#i have no concrete thoughts and head canons just vibes

[biillys]

been flicking between house and er and now i want the billy working at a hospital au's please

[beanghostprincess]

zolu or frobin for the ship thing!!

YAY I THOUGHT NOBODY WOULD ASK ME ANYTHING NGL AUIBFJKASFDFBFASBFJK

zolu: they make me mentally, physically, and spiritually ill. they're one of my favorite ships if not my favorite ship of all one piece. actually heavily surprised they aren't more popular, but i'm glad opla is kind of changing that. anyway- i've been shipping them since day 1. zoro's devotion to luffy is something i will never get tired of. the fact that he does not believe in any god canonically but the way he follows luffy is so easy to compare to religious imagery makes me weak in the knees and wanting to curl up and cry. zoro is luffy's anchor and the one that guides him when he's lost, and luffy is the one that saved zoro from a life of loneliness and gave him the chance to follow a dream he would have never fulfilled if he had continued on his own. luffy is, kind of literally, his sun. and i'm not even talking about moon/sun dynamics. i don't even consider them to be that specific trope. luffy is literally his sun and god and best friend and boyfriend and captain and everything. if you ask zoro what is luffy for him? his everything. that silly rubber guy? his captain. his sun. his moon. his stars. his dream. also!!! people never talk about luffy's pov when it comes to zolu, and it makes me so so so mad!!!! because his perception of zoro is so beautiful. luffy trusts him with his whole soul and would leave the crew on his bare hands if he needed to. zoro's his first mate. that's a captain's heart, man. luffy might be the captain but he's emotional and irrational, and he listens to what zoro has to say. their silent communication makes me want to bang my head against the concrete floor. luffy relies on him and zoro lets his guard down when it comes to luffy. they're so in love, whether you see it romantically or platonically... i love that they're so clingy and silly and so so so powerful together. if something happened to the other their worlds would literally be completely ruined. their love literally goes beyond romantic and platonic. they're the perfect definition of queer platonic. honestly, i'm not fond of luffy in sexual situations but when it comes to zolu it's just so easy to picture them being so so intimate... i'm gonna cry writing this they're so dear to me.

frobin: i want them to adopt me so damn much. my parents. mom and dad. i usually hate it when people use family labels when it comes to found family, because the point of found family is that they're not a conventional family but they love each other even more deeply than a blood related one does. however, this is my exception because i really really really think they give married vibes and i want them as my parents. their dynamic is so good!! perhaps it's just the fact that their arcs are basically the same one and they're the main characters of water 7/enies lobby (along with our dear god usopp. shout out to my boyfriend out there!!) but their backstories and dynamic are sooooo satisfactory and angsty and domestic to watch (yes, all at the same time). robin's personality is gentle and sweet but also kind of dark and satiric, with a lot of pain behind from her past. franky, on the other hand, is a big, funny, eccentric and extremely adorable guy with an emotional touch and a lot of energy. at first it's just "big funny guy x sweet gentle girl" but in reality is "big funny guy that always takes care of everyone with a smile on his face and is extremely protective of the one he loves x sweet gentle girl that is learning how to enjoy life and will protect her new family at all costs". it's not just the angst and hurt/comfort of it all, though! i love the fact that she's satiric and dark and he's just- he's just fucking scared of her sometimes. and tbh if you're not scared of your hot, goth, intelligent wife, what's the point? you know that meme of will smith showing off his wife? that's literally them. robin does anything and he's there supporting her. franky does anything and she's there saying "that idiot right there is my husband *tiny giggle*". anyway, basically they're very gentle and domestic and i wish my parents loved me the way they would please please franky and robin kiss get married and then adopt me plea-

TL;TR: i love both ships a lot! 10/10 <3

[arkiliastuff]

Prologue - In a Concrete Jungle

Noah Sebastian x OFC (Aurey)

(pictures edited by me. Originals url linked on the pictures.)

A/N : I thought about this one for a while and, even though I have a lot of other fanfics that are waiting to be finished/written, I wanted to share this one in particular with you :D It's been on my mind for months, the lore maturing in my head. It's going to be a LOT different from what I usually write but I'm trying things and despite the dark mood in this story I hope you'll enjoy it as well ! :D

Warnings/Tags : Strangers/Enemies to Lovers trope, violence, blood, post-apocalyptical universe, cyber-futuristic vibe, "no god, no religion" vibe (I don't mean any form of disrespect in any religion), mention of trauma, death, loss, drugs, mental and physical abuse, trust and abandonment issues. (Just in case MDNI please).

Disclaimer : I haven’t read the comic book “Concrete Jungle” written by Noah Sebastian and illustrated by many cover artists such as Nicola Izzo, Jeremy Wilson and many more, so I don’t know much about the lore and the universe. I just got inspired by the song and the few panels of the comic book that I saw about it. The rest is a pure work of my imagination and it’s not related to anything official. Nothing is canonically official. This is totally fanfiction. And so this is how I pictured the world in the song “Concrete Jungle”.

~The little bean taglist : @valiantroeagleangel @talialovesmiw -> ask me if you want to be tagged :D

━─━─━━─━「₪」━━─━─━─━━─━─━━─━「₪」━━─━─━

She walked there, in this desolate landscape, with a strong determination. Two girls who seemed to look like her friends were following her, looking behind them briefly. Probably afraid of someone or something that will come after them. After all, they went out without authorization. They went out in this no man’s land, caused by gangs and mafias. Many civilians had perished. The survivors were hiding underground, in the subway. The reason why they went outside was because one of them, a girl with glasses and blue eyes, forgot her necklace at the church where she always went to pray. So after complaining to her friends about her precious loss, the strong-willed brunette who was among them decided to go and get the necklace back. The two other friends eventually followed her even though they were feeling nervous about disobeying.

“If we hurry, we will be back in no time” She said, trying to reassure her anxious friends.

And so, just like the bold brown-haired girl said, they arrived at the place. The church had been bombed. The two girls felt sad about the destruction, but the leader didn't seem to be moved by it. Instead, she was more focused on her mission, looking for the necklace, while making sure nobody would come to arrest them. She was in hypervigilance, almost looking paranoid. She looked everywhere under the seats and chairs that were still there until she saw something shiny. She reached for it and then wiped the dust on it. It was a crux with a silver chain. 

“I found it, Faith.” She stated, calling for her friend.

The latter one walked towards her, analyzing what she found before realizing what it was.

“It's my necklace ! Thank you so much, Audy !” Faith replied happily, using the usual friendly nickname for her friend.

The latter one just nodded in silence, her focus back on her group and looking for their second friend.

“Where is Daisy ?”

The two of them looked around the ruined church before they saw the red-haired girl who was near some candles next to a shrine of prayer. She lit up a candle and prayed in silence for their sake. Faith joined Daisy, lighting up a candle as well while Audy was watching them, starting to get annoyed.

“Come on guys, we cannot stay here too long.”

“Just a few more minutes.” Daisy replied.

A few seconds later a breeze came through, extinguishing the timid flames on the two candles. From this moment, Faith and Daisy stood up and stopped praying, turning on their heels at the same time towards Audy.

“We’re done.” The first one said.

“The Lord has heard our prayers.” The second added.

“What ? Already ? But you just lit the candles a few minutes ago” Audy replied, confusion in her eyes.

“It is the way it is. It’s probably a good omen” Faith said.

“Wait.. Let me just light the candles again.” The brunette said sheepishly.

As she was going slowly to the shrine, about to light the candles with another one, both of her friends widened their eyes in shock, attempting to stop her.

“DON’T !” Daisy yelled.

“DON’T DO IT, AUDREY ! You’re disrespecting His words !”

The long browned-haired one stopped her movement in the air, the spark just above the candle’s wick reaching it slowly but surely. Then, she looked at Faith and Daisy, an angry and dead gaze in her dark eyes.

“Even if I lit up those candles again, do you think it would change a fucking thing for what happened to our city ? To our families ? To our friends ?” She replied, clenching her teeth together as she spat her words like venom, anger getting the best of her, before she continued.

“No, it wouldn’t. Don’t take that fucking breeze as a sign from your Lord, ‘cause you two know better that, if He wanted to help us, He would have done it already. We are responsible for our own downfall. For our own misery. And no Gods will ever help us. Only the demons that you’re afraid of will answer us because they're close to what we are.”

After that, she saw the shock on her friends' faces, trying to reach out to her and yelling at her that she was irreverent by saying those words. It was the shock before the sound of something falling as fast as lightning just dropped on the ruined church. And then everything exploded. Bricks of the building were thrown away at Daisy and Faith’s head, knocking them out immediately. Audrey got hit as well, feeling her blood flowing from her face before blurring her vision. The last thing she saw was her two friends on the ground, blood running from their heads. Then, it went completely white.

━─━「₪」━─━

Aurey woke up, sweating all over her body as she was panting, trying to gain some air. She put a hand on her forehead, trying to wipe the sweat away and checking it. There wasn’t any blood. She sighed in relief but not too long. She knew it couldn’t be just a dream.

“This wasn’t just a nightmare” She whispered to herself, knowing too well this situation.

She stood up, got her gear on her and packed her stuff together before leaving the spot where she slept. She knew she shouldn’t have slept there. 

It was a small cave of collapsed buildings parted together which were composed of cables, metal pieces of broken engines everywhere. 

It could crumble any minute. But she took the risk anyway, as she felt this one was more safe. She didn’t know how long she slept but she was aware it was late. Once she got out, she covered her nose as she smelled an heavy and toxic smoke. It was the smell of somewhat burned vehicles and trash cans not that far away. It was, probably, another threat from a gang who were arguing again in the city.

She put her customized respirator on, breathing again. Then, she started to climb up the ruins, reaching for a higher spot to get a better view. She climbed a few minutes after finding a window, which gave a great opening view from below. She took her binoculars out of her pocket and started to look around. 

Through it, Aurey saw a usual wildfire in the city, on her right. She could barely hear the sound of gunshots. A lot was happening and she hoped her teammates could handle it while she went patrolling on her own. Suddenly she saw something blinking, in the corner of her left lens. She turned a bit more to her left and saw a black car entering the Nameless City. She had never seen a car like this before. This was the first time that she had witnessed new people arriving. Who could they be ? And why were they coming into this hell hole ? She made a mental note to herself to keep an eye on this vehicle and the people who were in it.

Meanwhile, Noah was lost in his thoughts as they were passing through the barbed wire gate of the city. He was just getting bored of the trip, having no idea why they got a call to come here. His partners and best friends in the car told him it was a well-paid mission, but he wasn’t really convinced by it. They had to do some cleanup as they were told. And given the sight of the city it seemed this town needed it. What was left of the police authorities were just broken cars, with no more tire or windows. They probably run away from all the chaos, just to survive somewhere else. Just being out of this mess. Noah kept staring through the window, his chin in the palm of his tattooed hand, just looking at all the clutter those crumbled buildings had made.

“A real concrete jungle…” He muttered.

Then he heard a howl. He was taken by surprise, not expecting to hear such a sound in this kind of city. He listened again, opening his window just to hear it more clearly. Another howling. It wasn’t human. It sounded more like an animal.

“ What was that ? Did you guys heard that ?” He said, his eyes widened as he couldn’t believe his ears.

"Heard what ?" Folio asked, not really paying too much attention to their surroundings.

"A howl. It sounded like a coyote. Or was it a wolf ?" Noah continued, his ears attentive to any other sound.

But the howling animal had stop. He still had no idea what his friends and him were getting into but he promised himself to investigate this strange city.

[capn-twitchery]

how do you handle ssea vs FL canon for twitch and grace? is all of ssea canon to their FL existences? how does it line up chronologically?

OH interesting, i've never properly thought about this--i tend to mix and match canons! i'm terrible at having solid timelines or concrete endings--but in my head i think they happen alongside eachother, wherever fits best. canon hands me events on a piece of paper and i cut it into shreds and turn it into a ransom note

as an example--i don't think i finished most of the officer's quests til i was halfway through my SSea run, but i want twitch to have established relationships & a history with them before they even meet grace, so i've pushed that to way earlier

and i speedran nemesis for grace, but i don't think he'd be trying black honey til he was much, much more used to neathly weirdness later on.

i'm brutal about cutting out events, though. i don't think most of the MYN storylines fit either of my guys, and a lot of the SSea stuff doesn't fit the vibes. so i erase it from existence

basically FL and SSea gives me a bunch of ideas and i throw some of them out and try to fit the others together like this

(i never actually got around to doing a ssea run for grace either...in FL i assume he just zails with twitch & maybe eventually becomes the first mate of their ship so maybe i can work him into the background of their ssea run. but that is a whole can of worms for another day)

[tathrin]

i’m so in love with your AU, especially the parts where Gimli is being influenced / hearing the whispers of his ring!! i love hearing Gimli’s inner workings and thoughts as he’s further being corrupted. im not sure where I got the idea that dwarves are more resilient to the influence of the ring (not sure if this is from canon or fanon or just vibes ach) but it’s really fascinating to read your story with the thought that dwarves are resilient (ESPECIALLY GIMLI!!! the knight in shining armour who in the movies literally immediately tried to destroy the ring) and seeing just how far gone Gimli has gone to justify the corruption to himself. its like Gimli is an unmoveable rock and his ring Knows This, so it has chipped away at him slowly, until he withered away and has become something unrecognisable. given what it took for legolas to recognise gimli fully and completely (him taking off his ring) it seems this is already in effect!! but somehow though despite the corruption and the pain going on here i still Trust gimli, isn’t that insane? 😅 it’s like yeah he’s definitely being influenced by evil energy and yeah he’s committed war crimes but also he’s Gimli so that’s okay 🫶 no but in all honesty i feel like how legolas did first seeing him, couldn’t recognise him at first but once i did i flinched back in fear at the dark lord of erebor i saw!! (but also i just feel like when it comes to gimli i cant lose hope!) maybe he snaps out of the evil influence, maybe he falls further into its hold!! who knows what’s gonna happen in this AU? cant wait to read more! <3 (also many apologies for the HUGE chunk of text 😅)

Oh my gods don’t APOLOGIZE for this, I am flailing over it. I am writhing on the floor making happy screams. Thank you ahhhh I am so glad you like it, thank you! And I’m going to respond by rambling my ass off at you, so I hope you don’t regret it too much ahaha. But like. yes! Gimli IS the knight in shining armor! The unmovable rock! The incorruptible pillar! But now...

Well, now I have to justify a dark take on him in this weird-ass AU idea that bopped me on the head out of nowhere lmao. So I’m going to just gush my thoughts out at you incoherently, and see if I can A: get them a little more concrete in my head and B: see what you think! (This is what you get for engaging with me I’m so sorry. You stuck your finger through the cage and now I’m gnawing on it excitedly lol.)

You’re right about Dwarves and the Rings btw, the original Seven Rings couldn’t corrupt the Dwarves the way they did Men (no Ringwraithdwarves lol) they basically just gave them Severe Goldsickness, iirc. But! it’s not gold that Gimli wants! Over him gold shall have no dominion. So that wouldn’t be a very viable way of getting to his heart, silly Ring. So basically where my head went was, the Rings work by corrupting a person’s goodness not by just like. mustache twirling mwa-ha-ha evilness, right? They get to you by offering you what you want, not what the Dark Lord wants; that’s how they hook you, anyway, and then it shifts and drags you down with it into what It wants...but that’s how it starts.

