#it might actually be more and I'm leaning toward yes it is but I'm biased 🤠 so we go conservative estimate

[cypric-rat-hyperfixation]

I get it I get the purpose and I know the tone. but at the point where I have a blog with 6k+ followers that garners 100+ notes daily this is just patronizing

[alice-after-dark]

One Day I'll Do a Proper Ship Meme But for Now Here Have My Vox Agenda

Thoughts/headcanons/rambles under cut

TW for abusive StaticMoth and Vox having been a bitch to Sir Pentious.

Alastor/Vox - Do I really need to explain this one? Are you new here? I'll just direct you to search "radiostatic" on my blog. I̸͎̝͛́ ̷͙̲̊̄͐l̴̮̲̭̍͌͆ȏ̶̜v̵̞́̑͒̆e̷̡̡͉̰̍̽́ ̷̇͝ͅt̶̡̛̬̖͓̆h̴̠͎̞͕̑e̵͕̼̜̘͆̈́̃̔m̷̤̜̒

Valentino/Vox - Again, unless you're new here, you'll pretty much know my thoughts on them. Check out my "staticmoth" tag and you'll understand.

Charlie - I see so many parallels between these two and I desperately want them to officially interact in season 2. They're on completely opposite ends of the spectrum and aaaahhhhh I just want to see Vox's cynicism clashing with Charlie's idealism and it could be so good you guys. So good. I do also really like the idea of Charlie being the catalyst to Vox realizing just how much he's changed since arriving in Hell (like he used to enjoy the TV scene for the pure creativity of it and now that's all been replaced by the cold corporate greed).

Vaggie - Honestly, I just think it would be interesting. Also I really hope Vaggie doesn't have a carbon-copy reaction to him like she did Alastor. As I mentioned in a previous post, while yes, she might be cautious, she has less of a reason to be so hostile towards him. Plus their mutual dislike of Alastor would be a bonding moment, but also presents an opportunity for Vaggie to find out more about Alastor (albeit from a biased party).

Angel - I've brought up inklings of these two before, but I think them having a very complicated relationship due to their mutual connection and experiences with Valentino would be interesting, especially in regards to how they both handle it in similar yet different ways. They both bury their pain, Angel by leaning into the sexuality, drugs, and alcohol to forget how much he hates it and Vox by refusing to even acknowledge that he's in pain at all. And Vox's refusal to acknowledge it also makes him complicit in Angel's pain as well. He could do something, could try to stop it, but he doesn't to protect himself. I think seeing the two of them try to heal side by side, both from their issues with Valentino and the issues between each other, would be fascinating.

Husk - Knew each other from back when Vox and Alastor were still friends. Husk calls him "kid" (Vox was in his 30s when he died in the 1950s while Husk was in his 60s when he died in the 1970s) which annoys Vox as he doesn't think he's that much younger than Husk to warrant being called a kid. Vox knew him as an Overlord and was very shocked and kind of sad when he found out about Husk losing his soul to Alastor some time after their falling out (just one more thing to embitter him towards the Radio Demon).

Niffty - Anyone who has been on my blog when I started posting about Hazbin Hotel knows it started with these two. I think a dynamic between them would be fun and interesting to explore. Like Husk, she knew him from back when he was friends with Alastor. I like to think that Vox was literally there when Alastor brought her home with him ("What is that?" / "I'm calling her Niffty! Isn't she precious?" / "She is actively biting your arm." / "What a darling little thing!"). He was a little weirded out by her at first, but has since grown to care for her as much as Alastor does. Despite her size and lack of power, Vox fully trusts in her ability to take care of herself...he's seen things that can't be unseen.

Rosie - Vox definitely respects her for her ability to keep such tight control of a horde of bloodthirsty cannibals and actually turn them into a polite society. Despite not being very physically strong, her charisma and drive keep her on top and well respected. I like the idea that he met her through Alastor when they were still friends and though he hasn't really engaged with her too much since the fallout, he does still hold respect for her and frankly won't tolerate anyone disrespecting her. She is the only one outside of the Vees who knows about Vox practicing using his electrokinesis to heal.

Mimzy - They're not exactly friends, but she will not hesitate to approach him if she sees him. It's Mimzy so she absolutely expects special treatment. She's way more up front with him about wanting something than she is with Alastor simply because she knows Vox operates differently than the deer demon. If she wants something, she's gotta be prepared to pay up in some capacity, but Vox is usually willing to be flexible in terms of payment because she has her uses.

Sir Pentious - Okay, so I know this one is a bit awkward cause it would involve Vox actually apologizing to Sir Pentious for the cruel things he said and telling him to unalive himself, but I really think they'd be interesting. They're both innovators and creators and the two of them combining their skills would be both awesome and terrifying. I do think that Sir Pentious, while he does think all the Vees are incredible, idolizes Vox specifically for these exact reasons.

Velvette - They're both bitches, but they love the other for it. Can snark at each other for hours. They're the two who get shit done, even if Velvette can sometimes take her bitchsona a bit too far and Vox has to reign her in. Politics aren't her strong suit, but he can always count on her to take care of the business side of things.

Zestial - Based on my recent post about them, I like the idea that Vox has a respect for Zestial that he doesn't give to most other Overlords (Rosie being the other exception). Sure, he'll play nice and professional with them, but he doesn't truly respect them like he does Zestial and Rosie. I honestly see them having a mutual respect for each other (though Zestial wouldn't say he approves of Vox's choice in colleagues) and we do see in that Zestial can be a little sassy so I 100% believe if Vox had been present during the Overlord meeting in episode 3, Zestial literally would have ignored Velvette entirely to speak to Vox about the angel's death instead (and we all know how much Velvette would have just loved that).

[goldenteaset]

So unlike my other posts for @tristampparty , this one is focused on two things that are connected but not directly. But they are about the twins, who are Plants, so it fits the theme. XD

I have so many thoughts about Vash's panicked/drowning reaction in the Plant fluid and Nai's reaction to it. "Breathe, Vash." It's another unexpected reminder that for all he projects onto Vash, he does genuinely care for him (which makes everything worse). As, well, erotic horror as the tentacles right afterward is, I can't help but read it also as Vash trying to fight off a life preserver...

And now, we get into what I like to call "I'm Biased Toward A Specific Sort of Antagonist And Unfortunately I'm Also A Writer", aka a fic idea poorly disguised as analysis. And also a post about how attractive(ly scary) Nai is. XD;

Every day I thank Studio Orange for Nai, and also hope desperately that at least some shred of what I'd like to see with him actually happens.

Look at him. What a wonderful smile! And it's so deliciously jarring compared to the corpses that are all around him and Vash. Episode 3 and that "Does it cure the loneliness?" line were the creators preparing a lure, and then by episode 9 they cast it with That Smile to younger Vash in this exact spot, and here they hooked me and never let go.

My favorite antagonists deeply care for the protagonist, often in very complicated ways that offer up a hundred interpretations, but the most common one is love. Nai loves Vash--the memories of him, the idea of him, the saint, the sinner. And in this moment, he almost comes to love him as a person, too. "Join me, and we can save our kind." (Also of note: I love how this is framed so that the audience can see this side of Nai as well. It's a very compelling moment and wouldn't be out of place in an otome game.)

I was so excited for more of this: more Nai gently denying Vash his autonomy, lovingly indoctrinating/baptizing him into his cult as a fellow Angel and what that might mean!

...And then I realized that this scene happened only a few minutes in and oh. Oh no.

Don't get me wrong: I love/am horrified by the Tesla scene, and the desert and Rem scenes are amazingly done. But they're forceful, like Nai is embodying that "Gentle Persuasion" meme, and that just isn't scary to me. I would've mostly kept them as they are, but maybe leaned more into the "Everything I did was for you/a paradise for us" lines. Because yes, Nai is being a manipulative slimeball here, but I also think he has 1000% chugged his own Freudian koolaid so much that it's leaking out of his pores.

So I'd do it all mostly backwards, is what I'm saying: show the scene with Rem first, then the desert, then Tesla, then combine the "Join me~" + geranium garden scenes into one. It can convince Vash and the audience. Vash is now worn down, and more importantly he sees Nai as both a savior and, like the other Plants, someone who needs him.

Have there be visions of Vash's companions in the geranium garden (but conveniently far away) happily interacting with the Plants. Show Rosa and her baby! Wolfwood and Livio with the other orphans! So many knife-twisting ways to make this all seem like the best of all possible worlds. Have Vash mindbreak himself.

Now when Vash transforms and starts consuming July/impregnating the Plants, it's not just happening because he's just an empty vessel: Vash earnestly thinks it's the right thing to do.

(To twist the knife, I'd also bring back the "I can hear you. Don't be afraid" line at this moment. Heck, maybe it can all even sound triumphant from his POV, with tender piano music or similar. And then we cut to Meryl, desperately trying to reach him...)

[just-jae]

One more WH spec tidbit b4 I become cold and distant from Tumby again:

WHY on earth does Home allegedly say "Help me" through the clanks and bangs?

If the theory that Home is controlling Wally is true or that at least influencing him in the metarecords, why doesn't Home speak through Wally then?

Im just. Having massive

Vibes rn.

Im already biased toward the take that Wally is basically the antagonist, doing bad stuff bc he thinks its good just bc I have a preference for those kinds of stories. But I'm becoming increasingly convinced that that's the actual canonical situation.

If Wally is exercising free will when he talks in the metarecords, then he's sus af.

Especially as the other characters seem to be reaching out to us.

First its just the team. Then its Wally. Then its Frank. Now, Sally is going meta.

