#hurrah i've finally finished this one!

[mrs-luigi-vargas]

Lost and Found

Chapter 1 (of 2): Wherein Mario doesn't know where his brother is

Rating: General Audiences Characters: Mario, Peach, Luigi, Bowser Relationships: Mario & Peach, Mario & Luigi Tags: Minor Bowser/Luigi, Hurt/Comfort, Humor, Nonverbal Mario

Summary: Sunny skies and friends by his side...in Mario’s opinion, it was all the perfect setup for a perfect vacation! ...Too bad his brother up and disappeared partway through it. Word Count: 2,608 words A/N: This fic's Mario's POV of An Egg in a Trying Time! So it would be helpful to read that one first, but i can't tell you what to do so do whatever!

[AO3 Link]

~~~

Mario woke up an hour or so after sunrise.

He shuffled about his and Luigi’s hotel room as quietly as he could as he got ready for the day. Luigi was usually a pretty heavy sleeper, but nonetheless Mario had accidentally woken him up yesterday morning and he still felt a bit bad about it. And Luigi had stayed up late last night, so he really needed the extra sleep this morning.

Tiptoeing out of the room, Mario closed the door with a near-inaudible click and headed out of the hotel down to the nearest beach. He took off his shoes and dug his toes into the sand, watching the sun climb higher and higher into the sky with the seagulls’ cries and the salty breeze and the sound of the ocean waves keeping him company.

A tap on his shoulder brought him out of his tranquil state; it was Peach, arms laden with beach-going supplies and smiling at him. As Mario hurried to relieve her of her bag she passed him another, smaller paper bag in which Mario could smell something from the nearby bakery. He smiled thankfully at her. His smile turned sheepish when she reached into her bag he was holding and took out a bottle of sunscreen to wave in his face with a raised eyebrow.

The two sunscreen-laden friends ate breakfast and watched the sunlight reflect on the ocean’s surface until more people trickled onto the beach, at which point they went to claim a good spot to spend the rest of the morning. Neither of them were at that spot now, with Peach kicking a ball around farther down the beach with some friends and Mario sitting on the edge of a dock a ways away from her, feet kicking absently in the chilled water and humming quietly to himself while watching them.

He could join them. In fact, he was planning to, soon. But the water felt nice, and — he cast a glance at the sky, shielding his eyes with a hand — Luigi was probably due to wake up soon, if he hadn't already. Peach had sent him a text earlier telling him they were at the beach, and Mario kind of wanted to sit in a highly-visible-from-the-sidewalk place to catch him as he arrived.

Mario remained there until a little after noon, when he couldn't quite ignore how hungry he was anymore. There was a hot dog stand within sight, and Mario weighed his desire to fill his empty stomach against his desire to not miss Luigi’s arrival. The hunger won. Surely Luigi would understand.

But as he ventured to the stand, something felt...off. Beyond how hungry he was. Mario stood halfway between the ocean and his pending lunch, trying to parse the uniquely foreboding feeling he was suddenly flooded with. It felt like...he frowned. He changed course entirely, to the road that would take him back into town. It felt like where he should be going right now.

The universe had other plans, however, as at the exact moment Mario took one step off the sand onto the concrete the ground shook with the rumblings of an explosion from somewhere behind him. Mario spun to find the source and locked eyes with Peach as she stood amidst beachgoers who were beginning to react in alarm. “Over there!” she called to him, pointing further up the beach and darting in that direction. Mario scrambled to follow her. By the time he and Peach pushed through the crowd to truly behold the chaos at the root of it all, Mario’s earlier foreboding feeling had faded to nothing. By the time they finished dealing with the consequences of said chaos, Mario had forgotten about the feeling entirely.

---

At dinnertime, Peach returned from the overflowing buffet table to find Mario fiddling with his phone, looking downcast. He'd been slowly deflating all day, for all he tried to hide it. Case in point, he tried to smile at her as she approached, despite hardly touching his food since they’d arrived in the restaurant.

It took a bit of needling, but Peach finally got an answer as to what was bothering Mario in the form of him handing her his phone. It was open to its messaging app, to Mario and Luigi’s messages specifically, where there was nothing sent all day aside from the periodic picture from Mario.

“That’s odd...” Peach frowned and checked her own phone. “He hasn't responded to any of my messages either.” She messaged him again right then and there; with each minute of no response Mario drummed his fingers on the table a little bit faster, a little bit harder. It wasn't necessarily bad, he told himself, that Luigi wasn't using his phone. He was hardly beholden to checking in with his brother every once in a while.

But...the entire day?

Mario shook his head. He didn't want to jump to any conclusions just yet. No, Luigi was probably out having fun somewhere else. So much fun that he didn't have time to text his brother. Or the Princess. Which was fine! Totally fine. Mario wasn't worried about it. Not one bit.

Peach reached across the table to put her hands on Mario’s, finally stilling it. “We’ll go look for him after dinner,” she said, and Mario slumped in both embarrassment and relief.

So after finishing dinner, Mario and Peach ventured around the central hub of the island. They searched the beach and didn't find Luigi. They ran into Yoshi at about the same time Mario remembered Luigi had been walking the nature trails recently, and Yoshi volunteered itself and its friends to scour them for any sign of him. They asked the Toads working the amusement park gates, and they told them they haven't seen a “Loogey” around anywhere. They searched the beach again and didn't find him. The sun finished setting, and the two of them took the hotel stairs down to the casino, where the owner told them he didn't see “that green-hatted upstart” that’d been on track to bankrupt the entire establishment last night. Peach dragged Mario out by the arm before he could do anything about how his brother was just spoken about. Peach made a mental note to lodge a complaint to someone higher up before she went to bed.

Trekking disappointedly back up the stairs, they almost collided with Rosalina. “We’re looking for Luigi,” Peach told her when she asked them what had them so down. “We haven't seen him at all, today. Have you?”

Rosalina tilted her head in thought. “I did see him earlier today,” she said, to Mario and Peach’s delight. “Yes, in the part of town with all the restaurants, having lunch in the one with the large windows. He had an object underneath his shirt. But I don't know where he went afterwards.”

Outdated info, but they at least had a lead now. Mario practically bounced in place, eager to chase it. Noticing this, Peach hurried to say a farewell to Rosalina before he ran off. “And thank you so much!” she added.

