I can feel a new obsession coming. I've watched 5 episodes of Babylon Berlin so far and goddamn it why is this series so amazing. I don't wanna do anything else all day long but keep watching. It's so desolate and you can feel the unrest brewing in society (btw love how much effort was put into the historical accuracy) but it never gets too depressing because I love the characters so much (amazing actors too!!) The interwar years really make for an incredible setting even though you know how it all will end. Also, I absolutely feel like there are some parallels to today's society wrt radicalisation, discontent, etc.

This will consume my life for the next few weeks 🙃

And I'm already suffering with how comparably little material there is on tumblr compared to other fandoms 🥲

TO ALL THE BOYS I’VE LOVED BEFORE | BANG CHAN

member: bang chan

genre: to all the boys i’ve loved before!au

words: 1.5k

summary: your letters are your most secret possessions. you write them when you have a crush so intense you don’t know what else to do.

a/n: this is a series and you can find the others here. we wanted to do this for a looong time and it’s finally here :) hope you enjoy <3

new people come and go in university and you have met some friends before that came to stay six months and then came back to their hometowns or countries 

so you were used to not get attached to anyone, knowing they’d stay just for few months and then go away

if it’s friendship, then it was okay

because you could keep the friendship from distance

but you never fell in love with an exchange student before

it was almost a rule: never do it, because long distance relationships are just too hard to deal with

so avoid it

and it has always been easy

to be honest, you were studying so hard you didn’t have much time to fall in love

the class was about to start that day, the professor was entering the classroom and someone got in last minute

the guy talked briefly to him and looked around to find a place to sit

you were sleepy that day, it was monday after all

but when you saw that guy

black hair, black clothes, black cap 

you couldn’t stop watching him

you weren’t the only one, though

but he found a seat next to you

not exactly by your side, but still close

you immediately straighten the posture in the chair

when the class was over, some people started to pack their stuff

he was probably confused about what was next

“excuse me”, he reached you

you looked at him

under the cap, his eyes were lovely

and beautiful

when he spoke, a dimple appeared on his cheek

his face had strong features, but all you could feel in his voice was softness

oh, about his voice

he had a very strong aussie accent

“is the next class here?”

“yes”, you answered, “people are going out because we still have a couple minutes before the next class”

he was expressive and you liked that

the expression on his face after you explained was endearing

“oooh, now it makes sense”, he smiled, “thanks”

did you spend too much time looking at him after he said that?

cause it felt like it

but you also felt like he looked at you the same way you looked at him

for the same amount of time

the two of you finished whatever started there and didn’t talk again

at least not that day

he was there almost everyday, because you two had a lot of classes in common

you didn’t know much about him, but it wasn’t a problem since everyone has information about everything on campus

you found out his name was chris bang

he was from australia and just started the new semester at your university

no one knew if he was supposed to spend six months or one year, because he didn’t know for sure yet

it felt weird to know that much about him without talking to him, but you couldn’t help

he was very handsome, by the way

and also very into the classes

even the most boring ones

you knew that because he always sat somewhere around you

so you looked at him sometimes

you know when you start focusing on something and somehow it is everywhere

a car, a book, an actor

but it was chris

he was everywhere you were after you met him

at the library, at the class, all around the campus

it wasn’t intentional, of course

it just happened

and you didn’t know if he saw you, but you saw him every time

and then he started to hang out with some of your friends

so you saw him once even on a sartuday

but you were definitely not complaining

because that was the first day you and him made eye contact and he smiled at you affectionately

and on monday, at class, he talked to you before it started

“hey sorry do you know how we’re supposed to send this to the professor?”, he asked out of nowhere

he was wearing a black hoodie that day

and the smell of his perfume was all over the place once he was next to you

“oh he wants us to send through email”, you said

“I didn’t know that…”, he looked at the paper he printed

“it’s fine”, you were smiling at his pouting face, “I’ll give you his email address. he gave it to us before you arrived”

“now it makes sense”, he took off the cap and put it back on his head again

for a brief moment you got to see his hair

with the cap on, it was impossible to notice his fluffy curls

“do you want me to write down the email address on your phone?”

you were with your phone on your hands

so he looked at it and immediately said

“can you send me through text?”, he asked

you had to control yourself not to smile

he was pretty clever

“give me your number”, you handed your phone to him

that was what you wanted anyway

and maybe what he wanted too

all the evidences pointed to it 

“there you go”, he gave it back after saving his number

he saved it as chris bang

you hadn’t called his name yet

everyone knew him as chris, a nickname

you didn’t know if it was okay to jump to the nickname already or if you had to firstly call him christopher since you weren’t friends 

but at that moment you knew

chris it was

you texted him when the class was almost starting

he saw it but didn’t reply

after the class, you heard the sound of a notification

it was his

“sorry, I can’t reply texts during the class, miss”

and an emoji of two eyes

so he had a sense of humour, didn’t he?

you liked that

it was just the start

you two would text each other more than talk to each other

because you met only at the classroom 

until the day, after class, he came to your chair and said

“hey, wanna grab some food?”, through texts you couldn’t hear his accent, that’s why in that moment you felt a shiver down your spine

you were caught off guard

so your silence for five seconds straight had a reason

and to be honest it was too much information

his smile, his voice, the way he was close to you

his smell

“fine, you choose”

but when you said “you choose”, he said the same

at the same time

he raised his eyebrows 

you smiled

“oh”

“but you choose”, you said again and smiled at his cute defeated face

you ended up eating hamburger

but the other day it was ice cream

and when you hung out with mutual friends, they noticed how close you two were becoming

but you both would say “really?”, as if you didn’t notice

you were not only close friends, but also falling in love

the days were passing by, and even when you tried so hard to not catch feelings

it was impossible

you liked him too much

but as days passed by, he was closer to go back to australia

he was unable to renew for the second semester, so he would stay for only six months

and you knew that would happen

but still

you couldn’t help falling in love

because the way he held you for the first time and hugged you in front of your dorm felt so safe

he was becoming your haven

the way he kissed you made you feel treasured

he’d say sweet things

you had a few arguments here and there but it always ended with you two grabbing some food like the first time

he showed you so much

you learned so much

and still there was so much about him to know

a lot to live with him

but the distance would end it all

he held you tight at the airport

and you didn’t cry because you didn’t want to do that in front of him and everyone else

and between his good smell, his soft hair touching your face and his lips next to your ear

you heard him saying “wait for me, I’ll be waiting for you”

christopher bang,

you know when people say the best things happen when you don’t expect them? it’s exactly how you happened to me. I wasn’t expecting you, maybe because I couldn’t imagine you. a guy like you. a friend like you. a boyfriend like you. how can you come, take my heart and go away with it? and how did I let it happen? I guess love makes this possible. everything I’ve ever wanted. I miss you. the time zone doesn’t help as well, but I decided not to try to find out what the future brings. I decided to live the present, even if it’s miles away from you, because I know we’ll meet soon. I’m waiting for you and I know you are waiting for me. you assure me every time and I love you for this. can’t wait to be in your arms again, best boy.

love,

y/n

(Some of) My Favorite Zutara fics

Warning, looong post ahead!

Zutara Fanworks Appreciation Week snuck up on me, so sadly I haven’t had time to properly contribute anything. I’d love to participate next year or maybe even before then (I play by my own rules, folks!)

Still, though. I wanted to at the very least pay tribute to some of my all-time favorite Zutara fanfics that I’ve enjoyed and have inspired me over the years.

(Click here for my post on Self-Love Saturday, where I shamelessly promote my series The Phoenix and the Dragon and share a bit of backstory behind how it came to be in the first place.)

I’ve shipped Zutara ever since Fall 2006, and I have been fortunate to read so many excellent fanfics since then.

Some have made me laugh, others made me sob, others straight up made my heart burn like it was shot full of lightning:

So in honor of @zkfanworkweek​, below are 13 of my favorite Zutara fanfics, in no particular order:

~*~*~

Rated G(eneral)/T(een)

Engulfed by Luaburachid

Zuko finds himself engulfed by love.

A sweet one-shot of our favorite firebender discovering how deep his feelings are for a certain waterbender. It’s just pure fluff and always brings a smile to my face.

 we hold our hearts in silence by psychedelic_aya

Seventy years later, Korra tries to figure out Zuko and Katara.

Oh, this one is so bittersweet but oh so good. It alternates between flashbacks and Korra’s POV watching an older Zuko and Katara interact. Just… ugh. My heart.

 Day 6: Found by SooperSara

When Sokka comes up with an idea to get rid of Joo Dee, Katara finds herself in the Lower Ring of Ba Sing Se with a tea server she did not expect to meet.

I love a good Jasmine Dragon AU where Katara / the Gaang actually interacts with Zuko while he’s undercover as Lee from the tea shop instead of what happened in “The Guru.” This is so much fun to read, and my only complaint is that it’s not longer.

 Celestial by SooperSara

An unexpected dip into the koi pond at the North Pole brings Zuko in contact with the spirits and grants him insight to his destiny. A destiny he isn’t sure he wants.

Another by the talented SooperSara! Actually, you should check out all of her stuff. It’s all so good, and I absolutely adore this one. It’s pretty canon-compliant and the ending… oh, the ending makes me tearbend. Ma’am, I’m still weepy.

 this little fuse we lit made something in you by SecondStarOnTheLeft

There's a secret door in the wall of Katara's room. Things go a little further than planned, once she opens it.

What happens when Katara discovers a secret tunnel (secret, secret, secret tunnel, yeah!) that leads directly to the Fire Lord’s bedroom? Reading this fic is like settling down to drink a hot cup of Iroh’s tea – it’s soothing, sweet, and thoroughly warms the soul.  

 Dancing in the Dark by damagectrl

Post-Season 2 AU: While in Ba Sing Se, Katara and Toph hear a rumor about two tea servers in the lower tiers of Ba Sing Se and sneak away go to investigate only to have their suspicions confirmed. On her personal time, Katara tries to teach herself to dance and fails so badly, a masked man takes pity on her to try to help.

This is one most OGs will probably remember. It’s also one of the first ZK fics I ever read, back when I was a wee lil bb Zutarian! It was originally posted in Oct. 2006 and takes place between “Appa’s Lost Days” and “Lake Laogai.” One of my all-time favorite Bluetara AND Jasmine Dragon AUs. Heck, all of damagectrl’s works are fantastic reads, for that matter. I highly recommend checking them out, especially this classic.

 such selfish prayers by andromeda3116

Katara's ambition, so long set aside for the good of others, breaks free and sets fire to her soul. Or, Katara has a vision of her canon future, casts it aside, and becomes a world-changing politician instead.

There’s a reason why this fic is one of the highest rated on AO3, if not THE highest. It does right by Katara and gives her the ending she deserves. 10/10 would recommend.

 better than things dreamed of in the forest by catie_writes_things (SERIES)

As a child, Bumi knew: his mother was a waterbender, his father was an airbender, and he was a firebender. Something about these facts did not add up, but it would take him a long time to understand.

