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psychewithwings · 3 years

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The Canary Pt. 2 Todoroki x F!

hi, this is pt 2 of my Shouto Todoroki x musician!reader where its a hot mess bc its kinda a love triangle with Enji????

Listen if ya missed pt 1... its here

TW: anything on my page is 18+, fuck outta here children and get some juice... manipulative relationships, messy love situation/ love triangle, hints at abusive relationship (between reader and her ex), her ex is also a drug addict... and a criminal... if you're wondering why this is such a messy fic its inspired by my watching the show euphoria...

and lemme address this: i know enji got a redemption arc but i wanted to write him with a similar vibe to nates dad from euphoria... to explore the manipulative sides of age gap relationships or relationships with clearly unbalanced power dynamics, my portrayal of him here is not what i would deem perfectly canon but more a vessel for the plot and ideas i want to explore with this piece and the complexities within it, now... that being said... i give you a long awaited pt 2 to The Canary

You watch as Shouto opens the front door and slips away into the night. The door closes and upon hearing the latch click you realize you’d been holding your breath. You exhale long and slow, still stunned by Shouto’s vulnerability. He worries he will never be able to save himself. Yes, you very much relate to that problem. There is something about Shouto that scares you, looking at him in person, it feels like he is someone you’d known forever, that you should have memories of him but the place in your mind that they should be, is blank.

How he feels about you is still incredibly unclear. You had been very aware of how carefully he watched you during your meal, his eyes seemingly tracking each of your movements and committing them to memory. Dinner was uncomfortable, you had wanted to hide and simultaneously prove yourself to him; that you were different from his idea of who you must be considering the circumstances. You knew what he thought; that you were just some shallow girl dating his dad for the money. But that wasn’t the truth.

Maybe someday you and Shouto would learn the truth of who the other was, your pasts, desires for the future, and maybe what that feeling was that made him seem so familiar. You could easily picture yourself trying to make him laugh on a warm spring day and you smile to yourself.

“Well I’m glad to see you smiling,” Enji remarks as he sits next to you on the couch. “Shouto can be a bit harsh, I apologize…” Enji murmurs and wraps his arm around you, a protective and comforting gesture. “No, it’s okay, it’s only natural for him to feel suspicious or confused,” you console. You pull your legs onto the couch and snuggle into the cushions.“I’ll talk to him about it,” he offers but you shake your head. “No, it’s really okay, I think he’s warming up to me.” Enji raises an eyebrow at you and smiles slightly. “Shouto doesn’t warm up to others easily… or at all,” he dismisses and kisses your cheek. You look up at him and blink. “I’m not worried ‘bout it… best to just give it time,” you smile. Enji gives you a single nod before his expression falls stern. “As much as I enjoy your optimism, we need to discuss Friday, I won’t be able to go and I don’t want you going alone.” You inhale slowly and hold your breath until you can figure out the words exactly.

“Enji, I told you, I can take care of myself for a night, I don't need you to watch over me every time I do a gig.” His gaze bores into yours, eyes piercing. “And I’ve asked you nicely not to play this weekend, you’re sophisticated now, a place like the Viper Lounge should be considered beneath you.” You move away from his touch, crossing your arms. While Enji is more supportive than anyone else about your music career, he still didn’t understand. He had been a hero, a place like The Viper is considered scummy in his circle but for you it’s the holy grail of performance venues. You explain time and time again and the words are becoming dull and grey with repetition. “It’s one of the best places for someone who’s looking to get scouted to perform… and the Viper invited me, that's a big deal.” Enji shifts to face you, “I know this feels big to you but it’s just a small set in a shitty dive.”

A part of you wanted to cry hearing those words, but the tears didn’t come. Just a small, sad smile. “There’s going to be talent scouts and agents there… just to see who was selected for the line up and I’m the closing set… It's a pretty big deal.”

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Shouto walks from the house, his head filled with thoughts of you. Your smile, your voice, that ridiculous yellow guitar. Your eyes, their inquisitive nature. He thinks back to his answer to your question, “I'm afraid that no matter how many people I save, that I’ll never be able to save myself.” He sighs, he can’t remember the last time he could be so honest with someone, let alone someone who was practically a stranger… But there is something about you that seems oddly familiar, though for what reason he felt this way was unclear.

He is about halfway to his car when he feels how light his pants pocket is. His phone… he must have left it inside somewhere, maybe the kitchen? He sighs, he doesn’t want to return to the house, to have to look at you again after being so honest. He had been bold in hopes of- well he isn’t all that sure why he had said something like that so openly, all he knows is the heat is creeping to his cheeks. He takes a breath before hesitantly opening the door. He collects himself, hoping you wont be able to see his embarrassment.

“I told you, there will be plenty more opportunities and you won't have to perform in such a dump,” he hears his fathers voice. He knows that voice… Shouto opens his mouth to call out but shuts it again hearing your icy tone, “you’re not listening... Enji.” Shouto’s eyebrows raise in surprise, you’re not as childish as he first thought. In fact, it seems you’re holding your own against his father in an argument of sorts. He hears Enji laugh mockingly, “I’m not listening? What about Kai?” There’s a long pause, the sound of cicadas filling Shouto’s ears while the name Kai tumbles around his mind. He knew that name from somewhere. “What about Kai?” your voice is so low he can barely hear it. “Is he going to be there?” Enji pushes. Your voice raises slightly in aggravation, “I don't know, I don't talk to Kai, I haven’t said a word to him since the day I left.” Enji scoffs, “Really? It’s suspicious that the Viper Lounge invites you to perform when you’re almost a year out of that scene, he has connections there, what if he’s just using this “gig” as an excuse to get close to you? C’mon y/n, use your head.” Enji’s tone is viciously condescending. Shouto clenches his jaw, waiting for your reply. “I’ve thought about that possibility, but it's an event to showcase new upcoming artists and I haven’t performed there solo before, so I don’t find it totally unbelievable they would ask me.” For once Enji has no rebuttal and you take that as your cue to continue. “Kai isn’t even in the line up… and even if he was, I’m going because this is important to me, this has nothing to do with him.”

Shouto couldn’t keep standing outside listening, he had to get his phone now. He briskly steps inside and shuts the door loudly behind him. “I left my phone,” he announces as he walks through the house to the kitchen. The silence that follows his interruption makes him worry you both figured out he had been listening, though perhaps you were both just embarrassed to be caught arguing. He finds his phone by the kitchen sink and pockets it quickly, before heading back towards the door. He nods towards you both before turning his back.

“Hey Shouto?” The sound of your voice stops him in his tracks. He shifts carefully to face you and sees your eyes glinting with mischief. “You own a hero agency right?” Shouto nods, watching carefully to see where you were going with this. “I’m sure then that you would have a hero capable of a simple bodyguard job, for just this little gig I’m doing on Friday, I know it’s last minute so if you don’t have anyone… I’ll be fine.” He had to play this carefully so as not to expose himself for eavesdropping. “Where’s the gig?” “The Viper Lounge,” Enji scoffs. His father must be furious that you’ve now involved a third party. If there was something Enji Todoroki hated, it was airing his dirty laundry. Shouto was careful not to laugh… you were far smarter than he initially gave you credit for.

“I’ve performed at the Viper before… tons of times-``''You have, but only with Kai Chisaki.” Your face tells Shouto that name hits a sore spot. Hearing his whole name sparks Shouto’s memory and he realises who Kai is. Kai Chisaki, an underground rapper… face tattoos and some nasty habits that earned him a hell of a rap sheet; burglary, assault, possession of unlicensed weapons, public indecency, drug counts too high to keep track of… He’d been arrested again a few months ago, but just like the last, he was bailed out and the charges were dismissed.

“But the Viper asked me to be a part of this gig for showing off upcoming talent… Enji’s just worried for me because he can't be there and my ex has a reputation- ``''That’s putting it lightly,” Enji interrupts, “he’s scum, deserves to rot in prison.” You rub your palms on your thighs and smile gently at Shouto. “I just think the situation would be more comfortable for everyone if I had some protection… Maybe you know of someone that could watch out for me for the night?”

Shouto resists the urge to volunteer, though the temptation of hearing your voice again is overwhelming. “Tch- as if I would trust any of the foolish heroes Shouto babysits to watch after you in that cesspool…” You gaze at Enji with big doe eyes, your body turning, hands inching towards his father’s legs. “You trust Shouto don’t you?” Enji pauses, before he sighs “I do.” You give him a winning smile, “then he’ll pick someone fit for the job.” Enji’s brow creases pensively, “Shouto,” he addresses. Shouto meets his father’s eyes, his heartbeat quickening as he realises what he’s about to ask. “What are your plans Friday? Could you take her?”

Shouto pretends to consider it, but really he counts the seconds until he can agree. He didn’t really know what it was about you that made him want to go with you so badly to this gig. It’s a separate part of himself that Shouto was unfamiliar with, a part of him that wasn’t thinking but desired only to know you… or understand you? There was just something about you. That was all he knew for sure. He nods, trying his best to hide his true feelings. “I could make arrangements to accompany y/n, as long as,” he looks at you, “you’re comfortable with that.” You hold out your hands defensively and shake your head, “if you have to move things around- you’re so busy- I-I don’t wanna cause you any trouble.” Shouto dismisses your statement, “it’s not trouble, I wouldn’t agree otherwise.”

You shift uncomfortably, “as long as you’re sure…” Shouto turns towards the door, facing forward as he leaves you with these words. “It’s important to you, right? Just accept my help.” He opens the door, and holds the frame tightly. He knows he shouldn’t, he hears the chorus of voices telling him not to look back, but it's that one part of him again that takes control and turns his head. He can’t help but smile slightly seeing your expression. Mouth parted and brow raised slightly in surprise. Beautiful.

“We’ll connect about details sometime during the week,” he confirms, “see you Friday.” He hears you call out your gratitude as he closes the door and makes for his car. He slides into the driver's seat and turns on the engine and looks towards his childhood home. The light from the windows casts a glow onto the grass. He finally exhales and with each new breath he gains more clarity about the situation. He shouldn’t care about you, he can’t let himself get any closer. He would help you with this gig and go back to avoiding family dinner like the plague. Shouto leans his head back into the seat and puts the car in reverse. He tries his best to shake off these thoughts but that little devil on his shoulder keeps cackling and whispering suggestions he chooses to immediately ignore.

He pulls out of the driveway and onto the road, pushing thoughts of you away and doing his best to find another topic to think about, something to distract him from the confusion of his swirling emotions. But as much as he tries, he can’t stop thinking about you.

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classicaltrashical · 4 years

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Okay I'm not pro-bakugou, but I'm not an asshole that's going to sh*t on you for liking him, but here are some reasons on why I really dont understand people shipping BakuDeku or liking Bakugou Katsuki in general. Not hating on you just stating some canon facts. By the way I tried to censor myself but I just stopped because I got so frustrated with the amount of abuse that Bakugou got away with in just the first few chapters of the manga.

1. Bakugou is abusive towards Izuku both physically and emotionally.

1. The first freaking page of the manga starts out with Bakugou punching Izuku (while probably using his quirk).

2. Page 12 of the first chapter Bakugou slams his hands onto Izuku's desk and uses his explosion to the point it blasts Izuku out of his desk.

- Also note Izuku's body language he is trying to be as small as possible because he already is acclimated to this treatment. He is also seen trying to be as small as possible.

3. Page 15 Bakugou destroys Izuku's notebook (destruction of property).

4. Page 16 Bakugou burns Izuku's shoulder. From the looks of this and Bakugou's attitude towards Izuku this appears to in some way be a common occurrence. Because obviously this is NOT the first time he burned Izuku.

5. Page 17 Bakugou tells Izuku and I quote from the VIZ My Hero Academia Volume 1 10th Printing September 2019 "You wanna be a hero so bad? I've got a timesaving idea for you. If you think you'll have a quirk in your next life... go take a swan dive off the roof!!" After this Bakugou makes small explosions on his palm in a threatening way and Izuku left in the classroom shaking in fear. Even his friends tell him that he went too far.

6. Of course you have the name Deku. Which when used in the context that Bakugou does in the anime means Defenseless Izuku and also uses it as the abbreviation of Dekunobou which roughly translates to "good for nothing."

7. In the flashback of Izuku and Bakugou after getting praised by their principal(?) Bakugou basically grabs Izuku by the collar of his uniform and shoved up against the wall all because Bakugou was jealous and mad that he was not the first and only student to go to U.A. from their middle school and mad because he thought Izuku was hiding his quirk all this time.

2. Izuku is still traumatized.

1. I've hinted at this above, but I don't think I would allow someone with a quirk that makes them sweat a nitroglycerin-like substance to put their smoldering hand on me. Seriously just that scene makes it clear that Bakugou has used his quirk to either frighten Izuku or to injure Izuku.

2. When going in for the entrance exam on page 2 of the third chapter Izuku is shown to turn away from Bakugou and appears to be even more nervous then before.

3. Izuku also thinks to himself about how he has to "stop flinching instinctively." Guys he flinches away from just hearing and/or seeing Bakugou. If you think this can become a healthy and stable relationship......??? Also a few pages after when everyone is gathering around their assigned testing locations someone says "he flinches at the slightest touch" after Iida grabs his shoulder.

- If you think that is freaking natural someone watching that unfold already freaking knows it's not f u c k i n g natural for some to be terrified of another person grabbing their shoulder when they even see the person performing the act. Startled perhaps, but not the way Izuku flinched. Once again in this scene (and like most throughout the first volume) Izuku tries to make himself smaller than he already is by tucking his chin towards his chest and looking away from Iida (who by the way is trying to meet Izuku's eye.) Izuku is so used to being physically abused by his peers that he flinches on contact.

4. Before entering the 1-A classroom for the first time Izuku prays that neither Bakugou or Iida would be in the same class and depicts Bakugou in a pretty demonic way.

5. After the meeting with the principal(?) Izuku instinctively raises his arms to try and block any explosions near his face.

6. After Izuku uses OFA through one finger in Aizawa's assessment test Bakugou is furious and when Izuku sees his barreling towards him he screams in fear. And guys this must be the first time someone has actually STOPPED Bakugou from tormenting Izuku because the look on Bakugou's face is pure shock. Meaning in the years (probably near a fucking decade) nobody has stopped anyone from bullying Izuku. Like that says it all, doesn't matter if you're pro-Bakugou or not Bakugou traumatized Izuku because his abuse and torment went from when they were just little kids after finding out Izuku was quirkless to right after the Sludge Monster.

Do I need to continue into Volume 2 with the whole Bakugou versus Izuku fight? But I will say this...

Izuku has started to heal.

As the manga and anime continue Izuku stops flinching everytime someone calls his name or touches him. He stops raising his arms to block a blow that won't come. He stops trying to sink in on himself. I think the best comparison of this is when Izuku first "raises" his hand in the first chapter to the one during Ectoplasm's math lesson where he stands up confidently and gives an answer.

But healing doesn't erase the past. Healing mentally doesn't erase physical scars (once again it is pretty obvious that Bakugou used his quirk on Izuku.)

Not to mention Bakugou has yet to confront what he did to Izuku. Hell he hasn't even changed much. The only change he did was not always call people somewhat derogatory names instead of their actual name. Don't give me that shit of "well he was kidnapped and felt guilty over All Might's retirement." That's just making a fucking excuse about why he should be forgiven. Was he held against his will for almost a fucking decade? No it was a handful of days and who got him out? Shockingly, but sadly not shockingly the one he decided to torment for years. Don't give me that shit about how apparently being a kid gets you out of trouble. Sure some of it was when he was a kid, but want to know something people age. Hell by the time he told Izuku to kill himself he would have been 14 and most likely almost 15. Which means he should have fucking known better! The only actual excuse I will allow to somewhat slide is the fact that as mentioned AIZAWA SHOTA WAS PROBABLY THE FIRST ADULT TO STOP BAKUGOU FROM HARMING IZUKU! Meaning every fucking adult that saw the way Bakugou acted didn't do jack shit which meant he was raised in a toxic system for years being told what he was doing wasn't something worth being punished for. But still Bakugou should have known better.

The fact that Izuku idolizes Bakugou shows how toxic even this "friendship" is. He is literally idolizing his abuser. And yeah Bakugou is an abuser sure he can be called a bully and a tormentor but he is an abuser. "A person who treats another person or animal with cruelty or violence, especially regularly or repeatedly"- the fucking Oxford definition of abuser. I mean repeatedly throughout the series Izuku talks about how he has come to view Bakugou as an image of victory.

You want a character to be dating his past abuser? You really want that? I don't give a shit if you write a "they have a talk about their past" before they start dating in your story.

The fact that Bakugou's abuse and the trauma it did to Izuku hasn't been talked about yet in canon is also something that angers me a bit (hopefully Horikoshi has something planned for this). Because it's obvious from their fight during finals and their fight after the provisional license exam that they need to at least talk about it. And then get them both into fucking therapy because yikes they both need it.

And I do not fully agree with Bakugou being forced out of the Hero Course (as some people do), but at least some temporary removal. Mainly put him on probation for a while. Because I believe there are rules in Hero Society that prohibit even middle schoolers from using their quirks against someone(? Right these exist?)

Also if you think for one fucking second that Bakugou did not abuse Izuku and having them in a relationship is not toxic go read the manga and watch the anime both from the beginning because you are missing some cues.

I know that this is was supposed to be about why I don't see how people can ship this and it turned into a rant. I never really care about what other people ship but just think about this. I wrote this mainly because I have seen some people around saying that anti-bakugous overexaggerate and say that Bakugou want not an abuser when ah clearly he is. Like I could go onnnnnnnnn about how much damage Bakugou did to Izuku. We aren't exaggerating you just need to go back to the beginning and see how shitty Bakugou treated Izuku.

If you want to make an argument about how Bakugou is a good guy and how he has learned and changed and it's all good now come @ me I have volumes 1-23 and the other manga chapters on stand by and my Hulu is up and ready.

Not actually looking for an argument but I could have made this post longer but it's now almost 8am I haven't slept a wink and I'm tired.

#bakugou katsuki #bnha #boku no hero academia #my hero academia #Bakugou is a bully #Bakugou is an abuser #midoriya izuku #not hating just stating canon facts #anti bakudeku #anti bakugou #anti Bakugou Katsuki

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ilkkawhat · 3 years

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Any tips for first time writers? Specifically any tips and tricks for writing CSI stories and the Nick/Greg ship? Trying to stay in character and make the story interesting like a show episode instead of a boring text procedural is hard.

lmao as someone who is forever insecure about my own writing when it comes to keeping the characters in character, I think something to keep in mind is that you may view a character differently than someone else--and sometimes those views align with others, and most of the time it's better than what's presented in canon, and it can be really difficult to get confident about that, but I think that creating anything, even if it's not just writing--drawing, giffing, photo edits, etc, you do know and love that character enough to bring them to life under your hands and it's something that's just so like, poetic about keeping these characters alive, even if the show offed them or the show is cancelled, in these works (honestly the song "poet" by bastille says this best imo) and you may end up discovering parts of yourself as you explore these characters in depth, you'll learn more about them, too, and the more you write, the more confidence you will gain

but be weary of the validation trap (says someone who falls into it literally every time I post a fic)--do not rely on comments and feedback to let you know you're doing it "right." the fact that you're getting thoughts into words onto paper is good enough, and you are good enough and even if you don't end up sharing it, you still did something special that nobody else has done before, and that, is amazing!

I'm not gonna lie, a huge weakness of mine that I feel I've known ever since I started writing CSI fic is that I really don't do well in making cases for the CSIs to work on--and even when I do, the case is usually forgotten by the end of the fic and I end up just kinda focusing on the emotions between the characters and describing their feelings and actions the best I can and unfortunately the plot sometimes suffers because of that.

