#it's all fun and games until a book i actually like gets a bad adaptation lol
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Just started reading Daisy Jones & The Six and I gotta ask - who would you have cast had you been in charge for the TV series?
Honestly, I don't really know. I had people I might've cast at the time (like, four years ago) but so much has changed since then and I don't necessarily feel the same way.
I diiid like the idea of Florence Pugh as Daisy back in the day, and I maintain that. I feel like Daisy needed to be played by someone who could be both realistically battered and realistically ethereal, and... a good actress.... Florence is all of those things. For Billy, in my mind's eye I always pictured more of an Aaron Taylor-Johnson type (not saying ATJ, just talking the Look, though hey, he did play Lennon)--bigger than Sam, obviously beautiful but also obviously a part of the kind of reactive masculinity of the era.
I mean. The show, at certain points, very obviously tried to draw from Jim Morrison and Pamela Courson's aesthetics to an obnoxious degree with Billy and Daisy. And while Daisy was traaaansparently a Stevie rip in the book, Billy, imo, probably had to do not only with Lindsey but with people like Morrison. Because frankly, I don't think Lindsey on his own has the kind of mystique that Stevie has (I mean... I know he doesn't lol) and TJR wanted that for her male lead. However, I think that Sam and Riley were both super poor choices for transmitting that kind of mystique. To be blunt, I think that Riley's heritage went a long way towards ensuring she was cast, and I kind of roll my eyes when they try to suggest that it had nothing to do with it. You're gonna tell me that the fact that she's the granddaughter of "The King of Rock 'n Roll", however dubious that title may be, had NOTHING to do with her being cast in your fake music biopic? ... okay.
And while I don't think Sam is a bad actor, I do think his Billy was such a fucking sad sack. Essentially neutered. Billy was supposed to be this super compelling frontman, capable of being both a good father and husband and of falling into his demons. There was absolutely no edge to Sam's Billy. He gave big "starts crying midway through sex and not in a good way" vibes. But I think that was totally intentional, because they didn't want Billy to be as problematic and aggressive onscreen as he was in the book. They wanted to sanitize this whole deal and turn it into a Billy/Daisy romantic melodrama.
ANYWAY. One thing I do know is that they basically lost the plot as soon as they turned the whole thing into a cash grab with the music. Because I sincerely do not care if anyone in that project could sing in real life. They're supposed to be acting. Like, I don't even think Sam and Riley had Billy and Daisy's vocal qualities anyway, so who cares.....
#daisy jones and the six#it's all fun and games until a book i actually like gets a bad adaptation lol#but see this is why i am stridently 'i'd rather they just not do it if they can't do it right'#if you're afraid of getting into how shitty billy was#and for that matter how COMPLEX that love triangle~ was in that he was genuinely in love w both of them#but also had zero intention of ever leaving camila#then why. bother lol
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I have quite a few hang ups with Come Morning Light, the hunger games au I posted one chapter for back in November and have yet to update.
The first and foremost personal challenge is the fact that I, PCE, a certified Angst Wimp, am gonna have to kill off sooooo many of my faves. Like Hunger Games has some dark ass subject matter, kids forced to kill each other. I’m struggling with that, especially with what I have planned for Craig.
Along that same line, it’s gonna be a HUGE cast of characters, which I’ve had difficulty with in the past, it’s one of the reasons I primarily operate in oneshots. I love a good The Gangs All Here fic, but fleshing out 20+ characters is HARD. Bc a fluffy 2k word oneshot of Stan and Kyle in an awkward meet cute where there’s maybe one other character (usually kenny lmfao I’m a creature of habit) is a WHOLE different animal than a multicharacter multichapter. That’s something I had to figure out recently with TWITR, and character introduction held me up a lot in ATLCTS.
Okay this one may seem really inconsequential to a lot of people, but one thing I didn’t think about when developing this concept was the fact that there’s not really away for me to get around Stan eating meat lmao that’s one thing that over my time writing sp fanfiction has become ESSENTIAL to me characterizing that boy. I’ll probably just have him make a comment about how he could never kill animals himself WHICH BRINGS ME TO:
Kyle as our Katniss character. So if you’re familiar with my bs, every time I write Kyle, he’s inherently less angry until it’s called for, he’s very idealistic in his worldview and it takes something actually really pissing him off for him to snap. This is NOT gonna be the case here!!! This boy is ANGRY BY DEFAULT, the worlds out to get him? fuck the world right back! Plus, the entire story is gonna be from his perspective, bc I love writing Kyle, but it’s gonna take all my willpower not to turn him into my usual empathetic to a fault sweet people loving Kys.
Also, I usually tend to leave the adults mostly out of my stuff, but they’re gonna play quite the role in this. We got Garrison as Haymitch, Big Gay Al as Effie, fuckin Mr Slave as Cinna. I’ve never even WRITTEN the three of them. The dynamics gonna be fun tho.
Ofc there’s the problem of it being an adaptation too. There’s a fine line between just replacing hg characters with sp names and copying the plot, as opposed to making it your own. I do have some plot changes planned, but this is an issue I faced with We’re Gonna Sing It Even So, and that almost led me to abandon that fic when I felt like I was just plagiarizing Hadestown.
Also I’m not planning to adapt more than the first book. I reallllly couldn’t handle Kenny taking out Ike with his trap in the third one.
BUT!!! This won’t be abandoned, it’ll just be slow going!!! Ya wanna know the main reason?
Because the first idea I had for CML (other than Kyle volunteering for his little brother) was STAN AND KYLE IN THE FUCKING CAVE SCENES. A major change is that both of them are already deeply down bad, but those scenes??? Yeah no one’s playing for the cameras. I wanna fuck Stan up in the arena so bad lmfao that boy is my original sp whump muse and NATURALLY Kyle taking care of him I love that shit. Girl we gonna GET that prosthetic leg the movies left out (Ship In A Bottle Stan moment, I love that fic btw) as the Style Injury Dealer, I MUST deliver.
So, yeah, if anyone’s down, I’ll eventually pick it back up lmao.
#sry I know no one cares abt my unsolicited ramblings#also I have that tfbw continuation I’m being begged for#which I’m also struggling with#also……#i may or may not#have another multichapter work I’m thinking about#plus I always got OJV brainrot so I’ll probably just keep posting headcanons for OrangeJuiceVerse on here instead of writing lmao#smh#south park#the hunger games#au#sp au#my shit#PastorCraigEnjoyer on ao3#ao3
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Asks about my OTPs
Pick your top 10 OTPs without reading the questions, then answer the questions after you've made your list (I will do my top 10 Austen OTPs)
Catherine Morland & Henry Tilney
Fanny Price & Henry Crawford
Elizabeth Bennet & Fitzwilliam Darcy
Harriet Smith & Robert Martin
Caroline Bingley & Sir Walter Elliot
Elinor Dashwood & Edward Ferrars
Marianne Dashwood & Colonel Brandon
Emma Woodhouse & Jane Fairfax
Eleanor Tilney & her laundry Viscount
Sir Walter & Himself
1. Do you remember the episode/scene/chapter that you first started shipping 6? – When Edward comes to Barton and makes fun of Marianne's love of dead trees.
2. Have you ever read a fanfic about 2? – Yes, my favourite is Fanny: A Mansfield Park Story by Amelia Marie Logan, and I've written severa, including one full length novel.
3. Has a picture of 4 ever been your screen saver/profile picture/tumblr screen saver? – Nope! Always my kids these days.
4. If 7 were to suddenly break up today, what would your reaction be? – This actually happens in FF quite a lot, people are always killing off Brandon early into the marriage and leaving Marianne with a baby. It makes me sad, let Brandon be happy! He's only 37 when they marry he probably has another 20 years at least! (Honestly, since Brandon has survived to his age, Marianne actually has a higher chance of passing away since she's the one making babies).
5. Why is 1 so important? – Because they are so uncomplicated and happy. Just two very cute people making a cute marriage and I would defend their ship to the ends of the earth.
6. Is 9 a funny ship or a serious ship? – Um, it's a whole joke that Austen didn't reveal a new character because the new viscount made a laundry list that Catherine found. But I love Eleanor so much that I do seriously want her to be happy.
7. Out of all the ships listed, which ship has the most chemistry? – Henry & Catherine, Harriet & Robert I think? I may be a bad judge of "chemistry".
8. Out of all your ships listed, which ship has the strongest bond? – Elinor & Edward, I'm always surprised how sure they are of the other's love in spite of of all the obstacles.
9. How many times have you read/watched the 10’s fandom? - I honestly don't know at this point, I read Persuasion once as a teenager and I didn't like it but I LOVED Sir Walter. I've watched all the adaptations (including 1971) and I've read/listened to the book multiple times now.
10. Which ship has lasted the longest? – Sir Walter & himself obviously, that's been going strong for 54 years. I hope it continues until his death at 93. All the others are new pairings.
11. How many times, if ever, has 6 broken up? – The only Austen couple to break up and get back together is Anne & Wentworth, so zero for Elinor & Edward.
12. If the world was suddenly thrust into a zombie apocalypse, which ship would make it out alive, 2 or 8? – Huh, Fanny & Henry or Emma & Jane? They both have a sickly member, which is not great for their odds... Emma is smart but often distracted which would be really bad but Jane is a devoted learner.... Henry would "improve" his estate with zombie moats... I'm voting for both Fanny and Emma don't make it and Henry Crawford & Jane Fairfax find their second true pairing together.
13. Did 7 ever have to hide their relationship for any reason? – Colonel Brandon is attempting to hide his regard out of respect for Marianne and that's why I love him so much.
14. Is 4 still together? – Yes, eating walnuts and petting "her" little cow. Man they are cute!
15. Is 10 canon? – Yep! Though a bunch of the others aren't
16. If all 10 ships were put into a couple’s Hunger Games, which couple would win? – I'm going to put my money on Colonel Brandon, who will do anything to save Marianne. He would be the Katniss and she is the Peeta.
17. Has anybody ever tried to sabotage 5’s ship? – Yes, Mr. Elliot has been trying to prevent Sir Walter from marrying again so he can inherit the baronetcy. He almost succeeds!
18. Which ship would you defend to the death and beyond? – Catherine Morland and Henry Tilney, they are the only couple I can't bring myself to break up in fan fiction.
19. Do you spend hours a day going through 3’s tumblr page? – Um, none? I end up seeing Elizabeth & Darcy stuff no matter what, I have tags on the lesser known Austen characters.
20. If an evil witch descended from the sky and told you that you had to pick one of the ten ships to break up forever or else she’d break them all forever, which ship would you sink? – That is hard because these are my favourite, but I guess Emma can marry boring Knightley instead of having a torrid enemies-to-lovers affair with Jane Fairfax...
I'm not big on chain letters. Thank you @firawren for the tag, if anyone wants to try go ahead!
#otp#jane austen#jane austen fan fiction#and before you yell at me about leaving off canon hero/heroine pairings#They aren't my favourite#I get to pick my own OTPs!#I ship Henry and Fanny starting at Ch 30#I love elinor and edward#I'm not wild about some of the others#Henry tilney supremacy#Henry & Catherine make me die of cuteness
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hi
i just got diagnosed with me cfs about a month ago. I've been bedbound since July (doctors think I got it post-covid) and I'm extremely bored. I've been working on isolation by seeing friends once a week but it's just like... how do i fill the rest of my time? I can't stand to watch tv or scroll tumblr anymore, the internet is making me depressed. So what do I do? I'm sleeping like 16 hours a day. I can only get up to do simple chores and stuff. I struggle with reading/processing info and I lie down most of the day. How do I entertain myself? Especially with something that feels fun, satisfying, and "productive."
TLDR: newly bedbound and in need of a hobby I can do offline from bed, please help <3
hi, thanks for asking! I also spent the vast majority of the first 3 or so years I had CFS laying down, it can definitely be difficult to find stuff to do. Here are some things I did:
Video games. This one is a pretty common recommendation but I can't not recommend it because it's what I do pretty much all the time. If you have trouble positioning a computer like I did you can get an overbed desk (I have this one and it's served me pretty well). If you're looking for game reccs, the Sims 4 is now free and there's a ton of free custom content available for it online for when you get bored of basegame. For paid games, Minecraft, Don't Starve Together (even if you're playing alone the Together version is better), Oxygen Not Included, 7 Days to Die, and Sheltered all have a ton of replayability. I also recommend adding items to your wishlist and waiting for sales if you're buying games off Steam, Sheltered is actually on sale for $3 on Steam until Nov. 21.
Textile work. There's a reason a lot of textiles are considered "grandma" hobbies, they're easy to do with limited energy. There's a ton of disability adaptations for textile projects like knitting, crocheting, embroidery, weaving, etc. Choose one that seems fun to learn and go for it. I tried to do knitting but found it hard laying down so I switched to crochet and it's been going pretty well. It's fairly inexpensive as well, crochet hooks are like $5 and you can fine cheap yarn at places like Walmart for less than $5.
Art. You don't have to be good at it or have fancy supplies, either. I'm a big fan of coloring books, both physical ones and coloring book apps. I also use an app called Sketchbook to make digital art on my phone sometimes. You can trace stock photos to help you practice, or you can just make your entire art process tracing and coloring in stock photos.
Writing. Another one you don't have to be good at. Just think of stuff and write it down. You don't even need to write it down if you don't want to, you can just tell yourself stories in your head as well. Writing fanfiction can be a tool to help you get inspired to write your own stuff too. I got into writing by writing Warrior cats fanfic that was objectively bad, but it was fun and it laid the groundwork for making my own stuff. You can also just keep writing fanfiction if that's what you enjoy.
Origami. This one's a little niche but I find makng origami very satisfying. Some people claim you need special origami paper, you don't, regular notebook paper is fine. The instructions from this website have been useful for me.
That's all I have as far as hobby suggestions, if anyone has any other suggestions feel free to add!
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They haven’t gotten any real focus yet and John Strider hasn’t even appeared in a fic yet but it’s notable how you write the prospit kids as being more resistant to Strider bullshit. Like, they come off as normal almost? Is that a good thing or not? Only time (and new fic updates) will tell
:3c
indeed!!! is being resistant a good thing or a bad thing? is it better to adapt to your surroundings or try and resist and fight every inch of the way in the hopes of finally gaining something suitable for yourself? is there a 'better' tactic to cope with abuse or neglect?
it's so super fun to explore that give and take. rose strider ending up (debatably) the most mentally unhealthy of the strider kids but also becoming (debatably) the strongest of them all as a result. does this make her more successful than dave, since she can absolutely fight better than he is and thus is better 'suited' to play the hero? or is dave, who manages to regain his individuality and break through his (co)dependency on his brother faster, better than her? can they even be compared??? oh the traumalympics of it all...
or, another example, using a different set of messed up kids: rose lalonde vs jade lalonde.
the latter doesn't immerse herself completely in her mother's antics, which has actually heightened the sense of competition between them, even if there is no active 'war' between them like rose and her mom. rose and mom create a 'loving' '''rivalry''' of their dynamic, which gives rose an outlet and gives her a way to express her frustration towards her guardian, even if it's not translating right. jade does not. she makes a habit of venting to her friend(s) but she otherwise does not feel heard when trying to confront mom on her terms and she doesn't feel like she can do much to retaliate otherwise, because she doesn't want to play the same game her mom does. and since she isn't playing along, she's actually formed twice as many insecurities linked to her that rose has.
another really fun aspect of all this is the fact that... MAN!! i have so many thoughts just always about the way homestuck is told mostly through dialogue and pictures, so you're only able to infer so much about characters. there's a characterization tip i learned in college that everything people say (or at least most of it) is twice removed from their actual thoughts, at the very least. like, people say things that perhaps they've been thinking for days, weeks, years before the fact. and that's if they're even willing to be honest with themselves and their emotions to the people around them. something that is so great about homestuck is that people lie, they deflect, they manipulate the perspectives around them so successfully that readers don't even catch on unless it gets spelled out for them... if it gets spelled out
(jake is such a great example of this i could talk about jake forever)
switching from a comic book medium to one that uses narrative prose is so interesting because of that, because we suddenly get a window into the direct thoughts of the characters, we suddenly get the full picture that all of their dialogue leaves out.
i say this because it is a very very deliberate choice that certain killswitch characters and their arcs are only implied in dialogue vs others who have their entire psyches written out. we know rose is batshit because we spend 9+ chapters of prose in her head, reading her thoughts. we don't actually get to see how messed up dave is inside until way later when he expresses it. the jades are all jumbled up inside, but we keep missing out on it because they have such a good handle on their personalities and making themselves sound stable even when they aren't, and who knows when we'll actually get a peek inside of their heads. and like... DAMN it's so fun to think of what kym would have been liked if it started off like the other killswitch fics, where you're just subjected to dialogue that gets parsed out later. like rose strider talks like a 4channer and it's fun to imagine a world where that was in the forefront and she got a chance to seem just as normal as jade and dave strider get to at the beginning of their journeys. alas i need everyone to know she's insane... 😌🥰
#if this answer is a little weird it's because i received this ask while i was doing my yearly ritual of tripping balls on new years#oh the thoughts that i thunked....#also its so funny to me that john strider is becoming this elusive figure on here cuz i cant stop mentioning him hsjkfgsdfg#it will be so fun to finally debut his ass so i can stop holding in my thoughts cuz i find him SO funny#(in the way that bro's homophobia just makes me laugh. it's so terrible he is so terrible but my god lol)
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Ranking Roman Mysteries books from least favourite to favourite- Part 2
Once again, this is just a matter of personal taste and I’d love to hear about other people’s favourite books.
