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guiltysecretpasttime · 3 years

Text

Grey Eyes (2)

This is the second part of a response to a prompt I received:

@camryn-bria I have a Linzin headcanon that there is a secret (airbending) child. Could you write a one-shot of Tenzin finding out Lin is pregnant after breaking up with her.

Lin/Tenzin pre-canon fanfic | 2 of 2

1 of 2 here.

Legend of Korra

---

“Tenzin! What are you doing here?” Lin hissed, tugging at his robes and pushing him away once she regained her balance.

“Someone might see you. I could get fired. Let’s go.” Lin was already rummaging through Jinora’s baby bag. “Why are you here? Did someone follow you?” She tossed a baby towel to the airbender. “Here, use this. Tie it on your head to hide your arrow. You can’t be recognized here.” She was thankful that the bar was empty that early.

She gathered the folders and chucked it in a file cabinet, locking it then picking up the baby bag.

Securing her daughter in her sling, ignoring her seemingly questioning grey eyes (so much like her father's), Lin quickly grasped Tenzin’s wrist and then pulled him to the street.

She had so many questions about the sudden appearance of the airbender.

But first, she needed to get him out of there.

---

Tenzin followed her dutifully as she weaved in and out of the side streets with the expert knowledge of a local. He could not ignore the tingle where her hand held his wrist as she pulled him along.

Before long, they were at an apartment unit.

Lin breathed a sigh of relief only after she had locked the door behind them.

She put up a hand, halting any word that he might say.

"Let's talk later." The baby wiggled in her sling. "But first, Jinora needs to eat."

Tenzin was left to observe and shift around the room while Lin assisted a babbling Jinora onto a high chair. He followed her, trying to find signs in the home that would indicate that another person (that Water Tribe man) lived with them as well.

Lin opened the baby bag and pulled out two containers. She showed them to Jinora, who clapped her hands.

“Na-na-nanana-na!”

Lin chuckled and opened one, revealing the sliced fruit. “Banana it is.” She placed the fruits in front of her daughter.

Jinora happily reached out to grasp one and put it in her mouth while another hand proceeded to turn another piece into mush.

Tenzin was enthralled in watching the child enjoy her fruit that he almost missed the earthbender’s question.

“What are you doing here?”

“So, this is where you’ve been all this time.” He cleared his throat, making an obvious look around the room, biding time.

“Damn it Tenzin,” Lin lowered her voice, tension obvious. “If you had arrived at the wrong time, you could have blown my cover.”

“You’re working?” Was his startled response.

“Yes, it’s classified information. Everything’s on a need to know basis.” She rolled her eyes at him even as she gently wiped off her daughter’s face with a wet cloth. “So, if you don’t know, then you didn’t need to know. Though I expect the chief will be sharing the findings any day now. I’ve sent my final report two months ago.”

“Why are you still here if you’ve wrapped it up two months ago?” Like the airbender that he is, Tenzin was still avoiding asking about the elephant in the room.

“I filed for vacation time, I deserve it, don’t I?” He received a scowl in return.

The airbender nodded but added. “When are you going back to Republic City?” He was already thinking of how he would be renovating part of Air Temple Island – to make it child-friendly for Jinora and to clean up the space that Lin used to stay at the main house.

“Not sure really,” Lin turned to Jinora, who was waving her arms over head, a signal that she was done with her food. “I’m not even sure if I’ll go back there.”

“Wait, what?” He thought he heard her wrong. “What do you mean you’re not sure –but in Republic City, you, the police force, your – your life?” He stammered, trying to make sense of things. He had been so focused on finding her that he did not even think that maybe she did not want to be found. Or that she would not go back to Republic City at all.

“What life? I can easily request for a transfer to the Earth Kingdom for work and Mom can visit Jinora and me,” The metalbender before him focused on wiping off the banana mush from her daughter’s face and hands. “Hopefully, I’ve satisfied your curiosity, Councilman. What are you doing here?”

“I’ve been looking for you.” It was all he could say amidst the multitude of thoughts and emotions going through him.

“You’ve found me.” Lin crossed her arms as she leaned on the dining table. “You may go now.” She gestured towards the door.

“If you think I'm leaving without you or our daughter -then you're very much mistaken.” Tenzin pulled himself up to his full height. He had missed months of his daughter's life and he was not about to lose any more.

Lin appeared to taken aback. “My daughter,” She bit out with conviction. She noticed Tenzin motion to contradict her. “You're not her father.”

“Lin, you can't be serious!” Tenzin raised his voice indignantly. “You can't deny that your airbending daughter is mine as well.”

“Well actually, they've been speculating around here whose reject I am,” Lin snorted. “That councilman in Republic City or that military man in the United Forces.” She waved a hand between them. “You may have donated genes but you are not her father. You've made that choice.”

“When have I? I only learned about her a few minutes ago!” He felt his blood freeze. “Is there someone else?”

“Funny how your mind draws that conclusion immediately. I should ask you the same -wouldn’t your wife or partner wonder about the appearance of your illegitimate child?”

“What are you talking about - I'm not married! I'm not even in a relationship.”

“Oh I'm sure.” Lin scoffed.

Tenzin could feel his frustration about to boil over. “I'm telling you the truth!”

“And I'm telling you the truth as well -when you decided to disregard my daughter is the moment you’ve lost every right to be her father.”

Said daughter called for their attention at this point, pounding her arms on the table, probably feeling the tension between the adults. “Ma-mama-ma!”

“Yes sweetie?” Lin plucked her out of the high chair as Jinora raised her arms, letting her know she wanted to be carried.

The child pushed herself to her mother's chest.

“You want milk?” Her mother asked gently, cradling the child and then sitting down.

She raised an eyebrow at the airbender who was watching the interaction intently.

Oh, right.

Tenzin turned away, allowing Lin some privacy, realizing belatedly that the previous intimacy they used to share was no more.

“You can turn around now.”

Lin was now suckling Jinora, who was under a baby blanket.

He had to tear away his gaze from them.

“I never rejected Jinora.” Tenzin choked out.

“Oh really? Are you calling me a liar? That I just dreamt up your letter?”

“What letter?”

Lin gingerly stood up, taking good care to secure her daughter in her position, and went to the side table in the living room. Finding herself unable to bend down, she sat on the couch and instructed Tenzin to get the letter in the drawer.

Tenzin riffled a bit until he came upon his handwriting. He felt a coldness run down his spine as he read the words.

“Now - are you saying you didn't write that?” Lin looked at Tenzin intently even as their daughter was cradled to her chest.

“I-I-I did.” The airbender stammered. He recognized it as one of the many generic letters he had his secretary send out more than a year ago. It would seem like Lin's letter got mixed in the mail.

“Well - I don't think your life partner would be delighted to find out that you sired an airbender with your ex.” The earthbender sardonically commented.

He did not know whether to laugh or cry at the misunderstanding. Before the silence could even stretch out, he opted for the unvarnished truth.

“There's no way to explain this without looking like the bad guy,” (“You think?”) Tenzin scratched the back of his head, shame and embarrassment overcoming him. “This is…a generic letter that I had sent out...To multiple people.”

Lin did not even have to say anything regarding what she thought of that; her face said it all.

Her eyes narrowed at him. Tenzin suppressed the urge to look away.

Lin sighed. “As idiotic the idea sounds – I believe you. Only you would have come up with such an idiotic idea just so you can run away from conflict.”

Tenzin released a breath.

“Well now, you know about Jinora and we're doing fine here and we don't lack for anything.” The metalbender ignored the shocked expression on the airbender’s face as she continued matter-of-factly. “When she's older, she will be given a choice when and if she wants to meet you. Though, we’ll definitely seek your guidance for airbending training – when she's of the right age of course. I want her to have a good childhood.”

Tenzin knew what she was talking about – their childhood was anything but normal. “You seem to have given this some thought.”

“Of course,” Lin looked down to peer down at the baby. “Once Jinora exhibited signs of airbending, I knew I needed to be prepared…”

A small fist came up from underneath the blanket. Again, Tenzin saw the smile creep up on Lin’s face, an expression so unusual in the last months of their relationship. What he’d do to get her to smile like that more often...

He did not realize it, but he had reached out a hand towards the mother and child – until the little fist had grasped his pinky finger. A rush of warmth bloomed in his chest: this was the first touch of his daughter.

“Come back with me to Republic City.” The words were out before he could screen them.

A shuttered look came over Lin’s face.

“No, I can’t,” Was the quiet reply. “I shouldn’t.” Lin wetted her lips before continuing. “It’s not that simple. It’s no longer just you and I, Tenzin – that relationship has long gone. We have Jinora to think about and I would do anything to protect her.” She met his eyes. “I want what is best for her.”

And it isn’t you – the subtext was heard by the airbender loud and clear.

“I know I’ve just known about her today and you don’t trust me yet,” Tenzin moved back though loathe to be parted from his family. “But I swear on my life, I’ll make it up to you.”

And Agni knows he will make good on this promise.

But first, he had to make arrangements.

---

An hour or so later, Tenzin was back at the street where Lin lived.

After buying a hat (he was not about to wear the baby towel on his head the entire day), the airbender had secured a phone call to Republic City, effectively filing for a leave of absence at city hall and informing his mother that he would be away for an indefinite amount of time.

He managed to pick up some items and food to bring to Lin and Jinora, a peace offering of sorts.

He knew he had an uphill battle in terms of convincing Lin to trust him once again.

The airbender clung to the fact that she named their daughter Jinora and hoped that it had to mean something at least.

As he turned the corner, he saw Lin’s door open and out came the Water Tribe man from earlier and another man with kali sticks poking from a knapsack.

He hurried forward but the pair had already left when he reached the door.

Tenzin knocked.

He heard Lin’s voice from behind the door as she opened it.

“Noatak, don’t tell me you forgot something again, I swear I -.” Lin frowned seeing him. “Ah it's you.”

“Don't look so surprised, I did say I was coming back.”

“I've learned not put much stock on your word.”

Well, that hurt.

Nonetheless, Lin moved aside so he could enter.

“I brought food.” He halted seeing that there were take out bags on the table.

“You didn't have to. The boys dropped by with some food from the bar before they headed home.”

“That can't be healthy.” He imagined bar chow to be greasy and fatty.

“Don't pass judgment until you've seen it.” She sat down back at the table.

He took off his hat.

There were some folders and paperwork on the table. He saw that one was a menu in Lin's meticulous handwriting. His heart sank. He was sure he had pretty much insulted Lin earlier.

“I help in menu planning, in coming up with the weekly specials.” She said by way of answering his questioning look, then she went back to the paperwork she appeared to be working on before he arrived.

Tenzin was left ignored, standing and unsure what to do.

Jinora was playing with some toys on a mat in the living room, still well within Lin’s view.

He proceeded to unpack all the food on the table instead and was pleasantly surprised to note that…

“Are these vegetarian?”

He was in awe.

Lin did not go vegetarian when they were together.

“I figured to give Jinora a headstart,” The metalbender did not even look from the paper she was perusing. “Though when she is old enough she can make the decision whether or not she wants to push through with it. But I thought that she would at least have that option.” She scribbled a note at the corner of the sheet. “And unfortunately for me, for now ar least, I'll have to abide by that diet until she has been weaned off.”

She might not look it but Lin Beifong did respect the Air Nomad culture a lot.

---

“She’s asleep.”

Tenzin closed the door gently after he had placed his sleeping daughter in her crib in Lin’s bedroom.

After dinner, he spent time getting acquainted with Jinora while Lin caught up with her work.

Lin made a nondescript sound but finally looked up at him. “Thanka for putting her in bed.”

He nodded. What else could he say? I’m sorry that I wasn’t there to put her to bed for the past eight months? “I better go ahead.”

“Where’s Oogi?”

The sudden change in topic took him by surprise.

“In Republic City.” He moved to gather his things.

Lin cleared the table to tidy up her work things. “The last trip of the train going out of the Earth Kingdom has left by now.” Her eyebrows furrowed. “where are you staying?”

“Uh,” Tenzin struggled to answer.

Lin placed her hands on her hips, a sign of her impatience.

“I’m still going to have a look around what inns or hotels are available tonight.”

“What!” The earthbender pinched her nose bridge in obvious exasperation. “Tenzin – you can’t do that here. You’ll get charged triple for that stunt, maybe quadruple when they see your arrows. Do you have enough money on your person for the down payment?”

The sheepish expression on the councilman’s face told her everything.

She looked up at the ceiling, taking deep breaths

Tenzin knew she was counting to five to refrain from scolding him.

Lin went back to her room and was shortly back in the living room. She tossed him two blankets and a pillow.

“If your sensitive back can manage it, you might be safer and better off on the couch rather than wandering in town searching for rooms and calling the attention of all muggers around.”

And that was how Tenzin found himself curled on the couch of Lin Beifong in the Earth Kingdom.

---

Lin fidgeted as she felt the sun on her face. She blinked away sleep as her eyes adjusted to the sunlight that was peeking through her curtain.

It was well past sunrise.

She bolted from her bed, panicking. It was not like Jinora to sleep through the night.

The crib was empty.

Not even grabbing her robe, she hastily opened her bedroom door.

As she made her way to the kitchen, she heard laughter and a baby babbling and squealing happily.

“Ah, sleeping beauty has woken up!”

It was surreaL; she felt her new and old life colliding.

Noatak and his kali-stick yielding boyfriend were seated in her tiny dining area while Jinora was happily squeezing her oranges and giving out delighted squeals whenever she bit into a sour segment. Tenzin was over at the stove, looking ridiculously at her home with her apron tied at his waist.

She sat down, dumbfounded.

Tenzin immediately moved to prepare her coffee. She took a sip.

It was just the way she liked it.

“Oh Lin.” The Water Tribe man pouted at her. “Why couldn't you have slept with the military cloudchild? You cost me several yuans.” The bar personnel have been betting on the paternity of Jinora ever since she started airbending.

“Is that you worry about?” Lin grumbled, inhaling the aroma of the coffee in her mug.

“Oh no,” Noatak waved a hand nonchalantly and waggled his eyebrows. “You know I worry about everyone you sleep with.”

Clang!

They all turned to Tenzin near the stove.

“Sorry, pan slipped from my grip." The airbender explained tightly.

Noatak’s boyfriend shared why they were around. “We were just dropping by to see if you have the menu ready for the week,” At this, Lin stretched behind her to pull out the folder from a drawer to hand over to him at this. “When Mr Airbender here invited us in for a bite of breakfast.”

“Hope you didn’t mind.” Tenzin seated himself beside her after placing down a platter of omelet on the table. “It would be great to meet your friends.”

There was a challenge to his tone that she did not care for.

“Of course,” She turned to the pair across them. “You know you're always welcome.”

“Yeah well,” The other man obliviously continued as he took a bite of toast. “After all that happened between you guys – how can you not make him welcome?” He pointed to Lin and Noatak.

Whether Lin liked it or not, she was still very much attuned to Tenzin’s emotions, being with him for years made her sensitive. He was now restraining himself from making an outburst; she could see a furious blush creeping up his neck.

“Please,” Noatak flicked off crumbs from his top. “Seeing her almost dead is not something I would wish on anyone.”

Lin felt Tenzin shoot her a look.

“You exaggerate,” She busied herself with spooning some egg and trying to get Jinora to eat it. “I wasn’t at the brink of death.”

“Oh no-no-no, I don’t think he was exaggerating – how did you say it went, Noatak? All that blood…” The mustached man nudged the Water Tribe man beside him. “If you hadn’t been there, these two lovely ladies might not have made it.”

Tension radiated from the airbender as he held himself taut, not saying a word but intently looking at his tea.

“Enough of that, it's too early in the day for these discussions.” Lin placidly stated, keen to change the topic.

“I think that's our cue to leave.” The two men gulped the last of their tea.

“Thanks for breakfast.”

“We’ll send ol’ lady Jin your regards. The old barkeep wouldn’t care much as long as the food got sold.” Noatak grabbed the folder that Lin put out then turned to Tenzin who had gotten up as well. “Master Tenzin, a pleasure to meet you.”

“I assure you pleasure is all mine.”

---

“What are you playing at?”

“Nothing at all, dear.” Tenzin proceeded to tear a piece of toast for their daughter.

“Don’t call me dear.”

A pause.

Lin could see his knuckles turning white.

“What did he mean you almost bled to death?”

“But I didn't!”

“That's not the point.”

---

The next day, at the bar, the Water Tribe man was surprised to receive a gift basket filled with Water Tribe-originated items and food.

Thank you.

-Lin and Tenzin

“That doesn’t make sense.” One of the other bar staff commented. “What did you do anyway?”

Noatak barked a laugh. “This is a rather passive aggressive exhibit. Well played, Mr Airbender, well played.”

“You mean, he didn’t understand that you and…?”

“Nope.”

---

“How did you ever handle all of these all these months?” Tenzin wondered as he struggled to help Lin with the chores before she went out for her shift at the bookstore.

“I managed.” Alone.

He watched her secure Jinora in a baby sling. “How did you get to be so proficient at that?”

“Your mother.”

“My mother?”

“Surely you didn't think you were raised by acolytes?”

“No…”

“And surely you didn’t think your mother left nation building to your father?” Lin was about to carry the baby bag but Tenzin offered to take it instead. “She regularly held self-defense classes for women (both benders and non-benders alike) who might be interested, and she oversaw the building and training of the hospital in Republic City.”

She snapped her fingers and locked the door. Without waiting for Tenzin, she headed towards the direction of the town square.

He realized with a pang that he had taken his mother for granted.

When he gets back to Republic City, he'll give her a long warm hug and maybe send her off to one of the best spas that city has to offer.

…and maybe have her drag Toph Beifong with her while she’s at it.

---

He insisted joining her in one of her shifts at the bar before opening, when the crew was gathered to have a meal before service began.

She told him he did not have to, and to stop being an annoying gnat-fly that hovered around her.

To her surprise, he fell into easy conversation with the rest of the people she worked with.

Lin found herself quietly observing Tenzin, baby Jinora on the sling he wore, as he listened to one of the bartenders relate a story about some of last night’s patrons.

“So, I take it he will be whisking you away?”

It was old Jin, the owner of the bar.

“No, he won't.” Lin refuted the assumption.

“Famous last words, honey!” Jin cackled, as though in on a secret.

Boisterous laughter erupted from the other side of the room.

“What’s stopping you from leaving with him?” Lin did not answer and so the older lady continued. “He's absolutely smitten by your daughter. I thought you said that’s what you’ve been looking for?”

“Jin, he has someone back in Republic City.”

His life partner.

“You’re afraid that he’ll take her away from you, then? Is he that type of father?”

The thing was – Lin wasn’t sure and she didn’t know. She was scared to find out.

---

It had been quite some time since he left Republic City.

He took a leap of faith and for the mean time turned his back from his responsibilities in the city.

There were more important things now.

He did not know his mother smiled as she read his letter.

---

Jinora flourished under her father's care.

She had always been an easy baby.

Lin was thankful that her daughter took after her paternal grandfather in terms of temperament. Stories about her childhood made Lin out to be a little monster. And there was her experience with Su -which she'd not wish on anyone else.

As much as she did not want to admit it, Tenzin easily adjusted to the role of being a father.

But would it be enough?

If she were honest with herself –

No. Not really.

Looking at father and daughter playing in her cramped living room, she knew that both had been taken with each other. Tenzin would use his airbending to amuse their daughter and Jinora would giggle in response, imitating her father’s actions.

But it should be.

---

“Why are you still here?”

“I told you – I’m not leaving unless Jinora and you join me.”

---

The choice was taken off her hands when she received a letter with the seal of the Republic City Police Department.

“The Chief’s hurt.”

---

She spoke of her career and told them of her surname.

It was the least she could do, she told him. After all, this small community did accept her as their own.

Tenzin was amazed to see how the people did not seem to treat Lin any differently even after her revelation.

No one was currying favor or even batted an eyelash when they learned she was a Beifong.

“Yuan for your thoughts?”

It was the barkeep, Jin.

Tenzin kept an eye out as different people approached Lin at the bar’s small farewell party for her.

“It’s strange that nothing seems to have changed when she’s revealed herself to be a Beifong.” He glanced at the old lady. “Didn’t it matter that she’s a Beifong?”

“So she’s old money,” The old barkeep shrugged. “But she’s still Lin to us. She never lorded over us mere mortals.”

True, Lin looked more comfortable here in this crowd than she ever did on his arm attending galas in city hall.

“I think the better question is – does it matter to you that she’s a Beifong?”

No, it did not, he thought without even contemplation.

At the corner of his eye, he saw Noatak give Lin a tight hug and a quick kiss on Jinora’s forehead. His daughter’s grey eyes sparkling as she reveled in the attention.

The Earth Kingdom elder woman said it best – she’s still Lin to him.

(He did not see Noatak turn and give his boyfriend a peck on the lips.)

---

“Mom, take it easy!”

“Nah, this is not really a big deal.” Toph pointed her thumb at Katara. “Sugar Queen here still does an excellent job in healing me. This isn’t half as bad as how Sparky burned the soles of my feet back in the day.”

“Not a big deal – you’re now blind blind!”

Toph snorted. Lin always did worry a lot. So she had an encounter with a rogue firebender and had burned herself. Big whoop. “Now, gimme my granddaughter.” The older metalbender wiggled her hands forward and was given Jinora to hold, who promptly sneezed at her face, expelling a particularly strong burst of air. “Kid, you weren't kidding when you said she took after Aang.”

“Sorry to disappoint you.” Her daughter deadpanned as she moved away to assist Katara in arranging some of the furniture in her mother’s house to better help her mobility while recuperating.

The blind earthbender could feel Tenzin nearby, probably glaring at her.

“I can hear you breathing, Councilman.”

“I, for one, am proud of Jinora.” He huffed.

“Airchild or not, I would accept and love my grandchild.” She felt the child poke fingers into her mouth. “How about you? If she were not an airbender? What would you have done?”

Without skipping a heartbeat, he replied.

Toph seemed to have gotten the answer she wanted.

The blind metalbender smiled.

---

“Why are you still here?” Toph was surprised to feel another set of heartbeats at their breakfast table.

Lin rolled her eyes even if her mother can not see it. “Tenzin’s helping out with Jinora while I go to headquarters today. We haven’t established a babysitting schedule yet but maybe next week, she’ll stay with Katara. I can’t bring her to work anymore here, Mom.”

Lin excused herself, carrying Jinora for a bath before leaving her with Tenzin.

Toph turned to the airbender. “I was asking you – why are you still here?”

“F-for Jinora.”

“Okay, but that doesn’t explain why you are here night after night. Even when my daughter’s here to take care of Jinora.” The Chief of Police tilted her head. “You could easily stay at Air Temple Island and visit in the morning.”

She was no fool. Her daughter might be oblivious (or unwilling to face the facts) but the way the airbender always (always) finds a reason to be at the Beifong house after dark was suspicious.

There was a late council meeting and he happened to pass by.

He thought it would be nice to give Jinora some fresh papayas he bought from a stall on the way home.

Katara asked him to give Toph the pouch of loose-leaf tea.

There was paperwork from the council that needed Toph’s stamp.

He just missed his daughter and wanted to give her a hug before going home (now he just wasn’t trying anymore, was he? Toph shook her head).

The monsoon season has likewise come and Toph knew that this mean rainfall every night. This made any ferry ride or glider trips to the island unsafe.

Toph and Tenzin knew that Lin would swallow her pride rather than let anyone get into any risky situations.

And that was why, for the nth time, Toph Beifong woke up to the airbender at their breakfast table.

“You’re a glutton for punishment, aren’t you?” She perceived him to be stretching his back even as the silence stretched between them as he was unable to answer her earlier question.

“I don’t mind sleeping on the couch, Chief Beifong.”

“That’s Aunt Toph to you.” There was a stunned silence now. “I think you know the answer to my question – make sure Lin does as well.”

---

The airbender knew he had to ramp it up.

Tenzin thought that he had been gaining inroads to Lin’s trust (Lin’s heart). Sure, she had been trusting him more in spending time with their daughter. Jinora was quickly growing up, starting her first few steps and (to her grandmother’s consternation) more frequently manifesting airbending.

Nonetheless, the woman herself seemed to keep him at a distance.

He found it odd, however, that in all the time that they have been back in Republic City, Noatak had not come to visit.

At most, he knew the man would send a letter or two every month. But not much else.

If he were in a relationship with Lin, Tenzin was sure to make sure that his presence is felt in her life.

He puzzled at this.

Unless this meant Lin and Noatak had broken up?

---

“Move in with me.”

“No, I won’t, you idiot.”

Even if she did think she wanted to.

She didn't want to wreck a relationship. He did explicitly write that he already has a life partner.

Even if she hadn’t seen her yet. She figured this elusive being is an Air Acolyte which was why she hadn’t seen her yet.

He did not refute the existence of life partner when he saw the letter months ago.

Lin did have the strength to set foot on Air Temple Island yet. She felt she needed to give Tenzin and his life partner some space.

She wasn’t a homewrecker. She never was and never will be. She would not want to go and drive a wedge in his relationship.

She knew what he was saying by offering to move in.

It was all about their daughter, about him wanting their daughter. His daughter.

Not her.

“You think you won’t, but I swear Lin Beifong – I will convince you. I will prove myself to you and our daughter.”

Jinora.

Jinora will always be her priority; not her own needs and wants.

Even if Tenzin is who she wanted.

---

“Pa-papapapa!” The delight on Tenzin's face encouraged her. Jinora clapped her hands as she repeated to call her father.

Tears fell.

Lin bit her lip.

She did not want to admit it, but he was doing a good job of convincing her.

---

Lin found herself finally stepping on Air Temple Island.

Jinora was spending the night with her father, knowing that Lin would be on duty until the wee hours of the morning.

She quietly slid open the door of her daughter’s room.

After an especially difficult day at work, she wanted (needed) to see her family safe, just to assure herself. She knew that to get home to a family is a blessing, something that is not readily assured.

“Lin?”

Her eyes adjusted to the darkness and was surprised to see the form of the airbender getting up from a chair beside the crib.

“Is everything okay?”

Lin swallowed drily and pushed forward, to peer into Jinora’s crib.

Together they silently watch Jinora sleep, with her tiny chest rise and fall with every breath.

She felt Tenzin place an arm around her shoulder, anchoring her to his side comforting and reassuring.

Tenzin knew it was the right time.

“Lin, marry me.”

“You can’t – what about your life partner?” Lin’s voice was uncharacteristically small.

“Oh, Lin,” Tenzin moved to face her. He choked out a watery laugh. “Is that why you’ve been so distant?”

“I didn’t want to overstep.” She tried to look away but Tenzin placed a gentle finger under her chin, making her look up at him.

“Oh Lin.” He shook his head smiling even as moisture leaked from his eyes. “It’s you. You’re my life partner. There’s no one else. I’ve never looked elsewhere.” He took a chance and leaned forward to hug her close to himself, hoping that she feels his heartbeats, steady and true. “Please give me a chance, please let me know that there is still a chance after Noatak -.”

He was interrupted by Lin pushing up and capturing his lips.

“Tenzin – I never looked elsewhere either; it’s only been you.”

