#feeling particular ways about my favorite detective

[lily-valley-hyperfixates]

Requesting someone to pump Sherlock & Co directly into my bloodstream please and thank you.

[yuri-is-online]

I love masquerade ball trope, specially when you have anonymity when comes to romance.

Can I have number 6?

For Deuce, Malleus and Silver. I would like to know about theirs.

6. Crowley has decided to put together a murder mystery for the whole ball and you've been the first one "killed." Whoever is playing detective seems really upset about that.

My favorite part of romance anything is the pining and masquerade's are great for that (˵ •̀ ᴗ - ˵ ) ✧ I guess they could be good for drama too but eh I am not a huge fan of miscommunication related angst. Unless it's that one route in Tailor Tales... and even then not by much.

notes: they/them used for Yuu, you have to be a special kind of stupid to "hurt" Yuu in front of Malleus, the rest of the event requests can be found on my masterlist.

Deuce

This is bad. Bad with a capital B- during finals week, House Warden Riddle finds out about. And now that he has thought up his angry House Warden, he can add fear to the list of emotions he's feeling, right underneath self-doubt and hatred of whoever decided to pick Yuu off first.

"Wait seriously, you're the detective?" Ace looks as oddly panicked as Deuce feels, their attention firmly on the playing card tight in Deuce's shaking hands.

"I just don't know where I should start." Deuce says nervously, but it is clear he has determination if nothing else. "But you're way better at reading people and I need to know if you saw anyone acting weird." Ace makes a show of looking around the ballroom, the other students are more or less just mingling as they had before. It makes Deuce angry, he settles into himself in a manner that suggests he is about to flip.

"Hey hey look," Ace has both his hands out like he's trying to soothe one of the flamingos, which grounds Deuce only slightly as the back of his brain begins to turn towards an idea without his notice "I would totally love to help you out. No really! It's just don't you think you actually want me to-"

"Of course I do!" Someone shushes Deuce to his right and he glares in way of an apology. No one else has died yet which is a relief, he has to be doing something right. "Aren't you upset that someone decided to pick Yuu off first?" For some reason Ace doesn't respond, if anything he looks a bit crestfallen but Deuce is too caught up in his mixed bubble of emotions to fully notice. "They're already singled out so much, and you know how they always say it doesn't bother them but I know better. I mean not to say you don't- I just. I worry about them so much already and now they can't even enjoy a school dance without someone trying to pick on them-"

"I think you miiiight be reading too much into it Juice." Ace has begun to back away from him now. "And while I would like to help, isn't that against the rules? Wouldn't want to be you when Riddle finds out you didn't win us the game in a card soldier like wa-"

"It was you." Ace stops. Deuce stops to drop into a stance that has Ace really wishing he was not such a slacker on track days.

"If I had known it was you I would have knocked off Jack or something first!" He yells over his shoulder as both boys ignore the established rules of the game in favor of sprinting through the ballroom, a determined officer in pursuit of an only slightly embarrassed knave. "I just thought it would be funny! And jeeze why are you acting like this over a little crush!"

"See I told you." A wise little grey sage nods next to you as you survey the scene. "It's a total race to the bottom between those two.

Malleus

It was not a dark and stormy night until Crowley announced you were the first one out. You don't remember anything in the forecast calling for rain, or NRC students being so afraid of it. The green lightning flickering across the sky suggests a... degree of magic might be involved in this particular turn of events and you do your best to stamp down the tension headache that causes.

"Perhaps it would best if we take a brief recess to let the weather clear up before we continue with our game?" Crowley doesn't wait for anyone to agree with him before leaving, maybe never to be seen again, forcing you to contend with the looming shadow peering over your shoulder.

"You do know I'm not actually hurt, right?" You try to bring Malleus back down to earth, you swear you see smoke curling from his exhaled breath as beady green eyes look you over.

"Of course." He almost sounds like he's pouting, the longer you stare the more his lips purse and cheeks puff, you are surprised he doesn't break eye contact or cross his arms. "But threatening to hurt you in my presence is an insult."

"It was not an actual threat," you carefully take his hand in yours, guiding it to your neck so he can feel the steady thrumming of your heart, politely ignoring the way even more people scramble away from the ballroom. No doubt intimidated by the touching display of intimacy and not the way Malleus's eyes flutter like a blushing maiden as the storm slows to a drizzle. "Crowley just thought it would be a fun game for everyone to play, and since we are all wearing masks there's a good chance the killer-" Another lightening bolt splits the sky with a crack and Mallues's arm tenses. You gently kiss his knuckles and try another approach. "The person pretending to be the killer picked me at random. They don't want to hurt me, I'm not going anywhere." The rain ceases for now, the outburst seems to have rendered the game largely forgotten, with Crowley pointedly refusing to return to start it up and Malleus refusing to move. The band, at least, seems to take the que and starts up the music and Malleus moves to dance with you, making sure to keep you extra close in case anyone gets any ideas of really hurting you.

"I did understand that it was a game." He tells Lilia, even as the old fae shakes his head clearly unbelieving. "But human life is so fragile, theirs more so than most. I can't risk anyone getting any ideas." He won't loose them, not to anything other than time, and even then, if Malleus finds it within his power he will defy fate itself.

Silver

"And now that our first victim for the night has been announced, you may return to your mingling until our killer selects his next prey." Crewel is having way too much fun laying out the dramatic scene before him, even if he is disappointed with the first choice of victim. Silver appreciates his dedication if nothing else, it is always impressive how much attention to detail the Professors at this school put into the small things in events like this.

But he is stalling focusing on that, his purple eyes move to scan the perimeters, Idia is lingering in a corner too focused on his phone to really be playing, besides his first pick would probably have been Azul to save himself the headache. Satisfied he walks (though the people around him part as if he is stalking) away from his position at the entrance to survey the other guests. His hand twitches close to his baton when he senses someone coming up behind him, but relaxes once he notes his father.

"My, my, just what has my sweet boy so worked up?" Lilia seems to be in a very good mood, which relives Silver even if he had expected him to enjoy this game a lot more than he was. "I almost mistook you for Malleus with how severe your face looks." He pauses, gently touching his face as if he will be able to tell just what's so strange about it without a mirror and Lilia's conspiratorial grin grows wider. "Look, even our dear prefect is concerned." Silver's eyes snatch up to the balcony where Yuu sits, leaning on the railing to look at the guests below, mask set to the side lazily as they relive some of his stress with the clear boredom on their face.

The sight catches with the breath in his throat, confusion wrapping him in it's familiar embrace with a strange twinge to it he wants to say he is unaware of but knows he has been feeling more and more in your presence lately.

"I am trying to win the game." He tries, unable to look back at his father not out of fear of his judgement but desire for you to look his way just once. "I don't want this to reflect poorly on Malleus." Lilia laughs, forcing Silver to look at him empty handed with a look of disappointment his father knows he also is completely unaware of.

"Are you sure you aren't worried it will reflect poorly on you?" He watches as his son shifts, torn between wanting to spend time with him and return to his task. "After all, it isn't Malleus who is auditioning right now, is he?" And Lilia spares him the choice, flying off to said Lord as Crewel once again brings the band to a pause to name a student Silver is not sure he knows, and is surprised he does not care nearly as much about.

"Watch me." He silently promises you, bowing towards you just stealthily enough it is barely noticeable. "I will keep you safe prefect, I promise."

"You should give him a kiss when he wins." Lilia whispers into your ear and you nearly fall over the railing with how badly you start.

"L-lilia! I am not sure what you-"

"Or maybe a handkerchief with some perfume?" He is having too much fun at your expense to stop now. "That would suit the aesthetics much better don't you agree?"

[radio-ronpa]

Disney I want songs for each V3 character, go!

I got this a few days ago and I've been ruminating on it. I think I've finally settled on them? Plus notes on why I picked that song.

Here's the rules: Has to be from an official Disney Animated Classic (no Pixar, live action, or straight to vid sequels). Must occur within the run time of animation (no songs that only appear in the credits, ala True to Your Heart from Mulan). Only one song can be used from a particular film.

Let's fucking goooooo.

1. Angie Yonaga - Give a Little Whistle (Pinocchio)

Have you ever seen Jiminy Cricket and Atua in the same place? Think about it.

2. Gonta Gokuhara - The Bare Necessities (The Jungle Book)

Optimistic, joyous, and appreciative of all of life's moments, even if they are very small.

3. Himiko Yumeno - The Next Right Thing (Frozen 2)

If there was a DRV3 stage musical, this would be the number she does at the end of Trial 3. It's literally perfect.

4. Kaede Akamatsu - Good Company (Oliver and Company)

The scene with this song in the movie is literally a piano lesson, and it's about being friends and having faith in that. How could I not?

5. Kaito Momota - Go the Distance (Hercules)

Oh, I want to be a hero because I feel like I don't belong anywhere and I want to be strong enough to give my friends good hugs? Herc and Kaito are both beautiful himbos.

6. Kiibo - Strangers Like Me (Tarzan)

I mean, Keebs is real Pinocchio sometimes, but I started crying imagining him to this song. He's so earnest and I love that for him.

7. Kirumi Tojo - Very Good Advice (Alice in Wonderland)

Classic, underappreciated, and sad as fuck.

