#while others would be taken by one single character xD

[fallingdownhell]

Genshin.l men when you pluck off their first grey hair.

Uhh, I know some good candidates for this one! xD

Characters Included: Itto; Kaveh; Zhongli; Kazuha

Content: Fluff; established relationship; overall just good feelings and joking around; no drama at all in this one

Word count: 1,3k words

Have fun with this one!

Itto

It was your usual hangout day with Itto and his gang, but you were bored

You guys weren't doing anything interesting or fun, just sitting around, playing cards

well.. Kuki may be entirely satisfied that the boys were keeping low on their shenanigans, but you were bored out of your mind. Your boyfriend wasn't really paying attention to you, too invested in his stupid card game

somewhere along the way, you decided to lay your head in his lap, hoping to garner some attention this way

when that also didn't work, you started to play with his hair to get a rise out of him, but that also failed. He did enjoy your touch, but ulimately, it wasn't enough to distract him

that was, until an idea formed in your head. True, it may sound like a stupid one, but your boyfriend was also known to not exactly be of the brightest sort

so, with feigned shock, you suddenly gasp as you pluck one of his hair out of his head, the sudden exclamation finally getting Itto's attention

"What? What's wrong, babe?"

"Itto.. I think you're getting old.. Look, your hair is going white!"

You play your part good, but it obviously was a pretty stupid prank to pull on him. Everyone caught onto it the moment you spoke it out loud. Well.. everyone, except..

"WHAT? ARE YOU SERIOUS?"

Itto practically jumped up, panic written all over his face

"This can't be! Not my hair!"

You look at him, puzzled, confused that this stupid joke actually worked on him. You looked to the other gang members, but they only sigh and shake their heads

When Itto finally got in front of a mirror, you could almost see the gears turning in his head.. it took him a solid minute until he realized it, too

"(NAME)!!", he screamed and now you couldn't hold back your laughter

Kaveh

For a man, Kaveh was overly focused on his physical appearances

he always made sure to stay relatively on top with his choice of clothes and his hair is always well taken care of

and while that might sound like someone who would be overly arrogant, Kaveh was not like that at all

he just really cared about what he looked like, always wanting to "Impress", if you can call it that

so, one day, you thought about a little prank. You didn't think anything bad of it, it was just a harmless joke...right?

well... one time, after waking up in bed together, Kaveh asked for you to brush through his hair while he was looking through some sketches again, and that was just the perfect opportunity to execute your plan that has been brewing in your head for the last few days

For a few seconds, you silently brush the comb through his hair, followed by your fingers to smoothen it up again, when you suddenly gasped

"What? What's wrong, (name)?", Kaveh sounded confused at the sudden change in atmosphere, slightly alarmed

"Kaveh.. I think I found a grey hair here.."

"...WHAT? PULL IT OUT! PULL IT OUT!", he screamed.

This couldn't be happening! Not yet! He wasn't even THAT old!

You plucked the single hair out like he requested. And while it was just a normal, blonde strand of hair like the rest of it, Kaveh was an expert in stressing himself out so much that he actually thought to see it as well

"No, no, no, no!"

He began pacing through the room, trying to think of a solution. This couldn't be happening!

You almost couldn't hold back your laughter, but when Kaveh suddenly ran out of the room, completely forgetting about anything else, you knew that you might have messed up a little bit with your prank...

Zhongli

You and Zhongli were laying on the couch, his head rested in your lap as you massaged through his scalp

The events of the day had tired him out more than usually and you noticed that as soon as he came through the door of your shared home

so, you offered to help him relax a bit. You made him a cup of his favourite tea and were now spoiling him with this incredible massage, he felt like all his dreams had come true at once

his eyes were closed, humming from time to time, telling you just how much he enjoyed this

"Hmm..", you let out after some time of you being quiet. Zhongli rose an eyebrow at that, but otherwise remained as he was

when nothing else came from you, he opened one of his eyes, staring up at you

"Is something the matter, darling?"

"Hmm? Oh, not really.. I just noticed, you seem to have gotten a few grey hairs.."

Your tone was gentle and you kept up the relaxing movements through his hair

"Ahh.. Is that so?", Zhongli quietly spoke, closing his eyes again

"So it seems that the wheel of time is finally catching up to me, as well."

"...Are you bothered by it?", you ask, carefully, not knowing how he would react to that revelation

"Not at all. This is just how things are supposed to be. I don't mind it at all."

And he meant that. He couldn't be bothered by his hair turning a different colour, when everything else in his life was just perfect...

Kazuha

You and Kazuha were currently on board of the Alchor, making their way back to Inazuma

You had decided to accompany him on one of his travels and it has truly been one of the most amazing experiences in your entire life

The things you got to see during your travels, the people you interacted with, and the memories you made together with Kazuha.. it would surely stay in your mind forever

Currently, you were both out on the deck, just looking out into the distance, silently enjoying each others company

normally, you would sit with your back against Kazuha's chest, his arms would be around you while he simply held you like this. Sometimes he would kiss your hair and other times, he would tell you a poem that he just came up with. You cherished those peaceful moments with him

This time however, your roles were reversed, with Kazuha sitting with his back against your chest, half sitting against you and half laying in your lap, while you gently stroke through his hair

he wasn't really thinking about anything in this moment, instead enjoyed the gentle breeze of the wind and your touch in his hair.. surely this must be what heaven felt like

he was sighing every now and then with content and each time, you smiled at the sound, glad that he was enjoying this

then, one time, when you took your hand out of his hair to put it to a different position, you noticed a few loose strands of hair caught between your fingers

you pulled them out and stared at them a bit.. something felt off about it somehow..

"Kazuha.. is your hair starting to grow grey?"

At first, he wasn't sure if he heard you right. He opened his eyes, only to find a serious expression on your face

You really weren't joking...

"My dear...", he only said, sighing a bit

"What?", you asked, feeling a bit offended at his tone. You looked at him a few more seconds until you realized it..

your eyes grew wide and Kazuha knew you finally got it, a sly grin making it's way on his lips

"Oh...", was all you said, embarrassed that you forgot something like that

Kazuha just smiled, but said nothing further about it, just closing his eyes again as you continued with what you were doing before

Would he ever let you live that down? ...No, of course not...

[nocturnalazure]

Not-a-tutorial - Camera shots: Part I

Absolutely nobody: ...

Me: I’ll share with you tips and tricks about Sims storytelling and camera shots!

And this is how it all started.

I’m far from being an expert and this probably won’t be new to many people, but I just felt the drive to ramble about camera shots because I think it’s such an interesting topic. (warning: long – see under the cut)

I sometimes have a feeling that we, as simmers, tend to repeat the same angles over and over again when telling a story. And I think that may be because we still adopt a player’s perspective. We may want to show how the Sim is dressed because we spend one hour in CAS dressing them up. Or we want to see the Sim but also the background because we spent hours decorating the scene. Or simply because we like the background and think it deserves to be shown! Zooming up on a Sim’s face is uncomfortable because that’s not how we play the game: we zoom out to see what we are doing. I know, because that’s what I used to do too in the past. Many of my screenshots were taken at hip/knee level.

And at shoulder level when I wanted to “zoom in”.

That was okay, but not necessarily very engaging. The thing is, I started using more and more screenshots in my story, dropping descriptive text entirely and using only dialogues. Soon my story became a graphic novel. Telling a story using mostly visual means implies that 1) I have to shorten the dialogues as much as possible to keep it dynamic, and 2) I have to find visual ways to express what characters are not saying but what I want the reader to understand (note that my Sims are no longer Sims but characters xD). This comes very close to storyboarding and it is what I’m doing now. It is much more planned and requires more work. But it pays! (at least according to me: I rather like my way even if there are many ways I can still improve!) So I'm going to show you a few concrete examples of how I apply to my shots some techniques from photography, comics, mangas and filmmaking.

First, I use wide, establishing shots to show the reader where the action is taking place.

Sometimes to express an idea, like that of a crowded place for example:

What I do A LOT is use a random landscape or zoom in on a detail to indicate the passage of time, like for transitions within the same scene: we find the same characters in the same place but they are leaving, or they are now seated, or they are still in the same building but not in the same room, etc. I often use sky pictures because I like them, sue me. :D

I use full shots when there are several characters in the room and I need to show whom and where they stand in relation to each other.

It is actually quite important for the reader to be able to locate a character in space. It sounds pretty basic, but we as authors tend to forget that the reader is not in our head. The reader needs to be able to follow your story every step of the way, even (particularly!) at the most basic level. The more characters in a scene, the more important this step is. A wider shot is perfect for this.

Or a bird eye view.

This is a standard shot of two characters having a seated convo:

What I I try to do is vary the angles as much as possible in a single conversation. It’s easy to use only an “over-the-shoulder” perspective but if the conversation is long, using only that kind of shots can give an impression that it drags on and on.

The character that is talking should be to one to which the eye is attracted to. If I used only that kind of shot, the eye would quickly get bored going from one character to the other, and since the conversation here was long, I used different angles to make it more interesting and play with different effects depending on what the characters were saying.

First, I reminded the reader of where the characters are in space:

Then, I got some close-up on small details while the characters are talking. This one shows that they have finished their meal.

I used an overhead shot for variety, but also to suggest that my characters are confronting their points of view, with the table separating them.

When a character is having a long monologue, I like taking my time to show a bit of the décor. It allows to break a long block of text into several more digestible parts and it gives the eye something more relaxing to look at so that it can focus on the text.

Doing a close-up on an interesting detail works too. It can add an emotional impact as readers do not see the character's face and will try to connect what the character is saying to what he does not say.

Same idea here, more experimental. You like it or you don’t. I chose not to show the character’s face while she’s asking a personal question. It fits her and it fits the story.

In general, I like cutting off part of a character’s face to maximize impact.

Another way to show emotions is a close-up. Like here, Anh is shocked so I chose a low angle to emphasize it.

I use close-ups for the reader to better see a character’s emotions. This close, emotions can be read and interpreted right away.

On to Part II!

[cheezeybread]

Back to our regularly scheduled Alice-asking with Anon McGee.

After playing the game for a few hours and getting through some stuff, I have some thoughts. None in particular for any sort of request [although, at the time of writing this specific part, I am unsure of if I'll tack one onto the beginning of this ask [I did not]. I am also unsure of if it will be related at all], but they're still interesting and maybe can be used for this stuff going forward [for as long as I keep requesting such self indulgent things].

1. Teeth are a currency. Not a whole lot to do with that one, but it is incredibly strange to me even still.

2. Many of the enemies are made visibly of this black, ink-like ooze. Not all of them, but a good majority of them. I feel this means overblots may cause additional layers of stress because of the implications it might cause [something to do with the fact that this inky substance was what corrupted Alice's wonderland, it sounds like it COULD be taken as a physical representation of that same kind of corruption, and the overblotter going literally insane. Could be good oneshot fuel?]

3. Alice is actually SUPER chill in the environment of the wonderland aside from when it's actively trying to kill her [although the reaction does not necessarily have to apply to the reader character we've been using as a stressball for these scenarios, I think it's pretty interesting and likely means that the initial reaction to the students of Heartslaybyul would be void should I have known prior to this that wonderland was actually pretty alright and fine for the most part]

4. Another minor detail that doesn't really mean a lot, but in the Hatter's domain, there's flamingos all over the place. While I was exploring, I saw several just sort of Around. In cages, hung up on walls, some- upon entry- were on those like.. Spitroasters or whatever they are. Many were on wheels being forced to run to give power to some machinery. They all looked pretty... Not alive, though. Also, they were strangely dodo shaped, but that's neither here nor there.

That's all I have for the moment regarding that! Feel free to take it and run however you want, I can't think of any specific request I can give relating to any of these except for the overblot one

Dang, this game sounds absolutely vicious, I love it XD

I need to take your mind and put it in a little glass jar filled with water to observe it (meant in a positive way). Maybe shake it around some to see what kinda scenarios pop out.