I guess it really depends on what you want out of your story--do you want a really intriguing case and basically make an episode of CSI, or do you want to kind of bend out of the procedural drama, and just write something fluffy like Nick/Greg going on a roadtrip or something actiony like them getting into some sort of trouble? (as I often do lmao)

Something that does always help me when I do decide I want an actual like, "plot" to the fic beyond just playing around with the characters and making them do things or experience things is that I'll make myself a very flexible outline--which I will admit, at times, does kinda drain the fun out of the actual writing part but I found that I'll try to write chapters/fics in segments in this way, like I'll have the start of a fic, and then when I feel like I need to break but want to write what I got going next, I'll have something in brackets like: [Self deprecation at home/drinking, evil Nick in the mirror?] (for agony), and sometimes maybe a bigger summary, and sometimes less to just kinda remind myself of what I wanted to accomplish with a fic

BUT know that there are gonna be things that pop up sometimes. twists that come to you halfway through a fic--or if you're lucky, you'll find that your reader friends will kinda give you a twist to add in (my fic Last Breath is the greatest example of this--I originally was gonna do like, 12 chapters but then @dannilea said "HEY MK GIVE NICK AMNESIA" and then the fic got doubled in length lmao) so don't feel confined to any sort of outline. go with the flow, go with what feels right for you.

I know it's a lesson I'm still learning myself, but do not pressure yourself with these sorts of things. there are no deadlines. you're not doing anything wrong. if you don't like something you wrote? don't delete it (i've deleted so many things--fics, my entire blog, old art and gifs I did and it's one of my biggest regrets that I carry with me and god...it just hurts) but don't be afraid to tweak, re-write or rework if you need to--I know ao3 has an option where you can even say something is a "remix" of another work if you write a fic and then somewhere down the line, decide to expand on it or change it up? (I think it's meant for that at least, I haven't done that sort of thing....yet)

and that's another thing--you'll always be learning new things as you keep writing. I've been writing since I was like, twelve years old. Had a long ass depressive gap (though I did still write some things, just not...as intensely as I used to) before I came back to the CSI fandom (which I never felt I contributed to before, when I joined tumblr I posted some caps but that was about it, it really wasn't until 2018 that I started giffing and writing and three years later lmao here we are!) and there are just hard lessons you do learn--like I said, the validation trap and pressure and all of that

but motivation wise, something I've been (trying) to do is write at least 100 words per day. Doesn't have to be a specific fic, doesn't have to be anything I intend to make a fic, but just...getting the words flowing. But again, no pressure, because I recently had another depressive bout and went 33 days without writing and it climaxed to me having another mental breakdown swearing I was never gonna write again and damn near deleting everything and giving up.........only to start writing again the next day (and full disclosure, I did have a friend helping me literally every day with that and if they read this, I hope they know how forever grateful I am that they convinced me to keep going and I would not actually be here without them)

You will need to recharge, you will need to be mindful of outside stresses that may be impacting your creative energies. And sometimes, you can try doing things not relating to writing at all. Make a playlist of songs that make you think about the fic; if you can, draw or make photo edits of the fic. find a friend to bounce ideas off of--so many of my fics were enriched by that, I can't even begin to list them all lol.

But above all, again, just know that what you're writing is unique to you, nobody else will be able to write the way you do, and that is just...so special. writing can be difficult, it's exhausting, it's a thankless job at times but when those words start clicking together and your fingers just keep typing/writing, you'll just kinda get this like, rush like nothing I've ever been able to match.

and lmao I know you said specifically CSI and Nick/Greg and feel like I got sidetracked--but the great thing about CSI is I feel like you'll have excuses to put them in situations given their line of work, but like I said before, you can bend out of the genre a little bit. Have Nick and Greg go on a vacation, or make an AU (even something as wild as a sci-fi AU--honestly Specimen Stokes is the most fun I've had in writing the past three years) or if you do want to stick to canon, and don't want to make a whole new case or elaborate on the details--play with an established episode. If there was a Nick focused episode, what was Greg doing and vice versa? Did they talk about things afterwards, or did something happen leading up to the episode that made them act a certain way around each other?

I'll honestly find inspiration also just watching the episodes--something I've been doing in these past few months of my rewatch is making little ficlets about the episode, like I wrote one about Nick and Greg post 6x02 elaborating on the breathplay that Greg hinted about earlier in the episode, or I made a revenge fic for 14x12 where that douchey abusive husband went after Nick, etc. So sometimes it helps to dive back into canon and play in that sandbox too

I hope these tips can help get you started and honestly, don't feel obligated to agree or do any of these things I listed above. We all have different ways of going about writing, and it is just one big learning process and something I don't think I'm ever gonna perfect or master in any sort of way--(not to say I think I'm the worst writer in the world but I just...try to humble myself and not believe I'm the best or better than anybody else cause that's part of the validation trap, you get those ideas in your head and then it can destroy you when you realize you're definitely not)--and there will be times you get heavily discouraged, but...you just gotta keep going. keep pushing. find outside encouragement, but don't rely on it. practice a lot of self care and don't pressure yourself to finish or share or write more than you think you can. just...let it come, and enjoy the ride

I honestly feel like I'm one of the least qualified to say all of these things, but I really do hope it helps and hey, you already got one cheerleader, me, who will be excited to read whatever you share!

#writing #(does this novel of advice count towards my word count goal 😂 jk i already hit it)#mk talks

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silver-wield · 4 years

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Omg. Your body language analysis is so on point it makes me go uwu. If you're still doing it, will you make one for the scene where Cloud catches Tifa while Barret shoots his damnest at the heli? I have my own analysis but very curious what's your take on it.

Heya, I'm guessing you don't mean the scene with the hand catch, but the one after it where they reach Barret's position on the stairs. Although I have many thoughts about Rude too and why he first of all directed Reno's attention to Tifa, but then noped them away when Reno was about to shoot her. He had an interesting microexpression – teeny facial tic – that hinted something different to the OG “he's crushing on her” angle.

A lot of these “action touches” get discounted by you-know-who because in those situations it's impossible not to touch? I don't get the reasoning and I'm not gonna try and figure out just what counts and what doesn't. It's non-optional. Isn't that the only argument that matters?

Ok, spoiler warning for ppl who haven't played (I tag FF7R spoilers as final fantasy 7 remake spoilers) and it's gonna be a long one so prepare to scroll.

Also, this is one person's interpretation of the scene, so if you disagree that's cool and we'll agree to disagree.

You're also gonna have to excuse the janky quality on some of the screens, I'm grabbing them from Youtube and it's frustrating af trying to get the exact moment I want.

Other analyses if anyone's interested.

Shinra HQ vision scene (Cloti/plot analysis)

Chapter 3 (Cloti reblog)

Tifa character analysis

Aerith Resolution (plot analysis/theory)

Train graveyard (not really an analysis, but I got some sweet screenshots of Cloti)

Clotiscrew tunnel analysis

Cloti reunion analysis

The Promise Analysis

Andrea's approval (Cloti ask response)

Now, strap in and enjoy the ride.

Quick recap. Cloud and Tifa are reunited after that hand catch scene (smug? Me? Nau) and they're heading up to find Barret after seeing Jessie “die”. The mood is not good. This is not romantic, okay? This is war.

Ok, so already we have touchy touching here. You can argue it's high tension/stress moment and Cloud is making sure Tifa's safe, but he doesn't do that with Barret, is all I'm saying.

Cloud's got hold of her entire arm, not just her wrist or hand, he's got hold of her as securely as possible giving they're in motion. He doesn't want to lose her. She's got her arm on him, braced and using his body as a shield, which he is clearly fine with because he positions her partly behind him while he turns to check the threat from the stairs – possible further collapse of the platform they're now on. He's protecting her. Obvs. I shouldn't have to spell this out. It's not romantic, but it's telling of their trust and reliance on each other as partners. This is a clear pair.

Ok, so moving on from Cloti – cause action scene and this isn't a romance game – we get Tifa hearing Barret behind her. She turns and there's her concern for her friend. Obviously, she cares. It's her entire motivation for leaving the safety at the bottom and hauling her ass up those stairs.

Her face here hits me hard in the feels. She's so grim and worried and doesn't want to lose anyone else. She's caught up to Cloud, but then she lost Jessie – right in front of her and she couldn't do a thing about it. Now, she sees Barret facing down a helicopter.

Take that in. It's a dude – ok he's got a machine gun on his arm – fighting military spec weaponry on a fucking helicopter. Of course she's frightened and worried that she's about to see him get shot. Someone else she couldn't save.

Remember, FF7 has themes of loss and failure. The heroes don't always win or if they do there's a cost. How much of that threads into Remake is still to be seen, but since this scene is following canon we can assume it stands for now.

Tifa's character is often motivated by the desire to not lose people. She even says as much to the Shinra middle manager that she doesn't want anyone else to die. She stops Cloud killing the security agents and Johnny. This is a girl who fights because she wants people to live, not die.

Ok, so now we've got her running to reach Barret, leaving the safety of her bolt hole beside Cloud, who immediately turns and is all wtf when he sees her playing chicken with a chopper. Tbf, Barret doesn't sound that pleased about it, either. It's a crazy impulsive move likely driven by the desire to not lose her friend. If they're together they can stop whatever's coming. Tifa is very teamwork oriented if you recall all her actions from chapter 3 and how demoralised she was when she had to agree to disagree with Avalanche.

Cloud for his part doesn't take too long to dive to the rescue again. I think by now he's pretty much fulfilled that childhood promise and this is way more than just helping out a colleague or friend. He's not hesitating for a second to put himself in front of her with nothing but a sword for a shield.

Sorry, I just stopped the vid on this moment and it looks so damn cool I couldn't resist adding it. All it does is reinforce the above statement that Cloud has zero reservations of putting himself between Tifa and certain death. He's her hero without even stopping to think about it. The framing is stunning. Barret in the background, Cloud in the middle distance and Tifa in the foreground. Cloud has lined himself up with Tifa so that she's as protected by his position as he could possibly get. That takes skill. Tifa's half crouched to make herself a smaller target, but Cloud's body language is open, defiant. He's basically saying “come at me”.

Ah and now I'm sure some people will be all “but Cloud left her in the middle of the platform”. Well, yes, it's called diversion. He's the bigger target, the better target. And by making the chopper follow his progress, he's taken its sights away from Tifa's position. It now has less chance of hitting her when it next fires. Remember, Cloud knows tactics. He's not a dumdum. You can see that on his face as he's deciding his next move. The chopper won't wait for him to stop and explain what he needs to do, it's gonna fire. He's gotta move quickly. He also needs to trust that Tifa can get herself out of trouble. So many people's complaints about how she's not a damsel and should take care of herself. Well, this is Cloud trusting her not to be a damsel. He helped her out, and now he's gotta rely on her helping herself too. If he took her by the hand at this moment and dragged her along with him, she probably would've died. Tifa got herself to his position alone, she's clearly capable. He knows how much ass she can kick.

After that we've got the typical checking for danger and guy banter. I'm loving the development of Cloud and Barret's relationship. They went from outright hating each other to friends over the course of this game. It's beautiful and develops even further in their resolution – I love their one, it's so sweet and sad and such a guy bonding moment. Male friendship is important too, especially to Cloud who doesn't have many friends.

Now, despite the banter, Cloud's head turns at this point, back to Tifa. He's made sure the immediate area is safe, checked in with Barret and now it's back to his primary focus.

I love that Barret calls himself the leading man. It reminds me of Balthier in FF12.

And you'll see that Barret is still in the middle of that line while Cloud is stretching his hand out for Tifa. Could be a “I gotta grab my teammate” move, but I mean, really? Are we that delusional? He didn't have to do any of this. He could've relied on Tifa to get herself over there and not put out a hand for her. Barret didn't grab him. You could say that Barret doesn't like Cloud enough for that, but it's a high action moment. They're comrades and being shot at. Any helping hand is appreciated. Maybe Barret thought Cloud was capable enough not to need help. But then wouldn't the same apply to Tifa? Why does she need helping just cause she's a woman? She can kick ass.

And what about Barret? His attention isn't on Tifa at all. His focus is the helicopter, so he's either relying on Tifa to be ok without that level of help or he's expecting Cloud to support her.

Yes, she is literally throwing herself into his arms. That's how much she trusts him to catch her. Again, Cloud is going for a full arm grab – a hand or wrist isn't secure enough in this situation and he wants to keep her safe.

Tifa. Well, she looks scared. Shocker. She just got shot at by a helicopter. Ofc she's scared and leaning on Cloud. She's taking strength and reassurance from him. I mean, she could've just grabbed his arm and pulled herself to safety. There's no need for this depth of touch.

You'll notice this all happens within miliseconds while Barret says that leading man line. This is very quick action, very decisive. No hesitation on anybody's part.

I mean, this is full upper body contact between them. I don't know what else to say about it. There's no need to get this close. He could've pulled her over and then let go. He didn't. They both prolonged contact. This is relief they're ok for the moment. They’re united in how they feel.

Oh look, eye contact. I've pointed out before that Cloud doesn't do eye contact with people very well, but he does with Tifa, no matter the situation. Looking at this I'm like damn get a room. It's an intense look between them and even though there's shit hitting the fan around them you can see they have attention for each other, too. He's pulled her to safety and now he's meeting her gaze to gauge if she's ok. She nods. He nods. Back to the action. They don't have time for a drawn out romantic bit. They've got more serious things to think about, but even during the most high tension action scenes they have this energy about them that speaks to their close bond and affection. He's comfortable with her touch in every situation – if I'm wrong about this then someone point it out to me so I can see plz. He's still got his hand on her after they separate from their action hug and then when he drops his hand he braces it against the pipe beside her. Still close to her, though not actually touching.

After Barret asks if they're ready, Cloud looks around then looks at Tifa again. Did he need to do that? Idk, but he didn't look at Barret before they hauled ass.

Conclusion:

Kinda obvious. Even in high tension situations Cloud has part of his attention on Tifa. He's hyper aware of where she is and whether she needs him at any given time. It's sweet af how much he focuses on being her hero without even really knowing why. This instinctive need to protect her comes from the real!Cloud part of him. The one that made the promise to her. The one that has a crush on her.

Some people can say these kind of moments don't count because Cloud has no choice(?) but to touch her, but actually, he has no reason to touch her the amount he does. There's ways to execute these moments without this much unnecessary touching. He does it this way because of an instinctive need and desire to touch her this much. It's what he wants to do.

#final fantasy 7 remake spoilers #final fantasy 7 remake analysis #cloti #action romance scenes #battle couple #there's really no need for them to be this touchy #unless they wanna be #they act like a couple already

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megamanxfanfics · 4 years

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Looking back at the 1st Nightmare Arc

Well folks, here we are. It’s the end of the year and I successfully completed Season VI’s first arc! Today, it’s all about celebrating with an honest take on how I feel it all went down. No backstories on what took so long this time. Just all Mega lore and analyzing whatever I’ve managed to create in the Fanon. So let’s dive into it. This was an interesting one:

tl;dr? - Ep. 1: Boring Beginning, Exciting Middle Ep. 2: Steady Solid Stage! Ep. 3: Long Stage, Big Payoff Ep. 4: Strong Start, Very Expository Ep. 5: Another Long Stage, but not Draining Ep. 6: Reverse Pacing Ep. 7: Epic. As. Fuck.

Ep. 1: I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but Boring Beginning. I wanted it to start just like the game with the exciting narrative intro, except.. written out, it’s not all that exciting, but instead - expected. The same goes for Gate’s immediate monologue when you press start. I took the safe, easy route and just added stage directions to his discovery of Zero’s “piece”. Regardless, this was “A Broken World”, and I loved that title for a new Season #1. Honestly, I feel like this one really picks up from the middle, onward. Once we get into X’s first mission, the addition of the new reploids from the X5 ending didn’t really help at all. I got rid of them almost as soon as I introduced them, but it was supposed to serve a purpose. It was supposed to show us just how dangerous it is out there for noobies - especially the ones who think they know it all, like Cody. Once X fights High Max though, we almost mirrored the X1 feeling, which is exactly what I wanted. From here on, it’s pretty exciting and interesting to me. Because now X is all intrigued and worried about these new “Investigators” that have sprouted up. Giving X someone to fear again with High Max made for a really refreshing touch, too. Once he gets home to learn about them from Alia, the episode heavily leans on flashbacks from Xtreme 2, but they serve as a nice re-introduction to our 8 Investigators. I also really liked their Re-activation scene. That mirrored the vibe from Mega Missions when Doppler revived his select batch of Mavericks. Once they pinpoint their locations and X finds out that 3 of the Investigators are in Brazil, he wants to go there first. I feel such a hyped jolt of excitement at that Cliffhanger.

Ep. 2: Steady Solid Stage! It took forever to write out, but upon reading it, the pacing is surprisingly smooth as X explores the Amazon Forest. Calling it “The Nightmare Is Real” based on a random Rescued Reploid’s words was a little weak at first, but it comes back around to get real meaning by the end. During the stage, X’s dialogue with Iso kept things interesting, while he pursued that near-impossible sub-tank. [I swear, you can only acquire this with a jump part equipped, or exposing AI with the fire blade or something...]. I really really didn’t want X to use his Ultimate Armor so soon, for nothing, because I’ve added stakes to such a game-breaking power up. If he uses it, he blows out all of his stamina and needs to rest. Period. Using this to rescue Iso was not only a waste, but things probably would’ve gone down very differently, later. Anyway, that fight with Commander Yammark was perfect. At first, I thought it was a little short, but looking back on it, I love how they both get solid blows in, but then come to a standstill when they realize they’re on the same side. Having Nightmare Zero intervene was absolutely the right choice!! It gave us a new hook for something to come back to, as yet again, X had someone new to fear, like in X1. Since it’s an evil Zero, I’ll even say like X2. This is where the title “The Nightmare is Real” works, because... the Zero Nightmare was absolutely a sentient problem. And it wasn’t going away any time soon. X had to retreat and get out of there. Thank God for Alia’s force-teleporting. Pushing Alia's Love Interest during the debrief was also a very exciting development. I knew I wanted to do this, but at first I wasn’t sure if it was too soon to happen right here. Now, I feel like it was just right.

Ep. 3: Long stage, big payoff. Starting with Isoc’s report to Gate was actually not as boring as the 1st episode canon scenes. I made more of an effort to wake the scene up with stage directions or dialogue that makes more sense... Them talking about the possibility of Zero still being alive also sets up mysterious intrigue. Is he still out there?? And if so, how??? Will we see him???? Naming the entire episode, “The Outlier”, however is misleading. I suppose that could connect to Ground Scaravich, who wasn’t one of Gate’s original creations (in my Fanon). Still, giving X & Alia that slice of life romantic wake up scene at the near-beginning was absolutely refreshing. Not only that, but I think it was very necessary. Things are all Doom and Gloom this Season, which is my forte, but this shows that at Home you can still find happiness in Loved ones. The actual stage itself was an absolute pain in the ass and I knew it was going to be. I'm just glad it didn't completely burn me out. His fight with Ground Scaravich was bad ass though. X had the rare upper hand from the get-go as the menacer that Scaravich was afraid of. So he came in with confident energy and tried to beat him down for information. Of course, Scaravich didn’t let up and only revealed worse information, that those Reploids were being used for DNA Data. But that cliffhanger I left at the end, with Zero Nightmare applauding X for his kill...! It definitely helped me pursue a much sooner Chapter 4.

Ep. 4: Strong Start with the Zero Nightmare fight. I had a big challenge here, because I didn’t want X to win yet. We needed to build this feud and drag it out as much as possible. Zero Nightmare was gaining new motivation. He apparently knows about Zero’s existence, but thinks of him as a Fake. And thus we have the title “Where Is The Fake?”. Having X get weakened and willingly teleport away was a really mature choice. I think it shows growth. He could’ve done that plenty of times in the past. But here we go, X is wounded again.. I didn't want this to become a trope or slow us down, but it brought upon some very necessary world building and character development for the new reploids. Very much, the expository episode, this was an important chapter, because it set up things for future episodes and kept me on track, months later when it was time to think about the bigger picture. Kassy & Hal went to the Magma Area while Tack checked out the Laser Institute. The Nightmare System was in full effect now, and the goal was to show how dangerous the Nightmare actually is to some red shirts, before X goes in there. How effective that actually was in my execution, remains to be seen. At this point the episode title remains prominent, because X expresses sincere interest in finding the Real Zero, but they have... zero leads. (Sorry, I had to.) The Villains even had an interesting follow-up about Scaravich’s death and there was an interaction, which vaguely eluded to something new happening, from Metal Shark. So that will be something fun to look forward to. Ending at the beginning of a new stage is always a cool cliffhanger. Believe it or not, I wanted this to go all the way through the Rainy Turtloid stage, which would have given the title prominence for a 3rd time. But that’s okay.