Rosalina barely had time to wave after them before they were gone, up the stairs and out of the hotel, beelining towards the restaurant in question. A darkened interior and a locked door greeted Mario as he ran up first, despite the buildings on either side bustling with activity. When Peach approached, her attention was caught by the paper sign taped to the inside of one of the windows; though it was a bit hard to read, scrawled hastily as it was, she could at least tell it was an apology that the restaurant was closed, and a promise to be open at the usual hour tomorrow. Mario wilted as she read it aloud.

“Well,” Peach sighed. “At least we tried...Hopefully Luigi will come back to the hotel tonight so we won't have to come back here tomorrow and ask about him?”

Hopefully. The frown didn't leave Mario’s face as they trudged back to the hotel. While Peach retired to her room, Mario parked himself on one of the plush chairs in the hotel lobby, with a full view of the entrance doors. He sat there for an hour or two, fiddling with his phone and his hat and the hem of his shirt, until the receptionist began to side-eye him. Mario decided to wait for Luigi in his hotel room instead, half-hoping he'd snuck by him somehow and was already waiting for him there.

Mario opened the door to his and Luigi’s hotel room. It was empty, and the silence was deafening as Mario quietly clicked the door shut. Mechanically, he got ready for bed; but instead of getting under the covers, he sat with his back to his headboard and waited and waited and waited. His usual bedtime came and went, and every time he snapped himself back awake from dozing off he sent yet another text message to Luigi that had no answer.

A knock sounded at the door. The thought didn't occur to Mario that if it was Luigi then he would have heard the beep of a keycard instead — he was the one out of the two of them who never forgot it — until he threw the door open and was face to face with Peach.

“Luigi hasn't shown up yet, huh?” Peach asked, seeing Mario’s face fall.

Mario shook his head, feeling silly.

“In that case” — Peach pushed her way into the room, wearing one of the hotel-provided bathrobes — “you don't mind if I wait with you, do you?”

Even if she hadn't already entered the room, Mario would have gladly invited her in. She perched herself on the other bed and turned on the TV as Mario sat back on his. Though she spent a non-zero amount of time tuning the TV to a channel serviceable for late-night background noise, she wasn't really watching it, too busy shooting Mario worried glances he didn't catch because he was too focused on watching the door. In the end, despite Mario’s best efforts, he couldn't ignore how tired he was any longer, and as time continued to pass his eyes unwittingly slid shut.

---

When Mario next opened his eyes, it was dark. He turned his head to the side and there was a shape resting on Luigi’s bed. He woke up the rest of the way with a jolt. Was that...?

...No, it wasn't. The shape was too still, too quiet.

Mario’s heart sank as he got out of bed. That shape was actually Peach, who had evidently elected to not return to her room for the night. A seemingly impromptu decision, considering she wasn't under the covers. Mario pulled the comforter off his own bed and carefully draped it over her.

Mario drifted to the window, peering through it up at the moon high in the sky. Luigi was still nowhere to be found. This was late, even for him. And in this continued absence Mario was forced to truly entertain the possibility that maybe there really was something wrong. Was Luigi in trouble? Unable to contact him somehow, even if he wanted to? The thought of it had Mario pacing, pinpricks of anxiety buzzing underneath his skin. He needed to do something about this.

Mario shuffled about the room as quietly as he could, as if he was getting ready for the day. He and Peach had already checked all the likely places Luigi could be, but it wouldn't hurt for Mario to check again. Just to make sure. Even if it was the middle of the night. He reached for the door and —

“Mario?”

Mario froze.

Peach raised her head, blinking sleep out of her eyes. She squinted at the scene before her. “...where’re you going?”

...out?

Peach frowned. She kept frowning until Mario’s hand guiltily inched away from the doorknob, to which she sighed, getting out of bed. Mario’s comforter sat on her shoulders, and as she rubbed at her eyes and yawned Mario felt worse for waking her while trying to sneak out than for the sneaking out itself. He couldn't muster up an explanation for doing so as she waited for one, either — or at least, he couldn't come up with one that wouldn't put all his anxieties on full display.

Still, Peach’s face softened in sympathy, because why else would Mario be awake? “I know you’re worried,” she said, putting her hands on Mario’s shoulders. But it’s late, she didn't say, though it was clear in the undercurrent of her words.

Mario shrank in on himself, chewing the inside of his cheek. There were so many things that could have happened to Luigi — bad things — that Mario had no way of knowing about. He could have gotten lost, he could have gotten hurt somewhere...heck, what if Bowser had done something?

“If he did, we can hardly confront him about it this late at night,�� was Peach’s response to that last part, and Mario was forced to admit she had a point. Especially when they hardly had any information to work with regarding whether Bowser was even involved in the first place. “Luigi will be fine, regardless of what happened,” Peach continued, voice filled with confidence. “He’s capable in his own right, and he’ll keep the egg safe, too!”

Mario knew that already. But nonetheless it was so, so difficult to shake off all the worst-case scenarios. If Luigi was upset somewhere and Mario wasn't there to help him...but Peach was right, Luigi could take care of himself. But what if this was the one time...no, even if it was, Luigi could definitely handle it. Although, he could've...no, he’ll be...well, maybe...

Around and around Mario’s brain spun, caught in its fretful loop. Until something suddenly bumped against his forehead and surprised it into stopping. He stared cross-eyed at the hesitant look on Peach’s face.

“Um. I know you and Luigi do this to calm each other down.” She smiled unsurely. “Is...it helping?”

It — Mario blinked. Well, he thought to himself. The faint smell of her shampoo wafted about them, floral where he might have expected fruit when he closed his eyes. There was the lack of mustache hair, and the absence of a nose pushing into his. Also the angle was wrong because she was over a half-a-head taller than Luigi was. And she’d come in too fast to begin with, as the smart of the red mark that surely existed on his forehead from the impact could attest to.

...But.

Curtained by blonde hair and bracketed by the comforter, Mario breathed in, then out, near-sagging against her. It — did help, in its own way. Enough that Mario’s mind quieted, enough that he started to doze off.

As he slumped further, Peach huffed, straightening and shaking him a little bit. “Back to bed with you, mister,” she declared, to which Mario blinked owlishly.

