#they're doing their best with with the shit dialogue they've been given

[im-yotsu]

I watched the first ep of live action atla.

Holy shit that was so bad.

[pearwaldorf]

David Zaslav you owe me and all the fans AT LEAST two episodes' worth of character and story development. Or I guess we could just throw you under your yacht. I'm not picky.

I think everybody did the best they could with the time they were allotted. But oh god we needed at least five minutes of Stede and Ricky actually interacting. I'm so fucking mad we didn't get a good narrative and character parallel because it would have been so wonderfully chewy.

I love that Pop Pop didn't actually think to try and vet Ed as an actual person who can fish lmao. I'm still chewing on "Do what you're good at," because without that well-honed expertise everybody would have died. But any skill is a tool. It's not bad to kill to protect the people you love (in fiction anyways). I would argue sometimes it's absolutely necessary.

I'm a little sad we didn't get more Ed and Zheng (and Stede!) teamup. I would read so much fic where they all bicker about leadership and professionalism and why they all have to switch off on being bad cop.

I thought there was a possibility they'd kill Izzy off. So much of the dialogue from the trailer is from this last episode. I understand narrative beats and arcs. And given what happened this season, there's not really much more to say.

I would have preferred that he lived*, but he was given the best send-off you can give a fictional character: emotionally at peace, loved (and wouldn't that have been a mindfuck at the end of S1), and fences mended with the people you've hurt most and have hurt you. I hope we are all that lucky.

And these two fucking idiots. Neither of them know a goddamn thing about carpentry. Ed is going to forget to eat and have a hangry meltdown. Stede is going to bottle his feelings up because he's absolute fucking shit at taking his own advice about talking. They're both going to be terrible at customer service for different reasons, and they're going to try and kill whatever asshole is rude to the other.

And it's going to be hard, and it's going to suck sometimes, but it's a life that's going to be theirs. A thing they've both picked after not having a choice for so long. And I hope they'll keep picking it, because love and relationships are things you have to continually recommit to. But as I've said before, sometimes you cherish something the most fiercely because you've fought the hardest for it. I don't think either of them will lose sight of that.

--

* Was that even a Chekov's seagull when you know there's going to be some witchery afoot?

[haldenlith]

*eyes the new Dreadwolf "trailer"*

Hmm.

(Cutting so that if you don't want someone raining on your parade, you can easily just keep scrolling. But I want to get this rant off my chest.)

Why on this green (for now) Earth are you all losing your shit?

Why?

For starters, it says reveal, not release. Curb your enthusiasm. Saying "reveal" means they're saying, "hey, we'll actually have a REAL trailer and game to show you guys! ... In 2024!"

They're building hype for... a trailer. (I'm assuming it's going to just be a trailer. I'll be genuinely shocked if it's more than that.) And probably (maybe) when they're intending to actually say a release date. Which... ugh. Reeks of a bunch of suits in a marketing meeting going, "You know what'll really get people going and maybe get them to preorder our game? HYPE! Hype up the trailer! Which will then hype up the game! The money prints itself!" And I hate to say that it seems to be working, given the response I've been seeing.

Second, that trailer is a giant red flag, in my opinion.

This whole ordeal that is Dreadwolf's advertising has been a red flag, honestly, but anyway...

Why? Well, for starters, they're still using extremely vague bits of art in their trailers. Bioware is being extremely careful to show, well, nothing. They've shown concept art and... an almost animatic? The Solas trailer was barely animated artwork. Artwork doesn't equal an actual functioning (or even half functioning) game. With this, we only saw some maps, some more location concept art, and we got some character(?) voice over.

The fact we are this far into (presumed) development, and they still have nothing of substance to show is, again, a red flag. The common criticism from folks like me that are jaded and cynical is usually "where's the gameplay?", because we've seen too often games that hide the gameplay because it's extremely rough and would hurt sales. Or, worse, they pull a Watchdogs or Anthem and use fake gameplay. (Note that the latter is a Bioware game.) However, shit, they don't even have a fancy pre-rendered story trailer to show us. They still have nothing. Still. Or, worse, aren't willing to show anything. Worse because what are you so afraid of that you won't show your progress?

The other red flag that immediately stood out to me, as someone with mild interest in the story, is that something seemed narratively off from the bit we did get.