---

Note: Sooo there you have it. Let me know what you thiiink. (Also, thinking of changing the title – maybe but let’s see). This was something of wish fulfillment I guess, nothing too heavy and nothing too plot-ty.

#linzin #linzin fanfic #Lin Beifong #tenzin #legend of korra #lok fanfic #prompt #camryn-bria #toccatina's fanfics #toccatina completed

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popculturebuffet · 3 years

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The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck: The Last of the Clan McDuck! Review “It Was Worth THE Dime”

This is one of my faviorite comic book stories of all time. Given i’m a massive comics nerd, for both books and strips, that is the highest praise I can give this wonderful, epic, beautifully drawn and deeply emotoinal story. I first discovered it in the local library that had the second volume, and found the rest online at a now long dead fan site. And while it took me longer than I care to admit to really dig into Duck Comics, and even now i’ve only scratched the surface, I can say without a doubt this story is the reason I’m so deeply attached to Scrooge as a character, and that I was excited as I was for Ducktales 2017. This comic showed me just what Scrooge McDuck should be at his core as a character, and showed me what a wonderful character that is. So with all that glowing praise as you can guess i’ve been wanting to cover this for years, and even considered though back when I was more primarily a comic book reviewer last year. Any time i’ve reviewed stuff before now, i’ve considered it, and with Scrooge’s Sisters Hortense and Matilda presumably and definitely debuting on Ducktales soon, and it’s about damn time, the timing could not be better or clearer to dig into this utter triumph. But before we can take a look at the story itself we naturally have to take a look at the man behind it: Writer and Artist Don Rosa. Don Rosa is easily one of the best Duck Comics writer out there, seen by many as only second to his own faviorite duck comics writer and God of Ducks, Carl Barks. For those 1 of you who do not know, Barks was the man who created pretty much everything in the duck universe comics wise and a bit in animation too: He created Daisy, Scrooge, Gladstone, Magica, The Beagle Boys, The Junior Woodchucks, Gyro, Little Bulb, Glomgold, Rockerduck, and the list goes on. While he didn’t make EVERY duck, he made so many that it’d be impossible to imagine either version of Ducktales being possible without him. So of course Rosa was a fan and while he took up the family buisness, he was also an artist and duck comics fanboy on the side. So when, even if it meant a paycut, the opportunity to actually write and draw them came up, he lept at it and thus became one of their publishers go to guys, even if said publisher published the stories overseas where the Duck Comics are far more popular and still going to this day, and ironically where most duck comics printed nowadays get their stories from. Rosa was known for his meticous historical research and gorgeous art that he took his time drawing to get just perfect and showed on the page. The man has easily some of hte best and most detailed duck art around and I still haven’t found a duck artist that can match him.. and if you have or found one close i’d genuinely love to see that. He is a genuinely talented, spirited guy who was sadly mistreated by disney and that, coupled with tragically failing eyesight, eventually ended his career. He’s still around and I genuinely hope to meet him some day as he still does conventions. The man is not without fault: I don’t get his hatred of superhero comics, as while I get them overshadowing funnybooks and that around the time of his career they were in decline, but it’s just as unfair to write off Superhero comics as mindless. garbage as it is for people to write off the Duck Comics as “only for kids” and I genuinely wish he’d see that and see how the medium has evolved so much since then. I also grumble a bit as his refusal to allow anything besides barks into his bubble, and having to be forced to include fethry on the family tree, but that’s more personal preference. I like using as much material as you got. IT’s why i’ve wanted to, and hopefully will eventually get around to, write a sonic fanfic using bits of all the various universes that for legal, ken penders being an absolute waste of a human being, and sega being stupid reasons can’t be used anymore. I like taking everything in a franchise and putting it in a blender and it’s why I love the reboot. But there’s nothing wrong with taking things as is, not stepping on toes canon wise, but still being awesome. We’re just diffrent people and that’s okay. And a lot of his fanboy showing actually lead to REALLY good things: Goldie O’Gilt was a one off character, and while used ocasoinally overseas, didn’t really pick up as a character again until a combination of Ducktales 87 and Rosa’s work with her, as he always loved the character, and fleshing her out lead to her being used more, and gaining a sizeable fandom. He also gained the Cablleros an even bigger fandom by giving them two stories of their own, and fleshing them out a bit more. And this very comic is the peak of that, taking EVERY mention of scrooge’s past from various backstories to set up adventures, every tiny scrap, and to his credit going to both Barks Himself and various other Barks Experts Rosa was friends with to check his work, especially difficult given he likey had to find these stories in issue or pullt hem from disney archives, and complied it into one long epic that not only uses all this info effortlessly, but spins a compelling story that gives us a clear vision of what Scrooge should be, how he became the man he is, and how he lost himself only to find himself again with the help of three precocious boys and a cynical 30 something duck. So taint all bad is what i’m saying. As for how this got started, thankfully rosa himself provided the origin story for this project in the back of the volume of his works that contained the first 7 chapters of life and times, as well as detailed notes for every chapter. At the time Rosa was working for Egmont, the big european publisher who handles Disney’s much larger european comics market, hence why most of his stories appeared years earlier in Europe before debuting here. The american publisher at the time , and an old friend of his, called Rosa with an idea: A 12 issue Maxi-Series focusing on Scrooge’s history, since at the time they were all the rage.. and really even today mini series are still a viable market and many indie titles just have several minis instead of an ongoing. So it wasn’t a bad idea, Rosa just simply offered a tweak: He’d tell his publisher at Egmont about the idea, and let her get a crack team of writers and artists to do this proper, and thus Disney could publish it for free once it was done and for no extra cost. Rosa gave his publisher a fax detaling both the idea and the fact that it needed to be done right, given to the best person possible, and done with the greatest care. She agreed.. and naturally handed it to him, as he admits he hoped. She made the right call, a legend was born and here we are. One last bit before the read more and before I get to the first story itself at last: Since barks wrote a lot of side stories that fit into the canon, I COULD slot them in between chapters, but have instead chosen to review the original 12 part story as was, and do the various side stories and two epilogues, the utterly fantastic “Dream of a Life Time”, easiliy one of my faviorite comics ever, and the also really great “Letter From Home”, which will likely on some level be the basis for the upcoming at the time of this review “Battle for Castle McDuck!”, after completing the story. In other words i’m probably going to be at this for years. so join me under the read more won’t you as I begin the journey of a thousand miles with a single step as we look at the humble start of a legend.

We begin, after a fun short teaser with present Day scrooge saying his past is no one’s buisness only to get hit with an oh yeah?, with a scrap book title for the issue, something I want to bring up since while I got that’s what it was what I never got, and must’ve glanced over when I first read rosa’s notes when I got this copy, was that it isn’t SCROOGE’S scrap book, but his sister Matilda’s who dutifully and happily catologued her brother’s adventures. It’s a really sweet moment.. and something that will hit VERY hard when we reach Chapter 11. If you haven’t read this story or heard of it.. .that’s this story’s equilvent of “Last Crash of the Sunchaser” and clearly Frank and Matt drew from that story a bit for it, but we can get more into the parallels when we get there. A smaller but fun note is that Rosa had specific coin drawing templates, for different indentions and what not he used, and used them for the coins in these intro bits. Yes he admitted he has a problem and yes that’s damn impressive anyway.

It’s Scrooge’s 10th birthday, and his father Fergus has taken him up to see the family land, Dismal Downs to tell him of the mighty Clan McDuck and show him the ancestral lands, graveyards and Castle. He admits to having taken this long because the Clan McDuck currently lives in Glasgow so it’s kind of a long trip just to show your son “Hey look at the decay and rot that’s our ancestral homeland”. The Clan is on hard times, as a bad shipping deal, the backbone of a rather good barks story and I wont’ be interjecting for every barks reference as it’d get rather tiring though for what it’s worth Rosa provided tons of detailed footnotes in the back of each Fantagraphics collection, so good on him. Speaking of which though they do include 10 pages of Mc Duck family history that was supposed to open this story.. until Rosa’s editor wisely pointed out the story isn’t about them but scrooge and having read his roug draft, yeah.. there’s a good gag here and there, as well as “Dirty” Dingus McDuck, scrooge’s Grandpa and the reason Dewey is cursed with that middle name. Why anyone thought Dingus was a good name is beyond me, nor why Donald thought that was a good middle name back in 2009 is again, beyond me. Good on Don though for getting that past the censors. But yeah with no money they can’t buy the land back and they were scared off it years ago by a mystical ghost dog, the hound of the whiskervilles. There is treasure in the castle, Sir Quackly’s gold, but he accidently sealed himself into a wall while sealing his treasure in there. Their interrupted by the town assholes, the Whiskervilles who have been grazing sheep on the land and are naturally behind the hound, using the sound of it to scare off Fergus once they realize he’s a McDuck. Because apparently you can keep a Scooby Doo style hoax up for Centuries if you don’t have meddling kids around. Who knew. Back in Glasgow, we meet the rest of Scrooge’s family: His Uncle Jake, his sisters Matilda and Hortense, and his mother Downy. Jake hasn’t really been mentioned at all in Ducktales and I know next to nothing about him, which given I share a name with the guy you’d THINK I would. I mean I know a decent amount about this Jake.

But nothing about who the hell Jake McDuck is or why he lives with his brother and his family. Here, you guys watch the dancing Jake, i’m going to probably do that for hours after this review is done, i’m going to go sort this out. Okay one google and finding the Scrooge Mcduck wiki page on him, Jake shows up here likely because he was referenced in the story “A Christmas For Shacktown” and apparently borrowed from Scrooge and never paid it back. Otherwise.. there’s not a lot about him and unlike the rest of Scrooge’s family he really dosen’t do much that I can remember. Except like 2017 Scrooge, he apparently has become extremely long lived, as Scrooge and Donald STILL think he’s alive in the 1950′s.. and likely is STILL alive in some form in the Don Rosa stories, given his take place after Barks and thus in the 40′s and 50′s where Barks stories were set. Hence why unlike the Reboot, Scrooge isn’t inexpecilbly over 210. But Jake McDuck sure as heck is. Maybe this highlander is a highlander.. you know the movie and tv show type. Maybe someone cut off his head. That’s what i’m going with.

This does bring me to another point about this story: While Barks gave all of scrooge’s family their names, it’s where Rosa got them after all, it’s Rosa who really made them into characters. Fergus as a loving father ashamed his family legacy has fallen and wanting his son to do better than him, Downy as an equally loving wife and mother, Matilda as his sweet and caring sister and later her brother’s moral center, and Hortense.. well here she’s just a babbling baby but her character will become clear and glorious as we go. She is adorable here though and we do get some great bits with her. Getting back to the plot now i’ve made my points, Jake is riled up wanting to understandably kick the Whiskerville’s asses with Scrooge, who even as a sweet innocent ten year old still has the family temper already, agreeing.. but Downy gently shoots them out pointing that two middle aged-ish men and a 10-year old just aren’t enough to fight an army of them and while she doesn’t mention it the fight would just tire them out for work and accomplish nothing as while it is the McDuck’s land the combination of the hound and the lack of money to move back means it’s pointless. She also mentions their younger brother Pothole, who went to America. This will be important later.

Scrooge storms off and Fergus laments, in a scene that’s more painful the more I think about it, how his clan has fallen, with he and his brother lamenting their chances at glory are long gone.. but Fergus has hope his son can do better, and for his son’s birthday makes him a shoeshine kit in the hopes of inspiring him to greatness. This scene still resonates since many of us are poor, struggling and not doing so good money wise. I’m sure many parents have doubts and regrets about not being able to do more for their kid.

Not only that but the story carefully avoids the trap of Fergus accidently being abusive by you know, pinning his family’s future on one 10 year old. While yes he is asking a lot of Scrooge, to restore their family name.. it’s very clear he mostly just wants his son to do better than him. Even if Scrooge was just slightly more successful, Fergus would likely be happy with that. He’s not using the legacy as a “This what you must be” like say the Gems in steven universe did for Steven with Rose’s Legacy, the kind where it sort of suffocates you till youc an make it your own. He’s just saying “this is what you can be” He believes his child can be great and simply once him to reach his full potetial and is simply giving him a means to hopefully do so, a simple home made shoe shine kit. While Jake scoffs, the narration notes the idea isn’t worth a dime.. it’s worth THE dime. The dime that would set Scrooge’s destiny in motion.

The next morning, Fergus goes to check up on his son and his new buisness but Scroogey’s having no luck and about ready to just quit, the poor child. Also Matilda is dragging her baby sister around like a doll and it’s entirely precious as it is funny.

But as for those Dorty Boots, Matilda wonders why her dad dosen’t just tell Scrooge that Burt the Ditch Digger is coming. Fergus tells her to quite and then explains his plan: he’s sending Burt to scrooge, with an American dime Fergus and Matilda found, to teach his son a lesson: By giving him a hard days work, he’ll teach him what hard work truly means.. and by having Burt “cheat” him with the American dime, it’ll give him the motivation to keep going and to nto be as wide eyed and trusting. It’s a well meaning if harsh lesson, and the kind you’d expect from 1900′s parenting and fits the origin well: Scrooge still earned his first money square, as he still did work.. but his getting cheated being a lesson dosen’t diminish what it taught scrooge, and helps flesh out what I talked about above, Fergus knowing his son has great potential he just needs inspiration to reach it. And instead of just telling him that he does a con job but it’s the 1900′s. This orign, and Fergus’ part in it would be entirely untouched in Ducktales 2017, the first scrooge based adaptation since this comic came out, and I bless them for it. Frank even said this comic was used as a bible by the writers and while theirs clear deviations, and we’ll get to that, they were mainly done for good reason, and it’s very clear that while scrooge’s history is very VERY diffrent in the reboot, the core of his past is still there.

So the plan is on and young scrooge spends half an hour killing himself to get Burt’s shoes clean before getting his dime.. and realizing he’s been had, makes this proud decleration that will be the bedrock of his entire life and character.

Scrooge being naturally stubborn as you can see takes his cheats a leson: There will always be hard honest work, and he will be there to do it and he’ll be tougher and sharper than anyone trying to cheat him out of his pay. Fergus’ plan has the intended effect, and Scrooge having learned a hard lesson now has the drive and determination we know him for. As for why it gives it to him.. I had to think on it a bit but it makes sense: For some a setback like this would make them quit.. for Scrooge it’s just proof he CAN find customers, he CAN do this job, or any at his hardest and instead takes this as a lesson to be prepared ot out think and outfight anyone who dares cheat him again, and to not earn his money by being the kind of guy who cheats a kid out of an honest days pay, but as a good honest duck like his father and his father before him. =He will make his money square so he can be the kind of person this seeming stranger SHOULD have been. Granted we’ll see Scrooge doesn’t end up as the best person at times but .. we’ll get there. So with the fire inside turned from a spark into the flame Scrooge soon got to work, and by the next panel we see he’s eventually worked his stand up from a small box given to him by his dad, to a three seater shoeshining bench, who he wipes all at once by stretching one of his mother’s girldes over a light pole, a detail I didn’t get the first time around but now love. Naturally being a good kind boy much like his Nephews, Scrooge always gave his proud father a portion of his earnings, if with a full receipt for tax purposes. Because he’s still scrooge after all. His dad wonders he did too good a job while Hortense glxbit’s in agreement.

As the years go on, a now tween Scrooge is eventually able to save up for a horse cart, and starts selling Fire Wood up in the city. He eventually realizes Peat, an earthy subtance found in bogs I only know about because I had to look it up for this review, is more profitable and with some snappy marketing moves into selling Peat for the rich instead, also showing the young lad already has a grasp of how to sell to obnoxious rich people.

But while his business is booming, our young hero can’t resist visiting his family’s ancestral home and longing for it, hoping one day to have it for himself and in a nice show of how despite his temper and tenacity forged over the last few years he’s still at hear the kind, sweet optimistic lad he was just a few pages ago, he decides to tidy up the Clan’s Cemetary while he’s here.

Unfortunately as proof that Donald and Della’s terrible luck comes from both sides of the family the Whiskervilles are sub-glomgold levels of human beings.. or Dogfaces in this case, and are digging up the McDuck Clan’s graves to hunt for treasure. Scrooge tries to simply do the smart thing and flee, but the asshole brigade catch sight of him and mistkaing him for a peat burgalar chase after him.. and spend WAY too much time and energy chasing a teenage boy over some fucking bog grass you clearly aren’t selling yourselves. I mean spare a thought for how dumb this is: They could easily sell of of that peat to put up a fence or chop down some trees to get the material if their really that concerned about someone getting in the bog. Then again this isn the 1800 and 1900′s where the child death toll was simply “Yes”, so they likely thought whose gonna notice one more dead child on our property?

Scrooge heads toward the castle and is gestured in by a friendly mystery duck who gladly shows him around and can tell he’s a McDuck just by look, showing the castle is still in glorious condition as the whiskervilles are too spooked to go in, hence why they didn’t chase Scrooge inside. I’d say being afraid of ghosts but not murdering a child is weird but these are the same guys who thought murdering a child was plan A. We’re not dealing with a brain trust is what i’m saying. So the mystery duck shows Scroogey around, showing off some colorful stories about his ancestors recycled from that scrapped prologue I mentioned. THe mystery man, who brushes off Scrooge thinking he’s a McDuck asks Scrooge what he’s doing to restore the family glory and while Scrooge points out he’s already working on it, Mystery Duck points out he’s still missing something: He has the drive and the dream, but peat and shoeshining, while getting him good money for his family, aren’t the thing you can build a fortune or a future off of. He then points out where Scrooge’s dime comes from: America.. and that gives the boy the idea to head to the states. As for what he could possibly DO there to start, the mystery guy mentions his uncle pothole. So Scrooge has the dream, the drive.. and now a plan: Go to america, work for his uncle on the riverboats, and work his way up from there till he finds his fortune and restores his family name. But while his future is settled, the present is still an issue and Scrooge wants to teach the child murder club a lesson and thus borrows, though MM wisely points out it’s all his property a horse and some armor, and stuffs the armor with peat. As for what his plan is.. welllll

That.. is fucking awesome. And far from the last fucking awesome moment in this thing. It also shows off even as not quite a teen yet, Scrooge is still a badass already, and while he doesn’t have his trademark strength or fighting skills quite yet, his ingenuity is already there.. and that will always trump both. The Whiskervilles run away and into some quicksand and Scrooge vows to return one day as laird and reclaim his family land. But that’s a story for a few chapters down the line. As for who the mystery duck is, he’s naturally Sir Quackely himself, or rather his ghost, who was simply guiding Scrooge and didn’t give him the treasure as simply handing him the money wouldnn’t restore their family’s good name or continue their bloodline now would it?

For now Scrooge returns to work for a bit before finding his way to America: A cattleboat to New Orleans looking for a Cabin Boy. And so Scrooge bids farewell to his family. His Dad, feeling bad he can’t even give his boy shilling, gives him the family pocketwatch with jake pitching in with the family gold dentures. While Scrooge naturally refuses to sell the watch, he does plan to sell the teeth as soon as possible for good reason. We then get some sweet goodbyes with him, his sisters (With hortense uttering her first words to everyone’s astonishment) and loving mother as he wonders just what awaits him in America.

And there he stands on the bow of a ship, heading for a new land, in New Orleans he can be a new man. And we’ll see just what kind of man he becomes as this series continues. For now this is the end of a chapter but the beginning of a lifetime.

Final Thoughts on Last of the Clan McDuck:

This story is excellent. While there are even better chapters to come, this one is still one of the most memorable and most joyous, showing just how Scrooge became what he is, where some of his values come from, others will be instilled along the way , and beginning to flesh out his family. We see Scrooge’s love of wealth comes from starting from the bottom, growing up with a family that barely had anything and badly needed everything, but was loving and instilled fine morals in him. We also see a Scrooge far removed from the bitter old man he is in present day, an optimistic naïve young lad who only wants best for his family. It’s a nice stark contrast to who he’ll become, good and bad, and a nice way to both compare him to Huey Dewey and Louie and break your heart as his own hardens before briefly turning black later on. The art, as is standard for this series and Rosa, is breathtaking, and the story isn’t lacking in good jokes, their just downplayed so the story itself can take center stage. There’s nothing really more to say: it’s an excellent start to an even more excellent tale and stands proud among an already stellar story as one of it’s finest outings.

NEXT RAINBOW: Scrooge goes down to the mighty Missipi to work on the riverboats and meets one of his signature Rogue’s for the first time in their first form, as well as Gyro’s dad.. or grandpa.. or possibly both I don’t know his family tree. Point is, tune in next time for some riverboat hyjinks. Until then if you’d like to comission an episode of any animated show, especially ducktales and the various other duck related disney shows, or another Duck Comics story you really like from Rosa, Barks or whoever you want really, I take commissions for 5 dollars a review, with 5 dollars off your full order when you put in for more than one episode or issue. You can also follow me on patreon.com/popculturebuffet and for just two bucks a month get access to polls (which i’ll start once we have at least three patreons), and my exclusive discord server. And if you liked this review be sure to reblog it to show off. My self promotion done until next time: There’s always another rainbow.

#scrooge mcduck #don rosa #ducktales #the life and times of scrooge mcduck #fergus mcduck #downy mcduck #hortense mcduck #hortense duck #matilda mcduck #jake mcduck #uncle scrooge #duck comics #disney duck comics #carl barks

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whispsofwind · 4 years

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Ok I had this headcanon running in my head all day so I'm writing it down (also because @krakensdottir encouraged me and I live to please). Maybe it's banal and obvious to everyone else but eh, I've written it down anyway.

In the Good omens book, Satan is referred specifically as a Fallen Angel.

The most commonly association is obviously Lucifer. It's not the only one (Samael is also relatively popular), nor it's necessarily the most correct one (there is a lot of discussion between Bible experts on a number of verses).

Lucifer is however the most common pre-fall name for Satan nowadays, having been popularised by the likes of Dante and Milton, and in the TV show Crowley actually name drops Lucifer (also Neil Gaiman wrote Sandman so. Definitely Lucifer). It's probably wrong if we are talking 'canon' Bible, but according to fanfic Bible and popular modern culture Lucifer = Satan.

Lucem Fero is Latin for "I bring light". Other variations of the name are the Greek Εωσφόρος (Eos foros, Bringer of Dawn), and the Hebrew Helel ben Shachar, a term meaning "Shining one/Son of the Morning".

Lucifer and Helel are both names for the Morning Star, aka the planet Venus (which has been associated in some mythologies with a being falling because of hubris/going underground, so it goes full circle back to Satan).

Basically what I'm trying to say is, there is a strong association between the name Lucifer, bringing Light into this world, and celestial bodies up in the sky.

And we know from the TV show that Crowley was involved in making stars (specifically the Pillars of Destruction in the Carina Nebula, but this lovely meta suggests he may also have been involved in creating the Pillars of Creation in the Eagle Nebula, constellation of the Serpens: https://trickster-archangel.tumblr.com/post/186052198751/so-some-days-ago-i-read-a-post-from-someone-who).

So, I think it wouldn't be too far fetched to assume that Crowley used to work for Lucifer/Satan long before the Fall. There were probably a lot of other angels involved (Crowley said he "helped", which implies a group), but I'm willing to bet Crowley worked in Lucifer's department, and that department included star-making.

Then, the Boss had a temper tantrum because, who knows, Mummy had a shiny new toy? He didn't like being kept in dark? He was arrogant and power thirsty? Who knows.

And so he got himself exiled to the Basement, dragging all his department with him, from his personal assistant to the poor intern who brought celestial coffee to the development team.

Basically, a factor in Crowley's Fall may have been that he was already working for the would-be-Devil before falling. He didn't change boss, he just changed the office floor.

(Which also may have been a factor on Crowley being chosen to "go up there and make some trouble", if Satan was already kind of aware of Crowley's general existence and his probably imaginative methods).

#good omens #good omens meta #this is probably very silly and obvious #but still #i've written it so I'm posting it

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averykedavra · 4 years

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20. Do you have a favorite fanfic or author? If so, tag them/post a link and share the love!

!!! An excuse to recommend my favorite fics and authors? Don’t mind if I do! Here’s a top fourteen list of some great fics and a top nine list of my favorite authors, in no particular order! Because I had way too many. (Plus I’m bound to forget a million good ones, so take these with a grain of salt!)

1. chivalry is dead by Uncrowned_King! There really wasn’t another option. After Roman disappears into the Imagination, the other Sides come to look for him, and find several Romans fighting for ownership of the land. My all-time favorite Roman angst, with some beautifully written worldbuilding and my favorite OCs ever and a plot twist that sent me reeling. With some cute DLAMP, too! What’s not to love?

2. Breathe Out by Odaigahara! This is darker than I usually read but so, so worth it! Set pre-canon, Virgil and Janus team up against the other dark sides and find their feelings go beyond platonic after a relationship of convenience becomes something more. It’s a WIP and I don’t know where it’s going yet, but I’m really intrigued and the writing is incredible!

3. The Black Hole Group Chat by Greenninjagal! Definitely my favorite comfort fic. After Logan accidentally joins a group chat and is forced into sticking around, he finds himself making his first friends--but past feelings and present conflicts threaten to tear apart the first place they’ve ever felt comfortable. So good, so funny, makes the most of the texting medium, and I always cry at the end.

4. Monsters of the Subconscious by Quarantinevibes! Ohh, everything by this author is fantastic which goes for all of them. After PoF, Janus visits the Imagination to apologize. Instead, him and Roman are sucked into the Subconscious, a wild land full of mysterious dangers. They must team up to escape, and come to terms with their feelings for each other. Some wonderfully soft Roceit, hilarious comedy and incredible action, and great emotional moments!

5. the feelings in my headspace rearranged by mutemelody! Some canon divergence for the soul. Anxiety doesn’t have a name, and after the AA arc, has to make his way through acceptance and love. Canon turns on its head, old friends make a reappearance, and through it all Anxiety has to find his own identity, nameless or not. Gosh, this fic is incredible--the writing is stunning, the plot is amazing, and it’s some of the best Virgil angst I’ve ever read.

6. There’s a Word For That by plumcat! I cannot recommend this fic enough. Roman, a Slytherin, has been pining over arguing with Patton, a Hufflepuff, since the beginning of time. But with the Quidditch match coming up, his two annoying best friends relentlessly teasing him, and Patton himself spending more and more time with Roman, Roman has to figure out what he really wants and who he wants to be. This fic is hilarious and makes me feel feelings and please, please read it.

7. (i’d never) want once from the cherry tree by ace_corvid! Prinxiety! And a Youtuber AU that really takes advantage of the medium! Virgil and Roman are two of the most popular creators on YouTube and their fans have been begging them to do a crossover episode. The collaboration goes surprisingly well, but it’s one thing to explore a relationship, and another to do it when the whole world is watching. So cute, so hilarious, has some amazing art as well, and I just highly recommend it.