It seems like at this point the other neighbors are the ones trying to prevent the restoration., keep Wally/the entity in the dark, make us aware of the character's sentience, and warn us of the danger.

Im not sure what the actual situation is, like, whether these characters are souls or an alternate dimension, or puppets given life by a demon, or what.

Hell for all we know, Home might have swapped bodied with Wally entirely. Meaning he's the one saying "Help me" while Home is pulling a Bill Cipher.

But, Im officially leaning towards an antagonist Wally take. It could be in relation to older theories that Welcome Home had cultist themes. I originally had the impression that Wally was someome who was isolated/made by the cult.

Like, my brain is still clutching onto that "Beautiful Dreamer" dialogue, where Wally says, "That's good... I think". Bc, idk about you but that sounds like someone who's just giving things the benefit of the doubt, but doesn't necessarily understand it.

bc

What could Home have possibly said that would make Wally's response uncertain? I was originally thinking that the characters couldn't actually understand Home, but it's apparent that they can. Yet Wally's still like. "Imma take that as a yes."

I think having Home speak in a way we couldn't understand was a fantastic choice by Clown. Bc ever since the "Beautiful Dreamer" audio my brain's been like a gossip queen going 'Wtf did e say????' What do you mean "I think??"'

It just seemed like it was setting up their relationship. Home says some demonic bs that Wally just trusts bc he doesn't know any better. But Wally himself isn't being controlled or made unaware of the evil, he legit doesn't understand evil when he sees it. And, by trusting Home and doing Home's bidding, he's a villain by extension.

Like, literally born and raised to do evil things.

Im still not sure know why there's so much sybolism that Home and Wally are the same person though? Maybe Wally's made from the black goo?

So far, theoretically, he's the only one who actually eats food. Everyone else pretends to eat fake food, but Wally actually eats. So he's not actually a puppet.

[tenspontaneite]

in one of the chapters of "Peace Is A Journey" you had the gang eat snow to stay hydrated, you should never eat snow to stay hydrated. in fact, it does the opposite and dehydrates you. My family comes from a long line of Mountaineers and my mom used to be a cross-country skier. Other than that you've been incredibly accurate with mountaineering knowledge.

See, I'm actually of two minds about this one, because you're right that in the long run, eating snow dehydrates you more than it hydrates you....but I've been debating whether or not that would be known by Rayla in-setting.

I have shown her to have pretty damn good all terrain survival knowledge, so on one hand, yes in theory she could know it. But on the other hand, I have to think about what her people in the Silvergrove do or do not know, and where they'd get that information from.

The reason snow dehydrates is because melting it inside the body and then reheating the body's core temperature takes energy, and that's like, metabolic knowledge that I'm not sure everyone would have. People who live in cold regions would probably have most of their populace knowing that eating snow is bad just from folk knowledge and experience, but for everyone else....I'm not so sure.

The Silvergrove is located in a temperate forest. Certainly Runaan and the assassin squad would have been trained in a lot of survival knowledge, so they might know intricate cold weather survival stuff like this. But it could also be that, like for us, there's a basic assumption that eating snow is a good way to rehydrate if you can't make a fire to melt it, and either Runaan would know or wouldn't, and then Rayla would know or wouldn't, because in the end she is less knowledgeable and experienced than Runaan. I've been leaning towards 'yes they do know', because they did travel through mountainous regions in winter to get to the castle, so Runaan would probably have brushed up on operational knowledge and learned it even if he didn't previously - IF that information is actually available. And that's where I'm stuck.

Moonshadow elves in piaj ain't any better at thermoregulating than humans. But. In piaj worldbuilding, Skywing elves are very very cold resistant, and Sunfire elves can keep their core temperature high with very little energy, because their thermoregulatory processes are augmented by magic. So if Sunfire and Skywing elves can very efficiently stay warm, and therefore snow hydrates them, and they can live in cold regions more easily, it might be harder for Moonshadow elves who don't generally live in cold regions to know whether or not snow is an efficient water source, since they only have hearsay from other races. This makes it more likely that Runaan and his squad wouldn't necessarily know that snow-eating itself is dehydrating, just that eating it makes you colder, so wherever possible you want to melt it on a campfire first.

So my options are:

- Runaan knows, because the Silvergrove has accurate niche information about Moonshadow elf cold survival for some reason, presumably from hypothetical cold environment Moonshadow societies or a pronounced past history of cold weather ops. In this case, Rayla either knows, in which case the story text needs editing, or doesn't, in which case only the notes need editing.

- Runaan doesn't know, because either Silvergrove information on cold weather survival isn't that detailed, or because the differing physiologies of different elf races means that information just plain isn't available.

So in sum I really haven't decided yet what my stance is on this lmao, and that's why I haven't made any notes about it in story yet. I was kind of hoping no one would notice >.> Good catch though.

I welcome input / opinions! I'm still making up my mind on this one. I really like it when there's funky racial difference reasons for there being misinformation, so I'm biased towards that, but on the other hand I feel like the Silvergrove assassins are pretty resourceful and might have conducted enough cold weather ops to know anyway.

What do you think?

[cc-kote]

I've been working on this fic for the past few months and my friends convinced me to start posting it :P I have about half? Of it actually written and the rest is all planned out in a rough draft, but I'm gonna be releasing chapters weekly until I catch up to myself. I'm happy to put it out there for people who want to see it, but pls be nice to me and don't leave mean or critical comments. This is purely for fun and comfort, and I just wanted to make something for the sake of doing it, not perfecting it. If this isn't your thing, I'm sure something else out there is!

I'm still a relatively new fan so there may be some inaccuracies surrounding lore/characterization/in-universe details so forgive me, I'm still learning. I have more WIPs on the go so hopefully they'll be a little better in that sense, but again this is just a silly fun time. Yes the first section is ripped right from the movie, I felt like doing that laid down the foundation for what I wanted to change and made it easier to transition from canon to fanon. I wanted to see what I had to twist and bend to put them in a scenario where they both survive the events of TROS and have to confront and unpack the things they did/why they did them/how they cope with the aftermath. It's not exactly a redemption arc, moreso focused on them facing the reality of their Situations and what lead them there, a look at the parallels and contrasts in their stories, and all the little things about their dynamic that make my brain rattle. It's also a bit of a personal, self indulgent fix it fic for me. I took what I wanted to see that the sequels didn't implement/expand on and I did it meself, ie. Finn is force sensitive, Finnpoe is canon, Ben and Rey's dynamic isn't romance driven and leans more towards estranged siblings. That last one I'm excited about bc it's not something I see often but it's really fun to explore because I love both of them and their interactions but personally in my brain it jives better platonically. I might be biased tho because I can't shake the kylux brainrot lol.

The title/chapter names are all based on songs that I felt fit the theme best because my autistic ass cannot stop making Connections™️. The title is a lyric from This Is How I Disappear by MCR, and ch1 is named after the song The Bitter End by Placebo.

AnYway, what I'm trying to say is that I had a lot of fun putting these guys in Situations and deciphering how they might react, and rewatching/researching/connecting dots with other media for inspiration. I hope it can bring someone as much joy reading it as I got from making it, and if it doesn't, that's ok too! I'm just happy I finally sat down and made something :D

[aflyingcontradiction]

The Magnus Archives Relisten: Episode 199 - Seeing It Through

Martin: Anyone want another cup of tea?

Oh, don't be a parody of yourself, Martin!

Georgie: Let’s try to lay this out properly. What are our actual options here? As far as I can see there are three.

Maybe this is a bit clumsy but I do actually really appreciate having it all laid out clearly.

Georgie: One. We follow Annabelle’s plan. We destroy the Panopticon, kill Elias – Jon: Jonah Georgie: Whatever Jon: Magnus

This interchange is so enjoyable when you actually listen to it, just the way Georgie never once breaks her stride there makes it really funny in a way that just does not come through in text.

Martin: Would you stop just putting everything on him?

HOW? I mean, seriously, "not putting everything on Jon" isn't really an option at this point!

Martin: If it’s just a matter of guilt, then I’ll take it right now. I’d rather live the rest of my life lying awake wondering if I made the right choice, over lying awake listening to the screams of everyone on Earth being tortured! Jon: What? So it’s better for a thousand times more people to scream as long as we can’t hear them?

I think Jon has a really good point here and is probably right, but I'm kinda with Martin - not only would I choose to save the people I actually know over a greater number of strangers, I would also have a hard time fully trusting someone who wouldn't. They might be admirable under certain circumstances, but I would still find it hard to fully open myself up to them. I mean, I don't fancy being sacrificed for the greater good, so I'd like my nearest and dearest to have my back if push ever comes to shove (even if it's, morally speaking, a bit dubious and probably makes me sound awful).

Martin: And you can’t just arbitrarily decide it isn’t because you want a better reason to martyr yourself!

And Martin does have a good point here. Jon may or may not be right, morally speaking (I'm leaning toward "yes, probably"), but he's also extremely biased because he WANTS to sacrifice himself to assuage his guilt. It's kind of on Jon's loved ones to take that into account for their decision.

Georgie: Can I have a cigarette?

Ooooh, callback to the very first episode!

Jon: Sometimes… I imagine if none of this had happened. If we had just… met. Been together, without… all of this. Martin: Me, too. But we wouldn’t have, would we? Been together, I mean.

When Jon said that first line, I immediately thought "But then you'd never have gotten together, would you?" and was very surprised to find Martin, matter-of-factly, if with a slightly bitter tone, making that exact point.

Jon: I’m the one whose whole life has been nothing but one long setup to this.

I keep saying Jon is a tragic character, but - like - Jon is a Tragic Character!

Melanie: Make sure it hurts. Martin: Oh, I will.

