#bracket 4 side b
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Bracket 4 - Quarter-Finals
Ichigo Momomiya/Mew Ichigo (Tokyo Mew Mew) vs. Mad Mew Mew (Undertale)
More information under the cut!
Mew Ichigo: She’s pink, loves her boyfriend, works at a maid café.
Mad Mew Mew: She’s pink and has a cute poofy dress.
#round 5#bracket 4#bracket 4 side a#bracket 4 side b#quarterfinals#ichigo momomiya#momomiya ichigo#mew ichigo#tokyo mew mew#mad mew mew#undertale mad mew mew#undertale#deltarune#girlygirltournament#tumblr tournaments
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#dragon quest#slime dragon quest#puddle slime#slime rancher#round 4#side b#tournament poll#polls#slime fight#slime tournament#slime showdown#slime#slime monster#slimecontest#tournament bracket#semifinals
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Round One, Side B, Match 6
UNIT #031/LABRYS (Persona) VS DARK PIT (Kid Icarus: Uprising)
Vote for whoever you like better!
NO NEGATIVE PROPAGANDA
#noodle's blorbo bracket#round one#side b#persona 4 arena ultimax#labrys#kid icarus: uprising#dark pit
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The winners of Round 4 - Side A are here 🥳
1. Will Turner (Pirates of the Caribbean)
2. Westley/Dread Pirate Roberts (The Princess Bride)
3. Long John Silver (Muppet Treasure Island)
4. Oluwande Boodhari (Our Flag Means Death)
#also i finally have my laptop back#i'll be updating and pinning the bracket in about half an hour#and round 4 - side b will be posted after that
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Characters who made it onto the boat, in order are: (time left on the timer when they made it in brackets)
Fit [4:29] (flew w rockets, + went back to rescue people)
Philza [2:47] (flew w grappling)
Tubbo [2:47] (rescued by Phil)
Charlie [1:45] (ran)
Roier [1:13] (ran)
Bagi [0:02] (rescued by Fit)
Etoiles [0:00] (grappled/ran)
Pierre [0:00] (ran/flew)
Characters A) weren't fast enough or B) chose to stay behind are:
Cellbit (A)
Foolish (A)
Ironmouse? (A) (She made it on while everyone else had the cutscene playing, it was broken for her. I dunno if that counts or not)
Tina (A)
Bad + Dapper (A)
Baghera (B)
Characters who are, at this point in time, confirmed dead:
Max (RIP o7)
BONUS "FUN" FACTS:
Cellbit, Foolish, and Tina were in sight of the boat when their time ran out
Foolish would have made it if he didn't stop and wait to make sure everyone was going before he did
Cellbit likely would have made it if he didn't run back down to the egg room after he died in the earthquake
Both Pierre and Etoiles grappled onto the side of/landed on the boat between the time hitting zero and the cutscene starting
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Propaganda
Judy Garland (Meet Me In St. Louis, A Star is Born, Summer Stock)— Judy is the GOAT when it comes to classic movie musicals. The voice of an angel who deserved so much better than she got. She can sing she can dance she can act she's a triple threat. Though she had a turbulent personal life (her treatment as a child star by the studio system makes me mad as hell like Louis b Mayer fight me ((she was made to believe that she was physically unattractive by the constant criticism of film executives who made her feel ugly and who manipulated her onscreen appearance by capping her teeth and using discs in her nose to change its shape and Mayer called her "my little hunchback" like imagine hearing that as a child and not having damage)) she always goddamn delivered on screen and in any performance she gave. She began in vaudeville performing with her sisters and was signed to MGM at 13. Starting out in supporting parts especially paired with mickey Rooney in a bunch of films (she's the best part tbh) she eventually transferred to the lead role. She is best known for her starring role in movie musicals like the iconic Wizard of Oz (somewhere over the rainbow still hits hard and is ranked the top film song of all time), meet me in St. Louis (Judy singing have your self a merry little Christmas brings tears to the eyes she is that powerful), the Harvey girls (she looks like a technicolor dream and sings a catchy af song about trains), Easter parade ( dancing and singing with Fred Astaire), for me and my gal, the pirate, and summer stock ( with pal Gene Kelly who she helped when he was starting out and he helped her when she was struggling). But she also does non- singing just as well like the clock ( her first movie where she sings no songs and is an underrated ww2 era romance), her Oscar nominated a star is born ( like the man that got away she put her whole soul in that and I have beef with the fact she lost to grace kelly ((whom I love but like still not even her best work)), and judgement at Nuremberg (a courtroom drama about the nazi war criminal trials). Outside of film she made concert appearances to record-breaking audiences, released 8 studio albums, and had her own Emmy-nominated tv series. She was the youngest (39) and first female recipient of the Cecil B DeMille award for lifetime achievement in the film industry. Girl was a lifelong democrat and was a financial and moral supporter of many causes including the civil rights movement (she was at the March on Washington and held a press conference to protest the 16th street Baptist church bombings). She was a friend of the Kennedy family and would call jfk weekly often ending the calls by singing the first few lines of somewhere over the rainbow (she thought of them as Gemini twins).She was a member of the committee for the first amendment which was formed in response to the HUAC investigations. Though she died far too young and tragically she remains an icon for her work and her life. As a girl who didn't feel like i was as pretty as everyone else I have always felt a connection to Judy and I just really love her.
Natalie Wood (West Side Story, The Great Race)—She went through so much shit which I know can be said for all these women but Natalie really was a star and her death often overshadows her career and life. She could make you cry, but she also had the capacity to be incredibly funny which I think is lost on people.
This is round 4 of the tournament. All other polls in this bracket can be found here. Please reblog with further support of your beloved hot sexy vintage woman.
[additional propaganda submitted under the cut.]
Natalie Wood:
Judy Garland:
Judy's voice alone qualifies her for at least top ten hottest HOT VINTAGE MOVIE WOMEN. She was a truly incredible swing singer, with a stunning voice on top of her technique. Her short dark hair looked incredible in just about any style. Have I mentioned her swagger? I can’t do it justice with words. She had swagger. She was funny as hell, and clever too. Incredibly charming and cool. I adore her.
Her eyes, her voice have bewitched me
I mean how can you beat the one and only Judy? She's beautiful, her smile is contagious, the way she sings with her whole body. You can't help but love her.
youtube
Beautiful woman, love her singing voice. And she can do everything between happy or silly and angry or heartbroken
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I'm writing a scene where character A gets ambushed by an assassin. A gets injured and starts bleeding out. B swoops in to save them in the nick of time, but A starts fading in and out of consciousness. B transports A using a horse-drawn carriage (setting is 1890's London, so no cars) to a safe place for medical attention. Would the carriage be safe enough for transportation or make things worse? Also, any ideas where the wound could plausibly be located on A? (Stab/cut, no guns.)
Okay, so this is a good news/bad news situation.
The good news is that blood loss is really easy to understand. If someone pokes a hole in you, and you start leaking, you'll generally keep leaking at a pretty consistent rate until you manage to stop the leak, or until you start getting additional holes poked in you.
Now, joking aside, moving around, and staying active can accelerate bleed out. Especially if you're engaging in activity that keeps your heart rate up. For example: Running, or fighting. But, normally, you're going to keep losing blood at a fairly consistent rate. (Now, it's worth noting, as you lose blood, your body will actually increase your heart rate to keep oxygen going to your brain. This means that the rate of loss isn't completely consistent. You'll also start hyperventilating.)
The fun part about blood loss is it can actually turn into a math problem. If you know the volume lost per interval, you can calculate roughly how long it will take to die. Just take 2,000, then divide that by the blood lost in milliliters per interval (so, for example, minutes), and then you will know how many minutes your character has before they bleed to death. (Technically you can go over that two liters lost a little bit. (In sloppy napkin math, this means that you'll slightly overestimate how long the character will last.)
Here's the problem.
Hypovolemic shock has four recognized stages. These stages are bracketed by how much blood you've lost. Stage one is up to 15%, Stage two is 15-30%, Stage 3 is 30-40%, and Stage 4 is 40% or more. You might know that the human body has roughly five liters of blood in it, and if you were paying attention you'll notice that two liters is 40% of five liters.
As a quick aside, Stage 1's only symptom is that you'll be a little paler than usual. Otherwise you're basically fine (even if you don't feel particularly great.) To put this in context, you can (almost) lose a liquor bottle's worth of blood without serious side effects.
Once you hit stage 2 and 3, you'll see some mental issues. Anxiety and restlessness at Stage 2, confusion and impaired reasoning at stage 3.
Loss of consciousness (and comas) are symptoms of stage 4 blood loss.
This is the bad news. If you are losing consciousness from loss of blood, you have already lost so much blood that your body (and possibly your brain) are already dying. Humans can lose a frightening amount of blood before it incapacitates them. And, that fun little math problem earlier, the time to death that you're calculating, is also the time to loss of consciousness, because there's a tiny margin between, you bled to the point that you're drifting in and out of consciousness, and, you have bled to death.