I don't think that was Solas at the end, but it was clearly meant to be the antagonist. I mean, sure, on one hand, while it didn't sound like him, they could've gotten a different VA. But also it didn't sound like him like... personality wise, dialogue wise... I genuinely don't think it was him. So who is it? Who is this new Big Bad Evil Guy? And why?

Because you (Bioware) spent an entire game (and arguably background bits of DA:O and DA2) AND DLC building up and into Solas being not just an antagonist but The Antagonist. What he intends to do is an immediate threat to the entire world. Or, spoilers for Dragon Age: Inquisition, he is again endangering everyone with his schemes.

So... why are you changing it? In a game that is a named after him? I could be wrong, as I'm speculating from the tiny, tiny, itty bitty speck we got, but something felt... different. Solas previously stated he was looking to reunite the two realms and undo what he did only to fix his mistake (destroy the Veil and reconnect the Fade and... whatever the normal realm is called, I don't remember right now), because he felt it was best for everyone (mainly the elves), and that he knew it was going to kill a lot of people. Hell, this is re-established in a different trailer for Dreadwolf. He wasn't doing it to take over and reign over anyone, so the "peace and comfort of my reign" line at the end of the trailer is what's making me go, "wait a minute." Like I already had low expectations and apprehension, and you somehow made me more apprehensive. Damn.

That said, it wouldn't surprise me if they're changing things last minute. They did lay off the veterans of the team. I would think they'd lay them off after they've written and done everything important, but these days, with what we've seen with the gaming industry, the suits/management don't seem to always be too bright. Shit, we know with Bioware that management is a shitshow, after all the exposes after Anthem crashed out.

I guess, given the track record, I'm extremely critical of Bioware right now. It feels like they're the guy that's trying to sell you a grift, going "oh yeah, this car is the bestest ride, it'll give you everything you're after!" "So can I actually see it or -" "NO! No no no, it's, uh, getting the tires changed! Haha! It'll be great though! Trust us!"

I don't know, man. I hope the game will be good, but the flags are all real red to me.

(Also, for the record, I will melt into hysterical laughter if the reveal next year doesn't even show a release date. Like it will be the biggest case of "leading you on" I've seen in a while.)

[noblechaton]

I've seen Voyage of the Damned twice in the last few weeks (once with Ari and once alone) and funnily enough I feel I'm kind of two minds on it and wanted to further blabber about Doctor Who things so

on one hand I think the special is probably the weakest of the era. it has this almost dour feeling throughout given that basically all of the side characters - most of whom are entertaining but really one note and bland otherwise - get fucking killed throughout the episode lmao. the plot feels really thin in that the entire story is "a CEO guy is so mad that his company failed and shareholders bailed that he's sabotaging them by killing thousands on the ship and potentially 6+ million on the planet below which is the earth btw". it's a really simple story that's kinda written as simple as it sounds and the entire hour feels more flash than substance

Astrid in particular is maybe the worst companion - as temporary as she is - in the era thanks to how aggressively one note and boring she is. she wants to see the stars and is just another blonde woman the Doctor ends up kissing twice for no real reason, especially given their chemistry did not really exist (tho Tennant sells that shit as hard as he can all the same - a true pro). like going from the end of series 3 where the Doctor may finally have overcome his romantic grief in relation to Rose thanks to Martha's wakeup call into an hour where the Doctor makes out with another random girl who has no screen presence or connection with him is a huge misstep imo and whatever attempt at romance they tried here actively takes away from the episode. it felt mandatory and not like some natural thing that came about throughout the course of the episode. really forced and very annoying

and on the whole it just isn't very strong. it doesn't really leave much of an impression bc the setting of a ship's interior is largely bland, the plot is fairly barebones and even the "alien" designs are. basically just humans? I really didn't get this, like makeup can be tough and I understand not wanting to do it for a huge cast like is featured early on but. why are they all just humans. there's nothing really said or done to make them stand out from humanity but they're not meant to be humans but they're just. humans. except for Bannakaffalatta

but on the other I actually think it carries a somewhat darker depth similar to the depth found in runaway bride and christmas invasion even - there's an underlying current that ties into the ongoing themes around the 10th Doctor and it becomes really apparent at the end where he's outright told that it's not up to him who lives and who dies and I really loved that exchange between him and the uh faux Earth expert guy it's probably the highlight of the special and really sets the stage for what comes in series 4 and the specials that follow