I'm enjoying straight-forwardly vindictive Martin here! No scheming, no cleverness, just "Oh, I'll make it hurt!".

My impression of this episode

This is actually a really interesting episode, despite nothing much happening, just from a "discussion of ethics" perspective. And then there's Jon failing utterly to cope with his feelings of guilt and Martin being Martin, but both of them so quietly and with so much exhaustion ... that nearly made me tear up. And yeah. This is it. It's all about to end!

[xoteajays]

I think that's what I like about the series. Since the episodes are really long, a lot of plot happens in each episode in my opinion. And.. I think Joong-ki's the main reason why I continued the show, and even some other character like Taecyeon too (amongst a couple others). I do love Vincenzo as a character. And I do love Taecyeon as an antagonist too. So I definitely love their characters. And I do have mixed feelings with Han-seo as a character though; either I love him or hate him, so that's an opinion that always changes every time I see his characters.

Actually! Some trivia. Ok Taec-yeon and Kwak Dong-yeon were hired to be apart of the Bloodhounds series, but they actually turned down the roles. So I'm happy that Do-hwan and Sang-yi took the job... I just can't imagine anyone else except for those two as Gun and Jin either.

Flick scenes? Do you mean Vincenzo's habit of flicking his lighters. Or is this about something else. But yes.. I do enjoy Vincenzo's habits.

And I actually love how the bird as an even worse enemy than Jang is too. Which is so funny to me. Vincenzo always cursing out Inzaghi.

~

I'm like the Ryu of the group.. I am the only always only wearing black while everyone else around me is wearing bright clothes. And if I even wear colors besides black, every color is usually the darker colors too.

I'm the "goth" of everyone I know. I hate labels. I'm not goth, emo, any of those labels are so not me. But my style is darker than most styles.

So I can relate to Ryu in that way.

I'm curious how they became friends? Ryu is a wealthy character who also happens to be associated with the yakuza since his family would be one of the nine families. Warriors are mercenaries who are actually hired to do jobs. Like I do love suits on attractive men.. But it also just feels out of character for most of the Warriors with their new styles.

Despite Ryu being an aloof character, he does have a lot of arrogance to him too. Just humble this man in any way they can. He deserves it.

~

Good news! I'm slightly leaning more toward Orange and Cobra being romantically involved. I might that I finally made up my mind on that..

~

Obviously Koo would give Rocky the key because Kizzy already does make his life hell since he met her. But when it comes to Bombers or SMG groups, that would just be complicated. Since Rocky and Kizzy would make their lives hell either way. So no one ever wins this round.

~

I've never had calpico so I can't comment on that. But I'm just curious to know what it tastes like though.. Apparently calpico is mixed into a lot of drinks in Japan. Based on what the signatures drinks from Club Heaven look like, I would personally say calpico is one of ingredients - at least for those specific drinks anyway. Obviously when writing your story, if you write a scene in Club Heaven, you could make up recipes. And besides! Clubs usually have more than one drink anyway, but the signature drink seems to be popular though. So there's some options.

And I've never had lychee fruit or flavors... So I can't comment on that either. Some drinks did look pink? But that could only be the lightings in the building. I could be wrong though. Obviously they're there to be pleasing women, so they would probably go out of the way to make a drink that might not be on the menu. Maybe. But because they're the White Rascals, white is their theme color. That's just too much white.

Actually.. When I was researching drinks with calpico. There was even a drink called White Sensations. I could see that as a drink in Heaven.

When it comes to fruity flavors, I can be open minded about any fruit flavors. But I tend to be too biased toward cherry and banana flavors.

Based on the menu... This is how I'm imagining flavors. I haven't really translated the menu (if it mentions flavors), but these are the flavors I am imagining for them. But I'm actually stuck on a few of the flavors.

Scratch that! I translated the menu.

Sannoh Hoodlum Squad: Orange, mango and apricot flavors.

White Rascals: Calpico flavors.

Oya: Blue Hawaii flavors (so I'm actually assuming blueberry and blue raspberry flavors).

Rude Boys: Green apple or lime flavors. Melon flavors.

Daruma: Cherry flavors. Watermelon flavors. (That should've been my cherry flavor. What a wasted opportunity for that one.)

Mugen: Chocolate flavors? Tiramisu flavors. Which is coffee flavors.

Amamiya: Cola flavors. (I know Hiroto would hate that.)

Mighty Warriors: Unknown flavors.

Kuryu: Unknown flavors.

Strawberry Girls: I'm assuming strawberry flavors.

The translation cut of near the end of the drinks. So I don't know their flavors are. Warriors is rainbow colored. And Kuryu might be caramel.

I could even tell you the food too? If you wanted me to.

~

Unless you're Rocky Mitsugi. Then you have an abusive parent, which led your other parent and sibling to commit suicide. Just leaving you.. Basically leaving you to fend for yourself. So no coin flipping for him.

I know that's difficult to find a whole sad backstory for characters but it also seems repetitive at the same time. I know.. The contradictions.

it’s just. like 20 movies and i only really like 1 character so it’s A Lot. and i’m not a huge fan of lawyer shows, so whenever they start talking law stuff im like ‘eugh’. but the fight scenes are good and i like vincenzo himself.

the flick scene! when vin and chayoung make a bet and chayoung loses, so vin gets to flick her on the forehead. but instead when she closes her eyes and tenses up, the romantic music starts playing and he’s just looking all soft at her and instead of actually flicking her hard he just taps his finger against her forehead. it was just cute.

~

i used to wear a lot of black, but i’ve started wearing more colours lately. i’m still wearing a lot of graphic tees and tights, even tho i so desperately want to be one of those pretty femme girls but im. lazy. i don’t wear make up and the only hairstyle i can manage is a ponytail.

ryu just got like, friend-adopted by ice. he maybe helped the warriors out a lil money wise since he is the rich kid. i think he and ice are probably the closest. i wonder if he’d be jealous of how close of a friendship ice and jesse have.

~

yay!! cobra ship!! he deserves a cute gf~

~

koo and kizzy are frienemies. kizzy can try and mess with koo, but it’s not easy to frazzle or intimidate him like it is the golden bombers/smgs; which probably irritates the hell out of kizzy. i think kaito and koo probably actually get along when kizzy’s not around.

~

ooh, i don’t know how i’d pick amongst all those flavours.

i am a big fan of mango and orange. blue hawaiian isn’t a regular flavour in australia and i cant get a clear answer off of google, so i’m not too sure about that. the strawberry one looks good tho on the pic. i might be tempted by tiramasu, because of the coffee, but i’m more of a fan of mocha for my chocolate coffee flavour as opposed to tiramasu.

~

and if you’re rocky, you grow up into a decent person despite being a gang leader. as opposed to many others who really lean into that criminal aspect and are more of the darker side of moral greyness.

it’s hard to find a good backstory that also works to make you empathise and feel bad for the character, while not undermining that they’re a criminal and technically a villain. they’re backstory needs to endear them to the watcher! and unfortunately the easiest - and most common - way is a history of abuse towards them or a family member.

[fayeimara]

Meant To Be || One For Every Billion

6. By My Side | Pt 5

It takes you just a moment to understand his last message but you're already looking up as the dots are being connected and there he is, walking towards you with a real smirk on his real face.

So when he reaches you, you immediately say, "Definitely cute." and watch his mouth drop as he blushes.

Pretty boy didn't think you'd say it, did he? People should really know better than to dare you.

Although he gathers his composure pretty fast, responding after a beat, "Not cuter than you."

You laugh and shake your head, finishing the rest of your drink before standing, "Do you want anything?"

"I'm good, I just had a milkshake from the snack bar on the corner."

He moves to let you pass by him, following your lead as you move to exit the lounge and comment, "That's how you got here so fast. Where are the others?"

"Decided to do their own things, I guess. I think Maki was tired. I don't know what Iwa-chan and Mattsun are up to."

"Uh huh." You had a pretty good idea. They're probably busy being some of the best wingmen ever. That or Toru just ditched his friends, but you don't think he'd really ever do that.

But he'd also be complaining a little more that they ditched him if he didn't have some sort of idea so... you don't know what to think. Which is becoming a constant issue in his presence but it doesn't feel bad or scary.

At this point, you're not going to question it. If everyone is okay and happy, then you're going to focus on the now. Toru is really good at bringing that out in you, you realize as you come to a stop in the warm night air.

Turning to face him with a smile, you ask, "So, then, any requests from the birthday boy?"

His eyes light up with excitement and he responds, "Yes, but it's a surprise!"

"Okay, but.. shouldn't I be surprising you?" You question as he starts to lead you away from the lounge entrance.

"You already did! Now I know we have all night to enjoy the rest of the park."

"Or at least until it closes in a couple hours."

"Then we can gather anyone who's still up and have a party in my room!"

"Yeah, that's real ambitious. We'll see on that but- what's first?"

He stops briefly when he sees a cotton candy stall and answers in his sing-song manner, "First, something sweet for my angel."

Oh he's so cute. Seriously. But you let him buy it for you before prompting, "And now?"

"And now," he looks over at you with a satisfied smile, "we enjoy a ride down a river in a boat." He reveals, just as the two of you reach the entrance to the small, peaceful dock.

"Don't they close the river rides after dark?"

"In ten minutes, actually. So we should hurry because it'll drop us off to our next destination."

You look at him in surprise as you both join the relatively short line. Did he have this planned for before, when he thought you were going to leave? It's a little bittersweet because that's really thoughtful but, it also makes you sad to realize that would mean that maybe he thought the two of you wouldn't see each other again until the next time you visited. It also made you question... Were you unintentionally pushing him away when you visited?