8. Kokichi Ouma - The World's Greatest Criminal Mind (The Great Mouse Detective)

Look, this song is just fun and chaotic and delighted by its own mischief. There's so many ways you can go with Kokichi, but I had to pick this one for sheer giggles.

9. Korekiyo Shinguji - Never Smile at a Crocodile (Peter Pan)

JUST READ THE FUCKING LYRICS.

10. Maki Harukawa - Reflection (Mulan)

It's cliche. It's also true.

11. Miu Iruma - The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers (The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh)

Kind of unhinged and still somehow endearing. Miu Iruma is bounchy flouncy fun fun fun fun fun.

12. Rantaro Amami - Thomas O'Malley Cat (The Aristocats)

The fucking swagger. The worldliness. The feet that can't stop moving. (Of course Rantaro is my favorite character. I adored that cat.)

13. Ryoma Hoshi - Not in Nottingham (Robin Hood)

For the love of god, somebody hug that man.

14. Shuichi Saihara - This Wish (Wish)

If The Next Right Thing is Trial 3 of the DRV3 Disney musical, This Wish is the end of Trial 6. This is Shuichi standing up and telling the villain that they're not going to give in to despair, honoring Kaede's wish with his own. Plus, it's a princess song. I gotta give the main protag the princess song.

15. Tenko Chabashira - Surface Pressure (Encanto)

Tenko doesn't have a complex about being strong and defending people, what gave you that idea?

16. Tsumugi Shirogane - Mad Madam Mim (The Sword in the Stone)

Using your powers of shapeshifting to delight in causing despair and gloom? Can't relate.

This was a wild three hours of research and spreadsheets, and it was delightful fun to do.

Thanks, anon.

[rekino2114]

Confessing to fem. Herlock sholmes

A/n:One of the first characters I wanted to do a genderbent post about without being requested to was herlock sholmes cause he's one of my favorite characters ever. Credit to mi_zu_no on Twitter for the art, and sorry if it's cropped weird since originally it was of all of the main cast genderbent

I'll change herlock's name to Harley

Being the great detective's partner was....an experience, while you certainly didn't expect her to be so...eccentric to say the least, you couldn't deny that those quirks of her didn't make her fun to be around. you also noticed that you two made a pretty great team when it came to solving cases. Overall living with her was a great experience, and maybe you had started seeing her in a way different than just a friend.

Little did you know that Harley had started seeing you in that way too but too scared to confess never acted out on her feelings, something that iris didn't fail to notice

"Harley, we need to talk"

"What is it, dear iris?"

"Do you like y/n....romantically?"

The detective fell down in surprise before quickly getting up

"Whatever makes you say that?"

"I mean, it's pretty obvious. You're always ranting about how amazing he is and how handsome he looks, to be honest I'm surprised he didn't notice"

"I see my detective skills must have rubbed off on you, my dear girl. You are indeed correct. He has taken my heart"

"Then why don't you just tell him?"

"And there lies the issue! you see telling him would be very risky, what If he doesn't feel the same, I couldn't look at him again if he rejected me"

"I'm sure he does too. Have you seen how he looks at you when you're together?"

"I actually didn't pay particular attention to where his eyes looked, probably because I was too lost in them ahahaha"

"......You're hopeless sometimes Harley"

"Why yes, hopelessly in love"

"Hey girls, what are you talking about?"

"Oh hi n/n, Harley here was saying-"

"Nothing you should take note of, my dear fellow. More importantly, I could sense my great detective's instinct tingle when you walked in here do you have something to tell me perhaps?"

"I see you're as observant as ever, indeed I came here to tell you-"

"Hush! I thought you'd learned by now, my good friend, that once the train of reasoning has started, it cannot be stopped. Now sit back for you will have the pleasure to witness Harley sholmes logic and reasoning spectacular"

".....really?"

"Don't we usually do this together?"

"Indeed but today you will be the victim of the great detective's deduction, so shall we start?"

Harley started to dance around you as usual

"First of all, we must notice you have quite the red complexion on your face, and I don't think it's something coincidental either. It's clearly something coming from deep in your body"

"W-well-"

"Secondly, I see that on your face. Not only is a red hue but also some water dripping down your forehead, do you mind explaining why you're sweating on a London winter evening, my dear fellow?"

"Alright I guess I should tell you i-"

"There is no need for words, for I have already deduced everything...... you have come here to tell me you were sick and had a fever"

"............"

"............"

"I see you two are too stunned to speak"

"That's....one way to put it"

"*sighs* You're just as great as always, Harley, but you're wrong. I'm fine but I did want to tell you something"

"Go ahead then, I trust no one else but my great partner to correct me"

"Well, the reason why I was so red and sweaty was because I was very nervous it's not the first time I feel like this around you, but today especially I really needed to tell you why: .......Harley I think I love you

"Ah I see, that was my second id-.....WAIT WHAT DID YOU SAY?"

The blonde woman fell in a comical way much like before, but got up quickly and looked at you with her usual smile and a slight blush on her face

"Pardon my yelling but that was a very surprising revelation you had there"

"Yeah, sorry if you don't feel the same but you're just so beautiful and smart not to meet incredibly fun to be around, you always put a smile on my face. I just needed to get that off my chest sorry"

"No need to apologize y/n for I think.....I may feel the same"

"Really?"

"Why yes, you're handsome, kind and can match my intelligence and.... admittedly hard to deal with personality, I would be a fool not to accept your confession"

"Oh, thanks so much, I suppose now I'm the great detective's partner in more ways than one"

"I couldn't have said better myself my dear now how about making our relationship official with a kiss"

She wrapped her arms around you and pulled you into a deep and passionate kiss

"That was great"

"I couldn't agree more"

"Oh, that was wonderful. I'm so happy for you two. I must start writing the manuscript for next month's issue, the readers are gonna love a romance plot"

"And this calls for celebration, I'll get my violin and play a sweet melody for our love"

"I'm sure it will be great I love you Harley"

"I love you too my dearest"

[bugs1nmybrain]

L Lawliet x Curvy!Reader

People seemed to like the first chubby reader one I did so I thought I should add onto it. This list is more for curvy people rather than strictly chubby. The body type I'm describing in this list is somewhat chubby, but their hips and breasts are larger in comparison to their waist.

I've been insecure about my weight and body lately and writing my favorite character loving me as I am helps.

Warnings: Minors Don't Interact (you must be 18+ to access this post). Nsfw, body worship themes, implied fem reader, L is horny and kinda loves you or whatever

You are so so so so so cute

He loves you

In particular, he thinks you look lovely in anything you wear. The way your proportions look in an outfit makes him aroused if he allows himself to get distracted

His favorite is when you'd wear waist accentuating black skirts that showed off how wide your hips were in comparison to your midsection

And your tits. Omfg

L swears you've made him the most human he's ever been

When it's just you and him alone during the day, he enjoys it when you bring him a cup of coffee or tea (you can try an energy drink but please don't because you'll create a new addiction for him) and then proceed to sit in between his legs. He always takes advantage of this, making sure to hold you close so he can feel your form pressed against him

He doesn't understand how he got so lucky

If you're a particularly affectionate person, he honestly doesn't mind. It gives him an excuse to wrap his arms around your waist and pull you close. He is in love with the way your ass presses against his groin.

During your more intimate times together, he gets that feeling that he's ridiculously fortunate for a partner like you

Because in his eyes you're beautiful and being able to see you in the most vulnerable position turns him on mentally

He treats you like fine china, typically touching you very delicately. Not that it's a bother, his hands are soft and his fingers are nimble.

He wants to touch you very often. Which is surprising, because he's not a very affectionate person. You're his exception.

Sometimes he forgets to ask if he can kiss your forehead or come up and hug you (especially from behind). He'll strike unexpectedly

Cleavage makes him nervous

Because he can't not look

Boobs in general make him nervous

When you hugged for the first time he didn't expect the sudden wave of arousal when he felt your breasts press against his chest.

You remind him of cake in a way. Pretty and hard to resist (sorry)

He's more than willing to eat you out. He'd do it everytime if you wanted. It's his absolutely favorite area on you. He gets to taste and lick your pussy?? And have his head in between your thighs?? And he also has access to your tummy??? He has no complaints.

I don't think I've mentioned how much he loves your ass

He always sneaks glances when he can

You make him shy sometimes

Who would've guessed the world's greatest detective is down for you so bad

[strawberrywinter4]

Five Favorite Fics I’ve Written:

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. spread the self-love ❤

Thank you for the tag @naefelldaurk :) Here are my favorites that I’ve written (no particular order).

A Lovely Day in London (Johnlock. G, 2,408)

A 101 Dalmatian AU. Like the movie, it’s from Sherlock’s dog, Hugo’s, point of view. He decides Sherlock is in need of a companion since he’s noticed his owner’s loneliness and constant, unhealthy investment in his work. Hugo spots John Watson and his dog enjoying a walk along the street, and an idea comes to mind.

This is one of my favorites because I love the original film and this was a lot of fun to write. Also, this took a lot of time to put together since I wanted to get it as accurate and in character as possible. I liked how it turned out :)

Pick and Choose (Johnlock. M, 2,861)

John tries out speed dating, hoping to find a decent date. The only problem is, Sherlock arrives unexpectedly, striving to deduce all of John's potential lovers. Frustration on John's part is evident. And longing for the detective, but of course, John won't admit that.