But the best I can come up with are some *. * ·imagines*. * · to keep your brain occupied for now

Imagine an MC who- in every single fight they get dragged into (which is an awful lot in the game lmao)- stays behind for a moment to collect some of the teeth punched out by spells and fists. The broken ones that are cracked aren't worth much, they say to their friends who ask what they're doing, but the whole teeth can buy you a lot of good things. Much to the horror of the Twisted Wonderland students, it's eventually realized that MC thinks that teeth are a currency here. They don't know why, but can only speculate that it's from the same issues from before... Riddle eventually ends up begging (or as close to begging as he can get-) for Azul to tell you about Twisted Wonderland's currency. Horrified yet intrigued by your grotesque idea of money, Azul teaches you about merfolk economics, as well as the thaumarks people use on land...of course, he's going to try and get you to explain the whole "teeth currency" thing to him, and what makes one tooth worth more than others.

The inky enemies would actually make for a KILLER oneshot, I might have to write something along the lines of it one day... Maybe Twisted Wonderland (or at least, the part that held the Queen of Hearts in it) and Alice's Wonderland are two sides of the same coin...? While they're both in different dimensions (maybe even parallel to one another!), they're both similar. The main difference was that Alice's Wonderland is isolated from the rest of the world, while "Twisted Wonderland" had different cultures and societies to expand with? The isolation caused some in Alice's Wonderland to "Overblot" (or, at least, some form of it) and become enemy bosses. So maybe Overblots are slightly different in each world, but they're still present!

Imagine an MC who (after having a few breakdowns at first regarding Heartslabyul) eventually calms down...to the point where everyone gets extremely worried about them. Riddle accidentally says "Off with your head!" to an unruly student within their earshot, but MC is so chill that they look...almost zoned out, their eyes glazed over. Like they're in a completely different world. As the overblots go on throughout their stay in Twisted Wonderland, MC's calm demeanor only gets worse. They don't seem to react hardly at all to- well, anything. It's like they've just accepted where they are and the danger they're in.

Mmm short and squat dodo-like flamingos. I like to think that our poor MC, after first seeing the flamingos in Heartslabyul, didn't actually see them, but saw their not-quite-alive bodies wandering around, some being roasted over a fire, others lurking ominously behind bushes, some in cages. All some form of injured or deadish. It would most definitely take a while until MC could see the creatures as they truly were (that is, alive and well, and most definitely not so creepy), but until then, they take it in stride. No one even knows how MC sees the flamingos until they offhandedly mention it one day, and Cater's just like "....no?? Why would we be roasting flamingos???"

[cottoncandy-cult]

Babification Octavinelle

INTRO/Dorm Selection Includes: Azul, Floyd, Jade

@azulashengrottospiano I finally did it! Now just 5 more dorms and 18 characters to go XD

Remember this is a fem reader insert with she/her pronouns

Azul had been in the Octavinelle dorm lounge with Floyd and Jade discussing work, it was one of their few days off and they were talking about some new renovations Azul planned to do to the monstro lounge. Floyd believed they needed some kind of gift shop, while Jade believed they needed a garden cafe. Azul had planned to consult with his sweet (Y/n), she had been lending him a hand in the creativity department for a while now. It helped that she seemed to know so many people, but given how deeply involved she has been in each dorm it isn't much of a surprise. As Azul was checking his phone had was also attempting to tune out the rambles of the tweels, Floyd trying to correct something that Jade said involving fashion as usual. Azul often tried to tune those conversations out, he couldn't understand a word Floyd said when he was talking about fashion. Though this chaotic peace had been interupted when Lilia just seemed to drop out of the sky infront of them, the twins near jumping behind the couch from the sudden and silent appearance. It took every ounce of muscle control in Azul not to do the same thing, he had an image he had to uphold and getting scared behind the couch was not something that helped said image. "Hello Lilia, to what do I owe the pleasure?" He had spoken to Lilia on occasion, especially since he often showed up to events in Malleus's place, but he never expected to see the short male in the Octavinelle dorm. The monstro lounge maybe, he did come in every now and then for a treat, but the fact that he was in the dorm lounge caused a few pink flags to pop up. Though those pink flags were soon crimson read as he spotted the child cradled against the male's chest, especially since the child was swaddled in an oversized ramshackle dorm uniform jacket. The fae male chuckled as he noticed the vague way the merman paled, tilting his head with a closed eye smile. "(Y/n) actually, is the reason I'm here. You see, this sweet little girl was the victim of small potionology accident." Azul quirked an eyebrow as the tweels were peaking down at the sleeping prefect in Lilia's arms, he himself was trying not to swear as he already knew where this was going when Lilia started retelling the events in class.

At the end of it Azul was squeezing the bridge of his nose, what God did she piss off to be in the middle of the most chaotic accidents EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. "Don't worry though, Professor Crewel is working with the headmage to fix this. He should be by soon with what he called a 'Baby bag' so that she can be taken care of in the meantime." Lilia carefully passed the sleeping girl to Azul, helping the tense male hold the small girl when he realized that he didn't know how to hold a baby. He then sat her school bag by Floyd, her other clothing articles were hidden inside because Lilia was a gentleman like that. "My number is in her phone; I've raised a few babies in my day so if you need some help just call."

-

It had been a few hours since then, the professor having come by to drop off the baby bag with a book borrowed from the college library about unplanned parenting for young adults. A book he never in his life thought he would EVER be reading; she has been the first of many things for him and at this point he was curious how she managed to create such a chaotic balance of experiences. He had relaxed a bit after getting used to holding her for a while and soon enough he found himself staring at her, he never thought about what she may have looked like as a baby even after she had seen some of his childhood photos. Currently he sat in the pool that was built into his dorm leader room, he was leaning back against the wall of the pool as he watched (Y/n). She had been awake for a while; he had thought that maybe she was aware of the situation because she had been fairly quiet and wasn't very fussy. Currently he was in his merform, something he had grown comfortable with her being around after their many trips to the beach. His sleek black tentacles held her in the water, she was in a little (F/c) swim dress and sat comfortably on his curled tentacles. Her tiny hands gently grabbing at the other tentacles that would poke her nose or tickle her sides or cheeks, he hadn't had any prior experience with human children, so he had found himself quite distracted by her reactions to him. He especially loved how her nose crinkled when she giggled, something he noticed before in her regular age but was much more obvious now in this form. "It isn't fair angel fish; how can you be so cute after causing so much trouble." He chuckled as he brought her closer, rubbing his cheek on hers as he rested her against his chest. It was a quiet night and all things considered he was in a content mood. He watched her tiny hands move against his pale grey skin, tiny eyes marveling at the odd texture. He felt so proud of himself, adoring just how curious she was about HIM. It was definitely an ego boost, he knew she cared for him and found him interesting but as an infant it was such innocent and blatant curiosity. And since she was a baby, he didn't have to feel embarrassed about anything! I mean who are you going to tell? The stuffed dalmatian toy professor Crewel had put in the baby bag? His eyes widened a bit when he felt her tiny hands grab his cheeks, laughing away at something he had no clue about. He didn't know how long it would be till she was turned back, but these moments would certainly make any hassle or stress until that point worth it. He went back to using his tentacles to help her play and swim in the water, buying him some time to think of the future. He found himself hoping, now more than ever, that his future would involve her for many years to come.

Floyd had been running laps at the start of gym class when Coach Vargas had called him over to his office, he noticed Lilia was sitting in front of the coach's desk and he could tell the male was holding something but didn't quite know what. "What's goin on? Why is Mendako here?" (Yes, I'm using the Japanese nicknames cause calling Lilia a flapjack octopus in English just feels insulting. LMFAO) Floyd put his hands on his hips, tilting his head slightly as Lilia stood from his seat. "Well, young Lilia said there was some sort of accident in potionology involving the ramshackle prefect. I'll let him explain, I got stretches to demonstrate!" With that Vargas had left the room, as if he didn't just stir something in the merman. Lilia seemed to sense Floyd's shift in behavior, approaching him with a jacket swaddled infant. "Don't worry (Y/n)'s just fine, she just a little…little." He chuckled as he motioned to the infant, watching Floyd squat to be able to look at her better. Lilia took the chance to show him how to hold her while he explained the situation, chuckling to himself at the end as he saw how Floyd had the small girl resting perfectly on his large forearm. "So, I'm just supposed to take care of shrimpy til Ishidai finds a way to turn her back?" Floyd's heterochromic eyes gazed down at the child in his arm, tilting his head. His shrimpy was already pretty small, but now she was TINY. He couldn't help but chuckle, her cheeks were just so chubby he couldn't help but poke them. Are all human babies so warm and squishy? Or was his cute little shrimpy just extra special like that? "Yep, that sums it up. Professor Crewel should be by to drop off a bag of supplies for her soon. For now, he just asked I bring this to you since he knows you would probably need your hands free." Lilia held up a black and teal harness, a little gold charm dangling from the zipper on the back. "Huh, I didn't know they made functional harnesses." The male was aware that they were sometimes worn simply as decoration for an outfit, but he didn't know humans had harnesses just for baby carrying. "Mhm, let me hold her while you put it on. Once we get her settled, I need to get back to Diasomnia before my own kids stir up trouble." He chuckled at Floyd's confused look, but true to his word once the sleeping child was comfortably snug to Floyd's chest the batty male had left for his dorm. Floyd had left the office and took his lover's stuff to where his own was, looking down at the small girl and wondering how long it would take to have his normal shrimpy back. He had already tried to talk to her 3 times, each time forgetting she couldn't talk back, and he really missed his shrimpy's voice.

Because he had the prefect in his care, he didn't have to do the daily exercises, instead being told to just walk around the basketball court until free time started. He could feel eyes on him as he walked around, he didn't really care because if they were smart, he knew they'd keep their mouths shut about him with his baby shrimpy. He slowly came to a stop when she started squirming, he rested his hand on her back as he watched her closely. Observing how her tiny (E/c) eyes opened with a whiny yawn as she soon began watching him back, tiny head tilting as she looked at him curiously. He chuckled a little at how her tiny hands reached up and padded at the bottom of his cheek, making him lean down as best he could so she could do her thing. He quietly observed with a lazy smirk as she tugged gently on his bangs and patted his cheeks, he didn't know if she was trying to communicate or was just being a curious baby, but he found it quite amusing in an adorable way. Though his moment was interrupted when professor Crewel approached him with a large bag on his arm, cartoon fish covering the outside of it. "Glad to see you aren't breaking down yet, surprising given how most of the students in this school would probably react in your situation." Floyd looked up to Crewel, chuckling some as he scratched the back of his head. "Well, she did just wake up, hopefully shrimpy will be a good girl until we can get back to the dorm." He followed Crewel after the professor motioned him to follow, watching as they made their way to the lockeroom. "Well, we hope to have her sorted out by the end of the week, till then I need to at least make sure you're prepared for childcare. Tell me, what do you know about diapers?" Crewel couldn't help but chuckle at the male's confusion, this was going to be an adventure. Thankfully Floyd was a quick learner, especially when it came to something he cares about. So, it wasn't long before he was returning to class, his shrimpy in a cute little mermaid jumper and the baby bag resting on his shoulder as he filled a bottle with some juice. Free time had started and those that weren't gathering things to take outside were now gawking at the tall male, especially those like Jamil and Riddle who were quite familiar with the male.

Riddle had been the very first to approach him at that, his curiosity getting the best of him. "So Floyd, who's baby is that?" Riddle tilted his head as he observed the child, something about her feeling oddly familiar. Floyd looked down at the little red head, chuckling as he held the bottle for her so she could have a drink. "My shrimpy had a little accident in potionology, so I've gotta watch her until Ishidai can turn her back." That made Riddle's eyes widen, he seemed so calm despite the fact his significant other had been turned into an infant. "That's certainly interesting, never a boring day with the prefect around huh?" This had been Jamil; he was standing nearby as he looked for a volleyball in the ball cart. When he finally found one, he stood up straight and approached the two as he looked at the little girl. The innocent look in her eyes reminded him of when Kalim was still real young, he was actually pretty cute back then in Jamil's opinion but that could have been because there wasn't much Kalim could do. "Wait if you're watching (Y/n)… Who's watching Grim?" This thought had Riddle freezing a bit, the group going silent before Floyd shrugged. "Idunno, not my problem though." And with a chuckle he walked away, the two male's making eye contact and agreeing to go see Crowley since they knew it wasn't wise to leave the fiery cat unsupervised.