Or you're just overthinking as per usual and he just puts this much effort into it every time he's spending time with a girl he might like. Right.

The two of you reach the front of the line in just a couple minutes and listen to the instructions from the staff member who tries to hand you down into the automated boat. You say 'try' because Toru's hand cuts in between and he helps you instead, giving the guy a pretty condescending smile. He's not even threatened, just.. acting like there was no other possibility because, well, it's not even a contest. You can't lie, you like it.

You settle down and he gets in after you, pretty steady himself as he elegantly plops down into the seat next to you, his arms stretching forward for a brief moment before leaning back into the seat, shifting his legs forward, and placing his hands in his jacket pockets. And whatever he just did there.. that's pretty hot too.

As your boat moves away from the dock, you're struck by the romantic atmosphere of the ride. The quiet melody of the water you're gliding through, the trees dotting the sides of the river that sway with a breeze every so often, their branches reaching towards the water like the leaves are looking for a cool, gentle place to lay. You and Toru, under the stars that are peeking slightly out of the sky, like shy observers to your secret little adventure.

He isn't saying anything either, studying the environment and in his own thoughts you suppose, but you don't mind the silence. You do, however, offer him the cotton candy, tilting the base of the cone you're holding so it's angled towards him. He pulls a hand free from his pocket to reach out and grab a tuft of the cloud-like candy before popping it in his mouth with a smile.

"Do you think about where you want to be in the future?" He's looking up at the sky, head tilted back against the seat, when you look over at his question.

You bite your lip, considering what he's asking. You think way too much about it sometimes, you suppose. "How far in the future?"

He looks over at you in surprise, like he expected a quick answer instead of your clarifying question. Now it's his turn to think. "I guess in a few years, after graduating. What do you want to do?"

"What I want to do is probably very different from where I might be, I think."

"How so?"

You're both looking at each other, lost in another bubble together, so you try to be as honest to yourself as you want to be with him, "In an ideal world, I would either write or play volleyball. Realistically, I'll end up tied to... my family business more than I'd like. Which means I likely won't have the time or energy left to do the things I love."

His eyes are wide, you think he's realized he just turned a mountain, not a rock. Maybe even you wouldn't know what to say in response to someone who just said what you did. But then he surprises you yet again, "If you know what you want to do, what stops you from making sure that's where you end up instead, no matter what?"

"You know," you smile at him softly, "That's exactly the battle I'm currently fighting. So we'll see how it turns out, I guess."

"So," his voice turns teasing, "will you pick writing or volleyball, when you win?"

"Probably writing," you answer with a laugh, releasing the weight that just took a break on your shoulders.

"Why?"

"You love volleyball, right? So much that you can't see yourself doing anything but that for the rest of your life?"

He sends another shocked, wide-eyed look your way but you're surprised he doesn't realize how clear that is to read on him, how easily you figured it out really early in the course of your correspondence this past year. You tuck that away for another day and continue your answer to his question.

"I love both like that and, the way I see it, I'm lucky to be able to love more than one thing at a time. And because I do, they'll both always have a place in the future I want. So it's not really that I'm making a choice between one or the other, I'd be incapable of that. Volleyball will always be in my life, even if it isn't the same way it is now. It's just that I'll pursue writing as my vocation while continuing to enjoy volleyball however I can."

"So you won't go pro." He doesn't state it as a question but it sounds like there's still one in there somewhere.

"I don't think so. That's... a little more complicated."

He shifts to turn more towards you, pulling another piece of the cotton candy you're holding between the two of you and encouraging, "I've seen your videos, Y/n. You're as much, if not more, talented than either of your cousins."

You laugh again, "Aren't you a little biased, Oikawa?"

"Sure, but I'm still telling you the truth as I see it. You've already filled the gaps they lack as players, you almost seem to have none. You're part of the powerhouse teams in your region, even country. And you can only improve from there."

"Yeah. But it's not talent or skill or even anything about volleyball itself that makes me so sure about its role in my life."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"I promise, I will another day. But I know it'll be a long discussion and I want to hear your answer."

"My answer?"

"Where you want to be after you graduate."

"Don't you already know?" His lips pull up into a confident smile, "Because you said it, Y/n-chan. I can't see myself doing anything but playing volleyball for my future."

"No matter how you get there?"

"No matter how I get there." He confirms, watching you with a tilt to his head, "But I will get there."

"Of that, I have no doubt. I've seen you play, too."

And like that, his smile twists into a satisfied smirk, "Just on video, huh? You still have to come to one of my games in person, though."

"Oh, I do, do I?" You're grinning as the two of you fall back into lighthearted teasing.

"Of course. I think there's still a thing or two I could teach you."

"I'm sure. Without a doubt."

By the time the boat reaches the end of its line, the cotton candy is completely gone, much like any space between you both. The two of you are just short of leaning into each other, your sides already pretty much pressed against each other for most of the fifteen minute ride, as you and Toru talked and joked about various things with only the blinking stars and swaying trees as your witnesses.

You take a deep breath in as your boat approaches the dock, starting to pull away from him slightly, but you also catch the now-familiar scent of some product Toru uses and it smells divine. It's the sort of scent that makes you want to lean into his chest or neck and just relax while he holds you.

Oh my god. You need to slap yourself. That was pathetic, right? And after just one romantic boat ride, holy shit. You still have another hour and a half to go unless you completely bail on him. And for what? Because you caught yourself slipping? Again?

Ugh. No. You're here to be a good friend. And okay, take it slow and see what else could be between the both of you. But that shit wasn't slow.

You've pulled away, physically and metaphorically, by the time your boat docks but you still accept his hand as he helps you off, blocking the attendant yet again. He doesn't pull away though and neither do you, so you're still holding hands as you and Toru walk to your next destination.

Just taking it slow. Right... Shit.

Turns out your next destination is the carousel. You two keep switching horses, messing around until you're politely removed. After which you hit up some of the rides like the one that spins really fast so that you're pressed back against the reclined wall, or the one where you sit in a claw that swings you up, down, around, etc.

Following that, it's mini coasters and then upgraded back to some of your favourite thrill coasters from earlier in the day. You tell him it's a completely different experience at night. After the first one, he agrees. So you two hit up four more.

By the time the two of you get off the last one, teasing and laughing about who was screaming louder (it was him, obviously), you only have a little over twenty minutes left before the park closes. So your hand finds Toru's, your fingers lacing together with ease and electric familiarity by now, and you pull him along in order to run back to the hotel through the remaining crowd.

"Why are we going back?" He's barely even out of breath as he easily catches up to race beside you, but you guess neither are you. Thank you, conditioning.

"It's a surprise!"

The concierge barely startles when he sees two teens just run through, raising his hand to call out before lowering it in defeat. You're already gone anyways. You reach the elevator bay and hit the button for your floor, thankfully the door to the middle one opens immediately with a smooth tone. When the two of you get in for the ride up to the top floor, the pace steadies and you're just looking at each other while you each catch your breath, then you burst out laughing again.

"Okay so you're still not going to tell me?" There's a little bit of mock attitude in his tone but it's washed away by his genuine smile.

"Just wait."

The elevator dings as it reaches your floor and you're pulling him out with the doors barely open. The two of you reach your room and you swipe the card over the lock, opening the door, pulling you both through and closing it in swift motions before letting go of his hand and running to the balcony.

"Come on!"

You look back to encourage him forward as you open the double doors and he strolls up to your side before you both step out together. Just as you reach the rail, faint music starts to drift up from the park's speakers, getting louder and louder until you can hear its strains clearly, playing the orchestral melody that indicates the park will be closing in fifteen minutes.

It's what you can see only from up here that you wanted to show him. Because with the music that plays, there are lights quite literally at every inch of the park that turn on in an incredible show.

Many people gather on the streets or at particular locations for the ground level view. But those are always crowded and honestly a pretty limited view of the show's true scale. It's the guests who have park facing rooms and know to stop for the view from their balconies at this time that experience the true and complete nature of the stunning spectacle.

"Wow." He barely says it, it's more like a word he releases with his breath, but you're so happy knowing you were right.

This is the perfect ending to an incredibly special day that deserves no less. You and Toru stand there, side by side for the full fifteen minutes, still under the carpet of stars that seem a little closer from up here. The two of you hold hands, arms and sides pressed against each other as you both lean on the balustrade and listen to the crescendos and decrescendos, glancing at each other with smiles and the occasional comment. Sometimes pointing to a corner or edge of the park laid out beneath you to pull the other's attention with a tug on your linked hands.

And when the music starts its final rise only to move into its final descent, you look instead at Toru and find him looking back at you. With your hands still linked, you lean into him further to place a soft kiss on his cheek, mirroring the one from a year ago, this on his other side. Then you lean back to look at his flustered but happy face with a soft smile and add your wish for him to your blessing-

"Happy Birthday, Toru."

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Masterlist

Behind The Scenes!

-ngl but that moment when Toru takes a seat in the boat was fully inspired by my memory of him at the Karasuno vs Shiratorizawa match, just after Iwa hops over the seat like wow, but then the way Oikawa stretches out from his previous position... just more wow. Sorry, I can't explain it. I love that scene (and the others with those two that follow) and I don't know if I'm the only one it stuck with like this...

