#esselle writes

[esselley]

It would appear that Kinktober for me is back - focusing on Astarion/BG3 this time!

Read it on AO3

#astarion #gale of waterdeep #gale dekarios #baldur's gate 3 #baldurs gate fanfiction #baldurs gate astarion #baldurs gate tav #baldurs gate gale #bg3 tav #kinktober #baldurs gate iii #esselle writes

[greyias]

FIC: Chance Encounters - Chapter 12

Title: Chance Encounters Fandom: SWTOR Pairing: Theron Shan/f!Jedi Knight (pre-relationship) Rating: T Genre: Canon Divergent AU. Pre-Relationship, Slow Burn Synopsis: Even the smallest change can have large, unseen ripple effects. When Theron Shan books a voyage on the Esseles, he has no idea how a chance encounter with a Jedi Knight will change the course of his life. A canon divergent alternate universe examining what happens when Theron and the Hero of Tython meet much, much sooner. Author’s Notes and Spoilers: See Chapter 1.

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11 | Crossposted to AO3

The cut on Theron’s temple had been declared superficial, and the kolto patch that had already been applied had healed almost everything by the time he’d been released from concussion watch. The medical bay was practically full to bursting, filled with many injured passengers and crew. While he was so tired, he could have probably slept for a week anywhere, and since he was cleared to leave, he decided to free up a bed for someone who probably needed it more than him.

His fellow ship savior was still deeply submerged in a kolto tank that had taken several concerned medics (and one exasperated spy) to talk her into using it. As everyone else was busy tended to the wounded, he went mostly unobserved as he slipped free to find somewhere much quieter and less crowded to get some much needed sleep.

True to his predictions, the beds on the ship were very comfortable, although he was so tired at this point he could have slept on a duracrete slab and not cared. He was out almost as soon as his head hit the pillow, and it seemed like no time had passed when his alarm started beeping to rouse him. He groaned and glanced at the chrono: it was almost sunrise, Coruscant time.

He contemplated ignoring it, and just rolling back over and getting several more hours of well-deserved rest. But habits were habits. And he begrudgingly pulled his aching body out of bed and made the trek across the ship to find his quiet little spot in the back of the Esseles.

Just like yesterday when he’d originally scoped out the spot, its quiet was encompassing, broken only by the occasional rumble of the engines. After all the frantic activity from the previous day, the relative silence almost felt overwhelming in a way. As he’d walked, many other parts of the ship still showed the battle scars of blaster burns, flickering lights, and dented or perforated panellings and bulkheads. Yet somehow this tiny little of oasis of calm had miraculously survived intact.

He lowered himself to a sitting position, his sore muscles protesting as he settled into the familiar cross-legged position. As he rested his hands on his knees, he took a deep breath, held it for a few moments, and let it out slowly. As he sat there, letting the hum of the engines wash over him, his muscles relaxed and the tightness in him eased with each slow breath. The chaotic, breakneck speed his thoughts raced at slowed, then floated away as he focused on the breath in. And the breath out.

He wasn’t sure how long he’d been sitting there, but it must have been at least a little while. The soft sound of footfalls brought him out of the peaceful reverie. He cracked open an eye to see a now familiar freckled visage hesitating just outside of his little alcove. Grey flashed an apologetic smile and made to leave.

“I apologize,” she said quietly. “I did not mean to intrude.”

“You’re not.”

“I will give you your space.”

As she turned away, he called out, “Wait.”

When she paused in her retreat, her apologetic demeanor gave way to a cautious curiosity. Her injuries looked vastly improved, many of the cuts and bruises almost entirely healed. One of the many benefits of a nice long kolto bath. Her injured arm was still heavily bandaged and sat in a sling that rested against an ill-fitting Essele’s crew shirt that mirrored his own temporary attire.

“You copying my fashion style now, too?”

The snort she let out was quiet, but the sound was a welcome intrusion into the silence buffeting the space. “I do not think this particular look suits you.”

He shrugged. “Better than running around the ship in my underwear. At least until they can get the stench of trash compactor out of my jacket.”

“Is that even possible?”

“Which part, the stench or the underwear?”

Her brow creased. “I am not sure now that you ask.”

He tried to smother his laugh at the confused expression. “I’m hoping the jacket part is possible. I like that jacket.”

“It is very attractive,” she said diplomatically. “I hope they can salvage it.”

“What about you?”

“Are we still speaking of attire? If so, I believe I will requisition a new tunic when we reach Coruscant.”

“Just have the Order charge it to Haken — I’m sure he’ll be happy to cover the cost.”

“We have wardrobe budget,” she said quickly, “there’s no need—”

“I’m joking,” he assured her.

That got another snort, louder this time, and an emphatic shake of her head, accompanied by a smile. “I am not sure if I will ever quite understand your sense of humor, Theron Shan.”

There was something in the sound of her attempt to forestall laughter, or maybe it was just the way his full name rolled off her tongue as if it were some little in-joke between just the two of him, but that feeling in his chest unfurled again and he felt his lips quirk into a small, lopsided smile.

“Come on.” At that endearing quizzical tilt of her head, he patted the spot next to him. “I have it on good authority. There’s plenty of room in this little spot for more than one person to meditate. And I do believe it’s sunrise time over in Coruscant.”