This turned out a lot better than I thought it would. Even when I was proof-reading it, I made myself chuckle in some moments. This is from my Tumblr prompt list.

Melodies in the Dark (Lokius. E, 40,594)

A Rock Star AU. Rising rock star, Loki Laufeyson, is having difficulty keeping his reputation in check. His manager hires him one of the industry's most wanted agents, Mobius. M. Mobius. Loki is displeased by this arrangement and does everything he can to change this nonchalant man's mind about being his agent. However, Loki is struck with a growing attraction to the agent in this process. To his secret enjoyment, Mobius seems to be experiencing the same feelings.

Yes, this fic is still in the works, but it’s one of my favorites so far. I’m liking where it’s going and I only have five more chapters until I’ve finished it! So I’m really excited.

Beyond the Bay (Johnlock. E, 25,697)

Recently retired police officer, John Watson, stumbles upon an odd man named Sherlock Holmes when traveling by train on his way home. He concludes the detective is insane after having only one conversation with him, but can't help but be intrigued. Ignoring John's hesitance, Sherlock brings him along on an exciting case. Through this adventure, Sherlock doesn't bother to hide his palpable obsession with John while John tries to hide his growing feelings. What will happen when they both break, following their desires?

This was a blast to write, oh my goodness. I loved where this story took place and I loved the dynamic I established between these two. In the future, a second part is to come.

Unleash (Johnlock. M, 6,375)

Sherlock gets himself into a dangerous predicament, and John realizes how far he'd go for Sherlock Holmes, to protect him and keep him safe.

This was a deep-dive into John’s character and how one shouldn’t be fooled by his soft jumpers and friendly smile. I loved writing this.

Tagging: @totallysilvergirl @weeesi @lisbeth-kk

[ofoceansandtombsanew]

the leaves were sparkling

cw. olnf week 2024, pre!release, step 1, day 1

pairing. sparkling leaves

notes. it's august 3rd and @olnfweek2024 is finally upon us. i'm not gonna lie, i'm the most boring our life player. with my favs, i just play as myself and act accordingly to the age i would have been at the time. across both games, tamarack is my absolute favorite lead and i can't not indulge in the shenanigans. not apologizing for my shitty editing skills lmao

Standing in the fork of a road in the autumnal forest of Golden Grove, Nyla feels more like the protagonist of a movie than a normal person.

Gone is the familiar scenery of Richmond, California and the people that came along with it. Richmond came with honking cars, oil-stained parking lots and the turbulence of being an inner city kid. Golden Grove, Oregon is practically a new world in comparison to the hoods Mom normally could afford to live in. And if it wasn’t less-than-savory neighborhoods with gang violence and shady neighbors they were staying in, it was Grandma or Grandpa's.

It isn’t the first time Nyla’s moved out of California but this time feels so different.

Everything about this is different.

They weren’t moving into the house of extended family Nyla only knew through stories beforehand. Or moving in with either of her grandparents. As far as Nyla knew, they didn’t have family in Oregon.

It’s just be her and Mom.

And we’re in a house!

A house not an apartment.

An actual home not temporary residence.

Nyla would have her own room, her own space, her own everything and it was far, far away from the normality that had been Nyla’s life until today.

And it’s just ours! At least once the real estate person finally came and let the both of them in the house. 

Until then, Nyla was free to play in the neighborhood and she wasn’t restricted to Mom’s normal “you can go from that corner to that corner”. At least, she wouldn’t be as soon as they’d moved in properly and gotten to know all they needed to know about the mountain town. Who cared about the town itself when there was a veritable forest to explore right behind their new house, however. 

In the forest, she’d find an answer to the mystery at present.

Hello.

Go out.

Hideout.

Nyla.

Nyla reads over what had been a paper airplane once more.

Hello.

Go out.

Hideout.

Nyla.

What does it mean?! Perhaps this is how Jack felt when he was equal parts confused and enraptured by the lights and toys of Christmantown.

Strange paper in hand while she stands between two roads, it’s not hard to believe Nyla's life has suddenly become a movie. Was this some strange code left to her by the mythical beings of Golden Grove? Where is this hideout she is supposed to go to? Would this entire journey take her into one of the fantasy worlds she adored reading about? There is only one way to find out and it all comes down to whichever path she takes.

“I’m right-handed, so I should go to the right, maybe,” Nyla mumbles thoughtfully. Talking to oneself is an easy habit to develop when your many siblings live far away from you and you have to make company somehow. Nyla loves to talk, she doubts she’ll ever be incapable of shutting up and being quiet like a good chunk of her relatives desired. “But I always go right though.” Because I’m right-handed.

Going right has never steered Nyla wrong before.

In spite of her tried and true method, brown eyes can’t help wandering to the path less traveled. She can feel it in her bones, something really really good is going to happen if she goes left.

Magical adventures never happen to characters like Chihiro or Kiki or Yusuke because they decided to do what they’d normally do. Chihiro got into the spirit world because she took a risk, Kiki met Tombo because she left earlier than planned and Yusuke would have never become a spirit detective if he never pushed that kid from getting hit by a car.

Adventures come from being different.

“I’m going left!” Nyla announces to no one in particular, wide-eyed in her excitement. Humming Smile Bomb obnoxiously loud, Nyla continues her quest.

What if this really is her moment, Nyla wonders.

What if she manages to stumble onto something mystical and normally unseen? In a forest like this, it’s easy to imagine being like Alice and falling into a rabbit hole into Wonderland. Or perhaps she’d find a cave with a sleeping dragon. Or perhaps she’d even stumble upon a faerie revelry and dance with the queen?

All of the aforementioned scenarios are easy to picture in a place like this.

There were no forests in Richmond, at least not where she lived.

Nor were things so magical.

Reds and golds blend into one another, mushrooms dot the forest floor. Living with the faerie folk crosses Nyla’s mind more than once as she takes in the sights and sounds of the forest.

Then she hears it; a clatter.

With as much reckless abandon a ten year old can possess, Nyla walks off the dirt path to find the source of the noise. Thin branches and crunchy leaves splinter underfoot and her heartbeat quickens in anticipation as she reaches a cluster of trees akin to the Circle of Holiday Towns. This is magic.

It has to be, Nyla thinks, as the golden rays that peek through the canopy paints everything in a pale glow. This is a place where faeries have their revels. The trees were harmoniously aligned and leaf piles dotted the ground. What if faeries are in them? Faeries are supposed to be good at hiding, Nyla remembers from her stories as she follows her instincts to one pile in particular. This one has a faerie.

Fate doesn’t give Nyla a second later to act on her faerie tale references.

“Hello!” Leaves red, brown and orange rise in a whirlwind as a kid around Nyla’s age leapt out of a pile, arms raised high. Brown stares into red as everything they’d thrown up gently drifts back to earth and just when it seems magic can’t be anymore real, their chests are aglow in berry-reds.

This is the prettiest person I’ve ever seen.

Sparkling, everything is sparkling.

It’s like all the sparkle in their fluffy gold hair was sharing its glow on everything surrounding it. The air and the leaves resting around them. If this is what magic is supposed to be, Nyla doesn’t feel the urge to argue against it.

“You’re so pretty,” Nyla breathes, brown cheeks warm.

“No you!” The sparkly-haired stranger giggles, round cheeks flushed pink as she beams in return.

I met a girl I'm gonna marry.

soulmate au: when you meet your soulmate, your chest glows. one of my favorite spins on soulmate verse that i rarely ever see, so i decided to whip it out for my olnf week debut! within my playthrough of olnf, it's love at first sight for the two of us, kid nyla knew she was marrying this girl when they grew up.

[dairy-farmer]

Hi ❤️ so asides from horny, what other tropes do you love to write? Because your comedy has me literally howling and your angst has me sobbing and obsessed for days. You are an amazing writer, you convey not just emotions, but each thought of each character you write so fully. They all have their own distinct personality, it seems as if Im watching an episode of a person's life or a movie with the best actors ever who act as if they *are* the person and not they're pretending to be the person. No character you write feels like some plot device, instead there's a reason and a result. You are beautiful and brilliant and if I was a billionaire nobody would know it except you cause Id spend all my money on you. Each story you have, even when you're just entertaining thoughts, you build a whole new world where everythint just makes *sense* your mind works in mysterious chaotic and entertaining ways and I wish I had your skill and your brain

🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺 this is so nice!!!!!!! thank you!!!❤️❤️❤️ wow this is such high praise!!!! i'm so happy you enjoy my work and characterizations it means so much to hear 🥰🥰🥰!!!!!!!

aside from horny hehehe some things i really like are case fics!! where the driving point of the plot is a particular or specific case/mystery. it's like detective novel-esque inspired but not quite because i'm still not quite good at mysteries yet (you need to genuinely be clever to write them well😂)!!! i also like sort of 'twist' ending stories where you're subtly decieved about what's really happening until the end where the full picture blooms and everything that happened makes sense and what you thought was going on wasn't what was happening. i've done a twitter thread or two with that as the main trope. but i think my very favorite trope aside from horny is the whole 'alternate dimensions' thing!! the plot of those is just so fascinating because you have characters set opposite to people who both are and aren't their friends/families!!!

i'm so happy you like my writing!!!!! for a lot of what you mentioned liking i think it really comes down to fleshing out characters!! i think that the two major things that make someone's writing really enjoyable, and the things i try to focus on are 1. character writing and 2. pacing. for me, if a fic has those two things then the quality, writing style, and even the plot would mean nothing to me because i would be absolutely entertained while reading!!!! i remember a while back i saw a tweet or something about people complaining how massively popular and successful books like twilight and harry potter were when they weren't even written well and they didn't understand why they were so popular and the answer someone gave is that the characters themselves were well done. that if you plucked a character out and put them in any sort of scenario or situation, you'd have a pretty good idea of how they'd respond. and in reading that i realized that's sort of what i've been trying to do while writing- try to make characters, not realistic, but fleshed out! and i'm so happy its what you picked up on that you liked about my writing!!!!!🥰🥰🥰❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[bemusedlybespectacled]

so, I'm thinking a teensy bit more about character death and, specifically, the death of a main character in a comedy show that I'm actually okay with. I'm talking about Death in Paradise.