8. double down on the paradigms by remrose! Here’s a lovely college AU! Logan is doing his best to pass his classes, and everything is going fine, despite his roommate Virgil’s concerns about his late study nights and compulsive behavior. Then he meets Patton, and every wall Logan’s constructed slowly begins to crumble. To show how much I love this fic, I have not stopped thinking about it, even though it’s the only one on this list I’ve only read once. It stuck with me that much and hey maybe I should reread it, hold on--

9. In a Tizzy by coconutcluster! Cute fluff, so wholesome, much love. After Logan finds out that Roman gets flustered at compliments, he enlists the other Sides to test this theory. But Roman gets upset when he thinks they’re playing a joke on him by being nice. The writing is great and it’s a fantastic pick-me-up on a bad day! Just so full of nice wonderful feelings!

10. Communication Issues by WaeRose! Analogince! The alternative title that I cut out says it all! After Logan and Virgil find Roman crying in his room, they make an effort to spend more time together as a group. But platonic feelings quickly become non-platonic, misunderstandings abound, insecurities rise, and they’ll have to learn how to communicate their feelings if those feelings could ever lead to a relationship. The writing is incredible, the second-person POV is done expertly, and the characterization is top-notch!

11. a heart he couldn’t control by codevassie! Prinxiety that tore me into a million pieces. Roman traded away his true love’s life to save his brother from a witch, but when he actually meets said true love, he begins to regret his choice. Now Virgil is trapped once again with the witch, Roman is on a rescue mission, Patton and Logan are hiding something, and Janus is definitely not who he seems. Once again, this AU hurts me, and the incredible writing makes it a gut-punch! It’s a WIP but I love where it’s going and need to catch up on it but shhh

12. Another Goddamn Hero Story by rosesisupposes! I’m a sucker for a superhero AU and this one is stellar! Logan and Virgil are a hero team, trying to subdue Patton and Roman, the most famous villain duo in the city. But nobody’s exactly who they say, everyone’s not quite sure which side is right, and past wrongs are coming back to draw new blood. It’s endgame LAMP and the romances are built perfectly! Supervillains Royality is amazing, the action is incredible, and the plot twist blew me away!

13. Hurt, and How We Grow Past It by Jinx72! Another comfort fic of mine, by one of my all-time favorite authors! After Deceit visits the Imagination and lights a fire larger than he intended, Roman is left injured while the other Sides try to put the pieces back together. Old grudges come to light, new bonds are forged, and they all fall in love slowly while all simultaneously being extremely insecure. The characterization is incredible, the writing is top-notch, and the DLAMP is heartfelt and wonderful!

14. Eucatastrophe by arealsword! I added this one last-minute because it’s incredible and deserves to be on this list! The writing is incredible, the world-building is top-notch, and the plot manages to be coherent and incredible while throwing me for a loop every other line! It creeped me the heck out, but I’d expect nothing less from the author of Pick a Side. I’m not even gonna summarize this one because that’d spoil the fun, but suffice it to say, Thomas gets kidnapped by faeries and things get interesting very fast.

And now for the authors! (I chose authors who I didn’t mention above, but all the ones I already talked about are hella good, check them out too!)

1. @/sleeplessinstarbucks. You want good losleep content? Here. You want good QPR content? Here. You want good content in general? Here! Lia has amazing hurt/comfort, beautiful writing, and stellar characterization. I binge their writing every time I get bored. If you want your heart to be warmed, this is where to go!

2. @/theeternalspace. Okay, so Acantha is the Royal of Long Fics. Every one of theirs is a winner! They’re an expert at plotting and characterization, and I’ve been sucked into every one of their many AUs. Plus their writing is godly! And did I mention there are so many chapter fics on their Ao3? If you want a bunch of bingeable emotional rollercoasters, head on over here!

3. @/whenisitenoughtrees. Cat...how. How do you do it. See, Cat writes the best one shots. Their writing is incredible and they’ve written some of my all-time favorite short fics! Their characterization is always on point, and their dialogue always lands, and did I mention their writing is just so deliciously readable--you feel like they chose every word carefully to make it pack as much of a punch as possible. If you want some incredible one shots, this is your writer!

4. @/tulipscomeinallsortsofcolors. I mean, I couldn’t not include Violet. LAOFT is still my favorite series of all time and deserves all the attention it’s got! They’re the expert at well-done short fics that serve a longer narrative, giving everything an almost episodic structure. Plus, their fluff is the fluffiest and the best, and their angst hurts me deep within my soul, so they’re double-powerful! If you want standalone fics or a complex, emotional series, check them out!

5. @/impatentpending. Elena, our writing god, our Deity, which all other writers must respect. Every fic of hers is top-tier, from short to long, and she’s unrivaled at plotting and worldbuilding! You’ll get sucked in to every world and story she creates, and she’s an expert on letting the stories linger. I’m still thinking about Powerless and Monster and it’s been almost a year. If you want expertly crafted stories that leave you in emotional pieces, she’s got them.

6. @/ironwoman359. A classic choice here! She’s got it all--incredible one shots, great characterization, and a big enough master list for basically any ship to be found! She also writes some of the best hurt/comfort in the genre, so if you’re a fan of bad things that lead to good endings, there’s always something to read. If you want a large catalog of fantastic stories, she’s your gal!

7. @/caffeinatedcryptid. You may have seen El’s fantastic art on tumblr, but have you read their incredible stories? If not, you’re missing out! They’ve got several spectacular one shots already written, and each one of them broke me in their own special way. Their writing style is incredible and their characterization is fantastic. If you want longer one shots with well-thought-through plots, head over there!

8. @/astronomical-bagel. Astro, our Lord of Roman Angst, always ready to punch me in the gut with feelings! Act One, Scene Three still hurts me to this day. They’re always ready to turn anything into Roman angst (or any angst, check HDABST) but they’ve got some comfort in there as well! A little bit. Somewhat. Yeah. If you want to be emotionally destroyed, you know who to call.

9. @/green-writes-sanderssides. Green’s fics were some of the first I ever read in this fandom, and they’ve stuck with me to this day! They're an expert at the fluff-angst balance and causing all sorts of Emotions. They’re currently working on an incomplete LAMP fic that just completes me. But I digress. Green is spectacular! They’ve got wonderful canon-verse fics that explore the characters and their relationships expertly. If you want amazing fics with fantastic characterization in-canon, stop by!

And that’s all of them! Again, there are tons more I didn’t get to mention, but these are just a few I love! Congrats if you read all the way to the bottom, I know it was a lot--I just get really excited when I can compliment my favorite writers! Anyway, check them out if you want, I highly encourage it!

#sanders sides #fic recs #sanders sides fic #sanders sides fic recs #tw long post #long post #asks and answers #ask game #anon

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miguel-manbemel · 4 years

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Aspects & Fanfics Ep. 33: Who Dares Enter the Library!?

Here comes a new episode of this fanfic inspired on Sanders Sides by Thomas Sanders and Joan S. It is the first episode after “Selfishness v. Selflessness Redux”. I had this episode finished since last Wednesday. I didn’t want to release it yet as I wanted to get over with the Eurovision thing first. But in the meantime, the episode was released and [SPOILER ALERT, DONT READ FURTHER UNTIL YOU’VE WATCHED THE SANDERS SIDES EPISODE] we got Deceit’s name in it. Of course I wanted to include it in the fanfic as soon as possible, and it was fortunate that this episode features a scene where I could fit in the revelation more organically, and I added an extra scene featuring that revelation. As you know if you’ve followed the story for some time, it’s been ages since this fic got away from canon. It only follows the canon up to Embarrasing Phases, then later a little bit of Selfishness v. Selflessness part 1 was retconned in the story. But the rest is completely ignored in this story, if something canon had to be added, like Remus, it was added with an alternate fanon storyline totally different from canon. That means that Deceit’s name revelation won’t be a mimic of the canon, it just wouldn’t have fit in. I hope I could make justice to the revelation in this alternate universe. And with this said, let’s go with the episode, which I hope you enjoy. Until next time.

SYNOPSIS: Since Logan said goodbye to Patton, he hasn’t shown up in the Mind Palace. That was three weeks ago and Thomas has started showing signs of losing his capacity for logical thinking, and he’s also started losing pieces of knowledge that he had well learnt and secured in his mind. Deducing that Logan’s physical integrity may be compromised, Patton has to break his promise to Logan and tell them what happened, and they all will have to follow him through the front door in Logan’s room to wherever he’s gone, to check if he’s all right and rescue him if he needs to.

WARNING: There’s a slight horror scene featuring a chase by a monstrous creature. Lots of romantic logicality and dukeceit. There’s also a scene where one of the main characters is on the verge of death.

EPISODE INDEX

[Thomas is in the kitchen, cooking something]

THOMAS: Okay… Oof… if only I remembered where was the recipe for these pancakes… I think for one person it was… eleven eggs, one cup of flour and eighty tablespoons of sugar?

[Thomas adds these measures into a bowl, then tries to mix it but the resulting syrup becomes impossible to work with]

THOMAS: I guess it wasn’t. And I was thinking on going on MasterChef to boost my popularity… Gordon Ramsey would bake me if he saw my cooking expertise right now…

[intro sequence]

THOMAS: And what’s weird is that I was going so great with my cooking learning, and I suddenly lost it. Maybe it’s stress or something, I don’t know… But what I know is that Patton would kill me if he saw this mess… [face of realization] Wait, maybe Patton can lend me a hand. He’s become a top chef with breakfast cooking. I hope he can help me, I’m gonna need it if I want a proper breakfast. Patton! Patton, could you come here, please?

PATTON: [rising up] Hi, Thomas. How may I… [noticing the mess in the kitchen] what… is going on here, kiddo? Did the blender go crazy or something? Or are you trying to blend in with the kitchen, somehow? Cause you’re covered in… whatever you were trying to make.

THOMAS: I know, sorry, I made a mess in the kitchen and I need your help.

PATTON: But Thomas, I thought you were becoming an expert on cooking, especially… pancakes? Is that what you were trying to make? But… kiddo, you already have plenty of experience with pancakes, you make them at least twice a week. You should already know this recipe by heart.

THOMAS: I know, Patton. After so many times making them, one would think that I would have learned how to make them. But for some reason, I can’t, Patton. I’ve just turn into a mess of a cook.

PATTON: Well, I can help you with the recipe if you want.

THOMAS: That’s exactly why I called you, Patton, any help is appreciated with these pancakes.

[Roman, Virgil and Chris rise up]

ROMAN: Did someone say pancakes?

THOMAS: Morning, guys.

VIRGIL: May we join in, Thomas? We haven’t had breakfast yet and I’m in the mood for a family gathering.

CHRIS: Me too. Besides, I never tried pancakes before.

THOMAS: Well, you’re in for a treat, then, Chris. I love them with any kind of topping, but the best is motor oil without a doubt.

[All the Sides look at Thomas with a face of disgust]

ROMAN: Thomas, are you okay? What you have just said doesn’t make any sense. Motor oil on pancakes? That’s disgusting!

CHRIS: Not to mention poisonous. It sounds as if Remus had suddenly possessed you… Yuk.

THOMAS: What? It totally makes sense to me. The most logical topping for pancakes is grease oil pancakes. Everybody knows that.

PATTON: Um… no, kiddo, you’re obviously wrong and that is not… [face of realization] logical… at all… [low voice] Oh no…

VIRGIL: Is there something wrong, dad?

THOMAS: Yes, Patton, what’s the matter?

PATTON: I… I had promised Logan that I wouldn’t tell you but…

VIRGIL: Speaking about Logan, where is he? I haven’t seen him in ages.

PATTON: Neither did I, son. Neither did I… For the past three weeks I haven’t seen him. And he made me promise I wouldn’t tell you, but… something’s wrong with him, I can feel it. I have to break my promise and I hope he’ll forgive me.

CHRIS: What is going on, granddad?

THOMAS: Yes, where is Logan?

PATTON: He wouldn’t tell me, Thomas. The last time I saw him, he was so concerned, so worried… He told me he had to go somewhere and he had no choice. He made me promise that I wouldn’t tell you and that I wouldn’t follow him, if you had heard how seriously he ordered me not to do that… Then… he gave me a kiss, a kiss that was full of angst and despair, as if he knew there was a chance that was gonna be his last chance to kiss me forever. Then he left through the front door of his room and locked the door behind him. I’ve been tempted to break my promise myself several times, but the door is locked, so I couldn’t open it without asking for your help, and I couldn’t tell you, so… I’ve been so worried ever since. Concern would have kept me awake every night. I only fall asleep because you do, Thomas. But despite sleeping every night, that hasn’t given me peace, cause I’ve been having horrible nightmares all these nights. Nightmares where Logan calls for my help and I don’t pay attention to him.

THOMAS: [a little angry] No wonder you’re having nightmares! You should have told me, Patton. Logan should have told me he was going away. Of course it’s so hard for me to follow recipes and perform logical judgments. My sense of logic is out of reach.

PATTON: That’s what scares me the most. He told me he was entering autopilot mode so that you wouldn’t have any problems in that regard. Something must have happened to him if not even autopilot can keep your logical functions intact.

ROMAN: Maybe we should go after him. Maybe he needs our help.

PATTON: [nervous with a face of full angst] But he was strict about that. He didn’t want us to go after him, no matter if he took a long time to come back. I really wish to do as you say, Roman, but what if, by doing so, we put Logan, or us, in danger? I… I don’t know what to do. God help me, I don’t know what’s right or wrong anymore!

[Virgil hugs Patton]

VIRGIL: Worrying is my job, dad. Please calm down.

PATTON: I’m sorry, Virgil, it’s just that… he could be in danger because I waited too long to call for help, and on the other hand, I’m also betraying his trust because I told you and I’m willing to go after him when I promised him not to do so. Whatever I do, it makes me feel guilty, and it’s a horrible feeling.

VIRGIL: I’m so sorry you’ve had to go through this all alone, dad. But you’re not alone anymore, so please, calm down. Breath like I taught you… remember, 4, 7, 8…

PATTON: Okay… thanks son.

ROMAN: Okay, while Patton does the breathing exercise, I think it’s time for an emergency meeting. We should call the others.

THOMAS: You’re right. Logan, Deceit, Remus, Honesty, could you come here please!?

[they all rise up, except Remus who pops up and of course Logan who doesn’t show up at all]

PATTON: [after breathing out for eight seconds and before breathing in for four seconds] Why did you call Logan? Obviously he’s not gonna answer.

THOMAS: I know, sorry, it’s the habit. I always call Logan in a meeting like this. It’s so weird having to tackle an emergency without him.

DECEIT: Where is Logan? What is going on here?

ROMAN: [motor mouth] In short, Logan is gone, we don’t know where he’s gone other than he’s gone through the front door in his room and he asked Patton not to tell us, forbidding him and us to follow him. But now Thomas is losing his sense of logic and now we think Logan could be in danger, so we’re pondering the possibility of following him to wherever he’s gone despite the fact that he seriously instructed Patton not to do so. [takes a deep breath] Is that clear?

DECEIT: Sort… sort of… I think… When did Logan go away?

PATTON: It was the very same night you two started dating.

REMUS: Three weeks ago, then? What could Nerdyman be doing out there for so long? I mean, I’ve had long wild parties in my life just like anybody else, but that’s the wildest party I’ve ever heard about!

HONESTY: Whatever it is, it is important or dangerous enough that he didn’t want us to mess about with it.

PATTON: I myself don’t care about the danger on myself. I just wanna go with him and check that he’s okay. But I don’ have the heart to ask you to follow me.

THOMAS: Of course we’re going with you, Patton. We all care about Logan too and certainly we’re not leaving you alone anymore.

CHRIS: Logan is my someday-to-be-grandfather-in-law. He’s my family just as much as you are, so you can count on my sword and shield to assist you, granddad.

ROMAN: Same on my part, Patton, my samurai sword is at your service.

VIRGIL: And I’m not leaving you either dad. We’re doing this together.

HONESTY: Logan risked his life in order to find a way to save mine. Of course I’m willing to return him the favor if he needs me.

DECEIT: He speaks for both of us, right Remus?

REMUS: [a little hesitant] Well… [after Deceit frowns at him] Of course, if it’s important to you, it’s important to me. Count on my Morningstar to assist you, Catboy.

PATTON: [a little emotional] Thank you so much, my wonderful kiddos. I love you all so much.

THOMAS: Of course. Now, enough talking. You said he left through the front door in his room, so let’s go to his room now…

PATTON: First, eat something, Thomas, you didn’t even make your breakfast and you can’t go anywhere with an empty stomach. [pulling them out] Here, I just made some cookies. I have cookies for everyone. It’s the only thing I’ve been doing for the past three weeks since it was the only way I could distract my mind.

THOMAS: [grabbing some cookies] Thank you so much, Patton. I’ll eat them on the way.

PATTON: Also, take these paper towels and clean yourself a bit. It’s impractical to go on a mission like that.

THOMAS: Thanks, dad… Now, if you’re ready… [waits, but Patton doesn’t interrupt him anymore] Okay, let’s go, guys.

[The gang sinks down, then they rise up in Logan’s room]

THOMAS: Well, here we are… wow, I’m starting to feel back to normal right now, all my knowledge of recipes has suddenly returned to my head. And I’m feeling so stupid right now over making such foolish mistakes with the pancakes…

HONESTY: Maybe it’s because now you’re physically closer to Logan and his influence reaches you better from his room.

THOMAS: Maybe… Okay, so, we need to go through the front door. [Thomas goes to the door and tries to open it, but it’s locked. He looks through the peephole] I can’t… I can’t see anything other than a weird indigo light, like some sort of bright fog… What the heck is out there?

PATTON: I don’t know, Thomas. None of us know what lies ahead of the others’ front doors, except Roman’s and Remus’ which is of course Sandersia.

THOMAS: So each of you have a different place outside of your front door? What do you guys have?

PATTON: I don’t think it’s the right moment to ask, Thomas. Let’s focus on Logan’s door for the time being.

THOMAS: Okay… Well, the door is locked, as you said, Patton. How do we open it?

PATTON: We cannot, Thomas. You, as the Mind Palace’s owner, are the only one who can summon a key that can unlock this door.

THOMAS: But I usually can’t summon things. That’s a thing usually only you, the Sides, can do.

PATTON: This thing in particular, you certainly can. Just imagine it in your hand and wish for it to be there with faith and conviction, and the key will come to you.

THOMAS: Okay, I’ll try…

[Thomas rises his palm, then grimaces as he looks at it, as if he was struggling, his face even goes red. In a matter of seconds, a small key appears on his hand]

THOMAS: [happy] It worked! I did it!

REMUS: Yes, you did it, but… next time, Thomas, there’s no need for you to put a face as if you were constipated on the toilet. I enjoyed the view, though, it was funny.

THOMAS: [frowning at Remus] Thanks, Remus, I’ll remember next time… Okay, time to open the door. I hope this key really works.

[Thomas inserts the key in the keyhole, then turns it and the door unlocks perfectly]

THOMAS: Yep, it worked. Let’s go, then…

[Thomas opens the door. Outside, he can only see the same indigo bright fog, although he sees a point of light in a distance]

THOMAS: That looks like a lighthouse of some kind in the middle of this fog… Okay, guys, that light seems important, so we’ll go straight there. It’s impossible to see in this fog, so don’t spread out, I don’t want anyone getting lost, got it?

PATTON: Got it, Thomas… But how will we get back?

THOMAS: We’ll leave the door wide open, so that the light inside can help us find it on the way back, although I hope we have Logan to guide us back when that moment comes.

[Thomas and the Sides get through the door. Then they all walk in a line towards the light. As they get closer, they realize the light comes from a huge dark building, tall and wide beyond view]

THOMAS: What… what is this place? It’s huge, I can’t see where it ends. Look, the light is just over a door… and there’s a sign on it. It reads… “Library”. Library? This is a library? What kind of library, and why didn’t Logan ever mention it?

[Thomas tries to open the door. It opens easily, and they’re greeted with a view of huge, endless shelves full of books in all directions. Thomas and the Sides enter the building]

THOMAS: So… so many books, but what’s in them?

[A huge tempest-tongue-like voice with a robotic touch, like the autotune or Cher effect, is heard]

VOICE: WHO DARES ENTER THE LIBRARY!?

THOMAS: Who… who’s there?

VOICE: I’m the Librarian and you are trespassing! This place is forbidden to you, so begone right now!

ROMAN: Forbidden? There are no forbidden places for Thomas. He’s the owner of the whole Mind Palace, whoever you are!

LIBRARIAN: FOOLS! Thomas especially shouldn’t be here! This place is dangerous for him, much more for all the rest of you! Begone, now!

THOMAS: I refuse to leave until you show yourself! Let us see you!

[A dark figure appears walking on top of one of the selves. At first they don’t recognize him, then Patton’s face lightens up]

PATTON: Logan! Is that you, Logan!? Thank God you’re fine, I was so worried!

[but Logan doesn’t answer. Soon Patton’s happiness turns into horror when they can see his face clearly. His eyes are two bright burning lights of an indigo color, and his skin is pail and gray. It’s like he’s become a mixture of his human form and his robot-puppet form]

THOMAS: Logan, what happened to you?

LIBRARIAN: I told you I’m the Librarian. I’m the owner of this place and this is my sanctuary of knowledge. Do not touch any of the books for all the knowledge of whatever has happened in your life, as well as your plans for the future, is written in these pages, and if you damage just one single book, you could be destroying invaluable knowledge from your own mind, with disastrous consequences. So, once again, begone.

THOMAS: If you’re not Logan, then where is he?

LIBRARIAN: Logan is part of me, he always was, and forever will be.

PATTON: What do you mean? Where is he?

LIBRARIAN: Logan and I are two faces of the same coin. We’ve always existed together. He always calls me when he needs some kind of knowledge or fact in your mundane conversations and I provide it from inside of him. Who do you think that gave him the power to inspect your memories by touching you? It was me. I’ve been watching him, witnessing how he’s been degrading himself little by little, seeing how much your emotional mess of a world has corrupted him. Now, he even thinks he’s in love. So disgusting. But I’ll take care of cleaning him up from these useless distracting thoughts. Under my control, he’ll turn back into what he always should have been, the clean emotionless logical aspect of Thomas, the only way he can be useful to anyone.

PATTON: Don’t you dare!

THOMAS: Who gave you the right to decide in someone else’s place what is good or bad for them?

LIBRARIAN: I know Logan better than anyone else. I know what’s best for him and I’ll make him do it even in spite of him if I must.

THOMAS: Seems you don’t know him so well if you want to push him back into his old life of denying his emotions. I won’t let you do this. The brain must always be connected with feelings.

LIBRARIAN: What an abhorrent aberration! Brains and feelings must never mix up. It’s disgusting and I won’t let it happen!

PATTON: Why don’t you let Logan speak for himself!? We want to speak to the real Logan, right now!

LIBRARIAN: Well, I guess I can let you say your last words to him… Be quick, though, every second I’m in touch with these feelings makes me sick.

[the lights in Logan’s eyes disappear and Logan looks at the others]

LOGAN: Patton, guys, what are you doing here? I told you not to follow me! I didn’t want you to see me like this!

PATTON: I know, Logan, but I had to, Thomas was getting affected by your absence, cause your autopilot is switching off. Please don’t be mad at me.

LOGAN: It’s okay, I understand, and I’m not mad at you, but this is too dangerous for you! I didn’t want you to go through this! This is a fight I should have done on my own!

THOMAS: If you knew this could happen, why did you come here in the first place?

LOGAN: I had no choice, I have to come here at least once a year to upload my new knowledge into the library, or else I would get overloaded and incapable of getting new content for you, and also your logical functions would be compromised if my memory bank got overflown. But I knew that here the Librarian that’s always been inside of me would be heightened to a point where he could take control of my whole self, and I always knew he wasn’t happy I started a relationship with Patton. I could feel him rebelling against it inside of me, and I knew he’d take his chance when I had to come here. I tried to fight him, but here, he’s too strong. I may be losing the fight… but he’s not in full control yet, though. I’m still fighting him. Although since you’re here, I could use some help from you, guys.

THOMAS: How can we help you?

LOGAN: You must… [his eyes start glowing faintly and Logan starts struggling to speak] …you must find the indigo book… it’s the only book in this library… that can help me right now…

THOMAS: The indigo book? But this place is huge, how can we find it among all these millions of books?

LOGAN: [still struggling, as the lights flicker in his eyes] Find… the catalog in the center of the Library… it will tell you… where the indigo book lies… you’ll find everything you need to know in its pages… Hurry up, please… I don’t know how long I can resist… Help… me… Patton… I… lov…

[the lights start glowing as bright as before and he stops struggling]

LIBRARIAN: Why do you insist on making this more difficult for yourself and your friends? I’m doing this for your own good, Logan! Stop fighting me! [to Thomas and the others] And you, don’t you dare listening to his words. I won’t let you get to the catalog! I’ll stop you by force if I have to!

THOMAS: It will not be so easy for you. [whistles as if calling a pet dog] Remus?

REMUS: [excited smile, would have wiggled his tail if he had one] Yes, Thomas?

THOMAS: Do you wanna have fun?

REMUS: [hopping] I’m always ready for fun!

THOMAS: [as if he was telling a dog to fetch a toy] Then go get him! But don’t overdo it. Remember that it’s still Logan’s body, don’t cause him any permanent damages.

REMUS: [pulls out his Morningstar and jumps off-screen towards the Librarian] Yeeeha!

THOMAS: Good boy! The rest of you, come with me. We need to get to the center of the Library and check the catalog while Remus distracts him. Let’s go!

DECEIT: Be careful, Rem!

REMUS: [off-screen singsongy voice, the sound of the Morningstar is heard bumping on something several times] Okay, sweetheart!

[Thomas and the Sides run away into the Library, going through the corridor past shelves and shelves]

ROMAN: This is so huge. How far is the center anyway?

PATTON: I’m not used to run for so long… I can barely breath.

VIRGIL: Keep going, dad… We don’t know for how long Remus will be able to keep the Librarian distracted. Maybe he’s started chasing us already.

THOMAS: If the center was too far away, Logan wouldn’t have sent us into this mission. He knows it’s possible, so we must keep going, guys.

DECEIT: It’s easier said than done, though…

[a voice is heard around the whole building]

LIBRARIAN: I command you to come back immediately! Or else I’ll make you pay for this, like your stupid green guy has just paid!

DECEIT: What? What has he done to Remus!?

HONESTY: You don’t wanna know, Dee! Keep running or you’ll go through the same fate, whatever it is! We’ll think about that later! He’s obviously chasing us right now, and who knows how fast he runs!

THOMAS: Look, guys! There’s a round room over there! Maybe that’s the center!

[Thomas and the Sides reach to that room. It has a round shape and many corridors like the one they came from end there. In the center, there’s a table with a huge folder. Thomas approaches the folder, trying to recover breath after the long run. The other Sides stand on the entrance of the corridor they came from]

THOMAS: This must be the catalog Logan talked about… Now what?

PATTON: Open that folder and look inside.

[Thomas opens the folder and reads the first page]

THOMAS: It’s an alphabetical index with the topics that are inside these books, with coordinates to find them.

PATTON: Then search for the indigo book Logan mentioned.

ROMAN: [pulling out his samurai sword] We’ll cover you up while you’re searching, Thomas. Hurry!

