#there are so many talented writers i do not think i could win

[taegularities]

my brother told me about a writing competition thing where i live :') meaning i can submit an original work until the end of august and the winner gets a ton of money + feedback by top notch people + the book will be published at a very popular book store around here. and i… :') kinda wanna partake :')

[victonair]

Courting Azul Ashengrotto: A short concept (and a result of brainrot)

Intro: In which you propose to court Azul right after your confession, and surprisingly, you succeed in this endeavor.

Author’s Note: Hi! This is my first time posting on tumblr and despite this being just a short blurb, I would appreciate feedback and constructive criticism! I based this concept off traditional Filipino courting methods, but the reader’s race is ambiguous.

-

Courtship is a delicate process that has two meanings: to win the favor and affection of someone who you’ve chosen to solely dedicate yourself to or the process of putting in the effort to win someone’s romantic favor with the intention to marry them. Now, in this case, it would obviously be the former - considering you and Azul were still teenagers. But who said, you weren’t aiming for the latter as well?

The moment you proposed the idea of courtship to Azul; it became a fairly pleasant surprise to you - seeing his face turn completely red with his hand held up to his mouth in surprise and taking a step back. He looked so faint, especially right after the confession.

Initially, he was hesitant - considering he wanted to take the role of spoiling you first like what he’d done a good amount of times within your friendship, he had not made it obvious of course or lest he risk the discovery of his feelings for you back then. But now? He was at free reign to do as he pleased after listening to your heartfelt confession. Weirdly enough, it felt as romantic as an engagement proposal, with you preparing an entire well-worded speech to deliver the most romantic words he’d ever heard in his life - incomparable to even the ones the most talented script writers and actors had given.

The moment you had proposed the idea, words of disagreement were on the tip of his tongue until he saw the determined, longing, and absolutely charming look in your eyes. Effectively, that immediately shut him up, because of course, you only had the capability to do that.

And so with a meek nod, he had agreed, unable to resist you entirely. At that moment, he had not known the consequences of agreeing to your actions.

To put it short, it was nothing but being showered with affection at least once a day. Despite not having as much money as him, you always found a way to give him flowers once a day or every other day. He suspects that someone had given you access to the botanical gardens because not only were the flowers always fresh, but you always sorted them and left a handwritten note on why you picked them and the meanings of each arrangement.

Everyday was a surprise for him: from flowers, handwritten love notes (regardless of your handwriting), and gifts ranging from different varieties like trinkets and additions to his collection of coins. He could see the amount of effort you were putting into courting him.

It was an endless amount of affection that was a testament to your deep feelings for him; it was the fact you worked so hard in doing odd jobs and put in effort to every gift and each thing you presented to him with the most smitten smile on your face, like you were the one receiving a gift instead of him.

It left him speechless and always deep in thought about you; he often thought about many things: the mostro lounge, the amount of work that needs to be done, but most of all: he thought about you the most. It was no deception or lie that he was the happiest when with you - practically anyone could see the genuine smile on his face or flustered expression when you showed up, spent time with him, or gave him one of your courting gifts once more.

Even Azul could see that you were smitten with him, and that was something that was impressive. He was no stranger to insecurity and self-deprecating thoughts: it haunted him and made him think he was incapable or not worthy of you - but whenever you looked at him like he hung both the moon and stars just for you, his heart couldn’t help but just melt at the sight.

The most memorable experience of his in fact, was you serenading him with a traditional courting song from your culture - you ended up inviting him to Ramshackle late at night, when the fireflies were out, telling him to go to the balcony in the letter. At first, he was initially confused when you weren’t there, but when the soft sounds of a guitar started playing accompany with a sweet serenade of your voice from below - he immediately looked down to see Ace, Deuce, and you - you were singing with a guitar in your hands, strumming the strings to a soft beat whilst singing a tune that practically sang of charm and romance. Ace, on the other hand was carrying a sign that said, ‘Please accept my feelings’ - and Deuce was carrying another guitar that followed different yet similar beats to yours.

It was one of the many moments that Azul realized his feelings ran deep into his veins and with each beat of his heart. By the time you had finished singing and serenading him, he was a mess of emotions that were all positive in every sense. And when you went up to the Balcony to meet him, after telling Ace and Deuce to give both of you space - that was the first time you had kissed him, despite it only being on the forehead.

It was a magical moment that had been engraved in his head, something he’d never forget.

However, it wasn’t only the fact that you put in effort into the traditional courting gifts and methods; it was the fact that you made the effort to recognize the feelings he felt at times when he was overwhelmed or when he felt anything akin to a negative emotion; you always took the initiative to comfort him and do the best you could to make him feel better, whether it be aiding him with words of comfort or giving him space he needed, you always tried your best to help him with his emotions. It was clear you cared for him so much and if the gifts didn’t communicate that; then it was every moment you held his hand, and did your best in each situation to do as much as you could for him.

It didn’t matter if you were merely giving him a trinket or surprising him with a bouquet of flowers right after class and walking him down proudly down the halls; he was smitten with you in every action you did and everything that showed you…ever so remarkable and sweet you. He may not be sure of the future to come, but all he knew is that he wanted you in every path that would alternate from his decisions. He would take you hand in hand in every twist and turn, and when time is right, he’ll take you as his forevermore.

You can’t blame him if he never lets go of you; his greed is unmatched and he could never bear to have you out of his reach when you were the one who provoked feelings that no one on this earth had ever awoken. Do take responsibility, won’t you?

And although you were courting him first, you wouldn’t mind if you took your hand off the reins and let him take over, right? After all, rewarding you for the amount of effort you showed in order to prove that you loved him would only be the only viable option in this situation. So sit down, and let him spoil you with flowers, dinner dates, love letters, and more - just as you’d initially had done.

[sammy-deserves-better]

Hey people who definitely didn’t follow me for my AUs here’s another AU I thought up on the spot!!!

Fantasy/Royalty AU bam lets get into it

Julia and Bowie are the princess and prince of the kingdom, as you do, it’s gay and lesbian hostility in that castle every day

Axel, Wayne, Raj and Emma are knights with Axel being the head of the knights, Emma is also secretly a florist because why not

Priya is the head of the guards while Caleb is the personal guard/advisor to the king

Chase is a travelling bard who loves to talk about his ‘amazing’ adventures of ‘helping’ people

Nichelle is still a famous actress but instead of movies she’s like, famous from plays and all that jazz

Ripper’s a barbarian that’s pretty good at his job, unfortunately he is not taken very seriously

Millie is a famous writer but she’s so damn difficult to find at times and only a few people know where she actually lives

Damien is a wizard’s apprentice, he’s still learning but he’s got some real talent within him

Zee is the court jester, he didn’t even like try out for the role he just started talking one time and the king thought he was hilarious

Scary Girl is a famous necromancer because she is, funnily enough, scarily good at her job

And MK, silly ol’ MK, is a master thief who is wanted all over the world, but can never be located, always managing to escape at the last moment

Alright here’s some more details yippee

Raj and Bowie are like, in love, obviously, knight x prince romance! Forbidden love that isn’t really forbidden but like it’s super cute and Raj is so smitten and Bowie just loves this handsome knight that would do anything for him

Wayne and Emma are friends here because I also think they’re silly, Wayne’s the only one who knows Emma’s secret florist job because she trusts him enough and also he accidentally found out but it’s fine!! But he also nearly gives away Emma’s secret so many damn times because he’s just a little bit stupid

‘Man I wish I could get Bowie a nice bouquet���’

‘Oh well Emma is actually a fl-‘

And then Wayne gets elbowed so hard he can’t breath for 2 minutes

Emma also definitely has a thing for the cute court jester but she has no idea on how to actually approach Zee so she just sends him flowers anonymously and sighs while looking at him lovingly

Julia and MK meet because MK climbs up the damn castle walls at 2am and sneaks into Julia’s room just to rob her, gets absolutely slammed by the princess, wakes up and is tied to a damn chair with Julia right up in her face about to rip her to shreds and all MK can say is ‘you are REALLY attractive oh my gods’

This throws Julia off, they start talking, Julia realises that despite the fact she is holding one of the most wanted criminals hostage in her room, she wants to keep seeing MK because she’s entertaining and mean and just slightly pathetic, so she lets MK go on the promise that the thief will come back every night and so she does and yadda yadda lesbians toxic yuri wins

Millie’s stories actually come to life because shocker she’s actually a wizard in disguise and she needs to be really careful about what she writes so that’s why she hides herself away and is so hard to track down because if the wrong people knew about her magic capabilities oh no that’s a lot of blood and injury and angst and 10k words every chapter

Millie’s parents also had this ability to create anything from mere writing, they shared this ability with the kingdom, and so if an important figure asked them to say…make a protector of the kingdom, they would do so, and they did, and that’s where our villain/antagonist comes in but that’s a story for another day

The older gens are also involved in this one way or another as well, most are just backgrounders but some hold important to the story

Damien is the wizard apprentice to Leonard and Tammy, two great and powerful sages who spend their time helping the world

DJ is the one who taught Emma how to be a florist, he’s kind and understanding and always helps Emma choose the right flowers to give to Zee

Eva trains Ripper under her watchful eye, she’s proud of how far he’s come, but feels he can do just a bit more

Aleheather are the king and queen of the kingdom, Bowie and Julia are their adopted children

And that’s all I got for now uhhhh add whatever you want to this it’s just a silly time

[tishinada]

I'm almost halfway through DT and loving every minute so far. I adore Wuk Lamat and Erenville and lots of the other NPCs. I can't believe I cried for Bakool Ja Ja last night.