Just as a primer for people who weren't raised by teaboos, it's a murder mystery comedy show, the premise of which is that there is one white British detective inspector guy who solves murders with his group of local cops: basically Midsomer Murders but on a fictional Caribbean island.

The comedy is always that he's some kind of socially awkward nerd who clashes in some way with his otherwise-entirely-Caribbean office, especially his black female second-in-command, even though they've at this point had four different DIs and I don't know how many changes of supporting characters.

The first two seasons, with DI Richard Poole, are your typical cozy murder-of-the-week-type mysteries. And then the third season starts, and the first mystery of the season is who killed DI Poole.

Like, it literally opens exactly like a normal episode, with a cold open establishing the suspects and showing us the murder victim before cutting to the jaunty theme tune and opening credits. It's just that this particular murder victim is the main character.

And then the plot progresses in exactly the same way, with a different white British nerd guy leading the investigation, because THE PROTAGONIST FOR THE PAST SIXTEEN EPISODES IS DEAD.

Now, some key differences between this show and OFMD:

It's a murder mystery show, so the rules are inherently different. No Muppet physics here: people die all the time and they die in totally normal ways, like getting stabbed with an ice pick or drowned in a fish tank or turned into a science class skeleton.

While this was the first time a main character was killed off, it was not the first time the DI had been killed. The pilot had Richard solving the murder of the previous DI, only for it to be revealed that his black female second-in-command of that episode was the murderer (Camille Bordey, his actual #2, isn't assigned to him until the very end of that episode). Like, shocking twists about characters you thought were "safe" was established in the very first episode.

The death actually affected the fucking characters and the fucking plot.

It's been like ten years since this episode aired and I still really like this episode, even though it gutted me the first time I watched it (and I don't like the later seasons nearly as much). Like, it's not my favorite (that's 2x06), but it's definitely in my top three. Because even though this is the episode they killed off DI Blorbo From My Britbox, it's also an episode about him.

The comedy is toned way down because the entire office is gutted by his loss. They have to do mundane things like call his parents to tell them he died and review CCTV footage and wait for lab data like it's just a normal case when it's not. At every step, there's a "what would Richard have done?" moment. And even though this is the episode that introduces the new DI, Humphrey Goodman, the summation at the end is entirely about Richard, with this pretty sweet line:

You know, bizarrely, I'm the only one who never met Richard Poole. But during this case, I… I feel as though I've got to know him a little. Mostly by the effect he had on those around him. But it seems we all forgot one very crucial thing: he was a detective. A good one. I think he made a discovery, had a theory about what he discovered, and then sent home for evidence to corroborate that theory. And in doing so, he has, in essence, solved his own murder.

His presence is felt throughout the entire episode, even though he's only alive for the first three minutes or so. His death is disappointing (especially for those of us who shipped him with Camille), but it actually has an impact.

So when they brought back Camille in S10, years after she was written out, they also brought back Richard: Camille imagines having a conversation with him when she’s worried that her mother is going to die, and he gives her advice and comforts her. And that scene makes me cry every time I watch it, because it's clear that she misses him as much as the audience does.

We didn't get that in OFMD. We didn't get an acknowledgement of how Izzy impacted the other characters (except Ed, in the weakest way possible), or even them looking sad for longer than two minutes. We sweep past it immediately and go directly to a wedding and then Stede and Ed settling down together.

There’s no gravity to it. There’s no time to process the loss. Hell, for the characters, there ISN’T a real loss. And if the characters don’t care, why should we?

[last-herondale]

Help Me Understand

Loki x FemReader!

Loki x FemReader!

Angst, hurt/comfort, some fluff Warnings: Mentions of abuse, self deprecation, feelings of unworthiness

This fic takes place during Dark World. (I didn't particularly like the movie, but we were blessed with scenes of Loki so...) Summary: The reader is a handmaid of the castle, assigned by Frigga to take care of a special prisoner. While you tend to Loki, you slowly begin to learn more about the "Would-be King of Earth".

A/n: Here is the Loki fic that i promised in my poll! I hope you like it! I had fun with this one.

Enjoy 🤘🏼

“Could you cease with your incessant humming?” Loki hissed from across the room.

He sat against the wall of his cell, not bothering to look up from his book as he spoke to you. You ignored him, continuing your tune as you attended to your duties. Maiden’s work was not a particular favorite job of yours, but Queen Frigga had requested for you personally to see to Loki’s new… living arrangements.

You had just finished putting fresh linens on his bed, placing clean clothes into his wardrobe, and began to tidy up his mess of books that were strewed about the place. You continued to hum as you worked, delicately placing the books into their proper shelves.

Finally, you heard the soft slamming of a book, and a loud sigh from behind you. “Must you always be so irritating?”

“Insulting me will not make me leave any faster, your grace,” you say simply as you finish tidying up. You turn around to him and are met with an icy stare. “In fact,” you mused, “I may decide that these floors need waxing, and gods know how long that might take me.”

A flicker of something crossed Loki’s face, but you were unable to detect what it was before he turned his face back towards his book. He didn’t open it again, but rather he let his fingers caress the pages gently. You found yourself watching him for longer than necessary, and heat flooded your cheeks as you turned away. You gathered up the old sheets and began to make your way to the exit when his voice cut through the silence. “Why do you still call me that?”

You halted mid-step, blinking in surprise at the question. “Call you what, your grace?”

“That,” Loki said bitterly, “Your Grace. You of all people should know by now. I am a prisoner. I have no place here.”

You froze in place. In the few days you had worked here, Loki had hardly spoken to you, let alone discuss his imprisonment. You slowly turned to face him, being careful to guard your emotions. Loki looked to you expectantly, an eerie calm washed over his face as he waited for you to respond.

"You are still a Prince," you replied carefully, "And I was taught to always formally address those of higher status."

Loki gave a bitter laugh. "Naive little thing, aren't you? Save your pleasantries for when you leave this cell, I have no need for them, and you'll not win any favor with the All Father by being cordial with me."

You narrowed your eyes at the god. You had heard rumors of his nature all your life. The Mischievous son, the silver tonged viper, the fallen god. Stories of his rampage on Earth had spread like wildfire. You had wondered how much of them were true, if he really was the villain everyone seemed to think he was.

You straightened your posture, tilting your head a bit higher. You refused to be intimidated by him, no matter what you might have heard. "It is not for your benefit, believe me. I am in the service of your mother, not Odin, and it is on her behest that I show you this simple act of courtesy, whether you are deserving of it or not. Now if you will excuse me, your grace," you spun on your heel and exited the room, leaving Loki glaring after you.

~

The next few days passed by without issue. You attended to your duties in a diligent manner, always bringing Loki his meals on time, cleaning his cell, and bringing him books that his mother had sent with you. Loki kept his distance, for the most part. He couldn't help but mutter the occasionally bitter phrase at you, but it wasn't anything you couldn't handle. Frigga was grateful to you for your service. The other maidens were too frightened of Loki to take the job, and you were Frigga's last hope. For what, you were not certain.

It was dinner time now. You carried a platter of food down into the cells, taking pleasure in the smell of freshly baked bread and stew meat. A guard let you into the cell without question. You thanked him as you entered and was unsurprised to see Loki lounging in a chair, book in hand. He had his hair tied back into a messy bun, a few of his dark strands lingered on his face, almost kissing his cheekbones.

You cleared your throat, watching as his eyes flickered up briefly from his book to look at you. "I have brought your dinner," you said. You placed the plate on a small table that sat on the opposite side of the room, being careful to move some scattered books and parchment. As you turned, books in hand, you nearly bumped into him as he stood beside you. "Watch it!" you snapped. Immediately you bit your lip.

A smirk spread across Loki's face, as if he could read you like one of his books. "My, my," he mused, "Not as cordial as we usually are, are we?" Warmth heated your face as you pushed past him, eager to be done with your job. “My apologies,” you muttered. Loki just snorted as you began to put away the books in their proper place.

"And what have you brought me today, my gracious lady?" Loki mocked as he lifted the lid from the container.

"Lamb stew, your grace," you replied with a sour tone. You finished putting the books away and turned to face him. You were caught off guard by the sight of him. He stood rigidly over the plate, giving a distant stare into the bowl. “Is something wrong?” You asked.