It was a shy, small smile that she flashed him, but the sight was a thousand times brighter and more colorful than any sunrise on Coruscant. As she gingerly moved to sit next to him, her movements looked a bit pained and clumsy, lacking all the grace of yesterday’s intense acrobatics. The sling prevented her from mirroring his position exactly, but even so, she was able to settle in comfortably. She looked at him and took a deep breath, letting her eyes drift closed.

He watched her for a moment out of the corner of his eye. She took in a deep breath and let it out; her face relaxing into a pleasant, contemplative expression. Unconsciously, he found himself matching the rhythm of her breathing until they were in sync.

If the Force was an infinite tapestry of possibilities, then perhaps some cosmic thread had been plucked by an invisible hand to bring him to this moment. Or maybe it was just random chance that had converged to this single point. Either way, it was the beginning of a new day. On Coruscant. Here on the Esseles.

And perhaps it was the beginning of something else.

#swtor fanfiction #theron shan x jedi knight #Theron Shan #Female Jedi Knight/Hero of Tython #oc: greyias highwind #otp: adorkable #au: chance encounters #swtor #fanfic #greyfic #here it is #the end of our esseles journey #and ten months of writing/revising #i hope you've all enjoyed 'sparky's' journey here #and there might be future installments if i can figure out how to write them ANY shorter #because oof this was a monster #but hopefully a fun one

[serenxanthe]

WIP Whenever

Tagged by @rikki-roses for WIP whenever (thank you!).

Their snippet is a lovely piece that features their OC meditating and working through their feelings using the Force. In contrast, most of my writing is angsty dialogue between Seren, my Sith Warrior turned Jedi Knight OC, and Theron Shan. I found one vaguely sensible conversation between them in my current WIP; set on Coruscant a few weeks after they meet on The Esseles, so here it is!

While she was gone Theron paced anxiously, he didn’t understand how they’d got here. Just half an hour ago Seren had thrown herself into his arms, delighted to see him, now… was she thinking about breaking up with him? He swallowed, feeling sick.

She came back into the sitting room wearing her nightdress, face bare, hair wet. Her eyes were red, like she’d not stopped crying. “I don’t want to break up with you Theron,” she started, and his heart leapt, “but…”

“No! No buts, just don’t, ok? Don’t end this.” he begged her.

Seren looked at him, “Like I said, I don’t want to, but I can’t be with someone who…  hates what I am.” her voice was strangled.

“Seren, don’t. Please. I don’t hate who you are.” Theron shook his head, “Seren, I never talk about this. Ever.”

Theron stepped closer to her and hesitantly put his hands on her shoulders, asking, “Is this ok?” Seren nodded.

He took a deep breath, “Ok, I don’t hate what you are, I hate what I’m not.”

Seren instinctively stepped closer to him, and Theron started to breathe again.

“Listen, I was supposed to be this great Jedi, told all my life that I would be. Like my mother, like my ancestors Revan and Bastilla Shan.”

Seren caught her breath in shock, and Theron nodded.

“Exactly. And here I am unable to even float a pebble. The Jedi Temple at Hashemut rejected me, cast me out with nothing and nobody.” He shrugged, “I found my way to the SIS, but my teenage years were tough. Really tough, I’m not gonna lie.”

Seren stepped two more hesitant steps forward then folded herself into his arms, stroking his back, her head on his chest. “I’m… Theron. I’m so sorry. I knew from the moment we met that you had some sort of issue with Jedi, then when I found out who your mother was, I just assumed it was because she gave you up. I had no idea, and I didn’t ask. I should have.”

Theron kissed the top of her head. “Yeah, even if you’d asked, I’m not sure I would have told you. I’ve… never told anyone. I mean a couple of people at the SIS know the basic facts, but not how it made me feel. And my mother giving me up didn’t help. So, you weren’t wrong.”

Theron sighed like he’d done something exhausting and was relieved it was over. Seren knew that now was the time to tell him about her real past, before Tython. About Dromund Kass and Korriban. About the real Seren and Xanthe.

But she didn’t. The words stayed trapped on her tongue while her mind screamed at her to speak, that she’d regret it forever if she didn’t; tell him, Tell Him, TELL HIM!

She ignored it and let him hold her, shame crawling over her body that she’d let him bare his soul and hadn’t done him the same courtesy.

Tagging @wayfinderlegacy @stratataisen and @dirthara-dalen for the WIP whenever game!

#current wip #swtor #swtor jedi knight #theron shan #fanfic

[queer-ragnelle]

Shout out to my lovely coworker who messaged me asking my opinion of The Green Knight (2021) and then apologized if it offended me, but they think Gawain sucks. Out here reducing people’s regard for me by doubling down, “Yeah, he really does!” and liking a movie with what I consider to be a mediocre manuscript, if shot well and with a nice score.

Meh opinions about director/writer David Lowery’s baffling writing choices below.