With Frodo, the way the Ring got to him was through him showing Gollum mercy, basically: the whole “I won’t kill you, but if you attack me again you’ll be thrown into fire!” thing. Sure it was wearing him down all along in little ways, but that was where the Ring got its final major defining “in” with him. With Boromir, it was “hey do you want strength to defend your city?” and yeah, of course he does! Who wouldn’t? That’s a viable desire!

So with Gimli, Durin’s Ring has really been working with not a lot so far, tbh.

It’s certainly been enacting influence! Twisting, corrupting, cajoling; chipping away, as you said. A year ago, he wouldn’t have been able to bring himself to do X...but a year ago, he had to do Y. And doing Y makes doing X easier to bear; that’s how corruption works. And the Ring has certainly been working hard. But it just hasn’t been able to get much of a grip.

Because Gimli is compromising his sense of right and wrong for the sake of the greater good, sure; but that was less about the Ring on his hand luring him in than it was about the fact that all of Middle-earth has been conquered by a Dark Lord, so there are no good choices left. Do you defy Gondor and watch your people be slaughtered on the altar of your pride? Or do you bend your knee and try to keep them alive as best you can? Gimli chose the latter, and that’s led to a terrible (and slowly corrupting) struggle, because he has to side with evil “for the sake of his people” and accept, allow, and sometimes even order evil things done, and there’s no good way off that road to hell once you start walking it (especially in Tolkien) — but he hasn’t really needed (or wanted) the power of the Ring. Yet.

Now all of a sudden here’s Legolas in chains before him, and elves are the one thing in Middle-earth who don’t get the option of “bend your knee to the bad guy and live, or defy him and die” — for them, it’s just die. And of course Gimli doesn’t want to stand back and watch Legolas die. But maybe Gimli can save him! He’s the Lord of Erebor! He has a Ring of Power! He should be able to do something to save him...right!?

And that’s how the Ring is (finally!) getting its big “in” with him here.

He’s already compromised himself so much, he thinks; he’s already got so much blood on his hands, spilt to save his people. He’s watched children in Dale starve, because he doesn’t dare give them food the Dark Lord doesn’t think their people have earned. He’s watched Mirkwood burn and stood behind his walls and done nothing. He’s let elves be worked to death in his mines. He’s accepted a Ring of Power, and all it’s done has been to leave him even more powerless than before. He’s stood back while good people were executed, because nothing he said could have saved them and daring to try would have only made more trouble for the people depending on him. He’s pledged his allegiance, and that of his people, to a monster for the sake of making sure the dwarves who rely on him live to see another day. He’s already damned. So what else does he have to lose?

Well. Legolas’s life, as it turns out. And if the Ring can save him...well.

Gimli is such a good, strong person. He’s never wanted power for himself, or lordship, or anything like that. He just wants to save people, to protect them. And just like with Boromir, the Ring is going to offer him the power to do that, and that might be what pushes him over the edge from slowly damning himself by making the best of increasingly bad choices...to falling off the edge into total darkness.

But we’ll see! I have no idea where this story is going to go, so maybe it’ll be a story of salvation! Or maybe it won’t. We get to find out together. Yay?

[koiifiishy]

I don't know if I should ask here or on the main blog, but what do you think some of Kou's voice lines would be like(rain, thunder, etc), or his hangout(4-stars vibes sorry)/story quest?

Hello! thank you for this ask ^^ sending it here is okay, no worries. my main is in perpetual shadowrealm timeout (thank you tumblr) so its probably best to send me things on this acc! as for your question, thats a good ask :0c ive vaguely thought about it before but never wrote anything concrete down. i'll throw some random ones out but if you had particular lines you wanted know, please feel free to ask!

also - thank you for waiting so long for this answer :")c i know it was sent sooo long ago. also! i assigned him stephanie sheh as usagi tsukino (sailor moon) for his voice claim :3c if that helps you imagine his voice while saying these lines.

Hello: oh, come on, you already know me! ... fine - i'll tell you again, and this time you better commit it to memory: i! am kou, and i'm not just a nekomata - i'm The nekomata! the best there is! a true yokai! i set fires hotter than the sun, my dancing can raise the very dead, i've feasted upon the FLESH of humans!!! huh? ... no, not recently, you told me not to... i've been behaving!

Rain: y'know, cats and rain don't really mix well together..! can't we go find someplace warm and i dunno - not wet?

Thunder: hey, did you know that if you hold your sword up really high in a thunderstorm, it'll scare away the lightning? it's true, try it!

Favorite Food: chicken! fish! and when you put them on a stick, doesn't it make it more fun to eat? but really, i'm not all that picky - so give me lots of treats, okay~?!

Least Favorite Food: it's not that i don't like it exactly... but i just can't stomach it, y'know. what am i talking about? alcohol! i can't stand it! ugh, not even a cup in and i'm snoozing away, belly up, for all the world to see my fur! it's so undignified... hey, you're not thinking of using this against me, are you...

About 1: hm? what do you wanna know that i haven't already told you? i'm not holding anything back y'know, i just can't remember some things... but you're gonna help me with that, right? you promised!

Memories: sometimes... i get this feeling like i've lost something. something really important, that i shouldn't have misplaced - but when i try to check myself, it's like, i know that it's not just some thing like my clothes or my bracers. it's more important than that... i'm missing something special.

About Paimon: hmph... you know that gnat better than anyone, so why ask me. ... uuugh - i'll stop calling her a gnat when she stops hovering around my head and buzzing in my ears all the time! what - no! i don't hate her. . . i'm just the better companion, obviously. you think so too, right? ...RIGHT???

About Traveler: aaw, do you need a little praise? c'mere, i'll pat your head for you~ hehe. ... i never did thank you, did i. so much has happened between me waking up and now. all of the adventures we've been on together and the people we've met... and the things we've seen and done... i may not always say it, but i am appreciative to be here; by your side, as your friend. ...it's okay, if you need someone to lean on. stay here a little while longer, let me brush your hair...

as for his story quest or hang out (i could see him having either, but i think he'd most likely have a story quest instead of a hangout! nothing too long, but since he's the traveler's second companion a hangout event seems a little redundant - they're usually 'hanging out'! lol) i've thought about it off and on and i think it'd just be a one part quest; he doesn't remember much of his past besides vague things, so it'd probably deal with him regaining those memories.

i imagine that, fitting into a canon game timeline, he'd of regained most of his memories post-chasm yaksha event. that would've triggered a lot of his memories to come back, since the chasm is where a very significant struggle in his past took place. he's an old cat lol. if not at this time though, i can for sure see him regaining all of his memories in the sumeru archon quest line, since memory and timelines are such a big thing there. by the desert and fontaine's storylines, kou has for sure gained all of his memories and i think he'd of had a character quest by then.

i don't have anything concrete, but having him run off for a longer time than the traveler is used to having him be gone would probably be the push for them to find him/the beginning of that quest. something like paimon stating "it's been a while since kou's been around, hasn't it? where did that cat run off to now?!" and prompting the traveler to asking around if anyone's seen him (probs in liyue). little search quest, finding clues while running around liyue. find some clues at the cave that they originally found him in, maybe use elemental sight to see that he's been there recently. follow that out and find kou? something like that!

i dont think i've really written in depth on this blog about kou's background. or like. anything LMAO,,, i just share silly art that i make of him. but his story quest would be very melancholy. tl;dr, he's a nekomata originally from inazuma who was tricked into servitude and was the mochizuki clan's property (assassin? "political helper" lol??) for a few generations until towa. towa stole him away from inazuma and they went to mainland teyvat, mostly traveling mondstadt, liyue, and some of sumeru; focused on liyue though. the cataclysm happens, towa is a healer and good soul and volunteers his help; kou of course sticks by his side and fights that good fight. but towa saw how much it took out of everyone, and how even those that weren't humans couldn't handle this much fighting and suffering; towa didn't want kou's entire life to be spent fighting for others, and decided to use a bit of underhanded trickery himself, to seal kou away.

it was "for his own good", but that doesn't change that kou felt betrayed by it. he was prepared to die and would have welcomed it, if he could have perished protecting towa. he hadn't been fighting for liyue, or for the 'greater good', he'd only been fighting for towa - his "special person". that's who he was forgetting and what he felt he'd lost after waking up, and he only got vague feelings and splintered memories of happier times with him. his story quest would definitely focus on him remembering towa and the events that led up to his sealing and the betrayal he felt by it, and the pain of losing towa not only once but remembering it all over again and feeling like he'd lost him a second time.

like any good quest, there needs to be a fight >:3c which i think he'd be the boss of his own quest, with the traveler fighting him. they fought him once before when he had just woken up in modern teyvat, but by this time i think with him a lot more lucid (even if he's in emotional turmoil) they wouldn't be able to overpower him like they had before. i think it'd be a scripted end to the fight, where kou's pinned the traveler down or something but instead of finishing them off, the traveler feels tears hit their face; straddled over them, kou's chest heaved with sobs. his red eyes shone like rubies through his tears, his mouth twisted into a pained grimace. though his metal claws was poised to strike, the traveler forgot about any imminent danger to themself ; in that moment, all they could feel was a resounding sadness. something like that - kou yelling that he can't handle being left again. he doesn't want to lose the traveler like he lost towa. eventually they're going to leave, when they reunite with their sibling, right? cue traveler consoling him and calming him down, AND A HUG there needs to be a hug after all that.

as is the way, there's of course that moment after the quest where kou's just standing someplace outlooking the scenery wistfully. no further dialog from him, just one of those "he looks like he needs a minute to himself..." traveler inner thoughts pop up.

or something along those lines lol! thanks for the questions :>

[totally-correct-shenanigans]

okay so a whole of 5 people (and then myself so i could see the results) have answered yes to the poll SO. we'll start with the strange ones and work our way backward

(p.s. it feels important to preface this by saying first of all it's 3 in the morning and i've been working on this post for the better part of an hour and have gotten sidetracked several times during it so i'm not sure this is at all sensical to anyone but me lol . i MIGHT try and clean it up a little and make it a little more comprehensible at some point, but i make no promises.

second of all this very much so blurs the lines of just straight factual canon BUT i think most of it is reasonable to assume in turn with real canon. but also please keep in mind im working on a reboot of the trilogy and may have gotten some of THAT canon mixed up in there so please take this with a grain of salt lol.)

my little reason why ; lisa hannigan (steven universe)

dimitri about the cooper gang i think. admittedly this one is mostly just about vibes and the last lines* but it makes me Emotion so you get it anyway. i can also see this as the panda king just less so

*"My little reason why / You make me want to try / Loving you"

rambling in-depth breakdown/analysis below the cut ! for being a spur of the moment association bc i thought about dimitri with this stuck in my head, it works surprisingly well <3

er. to me anyway.

so im gonna talk about this like it was written for this intended purpose and like it's all just a big metaphor even though it most certainly was not lol

"Cold palace walls / And endless empty halls / Haunted by echoes of laughter"

metaphorically about the klaww gang. like they were a TEAM sure but i doubt they really liked each other, y'know? i cant imagine bison and the contessa putting up w dimitri any more than they have to.

i take the "haunted by echoes of laughter" in part as dimitri being like the outcast of the Klaww Gang so the others are laughing but dimitri himself is not, hence the haunting and the echoes. but that's not CANON canon so like who's to say. but i think it's not a far fetch all things considered. but the halls could very well be haunted by echoes of laughter post-klaww bust where they've been disbanded if that's more your jive!

"You gave the pull / And suddenly they're full / You've thrown the gates open after you"

continuing with the Palace is a Metaphor For Teams thing im doing presumably the "you" is sly & the rest of the cg! the halls are full and the gates are open because they actually like care about each other and don't view each other as means to an end. i point out sly specifically bc he's. well. the leader of the team (or at least who you would assume as the leader at a first glance but that's a ramble for another day) and also bc he's the one who talks to dimitri first.

and probably the first one to like befriend him but that's blurring out of factual canon. but if you want to continue blurring those lines then "throwing the gates open" could be read as like. if sly's the first one to get comfortable with him presumably that's going to encourage the others to as well so it goes from work acquaintances -> work acquaintances and sly -> friends/found family

"And swept in with the throng / Comes this wonderful song"

okay this part i dont have much for i was honestly just gonna put it with the last part or the next part lol BUT it could be framed as dimitri's redemption* arc of sorts . like i said i have the least abot this and is there a mouse above me hold on

(it was not. leaving that though 'cause it's funny.)

anyway. like i said i have not a lot about this part and less that's actually fit into just straight canon but like consider it as dimitri swept into the throng and the wonderful song being. well in a literal sense the next few lines. but also in a less concrete way metaphorical heart singing about finally fitting in in a team that doesn't suck ass you know. like i said not very solid. but it makes me Feel Things so.

"My little reason why / I'll never make you cry / Oh, I have got the sweetest things to tell you every day"

again more about his redemption* arc. something about not making them cry anymore bc he's not a sucky dude anymore. my gay found family heart says it's about the found familyness .

also the "sweetest things to tell" is just him getting comfortable enough with the crew to infodump about boats /j

in a more serious sense (though not by much) i cannot imagine a world in which he does not talk a very much. so i am sure he does certainly say a lot of sweet things every day . and again i can't imagine the klaww gang putting up with him beyond the necessities so i imagine he says a lot more sweet things to the cg than he did to them but as is to be expected with me that is Blurring the Lines still so .

"My little reason why / You make me want to try / Loving you"

again with the redemption* arc . still blurring my lines here but i'm sure if the klaww gang weren't fond of each other than dimitri is definitely not going into the cg with high hopes . but as he bonds with them he learns that they don't suck actually. so he's coming out of his metaphorical shell (sorry bentley) as he learns that the cooper gang is not just a team or "cold palace walls and endless empty halls" but they're like actually friends/family. so he can try to (platonically, in case you couldn't tell)** love them.

*redemption played fast and loose here bc he is still definitely part of a team of master thieves and therefore still on the unredeemed side of the law but redeemed as in working with sly/the protagonists, ya dig? of course ya dig.

**no offense to everybody who ships him with people in the cg thi just personally reads found family to me and i just want to make that clear lol .

[viperwhispered]

*drops into your inbox with papers and a pencil* TELL ME EVERYTHING BEHIND YOUR THOUGHT PROCESS. I would write TWST fanfiction but I personally suck at capturing the characters correctly so I always love to hear other people's methods and how they managed it. Plus your writing is just like 100000/10 so I just wanna see what goes on in your brain too

(Referring to this fic.)

Hasffgfs you're being so nice I can't. Like, my writing? That good? You sure are warming my heart and once again I'm just so glad you liked it so much.

And giving me free reign to ramble? Buckle up this will probably get long because I definitely have thoughts.

It's probably obvious but this totally started as a pure thirst piece. Like Jamil just having his way with me the reader? Yes please, sign me up.

Jamil was having none of that, tho. Like, I was trying to get inside his head, just get the action going, but it just didn't seem to make sense like that. Like, just didn't happen.