I have thoughts on why some people aren't thrilled with this expac, which usually has something to do with the WoL not being important enough.

(tl;dr - The writers did an excellent job of avoiding a "white savior" narrative, and if the WoL/Scions had bailed Wuk Lamat out at any important point in the story, it would have undermined her victory with the people...and herself.)

First, the devs more or less said that this expac was meant to be a bit of a break from the WoL being under so much pressure (a vacation of sorts.) I also think some people have trouble coping with a young *woman* making a transition from gawky underdog kid to respected and beloved leader, especially if they're much more heart than brain.

But I think the real issue, and most don't recognize it, is the cultural minefield that the writers navigated very very carefully. Tural is a fictional version of the Americas, but the Americas without the devastating diseases and colonization, and there are SO many ways they could have done this wrong. The WoL and the Scions cannot be central to this story without straying into the territory of "white saviors" rescuing the "primitives." And that's almost always the story that's told about the contact between Europeans and indigenous people, frankly, whether fictional or historical (historians have struggled to change those biased narratives against huge right-wing resistance for several decades).

The fact that there is no point (so far) that the WoL has personally had to step in and save Tural or even Wuk Lamat is a good thing and excellent writing. Even when she was kidnapped, the rescue was driven very largely by her brother Koana. The WoL can be an advisor, a member of her team, & her emotional support (as Thancred and Urianger have been doing for Koana very impressively). At no point does the WoL's abilities over-shadow hers in the eyes of her people. If anything, she gets respect for being able to recruit such talented people.

Even Koana, the Turali most influenced by outside culture, had to come to the realization that if he forced cultural change on his people, he would be harming them. He had to begin to respect (and understand) what they wanted and their cultures that shaped their wants and needs in order to see a road through to actually helping them. Over and over he had solutions (often good ones) but then alienated the electors by being dismissive of their cultures. And of course the other two contenders represented a group who dismissed every culture except their own as inferior, and who wanted conquest.

This competition for the Dawnthrone has to be driven by the Turalis, and if at any point the WoL and/or the Scions had taken the lead or "rescued" the contenders in any way that wasn't primarily as support, it would have undermined their autonomy. The post-EW story when it went to Garlemald also emphasized restoring autonomy and respecting their culture. This is a very anti-colonization story, and one of the best I've seen in a game, tbh.

The WoL and the Scions do have a stake in this contest because at least one of the contenders vocally plans to invade Sharlayan and Eorzea. (Interestingly enough, the corollary threat of invasion from the East helped Gulool Ja Ja convince two groups that unity would make them stronger against that threat instead of the extended war they'd fought.)

Within the story, if the WoL/Scions had bailed Wuk Lamat out at any important point in the story, it would have undermined her victory with the people. The fact she could defeat Bakool Ja Ja (and his people) on her own matters. It finally won her martial respect. The WoL is important at that moment, but as emotional support. Their belief in Wuk Lamat gave her the confidence to transcend her previous limits. And her ability to rally people around her and win their support (up to and including Bakool Ja Ja and his people) transformed her into a leader. Still a bit gawky and goofy, but confident and certain of why she is doing this.

The WoL is there, and probably played an extremely important role in supporting her growth, but at no point does the WoL do anything that could weaken her accomplishments or become the "savior" of Tural. In fact, I feel very strongly that the WoL is acting as Azem probably did in the ancient past.

So what people are pointing out as flawed writing is, in fact, outstanding writing and cultural sensitivity.

[fungalittleweirdo]

ROTTMNT 60s AU !!!

UHHHH JUST WANTED TO PUT THIS OUT THERE WHILE I'M STUCK IN DENIAL ABOUT MY WRITER'S BLOCK

raph

please this man has SOUL

he sings in clubs in new york, he has a record coming out in '67 with his band Raphael and The Digg

his brothers didn't feel like joining the band, so it's up to some talented musician girls he met without a trained main vocalist (digg, with prairie dog, honey badger, and groundhog)

they're super popular in harlem and they make it to charts

raph meets other motown records signees and they always find he's the gentlest of giants

he and his band DESERVES a grammy

leo

he's a surfer !!!

he loves competing in surfing tournaments in long island

the boy's a legend, other surfers think he's a fish at first

if he didn't have separation anxiety for his brothers (a post-kraang headcanon) he would have gone to the west coast where the real competitions are (they never feel like leaving new york for very long)

for now he's happy surfing the coast of long island

he loves when todd surfs with him, his favourite part is the lemonade he gets afterwards

donnie

donatello is OBSESSED with the space race

he managed to hack nasa for rocket blueprints

he got caught and they asked him if he was a communist but there was no found evidence that proved he was so he was let go and his name was cleared

he managed to improve the blueprints he got his hands on and built more efficient rockets, then he used computing tech to make his very own battleshell

he has a super-powered telescope he nicknamed shelldon

donnie predicted the states would win the space race in 1965 because it had something to do with the war, i myself don't know how he used that data point to draw a conclusion

mikey

mikey is such a hippie he has mugshots of his charming smiling face framed to prove it

very anti-war, very pro-civil rights movement, pro-dope and lowkey anti-united states government

he was at the stonewall riots !!!!!

he not only fought for human civil rights, but for mutants too, so that he and his brothers could be acknowledged as citizens

humans turned into mutants are already citizens, but the mistreatment they get is unfair and mikey chose to be a leading pioneer for mutant rights

leo (hesitantly) opened portals for mikey in the south so that he could stand with people of colour in their trying times

misc notes !!

lou jitsu was popular in golden age hollywood, he won many accolades for his films until big mama made it look like he was signed to stay in the battle nexus

jupiter jim films are actually westerns, his name is junebug jim instead

big mama is a big mafia boss woman regardless of the era she's in, though her battle nexus is televised for all ages

instead of becoming criminals, mutants follow mikey's lead protesting for mutant/yokai rights and new york is the first city to acknowledge it

the turtles' beach parties are insane, there's always some people other than the siblings lingering around at midnight

april is the best reporter out there, she reports on the turtles' exploits all the time and she makes mad BANK over it (successful 60s black woman slay)

the foot clan is a cult a lot like the manson family, the turtles hate their guts

baron draxum does the same thing he always did, brood in his lab trying to destroy the humans (that is until mikey gets through to him)

sr. hueso's run of the mill pizza is still the turtles' favourite pizza spot, though the establishment is beachside because he's on good terms with his brother, who mainly does imports

casey jr. is a star hockey player, he also avoids the draft because he's from the future, so the government doesn't have his records

but cass protests against the war with mikey whenever she can, she's also anti-war

donnie also managed to be the first mutant on the moon by his own means, it's been a childhood dream since he saw laika's launch in sputnik 2

aight that's all i have for now, i hope you enjoyed !!

[melonflavoredbread]

Mr. Lawyer Sir (Part 1)

Hiromi Higuruma x fem! reader

Disclaimers/notes: a bit angsty, Higuruma being an overworked, tired man, stubborn reader, SFW.

• This is my first post on Tumblr! I hope you enjoy this story. This is just the first part of the story and plan to write the next one soon! Keep in mind that I am not a professional writer and that I just do this for fun and let my ideas run freely with creativity. By doing so, I also want to share my ideas with everyone else who would like it! Thank you so much in advance <3

*****

‘I’m just so tired…’ Hiromi thought to himself as he sighed softly and started to leave the courthouse after defending one of his clients in the courtroom.