CHRIS: [pulling out his sword] I was waiting for the day where I would fight alongside you, father.

ROMAN: So did I, son, it will be an honor to share this battle with you.

[Thomas turns to letter I for indigo. Thomas keeps browsing through the different topics starting with letter I until he reaches the key word]

THOMAS: Here it is… but there are still several topics containing the word indigo… let’s see…

ROMAN: There he comes… [horrified, looking at what approaches them, which is not featured on screen] my goodness gracious… what’s that thing!?

CHRIS: It looks like a horrible creature… like one of those Eldritch abominations that appear in horror stories… Is that monster the Librarian!?

ROMAN: Whoever or whatever that is… we must buy Thomas some time… Let’s go get him!

CHRIS: I’m right with you, father!

[Roman and Chris charge towards the creature, sounds of fighting are heard off-screen]

THOMAS: Indigo book! There it is! Patton, grab some of that paper and that pencil to write the coordinates. Ready? Corridor R… Side C… Block P… Shelf F… Book R… Page M… Page? Why marking a specific page from a book in a catalog? Oh, whatever… Did you write it down, Patton?

PATTON: Yes, Thomas, everything.

[Thomas and Patton look around the room]

THOMAS: You see? Each corridor has a plate with a letter identifying it, and each side of the corridor has another letter identifying it… Here, this is corridor R. The left side has a C and the right side has a B, so it has to be on the left side of this corridor. Let’s go, Patton, before it’s too late.

VIRGIL: I’m going with you too, just in case you need protection. [to the other Sides] Guys, hold on as much as you can.

HONESTY: We’ll try, Virge. Now go.

[Thomas, Patton and Virgil enter corridor R, looking at the left side of the shelves. Every few shelves there’s a letter, starting with B, only omitting vowels]

PATTON: These must be the blocks. We must get to block P, so let’s get moving. If there are no vowels, it is the twelfth block.

[Thomas, Patton and Virgil run through the different blocks. After some running, they get to the block with the letter P]

THOMAS: Okay, the indigo book must be around here. My, there are so many books in this block…

PATTON: It’s good we got all the letters from the catalog to find it faster. It was shelf F. The lowest shelf is B, so it’s the fourth shelf starting from the bottom. And it’s the R book. Each book has a label on the spine with a letter on it. Again, no vowels. B… C… D… F… G…

[Honesty reaches them running]

HONESTY: Guys, you better hurry! Deceit asked me to go warn you when Roman and Chris started getting exhausted. The creature is too strong and they’re running out of strength to fight.

THOMAS: We almost have it, Hon…

[A huge yell is heard from the distance, then they hear ferocious beastly growling sounds approaching them]

HONESTY: That was Dee! The creature must have defeated them! And now it is heading this way! Hurry up!

PATTON: P… Q… Here it is, R!

[Patton picks up the book from the shelf and gives it to Thomas. At that precise point, the growling suddenly stops and there is a tense silence]

HONESTY: Where… where did that thing go? He was almost here!

VIRGIL: This silence is even worse than the beastly sounds…

THOMAS: Maybe it’s because I got the book and he’s afraid to damage something important for him if he attacks us upfront. Look, there are several bookmarks in the book, each with different letters. Again, no vowels… What is it with this place and vowels? What letter was it, Patton?

PATTON: It was M.

LIBRARIAN: [from the top of the shelf they got the book from] Stop right where you are! Don’t open that book! You’re gonna doom us all!

THOMAS: I hope you don’t expect us to believe you, Librarian. I bet the only one to be doomed by the book is you!

VIRGIL: You, monster! What have you done with our friends!?

LIBRARIAN: I didn’t kill them if that’s what you’re thinking! I just rendered them unconscious and expelled them out of the Library back into Logan’s room!

VIRGIL: Yeah, right, and you needed to turn into a beast just to do that!

LIBRARIAN: I was just trying to scare you out of here, I don’t want you to mess everything up!

THOMAS: Here it is. Bookmark M.

[Thomas opens the book]

LIBRARIAN: [distressed] I said don’t do that!

THOMAS: Or else, what? You’ll turn into a beast again and “scare” us all? Go ahead and try, if you don’t care about ruining any of the books, that is.

LIBRARIAN: Fine… suit yourself. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

[Thomas reads the page. Then, he shows a face of shock]

LIBRARIAN: I warned you.

PATTON: What’s the matter, Thomas? What’s in that page?

THOMAS: Patton… we can’t do this… it’s too dangerous.

PATTON: [snatching the book from Thomas’ hands] Let me see this! [Patton reads aloud] Should the Logical Side lose control of the Librarian, the only way he can regain control back is for the Light Master to force him into total inhibition until all signs of life are gone from him, then bringing him back to life. It acts as a reset action that would restore him back to normal. During inhibition, if the Logical Side didn’t put himself in autopilot mode beforehand, Thomas could lose his logical thinking capacities and become completely demented until inhibition is reverted. Autopilot prevents this from happening. Fair warning though that if not performed correctly or inside the window time of five minutes after total inhibition, the Logical Side would perish permanently. Should that happen, a brand new Logical Side, completely unrelated to the old one, would immediately be generated from the Mind Palace Core to assume Thomas’ logical functions. [Patton looks at Thomas with a face of horror] This… is so dangerous… Logan could literally die.

THOMAS: And I don’t know how to do this. Logan was the one who advised me on how to use my Light Master powers and I can’t count on him to help me. Without him, I’m lost. And I don’t have the heart to put him in danger.

LIBRARIAN: Give it up. If you try to do this, you’ll kill Logan. Let me take care of him. I assure you I will treat him right in this Library. He won’t even miss you when you’re gone and he’ll be fine, as long as I tell him what is fine for him.

PATTON: Falsehood! [Thomas and the Sides look at Patton in shock after hearing Logan’s trademark word on Patton’s lips] With you controlling him, he would be nothing but your slave! If you really cared about Logan, you would let him live his life the way he wants, with me, with all of us! Because we’re the ones who would really treat him right, just by letting him be himself. You just want to mold him to your own idea of what Logan should be, no matter how shoehorned that idea may be. It’s that fake Logan you care about, not the real one. You’re just jealous of his happiness because you can’t understand feelings at all! You’ll never be able to understand love or hate, happiness or sadness, and because of that, you will always be inferior to Logan! No matter how powerful you think you are, without emotions, you are nothing! Thomas, we must do this.

THOMAS: Patton, are you sure? We could kill him! It’s too big of a risk!

PATTON: While he’s the slave of that thing, he’s as good as dead anyway, eternally suffering after his yoke. This creature is even worse than the Dark Master himself. At least the Dark Master had a basic understanding of feelings, even if he used it for evil. I will not have Logan going through that hell. We must set him free, one way… or another, however painful it may be.

THOMAS: But I don’t know if I can do this.

PATTON: Thomas, I have faith in you. You have already learned enough of your Light Master powers to do a great deal of things and you’ve become really powerful. Maybe you don’t believe in yourself in that regard, but I do believe in you. Just enter Light Master mode and you’ll know what to do. I’m rooting for you, kiddo.

[Patton gives a father-like kiss on the forehead to Thomas and the brightest comforting smile he can come up with given the circumstances. Thomas gives a slightly emotional smile to Patton]

THOMAS: Okay, I’ll do everything I can. It’s good that Logan had entered autopilot mode beforehand. At least he had the vision to do that.

PATTON: Or maybe his intuition told him this could happen and he wanted to be ready. Which is a proof that even Logan has faith in you. He knew that you have what it takes to save him. If you don’t want to trust me, trust him.

THOMAS: [sighs and closes his eyes] Okay… [opens his eyes, they’re now blue] Then let’s do this.

LIBRARIAN: No, I demand you to…

THOMAS: Be quiet, Librarian! I’m the one who demands you to release Logan, right now! This is your only warning, leave him in peace or be ready for the consequences!

LIBRARIAN: Never! He’s mine now! You don’t have what it takes! I’m not afraid of you and I’ll never set Logan free!

THOMAS: You asked for this, then. I said, get out of him, now!

[Thomas points at the Librarian and it’s as if an invisible hand pulls from him and throws him down from the top of the shelf, falling on the ground]

THOMAS: Get out of Logan’s body, right now!

[the Librarian’s body starts shaking violently]

PATTON: The power of Patton compels you!

[everyone looks at Patton]

PATTON: Sorry, I got carried away…

[Thomas keeps pointing at the Librarian. His violent convulsions slowly start getting weaker]

LIBRARIAN: Stop! I’m getting weak… I’m losing myself… I don’t wanna go… Please… I beg… [singing weakly, his voice slowly gets weaker and weaker] Daisy… Daisy… Give me your answer do… I'm half crazy… All for the love of…

[the singing and the convulsions stop, then, the bright eyes slowly turn off and Logan’s skin loses it’s gray silvery tone, to be replaced by white pail. Logan looks weakly to Thomas with a peaceful expression, he mouths a “thank you” without strength to emit any sound, then he gets still with that same expression of peace looking at Thomas, as if he had just died]

PATTON: Logan!

[Patton jumps to Logan’s body]

PATTON: He’s cold as marble stone! I think he’s dead! Now, you have to revive him, quickly! Five minutes starting now!

[Thomas starts struggling. For the next two minutes, nothing happens]

VIRGIL: Oh, God, I hope he can do it…

PATTON: He can do it! Come on, Thomas! Logan, if you can hear me somehow, fight to come back! Please, don’t leave me!

[Thomas still struggles. Then, a white spark comes from his hand and lands on Logan’s chest. He has a violent convulsion. His skin recovers some color for a second, then reverts back to pail]

PATTON: Something happened there. You can do this, Thomas. How long do we have left?

HONESTY: [looking at his phone] Less than two minutes.

[Thomas struggles even harder. A spark bigger than the previous one jumps from his hand and hits Logan. He has another violent convulsion. He breaths for a second, but then stops breathing again]

PATTON: Let me help you, Thomas. Perhaps the energy of two can be strong enough to bring him back.

[Patton kisses Logan’s forehead, then approaches Thomas, touches his shoulder and concentrates. A light blue aura surrounds both of them. Thomas emits another spark, this one of a light blue color and dramatically stronger than the previous ones which impacts on Logan. This time, he starts having continuous convulsions, as if he was being electrified]

PATTON: Come on, Logan. Fight for me… Don’t leave me alone…

[the convulsions keep going for two minutes, then he stops shaking. There are no visible signs of life from him]

PATTON: Lo… Logan?

HONESTY: The time is up. The five minutes are gone.

[Patton looks at Logan with a face of horror and tears start falling down his cheeks]

PATTON: This can’t be! Logan!

[Patton runs to Logan and holds to him, crying]

THOMAS: [Also crying, his eyes have turned back to brown] I’m sorry, Patton. I swear that I tried my best…

[then suddenly, Logan starts coughing and struggling to breath, and Patton quickly retreats. The coughing stops and Logan opens his eyes weakly, then notices Patton next to him. Patton is too stunned to react]

LOGAN: [weak voice] I was… I was being dragged into the Mind Palace’s Core light… when an angel approached me… an angel with a blue polo shirt, a gray cat hoodie around his shoulders and a bright heart that shone into his chest, so full of love it was overwhelmingly heartwarming, it could compete with the Core itself in brightness… He told me he still needed me and grabbed me back…

[Patton starts laughing and crying like a baby at the same time, not able to say anything coherent, then hugs Logan, who weakly hugs him back]

VIRGIL: [crying emotional, his tears are black due to the eyeshadow] Thank goodness… Thank goodness…

LOGAN: [his voice is a little stronger, but still weak] Thank you, Thomas. I owe you my life… I knew if I lost control, only you could save me.

THOMAS: It was my pleasure, but I didn’t do all the work. I couldn’t have done this without Patton’s help. He’s the one who has really saved you.

LOGAN: I love you so much, Patton… When I was subjugated, the thing I feared most was for that love to get corrupted and lost… it was the only thing I didn’t want to lose, your love and the capacity to love. I didn’t want to turn back to what I was before… not ever…

[Logan tries to get up, but he finds it hard]

THOMAS: Hey, relax, buddy. Are you sure you can get up? You have just returned from death. Maybe you should rest for a while.

LOGAN: I don’t want to get up, I…

[with some difficulty, Logan first sits down, then puts himself on his knees and grabs Patton’s hands]

LOGAN: Patton, you are the man of my life. I don’t want to live my life with anyone else but you.

PATTON: Goodness…

LOGAN: I’m sorry I didn’t have time to get an aurum ring with a piece of a pure carbon crystal on it, but I hope my feelings for you are equally valuable for this proposal. Will you marry me?

[Patton smiles widely, a smile that could compete with the sun in brightness]

PATTON: Of course I will, Logan. Of course I will!

[Patton kisses Logan, then they both hug. Logan seems to lose stability due to the effort so he holds on Patton]

LOGAN: I’m so happy now. I’m sad I’m not strong enough to show you right now, but I am…

PATTON: Don’t worry, my heart can show happiness enough for two. Now, rest. Here, lie on my shoulder.

[Logan lies on Patton’s shoulder while Patton pets his hand sweetly]

HONESTY: [to Thomas, whispering] Hey, you, the chemical engineer… What did Logan say he wanted his ring to be made of?

THOMAS: [emotional] A ring made of gold with a diamond on it, of course… I’m so happy for you two…

VIRGIL: Okay, guys. It will be best if we get out of here now.

LOGAN: You don’t need to worry anymore, Virgil. The Librarian as you knew him no longer exists, he’s been, sort of… formatted, and now I’m the one controlling him. He won’t be a cause for trouble anymore and this place is safe again.

VIRGIL: Glad to hear that… but still, we should go back to your room right now. I wanna check that the others are fine.

[Virgil summons a wheelchair]

VIRGIL: Here, obviously I wouldn’t make you walk all the way there in your condition, sit on that and dad can carry you.

LOGAN: Sounds good. And don’t worry too much, Virge. I saw everything the Librarian did and he didn’t kill the Sides. At least in that regard, he was true. But you’re right, we should check they’re in good shape, so let’s go.

[Patton and Virgil help Logan stand up and sit on the chair]

PATTON: Are you comfy here, my love?

LOGAN: If you’re by my side, I’ll be comfy anywhere.

PATTON: I didn’t know you could be so romantic.

LOGAN: Now I have no hindrance to express my feelings. But don’t get too accustomed to it. At work, I’ll still be wearing my necktie of seriousness, cause Thomas will need me to be serious.

PATTON: That’s fair. I’ll get to enjoy the sweet version of you all by myself.

VIRGIL: Are we ready to go?

THOMAS: Just a second, guys, let me replace the indigo book where it was.

[Thomas puts the book on the shelf. He notices a piece of paper that has fallen on the floor]

THOMAS: What’s this?

LOGAN: Thomas, don’t read that. It is a piece of knowledge that could get damaged if you manipulate it. Just put it back on its shelf.

THOMAS: I don’t think it could do any harm, it’s just a little note…

[Thomas reads the note]

THOMAS: Oh… wow…

VIRGIL: What is it?

THOMAS: It is a note that apparently belongs to the indigo book. It must have fallen when we got the book in a hurry. It’s an appendix related to the process we’ve just followed and some secondary effects related to Logan.

LOGAN: [sighs] I didn’t want you to read that cause I didn’t want you to worry about me. But I said that knowledge can’t hurt you and I’ll stand by it. Tell the others.

THOMAS: It says that, should the process be performed, the Librarian’s reset will mean that the Logical Side will lose his capacity of examining other Sides’ memories or transmitting his own memories to other Sides through touch.

LOGAN: Yes, I lost my capacity of examining you. But… it’s okay. It was a price I was willing to pay. A small price, indeed, for my freedom to love.

THOMAS: It also says that, in time, these abilities would progressively return to the Logical Side, but it’s unknown how long it would take for him to get to same level he had prior to the reset, it could range from days to years. Also, intuition may be temporally compromised to a degree, although this effect is expected wear off faster. All the rest of his cognitive functions will remain intact. I’m sorry, Logan.

LOGAN: It’s okay, Thomas. Don’t worry. At least it seems it won’t be permanent. And besides, if I couldn’t count on my hands anymore to help, I’ll use what I’ve always used best, my brains. We’ll be fine.

THOMAS: Okay. I hope so.

LOGAN: Now, let’s go home. We have a wedding to start preparing, right?

PATTON: Right. And this time, there will be no Dark Masters to spoil it.

VIRGIL: I hope so.

[Thomas puts the note inside the indigo book, then they all head back to the front door through a shorter path, guided by Logan. When they reach the door, they realize that the door has changed and now looks like Thomas’ front door. After opening, they discover it does indeed lead straight into Logan’s room, and the fog they had to cross earlier is gone. In Logan’s room, they find Roman, Chris, Deceit and Remus lying down on the couch, unconscious]

VIRGIL: Guys! Are you okay?

[Virgil runs to attend his husband and son. Roman is the first to wake up, but he pretends to stay asleep, putting his lips on kiss position, like waiting for Virgil to kiss him and wake him up]

VIRGIL: [sighs with a smile of relief] You, royal dork. [kisses him] Okay, done, I gave you a true love’s kiss to wake you up, sleeping handsome. Happy?

ROMAN: Your kisses will always make me happy, my love… [he rises up and shows an expression of pain] Ow, my head.

VIRGIL: Are you okay?

ROMAN: Everything hurts… but I’ll survive. I’m sorry I couldn’t do more.

VIRGIL: You’ve done more than enough, Roman. Look who’s here with us thanks to your bravery.

ROMAN: Oh, Logan… Are you okay?

LOGAN: I’m okay. Thanks to you all, guys. I’m sorry I made you go through this.

ROMAN: It’s okay, that’s what fam’s for, right?

[slowly, the rest of the Sides wake up too]

REMUS: That guy took me by surprise… he suddenly turned into this beast and without fair warning he hit me and… I don’t remember anything else. If I had known, I would have released my tentacles to match theirs.

DECEIT: That creature was not terrifying at all…

LOGAN: It won’t cause any more trouble, thankfully. Now, since you were out when it happened, I want to announce to you all the news.

CHRIS: What news?

LOGAN: I have asked Patton to marry me, and he said yes.

CHRIS: [his face lightens up] Really!? I’m so happy! At last I’m gonna be able to call you grandfather for real!

LOGAN: And I’ll be proud to have you as grandson, boy.

REMUS: Um… Can I say something?

THOMAS: Wow, it’s the first time you ask for permission to say something, are you sure you didn’t get badly hurt by that beast? Okay, I was kidding, go ahead.

REMUS: I know that this is your moment and all that jazz, Logan, but, you’re planning a wedding and I thought that… it would be a shame to waste a ceremony just on one couple, when you can use it to join two couples, right?

DECEIT: Remus? What are you trying to say?

REMUS: I was thinking that… it would be great if we could kill to birds with one stone…

THOMAS: Of course Remus would be the first Side to use that saying…

REMUS: …and you married me the same day Logan and Patton married, in the same ceremony, a double wedding. If you accept me, of course, and if Logan and Patton don’t disagree.

DECEIT: But we’ve been dating only for three weeks. You didn’t even ask me to marry you, Remus, and you’re planning our wedding already?

REMUS: Well, it was just an idea that flashed through my head, and you know that I always say what goes through my head like that, especially when I really want to say it. So… what do you say, Dee? Will you marry me?

DECEIT: I… I don’t know… I mean, to be honest, we barely know each other. You don’t even know my name and…

REMUS: Well, that has an easy remedy. My name is Remus Sanders. What is your name?

DECEIT: [nervous smile] Wow… It’s been ages since I last shared my name… You remember well, right Virge?

VIRGIL: How could I forget? You opened yourself to me and trusted me your name. I wish I could have been able to correspond that act of trust.

DECEIT: But you have. You’ve kept the secret all these years and I thank you for that.

IRGIL: I did not even used it when we were both alone. It felt to me like profaning something sacred, you know?

DECEIT: Well, it’s not like you couldn’t have used my name in private with me. I’m no deity for my name to be revered as such. After all, that’s what I revealed it to you for.

VIRGIL: Okay, but still, your name inspired me such sensation, like I could break something if I spoke it aloud. Back then, I didn’t understand myself why… Now I think I do. You trusted me your feelings with that name and I didn’t want to break that trust in any way. I wish I would have understood earlier these feelings behind that revelation, Dee. Maybe things could have been different between us.

DECEIT: It’s not your fault, and besides, [looking at Remus] that’s probably how it was meant to be, after all. [sighs] Still, though, back then you were my only friend in the Dark Realm, the only one with whom I felt comfortable enough to share that secret. But when you were so oblivious about my feelings for you, in a way, I felt heartbroken, and I decided to hide my name ever since, because it reminded me of that moment. And that’s silly because you can’t run away from feelings just by avoiding using your own name, that’s stupid… Eventually, I had to face these feelings anyway, with our without my name in the equation.

VIRGIL: I’m so sorry I made you feel that way…

DECEIT: And now that Remus has asked me that question… I suddenly realized that I really wanted to answer it. In fact, I suddenly realized that I don’t have any reason to hide my name anymore. If there was a time where I felt belittled and useless and thought that I had to put a shield around myself to act all tough, hiding my true self from the others… that time has been gone for a long time now. I’m among friends now and I really want to break whatever is left from that shield and be myself. So, I’m gonna share my name with all of you, guys.

[everyone looks at Deceit in expectation. Deceit sighs, then takes a deep breath and speaks]

DECEIT: My name is Janus.

[there’s a silence in the room. Then they all smile at him]

THOMAS: It’s an honor to meet you… Janus.

JANUS: Wow, it feels so weird… it’s both a sensation of relief and ickiness… I don’t know if I’ll be able to get used to you calling me by my real name.

VIRGIL: Yeah, I know the feeling…

THOMAS: We’ll call you however you want. Your name is Janus, but you will always be our Dee in our hearts. I like your name, by the way.

JANUS: [smiles emotional] Thank you, Thomas.

HONESTY: If I may speak…

JANUS: Oh, are you going to…?

HONESTY: Yes. I’ve always known your name too, Janus, at least since we got unlocked from each other. Not surprising bearing in mind we share the same memories and for a long time the same body. I never revealed your name cause I knew how much it meant to you, and in solidarity with you, I also avoided revealing mine. It’s curious that even when we didn’t know about each other, I still didn’t want to reveal my name. Maybe back then you had an influence on me of some kind, who knows. The point is, that now that you’ve shared your name, I also want to share mine.

ROMAN: Oooh, what a day of revelations…

THOMAS: Roman, sush! Go ahead, Hon.

HONESTY: [with a posh British accent] Well, ladies and gentlemen…

ROMAN: What ladies…?

HONESTY: It is an honor to announce to all my beloved family members that my name…

[again, everyone looks at Honesty in expectation]

HONESTY: My name is Ian.

[everyone looks at Ian]

VIRGIL: I like that name.

THOMAS: Nice to meet you too, Ian.

IAN: Thanks, guys.

LOGAN: Oh, I think I understand the logic behind your names…

THOMAS: What?

LOGAN: Ian and Janus have been sharing the same body for a long time. They’ve been a Side with two faces. There is a deity in the Roman pantheon whose name is Janus, a two faced god that took charge of beginnings and endings, transitions and passages, and presided war and peace. That explains a lot of Janus’ name. And Ian… could very well be based on Ianos, the Greek version of the Latin Janus. It makes sense that, being the same Side in origin, they also share the same name origin, even if it came out in a different form for each.

IAN: Hadn’t thought about that. I only thought it looked cool to have a name so associated to British culture. Ian Flemming, creator of James Bond; Ian Chesterton, one of the Doctor’s first companions in Doctor Who; Ian McKellen, one of the best British actors and worldwide actors in general ever…

JANUS: Yes, it’s a cool name. I’m glad that we both share a name in a way, brother.

IAN: I’m glad too.

REMUS: Well, now that the introductions are over… Janus, I’m still waiting for an answer.

JANUS: [beat] Well, I told you that I don’t like weddings, remember?

REMUS: But you were lying… [voice of concern] right?

[Janus chuckles]

JANUS: Of course I was lying, you fool. I’ll be happy to marry you. What do I have to lose, anyway?

REMUS: Wheee! [Remus grabs Janus and spins around with him in his arms, they both laugh. Then Remus kisses Janus] I knew proposing was a good idea!

PATTON: As for marrying together… it’s okay by me, if Logan is not against it.

LOGAN: No, I’m not against it. It’s a family gathering after all, and you were right. It will be good to save resources and perform a single ceremony to wed two couples at once. So I’m okay with it too. It will make it even more special for us.

JANUS: Thank you guys.

ROMAN: I’m happy for all of you. And look at this, I’m gaining two new family members. Logan becomes my father-in-law and Deceit… I mean, Janus, becomes my brother-in-law. How much happy can a prince get?

[they all start congratulating the couples, while Thomas looks at the camera]

THOMAS: Well, all’s well that ends well. Until next time, take it easy, guys, gals and non binary pals. Peace out!

[ending card]

[days have passed. Roman is in the royal castle of Sandersia, talking to his brother Roland]

ROMAN: …and this is all that happened.

ROLAND: Wow, Roman. You get adventures even without looking for them. I hope Logan is okay.

ROMAN: I would say that it’s the adventures who get us, but yes, you’re right, and Logan is much better now after these few days of rest… So, I was thinking if we could use the royal castle to perform the weddings.

ROLAND: [nervous] Oh, well… I don’t know if it’s a good idea. Of course, you’re the royal prince and your word would be my command but, still, I don’t think it’s a good idea.

ROMAN: Why? When I married we used the royal castle and, except for the Dark Master crashing the wedding, everything went just fine.

ROLAND: That’s different, you are the Royal Prince of Sandersia, therefore your wedding was a royal wedding. It was more than appropriate to perform it in the royal castle. But your friends are not royalty per se. It would be against protocol.

ROMAN: Well, Remus is my brother, and a duke, that’s nobility at least, and Patton is my husband’s father, he could be considered consort royalty too.

ROLAND: As I said, your word is my command and I’m just a regent prince… I’ll obey your instructions now and always.

ROMAN: Something makes you uncomfortable and I think it’s not protocol related. What’s wrong? Forget that I’m the Royal Prince of Sandersia and all that pompous stuff and speak to me, from brother to brother. Give me your real opinion and what you really want.

ROLAND: Well…

ROMAN: Come on, I’m your brother. You can trust me anything that bothers you and your honest opinion is important to me.

ROLAND: Okay… I’ll be honest with you, and I’m sorry. I have no problem to perform Patton and Logan’s wedding here… but I despise the idea of performing Remus’ wedding in this castle. I don’t wanna do that if I have a choice.

ROMAN: Oh… I should have known it was related to that.

ROLAND: I still don’t understand how you could have let him get so integrated in your group. Have you all forgotten that he tried to kill me? Does nobody care about my safety or about how I feel now?

ROMAN: I really understand your concern, and of course we care about you. You’re my brother, for Ethel Merman’s sake, how could I not care about you? But Remus is not the same as he used to be back when he did that. I’m sure he regrets having done all of that, and he doesn’t have any ill will against you anymore. I really wish you would give him a chance.