8. The Sirens of Surrentum
I am genuinely quite surprised by how much I like this book. Arguably you could swap it and the Assassins of Rome around on this list, it changes depending on my mood, but I’ve read this one the most so I’ve put it above. It’s a really mature story told from the point of view of very young characters, and I like how it touches on how actual messed up relationships were back then, from how young everyone was, to issues of consent and servitude. The Villa Limona is a beautiful setting for this honestly creepy (creepy like ick) plot- and I’m so glad it ends with Flavia finally seeing Felix for the spider he is. I can fully understand why it didn’t get an adaptation for the show.
7. The Slave-Girl from Jerusalem
Absolutely the best mystery out of any of the books in my opinion- maybe because it is a murder mystery. The character development happening in tandem with the mystery is excellent, and getting to learn how Ancient Roman law worked is a treat. Morbid as it is, I love the part where the kids each write their wills. Jonathan’s prophetic dreams have a huge part to play here and the tension they add is next level. Ends so sadly, even if it is tackling a sadly realistic part of Ancient life. Also the foreword is hilarious. Not the last book I read but the last book I bought, so I haven’t read it as much, and I’m glad I get to rectify that now that I do have it.
6. The Colossus of Rhodes
Bear with me because the Lupus bias is real. That being said, what a great book. High seas adventure, chasing slave traders, more tragedy for Lupus. The introduction of Floppy! I like the closed environment of the ship- gives the kids a lot to do together. Establishes excellent continuity for the world. All in all, just a really great read.
5. The Gladiators from Capua
Top five here we go! Starting off with an absolutely intense one. Seriously, contender for one of the darkest books in a series littered with them. The depiction of the games is brutal and yet never fails to capture what made them so appealing for the Roman people. The Colosseum as a backdrop for finding Jonathan helps keep everything tense and exciting. I really appreciate how much I learn from these books while never feeling like I’m being forced to study. The only sad thing is because it comes straight after Enemies of Jupiter, it’s often where I burn out in a re-read because I forced myself to read Enemies and then lost steam. Stellar book though- sad the TV show had to change it so much (even though I get why)
4. The Secrets of Vesuvius
Pliny is here and he has got some bullshit science with him! Book two and Lawrence is already excited to mess around with real life historical figures. I love how much the volcano takes a back seat until it erupts, but because we’re reading in modern times with the benefit of hindsight, its presence is always felt. The mystery here is a little...clumsy, but it doesn’t need to be anything special when you’ve got Vesuvius to deal with. That being said, the Vulcan story is nothing bad but it does bring the book down just a smidge for me. Still, there’s something so charming about the first few books when the kids are still learning to gel together. Ends a little weirdly (abruptly?) but I can’t help but love it.
3. The Thieves of Ostia
Here’s where it all started- though kid me had no idea this book existed because I’d seen the TV show first. Fully understand why they didn’t go for it, but wish they did because it is just so much fun to see these characters meeting each other. Lawrence does an amazing job setting her story in this Ancient world and creating relatable and likeable characters to live inside it. The mystery is great, I love reading it with hindsight and noticing all the clues. The hot summer setting is artfully described and I can picture it so clearly. A perfect introduction for a really good series.
2. The Dolphins of Laurentum
Look, I nearly made this my top book because the Lupus bias is so real. It’s also the first book I ever read when I noticed it in my primary school library and went ‘hey isn’t that the show I watch on Rollarcoaster?’ Bias aside, this is such a great fucking book. Continues to deal with the repercussions of Vesuvius in a really clever way, brings back Pliny!!!!!!!!!! Even if it’s just his nephew, but he’s great. Treasure diving- beautiful villa- extreme Lupus backstory!!!!! Literally the only thing that stopped it from taking the top spot is the Miriam/Aristo/Pliny/Gaius whole thing. Sadly, I think it takes away from a story that should mostly be about Lupus, his past, and then Flavia and her father and their troubles. I don’t hate the parts but sometimes they just break up moments of the story in weird ways. Like, Lupus nearly drowned but we just gotta wait a bit to watch Pliny and Aristo duke it out.
1. The Pirates of Pompeii
The more I think about it, the more I realise the top spot could only ever go to this book. I don’t even know where to begin with how much I love it. When I was overseas in 2012 and just realising I could actually buy Roman Mysteries there, I mostly bought books that I hadn’t read yet- like the last two and then Sirens and Charioteers and such. Yet I bought this one even though I’d got it from the library and read it a bunch, because it is so, so good and I couldn’t stand to go another day without having constant access to it. The story is amazing, the setting is fantastic, the new characters add excellent stakes and drama. Nubia, oh my god Nubia in this story gets to shine. And the little Lupus paragraph at the end breaks my heart every time. Just 100/10 book, writing this makes me want to go and re-read it right now. My absolute favourite
#roman mysteries#caroline lawrence#flavia gemina#jonathan ben mordecai#nubia#lupus roman mysteries#yay im done#but also oh no im done#this was really fun i love this series
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tuesday again 10/25/22
fairly short bc i have either been sleeping or manually cleaning a database (upside down smiley face emoji)
listening ruby (instrumental) by hovvdy. this is a rare song where i like the instrumental version much more than the full song-- the lead singer has a bad case of early aughts indie frontman voice (get well soon). this sounds like (stay with me okay) the background music to some of the old american girl flash games, specifically the dog walking game. i think it's the combination of the drum machine and the dense, rapid loop under the melody.
it sounds faded but not in the volume sense, in like a mellow sense? it sounds like driving to go apple picking. overall it is laidback but peppy. courtesy of my discover weekly.
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reading mervyn peake's titus groan, the first in a trilogy about the inhabitants of the baroque yet medieval Castle Groan. i am reading this book in a way i do not normally read books, to wit: one or two chapters at a time a week apart. i sit by a river until i get bored, i think "oh right there's a book in my bag" and read until i get bored again. i am falling more and more in love with the prose in this thing-- the lady mother of the castle has a billion white cats, and they all rush into her room until (i am not getting up to quote this precisely) "every shadow in the room was blanched with cats". MWAH. love it. i have just met the teen lady fuchsia groan. DREADFUL child. excited to find out what her whole deal is.
i also need you all to look at the PBS site for the two-season adaptation they did in the year 2000. this is the most 2000s shit ive ever seen this is incredible
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watching if for some reason you want to watch a response to rio bravo (an extremely tiresome movie which is in itself a response to high noon) Assault On Precinct 13 (1976, dir Carpenter) is really your only option i think? fun hour and a half tower defense, fun effects, this movie takes place either in evening or actual night and i can still see everything that's going on bc carpenter shelled out for the best processing money could buy (to the detriment of actually uhhhh paying his talent).
one of the more charged smoking scenes ive seen in some time. god laurie zimmer is hot
i markov chained my way to this film bc i am always interested in responses to westerns (usually this means reinterpreting them as cop dramas, bc most american cowboy movies are propaganda pieces about trusting law enforcement and how imperialism is good, something something civic religion/manifest destiny/reach for the sky pardner) and i want to watch more things that feel like The Taking of Pelham 123 bc by god was that movie fun to watch. maybe i do like hostage movies??? this is a weird development for me.
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playing despondently puttering about in the fourth fallout. really wish i found the companion deacon endearing, but i do not. this game has several too many sad dead wife guys, and if there was anything interesting under the very obvious front he's putting on deacon would be a much more interesting (to me) character. alas.
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making fallow week
#the watching is more of a rehash of a post i made earlier this week#but i simply have not been watching very much#tuesday again#tuesday again no problem#Youtube
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anonymous:
I know you haven’t been on that profile in a month but I love your Big Bad Wolf page (Bigby) I’d love to know more about him and write with him.
do you write big bad wolf here? I always loved that blog when I found it. I’d love to know more about him and learn about his history.
Wow, that’s certainly a blast from the past. It has been… 5 years since that blog I believe ? And honestly, I do miss writing the chainsmoker scruffy wolf at times but the Fables rpc was never too big and the TWAU turned into something that left a bad taste in my mouth. I’m forever grateful for meeting people like Kay (another Bigby rper whom is a wonderful writer and an amazing person) and actually talk to some of the people involved in the comic adaptation of TWAU. Maybe I should pick him up again, he was so much fun to write – and, of course, have him open to all sorts of fairy tales and his modern verse.
Bigby comes from a comic book series called Fables, part of the Vertigo printing line that belongs to DC Comics, the same that published Sandman and Constantine originally. The comic series got many accolades throughout the years, winning fourteen Eisner Awards (with best new series in 2003 and serialized stories in 2003, 2005 and 2006) and was also nominated for three Hugo Awards for Best Graphic Story. Eventually it got a video game prequel by Telltale Games (the same as the Walking Dead and Minecraft Story Mode) called The Wolf Among Us. It also got a novel, 3 spin-offs and some graphic novels along the way. Fun fact : at the time there was a lowkey talk about the ABC's series Once Upon a Time plagiarizing Fables but it was never confirmed or denied, it was just speculation as they are very similar in some aspects and the timing certainly feel suspicious.
Bigby is the Big Bad Wolf of the fairy tales, the rut of the litter between a she-wolf and the North Wind, meaning that he is half-elemental and that’s why he was so unusual. His father abandoned his mother and his older brothers were bullies, so he swore to get a larger prey every day until he became the biggest and strongest beast of all the lands. “Bigby” was supposed to be an ironic name given to him by his brothers. All the evil wolves from fairy tales ? Yes, that was him. The one from the Three Little Pigs ? The one from Red Riding Hood ? That’s all him.
The fairy tale world … Think of something similar to Kingdom Hearts: there are many interconnected worlds that they call Homelands. Each Homelands are separated, but it is possible to travel along them if you know how to pull that off. And despite all the monsters and evil witches everything was more or less “chill” until a tyrant known as “The Adversary” started conquering all the lands and ravaging every simple place that tried to rise against them. In order to escape The Adversary and his forces, the inhabitants of the Homelands found a world without magic – our world. So they traveled across to our world and settled in New York City back when it was first funded and they live in a hub they call “Fabletown”, trying to blend in with human society.
When they were trying to escape, Bigby was actually attacking the camps of the Adversary’s troops and rescuing the prisoners, taking them to the portals. One of the people that he helped was Snow White. Eventually he too was overwhelmed by the army and had to flee, hiding in a Carpathian forest for a while (and chilling with Dracula) when Snow came to him and invited him to join the other exiled people. Of course that a 5-7 foot tall wolf isn’t exactly “discreet” and she brought a cursed dagger that turns men into wolves so maybe the reverse would work ? And it did. Because he was very strong and heal very fast he became the “sheriff” and the one who had to keep everybody safe.
Of course a lot happens during the series, we learn for example that he trained Cinderella to be pretty much a female James Bond to go around the world in missions; that he went to WWII to maul a few Nazis (and he also fought Frankenstein’s creature. In his own words “it was epic”) and many other things. He is also in love with Snow White but wouldn’t tell her (although I also ship him with the Little Mermaid that appears in the game).
They recently confirmed the Season 2 of The Wolf Among Us after so many years and it was postponed. I wish the best for the team, I don't mind it being delayed if that means they'll have a good time making it. There was also the god-awful spin-off Bigby vs Batman that belongs in the trash (with certain Fables storylines that I'm not going to go into detail) and there is a new volume that started... In 2021 I think ?
tl;dr I still love the grumpy wolf and I'd love to write him again sometime. Maybe I should revive him here.
If anyone is curious, the url was @bigbybxdwolf
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How the Brothers Would Try to Corrupt MC w/ Their Sin
I have a headcanon that it's part of demonic nature to try and corrupt humans. Though I think it would be unlikely that the brothers would try to intentionally corrupt MC post-pact, it's still like second nature to them. That means they may try to unintentionally, uh… infect their soul with sin and drag them down into eternal damnation! They don't mean it, but be careful MCs of the world.
Lucifer
One of the hardest things to do can be to make others take pride in themselves… but Lucifer is always ready for a challenge.
The name of the game is praise. The human mind can be easy to manipulate so with enough praise even the most stubborn human will start to believe a drop of their own hype.
Building up pride is a steady thing... He'll usually pick a strength or talent of the MC to give high praise. Perhaps they sing beautifully or they're rather clever, don't worry. He'd let them know.
Light sprinkles of praise steadily increase their self-esteem, which may seem nice and almost healthy at first, but in truth he's laying a trap… He knows how effective his words can be and he's just waiting for them to go to the MC's head.
You think then he would be done right? Oh no. That's not the fun part. What's fun is to then offend that pride he's spent so long building.
He thinks it's cute, really. A small comment here or a little condensation there and they'll get so mad. It's just so amusing!
Of course, he can't take what he dishes, so they'll need to watch out. But don't worry he loves them, even if they're just a little too fun to play with…
Mammon
Since when does the Avatar of Greed give gifts?
Really, that should be the MC's first red flag. Mammon isn't known for generosity, so when he's spending what little money he can hold onto on them, it's time to raise some eyebrows.
It may seem nice, almost sweet, when he manages to track down a rare vintage of wine for them or take them out to a ritzy restaurant for the night but unfortunately it's all just part of the plan…
Nobody has tastes higher than Mammon. He can't afford them most of the time, which leads to compromises, but given all the Grim in the world he'd be living in the lap of luxury - which is exactly the kind of lifestyle he wants the MC to crave too.
Anyone, no matter how modest, can give into temptation. How easy would it be to taste the sweetest wine or enjoy the most wonderful trip then want to do it again? It may seem innocent at first, but piling on the finer things can soon have the MC craving for them when they pass.
Then all Mammon needs is to make little promises, "If I make it big this time, then we'll go to France!" or, "If I win this next hand then I'll buy ya another glass."
So how many times will the MC give Mammon a pass, then? Will they stop questioning how he comes up with his cash? Will they let him gamble just that "little bit" longer? Will they even join him...?
If they keep getting that taste of luxury, then maybe it's not so bad… right?
Leviathan
You think the easiest way to get the MC jealous would be to flirt with other people since that's how most people go about it but, uh…
This is Levi we're talking about. Casual flirting is pretty much out of the question.
So what is a demon to do to get their hapless human jealous? The answer is, be patient.
No one's perfect, humans especially! They'll slip up eventually…
Maybe someone from back home just got a new car or they're sending out marriage invites.
Maybe they have a friend who's better than them at school or sports or there's just someone who has something they want: Money, talent, looks, followers, friends, you name it. When they see it, he can feel that envy creeping in…
From there, all he has to do is feed it. Let the world poke at their little insecurities for him while he plays the supportive boyfriend!
