#just finished chapter 9

[air-mechanical]

Catalyst Reading Continues

Tarkin: I spent several weeks in a Separatist facility called the Citadel. Were you tortured, Dr. Erso?

Gaken: No, I wasn't. You were?

Tarkin: Repeatedly.

Galen: I'm sorry-

Tarkin: Fortunately I was rescued before my jailors could do their worst. Had the torture continued, well, who knows?

There's not a chance Tarkin would have spilled secrets to his torturers. He would have died first. Death before dishonour. And shut up with any sympathy towards him, he doesn't want or need that. Tarkin's only throwing this fake scenario out to Galen to see if it sticks, and is the thread that pulls Galen on side. If Galen had been tortured - physically, emotionally or mentally - Tarkin would understand. He wouldn't blame him. Admit your troubles to me, Galen. Lay them down at my feet. Let me burn them. There's no judgement here. Just a chance for a new beginning.

Galen: You're beginning to sound more like a weapons specialist than a legal authority.

Tarkin, smiling: A passing interest.

Catalyst Tarkin is a great interrogator, I love him. Catalyst Krennic is also a smooth operator when it comes to getting people to do what he wants, knowing how to get Poggle [Poggle the Lesser what a name] to work on his death star.

And then Krennic has to sit through days of blood sports and smells in the special visitors' box on Geonosis, hoping that they're not all going to get eaten.

[islandoforder]

i'm sorry i'm sorry i know my 911 posting is like years out of date but they really had buck say "i've been ana" to eddie's face and i'm supposed to feel normal and platonic about it??

[mirrortouchedsea]

(CW for Suicidal Ideation)

Hinata’s breath was heavy as he landed the final move of their act. The tinny music playing from their speakers went quiet and the audience clapped politely. It was always the same song and dance as the crowd moved on with their day. A few of them tossed some yen their way but otherwise it was time for them to regroup for their next performance. Yuta knelt down by the hat with some coins and bills sticking out of it, counting their earnings thus far. 

“Hey aniki! We might be able to eat well tonight! There’s like 3,000 yen in here!” Yuta exclaimed. The idea of a filling dinner made Hinata’s mouth water. Oh what he wouldn’t do for even warm noodles not from a cup. 

Hinata turned to grab the iPod from its place on the speaker, choosing the next song to play. He put the phone back and turned the volume up a little more to play over the evening rush. The music started and he and Yuta moved in unison around their little stage, taking in the crowd. There were some regulars that Hinata recognized, the businesswoman who was perpetually tired but always stopped for their performances and a few kids who looked up at them in awe as their parents were trying to usher them away. There were always new faces too, of course people traveled across the country all the time or took new trains or moved cities, but there was something different about the boy with the bright red hair at the back of the crowd. His sky blue eyes pierced straight through to Hinata’s heart and made him stumble when their gaze connected with his own. 

“Hey, aniki focus! We’re almost done, don't fail on me now!” Yuta whispered, carefully shielding Hinata from the crowd as he regained his footing. Yuta was always so quick thinking. Hinata got back to his position and finished up the routine, eyes looking for that boy he had spotted earlier. He half hoped the boy would come talk to them afterwards while they were packing up for the evening, but when he finally saw that shock of red hair, it was moving away with the rest of the crowd. 

Hinata sighed, disappointed. Maybe that boy would come back someday. There was something about him that drew Hinata in. 

Someone bumped his shoulder, drawing him from his thoughts. “Hey, aniki, are you alright? You seem out of it today.” Yuta’s hand rested on his shoulder and Hinata couldn’t help but smile. Wasn’t it supposed to be the other way around, the older brother checking in on the younger one? 

“Hey hey everything’s fine Yuta-kun, don’t worry about me. I was just thinking about that delicious dinner you’re treating us too~” He playfully pushed back on Yuta, the red haired blue eyed boy all but forgotten now. 

“Hey! It’s technically our money so I’m not treating you to anything!” Yuta scowled but the smile in his voice was obvious to Hinata. 

“Hehe, then dinner’s on me! Say ‘thank you aniki!’” 

--- 

It was a week before Hinata saw the red headed boy in their audience again. He had all but slipped his mind, but those striking blue eyes were impossible to forget. Yuta was introducing their next performance which allowed Hinata to take a better look at the older boy who had made his way to the middle of the audience. He was tall and what Hinata could see of his outfit seemed ill-fitting at best, along with a headband holding his hair away from his eyes. 

Hinata scrambled to his position as the music queued up and let his instincts take over. Every so often he found himself glancing at the red haired boy, trying to see what he thought of their performance, but his face revealed nothing. 

Why was he so focused on this one boy? It’s not like they didn’t have strangers who watched them sometimes, and none of them had caught Hinata’s attention quite like this boy. He really couldn’t be much older than Hinata, maybe 17 at the oldest. Was he an older brother too? The boy’s eyes made contact with Hinata’s and it took everything in him to not look away. 

