#i absolutely think she'd see it as more of a grey area

[fetabathwater]

3, 6, 8 for the da meme ❤️ - korn

questions here

luv u konrnrnrnrnyyyyy

3. Opinion on blood magic?

Briseis Amell is a bonafide blood magic user, particularly when combining it with her regular healing capabilities. Also, due to being a Grey Warden and having that early introduction to the benefits of longevity, alleviating some blight symptoms, and working with Avernus, it's just a part of her life. However, Briseis does take a hard stance on being responsible for what the type of magic can offer someone, much like every other school, and within her own sect of the wardens, she makes a point of checking in, not crossing lines, etc.

(this got very long, my Hawke and Inquis below)

Calanthe Hawke did start to use it towards the end of her time in Kirkwall, but she kind of wishes she didn't as she feels tied to it. Whilst she doesn't blame that magic for what happened, because Calanthe does know rationally that there was so much other shit happening all around it wasn't just the blood magic, it did still play such a big part in a lot of personal tragedies that she's... more on the side of ambivalent, but pretty hesitant at all times. If it could just be kept away from her, she'd feel a lot better about it - hear, see, speak, etc.

Emhyr Trevelyan sits in the area of "it's interesting, it has it's uses (much like most other spirit-, fade- or time-related magics) but I want to observe from far, far away." Before being herald, she was having those educated discussions about uses and other variations, with input from other mages around the Marches - but it was purely discussions in controlled environments. After seeing it in practice, especially with how it was used within the ranks of Red Templars and on wardens, she's more on the side of it should be theoretical, left alone, should be kept in the history books as a bad idea.

6. Attitude towards the Qun?

Briseis has no issue with the Qun, even before after spending time in Par Vollen with Sten. To her, it is just simply another fact of living in Thedas, and she sees no true difference between the Qun and their "atrocities" as the Chantry. Does she think certain things could or should be changed? Absolutely. But Briseis has already lived under the control of one religious organisation, and she has more concerns with that one, anyway.

Calanthe took a lot of time to come to terms with what happened with the Arishok. Whilst she now knows and recognises it was not related to the faith, and there were many moving pieces involved for Seamus and the Viscount's own deaths, and with Tome of Koslun being a trophy of a war long past with Orlais, including Tevinter wishing to snatch it out from under them... Calanthe knows. What she takes issue with more is just how many agents there are, especially after meeting Tallis. For her, it's conflating an organisation with a religion, and she distrusts the organisation part more as she has very little trust for strangers.

Emhyr's interactions with anything related to the Qun has left overall confused and uncertain. Iron Bull was incredibly open with discussions of the faith and life within the Qun, and there are many aspects she finds poetic regarding it. However, after a few assassination attempts and what happened with Viddasala while she was at her honestly most hurt and terrified state, it's made her uncertain. She doesn't care at the end about the infiltration of the Inquisition, and Emhyr came around to that idea fairly quickly as it made sense (after all, she would likely have done the same were she in the position of having a large army amassing on home and land). But it was just the way the faith was spun into it, and the fear and determination from Viddasala. It was actually quite awe-inspiring, as she had been grappling for some time with her own crisis of faith.

8. Who do they hate the most, and do they have an arch-nemesis?

Briseis has a bone to pick with just about every single person in Thedas, if she's being honest. She doesn't have anyone she outright hates that much, though. Maybe whoever momentarily gets in her way of retirement. Generally, she's gathered that much notoriety and reverence that by now if someone tries to go after her for anything in particular, it's not the fun kind of death wish like what Zevran experienced. She's being serious this time.

Calanthe hates the ogre who killed Bethany, and Flemeth for ferrying them to the harbour, and her mother for insisting they go back to Kirkwall, and her father for dying, and Varric for getting her involved in the expedition, Carver for being happy with a purpose in the wardens, and Anders for not being honest, and Isabela for stealing the Tome, and Merrill for poking holes in her concerns, and Fenris for being right, and Sebastian for leaving, and Kirkwall for being a shitty place that refuses to burn down, and Meredith for letting her fear win, and Orsino for helping the man who killed her mother, and Viscount Dumar for never listening at all, and she hates her magic and how she was never capable of saying 'no' and how it's her fault for not seeing the signs and oh, yeah, she hates that asshole ancestor Parthalan, for cursing her bloodline with magic in the first place. Most of all she hates herself.

Emhyr actually kind of hates Andraste. It's weird, conflated with her own crisis of faith and her own initial belief in the title placed on her head. But when she thinks back to it all, her problems began with that one person. Her faith is skewed because of the realities, her order is scattered because of powerful interests, and there is no beauty in it anymore. She knows she was one of the lucky few mages who did not suffer at the hands of those in charge, and she found such a serene grounding in the Chantry. But it's all ruined, and she blames Andraste for it. Oh, and, maybe the other mages and templars who revolted, and Enchanter Lydia for getting in her way, and those mages in Redcliffe who cast her out, and her family for closing the door on her when she went to seek shelter after the Circle fell. But they're nothing compared to how Emhyr hates Andraste.

[tilda-rothery]

I recently had surgery on my leg – like last Tuesday – to remove necrotic tissue from a skin infection turned into a really bad abscess. Now I've had skin infections and abscesses before, I'm unbelievably prone to them, no matter how clean or careful I am. I do believe there must be an underlying cause, I just haven't found it yet. But I've never in my life, had one like this.

It turned very quickly, from barely any redness or pain on Saturday, to me saying on Sunday 'tomorrow I'm going to book in to see the GP before this gets bad', to me crying on Monday evening on the phone to 111 (UK out of hours) because a very small area of the infection site had started to turn black, which then had me going to A&E later Monday evening (11pm).

I was in excruciating pain before surgery, so much so that even the dose of codeine they gave me in A&E (for which I sat for 7 hours) did nothing to elevate my discomfort.

Within 5 minutes of seeing my leg, (after sitting there for the aforementioned 7 hours), I was seen by two surgeons and placed immediately on a drip of antibiotics - and yes I had managed to see my local GP as soon as was possible on Monday morning and had already started a strong course of antibiotics before going to A&E later that day/evening. The GP decided not to drain it then and there because when I saw him Monday morning, the infection wasn't even half as bad as what it was Monday evening.

I had a special visit from the head of surgery, as well my primary surgeons and a junior anaesthetist all between the hours of 6.30-9am on Tuesday.

I was in theatre by 9.15am. This marks my first ever surgery. I was under general anaesthetic. The surgeons did not know the extent of the damage the infection had done to my leg.

By 10.15am a good chunk of my thigh had been removed but the pain was completely gone! Partly due to the removal of all the bad shit that had accumulated in my leg and partly due to the drugs.

I was sent home late Wednesday, armed with pain meds and more antibiotics.

I am currently undergoing daily visitations from my district nurses because the surgeons decided that for optimal healing, and to avoid repeat infections, to leave my abscess cavity open - no stitches, just a gaping hole in my thigh.

Everyday the nurses have to pack my leg with surgical ribbon and apply a dressing.

Yesterday was the first time in a week that I felt brave enough to take a photo and actually look at my wound. Honestly, it's both extremely gross, yet truly fascinating. It measures 4.9cm in length and 2cm in width. They have yet to measure the depth.

You can see a small amount of the muscle in my leg, it is completely exposed. What's even more fascinating is that today when I mentioned that I could actually see my muscle to the nurse, she said that if I moved, she'd be able to see it twitch. I mean of course she would, but the thought never occurred to me that anyone would ever be able to watch my thigh muscle move from within my body.

I now have to be extra careful to make sure my wound is kept clean and covered for the next who knows how long (the nurses reckon a month, I am unable to work during this time) while it heals so that it doesn't get infected, especially now as my course of antibiotics has finished.

I now find myself with far too much free time on my hands now that I am homebound.... Lots of TV (good thing there are 20 seasons of Greys Anatomy, not that I managed to get past season 13 on my last watch), Stardew valley and a little bit of crochet to occupy my time with.