Hiromi Higuruma was known as one of the most incomparable lawyers there was in town. As a defense attorney, he always sought to fight for justice in those individuals who were wrongly accused of a crime. Although he looked like a standoffish, detached man, his true passion was to help others in need.

However, with that great talent he has also comes exhaustion. Exhaustion from work, exhaustion from having too many clients, but most importantly, the exhaustion of seeing his clients lose the trail after all the work he put in to fight for justice. It wasn’t fair to him or his client. Those countless nights of overtime, putting in the work to make sure they’d win this case, skipping out on sleep schedules…just to lose the case.

He started heading towards his car in the courthouse parking lot while almost dragging his feet due to the disdain he felt within himself. Feeling as if he failed his client and needed to do better. He rubbed his eyes as they felt heavy with the lack of sleep.

As he left the courthouse, it was already nighttime and the sky became pitch black. Not as many cars out on the road since it was getting late. As he walked along the sidewalk towards the parking lot, lost in his own dismay of thoughts, he didn’t notice a girl bumping into him, causing her to fall to the ground. The moment she fell, Hiromi snapped away from his thoughts and came back to reality. He grunted in frustration as he closed his eyes and rubbed his temple while thinking, ‘this was the last thing that needed to happen right now…’ he felt annoyed at the situation he currently got himself into but, nonetheless, he quickly made his way over to the girl laying on the ground.

“Ugh…I’m sorry…are you alright?” Hiromi spoke as he came over and tried to help the girl up but noticed she had blood dripping down her knee.

“I’m fine…” the girl winced in pain as she spoke and tried to gently stand up but also noticed her ankle was sore to move. “Ouch…”

“You should be more careful,” Hiromi crouched down to look at the injury closer and realized she was bleeding pretty terribly. “Clearly you’re not fine…your knee is bleeding and you can’t move your ankle.”

The girl winced once again as she realized how painful the scrape was on her knee. She was oozing lots of blood from the injury and appears to have sprained her ankle from the fall. Hiromi noticed the shoes she was wearing, black business-casual high heels.

“I wouldn’t wear those if I were you. They look like a pain in the ass to walk in.” Hiromi commented casually as he carefully held out his hand to lift her up but instead, the girl looked at him questioningly and refused his hand.

“I appreciate your concern mister but I am free to wear whatever I want…” The girl sounded calm but Hiromi could tell she was responding rather passive aggressively.

Hiromi huffs and becomes slightly annoyed but tries not to let it get to him. “Be free as you’d like, but be aware of your surroundings. You’re being careless.” He spoke sternly to her as he tried to not let his frustration get to him. All he wanted to do was get home and get the well-deserved rest he needed but instead he was here in a situation he didn’t expect to happen.

The girl scoffed and seemed noticeably annoyed in return. “You don’t know who I am to say I’m careless…” she says.

‘Here we go…as if it couldn’t get any worse, she seems to be bratty and stubborn. I’ll never hear the end of it.’ Hiromi thought to himself as he closed his eyes to compose himself and not let his frustration get to him.

“That is irrelevant, miss. I don’t need to know who you are to see that you were being careless,” Hiromi glares at her as he speaks. “If I hadn’t been watching where I was going, this could’ve been a lot worse and we would’ve both fallen and gotten hurt.”

Hiromi didn’t want to touch the girl without her permission but he saw the bad state she was in with her bleeding knee and sprained ankle that he had no choice but to help her up walk towards a nearby bus stop bench just a few feet away so she could sit. He delicately placed his arm around her waist as he supported her body weight so that she can lift up and stand with ease.

Once she was standing, she winced once more as the weight on her ankle felt pressure and made it feel extremely sore.

“Thank you for helping me up but you can leave now.” She rolled her eyes and huffed as she tried walking on her own, but immediately felt pain in her leg and ankle.

“You’re clearly limping…I’ve had it.” Hiromi looks at her in displeasure. He quickly walks her to the bench and sets her down softly. He takes out his phone and starts searching for ‘hospitals near me.’ “Sit here while I find a nearby hospital you can go to.”

The girl grunts in annoyance and becomes visibly agitated at Hiromi, who is standing in front of her. Letting her pride get the best of her, she tries to stand up, all wobbly and in pain, as she speaks to Hiromi again.

“Like I said the first time, I’m fine…I don’t even know you and you’re sitting me down on this bench like I’m a child!” The girl hisses at Hiromi as she tries to stand up on her own, but quickly sat back down as her leg was too painful to stand.

“You’re limping as you walk. That’s not what ‘fine’ looks like. Your logic is flawed and it makes me wonder if you’re just plain stupid.” Hiromi crosses his arms as he watches the girl’s attempted at standing up. He was unusually harsh, even to his demeanor. Maybe it was just all the overworked tension he had inside of him.

“If you’re “fine” as you say, then why are you limping and bleeding your whole leg out? You are proof of your incompetence.”

The girl became stunned as she did not expect him to reply the way he did. She stayed quiet as she couldn’t speak due to her surprise. Even Hiromi himself became surprised at his sudden harshness. Nonetheless, he was annoyed at this moment and didn’t realize the extent of his harshness towards her.

Realizing she was not fighting back with words, Hiromi just sighed and felt his composure come back. “So why don’t you just try think logically and push your own pride aside for five seconds? I’m trying to help you.”

“I just don’t understand how all I did was bump into you on accident and you’re treating this like I’ve just committed the world’s biggest crime.” She retaliates to him exasperatedly. “Also, I told you to leave. If I want to bleed out here on this bench, let me…but I don’t need your help, stranger.”

Hiromi gives her a stern look as he looks away from his phone. “All I said was you need to be more careful and you got mad. Now, you’re limping and bleeding and still trying to walk and act like it’s fine. You’re in no shape to keep moving.” He continued as he looked at her. “It’s a matter of a safety, not an inconvenience. I need to help you because I’m the one you bumped into. I’ll leave after you get help. Think about it.” He sounded annoyed.

“Since when does a stranger who knows nothing about me care so much?” She snaps back at him with some apparent attitude in her expression.

“I don’t need to know you to know that you will continue to get hurt if you keep walking in the state you’re in.” Hiromi responded as he stopped to think why he really was so concerned for her.

‘I could’ve just let her go as she wished but I keep insisting…maybe it’s because I feel bad she fell and I happened to be the one she bumped into..’ Hiromi thought this to himself.

Hiromi found a nearby hospital just five minutes away by car and started to look for a cab to take her. Considering it was too late at night, he had a hard time finding and ordering one and without wasting time, he wanted to get her checked quickly before her injury got worse.

“I’m taking you to the hospital,” he quickly said as he held out his hand so she could stand up. “I can’t wait for a cab to get here just so you could keep bleeding out.”

The girl took his hand softly and lifted herself up slowly. “Bold of you to assume I can afford a hospital visit! You don’t even know me and you’re taking me to the hospital?!”

Hiromi looks at her with disbelief. He couldn’t believe she was arguing now about getting the help she needed. “You could have a broken bone for all I know! You should at least have a check up. “ he raises his voice in annoyance. “I’ll pay for it.”

“Okay, okay! Fine. Whatever it takes for you to leave me alone.” The girl snapped back and Hiromi just shakes his head in frustration as they both walk towards his car.

“Just saying, do you know how dangerous it sounds for a young woman like me to be getting into a complete stranger’s car who I don’t even know?” The girl began to speak to Hiromi as he softly held her waist to support her walking. He sighed as he heard this and rolled his eyes as far back as his frustration let him.

“I’m a lawyer. I’m not some random guy.” Hiromi explains as he continues to help her walk as she limps. “Do I look like a kidnapper to you or something?”

Hiromi notices the girl blush slightly as if she was thinking of what to say next. “Well…no…” she pauses for a second. “but haven’t you heard of those stories on what happens to girls when bad guys lure them somewhere, right? You wouldn’t even understand…you’re just a man.”

“Yes, unfortunately, I see those stories all the time,” Hiromi sighs. “but I am not a kidnapper. I wouldn’t risk my life or occupation to be doing those disgusting things. I know it sounds hard to believe but I can assure you that I am not a creep.”

The girl listened to him and felt that he was being honest. She didn’t feel as if his helping to her was with bad intentions. She started to realize that he wanted to make sure she was safe, especially it being late at night and having an injured leg where anything could’ve happened. She would’ve never gotten into a stranger’s car, much less a man’s car, but she was in a vulnerable state and had no choice at this point.

As they got into his car, Hiromi started to drive her to the hospital that was nearby.