Once again however, Yuta snapped him out of whatever trance he had been in and everything was forgotten. 

“Are you really okay aniki? You’ve been out of it a lot recently…” Oh how it pained Hinata to see the concern on Yuta’s face. Nothing was even really wrong per se, but Hinata was distracted nonetheless. 

“I’m fine, Yuta-kun. Geez, can’t your older brother have some peace?” His mouth ran faster than his brain and he immediately regretted it. Yuta’s face flipped through several emotions; hurt, confusion, exhaustion. It wasn’t like him to hide things from his brother, so why was he doing it now? “Whatever, let’s get some dinner. My treat~” 

“It’s our money!” 

--- 

The boy continued to make appearances at the twins’ performances on the street, becoming something of a regular but disappearing before Hinata could flag him down. Hinata wasn’t even sure what compelled him to want to talk to the older boy, but he wanted to say something. He had even noticed that the boy seemed happier and his clothes fit a little better, not like they were just the first thing he grabbed out of a donation pile. 

Finally, after almost a month of trying to say something to the boy, Hinata saw him walk up to their hat on the ground and drop a few coins into it. 

“Thank you!” He said, walking up to the boy. “Hope you enjoyed the performance!” 

The boy froze as if he wasn’t expecting to be greeted like that. There was a slight flush to his face. “I-it’s nothing, don’t worry about it. You uh…you were great?” The boy seemed unsure of how to reply, though Hinata was happy with the compliment nonetheless. Maybe… 

“What brings you here? I mean--agh, sorry! I just mean…I noticed you don’t have a regular schedule?” The words were practically falling out of his mouth and Hinata wasn’t really sure what they were doing. “Like you show up a few days in a row but then go three weeks without stopping by at all!” He was just digging a bigger grave for himself! Great! 

“Ah uhm…I’m not from around here.” The boy scratched at the back of his neck. Maybe Hinata should back off. 

“O-oh, yeah of course. Duh. Are you visiting family or something?” 

“Not quite. I really should get going though. See you…later?” 

“Yeah, see you later.” 

“Hey Aniki, are you coming or not? The food’s gonna get cold!” 

“Coming!” 

---

It was almost a month before the boy appeared again. In the time between, Hinata had come up with a million different ideas for what his life was like. Was he a delinquent who skipped school to hang out on the street with gangs (how scary! But he looked strong enough to fit in)? Or was he a runaway from a city far away, somewhere Hinata only dreamed of visiting like Okinawa? Maybe he had a bad relationship with his dad and ran away, a thought that Hinata hated to admit had crossed his mind more than once. Or maybe he just passed through the city on the way to somewhere else. That seemed to be the most likely option, especially if he couldn’t come very often. 

When the boy did finally show up again, Hinata had to hold himself back from practically jumping him after the performance. Something looked…different about him though. His eyes seemed more tired? Like he hadn’t been sleeping well. Hinata thought of a fight he had with his dad a few weeks ago that made it hard for him to sleep and thought maybe this boy was the same as him in that regard. 

Hinata decided to wave him down after the performance, hat in hand (they had done pretty well! It felt heavier than normal and even without counting everything, they’d probably have enough for breakfast too). 

“Hey! You look tired, are you--did you want to get something to eat?” Please say yes please say yes please say yes--

The boy’s mouth opened, then closed, then opened again. Did Hinata mess up? Oh he overstepped and now there really wasn’t any chance of getting to know him. Why was he so interested in talking to the boy anyway? Hinata had been asking himself that for a while now and he still had no answer. 

“I…I can’t. I need to go.” The boy turned and ran off before Hinata could ask more. He just kept messing up, didn’t he? Maybe he really was just a burden to Yuta and their dad and the restaurant owner. He shouldn’t have been born and Yuta would’ve been better off--

“Aniki! Sheesh, get your head out of the clouds. How much did we make?” Yuta grabbed the hat out of Hinata’s hand and quickly counted out the coins and bills. “Woah! We could eat a whole five course meal with this…” 

“Think with your head a little Yuta-kun. We’ve got breakfast paid for if we don’t blow it all tonight!” 

Yuta nodded before handing the hat back to Hinata. “So, my pick tonight?” 

--- 

Hinata signed the note, trying his best to keep the tears from dripping on it and smudging the ink. After his blunder with the red haired boy, he hadn’t shown up to their performances for over two months. Hinata was certain that he had messed up and was too forward. He didn’t even know the kid’s name! Why did he think the two of them could ever be friends? 