A/N: Okay...time for the vent... I will be the first to say that I love Kuroo and Suna primarily, and both the Miyas are a close second.. but I DO NOT KNOW HOW OIKAWA KEEPS PULLING THIS ON ME like... this whole episode really got away from me again. I mean, I did like Oikawa as a close second to Kuroo (who's been my steady the whole time, js, it's unwavering) for a LONG time before being intro'd to Inarizaki but... then Suna just came in and turned my head until I was like.. Oikawa, who? But maybe this just goes deep, so I didn't know he was always still in there. He IS incredibly lovable after all, you can't change my mind about that, and I really respect him as a complex character and okay, yeah, I honestly can't remember who was my first between him and Kuroo at this point because I was simping for them both before I really even remembered their names (and was trying to avoid being teased by my bf for rewatching scenes with them since he had to bribe me to watch the show in the first place). Anyways, I don't know what I'm saying anymore since I desperately need to go to sleep, maybe for a whole day, so I hope you guys like this one! Because.. just, yeah. Toru <3 I guess

Taglist: @delusivist, @prettyinblack231, @kac-chowsballs, @sakusasimpbot, @hawkthekinnie, @poppi144

[aromanticbuck]

i know you’re busy so no pressure but kitscliffe + slow dancing!

listen...... i need you to just pretend i actually wrote content of them dancing around the kitchen and not just the lead up to it. can you do that? for me?

51. slow dancing

The waves hitting the sand created a more peaceful ambiance than the situation had any right to have, creating an artificial peace that Holden couldn't quite let himself enjoy. For all intents and purposes, everything had gone as planned and the Framework had done as he intended it to - Agnes was alive, in a sense, and they were together, and Leo was... somewhere in the simulation, likely not as safe as he had been before the changes were made. Somewhere, Aida was enacting her plans, and he had no way of knowing what they were or how to stop her.

His life, or what was left of it, thanks to his virtual creation, was confined to the island.

With a sigh, he glanced toward the water before starting along the footpath toward the trees. It wasn't much of a forest or a jungle, really, when it took minutes to walk from one side to the other, but he let himself believe, just for a moment, that the other side wouldn't be predictable. Maybe, with enough hope, he could modify the simulation with his own thoughts, and he'd emerge from the trees not to more of the nature he was used to, but to the house he'd put in his version of the world, before his invention with a complex got a hold of it. The house where he would find the simple, domestic life that had been ripped away yet again.

Instead, Holden found exactly what he expected - salt water crashing against the side of cliffs instead of sand, the sun low on the horizon creating a silhouette of the figure ahead of him and the easel at her side, the faint humming a perfect soundtrack to the moment if there wasn't so much more that he was worried about. He was the unlucky one, really, with memories of other worlds still taking up space in his head, while she wasn't even burdened with the reality that he'd saved her from, let alone the perfect life they'd had however temporarily. It was fine, really, and it meant he was all the more grateful for what he did have, and how easily it could be taken away from him.

It certainly gave him a new appreciation for the little things.

Reluctantly, he cleared his throat and stepped further out from the trees, putting on a smile when Agnes looked up from her current project. He couldn't remember the last time he'd seen her this happy, before the Framework, this at peace with life, and that was the reason he couldn't tell the truth. He couldn't ruin this for her. He couldn't take it all away the way it had been taken from him.

"Holden, come look at this! I think I've finally finished this piece!" She waved him over happily, clearly pleased with herself while she presented her work - a seascape, with colors that matched the water and foam far below them, the sun glinting off the waves so perfectly. She was right to be proud of it, and he tried to make sure his own pride in her work was shown in his eyes. "Or I might add to it tomorrow, we'll see. Something feels slightly off about it, but I can't tell what it is."

With a softer smile, he leaned over to kiss the side of her head softly. "It's wonderful, Nessie. I'll find a spot for it on the wall as soon as we get back to the house, and we can hang it up tomorrow when it's dry."

She grabbed his hand before he could step away again, pulling him back for a proper kiss before letting out a small, satisfied hum. "I love you, dear, but your art knowledge is minimal at best. I'm not inclined to trust your opinion, especially when you're rather biased when it comes to this artist."

"Yes, I am biased, I thought I made that very clear when we met."

Agnes let her smile widen while she released his hand and started to gather her things. For the last few days, or however it was time passed for them, now, he'd been taking every opportunity to make her smile, even when he was hiding his own stress and the urge to find a way off the island that wouldn't get them both killed, again. "You're so much sweeter than I deserve, you know that? Let's go back to the house, I'm sure there will be plenty of time for this to dry while we make dinner, hmm? What are we making?"

With a small shake of his head, Holden trailed a few steps behind her during the short trek back down to the house. Their life on the island was easy, and so simple, and it had been second nature to fall into a routine. It involved painting by the cliffs or the beach, afternoon tea, an occasional game of croquet, homemade romantic dinners, sunsets by the sea... every once in a while, they'd change it up and watch the sunset from the cliffs, or have tea outside, or sleep in an extra hour or two. He had no doubt that all of it would be the perfect life if it really was as simple as it looked on the surface.

He stepped forward to open the door when they reached the house, letting her in ahead of him before making sure it closed all the way behind them. Maybe that was another one of Aida's little tortures, the sticky front door, and it was clever, something that could be brushed off by the salt water air. If he was actually still alive and not just clinging to pieces of code, maybe he would have appreciated the artistry in it.

"I'll get started on dinner, if you want to clean up." Holden shook his head again, sliding his hands into his pockets and making himself at least appear relaxed. He couldn't fix any of their problems from there, with the setting sun beyond the windows and thawed chicken waiting in the sink. Whatever solutions did and didn't exist, they would still be there in the morning, after they took one more night for themselves. There was always the possibility that any plan he had would go horribly wrong, and cost them everything, and that was too much of a risk. "I know how to make the sauce you like."

Agnes stepped toward him, kissing his cheek with a smile. "I'll be quick. I just have to set this down somewhere and wash my hands. Turn on that station I like?"

"Of course." He headed for the kitchen and hit the button on the radio to turn it on before making his way over to the fridge to take everything out. Dinner could be quick and easy or engaging and fun, depending on the day, and they needed something to fill the air besides their laughter and the few jokes he told that actually landed. Those were rare, but getting a genuine laugh out of the woman he adored with everything he had was absolutely magical, every time.

On this night in particular, dinner was easy, something to make and enjoy with time to watch the sunset from a blanket on the sand. It was part of their routine, a part he particularly enjoyed, and one he didn't want to give up no matter the circumstances. He was happy to get things started, humming along to the radio while mixing together the ingredients for the sauce in a bowl. It wasn't until footsteps sounded on the wood that he lifted his head, his smile returning on instinct at the familiar sight before him - Agnes was always comfortable in any room, in front of any audience, even when he himself got nervous, and the Framework didn't change that. She was just at home alone on the beach as she was at a fundraiser. That one, he'd learned about from articles and videos, a story from her artificial memories of this lifetime, something that filled the time before they were hidden away on an island, all alone and out of the way in case his hubris had more plans to execute.

"It smells good already. I didn't miss too much of the process, did I?" She walked behind him to get to the sink, taking in the sight of everything on the counter and the temperature on the oven display. He'd stopped humming, but the radio was still on, playing a song they'd both heard plenty of times during their hours spent in the kitchen, and she stepped over to turn it up. "Are your hands clean?"

Arching a brow, Holden shook his head and glanced down at the bowl in front of him. "I haven't even touched the chicken yet, and I've been using a spoon to do this, so-"

"So that's a yes. Come dance with me."

He didn't even have the time to argue before she grabbed his arm and gently pulled him away from the counter, all too easily distracting him from the task at hand. They weren't really in a rush, not when there were countless sunsets in their future, and there was always that feeling of home when she was near, circumstances be damned. So, when her arms slipped around his shoulders, and his own hands found her waist, and they started to sway to the music playing through the speakers, he let himself enjoy the moment. For a few minutes, he could forget about reality and the world they lived in and let himself believe in his happy ending.

[ intimacy prompts ]

[geeky-writes]

The Phoenix Project Chapter 12 Preview

Behind? Catch up HERE 😊

Gorgeous moodboard created by @crownofstardustandbone @therollingstonys thank you so much! 💖

********

“Oh, Pete’s a master tree climber,” said Tony. “You might wanna be careful though. It’s been so long since he’s been able to play outside that we might have our hands full trying to get him back in the house at the end of the day. You have not seen Pete’s puppy-dog eyes to the fullest extent of their pppllleeeaaassseee potential until you try to tell him that it’s time to come back into the house.”

Steve tipped his head back against the headrest, lolling it sideways to look at Tony. “Well, we could always just build him a treehouse. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind that.”

“Only when it'd be time to eat,” Tony said with a laugh. “You just better watch it, Captain, ‘cause once Pete gets all of his strength back, I swear that boy will be able to out-eat even you. I’ve never been able to figure out where he puts it all.”

“I am definitely looking forward to it,” said Steve. “I might even cook for us, if that’s okay?”

“Really?” Tony asked. “You know how to cook?” Because of course Mr Perfection himself would also know his way around a kitchen.

Steve gave a not-quite-modest shrug. “I’m actually not too bad at it. I did most of the cooking when I was growing up since Ma was always working so much.”

“Wow,” Tony said, his eyes wide. “So then, is there anything that you actually can’t do? ‘Cause I gotta admit I haven’t seen all that much evidence to the contrary, and—”

“Tony,” Steve said softly. “I’m not perfect.”

Tony winced. He had noticed lately that Steve had been finding Tony’s frequent jokes about his perfection less and less amusing, and so had been trying to cut back on them. But it’d been a lot harder than he’d thought since to him, Steve really was perfect.

“No, hon, I know that,” Tony murmured. “No one is. But as far as perfection goes, I’d say you're a lot closer to it than the rest of us.”

Steve pursed his lips. “I think a lot of it depends on who you ask,” he said. “And I also think that you just might be a little bit biased.”

Tony snorted, feeling some of the tension in his shoulders slowly seep away. “Oh, you think so?”