There's still some hope here, but it's not great. First aid for hypovolemic shock is to stop the bleeding. It kinda makes sense, because if you don't, they'll bleed to death and after that, it won't really matter. That means, if you're swooping in to the rescue, the first thing you need to do is stop the bleeding, as best you can. When you're already looking at someone in stage 3 or 4, you're not going to stop it in the field, and the best you can do is buy time. But that is a critical step.
This leads to a really important question. How long did it take your character to lose two liters of blood?
Because, if they lost that much blood duringthe fight (which is, actually possible with some arterial hits), there is no medical science that would keep them alive long enough to get them to a surgeon. Not in 1890, and even in 2024 it'd be touch and go with modern emergency trauma packs.
This is a mortal wound.
Now, if you slow it down, and they're bleeding out over the course of the ride, that's entirely feasible. You'll probably want to read up on the exact stages of hypovolemic shock, keep in mind that the stages do transition from one into the next. And, keep in mind that, “slipping in and out of consciousness,” is basically the end. At that point they're about to die. Immediate surgical attention could still save their life, but they need a hospital. This is beyond the scope of what a back alley clinic could reasonably deal with.
I know I didn't address it earlier, but, “where,” could be pretty much wherever. So long as it didn't sever an artery, because at that point they would be dead. Arterial nicks could result in serious bleeding over time. Really, any serious, persistent blood loss that refuses to clot could create a situation like this. Deep tissue penetration, particularly when it damages internal organs, can be pretty nasty, and surprisingly hard to stop a bleed. If someone is hemorrhaging internally, that's going to require surgical attention to keep them alive, and any effort to stop the bleed will really be wasted effort (because they'll continue bleeding into the chest cavity), though, unless your characters have a pretty solid grasp of anatomy, they're unlikely to know that.
The real issue here, from a practical application, is just the, “swooping in at the last minute.” If you're really coming in at the last minute, you've got a minute to make peace with their death, and move on. If you get there sooner, you have more of a scene. You have more options to spool out the drama, and subvert expectations.
Consider, alternately: Your character comes in to disrupt the assassin, and the pair make their escape. While escaping, the character who's been injured discovers they're bleeding. Leading their rescuer to realize that the situation is much worse than they initially thought, and having to change route to a hospital, while the injured character starts to become less coherent.
In this alternative, you can carefully track how quickly the character is bleeding out, so that they're getting into the hospital right around the time it's starting to become touch and go. With a real possibility that they'll die, either before or during surgery. (Also, with added stress that now your character needs to keep them safe in a public space, while that assassin is still on the loose, and they can't move the injured character to someplace more secure.)
So, you've got options, and now you've got a math problem you can play with to figure out how quickly your characters will expire after you poke new holes in them.
-Starke
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#writing advice#writing reference#writing tips#how to fight write#starke answers#starke is not a real doctor
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Do you think your favorite Morally Grey Blorbo is mistreated by the fandom? Do people not understand them? Are they constantly compared to the likes of Satan?
Or, on the flip side, are people saying they did nothing wrong? Constantly overlooking key characteristics, making it seem like they like the character in their head more than the character you got? Making them into a morally pure saint when they really aren't?
TL;DR: Does the fandom not seem to know the Definition of Morally Grey?
Well, I have good news!
WELCOME TO MISREPRESENTED MORALLY GREY!
RULES:
-No Harry Potter Characters
-No Real People
-2 Submissions or More guarantee entry
-DO NOT USE FAN ART!
-Morally Grey is Subjective. If I get an Ask saying that *insert Character Here* does not deserve to be here, I will make a poll for you to decide
-Cutoff date is February 29th, 2024
-There will be 4 Brackets, 'They Did Nothing Wrong' (A-Side), 'They Did Everything Wrong'(B-Side), Both (C-Side) and Mixed (D-Side)
Edit: PLEASE STOP SUBMITTING EDELGARD VON HRESVELG!!! ESPECIALLY IF YOU AREN'T GONNA CAPITALIZE HER NAME CORRECTLY!! She has guaranteed entry anyway!
Edit Edit: THE SUBMISSION FORM IS CLOSED!!! Thank you All for Submitting!
*tags for exposure*
@tournament-announcer @yall-hate-kids-tourney @look-how-they-massacred-them @morally-grey-girlbosses @godsspecialestlittleguyskirmish
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In Losing Grip On Sinking Ships (4/?)
Chapter summary: The night at the club - from your perspective. And we find out whether you came to the opening of Wanda's cafe or not
Chapter word count: 6.3k+
Pairing: Wanda Maximoff x Fem!Reader, Yelena Belova x Fem!Reader (heavy on this chapter)
Tags: fluff if you squint (did I just say fluff?)
AO3 | Masterlist
Next Chapter: Five
Taglist: @blackluthxr | @esposadejoyhuerta | @secretbackrooms | @justgotlizzied , @casquinhaa | @marvelwomen-simp | @sunsol-22 | @wandanatlov3r | @kyaraderuwez
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Four
The night at the club - from your perspective
The club Clint chooses for Natasha’s send-off is a drug deal away from being sleazy, despite its popularity. It’s significantly larger too, than the typical nightclubs you’ve been to in the past; there's a mezzanine for VIP members and celebrity guests; three bars are stationed at the corners of the main room, selling beverages based on a price bracket–with the most expensive ones near the steps leading to the VIP area. In here, you find all kinds of party-goers–from preppy high school kids with their daddy’s money and fake IDs to aging business men looking to score a high-end escort or a B-list actress in need of a sponsor for their lavish lifestyle.
And then there’s you–newly single, unemployed, nearing your 30s and rooming with your best friend. Just with how you’re dressed–a white, velvet sleeveless cowl neck top and skinny jeans–you wonder what other people think of you, what backstory they’ve concocted in their heads. Whatever it is, it couldn’t be worse than your actual reality.
“How did you find this place?” you ask Clint after he returns with shots of tequila to start the night with.
He glances between you and then Natasha, who finishes her shot in a single gulp the second she snatches it from Clint’s fingers.
“Did you not see how big this place is from outside? It’s hard to miss the biggest nightclub in New York, Y/N.” His breath fans over your face, and all it takes is one whiff to know he’s already had some pre-party drinks in his system.
“I prefer the dive bars we used to frequent.” you say, grimacing as the tequila burns down your throat. It immediately warms the middle of your chest, leaving you thirstier than before.
Clint raises his eyebrows at you incredulously. “We’re not here to talk and catch-up. We’re here to get trashed because our girl right here,” he playfully puts an arm around Natasha so she’s snug against his side. “Is returning to the front lines.”
“Damn right!” Natasha yells, raising her empty shot glass to no one in particular. She’s deadly as she looks for what she’s capable of–which you know very little about–and yet, astoundingly lightweight when it comes to holding her liquor. It wouldn’t take three more rounds to render her thoroughly incapacitated.
Clint looks so smug, and it doesn’t take a second more for you to realize that he gave Natasha a double. You weakly jab his side with your elbow and then proceed to swipe his credit card from his back pocket, making sure he at least pays for everything tonight.
“Come on,” you say, reaching for Natasha’s hand. “We can’t have you drinking on an empty stomach or you won’t last until midnight.”
Natasha shakes her head with a pout. “Gotta last much, much, much later than that.”
“For sure. But first, let’s–”
“Where are you taking my sister?” A voice behind you asks in a demanding but playful manner. You feel it being said right in your ear, causing goosebumps all over the back of your neck.
Whipping your head around, you find Yelena smiling at you as she staggers a step back to avoid you accidentally kissing her cheek in the process.
There’s tension from the last time you saw each other, and it becomes instantly obvious that it hasn’t gone away the moment you take in her plunge cocktail dress and the rose-colored smirk she has on. You don’t really mean to, but it’s easy to make the conclusion that anyone would easily find her the most attractive person in the room.
“Little sis,” Natasha exclaims in barely contained excitement, hastily enveloping Yelena in a bear hug. “You came!”
“Hey,” you breathe out, failing to stop your gaze from straying below her collarbone and landing on her proud cleavage.
“Hey, stranger.” she greets you back, and you catch the mischievous smile on her lips despite having half of her face squashed against Natasha’s shoulder. Yup. She’s definitely noticed.
“See you around, kid. I’ll take care of this one.” Clint says, already pulling Natasha away before she can suffocate Yelena further.
Helplessly, you watch Clint and Natasha disappear into the crowd, anxiety crippling your ability to decide what you’re going to do or where you’re going next.
Yelena lightly taps you on the shoulder to get your attention–which, for all intents and purposes–is already hers to begin with. You just don’t want to be too obvious about it.
“My sweater.” she simply says with an unreadable expression when you turn to address her.
“Sorry?”
“You still have it?”
And then it comes back to you. Your ruined shirt, borrowing’s Yelena sweater, Yelena joking about her first sexual experience, that happened to be with you–
You can always blame the tequila for the way your cheeks flush at the memories.