Ep. 5: Another Long Stage, but its not half as draining as the Central Museum. In fact, all of the Reploid Interactions kept it really lively. Especially by the end. The Inami Temple was the first stage that I could hint at our location with the episode title - “Nightmare Rain”. I wish I could’ve done that for the previous episodes, but it’s alright. I took some interesting risks, during this stage write-through. I almost forgot about that frickin Monbando Reploid unit. I took a real risk by giving him an AI, but he keeps things interesting, giving X someone to talk to, which actually added levity to the situation where appropriate. That Nightmare Zero encounter mid-stage was what it was all about for me, though. I'm really proud of that one, using the stage layout to my advantage in an innovative way. All of that Levy stuff with Rescue Reploid 6 was another interesting choice. I have more in store for her, but I'm really hoping there will be more of a payoff, than just an Easter Egg Cameo. We’ll see. I’m looking forward to seeing what else I can do with her in the next arc. Need I bring up X’s Reploid rescues in the Gaia Armor!?? That was a bright idea that I came up with after post-planning. The original plan was to have X revisit the stage later, but I thought about how this Acid Rain was killing them, so... time to settle the issue of an unused Armor. [X6 granting us the gift of using a modified Fifth Armor was nice, but it made me wonder, why can’t he access the Gaia anymore?]. The answer was just that he doesn’t really like it. But he used it to his advantage here, and now I had a new challenge ahead of me. I had to get rid of it. Another challenge was posed when X discovered a fucking portal in one of the tunnels. I wasn’t prepared for that! But thankfully, I was able to come up with a viable excuse rather than just X being scared of the portal. He ran out of teleporter rings!!!! This gave me new Fanon Mega-science to add to the stakes. Teleporter Rings now need a day to recharge, and it was clear that plenty more needed to be made. This gave Alia & Douglas something to do, so in the end, this was all good. But now it was time for X to face off against Rainy Turtloid. He’d have to come back for the others later. [Time will tell, how well or poorly that is handled, depending on how long it takes X to actually get back there.]

Ep. 6: This one basically had Reverse Pacing, but I liked it. It started with a Climactic, Rainy Turtloid fight. I mean, this was Epic and fucking Brutal. Thanks to my brilliant bring-back of the Gaia Armor, now Turtloid had to take it away and break the shit out of it. This is where “The Fight Becomes Dire” and I thought it was amazing. In my planning phase, that was never remotely on the table, but it worked out wonderfully. What was on the table was X possibly using his Ultimate Armor if the battle got too brutal, but I wanted to avoid that. [I had done practice playthroughs where I managed to get X to win in Normal Armor and definitely in Falcon Armor with some select weapon spamming and pattern memorizing. I was open to keeping it simple, I really was.]. But after X got smacked around like a bitch, it was time for payback. Especially considering Turtloid’s motivation to fight was “But I have to listen to Master...” Here we had the interesting case that both Men respected each other and didn’t want to fight, but they had to. {Even though X thought the Reploid Trapping and Nightmare acceptance was reprehensible}. X primarily focussed on that and tried to change Turtloid’s mind, but once his Gaia Armor was destroyed and X nearly died, it was time for some Ultimate payback. I’m really surprised by how epic and dark it got. I’m very proud of it. After the mission, due to some very necessary stakes and power limiters, X had to sit out for a day again, once again slowing our pacing down to a screeching halt. This one hurt me, I think. At least he wasn't injured this time... As I stated before, when I made the decision to include the Ultimate Armor into this Season, I did so knowing that there needed to be a price. It comes with him using up all his stamina. Therefore, he can't spam it with every mission or battle. The same rules applied to his shotokan moves in Season I & II, which have basically been replaced by the Ultimate Armor at this point. With more opportunity at exposition, however, I was able to follow up on the new reploids, who were now in trouble at their respective missions. [This is the stuff I needed to give X motivation for his mission choices during the planning phase, but it just wasn’t there]. And yet, one was debatably set up too soon. I had a new dilemma, where X was forced to sit out, while Kassy & Hal are stuck at the Magma Area, hurt. The choice to show X training the recruits in the meantime was a fun risk to take though. It showed productivity and progress in the downtime, hopefully eluding to the idea that these newbies can fend for themselves, while it inevitably takes X a while to save them in the future. I also got to develop Levy more and even create some juicy tension between her and Alia, which wasn’t originally planned. I had intended for a 2nd sex scene with Alia to happen at some point, but I didn't want it to be forced. Just more of an implied - ‘this is what’s happening while we wait’. But the addition of Levy’s flirting played into Alia’s insecurities, which gave it more of a purpose. And poor Douglas! Hahahaha. I was so tickled when I put that in out of nowhere. We got some much needed levity when he wanted to show X a new part, but instead he overheard them having sex and walked away with a “Nope!” lol!!! Its becoming very clear that I enjoy the in-between mission slice of life stuff Way more than the missions themselves. But then, when we get back to it... after X gave it a night, he and Signas found every excuse not to save Kassy & Hal yet, because my Stage Order plan still needed to be in play... At least Tack discovered that Portal at Sheldon’s stage. This saved my Stage Order Motivation, but it was still weak. If only Zero was around, then they could split the difference. But what I liked about this was that it showed just how bad of shape that X and co. were in. Yet again, the episode title remained prominent. “The Fight Becomes Dire”! The truth is, they were all over the place and X didn't know where to go first. For the first time in a while, our Hunters are overwhelmed and understaffed. And that was really noticeable here. I still think the ending is kinda weak though. There's no real cliffhanger other than knowing that X will pursue Shield Sheldon next. But overall, I liked the flow of this. There's a lot of forced slow downs in the momentum to have us sit with the characters and their decisions. It makes for a very different, sort of dismal pacing, which adds to the atmosphere of this looming Nightmare that won’t go away. One noticeable thing, however is that I failed to follow up on the Villains this time around. I had an ample opportunity to follow up on Gate’s thoughts for losing Turtloid again, who was debatably his favorite creation. I really botched that up, but I simply didn’t think of it at the time before posting. So who knows? That could be possible room for improvement in a future edit. Either way, the Villains are sure to be due for a check in soon.

Ep. 7: Epic. As. Fuck. But it took a minute to get there. Shield Sheldon's stage was more complicated to write through than I originally thought. Its the shortest stage in the game and yet all those damn lasers and their angles made for quite the challenge. This in itself, was a “Laser Light Phenomena”. Another immense challenge that I wasn't expecting was Sheldon's battle completely Flipping the Narrative on X. Admittedly, I really had a hard time finding motivation for those 2 to feud. Especially since he wasn't holding a grudge based on the past. I noticed a while ago, all of Gate's creations are so very willing to sacrifice themselves for Gate's cause. Like, to a nonsensical degree. Maybe that's their degree of Maverickism. They're just crazy... Anyway, this Deadlock Standstill might really play into my favor, since this recent Portal Experience is going to change X's motivations. I... don't want X to take a backseat, but... Rescuing the Reploids is going to be his 1st Priority from here on in. Especially since he wasn't able to save Tack and the bunch. Again, thats where stakes come into play. I didn't come into this episode knowing I was going to make that decision. But when I saw the layout of the "Pocket Dimension" as I'm calling it, and I factored in the time Tack spent in there, trying to rescue the Reploids by himself, there was no way I could have them all just hang out at a narrow ledge by the gate, or stuck in the gateway, scared. I wasn't gonna pull a lame idea that they managed to somehow unlock the gate, like I did with Data. (That can be the one trait that makes Data special and could play into his advantage in the future. But no one else's). Nightmare Zero wouldn't spare them either. He'd absolutely kill them in bloodlust. So... stakes were created. X took too long to catch up to him and thats what he gets. That last battle with ZN though... I'm really proud of where it went. I had some obvious limits this time compared to past Zero fights. That could be an analysis for another time.. But, I was happy to get pretty gorey by the end, there. And that pay off Cliff Hanger was so satisfying! It gives me all the feels.

The 2nd Arc is going to feel very different. But we ain't out of the woods yet. Rereading the 1st Arc served as a dual purpose. Not only could I gush about my favorite moments or be open about my choices and how things came out, but it is starting to reveal where else it's going. Kassy & Hal still need rescuing at the Magma Area. Cody & Data are at the North Pole! Tekk is at the Weapon Center. X still needs to save whoever is in the portal at Inami Temple! Let alone revisiting the Amazon and Central Museum again. Exposition is just waiting to happen, and now that Zero is back?? Things are going to get easier, but also a little bit harder for X. One thing I can definitely say is that seeing him will bring back some Unwanted Memories. And its gonna be very interesting to see how he deals with that. I'm definitely looking forward to writing the 2nd Arc out in the New Year.

Until then, folks. I hope you enjoyed reliving this with me. See you in 2021, which should hopefully prove to be a far more stable year than 2020. [God, I hope I didn’t just jinx everything...]

#Season VI Diaries #Looking back at the 1st Nightmare Arc #Ep. 1-7 #writing wins #writing woes #X #Alia #Investigators #New Reploids #Zero Nightmare #unexpected dilemmas #writing out of pitfalls #stakes #limits #forced slowdowns #dismal atmosphere #navigating dystopian writing

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terramythos · 5 years

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TerraMythos' 2020 Reading Challenge - Book 3 of 26

Title: Shriek: An Afterword (Ambergris #2) (2006)

Author: Jeff VanderMeer

Genre/Tags: Weird, Memoir, Historical (like... in a fictional world lol), Horror, Fantasy, War, Mushroompunk (yeah), Postmodern, Female Protagonist, Disabled Protagonist, First Person, Unreliable Narrator.

Rating: 7/10

Date Began: 1/19/2020

Date Finished: 1/29/2020

Shriek: An Afterword is a pseudo-memoir by a woman named Janice Shriek about the troubled lives and relationships of her and her brother Duncan Shriek in the strange, fungus-riddled city of Ambergris. While Janice believes Duncan is dead, he's apparently found her manuscript and makes extensive edits and commentary throughout the story. (This is indicated in parenthetical sentences, like this one.)

The closer I get to the end, the closer I get to the beginning. Memories waft up out of the ether, out of nothing. They attach themselves to me like the green light, like the fungi that continue to colonize my typewriter. I had to stop for a while -- my fingers ached and, even after all that I have seen, the fungi unnerved me. I spent the time flexing and unflexing my fingers, pacing back and forth. I also spent it going through a box of my father’s old papers -- nothing I haven’t read through a hundred times before... On top, Duncan had placed the dried-up starfish, its skeleton brittle with age. (I kept it there as a reminder to myself. After your letter to me -- which, while reading this account, I sometimes think was written by an entirely different side of your personality -- I wanted to remember that no matter how isolated I might feel, separated from others by secret knowledge, I was still connected. It didn’t help much, though -- it reminded me of how different I had become.)

To qualify my rating, I have to be honest. This book is officially separated into two parts, and I found Part I -- which makes up about 60% of the novel -- pretty boring. On the other hand, Part II is brilliant, and everything coalesces beautifully in this second act. Is it worth it? I thought it was, but I understand anyone who tries and gives up.

Even though Shriek is technically a standalone, I would strongly recommend you read City of Saints and Madmen (#1) first. Both Duncan and Janice are key characters in two of those stories (The Hoegbotton Guide to the Early History of Ambergris and The Transformation of Martin Lake, respectively), and there are references and connections all over the place. I’m not sure if Shriek does a great job introducing Ambergris to new readers, so people starting here will be pretty lost without reading the first book.

Just to clear the air, I really liked this book... overall. As I said, the first half-or-so of the book was pretty rough, but the second half redeems it in a lot of ways, even justifying certain writing/plot decisions that didn’t gel with me at first. However “it gets good eventually” is not really an excuse for the rough first half. Hence the mediocre rating. I was close to giving this book a 6/10, but I found that I appreciated the first half much more by the time I got to the ending, so that bumped it up a little. Maybe I’ll enjoy this book more on a reread when I can see the patterns and know where they’re leading ahead of time.

Before I dive into my issues with it, I’d like to discuss the strong points of this novel.

At a base level, VanderMeer is a great writer. He has a mastery of the English language that always delights me when I read his stuff. So even when I struggled to like this story in the first half, his wordplay and prose were entertaining and thought-provoking.

I loved the format. The story basically has two protagonists, since you see things from Janice’s point of view and then Duncan’s interpretations-- but it’s in a very postmodern way, not just a perspective switch like most novels do. Duncan’s commentary often brings much needed humor or heartbreak, depending on the situation.

In particular, any scene in which Janice and Duncan interact directly is brilliant. Janice recalls a scene, but her memory is faulty (like anyone’s), so sometimes she forgets what they talked about, or interpreted an interaction in a certain way. Then Duncan dives in with his own commentary, supplying information Janice didn’t include or forgot, or correcting something she said, or offering an alternate interpretation... these scenes were fascinating to read and some of my favorite parts of the novel.

There’s a lot of fun revelations and Easter eggs for people who read City of Saints and Madmen. In particular:

My favorite story in the first book was The Cage, which is a work of fiction within the universe of Ambergris by a man named Sirin. In particular there is a very creepy and distinct monster that plays a pivotal role in the story. However, since it’s technically fiction within fiction, that monster and the events didn’t really happen in canon... right? Imagine my surprise in this book when Janice encounters and describes a very similar monster. This struck me as odd, until I got to epilogue/afterword at the end... written by Sirin, and everything clicked. He got the idea for his “fictional” monster from Janice’s account in this story. He doesn’t state this outright, but it’s the only explanation that makes sense. I loved that. It was like putting a puzzle together and it would have been so easy to miss. And there’s the extra horror that something like that really exists in this world. There was other stuff like this but this one stood out to me, and I’m sure there’s other things I missed.

This mostly concerns the second half, but the war sequences and memories are horrific and brilliant. It's very World War II-esque with a unique twist to it (the awful fungal bio weapons one of the sides uses). In particular, the war is introduced with a chapter about a ceasefire opera staged in the broken city... without spoiling it, it’s an excellent and intriguing self-contained story.

And the horror chapter about the Festival, which is conspicuously absent in the rest of the story? Just so goddamn good. VanderMeer strikes just the right chord with me when it comes to horror. It’s always fresh and intensely creepy.

If you told me this during the first half, I wouldn’t believe you -- but I ended up loving the characters and finding most of their relationships fascinating. This is a heartbreaking story and it really hit home by the end.

With that lofty praise, what’s my issue with Part I? The simplest way I can put it is that the struggles Duncan and Janice face are so mundane. They would maybe be interesting in a generic work of fiction, but here they felt out of place. For example, Janice’s arc concerns her rise to fame, which leads to success, which leads to lavish parties and orgies, which leads to excesses and a drug addiction, which leads to a suicide attempt, which leads to rehab, which leads to a diminished life of poverty. Yes, these can be interesting and harrowing problems in the right context, but the strongest point of these books is the setting, and there was nothing that tied these events to Ambergris. You could easily go through and change the character/place names and it wouldn’t seem off.

Duncan is a little more interesting in this regard, because his is a story of obsession. In particular, he’s obsessed with the gray caps (strange humanoid mushroom creatures that haunt the pages of these books), and it takes over his life until he becomes totally discredited as a historian. But even he falls into this trap when he becomes a college professor and has an affair with one of his much younger students (Yikes! Though it is treated as creepy within the story, at least). That takes over most of his character’s emotional core from that point.

Said student -- Mary Sabon -- is a core antagonist in the story. Janice in particular obsesses over her and her personal vendetta against her, and honestly even with the second part I was never really sold on this or cared about it all that much, so I was disappointed it took up so much of the story.

All of this would be one thing, but there’s all sorts of tantalizing hints about more interesting things. The gray caps probably have some ulterior motive that no one knows! There’s this crazy eldritch Machine hidden underground! Duncan is sort of turning into a mushroom! But these are only teased before the story pivots back to something comparatively uninteresting. Rather than encouraging me with the cool foreshadowing, it just got grating because it meant there were more interesting events and stories going on that I didn’t get to see for some arbitrary reason. Janice also rambles and goes back and forth quite a bit. This is clearly intentional (after all, you learn in the end this is a mostly unedited draft -- at least in the fiction of the story), but even so, it can be hard to follow at times.

Part II justifies a lot of this because these hints do pay off. You DO get to see a lot of the interesting stuff in detail at this later point of the story, and it’s not always what you expect. There’s overt and subtle dramatic irony and contrast between what characters go through in the first half versus the stranger, more profound traumas of the second half. You learn Janice is suffering from some severe PTSD and it explains a lot of the manic style in the first half. But again, is it worth 245-ish mediocre (to me) pages? I think that probably depends on the reader. I had a problem with it-- but clearly a lot of people don’t, based on reviews I’ve skimmed. Many put the book down and don’t finish it, but that’s true for any book. Hell, lots of people preferred the first half, so who knows.

Ultimately, I’m glad I read this book. For me it really does come together in an amazing way toward the end, and I found myself really caring about Janice and Duncan. If you read City of Saints and Madmen and want more of the characters and the world, then definitely give this a try. But it is a pretty niche book as these things go, so I can’t recommend it to everyone.

Anyway, I’ve come this far -- so I’m going to read Finch, the final (for now?) installment in this universe.

#taylor reads #7/10 #2020 reading challenge

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mobius-prime · 4 years

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199. Sonic the Hedgehog #131

Deep breaths, guys. I know what the cover page says. I know. We'll get to that. Just hang in there. I think you might like what I have in store.

Home (Part 2 of 4): The Gathering

Writer: Karl Bollers Pencils: Ron Lim Colors: Jason Jensen

So not much actually happens in this installment of Home other than the various characters talking to each other about and preparing for the upcoming battle. Since Sonic has been gone, a new Freedom Fighter Special has been constructed that can cut travel time dramatically around the globe. A journey that in the Tornado or on foot (in Sonic's case) would have taken up to two hours can be completed in a mere half hour now, thanks to Rotor's engineering prowess. And thus, Sonic and Tails head out to Old Megaopolis to stop Eggman's twin nukes from launching, along with an… interesting backup team, to say the least.

Man, remember Fiona? It's been ages since we've seen her! It appears that while Sonic was in space, she joined up with the crew in Knothole and has been helping them fight Eggman. That's definitely a better life for her than to be running with the likes of Nic the Weasel, eh? Meanwhile, Knuckles, Julie-Su, Amy Rose, and the other two (active) members of the Chaotix head to Fort Acorn, where General D'Coolette is giving a speech to the soldiers under his command. We've never even heard of this fort before, but according to the general it's been here for ten years, keeping a forward watch on Robotropolis, and this watch has been maintained even after Robotropolis' destruction in case of just such a situation as the current one. With their reinforcements from Knothole, the crew at the fort prepare to defend the city against a massive swatbot assault to lower the forcefield keeping the radiation in check. Back in Knothole, extra measures are being taken to make absolutely sure that even if the worst happens, the citizenry will be safe.

Station Square, for their part, has sent a squad of GUN commandos to help in the battle at Old Megaopolis. The commander of the military is baffled by this decision, wanting to send in their full fighting force, but the president instead opts to trust his allies from Knothole - though just for insurance, he's sent one of his own operatives along for the ride…

Now that's what I like to see! It's about time Rouge got herself some proper screentime. As all this is going on, Eggman waits aboard a docked battleship in the harbor of Old Megaopolis with his assistant M, and orders A.D.A.M. to begin the missile countdown. However, almost immediately, the sound of a biplane puts them on high alert, and Eggman is shocked to see Sonic and Tails bearing down on his location, not having expected them to be able to get here nearly so fast. See, Eggman, this is why you resist the siren call of your ego and keep your damn plans to yourself. All you did was give your enemies ample warning to prepare to foil your evil plot, you idiot!

Mobius 25 Years Later: Prologue

Writer: Ken Penders Pencils: Steven Butler Colors: Jensen

Okay, guys. This is it. We've reached the most Penders thing of all time. This is something that has been hinted at here and there from all the way back in the Sonic In Your Face special to now, and we're finally seeing the culmination of all of that buildup. All the intricate worldbuilding, all the complex character arcs, all the intrigue and political spider webs and back to back wars and everything that the world of Mobius has been through up until now - there's so much to explore, so many directions it could have gone. We're about to see what this world might look like twenty-five years into the future, and with so much rich history to draw from, what might you imagine this story might look like? What genre might it fall into? Well wonder no longer!

It's a drama. It's a teen drama.

