#this couple doesn't exist without sass

[tadbitfooled]

friend got done with the fight and I was talking about the romance scene...But like. Soft faces?? love them. I just love the expressions in this game in general.

[kimdokjas]

Hi, do you know any fics of joongdok that retains Dokja's sass? Preferably an au because novel angst hurts. Tyy in advance.

OH BOY DO I *pulls up my [redacted number] pages of ao3 bookmarks* this is gonna be long so i'll put it under the cut!

okay so, some of these are a bit heavier on the humor than others, but in general i feel like these fics do a great job of retaining kdj's snarky personality!

Joongdok AU Fic Recs

the pros & cons of caramel by sunwarmed

“What’s in this,” Yoo Joonghyuk demands. “Peruvian dark roast.” Yoo Joonghyuk looks as if he’s about to commit a crime, so Dokja takes pity on him and continues, “And sugar, ice, whipped cream, cookie crumbles, caramel, hazelnut syrup, chocolate, and a little bit of almond milk. Really, I put a ton of work into making this, and you’re not even thanking me.” Yoo Joonghyuk’s eye twitches — once, twice, three times — before he takes the cup and squeezes it so hard Dokja’s a little afraid the drink will fly everywhere. [or: 5 times kim dokja makes yoo joonghyuk (the wrong) coffee & one time yoo joonghyuk returns the favor.]

loving out of tune by almostprimary

After a truly tragic series of events, Kim Dokja gains a new neighbor who also happens to be the only person in the world he would, without hesitation, push in front of a moving vehicle.

you're home by ksalientian

Yoo Joonghyuk is sick. This is not, strictly speaking, a problem, except for how Joonghyuk has never been sick in all the years Dokja knows him other than when he's been actively dying, which he is probably not at the moment, but how is Dokja supposed to know that, he's never taken care of a sick person, Dokja barely even takes care of himself when he's healthy because Joonghyuk is the one doing that most of the time, and now Joonghyuk is sick— Okay, Dokja thinks, staring at the thermometer that reads 39.2°C in cheerful green, this may be a problem.

new activity by oronine

In a strange turn of events, Kim Dokja meets one pro gamer on Google Documents and begins a correspondence.

pretty strangers by HeavenlyDusk

A stranger at a party drags Yoo Joonghyuk around town. Somehow, in the span of one night, he falls in love.

Moving Out of the Closet by Sinnatious

Yoo Joonghyuk meets his neighbour Kim Dokja, who at first glance seems to be living in what he thought was the building's janitor's closet.

two hands of the same clock by furihatachlookie

The hour hand falls upon the fifth hour, and Yoo Joonghyuk dies before the clock can chime in answer. In which a crown prince and a commoner, unaware of one another's existence in this seemingly unbreakable time loop, inevitably cross paths.

"can u tattoo 'i love u' in flowers?" by crispy_scoliosis

In which Kim Dokja, a florist, reunites with his estranged childhood friend, Yoo Joonghyuk.

a new reality with you by fruitastic

Yoo Joonghyuk is a beta tester for the unreleased game “Ways of Survival'' and gets way too attached to a simple NPC, Kim Dokja. When the final battle looms over his head, will he be able to say goodbye? ...Hmm…Maybe Mia was right about touching grass…

to begin again. by frostfall

(In which Kim Dokja goes on a blind date. It's just his luck that he runs into his ex.)

salsa doesn't count as tomatoes by aphrodisiac

Yoo Joonghyuk has a roommate. (And a crush.)

couples discount by anemotions (realdefonge)

When junior manager, Yoo Joonghyuk wins the grand prize of their company’s raffle–a five-day trip for two to Hawaii, all expenses paid–the senior manager, Kim Dokja, who’s had no luck with raffles, asks the junior manager to bring him along as a travel buddy. Yoo Joonghyuk eventually agrees and they go to Hawaii. But things only escalate from there because apparently, there’s a 50% dinner buffet discount for couples in the hotel, and Kim Dokja would to absolutely anything to avail it.

gimme choco (or gimme love) by beewithouthoney

Every Valentine's day, Yoo Jonghyuk's desk is buried in a heaping pile of chocolates. And every year, Kim Dokja gets one from the pile.

on the art of unplanned serenadingby sunwarmed

“Then prove it,” says Yoo Joonghyuk, voice low, and Dokja is struck with a few realisations at once. One — he isn’t a good cook at all. He relies on microwave meals for the vast majority of his diet. Two — when it’s revealed that he’s not a good cook, he’ll almost certainly never hear the end of it. Three — Yoo Joonghyuk has a really nice voice. Goddamnit. [or: kim dokja keeps accidentally asking yoo joonghyuk out on dates. he swears it's only because he likes annoying the hell out of him. probably.]

When I said I hate isekai tropes, I wasn’t sarcastically praying for it to happen to me. by Waltzfor-Zizi(azro_zee)

Kim Dokja wants it on the record that he absolutely loathes those cringey royalty isekai stories and even more so the cliché archetype of cold and murderous but devastatingly handsome black-haired dukes with a troubled past. He really should learn by now that the universe has a hobby to throw him into the lion’s den and make him swallow his own words. After all, he and the God up there do not share the same taste of humor.

there are more but this is getting a bit long orz

i hope these are similar to what you're looking for! if you want any more recs feel free to let me know <3

EDIT: if you're looking for even more recs (and also some of my absolute faves) there's now a Part 2 here!

[gwyns]

“Gwynriel’s only use the bonus chapter as evidence. That’s all they have.”

Even without the bonus chapter people shipped Gwyn and Azriel. Some people didn’t even know that chapter existed and still shipped those two. People picked up on their chemistry.

“You’re the new ribbon, Az.” Was enough for me and others. “See you tomorrow, Shadowsinger.” Was also enough for me and others.

“He doesn’t consider her a friend.” The majority of mated couples did not start off as friends or liked each other. Best example of this would be Rowan & Aelin. (except maybe Lysaedion & RuhnLidia, but even those couples had tension and very rough patches) And there was a ‘but’ which leaves potential for something. We get to see them develop a healthy friendship on page where we can actually read it. That’s what us Gwynriel’s want. Not an off page romance like certain shippers.

they sure love to erase the bonus chapter when it benefits them, yet they also claim it sets up their ship's "forbidden romance", so which is it? any stray e/riels please feel free to send me a message and try to explain this without looking like a whiny hypocrite. i'll wait <3

fact of the matter is that sjm herself said the bonus chapter holds some significance, she said she scattered all the crumbs and she wanted to hear her friend steph's theories after reading it. sounds pretty important to me!

but yes, as you pointed out many gwynriels shipped them without the bonus chapter, myself included! i was on board as soon as she tossed that "see you tomorrow, shadowsinger" over her shoulder. like it was over, i was in love right then and there. that's the kinda spunk and sass az needs in his life. because unlike e/riels, we don't have to cling solely to that chapter or glances and finger touches. we have banter, sjm's absolute favorite thing in the world and something she's said is indicative of her endgames

az wouldn't consider gwyn a friend yet he joked with her, finds her irreverence charming, believes in her, encourages her, admires her and had to erase his own smile at the thought of her happiness. good thing sjm doesn't write off page romances or i'd be scared, much like e/riels are i'm sure. they're kinda cute when they're panicking. you know the saying if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck? yeah gwynriel is a duck in the sjmverse. if you actually put aside your e/riel tinted glasses and look, the mateism is there. it's off the charts actually!

[fabricated-misslieness]

ᴘᴀɪʀɪɴɢ: aymeric cassel x gn reader (Cyberpunk 2077)

ꜱᴜᴍᴍᴀʀʏ: thanks to modern live translation, international couples can thrive.

ᴡᴏʀᴅ ᴄᴏᴜɴᴛ: 1.05k

ᴡᴀʀɴɪɴɢꜱ: google-translated german and french

ᴍᴀʏʙ'ꜱ ɴᴏᴛᴇ: reader speaks german, but isn't strictly german nor swiss. why german? i'm learning it (i dont have a picture yet again c'est la vie)

☾⋆☆⋆☽

Switzerland is not like he'd imagined. What did he know about it? By comparison, most things are expensive, but compensated by jobs' higher pay; the usual crime gangs are almost nonexistent, not many skyscrapers, just as many homeless, the flag is square.

Eh, well, the people were nice enough. No chit chat, thank God, they tended to be more kept to themselves; he could fit in here.

Oh, but it's all terribly dull–Aurore would say it even worse–and it's all because she is now wanted by a crime syndicate in their own homeland that they are laying low in Switzerland. Agh, at least he speaks one of the languages, he blends in.

But his host, offering to hide him and his twin? The host is good, has been great, will continue to be wonderful, and he is so grateful.

Aymeric's never imagined this, falling in love.

He hasn't imagined finding someone to fall in love with at all, the decade of 2070 isn't exactly filled with the best people, him and his sister included. Plus, he's always been too busy to even think about it, unlike his rambunctious sister. There's always been a current job and another one on the horizon, but now he's got nothing to stress over.

He hasn't imagined the feeling of falling in love either. The sweat, the color on his face, the heat of his cheeks, the yearning in his chest, the warmth of you.

"Comment s'est passée ta journée?"

"Gut, aber...landweilig."

Modern technology, live translation and subtitles, made it easier for international partners to exist together, to love each other.