ROLAND: I don’t trust him. And being so unpredictable, Janus – was that Deceit’s name, you said? - shouldn’t trust him either. Who can tell that he won’t have another face-heel turn at any moment? He could turn against you at the slightest chance. He’s just like that, and I fear about your safety, just as much as I scared to death about mine. He scares me and I can’t help feeling that way, and if you had gone through what I went through, you would be too.

ROMAN: You’re saying this because you haven’t witnessed everything we’ve gone through with him. I’m telling you he’s really changed. If only you would give him a chance to prove it to you. Please, he’s my brother, Roland, just as much as you are. Couldn’t you do this… for me?

ROLAND: Wait, no, don’t look at me with the puppy face…

[Roman starts whining like a puppy with an over the top pouty face. Roland can’t help chuckling a bit]

ROLAND: That was a cheap shot.

ROMAN: [smiling like a kid] But did it work?

ROLAND: You already know it worked, it always did when you wanted to play with my toys when we were kids… [sighs] Okay… If he really means so much to you… I’m going to give him a chance to prove himself. But let it be known, I do this for you and not for him.

ROMAN: I love you, brother. What do you have in mind?

ROLAND: He will come over to this castle for a week. He can bring Janus if he wants. In fact I wouldn’t mind if all of you came here for the week, for a little vacation, if you’re not busy, of course. I will then have the chance to get to know him, and if I’m pleased with what I see, I’ll accept that he marries Janus here with Logan and Patton. Will that make you happy?

ROMAN: You have no idea, Roland. Thank you so much. You won’t regret this, you’ll see.

ROLAND: I’m regretting it already… I hope for your own happiness that he doesn’t mess everything up during that week.

ROLAND: He won’t. You’ll get to like him too, you’ll see.

ROLAND: I hope so, Roman. I hope so…

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yurireview · 5 years

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The Hypocrisy of the argument "this ship is forced"

Lately I have realized that a part of the fandom is very hypocritical when they say "this ship is forced" because they only apply it when the couple is (lesbian)

Now that the BB is almost canon, they are very scared and they are throwing shit to Whiterose (when they did not do it before) because they are realizing that this volume they have had a lot of focus ... but let's analyze which are the ship forced and that the fandom would not say anything if it becomes "canon".

I remember that the video that made me think that most of Straight ship with Weiss were forced was this:

do not get me wrong (I know that Calix is super positive, multishipper and one of the best youtuber of RWBY) ... but in that video as his teammate Hunter pointed out, she had to create a fanfic so that the dynamics of Weiss and Neptune worked, even ignoring many things established in the canon.

Now let's look at the date (2017) even with the latest volumes and with all the character development of Weiss ... there are people who want Weiss to be with Neptune (not because they like the couple) but because they want the Whiterose not to be a canon couple,,,but there are others who would not call that "forced"

let's look at a more updated case of one of my favorite youtuber (not that he is talking badly about Whiterose ... but sometimes even the "experts" get more stupid arguments for "normal" ship)

When I read this, I said to myself, Really? Weiss and Jaune in 6 volumes have only had 9 minutes on screen (most were in the first 2 volumes) where she rejected him in a very cruel way ... then when she at least became his friend (almost did not talk whit him)

in fact the moments that could at least give them "development" made Weiss focused on Ruby.

The end of Vol 5 is a clear example where Weiss did not dedicate 1 minute of his time to Jaune (or even to thank him)

Not to mention the Vol 6 ... I mean literally this was Weiss in that Vol (no development or even talk with Jaune)

It's sad that even Blake was more affective with Jaune than Weiss ... but still there are people who say "Weiss and Jaune are going to end up together". Where do they get that from? In what universe would that ship not be forced?

I mean even the argument of the "big family" is ridiculous (taken from a fanfic) ... first that works best with Ruby and Weiss for 2 simple reasons:

Ruby is the person who brings more happiness to Weiss (that's undeniable) ... so Weiss does not need Jaune because the show itself establishes it that way.

In family dynamics ... Tai is the opposite of Jacques and really the "loving family" does not work ... because like Jaune sister (Ruby and Weiss would have to move since you can not live with their parents forever)

I've even seen people who ship Weiss and Sun on Reddit (even on Tumblr and some are Bumbleby fans who for some reason promote this so the fandom will forget the Blakesun)

They prefer that Weiss be with Sun (they say that the Ship has "Potential) I mean WTF ... they prefer that to Weiss not being straight

literally they only have 2 minutes to talk, zero development, zero interest ... it's literally the same example as with Neptune but worse (you'd have to create a fanfic and clearly make Weiss act out of character because as we can see his link is with Ruby and this volume made it clearer) ... if that is not "forced" then I do not know what it is.

I'll clarify something before they misunderstand me ... we all have the freedom to match couples what we want, it's the beauty of the shipping...but if you come with those ship that are bad (objectively speaking) you have no right to say that another ship with development, time on screen and that the narrative gives meaning is "forced"

Literally the only straight ship that at least would not be "forced" if they give more development would be the Lancaster ... in fact the Lancaster is similar to the Whiterose with the difference that it has less screen time, less important moments.

But it's still a thousand times better than the other Weiss straight pairings

The fandom and the Whiterose

Even though the Whiterose is one of the most popular ship of RWBY and with better development still there are people who say "forced" if the ship becomes canon

Literally the Whiterose is the ship with more time on screen

the new official RWBY manga that is telling the same story of the show (but more developed) is giving the Whiterose a very special and clear focus giving very obvious moments in this dynamic

Not only this ship has more time on screen than all the others ... but it is evident how the Weiss character has become so close to Ruby (as it never was with another character)

Many of the moments between Weiss and Ruby had happened between Weiss and a guy many of the fandom would say "are canon" or they would say "Weiss is starting to feel something for that guy" without hesitation

In addition to each volume its dynamic is changing ... but still there are people who say "this is forced" "are putting agenda" or "The Bumbleby is already canon... why they want to transform a straight character into homosexual?"

Weiss is as "straight" as Blake or Yang

Monty video on this subject is quite clear ... it does not matter if the couple is “straight or homosexual" if they have development in the narrative then it's fine (part of being young is "self-discovery")

For something the BB is almost canon, because events led them to develop feelings (it's simple) to classify them as "straight" is silly and Monty himself clarifies it there

So stop saying nonsense like

"The Whiterose can not happen because ...she straight" "The Whiterose is forced not like the straight ship of the show" "They can not develop anything because if not everyone in the RWBY team would be lesbians and that would be supporting political agenda"

I hope you liked this review ... saying this I say goodbye and I wish you good day

#rwby #white rose #whiterose #weiss schnee #ruby rose #rwby fandom #rwby ships

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fulcrumahsokaamidala · 4 years

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Fan Fic Catch Up: WIP

Hello, everyone!!! So this is me thanking awesome fanfic writers for their amazing work and all the time they put into their fics. ♥️ I want to recommend spectacular fanfic stories I’ve read since my last spectacular Saturday post! ♥️ Which was last November!!! Saturday spectacular post will resume this Saturday. Will still be tagged as #saturday spectacular fic rec

This is the third of three catch up posts.

Completed multi-chapter fics

WIP fic

One-shots

by your side by ppperaltiagooo | Brooklyn Nine-Nine | WIP

Summary: in which jake is sent undercover again and amy finds out she is pregnant while he’s gone.

The What If Harassment Alternative by portlandborn | Brooklyn Nine-Nine | WIP

Summary: What would have happened to Peraltiago And our intrepid detectives, if Amy had reported her mentor captains ugly behaviors?

Did I Forget to Mention That My Dad is a Supervillain? by @laxit21 | Arrow | WIP

Summary: When Felicity told Oliver about her father, she wasn’t lying per se. She wasn’t completely honest either. It’s just that ‘my dad left us’ sounded better than the truth.

Or: A Series of one shots in which Felicity’s dad is a supervillain and we see how Oliver and the team finds out.

PrepPy GoThic LoVe by @cruzrogue | Arrow | WIP

Summary: New Freshman at MIT, Felicity wants to party and she meets another drunken party guest Oliver and they hit it off. Not really thinking of consequences have a wonderful time together. Oliver been to two different schools and this one he finally wants to do better because of a beacon of hope that rubbed off on him with just one night a passionate gothic girl changes him for the better.

Thinking Out Loud by @dust2dust34 | Arrow | WIP

Summary: Olicity fluff drabbles. So much Olicity fluff, you'll want to eat a pillow. From my Tumblr 'One Line of Dialogue' fluff prompt request.

You've Gotten Into My Bloodstream by @dust2dust34| | Arrow | WIP

Summary: My collection of (mostly) alternate universe meetings/fics featuring Oliver and Felicity, ranging from tattoos to Bratva to best friends to college to ghosts to exes meeting up again to vampires and werewolves.

Room for Rent by strawwolf | Arrow | WIP

Summary: Oliver's been kicked out of his house, lost his company and his money. Fortunately Felicity has kindly offered to let him stay at her apartment. With the two of them living together in close quarters, what could go wrong?

Elizabeth Grace Smoak by @lynn8828 | Arrow | WIP

Summary: What if Felicity and Oliver briefly had met before he got on the Gambit? Despite her best efforts, Felicity was unable to get in contact with the famous Oliver Queen after having a one night stand with him and getting pregnant with his child. After raising their child for five years after finding out that Oliver died on the Gambit, she finds out he is alive and knows that she needs to tell him about their daughter. But will he believe her?

Artemis by @laxit21 | Arrow | WIP

Summary: When the Queen’s Gambit sank, two people were stranded on Lian Yu. Five years later, four came back.

Daughter of the Demon by @laxit21 | Arrow | WIP

Summary: What if in 1988 while traveling through Las Vegas Ra’s al Ghul bumps into a nice waitress named Donna Smoak and they have one-night stand together? A little bundle of joy named Felicity Smoak is the result. In 2014, the Demon Head becomes aware of his youngest daughter’s existence.

The Ravager by @laxit21 | Arrow | WIP

Summary: Slade Wilson’s plan for revenge against Oliver took time, money and no shortage of lives to pull together. His plan didn’t anticipate Felicity Smoak. How will his plan change now that his lost-lost daughter is working with the very man he’s trying to destroy?

Felicity of Themiscyra by @laxit21 | Arrow | WIP

Summary: Years ago, Donna Smoak left the island of Themiscyra and her sister Queen Hippolyta behind to live in man’s world. She never told Felicity the truth about where she came from. As a result of the Undertaking, Felicity discovers some of her Amazonian abilities and makes an interesting new friend: Diana Prince.

The Daughter That Was Left by @laxit21 | Arrow | WIP

Summary: Before the Gambit, Oliver Queen met QC intern Felicity Smoak. When he boarded the Gambit, he left something behind. Now, five long years later someone is waiting for him.

I Scream But No Sound Comes out by @laxit21 | Arrow | WIP

Summary: When Oliver returns from Lian Yu after five years, he comes back different. What happened there damaged more than just his body. How will his friends and family deal with this new Oliver?

an adventure like no other by @inlovewithimpossibillity | Arrow | WIP

Summary: During their road trip in the summer of 2015, it's not food poisoning that ails Felicity in Thailand, but it's not helping the team either. It seems their road trip bliss has carried Oliver and Felicity away and now they're facing an adventure they were never expecting.[a post-s3/s4 canon divergence, unplanned pregnancy fic]

Like Real People Do by more0rLessJess | Arrow | WIP

Summary: Felicity Smoak has had a rough couple of years and all she wants to do is move on with her life and start her own tech company. After an incident at Queen Consolidated, she quit and accepted a job working as a technical analyst and computer expert at the Starling City Police Department, where she’s stuck for at least another year thanks to the non-compete clause she signed in her Queen Consolidated contract. But as much as she’d rather be in the tech world, she does love being able to help others. Plus she gets to do that with the help of a certain Detective, who she may or may not be attracted too.

Oliver Queen just finished five years in the Army Special Forces and is only working as an SCPD Detective because his best friend and fellow soldier, John Diggle, said it would be good for him to help pull his life together after years of hardships in the military. Oliver expected to hate the job, but what he never expected was meeting the IT girl with a heart of gold and her own demons to deal with.

Captain Quentin Lance just wants a functioning police department.

Hope for the Holidays by @hope-for-olicity | Arrow | WIP

Summary: Felicity and Oliver meet over the holidays when they find love right next door.

You are my Always by @felicityollies | Arrow | WIP

Summary: mini drabbles of olicity; missing scenes, semi-canon, and au settings. all of them can be read independently.

“Time for a story” Drabble Series by @smkkbert | Arrow | WIP

Summary: This fic shows Olicity and their life as a (married) couple with family. Although Olicity (and their kids) are the protagonists, other characters of Arrow and Flash make appearances. It started as a drabble series, but developed more and more into a full domectic AU. Although some chapters are still drabble-like, there are longer storylines by now.

Pieces of Always by @so-caffeinated | Arrow | WIP

Summary: Life continues after Forever is Composed of Nows.Ongoing non-linear collection of family moments for the Queens. You do not need to have read FiCoN to enjoy this, but it will spoil the end.

Let me know if you want to be tagged!

@hope-for-olicity @emdee8907 @malafle @laxit21 @icannotbelieveiamhere

#saturday spectacular fic rec #jazzy's fic catch up #weekly fic recs

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smokedstorybara · 4 years

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everyone seems to describe writing fanfic, and their motives for doing so, as “fixing canon”

which is totally valid

it’s just not how it is for me

(I make a lot of long introspective posts like this on my main, like one every couple months, but since this one is about writing I figured I’d put it here instead; I’m gonna put a readmore here so y’all can skip over it all if you want)

for me writing fanfiction is almost like an experiment, an exploration of variables - circumstance, setting, choices - and how they affect the characters trajectories and the outcome of the story as a whole (though tbh I tend approach writing in general as an exploration of tropes and structure and psychology so I guess it’s just how I am)

(I’m gonna use some fanfics I’m working on, as well as the couple I’ve actually posted, as examples to help me explain what I mean, so if you don’t want spoilers maybe don’t read)

first: exploration of circumstance (then setting, choices, and ending with all three together)

my two examples for this are my published Dear Evan Hansen fic (Apprentice) Park Ranger Handsome and a role-reversal Arrowverse au I’m working on

(A)PRH started with the thought “what would’ve happened if Evan and Connor had first interacted over the summer, at the park Evan worked at?”

my first answer was a simple “their first meeting would likely have gone much smoother - the environment and circumstances of it being much more relaxed”

this led to “they both would’ve latched on to that; this conversation is going well lets try to keep it going as long as possible I’m starved for positive interaction turning into if I talk to him again maybe it’ll go as well as last time it hasn’t gone wrong yet keep coming back keep talking to him maybe this can be good”

which leads to them becoming friends (and likely developing crushes on each other) and then opening up to each other >> relying on each other >> supporting each other >> each realizing that if they want to support the other they need a more stable support themself >> Evan likely being the first to actively reach out for outside support since he already has a therapist and relatively better relationship with his mother >> Evan doesn’t fall from that tree and Connor doesn’t commit suicide >> the entire plot of the play no longer happens but the boys are happy and their families are at least on their ways to healing

the Coldflash role-reversal (which does not have a name yet) actually started with the question “what element would I need to change for Barry to still be a CSI for the CCPD but also use his superspeed to become a criminal?”

the element I went with was him not being allowed access to the file on his mother’s murder

the cause-effect diagram so far is as follows: Barry isn’t allowed access to the file and thus can’t investigate >> he’s upset about this fact >> in a better mental state to be aware of corruption and laziness in the police force (as well as other factors that lead to the wrong person getting arrested) >> becomes bitter and disillusioned but hides it because he still wants to do what he can to prevent innocent people from going to jail >> when he gets superpowers he decides to use it to bring light to the failings of the city’s law enforcement >> becomes a thief >> tries to steal the Khandaq Dynasty Diamond at the same time as Leonard Snart does >> Leonard Snart gets a hold of the cold gun >> they both try again at the same time but because Flash is faster the public see him as a thief and “Captain Cold” as a hero >> because Snart is a giant nerd and also because he’s frustrated with all the chaos in his city from the metas, he decides to go along with it and becomes a superhero

second: exploration of setting

my only example for this is a fantasy au I recently started for Pacific Rim

so the variable I changed was “instead of a war between humans and beings from another world, it’s a war between the two fae courts”

and where changing a circumstance leads to a cause and effect of characters choices, changing setting leads to a map of what that changes in the characters circumstances and identities

some examples from this au:

Hannibal Chau is a human who uses deals with what I’ve been calling “J Court” in my outline to boost his black market business - instead of just being a shady black market dealer with ties to the PPDC, he’s one of the few humans who even knows the fae exist

Stacker Pentecost is either the king of the J Court or the leader of it’s army, giving him much more power than he had in canon

Raleigh left the Court after Yancy’s death, separating himself from his people and instead immersing himself in humanity, but somehow Stacker convinced him to return

(on the flip side: Newt is still an expert on Kaiju biology and just as obsessed with studying them as he is in canon)

third: exploration of choices

this exploration is where I look at one choice made in canon and ask myself “how would everything change if a different choice was made here?”

two examples again; an Umbrella Academy fic (tentatively named “The One Where He Stayed” in my drive) and a Check Please fic currently titled Moving On

the choice in TOWHS is Klaus going back to 2019 after Dave dies - instead he stays, serves a full tour in Vietnam and then returns to the US with his surviving war buddies

this changes his circumstances, setting, and leads to a cause-effect chain of decisions

he’s now a veteran in early seventies USA, he has friends who respect him and care about him; he still decides to go sober to see Dave again but there’s more behind the decision; he makes himself a home and a family - even if a good portion of them are dead soldiers, some of them are the spouses of his brothers-in-arms, their children and siblings; he learns to control his powers, all of them; and when he finally ends up back in 2019 - either the long way or from accidentally opening the briefcase - he still has this family waiting for him to show back up, willing to help, he’s powerful and knows it, and there’s no way he’s going to let the apocalypse happen

Moving On is less changing a choice made in canon and more answering the question of “what would happen if this choice that wasn’t made was?”

or, more specifically, “what if Bitty and Jack broke up before the Stanley Cup win? how would that affect Bitty’s friendships, his life?”

because many of Bitty’s friends are also friends with Jack, or at least look up to him, and in fact several were friends with Jack first

this one is mostly about exploring the psychology of the comic’s characters and how they all would react

I was happy to realize there would likely not be too much side taking, but there would be awkwardness for most of them; Bitty would likely gravitate more towards spending time with Tango, Whiskey, and Ford who would be the three most likely to not make a big deal out of it or make things awkward; also Bitty would be unable to tell his mother, which would eat at him

then there was the question “if Kent found out would he sympathize? would they become friends?” (slightly harder to answer, since Kent is a tiny bit of an enigma, but I chose to be optimistic there)

and the most important question: “how would I want to end this story? would it be a more satisfying conclusion for Bitty to find a new boyfriend and be happy with him, or to decide he doesn’t need a man to be happy? should Jack end the story single, or in a new relationship?”

the answers I decided on were: while Bitty doesn’t need a man to be happy, he was closeted his entire teens and at this point has only had one relationship and he deserves to get another chance at romance; and on the other side, Jack’s personal story is more about his hockey and becoming comfortable being himself and really all he needs is to win the Stanley Cup or something

fourth: all three at once - or in other words: The Soulmate AU

soulmate AUs are the best way to cover all three at once because the very existence of soulmates changes the circumstances of the story and how the world works, and affects what choices the characters would make

once again, I have two examples: my published Moomins fic Perchance To Dream, and an Arrowverse one-shot series titled Dream A Little Dream

Perchance To Dream was started by the question “in what way could I make Moomin and Snufkin soulmates without them immediately knowing upon meeting? which soulmate trope would I have to use?”

my tentative answer was soul dreams

which was quickly followed by the acknowledgement that if young Snufkin had started having soul dreams he’d likely be unhappy >> if Moomin knew his soulmate was unhappy with their soul bond and he had a way to cut off the bond - say, an herb that you take every night to stop your soul dreams - he’d do that for them, even if it would make him very sad >> time passes and they meet how they do in canon and they’ve both grown enough that they don’t immediately recognize each other >> Snufkin would figure it out first, but exactly when and how would depend on Moomin >> Snufkin would keep it a secret, nervous about telling Moomin >> Moomin would find himself drawn (and attracted) to Snufkin and would have very conflicting feelings over it >> they’d both spend an awfully long time feeling conflicted and guilty before Moomin decides he wants to be with Snufkin, soulmate or not, and Snufkin decides to tell Moomin the truth - probably around the same time

Dream A Little Dream exists entirely as an exploration of the soulmate trope and the different possibilities within

instead of being a romance focusing on one or two ships, it’s a non-linear web showing both how the existence of soulmates affects all the characters and how the events of canon affect the relationships of all the soulmate pairs

(I tried to separate it into primary pairs, secondary pairs, and tertiary pairs to make it easier on myself but all the pairings were too important to the whole idea behind the story to limit their chapters(literally I have, like, nine endgame ships and two of those are polyam(as in I’m counting a four person polyam chain as one ship, even if it might technically count as three, and the other is three people: one relationship); and around fifteen soul pairs(yes there are more soul pairs than endgame ships, there’s a reason for that)))

because of the way I’m exploring the trope there’s fairly little, aside from romantic relationships, that changes from canon (at least up to season four of the Flash, cause that’s as far as I’ve seen)

mostly it’s things like Leonard Snart returning to life because him and Barry are one of the soul pairs I plan on having end up together - after a very long process of Len spending nine months thinking his soulmate died >> then several months of Barry knowing Len’s his soulmate but Len being in the dark >> a period of Len trying to win Barry over but failing a bit >> Len dying and Barry mourning him >> Barry marrying and then divorcing Iris >> Len coming back to life >> Barry and him finally getting together

which is a parallel(in that they both have the “good guy is soulmated to bad guy” dynamic) and contrast to Cisco and Hartley who don’t realize they’re soulmates when they first meet and totally hate each other >> when they can no longer deny it, they start to work together and accept each other >> end up together

Iris’s soulmate is Eddie, and she, Caitlin, and Ray are explorations of moving on after the loss of your soulmate and the different forms that takes - Iris and Caitlin ending up together(along with Shawna, who was left behind by her soulmate) and Ray trying to fill Anna’s spot with other romantic relationships before finally realizing that that isn’t actually helping and finally properly coming to terms with the loss

and I’m gonna stop here instead of going any further into this one, since it’s got so many moving parts and also it’s a little harder to separate from canon than the others

#writeblr #fanfic talk #storybarambles #sorry this doesn't have a proper conclusion #I'm very tired

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youknowmymethods · 5 years

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Content Creator Interview #3

In the third part of this series it’s @ohaine ‘s turn (*waves*) to pick @ashockinglackofsatin ‘s (satin_doll’s) brain about inspiration for baroque and larger than life OCs, what poetry has to do with fanfiction, and how a chance encounter with a masked swordsman kicked her down the path to fandom and fanfic writing.

(My apologies if the formatting looks a bit weird to you. This looks fine on my desktop, but a bit crazy in the mobile app. Not sure what’s going on or how to fix it, so...)

“He drapes the black cloth carefully. He doesn't want to disturb more than necessary. As he works, he murmurs to them, softly, ever so softly. Periodically, he pauses and stares into the distance, as if he's watching for a visitor. No one will come now. Not out here. Not for him.”

-Telling the Bees

If you read enough, if you pay enough attention, every now and then you’re rewarded with a fanfic author who not only truly understands the character they’re writing, but who also truly understands writing itself. They’re a gift. Not only to their readers but to other writers who take inspiration from them, who learn from them, who aspire to be as good as them.

On a sunny Saturday morning in April 2016 for the very first time I opened satin_doll’s page on AO3 and read her first Sherlolly story, “Telling the Bees.” I cried fat, ugly tears for Sherlock, for Molly, (inconvenient, not to mention embarrassing as I was in a public place) but I smiled because I’d found one. A gift. It was the beginning of a love affair with her work, the beginning of a masterclass in writing and understanding, but maybe even more importantly it was the beginning of a wonderful friendship. And it began with the same first words I’ve used to introduce her here.

It’s a joyous thing to be given the opportunity to talk to her about her writing. Whether it’s a revelatory character study, like “Down and Shaking When I Think I Lose,” the heart-wrenching romance of “Doubt,” even the so-perfect-it-could-be-canon world of the “Dark Company” series, satin_doll pulls you down a rabbit hole, into Sherlock’s world in a way that makes you understand him better, and teaches you something about yourself in the process.

Funny, clever, insightful, she’s my number one writing crush, I love her to bits.

Over Christmas 2018 satin_doll (@ashockinglackofsatin here on tumblr) was kind enough to answer my fangirling questions about her writing and characters. I hope you all enjoy reading what she had to say as much as I did.

OhAine: So, starting at your beginning, how did the spark ignite?

satin_doll: I started with fiction before I could actually read or write. When I was four years old, there was a television show on about Robin Hood. My mom would park me in front of the television every day when this show was on (probably to get some relief/keep me out of her face for a little while so she could get something done) and I was absolutely in love with Robin Hood. I made up stories and made my mother write them down for me. This is how I learned to read and write: she started teaching me my letters when I asked her what the little black marks were on the paper. Once I learned, I read everything I could get my hands on. I read literally everything. I was absolutely fascinated with words. I belonged to a children's book club, went to the library, read my parents books (both my mom and stepdad were voracious readers, so there were books everywhere.) I especially loved books about fantastic things - magic, sorcery, dragons, etc. I loved mythology, superheroes, science fiction and fantasy. I collected comic books for years. Not much changed as I got older. Speculative fiction is still what I'm drawn to.

Despite my obsession with books and stories, I never considered myself a "writer" until after college. In school, I had the usual literature and writing classes until I met Mr. P, my creative writing professor. He was a well-known poet (think Pulitzer Prize) and our creative writing was almost exclusively poetry. I fell in love with both him and poetry and continued to take classes with him for years. One of my proudest achievements was breaking into a particularly choosy literary magazine and being published in it before he was. He never let me forget that. He also was fond of saying "Novelists are failed poets", which I took to heart for a long while once I understood what he was saying. He wasn't criticizing novelists, just making a point about how to write poetry. That's about the extent of my training as a writer; the rest is just me and my periodic forays into hubris.

OhAine: Is voracious reading how you discovered fanfiction?

satin_doll: No, it was on the old Compuserve bulletin boards. And loved it. But it didn't really occur to me to write it back then.

In 1998, I belonged to an online discussion group about Zorro. I had a video tape of all the old Disney episodes and I adored Guy Williams. One of the ladies in the group - I still don't remember why she chose me - asked me to write her a story about Zorro, so I did. I think Zorro ended up in a bathtub with a lady, taking his mask off and introducing himself by his real name. I don't know what happened to that file, I wish I still had it. As I recall, it was a nice story and I was very pleased with it. At any rate, that was my first fanfic as an adult that I shared with someone else, and after that I couldn't quit doing it.