And on top of all of that, Yuta had become more and more distant from Hinata, as if Hinata just existing was dragging him back from his full potential. Yuta would have been better off as an only child and maybe Hinata deserved this life. Thirteen years living with their father, who had treated them as nothing but monsters, blaming them for their mother’s death and everything bad that had happened since, Hinata had resolved to run away. He’d make his way to the mountains and maybe he’d find someone willing to help him or maybe he’d slip into an endless sleep. 

Dear Yuta-kun, the letter had started. I’m sorry that I’m leaving like this, but I know that I’m just a burden to you. I’m sorry for that. I wish I had more to say but I just want you to be happy and maybe father will treat you better without me. I love you. 

The other letter, already folded and placed on the table, was much shorter, addressed to his father. 

Dear Father, I’m sorry I couldn’t be a better son. Please don’t take this out on Yuta-kun, it was my decision. 

The less words he spent on that man, the better. Hinata folded Yuta’s note and placed it on top before quietly exiting through the front door. 

---

Everything was cold. Hinata slumped against a tree, head between his knees in a last ditch effort to keep warm. Sleep should come soon and he could painlessly move on, at least that’s what he hoped. He barely registered someone approaching him, but didn’t look up. 

“Hey.” The voice was vaguely familiar, but where did he remember it from? A warm hand shook at Hinata’s shoulder. 

“‘M fine.” The words were barely a whisper. The other voice grunted before walking away. It was another minute before Hinata felt something drape around his shoulders and a cup shoved in his hand. Whatever was in it was steaming, warming his fingers. 

“Drink.” The voice said. And he did, the tea was very, very bitter. That voice… 

Hinata looked up, meeting a pair of bright, sky blue eyes. That’s where he recognized the voice from. Did he…live? In the mountains? The boy seemed to recognize him too. He was wearing a headband and what looked like very warm clothes that Hinata wished he had. Hinata finished the tea, trying not to focus on the flavor. It helped at least, in warming him up a bit. 

“Why are you here?” The boy finally spoke again. It sounded like he was unsure if he should be mad or concerned, or both, but he offered Hinata another cup of tea, which he accepted if only to warm his fingers up. He pulled the blanket closer around his body. 

“I…ran away.” Hinata looked downward, as if admitting this out loud was a cardinal sin. The boy gestured for him to continue. “I guess I just…I was dragging my brother down. I’m not really talented at anything like he is and I’m the reason our dad sees us as monsters. He shouldn’t have to deal with a brother like me.” Hinata wasn’t really sure why he was spilling this so easily. The boy was a good listener though, hanging on every word Hinata spoke. Was he shaking? He’d never admitted this out loud before and it felt oddly freeing to say it to someone. 

He waited for a response, anything to chase away the uncomfortable silence Hinata had created with his confession. He really fucked up, didn’t he. He should have just kept that to himself like he always did instead of burdening a stranger like this! 

“I…” The boy started, barely audible above Hinata’s racing heartbeat. “I’m glad you’re alive.” He sounded unsure of his words. Was he just trying to be nice? Of course he was, how else do you respond to a kid telling you something like this? 

“You don’t have to pretend.” 

“I’m not. When I saw you singing and dancing…I think I realized something--” The boy cut himself off, the suddenness of it making Hinata look up. A moment later he heard his brother calling out from the woods behind him. 

“Aniki! There you are!” Yuta tackled him to the ground, squeezing Hinata like he might just blow away in the wind if they weren’t careful. “You scared me! I can’t believe you’d do something like that!” 

Tears pricked at Hinata’s eyes again. “I’m sorry, Yuta-kun. I’m really sorry.” He buried his face in Yuta’s jacket. His nose started to run, from the cold or the tears he couldn’t tell. 

“You aren’t a burden to me. I don’t know what I’d do without you around Aniki!” Yuta pulled back, hands gripping Hinata’s shoulders. “Promise you won’t do something that stupid again.” 

Hinata wiped the tears from his eyes, sparing a glance where the boy had been. It was as if he had never been there at all and Hinata had just hallucinated the whole interaction. He looked back at his twin brother. “I promise.” 

“Now let's get you home and warmed up. Where’d you get this blanket anyway? It doesn’t look like one of ours.” 

“I…” The boy had been real, and he told Hinata he was glad he was alive (even if his explanation was cut short by Hinata’s brother rushing in). “I guess I just found it. There must be people living nearby or something.” 

--- 

The chatter of the night club died down for the night as everyone was getting ready to go home. Hinata’s feet were sore from running around, but it was satisfying to be back in a restaurant like this. It reminded him of his childhood working for the Chinese restaurant with Yuta. 

Rinne, the leader of Crazy:B who had wanted to get closer to Hinata, and by extension 2wink, slid a drink down the bar. It looked like a horrible mix of syrups and club soda, but one sip was all it took for Hinata to drink it all down. 

“Great job tonight Hina! You’re a real natural at this stuff.” Rinne was washing the other glasses behind the bar now as Hinata finished the rest of his soda. 