Biting your lip, you say, “The truth is I forgot to mail it. With everything that’s happened–”
“It’s okay. Nat just recently told me the stuff you went through the past few months,” Yelena cuts in, and the softness in her gaze gives you a sense of calm. “Do you, maybe, want to drink about it? First round’s on me.” she reluctantly offers.
“Nah,” you dismiss her intentions to pay, as you hold up Clint’s Visa. “All our rounds on this.”
Yelena orders a frozen margarita, while you opt for a more basic choice of gin and tonic. You find yourselves sitting closely together, sharing a couch with random strangers in the most relatively secluded part of the club.
“So, what exactly did Natasha tell you?” you ask, letting your index finger dance along the rim of your glass.
Yelena takes a sip of her drink and considers how she should relay what she knows.
In the end, she goes for the unfiltered narrative, given that there’s really no way of making it sound less severe than it is. “That your wife cheated on you with her student.”
You offer her a wan smile and clink your drinks togethers. “Cheers.”
“I’m sorry, Y/N. I can’t imagine what it feels like to be betrayed like that by the person you–I assume–trust the most.” Yelena says after some time. She’s not used to being the one to give consolation, especially with you. Growing up, you were a steady, ever-reliable presence in her life; her place of solitude throughout the pains of her youth. It’s pathetic how she’s wishing she had gone through the same ordeal if it meant she could give you the comfort and understanding you needed.
“Me too. I don’t even remember how I was able to survive what came right after taking your sister’s call that day. Did Nat mention that I almost killed the kid? He’s only a little younger than you are.” you say.
“Yeah. It’s fucked up. But it doesn't compare to what she did.” Yelena tells you with a pained expression. “You’re okay now, though. Right?”
“I’m,” You search for the right word that perfectly describes your monotonous routine and lack of a meaningful purpose. But you figure that there’s no need for Yelena–or anyone for that matter–to worry about you. Life’s easier to live without the concern of disappointing people who care about you. “I’m better than I was yesterday.”
Yelena nods empathically, and places a hand on your knee. “I’m glad to hear that.”
Your smile is small, but genuine. Clearing your throat, she quickly puts her hand back over her lap.
“Y/N?” Yelena starts.
“Yes?”
Yelena, for all her boldness and tenacity, has to put down her glass lest it accidentally slips from her shaking hands.
“There’s something I want to say, and you can’t talk unless I say so. Understood?” she says as calmly as she can manage.
“Am I free to react?” A smile plucks at the corner of your mouth, eyes twinkling with mirth.
Yelena has grown into a woman so different from when she was just Natasha’s little sister. She carries an air of sophistication, and from what you can tell, sasses her way out of difficult situations and knows what and how to get what she wants. Which is why it’s refreshing to see her display glimpses of the shy girl who spent her summers burning through classic literature in the public library.
A husky laugh escapes Yelena’s throat. “As long as it’s a good reaction.” she says.
You playfully roll your eyes at her.
“But seriously, hear me out,” Yelena breathes steadily through her nose. “First of all, I want to apologize about what happened when you were at my apartment.
“I didn’t know why I brought up losing my virginity to you, and it was terribly awkward–for me especially because the look on your face was…” Yelena trails off, pointedly avoiding your curious eyes. “It’s like you were recalling a bad memory–a memory that’s dear to me. And to be honest, it hurt me a bit.”
“Yelena–”
Yelena shushes you with a finger. “Let me finish. I was hurt, but I understood that I crossed a line that day. I was flirting with you the whole time knowing you were married. In a way, I was no better than–well, your ex-wife.”
Yelena pauses to look at you. She can’t read your expression, but at least you haven’t run away yet. Which is more than a good sign for her to continue.
“There’s no excuse for what I did. I could dismiss it as friendly between old friends, but could we even call ourselves that? We were never just friends. We had something that wasn’t official, and then I ran off to the UK before we had a chance to talk about that thing that wasn’t official, and then when I got back, I found out you’re already with someone else.
“I guess what I’m trying to say is… that was a shitty move on my part and I’m sorry. But I’d be lying if I said I didn't mean to do any of that. ‘Cause I did want to stir the pot just to see if there’s still something there.”
You wait for her to continue, but eventually Yelena vaguely signals that she’d done speaking.
You cover your mouth with your hand, thumb scratching lightly at your chin as you thoroughly digest her confession.
“Y/N?” Yelena asks when she feels you’re being silent for too long, fear lacing her voice. “Are you mad at me?”
“Of course not,” you quickly reply. “I accept your apology. And I do appreciate your candor–for not skirting around that incident like I probably would’ve, for…well, forever.”
Yelena is overwhelmed with relief.
“You were never great at confrontations.” she muses, and your minds both wander to the letter you wrote for her that she had missed, already having boarded the plane when you decided to drop by and hand-deliver it yourself.
“I’m working on it. I know I can’t keep putting things at the back of my head until I eventually forget them and then it’s too late.”
“Or maybe you just think it’s too late, and you use that as an excuse to not even try.” Yelena counters. It’s a fair point and somehow applicable to your shared history together.
“You know what? I’m just gonna shoot my shot here while I’m feeling brave,” Yelena says, keeping her eyes trained on her almost empty drink.
“Go to dinner with me next Friday.”
Before you can stop it, Wanda’s languid face in the mornings registers in your brain fleetingly. And then you blink once and the image of her is gone, replaced by Yelena’s hopeful stare.
“Dinner, as in…” you try to clarify, just in case you’re misreading it.
“As in I’m asking you out,” Yelena confirms, and proudly smiles at how your ears redden at this point. “Or if you’re not ready, say so. I’m a big girl. I can take it. Then I’ll ask you again in a few months.”
“I-I don’t know. Can I sleep on it?” you say, suddenly embarrassed.
“Take all the time you need. I just thought you should know that I’m an option.”
Your expression turns grim once you question the fact that someone like Yelena wants you.
She senses your internal conflict and asks, “What’s wrong?”
“How could you want me? I’m damaged goods. You know that, right?”
“Y/N,” Yelena chides, and she looks positively horrified. “Don’t you ever think you’re half the person you are just because somebody was stupid enough not to know your worth.”
You shrug your shoulders. There’s no point in arguing. Regardless of what other people think, it’s what you see in the mirror these days.
“Okay.” you mumble in reply and casually chug your drink to the last drop.
Yelena’s not convinced, but recognizes that it’s not the right place nor the right time to show you you’re more than just damaged goods.
“Okay.” she says, then looks over to where people seem to be under the spell of eternal bliss.
“Wanna dance with me at least? You know–as friends,” Yelena says, and then a second later adds, “For now.”
You don’t answer and merely allow yourself to be pulled towards writhing bodies moving to the beat of the music, like puppets on strings.
-
You don’t remember the last time you’ve thoroughly enjoyed dancing with someone.
(That’s a lie though, because you do; if twirling your wife and enthusiastically swaying to her poor singing in the kitchen counts.)
Unbeknownst to you, a pair of green eyes darts to you and your dance partner, before they shut in reprieve.
-
A surprisingly sober Natasha appears next to you as you’re getting the next round of drinks. You fan yourself uselessly with your hand after breaking out a sweat on the dancefloor.
“Hey! Where have you been?” you say.
“Bruce was here. But that’s not important.” Natasha says.
“Are you guys–” you begin to ask about it, but Natasha brazenly cuts you off.
“Don’t even think about it.” she says, her tone unusually stern, and you whip your head so fast in her direction your vision spins a little.
“Think about what?” you say.
“Flirting with my sister.”
“I wasn’t,” you say and Natasha lifts an eyebrow. “I swear.”
Natasha surveys you a while longer with an unreadable expression, and just as you start feeling uncomfortable, she backs off with a small nod.
It only bothers you more. “I-Is that something I’m not allowed to do?” you cautiously ask.
Natasha scratches at her nape. “Technically, you’re single now and you can flirt with whoever you want. But maybe not my sister, okay? I don’t want her to get hurt.”
“What are you implying?”
“Look, Y/N, I’m just trying to give you the big sister talk, and I hope you understand why I need to. Especially since Yelena told me not long ago about the R-rated version of your history together.”
Your mouth falls open in shock, already circling around the details of what Yelena might have shared with your best friend. “She what?”
“I wanted to smack you in the face when she told me that you were…” Natasha grimaces, trying not to imagine you in bed with her sister. “... her first.”
“God, Nat. I–” Your tongue feels heavy, and you wish you weren’t half-sober for this. “She–we–”
“Relax, Y/N. It’s not like I found out about it yesterday. I’ve known ever since she came back to New York.”
“I think I’d prefer if you’d still smack me in the face right now. But please consider how tiny I am compared to your usual sparring partners.”
Natasha lets out an airy laugh that gives you a bit of relief. “To be honest, I think I’ve always known that there was something going on between you and her. I was just too stubborn to admit it because I care about you both so much.”
“I care about you too. And Yelena.”
