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macbethsymphony · 17 days

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The Swordsman and the Blacksmith | Chapter 3

Roronoa Zoro x Reader

Chapter wc: 2.5k

Chapter rating: SFW

Content/Warnings: NSFW, 18+, Fem!Reader, Enemies to lovers, SLOW slow burn, Eventual smut

Summary: Your skills as a blacksmith have made you desirable to both the government and pirates. You know you have to leave this island if you want to escape your fate, but that doesn't make the choice of leaving any easier. Roronoa Zoro is intrigued by your skills as a blacksmith. Your work is like nothing he's ever seen before. Unfortunately, you're hot-headed and he's rude and you both definitely hate each other.

Chapters [1] [2]

Slowly crossposting from AO3 Feel like binging the rest of it? it's all there!

Chapter 3: The Straw Hat Pirates

The midday sun was bright in the sky when they got back to the Thousand Sunny. Zoro was in a foul mood. Your voice kept on repeating ‘You’re too weak’ in a condescending tone in his head. Like hell he was too weak. With a sigh he plopped down on the deck of the sunny, back leaning on the rails, closing his eyes hoping to sleep a little.

“Oh! Luffy! You guys! Welcome back!” Chopper shouted, making his way over to greet them. “Is it true you went to see a witch?” he asked innocently.

“Not a witch,” Robin said softly giving Chopper a pat on the head. “But a really talented blacksmith.”

“That’s right!” Luffy said, “And she’s going to join our crew!”

“With that attitude, she might as well be a witch,” Zoro couldn’t help but comment bitterly.

“What’s with him? Someone’s joining the crew?” Franky asked approaching the group.

“Difference of opinion,” Robin said offhandedly, handing the cyborg the small wooden box with a smile. “Here Franky, these are for you.”

He opened the box. He couldn’t believe his eyes.

“Oi, oi, oi! Robin!” Franky’s tone was serious, “Are those what I think they are?” he asked incredulously, taking a nail between the fingers of the small hand that had popped out of his palm.

“They are.” Robin answered. “They’re haki infused, the blacksmith we met made them”

“Holy shit Robin, I thought that was impossible,” he said excitedly. “These are… SUPER!”

“Let me see! Let me see!” Usopp said, hopping up and down trying to see over the cyborg’s shoulder.

Franky grinned proudly, holding the box out for Usopp to inspect. “Check it out, Usopp! These nails are going to be a game changer for the Sunny!”

Usopp’s eyes widened in amazement as he peered into the box. “Incredible,” he said, as he picked one up.

“Hey! Franky!” Luffy interrupted their gawking at the small objects. “Do you think we could have a forge on the Sunny?” He asked.

Franky scratched his head, considering the idea, “Well, I guess it’s possible. We have the space; I’d just need to rearrange a few things.” He answered.

Luffy grinned, eyes lighting up at the prospect. “Awesome! Let’s do it, Franky! I reallllly want to see (Y/n) in action again! She was so cool!” He mused.

“What’s this about a forge,” Sanji asked, head popping out of the kitchen.

“(Y/n)’s going to join our crew!” Luffy answered with a smile.

“The blacksmith?” Sanji questioned, stepping out of the kitchen with a tray full of bright-colored drinks.

“She isn’t joining. The witch said no.” Zoro said, tone annoyed.

“She isn’t?” Chopper asked confused. Disappointment was clear in his eyes. Robin crouched next to the blue-nosed reindeer and patted his head comfortingly.

“She will,” Luffy said with confidence. “I just know she will.” He smiled.

Nami left the map she was drawing, joining the rest of the crew, Brook not far in tow. “Joining the crew, you say?” She remarked, a skeptical eyebrow raised.

“Yohoho! A New crew member? How exciting!” Brook added as his bony fingers tapped rhythmically against the wood of the railing.

“I think it’s a good idea, Nami” Robin who was still crouching next to Chopper said. “Her ability to infuse haki into the steel she works is amazing. She could be very useful.” Robin looked at Franky who was still marveling over the small gift. “Besides I’m worried about her.” She added.

“What are you worried about, Robin?” Chopper asked. The whole crew went silent, ready to listen to Robin’s concerns.

“I think she’s in more danger than she thinks she is.” She explained. “That bounty, admirals, yonkos. Something doesn’t feel right.” Her eyes had a distant look as she continued. “Whether she chooses to join us or not, the least we can do is drop her off somewhere they won’t find her.”

You were sitting dangerously close to the cliff side when Mary finally found you. You’d stormed off with no destination in mind, feet bringing you to your familiar hideout. The wind ruffled your hair, your eyes lost in the distance. The sea always looked so peaceful from this far away. You breathed in. For a moment time seemed to still, problems washing away with the distant sounds of the waves. You didn’t turn around when she called your name.

“(Y/n),” Mary said gently, her voice carrying a mix of concern and understanding. “Are you alright?”

You remained silent, the distant look in your eyes betraying the storm of emotions raging within you.

Mary sighed softly, sitting down next to you. She took your hand in hers, her fingers lacing with yours. Her head leaned against you as you both stared at the horizon. A comfortable silence settling over you as the sun began to dip.

“I don’t know what to do,” you admitted, voice catching in your throat.

Mary stayed quiet, giving you time to sort through your emotions. The silence carried on.

“I don’t want to leave, Mary,” tears threatened to blur your vision.

“I know,” she answered softly, hand squeezing yours.

“I’m sorry. If only I wasn’t so selfish. If only I didn’t have that urge to create… it’s all my fault Mary,” you mumbled as your vision blurred.

“It isn’t,” she stated as matter of fact. A few moments passed before she continued. “It’s not your fault, (Y/n),” she reiterated firmly. “You have a gift, a talent that’s uniquely yours. I would hate it if you stopped creating for my sake. You have nothing to be ashamed of.”

You shook your head. “But my actions. I’ve put everyone here in danger. If I hadn’t… then…”

“That’s a lot of ‘what ifs’, you know,” her thumb rubber tiny circles on your hand. “I, for one, am so proud of your talent.”

You squeezed her hand.

“You should go with them,” she urged you. “You don’t want to join the marines and you don’t want to join that Yonko. It doesn’t leave many choices behind. They looked like good people. They seemed genuinely interested in your abilities, not what you could make for them. You could even work on that dream of yours! Learn about new ways to forge steel… At the very least, if you don’t want to join them, ask them to bring you as far away as possible,” she rambled on anxiously.

“Mary-“ you started to object.

“Good,” she interrupted. “Now that that’s settled,” she got up, dusting off the dirt from her long skirt. “I have a lot of things to prepare for you before you set out!”

“Mary! I didn’t agree to this!” There was a panicked edge to your voice. Your pleas fell on deaf ears. She was already on her way back.

The sun barely peeked over the horizon when Straw Hat Luffy's obnoxious voice shouting ‘Good morning’ shattered the peace in front of your house.

"Ugh," you grumbled into your pillow, the headache from yesterday's emotions pounding in your skull. With a heavy sigh, you dragged yourself out of bed, throwing on a large sweater over your short nightgown. Your eyes felt like they were filled with sand as you fumbled with your slippers, struggling to shake off the remnants of sleep.

"What the hell are you doing here at this ungodly hour?" you snapped as you swung the door open, squinting against the morning light.

Your gaze fell on the pirate and his crew behind him. One, two, three, four... seven people stood on your doorstep. No. Absolutely not. You had no intention of dealing with this circus so early in the morning. With a scowl, you moved to close the door, but your sister intervened, pushing it back open with a cheery greeting.

"Good morning!" she chirped, willfully oblivious to your irritation. "Come on in!"

You grumbled in frustration, begrudgingly stepping aside to let the Straw Hats invade your space.

"(Y/n)! Join my crew!" Luffy exclaimed as he barged past you into your home.

You responded with a noncommittal grunt, refusing to entertain his ridiculous proposition. "I'll make coffee," you muttered, brushing past him.

As the crew made themselves at home, you observed them with a mixture of annoyance and curiosity. Robin and Zoro were familiar faces, but the rest really were a weird bunch. Was that a robot? The tall man was already looking around your house, marveling excitedly at this and that. Your irritation flared when you caught the swordsman eyeing your swords again, barely resisting the urge to snap at him.

“Sorry my sister’s really not a morning person. She’s really more of a night owl…” Mary was apologizing to Luffy.

“Don’t worry about it. Maly” Luffy said laughing.

“Is there even a time of day where she’s in a good mood?” The swordsman said under his breath.

Mary chuckled awkwardly at the comment.

You’d heard that. You couldn’t help the twitching under your eye. You were about to snarl back something foul, but your attention was then drawn to a furry creature in the doorway. Was that a raccoon dog? No, it had antlers. Reindeer then? It was… cute. You jumped in surprise as it approached you, its head tilted curiously.

"Hi there," it chirped in a voice that was far too cheerful for your liking so early in the morning. "I'm Chopper, the doctor of the crew."

"Hi," you grumbled, squatting down to be eye to eye with the doctor. You hesitantly took his hoof in your hand. "Nice to meet you, doc."

Chopper beamed up at you, seemingly unfazed by your gruff demeanor. "I hope we can be friends!" he said with genuine enthusiasm.

You gave him a half-hearted nod, not entirely convinced. "Yeah, sure," you muttered, already regretting letting these strangers into your home.

He seemed delighted by your answer.

You spotted some freak making heart eyes at your sister. She didn’t look bothered by the attention, but you could feel your anger flare at the gall of this man. Before you can say anything, a stunningly beautiful orange-haired woman was already pulling him back by the ear.

You groaned. Noisy. It was so fucking noisy. Your headache thumped, the rhythm of your heart loud in your ears. You headed to the kitchen to start brewing some much-needed coffee, the angry stomps of your steps muffled by your soft slippers. The aroma of the fresh brew filled the air, momentarily calming your frazzled nerves.

You spotted the blond freak in the doorway of the kitchen as you put the coffee pot on a tray. He was striking a pause clearly waiting for you to turn around.

“Need something?” you asked.

He flashed you a charming smile, a cigarette hanging from his lips. “Just admiring the view.” He said with a flip of his hair. Your teeth gritted at the cheesy line. “Though it would be nice if you joined us for breakfast. A beautiful lady like you shouldn’t be alone, especially with such fantastic company around.” He lit up the cigarette.

You scoffed, unimpressed, adding a few things to the tray.

“I’m Sanji by the way.” He said letting out a puff of smoke. You stomped over to the man taking the cigarette out of his mouth.

“No smoking in the house.” You said, uninterested. “Mary has weak lungs.” You explained, turning back to what you were doing.

His stance faltered slightly at the proximity. “Ohh… sorry about that.” He apologized, sheepishly.

“Yes, excuse the idiot.” The orange haired woman said, slapping the man at the back of his head. “I’m Nami, the voice of reason behind this raunchy bunch.” She introduced herself.

You glanced over your shoulder, eyeing her warily. "Nice to meet you," you replied curtly, not in the mood for small talk.

Nami raised an eyebrow, clearly taken aback by your cold demeanor. "Well, aren't you a ray of sunshine," she remarked sarcastically, crossing her arms over her chest. “Sanji made croissants, you should grab one before Luffy gets his hands on the lot.” She added with a conspiratorial wink before turning away.

You couldn’t help but stare in awe at the woman. She really was stunningly beautiful. The chaos of the Straw Hat Pirates echoed through your home bringing you back to reality. The clattering of dishes, Luffy's loud laughter, and the general liveliness of the crew mixed with your sister’s laughter. A smile made its way to your lips at hearing her so happy.

You carried the tray out to the living area, setting it on the table without saying a word. Robin was taking off the cloth covering a basket full of food. The decadent smell of freshly baked croissants made your stomach grumble. You watched in surprise when the pirate captain’s arm stretched, fucking stretched, to grab a handful of food.