Loki remained silent as he slipped into the dining chair. He clasped his hands together in a tight ball, and leaned his head into them. Slowly, you made your way closer to the table. You peaked your head over the bowl to make sure nothing was amiss.

“My mother made this, didn’t she?” He asked weakly.

“I’m not sure your gr—“

“DON’T LIE TO ME!” Loki slammed his hands down onto the table, causing the bowl to go spilling all over the table. Loki rose from his seat so fast that the chair knocked backwards. “Does she take me for a fool? Does she honestly think that she can win my sympathy by bringing me books, cooking my favorite meals, sending some broad to tend to me each day?”

Your blood felt like ice in your veins. Loki looked at you as if you were some kind of monster. His eyes seemed wild, but there was a sadness in his expression that he couldn’t hide. He caught you staring, and he gave a low snarl as he charged toward you. You stood your ground, stiffening your back as he stuck a finger in your face.

“You tell my mother— the next time you grovel at her feet— that I don’t need her pity. She needs to accept how things are now— how things have always been..." he took a ragged breath. The heat of him radiated around you. He inched ever closer to you, his forehead nearly touching yours as he hissed. "I don’t need her— and I most certainly do not need you.”

“Is that all?” You asked calmly. Loki’s expression looked murderous, but you just turned around and began to clean the table. You gathered the tray, putting everything back as best as you could as you made your way to the exit. You hesitated before leaving, turning back to look at Loki. He had thrown himself into one of the armchairs, holding his head in his hand as his body heaved with deep breaths.

You sighed a soft breath and placed the tray down on the floor. You didn’t understand why you were doing what you were doing. All you knew is that you were walking across the room, sitting on the edge of his bed. He looked up at you with tear brimmed eyes. Your presence shocked him, that you were certain. He had to mold his expression into one more hostile to fit the façade, but instead he just looked… broken.

There was a pang in your chest when you looked at him. You took a deep breath and steadied yourself.

“Firstly,” you began in a gentle voice, “I will expect an apology for your earlier comment before I leave.” Loki opened his mouth to speak but you quickly interrupted. “Secondly, your mother is one of the few people in Asgard— possibly in the universe— that truly cares about you. You are her son, and she loves you unconditionally, despite whatever might have happened in your past. You would do well to remember that.”

He just stared at you with a wavering intensity. “You don’t know anything,” he muttered. “Perhaps not,” you shrugged, “but what I do know is that you do not frighten me. If your goal is to scare me away or anger me to the point of insanity-- I’m afraid you’ll fail. But there is little use in making my job more difficult than it needs to be, so out with it."

Loki furrowed his brow. "I don't-" "Look, neither one of us wants to be in this situation. Clearly, you are upset— either with your circumstances, the Queen, or me I don’t care, but for the sake of both of our sanity, I think its best we clear the air."

Loki scoffed. "This is ridiculous." "No, what is ridiculous is throwing a fit over perfectly fine stew," you muttered, letting a small smile escape your lips. Loki studied you, taking a large sigh as he rubbed his temples. "You are quite irritating," Loki muttered.

You took that as a victory and nodded. "It does not have to be today. We can begin tomorrow, when I bring you your breakfast." You stood up from his bed and made your way to the exit, picking up the tray once more. “Think on it, your Grace. I believe it could do us both some good… this cell can feel lonely for just about anyone, but it doesn’t have to be.”

You signaled for the guard to open the door. Just as you were about to step out, you heard his low voice echo behind you.

"I apologize," Loki began in a soft tone, "for my behavior this evening. My words were- unbecoming to say the least, my lady." He said the last words with a sour tone, but there was the faint whisper of a smile on his lips. You turned to him and gave a small bow with your head just before leaving the cell.

~

As promised, the next morning you came, breakfast in hand. This time you requested that two portions be prepared. You wanted Loki to feel as normal as possible, so you joined him for breakfast. At first he seemed amused when you took a seat at the table in front of him, a sly smile inching across his face as you served yourself from the platter. "Aren't you going to eat?" you mused, filling your plate with meats and eggs, "I will eat this entire thing if you don't." Eventually he shrugged and also began to dig in.

You were surprised by how easy it was to talk with him. It was as if you had always known each other. Once the conversation began, which took some encouragement from your end, it never seemed to stop. Loki had a deep love for books and theater, and you quite enjoyed listening to him recount his favorite plays from the royal theater. The two of you talked about your childhood, the fond memories of Asgard in your youths. Loki spoke of Thor often, even though he seemed to try to avoid him as much as possible. You could tell he loved his brother, despite their complicated history. Loki refused to talk about his father, the memories still perhaps too painful for him, and so you didn’t push.

You listened to every word, not out of duty or obligation, but out of curiosity. It was an odd wonder to pick the brain of the crowned prince. The mental images that you held of him from past rumors were starting to fade. A clearer picture was being painted and the menacing god before you was beginning to become a man. He would listen to you as well. Loki would ask you questions as you worked, and he seemed genuinely interested in what you had to say. It was nice to have someone to talk to.

Days passed like this. You now ate every meal with Loki. The two of you filled the empty silence with chatter and sometimes laughter. You viewed each time you made him laugh as a victory and he enjoyed teasing you to the point of making you red in the face. His demeanor towards you changed. Slowly, his snippy remarks began to dwindle and he seemed to smile more, although you couldn’t be sure if it was because of your company.

~

Not all days were good. Some days Loki would be in one of his horrid moods. You came to the cell one day to find most of his furniture overturned. His cell was a wreck and Loki seemed to mirror his room. His hair was a tangled mess, and dark circles hung under his eyes. Part of you wanted to get angry with him. To yell, to curse, to hit at him for making you clean up after him. But you didn’t. There was still that lingering sadness in his eyes, hidden behind the slyness. You could see he was hurting in ways you couldn’t imagine and so you took it in stride.

He would apologize once his episodes would end. He would read to you from his favorite books, as a sort of peace offering, or make sure to clean up immediately after your meals so that you wouldn’t have to. You never forgave him out loud, but he must have known you didn’t hate him too much because you kept returning. Day after day.

One night you returned to bring him dinner and you could tell he was in one of his dark moods. He hadn’t destroyed himself or the room, thank god, but you could sense the change in his demeanor as he ate. “Are you going to tell me what’s wrong, or shall we continue this night in silence?” You meant it as a friendly nudge. You knew sometimes playful taunts could pull him out of his darkness, but instead he just shook his head.

“I think I would prefer to be alone tonight. Your presence is not needed.” He stood up from the table and walked to his reading chair where he plopped down. Normally, you would have obliged and left, but something was nagging at the back of your mind. A silent command. Stay.

You rose from your seat and slowly made your way towards him. He watched you move closer, his weary eyes seemed to brighten as you took your seat across from him at the edge of his bed. “Something is troubling you,” you say softly, “Please, let me help you.” Loki’s face became unbearably soft as he looked at you with complete tenderness. “You can’t. I’m haunted… the things I’ve done…” he placed his head in his hands and shuddered.

“Loki,” you said gently as you reached over and placed a hand on his knee, “I think it’s time you told me about New York.” Loki lifted his head to look at you. He looked pained at the mention of his biggest failure. He had refused to mention it, and you had been careful to avoid the subject. But you couldn’t stand to see him so broken. Maybe if he talked about it…

“If I told you what happened,” he began slowly. He took your hand off of his knee and held it in his hand gently, looking at it rather than you, using the tips of his fingers to trace the lines on your palm, “you might very well hate me.” A shiver ran down your spine as he touched you. He looked up at you again, his tired eyes searched yours.

“Would it matter if I did?” You asked. Loki gave a shaky laugh, “Perhaps not, but I don’t want this to be the story that scares you away. I was actually starting to enjoy your company.”

You felt a lump in your throat. "I told you before... I am not easily frightened." Loki realized there was no swaying you, or perhaps he needed the outlet. Maybe he could no longer hold back the secrets that haunted him.

He let go of your hand, almost unwillingly, and watched as you slowly pulled it back to rest in your lap. He took a ragged breath, waiting a moment, as if to savor the last moment of normalcy between the two of you. A part of you feared what his story entailed. What had truly happened on Earth?

~

After he finished his story, he finally looked up at you to gage your reaction. You had your hands balled into fists, and they trembled slightly in your lap. Loki noticed them immediately and his face went a little slack. "I'm sorry," he muttered. You blinked at his words. "Sorry? Loki—" you struggled to find the words. A million thoughts were racing through your mind, making you almost dizzy as you tried to formulate a response.

Before you could do so, Loki rose from his chair and began to pace the room. "I realize it's too late for apologies, for all of the wrongs I've done, but you wanted the truth and there it is. I am a monster. A frost giant dressed up as a Prince, an unworthy son, a villain— I am all of those things, and look at you now. Scared of me for it."

"Scared?" You demanded. "You think I'm scared of you? Loki," you stood up from where you were sitting and stepped towards him until he stood only a foot away. "Loki, I am angry for you." Loki was the one to blink in surprise this time. "What?" he gawked. “You were lied to… your whole life. Pitted against your brother for something so trivial as a throne…” You shook your head at the thought of Loki’s story. How much pain had Odin caused? “And then there’s Earth…” You took a step closer to Loki, fighting the urge to wrap your arms around him.