There's a reason that Mobius 25 Years Later is widely considered to be one of the worst parts of the comic. The tone of it is just so far off anything else we've experienced so far that it clashes horribly with what we've come to expect. It's not some masterful subversion of expectations or something - in a lot of ways I consider it to be a genuine insult to the rest of the preboot's material up to this point. It's painfully and immediately clear that this is a story Penders has wanted to tell for a while, but, not being able to fit his "middle-aged adults adulting everywhere and being so adult-like while ignoring the feelings and difficulties that ordinary teenagers face" plot anywhere into the rest of the comic, he's opted to just fire the world a couple decades into the future, pair all the major characters off into weird and oftentimes arbitrary heterosexual marriages, give everyone 2.5 children and a titanium picket fence, and then throw in some allusions to the old "war against Doc 'Botnik" here and there lest we forget, entirely understandably at this point, that we're reading a Sonic the Hedgehog comic here. This thing goes on for nineteen whole issues, taking up each subsequent issue's backup story, and ultimately has no real impact on the actual story involving the characters we already know and love. However, this is technically canon, or at least a version of canon (as when you play with alternate realities and multiple timelines, futures are bound to get mixed up here and there), so we're gonna be covering it - all of it. I wouldn't be tempted to skip it anyway, as by delving into each chapter in this trainwreck, we can actually explore why this whole thing fails so hard, and why it's therefore so loathed in the fandom. Plus, I do recognize that some people actually do enjoy this arc for various reasons (one of my close friends does, and has a whole AU of her own relating to it in fact), so I do plan to at least try to be fair in my review - but I really can't hide that I find this whole affair boring as hell, often downright offensive, and ultimately completely out of place. With all that in mind, let's dive in!

We begin with a full page of exposition delivered to us via high school lecture, because everyone knows the best way to establish your worldbuilding is by infodumping it directly into your audience's eyeballs. Apparently, over the last twenty years, Angel Island has been heavily developed into its own independent republic, with a new city, Portal, acting as the center of trade between the island and the mainland below. We're once again introduced to Lara-Su, who, instead of being the badass time-traveling young adult whom we followed before, is now an ordinary teenager taking ordinary high school classes among a bunch of ordinary high school echidnas.

One of the biggest failings of this story is that Penders writes every teenage character how he thinks teenagers act, from his point of view as a middle-aged adult. This becomes abundantly clear the longer you read, as every teenager is a hormone-fueled, authority-defying, entitled, whiny, fickle child who just doesn't understand how the real world works, while every adult is a wise, experienced, and highly logical individual who always knows more than their younger fellows and refuses to pay attention to the whims of mere children. Like, I'm not even exaggerating here - I'm going to be pointing out every instance of this kind of behavior over the entire rest of this arc, and you can't stop me, so nyah nyah. Penders shows so little respect for the mere concept of teenagers, which is a terrible attitude to have not just in general, but especially if you're one of the head writers for an entire series about teenagers saving the goddamn world! Anyway, case in point: the teacher, instead of admonishing Rutan for being a bully, merely snaps at Lara-Su for not acting enough like a "young lady" and tells her to stay after class. Ugh.

Later that day, Rotor arrives on Angel Island as a liaison for the royal ruling couple, Queen Sally and King Sonic, because yes, Sonic literally becomes king in this timeline. He catches a ride from Harry - hey, good to see our favorite dingo still doing well for himself at least - and meets with Espio, who is now apparently Knuckles' secretary or something. At least, that's all I can assume from this weird-ass conversation.

As a matter of fact, yes, Sonic and Sally are bringing their two children, Sonia and Manik, to the family dinner! How very mid-70s domestic family unit of them! Espio informs Knuckles of this over a television screen as the latter broods around in some kind of high-tech facility. Unlike what we've seen of Espio, the years have dramatically changed Knuckles' appearance - his right eye is missing, replaced with a mechanical one, and he sports the cowboy hat that Hawking gave him in the past (you know, the one we never saw again after he received it). While I actually quite like the idea of a main character in the comic losing something as important as an eye, I feel like there's a huge missed opportunity here - instead of just thrusting us into an alternate future where everything is fine but one character is inexplicably missing an eye, how about actually showing us the story of how that eye was lost? Show us a Knuckles who's learning to cope with the loss of an important body part, and having to adjust to his mechanical prosthetic! Go into his feelings about the subject, as someone who has so long been opposed to a faction that thrives on mechanical prosthetics, instead of just skipping over what has the potential to be the most interesting part of this story! Ugh, sorry, there's just nothing that gets to me more than a missed opportunity like this. Knuckles and Espio exchange some tortured small-talk about their kids for a little while, with the only interesting part of the conversation being their discussion of Rotor's arrival and how he's likely here to see someone named Cobar, with whom he apparently has a history. More on that later. Knuckles excuses himself from the conversation, as he has to be home in time for his daughter's "Unveiling" tonight, and as the call ends we zoom out to see that apparently nowadays, the Master Emerald is hooked up to all sorts of technology in this facility, presumably maintaining everything automatically. However, this story isn't done throwing weird curveballs at us yet - it's time to see what our former villains are up to in this future!

There is so much to unpack here. Dimitri, feared overlord of the Dark Legion, is now an amiable cyborg-head-in-a-bubble. Lien-Da, the treacherous second-in-command who regularly spoke of betraying Dimitri and taking the Legion in her own darker direction, is now apparently a single mom who's embraced the domestic life, taking care of her rowdy teenage son while, predictably, complaining about the behavior of kids these days. And weirdest of all, apparently everyone is just fine with these literal former terrorists living in their midst and doing ordinary mom and grandpa things, with Lien-Da even apparently amenable to the idea of trying to make up with Julie-Su because "they're family," despite her history of, you know, erasing Julie-Su's memory multiple times and killing her biological parents as revenge for her birth. I mean, is this what Penders thinks adulthood is? Is he even entirely sane? Does he know the definition of terrorism?

Any-goddamn-way, Knuckles arrives home to his eerily sterile-looking steel-plated mansion that looks more like the lobby of a pharmaceutical laboratory than a place where people live, and greets his loving housewife Julie-Su, who's gained a cute giant ponytail but lost absolutely everything else that made her unique, including her own cybernetic parts and just her personality in general. She informs Knuckles that Lara-Su has locked herself in the bathroom and is having herself a mighty tantrum, refusing to come out to get ready for her Unveiling ceremony, which is apparently the equivalent of a Quinceañera for echidna girls. Knuckles, instead of doing something reasonable like asking her why she's upset, starts aggressively demanding that she come out of her room this instant, while Lara-Su repeatedly yells about how she doesn't wanna. Ugh, teenagers, amiright?

Seriously, I just can't get over how little respect Penders has for teenagers in his writing. Like, yes, I acknowledge that teenagers aren't always the most logical of beings, but they're also not goddamn three-year-olds either. They're old enough to articulate their desires and express their unique opinions, and often do so in very mature ways, especially if they're raised well and treated with the same respect you'd afford any adult. I should know, I was one myself. I would have assumed Penders was one as well at some point, but perhaps he just popped into the world one day as a fully-formed 43-year-old, full of disdain for those younger than himself. It would certainly explain everything we're seeing here.

Anyway, it turns out that the reason Lara-Su is upset is because Knuckles refuses to train her to be a Guardian, and so she whines and yells about it from behind the door like a petulant child as Knuckles continually refuses to actually give her a solid reason why he won't let her be one. When Julie-Su basically forces him to calm the hell down and explain himself, he reluctantly explains that since all the duties of a Guardian have by now been taken over by other functions of their society, he feels there's no longer any need for one, himself included. This is apparently enough to make Lara-Su immediately happy enough to burst out of the bathroom and grab her father's arm, suddenly totally excited to go to her Unveiling as long as Knuckles promises her the first dance. Ah, the fickle mind of a silly, silly teenager!

Kill me.

#nala reads archie sonic preboot #archie sonic #archie sonic preboot #sonic the hedgehog #sth 131 #writer: karl bollers #writer: ken penders #pencils: ron lim #pencils: steven butler #colors: jason jensen

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writteninsunshine · 5 years

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Wonderful Vices - Xigbar/Xaldin, Larxene/Namine - NSFW

Title: Wonderful Vices Author: Donnie Fandom: Kingdom Hearts Setting: Xigbar and Xaldin’s apartment, The World That Never Was Pairing: Xigbar/Xaldin, Larxene/Namine Characters: Xigbar, Xaldin, Larxebe, Namine, Xemnas Genre: Humor/Romance Rating: M Chapters: 1/1 Word Count: 3616 Type of Work: One-Shot, for Xig/Xal Day 2020 Status: Complete Warnings: Gay, Slash, Yaoi, Xaldin is turned on by aggression, Everyone is sassy, Quick Sex, Rushed Sex, Anal Sex, Arguing, AU - Canon Divergent, Larxene isn’t dead yet Disclaimer: I don’t own anything. Summary: Xigbar had planned for them to have a quiet night at home, but Xemnas had other plans. AN: Soooo, I wanted to write this for Xig/Xal day, and I ended up staring around 7pm on the second so that I could get it done in time. It’s finished at 9:50p on the third, but at least it’s finished. Also, they never really do get to enjoy anything they planned. This was really just an excuse to write so much sass and I really love this entire fic. It’s a gem, if I do say so myself. I hope you guys enjoy!

Kingdom Hearts Fic Masterlist Wonderful Vices ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ “So, I was thinking,” Xigbar called into the dark intestines of their apartment, reaching underneath the baggy hoodie he wore to scratch at his stomach, “We’d get pizza, put on a movie, and pretend to watch it. What happens next is up to you.”

There came no response, naturally, which he’d almost been expecting. Xaldin had never been very good with holding conversations that weren’t one-sided on someone’s account, but it seemed to be a different kind of silence than usual. You could cut it with a lance, Xigbar mused with a quiet snicker, half expecting one to fly past his head for good measure. It didn’t come, but movement out of the scope of his vision had him glancing to the mouth of the hallway. What filled the doorway seconds later had him grinning like a madman and breathless in the same second. In all of his grumpy glory, Xaldin stood mostly bare save for a pair of painted-on boxers and a shirt demonstrably six sizes too small. It seemed he’d decided to go for broke this evening and try Xigbar’s usual shtick of stealing his hoodies; the biggest problem being that Xaldin was a wall of muscle and Xigbar was a bit puny stood beside him. It seemed that an extra-large really shouldn’t try to fit into a medium, because not only was the grey, non-descript t-shirt he’d stolen stretched across his chest in the last seconds of its life as a shirt, but it protested loudly with each movement of his arms. “You uh, misplace somethin’, big guy?” Xigbar asked, his voice finally found despite the crack in it. Xaldin shot him a glare that could have frozen Axel’s blood, but he was so used to it that it barely seemed to have an effect. In seconds, hands devoid of gloves graced Xaldin’s biceps with gentle caresses, petting the straining fabric of the shirt’s sleeve absently. “Looks like you uh, were going for ‘drop dead gorgeous’ instead of ‘finally off of work.’” Seemingly pleased with that answer, Xaldin offered him the sly smile of a pleased cat before leaning down to press a chaste kiss to the corner of his lover’s lips. “You already took the jacket I was going to wear for our night of ignoring whatever movie you chose.” He practically purred, his voice rich and smooth in a way that sent chills bolting down Xigbar’s spine, “So I decided to pay you back the… Kindness.” “The kindness of losing a shirt to your rippling musculature? Oh, Xaldin, you shouldn’t have.” Xigbar chirped playfully, gently batting at his chest, “If you breathe too deeply, I’m gonna be out a shirt.” “Which is why I chose a plain one.” Xaldin replied shortly, rich purple eyes deflecting to the floor for a second, “You’re impossibly tiny for someone that can handle me.” “Well, I apologize for not being born like a brick shithouse, but I think you prefer me over Lexaeus for a reason.” Xigbar smirked, dragging his hand over the taut fabric of Xaldin’s chest, giving it a slight pluck before turning on his heels, “Just wait until you see the movie I picked. Go order pizza, it’s a surprise.” “I swear, if it’s Sharknado, again,” Xaldin trailed off, narrowing his eyes as he escaped to the kitchen for his phone, snatching it off the counter to put in their usual orders. Pineapple, pepperoni, mushroom and olive for Xigbar, and spinach, onion, and chicken barbecue for himself; they could never agree that pineapple just didn’t belong in savory settings. Xigbar, meanwhile, made himself comfortable on the couch as the opening credits played on the TV. Already, he wasn’t paying much attention, waiting with a grin on his lips for Xaldin to find that he had not only chosen Sharknado Two: The Second One, but also that he’d decided to peel off his pants. Boxers for boxer briefs, he figured, was the best way to go tonight. It wasn’t like Xaldin was going to keep his shirt on indefinitely; that thing was already ready to bust off of him should he so much as sneeze. Gracing the living room with his presence, Xaldin’s nose scrunched up as Sharknado Two appeared on the screen across from his grinning manchild. He crossed his arms, opening his mouth to speak, but Xigbar’s raised hand halted his words. “You said Sharknado, and this is clearly the second one, babe. No need to get pointlessly pedantic, right, Zexion?” He teased, giving an exaggerated wink. Xaldin was tempted to simply call it a blink if only to spite him. “These movies are pointless.” “True, but the point of it being on in the first place is to ignore it.” Xigbar replied nonchalantly, shrugging as he leaned back into the couch, “Come sit, take a load off and lay it on me, yeah?” Grumbling something under his breath, Xaldin skated around the coffee table Xigbar’s feet were already taking up residence on, crashing into the couch beside him on his side. Intense purple eyes watched him for a second, waited for him to hit ‘play’, before they fluttered closed too close to Xigbar’s face. Lips pressed to his, and for a split second, the world behind them melted away into nothing. Even the first few scenes of Sharknado were a pleasant, unheard hum in his ears as he shifted and found himself caging his lover into the couch with every ounce of power his body held; Xaldin found himself surprised at how easy it was to ignore. It was the knock on the door telling them their pizzas had arrived that had him breaking the kiss with a growl, eyes narrowed and a snarl on his lips. Rising, he grabbed Xigbar’s wallet off of the table by the front door and swiped a couple of bills, nearly punching the poor delivery guy’s face with his fistful of cash when he opened the door. Snatching up their dinner, he muttered a quick ‘keep the change’ before the door slammed shut. In a flurry of movement, the poor pizza guy stood in shocked silence as he stared at the closed white door in front of him. Thankfully, he took the hint and got the hell out of dodge before Xaldin had to open the door again. “Terrifying the poor guy, again, really?” Xigbar teased goodnaturedly, grinning from ear to ear as Xaldin deposited the pizzas on the table and crawled back into his chilling seat to warm it up again. “He interrupted us.” “We started too early.” “You hit ‘play’.” “Touche.” Instead of accepting all the blame, however, Xigbar leaned in to capture his lips at the same times his hands cupped firm asscheeks to pull him down tighter on top of him. He swore he heard a couple of stitches pop when Xaldin tensed in his arms, but he couldn’t even care. If he shredded the thing by flexing, it would honestly be the hottest thing he had seen all day, and he’d had to go to Atlantica with Demyx. Settling back in above the other, Xaldin rolled his hips down a few times in an expert move that left Xigbar’s mouth hanging open while he plundered it. His own hands remained fisted against Xigbar’s chest, but not for long as they trailed down to the hem of his hoodie, both of them diving under the fabric to push it up over his pecs. One thumb brushed over a nipple and Xigbar practically crooned, only earning another rock of Xaldin’s hips, leading him to gasp into his mouth. Somewhere behind them, Xaldin’s phone began to buzz, shocking itself off the table to skitter across the floor. When it finally stopped, Xaldin pulled back to pant above his lover, eyeing him up with pupils blown wide. It started up again and made him snarl, throwing it a pitiful glare over his shoulder. “He can’t be serious.” Xaldin snapped, only getting his cheek tugged by Xigbar’s hand, another kiss to his frowning lips as he tried to come up with a good excuse to ignore it. Instead of speaking, he simply jerked his hips up. “If it’s important, he’ll leave a voicemail.” “I can’t tell if that’s the best or worst idea I’ve heard today,” Xaldin replied, an anxious lilt to his voice. “Do you want to tell the Superior why we ignored his calls?” “It probably isn’t even him,” And Xigbar wasn’t necessarily wrong, “So we’re fine. Just… Ignore it.” Xigbar’s phone was the next to light up, blaring Thunderstruck at the top of its little mechanical lungs. Xaldin’s scowl turned to the table, watching Larxene’s photograph flash over the screen. “...Naturally.” Xigbar offered with a grin, “Tell me it’s not perfect for her. But that also means it’s not the Superior.” Wiggling his eyebrows with another grin, he playfully slapped Xaldin’s ass, delighting in the tense line his back made with the movement, “So we can ignore the little lightning bug and keep going.” “Does she usually call you if it doesn’t pertain to work?” Xigbar rolled his eyes, letting his head fall back against the couch, “Not really, I’m not her kind of dude. But do you really think Xemnas would send Larxene to do his job?” “I supposed I’d expect a call from Saix, first,” Xaldin replied, sitting down a little tighter against the bulge in Xigbar’s boxer briefs. The keening whine that left the other man didn’t seem to phase him as he sighed, “But if she’s calling, it must be important.” “Or,” Xigbar pointed at him, wagging his finger, “Or. Or, she’s just trying to bug us. She has a pretty good track record of ruining good things.” “But she’s also likely not to leave us alone, regardless of the importance of her message.” Xaldin huffed, crossing his arms as he watched the light fade from the screen. “It’s probably just some kid stuff, yanno? She’ll answer the phone and say ‘hi’ and then just hang up because she hates when other people are having fun.” Much like the man currently crushing his pelvis with the weight of a promise of sexual adventure, “So, we could always, you know, ignore her.” “But what if--” “As if. She’s probably just trying to bug us because I let it slip that we might get some time alone tonight. Come on, Xaldin, back to bed.” “But we aren’t in--” Taking hold of Xaldin’s hips once more, he rolled up into him hard enough to earn a soft moan from the taller man, he smirked. “Back to the right mindset, yeah?” “I… Suppose.” Xaldin spared one more glance at the phone before another jerk beneath him claimed his attention, and with deadly precision, he locked his teeth over Xigbar’s jugular and bit down. A wheeze left the smaller man, punctuated by another roll of his hips. Just about ready to sink into the routine of Sunday night sex with Sharknado in the background, Xaldin was ready to unwind when an impatient, droning knock sounded at the front door. “For Hearts’ sake.” Xaldin snapped, exasperated, as he raised his head, a tethering of saliva holding his lips to Xigbar’s neck, “If this is just because she wants to ruin our night--” “It’s probably unwise to leave her waiting, love,” Xigbar muttered, just as Larxene’s voice pierced the silence outside of their apartment. “Hey, losers!” Her voice was sharp, commanding instead of mocking for once, “I know you’re in there, open up! His Highness requires your immediate attention.” Xaldin was up lightning-fast, stalking to the door and adjusting himself in his boxers on the way. Nearly yanking it off the hinges, his look was feral when he narrowed his eyes at Larxene and Namine standing blithely in the doorway. The second she saw him, Namine turned shy, moving so that Larxene was the only thing standing between her and the certain doom written into Xaldin’s brow. Bristled, Larxene stood in the face of his deadpan ‘what’ with a smirk on her lips that told him there would be Hell to pay if he didn’t change his demeanor. Not that Xaldin would change for anyone, any way, at any time, and Xigbar was smart enough to know that, swooping in to save the world from ending. “What he means is, sunshine, which His Highness? If you’re here for Marluxia--” “I’m not, I assure you.” Larxene bit out, her eyes still locked with Xaldin’s as if waiting for him to back down from her challenge. Xigbar quickly placed a hand on his chest to try and avert disaster when she simply took a step closer. They were seconds away from a showdown that would level the block, and he had to work quickly. “The Superior himself asked me to tell you two lame-asses to get off the couch and head in to work. He has something fun lined up, I’m sure.” “I detest fun.” Xaldin quipped, barely hiding a snarl beneath a thinly veiled attempt at what could only have been a smile. “That being the case,” Xigbar cut in, placing himself between the pair in a last-ditch effort to push Xaldin a little back into the house, “We were kind of in the middle of something. Is it that urgent?” “Yeah, I think you need to change your gorilla out of his crop top and run off,” With your tails tucked went unsaid, “To get your orders.” Larxene crossed her arms, and Xaldin mirrored the motion behind Xigbar. What he hadn’t quite been expecting was the sudden, nearly echoing rip of the T-shirt trying so desperately to contain his muscles as it gave its death cry. Snickering behind her hand as a ruse to deflect just how perfect she found that moment, Larxene turned on her heels and ushered Namine along. “I’ve said my piece, it’s up to you two if you want to get turned into Dusks.” She cackled over her shoulder as she pushed Namine a little quicker ahead of her. It wasn’t like she was running, not from Xaldin, but Namine’s fear made her a priority. Plus, the idea of watching Xigbar have to rub off on Xaldin’s leg to get him back into the apartment wasn’t as interesting as the prospect of comforting the blonde in her arms. Xigbar had to use more of his body than he’d like to admit to crowd Xaldin back inside, all but putting his entire body behind the final push that shoved him into place. “Xal, please,” Xigbar muttered, placating in its weakest form, “Come on. We can at least get some of that rage out the good ol’ fashioned way.” He offered, trying on a wicked grin without its bite, “Whaddya say?” “No.” Xaldin snapped back, eyes narrowed and full of fight. Xigbar could see when he was dealing with an ‘immovable object’ situation, and right now he had to figure out how to get him to blow off some steam. If he was going to put his foot down, then sex really was out of the question, but Xigbar had an inkling that Xaldin just needed to be provided with a good reason to do it. “You already ripped my shirt, and you can’t go to work with a boner.” He pointed out, actively pointing to the throbbing problem trapped against Xaldin’s thigh. Nobody knew half as much about Xaldin’s rage issues as Xigbar did, and if he was already raring to go, a challenge would only make it worse. Xaldin seemed to consider this, staring down at his body with a scowl before grabbing Xigbar under the armpits and carrying him towards the bedroom. “Woah, woah, dude, no. Door’s still wide open.” With a heavy sigh, Xaldin set him down in the hallway, stomping back to the front door and slamming it hard enough that the whole apartment seemed to buckle under the force of it. Returning with that same air of pissed off purpose, he resumed carting Xigbar off by his armpits to the bedroom. Tossing him haphazardly onto the bed, Xaldin was on him in a second, caging him in and crushing their mouths together. He didn’t seem pleased until he heard the clack of their teeth, finally lowering his hips to meet Xigbar’s. The gasp that earned him was enough to put Xaldin at ease enough to raise his hips again to remove his boxers. Divesting Xigbar of his briefs went just as unceremonious as he tossed them somewhere behind him, leaning on one elbow to reach down and stroke him. Much to his surprise, and pleasure, Xigbar hadn’t seemed to have flagged, either. With a swift motion, he had the other positioned at his entrance, prepared to ride him into nonexistence, when Xigbar piped up again, breathless. “Xal-- Lube?” The look that earned him made his grin turn appropriately sheepish, “Please? You’ll hurt yourself.” With a frustrated grunt, he reached for the drawer in the bedside table where Xigbar kept them well-stocked for just such an occasion. Grabbing the first bottle he touched, he popped the cap and spread an ungodly amount of liquid onto his fingers. The first round went to Xigbar, who he slicked up rather roughly. Thankfully, the rough treatment didn’t earn him any flack, so he continued, a second squeeze to the bottle ending up being pushed up inside of Xaldin. The quick preparation wasn’t exactly what Xigbar had been hoping for, but he wasn’t exactly complaining when the sudden tightness around his throbbing cock dropped all the way to the base, effectively winding him. With both hands fisted in his own hoodie on Xigbar’s chest, Xaldin set a grueling pace with his hips that left his partner in painful bliss. If nothing else, Xigbar was lucky that he was a masochist, he supposed, or he couldn’t handle someone like Xaldin as a partner. His hips rolled and swirled, a shallow but quick rhythm that was sure to bring them both off quickly enough for Xemnas’ liking. As much as he didn’t like to think of him during sex, he kept their inevitable missions in the back of his mind to remind him why they had to do this quickly. Xigbar clutched the sheet beneath him like it was the only thing tethering him to this world, moans pouring from his lips to match the heated grunts of the man working him into a frenzy above him. He was already close, thankfully, because after a solid five minutes he was sure Xaldin would get up and deny them both release. As careful as Xaldin was with his rage, he had a tendency to be impatient when he knew he had things to be doing instead. The hitching of Xaldin’s breath told him that it wouldn’t be long, now, he was wildly chasing his orgasm down and it would be a quickly won battle at this rate. He was lucky that he was right behind him, to be honest, because he would have been left behind once Xaldin was done in most cases. The veritable roar that left the dreded man pulled a keening moan from Xigbar as they hit their orgasms, one after the other. A second or two was all they had to appreciate the afterglow before Xaldin was moving again, pulling off the ruined shirt and tossing it aside. Xigbar was left, cold and breathless on the bed, as Xaldin left him to wipe off with a towel he found on the floor. A cursory clean-up was all he afforded himself before he was shimmying into those skin-tight leather pants that Xigbar appreciated any other time and pulling on his coat. When he shot a lukewarm glare at Xigbar, he jerked his head to the side. “Come on, get dressed. It isn’t going to do us any good to keep him waiting any longer.” Xigbar could at least appreciate the breathlessness to his voice as he forced himself up and off the bed. With the same towel in hand, he wiped up and paused, looking at the sweat still dripping from Xaldin’s brow. He wasn’t about to use a cum-covered towel to wipe his face, though, his poor sideburns would catch too much illicit liquid for that. “I’ll be fine.” “Gotcha.” Xigbar nodded, sliding into his jeans and out of Xaldin’s hoodie, only to replace it with a T-shirt emblazoned with ‘R For Reload’ in bright purple letters. Xaldin rolled his eyes as he opened a portal, stepping through only when he was sure Xigbar, cloaked in black, would follow. Walking into the Superior’s favorite lookout in The World That Never Was, Xaldin kept his head down and his hands firmly clasped behind his back. Xigbar was the first to speak, “You wanted to see us?” “Yes.” Xemnas told him, “You both have urgent business. Xaldin, I believe you need to give the Beast an extra push.” The silver haired man turned to look at Xigbar, then, “And I think Shan Yu could use a little bit of a… Pep talk.” The pair of Nobodies glanced between each other before Xaldin nodded, portaling off for Beast’s castle. Xigbar could only imagine the smug look Larxene would have given them if she could have had the chance, waving slightly before disappearing. His last words were ‘you be a good boy, now’. Xemnas frowned, but didn’t say anymore, hoping that his evening could finally calm down. He had a monologue to prepare for Kingdom Hearts, after all. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ AN: Wow I didn’t exactly expect this to be so long. I’m kind of proud of myself, to be honest, even if I struggled with how to write their sex scene and keep it quick. I hope you guys enjoyed! I know I sure did. Prompt: Wearing Each Other’s Clothes