“I believe you,” Natasha says. “But Yelena thinks you hung the moon and stars and all that shit, and you’re–you’re kind of a mess, Y/N. No offense.”
“Do you want me to stay away from her?” you ask.
“Not really. But as her older sister, I need to remind you to think about it carefully if ever it becomes more than platonic.” she says. “I’m leaving in a few hours, so I need you to promise me not to be reckless. That's all I’m asking.”
Natasha gives and gives and gives, and rarely ever asks for anything.
And you suppose you owe it to her in some way.
“Promise.”
-
A couple of more shots (and an incident of restraining Natasha from punching the lights out of a guy who randomly grabbed your ass) later, you’re stumbling out of the club, reeking of smoke, sweat and alcohol.
Your phone dies just before you could confirm a ride, and you blearily stare at it like you’re expecting it to suddenly come alive again by some miracle. Yelena has left earlier, mentioning an early meeting at work, and you can’t find Natasha since Bruce’s surprise appearance. An option is to walk to your apartment, but you can’t seem to move any part of your body with the intense throbbing in your head.
You deliberate your fate for the night, until you feel an odd sensation of being watched.
Your eyes flit across the street and there she is.
Wanda Maximoff.
-
You get home safely with the help of your ex-wife. Once you reach your room, you don’t bother to brush your teeth or wash your face. You just mechanically strip down to your underwear before diving under the covers.
In your sleep, you dream about Wanda.
Dream Wanda resembles College Wanda, with her dirty blonde hair that falls in waves past her shoulders. She’s cradling your head on her lap, while you look up at her lovingly.
“Wands,” you whisper. “I miss you.”
She scrunches her nose as she smiles down at you. “I’m right here, baby.”
“You’re not.”
“Where did I go then?”
You shake your head and close your eyes. “I honestly don’t know.”
“Look for me, then. I only want to be found by you.”
“I’m not sure I want to.” you confess to Dream Wanda, and her brows stitch together into a frown. Then you feel something wet and cold drip on your cheeks. Your eyes flutter open but instead of seeing Wanda, you see Vision’s face covered in blood.
Your mouth opens in a silent scream. In reality, you’re alone in Natasha’s apartment, thrashing in your bed and mumbling incoherently.
The next morning, you don’t recall any of it, but you feel its echoes in your heart anyway.
-
You wake up to a text from Natasha, telling her that she’s already at the airport. The message came in at 1:30AM, and was followed by another text six hours later, saying that she has landed safely and that you won’t be hearing from her again in the next ten days at the minimum. A third message came in a second after that, and it simply read, “Look out for my sister. Don’t forget what you promised.” You text back a short “Take care, Nat.”, before tossing your phone somewhere on your unmade bed.
Trudging towards the kitchen, you think about Yelena.
There was a time when the blonde used to occupy your thoughts day and night, notwithstanding the thousands of miles you were apart.
But all that changed the day you met Wanda, and she never crossed your mind again except when she’d come up in conversations, and until that time you accidentally almost ran her over in Soho.
You languidly stir together the milk and cereal in your bowl. It would be a lie to say that seeing Yelena, especially in that dress, didn’t do things to you that a married woman would normally stamp out before they could spread like wildfire. Except, you’re no longer a married woman. And Yelena let you look as much as you wanted–even encouraged it.
It’s liberating more than anything, not because you’re free from the confines of marriage, but because you didn’t feel guilty having looked.
Is it time?
You’ve always thought of Yelena as your ‘right person, wrong time’.
Is it the right time?
-
The weekend passes in a blur of series marathons and Chinese takeouts. Wanda doesn’t text or call, neither does Yelena. You thought you had sufficient time to reconsider Wanda’s invitation, but Monday eventually comes around, bringing about an unexplainable anxiety you can’t curb and can only attribute to intuition. Even if you don’t tell Wanda the reason you won’t come, binge-watching another show instead of doing something meaningful for someone is at a level of pathetic you’re not willing to stoop towards.
Besides, you said you’d come. Being steadfast in your word is both your strength and your undoing. And so, your intent to follow through with your promise brings you to a corner gardening store, after scouring the internet for ‘grand opening gift ideas’.
None of them suggested this. Though you knew Wanda enough to know better than those online articles.
“And this pretty thing? What does it stand for?” you ask, pointing at flowers of a variety of colors resembling a pompon.
“That’s a Chrysanthemum–or just ‘mums’. Very easy to keep them alive. In Chinese culture, it represents longevity and good luck. But it also simply symbolizes friendship and happiness.” the store keeper says.
“Perfect,” you say, focusing on ‘longevity and good luck’. “I’ll get… Five of those in a pot.”
“What color would you like, dear?”
Without thinking, you pick Wanda’s favorite color. “The red ones. All of them.”
The store keeper claps her hands together. “Excellent choice. Just give me a second to prepare them for you.”
A pleased smile works its way to your lips. “Thanks a lot.”
Mums in a pot. That's a good gift right? Not too thoughtful nor impersonal. It would look good displayed anywhere in her shop should Wanda decide to keep it there. Or she can place it at her new home near a window, as it probably needs six hours of sunlight a day.
Perhaps you should also write instructions for Wanda on how to care for these mums. And will she need some fertilizers too?
You’re busy putting together a mental list when the store keeper comes out with the final product.
“Here you go,” she says and hands you over Wanda’s gift in a paper bag. “It’s $95.86.”
You pull out a hundred dollar bill from your wallet. “Keep the change.”
She does a little bow of gratitude and says, “Thank you, dear. She’s going to love it.”
“She?” you sputter, bewildered.
“The recipient’s a lady, I assume. Is it not?”
“It…is.” you hesitantly confirm.
“Good luck, ma’m.” she says with innocent cheer, unmindful of your sudden skepticism.
As you leave the shop feeling less sure of your gift choice, your phone’s ringing tone goes off in your pants. With urgency, you take your phone out of your pocket and find an unknown number calling.
“Hello?”
“Y/N,” A husky voice greets you over the receiver.
“Yelena?”
“Hey. I, uh, got your number from Nat,” she says, hearing her heavy sighs in between sentences. “Is this a bad time?”
“No. Is something wrong?” you ask, swinging the paper bag back and forth as you meander about the busy alley on your way back home.
“I’m in the middle of a news article that’s due for tomorrow, and I heard that your former boss is Scott Lang?”
“You heard right.”
“I need your banking knowledge to go over some facts in my draft,” she says. “And maybe, get a quick interview with Mr. Lang?”
For a while, you don’t know how to answer. You haven’t been in touch with Scott or any of your colleagues since moving back, and it seems kind of rude to call him up out of the blue for a favor.
“Please?” you hear Yelena beg softly. You knew Yelena. Like Natasha, she almost never asks for help, not unless it’s a matter of life, death or career.
“Okay,” you finally say. “Where should we meet?”
“I’ll meet you at Nat’s in an hour? It’s where you’ve been staying, right?”
You agree on the time and place, and hurry to catch a bus instead of your original plan to walk the thirty minutes back to the apartment.
It oddly feels good to be part of a Monday’s morning rush once again.
-
You end up spending the whole day helping Yelena and trailing after her to visit various places and meet financial executives just to put together a 1,500-word news article on The Wall Street Journal.
“You saved me today,” Yelena tells you while you escort her to the lobby. “Let me make it up to you on Friday?”
It’s tempting, especially after discovering that you both make a great team. You actually had fun running errands with her.
But you promised Natasha.
“I’ll text you.” you answer with a small smile.
Once Yelena gets inside her ride, it hits you right away where you’re supposed to be. You check your watch and the time displayed sends you in a panic.
It’s almost ten. Wanda’s café is only open until nine. You quickly grab your gift for Wanda and hail a cab for Queens.
Your cab screeches to a halt right in front of Second Chances. You make sure to tip big for forcing your driver to beat the speed limit several times on the way.
You get off the cab, and take in your first impression of Wanda’s café. The facade of the coffee shop is simple: the signage looks obviously hand-drawn, while the black awning underneath it gives it a Parisian vibe; a string of yellow led lights hang above the glass door and the full-length window next to it.
It has Wanda written all over it. And you can’t help the teary smile that creeps its way to your lips. Carrying the potted Chrysanthemum securely under your arm, you walk to the entrance that holds a ‘Sorry, We’re Closed’ sign. The stainless shutter is lowered down just barely, and it’s pitch black inside except for a beam of light coming from the back room.
You raise your fist, about to knock, when suddenly you catch a figure from the corner of your eyes.
It’s Wanda, and she’s asleep with her arms as her pillow, hunched over the bar table facing the window. Curiously, you move over to stand right across her and push your palm against the translucent barrier.
She waited for you to show. Your heart betrays you as it thumps wildly in your chest.
For a moment you just stand there watching. There are still days when you randomly get angry at Wanda all over again. Some days, you bargain and simultaneously undergo depression. And you cycle over these stages in random orders but haven't–not even once–felt like you’re ready to accept all of it.