——

After some time, Hiromi is in the waiting area of the hospital waiting for the girl to be finished being seen by the medical staff. After a few more minutes go by, he sees the girl walk out with crutches and her leg all bandaged up, preventing any more blood from spilling out. He hears the doctor who helped her speak out to her.

“Alright miss (Y/N), you’re all good to go. Make sure to rest well so you can recover faster.” The doctor gave her a small smile as she said her thank you’s and goodbyes to them.

As Hiromi listened, he realized he had never gotten her name. When the doctor said it, he felt his heart skip a beat for a moment.

‘(Y/N)…what a pretty name for a stubborn girl.’ He thought to himself as he saw her make her way towards him.

“Oh, you’re still here,” (Y/N) sounded disappointed. “Why didn’t you leave?”

“As if I didn’t say I’d pay,” Hiromi retaliated, feeling his annoyance come back as he listened to her. “Let me pay your hospital visit and I’ll help you get home.”

(Y/N)’s eyes widened as she hears him say he’ll take her home. “Y-you don’t have to do that…” she says. “I can take myself home.”

“It’s late at night and god knows how long it will take to get a cab during these hours. Not to mention, as you said, creeps can be out there,” Hiromi retaliated in a frustrating way. “You’re lucky I’m not one of them and I’m trying to make sure you’re safe.”

Why was Hiromi so adamant about caring for this girl he never knew before? He didn’t plan to spend his night like this: Taking this girl to the hospital, paying her bill, and now offering to take her home. He himself didn’t know why he felt this way, but wanted to continue helping her. Maybe it was just how he is. In connection to helping others, especially when they’re in need, he wants to make sure he does his best. He may look and sometimes react hard-headed, but he really does have a good heart deep down.

(Y/N) was too tired and injured at this point to keep arguing back. She had no reason to mistrust this man, so she finally agreed. “Okay.”

Hiromi huffed in relief and felt calm after hearing her give in to his offer. After finishing paying the hospital bill, he helped walk her out back to his car, making sure she didn’t fall or trip while using the crutches.

(Y/N) didn’t want to admit it, but she did keep in mind how caring he was being with her. Although he doesn’t have a way with words, his actions were speaking louder than them. It was the little things that made her think this way. The way he refused to touch her unless he had gotten her permission, the way he softly helped her walk, even just opening the door for her and making sure her seat was adjusted so that her leg can rest comfortably in his car seat was enough for (Y/N) to blush softly and appreciate his gratitude. Nonetheless, she didn’t want to give in so easily. She still didn’t know this man completely and held up a strong shield with her pride.

Once (Y/N) directed him to drive towards her apartment, Hiromi began driving and the car was silent. As (Y/N) admired how clean and organized he kept his car, Hiromi took it as an opportunity to break the ice and stop the awkward silence.

“Do you like the car?” He asks while driving.

“It’s nice.” (Y/N) says blankly as she looks out the window, even though it’s hard to see when it’s dark out.

“Thank you,” Hiromi says as he thinks of something else to say. “By the way, I never got your name. I heard the doctor say it was (Y/N), right?” He asks her politely, trying to remain calm and start over and on a better note than earlier.

“Am I required to tell you? I don’t think so…” (Y/N) snaps at him and looks down. “You’re so frustrating. Just get me home.”

Hiromi is taken aback by her sudden response and felt a little offended by it. “It’s common courtesy to introduce yourself, is it not?” He says with a slightly annoyed tone to his voice.

‘Who does she think she is? A queen?’ He thinks to himself as he keeps driving, becoming annoyed once more.

“You’re acting like you’re some ‘perfect guy’. You didn’t introduce yourself either other than you’re a lawyer!” (Y/N) responds back as he can clearly see she sounds more annoyed as she speaks.

“Honestly, you’re being very rude! Do you not see how rude you’re being to someone who’s just trying to help you? Are you that immature?” Hiromi speaks with a sharp tone to his voice and is little by little increasing his frustration.

“I’m not being fucking rude!! What part of that don’t you understand?” (Y/N) yells at him and this caught Hiromi off guard that it causes him to flinch for a moment. His eyes widened as he did not expect for her to yell like this. This snapped something inside of him. There was no holding back now.

“Look at you…can’t even talk in a decent volume? Can you really not control your yells? Especially when we’re in a car?” Hiromi glares at her and raises his voice slightly.

“I can’t wait to drop you off...” Hiromi was being harsh due to her attitude, but somehow started to feel bad for speaking to her like this.

(Y/N)’s eyes widened as he spoke. She looked down at her lap and felt herself get teary-eyed. She didn’t make it obvious to him but maybe she took it too far. She didn’t mean to be acting this way, she was just going through a hard time. “I’m sorry…just please take me home…” (Y/N) said in a quiet, trembling voice.

Hiromi glances over and sees a tear run down her cheek even though she tried to hide it. He sighs and immediately feels his frustration and annoyance turn into guilt. He never meant to make her cry. He was only upset at the way she was acting towards him but he knew that he had to listen to her rather than respond to her harshly.

“I’m…sorry,” he calmly apologized sincerely and kept his eyes on the road. ‘I don’t know why a stranger’s tears has such an effect on me…I don’t know why I care so much’ he thinks to himself.

After a moment of silence, Hiromi decides to speak again. “Do you have any family you could call to tell about your injury, (Y/N)?” He asked as he was genuinely concerned.

“No…” (Y/N) responded quietly as she wiped a tear from her cheek. She seemed defeated and he realized that she wasn’t trying to argue anymore.

Hiromi felt his heart hurt after hearing her say ‘no’. Did she not have any family? He would ask her about it but it’s not the time right now to do so. She needs time and space.

“I see…” is all he manages to get out. While there is still an awkward space of silence between them, Hiromi still tries his best to speak with her even if it’s a small, pointless conversation.

“If you don’t mind me asking, how old are you? (Y/N)?” Hiromi looks at her for second, giving her a small smile to lighten up the mood.

In this moment, he sees her face look at him slightly. Her eyes are watered up and red from wanting to cry, but something about her seems precious, seems genuine.

The minute (Y/N) looks at him, she felt her heart beat out of her chest. She saw this man smile for the first time tonight and she felt comfortable.

“…I’m (your age).” (Y/N) speaks quietly as he she sees him genuinely interested in speaking with her. It makes her heart flutter in a way she couldn’t describe.

‘I should just give him a chance…he really has been generous towards me ever since I bumped into him.’ (Y/N) thinks to herself.

Now, as there was silence, it wasn’t as uncomfortable as before. As he was nearing her apartment, he got out of the car first and came to the passenger side of the door to open it and help her out.

As she stood up, (Y/N) began to speak.

“Mr. Lawyer sir,” (Y/N) cringed at the name she gave him as she still didn’t know this man’s name. “I’m sorry…if I’ve sounded like a complete bitch this whole night. I’m just going through a lot right now and…I’m feeling scared of my emotions at the moment.” She felt a tear drop as she continued.

“I’m grateful for everything you’ve done today…taking me to a hospital, paying for my visit, even driving me home even though you don’t know who I am…no stranger would ever go this far…”

“I’m just…in a really self-destructive place in my life right now and all I can do is detach from anyone and anything at the moment because…I have no one to turn to.” (Y/N) breaks down in tears as she finishes the last sentence.

Hiromi’s heart shatters in guilt and sorrow as she hears her speak. He feels just as bad for taking out his bad attitude on her even if he was just defending himself. Now that he knows the real reason why she’s been acting this way, he lets all his frustration and annoyance from earlier subside and feels sympathy and care for her. It gives him heart ache to hear that she has no one to turn to.

“I understand if you hate me…I wasn’t being kind to you.”

“I don’t hate you, (Y/N)…” Hiromi starts to speak.

“You know what? Let’s just start over,” Hiromi says as he sighs in content. “We both met on bad terms. I think we both were too sensitive in our emotions when we first encountered each other. Why not start over and get to know each other the proper way this time?”

(Y/N) wipes her tears off as she nods in agreement.

“Thank you, Mr. Lawyer sir…” Hiromi blushes at his nickname. He thinks it’s cute of her to call him that. “I don’t even know your name but I don’t think I deserve to after the way I’ve treated you. I wish you the best, thank you for helping me.”

(Y/N) turns around to start walking towards her apartment when all of a sudden, Hiromi speaks behind her.

“My name’s Hiromi Higuruma, but you can call me Hiromi. but I was kind of liking the “Mr. Lawyer sir” name you had going for me.” Hiromi chuckled a bit as he stopped her on her tracks.