“Yuta-kun and I used to work in a restaurant so it comes pretty naturally to us!” 

“That so?” 

“Mhm!” Hinata slid the empty glass back to Rinne, who quickly dumped the ice and washed it before tossing the towel over his shoulder. The entire week they’d been working the club together, there had been something bugging Hinata at the back of his mind. “Hey, Rinne-senpai…did you ever watch our shows?” 

“Huh? ‘Course I have, vice prez wants us to work together so I’ve seen a few of ‘em.” 

“That’s not what I mean. I mean like…back when Yuta-kun and I did street performances.” 

Rinne paused for a moment. “Why’re you askin’?” 

“Oh, it’s nothing. You just reminded me of someone who used to watch them.” 

“Well I’m sure whoever it was is proud to see you singin’ and dancin’ on stage.” Rinne had come around the bar and stood next to Hinata, ruffling his hair. “Let’s get goin’ or I’m never gonna hear the end of it from Niki-kun.” 

[radioroxx]

in blood and stars is a good fic btw. just so everyone knows. good fic. incredibel

[ragnar0c]

I'm going to work on 1 out of 3-4 things for my birthday.

Chapter 5 of OoS and/or* the chapter 5 bonus comic

( Very likely only one of these choices. You won't see either of these if one is done before the other. But know one will be done [hopefully] unless I explode orrrr choose)

A picture of yassified Kujura with brown eyes and big earrings bc I'm madly in love with him or something.

My Zodiac sona/ a picture of myself

[amethystina]

Hello !!! I hope u r well and recovering 💘

Fir the ask game: 🤡❌️👀

Unfortunately, things are still pretty rough but I'm hanging in there :)

🤡 What’s a line, scene, or exchange you’ve written that made you laugh?

I'm not sure if there is such a line, to be honest. Mainly because most of the things I write aren't all that funny, but also because it takes a lot for me to laugh when it's my own writing. Because I already know the punchline before the joke's even started, so it's just not that exciting. If that makes sense?

That said, Yoon Sa Wol from Black Knight is an absolute hoot to write and there is one exchange in particular that definitely makes me want to cackle whenever I think about it. It's when he's talking to 4-1 (a coworker of his) and they accidentally stumble onto the subject of whether or not Sa Wol could have sex with 5-8 (the dude he is definitely interested in having sex with) and the following happens:

All things considered, it didn't seem like a bad idea at all. 4-1 didn't seem to agree. She gave him a flat look, as if the answer should be obvious. "He'd eat you for breakfast." Sa Wol paused for a beat but, really, the only thing he could think to say was: "I mean, wouldn't that be the whole point?" 4-1 let out a choked noise that sounded outright painful.

SA WOL, NO.

But also, kudos on being so goddamn shameless.

❌ What’s a trope you will never write?

I'm not sure if there is one? Because, sure, I'm not personally into mpreg or A/B/O but I can't say I'll never write them. Like, if someone gave me enough money to write those tropes, I probably would. We get money where we can in this economy xD

I think the closest I come to a complete "I refuse to write this" are the things I find triggering or just don't agree with on a moral level. So I'd have a hard time glorifying abuse, for example, or write something that involves incest or non-con between a romantic couple. The kind where transgressions are eventually forgiven or brushed aside because "they actually love them and it was just a mistake" and that kind of stuff.

There's a reason why I'm so determined to call out Yo Han's bullshit in my Devil Judge fics, for example, and why Moon Jo is such a lovesick simp in my Strangers From Hell fic. I find them to be incredibly fascinating as characters, but I admit I would never be able to write them doing something along those lines. They both skirt the line from time to time — which is sort of the point in some ways — but I try to criticise the behaviour rather than excuse or glorify it.

👀 Tell me about an up and coming wip please!

I kind of mentioned all of them when I did the WIP Tag Game not too long ago, so you can see what they are and read about them if you look at this tag right here!

But aside from that, I can say that I'm currently trying to edit and post chapter six of A New Dawn (Begins With Us), and, after that, I'm going to try and edit chapter 3 of The Right Set of Circumstances, and, after that, I... well, I don't know x'D I'll either try to edit Thou Shalt Not Covet or maybe I'll allow myself to write chapter 42 of Who Holds the Devil.

I'm kind of holding that chapter hostage right now since I HATE editing and would much rather write — it's just so much more fun. But if I only wrote and didn't edit, I would never post anything, so I kind of have to force myself to edit from time to time, too.

And it's extra annoying right now since I'm so feverish and that just makes editing ten times worse for some reason?