Somewhere in the stillness, an ambulance siren could be heard wailing in the distance. Wanda is slow to come to, and even as you realize she’s waking up, you stay frozen in your position.
“Y/N?” you read your name being spoken from her lips. Wanda looks confused in her sleepy state, still deciding if you’re actually there. You beam at her and mouth a ‘hi’ in return.
Wanda lights up right before your eyes. She hurries to unlock the door to her shop.
“Sorry I’m late.” you say.
Wanda’s smile only widens, and then she says, “Better late than never.”
You choose to sit at one of the tiny dining tables for two near the open kitchen. There are congratulatory flowers arranged neatly by the counter, making you a bit self-conscious about bringing something similar on a smaller, more insignificant scale.
“How long have you been waiting?” you ask as you survey the interior of the cafe..
“Not long.” Wanda assures you, and then proudly hands you over the menu. Her writing is almost instantly recognizable.
“Pick anything you want. On the house.” she says, tying back her apron.
There aren’t many items on the list, but you’re familiar with each of them from Wanda having made them for you over the years.
“I’ll have a Spanish latte,” you say, eyes still scanning the menu. “Do you have any cookies left?”
“Sorry, they are all sold out.”
“Wanda, that’s awesome!” You exclaim, placing the menu back on the table.
Wanda endearingly chuckles at your excitement. You’re still a customer, and it’s very unusual for one to cheer when the item they want is unavailable.
“Have you eaten? I can whip something up.” Wanda says, peeking inside the fridge.
You haven’t eaten since lunch, but you don’t want Wanda to go through the trouble of preparing something off the menu. “It’s fine.”
“I’m kinda hungry myself,” Wanda chews on her bottom lip. “Does garlic pasta sound good?”
As if on cue, your stomach rumbles and Wanda tries to suppress a smirk.
“Sounds amazing.” you mumble, somewhat flustered by the sound you just made. The thought of a warm pasta for dinner, however, is already making you drool.
Wanda grins, buzzing with childlike enthusiasm. “Coming right up!”
Right before she gets to it, Wanda puts on some music and gives you her phone. “Play anything you want.” she says. A classical piano piece starts playing in the background, and it actually matches the mood and the vibe of the room, so you choose to stay on the current playlist.
Wanda already has some minced garlic and left over pasta from earlier, so it’s just a matter of reheating and then mixing the ingredients. In less than ten minutes, she’s bringing out two plates of Aglio e Olio and your order of a hot Spanish latte.
You haven’t realized how starving you are until the aroma of Wanda’s dish reaches your nose.
“What’s that?” Wanda points to the paper bag sitting beside you after she settles in her seat across you.
“Oh!” you say. “I almost forgot. This is for you. Happy, uh, grand opening day?”
Wanda takes the bag, unintentionally brushing your fingers in the process. Her skin is warm from cooking and smells like the condiments she used to prepare your food.
You quietly eat your food, unable to keep yourself from moaning out your satisfaction. After months of living on takeouts, it’s a very welcome change.
Wanda, on the other hand, peers inside the paper bag, and her smile grows and grows until it reaches her watery eyes.
“These are gorgeous, Y/N,” Wanda comments, taking the pot out of its hiding. “I love them. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
Wanda stands up and walks towards the window near the entrance, the plant and a glass of water in tow. She places the mums in the corner where it will be least bothered by customers, but should receive the most sunlight at the same time. She then proceeds to water it, careful to cover the whole soil and sprinkle some on its delicate petals.
A smile graces your lips as you watch her tend to the mums.
It’s hard not to wonder if maybe this could work. Maybe healing can be possible while being friends.
“How much do I owe you?” you ask, after you finish your food. You subtly eye Wanda’s plate, which she’s barely touched.
“Like I said, on the house.” she answers.
You purse your lips in disapproval but don’t insist; the tip jar is right beside the register and you can slip some twenties later when Wanda’s not looking.
“So, any feedback? Is the latte too sweet?” Wanda asks with a devoted curiosity of a businesswoman. “For the pasta I added an extra ounce of minced garlic from the original recipe, but I’m not sure if it made the flavor too strong. And this table–don’t you think it’s too small? Cause they don’t look standard-sized to me, and I keep telling them–”
“Wanda, slow down,” you gently cut in, bringing the coffee mug to your lips for a taste test. It’s sweet but not achingly so. There’s still a hint of bitterness in the aftertaste, and the richness of the condensed milk counters it, resulting in a very comforting pick-me-up.
“It’s good. I’d say, better than the ones I always got when I was still working.”
“You’re not working anymore?”
You bite your lip at that, not really meaning for that information to slip out of you.
“I took a sabbatical,” you explain, refusing to call yourself jobless in front of your ex-wife, who somehow contrived to achieve greater heights following a divorce and a narrowly missed small town sex scandal.
You quickly try to change the subject. “Anyway, don’t worry about the furniture. As long as they’re comfy.”
“Half of your ass is barely hanging onto your seat, you know?” Wanda points out with a giggle.
There’s no denying the tinge of jealousy you feel over the fact that Wanda seems to have her shit together more than she cares to admit. But that’s overruled by the natural joy of seeing someone you care about (because you do, you really still do) thrive, no matter how much they hurt you in the past.
“Are you saying my ass is fat?” you ask, pretending to be offended.
She laughs harder, resulting in tiny hiccups that never fails to trigger you into a fit as well.
“Honestly though, it barely fits mine as well. But that's all I can afford for now.” Wanda says as she keeps twirling the pasta around her fork without any intention of actually eating.
“You shouldn’t play with your food.” you chide, still smiling.
“Do you want some of mine?”
You shake your head no. “Not when you just implied I have a fat ass.”
Wanda snorts, her laughter building up again at your poker face.
When she recovers this time, you sheepishly smile and take some from her plate and transfer it to yours.
“I haven’t thanked you for coming.” Wanda mutters in a hoarse voice. You wordlessly fill her empty glass with water.
“To be honest, I wasn’t sure until this morning if I was going to.” you say.
Certain muscles on Wanda’s face visibly tighten at that.
“Why is that?” Wanda whispers, staring at her unwanted food, losing again the appetite she lied about in the first place.
You mull about it for a moment. There’s no point in denying that you feel things for Wanda. Abstract feelings that you can’t name, but feel regardless. And it’s still unclear whether they are beneficial or not to you moving forward. Just that, being in communication with Wanda again puts you at ease; brings back a sense of normalcy that you so crave. It could be because you can’t remember a time she wasn’t a part of your life, can’t remember who you were before her. Going cold-turkey only led to some impulsive decisions (not to mention, a cheap and random sex with a stranger who was spoken for).
“Because I want to do what’s right for me, this time. And I’m not sure if this is.”
“This?”
“Being in each other’s lives.” you coolly state, crossing your arms and leaning back on your chair.
Wanda blinks a couple of times when wetness gathers around her eyes. You drop your head and sigh. It goes without saying that these meetings with Wanda are always volatile. But constantly crying around someone is obviously not an indication of a healthy bond.
“I’m afraid you’re the only one who can answer your own question, Y/N.” Wanda swipes at the corner of her eyes.
You hollowly laugh. “I was kinda expecting you’d convince me that this is a good idea.”
“The fact that I invited you here and never stopped trying to contact you says alot without me having to say it.” Wanda reasons evenly.
“And me doing exactly the opposite, must also say a lot. Is that it?” you retort.
Wanda squints at your hard tone. “That’s not what I’m saying.”
“Well, it’s what I’m hearing.”
An impasse is reached, and Wanda wishes nothing more than to retract her statements and start all over again.
“Why do I keep fucking this up?” you’re scarcely able to hear Wanda talk, more directly to herself than you.
You release a ragged breath and speak out, “You’re not fucking up anything, Wanda. There’s nothing to fuck up in the first place because we’re not supposed to expect anything from each other anymore, remember?”
Wands nods in understanding. “It just feels like I keep saying the wrong thing.”
You consider her words for a moment. “Maybe it’s because I keep waiting for you to.”
Wanda looks up at you with wide, limpid eyes. “So I am walking on eggshells.”
“You don’t have to though. You can’t always worry about what will set me off. Let me worry about that.”
“I’m scared, Y/N,” Wanda whispers. “I’m scared I’ll say one wrong thing and I won’t hear from you again for a long time. I mean, I just… I just found you. Inadvertently, if I may add.”
“I-I get where you’re coming from, and I don’t blame you for feeling that way,” you say. “But I can’t promise that I won’t disappear when something happens.”
Wanda hums and you lick your lips.
“I have thought about it.” you say, in spite of the delicate timing.
She looks skeptical. “Thought about…?”
“Us,” you motion between yourself and her. “Being friends.”
“Oh,” Wanda tries not to sound disappointed. The problem is she wants too much too soon. And she needs to work on that or else she ruins her chance with you. “And?”
You’re nothing but truthful when you say, “And I miss the comfort of having you as a friend.”