To say I am starting to get a little bored is an understatement.

And now I have rambled!

So, moral of the story, be extra careful with skin infections, they can take a turn for the absolute worst within a blink of an eye, regardless of if you've done absolutely everything you can think of to prevent further infection.

They are no joke.

[littlemissmanga]

OLLO!

IM HERE FOR THE OC X OC SHIPPING

I give thee...👀

Kan-ri Eliriim !

Kan-ri is a red-orange Torguta with grey montral/lekku, grey eyes and is in her mid-late 20s. Her Togruta markings make a "mask" around her eyes, large egg shapes on cheeks and small egg shapes on forehead.

She's a nomadic artist that lives on her ship with her R4-R5 astromech, BeepBop. Her ship and droid are decked in art of places they've been, that she's made.

Kan-ri is playful, go with the whim, doesnt like being restrained, dislikes killing but will shoot if she needs to. She goes where she wants, war wont stop her

Romantic or Platonic ship, your choice 😘💜

Here's a drawing I did of her

Sorry for the lack of colour, I haven't digitally done this drawing yet 😅

OK first, your drawing is adorable!!! And can I say I'm jealous over how clean your linework is?

Moving on, I think she'd naturally be great friends with Corkscrew. Pilots appreciate pilots and he'd also love the expression and creativity of Kan-ri's artwork. He respects the heck out of Kan-ri's lifestyle and is a little jealous of the freedom and new opportunity her travels bring her. And he thinks she's incredibly brave for choosing such a life. He's also impressed by her independence and confidence.

Every so often, he'll want to plan adventures with her and just go exploring.

He appreciates her compassion and gentle heart and absolutely sees her as "close friend, must protect" so he can be heavy handed when warning her about pirates or other dangers in areas she's looking to travel to.

All Kan-ri has to do is comm him "Help, I need you" and he's there with whichever brothers he can rally. She'll never be truly alone because Corkscrew will never let her be.

Also ... I feel like they'd hook up. Maybe just once, or maybe a little longer FWB type thing, but I think Cor would eventually want something more structured/settled and they would call it quits (he doesn't love sex without feeling and he wouldn't be able to move on if they were still intimate) but they would still be supportive, solid friends after.

I hope you like these hcs!!

[beauzos]

obligatory yuty for the ask!!! but also if you dont want to only talk abt yuty then Ummm fulbright:3 or both even if youre feeling fancy...

Send me a character and I’ll list:

I already got one for Yuty, but thank you! So Fulbright it is.

Favorite thing about them: His pure of heart, dumb of ass nature... idk! I just feel like his bombastic, friendly personality is so lovable. I was invested in him from the second I met him! He just leaves such an impact with his silly but earnest personality. I love how determined he is, how he's got these big emotions and how much he believes in Blackquill and isn't scared of him one bit even though everyone else is because he sees Blackquill's raw potential. Waaaa. It's nice. Least favorite thing about them: Beyond him tasing Blackquill, um. What they did to his character by having him get murdered off-screen before the game starts lol. I think the way they did the Phantom twist was incredibly lame and I've talked extensively about it before so I'll spare y'all and just link the posts where I've bitched about it instead. 1 | 2

I haven't thought about it in a while so my opinions may have changed a bit idk just read these KRKFNM Second post isn't mine but I did leave a fucking tag essay so there's that. I do plan on replaying Dual Destinies soon to see what I feel about the game after knowing everything I do now, though. Favorite line: idk if it's a favorite line exactly but my favorite moment with him is in Turnabout Academy where he pops out of the art room window and is like "oh it's y'all!! in justice we trust!!" and helps out Athena and Apollo while Athena excitedly greets him n Klav and Apollo are like ??? It's so cute. brOTP: Ummm him with Ema is pretty fun! I want all the detectives to be buddies, and I think that Ema would originally be so pissed off and annoyed by him, but come to appreciate his earnestness and kindness. I think once she cools off and becomes a proper forensic detective she'd mellow out and be much more open to befriending people she works with. I think they'd get along very well. I also like the headcanons where Bobby really looks up to Gumshoe, so I like their dynamic too.

I also think him and Yuty would be fun. I think Nahyuta would be annoyed by Fulbright at first like Ema, though. But Fulbright probably fills a similar environmental niche to Datz, so I think Nahyuta could deal with him eventually. I imagined this scenario (admittedly in a shippy sense-- I think Madhibright is a funny ship and kinda cute, but I don't actually ship it anymore, they're just pals) where they meet post-SOJ and thought it'd be fun. Here's that post I made. OTP: Blackbright, I guess! IDK, I don't ship as much for him as I used to, but this is still my number one. I LOVE their dynamic in DD, I love the possibilities of what a dynamic could be like post-DD had he lived, so on. They're definitely Together but it might be kind of an unlabeled grey area friendship gay thing too. I don't know KRKF but I like them a lot! It's fun. I think they're very cute. nOTP: I dunno. Who are they gonna ship him with if not Blackquill? The Phantom? I've seen cute stuff with the Phantom and him as buddies that I find interesting. I wouldn't call romantically shipping them a NOTP, it's just vaguely weird but I don't really care at all. So, none I guess. Random headcanon: He's from the South and has a Southern accent!!! I love giving characters I like Southern accents it's kind of a thing I do if I have an excuse to, lol. It's why like half the Tazmily villagers were written with accents during my Mother 3 fanfic days. I think it suits him, idk why. It's better than the goofy ass voice they gave him in DD 😭 Unpopular opinion: idk. I don't know what people think about him, aside from him being another character the AA subreddit will try to convince you just absolutely sucks. Aside from, like, I don't know, I think it's a bit off sometimes if AUs where Bobby lives that people try to put all the blame for shitty behavior towards Blackquill on the Phantom. I get why, but I think sometimes it's worth examining how his position of power could be harmful to Blackquill regardless of his pure intentions or whatever. He's a cop, after all.

I know some people are uncomfortable with the ethics of a ship with Blackquill while he's still in prison (which is why some folks will specifically only interpret Blackbright as a post-DD thing) but I'm also like. idk I think THAT'S worth examining too! By people smarter than me. I'm not doing it KRKF I just find their dynamics interesting, warts and all.

I get it, though. Sometimes you just don't wanna fucking get into it SDJN but yeah! Song I associate with them: Never Ever Getting Rid of Me from Waitress. Quintessential Blackbright song Favorite picture of them: This pose is my fave everrr it's adorable.

though I also like the one official art where he's crying looking at Blackquill. ok gay ass

[itsliterallysophie]

🌱 book that inspired your wip

🍃 what is your genre?

For the writing ask game <333 I love all your writing so take this as a chance to literally talk about everything and anything cos I'm super excited for it <3

Also sending writing motivation your way and good vibes <3

Hey! Hi! You are the absolute sweetest and I love you! I will now ramble about my writing for ages but it's okay because you've given me permission...

🌱 - I don't think there's one specific book which inspired my wip, but I took lots of elements from different sources, notable mentions including Heartstopper, Bridge of Clay, We Are the Ants, Maze Runner and a bunch of movies/TV shows. The entire world sprung from this one scene I had in my head which was heavily inspired by the opening of Interstellar.

🍃 - Oh, boy. Genre. Hmm. See, that's a tricky one. I've been asked this question a lot by nearly everyone in my life (because I basically never shut up about this wip) and I never have a single answer. I've narrowed it down to 'dystopian coming-of-age' but that's not really accurate either because society hasn't entirely collapsed, so it's set in this weird grey area when the world is becoming dystopian but hasn't quite got there yet.

I'd say romance features a lot, but it's not focussed around that so I don't know if it counts. Castor (main character) is an oblivious idiot when it comes to his feelings, so it's definitely a crucial plot point, but his platonic/familial relationships are very important if not more so. In my head romance equates to Hollywood meet-cutes which definitely doesn't happen.