"Loki—Thanos tortured you, manipulated you into overtaking Earth for him... How can you not see that?" Loki remained silent as you continued. "He should be here in these cells, rotting away for his crimes, not you. If you told Odin, maybe he would-"

"NO!" Loki shouted, "My father cannot know about Thanos. You have no idea what the Titan is capable of y/n, he would bring his armies to destroy Asgard." You threw up your hands in frustration. "But this may be the very thing needed to set you free! Help Odin find Thanos, help lead Thor and his Avengers to him and let real justice be done. Your mother would see to it, I know she would. Anything that could grant you your freedom." Ideas flooded your head. Perhaps there was a way to free Loki from his prison. You didn't realize how much you wanted this to be a reality until now. But now you had all of the facts. Loki did not act alone. Loki was not the one to be facing punishment.

"Don't," Loki croaked in front of you. You stilled for a moment, the hope that was rising through your chest was sharply cut off by the look on his face. He had no intention of fighting. "It is kind of you to have such sympathy for me, but it is undeserved. Thanos might have had a hand in the siege of Earth, but it was my hand that held the scepter, my hand that took those lives. And I will not risk losing Asgard by provoking Thanos any further than I already have. My mere presence here is damming enough."

“And so what, you’re just going to stay here? Locked away for the rest of your life? Is that what you want?” You asked incredulously. Loki just gave a dry laugh. “I hardly get what I want,” he looked at you, his eyes glimmered for a moment as he searched your face, “But believe me, it’s what I deserve.”

You crossed your arms in defiance. You couldn’t believe how easily he was willing to just give up. He noticed your posture and flashed a small smile. “Such a fiery thing,” he mused. He held out his hand toward you, and slowly you slipped your hand into his as he pulled you towards his living area. He motioned for you to sit down in his armchair as he slid into his bed. “Let’s not end the night with us bickering. Come, I’ll read to you a while before you leave.”

He pulled out a book from his shelf and began to dip through the pages. You let yourself relax a bit in the chair. If he didn’t want to talk about it anymore tonight, fine. But you had no intentions of keeping quiet once you left this cell. “What would you want?” You asked softly. Loki arched his brows at the question. “You said before that you hardly ever get what you want. So what would you want? What’s something I can do?” Playfulness danced in his eyes. “I could think of a few things that you could do,” he murmured, a grin inching across his face. You rolled your eyes, and ignored the flush of your cheeks.

Loki’s face softened, and the mischievous demeanor slipped away. “If I could have anything,” he began slowly, taking care to articulate his words almost as if he were nervous. “I wouldn’t want to be alone tonight. You can’t imagine how— eerie this place feels at night. It can be soul crushing.” You blinked at him. He seemed serious in his words, and your heart lurched a bit in your chest. This was something you could do. You rose from the chair and hurried across the room to the cell door. You turned to Loki, your breathing uneven as you enacted your plan. “I’ll return soon, trust me.” He just gave you a small confused nod of his head as you slipped out of the cell.

~

Returning had been as difficult as you imagined. First, you had your daily check in with Frigga. She asked about Loki, and if he needed any more books, or clothes, even if he enjoyed the food. She had been pleased to hear that you joined him for meals, that you treated him as an actual person. You wanted to tell her everything that Loki had relayed to you, but now was not the time. You had made a promise.

Sneaking back into the cell was another matter. You had to wait for the guard change during lights out to slip back into the cell. You were careful to not knock anything over in the dark as you stumbled toward Loki’s room. “Loki—“ you began to say as your foot snagged on a edge of a rug. Hands were holding you before you could even Yelp, steadying you in the darkness. “You came,” Loki’s low voice hummed in your ear. “I said I would.”

Your eyes began to adjust to the darkness in the room. Loki had been right. It was eerie here at night. You imagined how being alone with your thoughts in this kind of darkness could lead someone to madness. Loki kept a hand on your shoulder as you felt around for the bed. You had returned in your nightwear, wrapping a dark cloak around yourself as you snuck through the castle. You removed the cloak and inched your way into Loki’s bed, ignoring the pounding in your head as you did so. You felt him lay beside you, the heat of him warmed your side as you stared blankly into the darkness. “Thank you,” he whispered.

“I could get in trouble for this,” you replied in the same hushed whisper, “They might throw me in one of these cells if they catch me.” You felt Loki laugh beside you. It was odd to be so close to him, especially in the engulfing darkness. It felt like energy buzzed around you. As if you were in a vacuum of space, floating along aimlessly in the darkness. At least you weren’t alone.

“How could you get in trouble? Clearly, you were seduced by the imprisoned prince with his quick words and stunning looks. After tending to me every day, it was only inevitable that you would fall victim to my charm.” This time you found yourself laughing, taking care to cover your mouth as you did so. “I guess that would be the easier explanation as to why they’ll find me in your bed,” you teased. You let your hand fall from your mouth back to your side, but accidentally put it in top on Loki’s. At first you went to move it immediately, but stopped when you felt the curve of his fingers hook around yours.

“Loki-“ you warned. “What is that song you’re always humming?” Loki asked quietly, letting his hand wrap around yours. His fingers intertwined with yours and you did not pull away. “It’s a lullaby,” you finally respond, “my mother would sing it to me as a child. It calms me.” Loki strummed his thumb over your hand but did not move outside of that. Your heart fluttered in your chest as you stared into the darkness. “While I am making a habit of being selfish tonight, can I ask one more thing of you?” Loki asked.

“Sure,” you whispered, feeling your voice choke up in your throat. “Would you hum it— the song?” You smirked in the darkness. “I thought you said it was incessant noise?” Loki just gave a small chuckle. “Perhaps it’s grown on me,” he murmured, “your silly little song.” Your eyelids felt droopy. The only thing that reminded you that you were awake was the soft touch of Loki’s hand in yours. You smiled, knowing he couldn’t see you and began to hum. You hummed until Loki’s breathing slowed into a soft rhythm, and his hand stilled in yours. You hummed until the darkness over took your senses, and your head nestled into the crook of the Prince’s neck.

[nat-seal-well]

1, 2 / 16, 17 for Nat x Marin, my beloveds for the couples ask, please! 🥰 (~agentnatesewell)

Hi, Mar!! Thank you so much for this ask! Honestly it means the world to me that you like them, hehe. Suri and Nate will always be one of my top favorite couples <333

(Questions from this post.)

1: What, specifically, was the catalyst for their physical attraction (if applicable) to the other character?

Marin first noticed how tall Nat was, haha, Which might seem silly, but they immediately latched onto her height! Especially with how much taller she is than the rest of UB, and how crowded they all were in Marin's tiny office. It was impossible for them to think about anything else. She loomed over all the others and then stepped in as smooth as butter, and it was all downhill from there. Even they weren't immune to her suave nature and her towering height.

As much as she knows her team pushed their buttons, Nat liked it when Marin snapped at Ava in the beginning, haha. They tried very hard for a long time to get along with UB before the truth was out, even though it was far from easy. Nat knows how hard it can be to work with her little family, especially when the true reason for them being there couldn't be divulged, and she tried her best to play peacekeeper. But she still liked getting to see Marin slip a little and bite back. It was fun watching them show something other than the pleasant personality they had to put on for their job.

2: Does this change over time? What things do they find "hot" about their partner after they'd been together for some time, and have had more time to, well, notice and appreciate?

This has changed for both of them! Marin still loves Nat's height, but now that they share a life together, there's a lot more they've come to notice. One of their favorite things in particular is watching her when she's lost in her research. They'll sit there right next to her for hours while she buries herself in her books, and they try really hard not to openly stare at the way she presses her pen against her bottom lip when she's reading. (Nat's completely aware of it the entire time, haha.) Marin also has a thing for Nat's fangs, as much as she hides them--sometimes, if they're lucky, Nat will forget herself in her reading, and they'll catch just a glimpse. Nat isn't aware of that part, though.

Nat still likes Marin's temper, as rare as it is for them to get truly angry and heated. But she also likes their body. Physically, the two of them are about as opposite as you can get, and she likes that about them. They're shorter than she is, and they're bigger, but most of the time it's hidden under baggy jeans and sweaters that are at least a size too large. Occasions where they wear anything that actually fits are rare... or at least, they used to be. Hence why she likes it so much when they start wearing their new Agency uniform more and more often--even if she hates that training is currently taking up so much of their time every day!

16: If they had the ability to just spend free time with their partner, what would they do? Would they go out, or stay inside?

In general, both of them like to stay inside. Marin likes the ocean, but that's something they enjoy when they're alone. On days when the weather is good and they both feel up to it, sometimes they'll walk into town together to go to lunch or visit the bookstore, but it's a rare occasion. Most of the time, they like to curl up together in the library. They're both so busy that their schedules rarely line up, even before Marin gave up their job as a detective, and they prefer to just make up for lost time whenever they get the chance. Usually it means they read together for a few hours <3

17: Under what circumstances would they want to be left alone by their partner?

The most common one is right after an argument, which probably isn't much of a surprise, haha. Marin always needs a little time to cool off, and Nat needs to be able to gather her thoughts and sort through her emotions. It never goes on for very long; Nat doesn't like things remaining unresolved, and Marin is quick to let go of their anger. The only exceptions are when Nat's overprotectiveness gets the better of her, or when Marin is too careless with their safety during a mission. Those fights always last longer, much to the displeasure of the rest of UB.