"Did Mammon really get the promotion? I thought it would have been you! That's so unfair..."
"Satan beat your scores again? What is this, the third time? Doesn't that suck?"
Small little comments… but all with a goal to fill the MC with toxicity...
"Are Asmo videos still doing better than yours? I think I know how to drop his numbers... if you want."
And soon enough, anyone can be an enemy. Everyone has it better than them… so they push the world away in order to feel better. And they become so toxic, the world rejects them in turn...
Except, of course, for their loving boyfriend, Levi.
Satan
If you want to keep someone mad, it's best if you're not the actual one doing it.
I know, it sounds counterintuitive, but turning yourself into the enemy risks the target cutting you out. Satan knows this, so he'll never enrage the MC directly...
But indirectly? There's a start.
Everybody has little pet peevs. Tiny things that aren't important, but dig under the skin nonetheless.
Breadcrumbs in the butter, gum-smacking, toe-tapping, tones of voice, or just little annoying inconveniences that can sour one's day...
Satan is well-versed in these tiny annoyances, he'd dare say they're in his domain. And, perspective that he is, he'll know what frustrates the MC soon enough.
Then it's just a matter of execution.
Maybe he jacks with their toothpaste tube or "conveniently" forgets where they put their books... Or they keep mysteriously finding fingerprints on their game disks or seemingly can't keep their room organized to save their life!
It may just seem like the world hates them... but really it's just their demonic lover.
These tiny details and little mishaps will just build and build like cracks in their foundation until it all breaks and comes crashing down… and he'll be right there egging on every moment of it!
Asmodeus
You would think that Asmo would have the easiest time tempting the MC into his sin, but that's not so.
Sure, most traditional definitions of Lust begin and end at carnal desire, but what about those MCs who maybe aren't so drawn to the sins of the flesh? Fear not! Because the keyword for Asmo is desire.
Really, Asmo is happy if the MC's mind is full of nothing but him. He wants them to desire him, to love him obviously, but to the point of obsession. His heated kisses and sensual whispers are only means to that end, which can change whenever he needs.
The MC will have their life bombarded by their beautiful demon. It's not an unwelcome smothering, he's among the best boyfriends they could ever hope to have, which is exactly why he’s so effective!
He wants them to need him at every moment. Soon it will feel weird to go places alone without their demon… Certain things they could do themselves, like their hair or getting dressed, they'll want him to do instead.
Of course, if he's able then he'll certainly seduce them as well and at every chance he gets! From the House to RAD and even in the throne room - he's shameless!... But that's the fun, isn't it?
Beelzebub
Oh Beel… He's probably the most dangerous one of them all. Not because he's so demonic, but because he's so sweet!
When Beel makes food for the MC or orders them an extra side, he does so with love. He just wants them to be full! ...or so he thinks.
Beel's demonic instincts creep up on even him, he's just not one to really question what or why he does things sometimes. He'll know he has the urge to see the MC eat or just be indulgent… but he won’t know why.
You could actually say it works to his advantage. Whenever he offers the MC another turkey leg or a few more bites of cake, his tenderhearted insistence is often so sweet that they'll just go along with it and try to keep eating… even if they're already full.
Now, the human body can only take so much food at once, but over time it can adapt to changing habits.
Eventually, the MC will find their appetite expanding to catch up… They'll stop feeling full as easily as they used to and soon the bigger portions that Beel gives them will be all but a necessity!
Of course, the worst case scenario is that this doesn't happen at all and they do serious harm to their health by always pushing past their limits… but there's no guarantee Beel's solution won't just be more food anyway.
Belphegor
Belphie is the only brother who will knowingly (and gleefully) try to make the MC as sinful as he is!
It's all for selfish reasons. If the MC is slothful, then they'll want to go out less and (probably) spend time with him more. Win-win if you're Belphie.
Since he's well aware of what he's doing, he's pretty damn effective at it. No other brother will be as committed to meddling with the MC as he is.
He'll convince them to cancel plans or sabotage their alarms so they oversleep. He'll suddenly be unable to sleep without them while his naps seemingly get longer and longer… And if they have something to do, he'll be the voice in their ear saying it can wait!
Really, at any opportunity he can get Belphie will try to drag them down or slow their progress with the sweet, sweet promise of relaxation or a good time...
Sure, it may sound nice at the time - great even! - but it won't take long for their promises to break or deadlines to pile up… Sure, the MC could try to catch up but wouldn't that be too much work? Wouldn't they rather rest instead? Why even worry about it?
It's a seductive line of thought and Belphie sells it well, it'd take only the most motivated MC to resist his charms but like that'd stop him. If he wants the MC for himself, he'll happily put their life on hold to do so. Just go with it... yeah?
#obey me#obey me shall we date#shall-we-date-obey-me#obey me lucifer#obey me mammon#obey me leviathan#obey me satan#obey me asmodeus#obey me beelzebub#obey me belphegor#obey me headcanons#i got really excited to use the word ritzy#don't get enough chances for that kind of thing
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Wholesome Choso Things
Hi! Now that our boy has finally been revealed in the anime I can share my headcanons! Enjoy~
So our baby was pretty much a fetus sealed away in insolation until Geto and Mahito woke him and his brothers up. I have no doubt he is a very quick learner and it's been proven that he's emotionally intelligent and a thinker. But there's still a lot of things (small things especially) that he may or may not understand like clipping his own nails when they get long, how to use transit etc.
He's basically a big baby and I mean it in all senses possible.
He has mastered his specific hairstyle but because it's easy. It's not always parted and even tbh but it makes do. If he sees a new hairstyle, he'd ask his s.o. to help him into it or to show him on herself how she does it.
Choso wears what he wears because it's all Geto and Mahito had on hand plus he's a very tall boy. Same thing like his hair, it'll take time for him to find something he's interested in trying and until he's confident in his choices he'll look like an awkward and insecure noodle in your living room, trying to show you his outfit and ask for opinions.
He is not used to physical touch but he's also not against it. Again, basically a baby. If he trusts his s.o. (which is he will rather quickly) he'll always want to be near you if he's not at least able to touch you in anyway. Physical touch is his love language and I don't take criticism.
He'd probably develop an affinity for movies and books, books because it helps him learn to read/comprehend and works on his visual imagination while movies are fun and he can learn a lot just by visual adapting to it.
Movie nights at least once a week and a bedtime story (whether he reads alone or you read to him) a couple times a week. If you can cuddle him and play with his hair during either, that's just a bonus in his books.
It was also shown that he played board games, he'd probably want some of that to do too so it might start a little collection in your closet or under your coffee table
So I stand corrected, physical touch and quality time are his top two love languages.
He doesn't strike me as a picky eater, at least not obviously. If he eats smth that doesn't sit right with his palate, he'll probably just chew a little slower than usual. He probably hates natto tho because the beans are both sticky and stinky but if anything he probably really likes anything that's easy to eat like a sandwich or onigiris. If you make soup tho, he'll look like a happy child because "you can put so much in there and it's just warm and comforting"
Choso is a giant but he's also the oldest brother so I know for a FACT that he would be the best with kids despite his sullen eyes and the curse marking on the bridge of his nose.
My god, put him in a cute pastel or cream sweater and he'll look so cute that all the kids want to climb all over him and ask him to read to them.
I saw someone had hc'd that he'd be a good painter, his drawing aren't bad but he's probably more proud of his paintings than drawings so those would decorate your living room but he would also teach kids to paint
Aight hold up, what if he worked at a daycare? He might bring home some pieces from the kids but some of his pieces would probably also be at the daycare.
Choso's not really a night owl or an early bird? He can appreciate either or because being up late/early enough means ambient vibes.
His favourite place to be? Your arms, a given, but your balcony. Again, because he likes the ambience he'll sit out there for hours just people-watching and admiring the city view both.
Favourite genre? Pop-Punk/Punk-Rock like Panic! at the Disco, Fall Out Boy, All Time Low, Bring Me The Horizon.
That said, lofi/hip-hop beats to study and chill to is his go-to playlist actually because it’s soft on the ears and he can’t explain the feeling he gets when the two of you are doing domestic things with it playing in the background.
>> Masterlist
#mea.choso#choso#choso kamo#choso jjk#jujutsu kaisen#jjk#choso headcanons#anime headcanons#anime#choso x reader
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Hi!! Could you do "It was a hospital bed, and A slipped in carefully to lie beside B all night" for a Royai fic from that prompt list? Thank you!! ❤️❤️
hello anon!! thanks for the prompt aaaah I had a lot of fun toying with it in between work and the other shenanigans that have been cropping up this week <3 I hope you don't mind the somewhat unusual ending ahaha I dimly recall writing a few other fics indirectly responding to this prompt (here and here!) so I wanted to try something slightly different from my usual fare 👉🏻👈🏻 part of this was also originally from a two-shot I'm working on, tweaked to fit the prompt hehe. I hope you enjoy!!! 🥰
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Riza can think of a million reasons why hospitals are awful.
First, the food. She’s not sure if it’s as nutritious as they make it out to be; there are times when she wonders if it’s even edible. She’s had worse, of course - hospital food isn’t as bad as ration bars - but she’s quickly getting tired of eating plain yoghurt and bland porridge every day, for every single meal.
Second, the stench. Riza hates that every inch of the place smells like a victim of obsessive cleanliness; she has to resist the urge to upchuck every time the door opens and the smell of chemicals and antiseptic filters in like an unwanted guest.
Third, the fact that she’s sharing a room with a man who, at this point, is behaving more like a cat on hot bricks than a disciplined soldier is quickly driving her insane. She’d readily agreed to be his caretaker, of course; Riza doubts there’s anyone else capable of dealing with his antics and ever-growing anxiety. But after hearing him sigh and toss and turn in his bed for the fifty-eighth time that night (she’d counted, because she was bored out of her wits, and there was nothing else she could do other than sleep or stare at the ceiling, per doctor’s orders), Riza decides she’s just about had enough.
She looks at him from her bed. He’s presently engaged with twiddling his thumbs, thinking out loud.
Riza sighs and rises from her bed quietly. She brings the IV stand along with her - an unnecessary inconvenience - and carefully slips into his bed once she’s made sure that the tubes and wires connected to them are tangle-free.
“I never pegged you as an opportunist, Lieutenant,” he murmurs, despite her best efforts to be discreet. “Sleeping with your commanding officer while he’s blind?”
“You could always court martial me later, sir,” Riza deadpans. “Now scoot over.”
Luckily, he obliges without much retort.
“Your wish is my command.”
Riza huffs. She adjusts the thin, scraggly piece of linen that the hospital justifies as a blanket - another downside of this shitty place - and makes sure he’s probably covered, warm.
“Three words,” she mutters.
“Eight letters?”
“Twelve, actually.”
Roy raises a brow. “What could it be?”
“Would you like to wager a guess, sir?”
“Not really.”
“You’re an idiot,” she says. Roy laughs, and it’s a tiny little sound that is so discordant with his current mood, but it’s at least genuine. “Now go to sleep.”
“Alright, alright.”
He stops fidgeting, for a while. Riza closes her eyes and attempts to fall asleep - and she actually does, for a while - at least until she hears the sheets rustling again, the movement and tension coming from beside her. She groans softly.
“You should sleep, sir.”
She feels him stiffen. Roy smiles sheepishly, looking right through her like she’s not there. It still unnerves her how this is probably going to be their new normal: him without his sight. Her as his eyes.
“Sorry.”
Riza frowns. An apology is not the answer she wants. What she wants is for him - or them both, actually - to sleep and rest and properly recuperate so that they can have a speedy recovery, so that they can get out of here as soon as possible.
“Bad dreams?” she asks, because it’s the exact same thing that’s been haunting her. (She’s lucky her throat makes it impossible for her to scream or kick up a fuss; she’d hate for Roy to stumble blindly through the room in what he probably thinks is an act of chivalry and/or heroism.)
He shrugs.
“Then and now,” he offers. His smile fades, and he lapses into an unexpected moment of vulnerability. “Hard to differentiate between day and night nowadays, too.”
And because Riza doesn’t know what to say, she simply brushes her knuckles against his.
Roy returns the gesture, drawing indiscernible patterns on the back of her hand with his bandaged one.
“Well, it’s almost midnight now, sir.”
He lets out a small laugh, but it’s painfully hollow.
Riza shifts slightly. It’s a bit of a tight squeeze - hospital beds are clearly not meant for two persons (or anything inappropriate) - but it doesn’t bother her all that much. She just wishes there’s more she can do, to comfort him. Make him feel a little less gloomy.
“It feels like I’ve been sleeping for years.”
“If it helps reduce the incidents of you falling asleep during office hours, then you should get more sleep now, while you can.”
Roy turns, like he’s searching for her, even though there’s not much closer she can be at this point. He exhales shakily. She feels his hand trembling against hers, and responds with a gentle caress. (She knows he’s still feeling guilty, probably berating himself internally about their predicament, about what transpired beforehand. And to be fair, there’s a part of her that’s still angry about all that's happened underground. They’ll probably have to talk about it, at some point, but probably not now — not when they’re both still drugged up and only half-lucid.)
“Humour me, Lieutenant.”
“What?”
“I can’t sleep,” he confesses. Dimly, Riza notes that his voice has taken on a somewhat petulant edge — like a child complaining about their bedtime, but she doesn’t comment on it. Being nearly bedridden for a week is enough to drive her nuts, too. “I’ve tried counting sheep and all that shit, and it’s just — it’s not working.”
Riza sighs. She’s tired, yes, but she’s also aware that she’s probably not going to get any sleep at this rate. She tries to think of ways to stave off his restlessness. Reading is one — she can probably bore him into sleep with a Xingese recitation (she’s gotten pretty good at that lately), but she’s technically not supposed to be talking much. Alcohol is another, but neither of them are supposed to be drinking (and besides, the only form of alcohol available in hospitals isn’t meant for human consumption). Maybe chess, then. She’s not particularly keen on playing a game of chess, now (because she just wants to sleep), but she thinks it’ll help exhaust some of his boundless energy.
“We could play a game of chess, if you want. Breda was kind enough to drop a vinyl board here in the afternoon.”
“I can’t see —“
“I’ll tell you where I move my pieces.”
He frowns, clearly not liking the idea. “You’re not supposed to be talking much, Lieutenant.”
“I’m fine,” she insists, turning to pour a cup of water for herself before continuing. “I won’t have to speak much — unless you’re being a nuisance or a cheat or a fraud.”
He laughs. “I’ll be none of those things, Lieutenant.”
“Good.”
She sets up the board on his bed and helps him sit up. Riza lets him play white.
“It’s your move, sir.”
“You’ve made yours?”
“No. You’re playing white.”
“Tough. It’ll be more embarrassing if I end up losing.”
Riza smiles. “Well, we don’t know that yet, sir.”
He opens with pawn to e4. She helps him move his pieces and parrots her movements back to him. Pawn to e4, too. Pawn to d4. Same here. A closed game, not quite like his usual aggressive style of playing.
Riza watches as he frowns with intensity. It’s probably more a test of memory than strategy for him at this point. She wonders if there’s a way he can adapt to chess, to the military’s utilitarian (and frankly unsympathetic) demands now that his sight’s impaired.
(Life is so unlike chess, Riza thinks, in spite of Roy’s silly metaphors that postulate otherwise. The rules are never fixed, and the universe is always rife with uncertainty. It’s not like chess, where you can predict your opponents’ moves if you get good enough. Neither of them had expected that he’d be here right now, losing sleep and contemplating life over a chessboard while blind.)
He clucks his tongue, reciting a series of movements from memory. The Blackmar-Diemer. Riza smiles indulgently.
Still as aggressive as ever, sir.
Of course.
The game quickly becomes a round of blitz, and though he manages to open his lines and mount a rather decent attack, it’s clear that he has trouble recalling after the eighteenth move. It's still an impressive feat, though. Better than the average layperson.
“Check,” Riza announces, conversationally. Technically, she’d had the advantage, both on the board (and in real life). It shouldn’t really count, and besides, checkmate isn’t her objective — it’s to get her commanding office to sleep.