The calmer leech twin smiled as he sat in the vip room of the monstro lounge, Lilia had brought (Y/n) to him earlier and professor Crewel had just left after dropping off the baby bag and teaching him a few things about human babies. He had the small girl cradled to his chest as he fed her, it felt oddly domestic to the male as he was usually helping Floyd deal with problematic people or trying to balance a busy schedule. He had always had a tendency to try and be much lighter handed and gentle since coming on land, it wasn't until now that he realized just how essential that was. She weighed practically nothing to him; he was almost concerned but trusted Crewel when he had said she was just fine aside from being babyfied. "What am I going to do with you darling? How is it you manage to end up in these situations even without Grim?" He chuckled as he poked her cheek, his smile widening as she grabbed his finger with a huff while still drinking from the bottle. He hadn't had much experience with babies before, especially not with human babies, so he was fascinated by everything she did. Trying to see what she does differently compared to when she is her regular self, as well as just enjoying her reactions to the things he has done and showed her. He had just brought her back from the giant fish tank in the lounge to feed her, the way her eyes lit up and her tiny hands gently touching the glass as she watched all the colorful fish had made him delighted. He knew no matter what he'd be even more attached to his sweet angel fish, for once she was completely reliant on him. He could spoil and care for her the way he wanted, and she couldn't stop him and didn't seem aware enough to feel guilty as she usually does when he tries to tend to her. Granted there were some things he wasn't looking forward too, but he understood the naturalness of it all and was more than capable of overlooking and forgetting about anything that may make her selfconscious. His goal was just to keep her healthy, safe and loved until she could return to her normal self. He reached over for his phone with a grin, quick to turn on the camera. He decided to make the best of the situation, and that included getting plenty of pictures of her cute pudgy face. He couldn't wait to show the pictures back to her, so he was careful and picky about the selfies he took with her and of the pictures he took of her as a whole. He wanted the absolute cutest ones to show her, and possibly any other poor soul who might be curious. Though he was quick to put his phone away when she pushed the mostly empty bottle away, which he moved to sit on the coffee table as he placed his legs together and rested her along his thighs. Crewel had showed him this video he claimed would be better for her than burping her like they do on tv shows, in which he was slightly moving her body and somewhat rubbing her stomach. This was supposed to reduce the chances of her spitting up and help her digest better so the milk isn't just setting in place in her stomach. It was a somewhat complicated explanation, but he understood that it was meant to be the better method and that was what he was going to do. Her little giggles made him chuckle, and the slight surprised face she made at her little burp had him slumping over a little as he laughed. Being an infant, she didn't have much conscious control over her actions or expressions, and he was absolutely loving it. "Always so interesting my little angle fish, you always manage to make my day so fun." He was careful as he lifted her to rest on his chest, leaning back some as he moved a small cover over her back. He rested a large hand over her body, observing how it covered the small space and taking note just how tiny she was compared to him.

"Come on (Y/n) it's nap time, you've been awake for a while now. When we get back to the dorm, I'll set up some toys for you to play with on the bed." He moved his other hand to gently cup the back of her head, smiling down at her half-lidded gaze as her tiny hands crumpled his shirt. Since it was her first day as a baby, he figured she may be pretty low energy, at least for a while after the transformation. Because of this he knew things may be a bit more hectic tomorrow, but Crewel promised to make the other teachers aware of the situation so he should be able to step out of class when she gets fussy or maybe even just pick up some notes and class work until she is back to normal. He'd make it work either way, after all she was turned on school property and in class, so they were technically responsible for this transformation. He knew Crowley wouldn't push his luck with the octo-trio, it would be bad for business as they say. Afterall Octavinelle does a lot in means of helping with school funding and events, and Azul was smart enough to find a way to get what he wants without jeopardizing himself. But that was nuclear level thinking, right now he just needed to worry about not falling asleep himself.

[princeanxious]

An introduction to my little ‘Seamster 4 Hire’ DCA au!

Pretty much this au is a mashup of the usual ‘reader meets sun & moon and platonic to romantic hijinks ensue,’ ‘sun & moon are separate animatronics’, and the ‘Sun and Moon deserve their own individuality of expression without having to settle for something they both like/tolerate every single time’ concepts. I love drawing/designing characters in new outfits and dabble with custom clothing in my limited free time, and am a trans short king, so ‘Seamster 4 Hire!’ Seems to cover all those bases pretty well!

In this au I imagine this comic takes place a while down the line, bc it takes the reader a long time to fully gain the two daycare attendants’ friendship as they begin working on the new outfits and accessories, taking into account what sun and moon *want* and not what faz.co might dictate.

(This is for multiple reasons: 1. Since the DCAs were split in two after the fire, they needed a new costume set that was tailored to their new body specifications bc their old bodies had barely survived the fire, 2. More than one or two sets of clothing is not soundly hygenic for ones entrusted with childcare unless they got washed *every day* 3. With the uprising of animatronic rights, many parents and guests had petitioned for the DCAs(and other animatronics) to receive a more diverse wardrobe of their own choosing, specifically as the demand for their children’s daily role model be taken care of properly and respectfully rose with each passing week, and 4, if the seamster let Faz.Co management dictate the actual clothing designs, the DCAs would never have a custom fitting wardrobe of their own to wear out if, and *when*, they eventually leave/live outside of the new and improved pizzaplex. Yes, it’s that kind of au. I need happy endings on the horizon okay xD)

Like, the main rock stars outfits? Performer type things and the like? That makes sense! But for those that take care of the little ones? They don’t need to be restricted to anything flashy when comfort and safety is the number 1 priority! And whats more comfortable than a daycare attendant that happily dresses up some days and on others they may just have a cozy day, just like everyone else? If it fits within the safety limitations, whats the harm?

(Oh! And Eclipse? He gets his own body too. But considering he’s expected to be replacing moon for Security Patrol, who knows what faz.co intends to do for him. c:)

More to come eventually, I just. Really love drawing the boys. Especially them happy.

[takaraphoenix]

Ok, because I'm bored at work with nothing to do and I'm still by myself, I'm gonna bug you with a random question. What are your Top 10 favorite headcanons. No specific fandom, just top 10 favorite.

This is too broad actually, E. xD Please limit me to a fandom next time this nearly broke my brain, first to find any at all (twas as though I had Never Had A Single Headcanon In My Life) and then to move on from a fandom, like, once I remembered a headcanon, my brain wanted to latch onto that fandom and I would have gladly given you my top 10 Disney headcanons or sth... this was near impossible lol

You will realize that most of my heacanons are next gen related.

In no particular order because holy shit that'd kill me.

Let's start with an easy one. Shadowhunters. I headcanon Jace Herondale as ace. Even in the fanfiction where I don't make it an explicit plotline, I think of him as ace. I just think that he doesn't know. Doesn't know the term for it, hasn't thought about it really. I don't think I've ever had an ace headcanon I was as fiercely attached to as I am with Jace. Which is funny considering the character himself is a... actually, no, he's not really that sexual. We see others making jokes about his book club, we see him hook up with a random girl once. And then with Maia. And then he's in his relationship with Clary, where we actually see him pulling the brakes and wanting to slow things down. He's not as promiscuous as the talk of the other characters would like to make us belief, is what I'm saying. He has a normal sex life. Still, usually, ace headcanons are born from a "oh this character has never shown any interest in sex????" notion, so this is still an outlier.

PJO: If Bianca di Angelo had lived, her powers would have been most aligned with darkness. We know that Nico struggled with that, that shadow-travel in particular drained him extremely. It's a power he has, but one that never came as easy to him as summoning or controlling the dead. And I always liked the idea that the three kids of Hades/Pluto split his three realms - darkness, death and riches. Tapping into the other realms too, but having most domain over one each.

My headcanon that Jack Frost from Rise of the Guardians is actually the god Jökul Frosti who had his memories taken and was "punished" to spend a lifetime as a human, but something went wrong when he died too early, that's why he has the full amnesia. It just, it never really clicked why the guardian of fun got the white hair and snow powers, or why the wind would carry Jack and allow him to fly (the god of the wind is the father of Jökul Frosti), or why the saying of "Jack Frost" would exist in our human world if Jack Frost is a spirit that nobody can see and born from a mortal who died only 300 years ago.

Disney: Princess Aurora and Prince Adam (aka the Beast) are cousins! I don't know, I just think that's neat. They look very similar, there's the French note to Sleeping Beauty and Beauty and the Beast.

DCMK: Kudou Shinichi and Kuroba Kaito naming their son Conan, as a reminder of how they first met and what Shinichi's time as Conan really meant to him. I think that'd be very poetic and I also think that kid would be the devil incarnate.

Deep dig TLK headcanon that will actually mean absolutely nothing to people who aren't deep into it but I headcanon that Kovu is the biological son of Malka and Kula, I think that Kula's dark fur is a good match for Kovu's while he'd have Malka's dark mane (and I headcanon Malka's eyes to be green, they're not really... seen. they look pitch-black, which might as well be green like Kovu's), plus I did always like Malka. I know most people ship Kula with Chumvi but honestly they have a near identical design so I always clocked them as siblings and headcanoned them as such. But yeah, Kovu as the lost son of Malka and Kula, which would add such a near tragic element to things, if Simba knew he was Malka's son.

If Cole and Phoebe's son on Charmed had lived, his name would have been Parker Benjamin. Parker was the name she later picked for her second born daughter, but I have no qualms moving that name up to the older brother, since I'm already changing the oldest daughter's name too because I am fiercely possessive of my OC daughter of Phoebe and Cole who has to be the firstborn daughter. The only kid of Phoebe whose name I'm keeping is the youngest. Plus, middle name Benjamin after Cole's father, since we do know that Cole cared deeply for his father. I always liked the idea of the sons being their own Charmed Ones; him, Wyatt and my Andy/Prue son Phillip Trudeau.

In the greater scheme of things, BtVS is full of magic shenanigans so why in the world should Angel be the only vampire who can have kids, right? I like the idea of Willow and alive!Tara using magic to create children of their own and that magic also being applicable to Spike and Buffy. I'm thinking fully-formed-baby creation magic here, not magical pregnancy. Because I... don't see Buffy pregnant, she's too much of a fighter, out there, not benched due to different circumstances. And they'd have twins, named William, since Spike's not using that name, and Joanne, as a combination of Joan and Anne, the two big aliases Buffy ever went by.

A headcanon I cherish a lot a lot is from Sailor Moon and it's that the Ayakashi sisters (Koan, Berthier, Calaveras and Petz) all also get a second chance and get reborn, just like the inner senshi did after the first season because fuck that the girls were good at the end they deserved better than to die for men's mistakes, and that they are, ultimately, the mothers of the Asteroid senshi (Pallas, Juno, Vesta and Ceres). I have a very big, very mapped out family tree for my Sailor Moon headcanons. This fandom has been with me for decades. But I want to only pick one headcanon per fandom, so.

DC Comics' Stephanie Brown becoming the Huntress, I just think that would be so neat, the purple color scheme fits her so, so, so well, plus I'd love for Helena Wayne to take up the mantle from her, looking up to her auntie Steph with adoration. I've latched onto that hard.

[rubbersoles19]

Never saw the show, but I enjoyed your casting especially seeing Michael B and Anson!!

But what did you mean by an A-Team that actually cares?

Oh, now I gotta talk about it...

Back in 2010, there was a movie that, uh, pretended to be the A-Team, but it was just a lazy, military propaganda fireball of mediocrity. I haven't run across a single person who liked the movie. Heck, even Rotten Tomatoes wasn't impressed.

The first problem was the casting. Liam Neeson played Hannibal, and while Liam is a great actor, he was No fit for the sassy, flamboyant, wise-cracking Hannibal. Liam's Hannibal was oddly pissed off the whole time? He was no team-leader, much less a Friend to the guys.

Next was Bradley Cooper, who also gave a fine enough performance, but the writers forgot that Face is the sensitive, sweet, scaredy cat of the group. Instead, they whore-ified him, made him a whiny baby, and shoe-horned in some jilted lover who wasted a Heck of a lot of screen time, but more on her later.

