#oh no who let the kid be vulnerable on main again???

[pretentiouswreckingball]

……sometimes I do resent the fact that i never got the chance to have a teenage romance :/

[rubra-wav]

Taking care of the main cast while they're sick

Cw: SFW, gn!reader, platonic, very briefly suggestive in Angel's, in the order of who gets sick first - last

<< [ Part 1 ]

Charlie

- She's truly a wet cat when she gets sick.

- Will not stop crying and being emotional the whole time. She hates not being able to sing or go out and about.

- Is even more emotional when you volunteer to take care of her as you're no longer as likely to get sick again.

- She's so happy she's not gonna be all alone.

- She hates being locked away in her room and not being able to participate in group activities.

- Insists they still go on without her like she's about to die from not being able to be there with them.

- Charlie spends the whole time wrapped up in a blanket in bed and watching kids' movies. I hope you like Disney movies, because she won't put on anything else.

- Says they make her 'heart' feel not sickly like she is.

- You will be cuddling her because if not, she won't stop sobbing. Vaggie is keeping her distance from her because she doesn't want to get sick too.

- I hope you're also ready to get your ear talked off by a very passionate dreamer who's been under house lock for a week because oh boy.

- For the last few days, she's gonna be trying to leave her room or convince you to let her leave. She's going antsy and stir-crazy by the end of it.

- She's extremely clingy to you as you're essentially her caretaker for the week she's sick.

- Eventually Vaggie caves in to ger girlfriend, and takes over for you anyways. Then Vaggie catches it. 💀

- Apologetic afterwards to you.

Vaggie

- She's disappointed but not really surprised.

-Probably the best and most composed of all of them when she gets sick.

- She doesn't too much like being seen sick as it makes her feel vulnerable, but when you assure her you don't think any less of her she's a lot less stiff about you being there.

- She will just chill in her room the whole time, probably reading or writing notes to remind her to do stuff when she gets out.

- The whole time she just sighs, sounding extra irritated and absolutely done with life.

- She needs to sit in darkness most of the time because she keeps getting migraines.

- Will absolutely insist she can look after herself and that she doesn't need someone near her at all times like Charlie.

- Will accept you bringing her food, helping with her duties guarding, and bringing her reports about what's gone on around the hotel.

- Really appreciates the reports actually.

- By the end of it she's considering bringing you on to possibly permanently help her out because you absolutely would be helpful.

- Most of her socialisation energy is taken up by Charlie, so she's very likely just gonna wanna be left on her own through most of it.

Niffty

- Despite being told not to, Niffty goes into the room's of those who are sick to clean, and that's how she gets sick.

- An absolute fucking nightmare to look after. It's not just you, it's also Vaggie who needs to keep her at bay.

- She doesn't understand 'rest' and 'quarantine', those do not exist.

- There will have to be a 24/7 watch on her to keep her in her room because my God, she does not sleep and stays just as insane but becomes delirous.

- Will be there barely able to stand and still cleaning.

- You will literally have to pick her up and carry her kicking back to her room.

- The only way to get her to go sleep is to get her a tranquiliser.

- There's a greatly annoying back and forth between Alastor, you and Vaggie as Alastor has the tranquilliser she usually has but just refuses.

- Thank christ when Angel just goes 'fuck this' and gets another type like it to knock her out.

- After that it's better. Niffty becomes extremely clingy to you or Vaggie while she's sedated. Vaggie walks out after the solution is found, leaving you to take care of her on your own.

- So you just cuddle her while doing whatever you have brought to do in her room.

- Afterwards she's probably gonna be clinging to you extra. She's imprinted on you during this period low-key

- It's exhausting, and you don't succeed in stopping her from spreading germs (which is ironic considering she's supposedly the clean one)

- Pentious, Husk and Angel all get sick in quick succession after Niffty.

Pentious

- His 1800's ass is gonna be so dramatic.

- Not overdramatic, because he's scared for obvious and understandable reasons.

- But still dramatic.

- He's gonna be needing reassurance every three seconds on this, and even then, he's gonna be all weepy.

- Straight up thinks he's gonna die.

- "Bring me out to the garden one last time" type attitude.

- When it becomes clear he's not going to die in approximately 10 seconds, he calms down a bit, but he's still super anxious.

- Will absolutely want to cuddle you (along with his egg boys) while he's still super delirious.

- You gotta like tight hugs because when I say cuddle, I mean he will be full-body wrapping around you with his tail around your legs and arms around your shoulders.

- Denies it happening outright after his temperature comes down, though, and is super embarrassed.

- Cheers up at about the 4 day mark.

- Stays in his room with you and probably just discusses and brainstorms ideas for different kinds of weapons and machines.

- Tbh, after he's not contagious anymore and can leave again, he's probably gonna be jealous that you're no longer giving him as much attention as you were.

Angel

- Oh, he's so mad about it.

- He dodged getting sick off of you, Charlie and Vaggie only to get sick because Niffty refused to stay down.

- The whole time he's also really anxious because he's scared Val is gonna order him to come in while he's unwell and force him to still into the studio to do some weird sickness kink type shit.

- Luckily, Val doesn't reach out at all in the time he's sick.

- Him, Husk and you kinda just chill out together doing stuff like watching movies and talking shit.

- Vaggie orders them to stick together to avoid the chance of infecting anyone a second time, and the whole time you're near them, you need to wear a mask.

- Angel is not a clingy sick person. In fact, he doesn't wanna be cuddled at all (at least in the first few days)

- Doesn't like you seeing him sick because he thinks it's super gross.

- He's getting too hot and then too cold every 3 seconds and is super annoyed over it. Just keeps angrily putting on layers and then taking them off again.

- He doesn't like getting cuddled, but he does like you taking care of him and asking if he needs anything, and you reassuring him he'll get better soon.

- He so rarely gets taken care of in that way, so he absolutely eats it up.

- Probably takes to sarcastically calling you parental nicknames when you tell him he has to take meds/eat/drink whatever.

- He starts going absolutely stir crazy by the end of it as well, he hates being cooped up.

- Very appreciative when he's finally able to gtfo and do stuff again.

Husk

- He's by far the most pissed off about getting sick (that you're aware of at least)

- He kept trying to tell Niffty to go away and go to bed, but she just kept clinging to him.

- The whole time he's unwell, he has to suffer through Alastor laughing at him, which all makes it so much worse.

- Alastor just periodically shows up to bully him, and you need to call Vaggie to kick him out for you.

- Husk does not like you trying to take care of him, and will promptly tell you to fuck off with no hesitation if you start trying to caretake him outside of getting him food and stuff.

- He's also not happy because when he's really delirious, he is actually extremely affectionate.

- The whole time he's running a fever and especially sick, he will be trying to cling to anything around but especially you.

- Does the type of thing during that period that animals do when you stop petting them and they just. Start whining and looking at you pleadingly for more attention.

- He's horrendously embarrassed about it.

- He relaxes a bit when you promise him not to ever bring it up again, but he's still extremely grumpy.

- Especially because he lowkey blames you as you're the root of the sickness, even though you did everything right with isolating and trying to make sure nobody else caught what you had.

- His appreciation is fairly low in comparison to the others.

Alastor

- Sick? Take care of him?

- HA. Funny joke.

- He doesn't get sick.

- At least, that's what he says and is absolutely fucking horrified and furious when he actually does end up unwell.

- He tries to hide it behind him being 'busy' in his radio tower and 'to leave him alone to his devices'

- Will never ever admit he's sick, let alone allow you to truly take care of him. Even the thought fills him with such disgust that his smile almost wavers.

- You don't see or hear from him the whole time, but you can tell he's sick. Some kind of intuition.

- You just bring him stuff to eat, drink and take and leave it outside the door - hauling ass tf away as you knock on the door.

- He still knows you know and are bringing him stuff, and it pisses him off massively.

- He doesn't ever bring it up though afterwards, and if you do? You're gonna suffer ngl.

-

Masterlist

[epicspheal]

Where's My Sister's Purrloin!? A Hugh Analysis

"Yeah… OK! Let's go get your Pokémon! There's something I have to do! And to do that, I need someone I can trust besides my partner Pokémon. A person I can trust! That's right! I'm talking about you! You seem like you've got good instincts!" <- Meeting Hugh outside of Aspertia City

Oh Hugh! Definitely one of the most misunderstood rivals. Also one of my favorites (also that seems to be a trend with the characters I like but that's a topic for another day). Hugh is our sole rival in BW2 and he's a rival with one of the most unique motivations for a rival character in the franchise.

Let's start by looking at Hugh's name which is rather straightforward. In all of the translations it's a homophone for the word Hue which is a major property of colors in color theory. He follows the naming conventions of Cheren and Bianca in that there all color themed which harks back to gens 1 and 2 where the main characters have color names (which makes sense as gen 5 was a bit of a soft reboot to the franchise in some respects). Of note his German, Spanish and French names of refer to the famous painter Henri Matisse who was known for his Fauvism style which opted for strong colors, again reinforcing the color symbolism. Interesting to note that Hugh as a given name that has mix of Irish and Germanic origin meaning "mind, intellect and spirit" with it actually being an anglicized version of Gaelic "Aodh" which means "fire". Hugh is certainly very intellectual, spirited and fiery especially when it comes to getting his revenge on Team Plasma and getting his sister's Purrloin back.

Next to look at his team. Like many rivals, he gets a traditional starter, but it's one that he raised from an egg. One that's actually stronger than your starter on the type chart. But honestly I think his signature Pokemon (based on what we see in Pokemas) is his Bouffalant. Bouffalant is described in a few Pokedex entries as be wild and reckless charging at everything. Which is quite reminiscent of Hugh during much of the game when it comes to Team Plasma. Indeed when you take a look at the rest of his team members you'll see that often times Hugh opts for high-risk, high reward moves such as Wild Charge on his Eelektross and Bouffalant (which gives recoil), Giga Impact on his Unfezant (forces the user to not use any move after atacking, leaving it vulnerable), Fire Blast/Hydro Pump/Leaf Storm on his starter (high powered but not 100% accuracy).

Which when you look at his character overall, makes a lot of sense. He's very passionate but the passion veers into recklessness in many respects.

Hugh gets a lot of flak from the community for going on and on about his sister's Purrloin. But people do that forget this is his driving motivation. And also most Pokemon characters tend to repeat themselves (which is less a symptom of them being bad characters, but of the writers not knowing how to vary dialogue that gets the point across without being repetitive).

But yes Hugh's very unlike most rivals in that he really isn't concerned about the rivalry. It's not that Hugh is a jerk. He's very kind to the player and generally respectful of others outside of Team Plasma (to whom he does not show a lot of mercy to in the beginning). It's just his primary goal isn't besting the protagonist. Rosa/Nate just so happen to be friends that he challenges to see if they can keep up with him while he takes down Team Plasma. In many ways he expands on the role carved out by Silver, who also was more concerned strength for the sake of defying his father than dealing with the protagonist but just didn't mind antagonizing them when they crossed paths. And Gladion and Marnie also fall in this trend as being more concerned about a goal that's not just "I wanna be the very best, like no one ever was".

"You're a little worried? Are you KIDDING me?! Your Pokémon might be lost forever! Whatever! I'll look! ! Help out!" <- On Flocessy Ranch

This a line that sticks out to me as it occurs when the owners of the Floccessy Ranch lost their Herdier and Hugh is extremely upset…more upset than Herdier's actual owners. At this point in the story he hasn't revealed the whole bit about his sister's Purrloin but this line is good foreshadowing to the eventual reveal. He's seen the trauma first hand of a stolen Pokemon can do and it causes an immediate reaction

"Shut it! You guys are the worst! You talk about saving Pokémon, but you're just Pokémon thieves! Don't think I'll ever forgive you!" <- Meeting Team Plasma in Virbank

Now I know Pokemon isn't known for writing but I honestly feel like they were doing a good job in slowly revealing more about Hugh and his motivations as we continued to encounter him during the journey. Once again we're adding more to Hugh, that not only has he probably seen a Pokemon get stolen, but that Pokemon was stolen by Team Plasma. But more importantly you can see a major flaw of his. That he is struggling with forgiveness as we see that he constantly references not forgiving Team Plasma throughout the game

"Five years ago… Team Plasma stole my little sister's Purrloin. It had been given to her as a present. I was only a little kid… I couldn't do anything… So… So that's why I have to get stronger!" <- Nimbasa City

And here's the big reveal. Now what sticks out to me is how powerless he felt. Of course this is a common trope with young characters who have been in serious situations to feel powerless and become hellbent on getting stronger to the point it kind of blinds them in a way (cough Paulo cough). But it's nice to see this in Pokemon with Hugh. It fits into the underlying theme of BW2 that deals with progression and how the region of Unova as a whole progresses from the events two years prior.

