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#i feel like i'm going through a bit of an identity crisis and i want to s c r e a m
viktor-sinclaire · 11 months
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hi it's me with a post you can ignore, I just have literally nowhere else to vent so i might as well do it here hahahaaaa
feeling so fucking useless all the time lately. Just absolutely useless.
Unsatisfied with everything I do related to art or any of my regular passions. It's like nothing I do is appealing to me anymore.
I have all these lofty ambitions, but at the same time i have no actually good ideas. My creativity is at an all time low, and it's pathetic.
Stuck fighting with myself about who I am and who I want to be, forcing myself to grin and be happy when I'm not. I'm NOT who I am anymore. I'm someone else, someone different.
I don't feel like what I thought "myself" was, for my childhood. I'm too different now to be that same person.
I have a future. I have a fiancé. I have a job, and I'm studying for my career. I have things going for me that I'm happy about. That isn't the issue.
But so much of what I used to be is gone now. My creativity, my free time and motivation, everything is gone or severely stunted. It's really fucking with me in terms of identity, because of how my brain links and associates things to each other.
Who am I? Am I who I was meant to be, or am I poor imitation of what i think I'm supposed to be? How do I get my passion back, my creativity, my inspiration?
I just want to feel comfortable and normal, for once in my life.
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chouettecrivaine · 2 months
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Love's the Only Medicine [Honkai: Star Rail]
Fandom: Honkai: Star Rail
Characters: Dr. Ratio
Notes: SO. First off, those of you waiting on Lyney fic, it is postponed for now because I'm stuck :( but for now I'm working on a Dr. Ratio fic and I'm having a little trouble so these are my headcanons for how a good/healthy relationship with him would actually work because I love to write fluff all the time <3
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So, how does one go about romancing the Dr. Veritas Ratio?
∘∙⊱⋅•⋅Have independence. Dr. Ratio is a busy man, and while he'd of course value your relationship (why else would he be in a relationship in the first place?), he wouldn't fare well with someone who is the clingy type. A relationship that would work best for him is one where you share in each other's missions, victories, and defeats as best as you can without melding your lives into one singular identity. With the exception of certain instances where you worked with him prior to the relationship starting/getting serious (though even then, he might drop the idea of separating your work paths a little bit to ensure there is no space for rational, scientific endeavors to be tangled with personal emotions), Dr. Ratio is perfectly content to with a relationship where some aspects of your lives don't always cross. Of course he wants to spend time with you! He just appreciates his own ability to act independently and keep work and personal matters separate. (Plus I feel like he'd find independence kinda attractive anyway :P)
∘∙⊱⋅•⋅Keep him grounded. Dr. Ratio gets lost in his thoughts frequently. He understands that facts and calculations can only go so far in the real world (though they could go MUCH FURTHER in his opinion, hence his cosmic mission to eradicate foolishness) but he loves finding the rational, mathematical answer to things. It'll be up to you to navigate a little bit more expertly on this plane. If he's trying to piece together a solution to a planet's hunger crisis, well, maybe let him sort through his lofty thoughts then. But if he's simply ignoring the world and thinking for the sake of it, you'll be able to get away with poking him out of the stupor and getting him to actually communicate with the world around him.
∘∙⊱⋅•⋅Be the people person, but don't apologize for him. Veritas has a tendency to rub people the wrong way. He's rude, abrasive, and arrogant. When others say such things without realizing you're nearby, you AGREE with them. But these are all things he knows, too. In most cases, how the reception of information makes somebody feel doesn't particularly concern him. But sometimes, especially now that he's actively placing himself in the social situation of being in a relationship, talking with people in a constructive way is necessary. He's fine with defaulting to you in these instances if it makes you feel useful. However, it is simply a matter of leaving a task to the one who knows better. If you start apologizing for his silence or a prior brash attitude, though, then he gets a little prickly. He stands by his behavior! Don't make him out to be someone you should have to apologize for or ashamed of.
∘∙⊱⋅•⋅Have clear communication skills. Listen. Veritas is an eloquent speaker, and he says exactly what he means to. However...good communication is more than just saying words that mean exactly what you want them to. You have to present information in a way that others can receive, and that's where he falls flat. The onus will fall to you to exemplify that sort of skill. Now, you don't have to teach him step-by-step how to talk nicely, but being able to do so yourself and give him a gentle nudge when it really matters will go a long way in ensuring you're talking to each other and not at each other.
∘∙⊱⋅•⋅Argue with him. Like, not actually. Argue with him academically. Veritas has stated that he feels incorrect on a matter if people agree with him. So don't agree with him! Don't spark debate just for the sake of it, but you shouldn't be afraid to voice your opinion when it goes against his. Dissent is the forebear of accuracy, after all. He won't be gentle with his arguments, but he never means to condescending when you're sharing your scholarly ideas. (Plus, this will help you get accustomed to when he is actually trying to argue you in a less casual context)
∘∙⊱⋅•⋅His love language? Quality time. Wanted all across the galaxy to solve this crisis or that, Dr. Ratio is a busy, busy man. So when you come in at the top of his list of priorities, that's how you know he's in deep. If you receive a certain love language particularly well, he can adapt! But his default is both to give and receive quality time. Even just time together that isn't attentive and specifically for each other can mean a lot to him. If you're both busy with work, he can be placated by attending to your duties but staying in the same room as each other. Don't worry about distracting him, either - as of late, he finds himself distracted when you aren't around, and at ease when you are.
∘∙⊱⋅•⋅Have a hunger for knowledge. It can be intimidating to hear him denounce all fools of the universe when he doesn't give many specific answers as to what a fool is. Veritas doesn't care about a lack of knowledge; what he cares about is a lack of awareness and a lack of trying. He'd be a fool himself if he pretended as though everyone had the same access to the same level of education, or that there weren't people who gravitated towards certain skills. After all, he's widely regarded as a genius, but you don't exactly see him releasing academic journals on any musical studies, do you? (Now, could he write one? Probably. But that's not the point.) As tough of a teacher as he is, what he's after is undying tenacity; that you never falter in the face of obstacles, and that you never place your scholarship on a shelf so high it winds up collecting dust, unused. If you don't know something, that's fine - go figure it out! Don't just say 'I don't know' and leave the matter at that. Learning through experience is an incredibly strong way of gathering knowledge. Just...don't expect him to be any nicer about your lack of prior knowledge just because you are close to him or you are trying to remedy that. At the end of the day, you did fall in love with a guy who's just kind of an ass sometimes :/
∘∙⊱⋅•⋅Be honest. This is one that could go for anybody in any relationship, but it is a top priority for Dr. Ratio. He's based his entire life on searching and spreading absolute truth in every corner of the cosmos. Normally, this takes the form of objective, empirically provable fact. But he finds it frustrating if you won't be honest about your feelings or what you want, how is he to know what to do? You'll have him acting like a fool with your refusal to face your own truth! (This is, of course, a roundabout way of saying that he doesn't have it in him to be playing games. Be straightforward with him, please. It'll be much easier for the both of you that way.)
∘∙⊱⋅•⋅Don't be afraid to get a little poetic on him. Veritas is a scientific man. He understands artistic endeavors, of course, but that isn't how his brain is wired. He operates in verifiable conclusions and building hypotheses, not the more abstract patterns of intuition or leading by the heart. He can analyze and understand such things, but if you want him to be able to appreciate the aesthetic beauty of the world, you will probably have to lead by example. You won't change his way of thinking, but maybe if you see a rare bird one day, he'll appreciate the opportunity to see something so rare and beautiful instead of analyzing how far it has deviated from its normal breeding grounds.
∘∙⊱⋅•⋅Flirting is a game, but love isn't. Don't be so dull with him! Dr. Ratio would love an opportunity to subtly ash his wits about yours in a little flirtatious back-and-forth. Both in the early stages and a more established relationship, Dr. Ratio loves a good challenge and could spend all night just trying to out-flirt the other. Regardless of whether or not you're one to get flustered, he loves your reactions anyway. Sheepishness, frustration, no emotion whatsoever - whatever you feel,, he finds how you try to school your expressions into complete apathy amusing. He is hard to fluster himself, but if he continues the same line of teasing in the morning the next day, you can assume he's been thinking about you all night. However! Dr. Ratio often expects people, especially those precious few who he respects, to operate on his level. If he's truly buckling down for the long game, he'll make sure to make his feelings clear. Flirtation is always on the table, but "playing hard to get" or trying to "keep him guessing" as you near a truly established relationship is a turn off. Flirt for fun, not to manipulate his interest in you. Believe him, he would've left by now if he wanted to.
∘∙⊱⋅•⋅Look beyond his scientific approach to matters of the heart. In loving anybody, you'll have to learn how to read between certain lines. Even if you are a pure-blooded emotionally charged person, Veritas can only meet you halfway on the road to compromise. Take the time to study how he speaks and what he means- concise as he is, speaking so straightforwardly all the time often has an opposite affect on his words when he's trying to be romantic. Learn the ways he looks after you and tries to make your life easier without asking; notice how he spends a large portion of his available time with you, even if it means dragging you along to discussing things with people who he feels are completely beneath his IQ; realize that his tone may always be steadfast and dominating, but he never speaks out to shut you down or demean you the way he does to others. If you can translate all the little ways he uses to show you how much he values you, then you may just find yourself in a relationship far more enriching than you'd expect.
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steddieas-shegoes · 5 months
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you're not santa
i may or may not be having a small (this is a lie) crisis over liam believing in santa this year? i am 90% certain he doesn't actually believe in santa and just said he does because he thinks the cool gifts come from santa. meanwhile i am just trying to get the vibes on if i need two wrapping papers this year or not for the same amount of gifts. so anyways working through the feelings with putting the idiots in the situation as always, enjoy.
rated t | cw: the mildest innuendo | tags: fluff, modern au, married steddie, steddie dads, the magic of christmas is all of it not just santa etc
🎅🎅🎅🎅🎅🎅🎅🎅🎅🎅🎅🎅🎅🎅🎅
"You better be quieter this year," Steve slapped Eddie's still bare ass as he hurried to throw on his Christmas pajamas. "Almost woke Maddy up last year. You're lucky I was standing by the door."
Eddie rolled his eyes fondly. "Well, maybe if you hadn't turned the-"
"Just go!" Steve laughed, throwing a pillow at him with deadly accuracy.
Eddie threw it back at him with a smirk. "When I get back, I'm giving you your present."
"You already did, Eds."
"No, that was just one of them," Eddie rushed to say before leaving their bedroom and quietly closing the door behind him.
Both bedroom doors were closed across the hall, so he quickly made his way down the stairs to the garage, where all the gifts were hiding since Robin dropped them off earlier that day.