Aymeric smiles, sitting down on the couch right next to your tired form, handing you a coffee. You take a sip, it's just the way you like it; funny, considering he doesn't drink coffee himself.

"And you?" You ask, leaning against the arm he wraps around the back of the couch, around you. (Und du?)

"Boring too, yeah." He sighs, looking away for a moment. "You are what illuminates my day, after all." (Ennuyeux aussi, ouais. Tu es ce qui illumine ma journée, après tout.)

"What's with the flattery today?" You chuckle, putting your coffee down on the table. You don't need all of it, he's there to wake you. (Was hat es mit der Schmeichelei heute auf sich?)

"Can't I be nice to you?" Aymeric's expression is always quite passive, so the narrowing of his eyes with very clear sass is welcomed with a laugh. (Je ne peux pas être gentil avec toi?)

You shake your head at him, then let it settle against his arm, "No, you're right. Do be nice to me more often, though?" (Nein, du hast recht. Sei aber öfter nett zu mir?)

He rolls his eyes at that, "Oh, shut up." (Oh, ferme la.)

You give him a pointed look, in turn, "Where is being nice now?" (Wo ist jetzt nett zu sein?)

The two of you settle down for some nice relaxation, your head against his arm, your sides pressed against each other, his hand on yours, and watch the TV. Local news, never exciting, the odd traffic accident or two, or something about the government. Much like the time you've spent apart today, it's dull.

"I have an idea." You perk up suddenly, raising your head from his arm. (Ich habe eine Idee.)

"That so?" He sits up a little to better look at you, turning the TV volume down without tearing his eyes away from yours. "What is it?" (C'est vrai? Qu'est-ce que c'est?)

"Let's turn off our translators." (Schalten wir unsere Übersetzer aus.)

"What?" He asks, a sharp quoi? you recognize. It's a silly idea, you know it, he does too. Why would he willingly decide to stop understanding you?

"I wanna see just how much German you've picked up from me." You defend, shooting him a cheeky smile he can't shoot down. (Ich möchte sehen, wie viel Deutsch du von mir gelernt hast.)

He has to tear his eyes away from your smile to consider it in his own terms. "That's..." It wasn't so much a bad idea, actually. It might just be fun. What else has he got to do with his time, anyway? "alright, maybe it does sound fun." (C'est…ok, peut-être que ça a l'air amusant.)

"Sehen? OK." (See?)

You turn off your translator, as does he, washing a momentary blue sheen over both your irises to signal the quick action.

You begin first, tentatively, "Um, also, Aymeric?" (so, Aymeric?)

"Ce n'est pas exactement un mot allemand." He says, in French, and you definitely have no idea what he's saying, or well, you've got a hint: allemand meaning "German", and "Ce n'est pas" being quite a basic French thing: it is not. (That's not exactly a German word.)

You laugh, piecing context together, "Du hast recht, das ist es nicht." (You're right, it isn't.)

His eyes flash for a moment, not blue, but inquisitively. "J'ai raison?"

Raison? Reason? That's kind of English. You've only got the basics from high school you learned what feels like long ago, but you know what reason means. "Oui, du hast...raison." (Yes, you have...reason.)

Oui, he likes the way you say oui, it's cute, especially because you imitate his accent. He thinks back on what he's heard you say, "Kaffee, mit Milch, zwei Würfelzucker." (Coffee, with milk, two sugar cubes.)

You laugh, and though maybe it should make him a little embarrassed, he only thinks about how he likes the sound. He didn't quite nail the "ü" but you understood. "Vous ne buvez café." (You don't drink coffee.)

You had missed some things, mainly "pas de" after "buvez", but he understood. "Du hast recht, ich ne trinke pas kaffee." (You're right, I don't drink coffee.)

And he used French negation instead of German. "Okay, genug davon." You shake your head, "Ich habe tatsächlich etwas zu sagen." (Alright, enough of that. I actually have something to say.)

Aymeric has no idea what you've just said, but knows that perhaps you want to change topics by the way you shake your head. He's still confused, anyhow, but that feeling fades away when he feels your hand reach past his face and touch the cool chrome at the back of his head, one of his most vulnerable points, the netrunner connection. He can't help but gasp, and his eyes follow your arm until he can't see it anymore, past his head; and yet, he doesn't pull your hand away, nor his head away, because he knows he's safe with you.

"Aymeric." You say, catching his attention, calling his eyes back to yours. "Je t'aime." (I love you.)

"Ich liebe dich auch." He returns. His eyes swirl, again, not blue, but with adoration. (I love you too.)

You continue to hold him with a hand of his chrome, while he reaches to hold you, his fingers tracing over the shard port behind your ear. His lips near yours and you kiss, holding each other.

Maybe you will never learn each other's languages, but you will continue to understand each other beyond that.

[thesinglesjukebox]

SABRINA CARPENTER -"PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE"

It's the Fourth of July, so today we turn our attention to guess who? American women!

[6.17]

TA Inskeep: The way Sabrina Carpenter drops in "don't embarrass me, motherfucker" on the chorus of this country-tinged lament is so smart; she clearly understands pop music. This isn't another "Espresso," not even close, but that's smart, too, showing another angle of her. A real, new pop star: how refreshing. [7]

Brad Shoup: As a critic, it's almost too easy. The warmed-over chillwave disco with the line "I can't relate to desperation"? Or the Vangelic pop-country that opens with "I know I have good judgment/I know I have good taste"? (Plus we installed a ceiling fan last weekend.) Her plaintive "Hopelessly Devoted to You" killed in her Melbourne Eras Tour slot, but "Please Please Please" is the truest tribute to Olivia Newton-John: flippant and funny, casually virtuosic. Plus it's a little bit country. Carpenter's wryness is approaching Deana Carter or Kacey Musgraves levels, but when she hits those shimmering pleases it's like watching her peel herself open. It's not quite the same feeling as being a parent, but it's close. In terms of the emotional switches she's flipping and the prettiness of the track— how everything locks so crisply without feeling like a metatextual pop puzzle box— I think this is magical: nearly perfect but for ending on the bridge. [9]

Will Rivitz: As an avowed and long-term Sabrina Carpenter hater (a Sabrinah?), my least favorite aspect of her career so far is not that every song she releases sounds like a C-tier rip-off of some other, better pop star; it's that she can't even be consistent with which other, better pop star to rip off. I've already gone on record saying "Thumbs" sounds like a sanitized, focus-grouped Alessia Cara impression, and since then Carpenter's continued to spin the wheel: "Nonsense" is a worse Ariana Grande song, "Espresso" is a worse "Say So," "Feather" is a worse "Circles." (Carpenter recently announced Jack Antonoff has worked with her on "about half" of her upcoming debut album, meaning that not only is she aping a full third of today's pop elite, she's aping a set of artists completely distinct from those she's gotten her impressionistic hands on in the past. Pick a lane and stay there, please!) Thankfully, "Please Please Please," at long last, doesn't sound quite so concretely like any particular musician active on the charts at the moment. Unfortunately, it does sound like royalty-free music piped into a tropical Disney cruise's breakfast buffet at low volume, monkey's-paw evidence that she's better served cheaply mimeographing those who came before than forging her own way. I've seen a couple comments online that the success of "Please Please Please" is "justice" for Espresso not hitting number one; if so, it's the kind of application of criminal justice that in its flagrant disregard for human dignity should inspire mass activism against the carceral state. [2]

Jonathan Bradley: Sabrina Carpenter’s first actual chart-topper is a curious thing, so tonally all over the place that its incoherence starts to look like a puzzle to be solved. She switches from wry wordplay “you’re an actor, so act like a stand-up guy” to diva sass (“heartbreak is one thing; my ego’s another”) to hopeful coaxing (“it’s so nice, right?“) to curses and threats (“don’t embarrass me, motherfucker”) at such a rapid clip that I start to have concerns for her own reliability as a narrator; you have good judgment, Sabrina? Really? The overarching picture, oddly, is of a prim mother furious with an offspring acting out in public, and desperately hoping not to show it. “If you wanna go and be stupid,” she scolds. “Don’t do it in front of me.” (This interpretation makes no sense considering the song is aimed at a romantic partner whose best side she still believes exists, which is entirely the problem.) A sluggish disco beat, so awkward that it’s antithetical to the concept of groove, languid blooms of synthesizer, and a vocal tone that sways and wavers like a limp plant in a light breeze all suggest the solution to these parenting problems lies in a refilled prescription and another martini. Maybe this boy will go play on the road. [7]

Katherine St. Asaph: It's not as huge as "Lovefool," as most things aren't, but "Please Please Please" recreates everything great about the Cardigans classic at a smaller scale: Nina Persson's folkie emoting and coquettish spoken-word coos, the impatience to get to the big chorus it knows it's got, the self-aware self loathing that's bound to result in endless quips and listicles 15 years from now about how whoa, no one realized how fucked-up this song is (assuming there is a media industry remaining 15 years from now). [7]

Taylor Alatorre: She mentions her ego in the chorus, so this is supposed to be a self-deprecating portrait of an unsympathetic character, right? But then she addresses her boyfriend as "motherfucker" in a threateningly low register, which is supposed to be an empowering feminist thing, right? Ambiguity is one thing, but squishiness is another, and "Please Please Please" doesn't adopt a solid enough stance for its jabs to land with the desired amount of heft. Any replay value comes not from the citation-needed punchlines — is “actor” considered a culture now? — but from the Bleacher you love to hate, Mr. Antonoff. He’s managed to get some genuinely queasy and head-spinning synth textures to the top of the Hot 100, even if he had to ride the peak of yet another artist’s imperial wave in order to do it.  [5]