“Devil fruit powers,” Robin explained to you as though it was the most ordinary thing in the world. “Chopper and I are also devil fruit users.” She added. “Brook too, he’s guarding the ship with Usopp today.” Robin handed you a plate with a croissant on it.

You heard Mary’s small scream of surprise at the display of Luffy’s powers followed by a dozen questions directed to the captain in awe.

“Have you considered Luffy’s offer,” Robin asked, drawing back your attention to her.

“I… have.” You replied, taking the plate.

Robin’s gaze was soft. “It’s not an easy decision, isn’t it?” She stated.

You didn’t answer.

“I, for one, hope you’re going to join us, (Y/n)” she said with a smile.

“She is!” Mary added loudly over the din of the chaos going on around you. She’d been clearly following the conversation from afar. “Joining you, that is. She’s joining you.”

“Really?” Luffy almost shouted in surprise.

You glared at Mary. She’d made the decision for you. “I am,” you answered, looking at your feet.

Luffy's face lit up with an ear-to-ear grin, and the crew erupted in cheers. "That's awesome!" he exclaimed, pumping his fist in the air. "I knew you’d say yes!”

Zoro rolled his eye, muttering something about adding more chaos to the crew, but you caught the hint of a smirk playing on his lips. Sanji, who had recovered from his earlier scolding, broke into a wide grin.

"Welcome to the crew, (Y/n)!" Luffy said enthusiastically, throwing an arm around your shoulders. You stiffened for a moment, not used to such liveliness, but then you couldn't help but let out a small smile.

"We've got to set sail soon, or else the log pose will reset again,” Nami said. “Is that alright with you?” she asked.

You nodded in approval, looking at Mary. Her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. She was putting on a brave face for you. You smiled back reassuringly at her.

You took a bite out of the croissant. It melted in your mouth. You couldn’t help the look on your face.

"Good, huh?" Sanji asked with a self-satisfied smirk.

Yes. This could be good.

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#the swordsman and the blacksmith #roronoa zoro #roronoa zoro x reader #roronoa zoro x you #roronoa zoro x y/n #one piece x reader #zoro x reader #charlou writes

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onehyperboi · 4 years

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Supernova youtuber/streamer au that nobody asked for but has been living rent free in my mind for ages

Kid

Has 3 channels and one streaming account first two channels are make up and nail channels and the 3rd is timelapses of him building machines.

His streaming channel is only used on the weekends for gaming.

Collabs with Killer all the fucking time and it still took his fans ages to work out that the two lived together and have been for the last 8 years.

"And they were roommates" jokes are very popular in his fandom.

There is a significant divide in his fanbase over if his hair is naturally that red or not, he swears it is but nobody is sure

Very popular for his no shits attitude about wearing makeup as a guy as well for his tips on doing your nails with only one arm.

Used to collab with Apoo and Hawkins but drama caused him to stop.

Unspoken tension with Law, he literally never talks about it but you can just tell it's there. It weird because as far as each fanbase knows they've never interacted before

Killer

A cooking channel and a streaming channel.

On his cooking channel the camera is focused just below his face or just on his hands depending on the shot taken

Fandom is very thirsty, naturally

Streaming channel he wears the mask on a face cam.

Once did a live QnA instead of gaming where he stated that he did in fact wear the mask all the time.

Kid had to clarify that Killer wore a variety of masks not just the blue one.

When asked if he ate with it on he got up and came back with instant noodles and ate them through the holes.

Sometimes collabs with sanji or zoro

His pet ferret once made a cameo on stream and the chat lost it

Jewelry Bonney

Mukbang queen

Knows Kid and Killer from highschool

Tells embarrassing stories about them all the time

When she isn't eating shes vlogging

Collabs with Killer from time to time but he mostly just provides her food

Zoro

His channel is whatever he wants at whatever time

Collabs with sanji a lot but is always fighting with him in the collabs

Most of his videos are demonetized but doesn't care

Collabs with most of the other straw hats at different points

A running joke in his fanbase is drawing him in front of a compass

He doesn't get it

Luffy

Streaming channel and a regular one

Like zoro it's a mix of whatever

Mainly does stunt stuff

Or his hospital trips

Collabs with Law a lot but not because Law wants to but because he is in the hospital he works in

Wants to collab with Kid but Kid is resistant

Also collabs with the other strawhats

Streams QnA every sunday

Drake

Ever see a man so excited and cute while talking about dinosaurs? No? Well now you have

Talks so much about dinosaur bones and what each meant as well as how each dinosaur lived

Gets really excited about new discoveries about fossils

Coby joins him often

Occasionally collabs with Robin

Law

Doctor channel where he goes over medical misinformation presented in shows

Will not talk about the tension between him and Kid but whenever hes brought up he gets really silent and stares into the camera for 30 seconds

Unwillingly collabs with Luffy, Willingly collabs with chopper

Is nicknamed Dr. Heartstealer by his fanbase

It's all over his merch now

Fandom is also very thirsty

Has had various doctors from all over on his channel

Has a separate streaming account where he plays minecraft

Sometimes plays surgical games on the main channel and rates how accurate they are

Hawkins

Occult channel

Weirdly collabs with Apoo most of the time

Uncany ability to predict things

Goes over occult history and has collabed with drake once to go over how dinosaur bones have influenced myths of the past

"Please stop trying to curse the moon."

Apoo

Music channel

Started with remixes and covers but eventually progressed to making his own stuff

The drama with Kid is all over his channel and he seems to have made it a habit to occasionally try and provoke a reaction

It hasn't worked yet

Collabs with Hawkins and also made the music for his channel

Urouge

Mountain climbing Vlogs

Seriously this dude has climbed most of the mountain in the world

Also he does alcohol reviews including taste and content

He and zoro have a mutual agreement over most drinks

Bege

Family Vlogs and Gun reviews

This mans life is just, on YouTube

Pez is a constant presence and everyone in his fanbase loves him

His whole channel is pretty much "I love my wife and son very much also heres how to shoot and load a gun properly, dont forget to wear proper ear protection"

One video is Chiffon taking over the channel that day and she shows what bege does in the house and if anyone notices the suspicious amount of gang looking men in the place nobody comments on it

#one piece #trafalgar law #eustass kid #x drake #11 supernovas #monky d luffy #roronoa zoro #capone bege #mad monk Urouge #one piece killer #scratchman apoo #basil hawkins #jewelry bonney #youtuber au #dbhdevhsgeeheh #long post

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danwhobrowses · 3 years

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One Piece 1000 - 10 Confessions as a One Piece Fan

Although we did the Initial Thoughts a week ago (a long week ago, damn) which you can read here I wanted to do something for the official release of One Piece’s 1000th Chapter At first it started out to be ‘10 things I wanna ask Oda that I don’t think we’ll ever know’ but I couldn’t think of 10, then I was gonna do a General opinion post about it, but didn’t want it to come off too negative. So I am settling on a confessions post, which will have elements of these anyway.

So as we have a happy 1000, let’s talk about some stuff I usually don’t get to talk about in One Piece

Note: There will probably be spoilers so make sure you’re up to date

10. Late Beginnings I think the first confession I have to have is that despite being older than One Piece I am unfortunately not a ‘Day One’ fan. In fact I think I mainly got into One Piece around mid-Whole Cake Island arc, before I had of course known about One Piece, it was a ‘Big Three’ anime after all but the most I knew about it was that they had a guy named Luff-y and another called Zorro, and it was about ‘Pirates who can’t swim’. My curiosity only developed when in a youtube deep-dive of anime clips I kept being recommended One Piece clips, and decided to give a couple a go. Most of them were Paradise arc stuff from the anime, the dub voices were mostly atrocious so I stuck to sub. I was happily surprised about the amount of fun and emotional weight these clips gave me, which led me to check where One Piece was as of current and backtrack from there (Ironically I did the same with Beastars). I did eventually get caught up around the time of the Mafia Meeting and I’ve kept up with each chapter since.

9. I mostly still prefer the Pre-Timeskip looks When I first felt this I thought it to be pretty controversial, nowadays not so much. I understand that Oda wanted to change the look for many characters but some of them did feel like a downgrade. I think the ones who got it worst was Franky, I think it’s the bulbous shoulders, Franky was no stranger to body horror from Enies Lobby to Sabaody but I kinda preferred that he still had a lot of his humanity rather than looking like an action figure. Otherwise I think Robin, Nami and Chopper had it bad, maybe Brook too but his was more fashion than design; the women in general took heavy hits by Oda’s proportion design - I mean I get it boobs are nice but proportions are what make them better - but Robin also underwent a skin color change in the anime, who pre-timeskip shaded her skin darker than in the manga and corrected it to match the manga, I think most of us would’ve preferred Robin to have kept the darker skin tone and possibly even the fringe, Robin’s hairstyle (and her fashion in general) can be hit and miss. I go to and fro about Nami, other than the general waist and bust adjustments I think it fits her character to use her sexuality a bit, she was no stranger to that pre-Timeskip, sometimes though I can’t tell whether I preferred her with short or long hair (Short was definitely better on Nojiko), I do think though that Oda could have her show less skin, she is still very pretty in outfits such as Water 7, Thriller Bark and even her fake pirate disguise in the early chapters/episodes. Finally with Chopper I think it was a bad move to alter the hat, that was a memento from his father figure Hiriluk, it’d be like if Luffy altered his straw hat or Zoro replacing Wado Ichimonji, I do also feel that the design for Chopper’s points while easier to draw don’t look as good, I think a lot of it is the scruff, or lack thereof in favour of smoothness, Walk Point is fine but Heavy Point, Guard Point and Horn Point seem less threatening, Monster Point especially too, in Enies Lobby he looked like a cave painting of menace and destruction, now he’s smoother and his scruff lighter so it’s not as good. The rest of the designs I’m quite fine with though.

8. I wish some markings stuck as well Tattoos and Scars seem to be optional in the One Piece world sometimes, unless it’s branded in molten heat like the Dragon’s hoof, Sun Pirates logo or an attack from Sakazuki. While Nami’s redesigned tattoo has stuck around and Luffy and Zoro’s scars persist, they are mainly character reminders/mysteries for huge moments in the story, and I kinda wish that some of the Straw Hats had littler markings, not just scars either. For instance, the Alabasta X on the arm, I really wish that stayed on each of the Alabasta characters’ arms since it was a symbol of friendship with Vivi, I also wish that Luffy kept the 3D2Y mark on his arm. In terms of scars though it would’ve been nice to see the characters a bit more battle-worn; Zoro’s ankle scars from Mr. 3 have faded and frankly he should be covered in little and long scratches given his fights with Mr. 1 and 2 years of Mihawk Training, Nami’s shoulder scar is hidden completely by her tattoo and she has no scars on her hand (from fake stabbing Usopp) or foot (from blocking Miss Doublefinger), Usopp himself could’ve used some small scratches because lord knows how there’s even still bones in his nose plus he was in murder island for 2 years, Chopper could at least have a small bald patch from when his shoulder was impaled and burned by Shura’s fire lance too, other than that there’s just Jimbei’s potentially missing shoulder scar from Marineford, though Oda has kept it obscured a lot so maybe that is still there. I understand why Oda doesn’t or forgets to, but it would’ve been nice if we lived in a vacuum of no time limits and whatnot.

7. Dead End Adventure is my favourite One Piece film I don’t know what it is, but Dead End Adventure just gives me the most fun out of the One Piece films. It has a good side plot and the side character Shuraiya was a blast of a character. Granted, Gaspard wasn’t too good of a villain side for actually harming the straw hat and his defeat was a bit underwhelming but the race, the settings it was all fun. It is not to say I don’t enjoy any other One Piece movies, I delight in the horror fuel of Baron Omatsuri - and that killer final punch - and Z’s tragic tale of a fallen marine, Strong World has that epic entrance to the party and Stampede also had some great team up moments and fantastic writing for Usopp and Smoker but Dead End Adventure always feels like the movie I could watch in any mood.