I'm sure this is a totally unhelpful description of how I handle characterization, I'm afraid. But just like, I was trying to engage the "what would Jamil do?" part of my brain, and that just wouldn't budge without some buildup. And sure I could've left the background in my head but why would I? If it makes sense to me then it probably makes sense for the story and the reader, too. And I don't think I really would've succeeded in writing the smut in a satisfactory way if I didn't have the buildup written too.

On the other hand, I did also like the idea of having a scene of Jamil being all clever and stuff. Wanted to do some 'show, don't tell', you know? Otherwise we probably would've had reader's thoughts about what kind of a person Jamil is, but not really any concrete examples. And I did want to establish the vibe a bit more.

Like, I just absolutely love it when Jamil's being all sly, and confident about it, too. Hence this moodboard thing (I was looking at this a lot while writing, since that was the vibe I was wanting to emulate / build on). Like, Jamil in Beanfest? Amazing, one of my favorites. He gets to more freely be all clever stuff and have fun with it, too. And I wanted to bring some of that in here.

Plus I wanted to age Jamil up anyway (because fic this may also kinda be a self-insert in disguise and I wanted him to be closer to my age). And like I hope he doesn't canonically end up like he is here. But he definitely could.

Like, in my head this is a Jamil who didn't quite get the freedom he wanted. So he's stuck, but he's also become more ruthless and self-serving, taking what advantage he can of his position (and Kalim). Like, that talk Jamil and Leona had in book 6? It's like Jamil didn't quite take the right lessons from that, or at least he's applying them in less than ideal circumstances.

So we have a Jamil who has no quailms about going for what he wants, underhanded or not. He's still keeping it under wraps, but he's not holding back anymore if there's something that benefits him or suits what he wants. And he wants you.

Reader, meanwhile, in many aspects is basically a reflection (and perhaps also a magnification) of my Jamil thoughts. Which… might explain why they ended up so thirsty that the dubcon ended up milder than originally planned 😅

But when I wrote the reader wanting to know more about Jamil (because I wanted to establish just what kind of a Jamil we're dealing with here) I realized that Jamil absolutely would a) take note and b) become suspicious. We know he's paranoid. (Or perhaps just very careful for good reasons. Anyway.) Even if in some ways he's more confident here, that paranoia isn't going anywhere. So, that scene with him questioning reader's motives.

Now, this scene wasn't really something I planned, and I certainly tried to make my way around or skip it altogether. But it just felt like it had to be there, before we could get to the smut. Like, why would Jamil just disregard reader's behavior? But I also kinda struggled with it (like, lemme get to the smut already, why do these characters require so much plot of me here?).

And like, if I was a more prolific writer, I'm sure I could've written much more about that stage. About Jamil probing the reader while the reader thinks he's still just suspicious (rather than (also) interested). But I actually wanted to finish this so I figured I'll just briefly skim over this stage, since it was kinda extraneous to the original idea, anyway.

Though I'm sure there is some delicious potential there to write something where one could read between the lines to see what Jamil is actually thinking at that point - versus what reader character thinks his motivations are.

But hey, guess now you get to put your own spin on things when you read, which sure serves its own purposes.

And then, the smut. Jamil so kindly asks your hosts for you to get a quiet room since you're such a light sleeper (liar). He just happens to come in just as you're so vulnerable and barely dressed.

Yeah he definitely planned that whole thing and blocked out some time in his schedule. May have even kept tabs on you via your phone, if you're inclined to think so.

But also. He's so careful that he's the one in control all the way through that encounter. You don't get to touch, you don't get to undress him, even while plowing into you he could pull away and walk off at any moment if he needed to.

So when you're the one to wrap your arms around him and kiss him? Yeah that short-circuits him a bit.

If NRC Jamil is totally repressed, then so is this, just in a slightly different way. Because this Jamil isn't holding back getting what he wants, but he sure is keeping everyone and everything far far away. Which might come into play more if this thing does get a sequel.

And then Jamil using snake whisper on you at the end. I just had to.

I did contemplate having him do that as soon as the reader character starts getting loud, but that just felt a little too cruel. Didn't want to leave the folks reading this hanging, you know.

But what happened while you were under the spell… Well, that's something to think about, isn't it.

(I don't have the definite answer to this either, though I do have a few ideas.)

So, uh, I think that's the gist of it? I definitely spent a lot of time thinking about how to strike the right balance between things. Like, how could I make Jamil out to be ruthless and all without it being too unsavory or concerning? I definitely wrote several variations of that scene before I decided it was good enough, not too tame, not too violent.

Same with the smut: I wanted there to be some discomfort and dubcon elements, but I didn't want to go too far with it so that I could still keep it on the side of exciting rather than uncomfortable to read. Like, I certainly have written stuff more on the noncon side before, but like I said, this reader was pretty enthusiastic. So the only way to lean more into the dubcon would've been to make Jamil more into a selfish jerk, and that didn't seem accurate either. Plus combining Jamil's motivations with what I'd personally find hot was another balancing act.

But also: if you have thoughts about writing, then please write! Headcanons, oneshots, long ambitious stuff. The only way you get better is practice, after all.

I mean, I was definitely worried if I'd do Jamil justice here. But also I'm the sort of writer/creator who sometimes just has to get certain ideas out of their brain, so at a certain point you (hopefully) learn to accept that what you're doing is good enough to be finished / shared - no matter how close or not it is to some imagined ideal. (Besides, others can't compare your work to that ideal in your brain. They only see the end result, which I feel is quite freeing in a way.)

Besides, there's so many different ways to write, and so many things potential readers would enjoy. Interesting ideas, characterization, technically good writing, evocative prose, highlighting certain aspects of canon or bringing new elements to it…

And like, it's such a cliche, but no one's going to write the stories you think about like you would. So why not add another voice to the mix?

Also though: this is what I was thinking while writing. But I'd certainly love to hear how things came across / were interpreted while reading. I may be the writer, but how you read it is mostly out of my hands, and I'm definitely curious.

[fellhellion]

feeling sick in the head over the fact that jessica and peter met miguel BG (before gabriella) and had to watch miguel spiral from the man we see in the itsv end credits to what he’s like AG (after gabriella) over the span of months

like did he even tell them about gabriella before it went to shit?? did he know his other self was going to die or was he just watching idly and saw himself get shot and had like 5 minutes to decide to just uproot himself and was like lyla put my notifications on do not disturb

lyla put my notifications on do not disturb fsdkjhfkjsdhkjfhsdkj and oh i KNOW. im mentally ill about this too.

honestly considering his chronic emotional self isolation my money is personally on the idea that he didn't tell anyone about gabriella beforehand and likely wasn't intentionally showing the depression spiral symptoms. just straight up hit the bricks (seemingly) out of the blue.

Also on miguel knowing vs not knowing about alt's self death. it's complicated. I believe him when he says he didn't think his action would damage that dimension, so either

a) they didn't have the canon event framework at the time, or didn't have an idea of the damage disrupting it could supposedly do, so regardless of whether alt miguel's death is sanctioned by the universe, our miguel genuinely had no idea he was about to trod on the toes of cosmic fate or w/e

b) they DID have an understanding of this framework but there was nothing to indicate alt miguel's death was anything more than a tragic accident, so assuming his place theoretically shouldn't have caused the damage it did

The way the scene plays out though leads me to think it wasn't something he had forewarning of. It's very "I felt this way, and wanted what he had -> My alternate self was suddenly killed -> I thought it would be harmless if I quietly stepped into his shadow". It FEELS spur of the moment to me by virtue of the quick succession of events when Miguel retells it. But again, just my own read on the vibes and not concrete.

[fushigurro]

🍓🍄🦴!!

MELK!!!!! ❤️

🍓 ⇢ how did you get into writing fanfiction? 

so i’ve been reading fanfic for a long time but never really thought about trying to write my own until a few years ago. my primary writing activity of choice was roleplay, but there were a couple ships i started jotting things down for outside of that but never fully developed/published.

then about three years ago i started getting into x reader in the star wars fandom and it quickly sparked my interest! it seemed like a good way for me to be able to indulge in specific characters and interests without having an rp partner or a character x character ship to be invested in.

🍄 ⇢ share a head canon for one of your favourite ships or pairings

RIP, leigh and fallon asked the same thing and i don’t really have an answer LMAO sorry i’m lame but i can give you a selfship hc instead??? since i feel bad for not answering these questions lol

megumi gets cold rather easily and doesn’t really say anything but i can tell when he’s getting chilled because he’ll lean a little closer or subtly tuck his feet or hands somewhere against my body heehee <3

🦴 ⇢ is there a piece of media that inspires your writing?

not super specifically! my brain just has a million things going on at different times and idk where some shit comes from. i mean i guess music sometimes sparks certain ~moods~ or vibes but nothing really concrete or plot-based. it’ll often just bring back memories of the past or of movies/tv/etc. that fit the vibe and maybe get my brain thinking about different scenarios. if that even makes sense???

also i feel like some tumblr posts or something make me imagine a scenario, then another scenario, then another scenario… until what ends up in my head is nothing like the original thing i saw, my hyperactive brain and imagination just ping ponged off it until i ended up somewhere completely different lol.

writers ask game

[kinetic-elaboration]

November 21: Hauntings Series

Since I didn’t do my Halloween ficlets (yet again lol) and I don’t have any plans to do that particular series in that particular way, I thought I’d make a post explaining roughly what I would have done if I were a faster writer.

The theme was ‘Hauntings’ and I was going to write five ficlets, each about a different type of haunting or facet of haunting.

The first, a traditional ghost story, was the one I actually wrote and posted: a modern AU about Clarke meeting Dante’s ghost just hours after his death. This one was inspired by a real ghost story I heard from a co-worker, though only in a very indirect way. She used to work in a nursing home and described to me hearing the distinctive cough of a gentleman who had just passed away. That was hard to make into a narrative so I expanded on it and ended up with this fic, but I actually like it a lot, and I think it did what it was meant to do.

The second story was to be about a haunted house. I keep a Halloween document with a list of potential ficlet ideas and I had one written down that was literally just “Briller + things that go bump in the night,” so I thought I could do something with that. I was going to play off of the ‘live by a lake and raise chickens and grow old’ conversation from canon, take that ‘young couple with a new old house’ angle and just do something short and atmospheric with it. I brainstormed some for this but couldn’t get it to gel.

The plan for the third was ‘unusual haunted location’ and for that I was going to write the Linctavia + haunted pirate ship idea from my Halloween list. This was also on the agenda for Halloween 2022. I think the idea of ghosts on the ocean is very potent (think the Demeter section from Dracula, everything from Moby Dick) and I still really want to take the handful of imagery floating around my head around this idea and put it down into something coherent. Worries me a little that I still have not, because sometimes projects get stuck if you just let them sit for too long—like uh all my projects—but maybe it’s time will still come.

Ficlet four was “haunted objects” but honestly what I was going to use for this spot was really a stretch for that theme. But it was also the ficlet I was most excited about and planned the most for and one I still really want to write! The idea was a canon-verse Ark-era, Raven-centric, Grabinksi-inspired tale of engineering legends and the mystical imbued-spirit of the ship. And maybe it wouldn’t have worked but it feels like it has such potential in my head!

And finally, I wanted to round out the series with a ficlet that somehow captured the feeling of the word ‘haunted.’ This one was mostly just an aesthetic list, I won’t even lie: the vibes I wanted it to capture, the mood, rather than anything too concrete. I was sort of toying with a Bellamy + Wells centric canon-AU fic but it was super, super vague. Honestly, I think the mood I wanted to put here was probably captured well by the first ficlet. The other three I’d like to write eventually, though probably not as part of a ‘hauntings’ series, but this one I don’t think I’ll ever develop more.

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

what’s stopping you from creating a harem?

let the little birdie be doted on by pretty anime boys, she’s earned it

[Referring to this post!]

(Raven art by shimmeryspark!)

Well, since you asked (which, by the way, I’m both surprised and flattered by??? 😳) you shall receive~ Please note that none of this is meant to be taken seriously as Raven canon, I’m just throwing ideas around for fun. 

(ahbfiyoabdsabd And to answer wildnya before I begin! I think it’s impractical to have 20+ characters romantically interested in the same person! While I’m open to exploring the potential of other ships, a harem is not something I’d want to be “endgame” for Raven. I want her to have friends and other loving platonic relationships too, because those are just as important to cultivate!)

Alright, with that out of the way... I’ve scribbled my ideas below the cut! (Some sections are longer than others because I had a less concrete idea of how I think their relationship would go, so I just kept on throwing out random thoughts that crossed my mind; it’s not a reflection of how “good” I think one ship is over another.)

“There you are; your teacup is topped off. Now then, would you like clotted cream or strawberry jam with your scones? I’m rather partial to the strawberry myself.” — Riddle

Riddle and Raven both have that smol, studious/serious, yet angree energy going for them 😤 so right off the bat, they’re already got a lot of similarities. They’ve also both got a bone to pick with the Leeches. I can see them studying or just gossiping about the twins over afternoon tea (and which is something I also mentioned in their friendship).

I feel that Riddle and Raven can bond on a deeper level due to their similar struggles as well. In a way, they are both characters who look young, but have been forced to “grow up” faster due to their unique circumstances, leaving them both with unfulfilled childhoods and a childish side which they hide or are ashamed of showing. It would be nice if they could eventually relax around one another and revel in the childhoods that they missed out on... Maybe experience a crush for the first time? 😂 And awkwardly fumble through all the new feelings together, attempting to hold hands, etc. At the same time, I can see a drawback in them being so similar; they’d probably enable one another’s worst habits (overworking, for example), so they’d actually have to become aware of that and work on keeping one another in check.

BONUS CUTE THINGS 😳 Raven just kitten sneezing because she’s allergic to the pollen of all the flowers in the Heartslabyul gardens so Riddle quietly sets out a box of tissues every teatime but doesn’t comment on it out loud... It would also be cute if he just whipped out his butter knife and perfectly sawed a strawberry in half just to give it to her ❤️ or just picking out cute clothes for each other, since it feels like they have similar fashion sense, too!

“Whoa, careful there. You might cut yourself on that blade--wait, you’re putting it in wrong!! Don’t tell me you don’t know how to use a food processor. I guess it can’t be helped... Here, let me show you.” — Trey

Honestly, I feel like Raven would fall into the same trap that she fell in with Jade. The only difference between Trey and Jade is that Trey is just Some Guy (TM) trying to live life (and who only helps her because it saves himself some trouble), whereas Jade has more dubious intentions. She’d initially gravitate toward Trey because he gives those “reliable big brother” vibes, only to kind of have her illusion shattered later because he’s not really that idealized version of him that she came up with in her head. (Like, maybe there’d be this moment where Trey jokes about putting oysyer sauce in a pie, but Raven, not knowing much about human food at the time, believes him and just slaps the sauce in, then happily eats the oyster pie when it’s done?? And Trey is just standing there and staring like “WTF kind of a demon child are you? Are your taste buds broken?”)