Wayne Weizhen Zhang: Earlier in the week I wrote a scathing [3] point review about how awkward this sounds, and how the goodwill of "Espresso" had been wasted. It turns out that after sitting with this for a week, you come to see how the awkwardness is the draw. I'm not sure where Sabrina Carpenter's ascent will take her, but may she write oddball, camp hooks in perpetuity.  [7]

Alfred Soto: Despite my initial rave, "Espresso" has turned into a mild annoyance. I'd tolerate writing lyrics that sound like garbled putative Instagram memes if Sabrina Carpenter's vocal choices weren't stuck in "coo" mode. "Please, Please, Please" is more of the same but worse. Line by line, nothing scans, and the high fluting synth line complements her self-involvement. Which doesn't mean I'll change the station when it's on. [5]

Ian Mathers: It's not that I underrated "Espresso" (which is fine!), it's that "Espresso" is a high [6] and this is a pretty low one. [6]

Mark Sinker: If “Espresso” was the moment where the sexy Species beast breaks containment, this is what comes after = if it’s on I won’t turn it off probably, but it’s mostly diminishing returns.    [6]

Scott Mildenhall: Gossamer and jarring at once, this would barely register were it not so meandering. There are enough unfulfilled flutters of feather-light flair to give it the album track vote; green-lighting it as a single feels like over-commitment to their possibility, rather than their realisation. [5]

Harlan Talib Ockey: Carpenter’s country-inflected vocal performance wields lyrics so sharp and realistic as to make the listener a little uncomfortable. (What is “I tell them it’s just your culture” supposed to mean?) Unfortunately, the chintzy synths and cloudy vocal production crowd her out with the aural equivalent of an aggressive “JUST KIDDING.” Huh. I wonder who was in charge of that. [5]

Isabel Cole: As a Taylor-liker and forever Melodrama stan, I’ve often found myself in the position of Antonoff apologist as his shtick has grated on the pop lovers around me; he’d produced some songs I love, and at worst I found him uninspired but inoffensive. This is the first song I really feel has made me hear what the haters are hearing; it sounds like a track someone assembled as an Antonoff parody. [4]

Hannah Jocelyn: Like the meme where Beyoncé traps Sia in her basement, Jack Antonoff has the iLok with all Serban Ghenea's compressor plugins so he cannot make drums sound even a little bit punchy. This is is otherwise nearly perfect; I’m not yet tired of ABBA pastiches the way I’m tired of John Hughes pastiches and 2-step pastiches, and the sharp lyrics are mean spirited but amusingly tough love to her partner. It even has the head-turning moments that made "Espresso" so addictive; "don't embarrass me, motherfuuucker," "the ceiling fan is so nice," "don't make me hate you prolifically" — I was sold on Carpenter the pop star, but I can now be convinced on Carpenter the songwriter. If she can pull off a line like "I tell them it's just your culture" and make it not sound like the shittiest thing in the world, I'm even more sold on Carpenter the performer too. [8]

Andrew Karpan: I’ve heard it said that the way she says something just a little weird is what makes these records the indelible bits of pop culture candy that they are. Just a sing-urr and, now, motherfuck–urr. Writing a song about being out of Barry Keoghan's league only literalizes this kind of fetish for contained ugliness. A record that meets its moment, like a mirror that’s just a little chipped.  [8]

Jacob Sujin Kuppermann: A real Rorschach test of a single: is it a breathtaking coronation of a single, the culmination of a journey from fringe teen pop never-was to actual pop superstar, or is it a bit of a letdown, too staid and stagey after the three-part screwball pop triumph of "Nonsense"-"Feather"-"Espresso"? Mostly, I'm struck by how boring this sounds. Doing an Italo disco-styled take on a Dolly Parton song should be more compelling than this, but the fruits of working with Jack Antonoff are shiny and tedious. I get why people are fomenting ridiculous payola conspiracy theories about this playing on their Spotify accounts — even if there's nothing actually shady happening, this just sounds like mandatory fun, an almost-successful exercise in forced charm that stretches Carpenter's charisma about to its limits. [5]

Nortey Dowuona: Good for Barry Keoghan, it's nice to see him get some very difficult roles that actually stretch him. He was wasted in Eternals. [8]

Julian Axelrod: It brings me no pleasure to report this is the best Kacey Musgraves song of 2024. [7]

[Read, comment and vote on The Singles Jukebox]

[ofcryptsandhallow]

DeathBringer thoughts, opinions and criticisms

I want to like DeathBringer as a character. When he's not with glory he can be a very interesting character. Given that I'm taking Tui's word in good faith and he is indeed meant to be around Glory's age, this would imply he is a prodigy for his age, that he has done a lot of things most dragons his age have not done or are unable to do. That is a very cool idea to think about.

However, this NEVER gets brought up or utilized and it comes across more like Tui had TOO many plans for DB, but just fumbled hard to make any of them work to the point she had to shove them aside for a winglet instead of a main line book! This winglet does fix the age situation I think, that's what I heard I haven't read it BECAUSE IT IS NOT THAT READILY AVAILABLE WITHOUT PIRATING.

Hell, I don't even like the ship that much, the Glorybasket ship, and yes I'm one who prefers that name over any other shipname for them, GloryBringer sounds cool, but as an apparently rare enjoyer of the scavenger book, I liked the Murder basket name, it's funny and cute? And I bet he prays to the moons that no one finds out about the nickname. And honestly the book wasn't that bad, most people don't seem to like it because dragons took a back seat in the book and I think that's ok! We knew about the humans existing in the world of wings of fire and finally got an idea of how their society works and I actually think that's cool as a lore buff.

As for why I don't like the ship, it's not because of the weird age mistake that happened, or the fact that he was originally sent to kill Glory and his friends. It's actually because once he's with her, he is just a simp. There is no more personality, he's just a simp. And yeah he could have been secretly a dorky assassin all along but we don't get to see that prior to them getting together, do we? Nope, not really, he's more charismatic and sassy if anything. He does nothing that plot relevant afterwards, and it's just disappointing, given they could have been a power couple that put the SASS in asSASSin.

Honestly just wasted potential over all, giving all the build up only to throw him aside like that and downgrade him. Not to mention ignoring that he is one of many nightwings who killed and hurt other dragons only for it to be forgotten and ignored with Mastermind taking the fall as the Nightwings' scapegoat. Like he was a prodigy assassin who killed and maybe tortured who knows about many dragons prior to meeting glory and all the other nightwings get punished sorta (mostly mainly only Mastermind overall) but he gets a free pass cause he's the queen's boyfriend?

Also another reason I don't like the ship is that with how simpy he is, but also how Glory seems mostly disinterested, it feels very very one sided. I've seen people throw the "but glory hides her emotions!" argument at the wall, but like ... Not really? She's more blunt and straight forward about her emotions, if she likes something she'll let you know, and if she doesn't, you also most definitely know. And she had moments of being sweet and loving to her found-family, if she liked and truly liked Deathbringer back, even if she wasn't very interested in open/public displays of affection, we'd know and have her being generally sweeter and nicer to her supposed boyfriend.

Instead it comes across as not wanting the dumb love sick idiot basicly get himself killed for him, even though he's supposed to be a very capable assassin who could handle himself just fine and would be the number one dragon to guard her overall, especially compared to the rainwings who still aren't 100% sold on the idea of hurting another dragon even if that's the best case scenario. Literally we see this in the book that they aren't still fully ready to be proper guards for queen and she decided to bench her best option.

And at worst she seems kinda actually annoyed by her advances and hasn't gotten around to telling him off yet. I don't think it's a good look that THIS is how it comes across to at least readers. At least one scene where they aren't in the public eye and her returning the advances or being more openly affectionate with him would have been nice. The idea they SUPPOSEDLY have a dragonet together in the future (Firefly) isn't confirmation as that's only implied to be in a few timelines, not all and comes across as a nod to the fan ship at best.

Like the ship doesn't bode well to me and I think is written horridly. End of the story.

As for his appearance, I like it. He's a blue toned/hued whatever Nightwing. I personally think nightwings can be any cooler, but are normally dark, often near black hues of those colors, like how crows and ravens under the right light are actually very colorful and pretty to look at. Yes, blues, greens and purples may be the most common colors, but other colors CAN exists and do so, often with white freckles being the most common to exist marking.

For the record, I think the opposite exists for icewing, being they can also be almost any color but a pale, pastel near white shade of so.

But yeah I think only one other Nightwing that's blue like this vibrantly exists, and people like to assume she's a hybrid, which I hate to death given how proud nightwings are of being Nightwing historically, I feel like intertribe couples are rare and shouldn't be the first thing to consider when a dragon looks "weird" than what's status quo. Biodiversity exists, and so do genetic mutations that exist independently of a dragon being a hybrid. A dragon doesn't need to be a hybrid to look weird or different than what we've seen a tribe to look like.

Like for example a white Nightwing can just be albino, and a black icewing could just be melanistic.