But when Eddie opened the garage door and flipped the light switch, a voice startled him into nearly turning and running.
"I knew it!"
Sammy.
Their oldest son had been acting very suspicious of Santa related discussions for months now, and Steve had warned him that he was getting to an age where a lot of his friends probably didn't believe in Santa anymore.
"Sammy, why aren't you in your bed?" Eddie put his hands on his hips, identical to the way Steve stood when he was about to have a very serious conversation with one of their three kids.
"Because I saw Auntie Rob bring in a big bag earlier and you and Dad were trying to keep us distracted. So I looked out here while you were cleaning up dinner and saw all these presents." Sammy was standing with his hands on his hips, a mirror image to Steve in every way down to the same swoop of hair and freckles across his cheeks. "And all of these say from Santa, but Santa wouldn't have even come here yet because he was in London one hour ago and London is at least four hours from here!"
Eddie bit back a laugh at how Sammy tried to explain his way through the Santa gifts being here.
"Can I tell you a secret?" Eddie asked, dropping his arms and sitting down on the ground, gesturing for Sammy to join him.
"I already know Santa isn't real," Sammy said as he sat, sounding absolutely miserable.
"What do you mean Santa isn't real?" Eddie asked, pretending to be shocked at the revelation.
"Really, pops? You're gonna act like Santa is real?" Sammy got the sass from Steve, too. It was both annoying and adorable. "I'm seeing the evidence that he isn't with my own eyes."
"Look, Sammy, can I call you Sammy?" Eddie smiled when Sammy let out a laugh. "Santa as you know him isn't real, you're right. But there is a Santa. He's just so busy and can't do it all in one night, so he has presents delivered early for some people, like you and your brother and sister. But he can't ruin the magic, so he left them at Auntie Rob's house for safekeeping."
It sounded airtight. Any kid who wanted to believe in Santa would definitely believe that.
"Dad. Seriously." Sammy was giving him The Look. "I'm nine years old. I have straight As. I'm not stupid."
Which was something Eddie knew of course. He was endlessly proud of all of his super smart kids who did a million times better in school than he and Steve ever did.
But he didn't think believing in Santa was a sign of a kid not being smart.
"You're smart enough to learn the truth, which is that Santa gives the parents a lot more control than we let you think. Don't you think it would be harder to get Maddy to do her homework if I said 'Dad will take a present away' instead of 'Santa is watching to make sure you do your homework'?"
Sammy looked out at the garage, the clutter of children's outdoors toys and broken Christmas decorations and bulk snacks for lunchboxes scattered around.
"So he just gives you the toys when he thinks we've been good enough for them?" Sammy asked, still sounding unsure.
"Exactly! And he usually delivers them a couple weeks early so we can make sure they're wrapped and ready for tomorrow."
"So why keep it all a secret?"
Damn Sammy for always being two steps ahead of Eddie.
"It's more fun this way! Olivia was so excited to leave out cookies before bed, remember? If we told her this, she wouldn't even get to be excited about Rudolph eating the carrots, right?"
"So Rudolph is...real?"
"Okay, that one might be a lie," Eddie gave in on that to sell the rest of it. That's what you had to do with Sammy.
"So who eats the carrots?"
"I take bites and spit them in the trash. You know I hate carrots."
"Why don't you make Dad do it?" Sammy leaned against Eddie's side, letting out a long yawn. He was probably sitting out here for the last couple of hours waiting. He had to be exhausted.
"Dad did a lot of that stuff when you were really little. For five whole years before we switched."
"So he sleeps while you bring out all the presents?"
Eddie's face went red as he thought about what Steve was probably doing in their room right now.
"Yep! He did a lot of baking and stuff all day today so I let him rest," Eddie wrapped an arm around Sammy as his weight became heavier against him. "I think you should probably get some rest, too. Santa wouldn't want your Christmas morning ruined because you stayed up all night."
"I guess." Sammy yawned again. "Can I sleep on the couch?"
"You know Dad's rule. Bedrooms only on Christmas."
"Yeah, but that was for the secret. Now I know."
"But Maddy and Olivia don't. We have to keep this a secret from them, okay?" Eddie paused when he heard some footsteps directly above them. His brows furrowed.
"Maybe Santa forgot one?" Sammy asked, perking up.
"Maybe. Better get to your bed so he doesn't see that you're awake," Eddie nudged him.
No sooner had the words left his mouth than Sammy was rushing out of the garage and up the stairs to his bedroom.
Eddie looked above him, but no more bumps could be heard.
After setting all the presents under the tree in a mostly organized fashion, Eddie got back to the bedroom, where Steve was fast asleep.
He got into bed carefully, not wanting to wake him up, but Steve's eyes blinked open slowly as he curled up under the comforter.
"Took you too long," Steve whispered.
"Sammy."
"What?" Steve's eyes opened all the way and tears were instantly filling them. "Does he know?"
"Sh," Eddie pulled Steve against his chest and ran his hands through his soft hair. "I'll tell you tomorrow. Sleep, love."
"Eds-"
They heard a small bump on the roof and then silence.
Steve sat up and looked out the bedroom window, then back at Eddie.
"What was that?"
"Must've been Santa," Eddie teased.
Steve rolled his eyes.
They both stayed up for a bit longer to make sure no other noises happened outside, but fell asleep when there was nothing.
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The next morning, all three kids jumped into their bed, yelling about how many presents Santa brought them and how full their stockings were.
Steve and Eddie made their way downstairs, rubbing their eyes as the kids pushed them down on the couch while they started grabbing gifts.
By the end, the kids were so busy playing with new toys, they didn't notice one more present hiding between the fireplace and the tree. Eddie reached over for it, not recognizing the wrapping paper.
"Did Robbie say she was getting them something else?" he asked, holding the gift out to Steve.
"Nope," Steve took it, checked the tag, then handed it back to Eddie with a shrug. "Says it's for you."
Wayne wouldn't be bringing his gifts for everyone over until that afternoon, so who could this one even be from?
He opened it carefully, worried that it was a prank by Steve and the kids. It wouldn't be the first time they managed to pull off a prank gift.
The confusion only increased when he pulled out a small plastic replica of the London Bridge.
"You don't even like London that much. Who got you that?" Steve asked, resting his head on Eddie's shoulder.
"No idea."
Sammy looked up at them over the new book about planets he got and beamed.
"Santa brought you a present!"
Eddie was suddenly reminded of their conversation last night, how Sammy insisted Santa was just in London and couldn't possibly have made it here.
Eddie had seen a lot of weird things in his life, had ignored a lot of them and passed them up to weird coincidence, but this was different.
He set the replica on the table by the couch and wrapped an arm around Steve's shoulders, kissing the top of his head as he leaned further into him.
"Santa?" Steve asked.
"Must've been a good boy this year," Eddie smiled.
"Uh-huh. I'm sure you were," Steve kissed his cheek before turning back to watch their kids playing on the floor.
Maybe Eddie would have to write a letter to Santa next year to thank him for the gift.
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itsybitsylemonsqueezy · 2 months
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You know what, fuck it: Baldur's Gate 3 Thoughts.
(The world is so so bad right now, can't even name all the bad things, so fuck it, no more bad feels, just some nice garbage right now)
I really love that the big 3 pairings all kinda arrive together:
Lae'zel and Shadowheart are already trapped on the ship together, like they are both trapped by their beliefs. They both know more about what's happening than anyone else and are also perhaps the most frightened.
Astarion and Gale show up stuck and as potential bait. They're both concealing some pretty big problems. The only way to succeed with them is to trust them despite this. And they both badly need to bond with others so they can survive their ordeals.
Karlach and Wyll actually already have a relationship, just one founded on misunderstanding. They can each empathize with each other in ways the others can't and adjust quickly to thinking of a previous adversary as a friend. They both have so much going on that when they arrive on the Sword Coast, they just resettle into business as usual. They've both been misused by those with control over them and seek to break that control, even if that doesn't fix everything, even if it means more loss.
They're all good ships, I love them. And all the other combos are good too, there are no bad options here, but I'm a bit of a sucker for these. Honestly, really appreciate having an entire party of bisexuals. I love that so much <3
Gale and I are the same person ha ha ha FUCK
I do have fic ideas, potentially for Gale & Astarion and Lae'zel & Shadowheart (spoilers below)
Like, I actually have a lot of feelings about Shadowheart being a complete dick to Lae'zel while she goes through a crisis of faith, only to eat pigeon pie later when she gets a crisis of her own.
And I'm obsessed with the idea of Lae'zel learning how to be comforting as she watches Shadowheart crumble apart, as she loses all sense of identity. Because at least Lae'zel has that. Lae'zel lost a lot in parting from Vlaakith, but she didn't lose who she was. Indeed, she left in defense of who she was, in defense of what she knew to be right. Shadowheart doesn't even have that. And it's a wild thing that comes over you, to feel like you've fucked up and lost and to find someone you can actually help. I think it would be a really cool and beautiful thing to see, Lae'zel helping Shadowheart find the pieces of herself. That would just be really, really good.
And then there's Problematic Old Man Yaoi over here
Maybe what I love best about Gale and Astarion is how much fucking WOULD NOT solve it
Like, some people just need to fuck it out and then it's all good, you fixed the issue
And 100% fucking would not solve their shit. Like, it would help, or it certainly wouldn't not help. But it'd only help like... max 20% The rest has to be solved by Talking, Using Your Words, Talking To Other People No Not The Imaginary Conversations, and Admitting When You're Wrong.
I also love that this is true no matter where you think they get together.
Like, let's take Act I: I cannot IMAGINE how Astarion could talk Gale into bed that early. Gale "Never Nude" Dekarios who's never had a crush on anyone who wasn't Mystra. He'd be shaking and fumbling just trying to ask Astarion on a date. And Mr. Emotionally Available over here, who is not ready to be vulnerable in any sense, who uses sex as a crutch because it's so familiar and so easy to dissociate from... yikes, what a combo. Poor Gale would be sent reeling by the hot-cold of it, he'd act insane those first few days after sex as he tries to make sense of how Astarion said yes to everything, but didn't mean it, but also he did? So should he pursue that or leave it be? Is the best choice to let Astarion thaw in his own good time or obsessively work on cracking this because Astarion clearly needs help and just doesn't want to ask for it? Stupid question, OBVIOUSLY the second! I... instant explosion. God, it would go so bad. Honestly, the good version is Gale resists the invitations and instead Astarion sulks for a few days over his blue balls or just fucks someone else, thus giving Gale a new case of mixed signals to obsess over. Jesus, we're just never going to escape that are we? Wizards gotta fixate.