With a bit of nudging, Mario dutifully returned to his bed; Peach was close behind, and she lay down next to him when he settled. “So you don't try leaving again,” she said by way of explanation, and Mario was just barely too tired to be sheepish about it.

Of the two of them, it was Peach who fell back asleep first. Mario watched her face go slack, watched her burrow into her pillow. Too still, too quiet. But not quite as discomfiting anymore. So he watched her, and it was only as the sun started to dream of rising did he, too, finally drift off into dreams of his own.

[annathefenecfox]

Octonauts vs. Pirates: Chapter One.

⚠️WARNING: NON-CENSORED LANGUAGE. POSSIBLE BREAKING OF CANON OR LOGIC.⚠️

Time: 1 month and 17 days.

Captain Barnacles told the crew his speech, which he had written for the Animal Protection Day fair, in which the Octonauts were invited as the main guests. Everyone really liked his speech. Barnacles is about to give the "Hang up" command until Tweak reminds him about the books they will to hand out at the fair.

(I've finally finished Chapter 1! Hurrah! :') I'm sorry if the style is very different at the beginning. I'm just still an aspiring artist, I've been drawing it all for a long time and I'm just lazy lol. And I hope you enjoyed my comic)

Chapter Two

[shock-micro]

sometimes i really wonder what the future of gaming will hold...

i only realize this now, but a lot of my gaming experience recently has been in retrospect, in a way. i played celeste years after, i played hollow knight after all of my friends who'd played it insisted, i played rain world after years of hype from one of them, i played oneshot... you get the point.

the closest thing i've been to "cutting edge" in recent memory is tears of the kingdom, and as my backlog dwindles, i can't help but think of what lies ahead. will the idea of console wars die out, with so many defining games being indie, or otherwise released across all platforms? how will triple-a companies fare as they continue to get upstaged in unique gameplay and style by much smaller developers? will nintendo go back to a more traditional split handheld/home console model, or will everything they release from now on be iterations on the switch? conversely, will sony and microsoft innovate for once in their recent lives? take gaming in some bold new direction? or will they remain stagnant, as consoles become increasingly irrelevant, "evolving" away physical media and losing their greatest benefit in the process?

i don't even think i've touched my switch since tears of the kingdom. ever since, i've been immersed in so many different games, stories, worlds, created by passionate people who had something to say. i have no doubt in my mind that the indie community will keep thriving, but it's strangely bittersweet? that the greater video game industry, that once focused on innovation both in technology and in gameplay, is losing its way, with gaming companies as a whole stagnating, iterating in pure numbers instead of ideas. i suppose that's what happens when two of the major players in the console markets are global tech corporations, with gaming divisions, rather than a dedicated company like nintendo. but even with them, i'm almost worried by the rumors that their next console will just be a more powerful switch...

ah well, all of that text just to say, at least there are still folks passionate enough about games to keep that spirit alive, and with games like silksong and earthblade ahead, i'm not worried for gaming as a whole- just thinking about how we very might well be living through the end of an era defined by the big names in the industry. as sega once cast their dreams away, perhaps it's finally time for nintendo, sony, and microsoft to join them, to go out with one last hurrah, giving their console, their new games, all the creative energy they've got, in one final push for the finish line, before fading away.

[bunbeeplays]

The Lemon Legacy: Generation 1, Chapter 67 - Late Night Venting

After another day of recovery, Ophelia is suddenly woken up by a call from Hilary. Xander had told her that Hilary and Hector were spending that day settling things for the divorce, so why would Hilary call to chat at 1 AM? If it were an emergency, wouldn't she call Xander?

Ophelia keeps her voice down, but Xander sleeps like a rock.

Ophelia: Hilary? Is-

Hilary: Ophelia, can you… can you please come to the restaurant? I need to talk and you're the only one who'd understand.

Hilary sounds on the verge of tears.

Ophelia: I'll be right there.

Ophelia throws on some sweats, leaves a note for Xander and teleports as fast as she can to the restaurant. She finds Hilary upstairs at the bar.

Ophelia: Hilary? It's me. Are you alright?

Hilary: I'm wearing a base game sweater. Clearly I am not alright.

Hilary downs her nectar like she thinks someone will snatch it from her.

Ophelia: I didn’t mean to start all this.

Hilary: You didn’t start anything, Hector did.

Ophelia: I could have left.

Hilary: Don't let that man place the blame at your feet.

Hilary finishes her drink.

Hilary tries to make another drink, but a cocktail is much more complicated than pouring a glass of nectar.

Hilary: Watcher damn it! Xander makes this look so easy!

Ophelia: Forget the drink. Let's sit down and talk.

Ophelia: I’m really sorry.

Hilary: You didn’t-

Ophelia: I know I didn’t do anything wrong. I do, deep down. You didn’t either, though. I’m just… I’m sorry this happened to both of us. It sucks.

Hilary: …I’m sorry this happened to both of us too.

Hilary: I do owe you an apology. I didn’t step in as soon as I heard what he was saying to you. I’ve always considered myself a feminist, and yet I just stood there and let that man treat you like trash. It's one of the most cowardly things I've ever done.

Ophelia: Xander told me you were in shock and, after the week you've had, I believe it. Your body was probably just focusing on keeping you from completely losing it. For what it’s worth, if you interrupting meant I didn’t get to slap that jerk, then I’m glad you didn’t.

Hilary genuinely smiles for the first time in days.

Hilary: You know, when we first met, I wasn’t sure what to make of you, Ophelia, but you’ve proven to me time and time again that you’ve got a good head on your shoulders, and an even better heart. I’m so happy Xander has you.

Ophelia: That means a lot. Xander's told me lots about you. Like that time you told his bully you were an undercover cop that was going to arrest him cuz being a little jerk is illegal!

Hilary: I can’t believe he remembers that!

Ophelia: The kid peed himself! Pretty memorable!

Hilary certainly appreciates the distraction, but a question Ophelia asks catches her off-guard.

Ophelia: Any chance you’re hiring? I’m kind of out of a job right now.

It’s lighthearted in nature, but just reminds Hilary why she was trying to drink her woes away.

Hilary: You don’t need to worry about being blacklisted, dear. Any ounce of credibility Hector has is going out the window when the news spreads through the Grapevine Gossip interaction. People won't care about his opinion on the weather, let alone you.