“Well-played,” Roy hums. He’s strangely still in his bed as he closes his eyes, rubbing at his temples — presumably to ease off an oncoming migraine. It happens a lot, when he’s in deep thought, when he’s over thinking. Thinking too much for his own good. “I need to work on my recall, I think.”
“I think so too, sir.”
He laughs, but the sound is again empty, foreign. It is so at odds with his usual smirks and unbridled laughter (when he’s laughing at someone else, or a joke made at somebody’s expense), like there’s an ache beneath the surface that she cannot reach.
Roy turns slightly, bumping into his dethroned king as he adjusts himself on the bed.
She blames the sudden, uncharacteristic urge to cry on her drugged-up system.
(Riza doesn’t think she’ll ever get used to how uncommunicative his eyes are. He’s always regarded each and every one of his subordinates with respect and meaning and gratitude, but he’d simply looked over the unit as if taking inventory when they had come by earlier.
But she’ll make do, Riza thinks. She has to. She’s always known him in a way nobody else has, in a deeply intimate way, like a book she’s memorised by heart.)
They fall silent for a few minutes. His lips part a little - she knows he’s about to say something - but it snaps shut again, like he can’t bring himself to say the words.
Riza simply waits for him, like she always has; holding onto his held breath like it's the last thread of hope. She leans into his touch a little closer than necessary.
I’m right here, even if you can’t see me.
Roy smiles.
“I hope I won’t forget your face, Riza.”
#royai#royai fanfic#royai fic#sorry my lunch break is almost over so I gotta go back to work LOL but I will come back and edit this later AHAHAHAH#my new brand is 'excessive usage of chess metaphors' and man. it shows.......#lovely anon <3#have a great week anon!!! mwahmwahmwah!!!!!!#reblogs and comments are always appreciated :")
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Night Out
My quickfic for @doodledrawsthings Coffee Shop AU! In truth I had this in the books for months and just never got around to finish it ;u; Unfortunately only the muse can decide when it’s time to slap me with enough serotonin to work on this, so I rode the high from recent art and wrapped it up! It’s not as clean as I wanted, but you know what, have it anyway.
-Myst
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Finally. Another shift in the books.
With a heavy sigh, Luka stretches his back as the clock chimes up on the wall over the glass doors. Deft fingers untie the back before he slips the fabric apron over his head. A light snap of magnets punctuates the white noise of steaming coffee machines, and Luka stuffs his nametag into his pants pocket.
Luka was embarrassed to think about how much of a struggle it was to steady on for the entirety of the workday. Stress ate at him all the time, over so many things. Harriet was priority number one - did he remember to prep her meals for the day? Was she still ok, back in the apartment? Was Professor Popcorn in need of more repairs? Luka would happily handle such a task, of course, but...
He wasn't guaranteed to have thumbs when the evening finally came. There was his time limit to think about.
"Hey Luka?"
Damn, but being cursed was such a pain. Chopping vegetables was a particular bane of his existence. How could he trust himself with a knife like that? Ugh. He hated to make Harriet do it - no child should be wielding a knife before the age of 13, for any reason. He'd just have to MacGyver a solution or something.
"Luka..."
And on top of that, he had the upcoming bills to fret over. Rent was due in a few days, and he'd made a decent amount in tips, but they could not afford to have their upstairs neighbor burst a pipe again. He and Harriet had spent the entire afternoon toweling up their poor carpets to avoid getting mildew. Or worse, bugs. Luka was a fan of bugs, but not in his carpets, or sneaking into the mattress where they could bite his daughter.
"HEY!"
This time, the voice manages to pierce the haze of worry writhing in Luka's brain. Jolting to attention, the auburn-haired adult turns around, blinking owlishly at his colleague, Clover.
The braided redhead is giving him a wan smile, her brows furrowed in worry as she sets down a large bag of coffee beans under the counter.
"You spaced out again, buddy. Did you hear a word I said?" the barista asks, folding her arms over her stained apron.
"Uhh... you said my name," Luka replied, feeling a bit awkward as he chuckles once. "Sorry, I probably missed anything you might have asked me."
"I was asking if you ever go out."
"Ah- what?"
That was unexpected. Go out?
"You know-" Clover holds up her hands to gesture to the world in general, and beyond the coffee shop doors "-out! Like, with friends or anybody?"
Ah.
Luka laughs once, rubbing a hand on one side of his face.
"You mean since I moved into town? Nah, not really. Me and my daughter have only been here a few months - can't say we made many friends just yet."
Nor was that a risk they could take. Who knows how long they could stay here, before he was inevitably found out? One could argue it was a risk just- doing what he was doing now. Trying to hold a job, staying in an apartment; a semi-permanent living situation. They'd been on the road so long, old habits were quite hard to break. And if he was entirely honest with himself, Luka didn't know yet if he felt safe, even six months past the first day he arrived in the rural town of Subcon.
Clover's frown deepens, her arms dropping back to her sides. Her dropped guard betrays her worry, before she tries to play it off with another lighthearted smile and upbeat words.
"Oh come on, it can't have been that long since you've just done something fun for the sake of it. When was the last time you went out with friends and enjoyed yourself?" she asks.
"Why is this important?" Luka asks, his own guard slowly rising. He didn't quite see where she was going with this, but he wasn't sure he'd like it.
Oops- maybe not the most polite way to phrase that, as he sees an awkward flinch on Clover's face. Quick, recover! Luka chuckles once, also trying to lighten the mood.
"You and MJ never really asked me that kind of stuff before. I thought I was hired to serve coffee, not tea."
"We serve both, ya doofus," Clover smirks, rubbing one of her well-muscled arms with the other in a self-conscious gesture. "You should know that, since you've been working here almost four months now. And uh- well, MJ just kind of noticed you always seem very tired whenever you leave work."
Luka smiles back, but it's forced. Careful. Don't give any hints that it's anything serious. Don't be suspicious.
"Oh, that? I uh- I'm not used to the retail scene. I'll probably adapt to it soon."
Clover doesn't seem convinced. Still, her expression is sympathetic, rather than judgmental or suspicious. She leans her back on the counter, looking over Luka's exhausted demeanor and baggy eyes with a skeptical smile.
"I'm sure you will." She rests her hands on the counter. "In the meantime, you should go out for bowling with me and MJ! We were planning this outing for about a week, and maybe you'd wanna come with?"
Luka stops mid-folding of his apron. He turns toward Clover with surprise.
"Bowling? As in- knocking over pins in an alley, bowling?"
Clover rolls her eyes, amused. "No, as in rolling cereal bowls. Yes, that kind of bowling, Luka. It'll be fun! Eat some cheap pizza, knock over pins, watch the uncanny valley animations on the TV screen, the whole shebang. You up for joining us?"
"I uh- I didn't know there was a bowling alley here?" Luka says, his voice pitching up as he gives a sheepish laugh. "I- I don't know..."
Shit.
He could already feel the first touches of his curse starting to well up. A quick glance to his hands- okay, no purple yet. But it was coming.
Luka tucks his hands behind his back just in case.
"I'm not sure, I have Harriet to worry about..." he fumbles, rushing to think of excuses. It hurts his heart a little when he sees the disappointed expression Clover wears.
"Are you sure?" she asks, her tone gentle. "It'll only be a for a couple of hours - I could ask Cookie next door if she'd be willing to handle your daughter for the night. She's a fantastic sitter, and your daughter would have Mu to play with."
Luka opened his mouth, preparing to turn it down- then closed it again, brows furrowed as he chews over the thought.
Only a few hours... hm. His curse's current time limit was somewhere a little short of eight hours, he was sure. As long as he didn't have to pick up a shift at work, he would have most of his day free to spend out of the motel. An outing to a bowling alley couldn't possibly last eight hours, though he'd... never actually gone bowling before.
"I.... don't know... I've never been bowling, I'll just hold you back-"
"Nonsense," Clover says, waving off his excuse immediately. "MJ and I aren't professionals or anything, Luka - it's just for fun! You've never been?? That means you've gotta try it, at least once. Please?"
...mmh. Luka would be lying if he said he wasn't very tempted. But he had so much to worry about! His daughter, his curse... keeping his job, being able to support the two of them. Not to mention, getting used to his slow camaraderie with Clover and MJ. That sort of outing would throw their friendship into first gear.
"It's ok," Clover interrupts his thoughts, standing back up straight as she grabs a rag and finishes wiping down the counter. "You don't have to come, we just thought... you know, it might be fun. You look like you need some serious time to unwind, dude. All we ever see of you is showing up to work, dealing with customers, then you leave. And hey, if you change your mind, the offer's still open."
Luka curls his fingers, foot tapping the floor in small fidget.
"Well, I'm gonna start closing up the back," Clover says, tossing the rag into a laundry bin next to the employee break room. "I'll see you tomorrow!"
"Wait!"
Clover stops, turning around with the laundry basket.
"What day were you planning to do it?"
What am I thinking?? I can't go on an outing with them!
Unaware of Luka's silent stresses, Clover beams, her smile lighting up once again.
"Saturday! Would that work for you?"
"Mnhg- maybe?" Luka concedes, forcing his own sheepish smile despite his brain screaming No nO this is a bad idea! His mouth continues to run away from him. "Saturday is my errand day - me and Harriet go out for groceries in the morning, and eat out at whatever lunch restaurant she picks. I wouldn't be open until the evening, and Sunday's game day for me and my daughter."
Bad idea, what are you doing?!
"That's perfect!" Clover says, delighted and still not privy to Luka's inner struggle. "If we close the shop at five, we can drive to the bowling alley around 5:30, play a game or two and eat. Should go until about... eight-ish? How's that sound?"
Say no, say NO!
"Sure, sounds fun."
AGH!
"Great!" Clover says, a skip in her step as she lopes off to the back room with the laundry basket. "I'll text MJ to let him know - he's already gone back to his apartment."
"Yeah, I'll uh- I'll text him too," Luka chuckles, scratching behind his head with one hand- and immediately putting a stop to that action, as he feels the points of sharp claws dig at his scalp. Both arms are dropped and tucked behind his back, a big smile on his face. "Gotta give him the full details and everything, haha..."
"No problem- see you!" Clover bids Luka goodbye, waving one hand as she cheerily hauls the laundry bin off into the back.
"Bye!" Luka says, his voice cracking from nerves.
Oh thank god she's gone.
Luka pulls his hands back out into view, and sees the telltale purple staining begin to creep up his flesh. Peck. It was already starting- Clover left just in time. He could already feel the sharp ends of his canines starting to poke into his bottom lip. He didn't have much left of the day in human form- he had to get home right now.
Snatching up his belongings from his locker, stuffing his work apron inside, Luka loops his bag over his shoulder and leaps over the service counter. He missed the rack of sugar packets this time, thankfully, his sneakers squeaking on the tile floor as he bolts out the door. The bell rings as the glass entryway opens and shuts, signaling his departure. Car keys are whipped out of his bag, a slowly deforming finger just managing to push the button to unlock the vehicle as he clambers inside. Just five minutes- he could make five minutes.
The engine of the car roars to life, and Luka zips off out of the employee parking space, trying his best to ignore it as his fingers swell and fuse together, and his eyes reflect golden light in the rear view mirror.
------
MJ's car putters up to outside the bowling alley, fixing his blue-dyed hair with a sigh. Clover, in the passenger seat, drums her hand on the door handle with excitement.
"This is gonna be so much fun," she says, turning to look over her shoulder at the stiff and uncomfortable Luka in the backseat. "I'm so glad you decided to come, Luka- we'll show you the ropes of bowling!"
"Great," the young man says, putting up another shaky smile as his fingers tense around his kneecaps. "Can't wait!"
"That's the spirit," MJ speaks up, giving Luka a quick smile of his own before twisting the key in the ignition. The car's engine dies down, the doors unlocking as MJ shifts the gear into park. "Clover told me you were nervous about hanging out, and that's completely fine by me - if you feel uncomfortable and don't want to stay, just let us know, ok? We'll drive you back to the apartment building, no hesitation."
Luka inhaled deeply, letting out a heavy sigh from the back seat of the car. It felt like his nerves were trying to shake him apart. A glance at his watch-
Was he really going forward with this?
...Yes. He was. As much as Luka worried, Clover had been right. It'd been far too long since he'd taken 'me' time.
Luka puts a hand on the door and pulls the handle, stepping out of the car before he has a chance to psyche himself out.
It's just a couple hours. He still had plenty of time, after his midday outings with Harriet.
Stay calm. You can do this.
The sign above the brick building shines with neon lights, saying 'Pins & Cushions' in bright blue and red. The backdrop is a painting that Luka can swear was painted in the 80s, displaying a bowling ball as it barrels into pins and knocking them askew with a cartoony impact mark.
"Pins & Cushions?" he says aloud, smirking a little bit.
"Kind of silly, right?" MJ speaks up, locking the car behind him with a click. "Sounds more like a sewing parlor than a bowling alley."
"It's because they boasted having cushioned chairs," Clover says, snickering. "You've never been, but most bowling alleys have these awful plastic chairs that hurt to sit on for too long."
"You mean like the chairs in high school?"
Luka's joke earns a quick bark of a laugh from Clover.
"Couched seating areas in a bowling alley was, sadly, a craze that never caught on," MJ says, ascending the concrete steps up to the building. "But this one did, and the place is like forty years old and too stubborn to change, so your butt will thank you later."
When the doors open, Luka is immediately washed with a cocktail of smells he didn't think could- nor should- ever go together. First and foremost is the thick smell of plastic and rubber, followed by the chemical odor of cleaning sprays, and the sizzling smell of burning cheese. Air conditioning blasts them from above as the three young adults enter the bowling alley, the doors sliding shut behind their backs. The sounds hit next - a cacophonous mix of rubber soles squeaking on polished floors, heavy objects falling and rolling, and the clatter of pins falling into the trap at the far end of the establishment.
It was loud, smelled strange, and the carpet looked lifted straight out of an arcade.
Luka was torn between anxiety, and a strange sort of excitement he hadn't felt in a long, long time. This was something new, something unfamiliar- he had hours to enjoy himself, and spend time not worrying about stresses of life. Harriet had a sitter, paid in advance with an alarm for when he would return, and he was out with- friends? Had him accepting this invitation solidified their friendship at this point? ...the thought made a happy butterfly flutter in his stomach.
This would be a great evening, he could feel it.
"Earth to Luka." MJ's amused tone causes Luka to jump. "Something on your mind? You're smiling."
"Oh- uh- nothing," Luka says, scratching behind his head sheepishly. "Just- thanks. For inviting me. I think I really did need this a lot."
"YEAH you do!" Clover thumps him on the back with one hand. "Come on! You have to give your shoes to the clerk so they can give you your bowling shoes."
"Ah, what? I have to take off my shoes on this carpet?" Luka complains, lifting a foot with distaste. "I feel like I'm stepping on twenty-year-old candy."
"It's part of the charm!" Clover sings, already removing one of her sneakers. "It's either this, or slip all over the place on the actual alley floor. You're getting the full bowling experience whether you like it or not, coffee boy."
"Ex-CUSE me!" Luka says with a dramatic gasp, hopping on one foot as he works to remove his own shoes. "I think you will find I'm a coffee man, thank you."
"Coffee twink," Clover counters.
"No, that's MJ."
"HEY! I will call lion's share of the tips for that one," MJ shakes a sneaker at them both in a mock scolding gesture.
"YOU'RE BOTH COFFEE TWINKS," Clover declares to the entire establishment as she fights off her last sneaker, racing for the counter before the others can catch up. "HURRY UP, COFFEE TWINKS, WE NEED TO PICK OUT BOWLING BALLS."
"I have dibs on the galaxy patterned one!" MJ yells after Clover.
Clover gives MJ an evil grin as she takes her bowling shoes and pays the rental fee, tying them before sauntering over to the racks of bowling balls. Her hand hovers over the selection, giving a teasing pause over the bowling ball made with swirled star plastic.
"Don't you dare," MJ hisses from the counter, pointing an accusing finger at Clover as he hands over the money for both his and Luka's rental shoes.