Hands down, one of the most heartbreaking fics / series I’ve ever read. The author describes this as the adultery fic for people who hate adultery fics, and it certainly packs an emotional punch in the gut. Personally, I’m not one for the “Zuko and Katara have an affair while she’s with Aang” fics in general, but this one examines the fallout caused by a single night of passion and all of the consequences that stem from it, especially how the ripple effect of their choices impacts everyone. Even though it breaks my heart all over again every time I reread it, I can’t recommend it highly enough. 

  ~*~*~

(More fics, several with high ratings, are listed below the cut)

Rated M(ature)/E(xplicit)

Moonlight and Sunshadow by GrapefruitTwostep

The dragon offered Katara a deal: protection for her family and tribe if she lived with it for a year and a day. And she said yes. Because what other way was there to save her people? But there was more to the dragon than Katara bargained for. An "East of the Sun, West of the Moon" retelling.

A fairy tale AU in which Zuko is cursed to live as a dragon and Katara is certainly no damsel in distress. You’ve probably heard some version of the original fairy tale before that this fic is inspired by, and it’s such a delight to read.

 The Blackfish and the Dragon by ama

Katara grew up in the Southern Water Tribe under the tutelage of Hama, the only waterbender ever to have escaped Fire Nation captivity. When Zuko arrives at the South Pole, seeking the Avatar, they are more than ready to defend him. Then one day, the Southern Water Tribe receives a petition for peace, and a proposal of marriage.

One of the best arranged marriage AUs I’ve come across. Iroh is crowned Fire Lord after defeating Ozai, and Katara must find some way to peacefully coexist with her hotheaded new husband as she also finds a place for herself in the Fire Nation.

 Confused by thispieceofwork

Zuko stood. "You told Aang you were confused. Are you confused because of me?" Katara was silent, arms crossed in front of her. "Don't make me answer that."

Starts during “The Ember Island Players” where Zuko overhears Aang and Katara’s private conversation on the balcony. This is another fic that will shatter your heart into a million pieces but it’s oh so worth it in the end.

 A Heated Exchange by Smediterranea (SERIES)

Katara had not considered herself to be someone who would have earth-shattering sex with a guy whose name she didn’t even know. But here she was, certain that she had never made a better decision in her life.

An AU two-part series of Katara getting familiar with a certain handsome guy who lives down the hall in her college dorm. It’s funny, cute, and cuddling while watching Planet Earth has never been hotter.

 Bonus day: Tea Shop by cincilin

"Hello and welcome to the Jasmine Dragon. Today's special is—" he cut himself of with a sharp intake of breath, at the same moment that Katara placed the voice and looked up.

'He has hair.' was her first thought. Then the rest of her brain caught up with her and she started to get up, sending Momo scrambling to hide under the table. Season 2 AU, during "The Guru."

I told y’all, I *LOVE* a good Jasmine Dragon AU fic, and this one-shot checks all the boxes: heart-to-heart conversations? Witty dialogue and banter? Bending match that turns into a makeout and something steamier? It’s got it all.

~*~*~

This was only going to be a list of maybe 5-7fic recs, but well… oops. I also kept the above list to completed works only, just because this post is already long enough.

Several of my other favorites that get honorable mention include:

Thinking Out Loud (WIP)

The Summit (WIP)

Sparrowkeet (Series)

Purr

The Nature of the Blue Spirit

Rhythm of the Rain

Fault Lines

Clarity

Seriously, there are just SO MANY good Zutara fics out there. I had to cut myself off from adding even more, because I could go on and on and on. Much like Admiral Zhao, I have no. self. control. 

I love you all, my fellow Zutarians ❤️💙💜 Mwah! Happy ZFAW! 

The Legend of Korra Rewatch Book 1 Episodes 1-4.

It’s been a looong time since I watched Korra all the way through. When it oremiered I loved it and I loved kt all the way to the end. It’s nkw been almlst a decade since Korra premiered, so lets see if any of my thiughts or opinions have changed since then. And watching them all back to back will likey help with the pacing issues and certain plot stuff, so here we go~

Welcome to Republic City: I think that this is still a very good series premiere episode. It tells us everything that we need to know. It establishes Korra’s character and her flaws, establishes Republic City well, and introduces the conflict of non-Benders being opressed and the city having a major crime problem without revealing everything. I felt the same way I did the forst time, excited to see where all kf this will lead to. Also apaprently little Korra being able to bend three elments as a child was controversial… but I don’t get why since it ties to her character arc and it was a brief display, it still took thirteen years to master Water, Earth, and Fire fully. Maybe that’s just me though. It’s still a perfect start to the series.

A Leaf in the Wind: I think this episode does a good job showing Korra’s struggle with Airbending compared to everhthing else. She’s very good at the physical side of Bending, as demonstrated when she picks up on the MMA style lf Pro-Bending quickly aside from the actual rules. Airbending is much more spiritual and flowing however and requires more patience, which Korra severely lacks. She also lacks freedom, Tenzin restricting her and she continues to break out on her own as a result. Her lashing out at Tenzin for why she isn’t learning is harsh, but is IC considering her impatience and how it won’t clock like everything else has. Bolin and Mako had decent intros that establish their personalities well and in hindsight. It was a fun episode that did some more world-building, brings in new characters, and showcases Korra’s struggles very well as well as Tenzin’s as a mentor.

The Revelation: I remember feeling meh about this episode the first time, and IDK why cause this is a perfectly good episode. We get some backstory on Bolin and Mako and further characterization outside pro-bending. Bolin is a ditz but sincerely wants to help himself and his brother, and Mako os a jerk and horrible at expressing himself as we’ll see later but also smart, a hard worker, and cares a great deal for his brother. We also have The Equalists making their move a d seeing Korra tearing up the city in the premiere, the several Bender specific jobs, and how Korra brutalizes the protester (even if she had an understandable reason) certainly makes Amon have a point. The Triads certainly deserve it, but Bolin doesn’t but he’s thankfully saved. It also plants the seed for Korra’s conflict next episode, which is good. Also great action scenes, but that’s no surprise for this show. I really enjoyed this way more than before, an excellent episode~!

The Voice in the Night: Boy does watching this again feel so much more heavy considering real world events. Anyways, admittedly this is when things started to feel rushed, but like I said watching these in one sitting improves that. We see Korra’s fears as Amon’s bending blocking powers and it’s understandable. To Korra, her bending prowse is what makes her the Avatar. That’s all that she’s ever been and all that she wanted to be. If she loses it, she won’t be the Avatar anymore. Without that, who is she? While this is the fourth episode, her change in demeanor is noticable and very concerning since we know this isn’t righg. It makes the end where Amon caught her but let her go and her breakdown in front of Tenzin so gut-wrenching and shows that despite her arrogance, Korra is still a teenaged girl with fears like anyone else. Also this was Asami’s intro episode. I didn’t like her at first back then because I knew they added her solely for love triangle drama the second Mako fell for her. Now though? Not only is she clealry protrayed as a perfectly kind, charming, and selfless person that I ignored last time due to the love triangle business, but she’s nowadays my second favorite character (behind Korra) so I am loving seeing her~! So yeah the shipping stuff is meh, but nowhere near as annoying as back then since I know. the final result. Oh and glad that Dee Bradley Baker gets to voice a human character in Avatar for once with Tarrlok XD

Okay, that’ll do for today. Gosh I’ve always enjoyed the show, but I forgot how much fun I had when it first came out. I think I enjoyed it even more than I did back then. It may be due to binging/knowing what happens in the future, but still. It was a joy to watch these episodes again and while episode 5 is… more shipping drama unfortunately, it and 6-8 have plenty of fun stuff that I enjoyed than and hope to again tomorrow~

We Got Married! First Date - Kino

Genre: fluff

Words: 1.2k+

Tag List: @chanyeolol , @mashtons-unicorn

a/n: haha h a Kino has my heart whatta good boyyyyy reminder that y’all can request scenarios and reactions for this AU series I’d love it if ya did

We Got Married Masterlist~

As the fountain got into your field of vision, you stopped. You started getting cold feet, too nervous to keep going. You heard your phone chime.

? - I’m waiting for you, wife~

You kind of let out a squeak, the text catching you off guard. You siked yourself up enough to walk over to the fountain. You didn’t see anyone when you got there. You walked around, seeing if there was someone sitting on the other side. You spotted someone dressed in a suit on the other side sitting with a bouquet of flowers. You gasped quietly as they got up, recognizing them right away.

“Oh! Hello,” you said shyly

“Hi there.”

You swore you must’ve let out some sort of noise when you saw the man standing in front of you. He smirked but there was a slight rosy tint to his cheeks. You quickly gathered your composure and cleared your throat.

“You’re Kino, aren’t you?” you asked even though you knew the answer

“Ah, yeah. And you’re Y/N,” he said confidently, “I’m actually a fan of yours.”

You laughed embarrassed by his confession. You hid your cheeks behind your hand so he hopefully wouldn’t see your blush (even though you were sure he’d seen it already). 

“I’m a fan of yours too,” you admitted

Your confession brought more of a blush to Kino’s face. He ran a hand through his hair smiling shyly. After a moment of awkward and embarrassing silence, Kino cleared his throat quietly. 

“I have a pretty fun afternoon planned, if you’re ready to go,” he smiled 

“Sounds like you prepared,” you chuckled

“Of course I did. I always prepare for dates.”

~

You and Kino walked out of the park and down the street to a nearby arcade that he went to on occasion. It was a rather peaceful walk. The two of you got to know each other a bit more and just chat. You overtaken by nostalgic memories when you finally reached the arcade. The place was dimly lit only the bright lights of the games illuminating the large room. Music was being played but it was drowned out by the sounds of games. Your eyes shined and your mouth was agape from the nostalgic rush that overtook you.

“I haven’t been to an arcade in a looong time,” you sighed 

“It’s been a while for me too,” Kino hummed

You walked over to a machine where you traded money in for tokens, going into your bag for some money. Kino gently swatted your hand, putting a couple bills into the machine before you could. 

“Ah, you don’t have to pay-” 

“No, I insist.”

Before you could protest further, Kino took all the tokens from the machine and placed them into one of the cups that sat on top of the machine. He looked at you and laughed at your slight pout. 

“Come on, let’s have some fun,” he said grabbing your hand 

He pulled you into the middle of the large room filled with games, his hand never letting go of yours. He decided on a racing game, asking if you wanted to play too. You, of course, said yes and the two of you made your way over to the racing game. 

You and Kino had been at it for what felt like maybe a half hour but when you checked your phone, you had been playing games for hours. You didn’t want to leave but the day was turning to night and it was almost completely dark out by the time you left the arcade. You and Kino walked down the street a bit to a cafe to grab some drinks before heading your separate ways for the evening. He, of course, paid again despite your pouting and protesting. You noticed Kino started walking slower ever since you left the cafe. Maybe because he didn’t want the night to end either. 