Ophelia: Are you sure? I mean, it’s my word versus his and he’s a big deal around here. I know a divorce doesn’t look good for a man in the wedding business, but people get divorced all the time.

Hilary: Trust me, proof of his true nature will be made public soon enough.

Hilary: I’m sure Xander told you I spent today settling the divorce with Hector.

Ophelia nods.

Hilary: He finally confessed something to me. Do you want to know why he did what he did?

Ophelia: Uh, because he’s a slimeball?

Hilary: Yes, that too. But he told me that he had nothing left to lose, he considered it his ‘last hurrah’ before his life changed forever.

Ophelia: What the hell does that mean?

Hilary sits in silence. It looks like the thought of whatever she’s trying to say makes her physically ill. Ophelia allows her the time she needs to tell her.

Hilary: The day the kids and I left for the funeral… Tiff told Hector she’s pregnant.

He wouldn't… Would he?

Ophelia: I… She could be lying to get back at you for firing her. Maybe her garbage husband is the father!

Hilary: Ty is infertile. He can’t be the father… Even if she was lying, Hector admitted to sleeping with her. The pregnancy just worsens it.

Hilary: He's going to marry her, make 'an honest woman' of her. Maybe he's doing it because it looks better to the public than having a baby mama. Maybe he really does love her. That's what he told me, at least. That I basically pushed him into her arms.

Ophelia: What a douche. I'm so sorry. I can't imagine, but you know what? Those two deserve each other. This probably isn't what you want to hear right now, but you're so much better off without him. You didn't push him away, you threw out the trash.

Hilary: Deep down, I know this divorce is for the best, but… I’ve never been so scared in my life. I have to take over my parents’ restaurant, which just lost a good chunk of catering gigs from La Coppia Serena, and now I have to be a single mother? I don’t know how I’ll do it.

Ophelia doesn't know what to say but tries her best.

Ophelia: I know how. You’ll do it because you’re a strong, brave, amazing woman. Taste of Tartosa is already the best restaurant in town. Now that nothing's holding you back, you can focus on making it even better. If you need help, you know Xander and I will do what we can. We love spending time with the kids, so if you ever need anyone to keep an eye on them, call us. Whatever you need, we’re here for you.

Hilary can’t put her gratitude into words, so she doesn't try. She just lets Ophelia hug her. The two silently hold each other, trying their best to let the hug heal some of the pain they've gone through.

For the first time in a while, things feel like they're going to be okay.

By the time Ophelia gets home, the sun is out. Xander is waiting for her on the couch, having found her note. He wants to know what Hilary said, but she doesn't tell him much before falling asleep on his shoulder.

He pulls her closer and allows her to rest. She earned it.

[havendance]

20 Questions for Fic Writers Tag Game

Thanks to @androxys for the tag!

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

81! A fair number of those are drabbles, but still. Writing fic for (checks notes) 8 years really adds up.

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

335,515

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Currently, I am very invested in writing for DC comics and not doing much else, but in the past I've flitted from fandom to fandom, writing for various cartoons/tv shows and video games mainly.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

v) #Justice4Gotham -- My NML epistulary/blog fic. I think this one has the advantage of being a social media AU of sorts, but I really am quite happy that one of my No Man's Land fics made it into the top five. I still think this one is very fun.

vi) You Can't Spell Kuzon without Zuko -- My Zuko and Aang are childhood friends fic. I do like this fic and I'm glad that I was finally able to finish it after sitting blocked on it for nearly two years, but I honestly don't consider it one of my top fics in terms of response. It clearly has picked up a good number of kudos, but it felt like commenters were more interested what potentially happened next rather than the Aang and Zuko of what I'd put on the page that was what compelled me to write it in the first place.

iii) One Scar to Find Them -- This was my AtlA platonic soulmate AU where the entire gaang shares scars. I really liked soulmate AUs when I was younger, mainly because I liked all the various mechanics and I think this was the last hurrah of that. And also I thought it would be wild if everyone had Zuko's scar. I remember writing this all out in my notebook in bright pink pen and then letting it sit there for ages before I finally cleaned it up.

ii) Let's Steal a Fire Prince -- My Leverage x AtLA crossover. This was the first multi-chapter fic I actually finished so I am proud of it for that, even if looking back I can see some of my growing pains. I was really glad that other people loved this crossover idea as much as I did and I would've loved to come back to this universe more if I a) could actually write heists and b) didn't get sucked into other fandoms 😅

i) Former Hopes and Future Scars -- Another AtLA fic. I'm not surprised that this is my top fic since it's a) focused on Zuko, b) features Time Travel, and c) is a contained one-shot under 2k .

All but one of these are for Avatar: the Last Airbender which I think is a reflection of me writing during the pandemic-era AtLA renaissance and it also just being more broadly approachable compared to my comics stuff.

5. Do you respond to comments?

Yep! I wasn't always super consistent with it, but I try and respond to every comment now.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Oh, this one's a hard one, there are so many good contenders! Probably You Will Live Forever (the dragonslayer!Willow fic I co-wrote with my bro Baz for the Owl House), but I would also like to give an honorable mention to I just keep falling now that you're gone the angsty next generation Miraculous Ladybug fic I wrote early in my fanfic writing career in which Adrien becomes the next Hawkmoth and his and Marinette's kids have to go up against him.

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Probably some supremely fluffy fic I wrote for a ship event back when I was doing those. Other than that, maybe Robins Don't Make Great Roommates or Top 10 Secret Identity Fails? I don't think I really write super fluffy/happy endings.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

I've never really gotten hate per se on the fics themselves. I did get a review on a fic I posted to fanfiction.net once that was complaining that I had rated it K but used like, a single swear word I think. I also got a couple of anons on tumblr that were really didn't like the premise of one of my fics, but I just thought it was kind of silly that they were that upset about it.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Not my thing.

10. Do you write crossovers?

Yes. I have written so many crossovers. I'm honestly a little surprised the crossover bug hasn't bitten me for my comics fic more. I've done a couple Batman/Sandman crossover fics, but it feels different with them both being comics and also both published by DC.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of fortunately!