Plus, I can't help but hear Rocket whenever he gets worked up anymore...

BA wasn't screwed over as much as the other guys, he just had some stupid arc where they decided the only interesting thing about BA was his violence, so halfway through the movie he takes a vow of nonviolence. And then breaks it in this Heroic Arc. And if the writers thought this orphan-raising, community center volunteering, soft-hearted brute was only interesting when he was beating people up, that tells you all you need to know about how they view the characters.

Side note, Mr. T (BA's actor) had a huge influence on the character. He didn't want the only black man on the team to be mindless muscle. He wanted BA to have a softer, child-like side, full of warmth and compassion. His gold jewelry and signature hairstyle were also symbols he crafted as a statement towards his enslaved ancestors. The gold represented the shackles slaves wore, and the hairstyle resembled those by African tribe leaders.

That's all of them, right? I feel like I'm forgetting something...

Oh yeah.

Murdock.

Now, I am biased, but HM Murdock remains one of the most spectacularly written and performed characters I have ever seen, and it's for this simple reason: literally no one knows if he's really crazy or not. Murdock lives permanently in a VA psych ward because he's crazy enough to have to do so, but he also is an instrumental part of the team. Murdock is the character that is most often called upon to save the others from a jam, he has to showcase incredible strategy and improv skills, and he's as loyal to the guys as a pitbull. Plus, he actually outranks all of them except Hannibal and was awarded the Silver Star - one of the highest honors you can get in the Army. Murdock has a reputation as being the Best Damn Pilot in the Army, even when he wasn't in the Army anymore. The others will take a bullet to protect Murdock from the MP (the MPs don't know he's part of the team, and they all know it needs to be that way), and Murdock has canonly taken a bullet for one of them. Murdock displays wildly varied identities, delusions, and hallucinations episode from episode, but he is 6 feet of Texan heart and soul and heroism.

The movie just kinda... forgot about that. And also about Murdock. He - the character established for being the clown and entertaining one - was reduced to a few LOL So Random XD moments. That is - when he's actually in the movie. Murdock is the pilot, so you'd think his usefulness would be reduced in a team that deals with punching people and fire fights, and yet the show never let that stop them. You can't have the A-Team without Murdock. In all the episode I've seen, you can have an episode that mostly lacks BA, Hannibal, or Face, but never Murdock. The show just doesn't work without him, and the team doesn't either.

And the movie sure as heck didn't either.

Oh, fun fact: Dwight Scultz (who played Murdock) and Dirk Benedict (who played Face) both had cameos in the movie, and they both regretted it afterwards.

The main guys stink, the other characters stink (Face's jilted lover is constantly playing catch-up and doesn't contribute anything for the amount of screen time she takes up, and the bad guys are so incredibly non-threatening it's impossible to establish any stakes or risks), and the movie itself just stinks. The pacing is terrible, the action is cartoonish (in a bad way), and the action sequences are literally nauseating.

And the worst part of all... they swear. A lot.

Oh, and kill people.

A lot.

Go watch Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. It's a better movie than this.

[tsukuyomii45]

A subordinate who likes the boss type of drama 💀

I think we should all agree that we seen this trope a lot on K-drama or maybe in webtoon comics

So yeah why not, and Obirin for the couple

Okay, here's what i have in mind (it's gonna be cliche, please hold on till the end)

Lots of female employees have a crush or impressed on their boss, which is Obito. Well, in this point i think we should agree, that Obito is charismatic, firm and serious as a leader. And for a plus point, he's rich, handsome and of course has a daddy vibes 💀

It's not surprising that many want to be his sugar baby

But one thing they didn't knew, is that their boss is not single anymore LOL. So they would always try to impress him and even flirt. But unfortunately he wasn't affected by it. I'm pretty sure if he wasn't so tired after work he would ask Rin out on a date.

But lets talk about, if there is one employee who dare to make a bold move. Lol i'm sure she would always make an excuse so she can see Obito (like stalker, i know it).

So she would try to took the files to his office, then asked if he needed anything. And when he gave her a smile to appreciate her, it felt like it was a green flag for her, even though he was just trying to be nice to his subordinates.

So on one day, Obito working as usual, doing meetings, presentation, etc. And during the lunch break, his girlfriend, Rin, decided to surprise him, which he didn't mind at all. Lots of the employees were confused seeing her, thingking that maybe she's a client or what. But then they were even more confused when Obito's secretary allowed her into his office. Because his secretary seems to know her (which is yes, Obito admitted to him)

For a few hours the employees were left confused with a young woman entering their boss office, and of course we all know both of them will flirted with each other on the inside LOL.

So this is where the drama happen, the girl that i mention before, came to his office to hand over the files, she didn't know whether Rin still inside or not. She knocked it a few times, but didn't hear any answer, instead she heard two people's laugh from the inside and decided to open the door and..

There's where she saw Rin sat on Obito's lap, with his hands on her waist and she saw a faint lipstick marks on her boss's cheeks. Both Obito and Rin caught off guard and she immidiately stand up. The girl didn't expect the view and immediately apologized to both of them.

Obito replied it was okay awkwardly, feeling embarassed himself. The girl then give him the the files and immidiately leave the room. And that's when all of the employees know that their boss is already taken with a doctor.

Yah.. that's it..

I know it's pretty cliche, but i think this is really happening in real life lol 💀

If you want more drama, maybe it won't be that girl who will be the third person in Obirin's relationship, but Konan, a famous model who is interested in the CEO of the Uchiha company. LOL.

First of all, anon, Let's leave Konan out of this, LOL - I swear I'm so protective over her character; she's a whole divine thing on her own. We can leave it as some other chick who is bold enough to try something.

Now then, here's my feedback:

It literally felt like I was watching a scenario from a K-drama, but I like the aspect that Obito is pretty oblivious to all the attention he's getting because he's already into Rin. xD I'd say he'd be pretty professional and ignore any of their attempts, such as them inviting him to have breakfast or coffee, and Obito would just be like, "I'm busy." or "I have plans, maybe next time."

I want to add that I don't think Obito would even feel embarrassed, I think he'd just raise a brow and say, "Can't you see that I'm busy?" while keeping Rin on his lap, and Rin is the one that would be embarrassed, but Obito would brush it off. Remember, he's this firm, charismatic leader. He could do whatever he wants in his office. xD

[searchingforatrail]

I saw your post on Twitter about Tarn being Megatron's sparkling and others being related to Megatron, so I just wanted to share my idea, if it's okay? It's rather depressing.

So this is all on pre-war Cybertron. Sometimes, rich enough bots can hire gladiators to carry sparklings for specific purposes. Or it can be two managers thinking "hey, we got two strong gladiators here, they'll make a strong sparkling!". Either way, this happened three times to Megatron. And since he was the top gladiator, thus the strongest, he carried. It was the same sire every time sire each time, namely Overlord because he was the second ranked or something. Megatron was only given a short time with his sparklings, too short to form a proper bond. He doesn't like thinking about them. Also the timeline doesn't work for the identities, but whatever.

The first sparkling was Thunderclash, intended as an heir to a high-ranking mech who had never found anyone to have a bitlet with and wanted it to be strong. Happy upbringing, they loved each other.

The second was Damus, and while the same fate was intended for him, it wasn't to be. As soon as his outlier abilities manifested, he was thrown out for being 'defective'. Definitely not a happy childhood.

The third time, it was twins, Sunstreaker and Sideswipe. They were intended for the arena from the very start, but were raised somewhere away from Megatron.

I also just love having important characters secretly be Megatron's sparkling! But Thunderclash is just for fun. The greatest autobot being Megatron's bitlet?

Hey anon! Thank you for sending this. The implications of this are like 'Wow' because he and Overlord hate one another, and this just provides another layer of why they do. Even if they were both forced into and violated. Megatron would be willing to see it as a violation of them both, but Overlord probably would not.

This would also contribute to just how cold Megatron is to people around him, and how it became easier and easier for him to betray his own morals. He learned not to get attached, even to those most important to him because they could be taken away. I could absolutely seeing him love every single one of his sparklings, and doing what he can to keep up with them to the best of his abilities.

Losing touch with what happened to Damus is very rough for him. He figured he was going into a good family, and that was alright with him because he saw how thunderclash was treated. But realizing that Damus is an outlier and only getting bits and pieces of information regarding what happened to him is terrifying. It's also why he wants to die with him.

Thunderclash XD I like that. He loves and hates him because he eventually becomes everything he hates, but also it's his bitlet so he can't exactly just rage on him. If anything, he was glad he got a good upbringing though.

I like the addition of the twins too! Though I admittedly know less about them.

I do currently have a ficlet up with bumblebee as Megatron's sparkling you can read if you're interested!

I too love the idea of several important bots being Megatron's sparklings, especially those that come into close proximity with optimus and that he has a complicated relationship with.

[waitingondaisies]

Top 5of 2022

This is the time of year when we all start looking back and reflecting upon everything that has taken place in the last twelve months. So, I suggest we show ourselves some love!

What are your top five favorite creations you produced in 2022? It can be art, writing, gif sets, video editing, or any other form of creative expression. Take this opportunity to highlight your best work! Then tag five others so that they can share the love as well!!

thank you @yes-i-am-happyaspie for the tag! (....months ago)

okay so obviously it’s not 2022 at all anymore and I didn’t actually work on five new projects in 2022, but here’s some stuff I’m proud of that I generally worked on in 2022 XD

#1 How Like Home: (harry falls through the veil) call me predictable, but I spend so much of time thinking about this fic that it’d be kinda crazy if I weren’t in love with it too. this fic has been with me with (now) three years, and I expect it to be with me for at least another three, so it’s got a very special place in my heart

#2 A New Point of View: (irondad body swap) this fic is actually almost done now! (in 2023) and I didn’t expect it to take nearly as long as it has since I started it early 2022 and expected it to be 15-20k words (it clocks in at ~67k now that it’s done). it’s maybe not my favorite fic in terms of content/demonstration of my ability, but it’s brought me some friendships that I don’t know if I would’ve had without it, and for that it’ll be special to me for a long long time to come

#3 Bop to the Top: (drarry genderbend modern) okay so I tried so hard to abandon this fic. i didn’t touch it for years and yet!! one day I woke up and it just wouldn’t leave me alone. i started it in 2020, abandoned it in 2020, but finished it in 2022. I actually do like this fic a lot, despite the lack of positive reception. it’s very different from what I usually write, and I think that makes it all the more important

#4  Be Your Protector: (irondad foster fic) my first foray into the irondad fandom! as my first forays into a fandom always are, it’s a bit weak because my grasp on the voice of the characters was a bit weak, but I still like this story a lot. a million iterations of it exist, but I’ve still reread this one that I wrote in a single weekend haze

#5 Vanish Point: (irondad oneshot) this is the most overt projection i’ve ever done with a fic (and that’s saying something!) I decided that one awful water slide i went on would be funny if it happened to Peter while Tony was there, and I decided to write it out, and here it is!

[after-nine-at-the-oasis]

The Good Doctor is over. I can't believe it, and I probably won't for a while xd.

I've been watching this show for about 3 or 4 years, I believe. I'm not exactly sure how long xd. I think I started watching after season 3, maybe a bit into season 4. I'd have to look somewhere, because I truly have no idea lol. I honestly don't even remember why, I think I just liked the idea and had seen a couple clips of it.

But what I also didn't know was how much this random medical show would come to mean to me. It's gotten me through hard times, put me through hard times xD (looking at you, sobbing over Asher's death), and I don't know how I'm gonna live without it lol. Well, I know how, and I have other shows, I'll be fine. It's not even one I've been watching since the very beginning, or the longest, or whatever. I don't have the most thoughts about like, daydream wise, I haven't written the most fanfic about it (I don't think - there are like 4 wips and one posted today though xd). But it just means something special to me. Nothing can replace the hole it will leave in my heart, the place it will always have there. It taught me a lot, it showed me characters I'd never seen before that meant so much to me. I don't think you understand what it meant to me to see neurodiverse characters, disabled characters, queer characters, or a specific one, Asher rediscovering his relationship with religion a bit at the end of his storyline. This show has meant so much to me over these past years and I am so grateful for it <3.