“Yes, I do,” Steve said with a wink, his hand sliding up Tony’s thigh just enough to send a sharp burst of warmth across Tony’s chest. “Call it an instinct.”

“Well,” Tony said, his voice cracking on the word. He cleared his throat, trying again. “Well, I have a feeling you might be right about that, Captain. But seeing as how I don’t think your ma would appreciate me sporting a raging hard on when you're trying to introduce us, we probably should put a stop to this kind of talk. Like, right now.”

With a downright evil grin, Steve leaned over, his lips brushing the shell of Tony’s ear as he whispered, “Just a temporary stop though, right, sweetheart?”

“Holy shit,” Tony whispered, shivering as desire shot down his spine like a spear. “You do realise that I’m trying to drive here, right?”

“Sorry,” murmured Steve, sounding anything but sorry. “I’ll leave you alone now.”

“Thank you,” Tony said with an exaggerated sigh. “But… only until we get back, right?”

Steve’s bright blue eyes darkened, his grin turning positively shit-eating.

“Oh, yeah.”

“Gods, you're incorrigible,” Tony rasped. “Like, seriously. I'm pretty sure I've created a monster.”

“Or maybe just unleashed one,” said Steve. He waggled his eyebrows, then somehow managed to school his features into a look of pure, boyish innocence in about three seconds flat. “Turn right at the next light, then it’s the third house on the left side.”

Tony’s gasp lodged in his throat as he made the turn, breathing in deeply through his nose as he tried to calm himself. For how inexperienced Steve might’ve been when they first got together, in the months since he had already more than made up for it, quite literally blowing Tony’s mind with his passion and attentiveness. Tony had always thought of himself as being a generous lover, but Steve was on a whole other level. He didn't only tell Tony that he loved him, he also showed him with every single caress of his hands and touch of his lips.

And Tony soaked up every single second of it, like an overly thirsty sponge.

“Here we are,” Steve said as Tony pulled into the cracked concrete driveway of a bluish-grey house that looked remarkably like his own, even down to the scraggly bushes lining either side of the front steps.

“I usually pay someone to come over and work on the landscaping, but the last kid I hired got accepted into the university and I haven’t been able to find anyone else yet,” Steve explained. He opened Tony’s car door, holding out his hand towards him. “Ma tries to do it on her own sometimes too, but she’s getting to the point now where she just can’t.”

“Well, once Pete gets better I’m sure he wouldn't mind helping her out,” said Tony. “If she wouldn't mind.”

“I can’t see why she would,” said Steve. He gave Tony a quick but encouraging smile as he reached for the doorbell. “Ready?”

“Yep,” Tony said. “Go for it.”

Despite his attempt at bravery, Tony couldn't help but flinch as he heard the doorbell echo inside the house, followed only a few seconds later by the sound of slowly approaching footsteps.

“Ma!” Steve exclaimed as soon as the door swung open. After guiding Tony inside he immediately held out his arms, drawing the petite, slender woman with greyishly-white hair into a careful hug. “You’re looking so beautiful today!”

“Ah, and you're just as much of a flatterer as your papa,” she said as Steve released her. She stepped back, her steel-blue eyes looking Tony up and down before offering her hand, her knuckles swollen and slightly bent with arthritis.

“Hello,” she said, clear and strong, her expression almost unreadable. “I’m Sarah Rogers.”

Tony cleared his throat, momentarily panicking. Was he supposed to shake her hand? Was he supposed to kiss it? Maybe he should’ve asked these kinds of questions before Steve rang the damn doorbell—

“Ma,” Steve said, cutting through the fog inside Tony’s mind. He curled his arm around Tony’s waist, giving him an almost imperceptible nod. “This is Tony.”

“Tony Stark,” Tony blurted, just on the off chance that Steve had somehow failed to mention his surname. He carefully grasped Sarah Rogers’s hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs Rogers.”

Sarah pursed her lips as she shook Tony’s hand, her grip plenty firm despite her pained knuckles.

“Yes, I know who you are, Mr Stark,” she said. “I've known who you are for most of your life.”

“Uhh,” Tony stammered, his blood running cold even as Steve’s arm tightened around him. “Yeah, well—”

“And what I also know,” she continued. “Is that the sins of a father should never be passed along to his son.” She glanced up at Steve, her eyes softening slightly. “And I also know that I’ve never seen my son so happy in his entire life, which he assures me is entirely the doing of both yourself and a certain young man with whom I’ll be shortly making my acquaintance.”

“That’s absolutely right, Ma,” Steve said.

“Yes, I can see that,” said Sarah. She released Tony’s hand and stepped back, gesturing towards her living room. “Please, come in, Mr Stark.”

“Tony,” Tony said. “Please, ma’am, if you don't mind, call me Tony.”

Sarah smiled, a bright smile that was so like Steve’s that Tony nearly did a double-take. “Tony,” she said. “It’s nice to meet you.”

The full chapter will post on Monday, June 15th 😊

[margridarnauds]

So I've been kinda asking this around for Arthuriana but now I'm curious. Irish mythology, any paring(s) of your choice, top or bottom

Look...I don’t want to say that all the ladies are tops BUT...well...

Mandatory “My primary focus is the Mythological Cycle, ergo my answers are heavily biased towards that; also it’s been a while since I’ve read a few texts and so I’m swinging heavily into the ones I DO know, like CMT.” 

Bres/Sreng - They tend to...not...go for options that actually HAVE a top/bottom, simply because of Societal Things (since a decent part of their relationship, they were living with the Fomorians, and if we’re going to assume that the Fomorians map onto the Vikings, then it’s a “Being gay af is fine so long as you have heirs and top.”) Not going too far into specifics but yes. Two very, very good friends who sometimes give one another stress relief, cuddle with one another, stress over one another, live together, raise children together, go for more stress relief. BFF goals. 

That being said, Bres is a total power bottom. And Sreng is perfectly happy with that, though they do switch things up because it isn’t nearly as fun if there isn’t at least some contest involved. 

Bres/Bríg - Not a personal ship, but...obviously...see above. Bríg was just less uniquely understanding of Bres’...needs. Which, tbh, is valid given that I can’t IMAGINE Bres being an easy man to be married to under the best of circumstances, much less the circumstances they were thrown into. 

Aífe/Emer: See...Emer HAS the biggest top energies of the two, but I think that for Reasons, it’s very, very important for Aífe to take the initiative, so she stands down a little for her. 

Elatha/Eriu - Eriu. Elatha THINKS that he’s in charge. He is Not. Next question. 

Ethniu/Eriu (Give me crackships or give me death) - Eriu again. Bres’ mom is more of a top than he is. 

Aengus/Caer - Aengus bottoms. Any Aengus ship can be automatically put in the “Aengus bottoms” category. 

Naoise/Deirdre - Deirdre tops. 

Fand/Emer: They’re both tops, but Emer. 

Indech’s Daughter/The Dagda - Indech’s Daughter. Obv. 

Indech’s Daughter/Indusa (AKA Actual Crack Pairing That I Swear Makes Sense In My Retelling Even Though They Never Even MEET In Any Texts And They Both Appear Briefly) -  ...ANOTHER case of them both being tops, but I lean towards Indusa, though she’s probably more verse than anything else. Though Indusa might have inherited her father’s power-bottominess. 

Ochtriallach/Ruadan (YET ANOTHER CRACK SHIP. But look...CMT is MUCH more fun if you just assume that there’s all kinds of Messy Soap Opera Drama going on with the Fomorians, ESPECIALLY with Bres’ kids) - You know? Ruadan might have been the ONLY ONE of Bres’ children not to have inherited Bres’ power bottom tendencies. Right on, Ruadan. Just a pity that...you didn’t live long enough. RIP, you magnificent little motherfucker. 

The Morrigan/The Dagda - Look...do I NEED to say it? Do I REALLY need to say it? 

Diarmuid/Gráinne - ....Gráinne tops. That’s pretty much...there. Like, they obviously didn’t have that terminology in Medieval Ireland. But. She tops. 

Midir/Etain - Midir is a verse. Etain is a top. You see how she tells Midir EXACTLY under what circumstances he’s going to take her away? Yeah. Top energy. Not as strong as, say, Emer’s, especially since she doesn’t say much during the actual PROCEEDINGS, but she tops. She topped Midir and she topped Eochaid. 

Lugh/Sualtaim - The idea of Lugh being a top is propaganda (Topaganda?) created by Lugh himself. Master of many skills, but NOT master in the sheets. Sualtaim is a service top. He and Sreng sometimes bond over it over a pint while their respective SOs get into a pissing match in the background.

Medb/Ailill - 

Look...

There is literally. 

An entire EPIC. 

About Medb. 

STARTING A WAR. 

Over her right to top. 

Case closed. That’s the REAL reason Fergus is pissy in the end over “A mare leading the herd.” He’s tired of Medb topping all the time. He wants to top every once in a while. (Though tbh...given the entire thing with Nessa...and then Flidais....I think it’s safe to say that Fergus is NOT a top, but he likes to switch it up every once in a while for a change of pace. Or he’s in denial.) That is my Very Serious, Very Academic conclusion.