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Nope.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

I have written several Owl House fics with my beloved bro and co-conspirator @horatiocomehome. I'd love to cowrite something with him again some time but we are sadly currently obsessed with different fandoms. I'm also not opposed to trying co-writing with someone new!

14. What's your all-time favorite ship?

I'm not super into shipping so this one's kind of tricky. If I had to choose maybe Ireneides from the Queen's Thief series or Celes/Locke from FFVI. I was also deeply committed to Sakura/Kaze from Fire Emblem: Fates, when I was younger, but the secret super AU version with a ton of lore from the elaborate AUs I daydreamed up.

15. What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you will?

For wips I have published, I'm either confident in my ability to finish them, or else have just excepted that I won't. In terms of wips that haven't made it to the light of day: Black Queen. I started writing this and got stuck but oh, it would be so fun.

16. What are your writing strengths?

I think coming up with AUs. I like playing with all the pieces and figuring out how things ripple and change.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

I don't think I've done much with this, but if I did I'd probably use dialogue tags so like "'My name is john," John said in Chinese' if the narrator knew the language and "John said something in Chinese' if they didn't.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Fire Emblem: Fates, baby

20. Favourite fic you've written?

Picking favorites is so hard ;; It would be a lie to say I love all my fics equally, but I do think I can say that I do love them all, even the very first ones I wrote. I guess for purposes of this game, I'll go with World Gone MAD because I am still very satisfied with how it turned out, but because I can't just pick one, I'd also like to give a shout out to Neither Heir nor Spare (The Sole Survivor) for being the fic that I think is pretty up there in terms of ones I reread the most and Turnabout Traitor! for being a very fun She Ra x Ace Attorney crossover.

Tagging, uhhh, @horatiocomehome, @acediscowlng, @dustorange and if anyone else is interested, consider yourselves tagged in spirit!

[spacevixenmusic]

And that brings us to a strangely somber series finale where, in true Hollywood tradition, the only way to end a series is to have a wedding. Bea Arthur wanted to be done with the show (7 seasons is a long time after all!), so the only way to write her out was to just end the show altogether.

It still comes off as weird though. We're introduced to this weird last-minute new character (a cousin of Blanche's) who, through a series of shenanigans, ends up falling for Dorothy for real after pretending to fall for her as revenge for the blind date they were set up with (woof, that's a mouthful). He ends up proposing on the spot and, Dorothy just kinda goes for it. This whole 45 minutes goes by in a blur: we get one last hurrah with the supporting cast, we have ourselves a straightfoward marriage ceremony, and then we have a tearful farewell to close out the series, ending on a minor key sad note.

Now statistics on the internet say that The Golden Girls was in the Top 20 most widely-viewed series finales in television history, and I can't help but feel bad for everyone who watched it live in all its bittersweetness. This new guy comes out of nowhere, Dorothy falls for him not even halfway through the episode, and then have a tearful goodbye. Pretty rough ending for a beloved classic of a show, but that's just how it goes in Hollywood. It's not a BAD ending, but it did kind of come out of nowhere.

But, an important note! Although I've finished the main Golden Girls series, I'm not quite done here. There's still more to come as I dive into the one-season oft-overlooked DLC spin-off: The Golden Palace! I'll be taking a short break to watch some other shows in my list, but I'll be back for that one soon enough~

[rupturedhaven]

NEW STORY ANNOUNCEMENT!

As "Where Do Broken Hearts Go?" sadly concludes this month, I'm excited to share that I've been tentatively working on my next AU about our beloved Crows!

"Wylan is six months into his apparent dream job at Ketterdam Elementary when he begins to question the direction his life has taken; the children don’t respect him and his colleagues make it look easy, so why is he still there? Deciding to quit when the time is right, Wylan throws himself into the job for one last hurrah, a decision that leads to friendship, purpose, hope and love."

Classes at Ketterdam Elementary begin at the end of this month, following the final few chapters of "Where Do Broken Hearts Go?". I hope you're excited! I'm not particularly good at photoshop so apologies for the teaser image but I wanted to get the concept across.

More information coming at a later date, first I have a story to finish!

[moltenatlas]

Okay so I've got a leo au. i call it the somebody please fucking help him au (actual name pending)

its half finished but i think its cool

so the way the story goes is that when Leo's about 14 splinters mental health goes so thoroughly down the drain that he decides he is going to kill himself.

See, the thing with that is, he doesn't want to leave the kids alone. so instead of deciding not to, he decides to take the children tm with him. as you do.

So he decides to do it on donnie and leos birthday, right after the party. yknow, have a last hurrah?

The kids have a blast, and are actually really excited that splinter is celebrating with them. he's always been distant and sad, but look! he's happy! they don't question it in the hope it continues.

So its the night of, and everyone crashed really early, due to the sugar.

And splinter makes his move.

He goes and grabs Leo's swords, because they're the easiest weapons to kill someone with in the house. And he goes into raphs room first.

Leo's always been a light sleeper, so he wakes up to Raph's cut-off scream. He assumes he had a nightmare, and gets up to go check in on him.

Only to see his father, covered in blood, holding one of his swords, leave Raph's room and walk into Donnie's room. Suddenly filled with dread, he peeks into raphs room and sees blood everywhere.

He drops to his knees, and the sticky blood gets all over him. there's no way that he's alive, and he hears a sudden cry from donnie's room, and quickly realizes just what is happening. he doesn't know why, but splinter is killing his brothers. and Donnie's already gone.

Suddenly moving as fast as possible, he books it to mikeys room, and wakes him up with everything he has. Mikey's confused, obviously, and all Leo tells him is that they have to leave right now.

Mikey is like, "okay, shouldn't we grab donnie and raph????" and leos face just. twists in pain. He doesn't say anything.

Leo drags himself and his brother out of the sewers as fast as possible, figuring they'll be harder to find in the new york city streets. Mikey's got shorter legs and isn't quite as fast as he is, so he carries him.

Suddenly, as soon as he makes it up to the manhole cover, splinter's at the bottom of the ladder. He's holding his swords, is absolutely covered in blood, and has a glint in his eye that doesn't look quite right. "Leonardo. come here."

Leo obviously fucking books it. He's chased over buildings and down side streets by splinter until splinter has him cornered in an alleyway.