Thank you. Thank you sooo much to all the cast, and for all the amazing jobs they did :')). They are seriously all amazing actors, even the one off patients in one episode each. All wonderful <33. And thank you sooo much to the crew, who made such an amazing show possible :'D! It couldn't have been done without a single one of you <333. I know what behind the scenes stuff is like, how much work they put in, and I'm so grateful for it <33. Thank you to everyone who made this show possible, and made it what it is :')).

And thank you to you guys. There's not too much of a fandom, and what there is I'm not active in much, but let me tell you all that I seriously appreciate you. Every little post, every like, every small conversation, every ask, I have felt a little bit more community for this show. I have found someone else who loves this show like I do, someone who knows what I'm talking about. Thank you all for making this the even better experience it has been :')). I hope we all continue to love this show and write and create and post for it <333. You're all really cool, and even if I don't know you, I don't want to lose you :')). I love you all so much <33.

And hey, thank you to the people, whoever they are (and I assume mainly one person), who keep sending me asks :'D. It makes me smile and so excited to see I have an ask about The Good Doctor, and I really appreciate it :)). I hope you do too <3.

The Good Doctor is an amazing show. It's not always perfect, and yes it's made plenty of mistakes, but I love it anyway. Nothing's perfect. And it doesn't have to be <333. It has taken me on a journey for these past years, and I will be forever grateful for that <3. Even if the journey has now ended :'). It's just time for part two :'D. We're just switching buses, getting on a new road. A new track for a train. It's a different leg of our journey, chapter of our story, but it's going to be an amazing one as well :')). I'll miss this one, so much, but I know the future's going to be absolutely slay in its own way <33. A future of thoughts, fanfic, daydreams, and loving this show :'DD. And that kinda makes me feel okay :').

Thank you all for coming on this journey with me. Through all my emotions, all these liveblogs and reviews. I do truly, genuinely appreciate it <333.

I guess this is me signing out for The Good Doctor :'). But it isn't, really - there's a review to come, and I promise not to abandon this fandom, this show, now that it's over. Even if it's mostly in my head or my Google docs lol :'). So, I guess, just,

Thank you, The Good Doctor. And I'll see you later :'))

Goodbye, The Good Doctor ❤️

[countlessrealities]

{ hehe now it's my turn >:D I gotta say, when i first followed you i was really interested in the character selection you had. It's rare to see anyone picking up GF or R&M muses and you had both so i definitely knew it was an instant follow !! And then i saw how good your writing is and how perfect your characterizations for your muses are, i really ended up admiring you for that !

You're just so amazing at everything you do ! Whether it's coming up with plotlines / storylines that fit your muses, headcanons, writing very very lovely replies and also the edits that you do !! You're very multi-talented, even if you don't think so, i can see it and it puts me in awe every single time !

And I can just keep going on about your writing !! I said this to you, uh, yesterday i think ? but you really do paint a nice scenery with your words. You're able to set the scene well and you mix introspection and action flawlessly ! I actually ended up picking up a few lessons from just writing with you !! you're just that good !!

You're also one of the smartest, most nicest people i've ever met. talking to you is so comforting and i wanna say more but i'm a little shy and thinking about saying it is making me flustered xD so I'll just tell you at a later time 🤭💙🖤

Anyways, you've become a real inspiration to me and I truly admire you in every single way. I love getting to interact with you and talk with you. I also adore our many many ships. The Ricks have a special place in my heart xD and I'm just so fucking glad that I met you !! }

Tell me anonymously or not why you follow me || Accepting !

Damn, I guess this is "revenge", isn't it? xD

Kidding aside, I can't express how glad I am that my muses caught your interest, because if they haven't we would have never met! One more reason for me to be glad to have made this blog after so many weeks of pondering whether or not it was worth it or not >.<

Well, if you were admiring me, I was kinda intimidated, because you seem like the best in my main fandom, while I was just a novice, so I was really flattered that you had taken an interest in me. And even more when you messaged me because I liked that famous post x3 It's not even been a year since then and yet it feels like so much time have passed, because we've done a lot together and got to know each other really well, both as RP partners and as people. I feel so lucky to have met you, for more than one reason and I listed some of them in my ask!

Yeah, it was yesterday xD and I think that hearing that someone has learn stuff from me is one of the best compliments I could ever get >.< I don't know what exactly my writing has taught you, but it's a real honour to hear it. Especially since you're already so good yourself!!

I guess I'll wait for a later time, but I supposed it's stuff for us and not for the audience anyway xD so it's okay. And yeah, I don't think I'm that smart, but I try to be useful for my friends, so glad to know that I can do it for you!

You're a source of inspiration for me too, under several points of view and I know that this will be true for as long as we'll be around each other. Which I hope will be a long time! And I love all our ships too <3 The Ricks are...one of a kind, when it comes to ships xD And they have been one of the ships I've been the most passionate for when it comes to RPing, which is a great achievement xD

[forerussake]

1 and 17 for the writing asks!! 💕🥺

Hi friend! Thanks for the ask <33 Let's go!

1. what's the fic youre most proud of? I’m happy to say i’m quite proud of most fic i’ve posted!

I'm more proud of the more recent ones of course, bc my writing ability has evolved since i was a teenager xD but i don’t hate my old fic. It’s like the way Longge talks about his old acting jobs: our older work is just a part of our growth, and we shouldn’t regret any of it because it brought us where we are now.

So really i would just want to list all my recent fics here, but i’ll restrain myself and just mention a few.

I think once it’s finished A hand within a hand (holding light) will definitely be the one i’ll be most proud of. Both bc it’ll be the first ever multi-chapter fic i’ll have finished, and because i’m just really proud of the concept of it. 7 different original character perspectives on shen wei. 7 life stories told in one fic. Writing original characters that were interesting enough that people were willing to read their stories. i think it’s the most challenging concept for a fic i’ve ever tackled. I’m proud of that :)

Other than that one i’m quite proud of Homecoming, which is a coming of age story about a trans woman coming to terms with and growing into her identity.

And i’ll always be very proud of Crowded full of parting’s feeling, which is a 5+1 about lan xichen and loneliness, strung together by references to every single line of one of the first Chinese poems i ever read back in high school, with the title taken from another Chinese poem i first read around the time of writing the fic.

17. What’s the best engagement/interaction/feedback you’ve received from someone who’s read your work? I’m not sure about feedback, but interaction i can talk about for ages.

I always adore especially when people send longer comments about specific things they liked, because it can be surprising. Sometimes readers pick out things you expect them to pick out, sometimes it’s things you were proud of while writing and really really hoped someone would notice, sometimes they say things you hadn’t even realized yourself. Getting to see your readers go through the story in their comment and discovering all the little breadcrumbs you’ve left throughout the story to lead them to the climax and conclusion is honestly the most satisfying thing in the world.

With multi-chapter fic and series i feel very strongly for the people commenting on every chapter as I update. Honestly those people are gold and deserve a medal bc they really really give me strength to continue writing even when a chapter or installment gets hard. As a writer you start to recognize those names, and sometimes you become tumblr mutuals and even friends :)

i don’t want to put anyone on the spot here by tagging them, but yall know who you are and i adore you! thank you for reading and commenting on my fic :)

[primofate]

Genshin [Volleyball Team AU - Inspired by Haikyuu!] What it’s like to be their manager Headcanons

Note: I think a lot of people misunderstand the role of the manager XD It’s not that the whole team is dating you. It’s that the whole team treats you like their family/sister. So you’d better bet that all of them are gunna be hella protective of you XD

Scenario: What do you do for the team and what do they do for you? :D

Warnings: not proofread, fluffy, might have some swear words, platonic relationships

Characters: Zhongli, Diluc, Kaeya, Albedo, Tartaglia, Kazuha, Xiao, Tohma, reader as the team manager

Other works in the Volleyball Team AU Series: Click Here

Genshin Volleyball Team manager

It’s just fuckin’ chaos

On your first day you’re already bombarded with questions by Tartaglia and Kaeya

“So which class are you?” “What’s your height?” “Are you single?”

Captain Zhongli just cannot be bothered to reign them in anymore.

So Vice Captain Diluc does it and grabs their collars. “You idiots, you’re scaring her off!”

Possibly Kazuha and Tohma are the ones you really try to rely on, on your first few weeks.

So how do you gain the trust of your team? Let’s start with each player shall we?

#1 Zhongli (Captain/Wing Spiker/Ace)

Zhongli is just handsome and mature. He’s strict and needs to be the pillar of the team. 

You’re intimidated by him the first few weeks and he just seems...a little far. He’s always so focused that you can’t seem to catch a moment to just chat with him.

There’s a day where you notice that his form is a little off, you suspect that he hurt his wrist a little. 

You fidget uncomfortably in the gym as they practice, but finally turn to the coach “U-Umm... The captain is... I mean! I’m not sure, but... I think he needs to take a rest,”

The coach calls for someone to substitute Zhongli and suddenly asks you to check on him.

“Huh?! Me?!” the coach pushes you towards him, and Zhongli is just looking at you quizzically, you can practically see the question mark on his face.

“C-Captain, d-do you need some bandages on your wrist?”

Zhongli is taken aback, but silently puts his right wrist out for you to wrap.

Only when you’re done tending to it does he look you in the eye and ask.

“How did you know?”

“...Because I always watch, and all I can do is watch. If I can’t even spot that out then I’m not a very good manager am I?”

Zhongli has a newfound respect for you. He thought you were just a meek and shy thing sitting around and passing them balls but he feels his heart swell that someone like you is seriously watching over them.

#2 Diluc (Vice Captain/Wing Spiker/Defense Specialist)

Diluc is probably the second hardest to get along with or break the ice with.

But he gradually warms up to you when he notices that he’s always the first one you pass a towel and water bottle to.

You’re not doing that on purpose, it’s just him who always comes up first.

After a few days he deliberately goes to you faster cause he always wants to be the one to receive a water bottle and towel from you first. Secretly a puppy.

The moment he realized that you were reliable was when you stayed behind to help him practice when everyone else went home already. 

You didn’t let up in your constant praise of “nice receive”, “great spike!” and “that’s so cool!” 

He thinks he saw stars in your eyes at some point.

“Hey, Diluc, it’s getting late, let’s leave some energy for tomorrow, yeah?” he could tell from your mannerisms that you were tired too, but you tried not to let it show on your face and still cleaned up with him.

“I’ll see you tomorrow then!” you wave but you’re stopped by a quick. “No,” from him. You tilt your head in wonder and he just looks at you as if it’s the most normal thing in the world.

“It’s late, I’ll walk you home,”

#3 Kaeya (Middle Blocker)

You don’t have to impress this guy, anyone of the female gender impresses him.

lol jk

safe to say it’s not difficult to befriend Kaeya, just bring him a cheering squad and some food.

all jokes aside the way to this guy’s heart is through his stomach.

He’s not a particularly hungry person but there’s this one time he forgot to bring lunch. He was running late, or something of that sort, honestly not something new for him.

He ALSO didn’t bring money so he couldn’t eat food from the cafeteria.

Ask his friends for money you say? Tartaglia would go, “Haha no way!” Albedo would go, “Let this be a lesson for you,” his brother would go “Serves you right,”

By club time he’s famished and dramatic. “Guys, go on without me, this is as far as I go,” as he sprawls on the gym floor.

You ask if he’s okay and he doesn’t answer so Diluc is the one that answers for him. “He forgot his lunch, as always,”

You make a sound of understanding and the next thing you know you’re taking out a lunch box and Kaeya has lifted his head up, sensing food.

“I packed onigiri for everyone today, actually... In case someone was hungry. It’s not much but--”

Kaeya comes alive from the dead and clutches your hands to his chest. “Manager you really are an angel,”

Diluc jump kicks him away from you.

#4 Albedo (Setter)

You also don’t know how to approach this guy

He always looks mad or stoic or something. Like he’s always thinking about something.

He low key actually is always thinking about play strategies and how to set the ball better for his teammates.

You really do think he works so hard while the game is going on, so you decide to help him out a little bit.

You watch a few more of their games and somehow come up with a list of what kinds of sets are better for each different spiker in the team.