#Kingdom Hearts Fanfic #Kingdom Hearts Fanfiction #Xigbar Month #Xigbar x Xaldin #Xigbar #Kingdom Hearts Xigbar #Kingdom Hearts Xaldin

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argylemnwrites · 6 years

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It Couldn’t Wait Another Moment - Chapter 1

Pairing: Drake Walker x MC (Riley Liu)

Book: The Royal Romance (Canon Divergent from Book 2, Chapter 15)

Word Count: ~6700

Rating: R (for strong language, 30 diamond scene)

Summary: In the grand scheme of things, talking to someone 48 hours earlier or later shouldn’t make much of a difference. But what if Drake hadn’t waited to slide a note under Riley’s door until their last night in New York? What if he had decided to talk to her as soon as possible after she cleared her name? Before Liam broke things off with Madeleine? Before he proposed? How would that one change impact the two of them and their closest friends?

Author’s Note: Definitely not appropriate for work. As this is my first fic with any sort of lemon, I will be using the tag “#30 diamonds” to denote stories with sexual content if you wish to avoid such content.

Drake followed Riley into her hotel suite. He was so focused on his mission that it didn’t even occur to him to check for witnesses until Riley scanned both directions down the hallway before closing the door. The temptation to dive straight into the speech he’d imagined on the walk back to the hotel was strong, but he could tell Riley wasn’t ready to listen just yet as she walked to the minibar and crouched down, looking through it.

“Do you want a drink? I’m sure there’s whiskey in here.”

“Nah, I’m fine.”

She spun on her heels at that, staring straight at him. “How serious is this?”

“Look, Liu. Now that your name has been cleared, Liam is going to come to you and-”

“Drake, before you go any further, I have to say something. I can’t keep doing this. I’m so sick of having to sit there and bat my frickin’ eyelashes when he compliments me, pretending like nothing has changed. Next time we’re alone, I’m telling him about us.”

“Liu, we’ve talked about this-”

“Yeah, and you didn’t seem to think it was such a bad idea when I said I was going to tell him I wasn’t interested when we got to Shanghai.”

“But then you decided not to tell him.”

“His dad collapsed! What was I supposed to do? Break up with him at the hospital?”

“All I’m saying is that you’ve changed your mind on this a couple of times. Before you decide what you want to say to him, you should make sure your head is on straight.”

“Make sure my head is on straight? What the hell are you talking about, Drake? Am I just some emotional woman who doesn’t know what she wants?”

Drake sighed. This was not going at all how he planned. “You know that’s not what I meant. I just think you should be sure what you want to say to him before you talk to him.”

“I am sure what I want to say. You’re the one who’s sending out mixed signals. You kiss me, then you talk about me being with Liam. You said that we could talk about our future after we dealt with Tariq, then you come up here tonight and tell me not to end things with Liam just yet. It’s like you’ve been leading me on or some shit.”

What was left of his plan flew out the window as he got angrier with each word she said. “Oh, don’t give me that. We both know you hold all the power here,” he snarled.

“Really? Because for the past few months, you’ve been able to do what you please while I’ve been forced to play nice with a bunch of royals and nobles to prove that I’m an acceptable match for a man I don’t even want, and I’m just so sick of all of this - the pretension, the ass kissing, the stiffness. I thought I was getting used to it, but being back in New York just makes it worse.”

“Well, join the fucking club. I’ve always told you it doesn’t get any better,” he snapped.

“Then why are you still here? If you’re so miserable, why don’t you leave?”

“You damn well know why, Liu.”

She rounded on him, arms crossed and eyes burning with a dangerous fury. “You know what, I think you use Liam as an excuse. The truth is you are scared that if you leave court, you will still be miserable, and then you won’t have anything else you can blame for your unhappiness, because there is no way in hell that you sticking around to shove your tongue down my throat any moment we’re alone is for his benefit.”

“Hey! It’s not like I’m the only one initiating stuff between us. In fact, I seem to recall you hinting we should get a room after you stripped down to your underwear to seduce me, so don’t give me that hypocritical bullshit. You whine about having to see him way more after you escalate things with us. If that doesn’t scream guilty conscience, well-”

“OF COURSE I FUCKING FEEL GUILTY!” She took a deep breath before continuing, “I can barely even make eye contact with him anymore. He’s such a good man, and I am treating him so poorly. I’d hoped he would pick up on the fact that I ignore his flirting and never kiss him anymore, but it’s so obvious he thinks I’m still here for him. Every conversation between us ends with him smiling and me miserable.”

Drake scoffed and shook his head, “Unreal.”

“What’s your problem? Just because I haven’t known him my entire life doesn’t mean I can’t feel horrible about how I’m treating him.”

“So take your own advice and leave.”

“Excuse me?”

“You heard me! You wonder why I’m still here? The way better question is why the hell are you still here.”

“Well, less than an hour ago I was still working to clear my name, so that seems like a pretty good reason. I’m sorry I didn’t kick you out and immediately start packing my bag when we got back to the hotel.”

“So are you going to leave, now that you name is cleared? I don’t mean tonight, but is that the plan?”

Riley sank onto the foot of the bed, “I hadn’t really thought about it. I mean, I kind of just assumed I’d go back to Cordonia, but I guess I wouldn’t have to. We are in my hometown right now…” She trailed off, taking a moment to collect her thoughts, but soon continued on, “I wouldn’t have a place to live for at least a month or two, until I can get the subleaser out of my apartment, but I could probably crash with Daniel until I get a new job and start earning some money. I obviously burned every bridge at that bar, but I’m sure I can find something else.”

As her words rapidly developed into plans, Drake’s rage subsided, and he realized he had just encouraged her to leave his continent, and pretty aggressively at that. “I didn’t mean you had to stay in the States. I’m sure Maxwell and Bertrand would host you if you wanted to stay in Cordonia and find a job there.”

“Yeah, I’m sure Bertrand would be thrilled to support the woman who could have brought fame and fortune to House Beaumont but instead pissed it away.”

“Maxwell would make it happen. He would miss you too much otherwise. We all would.”

“We?”

“Come on, Liu. I would miss you like crazy if you left. You know that, right?” Drake sat next to her on the end of her bed, clutching her hands. “Of course I would miss you. I just wanted you to see that you had options beyond staying at court.” She didn’t respond, seemingly still mulling things over. Well, if he was gonna do this, he had better do this. Taking a deep breath, he continued, “Riley, I love you.”

She turned her head and replied, “I love you, too.”

“You do?”

“Of course, you moron. You think I would put up with all of this if I didn’t?” Then her lips were on his, tender at first, but quickly becoming more passionate as she slid her hands around his neck and pulled him closer. He responded, running his hands along her back, but suddenly she pulled away. He started to object, but then he saw her hitch up her dress as her right leg swung over his lap, moving to straddle him and erasing all distance between them in a moment.

His body was responding to her change in position, and it was obvious Riley noticed as she rolled her hips over his lap. Drake’s head dropped back as he let out some noise between a groan and a combination of several swears. How had they gone from fighting to declarations of love to this in the course of five minutes? He didn’t have much time to think about it though, because Riley began roughly kissing his neck and any thoughts that weren’t her were instantly erased. His hands ran up and down her sides, ghosting over her curves before settling one along her hip and the other at the base of her neck, holding her to him as she continued to grind her hips down against him. He pulled his head back up and captured Riley’s lips with his.

He felt vaguely out of control, biting her lip, hands pulling and grabbing, but Riley didn’t seem to mind, groaning deeply and pushing on his shoulders, tumbling them both back. His legs still awkwardly hung off the end of the bed, but her mouth moved along his jaw towards his earlobe, and her hand trailed down his chest, and hell if he was going to say anything that might stop her. Her hand continued south, stopping over the front of his jeans and palming him roughly.

“Shit, Liu,” he groaned, bucking his hips up into her touch. He tangled his hand into her hair, redirecting her so he could kiss her again while he slipped his other hand down her back to her ass, anchoring her tightly against him.

“Drake, can you,” she breathed between kisses, “my hand, it’s kinda trapped.”

“Sorry,” he said, loosening his grip on her, “Is this oka-” but further apologies were cut off as Riley slammed her lips back into his, both of her hands now running along his chest. She pulled on his collar, sitting them both upright before she slid her hands under his shirt, trying to pull it off his shoulders. Drake helped her shrug it off, dropping it over the end of the bed as Riley began slipping her hands beneath the hem of his undershirt. She scraped her nails across his skin and Drake let out a shaky breath before their lips met again. He worked on a strap of her dress, attempting to drop it off her shoulder, but the design of her dress seemed to be conspiring against him.

“You’re gonna have to,” Riley started before bringing their lips back together, “undo it in the back.” After a few more biting kisses, she stood up, spinning so her back was facing Drake and pulling her hair over her shoulder. Drake stood without thinking, completely drawn to her, and started to unzip her gown, his lips following along her spine as it was revealed to him. He reached about halfway down her back before he realized there had been nothing else covering her under the dress.

“Shit Liu; you aren’t wearing a bra.”

“The sides of the dress have lace inlays. It would have ruined the look.” Drake’s hands drifted to her sides, tracing the lace up and down her body several times before realizing just how low the lace sat on her hips.

“No panties either,” she purred, answering the question he never asked. Groaning, he dragged his hands away from her. This was escalating rapidly and he felt he was near the point of no return.

“Liu, we gotta slow down. If that dress comes off, I don’t know that I’ll be able to stop.”

She turned her head over her shoulder, staring at him with dark, blazing eyes, “I wouldn’t mind that at all.”

“Fuck, Liu…”

“Would it really be so bad if we let this happen tonight? We already exchanged ‘I love yous’. Is it so wrong if we show each other how much we mean those words?” She turned toward him, the front of her dress loose and the straps barely clinging to her shoulders. “Do you really want to stop? Because I just want you.”

With those words, something inside Drake snapped and he was tugging off her dress, watching it pool on the floor and then dragging his eyes over her, finally taking her all in. “You’re so fucking gorgeo-”

His words were halted as cotton smothered his face, Riley attempting to remove his t-shirt as she commanded, “Less compliments, more stripping.”

Drake had barely wiggled out of his shirt before he felt her fingers working on his belt, causing him to swallow hard and drop his head into the crook of her neck. He kissed along her throat, dragging one hand into her hair to give him better access and slowly trailing the other one down her body, stopping along her inner thigh. He heard her let out a whimper as he traced rough circles along her skin, inching closer and closer to her center with each pass. Her hand clutched his wrist, trying to redirect him, and his desire to tease her warred with his desire to give her anything she wanted. However, as she ran her teeth lightly over his earlobe, he knew he was done for, and he slid his hand slightly over, groaning as he realized how turned on she was.

He sank onto the bed, continuing to stroke her as he dropped kisses along her chest. He listened carefully to her breathing, her sighs and shivers, trying to learn what she liked. As he roughly circled his thumb over her bundle of nerves, he noticed her breathing hitch. “Too hard?”

“No, just like, shit, that,” she breathed out, grinding her hips into his hand. He increased the pressure with his one hand while his other dug into her waist, keeping her in place. He stared up at her face, her eyes slammed shut and her cheeks flushed pink. She was so damn beautiful, and he felt somewhat in awe that she was allowing him to touch her, to be with her like this. Her hands clutched at this hair, pulling in an effort to anchor herself to something as her breathing became more rapid. He dropped his lips to her nipple and swirled his tongue as he curled his fingers inside her, and then she fell over the edge, her breath catching in her throat with a whine as her knees buckled and she tumbled onto his lap.

He ran his hands over her back and pressed a soft kiss to her temple, waiting for her to recover. After a few moments, she pulled her head back and stared at him, kissing him roughly before climbing up and sliding her hands under the waist of his jeans. “Hips up. These have to go. Now.”

Drake slid back on the bed, and started to lift his hips to help her before he remembered something. “Wait,” he panted, fumbling around in his back pockets.

“Seriously, Drake? You’re going to stop things here?”

“No, I just need to find…” he mumbled, first pulling out his phone, slamming it on the nightstand behind him, then finding his wallet and flipping through. He finally found the foil packet and held it up, dropping his wallet to the ground and sliding further onto the bed as Riley tugged off his pants. She crawled onto the bed hurriedly and climbed on top of Drake, lips crashing into each other again as she reached her hands under the waistband of his boxers, yanking them down. Drake ripped open the condom wrapper and slid it on as he tried to kick his boxers fully off his legs, sending half the bedding to the floor in the process. Then, she was sliding down onto him and he almost lost it right there.

He couldn’t believe this was actually happening. Too many nights he had stayed awake, fantasizing about this. But even in his wildest dreams he couldn’t have pictured it feeling this good, hearing the breathy groans tumbling off her lips, watching her breasts sway as she set the tempo, rolling her hips. His fingers dug into her side like his life depended on it as he thrust against her, trying to match her speed. She gradually began to pick up her pace, dropping her chest to his. Then, music cut through the room.

So no one told you life was gonna be this way.

Riley stopped the rhythm of her hips, sitting upright and staring at him. “The Friends theme song is your ringtone?”

Drake sighed, covering his face with his hand.

Your job’s a joke, you’re broke, your love life’s DOA.

“Just for Maxwell.”

“You have a special ringtone for Maxwell?”

“He set it one night on the train and I don’t know how to change it.”

She was suspiciously silent, although his phone continued to ring. Drake dared to glance at Riley, who was biting her lip, eyes dancing with clear amusement.

“Go ahead…” he sighed, gesturing with his hand.

Her laughter rang out, bright and cheerful, and in spite of his embarrassment, Drake found himself chuckling as well.

“Are you going to answer? He’s probably looking for his best friend roomie.”

“Sure, I’ll tell him exactly where I am right now,” he said, rolling his hips for emphasis.

