocent eyes like she had no clue what you were going on about. Like she didn't even realise that you were humping her leg longing for some relief.

“Begging for what?” She moved her finger painstakingly down your chest, tracing your abs ever so slowly.

“For you.”

“For me?” She questioned, feigning confusion. Her hand dipped into the waistband of your shorts, circling your clit over your underwear. “Answer me, Darling. What do you want me to do? I'm touching you.”

“Touch me more.”

Leah tutted, moving her hand away. You groaned, throwing your head back when no pleasure was offered. “I'm afraid that's not how you ask. It might get you somewhere at Chelsea, but at Arsenal, we treat our Captains with respect. Even our star girls use their manners in the North end.”

“Touch me more, please.”

“Where, Chelsea?” Leah moved closer to you, peeling off her own shirt, removing your shorts, leaving you in your underwear and bra. “Be a good girl and tell me where.” She asked, her body lowering itself closer to the ground. You watched her kneel before you, hands gripping your waist, kneading your hips, lips biting your inner thigh.

“My clit, Lee, please. I need you to touch me there.”

“Such a good girl for your Captain, aren't you?” Leah ran her tongue along your folds, your underwear pooled at your feet. Your legs were swung over her shoulders, your hands buried in her hair, pulling taunt to her ponytail and the hairs that had fallen out during the game. Your moans were still muffled by the bite in your lips, the nerves of someone hearing your desperation for your enemy is still evident in the way you kept your mouth shut.

It was when Leah’s tongue latched onto your clit, sucking harshly on the swollen bud that your noises fell so adamantly from your reddened lips. You felt Leah’s cocky smile, her chuckles sending vibrations of pleasure through your body.

“Sound so pretty, Baby.”

“Leah— fuck, Lee. I'm gonna—”

“You’re going to hold it. Taste so good, you can wait.”

The coil in your stomach was forming long before Leah had even started, and the more Leah attacked your bud, the more your orgasm led to burst. Your moans had doubled in volume when one of her hands came up to play with your nipple, pinching it and playing with the nub every time her tongue licked up your folds. Her other hand worked its way through your pussy, spreading your slick all over your thighs, letting it run down your shaking legs and make your skin glisten with the glossy arousal.

“Want Stanford to hear you,” Leah spoke from below you. You whined at the thought. You were in a state of pure bliss that all cautionary thoughts of interruption were so far gone. All you could think about was Leah’s face between your legs.

“Feels so good, Lee. Want to cum so bad for you.”

“You can hold it, baby.”

“Mh, Lee, please.”

Leah moaned at your whines, nuzzling her nose up against your clit, pinching your nipple hard, reeling at the moan you let out in response. She saw the way your hole clenched around nothing, smirking at the way you rolled your hips across her face, working your pussy into her mouth so easily. She felt powerful knowing she had you at her disposal. You were stunning always, but there was something about you now that set Leah off. It made her angry knowing that you weren't hers to fuck at her discretion. It made her protective over you in ways she had never felt before. You were Chelsea’s protege — everyone worried when going up against you.

“Leah.”

It wasn't like something had changed, but Leah had realised that her hate was actually protection and adoration. She wanted you for herself. She wanted to steer you away from anyone that would hurt you. She hated Chelsea, she despised the West side more than anything, and it wasn't the sex that made her realise this.

“Leah.”

It was her name coming from your lips.

“Cum for me, Baby.”

That was all you needed to hear before you were barreling over the edge, your legs relying entirely on the strength of Leah’s upper body to keep you balanced. Your moans exemplified the stimulation of your orgasm riding out, and Leah’s endeavours to lick the result of it up as it poured into her mouth and onto your thighs.

The woman made sure you had somewhat caught your breath before she moved, having a moment to catch her own breath and comprehend what just happened. When she knew you were able to stand independently, she moved over to her cubby, grabbing the baby wipes she always had handy, moving back down to her knees to clean the mess across your legs as you covered your chest back with your jersey, and later your shorts.

Leah moved to do the same, except she watched as you fumbled with what to do. She gave you a pointed look as if to question your thinking, and you simply sighed and waddled over to her, slight humiliation at your wobbly legs painting your cheeks as you grabbed your bag.

“You all good, Baby?” She asked, her voice no longer authoritative and rather empathetic.

“Yeah, thanks.” You nodded. “Erm… sorry for being… rude… actually I'm not sorry but I am.”

“Yeah, same,” Leah replied a cheeky grin settled on her complexion. “I think we can settle for friendly rivalry from now on.”

“If that's what you call this, then sure.” You added, laughing along with what to make of the situation, feeling more out of place than ever in the middle of the Arsenal room. “I better go.”

“I’ll drive you home.”

“Lee, I've got my license—”

“It wasn't a question, Chelsea.”

You stood there defeated, knowing internally that you had no way home after Millie had driven you to the stadium and would have left by now anyway. Leah must’ve known that by the way she wrapped an arm around your shoulder, pulling you into her chest.

“Besides, wouldn't want that Player of The Match Trophy getting forgotten now, would we?”

_________________

A/N — bad ending but oh well… HOPE YOU ENJOYED!!!

[taasgirl]

Can you write something about reader being trent alexander-arnold’s girlfriend and her also being a player for englands womens team? Xx

player / trent alexander arnold

omg i'm so sorry this took so long, i was on a school grind

summary: trent and y/n are in a relationship, with the two of them being professional ballers.

liked by trentarnold66, arsenal, lottewubbenmoy, and 26, 883 others ynusername North London Forever ❤️🤍

katiemccabe Fav gooner x

bukayosaka Looking fresh y/n

trentarnold66 cutie

user53023 I LOVE THEM

liked by user78492, user99384, user66381, and 452 others user54384 i think we as a society moved on too quickly from this interview

user88402 now if y/n and trent weren't a couple...

trentarnold66 Watch what you say missy

user60827 HAHAHAHAH HE'S GOLD

trentarnold66 i think they're sitting too close

liked by lionesses, jackgrealish, masonmount, and 752, 832 others england Who's ready for our upcoming games? Your Three Lions take on Australia tomorrow night!

ynusername omg trent sort out the hair mate

tyronemings Hate to agree with her but @ trentarnold66 you're in need of a fix up

user65183 Is bukayo keeping it 🍋 ?

liked by alessiarusso, ellatoone, jackgrelish, and 10, 348 others ynprivate this could be me but @ trentarnold66 is really shit at football

trentarnold66 and who lost a world cup final?

trentarnold66 also pls dont distract me before a match xx

ynprivate don't act like you get game time...

user68304 I'M DYING WHY ARE THEY SUCH A SILLY COUPLE

maryearps I guess we'll just have to win one so he can be a wag

liked by johnstones, bukayosaka, ynusername, and 222, 730 others trentarnold66 A big game and a big win. Onto the next 💪

jackgrealish Fav scouser

ynusername stop looking so hot when you play.

user69203 prime trent incoming

liked by liawaelti, lucybronze, jackgrealish, and 326, 837 others ynusername trent is my valentine ❤️

trentarnold66 awwww kys.

trentarnold66 Keep your top on

ynusername not what you said last night mate

bukayosaka oh my days trent...

liked by user67394, user99302, user52734, and 213 others username44291 y/n at the euros is gonna do it for me every. single. time.

trentarnold66 She's so beautiful

user52931 careful trent, i might take your girl omg

liked by bukayosaka, katiemccabe, liawaelti, and 632, 837 others arsenal Staples to our club, Gooners through and through.

trentarnold66 y/n to liverpool @ fabrizioromano?

fabrizioromano Not happening Trent.

bukayosaka ❤️🤍

liked by trentarnold66, jackgrealish, maryearps1, and 11, 218 others ynprivate OH MY GOOOOOOOOOOD. i'm so in love with this man it's insane

user35701 those arms - what if i squirt

trentarnold66 oh! thats not...

jackgrealish trent the cutie awwww

view trentarnold66's story...

liked by caitlinfoord, lewismiller, dominikszoboslai, and 32, 874 others ynprivate every hot couple has a cheap copy

romeobeckham this is gold

trentarnold66 I am in no way affiliated with this statement

ynprivate you told me to post it

trentarnold66 That's a shocking photo of us two

liked by samkerr1, declanrice, lucybronze, and 211, 703 others arsenal Rate this duo 1-10

user51938 1000000

declanrice Solid 4/10

ynusername can u stfu

trentarnold66 hahahhaha pls delete this.

liked by ynusername, jordannobbs, maryfowler, and 376, 975 others trentarnold66 Happy Birthday to the most unbelievably beautiful woman I've ever met. You're my world, my absolute everything; and I know I'd be nowhere if I didn't have you nagging me for the past decade. You're so so strong, and so incredible. I truly have no idea of what I've done to deserve you.

To more memories, trophies, and hopefully some much smaller football boots.

I love you Y/N.

bukayosaka Happy Birthday Y/N!

ynusername this may just be the most beautiful thing i've ever read

lucybronze no sorry trent. no babies for a while please

keirawalsh I second this

ynusername no babies for a loooooong time

hehe thank you for reading, send me more submissions of what/who you wanna see, i'm open to everyone (even women ballers!!).

[honeypotdrops]

✿Note from Honey: this is just some crumbs i have to sprinkle for you on a new OC i’m working on, i’ll post more about her background and story soon if it’s wanted but i had to get this one outta the box first- consider this a light snack from me to you <3

✿side note: I REALLY hope you enjoy this- being new to this game, i was so hesitant to post this because i don’t feel as though my writing is to the quality to do so just yet but i just thought WHAT’S THE WORST THAT’S GONNA HAPPEN :) anyway, enjoy!

Disclaimer: literally nothing i don’t think? the slightest mentions of alcohol, soft soft, cute times of people reminiscing about home!<3

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ────── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

♡ 𝒮𝓅𝑒𝒸𝒾𝒶𝓁 𝒟𝑒𝓁𝒾𝓋𝑒𝓇𝓎 ♡

OC Calico X Task Force 141

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Missing home was a part of calicos’ daily routine.

During the spare hours of the day she’d be thinking of the next time she’d get to cram onto a busy tube from Victoria Station.

She’d dream of the first time after a long time of standing in the cold and shielding from the rain with her friends outside an overpriced bar in Central London, sipping Prosecco, even though she’s always hated it, but never had the heart to tell them..

She missed the way home made her feel- Some days, more than others.

This was in fact, one of them days.

She was swamped head to toe in paperwork, deadlines, mission reports, “that person’s injured”, “this person wants to arrange a meeting” and the list unfortunately went on..

She huffed and moved away from her desk, throwing her head back and feeling tears form in her eyes and stress taking over her body.

her thoughts were disturbed by a knock at the door- 

“Come in!” She called half heartedly.

Gaz struggled as he entered the room, holding a large box, covered in brown paper with small tiny illustrations of christmas trees and Santa hats all over it.

“this, my darling was left, for you” he smiled brightly, dropping the heavy package on the desk making a loud thump as it left his hands.

Calico furrowed her brows, inspecting the parcel on her desk.

“For me?” she replied in disbelief “What for?”

All Gaz responded with was a shrug “No idea, was just labelled as ‘special delivery’ and addressed to you” he smiled softly at her, turning to leave the room.

She forcefully ripped off the paper, the amount of sellotape on this thing was criminal.

with one last pull of the plastic, the box was finally open.

she delved inside, rummaging through layers of red and green tissue paper.

She found a small card, written on it was “To our Frankie”

she flopped back down on her chair, opened the envelope, and pulled out the card. 

There was a picture on the front of two penguins in hats and scarves ice skating around a Christmas tree. She smiled to herself and read the inside;

Frankie, 

Home feels strange without you here, we spend everyday missing you and thinking about you, we hope that this helps you in the same troubled times, and we hope it helps you remember the feeling of home..

P.s don’t eat them all at once, and remember to share, we know what you’re like!

All our love,

Mum, Dad and Freddie 

x x x

the tears that were looming over her began to fall, she smiled and held her hand to her chest, the warmth of love radiating inside her, like a glowing orb where her heart once was- 

she wiped her tears on the back of her hand, placing the card upright on her desk beside a picture of her, her parents and her younger brother. 

she got up and dove into the parcel without a second thought, she found all sorts of her favourite goodies and treats she loved from back home that filled the box to the brim.

Dairy milk bars, tonnes of them, so many she’s sure she could start her own trade here on base, wine gums,  boxes of Yorkshire tea bags, biscuits, the absolute lot.

as she dug deeper to the bottom, she found a small printed picture of her and her two friends, Shelly and Kate- it was one of the last pictures they had taken while she was on leave.

The three of them outside her childhood home, arms wrapped round one another, smiles and sunburned cheeks, all with glasses of whatever concoctions they were drinking that night.

she turned the photo over to another message, neatly written in bright pink and purple gel pen with small doodles of hearts and stars around it,

“WE MISS YOU TOO! CAN’T WAIT TO SEE YOU CALI” 

P.S- YOU DON’T HAVE TO SHARE THIS ONE!

LOVE YOU ALWAYS,

-YOUR GIRLS<3

 X O X O

Calico shook her head and huffed out a laugh, she peered into the box where there was two mini bottle of Prosecco and a tacky picture frame that looked like it fell and stumbled out of the nineties, the words “best friends” around the pink and green frame.

she slid the picture in and placed it next to her other ones that scattered across her desk, smiling at the reminders of the people who wished her a safe return home.

She placed the items back in the box and slid it under her desk, taking one of the chocolate bars out and happily munching away while returning to the work ahead of her.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Calicos’ day was now slowing coming to an end, she had made a cup of tea with the goodies sent from her Mum and sat herself down behind her computer, shoving another piece of chocolate in her mouth before tackling the last piece of work ahead of her.

Another knock at the door appeared causing her to almost choke on the mouthful of chocolate she had crammed in.

“Yeah- uh..come in” she muffled out.

“Heard you had a delivery love?” Price poked his head round the door, smiling at her with intrigue in his eyes.

Calico squinted “yeah…maybe..” she replied cautiously while swallowing the evidence to try not to give herself away, her Mum wasn’t wrong- she did not like sharing.

“what’d ya get then?” Ghosts’ body moved in behind Price, his dark eyes making her break and her previous innocent look start to crumble slowly.

“Aye don’t be all secretive bonnie, let us av’ a look then” Soap tried shoving his way past both bodies standing in her doorway but failing and only his head appearing below the Captains.

Calico put her head in her hands and laughed at the sight.

“It’s like you lot get the most minuscule scent of a good cuppa and suddenly become like bloodhounds searching for it” she chuckled, shaking her head “is there more of you or-?”

“Yeah, i’m here too i just- i don’t think anymore of us can fit in this doorway” Gaz called out 

Calico rolled her eyes and smiled, motioning for them to come in and sit with her.

the placed themselves round her little space watching intensely, like small primary school children during show and tell, while she showcased the goods she had been sent.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

 Tea’s had been made and shared out between the group, biscuits had been dunked and wine gums had been shared, much to Calicos’ disgust but, part of her didn’t mind so much after seeing the happy looks upon their faces.

They spent most of the night snacking away as the sky got darker and the base got quieter.

Calico turned to the box and dug out a chocolate bar she had been keeping for herself.

She peeled back the purple wrapper and snapped it bit by bit, she handed a strip of it to each of them, smiling as she did.

They all savoured it, the taste that was so familiar to them all, reminding them of their childhood, Christmases with loved ones or anytime there was a bowl full of treats on the family table. 

Calico smiled at the sight, she nibbled the last piece and sat back in her chair next to Price.

He sighed contently finishing his last square and taking a sip of tea before speaking.

“tastes’ like home” 

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Note from Honey: If you made it this far thank yewww for reading <3 i really hope you liked it, i feel like it’s not much but BARE WITH, i have so many ideas for this character.. at the moment they’re all kinda balled up and bundled in a box lmao

Love ya!

-Honeypot<3

[walesfootball]

Shyness Is Nice - Mapi León x Reader

Haven't posted for a while. This fic has been written, re-written, scrapped, and annoyed me for a long time now. But I'm happy enough with it to show it to you. It's alright. Let me know what you think.

This was requested by @dying-to-live-living-to-die who wanted a shy and Swedish Reader. Mapi wants to know more about them. I took the idea and ran with it, hope it's okay.

You had accepted an offer to play at a dream team of yours. Barcelona. You’d never been to the city, let alone travelled to Spain. Your bucket list was full of things you wanted to do, but never had the courage to actually do. This was you pushing the boat out, dipping your toes into the water. It felt more like thrusting your body into the deep sea, but you knew this move would be good for you. A new city, new people, a new team, and a new culture to soak up.

You grew up in a small southern town in Sweden, Ystad. You loved it. You woke up every morning to the sound of the sea. A small house set by the harbor; your father was a fisherman while your mother was a professional handball player. The small football team in Ystad had crumbled to nothing. Every game had been lost, and every footballer in the small town had turned their craft to handball. It was natural, the sport was huge in such a small place. Your mother had tried to push you to try it, but it never appealed to you.

Your mother would drive you to the nearby city of Malmö where football was bigger. You loved it. You couldn’t get enough of the sport. Wherever you went you’d take a football with you. You’d train on your own during the week in Ystad, and train with others like you in Malmö.

You were scouted by Chelsea very early on in your career. They saw something in you that you had not cared to see before. You only wanted to play football, you didn’t think there were any professional leagues out there. Football wasn’t shown on TV in Ystad and the internet was rare. You were 18 when you got that call. Your father had pushed you to go, wanting you to make something of yourself to make your small town proud. Your mother was more reluctant to let you go, she didn’t like the thought of someone so young venturing out in a city as big as London. But you went anyway. Caught a plane from Malmö to London. It was possibly not the most clever thing you’d ever done, but it was the greatest thing you’d ever done.

You didn’t know anyone, you felt uncomfortable in a city so huge, and football seemed more like a money-grabbing machine to you now. You caved into yourself. You missed home, you missed your family, and you missed everyone knowing everything about you. But you carried on playing. You’d never get a chance like this ever again. 

You earned a name for yourself. Playing in the WSL and the Champions League earned you the title of one of the best midfielders in the game. You didn’t think anything of it. You felt uncomfortable during media duties and social media escapades that Chelsea would push you to do. You didn’t have the heart to tell them you couldn’t be bothered and only wanted to play football, so you caved into yourself, even more, becoming overwhelmed with the attention.

You were called up to the Swedish National Team during the Olympics. It was such a huge stage for your first time playing for your country. You felt honoured wearing the yellow and blue kit. Your family couldn’t be there due to the Covid restrictions but would send you pictures and videos of them watching you wearing your Sweden jersey at home in Ystad. Your number 34 becoming almost legendary for the Swedish team. It was like Zlatan Ibrahimović’s number 10 or Magdalena Eriksson’s number 6. It was a big deal. Playing for Sweden made you feel at home. It revitalised your love for football again and would constantly remind you of why you started to play in the first place.