[rendevousz]

not a lonely birthday

teen!actress!reader x platonic!jeremy renner

brief reader x marvel cast

req by @maximeevansblog : The reader (me ) is dating jeremy renner its the readers birtday, and jeremy renner spoiling her, taking to the hair salon and to the nail salon , and the trows a party for her, and he asks her to marry him, and a couple months later the reader is asked to been on say yes to the dress and alot of fluff please (i'm so sorry i couldn't write your exact request. i added the other cast too but it's still mainly jeremy renner so i hope you enjoy this still)

summary: you thought you were gonna have to spend your birthday alone but jeremy had other plans.

word count: 3296

note: i told her i couldn't really write romance because my blog is mainly teen!reader and she said i could just turn it into an x teen!reader so i did. i mean, i can write a non teen!reader but it probably won't be anytime soon so i'm not taking requests that aren't x teen!reader as of now <33

"are you sure you'll be okay?"

"yes, mum, i'll be fine here. i've been doing fine for the past two and a half months, what's another week without you guys gonna do to me?" you told your mother on the phone, rolling your eyes at her excessive, unnecessary worrying.

"we're so sorry about this, sweetheart," you heard your dad speak and you figured he must've been listening the whole time. your mum must've had it on speaker since the beginning of the phone call.

"you shouldn't have to spend your birthday all alone. i promise we'll make it up to you, honey." your mother spoke again and you groaned. "i keep telling you that it's fine. and what do you take me for, a loner? i've got the others here, mum, i'll be fine." you told her, a smile ghosting over your lips at how concerned she is of you.

your birthday was coming in two days and having a whole movie to film meant that you weren't allowed to leave the country for just a weekend to celebrate it with your family. so, they worked around your schedule and planned a trip to visit. unfortunately, your idiot of a brother managed to get himself into a skating accident and had to be hospitalised, affecting their whole plan of coming to celebrate your 18th birthday with you. well, not on the day of your birthday, at least.

"i'll make sure sarah'll bring you out to celebrate, okay? i'm so sorry about this, y/n." you could practically hear the pout in her voice and you held back the urge to tell her off for profusely apologising, you didn't want to receive a beating when she finally arrives here.

"i'll be fine, mum," you whined. "as i said, i'll be filming on my birthday too so i'll at least be with the cast then. it's never a dull day with them. and i'll be waiting for your gift from sarah on my birthday." you teased her. you knew she had a habit of getting birthday gifts way too early. for once, she was grateful for that because she had given sarah—your manager and also a family friend— your birthday present for her to safe-keep in case anything like this happened and she couldn't give it to you on your birthday.

"i'll give you permission to whack your brother once we come." your dad tells you seriously and you laughed. "thanks, dad. i'll be sure to remember it. anyways, i have to get back on set soon. i'll talk to you guys when i can?"

"of course, honey. have fun on set!" your parents bid you goodbye and you hung up with an adoring smile on your face. you missed your family and having been able to hear your parents' voices for a mere five minutes was enough to cure it for even just a little bit. sure, you were disappointed that you weren't going to get to spend your birthday with them but spending it doing what you love—acting— with the people, aside from your family and friends from home, that you love—the cast— didn't sound so bad.

"i'm so sorry about this, darling." you heard someone say, effectively breaking your train of thoughts. you turned to the source of the voice, meeting the hazel eyes of your manager and long-time family friend, sarah. she pulls you in for a hug that you groaned into but still returned. you rolled your eyes playfully when she let go. "i'm not upset, sarah."

"i know. but you're disappointed." she says softly, fixing your costume after the hug messed it up a little. "maybe i am, but it doesn't matter. i chose this life so technically i brought all of this upon myself. i signed up to have a normal life stripped away from me." you told her honestly, internally cringing because you hadn't meant to get that deep.

"y/n," her hands rested on both of your shoulders and she looks down at you with that stern mum glare she'd give you whenever you were being a little troublemaker. she was practically your second mum, having promised your own that she'd take care of you whenever you had to travel for filming.

"i know, i know, i'm sorry. i didn't mean it in a bad way. i love my job but it sucks that i have to be far away from family, you know?" you sighed. "i understand, darling. it's hard but hey, i'll be with you the whole day, okay? we'll go out and have a nice girl's day out together, do whatever you want. that sound nice to you?" she places a gentle hand against your skin, careful not to rub the fake dirt and wound makeup on your face.

"that sounds great, sarah. i have only a half day of filming that day, right?" you ask her, knowing she remembers your schedule better than you yourself do. "yup. anyways, they need you on set 3. get out there and make me proud, darling."

-

"and....cut!" the director called out and you dramatically dropped limp against the wire harness attached to your body, the wires holding up your weight so you didn't drop down to the floor but also didn't have to remain standing on your own.

you heard sebastian laughing, him being the closest to you in the scene you had just filmed. "you tired, y/n/n?" evans chuckled as he walked towards where you and seb were standing. "yeah, i just wanna sleep right now." you told them, standing up on your own when a crew member wanted to get your harness off.

"well, at least you get to rest now. you're done for the day right?" seb asked, the three of you now walking to the snack table together. "yeah but sarah wanted to take me out so maybe not rest but i'll get to relax. that's good enough," you say, peeling off a banana and taking a bite while the two men drank some water.

"she's taking you out later today? is there a special occasion?" chris asked and you smiled at him. "nah, nothing much. she just thought i've been stressed lately." you lied. you didn't want to seem attention-seeking for telling chris and sebastian that it was your birthday so you settled on a little lie.

"she's not wrong. you have been working hard and you deserve a relaxing evening off work." seb agreed.

"oh she's walking over here right now. are you going now?" chris asked, eyes trained behind you as he watched sarah coming closer. you turned around, meeting her frown-etched face and you blinked profusely in confusion. "i thought we're going in two hours?"

"y/n, i'm so sorry. some stuff came up and i have last minute errands to run all day," she told you, offering a guilty expression when your face dropped slightly. "oh.. i– um, yeah, it's fine."

"are you sure it's fine? i promised you though," she frowned. "it's fine, i know you have a lot to handle and it's totally fine if we don't go out today. i'll just take a nap and be on netflix all day, i guess." you joked but sarah didn't laugh. "sarah, it's fine. you know i've been wanting to catch up on a list of shows. when else will i be able to do this?" you assured her, trying to mask your disappointment.

"i have to go now. i'll make it up to you, darling, i promise." she gave you a hug before running off somewhere. you felt bad for her because she probably had to be running here and there all day but it didn't change that you were disappointed. maybe you really did deserve this for choosing this life.

"hey kiddo," you felt someone ruffle your hair and you were almost going to go off on them for doing that before remembering you had just finished your last scene for the day. an arm rested over your shoulder and you looked up to see jeremy taking over sarah's previous spot.

"um excuse me? do we not exist?" chris joked when jeremy didn't greet him nor seb. jeremy rolled his eyes at them, turning back to look down at you. "you did great today, kiddo." he complimented and you smiled, thanking him.

"wow okay, i guess we really don't exist, huh? c'mon seb, let's go somewhere else where people appreciate our presence." evans sassed, glaring at you two as both men strutted away.

"good riddance," jeremy said, dropping his arm so that you two were now face to face. "happy birthday, y/n." he says, handing you a little bronze coloured box. you gasped as you took it in your hands.

"how'd you know it was my birthday?" you asked him, eyes wide in surprise. "of course i know your birthday, kiddo. after all, you are my favourite co-star." he grins, gesturing for you to open the box.

you did and your hand immediately flew to cover your mouth in shock. "jeremy! you didn't!" you gently took out the necklace from the box, examining it closely. the charm was in the shape of your favourite animal and the chain was gold. this must've costed him a fortune.

"jeremy, you didn't have to!" you exclaimed, pouting at him to prevent yourself from bursting into tears right then and there. "kiddo, i love you a lot, how could i not?"

playing clint's adopted, eldest daughter in the films, as well as a member of the avengers, you and jeremy worked together a lot. he helped you a lot with practicing your lines and emotions for specific scenes and you bonded over so many things you two had in common. even off set jeremy still acted like your father so practically everyone knew how close you two were. if sarah is considered your second mum, you'd say jeremy is your second dad.

"so i heard sarah bailed on your birthday date today," he says as he helped you put on the necklace, smiling fondly when you looked down at it happily. "thanks a lot, jeremy. you really didn't have to," you hugged him tight, the man chuckling as he hugged you back.

"and sarah didn't bail. she just has errands to run all day. can't blame her, she's a busy woman." you told him. "yeah yeah, anyways, how 'bout i take you out instead? a birthday lunch and a day out with your favourite cast mate?" he wiggles his eyebrows at you, a smirk playing on his lips.

"you don't have anymore scenes to shoot?" you ask. "i do but i have plenty of time before then." he replies. you agreed happily and he tells you to meet him outside the set in an hour so you two could change out of your costumes.

-

"you ready for the best day ever, kiddo?" jeremy asks as you entered the passenger seat. "best day ever? then shouldn't we invite the rest?" you teased, buckling your seatbelt. "hey! i'm pretty fun too!"

you chuckled at his childishness. "i'm kidding, you are fun. now let's go already, i'm starving." you complained and he started the engine, letting you play whatever songs you wanted as background to your small talk.

you had lunch first at your favourite restaurant but not before you two had a debate of whether you were allowed to because you were supposed to be on a diet during the length of the movie shooting and him ultimately going 'to hell with that diet, it's your special day' and then dragging you in. after that, he said he had a surprise for you and told you to just get in the car.

when he finally stopped somewhere, you realised it was a pretty well known hair salon in town and you tilted your head in confusion. why would he bring you here?