It's more of an exploration of different variations of love. So yes, there's Brandon and Castor as the central pairing, but there are also these really close platonic bonds formed throughout. Raven's a good example, because she's got the strongest bond with Antonio (it's a running joke throughout because no one knows if they're together or purely platonic) but she's also very close to her brother, Gabe, and she'd never be able to choose between the two of them.

I am very aware that you have no idea who these characters are, sorryyy <333

[duunswitch]

Crack.

Bang, crack, thud.

That, Leanne realized abruptly, was not a good sound. Not a good sound at all. Something in the structure of the ancient building above her had broken, and it was collapsing from the top down – and with her still in the underground basement, on the opposite side of the door. It was absolute shitty timing, and completely normal of her luck. There was no way she’d make it to the door, up three sets of stairs and out the building in time to avoid being crushed, and she had no idea if the collapsing building would fall down into the basement or not. That meant staying down here could be just as much a death trap as going up.

When the next rumble sounded and the roof shook enough to fuel the fear of being crushed, the witch dropped to her knees and began to draw a circle on the floor with a panic-y sort of desperation.

She didn’t have the time to check the symbols or even to make sure they were drawn correctly, and while she knew how dangerous a mis-drawn circle could be, she didn’t hesitate to shove the magic into the circle anyway; it glowed and she willed it to take her somewhere–anywhere, just away from here.

The magic complied.

It was light on her eyelids that woke her, though whether it was sunlight or not, she couldn’t tell. She didn’t have the will to open her eyes to see, either. A groan tore itself free of her throat, and she winced. It felt like a dragon had stomped all over her. Might as well find out where she was, then…

She hissed against her teeth, finally opening an eye to find out her surroundings; she remembered the building and it starting to collapse, and the half desperate use of magic–where had it sent her? A quick glance around revealed nothing familiar; definitely a place she didn’t recognize, so she allowed her eyes to fall shut again and just listened. Sounds could tell you more about a place than most people realized.

No people, she thought. They tended to be everywhere when she was in a heavily populated area, a sort of dull roar that usually came with larger cities, so this was probably not one of them. It lacked the clean fresh air of Ivalna’s small rural communities and larger cities though, and lacked any of the sounds she'd associate with Zanjkran or one of the less well known kingdoms. In fact, other than the sound of nature, she didn't think she heard anything that could be attributed to people.

Footsteps caught her attention and she turned her head to look, then tilted it back, eyes going up (and up!) and catching sight of pale grey hair and the dull gleam of a well cared for hat; someone passing by, someone who could tell her where she was.

Oh good, there are people here! And now I can ask directions home too, she thought fuzzily.

@casketdweller

[socially-awkward-skeleton]

Cryptid, Haunted, Shadows, Enchanted for Kit. Zagreus for Ava, Horror Show for Nora.

Thank you so much for the ask and for asking about all three of my ladies <3

CRYPTID - Which cryptid or urban legend best represents your muse? 

Answered here

But I think the cryptid that fits best is the werewolf. Kit very much has a duality to her and a part of her that is far more of the beast that is waiting to break free.

HAUNTED - When they’re suffering are they willing to admit it? To who? Why or why not?

Kit would never admit if she was suffering, that's a sign of weakness and she refuses to ever let anyone see her as anything but strong. This is only made more certain after her conditioning. She refuses to ask for help ever, even if her back is to the wall. What she thinks is a strength is actually one of her greatest failings.

SHADOWS - Do they believe people can be just “good” or “evil”? Or is morality a grey area to them? Considering their logic, where do they think they fall in a moral alignment?

Kit generally sees things in shades of grey. No one is completely good or completely evil and there is always nature vs. nurture to take into account. Can people redeem themselves? Sure. Should they always be given that chance? Hard to say.

Kit definitely starts out as lawful neutral. She has a strong set of codes and ethics that she believes in, many of which followed her from her days in the army. She is willing to follow orders given to her by a superior. She is very much duty and honor bound until her mind starts to slip and give way to the darker beasts of her nature.

ENCHANTED - What is one kind of bait that would absolutely lure them into someone’s trap? Something they can never say no to?

Kit can never say no to proving that she is the best. Her arrogance gets her into trouble and it goes hand in hand with her inability to ask for help. If there is any sort of competition or way of proving herself to be more worthy than another she will happily jump at the chance to show her skills.

ZAGREUS - Are there any cycles they seem to never escape? Any lessons constantly following them?

For a long time Ava was trapped in a cycle of getting into short lived flings She was never willing to allow people to get close enough to her, always afraid that the day would come when they would inevitable leave and she'd get hurt. Ultimately, they would leave because she put up so many walls and guards that they'd never see the real her and would get bored.

Her greatest lesson is learning to trust people and that there are those who don't want to leave her and that she is worth knowing and loving.

HORROR SHOW - Muse, name three people in your life. Who’s sacrificed? Who’s the killer? Who survives until the end? Where does that leave you?

The Homelander, The Deep, and Ashley.

The Deep is getting sacrificed because he's a creepy weirdo who just can't seem to get anything right, ever.

Homelander is definitely the killer. As it is everyone walks on eggshells around him in most cases, it doesn't take much to set him off.

Ashley will survive along with the cockroaches at the end of the world. That woman is a survivor who will say and do anything that is needed to keep her position at Vought.

Nightingale gets a pretty sweet deal, she can't stand The Deep so she's not heartbroken in the slightest with him out of the way. Considering that Homelander is her sweetheart she's already used to him being a killer as is so she is unfazed by the turn of events. And Ashley being a constant survivor means Nora always has someone to drag around as her human shield.

[not-poignant]

Is Lija going to confront Augus about Efnisien or expose to Gwyn and the rest of the family that he broke Ef's cheekbone/was extremely dishonest about the confrontation? I can't see how she could without breaking HIPAA/whatever equivalent medical confidentiality exists in Australia or the nebulous setting of FFS, but given that she felt entitled to pull That Shit on Efnisien in a vulnerable state, would she even have that respect for his privacy? Would she reveal the attempt + hospitalisation?

Tbh yes, given Lija isn't Efnisien's physician or involved in his care at all (he was discharged from her care like 3.5 years prior), she probably is going to tell Augus about what he did to Efnisien's face. And Gwyn has absolutely already told Augus about the hospitalisation (Dr Gary says that he's revealed where Efnisien is to Gwyn), and possibly the break as well (I don't know how much Dr Gary disclosed to him, given Gwyn is Efnisien's official point of contact, he may have left that out though).

I doubt it will go much further for anyone to know that she has made that violation in the first place, to be honest. It's not like Augus is going to shout it from the rooftops that he broke someone's face and could go to jail for it. (Which doesn't make it okay, but I think Lija will believe she can keep that information in a closed circle).

[riotouseaterofflesh]

Fanfic DVD commentary: Angel of Babylon, chapter 11, starting "Oh, shit, right," ending with the chapter

Sorry for the delay, I've just been flooded with stuff the past week x_x To be honest I barely even remembered writing this specific passage, and it's going to be obvious that bits of memories of doing so are slowly filtering through as I write.

(Link to the chapter in question for convenience.)

your" - she briefly glanced at Kate, then at Max's blue bangs - "friend

Lu ships Marshfield to the point where she picked up on Max's feelings about Chloe and promptly downplayed it in an effort to keep Kate from feeling jealous or inadequate.

The "I know I would've" is also a part of this: having already been accidentally called "Chloe" a couple times while wearing her beanie around the house, she's comparing herself to her on purpose to re-frame the deceased as someone who would be inappropriate for Max to be in a relationship with, even if for very different reasons.

Which, of course, leads to the concern that she's overstepped a bound when Max also pauses just a little bit too long for comfort.