Act II: In which Astarion chooses to ignore his own problems by instead arguing with Gale about his. Not because he's invested, merely because Gale is clearly being an idiot. Gale at first demurs, refusing to be argued out of his guilt, but then when Astarion becomes more insistent, counters with why Astarion cares so much? This would inevitably erupt in some kind of sexual encounter, but the fighting wouldn't stop because despite getting laid, Gale is still sure he's right and Astarion is still sure he's right. Dick actually can't solve this today. The camp mournful of ever finding a solution, they would like to sleep peacefully again someday.
Act III: Make or break time. Both Gale and Astarion escalate as the threat of death or destruction looms ever nearer. Gale now just as dead set on stopping Astarion from destroying himself as Astarion is on stopping Gale from destroying himself. Same threat, very different outcomes. Gale keeps looking at him with those damn puppy eyes and whining about "he'll regret it instantly" and "hate who he becomes" and "I can't stand to see that happen to you" or whatever. Obnoxious. And Astarion keeps trying to convince him that Mystra was wrong, that she "manipulated and groomed" him and "didn't even give an explanation" which he's owed, or some such nonsense. As if an inhuman, all-powerful goddess was out of line for being afraid of mortal actions... wait, was that a logical inconsistency? Damn. I think Gale would convince Astarion first. I think deep down Astarion would hate to be a full vampire too much, I think they both know it, and when Gale promises to stand by him, to take care of him, to always protect him... As much as Astarion doesn't want to trust, knows he's a fool for trusting, he agrees. He won't do it. He won't take the power. Because, damn him, he believes Gale. And what would suck is Gale would go "Cool! I'mma become a god, I can protect you way better then!" like entirely missing the point. And Astarion would be galled, deservedly so, by the hypocrisy. But Gale's so caught up in how sure he's right and how sure he's wrong, he's not even listening. I think it'd piss Astarion off so much, he'd convince the whole camp to kidnap Gale so he can't go sacrifice himself, full "He won't get the chance to kill himself because I'll do it first!" Until we finally get to the Nether Brain and... Astarion lets him go. Because that's the point. Trust isn't real if there isn't a choice. And as much as he hates the fact that Gale might choose what he doesn't want, he has to let him do it on his own. And I think that'd finally break through. That simple act of trust and sacrifice and playing willing to lose would finally make Gale go "Oh... oh god, what was I thinking? This isn't right." The fact that Astarion loves him more for the flawed and fallible person he is than for the heartless god he could become... That would finally make Gale see, Mystra was wrong all along and she never loved you because she can't really love. Not like that. Yeah. That's a personal favorite of mine.
But there's also a lot to be said for post-end, Astarion with nowhere to go and Gale going "You know... I've heard of spells that allow creatures form the Underdark to safely experience sunlight. We could try some of those, I don't see why they shouldn't work on you." and Astarion being floored and not even having the words for everything he feels at that offer. And then the raw sexual tension of living in his tower together as "friends" as Astarion mercilessly pines and Gale blissfully carries on, unaware until Tara finally goes "That's it! I can't take it any more! I'm going to live with your mother until you two sort this out!" and flies off. Leaving Gale to go "Huh... wonder what she meant by that?" Meanwhile, Astarion can hardly stand to be in the same room with Gale because he ends up basically drooling and yet, he can hardly stay away, staring obsessively from the shadows, creeping around wherever he is, looking exactly like the jealous lover he longs to be. Also, Astarion and Gale's mother! Oh, I can't wait! Too funny!
Oh, tower days with Astarion would be so good as he tries to adjust to having a life again. A slow, painful process, but very deserved. He'd need an occupation, he can't have nothing to do. Maybe he can look into magistrating again?
Anyway, there's some thoughts. I haven't finished Act III yet, but I'm close so I guess careful with those Act III spoilers.
Also, for anyone still reading, if you want to do me a solid: There exists somewhere a Bloodweave fic where Astarion walks in on Gale with a construct of himself only there's a twist... and the author is Very Correct about this twist. if you know, you know. But I can't find this fic anywhere! Please help a girl out if you've read the one I'm thinking of.
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itsgrimeytime · 8 months
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Home is Where the Heart is (Part One) || Farmer!Rick Grimes (TWD) x Teacher!GN!reader AU
AVAILABLE ON AO3
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Inspiration: Like Real People Do by Hozier.
Summary: Your life was spinning out of control, you knew that. After a string of particularly shattering events, you decided it was time to start anew. With a little help from one of your Grandma's rentals, you found yourself in the small town of Alexandria. The last thing you expected was your neighbor, Rick Grimes.
TWS: starting over, and identity crisis.
[[A/N: Thanks to @imaginemyfavoritefics for the name idea. The vibes of this are hallmark forward, so expect something rather cheesy. Thanks for reading!! ]]
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You weren't running, you rationalized deep in your head -almost as if on instinct. You were an adult, you could deal with adult problems -like relationship issues, you just wanted to... you just needed a break. A breather even. Plus, they needed a teacher -it was practically destiny.
So, why did it feel like you were running?
You hadn't had a serious job in Atlanta, just an assistant, and as much as you loved those kids, you needed to do your job. When it felt like everything was going wrong in the world (and it was-), you still had teaching. It felt like what you were supposed to do, it was a reprieve from... everything else. So, even with a fresh start, you still needed teaching.
The transitions between cities bright against the landscape into more timid more rural areas was something you found somehow conflicting. You'd spent the last few years in the city, busy nights with a constant buzz of noise -cars honking, people talking, street performers... As it got quieter, there were fewer people on the road and the tall buildings turned into trees scrapping the sky; it was all a little surreal.
And it struck you then, you weren't scared -not really. Not scared to uproot everything and start over, it made you wonder bad it had gotten without you knowing.
"Okay," you hummed, turning down a sort of suburban road -houses every little bit, but much farther apart than the tight compression of a culdesac, "-1259, little white house-"
Your Grandma had called you at least 10 times ensuring you'd remembered the address -as if it wasn't written in your GPS. But as it turns out, back on these roads, just off what you assumed to be the town center, Google had no fucking clue where you were. So, perhaps you should thank her, actually.
"1259," you muttered, again -eyes focused out your passenger side, trying to see the addresses, "-little white house-"
And then, someone tapped on your driver's window.
"'Ay, ya need somethin'?"
You spun around in your driver's seat quickly, matching a man's -tall, brunette, brown-eyed. He wore some assortment of a leather vest and seemed to have been busy prior -you could see the dirt dusted under his fingernails and staining his jeans. The second thing you noticed was his tone wasn't friendly.
Maybe he thought you were nosing around in something you shouldn't.
"I, uh, yeah-" you rolled down your window, -briefly wondering how long it had been since you met somebody new, "-I'm trying to get to 1259? It's a uh, little white-"
"No, no," he echoed -interrupting you, less confrontational, "-I kno' the place, got a friend 'at lives near ya. Just follow me."
And without another word, he waltzed off in front of you -focusing succinctly on a motorcycle. An old one, by the looks of it, well-maintained though -maybe there's an auto shop around here?
The purr of the engine was loud, even through your rolled-up windows. Something in you had expected heads to pop out of windows -words yelled, so when they didn't... you assumed he was a regular here.
Cranking your car, you slowly cruised to follow him. He seemed to be attentive to you being behind him -driving slow when you were certain it had seen far faster speeds. Maybe even earlier today actually-
You appreciated it, nonetheless.
It was a short journey, a few more turns, and a little bit more driving down roads aimlessly. All things considered though, you were very close to the center of town -where everything was sold and the only stores miles in any direction resided. So, you could work with it.
That being said, where the house was wasn't exactly suburban. There weren't pristine sidewalks and crosswalks, or only little patches of grass here and there. You had a yard -a flourishing yard with trees and flowers and just... open space.
The neighbors were close enough that you could see the house -a surprising sort of light blue paneling, but you could definitely see that their fence far surpassed your own. Their yard seemed almost to last forever, you could even see a barn far back from the back of the house -red, yes, but very worn by the weather, and if you truly listened you could actually hear the shuffle of some livestock.
Okay, so next door to a farm, you told yourself -lightly, -totally can do this.
Without another thought the man pulled off to the side in front of you -making way for you to pull into the driveway. A smooth sort of ease on the bike that made you assume he had years of practice. He certainly looked the part.
You got out of your car, roaming close to him at a comfortable distance (for him or you weren't sure). He didn't seem the type to want strangers close, but then again you weren't really, either.
"Thank you," you started, kind of awkwardly but you were meeting someone new so you let it slide -tone taking a casual sort of amusement, "-I appreciate the help. I know I would've been out there for hours if-"
"Don't sweat it," he echoed -kind of coldly but you didn't know him well enough to assume he meant it that way, "-anythin' else?"
"Uh," you started, "-the Elementary? It's back by the center, right?"
"Yep, can't miss it," he answered, shortly, "-if ya need anythin' else, I'm only a few houses down. Otherwise, people 'round 'ere are pretty friendly."
You smiled -at your very first success, "Okay, thank you, really... uh...?"
"Daryl," he puffed out -making no effort to move from his motorcycle, "-Daryl Dixon."
"Y/N," you offered back, "-Y/N Y/L/N."
And without another word -only a single swift nod of his head, he was gone. It was such a quick exchange that you almost thought for a moment you dreamed it -that you'd somehow gotten the memo of where the house was and he didn't exist at all. Which, to be fair, at the rate your brain was firing could definitely be plausible. You were a mix of something between relentlessly tired from the drive, and insanely stressed because well... You'd just up and moved your whole life for good reason, but still.
"Everythin' alright?"
You blinked and were met with yet another unknown face. Not that you expected to know anyone here -other than maybe a few faces your Grandma had stories of. But this man... you would've known him.
Tall with a head of brunette curls matted in a sort of dirt -the same dusted across his shoulders, you guessed, and encrusted into his fingernails. His eyes were a sort of blue that you considered people write poems about and along his tan jaw was a big bushy beard -something about it was untamed. Like he hadn't cared to brush through it that morning, or maybe just hadn't cared for it for a while. Still, somehow he looked good. Handsome, even.
"Oh, yeah, sorry-" you started -trying to calm the flush of him just waiting while you downright ogled him, "-I just, I got some help finding my new place. Kind of zoned out there, but I'm... I'm fine, really."
He raised an eyebrow, intently, "Ya sure?"
"Yeah, yeah," you softened slightly at the concern his tone held -something in you aching in realizing you hadn’t been concerned over in so long, "-just tired. 'Been a long drive."
"Where'd ya drive from?"
"Atlanta," you answered -far easier than you intended to (there was just something about him-).