Given that Hugh states that Purrloin was taken 5 years ago that means that Team Plasma had been starting their public operations 3 years prior to the events of the original Black and White Games (we know of course N had been groomed by Ghetsis to be king as a young child but this gives us confirmation of them starting more public operations earlier in the timeline). Hugh, his sister, and countless others in Unova had been suffering the loss of their Pokemon for half a decade and that's heartbreaking.

Hugh: "Wait! I just remembered. Clay… Why? What's the reason? Why have you forgiven Team Plasma?" Clay: "There's always room for folks to grow and change, ain't there? And, if ya only go after what ya think is right, ya might end up rejectin' all thoughts and opinions other than yer own. That's mighty dangerous." Hugh: "Hmph… Is that one of those compromises adults are supposed to make? Whatever! I'm gonna fight Team Plasma! Oh yeah, what were you wanting to show us?" <- Clay and Hugh after the player wins the Quake Badge from Clay

This exchange is really important as while Hugh at the moment isn't truly ready for forgiveness from Team Plasma…it's shows he's not so closeminded to the idea as if he were, he wouldn't have even asked Clay why he had forgiven them. He's still resistant to the idea of forgiving Team Plasma as we see in later moments he's vary wary of working with ex-Team Plasma members to fight off Neo Team Plasma, but all hope is not lost. This is an important first step in his overall growth.

"That's the ONLY Purrloin in the world that my late grandpa caught for my little sister!" <- On the Plasma Frigate for the second time

This is a huge line for me. I've seen one too many people joke over the years "It's just a Purrloin, LUL. Why can't he just go get another one for his sister" and it lowkey irks me. Like his late grandfather went out of his way to catch that Purrloin for his sister. That's special. And even if their grandpa was still alive, or if someone else had of caught it, it doesn't change the fact that Hugh's sister bonded with that Purrloin. That's not a bond you can simply replace. Who knows if another Purrloin and his sister would've bonded the same way. It shows a great deal of maturity on Hugh's part to understand what that Purrloin meant to his sister compared to those (both in-universe and out) who say it's just as easy as replacing the Pokemon with another one.

"Wh-what? Don't mess with me… That's someone else's Pokémon!" "Sorry… This situation is messing with my head… I just don't know what to do… I finally found my sister's Pokémon, but now it's glaring at me… Why?!" "… … Hey… … If we let Team Plasma do whatever we want… There'll be more sad Pokémon like Purrloin and Kyurem…" <- On the Plasma Frigate for the third time upon finding his sister's Purrloin

This is such a poignant moment in BW2 for me because Hugh finally finds his sister's Pokemon…only for it to glare at him because it's now used to being under the Shadow Triad's control. You can feel his hurt through his words because this was his goal. This moment. And now he's not even sure he can bring this Purrloin back to his sister. Give Hugh a hug because he deserves it.

"Thanks to you, I accomplished what I set out to do during my journey! I wish I could've shown you my little sister's huge smile! This is my thanks!" <- Victory Road

We get a chance to meet Hugh in Victory Road and we get to hear some good news. His sister and Purrloin have been reunited! It's really touching to see such a good ending for him and his family. Hugh's dialogue is also much more relaxed in Victory Road now that his mission is over. It's good to see him more at ease after him being so wound up the majority of the playthrough

"What? I heard that Team Plasma left many Pokémon behind when they fled. And I'm helping find their real Trainers… That aside… Since you're here, you should have a battle with me before you go!" <- In Driftveil for postgame rematches

And even better? Hugh's begun to forgive Team Plasma (well at least the part that was genuinely following N). This is a huge step forward for someone who was pushing Team Plasma grunts out the way earlier and being hellbent on vengeance. Hugh honestly has one of the most satisfying conclusions for a rival in my opinion. He gets his goal, he learns a valuable lesson in accepting that (some) people can change, and he doesn't have to feel inferior to the player who is constantly beating him.

But Hugh's not done there! When he arrives in Pokemas we get to see him featured in two prominent stories. The first one is Revel In Rivalry where he gets into beef with Bede. It shows that while he has grown he still is a bit quick tempered seeing how easily provoked by Bede he was. But he learns to calm down and come to a truce much faster than he did with Team Plasma (granted there were more dire circumstances there) showing how he had grown from his journey.

Then of course there's the Unova Villain arc where this time it's Hugh that has his partner Bouffalant stolen. And to make matters worse he's been captured alongside N. What I loved about the Unova Villain arc is the focus on Hugh's growth. Yes, he's still very hotheaded. But he's learned to trust and forgive seeing as how he figured out N's identity well before Ghetsis told him in an attempt to break the partnership the two had formed while in captivity. Pre-character development Hugh would've flipped his shit on N. But hearing him talk about the people who spoke so highly of N (referencing the fact that Hugh works with the good part of Team Plasma to get the stolen Pokemon back to their trainers) and him saying he trusts N shows how much he's grown. It's really heartwarming to see him and N team up against Ghetsis' sorry ass.

So yeah, Hugh's a great character that I feel like needs more love in the fandom.

[graceshouldwrite]

Make 4 "Annoying" Tropes Work (Ideas)

These four tropes almost ALWAYS top the "most annoying tropes" list, but they're also quite useful plot-wise (and can definitely be done originally), and realistic.

For example, certain people DO just seem more "destined" to do something than others, some stories are just better served without parental interference, other characters may not have the personalities they do without having a traumatic backstory, and love triangles do happen in real life. These tropes are simple ways to take care of certain plot holes without spending too much time developing something that's not integral to the main plot.

While there obviously are a lot of different ways to SUBVERT these tropes, this post is specifically about fresh directions you can take the original tropes.

1. Chosen One

Character APPRECIATES being the Chosen One, enthusiastically trying to fulfil their role instead of the typical "oH nO wHy Me" response that lots of Chosen Ones give at first. (IMO, lots of people would appreciate a call to a cool adventure + being labelled "different" or "special"—in the good way—in real life...)

Turns out, character is only "Chosen" for a very specific role, and still depends on the help of many allies -> this could present the theme that you don't have to be specifically "DESTINED" for something to make an impact, and that you definitely don't have to be the Chosen One (or anything like that IRL) to be a hero!

2. Dead Parents

Instead of dead parents = material for throwaway "oh yeah [trauma dump]" joke, or something the character occasionally thinks of, or even worse, something that's mentioned nonchalantly and NEVER BROUGHT UP AGAIN, let it have an impact. For example:

the character emulates (subconsciously or not) attributes/habits of their parents that they "inherited"; e.g. character = as optimistic as late father, or character twirls hair when nervous like late mother

the character dreams/thinks of them a lot

the character cares for others in a parental way to make sure that their friends feel safe and comforted in a way that they didn't

this way, you can still have dead parents for plot convenience WHILE portraying different ways characters might move on from or cope with the event

Also, a variety of parents! Parents don't all fall into either "overly nice" or "abusive" (contrary to lots of fictional portrayals). They can be lenient but firm, strict in a specific sense (e.g. academically, focused on appearance), dealing with their own trauma, thrill-seekers who like bringing their kids along, etc. Characters can remember things about their parents that AREN'T 100% perfect or 100% evil. Writers love moral ambiguity nowadays, so apply this to parents as well. This goes for living parents, too!

3. Tragic Backstory

**NOTE: I'm mainly addressing tragic backstory -> character = broody or angsty or evil trope!

Character goes through lots of stuff -> comes out kinder and more empathetic as a result, caring + reaching out to others even MORE! This is the reality for many people who experience screwed-up stuff. The idea that all people who've gone through traumatic events turn into disturbed, isolated, or morally twisted members of society is EXTREMELY misleading and only stigmatizes unpacking trauma. Of course, portrayals of people who deal with trauma destructively are fine, but seeing it all the time can be exhausting and unrealistic, making it all the more annoying of a trope. Instead, maybe...

Show people HEALTHILY processing trauma!!! For example, characters talking out their trauma with each other is a great showcase of character development as well as a realistic depiction of the healing process. Maybe they learned to continue being vulnerable + trusting their friends despite what happened to them. Maybe they've regained their confidence, knowing that how others treat them does NOT define their worth. So many ideas can be found simply by observing people around you, or by reading about people's lives.

4. Love Triangle

PERSONAL reasons WHY characters A and B like C, not just because C is attractive, etc. This doesn't apply just to love triangles but to romantic plots in general.

The main complaint I've seen against love triangles is that the centre of it (usually the protagonist) is this perfect Mary Sue/Gary Stu who's just gorgeous (usually doesn't know it), has a 190 IQ, is good at literally everything, etc. etc. Your love triangle centre will 100% have at least one redeeming quality, but think of other reasons why they're pursued! Love is about so much more than having an amazing appearance, intelligence, talent, etc.

IMO, this is pretty well done in the anime/manga Death Note, where *SPOILER ALERT* a girl named Misa has a massive crush on the protagonist, because he basically exacted vigilante justice against the armed robber who killed her parents. There's not really a canon love triangle, but it's just a good example of a personal reason for a crush. Sure, the protagonist is extremely smart and handsome, but that was not relevant at all to why Misa began liking him. Instead, she'd never even met/seen him before. (That's all you need to know—too much explaining to do otherwise!)

Back to OUR example, maybe C hung out with A when A was a social outcast at school or work, and they developed a friendship with A's life being brightened through C reaching out and helping them through tough times. Maybe C is super talented at playing an instrument, and B attended many performances featuring C and felt inspired—artistically, or other—by C's music. Let your imagination run wild :D

Next idea: PROPER COMMUNICATION. Let's go back to characters A, B, and C. Suppose C chooses B over A—C should properly let A know that they're not interested for whatever reason, and make clear to B that C wants to further the relationship.

A love triangle is inherently more complicated than a romantic plot involving only two people: it's all the turmoil between two people, MULTIPLIED. Communication is even more important here because an external person's emotions are also on the line!!!

∘₊✧────── ☾☼☽ ──────✧₊∘

instagram: @ grace_should_write

At this point, I've accepted the fact that my posts are often dense and long...haha...

Sorry about sporadic posts this week. I had my ARCT piano exam (I put it off for like 3 years due to COVID, and it bit me in the ass because hanging out with the same 6 pieces for 3 years made me want to jump off a bridge)—I barely practiced my pieces regularly, so I spent the 2 days before my exam practicing for 6 HOURS A DAY. I'm not kidding. This is what I get for not practicing even 2 hours a week for basically 1 year 😭

ALSOALSO! Trying to set up some things relating to a YT channel...might post stuff about it here :) First video will be out soon! And while we're doing all that, of course, I'm writing and gaming and just basically dabbling in everything I want to before college eats me alive. Shouldn't be gaming that much, tbh. Oh well.

As always, hope this was helpful, and let me know if you have any questions by commenting, re-blogging, or DMing me on IG! Any and all engagement is appreciated <3333

Happy writing, and have a great day,

- grace <3

[autisticempathydaemon]

[A4A] Your Mafia Boss [More Than a Friend] Makes You Lunch

Tags: [Dating] [Getting to Know Each Other] [Librarian Listener] [Part Three]

Type: SFW

Tagline: Any leftovers I take home will go straight to Giacomo, and he’s still in the dog house until you say so. This is all for you, doll.

Tone: familiar, relaxed, occasionally soft and vulnerable

Setting; SFX: outside courtyard; slight wind and possible birdsong

WC: 1178, ~11 - 12 minutes

Author's Notes: This is the third of a series; please refer to its predecessor for the full context and story!

[Laugh] (Mid-sentence) -and obviously, ten year olds don’t understand the technicalities of counterfeiting and crime. We just knew “hey, this is money, we have a lot of it, so no one will care if we take some to the arcade.” (Aside) I was a DDR kid. I loved the game, but she, that cruel mistress, did not love me. I needed practice. (On topic) So, G and I, we see a stack of fresh, crisp fives, and we just grab a few off the top not knowing those were the rejects from the printer.