As Hiromi looks at (Y/N), he thinks about wanting to be there for her. He doesn’t know why he feels this way. Maybe it’s because he’s feeling bad about her and wants to help her? Or maybe it’s guilt from how he acted earlier? Whatever the reason is, he feels something in his heart that’s making him feel that he should be the one to show her care and how much she’s worth.

“(Y/N), only if you’d let me, I’d like to get to know you more.”

“You would? But…wouldn’t you rather get to know someone who is actually worth your time? Someone better than me…a girl without a stank attitude like me.” (Y/N) spoke softly to him.

Yes, this is what it’s about. Self worth.

‘She probably doesn’t see how valuable she truly is. That’s the problem.’ He thinks to himself as he looks at her.

Hiromi thinks of what he wants to do. He wants to be able to show her a side of herself that she does not possibly see often. He suddenly has to motivation to want to help her and be there for her. Even if he were to give words of affirmation everyday, he feels as if she won’t believe him…

He’d have to show her. Show her I care and that she is worth caring for.

“Give me your phone number, please,” Hiromi asked bravely, making (Y/N) blush.

“How come?” (Y/N) asks questioningly as she tilts her head.

“Just…please. I want to help you.” He hands his phone over to her so she could input her number in his contacts. Once doing so, he saved it under her name.

“Thank you, (Y/N). I want to hear from you again, okay?” Hiromi gave her a soft heart-warming smile as he was preparing to leave for the night.

(Y/N) finally started to feel at ease with this man and let herself trust him little by little. She let him help her walk up towards her apartment door so she wouldn’t fall or trip with her crutches. Once she went inside, he said his goodbyes and repeated his sentence.

“Goodnight, (Y/N). I hope you feel better. And, don’t forget, I really do want to hear from you again, okay? I just want to know how you’re doing.”

(Y/N) smiled softly at his sentence, making his heart flutter for the first time tonight. He felt something inside of him feel warm once he saw her smile. “Thank you, Mr. Lawyer—oh, sorry, Hiromi.”

‘Such a gorgeous smile.’ He thinks to himself.

“Mr. lawyer sir, Hiromi, higuruma, I’m okay with anything.” He laughs.

“See you later, (Y/N). Get some rest.” As he says this sentence, he waves her goodbye and heads back to his car to drive home.

If only they both knew this would be the start of something beautiful.

***

end of part one.

[hailarabbit281]

Shirlulu hints from Lelouch of the Rebellion Exhibition Pamphlet Book

I don't know Japanese so it's done by all Google Translate. If anyone knows Japanese and would like to translate these, please feel free to do so

SHIRLEY FENETTE

Pretty and lively. Although she is busy with both the swimming club and the student council, her eyes are always fixed on Lelouch. She notices the dangerous expression he sometimes shows, and no matter what difficulties she faces, her feelings for him always win out in the end.

好きという気持ちは強制されて成立するものではない。分かってはいる。だけどカップル認定してもらえるのなら、誰もが思 いを寄せる人の元へ走るのではないか。ミレイによって開かれた「キューピッドの日」。シャーリーはルルーシュを追った。彼 のいそうな場所へ･･････。そして2人はとても自然に、イベント内でカップルとなった。

Feelings of love cannot be forced. Everyone knows that. But if they could be recognized as a couple, wouldn't everyone run to the person they have a crush on? Milly held "Cupid's Day." Shirley followed Lelouch. To the place where he was likely to be... And the two of them became a couple very naturally during the event.

Personal note: I like how it's obvious to the student body and very natural/expected for them to become a couple. There are always these cases where two people evidently care about each other enough for everyone around to think "It wouldn't be a surprise if they started dating any time soon", and Lelouch and Shirley is one example of such cases, showing that Shirley's feelings were definitely not one-sided at all.

死ぬな、死ぬなっ!

いつもそばにいた。平和な世界の象徴だった。疎 ましく思ったこともある。だけどそれは、本当に心 を許せる相手だったから。ありのままでいられる 相手だった。代わりの存在などどこにもいない。 目の前で消えていくその声を、姿をただ、見てい ることしかできなかった。ギアスは命を奪ってい く。大切な人を奪っていく。

Don't die, don't die!

She was always by his side. She was a symbol of a peaceful world. There were times when he felt lonely, but that was because she was someone he could truly open up to. She was someone he could be himself with. There is no replacement for her. All he could do was to watch her voice and figure disappearing before his eyes. Geass takes away lives. Taking away someone important to you.

ギアスのためにシャーリーを失った悲しみがルルーシュの中で憎悪へ変換さ れ、その矛先がギアス嚮団に向けられた。

Lelouch's grief over losing Shirley to Geass transformed into hatred, and he directed that hatred at the Geass Order.

The script writer direction of the work

Script by Ichiro Okouchi

I had decided to make the main character of my new show a cool hero.

He has supernatural powers, is full of talent, and has a great appearance. A super character who seems to have the whole world in his hands.

But even though he has everything, he can't get the things that are close to him that everyone else can have.

I wrote Lelouch as a boy with such a curse.

He has the absolute power of Geass, and is a great villain who has access to organizations, military power, power, and eventually even the world.

But he can't get small human happiness - friendship, family, or a lover. He has access to everything else.

But in the end, he gets friendship and a family.

In exchange for his life...

That was the character of Lelouch that I had in mind when I first started planning the show.

I worked on the character with the director and many other staff members, and it took the form of an animation.

How did it reach you all?

The trajectory of Lelouch exhibited here exceeded my initial imagination, becoming much more expansive and richer, almost like the life of a single person.

I believe this exhibition will not be complete until all of you who know Lelouch have seen it.

Thank you all for coming to see Lelouch this time.

I hope to be able to repay this gratitude by one day appearing before you all in person.

CODE GEASS Lelouch of the Rebellion

Personal note: In the OG anime series, Shirley is the only one that becomes Lelouch 's girlfriend after the Cupid Day event (if you listen to the outro of R2 Ep12, you will hear Lelouch trying to balance his Zero acitivies and planning out his date with Shirley at the same time). Lelouch has always taken Shirley's feelings seriously, and that's why he erased her love for him in R1 ( to relieve her of the pain he had caused her for killing her father) and then in R2, he didn't want to let Shirley take his hat at first out of fear of getting her involved in his shit again.

I have always taken Lelouch's vehement "NO!" when Shirley accused him of not being serious when he said that he liked her as him admitting that he liked her, just that he was being weighed down by many dangerous things to properly reciprocate her feelings. But Lelouch gave in to Shirley's straightforward sincerity, accepted Shirley's feelings and his own feelings as well at the end of the Cupid Day event.

And guess what, Shirley was taken away from him immediately in the next episode. And it's clearly the intention of the script writer: Lelouch seemed to have the whole world in his hands, seemed to have everything, except for the little normal happiness like friendship, family, or a lover. In the end, he got friendship (Suzaku) and family (Nunally), in exchange for his life. Notice that the "lover" part is still missing? Because Shirley is gone...

[what-gs-watching]

“Now, I may be wrong, but frankly, I doubt it.”

So I finished a draft of my new and improved resume today and I’m super jazzed about it. It looks hella professional (jokes on you, recruiters!) and it makes sense in a way my resumes never have before. I’ve got that nice, warm feeling of accomplishment going. Gotta appreciate the little wins where you can. 

Keeping with this nice little boost ( while I listen to 1989 Taylor’s Version), I wanna talk about another comfort show I got into last year. Stay with me here, really.

Murder, She Wrote.

HEAR ME OUT!

Wherein a retired English teacher from a sleepy seaside town in Maine that never gentrifies simultaneously discovers she’s incredible at writing murder mysteries and solving real life murders. 

If you were born in the 80’s like I was, you’ve seen at least pieces of episodes on tv when you were a kid. You could probably recognize the intro music and you most likely think ‘yeah, I’m good on that.’ BUT! But, but, but….

It’s really got everything. Random murders with ridiculous weapons that make you go ‘I really don’t think that would have killed someone’ and dead bodies with very little blood. Like, there’s never blood. And random guest stars you’d never expect. And murderers you can guess sometimes and sometimes you can’t because it’s convoluted or silly but that makes the episode better. But those wily murderers are always, always caught.

And there are TWELVE SEASONS! 264 episodes, running longer than the typical 42 minutes because we used to not shove so many ads down our fucking throats. 