"It's either the tips share, or the bowling ball! You decide!" Clover yells back, drumming her fingers on the coveted starry bowling ball.
"Fiiiiine," MJ says with a dramatic tone, though his smile gives away his mirth. "You know I wasn't going to take the tips anyway, Clo."
"I know~" she says, giggling while she moves on to a different rack of bowling balls. "And you know I wouldn't do that to your poor weak arms, either, Moonie."
Luka finishes tying his rental shoes, thanking MJ before he makes his way down the small stairway to the alleys. It's very bright in this section of the building, with cushioned couches surrounding tables and standing consoles. Metal railings and a chute of some kind were positioned at each alleyway, some with bowling balls sitting idle atop the metal racks.
"So, what now?" Luka asks, the excitement of wading into unknown waters welling in his chest again.
"Pick a bowling ball!" Clover says, gesturing to the racks of heavy plastic spheres. "You'll want a heavy one, but not too heavy for you to lift and throw."
"Go easy on us, Clover." MJ shakes his head as he picks up his favorite starry ball. "Ms. Gun Show and her fourteen-pound bowling ball."
The redhead leans over and scoops up a swirled green bowling ball, hefting it on one arm and pumping it like a weight.
"You might get some guns yourself if you helped me landscape and move sod around my garden, Coffee Twink #1," she says, flexing a bicep.
"I refuse to acknowledge that nickname."
"Sorry, it's our team name now," Clover laughs, "the Coffee Twinks!"
"Hey, I thought our team name was the Comets?!"
"That was before Luka joined the team - now it's a 2-to-1 twink majority, I don't make the rules."
Luka just has his face in his hands, laughing through the whole exchange as he leans on the metal racks.
"You're just as bad as Harriet!" Luka laughs, pushing his hair back out of his eyes with one hand. "I don't even know where she learned that word - Cookie's daughter, probably?"
"Definitely," MJ says with a thousand yard stare, earning more laughter from Luka. "Go pick a bowling ball, I'll get the console up and running for our game."
Wiping tears from his eyes, chuckling under his breath, Luka turns to the racks and peruses the selection. The bowling balls come in all colors - most are black or dark brown, but there's a rather delightful mix of brighter hues like pink, blue and yellow. Some are marbled, some have glitter in the plastic, and a few very beat-up bowling balls have graphics of cartoon characters that were popular in the 90s. Well-loved by the children who patronize this establishment, he was sure. Harriet would love the Scooby-Doo ball - oh no wait. The one themed after a Pokeball, for sure was her poison of choice. And clearly the pick of the litter for many other children, as it was covered in scratches and dents from decades of use.
Ah- there was one themed after a jack-o-lantern! How fitting. He loops his fingers into the grip holes of the bowling ball, and heaves it off of the rack- only to almost crush his toes as the weight yanks his arms to the floor.
That was- heavier than expected!
"Oooooh, nice pick," Clover says, spinning her own bowling ball in her hands. "You sure you can carry it, though? That's a 10-pounder."
"I'll be fine-" Luka says, grunting as he lifts it back up with both hands this time. "Just- caught me off guard, is all."
"Alright, game's all set," MJ announces from the console.
Above their heads, a large tube television flashes blue before displaying a score board.
A loud k-chunk k-chunk k-chunk of machinery draws Luka's eye toward the other end of the alley. Metal rigging and machinery descend from the covered roof of the pin trap. Resembling a large soda crate, the rig drops an array of ten white bowling pins, before unclamping and ascending back into the darkness of whatever creation of god resided in that ceiling.
"You're up first, Clo," MJ says, waving a hand to indicate she should move forward.
"Watch and learn," Clover throws Luka a smile, the competitive taunt dampened by her genuinely helpful tone. "You want to throw the ball so it rolls like this-"
Stepping forward onto the squeaky, smooth polished wooden platform, Clover lifts her bowling ball to her chest. With a quick inhale, she lopes forward two steps, swinging her arm back with the bowling ball, before reeling it forward on the last stride and underhand throwing it into the aisle. The heavy green bowling ball lands with a tHDD before skidding its way down the oiled track, rolling in a long, smooth line. The swirled green sphere smacks into the bowling pins with a loud tHWAKK!!, sending all but one of the pins flying into the darkness beyond. The ball disappears into the hole, and Clover puts her hands on her hips with a huff.
"Damn, almost got a strike." Clover snaps her fingers, shrugging. The green bowling ball clatters back up the chute. She grips her fingers into the trio of holes again, and goes for another throw.
The bowling ball rolls down the course, straight as an arrow for the last pin. The pin spins off the wooden platform into the darkness, earning a whoop from Clover.
"Nice, got a spare!" Clover declares, throwing her arms up in triumph. She sashays her way back to the couches. "Who's up next?"
"I'm up," MJ says, standing from the console. Looping his fingers into his own starry bowling ball, MJ rolls his shoulders and steps up onto the oiled wooden planks. "I'm going to get the first strike of the day, just wait."
"Sure you will," Clover snickers as MJ winds up.
When he releases the ball, it rolls at very high speed- before curving halfway down the track, the topspin he put on the ball causing it veer off course and land in the gutter.
Face flushed, MJ coughs into his hand, suddenly very invested in fixing his shirt as Clover grins. The galaxy ball returns to the trough, and MJ pointedly picks it up again, winding up for his second throw. The bowling ball rocks down the course, and knocks over about six pins, leaving a corner of the triangle still standing.
"Woo!" Clover cheers, clapping as MJ returns to the seating. She reaches over and nudges Luka on the shoulder. "You're up, Luke! Show us whatchu got!"
Heart in his throat, Luka stands from his seat and steps up.
The bowling ball grins up at him, daring him to chicken out. It was heavy in his hand. Still, he walked up onto the polished floor, feeling the rubber on the bottom of his shoes as it grips the oiled surface.
Fighting the weight of the heavy bowling ball, Luka takes a step forward, swinging his arm back before bringing it back around like a pendulum. The ball hits the track with a heavy thDD as it’s released, sent rolling off down the track. Around the halfway point, it spins off course and lands in the gutter with a clunk.
“Aww,” Clover says, leaning over the chair cushion. “And you had such good posture, too.”
“It’s ok,” MJ speaks up, seeing Luka’s visible embarrassment. “It’s your first time bowling! Nothing to be ashamed of. You have another shot before we rotate players.”
Disappointed, Luka rubs at his arm. Well, that was a less than encouraging performance. But he noticed the angle of the spin on the ball. Maybe he could fix that.
The ball clatters up the chute back into the return trough. Luka picks it up with a huff of breath, holding it to his chest as he does mental calculations. If he turned his wrist at just the right point...
Stepping forward, Luka swings back and releases the ball, putting a top spin on the ball at the last possible moment-
The jack-o-lantern face rockets down the alley, the path straight until the very last second. It curves to hit the front pin from the side, knocking every single pin into the abyss beyond.
"OHHHHH!" Clover and MJ exclaim, clapping with enthusiasm as Luka looks stunned.
"You got a strike!" Clover says, applauding with a big grin. "You were totally pulling our legs about being a newbie to this, huh??"
"I think I just got lucky," Luka tries to play it off, feeling an uncommon shyness as he smiles.
Clover shakes her head, not having it.
"Luck nothing! That was pure talent, and you got a strike, dude!"
"Technically that was a spare, but still a strike in my book," MJ says as he rotates the turn order on the console, giving Luka a smile and a thumbs up.
"Oh let him have it, Moon Moon," Clover laughs as MJ throws her a pout. "Our new boy's got game!"
Luka hunches his shoulders, an awkward smile curling across his cheeks as he walks back over to the couches. Clover jumps to attention and makes her way to the track, picking up her green bowling ball for another round as he sits down.
This was... much more fun than he had expected it to be. The background noise of the bowling alley was surprisingly pleasant. He found he could get used to the dull odor of plastic and cleaner- and honestly, that hot cheese smell from what must be the pizzeria was tempting his stomach. But best of all was the camaraderie he could feel sparking between him, Clover, and MJ. Were they officially friends now? Or had they been already, and he was just- in denial? If Luka was entirely honest with himself, probably the latter. MJ and Clover had been nothing but kind and understanding, to him. His sporadic hours and excuses had done nothing to faze them with regards to their treatment of him at work. They still offered him drinks and invited him on this outing, offering even to pay for his expenses, didn't they?
"Hey Luka!" A call from MJ breaks him out of the small reverie. "You're up, again."
"And after this round, we can hit the arcade! I bet I can out-dance you on DDR, Coffee Twinks," Clover smirks.
"No betting. I know you can."
Maybe- maybe he had nothing to worry about.
---
The evening is going fantastic.
The first bowling game had been a pretty close match between Luka and Clover. Clover had the arm strength to pull off some mean and fast throws, but Luka had developed a system. Figuring out how to spin the bowling ball just the right amount had made up for his noodle arms and less weighty bowling ball. It wasn't long before he figured out how to roll a pretty straight record of spares and strikes, with the occasional 7-10 split. After bowling around, they went into the arcade section, with an entire paper roll of quarters to blow on games. A vicious Ms. Pacman multiplayer match had led to MJ smoking all three of them, and as predicted, Clover out-danced both of the boys on the DDR and Stepmania machines. Luka had to collapse over a nearby chair with exhaustion after his matches. He'd finished off the arcade run with a very lucky pull from a claw machine, winning a black cat plush with big yellow eyes that he was definitely going to enjoy giving to Harriet.
The three of them sat around their table at the bowling console again, laughing over a hot cheese and pepperoni pizza.
"No way, you didn't!" Luka gasps, wheezing for air.
"I did! I punched his goddamn lights out!" Clover laughs, slapping one knee. "The guy was being a huge creep, so I introduced him to my fist."
"I hope you didn't get in trouble with the cops or something for that." Luka tilts his head, giving her an impressed and worried look.
"Can't get in trouble if nobody reports it," MJ chimes in, smirking past his soda cup. "He complained to me, but I had the security tapes AND plausible deniability because I wasn't on the floor. Corporate took our side on this."
"Nobody from the city wants to drive all the way out to podunk Subcon for a random dudebro's complaint." Clover sits back on her cushioned seat, chomping into her pizza happily. "Mmmmm- delicious melty cheese."
Luka chomps into his own pizza, exhaling and blowing on it as it nearly burns his mouth.
"Easy, tiger!" MJ smirks around his own mouthful of pizza.
"I know, it's just so good," Luka says, laughing into his hand as he sips some of his cola. "But in like- the way you know it's not that great? Does that make sense?"
"Night in the Woods taught me the Pizza Scale, and I stick by that," Clover says, crunching through her crust to grab up another slice, washing down the bread with some soda. When she reaches for another piece of the pie, she pauses, and lets out a huff. "Oh, that sucks. I guess they didn't clean the bowling balls that well this time. Gross."
"Hm?" Luka says through a mouthful of pizza.
"Your fingers are all oil-stained from the finger holes on the bowling ball, Luka. Big Al needs to wash the bowling balls properly."
Confused, the law student shifts his attention down.
The ends of his fingertips are discolored with ebony purple.
Luka can feel as his brain zeroes in on the first sign of his impending transformation, and begins to shift into emergency mode as it relays the steps he must take in order to avoid further exposure. He'd gone over this information with himself many times over the past five years. It was ingrained in his mind, what he had to do, the information practically screaming at him. But he can't hear it. His ears are filled with buzzing as reality breaks into the facade he'd slowly built up over the course of hours.
No-
No no no-
His pizza slice drops to the paper plate as he fumbles with his bag, pulling out the cell phone from the liner pocket. Shaking fingers tap the screen with frantic speed, trying to turn the damn thing on-
9:17?
They'd been here nearly four hours?!
He'd spent the morning out with Harriet, doing their grocery shopping and walking around the town's outdoor mall as much needed father-daughter time. Eight hours of being in disguise had long since passed.
His time limit was up.
This couldn't be happening. Yet the numbers stare back at him from the glare of his cell phone screen. They even have the nerve to tick over to 9:18 right before his eyes.
This wasn't happening. This wasn't happening! It wasn't fair!
"Luka, you ok? You're turning pale..."
Clover's question just barely manages to pierce the haze, causing Luka to jolt in his seat. Posture stiff and breath shallow, he lifts his head to meet Clover's questioning eyes. She's staring at him with building concern, her smile becoming a frown of worry.
The tension is palpable in the air as Luka struggles to find words. Finally, he manages to say something.
"It's- it's a quarter past nine-"
"Oh shoot-" Clover says, sitting up abruptly as she grabs her own phone.
MJ checks his watch, wincing. "Oof. Sorry, Luka. I guess we lost track of time passing. I'll apologize to Cookie for the overtime, we can finish this round and go-"
"Don't feel good- going to the bathroom-" Luka wheezes, scrambling to his feet as he scoops all of his belongings into his bag and races past MJ's seat.
"Luka!" Clover yells after him, her heightened concern audible in her voice. "Ok, we'll- we'll start cleaning up! Let us know if you need-!"
Her words are cut off by the slam of the bathroom door. Luka's bowling shoes slip over the slick tile floor, his hands gripping onto the cold porcelain of the bathroom sink to steady himself. He brings his shaking hands up to view in the mirror. The blackening purple skin was spreading up his finger joints, reaching his palms.
No- not now! Why now?
Luka clenches his fists and his jaw, focusing every ounce of his will on making the purple go away. He can almost feel a vein pop on his forehead- if he still had veins, anymore- as he strains to make his unwilling body follow his desires. The purple starts to recede at a caterpillar crawl... but it slows. And the harder he tries, the more he can feel his arms struggle to hold their shape - becoming less solid.
"No- no!" he whimpers, clenching his hands into the sink again. The action splatters small droplets of purple sludge against the porcelain, which vanish moments later as the purple staining once more consumes his fingers - and now his palms. "Stop it! Just- let me be human! Please!"
He lifts his head to the mirror. Despair fills his gut as he sees amber eyes staring back at him in the reflection, and the beginnings of an inner glow fighting to come out from the back of his throat.
Luka lets out a wordless sound of sorrow, lifting an arm to pound one fist against the mirror in vain. The reflection is unfazed in its destitution, tears beginning to gather at the edges of its eyes and mouth set into a sob of clenched teeth. The reflection's canine's lengthen several inches as the eyes stare back, accusingly. The purple was starting to spread up its neck, just poking out the collar of the shirt.
"No..."
This wasn't him. But it had been, years ago. This was SUPPOSED to be him.
He curls his fist, watching as the fingers start losing their shape. Fusing together, becoming single digits and his thumbs vanish back into the purple sludge of the limb.
"I was finally-..." Luka whimpers, "...I finally felt human again."
-bang bang bang-
The sound of a fist knocking on the bathroom door causes Luka to yelp and jump back from the mirror.
"Luka? You ok in there?"
It was MJ.
Peck!
Grabbing his bag, Luka books it into the furthest stall of the bathroom. He slams the metal door behind him, fumbling to lock it with his swelling mitten fingers. Alarm shot through his gut as his shirt felt tight around his torso. Already?? This was faster than usual! Had he really pushed it that much?
"Hey man, are you sick? Clover and I are really concerned. Do you need any help in there?"
"NO! NO I'M GOOD!" Luka yells from the bathroom stall, clapping a two-fingered hand over his mouth as he hears the slight reverb echo to his own voice. Dammit! "I'M JUST- I'LL BE FINE!"
He was not fine, he would most certainly not be fine!
"Luka, you sound croaky." It was Clover this time, probably a short distance behind MJ. "Dude, are you sure? MJ, maybe you should go in and check on him-"
"NO!"
No, the reverb was stronger!
"Luka, I'm coming in."
"MJ it's fine!"
Luka could hear the seams of his shirt starting to stretch and strain. The seconds were ticking by as strings started to pop at the neck.
Shit, shit!
Luka turned left and right, the stall cramped and uncomfortable as the ruff of fur around his neck thickens and threatens to burst his shirt open. He needed a way out!
Aha! A small window, to the outside! Wow, that was probably the worst location for a window. And it was so small-
The door creaked as MJ started to turn the handle.
NO TIME!