6. Skypeia and Fishman Island are some of my favourite arcs While I can understand the criticism of the Long Ring Long Land arc (especially since the anime dragged out the Davy Back Fight) it surprised me that people found Skypeia and Fishman Island arcs to be boring or less entertaining than previous arcs. Everyone has their preferences of course but I felt that Skypeia and Fishman Island were very powerful arcs especially with the theme of racism. Both had glorious setting design different to the common customs of the world we had seen, Oda made both Skypeia and Fishman Island feel very much lived in with its own budding culture and prejudices, with a villain who was dead set on destroying everything just to have their way. With Enel and his priests we were able to push several characters to newer limits, with Robin showing her fighting capabilities, Zoro learning his projectile slashes, Chopper having to endure fighting 3 priests and even Usopp growing all the more braver in the face of seemingly indestructible opponents and later gaining access to the dials. With Fishman Island it was different because it was basically a ‘flex arc’: where the main villain is meant to be a stepping stone rather than a threat but even then the symbolism of the enemy is what’s significant with them, the inherited hatred of humans. But at the same time we do learn new strengths from the crew; Red Hawk, the use of armament Haki, Skywalk, Hell Memories, Franky Shogun, Usopp’s pop greens, Nami’s weather eggs, Brook’s Soul Solid and his new DF power (which is possibly an awakening), as well as the first true steps of Jimbei joining the crew. The biggest strength of both arcs is the flashback as well, like Wano would in present time both arcs demonstrated that Oda can carry a story without his main characters and still keep it as captivating as ever, be it the friendship of Noland and Calgara, the tragedies of Otohime and Fisher Tiger or the life of Kozuki Oden and the man who would be Pirate King. And the impact of Fishman Island and Skypeia’s flashbacks both come back around in Dressrosa with the dwarves and Koala, and Fishman Island really does kick off the whole Yonko saga with Luffy challenging Big Mom, these arcs were definitely significant as they were entertaining with silly faces, strong fights, challenging themes, lorebuilding, good side characters and unique twists. And the overall message of healing from the past is still significant to this day. Through Wyper’s sacrifice and the Bell ringing to Jimbei giving blood and the Ryugu royals wanting to attend the Reverie, it is all very powerful stuff and while the arcs are similar in nature its their similarities that make me love them. Also the cover stories with Enel and Gedatsu on their own mini adventures are fun

5. I really want to know where Ghin is Ghin/Gin was such an interesting character in Baratie. Given that this was right before Arlong Park too so we had not seen a character conflict with different loyalties in One Piece until then, his gratitude to Sanji against his loyalty to Krieg created a fantastically complex character, but then he left and we didn’t hear about him ever since. Did he survive Krieg’s poison gas? Is he still with Krieg? One reactor of the episode said “maybe he’ll become the next Don” which was a concept I kinda really liked. The guy was pretty strong given that he had bested Sanji at that time, and since he didn’t appear in a cover story my mind does wonder. It’s not just Ghin either, a lot of the early East Blue characters kinda fell off the map; where is Morgan? Last we saw he was sleeping as he sailed past Jango, where is Kuro? For someone wanting to resume piracy after some years off he has been very quiet, where is Krieg? Only Arlong and Morgan were arrested and the latter escaped so the rest of these characters are a mystery. Recently in Wano I am still wondering where Law’s crew that he brought to Onigashima went, as well as Caribou - where is that slippery bugger?

4. Basil Hawkins is probably one of my Top 5 Supernova There’s something about that dude I gravitate towards, which makes it quite frustrating when the anime decides to add extra malice and creepy faces to him. Hawkins in Wano is still a victim, if anything he is simply a prisoner with better working conditions, if he thought he could survive escaping Kaido he would but he doesn’t so he won’t, he’s also gonna feel sore about Drake betraying him and letting Law cut him up, so it annoys me that Hawkins is seen like a villain. Not only does he have an extremely interesting Devil Fruit and creativity with it but he’s also audaciously confident in his fortunetelling, even Luffy ran from Kizaru at Sabaody while Hawkins looked at his cards while Kizaru was about to boot him to holy hell and said ‘nah I’m not dying today’, you gotta respect that moxie. At the same time though as a pirate he has that shades of grey element, he’s okay with letting some of his crew be disposable and we don’t even know to what end, he doesn’t look like a guy too concerned about being Pirate King or having riches. I also get a good laugh in that his hobbies are interior design, it makes me really want to see what the inside of his ship looks like. I think as a top 5, I have Luffy, Zoro, Law, Hawkins and then Kid, Bege, Killer and Bonney are not far behind with Apoo dead last because fuck Apoo. Kid and Killer are cool but I do feel like they need a bit more character, Bege earned some points in being funny and his care for his family in WCI and then there’s Bonney - I really hope we dig into Bonney’s significance, she feels really important and that mystery keeps her fresh whenever we see her. Drake too has only really started to become interesting because of SWORD, we could still see more fleshing but for now he is like bottom 3. It’s a shame Urouge has to be so low, he’s not bad but he’s not spectacular either, gotta admire his hobby of lovemaking though, you do you Urouge.

3. I don’t think that either of the ‘Most Beautiful Women in the World’ are the Most Beautiful Women in One Piece The in-world consensus seems to be that the Most Beautiful Women in the World are Boa Hancock, Komurasaki and Shirahoshi, and granted they are very pretty, but the most? Not for me. I mean, y’all know that Nico Robin, Nami and Vinsmoke Reiju exist right? Makino as well is stunning, as are Tashigi, Bonney, Margaret, Ishilly, Nojiko, Vivi, Rebecca, Pudding, Perona, Cosette and I’m sure a few others, realistically I think they could all give them a run for their money. I get how for those three their beauty is a plot point (Boa it’s drilling home Luffy’s obliviousness to it, Komurasaki it’s the swerve of her not being awful and for Shirahoshi it’s due to Vander Decken IX pulling the creep factor on her) but it would’ve worked the same way without the ‘world’ hyperbole I think. As much as Oda is iffy with proportions and rarely writes women with as much attention as the boys he sure knows how to make them attractive.

2. Some of my favourite individual Straw Hat scenes aren’t in Canon If I were to have a top 5 moments of each character, it may surprise you that some of it comes from movies or filler episodes, particularly Sanji’s flexing on Jessica in the G8 Arc (in fact, Jonathon is one of my favourite marines, T-Bone is in there too, but I don’t have room to fit that). Some are of course obvious because of how iconic they are but it does go to show that sometimes filler isn’t all bad. Since you’re probably curious: As a Group Goodbye Merry [Enies Lobby] Entering Shiki’s Palace [Strong World] Walk to Arlong Park [Arlong Park] Entering the Grand Line [Reverse Mountain] vs a Stuck Oars [Thriller Bark] Jimbei Giving Luffy Blood [FMI] Vagabond Drill on Big Mom [WCI] Leaving the Big Mom Pirates [WCI] Returning in Wano [Wano] Trying to argue with Luffy [FMI] Brook vs Chess Soldiers & Big Mom [WCI] Flashback [Thriller Bark] Breaking Mother Carmel’s Picture [WCI] Baron Corpse vs Dog Minks [Zou] Hysterically laughing at seeing Duval [Sabaody] Franky vs Senor Pink [Dressrosa] Playing with the Kids [Punk Hazard] vs Fukurou [Enies Lobby] Freedom Roller [Wano] Trapping Caribou in the Barrel [FMI] Robin I Want to Live [Enies Lobby] Clutching Spandam [Enies Lobby] Throwing Usopp under the bus [G8] vs Yama [Skypeia] Clutching Tequila Wolf guards [Amazon Lily] Chopper Monster Point [Enies Lobby] Flashback [Drum Island] Chopper Man (& Minoru Kazeno) vs Usobada [Chopper Man Special] Don’t blow the whistle: Immediately blows whistle [Skypeia] Dr Chopper the definitely Human Doctor not wearing fake glasses [G8] Vivi w/ Karoo (she counts okay!) Goodbye speech [Alabasta] Escaping Bon Clay [Alabasta] Karoo Digging Luffy Out [Little Garden] Luffy Fan Club Meeting [Reverie] Slapping Usopp awake [Drum Island] Nami vs Kalifa [Enies Lobby] Standing by the kids [Punk Hazard] Saying goodbye to Bell-mere [Arlong Park] Helping Luffy vs Cracker via Lola’s Vivre Card [WCI] Luffy WILL be Pirate King [Wano] Sanji ‘I needed a light’ [Skypeia] Flexing on Jessica [G8] Saving the Vinsmokes [WCI] O-Soba Mask [Wano] vs Doflamingo [Dressrosa] Usopp Alabasta speech [Alabasta] Awakening Observation Haki [Dressrosa] Sogeking Theme Song [Enies Lobby] vs Perona [Thriller Bark] Saving Luffy from the fire [Stampede] Zoro Nothing Happened [Thriller Bark] vs Ryuma [Thriller Bark] vs Mr. 1 [Alabasta] vs Gyukimaru & Kamazo [Wano] “He’s sweeping our floors that fiend!” Test of Luck [Loguetown] Luffy ‘On the Sea, you fight Pirates’ [Wano] Red Roc [Wano] vs Katakuri [WCI] Haki clash with Doflamingo [Dressrosa] Punching Saint Charloss [Sabaody] I will have to say that for some characters I could go to 20 so if one’s missing it may’ve just missed the mark, such as Usopp and Nami vs Enel or Luffy putting back a Zombie or Stealth Luffy, I mean it is 1000 chapters as well as movies and filler episodes/specials...

1. I’ve learned quite a lot due to One Piece Since my fascination started with a deep dive of checks, I did start to learn a hell of a lot more not just about the franchise itself (you know it’s almost catching up BATMAN on total sales, which has been around more than 3 times longer?) but I also learned a lot about stuff Oda has used as a reference key; folklore, actual pirates, actual practices, the amount of detail Oda puts in is astounding. Which does lean into another thing I’ve learned, One Piece has changed the way I approach some of my ideas for writings and whatnot, before I would be afraid of either spoonfeeding or being too vague, Oda’s mastery not only in storytelling but character development, character quality and pacing has both helped and intimidated me a lot of times, I mean consider this: it took hundreds of chapters to get a proper backstory on Luffy, the main character, how unprecedented is that? Often I could fall into the trap of making sure you knew everything about the main character from day one but now I wonder about what’s necessary for the now and what can I work on. Another thing that both inspires and intimidates me is his drawing, I suck at colours and still do, and a lot of Oda’s attention to detail is incredible considering he’s gotta whip that out on the weekly, but at the same time you see some of his rough sketches and they’re pretty similar to a rough sketch of my own, so in a way it’s a ‘there’s still hope for you’ moment seeing those. I can’t say I’ve learned Japanese from listening to One Piece, but I have picked up on some stuff, some hiragana there, some phonetics here, I also appreciated some of the stuff kaizokuou-ni-naru does (I won’t tag them in case that’s a bit rude to do it out of the blue but check out their tumblr) when it came to deciphering the Japanese of chapters and the little puns and hints Oda puts in his native tongue. And of course any One Piece fan has learned one thing above all else: Patience. Oda himself included, it took over 20 years to get to 1000 chapters and we still have plenty of questions to ask, plenty of islands to see and thus plenty of chapters to go. So Straw Hats off to you Oda, and a happy 1000th!

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hergan416 · 4 years

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First line meme

Rules: List the first lines of your last 15 stories. See if there are any patterns. Then tag your favorite authors!

I was tagged by @touchmycoat and I will pass this on to anyone who wants to do it. Even if I don't follow you, or you don't think I mean you, I mean you if you think this sounds fun. Feel free to tag me so I can see what you learn!

About formatting--I am considering each chapter in the fic "Thirty One Days" a unique chapter for the purposes of this meme, as they are written to be loosely connected one shots.