“Me too,” Wanda whispers thickly as you both share a meaningful look.
Maybe someday, she can have everything she has lost.
Just not all at once.
#wanda maximoff x reader#wanda maximoff imagine#wanda maximoff x you#ifiss 2#ilgoss#wanda maximoff#marvel#natasha romanoff#yelena belova x reader#yelena belova#unbetad#my writing#my fic#angst
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Official Star Trek Film Bracket!
And here’s the final bracket! Round One will go live tomorrow, 5/8 at 10 am EST!
Full List:
Round One:
Left Side:
Kruge vs. Zephram Cochrane: poll here
Dr. Gillian Taylor vs. Dr. David Marcus: poll here
Saavik vs. Valeris: poll here
Chang vs. Lieutenant Ilia: poll here
Right Side:
B-4 vs. Sybok: poll here
Lily Sloane vs. Dr. Carol Marcus: poll here
Soran vs. Anij: poll here
Shinzon vs. George & Gracie: poll here
Round Two:
Left Side:
Zephram Cochrane vs. Dr. Gillian Taylor: poll here
Saavik vs. Lt. Ilia: poll here
Right Side:
B-4 vs. Lily Sloane: poll here
Anij vs. George & Gracie: poll here
Semi-Finals:
Dr. Gillian Taylor vs. Saavik: poll here
Lily Sloane vs. George & Gracie: poll here
Finals:
Saavik vs. George & Gracie: poll here
#best star trek film character#best st film character#st#star trek the motion picture#tmp#the wrath of khan#wok#the search for spock#sfs#the voyage home#the one with the whales#the final frontier#the undiscovered country#star trek generations#star trek first contact#star trek insurrection#star trek nemesis#best star trek character competition
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Bracket 4 - Side B - Round 1
Yukiko Kanzaki (Assassination Classroom) vs. Buffy Summers (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
More information under the cut!
Yukiko Kanzaki: She is elegant and pretty.
Buffy Summers: Buffy loves fashion and makeup and figure skating, and she willfully asserts this part of herself in an effort to rebel against a destiny and a system that seek to completely deny her personhood and transform her into nothing but a hardened killer. She's everything to me!
#round 1#bracket 4 side b#yukiko kanzaki#assassination classroom#assclass#buffy the vampire slayer#buffy summers#tumblr polls#polls#poll runner#tumblr tournaments#girlygirltournament#poll tournament
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Round 3, poll 4, bracket B
Propaganda for Korrasami: "Korra is literally the Avatar and Asami is a hottie that can fight too. And they made people mad when the last episode aired and they were officially announced as together and I love that for them. Stay mad homophobes"
"...Do I really need to explain how korrasami is a canon queer battle couple?"
Propaganda for Joenicky: "they're immortal. they've been alive almost 1000 years. enemies to lovers even (they killed each other repeatedly before they fell in love). one gives a speech about how much he loves the other WHILE they're both being held prisoner in the back of a van and then they kill everyone. also they're really really important to me"
"they killed each other fighting on opposite sides of the crusades and then both resurrected as immortals and killed each other many times before becoming allies and then falling in love. they've fought first each other and then side by side for hundreds of years and are total complements in battle, along with their other immortal family!!"
#bqcb round 3#avatar the legend of korra#the legend of korra#the old guard#tog#korrasami#joenicky#kaysanova#avatar korra#asami sato#yusuf al kaysani#nicolo di genova
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hi! regarding your last post about abandoning projects, do you have any advice for overcoming that?
I do!
1. Write something you're passionate about.
Now, I get that everyone constantly says that, and you'll think, "that tells me absolutely nothing" bc passion can only get you so far and usually fluctuates a lot. It's something I've started to realize happens to me. One day I wake up and have a new idea I love and think "wow this is gonna be a piece of cake to finish" despite me knowing it's going to entail a lot of planning and once I get the inital idea out of the way and get to that planning stage my attention for the project... dies.
What I mean with that is to write something you're passionate about is that you shouldn't write something into the project you feel like others will like. Or if it's a project with tropes in it, that you have to follow those to the T.
If an idea is boring, don't write it.
If you have a cool idea that might not fit the vibe entirely, write it down. Keep it in mind for later when it could fit the vibe better.
Incorporate as many things you love as you like and then worry about how the broader plot can shape around them.
2. Don't write in order of what's supposed to happen.
I know it'll make you feel better to feel like you have a clear point A to B but truth is, some parts are going to be extremely boring to write. You won't want to write all about the logistics of a scene happening right that moment or the spicy dialogue that carries the scene bc you're way more focused on another detail that drew you to write a particular scene.
In those cases, I usually just put whatever is supposed to happen in brackets [insert car chase here] and move on the bits I'm excited to get to. You might wake up a couple of days later thinking you want to revisit that car chase scene and write it all in one go now that you've stopped obsessing over a different scene you cared for before.
3. Make the experience more fun for yourself.
If you feel like you're burning out and losing steam from writing and planning the project, take a step back and do something else.
If I still feel like doing something with the project that isn't necessarily write it, I tend to end up making edits or a playlist or looking for inspiration pictures that might give me an idea of a new setting or what a character will look like. And that's what usually keeps my brain working and thinking about the plot.
As soon as another idea pops into my head bc of the space I took not writing the projects itself, I write it down and get reinspired to work on it.
4. Look for inspiration.
As mentioned in 3., I can't recommend enough to look for inspiration in pictures or boards on pinterest or a song or a quote you really love. Trust me, seeing a cool picture or reading a quote that immediately makes you think of a specific character makes you itch to get back to writing.
It also allows your writing to grow when you take the time to look for inspiration. Writing everything in one go might make you feel productive but the quality could potentially decline the longer you're at it and when you come back to it you'll ask yourself what the hell you were on writing some of the stuff. So taking that time, finding new locations/side characters/some dialogue snippets you could incorporate, will make you feel excited to actually see those ideas and inspirations become part of your project.
5. Take breaks.
This is another one of those things you always hear and think, "that's what leads me to abandon it in the first place??" and while I agree (been there) It's also important not to get burned out by the project.
The breaks shouldn't span entire weeks, of course, but don't beat yourself up when you can't get to the project for a couple of days bc of life happening or something else being more interesting.
Taking those breaks ensures you not only build anticipation, but it also let's the project breathe and allows you the space, to again, think of the broader plot or a specific scene that could be cool to incorporate.
6. Find someone to talk about the project with.
In our day and age, we're lucky to have such big writer communities. Chances are, someone out there will get aboslute brain rot from the project you're working on. Talking to people like that will not only allow you to have someone to bounce ideas off of, but it'll also keep you focused and in a way, hold you accountable to actually see it get to a point you can and want to share more.
Starting up a WIP blog, like the one I and many others have, or a writerblr blog will attract people to the idea and have them reach out to ask questions that again keep you thinking about fun parts of the project and develope the idea.
I have a friend I constantly talk to about every idea he and I get. Not all of them ever see the light of day, but we talk about them, send ideas we think could be cool, and write small snippets of scenes bc we are excited about the project. That not only gets you to a starting point, but also makes the planning way smoother and means you're getting instant feedback.
And that's what usually gets you to write more instead of watching your project collect dust in the drafts.
7. Write every single idea down.
This is also something everyone says, but it's true. Chances are, you forget the idea and kick yourself for it later or you think it won't be as good as you imagine it and then you have a missing scene you don't know what to do with where that idea could have fit.
Sometimes, usually just before bed for me, I get ideas, and since I have my phone close by, I just open the notes app, write down the snippet of a conversation I just thought of or a cool detail I'll add when I get back to the file and BOOM I have the next plot point figured out without actively forcing myself to sit in front of the computer and thinking "what is supposed to happen now??"
Even if the idea is silly or seems wack, I can't recommend writing it down enough. You'll thank yourself for it and in a way train yourself into passively thinking about what could happen next.
I have a dedicated page in my files just for random ideas I got in the middle of the night and while some will not make it into the draft itself, it's still fun to think about them or even write a short scene involving the idea just to see where it goes. Maybe it'll inspire you to take your project into a new exciting direction, too!
8. Don't obsess over word counts/progress made.
It's a recent shift I've noticed, where people obsessively focus on how long a scene/chapter is. Like one being 5k long means it's somehow better than a scene that's only a couple hundred words long, but concise and has the kind of structure that keeps you engaged.
If you feel like a scene is done and you're happy with it, even if it's short, leave it. Maybe you'll come back to it and add more, but maybe you'll realize it's perfect the way it is and doesn't need unnecessary details added.
9. Don't get lost in the details.
This is something I've neen prone to do. Obsessing over a single detail or scene to the point that working on it becomes exhausting because I couldn't move on.
It's what kills your drive to write on the project fairly quickly and relates to the point I made to just put whatever is supposed to happen in brackets to revisit later.
The details are usually what make the story feel personalized, but it's also so easy to get lost in them. Writing the broader scene down and revisiting it sometime later to add those details is going to keep you writing and engaged with what you want to make the project into.