You’d won the gold medal in your first-ever international competition. You cried tears of joy as you leaned on your best friend's shoulder, Fridolina Rolfö. She knew what it was like to come from a small town and move to a big city. She’d made the move from the small town of Linköping to Munich in Germany. She felt so lost and hopeless, a bit like you. She shared your fears and anxiety, helping you through most of your troubles.

So when you had the call from your agent telling you that Barcelona was very interested in your signature, you couldn’t turn it down. You called Frido as soon as you found out, but nobody was as excited as her. You tried to share that excitement with her, but you were having doubts again.

“I really want to come to Barcelona, but I’m not good enough. I won’t fit in. And I’m not a cool person to be around, I don’t have anything interesting to say. They won’t like me and-”

“Can you just be quiet for one second?” Frido calmly yet significantly annoyed stopped you, “You are one of the best players I’ve ever seen. Not only that, but everyone in Barcelona thinks that too. You need to believe in yourself as much as I believe in you, this team believes in you, your family believes in you, and the whole town of Ystad. They will finally see one of their people make it out of there, winning things like the Champions League! You have to believe in yourself, not just for the people that love you deeply, but for your future self. You’ll regret not coming if you say no. I know you will.”

You didn’t need to think about it. Frido was right. Your whole life you had never taken risks, apart from joining Chelsea. And even then you only went because your father had basically forced you on the plane. This was your chance to get out there and beat your anxious thoughts from arising every time you wanted to try something new, but a magnet was stopping you each and every time. Whether that other magnet was stuck to your bed or just your house in general. That magnet was your comfort zone, and as much as you tried, you couldn’t escape from it. This was your time to break free from it.

“Okay, I’m packing! My flight is next week.”

“Yes! I’m so excited to see you! I’ll pick you up from the airport.” Frido squealed.

You felt the excitement leaking through the phone’s speaker.

You packed everything necessary, possibly a bit too much but you were never one for the minimalist lifestyle. Your football gear, your own clothes, your shyness, your shoes, your toiletries, your crippling anxiety, your laptop and chargers for everything, your intense fear of new things, and your passport and important documents. Everything is packed, you think.

Getting on the plane was your worst nightmare. You were flying alone, and turbulence was your worst enemy. You liked traveling with someone. Just someone to talk to and to distract you while the plane was dancing in the air.

As soon as you landed, you grabbed your carry-on and almost ran for your luggage. You’d messaged Frido to say you had landed and had received many emojis back. She had a language with emojis that never made sense to you, but you loved her anyway. You grabbed your two suitcases and walked quickly towards the double doors where you knew Frido would be waiting for you. You could see her from a mile away, towering above everyone else. She shot you a massive smile, as you ran towards her, dropping your bags as you got close enough and jumping in her arms.

“I’ve missed you so much!” You said excitedly into her shoulder.

“I’m so excited that you’re here!” Frido put you back down on the floor, “Oh, and two people wanted to come with me to meet you.”

You looked behind her to see a blonde woman with tattoos scattered over her arms and an obvious one on her throat. You’d never been mesmerised by a person like this before. Her face was carved perfectly. An old painter like Da Vinci or Michelangelo could’ve painted her. Her brown eyes bore deep into your soul as she gave you a soft smile. Not for the first time, you were lost for words. Words don’t come easily, but you lost your entire vocabulary taking in this woman before you.

“This is Mapi, and this is Sandra.” Frido must not have noticed you staring at this wonder before your eyes. Sandra definitely had, giving you a knowing smile before taking one of your bags in her arms.

“Hi.” You were so disappointed in yourself. Was that all you could say?

They chuckled, with Mapi staring at you a little longer before grabbing your other bag.

“You don’t have to do that.” You stated quietly.

“No, I want to. You must be tired from travelling.” Mapi smiled at you as the four of you began walking. Frido and Sandra led the way as you and Mapi trailed behind.

“Welcome to Barcelona. I can’t wait to play with you. You’re one of the best players I’ve ever seen.” She winked at you, and you could no longer function. Not that you were beforehand.

“Thank you. I’m excited to play with you too. Not only you, of course, everyone else. Not that I don’t think you’re good or anything, because I think you’re amazing. A really good defender in fact. And I’m happy I’m not playing against you because that would be horrible because you’re so good.” You rambled. You tried biting your tongue, but couldn’t stop. It was like the dam broke and the only thing holding it together was tape, which leaked all the way through.

“I forgot to mention that she can’t talk around pretty women.” The look of horror on your face as Frido turned around to share that piece of information had you wanting to dig a grave. Why would she say that?!

You didn’t even chance a look at Mapi. Had you, you would’ve seen her with a soft look on her face, looking at you the exact way you had been looking at her. Her smile never left her face as soon as she’d set eyes on you. Mapi loved watching you play, and would watch the Chelsea and Sweden games as often as she could, which was more than she’d like to admit. If anyone were to ask her why she was watching Chelsea and Sweden specifically, she would say she was scoping out the competition. You always looked like you had fun on the pitch, your smile never leaving your face. You played the game with ease, something Mapi hadn’t ever seen. You made difficult long passes look easy as they glided through the air straight to the feet of your teammate with accuracy. You scored goals just for fun, and assist your teammates close to every game.

Frido, of course, would talk about you to her teammates. Boasting. The Barcelona team was excited to meet their new teammate because of this. They were excited to get to know the person you were on and off the pitch.

The car journey to your new flat was daunting. You sat next to Mapi in the backseat.

“So you come from Sweden, no? Beautiful place.” Sandra had said from the front seat.

“Yes, it’s beautiful. I’m from Ystad in the south of Sweden. You should go some time.” You smiled, thinking of home.

“I love visiting the smaller towns nobody goes to. There’s more character to them.” Mapi offers.

“You would love Ystad! It’s quiet and everyone is so kind. Many people would rather go to Stockholm or Gothenburg. And I love those places too, but there’s so much more to see in such a beautiful country like Sweden.” You grinned while looking out the window, loving the look of Barcelona already.

“I would love for you to show me around sometime.”

Your head swiveled quickly over to where Mapi sat, widely smiling at your reaction. You could feel yourself malfunctioning again. You laughed awkwardly and brushed it off as if she wasn’t telling the truth. Frido smiled through the rearview mirror at the both of you. You had moved to look back out the window, while Mapi looked toward you.

——

After settling into your flat, the three girls left you to your thoughts. As you were unpacking, you thought of what you could have said. You looked around the flat, your new home. It was mainly empty; only consisting of a small fridge, kitchen appliances, a washing machine, and a bed. You’d need to use this week to make your house a home. At least you had a bed to sleep in tonight, you thought. You started making a list of all of the things you’d need to buy, all ready for tomorrow. You were exhausted from traveling, it was weird thinking you had woken up in London and would now be sleeping in Barcelona. You changed into your brother's old t-shirt and a pair of sleeping shorts and retired to bed. Everything will have to wait until the morning.

——

You had made several trips to the nearby IKEA in order to buy some decor and furniture for your home. You had only managed to build a comfortable armchair. Looking around the room you took in the several cardboard boxes full of new furniture. You weren’t good at building things. There was a new coffee table needing building on one side of the room, a clothes rack next to your bedroom, and a small dining table in the middle of the room. As you were about to fetch some water from the kitchen where your new utensils were scattered on the kitchen surface, you heard a knock on the door. You’re sure Frido said she was going on a date with her boyfriend, so you had no idea who it could be. It’s not like you knew anyone.

Opening the door, you were met with Mapi, holding a bottle of red wine in her hands.

“Hola. I thought you’d like some company after your first full day in Barcelona. And it looks like you need it.” She said as she peered in to see the mess that was in your flat.

Your shoulders dropped, happy to see her, “I didn’t realise how hard it would be to build things.”

She laughed, as you stood aside to let her in. You walked to the kitchen, trying to find wine glasses.

“How have you been so far? Is it weird living on your own, or is that a regular thing for you?” Mapi made herself at home, sitting on one of the many boxes. The sofa was delivered the next day.

“I have never lived on my own before. It’s so weird. I go to tell someone something about my day or a thought I have, but nobody’s there. I’m not the biggest fan,” You had finally found the wine glasses, bringing them into the living room, “I’m sorry, I haven’t put anything up yet.”

“Don’t worry about it. I expected an empty house when I knocked. I’m lucky that I have a cat to live with. I don’t know what I’d do without him. But I’ve moved around a little too, not as far as you have, but around Spain so I can relate.” Mapi opened the bottle of wine, pouring some into both glasses and handing you one.

“Thank you so much.”

“Not a problem. Frido mentioned you were very nervous about coming over here, so I wanted to welcome you properly.” She smiled.

“I am a little. I’m quite nervous to meet everyone tomorrow.” You took a deep breath. You had no idea how they’d take to you. Would they like you? Would they think you’re too weird? What would they think? A mass of questions flooding through your mind, clearly a panicked look on your face as Mapi reached her hand out to tap you on your thigh, she had now joined you down on the carpet where you had settled.

“Hey. We’re not that bad.” Mapi laughed a little.

“I know. Frido talks about all of you so much I feel like I know you already.” You smiled back at her, noticing her hand had remained on your thigh. Your skin had warmed up beneath her hand, a warmth you weren’t exactly accustomed to. It’s fair to say that you knew nothing about being in a relationship. You’d had your first kiss when you were 13 years old, and you didn’t want to count that as your first kiss. A boy who lived on your street, and is now a nobody to you. As you got a little bit older, you realised it was girls who made your heart race and stomach explode with butterflies. You’d never been in a relationship with a girl before… or anyone for that matter. It never bothered you as you were always busy with football to have a social life. But looking at this beautiful girl before your eyes, trying to make your first few days in Barcelona a bit more comfortable and welcoming… you couldn’t help but be enamoured.

“We’re a nice group, I can promise you that. And if there’s anything I can do to make life here in Barcelona a little easier, I’d be more than happy to do it.”

“You’ve only just met me. I could be the leader of a drugs cartel and get you to do all of my dirty work.” You took more sips of your wine, the alcohol giving you some confidence. You don’t drink often, so when you do it does seemingly go straight to your head.

“No offense, but you don’t seem the type to be into something like that.” Mapi laughed at the absurdness of your statement.

“You never know!” You threw your hands up in your defence.

“Oh, I know. I know I’ve only just met you, but I can’t see you doing something like that. You’re too beautiful.” Mapi tilted her head to the side, watching your reaction with a coy smile on her face.

Your face was burning, and it wasn’t from the amount of alcohol you were consuming every minute. How do you take a compliment? What do you say back? You weren’t used to compliments, apart from in football terms, what are you going to do?

“Pablo Escobar was a drug lord.” Yep. That’ll do it.

Mapi raised her eyebrows, her smile growing, but her eyes gave away the fact that you’d made an absolute idiot of yourself once again.

“Do you think Pablo Escobar was too beautiful to be a drugs lord or something?” Mapi giggled, as you cried on the inside. Next stage of making a fool of yourself: deflect!

“More wine?” You filled your wine glass to the brim. If you were going to make an idiot out of yourself, you’d rather not remember anything about it. Mapi nodded and offered her glass out to you, which you gladly filled.

“Do you want some help with building these things,” Mapi laid her hand down on one of the many boxes adorning the flat, “We might not get much done, but I heard that if you build things while drinking wine you get things done quicker.”

You laughed, “Wouldn’t you rather be elsewhere than helping me with this furniture?”

“No. Not really. You’re good company and I’m also very good at building things.”

Mapi had taken to build the coffee table, while you’d opted to build the clothes rail. You’d thought the clothes rail would be a little easier with alcohol in your system. After figuring out which pieces went where, your eyes wandered over to Mapi and the coffee table, which was literally all of the pieces of wood laid on the floor with a confused Mapi staring at the screws.

“Are you okay over here?” You asked as you walked over to her position.

“Yes, of course. I just can’t figure out which screws are the right screws.” She held up the two differently shaped screws to your face, pleading with you to agree with her.

“I’m not a genius, but I’d probably pick that screw because it’s the right size.” You gave her a tight-lipped smile, as she looked at you and then at the screws again.

“Yes, I was just testing you. I want you to learn from the master of building things.” Mapi grabbed one of the legs of the coffee table, while you were still staring at her, humour sparkling in your eyes. Mapi threw the leg to the floor in frustration.

“I thought you said you were good at building things?!” You laughed.

“I was before the wine! I promise!” Mapi looked at you with the frustration still leaking through her veins, but couldn’t help but laugh along with you.

“I don’t believe you.” Mapi laughed, even more, the night going on with nothing fixed but wine in your systems. You felt good around Mapi. She made you feel instantly comfortable in an environment that made you nervous the second you received a phone call from your agent to say Barcelona was interested. Having at least two friends here in Frido and Mapi made all the difference.

——

Mapi had left very early in the morning after falling asleep next to you on the carpet. Was it comfortable? Absolutely not. But it was nice to spend time with one of your teammates. You now had to meet the rest of them. The team was training today, while you had a few things to sign, meeting your new teammates and the staff, and having a day of social media duties. You were nervous at how you’d come across, but a little excited for the day ahead. Walking into the large building with the training pitch, you were amazed. This is where some of the world’s best players trained, and some of your favourite players too.

One of the Barcelona staff took you to the changing rooms to change into your new training kit and to meet the team. You walked in and the whole room went quiet. Your nerves came back, a small sweat dripping down the back of your neck. You took a deep shaky breath in as you looked around the room. The silence felt like it went on for 10 hours when in actuality it was five seconds. Alexia was the first player up to you, with a massive smile on her face and her hand reaching out to shake yours. You wiped the palm of your hand in your shorts, ridding it of sweat, before returning the handshake.

“Hola. My name is Alexia. It’s good to meet you finally.” You liked that she introduced herself like that, even if you’re pretty sure the whole world knows who she is.

“Hi.” It came out like a rushed whisper, cursing yourself inwardly, feeling like an idiot yet again. Alexia didn’t seem to mind, almost as if she was expecting that answer.

“Your locker is right there with your training kit.” Alexia pointed towards the last locker which had been set up for you: the number 26. You sat next to Emma Ramírez. 

“Thank you.” Before you could sit down and get changed, it felt like a tsunami of people attacked you after Alexia left to change herself.

“I’m Patri. I’ve been so excited to meet you. You’re a very good midfielder.” Patri pulled you into a quick hug, pulling back and holding you back by your shoulders to get a proper look at you.

“Thank you so much.” You smiled back at her, you couldn’t believe one of the best midfielders in the world had said that to you.

“Hi. I’m Claudia!” The smaller girl hugged you. You didn’t realise how affectionate Spanish girls could be, with almost all of them pulling you into a hug. You were thrown from Claudia into Mariona, who then pushed you towards Laia Codina, who wanted you to meet Aitana, who called for Jana to talk to you. You hadn’t said a word other than ‘thank you' and your name. You were getting so overwhelmed with everything that you almost ran out of the room to cool down until you felt a pair of hands grab your hips and pull you back into their body. Their hands wrapped around your torso, which felt really safe to you.

“Okay, give her some breathing space. You have all season to talk to her.” It was Mapi. The relief flooded through you as you spun around to see her dressed in her training kit.

“Hi again.” You gave her a wide smile, a little too happy to see her.

“Hola. I’m sorry about the girls, they can be a little excited, especially when someone new comes in. But I told you there’s nothing to worry about.” Mapi rubbed her hands up your arms, trying to comfort your nervous state.

“It’s fair to say I wasn’t expecting that much love.” You chuckled. Mapi walked you over to your locker where she sat next to you and joked about last night while you got changed. You usually wouldn’t be comfortable getting changed next to somebody you barely even knew, but something about Mapi gave you a warm feeling.

“Mapi! Stop hogging the new girl! I want to talk to her!” Patri shouted across the dressing room, Mapi turning red as you turned to look at her giggling.

Before anyone could say anything, most of the team was out of the door and running onto the training pitch, but you were dragged away to do some media duties with the promise of joining them with the training sessions the next day.

——

You were resting at home when you realised what a good day you had. The next day you had the opportunity to actually play football, which is what you were here for. You didn’t care about anything else, other than playing football which is what you would consider your first love. No person could ever compare.

——

You were the first in the dressing room. You slept okay until around 4 o’clock in the morning, and couldn’t get back to sleep. You opened the curtains to the darkness, still looking like nighttime to you as the lampposts below on the street were still lit up, and not a soul on the street. The training facilities were open early at 5 as there is a gym connected to the facility, which you were thankful for. You got there by 5.30 and didn’t leave until 6.30. Training would start at 7 so you weren’t sure if anyone would be there yet.

Walking in you found Alexia, Irene, and Sandra getting changed. Alexia takes a double take to see you walking over to your locker.

“You’re here early?” Alexia questioned.

“I couldn’t sleep very well.” You smiled up at Alexia before sitting down on the bench and grabbing your kit.

“Excited, huh?” Irene asked, smiling at your apparent eagerness.

“Yeah… something like that.” You smiled and continued to get changed. You didn’t want to go into too much detail with them, not wanting to bother them.

Walking onto the pitch, you felt good. You took a deep breath as you looked out onto the green grass with the footballs scattered around the place. This was where you felt most comfortable and yourself. The rest of the girls came on to start their training, talking amongst each other. Mapi walked out with a frown on her face, which turned into a smile when she saw you on the pitch. She jogged up to you.

“I thought you were late, or ill.”

“That’s not how I would’ve wanted to start at Barca.” You chucked along with Mapi.

“Ready for your first training session?”

“I think so.”

“You’ll be amazing. Just play like you always do.”

And you did just that. You danced away from the defenders, slotting in goal after goal, tackling others. Sandra Panos, Alexia, and Irene were all standing on the side in awe, staring at the way you were on the pitch. The confidence oozed out of you as you ran up the wing, looking up to boot a perfect ball towards Claudia’s feet, the perfect assist to her goal. You were a machine on the pitch.

A break was called. The three veterans’ eyes followed you as you sat down quietly on your own and drank your water. They couldn’t believe the difference between the person you were on the pitch and off the pitch. They were the complete opposite person. They saw Mapi sit down beside you, soft smiles now on their lips, as they see your body leaning in towards Mapi’s. Neither of you said anything, but no one needed to. It was like the both of you were communicating through brainwaves or something.

———

A few weeks later after training, Mapi was adamant that she’d walk you home. She almost begged you at one point. It struck Mapi that she didn’t actually know a lot about you, but that you knew a lot about her. She loved your company. Something about you was enamouring to her, even after a few weeks of knowing you. But you were more of a listener and loved asking Mapi questions. Mapi loved talking so it never bothered her, but she needed to know more about you. The team was constantly asking Mapi about you, wanting to know a little more than you let on.

As the both of you were walking back to yours, Mapi had her mission objective and was adamant about completing it.

“I want to know more about you.”

“Like what? I’m an open book.” You were more than happy to share with Mapi. She’d become the closest friend you’d made since coming to Spain.

“You’re a very closed book. A book with a lock over it. And chains. And-“

“Alright! I get it. I don’t know. I just feel more comfortable keeping myself to myself. Standing back and being quiet. I’m from a small and quiet town, so I’m used to being… you know?”