“Not anymore, you aren’t” she teased as she slid off him, crawled forward, and grabbed his phone off the nightstand as the call thankfully went to voicemail. “You have six unread texts from him.”

“Give me that,” Drake said as he sat up, but Riley dodged his hands. “I’ve been a little busy.”

“Do you want to get back to him?”

“Yeah, go ahead and call him back right now.” Riley smirked, and Drake realized she fully intended to do just that. “Wait, Liu, stop! Give me back my phone!”

“Don’t worry, I won’t call him. I can change your ringtone if you unlock your phone for me.”

“Oh no, I’m not falling for that.” Drake lunged forward, trying to snatch his phone from her hands, sliding an arm around her waist as she straddled his thighs.

Riley laughed, holding his phone behind her back. “If you want this phone back, you’ll have to grab it yourse-”

Drake yanked her close, crashing his lips into hers. She moaned into his mouth, sliding her hands into his hair. Drake heard a soft thump, presumably his phone falling somewhere, but that didn’t matter at all. The fire between them was back and all-consuming. He pushed off the mattress, rolling them over and drawing a surprised yelp from Riley.

“You alright?” he asked, bracing himself up on one arm, overwhelmed by the sight of her beneath him, her black hair fanned out on the pillow, her skin glistening, and her eyes locked on his.

“Perfect,” she whispered, bringing his head down and kissing him, wrapping her legs around his waist.

Soon, Drake was moving within her, thrilling in the feel of her, the taste of her skin, the inarticulate moans and sighs she was making. He lost himself, with no sense of anything besides her and them. He tilted her hips up slightly, drawing a low moan of “Drake,” from Riley, as well as sharp nails dragging across his back that pushed him that much closer to the edge. He knew he wouldn’t be able to last much longer. It was a miracle he had made it this long. Using one hand for leverage against the headboard, his other slipped down to rub clumsy circles right above where they were joined, trying to push her over before him. After a few more thrusts, he felt her flutter and clench around him as she sighed out a raspy, “Fuck,” and he was gone. He lost all sense of rhythm as he drove into her a few last times, a loud rushing sound surrounding him as the tension finally snapped and he collapsed onto her, spent and boneless.

After a few moments, he moved to roll over, not wanting to crush Riley, but her hand grabbed at his shoulder, stopping him on his side.

“Where are you going?”

“Nowhere. C’mere.” She rolled quickly into his arms, snaking her hands behind his neck. “I just didn’t want to crush you.”

“Hmmm,” she hummed into his shoulder, “Well, this is a nice alternative.”

She clung to him tightly, and Drake could feel her heart pounding against her chest, sure that his was beating just as wildly. He ran his hands through her hair and across her neck, wanting to keep touching her in any way he could. Riley seemed to desire the same, threading her leg between his and tracing her hand up and down his back.

For several minutes, they held each other without speaking. The only sounds in the room were their heavy breaths which slowly drifted into a calmer pattern. Eventually, Riley broke the relative silence.

“Not to kill the mood, but I don’t know if I can go back to Cordonia with you.”

Drake’s heart clenched. Why was she leaving him? Trying to keep his voice calm and level, he asked, “Why not?”

“It doesn’t make much sense, Drake. I came to Cordonia on a whim. My job sucked, and it seemed like a fun story. I never expected to be gone for almost a year. I’m completely out of money now, and at some point reality hits. I may not have had much of a life before you four walked into that bar, but what life I have still is here. I have a home and I could go back to school and at least finish my degree. I know people here who can help with networking. On the other hand, immigrating to a foreign country to look for a service industry job seems like a poor choice, particularly since I don’t speak one of the two languages spoken in Cordonia.”

“I just got you,” Drake whispered, hiding his face in her shoulder, “I’m not ready to let you go.” Riley remained silent, running her hand through his hair. “Please say something, Liu.”

“It’s not just about money. I can’t keep dating you in secret. I want to be with you, go on dates, hold your hand. I can’t keep doing things like this.”

“We wouldn’t have to keep things hidden anymore.”

Drake felt Riley shaking her head, and pulled back slightly to look at her. Her eyes were rolled back and tears were starting to trail down her cheeks. “Riley, what is it?”

“How does that work? You work at the palace with Liam, then drive to Ramsford to take his ex on dates in your free time? That will be healthy for your relationship with him. And I’m sure the press with have a field day with it, too. We don’t even know if they really believe Tariq’s statement, but I’m guessing it will hurt my credibility if I return dating another of Liam’s friends. It’s one thing to deal with the rumors in a different country, but Cordonia is so small. I wouldn’t be able to escape judgment anywhere. It would probably hurt my chances of getting any sort of job, too. No one wants to hire a waitress who is going to be mobbed by paparazzi.”

“You don’t know that.”

“Drake, be realistic. Me coming to Cordonia is basically agreeing to become the media’s American slut who sits around with the Beaumonts waiting for your down time from working with the king I rejected, or keeping things between us secret. I don’t know if I can do that, Drake. I’m sorry, but I just want a semblance of a normal relationship.”

Drake swept his thumb along her cheek, wiping away tears and smudged makeup. As much as it hurt him, he couldn’t ask her to be unhappy for his sake. “I understand, Liu. I don’t want you to be in any pain.”

“So where does that leave us?”

“I don’t know. We could try long distance.”

“Long distance is so hard, Drake.”

“Well, I don’t have any other ideas. It’s sure better than breaking up.”

“I guess.”

“You guess? Liu, are you telling me you want to end this?”

“No! Of course not. I just wish there was a better option. But unless you…” she trailed off.

“Unless I what?”

“Never mind, it’s nothing,” she said as she rolled away from him and sat up on the edge of the bed.

“Liu, if you have a better idea, let’s hear it.”

“Forget it. I was being stupid.” She was sorting through their clothing frantically, pulling her dress out of the comforter that had ended up on the ground, but quickly gave up trying to struggle into it, shrugging on his old denim shirt instead. Drake was momentarily taken in by the sight of her in his clothing, forgetting everything but the utter fantasy in front of him. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew this was wrong, that Riley shouldn’t be trying to scramble away from him, but the sight of her in only his shirt momentarily pushed all other thoughts from his brain. He sat up, leaning forward to take it all in.

“Riley, come here.” She ignored him, digging though her suitcase and grabbing a few items. “What are you talking about?” he continued.

“I said forget it, Drake!” With that, she dashed into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.

“Well, shit,” thought Drake, “What the hell just happened?” He flopped back on the bed, his head lightly bouncing off the pillow. The emotional swings of the evening were just now beginning to set in, and he wondered if mental whiplash was possible. What the hell had sent Riley flying from bed and to the closest piece of clothing? She had stayed in his arms for most of talk about their future, so what had changed? Riley clearly thought of an alternative to long distance, but for whatever reason that idea upset her. Running his hand over his face, he quickly tried to determine what he was missing, this hypothetical option where they wouldn’t be separated by an ocean if he- Suddenly, an answer popped into his head. “Is that what she was going to say? I don’t want to make her uncomfortable by assuming, but it seems most likely.”

He stared at the bathroom door for a few moments before a sense of calm resolve washed over him. He climbed out of bed and tossed the condom into the trash on his way towards the bathroom, but then stopped in his tracks. He didn’t want to have this conversation naked, particularly since Riley was obviously getting dressed. Grabbing his boxers from the end of the bed and his jeans from the floor, he quickly pulled them on, then lightly tapped his knuckles against the door.

“Liu, is everything okay?”

“I’m fine, Drake. Just cleaning up. If you want to take off, it’s fine. You shouldn’t keep Maxwell waiting.”

“Damn it, I don’t give a fuck about Maxwell right now. I want to talk to you. Can you please come out here?”

“I obviously don’t want to talk about it!”

“Fine, I’ll just wait here until you’re ready.”

“Drake, please, I’m embarrassed enough already.”

“Well, we don’t have to talk about whatever it was that sent you running for the bathroom. I think we should continue our earlier discussion instead.”

“What earlier discussion?”

“I’d really rather not do this through the door. Can I come in?”

The bathroom was silent for a moment, then the door swung open. Riley had gotten dressed and was now wearing a loose greenish top and some black leggings. She spun and walked further into her luxury bathroom, leaving Drake to follow her.

“Liu, would you please look at me?”

She pivoted, her arms folded across her chest, her head turned toward the tiled floor, but after a second, she jerked her chin up and stared him dead in the eye. Letting out a sigh, she asked, “What earlier discussion?”

“You asked me why I haven’t left the court. I want to give you a better answer.”

Her eyebrows shot upward as her eyes flew open, but just as quickly she narrowed them and pursed her lips, clearly trying to guess where this was going. Still, she hopped up on the counter and gestured towards the toilet. Drake sat on the offered seat, turning to face the counter. Riley was perched above him, toes brushing his knees as she swung her feet back and forth. “So, why haven’t you left court if you hate it so much?”

“Well, part of it, you know, is because I wanted to provide Liam with any support I could. But there’s more to it than that. The unknown scares the shit out of me, and I don’t know what I’d do if I wasn’t at the palace. I hadn’t even declared a major when I left university. You talk about how you wouldn’t be able to find a job in Cordonia; well, I’m pretty sure my resume is worse than yours.” Her leg swung higher at that, playfully kicking his shoulder. She rested her foot in his lap on its way back down, and he loosely grabbed her ankle, taking it as a reassuring sign that she didn’t avoid his touch.

“I’ve always been a roll with the punches, take life as it comes sort of guy. Sometimes that serves me well, but at other times, I think it has caused me to miss out on opportunities. For instance, there was this woman I was crazy into, but she was sort of dating my best friend. If she hadn’t gone out of her way to pursue me, I probably would have missed out on falling in love with a remarkable woman. And now I am wondering if I am supposed to be offering to move to New York to be with this woman, or if there is some reason that she thinks that’s a bad idea. Because I’m pretty sure she was going to ask me, but then she basically ran off, so I don’t know if she just was sick of dragging my sorry ass along and I’m supposed to man up, or if she decided she doesn’t want me here at all and I am making things even worse right now.”

“You aren’t making things worse,” she replied, shaking her head slightly, “I stopped asking you because it’s way too soon for that kind of discussion. You have a life, you have commitments, I can’t ask you to give that up for a woman you haven’t even known, much less been dating, for a year. It was just post-sex hormones that made me even consider mentioning it.”

“Liam was going to ask you to do the same thing. Why can’t you ask that of me?”

“It feels different for some reason, I can’t explain it.”

He reached for her other foot, pulled it onto his lap, and began massaging her calves. “If anything this is less of an ask than Liam’s. I’ve spent way more time with you than you have with him. Our love developed organically. We discussed whose home would be the best for both of us, and you made compelling arguments against mine.”

She smiled down at him, but shook her head again. “I don’t want to make things worse between you and Liam than they will be. I won’t ask you.”

“Fine, what if I’m offering?”

“Drake, be serious.”

“I am, Liu. If I’d come up with the idea to move to New York in the first place, would you be shooting it down?”

“Sure, how would you get a visa when we aren’t married and you don’t have a job?”

“I actually kept the dual citizenship my mother insisted on when I was younger.”

“Fine, how are you going to make a living? You just told me you are a rotten applicant.”

“Pretty sure there are more jobs in New York City alone than all of Cordonia. Keep going.”

“I’m poor, you know.” Drake opened his mouth in disbelief to respond, but Riley held up a hand, silencing him. “I know you talk a big game about how different you are than the spoiled nobles, but you’ve lived in luxury for a long time now. Life with me is a lot more crappy coffee, lumpy mattresses, and long work days than private pool tables, horseback riding, and expensive whiskey. Plus, I may have run up some credit card debt over the past few months.”

“I’ve at least known a life with less money at some point, Liu. I’ll be able to adjust.”

“What will Liam do without you?”

“Things with Liam were always going to change after this social season. With him getting married, our relationship was going to adjust anyway.”

“Do you think he’ll still get married?”

“I don’t know, but that’s his decision to make. Look, I’ll be honest with you; leaving Liam will be tough. If there was a way I could stay by his side and yours, I would. But you told me clearly why you can’t come back to Cordonia. I love you, and I am willing to make this sacrifice to be with you.”

“It’s too big a sacrifice. I don’t want you to resent me a few months down the road.”

“Maybe that would be the case if you gave me an ultimatum, but you didn’t. Right now you are trying to put my happiness ahead of yours. Why can’t I do the same? Riley, relationships require work and compromise. I’m better able to make the adjustment here. Somewhere down the line, you’ll be better able to do so. Let me do this for us.”

“But leaving Liam…”

“Jesus, Liu, this isn’t the Middle Ages. Liam can text or call or Facetime me when he needs to speak to me. I can go to visit him, or he can fly here sometimes. It isn’t like I’ll never see him again. Plus, he’s gotten a lot more experience under his belt over the past several years. At some point, I was going to have to move out of the palace, because there is no way his kids are going to know me as ‘creepy Uncle Drake’ who has no home of his own. I’m just making the choice to move out sooner rather than later.”

“Maybe you should take a couple days to think about it. This is a huge decision and it might not be the best idea to make it immediately after…”

“We slept together?”

“Basically. Why don’t we talk again later this week, and if you still feel this way then-”

“No, if we’re doing this, we need to talk to Liam sooner rather than later.”

“Wait, this whole evening started with us fighting over the fact that I wanted to talk to Liam and you thought I should wait! What’s with the 180?”

“Wouldn’t be the only thing you convinced me was a good idea tonight,” he growled, letting his hands drift up her thighs.

Riley bit back a smile as her cheeks blushed red. “Seriously, though. Why the sudden urgency to talk to him?”

Drake let out a sigh. “He’s gonna propose to you if we don’t.”

“What?” Riley jumped off the counter, pacing across the floor. “Did he say something?”

“No, but I know him. Now that the scandal is behind you, he’s not going to waste any time.”

“But he’s still engaged to Madeleine. Even if he calls that off, won’t he want to wait a respectable amount of time for the press?”

“He’s sick of waiting, Liu. He wants to move forward, and unless we tell him about us, he’s going to to propose. Most likely before we leave New York.”

Riley chewed on her lip as she walked over to the sink. She stared into the mirror for what seemed like a minute before tilting her head and locking eyes with his reflection. “Were you going to give me any warning that this was coming?”

“That was what I meant to do tonight. Things, er, went a little differently than I planned.” Drake slowly walked over to Riley and stood behind her, never taking his eyes off hers in the mirror. “The plan was to tell you that I was sure that Liam was going to want to be with you and that he was probably going to propose in the next few days, and then I-”

“Drake Walker, did you come here tonight to make some stupid sacrifice and end things with me?” she asked as she spun to face him.

“No! I came here to tell you that I wanted to be with you, too. I wasn’t happy with the way I left things yesterday. I just wanted to make sure you knew where I stood. I figured if you were going to choose Liam, I had to at least lay all my cards on the table. Otherwise, I would have always wondered what might have happened.”

“God, you really are a moron. So your plan was to come to my room, give some little speech about how you loved me, but you friend loved me too, all of which I was going to just silently take in, and then you were just going to leave me to what? Make a pro/con list for each of you? What have I ever done to give you the impression that there was even a choice to be made?”

“It’s a big life decision, Liu. I thought you just told me that people need a couple of days to make those.”

“Ha ha,” she answered dryly, “But answer the question. What had I done that made you think I might choose to be with Liam instead of you?”

“Not so much you, more past experience,” he shrugged. “To be fair, I never thought you were leading me on, just more protecting yourself when Liam got engaged to Madeleine.”

Riley stepped forward, pressing her chest against his and reaching a hand up to cup his cheek. “I need you to hear me because I am only going to say this once. I know that you have some insecurities when it comes to Liam, but I need you to believe that I always tell you the truth. Have I ever had any problem expressing my honest opinion around you? Or seemed unsure when I spoke my mind?” He shook his head. “Then you need to take me at my word when I tell you something, about Liam or anything else. Otherwise, this is never going to work.”

“Okay, Liu. Okay.” He slipped his arms around her waist, holding her tight. She returned the embrace, rubbing a soothing hand between his shoulder blades. They stood in each other’s arms for a while, enjoying a brief moment of calm.

Eventually, Riley broke the silence, her words somewhat muffled against his collarbone, “So do you want to take some time to think about moving?”

Drake loosened his hold, needing to see her face. “How did you phrase it? What have I ever done to give you the impression that this is even a fucking choice?”

She rolled her eyes, but smiled up at him, “You might be paraphrasing there, but your point is well taken. So, we’re really doing this?”

“We’re really doing this. I’ll talk to Bastien, try to find some time to talk to Liam tomorrow, okay?”

“Together?”

“Sure Liu, together.” He leaned forward to kiss her, but his phone rang out.

So no one told you life was gonna be this way.

“Shit, I never got back to Maxwell!” He leapt back from Riley, scrambling into the bedroom and searching for his phone.

“Sorry, Maxwell. I’m heading back to our room now. Can we talk when I get there?”

“Where have you been? Hana and I want to take Riley to Coney Island tomorrow. We need to make plans!”

“I was out for a walk. We’ll talk when I get back, okay?”

“Geez, what’s your hurry? Why are you trying to get rid of me? What are you up to?”

“I’ll see you soon. Goodbye, Maxwell.”

He felt two hands slide around his waist from behind as he hung up the phone. “Have to go be a best friend roomie?”

“He wants to surprise you with a trip to Coney Island tomorrow. I can talk him out of it if that’s too touristy for you.”

“No, that sounds fun. Convince him to invite Hana, too, okay?”

He spun in her arms, running a hand through her hair, “He claims this idea came from both of them, but that sounds like a lie to me.”

She laughed, “Keep him honest, Walker.” She bit her lip briefly before continuing, “Do you think you could convince him to go in the afternoon so we can talk to Liam first?”

“Heh, that does seem like the better order,” Drake replied as he found his t-shirt and pulled it on. “Do you have my shirt?”

Riley went to the bathroom to fetch it for him while Drake collected his wallet and put on his shoes. She passed it to him with a regretful smile.

“I wish you could stay here tonight.”

He tipped his head down to kiss her goodbye. “Soon, Liu.”

Tags: @wickedgypsymoon @thesumofmychoices

#drake walker #drake x mc #the royal romance #choices trr #choices #trr #choices stories you play #playchoices #30 diamonds

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makistar2018 · 5 years

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What Is Taylor Swift’s ‘The Archer’ All About?

By Jill Gutowitz July 24, 2019

Last night, Taylor Swift dropped “The Archer,” the fifth track off her upcoming album, Lover, and she’s up to her old tricks in more ways than one. Yes, there are (small) Easter eggs, but you’re kidding if you think the fun (are you having fun yet???) stops there.

The song was written by Swift and Jack Antonoff, a co-writer on her past two albums, Reputation and 1989, and the song certainly has a more Reputation/1989 feel, given the emotionally intelligent and raw lyrics — something that’s customary to every “Track 5” on Swift’s past albums (like “Delicate” and “All Too Well”).

Speaking of “Delicate,” many fans think “The Archer” is actually a sequel to the Reputation song. Sure, sonically they’re a match, and lyrically, both leave Taylor very exposed and vulnerable. But there are inexplicable parallels between the two songs: One Twitter user discovered that The Archer is the name of a dive bar in East London. Remember that “Delicate” lyric? “Dive bar on the East side, where you at?” (It’s easy to forget literally anything about the man, but recall that her boyfriend, Joe Alwyn, is British; sneaky-ish references to him were littered throughout the “Delicate video.”)

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Another pointed out that in the “Delicate” music video, a graffiti “TRACK 5” is painted behind her while she’s dancing. Yes, “Delicate” is also a track five, like “The Archer,” but at the time of the “Delicate” music-video release, we already knew that since it came out four months after the Reputationalbum, so that “TRACK 5” graffiti wasn’t signaling that “Delicate” would be the fifth album track. But could Taylor really have planted a two-part song nearly two years apart? We already know she hinted at “The Archer” in the “ME!” music video. But even for her, two years seems psychotic. But I still wouldn’t put it past her. She’s been known to link songs together, like referencing old tracks in the “ME!” lyrics and revisiting her old narratives, the Old Taylors, in her “Look What You Made Me Do” video, but there has never been a two-part song, littered with Easter eggs, released two years apart. So, it seems unlikely.

