#you know what I'm not touching any of the ships with a ten foot pole I am lying on the floor contemplating my life's decisions okay

[myromanholidays]

did I finish the entirety of season two from the moment the clock struck midnight to now, 8am-ish, and is my brain both sludgy muck while every molecule vibrates at frequencies never reached before? why did I do this now I gotta wait another two years for s3

[beesbiteandwillowrites]

DP x DC Prompt: "City of Ghosts"

Gotham is a part of the Infinite Realms.

It's a bit of a mythical place really. Ghosts don't go there, and Gotham ghosts don't venture out of their city haunt. Everyone in the Infinite Realms knows that Gotham is a lawless place. They avoid it like the plague. Skulker doesn't hunt there. Walker ignores all the violations of the rules and laws of the Infinite Realms that happen within city limits. Pariah Dark didn't touch that area with a ten-foot pole, in spite of being king of everything within the Infinite Realms. Even Dan hadn't bothered with that place in his own timeline, its inhabitants too twisted and feral for him to fight (he had scars from when he fought some fucked up guy with a shadowcore that somehow powered bright flaming swords bc what's the logic in that?). Gotham is its own brand of crazy not even the bravest and most power-hungry ghosts touched.

Unfortunately, nobody thought to tell Danny this.

Now, you can go so many ways with this. Danny could catch the attention by everyone's favourite serial adopter who sees a baby ghost in need of training and make him a ghost-bat. You can have shipping fics between Danny and any of the bats. You can have Gotham's insane rogues set their sights on the new halfa and enter Amity Park through the portal.

I'm a ho for Jason Todd and I love to ship him with just about anyone, so what if when Danny enters Gotham, he meets a ghost boy by the name Robin, who talks about reading books and protecting people and who saves Danny from a mob of feral city ghosts and is just generally really cute and oh shit, Danny might have a crush.

And then Robin's existence is wiped away by a crazy clown who tortures the boy and shatters his core into so many shards he fades away, and Danny believes the love of his life death is truly gone

Jason's resurrection would be fascinating to explore bc what kind of bullshit could damage a core so beyond repair and what cosmic fuckery actually pulls all those shards back together? (my shipping heart says "Danny accepting the crown caused a power surge and brought Jason back" for drama)

Or maybe Red Hood already exists, and you can pair him with Dan, do an enemies-to-lovers kinda fic, where they were at each other's throat in the initial timeline, but end up falling for each other in the second timeline

Or explore the first timeline and write a tragedy in which Jason has to watch how his partner gets more twisted and warped as time goes on and ends up becoming his enemy

Just Gotham as a ghost town. Literally.

(I may be hyperfixating on this a little at the moment)

[strawberry-barista]

GET TO KNOW THE MUN

𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐮𝐩 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐬 ? Usually witnessing them in action and then just deciding that I neeed them. Aku was my self-insert, but everyone after that was just this deep and overfull love that I felt for the character and just really wanted to explore them. I... Also seem to have a thing about picking up old men. I dunno, y'all, I collect the old guys. It's a wonder why I never picked up Clavell. But Hanekoma, Byron, Saguaro, Cryano, Souan, and Rindo all got picked up for this reason. Abe was someone I created as a result of wanting to flesh out my Hanekoma's background and just grew from an NPC into his own thing. And as for all the folks over at @networkscrambled, I picked them up because I felt like there were a ton of characters in TWEWY that just didn't get enough love. I need more research to properly flesh the blog out, tho. OTL

𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 ? Mm... Probably just smut. I think that's the biggest thing. And even then, there's stuff there I want to explore even though I don't like it. In some very rare instances I'm willing to go with it, with people I have talked a lot to and really trust. When the situation calls for it and the muses are ready for that step. When it comes most to anything else, I have no trouble. Angst, whump, etc. Oh, but of course, there are the obvious unmentionables things I won't write. Minor x adult, non-con, incest, etc. I won't touch those with a ten-foot-pole. But I feel like those were fairly obvious.

𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 ? I'll be honest, I really enjoy writing ships. Platonic ships, familial ships esp., romantic ships, hate ships. Whatever. I really love exploring the dynamics between two or more characters and seeing how they perceive each other and explore each other and develop together as they grow and change and confront themselves. Character connections is always what gets me hyped for books and tv series and movies and any kind of storytelling and I just really love doing it. I really love writing any kind of genre that can bounce off of those, be it sad or happy. But really, any time I get to write at all is a good time.

𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐮𝐩 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐧𝐬 ? Hm. I think I'll take something really small that I notice and then just run with it as far as I can, stretch it out as much as I can until that one thing becomes the foundation of that character. I remember reading a transcript for an interview in which it was explained (roughly, because I can no longer remember), that Hanekoma was designed as a character that was on the up and up but was still messy. Or... something to that effect. I won't use quotations because I can't remember the exact quote, but it was like that. And I also remembered that Hanekoma called himself a gambler. And so using that information, I built Hanekoma as a man who in life had had a gambling addiction that ruined him, but that he was "on the up and up but still messy". And that became an anchor to how I built every headcanon after that. Similarly, I noticed Saguaro was the only teacher to continue to use honorifics with your name (Master or Miss) even after befriending you as well as noticing his insistence on cleanliness, and that was how I decided he was a butler in his past, which then lead to be the foundation of every other headcanon for him. It's admittedly a strange process, but it works for me!

𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐫 𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐜 ? I write better when I play music, by far, but I almost never do. And this is simply because I forget every single time to start it up before I start writing. And even if I do remember, I usually then go on to pause it to do something and forget to turn it back on. It's the worst.

𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐫 𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 ? I tend to wing them. The only planning I ever do is when I see and read my partner's reply but am unable to reply when I get it. So I spend all of the time until I get to it daydreaming about how I'm gonna respond. I think, as a reactive sort of roleplayer, I just want to be able to feel the emotions of my muse as they're feeling them, going through the reply and feeling how they'll react to it right away. With a lot of pre-planning, I feel like I kind of lose a sense of my character, and it feels more detached, so I can't get those real heavy emotions in my reply. So I think I do wing it as much as possible.

𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 ? Oh ho. Oh, yes. I think shipping is like my bread and butter. I did mention that in one of the questions above. All types of ships are all so good to me, and I love love writing them. I have so much fun squishing little guys together in various ways.

𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭'𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐬 / 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞 ? My name is Kohitsuji, or Kohi for short. When I first joined tumblr I went by Aku, however, so it wouldn't be uncommon to hear someone refer to me by that name. I stopped using Aku because people were confusing me for someone else, but I really like the wordplay between "lamb" and "coffee" for this blog especially, so I'm actually kind of glad I changed it these days. ^^

𝐚𝐠𝐞 ? I'm 29 now, and I'll be turning 30 at the end of this year.

𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐝𝐚𝐲 ? December 1st.

𝐟𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐫 ? I'm not super great with picking favorites, and color especially. I really love colors of all kinds. And I love iridescents and holographics and things like that the most.

𝐟𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐬 ? Again, this is difficult for me to pick. I'm pretty sure there isn't a single genre of music I haven't found something to like in. So trying to name ones I like most... I feel like it's impossible, even trying to narrow it into bands. That being said, Sibling brought home two new records and one was Badger and the other was Alexander Rabbit which were both excellent bands.

𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝 ? I'm pretty sure the last movie I watched was 101 Dalmatians, the ah, Disney animated version.

𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝 ? Forever. I'm still reeling. What a good show.

𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 ? Look Through Me by Alexander Rabbit.

𝐟𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐝 ? Anything sweet, really. I'm having such a hard time keeping myself from eating my Easter candy. I really need to stop eating sweets, but. I love them. OTL

𝐟𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 ? Fall definitely. Autumn, whatever ya call it. I love the spring-like weather without all the pollen coming with it. The beautiful colors of the clear sky and the dappling leaves. I love how the air starts to smell different and how the temps drop low enough for me to start wearing sweaters again. I love the spicy smells that come with fall, from foods to perfumes. I love fall the most, it's very cozy.

𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐭𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐥𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝 ? So many! Well. I worry about calling people my friends and best friends when I don't 100% know for sure that they feel that way about me or would even appreciate me saying that about them. I have a lot of people here that I really really love. And I hope they care about me, too. But I might just stick with a very small number of names that I know for sure they feel the same way. First, there's @mundanemiseries who tagged me in this in the first place~ ^^ Kellin is so so sweet to me and has been such a help to me and I really love their muses. Joel and Hanekoma are so sweet together~ @wrongtrain is another. Morton has been my friend here for such a long time, and they're the one person I feel like can actually unlock my brain to understand what's going on with me most of the time. I never feel quite so understood as I do when I'm talking to Morty. I love them so so much and I love writing with them when they're around to do so, whoever they've got the space for that day. And I would be remiss not to mention @justiceburst, who was one of the first Joshua muns I ever interacted with and soon became my canon Joshua. Dusty may be writing new characters now, but they're no less engaging of a writer and they're still such a close friend to me. I care so deeply for them and everything we've been through together. ^^ Then there's @fangedstories. Roxy has been consistently active with me since meeting me, which is something that still surprises me. XD I'm really grateful to her for putting up with me so much. @lollipopsandgunshots is another. Katee talks to me so much and we've clicked so well together ooc. I love the work we've done with our muses, too, and especially that Katee is one of the few folks that I can actually get ideas for Aku with. ^^ There's also @phoenix-flamed, who has been so kind and caring towards me since the moment we met. I am so grateful to be able to have Vonny to talk to when I need it, though I admit that I don't poke them nearly enough. Still, I have them to thank for Hanekoma's whole FFXVI verse, so they continue to be a big inspiration to me regardless. ^^ And last but not even remotely the lest, @rubiesintherough has become such a dear friend to me. I used to be so afraid of Ruby, wanting to interact and never really knowing if I could stand up to her impeccable writing. But I am so so glad I finally reached out to start talking to her because she's so nice and so fun to talk to and I love all of her muses so so much. I feel like I've been thoroughly blessed with an abundance of friends~!

tagged by: @mundanemiseries tagging: Please steal it from me!