[Laugh] Misprints. It looked like someone’s punk fanart of Abraham Lincoln, like someone gave him neck tattoos and blue hair except if an artist actually did that, it would have been still more believable than the money we tried to put in the token machine.

Oh, god, wouldn’t have that been amazing? No, they didn’t work, and they were so obviously fakes, they really considered calling the police on a couple of preteens if not for the fact I called our moms who convinced the owners we were the victims here- something about us selling our skateboards to a conman and not knowing any better.

You bet they bought it; my ma’s a great liar. It doesn’t hurt that G and I have known how to cry on cue since we could practically walk.

[Snap] In a heartbeat, especially when I have a whole summer of punishment memories to draw on. Because we took money without asking and almost blew the whole operation- (Aside) which, I have to be real with you, was the main reason we were in trouble- (On point), we had to spend the rest of the summer working in my uncle’s restaurant “learning to appreciate the value of money”.

[Laugh] Which is particularly ironic when any of us remember the restaurant was initially a laundering front. The only reason there’s real cooks and work to be done in the back of the house is because Ma doesn’t let things go half-assed. That place became the talk of the town one month under her thumb, and that’s where we spent hot weeks peeling lemons, chopping onions, kneading pasta, the like. That’s where I learned how to cook.

[Laugh] I’m glad you think my food’s good enough to go pro. That’s sweet, but that was never in the cards for me. Ma wanted to retire, and this is the sort of business you like to keep in the family. Besides, cooking becomes so much less exciting when you have to do it for money. (Playfully haunted) I still refuse to make tortellini after that summer.

No, no, this is tortlloni- much bigger, much less fussy, much more satisfying to eat. Tortellini is not so much a food as an exercise in torture.

(Flirtatious) If you’d like to try it, I’m sure I could be tempted or persuaded- bribed, perhaps.

(Drawn-out) Hmmm, what do I want?

[Pause] (Loaded, sotto voce) I’ll have to consider that. I’m sure I could figure something out.

[Pause, phone alarm, laugh] (Light) Well, I certainly don’t want you to be late, that’s for sure. I will not be responsible for you going missing yet again.

[Rustling] May I help you up?

[Footsteps] I can see why you like your job so much. This courtyard is a lovely place to eat and read and people watch. You know, I watched a little kid take their first steps the other day.

[Laugh] I work! I have my laptop. I leave after we have lunch. I work nights; I do more than cook and look at your pretty self.

I think about your aforementioned pretty self, of course… and educate myself on the finer points of art forgery, which is a new market I’m thinking of getting into- very interesting, lots of potential for international operations, networking, the like. I keep busy, believe me.

For you, doll? Never; I could make time in any and all of my nights for you.

(Surprised, pleased) Especially tonight, if you want.

Consider yourself penciled in the calendar for a date. Did you have anything planned in particular, or shall I pick? There’s a place or two I’ve been dying to take you, places that make food I’m not as good at.

Of course. I’ve been wanting to take you out for a proper date night since, well, since I laid my eyes on you if I’m being honest.

[Beat] (Caught, thoughtful) Because… I kidnapped you- on accident and by proxy but still- found you at the place you work, and implied I’d like you to not talk to the police while also flirting with you and bringing you lunch pretty much everyday for the past three weeks. If we were to take that next step, if I were to pursue you more seriously than I already was, I’d want it to be because you felt comfortable and safe enough to initiate more.

[Beat] (Abashed) And, while I’m being honest, I want to be sure you’re not afraid of me… that you like me.

[Pause, laugh] Oh god, do I really?

(Muffled as if covering face) How could you not tell me I’ve had frosting on my face this whole time?

(Mumbling) “Silly” they call me. A legion of hardened criminals at my beck and call, and they call me silly.

(Unmuffled, normal volume) Did I get it?

[Rustling] What about now?

Here?

(Tender, soft) Sure, please.

[Pause, maybe a hitched breath to imply the kissable tension] (Soft) Thank you.

[Phone ringing, laugh] (Whispered) Sorry.

[Pause, maybe humming to denote waiting for Doll to finish their call] (Abashed) I’ve made you late… again. The next time I make lunch, I’ll have to include something extra for your coworkers- cookies or something.

Correction- I don’t have to, but I’d like to. I should. The last thing I want now that I’ve finally got you to go out with me is to make your friends think badly of me. (Teasing) That is, if I can trust you to hoard the cookies to yourself.

[Laugh] I’ll see you tonight?

(Pleased) Good. I’ll come by and pick you up. Do you want to plan the night, or should I?

Hmm… do you like surprises?

Duly noted. Then, I was thinking something classic and traditional to offset our… I’d say untraditional meeting- dinner and a movie?

Good. I’ll send along the menu of a place I have in mind; let me know if it sounds good so I can call and make a reservation or pick another. We’ll pick the movie after?

I’ll be counting the minutes… and working! I’m going to hustle along that forger I was telling you about and get that meeting done; I’m not letting you call me a slacker again.

Oh, it’s no trouble, believe me, doll. I’m the boss, so if you say we’re going on a date tonight, I am going to make that happen and make it good.

[Pause, cheek kiss] (Sweet) Look forward to it; I know I am.

[ryuichirou]

can we get an in depth analysis on why you see certain twst characters as top or bottom? i’m very curious to see what goes on in those minds of the both of you. always enjoy the content, that’s why im asking 💕💕💕 also merry christmas/happy holidays!!!

Anon! Happy New Year (very belated) and sorry for the wait <3

I’m so happy you enjoy our content, and I’m glad you’re interested! But to be honest, it’s a bit of a difficult question to answer. The “decision” isn’t usually a result of any deep thinking, it’s just the “vibes” and “feels” we get. Well, I’ve mentioned it in this post, and you’ve probably read it already: there are certain types of characters that are more likely for us to be seen as tops or bottoms, but even this isn’t necessarily a very thought-out thing. It’s an emotional thing, plus kinship with some characters, plus us liking certain ship dynamics… I guess we just have a radar based on our own preferences lol So for every character the main and the true reason behind our choice is simply “oh I really want them to top/to bottom”.

Keeping that in mind, I’ll try to analyze characters a bit more!

Oh and one more thing about kinship: let’s be honest we all associate ourselves with characters to a certain degree, so it actually also plays a huge role for us. Since Katsu and I have certain preferences ourselves, and we approach and dive into ships together, there is a lot of “he’s just like me for real” going on. I’m saying it now because otherwise this whole list is going to just me going “Ortho is a top because he is MEEEEEEEEE and I want to fuck Idia hence he is a bottom” and “this one is Katsu Katsu is this one this one is so similar to Katsu oh my lawd” and “Katsu finds the tweels super hot” over and over and over again lol Still, I apologize in advance.

(This post is going to be super long…)

Riddle – Oh he’s such a tsundere and I’m weak for tsunderes… I think I mentioned it in our replies yesterday: Riddle is our sheltered homeschooled kid at his first party. I love howtight and strict he tries to be, and that deep inside he’s just a crying little kid craving for fun things to happen to him. The whole “he is so aggressively against fun, but in actuality he would love it if he got fucked by someone” works very well with him. And he’s just so cute when he gets mad..!!

Ace – oh my god he is a douchebag. If a character is a douchebag, we are very likely to consider him being a top lol You’ll definitely notice this trend. He has these vibes of “that one classmate” and has just enough of a “just your average” energy to be read as just your average guy who lazes around, plays videogames and masturbates…  like just some anime protag? But he isn’t surrounded by a harem of girls, he doesn’t even like girls, he has to embrace the fact that he wants to fuck his best friend lol AND HE IS A MASSIVE DOUCHEBAG and that makes him insufferable, and in our book it means he’s a top.

Deuce – not every character who is a softie would automatically be a bottom, but this one is. In all honesty, Deuce is such a sweetheart bimbo that we just can’t help but want him to bottom. Especially with him having a delinquent era, and Ace (since he is the main boy we ship him with) just being a douche with no real criminal past (lol), it’s fun when Deuce just surrenders to Ace and gets vulnerable because being fucked by Ace feels too good.

Trey – the idea of him being super in love with Riddle and wanting to get intimate with him for the longest time, craving him almost in a feral way, but restraining himself because he doesn’t want to scare him away, is like… way too good of a trope. Plus, he looks like a firefighter/stripper who also bakes, and despite the fact that we don’t really like the trope of a man who’s going to take care of his lover, Trey has this unhingeness that makes him a lovely top to play with. He tries so hard to be gentle…

Cater – it’s a bit vaguer with him, we don’t pay enough attention to Cater and don’t have ships with him, but in theory, he seems to be someone who takes the initiative (i.e. flirts), even if this whole shtick is fake; and we usually get top vibes from characters with this attitude.

Leona – he’s just more fun when he bottoms. It’s his one redeeming quality… He is good-looking and sexy, and him being a pissy pillow princess who demands attention just works better for us than him being a cocky top – the latter would probably make him super unlikeable for us simply because of his attitude. It’s a bit difficult to explain.

Ruggie – mostly because we ship him with Leona and Jamil, and also because giving him some “power” just feels like a nice way to balance out some of the shit he goes through. Plus, a skinny and kind of weak hyena boy mounting other characters and being good at sex? That’s poetry.

Jack – he’s a big horny pup!! You might’ve noticed it by following us, but we really like earnest tops who can’t control their feelings and urges, and Jack works super well with that trope. Plus, he is a wolfboy, and we wouldn’t pass on an opportunity to use it, come on.

Octatrio – Katsu wants to fuck them more than I do  I don’t know, the more we think about it, the more it makes sense to us that all three of them are silly dysfunctional tops. All three of them are assertive, aggressive in their own ways, capricious and have this “I can touch you however I want, but don’t you dare touch me” that feels more relatable than I care to admit lol It’s a very top trait for us.

Azul – it’s so easy to just consider him a bottom (no shade towards those who do, obviously), but he is so interesting as a top?? With his mannerisms, insecurities, over-the-top-ness, flamboyant nature: this whole image just reeks of red flags, and Azul is extremely good in this role of a toxic boyfriend… who is also very sentimental and romantic but just can’t allow himself to express it because he wants to always either be a charming gent or an absolute alpha. All of these sides of Azul are true – he is a dominant young man who likes to be in charge, but he could also get cutely upset and embarrassed. What a top.

Jade and Floyd – these two have such an apologetic dominant energy, so many hot surprisingly cruel moments. Like I mentioned when talking about the trio, they are capricious (even more-so than Azul), they see the rest of the cast as their playground and they enjoy being an uncompromising force way too much. Well, we really love them being an uncompromising force. Not to mention how creepy and big they are. It’s too much of a treat… The only thing that’s better than a 2 meters tall (and about 3 meters long if merform) sexy fish is two of those.

Kalim – aggressive “just like me for real” yelling aside, he’s just too much of an innocent dork. Dorks are just like douchebags – we tend to see them a certain way lol I know I called Deuce a bimbo just a couple of minutes ago, but Kalim has a different vibe? He’s not a bimbo, he’s just… a bit of an oblivious block who doesn’t get hints lol But he is also quite stubborn, which makes it very interesting when he suddenly gets very specific urges and expresses them. He fits the trope of the top who is helpless when horny super nicely.

Jamil – my personal bias is super strong with this one oof 0 days since the last time I was horny for Jamil; the whole thing just suits him way too much. Be it Jamil in his basketball form or Jamil in silks and golden chains, he always has so much natural sex appeal that it’s both aesthetically pleasing and a fun thing to play with story-wise. Well it’s obvious, we honestly do it a lot in our Jamil-related content. Plus, the fact that he could be very seductive and “feminine”… while also not really being feminine and having an athletic build and a deep voice. It’s very good.

Vil – this one is also filled with my personal bias lol But even then, Vil just looks too good in this position?? The Queen must be pleased and pleasured?? But also chased down and abused because dark themes and all??  I’m also way too into the fact that Vil is very strong and gets into fights all the time: it’s this combination of him being stoic and passionate and easily angered, snarky and genuine and cute, but also? He gives off massive “oneesan” type and I’m powerless against those. Plus let’s be honest, if there is one person at NRC who actively bottoms and is very comfortable with this fact, it has to be Vil.