"A very long drive," he chuckled -low timber of his voice rattling through your bones (something in you stiffened -not again), "-ya need any help with anythin'? I got some free hands."
"If you're not busy," you countered -exhaustion a distant rattle in the back of your body, ever present.
"Nah," he reassured, blue eyes flickering over you, "-I got stuff 'at can wait. If you don't mind waitin' a minute, I can get my son to help too."
"Well..." you responded, slow and awkward, "-thank you."
"No, really," he echoed, "-ain't a problem. I'm Rick, by the way, Rick Grimes."
You smiled, maybe a bit less of a polite one and more genuine then, "Y/N, Y/N Y/L/N. Do you... Do you live around here?"
Rick laughed -a sort of deep chuckle that mostly felt warm in tone as he roamed towards some of the boxes, "Yeah, I'm uh... I'm actually y'er neighbor."
"Oh," you echoed out, as he seamlessly picked up three -like it was as light as a feather, "-really?"
"Yea'-" he spoke, hoisting up the boxes slightly and you suddenly realized just how snug his t-shirt was, "-blue house, big farm-"
And despite the flatline of your brain then, you still managed to remember the large plot of land right next to yours. The beautiful blue house was his, of course it was-
Handsome, strong, probably married neighbor, you tsked yourself -remembering the mention of a son, -totally can handle this. Totally cool with this.
This trip wasn't to ogle neighbors, it was to care for yourself and start fresh, and further your career-
"You okay?"
"What?" You startled in place, merely jumping actually, "-oh, yeah, just... a lot to do. And even more tomorrow."
He tilted his head slightly, eyes sweeping over you -like he couldn't read you, "Take it day by day, 'sure it'll all work out."
Correction. Handsome, strong, caring, probably married neighbor, you ran through your head -words anything but at your leisure.
God, you were so fucked.
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rarepears · 3 months
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Ok I was rereading your "Break news: Westeros lord marries a stranger?" Fic and I am almost sure Jinwoo would be the kind of parent that would gift those super expensive security stuff (like those necklaces that point to your ubi and stuff like that
But of course he can just teleport himself to the child and they have the shadows to protect them
But I just imagine him looking through the system's shop and seeing these jewelry that looks beautiful, maybe has a leon charm or a sword that looks like one of Jaime's drawings and he goes: why not?
So he buys some, cause the children are the kind of using different accessories for the week and he just thought that those earrings were very pretty and that bracelet wouldn't interfere with sword practice
And look! That ring would look really pretty on Tywin (cues their drama cause one of Jinwoo's books told about this tradition) and why not? :D this isn't the first gift he gave to him
So yeah, in my mind Jinwoo is the parent that buys his family everything they want and doesn't see a problem, they work very hard and deserve a reward and he likes to spoil them
Firstly, what is "ubi"? Because I'm thinking "universal basic income" and that's not what you're referring to. If you were thinking more along the lines of "gps", that wouldn't be possible since GPS requires satellites to circle the planet that Westeros is located and the GPS chip uses said satellites (on a very precise orbit) to decode and compute the precise location of said chip. Unless Jinwoo starts importing satellites to float around Westeros...
Something that I was consciously writing into this fic was Jinwoo and Jinah's kind of over the top gifting/shopping. They went from buying only the bare necessities (and some times not even that) to now having more money than they could ever spend. This sudden swing in financial purchasing power is making them go a little crazy like how Jinah is buying waaaaay too many clothes for Jinwoo to wear and paying a lot of attention to Jinwoo's PR. At least Jinah has a bit of Sudden Wealth Syndrome - a bit of an identity crisis because she can suddenly afford to spend money on her hobbies and other wants, fear that Jinwoo needs a backup plan in case he gets too injured to keep clearing gates, and also not quite knowing who she is going to be as a person (because she is just a teenager).
Then there's Jinwoo's mom who doesn't quite know if it's her place to say anything about the siblings' shopping spree. These kids are so incredibly independent from what she remembered before her coma; do they really need her, a parent, around? And it's not like they can't afford to spend with Jinwoo's current income. Their mom doesn't really know her place in the family dynamic now, so she's kind of backed off and is quietly looking on. She's not spending money if she can't because it's not her money; but she's also not sure what she could or should be doing, so she does things like make a cloak for a lion, cook meals for what she thinks are Jinwoo's friends, and try to make herself useful and not appear overbearing to her suddenly-so-mature-and-independent-children.
And then there's Jinwoo who is just a hoarder and now finally has the means to spoil all his loved ones because he feels very guilty that he couldn't give Jinah a proper childhood while their mom was in a coma. Jinah missed out a lot, he thinks, because of his inability to provide.
So yes, here's a mini character analysis about the Sung family's relationship with money and gifts.
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raelyn-dreams · 7 months
Note
Any headcanons of your favorite enstars characters? 👀💫
I do indeed nonnie! Though tbh, these are kind of full-cast headcanons lol. Tysm for the ask 😊
Mika is still upset he wasn't included in the Sanrio collab, and angrily sewed plushies the entire day it was announced.
During practice for Artistic Partisan, Hiiro was under the impression that the prop spears were much heavier than they actually were, leading to him accidentally slamming one through the wall (and nearly impaling Shu).
We don't talk enough about how Knights are given swords for their performances. Like who thought this was a good idea. Even if they are dull and fake, do you know how terrifying it is to have Ritsu Sakuma come at you with a sword and a maniacal grin? Kaoru Hakaze does.
Kuro was basically acting as a mediator for the entirety of the Yuukyou Seishunka cover rehearsals (while Mika and Souma prayed their unit leaders wouldn't kill each other). Keito and Shu came to feel kinda bad about this as they were winding down, so they begrudgingly worked together to make him a gi, as a thank you and apology. Keito never wants to hear the words "proper quilter's knot" again, but it was worth it for the smile on Kuro's face.
Hiiro and Hinata both have...shaky histories with high places (Hiiro in !! main story after Rinne disowns him, and Hinata during Setsubun). Niki doesn't know the details, but he notices after a while, so they start having rooftop hang-outs on occasion to help them with it.
I really like the Hiiro-Hinata-Niki dorm as a whole actually (which...Hiiro and Hinata are two of my favs, and Niki's up there, so that's to be expected lol). I see a lot of potential with the three, and I think they'd really get each other.
Ibara visited Kaname once. It was a stupid and sentimental thing to do, really, and he had work that needed to be done, lives to prepare for...but he couldn't help but feel he owed it to him, the near-silent apology that passed his lips that day.
Also, veering into AU territory a bit, but I think if Kaname were to wake up and eventually get back into the industry (after lots of rehab + accommodations), he'd keep the HiMERU name, but drop the "cool" persona he tried to associate with it. Life is too short to care so much about the public's perception of him, and I feel he'd go in the opposite direction of Tatsumi, and become even more outspoken, which would make him a good Crazy:B candidate.
OreMERU (our HiMERU) and Kaname are going to need to talk. A lot. I think Kaname wouldn't quite forgive him and would be upset about the identity theft, but he also can't bring himself to hate him, as he can see why he did it and knows it's for him. There's a lot of guilt and misunderstanding on both sides (ntm Tatsumi, Jun, and everyone else's reactions), but I think they eventually get through it alright, and OreMERU would always be Kaname's "Onii-chan".
OreMERU is also gonna have an identity crisis, and tries to quit Crazy:B, but of course Rinne, Niki, and Kohaku aren't gonna let him just dip like that. There's a lot of panicking, some bad hairstyle decisions, but he comes out alright, and starts going by another stage name that's important to him in some way.
I'm sorry about the excessive Tojo headcanons nonnie, I fully read Obbligato for the first time last week (just knew the basics before) and it wrecked me asdfghjkl.
Anyways. Back to everyone else.
As Mika gets used to Shu's more lenient personality, he tries to see how much gore he can get away with in Valkyrie's art.
Shu tries so hard to respect Mika's artistic vision and encourage him, he really does. But he draws the line at real pigs brains on-stage, even if they are in jars ("But Oshi-san, it represents the breakin' o' the mind after they tried so hard ta conform ta the expectations they put on 'em and ended up slaughtered! It's perfect symbolism, ain't it?")
Adonis makes money on the side for Undead by acting as an interpreter for other units during lives and Q&As. It ends up so popular and profitable that ES actually ends up investing money in professional interpreters for all events, because the ES heads can be kind of good people for once I guess. As a treat.
Rei, Ritsu, Niki, Tatsumi, Eichi, and Kaname (if he rejoins the industry) start having a combined monthly interview to make up for ones they miss due to illness/disability. The college kids/anyone that's been sick or couldn't make their own interviews occasionally join in too (usually Chiaki, Mayoi, Nazuna, Shu, Leo, and Izumi). Rei feels personally attacked sometimes, but its overall fun and way less stressful than trying to make every interview for their own units.
Kuro/Shu/Mao/Izumi dorm have sewing nights. It started because Kuro and Shu already sew, and Izumi wanted to be able to make his own alterations as a model just in case. Mao ended up joining in as a way to de-stress from student council work, and they have a relatively pleasant time together.
Souma is canonically good at embroidery, so I like to think he ends up creating his own sword scabbards for different Akatsuki costumes using the skills he's picked up from it. They're very pretty, and he's very proud of them.
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mamawasatesttube · 2 months
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Hi hello,
Random question, but what do you headcannon cassie to look like and dress through-out her teens into adulthood? Both as wondergirl and as cassie? On that same vein, what adult superhero name do you like for her?