[kitausuret]

I was tagged by @herrdoktorwormie for:

8 Shows to Get to Know Me

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - I love all the Star Treks up through Enterprise (haven't seen anything newer!) but DS9 tops my list. Odo/Kira Nerys was the first fandom ship I ever did fan creations for and to this day I still love them.

Scandal - To this day, it is still my favorite political drama. Nothing I've seen has ever even come close to the absolute insanity that was that show. I did a total rewatch last year and it was so worth it.

Dragonball Z - I don't think there's been an anime I've ever been more into. This one was definitely a staple of my childhood, I remember watching it after school on Toonami on the weekdays with my older brother.

Justice League (2001) - Funny thing is, even though this came out when I was around 8 years old, I never watched it as a kid. But I did watch it all the way through in my 20s and to date it's probably one of my favorite superhero animated shows.

Chicago Med - Along with The Resident, this is probably my favorite medical drama currently airing. It has a fantastic ensemble cast. I'm never touching any fandom with a ten-foot pole (I learned my lesson with 9-1-1.)

The 4400 - The show I'll endlessly bitch and moan about its cancellation even though it was literally years ago. It got kinda weird at the end but it was also the show that introduced me to Mahershala Ali. And it was incredible.

Bob's Burgers - I almost never talk about it but I actually know this show like the back of my hand. My gf and I watch it together all the time, it's frequently background noise in our apartment, and we eagerly await new episodes each week. I think Zeke is my favorite character, but the whole cast is fantastic.

Centaurworld - Absolutely 100% the show I didn't think I would enjoy but I ended up finding so delightful and charming and weirdly heart-wrenching! It actually tackles a lot of topics like grief, loss, heartbreak, betrayal, and some darker subjects that you might not always expect to see handled in an approachable but appropriate way for kids... It's very honest. I think maybe I'm due for a rewatch!

I absolutely was not supposed to give reasons why I liked all these shows, but I wanted to so that's why I started my own thread.

If any of my friends would like to do this too (with or without commentary lmao) consider yourself tagged! I love to see what other people are into.

[ruiniel]

Oooo 1, 4, 12, 18, 25 for the ask?? (Also shush about your lukewarm views, I love your takes!)

Aww Hi, thank you 🖤for helping me procrastinate from writing/drawing which I want to do but also don't! And it wasn't self-deprecation on my end, I'm really okay with lukewarm! I have a mild temper and extremes tire me out generally! OK lemme see...

1)the character everyone gets wrong

HMMMM I'm an adept of 'it's canon if it works for me' so I shrug at this usually. If a take's not to my liking, I'll ignore it and move on. Everyone's valid in having an opinion.

That said.

I generally don't vibe with the 'merchant-mindset-that's-his-best-asset-and-that's who he is' HC often stamped onto Caranthir during his time in Thargelion just because "... to journey into Beleriand all the traffic of the dwarf-mines passed first through the hands of Caranthir, and thus great riches came to him." I just don't see that as being his main trait.

4)was the last straw that made you finally block that annoying person?

I block so liberally, bc I treat this as a safe space and will use all tools at my disposal to try and keep it that way. But if you're being overly confrontational over fictional characters in meta or uppity/rude on points such as 'people can ship who they want but they'll get a lesson in this and that if they don't ship X the way i ship it,' I'll be so tired I might miss the Block button the first time. I like peace and quiet. Nothing personal.

12)the unpopular character that you actually like and why more people should like them

Not sure if this means 'unpopular - usually hated for what they did in canon' or 'unpopular - not-seen-very-often-in the fandom limelight'?

I'll go with the latter. This might've changed in the meantime, not sure, I don't check the tags for safety reasons lmao. Gwindor - a dramatic flawed character with their own dramatic choices/another Angband survivor, nuff said.

18) it's absolutely criminal that the fandom has been sleeping on...

"but Morwen remained in Doriath with Niënor as guests of Thingol and Melian, and were treated with honour."

What went on during that time?

25)common fandom complaint that you're sick of hearing

Can't think of any right now that caused an eyeroll. But as an honorable mention: the whole Elwing/kidnap family debate... won't touch that with a ten foot pole, everyone else can get their kicks.

On the Castlevania front: Gameverse fans gatekeeping and being obnoxious about the series. Relax, the series is its own thing, nothing was taken away. A reason why I also don't check and rarely use the Castlevania tag.

~~

And bit of a PS, bc lately I noticed tumblr at large still needs the reminder:

opinion: the ideas that a person or a group of people have about something or someone, which are based mainly on their feelings and beliefs, or a single idea of this type. - dictionary.cambridge.org

someone having a different opinion/disliking or being 'meh' about something you love does not invalidate your existence, doesn't mean they dislike you as a person etc. We can still love each other and have our differences, it's okay.

there's an ongoing war neighboring my country, recently we had several earthquakes where my home wobbled with me in it, and this is why getting down and personal/oh so serious about fictional worlds on the internet is something I simply find… inconsequential/don't have the energy for, because of all the you know, actual important sh- happening? What's this, Ruiniel? Perspective.

[kitnita]

I know you're into TyDell/Wyatt & Wyatt/Logan but can I raise you a Logan/TyDell?

Also any Stars that you wouldn't ship with a ten foot pole?

you absolutely CAN raise me logan/ty!!

i am so very genuinely excited about having stanks around next season (not just as a stars young guys vibes anthropologist either. like hot take but i feel like if gaglardi didn't also own the blazers & hadn't wanted their best player around when they hosted the memorial cup, we'd have seen logan at least get the nine day rookie trial, but, whatever, that's not the point here — ) & i do think it's going to be So Fun watching delly become the elected leader of the young guys through stanks & wyatt.

in that same article saad asked stanks which players he follows when he watches stars games; he said wyatt (fair, since the article touched a lot on his & wyatt's relationship), roope & pavs (also fair), and delly. who is a beloved Just A Guy.

like sure, it could just be because of the similarities saad laid out – '[logan] is known most for the relentless motor he plays with on the ice, which is also what has made dellandrea an important part of the stars’ roster' – but also idk, delly's hot, surely stanks has eyes, etc etc etc. i'm open to it!! someone should get on writing about a relationship blossoming whilst ty acts as logan's chauffer!!!

[munsons-maiden]

Did you see where some toxic fans on Twitter were calling steddie shippers stds? Most of the accounts got suspended for it. I had to tell one account why that was not okay but they were like 17 so after I told them they did apologize for it. I mean calling a ship with 2 men and calling it std is not cool. Especially when these characters take place in the 80s during the aids epidemic.

Oh my lord. I needed a moment to process this. Like, I know there's a stupid ship war going on (I've received enough anon hate to last an entire lifetime) but holy fuck, some people need to go and touch some grass. This is so fucking tone-deaf and mean that I'm out of words, truly.

I'm not on twitter and I wouldn't touch this cursed site with a ten foot pole and I hope this stops. I can only say...I don't care what you ship (you in general, not you, anon), but if you think that's funny or even remotely okay, you're part of the toxic part of the fandom and I don't care about any "but the others did x" - stop it.

[littlelovingmouse]

i will say this about getting shadowbanned: it has in fact led me to engage a lot more with posts than i used to, i.e. i talk a lot more in the tags than before

knowing that no one but the people who follow me, and who are active on tumblr at the same time as me, can see my tags, it's been freeing, actually

like, i reblogged a post a few days ago, that i'm still thinking about; it said that the wonderful thing about tags is that it's impermanent commentary that only your followers will see, so it doesn't bother the op like a direct addition to the post might

but in my experience, that has never been true, even before staff added the feature that lets you see what tags people add to your posts and to the posts you share when they reblog from you

i got yelled at a few times in my asks by people who disagreed with my tags or just didn't like them, so while i used to tag things properly, i have since stopped using tags almost entirely, and most things on my blog are untagged and impossible to search nowadays

like yes, don't make original posts about how you hate a thing, only to tag them with the thing it's about, so that users who do enjoy it don't have to suffer your negativity, that's just basic courtesy

but it used to be that, as long as you didn't name the thing in the first five tags, no one would see it, and reblogs don't show up in main tags either

and now everyone can go on their activity page and see what tags people added to a post when they reblogged from you, and all the tags people add to your original posts, too

and even before that, people would often check tags!

but like

if i use tags to keep track of things, and be able to find them again later, i should be able to use whatever tags i want

and if i want to add commentary that will only show in the tags, i should be able to do so; i should be able to give my opinion on things on my own damn blog

and truth be told if poll votes weren't anonymous, or if i knew people could see my tags, i wouldn't add any at all, and i wouldn't touch polls with a ten foot poll pole

sorry for the rambling, but i'd been wondering why it was taking me so long to poke staff again about un-shadow-banning me (de-shadow-banning me? shadow-un-banning me? shadow-de-banning me?), and i think that's why

i've often felt like i wasn't actually welcome to interact with the fandoms i'd joined, which is why i'm almost always a lurker, who only likes things, but does not reblog them

and then i always feel bad when i see posts complaining about this, but like, idk, i'm not sure what i'm trying to say here, i do understand that artists and writers can find it upsetting when people tag their work with triggering or squicky things, or when their original content gets tagged with character names and ships and stuff they don't like

... anyway, my conclusion here is that i've always chosen wrong on those super power quizzes, my ideal power isn't telekinesis or flight, it's clearly invisibility

i just don't want to be invisible all the time, otherwise it's kind of lonely

[tsarisfanfiction]

3. 14. J. U. 🙃

Sorry this is a bit late, rl slammed me kinda hard last weekend...

I'll admit I'm guessing which numbered ones you're referencing because there were two numbered lists on the same day, oops, but as one of them needed a specific fic referenced I'm hoping I've got the right list!

3) Is there a trope you wouldn’t touch with a ten foot pole?

Hmm... there are a few tropes around that I'm less fond of - ABO springs to mind immediately, as well as coffee shop AUs - but honestly I am a big fan of deconstructing and twisting tropes so if given the incentive and requisite curiosity of "I wonder how this would go if..." I don't think there's any trope that I would say I'd never write (I once said I'd never write a genderbend, then one happened, so...) I'm less likely to write most romance-based tropes, though, mostly because romance isn't something I generally enjoy writing quite so much.