"you said you wanted to dye your hair, didn't you? let's do it." he says nonchalantly, unbuckling his seatbelt before you both exited the car. "are you crazy? we're still in the middle of filming!" you exclaim in disbelief. this man was crazy.

"yeah but it's not like they can't just get a wig of your current hair and use that for the rest of the filming. scar and lizzie wear wigs all the time, you can too. now let's go dye that stupid colour you want!" he cheers, tugging you along with him by your wrist, into the salon. you chuckled at his antics, letting him drag you.

the next hour or two was spent with you worrying that your parents would kill you for this, or worse, anthony or joe. you knew it would be a meltdown for them if you came back with your hair a completely different colour.

jeremy assured you that the russos, as well as your parents, would not get mad at this but you were pretty sure you'd get an earful from both pairs. you made him promise that he would talk to both parties that he was the one who convinced you to do this. but once your hair was done, all worries flew out the window as you admired your new hair.

"you look great, kiddo. this colour looks good on you." he looks at you with a fond smile, trying to resist the urge to ruffle your newly done hair but failing. you pouted at him when he did so, reaching up to fix it again. "sorry, y/n/n, couldn't resist," he states, pinching your cheek.

"alright, next stop now, let's go!" he pulls you by the wrist once again and you let him, used to him doing this already. the next time he stopped, you damn right almost had another heart attack because again, this man was crazy.

he did not just bring you to a nail place. surely he isn't about to let you get your nails done, right? the russos would have your head and his too if you were to get them done and casually get back to the studio.

"no." you said firmly, crossing your arms over your chest as you stayed seated in the passenger seat. "c'mon, y/n/n," he whined, throwing a tantrum outside the car door as he tried to get you to leave the car.

"no, jeremy, they'll literally send me back here to get it off because in case you forgot, in all my scenes, i don't have fancy nails." you reasoned, noticing that jeremy has now moved to your side of the car and the passenger seat door has now been opened, the man continuing to make a fuss closer to you now.

"no they will not, i'll make sure they don't. c'mon kiddo, it's your birthday, let's have a little fun!" he says but you were still unsure about the whole thing. "i don't know.."

"okay fine i guess i'll tell you this now. they didn't want to tell you until later today because they wanted it to be your kinda birthday present but your avenger suit has changed. it's not like the one in the last movie, it's got gloves now! and the rest of your scenes excluding the last few ones are all in your superhero suit right?" your eyes widened at this new information, a smile growing on your lips.

"wait, for real? are you sure they're not just fingerless gloves?" he smiles down at you. "yeah. i planned this day well, okay? put some trust in me, geez," he sassed, moving out of your way as you finally exited the car.

"this better not be a joke, renner, because if it is, i'll have your head." you threatened jokingly. "yeah, yeah. oh also, can you just pretend to be shocked when they tell you about your suit upgrade? because i really wasn't supposed to tell you this." he scratched the back of his head awkwardly as you walked two walked into the nail salon.

the entire time, he awkwardly sat at the side, waiting for you to be done. when you were though, he quickly got up, as if he had been restless sitting down the whole time.

"they're pretty," he says as you walked back to his car. "yeah, i really like them. haven't had my nails done in a long time." you replied, getting in the car and waiting for jeremy to get in on his side. once he did, he immediately started the engine and started driving back to the set where he had to continue shooting and where you knew sarah would be waiting for you.

it was after many different topics and finally arriving outside the set did you decide to get a little emotional. "hey, i just wanna say thanks for today. i thought i was gonna spend the day alone watching netflix all day like some loser but you made this day really enjoyable. you have no idea how much this really means to me, thank you so much jeremy. i love you." you pouted at him, trying not to cry. "aw kiddo, of course. you're an important person to me. couldn't let you be a loser on your special day," he teases, bringing you into a hug where he didn't miss his chance to ruffle your hair.

once you let go, he kept an arm around your shoulder as you both walked in. he opened the door for you both and you almost jumped in place.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"

your jaw dropped at the sight in front you. every single one of your co-stars, along with some crew members were wearing party hats holding up a banner that said 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Y/N'. sarah was in the middle, holding a huge birthday cake with a smile on her face. you slowly walked towards her, hand over your mouth in shock.

sarah gave the cake over to robert before opening her arms up for you. you gave her a tight hug. "you didn't have to do all this," you say, letting go of her. "jeremy and i planned this right when your mother called beforehand and told me they couldn't come in time." she explained.

you turned to jeremy who had been standing next to you the whole time, giving him another hug which he happily accepted. "you guys didn't have to." you told them, trying not to cry at the thought that these people loved you enough to do this for you.

"but we wanted to. and the rest wanted to join in too. now before you start bawling your eyes out, let's get this party started!" he cheered.

"but before that, make a wish, kiddo." robert tells you after evans finished lighting up all the candles. you closed your eyes, making a wish and blowing them all out. everyone cheered before walking away to grab food or to talk to others. or in your cast mates' cases, fighting over who gets to give you your present first.

"you knew it was my birthday!" you exclaimed when you locked eyes with evans, who was in the middle of a brawl with both mackie and robert. he laughed out loud. "yeah! i did! your lie couldn't fool me, child!" he says dramatically, before being pushed aside by robert.

you laughed as they continued to fight right in front of you about who you love more and therefore getting to be first to give you their gift. they even managed to slip in a few compliments about your new hair, while they were literally fighting. you watched in glee, realising that even if your biological family couldn't make it for your special day, you still had a second one to make it special.

taglist <3

@amourtentiaa @rqmanoff @abitofeverythinggg @andreasworlsboring101 @cay-writes-fan-fiction514 @teenwonder @sevenmorningstars @fleurlovesbucky

[wings-of-a-storm]

Alrighty lovely peeps, here is the final part of my thoughts on Victor’s infamous ‘love-triangle’ journey in episodes 9-10 (and why the undercurrent is full of Benji).

MOURNING A LIFE WITH A LOVER ALMOST LOST: HURT AND ANGER

Our first understanding of how Victor is holding up in episode ten is through the visual of the wedding invitation he is holding. It’s a very strong visual with so many connotations -- weddings are romantic, full of love and celebration, and most importantly a lifelong commitment to a loved one. That is Victor’s dream too and one he was working hard on (not necessarily a marriage but certainly a life-long commitment). But the person he wants to work on that commitment with isn’t talking to him and quite likely easing them into a separation.

What is even more of a mockery is the envelope -- Victor and Benji’s names are printed together in gorgeous cursive, like they are a team, a unit, a done deal. It’s almost like how their own wedding invitation might look, if they ever wanted to have one. But it is a dream that only exists on a piece of paper right now.

It is clear in this scene that Victor is feeling a mix of three things: sad, hurt, and anger. The anger is quite clear when he puts the invitation aside with the shake of his head. He’s angry that Benji ditched the wedding commitment last minute, yes, but no doubt a lot of that anger is born from how hurt he is that Benji is seemingly giving up on them. A glance at his unanswered message to Simon where he says something similar confirms it.

This anger is channeled into a practical matter -- the etiquette faux pas of being a last-minute wedding guest now messing up catering. Victor needs to find a substitute plus one (which to be honest feels like a plot device but shh). Enter Rahim, sans Pilal. Once again, Rahim is a welcome friend that Victor knows he will have fun with, be comfortable around, and more importantly experience a nice distraction with again.

Fast-forward to the next key scene, for me: Victor’s fascinating response to hearing Harold’s and Veronica’s wedding vows. Which brings me to:

VICTOR’S DESPERATION FOR SOMEONE TO LOVE HIM ENOUGH TO FIGHT / BUILDING A SAFETY NET P2

Guess what themes happen to be in the wedding vows Victor hears? A) Fighting for a relationship you love. B) Not giving up on someone in the tough moments.

“I know there will be tough days but it's on those days that I vow to love you the hardest” / “I vow to always remember that we are worth fighting for. Forever. No matter what.”

Gee, what an extraordinary coincidence!

And what does Victor do in response to hearing a loving couple voice his own feelings and goals? He looks at Rahim. Or rather, to Rahim. He knows Rahim is a romantic (like himself and Benji are), so he knows Rahim would share those goals too. And Rahim certainly is transfixed by the vows, very much feeling their sentiments too.

Rahim just ticked a box Victor is currently desperate for: someone who looks like they value fighting to beat the odds for the person they love, unlike what Benji is seemingly doing. Victor can project that onto Rahim. In reality, there is no way of knowing what Rahim would actually do in a relationship, but he feels safe right now.

It rather feels like VIctor was trying to distance himself from Benji in that moment and find a sanctuary with someone else who would give him the love and commitment he really needs right now. Like a protective, defense mechanism. He is so terrified that Benji has reached his limit of fight; that this time their argument and Victor’s breach of trust pushed Benji too far and Victor will end up severed from him and alone. With each hour Victor is closer to processing the end of that relationship and is now trying to put up a shield to block the impending tsunami of pain that he really doesn’t want to be hit by.