Anywhoosies, wishing u a great day!
late teenage into early 20s cassie is grappling with comp het pretty hard and tries to grow her hair out and dress more femme. she hates it but she doesn't know she hates it for a hot minute. this is both as wonder girl and as cassie because she barely exists as a civilian at all for a long time. "cassie sandsmark" publicly was wonder girl for a while, and she tried coming up with a fake name and identity to be a civilian again in tt03, but it was rough on her and she ultimately gave up on it.
so i think that really just weighs on her - she's a hero 24/7, she's leading the titans, she's basically letting the vigilante life consume her and she's gonna crash and burn out hard any day now. i think donna sees this and goes hey... you know you don't have to be exactly like me, right? in fact i think you need a vacation. let's go to themyscira for a bit. and its big sis lil sis bonding time but also for the first time cassie catches herself thinking um... women 😳 women? 😳 oh god. women 😳 and she has a whole crisis about it.
when she comes back from her vacation she does feel a lot more in touch with herself. the problem is that what she sees there (dissatisfied with her work-life balance, worn out, starting to confront her internalized homophobia) freaks her out. so she kind of has a crisis and hacks her hair off with a pair of scissors in the middle of the night and then looks in the mirror like. oh GOD. what did i DO??? oh god oh fuck who do i know who can fix this and won't ask me questions if i say i don't wanna talk about it hhghnggrhgnn...
so she shows up in kansas wearing a beanie at like 1am like kon Please. help. 😭 and she feels So guilty bc he's her ex and he's still kind and loving enough that he does get out of bed despite having an early morning with farm chores, and then he's all sleepily shuffling to the bathroom with her like here. sit. i'll fix your bangs. jeez. and the vibes are so... you know. bathroom light late at night spilling into the hallway. he's cutting her hair. krypto is peering at them from the doorway like why the fuck are you awake. cassie's on the verge of tears bc she wants to tell him why she did this but she's terrified it'd hurt him if she was like i think i was never actually in love with you
but when she finally says it he just stares at her. and then stares at her some more. and then he starts? laughing?? and at first she's kind of hurt like uh. that was serious and also pretty hard to say, what's so funny. and hes just almost in tears holding her hands in the bathroom by the sink like. cassie. ive been so scared of telling you i think im gay. for like. 3 months now. cassie i hooked up with an alien several weeks ago and i had a whole crisis i just refused to tell anyone about. um. yeah. and she's like. YOU WHAT? ALIEN HOOKUP? CONNER KENT? and hes like NOOOO WE ARENT TALKING ABOUT IT. YOURE A LESBIAN LETS TALK ABOUT THAT. but its like. oh! and they click back into place as best friends instead so much more easily than they ever dated. it's about the late night catharsis of it all.
this is a lot of words to say that after this i think she embraces the short hair and starts leaning into masc presentation again. i am a butch cassie truther for LIFE. get that girl some cargo shorts and a carabiner for her lasso STAT. i'm talking those truly heinous cargo pants that unzip at the knees to become shorts. formal cassie rocks the blazer with a bra underneath look. cassie lingerie is a tank top with no bra. she's butch to the bone baybee
as for her adult hero name, i still kinda waffle about it but i've Tentatively settled on "xenia"!! it's taken from one of zeus's epithets and has to do with hospitality, kindness, and the protection of strangers (yknow those rules about breaking bread with strangers etc, those are also called xenia). the og meaning had to do with the idea that a stranger could be a god in disguise so you should always honor strangers, but i think cassie would do a sort of converse of that with it, like i've got the power and i'm gonna use it to protect people i don't know, not for the idea of a boon but because it's who i am. still potentially workshopping this, though.
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lavendermage · 1 year
Text
Lost in Inazuma 8
Characters: Thoma, Ayato
Genre: gender neutral reader, sagau
1.8k words
AN: I got accepted to college! Yay for me! I've gotten into 3 so far and decisions are still coming in!
In other news I'm working on an ajax x reader fic, a bit angstier than usual. Do you prefer more frequent, shorter content with multiple parts, or longer waits and longer fics? (This is for the ajax fic.)
You sank into the water with a sigh. The ripples spread from your body and intersected each other mesmerizingly. You shifted and the warm water shifted with you. The room was silent. 
Your mind traced over what had happened. The Kamisatos were convinced you were a god. They had promised your safety. Thoma had been poisoned. It was the mochi he had gotten from Ayaka, who had received it from a soldier from the Tenryou Commision. The doctor was surprised he survived but had confirmed he had fully recovered. Thoma was alright. He was safe. 
The thought lingered before it was interrupted by a knock at the door.
“May I enter?” Thoma.
“Yes.” 
His soft footsteps approached the bath and when you looked up his head was bowed. “Your grace, may I-” 
“Call me by my name, please.”
“But I can’t-”
“Please. I don’t want to lose you.” You sank deeper, the cloudy water hiding your form. 
“Of course, Goldie. Where were you burned? Ayato bought an ointment for treating electro burns.”
“Arms and back mostly.” 
“Could I apply it after your bath?”
“Yes, I was on my way out anyway.”
“Are you sure? You could stay longer, I’ll just wait.”
“I’m sure. Just give me a bit to get dressed.”
He stood there for a minute before realizing what you meant, his face reddening. “Sorry, I just thought you wanted me to help you- nevermind, I’ll leave.” Your laughter was the last thing he heard before closing the door behind himself.
You called him when you had slipped into a simple yukata. It was short, only reaching around your knees, with loose sleeves that ended at your elbows. The fabric was softer than anything you’ve touched since you arrived in Teyvet. 
Thoma came in quickly with a tin of ointment. “Here. May I have your arm?” He held your hand carefully, as if it was made of glass. His eyes were fixed on your branching scars.
“Ugly, isn’t it.” You half laughed. “It doesn’t hurt too much anymore.”
“It’s not ugly.” He interrupted you. You looked at him questioningly and he clarified. “I mean, it doesn’t make you ugly. I wish you didn’t have those scars because I wish you didn’t have to go through that, but it doesn’t make you ugly.”
“Thank you. You’re really sweet.”
He started to massage the treatment into your skin. “It’s really not a big deal.”
“It is. Don’t undersell yourself.”
“Other arm please.”
You gave him your other hand. “By the way, are you sure your ribs are fine? I swear I heard a crack when I did CPR on you.”
“Yeah, I’m fine. And what is ‘CPR’?”
“That’s what I did to save you last night.”
“Where did you learn to do it? I’ve never heard of anything like that.”
“I took a course back home. It’s not uncommon for people to know how to do it.”
“What do you mean, ‘back home?” 
“I’m not from this world.” You watched his reaction carefully, maybe it could give you some information.
“Another world?” His eyes sparkled. “Could you tell me about it?”
“Sure. Visions don’t exist, but technology can do alot of things visions can’t.”
“What about elements?”
“We don’t have those either.”
“How do you know so much about Teyvet then? You knew the Kamisatos, the Shogun, and others. Did you pick up on all that while on the run?”
“No, it’s..,” You thought for a second about how to explain things. You didn't want him to have a full blown identity crisis. “I’ve seen Teyvet through the traveler. I could interact with Teyvet through a special device but I never expected to be here.”
“Well, that does explain the warm feeling I get around them. DO you have favorites among the people you’ve met?”
“I like most of them, but I’ve always had a soft spot for you.”
“Me?” His eyes widened in shock. “Are you sure?”
“Yes. Remember what I told you the first day we met? I told you how helpful, hardworking, and cute you are. I meant every word. When you helped the Traveler navigate Inazuma, when you and the Traveler helped that dog, I saw it all. You are one of the kindest people I ‘met’ in Teyvet.”
“That’s a bit extreme, don’t you think?” He laughed nervously, his face strawberry red.
“No, it’s not. Before I arrived, I wished I could meet you somehow. And despite everything that’s happened since then, I’m happy to be with you.”
“Thank you. May I adjust your yukata to treat your back?” An obvious diversion, but you allowed it.
You nodded and loosened it. He gently pulled down the back. It hung off your shoulders, revealing marred skin.
You remembered how it felt after you first got them, running your hands over the burns and the cold blooded panic when you felt the bumps and indents, when you realized how much damage had been done. The scars ran across your back and branched in all directions, crossing each other in a horrible web. 
He didn’t say anything but his fingertips brushed the scars on your back.You looked to see his reaction. Tears rolled down his cheeks. 
You stared at him. “You’re… crying.”
“I’m so sorry they did this to you.” His voice was soft but surprisingly even. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there.” He rubbed the ointment onto your back, massaging it into your skin. 
You turned to him, dropping your head into his chest and wrapping your arms around him. You sobbed into his shirt. You could feel the stiffness in his body and started to pull away. He blocked you, one hand at the back of your head as he pulled you closer.
“You don’t have to go.”
“Could you… hold me please.” You regret your words immediately, embarrassment rising in you.
“Of course.” He didn’t seem upset at all, holding you close to him as you continued to cry.
He was warmer than you expected, and he smelled faintly of smoke. He must have been cooking recently. You lingered there for a minute after you stopped crying before pulling away.
“God, I’m sorry.” You covered your face with your hands.
“Don’t worry about it.” He was grateful that your hands covered your eyes too. You wouldn’t see the bright red over his face and ears. 
“And your shirt…”
“What did I tell you?”
“Sorry.” You relaxed, before suddenly remembering something. “Help me get dressed, I need to talk to Ayato!”
“I forgot!” He ran out and popped back in with an armful of Kimonos. “Pick your favorite.”
“This one looks the most comfortable??” You panicked, slipping out of the yukata. 
“It’s a bit simple…”
“That’s great, now help me get it on.” You grabbed it out of his hand and pulled it on. You struggled to tie the obi. “Please help.” You turned your back to him to show him the belt.
“How would you like me to tie it?”
“I don’t know?? The fastest, easiest way, preferably.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
It only took a few seconds for him to tie it and you were already on the way out. You stopped suddenly and turned back to Thoma. “Thank you!” You smiled before running off, leaving a very flustered Thoma in your wake.
The temperature dropped as you entered Ayato’s office. His eyes flickered up to you and widened. He stood up quickly.
“Good afternoon, my lord. I apologize for my lateness.” You bowed deeply.
“Please rise, there’s no need for such formalities, your grace.” He looked uncharacteristically tense.
“How about we use our names instead, Ayato. We both seem uncomfortable with these titles.” You offered.
“If you insist, Goldie. Or would you prefer I use the name in the scripture?” He pulled out a chair and you sat in it.
“Scripture?” 
“You really don’t remember?”
“Not at all.”
“Ayaka has studied them more than I have, she’ll be glad to read you stories.”
“So you’re not religious?” 
He looked away nervously. “No, I just don’t have the time for worship. I hope it doesn’t offend you.”
“Why would it? Judging by what the shogun was screaming at me, she seemed to be an fervent believer. Look what good that did to me.” You couldn’t help but scowl. 
“I’m so sorry.”
A strange way of wording it. Your accusing eyes flickered up to his. “Were you a part of it too?”
He took in your posture, tense and ready to spring. “I did just enough so the shogun wouldn’t suspect the Yashiro commission. I’m certain none of what I did could be used to hurt you.”
You nodded. “I’m sorry for the accusation.”
“You have a right to be suspicious of me, especially after what I’ve done.”
“Believe me, that incident was far from the worst thing to happen to me.”
“That is not at all comforting.” He sighed.
You watched, confused, as he lowered himself to the floor. He bowed, his forehead pressed to the tatami mat.
“I dare not beg for forgiveness, but please allow me to do whatever it takes to make it up to you. I know that is a lot to ask but-”
“Stand up.” You placed your hand on his shoulder.
 He looked up, eyes locking with yours. 
“You were scared weren’t you?”
“That’s no excuse.”
You ignored him. “You thought I was poisoning you. If that was true, who would I go after next? Who would be an easy target, asleep at that time of night?”