I also think it's the best the show has looked to this point where it still has that visual charm but isn't too blurry or unfocused. the effects are largely solid and the music has reached that masterpiece level it'll stay at through at least the rest of the era with bombastic themes well mixed with those softer melodies. the writing is also largely fine as is sort of typical of RTD by this stage - the dialogue is snappy and fun even if it lacks in some areas and is a bit too simple in others. they've been good at this for a while now but this is where they're firing greatness on all cylinders

there's some other odds and ends that I both love and hate. I think the TARDIS once again being rendered useless is annoying if only because I think having it could have made the story more interesting - ala Runaway Bride - while I really enjoyed the married couple every time they were on screen. Alonzo is a fun character and his side of the story is probably the best but I also find it really funny how he just stands around with a bullet (from a fucking revolver btw. a HUMAN GUN. hello.) inside of him the entire time and that he survives all of this and presumably goes on to bang Captain Jack at least once

anyway it's a really mixed bag and ultimately really middling I feel even if that just makes it fine at worst really (the power of RTD tbh). weakest holiday special for sure - it doesn't feel like a christmas special at all btw lmao - and going from Last of the Time Lords into this could almost make it seem as if the quality of the writing is decaying and I could see myself being concerned of just such a situation if this were my first time seeing all of this, or if I'd watched these come out in real time way back when

but thankfully as we all know that's not true - for, next episode, Donna's back and we hit the peak of the mountain

[laladellakang]

i-land: the final fourteen

masterlist | wattpad

italics dialogue: english | bold + italics: confessionals

slight plothole: in 'ayez being the softest duo,' jungwon was said that he had to switch his part with heeseung but i had to change it 😁

"I'm guessing you want a one liner?" Alice asked me quietly.

"Nope, part six," I adverted my gaze from the screen to look at her. "What about you?"

"Part three's lookin' good," I could tell that she wanted part one. The outcome of today's performance must have given her the confidence.

Though I can also tell that she's not confident the guys will agree.

"You can go for part one," she just shook her head.

"They're not gonna give it to me," she mouthed so the audience and editors won't catch it. I could barely read her lips, but I understood the message.

My girl can sing and dance powerfully with great stage presence but there's just this unspoken bias because they've only known the female trainees for mere weeks.

Alice believes that they trust me as centre because of my 'scary' aura and that I was one of the best dancers.

"You don't want to try?" I asked her, to which she replied with a shake of her head. "Okay," I gave her a soft smile.

Kang Della: Because this is my last chance, I wanted number one or five at first. But then I figured it would suit someone else more, so I wanted part six because I get to sing in the second chorus.

I did get part six in the end, and fortunately for Alice, she got her part three too.

"Oppa, are you feeling okay?" I asked Seon when I saw him struggling again. The choreo is our hardest yet and he had asked me for help.

"No," he let out a sarcastic smile.

"You should take like a fifteen minute nap-"

"No no, I need to get this done," he walked towards the tablet.

"I'm serious though. Just for fifteen minutes and I'll wake you up. Learning this over and over again while you're like this is almost pointless," it might sound harsh but really- he needs to clear his head or he won't get shit done.

"You'll wake me up?" he still looked unsure.

"Heck- I'll accompany you and clear my head too. Come on," I cocked my head to the door.

"Can you play with my hair?" I let out a small chuckle.

"Okay, oppa."

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"Does honey work better than propolis?" Kyungmin looked at me as I consumed my honey.

"I.. don't know... I've been using honey for forever," I looked at the bottle. "They both come from bees anyway."

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"What are you doing?" Geonu scooted closer to where I sat.

"I'm familiarising myself with the song," I paused the song still playing on my left earpiece. "All the different layers and details to it."

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"Keep your eye contact. Eye contact is very important. In fact- if possible, don't look down at all," I advised Jungwon as he kept practicing for part five.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Sunghoon, Jake and EJ turn their eyes away from us and repeating the move they were rehearsing.

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"So you would practice all night the day before a performance then not practice at all the next day?" Youngbin suddenly asked.

"Excluding group practices, yup. I mean- that's just me. I like to keep a clear head or my nerves would be too visible," I explained.

Byeon Euijoo: Della's expressions are very idol-like. In my opinion, she has the best out of all the trainees.

Jo Kyungmin: She's one of, if not the top trainee at the moment.

Choi Seon: Della has consistently been at the top of the pack, her evaluation scores are always very high. So I think that all of us are trying to learn a thing or two from her.