14) What’s the worst writing advice you’ve ever come across?

Oof, that's a hard one. There's quite a few I ignore for one reason or another, mostly because I've reached the point where I write how I write and throwing something different into the equation is just gonna mess me up, but I wouldn't necessarily say they're bad because what works (or not) for me doesn't mean it doesn't (or does) work for someone else. We're all unique people, our minds work in unique ways, and different tips and tricks therefore work on all of us.

One that has screwed me over a few times though is "write at least x words a day". "x" varies, but for me I find that if I can't write that day, trying to force it just makes me hate everything, and then I feel guilty for not writing anything at all and it can take me a while to kick myself out of that and remind myself it's supposed to be a hobby. It's not a requirement, or a chore. This isn't school, or a job. This is something I do in my free time and I shouldn't force it.

J:  What’s your favourite fanfic trope?  Have you written it?

Back in the trope questions again, I see. I should admit that I'm actually bad at these because I can never actually identify "tropes" on demand, if that makes sense. I know a few core ones, but for the most part it's more "what sort of thing do I like?" and yes, I definitely write what I like! Caretaker needing to be taken care of is top of the list, probably, and anyone who reads my stuff will be very familiar with that creeping in!

That being said, if I had to pick a trope I haven't yet written but would like to experiment with one day... Soulmark AUs. They fascinate me, although (like Hanahaki Disease, another one I love to read) there's a prevalence of it being romantic soulmates in almost all the fics I've read, and I have a definite preference for platonic soulmates. But then again, I managed to write a familial Hanahaki, so maybe one day I'll manage to write a soulmark AU that fits both the trope and my own desire for more platonic/familial love fics taking centre stage.

U: Is there a pairing you would like to write, but haven’t tried yet.

Eh, if I'm honest I'm less fussed about writing ships and more platonic pairings, or ones that could fall either way (see: CaeJose from JJBA, which is a fandom I have yet to write for at all). And when we look at platonic relationships, oh there's so many I'd love to dabble in at some point.

That being said, I have just remembered one bizarre One Piece kinda crackship I came up with a few years ago and thought that I might write it but so far haven't... (it was gonna be a Wano arc AU and I thought it up before Wano happened... we're now the other side and needless to say "AU" doesn't even start to cover it ahaha)

Oh, and how could I forget Kaito/Aoko from Detective Conan/Magic Kaito. Admittedly I have something half-baked sat in my drafts so technically I have written something for them, but I've not finished anything worth posting for them. Then again, I've also yet to write any Shinichi/Ran or Heiji/Kazuha, either.

40 Questions — Meme for Fic Writers

Fanfic Writer Ask Meme

[motownfiction]

1. 2, 3, 11

1. describe your comfort zone—a typical you-fic.

i mean, i've said this before, but i like low-stakes, conversational stuff. there are no monsters or murders or other mayhem that needs to be solved. just people thinking about what they're going to do with their pretty normal lives. music, food, and maybe dancing. probably dancing.

2. is there a trope you’ve yet to try your hand at, but really want to?

i'm not sure! maybe a more earnest attempt at enemies to lovers. it's not bad by any means, but as you know, i really prefer romances that come out of friendships (or, more specifically, friendships that were almost always gearing up to be more). like, someone could very obtusely read lucy and will as an enemies-to-lovers ship, but they're absolutely not. they were always best friends! they had tin can telephones! they depended on one another! the only thing "enemies" about their relationship is that lucy pretends like she's not in love with him, which sometimes leads to some cold or insensitive comments, but in this case, she's really more of an enemy to herself. this answer really got away from me, but all of it is to say that maybe i could give genuine enemies to lovers another try. i don't see it happening on this blog, though. but maybe with emma.

3. is there a trope you wouldn’t touch with a ten foot pole?

i'm not a fan of the "romance was started on a bet" thing. it's dumb. i don't like it. i suppose there are better incarnations of it than others, but on the whole, it's not appealing to me at all. yes, i know that the very first iteration of lucy and will got married because their best friends dared them to. but that was different. they wanted to be together, and they were looking for any external excuse to do the embarrassingly domestic thing they already longed for. it's not the same thing if you're both in on it! however: i will say that i'm glad that this rendition of lucy and will get married without a dare. it's nice.

11. is writing your passion or just a fun hobby?

i mean, it's a passion. it's what i do for a living, and that's not the kind of job you choose lightly or because you don't know where else to go. i don't necessarily make any money writing stories, but i do sit down and professionally research/crank out words. they're all about movies and american history, but it's still all writing (and it's still all very, very connected to the work i do in this space). so even though i'm not actively seeking out formal publication of some story involving these characters, they're part of my passion. i think about them all the time. i think about them as characters on the fringes of my academic research, like they're the ones showing me what their teen years were like as mall-going film spectators. it's a fun, personal, and revealing way to further animate and anthropomorphize my scholarship (literally my life's blood), and it's a passion i can't give up.

it reminds me of the first of three creative writing classes i took in college. there was a student in the class who waxed poetic about how writing was his escape, and even though it probably shouldn't have, it made me angry. i was mad that he thought writing was just an escape and that we were all here for the escapism, for our own personal entertainment. and it's not like i don't feel entertained by writing stories, and sometimes, i do turn to these characters in times of personal unrest. but writing is not, in general, an escape for me. it's who i am. if i were to escape from it, then there would be no more me. and i want there to be me.

[bluepinetree12]

Rules

Shipping/romance: I'm open to ideas, but they have to seem somewhat feasible to me. As far as canon pairings go I'm fine with Wendip, as well as Dipcifica. Though I'm NOT going to multiship for obvious reasons. Chemistry is an essential must. And as far as AU pairings go I'm not entirely sure yet. Just don't request BillDip though that's all I request. Also, Pinecest is a automatic NO for me, not touching that with a ten foot pole.

Boundaries: Everyone has them including me, if an idea makes me comfortable please respect that and move on. It doesn't cost a thing to be a good person. And if you have boundaries I'll do my best to respect them.

3. No ERO or smut rp: I don't like this writing, it makes me uncomfortable. So do not request it from me or demand that I write it if at all possible. I'll block anyone who writes this or asks me about it. Fluff is one thing but hard pass here.

4. Patience: I have the attention span of a goldfish, so if you want to send me a reminder if I've forgotten go right ahead. Just don't spam me every two minutes for a reply that's all. If it's just been a few hours or a few days don't freak out. If it's been a few months or longer though go ahead and unfollow.

5. No drama: Look, I don't care what was said, who did what, or even if it was something I've done in the past. I don't wanna hear about it, people change, and I don't see the point in lingering on the past. Anyone who starts drama or tries to rope me into it will be promptly blocked.

6. Themes: There might be some occasional angst here and there, and depression might also be explored from time to time. Along with occasional violence, that sorta stuff. If that makes you uncomfortable please let me know and I can try to do something wholesome if you'd prefer.

7. Reblog from source: If I post any memes here, please do not reblog them from me. I don't wanna take credit for other people's work. 'Cause... well it's scummy. If you're not unsure of a source you can DM me about it but I'll inform you regardless.

[soldiermom1973]

N7 Month, day 24 - Horizon

This one’s a long one - I didn’t plan it that way, but that’s how these things go sometimes.  The bulk is under a cut & you can read it on AO3.

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It had been about two weeks since Kaidan was promoted to Staff Commander and the high that came with the increased responsibilities, duties, and pay was always tempered by thinking about Allie every time someone addressed him by his new rank.  It took a few days for his brain to remember it was him they were talking to now, not his dead girlfriend.  He often wondered if he'd ever really stop looking for her when people said, “Commander.”

Kaidan's most recent assignment had him assisting with the decommission of the SSV London.  Knowing what was coming, he vehemently disagreed with any ship in the Alliance Navy being decommissioned, but he was only a Staff Commander and a new one at that.  Regardless of his experience and the things he went through with Shepard, his word didn't amount to a hill of beans.

He was in charge of the team responsible for carefully taking apart the ship's computers and technical systems; the idea was to reuse as many components as possible as newer ships were built and older ships needed them for repairs and upkeep.  There were several systems that were too outdated to ever be usefully upgraded, but quite a few would work just fine in a newer ship.  It was his first assignment after being promoted so he was surprised when he CO called him into her office with news of a transfer.

“Already?”  he asked Captain Dimond.  “I'm not due to PCS for several months and there's still too much to do for me to be able to leave now.”

“I know,” his CO said, “but someone else can handle what you're doing.  I got word from Councilor Anderson himself – you're to report to him first thing tomorrow morning for your new assignment.”

“The Councilor?”  Kaidan was confused – Anderson was technically a civilian now and shouldn't be having anything to do with Alliance business, especially when it came to handing out assignments, unless, of course, he was giving a recommendation for one.  He spent the rest of his shift wondering why Anderson was suddenly interested in his military career.  He hadn't spoken to the man since the last memorial service and that had been nearly seven months ago.  He reached out once when the rumors started circulating that Allie wasn't dead, but the Councilor brushed him off.

“Rumors and innuendo, son,” he'd said, “the tabloids thrive on that sort of thing.”

Other than that, he and Anderson really had no cause to talk to one another.  He finished his shift and walked home, his brain still trying to sort out what might be going on.  He passed an appliance shop and every vid screen in the window was showing old clips of Allie and the Normandy.  Kaidan stopped to listen long enough to hear the reporter question whether or not Allie's alleged return from the dead had anything to do with humanities surge in missing colonists.

He sighed when he unlocked his apartment door.  The rumors about Allie not being dead were becoming more persistent every day, with the newest reports saying she'd been sighted on the Citadel, frequenting one of the wards.  He had half a mind to pull up one of those reports and watch the grainy footage that always accompanied that sort of story.  He never did, though, because he knew he'd get his hopes up only to be disappointed the person in question wasn't really Allie and angry at the journalists for their crappy reporting and failure to do any type or research.