“I don’t think I’ve had fun like that in a while,” you admitted as you unwrapped another candy you bought with the tickets you won

“Me neither,” he chuckled, “It’s nice to just go out with someone and have some fun like that every once in a while.”

“Agreed,” you sipped your drink

“Especially when that person is as beautiful as you.”

You almost spat out your drink. His compliment caught you by surprise, not realizing how smooth he could be. You avoided his gaze, a small sound of disbelief coming from your mouth. Kino just laughed gleefully as he threw his arm around your shoulder casually. He poked your cheek, a cheeky smile gracing his lips.

“You’re blushing,” he teased

“No, I’m not!”

“You can’t lie about something so obvious! Your face is beet red!”

You mumbled another protest under your breath barely loud enough for him to hear. He just pinched your cheek as he removed his arm from your shoulders. He brought his drink up to his lips taking a long drink. 

“It’s cute seeing how easily you blush.”

You wanted to slap this man right then but you settled on just gently hitting his shoulder while pouting. He cutely apologized, his aegyo being a little cringy but it still brought a smile back to your face. 

You arrived back at the park saying good night to each other when you arrived at your respective cars. You groaned after you got into your car and started heading back to your dorm. You pulled out your phone. Tons of notifications were on your screen but only one really mattered to you. A picture from Kino. He had taken a selca with you earlier in the evening and you asked him to send it to you. You stared at the picture, smitten with his good looks. You stared at the picture for what you realized may have been too long. You couldn’t deny the fact that this photo of the two of you made you extremely happy for some reason. A reason you knew but didn’t want to admit. Not yet anyway. 

You decided to change your phone wallpaper to the picture despite what rumors could surface because of it. Then again, what rumors would start? People would know that you were doing this show together and you could pass it off like you were just doing it for the show. Hopefully, people would believe that. 

You arrived at your dorm not much later. You trudged in the front door, exhaustion from the day’s activities finally catching up with you. Your group members were in the living room waiting for you. 

“There you are!”

“We’ve been texting you!”

“It’s so late! Where were you?”

You sighed, tossing your things on the coffee table before flopping down on the couch. Your group members began rapid firing questions at you without giving you a chance to answer. 

“Who’s your husband?”

“Where’d you guys go?”

“Does he treat you nice?”

“Where’d you get that dress?”

“Is he handsome?”

“Did you get an actor or an idol husband?”

You were starting to get frustrated with them. Their questions finally stopped when your phone chimed with a text notification. Everyone’s heads turned to your phone which had lit up. You heard someone let out a small gasp.

“Is that Kino?!”

You only groaned in response, burying your face in a pillow.

Not the villain (pt.1)

Crowley x reader (fairytale/disneyish Au)

Summary: you are said to rule the kingdom's after your father passes away as that day approches aziraphale is sent to watch after you while his dear friend Crowley is sent to do quite the opposite but never the less plans change

Warning: none except it's looong and it might be a bit cheesy? So it may be bad for that but then again that's kinda the point since I wanted it to be disneyish

Also note that if this series goes well I plan on doing one for aziraphale if anyone wants to give suggestions but anyways here it is! ENJOY!

But here it is enjoy!