There’s surprise in his eyes when you pass the document to him and modestly exclaim “...but, it might not be accurate, since I’m not that experienced,”

He still nods and says “...It’s the thought that counts,” 

When he does read your report and try the techniques out he notices that it does hold some merit in it

Is amazed like how Zhongli is amazed. He thought you were just there to hand them bottles and cheer for them but he had never been so wrong as to what a manager’s role is.

Will trust you enough to ask you about his set performance.  

Will sometimes slam Kaeya with an insult. “Kaeya, your spike sense is horrid, Y/N can read the moves better than you,”

#5 Tartaglia (Middle Blocker/Wing Spiker)

It’s not that he has a hard time trusting people but let’s just say he has the tendency to make you feel like he likes you but then he actually does that to everyone.

For example: He’ll throw compliments like “Oh that’s amazing Y/N!” but then back in the classroom you’ll hear him say “Oh that’s amazing!” to, like, every other person. 

That kinda disappoints you cause then the comment doesn’t really hold that much meaning to it if he keeps on saying it to others too.

He encounters a crisis mid year because this guy is just... he struggles with his grades. 

Captain Zhongli has told him he can’t play volleyball if he fails even one subject.

This boy is panicking and has semi-accepted this is the end of his volleyball career.

So you offer to study with him and he’s legit stoked.

Intensive and strict study sessions commence. Note taking, pop quizzes, surprise questions and even sudden random calls from you wherein you ask him a question and he has to answer within 5 seconds.

You’ve pulled all the study techniques you know here, this man better pass everything.

Welp, he still fails History....but since he worked so hard Captain Zhongli excuses it.

He’s so happy that he can’t hold back the stupidly wide smile on his face. He turns to you and for the very very first time in months, he bows and THANKS you.

You realize that he’s never thanked you before. Not even when you pass him water bottles or towels. 

You consider it a win, getting rare and sincere appreciation from him.

#6 Kazuha (Decoy/Middle Blocker/Wing Spiker)

One of the easiest to get along with but at the same time, he’s so mature that you feel like you’re not even in the same age range as him.

Definitely someone you can count on though, so you ask him many questions on the first week.

Still, it’s one of those things where you can kind of talk to him but there’s still a wall between you two.

One day while walking around in school there were these boys who were commenting about his height, and questioning his abilities as a volleyball team member.

You didn’t really think much about it when you speak up, “But he’s a really good middle blocker and spiker,” 

Those boys look at you weirdly and you realize that you’ve unconsciously spoken up. So you hurriedly walk away.

Little did you know that Kazuha was in some secret corner and heard the whole thing.

Just like that, the next day, it seems as if the wall between you two was gone, and you’re able to talk freely.

That, and he seemed to like asking you to help him practice his spikes and throw balls for him now.

#7 Xiao (Libero)

is deceivingly easy to get along with. Just has a rough exterior but is actually a softie if you squint.

You know this because there are subtle things he does. 

He doesn’t speak to you much but then he would be the one picking up the balls with you, or sometimes there’s magically a new set of clean towels on the bench that you don’t remember taking out from the storage room.

This guy is passionate for the game, so he really beats himself up when he isn’t able to receive a ball during actual games.

You worry about his mentality sometimes. I mean, it’s a team game, it’s not like he alone can save the whole game

So you talk to him about it the other day

“You’re already a really good libero Xiao, I mean... I’m not saying you should stop practicing but you don’t have to feel so bad...” you pause because this doesn’t feel like the message you want to convey

“Sorry, what I mean is... You CAN feel bad, but share the burden with your team, you know?”

He knows what you’re saying and contemplates it for a while. He knows that his team has his back, but sometimes just needs reminder about it.

He looks at you and asks, “...Can I share the burden with you too?”

You blink “Huh?”

“You said I can share the burden with my team, but can I share it with you too?”

There is a blush on his cheeks at this point.

“Oh, yea! Of course! I don’t play but I’m still part of the team you know!”

Ever since then, during games, if he feels a little frustrated he’d glance at you on the bench and you’d give him a thumbs up for a job well done.

#8 Tohma (Pinch Server/Middle Blocker)

You’re like bffs the moment you see each other

lol jk

You’re still awkward with him the first few days cause that’s just how first meetings are.

But he is very easy to talk to and always makes you feel at ease

Will always be the one to ask how you are if you need any help or if class was okay in general

Seems like the type of person to care more about others than himself

So he’s surprised when you come into the gym and you beat him to asking his usual questions.

“Tohma, how are you today? Did you have a proper lunch?”

“Tohma, are you getting tired? Want some water?”

“Tohma, how was class today?”

All the other members of the team turn to look at the two of you, thinking ‘Why does Tohma get extra attention?’ 

Tohma certainly doesn’t get extra attention you just TALK to him more. The other members deadass are also getting cared for by you, just in different ways.

This boy has some insecurities though, when it comes to playing the game. He hasn’t been in it for long so he’s the least experienced and that gets to him sometimes.

“Oh, really? But you play really well! I couldn’t tell that you’re new” 

His serves are really amazing though.

“Also! You always score points for us with the serves. Sometimes, your serves are my favourite part of the game!”

Has practiced extra hard so as not to let you down.

Masterlist

https://primofate.tumblr.com/post/653296890583154688/masterlist-for-mobile-version-main-links

Taglist (Want to be notified when something new comes out? Sign up! I’ve added some other fandoms as well, so if you’re interested in those, fill in the form again!):

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Taglist: @softlybeloved @bobaducky @normalisthenewnorm @how-simpy @atasi-luna @berryqueue @hallohun @milkypompon @fadinganchornight @coldstonecrematorium @probablybethere @hanachan_2481 @gultonluvv @batcatistruemaster @plumpkie @amigenshin @foxxtrot-116

[husky-twst-and-obeyme]

Anon Asked : "You know how some twst fan artists like to draw Yuu with their face blocked out, usually by Grim? I have this headcanon that in the Twisted Wonderland universe, it’s impossible to get a picture of Yuu, there’s always someone standing in front of them, a piece of paper floating by, or they’re just out of frame, but no one noticed until after the picture was taken. No one knows why, Rook even tried to draw them once but a Pomefiore first year spilled nail polish on the picture when he finished. " I do like that idea! I did see one artist who just had a mickey shaped head with blank eyes and it really looked cool! Now as for the scenario or story i will only do Dorm leaders for this situation, if anyone wishes for more i will provide ! BUT i have a small twist :) Warnings: Cursing Riddle

Riddle wasn't sure why but he it really irritated him how whenever they did civil group pictures, you always end up blocked or something happens to you in your part of the picture

It's not your fault really but it bugs him

he made it a goal to get a perfect picture , such as asking for a selfie

He actually wasn't a fan of it but he wanted at least ONE good picture of you because he cherishes his friends

but EVERY. SINGLE . TIME . IT'S THE SAME-

He's frustrated to no end

He eventually gave up and just accepted fate

he even tried to draw you and it somehow got ruined which made his mood worst

At one point , you came to him with a strawberry tart to cheer him up but he was really pouty

You asked if he wanted to try the selfie again but you hold the phone , which he reluctantly agreed to

afterwards when you left , he went to see the picture and he couldn't believe his damn eyes

a perfect picture of you and him

" i don't know if i want to cry of joy or behead them . "

He stilled loved the photo and refused to show anyone else in case it somehow got ruined or deleted

Leona

He wasn't too interested in photos but in your case it caught his interest slightly

he noticed from school activity photos that your face was always somehow ruined.

he thought it was funny but rare

so he tasked ruggie to take a picture for a small amount , mainly because he thought it would be easy

plus it's not like he wants a photo of you for anything psssshh

but when ruggie returned , he was frustrated and tired

confused leona questioned him

"Leona san. i loved getting money from you but i might just not even try anymore ..."

he got baffled that Ruggie had given up money for any easy task. or so he thought was easy

So thinking ruggie was being lazy , he went to do it himself

as a predator, he knows how to be sneaky and hide well , so once he locked you in , he took a snap

he looks ats the photo completely ruined

he took another , ruined. once again , it was ruined

he repeats many tries after and it all ends the same

" ahh fuck it ... " and went for a nap

later on you wanted a selfie with leona

being smug he said " would you even get the picture right ?~"

with a pout " of course i can!" you posed for the picture and snapped

he took a glance and he'll be damned ,, it was perfect

" don't talk to me for the next few day, herbivore."

"huh-"

Azul

azul didn't like photos , much at least because of certain ones of his past

though he took note of a particular incident

(Event after chapter 3) when you all took a picture at the museum , he noticed that your part of the picture , floyd's arm covered your face

He thought nothing of it until he noticed it often

Ace took a photo of you and deuce and somehow grim flew in front of your face

Cater took a selfie but it ended up blurred

it was pointless but hard to ignore so he assigned Jade and floyd into getting the perfect picture of you

after a couple hours, jade and floyd came back frustrated

even jade looked visibly irritated which was VERY rare to the point it scared Azul

they showed him nothing but blurry pics, he knew something was up because even jade wouldn't fail this bad

He knew he couldn't stand the chance if the tweels failed

but later on , you wanted to take a selfie with him

he refused immediately but you promised to keep the photo private , then he did agree , reculantantly

His immediate thought was that the picture would of been ruined anyways but was shocked to see a cute selfie of him and you

"....send me that picture . " you turned to him "what???" "SEN ME THAT PICTURE"

Kalim

We all know this absolute dork would love to take pictures , possibly from Cater's influence , because he sees it as a fun thing to do

So you , being one of his favorite people, he obviously wants a good photo of you

but to his disappointment, when he wanted to take a pic of you while you were at the gardens, it turned out super blurry

he thought nothing of it , just might of moved a bit , until the next one came blurry

he was getting semi frustrated and you had already left , so for once, he was actually grumpy to the point where he just asked Jamil to take a good picture for him

he felt lowkey bad of course but he was a tiny bit frustrated

Jamil didn't care until he had the same issue

Jamil tried a it but gave up when he kept getting the same result

then kalim was just sad , he just wanted a cute picture of you

you visited one day and he was his usual self but you here reminded him of the picture incident

you offered to try again , he was hard for him to say no to you

but after looking..you took a perfect photo

he wanted to cry and you were just so confused

hug him he needs it

Vil

Vil is a perfectionist of course, which includes photos too

you , him and a few others went on a small trip , you wanting to take a photo to remember the trip

you're one of the only people he's allowed for a picture minus fans because he's aware you just want a genuine picture and knows you won't share/ brag about it

Rook offered to take the photo

you two posed and rook took the shot but Vil automatically saw Rook's confused face

"Rook?.. is there a problem?" "non non roi du poison! I must of moved a little fast, part of it came blurry

he didn't think on it , just a small mistake no biggy

that was until the problem kept repeating itself

Irrigated , he took the camera and looked at the photos , each and every one of them was blurred of were you were at while vil looked completely fine

he slowly looked at you while you just stood there worried that we weren't going to get a picture

"Vil senpai? maybe i can just take a selfie? Rook's camera's probably broken"

sighing in defeat , he agreed ,after getting in a cute pose , you snapped a photo

he took a look and he was legit about to burst

It was an absolute beautiful picture

He was stunned that you did an even better job then rook

might make you his photographer

Idia

we all know for a fact, he hates pictures , at least mainly of himself

though he doesn't mind pictures of you

of course , he doesn't take pics of you willy nilly , he asks you first because he'd be hypocrite to take a picture of someone who didn't want a photo

You often cosplayed as some of his favorite characters and of course he'd want a picture of it but he was in for a surprise

The first time you cosplayed in front of him , he asked and you agreed

he snapped the photo , it blurred

he got irritated but thought nothing of it and tried again

still failed

he has plenty of cameras ( I dunno it's for the story make up your own reason XD ) and used a different one to get a photo

it failed and he tried many times , it was too a point he built up the courage *cough*two hours*cough to ask rook to help

he was dumbfounded when rook couldn't do well

you later went home , while idia was sad , he really wnated to take a good pic

soon after, you sent him a text

"I'm sorry you couldn't get a cute picture earlier, so i took a shot at it with a selfie!"

and there he saw the perfect picture

"...what the f**k is this voodoo magic- "

he of course loved it but he was so confused

Malleus

oh boy here we go-

he was still confused on the idea of photos

but he thought it was similar to a painting but it's instant

so of course he wants one with you

he attempts to use an old style camera (hey be lucky he made it this far)

he sets it up to where it takes a picture with a timer and you both pose

After it was done, he looked at the photo and somehow it blurred

he just thought it was a small mistake and tried again

second time, same result

this is where his temper slowly rises and it's shown every time it fails

and after about the 20th time , he smashes the camera

you attempt to calm him down and offered to use your phone

he agrees because he trusts you more than a dumb camera

after you took the photo, he was very happy , it looked wonderful

he didn't care about the camera anymore, he just cared that he got a good photo

I hope you enjoyed!