I can see them doing favors for each other on a regular basis. Trey could share some of the plants he grows in the greenhouse with Raven, Raven could give him some of the herbs she grows in her room; Trey would use the herbs and such for baking and cooking, Raven could use his plants for ink. As they help each other out in the lab and in the kitchen, they’d come to learn more about each other and appreciate each others’ own rationality and pragmatism compared to the rest of the weirdness that is NRC. They’re basically the “reasonable” parts of Heartslabyul and/or Crowley’s administration, respectively. I can’t imagine that either of them would be particularly smooth about asking the other out (since Raven is only good at writing romance, and Trey is just... hopeless); they’d be a pretty awkward couple!

BONUS CUTE THINGS 😳 When they both try their best to be romantic but they both just suck at it so it turns out all wrong, but they still have fun anyway................. Like, they use cutesy nicknames but just end up laughing, or they just casually tell each other how terrible their corny lines are. They have no shame in calling each other out... Trey making chocolate or marzipan birdies and feather decorations on his sweets and sending them to her so she has something to nibble on when she writes late into the night 😌 Maybe with dumb little notes, too~ AHLDivfoavsyfviyadv AND TREY ALWAYS NAGS HER TO EAT MORE............

“Eeeh? You’ve never used Magicam before, Rae-chan? Seriously, how were you even living before coming to NRC? Well, never mind that. You can count on Cay-kun to show you the ropes, okay?” — Cater

I don’t think Raven would initially get along with Cater. She sees him as a little pushy and gaudy, especially with his insistence on helping her start a Magicam account. On Cater’s end, he’s pretty much only helping her for clout ✨ However, I feel that there’s a lot of important things Raven could actually stand to learn from Cater (like how to socialize, how to express herself, and how to use social media/online platforms to connect with people whose faces she may not see). Maybe he even helps her set up a writing blog 😂 And maybe when he sees her writing, he’s impressed, even envious (?), of how she can so easily express herself in script when he can’t.

I’m not sure how exactly, but I think sooner or later, Raven would suspect that there’s something up with Cater. His facade might slip, or cracks may appear just briefly enough for her to get a glimpse into his innermost feelings. And, of course, Cater’s terrified so he tries to cover it up, even distance himself... and maybe Raven calls him out on his hypocrisy, because Cater had previously helped her learn to find her own voice and express herself before. “Now it’s my turn to support you, Cater-senpai.” It’ll be kind of tumultuous for sure, since Raven is still clumsy with judging and expressing her feelings and Cater is in a sensitive spot emotionally and mentally 💦 but it would be nice to see them earnestly try to help each other while still being their own people. Because, like them, love is imperfect, but they still want to give it a chance.

BONUS CUTE THINGS 😳 Cater just casually calling Raven “Rae-chan” since day 1, but trying to get her comfortable with calling him “Cay-kun” and every time she fails, she just curls up into an embarrassed ball on the floor... helping her get used to the camera except she does the thing where she just covers her face in her hands every time Cater tries taking a selfie with her... SMILE PRACTICE fnsgwshdehieeje... And for those moments when they’re feeling down, they can spoon each other and talk until they both knock out :v

“Hah? I heard that the headmaster’s kid was in our homeroom, but I didn’t expect you to be some brat. What, you’re angry now? Just goes to show how much of a kid you really are.” — Ace

Okay, this is your “idiot doesn’t know how to express their feelings, so they bully the target of their affections in hopes of getting their attention” trope. Ace first approaches her because well... hey, she’s kind of cute? But he’s also weirdly turned off by the idea that she’s related to Crowley, so it’s complicated— Except Ace is an asshole, so he speaks to her in a teasing manner and offends her right off the bat. It paints him in a bad light, and their relationship spirals downwards from there. Every time he tries to say something nice, it comes out snarky and never as kind had he had intended it to be. bfjsnsksks I imagine he tries practicing in a mirror at home, or he psychs himself up, only to flop miserably when he puts it to practice. And so he can only continue interacting with her the only way she knows how.

One of the main things Ace teases Raven about is her “crap taste in guys”. Ace is a lot smarter than people give him credit for, so I think he’d pick up fast that Raven has a thing for certain guys. I can see him being sneaky and volunteering to help her practice asking them out, and while she initially (reluctantly) agrees, she eventually becomes frustrated with Ace’s nitpicks and calls it off. I think his confession would just result from that built up tension over time, listening to her go on and on about why she likes X and Y so much. At some point, Ace can’t hold it in anymore and just tells Raven she’s dumb for always chasing after upperclassmen when he’s literally right here and would treat her so much better. Yes, he’s a pick me/j

She’s dense, so it would take Raven a long time to come to terms with it and agree to give Ace a chance. Raven keeps him at an arm’s length and makes it clear that she’s still suspicious of him (which honestly is fair given how he has treated her up until then). He’ll have to do something pretty selfless or kind to fully earn her trust, and her heart.

BONUS CUTE THINGS 😳 Bickerbickerbickerbickerbickerbicker... Ace bragging every chance he gets, but Raven just interrupts him with a jab to stomach and reminding him to be humble... being a smug idiot and glancing at the stands every time he does an impressive basketball trick or shot, just to see if she saw it (90% of the time she didn’t, she has her head in her journal)... He tries to read her diary to see if she doodles/writes any embarrassing stuff about him, but it’s just a log of the dumb things he has done/said so she can recite them to him later 😌

“Ace! You can’t just talk to a girl like that! Show some respect...! Oh, um! I’m Deuce. Deuce Spade. It looks like we’re going to be classmates from now on, so please take care of me!” — Deuce

Unlike Ace, Deuce is actually someone Raven could actually get along with. He comes off as well-meaning and determined, even if he isn’t the brightest. Raven can help him study, and because of that, Deuce feels indebted to her. As friends, they hang out after classes sometimes, and during that time, Deuce notices that she’s not particularly strong (physically), so he feels like he has to “protect her”, similar to how he is protective of his mom and his grandma.

One day, Raven witnesses Deuce snapping and going delinquent mode on a mob student (for any reason, I don’t care what it is), and that completely changes her opinion on him. Both of them feel bad (Deuce because he couldn’t control his rage, and Raven because she’s reevaluating her thoughts on a dear friend), but they have to eventually accept that Deuce is still himself, delinquent or not. They make up with one another and promise to not keep any more secrets (but because of that, Deuce blurts out his confession... and when Raven stares at him, he just goes, “You... You didn’t want any more secrets. I wanted to honor my word.”)

They’d have the dynamic of being a cute and wholesome couple that’s easily embarrassed by displays of affection! The kind that happily introduce each other to their family without any fear but get all flustered when asked about how they met. Deuce will probably lose it on you if you like, shove Raven and refuse to apologize 😂 though she tries her best to temper him. In contrast to Ace, Deuce is more humble about his relationship and just quietly appreciates that he has it.

BONUS CUTE THINGS 😳 Magical wheel ride except Deuce is driving so damn fast Raven’s clutching onto him from behind and screaming... They have cute matching egg keychains? Like each half of a cracked egg or something! fbjsbejebeje And they both just love cute things, so you’ll find them window shopping and oohing at some cute plushie or something~ Deuce’s mom tells embarrassing baby stories every chance she’s on the phone with Raven— Meanwhile, Deuce gets super nervous around Crowley now... He just bends at a 90-degree angle and shouts “dad” at him, which freaks Crowley out...

“Well, well, well. If it isn’t the headmaster’s prized Canary. Don’t think you can freely come and go from my territory as you please. There are consequences.” — Leona

HOO BOY, EBG FLASHBACKS...

Lemme just say that Leona and Raven would be like a cat and a bird dog, always at each other’s throats. Leona isn’t fond of Raven because he sees her as a spoiled princess/Crowley’s “golden girl”. This is where the nickname “Canary” comes from; it’s a mocking reference to how Leona feels about her. The bright color of the canary’s hide also contrasts with Raven’s actual colors, so it’s also a jab at her personality. All of this is to say Leona is petty and I stan that. As for Raven’s views on Leona, they’re not much more positive. She thinks of him as a lazy slob and a brute that namely resorts to force to get what he wants.

I’m going to be lazy here and say go read the snippets I wrote for EBG if you want more details, but essentially, Raven and Leona come to realize they are similar in some ways. Yeah, they still argue, but they share some of their insecurities, and they can relate in the fact that they both feel “cursed”. In Raven’s sense, it’s a literal curse, and in Leona’s sense, he feels like his UM is a curse. They understand the pain of feeling isolated and alone in the world, and they both struggle to convey it to others. Also, even if both of them would never admit it, they have their ways of bringing levity to each others’ lives. Raven’s wonder and curiosity may be a thorn in Leona’s side, but it does expose him to a more lighthearted facet of life. And Leona, for all of his bitterness, does get Raven to venture out of her comfort zone by taunting her. It’s unintentional, but they’re helping each other without really knowing it. (If you followed the EBG story, Raven comes to the realization that Leona’s nicer and far more intelligent than he lets on, too!)

Their relationship will be a very slow and gradually developing one. In a similar fashion to Ace, I feel like Leona would one day be fed up with Raven talking about someone else. Maybe some bitterness about being second place mixes in with his jealousy and he makes a remark about how he aims to be “king”/her “number 1” 😂 probably in that low, menacing tone or paired with a kabedon or something, I don’t know— Raven’s not used to Leona being so (romantically) aggressive fhhshsks so I can see her freaking out and needing some time away to sort out her own feelings. Leona wouldn’t force anything though, he’d respect her wishes and wait for the idiot bird to come to him herself.

This is another couple that would bicker a lot. They don’t see eye to eye often, they have hang-ups with each other’s personalities, and they don’t often overtly express their affection, but they care for each other in spite of that. Leona’s more of the type to “love” with snarky comments or with touch (and by “touch”, I mean literally just using Raven as a pillow substitute). He has his moments where he acts like a little kid and needs to be chided to go to class or to eat vegetables, but he has his methods of charming his way out of them. Raven eventually gets used to being his pillow and ends up also falling asleep on him half of the time. Though Leona complains about it, he does remind her every now and again it’s fine to be more selfish. Meanwhile, she’s his little support bird, speaking to him about his problems not directly, but via analogies made by stories. It’s more comfortable for Leona to talk about his problems this way, since he’s personally removed from them. They balance each other out.

BONUS CUTE THINGS 😳 Leona just being a casual rat bastard and doing everything he can to embarrass her, even something as small as blowing in her ear when she isn’t expecting it... (he does it a lot in front of Crowley just to piss him off) Raven making picture books for Cheka because he deserves nice things, Leona makes a comment about how she’s already “kissing up” to his family... they take little broomstick strolls through the sky... chess nights where Leona has a win streak but Raven still won’t give up trying to outdo him... Leona rigs a tire swing up and uses it as an excuse to invite her over (he still claims he finds her singing and lectures annoying though)...

“Heee~ Fancy meeting you here, Raven-kun. Guess even the headmaster’s kid has bills to pay. Madol really is the universal language huh~ Even animals understand it!” — Ruggie

Ruggie is a tricky one. Raven has no problems with him... until she finds out he’s a pickpocket the hard way (when he snuck some of her allowance from her wallet). She also associates Ruggie with Leona (and her opinion of him is initially quite low) as his “lackey”. When she sees Ruggie, she often lectures him and demands to see his pockets, which Ruggie never does. He’s usually scurrying off to his next job (though he seems to behave while on duty, thank goodness). Ruggie is generally indifferent about Raven; he mostly gets a laugh out of her confused noises, though he doesn’t like how demanding she can be.

Ruggie x Raven kicks in when, due to a series of unfortunate events, Raven is forced to take on part time jobs to pay for something she needs, or to repair something. She feels too ashamed/guilty to ask Crowley for money or feels that she must take responsibility for it herself, so she takes on odd jobs around campus. Ruggie happens to also have those same odd jobs, so, as the senior member of staff, he’s tasked with training the newbie up. It’s a huge mess at first, since Raven isn’t used to doing manual labor. She’s concerned with tidiness and perfectionism, while Ruggie’s fine with just getting the job done and done “good enough”. They can bond over their work shifts (where they are forced to be together), with Raven coming to appreciate Ruggie’s work ethic and Ruggie seeing that Raven is willing to pick up new skills even when she started with nothing, much like him.

I think it’d be really cute if Ruggie just fnsbsjs nonchalantly invites her out to lunch (on one of their breaks or something?) and they just chill, share cheap food, shoot the shit... simple, down-to-earth things. Raven usually has a very fancy way of speaking, but for once in her life, she’d be able to unwind and speak with someone else coloquially. Ruggie strikes me as the type of person who’d casually ask someone out, then just as quickly brush it off as a joke if they sense that the other person isn’t into it... but because Raven’s gotten the chance to know him, she feels more inclined to say yes.

BONUS CUTE THINGS 😳 Ruggie scavenges a bunch of raw materials for Raven’s enchanted inks when he could eat them or repurpose them for his own purposes... Raven custom dying a scarf for Ruggie... Granny Bucchi constantly asking Ruggie when he’s finally going to let him meet his girlfriend... Raven making all kinds of foods to feed Ruggie 😭 They send letters via the birds to each other when they’re far apart (since they can both communicate with birds)... HE TUGS THE CORNERS OF HER LIPS TO MAKE HER SMILE..........

“... Are you lost? You don’t look like you belong at Night Raven College. Get going, before someone else finds you here. They’ll show no mercy to the weak.” — Jack

Ah, yes. Another emotionally constipated boy 😌 Raven’s more intimidated by Jack’s imposing stature than his personality. Animals with his type of build could easily tear her apart in the wild, so she steers clear of him at all times. By comparison, Jack doesn’t even pay attention to her existence until he finds something she dropped one day and tracks her down (via smell) to return it. Raven gets the wrong idea and thinks he’s trying to hunt her down, so she panics and runs, leading to a huge Scooby Doo style chase throughout campus. She collapses from exhaustion before Jack does, and right before he can claim her life, he anticlimactically returns her item and warns her to be more careful next time.

I think their relationship would mostly be about Raven coming to see Jack more as a person instead of as this weird caricature based on his intimidating outward appearance. (Maybe she gets formally introduced to him via Deuce? And Jack kind of looks out for her because he doesn’t like the idea of the strong picking on the weak) Once she realizes how she misjudged him, she calls herself a fool for jumping to conclusions and decides that she needs to repent somehow. So, gathering up her courage, she apologizes to Jack and promises that she’ll strive to do better so she doesn’t repeat the same mistakes again. I think her nobility and willingness to accept fault, at the cost of her own pride, would resonate with Jack. Though he isn’t really concerned with what others think of him, he’d appreciate that someone else came out and confessed to being wrong. He’d accept her apology but tell her that he expects her to stay true to her word.

This is another romance that I feel would be really slow to blossom (mostly because the two people involved are both emotionally stunted). Essentially, it would start out as an awkward friendship, with both of them looking out for the other. Maybe Raven gets this idea in her head that she wants to become stronger herself so she’s not as much of a burden for Jack, but no matter how hard she tries, she can’t really make significant improvements. But she keeps trying and trying, and it’s that determination, that spark of hope that always lingers about her, that softens Jack up in her presence.

BONUS CUTE THINGS 😳 Raven hanging off of Jack’s arm like it’s money bars at a park or something??? And just being hauled around in general since she’s so tiny compared to him... Leaning against his tail as kind of a cushion while she’s writing, but she just ends up falling asleep and Jack doesn’t have the heart to wake her/tell her to get off... Raven coming to watch his track meets, just planting down in the grass and doing her work, greeting Jack with a handkerchief to wipe off his sweat or a bottle of water to cool off...