Luka makes a dive for the window. His fingers catch on the sill, and he hauls his body up onto the tiny ledge, his head pushing up the glass and emerging out into the open air. Squeezing through the narrow space, he struggles to pull his feet through, kicking off the bowling shoes and hearing them clatter to the tiles below.
The door comes unlatched, and MJ enters the bathroom, looking around with a frown.
Luka was gone. And for some reason, his bowling shoes were abandoned on the questionably cleaned bathroom floor.
Just outside the window, tucked next to the wall of the alleyway outside the bowling alley, Luka is panting with adrenaline. He can feel his chest expand further with each breath, the fur mane around his neck already splitting apart his shirt. His fingers had fully lost their human shape by now, coalescing back into the familiar mitts he hated so much. A reminder that, no, he wasn't human. No matter what those people in the bowling alley thought of him, and what he thought of them in return... no matter how much he wanted to be human, again.
"Luka?"
His entire torso now fully drenched in purple, Luka hangs his head, listening as he fights to strip off the shirt suffocating him.
Footsteps, in the bathroom.
"...Luka? What the-... Clover, he's not here?"
"What?? But he- went into the bathroom! He was just-!"
"His shoes are here..."
"His shoes??"
Luka forces himself to stand, wobbling a bit further away from the window as he focuses all of his efforts on keeping his legs. He can't lose his ability to walk, not in the middle of town!
God dammit... god dammit! Why couldn't he just enjoy his night? Now he was wandering alleyways, half transformed, and MJ and Clover were no doubt worried to hell and back. What could he even say? 'Sorry, had to take a break to wolf out in the bathroom'?
-brrring brrring-
The buzz of the phone in his pants pocket- which was getting tight against his waist, he noticed. Luka quickly extracts the phone before it can be damaged by the fabric.
MJ's caller ID stares back at him from the screen.
The decision to trust these two with his information was biting him in his rapidly purpling behind. He'd been so careful not to slip up, and the ONE TIME he makes a mistake... He had another decision to make. He could not respond, and just be a complete asshole, but he could protect his secret a little safer, for just a little bit longer. Or he could pick up, and... he didn't know. Bullshit something? Would they even believe whatever malarkey he could cook up in seven seconds for bailing out of a bowling alley restroom? God, he was terrible at improvised excuses! He was a lawyer, not an actor! But if he answered the phone call, maybe- maybe he could hold on to that feeling again. The warmth of companionship of peers his age, that he hadn't felt since law school. Since... Vanessa. But he couldn't think about her right now. What mattered was his safety- his daughter's safety.
Peck. He didn't even think about that part. Could he really rip Harriet out of a somewhat stable home life, again? She was just starting to get along with Cookie's daughter, and he didn't want to take that precious first friendship from her.
Luka was only pulled out of the downward spiral by the vibration of the phone, which he only now realized had registered a missed call, and was now on the second call. It was still MJ, the picture of him in his Horizon employee cap still smiling from the bright phone screen.
He had to do something. He could feel his legs protest the form they was struggling to hold.
Survival instinct set in. First, he had to get away from the scene.
Stumbling to his malforming feet, Luka jogs away from the alley, ducking away from the Pins & Cushions and avoiding the bright neon sign on the side of the building.
As he walks, a headache hits, and Luka just knows his face was losing more of his familiar features. Didn't need a mirror to know that he was definitely the shade of a bruised plum, and that his eyes were glowing like gold beacons. The sharp teeth at the edges of his mouth were digging into his bottom lip as he dodges and weaves to avoid line of sight from storefront apartment windows.
The woods were so close by, just a few more blocks.
Faster. He had to run faster. But his legs- were fighting him! Already he could feel his steps become lighter, movement more fluid. It was a struggle to keep a walking stride, rather than just- leap into the air. No way was he going to fly a block from pecking main street.
His phone continues to vibrate, threatening the call to drop.
Right when he reaches the sidewalk, Luka pants for breath, collapsing beside the pole for a street lamp while avoiding the amber spotlight. Taking one last rueful look at his phone, he sighs, and presses the answer button with a doughy purple finger.
"Luka?" MJ's voice patches through. The reception isn't great, but it's sufficient. Maybe that was a lucky break, considering what his voice was going to sound like in a second.
"Hey," Luka answers. Yep. He sounded like a toad that swallowed a brass tube. "Sorry- about that."
"Dude, are you ok?? Where did you go?" MJ spoke so quickly it almost interrupted Luka, concern clear and evident in his voice. "You ran or something and- you left your shoes at the counter, and the cat plush for your daughter. Clover got them for you-"
"It's ok," Luka says, wincing. "I can pick them up tomorrow. I- don't feel well, and I have to go get Harriet."
"Luka, we could have driven you home for that," MJ responds, a hint of hurt and confusion. "You know you can tell us if you're uncomfortable, and want to leave, right?"
"No- this- I was having fun," Luka responds, cupping a hand over his mouth to try to muffle the echo. He had to wrap this up. His voice was getting less natural by the second. He really hoped the poor reception would mask it. "Look- I'm sorry MJ. But I really had to go."
"You're not getting kidnapped or something are you?" Clover's distant voice suddenly patches through in the phone. MJ must have his phone on speaker. "Because if you are, I'll hunt them down! Just yell where the car is taking you!"
"I'm not- look, I'm sorry, but I just had to go, ok?" Luka says. "Harriet needs me."
"I thought you were feeling sick?" Clover says, her worried tone now tinted with... suspicion. "You ran to the bathroom, and we were all worried about you, dude." Her voice becomes just a bit distant, as she turns to speak to MJ, but the phone picks it up. “Actually, did we ever hear anything from Cookie...?”
"No- I am-" Luka can feel his lies crumbling, nearly becoming true as he experiences a sensation similar to his stomach heaving from the anxiety. "Thanks for the wonderful evening, I'll pick up my stuff later- bye!"
"Wait-!!"
-click-
MJ's protest is cut off, and Luka set the phone down on the grass, putting his head in the other hand. That was terrible. But he couldn't back out on it now. He would just have to deal with the consequences of that phone call tomorrow.
Not like having shoes or not bothered him, anyway.
Exhausted and resigned, Luka slides away from the lamp post into the chaparral, and begins rapidly pulling his shirt over his head. No way was he going to lose another shirt, not after the last one. This was his last nice shirt, and he intended to keep it as long as possible!
A quiet gasp jolts him out of his frantic folding.
Luka whips around, shirtless, half de-pantsed, and his body a full shade of deep shadow purple. His golden eyes glow in the reflected street light as he freezes on the spot, making eye contact with another human being across the road.
It was the stocky mustachioed man from the coffee shop- the regular who came by and sketched quietly in a corner. Pinstriped suit- which seemed to be the only outfit anyone ever saw him wore- an apron, and grey khaki pants. The thick glasses would make it difficult to tell where he was looking, if the man wasn't standing with his square jaw hanging down at his chest, head angled directly toward Luka. Everyone dismissed him as a paranoiac, a hermit who stopped by for his morning caffeine fix and quiet atmosphere to indulge in his imagination. Rumors flew that he used to work for some sort of tabloid magazine, and was fired- or promoted?- for how crazy his stories were.
Whatever the reason, this man was now standing, groceries dropped to the pavement, and staring at Luka. A very half-naked, absolutely not human-looking Luka.
Face suddenly burning hot with embarrassment and fear, Luka grabs his belt loops and bolts into the trees.
The movement causes the man to only gape more, making a wordless noise of astonishment before the forest breaks their line of sight and Luka retreats into the safety of the woods. Luka just barely remembers to grab his shirt and belt from the bushes. Vanishing entirely from sight, stumbling over debris as his transformation takes full hold of his body, Luka wheezes as his heart beats in his chest.
After all that, he was seen! Peck! Did he just ruin everything because he wasn’t paying attention?
But- but it was just the local hermit, the resident conspiracy nut. That wouldn’t be so bad, right? This wasn’t as catastrophic as being spotted by a teen with a cell phone open. Surely, this was the safest possible person in town to accidentally spot him mid-transformation. Repercussions would be minimal.
Thank god the man didn't have a camera.
#Coffee Shop Au#AHIT#A Hat In Time#doodledrawsthings#Snatcher#Hat Kid#Moonjumper#Clover#noticed a couple mistakes and it's too late to fix em wHOOPS#OH WELL
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Breathing Room
Warnings: fluff, no plot just brainrot, lowkey horn knee, feral and angry Taku coming from nine o’clock because I squeezed too much of her favorite tropes into this
Summary: Humans are strange. Their hobbies and customs are bewildering, but nothing Jade couldn’t handle as he was quick to adapt. Sometimes, he might even partake in said activities. Case in point with hiking. And you, knowing Jade for a decent amount of time as his significant other, came to terms with the fact that he would decline a request to participate in something that didn’t pique his interest. So when you proposed that he play the pocky game with you, you were certain that he would decline. But he didn’t.
A/N: Happy birthday to the Jade simp, @takuyakistall~! I’m so sorry that this was posted late but you’re already wary of that and thank you for supporting me through such a tough time. Ahhh life just doesn’t want me to simp for my hair wife! I tell you this a lot but I’ll say it again: I’m quite attached to you since you were my first tumblr friend. I didn’t have any in real life or online friends who like twst before meeting you so you mean a lot to me as my first. You always make me laugh whether it be bullying you or rotting over our mains together. Even when we get serious, I still love talking to you. You’re that amazing. I hope you have an amazing day, one just as amazing as you are. Eat lots of cake and pocky. I love you ♡
“Jade,” you said, tugging at his sleeves.
He sighed through his strained smile as he set down a glass he was polishing. He tucked his hair behind his ear and dusted off his slacks as if he was brushing away invisible crumbs off the garment. It was an ungodly hour. He was working overtime for Mostro Lounge. Today was unusually busy. As vice prefect, Jade took it upon himself to bite off more than he could chew. And he could chew a lot actually. He was a moray eel with two sets of jaws and an immense appetite. In his human form, he only had one set of jaws yet the appetite remained.
The lounge was deserted. Students shuffled to the mirror chambers and headed to their respective dorms to retire for the night. Jade, on the other hand, was sitting on a barstool with an array of glasses and creased brows. You sat by his side, doing your assignments and engaging him in idle chatter here and there. He had promised to help you with your alchemy homework, but alas his duties called for him. In a way. You didn’t mind per se since he helped you understand the material within minutes during his short-lived breaks.
They were about three minutes long and Jade only took two breaks ever since his shift started. You weren’t an expert at reading people like he was, but even you could tell he could use some rest or a pick-me-up at least. Perhaps the latter. Jade was stubborn. He wasn’t going to head to his bedroom until he was done.
“Yes, (y/n)?”
You reached into your book bag and pulled out a small box of biscuits– pocky to be exact. You held it in front of his gaze. He cocked his head.
“Let’s play the pocky game.”
“Maybe later. We can play after I finish. Or tomorrow. It’s late so you should return to your living quarters and get some rest,” Jade said as he turned his attention to his task.
“Please? Think of it as a break. Your last one was about three hours ago.”
“Well, if you put it like that then I shall indulge you, my dear.”
Heat rose to your cheeks as he spun the barstool to make direct eye contact with you. You avoided his gaze as you opened the box, selecting a random stick of pocky and holding it in front of him. He took it and examined it with a perplexed expression.
“What is this?”
“Pocky.”
“Which is?”
“It’s like a cookie biscuit thing with a chocolate covering,” you said, getting yourself your own stick.
“I see. So this ‘pocky’ edible.”
“Yes,” you nodded, biting the pocky.
He mirrored your actions. You watched him chew it thoroughly. His eyes wandered around the ceiling of the lounge. You held your breath as he closed his eyes and exhaled.
“It’s delectable.”
Your shoulders relaxed and he chuckled under his breath. It would have been disappointing if Jade didn’t like pocky. That would mean you couldn’t persuade him to play the pocky game. You looked into his eyes lovingly while he nibbled on the remainder of the stick.
“And what is ‘the pocky game’?” Jade mused.
You took out another biscuit. His brows arched as you waited for him to swallow the last bit of his current pocky stick.
“The objective of the game is to be the last to hold onto the stick as we each take a bite and move closer to the center. Whoever is the last to pull away wins. You take one end and I’ll take the other. I’ll let you have the chocolate end because it’s your first time playing.”
“My, my how kind of you. I almost thought you were the headmaster. All you needed was to comment on your kindness.”
“Ha ha,” you deadpanned.
He brought his hand to chin. He feigned curiosity.
“Though… if you wanted to kiss me you could have just said, (y/n),” Jade gave you a toothy grin, ones he shot at the poor unfortunate freshmen souls that tried to escape the conditions of Octavinelle’s yearly exam contracts before chasing them down the hallways with his brother.
“I-I.. It would be more fun?”
“I jest, my pearl. There’s no shame in wanting to engage in intimacy. I shall indulge you. Though, I have a feeling that I will win every round– seeing as you get flustered even when I embrace you without warning fufu~”
There was not a shred of innocence in his voice. Jade knew where this was going. He was going to do everything in his power to win. He was good at that sort of thing, small ministrations that drove you wild.
When he found out that you were sensitive to neck kisses, chaste or not, he greeted you every morning outside of your first period threshold with a peck on the side of your neck. The first time he did that, you were reduced to a puddle of empty thoughts, a spasm of spiraling emotions and heated cheeks. The following incidents featured your hand instinctively shooting to the spot he kissed, cheeks still hot and bothered. When you had adapted to his rhythm, he kissed your neck in the halls, during lunch, and when he walked you back to your dorm. They were spontaneous and sporadic. They ceased when winter began and you wore a scarf around your neck all day, every day. Of course, that was months ago. The routine faded as your relationship developed. Jade had his share of teasing and came to understand that setting your nerves on fire on a daily basis despite your protests wasn’t exactly healthy. He also came to understand how people might get the wrong idea from neck kisses. He teased you for hours on end for being so lewd, but digressed when you were on the verge of tears due to embarrassment. That didn’t stop his other methods of teasing, but at least you were free from public surprise neck kisses.
Jade loved to tease. He was good at it too. He knew you and your ticks like the back of his hand. You were certainly going to lose this game, but it was better not to let your true feelings show and give him the upper hand.
You inserted the biscuit between Jade’s lips and took a deep breath before taking your end. It was more so a hybrid of a deep breath and a yawn. It was late after all.
Jade’s eyes widened and the stick broke in half. Your eyes widened as well.
“You’re supposed to hold onto the stick for a long as you can, silly.”
He closed his eyes: “Yes, my bad. Shall we try again?”
“One to zero,” you said as you slipped a biscuit into his lips.
“Did that count?”
“Of course it does.”
He pouted as you inhaled and exhaled deeply before taking your end of the pocky. It snapped immediately.
“Jade,” you whined, drawing out the last syllable of his name.
“Apologies, my dear. It seems to be instinctive for me to bite the stick.”
“You can bite. It’s just that the pocky keeps breaking in half whenever you bite it. Maybe try to be more gentle?”
“Two to zero.”
“You’re so cruel, (y/n).”
You giggled as you handed him the stick. He pursed his lips and held the stick out for you to take a bite from your end. You closed our eyes and opened your mouth to take a deep breath once more and the stick snapped before you knew it.
You looked up at Jade to see the pocky awkwardly sticking out of his hand which was covering his face. Mostro Lounge’s dim lights made it difficult to make out many details, but you were positive that Jade Leech was profusely blushing.
“Jade?”
“C-Could you not do that*?”
“Do what?”
What could have possibly reduced him to such an adorable state? He’s usually so composed. He was never this flustered. Out of all the times you tried to get him to break, he was resilient. And here you were, not having any idea as to what you did to make him blush.
“O-Open your mouth.”
“Pardon?”
A yawn escaped from your lips. Jade spun the bar stool around and stared at the glasses with sudden interest.
“Could you not do that?”
“Yawn?”
He nodded.
“Why?”
He mumbled something under his breath.
“Jade?”
“(y/n), you should have just asked for a kiss.”