(also not my gifs)

~~~~~~~

"She's obligated to rule the kingdoms now that her father is dying, and Who knows what hell has planed for her by now."

Aziraphale followed Gabriel through heaven and listened intently to the task he was being given.

"Now we are sending you down there to be her care taker while the king is sick in bed. Make sure she is safe and that nothing happens to her basically you are her guardian angel..." Gabriel shivered after pausing "Imagine the kind of chaos that would happen with out a queen!"

"Wouldn't dream of it!" Gabriel stopped abruptly and turned to Aziraphale. "Well get down there they are expecting you!"

"Oh yes of course!" and just like that he was stood outside of the castles front gate's.

"Lady Y/n!?" you looked up from the book in your lap at one of the maides who had made an appearance in the door. "Yes?"

"Sir Aziraphale has arrived."

"Alright I'll be right down." the maid nodded and excused herself shutting the door behind her. "Alright try to get some more rest I'll sent the nurse back soon enough." you stood from your seat and leaned over the man in bed placing a kiss on his forhead.

Your father smiled up at you as you began to leave. "Darling please don't worry about me anymore Aziraphale is here to take care of you and prepare you for your role as queen soon. Focuse on that not about me the nurse can handle me." You rolled your eyes and nodded.

"I understand get some rest now." you stepped out into the hall and hurried to meet your new guardian.

You where the daughter of the king of the seven kingdom's. And the rightful air of the throne since your mother had passed when you where younger and you had no brothers or refused to take a suiter. You where next in line now that your father was seemingly ready to pass.

Meaning he believed that although you where quite old enough to handle yourself you still needed a guardian to watch and protect you.

"Aziraphale I presume?" you stepped down into the throne room where the man stood. "Ah yes! My lady it's a pleasure to meet you..your majesty." he bowed down before you.

You smiled lighty at him. "That's not nessecary Sir." He quickly stood up and straightened himself out. "Of course forgive me your highness."

"It's alright but please call me y/n....but in any even now that we've finished our formalities..." you quickly scanned the room for any of the castles workers before grabbing his arm. "Come with me!" you giddily pulled him behind you as you raced down the hall not allowing Aziraphale the chance to protest. You raced out a back door and through the courtyard. "My lady please...please slow down!"

You only stopped once you had left the court yard and came up to a small wooden building not to far from the castle. "Now that you are my guardian I can go where I please as long as you are with me."

"Well yes I'm sure that's true but-"

you pulled the wooden door of the rickedy building open and stepped inside ignoring him only to appear again with a white horse in towe. "Here you are kind sir."

He took the rains of the horse nervously. "Princess I really do not think that now is the time to go horse back ridding...perhaps we could go inside and get acquainted over a cup of tea?"

You came back out of the stable already on horse back looking down at him. "Aziraphale. You have no idea how long I've waited for a proper guardian so that I could leave the castles limits. Now of you so wish you can wait here for me to return with in the hour then we may share a spot of tea, or you may follow me and get acquainted if that is what you wish either way I am leaving."

You where already off and heading towards the large forest that sat behind the stable. "Princess!..y/n wait!" he climbed into his horse and quickly followed after you.

"Where in heavens are we even heading?"

You looked over to him and smiled. "When I was younger my mother would take me out here to a clearing...we would play all sorts of games there. After she died I wasn't allowed out here anymore."

Aziraphale gave you a sorrow filled look that you brushed aside quickly. "But why don't you tell me about yourself? Where are you from? What intrests you?"

As the two of you spoke and tracked deeper into the woods a snake followed quietly through the grass waiting for his chance to make an apperance. Or to at least see the princess he was sent to kill.

You grinned as you neared the familiar green clearing and quickly picked up the pace. You slid off your horse and pulled your shoes off to feel the grass beneth your feet.

"Isn't it just beautiful Aziraphale!?" Aziraphale stepped into the clearing holding both horses rains in his hand admiring the area. "Indeed it is."

The clearing was a large green area with wildflowers of an asortment of colors giving the place a pop of color farther down past the trees lied a river bed and a feild full of daisys across it. The place was almost magical with the way the afternoon Sun lit it up.

"I think I'll just tie the horses up over by this tree then?" he looked at you as you had already assumed a spot in the grass laying back in it facing the Sun. "Sounds fine!"

You smiled up at the sky as Aziraphale headed off to a sturdy tree just outside the clearing.

As you lied in the grass the breeze blowing it through your fingers something caused you to sit up quickly. The wind blew through the trees rustling the leaves almost like it was calling to you. You stood up grabbing your dress in your fists and made your way to the opposite edge of the clearing to where the river bed sat. The wind blew again beckoning you further and further to the edge almost like the wind it's self was pushing you.

"Funny seeing you here." Aziraphale jumped after tightening the rains on a sturdy branch and turned to see an old friend sat comfily on a fallen branch.

"Crowley!? What are you doing here?"

"I can ask you the same."

"I asked you first now I won't ask it again."

"I was sent here on a job. And you?"

"I was also sent here on a job..."

Unlike Aziraphale who obviously looked like an Angel trying to fit in. He was Dresses properly and cleanly.

Crowley dresses just like a demon would of he where trying to fit in. Dark colors and rouged yet sharp his hair was trimed and neat as well one might have mistaken him for royalty. the only diffrence where the shaded eye glasses that covered his eye's.

Crowley stood up from the branch and sauntered over to his friend. "And what job was that?"

Aziraphale nervously glanced over at the clearing before answering. "If you must know...I'm here protecting princess y/n from any stunts your side might try pulling while her father is ill."

"Really well then where IS the princess?"

"She's right overs th-" as Aziraphale turned to point you our he noticed you where in fact no longer in the spot you where once laying. "Princess? Y/n!?" Crowley gave a devilish grin before melting back to a snake and slithering his way into the clearing.

You had found yourself by the river unsure of what had beckoned you too it but you happily lifted your dress above your ankles allowing your feet to splash around in the more shallow end. Crowley had slithered down the hill towards the river.

His job was a simple one well something that should have been simple enough for him. He was tasked with killing you before you could be handed the throne.

But as his plan to do so unfolded it played out much more difficult than he anticipated.

You had hopped up on to a log that bridged the clearing and the daisy medow and made your way across it. Crowley followed suite preparing to bite you.

But before he could the log shifted causing you to lose your balance.

Crowley quickly caught your wrist and pulled you into him before jumping safetly on the other side as the other end of the log slid and fell into the river.

"Wow..." you looked up at him with a grin. "You must be my guardian Angel or something!"

Crowley froze when looking down at you. He had seen you yes but not like this. You had a wild excited look in your eyes and a wide smile that lit up your whole face. He blinked a few times taking you in.

"Quite...Quite the opposite actually..." He had loosened his hold on you allowing you to step away a bit. There was something about you that held Crowley in a sort of daze. You brushed your dress off and offered your hand to him.

"Well in any event you saved me...thank you kind sir." He quickly shook himself from the daze and took your hand and kissed your knuckles. "The pleasure is mine princess y/n?"

"Yes that is I...and you are...?"

Crowley opened his mouth to answer but someone across the stream did so for him.

"Crowley! Why thank heavens you found her!"

"Aziraphale! You know this man!?"

They both exchanged a look. "Yes he's...he's an old friend of mine...why don't we head back for that tea we spoke about earlier and perhaps check on your father?"

"How do you suppose i-"

Crowley quickly snapped and a black horse appered making it's way through the medow. "I'll have my trusty steed here give you a quick ride back to yours."

You smiled as Crowley helped lift you up on to the horse and walked it across the river.

Aziraphale shot him a look as he continued to the clearing with you. Aziraphale followed behind and quickly got the horses ready. "There you are my lady."

He lifted you off and set you gently back on the ground. "Thank you so much."

"My pleaser." You hopped onto your horse and awaited for aziraphale to acompany you.

"You go ahead miss I think I should catch up to my friend here."

"Alright but don't be long I'm sure my father would like to formally meet you."

Aziraphale nodded as you rode off and out of the woods. "Good bye princess I do hope to see you again!" Crowley yelled and waved after you.

Aziraphale then slapped his arm. "I don't known what you or your side is playing at Crowley but you stay away from her you hear me?"

He held his hands up defensivly. "Oh right what was I gonna do kill her?"

Aziraphale huffed. "I don't know what you had planed..." Aziraphale hopped onto his horse and shot Crowley another stern look before riding off.

Crowley watched in distess. Kiing a princess was one thing. Killing you would be a completely different thing.

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Tagging:

@writer-of-camelot

@ibjessjess

@eagelandbutterfly

@sophiematskiv

Sanders Sides Theory – July 3, 2019-August 16, 2019

The last side will be Aggression. Please enjoy this short essay explaining why.

 Looong post below the cut.

Premise:

Orange.  The mythical last Side needed to complete the rainbow that is C!Thomas.  According to color theory, orange signifies High Activity, Action, Impulse, and… Aggression.  But many of the sides don’t neatly fit into any of the traditional color theories. While it would complete the rainbow, their color is not going to define their trait.  So just toss that out right now.

I racked my brain to come up with another unspoken personality trait that could be considered shameful like Deceit and Remus, that C!Thomas could possibly have within him.  I actually sat on this post for more than a month because the pieces didn’t fit. But now that I’ve started to see other posts about the last Side being Anger, in the context of standing up for oneself, (Righteous Fury) I think it makes sense.  What is the literally opposite of how we view C!Thomas in these videos?  Kind, sympathetic, accepting C!Thomas?  Aggression and violence.  

Examples of Violence or Aggression in the show:

AoVD – Roman slays a dragon-witch to protect an imaginary Valerie.  Roman is considered to be acting par-for-the-course for killing the dragon-witch, and no one minds because he did it to defend someone.  

AA - Login throws a keyboard at Thomas to make a point.  

-Some kinds of violence are acceptable to society, like defeating ‘bad’ people.  Or for science.

LNTAO – Logan screams and throws a crumpled paper at Roman, hitting him in the eye.  This causes Patton and Roman to lead a full-on puppet-based theatrical production about why we need to express our feelings in healthy ways.  (Logan had to hit him in the eye, for the sake of the idiom, “an eye for an eye”.) (Also, Logan had a feeling for once, and it was anger.)

EP – Virgil throws a rock at C!Thomas and hits him in the face, but immediately feels bad about it.  

-Some kinds of violence are not acceptable.

(I’m leaving out the latest episode for a reason.)

The Sides have quietly been exploring and dealing with aggression the whole time.  This is also why Virgil, as someone trying to reform themselves, seems to actually be afraid of the yet-unknown ‘other’ Side.  He knows how bad something like that has the potential to be.  With the last episode’s reveal of Remus, he seems resigned to the fact that all the Sides will eventually come out, and he can’t control or prepare for it as much as he thought he could.  He’s scared.

Counter-Argument:

Let me stop you right there- if the other sides act out and are violent or aggressive sometimes, does that mean there needs to be a whole ‘nother side for it?  Why isn’t that just something they do?

One Side exhibiting a trait from another Side is par for the course, of course.  We were not officially introduced to Deceit until episode CLBG, but Virgil has been specifically reminding everyone not to lie since way back in AOVD, as well as several episodes that bring up instances of lying to ourselves, or denying reality: ANYOLTM, TDSOD, AOVD.  Patton, Roman, and Logan have all been caught lying since early episodes, despite us not knowing Deceit existed.  Therefore, the fact that many of them have acted aggressively in the past is a solid indicator that Aggression will be its own Side.

The Meat of the Argument – Suppression:

There are no light or dark sides, good or bad sides.  There are only those sides that C!Thomas has, or has not, already accepted are a part of him.

Being nurturing, logical, and creative (to an extent) are all sides that have been encouraged in him, and most of us, from early childhood.  Showing these traits is considered positive behavior, and conducive to functioning in society.  

There are no light or dark sides.

Meanwhile, being duplicitous or selfish, creating things that seem too dark, or having paranoid thoughts are all often dismissed or considered to be unacceptable by large swaths of people, particularly when we’re young.  As my own example, I went to a Christian pre-school in 1992-93 (I’m old, okay?).  One day while finger-painting, I drew a large green snake attacking an airplane.  Yeah, that’s right, I came up with “Snakes on a Plane”, and that’s why I included the date.  Suck it, Hollywood.  