“Small and quiet?”

“Yeah. Words are valuable. I’d rather speak when it matters, rather than just say something stupid. And trust me, I feel like I always say something stupid around you.”

“I don’t think you’re stupid. I think you’re amazing. And I like that you’re quiet. It doesn’t make me think any less of you. I think you’re perfect just the way you are.”

“Thank you. I’m sorry that I’m like this.”

“Don’t ever apologise. Please. I just want to know more about you. The whole team does. Because we really like you and want you to be as comfortable as possible.”

“That means a lot to me.”

“So…”

“Um… my favourite colour is green? Is that the type of facts you’re after?”

“Sure. Favourite club?”

“Arsenal.”

“Y/N! Really? You’re meant to say Barcelona.”

“But then you wouldn’t know the real me!”

Mapi started asking some quick-fire questions, even writing some of your answers down on her phone like when your birthday was and your favourite food. A keen smile never left your face the whole evening you and Mapi spoke. The more you were in Barcelona, the more that heavy weight of anxiety was lifting off your chest. And a certain tattooed blonde had a lot to do with it.

————

The next few months you and Mapi got closer and closer. She kept wanting to learn more about you. The both of you were over at each other’s houses, having dinner together, Mapi *trying* to help you build the furniture in your flat, and the both of you always sitting next to each other in meetings and team dinners. Wherever Mapi was, you were never far from her side, and vice versa. The team quickly got used to it, placing bets on when the both of you would get together.

The pre-season had finished, and you were ready for the start of the season.

Your first away game was against Atletico Madrid. You took a deep breath while looking around the stadium. A small section dedicated to the Barcelona fans where you could see them waving the flags around, holding up signs, and cheering already. You felt like you belonged somewhere; a feeling you’d never really become accustomed to before. Of course, you belonged to Ystad, your home and place of birth, but in Barcelona, you had people who shared the same love for football as you did.

Looking behind you, you saw Leila giving you a thumbs-up and a wide smile. You couldn’t help but chuckle at her positivity which always radiated off of her. Looking to your right you saw Alexia, the captain, looking straight ahead. Her gaze was the complete opposite of Leila’s. She was ready and nothing could stop her from winning this game. Casting your eyes to the player before you was Frido, your favourite person. She was in game mode like Alexia, and nothing could break her out of it. You looked behind you again to find Mapi already looking at you. When she noticed you looking back she softly smiled. She gave you a small nod as if to ask if you were okay, to which you nodded back.

You turned back around, with a similar look on your face to Alexia and Frido. You were ready for this game.

——

You ran for most of the game. Your running stats must be through the roof. You assisted Alexia’s goal in the 23rd minute and scored two goals of your own. You couldn’t believe it. Frido was the first to get to you when you scored your first away goal for Barcelona. Mapi assisted your second with a well-placed free kick. You ran back to her position where Mapi lifted you up into the air. The rest of the team made it to you, hugging you with words of praise. Mapi stayed next to you, keeping her arm around your waist. The team had left the both of you two it, with Mapi hugging you again and bringing you back into her.

“I’m so proud of you, amor.” Mapi kisses your cheek. No one had ever looked at you in a way that Mapi looks at you. She made your world spin a little bit faster. She made your love for football shift to the side a little, allowing her to take over your head. Mapi dominated your thoughts every minute of the day. No one has ever made you feel this way. It scared you, but for the first time, it excited you. Something that wasn’t football made you excited. Mapi always made you feel safe, wanted, and enough. You wanted to take her home to Sweden, and you wanted to share all of your triumphs with her.

It was the 83rd minute when things got a little messier. You were charging up the left wing when your legs were taken out from underneath you. You didn’t see who it was that tackled you. You could only grab onto your ankle which began throbbing. Frido ran to you as quick as she could.

“Are you okay? It’s your ankle? Do you think you can walk?” Frido rambled, reminding you a little bit of yourself.

“Yeah… I think I’m alright.” The pain subsided as you got up and walked on it gently. The medics not needing to come on. Raised voices were heard as the both of you turned around to see Mapi holding the Atleti player, who you could only guess had tackled you, by her collar. No one had ever seen Mapi so angry. Alexia tried to pull her away by her shoulders and Leila tried to get in between the two players. The veins coursing through Mapi’r arms were apparent with how strongly she gripped this poor girl.

“Maps! I’m okay!” You shouted towards her. Her gaze flickered over to you momentarily but shook her head.

“She could’ve hurt you badly!” She glanced at you once again and quickly back at the player. One of the Atleti players moved out of the way so you could see the player's name was Latorre. You knew she was a good midfielder and had been chasing after you all game. She clearly had gotten frustrated and took it out on you. You couldn’t blame her. It had happened to you in several games. But no teammate of yours had ever reacted this way towards the other player.

“You could’ve broken her ankle!” Mapi pushed Latorre to the floor. Alexia and Leila took the chance to grab Mapi and pull her back, pushing her toward Sandra’s goal. You looked up at Frido, asking her silently what you should do. She shook her head as the both of you watched Mapi with steam coming out of her ears and pushing Alexia away. You’d never seen her like this. What was up with her? You debated running up to her to calm her down, but with Frido’s steady arm holding your shoulder, it wasn’t something you were prepared to do.

You watch the referee blowing her whistle, trying to get Mapi’s attention. The ref’s hand was dangerously close to her back pocket. This couldn’t be happening. Mapi turned around to see a red card flung her way. Your eyes widen. Surely that wasn’t red card worthy. Alexia shook her head in disappointment, while Sandra put her head in her gloves. Mapi walked off the pitch, muttering in Spanish under her breath. You were stuck. You couldn’t move from the spot your feet had been planted in. Frido had let you go, not knowing what to do after that shocking red card. It was stupid what she had done, probably yellow card worthy, but everyone knew if they argued with this ref they’d get a booking. The ref was notorious for stupid bookings, but this was a new feat.

After the game had finished, you went around shaking the other team's hands and congratulating them on a good game. Thinking you’d finished, you began walking through the tunnel to make your way back into the dressing room. You felt a tap on your back. As you turned around you saw Latorre with a sorry smile on her face as she reached out her hand for you to shake, which you took.

“I’m so sorry for that tackle. You were too good for me to stop most times…”

“No, it’s fine. I completely understand.” You smiled back at her. Before you could carry on your walk to get changed you felt her pull you back.

“I would love to apologise properly to you. Maybe over dinner?” Latorre said bluntly. You couldn’t believe your luck. You had never been asked out on a date, and you’d been in Spain for a few months and a date is already on the table?! Unbelievable. Your mouth opened and closed a few times, not a sound coming out. She was attractive, sure, but she wasn’t blonde, she didn’t have an art gallery of tattoos adorning her body, and her name wasn’t Maria. These were deal breakers for you. You looked into her eyes and realised that you liked Mapi, probably more than Mapi will ever know. And this girl had been the final nail in the coffin for you to help you realise that.

“Or you could even come back to mine?” Latorre looked you up and down, biting her lip, winking at you. Your face cringed at her arrogance. Mapi was never like this. You still hadn’t said anything. Cursing yourself again, a body came between you and Latorre.

“Back off. She won’t be going out to dinner with you, and she definitely will not be going to your house.” It was Mapi. She had been keeping a watchful eye on you ever since she saw Latorre approaching you. She never did like Latorre.

“It’s your bodyguard, Y/L/N. You don’t answer for her, Maria. Let the girl make up her own mind. I asked her, not you.” Latorre never took her eyes off of you. You gripped onto the back of Mapi’s shirt for your safety. You hated confrontation more than anything, and the fact that they were fighting over you was even worse. You tried tugging Mapi back, a signal for her to wrap up this conversation and walk with you. She wasn’t budging. Mapi took a step forward, threatening Latorre to do something.

“She’s busy tonight.”

“You’re right. She is. With me, having dinner.” Latorre smiled again, talking through her teeth.

“Just leave her alone. If she wanted to be with you, she would’ve said ‘yes’ instantly. Now move.” Mapi pushed Latorre, which was returned.

“Mapi, leave her. She’s not worth it.” Your words were meaningless to Mapi as Latorre kept pushing her not only with her hands but with her words. Mapi punches Latorre, with the former falling to the floor. The look she gives Mapi from the floor is one of anger as she gets up quickly and rugby tackles her into the wall. You could only stand there staring at the both of them in shock. Latorre holds Mapi by the collar of her shirt, punching her back. You were shaken out of your frozen position with Mariona stepping in front of you and pushing you back, asking if you were okay and how the fight had started. Alexia and Patri were pulling Mapi back into the changing room with blood mainly streaming from her fists.

You don’t see Mapi when you walk back with Mariona. Her bag and shoes are gone. You change as quickly as you could as you raced onto the bus, looking around to find the ever-present blonde who had taken over your life. She was nowhere to be found. You shrugged down into your seat, popped your earphones in, and looked out the window. The team began coming onto the bus, the journey back to the hotel a short one. You were the last off the bus as the nerves of seeing Mapi overtook you suddenly. She must’ve been angry with you. You did nothing to help her as she fought with another, you just stood there watching it all happen. You could’ve said ‘no’ straight away instead of stuttering, but you didn’t. You felt so stupid and useless. Of course, she was angry with you. And now she’s hurt because of you.

Getting off the bus with your bag on your back, you noticed a flowerbed in front of the hotel. There were yellow flowers on the left, orange flowers in the middle, and pink ones on the left. You looked around, looking for any of the staff, as you seized your chance and grabbed a few of each colours. They wouldn’t mind, you thought.

Running up to the room you and Mapi shared, you opened the door and then knocked, not wanting to disturb Mapi if she didn’t feel like visitors.

“This is your room too… you don’t need to knock.” You heard Mapi from inside the room, weirdly you could hear a smile in her voice. You peeped your head around to see her. She was laying down on the top covers of her bed, her phone in her hand, and her eyes waiting for you to walk in.

“Sorry. I didn’t know if you’d be in the mood for people or not.”

“I’m always in the mood for you.” Mapi smiled as you blushed furiously. She sat up, never taking her eyes off of you.

“I got you these as an apology. I know that it’s literally nothing but-” You had your eyes on the flowers, not wanting to look at however Mapi was looking at you.

“What do you have to apologise for?”

“Well… everything? I should’ve done something or, better yet, said something. It’s my fault you were sent off, and it’s my fault you got into that fight, and it’s my fault you’re bleeding, and it’s my fault you’re angry…”

Mapi had gotten up as she saw the panicked look on your face, “Amor. Stop.” Her hands rested on your hips, as she leaned down to make eye contact with you, “I’m not angry. I mean… I was. But not with you. With Latorre. None of this is your fault. Maybe I could have reacted better on the pitch and with Latorre, but I can’t help myself with you. You bring something out of me.”

“But I should’ve pushed her away or something, or told her to go away, you know?”

Mapi laughed slightly, “That’s not you though. You didn’t make today an easy game for her, and she got frustrated and took you out. Asking you out after doesn’t make any sense to me, but I didn’t like how she was with you. Trying to push you to say yes. You don’t deserve to be treated like that. You deserve to be treated like a princesa.”

No one had ever looked at you the way Mapi was looking at you now. Mapi’s right hand had moved up to cup your cheek, her lips impossibly close to yours. She looked down at your soft lips, biting her own in the process.

“I don’t know about that. I’m just me.” You whispered.

“And I wouldn’t change you for the world,” Mapi whispered back.

Mapi leaned in, waiting for you to lean into her. You hadn’t had your first kiss yet, not a proper first kiss anyway. What if you were an awful kisser? What if this put Mapi off you for good? After a second of stalling, you leaned in towards Mapi. She felt the shaky breath you gently let out. She wanted you to decide what to do here, not wanting to push you to do something you didn’t want to do or weren’t ready for.

Before you could completely lean in, there was a knock on the door. You jumped back, clearing your throat, feeling a little awkward now. Mapi held your chin, forcing you to look at her. She smiled at you once the eye contact was made, and kissed your cheek before moving passed you to get to the door. You went to sit down on the bed as Mapi spoke to one of the staff at the door. Something about her red card and being suspended in the next game. Everyone knew it would happen, but you didn’t hear the rest of the conversation as your leg bounced nervously up and down, and your heart beating loudly that you’re sure Mariona and Aitana could hear it in the room next door.

You heard the door close and the bed dipping where Mapi had sat next to you. The both of you sat in silence for a few minutes.

“I’ve never…” you gulped and shook your head. You had to tell her the truth, “I’ve never done this before.”

“Never done what?” Mapi watched as your leg continued to bounce and how you were playing with your fingers continuously.

You looked to your right where Mapi was, still pulling and pinching at your fingers. You felt so embarrassed. “I’ve never been on a date before. I’ve never… you know… kissed anyone. I’m at level one, compared to whatever level you’re at.”

Mapi chuckled a little. You put your head in your hands, terrified that she thought that low of you and thought it was funny.

“I’m not laughing at that. Sorry. I just liked that you said you’re at level one. I’ve never heard anyone say it like that before.” Mapi laughed again but moved a little closer to you so your thighs were touching, “I don’t think differently of you. I’m happy you told me though.”

You looked up towards Mapi, who was still looking at you the same way she did the first day she met you at the airport. That look of wonder and affection. Mapi reached out to wipe the tears that had escaped you, cradling your cheek almost the same way she did a few minutes before, with the same care and gentleness.

“Please don’t be embarrassed. There is nothing wrong with when or if these things happen. I just want you to know that I really like you.”

“I like you too. A lot.”

“Really?” Mapi sounded almost surprised.

“Obviously.” You smiled brightly at her. “Is it okay if we go really slow though?”

“Like level zero type of slow?” Mapi laughed after the look you gave her, but held onto one of your hands and squeezed it in confirmation, “We can go as slow as you want. I’ll wait for as long as you want.” Mapi landed a kiss on your cheekbone, a pink blush following afterward, “Was that too quick? That was too quick, wasn’t it?” Mapi panicked. You laughed, Mapi smiled lovingly at you and pulled you down to the bed. The both of you lying down, looking up at the ceiling.

“Do you want to do something with me? Like, go out? Maybe for some coffee or something one day? Just me and you?”

“Are you asking me out on a date?” The smile in Mapi’s voice wasn’t to be missed.

“Was that the worst way you’ve been asked out?”

Mapi laughed loudly, turning to her left to look at you. You remained to stare at the ceiling. “It was the sweetest way someone has ever asked me out on a date. I’m going at your speed. Level zero, remember? Whatever you’re ready for, I’ll do it.”

“So that’s a yes?”

“Of course it’s a yes!”

——

The date was the best date you’d ever been on. Not that you could compare it to anything else. Mapi told you she wanted to arrange it, as it was your first one she wanted it to be special. She picked you up, took you for dinner, took you to play crazy golf, and then took you back to hers where she had set up two comfortable chairs close together with pillows and a blanket to stargaze. Mapi made you feel a way that nobody else made you feel. A warm feeling in your heart was constantly there every time Mapi walked into the room. Your eyes always found each other at a party, the not-so-subtle winks and smiles she’d give you on the pitch, and constantly gravitating towards each other wherever the both of you were.

For the first time, you had another love in your life besides football. And that was Mapi.

[spaghettificationandpretzels]

About me and my blog

Hello all,

I hope you find the below information helpful (thank you to @thegayhimbo for providing a template on how to do this)

Below you will mostly find information on my writing but I want you to know who you're following so I'll let you know a little about me too.

All about me

I'm a twenty-four-year-old woman living in wonderful Australia (AEST). I have had this blog for a very long time but only became active over the last three years and only started writing early last year. I'm also busy studying to get a bachelor's in a helping profession. I have a dog and a cat and I love them more than anything.

My blog

First and foremost, please don't follow me if you're under the age of 18. I don't want you here, especially considering the content of what I post. I do not make exceptions even if you coming to talk to me about something that is safe for work.

I am passionate about many social issues and will share posts about them from time to time. I have been told from knee-high that I'm opinionated and I'm very happy to share said opinions. Bigots of any shape will be blocked.

I love talking to people about their passion, ideas and thoughts so if you're having to urge to info dump about anything, please say hello.

My writing

Main Masterlist

I write for lots of fandoms for both men and women. I do both reader and OC although I'm moving towards OC more and more. I only do requests very rarely, mostly for milestones. I prefer to use canon as a starting point and most of my work deviates very heavily.

What I write:

One shots Series Fluff Smut Angst

I write for:

Sons of Anarchy

Jax Teller Lyla Winston

Mayans M.C.

Guero Manny Angel Reyes EZ Reyes

Law & Order: SVU

Terry Bruno Joe Velasco Mike Duarte

The Punisher

Karen Page Billy Russo Frank Castle

Call of Duty (Video Games)

Simon 'Ghost' Riley Valeria Garza Phillip Graves Kate Laswell

The Gentleman

Raymond Smith

Peaky Blinders

Alfie Solomons John Shelby

Gangs of London

Sean Wallace

Many of my fics have very dark themes, and I fully believe that fiction should be used to explore the worst parts of humanity. However, it needs to be done well.

I will not write:

Any form of violence against women for the sole purpose of furthering a man's story. Violence against animals or children. Sexual assault smut. All my smut heavily features enthusiastic and mutual consent

General things for readers

I am more than happy to talk about my work, I will give spoilers and talk about my process if you want. Just ask!!!

I have a tag list and I'm happy to add you but if you are inactive for five posts, I will remove you.

You are under no obligation to read my work so please do not struggle through anything.

This is a hobby and I do this for free, I do this for myself so I'm happy to receive feedback but please don't complain.

Comments and reblogs are loved and cherished.

Thank you for reading this far, I wish you fun on your journey through my blog.

[songliili]

childhood friends???? actor au???? tell me more

this is one of those with only vibes but it's more than two lines and coherent enough so i can actually copy the general idea/very rough outline lmao

childhood friends to lovers aka they meet as kids two become bffs and the crush part comes later but then the friend becomes famous and the protagonist doesn't think they have a chance with him but plot twist he was in love the whole time!!!!! OR post divorce, ellen moves them to uk for work. they all meet at a reading to kids in a library thingy/bookstore, june and henry become bffs. the crush part comes later (for alex, cause at first he's against the move and he's annoyed that june is having a great time, cause they were supposed to be miserable, damnit!!) so alex is just constantly annoyed, because henry is stealing june and then when they're older literally everyone is mooning over henry when his (rock? pop? idk the genre) group (him pez and bea) becomes famous. and then alex is even more annoyed cause he knows henry and henry can be a fucking dick when he wants, okay! something something alex realizes that he was in love with henry for the whole time but now henry is famous and he doesn't have a chance cause henry is living his best slutty years (according to alex but we know he's an unreliable narrator right) and maybe one day he confesses while drunk or out of frustration and then runs without letting henry speak, so henry during a concert (final tour day in london?) says that all his songs were written for 'a boy with beautiful brown eyes, curly dark hair and fucking eyelashes for days'

i think it'll be a real fun time to write, maybe with pov switch for some parts? idk! we'll see!!