So yeah. I have a lot going on right now in terms of WIPs and it's kind of beginning to feel like a second job, not going to lie x'D

Thank you so much for the ask! :D

Fanfic Writer Emoji Ask

[brokemanthrash]

*bashes my head against a wall cutely* why can't I GET IT OUT GET IT OUT GET IT OUT GET IT OU- oh heyyyyy ahaha,, didn't see you there..

[todayisafridaynight]

twitter tl talkin bout translation inconsistencies in IW and ima be honest the only translation error ill die mad bout is the fact they refused to let masato call ichi a pussy in the english dub of Y7

[weregonnabecoolbeans]

Update on how reading Thrawn: Alliances is going

I am s t r u g g l i n g to finish it..im barely past halfway

[wackus-bonkus-maximus]

odnlb writing process/workshop

this is mainly for my own reference. however, if this post ends up helping you with yours, then even better! 😊

most of you know, i wrote this fic as a practice for using save the cat (aka snyder) structure, and so now that it's complete i have the outline to come back to in a way that i understand and can use in future wips! did i deviate from this structure? yes. a lot. did i still follow all the beats though? i think so! check out how i formatted my outline!

my starting point: marinette 🐞

want: revenge against monarque

need: replace hate with love

this gave me a very clear picture of the emotional journey she would undergo. once i figured out her emotional need and decided what she would do to fulfill that need, i was able to pretty much plot out the entire fic. we needed a hero (in her case, an anti-hero) we could follow through an entire 45 chapter fic, and odnlb marinette gave us a reason to care about her and root for her right off the bat!

here's what save the cat's 15-beat structure looks like at a glance:

(isn't it just beautiful? 😍)

for odnlb, i combined this structure with the 3-act, 9-block, 27-chapter method:

lol so i did not exactly stick to this, as was my plan (my huge cast of characters wanted more from me.) however, i did stick with the proper beats...it just ended up expanding into 5 acts.

this is how my outline ended up looking (orange = save the cat, purple = 3 act 9 block 27 chapters):

act 1 - ladybug meets the villains

block 1

opening image - marinette leaves a rose at chat noir's statue. her eyes are dead (like him)

introductions/setup - 6 years later, marinette works for chloe. adrien still models for gabriel & is estranged from her and his old friends

theme stated - alya says, "you're getting better." (marinette has not been focused on hatred, but her personal growth)

catalyst/ inciting incident - bunnyx steals the rabbit miraculous & draws out the villain team

debate/ immediate reaction / fallout - villain team decides to abandon plan to use rabbit miraculous & get ladybug's miraculous instead. marinette decides to get cat walker's miraculous & kill monarque with it.

block 2

actions - ladybug interrogates adrien agreste bc he is close to lila, chloe, and felix (primary suspects). he doesn't give her any information, but reassures her he is on her side.

consequences - volpina attacks ladybug, villain team overpower her

block 3

pressure - ladybug is outnumbered, cannot stand against all the holders & their power-ups. villain side: ladybug is onto them. ladybug needs an ally & turns to kagami (also close to felix), but kagami turns ladybug down (but why?).

pinch/plot twist - cat walker contacts ladybug: tells her monarque is going to resume akuma attacks unless lb gives her miraculous

break into act 2 - monarque attempts to akumatize ladybug, but cat walker saves her. realizes villains' motivations are split.

act 2 - rise of monarque

block 4

new world - luka and zoe come to town. adrien is in trouble but felix stands by him. su han abandons marinette; he cannot teach her bc she has too much hatred.

fun and games/ b story/ies - felix and adrien switch so adrien can meet his friends for drinks. chloe sneaks snake miraculous back to luka. felix and lila threaten each other. felix likes kagami.

bad guys close in - monarque akumatizes nino to punish adrien. marinette finds out cat walker is a sentimonster

juxtaposition/ old vs new - luka/aspik shows up & joins marinette's side (she's not alone anymore). adrien realizes he has to be alone bc of what happened to nino. kagami confronts felix and gets the dragon miraculous (war begins)

act 3 - adrien identity reveal

block 5

build-up - luka and marinette plot to find the sentimonster. luka confronts adrien indirectly, suspects monarque is gabriel. marinette sleuths on felix (suspected peacock holder) only to discover adrien is a sentimonster/cat walker. kagami finds ladybug & offers to spy on felix & the villain team for her. monarque akumatizes zoe to punish chloe. ryuko gets her felix's amok in the fight, but gets it back when ladybug uses it against him. to stop ladybug harming argos & ryuko, luka reveals chat noir is still alive.

midpoint - montparnasse scene: ladybug confronts cat walker, he admits the truth. stand off with monarque until aspik & mellona rescue ladybug.

reversal - marinette is no longer hate driven, but driven by love to save adrien

act 4 - angrybug reversal

block 6

reaction - due to big emotional distress, ladybug goes into the avatar state (foreshadowing 👀). luka and chloe calm her down. feligami get together. adrien pleads to his father not to harm ladybug.