Lee Youngbin: Della does things a bit differently from the rest. We were wondering if some of her tricks would work on us too.

Kang Della: Work smarter, not harder.

"You got this?" Jake flexed his bicep to the mirror.

Jesus fucking Christ. Can this man get any finer?

I felt Alice nudging me slightly and the action made my cheeks warm up more.

"Shut up," I mumbled, earning a giggle from her.

Sunghoon, who was the nearest to Jake, lifted up his sleeve to show off as well.

Lord have mercy, this ex-athlete is hot as fuck too.

It's not like I've never seen his arms but that doesn't make it any less impressive.

Suddenly Jay decided to walk over and join them.

Okay- back the fuck up. This is too much for me.

I just found out that I also have a crush on this guy and now everything he does feels like an attack.

"Cute. You guys look like madelines dipped in different flavours of frosting," Alice blurted out. "Strawberry, chocolate, glaze."

"What?" the three '02 liners and I laughed at her random comment.

As we were laughing, we failed to notice our oldest hyuppa prepping to show his hard work.

"WOAH!" everyone reacted at the view.

"Wahh, that's truly amazing," Alice's eyes widened.

"It's like bread rolls," I mumbled.

"Bread rolls," some of the other I-Landers chuckled.

"Bread rolls..." Alice trailed off.

As the boys were attempting to get a better look (and feel K's abs), I noticed his eyes shifting towards Alice a few times with a barely visible smirk on his lips.

Oh I get it. He's trying t-

"Bread rolls!" Alice exclaimed while touching my abdomen out of no where. Her eyes lit up and she had the most adorable look on her face.

"Oh my God," I couldn't help but laugh when I understood what she meant.

"What? What?" Jaebeom asked.

I untucked my tee and lifted it up to confidently reveal my bread rolls (as how Haneul referred to them as).

"WAHH!" I'm sure all of the guys' eyes widened.

"Can you get any more perfect?" Heeseung whispered near my ear, touching his own stomach.

IS THIS MAN MAKING MY HEART FLIP ON PURPOSE? Fucking hell- I'm trying to be cool here.

I bit back a smile as I pushed my waistband down to display more. Act cool, act cool, act cool.

"Wahh, that's so cool!" damn right, I worked hella hard for these abs.

All the guys are real sweethearts. To avoid making me uncomfortable (but still get a closer look), they came forward towards the mirror and relied on the reflection.

They're so sweet, it's making my heart ache. If I make it to the end, it'll be an absolute honour to debut with these people.

Even if I have a crush on three of them.

"Honestly speaking, I think Della has amazing charisma and she has shown it multiple times. I feel like part five would be a good fit for her," Geonu spoke up during our discussion. "Can someone else share their opinion?"

Poor Jungwon. It's like Jay all over again. Perfect in every aspect except one detail.

Lee Geonu: Della has consistently showed great charisma in her performances. She also sings and dances really well so I thought that part five would be a perfect fit.

"I think Della will give the team higher points if she takes part five instead of the part she has now," K agreed. "What do you think, Della?"

Oh God. What can I answer to that?

"I have to be honest- I would love to take part five. Especially now more than ever," I couldn't seem to look at anyone in the eye. "But since I already took the killing part during Fire, I feel like either Alice-unnie or Heeseung-oppa would be a nice choice."

Fucking hell- why did I say that? Why did I let my dumb intrusive thoughts and insecurities take away my chances of debut? Am I that unfit to be in a survival show?

How did my year long ex (who I haven't even seen in over two years) effect me this badly? Why is it so hard for me to be selfish?

You dumb fucking bitch. How do people even put up with you?

"Della- there's nothing wrong with taking a big part," Alice's eyes held a subtle 'are you insane?!' feel.

Kang Della: I really wanted to take it but something in the back of my mind says that it's a lot of pressure. I have the highest accumulated score at the moment, and with a big solo like part five, everyone's expecting me to do well.

"Maybe Jungwon can practice a bit first and we'll keep talking about it."

"Then I'll do part six. Rather than be mediocre, it's better to do it properly. So I think part six is the right decision," Jungwon finally concluded.

"Let's try it that way," K said softly.

"Yes," oh my God. I feel absolutely terrible.

"I'm so sorry Wonie," I stroked his arm. "It doesn't mean that you weren't good, yeah?"

"Thank you," he smiled slightly. "I just needed more time to perfect it. Time that we don't have."