Rook – the reasoning for this one is a combination of my reasoning for the Tweels and for Kalim lol A psychotic assertive weirdo who is at the same time weirdly oblivious but also scarily all-knowing, plus he’s super horny all the time and flirts with everyone… we have this bingo card thing for Katsu’s type that we fill sometimes for fun, and, if I remember correctly, Rook almost checked all the boxes. His unhingeness, his knowledge and his power gives him a lot of top sex appeal for us. By the way, the fact that he is also a fucking chunk of meat? I can’t get over the fact that Rook is bulkier than Trey.

Epel – He’s small and stupid and cute… Just like Deuce, he’s also a bimbo but a more feisty one. Plus! His inner conflict makes it even better! With Epel being not wanting to be perceived as feminine, but also enjoying being a bottom, and finding some empowerment in being a bottom, and then attempting to be a power bottom but also failing because he has no experience whatsoever, but still having this bratty spunk and eagerness to try everything. He was built for this lol

Idia – I JUST LOVE HIM WAY TOO MUCH but also? Speaking of someone who checks off all the boxes: Idia is perfect. He is so easily freaked out, but also snarky and nasty and a smart-ass and at the same time super cute and isn’t really into romance and stuff but also deeply romantic and in general he’s just a giggling shaking crying mess, it really is perfection. He’s just… so much fun when he bottoms? This is why almost all the time I draw him he’s overwhelmed with emotions when other people just do things with him: Idia is kind of the sweetest victim to torment. His face, his scrawny body, his hair, his pathetic little face and his teeth – all of it just yells “bottom” to me. I think I stopped making sense at some point here lol

Ortho – his adoration towards Idia is the most relatable thing in the world lol We have a very deep connection with these two. But we also really like the fact that it’s kind of unexpected for Ortho to take the top position? But once you start noticing how strict he could be with Idia and how pushy he is sometimes, it ends up feeling way too natural. But also the idea of someone being so cute and short but also being one of the most powerful tops in the cast is an amusing concept that we love a lot. Plus, he is a robot, so once again, we wouldn’t miss an opportunity to play around with this idea.

Lilia – similarly to Ortho, we just love the idea of a small and cute top. It’s fun, unexpected and empowering lol Especially considering how much Lilia likes to be cute and to emphasize his own cuteness with long sleeves and tiny shorts. We really love how tiny top/tall bottom look visually, but also Lilia’s personality has such a strong dominant vibe that we absolutely love. As a bonus, sometimes Lilia feels like a “pervy ossan” type. Dirty grandpa… + I didn’t think we would push the “Lilia has a big dick” jokes so far that they would become a default for our content, but honestly? If the shoe fits…

Malleus – oh the great confusing one that confuses us no longer. Malleus is very flirty, but with the way he flirts, I always feel some kind of provocation. Like he tosses the ball to another person and expects them to make their move. He’s a prince after all, his job is to enjoy the suitor’s advances and get pleased and amused by them. Or to get pissed off and send them flying. I don’t know, Malleus has such strong demanding bottom vibes to us, and with how pretty he looks when he bottoms, it’s a shame that he doesn’t get drawn like that more often. His tail needs to be rubbed in all the good places…

Silver – he is so desperately selfless and loyal and a bit oblivious, you kind of get an urge to take advantage of him when you look at him. And by “you” I mean mostly me lol And him being sleepy only enhances this feeling. He seems so… helpless, as if you could be very mean to him, both as an artist and as his top (oh lucky ones). And he’s way too pretty… Come on, white eyelashes and pretty sleepy eyes and silky hair???

Sebek – SEBEK. He is so loud and obnoxious and stupid AND A DOUCHE who ALSO HAS NO CONTROL OVER HIS OWN URGES so based on everything you’ve read in his post so far, I think you can see why he’s perfect lol Sebek is also a great example of a character being a top but not necessarily being the one in charge… but still being dominant? Sebek has such strong beliefs in hierarchy that it’s honestly very amusing to think about scenarios in which he would act so unworthily towards his liege, but technically not breaking the chain of command because Malleus allowed this… it would fry his brain. And we love it a lot. Plus, half-fae anatomy is an amazing asset to play with.

I’m sorry, I think I started to sound very horny half way through lol

[empressofthelibrary]

🌲, 🌿, 🌾, 🌸 and 🌻 all for my best girl, Drina :D

🌲 What is the kindest thing your OC has ever done for someone? What is the kindest thing someone has ever done for them? On the flip side, what is the worst thing your OC has done to another person?

Hmmm... I think... I think the kindest things Drina has ever done are the things she does just. without thinking about it. because that's what you do.

Rounding up two little tiefling boys, then a quiet awakened zombie, and then a very frightened gnoll, and giving them all a good meal, a blanket, and a warm bed when she could. Making them family.

The kindest thing that's been done for her... Is pretty much the same. The Hammerhearths taking her in, and then Orn helping her find her way out of the grief when she lost them. Ideal and Margo signing on to help her take down Arthas in that one timeline, and then them still choosing to be her brothers when they reunite much later in the "main" timeline.

The worst thing Drina's ever done... I don't know. I didn't get to see a lot of the aftereffects of her mistakes in the game, unfortunately. I think... Hm. I think, when she was a kid, she had an opportunity to share her night's shelter with another street urchin. A kid who was bigger and stronger than she was, but wasn't trying to oust her... Yet. No, they offered an alliance -- two heads together, watching eachother's backs.

It was a gamble, trusting someone. She'd lost shelters that way before -- older street rats sweet-talking her into letting them in, before they turned around and stole what little she had, leaving her out in the cold. She decided not to take the risk, and told the kid to find somewhere else to shelter -- They were older, and bigger. They'd be fine.

...Two days later, she saw the kid getting hauled away by the city guard for stealing. And the guards weren't being nice about it, either. The kid made brief eye contact, just long enough to give Drina an understanding smile -- he got it. He didn't hold it against her. He understood.

Years later, she still thinks about that boy. Wishes she'd let him in, brought him in to stay with Mama Ferga at the inn. She promised herself she'd never let it happen again.

🌿 What is something true about your OC that they refuse to admit about themselves? Is there any reason to this besides embarassment?

Hmm. Drina struggled a long time with admitting that she was in a leadership position in her adventuring party. This was mostly due to a lack of confidence, which was also part of why she didn't want to admit she'd gone and fallen in love with the party's rogue. There was a lot of complicated stuff there, including Drina's fear of vulnerability, and her own lack of understanding of emotions -- both her own and other people's. I wish we'd gotten the chance to play it all out, but the world is what it is. That same kind of thing was repeated in the timeline with Molly, where Drina didn't want to presume anything, but came to terms with the fact that she had adopted Molly as a daughter, and been adopted as Mama in return.

🌾 What would your OC be like if they were evil. Or if they’re already evil what would they be like as the good guy?

Oh my god, Drina is a woman who is absolutely ruthless when she's angry. She came real damn close to being a villain, in fact, in her need for revenge against Arthas. In the version of events that lives in my brain, it was the party (and Damian) that pulled her out of that mindset and grounded her again. But Drina is... She's fall. Warm campfires and harvest season and s'mores and ghost stories. But she's also storms and frost and clouded skies and bare trees.

Drina, as a villain, is vengeful. Singleminded. Cold. Focused on the total annihilation of whoever invoked her fury. You can't stop her any more than you can stop the turning of the seasons. She won't rest until she's made her enemies pay.

🌸 What would your OC do if they were given god-like powers or the ability to change anything about the world for a whole day?

"...I get to be a god? For an entire day?" Drina laughs. "Okay, first of all -- No more children go hungry or cold. There's a million people out there who wanna be parents, and a million kids out there who need 'em. Let's match them up. Second of all, let's get the Forsaken who want to be human again back to that, and stabilize the ones who don't. Third, I'm calling a permanent end to this stupid war -- No no no, you said I got to be a god for the whole day. You sit back down. Have some soup."

🌻 What advice would your OC give to their younger self? What advice does your OC need now?

Drina, nine years old, cold and frightened, stares up at this warrior. She carries herself with easy grace, her copper hair streaked with gray and twisted into complicated braids that wind around her head and fall down her back in a single heavy plait. There's nicks in her ears -- two in one side, one in the other. She's strong, she has to be. Her arms are well-muscled despite her age, and she's got the kind of softness to her that comes from eating well. She wears a simple apron dress, fixed with two large clasps on the straps and decorated with embroidery and trim. It's some kind of nice, sturdy wool, too. Warm and heavy -- nothing too fine for work, but miles better than the thin, ill-fitting clothes Drina stole off a washing line.

This must be the Lady of some House, a Hero like in the stories she vaguely recalls her nannies telling her, the stories she tries to hear again when she sneaks up to the window of the schoolhouse.

The woman kneels in front of Drina -- tiny, grubby Drina -- and kisses her on the forehead. Her hands stroke Drina's dirty, tangled hair and wipe the tears from her eyes.

"It's gonna be alright, little lamb." The woman pulls Drina in for a hug. "I wish I could take you with me, but the magic won't allow it. You'll just have to trust me -- and I know how hard that is right now. But if you take it one day at a time, one hour at a time if you have to, it'll be alright. Head down towards the Merchants' Quarter, when you can. You'll have better luck there than here in the Mages' District."

And just like that, the woman disappears. Left in her wake is the smell of cinnamon and petrichor, the warmth of a campfire.

--

Back in the kitchen of the New Hammerhearth Inn, Drina sinks into a chair that Ideal had waiting for her. Margo passes her a mug of mulled wine, and Molly lays a blanket over her shoulders. Blitz, ever the therapy dog, lays her giant white head in her ranger's lap.

"Did we fix it?" Drina looks to her little brothers. "Did we close the loop?"

Ideal shrugs. "Well, we're all still here. I think that says a lot."

Drina sips from the mug. "...I wish I could do something more useful than just... Maintain what happened. I want to keep you guys from going through everything you went through. I want to fix things. For all of us."

Margo shakes his head, ghostly white hair still floating in a cloud. "If all of that hadn't happened, Drina, then we wouldn't be here in your kitchen, would we?" He bites into a fruit pie, continuing with his mouth full. "An' I wouldn' be ea'ing thish tas'ee foob."

Drina laughs, pretending not to see as Margo slides another pie up his sleeve. She hears the words under what's spoken -- Focus on what we have, not what could have been. I love you and I'm glad you're my sister. "...Right. Can't take spices out of the stew, after all."

"Exachly." Margo nods, shoving the rest of the pie in his mouth.

"Save some for the rest of us, you greedy little twerp." Ideal reaches over Margo's head to grab a pastry off the platter. There's no anger in his voice, just the exasperation of a loving brother.

"I can make more," Drina insists. "If Blitz'll move, that is. Scooch, ya lump! Molly-lamb, do you want to learn your Grunkle Farrus' dessert recipes? I think there's some less-sweet ones you'll enjoy..."

[sbk-zgvlt]

Grgrgrgr thinking about the inherent tension between Lilia and Baul. Like. Idk, I think the Neige and Sebek thread sparked this thought but. Lilia and Baul had to have worked together tbh (and I think Baul’s gonna appear. Like I think that’s unavoidable. Maybe not in the main story (should be in the main story tbh/hj) but maybe in a Briar Valley event?

Anyway Lilia adopting Silver and slowly falling out with Baul because he’s just so judgmental. This is a baby, it’s not a monstrosity or w/e. Anyway he ends up distancing himself from Baul reluctantly while Mr and Mrs Zigvolt (forgot your hc names and I’m two paragraphs in, sue me/lh) help him with Silver.

And then Mrs Zigvolt gets pregnant/has an egg/whatever again.

Perhaps it’s sort of Lilia’s fault that Sebek grows up around his grandfather? Perhaps he thought that if he could change because of a little bundle of human joy, a little bundle of half-human half-fairy joy could do the same for Baul. Perhaps Lilia encouraged Sebek’s parents to get Baul to help raise Sebek after being somewhat out-of-touch with Sebek’s siblings.

But then it doesn’t work. And by the time they realize Baul didn’t change and Sebek’s reflecting him he’s already got the bad mindset ingrained in him. So Lilia decides to have him over to hang out with Silver more.

It curbs it, yes, but not as much as they’d like. Sebek’s still got the bad mindset, he’s just less… cruel about it? Something. Idk.

And all of this because Lilia wanted to rebuild a bond with someone he was so close with

This was kinda just me word vomiting but :(! Idk

OH MY GODDD Lilia being a huge contributor to how Sebek is in the present.

You think that Lilia lowkey resents Baul for how he strained their relationship over his own prejudice? This resentment becomes worse when Esme has another child, and Baul never dares to be in the same room as the young, innocent egg swaddled in blankets.