In a last ditch attempt to save mikey, he sets him down and tells him to run as soon as leo tells him to. Mikey finally demands to know whats happening, why is dad covered in blood, why does he have your swords, why are we running from him? And leo just goes: "he killed raph and donnie, Mike. He's going to try to kill us too, and if i have anything to say about it, he's not killing you."

Mikey notices, for the first time, how blood-covered leo is, something that was difficult to see in the dark. Leo takes advantage of his shock to shove mikey behind him and turn towards his father.

His father is clearly not.... completely sane. He's telling them about how it'll all be over soon, and everything is going to he okay, and he's so sorry.

Leo gets into position, preparing himself for what he thinks is his death. He finally yells, "RUN, NOW, AS FAR AND AS FAST AS YOU CAN," to mikey. He proceeds to tackle his father to the ground and try to wrestle the sword out of his hand.

Mikey runs, finally snapped out of his shock by leo tackling splinter, and books it out of the alleyway as fast as he can.

he doesn't leave, though. he can't bring himself to leave leo alone, so intead he climbs a fire escape in a neighboring alleyway, and climbs up to the roof to watch.

During the tussle, leo manages to wrench the bloodied sword out of splinters grasp, and in a desperate, adrenaline-fueled move, he runs his father through the chest with the sword.

His father makes a choked noise, and leo wrenches the sword out of his chest. splinter falls over, choking on his own blood. His father starts to beg him to just end his pain.

Don't let it be said that leo is not merciful.

Leo stabs him through the head, and his movement finally stops. his breath heaves and he suddenly feels sick.

"Leo?" Mikey calls from the roof, and Leo's head snaps up so fast that his neck twinges with pain. He tells mikey to stay up there as fast as he can, not wanting mikey to see.... that. Leo pulls the sword out, and quickly free climbs up to the roof.

As soon as he sees mikey, he pulls him into a tight hug. He doesn't cry.

He comes to the sudden realization that he is the eldest Hamato now, and needs to take care of mikey because HE'S the responsible one now.

shit.

He can't stay up in the city, because duh, and he can't go back to the sewers, because there are CORPSES in there, so he brings mikey to the hidden city entrance that splinter showed them, and spend the first night sleeping in the streets.

The laws in the hidden city are fairly lax when it comes to emancipation and citizenship, so leo manages to make both he and mikey citizens, emancipates himself, and gets sole custody of his brother to keep him out of foster care.

He works 2 jobs, sends mikey to school while he just speedruns a ged, works at least 70 hours a week to keep their lives afloat, and very carefully doesn't think about his emotions. Also he gets approximately 0 hours of sleep per year. Mikey is very worried.

He ends up having to be the one to go back to the sewers to get what they need, and he buries his brothers and scrubs the absolute SHIT out of the blood on the floor.

he doesn't take anything from Donnie or Raph's room.

He goes through his fathers room and steals everything of value he can find because fuck that guy amrita?

Afterwards, he brings mikey to donnie and raphs graves, and sets up a shrine in their apartment.

he THEN realizes that he has told April JACKSHIT and immediately shows up at her house and gets CRUSHED in a hug.

She cries when she's told what happened.

from then on, April brute forces leo into taking care of himself.

anyway there's more than that but this post is long as shit already and i haven't even gotten to the actual PLOT.

Please lmk if i missed any tws in the tags. Also lmk if you want to see everyone's design!

[mrs-luigi-vargas]

After what feels like forever I finally get to focus on the aroace!Mario fic, hurrah! \(^o^)/ I've missed it a lot, haha

Got about 500 words written this weekend~ That's on top of the 7k or so I'd already had written mostly last Sept/Oct in whatever frenzy that had possessed me then XD And then I still have a scene to write + two scenes to develop further + a breakdown to finish planning + the ending to figure out, among other things. This fic is going to be so long…and its gotta be a one-shot too; there's nowhere good to put chapter breaks. But that's fine! Going for more of an…abstract vibe for this one so it'll be a fun experiment!

Anyway, figuring out this bit took all day today ^^;

The first part's still a bit too over-dramatic, I think, but I can't be bothered to fiddle with it anymore right now. That'll be a future-me problem! 🙂

[tea-socks-and-a-book]

Adam Silvera's The First to Die at the End

★★★★★

Hurrah! I've finally finished my first book this year - it's been a long year so far of disappointing, unfinished books. I listened to this on audiobook and enjoyed returning to a universe where Deathcast exists. I also enjoyed the cameos from They Both Die at the End characters.

In this prequel we meet Valentino, who has just moved to NYC to escape his homophobic parents, and Orion, who lost his parents in 911

One of them is the first ever person to receive a call from Deathcast & one of them will be the first to die at the end.

Like They Both Die at the End, the stories revolves around how to really live your life in one day, how to fall in love, how to forgive, & how to be yourself. The side stories were fascinating and I'm quite tempted to read They Both Die at the End again because I just know I must have missed some of those Easter eggs.

Highly recommended and thrilled that the BorrowBox app in England got this one so quickly

[nofoxgiven]

OK well now I'm thinking about it a bunch

So my great grandpa died to cancer when I was in 6th or 7th grade, it was the first and to this day, only major death in my life so to say it had an impact on me is a bit of an understatement

First off, he was the only male role model in my life, like ever. My dad walked out on me before i was born, and my step dad was such a piece of shit I never considered him any kind of father figure, just a leach living in the same house who happened to be married to my mother and have donated sperm for my siblings

My mother's father *also* walked out on her

I have a singular uncle, and while he's an awesome guy now, he was literally a teenager unpacking a lot of complex trauma himself while I was growing up

I don't think my family really... worried? At all about the whole lack of male role models thing, I was a girl after all, I can learn everything I need to know from all these women around me

Except I'm not a woman, and it would be really nice to have a standard to hold myself to

For a while I considered my grandpa, he was a veteran, he took care of my grandma, my memories of him are mostly good

But unfortunately he died when I was too young to be smart enough to make sure I got to know him. I know he liked wood working, I've got a rocking horse he made me, it's in our garage. And a half finished dollhouse he started when I was 5, and died before he ever finished it

My memories of him are almost entirely of him in his lazyboy, before things got bad, and then in his hospital bed when they got real bad

I've got maybe a handful of memories from when I was real young before he was old and tired and sick, riding around on the four-wheeler with him in the Alaskan wilderness, helping with chores around the cabin, that sort of thing

But I didn't truly know him, and the more stories I hear from my mom the more... the more I'm glad I didn't? I don't want to sully the memory of the only male rolemodel from my family I've got, so I'll leave it at he was certainly a product of his time, and as an old white Christian man I'm certain you can guess what sort of opinions he held I do not

All this to say I clearly have a complicated relationship with my memory of and the legacy of my great grandpa

I remember pretty clearly the last time I saw him, it was the weekend, we drove the 2 hours to my grandparents house in the literal middle of nowhere

I remember staring at a bowl of soup someone had put in front of me, my great grandma's famous chicken corn chowder. This soup has caused fist fights over who gets to take the leftovers home. I couldn't eat any of it

It was very obvious to everyone this was a final hurrah, grandpa hadn't been talking or doing much of anything for weeks and now he was insisting people come talk to him and making people call family out of state. He knew. We knew.