BENJI MAKES HIS OWN VOW

Victor doesn’t know it yet but we, the audience, get a hint of good news: the romantic vow exchange cuts to Benji staring at a picture of Victor on instagram, clearly missing him. From that piece of storytelling timing, we know what that probably means… (Flashback please to Benji’s declaration of “I don’t think I could give up on you. Even if I wanted to.”)

Benji is fighting. Or trying to.

What seals the deal is the beautiful conversation Isabel has with him -- her promise that Victor adores him and that Victor did actually stand up for Benji to the point of impressing her with his moxy. For a lot of the season, that is so much of what Benji needed -- to know he was worth standing up for, fighting for. Gee, what a familiar theme…

The next time we see Benji, he has come to the wedding reception, after his shift, as Victor’s belated plus one. His appearance symbolizes a promise, a vow of his own that is yet to be said out loud: that he is committed to fighting for their relationship to work.

I found that a really nice piece of storytelling -- that Benji is linked to the wedding vows at Brasstown and then fulfils them (or at least will try to make the sentiment a reality as best he can).

VICTOR’S CROSSROAD

Unfortunately for Benji, Victor does feel a connection with Rahim. New friendship is exciting and thrilling on its own let alone having the opportunity to suddenly slow dance with that person. Lines can get blurred. Plus the atmosphere is completely romantic and Victor has never had the opportunity to experience this particular romantic act before.

Victor and Rahim spend quite some time staring deep into each other’s eyes without even saying a word to interrupt the Moment. Because it is a legitimate moment of intimacy between the two. Which is exactly why Victor doesn’t stop immediately and run straight to Benji as soon as he notices Benji has come to see him. His head is still half in the Moment and it is tricky to extricate himself from Rahim.

That Moment is also why Victor doesn’t keep chasing Benji through the yard after Benji sasses him with his ‘Sure, Jan’ energy after Victor insists Rahim is just a friend.

Consciously Victor thinks he is telling the truth, but his “That was crazy, I’m not allowed to have a friend?” defense had the same energy as S1 Benji’s “I know I didn’t do anything wrong when you kissed me!” before scuttling his ass out of Brasstown with all of his belongings. Hello guilt.

The question is how much is Rahim a friend-cum-something-more. Which is the crossroad Victor finds himself at when Rahim confesses his feelings and kisses him.

We have Rahim who confessed so sweetly and endearingly, who at this moment is comfort and warmth and safety because Rahim isn't going to break up with Victor any time soon. And whom Victor does feel a connection with.

And we have Victor’s relationship with Benji which feels like a dying ember, especially now that Benji is even more furious at Victor and it will be a very hard battle to win him back around again. It won't be a romantic running into each other's arms moment if they were to reunite…

So Victor has a dilemma to figure out now in Mia’s room: does he fight a very hard uphill battle with Benji to win him over (a fight filled with inevitable painful emotions being unleashed), or does he just let it go since that appears to be the trajectory for them... Or does he try exploring things with Rahim where there is a 100% success rate guaranteed in the short-term if he accepts Rahim’s declaration…

If the big theme of this episode is vowing to love someone on their tough days and committing yourself to a relationship worth fighting for (something Victor had been obsessing over even before he heard the wedding vows), it would feel like a strange conclusion for Victor to choose Rahim over the partner who proved he was mutually willing to fight for their relationship against the odds, especially when they have already been tested through tough times and found their way through. (And of course Felix’s visualisation exercise would have reminded Victor of all the qualities he loves about Benji...)

THE WINK OF VICTOR’S PARENTS’ PARALLEL

And finally we have the culmination of an underlying parallel: Victor's parents’ relationship, which also slips into the theme of those wedding vows.

Isabel and Armando, the high school sweethearts who were stuck in a cycle of fighting, fore-sake choosing a new partner with less baggage and instead make the choice to get back together. This doesn’t influence Victor’s decision because he doesn't know about his parents’ progress yet but we, the audience, do know. We can see the underlying parallel there. They are making it work, so so too can Victor and Benji if they keep putting the work in to understand each other better and learn how to communicate.

But that’s just my take on ep 10.

[krazy-kipo]

Amber Knight "Pyro"

Information

Name: Amber Knight

Nickname: Pyro

Species: Human

Powers: Genetic experiment

~

Stats

Intelligence: Very High

Strength: High

Fighting Skills: High

Speed: Average

Durability: Very High

~

 Profile

 Age: 17 (217) years

 Weight: 200 pounds

 Height: 5'10"

Sexuality: Non-binary Lesbian

 Ethnicity: Irish and Native American

 Skin Color: Caucasian 

 Hair color: Dyed Red

 Eye color: Brown

~

 Background

 Weapons: Gunpowder, lighters, sticky sap, firecrackers, home made fire works, nectar bombs, experimental explosives, vines/ropes with hooks, daggers. Steel toed boots.

 Abilities:

- Understands Pyrotechnics to the core and can make an explosive or flammable object out of almost anything. 

- They have memorized the stars and their constellations, know the periodic table by heart, and are very booksmart. Has had many conversations with the Newton wolves and prides themselves on their knowledge. They aren't a super genuis but they know enough to keep an intelligent conversation going for a long time.

- Loves and is good at science. Enjoys reading and collects old books that they find so they can reas them. Not very good at math but is still considered a genius both in and out of a lab.

- Ambers very good with makeup and hair. They were studying cosmetology before the mute epidemic and used to make their own products with friends. Occasionally if they have the time they make conditioners that they sell and trade to mutes.

- Very good at parkour and are hard to sneak up on. They like to climb trees and have an extensive knowledge of nature. Botany and Astronomy were some of their favorite subjects so they have a great understanding of how the world works. 

- They have basic first aid and extreme wilderness survival training. They can start a fire without a flint rock or lighter, they know how to build structurally stable shelters in different environments, can make snares and traps for food, weave nets, dig deep ditches, they can grow and farm their own food, and can filter clean water for drinking.

- Very empathetic to mutes and sometimes it seems like they understand their thoughts. Mega mutes don't seem to mind their presence and will go as far as to hurt other mutes for messing with them. They have gained the interest of more than a couple gangs this way and have earned some respect despite being human.

 Weaknesses:

 - Can be snarky and this snark/sass has gotten them into big trouble with mute gangs. Also much like their weapons they have a very explosive personality. 

- Is very reckless and although smart has a low impulse control. They are often throwing themselves into situations they shouldn't be in and can get themselves hurt when trying to get out.

- Has a big heart for some things and will do whatever's needed to protect certain mutes. They can also be very cold to others without explanation and aren't the best with emotion because of trust issues. Expressing their feelings can be hard for them and being thrust into a world they don't understand or know has been a very difficult adjustment emotionally.

- Doesn't trust easily and has abandonment issues from their parents leaving them in their pod alone to wake up in a new world with no guidance or help. Because of this they have lost many potential allies and friends.

- High pain tolerance is both a gift and a blessing. They have hurt themselves many times without knowing it and have gotten sick from untreated burns and infections that could've easily been solved earlier. They also don't care that much about themselves so they get hurt a lot. 

- Don't ever tell the Mod frogs but they never learned to swim. The can kind of float but if the waters too deep they begin to thrash and will drown if they don't get help.

 Backstory

 Amber was frozen in a cryogenic pod. Their parents were scientists and they saw how the world was going to hell as mutes were just forming. When Amber was young they were sick so they experimented with different medicines and had many trial periods during their first couple years. Their parents began to notice the mutations in Amber as they got better and feared for their life with all the backlash for mutes.

Freezing Amber forcefully they woke up 200 years later in a world they didn't know or understand. Their family was gone and they had no idea if they woke up early or late or if they had just left them in the pod.

Alone and confused their survival pack which had been packed 200 years ago was all they had to face this crazy new world.

 Quickly getting used to mutes and how the new world order worked Amber made a name for themselves as Pyro. Not identifying as male or female they hid at Rat Land and wove in and out of the landscape traveling and creating maps that highlighted resources, hidden burrows, animal territories, and mute pack schedules. They made friends with many mutes and humans and did their best to only be hostile when needed and remain in neutral zones.

Although they were still dealing with their feelings from being abandoned and missing the Old World they found themselves falling in love with this new world and all the science and wonder that came with it.

 They always wear a gas mask and jacket to hide their figure and face. Whenever something goes wrong explosives are the first thing they reach for. Very intelligent for their age both with survival skills and book smarts they become a well known human quickly.

They meet up with Ben and Dave at RatLand and become fast friends. Every now and then they do jobs to help the two out and keep in close contact.

Pyro knows where things used to be and were stored, because of this they're the go too if you want something specific and can't find it. They take on jobs from mutes and get supplies that the packs need. In exchange their aloud safe passage through different territories. Typically the Mod frogs and Newton Wolves ask for their assistance. Through the knowledge they learn from other people and packs they are able to learn to survive.

They're able to avoid and escape Scarlemange despite his multiple attempts to add them to his human collection.

 The Mod Frogs turn against them and constantly look for them. Scarlemange makes it a game. Wanted posters are up everywhere just for them. He becomes intrigued with this person and when captured Amber quickly comes up with the lie their gas mask was burned on and taking it off would rip up their face and possibly kill them. Scarlemange pulls at the mask and a wet paper towel they stuffed in their mask earlier because of an injury falls out making him recoil. He believes that's flesh and decides they can stay and so can their mask...