"Why don't we perfect your part six then?" I stood up and held out my hand. "We have a date with the practice room."

"Eh?" K furrowed his eyebrows, trying to hold in his laugh.

"WITH the practice room, WITH. Not at," I slapped his arm.

"With, with," Jungwon said at almost the same time as me, though unable to tame the tint on his cheeks.

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"Jungwonie, fighting!" so I was planning to (only) accompany him to his room after practice, but it somehow turned to us hugging things out on the edge of his bed. "You're amazing, you know that?"

"Thank you, Lala," he rubbed the side of his face to my hair. I heard him let out a sigh while his fingers played with the tips of my hair.

He gives amazing hugs. Absolute top tier cuddles.

Is it the shoulders? He has very broad shoulders, especially for someone his age.

"Do you want me to stay until your roommates come back? Alice is probably asleep," my voice was muffled with his shirt.

"Yes please. Can we lie on the bed? And hug some more? I'm really tired," he pulled away to stretch a little.

"Just relax, Wonie. You had a long day. I'll be right here, don't worry."

taglist! @afiaaaa19 @riikiblr @one16core @4sahii @toriluvsfics @i90snoo @danyxthirstae01 @seulgifted @clar-iii @hiqhkey @nichmeddar @jiwlys @duolingofanaccount [@studioreader @sarang-wonie @fairydosii @hoonstrology @jaetint]

requested:

— that one bicep show off jasuke did

[ravenadottir]

rewriting boat party: day 1

i decided this shit show needed some corrections, and i can't stop thinking about what i would do, so i'm gonna have (roughly) 5 posts with everything i would change, starting by day 1, the most important setup for the entire event.

li x mc, the fight

i would have three different storylines to give the 9 li's, divided according to mc's personality and reasoning to fight for good. later on each li's individual motivations would be revealed.

1. for tai, aj and rafi: mc's stressed out about work/fame, so the li's joke too much to avoid the thing that's really bothering them.

2. for bill, yasmin and ciaran: mc's pushing her partner to take on more projects while doing more for herself. they storm off because they don't feel seen or heard.

3. for lily, camilo, harry: mc just wants to just enjoy some time with her partner but they're always distracted with something, especially in the last few weeks. it sparks a fight because they've been pretending to listen to what she says. mc is the one who storms out and stays somewhere else.

bff x mc

you call your bff and they advise you to not try to patch things up before some time has passed, because right now you two need to think about what you want from this relationship so there's no confusion next time you talk.

"and i told them the same thing, so..."

"you talked to them?!"

"they called... and i answered. but i really think you two should really think about what you want from each other before trying to talk."

after a few days from the bff dialogue, your phone rings with elladine's text, and almost right after your li sends a text checking on you, asking if you want to meet and talk about it. three options:

1. we were right, we need space

2. we can meet today

3. we can talk it out on the boat

if you choose to meet that day, the encounter will be pretty brief because you're not ready to talk calmly.

on the boat

the event is about to start, and you would be able to pet kerry for free, FIRST OF ALL.

meeting your li there after an attempt to patch things up just the night before would be far more awkward, and given no one told elladine about the fight, there are no more empty rooms. the li will have to share that one with mc.

"it's fine, we can take turns on the couch or something."

"great."

when reunited on the boat, people start noticing things aren't as smooth as they could be, and your bff comes in to ask you how are things after you didn't take their advice and met your partner last night.

"wait, how did you...?"

"come on, i'm your best friend, i knew you were gonna be stubborn. do you want to meet later to talk about it?"

"it's a date."

paddleboarding: li x other people

it would make sense for them to want to make mc a little jealous, to see her reaction. childish? absolutely. that's what i want, because otherwise there are no real stakes here.

whoever the person is they have no idea about your fight but they're interested in mc's partner, enough to make some innuendos. and yes, the li will be accepting of those.

now it makes sense for mc to want to play the same game OR to be the bigger person and keep everything friendly.

back to the room mc will come at them, talking about the paddleboarding portion. if she chose to be touchy with her paddleboarding partner:

MC: "you think i didn't notice what you two were doing?!"

LI: "we weren't doing anything more than you were."

MC: "you... you know what? i'm out of here!"

if she wasn't touchy with her paddleboarding partner:

MC: "you think i didn't notice what you two were doing?!"

LI: "we weren't doing anything wrong! it's a physical activity, of course we touched each other!"