But for real my coworker was just so confused by it all and honestly Lowery could’ve stood to explain obscure historical nuances a little more. And by that I mean literally at all. The significance of beheadings, codes of honor, superstition about foxes, the legends of giants; these aren’t common knowledge to modern American viewers. My coworker had no idea why Gawain would stand up and behead the Green Knight or how Saint Winifred mattered, or why Gawain would throw a rock at the fox in the cave, or plead with the giants and then cower in fear. How would they? No cultural baseline is ever established. And of course, not every movie is for every viewer. But The Green Knight certainly didn’t resonate with medievalists and enthusiasts as much as it could have while confusing and alienating everyone else.

I dunno, having adapted the poem myself, there’s a balance to be found. Somewhere between insulting your audience’s intelligence with blatant narrative pauses to expound upon details and providing literally zero worldbuilding so that even people who read the poem have to sit back and question what they watched. Because it’s not a one to one adaptation, there’s an expectation the narrative will organically define the rules of the universe, and show us the confines of our hero’s skills, understanding, and limitations within that universe.

Shouldn’t Morgan have warned Gawain about dangers and counsel him on etiquette while giving him the girdle? Why didn’t Gawain converse with someone at the pub about the threats outside the kingdom? Couldn’t Arthur have given him an interesting anecdote that foreshadows what’s to come? Merlin is worse than a macguffin, just a wasted narrative tool that could’ve guided Gawain or even reminisced with Arthur about some history, but instead he has no dialogue at all. He just nods when the Green Knight enters and serves as a paternity test in the flash-forward. I wonder how Essel’s bell motif could’ve been extrapolated on. Maybe she gives it to Gawain with a warning about foxes or the threat of bandits or even doppelgängers! Why not give her a cutesy nursery rhyme to sing about the outside world while the year wheel rotates and rotates?

It would’ve been perfectly in character for Gawain to ignore all of this only to meet his comeuppance while providing the audience with necessary context. There was so much time spent on wide shots of Ireland that could’ve been used more effectively or even in conjunction with voice over flashbacks. The creators went through the trouble to cast children to play Gawain’s future offspring, why not use them in flashbacks as a representation of his past self as he reconsiders his rash skeptic’s stance? Even continue the doppelgänger motif? But alas! I’m critical because I liked it and wanted to like it more and because it’s a recent and accessible Gawain-related media several people have watched and come to me about. They thought we could bond over it. Except so far, nobody has liked it…haha!

#Arthurian legend #Arthuriana #the green knight #sir gawain and the green knight #sir Gawain #David lowery #a24 #lit crit #review #movie review #I mean sort of but really it’s just me going Lowery hold my beer I can do it better #I sound so critical I promise I actually like the movie lmao but there were frustrating things about it

[consularmain]

starstruck

eeee new fic idea!! I've been slowly writing this but i couldn't wait any longer to post a little preview!! Starstruck will only be three chapters long so i plan to post it all at once on ao3 once it's done with a tentative word goal of 10k.

When the Esseles comes under attack by Grand Moff Kilran, it's up to the newly knighted Minerva and Captain Kasidy Lyall to save the ship. And through facing this challenge together, feelings begin to take root between the Jedi and the scoundrel.

But everything was fine. 

The other passengers on board, from lone travelers to entire families, were getting comfortable in the ship’s lounge for the long trip to Coruscant. Lighthearted music played through the ship, barely audible over the murmur of the crowd. As far as he could tell, Corso and Kasidy himself were the only ones armed in the lounge but that oddly didn’t make him feel any better. Kasidy turned his head to the large bay window beside him, watching the stars slowly streak by. He started to wonder if taking the smaller, faster shuttle would’ve been the smarter choice. He didn’t have a minute to lose when it came to hunting down Skavak. 

But then he would’ve been stuffed into a cramped space with no drinks and just Corso for company. His nose wrinkled at the thought. 

Corso finally noticed his companion’s unusual silence and asked hesitantly, “Everything alright, Captain?” 

“Yeah.” Kasidy lied and rose from his seat at the pazaak table. “Just gonna… stretch my legs.” 

Not waiting for Corso to respond, Kasidy wandered off, his feet naturally carrying him towards the lounge bar. The droid tending the bar was busy mixing drinks for other customers so Kasidy leaned against the bar with his hip, his eyes scanning the crowd as he waited for the droid to finish. A frown furrowed the handsome captain’s brow. 

The feeling was getting worse. Now it was impossible to ignore. But it wasn’t a bad feeling exactly; it was closer to… anticipation than anything else. His heart began beating louder and louder and his violet eyes just so happened to glance towards the lounge entrance. 

That’s when he saw her. 

A Jedi. An honest to goodness, real life Jedi. 

A beautiful one, too. 

The first thing Kasidy noticed about the Jedi was her hair. All his life, he had never understood the appeal of hair as so many other species did but when he saw her incredibly long, dark hair tied in loose braids down her front, it all suddenly made sense to him. It looked soft to the touch and practically shined in the light. With her dark blue skin, Kasidy at first mistook her for a Pantoran, but he just as quickly corrected himself — her eyes were a breathtaking shade of red and there were curved ridges above her thick eyebrows. She was something he’d never seen before. 

With a serene expression, the Jedi moved through the lounge as silent as a shadow. A droid he hadn’t noticed before — an astromech model by the looks of it — loyally followed her. Kasidy glanced at the people around him, unable to believe he was the only one to notice such a beautiful woman. 