“I’m honored to welcome such an esteemed guest to the Mostro Lounge. If you enjoy your dining experience here, please do consider putting in a good word for us to the headmaster, Raven-san.” — Azul

Like in the Tale of the Cursed Raven, Azul initially develops an interest in Raven because he sees her as an easy “in” with the headmaster. Basically, she’s a useful connection he can exploit for personal gain and profit. He does all of his usual things, kissing up to her and offering his help, should she need anything, just to get in her good graces. Raven, being as gullible as she is when she first arrives at NRC, takes him at face value and accepts his acts of “kindness”, coming to think of Azul as genuinely kind.

But hey, maybe the more time she spends with Azul, the more she comes to realize she’s being used to meet some end goal, and maybe she’s okay with that because she’s so desperate to have a friend. On Azul’s end, maybe he starts feeling guilty because he’s aware that she knows what’s happening here, and he’s unsure if he should keep perpetuating it or to just cut things off because oh no, he started to feel attached to her somewhere along the way. He could also be struggling with his own policy of keeping his distance from “clients” to prevent himself from getting hurt. The vibes of this storyline would be like a business transaction turned into “something more”.

Another idea I considered is Raven being Azul’s “business rival”. In an earlier concept draft for the Tale of the Cursed Raven, Raven was going to start a “Fairy Godmothering” service where she would try to help out the residents of NRC (post Jade betrayal) because she wanted to do something positive to get her mind off of those events. Azul was going to find out about it because he notices a decline in deals made at the lounge, but this idea got scrapped because I had no idea where to go from there. To be honest, I’m not sure what to do with this idea for Azul x Raven either, but I figured I would throw it in here anyway. I guess the dynamic for this path would be “rivals to lovers”?

In a sense, I feel like Raven and Azul can relate in their backgrounds. They’re both people who are deeply insecure about their own pasts, Azul because he was relentlessly bullied, and Raven because she was insignificant, and not truly a part of their “world”. I don’t think either would willingly come out to one another about how insecure they are, but it would be interesting topic of discussion for them to be open with one another about it.

BONUS CUTE THINGS 😳 Azul playing the piano while Raven just hums along, sometimes coming up with random lyrics on the fly... helping Azul taste test new menu items but Raven feels bad eating it all by herself so she just holds up a spoon to Azul and tells him to go “ahhhh”... getting into a passive aggressive argument over who’s paying for the entire dinner bill 😌 all classics, I’m sure~

“Oya, it seems that there is much you have yet to learn about the world. Fufu. You need not worry. I would be more than happy to be your tutor. After all, I found myself in your situation not too long ago. Consider this my way of ‘paying it forward’.” — Jade

I’m going to summarize Jade’s perspective in the ongoing series Tale of the Cursed Raven 😂 But basically, he initially enages with Raven because she seems like someone who would have useful information/connections. At that time, she had a very innocent outlook on the world and didn’t know much about what it is to be “human”, so Jade finds amusement in how readily she believes anything he says, at the sparkle in her eyes when she makes a new discovery. He gets to reexperience everything “for the first time” with her, and all the joys that come with it.

He opens up a whole new world to her, and she falls in love with all of it, letting her creativity and wonder take shape instead of being afraid of her unfamiliar environment. Expeditions out into the wild, gathering ingredients together, documenting new plants and mushrooms... Those are all important moments where Raven gets to really see that “soft”, more genuine side to Jade. (That’s what makes his betrayal hurt so much more later. It feels like everything, even the beautiful world she was introduced to, was all a lie.)

Of course I’m going to be biased towards this particular pair, but I really like the concept of playing with duality in their relationship. What is a truth? What is a lie? What is fact? What is fiction? It’s those kinds of questions that propel their relationship. With Jade, Raven never really knows what can be trusted and what can’t be, and with Raven, Jade can get a laugh out of teasing her, but he’ll never truly know what’s going on in her mind, just that she’s no longer as wide-eyed and open as she used to be. It’s one big game of truth and lies, with both being too prideful to admit defeat. That makes it interesting for me to write their back-and-forths because they don’t come across as “arguing” (like Leona and Raven), but more like they’re trying to one-up each other in an exchange of wits.

BONUS CUTE THINGS 😳 (Going to limit myself to a few ideas, because otherwise I would literally go on forever and ever since I find almost anything Jade and Raven do together cute—) OVERSIZED CLOTHING OVERSIZED CLOTHING maybe he offers Raven his jacket or wraps his scarf around her 😳 CaMPING TRiPS... Househusband J Leech complete with a dumb apron... starting a little garden together... dndbdjsnskdns giving that rare true smile of his behind closed doors and getting a real kick out of Raven having a panicked reaction when he gets too close or gets affectionate ............................ ........... ...... ... .. . . . .

“Ne, ne~ When are you gonna get bored of Jade and come play with me, Black Pearly? I promise I won’t squeeze you... too hard!” — Floyd

It’s only on a whim that Floyd first approaches Raven. I mean, she’s a new element to NRC, so of course he’d be curious. Plus, he hears she’s got a thing for his brother, so he’s got to bully her about it 😂 He keeps bothering her and asking about things he can’t find out about elsewhere (like maybe if it was fun being a bird?), sometimes getting super invasive or personal. I can also see Floyd being annoyed or frustrated with Raven for being so restrictive with herself. She’s always holed up or limiting her actions and words instead of just saying what’s on her mind. Raven would also have a short fuse with Floyd, on account of him being so unpredictable and chaotic.

Like with Cater, Raven could stand to learn a lot from Floyd. She’s very controlled and reserved, whereas Floyd advocates for freedom, a concept while Raven idealizes but thinks that she can never fully realize. Some of her resentment for Floyd may just come down to being jealous that he can act so carefreely and not care about what others think or what the consequences are. By being around Floyd, maybe Raven can also learn to loosen up and take life in stride.

Floyd plays rough so um 😂 bye, Raven??? Have fun being tossed around, I guess???? He would definitely push her to get out of her comfort zone. That’s his own way of showing and teaching her about the world, compared to Jade’s more calm and traditional methods. Raven wouldn’t be happy about it in the moment, but later on she’d recognize those times as valuable learning experiences. Floyd would enjoy her a lot more once she starts to open up and become more adventurous. A fully realized Raven with a sense of her own agency, someone that can always keep him guessing with her creativity... that’s what Floyd loves.

Floyd’s much more fickle than any other character, but once he has his mind set on something, he’s persistent. When he realizes his feelings, he might be more clingy or express overt jealousy when she chooses other people or activities over him. He’d just chsvsjdnkdfbfbd casually say that he loves her and Raven keeps brushing it off because “it’s such a Floyd thing to say”; he’d really need to do something big to get it through her thick skull.

Floyd and Raven would be that couple you see and go “... Why the heck are they together?” From a distance, they’re pretty different in terms of personality. However, they do share a similarity in that they like their independence and their ability to act freely. I don’t think Raven would actually do a very good job at keeping Floyd in check (he usually does whatever he wants anyway), but she gets dragged along in his misadventures anyway, and comes out of it with an interesting story to tell. The dynamic’s like... wild child boyfriend and tired girlfriend that gave up trying to keep him on a leash but will happily walk with him into danger just to make sure he doesn’t do anything too reckless.

BONUS CUTE THINGS 😳 Floyd yoinking Raven because he feels like it... Just YOINK, no regard whatsoever for what she’s doing at the moment. He wants attention, and he wants it NOW. cbjsbsjsns And then tucking her under his arm or over his shoulder and nyooming out... Maybe he even tries to teach her how to swim so she can drift out with him on the waters. Whenever they eat somewhere together, you can catch them hunched over in their chairs and mixing their food to see what kinds of weird combinations they can make 😂

“Try this next, Raven! Ooh, and then this! Then maybe some crackers as a palate cleanser! There’s lots of tasty foods from the Scalding Sands, so you should try them all! Next time, you should invite the headmaster to join us!” — Kalim

Raven pays attention to Kalim because he wears a lot of shiny accessories, and ravens like shiny things--

Kalim’s always up for making new friends, and that includes the mysterious new student. He’s like Floyd in that he can be pushy and somewhat excessive in his attempts to socialize with Raven. She struggles to wrap her head around both his wealth and his friendliness, (both concepts which were foreign to her in her original life as a bird in the forest), so she has to confess that she’s bewildered but curious about Kalim’s lifestyle. Because of this, Raven lets herself be dragged into Kalim’s flashy world (and boy, is she in for a shock). He gives her a grand tour and lavishes her with free gifts and food, then announces a banquet that evening in her honor (all of this, just to welcome her to NRC as his new friend!?). It happens too fast, leaving her light-headed and her thoughts spinning.

She knows Kalim means well, so she’s reluctant to turn down his frequent invitations. Raven thinks of Kalim as a very selfless person, someone without a bit of malice or hatred in his body. In that sense, she sees him as someone that is “better” than her, because while she also wishes for others happiness, she also can’t help but be a little jealous of them. On the other hand, Kalim only sees Raven as someone that doesn’t have a lot of life experience. He thinks it’s sad that she hasn’t been able to do or see much in her lifetime, so he wants to give her those chances! (What Kalim doesn’t realize, though, is that he, too, also lacks in life experiences, particularly the negative ones. This is something that I feel he and Raven could learn about and go through together. They’re confronted by their own naivete and have to come to terms with it, hand in hand.)

Man, this ship would be so tooth rottingly sweet. Raven would assume kind of a caretaker role here (Jamil silently thanks her for her service), as she is usually the one fussing over Kalim. Meanwhile, Kalim is the one that reminds her to take it easy every now and again, and tells her that it’s okay to let loose and let her emotions be known. He’d be really good at reading her body language and words to get a sense of how she’s really feeling but not really saying out loud. Kalim’s empathy would be super beneficial for Raven, who is still working on properly expressing herself. Of course, he’s also always getting expensive stuff (without being asked to) for her, and that pleases Crowley a lot.

BONUS CUTE THINGS 😳 Kalim flying with Raven (bird form) on his Magic Carpet! Bursting through the clouds, reaching for the stars!! Kalim stuffing her with crackers, just like the Sultan stuffed Iago’s beak with crackers in the movie-- Raven wanting to keep the relationship on the down-low but she literally can’t because Kalim shouts about it from the rooftops and tells all of his extended family about her... Raven insisting she’s clumsy on her feet, so she can’t possibly dance, but Kalim grabs her by the hand and encourages her to try anyway, to just do what “feels right!” 😇 because he’s such a good boi~

“I apologize for Kalim’s... zeal. If you need a moment’s respite, the garden is a comfortable place to collect your thoughts. Ah, and that dish... I would not recommend sampling it without yogurt to cool your mouth.” — Jamil

Take Raven x Trey, multiply its tired mom vibes by tenfold, and you have Raven x Jamil. I think they’d spend time together courtesy of Kalim, and they just both end up having to take their shifts babysitting him like an overworked mom and dad dealing with their energetic kid. Like, Raven gets the feeling that Jamil’s overworked so she offers to help? Or she notices a discrepancy in how he carries himself in classes (”average”) and at Scarabia (where he basically handles everything) and becomes curious about Jamil as a result of her observations. Maybe she even catches him dancing while he’s on a break and gets entranced by how easily he can express himself in his motions, when he represses them all the other times she sees him. She might unintentionally feed into Jamil’s ego by complimenting him on all the things he does well that she sucks at (like dancing).

Jamil and Raven relate to one another in that feeling of “helplessness” and their desire to “break free” (Jamil because of his status as a servant and having to consciously hold himself back so Kalim can exceed him, Raven because of her curse). Sharing their frustrations with one another could be a very meaningful display of trust, and they could grow closer because of it. They would slowly become “equals” that understand each other rather than someone Jamil has to keep pretending to, just like in every other aspect of his life.

They’d be a very private couple, only getting touchy-feely without prying eyes. Jamil would fuss a lot over Raven getting proper sleep and nutrition, maybe even pack little lunches for her to bring to class. He saves his teasing and sweet talk for behind closed doors, but he’s also easily embarrassed, yet pleased, by her own compliments. They don’t need that many words of overt descriptions of their feelings to understand one another; they just look at each other and know what the other is feeling.

BONUS CUTE THINGS 😳 Doing each other’s hair with fancy accessories... Raven just sitting on his shoulder in bird form, acting like the pet parrot that Jamil has always wanted... cooking and cleaning together, doing cutesy domestic stuff... Jamil frothing at the mouth and freaking out over a bug while Raven just casually guides the bug onto a book and sets it free via a windowa sdhasbdiaslydaidvasd MAYBE RAVEN PICKS UP A HABIT FROM JAMIL AND JUST SHRINKS INTO HER FEATHER SHAWL (instead of a hoodie) WHEN SHE’S BEING SHY?????? Also, apparently birds can’t perceive spiciness so I think it’d be funny if Raven just casually ate a bunch of spicy dishes without dying and Jamil makes it a personal mission to make her sweat with his cooking shdvwjsvwjwj

“Your presentation today is adequate, but you still have a long road ahead of you if you wish to become a full-fledged lady. Leave your tutelage to me, Shetland potato. I will make you sparkle like no other.” — Vil

Unlike some of Vil’s other students, Raven actually actively seeks him out because she wants him to teach her about the intricacies of “human mannerisms”. She wasn’t always as polite and well-spoken as she currently is; she had to watch and learn how to emulate that kind of behavior. In that sense, Raven is one of Vil’s most eager pupils. I think that Vil would find her skillset to be useful to him as well. Raven can offer a unique perspective as someone with fresh eyes, maybe critique his performances based on what she knows from stories (since book to movie adaptations, for example, don’t translate perfectly from page to on screen).

Raven would admire Vil for his willpower, and his desire to “earn” things rather than be handed them. He exudes confidence that Raven knows she will never have, and that makes him a commendable person in her eyes. By contrast, I don’t think Vil would see anything “special” in Raven until he learns about her writing hobby. Maybe she just so happened to write a story that resonates with him, a story about a villain that wants to be a hero for once it’s Shrek. it gives him a little hope that what he strives for may be possible, even if the world beats him down again and again. It’d be cute if Vil asks Raven to share more of her stories, or if they work closely together to turn them into actual performances, and they can bond over sharing their creative endeavors with one another.

Vil can’t really make their relationship well known in public, but he demonstrates his affection in small ways--secretive smiles as they pass each other in the hallway, stopping to fix her hair or her ribbons if they’re out of place, etc. For their private time, Vil arranges for dates in spots far away from the flashing lights and loud chatter of the paparazzi. He’s not as excessive as Kalim is with his gifts and other surprises; Vil respects Raven’s boundaries. She’s also very lowkey about their relationship, sharing in his secretive smiles and waiting for the evenings when she can sneak away to meet with her beautiful queen. 