I spent like, nine months making my way through it and it was fantastic. Jessica Fletcher is an absolute badass, and she’s the grandmother figure I didn’t even realize I wanted. This bish is polite to a fault, whip smart, observant, and she faces down murderer after murderer without ever losing her nerve. She is utterly fierce, but kind. And you don’t really get a lot of female characters like that. 

This powerhouse would outwit cops easily, solve their shit with the weirdest clues and seemingly random details, and then she’d make them feel like they did a good job and let them take the credit. She doesn’t want notoriety, she’s already got it through her best sellers, she just wants to help and ultimately catch the bad guy. 

There are so many things I love about this show. It satisfies my pure, unadulterated lust for ridiculous murders, while making you feel cozy as hell. It’s comforting to know that by the end of the episode someone was going down and everything would be wrapped up neatly. Sometimes you need that. 

And the fact that her character is an extremely accomplished writer in the universe is wonderful. Like, she sat down at her kitchen table one day and banged out some incredible book. And then kept doing it. Throughout the series, there’s mention of like THIRTY different books that she wrote. It’s totally implausible, there’s no way she’s writing like two books a year while also running into all these dead bodies but I love it. It makes my heart happy. It makes me want to write something, finally. Something real. 

And y’all. The cameos. THE CAMEOS! Young Courtney Cox. JERRY ORBACH and his entire arc! George freakin’ Clooney. Baby Neil Patrick Harris! That one guy from that thing, and that chick from the other thing! Literally, everyone. I got my sister watching and she was behind me so every couple of days she was getting texts about who popped up. It’s impressive, really. If you were trying to be anyone in the late eighties, early nineties, you had to get your ass on Murder, She Wrote. 

ALSO, Angela Lansbury is amazing. Hell of an actress, talent oozing from her pores. At one point, she plays her own British cousin, and it’s fantastic. She was in her 60’s when the show started! Like, someone gave a 60-year-old actress her own show. She was a ground breaker, a glass shatterer. She was a fucking icon. 

I’m not sure what I’m driving at here really, but the show is just, such a place and time. And that place and time are really beautiful and relaxing and soothing and silly and entertaining. You don’t get shows like this anymore. Everything has to be edgy and dark and foreboding and yeah it’s a show about murder primarily but it doesn’t feel like that. Why can’t we make fluffy murder shows that make you feel like you're just hanging out with your cool aunt, and she’s radiating  the intrinsic knowledge that everything is going to be perfectly fine? Why isn’t that a thing? Are we just that terribly jaded now? 

Jessica Fletcher is a treasure. And she’ll warm your heart from the inside out. If you need to be snug and cozy, Cabot Cove is the place for you. It never changes and it never should and there are no loose ends. It’s just nice. And there isn’t enough nice out there. Trust me, and get it where you can.

[littleandless]

i must preface the following statement by saying this: i enjoy the show and i’m happy with it overall.

that said, there have been several writing decisions that i (and many others) do not like. but i don’t think we can blame the writers too much. not entirely. because after all, even an HBO project is beholden first and foremost to the great gods of Budgeting and Scheduling. they don’t call it show business for nothing!

there is simply no way that the writers and showrunners could fit even the admittedly small “dance” portion of fire & blood in just the 18 episodes we’ll have by season’s end. season three may give us 8-10 more episodes, but even with that addition they’ll have less than 30 hours of screen time to develop a story with huge, generation-spanning in-world implications. and i’m not totally sure at this point, but realistically i don’t see this show continuing beyond a third season.

all of this is not to say that they’ve handled the restrictions perfectly, however. i’m sure there are talented people out there who could have done more with the material if given the opportunity. other people may also have done less! so i suppose i’ll be grateful for the wins (tragic rhaenicent) and try to make my peace with the losses (nettles my sweet darling).

also i’m sure the special effects take up like 80% of the budget lol

[lazbotronence]

5 minutes with... TEDxBrighton's Laurence Rickard [x]

8 Oct 2015

TEDxBrighton caught up with this year's host Laurence Rickard. Larry (as he would prefer you all to call him) is a BAFTA-winning comedy writer and actor, probably best known for his work on the hit BBC sketch show Horrible Histories and the Sky 1 fantasy comedy Yonderland.

What are you doing right now?

I'm on a train, which is where I spend a fair proportion of my life. I find I get huge amounts of work done on trains, because I can't procrastinate by making a sandwich or going for a walk... Well, not for a very long walk anyway. Though answering these questions means I'm not doing the re-write that I've promised my producer. If she shouts at me, I'm going to give her your number.

What was your first thought when invited to host this year’s event?

Honestly? I was worried that I'd taken on something I wouldn't have time to do. But then I feel that when I agree to do most things. It'll be fine. I just like to worry.

You’re undoubtedly extremely busy this year with your writing and acting, and also with the release of your first film, Bill. With this in mind, what persuaded you to add this role to your already crammed to do list?

I went to school with Sam, one of the organisers, so he probably has quite a lot of dirt on me. I thought it best not to cross him, in case he had a copy of that demo my band did when I was 15. I wouldn't want that getting out. Also, it's TED, isn't it. It's an institution. I felt very privileged to have been asked.

This year’s conference is about losing control. When was the last time you lost control and why?

Well, I'm five days away from the release of a film right now (it's called Bill and it's in cinemas on September 18th – you should definitely go and see it), so I'm probably running on slightly heightened levels of anxiety and reduced levels of sleep. I'm not sure I'd say I've 'lost control' at any point, but there's been a few moments where I've raised my voice a bit, which is very rare for me. That's a very British answer isn't it? You ask when I lost control and I tell you the last time I raised my voice. Hardly a thundering maelstrom – I don't think it'll make the papers.

TEDx is all about sharing inspiring concepts and ideas. Who has been your biggest inspiration and why?

Probably my drama and English teacher at secondary school. He was always so supportive and encouraging. On reflection he was quite anti-establishment – he would give you a thousand merit points for a piece of writing, which both bolstered your self-confidence and made a complete mockery of the 'merit point' system. That was him all over. I was quite shruggy-shoulders about most of my school life, but I looked forward to his lessons so much. He encouraged me to write and act, and now I write and act – if that's not an inspiration, I don't know what is.

If you were asked to deliver a TED talk, what would you like to talk about and who would you most like to deliver your talk to?

I'd probably talk to young people about the celebration of celebrity. I worry that there's a generation who are, in many ways, being robbed of inspiration, and I don't think that's fair on them. People who, in a world of Geordie Shore and vlogs about making a nice breakfast, think that 'being a celebrity' is a goal to strive towards. Not trying to learn a skill or an art or hone a talent, but wanting to get 'rich and famous' by doing something that, in essence, pretty much anyone could do. You just want them to find that thing – whether it's bricklaying or mastering the violin – that enthuses and inspires them beyond the desire to one day have 2 million Twitter followers. Making sure that the world's best UN Secretary General doesn't end up never existing because they became the next Joey Essex instead.

As a born and bred resident of Brighton and Hove, what do you love most about this city?

I like its size. It's a walkable city. I lived in that London for a bit, and people travel for two hours just to meet up for a beer. That seems mad to me. And I like that Brighton is, on the whole, tolerant, liberal and diverse. I don't like that big spike they've put by the West Pier though. I just don't get it – we are a city of vibrant streets, not striking skylines. The view in one direction will just be roofs, and the other will just be just water. I never really got the thrill of looking at stuff from a bit higher up.

If you could take just one book, film and album on holiday this year, which would you take?

The film please.

What do you think events like TEDx offer to audiences?

Tickets I'd imagine. That would be the model I'd adopt. It's simplest in terms of seating etc. Plus the revenue would help to cover production costs. It's certainly worth looking into.

If you could pick a theme for next year's conference what theme would you most like to explore and why?

Special Effects Techniques in the Original Star Wars Trilogy. It's the only thing I can speak about with any authority.

[miabrown007]

20 Questions for Fic Writers

I have been tagged for this by an astonishing amount of people, thank you for thinking of me @chocoluckchipz @ladyofthenoodle @kasienda @rosie-b and @burntwaffle12! 💜

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

58 (+ 1 in hiding because past me couldn't handle having unfinished fics fdgh)

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

333,162 words (+ about 80k of heist AU will be joining this slowly)

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Miraculous Ladybug (I have fics for Harry Potter and The Inheritance Games but I don't really consider myself someone who actively writes for those fandom)

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Hiding in Plain Sight

don't ask questions you don't wanna know

seven is my lucky number

Save You a Seat

17 days, 2 hours and some odd minutes

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I do! I wrote all that and someone decided to write back and discuss it with me? of course I will!