The Jedi took a seat at a table in a quiet corner of the crowded room and Kasidy was startled out of his gawking by polite beeping. He turned around to watch the bartender droid place another Tatooine Sunset by his elbow. Before it turned away, Kasidy tapped the bar and said, “I’ll be right back. Be ready, okay?” 

The droid beeped affirmatively. Kasidy picked up the tall glass and walked towards the Jedi, his heart pounding in his chest. 

#fic: starstruck #swtor #the old republic #smuggler #jedi knight #oc: kasidy lyall #oc: minerva #ship: kasinerva

[haikyuuprettysettersquad]

Kagehina Fic Rec!

Heyyy so I promised @abreakdownawayfromanapocalypse some time ago (let's be honest a long time ago) that I would do a rec of some of the more well-known kagehina fics! Now I'm gonna be honest, my tactic is always just to go to ao3 and read fics with the most kudos because I'm too lazy to do any work for myself, but there's also a few authors that I just know are bigger in the fandom and some of my faves. As always, feel free to rec your own favourites below!!

First off we have Esselle, and holy shit has she written a lot! I know it may seem daunting to start reading her fics but she has even made a guide to her ao3, to be found on her profile! Some of my faves are Oblivious, The Sweater (NSFW! So if you're not into that maybe skip this one) and Kabedon't. But there's definitely other ones that are equally great!

Five Plus One. by Xachyn

Everyone already thinking kagehina are dating. A classic in every fandom for every ship and this one is just *cheff's kiss*.

Spoiled by buu (@manakete on Tumblr)

Honestly go check out everything by buu but especially this one!! All their fics are just so tender and full of the love language that is bodily contact!!

four times hinata and kageyama almost kiss (and one time they actually do) by spaceburgers

2014 fics still hit... and it's for a reason. And that reason is that their rivalry was still at a peak and ugh their dynamic is just so goooood!

well, maybe i'm a crook by aruariandance

Have you ever read hurt/comfort where the main character is somehow hurting himself more than his love interest? Where he believes he's hurting the other but only hurting himself in the process? UGH it's so good!

professional announcements by emleewrites

Finally a more recent popular fic! I love how it's so matter of fact in most of the haikyuu fandom that kagehina are married and this fic really drives that feeling home. It's so easy to imagine this as truth. Also this author has written a lot (like a LOT).

The Best Laid Hands by Mysecretfanmoments (@mysecretfanmoments on Tumblr)

Just. Swooning over this one. 

In Transit by Mysecretfanmoments (@mysecretfanmoments on Tumblr) I believe this is the first ever kagehina fic I read and it made me forever love the ship and the way the fandom writes them.

Anyways that was it for today and I love you all so much byeeee

#kagehina #kagehina fic rec #fic rec #kageyama #kageyama tobio #hinata #hinata shouyou #haikyuu #haikyuu!! #haikyuu fic rec #hq

[andypantsx3]

so yesterday when you posted about Class 1-A vs The Curse of Rule 34 i immediately read it and i loved it and so i read a few of their other fics and loved them and so i was wondering if you have any more fic recs that you’d like to share? it could be reader insert, oc or neither tbh i just trust your judgement in fics so i’m sure anything you recommend will be great! (also i love your writing so much i stumbled upon it multiple times in a03 and then tumblr just to realize it was yours before i decided to follow you (i tend to be really picky on who i follow idk why) because i went through your masterlist an read everything and then re-read everything)

Ahhh hello my love, I am honored by your follow!! You're literally so sweet and I can't tell you how much it means to me that I made the cut lol. Please don't feel pressure though, I'm always happy with just an occasional visit too!!

I definitely recommend anything in my fic recs tag - the fics I recommend here on tumblr are generally character x reader or character x OC and they range from smutty to fluffy lol.

My guilty pleasure though, and the majority of my fave fics are gen or ship fics!! I actually hardly ever read x reader fic--absolutely no idea why I am this way--but if you're up for some gen or ship fic, I'm happy to rec a couple others.

I'm not sure what you're into at the moment but I will give you some of my faves!!

Don't Ask Don't Tell by Ms_Chunks Bakugou/Uraraka. I probably don’t even need to describe this one since this is the flagship Kacchako fic lol. But Bakugou and Uraraka explore the compatibility of their quirks and create a pair combat style, and fall in love along the way. I fucking love the way the author uses the chemistry of their quirks to parallel the compatibility of their personalities, and Uraraka is such a bad ass in this one ughghgh I love it.

who lives, who dies, who tells your story by aloneintherain Todoroki/Midoriya, though mostly gen. Examines Toshinori’s life post-retirement and the exploits of class 1-A post-graduation, through narrative and social media blurbs. I’ve never read anything that manages to be so bittersweet, so hopeful, and so funny all at once.

Thanks for Saving Me by Esselle Todoroki/Midoriya. This is a pro hero Shouto/quirkless science nerd Deku fic that is one of my all time faves. This is the type of shit my fics wish they were doing. This author is out here peddling the slightly-sugar-daddy-but-also-slightly-a-little-bit-of-a-shit Shouto agenda and it is absolute perfection. I routinely reread for comfort.