10. It's YOUR project, don't forget that.
Sometimes I've started things I thought were fics or stories I'd love to explore only to realize I'm not the best writer for those or that the writing part just isn't as fun as I hoped it could be.
You need to be aware of when to cut your losses. If the project starts to feel more like a drag than what you initially started with, scrap it OR, and this is something I've started to seriously do, is to rewrite/re-plot it from the beginning.
It is time-consuming, but you'll feel better for it in the long run if you take the bits you like and forget the ones you don't and build the project anew. It's tedious but really rewarding once you manage to get to the parts that were there before discouraging you from finishing the project in the first place. And the most important thing is that you're happy with your project.
♡
Of course, what works for me might not work for others, but those are some of the broader things I can recommend you try :) I hope I was able to help a little!
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UNRELIABLE NARRATOR BRACKETS
CLOWNS AND GHOULS WE ARE STILL CURRENTLY ON A SLIGHTLY SMALLER HATIUS! WE WILL BE BACK WITH A REVIVAL BRACKET SOON :]
Semi Finals
Kim Dokja (ORV) vs. Eugenides (The Queen's Thief)
Lemony Snicket (Series of unfortunate events) vs. Marvin (In Trousers)
Finals
Eugendies (The Queen's Thief) vs. Lemony Snicket (Series of Unfortunate Events)
CONGRATS TO LEMONY SNICKET FOR WINNING THE WINNERS BRACKET!! However, there is one more battle for him to face. The winner of the revival bracket!
RULES
For tie sweeps, im giving each match up a 0.2% margin. Additionally, you have to convince me that these two character have something in common besides being unreliable goofiers
Propaganda is very much encouraged :]
Please be nice to each other :( At the end of the day, this is a silly internet bracket with way too many obscure characters to count. remember to touch grass everyone
Polls from round 1-3 will be one day! From there, all polls will be a week, including the finals
The winner of the loser's bracket will go against the winner of the winner's bracket and that winner will be declared the most unreliable
Main tag (with polls) will be #unreliable narrator battle
NOTE; I do NOT write the propaganda on each poll. It's the propaganda I collect in submissions.
List of all characters below (+their match ups and brackets!)
(im not sure how to make them face each other?? if that makes sense. so uh. have these 4, right facing brackets :') )
SIDE A
SIDE B
SIDE C
SIDE D
I tried to evenly match everyone, however, i also metaphorically live under a rock so my view on everything might be EXTREMELY skewed. sorry.
SIDE A
Round 1
Lemony Snicket (A series of unfortunate events) vs. Dr. James Sheppard (The Murder of Roger Ackroyd)
Neil Josten (All For the Game) vs. Cersei Lannister (A Song of Ice and Fire)
Simon Snow (Carry On) vs. Alcatraz Smedry (Alcatraz Vs The Evil Librarians)
The Biologist (Annihilation) vs. Yukio Okumura (Ao no Exorcist)
Briony Tallis (Atonement) vs. Tobias (Animorphs)
Montresor (Cask of Amontillado) vs. Margot Garcia (An Unauthorized Fan Treatise)
Kuruto Ryuki (AI: The Somnium Files Nirvana Initiative) vs. Kaede Akamatsu (Danganronpa V3)
Jason Todd (DC Comics/Batman) vs. Greg Heffley (Diary of a Wimpy Kid)
Varric Tethras (Dragon Age) vs. Marco (Animorphs)
Mysterious Man (Into the Woods) vs. Narrator of Jane the Virgin (Jane the Virgin)
Johnny Traunt (House of Leaves) vs. Charlie Gordon (Flowers for Algernon)
The Narrator of Greater Boston (Greater Boston) vs. Italo Calvino (If on a Winter’s Night, a Travler)
Rebecca Bunch (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend) vs. Rue Bennet (Euphoria)
Tsurugi Kamishiro (Kamen Rider Kabuto) vs. Nishijou Takumi (Chaos; Head)
Humbert Humbert (Loltia) vs. Ted(I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream)
Brooke Page (Ever After High) vs. Coriolanus Snow (Hunger Games)
Round 2
Lemony Snicket (A series of unfortunate events) vs. Cersei Lannister (A Song of Ice and Fire)
Simon Snow (Carry On) vs. The Biologist (Annihilation)
Briony Tallis (Atonement) vs. Margot Garcia (An Unauthorized Fan Treatise)
Kuruto Ryuki (AI: The Somnium Files Nirvana Initiative) vs. Greg Heffley (Diary of a Wimpy Kid)
Varric Tethras (Dragon Age) vs. Mysterious Man (Into the Woods)
Johnny Traunt (House of Leaves) vs. The Narrator of Greater Boston (Greater Boston)
Rebecca Bunch (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend) vs. Tsurugi Kamishiro (Kamen Rider Kabuto)
Ted(I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream) vs. Brooke Page (Ever After High)
Round 3
Lemony Snicket (A series of unfortunate events) vs. The Biologist (Annihilation)
Margot Garcia (An Unauthorized Fan Treatise) vs. Kuruto Ryuki (AI: The Somnium Files Nirvana Initiative)
Varric Tethras (Dragon Age) vs. Johnny Traunt (House of Leaves)
Rebecca Bunch (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend) vs. Ted (I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream)
Round 4
Lemony Snicket (A series of unfortunate events) vs. Kuruto Ryuki (AI: The Somnium Files Nirvana Initiative)
Johnny Traunt (House of Leaves) vs. Ted (I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream)
Round 5
Lemony Snicket (A series of unfortunate events) vs. Johnny Traunt (House of Leaves)
SIDE B
The Narrators (Ever After High) vs. Louis De Pointe Du Lac (Interview with the Vampire)
Ulysses (Fallout New Vegas) vs. Phone Guy (FNAF)
Bilbo Baggins (The Hobbit) vs. Hamlet (Hamlet)
Patrick Bateman (American Psycho) vs. The Narrator of Fight Club (Fight Club)
Joker (Joker) vs. Ted (How I Met Your Mother)
Alex Eggleston (YIIK: A Postmodern RPG) vs. Benjamin Brynn (Before Your Eyes)
Odokawa (Odd Taxi) vs. Nadeko Sengoku (Monogatari Series)
Mima Kirigoe (Perfect Blue) vs. Drosselmeyer (Princess Tutu)
The Narrator of Slay the Princess (Slay the Princess) vs. Dr. Money (Presentable Liberty)
The Batter (OFF) vs. Sunny (Omori)
Submitter (Real Life) vs. Every Fic Writer (Real Life)
Shen Qingqiu (SVSSS) vs. Cale Henituse (Trash of the Counts Family)
Wei Wuxian (Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation) vs. Beatrice (Umineko)
Haruaki Fusaishi (Raging Loop) vs. Lee Hakhyun (ORV Side Stories)
Kim Dokja (ORV) vs. Yoon Jongwoo (Strangers From Hell)
Prince Huai (The Imperial Uncle) vs. Fukuide Kei (Ultraman Geed)
Round 2
Louis De Pointe Du Lac (Interview with the Vampire) vs. Phone Guy (FNAF)
Hamlet (Hamlet) vs. The Narrator of Fight Club (Fight Club)
Ted (How I Met Your Mother) vs. Benjamin Brynn (Before Your Eyes)
Nadeko Sengoku (Monogatari Series) vs. Mima Kirigoe (Perfect Blue)
The Narrator of Slay the Princess (Slay the Princess) vs. The Batter (OFF)
Every Fic Writer (Real Life) vs. Shen Qingqiu (SVSSS)
Beatrice (Umineko) vs. Lee Hakhyun (ORV Side Stories)
Kim Dokja (ORV) vs. Prince Huai (The Imperial Uncle)
Round 3
Phone Guy (FNAF) vs. Hamlet (Hamlet)
Benjamin Brynn (Before Your Eyes) vs. Mima Kirigoe (Perfect Blue)
The Batter (OFF) vs. Shen Qingqiu (SVSSS)
Lee Hakhyun (ORV Side Stories) vs. Kim Dokja (ORV)
Round 4
Hamlet (Hamlet) vs. Mima Kirigoe (Perfect Blue)
Shen Qingqiu (SVSSS) vs. Kim Dokja (ORV)
Round 5
Hamlet (Hamlet) vs. Kim Dokja (ORV)
SIDE C
Harrowhark (The Locked Tomb) vs. Percy Jackson (PJO)
Jonathan Sims (Mangus Archives) vs. John Gaius (The Locked Tomb)
Kuzco (Emperor’s New Groove) vs. Goob (Meet the Robinsons)
Jeramie Brasirie (Ohsama Sentai King Ohger) vs. Noé Archiviste (Vanitas no Carte)