6. What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

hmm, maybe hold your friends close (but your enemies closer)? but I do regularly get yelled at when someone at the Writers Guild remembers the flowers that we've grown together, so that's a win too

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

probably seven is my lucky number with the sappiest-happiest ending. though the ending that makes me the happiest must be that of Felonies and Other Love Languages

8. Do you get hate on fics?

not really *knocks on wood*

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

no because I'm a coward 😭 (also writing smut is so hard! though it is known that ace people write the best, so maybe I'm naturally talented and just don't know it)

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

not really. in Lost & Found the Teen Titans kind of adopt Adrien but they don't have dialogue because it's not a proper crossover. similarly, in Fighting Dragons with You Cedric Diggory is mentioned and Dramione is canon (to me), but all of that has zero impact on the plot

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

not that I know of

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

yes, a few to Russian

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

yes, I tried it a couple times, but only one fic of those did we ever finish.

14. What's your all-time favourite ship?

love-square!

15. What's a WIP you want to finish, but doubt you ever will?

fdgfhj all of my WIPs at the moment? 😂 honestly it would be so nice to have (no one can) rewrite the stars finished (that's my hidden fic, ladrien dating/marichat soulmates), but I don't think I'll ever be excited about it enough again to go back and rewrite the 20k chilling in my docs that I planned to do after realizing the current setup wasn't the best it could be

16. What are your writing strengths?

planning, keeping details in check. I usually tinker enough with details that there's not many inconsistencies left. also, I think I'm good with dialogue and usually with the pacing of information

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

not stressing over how something is phrased and putting down actual words instead. it makes writing so excruciatingly slow and sometimes stressful that I want to get things perfect. also, descriptions are so hard, because I don't want to describe things plainly or in a dull way, but finding interesting ways takes a lot of effort.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

I have done it, but honestly most of the time you're probably better off using italics.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Harry Potter

20. Favourite fic you've ever written?

Felonies and Other Love Languages <333

tagging @valiantlyjollynightmare @noirshitsuji @sunfoxfic @peachcitt @anna-scribbles if you feel like playing <3

[slamamanderb]

I think that part of the reason I'm so drawn to Maria Nearl is because of how she recognizes that she's happiest as a background character. We get so many stories about Special People who do Heroic Things and spread Justice for all. And Maria could be that person - just look at how well she did in her first Major with minimal training and near-nonexistent backing! But after tasting the triumph and the fame of a tremendous tournament run, she chooses to put herself first and concede the spotlight.

She was born with all of the makings of a Main Character; a strong sense of justice, oodles of tenacity, legendary lineage, powerful arts, orphaned at a young age, strong and reliable older sister who was forcibly separated, capable but contrasting aunt/uncle mentor figures, yada yada yada. These are things that set up perfectly her role in the Kazimierz arc, where she is cast as the familiar gifted youngster with a good heart who succeeds against all odds.

I don't think it would have been at all out of place if Near Light had ended with Maria triumphing over the Blood Knight. After Margaret swooped in to save the day in a rigged match, the writers could have invoked the Bond of Sisterhood and had Margaret coach Maria to victory with the wisdom she gained in her exile. But that's not what happened. Maria, who earned her spot in the tournament with blood and sweat, hands her place to Margaret as if it's the most natural thing in the world to do. Because to her, I think that it is. She never entered the tournament for Blemishine to win. She entered the tournament so that House Nearl wouldn't lose it's status for not having a Knight Primus. So when Magaret shows up to set that right, the problem is fixed as far as Maria is concerned.

It's not about whether or not she is a good knight. She is! [and anyone who says otherwise can fight me!] It isn't about whether or not she prefers the workshop to the training field either. It's about turning herself into the right tool for the job, and finding satisfaction in being a bulwark of support for her beliefs. A common thread in her story is about how her ideals are somehow weak and lesser because they are inspired by someone else. But to me, that's fundamentally wrong!

The idea that she couldn't sweep her first Major with nearly no training because she didn't "believe" strongly enough is absurd. You don't have to come up with an idea to believe in it yourself. You don't have to stand front and center in the court of public opinion for your actions to have any weight. Helping the Main Character is sometimes more important for getting the job done than trying to be another one yourself. And Maria has plenty of ways that she's uniquely capable of supporting Margaret. At the end of her op rec, she very specifically separates her literal smithing skills from a more general conviction; that she would forge any "tools" to open up "a way" for Margaret.

To me, it's the story of the talented little sister in the background that is more enchanting than the unstoppable big sister in the center of the stage.  It just tickles my brain in such a way that I can't stop rooting for her.

Happy Birthday Maria :)

From the end of her Op Rec: https://arknights.fandom.com/wiki/Blemishine/Operator_Record

Blemishine:

"I don't need the spotlight shone on me. If she [Margaret] can carry the equipment I've cast for her to stand in that light, that's enough for me."

"If she wants a sword, then I'll forge her the sharpest sword. If she wants a shield, I'll forge her the sturdiest shield."

"If she wants a way, then, well, I'll forge her the best tools to open it."

"That's all there is to it."

[kamreadsandrecs]

Title: The Reformatory

Author: Tananarive Due

Genre/s: historical, horror

Content/Trigger Warnings: historically accurate depictions of racism and prejudice in the Jim Crow South, including implicit references to rape, lynching, and slavery, and explicit depictions of segregation and harassment; historically accurate depictions of the treatment of the boys sent to reform schools like the Dozier School for Boys; antisemitism; homophobia

Summary (from publisher's website): Gracetown, Florida

June 1950

Twelve-year-old Robbie Stephens, Jr., is sentenced to six months at the Gracetown School for Boys, a reformatory, for kicking the son of the largest landowner in town in defense of his older sister, Gloria. So begins Robbie’s journey further into the terrors of the Jim Crow South and the very real horror of the school they call The Reformatory.

Robbie has a talent for seeing ghosts, or haints. But what was once a comfort to him after the loss of his mother has become a window to the truth of what happens at the reformatory. Boys forced to work to remediate their so-called crimes have gone missing, but the haints Robbie sees hint at worse things. Through his friends Redbone and Blue, Robbie is learning not just the rules but how to survive. Meanwhile, Gloria is rallying every family member and connection in Florida to find a way to get Robbie out before it’s too late.

The Reformatory is a haunting work of historical fiction written as only American Book Award–winning author Tananarive Due could, by piecing together the life of the relative her family never spoke of and bringing his tragedy and those of so many others at the infamous Dozier School for Boys to the light in this riveting novel.

Buy Here: https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-reformatory/18860170

Spoiler-Free Review: I think it wasn't a good idea to follow up Kiesling's Mobility with this one, because Mobility made me angry, but this one made me angry AND sad and terrified. Despite that though it's still SO VERY GOOD.

This novel follows in the pattern I’ve seen a lot of BIPOC horror writers go: to show the horror and monstrosity of the real-world systemic problem of racism. But what Due does here is to laser-focus on the atrocities committed in institutions like the Dozier School for Boys in Florida, which is the main inspiration for the titular Reformatory in this book, as well as on life in the Jim Crow South, using Gracetown as a kind of microcosm of the wider milieu at the time the story is set.

While the history itself is very interesting, and the references Due provides at the end of the novel are going into my TBR list for future reading, it’s the characters that really pulled me into this. The protagonists, Robbie and Gloria, are the lynchpins around which this entire story hinges and they are absolutely stellar. Robbie is an excellent portrayal of a twelve-year-old boy caught in up in unjust and dangerous circumstances, trying to do his best to survive. He doesn’t always make smart decisions, but he’s just twelve after all: something which is both heartbreaking and frightening given where he is for most of the novel.

I’m most drawn to his older sister, Gloria. She’s entirely, heartbreakingly human: constantly drifting between anger, blame, and guilt, but always, ALWAYS trying to do what’s best for her family and for her community. Like her brother, she doesn’t always make the best decisions, but then again she’s just a teenager herself, forced to give up so much of her own dreams and aspirations in order to take care of her family. She gives “Eldest Asian Daughter” vibes, though I guess that should more accurately be “Eldest BIPOC Daughter” vibes, given how familiar Gloria’s situation will be to more POC than just Asians.

I’m also delighted by the other characters around the protagonists. Miz Lottie is a personal favorite of mine, partially because of her maternal nature, but also because of her inner strength of will, which is rooted in her backstory. Said backstory isn’t told in explicit detail, but there’s plenty of information in the book (and hopefully in the reader’s own knowledge of history) to give a pretty good picture of what said backstory is, without the author having to show it. The same goes for June and Waymon, and Gloria and Robert’s father: their stories tell facets of African-American history that are never explicitly discussed, but anyone with a good grasp of history ought to be able to pick them up just fine.