“My sister.” His voice broke.
“Yes. You’re a quick thinker. You calculated all this, didn’t you?”
“Yes.”
“What did you think would happen when you poisoned me?” 
“We’d die but she- she’d be safe.”
“Do you expect me to judge you for that? To act as if that is evidence for your cruelty?”
He sighed. “You speak like a god.”
You laughed. “Sure. I hate to be blunt, but we need a cover story for last night. And please grab a seat. It feels weird to have you in this position.”
“Of course.” He hurriedly pulled over a chair. “The staff are gossiping about the incident, so I felt it necessary to seed some rumors. We can confirm one of the variations as the truth once we decide.”
“What are the options?”
“A nightmare or sleep walking of some kind, a wild animal breaking in, or an assassination attempt. We could also mix them together somehow.”
“A wild animal seems unlikely and anticlimactic. I doubt people would believe that a nightmare could lead to that mess…” You trailed off, thinking.
“That leaves the assassination attempt. It is the closest to the truth, though the version spreading assumes it is a physical attack.”
“That could also justify any special treatment I would receive. People would view it as a sign of gratitude. But why would I be in Thoma’s room? The implications of that could get messy.”
“That- that is true.” 
“We could say I had a nightmare and wandered into his room half asleep. Thoma and I are close enough for that to be believable. That information wouldn’t normally be in a formal announcement though.”
“I could ask Thoma to ‘slip up’ and reveal your nightmare.”
“That would work!” You smiled. “Thank you so much.”
“No need.” He averted his gaze. Your joy was radiant, far too bright to look at directly.  
If your name is crossed through it means tumblr didn't recognize your name. Check if anything is misspelled and I'll try again.
@thesilverarmada @cruxnova27 @irisxiel @chocogi @hellonies @milkylammy @uemiie @code-roevember @genshin-impacts-me @mr-rottenflesh @esthelily @starry-writ3s @allblognamesaretakenlikereally @anxiousgrayshrimp @astra-nomical-ly @nebulabunni3 @w1s-t3r1a @kota412 @doumalove @ji-woonhaksimp @amidst-the-tempest @hellotherecumrade @jcrml @gooberq @0rah-s @frickfrackanxietyattack
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ambermotta · 3 months
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Finding "Your Path" — Not as Straightforward as it Seems
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In the pagan and witchcraft community, you will often see or even be asked about "your path", and may eventually wonder which one you are on.
Today's post is about reflecting on this subject, rather than providing information.
As such, please keep in mind I only speak for myself.
What is a "Path"?
The definition of path may change from person to person. It can be what type of magic you do, the deities you worship, the many branches within your religion or even the esoteric orders you have joined.
Are you a green witch? Sea witch? Norse pagan? Crystal witch? Rosacrucian? Tarot reader?
A lot of beginners will get caught up on these terms and find themselves in a bit of an identity crisis. "What the heck am I?" is something I'm sure many people can resonate with.
I would like to invite you to look at things from a different perspective regarding what "the path" is all about. Of course, you are welcome to disagree and have different interpretations.
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Your path ≠ Your labels
We have hundreds and hundreds of labels we use for every sort of thing in our lives. You can be a father, co-worker, genderqueer, bisexual, animal lover, sculptor, gym rat... all at the same time, though not necessarily in the same contexts. Yet none of these could fully describe who you are. In paganism and witchcraft, the same applies.
We might be called to (or pressured into) choose one or a few labels to describe who we are and what we do, then find ourselves seeing a lot of labels fit but not fully or not on their own. This might make us feel lost and unsure of what "our path" is.
This is just how things are. Labels can't possibly be all-encompassing. And one label can hardly describe the path you are walking. No two persons calling themselves a grey witch or a hellenic pagan have walked the same path. Even their current personal practices are probably different.
The label might be the same, but the whole living experience behind them is not. They may share similarities, but they are still singular.
What is "My Path" then?
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We tend to see paths as traditions, ethics, codes and practices we follow, but I will ask you to put that aside for now. I want to share something I've experienced with you a few years ago.
I once told a wise spirit "I don't know what my path is, I'm afraid I'm walking down the wrong one".
At the time, I thought of my path as a road I walked to achieve a certain goal, and as my religion, my practices. I often found myself feeling drawn to many things at once and somehow failing at following any of them through. I thought my path was a mess, and that I was lost.
The spirit answered, in sum: "your path is the path you are treading right now. It is what you make of it".
Sidenote: for those wondering, the spirit was talking through a trusted medium in serious and proper ritualistic setting.
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What he said was simple, right? But what does it actually mean?
I am constantly walking down my own path. No matter if it can be categorized as "right" or "wrong", it is my path, my journey, my own growth... With all of its twists and turns. My path can't be wrong because there is no right path either.
It is not a set, definite thing, and instead a continuum of experiences. It was, it is, and it will be.
We tend to see "our path" as a means to an end, a road meant to take us to a destination. We think that if we are not doing something we think we are meant to do, that we are in the wrong path.
I believe this is because we mistake our path with our purpose. We can have a life purpose, or even a fate, but these are not inherently our path.
Try to look at your path as a continuum of your own experience, instead of a means of achieving something. It's not immutable, or a predestination, or even what you are.
Think of it as the ground you walk on... no matter where you go, you'll always be standing on it. It may change its appearance or its characteristics, but it's still ground.
The ground you have walked, the ground you currently stand on, and the ground you'll walk upon is unique to you. No one could follow your exact footsteps or walk the same way as you did. And it exists as long as you continue experiencing things.
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So what does it all mean?
It is what you make of it. If you are like I was, maybe this reflection will resonate with you, and maybe one day it will bring you some peace of mind (at least as far as this matter is concerned).
Colloquially, people will still ask about your path reffering to your practice, religion, etc. But I hope that internally, you feel less bound by the constraints that labelling yourself can put upon you.
Remember Your Path is unique to you, with all its twists, turns and your perceptions of them.
Don't feel pressured into "choosing a path" or "finding your path". Enjoy the beautiful singularity that it already is.
If you feel like you need to find your path, try to take a look at it as a whole. Reflect upon where you are, where you have been, and where your heart tells you you are heading to.
And if you feel you don't like your path right now, well, that's a sign maybe it's time to stir it in a different direction. One that you can feel proud of, someday.
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Thank you for reading!
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monarchisms · 4 months
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dogbark, in both concept and execution, is just so interesting to me. i think the trailer they uploaded before they started making content regularly was a bad way to showcase their ideas of what they wanted to make for the channel, precisely because those ideas weren't solidified yet. and honestly, i believe the trailer becomes a bit worse the more the crew finds their footing in more recent content
personally, the trailer generally represents dogbark (and parts of achievement hunter before it ended, rip) with its weaker qualities. overly edited with jumpcuts and some louder, goofy-ass sound effects sprinkled in that makes it harder to focus on the video itself. outside that video, everything else on the channel that has someone saying a curse word is inexplicably bleeped out on their site and youtube. with the channel being newer, i don't know if they have a specific target audience in mind, since those that came from AH have long adapted to their crude humor, but they may not vibe with what dogbark does because it feels more childish in comparison. it's like watching someone go through an identity crisis with how the group don't know what they want to be lol
i stuck around beyond the initial video because i know these guys are funny, having watched AH for almost 9 years up until everything with matt went down. i think their chemistry is strongest with live action videos that have little to nothing to do with improv sketch comedy. i'm more than happy that they're seemingly focusing on that more in the last month. the gameplay videos also get better over time, but that's a given, seeing that that's what their previous jobs were. the dogbark boys aren't strangers to improv, with or without video games as a jumping off point. the problem is that they seem to be so inexperienced with this type of comedy they spent so much of the channel trailer focusing on
like, the improv content is the one thing that's stayed more or less the same since day 1, imo. the green screen improv videos i have found myself enjoying thoroughly are the ones that aren't exclusively michael, trevor, alfredo, and/or joe, weirdly enough. any other friend/rt employee with any combination of the dogbark boys feels more natural to me since they can explore more unique scenarios and have some new, fun dynamics to explore. with just the db crew themselves, it has the same energy as a high school improv group who just started taking classes. it's most likely fun to be a part of, but not necessarily fun to watch at a consistent rate
i wish i had more positive things to say about their other content that i do enjoy for a fairer opinion. however, the stuff i want to see more of like their podcast beyond episode 1 is first-exclusive (why???), which is bizarre for a new channel, but there's nothing i can do about it. that's why i come here to complain <3
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ninjastormhawkkat · 4 months
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Matthew wasn't sure if he should be so surprised by how resilient his son was. Hugh though wasn't looking very pleased. His expression was one of absolute exhaustion and worry. Gene of course picked up on this, honestly feeling slightly guilty over putting the alien through so much stress in such a short time. Matthew had shared that same worry over the mad scientist, knowing just how little time his son had to recover. Yet he couldn't say no. What would've that done? Make Gene all the more stubborn and make him do something just as rash as he did? No. He knew better than to do so. “As long as you don't overdo it. Of course. I don't think your friend could take much more of our recklessness.” Gene gave him an apologetic expression as he knew what his father said was true. “I know. I'm sorry Hugh. You know I have to do this. I'm not going to just stay in bed while all this goes down. I'll stay in bed rest after this all you want. I promise.” Hugh sighed, crossing his arms. “You wouldn't listen to me anyway. Don't you get yourself hurt during this or I swear I will strap you down and leave you like that while you heal up.” Gene couldn't help but let out a little laugh at that. He knew that the alien would absolutely do that. His eyes went back to the silver falcon in his hand. The mad scientist was still slightly worn out but he's never felt so revitalized like this. Given life anew in a strange way. It didn't take long for the mad scientist to get himself dressed. Alex and Tristan had wanted to intervene and keep him from joining but they knew that would've encouraged him more as well. Though that couldn't stop either of them from helping Gene. He gave them both a look that showed he wasn't going to let them coddle him. He's never let them do so before. Even when he wore himself down to the bone when Becky went missing. That thought had made him stop and looked around for her. Having lost track of the girl during his identity crisis. No one else seemed to have noticed until they heard a whoosh and saw Becky nearly tackled her father over. She hugged onto him, holding something with one hand. “Hey, kiddo. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry you again. I'll be fine, I promise. Confused but fine.” Becky looked up at him, still not quite believing him. She quickly then placed another item within his hand. It was the goop ray he had left behind during the chaos. She had gone back to find it to give it back to Gene. He stared down at it. “Aw, thank you for getting this for me.” In another city, they were unaware that there was another gathering. The mayor of Newport had just finished giving the heroes the go ahead to storm the B.E.A.W Labs near their city. They were met with a riled up crowd filled with villains, civilians and other heroes alike. They didn't appreciate that these people were messing with their heroes as well. Ones they've grown to love over the years. They were just as inspired by Maddrixs broadcast. Sure they were a bit more on the bloodthirsty side but they were nowhere near the level of Darius. He had angered them so much they've put aside their differences temporarily. Having a bigger goal to accomplish first before resuming the status quo. It was unsettling just how quiet they went when they had seen the heroes step out. Waiting with bated breath for them to give them instructions on exactly where to go. Hydro had been surprised to see an old friend among the crowd. J.J. the villainous jester. There were a few others they've recognized. The circus themed villains that loved to team up with the jester. A certain doll who was once part of the villain roster of Fair City. They were going to bring every single one of them to the facility. To wait for Maddrix the malicious to take lead and destroy the hellish place. Taking down all those who willingly worked within there. Experimenting on innocent lives. They weren't going to stand for it at all. Even Atomic Steele knew to finally put aside his fury whether he liked it or not. He still despised him but he trusted his friend despite what happened. He still cared.