Slow to Start (But Quick to Burn) by mousapelli Kirishima/Bakugou. It's an ABO AU where omega Bakugou slowly figures out how to manage his relationship to alpha Kirishima, while Kirishima is predictably kind, patient, and understanding. This fic is totally stuffed full of domesticity--lounging around doing laundry and homework together, baking together, and napping together. Actually my all-time fave comfort fic, I have read this probably a million times.

journey to the past by aloneintherain Gen fic. A time travel fic where the members of Class 1-A go back in time to protect Izuku during the various stages of his life, as villains with a time travel quirk attempt to target the future number one hero while he's still a kid. It's so good and sweet and heartfelt and lovely and the author does an amazing job exploring Izuku's relationship with several of the major characters.

And probably a fic rec closest to the Rule 34 rec would be:

A Demolition Boy & his Cryptid BF by kewltie Bakugou/Midoriya. This is a social media fic similar in style to Class 1-A vs The Curse of Rule 34--it’s a youtuber AU where bkdk are youtubers in different genres, and the internet has a conspiracy theory that they’re together. Another really good send up of fandom and fandom culture, and another one of my faves.

I hope at least one of these is something you're in the mood for!! And please send some of your faves my way!! I'm a slow reader but literally always open to more recs!! 💕💕💕

#bnha fic recs #ask andie #fic recs

[starseneyes]

Rachel's Accidental Fanfic

I have always been a fandom girly. Yes, I'm an industry girly, too! I grew up on film sets, was a film minor in college, still love performing if life gave me the opportunity, and wish I could turn off my brain while watching, well, anything.

Writing a script about my grandparents... I got stuck. Really stuck. Couldn't write for months stuck.

But I had this line in my head... a line spoken by Aziraphale to Crowley as part of my imaginings of what S3 could be. So, I wrote it down. And in writing it down, I needed to know where it came from. I needed to know the story. And, as soon as I finished writing it... I got unstuck.

I haven't written a fanfic in 20 years, but this one came tumbling out. I wrote the thing in stolen moments across two months and thought about leaving it on my harddrive forever. But, fanfictions are for fans. And I'm a fan! So, here ya go. I hope you enjoy.

#Good Omens #Good Omens fanfiction #Gomens #Gomens Fanfic #Aziraphale #Crowley #Anthony J Crowley #AZ Fell #Aziracrow #ineffable husbands #Ineffable Idiots #Ineffable Spouses #Crowley x Aziraphale #Aziraphale x Crowley #Ineffable Bureaucracy #Beelzebub x Gabriel #Gabriel x Beelzebub #Maggie x Nina #Nina x Maggie #Newt Pulsifer #Anathema Device #Adam Young #Good Omens fanfic #Good Omens Fic

[bktdfantasyzine]

✧ 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐁𝐔𝐓𝐎𝐑 𝐒𝐏𝐎𝐓𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 ✧

Our next writer is the enthralling Esselle! With an impressive library of fics for Katsuki and Shouto, she is no stranger to writing the boys in a fantasy setting! How grateful we are that now she's writing for the zine!

#bakutodo #todobaku #bakugou katsuki #todoroki shouto #my hero academia #boku no hero academia #zine #zines #fanzine #bnha zines #mha zines

[florilegia-or-what-you-will]

Idiot Cringe Gawain Failing Upwards For More Than 2 Hours

Okay okay okay. I’m gonna write my very disorganized statement on why I don’t like The Green Knight. I’ve been putting it off because it makes me angry, and I have noticed from past experience trying to write essays about the 2005 Pride and Prejudice adaptation, that when I’m angry, I tend to rant and tangent. I’m going to avoid complaining about stuff that isn’t related to adaptation of the main plot and themes. I’m not going to talk about how annoying I found most of the acting, or how bad I thought the CG was. I’m also not going to nitpick all the little changes that do annoy me, but could be valid in a better movie, like the decision to make everyone in Camelot really old rather than really young. I am going to talk about Gawain’s failure in the book vs. his success in the movie, and I’m not going to edit at all once I’ve written it because I find thinking about this movie exhausting :)

In the original story Gawain is trying so hard, the entire time, to live up to a rigid and unachievable ideal. The story is so good because he doesn’t succeed because he’s only human. That his failure isn’t really a failure, but a part of humanity’s nature, and the fact that Gawain doesn’t take that lesson, and continues to beat himself up for it, is still a unique and interesting story now. I relate to the story as someone with social anxiety and a perfectionist streak. I always feel like I’m playing a game with rules I don’t fully understand.

What is The Green Knight but a really generic coming of age story, and a poorly paced and characterized one at that. It feels like the filmmakers were trying to make up for the weakness of the writing by making the visuals really trippy and the acting really unnatural, but that doesn’t manage to make movie Gawain an interesting character. He’s a mediocre guy who breaks his promises and doesn’t have a strong motivation. He gets into bar fights for no reason, has an extremely annoying manic pixie dream girlfriend (I despise Essel, I think her inclusion was so unnecessary except to make Gawain as boringly heterosexual as possible), immediately gets beat up and left for dead the second he leaves for his journey, actually does commit adultery with Bertilak’s wife, doesn’t manage even a single day of the second game, which was, you know, the main part of the original story, and still gets rewarded at the last minute for doing THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT HE DOES IN THE BOOK. I

’m sorry but I do not like this Gawain. He just sucks. Dev Patel could have played such a good Gawain in a good movie but, alas, this is what I get. I get that I’m kind of a purist. I am of the opinion that if you are going to adapt something, you should:

a) understand what’s good about it

b) only make changes for the sake of the new medium, or if it will improve on the original

That’s obviously not everyone’s idea of a good adaptation, but personally, I’d much rather read a subversive story where Gawain tries really hard to live up to the ideal and fails, and that’s okay, than watch a movie where Gawain runs away from his problems for most of it, refuses to acknowledge his flaws, at the last minute gets a super hetero normative happy ending that he doesn’t deserve and that kind of insults the original story.