[flowercrown-bard]

I have another prompt for you! Do with it ehat you want. It rested way too long in my "Ideas I never use" box:

"I don't even care about my own life, why would I care about yours? I am a fucking pheonix, my dear, death is just like an insect to me – It stings, but has no lasting effect"

(maybe it's fitted for a Fey!Jaskier? Or Ageless!Jaskier? Or a Villain?)

Ohhh I love that prompt! Thank you!! <3 (shame on me, i left out the word 'fucking' bc it didn't fit the vibe of the fic. Hope it's still ok)

I again have no idea what I'm doing, but where would be the fun in knowing what's going on in my own writing XD

word count: 4884

content warnings: brief mention of blood, brief mention of injury, temporary character death (for about two seconds), burning alive (kind of)

There was something in this forest that didn’t belong here.

Hasty steps disturbed the birds’ songs and heavy panting cut through the illusion of safety that lay over this land like a fog.

The girl running through the woods threw a glance over her shoulder, a haunted expression on her face. Her feet caught on a protruding root and with a cry that pierced the air like an arrow, she fell onto her hands and knees.

Her scream carried on, long after she had closed her lips again. The echo started out as a whisper, then it grew louder and louder, became a symphony of fear and desperation. The sound of one who was truly lost.

Then again, all who found this forest were lost in one way or another.

And though they might not realise it, no one was ever truly alone in these woods.

Inhuman blue eyes watched from the shadows of the underbrush as the girl curled in on herself, lying on the forest floor in a heap of helplessness.

With slow steps that fell onto the earth silently as a sigh, Dandelion took off their cloak of shadow and approached the lost girl in front of them. As they came closer, they lightly hummed a melody, a soft lullaby made of wishes and dreams.

Slowly, the girl’s shuddering breaths evened out and some of that tension that held her in a vice-like grip, eased out of her shoulders.

“Child,” Dandelion spoke softly, in a voice that was bird song and trees swaying in the wind.

The girl looked up. For a moment, she didn’t seem to comprehend what was kneeling before her. Then, within the blink of an eye, she scrambled backwards, terror etched onto her face.

“You don’t need to fear me,” Dandelion said softly, holding their hands up.

“Why should I believe you?” The girl’s hands wandered across the forest floor until the closed around a branch lying next to her. Though fear twisted her face, she held the branch in front of her like a sword.

Dandelion cocked their head to the side, a smile flickering over their face. This girl was brave. Most lost people were, but there was something about her…something other. Something elder.

“You can believe me, because I can’t lie.”

“You’re not human.” The girl’s gaze wandered over Dandelion. They could nearly feel how her eyes raked over his claws that were just a little too sharp to pass as human, over their blonde locks that nearly had the colour of the flower they had named themselves after; the name yet another fruitless attempt to become more than they were. They were so close to being human. Still, despite centuries searching, they hadn’t found the right them yet. Not in this life and not in any that had come before.

“I am not,” they admitted and the words tasted like ash on their tongue. Always ash. Always fire and ambers. And yet, nothing more than a small sting that would pass when the life engulfed them in another embrace. Another chance.

“Then what are you?”

Dandelion lowered themselves to the ground, until they were at eye level with the girl. Carefully, they reached out their hand, an offer, an invitation.

“I am a Home for the Lost. Another Chance.”

“I am not lost!” The girl sprang to her feet without warning, gripping the branch tighter. “I know where I’m going. I’m…I’m looking for someone.”

“And someone’s looking for you, I assume?”

The girl bit her lip while her eyes darted to the side again, scanning the trees as if whoever she was running from could jump out and attack her at any moment.

“You don’t have to be afraid,” Dandelion repeated. “You can be lost here for as long as you need to be.”

“What if I don’t want to be lost?”

Dandelion gave her a smile that they knew couldn’t reach their eyes. “Then I can keep you safe until you’re found again.”

“But you’re not him. The one who’s supposed to protect me.” The girl’s breath hitched. “Are you? You’re not Geralt of Rivia.”

Dandelion drew in a deep breath, tasting the name on their tongue as they inhaled. Their eyes fluttered close as the power of the name surged through them.

“I’m not,” Dandelion agreed. It wasn’t a lie. And yet, they felt a part of Geralt of Rivia’s being taking root within him. His name was theirs. His winding path, his doubts, his destiny. His losses. “But he will come here. I promise you that.”

“How can you? Have you seen him in these woods? I didn’t know he was in Brokilon forest.”

“This isn’t Brokilon forest. It stopped being that when I found you. And it doesn’t matter where Geralt of Rivia is. Not yet.” A breeze ruffled through the trees, whispering its secrets to its master. “He will be here. All woods lead here, when you go deep enough. When you get lost enough.”

If there was one certainty that pulsed through the name like a heartbeat, it was that Geralt of Rivia was lost, more than anyone Dandelion knew of. Except, of course, for the one person that Dandelion didn’t have the power to guide back to their right path. The one person who was given chance after chance after chance for a new start and yet never found their way out of the maze they were trapped in.

“He will come.” Their promise tasted like lightning and the soothing melody of a bubbling river. “You will be his second chance. Until then, let me be yours. I will keep you safe.”

The girl hesitated a moment longer. Then, she dropped the branch and flung herself into Dandelion’s arms, desperate not to be lost again.

Dandelion’s held her tightly, rapped his shadowy cloak around her and whispered soothingly into her hair. The embrace was like the feeling of when the fire stopped. At least that was how Dandelion imagined it must feel, when there were no flames coursing through their veins.

But they couldn’t truly know. After all, everyone was in this forest was lost in one way or another.

--

‘The girl in the woods will be with you always’

Renfri’s words echoed in Geralt’s mind as he limped onwards through the trees, ignoring the worried calls of the man who had taken him with him on his cart.

Geralt couldn’t waste a single moment longer by staying with him and his wife. His child surprise was out there somewhere, waiting for him. And Geralt…Geralt didn’t know what to do. He had to find her, had to make sure she was safe.

Yet he had no way of knowing where she even was, or if she was still alive. It was a miracle Geralt himself wasn’t dead yet.

You can be lost here.

Geralt’s head snapped up, his eyes darting across the trees sharply.

“Who’s there?” He called out. A mistake he wouldn’t have done if his mind had been clear and not muddled by ghoul poison.

For a long moment, there was no reply. Ever so slowly, Geralt tore his eyes from the darkness that lurked behind the trees. That’s when a different echo reached him.

Not Geralt of Rivia.

This voice sounded younger. Child-like.

“Ciri.” The name was but a breath on his lips, but he knew it in his heart to be true. Somehow, this voice was Ciri’s.

His staggering steps got faster, until he nearly ran. Geralt didn’t care about how the movement tore at his wound, how twigs whipped into his face, how his breath became shallow as black spots danced before his eyes.

He was urged onwards by the unbending certainty that Ciri was near, that he would finally find her.

People linked by destiny would always find each other.

But there was something else as well. A wildfire in his chest, a strand of shadow tugging him onward.

Geralt of Rivia.

The echo of his name rang through the woods, through the air and the inside of his head. Two voices. Ciri’s – and another one. A voice that sent shivers down Geralt’s spine.

The repeat of his name turned into a melody. A lullaby. A siren’s call.

Every instinct in him screamed to turn back, to get himself to safety. But instincts had been beaten out of him a long time ago.

His instinct had told him that his mother would take care of him.

His instinct had told him that he was loved.

His instinct had told him that there was nothing he could lose by calling upon the law of surprise.

But, oh, how he had lost. His mother, the woman he had thought he had loved, the certainty that he could keep walking the path that had been his only guidance since Vesemir had taken him to Kaer Morhen.

Geralt had lost, again and again, until he had become lost himself.

His chest became tight and he had to squeeze his eyes shut against the pressure building behind his eyes.

He was lost.

And yet he had no choice but to keep going. A haunting lullaby and his name on the wind forbid him from turning back.

He tried to orient himself on the rays of sun shining through the canopy of too-green leaves. Desperate to reach a path or a person that would make him not-lost again, Geralt ran until his breath turned into pants and his muscles protested. Witchers didn’t tire so easily. If need be, Geralt could fight for hours, stay up for days. Yet, no matter how much his body ached and protested, claiming it had been hours, days, weeks, the sun remained in his spot, never moving, as if no time was passing.

Geralt’s lungs were burning and the pain in his leg flared up with every step, until there were no more steps to take.

His knees gave out from under him and he collapsed, falling to his hands and knees onto the grass, the blades of which looked sharp as a sword but felt soft beneath his hands. Like a pillow to lay down on. Like an embrace. Like a home.

Witchers had no home. They only had the path, and yet, looking at this strange forest with its whispers and stagnant sun, Geralt had not even this.

“I am lost,” He called out, an act of pure desperation that never before had he allowed himself to admit to. His voice was raspy and scratched at his throat like shards of glass. As if he hadn’t uttered a single word for weeks.

Lost.

The haunting reply came in his own voice. A chill raced down Geralt’s spine and his fingers fisted into the grass, desperate to cling to something.

“I don’t know the way.”

Away.

An unshakable fear seized Geralt. He didn’t care how his voice broke, how his body was already broken.

“I need help.”

Witchers didn’t need help. They didn’t beg. And if they ever did, their pleas would go unheard.

Not so Geralt’s.

Something snapped to his right. He winced, his hand instinctively reaching for his silver sword. The medallion on his chest vibrated furiously.

He pushed himself to his feet, trembling with the effort, but unwilling to be on his knees like a condemned man waiting for his executioner.

The snapping of twigs and rustling of leaves stopped for a moment, a quiet laugh that sounded like water tumbling over rocks replaced the sounds.

“I found you.”

Geralt stiffened. It was the same voice as the first whisper he had heard – the voice that had lured him here. Only this time, it wasn’t a whisper on the wind. It was very real and far too close for comfort.

Witchers didn’t receive help. Whatever had answered his call must have darker intentions.

“Show yourself!” Geralt demanded, gripping his sword tighter.

For a moment, everything went still. No more whispers, no lullaby, not even the rustling of leaves in the wind.

Then, the bushes to Geralt’s right parted and someone stepped through. No, not someone. Something.

The creature in front of him looked how someone who had only ever seen a human’s shadow might imagine a human to look like. The being walking towards him was taller than any human could be, towering over Geralt. Their limbs were too long.

When their lips parted for a smile, the rows of teeth in them were sharp as a wolf’s.

“What are you?” The question left Geralt before he could think better of it.

The being cocked their head to the side curiously, too-blue eyes wandering over Geralt’s body, as if they didn’t even notice the sword pointed at them.

“I’m the Second Chance,” the being said, their eyes flashing with something Geralt didn’t dare name. “Yours, if you want me to be.”

“Who else’s second chance are you?” The question didn’t make sense, but Geralt had no control over his tongue. There was something about this creature – person? – that urged him to say things he didn’t understand. It was as if deep down, he already knew the answer, as if a part of him had known this person for a long time.

The being didn’t reply, but they raised their hands to their side and brushed lovingly over something. The air flickered in front of Geralt’s eyes, making him nauseous and dizzy, yet when he tried to look closer, he could only see shadow behind the creature. Until they flicked a hand behind them and the shadows parted, revealing a smaller figure. A girl with blonde hair that stared at Geralt with big green eyes.

Geralt sucked in a sharp breath.

It was Ciri. The one who had been lost to him.