The eel stood up curtly from his seat. He towered over you and his eyes glowed in the dark lighting. He pulled out a pocky stick from the box in your petite hands and slipped it in between your lips. There was a small pause before he came crashing down. If he hadn’t been holding your shoulders so firmly, you might’ve fell over from the force that he exerted. He came barreling towards your lips. You weren’t sure if he had even bit the pocky. You felt it snap, but when you parted your mouth to allow his tongue to entangle with yours, you could not find a single trace of the biscuit. The flavor lingered in his mouth, but the pocky itself was nonexistent. Did he swallow it whole?
He did not leave your mind to wander too far from him. He kissed you hungrily and nipped at your lips. His sharp teeth grazed your flesh and you mewled into the kiss. You could hear him growl faintly as he held onto your waist. You wrapped your arms around his neck to deepen the kiss. He tiled your head for a better angle. You pushed him away. You needed to catch your breath. A string of saliva fell from your lips.
“Jade,” you gasped as he nuzzled his head in the crook of your neck.
“It would be in your best interest if you don’t do that again, especially during mating season. I don’t think I’ll be able to control myself next time. I might break you in half, dearest.”
Your cheeks flushed as you nodded absentmindedly. Mating season?
He bit your neck.You yelped and wriggled out of his embrace.
“Jade!” you hissed, clutching your neck.
“Consider that a small price to pay,” he chuckled.
You huffed.
“I win this time,” he said.
“Yeah, yeah…”
He packed the glasses onto a shelf.
“You’re free to go now. I’ve finished here so you don’t have to keep me company anymore. Would you like me to escort you?”
“No, it’s fine,” you said, trying to stifle a yawn.
“Goodnight, (y/n).”
“Goodnight, Jade. See you tomorrow.”
Though you had agreed not to yawn, it escaped your lips. Luckily, your back was facing Jade as you exited the lounge so he didn’t see you yawn, but rather heard you yawn. You heard a distant bang on the counter as well as a faint “dammit” from a voice you knew all too well.
It took every fiber in your body to restrain yourself from turning around. You knew all too well that if you turned around, he would’ve rushed towards you and snapped you in half just like a pocky stick. It was best to give him a little breathing room even if you were hot and bothered yourself.
*Note: To initiate the mating process, moray eels open their mouths very wide at each other to signal the start of it. This trait carries over to when (y/n) yawns as Jade took it as a sign for his eel-y instincts.
#twisted wonderland#twst#twisted wonderland imagines#twst imagines#twisted wonderland oneshot#twst oneshot#twisted wonderland x reader#twst x reader#jade leech#jade leech x reader
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Umm hi 👉👈 I realized that most of the asks you guys get are about games and rec lists. You guys deserve so much recognition for the work you put in this blog, so I wanted to ask if I can do a little get-to-know-the-mods thing? If that's okay!
1. Besides writing, what are your hobbies?
2. Do you have a niche interest right now?
3. Any fave songs/artists/bands?
4. Any fave movies/tv shows?
5. On a scale of 1-10, how likely would you survive in your wip's world?
You can totally ignore this if you guys want, no pressure. Anyway, much love to all the interact-if mods! You guys are incredible! ❤
We saw this ask and we went 👀 👀 👀 so we’re happy to answer! Thank you so much for the fun ask!
We also rated our survivability in all of our collective games, since Mars isn't an author! Fun stuff! Spoilers, though: it’s really not looking so great for me (Dani) but that’s fine!!! 😌
1. I’m a photographer as well as a graphic artist (but not like. A painter/drawer kind of artist!) and, on a general level, a maker and a tinkerer!
2. Fountain pens! I only write with ink, and only with fountain pens, and I use bottled inks/converters!
3. I’m pretty eclectic with music, but my top genres are alt rock, indie, indie pop, etc, as well as top 40s and some rap.
4. I feel like this is the hardest one for me to answer? Favorite movies/shows? Avatar: the Last Airbender has been a favorite show of mine since I was a little kid, but I have a harder time thinking of shows I would call a favorite in recent years. There are shows I’ve liked, and a lot of shows I’ve watched. But I’m picky! And demanding! It takes a lot to earn a place in Dani’s Trophy Case of Favorites. 😌 I would say I quite liked A Quite Place (movie), and I liked Us (movie). When it comes to TV shows, I have a hard time being pleased with them if they don’t end well. As a result, I have a penchant for a good limited series/miniseries (because they’re stories that have an end in mind and the plot reflects that, dagnabbit).
5. Heh. Okay.
In The Goodfellows? I think I stand I chance. I can exercise my sparkling wit and lovable personality to the best effect. I’m gonna give myself an 8/10 survivability rating. Even if I don’t have the right skills, I can go crying to the person who does and they’ll save me. Maybe.
In Creatures’ Cradle? I’m super $**!%d. 😌 1/10 survivability rating. And that 1 is me being nice to myself. The day the apocalypse breaks out I would probably be patient 0. I am self-aware. I would not do well in an apocalypse. Zombies care not for aforementioned sparkling wit and lovable personality, and I have all the muscle of a boiled spaghetti noodle. So it’s a no go.
Greater Than Gods (Cruz): Well. I’m going to be optimistic. And say that I have the wisdom not to do things I shouldn’t do and not to rock boats I shouldn’t rock. I’m going to give myself a 7/10 based on insider information, but also based on reckless optimism!
Vardir (Cruz): Cruz says this is a lighthearted game, so 10/10 LOL.
When it Hungers (Roast): I’m giving myself a nice, mediocre 5/10. I think I could put my mind to work here; I joke that I’m the village idiot, but I’m actually pretty smart! Unfortunately, I’m also curious, and maybe a little bad with authorities who won’t answer my questions. So I knocked off a lot of points due to the fact that I’d probably poke the metaphorical bear. So it’s a real coin flip as to whether I’d really make it or not.
Orthall Bay (Nines): Considering the genre is “horror” and the game intro includes the words “monster” and “maim,” I’m giving myself a whooping, enthusiastic 3/10. Yes, folks, I am that confident in myself! Once again, I can’t charm the socks off a monster (or can I?), so one of my greatest weapons is snatched from beneath my feet. Alas!
1. Beloved I’m a college student in the middle of a pandemic... i can hardly even write LOL i do draw at times which u can see in my personal blog (nothing too good really) and i used to do karate before things went to shit <3
2. Nothing niche I believe? All I do is leave Netflix as bg noise every day n play popular videgames (genshin)
3. Porter Robinson <3 I love Bea Miller a lot as well but lately I’ve been feeling Porter a lot
4. The Good Place <3
5. My WIPs:
Greater than Gods: Highly situational, the world GtG is set in is as broad as the real world LOL so I don’t have an universal answer. But keeping it vague, and knowing my own personality, I feel like 5/10. depends on my luck.
Vardir: 10/10 no one dies in Vikgade, unless you’re a hunter but I wouldn’t be a hunter <3
Others’ WIPs
I'm gonna give myself a solid 5/10 in all other WIPs because y'all aren't writing lighthearted stories either. I feel like as long as I avoid the role of the MC I will be mostly fine. I hope. But as Dani said I'm also prone to fight the wrong person and dig my own grave so 😌
1. Well, writing is a very, very, very, distant hobby since Words Hard, but I like to crochet and sculpt a little! Anything to do with fiddling with my hands and I’m good to go. And like, debatable but graphic design is my passion [insert clown emoji here since Tumblr said No]
2. Oh yeah a bunch! DnD yelling at people, thinking of arson, crocheting, rock climbing and simply vibing. I got into podcasts a few years ago and I’m always looking for more recs, so if you have some, hmu 😤
3. Pls,,,,my music taste is,,,so weird do not let me expose myself with lack of consistency but uhh. Current songs that are stuck in my head include; Cult of Dionysus , Achilles Come Down and The Last Shanty
4. If you’ve ever spoken to me before, I probably yelled about Pacific Rim to you or at you. Plus I love all The Mummy films and really enjoyed Castlevania (s3 excluded, we do not perceive that) as well!
5. Ah, mod survival simulator pt. 3
Alright, let’s go! I don’t have a WIP because again, words hard, but like, considering how feral I am when not tryna seem professional hm...
The Goodfellows: I wanna say a solid 7/10 because I’d hardcore vibe with the Traveler and probably instigate so much nonsense. I can also bribe with blueberry cake so maybe.
Creature’s Cradle: maybe a 4/10 and only because of pure spite keeping me alive long enough to smack someone. I’ve prepared for hypothetical zombie apolcapyses and I won’t hesitate to bap, but will be bapped back because I’m weak as hell.
Greater Than Gods: a toss up between 2/10 and 7/10! I can vibe and be chill but I also have terrible impulse control so...
Vardir: hm....I think pretty good survival rates all around? If you ask me to fight then like, okay sure, your knees are mine. So maybe a 8/10?
When it Hungers: .......8/10 just because I’d refuse to die if I can be a cool creature. Living for the aesthetic can and will drag me outta hell. But I’m also clumsy as hell so I’d probably crash as a porcelain or hold a rooster and perish (aka, real rating is a good 3/10)
Orthall Bay: 2/10, nope. Nope I’d be taken out in a heartbeat. Monsters can go pspsps and I’d head straight into the dark creepy forest like a fool if someone comes @ me. Half the time I’ll just assume it’s sfx makeup and vibe until it’s too late.
god, never put me in a universe where I cannot squawk like a bird and throw pebbles from a window. Oof
Anon, you're so sweet! I give you a forehead smoomch <333 As for your questions...
1. If I'm not writing, I'm usually watching video essays on Youtube. My go-to channels as of right now is Disrupt and Aperture! I just really like their videos. Aside from that, I recently got into podcasts. Currently going through Hello From The Hallowoods and Shelter and Warning, which are made by queer creators!
2. Oh oof, there's quite a bit so I'm just gonna put down one thing. For some reason, I really got into collecting tiny astronaut things? I recently bought this astronaut desk light, and I've got a package coming in for the miniatures I ordered. No purpose for them other than I think they're neat <3
3. I'm a bit private with my music taste (even tho I have Spotify connected on Discord lmao), but there's 5 songs that I'm currently obsessed with. I keep replaying them over and over again. Just squeezing all the serotonin I could get outta them.
4. I can't really say I have a fave TV show or movie because I can't really just pick one, but my current fave is 9-1-1 and Resident Alien. 9-1-1 because I just really love the found-family dynamics and how the show tackles sensitive topics, and Resident Alien because it's lighthearted comedy. My all-time fave movie is Flipped! I have the book too and I like rereading from time to time <3
5. You're in for a doozy, anon, because we're rating each other's games <333
The Goodfellows: 7/10
Listen. Shenanigans with the Traveler. I would get up to so many of them and that is what'll get me possibly bodied, not the actual environment itself <3
Greater than Gods: 7/10
I like to think I have enough common sense to uhhh not recklessly flip stones that should not be flipped <3 I'm a cautious and skeptic person irl so I think I'll hold up well? Then again, it's a vast environment change and while I can adapt pretty quick, I wouldn't like the lack of control in the unknown.
Vardir: 10/10
Going off what Cruz said, Vardir is lighthearted and focused on personal growth so I think I'll be okay! Self-growth here I come, babey!
Creatures' Cradle: 8/10
Maybe I'm overestimating myself, but I think I'll be able to survive in a supernatural post-apocalyptic world! Ah, but it depends on the motivation though. I like the idea of rebuilding communities and eventually societies, but the survival turmoil would be a constant battle I'd have to overcome. If we're talking survival itself though, I think I'll do well.
When it Hungers: 8/10
That's probably my wishful thinking but I think I'll be fine. Maybe. Possibly. Don't like the idea of being regulated by an organization so if I was a non-human creature that could pose a problem but I can roll with it <3
Orthall Bay: 6/10
Assuming I'm not playing as MC, my chances of survival uhhh changes quite drastically. Not enough to guarantee an untimely demise, but certainly enough that it would constantly keep me on my toes. I think that's the safest answer I can get without spoiling anything lmao
Thank you so much for asking! It's super sweet of you <3
1. Too many :'D I knit, I sew, I do carpentry (well, learning), I bake, I'm hammering away at HTML and CSS, my job kind of encourages learning new things and I take that to picking up new hobbies!
2. My time is kind of consumed with school work and work work and WIP work so not a lot of time to pursue niche interests right now. I've been watching a lot of horror game playthroughs, true crime youtubers, and an adorable show on Netflix called the Repair Shop <3
3. My taste in music is "what am I vibing with atm?" I've been listening to a lot of 80's music atm (don't @ me), but also Lo Fang and Kaleo, and whatever spotify recommends me on my discover weekly which is usually complete chaos.
4. I love the Mummy even though it hasn't aged 100% well (I'm a librarian, of course it's one of my gotos LOL), Legally Blonde, Leverage, Jumanji (the original), I'm....very bad at having recent tastes... and very bad at remembering my favorites when asked.
5.
The Goodfellows: I'm a creature of comfort, 5/10 if I can just luxuriate in town and not actually interact with the story sfjkdbsdkf
Creature’s Cradle: I'd like to think I have a 50/50 shot XD 5/10, I want to think I'd be decent at a zombie apocalypse but ultimately would suffer an early fate.
Greater Than Gods: 10/10 if I'm just vibing, less so if I'm involved in the actual story XD
Vardir: I'd still suffer without technology but I can also knit for a living in this world so I'm down 8/10
When it Hungers: I feel like I could vibe here, there's tech if dated, hot showers, telephones are around by now... might still get bored. 7/10 though it'd be cool to be another creature....I should make a 'what creature of snv are you' quiz!
Orthall Bay: 7/10 idk I feel like after the first monster of the week I'd just skip town XDDDD I'm the worst protagonist, I see danger I just leave.
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hi ! i have harboured a weird little daydream of adapting tma into a true-to-source-material show in the Far Future when im already an Established Creator but anyway the archive 81 shit was disheartening as hell but your posts dissecting what a tv adaptation would look like are always so neat and cool. thank u
No prob!
I do see people's apprehension towards a TMA adaptation as reasonable, TMA is at the end of the day very hard to adapt into a non-audio medium, but I think assuming the worst isn't the best mindset to have, and honestly just... not fun. A T.V show would be very different, but imagining how it could be different and still feel like TMA is actually very fun to me so I like to do it. I wish you luck in your endeavors!
(I feel like it's important to clarify that there has been no news about a TMA adaptation, all we know is that RQ has some stuff “bubbling up” for Magnus they can't tell us about, that's literally it. Could be an adaptation, could be a TMA monopoly game, it's anyone's guess.)
This is the part where I use your ask as an excuse to muse about something I saw brought up on my adaptation posts a lot: "I don't want a TV adaptation of TMA, but I'd be okay with a spinoff"
Here is the problem with that
Spinoffs are almost never adapted into a medium like television because a spinoff basically requires knowledge of the source material, if you spinoff TMA for a T.V show, you're going to lose a lot of lore that you need in order to understand what's going on. This makes it inaccessible for new fans, and new fans are going to be what whatever platform it is hosted on wants. Yes, they will know that the TMA audience is there and will want to appeal to them, but they need to try and appeal to a wider audience as well. The audience you need for a T.V show to be successful is MUCH bigger than what you need for a podcast to be successful.
If you want your T.V show spinoff to take place post-eyepocalypse as I saw suggested more than once, you're going to have a huge group of people who have no idea what the eyepocalypse is, what caused it, what ended it, and what it means for the world we're seeing now. The amount of exposition you're going to need would warrant an entire show. Five seasons of a show in fact.
Lastly, the audience that TMA had might not even come back for a spinoff, networks already know that amount of fans who will watch the show is lower than the fans who listened to the podcast since some will no longer be interested and some might be against an adaptation and refuse to watch. A spinoff? That number drops again, fans who liked the podcast may not want a spinoff, so you lose a good portion of your captive audience and don't provide an entry point for a new audience, who is this show for now? If you adapt TMA itself, more people come back out of curiosity to reinvest in a story they already know, and since you're starting from the beginning the entry point for new viewers is wide open.