I am using both of my pseuds to better get a picture of my writing history, so if you end up looking up my yugiomo pseud...know that there WILL be omorashi and consider this your warning. If you do not know what this is, and are over 18, use urban dictionary or something.

Astonishingly, all of the first lines of all of the fics are tumblr safe. Horray. Most of the fics aren't. If you look up any fics, PLEASE pay attention to the ratings on AO3, and any content warnings.

Patterns: Every. Single. One. Of my new (2019 holiday season forward) fics starts with the name of a person and a paragraph. This paragraph immediately sets up the person's thoughts. Previously, I had begun fics with much more action, often with dialog, or specific thoughts or actions. "Keijo!!!!!" was sitting in my drafts for years before it was finished and posted, so it makes sense that it followed my old format, despite falling on the newer side of the break I took writing. (It is the only thing I published besides the 2018 YGOME before the 2019 YGOME started me writing again.) The long break coincides, to my memory with the tumblr purge and me entering a long-term relationship with my current partner. I should maybe think about adding more action into my writing again.

15. "War of Love: The Game" from "Thirty One Days" --- “Draw!” Atem yelled as he pulled the card out of the deck and looked at it.

14. "Dignity Lost! The Ship Ride to Duelist Kingdom" (yugiomo pseud, and yes apparently I'm mainblogging that now). --- Anzu grit her teeth as she listened to the gentle sound of water on the hull of the giant boat, every wave torturous to her ears. Finally she stood from her position crouching next to Honda. “I’m at my breaking point,” she complained, her voice a slight whine.

13. "Paladins: Champions of the Realm" from "Thirty One Days" --- “Enemy double kill... enemy triple kill!” the automated voice announced. "Enemy killing spree.”

12. "Failure" (yugiomo pseud) --- Stupid Kaiba and his stupid rules! Jounouchi thought, desperately working at the restraints that held him him in place. Who even made desks like this anyway? It almost seemed like the chain was built in, like it was meant to be on the desk. But that couldn’t be right. Kaiba had said he’d had this desk as a kid.

11. "More Sex Play" from "Thirty One Days" --- “Want to play something other than Duel Monsters this afternoon?” Atem suggested to Kaiba as he dug through the golden box for his deck. “I live in a game shop, surely there is something else you’d like to try to beat me at.”

10. "Alone" --- All Kaiba wanted was to shrink away from the music, the noise and the crowd. He didn’t want to play this part anymore, but he had to, for Mokuba’s sake. Mokuba was all that was left.

9. "Trying (On) My Patience" -- “Look, all I’m saying is that you need to find something other than a discarded school uniform to throw over your shoulders. And maybe some better jewelry.”

8. "Keijo!!!!!" from "Thirty One Days" --- “Don’t you think we should check it out?” Atem insisted, his intense gaze meeting Kaiba’s across the desk. “It’s the latest competitive fad in Japan. According to Yugi, men are going crazy for it.”

7. "Liquid Gold" --- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XaS93WMRQQ

Atem sat at the computer, simply searching the internet while he waited for Seto to finish up with his work. While he almost exclusively had been using this specific computer in Seto’s office space since coming back from the afterlife, occasionally Seto would use it to set the ambiance while Atem was gone. What Seto didn’t know is that Atem had figured out how to search the browsing history, and that he had recently seen that there were nearly 20 plays of the same youtube video.

6. "All I Want For Christmas..." --- Yugi yawned as he watched out the window of the Kaiba jet . It was the private one, not the blue eyes white jet; Yugi had always been secretly nervous about that plane’s capability of flying, and regardless, there wouldn't have been enough room for Mokuba, Yugi, and Seto to fly in the dragon-shaped jet together. He’d been woken by the announcement of the plane’s descent, as dawn broke over the unique arrangement of city and harbor that forms Sydney, Australia.

5. "Help Me Doctor (I Have Sinned)" --- Marco always had an eye out for sails as he went about his daily tasks on Whitebeard’s peaceful home island. He’d been expecting Edward Weevil to make his way there eventually, and in the meantime needed to protect the small island from bands of low-class marauders. So, when he was walking down the beach and he recognized the telltale black flag, he immediately pulled out his spyglass. The jolly roger showed a skull surrounded by a fluffy pink scarf, with giant red lips and a brown and pink tricorne on its head, and Marco’s heart rate immediately increased.

4. "Shimmering Blush" --- Tony Tony Chopper woke up bright and early, excited to go back to see his friends. The last two years in Birdie Kingdom without seeing any of the other Straw Hats had been long, even with the new friends he’d made here. He knew he was stronger, and would do his best to support everyone now that he would finally get to see them again.

3. "House On A Hill" --- Marco wasn’t about to listen to Katakuri (of all people) lecturing him on selflessness. They both had always been the kind of people that would prioritize their families over themselves. That was why they had ended and Marco was cursing Katakuri for not leaving the island after yet another ill-advised tryst.

2. "Relief" (yugiomo pseud--you thought this died in 2017, didn't you?) --- Ryou had, for the most part, reached an understanding with the Spirit of the Ring. Unlike Yugi, Ryou was well-aware of the other person that had come attached to the Millenium Ring, the Item his father had gifted him from one of his archeological digs. Most people probably would have assumed they were cursed the first time they saw the disembodied Spirit following themselves around, and thrown the Ring away as far as they could. Ryou, in contrast, turned around, faced the Spirit, and said hello.

1. "Shared Nightmares" --- Robin has had nightmares about the Buster Call that destroyed Ohara ever since she escaped her fate. Sometimes it’s just the kids back home that picked on her and called her a devil child, all in the rescue boat and dying because she might have made it on board, sometimes it’s the burning of the Tree of Life, sometimes it’s Saul’s laughing face as Akoiji froze him solid.

0. "Seek and Ye Shall Find" (I miscounted and started a fic late and I am not spending time readjusting this nonsense) --- Atem was so happy he’d finally found a way to at least view what was happening back in Domino. Rather than getting surprised by the Gods’ future requests at world-saving, he could keep an eye on things from the afterlife. It’s not like he could transport himself to Domino without the Gods’ help, so it was more a way to keep an eye on things in the meantime. The Kaiba Dome seemed the best place for the mirror into the realm of the living; after all, Seto Kaiba now seemed the center of all the trouble.

youtube

#long post #my writing #writing meme #mobile doesnt have see more #Youtube

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richie-txzier · 6 years

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Sweet Dreams Are Made Of This (Who Am I To Disagree?)

Request: Can you do a Stenbrough soulmate story?!! I loved the Reddie one so much it was great.

Requester: @kylieee827-blog

Pairing(s): Bill Denbrough x Stan Uris, Eddie Kaspbrak x Richie Tozier

Warning: Lil sad, but Richie’s there so it’s okay

Author: Admin Tozier

Note: A lot of you were wondering wtf Bill wanted in Paraprosexia (Spoiler Alert: He was having a gay crisis), so consider this a prequel/sequel/add-on to not only answer that question but give you a Stenbrough Soulmate AU as well! I started to write this and suddenly it was 3k words later and we hadn’t even got to Buttercup’s yet and I was like yikes so consider this Chapter 1!

Extra Note: GEORGIE IS ALIVE BECAUSE FUCK YOU STEPHEN, THAT’S WHY

Actual Useful Extra Note: The basis to this Soulmate AU is that on the night of your 17th birthday you have a dream featuring your soulmate. You see their face and hear their name, and for every consecutive birthday after that, you have a dream featuring them again and again until you find them. I’d say I created it, but most likely it’s a mash-up of every other Soulmate AU other there, so feel free if you’d like to use it! (:

Paraprosexia , Chapter 1 (YOU ARE HERE), Chapter 2, Chapter 3

23:58pm

23:59pm

00:00am

Bill let out a deep breath, the panic-inducing feeling of tears, a constricted chest and frozen limbs ebbing away in the early morning darkness. As his eyes met the ceiling, his hands coiling together to relieve the lingering anxiety, he first figured that he didn’t really feel any different. He was 17 now. 17 years of waiting for this exact night. He figured the worst was over, the rest he really didn’t have much control over. All he had to was sleep and there his soulmate would be.

Bill wondered what they’d look like. Would they be like Bev? With badge littered leather jackets, heavy dark make-up around crystal eyes, crimson-painted lips circled around a cigarette while one foot stayed propped up on the pedal of her motorbike. Or would they be like Mike? With big warm smiles, floppy straw hat casting a kaleidoscope of sunspots across his face as he looked up at him from fluttering his fingers through the field of flowers, a few of them tucked into his overall’s pocket. Or would they be like…

No. Bill couldn’t get his hopes up. There were 7 billion people on the planet, what are the odds his soulmate would be his best friend? His best friend with soft blonde curls, almond shaped brown eyes that when turned to him made him feel like he was the only person in the room, the rare and bright smiles that graced his lips and creased his eyes-

No. He couldn’t get his hopes up.

Exhaling another breath, Bill closed his eyes, his nerves betraying his determined desire to sleep and he fidgeted with his fingers. Eventually, he rolled onto his side in an attempt to get more comfortable while simultaneously facing away from the taunting ticking clock that recorded each minute he was away from his soulmate. He curled up under his blankets, bringing his knees to his chest in a fetal position he hadn’t slept in since the night Georgie went missing. Why was he so nervous? His heart was beating frantically as if it knew something Bill didn’t, his mind only rationally telling him the unlikeliness he would recognise his soulmate, let alone ever meet them.

With a determined, frustrated and familiar courageous coiled feeling in his stomach, he put on a brave face and decided he was going to face this head on. The universe wants to give him a soulmate? Get fucking on with it.

And with that, Bill huffed to himself, squeezed his eyes shut, and focused on sleeping until he drifted off into unconsciousness.

He was in a woodland. Stood tall, but so short against the towering trees, the foliage rippling under the soft summer breeze, the pale yellow sun shining through the gaps in the leave with angelic curtains of light. They fell like a spotlight to glimmer and shine again blonde ringlets, the tight curls swaying delicately like loosely twirled golden ribbons.

The figure slowly turned, chirping of birds causing them to hesitate for a moment to flutter through the book they held with graceful slender fingers, pale arms exposed by the sleeves of his cotton shirt folded at his elbows. His skin shimmered, the pearly expanse interrupted by faded freckles that he could only make out by the sudden proximity he found himself to the figure.

“Bill?” A silky, sharp voice interrupted his gaze on the figure’s body and Bill flinched, eyes lifting to meet the face of the figure.

Almond irises. Focused solely on him. Mouth curled into a rare smile, creasing his eyes.

“Stan?” Bill breathed. Stan cocked his head, closed his book and made his way closer, but Bill only stumbled backwards, eyes blown and jaw dropped into a pure state of shock as he stared into the angled concerned features of his best friend.

Stan’s eyebrows knitted together, his hand laying gently on Bill’s bicep and Bill resisted the sudden urge to jolt it back. His touch was too kind, too tender, too loving. Bill’s breath quickened and Stan’s mouth only tightened in anxiety.

“Hey,” Stan murmured softly, and Bill could only let him, his body frozen, as he wrapped a gentle arm snugly around his waist to draw him closer. Stan entwined their hands together and brought Bill’s to his lips, kissing his fingers softly. Their eyes met again, Stan’s warm brown eyes staring at him with a genuine clear emotion that Bill had never seen lining them, “I love you.”

Bill’s cheeks twitched into a smile, cheeks flushing a little as he pressed their foreheads together, vacant fingers curling into his shoulder to keep him as close as possible, the actions and words acting automatically; the pessimistic voice in his barely conscious brain telling him that this may be his only chance to say it, “I love you too.”

Bill woke up with the words sculpted into his mouth.

OH FUCK.

Bill felt like he wasn’t attached to his body as he scrambled out of bed, the clock on his bedside glaring 8:53am out the corner of his eye. His mind was telling him he was drifting over to his pile of shoes, but later he would realise he was probably clambering and stumbling over, pulling on the first pair of trainers he saw, not bothering to change out of his sweatpants, grabbed his phone, keys and hoodie before thundering down the stairs.