That finger-painting was, and still is, the best depiction of an airplane I have ever produced.  I can still picture it.  I was so proud, I excitedly told my teacher exactly what was going on in the scene when she asked.  She promptly took it away and threw it in the trash, because, “Violence is wrong.”

I cried.  I hadn’t actually attacked a plane full of people, or created a real life violent snake.  I’d only thought about it and drawn a picture.  It was a compelling story for a five year old!

Suppressing ‘negative’ thoughts doesn’t help us.  Every Side only wants what’s best for C!Thomas.  Virgil wants to protect him.  Deceit wants him to be successful.  Remus wants C!Thomas to be free to express himself, without being limited by what society (or even his own wholesome viewers) might find acceptable.  

Yet, we are taught to suppress these kinds of thoughts and ideas, to deny they even exist.  But we know, because the series shows us, that even these ‘darker’ sides can be useful.  How?  

All things in moderation.

Moderation is the key.  Focusing too much on any one facet hurts us, while working towards a balance helps us.  Even our acceptable traits can hurt us when they’re taken to the extreme: Being too logical can lead to disregarding feelings and producing lower quality work, just for the sake of meeting a deadline.  Being too fanciful can cause us to get lost in a daydream when we need to take care of our responsibilities.  Being too protective of an ideal can make us blind to the way someone is trying to express themselves.  

One by one, C!Thomas has shown how each Side can be helpful to him.  And anxiety is the key, the linchpin.  Feeling stress can be a way to alert us of possible dangers, societal faux-pas, and cause us to change course to ensure a positive outcome.  This is the base human emotion, that for centuries has allowed us to conform, just a little, to stay in a group, and keep us from getting eaten by freakin’ wolves!  Anxiety is accepted as useful.

Acceptance.

Heck, Remus was introduced and (more or less) accepted in a single (long) episode!  I left out the examples of violence in his episode until now, because each and every one of them was ultimately accepted as just being a creative part of our brains that happens sometimes, unworthy of lingering on.  They do not matter.  It was immediately resolved that Remus simply can’t control or predict his imaginative outbursts, but would like to be accepted all the same because he doesn’t want C!Thomas to miss out on what could be a huge portion of his creative ability.  He’s hurt by the fact he was rejected in the first place.

So, although Deceit has not yet been accepted per se, we can fully anticipate it, and the acceptance of any remaining unknown Sides, given enough time.  And this pattern of acceptance will be their downfall.

Progression:

Why has it taken so long to get to this Side?  

When the series first started, C!Thomas’s anxiety was high.  He was just coming to accept it existed, let alone how to deal with it and turn it to his advantage.  When you feel anxious all the time, it’s incredibly difficult to ever really feel confident in yourself or what you’re doing.  We can’t stick up for ourselves if we don’t feel confident about ourselves in the first place.  

Anxiety directly inhibits Confidence.

Exactly through the act of resolving his various Sides, the Sides become more and more confident, more valid. C!Thomas grows as a person and feels more comfortable with who he is and his path.  His anxiety evolves and balances out, allowing him to feel more confident in his decision making.

The point is always to achieve balance, and accept what each Side brings to the table.  And now we’re finally at the most recent video, in which we literally come to terms with the ability to have dark thoughts without them necessarily changing our behavior in real life.  Confidence becomes okay.  He believes in his ability to make choices that are just, like in the literal courtroom conclusion.  C!Thomas MUST reach the point where he can accept that premise, because otherwise Aggression would never be palatable.  Standing up for yourself would never be possible.  He could never be confident if he was still worried about randomly committing violent acts against his will.  

In this episode, we see the result of a Virgil that has slowly been growing more confident in his role and purpose, because he and Patton demand the group just “trust us”.  But a confident Virgil is like a feedback loop into the speaker: the noise becomes stronger, more distorted, and more painful with each iteration.  When he finds himself aligned with Remus unexpectedly, his feelings of confidence sink and his doubt skyrockets.

Prediction:

Not in the next episode, but definitely coming up, C!Thomas will experience an injustice from outside forces. There will be an increased level of anxiety, in which Virgil reaches an unbearable level, and C!Thomas wonders if aggressively pursuing his goals will cause him to lose his sense of self.  He was wronged, but how far is he willing to go to right it?  Can he handle that kind of social conflict?

C!Thomas doesn’t believe in violence, sure, but he can’t let this one go, not after everything else he’s given up so far.  Roman deserves this.  He will ultimately be manipulated into tabling his Anxiety, because he feels he deserves to be successful, and he can’t afford to let fear stop him now.  

The Set Up:

With Anxiety out of the way, something changes in the others.  They feel free, more confident.  This time the choice was knowingly made to reject Virgil, instead of leaving everyone confused like it did in AA.  And at least some of them can feel justified about it, because he was getting out of control.  They’ll bring him back when it’s all over, they tell themselves.  But with Patton’s help, C!Thomas still feels one last pang of doubt.  Was it right to remove Virgil?  At this, Logan will turn on him, reasoning that the entire point of EVERYTHING was to be successful, and “now that we’re here, you’re just going to throw it all away?  For what?!  To save face with someone who doesn’t even deserve it?  To let some jerk decide what you’re capable of, for you?  This could be- IS everything we’ve been working towards!”  The set-up of him being the savior in DWIT, and feeling more confident in his status as “cool” and capable, will be his driving force.  Even Roman is on-board with this, he wants the spotlight so badly! Logan’s voice will change.  He’ll become unreasonable, emotional.  And at that point it will become clear he’s not himself.  He will hit the floor like the battery just died in his little robot puppet.  And what rises up in his place?  Well...

Aggression will appear without any fancy dress.  He will be wearing a t-shirt, possibly with some orange, or some small, hard-to-see detail indicating his trait, but will otherwise look exactly like C!Thomas does in everyday life.  This is the insidiousness of anger and violent thoughts; You can never tell, just by looking, who might act on them.

He will be an energetic, twitching mess of barely controlled excitement, looking for any outlet.  He might display potential traits for an addictive personality.  He will give clear instructions and expect to be listened to.  “Do it.  Do it, now- STOP TALKING AND D-!“

All of the increasingly extravagant costumes for each new side have just been a misdirect leading up to this exact moment; A face-to-face confrontation with the part of C!Thomas that he feels most ashamed of: actual pride in himself.  

Why?

Why would it be hard for someone to be proud of themselves?  

Already addressed in DWIT, pride is a ‘sin’.  We convince ourselves not to feel it, because the ‘right’ thing to do is accept our lot in life, to believe we don’t even deserve what we have, let alone dare to reach for more. One of the greatest struggles we face in a world where we have access to a relentless stream of information, is reconciling our position compared to others.  Every time we get a role in the play, are we taking from someone else?  Maybe we didn’t really earn that opportunity.  The act of pursuing anything non-critical to survival is juxtaposed by our sense of justice.  We struggled, so we deserve something for our efforts.  

People who have struggled hard to make something of themselves, only to find their path blocked by someone else, something outside of their control… they snap.  They reach an invisible marker in their timeline where they can choose to either be someone that always gives in, gives to others, never chooses themselves… or they can choose to stand up.  And who helps us stand up?  Deceit.  Because if we aren’t willing to stand up to that roadblock for ourselves, we rationalize that it will benefit others.  How many more people will this roadblock prevent from creating something?  From succeeding?  This isn’t just about us anymore, it’s about justice for all who come after!  It is righteous!  It is good! It’s US versus THEM!

That’s why, when we need to reject civility, anxiety has to go…

Conclusion:

Accepting Deceit is the first step. None of this works if he’s still an outlier.  With the help of Deceit, Aggression will forcibly coerce and overpower each Side in turn as they try to defend C!Thomas, insisting that he is the last, and greatest, piece of the puzzle needed to ensure C!Thomas’s success and well-being. He is self-serving and unabashedly honest about it.  The contrast will even make Deceit look more appealing:  “See?”  He mocks the Sides as they’re defeated.  “I just wanted to give you a calm, civil version of all…” waving a gloved hand, “-this.  But you wouldn’t listen and, now, here we are...”

But you wouldn’t listen.

C!Thomas will continue the pattern of acceptance, because every Side has to have some good in them, right?  If Deceit can be good, so can Aggression.  He doesn’t understand why the other Sides are being so stubborn.  They don’t know what it feels like to be rejected just for being themselves, not like Deceit and Virgil.  Like him.

Leaving us with one last, unanswered question: Who will C!Thomas be once all the Sides are revealed?

But that’s just a theory- a Game Theo- ha, just kidding.  If this turns out to be all wrong, well, it was a good mental exercise.  Hope you enjoyed. 

Chocolate

Sweets had been a rarity for Gwen when she was growing up. Confections and sweets were an expensive luxury she couldn’t afford, and she’d had to make due staring longingly at them on the other side of shop windows before moving on, bleakly accepting they were something she wasn’t meant to have outside of rare occasions. 

Most of those said occasions were holidays, when the time of year inspired a joyous, celebratory sense of camaraderie among the citizens of Eorzea that often resulted in small, spontaneous acts of charity.

In those instances the sweets had been cause for celebrations in and of themselves. They were what had made Starlight, Moonfire Faire, All Saints’ Wake and all the other holidays in between so much more pleasant, meaningful and special, like little points of brightness for her to look forward to as the years slid by.

But the occasional holiday treat wasn’t enough to sustain her sweet tooth. By the time Gwen became an adult it had fully withered away, an she found many deserts far too rich for more than a bite or two. Fortunately Eorzea’s breadth of confections was nothing if not vast, and there were plenty of options for little indulgences that appealed to her milder tastes. More recently, her friends amongst the Scions have been more than happy to lend a hand or pick up the slack whenever a piece of cake or tart was inescapably foisted upon her.

Those same friends had been endlessly amused when Gwen recounted the liquor-fueled whim that had resulted in her purchasing a large box of chocolates one Ul’dahn evening. 

The chocolates had been of the overly fanciful ‘artisanal’ variety. Their extravagance was reflected in both the wonderful, skillfully crafted designs that had enticed her in the first place, and their frankly outrageous cost. Her hazy mind hadn’t been bothered by such trifling details as price and not liking sweets, however, and she’d happily tossed the requisite small fortune on the counter. She’d felt nothing but giddy and excited about her --not-- minor indulgence as she’d marched home clutching a box that was nearly as ornate as its contents. 

She’d eaten the whole ponze of chocolate in less than half a bell, not sparing so much as a moment of consideration for the intricacies and nuances of the myriad chocolates and fillings - much to the chocolatier’s dismay, no doubt. Unsurprisingly, it didn’t take long before her stomach violently rejected the sudden overload of cloying saccharine richness. How much of the spontaneous sickness had been caused by the chocolates and how much had been the liquor was still up for debate, but she firmly blamed the chocolate.

Ever since that regrettable incident, she hasn’t had the stomach for chocolate. It was hardly an inconvenience, as few things outside of the sweets and desserts contained chocolate, so she saw no reason to devote any effort to overcoming her distaste.

And then she’d been given a steaming mug of cocoa at Camp Dragonhead. 

The mug had been almost too hot in her chilled hands, the warmth welcome but harsh as it burned the frozen numbness from her fingers. The sweet scent had made her hesitate when it stirred up hazy, drunken memories that made her stomach quiver. Despite the minor protest, the curling steam and the alluring promise of melting the ice from her bones had eventually enticed her to at least try a little sip. 

She should have waited a little longer, as the rich liquid was molten on her tongue. For lack of a better option she forced it down her throat, eyes watering as she felt the burn crawl all the way down to her stomach.

She barely caught the flavor in her haste, a familiar richness that had ghosted across her tongue amidst the scalding heat. It had been sweet without being cloying, both smoothed and deepened by cinnamon and cream. 

She was still coughing and blinking furiously, awaiting some sort of unpleasant reprisal from her stomach despite the enjoyable flavor when a subdued, pleasant warmth bloomed beneath her skin that spread all the way from her fingers to her toes. 

Despite her initial trepidation, the taste and wonderful warmth were enough to convince her to try another sip once the drink had cooled a little. Then another, and another, on and on until she’d savored every last drop, comfortable and content as a warm hearth.

Hot chocolate has been the exception to the rule, and a regular indulgence, ever since.

I’M WORKING ON IT. I’M CATCHING UP.