But one day, Lilia spots him in Sebek's room, hand a few centimeters above Sebek's egg, but not really touching. He looks unsure. Scared. Vulnerable. And Lilia thinks, "Oh." There's hope.

So, he tries to get Esme and Lidaeus to drop off Sebek by Baul's from time to time. They reluctantly say yes, looking over at Sebek's egg with some concern. Then, Sebek hatches.

And he inherits everything from his father.

Before, Baul voiced out his dislike for Sylvie and Soleil. Now, he refuses to even look at Sebek at all. The resentment returns, but Lilia can't let go of the Baul that looked at Sebek's egg with an adoring look in his mind. So, he gives him another chance. He tells Esme and Lidaeus to leave Sebek by Baul's whenever they're too busy or out of town.

And they're always busy.

By the time Lilia has realized that his friend will always be stuck living in the old times, Sebek has already taken after Baul. His smug smirk. His passionate fire. His way with words.

And his hatred for all things human.

But all Lilia sees is wrong. Because Sebek is just a kid. A half-fae, half-human kid. Who hates a part of himself that he can't even control. All because of the sins of a grandfather.

Esme and Lidaeus are surprised when Lilia suddenly demands for them to stop bringing Sebek over to Baul. Esme readily agrees, already seeing Baul's personality in Sebek and she does not want that for her child. It's far too late, though.

It doesn't help that they live in a town where everyone's mother, father, sister and brother dislikes humans. They let Sylvie and Soleil into their community only because they're much more fae-like, but Sebek looks far too human.

And Sebek, with his young, developing mind, hates that he is human and hates the fact that's all everyone sees. He can't even rely on his mother, who only casts a disapproving look his way whenever he acts too much like his grandfather. But, Grandpa Baul always told him that being human was being filthy.

So, why was mama thinking him filthy for acting fae? Was it just him? Was being fae and human only filthy if it was Sebek? Why was everyone trying to pull him to one side? He just wants to be.

But he is too young to form the right words out to explain how he feels, and can only bury himself deeper his father's side as he fights with the snake fae's parents next door, smearing the blood from his head on Lidaeus' right pant leg.

His father's grip on him tightens when the snake's mother snarls out why a weak, pathetic half-human like Sebek was allowed to be born.

All Sebek can do is cry.

[dribs-and-drabbles]

Observations on ep 11:

I missed some details last week, so I'm going to try to be more observant today...let's see how I go.

Move on? 😦 Move in?! 😲

Loving the YOLO shirt 😂 I know it's the name of the bar but still...

YO SPITTING TRUTHS 😂😭 "I think my chances of winning the first prize lottery are greater than having an ideal boyfriend". I feel so called out...

Has anyone mentioned the iconic couple shirts that Yo and Plug are wearing in the credits?!

Also, I need more April in the show. (And hello, Nonnie's tattoo!)

Yeah, I stand by what I said to @grapejuicegay in our dms -> Mew does not love Top anymore. If he thinks he does it's more that he's in love with the potential of what they had...but that's all but destroyed. Mew (and Top...and Boeing tbf) need to move on (Ah! The ep title!), I bet they won't though.

I need Dan to be happy... Where's Poppy? I need him to come in and sweep Dan off his feet.

Hello Meen! 🔥 She's gorgeous and so young. Oh oh! Dan could meet her and have a noona romance!

Khaotung Thanawat what the fuck is your face (I will forever think this when he cries, thanks kk!)

Sorry to lay down some facts but you can't guarantee that anyone will stay with you after 3 months, 6 months, or a year. It doesn't matter what you've been through together, this is something you can never predict. And so that can't be the reason for not being with someone - and this goes for Yo as well as Boeing/Mew, because Yo was afraid that Plug wouldn't stick around.

And therefore, that's the correct question Mew - "Can I trust you, Boeing?" And it's not really about trust. It's about making a choice every day to be with that person regardless of what the future might hold.

Boston, Nick, and that random extra basically did that meme 😂

ANOTHER ONE FOR THE KISSING CHARTS!!

But also, I'm loving flirtatious confident sexy Nick. Such a development from when he met Boston.

MVP NICK!!

Oh so many parallels are paralleling this ep. Boston telling Atom he can't fall in love 'just because he's the first man he slept with'...which is what Nick realises he did... Oh DELICIOUS.

I'm glad we got an explicit 'no one person can turn you gay, it's just who you are and always have been'. A+ show, A+.

Poor Atom, but I think he got enough comeuppance. Well done Nick, really.

Sand is cute with the kids but I have to just say this kind of teasing/fabricated truths messed me up as a kid. Why can we just say what really happens rather than make up a lie to make kids do what they should do? Maybe I was too impressionable (or gullible) but I used to freak out at anything that could have been bad for me if someone told me it was 'dangerous'. Anyway, back to the show...

Top what are you doing there?! You've not been invi-

IS. THAT. THE. STRIPY. LININ. SHIRT?!

Hold on.... *wheezing* I can't... I... That's nine people now, NINE, who have worn this shirt. And how has no one tagged me about it yet?!

Wait no, I'm not over it yet. I can't believe that fucking shirt has shown up again. I can't deal with it.

Yes, Top, yes I do... Because it means Top and Mew have matching couple shirts...much like Kawi and Pisaeng. smh

Ok, back to the show proper. Mew, you know you have not given Top a chance. And he's right to walk away.

What is Boeing's agenda??

Ok, I see you black and white vests...with the heart of the bed frame between you...

Yes, Force. That's what I want to see. Love the vulnerability.

If I had a nickel and all that... Another couple talking about travelling the world together.

Oh I have totally seen this t-shirt before. But dammit I don't recall where. HIVE MIND ASSEMBLE!

(And now I'm questioning if I've seen Nick's shirt somewhere as well... I take back what I said earlier, I want to be less observant).

Look, I've moved in with partners two times in my life with the main reason being 'it'll be cheaper/I'll save on the rent' and I can categorically say that I don't think its a good idea. MEW, DON'T. Move in because you want to, not because it's cheaper.

What in the Mew/Top/Boeing storyline is happening with the Ray/Sand/Boeing plot?! More parallels. Boeing is like the little leprechaun who wheedles his way into other people's relationships, casting a magic spell on one to stir shit up for the other.

Why is Ray doing this? Why is he so jealous? And did he just drink alcohol even though he's in rehab? Oh! Is he finally going to get the threesome he's been asking for?! 😂

Well...going by the preview for ep 12, I don't think so. But his jealousy escalated worryingly quick 🤔

Even though not as brilliant as last week, this show is still fantastic. However, I just can't get over how the Thai Communal Wardrobe is upstaging everything for me 😂

[remmammie]

Can I get headcanons for riku, sora, and ventus babysitting a really hyper kid while traveling different worlds?

Sorry for the small hiatus, college threw a lot of exam intervention at me after my winter mocks so I had to get all that done before I could think about you lovelies. Still, I'm here now! I'm so excited to do some writing about platonic love with the Kingdom Hearts cast!

Riku, Sora, and Ventus babysitting an energetic kid on their adventures HCs

Riku

Now, over the years, Riku has learnt to be patient with a lot of things: his energetic friends, the darkness, meddling villains, etcetera. But he never really expected to be dealing with children.

I can't say he'd be experienced at all, so, after defeating some Heartless attempting to attack a young child in a world, Riku wasn't entirely sure what to do.

They clung onto his leg with an enthusiastic smile, toothy and wild. They were so in awe of Riku's style of combat and the Keyblade itself that Riku almost couldn't get a word in edgewise. Eventually, he managed to ask them where they were from and where he should take them to.

The child told him they were from a different world, that they had been dragged into some sort of dark portal and transported to this strange place. And, though Riku knew he had other things to do as a Keyblade Master, he couldn't exactly leave a child in a strange place with no guardian - they sort of reminded Riku of himself from not too long ago. Lost, confused, vulnerable... This was his duty as a Keyblade Master, right? To protect the light and, therefore, the people of the future?

After bundling the excitable child into the Gummi Ship, Riku knew exactly which world they had mentioned and planned the correct route accordingly. However, the main issue Riku was facing was keeping the kid away from the many flashing lights on the ship's dashboard. He felt bad having to tell them off and drag them away from buttons that would forcibly eject their seats or open a door in the middle of the Lanes Between, but knew he'd much rather be seeing the kid's pout than lose them completely.

Once arriving at the correct world, Riku almost feels sad to let the kid go. Their excitement reminded him of Sora, and their unbridled curiosity reminded Riku of his younger self. He'd refuse to give them the power of the Keyblade purely out of kindness, not wishing his cruel life on this innocent child who knew nothing of darkness or war, but would offer them a way to contact him again.

Riku told them that, if their world was in ever danger or if someone they knew needed protecting from darkness, they could call for Riku using their heart and he would be there.

Sora

I'm not entirely sure if I would trust Sora with a child on his own, much less a hyperactive one. He's quick to notice the light heart in danger and jumps in to protect them, but doesn't know how to react to the clinginess that follows.

When the child starts to show interest in his Keyblade, that's when Sora starts to lighten up to the idea of having a little companion for a bit, even when he recognises that they have to return to their homeworld eventually. So, he sets up the Gummi Ship to head out to this world he's...never actually heard of. Oh no.

Sora might end up taking the child to a few worlds before getting to the right one, choosing to use his heart to guide him. Maybe he also wanted to spend some more time talking to his new friend, but an excuse is always nice.

The two spend their entire journey together chatting about Sora's life and the Keyblade as well as the child's life in their homeworld. Sora adores talking about all the adventures he's gone on and about his friends, and the child watches and listens with stars in their eyes, perhaps sitting in Sora's lap as he (tries) to pilot the Gummi Ship.

Throughout every world, the two hold hands. Sora is eager not to lose such an innocent soul and he makes sure to fight off any darkness while he's there while he's at it. The child watches on in awe and might even try to copy him with a blunt stick on a big rock while Sora is asking townspeople about the child's home.

When the two eventually reach the child's home, Sora isn't excited to let them go, but he's glad they can get back to having a normal life, relieved that they have a nice home to return to. He makes a promise to return one day with the famous "paopu fruit" that Sora mentioned.

Ventus

As someone eager to prove himself to others as mature and reliable, Ventus immediately jumps at the chance to protect the child and swoops in to save the day. Of course, he also just can't sit idly by and watch someone as innocent as a child get hurt by the darkness.

At first, he's not quite sure how to take all the new attention. The praise is strange and it really warms Ventus' heart with a type of pride he never knew he was capable of feeling. He might take a while to take the child away from the world he found them in because he's too busy showing them how he fights with a Keyblade. Maybe he's showing off, but it's nice to have someone cheer for you.

Still, Ventus knows the child is someone with their own life and they absolutely need to return to the people that love them. So, he shows the kid something even cooler than the Keyblade: his Keyblade glider and armour. He places his helmet on their head to protect the kid from the darkness in the Lanes Between and tells them to hold on. They kid laughs heartily the entire time, thoroughly enjoying the ride through the Lanes Between.

With no real way to navigate the Lanes Between and differentiate between where worlds are, Ventus has to entirely rely on both his heart and the child's, asking them various questions about whether they feel closer to home or not. It takes a while, but the fun, exciting ride makes it all worth it.

When they arrive at the kid's homeworld, Ventus makes it his mission to speak to their guardian, making up some story or another about finding them somewhere in the world. He makes a pinkie promise with the child to never ever talk about what they did together, promising that they'll definitely do it again when they're older.

[pseudo-hero]

Kid!Clark Refused to Protect Kid!Lex?

You know I’ve seen a slight pattern between certain Superman-related stories whereby it’s been implied or outright stated that Clark Kent and Lex Luthor not only both grew up together/both lived in Smallville, but at times were actual close friends there too, yet Lex is beaten and abused (possibly at random) by his horrendous father/parents and Clark, even while dressed as Superboy...does nothing to stop it...? 

I don’t know if it’s a case of me misunderstanding the situations or if Clark just always thought there was nothing he could do about it; however, the idea that he literally heard Lex in pain as he was tormented everyday, but refused to help him in anyway—refused to lift a finger for him or do literally anything at all for Lex when Lex was a child—is such a deeply disturbing one for me (made worse when you consider how many other cases like this involving other children that Clark may have ignored the plight of over the years) that it pushes me to put their entire relationship in the stories where it happens, under the microscope. 