WIP tag game

[dewdropreader]

WIP Folder Tag Game

The lovely @insert-witty-user-name-here has tagged me because she knows the absolutely unhinged amount of WIPs in various stages that I have lol. But I also love sharing them out of context and talking about them because that often motivates me so here we go! And thank you!

Rules: reveal the titles of the documents in your WIP folder and tag as many people as there are documents (or as many people as you want). Let others ask questions about the ones that interest them and post snippets or explain the contents as you see fit!'

I went in rough order from most recently created/worked on to older ones so you can see how at some point I just stopped counting my found family and general “Time Crew” based ideas because I lost track lmao.

Sleeping around untrustworthy people 5+1

Gator Pres Reconciliation

Cat chapter 8

Prayer TC

Collapse TC

God of Outcasts Returning

Found Family- Frost Giants

Hugsssss 5+1

Big Sister Sylvie

Do you have a better plan—(the original Drabble is done and posted but there is a part two WIP in the same doc!)

TC- Ghosts

Found family- Guilt

Freeze- TC

Protective- TC

Birthdays- TC

Love Letters- TC

TC- Restored

TC- Playground

Time Crew Fic 9- Void Road Trip

Touch Starved TC

TC Reassuring

TC Unfairness

A few I have mentioned before ina few tag games like this because some have festered in WIP hell for that long 😅 though I’m not including every single much older one, just a few of my favorites and/or ones that actually have something there to work on! But for any new people/people who didn’t see these!!

Sylvie and Peggy Vs the End of the World

Sylkius Christmas

Loki Found Family 5- Boastful

Found Family 8- Kid and Genderfluidity

TC- Kitchen Sink

And a few I haven’t made documents for but I have little notes made about them in one larger document called “All Loki Ideas” where I compile them and highlight different colors based on if they’re done or in progress or new/untouched ideas and organized by category or ship so if I have a particular person/ship I want to write but no solid idea I can go hunting lol. Some descriptions are all I have and others I just put in the first sentence and there is more!

Loki waking up with a nightmare/panic about Mobius not knowing him, and Mobius helping him calm down and reassuring him that he knows and loves him

Exploring the deep empathy and attempts at understanding Mobius felt when having to go through Loki’s life

Lokius inspired by songs/lyrics (there are lyric snippets and/or actual ideas for most of these if anyone is curious! Also yes there is a lot of Taylor Swift, sue me 😅)

Superman-Taylor Swift

Cardigan-Taylor Swift

Happy endings are stories that haven’t ended yet- mayday parade

London boy- Taylor swift

The man who can’t be moved-the script

When the day met the night- panic at the disco

The joker and the queen- ed sheeran

New Year’s Day- Taylor Swift

Delicate- Taylor swift

I’m yours- the script

Haunted- Taylor swift

Loki having a nightmare about Sylvie (and Mobius?) dying, and having to contend with it

Lokius reunion (this was noted before s2 even came out but hey guess it circled back to being relevant 😭)

Mobius and Loki (and Sylvie?) moving into a home together and having small domestic moments like having a “picnic” on the floor

Drunk Sylkius- Sylvie and Loki drunk and arguing about who’s more hedonistic

Drunk Sylkius- Folksy Dope fan club with sylvie and loki goofing off and praising and gushing over Mobius

B-15 and Sylvie spending time together, sorting out feelings

C-20 and Sylvie growing closer after she is rescued

If any of these are interesting to you, and you want to know more/see a snippet (if one exists!) please let me know, I love rambling about all of these ideas and sometimes talking about them gives more inspiration! 💕

Certainly will double tag some people (and am going to tag the originator in her own game lol bc I also want to see her stuff!) but that’s expected from me!

@insert-witty-user-name-here @starport-seven-five @mirilyawrites @lgwilt @dreamycloud @cha-melodius @blackbirdofasgard @loki-is-my-kink-awakening @nostalgia-tblr @bushs-world @queen-of-meows

And anyone else who would like to share!!

[itshoneywhatever]

Easy to Manipulate

A Tommy x Alfie snippet

“Fuck you, Tommy. Don’t ask me that.”

“Arthur is still mad about what happened, and to be honest, Alfie, I don’t give two shits about it but if I want this plan to work, then Arthur needs to hear, at the very least, a fake apology.”

Alfie shakes his head in disbelief. “You ask for too fucking much, Tommy.”

 “Tell you what,” Tommy moves forward on his seat, arms coming to rest on top of his desk, hands clasped together. “If you apologize to Arthur I’ll let you fuck me right here before I call my brothers in.”

Sex between them has become somewhat of a common occurrence ever since they first met in London, and it had only stopped once Tommy had married Grace. And after her passing, Tommy hasn’t had sex with anyone else.

Alfie would be the first one after Grace.

And the idea of that is too enticing for the man sitting in front of him – that’s how he knows Alfie will comply with what he’s asking of him.

“Come here, you crazy fucker.”

Tommy tries to not look so smug at how easy it is for him to manipulate the other man with sex, as he approaches him.

They are trying to make themselves look presentable and not look like they just finished fucking a few minutes ago, when his brothers walk into the drawing room.

The moment Arthur spots Alfie and tries to run out of the office, any post-coital bliss that Tommy might have had lingering in his body left him rather quickly.

Back to business.

“Arthur, come here.” The older Shelby reluctantly obeys. “Now, Mr. Solomons is here because the next part of my plan involves us working together and before that happens, Alfie would like to say something to you, and I want you to listen, alright?”

Tommy watches in silence, trying not to laugh as Alfie mockingly apologizes to his brother, he sees how his brother gets more on edge by the second but thankfully, by the end of a very long, very fake apology, they each remain seated on their seats and there’s no ashtray being smashed on anyone’s head – he’ll take the win.

Once that apology is out of the way, they are able to move on to talk the business part of the meeting.

“You didn’t need to rile him up that much, you know,” Tommy comments when they are once again alone in the drawing room.

“Yeah, but he makes it so easy.” Tommy simply shakes his head, amused because he knows how easy it is to rile his brother.

“Want to go upstairs?” He asks after a moment of silence.

“Tommy, sweetheart, I love that you think so highly of me but I don’t think I can fuck you again. Not for a little while longer, at least.”

“Well,” Tommy walks around the desk to stand closer to where the other man is sitting. “You can always stay the night. I mean, is late already and is a long drive back to London and we both know how much your sciatica acts up when you sit still for too long in your car,” Tommy says in a fake concerned voice.

“Yeh, it would be nice, yeah, to spend the night. You know, for my sciatica. And bad knee,” Alfie follows Tommy’s games without a second thought.

“That’s right. We can’t forget about your knee.”

“Lead the way, then.” Alfie says as if he’s never before stayed at the house. What follows is an evening filled with moans and pure post-coital bliss.

[theghostofashton]

weekend wip game

thank you for the tags @lemonlyman-dotcom and @orchidscript and thank you to @welcometololaland for coming up with this game!

rules: list your wips below (if you only write one fic at a time, feel free to include future wips/ideas!) then answer the following questions. then, tag as many people as you have wips (or more).

1. WIP List:

of things i am actively working on / thinking about?

exes to lovers au: the one i'm the farthest in, the gang went to college together in new york and made all kinds of memories, tk and carlos fell in love, but things ended abruptly right before graduation and now it's six years later and fate brings them back together (tk moves to austin)

olympics au: after a devastating injury took him out of contention for london, carlos is back to gymnastics and determined to make rio. he doesn't anticipate the way tk strand coming into his life will change everything.

cda: i don't want to give much away about this one but it is a carlos character study

stripper au: this has like. -3 plot atm (is honestly just a series of chaotic text messages to friends) so i don't have much to say but i have decided i will be writing it for sure so adding to the list.

2. Which of your WIPs is currently the longest?

exes to lovers, hands down. both in words and extensive plans

3. Which WIP do you expect will end up the longest?

exes to lovers

4. Which WIP is your favourite to write/the most enjoyable to write? Why?

the only one i'm making active progress on atm is exes to lovers but i would probably say that one. it's such a rich story filled with so many self-indulgent things and thinking about it and planning has been so much fun

5. Which WIP do you find the most intimidating to write? Why?

stripper au i think. mostly because it's a kind of story i never thought i would write and a whole new world to explore. challenging myself in writing is one of my favorite things about it but it's also scary lol

6. Which WIP do you experience the most self-doubt about. Why?

exes to lovers i think. just because it's so specific in my head and i'm constantly doubting my ability to translate that to actual words lol

7. Which of your WIPs will you seek out a beta/sensitivity reader for? Why?

having someone else read my fics before they're posted is a relatively new thing to me tbh, but i really do enjoy it so i'd say all of them? i just find that having someone to talk things through with is really invaluable. i haven't sought out a sensitivity reader yet but i would definitely do so depending on content so i'm making sure to be respectful

8. Have any of your WIPs been struck by the curse of writer's block?

...exes to lovers lately? idk i've just as a whole been busy/tired/stressed and not writing nearly as much which has been really frustrating

9. Which WIP has your favourite OC? Tell us about them?

so far i don't think i have any lol. but i'm creating a love interest for marjan in exes to lovers that i'm super excited about. queer marjan is a hc that's always been special to me so i've decided to create a gf for her.

10. Which WIP is the sexiest?

stripper au i feel like is the obvious answer lol

11. Which WIP is the angstiest?

exes to lovers, probably. getting into their heads about their time apart hurts, the breakup hurts, the messiness of them encountering each other present day hurts..... she's gonna be a lot lol

12. Which WIP has the best characterisation (in your humble opinion)?

exes to lovers for sure. i feel like getting to think about everyone when they were 18 and in college and develop them there and then also exploring them into adulthood has led to some incredible characterization

13. Which WIP has the best scene setting (in your humble opinion)?

exes to lovers because it explores new york and texas so closely

14. Which WIP have you worked the hardest on?

exes to lovers. my voice memos are just.....that fic. i've gone on so many walks during my lunch breaks and just talked through some things with myself lol. weaving two timelines together is so hard and has taken so much planning

15. Which WIP do you have the highest expectations for? Why?

cda, i think. it's a story i've wanted to write for months but i've kinda shied away from because there were a lot of things i wanted to think through for it. there's so much i want it to be and i hope i can accomplish that

16. Do you dream about any of your WIPs?

i wish lmao

17. Do any of your WIPs have particular complexities that your other fics don't?

exes to lovers has the two timelines, olympics involves a lot of gymnastics jargon, cda is very much [redacted], and stripper au is well. self explanatory lol

18. Which WIP is the funniest or has the most humour?

olympics au, i'd say. kinda a heavy premise that i wanted to offset with a lot of jokes and banter amongst the characters

19. Do any of your WIPs contain outside POVs or a deep dive on a character other than the main ship? How are you finding that process?

exes to lovers won't necessarily feature outside pov but a good bit of this story deals with this group of very close-knit friends that fell apart a little, once two of them broke up, and the ways that rocked everyone's dynamics (particularly because, similar to canon, neither tk nor carlos told them why). it's been really interesting to think about how that affected the other characters. i also have spent way too much time developing everyone else, thinking about their lives and careers and perspectives, so there'll definitely be quite a bit of character exploration beyond tarlos

20. Tell us one thing we don't know about one or more of your WIPs.

exes to lovers - carlos teaches 10th grade english and it has been an absolute joy to write

olympics au - andrea and gabriel olympic power duo <3

cda: all my carlos headcanons wrapped into a fic

four wips so i'll tag @sanjuwrites @reyesstrand @carlos-in-glasses and @bonheur-cafe

[irrigos]

Irrigo's Best and Worst Exceptional Stories from Every Year

This is going to be incredibly long. Should I have split this up into several posts? Perhaps. But I didn't. Anyway here's my extremely subjective opinions that may or may not match up with the subreddit's yearly survey. This post is long and has some spoilers, but I've tried to mention them only when necessary and labeled which little blurbs have spoilers in them.

2015

Best: Cut With Moonlight

I can say this very confidently now that I've played many many too many Exceptional Stories: a lot of them really fumble the ending. So, the fact that Cut With Moonlight has a good twist I wasn't expecting, and ties the ending back into the beginning of the story is what makes it a (haha) cut above the rest

Worst: Flint

There are lots of people who like Flint, and that's not illegal (despite my many petitions to the government), so I just have to accept it. I played it when it came out, and liked it at the time, even though I couldn't really grasp what was happening! I thought it was just because AK's writing was too deep and poetic for my simple mind, but now that I'm no longer a teenager, I think maybe he might just be a bad writer? Playing it now (when it's not split in half with a month between) it's way too goddamn long, it's really boring, I don't know why he made it canon that the Mountain of Light experienced sexual violence when she's literally a pile of rocks, and also the fatphobia in it really started to get to me. Like, I get it. The Imperturbable Patroness is big, but it felt like her size was brought up constantly. It might just be me, and other people maybe wouldn't have gotten this impression, but when I played it last, it felt like every sentence about her was like, "She heaves her huge body, holding a knife in her meaty fist, and stomps her big feet on the ground, and looks at you fatly"

Honestly, I would recommend this ES if you want to remind yourself why we're glad AK is gone.

2016

Best: Five Minutes to Midday

Are there better, more compelling stories, with more variance in the choices you could make? Perhaps. But this is MY list, and I'M in love with the Subdued Protestor. This one was extremely in character for my PC, and also particularly timely (I think when it happened, Morgan had just lost their soul), and the Protestor was sooooooo big and handsome and I love him. He's my best friend, my homeboy, my rotten soldier, my sweet cheese, my good time boy. I really don't have much more to say than that!

Worst: A Waltz to Move the World

(Spoilers)

This one's complicated! There's a lot to like about it. I like that it has a soundtrack! I like that it's got cool Great Game stuff! In isolation, I like the idea of helping a woman reconcile with her father! But... I just can't escape the fact that the story expects you to have a lot of sympathy for this guy whose problem is he's so sad about the time he murdered his wife. Also- was any of the lore about The Old Man and the Winter in Vienna ever followed up on, or has it been mostly dropped? I don't remember. Someone who knows more lore than me might know, and I frankly don't care enough to check.

2017

Best: HOJOTOHO!

This one is one that is widely loved, and yeah, it deserves it! I don't actually have too much to say about it. Who doesn't love hanging out with some weird little kids? Having a little girl see an opera, latch onto a part of it, and just immediately be like "THIS IS ME NOW" is so accurate. Also, the final choice in this one was really tough for me! It was a doozy!

Worst: The Clay Man's Arm

I've written about The Clay Man's Arm already, so I almost wanted to pick something else for worst, just so I'd have something new to say. But how could I pick anything else! This is my least favorite story I've ever played in Fallen London. There are others that I think are worse in construction or morals or metaphorical implications, but I have not found a single one of them to be as repulsive. You couldn't pay me to play this one again.

2018

Best: For All The Saints Who from Their Labours Rest

(Spoilers)

Everyone knows I love Church and Hell stuff. And if you don't, you should! I'm the one who made them put the Bishop of Southwark in Mask of the Rose, because he's my special favorite! That said, I can't say I really loved this one as much as some of the other "best"s. I mean, I got some got Reggie moments, so that's good. But... I don't know. I was excited about there being a sexy priest, but sadly the Intrepid Deacon is EXTREMELY not my type (my type is.. well! Reggie! not little baby men who've never done nothing to nobody!). Also... well I'm not quite sure how to express this, but I think it's really weird that the end of this one basically confirms that Lucifer is... real? That he's one of the fallen princes of Hell, or something? Possibly implied that the Christian God is a Judgement? idk it rubs me the wrong way to have a religion confirmed true or false within the fictional universe. So, while I think this one is the best of the year, I can't say I don't have some pretty hefty problems with it. Also I always get the name wrong

Worst: Factory of Favours

I already wrote about this one here, but the important thing is, it's boring. There's really not too much more to say- you do a series of boring actions to achieve dull goals for NPCs who I wouldn't even say rise to the level of being actual "characters", and then it's over and you go home. It has all the substance and style of a dinner consisting of a single sheet of blank paper.

2019

Best: Cricket, Anyone?

Yeah, yeah, yeah, we all know it's the best one. Everyone says it's the best one. I'm so filled with spite I wanted to be super contrarian and pick a different one, but I can't. It's so fun, you guys. The lore reveals in it are cool (and it's important when an ES doesn't make me resent the presence of a Master- I do not enjoy those guys!), and the plot is exciting, the mechanics work really well, but in my opinion, the most important thing about Cricket, Anyone? is this: it's funny. There are points in FL where you can really smell the influence of Terry Pratchett, but they never manage to actually emulate him (turns out, when you try to combine Terry Pratchett, TS Eliot, GK Chesterton, and Jorge Luis Borges, you just get like... Neil Gaiman. And nobody wants that!). I love Pratchett's humor, so Groover capturing that, and actually delivering on the "hilarious" part of the "dark and hilarious Gothic underworld" that's advertised on the log-in page was really exceptional to me.

Worst: The Stag & The Shark

(spoilers)

2019 was actually a really good year for Exceptional Stories, and I had a hard time picking a Worst one. The Stag & The Shark was well-constructed, and I wouldn't say there was anything really wrong with it! I just wasn't really invested in the characters and I didn't care about any of their goals. The titular Young Stag wants to kill a Bound Shark because he think it will prove that he's cool, his dad wants his son to be safe and also stop being so fucking weird, and the fisherwoman whose boat you're on wants to recruit the Young Stag to the New Sequence. I don't really care about some rich kid wanting to fit in with the Young Stags, I don't care about his dad, and I also think the New Sequence sucks, so I don't care about them achieving their goals either!

2020

Best: Go Tell the King of Cats

Okay, you need to know one thing about me: I'm a cat guy. Also, a Cats guy. It's a good musical. And auxiliary to both of those: I love stories about old and busted bastard people. So this one was basically made for me. I don't want to talk much more about it, because I really think you should play it, especially if you like a story about an old bastard man (who is also a cat) trying to get a second chance. I teared up at the end.

Worst: The Dilettante's Debut

(spoilers)

uuuguughghguhgughguhghghghhhhhhh. Okay, the thing about The Dilettante's Debut is that I wanted to like it. I always want to like Exceptional Stories! I like it when things are good! But the ending on this one is.... god. It's bad. So you're trying to help the Dilettante restore the reputation of the Fairfax family, and also show up his cousin (the Wild-Eyed Socialite). I'm on board with this! I can do this! I generally don't see the point in undermining the people who hired me, so I didn't work against the Dilettante for the majority of the story...

... and then it turned out the final goal of the Dilettante's Footman was to use shapeling arts to mutate the Socialite into a Starved Man. If you agree to help him with this, in the end, you're told she's been put in a sanitarium. This is possibly (probably) a lie, but also... I mean, I'm supposed to mutilate this woman's body without her consent, and then banish her to either the Roof (most likely), or genuinely a sanitarium, a place where women were frequently abused, and for what? Because she drinks too much? She's successful and the Dilettante isn't? She's kind of rude to him?