Also, hey, look! I wrote a short thing! :D Heavily inspired by @aethernoise ‘s short story Spices. Her series ‘I Damn Well Mean to Try’ on AO3 is what got me writing again after a suuuper long hiatus. Read her stuff. All of it. She’s an amazing writer and Alyx is wonderful. I plan to post the next prompt today, too. But that one is definitely going to be looong again. As is my usual style.

Something Happened

Steve x Henderson Reader x Dustin

Summary: Based on this post. You are Dustin’s older sister in a date with Steve and, well… Something goes really wrong

Warnings: There is what could be a beginning of a smut but it doesn’t really happen, because, well… So it’s not nsfw but there is some kissing and stuff. Aaand, swearing, I’m sorry I can’t help it.

Word count: I couldn’t count them because I wrote directly in the post, but it is, yeah, quite long.

Even though you hate to wish bad things to other people, you were very thankful that Steve Harrington and Nancy Wheeler broke up, so you could be with him. You were also grateful for that because you always knew very well that Nancy and Jonathan belonged to each other and they’ve finally noticed that. Growing up with them, especially because of your little brother, Dustin, and his friends, made you realize it.

Although you just got close with Steve after a serie of weird episodes, you have always wanted him for you, secretly. But you were just too shy to make a move. And also thankful for your brother for getting close to Steve so he could get to know you better.

You couldn’t forget the day. It was a cold fall day. Dustin had the whole gang at your place and he also invited Harrington himself to play boardgames with them. However, they accidentally ended up ignoring his presence because he couldn’t keep up with the games. Thankfully, he decided to talk to you and show his feelings.

“I’m so glad to see them all very happy and finally calm. I mean, with no monster or demo-something around. They can’t ever slow down, Jesus. HEY SHITHEADS, STOP YELLING PLEASE.” Steve said, sitting next to you on the couch. 

You blushed, he had never been physically that close to you.

“True. I’m just so shocked by how big they are. Time flies, you know? I still remember all of them, like, really small, playing with action figures and stuff.”

Steve kept his eyes on the six 12 year-olds, very focused. He sighed and looked back at you, with a smirk on the side of his lips.

“Do you wanna hear a secret Dustin told me? It’s really hot!”

“Steve Harrington gossiping? Now I’m intrigued!”- you couldn’t help yourself and you laughed a bit.

“I’m a human, I sin too.”- he laughed- “But let’s do this outside, I don’t want him to know that I told you this.”

“Okay, let me just grab my coat.”

As you closed the front door of your house, Steve held your hand, leading you to a place as far as possible to the entrance. Your heart started racing so fast you actually got scared he’d notice it, but you couldn’t deny you were loving it.

“As I told you, it’s really hot. You better sit down.”-he pointed to the ground, showing where you should sit.

“Okay, I must say I’m getting slightly scared. What happened that is so confidential?”- you raised an eyebrow

Steve sits next you, but turns his head to face you, even closer than as you were sitting on the couch. He comes closer to your ears and whispers:

“Dustin told me you always had a crush on me. And that once you wrote me a love letter, in like, the 8th grade.”

You actually fell on the ground with the shock.

“HE DID WHAT?!?!?! I’M GOING TO KILL THAT SHITHEAD. OH HE CAN’T WAIT FOR IT.”

But his reaction wasn’t at all what you were waiting for. Steve was laughing so hard he actually had his eyes tearing. 

“OH HENDERSON, YOU ARE JUST LIKE YOUR BROTHER! REALLY EASY TO CATCH” - he held your hand so he could lift you back up.

Suddenly your anger had turned into doubtfulness and you gave him your most confusing look.

“I was just teasing you. He didn’t tell me anything. I just wanted to check out if my theory was right, I always thought you had something for me.”

You could feel your cheeks getting red, and it wasn’t due the cold. To calm you down, Steve got close to your ear again and said very softly:

“Don’t worry, I have a thing for you too”

He waited to see your reaction, and even though you had no idea what you looked like,apparently you looked in an approval way, because Steve closed his eyes to give you a light soft kiss. You closed your eyes and kissed him back. Lord you waited SO long for that kiss.

“Caught you again! I just said that to see if I’d have a chance with you.”

You smiled, and playfully slapped his arm.

“Ouch! Okay, I deserved that. Is it true about the letter in the 8th grade though?”

“Yes. But it was during the 6th grade.”

He hugged you and kissed your forehead.

*******************************************************************

It has been 5 months since that amazing moment and you were going to celebrate it today. You two were deeply in love and Steve was being the best boyfriend ever. He took you everywhere, to the movies and for dinner, and also was very supportive and was with you whenever you needed.

Today wouldn’t be anything very fancy though. He was broke and you thought it’d also be nice just to eat pizza and watch a movie at his place. 

Exacly at 4pm his car arrives at your drive-way. He honks once, and you leave the house as fast as you can.

“Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere without you!”-he said as you slammed the car’s door.

“I’m sorry, I’m just so excited! I haven’t seen you in a couple of days!”- you say, and immediately after, you kiss him. Oh, you missed those lips.

“Yeah, I know. But it was your decision to change me for your studies group!”

“I’m sorry, finals are coming! You should also be preparing yourself. Plus, don’t be jealous, you know you don’t need that.”

The date went perfectly fine. The pizza was delicious and the movie was on point. I mean, you love Star Wars way more than Steve did. He was more an action movie type of guy, but he’d do everything to please you.

The movie was just done. Steve yawns and stretches himself, doing that classic move where his arms goes around your shoulder, pulling you closer to him. You snuggle him, laying your head on his chest. He places his nice strong arms around you. 

“That was so nice. We should do it more often. Even though I love to go out with you and show everyone the most beautiful girlfriend in the world… - he makes a small pause to kiss your head - “… I also love to stay in and do nothing all day.”

You turn around to face him, a smirk showing on the corner of your mouth.

“We can also stay in and… You know, do stuff…”- you raise an eyebrow

  Suddenly Steve was the one smirking, he pulls you up, so your face is on the same level of his. He trails kisses from your neck to your lips.

“Hmmm, that also sounds like a very nice idea…”-he whispers, kissing your lips once more.

This time, the kiss is more intense, longer, better. Both your tongues are joyfully dancing, showing each other some love. He pulls you up, so you can sit on his lap. Your hands are on his wonderful hair. Even though he told you to avoid messing it, he loved when you slightly pulled it.

Just as he was about to take your shirt off, someone knocks the door. Hard.

“(Y/N)!! STEVE! PLEASE OPEN UP!”

“Fuck, I left the door unlocked…”-mutters Steve.

Suddenly, Dustin opens the door and enters the house in such hurry it makes you think something is wrong again. But actually Dustin is the one more shocked to see his older sister on Steve Harrington’s lap. He even covers his face with his hands in embarrassment.

“SHIT. FUCK. I’M SO SORRY. I just need some help and I had to come here.”

“DUSTY ARE YOU OKAY?! WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED THIS TIME?!”

You promptly stand up and run to your little brother to check if everything is okay with him. But he pushes you away.

“NO! Jesus, (Y/N) I’m fine. It’s just that… Something happened.”-his voice lowed the tone at this last sentence

You look back at Steve, worried. He raised and eyebrow and asked:

“So, what happened? What did you do?”

“IT WAS AN ACCIDENT! I SWEAR!”

“C’mon Dustin! Just tell us what the hell happened!”-You are completely impatient and curious at this point.

“I… I flooded the toilet…”-He looks down. Dustin is too embarrassed to face you and Steve

“Are you serious you’re interrupting my date because you flooded the toilet? UGH! I bet the house is a mess!”-you sigh- “Why couldn’t just tell mom and call a plumber?”

“I CAN’T?! Do you remember how she reacted when I broke the window that time?”-his eyes looks scared by remembering the episode.

Steve can’t help himself and laughs in the background at your family arguement.

“To be quite honest with you, I have no interest in knowing how you did that. However, I’ll help you fix it.” - your generous boyfriend says, putting his shoes on and grabbing the car keys.

***************************************************

As you reached your house, Steve parks his car on you driveway and you two wait for Dustin who was following the car on his bike. 

You enter the house and notice that there is a waterfall down the stairs, making a huge puddle on the living room’s floor. You look at your brother furiously. 

“Calm down, he said it was an accident. Forgive the poor clumsy kid.”-says a calm Steve, placing his hand on your back, trying to calm you down as well.

Dustin then shows you his tongue. He had won that one.

You grab some towels and Dustin shows Steve where the problem was.

It was a looong hour drying all that water from the floor. And you of course had to use some cleaning products to relieve the strong smell. At least this was over and hopefully the toilet wouldn’t break again so soon. 

“Thanks once again Steve, for fixing the toilet.”-said a blushing Dustin - “And (Y/N) for helping me clean all this mess. Guess I owe you guys this one?”

“This one? Oh you little shithead, you owe us so much…”-Steve laughs and punches Dustin’s arm playfully.

The Cringe Wave

I was tagged by @rinthegreat to do this meme and I’m definitely up for it so y’all can cringe at my bad old writing. Rules: 1. Post a quote or short excerpt from your early days of writing/ARTING. (I’m talking old fanfics/ART, slash fics/ART, original fic/ART, etc., that are barely edited and have a ton of technical errors and misspelled words.) This is the cringe part. Don’t edit anything! Let it be horrendous. Don’t Panic. 2. Post a quote or short excerpt from one of your most recent works/WIPs. Something that you’re proud of. Something that you’ve written/ARTED that makes you smile when you read it. 3. Tag a writer/artist you admire, anyone who you think is amazing, new friends, followers, writeblrs, anyone who you’d like to know more about. If you think someone is a great writer/artist and you want to see how they’ve developed their skills, tag them! Everyone started somewhere. The Cringe Section: Sadly my oldest fanfics were posted on a geocities website hosted by someone I knew at the time and are gone forever. But I did back some of them up onto deviantART and I think this is the oldest one. It’s from a Sonic the Hedgehog (lol yeah) fanfic called “SU Forever”. I was going to just post a couple of paragraphs, but then I found this hilarious part where my over-powered Gary-Stu OC takes down “Robo Knux” and I just had to include the whole thing for the full cringe effect: It took awhile for this information to reach the hedgehog's ears as he was still staring in awe at the amazing design of this robot, the Freedom Fighters didn't stand a chance... But after a short silence he spoke, "You-you're Robo Knuckles aren't you?" The words sounded stupid even as they left his mouth, but since he was no longer facing the computer he hadn't seen the picture.   "I prefer Robo Knux if you don't mind," answered the Metallix still with a set smirk upon his face, "My friends call me RK, but you are not one of them, however you may call me that if you wish. And you must be Artemis Fowl, although I severely doubt that is your real name since you don't look like a character from a child's story book." After finishing this he stood with his menacing claws intertwined waiting for a reply.   It was the hedgehog's turn to smirk now, "Well done, you are the first person in this Empire to actually find me, but that's all you've done. You haven't caught me and you don't know my real name," was the reply.   Robo Knux let out a dedicative laugh, he seized the hedgehog by the collar of his white t-shirt and pulled him forwards so that they were so close the he could see himself reflected in the metallix's eyes. After pausing for effect he said in a cool, bone chilling voice, "That's what I intend to do."   The hedgehog struggled for a few seconds but didn't give an answer so RK tried again, "Come on Arty I don't have all day! There's Freedom Fighters out there far more dangerous then you that I could be taking down."   "Oh really?" said Artemis flinging himself backwards so that his feet came forwards hitting off the robot's metallic chest and sending him flying back against the wall. RK was stunned, more from the mere shock that this spy had hurt him then from the actual physical damage. He sat there just staring at the yellow hedgehog.   "I doubt you'll meet a Freedom Fighter out there who's more of a threat then me," Continued Artemis, allowing himself to be bigheaded for a minute. Then he jumped past RK and disappeared out of the door.   Robo Knux could have got up and gave chase, probably even catching his prey, he knew that he could. But for some reason he sat there in thought. His main thought was how to explain his failure to Doctor Robotnik. Something I’m Proud Of: I was torn between a few fics I’ve been proud of lately, but in the end I settled for a scene from “Prison Food”, the second story in the Trail Mix series, where zombie Haru calls Hayato out on his bullshit (if you’re not familiar with Trail Mix, Haru’s voice is fucked, which is why his dialogue reads like that): “I beg your pardon?” gaped Hayato. “...Don't aa-ct like th-that... I be-lieve yoou thaaat you're u-under press-uure... buuut you c-clearly g-get your ownn... waaay a lot here... The people all l-liike you...” said Haru, “...Come a looong w-way, haveen't you, Ha-aayato...?” Hayato sat down again. The angry pacing must have tired him out. He ran his hand through his hair, something that... Haru remembered Kisumi doing when he was stressed. In many ways Hayato was like Kisumi, but in many more ways he wasn't. “I'm doing this all for my family...” he mumbled, “But there have been... perks. I've gotten comfortable. I like my job. That doesn't seem wrong to me, but... you're right. You said to me that being around other zombies ran the risk of setting you back, I just didn't expect such a severe reaction out of nowhere to just that one.” “...He wasss f-from Iwa-aatobi...” Haru pointed out. He needed to know for sure. “Yes, I admit that they've started taking in samples from there, despite my protests,” answered Hayato, “So don't you dare say I get my own way all the time again. But I'm not heartless, so I did check. It wasn't anyone you know. It wasn't... Rin.” Tagging: There’s so many people I’d love to see do this, but don’t feel pressured if you don’t want to. Anyway, I tag: @starryamber @krokorobin @pandirpus @smuddragon @iskabee @101flavoursofweird @heresmellslikecanon @karumello @maybeillride @starshi @agaricals @foxaloxa @kuma-tori @vulpiximisa