And she was standing behind a creature powerful enough to lure even a witcher in. A creature who now placed a clawed hand on Ciri’s shoulder – the shoulder of the girl Geralt was sworn to protect.

“Let her go.” The demand left Geralt’s lips like a beast’s snarl.

“Go?” The being’s eyes flashed dangerously. “I made a promise to keep her with me. I don’t let any lost soul go.”

Their eyes bore into Geralt’s, searching through his soul, laying bare everything he was.

A boy, lost and abandoned by his mother.

A man who had lost a fight with the woman he thought he had loved – losing the fight, losing her, losing what he had been so sure had been love.

A human, who had lost his humanity.

Geralt, who was nothing but lost.

And there in front of him stood a creature who kept lost souls. The being sucked in a deep breath, closing their eyes as if they could taste all of Geralt’s losses.

They would keep him. Him and Ciri, damned forever to wander this cursed forest in which time stood still and echoes whispered into his heart.

He couldn’t let that come to pass. Not for Ciri.

Geralt knew his life was lost as well, even as he swung his sword. It didn’t matter. He had to save Ciri, had to get her out of this creature’s grasp.

There was a cry when his blade pierced the being’s chest. Was it his own cry or Ciri’s? Was the whole forest screaming as its master fell to their knees? There was only one voice who didn’t join the cry of agony. One, who was deadly silent, as life drained from it.

Blue eyes shot open, staring at the blade buried in the being’s chest with curiosity that quickly turned into resignation. For but a heartbeat, fear flickered in the being’s expression.

Fire blazed in those blue eyes. Fire poured forth from the wound instead of blood. Fire came to life in the being’s hair, searing the dandelion-yellow strands and racing over their body until all that was left of them was dancing flames.

Geralt watched in horror, as the flesh turned to ash before his very eyes. No, not ash. Dandelion seeds.

The wind picked up, tearing at Geralt’s hair, pushing him away, making the dandelion seeds tumble through the air in a wild dance.

Leaves tore from the trees, yellow flower petals, bits and pieces of the forest. All was dancing through the air, forming shapes and breaking apart again. The grass that had been so soft a moment before, shot up, grew faster and higher than any plant could, forming the shape of legs, of a torso, of a head. And still the leaves whirled through the air, obscuring the sight to the body that formed right in front of Geralt’s eyes.

A pit opened in Geralt’s stomach and the realisation of what this meant crashed into him with the force of a cockatrice slamming into its prey.

The being wasn’t dead. But it was only a matter of time before Geralt was, dying at the hand of the creature he couldn’t kill.

Geralt’s sword slipped out of his limp grasp, landing on the ground with a soft thud.

Geralt followed a moment after, his knees hitting the ground once more. This time, his executioner wouldn’t hesitate.

Geralt couldn’t protect his child surprise. Not in the years to come. But there was one thing he could do in this moment, one last act of desperation to save a life that he had always been meant to guard with his own.

“I make you a bargain!” Geralt’s voice got drowned in the howling of the wind, and yet, the ever-changing shape of the being turned towards him. Geralt’s throat went dry, his chest tightening. “My life for hers.” Through the whirlwind of leaves and blossoms, Geralt met Ciri’s gaze. Her eyes were wide and terrified. She was his to save. “Take my life and give the girl back hers. Let her go.”

Geralt bowed his head, awaiting judgement. For failing Ciri. For failing Vesemir and not being able to kill this creature. For failing himself. For losing, just when he had finally found the girl he had been looking for.

The wind didn’t falter, yet it changed course. The petals drew closer together, reaching towards Geralt like a hand.

A soft touch brushed his chin, tilting his head upwards, forcing him to look at the swirling shapes before him.

Though the being had no lips yet, their voice was clear and crushingly loud, coming from all around him. Every tree, every blade of grass, the very air spoke with the being’s voice. “Oh, but I don’t even care about my own life, why would I care about yours?”

Despite the roaring volume, the voice was achingly soft, like sweet nothings whispered in Geralt’s ear. The petals brushed Geralt’s cheek like a lover’s caress.

Geralt’s heart pounded in his chest, like a drum, growing faster each second, it’s rhythm dictated by the song that made this creature be.

“There must be something – how can a life be meaningless to you?” Geralt’s voice broke and his eyes flickered over to Ciri again. The child he hadn’t wanted. The life he had tried to push as far from his path as he could.

A sharp sound pierced the air, reverberating in Geralt’s bones. Only when it cut off abruptly, did Geralt recognise it. A laugh, devoid of life or joy.

“I am a phoenix, my dear.” The endearment cut into Geralt, broke him apart, made him wish that he could be more – that he could be found. “Death is just an insect to me – it stings, but has no lasting effect.”

“Liar.” The rasped out word cut through the symphony of sound.

Within the blink of an eye, everything around him stilled. The wind was still moving the petals and leaves. The being’s shape was still changing, and yet, there was no sound. Nothing, but Geralt’s own heartbeat and his blood rushing in his ears.

Then-

“What did you call me?”

It was only a single voice, within Geralt’s mind. A helpless desperation clung to it. A hunger.

“I called you a liar.”

“I cannot lie.”

Geralt’s jaw clenched and he forced himself to stare up at the swirling shape.

“Then you are a fool, if you truly believe your own words.” His hands trembled and he had to clench them into fists. Each word he spoke, dug his own grave deeper and yet, he couldn’t stop. It was as if there was something tying him to this creature, something telling him that he could know them, just as he was certain the creature knew him. “If death is like the sting of an insect to you, then it is more than just a passing irritation. Adults still remember when they had been stung by a bee as a child. Warriors flinch back from wasps, even knowing the stinging will pass. Gnat’s bites will itch for weeks.”

“Pretty words for a man who had first used his sword before attempting to speak. Yet the cut of your words hurts me as little as your sword did.” The caress of the petals left Geralt and he nearly found himself following their receding touch. “I do not care for my death, nor do I for my life.”

“Then why am I still alive? If life and death doesn’t matter to you, then why did you not just end mine?”

Unless…

I don’t even care about my own life, why would I care about yours?

They had never said they didn’t care about Geralt’s life. It had been a question – unable to either be a lie or a truth.

The only life they didn’t care about was their own.

It didn’t make sense. And yet, as minutes, days, an eternity passed and the being still hadn’t taken on a new shape, a vessel for their new life, no doubt was left in Geralt’s mind.

“Then let me give you something else,” Geralt whispered, his mind racing. In the stories, the creatures entrapping children in their realm and bargaining for their lives only ever wanted one thing. “If you let her go, I will give you my name.”

Something changed in the air. An almost palpable tension pressed down on Geralt, making it hard to notice anything around him but the dancing petals.

“Oh, my White Wolf.” The name the being spoke wasn’t Geralt’s name, and yet Geralt felt a tugging in his chest, a soothing caress, a gentle promise. It felt like his. And it felt like the being’s. “I already have your name.”

“Then what do you want? What…” Geralt trailed off, only now noticing the hint of something heavy in the being’s voice. It had Geralt’s name. Yet, Geralt had no way of referring to the creature. He didn’t know them. Perhaps no one did. “Then I give you permission to tell me your name. You may let me get to know you. You may ask to not be…to not be lost without anyone knowing who you are.”

Yearning. Hope. Helplessness.

How a being without a form could make their emotions so apparent, was beyond Geralt, but there was no denying it. The air felt lighter, the grass brighter and the silence was replaced by a soft humming, not unlike the lullaby Geralt had heard earlier. The forest was pulsating like a heart, was living off of the being’s longing to be found.

“I can’t give you my name,” the being said. “I can’t ask of you to hear it. I don’t want you to know it. I care not for my life, nor any life I’ve lived before.”

Something rose in Geralt’s chest. A fluttering, a certainty.

People linked by destiny would always find each other. This wasn’t destiny. It wasn’t any outside force pushing them together. It was two people being lost, finding each other.

Two creatures, inhuman in their own way, feared by those who didn’t understand with no one to care enough about who they were. Neither of them had had a choice in who they wanted to become. Neither of them had chosen to be lost as they were.

The witcher, who’s name had been replaced by a hated moniker. People didn’t know him as Geralt. He was the Butcher of Blaviken.

And this being before him - this Second Chance? Who had they been? Who could they have been if they had the chance to start a life that wasn’t dictated by what they were meant to be?

“I can be your second chance,” Geralt prayed that he could be what he promised, knowing in his heart that he could. “If you won’t take my name and won’t tell me yours… I can give you a name. A new life that will be more than an itch left by an insect. More than the fear of that short sting that will end it.”

The yellow petals were back on Geralt’s face, cupping his cheeks almost reverently. In that moment, Geralt wasn’t a condemned man on the execution block anymore. He was a man on his knees, asking another being to start a new life, to bind them together in a way that felt utterly right for a reason Geralt couldn’t understand.

There was a plea in the silent touch.

“Tell it to me then.” The voice was quieter than it had been before, yet it felt more urgent than the loudest cry.

Geralt lifted his hand, laying it carefully onto the petals touching his cheeks. Yellow petals. Not tough like a dandelion forcing its way through stone paths, set on coming back to life again and again. No, these petals were different. Softer. Fragile.

“Jaskier,” Geralt said, his voice laced with power he hadn’t known it could possess. Louder, he repeated, “Jaskier. I have found you. You are no longer lost.”

A tremble went through the forest. The wind stilled, but the petals didn’t fall to the ground. Instead, they finally settled on a shape.

The petals caressing Geralt’s cheeks were the first to turn, their touch becoming more solid, warmer, human.

Geralt pressed into the touch, holding the hand that formed in his. Dizziness swept over him as the form before him solidified. Green leaves turned brown as they did in autumn and turned into hair. Petals became red and gave shape to a mouth that was stretched into a radiant smile. Grass turned into fabric, dressing the person whose life was just beginning in an embroidered doublet. A tree bent down, its bark peeling off and turning into an instrument, that the person deftly caught in one hand, the other never straying from Geralt’s face.

Then, the human opened their eyes. Blue again but lacking the eerie otherness. And yet, they were brighter than before, so full of life and for once filled with anticipation of what this life would bring.

This life that Geralt had given them.

Before Geralt stood no longer a phoenix, a creature with no name. They were their own second chance. They were Jaskier.

Even as Ciri rushed from behind Jaskier and flung herself into Geralt’s arms, the witcher couldn’t tear his eyes away from Jaskier.

The new human looked at Ciri with a fond expression on their face, and yet there was a strain around their eyes.

When their gazes met, Jaskier’s lips tugged into a small smile.

“I guess I kept my promise then,” they said in a voice that held no power, but made Geralt’s heart skip a beat nonetheless. “I kept he safe until she was found.”

Geralt’s brows drew together. “You intended to let her go? Then why –“

“I didn’t bargain her life,” Jaskier said softly. “She was free to go whenever she pleased. I – I wasn’t. You gave me my life and I give it back to you. If you want it.”

Without thinking, Geralt shook his head and tightened his arms around Ciri.

“I don’t want your life. It is yours.”

“Oh.”

Jaskier’s lips moved silently, forming the word ‘mine’, as if testing it out for the first time. A smile lit up their face, making their eyes brighter.

“If my life is mine, does that mean, I can choose where I want to go?”

Something twisted in Geralt’s chest at those words. “You are.” Had Jaskier only ever known this forest? If so… “Do you know any place besides this? Will you…if you leave on your own, will you get lost again?”

A gleam entered Jaskier’s eyes and they slung the strap of their lute around their neck, their fingers finding the strings of their new lute.

“I won’t,” they said, their face set in conviction. “Because if I get to choose where I am going, I will be following you, Geralt of Rivia, my White Wolf.”

Unlike before, there was no power to the way Jaskier spoke his name.

“White Wolf?”

Jaskier’s lips twitched and he plucked a couple of chords experimentally. “You have me a new name. If you don’t want my life, the least I can do is return the favour and give you a new one two. A name, people won’t curse. One that will no longer belong to a lost man.”

No longer a Butcher. No longer a mutant, bastard, monster!

Slowly, Geralt nodded. “A life for a life, then.”

“A life for a life.” Jaskier’s expression softened. “A name for a name.”

Two lost people finding each other, silently promising each other to do everything in their power to not let the other get lost again.