I'm not saying it's impossible I am saying that it's extremely unlikely. How many visual adaptations of something have been billed as a "spinoff" to a book or podcast? Put What We Do in the Shadows down that is based on a MOVIE that was already pretty popular and a much more accessible medium than a book or podcast. I'm sure someone out there CAN name one, but they're incredibly rare, and there's a reason for that.
If we get a Magnus Archives T.V show, it will not be a spinoff, it's going to be billed as the Magnus Archives from the start as that's just the most logical way to do it.
Finally, I did actually sit down and watch the Archive 81 show and it was... as a standalone horror drama it honestly would've been good maybe even great but as an adaptation of Archive 81 it was bad. I only listened to the first season of 81 as the second season is RADICALLY different and did not grab me, but I enjoyed the first season. Admittedly I don't remember much, but from what I DO remember, the show follows it roughly until about episodes 3-4 when it jumps off the rails entirely. This is my greatest fear for a TMA adaptation, not just the queer erasure but getting a show that is called "The Magnus Archives" that has characters with the same names but just... isn't Magnus. Maybe it's not even bad it just isn't Magnus, that I think would break my heart
The A81 show keeps the rat though, they straightwashed a whole lesbian but they remembered the rat
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Double Heart | Chapter Sixteen ~ Cosima
|previous part|
Pairing: Haldir x OFC
Rating: PG-13
Word count: 3021
Warnings: None
A/n Every chapter, you all make me smile so much <3 Thank you!
Haldir leaves and I let out something halfway between an exhale and a groan.
What. Was. That.
My room, which is a very respectable size, felt like a matchbox as the space between Haldir and I minimized. He went from weeks of keeping a consistent physical barrier between us to ghosting his hands over my arms, my hips, my waist…It’s…new.
And when he held me close, his chest so nearly brushing against my back—
I shake my head against the onslaught of scenarios that run through my mind.
I should not be thinking of him this way.
Haldir is a friend, a guide, an instructor, nothing more.
I let out a deep breath and begin to pace, trying to work off this newfound energy. Haldir and I trained for nearly two hours, I should be exhausted. Instead, I feel wide awake, invigorated, jittery, like I couldn’t possibly go to sleep. I groan, taking my hair out of its bun and letting it fall around me. I stop in my tracks, glancing at the spot where Haldir and I stood so close together just moments ago.
I cannot stay here.
I tear through the open door, turning right and taking the staircase that leads to the first floor. I turn left and, before I know it, I’m standing in front of Alex’s closed door.
I knock.
The door creaks open. “Hey,” he greets, opening it wider to allow me in. “What’s up?”
“I uh,” I purse my lips, having not really thought through my plan. I do need a distraction though, and being out of my room is already helping clear the fog from my brain. My eyes catch a pile of books on his nightstand. “I came to help you research, if that’s okay.”
His face lights up. “Yeah! Yeah, of course. I’ve read those three so far,” he gestures to a small stack by the window, “and there’s nothing helpful in them. Everything else in English is fair game. Is there anything specific you want to look into?”
“Fæs.” I’m surprised that the answer comes to me so easily, but as soon I speak the word, I know it’s true — I do want to learn more.
Alex nods slowly. “Yeah, okay, I think I’ve got a couple books on that here. Let me….” He trails off, spinning in a circle as he searches for a specific volume. “Ah.” He squats down and grabs a book near the foot of his bed, reaching it up to me.
An image of Haldir, crouched on the ground, hand warm against my ankle, staring up at me with such intensity, so much confidence—
Alex stands and I look to the ceiling, trying to will away the image and the feelings that come rushing along with it.
“What makes you want to learn about fæs? Isn’t that an elf thing?”
I purse my lips, stalling until the embarrassment fades enough to look Alex in the eye. “Haldir mentioned that humans have their own version of a fæ — a little weaker, a little different, but generally the same concept.” An idea begins to take form, and I roll with it. “I was wondering if—assuming that our fæs remained unchanged between our homeworld and Arda—well, if we could use it somehow, tap into it and reclaim our memories. If anything were to remember, wouldn’t it be our spirits?”
Alex nods slowly, a grin tugging at the edges of his lips. “That’s actually not a bad idea. Great thinking! Let me know if you find anything.”
He settles into the couch, leaving the bed for me. Gratefully, I cozy up against the pillows. I open the book, skimming the introductory chapter, which is basically just a summary of the core concepts Haldir has already explained to me. When I’m on chapter three, the sky passes firmly into night, and even the plethora of candles Alex has lit aren’t enough to keep my eyes from straining.
I pull my knees to my chest and lean forward, glancing over at my friend. His cheeks — which had been gaunt when we first reunited, now take a healthy shape. His shoulders no longer hold vestiges of tension — they lean relaxed, leisurely, against the back of the couch. Even in the limited light, he squints his eyes and continues to read, seeming intent on soaking up as much knowledge as he can.
I rest my chin on my knees. “I need to ask you something.”
He looks up, his eyebrows drawing together in concern. “Okay?”
“Are you alright?”
He sighs, shifting in his seat. “Cosima…”
“No,” I protest. I don’t care if it’s uncomfortable, he needs to talk about things. He’s been bottling it up since he arrived in this world and it hasn’t done anyone any good. “I mean it.”
Alex groans, shaking his head. “Fine, okay. It’s…strange.” He pauses, but I wait, holding out hope that he’ll continue. He does so, slowly. “I’ve…gotten myself to accept that I’m in a different world, but I can’t wrap my mind around the how. That’s stressful. We don’t have a solid plan to return home, nor do we know if we’ll find one. That’s depressing. And, I have flashes and snippets of memories, but otherwise, I feel like I don’t know who I am.”
My heart breaks. Here my friend is, hurting, lost…
And I’ve left him completely alone.
Alex tilts his head to the side, contemplating. “But I do feel better than when we arrived, or even just from a few days ago. Having things to do, feeling useful and like I have agency for the first time…it’s really good for me. And, well,” he dips his head then raises it again, leveling his eyes on me. “It’s helped me realize something else — that I owe you an apology.”
I blink in surprise. I’ve been the one that has pretty much abandoned and ignored him. I should be apologizing.
“On the road, I said some pretty mean things, and I isolated you from your friends and tried to take control. I didn’t mean for it to be like that. I was…” he sighs, shaking his head, “scared out of my mind. I already felt like I couldn’t do anything to fix the problem, and then on top of that I felt like you had completely given up and it was my job to save us both. And I know now that’s not the case, but for a while…” He trails off, shrugging his shoulders. “You’re just more adaptable than I am, I guess.”
I push myself off the bed, cross the room, and sit next to him on the small couch. Automatically, he throws an arm over my shoulder, the movement so familiar and easy that he must have done it a thousand times before. I lay my head on his shoulder, the bone there pressing against my ear.
I take a deep breath. “If we had really been kidnapped, or injured, or anything more realistic than what actually happened,” he gives a small, tired laugh, the movement shaking his shoulder, “you would’ve been the one to get us out. I know it. Even now, you’re the one putting in all the hard work to get us home. I’m sorry I’ve pretty much left you to handle it alone.”
He squeezes my upper arm gently. “I appreciate it, but I don’t blame you. I get it.” He shrugs again, a measure of sadness creeping into his voice. “It’s not like you remember anyone enough to miss them. If you have people you like here, of course you’d focus on them.”
I feel my lips pull into a guilty frown. “They like you too, you know. You all just need to spend some more time together—”
“Nah,” he shakes his head, pushing a smile onto his face. “It’s okay, honestly — we just don’t click. But I have you, and Baranor and I get along well, and I have this project to work on. It’s enough for me.”
I sigh, resting my head against his chest. I hope that’s true.
{***}
At breakfast, Lavandil and I make plans to meet at her shop. She gives me directions and I hurry up the stairs to my room, changing out of my tunic and leggings and into something a little more fun for my first day of work. I settle on a dark purple gown, one that billows down my arm in puffy gossamer sleeves and has a slight, sparkly train. I’m probably a bit overdressed, but knowing Lavandil’s extravagant wardrobe, I’ll fit in just fine. I bound down the staircase, eager to discover the market and the shop. I turn left, intent on exiting the building.
And crash into the middle of someone’s chest.
Hands grip my upper arms, steadying me as I stumble back. Once I’m righted, I look up, and my mouth falls open.
“Cosima—”
“Haldir—”
Both of us freeze, having spoken at the same time. I purse my lips, waiting for him to go first. He raises an eyebrow, evidently expecting the same of me.
But I can’t make the words happen. His hands on my arms send my mind right back to the tension of last night, to the room that started light and open and turned more intimate than it should as the night went on.
Haldir’s arms fall to his sides. “I’m sorry, I didn’t see you turning the corner. Are you alright?”
I nod, my eyes darting from his chest clothed in a cobalt blue tunic up to his eyes. The intensity from last night is gone, now replaced with a noticeable degree of hesitance.
Interesting.
Did he feel something last night, too? Or does he know I did, and now feels awkward around me?
That last thought sends a wave of stress through me. Was I horribly obvious? Have I messed everything up?
“Are you off to Lavandil’s shop,” he inquires, pulling my mind away from these anxiety-inducing thoughts.
“Yes.”
He quirks a smile. “Then I imagine you will be seeing a lot of my brother today. He has a tendency to hang around there.”
“Probably a result of him being in love with the shop-owner,” I quip, voice going high with nerves.
He raises an eyebrow. “Yes, I suppose that would do it.”
We fall into awkward silence.
Haldir clears his throat. “Well, enjoy your day.”
“You too,” I nod, crossing paths with him to exit the building.
Once outside, I take in a gulping breath.
Did I create all that weirdness? Or is he struggling to figure out how to act around me, too? And why?
Things have never been strained or awkward between myself and Haldir. Once he got over his initial suspicion of me, we got along easily. I feel like he understands me better than the others and, if I had to pick a favorite, as Rumil prompted me not so long ago, it would be, without question, the supposedly-stern Marchwarden leading our company. And, based on the amount of time he spends with me of his own accord, I would say he enjoys my presence, too.
So, that begs the question, what could have happened to turn all that ease on its head and replace it with stilted, awkward, unsure interactions? We were fine until last night—
I suck in a breath.
My brain, apparently useless until I looked the issue straight in the eye, starts piecing together instances of my time with Haldir, forming a terrifying and exhilarating picture.
Sleeping between me and the entrance to our camp so I wouldn’t be frightened. Spending hours alone with me lying on a blanket staring up at the stars. The way he panicked and looked after me when I had my migraine. Big things like that and smaller ones, too — the way he teases me, the way he always makes sure I’m cared for, whether that means sharing from his canteen or sending me with food when I’m likely to miss dinner. The way he’s conscious of my fears—heights, orcs, you name it—and provides support without coddling me, enabling me to handle and face them on my own. The way his arms, so gentle yet so secure, held me close, even for just the smallest of moments.
Could we…have feelings for each other?
Could this rapid and strong attachment to an ellon I met mere weeks ago be something other than friendship?
With a sinking feeling in my gut, the momentary rush of excitement falls into something much more sinister. Something that, in any other world would be a wonderful, thrilling feeling—the one I am developing feelings for maybe, potentially, might see me the same way—is here, horrifying.
Because elves live forever and love only once.
And a human lifespan is dismally short.
Rumil’s face after our conversation yesterday, crestfallen and saddened, comes to my mind.
If my mere friendship with these ellyn will cause them grief when I’m gone, then even entertaining these thoughts about Haldir….
It’s deplorable.
From the heart of the city, the bell chimes. I’m late to meet Lavandil.
I shove down the ache that makes my lips quiver and hurry down the path that will lead me to the market.
The distraction of working with Lavandil will be my lifeline.
I cannot allow my feelings for Haldir progress any further. So, though I’m not sure how effective I’ll be, I swear not to think about him for the rest of the day.
{***}
“What happened last night between you and Haldir?”
Damn.
I made it two hours.
I swallow, trying to seem busy as I hang a tapestry on a display. “What?”
Lavandil comes up beside me, using her height to hang the art properly. “Rumil told Orophin who told me that Haldir came back from training with you and seemed quite flustered.”
My body runs hot. “Did he?”
“Mhm,” she nods decisively. “Apparently he returned to the room in a rush, wouldn’t say a thing, and then spent over three hours at the training grounds, sparring quite harshly with some of the guard.”
Even though the tapestry is hung, I pretend to fuss with it, not brave enough to meet Lavandil’s eyes. “Nothing happened. Maybe he just wanted a better workout — I can’t imagine I was much of a challenge.” I try for a joke, and mercifully, she gives me a pity laugh.
Her demeanor softens. “Cosima, you know there’s nothing wrong with having an attraction, or even feelings.”
“Of course there’s something wrong with it,” I shriek, much louder than I meant to. I look at her with wide eyes, surprised by my outburst.
Thankfully, no one is in the shop, and Lavandil only regards me with calm eyes, no judgement in them.
“I’m sorry,” I hurry to apologize, sitting myself in a chair at a nearby table. On top of it sits a beautiful garnet tablecloth — Lavandil’s work. She sits across from me.
“It’s alright,” she smiles kindly, resting her elbows on the table to mirror me. “I had a similar disposition when I realized I loved Orophin.”
“I don’t love him,” I correct quickly.
She puts her hands up in the sign for surrender, though her bottom lip pulls like she’s trying not to make a face.
“I don’t,” I insist, putting effort into keeping my tone non-angry. I lower my voice, worried, perhaps irrationally, that Haldir himself will go waltzing by and hear my dreadful confession. “It’s, at most, an interest, and probably not even that. Likely more of a curiosity.”
“Well, interests are nothing to be ashamed of.” Her tone matches my low volume and carries in it a gentleness I could never hope to emulate.
“Yes, they do!” My voice drops to nearly a whisper. “Lavandil, he is an elf. You know I’m human. The two don’t mix well.”
She huffs. “There’s nothing to say that. An elleth here, Arwen—”
“Is walking into a tragedy,” I cut her off.
Lavandil’s eyes narrow. “Too many people see it that way, and it is getting quite old. Do you know what I see? Two souls in love. Though their futures are bleak and incompatible, their presents are filled with joy and love and the connection that can only come from two fæs who want each other so badly finally bonded. They would still face pain if they ignored their love for each other — so why not give themselves what joy they can?”
“But she will die—”
Now it’s Lavandil’s turn to interrupt. “Arwen is fully grown. She is wise, and I trust that she knows herself well enough to make the choices she has. Her life is ultimately her own. She can spend it how she pleases.”
I press my lips together, head falling to stare at the deep red tablecloth. Despite Lavandil’s conviction, her words do nothing to allay my fears.
The only thing that awaits an elf bonded with a human is grief and death.
Arwen may have made her choice, but so have I made mine.
“Rumil said elves can take centuries to fall in love. Is that true?”
Lavandil pauses, caught off guard with my change in topic. “I-in some cases, yes. More that it could potentially take that long for an elf to admit they are in love. Often, even if they are not ready to accept it, their fæs know. And even then, that is the timeline in the most rare of cases. You know, for Orophin and I it only took a matter of—”
I raise my eyes to her, pleading. “Lavandil.”
She sighs, staring at me like she wishes I had asked her something else. “Fine, yes. Elves fall slower than humans.”
I take in a deep breath, nodding.
Good.
Because if I have only just noticed these feelings, chances are, if Haldir were to follow suit, he is way behind. The instance Lavandil described from last night, the other hints that show he might be feeling something…I can end them now.
I have time to stop this.
I have time to save him.
A/n So, funny thing, @errruvande got pretty close to guessing Cosima’s reaction to realizing her feelings for Haldir, so shout out to Liza!!! Seriously though, love her, love her blog, I’d definitely recommend checking her account out! Thank you all for reading!
|next part|
|masterlist|
Tolkien tag list: @anangelwhodidntfall @eru-vande
Haldir tag list: @tolkien-apologist
Double Heart tag list: @lainphotography @themerriweathermage @thophil2941btw @kenobiguacamole @wishingtobeinadifferentuniverse @from-patroclus-with-love @boywivlove @ordinarymom1 @my-darling-haldir @sweet-bea-blossom @moony-artnstuff
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