Still, he wondered.  If she was alive, why hadn't she reached out?  Didn't she love him?  She said she did, but if she wasn't dead, then those words were lies because there was no way she'd let him suffer like he was.

Kaidan shook his head and focused on cooking dinner.  He flipped his TV to a news channel he knew wouldn't touch rumors about Shepard with a ten foot pole while he cooked.  He listened as reporters droned on about the stock market on various planets – stocks in weapons and prefabs were skyrocketing, as were emergency supplies such as rations and medical items.  Kaidan paused at that, wondering if there were actually other people out there who believed Allie's predictions about the Reaper threat and were preparing for the inevitable.  He let his own parents know and while his dad didn't take it seriously, his mother did and he knew she would lean on his dad to get things prepped for when the Reapers finally showed up.

When his dinner finished cooking, Kaidan plated his food and switched the channel to a blasto movie and fired up a datapad.  His transfer wasn't official yet and until then, he still had to make sure the day's stripped components were sent off to where they needed to be.  He ate slowly while he worked, sometimes becoming so absorbed in his task he nearly forgot he had food in front of him.  His pasta was stone cold by the time he finally finished it and he drained the last of his beer, figuring he'd shower and head to bed early.

His doorbell rang as he washed up the dinner dishes.  “Coming,” he called, drying his hands on a towel.  He opened the door, surprised at who is visitor was.

“Councilor Anderson?” he asked.  “What are you doing here?  I thought I was supposed to meet with you in the morning.”

Kaidan stepped aside and allowed the older man into his apartment.  “Change of plans, Commander.  Huh,” he chuckled, “the last person I called that was Shepard.”

He handed Kaidan a six-pack of beer and walked further into the apartment.

“Believe me, sir, it's just as weird for me to hear it.  What can I do for you?”  Kaidan gestured to his living room, inviting Anderson to sit.  “Should I crack these open?”

“That's why I brought them,” Anderson answered.  “and I can't risk meeting you in my office.  I work under the assumption that there are bugs and listening devices all over my office even though it's swept daily,” he added, accepting the opened bottle Kaidan offered him.

“It's that serious?” Kaidan asked, taking a seat across from him.

“It is.  I assume you've heard the rumors about our missing colonists?” Anderson asked.

“Only what I've heard on the news.  People terrified because they can't reach their loved ones, ships being waved off near supposed disappearance sites.  I've even heard there are ships missing, like what we were investigating when...”  Kaidan's voice trailed off at the memory of the SR1 being attacked and Allie dying.

Anderson leaned back on the couch and drained his beer.  Kaidan thought it was odd the man wouldn't look at him, so he pressed, “Sir, just how bad is it?”

“It's bad, Alenko.  Which is why we couldn't meet in my office.  I can't risk this getting out.  We've lost dozens of colonies, hundreds of ships have gone missing, and the Alliance is powerless to do anything because the fleet isn't up to strength yet and won't be for some time.”

“What can I do?” Kaidan asked.  He didn't hesitate – something he picked up from Allie and her willingness to do whatever it took to help whoever was in need.

Anderson opened his messenger bag and slid a folder across the coffee table.  “We got intel about a colony that's supposed to be the next one hit.  I don't know how they know because we damn sure can't find a pattern.”

Kaidan grabbed the folder and perused the contents – data sheets on dozens of colonies that had gone dark.  The populations averaged around five to eight hundred thousand people.  Investigations turned up nothing solid – the colonies were just empty, like everyone had been sucked into a void.  Meals were left uneaten, water running to wash dishes, coffee still hot on a burner, pots on stoves that had burned dry.  There were absolutely no traces of any of the colonists.  Any cameras were wiped so there was no video evidence.

Until Freedom's Progress.  Kaidan watched the accompanying datapad with horror as creatures he wasn't familiar with strolled through the colony, moving people into pods and shuttling them off for parts unknown.  The colonists didn't resist – the footage made it seem like they were paralyzed somehow.

“Sir, where did this footage come from?” he asked.

“I can't tell you that.”  Anderson's face was grim.  “What I can tell you is those are the things responsible for the alleged deaths of millions of our colonists.”

The last sheet in the pile was for a colony on Horizon.  Over half a million people called the planet home – it seemed to be about the same size as those colonies that disappeared.  The only difference was this one wasn't gone.

Yet.

“I take it this is my mission?” Kaidan asked.

“Yes. The Alliance is sending some AA guns to the colony.  You'll be leading a small team to make sure they're up and running to aid in the colony's defense.  Additionally, you're going to work with their leadership and develop an escape plan – reinforced buildings, underground bunkers, whatever is necessary to keep these people safe.”

“Won't the guns make them a bigger target for slavers and pirates?” Kaidan asked.

“The pros far outweigh the cons on this one.  We're working with the colony backers to build a small post on the outskirts of the main colony – far enough away to not be a hindrance, but close enough to help if it's needed.”

Kaidan gathered all the paperwork and slid it back into the folder, handing it back to Anderson.  “When do I leave?”  he asked.

“Tomorrow morning.  You'll catch a flight out with the Roosevelt, an Alliance supply ship.  Your team will be on board.  You'll need to brief them. The official story is that Horizon is the first of many colonies to get these guns.  If anyone asks about anything else, tell them you don't know.”

“Play dumb,” Kaidan smiled, “I can do that.”

He leaned back in his chair and the pair made small talk, catching up on what the members of the Normandy were doing – the surviving Alliance crew were spread to the four winds.  Joker dropped off the grid when he got grounded, Chakwas was on a leave of absence, and Anderson didn't know much about the alien members of Allie's crew.

“And what about her, sir?” Kaidan murmured.  “Are those rumors true?”

“You mean whether or not she's alive.  I can't answer that, son,” Anderson's voice was soft.  He knew about Allie and Kaidan's relationship and had no issues with it as long as they were discreet.

There was something in Anderson's tone that gave Kaidan pause.  “You can't or you won't?” he asked.

“I can't,” he said again with a shrug.  “I wish I could.”

At that, Anderson stood and stretched, groaning when his back popped into place.  “I'm not sure if that's old age catching up with me or the fact that I'm stuck behind a desk now,” he complained, shaking his head.  “I used to be able to run circles around you younger guys and now I think I'd have a hard time keeping up.  I'll never understand why Shepard put my name up for this job.”

“Because she believed you were the best choice, sir.”  It was something Allie and Kaidan talked about on several occasions.  She felt bad because she knew he didn't want to be behind a desk, but having Udina in charge would have been awful.  “And she knew you believed her about the Reapers.  She knew you'd push as much as you could to get the galaxy ready.  Udina would have only done what was beneficial to him politically.”

“Well, she wasn't wrong there,” Anderson admitted as he moved toward the door.  “But the Council has convinced themselves the Reapers aren't real and Sovereign was a geth ship.  I'm still trying to do what I can, as is Admiral Hackett.”

“Good,” Kaidan nodded.

Anderson shook Kaidan's hand.  “You be careful out there, Commander.  I'm looking forward to your progress reports once you get boots on the ground.”

Kaidan closed the door behind his former CO.  He let out a heavy sigh and made his way to his bedroom to pack his duffle bag.  He'd have been quite happy to stay on the Citadel for the decommissioning, but this was technically his first command, too.  He sat on his bed and grabbed the picture frame that he kept there.  A picture of him and Allie flickered into view and he brushed his thumb over her face.

“I'm going to do my best to help this colony.  I hope I make you proud,” he whispered.

[shsl-box-worshipper]

3, 5, 6, 22

OMG, SOMEONE FINALLY SENT AN ASK :D (and thx Kuro for sending so many)

3. Is there a trope you wouldn’t touch with a ten foot pole?

If there is a trope I wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole, it'd probably be anything relating to smut. Now, I know this isn't a trope but instead a genre of fic, but still. I find it kind of weird that a good chunk of people write fanfiction purely for to make their ship do the sexy sexy stuff. Plus, I am a minor, which means I can't even write smut and I'm generally repulsed by the kind of people who do it (especially without plot). (Not you tho, Kuro, I genuinely love your fics. I just can't read your NSFW stuff, if you have any published)

5. Share one of your strengths.

One of my strengths definitely has to be imagery. I, personally, think I'm really good when it comes to helping the reader visualize what's happening inside a character's head or out in the story's world, and amplifying the tone based on that principle. For example, I use this constantly in Field Trip of DOOOMMMM!!! to add tension, horror, and, of course, humor to the fic and help develop the tones of both Danny and Conan's perspectives. Part of what helps me build that imagery is imagining what the scene might look like if someone drew a fanart or fancomic. After all, you can't put down imagery without having an image to work off of.

6. Share one of your weaknesses.

Probably my tendency to exposition dump. The latter is less of a problem in my fics as it is in my (currently WIP) original story, but it's still a massive issue since I tend to get too excited about a piece of information and try to slam it all on the user all at once. What can I say, I'm a nerd, but it is a problem I try to tackle in every story I write, regardless if it's fanfiction or not.

22. Choose a passage from one of your earlier fics and edit it into your current writing style. (Person sending the ask is free to make suggestions).

Holy shit, Kuro's just got a full on feast of an answer planned. Oh well.

You didn't suggest any particular fics so I'm going to go with a passage from the first fic I ever posted to ao3, The Makings of the Hunger. A fic I wrote purely on a Danganronpa Discord server with absolutely no betaing and me being way too obsessed with the idea of Shuichi being turned into a horror movie monster (Which also contains some of the worst paragraph-ing I've ever seen)

Note: The fic's about medical horror and torture so if you cant stomach it, DO NOT READ AHEAD.