 Their mask keeps them from falling under the influence of his pheromones. However when asked they agree to help him freely. Secretly they begin to free humans as they pretend to be a lab partner and sabotage his projects. Scarlemange doesn't notice or doesn't mention it. 

 Unable to control them and bored with his life Scarlemange goes to them for entertainment and companionship. He finds himself enjoying their snarky replies along with their long scientific, historical, cosmetic, or philosophical talks and slowly he grows more attached to this strange human. He begins making them the guest of honor at his balls and shares parts of his old life.

Pyro begins giving him small gifts. Things like origami flowers they made with spare paper, a picture they drew, a small passage they wrote, an interesting quote they think he'll like, a song they wrote or a book they found they think he may like. As Scarlemange becomes closer he finds he enjoys giving them things as well.

Dressing them up in different formal attire or spoiling them with nice things that usually only mutes would get. He realizes Pyro is his first human friend well friend at all and Pyro is probably not even their real name. He tries digging for more about their past and even opens up more about himself in an attempt to gain knowledge. They are vague in what they reveal and he finds himself craving more. He needs to be in control and he needs to know things. He starts getting clingy and worried they'll leave and abandon him.

 When his generals notice humans have gone missing and are escaping more frequently he starts to believe it's Pyro. He begins getting desperate for their real name and identity trying to dig up whatever he can from whoever he can. They're not from a burrow and they weren't born on the surface lands. They don't exist and have only just start appearing and it's driving him insane. Pyro talks to him but never about personal things, never about their past or growing up. Never about who they really are and where they come from. Things he's divulged to them. He wants to know what they look like and he becomes obsessed with finding a way to use his pheromones on them so they can never leave his side. His paranoia grows and he fears they'll become bored of him or that their friendship is an act and they'll leave him all alone.

 His attachment grows and he begins thinking of Pyro as his protege and successor. He needs to be able to see them. To control them so they can't leave. When he finds out what they've been doing behind his back and that his suspicions were right about the humans he becomes furious and demands the mask be ripped off as punishment. He figures with their medical lab they can just fix whatever happens and that it'll be fine. That Pyro will be okay and they'll continue to be good friends depsite the set back. 

 It comes off easy and Scarlemange realizes this entire time he's been tricked. He tries to spray them with pheromone perfume but they run off his throne platform, grab a vine and slide down to the ballroom running outside before they can be retrieved. Scarlemange makes it his goal to bring his friend back home and pays high prices hoping the gangs will find them and bring them back.

Whether they like it or not.

❤💛💚💙💜❤

Some pictures of Amber/Pyro

Click for better quality

(I'm working on hair consistency/length lmao)

~💜~

~💜~

[lizzybeth1986]

Quick Thoughts on DD Book 1 Chapter 4

• Jesus, this book is expensive.

• Like I assumed Chapter 3's one accomplishment-one-or-two-LIs-or-a-family-member thing would be a one-off, just to introduce us into the system/ease us into the story, but no...they've (sort of) repeated it this chapter. I was hoping they would spread out the accomplishments at least, but perhaps they want us to have at least most of the accomplishments worked out before we leave for London.

• I really hope this doesn't become a regular thing because it will only cause players to lose interest in the books for lack of affordability, in the long run. As it is the book largely caters to a niche audience...alienating that audience by having them lose of on half the story won't bode well for the book.

• Title: Best Foot Forward. Man, this one is easy. Of course it refers to dancing. And quite a lot of dancing is done this chapter, that's for sure!

• Sooo...the Earl has decided to introduce us into society in Edgewater with a garden party. Lots of hobnobbing, some dancing, a few games and you meet at least one 'suitor'.

• Did You Know: According to writer and garderner Kim Wilson, who wrote a book titled In the Garden with Jane Austen, gardens were viewed as markers of social status. In an interview with The Scotsman, she says, "each family's garden reflected not only their needs but, if they had enough money, their social aspirations". The poor cottagers of the time were mostly concerned with growing food and having a place to keep their chickens whereas wealthier families would have had kitchen gardens, but also often extensive pleasure grounds, which were places to display their wealth and taste. (from an article about Jane Austen's love for gardens in The Scotsman).

• Last chapter had us learning (optionally) the art of the fan from our Lady Grandmother, so it makes sense that what happens in this chapter is this:

Lololol just kidding.

• So the chapter begins with the MC and Briar talking. Briar is excited about the fact that a Duke (who, she reminds us, is "one step below a Prince Regent"), and the MC can either choose to be excited or very confident. Interestingly, if you're excited, she reminds you to "not forget your roots", which I think is a recurring theme in this book. After all, that was the last thing the MC's mother told her on her deathbed.

• Dominique enters the room and both she and Briar present us with a pretty pink lace dress that is sure to improve both our social standing and catch everyone's eye at this introductory garden party.

• It looks quite pretty, actually. But that's because I love lace.

• We head downwards, finding Annabelle performing for herself in the foyer and having a thoroughly good time.

• I'm wondering if I should have a tally for the number of times she says "a thousand pardons" (and for the record, I think her way of saying "fiddlesticks" is adorable xD).

• Our third "accomplishment" (and our second paid one) is presented to us here: dancing. It's not like the MC doesn't know dancing - she does - it's that the country dances (this might be a reference to the English Country Dances that were popular among all classes) are different from the ones Annabelle has learned, and indeed the popular ones for the aristocracy that are coming in from other places, like France.

• Annabelle mentions a couple of dances that were popular for its time: the cotillion (originated from France), the Quadrille (also from France), and La Boulanger (also French). If we choose the shoes the Lady Grandmother got made for us, Annabelle wastes no time in teaching us the last one.

• Annabelle speaks to us about the Quadrille being new. She isn't lying. The Quadrille became fashionable in England around 1815.

• Again, the good thing about the accomplishment scenes is that they're meant only for learning the skill, and Annabelle can develop in her individual scenes independent of this. Though I'm not sure if cramming both her individual scenes and her accomplishment scenes in the same chapter, two chapters in a row is a very good idea.

• Another marker of how new the MC is, lies in her interaction with Mr Woods (who is perhaps the only member of the housing staff we see at the party. Briar disappears completely after she's done her work of getting the MC ready, and Luke doesn't appear either). Mr Woods is surprised the MC deigns to speak to him in public, and Henrietta uses her interaction with him to point out how little she fits in, what with talk of the MC's "roots".

• Lol the exchange with the Earl if you bought the scene with the Lady Grandmother is quite funny haha. He speaks about Dominique drilling him into learning the names of all the families and the MC - saucy little shit that she is 😄 - looks at her fan and says "oddly enough, I know exactly what you mean".

• Ernest Sincliare makes his appearance after two chapters, and there's some banter about compliments if you're wearing the pretty lace dress I think. She teases him about it and he retorts that since he passes compliments so rarely, you can be sure that when he does he means every word. I can see that logic in that, Sinclair, but must you look like a child who has accidentally sucked on a particularly sour lemon when you do? 😂

• Throughout the chapter, you get references to the Season in London, and each time the MC by default takes it for granted that she will not be going there. Sinclaire hosts parties in London, Annabelle Parsons will be going there for the Season. Up until the end of the chapter, the vibe given overall is that she won't be seeing the two for a while now that they will be leaving Edgewater, and she won't.

• Did You Know: The London Season was developed to coincide with the sitting of parliament. During the months when parliament was in session, members of both Houses needed to be in attendance in London and came to the capital bringing their families with them. The London season grew up in response to this influx of upper class people who needed to be entertained.

Amanda Foreman, in her biography on Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, stated: "the aristocratic "season" came into existence not only to further the marriage market but to entertain the upper classes while they carried out their political duties. The season followed the rhythm of Parliament: it began in late October with the opening of the new session, and ended in June with the summer recess.” of course, later on this period of time gradually began to shift.

There also seems to be something called the "little season", but that seems more a fixture of the Victorian age than the Regency one (as mentioned in the article on the London Season from the Regency History website).

• The Earl and Mr Sinclaire share a more than cordial relationship: the Earl treats him with considerable warmth and Sinclaire shows a genuine respect and regard for him. You have a choice of asking him whether it is the Earl - or you - he has respect for (and the second option leads to a romantic moment), but it is what he says about the Earl, and his later interaction with Duke Richards that intrigues me:

What happened to Ledford Park that the Sinclaires almost lost it? Why does his statement towards the Duke about Ledford sound so accusatory? Why is there such a strong undercurrent within the latter interaction? I want to know what the story behind Ledford Park is, and how the Earl helped save it.

• One of my favourite Sinclaire-related sequences is an additional scene featuring the fan, as taught to us by the Dowager Countess the previous chapter. I tried the last two with Florence, the MC who has no interest in Sinclaire:

(the first four screenshots are from the "friends" option, and the next four from the "go away u suck" option)

Meanwhile, Marianne just goes in for the kill, fam. Homegirl didn't learn all those thot moves from Grandma for nothing 😄

I do like that extra bit of sexual tension in this scene. I'm not very into Sinclaire yet, but I can see the appeal he'd have for someone who would want the Mr Darcy type of Regency male LI character. You also see a fair bit of it in the scene where the MC asks him if it is her he respects:

• Sinclaire, dude, what is it with you and Italics??