OhAine: It’s that sharing that makes fanfiction unique, isn’t it? Because the reader isn’t some abstract concept, far removed from you, we’re all part of the same fandom so you get an instant connection, almost real-time feedback.

satin_doll: Exactly. And that feedback is critical for a writer, no matter how much some of us protest that we "write for ourselves." We don't live in a vacuum and psychologically speaking, for writers, sharing our work is an important form of setting boundaries, which is expressing who and what we are. This is especially true for fanfic writers, I think. When we post work, we're not doing it so that we can go back and look at it ourselves. We're communicating and we're communicating something important. We join a fandom because we like it, and to communicate that enjoyment with other like-minded individuals. We want to share what we love and what we know. When we write stories about the characters or using a particular setting or universe, we're expressing, communicating - hopefully - something important about ourselves, both individually and as a group.

When I write fanfic, I write it to communicate. I don't expect lots of kudos or comments; in fact, I'm usually surprised that anyone reads it at all, let alone takes the time to leave a remark or anything of that sort. But it's out there, and hopefully someone will read it and it will touch something inside them, have a little meaning for them. Don't get me wrong, I'm not writing to change anyone's life. It's enough to trigger some feeling, some emotional response, make them think or even just go "hmmm." I recently received a comment from someone who said they "had never thought of it that way." That was extremely satisfying to me, it meant that I had reached someone, made them think or consider something a different way and that's exactly why I write.

OhAine: Is that how you measure the success of a piece? Or do you have something else you measure it by?

satin_doll: Success to me is simply getting it done! Feedback is lovely, it's wonderful, and I adore it, but if I had to go by that I'd never write another word. In terms of feedback, the stories I would have thought would be well received generally aren't and the ones I think no one will like do fairly well, all things considered. Writing is hard, and I'm a very slow writer. I'm also probably more serious about it than most in the fan fiction realms. Not that I think my stories warrant "serious" consideration, but that the writing of them is a serious act for me. If I'm able to sit down and finish a piece, that's a success as far as I'm concerned. That they get any notice at all is icing on the cake.

OhAine: So I wanted to drill down a bit into some of your stories. Choosing which ones to ask you about was difficult because I have so many questions about your process, but I’ve settled in the end on two that I think are representative of the things you do best; OCs and character examination. Words (part of the Dark Company series) stands out for me as one of your most memorable stories not only because it has an outstanding OC (as all of the Dark series stories do) in the form of Mr P., but because of the very Sherlock way that Sherlock approaches the problem of his feelings for Molly Hooper. Can you tell me a bit about the inspiration for that story?

satin_doll: Sherlock and "feelings" is a notorious problem for writers, I think. Moftiss didn't do us any favors with their approach to the subject. Most tend to depict Sherlock as being clueless about feelings in general, which I understand. But in my universes, he isn't clueless so much as he is averse. Feelings can cause problems, both professionally and personally, so he buries them. But (in my version) he does this consciously. It isn't because he's unaware, it's a choice. Along with that choice come consequences. When he decides that he WANTS to deal with the feelings, he doesn't quite know how because he's never practiced expressing them or communicating on that level. It's like having a muscle that you've barely used; it's weak and it doesn't function properly yet. So, when he decides that he wants to start dealing with the emotional side of his relationship with Molly, what would he do?

My idea was that he would go to an expert in emotional expression for help, at least in the initial approach. Who better to come up with the right words than a poet? In the Dark Universe, Sherlock knows experts in everything. They are his friends, people he has interacted with, who know him and whom he knows and trusts completely. That was the beginning idea. Sherlock goes to one of his friends for help in finding the exact right words to open up the way to moving forward with Molly. Mr. P gives him a little poem that sort of wraps up the problem with the relationship as it is, and gives them both a push in the right direction. Sherlock does this because he is AWARE that he has a weak emotional muscle, not because he doesn't have one. It was like his first excursion to the emotional gym. He had to have help to get started.

OhAine: And the poem at the end – “How is it that we say so much in our first glance of greeting, Yet our words sit on our tongues like tiny, frozen birds?” – it absolutely kills me.

satin_doll: You can blame my own Mr. P for that. I spent years writing mostly poetry, and though I don't get that "poetic" in most of my fics, I was taught to cut and condense (also a result of writing movie reviews and doing interviews for work), to focus on the exact word or image that would get the point across or get the right response (thank you Semantics 101.) I also love haiku, which I consider the ultimate form of poetry, and distilling the essence of what you want to say into a single image is really good practice for writing of any kind. There is a place for long, flowery descriptives in writing fiction, I suppose, but in the end you have to remember that you're telling a story and you don't want the words to get in the way of that. Simple is always best, in poetry as well as fiction.

OhAine: I thought it was interesting that in this story he reached out to her in such a romantic way, yet you managed to still have it happen in a way that’s very much true to their characters. How do you walk that line between showing something that we only ever get the barest of hints of on screen, expanding the characters into places and emotions that we’re not familiar with, yet still keep them true to themselves?

satin_doll: Ah, this is a touchy one. We all have our own versions of Sherlock, of what we think is "in character" for him. Mine is such a mishmash of nearly every incarnation of Sherlock Holmes, going all the way back to the ACD beginnings. There are inconsistencies in those first stories as far as Sherlock's character is concerned, but there are strong consistencies also. What I object to is the reliance on physical habits or traits in place of actual character. Using certain physical attributes portrayed in the series for example (the popping of P in certain words, certain phrases borrowed from the show used over and over, etc.) does nothing to show character. I don't actually rely on the BBC series for my version of Sherlock; mine is a combination of all the Sherlock's I've known over many years. I always start from that. Likewise, you can't confuse the actor with the character, and I see that so very often in fics.

Molly, on the other hand, is much more difficult because we only have what we see in the BBC series and there's very little of that. So I sort of have to ask some questions that involve my version of Sherlock: What would he be drawn to? What character traits would he find appealing, be able to trust, and why? What would it be about Molly Hooper that Sherlock would want/love? We get little hints in the BBC show, and oddly enough, she does change and grow throughout. I never saw Molly as mousey. I mean, look at what she's doing in the very first minutes we meet her! Look at what her job is! I adored her from those first few brief minutes and I knew that of all the women in Sherlock's life, she would be the one that would appeal to him. So that's the way I write her (mostly; there are a few times I've been a little untrue to Molly, but not many.)

OhAine: It’s obvious that although they’re superficially very different you see them as very much the same beneath the surface.

satin_doll: Sherlock has always known that he is not like other people; he's not "normal". Molly, on the other hand, was taught that "normal" was something she should aspire to, to be like other people. So she fights her nature - which, to me, would have to be a little dark, otherwise she wouldn't be drawn to Sherlock, she wouldn't have pursued the career she did. In the Dark series, Sherlock is trying to teach her that she doesn't have to deny those inner aspects of herself that are decidedly NOT normal, in order to be happy. No matter how much she tries, "normal" doesn't work out for her. Little by little, they are both learning to accept things they've denied in themselves and they're finding it in their "dark" natures, in the dark around them, which can contain so much knowledge and wisdom if we're willing to explore it - and relief from trying to be something other than who you really are.

OhAine: And you’ve chosen to do that with OCs that are worthy of canon; Doyle couldn’t have done better in creating a world for modern day Sherlock. They have a vibrancy that’s worthy of a main character, yet you manage to do that without distracting from Sherlock and Molly’s story. How do you find these characters’ and their voices?

satin_doll: I know a lot of weird people. :D

Seriously, I don't think we have to make up original characters whole cloth. We all know people in our real lives who would make great fictional characters. I take a person I've known (for example: Sean, Sherlock's twin in Mango. I did know a person whose father shot her mother in front of her. I borrowed the incident, added a few traits from other people I know and voila, instant character) and insert them into the story. It's part of what's called "writing about what you know." The more from real life you can insert into your stories, the more realistic and satisfying they are. This goes for plot and description as well as characters. As for making them not take over the story completely, you do that by giving them an emotional tie to the main character but not letting that original character take over the main plot. The inner/outer struggle and emotional growth have to be about your protagonist, your main characters.

OhAine: That neatly brings me to Down and Shaking When I Think I Lose which is a masterpiece, and something that’s rare these days: an old school character study. You’ve written Season One Sherlock in a way that I haven’t seen done very often and not in a number of years. It’s outstanding because your Sherlock is atypical in a way that Mofftiss sadly abandoned after S2. There’s a line in your story that says, ‘Sometimes he wanted to be worn to nothing,’ that hones in on the cost of being Sherlock. Can you talk a bit about how this story came to be, and what about the canon character formed this version of him in your mind?

satin_doll: You have to understand, I love Sherlock Holmes deeply and have for a very, very long time. To me, he's not just a quirky, interesting character. He's my hero. And I have a thing about heroes.

I see a lot written about Sherlock that portrays him as broken in some way, or as deficient. There's always this underlying assumption that there's something "wrong" with him. Maybe there is, according to the scale by which normal people are judged. But there's another aspect to him that I've never really seen written about: what does he have to give up in order to do what he does? See I don't think he's unaware of how he is. I think he chooses to be that way. Part of that choice is to give up - to literally sacrifice - all those things that other people have as a matter of course: homes, families, relationships, emotional connections. This is part of the Heroic Saga. All heroes must sacrifice in order to be what/who they are. All of them, no exceptions. If they have the capacity to be the Hero, if they choose to go that way, they must sacrifice what the rest of us take for granted. There's a line from a book that I have constantly playing in the back of my head: "Who will do the hard things? Those who can." Sherlock is one of "those who can"; he CAN do the hard things. But always, implied in that, is sacrifice. If you choose to do the hard things, because you can, you must give up everything else.

There is an episode of Zorro where Diego de la Vega makes the decision to give up being Zorro. He decides he is tired of not having what everyone else has. He wants a home and a family and a relationship with a woman he's fallen in love with. He tells his father what his plans are, and his father, bless him, even though he's an old man, decides that he must take up the mask and become Zorro - because someone has to. Someone HAS to do the hard things. When Diego realizes what his father is doing, and what his father is giving up, and that his father will most likely die as Zorro, they have a long discussion about what being a hero and doing the hard things actually means, how important it is that someone fill that role. Diego makes the decision to continue wearing the mask, to sacrifice everything he thinks he wants, in order to do something he realizes is more important - because he CAN. He will do the hard things, because he can. In my mind (and heart), this is Sherlock. He does what no one else does, what no one else CAN do, because he can. The sad part of all this is that usually, no one else realizes how hard those things are or what sacrifices have to be made in order to do them. The hero gets criticized for not being like other people, they get ostracized, shunned, ridiculed, misunderstood. But they still keep doing it. No matter how frustrating, lonely, terrifying the role is, they keep doing it because they know they can. No matter what they have to give up, they do it.

I wanted to show that Sherlock has suffered all his life simply because of how he is and what he can do. And he chooses to embrace it, to stay true to himself in spite of everything, because he knows what he can do. It wears on him. It's lonely. It's exhausting. Frustrating. But he knows what he can do, and he does it, despite it all. Because someone has to.

OhAine: It’s funny, but I often think Sherlock’s sacrifice is less of a willing one than he’d have us believe. He says, ‘not my area,’ ‘while fulfilling for others,’… less ‘my mind is a temple’ than ‘I don’t think I can have both, despite the fact that I want both.’

satin_doll: Sherlock as hero is my own interpretation, based more on a combination of all the Sherlock's I've been exposed to over many years than on the BBC Sherlock alone. I don't really see all that many stories depicting him as a hero, which I totally understand given that so many discovered him from that series. I don't think Sherlock ever sees himself as a hero or tries to present himself as one to anyone else, but I think he's aware of the sacrifices he's had to make in order to do what he does, even in the BBC version. Otherwise I don't think he'd let anyone into his life at all, let alone work closely with people or consider anyone a "friend" - and yet that's exactly what he does, because he needs some sort of human connection even when he keeps them at a distance. There are a lot of interpretations out there of Sherlock and many many legitimate reasons people see for the way he behaves and what he does. Far be it from me to say that any of them are wrong. But for me, I don't think any hero's sacrifice is all that willing, no matter how aware he/she might be of it. In all of them, when that awareness is depicted, it takes the form of wistfulness when they realize what they've had to give up, to downright misery and attempts not to give up what they see other people having - which always fail. Sherlock is no exception in my universe.

This is where my frustration with Mofftiss comes in. Despite showing Sherlock as the supposed hero, they belittle everything else about him. They never address the facts that Sherlock literally gave up his life to save his friends, that what he does is absolutely extraordinary, in favor of depicting him as simply a social misfit with slightly nefarious motives, who needs to be changed into something resembling their idea of what "human" is. As a result, they have a schizophrenic John Watson, who never quite appreciates Sherlock or what he does despite more than ample evidence, and other characters that rather quickly become caricatures rather than actual characters.

OhAine: I agree with you that Mofftiss belittle him, mostly through the disrespect of other characters, which really doesn’t happen in the ACD stories, certainly not by those closest to him…Watson, Mycroft... They sort of excused that away by saying ‘this turned out to be an origin story’ when we know that they were trying to convey isolation, but because they were unsuccessful it kinda sorta turned into bullying.

satin_doll: I think it's Benedict's performance more than the writing that makes BBC's version so appealing. He does capture, as much as possible given what he has to work with, Sherlock's dilemma - how to keep those connections with people in his life without letting them get too close. By episode two in series one, I was already starting to really resent the way John careened back and forth between admiration and caring and literally sneering at Sherlock for the way he was. Within minutes in episode two, series one, we have John treating Sherlock like a naughty child, then asking him for money, substituting the word "colleague" for the word friend and then jumping in to join Sherlock on an adventure. It just got worse from there. The BBC version became less about Sherlock and more and more about John's mental struggles, all the while trying to make Sherlock seem to be the one who was unstable and twisted. I know this is an unpopular viewpoint nowadays, so I don't generally say much about it. But it's been a major sticking point with me throughout all four series.

Having said all that about Mofftiss, I still watch all the episodes regularly because a) it's Sherlock Holmes, and b) I adore Cumberbatch's performance. :D

OhAine: Controversial take: I never really believed that Sherlock sacrificed himself for his friends. I think that was a consideration, one that could have been dealt with by Mycroft if he was motivated to, but I think the main reason he left London for two years was for the sheer adventure of it all… (Not true, I don’t think, of his sacrifice for Mary though…)

satin_doll: I can easily see this viewpoint. It could even be said that he left just because the people around him were simply getting too close and he needed a way to sever or lessen those ties before they got out of hand. Personally I don't think it was that simple. In the ACD version, Sherlock is gone for three years, and he's not dismantling anything - he just stays away for that long and travels around the world until he hears that the last remaining Moriarty Minion who wants to kill him is back in London. There's a bit of remorse for leaving John to grieve, but it's quickly resolved. In the Mofftiss version, it feels like a contrived set up; they use the excuse that he's doing it all to protect his friends, but really, I've never bought that between Mycroft and Sherlock they couldn't have come up with a better, easier way to deal with the situation. If they could calculate seventeen outcomes of the meeting on the roof? I mean really?

OhAine: I’d say moving swiftly along, but neither of us do things swiftly LOL. Anyway. *Moving* along, Bring me my Queen is a stunning piece of storytelling that focuses on Molly this time, and for me it brings together your storytelling strengths in one piece. You’ve obviously drawn on real life experiences with this one, and I wonder how important that is for you? Is it a device, catharsis, processing of the emotions…?

satin_doll: It's probably all of those things. I use the stories and the characters to act out stories from my life, because it's what I know. It helps me to vent and process emotional aspects, but it also gives the characters something real to deal with; it makes them more like real people. At least in my head. It helps express beliefs, process both pain and joy, let people know what I've learned, hopefully touch them in some real way. Stories are to help us deal with real life situations, to communicate and to learn from, as well as give enjoyment and entertain us. Years ago, during a spiritual study, I read something that really struck a chord with me (I even ended up writing an article about it, which I'm sure still exists online somewhere but hell if I can find it now!): Messages from the Universe most often come to us via our favorite form of entertainment. What better way to get through to us or catch our attention than in the form of something we really enjoy? So I look at fanfic, both writing and reading, as a way to be in touch with the Universal Intelligence, a way to learn what life is trying to show me, and a way for the Universe to use me to reach others.

And after all that, writing stories is the best way to vent that I've ever found. :D

OhAine: I think you’re right. I think the message finds us in a way that we’ll be willing to receive.

satin_doll: Back in the 1990s, I saw a movie in the theater and near the beginning was a line from one of the characters that hit me so hard, on so many levels, that I didn't even remember anything about the rest of the film. I had to see it again in order to see how it all turned out. That one line quite literally changed my life. Since then there have been many other occasions where the things I enjoy the most have contained deep words, phrases, concepts that have had incredible impact and resulted in life changes. I know most people believe that change in our lives more often comes from pain and tragedy, but honestly, I don't think that's true. If we pay attention, we more often learn life lessons from joy and pleasure and entertainment - and creativity. It's only when we don't pay attention that the universe has to hit us upside the head with a bat and we have to learn from pain.

OhAine: Change, and messages from the universe, is something that’s a theme in Mango which is also a bit of a feminist story because (and correct me if I’m off base) it’s about empowerment and independence: Molly discovering things about herself, by herself, which I thought when reading was almost a parallel for women in writing (particularly fanfiction). How important has writing been for you in developing your understanding of yourself and your own identity as a woman?

satin_doll: I'm not sure I have an answer for this one. Writing has always simply been a part of my life. I write because I can't not write. I think more of my understanding of myself and being a woman came from music, which is a notoriously misogynistic art. I actually had a male musician tell me to my face that I couldn't know that much about music because I'm female. Those were his exact words. I've played in bands with both women and men and the women have always been easiest to work with. I think part of this has to do with men viewing sex as "their area". Sex, to men, is always about them. Women in music, especially rock music, are a lot like women in fanfic, where our own sexuality is seemingly always under attack. It's as if we don't exist unless we're defined by males. I find this absolutely absurd and hateful. Mango, the song itself, was written expressly to celebrate female sexuality. Molly dancing around the room to that song when she sees Sherlock again after a year away, is a sort of celebration of her own self-discovery. The dance is her way of honoring herself and her sex. That Sherlock discovers her that way was very fitting, because she leads him into a discovery of his own sexuality as well. I wish more men would wake up to the fact that we can do this.

OhAine: It’s an incredible story, but then so many of yours are, so I wonder is there one of your stories that you're very proud of, or one that you're particularly happy with how the finished piece turned out?

satin_doll: Oddly enough, I don't have a lot of pride connected with my stories once they're finished. I write them and put them out there and then I'm pretty much done with them. There are some I like a little more than others, I guess - Dark I like because it broke something loose in me that apparently I'd been ignoring. I think, if I have any pride about them, it's just that I write them at all. I'm proud of myself for actually sitting down and doing them. If there is one that I would have to say I'm "proud" of, it would be An Avenue Once Bent in Shadow - one that isn't even finished and that is totally unlike any others I've written. I like it because of its intent, which is to highlight and illustrate differences and how those differences are both perceived and dealt with in the world. It sort of takes both Molly and Sherlock to the extreme, and I like that also. It's a challenge.

OhAine: I think you should be overflowing with pride in your work. You’re gifted. Your stories are beautiful.

satin_doll: Thank you. I suppose a lot of this comes from my childhood and maybe a little bit of misunderstanding on my part about the word "pride". I think I'm more attached and proud of just having the guts to dive into the creative process at all rather than the results of it. But that's just me.

OhAine: Well then getting back to your creative process, tell me about finding a particular character’s voice. Are there things that you do to get you into their heads?

satin_doll: When I was about ten, I wanted to be an actor. This lasted for about three years. I went around trying on characters from movies and television, practicing their expressions and movements and voices. These days I tend to act out the characters in my own stories. If I can feel them physically, feel them in my body and face, I feel like I can write them. Feeling Sherlock turn his head a certain way or have an expression on his face, feeling the way Molly would look up at him or move around the lab - I tend to rely on that to get them in character, or at least how I feel they're in character. I also have to hear their voices in my head. I read all the dialogue out loud and if it doesn't fit - it don't sit.

OhAine: I read it out loud too, something I learned in Uni. It truly helps, doesn’t it?

satin_doll: I guess there are writers who don't do this, but I don't know how they can get dialogue to work any other way. It's been said about Stephen King's work, by people who have adapted his books into film, that one of the reasons it's so hard to translate his books successfully to scripts is that he doesn't write dialogue the way people normally speak. Supposedly when you read successful dialogue, our brain translates it differently from the way we would hear it if it was spoken aloud. I've never tested this and part of me doesn't believe it. But then, I'm not an expert about any of it. I just know that being able to hear the words out loud makes a difference for me as far as character is concerned.

OhAine: What’s the beginning point of a story for you? Are you a methodical planner, or is it purely instinct?

satin_doll: It's purely instinct. I have tried and tried to do it the "professional", by-the-book way, and it's always a disaster. The beginning is usually a mood and it can be inspired by just about anything. Most of the time a story just comes out full blown, beginning to end; it's just there and I write it. I had one story pop into my head while I was doing dishes. I stopped, wiped off my hands, and sat down and wrote the story all at once. Then I went back to doing dishes. I don't have any idea where it came from or what inspired it, it just happened. Most of them are like that. Maybe if I was a planner and methodical about it I'd write better stories! :D But this seems to be the only way I can do it and actually get anything written.

OhAine: We can’t talk about fanfiction right now without talking about what’s happening on tumblr / the purge. You’ve been writing online for a good number of years and I’m sure you have a take on it…

satin_doll: Sadly, I've seen this happen over and over since 1993. A space becomes a haven for expression and then suddenly comes under attack for one reason or another by one group or another. Luckily, there will always be somewhere new to go. It's painful and sometimes a long and trying process, but in the words of Mr. Universe: "You can't stop the signal." Someplace new will open up and, for a while at least, free expression will be allowed again. William Gibson, among others, wrote about this very thing, long before the internet was established in our lives. There are always going to be those who try to squash creativity. Unfortunately, being creative doesn't fit into neat little non-offensive boxes the way some want it to. But it will survive. It always has. It's the nature of the beast.

OhAine: It can’t help but survive given the volume of fan created content that’s out there now, there’s obviously a huge appetite to create it as well as consume. And having that said, do you think fanfiction has become mainstream?

satin_doll: Depends on your definition of mainstream. Everything eventually trickles down into the mainstream. Unfortunately this isn't always a good thing. What passes for fanfiction these days is far different from what it used to be. I won't go into "Back in the Good Ol' Days". But by definition, the mainstream waters everything down, dilutes it. It loses some of its substance. Fan fiction has gotten a lot of attention lately, partly because so much of it has dealt with issues that are in the forefront of our lives, namely sex and identity. The fact that the majority of fanfic writers are women only adds to that. The danger is that the issues could also become watered down, so to speak - diluted - because of becoming "mainstream". Hopefully fanfic will survive the process.

OhAine: Which is why it’s so important for spaces like AO3 to exist.

satin_doll: I think it's vital to life on this planet. Censorship is one of the great evils of life. AO3 and the OTW are champions of freedom, of every human being's right to expression. I don't care how offensive that expression is, we have to protect the right to it. "I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." There's a reason those words were written and it's not just about fair play.

OhAine: "I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." Should be AO3’s banner, tbh…

satin_doll: The older I get, the more important this has become. Censorship is subtle and insidious and infects societies on so many levels. It's not just some huge noisy machine created by the government; it can be found in very small social groups and cliques as well and results in making people invisible, which is one of the worst punishments humans have ever invented. We see the consequences of this every day in every walk of life. There's a lot to be said about all the different types of censorship that impact our lives. And I agree, that line would make a great banner for AO3. :)

OhAine: I think that’s as good a place as any to wrap thing up! Kat, it’s been an absolute joy, thanks so much for taking the time to answer my questions!

Next Friday, 8th of March, @writingwife-83 talks to @thisisartbylexie

#content creator interviews #Sherlock #sherlolly #sherlock and sherlolly content creator interviews #ashockinglackofsatin #ohaine

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gingerninja8 · 5 years

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Is it possible for Yami Bakura to have redemption, storywise? he wants to kill the pharaohs+family/friends, risking anything for revenge

Honestly, I’m not sure how it would work in canon. I doubt it would, but you never know, someone might have an answer.

It’s been a while since I’ve read/watched Yugioh, so I dare say there are things I’ve forgotten or have remembered wrong because I’ve gotten canon, headcanons, and fanfiction mixed up, but I have questions about Bakura, mainly his past. I’m not saying the answers would make a redemption arc plausible, but I still wanna know.

- What happened AFTER the massacre? AKA where’s the backstory, dammit?!

He lost his family, villagers, and home. This kid was fending for himself for however long. Did someone raise him? Or was he completely on his own? Surely, that kind of life messed with his mental health. (I mean the massacre surely left some PTSD or something, so being on his own for so long wouldn’t have done him any good either, right? Idk I’m no mental health expert.) I can’t imagine anyone being all that sane after that kind of life. He probably wasn’t okay mentally so did that affect his actions and decisions?

-How much did Bakura understand?

I know that sounds strange but bare with me. Canonically, Bakura is 16. It doesn’t seem right, but that’s what we were told. If I remember correctly, the massacre happened 15 years ago, which is why his age seems wrong. He would have been about a year old. Even if we say Bakura was about 5 or so, (Because that’s roughly how old he looks in the manga) what would he understand? Did he know these men came from the palace? Did he know he should be mad at the Pharaoh? What does a 1-5 year old think when he sees someone come and hurt his people?

-Did Bakura willingly make the deal with Zorc or did Zorc force Bakura to help him?

Like did it say in the manga or season 5 anything about Bakura making some kind of deal with Zorc? They’re involved with each other cause Yami Bakura is both right? I mean, I remember someone making a post about Bakura possibly being possessed by Zorc, so if that’s true, at what point is it the real Thief Bakura we’re seeing and hearing speak? Did Bakura really want revenge AND planned to act on it or did Zorc use that as a way of pretending to be Bakura to get the items? I mean, in the manga I don’t remember Bakura having that army he had in the anime, so he was on his own in his battle, at least in manga canon. (I don’t remember how Diabound...happened.) Could the real Bakura come to the, probably saner, idea of not going up against the Pharaoh because it would be him verses everyone on the Pharaoh’s side?

-If it was somehow possible to get rid of Zorc and keep Bakura, could Bakura be a good(ish) guy?

Maybe after Atem got rid of Zorc, for good this time, the REAL Bakura was left....somehow, and he became a friendly ghost living with Ryou in the ring until the final episode where he gets pulled into the afterlife along with Atem. Maybe with his own village though.

Like if the right people said the right things to him, could he turn around and go “You’re right, this was a bad decision.”and be a better person? Don’t get me wrong, I can’t see Bakura being completely good, but more like the asshole you somehow made friends with. Probably carrying a knife, but only for self defense, not to stab anyone who looks at him funny. Or stab himself in whatever bizarre plan him and Marik came up with.

Idk, maybe he only gets redemption in our fanfics and headcanons.

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tacitwhisky · 5 years

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How to Write ASIOAF Fanfic That Actually Feels Medieval

A Song of Ice and Fire fanfic writers fall into three major groups: bad writers, good writers, and good writers who are bad at writing in an even vaguely medieval setting.