BONUS CUTE THINGS 😳 Working together to make new enchanted ink colors? Maybe Vil can lend his advice/expertise in potions making to ink making? Or maybe Raven can be the one mentoring him instead of the other way around? Vil sitting Raven down to do her makeup or hair for her, or maybe he takes her to a store and has her try on whatever she likes because “you can’t dress in the same black frock every single day”... Raven writing a story based on Vil and it actually popularizes the idea of an antihero and lands Vil a prominent “villain turned hero” role??? And Raven’s so happy that things are finally changing for him~

“Do my ears deceive me? Your accent is reminiscent of the language of birds. Are you, perchance, fluent? Or perhaps a bird granted a human form? Fascinante! I must observe more and more of you.” — Rook

Rook already has a vested interest in non-human entities, so he would, of course, develop an interest in an animal that somehow gained a human form. He’d probably do his... uh... “Rook thing” and follow her around for a bit, observing her day to day life and such. I can see why Raven would be really put off by this at first, but since she’s also a curious person, she would also wonder about what kind of person Rook is and what his intentions are. I think he’d be absolutely delighted if she approached him first and asked who the heck he was 😂

It would definitely take some time getting used to his eccentricities... but once Raven adjusts, I think she’d find Rook to be a really valuable asset. He can see the beauty in everything, and is a much needed ray of sunshine in her life because of that. Rook could definitely offer some unique perspective and critique of her work, and he’d have great fun being able to watch her up close and personal. He’d be able to really see her come into her own, growing from someone skittish to someone confident enough to explore the world on her own. In a way, it’s like he’s helping her out of her shell and comfortably find her way in a realm she was once afraid of venturing into.

Besides their close ties to nature, they’re similar in that they have this boundless curiosity, but different in that Rook has a much more optimistic outlook on life than Raven does. They sort of balance each other out in that aspect. Raven is generally more grounded, while Rook is very much whimsical and lets his fancies fly. At the same time, Raven has her moments with her head in the clouds and Rook can be serious when needed. They keep each other in check.

😷 Rook and Raven would be that couple of polar opposites. On one hand, you have the super outgoing and romantic Rook, always loudly declaring his love and pulling out absurd public displays of affection... and on the other hand, you have the much more reserved Raven who shrinks into herself and mumbles back vague responses to her partner, trying to attract as little attention as possible. You wouldn’t think they’d get along, but they do.

BONUS CUTE THINGS 😳 Rook speaking in the language of the birds to Raven to say something really mushy and she chokes on her slice of bread or something because she wasn’t expecting it... bdjsbsjsns when Rook says something that’s just so dumb but somehow it makes her giggle anyway 🤭 Whispering so many sweet nothings her entire face goes red and she has to cover her face and squeak but Rook keeps talking anyway like the idiot that he is... Raven doesn’t like having her picture taken, so instead of a phot album, Rook just has a massive book of art pieces he made inspired by her... Like he has her face memorized to the last strand of hair 😂

“You can’t win a fight with just words. And if you don’t fight... the other students will stomp all over you. Is that what you really want? To be seen as weak? I can’t understand that.” — Epel

With the newfound knowledge I’ve gained of ravens and crows being crop pests, I’ve come to the conclusion that Epel and Raven would not get along 😷 I don’t think Epel would really understand her way of thinking. Raven is more likely to resolve a conflict by talking things out instead of throwing fists or spells; Epel is the opposite. He might think poorly of her for “being weak” and wanting to conform to Vil’s standards instead of sticking to her roots or defining her identity by herself. Raven would think Epel is foolish for being a “wild child” and making more trouble for himself than a situation may be worth.

They really only start to see beyond the surface after the events of chapter 5, when Epel embraces the “strength” in his cuteness. He doesn’t put as much emphasis on the traditional definition of “(physical) strength” anymore and comes to realize that everyone has their own unique “strengths”. Maybe after he reflects some more on how he acted before, he’ll try to “start over” with his classmates, Raven included. She’d have a better impression of post-chapter 5 Epel, because he’s being more respectful of their differences rather than using their differences as a means of belittling her.

With this second start, Epel could get a chance to see a new side to Raven, too—how passionate she is about her craft, and how hesitant she seems to be about going past certain boundaries (because of her curse and what she has been told by her storytelling mentor). Epel might be that rebellious push that she needs to shatter that ceiling and to express herself and her ideas to their fullest. The metaphorical “poison” apple he offers her could be the very thing that wakes her from her “slumber”.

They’d be a shy couple. What feelings they don’t convey in words, you can perceive through the quick glances they give each other. Even when they hold hands, they kind of look away or stare at the ground, keeping kind of a distance between themselves. Their romantic gestures and outings are also small and understated, but both of them enjoy the simplicity they provide.

BONUS CUTE THINGS 😳 Epel’s family sends a big ol’ crate of apples and Raven happily pecks away at all the different kinds... Epel accidentally crashing into Raven mid-Magift Club practice and as he’s apologizing and stumbling back to his feet, Leona shouts at him to “stop flirting” and to get his head back in the game??? They spend time together in the library learning about various plants and crops... Sharing the same book and blushing when their fingers accidentally touch... 😌

“Wh-Why look for love in real people when you’ve got fictional characters that are always there for you? Things like true love... th-they don’t exist in the real world...” — Idia

They’re both shut-ins. What more can I say? Getting Raven and Idia to even cross paths would be a miracle, because neither is all that excited to get out and meet new people. I think it’s more likely that some external force (Crowley, Ortho, etc.) would try to have them be friends, and as a result, they’re extremely rocky from the start. Idia would probably start playing a game and Raven (with nothing else better to do) would watch him.

Through their forced hangouts, Raven would develop an appreciation for video games as a new creative medium for storytelling. She might even ask to see more, since she has no idea about video games herself. Idia might gatekeep or brag about how he has great taste (not sure which he’d do, honestly). (He could recommend some visual novels to her??) But what I’m trying to say here is they can bond over their love of fiction.

Maybe when Idia is comfortable enough with her, he can toss some snacks Raven’s way or invite her for a co-op game before proceeding to call her gaming skills “trash”— He communicates a lot better when he’s sharing something he is passionate about, so he could give a bunch of game, music, anime, manga, etc. recommendations to Raven to help immerse her in his otaku lifestyle. fhsjsbdjsjs Imagine him telling her what a waifu or husbando is?? 😂 “Who’s your ‘waifu’, Idia-senpai?” she asks, and he goes red in the face when the first person he thinks of is Raven—

xdgwwgdjehehebe THEY WOULD BE SO WEIRD, like keeping 6 feet apart and trying to not bump into each other or else they’d explode?? This is a rare case where Raven might be considered the more romantically assertive one, but in an innocent way? Like she asks to hold Idia’s hand (something innocent like that) and he goes mad from a good, strong dose of that cute juice.

BONUS CUTE THINGS 😳 Raven is inspired to make new ink colors based on what colors Idia’s mood ring hair changes to... Idia cleans up nicely and gets into a suit and everything because his anime told him that’s what girls would like, rehearsing dumb lines in the mirror to try and sound cool, until Raven tells him he’s fine how he normally is??? They share a light novel to read, and when Raven moves her head a little to read the words on the next page over, she gets a little too close for Idia’s comfort and he dies internally.......

“Raven Crowley-san, you and I are both at Night Raven College due to special circumstances. Hehe... That makes us kindred spirits! I hope we can get along!” — Ortho (platonic)

I’m going to keep this one short, but Raven and Ortho would make such good friends 🥺 Raven doesn’t know a lot about the world, but Ortho, being a computer, can give her basically any information that she asks for. Maybe he can help her do research for her writing! It might also be fun if he could help illustrate them (whether manually or by printing images). They may both be small, but you shouldn’t underestimate them, especially when they work together!

“It is said that the elegant Witch of Thorns had a wise black bird advising her. How fortuitous that a black bird such as yourself should stumble into Diasomnia. You must be a good omen, young Crowley.” — Malleus

Uncle Crowley did an oopsie again and forgot to invite Malleus for the Dorm Leader meeting. I like to imagine that (now that Crowley had Raven), he just sends her to fetch Malleus for him because he doesn’t want to deal with the potential repercussions himself. Malleus and Raven would be somewhat familiar with each other because of these interactions, though they would be limited to being short and formal. During their longer walks, they could make some awkward conversation, and maybe they could slowly connect over time. For example, if Raven fetches Malleus around the time when Yuu gave him tickets to VDC, he might be in a good mood, and she might ask what he’s so happy about.

Whenever they look at each other, they are reminded of themselves. They are similar in that they’re both standoffish, but for different reasons, and feel immense loneliness because of their individual circumstances. Malleus may pity her and try to offer solace, acting as a sort of fairy godfather-like figure—because once, he was like Raven, having no friends to call his own. They could have little get-togethers—afternoon tea, strolls in the bramble garden... and if Malleus wants to ramble about gargoyles or the different types of fae, Raven would listen to all of it 😂 She’s up for learning new things! (I can see her having an interest in fae and dragons anyway, since those are common fantasy elements she includes in her stories.) They’re also both kind of useless with technology, so maybe they can uhhh... try to help each other out? Or they get even more confused together—

They’re definitely a mysterious pair. You don’t see them that much, but when you do, they just hover close together and talk in hushed voices. Actually, maybe they don’t formally become a couple at all (since Malleus has his royal obligations to worry about), but it’s the vibe that a lot of people get from how they act around each other. But rumors still can fly like crazy! It’s really a “forbidden” love. bdjsbsjen Maybe during one of their moonlit hangouts, Malleus goes, “Just the say words and I’m yours,” (something super corny like that) but Raven can’t because she fears for his reputation and for her own life. “I’m sorry,” she’ll say, slipping her hand out of his. “It’s not meant to be.”

BONUS CUTE THINGS 😳 Giant dragon form Malleus with a teeny tiny raven perched on the tip of his nose or on his head????? Imagine it’s raining and Malleus uses his cloak to cover her and he’s so happy from seeing her smile that the rain instantly clears up... He calls her “pet” like Maleficient calls her crow, Diavolo… Malleus making a field burst into full bloom because he overheard Raven saying something about how she can’t find any good flowers for her ink... Raven making Malleus a cupcake so he can still have a “whole” cake without feeling lonely... 😔

“I sense a strong magic lingering about you... A power that is not your own. I believe I may recognize this feeling. Yes, there can be no doubt. This is the Enchantress’s handiwork.” — Lilia

The Lilia x Raven route is going to partially be an excuse for me to dump more lore about the origins of her curse. Essentially, Lilia (in all of his old age) knows the fairy that is responsible for the curse Raven inherited and makes mention of it when he meets her. At first, this excites Raven because she thinks Lilia can introduce her to the fairy and have her curse lifted, but Lilia tells her that the Enchantress will likely not help (since she is a “stubborn old coot”).

Lilia can take on a mentorship role in Raven’s life. Much like Jade, he can teach Raven all about the world in his own unique way. She would love to hear about his travels and escapades all across Twisted Wonderland. However, unlike Jade, I feel like Lilia would shelter her less and teach Raven all about the unsavory parts of the world too. She’d have a more realistic and grounded view thanks to Lilia, really looking up to him and his wisdom.

Lilia would just have a lot of fun with Raven. He’s an eccentric person, but so is she (on account of being a bird and all). I think he’d find it fascinating to learn about her lifestyle and how she adapted to her new form, though she doesn’t talk about those much. She’s also just naive enough to try his cooking and to believe the ridiculous things be shares with her— Raven’s a mystery, something Lilia hasn’t experienced for himself in quite some time, and it catches his interest.

Lilia’s biggest mistake in guiding Raven is entertaining her curiosity. The more he speaks of the Enchantress, the more compelled she feels to seek her out—and one day, Raven just packs her bags and embarks on a journey to find her. Maybe Lilia is worried and follows her, or maybe he tries to stop Raven from leaving, because he anticipated that she might do something like that?? It’s complicated, because he wants her to be freed from the curse, but he doesn’t want her to get lost or hurt in the process. Then they can be a globe-trotting couple, helping them each other out of tough spots and going on great adventures together!

BONUS CUTE THINGS 😳 Lilia popping out from a tree or the ceiling and scaring Raven so badly that she spills ink all over a fresh page... Trying to cook together and keep Lilia from killing someone with his food... Lilia jokingly introduces Silver to his new “mom” and Silver and Raven stare blankly at each other because Lilia’s the only one who finds it funny—

“Once, I dreamed that a bird found a human form. I never thought that I’d wake up one day and find that my dream had become a reality.” — Silver

Wild animals have always been drawn to Silver, and Raven is no different. She may be mesmerized by his princely face, but unlike the other birds that flock to him, she’s too shy to try talking to someone so bulky looking. (Maybe she asks the birds about what he’s like and the birds dnbsjsbdjdjd are just like “you’ve got it bad”.) Silver might spot her out of the corner of his eye one day, just peeking at him from behind a tree or a window or something?? And he awkwardly waves or calls out to her and somehow coaxes her out.

They’d get along really well! Silver is quiet and reserved, the type of person that Raven can easily be around. Likewise, I think Raven is also an agreeable type for Silver. He doesn’t need to do anything wild to contain her, they’re zen. They could just chill under a tree or in a forest clearing with all the woodland critters, just chatting and chatting until they fall asleep against one another... weaving flowers in one another’s hair... cutesy scenes you’d basically only see in fairy tales 😂

I think they could really relate in their desire for improvement. Raven isn’t satisfied with her inability to convey her own feelings, and Silver isn’t satisfied with his penchant for falling asleep. They could try to help one another come up with solutions or research potential cures for their “curses”, respectively. Silver and Raven also come from similar family circumstances, having been “adopted” into new families (which involve really old dads), so it might be funny to see how Crowley and Lilia play off of each other if Silver and Raven ever got together.

BONUS CUTE THINGS 😳 THE WOODLAND CREATURES GOSSIPING ABOUT SILVER FINDING ‘HIS SOULMATE’ (I want it to be peak fairy tale trash 😂)... Silver falling asleep on Raven in the most inconvenient positions (like on her shoulder, in her lap) as she’s reading him a story... He helps her onto his horse for Horseback Riding Club and lets her ride around on it so she can feel like a real princess or something???? Raven occasionally putting aside some mushrooms meant for her ink so she can use them to make risotto for Silver... Them recreating that stupid Aurora and Prince Phillip dance scene in the forest—

“Hmph! I hear that you are a teller of tales, bird. I am an avid reader myself—and I doubt anything you produce can match the epic sagas and stories from Briae Valley’s proud history!” — Sebek

Sebek’s condescending way of speaking (and his loud volume) will definitely initially rub Raven the wrong way. However, if there’s one thing they can both appreciate, it’s a good story. I think it’d be a funny dynamic if the first time they ever see eye-to-eye is when they 😂 collectively get hyped up about a new book series, and from there it just spirals into them recommending things to one another. (Like, just picture them reaching for the same book and their hands touch, and when Raven glances over it’s just Sebek staring at her—)

They could geek out over books together, then maybe when Raven is comfortable enough, she could offer her own works to Sebek. He could be her proofreader 🥺 and maybe they can even take turns picking books to read, then sharing their thoughts on them??? They could vicariously learn about one another’s morals and values via their preferences in books or archetypes and tropes; maybe Sebek really likes the gun-ho characters whereas Raven prefers the more reserved ones, maybe Sebek disagrees with the actions of one character or that a plot twist is genius whereas Raven thinks the opposite.