I refused to help the footman, but then I didn't have enough cache with the Socialite to decent ending, so it felt like I was being punished for being loyal to the guy who hired me (because I didn't really have much reason to betray him) until he was going to commit and atrocity. I was either supposed to betray him for no reason earlier, or stick with the atrocity, and both are bad.

Anyway, it felt like Unto Dust (the story two months later) was trying to do something similar to The Dilettante's Debut, but it did it way better.

Anyway, it felt like Unto Dust did "last scion of a noble house dealing with his grandparent's legacy" way better two months later

2021

Best: The Tempest

Between this story and HOJOTOHO!, Fallen London really is the only game that I've ever played that truly understands little girls. The Tempestuous Urchin is pissed the fuck off about her lot in life, and she's right to be! And I just really enjoyed a story about how powerful anger can be, both to let go of AND to utilize. I just feel like you don't really see that a lot, and I really liked it.

Worst: For A Dream of Innocence

(spoilers)

I've talked about this one before, way back when it came out, but short version is: this one had a lot of errors, the story was unfocused, and I thought that it had some really Troubling implications.

The long version is: There were a lot of typos, or times when it referred to a character with the wrong pronouns. It seemed to have three different ideas, any of which would have been a decent ES in itself (a rogue French spy, making a new life in a vat, an enclave of Rubberies living under a bridge), but because they're all crammed together, none of them really seemed to pay off, and it just felt like the story wasn't really ABOUT anything.

And then the Troubling Implications.... first of all, the Abbess's motivations for being duplicitous and manipulative is that she's old and wants to be young and hot again, which... I mean it's possible for a person to want that, but it just seems kind of misogynistic to me. Like, yeah, why else would a woman bargain away the lives of a town? Women be obsessed with their youth!

On top of that, it also doubled down on the Rubbery lore that I really hate. I kind of thought that the fact that Rubberies are constructs with no interiority or culture had been retconned, or at least allowed to fall to the wayside with the Tentacled Entrepreneur/Helicon House bringing focus to Rubbery art and music. And I was glad for it! So I didn't like that it was brought up again here, and in a way that came across as particularly colonialist. These beings, who are less than people, do not have any culture, and any they have acquired is only from association with a More Civilized people (in this case, Londoners), and this is viewed as a disgusting aberration by their close-minded rulers, is. um. Well. It Sure Is Huh.

2022

Best: Adornment

I would say that I'm a pretty well-known Masters Hater, so when I saw that the art for this one was Mr. Stones, I was like.... ugh. Great another one to pander to the Masters fuckers, the only audience that FBG cares to cater to.

I was wrong! I was very wrong. I mean, maybe I wasn't wrong, but I was being too negative. This was a really fun story, and I really really liked all the characters in it. A fun nonbinary anarchist criminal and a Quaker clay man? Were they writing this one for me exclusively? I even enjoyed Mr. Stones' presence in it!!! It was really fun. Anyway do you guys think Mica and the Smuggler ever explored each others bodies

Worst: Darnier Cri

(Spoilers)

You gotta do real bad to make me hate the story that's about Victorian fashion, a thing I love very much. You get asked to help a fashion house design their new collection, and eventually learn that the fashion house has been run by revolutionaries, using the inherent magical powers of Neathy fabrics to influence Surface politics (specifically to undermine the Transvaal Republic, which was an independent republic in what is now northeaster South Africa, in an attempt to drive the colonists out of Africa). It's newest investor is an agent of the Transvaal Republic, who is trying to destroy the fashion house.

I guess I would say that it's a... BOLD choice, to try to explicitly address colonialism in your alt-history adventure game where you can fuck a squid. I'm certainly not a "keep politics out of my video games" type person (I think art is inextricable from politics, and I talk about the politics of FL all the time) but I really don't think that FL is equipped to actually address this subject head-on. And, frankly, it's incredibly jarring, when the idea of anti-colonialism has never come up in the game before. I know there ARE colonies in the Neath, even one that you can be the governor of, but I would argue "the magical fantasy talking tigers seem to graciously tolerate your presence" is very different from "the European settlers in Africa think they are genetically superior to the native Africans." It's just kind of jarring!! And honestly, I don't think this game is really equipped to address it!!! It's just a little out of place. And on top of that, a lot of the language the villain uses to... uh. be racist, I guess, is also a lot of the same language the game uses around the Great Chain/Liberation of the Night, like talking about a "hierarchy of being" and people "knowing their place in the chain". Like... the implication of that allusion is that the fictional hierarchy that exists in Fallen London, that puts Judgements above Curators above Humans above Apes, is the same as... racism? Real world racism? So LoN is anti-racism? So anyone who doesn't support LoN... supports white supremacy? And if that WERE the case, then why would the game keep framing LoN as morally ambiguous? Do we not like anti-racism actually?

I don't think that was necessarily intentional, or at least, I don't think that's an implication that FBG meant to include with the Liberation, but I think it's pretty sloppy writing.

Also, I hated the ending choice. The clothing studio is on fire, and you can save one thing from it. Your options are: a unique clothing item, a different unique clothing item, or the garment you made to send to a high-ranking client on the Surface, that is intended to influence them to side with the Africans over the European colonists. Like... why. Do you want a special hat that you can only get by paying real money, or do you want a special coat that you can only get by paying real money, or do you want to end racism?

Baffling. And that's not even getting into the fact that it's been pretty well-established that the special Neathy fabrics lose their special qualities in the sunlight, so the entire premise of this story is either impossible or a huge retcon.

In Conclusion

if you're wondering how much I've spent on exceptional stories over the decade I've been playing this game... uh... no you're not!

[rickie-the-storyteller]

Happy Worldbuilding Wednesday! Tell me bow would you say that the world where your story takes place has "shaped" your characters and their lives into who they are? In which ways would you say it was positive and in whcih ways negative? What are the most unique aspects of your world that you're the proudest about?

(By the way this is part of an ask game event by @writeblrcafe, you can check out the post I've reblogged from them for the rules)

Thank you for the ask! Happy Worldbuilding Wednesday (or Thursday) to you too.

I wasn't entirely sure how to answer this... I didn't do a lot of "worldbuilding" for my main WIP, per se. It's not like I created this fictional universe, or set it in a historic era or something, and imagined how life would be like in those times. It's literally set in London lol (I was born there!). In the year 2010 (no specific reason for that, actually. Those were just simpler times).

For most of the stories I write, the setting tends to take a bit of a backseat in favour of expanding the characters and making them feel like real people. We view the story through the characters' lens after all.

That being said, I still wanted to answer. So, I thought about it for a while and realised that the setting and the world in which my characters live shape them quite a lot. They are all students in their final year of high school (or sixth form), so they aren't exactly kids anymore, but they're not fully adults, either. This is a really interesting age to play around with (and I'm about that age myself, as well, so I can identify with the struggles these characters face in some ways.

Let's look at this one character at a time:

Stephanie

Stephanie moved to this school in Year 12. That is the beginning of sixth form (so, last year, since Year 13 is their final year).

Steph has been living in London for the least amount of time. She's a foster kid, so she is used to moving around and not having a lot of stability in her life. As a result, she's lived in many different places throughout her childhood, all over the country. She's been in big bustling cities and quiet rural areas. She has an idea of what living in a place like London is like, so this move doesn't phase her too much.

She's a free spirit, just making the most of right now (not having a ton of stability led to this mindset for her. She's like, "I have to enjoy myself now. Who knows if things will ever be this good again?"). She adjusts to London life pretty easily - though, of course, moving to a new place doesn't come without its challenges.

London life offers Steph a chance to form new relationships and deepen her connections. She makes her first real friend group here, and for the first time in her life, she finds someone that she can call "best friend." Another thing I think Stephanie enjoys about living in London is that its dynamic and energetic atmosphere could resonate with her strong personality. The city's vibrant arts and culture scene, along with its rebellious and diverse subcultures, may align with her feisty nature and spunky energy. There is always something to do here, and I think Stephanie would like that a lot.

Growing up in the foster care system and constantly moving around may have made Stephanie feel like she doesn't belong anywhere. However, living in London, a multicultural city with a diverse population could offer her a greater sense of belonging. The city's multiculturalism and acceptance of diverse backgrounds could help her embrace her mixed-race identity. Her experiences in the foster care system and her tendency to be self-reliant may be further reinforced in London. The city's fast-paced lifestyle and the need to adapt to new environments can enhance her resilience, resourcefulness, and ability to navigate through different challenges.

Bret

Unlike Steph, Bret has lived in this city for his whole life, pretty much. I think that living here has impacted him in both positive and negative ways.

Firstly, he loves to have a good time and party with friends, and in London, there are plenty of opportunities to do this. The city has a vibrant nightlife and a thriving party scene. However, the social scene might exacerbate his already existing tendencies towards excessive alcohol and drug use, making it easier for him to continue down a self-destructive path. Living in the city could provide Bret with easy access to these substances.

London is a bustling city where individuals can often blend into the crowds and remain anonymous. This sense of anonymity might provide Bret with a temporary escape from his troubles, allowing him to avoid confronting his grief and depression. It could also contribute to his feelings of detachment and a lack of accountability for his actions. The vastness and anonymity of a big city like London can make it easier for Bret to engage in risky behaviour without immediate consequences. This might further fuel his disregard for rules and authority figures.

Bret is really creative and artistic. He especially loves to make music. London's diverse and vibrant culture could expose Bret to various subcultures, alternative lifestyles, and artistic scenes. This city has plenty of inspiration and opportunities to boost his art further. London's size and diversity mean there are numerous social circles and communities for Bret to explore. This could lead him to associate with like-minded individuals and get his work more attention and opportunities.

He struggles a lot with grief and depression. London offers a range of support networks and resources for individuals struggling with mental health issues. He kind of tries to take care of his problems by himself at first, but if he could look for help elsewhere, it could really make a difference.

Elise

Elise, like Bret, has always lived in London. She loves living here for a couple of reasons...

London is known for its vibrant literary scene, with numerous bookstores, libraries, and literary events. Elise's love for reading would have definitely been nurtured here, by the city's rich literary culture. She would have had the opportunity to explore a wide range of books, engage with authors etc, which could have further fueled her passion for reading.

London's multicultural environment would have exposed Elise to various cultures, perspectives, and ideas. This exposure might have broadened her horizons, allowing her to appreciate different viewpoints and develop a more open-minded outlook. It could have influenced her appreciation for diversity and acceptance of people with different backgrounds and values, despite her own introverted nature. This could have also contributed to the unlikely friendships and relationships that she has formed in her life, e.g. her relationship with Stephanie, and her long-time friendship with Bret (which ends up turning into something more 💕). Living in London would definitely fuel her intellectual curiosity and open her mind to new things/people/opportunities.

El is a huge nerd lol. Luckily for her, London is home to many prestigious educational institutions, and Elise's dedication to her studies would have been supported by the city's emphasis on education. The competitive academic environment might have motivated her to excel in her classes and maintain top grades. Additionally, being surrounded by a city filled with museums, historical landmarks, and cultural institutions could have enriched her learning experiences.

Living in a bustling city like London requires individuals to be independent and adaptable. Elise's ability to always have a plan, her organizational skills, and her resourcefulness might have been influenced by the fast-paced and dynamic environment of the city. London's diverse public transportation system would have also contributed to her self-reliance and navigation skills.

Dylan

Dylan has also been living in London for a while. He has been going to this school since Year 8.

He loves sports a lot. London has a strong sports culture, offering numerous opportunities for Dylan to engage in various athletic activities. The city's sports facilities, clubs, and competitions would likely contribute to his passion for sports and his involvement in physical activities.

London's competitive and fast-paced nature might contribute to Dylan's tendency to bottle up his emotions and express frustration in unhealthy ways, e.g. struggling to open up about his problems and seek help, or taking his pain and frustration out on others.

London's fast-paced lifestyle and the challenges of a multicultural city may impact Dylan's family dynamics. The high cost of living and the strains of a divorce might contribute to his family's struggles and potentially influence his own coping mechanisms and emotional challenges.

London's vibrant and multicultural atmosphere would expose your character to a diverse range of people, cultures, and perspectives. This exposure can enhance his openness and broaden his understanding of the world. London offers a lively social scene with numerous entertainment options and events. This environment would provide ample opportunities for your character to indulge in his fun-loving and enthusiastic nature, constantly seeking new adventures and exciting experiences.

Alice

Alice moved to London from the United States when she was 15. She has been going to this school since GCSEs (so Year 10 - Year 11).

Moving from the United States to London would expose Alice to a new cultural environment. London's diverse population and multicultural atmosphere could contribute to her sense of humour, incorporating elements of British wit and sarcasm into her personality (British humour is very distinct lol. Alice's sarcastic and sassy sense of humour may align well with the city's wit and banter). Living in London could further nurture her comedic skills and provide her with opportunities to engage in humorous exchanges with friends and peers. It would require Alice to adjust to a new culture, lifestyle, and educational system. London's environment would expose her to diverse perspectives and help her develop a broader worldview.

London's competitive educational environment may initially add pressure on Alice, particularly if she compares herself to her talented and academically successful sister. However, witnessing her parents' support and realising that they value her happiness and personal growth above perfection could alleviate some of that pressure. Alice's dedication to self-improvement and her willingness to work hard could help her navigate the academic challenges she faces.

Alice often feels invisible, or out of place. Feeling out of place in her friend group is a common experience for many teenagers. London's diverse social landscape, however, offers Alice the opportunity to meet a wide range of people and potentially find a supportive and understanding circle of friends who appreciate her unique qualities and help her expand her horizons.

Alice is all about pushing herself to do and be better, and London's fast-paced lifestyle could inspire Alice to pursue new interests and challenge herself intellectually and culturally. Her desire to improve, exemplified by her efforts to improve her grades, could be further fueled by the stimulating, ambitious environment of the city. The competitive nature of the educational landscape in London could contribute to Alice's determination to work on herself and strive for improvement, instilling in her a strong work ethic and resilience, pushing her to put in the effort required to achieve her goals. London's educational opportunities and high academic standards could play a role in Alice's motivation to improve her grades (as well as seeing some of her other friends succeed academically, leading her to want that for herself).

So yeah, that's how the setting of the story could impact each character individually. Another thing to take into account is how long each of them have lived in London for... this is why I made sure I mentioned it in each section. If you are born and raised in the city, and you've never been anywhere else, then that's going to impact you. You aren't going to see things in the exact same way as someone who's lived in both rural and urban areas.

[oatbrew]

tag game. list the fics in your works in progress folder. tagged by @im-an-angy-alpaca (thank you!💖)

girlies the amount of wip that have at least 1k to them in my drive is unfathomable and these two are really the only ones that i am actively working on (or thinking of the idea of working on, which counts!) currently

no rules in breakable heaven - darius/rosa one night stand turned to friends with benefits. i wrote nearly 50k for this, scrapped some of it, wrote some more, decided to make it a oneshot instead before going right back to my 50k. i think the biggest struggle is pinning down rosa. since we only really have scatterings of her background, i have to conjure up a solid throughline for her based on conjecture and headcanon on what i characterize her need, flaws, and their foundations to be while also being consistent with what's established. with darius, it's much simpler because i'm starting off with a blanker slate in comparison. my process has been a mess. lol it will be posted once i'm complete with the whole thing (not just the chapter); just not sure when.

here, and where you are - shinkane pride and prejudice au. i have no excuse for this one because everything's practically outlined. someone already wrote a whole ass novel for me. i'm just too wrapped up in no rules to have the time and attention to give this its proper due.

and here's a smattering of things i've written sizeable chunks for that aren't dead but are in a coma and i do revisit their ward from time to time to drop a line or idea or two

the greatest films of all time were never made - artem character study where artem never confesses and he has to watch rosa marry marius lmao 😭

two untitled artemrosa smut oneshots where artem and rosa have pollen-induced sex in the lost gold event and another where rosa doms artem after the events of atmospherics

mothers and daughters - shakarian fic post-me3 where a depressed shepard uncovers a trafficking conspiracy, adopts a baby krogan, and reunites with her estranged friends (including the turian whose heart she broke...and not necessarily in that order)

they say in heaven, love comes first - shinkane san junipero au

la petite mort - shinkane one night stand goes wrong canon divergence

an eternal sunset of what we are - shinkane persuasion au set in some indefinite time period

kintsugi - shinkane epistolary modern au based on this postcard. it's very slice of life switching between kou in london and akane in san francisco and their respective lives and friends and the ways they intersect

vagabonds, ne'er-do-wells, and insufferable bastards - tua au where teen viktor decides to run away from home to find his mother, which sets off a chain of unprecedented events

and i could see for miles, miles, miles - rdr2 arthur/oc fic where arthur survives, goes west, and finds quiet companionship with one of charles's old contacts who works as a part-time laundress in a sanatorium he ends up recuperating in. she and her mother are one of my fave ocs. her name's vera larue (originally just guinevere bc im shameless and too literal before i made it less Final Fantasy Naming Conventions), her mother is ada lynn, and they're creoles of color who also moved west during the turn of the century. i did a lot of research for this that never actually went into the story that much lmao the sanatorium vera works for is based on barlow respiratory hospital in echo park and her mother's boarding house is situated in what's essentially brick block, a historic black neighborhood that started to populate in dtla prior to the first great migration. much of this work i actually ended up incorporating into my grad thesis bc i got carried away from yknow actually writing the story. but from the start this was intended to be a very meditative historical romance focused on domestic life and recovery in the early 1900s with a dynamic that's reasonably informed but not dominated by the race relations of that time before i got too lost in the weeds. again.

ANYWAY im not tagging anybody bc i'm ashamed at how much i've neglected to write lmao no one look at me

[amchara]

Herondales Don't Fail Ch. 3 - Charm Offensive

Ao3 / 1 / 2 / 3

Kit Herondale, Ty Blackthorn (Kit/Ty), original characters, Blackthorn family members, Emma Carstairs, Ash Morgenstern

Wordcount: 7,317 words (this chapter - 🙈 sorry its a long one folx)

Rating: Mature

Summary: It’s been almost five years since an epic line-up of Shadowhunter heroes and their allies closed all the portals to Hell. Now, demons are scarce and the Nephilim are searching for their purpose in this new world. Centurion Ty Blackthorn has been sent to London to investigate a potential new threat, while Kit Herondale has taken up a post helping to rebuild the London Enclave.

Kit was happy to accept the London Institute’s invitation to assist in the rebuilding of the city’s Enclave. But he didn’t count on being blindsided into joining the competition to become its next head - or being hated by most of its inhabitants who assume he’s only there because of his name.

---

“This stack can go to Christopher,” Roger slid some heavy files across the round table. It was early the next morning and the three candidates and Stormborn had moved into an old drawing room on the second floor of the Institute to start the handing-over process. 