She stared out into the sky. There was something flying in the distance that had a blinking green light. Amidst the lights of Blackwell behind and around them there was little else to see in the murky blue darkness beyond.

Okay, so this is going to sound hella boneheaded, but… I'm almost certain there was supposed to be a symbolism here but I have no recollection what exactly this was supposed to be a symbol of. The green light itself is definitely a Gatsby reference, but beyond that… UFOs? wanting to believe? Or just a stark contrast with the sunset funeral pyre of the end of Queen of the Black Coast?

But on a more personal level this moment draws a lot of its vibe from a bunch of different parties I've been to over the years, where things are getting rowdy and I'm buzzed but not drunk and hanging out outside with a couple trusted friends or trusted virtual strangers, reflecting on all the unhinged shit that's led up to this and whatever unhinged shit we'll be dealing with after…

bluenette

The one and likely only time this word will appear in this fic. There's definitely a sense of Max intentionally taking on Chloe and becoming her on some level in her memory; but that said, why not make it a proper portmanteau of blue and brunette?

a soft, sweet, sad smile

I've heard they got rid of it at the funeral in the remaster. The contrast, the ambiguity, the way it's a bit unsettling yet hopeful? for the viewer - I think something was lost in that change.

maybe too soon if they'd been married for years

Yes this is a dig at Joyce. No I don't care that LiS predates Obergefell - although now that I look it up the states of New York and Washington both legalized same-sex marriage before 2013 so it actually makes diegetic sense!

she'd noticed Kate with that expression since around the last third of Max's story.

The only sign in this entire passage suggesting that Kate's concern here was about something other than the implications of alleged or actual Marshfield.

"Hey, it's what friends are for."

And Kate goes in with the flash drive thrust. She's definitely picked up that Lu's getting the impression they're a couple - possibly that Max might be picking it up too.

Kate is absolutely intended to be religiously repressed lesbian in Babylon.

This (and pretty much everything up to chapter 21) was written when I was still a devout believer. It was a really fine line dealing with the ghost stuff already - it had to be clear that this wasn't something demonic, and I'm glad I was in a tradition that gave me at least some leeway there. A similar dancing around the grey area happens with Kate's and Max's moments emotional and physical intimacy - that Chloe is still around from Kate's point of view only gives her more motivation not to cross a particular bound.

Wherever that bound is.

Scary Punk Ghost Pirate

See comments re: bluenette. And of course a purely coincidental callback to a previous conversation that Kate remembers all too well.

crossed herself

See comments re: ghosts, and pretty much all of Chapter 5. On some level she intuits that this is something that for whatever reason needs to be kept from Max, hence her taking this action only when neither of the other two are looking.

[magatsunohana]

I took that character test for Jiyuu and the result she got was Riddle. And it's so painful because majority of it is pretty accurate for the younger her, while some are applicable to who she is now. Like for example, as a child she does see things as black and white. A clear concept of what is right or wrong. But because of how she had been treated by her parents, and eventually ruining that outlook, her good and bad has blurred. Which lends to why her moral ground is high, but skewed. Now, her basis for right or wrong is dependent on what she can relate to rather than what's standard or accepted. (Hence why she sees no problem in siding with Savanaclaw during Book 2, or Jamil in Book 4. To her, they were on the side that needed more understanding compared to everyone else.) Placing her self worth on performance is why Jiyuu works so hard. Because that's the only thing she knows how to do. She worked hard for her family's reputation to the point where she'd tear herself apart just to accommodate them. And when she could no longer stand it, the next place she ended up in values the amount of work you can do, more than you as a person. If she doesn't work, she has nothing. Which is why even at NRC, she's buried head-deep in all sorts of things. Doing her best to contribute to fixing Ramshackle, working at Mostro Lounge, doing almost absolutely everything for Crowley. If she stops, she'll have even less than what she already has. Her issues are deeply rooted in family. And while she often accepts being an older sibling figure to someone, she cannot fathom anyone trying to be her parent.

Riddle

If your parents didn't check your phone randomly, you probably didn't have one until later in life. That or you grew up on the unfiltered internet and you are DISGUSTED by everything it has made you see. You're assertive, powerful, and if you don't have issues with your parents why are you even here? You place too much of your self worth on your performance, especially academically. You wanted to be the model child so much, you never realized what it meant to be a model friend; so you're emotionally constipated and socially stunted. Many people see you as a killjoy, but your intentions are pure. You enjoy having the moral high ground, and you view the world through a lens of black and white/bad and good without allowing there to be grey areas. You are so out of touch that you really think that everyone who doesn't live like you is evil... There are lessons to be learned. Personality wise, if no one has told you any of this up until now, it's okay to be wrong, it's okay to fail, and when I say "There's room for improvement," it's not a jab at all of the efforts you've put in up until this point. You're a bit arrogant and aggressive, but you're an honest, good, and virtuous person. You'd do good to let loose a little and have more fun. Stop letting people tell you how to think, feel and act, and stop telling others how to think, feel and act.

[julies-butterflies]

I know the feeling, I think, in my own way. It's the pain you don't expect, the little reminders, the details of life that somehow change. Grief is a tricky thing, always finding a new way to surprise you.

I lost my grandparents a few years back and that scene from regenisis made me remember that conversation so vividly. That moment when it just hits, all of a sudden, how fast and real the possibility is. How soon. When you finally have to face the truth. When you have to let go. And you talked about it so well...

You put words to these indescribable feelings, these moments, in this simple, vivid way. You have that Writer's Gift. You've made me sob, you've made me laugh hysterically, you've made me rage. There's a lifetime of emotion in your words. Those glass shards turn to diamonds. It's an honor, to be allowed to read these stories you've poured your soul into.

Man, I full-on Pattersoned pep talked you. Whoops. No regrets. You're a wrecking ball of talent and I shall sing your praise forever.

Speaking of the disaster gremlin...guess who sent in the Emily and Luke prompt? Yeah that was everything I've ever wanted. Wow.

Just the way you write the two of them...Luke is so clearly his mother's son. The moment when Emily decided to be a little petty as she woke him up it just hit me how alike they are. And I snorted when she swore, and that last line!!! When she promised she'd always be there! Pain. Unbelievable pain. You just write the love in their relationship so well, and that just makes the ending even more tragic. ( I read your authors note. As if I WASN'T crying already. Thanks for reminding me of "Oh he wanted to be held. he wanted to say everything" which haunts me day and night by the way). Also, wow, Sick Luke refusing to rest is litterally me.

Oh and I sent the Juke too. God that was everything. I'm incredibly soft for the way you write them, it just makes me melt. And the chaos of your luke descriptions END ME.

Oh, please don't even worry about getting the prompts out fast! Take care of yourself fiancee. I enjoy them whenever they pop up. It gives me something to look forward to.

Speaking of WIPS, did you just say MAJOR CHARACTER DEATH? HELLO??? I'M SO INTRIGUED AND TERRIFIED AND EXCITED NOW????

Can't wait for triple threat and himbos. I'm so ready.

OH and I forgot to ask: do you have a Goblin fancast?

-Vampire Anon <3

Oh my god... you're not kidding. Grief is a special type of agony that's really impossible to describe, to fully comprehend, until you've lived it. How awful is that? It's like... we can share our pain with the world, but it will only fully resonate with someone who can draw on their own personal experiences. Of course, it doesn't have to be identical --- like, how many people have had to deal with their ghost bestie potentially fading out of existence --- but it hits something deeply personal, some emotional blister that will never fully heal, and it hurts. Hurts in... a cathartic way, I hope. Some pain doesn't simply demand to be felt, it has to be, or else it'll fester... and there's no healing, once you've gotten to that point.

I think of, like... The Body, the one Buffy episode that absolutely guts everyone when they watch it. Like, that's such a specific situation being portrayed... it's not even supernatural, like the rest of the show, just a deeply personal experience of someone dying, and the people around them processing it. But holy shit, does it hit, and continue to hit all these years later. It's raw emotion, it's... it's real in the very worst way. Confronting that grief head-on does something to you.