The original passage

'Shuichi closed his eyes in horror as the man revved up the saw, knuckles white and teeth clenched. The first wave of pain hit him as his legs were chopped by the buzzsaw, except it wasn't just all the leg all at once. No, it was bit by bit in tiny chunks of the leg, starting from his feet and going all the way up to hips, on each leg. The pain was unbearable, his screams filling the night, much to the killer's amusement. He then moved up to his fingers, bringing out what looked to be a knife-sized power saw. Then, again, one by one, bit by bit, the man chopped his fingers off, while poor Saihara screamed in pure agony as he felt his nerves, and himself in turn, howl in pain. The man then decided to move up to opening his chest, pulling out a scalpel to do so. He started from the hips and, slowly in order to make sure Shuichi felt everything at full force, opened up his chest cavity with the scalpel, exposing his ribs and organs to the air. The amount of pain Shuichi felt at this point was unclassifiable, each nerve and neuron screaming and overloading his brain, and his voice was dried up from how much the poor boy screamed. Now, the man had moved to his mouth, pulling out an unreasonably large bench press that was pressed together, and placed it in Shuichi's mouth, which filled it up. He then released the pressure built by the press, which meant it expanded vertically, causing Shuichi's mouth to painfully elongate. He was so much pain that he began crying more than he usually did.'

See the issues? It's all one paragraph and there's barely any pause and imagery for the horror.

Here's how I would do it now:

Shuichi stared at the crazy paper-bagged figure in horror as he started revving up his buzzsaw, the noise worming it's way into Shuichi's ears as he struggled against the chains.

"Ahhhh, don't struggle, Mr. Detective. You wouldn't want to ruin God's work, now, would you?"

Shuichi, growing more exhausted with every desperate pull he made on the chains, wanted to shout 'What God?!' at the culty lunatic but before he could even focus his energy on that...

*CRACK!*

Shinichi screamed in pain as the buzzsaw finally met his right leg, cutting through his heel with a noise that made Shuichi sick to his stomach. The cultist moved through his leg incredibly slowly, as if to make Shuichi feel all of the pain from having his foot forcibly removed. And when the saw finally finished cutting through the bone, all Shuichi could do was begin to cry and start squirming his now chain free bloody leg around in the air. The man laughed, as if to entertain in the boy's suffering. But the man wasn't done.

And before long, he cut into Shuichi's right leg once again. Shuichi continued struggling against the chains as pink crimson filled his vision.

All the while, the Bloody Smile Killer laughed with manic glee as he slowly worked his way up and down Shuichi's legs.

Shuichi was in so much agony, so much pain. Pink had completely filled his vision. Shuichi was in so much pain that he couldn't even see the Bloody Smile Killer clearly anymore, only seeing pure pink which made the monster look like a demon.

Then, as Shuichi finally started to recover from the pain, he heard the revving of a new power tool.

And instantly began the cycle anew.

Excruciating pain hit his hands, causing him to scream and cry in more agony as his own blood exploded out of the wounds. Shuichi wanted desperately move his his hands and crawl out of this nightmare, but he knew he couldn't.

Since his fingers were now gone, replaced instead with little nubs that were screaming in agony.

Shuichi could barely see anymore, which was probably his only grace in this scenario.

Because it allowed him the luxury of not being able to see his own chest being cut open, revealing his organs, veina, and ribs. Shuichi was in so much agony that his voice was slowly growing strained with every wave of agony.

It seemed that the demon had grown tired of the boy's constant screaming, groaning as the fun of Shuichi's agony started waning.

"God needs to make more of you, my little sweet~ Let us fix your face."

And with that, a large piston-like object was shoved into Shuichi's mouth.

And then it pushed itself. Pushed against the roof and floor of his mouth. Shuichi's screams became raspy screeches as his mouth elongated past what is possible for a human jaw, his cheeks joining in his body's chorus of medical torture.

Shuichi was in so much pain. Everything hurt, and he felt like his mind was starting to fall apart from all of the torture. He couldn't speak anymore, he could barely see, and Shuichi felt like his humanity had been stripped from out under him.

So much pain.

[lostinthewiind]

White Lies: Chapter 1

The Legend of Vox Machina

Rating: Mature

Warnings: death, gore, mature themes, extreme violence, sexual themes, blood

The kingdom of Tal'Dorei was a beautiful place; the sun was almost always shining, the birds spent their days singing happily in the trees, and the land was filled with magic, wonder, and mystery. That was, until a great evil appeared, looming over the citizens and bringing with it darkness and despair. 

Many a brave soul had attempted to wipe out the unknown evil and bring peace back to Tal'Dorei once again, but as the body count rose, the volunteers began to dwindle. Very few who had mustered the courage to face whatever lurked in the shadows had returned, and those who had would never be the same again.

Fei was one of the lucky few who had escaped with her head still firmly attached to her shoulders, and although the experience had been gruesome and terrifying, she had experienced far worse in her lifetime. Maybe that was the reason she found herself back in Sovereign Uriel's palace again . . . well, that and the promised reward for saving the kingdom.

"The knowledge you possess will be useful," General Krieg said, his accent as thick as his eyebrows. 

"I don't have any knowledge." Fei pulled her hood down further over her face, hiding her dark skin, pointed ears, and blackened eyes. She was well aware that the present company knew she was a drow, but the habit persisted nonetheless. "I've told you hundreds of times already. There was a surge of darkness, a terrible roar, and the next thing I knew, I was standing in a puddle of blood and dismembered limbs. I didn't see anything that can be of any use to whatever band of idiots decides to march into their death next."

Lady Allura scoffed, her harsh tone contrasting her otherwise prim and proper appearance. "They will probably perish anyway." She turned to address the Sovereign. "We need to start hiring professionals if we ever wish to rid the kingdom of this beast."

"No offence, but no professional would touch this job with a ten-foot pole after this many people have turned up missing or dead afterward," Fei explained, nervously shifting her weight as the room of high-ranking individuals looked at her. "At this point, sticking with desperate mercenaries is probably your best bet."

Sovereign Uriel smiled wide, his gray beard twitching as he did so. "So you'll do it then?" He clapped his hands together. "You said it yourself, we need mercenaries, and I can think of no one better than a mercenary who has already faced the music once before."

"I said desperate mercenaries," Fei corrected the Sovereign. "What makes you think I want to return to certain death after just barely escaping it?"

"Along with the previously mentioned reward, I'll absolve you of all your debts in Tal'Dorei," Sovereign Uriel replied, the smug grin on his face a telltale sign that he knew his offer was too good to pass up. "And continue to look past the fact that you are currently wanted for theft of approximately 800 gold in Emon." 

Fei chuckled nervously. "I didn't know you knew about that."

"I know about everything."

Folding her arms over her chest, Fei shrugged. "Yeah, you got me there. I'm in."

Later that day, Fei found herself perched upon the railing of a ship that was supposed to take her and this foolish group of mercenaries to Shale Steps, the village closest to the most recent attacks. Everything about that day had been a whirlwind of confusion, so the fact that the ship was currently sitting on land instead of in the water was the least of her worries.

"They should be arriving soon." Lady Allura approached Fei, her tone as calm as ever but her body language and the clear distance she put between herself and the drow woman proving that she was less than comfortable. "They go by Vox Machina, apparently."

"Vox Machina," Fei repeated the pretentious name. "I've always found that groups who put a lot of effort into things like appearance and titles often don't possess the skills to match."

"Well, for the kingdom's sake, let's hope they are an exception." A distant commotion alerted Lady Allura to the arrival of the group and she turned to leave, but not before adding one last thing. "Oh, and don't be alarmed when you see the bear."

Fei opened her mouth to ask a follow-up question, or maybe even just to make a shocked noise, but before she could get a single sound out, Lady Allura was out of earshot. Not a minute later, a group of 7 individuals—all wildly different from one another, except for two half-elves who looked to be related—boarded the ship followed by a brown bear wearing armour. 

Suddenly, the mysterious evil that had murdered her entire previous group was not the weirdest thing Fei had seen that week. 

"Vox Machina, this is your guide." Lady Allura gestured to Fei and the group turned to look at the woman on the railing. "I would recommend listening to her lest you wish to end up dead."

With that, Lady Allura left the group of 8, plus the bear, to introduce themselves.

"A pleasure, Darling." A female half-elf with a bow and quiver strapped to her back stepped forward, her accent posh and slightly intimidating. "I'm Vex. This is my brother, Vax." She pointed to the male half-elf beside herself.

"They're twins." The largest of the group, a pale goliath, piped up. His voice was deep and his manner of speech simple. "Even though one is a boy and the other is a girl."

"Grog, that's not how twins work." A male gnome dressed in all purple sighed from his spot upon the goliath's shoulder. "We've been over this."

"Yeah, but you said twins are the same." The goliath, Grog, seemed confused. "Boys and girls are not the same."

Placing a hand on Grog's leg, a female gnome with white hair smiled warmly. "I'll explain it again later," she told him.

"Okay."

"Not the best first impression, but when do we ever make a good first impression?" Another female half-elf, this one with red hair, a druid circlet with antlers upon her head, and a green dress chuckled. "I'm Keyleth, and that's Scanlan and Pike." She pointed to herself, then the male gnome and the female gnome, respectfully. "And that's Percy," she nodded her head in the direction of a pale human man who had wandered away from the group and was standing next to the railing, "but he isn't a big people person, so don't take his lack of interest personally."

"You certainly seem like an . . . interesting bunch." Fei tried her hardest to seem civil. "I'm Fei."

The male gnome, Scanlan, furrowed his brows. "So, ugh, not to pry or anything, but what's with the hood?" He hopped down from Grog's shoulder and onto the railing so he was eye-level with Fei. "We're all about to face an unknown evil together so no need for secrets, y'know?"

"We aren't ones for upholding appearances, if that's what you're worried about," Vex assured her.

Fei instinctively tugged on the hood of her piwafwi and lowered her gaze to the wooden boards of the ship deck. Before she was forced to answer, however, the ship began to lift from the ground and the group, Fei included, became way more interested than the flying ship they were on as opposed to a measly hood. 

Before long, the ship had ascended high into the sky, among the clouds, and the gang of suicidal, money-hungry mercenaries were on their way to Shale Steps.

"Isn't this ship amazing?" Scanlan exclaimed after returning from giving himself the grand tour. "There's two bathrooms downstairs." He narrowed his eyes toward Vex and Vax, who were engaged in a hushed conversation. "Hey, by the way, why are you both whispering like we can't hear you?"