MC: "you... you know what? i'm out of here!"

she grabs her things and looks for her bff. their partner wants to help but doesn't know how, so they leave. there's a hint of jealousy of how much time they're already spending but they don't say anything.

a dialogue with the bff happens and mc tells them about the fight.

"well, you can't stay in the same place together? how's that gonna work?"

"i'll sleep by the pool, i don't care. i can't see them right now."

this is the end of day 1. i would keep a lot of the dialogues, everything from the podcast, the other islanders and their stories, pretty much everything else would stay the same.

also, most of the buiding up they used for some characters is really not bad at all, it just feels like the resolution was rushed, so i'll be focusing on those.

[themonotonysyndrome]

REDACTED verse (Secret Santa exchange) - The perfect burger

Hello, hello @indi-swirl! I'm your Secret Santa for this event! I hope you're doing well and that you're having lots of fun during the holidays. I've read through your sheets - looks like we're cheering for the same couples and bois!

I hope you'll enjoy some Vincent x Lovely content! Also, I was inspired by this dialogue so it was a lot of fun writing this fic.

Also, a huge shoutout to @the-sugar-crash for creating this event. You're the best!

Prompt: Fast food

Pairing: Vincent Solaire/Lovely

Rating: T

Triggers: Profanity & explicit implications (Vincent tried to make a dirty joke)

Summary: A stressed-out and hungry Lovely is a feral Lovely. Vincent now fears for his life and their cholesterol level.

-

Vincent stars in his personal horror movie the moment he returns home and finds the apartment eerily silent.

"Lovely?" He calls out, making sure to lock the door behind him. The living room and dining area look just as before he left for a Clan meeting that lasted for two days: spotless and, more worriedly, void of any of his partner's knick-knacks lying around. Vincent immediately checks the time on his phone - 8.30 PM. There's no way Lovely is already fast asleep at this hour. "Lovely? I'm home. Freddie gave us some fruit cobblers; he said there's peaches, plums and blackberries in them - your favourites. Small issue though - he gave us four large Tupperware worth of cobblers, so we need to divide and conquer - "

Suddenly, the lights in the apartment begin to flicker. Vincent's shoulders immediately tense, and his body shift into a fight-or-flight response. In this case, though? He's preparing to retaliate against any Supernatural threat that dares to intrude in his and Lovely's home. Wait - Lovely! Where are they!? Did something happen -

"Vincent."

Even under the threat of death or Alexis' horrible monstrosity that she insists are food, Vincent will never admit that the girlish scream came from him when Lovely appear in front of him like a ghost - silent and deadly.

If his heart were beating, it would've given up on life after that jumpscare.

"Holy fucking shit, Lovely! Were you trying to give me a heart attack!?" Vincent complains, clutching on the paper bag full of desserts for dear life. He didn't miss how the lights settled at his partner's appearance. It looks like Lovely's power has been growing nicely enough to startle the poor Vampire.

"Welcome home, Vincent." The Electro Energetic says, utterly unfazed at Vincent's reaction.

Hearing the lack of emotion in his partner's tone made Vincent wary once more. He studies the uncharacteristically stoic Lovely standing in front of him like a statue. Their hair is dishevelled as if they've been tugging and ruffling it in agitation; they're wearing the same baggy hoodie and sweatpants that Vincent saw before he left. But more importantly, the heavy dark bags underneath their eyes tell Vincent all he needs to know.

"Baby, tell me the truth - you haven't slept at all ever since I left, right?" Vincent asks, putting on his best stern voice as he places his free hand on his hip. His only reference of a stern yet gentle, authoritative figure is Will, but Vincent supposed he could've done a lot worse.

"What is sleep compared to the epiphany that I receive underneath the pale moonlight and a dozen cans of coffee." Lovely steamroll Vincent's inquiry with a demeanour similar to that of someone bestowed divine knowledge. If Vincent weren't so worried, he would be so amused instead.

"Excuse me?"

"Hush Vincent, I'm trying to monologue here."

"OK..."

"Vincent, during these last few days of my self-imposed exile, realisation dawn upon me. A realisation that... shook my entire core. You couldn't even begin to comprehend the emotional journey I went through."

"I think I'm about to, whether I want it or not."

"See, it's a thin line between madness and sanity, as the wise once said. And I... I've crossed that threshold during my long nights of solitude, and before I knew it, I found myself in the arms of the unknown."