I want to do the same with my writing... I think? I don't want anyone to suffer because I've dredged up pain for them, but sometimes... pain can help? I don't know. I don't know.

Sorry, I'm a little scattered tonight. There's... a lot going on. Things are... rough for my family, and I've kind of got that grief brainrot right now lol.

But your Patterson pep talk is exactly what I need, V-Anon! Thank you thank you, I cried a little reading that.... ashhjsjkskskj you're just stroking my little sea polyp of an ego until it turns into a mermaid again, huh? (Not me referencing Buffy and The Little Mermaid in one reply, god help us all.)

So so glad you liked the Emily and Luke prompt! I'm currently working on a few more, so... we'll see how that comes along, hopefully soon. And I've made a taglist, for the first ever time! Also have no idea how that's going to go.

I love exploring the Patterson relationship dynamic so, so much. Emily is one of my favorite characters to write... unexpectedly, bc a large chunk of the fandom doesn't have much sympathy for her, for understandable reasons. I just... try to find the humanity of the situation, the grey areas of love and loss that make their tragedy all the more painful. I... guess it's working? Haha, who doesn't love a good foregone tragic conclusion.

And I'm not giving away anything about the Carrie fic yet! Just that I have big plans for it, whenever it actually gets finished! Not going to murder anyone without a lot of thought put into it in advance!

as for Goblin... ahshsjkjs, he's a fluffy little daschund puppy, so I kind of imagined something like this?? Only with a bit more color.

Love and potentially-tetanusey neck-bitey kisses, Vampire Anon <3 <3

[queen-of-songs]

The Accidental Crush of Sansa Stark and the recurring annoyance that followed- Chapter 2 pt.1

"Sansa? If you could date any boy counselors here, who would you date?" Shireen, an adorable little camper asked as she walked all of them to canoeing. Sansa paused. Was her developing attraction that obvious? One of the golden staff rules was that there were to be no summer romances or if there was one, to be discreet to the point leadership didn't have any suspicions.

"She'd date Harry of course! Have you seen the way he looks at her?!" Beth giggled. "They would be like Ariel and...Philip!"

"Philip is Aurora's prince, Beth. Ariel's prince is Eric remember?" Alys shook her head at Beth. "I think Sansa would be happiest with Sam!"

"Sam likes Gilly, he blushes every time he's around her," Osha spoke up and the girls around her nodded in agreement.

"Sansa should go out with Dickon, he's so handsome!" Minisa sighed dreamily while Lyanna rolled her eyes.

"Can't you all see Sansa likes...." Lyanna began before Sansa interrupted her. "Girls, I appreciate you all comparing me to a Disney princess and wishing for my happiness. But I assure you, I don't feel that way toward anyone here."

Most of the girls seemed convinced by her little white lie and forgot about their question within seconds. All except for Lyanna. Lyanna stood behind while the other girls went down to the canoeing river. She tilted her head at Sansa in curiosity and Sansa took a deep breath.

"What is it Lyanna?"

"I saw you look at Jon at the pool yesterday."

"Lyanna, I had sunglasses on. I was looking at everyone in the pool." Sansa scoffed, hoping the defiant little camper would drop it. But Lyanna raised her chin with a sly smile on her face.

"Maybe that's true. But I saw you look at him a couple of times today at breakfast and you didn't have sunglasses then. You get a big smile on your face when he's around like the Disney princesses do."

Perhaps I should tone it down a bit.

Sansa took a moment to collect herself and sighed. "Lyanna, Jon is my coworker and friend. I smile when I see all my coworkers..."

"It's different with Jon. That's the way my mom looked at my dad before he died." Lyanna sadly smiled and quickly ran off to join her fellow campers, while Sansa stood in silence.

——————————-

"Girls, can I ask you something?" Sansa asked as she turned up the volume to skype her friends during break time. Margaery was in the process of making an anniversary gift for Theon, Dany was painting her nails so they could be ready for her date night with Daario, Missandei was painting a portrait for Grey, and Brienne was ordering a knife for Jaime's birthday.

"Sure, Sansa!" They all sang in unison.

"Am I being too obvious if one of my campers can tell who I am attracted to?" Sansa spoke quickly, hoping they missed it. But judging by how they were all looking at each other as if they were in the Brady Bunch credits, they did.

"OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Missandei shouted.

"I bet it's Harry! Margaery surmised.

"I think it's Dickon. Did you see the pics Sansa posted that tagged him in? They'd be absolutely perfect together!" Dany sighed happily.

"Well, are you going to tell us who it is?" Brienne rose an eyebrow.

"It's the guy I told you all about that pissed me off a few weeks ago. We've patched things up and he's really...cool." Sansa blushed and saw their collective smiles.

"You never told us Mr. Broody's name, what is it?" Margaery inquired.

"His name is Jon, Jon Snow," Sansa responded, and immediately Dany spat out her drink. "Jon Snow?! You like him?!"

"Yeah. Do you know him Dany?" Sansa asked, confused out of her mind.

"He's my nephew," Dany responded and Margaery's eyes widened. "Dany, how on earth do you have a nephew the same age as you?"

"Remember my older brother Rhaegar? Jon is his whoops kid after he had an affair while Elia was in a coma." Dany shrugged.

"Oh yeah! But you've never mentioned him before, why is that?" Missandei asked in curiosity.

"I didn't know he existed until he came to live with Rhaegar and Elia four years ago. He's hasn't been around much because he was either going to school or working at camp." Dany answered and Brienne leaned forward. "Dany, what were you going to add about Jon earlier when Sansa mentioned that she liked him?"

"He's a great guy...but Sansa, he has a girlfriend. Her name is Lysa Tully. He's been dating her for years. I am truly sorry, Sansa." Dany's face was full of sadness.

"Dany, don't be sorry! I'm glad you told me before I made a fool of myself. Now I can be more cognizant of my actions." Sansa put her hands in a heart shape and Dany laughed as she responded with heart hands back.

"But damn, I wish it were different. It would be so cool to have you as my sis...niece in law. Seven hells, that's so weird...."Dany began before all the girls cackled in unison.

Before long, Margaery narrowed her eyes. That typically meant she was vying for information. "Dany, give us the deets on Lysa."

"My brother and Elia think she's a character," Dany grimaced.

"That sounds like how my grandmother would describe Mr. Baelish and Mr.Varys," Margaery hummed.

"Rhaenys tolerates her and Aegon can't stand to be in the same room as her. My experience made me want to slap her, honestly."

"What happened?" Brienne inquired and Dany sighed. "She made Daario feel uncomfortable because he's not from "here," whatever "here" is supposed to mean."

"Oh. She's one of those types of people... ew does that mean Jon is as well???" Missandei rose an eyebrow.

"No, not by a long shot. Jon is super passionate about social issues and has always been involved in some way or another. He and Lysa got into an argument after she made Daario feel uncomfortable. She ended up apologizing, though I didn't think it was truly genuine. I think it was only to show Jon that she was "improving." Dany shrugged, while Brienne, Margaery, and Missandei collectively sighed. Sansa bit the inside of her cheek.

Of course, he has a girlfriend. He's good looking and has a kind soul. Who was I kidding? Well, maybe I can try to be his friend at least. Yes. That's what I'll do and my feelings will go away. They have before and they will now.

After making her decision, Sansa spoke up.

"Well ladies, enough about me and my sad crush life. Tell me about all your individual plans with your guys!!!!!!"

———————————-

"Sansa, you should go! I'm sure it'll be loads of fun!" Her co-counselor Mya exclaimed.

The leadership team decided last minute to have counselor late-night swim and Sansa internally debated if she really wanted to go.

If I am trying to friendzone my crush, shouldn't I try to limit the times I see him wet and shirtless?

"I'm really tired, Mya. I just want to take a hot shower, it's been a really long day."