Once they find this common ground, Sebek might be a little more cheerful around Raven. He’ll still retain his arrogance, but he’d be more excited to talk and laugh with her. I feel like he’d also be great at supporting Raven and her ambitions in lieu of her own lack of confidence. Meanwhile, she admires that self-assuredness of his (even if it gets out of hand at times) and is thankful for his encouragement. They’d be another awkward but well-meaning and wholesome couple. Sebek would try to keep a better control of his voice so as to not startle her and go out of his way to perform complicated and outdated romantic rituals to show his affection. Raven wouldn’t be as grand, but maybe she’d take a book and highlight words in it to send a message to Sebek: I love you. It’s little things like that that drive him wild.

BONUS CUTE THINGS 😳 Sebek does the thing where Raven is too short to reach the book she wants, so he just reaches over her head and grabs it for her... He brews her coffee when she’s working late into the night... nckdnsjsbsjs he diligently sends her good morning and good night messages 😌 to keep her on a schedule... Sebek trying to teach her basic martial arts but he still decimates her in hand-to-hand combat... He stands menacingly behind her and glares at mob students that look at her the wrong way... Sebek asks for Malleus and Lilia’s blessing/approval—

... And here’s some bonus NRC characters because why not (though these are much shorter, since these characters don’t have much of a defined personality)? Might as well get all of my brain worms out (but no Che’nya or Neige because I’m pooped after writing so much)!

“Hey, you’re related to the headmaster, aren’t you? Can you pass along a message to him for me? Tell him it’s from the Ramshackle Prefect. ‘Crowley, the kitchen sink is busted again. Send a repairghost ASAP...’ Thanks for your help, and sorry for the trouble!” — Yuu

Both Yuu and Raven are first years at NRC under “unique” circumstances, so it’s easy to see why they’d have some sort of “connection” right off the bat. Because of Crowley’s... irresponsibility, Yuu often has to use Raven as a middleman to convey messages to the headmaster. She does it free of charge, often apologizing to Yuu on behalf of her uncle. Given that almost everyone else on campus has their “quirks”, Yuu might see Raven as a “normal” or “good” person by comparison and form an attachment with her based on that, and the same goes for how Raven views Yuu. Grim can be the wingman/third wheel—

“... What are you staring at? Are you lookin’ to pick a fight or something? My eyes are right here.” — NRC Mob Student

Raven and a mob student can actually relate in a meta aspect. They’re both “background” characters, with not a lot of the spotlight focused on them, which in turn has a negative impact on Raven’s self-esteem. I can’t say for sure how (if at all) it affects the mob student, but I think that if they were aware of their own existence as a “background” character, the probably wouldn’t be happy about it. They can find comfort and solace in someone who is like them and understands the pain of being “in the background”.

[someobscurereference]

I just read one of your old fics, Where We Began, and honestly I'm so in love with it? If you don't plan on writing more do you have any other abstract ideas about it? Like about how the Nohrians would try to calm them down or which of the trio decided to trust them first or just anything like that? I just really like it a lot and it's entirely fair if you don't have any other thoughts about it, it's an awesome concept but you wrote it years ago, I just thought I'd give it a shot

(referring to this fic) Firstly, I'm so glad you enjoy one of my older works! I write a lot of FE, but I enjoy my early stuff as much as my more recent stuff, so I'm glad you enjoy it too!

Secondly, I don't plan on adding more to the fic itself like as a sequel or anything, but I always welcome questions about any fic I write!

Re: The Nohrians calming the kids down

The Trio definitely get rounded up after Severa gets caught in the barn, lol. The only hope they had was running away, and Camilla caught Severa. Owain & Inigo aren't going to just leave her behind, and Niles is probably hot on their tail. So there goes that escape attempt. They'd probably get herded back to the castle pretty soon after, but that just means they're (very clumsily) trying to whisper escape plans to each other once get they stuck in a (windowless) room. So the kids are probably panicking less outwardly at that point but still Freaked. Even if this is post-war, it's a big, dark castle full with Bad Vibes. Why wouldn't they still think this is Plegia?

Re: Gaining trust

This is harder because you have to convince a bunch of 12 year olds whose last memories are of the apocalypse and who have been taught anything that resembles Plegia is probably on the side of Grima that hey, you're in another universe, you don't remember coming here, you're actually adults, we didn't know your real names before a second ago and the aesthetic is Ominously Dark Here but we promise it's cool, we're tight. Like, even for a kid, that's not going to fly

Ultimately, this would come down to how much the Trio have revealed about themselves to their lords, I think. Because you need at least one (better if at least 2) of the lords to say, "Hey, your mom's name is _____ and you told me about this secret memory from the time you were _____ and ____ happened, which I never could have found out unless you told me yourself."

It would not require all the lords/retainers to do this because if Inigo or Owain were both like "Hm, that is true, the only way you'd know that is if I trusted you enough to tell you myself," that would sway Severa not to freak out entirely, I think. (And vice versa; if Severa & Owain both were convinced Leo/Niles & Camilla knew them, that would convince Inigo even if Xander didn't have anything to offer just then, etc.)

However, they're not all the same levels of trusting. Inigo would be the easiest to sway, Owain would be medium distrustful even if Leo/Niles offered good evidence bc Imagination Running Wild (although that also means he's the easiest to convince they hopped dimensions/time traveled too), and Severa would be hardest to convince about anything in general, even if she didn't have any other way of explaining how Camilla or Beruka knew X about her otherwise. Severa is jaded at age 12.

Inigo probably compliments Camilla & Elise even more so than in canon but he gets Visibly Flustered every time they talk back to him because Tween Vibes. (I elaborate a bit more on this down below).

I think Severa would actually butt heads with Camilla because Camilla is so doting and motherly (and a flyer!), and Severa at this age has a lot of Angst and Mommy issues that she has yet to work through. Also, it's up in the air how soon aver Cordelia's death this would be for her. So this would be a tough dynamic for both of them to adjust to, and Severa would probably avoid Camilla until/unless something changed.

I can't remember if this was an ask in regards to this fic or something else, but I remember a long, long time ago having the thought that a de-aged Odin/Owain would actually be more drawn to Xander and Camilla rather than Leo, simply because of the fact Xander has such a cool sword and Owain canonically admires Camilla's armor. Leo is a dark mage, which is also cool, but not quite as Immediately Cool to a 12 year old who Loves Swords and doesn't yet use magic. I think this would actually make Leo jealous and exacerbate his inferiority complex, lol. (*Niles voice: Green isn't a good color on you, milord*) But all it would take is Owain seeing Brynhilder and hearing about it for him to Flip Out over that too, so I think the problem would solve itself then, lol

As a side note, here is a short blurb I wrote years ago in a scenario where Leo is there when Odin de-ages instead of Niles. Also, here is another ask about young Inigo's behavior with the royals. In summary for that, I think he'd actually be a bit shyer than he is in Awakening (when he's late teen age, I hc) because at 12-ish he's reached the "always smile, no matter what" stage of his facade but not the 100% "fake it 'til you make it" approach, so he's still really nervous around anyone and everyone. (Espcially royalty. Especially Extremely Tall, Very Handsome/Beautiful Royalty. For reference, Lucina may not intimidate him at this age because they've known each other since forever and That's Different, but I think people like Chrom (assuming this isn't Chrom! Inigo) and Emmeryn (were she alive) would get him flustered still. But maybe not Lissa because she may be more Owain's Mom to him than princess just because of the way she acts (though he may avoid her out of fear of getting a frog in his shoe or something) (But he'd still be flustered if she complimented him bc Nervous!!) Anyway!! That's too long! Inigo at this age, even after he's calmed down and knows what's up, would be shyer than his canon self, I think. He's still growing up

EDIT: also an additional old ask found here about this fic. However, I mention the kids being 13/14 in that ask rather than like 11/12 like I mentioned here. I don’t have any concrete ages written for them in the fic, so just assume they’re whatever age that seems best (and their ages probably vary anyway). However, if they’re on the younger side I think the Trio are still absolutely Okay with fighting (even though they wish they don’t have to, they fear the Faceless too much to be comfortable when one comes close bc Risen Vibes), BUT the age difference between 11 & 14 does mean its even harder for them to fight than it might be as slightly older teens (although they still do probably have pretty good teamwork, despite not getting along) and without rescue there’s a good chance they’d still lose

[potatotrash0]

Hey idk if youve done this alreadh but im curious about your body headcanons for the sdr2 cast!! An anon sent some in for characters previously (the one where they said things like angie has vitiligo and stuff-i love them and they really stuck with me haha) and i wanna know your headcanons!! :D

Hmhmm this one I might be listing off the spot lmao. I feel like my hcs are mostly just. Common hcs but hey I never said I wasn’t basic skdjksjdks

cw for. Everyone. Yeah kdjfksjdks

Hajime…..I like to think he’s slightly buff? Maybe that’s not the right word. Toned? Idk, I hc that he jumps around hobbies a lot because he wants to find something he’s good at, so that includes sports. I like the idea that a few stick with him, like swimming and basketball. I imagine he also has light scrapes and scars on his legs from falling, both with skateboarding and general Clumsy Shit.

Also this one switches a lot but with Trans Hajime, I can see him with top surgery scars.

Oh ah, I like freckled Hajime!! It’s cute. This one goes with the sports hc, but I like the idea that he’s kinda tanned. Entirely unrelated but I also like the idea that he has calluses from playing guitar.

Chiakiii!! She’s soft bc I said so. Specifically her thighs, arms and stomach + some stretch marks. And moles all over. Projecting big time onto a cute fictional girl, call that self care <333 /j

uhh other than that, I imagine she has bags under her eyes from staying up late gaming. Also tan Chiaki my love. Shh I know she probably doesn’t go outside for days on end. In my defense I tan easily and I imagine she does too. Again with the projection. Shhhh

Oh oh!!!! I forgot to mention but!!!! Chiaki gets a ton of moles. I saw the boob mole and went !!!!!! fellow mole haver!!!!!! and went nuts. This is the one weird niche entirely irrelevant thing that can get me to like a character, just. Being able to point at them and jump up and down with joy over them also having moles. Idk why it’s just therapeutic <33

Nagito’s bony. Skinny mf. Could probably cut cheese with his elbows. Maybe grate it on his collarbones. Cuddling with him would be a fight to see if you can find a position that doesn’t end with something poking you in the gut. I mean this affectionately, he’s bony as shit but he’s my bony fucker <3

Pale asf, sunburns if he’s in the sun for more than two minutes. His eye bags could hold the entirety of his life’s trauma. Sharpest features ever. Sometimes I hc that he looks greasy, and other times I hc that he looks ethereally pretty in a ghostly way. Either way he always looks like he’s had the soul sucked out of him by a Dementor.

You can probably definitely see the veins in his hands. They’re. Very There. Also I’ve brought this up before but he definitely has big ass hands. L a r g e hands, all the better to head pat you with. This was originally so much more pining but I decided no I’ve exposed myself enough on this blog skfjksjdkd

Oh last minute thing, I think he’d be tall as fuck. Specifically 6’0 or taller. Also he probably (definitely) has at least a few scars from his childhood, particularly that plane crash. And I like to think he has glasses when he’s older. I’m so sorry that his section is so long I have so many thoughts about him ;;;;;

Okay uhh Imposter? Mmm. Idk actually. I do think they’d have callused fingers but soft hands. Probably from having to adapt to using a ton of different talents for their Imposter Agenda. Also stretch marks probably, all over their body.

Teruteru uhhhhh. God. Can you tell I don’t think about some characters ;;;;; Idk I don’t have much that differs from canon. I like him. Oh but he probably has cook hands? Chef hands, whatever you wanna call them. Probably faint scars from cuts and burns from when he was still learning how to cook from his mama.

Mahiru……hmm well freckles obviously dkjfksjd. I think she’s tanned as well since I feel like she likes sunlit shots. Idk I don’t have much. I like to think she’s got a stockier body type though.

Also not necessarily her body but I like her with an undercut!

Peko’s buff <3 it’s canon <333 /j

N ee way yeah. Buff Peko my love. Also she probably has a few scars from handling her sword when she was younger and less experienced. I also feel like she would have contacts she wears when she trains bc fuck exercising with glasses

I don’t really have anything for Hiyoko until she gets her growth spurt. Afterwards, I imagine she’s tall and kinda thin? Mainly bc of fast metabolism probably, though when she’s older maybe she’d be a little less spindly.

I don’t know if her hair would be bleached or not, but if it were, I like the idea of her letting her actual hair color grow in. If not, I think Ibuki might help her try a few sections of dyed hair? Idk I just like the thought

Ibuki is a fellow bony bitch. I mean this lovingly. She’s skin and bone. Skeleton rocker lady

Probably tan, I imagine she spends a lot of time in the sun. She strikes me as a summer person. Oh, I also saw some art of Black Ibuki with vitiligo and loved that!! Also calluses from shredding guitar, obviously

Hmmm I like the idea that she rollerskates? So possibly some bruises or scars on her arms or legs from falling on concrete when she was still learning. Oh oh I imagine she has a ton of piercings!!! On her ears, nose, lips, brows, tongue, belly button…….maybe she has a split tongue too idk. Also she totally gets a ton of tattoos when she’s outta Hope’s Peak, prove me wrong.

Mikan uhhh. I like tall Mikan. She deserves the height. 5’8 to 6’0 Mikan good 👍

Hmm she probably has scars all over, particularly on her arms and legs. Uh. Idk I imagine she’s curvy probably. What do I say for her I don’t have anything skjdksjdks

I’m not even gonna lie I don’t have a damn thing for Nekomaru. Or. Wait nevermind here’s a concept: buff Nekomaru but like. If you’ve seen those wrestlers who have fat on them that hides some fucking crazy strength? Yeah that’s him. Also hairy asf.

Gundham……tall vampire vibes. I’d say he’s a stick but also I feel like he’s the slim type of muscular. Idk how to describe it. Shigaraki type muscle? Male gymnast. No nevermind those guys have visible muscle. Shigaraki type it is

Hmmm I think this is canon but probably a few scratches from his pets. His arms and legs mainly but I’m sure the Devas have scratched up his neck at some point or another. Just a little though. Also piercing fiend Gundham my beloved. I also like him having a couple tattoos when he’s older. Ibuki probably helped him heheh

I’m torn between Fuyuhiko being skinny as shit and Fuyuhiko being tiny and buff. I like both………hhh

His hair is probably bleached. Peko probably helps him re-dye it when his roots start growing in. I also like him having glasses

Uhhh tooth gap Fuyu’s cute. I used to have a super small one before I got my braces, I imagine it’s the same for him. Him, Ibuki, and Gundham are probably Tattoo Buds.

Kazuichi…..I want so bad to say he’s a weakling just to make fun of him but he’s a mechanic that probably works with heavy machine parts a lot and he probably has some sick biceps. But he probably also smells like hair dye, oil, metal, and Monster Energy. Win lose situation I guess.

I like to think he has a couple piercings? Not as many as Ibuki, but maybe he’s got like. Second or third place in the class. Also he totally filed his teeth to be sharp like that

Akane!! Buff lady, could probably deadlift me or something. She’s definitely got some scars from running around, especially when she was first learning parkour. Ummm oh, I like to think she has a chipped tooth or smth like that from falling roughly as a kid.