But just to make your bones rattle in their flesh cage, check this out: There’s a cupid sculpture, an Archer, planted in the “Delicate” music video. Is this all coincidence? Is anything coincidence with Taylor Swift? I want to say that hopefully we’ll finally find out what’s written on that mysterious note in the “Delicate” music video, but Taylor announced during an Instagram Live yesterday that there would be no music video for “The Archer.”

The old me would’ve found any excuse imaginable to speculate about Swift’s sexuality, but after her aggressive message of allyship in “You Need to Calm Down,” the old me can’t come to the phone right now — she’s dead. There are some implicitly queer phrases laced throughout the song: “pace like a ghost,” “die all alone,” “help me hold onto you.” Pacing, spirits, smoke that isn’t there, dying alone, and holding onto someone that isn’t right for you are all important tenets of the lesbian canon. But I digress. Another interesting lyric: “Cause all of my enemies started out friends.” Who are her current enemies? We know she quashed her beef with Katy Perry (at least pre–Scooter Braun feud). But is there resentment between her and any of her exes or ex-besties? Maybe, er, just off the top of my head … Karlie Kloss?

But that’s not what this song is about. I’ll tell you what this song is about.

Taylor is a Sagittarius, and the Sagittarian symbol is the Archer (Sags, it’s worth pointing out, are known for competitiveness). Now, Sagittarius and Leo are two of the most similar zodiac signs, both fire signs, both known for charismatic, big personalities. As you may know, Tuesday marked the beginning of Leo season, and Taylor decided to drop “The Archer” seemingly out of nowhere on that same day? No, nothing Taylor Swift does is unintentional. Swifties, I hate to say it, but this was a formal declaration of constellational war. It was a message to all Leos, from Taylor Swift’s pen to our ears: Sagittarians are the Apex Fire Sign, and you Leos are trash. Only Sagittarians are allowed to be charismatic, so to hell with you, Leos!

Oh, and you know who’s a Leo? I’ll give you one hint: rhymes with Gnarlie Gnoss.

Another Lover song, another spiral down a Taylor Swift theory K-hole that leads … seemingly nowhere. At this point, I’m not even sure I’m waiting on a new album. I’m ready for her to drop a map.

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Vulture

#taylor swift #easter eggs #vulture investigates #the archer #music #2019.07.24 #lovers #ts7

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semi-imaginary-place · 6 years

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KH3 is like half a game, it feels incomplete and clunky. It sets up events that never happen and tries to force moments without having the build up to support them. The game does some things really well and reaches some truly heartfelt emotional beats and solid character moments.

3:48 PM - 31 Jan 20191 reply0 retweets1 likeReply 1 Retweet Like 1 View Tweet activity

The Disney (and Pixar) worlds were pretty well incorporated and mostly able to contribute thematically to the game unlike sometimes in past games were the worlds were kind of just dropped into the game.

The Toy Box much like Halloween Town brings up how dolls/toys/those who begin as inanimate objects can gain hearts. Monstropolis allows a plausible entry point for Vanitas with the connection between fear induced scream energy and the negative emotions of the unversed.

Of all the worlds, I enjoyed Sora's time with the Big Hero 6 gang the most. Their interactions felt genuine and I had a lot of fun watching them. It also had the most complete arc of the worlds with the continuation of the movie's theme of living after loss.

Most of the worlds' story arcs felt incomplete. Starting in Olympus we are left hanging with Pete finding Pandora's box and the city in ruins. The story just kind of ends. There also was not enough time and build up to give significance to Hercules' choice to rejoin the mortals.

In Twilight Town, with all the discussion surrounding hearts and data from Coded to KH2 to KH3, that a whole other Twilight Town exists was completely dropped. It felt like the game was leading the audience somewhere and then never followed through.

With the Toy Box, the Sora, Goofy, and Donald leave and don't come back with Woody, Buzz, and the others still stranded in another world just hoping to one day meet Andy again. The search for Andy and the other toys is the main arc for this world and its never resolved.

While some worlds aren't quite as obviously half a story arc, all of them could have used more time. Many of them assume you have already seen the source material. In Frozen, Hans being the villian is the big twist but with the first half of the movie cut, there's no impact.

Pirates of the Caribbean makes no sense to anyone who hasn't seen the movies. I wish there was a scene of Sora unlocking Tia Dalma given how it was setup to happen. There was good characterization for Sora here though on how both he and Jack are free spirits.

The Winnie the Poo part while sweet (because I love Winnie the Poo sections) doesn't go anywhere. Sora just loses his connection with Poo and disappears from the cover, and then a few mini games later he's back. Sora's comment on how their bond has weakened never goes anywhere.

In the other games you search for lost pages or help Poo regain his memories, here there is no story. It's a lost opportunity to do, well something, but that can be said of much of the game. They could have used this part to talk about how relationships must be nurtured.

The ending also fell a bit flat because of the buildup-payoff problem. The game tries to show the characters despairing only for someone to swoop in and give them hope. The problem is that in the Keyblade Graveyard they do this so many times it loses its impact.

Given the amount of stuff this game should have resolved, not enough time was spent on that. Instead precious time was spent trying to create sequel hooks. In doing so, the cohesiveness of the game as a unit was compromised. The game was too short for all they tried to achieve.

At times the narrative would point "Look! its a happy/sad/intense/etc. scene", but without a proper build up, these scenes lacked emotional weight.

I'm conflicted on KHUX in KH3. I liked Chirithy reuniting with Ven, Laurium possibly remembering, and Strelitzia's maybe cameo. The black box stuff could have been cut. Its to connect KHUX with future games, but it does nothing for the Xehanort saga and bogs KH3 down.

Then there is the mysterious girl with connections to Lea, Isa, and Ansem that we are only hearing of now. Who is she? Is she Ava? I don't know but they should have saved it for another game.

I thought all the keyblades of the Union members coming to help was a nice touch, but why did Ephemer of all people show up? He was a Dandelion; the player was the one who chose to stay (except the player has no canon appearance in khux which makes them hard to depict).

On one hand I got really excited looking for my KHUX username but on the other hand it was a little too 4th wall breaking and took me out of the game. The other 4th wall leaning scenes with Axel didn't do it for me either.

I did like the definitely-not-instagram loading screens. They were just this side of absurd to be amusing. It was cute. Humor is a subjective thing but I didn't like the increase in jokes in this game. It broke immersion for me.

Some were funny like Verum Rex. Others though felt forced. KH3 had more Donald, Sora, and Goofy poking fun at each other. At first it was fun, but then they kept doing it and it got old.

Maybe its because of all the jokes and narrative problems broke my immersion in the game or maybe its because I'm older now, but KH3 wasn't as magical an experience for me as the other games.

I don't mean magic in how many spells Donald can cast but in that sense wonder, that the extraordinary is possible. That sense of magic is why the Roxas prologue of KH2 is one of my favorite parts of the franchise.

Part of it also is that the section where Sora goes saving everyone's hearts from the Lich after they "died" didn't reach me emotionally. Which is a shame since the part right before where Sora runs around in the Final World and talks with the stars is one of my favorite parts.

I was surprised we didn't see more Dives to the Heart and battles at the center of the heart given the Terranort, Ventus-Vanitas, Xion, etc. After Sora got the power of awakening I was expecting him and Riku to use that to free Xion and Terra.

And then we would get an epic battle where Terra finally kicks Xehanort out of his own body. I also wanted to see Aqua beat up Xehanort. Aqua's suppose to be super strong from spending 10 years in the Realm of Darkness.

Kairi deserved better. Kairi deserved more. 3 games (II, 3D, III) on how Kairi trains to become a keyblade wielder and she doesn't get to do anything. Why was she kidnapped anyways? The answer is to give an excuse for Sora at the end to have a "I must do this alone" moment.

Kairi was kidnapped just so Sora could angst over her and so he could go save her. She deserved better.

The developers really pushed the Sora-Kairi romance this game. I was disoriented since we since the last game we saw a lot of romantic indications was 17 years ago in KH1. Riku got third-wheeled this game.

Enough complaining, parts that worked pretty well/were well executed: Big Hero 6, Monsters Inc, Sora finding the Door to Darkness in Destiny Islands and Aqua returning to the Realm of Light, Sora's interaction with other characters(Rapunzel, BH6, Jack, etc), the Final World.

Visually the environments are amazing! I was so happy running around everywhere. Its pretty. (and the heartless are cute)

KH3 was on the low side for number of worlds visited. Again, I'm surprised how (comparatively) short the game is. There was a lack on Final Fantasy characters as well (or well videogame characters given how TWEWY was in 3D).

I would have loved to see a Moana world. Moana, Maui, and Sora interactions would have been great. Thematically it would have worked too since Moana's plot centers on how Te Fiti losing her heart changed her.

In every KH there's always been some wham moments and that didn't happen to me at all in KH3... until the every end with Luxu. Many of us have been suspicious of Xigbar for a very long time. His organization chair height is too high. He seems to know more than he should...

As much as I am complaining, I do like the Kingdom Hearts III. Its a good game.

I've said it before, but KH:coded is a thematic summary of the entire series and one of the important points in that game is how Data Sora understands hurt. Data Sora understood how to live through hurt and this is something we see Sora learn as well through the games.

In CoM Sora did not understand this. All the way to 3D he did not know how to deal with hurt so when Roxas shared all his pain, that contributed to Sora sinking into darkness. In KH3 though Sora has grown and can accept hurt.

I would have though liked to have seen a more overt conclusion to Sora's relationship to darkness. Sora has always had darkness in him, he's not a princess of heart (or Ven) and there were hints before KH3 that he was falling to darkness.

Anti/Rage form are a manifestations of that darkness. Maybe this was just sloppy character writing, but Sora is noticeably meaner during KH2 and at the end he says "maybe the darkness has gotten to me, too". In KH3, besides rage form Sora's darkness isn't directly addressed.

Back to UX. The devs connected the epilogue, the secret reports, and UX well. That's all that was needed really. From Backcover we already know the black box is important. KH3 shouldn't have wasted time focusing on it.

And about X girl )Shuld?? idk). It really is awkward how they bring her into KH3. If she's the reason Lea and Isa got into this mess they should have dropped a line in 358/2 or one of the other games something like "Don't forget we're doing this for her"

Another good scene was Aqua giving Ven head pats. This gave me life.

Scala ad Caelum was built inverse on top of Daybreak Town. I didn't notice! Never mind what I said earlier, there's the "oh shit... what" moment. I'm just going to sit here mind blown thinking of all the implications...

#kh #kh3 #kh3 spoilers #spoilers #i really did like the game #kingdom hearts

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oodlyenough · 7 years

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oodlyenough’s completely inexhaustive list of tftbl fic recs

So I mentioned the other day that because I have read Everything in the Borderlands AO3 tag, I was happy to compile a rec list.

@auraofdawn had specifically asked for Rhys/Sasha and/or gen, but I added some others. I didn’t include any of my own fics, but fwiw I’ve written a number, usually either Rhys/Sasha as the focus or gen with Rhys/Sasha in the background. You can find mine on AO3 under the pen name thirty2flavors.

I wanted to be relatively detailed in the recs, so this is by no means exhaustive even of my personal faves, but it’s a starting point. Here’s a bunch of recs for:

Rhys/Sasha

Gen

Rhys/Fiona

Rhys/Vaughn

WIPs

Rhys/Sasha fics

For Luck by pagerunner 1.4k, teen Author’s summary: Rhys and Sasha share a little private moment before heading off to face the Traveler. Or in other words: Page indulges a few more of her romantic impulses, 'cause these two deserve it. Episode 5 interlude. Notes: I love this author’s stuff and this fic is so damn cute. Great characterization, great prose, adorable missing scene.

Different Worlds by kaletra7 5k, explicit Author summary: She slides the door a little further, and Rhys sees a naked shoulder and then an expanse of fluffy, cream towel. He, very nobly, stops himself from looking too closely, because she’s not holding the towel very tightly and there’s a slit (deliberate or not) that exposes a lot of thigh. There’s something in Sasha’s face that reads like a challenge. Like she’s daring him to approach, the way a predator might wait patiently for its prey to wander curiously into its trap. “Can you come in here for a minute?” Notes: I honestly usually don’t really care for smut because it all kind of bleeds together and sounds the same, but I really liked this piece precisely because it avoids that by giving them both such vivid characterization and by using this as a way to explore their different backgrounds. Sweet and funny and sexy.

i really really really really really really like you by WoodenDuck 1.6k, teen Author’s summary: and I want you. do you want me? do you want me too? - carly rae jepsen, 2015 Notes: Adorable post-Vault first kiss fic. I think this was the first Rhys/Sasha fic I read? Endearingly awkward and believable dialogue from both of them. Plus: bonus art!

(Sasha Hates) Pet Names by melenafrey 4k, teen Author’s summary: Rhys is intent on finding a pet name for Sasha that the both of them can agree on. Sasha is skeptical that one such pet name even exists. Notes: Funny, fluffy and adorable. I like their teasing relationship in this and it’s always nice to see Rhys/Sasha from Sasha’s perspective. I think this is set in some kind of undefined non-Pandora AU.

Bad Egg by WoodenDuck 5k, teen Author’s summary: Rhys thinks about what he wants to do and who he wants to do it for while rolling around in the garbage and eating fried eggs. Set during the Episode 3 road trip. Notes: I love episode 3 road trip fic. A sweet and funny excerpt from the getting-to-know-you stage.

Gen fics

The Pieces We Hide by pagerunner 7k, teen Author’s summary: No matter how many tales they may have told during their time in captivity, Rhys and Fiona didn't tell the Stranger--or each other--everything. Now, on the eve of their mission to rescue Gortys, Rhys decides there's a few more things about going back to Atlas that he wants Fiona to know. Notes: This is probably my favourite Borderlands fic full-stop. Love this piece. Fills in canon I wanted filled in, packs an emotional punch, great characterization, and juuust a couple hints of Rhys/Sasha to make me especially psyched. Love it. Choices and Consequences by pagerunner 5.5k, teen Author’s summary: Rhys might be having second thoughts about getting those ECHO upgrades. And Vaughn might be getting nervous for a whole lot of reasons. It's time for these two to talk it through. Set pre-game, no particular spoilers. Notes: I adore this author’s writing and this is such a good take on Rhys making the questionable decision to get a bunch of cybernetics. Rhys and Vaughn are very well characterized and the prose flows so well.

Interim by MovingPen 2k, general Author’s summary: Raising the Children of Helios was no easy task. Notes: I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about Rhys, Sasha and Fiona after Helios, and not much time thinking about Vaughn, and this fic did it for me. Great character study for Vaughn.

in my skin indigo blue by lucyrne 1.5k, general Author’s summary: Rhys shows off his tattoos to the group to prove that he’s cool. Takes place during the Episode 3 road trip montage. Vaughn isn’t paralyzed because I said so. Implied Rhysha, but mainly a fluffy, comedic gen fic. Notes: Hilarious group shenanigans.

The Pre-Teen’s Guide to Crime by clefairytea 6k, teen Author’s summary: “Fi?” “Mm?” “Are you happy like this?” Fiona turns to look at her, a strange look on her face. As though she’s looking at Sasha for the first time ever, and is surprised by what she sees. “I guess. I mean, I never thought about it. This is just what I am. A smart-alec who steals whatever’s not bolted down." -- Growing up on Pandora is complicated. Growing up on any planet is complicated, but Sasha thinks that most kids don’t grow up forging bank notes and running from the authorities. Notes: I literally haven’t even read this because I took one look and thought “this is going to be good, I am saving it for a rainy day” and uh haven’t gone back yet. (I like to hoard things, alright? My “marked for later” is a mess.) Plus I want to finish my own WIP fic about Sasha and Fiona before reading this But Sasha and Fiona gen!!! My girls!

Of Choices and Their Repercussions by Banji 7k, mature Author’s summary: Hyperion always gets their property back, no matter what or who it is. Alternate events where the team gets apprehended by Hyperion at the Atlas Facility after assembling Gortys (with allusions to the 'Trust Fiona' outcome). Notes: Oh my god please read the author’s tags, this piece so dark, so much body horror and medical trauma/torture. There’s a lot of body horror in the game that kind of skims by unremarked on and this dives right in there and then some and, uh, nothing gets better. Well-written and super effectively skin-crawlingly horrible, if you’re up for it.

Rhys/Fiona

things you said when you thought i was asleep by gortysproject <1k, general Author’s summary: fiona internalises everything until rhys is asleep. Notes: A good look into Fiona’s head and all the stuff she isn’t saying while she and Rhys are with the Stranger.

Winging It by Claranonn 24k, mature Author’s summary: The Company Man and Con Artist open the Vault of the Traveler thinking their journey together has come to an end. Little do they know just how tied together they're about to become... A series of dialogue-only vignettes exploring Rhys and Fiona's relationship post-game. Notes: I haven’t finished reading this yet, just read a couple chapters before putting it aside to get back to, but the dialogue is funny and I literally can’t think of a ship better suited to “fake married” than Rhys/Fiona. It’s hilarious even to think about. Ready to Suffer, Ready to Hope by meltokio 5k, mature Author’s summary: A collection of complete Rhyiona garbage. Notes: It’s hard to describe but there’s an atmospheric feel to a lot of these that I like a lot. I also like the take on Fiona.

Rhys/Vaughn

Safe as anywhere by queerly_it_is 20k, explicit Author’s summary: Vaughn went through his entire first year and a half of college without going to places like this, except for maybe two or three incredibly awkward attempts to socialise in the first few weeks. He’s been just fine without trying it again since, thanks, but now here he is, for the second night this week, after the two times last week. After whole semesters of literally never leaving the campus. And why? A bright cry of, “You’re here!” flies out from behind the bar once he finally, minus a few compound fractures, reaches the front of the tidal wave of people. The words hit him a split-second before Rhys’ neon grin, and Rhys’ floppy hair, and Rhys’ shirt with the sleeve cut off around his cybernetic arm and the collar stretched down enough to show the beginnings of the tattoos on his chest, the whole handkerchief’s worth of fabric generally clinging obscenely to his body. Right. Notes: The fact that I super enjoyed reading a 20k College AU about a ship that isn’t even my favourite is a good indication of the author’s talent for writing. Really good prose, good characterization, good world-building within the AU, and for once it being a Rhys/Vaughn AU wasn’t an excuse to have no mention of Sasha and Fiona. Hooray!

Taking Back Hope by fleurdeliser, ohnoktcsk, tuesdaysgone 16k, explicit Authors’ summary: The first message comes while he’s in the middle of calibrating the laser on one of his latest guns. He ignores it until he’s done, then straightens, holding out his palm and reading the message that comes up on the holoscreen. ‘Helios remembers and so will you.’ Notes: Rhys/Vaughn is the core relationship here but the whole ensemble shows up and they’re all well written which I really appreciate. Plus kidnapping/rescuing drama, everyone’s fave!

WIPs Down the Skag Hole by ShepardCommander 6.5k, 3 chapters and counting, teen Author’s summary: Rhys and Fiona are gone. Sasha and Vaughn are not. Now the kid sister and the best friend must work together if they ever want to see their sister/friend and best friend/boyfriend(?) ever again and become that which they never thought they would or could-Vault Hunters. Notes: Love this characterization of Sasha in particular, especially immediately after Rhys and Fiona disappear. Action and emotional drama and this fic seems to have gone woefully unnoticed. Should Have Said by spectre_anon 16k, 8 chapters and counting, teen Author’s summary: He should have told her. Could have, anytime... all those opportunities he's shied away from now far beyond his reach... and here he was, hands tight around Fiona's throat while Sasha shrieked in the background. And he couldn't say anything. Couldn't let them know it wasn't him, couldn't tell them he was sorry, that he screwed up... all he could do was scream in his own head while Jack laughed. (Rhys never told Fiona and Sasha about Jack. Now he's paying the price for that mistake.) Notes: All the melodramatic Jack-takes-over-Rhys drama you could want. This is the kind of scenario that I’m more or less happy we didn’t have in the game but also totally eager to explore in fic, and this iteration was a good one. Obviously, angst and tension and melodrama ahoy. Strong characterization for everyone and I think the author does a good job of making the main cast sympathetic even if they are making some poor decisions. Oh pineapples, what have you done?