[rorykillmore]

Ohhhh now I'm so curious about your taste. Recc me some good female-led horror in general!

god listen horror has become a great genre for women, i’m so proud. arguably it was once a lot worse (which is why not that many older films are on this list) but even then... it was casting women as leads where a lot of genres weren’t tbh. here you go! 

suspiria (2018 remake & 1977 original) - i have to rec both although they might be to VERY different tastes. same basic concept; “american girl attends prestigious european dance school and finds it is run by a coven of witches”. the remake is political, poignant, a lot quieter and more slow-moving while the original is vivid, vibrant, not particularly narrative coherent but you will NEVER forget the visuals and the sound design. both feature mostly female casts and center on relationships between women. 

warnings:  lots and lots of blood/gore/body horror in both. the original is very showy with its blood and guts but it also all looks very Fake for deliberate aesthetic purpose. the remake is a bit more sparse with it but when it comes, it’s a LOT

halloween (2018 BUT ALSO the 1978 original cause you gotta) - i mean... i can’t not rec the original halloween because it produced one of the most iconic women of horror of all time (along with, of course, one of the most iconic villains) but also. the recent 2018 sequel. does an AMAZING job exploring female trauma, mother/daughter relationships, and just generally features a lot of Women Kicking Ass. good option if you like slashers.

warnings:  uh... a lot of people die, on screen, blood and guts. sorry i do not remember a lot of specific deaths in the remake, but the original is VERY tame by today’s standards. 

us (2019) - i feel like us needs little introduction. everyone knows about us. if you haven’t seen it, you’re missing out on an incredibly fucking performance (or technically, perfomances) by lupita nyong’o

warnings: mostly blood but also some weird surrealist imagery if you’re sensitive to that kind of stuff

hereditary (2018) - hereditary is a heavy film i would only recommend if you’re steeled for... well, heavier subject matter. it’s a lot to do with grief and family trauma and the horrors of that. BUT toni collette’s performance is INCREDIBLE, i’ll go to my grave saying she should have gotten an oscar nom for it.

warnings: uhhh boy. blood, body horror, child death, animal death im pretty sure, LOTS OF UNCOMFORTABLE EMOTIONS

the babadook (2014) - i’m actually not as big of a fan of this one as some people were (not that i DISLIKE it, i just haven’t felt compelled to go back and revisit in awhile) but it’s another really compelling lead female performance comparable to hereditary while being perhaps not... quite as heavy (though still heavy), so it’s worth checking out!

warnings: i’m sorry i haven’t seen this in so long, i don’t remember. i’m pretty sure it’s not super graphic though. i think there’s a weird vomiting scene in it? also it bears mentioning that this and hereditary do some metaphorical and literal examination of mental illness

annihilation (2018) - featuring four women in the lead roles, and people. LOVE. this movie. for good reason. i’m slightly biased because i read the (very different) source material first and lean towards that but this is a STUNNING movie in its own right.  if you’re looking for some good sci fi/horror with some really thought-provoking themes, annihilation’s well worth checking out.

warnings: LOTS OF BODY HORROR, also self harm/suicide. probably some other stuff

happy death day (2017) - if you’re looking for some lighter fare, happy death day is SO much fun. very campy, very funny, very... affectionate towards the slasher genre and its own characters. WONDERFULLY entertaining female lead. it’s basically slasher movie groundhog day. there’s no way you’re not gonna have a good time.

warnings: i don’t really think there are many. people die obviously and there is one scene where a girl hangs herself but it’s a pg-13 movie so nothing’s really grpahic

you’re next (2013) - really, REALLY fun subversion of the slasher/home invasion genre here. not... quite as light as happy death day, but definitely not as dark as some of the other entries on this list. very clever and tongue-in-cheek! i can’t say much about the lead without spoiling EVERYTHING but she is phenomenal and you will not regret watching her. most people who watch this movie fall in love with it

warnings: usual blood, gore, etc.

absentia (2011) - do you like the haunting of hill house? hush? oculus? mike flanagan directed all of those, and absentia was really his first kind of... delving into the horror genre before those. it’s a quiet, low budget little movie that’s not very well known but it has stayed with me for years. very poignant, haunting story about a relationship between two damaged sisters and their respective... healing journeys. SO good.

warnings: almost everything happens off screen tbh. there’s a bit of scary imagery but like i said it’s pretty low budget and they make better use of what you DON’T see than what you do 

jennifer’s body (2009) - i feel like jennifer’s body has practically reached cult status by this point. do i really need to introduce it? female-led monster movie. GAY female-led monster movie. girl falls in love with her best friend, best friend gets possessed by a demon. written by the eternally witty diablo cody. need i say more.

warnings: i think there’s some gross body horror in a few parts but that’s about it

the silence of the lambs (1991) - very much a crime thriller first, horror movie second, but. yes, silence of the lambs. if you like mystery-thriller-serial killer stories, you can’t go wrong with this. everyone knows it for hannibal lecter but clarice starling is an AMAZING protagonist and very ground-breaking in a lot of ways for the time. it’s a movie that actually actively examines sexism

warnings: hannibal lecter and buffalo bill are freaks, they do stuff like skinning and eating people

alien (1979) - just to include another right and proper classic on this list, ellen ripley is still one of the best women in fiction EVER. you like sigourney weaver? scary monsters? claustrophobic spaces? go back and watch alien. i’d also recommend the sequel, aliens, and i also have a soft spot for prometheus (2012). people are very split on prometheus but i think it had AMAZING potential and, again, great female characters

[fountainpenguin]

Have you ever found poems that speak to you and seen perfect for your favourite shows? Do you ever read a poem and think it really fits a character, either yours or Butch Hartman's? I have, plenty of times - "The Stolen Child" makes me think of Cosmo and Wanda adopting Timmy, "The Erl-King" makes me think of Vlad trying to take Danny away from Jack, and "The Phantom-Wooer" makes me think of Danny seducing Paulina. But I wonder if others do this or if I'm just weird.

I… hate poetry.

I just.

Uggggghghghghghghghg poetry makes me cry.

Like, it’s FINE, and I’ve written plenty of poems myself, and songs are okay, but just…… dfgjdligjidlkgjdjsldf I don’t wanna think about poems nope nope.

Tfw you take creative writing classes but they only give you writing prompts and deadlines and don’t tell you anything about grammar or structure or finding an agent or self-publishing or ANYTHING, you just write poems all the time, and the class is peer-graded and your peers give you an F at the end of the quarter because they “couldn’t understand the characters’ accents”, so you have to go in and talk to your teacher about why she accepted this as your actual grade without bothering to check when she KNOWS you can do better than that. Fortunately she DID change my grade. Jerks.

Shel Silverstein is my only poet, and if a certain Follower of mine makes a wisecrack about his death then I’m done with everything.

Really, it just boils down to people’s tastes. Some people pick songs to match different characters. Some might pick written poems. There’s certainly nothing wrong with that. It’s just not a thing I myself do. “Ozymandias” is a good poem, which I’m probably biased towards because of “Children of the Lamp”. But I like Silverstein, and Jack Prelutsky, and don’t really care for anyone else.

For anyone curious, I’ve included the prose piece (from 2014) they graded me an F on here, because I’m still MAJORLY salty about this. Fun Fact: some elements of Jake were eventually recycled into Anti-Sanderson.

Be They Mouse or Squirrel or Chipmunk:

Baylor hissed whenhe saw the wall. He gave a yank on Prince’s reins, and the iguana lumbered to ahalt and sat down.

“Curse thesecloudy skies: We’ve been going in circles.”

A second mouserode to join Baylor on the sand dune, his mouth set in a hard thin line. Hebobbed his head several times as he counted each hut in the human villagebelow.

“’S definitely thesame one we left this morning,” he reported to Baylor, and then for goodmeasure added, “We’s gotten lost.”

Again, Baylor gavea hiss through his teeth. He removed his hat and used it to fan his face whilehe scoured the sky. The sunset painted the sand in a bloody red circle and casta soft glow on the surrounding clouds. Through the wisps of petal pink, Baylorcould only make out a single star in the sky.

 The mouse replaced his hat and turned in hissaddle to look at the half dozen in his shabby party. He didn’t see Jake andfor a split second wondered if the chipmunk had made a dash for it across thedesert without the rest of them noticing. But then a big black and white mousemoved her iguana forward, revealing Jake stumbling along behind. His wrists werestill bound, but the ropes were notched and fraying, and wet with saliva.

“The owls will beout soon,” Baylor called, flicking his tail to the left. “We’ll make campbehind that north hill. Simon, I want you and Weston to gather tumbleweed forfire. No,” he corrected himself, frowning at the brown scales on Prince’s back.Baylor shook his head. “We’re much too close to the humans for that. We’ll gowithout tonight.”

The othersgrumbled, but Harold, who was still perched on his steed on Baylor’s right, soonput an end to that. He rode his iguana forward and set about scolding theoffenders.

Baylor turned tolook again at the sunset. It was fading fast, and already the cold night windshad begun to stir. Grit blew into his fur and stung his eyes. From somewhere inthe distance came the howl of a coyote.

“Oh Rita,” hemurmured, “What are we going to do?”

Smoke rose fromthe huts below. A mother called out to her dark-skinned children who had beenplaying in the dusty road. Even from up on hill, Baylor could smell the stew,still hot.

Over the next dunehe dismounted and tied Prince to a cactus beside the other steeds. Jake sat afew paces away working at his wrists, stopping only when Simon yanked hard onhis ear. Baylor had him moved across the camp, as far as possible from theiguanas. Bound wrists or not, the last thing they needed was for the chipmunkto set them all free during the night. Or worse, make a getaway on themhimself.

They had no fire,but when the moon rose in the sky it was round and bright, and they had a nicemeal of tortillas and beans. The food was cold, but Baylor refused and pleas byWeston to warm them with fire.

“We’re too closeto the human settlement. We lost a lot of time today going in circles. Tomorrowthe sky will be clearer, and we’ll be able to follow the sun.”

The black and whitemouse - Baylor realized he still didn’t know her name - grumbled something, andElliot joined in, but Henry shushed them both with a hiss. Baylor couldn’tblame them for their complaints. They were three days behind schedule as itwas.