Kvothe (The Kingkiller Chronicle) vs. Darkstalker (Wings of Fire)
Nelly Lockwood (Wuthering Highs) vs. Dr. John Watson (Sherlock Holmes)
Gideon Nav (The Locked Tomb) vs. Apollo/Lester (Trials of Apollo)
Dean Winchester (Supernatural) vs. The Narrator (The Stanley Parable)
Guy Montag (Fahrenheit 451) vs. Holden Caulfield (The Catcher in the Rye)
Theo Decker (The Goldfinch) vs. Nick Carraway (The Great Gatsby)
Pi (The Life of Pi) vs. Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III (How to Train Your Dragon)
Rosie Amo (The Administration Podcast) vs. Rune Saint John (The Tarot Sequence)
Charles Kinbote (Pale Fire) vs. Nana Daiba (Revue Starlight)
Lloyd Allen (Shaperaverse) vs. Josh Newman (SINF)
Kaz Brekker (Six of Crows) vs. The Maid (The House in Fata Morgana)
Eugenides (The Queen’s Thief) vs. Grisia Sun (The Legend of Sun Knight)
Round 2
Harrowhark (The Locked Tomb) vs. John Gaius (The Locked Tomb)
Kuzco (Emperor’s New Groove) vs. Jeramie Brasirie (Ohsama Sentai King Ohger)
Kvothe (The Kingkiller Chronicle) vs. Dr. John Watson (Sherlock Holmes)
Gideon Nav (The Locked Tomb) vs. The Narrator (The Stanley Parable)
Holden Caulfield (The Catcher in the Rye) vs. Nick Carraway (The Great Gatsby)
Pi (The Life of Pi) vs. Rune Saint John (The Tarot Sequence)
Charles Kinbote (Pale Fire) vs. Lloyd Allen (Shaperaverse)
Kaz Brekker (Six of Crows) vs. Eugenides (The Queen’s Thief)
Round 3
Harrowhark (The Locked Tomb) vs. Kuzco (Emperor’s New Groove)
Dr. John Watson (Sherlock Holmes) vs. Gideon Nav (The Locked Tomb)
Nick Carraway (The Great Gatsby) vs. Pi (The Life of Pi)
Lloyd Allen (Shaperaverse) vs. Eugenides (The Queen’s Thief)
Round 4
Harrowhark (The Locked Tomb) vs. Gideon Nav (The Locked Tomb)
Nick Carraway (The Great Gatsby) vs. Eugenides (The Queen’s Thief)
Round 5
Harrowhark (The Locked Tomb) vs. Eugenides (The Queen’s Thief)
SIDE D
Narrator of Death in the Forest (Death in the Forest) vs. Singer of the Main Character (The Main Character)
Guy Pearce (Memento) vs. Chief Bromden (One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest)
Joe Goldberg (YOU) vs. Dr. Malcolm Crowe (Sixth Sense)
Daniil Dankovsky (Pathologic) vs. Amanda (Amanda The Adventurer)
Keyser Soze (The Usual Suspects) vs. Jane (The Yellow Wallpaper)
Narrator of Tell Tale Heart (Tell Tale Heart) vs. Victor Frankenstein (Frankenstein)
Gareth (Philadelphia) vs. Grace Marks (Alias Grace)
Squealer (Animal Farm) vs. Scout (To Kill A Mockingbird)
Katrina Kim (Liar Dreamer Thief) vs. Aislyn (The City We Became)
Claudia (Monday’s Not Coming) vs. Marvin (In Trousers)
Mars (The Honeys) vs. Jane North-Robinson (Horrid)
Rachel (The Girl on the Train) vs. Amy Dunne (Gone Girl)
The Mother (Pumpkin Eater)vs. Lacey (Lacey’s Diner)
Leshy (Inscryption) vs. Taylor Herbert (Worm)
All the Narrators of Rashomon (Rashomon) vs. Wayne Booth (The Rhetoric of Fiction)
Christopher (The Curious Incident o the Dog in the Night-Time) vs. Alex (A Clockwork Orange)
Round 2
Singer of the Main Character (The Main Character) vs. Guy Pearce (Memento)
Joe Goldberg (YOU) vs. Amanda (Amanda The Adventurer)
Jane (The Yellow Wallpaper) vs. Narrator of Tell Tale Heart (Tell Tale Heart)
Gareth (Philadelphia) vs. Scout (To Kill A Mockingbird)
Aislyn (The City We Became) vs. Marvin (In Trousers)
Mars (The Honeys) vs. Amy Dunne (Gone Girl)
The Mother (Pumpkin Eater) vs. Leshy (Inscryption)
All the Narrators of Rashomon (Rashomon) vs. Alex (A Clockwork Orange)
Round 3
Singer of the Main Character (The Main Character) vs. Amanda (Amanda The Adventurer)
Narrator of Tell Tale Heart (Tell Tale Heart) vs. Scout (To Kill A Mockingbird)
Marvin (In Trousers) vs. Amy Dunne (Gone Girl)
Leshy (Inscryption) vs. All the Narrators of Rashomon (Rashomon)
Round 4
Singer of the Main Character (The Main Character) vs. Narrator of Tell Tale Heart (Tell Tale Heart)
Marvin (In Trousers) vs. Leshy (Inscryption)
Round 5
Narrator of Tell Tale Heart (Tell Tale Heart) vs. Marvin (In Trousers)
#Brackets#important#unreliable narrator battle#unreliable narrators#alright! i hope i didn't create any hydrogen bomb vs coughing baby match ups#polls should be going up soon#also i think a person just mass submitted some characters and didn't put any propaganda for them?#cause theres 3 characters with just a dot in their propaganda box#edit; rip to kim dokja my fallen warrior
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WELCOME ONCE AGAIN TO THE ULTIMATE RAT BRACKET!!!
You’ve all been waiting quite a while for this, and now I am pleased to announce our tournament entRATS!
So without further ado, hold onto your tails for
Quite the matchups (or should I say ratchups?) Folks! Round One will start tomorrow at 4 PM CST with Side A Group One! Links will be added here when the time comes. See y’all at the bratcket!
(Quick note: these matchups were randomly generated, please do not come at me for improper seeding lmao. Blame the computer)
Details for the Round One matchups below:
Side A Group One (March 10th):
Master Splinter (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) VS. Matt, Pat, and Nat (Barbie as the Island Princess)
Rattata (Pokémon) VS. Remy (Ratatouille)
Biggie Cheese (The Barnyard) VS. Virgil (Ride the Cyclone)
Roscuro (The Tale of Despereaux) VS. Ripred (The Underland Chronicles)
Side A Group Two (March 11th):
Rat-in-a-Hat (Bananas in Pajamas) VS. Charles Entertainment Cheese (Chuck E. Cheese)
Nigel Ratburn (Arthur) VS. Twitch (League of Legends)
Johannsen (CPU Kerfuffle) VS. Rattrap (Beast Wars)
The Death of Rats (Discworld) VS. Socrates & Ben (The Ratman’s Notebooks / Willard)
Side B Group One (March 13th):
Mad Rat (Mad Rat Dead) VS. Brick (Pizza Tower)
Templeton (Charlotte’s Web) VS. Yuki Sohma (Fruits Basket)
Steve McQueen (House MD) VS. The Giant Rat Who Makes All Of Da Rules (Jerma985’s Rat Movie)
Professor Ratigan (The Great Mouse Detective) VS. Nick & Fletcher (Chicken Run)
Side B Group Two (March 14th):
Dangerous Beans (The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents) VS. Rattus Rattus (Horrible Histories)
Rizzo (The Muppets) VS. Roddy & Rita (Flushed Away)
Ratau (Cult of the Lamb) VS. Kugrash (Dimension 20: The Unsleeping City)
Daroach (Kirby: Squeak Squad) VS. Fink (OK K.O.! Let’s Be Heroes)
#reblogs are appreciated y’all!!#please let me know if theres any mistakes in the post#the bratcket#ultimate rat bracket#rat bracket#bracket#tumblr bracket#tournaments#tumblr tournament#brackets#rats
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The brackets are here!
So with 25 characters per group some randomly lucky ones got to the second round immediately for they defeated their nonexistent opposition
I decided to use only one variant of name because otherwise table would be unreadable (also I wanted you to look at some of them and be confused who exactly they are so you could be surprised when the poll drops) except for one character from two different fandoms who would be indistinguishable without clarification, but don't worry, every duel would have a sufficient (provided) description of both sides.
Having whole week dedicated solely to one round of one group leaves us with just the first round for two months, so despite longivity of each battle being one week we'll have a new batch of fights every 3-4 days
And may the best win!
Group A polls ⏹⏹⏹⏹⏹
Group B polls ⏹⏹⏹⏹⏹
Group C polls ⏹⏹⏹⏹⏹
Group D polls ⏹⏹⏹⏹⏹
Group E polls ⏹⏹⏹⏹⏹️
Group F polls ⏹⏹⏹⏹⏹️
Group G polls ⏹⏹⏹⏹⏹️
Group H polls ⏹⏹⏹⏹⏹️
Decisive Battle 🥇🥈🥉
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