In a way, it could be argued that Clark inadvertently helped instigate Lex’s narcissistic, cynical and (sometimes self-) destructive ways. After all, if not even the angelic, protector-of-all that was Superboy would come to his rescue...then who would? And what’s stopping that protector from failing other children the world over? Why even stop at extreme child abuse? Why not let everything but the most destructive of acts go unpunished, huh, Superman? (Keep in mind that I’m not the only one who has taken note of this probably-accidental flaw of Superman’s morality/character.)

Even as recently as one of the recent issues of Action Comics from this year, Lex berates Superman for not revealing his identity to him which Lex claimed would have helped him by making him feel less alone. I interpreted that to be a reference to how a lot of versions of Lex grew up feeling ‘like an alien’ on their own planet, but come to think of it, what if Lex was implying in that moment of the comic that he was abused for being different/extremely intelligent? I don’t think there’s any main-storyline version of Lex from the past 20 - 35 years that hasn’t been horribly mistreated by their parents so it’s safe to assume that he was referencing this in particular, if not a combination of it and the aforementioned and or other things too, I reckon.

And you know what answer Clark gives after Lex calls him out on that? None!  He doesn’t even give an explanation! Is it because he doesn’t think Lex deserves one, or that they both know that’s just the excuse Lex is giving for his continued sickening actions? Or...could it be because Clark himself doesn’t know why he (when he was admittedly younger and more vulnerable himself, though never to the point of human weakness) abandoned Lex to his parents’ cruelty and expected the poor boy to fend for himself? If Clark knew what was going on then why didn’t he protect Lex when they were children? Why didn’t he at least fly up to Lionel as Superboy and yell at him to never hurt Lex again or else? Why didn’t he do anything? Why, why, WHY?

Imagine how great it would be for Lex Luthor’s and especially Clark’s characters, to finally have questions like this answered? Is Superman as super as we thought he was? Does he feel remorse for not being there for his childhood friend when Lex needed him most? I’m sorry but, you can’t just have Superman hear child abuse and do nothing about it without an explanation, writers! I honestly think this is another example of a goldmine of potentially good, compelling story-telling that DC Comics could easily tap into and utilize very well but of course, probably won’t. 

Oh well. AC and especially Superman Comics have been looking mighty interesting lately. It looks as though they have a lot to give in the future, so maybe it’s not such a big loss. Also, they can always go back to a plot idea like this at a later date. The few times they’ve tried to implement this into a Superman book in the last few decades, it more or less hasn’t worked, but I don’t think it’s because it can’t work. Like really, I believe this could be made into an amazing, award-worthy comic story!

[sophieswundergarten]

@nobody33333333 Look! I actually completed my notes on the day the chapter was posted for once /s

Asjasdgkjaafdgkjakhjafkhjdfa!!!! ALREADY LOSING IT!!!! SO INCREDIBLY HAPPY YOU UPDATED TODAY.

The contrast of Curtain being like "Hmm. I have been betrayed yet again. Oh well." and trying to treat it like a mild inconvenience because he's, like, horribly desensitised, versus Sticky who's like "It's all over. We lost, the others have been captured, it's the end. I'm just waiting for the other shoe to drop and squish me like a bug" is actually kind of funny in a very sad way

 HEY CURTAIN. MAYBE PART OF YOUR ISSUE IS THAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO CHILDREN AS "BACKUPS"

"Not when he himself knew how it felt to be unwanted and alone" He's still wrong and I want to smack him, but also I feel kind of bad now

It's very funny and also sort of heartbreaking that he actually finds Reynie's joke "very funny", even though he had to puzzle it out first

THIS MIGHT BE THE FIRST TIME IN LITERAL YEARS HE'S ACTUALLY LAUGHED, AND IT'S FOR SUCH A HORRIBLE REASON.

Bods, your trick with unreliable narration is spectacular. I am always getting caught off-guard by how deluded Curtain can be

"And he would stop at nothing to make sure that Kate Wetherall was never alone or abandoned again" YES YES YES YES. OH MY WORD I AM ELATED I AM OVER THE MOON THIS IS AMAZING I AM SO SO SO VERY EXCITED I LOVE THIS

It's so, so painful and fascinating how you detail Curtain's projection onto/identifying with Sticky making him actually hurt and vulnerable. There's a depth of character and complex thought that isn't seen in the show

Not a huge detail, but I love that he refers to them as "his brother's children" in that way :)

BUT HE PUSHES HIMSELF AWAY BECAUSE HE CAN ONLY THINK IN THE BINARY OF WINNING/LOSING. IF HE ACTUALLY HAD A BRAIN THEY MIGHT HAVE GOT SOMEWHERE OH NO

And once again you've taken canon show plot points and made them so much more painful with your own details. He's not just grieving the loss of Nicholas, he still isn't over losing Pedalian. Or his wife, or even Kate's mom or Milligan or Garrison. He may not have permanently lost all of those people, but he's still frozen in the process of mourning what he once had because he won't let himself feel it

"No. Curtain couldn’t forgive them. / And he would never forgive himself." Well, that's a lot more gut wrenching than I was expecting it to be. His main hangup isn't that he's angry, it's that he's guilty

Oof. That cut off in the middle of Curtain’s rant is beautiful.

Circus choreography!! Yes!! I love how you keep sneaking in backstory references!

Akadskjhdkjhdsakj. I know, I know, you keep reminding me that this is all dictated by the show and it’s not really your fault, but it’s definitely your fault that I’m so dang attached to your version of these characters now and I am going to replace all your scissors with palette knives

Oh my word, of course the Grays somehow missed Milligan having a bunch of flares in his pocket

Oh boy. Jeffers. I still feel a little bad for him, and, honestly, if all the other Grays hadn’t also thought it was Curtain speaking, I really think he would have been fired over this

WAIT. It’s the rock throwing kid!!! Once again, your J&J dialogue is absolutely immaculate and I can very much see them saying this. But I have so many questions about this kid

(Especially because he’s chucking rocks at a seagull. Rude)

SQ!!!!!!

He has no idea what horrors await him

Erika!! I still quite like her. She has to put up with a lot

THE BIRD STUFFED ANIMAL

Oh no, and he really has never left the island before. This is awful. I am so sad for him. Especially because we don’t see him basically at all in S2 and so you have pretty much free reign to Put Him Through Things and I Am Scared, Bods

“He must have been pretty tired” Oh my goodness yes. The man must be exhausted. I hate knowing that he’s just going to fight with Nicholas when he wakes up :(

“It felt more like looking in a broken mirror” No. Oh heavens this is so painful I am regretting being excited about this chapter now I am SAD /j

And, once again, they are both somehow thinking a lot of the same things about each other, but horribly warped and self-deprecating

I do so deeply love the little overlapping argument they have, though, from an audience standpoint, and you did not disappoint with your spin on it!!!!

Adfjjdas I love that Curtain actually listened and took that acid into account. He was probably just like her when they were little

And somehow Curtain is still reacting to the pretend Nicholas he has built up in his head that’s being puppeted by his own self-doubt and shame!!! JUST TALK TO HIM FOR ONCE IN YOUR LIFE YOU IDIOT

“his close associates or family members (SQ and Garrison)” EEE!!!!! I know there are so many other horrible, awful things going on but I love that he still includes her mentally as important (Even if he’s being a bit stupid about it)

“Maybe he was finally getting through to his brother” NO!!! THE DRAMATIC IRONY AND INEVITABLE BETRAYAL

(I do have to wonder, though, how much of that speech was genuine, and Curtain was just lying to himself that he didn’t feel it at all…)

“Maybe Nicholas hadn’t lost his brother to The Sender” Another insanely poetic and cutting line. I love your style of writing so incredibly much, Bods

Okay. Okay. But “So familiar that Curtain himself almost instinctively stepped forward to catch Nicholas in his arms. But he held himself back and scoffed as Nicholas hit the floor with a loud thud” and how Milligan tried to catch Curtain in Chapter 7, and that little narrative hint about how it might have changed the outcome, and then this :(

Also, following it up with “It was only fair considering Nicholas had sent those children to make him pass out” Oh my word he’s so petty. Sibling Behaviour

ELEVATOR TIMER???? Either I didn’t notice that (Entirely possible) or you invented it, and either way, that is AMAZING

Secret Back Entrance!!!!

Marie Curie’s notebook, Bods!! The idea that Garrison is just subtly packing up and hiding during All That is insane.

(I wonder if Nicholas reminded her at all of how Curtain used to be a bit)

I adore how Number Two immediately goes after Curtain in whatever way possible. That is exactly what I would expect from her and it made me so happy.

Also!!! The kids running off to check on Mr. Benedict as a unit with Rhonda and Number Two’s reaction is so lovely. I cannot get over how you write them

WHOOO!!!!! I always get such a rush when you publish a new chapter, Bods. (And I was secretly hoping that you might have something ready today, because it’s my birthday and this was so, so fun to read) I’ll never know how you do it, but the fact that I can read something that is written from a tv show I have seen several times, which was in turn based off a book I have read even more times, and you still give me the ability to look at it with fresh eyes is a wonderful gift.

You are so skilled!!! I can’t wait to see what you’ll do next, especially with the hints you keep dropping about certain things. And we’re almost at the end of S1!!!! I can’t believe it. You have been setting this up with such an amazing build up that I looked back and couldn’t believe how much you’ve written!! This new chapter gets you to 164,237 words. That’s longer than The Two Towers. You’ve basically written an entire novel already, and you’re not even finished yet!! One of these days I’m going to have to take up bookbinding just so I can create a physical copy for myself to actually hold.

Thank you, thank you, thank you once again for sharing this amazing piece of writing :D

And I hope you have a lovely day

[rust-bearer]

Got some zombie thoughts I figured you might enjoy, since they're sort of more First Aid oriented.

It’s nothing too big, for the most part, but lately I've been thinking a little bit more about Aid's relationship with Ambulon, and... well, his relationship with everyone, really, and I’m starting to wonder how that would affect him overall (gonna explain in further detail, that’s so fucking vague lol). He's such an interesting character, and it makes me wonder how long he would manage to survive the apocalypse in the long run. Not like, physically.

Well, maybe physically, but moreso mentally?

If you think about it, everyone else has the capacity for callousness. I mean, sure, so does he, but he's so... I don't know. It's hard to pinpoint. You've got the Combaticons, which — yeah, you know. You've got Ambulon, who strikes me as someone who's kind of seen how bad the world can get and no longer cares anymore, he's like that one shitty parent that's gonna be like "real world sucks kid, get over it" but like, without all the extra trauma. He's probably seen shit, been through it, too, and no longer cares. His mindset is seeing the world like the main character in “Train to Busan.” Sure, he cares, but he knows damn well it's gonna be everyone for themselves out there when SHTF, and he can’t let his own compassion cloud his judgment.

Anyway, this is supposed to be geared towards First Aid, sorry about that, um... okay. I feel like First Aid is gonna have a very, very hard time living post-apocalypse. He's gonna see people fucking other people over, he's gonna see the bitterness and nastiness humanity is known for capable of, hell, he's probably gonna LOSE a lot of the people he's close to. Going off of my Amby shows up out of nowhere thoughts, but it makes me wonder what will happen when he realizes Ambulon isn't going to stay.

Now, don't get me wrong, it's not like Ambulon is falling off the face of the earth or pulling that end-of-movie move like in "I Am Legend” (I HATED that ending, can you tell?). No, I think it'll be a "we need to sit down, you and I, and we need to talk about what happens moving forward."

Ambulon is an immunologist. As such, it’s his responsibility to solve this! …Right? He’s got duty, he’s got a career (sort of), but most importantly, he has a very, very strong sense of independence. He's stifled there, trapped together in the farmhouse. The Combaticon family gets on his nerves, he feels unsafe/vulnerable, and he just can't handle the way First Aid looks at those kids, all the kids he's rescued, with love and affection and care. He can't stomach the fact that he's going to be leaving, that he won't be staying long term, that he's going back to the abandoned clinic, and he HAS to tell First Aid this sooner rather than later.

I just can't help but imagine how this might affect Aid. Like, he's lost his family (gestalt) and didn't even get a proper goodbye, let alone burial... assuming they didn't up and leave the country or something. He lost his practice, his hospital/urgent care, the unlikely found family that comes from spending so much time with so many people JUST as compassion as him.