#grumble grumble #I'm so normal about adaptations of stories i like #you have no idea how normal i am #I have to excuse myself from conversations about 2005 pride and prejudice #because I cannot be nice about that movie even to people who love it #i did two projects on how much i hate 2005 pride and prejudice in high school #they were kind of unfocused because I was so mad about everything #but my teacher did say I ruined the movie for her #so thats a win #sort of #the green knight #sir gawain and the green knight #florilegia

[voidendron]

Oliver or Void 🌹 he/it, 24 🌹 American, CST 🌹 Artist & Writer

Blitzindite -> Voidendron

This is my main blog. I mostly post Star Wars: The Old Republic and Phasmophobia stuff here.

art tag: "void attempts art" | writing tag: "tales from the void" | OCs: "oc: insert name" & "voids ocs"

I prefer asks over DMs if you've got any questions or comments that you want a direct reply to. Friends/mutuals are an exception, DMs totally fine in that case!

I'm queer, as are most of my OCs. This is an LGBTQ+ friendly space! <3

I have a hard time with abbreviated tone tags, they just confuse me more. I can try to use them for specific people if asked, but prefer that they're not used for me.

I'm a hard mode/hardmare/beginning NiM raider in SWTOR (mainly Star Forge server). I do progression raiding with my guild. Current teams:

-Snorks (Tank) | NiM Prog | 8:30-10:30 CST, Wed/Thur -Esseles Prog (DPS) | NiM Prog | 8:30-10:30 CST, Fri/Sat -DCSC (DPS) | HM Learner | 8:30-10:30 CST, Tue I enjoy filling for teams, too! so don't be afraid to hmu if you need a fill for one <3

I rotate fandoms a lot! If I seem inactive on this blog, check one of my others that I'll link below - I'm probably hyperfixated on something else at the moment and posting there instead of here, and/or working on a big project. But I always come back around once I've got my fix!

Other blogs:

@woeful-wails (IC Phasmophobia investigator blog) @voidindite (Minecraft, Hermitcraft, Trafficlife) @thevehszlegacy (place to keep track of my SWTOR OCs) @fr-thecollectors (Flight Rising)

Other games I may ramble about:

Minecraft (but mostly on MC blog) Subnautica Phasmophobia Assassin's Creed

Twitch 🌹 Toyhou.se 🌹 AO3

#about me #tags for easy navigation: #void attempts art #tales from the void #swtor #oliver vs ops #answered ask #voids ocs

[esselley]

"Ate something," Tav says. "Tainted. Succubus." Astarion looks at him like he is witnessing the folly of man anew. "...Why?" Tav hangs his head, ashamed for the first time since it happened. "I thought… it smelled a bit… like you."

Read it on AO3!

Rating: Explicit Relationships: Astarion/Tav (Male) Additional Tags:  Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Rimming, Aphrodisiacs, basically a sex pollen fic

#baldurs gate 3 #astarion #baldurs gate #baldurs gate astarion #baldurs gate fanfiction #esselle writes

[serenscarlett-moved]

Platonic holding hands, maybe… for jazz and Blizz? 👀

Sorry, it took me this long to do this request. My motivation and abilities for creative writing were all over the place.

Characters: Jedi Knight (oc) and Blizz the Jawa.

A/N: hearing impaired jedi knight protag, non-binary Jawa, canon divergence, Scarlett's terrible writing style.

---

"Jazzie, look!" Blizz exclaimed excitedly, approaching their friend's side outside the Senate Tower, "Blizz finds a… a…"--then they looked up–"… a thing?"

The Jawa slowed upon first glance towards the Jedi seated on the ground, hunched up against the wall with arms wrapped around her knees. Blizz uttered a worried gasp, tossing the item aside, rushing hurriedly over to their friend’s side. Blizz was a friend, an interpreter for the deaf, who instantly knew whenever Jazz was in distress for the past ten years.

“Jazzie?” Blizz called out for her attention with expressive concern within their eyes, they rested their hand on Jazz’s to hold onto, “What’s wrong?”

Blizz ran their fingers to soothe away Jazz’s anxiety in an attempt to calm her nerves. The Jawa had a knack for sensing the change within a Jedi’s emotions, knowing when their friend wasn’t in her usual cheery mood. 

“I don’t think I’m cut out for this.” the sith hybrid confided to her best friend, “This… Task Force Nova thing…”

Blizz tilted their head, albeit puzzled, “Huh? What do you mean?”

Jazz heaved a sigh, resting her chin on her arm, “What if they think I’m a liability? What if Master Gnost-Dural made a mistake in recruiting me?”