“Billy?” A small voice wavered into his focus and he looked down to see Georgie staring up at him, one flesh and one plastic hand holding a bowl of cereal as he was still dressed in his pyjamas, “Where’re you going?”

“I-I’m juh-j-just going t-to Beh-Beverly’s for b-b-breakfast.” He managed to spit out, his tongue feeling heavy, his mind clicking at a mile a minute. Georgie’s face brightened and he bounced on the balls of his feet, head reaching Bill’s chest now.

“Can I come? I wanna see Bev!” He asked, cocking his head and Bill got a sudden reminder of Stan doing similarly in his dream and another wave of panic crashed over him.

“Suh-sorry Georgie, not t-tuh-today.” Bill’s gaze was distant as he ruffled Georgie’s hair and quickly circled around the barely-teenage boy to rush out the front door. Georgie frowned at his retreating form, but quickly shrugged it off, happily walking into the dining room with his bowl of Lucky Charms.

Bill slid into the front of his car, tossing his phone into the passenger seat, plugging his key into the ignition and then paused for a moment to catch his breath. What was he doing? Where was he going? His head fell on the steering wheel and the car honked loudly. He jumped back, head falling into his hands with a depressed groan.

He needed to tell someone. Someone who would understand. Someone who was close to Stan as well, so they could help with how to tell the boy… what they were. Bill bumped the back his head against the car seat, groaning at his own cowardice to even think the word.

Soulmate. That’s what he is Bill. Stanley Uris is your soulmate.

Bill’s breathing was picking up, his heart beating painfully in his chest and his brain feeling like it was being wrung like a wet sponge. He needed to tell someone, get the pressure off his shoulders so he can focus on how to tell him.

How to tell him, oh my fucking god, how am I supposed to tell him?! Hey Stan, how you been buddy, listen, I had my wacky soulmate dream last night and guess what? WE’RE SOULMATES. Oh, and by the way, I’ve been in love with you since I was 15. Isn’t that cool? Haha! Wanna make out?

He smacked himself on the forehead. Out the corner of his eye his phone lit up as he got a notification from his messenger (Three in total; each a birthday message from Bev, Ben and Mike) and his background photo, that Richie had changed of him and the meddler with Richie smacking a kiss on his cheek while Bill was laughing, the alcohol evident in the redness of his cheeks, blared up at him. Richie.

Bill thanked God for the existence of Richie Tozier.

He snatched up his phone, pulling up his messenger and typed out a quick text:

Big Billiam: Meet me @ quarry in 20

He hesitated and then sent another:

Big Billiam: It’s important

He got a reply after a few seconds of typing:

Tozmanian Devil: omw

Bill puffed out the breath he wasn’t aware he was holding, his whole body slumping into his seat as a minute piece of stress lifted from his shoulder, allowing the feeling to come back into his fingers so he could start the ignition with a flick of his wrist. With a determined foot pressing on the pedal, he drove out of the parking spot and on to route towards the Quarry, hoping the wide open area would at least relief the squeezing pressure in his temples.

Pulling up he spotted Richie’s bike discarded carelessly on the ground a few feet behind its owner sat in the fire pit the seven of them had gradually created with a few rotting logs placed around the clearing in a circle to frame the social clearing. Richie was looking a little messy, as if he had just got out of bed, which earned a rightful pang of guilt in Bill’s chest, as his shirt was untucked from his jeans, glasses askew and glinting on the mid-Sunday morning light and his dark curls a mop across his face so thickly Bill wondered if he could even see.

“Rich?” Bill called, slamming the car door shut and locking it. Richie tipped his head back to shine a sleepy grin, eyes still a little bleary but the straightness of his posture held the concern he held for his best friend. When Bill came to sit beside him, in front of the log, leaning back against it, as Richie was obviously too cool to sit properly, he placed a friendly hand on his shoulder to silently assure him it wasn’t as bad as he knew he was blowing out of proportion in that wild head of his.

As he settled in next to him a whiff of antiseptic, wool and vanilla hit him, making Bill smile and laugh lightly, “You smell luh-l-like Eddie.”

“Well I’d sure hope so,” Richie replied, stretching long legs out to stare at his converse clad feet contrasting against the dark dirt they sat on, “Given that you dragged me from the sleepy and warm hold of my adorable boyfriend with your cryptic message. So what’s the hullabaloo about, cockblock?”

Bill only stared at him, terrifying Richie as his bright blue eyes held him down with an emotion he hadn’t seen pouring from them since they were 13: fear. Richie leaned into him, his hand falling to his knee, tone falling soft and concerned as he ducked to stare up at his friend, “Hey Bill, what happened? Talk to me, buddy.”

“What huh-happened in your s-suh-soulmate d-dream?” Bill suddenly asked. He didn’t know why he needed to know, he just did. Maybe it was because he needed reassurance it would turn out okay, that his feels could be requited. Or maybe he was just stalling, wanting to have his best friend here to do what he did best and just talk to drown out his thoughts.

Richie’s whole form softened and Bill was fascinated. A slow and painfully genuine grin took over his mouth and the words he spoke flow from his lips like he’d thought about it a lot, telling it over and over in his head until he could describe it perfectly. But the disbelief was there, the edge of shock that still hovered over him, stemming from his intense insecurity of never being good enough for the Eddie he was destined. It warmed Bill, a platonic and full glow that had him mirroring Richie’s smile.

“We were in the back of my truck, Eddie sat next to me, and I was playing my guitar. We were singing Africa,” He laughed, shaking his head, “Singing is not the right word actually. We were yelling more like. So off-key, so goddamn loud, and he was smiling, Bill, beaming, at me. His eyes were so big and full of love and he was grinning, his face gold in the setting sun and I could feel the love he had for me. For me. And then the song ended, but the giddy loving buzz stayed. Eddie leaned his head on my shoulder and he murmured that he loved me. It was so genuine that I remembered waking up crying.”

Richie was grinning dazedly, his eyes soft as he stared above the horizon with the pale blue sky reflected in his glasses.

“How did you t-tell him?” Bill whispered as he scuffed his free against the ground.

Richie shrugged, carding a hand through his mussed hair, “It all just kinda came out one day. I knew I had to tell him but couldn’t find the right moment. I kept putting it off and off until I couldn’t take it anymore. I climbed through his window, like the Romeo I am, and told him. Bare and clear, for him to take or leave.”

Richie smirked, “And boy, did he take it.”

“Beep fucking b-beep Richie, fucking heh-hell.” Bill hissed, spraying him with dirt and Richie only laughed. Bill could feel the bind on his chest loosen a little.

The two of them calmed; Richie laughs softening to a chuckle and then simmered to a gentle grin full of Eddie, Bill collecting his knees to his chest for the second time that day and placed his chin on his knees. Richie’s eyebrows furrowed as he took in the vulnerable position Bill had curled himself into and shuffled closer to him, leaning his head on Bill’s tense shoulder, hand rising to stroke Bill’s unbrushed reddish hair softly. Bill leaned into the touch and Richie sighed.

“Bill,” Bill knew what he was going to ask, Richie’s thumb pressing firmer into his temple, “Who’s your soulmate?”

What surprised Richie the most after that was not the name Bill muttered, it was not the absence of his stutter, it wasn’t even the sniff that followed; it was how Bill dropped his head to his knees and he sobbed. Broken, confused and scared. And what Richie thought was surprised, felt a hell lot more like pain.

“It’s Stan.”

And now it was real.

“Buddy,” Richie honestly didn’t know what he was going to say after that, so he was ironically thankful that Bill had flung his arms around him after that, burying his soft cries into Richie’s shoulder that smelled so strongly of Eddie. He stroked his hand down Bill’s back, dragging to trembling boy into his lap to hold him securely, his mouth aching to make a joke, diffuse the tension, do anything to interrupt the scene of the best friend he’d looked up to for so long, break down in his arms.

The moment was interrupted by the melodic singing and the low buzzing of Richie’s phone from his pocket into Bill’s thigh. Bill sniffed deeply, wiping at his nose as he pulled away from Richie with an embarrassed wet chuckle.

It’s gonna take a lot to drag me away from you~

“Sorry, Billy, it’s the ball and chain,” Richie remarked, smiling lightly, reaching into his pocket with the intent of muting it, but Bill shook his head and sat back further, waving his hand.

“Ah-answer it, it’s oh-okay.” Bill tried to smile but it came out more as a grimace. Richie gave him a guilty look before he pulled out his phone and swiped to take the call, his thumb swiping across the picture of Eddie scowling up at the camera, but he hadn’t been able to stop the sweet smile that pulled at his mouth as Richie had no doubt said something stupid behind the phone.

“Hey Spaghetti-baby,” Bill caught a shrill sharp phrase of ‘Don’t call me that!’ and the two of them chuckled.

“Yeah, I’m okay. Yeah, I’m with Bill. He’s uh, he’s fine.” After another moment, Richie tilted his head to face Bill and smiled, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes, and Bill felt responsible and guilty for that, “Eds says Happy Birthday.”

“Tell him thanks,” Bill replied softly, his fingers twiddling with the soft material of his sweatpants.

“He says thanks. Mhm. Okay, baby, I will,“ He paused for a moment as he stared at Bill fidgeting, sniffing lightly, the pale light reflecting off the tear smudges across his cheeks and his overall slumped demeanour had Richie desperately wishing to see him smile, "Hold that thought Eds. Meet me and Bill at Buttercup’s. I’ll tell you when you get there. Mhm. Aw, you looove me? Okay, okay, I love you too, bye!”

Bill tilted his head to stare up him, eyebrows drawn together and mouth pressed into a line, “Wuh-why’re we goin’ to Buh-B-Buttercup’s?”

“Because, dear Billiam,” Richie began softly, standing up and offering a hand to Bill, which he gladly took, their hands linked as they walked towards Bill’s car, Richie squeezing it comfortingly, “Number one, I’m hungry as fuck. Number two, we need help from someone way better at this emotion shit than you, me and Eds. Number three, I miss Eds,”

Bill scoffed, chuckling as he leaned against the car door, watching Richie fit his bike into his trunk, “You suh-aw him an hour ago.”

“AND NUMBER FOUR,” Richie said loudly as to purposely ignore Bill’s teasing statement. He walked back to Bill to squeeze his shoulder, smiling so tenderly it made Bill’s heart clench, “You look like you need pancakes.”

When Bill smiled Richie considered his wish fulfilled.

BONUS: An aesthetic collage of the three people 17-year-old Bill knows he’s fallen in love with:

#stenbrough #reddie #richie tozier #bill denbrough #stan uris #eddie kaspbrak #beverly marsh #ben hanscom #mike hanlon #billverly #bill x mike #briefly #soulmate au #it 2017 #modern setting

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texanredrose · 7 years

Text

Why did this take so long, I don’t fucking know. Everyone sorting out things.

Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5 / Part 6 / Part 7 / Part 8 / Part 9 (here) / Part 10

Yang talked for a long time, carrying on the one-sided conversation with her mother's grave marker for at least an hour as the skies darkened overhead. The topics ranged from how Ghira and Kali were doing to touching a little on her slight falling out with Blake before moving right into the latest news around Patch, and even the last bit of news from Ruby, the blonde's enigmatic sister who was off gallivanting around the kingdom on some quest or other. Weiss remained silent beside her, caught between swirling emotions that she did her best to hide. The blonde seemed happy despite the undercurrent of wistful longing that lingered in her tone and it would be a shame to ruin her improved mood so soon. Doing it once had already made her heart clench painfully in her chest, hardly able to process the absolutely heartbroken expression on her wife's face as she fought to keep her tears in check; honest the Atlesian would be per their agreement to do better, but there had to be a more appropriate time and place to pursue those questions lingering in the back of her mind. Especially when most of them could be answered by someone else, the sharp point of her anger reminded her, almost threatening to break through her calm expression. The less the other woman knew of her current thoughts, the better for both of them.