Sometimes they need to be alone even when they aren't fighting! After long days and tough jobs, sometimes they both just need to decompress. Especially if a mission involves several days spent away from home. It wears on them both. Marin likes to submerge themself in the bathtub for a while, and Nat will listen to her favorite classical music while she pages through an old, favorite book of hers. They both reconvene later on that night. Sometimes you just need a little solitude, even from the person you love most.

[toychest321]

L.U.V. Dolls - Initial thoughts

(Special thanks to @dollsinvogue for notifying me about these and clarifying their names! And credit to youloveit.com for most of the info I'll be going over)

For anyone not in the know, the creators of Glo Up Girls are releasing a new doll line named L.U.V. (Limitless, Unique, Vibrant) Dolls, coming May 1, 2024

The most notable aspect of this release is the fact that the dolls' outfits were displayed at New York Fashion Week!

To add onto the line's central high fashion aesthetic, the dolls' boxes (from what we've seen) are made to resemble magazine covers

Already I'm giving them major props for such a bold choice in marketing!

I also admire how while the brand has a clear theme (with bold prints and ruffles in particular being a running motif throughout designs), most of the characters have styles that speak well to their individual personalities! It makes me want the line to succeed so we can see the second outfits in doll form as well, and speaking of which...

The first design we have is for the character Harper. I absolutely ADORE both of her looks here, I'm guessing she'll have a very soft and sweet personality between the use of light colors, lace, and puffed sleeves! I'm also detecting some slight 1950s inspo with the a-line silhouettes, sinched waists, polka dots, and large collar! I also really hope the dolls come with the purses shown! Easily an 8/10 design here.

This character Londynn's designs are probably my second favorite, and another good example of consistent characterization! The hot pink pops without distracting from the bold prints on display, and the use of colors like black, brown, white, and beige tie them all together! I'm also wondering if this character might be an adventuring type between the animal motifs (fur on the first coat and a pale pink zebra print on the second jacket) and knee-high tan boots. While the doll's style doesn't look to be exactly for me, I appreciate the thought put behind it! Also I'm giving a bonus point for giving the doll textured hair as well, 7.5/10.

In third we have Brooke, and I find I'm somewhat conflicted with these designs? Both of these respective designs are fairly well-executed imo, but I'm not sure they give off the same character. The left honestly kinda reminds me of Karma Nichols but slightly edgier with the sleek material and black accents. The right, meanwhile, gives me girlboss vibes. I will give it that they were able to make a professional look without being too boring (side-eyeing Barbie Style rn), by adding the ruffles at the jacket and pants for a unique silhouette. Maybe the inconsistency in style is for a day-to-night look? Honestly the only thing I'd change are the puffed sleeves on the first designs. Overall I'd say this is a solid 7/10.

And lastly we have Autumn's looks, and honestly? I kinda hate it. The first look is decent, but sorta comes across as too similar to the first two's outfits between the pale tones and the pink? That second look though is atrocious. The skirt looks like a puffer jacket and doesn't match at all with the pattern, and asymmetrical sleeves have always been a pet peeve of mine. It's a Barbie Extra look, in a bad way. 5.5/10

Despite my negative thoughts towards the end, I have high hopes for this line! With Rainbow High abandoning its High Fashion aesthetic for an uglier child-friendly sparkle rainbow slime vibe, I feel like these dolls could take up the hole it's leaving behind if they play their cards right!

I look forward to what this line has to bring!

[girlfriendsofthegalaxy]

tuesdaypost year in review

this year brought to you by viewers like you. thank you! i still do not know how to thank everyone for their incredible generosity during the Late July/Early August Moving Catastrophe Badtimes and im still feelin some kinda way about it. thank you.

took eight weeks completely off, more than any other year so far

overnight traveled for work for the first time

moved cross country with Mack to face dangers untold and hardships unnumbered

bought an actual for-real couch and not a futon

got Phil

(unrelated to Phil) i got spayed after almost ten years of begging and pleading various medical professionals, (also unrelated) got covid and RSV back to back

listening

fallow weeks: 8. i almost always have a tuesdaysong bc i am almost always listening to something. all of the tuesdaysongs are here:

particular favorites were Peel Me A Grape (Anita O’Day), top spotify song of the year Yeah Yeah Yeah (Blood Orchid), Yeah Yeah Yeah’s Wolf remixed by Sextile, Father Finlee (Spence Hood), A Minha Menina (Os Mutantes).

the very last tuesdaysong of the year is Sugar Rum Cherry by Duke Ellington, one of the few christmas songs i tolerate.

special shoutout to the austin underscore walker universe of podcasts, bc i mainlined A More Civilized Age (clone wars/star wars rewatch) while packing, and devoured P/alisade (the newest scifi season of F/riends at the Table) this month.

-

reading

fallow weeks: 11. pleased that i am killing the invisible rules in my head and including more articles instead of feeling guilty about Not Reading A Real Book!!! every week when i sit down to write the tuesdaypost. read a fuckton earlier this year bc i was procrastinating moving prep, have not read much since i moved.

article sources:

inoreader (the best free RSS feed/app imo)

The Markup (gold standard usage of data to show how various technologies are being used to harm the public good: you may have heard of the recent American bills to equalize internet service and fix organ donation grift. that was them)

Web 3 Is Going Just Great (crypto disasters)

404 Media (technology reporting, internet culture, also break a lot of data/legal/privacy scandals)

Remap (formerly Vice's video games division Waypoint, more active on podcasts and twitch but do have great personal essays about gaming longreads)

Retraction Watch (an important academic service but platformed a particularly virulent transphobe and let the comments devolve into a free for all. yes im still mad about this)

Krebs on Security (~once a month extremely long and thoughtful infosec writeups)

Data Colada (cover academic data whoopsies, currently being sued for their journalism)

the two authors i spent the most time with this year were Alexis Hall (romance novels and novellas) and Raymond Chandler's noir detective novels. i read 90% of Raymond Chandler's work in march and went insane about yet another sad bisexual man. Philip Marlowe the cat is named after his pet detective, the human Philip Marlowe.

march was kind of a banger for this category bc in one of what i consider the best tuesdayposts this year, i tried to break down why i fucking hated Frank Miller's Sin City comics so much.

other comics, but ones i loved: Spy X Family, Berserk, weird noir DC miniseries The Human Target.

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watching

fallow weeks: 10

notable stuff i watched for the first time (according to letterboxd) that will stick in my head for a bit. some (The Night of the Hunter) i am so glad i watched once but do not feel the need to revist. some (Slipstream) fascinate me with how good they could have been. some (Twilight. all of them) were fun bc of the people i watched them with. the two i went particularly deranged over are The Big Sleep and Day of Anger. still feel very normal about them.

very heavy on crime and courtroom films this year!

television: very excited for s2 of Blue Eye Samurai, Interview With The Vampire, Spy X Family.

i should loop back and finish Black Lagoon, Adventure Time (completely forgot i rewatched most of that this spring), and The Big O. that last one is throwing me a little bc (since i last checked) there is no freely available version with subtitles (i cannot find subtitles Period) and i'll be damned if i have to import a dvd. i can find the dub with subtitles but! i want to hear spike spiegel as mecha-batman :(

sort of lukewarm eh-i'll-get-around-to-it about s/tar wars shows. i have not watched a/hsoka At All or wrapped up the animated Resistance show. i'll pay attention when ando/r is airing again.

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playing

fallow weeks: 10. way fewer than i would have guessed!

the trouble with this category is that it is exceptionally hard to find new good games (either ones i already own or ones that are free). it is almost completely prohibitively exhausting to trawl through the free category on steam. there's simply a lot of cruft out there. a very good thing (but also incredibly timeconsuming thing) i started this year was throwing games into various folders so the eight bajillion libraries i have are less overwhelming. i can safely ignore 80% of my epic games library, for example. the itch.io library is a whole separate weekend project i think.

got back into genshin for good or for ill, which took up most of the back half of the year.

go play ABZU. i am no longer asking.

i would like to go back and finish the RPG Gamedec, un-softblock myself in the RPG Weird West, and finish the visual novel Dead Man's Rest. i think i stalled out in Call of Juarez: Gunslinger bc there was a mexican standoff that my reflexes are simply not fast enough for/too much to pay attention to. i am excited to pick up that spooky fishing simulator DREDGE when i have fun money again.

completely forgot i spent most of jan/feb/march being annoyed at fallou/t 4 but having some fun in Far Harbor, also forgot i spent an entire month playing through Wolfenstein: The New Order but i am not compelled to play through it again. it was fun! but like many games after one playthrough my time with it is done!