Henry offered totake first watch, but Baylor refused. As the others began to settle down, hejoined Jake in the far corner of the camp. Obviously the prisoner had nointention of sleeping either. He had given up on untying his wrists, or so itseemed, but he leaned against a dark red boulder with one leg crossed over theother and his bound forepaws tucked behind his head.

“Can’t sleep?”Baylor asked him. He’d taken care to step quietly and the wind was blowingtowards him, but Jake didn’t twitch when the mouse’s voice suddenly broke thequiet.

“No sir, not awink, sir.”

Baylor noddedslowly. He took a sip from his canteen without looking away. Jake’s casual grinstarted to slip. His nose twitched and one eye darted over and then away.

“Thirsty?”

“Yes sir, butseein’ as I plan to be long gone in the morning I’d advise ya not to waste anya’ tha’ precious water on li’l ol’ me.”  

Baylor wrinkledhis nose. “I see two long days of walking hasn’t cured you of your sharptongue.”

The chipmunk ducked his head, but Baylor couldsee him grinning. “Beggin’ your pardon, sir, but it takes a bi’ more’n sorefeet an’ a few cloudy days to cure ol’ Jake of his only skill worth ‘aving.”

“So I see.” Baylor folded his arms and put onefoot up against the rock. Together he and Jake gazed into the sky. The cloudshad shifted over the past two hours, and more and more stars were blinking intoexistence with every heartbeat. Jake raised his bound forepaws.

“Right there,” he said, “tha’s Terrin thefarmer. He’s got his hoe wit’ him, see? Legends say tha’ when he was defendin’his family he used it a’ take out thirty-five trained soldiers ‘fore one of ‘emfinally got close enough ta send him to the stars. Backstabbin’ rat got ‘imright in th’ back, he did.”

Baylor squinted his eyes. He could make out theconstellation only vaguely, but Jake plowed onward before he had the chance tosay anything.

“An’ over that way, just above that big sanddune, tha’s the river brot’er, Shrio. He’s the one tha’ near flooded my villagewit’ one of his temper tantrums. Oh, he ain’t all bad, though: He brings th’rains down from the moun’ains too.”

“Oh, does he?”

Jake nodded enthusiastically. He gnawed on hisropes for a second or two, then gestured to a third constellation with hisnose.

“She’s my favorite,tha’ one.” His tone turned reverent. “Mother of all the stars, Rita.”

“You chipmunksbelieve in Mother Rita?” Baylor’s ears pricked forward. His foot slid acrossthe red rock and thumped awkwardly in the sand. Jake turned to stare at him,brow wrinkled and whiskers twitching.

“An’ wha’ssamatter wit’ it? You believe in her too, sir. The whole lot a’ you do. I’veheard ya talkin’.”

“Of course we do,”fumbled Baylor, furious that he felt the need to explain himself to a prisoner,“but that’s different. She’s a kangaroo rat. Key word, rat. She’s one of ours.”

Jake cocked his head. “E’ery one of us rodentsbelieves in Mother Rita, be ‘em mouse or squirrel or chipmunk. You peoplewho’re always goin’ an’ raidin’ peaceful farmin’ towns like mine ought a’ know that more’n anyone.”

Baylor refused to rise to the bait. Instead hetook a great gulp of water from his canteen and scrubbed a defiant paw acrosshis face when he was done.

“I don’t believe you. If Mother Rita were yourgoddess too then she wouldn’t pick favorites between you and me and all therest. She’d send her blessings to her own kind, and that’s what she’s done.That’s us.”

Jake flicked his eyes up and down. His whiskerswere trembling more than ever now, and his beady black eyes had squinted intoslits. With some effort he licked a paw, drew it back over his ear, and thenflopped against the rock with his back to Baylor.

“Beggin’ your pardon, sir, but a mouse ain’t arat either.”

The chipmunk was gone by morning light, alongwith a roll of tortillas, a packet of matches, and Baylor’s favorite hat.

(One of the critiques I got on this piece is that my peers couldn’t tell Jake was a prisoner until they read “the prisoner”. Actually, they thought Baylor sat by Jake AND a prisoner. What is wrong with these people?)

[threewaysdivided]

Hello! I'm currently fighting with writing, myself. My protags have a habit of getting away from me. Have any tales of your YJDW where the characters just... decide to take a narrative swing to the left when your outline clearly heads right?

Hi there!

So this particular problem isn't one I've had much of when it comes to the actual writing side, which I think is mostly down to my particular writing preferences.

On the scale of planning to pantsing I tend to fall very heavily on the planner side (I've joked about it before but I do actually have most of YJ:DW planned in a fair amount of detail right up to the ending). Partly because my brain just goes a lot faster than my hands can write/type out complete sentences, partly because I like to have a fairly complete idea of the final product before I start work, and partly because the way I naturally engage with things leans more towards analysis than storytelling (I mean, I have a whole dedicated tag for essays on my blog). There's also that, at least when it comes to fanfic I'd actually publish, yes I know that's just one right now I tend to want to have an idea/concept/emotion to explore and also an idea of how to bring it to a satisfying conclusion.

The long and the short of it is that, because I tend to do most of my story-crafting before I actually get to the prose, and because I often end up reverse-engineering/ puzzle-solving chunks of the story around an idea/scene/character moment I want to include, those kinds of characters-derail-the-story or story-takes-a-hard-left-turn moments tend to happen at the planning phase. I'll be looking back over a planned scene/plot and decide that something doesn't feel right or that I'm not sold that my version of the character would believably act like that in those circumstances, or some other part of my brain will pop up from below the desk and slap down a thought like "hey, have you considered that you could get to your goal in a completely different way by adding this idea?"

(Not to claim that any approach to writing is better than another - I have a lot of respect for the confidence, vision and sheer productivity it takes to set out on a long-fic with only a loose idea of where it's heading and the belief that the journey itself is worth it - but one thing I will say for planning is that is does lower the associated "costs" of making big story changes since it's a lot simpler/faster to change or shuffle dot points than to cut, add and rewrite huge swarths of prose not that I don't also do that in the writing phase for some chapters. It's a difference in preference; planner-style leans towards space for analysis during "preproduction" while pantser-style puts it in more at the edit.)

Usually by the time I get to actually writing things in story form I'm pretty comfortable that I've created a plotline/scenario where the characters will follow at least central thread of what's happening. More often what I get in terms of "going off script" is less derailing the scene and more like an actor deciding to ad-lib, improvise or play with a conversation during a take - they'll add a quip or get distracted by a related topic or decide to do something on the side or they might suddenly say something more insightful than originally planned.

Generally I'm okay with keeping this kind of stuff in so long as what they're saying/doing doesn't contradict, change or accidentally accelerate the story/their arc to a later stage that it's supposed to be at - it helps things feel a bit more naturalistic and if they're really going off-track I can always have other characters pull them back on topic, the same way it might happen in a real conversation.

So yeah, I won't say it doesn't happen but just the way I prefer to write means that it tends to happen less often and in smaller ways than for other people.

But that probably isn't super useful for helping with your writing-fighting so, without knowing the specifics, here are some things that could be useful.

Maybe consider stopping to do a little bit of analysis of your story:

Is there a idea(s)/concept(s) that your story is really about/ interested in exploring? Don't worry if what you come up with isn't super neat or precise, I still don't think I could give a fully comprehensive description of what YJ:DW is about in terms of "theme" or "message".

Who are you characters: what do they want, what do they need, what do they think they need, what is their take on the situation they're in, how do they see the world, how accurate/ biased is that worldview, what sort of things interest them and why, what insecurities/ phobias/ dislikes do they have and why, why do they act the way that they do?

What is the main purpose of this scene/plot point and what essential thing(s), piece(s) of information, interaction(s) need to be covered to serve that purpose?

If you stepped back from the needs of the story and just looked at these characters in the situation you've created, how do you feel they would act? Does it line up?

It also might be worth looking at what your protagonists/ characters end up doing in the moments when they try to derail your story, and seeing if you can figure out any potential reasons for why it might be feeling more natural/ the momentum might be stronger in that direction. They might be going "off script" but are they also going off point or are they heading towards the same/ a similar point in a different way than what you originally planned?

It could be that there's a conflict between what you want to have happen and what you've set up to have happen, and that reworking the scene or preceding scene(s) to better direct the characters based on how they've been established to react to things might get them to behave.

It also might be that some unconscious part of your brain has worked out a different route to the same goal and is trying to send you down that path. Or your brain could potentially have identified (or even misidentified) a pattern in the story/character(s) and is trying to communicate that to you through them. It could be that there's some contradiction between what you've established/have planned for the character(s)/story overall, and what's happening in the details of the specific scene that's causing them to break ranks. Sidenote: I just want to point out that this doesn't necessarily mean that what you had originally planned is somehow inherently "worse" or "wrong". Sometimes your brain might be defaulting toward what feels familiar from common tropes in the media you consume because "this is just what happens in these stories", or it might be trying to move a scene that is in some way challenging more towards your existing comfort zones as a writer. On a deeper level, asking "why does this feel correct to me" can also be useful.

Generally though, I think that your plan and your characters/story being out of step with each other is a bit like an indicator light on a car. As much as we like to enjoy the fantasy that these characters and worlds are real and separate from us and not fully under our control, and as much as stepping away from that can sometimes "kill the magic", it's worth stopping to pop the hood or stick our heads behind the curtain sometimes to make sure everything is working in sync and going in the direction it's meant to. Plus, you might learn some new things about your story/world/characters in the the process that end up being useful later.

Hope this helps!