Eventually, the boom of thunder drew Yang's attention to the encroaching storm, and she frowned briefly before looking back to the grave marker.

"We should probably head back. Wouldn't want to be caught outside when it starts coming down. It might pass us over and hit the mainland but... well, better not chance it, right?" She reached out with one hand, putting it inside the little box and gathering the balled up papers into a loose fist. Brows pinching in concentration, the blonde remained silent until faint smoke began to rise from within, drawing her hand back to reveal the small tongues of flame licking at the papers bearing various Valen characters. Weiss could only read a handful from her brief looks at them, but each had a positive message about peace and rest, so she could only assume them to be prayers meant to set her mother's soul at ease. "I love you, Mom. I hope you're resting well under the Maidens' care." Yang glanced her way. "And if you could put in a good word for us? The harvest is coming up. After that, if the Winter Maiden could give us a little snow this year, I think we'd like that."

She couldn't help the smile that came to her lips, shaking her head slightly as her anger retreated to the back of her mind. "You'd absolutely hate it."

"I don't hate the cold; I just prefer warmer weather." The blonde bumped their shoulders together. "But, you'd like it, right?"

"Yes, I would." She thought back to the milder days during fall and spring, when the snow would fall in soft flurries and melt away in a few days, the temperature not so low as to make her shiver uncontrollably yet still biting whenever the wind blew. If she gauged the Valen climate correctly, their winters would be about as gentle, though they didn't see it as such. "Maybe a day or two of snow. I could teach you how to make a schneeengel."

Yang furrowed her brows briefly, rolling the Atlesian word around her tongue for a moment before shaking her head. "I don't know what that is."

"That's okay. I'll show you," she replied, glancing at the clouds. "I think you'll like it."

"Good enough for me." The warrior chuckled, turning her attention back to the grave marker. "I'll try to bring some chocolate next time, Mom. And keep an eye on Ruby; you know how she is. And if you can get it into her head that she needs to come home for a bit, I'm sure Dad would like that. We miss her, and you. I'll come back soon, Mom. Love you." Weiss bowed her head in tandem with Yang as the two took a step back, the wind whipping at them a bit harder than before. "I'm sorry, Weiss; I didn't mean to keep you out here this long."

"I'm more concerned about you, Yang." Blue eyes traced the shivers running through the other woman's frame. Although it had gotten colder as they stood there in the little clearing on the cliff, the Atlesian wasn't to the point of being uncomfortable yet. "We need to get your cloak."

"Yeah." She rubbed at her arms, trying to shake off the tremors to no avail. "Come on, let's head back."

Yang led the way back down through the forest, walking between the little bushes and onto the deer path that followed. Idly, she reached into her sleeve, where she'd tucked the stem of the one her wife had given her earlier, and pulled it out to inspect the white petals. It looked slightly different, true, but Weiss would be willing to swear that the flower she held bore more than a passing resemblance to the roses brought to Atlas- flowers often associated with beauty, nobility, and truth. How ironic, she thought, that they would be found growing wild just a stone's throw from her wife's house when Atlesian nobles would pay sacks of gold for but a few. The wind picked up as they neared the clearing, the dreary day turning even more so as the thick clouds reached the island and the dead trees swayed ominously under their weight.

But when they finally emerged into the clearing, Weiss straightened her posture, just barely keeping her expression neutral. Rather than return to an empty space bearing only the vestiges of their meal and Yang's cloak, the two found three men and a woman waiting for them, each with enough variation in their styles of dress for the Atlesian to work out that they likely had come separately.

One stood leaning against a tree, wearing a heavy fur lined cloak wrapped tightly around his burly frame, a long reddish brown beard reaching nearly to the middle of his massive chest. His eyes were the same dark grey as the clouds swirling above, the string of a bow longer than the Atlesian was tall cutting across his chest. Beside him sat the woman, wrapped in a shawl made of hay to keep her warm, muddy brown eyes peeking out from beneath a red and yellow hood fashioned like a boar's head. A great ax sat in her lap, the double edged blade showing nicks and portions of the handle worn smooth from use, and Weiss could just barely make out the makeshift sling immobilizing her right arm. A few feet away stood another man wearing a wide brimmed straw hat pulled low over his eyes and a scarf wrapped around his neck, a brown robe lined with blue looping designs flowing down to the tops of his shoes, the staff he carried in one hand firmly planted in the ground while the other end stood proud above him, fashioned into a red orange leaf with little golden circles looped through holes along each point. The last man sat further apart from the others, shivering despite the heavy orange cloak enveloping him, a rosy tint to his cheeks as his breath fogged up before him.

Upon the duo's entrance, the strangers got up or straightened their postures, bowing low before the one in the robe spoke in a formal way atypical of the Valen people who commonly interacted with the blonde. "We come bearing news on behalf of our clans and the Fall Maiden, Dragon of Patch. Please, grant us audience."

Lilac eyes scanned across each of the strangers before seeking out her gaze, switching back to Atlesian. "I'm sorry, Weiss; I need to talk to them." She gave a little shrug. "Duty calls."

"I understand," she replied, favoring her wife with a sincere smile. "Would you like to bring them to the house?"

"No, we'll go to the tavern." Yang leaned over, brushing a soft kiss against her temple. "You head home; I'm sure Dad's started on dinner by now. I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Try to not get caught in the storm." With a nod of her head in acknowledgement towards the newcomers- which all four of the strangers returned by bowing at the shoulders- Weiss made her way back towards the Xiao Long abode, allowing her pleasant expression to slide away now that she'd left the blonde's presence. Her brows pinched together, lips curling into a severe frown as she quickened her pace. No doubt the warrior would attend to the messengers quickly, gathering what information she needed before retreating to the study tucked into the back corner of the house, which meant she had a very limited amount of time to confront Taiyang alone.

The sharp, biting anger from before returned in full force, curling her hands into fists. Regardless if she couldn't do near as much damage as her wife could when throwing a punch, some part of her felt like it kept her frustrations focused on the few points that had slipped beneath her armor, quietly festering while they stood atop the hill. Normally, she would shove her feelings into a box, locked and hidden in the deepest corner of her mind, never to see the light of day. But both her wife and her father-in-law continued to encourage her to speak her mind, and this particular issue demanded to be addressed sooner rather than later.

In hindsight, she cursed herself for being so naive as to believe bringing up Summer wouldn't be emotionally draining on the blonde. She'd seen for herself the drastic change it had wrought on Taiyang- why did she think Yang would react any better? Time and time again, the warrior had shown that beneath hard earned muscle and gleaming metal lay a kind, empathetic soul who would stop at nothing to protect those she held dear. Had she lost all her sense when she fell ill? How could she be so thoughtless?

More to the point, how could Taiyang suggest for her to do something so callous? He had to have some idea of the profound impact the loss of her mother had on Yang, some clue as to the depth of her pain. And he'd put the fool idea into Weiss' head to come crashing into such a sensitive topic with all the grace of a drunken bull. Although there was some little voice trying valiantly to tell her that he likely hadn't intended anything malicious with the suggestion, she could hardly forgive so easily the secrecy with which he treated the topic. Just a little background information, a warning- something that would've indicated to her that she was about to drag Yang through her most painful memories would've been greatly appreciated, and she refused to let go of her displeasure until she had a concrete explanation from the man for his deception.

She reached the Xiao Long house just as the clouds reached the other side of the island, the wind blowing harshly across the tops of the trees. The moment she opened the door, a wave of heat hit her full force from the roaring fire, and she quickly entered to keep the chill from sneaking inside.

"Yang? Weiss?" Taiyang's voice came from the kitchen, followed by the dull thunks of a knife on the cutting board.

"Just me," she replied, fighting to keep her voice level as she walked to the entryway, watching her father-in-law's back for a moment. "Messengers came for Yang. She's taking them to the tavern to discuss matters."

"I'm not surprised; better to allow the weary ones easy access to their bunks than have them walk back to the village from here." He straightened up from where he'd bent over the counter, cutting up vegetables for the evening meal. He peered through the window, looking up at the sky. "I do hope it's quick, though. The storm looks like it'll be a bad one; I'd hate for her to be caught in it."

Weiss remained silent, weighing how she wanted to approach the conversation. Allowing her anger to guide her, while the easiest option, would also produce the least satisfying results. She wanted to get to the heart of the issue, as much from a strange sense of hurt on Yang's behalf as to better her own understanding of the man in front of her, so she had to tread carefully.

Eventually, Taiyang must've sensed something was wrong, setting aside the knife and turning to look at her. She could see in his eyes that he was searching and, when his eyes fell on the little white flower still clasped in her hand, solemn understanding filled his expression. "She showed you."

"Yes." She pressed her lips into a tight line. "Why did she have to tell me?"

"You deserved-"

"No." Weiss narrowed her eyes, drawing herself up as tall as she could stand and staring him down, despite the man having a good foot on her in height. "Why did she have to tell me? You knew the whole story; you could've easily spared her the pain."

The blond sighed, seemingly expecting her reaction. "It's better this way."

"How?" She refused to allow him an easy way out; it didn't matter how much she'd have to press the issue. "Summer was your wife."

"And you are Yang's." He snapped back, though it didn't seem to be anger fueling his reaction. His expression was stern and severe but it broke into a softer one a moment later as he sighed. "Tell me- had you heard the story from me, when would you have broached the issue with Yang? Or when, do you think, would she have brought it up? Months? Years? Ever?" Taiyang leaned back against the counter, crossing his arms over his chest. "She's in pain. I know that, but I don't know what to do- I can't even heal myself." His expression fell a little, scratching at the shadow across his jaw. "I want her to be happy and, strange as it may seem given the circumstances, you are the most capable person of bringing her that happiness. If anyone can help her heal, it's you."

Despite the plea for sympathy in his tone, Weiss felt her heart harden against it. She completely ignored the compliment, not wanting the vote of confidence to detract her from the real issue at hand, and that reflected in her voice.

"You don't know what to do? Perhaps I can give you a hint." She tried to keep the vitriol to a minimum as she spoke, never once allowing him to look away from her. "In the eyes of a child, a parent is their whole world and they assume the same of their parent. They have no scope of the world beyond what they can see, no understanding of how many people and influences affect the adults in their lives. In the eyes of a child, a parent's woes... it must be something they did." Her voice remained even and steady, despite the memories threatening to snatch her focus away. "They have no concept of how many factors can work to make a single day difficult for the adults in their lives- if their mother seems apathetic about an accomplishment, it must be because they didn't do good enough. If their father seems unhappy with an outcome, it must be because they did it wrong. It doesn't matter what the real reason is; they believe themselves to be the cause. If something bad happened, it must be their fault." Her gaze sharpened, piercing through the man standing across the room and pinning him to the spot. "So how do you think your daughter felt, bearing witness to your pain first hand? Being one of the last people to talk to your wife- her mother- did you ever consider the amount of responsibility that is for a child to feel on top of her own sorrow? Did you ever think to tell her it wasn't her fault?"

Yang never said the words, but she could read between the lines and see with her own two eyes how heavily the burden of guilt sat across broad shoulders and weighed on her heart, how long it had torn at her without so much as a word escaping her lips. She tried so hard to keep her head up, to be strong for her family and her kingdom, but the strain showed plainly while they stood before the grave marker, when the warrior collapsed into her arms. How many years had the blonde suffered in silence, begging forgiveness from the wind?

"She- she knows that," he replied quickly, but his voice faltered just like his expression. Panic, fear, hurt- it reflected plainly in his face that the concept had honestly never occurred to him, so burdened by his own grief. On some level, she felt sympathy for the man, because he truly looked genuinely lost in that moment. But the rest of her couldn't get the vision of Yang- her strong, confident, caring wife with the world on her shoulders- shaking and crying and looking for all the world like a grieving child from her mind's eye and the sinking sensation that this could've been avoided entirely had the conversation occurred years ago. "My daughters were just children; there was nothing they could've done. They know that- Yang knows that." She held his gaze, her sharp look unwavering even as his shoulders sagged. "...doesn't she?"