“Kit, it’s just Kit,” he said, biting back a yawn. If he was going to do this competition, he was going to do it as much as possible on his own terms. He had already gone to Evelyn’s office first thing that morning, dressed in gear but with his hair braided back and all earrings switched out to studs. He informed her in polite terms he would wear gear during weapons training and patrols but his other clothes were not up for discussion, nor the rest of his look, including his hair. And if she wanted to make a bigger deal of it, they could send a note to the Consul asking if there was actually an official dress code for Shadowhunters. 

Kit had suppressed a grin as he watched Evelyn try to think of a response… but in the end she had just waved him out.

If she wanted to make something of his name, he could play that game too- reminding her of his own ties to powerful members of Shadowhunter society. But he had stayed deferential otherwise - he and Ty had discussed long into the night what kind of approach would be best when it came to investigating the Institute. Ty had thought he should play it relatively straight - as he pointed out, Evelyn already had doubts due to Kit’s background and if she wrote him off, that could allow him relatively free rein to investigate. But Kit wasn’t so sure that would fly… so he had adjusted. 

Roger paused and corrected himself. “Kit. You can take over correspondence with the Americas Institutes, given you already have ties there.” 

“Maybe he should cover a different region. If he’s already familiar with the Heads of US Institutes - it would be good to get different perspectives on Shadowhunter life,” Jacob said, as Kit reached across the table. 

“Excellent idea,” Sabina cut in smoothly. “I think it would be good for all three of us to have different regions than we’re used to. In which case, I’ll take Europe and Africa, Dearborn,” she said, nodding at the stack in front of Jacob. 

Jacob reluctantly held up his hands on the folders and Sabina tugged them towards her. 

There was clearly no love lost between the other two London Shadowhunters, Kit noted, although he also noticed that Jacob’s gaze lingered on Sabina while she studiously avoided his gaze. 

Kit didn’t care what region he’d be responsible for in terms of intra-Institute communication - perhaps it would’ve been easier to send Jace updates on official business but also- potentially awkward if it had been intercepted, given the vernacular he and Jace typically used on their correspondence. “Give me whatever region,” Kit said, making sure to inject a bored note into his voice. This was his other plan- as the son of Johnny Rook, who had often played a similar role- he knew an underwhelming presence could lull others into a false sense of security. 

Stormborn watched the scene unfold as they all awkwardly swapped around the notes and then he cleared his throat. “I think perhaps we should lay down some general expectations around this competition and your roles,” he said. Sabina and Jacob’s attention snapped to him at the sharper tone entering his voice. “You all have expertise that Evelyn has deemed worthy enough to be considered to lead this Institute. You can prove it by demonstrating said expertise to us in practice, not squabbling like children or by thinking that up-one-manships will do you any good,” he said. 

He looked like someone’s affable uncle, Kit thought, with his receding hairline, weak chin and a mouth that looked like it smiled way more than it frowned. But there was also something hiding behind his eyes, and Kit figured one didn’t get to be acting head of the London Institute without a mind for strategy. 

Kit bit his lip to hide his amusement. He leant back in his chair as he listened to Roger outline the division of responsibilities for the next few months. Sabina would continue as Institute tutor, but Kit would cover training three mornings of the week, with Jacob taking over the Saturday morning slot. Jacob would scale back on his archivist responsibilities and Kit would take point on Downworld requests, (he winced internally at this, given his and Ty’s off-duty mission the previous evening), while informing the others on any joint missions. And they would all take turns shadowing the daily routines of the Institute, including paperwork. Kit made sure to let out an audible groan at that, which wasn’t just an act. He hated paperwork- having had a taste of it earlier in the summer- when Helen had decided that he could earn some of his keep at the L.A. Institute by helping clear some of her backlog. 

Intriguingly, they would rotate ownership of leading external patrols or additional missions associated with the wraith investigation, as directed by the Centurions. Kit wondered if Ty and the other Centurions had already been made aware of this plan.   

“What about budgeting and the running of the Institute in terms of costs and how it’s all paid for?” Kit asked near the end of the spiel, watching Roger closely. He didn’t want to lay all his cards on the table with the tithe issue- but leading yet perfectly reasonable questions, that was someplace he could start. 

It was the slightest tell and Kit almost wasn’t sure if it had been there but while Roger’s face didn’t betray anything, his hands twitched and he put down his pen to quell them. “That’s mostly under Evelyn’s watch,” he told Kit calmly. “You’ll learn about that side of running the Institute from her, in due course.” 

“Of course,” Kit gave him a sunny smile and prepared to settle in for Roger’s tutorial on appropriate intra-Institute communication. But he also stole a covert glance at Sabina, who had responded much more strongly to his question than he expected. 

--

“Sabina-,” Kit hurried after her as she strode down the hallway towards the stairs to the Institute’s training room. “Can I get some time with you later this afternoon?”

She turned, folding her arms. “Pardon?” she asked, impatiently.  

“The other Shadowhunters here- I’d like to know your view on how their training has been going,” Kit said. “You know, if I’m supposed to be taking over some of your shifts- I’d like to know what I’m walking into.” 

She gave him a long, appraising look. “I’m about to do a warm-up before I head down to teach tumbling to the younger ones in the ballroom,” she said. “Can you chat and fight at the same time?”

“Even better, I can quip while I fight,” Kit told her, turning on the charm. While he wanted Evelyn and Roger to think him young and slightly feckless and not suitable for running an Institute, he planned a different strategy with his two competitors. 

She shook her head slightly, unimpressed. 

“So, you know how the evacuation of Idris went really quickly after the Cohort took over in 2012?” Sabina asked, as they squared off with some training sabres and went through basic drills. 

“Well aware,” Kit said. He corrected himself. “Or- I was kinda in hiding at that point. But aware of the general facts.” 

“A lot of them came to London and settled into the Enclave,” Sabina told him. “We had a big influx in the city for a while.”

“But?” Kit asked, as he parried an easy blow from her. 

Sabina frowned slightly. “But it’s been hard to maintain manpower- and with Idris restored, over the past four years it’s been a struggle to keep the full numbers that we really need to patrol adequately.” 

“The Dark War still has a lot to answer for,” Kit guessed. They finished the first set of drills and Kit drew back, waiting for her next move. 

Sabina spun lazily and aimed low towards his feet. Kit knelt to block her, and pressed upwards, forcing her back. He didn’t try any fancy moves this time, more focused on the conversation. 

She took a moment to respond, her eyes darting back and forth over his body, mirroring Kit. Both looking for weaknesses. “People leave- it’s an expensive city to live in and Institute life isn’t exactly great for young families. And once Idris re-opened- even in its current state, most went back if they came from there. So… we tend to get people who stay a couple years, then leave for a quieter, less eventful life. Demon attacks are more frequent here, despite the supposed decline and we have our share of Downworlder issues.”

“All big cities do,” Kit pointed out. Sabina narrowed her eyes at him but didn’t comment. “You haven’t mentioned the quality of fighting ability here at the Institute,” Kit said, going back to the original topic at hand. He adjusted his grip, following her form as they returned to some basic blocks. 

She pursed her lips. “Most are adequate,” she said. Then, reconsidering, she added: “We lose more than we should- on patrol. Our casualty numbers have been high- not always fatal but higher injuries. I don’t know if it’s the quality of candidates or the-” she faltered. “Or the training. “I’ve increased required attendance sessions because of it,” she said shortly, slightly defensive. “Gone back to basics with most Enclave members.” 

She met his eyes. “So,” she said. “I’d start there.” She stepped back as the last basic defense drills were completed. “I’m not going to do your work for you though- you want to be Head, you can make your own assessment,” she said, her voice chilly. She set down her sabre. “I’ll need to go down now,” she said. 

Kit nodded his head at her. “Tithe time,” he said, almost under his breath, watching her carefully. She looked back at him confusedly, and Kit stifled a sigh. Whatever Sabina had reacted to in his questions around budgets earlier, it didn’t appear she knew about the tithe issue. But he did add her to the list of potential ominous text message-senders, given what she had just told him. 

“Sure,” she said, giving him a tight smile. “See you around, Herondale.”   

But she also seemed to dislike him- or at least, resent him for coming in and taking one of the competition spots. Not that he could blame her. So would she have tipped him off? 

He debated telling her his deep reluctance to even be taking part in the competition. But he knew it wasn’t the right time- not until he knew more about the Institute and its inhabitants to rule her out as being part of the problem. 

-- 

When he wasn’t shadowing, training, patrolling or getting his head around paperwork, Kit spent his limited free time the next few days reacquainting himself with the Institute. Despite his occasional visits to London in recent years, he hadn’t spent any time at the Institute properly since his first time with the Blackthorns - mainly because during his last extended time in the city he had been a wanted fugitive. He had been wary in the years afterwards, still preferring to stay with his parents in Devon when he visited the UK, or more recently, at the townhouse.  

The London Institute remained as awe-inspiring as ever, its sparse Gothic beauty evident in the echoing halls, beautifully carved lintels and stone-tiled floors. But Kit could also see evidence of wear and tear he hadn’t remembered from before, like cracks in the intricate window panes, moth-eaten tapestries and broken door handles. He remembered Tessa had told him the London Institute had been the wealthiest and largest Institute and Enclave in her and Will’s day. Evidence pointed to that not being the case anymore… 

And as Sabina had indicated, the London Enclave was still understaffed, with seven full-time Shadowhunters living at the Institute and a further three families who lived outside, alongside the Centurion office in the city, which helped to bolster patrol numbers. He had meant to ask Evelyn about the Institute’s finances but each time she had stuffed their meetings full to the brim with protocol and instructions, and with the other two candidates around, Kit didn’t want to tip them off yet.     

It was quiet in another way too, in a way that had him feeling increasingly uneasy. He hadn’t seen any ghosts - or one ghost in particular - and he had been looking for her, given she might have some of the answers he was seeking. 

“Jessamine?” he finally resorted to calling out cautiously, in several rooms. Unfortunately, that strategy backfired.  

“Are you trying to talk to the local Institute ghost?” an amused Scottish voice came from the high-backed armchair by the fireplace. Kit rocked back on his heels as Jacob rose, his finger in a thick tome. 

“I had heard the Herondale family had a talent for ghost-whispering,” he said, a small smile playing on his face. 

“It’s true,” Kit said reluctantly. He didn’t volunteer more information even though he knew he should be friendlier with Jacob, make him trust Kit. 

But he was still making up his mind on Jacob Dearborn. On one hand, despite Roger’s lecture, Kit suspected Jacob of still trying to sabotage him in smaller, subtler ways. A fire message sent by Jacob for a summons with Evelyn had arrived five minutes after the meeting was supposed to begin. His temporary room (which he was mainly using to store his gear and weapons), assigned by Jacob, was in the furthest reaches of the Institute’s maze of hallways, meaning he always seemed to miss the first few minutes of training sessions. And when he had asked for any notes on Downworlders in London, given his new role, Jacob had simply evaded. Kit was left trying to piece together a picture of the London Downworld through dusty filing cabinets and yellowing pages of handwritten notes, ahead of his planned meetings the following week. 

On the other hand - and perhaps this was because Kit had other Dearborn interactions to compare with - Jacob didn’t seem to share the abhorrent views expressed by others of his family, as far as Kit had noticed. A low bar, sure- but Jacob did at least clear it. 

“Hmm?” Kit realised Jacob had said something else to him. 

“Are you trying to contact the Institute ghost, Jessamine Lovelace?” Jacob had come around to stand in front of him, looking down his long, aquiline nose. 

“That’s right- have you seen or spoken with her recently?” Given his archivist position, Kit wasn’t surprised Jacob knew about Jessamine. 

“No,” Jacob admitted, surprisingly glum in his manner. “She is surprisingly skittish- but even more so recently. I thought I had been making headway- we had an old chalkboard and she had been communicating through that, confirming facts I’ve found in the archives. But she’s stopped responding in recent months.”

“How long ago?” Kit asked, intrigued. “Have you tried setting it up in different places?” He remembered a long ago night spent on the steps of the Institute and Jessamine’s surprisingly good company.    

“Of course!” Jacob seemed personally affronted by the question. “This isn’t my first time communing with undead spirits.” 

Kit hid his amusement. “No, of course,” he said gravely. “It’s just that I wonder if she’s passed on?”

“I hope not,” Jacob said, and then hastily added. “Not that she canna… but last time we spoke she was in the middle of confirming the guest list for the annual Christmas party for the prewar years and seemed very keen on it. I think that was about- five months ago? Four months perhaps…” He eyed Kit and for once didn’t seem to be considering him as a rival. “If you see her, could you tell her I’m willing to go and purchase more of those American Girl dolls for her?”

“Because buying creepy dolls for ghosts is always the best plan…” Kit retorted but he revised it when Jacob looked confused at his initial sarcastic answer. “Uh huh, sure- no problem,” he answered. He started to back up slowly, out of the drawing room. “Anyway, given I can’t find her- I’m going to head to the library to research instead.” 

“Understandable- we have the best library in Europe, including many rare and unique primary sources. What were you hoping to learn more about?”  Jacob said, a touch pompously. But having seen the library - Kit could forgive him a little for that. 

This was the first time Jacob had spoken more than a few polite words to him and opened up and Kit decided to press his advantage for more information. “Faerie lore,” he said casually. “Recent interactions with the Institute… and any faerie traditions associated with it- geas, tithes, you know that lot. Particularly if I’m going to reach out to the Courts and free Fae of London and represent the Institute.” 

Jacob looked disconcerted. “I would’ve thought with your heritage, you’d be better versed in that than most Shadowhunters,” he said, his voice slightly stiff. Kit couldn’t tell if the look on Jacob’s handsome face meant he knew about the tithe or not. 

“I only know one side-” Kit said, watching him carefully. “I’d like to understand the Nephilim view- and I thought Jessamine might be helpful, if she’s seen Fae representatives visit over the years.”

Jacob drew himself up. “I could help with that-” he said, not meeting Kit’s eyes. “Given our schedules and the size of the library, it would take you a while to find anything useful. I can weed out the unimportant chaff.”

Kit smiled. “That would be incredibly helpful- thanks Jacob.” And if it ended up being completely irrelevant information- that might also tell him something… like Jacob trying to throw him off onto the wrong trail, he thought. 

“Mm,” Jacob said noncommittally. “And in return- if you do see Jessamine - or any local ghosts- I’d like to attend any conversations you have with them. You could be an incredible resource to my research.” 

“It’s a deal,” Kit said immediately. 

He resisted the urge to whistle as he walked down the hall after exiting. Another lead out- and depending on what Jacob turned up, it could help him figure out if Maryam’s comments were related to the rot within the Institute.

-- 

Kit could feel his chest heaving as he dodged another slow-moving tourist group. Ahead of him, Ade spared a quick glance back but didn’t slow his pace, his legs pumping effortlessly. Kit looked up as the shadow of the giant ferris wheel came into view on the river bank, thanking whatever deity was listening that their run was nearing its end. 

Their route was around five miles but Ade had set a punishing pace from the start. Beginning at his flat just behind Whitechapel station, they ran along narrow graffitied streets around Aldgate, down modern roads buttressing remains of Roman walls, across Tower Bridge, to the bustling market areas around London Bridge and Southwark and to the increasingly tourist-crowded Southbank. Finally they rounded the curve of the Thames by the London Eye, directly across the river from Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament. 

Kit wasn’t sure if the unreasonable speed was retribution from his and Ty’s vampire intervention or just Ade running to get his frustrations out. Kit was paranoid it was the former. Ade had been short when Kit had met up with him outside his flat’s door, muttering about a rough couple of shifts, and shaking his head when Kit asked if he wanted to talk about it. They had stretched in silence before setting off.  

Kit could also feel some tendrils of guilt continue sitting uncomfortably in his stomach, and he resolved to talk about the situation with Ade. He’d been so busy at the Institute he hadn’t had time to do more than arrange to meet up with his friend on the weekend, picking up their college habit of going on runs together, before they planned to meet up with their other friend Ellie for lunch. Ty was already at Blackthorn Hall for the day, with Kit joining him and the rest of the Blackthorns later on. 

Ade finally started to slow in the park just behind the Eye. He threw himself down onto a grassy knoll. Kit jogged up, sweat streaming down his neck. He gestured the universal sign of ‘water’ to Ade, who nodded as he took out his earbuds. “You want something to eat too?” Kit asked, remembering their years in Devon when they used to go and gorge themselves at the local Wetherspoons after runs. He pointed to a nearby ice cream van. 

Ade shook his head, sweat flying off. “Nah, bruv- can’t handle the sweet shit after a run. Literally,” he said, a brief grin emerging. He nodded towards a taco van parked beside it. “But get me some of those pork tacos and it’ll be grand.” 

When Kit returned, he could see Ade staring intently at his phone. “All good?” he asked, and Ade shut it off quickly. “Yeah, yeah.” he said, the faint frown disappearing. 

Kit sat down across from his friend, breathing in the muggy air. It was set to be another scorcher of a late summer day and even mid-morning, he could feel the humidity rising. “I don’t remember London being this hot,” he complained, pulling at his damp t-shirt. 

“Global warming, innit,” Ade said, shrugging. 

They ate their food in silence until Kit couldn’t stand it anymore. “Look- about Wednesday night. I’m sorry, man. I know Ty and I didn’t handle it the right way.” 

Ade stared straight ahead, intently chewing. He took a moment before he answered. “No, you didn’t,” he said quietly. “Why not just tell me, instead of ambushing me and Maryam?”

Kit took a moment to answer. “I guess we could have. But you have to understand- Maryam might be okay… but not all vampires are. And you had magic around you that’s often used to keep mundanes docile and forgetful. Apparently she did it to try and protect you… but if she had had ill intentions, it was better to catch it in action.”

“Okay but… you both knew about the magic from when? When you met me the night Ty got hurt?” Ade demanded. He shook his head.

Kit shifted uncomfortably. “The morning after- Ty spotted it,” he confessed. “But we didn’t want to freak you out.” 

Ade scrunched up his face. “That’s messed up, mate, you get that right? I should have a right to know if I’m being fucked up by magic.”

“Yeah. Sorry-” 

But Ade wasn’t finished. He turned to look at Kit. “But you know what’s even more messed up- is how you treated Maryam,” he said firmly. “You need to apologise to her.” 

Kit immediately opened his mouth to protest and he shut it again at the hard, closed off look on Ade’s face. He thought back to that evening. “Yeah, I suppose we went in too hard.”

“You went in like coppers- you know, assuming the worst of her.” 

“I know, I know. The thing is… we kind of are,” Kit said slowly, feeling guilty. He remembered his initial revulsion around being told he was a Shadowhunter; he had grown up in the Market where it was anathema to have anything to do with them. When had the lines gotten so blurred for him that he didn’t immediately remember those facts?

“Shadowhunters have a policing role in what we do. More so in Ty’s role but I have to do it too sometimes.” But then he thought about the times he had seen Lily or Maia or Mark march into Clary and Jace’s office in New York and the joint missions that had been run with the Council. And how in contrast he hadn’t yet met any non-Shadowhunters in London so far at the Institute, other than at the initial wraith briefing. His meetings in the upcoming weeks with London’s Downworld might be more challenging than he originally anticipated, he realised. 