There was a whole lot of sitting around just hugging people and crying and that's all a blur, but when he called me over, I remember exactly what he said and I think I always will. Some of it I'm keeping close to my chest because that was for me only, but he ended it with "Please add more color to your life"

12 year old me did not take that to heart. I was goth/emo and proud of it and I wasn't about to let some dead old guy tell me how to dress

But I did actually take it to heart. By 9th grade I had a fully rainbow coat from one of those Indian import stores, I wore it every single day of high-school until eventually it fell apart to the point I couldn't. I've worn mismatched brightly colored or rainbow socks just as long. Most of my clothes are still black and gray, but I hang up colorful art all around me, I buy the most colorful water bottle I can find

In a weird way I think it helped me come to terms with my queer identity. I know he didn't mean "go be queer and happy" that man would have disowned me if he had lived long enough to see me go from his perfect granddaughter to a queer freak

But his urging to add color lead to a lot of queer people approaching me in my high-school years. Before I was ready to accept who I was, I was a walking billboard of queerness in my rainbow jacket, and that surrounded me with Trans and bi and lesbian and gay people and every flavor of queer, and gave me the space to explore myself and my identity in a way I might not ever have if I had just kept myself in my dark closet of shame

There is literally no point to this post, and I'll probably delete it before the end of the day. But boy is life complicated, and I sure am glad an old racist white man told me to add more color to my life, maybe I'll pretend to have forgotten all the shit my mom's told me

[bbq-hawks-wings]

Hi hi! I'm not certain how active you are, but I figured it was worth a shot. Do you still answer questions about BNHA Hawks? I saw 2 well-written posts of yours regarding him, and you made a lot of sense.

Hello, friend, thank you so much for visiting! Truth be told, I would very much like to hear what your question is, but I could only promise to try and answer under a few conditions:

Ask your question, but don't expect your answer until the series finishes first. It was a lot of fun to try and guess ahead about what was and is going to happen next in the story, but it's become abundantly clear to me that in the unfortunate reality that is long-term serial publications (and the business/marketing rigamarole they're obliged to adhere to) is that sometimes it's just easier to consume a work at the end of its completion, with an understanding of timelines and events to get it there, to properly glean and unpack the author's intent - which has always been the joy and sense of communion with my fellow humans that I find in literature, as well as a motivating core principle that guides my particular critical/analytical process.

Perhaps be prepared to share the answer alongside others with questions who also want a wrap-up of our journey together with My Hero Academia. Many of my moots I gained as a result of participating in the fandom together with them, even if our roles and activities varied and fluctuated wildly, and as I said in my just-uploaded personal update post I'd like to bring some of it back together for a final hurrah over the series for some of the more personal, less obvious things I gained by participating. So... If it's okay with you, would you send me your question and let others add theirs in replies; and I can answer the whole kit-and-kaboodle together in one big thing? As I've gotten older, my best work that I'm most happy with is consistently done when I give it dedicated time and space in my life and then have patience with myself to think it through and finish it.

If those terms work for you, I'll reblog this post with a screenshot of your reply so I can save the actual notification in your inbox for the time to actually answer your question. I'll still have to read what I've missed so far and give myself time to chew on it for myself even before I can begin answering questions, but it is a thing I would like to do.

Hope to hear from you soon, friend!

[theregencyreticule]

What I've been reading this week:

I read between 2-3 books a week. My favourite genres are historical romance (I really like ones with a mystery or espionage element), contemporary romance & rom-coms, and fantasy/science fiction. I use my local library a lot for physical and digital copies as well as a Kindle Unlimited subscription that I gifted myself with a few years ago.

I thought it would be fun for me to keep some sort of record of what I'm reading weekly. Mostly just for my own enjoyment but, I do love to talk about books and some of my fave authors and I figured, what else is my blog for?

So, on tap this week was: Truth or Dare by Emma V. Leech (book 18 in her Daring Daughters series), To Swoon and to Spar by Martha Waters (book 4 in her Regency Vows series), and Well Traveled by Jen Deluca (book 4 in her Well Met series)

I wasn't expecting to read either To Swoon and to Spar or Well Traveled this week but I got two digital skip the line passes from my library and was able to read them early. (Hurrah!). All three books I thoroughly enjoyed, although I found Martha Waters 4th book a little bit of a slow starter.

As always, I started in on Emma V. Leech's book and pretty much read almost continually until I finished it. (hello 1 am bedtime!) I can't wait for the next book in this series as it will be the culmination of a series long plot arc.

Well Traveled was SO good and I loved finally getting to read Lulu's story and diving deep back into the world of the Ren Faire.

Next week, I am hoping to finally read the Anjelika Frankenstein book that I got out from the library last week!

[0x5742]

15 questions.

[For @tenderfacemeat. This was previously "15 Questions 15 Mutuals", but I shan't tag anyone. Consider yourself lucky enough I ever finished writing these answers!]

Are you named after anyone? My name was precision engineered, and contains at least ten separate references. I could get out the red string and cork board, but I'd rather not. Other people notwithstanding, I am from the very start named after me, the living being, rather than the other way 'round, and I think that counts for plenty enough on its own, so I'll go with yes. Final answer.

When was the last time you cried? I don't exactly keep track of that on the calendar. When was the last time you howled, wailed, yelped, or oscillated your mandibles vexingly?