"It doesn't matter if she knows it or not." Weiss refused to back down, instead taking two steps into the kitchen and continuing to stare the man down. "Did you ever say it?" She threw her arms wide, as much to vent a little of the restless rage coiling in the pit of her stomach as to accentuate her point. "When was the last time you told her that you know she's doing the best she can? That she's doing a good job? That you're proud of everything she's accomplished, how far she's come- she was thrown into a position of power many people would kill for, and she's bearing that weight with more dignity than some. If she claims any pride at all, it's in her people, not herself or her position. Have you any idea how rare that is? How humble?" The Atlesian jabbed a finger at him. "And she comes to you for guidance. Not because you have any better idea than she does, not because you've been in the same situation before, but simply because you're her father. She looks up to you." She pulled back, though her expression remained severe. "Your opinion matters to her and it always will. Sharing it from time to time won't kill you. It might hurt, but it won't kill you."

Taiyang hung his head in shame, only the crackling of the fire filling the void for a while. A flash of lighting through the window outside preceded another clap of thunder as the first taps of rain splashed against the window, but the Atlesian remained focused on watching his posture, hoping she'd gotten through.

Eventually, he moved, shaking himself. "I... I thought she knew. I really did. I thought she had to know that I would never blame her or Ruby- my girls were so brave, they did everything they could." He looked up at her then, eyes clouded over by memories and pain. "When we defeated the Xiong clan, I told her we had to put that anger behind us. The need to place blame- it's a toxic thing and Ruby helped us see that. I never thought she'd internalize it, I-" Blue eyes closed, his expression pinching into one of barely suppressed frustration, and for a moment she thought he might lash out at her. After a moment, a tear slipped out from one eye, and she recognized that he was doing everything in his power to keep it in check. Just like his daughter. When he spoke, his voice warbled slightly. "You're right. I never said it- I should've told them that I could never blame them for what happened. I just... stopped talking about Summer, like I stopped talking about..."

"About Raven?" She supplied, noticing his flinch; even after all these years, he didn't seem one step closer to actually moving on from that first heartbreak.

His eyes squeezed shut tighter, blunt fingernails digging into his biceps as he forced out through gritted teeth. "It was just... easier."

Weiss allowed her expression and tone to soften slightly, though not by choice. In hindsight, she should've expected that the man's sorrow would bear a striking resemblance to his daughter's, and she suddenly felt like she was watching Yang break down all over again. A cold stab of dread struck her in that moment, her imagination replacing the man's countenance with his daughter's and it made her heart hurt just thinking about the agony she'd quite nearly inflicted upon the woman. "It's not often that the easy way and the right way share the same path."

The blond nodded, scrubbing at his eyes but remaining silent.

"I will admit you were right, though. In a sense." The Atlesian waited until he looked at her before continuing. "Had you told me just the smallest bit of what memories I'd be bringing to the surface, I would've hesitated far more than I did. I would've been more tactful, yes, and I wouldn't have asked so soon." A small sigh escaped her lips. "But perhaps... I might not have asked at all." Her gaze became sharp once more as she pushed her shoulders back, any sympathy she might have pushed aside for the moment. "But even if I understand your reasons, I can't agree with your methods. Some things shouldn't be hidden away, only to be confronted in the most painful way possible. Especially when you yourself have avoided the very same for far too long."

Taiyang looked at her then, a bit of the sternness returning to his features as he shoved his pain aside for the moment. She opted to ignore that he was doing exactly what she'd just chided him for and instead listened when he spoke, a slight hitch in his voice as he struggled to regain his composure. "I admit I made a mistake, an err in judgement, but... did any good come of her showing you? Telling you the story?" He spread his hands, once again pleading. "I thought it would be best if you both worked through this together, I... I know that recovering from unseen wounds... it binds people together, in a way."

Part of her wanted to point out the poor timing- they've been married for nigh three months and now the man felt the need to meddle in their relationship, really- but a bigger part of her could at least see the benefits of his actions, albeit begrudgingly. "It... did accomplish something akin to that. I saw sides of Yang I had only glimpsed before," she said, thinking back to the red hot fury that emanated from the woman, the pain and anguish in her voice. Mostly, she remembered the tears, the vulnerability- to show such in Atlas would be disgraceful, but she couldn't imagine holding the display against Yang. It... felt right, being the one to comfort the blonde, to offer some of the support she'd been given without hesitation all this time. "I understand her better than before. Sharing that... brought us much closer together." Her expression sharpened again. "However, I'm quite certain there are better ways of accomplishing that than what you put us through. Good intentions don't excuse poor decisions. That's..." She sighed, looking down at the ground between them. It suddenly struck her as rather ironic that she was there, giving Taiyang essentially the same lecture he'd given her just a few days ago. "That's something I know all too well."

He took a step towards her and she instinctively looked up, ready for a reprimand about talking back or questioning him, but instead the blond merely gave her a small, contrite smile. "I'll talk to her when she returns. It's a conversation long overdue." He set a hand on her shoulder in a comforting gesture. "And I'm glad you two talked about it."

Weiss nodded, at a loss now that she'd aired her grievances with the man. Aside from confronting him before Yang returned, she hadn't exactly thought out the rest of the night. However, one thing did come to mind, something of a test to see if he would hold true to his word. "Summer sounds like a lovely woman. I wish I could've met her."

Taiyang's brows raised in surprise before he let out a chuckle, eyes misting over for a moment as he stared off into space. "She was something else. You know... if she were still alive, I think she would've overseen your wedding herself. Insisted on it, even." He looked at her then with a watery smile. "She would've taken one look at you and seen the same thing she saw in Yang all those years ago."

She tilted her head, her curiosity getting the better of her. The fact he replied without deflecting gave her confidence he would talk to the blonde once she returned, but perhaps pushing a bit further would do them all some good, a step towards making their difficult past a topic that sparked memories of the good times they had together rather than the disastrous way they were torn apart. "What did she see?"

Her father-in-law squeezed her shoulder gently, looking her in the eyes as his smile widened. "A daughter with a pure heart, who deserved all the love in the world."

"She told you that?" He nodded, and the Atlesian found herself hoping that he'd told Yang as much at some point, or would do so soon. Not only did she absolutely deserve to hear the words, Weiss thought her wife needed to, especially considering the circumstances. Regardless, she returned his smile. "I'm flattered you think she would've thought the same of me."

"I don't think, I know; I can see it, too." Taiyang pulled her in, enveloping her in a hug as she processed his words. A high compliment to be sure, and fleetingly she wondered if her own parents ever thought such of her, or if they thought of her at all now that she'd left Atlas. Such thoughts were pushed from her head, however, as she returned the embrace for a few moments before the blond released her. When he stepped back, he nodded towards the counter. "Would you like to help me with dinner?"

She smiled. "Of course."

Worried blue eyes were fixed on the nearest window, the rain hitting the pane in thick drops while the wind whipped angrily at the trees, while the two occupants of the house sat by the hearth, the game board between them. The brunt of the storm finally rolled in when they sat down at the table, bowls filled with thick noodles, spiced and accompanied by vegetables, chicken, and a tangy sauce, but had gotten markedly worse in the last hour they'd spent playing against one another. It seemed unspoken that they'd stay awake until the blonde returned home from her meeting with the messengers but, as lightning illuminated the sky once more and thunder crashed immediately after, that seemed like something neither hoped would happen.

"Yang will probably spend the night at the tavern, right?" She looked to her father-in-law, hands wrapped around a steaming cup of green tea as he surveyed the board.

With a slow shake of his head, Taiyang glanced towards the window himself. "Normally, I would say yes, but tonight, she'll try to come home, I'm sure of it." He met her gaze, the same apprehension gripping him as surely as it did her. "If it was just me here, she'd stay, but I don't think she'd want you to worry about where she is, or if she's okay. She told you she'd come home, so she will."

The Atlesian frowned, returning her attention to the window. No doubt the temperature had dropped since the sun went down an hour ago; though the rain hadn't started to freeze yet, as it would in her former homeland, she had to acknowledge that the Valens didn't see the cold the way she did. Imagining Yang, soaked to the bone and shivering, trudging to the house, set a crease in her brow that refused to abate. "I'd rather her stay by a fire. She could catch a cold walking out through a storm like that."

The wind howled and battered the house as she returned her gaze to the game board. Taiyang set down one of his stones in the corner closest to his left, attempting to draw the woman's attention away from the awaiting conflict on the opposite side of the board. The tactic itself failed but another crash and flash effectively snatched her thoughts, mechanically advancing her stake over the largest island while her main focus was elsewhere. The moment she'd made her move- and trusting the man to play fair- the Atlesian excused herself and quickly went upstairs, gathering up a set of pajamas- the thicker, cotton sort, rather than silk- a towel, and a blanket, Weiss returned downstairs and strung up a line in front of the fireplace and draped each article over it. If her wife foolishly made the trek from the tavern to the house in the middle of the storm, at least she'd have dry, warm clothes to change into, though she hoped someone talked sense into the woman before she tried leaving.

As she reclaimed her seat, she noted the odd expression on her father-in-law's face. "What?"

"You asked me something earlier. I want to ask the same of you." He pointed at the newest addition to the game board.

"Go ahead," she replied, picking up her strategy where she left off and placing her own piece.

"Has Yang told you that you're a good wife?" His eyes darted to the side, watching the flickering flames whenever they peeked around the strung up clothes, shadows both real and imagined playing across his face. "It's... something I should've told Summer more often. She was a good wife, a good mother- she was good at anything she tried, really." Taiyang's gaze flicked back to her briefly. "I've... obviously been very poor about telling people what I think, how I feel- the important stuff... of all the things she's learned from me, I hope that keeping her thoughts to herself isn't one of them."

Weiss made a thoughtful noise, using the placing of her next piece as a suitable distraction while her mind assembled a satisfactory reply. Then, she threw that out, recognizing it as a mere deflection, and spoke plainly. "Actually, Yang's quite well versed in making her feelings known. What she doesn't say, she conveys through other means. I... must admit, I'm still a little surprised by it all."

Taiyang smiled and nodded. "That's my girl."

The din of the storm swelled to a near deafening roar as thunder crashed again, blinding lightning illuminating the sky, and Weiss found herself hoping her wife hadn't taken the stubborn route and tried walking home in that. Yet, even as she thought it, she resolved to put the kettle on the fire during the blond's next turn, just in case, and perhaps warm up some dinner, too. Of the things she could count on when it came to Yang, doing her utmost best to keep her word proved to be one of them.

If she said she would be home that night, she mostly likely would be, come Hell and high water.

Weiss could feel her eyelids growing heavy as they reached the end stages of the game, balancing precariously on the edge with each able to claim victory, if only by the slimmest margin. The trek out to the grave marker had taken its toll almost as much as dancing around the clearing, not to mention airing her frustrations with Taiyang being taxing, if in a different way. The storm had calmed some, though not much, and it was late enough that she could be reasonably confident that, if Yang didn't return very soon, she'd done the wise thing and remained at the tavern.

She was a hair's breadth away from suggesting they call the game a draw and turn in for the night when she heard something slam against the front door, a dead weight hitting the solid wood like a judge's gavel. In an instant, she was on her feet and heading towards the door, her hand coming up to Myrtenaster's hilt as an afterthought. While the Atlesian doubted any robber or scoundrel would pick such ill weather to commit a crime, she would prefer an intruder to the sight that met her when she entered the foyer.

Her cloak was soaked all the way through, water cascading off it as the warrior shouldered her way through the door and fell back against it to push it closed. Between the sniffling and the shivering, there remained little doubt as to the woman's condition and Weiss couldn't help the words flying from her tongue.