"Can you mind your business for once, gnome?" Vex huffed.

Scanlan rolled his eyes and began to mutter under his breath, mocking Vex as a child would. 

"As you can see, the creature has already razed three villages and miles of farmland." Lady Allura appeared once more and looked down over the railing at the decimated, smoking villages they were passing over. "If this evil persists, the kingdom will starve to death."

"This mission sounds kind of deadly." Keyleth's pale face went even paler, making the freckles on her cheeks stand out even more. "Do we really want to do this?"

"Yes, this task is dangerous, which is why only the most noble, heroic, and true-" Lady Allura began before getting cut off.

"Yeah, yeah, nobility and heroism is fine and all, but we're in this for the money," Vax said. 

Lady Allura nodded. "I see. So it's coin over character. Not surprising. You'll fit in with this lot just fine then." She looked to Fei with a disapproving glance. "We'll be landing soon. Best you share what little knowledge you have now while the rest are still calm enough to heed your advice." 

As Lady Allura stalked off with her head held high, Fei felt seven pairs of eyes glued to her and knew they were all waiting for her to say something. "There isn't much to share," she started. "Like I told the Sovereign, everything went dark, I heard a bone-chilling roar, and then my entire crew was dead."

The others went silent. "I'm so sorry," Keyleth shuttered. "I can't imagine how hard it must have been to lose all your friends."

"I wouldn't say we were friends, but yeah, it was . . . rough."

"So how did you survive?" Vax questioned. "That's the only advice I'm interested in."

Fei shrugged. "No idea. I guess I was just lucky. I didn't exactly stick around to find out for sure."

"Do you have any idea of what the beast could be?" Vex followed up with another question. "Anything that gives us a slight idea of what we might be fighting?"

"All I can say is that it was big," Fei answered. "We didn't stand a chance. I'm only here because unless I get my hands on enough reward money to get out of Tal'Dorei, it'll only be a matter of time before I wind up dead, mysterious beast or not."

There was yet another wave of silence. "Well, that was uplifting." Scanlan smiled. "Any final words of wisdom before we land?"

"If it brings you any comfort, our deaths will be quick and painless." Fei finished. "Probably."

Scanlan frowned. "How cheerful."

After touching down, Fei led the way off of the ship and onto solid ground once more. "The Shale Steps are beyond that hill, " Lady Allura instructed. "Good luck. Please don't, oh, fuck this up, as they say."

"Thanks for the sweet ride," Scanlan called after her. "You'll be back to pick us up later, right?"

Without an answer, Lady Allura disappeared and the ship took off once more, quickly leaving the group in its dust in the middle of nowhere.

Scanlan fiddled with the gold chain that hung from around his neck. "Ugh, she will be back, right?" He turned to Fei. 

"Nope." Fei shook her head as she turned around and started toward the village. "There probably won't be anyone or anything left for her to pick up anyway." 

"You're really good at putting a damper on things, you know that?" Vax shuffled along behind Fei. 

"Reality sucks," Fei retorted. "Get used to it."

After twenty minutes or so of walking, Fei and the others reached Shale Steps, which was a town comprised of little more than small wooden homes and a quiet village atmosphere. 

"What we doing here again?" Grog asked.

"The last attack was just south of here," Pike explained. "We're gonna ask around, see if anyone knows anything."

Grog smirked and scratched his chin. "Ask around."

"Excuse me, green friends." Keyleth approached one of the many pine trees. "Have you seen any evil wizards or giant monsters passing through here?"

Fei stopped in her tracks and eyed the strange druid girl. "Do the trees ever talk back?"

"Not that I know of," Pike tilted her head, confused. "But weirder things have happened."

"Of course, they have," Fei sighed before continuing on her way.

As the group travelled down the main path through the village, they asked the citizens if they had seen anything unusual lately. Most of them, however, had no useful information to share. A few mentioned things like dark clouds and lightning, but that was more indicative of a storm than any sort of monster. 

While Vex and Scanlan continued their line of questioning and Pike got roped into blessing a woman's home, Fei kept her distance, observing her new travel companions and trying to decide how quickly they would get her killed.

Thus far, she didn't know much about any of them aside from basic things. Grog was big and strong, but he seemed too simple-minded. The twins looked competent at first glance, but they seemed focused on personal gain over anything else. Pike was the healer due to her connection to the Everlight, but her gentle nature made it hard to believe she could hold her own in a fight (despite her sturdy suit of armour). Keyleth was probably too innocent for her own good, and Scanlan was probably too annoying for his. Percy was a complete mystery and the bear, Trinket, was, well . . . a bear.

"You look like you're trying to decide whether to cut and run or not." A voice pulled Fei from her thoughts and she looked over to see Percy, who had yet to say a single word to her. 

Immediately, she was afraid that her hood had slid backward and her face was showing, but after a few seconds of panic and a quick grab at her cloak, she realized that he was referring more to her standoffish body language rather than any sort of facial expression.

"So you do speak," she responded.

"Sometimes. I usually try my best to blend into the background so people don't associate me with these idiots."

"Hate to break it to you, but your lack of participation kind of makes you the weirdest one out of all these weirdos." 

"Well, thankfully the whole mysterious-hooded-figure thing you've got going on is definitely making me look more normal."

Fei scoffed a little, unsure if her slight amusement peeked through or not. "You went from talking too little to talking too much."

As Pike finished stumbling her way through a bullshit blessing, a boy emerged from behind his mother's back and approached Vax, his eyes wide as he watched the coin the half-elf was flipping between his fingers intently.

"Wow," the boy gasped. "Are you a wizard?"

Vax chuckled and knelt down in front of the boy. "Nah. The magic's all in the fingers, kid." He made the coin disappear before pulling it from behind the boy's ear. 

"Wow!" the boy exclaimed once more as he reached behind his ear. 

"And now it's in yours." Vax placed the silver coin into the boy's hand. "That's real silver. Keep it safe. There's a monster roaming about."

The boy's older sister, who had walked over to look at the silver coin, shook her head. "You mean flying."

"What's that?" Vax cocked a brow.

"Something flew right over us," the girl explained. "It knocked down the big tree on the hill. We heard wings beating but we couldn't see it in the storm."

The boy nodded. "But it was big. Really big."

"Well, you got it half right." Scanlan looked up at the broken tree on the hill before turning to Fei. "Forgot to mention the flying part though."

"Yes, because I'm intentionally leaving out key details," Fei huffed. "I also forgot to mention that its favourite food is gnome and the colour purple makes it extra angry."

Scanlan turned his nose up. "You're a bad guide."

Fei clenched her fists at her sides and grunted. "How have you guys not killed him yet?"

"Believe me, we've tried more than once," Vex said. "He's like herpes. Once you've got him, you can never get rid of him."

"Scanlan has herpes?" Grog asked.

Percy shrugged, raking his fingers through his short, white hair. "Probably."

"I do not!" Scanlan snapped back. "I'm clean, I swear!"

"Guys, let's maybe not have this conversation in front of the children?" Keyleth suggested, causing everyone to turn toward the two children who were now watching them argue among themselves.

Scanlan chuckled nervously. "Stay in school, kids. And remember, abstinence is the safest form of-"

The group let out a collective groan and before Scanlan could finish his sentence, the woman quickly ushered her children back inside their newly blessed house and Vax grabbed the gnome by the collar of his low-cut top, carrying him out of the village like a feral cat.

Once the gang had made it up the hill to the broken tree, the actual work began. Thankfully, Trinket quickly proved his worth and managed to locate a large footprint in the dirt. 

"The tracks are too muddy to discern," Vex concluded. "But it looks like it took to the air and flew along the coast."

As the sun began to set and the sky grew darker, the group continued along the coast, descending rocky terrain and following a path that Fei did not recognize at all. When she had tracked the beast previously, it had been found closer to the village and nowhere near as deep into the wilderness.

Everyone—except Trinket, of course—stumbled over loose rocks and uneven ground; even Keyleth, whose staff helped support her along the way. By the time they made it to relatively flat terrain again, it was a miracle no one had twisted an ankle or broken a leg.

The rocky coast, with its vast open space, thick layer of fog, and scant scattering of pine trees, gave Fei an uneasy feeling. The fact that there was nowhere to really hide set her nerves on edge and she couldn't help but keep her head on a swivel, constantly on the lookout for whatever they were hunting.

"Now they look . . . human?" Vex crouched down in front of human footprints in the mud. Suddenly, she grimaced and her hand shot up to her head. "It's close," she warned. "Everyone, get ready."

With a rustling in the bushes ahead, Fei reached underneath her cloak and withdrew her dagger. As everyone else readies their weapons as well, Fei swallowed hard, suddenly hating herself for picking money over her own life.

Just then, however, a small lamb leapt out of the bushes and bleated at the armed gang of mercenaries. 

As Grog burst into laughter, the lamb trotted away. "Get the fuck out. What, a little lamb was behind all the mayhem? Oh, don't let that thing bite you, Vex."

With yet another pained grunt, Vex doubled over, both hands on her head now. 

In the distance, the lamb continued to trot away. Just before disappearing, however, a large claw emerged from the fog and crushed the lamb beneath it, splattering bright red blood all over the ground.

With a low rumble, a large blue dragon emerged from the thick fog, its piercing eyes glaring down at the ragtag crew who had declared themselves its next opponent. 

"Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck." Scanlan's small hands tightened around his lute, which doubled as his instrument and his weapon. 

"Fucking run!" Fei shouted, flashbacks of what happened to her previous comrades flashing through her head. 

Not a second after everyone had scattered in different directions, the dragon expelled a burst of blue electricity from its mouth. Fei felt the sparks tickling her back before surging through her entire body and sending her smashing into one of the nearby trees.

Unsure whether anyone else had managed to survive the initial attack or not, Fei kept her back pressed firmly to the tree trunk, determined to stay hidden for as long as possible. Usually, striking from the dark with a stealthy advantage was more her style, so this out-in-the-open bullshit was nowhere near her preferred method of battle.