I don’t know what causes it, but writing in an medieval style they doesn’t sound either too modern or too pretentious is something that regularly trips up even my favorite authors. Every time it feels like they dropped modern people into a renaissance festival. And while I’m by no means an expert, as someone who’s reread ASOIAF far too many time there’s a few simple tricks you can use to improve your canon set stories.

Please note before we start that is not a guide on how to write in an authentically medieval manner: this guide is concerned with writing that feels authentically medieval to your readers and doesn’t shatter their suspension of disbelief.

Anachronistic Word Choice

The first, and worst, problem is anachronistic word choice and sentence structure. This seems like something obvious: just don’t use words that’ll ping on your reader’s radar as a modern, right? But the amount of writers that manage to screw it up is amazing. Often they don’t use something completely egregious like “Ok” but things like having the king say “sure” in answer to a question will slowly strip the veneer of authenticity from your work.

To illustrate what I’m talking about, let��s use a simple example.

Drey sleeps with both Arianne and Tyene.

On the surface this is pretty unobjectionable: there’s no egregious use of modern slang like “smashed” or “hit that”. But it can be better in a few key ways. First, “sleeps with” is actually a form of slang, and not what people largely use in ASOIAF: “beds” is a more appropriate and less anachronistic term.

Drey beds both Arianne and Tyene.

Better. But you know what might improve it? Fucking with the word order.

Drey beds Arianne and Tyene both.

Don’t ask me to explain what this does because I can’t grammar even a little. I also have no idea if this is even vaguely accurate to how medieval people spoke, but it feels more medievaly and that’s what we’re aiming for.

Now a note of caution: the more you fuck with word order the harder it can be for your reader to grasp what’s going on and the more you flirt with purple prose. The above is a pretty straightforward sentence so I’m not in too much trouble, but with longer sentences or paragraphs this can be a serious problem. It’s also something that can be exhausting if every sentence does this, so use it sparingly but strategically to achieve the atmosphere you want.

Now let’s work with a more complicated example, but instead of moving from less mediavely to more, let’s devolve it. Here’s the opening paragraph to a fic I wrote that I think works pretty well as is:

Jon speaks the words of the Kingsguard kneeling in a sept of seven glass walls before seven southron gods that are not his own. Barristan Selmy touches his sword to either of Jon’s shoulders and Jon swears to these strange gods to serve a king he hates, to forsake lands and titles and to never father sons or know a woman’s touch. When it is done, Selmy drapes a white cloak across his shoulders and bids him rise. “Rise as a knight of the Kingsguard,” the old knight tells him, “rise as our brother.”

Not bad. Watch what happens when we devolve it by replacing the old timey words with more modern ones:

Jon says the words of the Kingsguard while kneeling in a church with seven glass walls in front of seven southern gods that aren’t his. Barristan Selmy taps his sword to both of Jon’s shoulders and Jon promises to protect a king he hates, to never inherit lands or have children or sleep with a woman. Afterwards Selmy puts a white cloak over his shoulders and asks him to stand up. “Stand up as a knight of the Kingsguard,” Selmy tells him, “stand up as our brother.”

Notice how much flatter this reads? The bones of it are still solid in terms of its structure and flow, but it doesn’t feel nearly as atmospheric. Now, you may quibble with words here or there: maybe you like “promises to protect a king he hates” better than “swears to serve a king he hates” but overall the paragraph is hurt by having the language be so modern.

A list of modern words you shouldn’t use would take to long to put together, but just think about the sources of the words you’re using. For example, nothing annoys me more than polytheistic settings like ASOIAF where characters say “God damn it.” Stop it. There’s no one god in this world. It makes no sense for the character to say it. Also don’t capitalize “God” unless you’re specifically referring to the God of the abrahamic faiths. Think through the setting, don’t just apply modern day slang and expressions.

Don’t Be Overzealous

The other big problem I see in fic is the author being overzealous in trying to make their work feel medieval. Sometimes this takes the form of word choice: GRRM’s infamous use of “nuncle” in A Feast for Crows is a good example of this as it grated at least half the fandom the wrong way. Other times it can be this weird thing where the word choice and sentence structure becomes increasingly stilted and formal and the characters start talking in circular and obtuse ways like they’re in Shakespeare or Jane Austen (which is fine, but not what we’re going for).

To illustrate this, let’s go back to the above paragraph, but this time turn up the dial on how old timey it is:

Jon utters the vows of the Kingsguard kneeling in a sept of seven glass walls before seven southron gods that are not his own. To either of Jon’s shoulders the old knight Barristan Selmy places his sword and with bitter tongue Jon forswears holding lands and titles or begetting sons upon a woman or lying between the sheets with another. When Jon has relinquished all he holds dear Selmy casts a white cloak across his shoulders and commands he rise. “Rise as a knight of the Kingsguard,” the old knight commands, “rise as a brother.”

This feels like a parody, and it is a little, but I swear I’ve read stuff this stilted before. Having so many unusual words gums up the flow of the paragraph, and makes it hard for the reader to keep it all in their head. Each blip of obtuseness fogs the paragraph just a little more until the whole thing is almost opaque. The sentence where Barristan places his sword on Jon’s shoulders twists and turns and goes on too long without a clear succession. And “with bitter tongue” is just trying too hard.

What you want to do is incorporate old timey words that don’t ping as particularly egregious, use them sparingly, and to always read over your work to make sure that the readability isn’t being hurt by either them or an overly labyrinthine sentence structure.

Going back to the original example:

The bolded words fall into that middle category: not anachronistic, but also not pretentious enough to distract the reader. A few of them (speaks, father, know a woman’s touch) aren’t egregious but still subtly reinforce the atmosphere: “forsake” and “bids” are little more overt but still relatively tame and slip in organically.

It’s always going to be a balancing act in medieval-esque fic between sounding overly modern and overzealously old timey, and only you can really judge which is right for your story. But please, at least try and write and stick to some of the above. It’s painful to read your favorite fanfic writer and keep wincing each time they try to write in canon.

(also here’s a shameless plug for the fic I’ve been quoting: tumblr / A03)

#fanfic #gotfic #how to write #fanfiction advice #how to write medieval #how to write fanfiction #seriously I'm not an expert #thoughts #writing advice #meta #my meta

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iturbide · 5 years

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Hello! Sorry for this vaguely random question, but since you said that you’ve never played fates before (but you have played awakening, I think?), I was wondering if you maybe had any tips/warnings for someone who loves fe characters and lore and wants to write about them (I’m particularly fond of awakening but only through posts/other people/the like) but has never actually had the chance to play a/that specific fire emblem game? Sorry if that was confusing at all, and thank you in advance

Hi there! Don’t worry, there’s no need to apologize.

You are correct, I have played Awakening! It’s the only Fire Emblem game I’ve played through to the end (I’ve started Blazing Blade and Path of Radiance but never got far) and remember with any clarity (apparently I have played Sacred Stones because I found old spin-off fanfic when I was digging for Ace Attorney stuff, but I legitimately remember nothing about that game), and I found the story and characters deeply engaging despite its obvious flaws.

I think the question I would have is, exactly what kind of writing context are we discussing? Is this full-on fanfiction for a game you haven’t played? Headcanons only? Or just the characters themselves in a different setting (a la Heroes)? Because I can offer advice for two of these three!

It’s just the first case that I really can’t handle, because – at least when it comes to my own writing – I can’t write fanfiction based in a world I don’t know. Whether I want to or not, I cannot write Fates fic until I actually play the games or watch a full playthrough, because there are so many details of the setting and story that get lost when boiled down into articles on a fandom wiki. Even if I were to follow every link, it’s just impossible for me to get a full understanding of events, and I personally don’t feel confident making the attempt. You might have better luck and more confidence than me, though! And playthroughs are pretty widespread on YouTube – though if you’re like me and prefer text-based runs (I’m not big on commentary, so it’s sometimes hard for me to find a video playthrough that I can sit through), you can always try the Let’s Play Archive.

The latter cases, though, I feel at least slightly more confident about – and for that, I think that you’re on exactly the right track already! Exploring Wiki pages about the game and characters, reading analyses from players, and talking to people who are familiar with the games is a really solid starting place for developing an understanding of the basics. For me with Fates, a few people I talk with regularly have played the games (at least one I would consider my go-to expert), and every once in a while something will cross my dash with an interesting perspective on one character or another. Support conversations are also hugely helpful, since each conversation can highlight different aspects of a character that might not have time to shine in the main story. Heroes has also been really helpful for me, personally, when it comes to familiarizing myself with characters: the whole reason I got so attached to Takumi is because of his dialogues in Heroes, which made me start digging into his character and trying to find out more. I have no idea if my starting concept of him is close to canon or not, but it adheres to the information I have available to me and I’m pretty happy with him.

Lore becomes a bit trickier, though, especially depending on what you’re looking for in particular. The unfortunate truth is that some aspects of the games are sadly underutilized or even mishandled (and I’m specifically looking at Valla for the first and Plegia for the second). I talk a lot about how Grima, the Grimleal, and Plegia get the short end of the stick in Awakening, but that is very much my personal opinion only, and I see a lot of fan works that don’t seem to question the in-game presentation or even lean into it. It’s the same with interpretations of Grima: there’s a wide assortment of portrayals, from chaos incarnate to wanton destroyer to ancient entity who just wants to be left alone, and none of them are wrong because there’s enough evidence to support any one of them and no concrete proof to refute them. Even Naga, probably one of the most frequently recurring characters in the series, has multiple interpretations: at face value, she can be taken as a glorious, glowing goddess taking care of humanity; but it’s equally possible that she’s simply an entity who has made many mistakes in her time and is trying to find ways to mitigate the damage; and at the far end of the spectrum there’s the humanity-obsessed divine willing to rob a child of her life and drive her own kind to extinction for the object of her fascination. And again, none of these are necessarily wrong. It’s very much up to personal interpretation and what an individual wants to highlight.

If I had any warnings at all, though? It would be don’t get discouraged. No matter what you do, there are always going to be people who dislike things, and some of them can be vocal about it; I’ve gotten some pretty nasty anons criticizing my headcanons in the past, but at the end of the day, they’re not the ones creating, so they have no say. Your views, your headcanons, your interpretations of characters – those are all your own, and they are valid. Do your research, find what you like, and build it from there. People out there can be wonderfully passionate about these games (I know I am with Awakening), so you can always reach out if you want to get someone’s take on a certain character or event. I hope this helps, and if there’s anything else you want to ask about, you’re always welcome to ask!

#answered #anonymous #fire emblem #writing #fanfiction #i hope i managed to give you at least a few options!#it's two thirty in the morning haha whoops i should be asleep #sorry if this is rambly because of it #but i know at least for me i'm always happy to talk about lore and characters #and i'm especially happy to pull receipts on why i think and feel certain ways #anyone who's seen my frederick and gustav opinions has probably noticed

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chiibinomonodamon · 5 years

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Let’s Clear Up Some Misunderstandings about ZackRay, SHALL WE?

Yes, I think we shall......due to all this idiotic discourse going on here.

*Note: I cannot speak for ALL ZackRays but I do believe from my interaction with many of them, they have similar feels. What I’m posting here however? This is coming from my own personal feelings.

1. “Shipping ZackRay means you support pedophilia.”

A: F*CKING NOPE....first of all, let’s get into what “shipping ZackRay” means, for me, okay....

Yes, I ship ZackRay. I referred to it as a Platonic Until Legal Love”. Which seemed to give people the misconception that “it’s waiting for a child to turn 18 so they can consent to sex”.

THAT IS NOT WHAT I MEANT.

Perhaps that was a very poor choice of words. Ugh. So let me explain in more detail:

I feel that Zack’s feelings for Rachael will remain platonic until she grows older and then it is possible for romantic feelings to be slowly realized over time.

Because let’s get one thing straight; I don’t think we can deny:

Issac Foster is not able to recognize what love actually is, even by the end of the series. Nobody has taught him this. He’s not emotionally mature enough to understand it. Yes, I think he feels it towards Ray subconsciously. He feels something. He knows he cares for her in a “I would be glad if you did not die/ I don’t think I can live without you” kind of way. But he hasn’t thought of it outside of that. Therefore, if he is not aware of a romantic attachment, he can’t really act on it, which cancels out (God forbid) any type of sexual feelings he would have towards her. Which cancels out “waiting until she’s legal”. Which I agree, is messed up. Ick. Btw I hate Usagi Drop’s ending. A lot.

So if you’re under the impression that I’m expecting Zack and Ray to suddenly start making out right after the last scene, uh NOPE, I’m not. What I ship...(what a lot of people ship) are those possibilities far....FAR....into the future where Zack eventually understands that Ray is the only person he wants to be with....for the rest of his life. Period. And what exactly is wrong with two consenting adults agreeing to be with each other? That’s right.

NO-THING.

It’s not wrong just because he knew her when she was a young teenager. He was not looking at her in that way. She was simply important to him as a person. And if she were to try to kiss him or something while she was young, his response would likely be “WTF ARE U DOIN”. An appropriate one, yes. XD

I was ALSO referring to my own feelings when talking about PULL. In other words, I don’t really approve of sexual ZackRay content unless she is portrayed as an adult. Mmkay....moving on.

2. “ZackRay shippers look for porn of the ship while Ray is still a child”

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. THAT IS GROSS. NO THANKS, I REJECT.

3. “ZackRay shippers think adults being with kids IRL is okay.”

..........whatisthisIdon’teven.

Hey, is Zack your favorite character? Yeah? THEN YOU MUST THINK SERIAL KILLERS IRL ARE REALLY COOL!!! YOU WANT TO BE ONE, RIGHT? KILLING PEOPLE IS GONNA BE YOUR HOBBY TOO, RIGHT?

..........uh......see how idiotic that sounds? Don’t you just love being accused of that shit? Yeah, it’s really fun, isn’t it?

4. “ZackRay shippers are horrible, spiteful people who attack antis for disliking their ship”

Okay, there is a difference between “disliking a ship” and “opening attacking strangers online”. You don’t like our ship? Fine, I can respect that. Let us go our separate ways and not speak of this matter again.

DON’T.

GO.

LOOKING.

FOR.

FIGHTS.

Don’t call people out on social media posts. Don’t reblog their posts and publicly ridicule them. Don’t reblog their art and insult it. Don’t mention their names, don’t bully them, don’t TRY TO GET OTHERS TO BULLY THEM. This is sick. This is just wrong. I have recently found out that kids under 18 do in fact ship ZackRay. Which means when you attack, stalk, and harass them on tumblr, YOU COULD BE EMOTIONALLY HURTING A CHILD. Ironic for all the antis going “PROTECT TEH CHILDREEEEENZ!” Yes, protect them from your toxic attitude, how about?

5. “ZackRay shippers create content that is harmful because pedos can use it to groom children.”

And the antis seem to be under the delusion that they are SUCH special snowflakes because they were groomed this way; no guess what, ZackRays are also humans (despite what you may think) and have fallen victim to the same shit. Also, news flash, anything can be used as a grooming tool. YES, ANYTHING. And there are WAAAAAAAAAAAAAY more harmful ships out there (THAT ARE CANON) than ZackRay. I’ve been an anime fan for a long ass time. You think I don’t know about all the lolicon kiddie porn? You think I don’t know about Boku No Pico? THAT’S the shit you should be worried about kids and pedos finding. Not that I think fiction is really going to increase child rape crimes. If someone is intent on harming a child, they will. Reading or seeing fanart online isn’t going to influence that. They have a psychological disorder, unnatural addiction, and a lack of morals. These issues are rooted far deeper than just seeing stuff online. Getting rid of that stuff will change literally nothing. The only way a pedophile can change is to get professional help. And schmucks ranting online about how fans shipping is bad is NOT professional help. It’s certainly a professional waste of time.

6. “If shipping ZackRay is a groomed victim’s way of coping with that trauma, that’s unhealthy.”

STOP.

Are you a psychiatrist? Are you an expert in dealing with rape victims? Have you examined this individual you are criticizing?

No?

Then f*ck off. Every person is different. Every story is different. This is a stranger on the internet; who the f*ck are YOU to tell them “that coping method is unhealthy”? You don’t know their life story. You don’t know what works for them. Do you think everyone with anxiety copes with it the exact same way? Depression? Eating disorders? I happen to have an anxiety disorder, myself. Recently a friend of mine informed me that she was also diagnosed with one. I told her my symptoms and I told her what I did when I got an attack.

Guess what?

What she experiences and what I experience are as different as f*cking night and day. I was trying to be a helpful friend but it turns out I was not able to help her at all. I thought I could because I thought I was experienced. But I’m not. It was a real eye-opener.

So don’t generalize people that way. You know nothing about what they went through. Get off your f*cking high horse.

Conclusion: These six misconceptions were the most problematic ones I can think of. Now some Q and A:

Do you draw NSFW ZackRay?

No.

Will you reblog it?

No.

Do you write NSFW fanfics?

No. I’m really not into sexual stuff at all and would be terrible at writing it.

Do you support people who do?

People have the right to draw and write whatever tf they want. Censorship is bad. Just don’t harm anyone IRL. Please.

Where do you draw the line at romantic ZackRay content YOU draw, write, or reblog?

Cuddling, chaste kissing, hand-holding; absolutely nothing worse than what you’d see in a Disney movie. Romance-wise. I got nothing against Zack swearing like a sailor the way he always does. xD

Do you ship ZackRay because of their ages?

*bangs head on wall*

No, I ship them because of who they are as individuals and how they act when they are together.....you know, like a normal person.

Thanks for reading my long-ass rants.

Feel free to PM me, ask more questions, send me hate mail, whatever. I’ll probably just print out your hate mail and use it as toilet paper though...if I didn’t already block your ass. :’D

#satsuriku no tenshi #angels of death #zackray #issac foster #rachael gardner #anti-shipping

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smoakmonster · 6 years

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Dear Felicity

A/N: A series of letters Oliver journals to Felicity from prison.

This journal entry is for @emeraldoliverqueen, who requested that Oliver get a cat! I have been reading some interesting and hopeful information about cat adoption in maximum security prisons (x). While I aim to keep these journal entries as accurate and canon-compliant as possible, obviously I have taken a few liberties with this particularly “light” arc. But, really, if I can’t make believe in fanfic world, what am I even doing? Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

(Read on AO3) (Previous Journal Entries)

xxx

July 30, 2018

Dear Felicity,

Sorry I haven’t written in a while.

Things have been quiet lately...as quiet as they can be in prison. I work out every day and night in my cell. I read, mostly in the communal area. I keep my distance from the other inmates outside in the exercise yard. I eat alone in the cafeteria. I do everything in my power to avoid confrontation. And thankfully everyone seems to be avoiding me for the time being, too. I get the feeling that won’t last very long.

John came to visit me this week. I didn’t think I was supposed to have visitors this early into my sentencing, but maybe ARGUS is letting John wave a few rules for me. It was nice to see my friend again.

John says he doesn't know where you and William are hiding. Only Lyla and the agents she assigned to watch you know. I gather that’s for your protection. But John gets regular reports, and he assures me that you’re both safe. That’s all that matters to me. I can survive anything in this place if I keep that focus.

Speaking of friends, I recently acquired a new one, no thanks to my lack of trying. Apparently two months of good behavior has its perks.

In the communal area, sometimes they let these cats out to interact with us, and a few inmates are responsible for cleaning their litter boxes and making sure they stay fed. It’s part of some prison reform program...something.

Everyone in here takes the program very seriously. Most prisoners do not look kindly on anyone messing with their pet.

Yesterday, while I was reading, one of the cats wandered over to my corner in the room and decided my lap was the place to be. Evidently one of the older inmates passed away, and the cat had belonged to him.

I’m not sure why this cat chose me.

I don’t know anything about taking care of an animal.

Growing up, we never had pets at the mansion, since my mom was allergic. But I used to hear from the other kids at school what it was like having a dog or a cat. For a long time, I remember being jealous of that. Having someone to take care of. Having a friend to come home to, waiting for you. Then Thea came along, and I forgot all about that need. She filled a lot of holes in my life that I didn’t realize were there before.

I miss her every day.

I worry about her and Roy out there, doing God-knows-what, trying to undo her father’s wrongs like I tried to undo mine.

It’s strange, but the cat that spent an hour with me yesterday reminded me of Thea. These big brown eyes looked up at me with so much trust that I didn’t know what do with. Though, truth be told, the cat slept most of the time, while I flipped through The Iliad. (I’m no literary expert, but I remember liking The Odyssey much better.)

Still, for a few, short, peaceful minutes, I let myself imagine that life was better than it is. I let myself scratch the imprinted black M on his forehead. I let myself pretend that the feeling of care that came over me was natural, like I haven’t really lost myself in here completely. And when it was time to leave, I let myself watch him wander back into the carrier cage, to be taken somewhere else. The cat is free to come and go as he pleases, free to wander from cell to cell without fear of retribution.

I’ve never envied an animal before, but I think I’m starting to now.

I wish I could be free to wander home to you.

Oliver

Tags Below

@austencello / @awesomeziziblr / @blondeeoneexox / @emeraldoliverqueen / @it-was-red-heeler / @ladyrowennabrasil / @olicitys-arrows / @olicityotp-always / @withgraceandlight99 / @xspeedytrashx

#olicity #oliver x felicity #olicity fanfiction #olicity fic #olicitysquee #arrow 6.5 fic #dear felicity #shelley does fic

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miguel-manbemel · 5 years

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Aspects & Fanfics Ep. 12: The Curse: The End of Anxiety?

Episode number 12 of Aspects & Fanfics, the fanfic inspired on Sanders Sides, by Thomas Sanders, Joan and the Foster Dawg Team. This week has been a busy one, so it took me longer than expected to finish this episode, but I finally got it ready. It has been a struggling process as there were times where I didn’t feel quite sure about if what I was writing was good enough or not, I’m sure any writer has had that feeling every once in a while about their own work. That’s why I consider a blessing any like, any reblogging or any positive commentary anyone would leave, as they’re confirmations that after all it may not be so bad. I really appreciate them and feel thankful for them.

In this episode I further explore what I hinted at the end of the previous episode, so Prinxiety is getting the center of attention in the plot. I know that ships make some people uncomfortable. I personally avoided them up until the previous episode, because I wanted to focus on the plot and not so much on the romance, but these two last instances, they really needed it to make the general story arc move forward. I hope in the end I managed to make an enjoyable story, you’re the ones who can judge it. As always, remember that this fanfic follows the canon Sanders Sides up to Embarrasing Phases and goes on its own after that. References to previous episodes will be made, if you wanna read them, you can find them right here. And that’s it, I leave you with the story, until next time.

SYNOPSIS: After Virgil rejected Roman over fear of corrupting him, Roman hasn’t been able to function properly, due to his lovesickness. Soon, though, they realize that Virgil is not appearing and, fearing something may be wrong, they go to his room. They find out that Virgil has been bitten by a special kind of Sprite, a Dark Sprite, that threatens to induce Thomas into a deep state of depression.

WARNINGS: As I said, there’s a lot of romantic prinxiety in the plot. This is a spoiler, but there will also be unrequited Anxceit in the final part. There are also going to be made references to depression and the bad consequences it can have, from lack of hope to the bad ending it can cause. As such, there’s going to be a lot of angst in the plot. You are going to see a new evil edge of Virgil he’s never shown before, and speaking about Virgil, he’s going to be in a mortal danger in this episode. There’s an intense scene where he’s on the verge of dying, I give the warning in case it could be a trigger. Also, beware at the end for some final slightly horrifying last lines that come when you least expect it. I think that’s about all. If you think that I ever forgot any warning don’t hesitate into letting me know, please. I always prefer warning too much that don’t warning enough.

EPISODE INDEX

[Thomas and Joan are both with their laptops on their legs, sitting down on the couch]

JOAN: Okay, what do you think about this idea I just had for the funniest short ever? There’s this guy that calls at one door, declares his love, but his crush lives next door and the guy’s proposing to his neighbor…

THOMAS: And both the neighbor and the crush reject him miserably and he lives unhappily ever after?

JOAN: [looks at Thomas with a still face] …you know what? Never mind. Besides, you did a similar short years ago on Vine anyway…

[intro sequence]

THOMAS: [waving to Joan who’s off-screen leaving through the door] Bye, Joan! [to the camera] What is up, everybody? Okay, I guess you’ve seen it earlier. Lately, I’ve become a little… melodramatic… in regards of the ideas I have for new stories… It’s like everything I make up lately becomes invariably sad… However, I’m not feeling specially depressed or blue, so I don’t know what’s going on with me…

PATTON: [rising up] Are you sure, Thomas? Don’t you have anything you want to share with us that could make you feel better?

THOMAS: You should know better, Patton, you’re my heart, you control my feelings of happiness and sadness. How do you feel?

PATTON: I’m feeling quite normal, Thomas. No special feelings of sadness and no special feelings of happiness either. I’m fine. I’m a… Bona Fine expert.

HONESTY: [rising up] Make a soul search, Thomas. Are you sure you’re okay?

THOMAS: I really am, Honesty. I’m totally fine. And that’s what’s confusing me. What could be happening here? Why is everything I create so… so… heartbreaking?

HONESTY: Well, if nothing’s bothering you, and Patton is not holding back bad feelings that could influence you… Then it has to be a problem with your creativity.

THOMAS: [scared] … Oh, no! Do you think something’s wrong with Roman again? Perhaps another Sanders Sprite bit him?

HONESTY: Don’t remind me of that, Thomas. I found it quite outrageous that you went through all of that and didn’t call me.

THOMAS: Well, if you hadn’t been in autopilot, then… wait, wait. We were talking about Roman. Perhaps something’s wrong with him. Should we call him?

LOGAN: [rising up] I don’t think it could do any bad, Thomas.

THOMAS: Okay, then… Roman? Are you okay? Can you come here?

[Roman rises up. He shows a dejected face and serious voice]

ROMAN: Did you call…?

THOMAS: Yes, we did… I’m glad that you’re okay. We were worried because lately I’ve been having trouble to create something lighthearted and…

ROMAN: [same serious voice] Oh… I see… I’m sorry, Thomas. I’ll try to do better next time…

[Everyone looks at Roman in disbelief]

THOMAS: …excuse me? No complaints about me criticizing your work? Roman, are you okay?

ROMAN: I’m okay… I promise.

DECEIT: [suddenly appearing, yelling scared] Look out, Roman! Your pants are on fire!

ROMAN: [jumps scared looking at his legs] What!? [after checking there’s no fire, angry] That wasn’t funny, Deceit!

DECEIT: [looking at Roman in the eye with a serious face] And I didn’t mean to be funny at all, Roman, I was talking figuratively.

ROMAN: [understanding, showing a face of sadness] Oh…

PATTON: What’s wrong with you, Princey? We’re your friends. If we can help you…

ROMAN: Thanks, guys… But I can’t tell you anything.

THOMAS: Why?

ROMAN: Someone asked me not to. And I’m going to respect his wishes.

THOMAS: Someone?