It wasn't necessarily a bad excuse. It had been a long day. It hadn't even been five minutes after Sansa ended her skype call with her friends when she heard Dickon radio for her help. Two of the girls got into a fight during canoeing and poor Beth cried the entire time after she fell backward in the river. The next skill area didn't fare well either after Minisa got bit by a brown recluse and had to go to the hospital. Then later in the day, the porch swing broke off at the merchandise store and Lyanna sprained her ankle. Sansa had gotten well acquainted with nurse Thoros. Because she worked so well with the little ones, she typically made calls throughout the week but never this many in one week.

"That's true but Sansa, you've been such a trooper today. You deserve a break." Mya reasoned.

"You were there too, Mya. I wouldn't have survived today without you, honestly. In fact, why don't you go tonight and I'll go tomorrow?" Sansa responded.

"Are you sure, Sansa?"

"Absolutely."

"Aww thanks, Sansa." Mya smiled and hugged Sansa tight for a few seconds before going to her room in the cabin to get a bathing suit.

"Oh by the way Mya, I'd wear the blue one. Harry blushes a little when you wear it." Sansa looked at her nails while Mya's mouth slightly dropped.

"How did you know?! I thought I was hiding it well."

"You are! I'm the only one who can really tell because I'm a big sucker for enemies to lovers so I can tell by the little things."

"...Harry blushed a little when I wore it last?"

"Yeah and I'm pretty sure he was going to say something before one of his campers jumped in the pool with his stuffed kittens." Sansa and Mya began chuckling as they remembered the sweet little boy who wanted to prove cats weren't afraid of water.

"Well thank you for the heads up, Sansa." Mya began to leave before leaning back in the doorway. "Should I wear my braids up or down?"

"Do whatever makes you feel confident."

"I'm going to wear them down. Harry Hardyng, here I come." Mya sang as she left the cabin into the hall to go change.

"Sansa?" a soft whisper woke her up and she could see Mya's outline by the bed. Sansa rose up on her elbow and she could tell Mya wanted to talk out in the hall. She followed her out quietly and then sat against the wall.

"Mya, how was it?" Sansa rose an eyebrow and a deep blush appeared on Mya's brown skin.

"It was wonderful. We... we kissed under the water. It was magical." Mya sighed happily and Sansa's heart leaped with joy.

"Did anyone see you two?"

"Surprisingly and thankfully, no. Everyone was distracted by Sam and Gilly. He finally asked her out!"

"Sounds like a good night for everyone it seems." Sansa smiled and closed her eyes for just a moment before Mya spoke up.

"Do you like anyone Sansa?" Sansa opened her eyes to see Mya have an eyebrow raised.

"Erm... not really." Sansa lied and Mya scoffed as she began redoing her braids.

"Are you sure? Because I'm pretty sure I saw you staring at your former pool duty partner a bit the other day. Is that why you switched?"

"For one, for some reason, I thought Jon was going tonight before I remembered he and Harry are co's this week. Two, it doesn't matter how I feel."

"Why doesn't it matter, Sansa?"

"Because he has a girlfriend." Sansa's voice cracked a little and Mya's face filled with sorrow.

"I'm sorry I brought it up, Sansa."

"It's okay."

"What's your game plan?"

"My game plan? I want to become his friend and try to friendzone him."

"Friendzone your crush, hmm. I've never heard of that before. How are you going to do it?"

"Ask him about his girlfriend, what he likes, try to steer from anything super personal, keep a healthy distance, and....I'll talk about guys I find attractive."

"Besides Jon, who else would you want to go on a date with at camp?"

"Not really." Sansa shrugged.

"Any guys back home?"

"Um sort of I guess? If you count teammates/friends Robb brings home during breaks. His is name is Pyp. He's really cool and kind." Sansa smiled.

"Ooh tell me more!" Mya rested her face on her hands as the girls did during storytime before bed.

"He's majoring in Civil Engineering. He plays left wing on the hockey team at White Harbor, he's pretty good. I wouldn't be surprised if he was drafted in the WHL. He's pretty funny and a movie buff."

"Why didn't you go on a date with him then?"

"I was scared after everything that went down with Waymar, that I was a little hesitant to date."

"What did happen with Waymar?" Mya questioned.

"I made a fool out myself for him. I wore different clothes, dyed my hair black, and I even started going by my middle name to seem "cooler" to him. I..." Sansa shuddered. "I gave him special favors in the hopes, he just so he'd finally see me. One day, he texted me to meet up with him at his house and I went over thinking that he was going to ask me to be his girlfriend. I got there and the door was wide open. I thought it was a bit strange and I went in, worried if Waymar was okay when I heard noises coming from his bedroom. I opened the door and caught him having sex with my former best friend Myranda. I closed the door and ran down the stairs. Waymar and Myranda came down right before I left. Waymar forgot he texted me and tried to apologize while Myranda just smirked at me. I asked her 'How could you?' and she said 'You're the biggest fool to ever think you had a shot with Waymar and I only became friends with you to get to him along with your money. Who would anyone ever want to date someone like you? You're a stupid and ugly little girl. Oh, you're crying now. How sad? No one's ever had the guts to tell you that? You're sasquatch with no curves or boobs."

Sansa looked down at the crown, while hot tears streamed down her face. Mya gathered her in her arms as Sansa sobbed.

"You know what Myranda said about you isn't true right? You're beautiful on the inside and out. Hell, I wish I was as tall and skinny as you." Mya whispered while Sansa shook her head.

"Mya, you're beautiful."

"So are you! Being tall sounds great, I don't like always having to crane my neck to look at Harry when we're bantering. The pool is probably one of the few kisses where he won't have to practically bend down to kiss me. Don't get me started on being curvy and having to find jeans that don't feel like they're not suffocating my thighs and butt while having a huge awkward gap in the back." Mya ranted. "Don't be hard on yourself, Sansa. You're amazing, you need to believe that. The girls love you, I love you, your other friends and family love you, and everyone at camp does. You need to love yourself."

"Thank you, Mya. You're right, I do need to work on loving myself." Sansa smiled.

"That's the spirit!" Mya high fived her and then they heard the door open from Mya's room to see Beth's face full of tears.

"What's wrong Beth? Did you have a nightmare?" Mya asked, her voice full of concern.

"No, I..." Beth's lip wobbled. "Miss Mya, I woke up and I realized I don't have any more underwear for the rest of the week."

"How many did you bring Beth?" Sansa asked as Beth sat down in between her and Mya.

"My brother packed me six."

Only six for Sunday through Friday? I'd pack at least twelve or fourteen... Wait! It's only Tuesday?!

"But it's only Tuesday Beth, how did you go through six?" Mya's eyes widened.

"I... I peed myself a bit on Sunday when I was waiting for the bathroom after I took my shower, so I had to change. Monday, I got my unicorn undies wet from the shower after I dropped them. I asked Lyanna to get some out of my bag. Today, after I fell in the water I got scared I was going to get leeches so I changed into my last pair. I just keep getting bad luck!" Beth started to tear up and an idea popped up in Sansa's mind.

"Beth, are all your dirty clothes in a bag?" Sansa asked.

Beth nodded and Sansa sighed in relief.

"Okay, I'm going to wash all of your dirty clothes in the washer and you'll have your five pairs clean again."

"Won't people judge me for re-wearing the same undies again?"

"No, it's none of their business and besides sometimes I wear the same undies when I don't take a shower for a day if I didn't sweat." Sansa shrugged.

"Same." Mya agreed and Beth looked at the both of them in amazement.

"Thank you so much, Miss Sansa and Miss Mya!" Beth hugged them both and went back into Mya's room.

"What. A. Night," Mya exclaimed and Sansa couldn't help but agree.

"Drinking coffee right before lunch?" Jon asked as Sansa filled her coffee mug.