"Look, this is why I wanted you to visit Will and Sam with me. I know that exams and the Games are right around the corner but Lovely, you need a break. So how about - "

"The study room became an abyss - a dark abyss that consists nothing but tomes and broken pencils as my mind spiralled into revelation. Something starts taking hold of me! Something unholy and malicious!"

"Lovely? Baby? You're scaring me."

"I writhe on the cold floor, silently begging for a reprieve until suddenly, the pain transform into an old friend. It was hunger, Vincent. A hunger with an intense craving for something familiar, yet divine."

"Please tell me you ate something and not actually starving right now."

"It plagues me until my mind cannot comprehend anything but a single image. It is an image so innocent, yet I know the trial it will bring forth. The blood, sweat and tears that must be sacrificed in order to bring me peace."

"..."

"I want a burger, Vincent."

Vincent immediately facepalmed; he couldn't help it. Lovely's penchant for the dramatics tend to come out whenever they're very stressed or upset, and in this case, it's both. And the fact that they haven't eaten yet? Yeah, Vincent now fears what their evening will bring.

"OK, so... I know you're craving for a burger, but can I interest you in a healthy and delicious option of a salmon ochazuke?" Vincent tentatively begins. If Lovely is seconds away from passing out, he'd rather feed them something proper instead of fast food.

"I want a burger, Vincent." Lovely tonelessly repeat, and the lights flicker once more. One of the light bulbs even exploded.

Fall back! Fall back! "Burger it is!" Vincent's frantic voice turns high pitch. He hurries over to plant his ass on the couch and puts away Freddie's dessert on the coffee table before he takes out his phone. "L-Let's see what's available, yeah, Lovely?" Vincent shakily grins before patting at the vacant spot beside him. Oh god, is it too late to call Sam for backup?

Lovely wordlessly slide beside him. When they tuck their head into the crook of Vincent's neck, the Vampire sigh in relief and wrap his arm around the unhinged yet exhausted Electro Energetic. His main goal now is to help Lovely rest and if fast food is what it takes? Sure, he'll do anything for them.

Meanwhile, Lovely's eyes are glued to Vincent's phone screen as he taps open the food delivery app. Their mind and stomach are concerned only about satisfying their cravings.

"So what kind of burger are we having for dinner?"

"Something... big. The meat has to be thick. Sloppy too."

"...We're still talking about food, right?"

Lovely throws him a glare, and Vincent decides to shut his mouth when he catches a glimpse of a raging storm behind those eyes. Right. No wise-cracking Vincent tonight. So instead, he dutifully lists out every fast food joint available in the city, increasingly fearing for his and Lovely's cholesterol level when the Electro Energetic keep repeating, "That one, please. That one too. That looks good; let's have that too."

Twenty minutes later, and after the fifteenth ring of the doorbell, there's practically no space left available on the dining table. As far as Vincent can see, it's just nothing but fast food and soft drinks. Lovely didn't just want burgers - no, no. They want onion rings, curly fries, tacos, cheesy nachos & fries, hot fudges, ice-creams, and god knows what else they managed to order when Vincent's back was turned!

"I never could've expected that my second death would be because of a heart attack," Vincent murmurs to himself, warily eyeing the ridiculous amount of food while Lovely tears into the paper bags. "Sam's Newborns are going to hold this above my head forever..."

"Stop being dramatic, Vincent," The drama queen themselves interrupts him. Lovely hands him a paper bag filled with fries, orange soda, a bowl of salad and a triple-layered beef burger. Vincent reluctantly grabs it but cracks open the salad only. "Tonight, Vincent... tonight we'll ascend as gods."

"Mm-hmm." Vincent reply through a mouthful of greens. However, his nonchalance soon morphs into unbridled horror when Lovely disassemble a burger and begin piling stacks of meat, onion rings, french fries, grilled king oyster mushrooms and a layer of different sauces between the buns.

When Lovely proudly presents their masterpiece, they smirk and announce, "Behold, I've alchemised the perfect burger ever to exist!"

And as Lovely figured out how to cram the monstrosity they called a burger into their mouth, Vincent hurries to call an ambulance on stand by. This is the last time he left his lover unsupervised during an exam month!

[breitzbachbea]

F: Share a snippet from one of your favorite dialogue scenes you’ve written and explain why you’re proud of it.

I've thought so long and hard about this ask and I am so glad you asked me for it!