action/trials (raise the stakes) - the more adrien breaks his amok, the more he breaks his miraculous. marinette is set up to "spy" on adrien for the villain team. villain team plot to corner ladybug at dj wifi wedding.

dedication - adrinette kiss scene. adrien promsies himself he will harm himself before he lets harm come to ladybug. marinette promises no more harm will come to him.

block 7

calm before the storm - lila flashback: she killed nathalie and has been akumatized/transformed for 6 years. balcony scene: marinette tries to keep adrien close to no avail.

pinch/plot twist - volpina and monarque attack chloe, luka, and zoe. vesperia and carapace get their miraculous back. ladybug tries to heal cat walker & free him with her power, but his miraculous is too broken. she can only save him by getting his amok.

everything goes wrong/ dark night of the soul/ all is lost - lila & felix flashback: lila is monarque reveal. ladybug confronts gabriel agreste & tries to kill him, but can't (bc she is no longer full of hate). realizes monarque is lila. monarque takes felix, but kagami takes the other miraculous back to ladybug.

act 5 - fall of monarque

block 8 - finale

power within - team assemble. chloe uses mouse miraculous to activate other holders. lila finds marinette's identity.

action - monarque attacks. luka sacrifices himself to get the upper hand. alya gets the fox miraculous off lila, all her illusions drop. lila akumatizes timetagger, bunnyx shows up to get him. team fights argos and his sentimonster, red moon, to the death. chloe incapacitates argos.

converge - monarque takes the senti-twins and runs. remainder of the team follow her to agreste mansion.

block 9

final confrontation/final battle - monarque tries to make felix fix her miraculous. ladybug and team show up. monarque morphs into monster and attacks. gabriel sacrifices himself to save lb, but monarque still gets the upper hand. chat noir cataclysms monarque with a broken miraculous.

climax - the broken cataclysm destroys the world, but carapace's shield protects remainder of team. with adrien gone, felix is free and emilie is awake. ladybug goes toe-to-toe with broken miraculous final form chat noir, but her power is too weak compared to his untethered destruction. then felix gives her the peacock miraculous and she uses it to create a new bond for adrien, tethering him to life with her love.

resolution/denouement - all of paris knows chat noir is alive! big parade for heroes. ladybug and chat noir do a william and kate kiss. alya shoos off su han. felix gives gabriel to chloe and decides to work for tsurugi tech so he can stay with kagami. zoe and luka decide to go back home for a bit then come to stay too. emilie wants to be close to felix and adrien, but she is def not the priority for them atm. marinette takes the butterfly miraculous back from emilie. adrinette go off on a honeymoon vacation. adrien practices his proposal on a beach.

final image - adrien and marinette playing in the water on a beach on la reunion. “camera” pans away from their silhouettes running around on the sand, back to their stuff on the beach. shows a ring box in adrien’s bag with plagg & tikki chilling.

if this helped you out, i'm so glad! it definitely helped me see how to organize a story. i think if i ever do a fic like odnlb again, i will definitely do this for it.

[wyrmscockfortress]

wip wednesday saturday!!!!! here's a bit from an upcoming chapter of my tav/reader fic <3

set in act 3, in the bhaal temple, dark urge spoilers, gore, durge x reader

you're awoken from a deep, troubled sleep by two strong hands gently cupping your face. you smile groggily and nuzzle into his touch.

"mm, Tav, wha…-" you start to ask. you trail off when you're hit by the sickly smell of rot, carried in the chill air. you feel flat, rough stone beneath you, and the hands that hold you reek of blood. where are you?

your tired eyes blink open and go wide. it is indeed Tav who holds you; you barely recognize him for how smeared with gore he is. he looks distressed, and there's another emotion in his face you can't quite identify. above him you see a vast, vaulted stone ceiling, so high it's almost hidden in darkness. your mouth is incredibly dry, and your body aches. how long have you been here?

"gods…" Tav whispers. your vision swims as he guides you to sit up; you look around, blinking. he's perched next to your body on a long, raised stone slab in the sunken center of a vast underground room. the dim firelight reveals a huge stone skull carved into the wall, outlined by a circle of blood-red droplets. it looms menacingly, staring directly down at you. you're pretty sure you've seen that symbol before; your head is still foggy. Tav wraps you tightly in his embrace, pressing his nose into your hair and the side of your face to his gory chest, painting your skin scarlet.

"I thought I'd lost you," he murmurs, his voice catching. you feel his heart pound, entirely too fast. you feel tension, and the sense that something is wrong. you stare again at the icon of the skull; where have you seen it before?

suddenly, its eyes flash a piercing crimson, and the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end. you feel Tav tense around you.