Beside her, Fei watched as Scanlan darted through the trees, only to be snatched out of harm's way by Vax just in time to avoid being devoured by the dragon. After biting the tops off of multiple trees with nothing more than a single snap of its jaw, the dragon lifted its head up high before bathing the area in blue electricity once more.

Before long, the entirety of the sparse forest had been set ablaze. The tree trunk she had been hiding behind now on fire and no longer offering any sort of protection, Fei ducked out of the way and over to where Vax, Scanlan, and Percy were hiding out.

Huffing, Percy reached underneath his trenchcoat to retrieve something. "I suggest we run. Right now!" Percy's hand reappeared and a glint of metal caught Fei's eye. 

"Fuck that!" Grog brandished his double-edged axe and let out a war cry. "We fight!"

"Grog, you dumb, brave asshole!" Vax exhaled as he and Scanlan raced after the revenge-fueled goliath. The others followed suit, aside from Fei and Percy.

Fei was frozen in place, overcome by fear at the sight of the gun Percy had pulled from beneath his blue coat. Percy was staring at her, bewildered by her unusual and visceral reaction to his weapon.

Fingers tightening around the hilt of her dagger, Fei felt her heart hammer against her ribcage as she stared wide-eyed at the pepperbox revolver. The sight of that gun caused her entire body to tremble, instantly transporting her back to that night.

The first time Fei had found herself the lone survivor of a massacre was not when she had encountered this dragon before. No, it was three years earlier, when she had returned to her camp in the woods to find every single one of her friends dead, bullet holes in the middle of their foreheads, their bodies scattered among the fallen leaves and twigs. Everything had happened in such a blur, and with the passing of time, the details of that night got less and less clear, but she would never forget the sight of that gun.

The figure retreating from the camp had been hooded and dressed in all black, but the barrel of the pepperbox glimmered brightly in the moonlight that shone through the canopy of trees overhead. The gun was unique, personally designed and crafted, which was why Fei was never able to get it out of her head.

That was the gun that ripped her friends, her purpose, and her life out of her grasp.

"Hey." Percy reached out to her, his fingers just barely brushing against her shoulder as he tried to shake her from her daze. "You okay?"

Upon contact, Fei jumped backward, landing harshly on her behind and accidentally pulling her hood off of her head in the process. Poorly braided white hair sprung loose as her wide black eyes locked with Percy's. "Y-you. It was you." She stumbled over her words. "You killed them . . . killed them all."

"What?" Percy was utterly dumbfounded by what Fei was saying. "What are you blabbering about? Stop muttering like a fool and get up before we both get killed!"

As Percy jumped to his feet and pushed past Fei, the stunned woman finally came to her senses. By the time she had returned to reality, Grog had already been downed by the dragon and the rest of the gang was busy firing everything they had at the beast. Unfortunately for them, everything they had was nowhere near enough.

When the glowing orange arrows that Vex fired or the magical purple fist that Scanlan conjured did nothing against their foe, Fei knew that her blades would be useless. That, and the fact that her mind was currently elsewhere, kept her cowering behind a fallen tree, waiting for certain death.

A glowing golden shield appeared in front of Pike as she charged forward, but even with Vax wielding throwing stars and Percy firing a few shots to cover her, the desperate attempts still failed.

Vex tried to convince Keyleth to use her magic in an attempt to turn the tides, but the druid woman was about as frozen with fear as Fei had been moments before. Eventually, however, Keyleth regained her composure and grasped her staff firmly, summoning thick, dark clouds overhead. 

A thunderclap echoed through the sky, distracting the dragon just long enough to give everyone enough time to regroup. With a loud shout, Keyleth brought a bolt of lightning down onto the beast. 

For a split second, there was silence as dust and smoke filled the air, but when the debris cleared, the dragon was still standing. With a ferocious roar, it spread its wings and straightened to its full height.

"Did I just make it worse?" Keyleth shrieked.

As the dragon got ready to fire another shot of electricity at the group, Pike stepped to the front and shielded everyone the best she could with her same golden barrier from before. But of course, the dragon's electricity shot clean through the shield and into the rocky mountain behind them, sending a shower of rock and boulders raining over Fei and the others.

"Look out!" Vex cried, but before they knew it, darkness had encompassed them all—and Fei was convinced this was how they were all going to meet their ends. 

By the time the debris had settled and Fei had managed to draw in a few shaky breaths, she had realized that she was not dead. In fact, the only weight on top of her was that of a soft person—well, soft compared to what a giant boulder would have probably felt like.

The ground shook as the dragon took a few steps closer to the pile of rubble, and after concluding that its enemies were most likely dead, it flew off. Once silence had fallen over the coast, aside from the sound of the trees crackling as they burned, Scanlan began to grow restless.

"Get me out!" he mumbled loudly. "Get me out! I'm trapped under Grog's ass!"

With a shift of body weight, Grog and Trinket managed to free themselves and push some of the larger boulders out of the way. With an abundance of light now spilling into the small space the rest of them were stuffed into, Fei noticed that Keyleth had summoned a tangle of vines that had kept them safe from the rockslide.

With one swift motion, the vines extended even farther and pushed the rest of the rubble away.

"So this is what rock bottom feels like," Percy huffed from his position at the bottom of the dogpile. 

Slowly, one by one, the group untangled themselves from one another and stepped out into the clearing again. A bright orange glow illuminated the coast as the pine trees continued to burn, but thankfully, there was no dragon in sight.

"At least we're still alive, thank the Everlight." Pike dusted herself off and clutched the pendant she wore around her neck.

"And thanks to Keyleth for the giant shrub." Vax pulled something small and sharp out of his back. "But did you have to make it so thorny?"

Remaining beneath her canopy of vines, Keyleth hugged her knees to her chest as she stammered about the dragon and how they had almost died. 

Mind wandering, Fei stepped away from the group. Her hood remained down, no longer shielding her true appearance from the others, but that wasn't the most pressing issue on her mind. She tried to convince herself that what she remembered was wrong—that Percy's gun was not the same one that she had seen that night—but she was unable to trick herself into believing otherwise. 

After Pike had convinced Keyleth that everything and everyone was okay and had gone through the group one by one, healing anyone who needed it, she turned to Fei. "Are you hurt?" she asked.

Turning around, Fei didn't answer. 

"Whoa, so that's what you look like," Scanlan commented before turning to Grog and lowering his voice, although everyone was still very much able to hear him. "I get why she wore the hood now. Kinda scary."

"You finally gracing us with your appearance aside, care to explain why you completely froze out there?" Percy spat. "You could have gotten us both killed!"

Fei narrowed her eyes and gritted her teeth. "You go around murdering drows for fun and wonder why they falter at the sight of you and your cursed weapon!"

Percy, once again confused, shook his head. "I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about."

"Spare me the act of innocence," Fei snarled. "You were there. I saw you and, more importantly, I saw your gun. You killed them all! Every last one of them dead, bullets to the skull, point-blank."

Keyleth gasped. "Percy!"

"I did not kill any drow, let alone a whole gathering of them," he defended himself. "Look, I don't know what you think you saw, but you most definitely did not see me because I didn't kill your friends."

Fei pointed a single, shaking finger toward the pepperbox in Percy's hand. "That gun is unmistakable. I've never seen one like it before in my entire life."

"Well, of course, you haven't! It's one of a kind. I designed it myself."

Vex placed a gentle hand on Percy's shoulder. "Darling, you're not exactly proving your innocence here."

"Oh, for crying out loud!" Percy exclaimed. "We've known this woman for less than a day and you're all seriously going to believe her over me?"

"That's not what we're saying." Vax shook his head. "But considering we all just narrowly escaped death, maybe we should circle back around to this topic at a later time?"

"That's a good idea," Pike agreed, swaying slightly on the spot. "All that healing really took it out of me."

As Pike's eyes began to flutter and she started to tip over, Scanlan rushed to her aid and caught her before she could hit the ground. Almost instantly, the tension among the group dissipated and the two gnomes quickly pushed away from one another. 

"All right, fuck Uriel and all of this, we're done here," Vax announced. "We didn't sign up for certain death."

 "Must I remind you we gave our word to the council?" Percy sighed. "That should probably mean something."

Fei rolled her eyes. "Oh, so the mass murderer has a moral code?"

"Oh, who gives a soggy anus about the council?" Scanlan retorted angrily. "The only word I care about is 'Scanlan Shorthalt.' And, yes, I know that's two words, but you know what I'm saying."

"Yeah!" Grog agreed. "What have those fuckity-fucks ever done for us? Except give us a job and a bunch of gold and treasure and stuff?"

"I'm on board with this whole 'fuck the council' sentiment," Fei said, deciding to set her rage aside for the moment. "They've tangled me up in this suicide mission twice now and I think, and I can't believe I'm going to say this, but the gold just isn't worth it."

Keyleth, who had finally emerged from the vines, gripped her staff tightly. "We've fought a lot of things . . . but a dragon? An actual dragon?"

"It's not about the council or the contract," Pike said. "It's about these people. They need us. We can't just run away."

"This is why I hate travelling with holy people." Percy pressed his fingers to his temples. "They're too goddamned good."

Fei was about to make a snarky remark but managed to hold her tongue at the last second. 

"Pike . . . this creature is beyond us." Vex hung her head solemnly. "When Vax and I were young, one of those monsters killed our mother. I've studied dragons my entire life, hoping to find the one that did it. I can feel when they're close. A horrid pain in my head."

"Then it's settled." Percy pushed his round glasses up the bridge of his nose and crossed his arms. "We'll go back to the palace and get out of the contract."

"You don't understand, Percy. I felt it there, too, at the palace," Vex explained. 

Scanlan took a second to process the information. "You're just telling us this now?"

"I'm sorry," Vex apologized. "I wasn't certain until the dragon . . . it's been years since Mother . . ."

"Are you sure, Vex'ahlia?" Vax placed a comforting hand on his sister's shoulder. 

Vex nodded. "I know what I felt. Someone on the council must have been in contact with the dragon, or . . . I don't know, but I'm sure it was real."

"Then we walk away from all of this," Vax decided. "It's not worth it. You heard her. One of them might be working with that monster. Let's just get the hell out of here and never set foot in Emon again. Can we all agree on that?"