He found the Combaticons (sort of) and he's got the kids (for the most part). It's more soul-sucking than it is helpful, but he’s also got Ambulon: a strong, steady, intimidating broody person who he knows he can rely on, who he knows he can trust, and who he knows will be there with him until—oh, what's this? Ambulon's leaving now, too?

It's not forever, he knows. He’ll see him again, he thinks—no, he knows (well, he thinks he knows). They'll keep in touch, or... something. First Aid isn't sure of the logistics, but Ambulon claims he'll find a way to contact First Aid with information and updates and logistics and—and…. That’s it. Nothing personal. Nothing familial, or affectionate, just... information.

It probably hurts. It's probably discouraging, really. First Aid has proven to himself and to others than he can survive, but can he continue living like this?

Eugh, this is wayyyy longer than I'd planned. Still, just figured you might like to play around with this, especially since it does focus more on Aid's mental state and mindset throughout the entire ordeal. Brain stuff is my absolute favorite, so I couldn't help but think about it and give it some consideration. Happy holidays!!

Christmas kept me so busy I almost forgor about this ask while I let it stew in my brain. I don’t even know how but I remembered it when opening a bag of veggie straws and saw the straws had a Facebook; why would I follow their Facebook, what could they even update me on.

Anyway. Slightly related but the book version of I Am Legend does do things differently- I always liked the buildup of the movie, and the way it sets up the “this is his normal day routine” and casually has him lock down his entire house and quietly huddle in the bathroom the entire night in routine terror… really good.

I imagine Ambulon would actually have something similar to that; in the sense that, he does have this survivability to him. Really, he only died in the comics because it was a plot point: First Aid needed someone to die for his ‘moment’, and Ambulon needed to die for Pharma’s. BUT in another scenario bereft of that, Ambulon is very good at surviving off the grid. Not “I’m camping in the woods and fishing” but more, “I have a safehouse and it’s stocked and it’s semi sustainable, and I’m always improving and researching”

First Aid, bless his heart, is the kind of guy who would have died early on in the comics if he wasn’t a semi main character and if JRO didn’t like him. He would be really GOOD at being a dead plot device, yknow? Can make everyone sad about how caring and kind he was, very fridgable. IN THIS story I imagine he is semi aware of how precarious his life grasp is- he’s more likely to die because of his caring, his kindness, his need to help people. It’s the kind of thing he tries not to think about, because the only way to solve that is to stop being who he is, and he can’t. But he can try to convince Ambulon, for instance, to stay. First Aid is absolutely projecting himself into Ambulon, but he’s terrified that if (when) Ambulon leaves, he will be in the same danger First Aid is always routinely in. And he will die. And First Aid’s stomach drops at that prospect.

Ambulon, for his part, tries to distance himself from… this. Not in an unfeeling way, but in that he cares too much. First Aid is his friend. But things are different now, and Ambulon can’t be worrying about that. Refuses to be distracted by imagining life is back to normal. He’s relieved that First Aid found a group of survivors, he really is, but it’s. It’s not for him.

A recurring nightmare is this scene. For who the nightmare is, who knows. But it likes to loop, every night he sleeps.

[uten4]

ask game: wagner, chaos, & strix unib!! what ARE your favorite lines of theirs

MY THREE FAVES YAY!! But oh god... what ARE my favorite lines of theirs... this is going to be tough, but I'm up for the challenge. Thank you again for the asks beloved :3

Wagner

– Overall opinion of them: Screwed up kid who I love so much. Her dichotomy of being a vulnerable, sheltered girl who struggles with buying food or staying awake in class, and a completely ruthless killer... it's very interesting. She's so interesting. I'm hungry for her to have even more experiences and situations and develop from them. It was cool that they showed her opening up to new social situations and everyday independence, but I want the series to veer even deeper into her psyche. And ideally, to us, she would let go of her [internalized] racism :P

– Gender/sexuality headcanons: Lesbian :)

– Favorite moment in canon: Hmm... even though parts of it are kind of overplayed dialogue, the gist of which Wagner has a tendency to repeat, I think my favorite moment of hers might still be her monologues at the end of her arcade mode. The main reason is because you can see her shed a tear under her crumbling helmet, showing her humanity.

But looking back on it, it's super interesting in other ways... I want to look into the Japanese for this line later, but she seems to refer to all the people she has killed as friends, and hopes that their loneliness will be over now that she has released them, and will wield her blade in their honor...?! Definitely will need to think about that more.

Then, honestly, if it weren't for some of the confident voice-acting, I would say that all of Wagner's lines seem to show that she's losing mental stability here. I know it's necessary for writing purposes for a lot of the characters to talk to themselves, but in these scenes she addresses just SOOOO many people who aren't there. Especially Adelheid... oh my god. Now I'm remembering other parts of this game where Wagner directly addresses Adelheid, questioning her, appealing to her, when Adelheid presumably is in Germany and cannot hear her. And if she can hear her somehow then that's even worse maybe. Oh my god. I'm getting sad now just thinking about what a tremendous grip Adelheid must have on Wagner's psyche.

In these monologues Wagner insists that Licht Kreis needs her, Adelheid needs her. Her last line is "Show yourself to me. Re-birth of eternity, wielder of the ultimate manifestation. My existence as the sword is undeniable proof that you need me..." At first I wondered if she was addressing Kuon, since he's also on her hitlist, and he's associated so strongly with the word "eternity." But well... Adelheid also lives forever, is also a Re-birth. Wagner already insisted that Adelheid needs her. And now she is saying it again. She's so extremely desperate for recognition. UNDER NIGHTTTTTT. WHAT DID ADELHEID FREAKING DO TO WAGNER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHAT DID LICHT KREIS DO TO HER!!!!!!!!!

– Favorite moment in a fanwork: I do not remember :'3

– Favorite line, in canon or otherwise: That one round-win line she has that's like "get up. Next I'll turn you to ash." Also every time she calls people dogs.

– Characters I love seeing them interact with: Orie!!!!!!!!!!! Their dynamic is so funky. It really brings out so many emotions in Wagner. And it says a lot about both of them. Love themmmm <333

– Sleeping headcanons: She sleeps on her stomach and snores.

– Favorite locations headcanon: This is so random but maybe pet stores. Maybe she likes petting the puppies. And if it's a rare pet store that has shrimp or snails I think she could like them.

Chaos

– Overall opinion of them: UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU. WHAT CAN I SAY. Like ok. I know he just seems like an average nerd character. And he's arrogant sure. And looks down on people all the time BUT he's so freaking funny and only gets funnier the more you think about him. The way he tries to seem logical but makes rash decisions ALL THE TIME just because he feels like it, and will also accept that just any supernatural thing is real. The way he's so cordial with insane and/or very dangerous people like MERKAVA and SETH. The way he casually implores Seth and Enkidu and anyone else to Please Not Fight Him. The way he tries so hard to not seem gay but is in fact so gay. He's constantly trying to get people to join Amnesia. He gave himself a dramatic villain name and decided he hated it like a month later. He's just so quietly and casually A CERTIFIED LITTLE WEIRDO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

His casual attitude in general is unironically so cool sometimes. Like I repeat he will go talk to the scariest people in this game like it's nothing to him. And often I do enjoy hearing him talk about his various intellectual interests and how much they mean to him ;~; It's a really good motivation also, you know? And I love his other major motivation... Gordeauuuuuuuu... it just really humanizes him to see him genuinely care so much about another person.

Also he is appearance-wise so so so so so so adorable *unhinges my jaw and bites him* And he pats his giant lizard dog on the head and speaks to him in the sweetest voice ever :)

I could say so many more things about Chaos lol I'm so happy that the writers for some reason decided to make sure he was showing up EVERYWHERE and waist-deep in the plot at all times and not just an accessory for Gordeau or Hilda he's so important and special <3 But he's also so irritating and annoying and unfair and evil and WHY DOES HE HOLD HIS GLASSES IN PLACE WHEN HE'S JUST WALKING AROUND????? UGHHHHHH

– Gender/sexuality headcanons: Cis bisexual man! ☀️💖💜💙☀️

– Favorite moment in canon: I CAN'T PICK AT ALL ACTUALLY I'M SORY. I'M WEAK. THERE ARE TOO MANY GOOD MOMENTS.

– Favorite moment in a fanwork: This art

– Favorite line, in canon or otherwise: Frick....... I'm obsessed with everything this man says that isn't just him insulting people. Sometimes the insults too. UMMM. Maybe it really is "But I digress, this lowly accoutrement to the beast is called Chaos," the beast being Azhi. I think that was the first line of his I saw that made me like "okay maybe I kinda love this character" LOL... not only did he actually humble himself, but he did it in the most pleasantly-phrased way possible. ARGHHHHHHHHHHH ;v;

– Characters I love seeing them interact with: HILDAAAAAA. And GORDEAUUUUU. And Enkidu and Seth <3

– Sleeping headcanons: Cuddle Gordeau often :') They also take turns waking each other up in the middle of the night with the dumbest randomest questions/comments/actions ever and getting annoyed at each other about it. Chaos started it.

– Favorite locations headcanon: HOME.

Strix

– Overall opinion of them: I'll copy-paste parts of something I told you one time bc I think it's a good summary of my feelings on her :)

STRIIIIIIIIIX…. She's so epic to me idk 💜 She's WAYYY deeper than she seems because average UNIB player will just see her and think of her as That Girl Who Follows Byakuya Around and maybe also conclude that she is his sister if they pay attention. BUT THEN YOU LOOK INTO THEIR STORY MODES AND REALIZE THERE'S A LOTTTT MORE TO HER SHE HAS HER OWN BACKSTORY AND MOTIVES COMPLETELY SEPARATE FROM BYAKUYA… tbh UNIB writing team kind of popped off on that one 😔 In fact as you once said, they popped off harder on her story-wise than they did on MANY OF THEIR ACTUAL PLAYABLE CHARACTERS LOL.

I love Strix's feelings, her motivation to save Zohar ;-; And I like her attitude. Elegant and stoic but quietly stubborn, determined, sarcastic, full of restrained anger.

– Gender/sexuality headcanons: LESBIANNN 💖💖

– Favorite moment in canon: When she recklessly stands up to Hilda during the fight between Bankikai and Amnesia.

– Favorite moment in a fanwork: This art!

– Favorite line, in canon or otherwise: "I don't really care about my power. I can lose it for all I care. The only reason why I'm in Bankikai is because of Zohar. If Zohar went to Amnesia, I would have went there too."

Also "...That was pathetic, even for you. I hope that soft brain of yours doesn't cost us both our lives." And so many other sassy things she says. She's a veritable fountain of contempt.

– Characters I love seeing them interact with: ZOHAR. And BYAKUYA (except when it's creepy).

– Sleeping headcanons: I got nothing :')

– Favorite locations headcanon: A grassy hill somewhere ^_^

[calypsoff3]

Thirty Six. Part 2

I have so many questions, but I don’t want to bombard him, this can be too much for him and he will hate that “I have a lot of questions Chris, and I don’t want to upset you or scare you, but I just wanted to say that” reaching my hands out near the fire, it’s nice this I am actually liking it “ask me” he said, looking at him “I will ask one of many, on tour. I know we are going back to things but this, what you have it is a lot and I want to know you and how you think and just get to know you better. On tour, when you were in London, with all that going on, how did you feel? Like you have all these guys there, they all laughing and joking, you are the main man. Women there, how was your mindset then?” moving my hands back, it can get a little too hot “I am that nigga, see erm. I am not nice, like ok there was women there and they all wanted to try me and do things but the things I would say or even be like I was shocked they even remained, but they was desperate, Alcohol really didn’t help me, drugs didn’t. I kicked off on tour too, there was too many people around, I got annoyed a lot. Like think about it this way, I am good with you, I am. I got you always, I love you and even at times I can be a dickhead, or even mean to you. But with them I had no problem in being like that but also thinking back, being in that moment. Just thinking on it, I was vulnerable. Maxwell said that there is many men out there that just be like me, remain who they are, and some point can’t deal with it and kill themselves. He said it to me when I Was talking about things he said you were vulnerable, I would class you as that, now I don’t want that title, what I did. I did that, I just think I have reserved myself a lot, I want to be better, and I want to be good, but it was hard, my highs will be lows, and it always happened” nodding my head “I understand what you mean” I do “you said you are looking into what I have, how?” he asked me “I have books” I laughed “because in my mind I always want you, and it’s always stuck to me. Even if you can’t move, I want you. I did from the start Chris, and we was new then, I am very much in love with you, and it scares me” my voice broke “I just want to help you and I felt we did lose ourselves, now thinking on it you are right. Someone needed to stop it because I would have been back with you” Chris placed his arm around me, bringing me closer to him, he kissed the top of my head “I love you” wiping my tears.