"Yep. I'm exhausted, I had to wash one of my girls' clothes because she didn't pack enough underwear. She was upset and it broke my heart. Yesterday just wasn't her day."

"Beth right? She's a sweetheart." Jon smiled before he took a sip of his tea.

"She definitely is." Sansa nodded in agreement.

"Is she your favorite this week?"

"We as counselors aren't supposed to have favorites." Sansa attempted to be stern as Jon rose an eyebrow and narrowed his eyes. Sansa began laughing so hard that her nose snorted and coffee spilled down her nose.

She grabbed a napkin and dabbed at her nose, refusing to make eye contact with him.

Seven hells, why must I embarrass myself in front of hot guys??? Why can't my laugh be sweet and adorable???

"I like your laugh, it's cute. You should do it more often." Jon's deep voice broke into her reverie and she lifted her eyes to see a small grin on his face.

"You should make more dramatic faces and jokes then," Sansa smiled back and Jon laughed a little.

"Noted." Jon nodded and then his eyebrows knitted together. "I just realized you didn't go to last night's late-night."

"Nope, besides doing Beth's laundry, I took a hot shower and talked to Mya out in the hall for a bit."

"Oh, Mya? Harry had heart eyes when he came back to the cabin last night. About damn time something happened."

"Mr. Jon? Did you just curse on campgrounds?" Sansa dramatically exclaimed and Jon chuckled as he shook his head.

"I sure did, Miss Sansa. Am I going to lose points now?"

[witness-protection-official]

Warning! Lots more cussing this time, mention of doing drugs, and god tier acting from both parties

Also very long this time I spent a sold three hours writing this

Witness Protection - An Eyeless Jack x Female Reader Fanfiction

Chapter 3

You felt as though you were going insane. The man hadn't said a single word to you since the weird field area. Only lord knew if the ancient vehicle you sat in had a working radio. Asking was out of the question, you still had tape over your mouth. Couldn't check, you had tape gloves that went all the way up your arms, rendering them useless. With half lidded eyes, you stare at your disheveled figure in the side mirror. Dear god, you looked like shit. The blood on the side of your face had caked into a gross brown and was beginning to flake off, leaving you looking like you were a burn victim. You wince internally. You had mangled hair, with strands sticking every which way. Bags under the eyes displayed your lack of sleep and slowly depleting sanity. With a nearly inaudible groan, you tap your head against the glass. 'Can't he just kill me and get this over with? I don't know how much sitting in dead silence I'm going to be able to handle.' You slouch heavily, slowly sinking to the floor of the truck.

"You'll hurt your back sitting like that," his monotone voice stated off handedly. You huff and remain there. He sighs and grabs the back of your shirt, tugging you up to sit properly. You groan. Apparently sitting weirdly isn't even an option. He remains facing foward, not even glancing in your direction. Unable to spit insults at him, you level a heated glare at instead. He either doesn't notice or doesn't care. Maybe a good mix of both. It wasn't easy to tell how long you sat there, giving a dirty look to a man that probably couldn't even see you past the hood he had been wearing this entire time, but you assumed it had been about ten minutes or so. The truck suddenly stopped. You break out of your hate filled trance and look around. Why did he park in an actual parking lot? Was he going to let you go? The thought filled your heart with hope. He popped open the center console and pulled out a large bottle of what sounded like pills. Christ, was he about do just pop a few pills to deal with your bullshit? He pulled his mask off, placing it in the back seat. The cap popped off and he dumped a few out, throwing them into his mouth and closing the bottle. He pulled the hood down, giving you a clear view of the side of his head. You voice your distress at his appearance in muffled screams. He sighs heavily, leaning his head back against his seat, not seeming bothered. The screaming grew louder as his features shifted.

He opened his eyes and glanced at you, letting you get a clear view of his eyes. The screaming ceased in shock. How had you not seen them under his mask? With how bright the blue of his iris was, one would think they would glow in the dark. He pulled the visor down to examine his face in the small mirror embedded inside. He licked his teeth, turned his face from side to side. It finally clicked why he sounded familiar. He was the weird guy that had been staring at you when you changed out shifts with a coworker. You sigh internally. No point in thinking about it now, you guessed. He had murdered someone and kidnapped you, you had bigger things to worry about. His buckle clicked and you snapped out of your thoughts.

"I'll be back," he said simply, clicking something on the side of the door and closing it. Did- did that fucker just turn the child lock on?! Where the fuck were you gonna go in blood soaked clothes and taped up arms?! You send a hateful glare at his retreating form. He went into a store. A very large store. The fuck was he doing?

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

He bit the inside of his cheek as he entered the store. Did she really have to scream like that? Probably, not everyday you see a man with grey skin. And it's also not everyday you see him suddenly become a shape shifter after popping some pills. Either way, it really wasn't a boost of confidence for his already weak self esteem. Whatever. He had a reputation to uphold, and that meant keeping his cool, constantly. He'd already almost lost it on her while she was being annoying the night before. No point in risking it now. Jack sighed and rubbed his eyes. He began his journey towards the clothes section of the store before he paused. He forgot to ask what her sizes were. He facepalmed. And she had been wearing heels too. He grumbled, figuring it'd be easier to deal with that later. Right now he had to focus on getting her clothes that weren't stained with blood. He debated on heading to the woman's section, guess her size. No, bad idea. Someone is bound to try to talk to him. He was a tall man, he had no reason to be in the woman's section, and people were bound to wonder. Both his pride and crippling social anxiety told him to not risk it. Avoid talking with people was a priority. With a deep breath, he swiveled on his heel, headed towards the mens. He'd just grab some smaller sized jeans or something. There was a time where baggy jeans were popular right? He furrowed his brows as he thought, as he did a lot. His mind continued to wander until he reached the clothes. He eyed the jeans and opted to grab a pair of skinny jeans, in a random size that looked like they would fit her. He wasn't exactly staring at her legs, so he hoped that brief mental image he had in his mind was enough. He turned to the shirts. Any of them would work, they just couldn't be too big. He really wasn't in the mood to listen to her bitch and whine about him being a 'pervert' because it dipped too low and showed her bra.

He grabbed a basic black tee, looking to be maybe a size smaller than he got his own shirts. That'll do. He got a second pair of pants and a second shirt, just for good measure. He bit his tongue. He knew a little bit about the hygenic needs of a woman, but he hadn't smelled any blood or hormonal spike on her, so he figured she'd be fine for now. As he made his way to a different part of the store, he passed a shelf of hoodies. He backed up. Should he get her a hoodie? That would be awfully nice of him. She had done nothing to deserve any form of kindness from Jack. Letting her live was the extent of his mercy for her. 'But if she isn't cold that's less things she'll have to bitch about…' he mulled it over in his head before deciding. He'd get another hoodie for himself and let her wear it passively. 'What a fucking genius you are, Jack, absolute genius' he congratulated himself, grabbing a dark colored hoodie that was in his size. He nodded, satisfied and went to get a few more items.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

You had been pretty confident he up and died in that store, he took so long. But alas, he had to return. You watched his form make it's way to your side of the truck and reflexively shifted away. He swung it open, placing the bags he held ontot he ground while he stood onto the step to reach your seatbelt clip. He tore off the tape, unclipping the restraint. The tape on your mouth went next.

"Spit an insult at me and I'll cut off your tongue," he quipped. You closed your mouth. "Good girl," he himself seemed to cringe at what he just said, judging by the sigh he released. You scrutinized his face as he worked on the tape on your arms with intense concentration. He had tiny freckles all over his face. They were so small it was impossible to see them from a distance, but they were everywhere. His nose, his cheeks, even the top of his neck and between his eyes. You would've found him attractive if you didnt know it wasn't what he actually looked like. Tanned skin and soft looking auburn hair helped him sell the whole 'fucking gorgeous' thing.

"What's with the whole 'pretty boy' get up?" you murmur. He pauses and looks up at you, confused. "why did you choose this look to be normal?" He searched her face for any underlying intentions. When he found none, he shrugged.