"we- we have to go," he says. his voice trembles. he releases you and quickly looks you over before helping you to your feet, avoiding your eyes. already disoriented, standing up makes you dizzy beyond belief, and you nearly fall back onto the stone. Tav catches you and holds you to him. he starts to guide you towards a staircase, leading up, out of this wretched, putrid place; you only make it a few steps before you feel him freeze in place. you look up and see he's staring at something in front of you. before you can get a proper look at what it is, he turns your bodies, putting himself between you and it and holding you close to his chest. the frantic thumping of his heart is loud in your ears. a jubilant, reedy voice rings through the bloodstained temple. 

"he is near-! he's coming for you, master!"

Tav presses the side of your face further into his chest, his grip tightening. your vision shimmers as you stare into the crimson eyes of the gigantic skull on the wall. they pulse with life, as if blood runs from the bone.

the room suddenly rings with the sickening sound of a blade rending flesh, and you flinch. Tav strokes your cheek with his thumb. you can feel his fingers trembling. there's another bone-splitting stab, and another. blood drips onto the stone and the creature grunts; you count five brutal thrusts as its blood splashes to the floor in streams.

then, you feel a presence. something greater than the creature in front of you is in the room now. an unnerving dread settles itself in you, bogging you down and weighing on your already tired limbs. it's as if you're falling in slow motion and you've left your organs behind. Tav's heart races, and his blood sings through his veins; he squeezes you closer to him, turning to hold you further from the presence in front of him. you can feel his neck straining to look at it. the dread silence stifles the air, coiled like a predator waiting in ambush; and then a low, jagged voice pierces your minds.

I expected the other, it growls. yet you stand before me.

you stare into the glistening eyes of the skull, entranced. where are you? whose is this voice?

the circular bloodstones shimmer in the candlelight, throwing off beautifully red reflections that dance around the room. your clouded mind is suddenly clear.

oh.

oh gods, no-...

you squeeze your eyes shut and press into Tav, the crimson light playing across your eyelids. you never thought you would find the temple of Bhaal, much less face the god of murder himself. this is the last place you imagine Tav wants to be; his former home, his playground, the place he built his empire. how many people had worshiped him, how much suffering had they created in his name? what sins had he himself performed in the name of Bhaal? he doesn't remember, but you can't help but wonder what countless filthy acts he might have committed in this very room. the fact that you're even still alive is a miracle, you muse. before you have a chance to think about why you're here, the voice addresses Tav again.

you live, and thus, you are my chosen. I have a gift for you, child. 

the voice pauses for a beat.

you will use it to lacerate this world.

you feel Tav stand up straighter. his chest rises and falls against you as he breathes deep, his heart pounding.

"and if I refuse?" he murmurs. the air hums with the god's displeasure.

I will extinguish you.

your eyes fly open. Tav seems to stand fearlessly in the face of his father, Bhaal, the murder god. but you know the truth. you can feel how his limbs tremble, and how every muscle is tensed, ready to run; he may wear the very face of defiance, but Tav is terrified. 

still, you feel him gather himself, taking another deep breath. the air washes over you as he briefly turns to nuzzle his face into your hair. a new dread pools in your gut, deeper than that imposed by the god's presence. tears gather in your eyes; you know what he's going to do. he raises his head and turns again to face his father. you tighten your fist in the bloodstained cloth of his shirt so hard that it shakes, and hold your breath as he speaks.

"I would rather die than let you control me any longer," he says quietly.

Bhaal's anger flares all around you. you suppress a sob.

my blood runs through your veins, child. my power.

Tav says nothing. he still holds you close, his body a barrier between you and whatever produces the voice of Bhaal. you realize it must be your fault he's had to come back here. he could've run away, left you to your fate, escaped into the busy city and never faced his father; but you know that's not the kind of person he is. the man you love would never stand down from a challenge, and he'd sacrifice anything for those he cares about.

and you have a dreadful feeling you're about to find out exactly what he's going to sacrifice. you've already seen firsthand what happens when one denies a god; your lover happens to have pissed off the god of fucking murder. you press your face harder into his chest. you imagine Tav lying there on the altar, split open, his living, pulsing organs on display for a crowd; you imagine his cries of agony as teeth close around a part of his soft, red insides, lines of cultists waiting patiently to take their turn at his flesh. tears threaten to spill down your cheeks and you grind your teeth, desperately willing the imagery away. whatever Tav's father is about to do to him will break him, certainly; you can only wish him a swift, painless end and hope that his death won't break you.

a tear finally slips from your eye and mingles with the blood on his front; then another. you realize you never told him you love him; right now might be your last chance. you lean away from him to look up at his face, and he looks away from the avatar of his father to gaze down at you; but as you open your mouth to speak, the stillness of the room is wrought by a bone-chilling, soul-rending whine.

if you do not wish to claim your birthright, then I will take back what is mine.