LOGAN: Well, we didn’t have any reunions since the Sprite incident, and judging from your confused faces, no one here has a clue of what Roman’s talking about. I, of course, don’t know either, and I doubt Wrath has anything to say in this issue, they still don’t have a relation close enough to have secrets so serious they cannot be shared with us. So, by logical deduction, it could have only been…

HONESTY: Virgil.

PATTON: Did something bad happen between you two?

ROMAN: [a little nervous] Nothing happened. That Sulk-an of Aggrava-tion is not related at all with it…

THOMAS: What did I tell you about calling nicknames, Roman?

ROMAN: Sorry…

DECEIT: And why are you so nervous? We’re only talking.

ROMAN: [angry] Are you? Or are you rather interrogating me? Could you stop meddling in my life? [yelling] Leave me alone, all of you, peasants! [feels he’s about to cry and turns against the wall]

THOMAS: Okay. If I wasn’t worried before, I certainly am now. What’s happened? I don’t mean to spy on your private life, Roman, but your problem, whatever it is, is affecting me in my life and my job, so I think it concerns me too. In fact, anything that is hurting my friends concerns me, not only because, eventually, it is hurting me too, but also because you’re my friends and I want you all to be nothing less than happy.

ROMAN: [turns back, long streams of tears fall down his cheeks] I’m sorry, Thomas. I’m sorry that I am such a nuisance for you…

THOMAS: [sweet voice] Hey, buddy, don’t say that. You’re not a nuisance. You stayed there with the rest of the Sides supporting me when I was feeling all that sorrow. Do you seriously think you deserve less support than anyone of us? You’re one of us, Roman. If you’re in pain, we’ll share that pain with you, so we can fix it together. Please, let us help you.

ROMAN: I really wish I could, Thomas, cause this is killing me inside… But I can’t… I promised I wouldn’t tell what happened…

DECEIT: You’ve fallen in love with Virgil, right?

[Thomas, Logan, Patton and Honesty look at Deceit with a face of shock]

ROMAN: [also in shock] I… I…

DECEIT: And Virgil’s fallen in love with you too.

THOMAS: Is that true, Roman? The other day, I thought Deceit was only teasing us… But is it true? You two are in love?

ROMAN: [sighs] There’s no use in denying the evidence anymore… Deceit’s right. I love Virgil. I love that stupid Emo Nightmare. And I think he loves me too.

THOMAS: But that’s good then. You love him and are lucky enough that he loves you back. Where’s the trouble? I think it’s beautiful that two of my Sides are in love with each other. I’m not against it, if that’s troubling you.

ROMAN: Thank you, Thomas, but…

DECEIT: I think I understand what’s going on.

THOMAS: Then what is it?

DECEIT: The problem is that Roman is a Light Side and Virgil is a Dark Side. They can’t be together, or Roman could disappear, because of the corruption Virgil would eventually inflict on Roman. [to Roman] And Virgil refused to be with you because he didn’t want to harm you, and you’re suffering because you can’t have him, right, Roman?

ROMAN: Yes. More or less…

THOMAS: And isn’t there any way to help them?

DECEIT: I don’t think so, Thomas. It’s at the core of our nature. We can’t coexist for long periods of time. I know the problem very well, remember what happened to Honesty and me.

PATTON: [emotional] My poor little prince… I’m so sorry.

ROMAN: Do you have any spare hugs, Patton…? [his voice breaks] Cause I could use one of them right now…

PATTON: Of course, Roman, of course.

[Patton goes to Roman’s spot and hugs him. Roman starts loudly crying on Patton’s shoulder, his face is not seen, but Patton sweetly pets his hair]

PATTON: It’s okay… It’s okay, kiddo… Let it all go out. Everyone has the right to cry… Even the bravest princes like you.

THOMAS: [tearing up] This is so sad… And this explains why I can’t create anything that isn’t sad. My creativity is lovesick. What else could he do? Hug him tightly, Patton. Make him feel like we’re all hugging him at the same time.

[Roman puts himself together, his eyes are red and his nose wet. Patton gives him a handkerchief decorated with embroidered kittens and Roman blows his nose]

ROMAN: [cleaning his nose] What an appalling spectacle I’m giving. I’m the prince, I’m supposed to be strong, or at least look like it…

THOMAS: Patton’s said it and he speaks for all of us. Even the strongest and bravest princes have a right to cry. And it needs a lot of strength to cry in front of people. You have nothing to be ashamed of.

LOGAN: Guys… I suddenly realized something…

THOMAS: What is it, Logan?

LOGAN: Don’t you think that there’s something odd going on here?

THOMAS: I wouldn’t call this situation odd, Logan, I…

LOGAN: I don’t mean Roman’s trouble, although it could be related.

THOMAS: If you don’t cut to the chase…

LOGAN: Where is Virgil? He should already be here knowing we’re mentioning him all the time.

THOMAS: Perhaps he’s in autopilot, Logan.

LOGAN: Perhaps, but still… I’m having a bad feeling about his absence.

ROMAN: [concerned face] What do you mean? What makes you think there’s something’s wrong with Virgil?

LOGAN: I don’t know. It’s just… intuition. I never stated it before, Thomas. But apart of being home of your logic and knowledge, I’m also in charge of your intuition. I know it has no logic that I, Logic, am in charge of this illogical feeling, but I am, and I feel deep inside of me that something’s wrong with Virgil. I could be wrong, intuition sometimes fails, and it’s the only instance I’m going to recognize I’m prone to failure, but I highly doubt it.

THOMAS: Then we’ll go check on him. Remember, everyone, that Light Sides are endangered in Virgil’s room, so, if we need to stay for too long, Logan, Patton, Roman and Honesty must retreat, okay?

ROMAN: If Virgil’s in trouble, I’m not retreating anywhere.

THOMAS: But Roman…

ROMAN: Enough talking, let’s go now or I’ll go on my own without you!

THOMAS: Okay, okay, let’s go then.

[They all sink down. Then they appear in Virgil’s room. There’s no sign of Virgil]

THOMAS: Where is he? I hope he doesn’t appear again to scare us like the last time…

ROMAN: Virgil!? Were are you!?

VIRGIL: [only his voice, in demonic form, is heard, with a creepy sing-song tone] I’m glad you managed to come here, my distinguished guests… Come in… Join me in my despair…

ROMAN: Virgil?

LOGAN: That voice…

DECEIT: That is not Virgil!

THOMAS: Are you sure? It sounded like him when he’s heightened.

DECEIT: I know Virgil, and I also know an impostor when I see… or hear it. And I tell you that is not Virgil.

ROMAN: [to the voice] Then who are you!? And what have you done to Virgil! Show yourself, whoever you are!

[A dark hooded figure appears in Virgil’s spot.]

VIRGIL: You have a keen ear, Deceit. However, you’re wrong. It’s me, Virgil.

DECEIT: You’re lying!

THOMAS: Who are you? Show your face!

[He takes the cloak down and shows that he’s, in fact, Virgil. However, he has an evil expression and his eyes are red]

THOMAS: Virgil…?

ROMAN: What’s… wrong with you?

VIRGIL: I am better than ever, Roman. Now that I let myself get carried away with this feeling, I’m… ecstatic… You should all come with me… It’s such a wonderful state…

HONESTY: Okay, something tells me we shouldn’t listen to him…

LOGAN: …wait a second… what’s that in his hand? It’s… like a black glow of some kind… [realizing what it could be] No… This can’t be… it’s impossible…

THOMAS: What!?

LOGAN: It looks like a Sanders Sprite. But it’s impossible, Sprites are allergic to Dark Sides!

VIRGIL: What did you say it is…? A Sanders Sprite? Please… Mistaking it with these amateurish Lite-Brites…

LOGAN: Then what is it? And what has it done to you?

VIRGIL: Don’t my eyes give you a hint, four eyes?

PATTON: Oi! You don’t have to be rude!

VIRGIL: [evil giggling] I know, but it’s so fulfilling!

THOMAS: Red eyes, and a clue…?

DECEIT: [horrified] No… It’s impossible… It can’t be… him!

THOMAS: [afraid] Him? You mean…?

LOGAN: The Dark Master is back? But how can that be? We destroyed him! He would have needed a lot more time to rebuild himself!

VIRGIL: Oh, no, it’s not the Dark Master… Well, not all of him at least… And I tell you that I’m Virgil.

LOGAN: I’m confused…

VIRGIL: When we destroyed the Dark Master the way that we did it, we broke his body into tiny pieces that were propelled out of the Dark Realm all over the Mind Palace. And from these pieces, they were born.

THOMAS: They? Who are they?

VIRGIL: Oh, we didn’t get a name for them yet. But now that you’ve mentioned the Sanders Sprites… I think Dark Sprites sounds like a good name, doesn’t it?

THOMAS: So you are a Sprite, then…

VIRGIL: I told you I’m Virgil. But this in my hand, it is a Sprite.

THOMAS: I’m confused.

VIRGIL: Ordinary Sprites bite Light Sides only and their aim is to possess them. Dark Sprites, bite Dark and Light Sides alike and their job is to heighten the darkest part of us to unveil a trait we’ve been suppressing from ourselves, but without manipulating our minds or anything. That’s why I told you, I’m still Virgil. And you wouldn’t believe the wonders this little dark fellow has shown me.

THOMAS: I’m getting scared.

VIRGIL: I thought I was only Anxiety and Fear. But who would have known? I’m Depression too, and I discovered it thanks to this little friend.

THOMAS: And with that knowledge… what do you plan to do?

VIRGIL: Everything would be so much calmer if I spread depression on you, Thomas… You wouldn’t have to worry again about the real world. You wouldn’t have to waste your energy on mundane things, because anything is pointless anyway… [mesmerizing voice] and you know it… What’s the point of struggling anyway? There’s none… so stop struggling and let yourself get carried away by me…

LOGAN: Stop it! Stop it, Virgil! What you’re saying doesn’t make any sense!

DECEIT: And it’s a load of lies too! Thomas, don’t listen to him! He’s trying to put you into a deep state of depression. If you let yourself get sunk down by him, it will be difficult to get out.

THOMAS: I’m trying, guys. I try not to listen to him. But I’m suddenly getting such a strong feeling of sadness and lack of hope… It’s overwhelming… Guys, help me…

PATTON: [scared whining] What are we going to do?

HONESTY: Virgil, please, don’t do this!

VIRGIL: You all don’t understand… It’s all so wonderful where I am… No more anxiety… no more fight… only laying down and waiting for the inevitable…

ROMAN: [angry commanding voice] Virgil, shut up!

[Virgil looks at Roman]

ROMAN: You know this is wrong! Look at Thomas. Do you think he’s experimenting the pleasures you’re promising him!? Just look at him! He’s suffering! And what’s worse! You’re putting him in danger! You had a sworn duty, Virgil, just as I had mine. Your duty is to protect Thomas, from himself and from the dangers around him. If you go on that way, you’re betraying your duty! You’re failing, Virgil!

[Virgil shows a face of slight struggle and horror]

ROMAN: Please, I beg of you. If there’s still a tiny little piece of the Virgil I love in there, please fight against this nonsense. Don’t let this happen. You said that you loved me more than you love yourself. If that’s true, listen to me!

[There’s a flicker in the black glow in Virgil’s hand. Also, the cloak Virgil’s wearing flickers in black and purple. Virgil’s face is of constant struggle, his eyes go from red to brown, then back to red, again and again. Then, at last, the black glow gets off Virgil and explodes in the air. At that moment, Virgil goes pail as a ghost, recovering his usual purple emo outfit, and falls down unconscious]

THOMAS: [relieved] I think I’m feeling better now… [scared after noticing Virgil on the floor] What’s wrong with Virgil?

[Roman runs towards Virgil and holds him, resting Virgil’s head on Roman’s shoulder]

ROMAN: Virgil, my love… Are you okay? Can you hear me? Wake up, please…

[Virgil doesn’t wake up. In fact, he’s looking worse every minute]

LOGAN: I think Virgil recovered reason for a minute and to avoid what was happening to Thomas, he inhibited himself to repel the Dark Sprite… But perhaps he’s gone too far. We could be losing him…

ROMAN: [horror face] That’s not true! Sides don’t die, that’s impossible!

LOGAN: Human personalities can change. It’s rare, but not impossible. So it’s possible that Sides can die and be replaced or not by new Sides. It’s something that can happen.

ROMAN: [crying] Virgil. It’s not true. I told you earlier to fight. Now I tell you again. Please don’t leave me. Fight!

[Roman leans towards Virgil and kisses him. Then something happens. To Roman and the other’s shock, Virgil’s body starts floating in the air, surrounded by a mystic purple glow. The glow gets so intense it dazzles everyone for a second. Then Virgil wakes up, taking a deep breath and recovers the color on his face. Then he slowly descends down until he perches on the ground, and then the glow disappears]

VIRGIL: I… I’m not very much sure of what has just happened…?

ROMAN: [happy crying] Virgil!

[Roman runs to Virgil and hugs and kisses him]

ROMAN: Are you all right? How are you feeling?

VIRGIL: [with a loving smile] Now that you’ve kissed me? Like I could move a mountain.

[Roman smiles and kisses Virgil again]

THOMAS: But I don’t understand. What has happened here? What was that glow?

DECEIT: Isn’t it obvious? In Roman’s fairy tale language, his true love’s kiss has broken the curse and awaken Virgil. In fact, I think it has done more than that.

THOMAS: What do you mean?

DECEIT: Try to change into your old panther form, Virgil.

VIRGIL: Okay…

[Virgil tries, but nothing happens]

VIRGIL: I can’t. Maybe if I forced a shape-shift, but it’s not coming naturally as it used to…

[Wrath suddenly appears]

WRATH: [nervous, almost hysterical] Guys, I’ve been looking for you everywhere! The Dark Realm! The room! The Dark Realm!

LOGAN: Calm down, Wrath! Calm down or we won’t understand a thing! What’s wrong with the Dark Realm?

WRATH: [taking a deep breath, then calmer, but still nervous] Something’s happened in the Dark Realm! I heard a huge noise, as if something was falling apart! I went to check it out and I couldn’t believe my eyes! Virgil, your room in the Dark Realm has disappeared. It is gone!

VIRGIL: My room?

WRATH: Yes, your room! Now you don’t have a room in the Dark Realm anymore!

DECEIT: Exactly as I thought. Your Dark Side room has disappeared, because you don’t need it anymore. You’re now a creature of the Light Realm.

VIRGIL: [in shock] What?

DECEIT: When you inhibited yourself, you lost almost all of your Dark Side energy, like I did when I had to inhibit myself too. When Roman kissed you, he infused you with his own love, the purest light energy there is, and it filled you, replacing the dark energy you lost, and that made the miracle. You are no longer a Dark Side, Virgil. You’re now a Light Side.

VIRGIL: I’m… a Light Side…? I can’t believe it…

WRATH: Um… Excuse me, but will, like, somebody come back to Earth and pick me up? Because I am totally confused.

THOMAS: You’re not alone in your confusion… Wait a minute. If Virgil is now a Light Side… Does that mean that he’s no longer my anxiety?

DECEIT: Yes… and no…

THOMAS: If you complicate this a little more, Deceit, I’m gonna get a headache.

DECEIT: Think about it. Think about Virgil’s name. He had that name all that time and we never understood it’s true meaning. Think about Logan and Patton. Logan is Logos, or logical thinking, and Patton is Pathos, or emotional thinking, as Greek philosopher Aristotle described them. Think about Roman too, he is romantic for romance and a Romantic author like Poe and so many others. But what does the name Virgil have to do with “anxiety”?

THOMAS: Well…

LOGAN: I think I understand. Virgil is no longer Anxiety… because he’s Vigilance! It can be a cause of anxiety but it’s not anxiety itself! That’s why he had always in his heart the wish of protecting you, which is the only thing strong enough to break depression’s curse. And I think Virgil has always been your vigilance, Thomas. He probably was a Light Side when he was born, but since Thomas’ first encounters with him were always a cause of anxiety, Thomas started repressing him early on and he turned into a Dark Side because of that. That can happen when Sides are forming at a young age, when they’re not totally defined. And now, Virgil has recovered his true nature.

VIRGIL: I… I don’t remember at all having been a Light Side at any moment in my life, Logan…

LOGAN: That’s normal. None of us should remember something that happened at such a young age of Thomas’ and ours. Also, you have always felt out of place all of your life, didn’t you? You said it once yourself: “I don’t fit in, that’s the problem.” Now you know the reason why you felt like that. If you still have doubts and need more proof, just look at Roman, Patton, Honesty and me. We’ve been in your room for a long time now. Do you see us with eye-shadow, our hair over our foreheads and acting as if we had drunk five gallons of coffee? You can no longer corrupt us because you’re no longer a Dark Side.

VIRGIL: This… is overwhelming… I don’t know how I should react… My whole life… has been a lie?

ROMAN: Virgil, there’s no use in asking questions about the past. Think about the present. You are a Light Side. And also think about the future. I love you and you love me, and there’s no longer anything that separates us. I’ll make sure to make you happy for as long as we both shall live, if you accept me.

VIRGIL: If I accept you? After all we both have been through? Could you ever have doubted it, my prince?

[This time it’s Virgil who kisses Roman]

THOMAS: Okay, guys, I think it’s time for us to give some privacy to a certain couple. [sinks down] Let’s go.

LOGAN: [sinks down] Gotcha.

PATTON: [sinks down] Bye, guys!

WRATH: [sinks down] And I still don’t know what is going on between them…

HONESTY: [sinks down] Don’t worry, I’ll put you up to date on the way.

[Deceit doesn’t say a word. He just sighs and sinks down]

[There’s a white flash and they all rise up in the living room]

LOGAN: Well, if we needed any other proof that Virgil is a Light Side, now we got it. We’ve all risen up instead of appearing from there. Are you okay, Deceit? And you, Wrath?

WRATH: [dizzy] I don’t know how you can do this thing of rising up… Ugh… my stomach’s not agreeing with it…

DECEIT: You get used to it after a few tries… But the first time I almost threw up afterwards… And for me it’s still unpleasant to rise up to some degree.

THOMAS: That’s something that has bugged me. Why do you have to suddenly appear? Why can’t you just rise up like the others?

DECEIT: That’s like asking why does the Mind Palace exist in the first place. I have no idea, Thomas, but that’s how it is. Now… if you excuse me, I’m going back to my room now. [sinking down] See ya.

THOMAS: Bye, Deceit…

HONESTY: I’m going too, Thomas. After all these emotions I need a calming tea to feel better. [sinks down] See you later.

THOMAS: Bye, Honesty. And Wrath. If Virgil’s room is gone, what happened to all the stuff that was in there?

WRATH: Have you ever watched Doctor Who, Thomas?

THOMAS: Have I ever watched Doctor Who? That’s like asking me if I have ever sung a song, Wrath.

WRATH: Well, do you remember how the TARDIS, in special situations where it needed extra power, it burned rooms inside of it to gain extra energy? It’s something similar. The room that belonged to Virgil was “burnt” and its remains converted into energy for the Mind Palace.

THOMAS: With everything in it?

WRATH: Not everything. If there was something important that needed to be saved, it would have been moved to where it is supposed to be, Virgil’s room in the Light Realm. The rest, of course, should probably be gone, but I can’t be certain of that, anyway. It is the first time that something like this has happened in the Mind Palace and I’m only theorizing. Perhaps I should go check if everything is okay in the Dark Realm.

THOMAS: If that reassures you, go ahead. Tell me if you find anything unusual. And be careful, there could be more Dark Sprites on the prowl.

WRATH: [sinks down] I will. Bye, Thomas.

PATTON: I’m so happy, guys. I almost lost my child today, but not only he survived! Now I’m getting a future son in law too! [sinks down] Who knows? Maybe soon you’ll have to call me Granddad…

THOMAS: [smiles, but with a concerned look] Yeah, who knows…

LOGAN: Are you okay, Thomas? You’re showing a worried face now.

THOMAS: I was thinking about that Dark Sprite… The Dark Master said it, he’s never gonna let me live in peace, but I didn’t expect he’d be giving trouble so soon, in the form of his Dark Sprites.

LOGAN: We all will have to be alert to them. They’re more dangerous than the original Sanders Sprites as we all can be victims of them. But we have faced tough situations in the past and we’ve endured. You’ll see how we can endure this too.

THOMAS: I hope so, Logan. These brief moments when Virgil was trying to put me into depression… were horrible.

LOGAN: Yeah, depression is a serious issue. You have been very lucky not to fall into it. Millions of people have to face it at various points in their life. It’s possible to get out of it, but it takes time and effort, and unfortunately not everyone manages to get out at all. We would have tried our best to support you, and so would have your beloved ones and the therapists that put you into the essential treatment to get out of it. We would have fought for you and you would have never been alone on your way. You know that, right?

THOMAS: Yes, I know. I love you guys so much.

LOGAN: Please, don’t use the word love, Thomas… even though the sentiment is mutual. [sinks down] And I’ll deny having said this.

THOMAS: [smiles] Of course, Logan… [to the camera] If any of you is suffering the effects of depression, I just want to tell you something. I know it may be possible that you don’t believe it right now, but there’s plenty of people around you who love you and who will always be there to support you no matter what. Depression is a serious condition that won’t be solved by anything I could say to you. Even though it’s easier said than done, just try to remember that it will get better some day. Ask for help if you haven’t already, because you are not alone and there will always be someone who will be willing to help you, to give you the strength you’re lacking right now. You can do this. Keep on fighting. I’ll always be rooting for you. Until next time, take it easy, guys, gals and non binary pals. Peace out!

[end card]

[Wrath is wandering around the Dark Realm, on the area were Virgil’s room used to be]

WRATH: Nothing… There’s nothing left in here…

[sounds of sobbing are heard]

WRATH: What? What’s that sound?

[camera pans and Deceit is over there, sitting down on the ground, crying, covering his face with his hands. The yellow gloves are soaked in his tears]

WRATH: Deceit? Is that you?

DECEIT: [scared, noticing Wrath] No! No, it isn’t… I…

WRATH: Um… You know I can see you, right? Are you okay? What’s wrong?

DECEIT: It’s… It’s nothing… Nothing at all.

WRATH: [approaches Deceit and sits down next to him] Sure, and you don’t have to put your gloves in the washing machine because of the tears either. Please, I know you love to lie but trying to lie under these circumstances and expecting me to believe it, it is insulting my intelligence.

DECEIT: Okay, I’m sorry, I’m sorry…

WRATH: Just tell me what’s wrong. Aren’t we friends? You were there listening to all the things that unsettled and distressed me. It would only be fair that I would be there for you when you need me. Come on.

DECEIT: Okay… But promise me that you will never, ever tell anyone. None of the Sides or Thomas must know.

WRATH: Of course I promise. No one will know from my lips, I swear. Now, tell me.

DECEIT: It’s just that… I don’t know if I should say it.

WRATH: Please, Deceit, level with me.

DECEIT: It’s just that… I love Virgil.

WRATH: I already knew that.

DECEIT: What?

WRATH: It was always crystal clear for me, ever since the old days in the Dark Realm, that you saw in Virgil more than just a friend. That time, when I told you that “sleep well, lovebirds”, I wasn’t just making fun of you. I knew that your feelings towards Virgil were stronger than what you were willing to admit.

DECEIT: Then why did you let me struggle to get my confession out of me if you already knew?

WRATH: Because you needed to let it go yourself. If I had forced you, it would have only made things worse.

DECEIT: Then you know why I’m like this, don’t you?

WRATH: Yes, I think so.

DECEIT: All this time I had my hopes high, because I knew Virgil was a Dark Side and he couldn’t be with Roman. I foolishly hoped that some day he would settle his eyes on me. But now that he’s a Light Side, my hopes are broken forever. I’ll never be able to be with him. I can’t be with him, because now it would be me who would corrupt him. So I must let him go. The only consolation I have is that at least he’s going to be happy with Roman. But it’s going to hurt me so bad, anyway…

WRATH: Oh, Deceit… Keep that thought in your mind. Keep thinking that Virgil is happy and Roman will make him happy.

DECEIT: He better will, because if Roman ever does something to hurt Virgil… I’ll make sure that he pays for it.

HONESTY: [Showing up next to them] He won’t do anything, Deceit. Roman loves Virgil with all his heart and he would never hurt him on purpose, you know it.

DECEIT: [startled] What are you doing here? How long have you been here? Did you hear everything that…?

HONESTY: [sitting down next to Deceit] Relax, Deceit. Have you forgotten that we have been sharing the same body for a long time and that we also shared the same memories for a long time? Many things have become blurry, but I still remember that you’re in love with Virgil.

DECEIT: Oh, you’re right… I forgot…

HONESTY: Don’t worry. I never told before, and I will never tell anyone. I know I’m Honesty, but I do not support brutal and hurtful honesty. One must know when to speak and when to be quiet, and I know. Perhaps there’s still a little dash of you in me that allows me to do that. Anyway, your secret’s safe with me. I promise.

DECEIT: Thank you so much, Honesty.

HONESTY: So this is all that is left of Virgil’s old room?

WRATH: Yes, it is…

HONESTY: [pointing at something] Um… what is that over there?

DECEIT: What?

[Honesty gets up and approaches what he has seen. Then comes back. It’s Virgil’s old black hoodie]

HONESTY: Didn’t this belong to Virgil?

[Deceit and Wrath stand up. Honesty gives the hoodie to Deceit]

DECEIT: Yes. It’s the hoodie he used to wear when he was in panther form, and the first hoodie he used when he acquired his emo form.

HONESTY: I think it would be appropriate that you kept it, Deceit.

DECEIT: Me?

HONESTY: Virgil’s obviously never gonna need it anymore. He seems pretty happy with his purple hoodie. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind if you kept it.

DECEIT: Yes… I guess so.

WRATH: What I wonder is how this didn’t burn with the rest of the room or reappear in Virgil’s present room. It just stayed there, forgotten…

DECEIT: I don’t know. But I’m glad that it didn’t go. Thanks for having the keen eye of spotting it, Honesty. You are a good friend.

HONESTY: The closest you’ll ever have. We’re like one after all, literally before and figuratively now. Now clean those eyes, my friend. Let’s go. I said I wanted some tea earlier, and Patton has invited us to have some tea and cookies. That’s why I came looking for you, and I don’t know about you, but I’m not gonna miss out Patton’s cookies, they’re delicious.

DECEIT: Yes, I need something sweet to forget my bitterness…

HONESTY: He included all of us in the invitation, Wrath, you can come too.

WRATH: Really? Thanks. I never tasted cookies.

HONESTY: [in shock] You… what?

WRATH: No, there’s nothing of that here in the Dark Realm.

HONESTY: Then you’re in for a treat. You’re gonna love them.

[They all leave the Dark Realm. In the spot where the hoodie was lying, a sparkle can be seen… of two red eyes]

VOICE: [demonic] Too soon… but just wait for it…

[unsettling laughter from the demonic voice is heard and again the red eyes sparkle for an instant]

#sanders sides #fanfic #sanders sides fic #ts fanfic #thomas sanders #thomas sanders fanfic #prinxiety #romantic prinxiety #anxceit #roman sanders #patton sanders #logan sanders #virgil sanders #deceit sanders #aspects and fanfics

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