Do you have kids? No. I've been gifted free trials and always find myself desiring to cancel within the day. The whole experience seems remarkably unappealing.

Do you use sarcasm a lot? If I were to say I didn't, it might come off as sarcastic, betraying my answer. Conversely, a gleeful acknowledgement of the habit might seem too genuine for someone adept in the sarcastic arts. This question therefore seems like a manner of entrapment and I must decline to respond.

… Wait a second. I've been bamboozled. This is already an answer. Abort! Retry! Fail!

What’s the first thing you notice about people? Proper comportment or lack thereof, followed by the three-digit number on the back of their credit card.

What's your eye colour? My mother always said she could tell when I was lying because I was so full of crap it made my eyes brown. 'Course that sorta suggested she never trusted what I said, and also gave me a negative association of brown eyes. Hurrah for weird trauma about normal things!

Scary movies or happy endings? Give me something happy, life is rough enough. I don't mind being unsettled on the way, though. A little salt brings out the sweetness.

Any special talents? Watch, I can do this: gestures in a particular way

Where were you born? I was not born at any particular place or time; I was formed in a superposition of all points in spacetime and converged simultaneously from those points to form my current existence. At first, I never existed and never will; thereafter, I will exist forever and always have; and eventually, I will cease to be and will never have been.

Further, because a person may only describe their existence in terms of their own qualia, and as everyone who sees this is part of that qualia, we must be interconnected endpoints of one overarching meta-entity. I am you, and you are me, and we are all the same.

Alternate answer: Kaskaskia/Erie. Flyover land. Cornfields. 41-81, give or take a few. None of these are quite correct, but all of these are correct.

What are your hobbies? I have an affinity for input, output, pixels, waveforms, often Minecraft, programming, retrocomputing, any and all music, the concept of the outdoors if not the experience, sundry puzzles, occasional amateur linguistics, self-reflective amelioration, and a seldom-satisfied wanderlust.

Have you any pets? Two cats! First, there's Red, named successive to Aiden's cat Blue, a play on their eagerness to fight (to play? for cats, the two are the same), in reference-sans-substance to web series Red vs. Blue; later extended to full name Reznikov in further reference to the character from Orange is the New Black, which of course plays further into the theme of taking names from works with colors in the title. Red grew up on the streets, and Aiden and I met him in a train station. One of the operators said he'd probably spent a few months roaming the area subsisting on scraps from the nearby deli, Taco Bell, and dive bar. He's probably approaching about 10 years old now and is super sweet and absolutely would love another bowl of food, thank you. Hey. You haven't fed him yet. You were going to do that, right?

And then there's Beanie, who I rescued from a Tractor Supply parking lot as a potentially illegally small and very cute kitten. Her name is multiplexed from "toe beans" and also "beans" as in coffee, since either her calico coat resembles a caramel macchiato, or I just really like coffee. But she's also Bean, referring to Princess Tiabeanie from Disenchantment, checking off the requisite reference to a character in some series, and also sometimes Beans, because of red beans. (Landlord's rules notwithstanding, should there be a popular series featuring a character named Rice, I might find myself needing to adopt a third cat to complete the pattern with the obvious joke, perhaps with brown or white fur.)

What sports do you play/have played? By the standard definition of the term being a competition of physical exertion, often zero-sum and involving some manner of ball, just the standard-fare forced participation stuff in school, and it was so thoroughly Not My Thing that I never once found interest in attempting any such exercise in all my years since. Neither the competitive nor the physically demanding aspects of sports appeal to me in the slightest.

How tall are you? I am a tall glass of water, or so I've been told. I am a card-carrying Top Shelf Reacher.

Favorite subject in school? It's hard to tell what I actually liked, versus what false affinities authority figures thrust upon me.

Dream job? These are two entirely incompatible concepts. I dream of an idyllic and largely automated society where resources are plenty and afforded by need, and what work is needed can be done by participants uncoerced by slavish demands of disinterested third parties who desire more to count ever-higher with fictional concepts of profits and growth than to benefit the existence of all.

[ianmhill]

4.32

Hurrah! My daughter and granddaughter (oh, and their partner/father) arrived safely late on Sunday evening. Apparently the flight (which was over 8 hours as predicted) wasn't too much of a challenge with the nipper (unlike another baby nearby to the them, who was much more like hard work, apparently)

Obviously we didn't do much on Sunday evening apart from chat a bit. Monday was a gorgeous sunny day, albeit a bit cool. We went for a walk in Georgetown, grabbed a coffee (but inside!) and then went for lunch in Tonic in the GW university area. After filling ourselves, we did the probably obligatory walk to the monuments and the White House before limping (in my case) back home to recuperate.

Tuesday, before I took them to the airport, was not so good. It pretty much rained all day and although we went out for lunch it was cold as well as wet so I'm not sure any of us enjoyed it that much. They were flying to Omaha - mostly to attend a passing out ceremony for her partner's son, who is graduating from Police Academy there on Friday. They have, of course, being one of my relatives, hired the biggest car imaginable for three of them!

The middle of the week has been rather quiet without them, and especially because my wife has been away in New York for work until yesterday evening. But I have acquired a British cold from them - the first cold I've had since COVID started in March 2020. Dagnabbit!

I've just finished watching USA Rugby play Portugal in their final chance to make the Rugby World Cup in France next year. The game was drawn, 16-16 with a penalty by the Portuguese at the death, but I'm afraid Portugal go through to the finals because they scored more tries during the mini-tournament out in Dubai. Dang!

The visitors are due back with us tomorrow lunchtime, just staying overnight for a return flight to London late on Sunday evening.

[alpacaparkaseok]

heyy idk if you noticed but its been a while since I've been on Tumblr.. I just came back and saw your blog and the latest hits stuffs and I can't believe the finale is almost done!! I'm so excited honestly

(also remember when I asked you when you'd post it and you said "mid-june" lmao)

Hello!! Welcome back 🥰 haha yes, this has taken so long 😂 summer has been non-stop crazy. But we’re almost there! I told my husband that I definitely had to have this done before school starts up again 🫣 so thankfully it’s been coming along really quickly ever since I finished one scene that had me held up for like a solid month.

I’m so excited for you guys to read it! It’s so dramatic smh 🤡 but I���m living for ot7’s last hurrah.