Behold! The DnD Ask Meme Fairy! I pray thee go through and answer all 20 for your characters, but counting off style (one character answers 1, 4, 7, etc; another is 2, 5, 8, etc). Then sort your babies by Hogwarts houses 💕

(And after almost a year I answer this beautiful ask <3)  1) What would they consider to be their biggest failure? (Aslan) Aslan is that kind of person who refuses to deal with his own problems by minimizing and ignoring them up until it’s too late to hide them under the proverbial rug. In the past he was scammed by his former lover, but out of shame, pride and a misplaced sentiment of romantic commitment he didn’t reveal their identity to almost anyone. Now that this man is back in his life, teasing him, relying on his feelings again and putting Aslan and his companions and family in danger, Aslan blames himself for not having done everything in his power to stop him back then.  Close second: that one time he killed one of his fellow companions with a Thunderwave. OPS. 2) What’s the story behind their name? (Nemo/Cedric) This is an easy one! When I first played him, I had just finished playing Ace Attorney Dual Destinies and wanted to give a nod to one of my favorite characters out of the whole franchise: The Phantom. Since he is described as “a no one”, I choose the latin word “Nemo” (that literally means no one xD) and that’s it. The similarities between the two end there, I prefer a more Fulbright-ish personality. No worries, he is a good paladin <3. For the second name the story is simple: I didn't choose it. Or better said, I choose it in a list of random generated names that my master came up with… since neither of us was ready to see the character die in that particular fight. Fortunately the party was able to grant him another chance at life the next session.  3) What’s their relationship with their family? (Mekare) Pretty complicated, I must say. She was born into an extramarital union together with her twin sister Dalista, but since both of them were Tieflings their father cut all connection with their mother and them, and made it pretty clear they weren’t welcome. Since then they traveled the world, in search of a place to call their own. Unfortunately in the process they caught unwanted attention that ended with the death of the mother and the separation of the two sisters. Finding her lost sister is Mekare’s biggest obsession. 4) What’s one song that describes them or is them? (Aslan) Oh well, I could quote all P!ATD discography since almost all their songs remind me of my favorite bard in some way or another. BUT, I’ll go with “Into the Unknown'' (Frozen 2) since it depicts his internal and emotional turmoil quite well. His character arc revolves around coming to terms with his past trauma, opening himself to new, healthy long-term relationships (with partners, friends and family alike) and realizing what he really wants for his life. And this song could very much be read under this interpretation, I think. 5) Who is their best friend? (Nemo) Ok, this is something I wasn’t able to fully explore during my playtime with him. Having joined the party in the mid/late half of the campaign I didn’t have much time to build such strong relationship bonds with the pgs of my fellow party members. They were friends, but not the best of friends. Probably this changed afterwards, but we didn’t played it /YET/ So for now, I’ll say that his best friends are Smara and Amaimon. They’re his two extraplanar pets: a Nightmare (Smara) well smarter than he is, truth to be told, and a Displacer Beast (Amaimon). 6) Why are they their class? (Mekare) After all of that - her mother long gone and her sister lost - Mekare wandered for days and days without caring for her needs, yet still relentless she continued her travelling into the deep of the forest. She was then approached by an elderly couple of druids. Mekare much like a feral animal tried to flee but not hard enough. The two druids were able to rescue her to the safety of their “circle”. Since then she stayed with “The circle of the moon” learning their craft and growing as a wise Tiefling until she felt ready to start her research for her lost sister.  7) What do they think of their party members? (Aslan) He likes them, yet they still haven’t gained his full trust. Not because they are untrustworthy but ‘cos Aslan himself has a long way to go before being able to fully dwell in a friendly relationship just for the sake of it. They survived a lot together ( the dethronement of a faux king, the impending chaos breaking havoc in the material plane are just some examples) and have a lot to come ahead. The only real thing he doesn’t like about his group is their complete inability to be stealthy at any given time.  8) In what ways are they similar to you? (Nemo) We are both Lawful Good af, and that is one. On a more serious note, we are both naive up to a fault even, seeing in everyone a possibility for change and betterment.  9) In what ways are they different from you? (Mekare) For one she had a sister and I am an only child. She’s angrier, lonelier and more focused than I could ever be. She’s the incarnation of the energy of a burning fire mixed with the patience of running water, a force to be reckoned with.  10) What do they look for in a romantic partner, if they have a romantic orientation? (Aslan) Aslan hadn’t thought about a /romantic/ partner in a looong time. He had his fair share of sexual encounters with both women and men, of various humanoids races, along the way. but he didn’t think of them as much more than a one-night-stand. Anyway, what Aslan is searching for in a romantic partner is their kindness, a caring nature and an unwavering honesty; he wants to feel safe and loved in their arms; at his side he desires a person who believes in him. And he wants to be that person for their partner.  11) If they had a patronus or animagus form, what would it be? (Nemo) A little premise: I’m not a big fan of HP so I will be brief here. I think if Nemo had to take an animal form it’ll be a Deer or an Elk. They strike me as strong yet pacific animals, able to fight when it matters and yet being perceived as peaceful.  12) What do they smell like? (Mekare) Being a Tiefling, her scent is for the most part characterized by the odor of sulfur, with a hint of burnt sandalwood and wild flowers. 13) What is their secret skill? (Aslan) Aslan isn’t the kind of person that likes to keep their skills a secret, he loves the attention, the praise that comes with being good at something. He loves being known and watched. But there are still skills and abilities he doesn't particularly spam publicly, for one all the skills connected with enchantments and “forced persuasion”. Thanks to his affiliation to the “bardic college of glamour” and his fairy patron he is a pretty good charmer.  14) What is their relationship to spirituality? (Nemo) Nemo is a very spiritual person, as a Paladin his faith in the goddess of death is unwavering and serving her to the very end is the greatest honour he could possibly foresee for himself. But he isn’t a preacher, he could go for days without speaking of his belief to anyone but himself and his horse. He isn’t affiliated to a church or any kind of organized religion.   15) If they were to be remembered for something, what would they want to be remembered for? (Mekare) She doesn’t care much about being remembered by anyone that isn’t her twin sister. She doesn’t aspire to be a hero or a saviour, she wants her only family back whether the price may be… if she does something to be remembered for along the way is just tangential.  16) Why did they become an adventurer? (Aslan) After losing part of his family fortune and being sent away by his dad, Aslan wasn’t in a good place. He was making a living as a bard moving from town to town, from tavern to tavern, living by the day as best as he could but a lifestyle such as this would’ve been harmful in the long run. Enter an old, grumpy dwarf, a cute yet deadly assassin and a handsome, alluring tiefling and you got the recipe for adventure!While the reason he started travelling was to get some inspiration for his writings and stories, after a while it became clear even to himself that he stuck with the group cos he cared deeply for them, even if he couldn’t help but be weary. Nowadays he’s a bit unsure if he wants to stick around after having taken care of his ex tho. 17) What’s one thing about their backstory that came to you after you already started playing the campaign? (Nemo) Oh well, all his past adventures on the material plane are something I hadn’t thought through beforehand. At the same time I wasn’t fully able to explore them in game, so they're still pretty much in the vague. But I’m pretty sure that I’ll be using some of the characters from his background in a project of mine: Gymnadenia, is a very athletic and enthusiastic Dryad he helped saving a forest, while Panthera Lea is a cute, little Chimera he and Gymnadenia rescued from an evil circus.  18) Do you have any headcanons for them that haven’t come up in game? Or headcanons for other party members? (Mekare) Almost all of her background has yet to come up in game, since I played her in a series of very plot driven sessions. But I hope to play her in full force in the near future.  19) Any ships with your character? If a PC or NPC, what interaction launched it? (Aslan) With Jarrett, a tiefling that he encountered at the very start of the campaign. He’s a NPC. Aslan himself has yet to wrap his head about his feelings for him but I hope he does it in the near future, cos things aren’t looking good for him in the “sentimental department” as of late. With Bozkurt, his ex-lover. A very badwrong and unhealthy ship, but I’m too weak to say no to my daily dose of angst.  With Kelner, another NPC. He is a half elf bard we rescued from a group of inquisitors, he wasn’t very big on money so he and Aslan set for another kind of payment ;) but I can see Aslan give him another chance. 20) What would your character consider their biggest success? Or what is your favorite success your character has had so far? (Nemo) Nemo isn’t one to boast in his own personal success. He puts himself and his achievement behind those of his own companions and he probably would be much more proud to be of help to someone rather than to be the sole “successful” person in the room. Nevertheless he finds a sense of personal satisfaction in being, once again,  the “Champion” of the goddess of death thanks to his rightful actions and attitude.  BONUS: B) Group them by Harry Potter houses

Mekare Slytherin - Aslan Ravenclaw - Nemo Hufflepuff

OOC Survey!

Why did you choose to play the character that you do at Crimson Revolt? 

Gideon and Fabian have been my muses for a looong time now. I think I’ve been writing one or the other since I was 16? (I’m 20 now I’m so old where has all the time gone!) And they just never get old, or boring, and they are so problematic and broken but beautiful wonderful people and I love them so much. I haven’t rped for a year ish now, and I came in fully intending to pick someone new, but then Gid’s bio hooked me right back in.

Do you have a favorite holiday? 

Bonfire night! Where we burn an effigy of a man who tried to blow up our parliament yay! But for real, as soon as Autumn hits and you start smelling that smokey smell in the air I get so excited. Not to mention bonfire toffee and fireworks.

Do you prefer coffee or tea? Perhaps neither, or both? 

Tea 100%. I have recently gotten into earl grey after one terrible experience with it as a child and spurning it ever since. Now I have seen the error of my ways, it’s amazing.

What is your personality type?

ISFP, last time I did a test, I don’t really know too much what it means.

What is your Hogwarts House?

Ravenpuff. It seems to alternate between the two every time I do a test, and I think I have qualities from both. I think at 11 I would have wanted to go to Ravenclaw and be one of the ‘smart ones’, now I think I’d much prefer to be in Hufflepuff, just working hard and and being kind and loyal.

What is your Zodiac Sign?

Virgo, I don’t really know what the significance of it is though I find horoscopes quite amusing.

Three most recently watched on Netflix?

I’m gonna do Amazon Prime instead because I use it way more.

So, Halt and Catch Fire, The X Files, and the movie 20th Century Woman, which was brilliant, I highly recommend it!

Describe your ride-or-die friend.

Can my brothers be my ride-or-die friends? We’ve been through a hell of a lot of shit together, and they are pretty much the only people in the world I’ve always been able to rely on, and will probably continue to be for the rest of my life. And I’m so freaking proud of them, they are both younger than me, but they are already better functioning human beings than me. Joe is doing an electrician’s apprenticeship and he’s so good at what he does and he loves it so much and everybody there really respects him and he’s just so darn funny! Then Tom is doing his A-levels and he’s like top in all his classes but he’s so modest about it and he’s either going to be a doctor or a citrus farmer and I think they are both really exciting options and whatever he does he’s going to have such a bright future. Spending time with them is so easy, and we know when we need to talk about serious stuff and when we need to just let the other be and when we need to mess around and have a laugh. When I came out as trans they barely blinked an eye, even though we had a really close brother/sister dynamic going on they immediately accepted me as their brother and the first time Joe introduced me as his brother to his friends I nearly cried. Can you tell I just really love them? I’m so freaking proud of them, I would do anything for them.

If you could have any superpower, what would you choose?