• We now interrupt our regular programme with a game of Skittles. I'm not sure how many of you assumed Regency-era aristocrats were going to start passing around fruit-flavoured candy but I sure did 😂

• So this is skittles, played with nine pins. Very much one of the precursors to present day bowling from what I've read. Playing this game, and beating a champion like Mr Sinclaire at it will not only allow you to spend time alone with him, but also increase your social standing.

• It's simple enough: hit the red pin in the centre, and if you want you can distract the hell out of Sinclaire after he's fired his first shot.

• Twice this chapter, you see our resident comic relief for the day: Miss Theresa Oh-My-Smelling-Salts Sutton, and Mr Edmund Do-I-Look-Like-I-Care Malcaster, and I've decided I like them both (I wanted to add screenshots, but tumblr mobile sucks and won't let me put up more than ten images 😒)

• So we meet the "handsome", "titled" eligible bachelor our Lady Grandmother wanted us so badly to marry and...

...um. lol. ok.

Handsome? Charming? When was the last time you looked in the mirror dude, 20 years ago?

• You have a choice of how to respond after Duke Richards insults Mr. Sinclaire. You can either choose the Manners option, or you can choose to outright sass the man. If you don't sass him? The Lady Grandmother will do it for you.

• With the Manners option we find out that the Duke is 51 years old.

• With the non-manners option we find out that the dude likes saucy little minxes.

• @ the last panel in Florence's playthrough, Grandma even you can't deal with this dude for two minutes without nodding off. Why are you dumping him on my head then? (don't tell me. I know the answer 😐). See, this is why Florence will eventually kiss her inheritance goodbye lol.

• Jesus can this man just...speak two words without touching me??

• FINALLY. Miss Parsons. We choose a hiding place to get away from the Duke and then she offers to show us a new part of the estate: the lakefront. The great thing about gardens, esp in the writing of the time, was that it provided privacy for people at the time and allowed them to interact in ways they couldn't in public.

• Did you know: Austen herself used gardens pretty extensively in her writing. Mr Knightley confesses his love to Emma close to a shrubbery. Elizabeth jokes to her aunt about deciding to marry Mr Darcy after seeing the grounds in Pemberley. Fanny Price of Mansfield Park remarks, “To sit in the shade on a fine day, and look upon verdure, is the most perfect refreshment.” Catherine Morland of Northanger Abbey falls in love with hyacinths, Marianne Dashwood of Sense and Sensibility has a passion for fallen leaves in an autumnal garden, while Anne Elliot of Persuasion is always inspired to think of poetry when enjoying the beauties of nature.

Susannah Fullerton in her essay "Jane Austen and her gardens" (for the website Garden Drum) says: "Many proposals [in Austen's novels] take place out of doors where lovers can find some privacy amongst the gravel walks and flower beds; garden improvements are planned by some of the characters; and her heroines all enjoy going into a garden to think". 

• Makes sense then that one of the special scenes of this largely "forbidden" relationship (if you choose for that to happen) would take place in greenery, close to a lake. If you notice, it's quite in keeping with the times that most of the romantic moments this chapter happen either in an isolated section of the gardens or while dancing, both of which allow for some measure of interaction between people interested in each other.

• Miss Parsons, the legendary hero of a Duck Prophecy xD

• I love her in this scene. Sure she gets shy when she receives attention she's not used to from us, and she's kind and educative and sweet, but she's also boisterous and passionate and not afraid to pull punches when she needs to (case in point: the shade she immediately throws Henrietta's way regarding her "tutelage"). This scene has her stealing cake from the party to feed the ducks, getting exhilarated from the race and her new friendship with the MC, and feeling extremely confused by her feelings if you speak to her romantically.

• The first half of this scene is pure fun, but the second inevitably shows the two women experiencing a sense of loss that their connection will be cut short - whether they are friends or whether this is a budding romance.

• What I do love about both the romance scenes are the extra touches added to both in the coding. In the skittles scene with Ernest, Marianne is spoken of by default as brushing her hand against his before giving him the ball, whereas Florence simply passes it to him.

• Even with Annabelle, if you acquire romance points with her, the ending of that scene is written quite differently:

I absolutely love this part of the scene. And given that very often the female LI is treated like just the default best friend with some stray romance options attached, it really does feel good to have that sexual tension acknowledged.

• Florence, babe, what is it with you and Italics??

• TIME TO PUT ON OUR DANCING SHOES GUYS (if we bought them).

• So we're doing a dance called La Boulanger...which kinda looks like this:

You dance in a circle, then keep switching partners.

• Did You Know: that the Boulanger was one of the very few dances mentioned by name in Jane Austen's novels? (Pride and Prejudice Chapter 3. I think the reel is mentioned in another).

• I have two left feet unless someone is heavily choreographing a flash mob and spends ages teaching me the steps lol so this looks pretty complicated to me 😂

• You have an option of choosing between Mr Sinclaire, Miss Parsons and Duke Richards. The first two are the usual you'd expect from romantic dance scenes if you choose either of the first two, impressing them with your dance moves and then catching their eye when you're dancing with Edmund, your stepbrother. With Miss Parsons there is an additional show of boldness in that there is a danger of making their affections public.

• The Duke Richards option, which I managed to see thanks to @i-dream-so-i-write ...seems pretty okay actually. He doesn't seem as handsy and creepy as he does in our first meeting (there is a moment where his "hands skim your waist" though, and he tells us we've been apart too long [a couple seconds, tops]), but he's also still talking our ears off. If anyone is interested in seeing it, I can attach the screenshots!

• This man is so freaking extra I can't even.

• The chapter ends with the Earl announcing that he is changing his will, and that the MC is heiress to Edgewater Estate now, which makes it essential for her, then, to make her debut at the London Season, and begin searching for prospective bridegrooms.

• There is a catch though. You get the inheritance if you marry someone of suitable rank. In short...at this point in the story, Marianne is doing alright, but Florence is well and truly screwed until there is a twist somewhere (and surely there will be at some point). Sorry Florence.

• Henrietta has something up her sleeve, and Edmund, who was expecting to inherit, is sad and tells the MC so. You get a relationship point with him if you tell him you understand how it must feel, but he reiterates that you probably won't. We have time, we can still get this dude (and his palpitating fiancée) on our side. Maybe.

• Looks like we'll be starting our journey to London straightaway, and making our debut in London at Mr Sinclaire's party by Chapter 6. Alsooo from the spoilery chapter descriptions it looks like Mr. Marlcaster will try tripping us up at least once, or more than once. Also looks like we have two more skills on our accomplishment board to learn. So far we've gotten needlework, music and dancing - we now need to see what the other two are. I THINK one of them is painting.

General Thoughts:

• Good chapter. It's a little slow which is fine, because I think all the action will actually happen during the London Season instead. We meet only two suitors, one of whom we have already met in the first chapter.

• I feel like the extra scenes that we'll get with the unlocked accomplishments will include other styles of the same art. We initially learn the piano, but I feel like unlocking it will lead to extra scenes with other instruments, and unlocking the dancing shoes will show us extra scenes of Annabelle teaching us other dances (the waltzes, the reel, etc). I'm not entirely sure about this, it's just a theory I have. I mean, once we're in London we'll need to learn waltzes and the minuet and stuff.

• Luke doesn't make an appearance this chapter, but then again nor does Briar as soon as the MC gets ready. I think we'll see more of him now that we will be traveling to London.

• Donna Hatch's (who writes a ton of historical romances, esp Regency) essay on the London Season lists the months active in each year for it, and in 1816 it was from February to July. In the story it's now the beginning of April. Usually it's best to go at the very start if you're looking for marriage prospects, but given the MC's particular circumstances this time of the season isn't too bad either I'd reckon.

• Remember how I told you guys last chapter about the inclusion of Mary Brunton's Self Control? And how she criticizes the popular "rake" figure in Regency fiction? I'm not sure Duke Richards adheres completely to how rakes were depicted at the time, but he definitely does seem to be channeling Colonel Hargrave a little here.

• I wonder what the Duke seems to be hiding. Besides of course the truth of his equation with Sinclaire. Why is he so focused on this new woman? I think there might be more to this. I also can't wait to see the other suitors, like the viscount and Mr Chambers.

• I do like how we learn more about Sinclaire and Annabelle here. Annabelle largely has the role that Hana had in TRR, and there are some similarities - but she also has a lot more wiggle-room and seems to be bolder and a little more outgoing. She has grown up with the limitations placed on women at the time, but unlike Hana, hasn't faced as many restrictions in her upbringing.

• As I've mentioned before, I love Annabelle and I love that they're trying to do a better job of her. But I'm not entirely sure if cramming two separate scenes of hers in single chapters of an already expensive book is a wise choice, or if it will harm her development in the long run because people find it too expensive to spend on her. IMO the accomplishment scenes should be a little further spread out in the books.

• Now that the MC is going to be a future Countess, what is in store for her? In her rightful home Edgewater, she has a limited audience and not as much expectation to live up to...what will become of her now that she will be participating in the Season in London? Guess we'll find out today, or in the coming weeks xD

• Tagging: @boneandfur @liamraines @thespiritpanda @alanakusumastan @ernestsinclairs @mrsthomashunt @private-investigator-nazario @bcdollplace @queenodysseia @mcbangle

If you'd like to be tagged in one of the QTs, please let me know!