Blizz had a good guess over what brought this on. They rubbed their fingers into slow circles with gentleness.

“My hearing hasn't been perfect, I know my impairment is going to hold the others back.” she continued, exhaling sharply, “Tau was anything but great for me. But the others? I don’t think I’ll fit in with them.”

Because everything sounded muted, she thought quietly, sniffing back the tears threatening to pool down.

Blizz felt their heart sink to see this side of Jazz–overwhelmed with negative emotions—they never saw her like this before, but they sympathise with her. There were a lot of individuals working together on a mission carried out by General Van Suthra through security concerns. The twi’leks Nellie Secura and Reina Tao’ven, and the Jawa Meerko, who all travelled with them, had been supportive after they assisted in saving the Esseles from Grand Moff Kilran’s attack.

It was daunting for Jazz’s part, trying to understand what anyone was talking within a fast-paced setting with everything happening all at once, it was difficult for her to keep up with lipreading.

“Because you’re struggling to hear?” Blizz asked, which the sith hybrid nodded in response, “Aw, Jazzie.”--they held her hand with a gentle squeeze–”Master Gnost-Dural meant well. He wouldn’t have recruited you if he reckoned you’re not fit for the job. He believed in you.” 

Jazz wasn’t convinced, “I… I don’t know, Blizz. He expected too much of me.”

“He trusts you, he has faith in you. And so did Tau. Blizz here to help you, Blizz happy to interpret. We stopped Bengal Morr together, remember?" The Jawa reminded her of the adventures they had on Tython, trying their best to get Jazz to see from their perspective, "Blizz thinks this opportunity is exciting for us. Blizz will make new friends, too."

"I suppose…"

"Promise you'll tell Blizz if you feel overwhelmed or struggling? Don't hesitate to ask, Jazzie." Blizz mentioned the vow, wanting to look out for their friend after the two left Tython, "Tau was really happy to see both of us again. We get to hang out together like old times!"

New journey path, make new friends, reunion with Tau after a couple of years apart? That was something to look forward to in the future, right?

"If anyone has a problem with you, then they have a problem with Blizz too!" the Jawa exclaimed with a puff, showing off the intimidating side to them, "Bad guys, watch out!"

Jazz cracked a smile, taking a moment to collect herself, wiping the tears from the corner of her eyes, "...Ok."

Blizz squeezed Jazz’s hands reassuringly before beckoning her to stand, “Come on, let’s head back before they notice we're gone. Blizz thinks the missing Scientist was found by now."

#scarlett swtor writings #oc: jazzeira nevrakis #ch: blizz the jawa #shoutout to my friend maczac for the scene suggestion #snippet: hidden attachments

[serenxanthe]

An exerpt from Coruscant: A SWTOR Story

In which Theron does a really bad job of concealing his relationship with Seren from colleague and alleged friend Jonas Balkar

The rest of the story is on AO3 here (accessible to guest readers and commenters)

Two hours and two whiskies later Theron was part way through the report. It was slow going; every time he had to write a factual account of something Seren had said, a decision she’d made, or her combat techniques, his mind kept drifting to them. Sometimes it was pleasant if distracting thoughts of last night, sometimes it was panicky thoughts of all the pitfalls of being involved with a Jedi, or well, anyone really. 

Theron groaned as Jonas Balkar walked into the bar, sat down at his table and downed the rest of Theron’s whisky before signalling the barman to bring two more. “What are you doing here Balkar?” Theron asked, “and how did you even know I was here?”

Jonas chuckled, “Did you forget that I’m the one who showed you this place?” 

Theron groaned again. He had in fact forgotten.

“The Director is wearing a groove in his office carpet waiting for your Esseles report, Shan. What’s the hold up?” Jonas asked.

Theron opened his mouth to give Balkar some generic excuses and assurances, but the words, “Jonas, I think I’m in a very serious relationship.” came out of his mouth, to both men’s surprise.

Jonas stared at him, “What? How? I saw you four days ago on Nar Shaddaa, and you were definitely single then, or at least that’s what you told that twi’lek dancer.” 

Theron put his head in his hands, “I was. I met her on The Esseles.” 

Jonas stared at him, “Are you insane? How can you be in a very serious relationship after 24 hours? And when did you get a chance to meet someone anyway? Assuming you’re the mysterious ‘Republic Agent’ who aided Knight Asterried in saving the Esseles, and if you’re not, you need to resign.”

Theron removed his hands from his face and gave him a look, and Jonas nodded and continued, “Right. So you spent the entire time with a Jedi Knight, when did you have time to meet a girl?”

Theron put his head in his hands again.

Jonas looked at him speculatively, then grabbed the data pad with the half-finished report on it, skim read it, and resisted the urge to smack Theron on the head with it. “A JEDI Theron, really? I know you have mommy issues but…”

Theron snatched the report out of Jonas’ hands, his face furious. If he’d had a couple more drinks, he probably wouldn’t have been able to stop himself punching Balkar for that comment, but as it was, he subsided, glaring at him.

Jonas was unimpressed. “You need to rewrite that report Shan, it needs to be about half the length, and you need to cut out around 90% of the hyperbole about how amazing this Jedi of yours is.”