Okay, so I am a huge fan of the movie About Time, because I am a sucker for Richard Curtis films. I could watch it over and over and over again and not get bored, it’s so beautiful. So I think having the power he has in that movie would be great. Time travel had always made me really anxious because of the whole butterfly effect thing, but the way they do it in that movie really mellows it out, and the living every day twice thing to appreciate every moment is something I would probably benefit from a lot. Also I make a lot of silly mistakes, and I always realize just a moment too late, so if I could go back and erase those as they happened I would probably be taken a lot more seriously. 

Are you an early bird or a night owl?

I’m kind of inbetween right now? I used to be a huge night owl, and I slip back into those habits when on holidays. But because of work and uni I’ve been getting up early, and now I just stick to that routine even if it’s a day off. I’m also very dedicated to getting enough sleep every night, because the long-term effects of not enough sleep terrify me, so waking up early and going to bed late that night is just not something I like to do a lot. 

What is your favorite color?

Yellow. It’s a relatively new favourite colour. My dad told me last year that he always saw me as a yellow person, like I had a yellow aura or something, and then I was like ‘I want everyone to see me as a yellowy person’ so I started wearing a lot of yellow, and I think people definitely started seeing me differently, and I certainly developed more into myself, and it’s crazy how just wearing yellow t-shirts could do that, but I swear it changed so much. And now most of the stuff I own is yellow and I think my dad was right, I think yellow really suits me, on more than just a visual level, if that makes sense. 

What is the last book you read? What is your favorite?

The last book I read was ‘Just Kids’ by Patti Smith. It’s about her relationship with Robert Mapplethorpe. I mainly bought it because I have a huge crush on the guy at the bookshop, and I wanted to buy something so I could interact with him, but I also wanted to look cultured. BUT THEN THIS BOOK OPENED MY EYES OKAY. Her way of writing is so beautiful, and the way she describes living in New York during the 60s and 70s is amazing, and the people they meet and the interactions she has with all these amazing artists at the time are so inspiring, and now I just love everything about that scene, and I need everything I can get on it. 

My favourite book however, is ‘The Name of the Wind’ (and the Sequel ‘The Wise Man’s Fear’ because I’m a cheater) by Pat Rothfuss. I loved fantasy before these books, Lord of the Rings was a staple growing up. But this series changed the game for me. His world building abilities are just astounding, and his characters are so believable and in depth, and the story line is spectacular, and there is just nothing else out there that can live up to this standard I swear. Please, if you have any interest in fantasy, read these books, you will not regret a second of it!

Where would you rather be right now?

At home! I want it to be the Christmas Holidays so that I can see my dad and brothers already!

Have you ever watched the sunrise?

Yes, because I am horribly poetic and cliched like that. There was one period where I really wanted to catch a sunrise in this specific place, but every time I tried I got there too late, or it was really cloudy, or something else would go wrong, so I was chasing this sunrise for the better half of a year before I finally caught it and honestly, it was the best feeling when I eventually got to watch it. 

Do you listen to music when you write? If yes, what kind of music?

I listen to music whenever I’m doing anything. It probably does not help, because I get distracted super easily, but sometimes I think I’m just living to find that next great song, and whenever I can’t listen to music I get really frustrated (like when it’s 6am and I’m having a shower but my flatmates will get really annoyed if I start playing songs that early).

Right now I’m on a 60s/70s kick because of this book I just read, but it’s usually a lot of folk and indie stuff. 

What’s the one thing you especially love about roleplaying your muse/s?

I love the twin aspect, I really do, and maybe it comes from having a such a close relationship with my own brothers, but I do really love exploring that relationship. I also love that he’s a hot mess, but let’s face it, who isn’t?

What’s your favorite type of weather?

I like sunshine, I used to not, I used to like the cold and the dark, like some kind of gollum offspring, but now I can’t get enough of the sun and the warmth. Although that’s English warmth, I don’t think I could deal with Australia or Spain heat. Give me mild sunshine all the time please.

What’s your best RP experience?

I was in an rp for a year or so playing Fabian, and I got super close to the person playing Gid and she came to visit me from Germany once and we made a blanket fort and it was amazing. But mainly I just love the community aspect, wherever there is a good community, I am happy. 

Who inspires you?

Right now? Patti Smith. She’s such an amazing artist, she just makes me want to make art. I’m pretty sure reading that book is the reason I decided to get back into rping, because I just wanted to start writing again and writing consistently every day, because I think I’m a better person when I’m creating, and I am just so happy I read that book and that I connected with it and her the way I did.

Spread some love: mention someone you’ve met that has influenced you or your writing in a positive way and explain how!

There was this person I went to college with who I sat next to in our creative writing class (because screw science and stuff, I have an A-level for writing shitty poetry for two years). And this girl is just such a character, she’s the kind of person who always gets called by both her names, first and surname, and she is such a freaking nerd, and she knows everything I swear, and she is not afraid to correct you, or put herself out there. She is truly an inspiration. But anyway, I sat next to her in creative writing, and there was this period at the beginning of college where she was a bit of a social outcast, but I thought she was just pretty damn cool, and because I sat next to her, I got to read all her crazy writings. Now, this is a girl who writes everything from poetry about pigeons, to fiction, to song parodies and text adventure games. She was hilarious, and she would just ask for feedback all the time from everyone. She would hand this writing out to people, even when she didn’t have to, just to get feedback so she could make it better. She was just constantly creating, and really I think, just trying to make people laugh. But anyway, she is someone who really inspires me, and I think sitting next to her for two years while I wrote shitty poetry and she created masterpieces probably really influenced me for the better. 

Ficlet: An Unexpected Visitor

(Alternate title: Old Cob pulls a fast one)

[MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS]

Description: Velma and our wizard finally get some downtime together. Set after a theoretical series of events where Cob’s heart is destroyed... or so everyone thinks.

A/N: I have not had a writing groove this good in a looong time, I may have enjoyed this thread of inspiration a bit too much haha. ^^; I got this idea from a discussion on Discord, thank you guys for that. xD Also, this fic doesn’t follow the “Velma is the Bat” theory.

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Velma took a sip of her tea; it was a long time since she'd last been able to chat with a friend. A real friend that she could trust; not the others in the Arcanum, always distrusting her because of her interest in understanding Shadow. She wished they would realize that understanding your enemy is the key to defeating them. Nonetheless, the wizard sat in a low chair across from them in their office, surrounded by deep purple decor.

"Hope you like it... it's been awhile since I last made tea for someone," she said apologetically.

"No, it's good. It's been awhile since I sat with someone for tea," they replied. They looked into their cup, faintly seeing their reflection in their drink. They weren't lying about it being good; it was sweet, and tasted like blackberries.

"I'm glad to hear that. I figured you'd need it, after all that business with Grandfather Spider," she said, putting down her cup. "Is it true..? Is he really.... gone?"

The wizard signed. "I don't know." They put down their cup, thinking for a bit. "If he was, the Spiral would have probably crumbled to bits by now." They looked out the window, at the brightly colored threads of the Spiral. "There's no way he would be gone that easily," they scoffed to themselves.

"You got that right," Velma agreed. There was a minute of silence.

"Time, time, time... see what's become of me..." they muttered.

"What's that supposed to mea--" Velma started, cutting off when she saw the look on their face. Their eyes...... they weren't supposed to look like that. They were now radiating an unnatural purple glow.

"Surprised?" they asked, grinning wickedly. "So am I."

"Grandfather Spider," Velma said tightly. The change in their aura told Velma all she needed to know.

"I see why they call you the Shadow Scholar," they (he?) replied lazily. He held out their arm as if to examine his nails. "I am not so easy to get rid of. I admit, however, this isn't what I expected."

“What do you want? Why are you here, especially like this?” she demanded.

“Now now, settle down. I just wish to say hello.”

“Get. Out.”

“Or what? You’ll destroy me? We both know your friend here tried that, and you can see how well *that* went,” he scoffed.

“You won’t be laughing when the other Scholars hear of this,” she warned, standing.

“I wouldn’t advise such a thing,” he warned. “What do you think they would do to your friend if they hear that they are hosting their worst enemy?” Velma blanched. “Hrmmm...I doubt it would be pleasant. And knowing their suspicion of you, they may assume you to be an accomplice.”

Velma paused. When he put it like that… the Shadow scholar, defeated by the lies of a shadow! It was humiliating. But what else could she do? He’d caught her completely off guard, with no plan.

“...That doesn’t mean I won’t try and stop whatever it is you’re planning,” she warned him feebly.

“Ha! That’s the spirit! I expect nothing less,” he replied. He looked at his (their?) hands, which were now shaking. “Time’s up. I’m sure we shall meet again,” he said. The wizard’s eyes faded back to their original color, and they put a hand to their temple.

“Agh, I’ve got a massive headache…” They looked up at Velma, and concern showed in their expression. “Hey, are you alright? You look like you just saw a ghost.”

obduction update: Progress 4.0™ (but at what cost)

So, after many months, I’m back at it again with the poor observational skills.

I hadn’t played in so long for 2 reasons:

1) I’ve been a very busy boy and obduction takes a looong time to load up and play, especially if you’re age-hopping, because Hunrath is not kind to my feeble RAM.

2) I knew that I was stumped last time, and that if I hopped in again, I’d just be wandering around, and had no new inspiration on what to do.

I decided to play tonight for 2 reasons as well:

1) You can only grind the last few achievements in Stardew Valley for so long before your darling husband, Sebastian, says “Devon, I’m glad that you are tending to our farm with such care, but you need to stop putting off finishing Obduction, it’s weighing down on your conscience.” Man, the dialogue in the game is getting a little too specific. Darn data mining.

2) The incredible Dilandau3000, master LetsPlayer of all things Myst, finally started his series for Obduction, and I watched the parts come out each day as they caught up to my progress, then quickly surpassed me. One of the thumbnails, the last one from Hunrath’s main progress stuff, was from a perspective I’d never seen before: looking down on Hunrath from high above, and near the centre of the dome. I was struck with the realization that I was only 94% sure that I’d already checked if you couldn’t raise the central elevator above the rotary code level. I needed to find out.

So here I was, back in the game. I head over to check it out, and the 6% has it. Turns out popular vote doesn’t matter after all, who knew? The top of the elevator doesn’t look useful until I’ve connected all the trees, but at least I know it’s there. That was one of my two glaring observational oversights (or maybe 3, I guess).

After returning to Kaptar(?), I looked around for a while, confirming that I still had absolutely nowhere to go from what I’d done. I finally broke, and conceded to open Sven’s LP and see what I needed to do next. As I skimmed through the video, I was suddenly shocked and confused to see him rotate the spinning bridge further than I’d ever done, allowing walking through the cell wall. No way. No way there were TWO moving platforms where I’d made mistakes because I hadn’t tried moving the handle all the way in both directions. Not twice in one night, at least. And lo and behold, I couldn’t rotate it that far. I thought maybe the game was broken, because skimming back a few minutes in the video, I couldn’t see what was different about our things. Was there a release I needed to pull on the bridge somewhere? Did I need to somehow reset the relative position of the bridge so it would move one more spot over? I finally noticed the giant, obvious steel pole blocker that needed to be released. That’s like Myst 101, man, come on. Always check for a block or release to increase the movement range of a platform or elevator! At least I found that part by myself, so it was only like 50% cheating, 80% at most. From there, I obviously discovered a lot of new places, several new swap spheres, I know where the tree is and how the giant chain platforms work, found Farley’s secret little room (the possible third glaring observational oversight I’d made. I feel like you clearly weren’t meant to probably find it until you swapped inside there, but after playing Riven so many times, I have no excuse to not check behind open doors for other secret doors), and I unlocked the door at the entrance of Maray(?), allowing me to finally play that age as well. Right as I was ready to close the game for bed, it crashed. Perfect timing.

Next time, rotate the platform where the giant sphere is and swap it back, since the elevator’s position means that I can’t use the giant sphere right off the bat, I guess. That should hopefully lead me to the tree, then I can move onto Maray(?) now that the door’s open. I’m full of new paths to try as I head into a packed Reading Break, now that my figurative and literal blocks have been removed!