It still felt weird to Atomic, learning all that he did about his father's biological relationship to Maddrix. From what that woman Margaret told him, it made the hero think back to moments of his childhood before the massacre. How his dad never talked about his grandfather only telling the boy he had one who died. His dad only talking in details about his grandmother. There were times his dad seemed sad and frustrated about something, when a younger version of Max tried asking his dad what was wrong, all his dad would say was that he was just worried about and missing someone. At the time Atomic had no clue his dad was referring to an estranged cousin. The last time Atomic saw his dad alive, before he told the young hero to stay put and safe, was when his dad was watching the television and seeing what was going on. Atomic clearly remembered his dad having a horrified look but also a pained and guilt ridden expression. Although Max still hated Matthew, there was a part of the young hero that took some pity on Matthew and his father's past. A part of him that was strangely glad his grandfather perished by Maddrix's hands. Gene was ready to leave with Matthew and the others to head back to city hall. He had finished assembling his gear and putting on his attire for battle. Hey this was a serious matter but Gene didn't want to look like a bum going into battle. He also was kind of unsure about putting on his old Dr. Two Brains attire, which was just his work clothes. So Gene decided to make a compromise combining his former villain attires with his own spin. With Alex's and Tristan's help, the two aliens gathered a new lab coat for Gene along with a new change of clothes. These clothes were in clean and pristine condition. They also helped him gather a top hat and a silver mask, something similar to his old Professor Terror outfit. He didn't have the original clothing since he burned his outfit after the massacre. There was also no time to add some special sequins or elegant designs to his clothing much to Gene's chagrin. Gene looked into the mirror one last time before he left with Matthew, Alex, and Tristan. Gene's still white hair was pulled back into a ponytail. This earned an odd reaction from Becky as she muttered "no sandwich words" which made Gene recall Becky once telling him about the Chucktopia incident. Becky otherwise reassured her dad that she wasn't bothered by his style. Gene's silver mask was similar to how his old one was. It was an eye mask with embedded designs. The top hat Alex got him was definitely something similar to a Victorian era top hat but with modern designs. Gene had kept his gloves as his hands were still altered. He had gotten rid of his usual goggles as he saw no reason to wear them over his mask. As Gene held his old staff in his hands, the one thing from his Terror days he could never part with, an eerie feeling went down his spine. He recalled memories of his past, when he first joined his dad into the field of villainy, when he lead his own rebellion of villains against his father, and when he took down Atomic Steele. That wasn't Squeaky in action nor was it connected to his old Two Brains gimmick. That was all him. Gene let out a sigh and small smile. He had no idea what he was going to do after everything was over. Gene definitely planned to give Steven back his name and identity since he was going back to his old name that had been established on official, yet forged, documents. Gene wasn't sure if he was going back into the field as a villain or take a break after everything he had been through. One thing that was for sure, Gene was going to determine his own path and no sabotaged experiments or crazy animals and people was going to affect what he wanted to do with his life from now on. Meanwhile back outside the hallways of the medical clinic, Matthew was learning one of the most shocking things in his life. "You were in the mafia!" Matthew exclaimed in a shocked tone. @dualnaturedscientist
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eroguron0nsense · 5 months
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Straw Hats Pokemon League AU
I don't think I'm the first to do this by any means but here we go! I started thinking of how I'd make a One Piece AU in a Pokemon game format. I tend to play fairly fast and loose with the way the teams are structured; I like the thing they did in Gen 9 where gym leaders get a Pokemon not from their assigned type to terastallize but I would also like to see more gym leaders oriented around certain themes or gimmicks than just mono typing. These are not even remotely balanced and the few that have some strategy like Nami's can go wrong super easily; they're very very vibes-based. The region’s an archipelago, and all the crew members are friends who live and work on separate islands. I’ve always liked regions in Pokemon with lots of islands and water and I just feel like One Piece settings could translate well to that. 
Grass Gym Leader Usopp– The Usopp pirates are his gym trainers/pupils, and you fight him after going through a puzzle full of funny carnivorous plants like those on the Boin Archipelago (ideally there's a quiz format involved and if you get an answer wrong you get attacked by, like, a low level wild bellsprout or carnivine). This one could honestly have been more strategically developed although Shiftree and Sudowoodo were absolutely necessary because a long-nosed creature based on a tengu and a fake tree with an identity crisis are perfect for Usopp. He loves his status conditions and is generally very annoying to go up against Initial team: Lotad, Bonsly, Nuzleaf Rematch Team: Shiftree, Sudowoodo, Amoongus, Ludicolo, Tangrowth, Vileplume Normal/Doctor?? Gym Leader Chopper–This was a difficult choice honestly! I thought about making him a fighting specialist for the kung fu point, but ended up choosing this instead. He's a very young GP and gym leader on a winter island, and he has to split his time between doing house calls with Kureha and his League obligations and the poor boy is *stressed*. Marowak is there because Chopper and his backstory give me Cubone/Marowak vibes. The Sawsbuck is actually not there because of its deer associations; it’s a springtime/cherry blossom Sawsbuck because of Hiriluk’s cherry blossoms, I thought of giving him a Stantler but I think one deer is probably enough for him Initial Team: Spring Deerling, Stufful, Marowak Rematch Team: Mega Audino, Spring Sawsbuck, Blissey, Bewear, Marowak, Alomomola Weather (??) Gym Leader Nami–specializes in double battles with her cast form. Lives on an island kind of similar to Cocoyasi, and she's got her own lighthouse and meteorology lab up on a hill surrounded by tangerine trees. This is extremely strategically fucky and near impossible to program into something functional but I wanted to give her every kind of weather power and Pokemon that could adapt to every field change and hack weather balls at people. Nojiko and Genzo hang around. Currently training a Hippopotas gifted to her by Vivi and working on Sandstorm strategies Initial Team: Castform (Sun), Snover, Ninetales, Castform (Snow) Rematch Team: Castform (rain), Pelipper (drizzle), Ninetales (Drought), Abombasnow (snow warning), Castform (sun), Castform (snow) Ghost Gym Leader Brook–Brook is a touring rock star whose gym is on a barge with a kinda spooky ambiance; the Rumbar pirates work there as live musicians and there's a bar and a big stage set up for concerts. They pull up around the twin capes looking for Laboon around the same time as the player reaches there and are very distressed when he can't find him at first. I kinda debated giving him a toxtricity like Rhyme in SV but that's been done before and Frosslass kinda plays into his ice attacks, so I'm kind of leaving it open ended. His gym's located near the twin capes, and he's a former rock star who's slowed down a bit and taken some time off his career to look more actively for Laboon, who went missing in this world instead of being left behind. Laboon is a Wailmer Brook met years ago that later joins his team after they reunite, by which point he's evolved into a Wailord. Initial Team: Duoblade, Dusclops, Houndstone Rematch Team: Aegislash, Dusknoir, Wailord (Laboon), Polteageist, Frosslass or Toxtricity, Houndstone
Steel Gym Leader Franky– Franky's gym is also on board a ship he built, and he's docked outside a kinda high tech water seven sort of crazy artificial floating island structure. It's very much like water seven–Iceberg and Paulie run the show–and the Franky Family are his gym trainers. I threw in Alolan dugtrio because of the hairstyles and revavroom for the Kurosai FR-U. Metagross is there because I like him having a psychic type to link him to Robin (they're married and live together on Franky's custom houseboat). I thought of giving him a Magnezone but Franky with a Tinkaton just seems very funny and weirdly well-suited to his character Initial Team: Alolan Dugtrio, Excadrill, Revavroom Rematch Team: Alolan Dugtrio, Excadrill, Revavroom, Metagross, Probopass, Tinkaton
Psychic Gym Leader Robin–I tried to give Robin a few Pokemon that were more weird lore/ancient ruin themed without being actual legendaries to fit with her being an archaeologist. She spends a lot of time doing field work (Clover is the region's Pokemon Professor and her mentor; it even plays into the plant naming scheme) on a protected island full of ruins that looks kind of like Skypeia. I'd love for this world to have some ancient lore for her to research and make regular story appearances without the kind of tragedy we get in canon. Initial Team: Medicham, Duosion, Sigilyph, Claydoll Rematch Team: Bronzong, Medicham, Beeheyem, Reuniclus, Sigilyph, Claydoll
Water Gym Leader Jinbei–Honestly it was a bit hard making this one feel uniquely suited to Jinbei? Palafin suits his character best imho, but it was difficult choosing fish that ween’t tied in some other way to other existing fishmen characters. There's no whale sharks yet either :p That being said, Jinbei is a ship captain who works with both the Pokemon League and the Sun Pirates, and brings the player to a Fishman Island equivalent underwater town, giving you either a dive TM or something equivalent to navigate underwater and opening up a whole bunch of new areas for the player to explore. Initial Team: Wishiwashi, Palafin, Swampert, Omastar Rematch Team: Wishiwashi, Palafin, Swampert, Omastar, Dondozo, Tatsugiri
Fire/Kicking??/Culinary-themed Gym Leader Sanji–I feel a bit bad I gave Sanji so many starters when I generally try to avoid that for gym leaders but there's just not that many Pokemon with blaze kick and it's a necessity for him! You meet as he's soft-opening his restaurant in the All Blue equivalent, and going through some growing pains striking out on his own from Zeff (who’s very supportive of his boy's dreams but bad at expressing it). I threw a Clawitzer in because I thought I should give him a seafood item, and Siebold (one of the few Pokemon chefs) has one as his ace in X/Y. His team can kinda be split into kicking pokemon (Cinderace, Blaziken, Tsareena) and food Pokemon (Arboliva, Clawitzer, Garganacl). Zeff has a Stoutland, and the only reason I gave him one is because it more or less has his facial hair. Initial Team: Cinderace, Blaziken, Garganacl, Tsareena Rematch Team: Cinderace, Blaziken, Garganacl, Tsareena, Arboliva, Clawitzer
Zoro is the Champion and Luffy is the final boss, but I'll save them and my chosen Elite 4 members for another time. I'm not going to try and build an evil team, but suffice to say since I'm trying to make this AU a bit more lighthearted, everyone lives and they're all doing good
Edit: Link to Part 2–Elite 4, Champion, Final Boss Teams
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snorlaxlovesme · 3 months
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what is your favorite line/section of your sick CXS fic? It is so good and I love when authors can share some of their thoughts!