"Didn't get a choice," He finally managed to get the tape off of your hands and arms.

"You got damn lucky with it then, you coulda been ugly," you shrugged. He took a deep breath and didn't respond, instead reaching into the bag and pulling out a package of what appeared to be baby wipes. "I'm not a baby,"

"I noticed," he opened the package and pulled out a wipe. He gripped your jaw and turned your head to the side.

"I can do this myself,"

"Don't trust you," as usual, his response was simple. He wiped the dried blood off of your face rather harshly.

"Hey, hey! Be gentler! I'm not dead yet!" He growled lowly and held your face tighter in his hand, wiping the rest of the blood off of any currently visible skin. He took another wipe and used it to wipe off any tape or dirt residue off of you. "What gives with the mini bath?"

"You'll see," He pushed your head down, bending you so that your chest was pressed tightly against your thighs. He threw what you assumed to be the wipes into the back before letting you sit up again. He picked up the bag from off of the pavement and handed it to you. "Change," he closed the truck door. He must've gotten you clothes so you wouldnt be covered in blood constantly. You pull out a pair of jeans and a shirt, followed by an extremely oversized hoodie. You quirk a brow but peek out the window. The man was scrolling on his phone, back pressed against the car door. You deemed it safe to change and stripped down, pulling the new, clean clothes on. You rummaged through the bag some more and came across a hair brush, dry shampoo, and deodorant. Questionable items, but you put them to use. You felt like a human again. A soft knock on the window startled you. There he was. You blink dumbly at him. He points down. You look down. You had locked the door. With a sigh, you unlocked the door and he opened it.

"You didn't stare at me while I was changing, did you?" you narrow your eyes in suspicion.

"I've got no reason to," he took the hoodie out of the bag and threw it at you. "Wear it if you want," he threw the bag in the backseat. You huff and pull the sweater over your head. He closed the door and moved to the drivers side. He strapped in and started the truck.

"Why'd you make me freshen up and stuff?"

"You need food. I don't know what you want," He made the short drive to a gas station that was only about five minutes up the road. He unstrapped and went to your side, opening the door. "Out," You unstrapped and slipped out of the truck, a little wobbly from not standing for so long. The heels didn't help.

"You're coming in with me?"

"I'm the one with money,"

"There's another reason, isn't there,"

"That one is obvious. Now listen. You go in there, grab anything you need, and if anyone asks, I'm your boyfriend," he briefed.

"Why do I have to say you're my boyfriend?"

"You won't have to if you don't act suspicious, now lets go, I've spoken to much,"

"You got a word limit or something?"

"Mentally," he ushered you inside.

"You gonna act all boyfriendy?"

"Boyfriendy?"

"Are you gonna act like my boyfriend?"

"Yes, and you'll have to deal,"

"Ew, but why,"

"There won't be any kissing," he rolled his eyes.

"What if you need to?"

"I won't" he guided you to the hot foods area. "Now get your food," He stayed close as you grabbed two slices of pizza and a hot dog, putting them in mini bags. "Its a long drive, go get yourself some snacks," you nod and sort of hand him your hot food, which he holds with no complaint. His eyes hold a glimmer of warning, telling you not to do anything stupid.

You're examining the chips on the different shelves when some girl about your age comes up to you.

"Did you hear?" She leans in close.

"Hear what?" you tilt your head.

"About the murder at that hotel. Apparently the murderer took a hostage with them, one of the staff," you pretend to be shocked and that the hostage was 100% not you.

"Really?" top tier lying this was. You just hoped it was believable. She nodded.

"By the way that guy has kind of been staring you down this entire time," she whispered. "Hey, creep! Why don't you go bother some other chick-!"

"Wait! It's ok," you subtly gulp and turn to your kidnapper, acting as natural as possible. "Babe, are you gonna keep standing there like a stalker?" He shook his head.

"S-sorry," he chuckled awkwardly, moving to stand next to you. He somehow managed to look bashful, blush and all. His posture was slouched to look more weak and not as standoffish. He probably took an acting class at some point.

"Oh, you're dating," she seemed relieved. You nod. "Can I have proof?"

"Why- why do you need proof that we're dating?"

"With the whole hostage thing I just wanna make sure he isn't the murderer, or you aren't, you never know,"

"It does make a bit of sense," your abductor agreed, somehow flying through this whole interaction look weak and pathetic, and making it look like he was completely off the list of possible suspects. She raised her eyebrows, waiting. He looks down at you and you look up at him, seeming to have the same idea. He lean down and you meet him halfway in a short kiss. The taste of iron and blood you expected never showed up. When you two pulled away from each other, the woman visibly relaxed.

"Alright, sorry for being weird. Have a nice day!" she waved. You waved along with the man. He grabs your hand.

"She made a scene, we gotta keep up the appearance," he whispered as he leaned down, followed by a kiss on the cheek to cover it up. You notice some people were definitely staring.

"Got it," you whisper back. Pulling your hand away from his you grab a bag of chips. "Do we wanna get chips or something else for the trip?"

"You'll be eating them more than me,"

"Yeah but I don't want you to think I'm greedy for eating them all,"

"I won't think you're greedy,"

"Yes you will," you put the chips back.

"You can get the chips, babe," You whine.

"But-!"

"You're fine," he took the chips off of the shelf and placed them in your hands. He mouthed something to you. 'Jack'. You assumed that was his name.

"You sure, Jackie? You're 100% sure?"

"Yes," You shrug and grab the collar of his hoodie and yank him down, planting a kiss on his cheek.

"Thank you," you coo. He hums and pecks your lips. The line is fairly short as you two go to pay. Jack pays and before you leave the guy manning the register bids you farewell.

"Be safe, you two lovebirds,"

"We will, have a nice day!" The moment you're both in the car you place the bag down and go to fetch the wet wipes to wipe your mouth off. They wer to far back and you sighed. "You're a really good actor," you comment. "Your affection felt real," he hums.

"Likewise," he seemed greatly uncomfortable, and it made you wonder what he meant by metal word limit. Either that or he just really did not like pretending to be dating his hostage. You shrug. Best to ask once you've eaten. You unwrap your hotdog and take a bite.

[alliluyevas]

Hoo boi, I don't know if this verges into spoiler territory or if you've cleared this up before but. . . do Jaime & Cersei still get together as lovers in this genderswapAU? Once again I'm intrigued by the possibilities... and there is a lot of nuance and grey area here. For one thing, in canon I sometimes feel like Cersei loves Jaime because he is her ideal vessel to live out her wish/fantasy of being born a male and blessed with all the natural privilege that comes with it in their society. If she was herself born a son and heir to Casterly Rock, would she bother much with Jaime? She wouldn't need him as her 'shining knight'. Just like you said m!Cers wouldn't have bothered much with Tyrion if he was the undisputed top sibling, and if he chooses to model himself after Tywin, do you think he would still pursue a relationship with f!Jaime? At the same time.... she'd probably feel even more emboldened than canon and might still do it. What do you think?

Yes, I absolutely do think it would still happen, and I also just think that their relationship has such a dramatic impact on the events of the canon storyline that I didn't want to scratch it entirely. I do think there's that element of Cersei searching for her idealized male self/using Jaime as a vessel for what she wants to accomplish, and that doesn't really exist here because I think what f!Jaime sees in her brother is a little different, but there's more than that, I think their relationship is also a reaction to growing up in a deeply emotionally barren and psychologically violent family environment which unfortunately still exists regardless of gender. They're looking for comfort in each other. I think canon Cersei is someone who wants desperately to be loved and paid attention to but can't figure out how to relate to others or open up to people except her twin who she perceives as another facet of herself and projects onto. And I don't think male Cersei is that different, he's still very lonely and isolated and under a ton of pressure from their father and thinks that Love Is Stored In The Jaime.