Fanfic Ask Game

(CW Suicidal Ideation. It's at least alluded to.)

I was going to present a more serious one, but it's really long and I also have a few gripes with it in the grand scheme. It was the argument between Harry and Charlie in Italian Affairs, Chapter 20 "Tipping Point", Scene 3. The fact that Charlie changed his mind about what they should do without no clear reason has bugged me since writing it but man ... I still love the emotional core so much. Harry's worst tendencies showing (he gets really physically aggressive), Harry and Charlie yelling at each other nose to nose, Marco backing away physically because it makes him uncomfortable. Allusions to how suicidal Harry perhaps still is and how selfish he is in his rage, but Charlie trying to save him whether or not he'll get a thank you. It's so well written and I have to keep it, I only gotta figure out how to give it a stronger foundation. But this testament to Harry's character, Charlie's character and most importantly their relationship is so dear to me. They bicker all the time, Harry jokes about dumping Charlie in the hallway when he comes to him and Michele crying about Marco, Charlie is constantly dragging Harry for his looks, but they do love each other, even when they're both hurting each other sometimes. Charlie made the conscious decision to not let his best friend descend into this hellhole alone and he looks to him as guidance. Harry will pull through when everyone else has given up and you just need that sometimes. Harry hates himself so much at times, but he knows that Charlie loves him, that Charlie cares and that he loves Charlie for being just another weirdo in this godforsaken world. They've always been there with each other. They will be at each other's side until death does them part.

But here's some funnies underneath the cut!:

Here is a huge chunk of my probably favourite scene from "No Rest For The Wicked":

“I definitely don’t have any wisdom in me, though,” Sophie told Michele. “Wait no, I do – Potatoes good. That’s wisdom these days, with everyone losing their shit over carbs or whatever.” She nodded before she rested her head back into her brother’s lap. “Potatoes good.” She patted the exposed skin of her chubby stomach twice. “Potatoes good indeed,” Harry said while everyone else tried to hold their chuckle in. Sadık’s chest jumped as he laughed low in his throat. “Old Irish proverb.” Sadık leant his head back and his stomach shook as he laughed. “Do you have any wisdom to add to that?” Michele asked Herakles. “You’re usually the one with the proverbs, Michele,” Herakles replied. “And you’re usually the one who bores everyone to death with ancient philosophy,” Sadık told him. Herakles’ thighs rested on his lap. “Oh yeah, ‘I know that I know nothing’, that one I could’ve come up with as well,” Sophie said. “Socrates really isn’t that special, I can ask dumb questions, too, that get everyone mad at me,” Harry said and Sadık stared at Herakles with an excited grin. Herakles took a deep breath through his nose and sighed twice as long. Sophie cackled when Harry added: “It doesn’t even have to be a lot, one’s usually enough.” “I mean,” Michele said and took a deep breath as well while he stared unfocused onto the floor. He had picked up his coffee cup and finally turned to look at Harry. “I love you and I love to entertain your ideas, but the stupidity you can put into a single question is astounding.” “Thanks Darling, I know my genius can be hard to handle at times,” Harry replied with a grin and Michele shook his head with a loving, yet furious glare for him before he sipped on his coffee. “First you’re telling me that I’m not dumb as bricks and then you’re like that to Harry,” Sophie said. “And you are right to say it.” “Fucking brat, don’t throw bricks sitting in a glass house,” Harry told his sister. “Why, did one of them ever hit you? Would explain that face.” They giggled together. “So, ancient philosophy, my friend?” Michele asked Herakles, who had spent the past few moments with his hands in front of his face. “Oh, no, I think your friends are far more interesting than any dusty story about philosophy that Herakles has told us a million times anyways,” Sadık said and Herakles dropped his hands.

Just ... the dynamics are SO perfectly captured and expressed here. Harry and Soph as siblings who find great joy in bantering, both with each other and together about something else. Michele and Harry's relationship that oozes of the comfortable love of a couple that has known each other for 25 years. Michele and Herakles as old friends, whose humor lies in knowing each other inside out. Herakles and Sadık's turbulent but nonetheless familiar tone and behaviour around each other - They can't help it, they're both rivals as much as they're lovers. Knowing each other so intimately and weaponizing that against each other, so that things don't become boring between them.

I'm also still convinced that nothing will ever top “Don’t let me cockblock you, Happy fucking.” I've written here already why I love this scene between Charlie, Michele and Harry so much. Enjoy!