“I thought you were like- demon hunters,” Ade asked, with a slightly confused look. “You know, with your cool lightsaber swords and all that.” He waved his arm in demonstration. “Hold on- are demons also misunderstood? Thought you said they’re evil?” 

“Demons are evil - pretty much solely concentrated on eating your face or demanding your soul for eternity,” Kit reassured him. “But Downworlders- vampires, werewolves, warlocks, faeries etc. aren’t as easy to classify into all good or bad, no matter how much some Shadowhunters want that distinction. But uh- It’s kinda what Nephilim were created to be. The protectors of humans- mundanes- from any evil creatures that go bump in the night. Not that we’re all good either.”

He sighed. “Believe me, when I found out I was one, after growing up thinking I just had the Sight, I also thought the worst- thought they threw their weight around and were bullies. But as I got to know them, it became more nuanced than that.” Kit cut off his rambling, looking over to his friend. 

“Hmm,” Ade made a non-commital noise. 

Kit ducked his head, knowing how it sounded. He thought about the mundane news that he made a point of trying to keep up with regularly. “Look, I do get where you’re coming from. I’ll make it right with Maryam- apologise to her. I promise.” Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ade nod, but he didn’t say anything.

Kit worried a patch of grass near his sneaker as the silence between them stretched out. “Are we- are we okay, man?”

Ade took a long sip of his water. He nudged Kit with his foot. “You mean- am I calling you out. ACAB shit and refusing to have anything to do with you going forward?”

Kit squirmed at Ade’s accurate insight into his state of mind. He nodded, without saying anything further.

Ade sighed. “We’ve been friends for what- seven years now? I know you as Kit. Not as Shadowhunter recruit number seventeen or whatever.” He crumpled the rest of his food wrapper and tossed it like a basketball into a nearby bin. “Look- I have no problem calling you out if it’s needed, if I see you being a bigoted piece of shit, yeah? But let’s not make it more complicated than that right now. All right?”

“Totally fair.” Kit nodded, feeling relieved. “What about Ty?”

Ade huffed. “Same deal, okay? Also you’re not getting rid of me- nah, it’s not that easy. Especially as I’m apparently about to see more weird shit, thanks to my friendship with you,” he said, a wry look crossing his face. 

“I am also sorry about that-” Kit groaned. “I never thought-”

Ade shoved him playfully. “Okay okay, even I’m getting bored now with the apologies and self-recrimination,” he said. “At least now I’ll be able to see those invisible things you and Ellie were always talking about…”

“Ellie is going to have opinions, for sure,” Kit said, beginning to smile. 

“When does she not?” Ade laughed.    

-- 

“I am so sorry-” Ellie covered her mouth. “I know I shouldn’t laugh but oh my god. Ade Olawale, the most down to earth, unruffled-” she cackled. “You’re about to get a rude awakening, if you haven’t already.”

Ade’s eyes widened across the small booth they had squeezed into, in an equally tiny Thai restaurant tucked behind Waterloo Station.

Kit tried to manage expectations. “I mean- it’s not going to be as bad as that...”

“True,” Ellie said, wiping her eyes. “I’m exaggerating- gotta love the drama. And you’re at least aware of what’s happening- for me, I just thought I had a really good imagination as a kid. ‘Though I did worry I was going crazy when I started seeing more and more glimpses of the Shadow World. Not helped by someone initially telling me I was imagining stuff…” She reached over to poke at Kit in the chest, exasperatedly.

Kit held his hands up in a mea culpa signal. “I was just trying to protect you both, remember?” They all fell silent as they remembered the last few incidents before Kit disappeared from Devon, driven away by the danger around him being the First Heir. 

Ade broke the silence. “Well- we’re all in the club now, so initiate me,” he said. 

Kit remembered the stories Simon had told him about recruitment of mundane Sighted teens, and his own experiences growing up in L.A. He outlined some quick pointers. “So… once you know not to eat or drink Faerie food, and you stay clear of spells- you just get used to just accepting that yeah- the local dude running the corner shop late shift is a ghoul, or those local bikers are actually werewolves…” Kit trailed off. He didn’t want to freak his friend out too much and he figured Ade’s practical nature would keep him away from the darker areas of the Shadow World. 

A visibly worried Ade frowned. “Right. And will they notice me more now?” 

“No. Unless you stick your nose into their business. Just ignore it and walk on if you spot something weird and you’ll be fine,” Ellie replied, almost dismissively. 

“Is that what you’re doing now, Ellie?” Kit asked, curious. Ellie had left the Shadowhunter Academy a few months before her Ascension ceremony, after her mum had been diagnosed with cancer. But that had been a few years ago- her mum had died since, and Ellie was back attending a mundane university in north London. “I know it must be hard- having been part of the Shadow World for a few years and then going back to mundane life.” He had tried it for a while himself, post-saving the world. And realised that for better or worse- his life was intertwined with Shadowhunters and the Downworld. 

Ellie gave him an arch look, beneath her smudged black eyeliner. “Oh don’t give me that,” she said, almost peevishly. “I’ve coped. But if you want to know- I’ve left it all behind. I’m on my uni course and if I see any strange Downworld things, I just pretend I don’t.”

“Doesn’t exactly sound the healthiest,” Ade muttered. Kit was inclined to agree. But Ellie had a look of mulish disagreement that Kit didn’t want to say much more. He tried to be diplomatic.  

“Okay but If you ever want to like- visit a Shadow Market or something, for old times sake, Ty and I would be happy to meet up with you there,” Kit told her, trying to bridge whatever gap was making her cold with him. He wasn’t sure what he’d done- they’d been fine when they had met up to go clubbing earlier in the week. 

Ellie rolled her eyes. “Oh so magnanimous,” she said. “I might not have gone all the way into becoming a Shadowhunter but I don’t need you baby-sitting me.” 

Kit felt stung by Ellie’s response. “That’s not what I meant, El.” 

“You can protect me,” Ade said, sensing the tension between Ellie and Kit. He grinned. “Despite Kit’s pointers, I still have practically no idea how this works- you can be my guide.”

“Me as well as this mysterious vampire-” Ellie said, brightening up. A brief look crossed her face that Kit wasn’t sure about, but she appeared to be allowing herself to be distracted. “Vampires are also soooo on trend,” she wiggled her eyebrows beneath her mauve fringe. “Not surprised that’s what dragged you fully into the Shadow World.” She looked mischievous. “If you need it, we got the ‘safe blood-donation’ talk from Luke at the Academy- I might have my notes around somewhere to share.” 

Ade rubbed the back of his head, slightly embarrassed. “We’re just friends,” he said. But he allowed himself to be pulled into describing Maryam, as Ellie dragged the details out of him, while Kit relaxed in the corner of the booth. He and Ellie answered Ade’s remaining questions and he was feeling better about the whole affair by the time they finished their meal. 

As they were leaving Ellie pulled him aside. “Sorry for being snippy back there,” she said, her blue eyes bright in the sunshine. “But rather than me rehashing old haunts- how about you and Ty come a bit further into the mundane? Come to dinner at my house, and you can meet Ollie.” 

Wanting to get back into Ellie’s good graces and also being curious about her new boyfriend- who she had said very little about so far, Kit quickly agreed. 

-- 

“DIE, demon spawn,” Dru hissed across the board, throwing down her hand of cards. 

Ash raised one white-blond eyebrow. “Ouch, my petal of loveliness,” he said mildly. 

“Bit on the nose for Ash in terms of insults, isn’t it Dru?” Kit said, grinning. Dru stuck her tongue out at him.  

Passing by with another huge carton of maple syrup, Julian peered down. “Game heating up?” he asked with interest. 

“He sent the robber around to steal the wheat,” Ty informed him, shuffling a couple of cards in his hand as he spoke. “Thereby denying Dru what she needed to build her longest road.” Even as he spoke, Ty’s eyes were focused on the board, shifting around constantly. 

Hearing the explanation, Emma shook her head from her perch at the long birch island in the centre of the room. “I’m so glad I didn’t agree to play. You all are vicious.” 

“Settlers is a great game- we’ll get you involved next time, Em,,” Dru said loftily even as she threw another filthy glance at Ash. “Should’ve left you to rot in that troll’s cage when I first found you in Faerie.”

“Love you too, my knight,” Ash replied with a smile, reaching out to grab her hand and kiss the back of it. Dru finally cracked, smiling but still shaking her head. 

“Food will be ready in ten,” Julian told them, the smell of bacon and pancakes permeating in the air of Blackthorn Hall’s massive kitchen. 

Kit’s stomach was rumbling, and he played the last few minutes of the game half-heartedly. Ty won handily with Dru coming in second. 

Outside, it was rapidly getting dark, late on the Friday evening as they sat down to food and there was little chat while they ate. It was a smaller group than typical at Blackthorn Hall but as it was Tavvy’s week back at school, he, Aline and Helen hadn’t made the journey out to London. And Mark and Cristina and Kieran were all settled into their New York loft, nesting with their newborn baby, Malena, born only a few weeks before. 

“Oof, I can’t fit any more in,” Emma said finally, pushing back her plate. She poked her belly, which protruded heavily over her skinny jeans. “Barney and Jezebel appreciated it though.”

Julian winced. “I swear you’re coming up with even worse name combos the closer we get,” he said, half-resignedly, half amused.

“You guys still planning to stay in Idris for the birth?” Dru asked.  

“I know some crackin’ faerie midwives,” Ash mentioned. “I was apparently a terrible birth for my mom but they helped a lot with it. If you want, I can make the introduction.”   

“Er- as much as I appreciate the offer-we’ll either be here or Idris,” Emma said diplomatically, and Kit wondered if she was amused or horrified at being recommended the same birth plan as the Seelie Queen. 

He noticed Ty’s unhappy look at the chat and Kit reached out underneath the table, letting his hand rest gently on Ty’s knee, stroking. Ty’s hand came to rest on top, and he gave a quick grateful glance to Kit. He knew Ty didn’t want to talk about it but the fact that Emma was expecting twins brought up tough memories around Livvy. 

Out of the corner of his eye, Kit could see Julian watching them, also in tune with the mood of all his family members and he steered the conversation away to a different topic- letting Emma talk about her work with the new Academy curriculum. Then Dru updated them on her latest quests in Faerie, in contrast to Ash, who was charming but as ever, his flowery language told them limited information as to what was happening in Faerie, and its rebuilding. 

Finally they came around to Kit and Ty’s first week in London and between them, they gave a quick summary of what had occurred. 

There was silence as the table digested the news about the apparent issues at the London Institute. 

“Just my luck, getting a dud Institute,” Kit laughed nervously, watching Julian’s reaction. “And before you ask- no, I don’t want to be Head, and it’s likely they just invited me to join because of tradition.” 

Julian didn’t reply for a few long seconds, his green-blue eyes dark in the kitchen’s shadowy, homely lighting. Kit snuck a glance over to Ty. 

Ty cleared his throat. “We’re looking into it, Jules.” It wasn’t phrased as a question and Ty seemed unshakeable in his belief that they could handle it themselves, as if announcing it to the Inquisitor - albeit also his brother - was a fait accompli. “But do you have any advice while we do so?”

Julian let out a long sigh. “I am assuming you’re basically asking permission to conduct this investigation?” he asked. 

“We can… hand it over to your office instead?” Kit offered carefully. 

Julian shook his head, and he gave a rueful look over to Ty. “No- and I’m sure as Ty already knows, we don’t have the resources to deal with it, given what we’re currently dealing with...” He didn’t elaborate. 

Ty shrugged, seemingly unconcerned. “So let us handle it.”

“You mean Kit will handle it. You already have a lot on your plate with the wraiths,” Julian said sharply, and Emma looked up at his tone, her brown eyes worried. “I’ve read the reports.” And Kit wondered at Julian’s reach as Inquisitor and whether he had somehow found out about Ty’s injuries and his and Kit’s late night dash to a mundane hospital to deal with them. 

“There’s a whole team of Centurions with me on the case,” Ty reassured him. “And yes- Kit’s taking the lead with any Institute issue but I’ll be there to assist him.” 

“Kit can handle a 90 year old woman and a sick man,” Ash said, supportively. 

Dru frowned. “That’s awfully dismissive,” she told him. 

“It wasn’t meant to be,” Ash said, looking confused. “Elderly women are some of the wiliest adversaries and those who are ill often have nothing to lose…” Not for the first time, despite them being the same age, Kit was reminded of the wide chasm of his and his cousin’s experiences. But then he remembered his history with Mother Hawthorn, not to mention his recent interactions with Evelyn and he was inclined to agree with Ash’s assessment.  

“We don’t know for sure it’s coming from Evelyn and Roger or whether it’s elsewhere in the Institute,” Kit replied.  

Julian looked over at Kit. “Whoever or whatever it is- find the evidence of corruption or misconduct and send it to my office. And then wait for instruction,” he told Kit. “Don’t put yourself in danger.”

Kit nodded, feeling relieved. So, officially slash unofficially, they had the support of the Clave, if they needed it.

Later on, as the Blackthorn siblings and Emma settled down to competitively watch the Great British Bake-off, Kit drew Ash aside and asked about tithes and a possible connection to the Institute. “No Seelie or Unseelie Court member would pay a tithe out to a Nephilim Institute,” Ash told him. “Not since the Cold Peace ended.” His green eyes were shrewd as he looked Kit up and down. “But I don’t know about the Free Folk- you’ve always had more connections there.” 

Kit sighed. “Mostly in New York and L.A.,” he said. “I have to make a trip to the London Shadow Market this week to see if I can find some similar connections.” 

“You will, brother,” Ash said. He looked down at Kit’s hand, the voyance rune gleaming blackly against Kit’s pale skin. Ash smiled and held out his own, similar-inked hand - the only permanent Shadowhunter rune he wore - and turned it palm upwards. 

His body language indicated he was waiting for Kit. “I haven’t practiced,” Kit warned even as he mirrored Ash’s position. 

“I don’t care,” Ash told him, some of the authority of the Seelie realm seeping through in his voice. A tendril of greenish-white light floated up from the centre, and tentatively moved towards his own open palm. 

Kit grit his teeth, letting the light caress up and around the lines of his hand and he took a deep breath, attempting to wake up a long dormant - and potentially dead power. Slowly, Kit could feel something float up from deep within and trickle down his arm. He willed it to manifest. 

For the briefest moment, he thought he saw a flash of golden light dancing with Ash’s own magic and then it faded and the other faerie magic was too much, burning Kit in its intensity. 

He withdrew his hand with a hiss, watching as the skin blistered. 

Across the room, he saw Ty look up suddenly from his conversation with Dru and Kit hid his hand. Ash looked stricken, and a stele appeared in his hand. “It’s improving,” he said, covering Kit from view even as he swiftly drew an iratze on Kit’s forearm. 

“Maybe,” Kit felt exhausted, as if he had gone for a ten mile run, or just come in from a long night patrol. “I’ll keep trying.”

“We should do more next time you’re in Faerie,” Ash said, his face contemplative. “I think we’re close.” As always, there was a faint note of guilt in his words as he attempted to help Kit regain his Fae power. 

Kit nodded and pushed past him without response, going to join Ty on the sofa. 

“What were you and Ash talking about?” Ty asked quietly, as Emma and Dru shouted and Julian leaned forward anxiously over some kind of 3D cookie tower being constructed on the TV. 

“Tithe business,” Kit told him, reaching out to twine his hands in Ty’s, ensuring his newly drawn iratze was covered by his sleeve. “He doesn’t think that it’s connected to Seelie or Unseelie Courts.” He didn’t mention the aborted magic attempt- it was something that he and Ash had only just started the last time Kit was in Faerie. He didn’t want Ty to worry about something that was likely to be a dead end- especially given everything else on their plate at the moment. 

If - and it was a big if, he managed to jumpstart his magic again, then he’d let Ty know, Kit figured. 

Ty was watching him, his mouth pursed slightly and Kit wondered if he’d seen the magic attempt- and he opened his mouth, about to explain when Ty suddenly looked past him. “That doesn’t even look like Big Ben,” he complained, and Kit looked over to see more cookie sculptures on screen. “No, but I’d still eat it,” Kit said. Emma heard and grinned at him. 

Ty smiled too. As the credits rolled, he turned his attention back to business. “It’s okay that it’s a dead end with Ash,” he said, his grey eyes serious. “The interviews we conduct this week with key Downworld contacts might shed light on it instead.”

Kit nodded. “Yeah.. about that,” he said. “I have a feeling it might be more challenging than we think…” 

--

Taglist: @dontmindmyshadowhunting @sandersgrey @of-same-steel-and-temper @thomastaircompassrose @thechangeling @mferraz @kestrafagnor @gabtapia @alldagayships @blindbandit1515 @silvermagnolias @chaotic-halfblood-kit @fighting-god-69 @lifeofbrybooks @all-this-panic-still-no-disco @heloisacosta23 @kitheronthorn @idk-i-just-really-like-tsc @t0wergirl @immortal-enemies @ahumanbeingtryingherbest @chewriting @bookishjules

Let me know if you'd like to be added/removed from the list. :)

[jestbee]

I posted 1,075 times in 2022

That's 380 more posts than 2021!

589 posts created (55%)

486 posts reblogged (45%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@lostinmcyt

@masterbaited

@jestbee

@alittledizzy

@scoops404

I tagged 938 of my posts in 2022

Only 13% of my posts had no tags

#mc - 598 posts

#jane answers - 231 posts

#dnf - 170 posts

#dream - 96 posts

#dnp - 81 posts

#gnf - 56 posts

#atsoop - 42 posts

#dnf fic - 41 posts

#dreamnotfound - 38 posts

#dteam - 28 posts

Longest Tag: 139 characters

#dream was like here is where u dud an awesome play and fished some pearls and george was like yeah well here is where i died multiple times

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

I choose to believe they're getting the entire howell-lester clan together for Xmas, somehow I think Adrian and Cornelia might get along?

80 notes - Posted November 28, 2022

#4

Oh noo hope you feel better soon and it heals fast!!

I'm thinking about sapnap. How devoted he is to them, how much he loves them. He moved to dream and drove from Texas to Florida with one day notice and when George said he was lonely in London, the next day he renewed his visa :(( they all have such a strong bond, they choose eachother over anything else..

Sapnap is ride or die. Dream once said the thing he loves most about Sapnap is that he "has never once doubted that Sapnap is [his] boy and will have his back through anything". And you can see it.

Like, however much Sapnap and George have a sibling-like rivalry, Sapnap would go to war for George if he asked. (And he might, knowing George).

He was "just the cameraman for now" and made sure George and Dream were both okay during their meeting and was happy to take a back seat and that in itself is fucking amazing.

And it's not just dteam. He and Karl have a tax that if you cross one you pay the price of having crossed the other by default. He defends his fans in valo lobbies when people try to talk shit. Hes allowed to rio the shit out of his friends but if anyone else tries it he'll kill them with a glance. Heck, even for all the ways he has a tendency to get caught up in trying to seem cool, he's never once rolled over on his friends or what they do and the game they play even when it would have been easier to do so.