Smiling at Chris “these white people sleep early don’t they” I laughed “and you don’t sleep at all, I am going to be doing what you do, not sleep” he shook his head “stop it, come. Let’s go to the tent, I can warm you up” I smirked “oh, now you want to smirk” Chris chuckled “I just have those moments, you know. I don’t mean it; you know what Robyn. Like people love, and they say love here and there. But the love we have, and you have. The heart you have, I can’t even explain it. You love me at my lowest, and you always do. I at times feel I don’t deserve you but then I am like I am always there for you at your lowest. True love is never easy, that is us. And I mentioned it to Maxwell actually, I was having a little off day, I was very sad, and I said she hasn’t got anyone, the people have left her because of me, they don’t like me, so they stay away from her, who is going to help her or be there for her. He said that he understood what I mean but I had to let you heal and do what you need to do, there wasn’t a moment where I didn’t feel bad. I see it, I know what you have done for me Robyn” he will make me cry again “it’s just me and my kids, and maybe Jah” I laughed “there is a few left but not that many, it hurts me the most about Mel. My mom is so lost, I went back to Sade myself, I needed too. I felt I was slipping into depression, so much happening. It’s hard but I knew that I Couldn’t let you go, I fainted seeing that, like it was a moment I never want to see again” I can’t believe I fainted “but I see why though” she added.

Chris and I did say that we would go to seep but here we are smiling and being cute, well I am being cute, not him, he is enjoying teasing me “ok who would you say is your favourite child? I am serious, you can’t get out of it too, every parent has one” I asked him “wow! How can you choose out of the five children Robyn” I chuckled “go on” I said to him “hmmm Imani is my heart, I just think she is my baby forever, she makes me happy erm and then” Chris smirked “go on” he can’t even speak “you know what I love my kids, this is mean” he is so annoying “fine, it’s Imani, Rylee, Tianna, Junior and then Raihan, I feel I haven’t bonded with Raihan, we aren’t close” he is being real “I like the realness, I like you have Tianna so high up and also you are such a girl dad” he laughed out “I am, girl dad is best. With Tianna, she has learnt, and I will let you continue torturing her about what happened, but you next” of course it is “you know what, with Raihan I have spent so much time with him, now that Junior is in school but it’s always me and him but since working I have not had that but mine is” I paused smiling “erm Rylee, she is my everything, I love her so much and you can’t be shocked with that” he shook his head “Rylee, Raihan. I say him because he is my baby, I can’t forget my first and then my last baby, he is just so precious” Chris side eyed me “the in between?” I scoffed “Rylee, Raihan, Imani, Tianna and then Junior because he is going to be hell for the rest of my life” Chris and I both laughed “I am scared he has what I have, he is very impulsive, maybe not what I have but something because he is very like if I want to punch you I will punch you and If I want that, I will get it. But I get it” he said “my kids all have their own personalities, I worry the most about Imani, she is always on my mind. I want to send her to the school Tianna goes too, she is not a child, a teenager at that and I feel she is just that seven year old looking at me, I can’t deal with it. I just want to keep her close. Sensitive soul” Chris smiled “I worry for her too” Chris said in a whisper “I love all our kids, but I need to know Raihan a little more, but he is close to you. Mommy, mommy. He is saying mommy and you’re saying my man” I scoffed “you are so annoying” I said “I feel sad for him, he has missed out on you, because of the tour and now this, he hasn’t really had us at our best, Junior will just go up to you and jump on you and he will just come to me, so yeah he needs a little more of you” I do agree with that.

This talk is so cute, I am enjoying it “I have decided that I am putting my own album on hold, we are going to go full steam ahead with yours, I am giving you full choice of my songs, you can take them and redo them, but I want this done quickly Robyn. And I want you to keep Jay Brown away, I don’t want him to know I am helping you. If we can do this, and with the tour, so the one stadium per a city, fuck them Robyn. You don’t owe them shit, fulfil your contract on the low. I am going to help you fully. And then when you are out of it, you make another album. This will be your last and you have a proper world tour, this is going to be all you. I will help you; I want it to be on your terms. What you think?” he has a good idea “I like what you are saying, but it goes through a lot of people for me to release or do things” I said “then you use my people, Robyn you have done so much for them. They have run your whole music career, they made you hate it because of it and I understand why, I do. So I really want you to get out of this, book it all yourself, silently. You have contacts, I know you do. You do it for me” I laughed “I do, that is you. I get protective” I said, he held my hands “and I am protective of you” smiling at him “I trust you” I mumbled “thank you, and I won’t let you down” he said, and I believe him.

Chris pressed a small kiss on my shoulder and another one on my neck before grabbing me by the waist and swinging me on top of him. I yelped out laughing, I think the fact I got sex eventually but in a tent, I can’t even deal right now “I just know they hate us” I said as I brushed my lips across his jawline and claimed his mouth with mine. Naked and wrapped only in a brown and white blanket, just the two of us laid tangled together on the floor. The one light in the corner of the tent, providing a dim glow around the tent. I moaned when Chris slipped his tongue between my lips. Pulling back a bit, I gazed into his eyes and then nibbled on his bottom lip. I felt his erection pressed against my thigh; he is still hard. A playful grin grew across my face when I took his lip further into my mouth and sunk my teeth down, roughly tugging. Moving my hand between our bodies, I reached down and gripped his erection, my fingers teasing the head of his length. Enjoying the grunts and moans I earned from him as I continued to pleasure him with my hand. Skimming my fingers across his balls, I reached down a little further and ran the flat palm of my hand against him. I watched the features on his face change as his body tensed up and his breathing became heavy.

“Chris…” I whimpered, I mean I didn’t think we would be having sex and it’s like so early in the morning, I don’t care. I am happy and in my zone. Chris grabbed my ass and pushed his dick against my centre causing me to lose the grip I had on his length. Soft moans fell from my lips when Chris continued to grind himself against me. Bringing my hands up to cup his face, I pressed soft kisses on the side of his mouth and rocked my hips against him. His dick was rubbing against my pussy and we both moaned in unison at the friction. Pulling the blanket from around us, my movements stopped, and I feathered kisses along his jawline. Chris groaned as I continued to trail my lips down his body until I reached the base of his dick and down in between his legs. My breath brushed against the head of his dick. Chris propping himself up on his elbows, I gazed up with a small mischievous smirk on my lips. Interlocking my fingers around his length, I pressed my thumbs against his dick, forming small circles. Heavy moans ripped out of Chris as I massaged his dick with my thumbs. Jolting his hips up, his mouth fell open, breathless when I traced my tongue along the underside of his shaft, my thumbs still slowly massaging him, making sure every inch of his dick was left untouched.

Chris pushed his hips off the floor and towards me letting out a tortured moan “Robyn” His hand rooted in my hair and all he could do was call my name through a clenched jaw, switching back and forth between licking him with my tongue and placing my mouth against his dick, sucking down on various spots of his length. My thumbs finally reached the tip of his dick and gently caressed the head before I finally tilted his length towards me and slowly took him deep into my mouth. My hands stroking his length as my lips worked wonders around him. I continued to suck and tug on him until he felt close to exploding inside of my mouth. I noticed how his dick was beginning to twitch and I pulled back, teasing him with the tip of my tongue before pulling away completely. I wanted him to be buried to the hilt inside of me when he came. Chris’ breathing increased when my hard nipples grazed his dick as I crawled my way back towards him. Wasting no more time he grabbed my hips and pulled me forward, aligning my opening up with his dick, he slowly inched himself into me until he was buried deep inside my slick walls, filling me up completely. We both let out a sigh of relief. The feeling of his dick pulsing inside of  me drew a growl from me. My head tilted back, and my body trembled in delight.

My muscles clamped around him and my heat engulfed his dick. Chris’ eyes rolled around in his head. After the first wave of joining together passed over is, Chris thrusted inside of me hard. His hips rising completely off the floor to meet mine. His hands still had a tight grasped on my hips and he held me steady, keeping me in place as he frantically pumped in and out of me. I was completely unravelling as he wildly stroked his dick into me. My mouth formed an O and heavy pants came out as every thrust caused my legs to shake. Chris’ fingernails cut into my skin and I licked my lips, savouring the feeling of his dick swelled inside of me as my pussy continued to pulse around him. My body jerked at the force of his movements, and I let go of numerous loud wails that was sure could be heard for miles away. My juices were pouring down my thighs and my muscles were squeezing him tighter than one could imagine. Chris’ hand wrap around neck as he continued to pump in and out of me at such a speed, I am going to come hard.

[outoftheirdifferences]

Lauren for the character writing meme!

Pick a character I’ve written and I will explain the top ~three to five ideas/concepts/etc I keep in mind while writing that character that I believe are essential to accurately depicting them.

Oh wow, I must confess did not expect to get one for her! I was prepared to write one for Angel or someone xD That said, I'm always happy to talk about my favourite OC, so thanks! :D

Well, first... and, I'd argue, most importantly to me: the fact that Lauren isn't just bitter rage-ball at the world all the time. I mean, granted, that actually was true of her when I first created the character; but I've developed her so much since then. Even still, though, it's all too easy for me to slip back into her being just rage and bitterness and forget all the nuances I've built up for her over the years, so I always need to keep this in mind.

Like... yes, she does harbour a whole lot of bitterness; but the thing is, it isn't readily apparent a lot of the time? She should have the freedom to look and act just like your average teenage girl a lot of the time - to have fun and laugh at dumb jokes and not just have every single aspect of who she is defined by her bitterness and nothing else. That has the added bonus, too, of when her bitter side does spill out... it's a shock to people around her, because she's actually seemed normal up to that point? It makes it much more impactful when it comes up unexpectedly, rather than being her constant mindset at all times.

(rest beneath the cut for length!)

Tying into that, there should be a balance in just how fighty and violent she can get. Again, originally, she would just lash out all over the place without regard for anything, whenever someone said something that touched on her specific area of vulnerability - that being, her parental issues. (This was, in truth, because she started out life as a minor bully in a story focused around an entirely different character, so it didn't matter that much - but she eventually just stole the spotlight entirely and became the main character herself!)

But the more I worked with her story ideas, the more I realised that it just didn't make sense... Lauren specifically doesn't see herself as mean, even in spite of her fighty tendencies. If she was beating up other kids left and right if they so much as breathed about having the caring parents that she didn't have, there was no way she could keep that view of herself... that, and she would probably have been expelled from her school five times over. Again, it's easy to fall back into writing her that way, because it was grounded in how I originally imagined her; but it's just not the truth of her anymore. She is temperamental, she does lash out... but she also has common sense and self-control, and unless she really feels like her issues are being deliberately poked at (or her friends threatened), the most she will do is seethe silently.

Third is that Lauren doesn't lie. It's not a matter of morals or principles for her; she just has never had reason to believe that it's worth the effort - in her mind, it just sets up worse problems down the road, no matter what the situation. If she doesn't want to talk about something, she will very determinedly not talk about it - she has being sullenly silent down to a fine art - and can be evasive like there's no tomorrow, but she won't outright lie.

So if she does lie, that's when you know that something is very, very seriously up.

Fourth: Lauren's closest friends mean more to her than ANYTHING. This is in large part because, even with not being angry all the time, she's still a very closed-off girl, and very, very guarded about letting people get close to her. After all, if she can't expect her parents to care about her, how can she imagine that anyone else will? So if someone does manage to get close, it's very little exaggeration to say that Lauren will defend them with her life. She very much has an 'I don't care what you do to me but don't you DARE hurt them' stance and becomes very protective of the rare person she gets close to.

Lastly, I guess, is just to remember that Lauren doesn't fear physical pain. She does have her fears - her greatest one is being rendered helpless and unable to fight back - but even with the changes mentioned above, at this point she has still been in (and lost) enough fights that they've toughened her up to the point where she honestly doesn't care if she takes a beating. She doesn't seek pain, of course, but she also doesn't run from it as long as she has opportunity to give as good as she gets.