Soniaa <33 in my heart she will always be tall and have at least some muscle. Novoselic is a war country if I remember correctly, she’s definitely got some military training in her.

Idk why but her with heterochromia just popped into my head. That pretty greenish blue gray that she has + maybe brown or hazel? I think that’d be cool. And hip dips.

[rawliverandcigarettes]

Hi ! How do you envision Aria in Halfway Home ? I do believe you have mentioned she would be involved.

Hello, and thank you for the kind ask, it is absolutely helpful ;_;

So Aria. Aria's a complicated beast. I have a lot of thoughts about her. I kind of always enjoyed her potential more than her execution, as I've been known to have a soft spot for, what I call, Girlbosses Fucking Up. As in: women driven by scary, unhinged ambition that ends up destroying everything including themselves, and Aria could have fitted that description pretty well, or at least its first part (if there had been a proper attempt at character examination and development past her getting suddenly horny for Shepard and fawning over how much cooler and Dangerous than her they actually are or something idk).

So first, about my thoughts on Aria T'loak in canon:

I think Aria embodies a lot of Mass Effect's guilty-pleasure relationship to edge, and I completely believe she's been written first and foremost to be 1) cool, and 2) a sexual fantasy. The problem with that posture is that... basically any serious attempt at unpacking her politics risk ruining her pseudo-dominatrix vibes. So as a result, we get the most unquestioned, unashamed libertarian figure of the games, blaring that she's justified in her power position because she's the strongest, that because she's the strongest she's justified in commiting any kind of violence to hoard what she considers to be hers, and the fact she's basically an absolute despot is seen as something to be admired and even envied (no red tapes, no Council, nobody to answer to but herself and her whims).

To be noted: she's criticized in the vaguest way possible in the Omega DLC, but it has way more to do with the interpersonal, Nyreen and then a dominance struggle with Shepard, than with any of her concrete politics (and the dominance struggle is very... it's very much about "conquering" her and shoving yet another power fantasy down Shepard's throat --either by taming her fire or sharing it, and being called The Most Special Of All And I Never Met Anyone Like You Wooow You're Making Me So Hot And Bothered, and I'd argue it's still more about stroking the player's, hm, ego than about Aria herself). The "nooo don't kill civilians because surely there are any trace of civilians that aren't slavers, gang members or mercenaries left after like, two coups and a half" has nothing to say about the value of the life of said "civilians" despite their darkness, nothing to say about Aria's right to wage life and death over them. Even Nyreen's criticisms of Aria are... very un-Omegan. They still wager on Omega civilians being poor, unprepared babies, and to me it just doesn't ring true or meaningful in the slightest. But I made no effort ever hiding how much I don't vibe with this DLC, and its refusal to engage with Omega's themes to preserve Aria's sex appeal is one of the biggest culprits to me.

I also whinge about Aria in my critic of Mass Effect: Retribution, where I discover that she is actually quite dumb, and solves her problems with temper tantrums and half-assed decisions the narrative desesperatly tries to justify instead of being the savvy figure Mass Effect 2 tries to sell us (also her daughter is treated like a sexpot who immediately dies an awful, voyeuristic death and I doooon't love that choice, even if it's, once again, very telling on the kind of character Aria's supposed to be).

So now, I will stop whingeing about canon and talk about how I tried to reinterpret Aria T'loak in Halfway Home.

So Aria in HH is... kind of an awful, complicated person. I completely leaned in that Girlboss Fucking Up direction because nobody can stop me to explore some of the absurd tragedy behind her struggle for power. She is libertarian to a fault, at once believing in the importance of daring to bite what you can off a seemingly unchangeable and incredibly cruel social system, while failing to acknowledge that she's a central actor of said system, maintaining its alchemy with an iron fist with little concern for those who have to pay the price. While not nearly as conservative as them (socially, economically she's almost worse), I took inspiration from figures like Ayn Rand and Margaret Thatcher to flesh her out, especially in the way she turns against her own kind to keep her head out of the water (I mean at once asaris and sex workers, as I kept her backstory infiltrating Omega's ecosystem as an Afterlife dancer first). But by having this background, to garner respect, she has to be ruthless and consistently brilliant so she doesn't slip, because if she does... Well the fall will be rather brutal. She's acutely aware of the necessity of maintaining her prestige and her innaccessibility, while keeping herself desirable (as a potential ally and as an asari), because everyone wants to either kill her, be her or have her, and this is at once the basis of her power and an incredibly lonely and vulnerable position to have to voluntarily maintain yourself in.

Aria in Halfway Home does fucked up shit, or willingly allows or facilitates fucked up shit to maintain herself afloat (especially in her power plays with the Council, batarians and Cerberus). But she's been doing this dangerous dance for centuries, and she's starting to feel alienated from herself, from anticipating and catering to all sides at once. She also tends to keep opportunities open and let people live if they can be useful (à la Patriarch) rather than kill them, even if she cultivates her vicious reputation to prevent coups against her --basically keeping escape routes open as much as she can. As far as attitude goes, she follows more of her sarcastic/jaded side that is sometimes apparent in canon, and it's becoming clear how tired she is, how every single one of her desires have melted into what she needs to do to stay in power. She's the Pirate Queen, and in more ways than one the world is at her feet, yet everything she does is calculated to keep herself alive, at all time. And she can't stop now, because she's addicted to Omega and what it did to her, and if she stops she will be torn apart by everyone pretending to be on her side. In a way she's a prisonner of her own power, while also maintaining everyone else in the cell with her by force and pretending that... there is no alternative, if you can forgive my wording.

So yeah. Sarcastic, tired, brilliant, cynical. That's my Aria. She's the absolute worst, and yet she's a little tragic too. But by the end of the story, Shlee doesn't care about that part at all and will not shut the fuck up about how she should be deposed and is, in fact, the absolute worst, which, yeah, great thing to scream around Shlee, very smart.

[pumpkinpot]

Hoshi

A/N: this is part of the Citrus Dome Sci-Fi collab. this is also pure fluff. no smut, no real angst. just spooky summer vibes and poly love. I hope you enjoy. (I’m sorry for grammatical errors in advance.)

synopsis: since beginning your relationship with Katsuki Bakugou and Ochako Uraraka you’ve developed a love for exploring abandon places with them whenever you three have time to explore. This time, so happens to land on a derelict observatory. (additional head canons for this story on my tik tok under pumpkinpots)

“It says here it was abandoned in the mid-nineteenth century due to the spike in light pollution with the growth of the city,” you say, pointing to the dome at the peak of the building. “All of the mobile telescopes were transferred to the university's observatory, while this placed rotted away.

Uraraka half listens, levitating sheetrock from the doorway and discarding them in the nearby field.

“Why just abandon it?” Katsuki asks, fiddling with varying lenses in his camera bag. “Couldn’t this have been a museum or something?”

“Yeah,” you agree, shifting a glance to make sure Uraraka doesn’t need help. “It looks like it was bought by a merchant in the eighties who wanted to turn it into a house, but he was indicted for tax evasion before the renovations ever finished. It hasn’t been touched since.” 

He scoffs with an exaggerated roll of his eyes. “Rich idiots.”

Uraraka brushes specks of dust off her palms across her cut-off shorts before urging us alone. “Shall we?” 

It takes two and a half pushes to nudge the door wide enough to squeeze through. The observatory opens to us with a groan of whining metal and the scratch of loose dirt on concrete. 

Centered in the main foyer, a gaping mural of blue and white cobblestone depicts a dusty map of astrology stars. 

Katsuki has to be coaxed with a promise to be flashed to pose under the Taurus constellation for a picture, meanwhile, Uraraka floats just above Pisces with a cute puffy cheeked expression. 

Names, small sayings, and symbols decorate the wall in vibrant graffiti, the place a cocktail of color and wild Ivy.

"It's a lot more lit than I thought I'd be," Uraraka says, stuffing her flashlight into her bag. 

Katuski keeps the light attached to his camera lit as he weaves in and out of rooms, zooming in on old books and broken equipment. 

We follow him through a puzzle of what seemed to be living quarters and small classrooms, ending in a half oval auditorium. 

At the center of the stage a white globe balances on a pillar of cement. 

“What’s this?” Uraraka asks. 

You touch where someone had attempted to derail the sphere like a baseball before trailing your eyes above the layered seating. “It's a projector ball. Technicians would likely project light from there into the ball to make it seem like the planet or star they were studying. That's why it's,” you knock on the sphere's cool solid surface. “Crystal.”

Uraraka shines her phone’s light into it, the shattered pieces reflecting shapes in a dim glow.

Katsuki points the camera into the orb, the bluish tint reminds you of the similar one in the abandoned lighthouse you’d explored with them two years ago. Though that one would have lit from the inside. 

Quickly you explore the base and second levels, eager to get to the actual observatory. It's evident where the renovations to make this a home had been started and never finished. Small cracks in the floor, sealed with caulk, loose wooden planks pillaring knocked in walls. 

It could have been a beautiful home, you think to yourself. 

Up the second flight of stairs gradually more and more light fills the space until you are bathed in the orange glow of early dusk. A large open scare slits the dome, edging with rust and ivy. The circular room holds nothing of true value, nothing left behind but broken tables and a ladder to the viewing balcony tailing the opening of the dome. 

“The big telescope that would have been here-” Uraraka says, fiddling with the screw holes in the floor, “- would have been a refracting telescope. It uses small bits of glass to magnify what you’re looking at, then is bent back through the telescope hitting the eyepiece. The other kind is a reflector,” she continues, “It's got a primary mirror at the bottom of the lens into a second mirror than a third eyepiece mirror. This one is mostly used to see the different parts of a star to see what it's made out of.”

Katsuki and you exchange looks of pure astonishment. "how do you know all this?" you ask.

She fishes a gum wrapper from one of the holes, tossing it to the side. “Before I was accepted into UA I was really considering going into astronomy. I thought it fit so well with my quirk, but the courses were too expensive.” 

"More expensive than UA?" Katuski asks, refocusing his camera. 

She nods, seeming just as dumbfounded as us. 

“Do you think it could work on my explosions?”

“If you were in space maybe,” you hypothesize, “but in that case, we probably wouldn’t see it for a long while.” 

He seems semi disappointed as if his evening plans had been somehow derailed.

You run your hands across the walls of the dome, dusk sun baking its metal frame like a soup pot. 

For a moment you just watch them. It’d been so long since the opportunity arose for the three of you to go exploring. With you still temporarily stationed in the American hero commission and those two workings in Japan it was rare to find time to skype let alone go on adventures. You were lost in the bliss of having your partners so near without having to scream about a lost wifi connection when your hand hit something protruding from the wall.

“What are these?” you ask, inspecting circular gears attached to a crank.

“It looks like the wheel to turn the dome,” Uraraka says.

Katsuki zooms in on the puzzle of rigid plates. “This bitch turns?” 

“Yeah, that slit doesn't move so the dome has to, to accommodate where in the sky they were looking.” 

Katsuki fingers the gears a moment, mapping its track all across the sphere. He traces along the parts not layered in rust until he’s back at the start. “Do you think it still works?” 

“Not without some serious lube and strong arms.”

“We’re one for two,” you suggest. 

Katsuki hands over his camera to Uraraka, positioning himself opposite you to push the lever, while you pull left.

At first, the dial stays put, its stance unforgiving, but after a bit more pull than push a deafening whine reverberating through the entire observatory. 

No visible move happens until the second crank roundabout when the shift of light against concrete becomes clear.

Katsuki’s eyes light with sheer amazement as the entire dome rotates around you. We are halfway through a full rotation before Uraraka shouts for you to stop. 

You push on the lever stilling its movements as quickly as you can.

She holds a finger head tilted to the side. “Do you hear that?” 

Your breath balloons in your chest as you lean in closer. The tiniest of whimpers echo around the dome from the viewing balcony. 

One after another you file up the ladder, hopping on the edge of the dome. Balancing on the concrete crease between the moving track and the rest of the building you search for the sound. 

“Here!” Uraraka yells from the other side.

 You sprint as much as you dare, teetering along the two-story edge. 

She squats over the body of a squirming animal, a tuft of fur caught in the track of the dome's rotation. She coddles its little frame, before reaching a hand out to you. “Y/n, your knife-”

Hesitantly you hand it over. She snips away the stuck pieces muttering thanks that none of the actual tail got caught. She folds the blade back into itself, pinching leaves and sticks from the animal's fur and tossing them over the side. 

She holds it up, floppy ears and a black nose making it a nearly recognizable creature. A puppy. 

He looks to be light brown, but that could be the soot. 

Katsuki checks around the dome for any signs of a litter or mamma, before joining us with a shake of his head. 

The pup squirms and with an open mouth, letting all sorts of noises tumble from his dirt-covered tongue. 

Uraraka floats the puppy to the floor of the dome, as we file down the ladder. You empty the contents of your water bottle into a cup for drinking and the rest onto its back for cooling.  

His fur peaks through white and brown spotted under layers of grime. 

“Well,” Uraraka says, “we’ve been talking about wanting to expand our family.” 

“I suppose there’s no better place to start,” you add, both of us looking to Katsuki for consensus.

He passes glances between the three of us. “Fine, but I get to name it.”

“Alright, but we get veto power.” 

“Explosion-”

“Veto,” you say in unison. 

He looks around puffy-lipped. “I didn't even get to finish.” 

“Explosion nothing,” Uraraka clarifies. 

He’s silent for a long moment looking around the space. “Hoshi?.” 

“Star?” you confirm.

“This observatory was used to study the stars, wasn’t it?” He bats.

You and Uraraka exchange a satisfied, yet surprised look. You hadn’t expected something so- normal. This is after all the same man that made you name your golden pothos “boom boom boi” in his honor. 

“I like it,” you say.

“Approved,” adds Uraraka. 

We better take our picture before it gets too dark,” he says, turning away so you can’t see the blush on his cheeks. He switches out his filming camera for a smaller polaroid, propping it up on the edge of a broken table. 

He runs back as the timer ticks down. He slides to your right side, Uraraka on your left. Their arms link behind you as you hold Hoshi up to your mid-chest. Clicking down from five you all give your cheesiest grins. A rectangular card spits from the bottom of the camera. 

Ochaco shakes it a few times, swapping you a picture, for a puppy. 

You wait for the picture to pixelate before opening the ninety-cent notebook of film slips and position it in the next available spot.

Urarka’s cut-off shorts and Katsuki's tanned shoulders are a stark contrast to the puffy blue coat and chunky knit beanie from the last abandoned mansion expedition last time. Before that, the three of us accidentally matched our windbreakers to Midoryia during a tour of The Ghost Candy Shop in Kyoto. We look like a group of tourists. 

The small book seemed to be filling quickly despite the rareness of time to get away. Memories pile up from when it was just Uraraka and Katsuki to when you became a staple to their adventures. They’d given you responsibility for the book to garner your importance to them in their relationship until the reasoning for the gift became nothing more than routine. You were theirs, and they were yours. 

Now a new member had sprouted in your little family, and if you squinted, you could imagine the rest of the pages being filled with the pup in aged years to maybe more as time goes on.

 Right now, you were happy with the three and a half of you.