Sapnap is ride or fucking die.

83 notes - Posted November 22, 2022

#3

i like how phil sits next to dan when they eat rather than across from him

If I had Phil Lester in the house I'd sit next to him too

104 notes - Posted June 11, 2022

#2

I cannot shut up about how Dan was in that video. Like, it had such good vibes. Relaxed, mature, comfortable?

The persona as we know it was gone, remember when he seemed so angry all the time? It's just so so sooooo nice to see him happy and proud of a thing.

After everything he's been through to come out the other side like that. You love to see it

189 notes - Posted May 21, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

All the sunlight of our past (COMPLETE)

Phan, E

Tags: Exes to lovers, canon divergence, secret identity

Summary:

YouTube is a mess.

Phil's been struggling with it for a while and has just taken a job as a video editor to make ends meet while he figures out whether he still loves it anymore.

Dan's channel has been dead ever since he started working at BBC Radio One and the two haven't seen each other in years.

During a chance meeting in 2019, Dan gets papped coming out of a gay club and his life is sent in to turmoil. He blames Phil, because it had been his idea to go there in the first place, so they're straight back to not talking.

The only recourse Dan has to salvage his career is to return to his YouTube channel after all these years and make a coming out video on his own terms. What he doesn't know is that Phil is the editor he just hired to help him with it.

Notes:

Written for @oldschoolpbb with accompanying art by @snekydingdong

[Read on ao3]

195 notes - Posted May 14, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[maxwell-grant]

Ask Round-Up: June

Hi there! Got some time to spare so I figured I’d kick this one off first thing in the month,. A couple of points, as usual

-Happy Pride Month!

-I posted a video on Twitter recently dubbing a comic Dan Schkade did, and I’m linking it here to announce that I do intend to use my Twitter for stuff soon (mostly when I do start “The Grim Screen” proper, which is the name of that big mystery project I keep alluding to, and where the characters in my profile pictures come from). I’m still figuring out how I wanna use social media to share and promote my work in a way that isn’t more grating than it’s worth, I need to start trying new things, this being one of them. 

-It’s COLD-AS-SHIT here in Brazil, we’ve been getting hit with some of the absolute coldest days in the country’s history, honestly reminded me of when I spent some weeks in London during a winter. Getting raised in a tropical country absolutely does not prepare you for that kind of shit, especially when coats (and clothes in general) your size tend to be stupidly expensive. And COVID’s spiking again to the point most people can no longer pretend this pandemic ever ended. 

-I picked a stray cat off the garbage over a month ago and, after trying every available option to see if someone could take care of her, running a ton of tests and taking her to vets and looking after her in our studio, we ended up giving up on pretending we weren’t gonna adopt her. Currently in the process of moving her to our home and getting our house cat to adjust to the new presence and it’s, a work in progress. 

-Still massively busy due to musical theater, currently trying to get enough time to finish my resume and start looking for work elsewhere. 

-Currently caught between several juggling acts that have only gotten exponentially worse and more stressful since the first draft of this post but nevermind let’s go:

@jcogginsa asked:  So we just got a new Street Fighter VI Gameplay Trailer, with what seems to be a fairly massive change to the series' gameplay

If anything, the gameplay seems to be the least changed aspect of it, or maybe it’s just the one I’m noticing the least because, frankly I don’t care about gameplay that much, but, wow, color me genuinely impressed with what they’ve shown so far. Just, Christ, this is what a major step forward finally feels like, not some faux-Alpha soft reboot or all-stars compilathon, no, they really are serious about taking Street Fighter to the future. Ryu, I already remarked at being pleased with them allowing Ryu to mature and change his outfit and role, but I’m far more impressed that they’re clearly letting Chun-Li follow suit as well, getting a slight visual overhaul (sort of a lightly-colored combination of her two key designs, SF2 and Alpha, with a characterization that seems to be building off her Third Strike era and a handful of new details like the change in bracelets and more exposed forehead to cement her maturity) and getting to show off a little as a teacher in the trailer. It feels nice to have good things to say about the direction they’re taking Chun-Li as a character (and oh thank god she’s got a new voice actor, I never liked Laura Bailey’s voice for her, this game really is spoiling me). 

They even got me onboard with having Luke stick around as the MC! Yeah, color me fucking shocked, but when he doesn’t look as much like Logan Paul a grotesque eyesore with a superfluous personality and he looks like a character that actually belongs in this world, and he gets a very neat-looking rival character to play off, yeah, I’m onboard with him. Really liked Jaime, too, I think he really sets a new standard for SF character design quite nicely, I like that just from a glance he pays homage to a lot of SF archetypes while very clearly being his own character (to a better extent than Luke, who seems to have been designed with the same idea in mind), love that he’s Street Fighter’s first take on the “drunken master” archetype except he’s not just a hokey old cliche but instead a fresh new spin on the archetype. This is what Street Fighter made it’s name on, this is what it should always be doing. 

Also saw that most of the starting roster was leaked a while ago, a couple of comments on that: I love that none of the OG World Warriors are coming back without some form of redesign, in particular I love Blanka’s new clothes and E.Honda looks cooler than ever. Not a fan of them finally being cowards enough to give Zangief pants but, fine, they are clearly scaling down the cartooniness of the prior installments, I get why the speedo had to go. Glad they kept Dhalsim’s beard while reverting back his bald head and, changing his necklace? Interesting. Very interested in what the hell’s going on with Ken, fucker looks more divorced with every new installment, kinda surprised that it’s Ken who looks like he’s got his shit together a lot less than Ryu this time around / and uh, I wrote this post before it was apparently leaked that Ken actually is divorced? The fuck? Curious to see how that goes.

LOVE LOVE LOVE GOUKI’S NEW LOOK, holy shit this is what he should have looked like in SFV to begin with, fuck, finally they made a redesign for him that doesn’t suck. Love that they seem to have incorporated one of the concept ideas they had for him for SFV, which was to have him wear the fur of a bear he killed, into his main design, because that is 100% a Gouki thing to do and it works masterfully with the lion / wildman imagery he’s already got going on.

Funny, I was JUST thinking the other day if they were ever gonna bring Dee Jay back and if they did, they were definitely gonna have to redesign him and tone down everything that made him look like a grotesque racist caricature or, at least, change it so that he doesn’t stick out as much compared to the other characters, which it seems like they did, I’m actually kinda shocked over how much I like how he looks now, he’s like 100 times better. I always did like Dee Jay’s concept as a fun-loving musician who, unlike the other characters, really was just in it to have fun, and I like that he actually looks the part now. LOVE that they brought Rashid back and redesigned him to look sexier, actually, I like that they seem to be a lot more willing to let the dudes look explicitly hot this time around at a similar and show more skin while the female characters look like they were made with looking cool as a priority over looking like someone’s fetish (might retract this statement depending on how Laura or Mika look like if they make it to the game).

Juri was obviously gonna come back, but I definitely prefer this look over the SFV bodysuit, not surprised Ed’s back but am mildly interested with where they’re taking him lore-wise. The new characters look a little samey and, to an extent they kinda look a little more like Tekken characters (but then again the whole aesthetic of this game reminds me a lot of Tekken), but I definitely like their look, and I definitely think they are gonna make a vastly better batch of newcomers than what IV and V had. I’m particularly interested in Marisa, JP, Kimberly and Aki. So, yeah, I’m definitely on board with where this game is heading. 

Anonymous asked:  Do you have any interest in seeing other parts of South America?

Sure. Already traveled through quite a bit of it, but I always wanna travel more, traveling’s one of my favorite things to do. Unfortunately it’s also terribly expensive even besides the whole, cough, pandemic. But, yeah, I definitely miss traveling. 

Anonymous asked:  Excluding pastiche of the character like Swam, what is your favourite version of the phantom of the opera ?

Come to think of it I, don’t think I actually have one? My favorite Phantoms are the ones I make myself out of extensively curating and Frankensteining together the dozens and dozens of existing Phantoms, sort of like The Shadow but to a much greater extent since there’s hundreds of Phantom of the Opera stories out there and the character’s public domain. I guess for me it’s not so much particular “versions” of the character, so much as it’s particular ideas. 

I love Leroux’s Erik, I think the resolution to his story is still pretty unsurpassed (except by the one depicted in the short story “Beauty and the Opéra, or The Phantom Beast” by Suzy McKee Charnas, that one has by far the best take I’ve read yet on the Phantom x Christine relationship), I find myself lately appreciating a lot how remarkably childish and darkly humorous he’s written to be, way more than you’d ever expect the original take on The Phantom to be. I like Lon Chaney’s Phantom likewise for the humor and classic villainy he has fun with, particularly in his final scene. I like Ken Hill’s Phantom for similar reasons and he’s probably my favorite of the on-stage Phantoms I’ve seen or heard (I have some more, mixed, feelings for the ALW version, I wrote like a massive report on it recently so I don’t feel like talking about it for now). 

I love how BATSHIT HORRIFYING the Phantom of Althea Liu’s Christine is, I really like some of the ideas at play in the Charles Dance version (not a wholly satisfying take but, there’s some ideas in there I like, and honestly being played by Charles Dance does go a long way in at least getting my attention). I love how he’s drawn in the MAZM game (hadn’t had a chance to check it in full yet) and I have some other favorite artistic renditions of him by artists like Greg Hildebrandt, Kyu Ha and Anne Bachelier, to quote a few among many. I have a LOT of space in my files devoted to cataloguing Phantom media and anything adjacent to it as a reference point, I go through them every now and then whenever I start thinking about the kinds of Phantoms I want to create.

Honorable mention right now goes also to the Cosmos Takarazuka Phantom played by Yoka Wao. I’ve never been remotely able to witness this play, there’s no records of it I can find online outside of this terrific review penned by @ancientphantom​, but reading that immediately shot this up into becoming one of my absolute favorite takes on the character to read about or imagine (reading that, during Christine’s debut, this version of The Phantom broke the 4th wall by actually going offstage to the orchestra pit in order to personally conduct the orchestra went a long way in making this my favorite show that I’ll never get to watch, seriously, what a brilliant usage of the character). 

@thedeathalchemist asked:  Since you are doing musical theater, do you have any favorite musicals (can be both stage and film)?

Actually not that many, especially when it comes to stage since music theater shows tend to be terribly expensive. This might seem weird coming off the previous ask, and the fact that I did this big writing assignment on it, but I don’t actually consider the ALW Phantom among them (it’s, weird, the history I have with that play, but I don’t dislike it though). Among the ones that come to mind would be The Lion King (I was a little young to “get” the worship people have for Lion King when I watched the movie, but the play definitely instilled that impression on me), and Morte e Vida Severina gets a very strong recommendation from me.

For film, definitely my number one pick would be Phantom of the Paradise, followed by Little Shop of Horrors and The Prince of Egypt, and now Descendants 2. I watched the whole Descendants trilogy recently and I definitely have a lot of thoughts on it, but Descendants 2 in particular is shockingly good, trust me, it’s worth putting up with the first movie (not bad but, not terribly interesting) to get to it. Speaking of Descendants, I also gotta put it’s older sibling High School Musical here, mainly for 2 and 3 (my favorites being, every number done by Sharpay or Ryan across all three films, the “Troy has a mental breakdown” songs, and “The Boys are Back”, which almost kinda redeems Chad for a second). I also really liked The Happiness of the Katakuris which is, kind of a musical, it’s kind of a whole bunch of things but I don’t remember enough of it to talk more of it. Otherwise I’m not terribly familiar with musicals enough to have a proper list. Get back to me after I’m done with musical theater and that might change.

@krinsbez asked:  So, apparently, Dan Schkade has posted a list of "Batman Hot Takes" which includes Alfred being a retired Shadow. Thoughts?

Not something I would write personally in my takes on either character, but I like it primarily because Dan’s reasoning of “He goes from The Master to a servant, shaping the next generation” is a rock-solid foundation for where The Shadow should go as a character if he were to actually “retire” for real. I’d seen this idea of his a while back and actually, this was kind of a crucial puzzle piece that went into my thought process for my “The Shadow meets Cassandra Cain” post, I was wracking my head thinking of ways for these hardline incompatible characters could co-exist or work together and then I found this on his tweets and stuff just kinda clicked together. It made perfect sense. 

I also like it because Alfred already kind of embodies a “prior generation” of crimefighter in how usually he’s written to reference James Bond, and because Alfred’s generally a character who already carries some kind of mystery and intrigue in his backstory, part of what makes him work as an all-timer anciliary character comes from us not knowing much about his life other than the myriad of skillsets he once had as the most awesome man on the planet and how that life culminated in him eventually becoming the right-hand man to the current most awesome man on the planet. The Batman crossovers even kinda played around with the idea of The Shadow effortlessly being able to become Alfred even without Bruce noticing.

You could make a very good point based on how well this gap in Alfred’s past fits with the existing gap in The Shadow’s post-1949 future, how seamlessly you could make it so one ends where the other begins, and besides, Alfred’s main vocation besides butler is often established to be that of an actor, which is almost 90% of the time in fiction code for “this character isn’t what they say they are / don’t trust everything they say”. Is it really that unbelievable that Alfred was just, one in a million other names in a lifetime of fighting against evil by adopting different monikers and identities?

Again, not something I’d go for or establish “canonically”, largely because I don’t want The Shadow to be tied down to Batman more than he’s already perceived to be publicly, but the logic and thematic worth here is quite sound.

Anonymous asked:  Related to that last question, which fighting game franchise has your favorite lore, and/or the lore that you would most want someone to expand on in another type of work?

Besides the two big ones I already talk about on the regular (Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat), definitely Capoeira Fighter, created by Scott Stoddard (who you can see above in the line-up, as he jokingly inserted himself into the game as a character called “Maionese”, portuguese word for mayo, I was frankly surprised to learn he was North-American). I’ve known about it for a long while but it was only recently that I started doing some looking into it and it’s character designs, and I’m only just now discovering that the creator of this was also the creator of Mad Shark and Robot Unicorn Attack, and the only social media he seems to have is his Youtube channel. Looking up Capoeira Fighter and it’s creator company, Spiritonin, nets you basically just dead pages and zombie pages still up that don’t work anymore because the game was made for Flash, so, yeah, it’s hard to even call Capoeira Fighter a franchise when it largely consists of mostly tech demos and one game that is pretty much gone unless you look for it in BlueMaxima’s Flashpoint.  Capoeira Fighter 3 does look a lot more polished and boasts a lot more than could ever be feasibly expected from a flash fighting game, including an interactive Arcade Mode where you can make choices that affect your character’s storyline. 

I regret that I didn’t get to play Capoeira Fighter 3 before the death of Flash, because looking it up makes me frustrated. There’s quite a lot to like here. This is absolutely a series that I would love to see get a proper shot under the sun with a budget and some more polish (gameplay definitely could use some work still), there’s a lot of incredible stuff here.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a fighting game, or even a game really, where I look at the characters and recognize not just the pop culture archetypes they draw from, but I also recognize people in them, real people I’ve met. Both of it’s main masters, Mestre Loka and Mestre Rochedo, are opposites and yet they both look unmistakably like real fighting masters and people I’ve trained under (Loka in particular). You see the Muay Thai girl in the image above, named Chompoo? Not only is she the 2nd woman in fighting games who uses Muay Thai, but she’s the only one who actually looks like it (King is by leaps and bounds my favorite of the SNK girls but she’s evidently not dressed for combat), but she actually kinda reminds me of my teacher’s wife (the absolute scariest person I’ve ever seen fight Muay Thai, not even joking, he loves talking about her and showing me videos of his tiny and lovely and terrifying wife tearing down opponents twice her size in the ring), I bring this up because this game's authenticity absolutely deserves praise as well as it's character design. Look at the other two characters above, Ramba and Buldogue, and I’m gonna post this excerpt from BigMex’s article on it that better summarizes the two and part of what is so great about this game:

The diversity of the characters could not be understated. There were 15 unique capoeiristas, in addition there were 13 other "World Warrior" type characters that represented other fighting styles like Muay Thai, Tae Kwon Do and boxing. It was not the sheer number that made the game unique but instead the showcase of figures. 

 In other fighting games, the playable characters were always roughly the same size and body type. They never had an ounce of fat on them, and were never too short or tall. Capoeira Fighter 3 had every skin color and body type that a person could imagine. The various tones and shades of skin suggested that several characters were of mixed marriages, mulatto or even native. 

There was a character that reflected just about every type of gamer there was, including the young and old. None of them seemed feeble when competing against fighters in their prime. 

Very few games, before or after, had put as many minority characters in the roster. Very few games had ever put minorities in prominent roles for the accompanying story. The lineup featured tall, skinny, fat, short, muscular and average build body types. Even the heroic Mestres could not have been more opposite

Ramba had actually been away from competition because she was busy at the university. She was asked by Mestre Loka to look after his students. She reluctantly agreed as it would be a good excuse to get away from law school for a moment. 

Along the way, Ramba met Buldogue and offered her a better life. Ramba knew that Buldogue was a strong fighter, but had never been given an opportunity outside of the roda (fighting circle). Buldogue had been used as hired muscle by other characters in the game and Ramba wanted to get her out of that life. She knew that the bruiser was actually respected by the community, especially the poor that lived in the favela or ghetto. 

If she were able to get an education and become known for something other than fighting, then Buldogue could become an inspiration for other women trapped by their situation. Players were given a choice whether to team up Ramba and Buldogue or to play solo. The purpose of Ramba in the game was not to beat the main villain, but instead to help guide those in need. 

If players completed the game solo, then Ramba learned what she was really fighting for. She earned her degree, but decided to open her own firm to help the less fortunate. If she teamed up with Buldogue, she became a mentor and enrolled her in school, while still working double-duty as a lawyer.

Strong, positive, dynamic, interesting minority female characters that didn't need to flash skin to get noticed? There had been few and far between for over 25 years. Designers in Japan and the US had lost focus on how they could introduce new faces without relying on pandering or stereotype. 

Characters could color the perception of gamers after all. When done in a positive light they could stop perpetuating stereotypes. Capoeira Fighter 3 had set a standard that would be hard for many developers to follow.

And, man, do I wish Capoeira Fighter 3 actually did set a standard to be followed by the bigger fighting game studios, especially in how they approach black or Brazilian characters. It’s hard going back to those now, seeing a different standard as to what they could be like. So many franchises these days are getting unexpected revivals or glow-ups, I would absolutely be onboard to see Capoeira Fighter get this kind of treatment or to even write and conceive stuff for it myself.

Maybe 2D fighting games have gone with the wind again (platform fighters seem to be growing more as the new rage) but, man, it would break my heart to see this be forgotten, and it very easily could have been. I absolutely do not want this to go the way so many other flash games did, I think Capoeira Fighter's truly remarkable and I would love to see it be revived in some form (or maybe I should just finally take a crack at game design already and make my own fighting games, who knows).