With dusk upon them now and the sky a faint shade of dark blue, the twin half-elves led the way back along the coast and up to Shale Steps. Defeated, Fei and the rest of the group followed behind, all of them remaining silent for the journey back. 

As the gang of failed dragon-killers walked, a blanket of dark clouds formed overhead, bringing a downpour of rain that, although cold and uncomfortable for the travellers, was much needed to put out the many fires the dragon had left in its wake.

Reaching the crest of the final small hill before the village they had passed through earlier, Vex stopped in her tracks. "Oh, no," she gasped at the sight of the smouldering buildings.

"It wiped them out, all of them," Pike whispered as Vax ran ahead, his sights set on the house that Pike had blessed where the two children lived.

By the time Fei and the others had caught up and followed Vax inside the small home, he was sitting upon a table, eyes glued to the charred remains of the family that had lived there. In the middle of the room, the corpse of the mother was cradling the corpse of the daughter.

Just then, a weak groan could be heard over the sound of the rain. Rushing over to the source of the noise, Vax and Grog lifted away a fallen piece of the roof to reveal the young boy.

"Pike! Get over here!" Vax called as he scooped the bloody and badly injured boy into his arms. 

Kneeling down in front of the child, Pike closed her eyes tight and a faint golden glow began to emanate from her pendant. The glow, however, only lasted a second or two before flickering out. "Please, Everlight, let your power reach him." The glow flickered a few more times but the boy continued to wheeze and groan, still no better than he was before.

"Pike, please," Vax begged.

"Shit!" Pike cursed under her breath as the glow went out for good. "No. I can't do it. I'm still too weak from before."

Letting out a strangled gasp, followed by a breathy exhale, the boy fell limp in Vax's arms. "We could have stopped this." Vax stared at the blood on his hands. "Should have."

From the doorway, Scanlan began to pluck at the strings of his lute. 

"What the hell are you doing, Scanlan?" Vax snapped.

"Thinking of a rhyme for 'dead dragon'," he answered matter-of-factly. "'Cause I . . . I guess we're killing one."

"I'm in." Keyleth nodded. "I mean, I'm not gonna lie, I'm terrified out of my mind. But I'm in."

Head hung, Grog grunted. "I don't like losin' . . . but now I'm feelin' things, on the inside. They don't feel right. So yeah, I'm with ya."

"That was . . . actually well stated, Grog," Percy commended the goliath. 

Grog quirked a brow. "What was?"

"Uh, never mind," Percy exhaled slowly. "Count me in as well."

"You guys . . . we're doing this." Pike stood back up again, determination set on her face. 

"You all realize we're going to die a truly horrible death," Vex added.

Vax leaned down and picked up the coin he had given the boy earlier from the ground. "Perhaps, sister. But we'll die gloriously, and we'll kill a fucking dragon."

With that, the company of Vox Machina turned to Fei expectantly. "So, what do you say?" Vex inquired. "Care to stare death in the face once more?"

Fei thought for a moment, her eyes glancing over toward Percy for split second. While she didn't really want to be around the man who had murdered her friends in cold blood, she also couldn't deny the spark of genuine bewilderment she had seen in his eyes when she had accused him. Maybe he hadn't been there that night after all, or maybe he had, but either way, Fei was going to find out for sure and, apparently, kill a dragon along the way.

"Sure, why not?" She slumped her shoulders in acceptance. "I've survived the fucking beast twice now, so I'm feeling pretty good about my chances."

[badapricot]

Hello! I'm not the anon of the last question but I got curious reading your answer: what happened with Mew? I know in broad terms the thing between him and Art, but I didn't know about any of the rest. Is it okay to ask you to explain it to me?

Hi! I used to be in the MewGulf fandom and I’ve followed Mew for 3+ years (Since 2017/2018ish) so I know a lot about this but I’ll try to keep it brief and broad to avoid starting any wank with any of the fandoms.

So Mew and Art were co-stars on What the Duck and they basically had a lot of boundary issues as a “shipped pair”. They’d do IG lives while they ate at restaurants, IG lives in bed together, and they were constantly airing their personal laundry on social media like Twitter and Instagram. Mew would often unfollow Art for short periods of time because of petty things and shade him on Twitter, and vice versa. But I will say that Mew was mostly the instigator. It takes two to tango, but if Mew didn’t like to overshare so much none of their problems would have escalated to the point that they did.

Some notable wanky incidents between them: Art kissed his male best friend on the cheek on IG live and Mew posted an angry emoji on his story before going to cry on IG live about how Art had disrespected him. Another incident where Mew called Art’s older male friends and told them to stay away from him. Mew got very possessive, basically.

They eventually started a vlogging channel together mid to late 2018 and in one of them they went to a resort together. There’s snippets of it all over Youtube where they’re cuddling and Mew is humping Art in a bed.

They ended up fighting on social media shortly after this in September-November 2018? I can’t remember the exact month but it was around that time. Mew made all his social media black and did a BIGO live where he said that Art was unprofessional and lazy because he had come to practice late and said he was sick. He also allegedly called Art’s male friends drug users. This obviously put the fandom on Mew’s side with their fandom pressuring Art to apologize to Mew.

Art ended up doing an IG live crying after that and he said he was forced to do it by his Mom. He said that he was fine with Mew saying things about him but he couldn’t stand by while Mew insulted his friends. He ended up revealing that Mew was mad at him because Art didn’t want to stay at his condo when he came to Bangkok anymore. And the reason Art didn’t want to stay at his condo anymore is because Mew had kissed him in private when he slept over and it made him uncomfortable, but he didn’t want to make Mew sad at the time.

They both went radio silent on social media after and continued their activities professionally before never speaking publicly again.

This issue was relit recently when Mew got in trouble with NCT fans because his cover music video was very similar to Jaehyun’s “I Like Me Better” MV. Mew refused to acknowledge or apologize for the similarities between the videos and it escalated to the point where Art’s crying IG live was unearthed and Mew was nationally clowned for being a sexual harasser, as well as a plagiarist. He had to apologize and say that it wasn’t true and clarify that him and Art were on good terms. Art received a lot of good wishes from Thai locals and ex-fans.

Locals still hate Mew a lot based on the number of retweets and likes random Thai hate tweets about him get, which is why I said I don’t think Lovely Writer would touch this issue with a ten-foot-pole, even for satire purposes.

[britishsass]

//rubs hands together// 40 questions time! How bouuut... Q1, Q3, Q13, aaand Q38?

Oooh, heck yeah, let's go!! Long post incoming!

Q1: Describe your comfort zone—a typical you-fic.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again... My usual default when I don't know what to write is what I like to call a "fear chamber" fic. The whole point of these is to see exactly what a character's worst fear is, then deconstruct it-- How they would act, how they would break out, how the other people around them respond. This is where ideas like "Circle the Drain" come from-- I have an innate need to write that for my faves.

My other usual type of fic that I default to is either a nice "It seems really sweet and cute but wait! It's actually tragic, whoops!" or "Two characters who don't interact.... I think they should interact now. :3" though I will admit I have a fondness for writing meet-cutes with my rarepair.

Q3: Is there a trope you wouldn’t touch with a ten-foot pole?

There's a list of it. Here are a few for ya, including one extremely unpopular opinion.

A/B/O

Smut of any kind

Pregnancy

...Most of Enemies to Lovers, actually. (I'm more of a "Friends to Lovers" or "Friends/Lovers to Enemies who can't hurt the other directly but will do anything to take them down for the good of others" sort of person.)

Even though there's a lot of ideas I don't like, I'll still admit they can be written pretty well in the right hands. Those ones are the ones I can say that I don't actually like ever (I've not had an enemies-to-lovers ship though so...)

Q13: What’s the best writing advice you’ve ever come across?

The one piece that's stuck with me all of my life is the post I've seen about "writing a sunset." This is where I get some of my major angst prowess from. I'd like to quote from there:

"Don’t take away what someone loves. Take away their hope of seeing it again."

However, it doesn't end there. And this is the real part that sticks with me.

"Taking away an ability doesn’t stop someone. It merely gives them a reason to try something else. And though it might seem bleak and hopeless, there’s always a chance. And that chance is sometimes the saddest and most joyful part of all."

Writing a sunset is the idea of writing the most horrible thing happening to a character, such as Otto's massive breakdown that's occurring throughout Mentallis's Museum Mayhem... But then you bring back that reminder that there is a way through. There are people who care, there are things he can do, and it's not all hopeless. That's why Otto's Ordeal is there. It's showing that even at the darkest points, we can work through it together, and I really do care about that. It's things like writing a character who loves to sing becoming mute, so they learn to dance or play an instrument instead. It's good stuff.

Q38: Talk about a review that made your day.

Ooh boy. You know what time it is? It's time to talk about Ghostfish.

Ghostfish is a commenter who's only just showed up on my fics with MMM and Otto's Ordeal. The thing is, I don't know anything about this person other than that they choose to go by Ghostfish, and they're basically a god among men to me. They randomly showed up on my stories...

And they post a freaking essay. For every single chapter I write for Otto's Ordeal. They point out the lines they like, bring up foreshadowing, point out symbolism, come up with ideas for what things could mean. It feels glorious to see them every time they appear because Ghostfish reminds me that people care. They care so, so much that someone wanted to write an essay about a little fanfic.

Over four comments on my fics, Ghostfish has written a combined total of 4595 words, and they have inspired me to write so much more on that story just because of them. I could never leave comments like that-- I'm anxious, I'm really bad at picking up on symbolism and on foreshadowing (I literally get surprised by things in kids movies still. The only foreshadowing I got right was that I knew the plot twist of Detective Pikachu while I was playing the game so I went into the movie like "I better be right about that gosh darn it" so when the reveal happened I was so hyper about getting it right because I'd not done that before.) This one commenter is the most incredible one I could ever ask for because their analysis is so thorough that it makes me feel like I need to do my best to make it worth their time.

Every comment is fantastic, but Ghostfish has my heart and soul for these long ones.