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i feel so spoiled with these messages from you, thank you for being so kind my godd
(aforementioned sickfic)
it's hard to choose favorite lines bc genuinely i do love the whole fic so much. a lot of the time i'm writing off the cuff and it just flows out of me in one or two sittings (it's why i'm a one-shot writer) but this was a story that took me months to complete because of all the planning involved (and absolutely fruitless research into Chinese herbal soups, since literally NONE of that research made it into the fic lmao) and so the whole thing feels really special and different from my other stories just because of how much thought was put into it.
it took a long time, but i adored writing the second half, getting to write the same day over again and try to make it identical while FEELING totally different. having Lu Guang totally in pieces over every little change he accidentally makes to the timeline was mwaa *chef's kiss*
i think my favorite line was what i eventually pulling from to make the summary on AO3
"Lu Guang is so tired. He wishes he could freeze this conversation, this whole day, and go nap for a thousand hours. The stress of it all is sucking the marrow from his bones. He wishes he could do today over again. He doesn’t know if he’d have the strength to do today over again."
idk i just feel like it really encapsulates the struggle Lu Guang goes through in this fic and might literally go through on a day to day basis trying to re-live the timeline. like i'm sure every misstep feeling like something Lu Guang would want to do over, but how many times can he handle that, emotionally? like this day mentally broke him and it's literally the most nothing day. Lu Guang forgot to make one phone call and almost suffered cardiac arrest because of it.
plus its very sweet that Cheng Xiaoshi, sick as a dog and feeling down on himself for being left alone all day, comforts Lu Guang after this moment because he can see Lu Guang is going through like a panic-induced existential crisis and mistakes it for Lu Guang ALSO feeling ill, sweet boy ♥
i also really liked the simplicity of these lines (it includes spoilers so look away if you wanna read the fic first. )
But Lu Guang thinks of the tear-streaked smile after Cheng Xiaoshi took that first bite. Spending every waking moment agonizing over his next step won’t get him anywhere. Instead, Lu Guang folds up that smile and tucks it into a corner of his mind for safekeeping. Cheng Xiaoshi thanked him for today. Maybe that is enough.
that part wasn't in the original draft. these lines are in response to CXS thanking Lu Guang for caring for him and i think i had a bit of prose where LG internally laments that he spent half the day ignoring CXS and only took care of him when it was clear Qiao Ling wasn't going to be able to, so the thanks wasn't really deserved. or something self deprecating like that
i had sent my "final draft" to a friend after revising some bits in the flashback and said "i wanna post it but i feel like i need to mess with the ending still. it feels off" my friend insisted what i had was great but i didn't know if the last line of the fic ("Timeline be damned") felt earned. Lu Guang had been a slave to the timeline for the entirety of the story, allowing him to kind of/sort of say "fuck you" to the timeline for a brief moment felt like it was going against everything i had just established, of how IMPORTANT keeping to the timeline was to Lu Guang for the sake of being able to save Cheng Xiaoshi in the future.
it was my friend that gave me the idea to write a simple thesis line that shows what Lu Guang has learned from this. that disaster is definitely a potential outcome in Lu Guang's crazy plan, but seeing Cheng Xiaoshi at peace is enough to make him want to try. like you said in your comment on the fic, if you went back in time, you'd want to be kinder. those lines are Lu Guang reminding himself that seeing CXS at peace has an emotional effect on Lu Guang as well.
ALSO idk the "fold up his smile and tucks it in his mind" bit is cute okay? it's a very cute sentence and i'm proud i wrote it lol
this is very long so i'm gonna stop rambling but again THANK YOU so much for asking me this and for all your sweet messages. i truly can't get over how wonderful it's been talking about this story with you, it's only made me love it more and i already thought it was my magnum opus lmao
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raekleindogpaintings · 10 months
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I love lesbian Nanami as much as the next rgu girlie but I also really enjoy the concept of transmasc Nanami. I think it'd take place post-Ohtori in an au where Anthy is also transmasc. Like they're going to some party and Nanami is getting ready and putting on a fancy ass suit like "IT'S OVER FOR YOU, ANTHY HIMEMIYA! I'LL TRULY GET YOU THIS TIME! *Insert Nanami laugh*" and her goon girlies are like "but Miss Nanami what does doing drag have to do with this?" And she's like "hmph. YOU FOOLS! ANTHY IS GOING AS A BOY!! I'll only truly embarrass him if I outdid him at his own field! I'm going to be the handsomest most charming young man at the entire party and steal all the lights off him!" *Insert image of Boy Anthy hiding his face and leaving the party, followed by concerned Utena. They're both shrouded in darkness. In the background, Boy Nanami is smiling and is surrounded by people*
The goon girlies can't see the logic behind this but they won't argue any further because Nanami(tm)
Nanami goes to the ball and his boy act gets a very good grade at boy, which is something normal to want and possible to achieve and before he realises, it stops being an act.
Nanami is disturbed because this doesn't feel half as fake as it should be, it doesn't feel half as fake as most things in his life do. It's almost as if the priority isn't outshining Anthy anymore.
And then he has a flashback.
It's P.E at a kindergarten, and the little boys are standing in a group and the little girls are in a separate group because it's Ohtori. Some teachers walk by and start handing the children some silly hats out of a box they're carrying, starting with the boy group. They then head to the girl group and hand little Nanami(who pushed his way to the front) the last silly hat in the box. Another teacher comes along and hands them another box full of silly hats of a different design 'cuz they ran out of the first one and they continue handing them over to the children.
Later on, a kid asks Nanami "say, Miss Nanami, why are you wearing a boy hat?"
"A what?" Nanami exclaims
"all the boys are wearing this kind of hat while all the girls are wearing the other"
"That's stupid. I'm not wearing a boy hat!"
Another kid joins "It's totally a boy hat" causing all the others to chime in with agreement
"I'M A GIRL AND MY HAT IS A GIRL HAT!!"
"Haha! it's so weird Nanami! You're wearing a boy hat! It's almost as if you're some kind of a space alien XD"
*Insert Nanami Scream* *insert animal imagery*
Boy Anthy is clearly busy trying to navigate through his fear of crowds but he notices Boy Nanami having an identity crisis and turns to Utena and starts telling him facts about gender change in the animal world, a bit too loudly considering that she's standing right next to him.
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evilwickedme · 1 year
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You seemed sad that nobody's asked for jayroy fic recs. I want jayroy fics! I am a simple creecher with simple needs.
God what a mood tho. ngl I'm obsessed with these two
I've already recommended some of my favs in previous posts! here and here for your enjoyment
anyway here we go
ace-spectrum!Jason
one of my favorite hc and with a lot of support from the text imho; I have more of these these are just my favs
Kiss Me, Kill Me, Take Me Home - 5+1 times somebody kissed Jason, ace!Jason
Jane Austen Never Said Anything About Speed Dating - this one's pretty long. an au where Jason never died and is dealing with trauma from an abusive ex. again, outright ace!Jason and his ex absolutely raped him, so dark subject matter but it's still so good. Jason's brothers try to get him back in the game after the breakup and he ends up running into Roy at speed dating; they decide to fake date to get both their families off their backs. some nice Lian stuff here too.
Between These Pages (Is a Wonderful Place To Be) - ace!Jason gets extremely injured and Roy reads to him, cute little oneshot
(can you feel) the fire burning through your veins - nothing wrong with a little bit of self promo, right? this is demi!gay!Jason figuring his identity out and navigating his changing relationship with Roy. it takes place in a slightly alternate timeline where he's been to therapy for a couple of years and he never slept with Talia so it's his first time with pretty much everything. there actually is smut but it's Jason's first time :D
there is sex in this
I’ve Got the Feeling You’re the Right Thing After All - more poisonivory??? yes please!!! Roy's has had feelings for Dick since their teen titans days, but still ends up in a fwb with Jason when he's asked to help Jason run the iceberg lounge... somewhat plotty, smut in basically every chapter, so fucking good
Let me shipwreck in your thighs - we all have a thing for Jason's thighs, lbr
Arrows and Bullets - a two fic series. injured Jason falls into Roy's apartment and stays there until he heals. once again, some quality Lian stuff here. the sequel fic has some minor Jason-comes-back-home and surrounds christmas.
Boys Don't Cry - trans!Jason. I think this does have a minor plot?? I can't remember it's basically just fifty thousand words of marathon sex over the course of like at least a week
there's a middle ground between ace and outright smut actually
Some Kind of Disaster - this is actually one of my favorites and I've reread the whole thing more than once even though it's a mildly long series (although tbf I've reread longer). instead of outright dying at sanctuary Roy is just grievously injured and Jason runs to his side the moment he hears and refuses to leave. there's a lot of angst. one of the fics is smutty; halfway through the series Roy discovers Lian exists and that's where the plot really kicks in. so good
The Midnight Snow - Robin!Jason is in a time loop and Roy gets trapped in there with him
Flowers Are My Love Language - Jason keeps trying to get Roy to date him using flowers, and Roy simply refuses to get the message
Around Red Hood's Barn - Neighbors au where Roy and Jason are still partners as vigilantes, Roy just doesn't know Red Hood's identity, and Roy CANNOT STAND his new neighbor Jason. I love me some good identity shenanigans in a superhero fic
Magnet Tar Pit Trap - I already linked one cowboy au in the first fic rec (linked above), why not one more
other
remember how canonically Roy died in Heroes in Crisis? ow. I actually already rec'd my favorite one of these in the first Jason fic rec (linked! above!) so check that one out too
It is only, and all about Roy - I actually really regretted not putting this in the original fic rec (again, linked above). Jason shows up in Star City and ends up collaborating with Oliver. JayRoy is only implied but either way Jason is clearly deeply grieving Roy's death and so is Ollie
Please, come back - JayRoy were together before sanctuary and Jason grieves his death deeply. happy ending tho!
anyway yeah that's some good fics believe me when I say I could've rec'd twice as many honestly. unfortunately I had to stop somewhere so that's it for now
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