Not a Maniac by Mindful Wrath -- this one is officially discontinued 25k, 11 chapters and discontinued, rated as teen but imo probably mature Author’s summary: Rhys had expected consequences for turning down Handsome Jack's offer to rule the universe side-by-side. Just . . . not these consequences. Fiona had expected Rhys to double-cross them. Just . . . not like this. Notes: So this one is officially discontinued and I haven’t even actually finished reading all of it yet because knowing it’s discontinued means I’ve been slowly parcelling it out, but I’ve liked what I’ve read, which is maybe 3/4. This is the, uh, extra dark iteration of the “Jack controlling Rhys” ep 4 scenario, so, angst angst angst, but well-characterized gutwrenching angst. The real stand-out in this fic for me was probably the ways Sasha and Fiona were written; they don’t respond identically to things and I loved them both. Various trigger warnings, check the author’s tags on AO3.

#auraofdawn #fic recs #tales from the borderlands #valoscope #i think you were also interested in this lol

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chocolatequeennk · 7 years

Text

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year, recap

This is part three of my recap posts as we get ready for Forever and Never Apart on Tuesday. You can read the To Make Much of Time recap here and the Time is Still A-Flying recap here.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

AO3 | FF.NET | TSP | Ch 1 | Ch 2 | Ch 3 | Ch 4 | Ch 5

Summary: The Doctor and Rose made it through a year of the Master’s hospitality, and now they’re ready to get back to their old life–travelling the universe, and finding the trouble that’s just the bits in between. Or at least they think they are. A disastrous voyage on the Titanic shows them that they aren’t quite as healed as they’ve been claiming to be. Ten x Rose, Teen

From chapter 1:

The TARDIS hummed weakly, and Rose rocked slightly on her feet as the ship’s pain washed over her. The two Doctors started bickering over who knew better how to fix the TARDIS, but Rose ignored them and turned to the console.

Tell me what to do, dear, she said, moving from one control panel to the next as the TARDIS directed her steps. Halfway through, Rose realised what they were doing and balked. That’ll blow you up. But the ship insisted, tolling the cloister bell to remind Rose that they didn’t have much time left.

That finally got the attention of the two Doctors. They stopped arguing mid-sentence to stare up at the ceiling.

“The cloister bell!” the younger one said. He jumped into action, throwing levers to stop the black hole from consuming the TARDIS.

The older one looked at Rose, a proud grin on his face. “Oh, don’t worry about it, Doctor,” he said, following his previous self around the ship. “Rose has things well in hand.”

[...]

He nodded at Rose, and she wiggled her fingers before diving for the next control.

“Venting the thermobuffer, flooring the helmic regulator, and, for maximum effect, let’s fry those Zeiton crystals.”

“She’ll blow up the TARDIS,” the younger Doctor gasped.

He lunged for her, but the older Doctor grabbed him by the elbow. “No, she won’t. Just watch.”

White light flooded the console room, and when it faded, Rose knew immediately that things were back to rights. The band around her chest had loosened, and she could draw a breath without pain.

[...]

“You’re brilliant,” her Doctor said, picking her up and swinging her around before setting her back down again.

“Far too brilliant,” the younger Doctor agreed. “I’ve never met anyone else who could fly the TARDIS like that.”

They both looked at Rose with stars in their eyes. She blushed and pushed a strand of hair back over her ear.

“That’s Rose,” her Doctor said matter-of-factly.

[...]

The Doctor looked at Rose, feeling her melancholy at letting go of this younger version of him. Then he spotted the previous Doctor’s hat on the console, and even though he knew his past self could find a new one in the wardrobe room, he flicked a switch that brought the other man back.

“I think Rose wanted a proper goodbye,” he said, putting a hand on her back and nudging her towards his past self.

Rose looked up at her Doctor, then stepped forward to wrap her arms around the previous Doctor. “Please, take care of yourself,” she whispered in his ear. “Things are gonna happen, and you won’t want to, but that’s when you meet me. And Doctor… no matter what we’ve been through, I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.”

The younger Doctor looked down at her, and the older Doctor smirked at the confusion on the other man’s face. Even where he was, before the Time War, he couldn’t comprehend Rose’s devotion to him. Oh, just give it a few centuries, Doctor. It’ll make even less sense to you by the time you actually meet her.

[...]

This time, when his previous self disappeared, the Doctor let him go. As he did, the memory of meeting himself and Rose unlocked, permanently this time.

Rose looked up at him. “How does that work, him knowing me? You didn’t know me when we met, did you?”

“Absolutely not,” the Doctor said adamantly. “That would have been a massive deception—I never would have done that to you, Rose.”

She tilted her head. “Yeah, I guess I didn’t think about it like that. But how does it work, then?”

The Doctor sat down on the jump seat and patted the empty spot. When she sat down beside him, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close.

“We talked about this on Barcelona, remember?” he began. “How bonding with a Time Lord bonds you to every one of their regenerations, past and present?”

“Right…” Rose traced a pattern on his thigh, and a moment later, he recognised it as the circular symbols making up the word forever. “But you didn’t say that if we met younger versions of you, they’d recognise me.”

[...]

The Doctor leaned his head against the seat back and sighed. “Marriage bonds are… trans-temporal,” he said. “Any time I meet you once we have a bond, I will feel your side of the bond call to me.”

Rose shifted beside him, and he looked down at her frowning face. “Then how come you didn’t recognise me in Henrik’s?” The lines on her forehead cleared before he could answer. “Oh! You didn’t know me when I met you the first time, because I hadn’t bonded with you yet.”

“Right! Of course, every time I meet you before I met you…” The Doctor let that sentence trail off, snorting at the absolute ridiculousness of it. “Anyway, if I meet you as my bond mate before I meet you properly in my ninth incarnation, I have to hide the memories so I don’t ruin my own timeline. One thing I’d never want to ruin is the way I met you, Rose.”

Rose looked up at him, a soft smile on her face. “You said just one word.”

The Doctor reached for her hand. “I said, ‘Run.’”

I really loved rewriting Time Crash. the bit about how the bond works when they meet other Doctors is something I’d only mentioned once in the series, in But Being Spent--which means it had never come up in the proper timeline. And since I ship every Doctor x Rose Tyler, I loved having both Doctors be captivated by her when she took care of the TARDIS.

From chapter 2:

Rose tugged on his tie and smiled at him. “I’m glad you eventually decided to come back for me.”

The Doctor rested his hands on her hips and pulled her close. “That was pretty much a given from the moment we met, love,” he told her, delighting in the way she still blushed when he hinted at how long he’d loved her. “I held out as long as I could—couldn’t blame you for not wanting to be with me. But in the end, everything inside me just screamed to go back and make sure you came with me.”

Rose smiled for a moment, then narrowed her eyes and took a step back. “You’re trying to distract me,” she deduced. “You don’t want to go onto the Titanic, so you’re telling me stories, hoping I’ll forget.”

The Doctor groaned. “And it was so close to working.”

“But why don’t you want to go?”

He turned around and adjusted some controls on the console. “Oh, no reason really,” he said breezily, only realising his mistake when a wave of betrayal hit him seconds before he heard Rose gasp.

The Doctor spun around to look at his bond mate, his eyes wide. “Rose…”

“You… you lied to me,” she whispered. “You haven’t lied to me in almost three years. Why now, Doctor?”

He closed his eyes and slumped against the console. “I spent the last five months on the Valiant lying to the Master every day. He wanted me to break, wanted to see my agony over losing you, and I refused to let him. Not admitting that I’m upset became second nature.” He opened his eyes and looked at Rose again. “That doesn’t excuse lying to you, though. I’m so sorry, Rose.”

She tilted her head and looked at him hard, and eventually nodded once. “It became a habit,” she said. “Self-preservation. I can understand that. But try not to do it again.”

“I will,” he said fervently. “I promise, Rose.”

This is the first (and according to current plans, only) time the Doctor or Rose have broken the “do not lie to your bond mate” rule. Once he explains what happened, it really doe make perfect sense. Still, it leaves him feeling guilty enough that he acquiesces to her desire to go on the Titanic.

From chapter 2:

The logo peeled away to reveal a bald man with brilliant blue eyes. “Max Capricorn Cruiseliners,” he said, and the Doctor took an immediate dislike to his smarmy voice and smile. “The fastest, the farthest, the best. And I should know because my name is Max.”

In the cheesiest special effect the Doctor had seen in ages, Max smiled right at the camera, and the light reflected off his gold tooth.

“Right,” the Doctor muttered when the screen went back to the company logo. “That told us almost nothing.”

“It told us the company is owned by an arrogant wanker who’s probably the bad guy,” Rose countered.

The Doctor looked down at her. “All right, explain to me how you’ve figured that out, when we don’t even know anything is going to happen.”

“Well, it’s obvious, isn’t it?” A cheeky smile broke through her serious attitude, and he realised she was teasing. “Only villains smile like that.”

“Of course,” the Doctor drawled. “How could I have forgotten?”

[...]

Suspicion rolled off Rose as they watched the Host be carried away. What is it? the Doctor asked.

Remember after our Christmas with Donna, when we decided that any robotic beings wanting to harm us could take the form of something besides Santa?

A shiver of unease ran down the Doctor’s spine. He did remember that, though he hadn’t thought of it until Rose had brought it up. You think they’re the bad guy then? he teased, trying to lighten the mood. Again, all he really wanted to do was beg Rose to let them go home.

Pilot fish, she said darkly. Bein’ controlled by the baddie.

The Doctor stared at her. Obviously they weren’t really pilot fish—that wasn’t her point. She meant that like last year, the robots were proxies, letting the actual villain hide in the shadows.

One of the canon traits I love about Rose Tyler is the way she often put her finger on exactly what the problem was well before they even fully grasped that there was a problem.

From chapter 2:

The Doctor ground his teeth together, impatience pouring off him. “Never mind that; your shields are down. Check your scanners, Captain. You’ve got meteoroids coming in and no shielding.”

“You have no authorisation. You will clear the comms at once,” the captain ordered.

“Yeah?” the Doctor snapped as he looked out the window again. “Just look starboard!”

The steward grabbed the Doctor by the arm. “Come with me, sir.”

Rose followed as they dragged him away from the party, and the Doctor looked back at her. Rose, you can still get in the TARDIS.

Not a chance, she told him.

Please, love…

No! The last time I let you out of my sight on a ship… She swallowed hard and immediately felt the Doctor’s apology. S’okay. I know you just want me to be safe, but right now, if I have to choose between being safe and being with you, I’m gonna pick you.

You might have picked up on this story’s theme in the summary. This is all about peeling back the layers of denial they’ve covered themselves with since the Valiant to reveal their PTSD. We’ve had a few hints of it here and there as the Doctor really really would rather not be on the ship and has only stayed because Rose asked. But this is the first hint that the events of this story will be similar enough to cause flashbacks.

From chapter 3:

Rose turned back around, wanting to see what had excited the Doctor. When she did, her reaction was the exact opposite of his.

“Leave it alone,” she said, staring down at the inert Host. “Don’t touch it; don’t wake it up.”

“But it’s got the strength of ten,” the Doctor protested. “It could help us shift the rubble.”

Rose glared at him and placed her hands on her hips. “Trombone playing Santas,” she said. “Two years in a row. You couldn’t pay me enough to trust that thing.”

The Doctor sighed somewhat longingly, but he nodded and they kept climbing.

“Hold on,” Rickston said. “Are we really going to ignore a potential resource simply because your blonde trophy wife has a ridiculous phobia of robots?”

Rose bristled, but the Doctor put a hand on her arm and she took a deep breath. Then he turned around and glared at Rickston.

“Rose Tyler is far more than a trophy wife, and I guarantee she’s smarter than you. She’s been my partner for almost five years, and her instincts are hardly ever wrong. They’ve saved our lives more than once. She’s right; we do have a history with robots designed to look like various holiday characters trying to kill us. If she says the Host aren’t to be trusted, I will take her word for it. Now, come on.”

The Doctor felt Rose’s hand take his a moment later, and he squeezed automatically in greeting. Then she brushed a telepathic caress against the bond, and he glanced down at her.

Rose’s eyes glowed. Thank you, Doctor. That was… thanks.

Her gratitude lifted his mood, and he returned her telepathic caress. I won’t let people get away with talking about you like that. You’re brilliant, Rose—worth so much more than Rickston Slade.

Three important things here: Rose’s instincts keeping them safe, the growing animosity between herself and Rickston, and the hint at what her deepest trauma was. Obviously, the Doctor’s lingering fears are all about losing her, and he becomes very over-protective. But Rose never thought he was dead, so how did the Master leave her damaged?

From chapter 3:

“Bring him back!” Foon begged. “Can’t you bring him back? Bring him back, Doctor!”

Rose looked up at the Doctor, trying to understand the wild emotions he was projecting. He stared at the grieving woman, his eyes glassy with tears. His mouth worked a few times, but he couldn’t get any words out, and after a moment, he shook his head helplessly.

His emotions crystallised into grief, anger, and denial, and it only took her a second to realise he was caught in a flashback. When he held his arms out for Rose, begging her to come to him, she ran into her Doctor’s embrace.

She could feel him trembling when she wrapped her arms around him, and she pressed a kiss to his chest. I’m right here, Doctor, she promised. It’s just a memory.

He drew a shuddering breath. I know. But gods, Rose, I said the same things when I thought… when the Master…

Rose heard heavy metal footsteps in the corridor and pulled back to look the Doctor in the eye. You going to be all right?

He sniffed and nodded. I have to be.

And the flashbacks begin...

From chapter 4:

The Doctor took her hand, and she looked up at him. “Ready, Rose Tyler?” She nodded, and he tugged her away from the trio. “Run for your life!”

For the first time in all her years of running with the Doctor, the anxiety tightening in a band around her chest made it impossible for Rose to enjoy the adrenaline rush. Instead, she focused on breathing as they crossed the catwalk again, retraced their steps through the corridor and serving station where they’d rested, and went down the stairs they’d climbed less than an hour before.

At each landmark, she remembered another way she could have lost the Doctor. What if she hadn’t been so insistent on not repairing the Host? Or what would have happened if even one of the flying halos had hit its mark? It was too easy to imagine herself in Foon’s place, staring at the engine core and trying to convince herself that her husband wasn’t gone.

We’re going to be fine, Rose.

Her chest seized up, and Rose stumbled down the last few stairs. The Doctor caught her in his arms and put his hands on her shoulders, holding her at arm’s length and looking into her eyes.

“Breathe, love.”

Rose took a breath, but it caught in her throat on a sob. I can’t!

“You can, Rose.”

The Doctor closed his eyes and a moment later, Rose felt him in her mind, tugging at her anxiety, trying to get her to let go of it—or it to let go of her.

“Take a deep breath for me.”

He pressed his forehead to hers and breathed with her a few times. The gesture calmed her enough to obey his quiet command, taking one breath, and then another, until she was breathing easily.

The Doctor pulled back and brushed his thumbs against the apples of her cheeks. “All right there?” he asked tenderly.

Rose nodded and managed a shaky laugh. “I have to admit, this wasn’t what I had in mind for our evening.”

He shook his head. “Nor I. But, Rose Tyler, my partner in this crazy life we lead, I’m confident we can handle this the same way we do everything else.”

“Together,” Rose finished.

And continue.

From chapter 4:

Doctor, is there a setting on the sonic that would turn it into a remote control?

42b. Point it at the control panel, and it’ll transfer the control of the device to you.

[...]

Rose peered around the forklift and snarled at the sight of two Host dragging the Doctor away from Max Capricorn. She no longer cared if her plan was overkill. Max had used up all the second chances he was going to get.

“Not so clever now, Doctor,” Max taunted. “A shame we couldn’t work together. You’re rather good. All that banter, yet not a word wasted. Time for me to retire. The Titanic is falling. The sky will burn. Let the Christmas inferno commence. Oh. Oh, Host,” he sang out. “Kill him.”

“Oi, Max!” Rose shouted as the Host removed their halos.

Every head swivelled around to look at Rose, and she started the forklift up and drove it directly at Max.

“You look a little stuck,” she told him as the forks caught under his life support system. “Mind if I give you a lift?” Max frowned, and the engines on his little scooter box revved, keeping him in place.

“Rose, duck!” the Doctor yelled, and she dodged just in time to avoid being hit by a halo.

She grunted when she hit the deck and rolled, but held onto her sonic screwdriver. However, her momentary distraction had allowed Max to inch forward, pushing against the forklift.

“Oh, no you don’t.” Rose thumbed the controls, lifting the forks. His eyes, one blue and the other glassy and sightless, widened when he realised he’d lost. Rose pressed her lips into a tight smile. “Mr. Capricorn!” she yelled. “I hope you have a nice trip.”

I couldn’t save hardly anyone in this story. The deaths are all really integral to the plot. But I could save Astrid, because if Rose is with the Doctor, Astrid doesn’t feel as much like he needs someone to help him.

From chapter 5:

The Doctor stood stock still while Rickston pulled him into a tight hug, and Rose had to put her hand over her mouth to hide her smile at the nonplussed look on his face.

“The funny thing is,” Rickston commented as he released the Doctor and stepped back, “I said Max Capricorn was falling apart. Just before the crash, I sold all my shares, transferred them to his rivals. It’s made me rich. What do you think of that?”

Rose’s anger with the wealthy businessman finally boiled over. “I’ll tell you what I think, Harry,” she snarled. “I think you’re a self-centred, egotistical bastard who needs to learn that other people matter just as much as you do. People died today, and all you can think about is your bank account. What kind of cold, heartless…” She growled incoherently, gesturing in the air.

Rickston narrowed his eyes, and Rose welcomed his attack. She wouldn’t hold back.

“Who’s Harry?” he asked.

“What?” Rose’s knees locked and she swayed dangerously.

The Doctor wrapped an arm around her waist before she could fall. “Rickston, don’t you have a phone call or something to make? Blood money to celebrate?”

The businessman crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head, but his vone went off before he could argue. With one last glare at the Doctor and Rose, he walked a few steps away from them to take the call.

Rose blinked furiously, trying to hold tears back. “I…”

“You called him Harry, love,” the Doctor said quietly. He pulled her close and she rested her head on his chest, letting his double heartbeat soothe her.

The events of the day played back in Rose’s mind, each time Rickston had belittled her or been rude and unpleasant and self-centred. She closed her eyes tightly, but that couldn’t stop the memories, or the tears that seeped out from under her eyelids.

There we go. The Doctor has flashbacks to when he thought she was dead, and Rose struggles with the memory of how the aster constantly belittled her, making her feel like she wasn’t good enough to be the Doctor’s bond mate.

Once they get back on the TARDIS, she has a major panic attack. And the Doctor has a panic attack because he can’t figure out where she is.

From chapter 5:

“Doctor?” Rose tapped his knee, and he looked down at her.

“I think we need to take some time off from the running,” he told her. “We keep telling people that we’re just travellers; let’s just be travellers. No danger; no running.”

Rose was already shaking her head. “No, we don’t… I can… that’s not…” She sighed, then licked her lips and started over. “I’m okay,” she promised him. “This was only a… a temporary hangup.”

“You’re not okay, love,” the Doctor said softly.

“No no, you can’t do this to me,” she insisted. “I’m not weak.”

The Doctor briefly wished there were a way to bring the Master back to life long enough to curse him for playing so expertly on all of Rose’s insecurities. Then he focused back on the conversation and his bond mate.

“Weakness has nothing to do with it,” he told her. “And I’m not suggesting this only for your sake, Rose. We were traumatised—both of us.”

[...]

“I wish I hadn’t insisted we go on the Titanic,” Rose said as she leaned her head against his shoulder. “We could’ve stayed home, had a perfectly nice evening in.”

The TARDIS was clearly in favour of the new plan to take it easy, and the Doctor had been trying to figure out why she had taken them to the Titanic if she thought they needed a break. Rose’s mumbled words finally gave him a possible answer.

“Yeah,” he agreed as he tilted his head, resting it against hers. “But I think… I think we needed to go through something like this to be convinced that we needed time off.”

[...]

“Doctor?” Rose tugged on the hem of her pyjama top.

“Yeah?”

“We’re going to be okay, aren’t we?”

His smile slipped away, and he wrapped his arms around her. “Oh, Rose. We are going to be more than okay—we are going to be fantastic.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “It’s going to take some time, that’s all.”

So, the decision is made. They’re going to take a break from the running from danger lifestyle to work through the trauma caused by their ear with the Master.

#TMWTOTY #series: being to timelessness #timelessness recaps #ten x rose

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