Theron opened his mouth to snarl at him, but realised that this was in fact good advice. He sighed, “Balkar, you’ll know, where can I get her some emergency contraception?”

Jonas stared at him, then began a slow, sarcastic, round of applause, “Wow, Theron, wow. That’s some quality adulting right there.”

Theron had the grace to look ashamed, but pressed, “So do you know, or not?”

Balkar shook his head and gave him the address of a pharmacy he trusted. “I still don’t get it; how does one night of forbidden and probably very athletic fun mean you’re in a serious relationship?”

Theron thought about it. “I actually thought it would be just one night, but I wasn’t… happy about it.” He had been devastated in fact, he hadn’t wanted to waste a minute of the night sleeping, when he could be looking at her and holding her. “But out of the blue, she asked me to stay in her apartment on Coruscant while we’re both here.”

Jonas looked sympathetic, “Whoa, sorry man, I bet you didn’t see that one coming with a Jedi. How are you going to let her down gently?”

Theron blinked, “I’m… not? When she asked me, I was happy, really happy.” He’d almost cried, but not even an Imperial torture droid would be able to drag that detail out of him. “I have feelings for her, Balkar.” He continued. It was more than that, but he wasn’t even admitting that to himself, his mind just kept skipping past the idea.

Jonas was looking at him in confusion, “You… want to live with her? You want to be in a relationship with her?”

Theron thought about it again. He thought about her smile, her laugh, her sense of humour, her bravery. “I do, Jonas. I really do.”

#swtor #theron shan #star wars the old republic #swtor jedi knight #my ocs #my writing #swtor oc #swtor fanfiction

[thinkatoryprocess]

hi! its Essel from a03, I just want to say I’ve read YNW fic about 7 times and love it each time. You inspired me to write my own and sign up to this site. Very well done. You get Roman and Mencken and their dynamic so well and I love reading your stuff. Excellent work

I've meant to reply to your comment! Thank you so much <3 <3 It blows my mind that anyone would start writing from what I've put out there! I really hope you enjoy writing fic and kicking around AO3.

YKW holds a dear place in my heart because it was the first time I felt this vividly that the readers and I were connected on the dynamic between the characters. It means a lot to have that confirmed. You're so sweet, thank you <3

#asks #ykwniverse

[coghive]

Rising Gospel Artist Imani Shola Returns With Healing Ep, Mapmaking, Vol. I

Having released her rousing gospel ballad, Oxygen, in December, Imani Shola will release her debut EP, Mapmaking, vol. i, on 17 February 2023. Endearingly dubbed ‘the healing EP’, and with song titles alone referencing therapeutic concepts like ‘Inner-child Healing’, Mapmaking, vol. i aims to lovingly introduce listeners to several core psychotherapy principles to encourage them to do the inner-work that many people don’t; the work that sets us free from autopilot patterns, heals low self-esteem, and breaks generational cycles. With styles across the EP ranging from dance-worthy sambas (‘On You’), to rousing ballads (‘So Long’), to moving a’capellas (‘What Do’), Mapmaking, vol. i offers both compassion and conviction; care and challenge; empathy and edification.  “Healing and wellness have been close to my heart since childhood, and the themes of all of my books, so Mapmaking, vol. i is my musical offering on this theme,” says the artist. Therapeutic themes touched on range from Father-Wound healing (‘So Long’), to healing from abuse (‘What Do’), to Wounded Inner Child healing (‘Name’). Imani’s characteristic harmonies and prominent backing vocals feature throughout as always; her signature style and means of bringing comfort. The EP was produced by Jacob F. Essel, mixed and mastered by Július Korbela, and features bass guitarist Eric J. Aliss, all talented musicians. Hailing from North London, the daughter of a gifted jazz-saxophonist father, Imani Shola has been aligned with the best in Jazz, Soul and Gospel for as long as she can remember. She was raised on the melodies of greats such as Aretha Franklin, Nina Simone and Mary Mary; Miles Davis and Erykah Badu; Eva Cassidy and Norah Jones. More recent influences include the detailed harmonies of Alex Isley, the feminine flair or Nao, and the soothing vocals of Snoh Aalegra and a Cleo Sol. Like these artists, undertones of jazz and soul colour her works. Imani Shola characterises herself with distinctive harmonies and authentic lyricism that set her apart. So far she has worked alongside producers Duane Caleb, Jay Picasso and Jacob F. Essel, who have seen her gift, captured her vision and helped her burst into the industry with a distinctive sound. She’s already built up a buzz since her 2020 debut, with tracks ‘Author of My Life’ (11K streams), Gold (10K streams and featured on Gospel Hydration), and Oxygen, featured in We Write About Music and Color; all strong tracks that have racked up her numbers on music platforms considerably. She’s bold, talented, charismatic and we can’t wait to see what 2023 has in store for Imani Shola, including a surprise single very soon! DOWNLOAD/STREAM MP3 https://open.spotify.com/album/4YQogPPe9hTEomP3eVClfd?si=sVVSgaPVRt-f84O2JwnqDQ Support Imani Shola on Social Media  Facebook | Twitter | Instagram Listen to more of Imani Shola Spotify | Apple Music Read the full article

#ImaniShola