you look into each other's eyes, wide in terror. Bhaal's ancient dread magic rises, a deeply unsettling hum that sets every nerve in your body on fire and worms its way into the most hidden parts of your very being. nothing in the room is visibly changed, but the air has grown dense as lead; all around you you can feel the essence of pure, visceral suffering. Tav stiffens his arms around you and brings you tight against him. you can feel him trembling. there is no sound in the still room but your minds howl as the screams of all of the souls ever claimed by the dread lord rise and rip through you in one all-consuming, unending torrent of agony. you've never known anything but pain as it wraps around you, filling you; you never existed except to suffer like this.

you cling to Tav as your mind is tossed in the tides of the dread magic like a leaf in the wind, threatening to consume your very being; yet the feeling pales in comparison to the scream that now rips from his chest, rending the air of the silent room. it rings with the most profound, bestial torment; the sound of truly divine suffering. it's the most primal, fear-inducing thing you've ever heard; you're paralyzed in his arms, feeling his claws gouge into your flesh as his life is painfully drained away. his skin burns, and a fine, red mist is drawn from his pores; Bhaal is taking back his own blood. Tav's scream renews as every bone in his body is suddenly shattered with a horrible crack. it soon turns to a strangled gurgle as his tattered lungs fill with blood. it's the worst sound you've ever heard. he stumbles back and falls at the base of the stone altar, bringing you with him. you register a twinge of pain as your knee connects with the stone floor.

Bhaal's presence fades and the swirling dread trickles away as Tav's cry ceases, the last echoes of ultimate suffering dissolving into the quiet room, now silent and still once again save for your frantic breaths and his sickly rattles. now abandoned by his father, he's fallen with his back to the stone, his broken legs splayed out in front of him, still holding you tight. your hands are still clasped in his shirt and your legs are folded awkwardly under you. you rest and pant into his chest for a few moments before untangling them to kneel before him, your face level with his.

your tears flow freely as you cup his face in your shaking palms. he's crying too, his tears mingling with the blood running down his chin from the corner of his mouth. blood and mucus drip from his nose and he struggles with every breath. you know he isn't long for this world.

"I love you," you whisper, gazing into his eyes, and bring your lips to his. it's his blood you taste this time, instead of your own as the first time you'd kissed him. he weakly moves his lips against yours, his eyes starting to fall shut. you rub his cheeks with your thumbs and lay another kiss on his forehead, desperately trying to keep your composure. his chest doesn't rise and fall anymore, and his head grows heavy in your hands.

"Tav?" you sob. he doesn't respond. 

"gods… Tav-" you press your forehead to his and weep. you know you're vulnerable here, but you can't leave him yet. you've never seen a creature so wretched and broken; how foolish you were, to think you would have a future with him.

[ghost-proofbaby]

capitalism really got hands. why must i work and endure when i could be at home posting my kas!eddie

[commodorecliche]

Hey so y'all remember when I was writing this Escus Modern Gay Horse Farm AU like a million years ago and then life stepped on me? Well GUESS WHAT, I AM BACK BABY!!! And chapter 9 is a GO.

It's a nice, long chapter, so long I actually had to split it up into two parts, but the second part is finished and just undergoing final edits and should be up by Saturday or Sunday! But until then, check out all 12,400 words of Chapter 9, part A. This chapter features gratuitous misuse of the weather and the laws of nature for the sake of the plot, bone apple tea.

Chapter 9a AO3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/31534703/chapters/122557675 Title: shed my skin to let you in Rating: E Pairing: Marcus/Esca (The Eagle) Chapter: 9a/11. Fic Summary: After a less-than-pleasant break up with his long term partner, Liathan, Esca decides he needs a change of scenery. On a whim, he purchases a horse ranch in rural Tennessee, hoping to start anew and pursue his life-long passion for horses. Esca longs for time to devote solely to himself, a place to think, and as much distance between him and the awful memories he left behind in England. What he doesn't expect is the overly-friendly and overly-handsome farrier, Marcus, for whom - despite his best efforts - Esca can't help but fall.

Read from the start...

[crimeronan]

i'm working on the next wwaitsoatl chapter, which as i've previously mentioned is by FAR my most involved story as far as, like, technical process goes. i finished the second draft of the chapter and went "god, wow, this is all shit, this all sucks so bad, i'm never gonna be able to make anything usable out of this" and then stepped away for a few hours and now i'm midway through the first editing pass and i just keep going "oh my god. oh my god. holy Shit this is gonna bang so fucking hard once i fix it all. oh this is gonna go so hard there's so much potential. fuck YES oh my GOD my HORRIBLE LITTLE BITCHES ARE BACK-"

[inabottlelikelightning]

am in bed and sick so i started writing again <3 u know how it is

[taleweaver-ramblings]

Someone remind me why I thought grad school was a good idea.