As for the other characters, both white and Black, well… Not all of them are as villainous as the novel’s main antagonist (who is TRULY a piece of work in an utterly nightmarish - and historically accurate - way), but it becomes so easy to see why Gracetown and the Reformatory are as bad as they are. Their reluctance to fight back against the system is, sometimes, not their fault, as they, too, are trapped by the system in some way (because they’re a woman, or they’re Jewish, or are probably gay, or trans), but sometimes their reluctance is borne of how they hinge so much of their lives on “respectability” and their own personal comfort that they cannot actually DO anything progressive. It’s not a particularly obvious thread in the novel, but Due certainly doesn’t hesitate to point out that respectability never got anyone anywhere when those one is opposing don’t follow the same rules about respectability as oneself does.

But what I think this book does best is also the thing it is the least subtle about: that the real horror is the systemic history of racism and slavery in the United States, a history that the country still refuses to acknowledge and deal with upfront, and instead keeps trying to silence and bury. The ghosts are spooky, sure, and there were moments when I had to go “Noooope!” and put the book away despite deliberately choosing to read it in daylight, but the real monster here is the very, VERY deep vein of racism that ran and continues to run through American society. The details as Due describes them are rooted in history; she explains in her Author’s Note at the end of the book the kind of research she undertook to get those details right. What’s saddening (and terrifying) is that she didn’t have to look very far to find first-hand witnesses to those atrocities described in the book. It’s easy to forget that lynching was still popular in the 1950s, a scant 70-odd years ago, and that many of the people who took part in the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s-1970s are still alive today.

Overall, this novel is a very scary, utterly nightmarish read - and not necessarily because of the ghosts. In fact, in some ways the ghosts are the least scary part of it. The scariest part is the history that Due uses as the groundwork for this novel - and the realization that we are still haunted by that history in the present day.

Rating: five freed haints

[alexabrier]

I think the Wyler writers are so awesome! Usually when I read one of my favorite ships, I spend so long looking for a story which I would like. And Wyler writers are so talented and there are so many fanfictions that are great!!!

My favorites:

When Is a Monster Not a Monster? by Little_Brother

English translation

“You can ask me, you know.” Tyler stated eventually. “Ask you what?” “Anything,” such a simple word, spoken with such compuser, and yet Wednesday could hear the underlying tremble in it. “That’s why you’re here, isn’t it?” Wednesday huffed. “How do you know? Maybe I just missed the Hyde.” As the words left her lips, she could almost sense the shift in the room. Tyler’s shoulders tensed, his knuckles whitened, and she could swear his hazel eyes flashed red. “You better not say things like that,” Tyler said through clenched teeth. “Why not?” “Because he can hear you.”

The games you play (you would always and always win) by the_strangest_person

How did you get in?”

Tyler simply tilted his head at her, perhaps reminding her that she underestimated him once. Maybe it would be unwise to do so again.

“What are you doing here?” She tried again.

He leaned into her space confidently and she had half a mind to think that he was going to laugh directly in her face. “You’ve been looking for me”, he reminded her, “…it shouldn’t be a surprise that I’ve been looking for you too.”

What if we get out of this hellhole town? by HatsForBats

"With the media storm and the law on our tails, we've got this kinda Bonnie and Clyde thing going on."

OR

What if Wednesday hadn't run into Rowan on the night of the harvest festival?

What if Tyler was able to help her leave town? What if he went with her? What if they navigated dealing with his Hyde together?

But I tell you on ao3 there are other great wyler fanfictions that are definitely worth reading. Btw. I've read them all.

It's my biggest procrastination, I have to turn in seminar papers in 3 weeks at school, but every time I see someone has published a new story, the seminar papers wait and I go read. 😃

What are your favorite weyler fanfics?

[ohblimeygeorge]

Thank you for tagging @starlightiing @defendtothedeathgr63 @yesterdayiwrote !!

Who is your favourite driver? Georgie 🫶🏻

Do you have other favorite drivers?: Alex (v close behind <3), Lewis, Lando, Charles

Who is your least favorite driver? I don’t think I have a specific one I hate most but Fernando Alonso and Danny Ric are there

Do you pull for drivers or do you like teams as well? If my fave drivers are in a team then I’ll root for that team haha

If you like teams, what team do you pull for? Merc and Williams. Even tho I’m a fan of Lando and Charles too, I actually don’t care too much about McLaren or Ferrari lol. Although that might change a lil bit once 2025 hits 💀

How long have you been into F1? I think I started properly getting into it when I was like 15ish I reckon

What got you into F1? My dad! I’ve grown up watching it as he’s always loved it (and watched with his dad growing up too) so I sort of got sucked into it lol

Do you enjoy Fanfic/RPF? I do yeah! So many talented writers out there and I’m trying to get myself into a rhythm to write more often but it’s slow progress 😅

How do you view new fans? The more the merrier! Ain’t nothing to do with me lol. And even tho I’ve grown up watching F1, I still consider myself ‘new’ to f1blr as I’ve only been around since December so there’s still tons of stuff that’s gone on outside the races that I’m still learning about!

If you could take over as team principal for any team, who would it be and why? I love u James Vowles but I desperately want Alex to get his first win pls

Are your friends and family into F1 as well? Yep! My dad (obvs) and my brother are really into it too! My mum watches but only if she’s around like she’s more casual about it all. I’ve recently discovered someone at work who’s a fan too so that’s fun to talk to her as well!

Are you open to talking to other fans/making friends? Of course! I’m a gurt flipping loser when it comes to making the first move to people I want to talk to but I’m trying to be more brave and just do it lol but I am always up for people just appearing in my DMs too!

🏎️

Idk who to tag bc I’ve seen most ppl I follow have done it so feel free to join if you like!

[not-poignant]

hi! i'm a really big fan of yours and i want to thank you so much for sharing your talent with us. i was also so pleasantly surprised when i found out you did some of the really wonderful art for juliet marillier's books? which is so insane to think about because it's like two worlds colliding! would you ever talk about how that came about?

Hi anon!

So, Juliet Marillier got in touch with me, because she'd seen some of my animal artwork, and asked if I could do a hedgehog based cover for Prickle Moon, an acclaimed and award-winning anthology of really awesome short stories, being published by Ticonderoga (whose owners I know and who are also lovely people, and who I've also been published through re: short stories), the owners of Ticonderoga gave Juliet Marillier control over who she picked for the cover art, which is very rare! She was really polite and lovely, and we organised to meet in person because she only lives about 25 minutes from me.

I went to her house and we hung out and talked about many things, I met her lovely rescue dogs (she tends to rescue small elderly dogs, and gives them so much enrichment and love and care), and I showed her some of my original sketches and thoughts re: colour schemes, she picked what she liked and I got started.

After that, the cover was approved, we did a book signing together at Swancon one year (both of us signing the same anthology, which was amazing for me, because that was my first time signing anything), and then a short time later I joined a writer's group that she was a member of, along with many other published speculative fiction authors. We were all a part of Write Club for many years, but it sadly disbanded at the beginning of 2020. Though we still have a small chat group for the core members.

Juliet Marillier is a lovely person, an amazing writer, and she's also a member of the same spiritual group I am (the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids - OBOD). You'd never guess from meeting her that she's one of the most acclaimed women fantasy writers of the last few decades, or that she's travelled the world doing book signings etc. She's very humble, wry, funny, caring, and a little shy in social settings. I feel very fortunate and humbled that I got to spend time with her, and every time I see or think of hedgehogs I will forever think of Juliet Marillier. :)

Here's the full cover. It was done entirely in ink, watercolour pencil, and coloured pencil. I gave her the original artwork once it was done.

And here's some of my original sketches that I did, that I showed her at her home (including an illustration of different monochromatic colour palettes, Juliet chose purple/violet):

So yeah!

Tbh long before I wrote fanfiction and did things the way I do them now re: writing, I was actually a professional artist and award-winning author doing quite 'Serious' writing etc. I don't work as a professional artist anymore, but I do still sell some of my art and sometimes share it here. I've done a couple of other book and magazine covers over the years, and an internal illustration for the World Fantasy Award winning She Walks in Shadows anthology edited by the amazing Silvia Moreno-Garcia.

I've had some very cool experiences through my writing and my art, but being in a writer's group with Juliet Marillier and many other very excellent writers is definitely a highlight. :D