-

making

fallow weeks: 17 (unsurprising, pretty low energy year as a whole as i recovered from covid rounds 1 and 2 and the frankly insane stress of moving).

wrote exactly one fic: some matters at the heart of cowboy western snap shirts: why they are so and some of the implications of their being so, i would like to write more next year but i don't really have the brainpower. i hope this changes soon.

the baby blanket i started last year is still not done but the baby is still under a year so i have a very narrow window of time.

dyed some couch covers im still very pleased with

wrote an extremely long but very well received gallery wall guide

recipes: 12. sort of shocked by this? i am becoming an incrementally better cook and slowly finding recipes i both like and can successfully execute. found the fortitude to caramelize onions, for example. quick pickled red onions, for another thing. big year for protein or greens on top of beans and rice. faves included: cuban-style pork shoulder, hellofresh peruvian chicken, red lentil soup, white bean/kale/rice bowls

i would like to be less terrified about cooking fish. i would like to eat more fish.

and of course, the biggest project of all, acquired Phil. here is my very favorite photo ive ever taken of a cat

[t00thpasteface]

I forgot if I've already asked you this question, but who is your number one favorite Fictional Antagonist from Media? Rules are as follows; feel free to ignore:

If you want to choose a recurring villain like Bowser or The Joker, you have to choose a particular incarnation of this character. Like Alan Moore's Joker or Paper Mario 64's Bowser.

Specific Characters/Entities Only. You can't say, "Haunted Houses that aren't haunted by, like, a single ghost or anything in particular" like my mom wanted to. She settled firmly on "The Overlook Hotel" and she's a stronger person for it.

Villainous Duos like Boris & Natasha are accepted.

People have a hard time picking a #1, so you're allowed to list as many runner-ups as you like. Listen to your heart.

Protagonists who are their own worst enemies don't count!

Villainous characters who are protagonists in their story are very begrudgingly accepted. Whether or not George Costanza (A Villainous Protagonist) or Detective Columbo (A Heroic Antagonist) count is beyond the scope of this paper.

Thank you for your time!

hmmmm!! that's a really interesting question to chew on actually.

i'm not usually drawn to villains or villain-driven stories, outside of games that necessitate it as a gameplay mechanic or genre staple a la mario games or your standard JRPGs. and i wouldn't call a glorified game mechanic a character if they really don't do much besides throw barrels at the player to jump over. porky and giygas are exceptions but honestly not much; they aren't very complicated characters, even though they're snappily written, and most of where they shine is just the fact that they're one well-placed load-bearing piece in a larger cohesive narrative. they don't really capture my attention outside of their gameplay role.

i'm overall much more compelled by Romantic with a capital R stories about internal, oftentimes more abstracted struggles. i mean, i don't have to tell you that my favorite books EVER are "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" and "The Great Gatsby," both of which play with deuteragonists as foils to the narrator that inevitably spiral and leave the reader with something of a thought exercise regarding the intersection of nature versus nurture, intent versus action, past versus future, et cetera. the characters themselves are symbolic of sociological concepts so much larger than themselves, and because of that, they can't truly be classified into "hero" or "villian", because the topics those books grapple with are so incredibly messy and morally-fuzzy that the characters who exemplify them must reflect that same complexity and nuance.

as soon as a story starts to veer towards "all our problems are caused by One Guy who we can remove from the equation forever," it usually loses me, or if nothing else it just makes me zone out when the villain and his evil army of doom is on screen until we're back to introspective character-building moments between the protags, deuterags, etc. i'm the boring guy who likes slow, dialogue-driven things more than flashy show tunes.

ALL THAT BEING SAID......

villains really only shine (for me) if they're funny as fuck. that's the one way they can really get my attention as a character that has, by definition, been written into a unilaterally negative role that must be booed. they get to be FUNNY! and they get to be my favorite kind of funny: insane slapstick funny. i like seeing cartoony villains get absolutely pulverized, thrown around like wet dishrags, set on fire, flung off cliffs, you name it. the zanier the better. so here's my own elite 4 in ascending order:

fourth is 2012 avengers movie Loki. very hammy, very showy, extremely puncheable face, and he takes SO much physical punishment and writhes like a worm the whole time. super fun.

third is pokemon's Archie. emerald is my favorite game but archie SHINES in alpha sapphire. he's such a huge personality and he takes hits with a smile. and then he gets a big fuzzy redemption at the end because this is a game for kids, but even that is so over-the-top cornball that i just laugh and smile the whole time instead of rolling my eyes. a good wholesome time was had by all.

second is Mr. Burns in the simpsons. let me preface this by saying i really don't watch anything after, ehhhh, i'd say season 8 or 9, because that's about where my box sets ended growing up. any episode where Mr. Burns gets some slapstick gags about his incredibly frail body that runs on pure evil is a good episode. i especially love "the springfield files," "homer the smithers," "homer at the bat," and "who shot mr burns" parts 1 and 2.

and my favorite is undoubtedly Sheldon J. Plankton. similar situation as simpsons; i don't watch anything after seasons 1-3 and the first movie. he commands every single scene he's in, which is especially impressive given that he's literally just a single tiny copepod. he's got the best villain laugh EVER. he's even a delight in the game "battle for bikini bottom"... you GOTTA check out BFBB Rehydrated if you like the spirit and snark of the early seasons. i love him in "walking small," "F.U.N.," "the algae's always greener," and of course, the movie. he's evil! he's diabolical!! he's LEMON SCENTED!!!!

[ofmdlovelyletters]

I'm here to gush about one of my favorite things, which is my love for Hugo/offsammich/@monksofthescrew and her epic work The Detectorists AU (consisting of two genuinely awe-inspiring stories), which I was lucky enough to have as my introduction to her work.

Now, do I know anything about The Detectorists TV series? No. Do I know anything about metal detecting? Absolutely not. Was I ready to run off and buy a metal detector of my own and start beep-beep-beeping around until I found treasure of both the real and metaphorical variety. Hell yes.

Hugo's stories, and The Detectorists AU in particular, are so deeply immersive. You know when you're watching a movie that's filmed through some kind of filter so the colors all look a little more warm and golden? That's what it feels reading this fic. You can feel the grit and the grime and the sweat. Her descriptions are so evocative that I feel I could reach in through my screen and TOUCH them and hold them in my hands and then look down and realize they were covered in dirt.

But what makes Hugo's stories truly special is the way she handles complex human emotions, Watching her Ed and Stede, exhausted and beaten down and desperately holding onto hope, wanting to improve their lives, wanting to welcome love in, is a beautiful thing. There's a melancholy undertone that'll make your heart ache, but it makes it all the more satisfying as you watch Ed and Stede's love bloom, and also as you see how it influences their relationships with others. (Did I mention this may be my favorite depiction of Stede and Alma's relationship of all time? Of ALL TIME!!!) The series is tender and gentle and loving, with the perfect amounts of humor and intrigue. Once you start reading, you won't be able to stop, and I guarantee you'll be thinking about them long after you reach the final words. 💖

Hello @monksofthescrew! You've received a lovely review from @xoxoemynn. Congrats on being featured as Author of the Week! 💌

Crew, click here to read The Detectorists AU, and then be sure to check out her other stories here.

[teal-sword]

Satan x gn reader

What is love?

✧☆✧☆✧☆✧☆✧☆✧☆✧☆✧☆✧☆✧☆✧☆✧☆✧

Honestly the question by itself was pretty but not that bad of a serotype, he's seen it in his romance books and his favorite shows that have a romantic twist where the main detective falls in love with his most hated rival and he can't manage to wrap his mind around it.

Satan doesn't hate the trope of a character asking what love means to them but whenever he sees it in a book he already expects the outcome to be they go in a spiral but then think about experiences and then realize they love a certain love interest because every moment their heart beats faster it's for them

Did love feel that good? He wants to know. But will his brain and heart ever agree on one person alone and what if they don't love with him? Satan wasn't an overthinker but.. nevermind.

It was like that until you.

He hated living he was always angry it seems like it was the only thing he knew someone saw a cat and pet it but it would let him become (disappointed, sad) mad, someone ate his leftovers be (frustrated) mad, someone ripped his book (commit murder) kill the person who did it but then you changed him.

You would talk to him not in fear but like he was like his brothers, you would ask about his books and shows that he was interested in and you would give the best book recommendations and the best thing is the way you looked at him like you. Loved him..

He knew he loved you on one particular day it was a normal weekend dinner Asmo and Mammon were fighting over something he didn't care about, Beel had basically eaten everything and the plate and was going for 4ths, Belphe is eating sleepily even though he's slept for more than half the day, Lucifer ate in silence looking at papers lord Diavolo had asked him to check and Levi geeked out on you about a new game he bought but quickly said he'll come back and show you and ran to go get it to show off and Satan was reading while eating it was a bit loud but it's a good book that you recommend him (he told you it was one of his favorites in the original timeline and would often read it to you) you seem to have a knack for finding books.

Satan couldn't help but smile at the thought maybe the fact you have similar tastes he could take you to a cat library he saw "Why are you smiling?" Your expressive voice got him out of his thought train you genuinely seemed to care what he was think about "Oh just a thought" Satan hummed "by any chance are you free tomorrow?" Satan asked " Yes actually, I was going to ask you that because I saw a cat library while getting groceries for here! " "Solomon's been busy so I have no one to eat or spend the day with today and tomorrow" you complained to him " so wanna go? " You happily asked and Satan smiled " let's spend the whole day there tomorrow " he'll keep these feelings to himself for a bit he put down his book and had a full conversation with you about what you two should do tomorrow but just with your smile he knew he loved you and you loved him.

(MC your the only one who'll he'll put put his book down willing just for you <3)

___

I didn't proofread this and did this late at night where my brain was half asleep sorry