"Yang, you idiot, why didn't you stay at the tavern?" She rushed forward, pushing back the hood of the cloak to see her wife's face, pale and slick from the cold rain bearing down on the island, not to mention cold to the touch.

"D-d-didn't wa-a-ant you ta w-wo-rrrrrry." Through chattering teeth, the blonde offered her a small, fractured smile. "I-I'll be-"

"Oh, hush, you." Lithe fingers made quick work of the clasp of her cloak, tossing the heavy, waterlogged material away and working on the woman's vest next. She could tell the water had soaked through every layer, and while Yang's inner fire may be enough to stave off serious illness, remaining in the sopping wet clothing for too long couldn't possibly be good for her health. "Taiyang!"

"Right behind you," he replied, startling her slightly. A quick glance over her shoulder confirmed the man had gathered up the clothing and towel she'd left by the fire, and she grabbed the latter and slung it over her shoulder while he set the former a little ways away- safe from the rain water puddling around his daughter's boots but still within reach. "I... think you can take things from here, Weiss. Peaceful sleep to both of you."

"N-n-night, Dad."

"Good night, Sir," she said, pulling the vest away and working on the wet leather of Ember Celica, the clasps being undone and the weapons set aside before she moved onto the next layer, keeping her attention focused on her task even as his footsteps receded. It was hard enough with Yang's height, and the blonde was hardly any help with her body shivering so badly and her fingers lacking their usual dexterity.

No matter. Weiss managed to free her of the layer and the one after that, too, before kneeling down and helping the blonde step out of her boots. Unfortunately, she didn't seem to be very stable on her feet, falling back against the door with a heavy thud, but she didn't seem weak enough to need assistance standing. Next came the warrior's pants, and then the last shirt, which finally left the blonde in her under clothes which were also soaked through.

"I can-"

"You can stay still." The Atlesian muttered, pulling the towel from her shoulder and beginning to pass the warm cloth over cool, clammy skin, wiping away the excess water and leeching away the cold that had set deep into the woman's muscles.

Yang grunted and cleared her throat, sniffling a little. "Feels good. Warm."

"Be thankful I expected you to be so foolish." She continued to work the cloth across muscled arms and the sharp planes of her shoulders, pausing to unwrap the fabric holding her considerable chest in place before taking care in wiping down her chest and abdomen. If she heard the little hitches of breath that came with passing over sensitive flesh, she ignored it for... a myriad of reasons, really, but the primary one being that she couldn't afford to get distracted. Once she'd dried the woman off down to her hips, she instructed for the blonde to turn around, focusing on the rigid expanse of her back next. Years of surviving unforgiving Atlesian winters taught her a thing or two about what the human body could resist, that the core of a person could save the limbs but not the other way around, and she quickly retrieved the shirt to slip onto her wife's frame the moment she'd dried off her wife's back. That, at least, would also give her a chance to properly focus her semblance, though she regrettably hadn't thought to grab a second towel for the woman's hair.. "Cross your arms over your chest. It'll help conserve your body heat."

"Sounds like you've... done this before." The warrior's voice carried no particular inflection save for being uncomfortable, and she couldn't quite pinpoint the source of the unease.

So she took a guess. "I've seen the healers bring in those who fell during the cold of winter. In Atlas, these actions mean the difference between life and death."

"I'm-m-m-" Another shiver wracked her frame, one that threatened to steal her legs from under her, but Weiss put both hands on the woman's hips to steady her, the towel over her shoulder once more. "I'm not tha-at bad."

"No, you're not." Weiss puffed out a small sigh, raising her gaze to meet lilac orbs shining with a touch of mirth. "But I don't take chances."

With that, she stripped away the last of Yang's clothing and knelt down, returning to her task of toweling the woman dry- thighs, calves, hips again, her rear, though she was careful not to be too... abrasive with her ministrations. The moment she finished, she retrieved the pajama bottoms and helped the warrior step into them, pulling them up to her waist and tying a loose knot once they settled over her hips. Nearly all the warmth in the towel was gone by this point, but she draped it across the woman's shoulders regardless, beneath her hair to keep the wet strands from soaking through her dry shirt entirely. To her relief, some color had returned to the woman's cheeks, though she couldn't be sure if it was warmth seeping into her muscles or a touch of embarrassment. They hadn't been naked in front of each other since they consummated their marriage, but she dismissed that thought lest it bring a flush to her own cheeks as well. Her actions were born of a desire to aid her wife in not catching a blasted cold; thoughts of that nature were entirely unwarranted and useless to her now.

"Come along. We need to get you to bed." Weiss slipped an arm around her wife's waist, guiding her towards the staircase. "Did you eat?"

"A little," the blonde replied softly, wincing at the faint rumble in her stomach. "We spent most of the time talking."

Mentally, she congratulated herself on anticipating Yang's actions; a warm drink and meal would certainly help, provided the woman didn't try fighting her in the process. Either through luck or sheer force of will, the Atlesian managed to get her wife into bed and under the covers with little fuss, excusing herself to collect a cup of warm water from the kettle and a bowl full of their leftover dinner, trying to get as many chunks of chicken in with the noodles as possible. The meat would help Yang regain her strength and, with chopsticks stuck in the bowl, she returned to the bedroom and set the offerings on the bedside table, taking the moment to survey the other woman's form.

Her shivering had lessened considerably, the faint wisps of blonde hair that escaped the towel glowing faintly as Yang stared at the ceiling with half lidded, dark red eyes, obviously exhausted and fighting to stay awake. The smell of food roused her enough to sit up, accepting the bowl and shoveling a mouthful in before going for the water. She took two gulps before pulling the cup away, a quizzical quirk to her brow.

"Is this... warm water? That's it?"

"What you need right now is water, not wine." Weiss reached out, as if to take the cup back. "If you'd prefer it cool, however-"

The blonde flashed her a smile, taking another sip before responding. "I'm good, thank you. It's delicious by the way."

She rolled her eyes, reluctantly pleased that her wife seemed back to good spirits so soon. What a boon it must be to ignite a fire within one's chest at will; while her people would be hardy enough to withstand such conditions, they would also not be so careless in the first place. "For the record, next time, I'd prefer if you simply stayed at the tavern." The corner of her lips pulled into a frown. "You could've hurt yourself, walking through a storm like that."

Yang swallowed down a mouthful to gesture at her eyes, still that smoldering red. "Weiss, I'm fine; I can fight the cold-"

"I don't mean just the cold." The Atlesian sighed, looking out the window as another flash of lightning lit up the landscape beyond the bedroom window. "Winds like that could bring a tree branch down on top of you, or worse. You could've lost your footing and slipped. There are other things to be concerned about than just the cold."

When she looked back, soft lilac met her gaze, the bowl set in the woman's lap for a moment. "I didn't mean to worry you, Weiss."

"That doesn't mean I won't worry anyway." There was little bite to her words, though her expression pinched into one of annoyance as Yang's lips lifted into a small smile. "Something amusing to you?"

With a shake of her head, her wife returned to eating, slurping up noodles and broth while occasionally pausing to chew, saving the vegetables and meat for last. Rather than press for an answer, Weiss opted to grab the blonde's brush and begin working through the damp, matted mass of blonde hair. At first, the warrior stiffened when she slid onto the bed behind her, but eventually returned to her meal even as the Atlesian began carefully working through the knots. A faint, shimmering glow remained to the strands as a low, rolling heat rose from Yang's body, her shivering dying down the longer they quietly sat together. When the blonde finished eating, she set the bowl aside and drained the rest of her water, remaining as still as possible until Weiss finished brushing out her hair.

"There. Now, get under the covers." She rose to her feet, a quick, piercing look discouraging any argument. "I'll be back shortly." Weiss went downstairs and cleaned up as best she could, setting the soaked clothing by the fire to dry and retrieving the woman's cestus. She wiped down the metal as she returned to the bedroom, placing Ember Celica in their proper place atop the dresser though absent the orange cloth. Her fingers went to the swordbelt on her waist but she paused, a faint grunt from the bed pulling her gaze there. Her wife sat up, the blanket pooling around her waist, and watched the Atlesian's movement with a slight furrow to her brow. "Didn't I tell you to stay under the covers?"

"Yeah," Yang replied, a low mutter that caused the furrow to deepen.

It took a moment longer for her to decipher the look. With a small sigh, she went over to the bed and allowed her wife to undo the belt. "You were really going to pout about this?"

"You got to fuss over me." The blonde pointed out petulantly, pulling Myrtenaster away and folding the belt neatly with it. "It's only fair, right?" Weiss felt her lips pull into a small smile as she shook her head, taking her weapon to lay beside her wife's while the other woman settled back under the covers. With that done, all preparations for sleep were complete and she could slip into bed beside her wife. But she hesitated, going around the bed to sit beside the woman first. Lilac eyes watched her, curious; the blonde was completely dry now, the shivering subsiding completely. "Told ya I'd be fine."

"That you did." Weiss leaned over, taking a moment to steel herself before brushing her lips against the blonde's, drawing away so their eyes could meet. Somehow, she couldn't stop herself from searching, the irrational fear that she'd find anything other than patient support clawing at the back of her mind. It was unfounded, of course, and she couldn't help the soft, relieved sigh that slipped past her lips when her wife's hand gently cupped her cheek.

"Thank you," Yang said, a wide smile spreading across her face.

"You dolt. You could've caught a cold otherwise." The Atlesian tried to will herself to pull away but found herself reluctant to deprive herself of the contact so soon.

"No, I mean." The blonde paused, briefly looking away as she searched for the right words. Her brow furrowed heavily, tongue darting out to swipe over her lips as she gathered herself. "That's the first time you've kissed me since Blake came, after the mock battle. I thought, maybe, there was a reason you were holding back." She blinked in surprise, breath catching in her chest as a lump appeared in her throat. Perhaps it was a foolish thought, but she'd hoped her wife hadn't noticed. Some things were best left untouched, or so she thought. She tried to formulate an answer of some sort- an apology, an excuse, something- but the words didn't leave her tongue quick enough. "There is still something bothering you, isn't there?" Yang sighed, though it didn't sound particularly displeased, just troubled. "You don't have to tell me-"

"I promised I'd be honest," she replied, finally finding the ability to speak.

The blonde looked at her then, sincerity shining brightly in lilac pools. "And I promised to be patient. You don't have to tell me right now. I'll wait."

The warrior smiled reassuringly and made to withdraw her hand. Some part of her caved in that moment, though, and she raised her own to gently rest on Yang's wrist, keeping her rough palm pressed against the Atlesian's cheek. She closed her eyes- perhaps it would make things easier, if she didn't watch the emotions playing across her wife's face- and finally released the words that had circled the back of her mind half a hundred times since that night in the kitchen. "You said you were listening that night, that you heard everything."

"I did."

Her emotions swirled but she clamped down on them, reining in everything so she could ask with absolutely no inflection, her voice steady and even. "If Atlas hadn't attacked Vale, would you have chosen to marry Blake?"

The bed shifted and, against her better senses, she opened her eyes to find the blonde sitting up, looking down at her with a fierce intensity. "If she'd asked, I would've said yes, but it honestly didn't occur to me until I heard you say it." She brushed her thumb along the Atlesian's cheek. "I've known Blake for years; she and Junior are my best friends, my comrades-in-arms, my sword and my hammer. And now, that's all they'll ever be." There was no hint of duplicity in her voice or her expression, just that iron clad seriousness Weiss had only seen in regards to her duties as Queen. "If she'd asked, I would've accepted, but she didn't; she had six months to speak up if she wanted to, and she remained silent. I made my choice, she made hers." Something flashed in her eyes then, a frown coming to her lips. "Of anyone, the only one who didn't choose-"

"Don't say that." She sighed, feeling the doubts fade away as she leaned into the woman's touch. "You gave me the option to walk away and I made my decision. Twice over, in fact."

Yang brought their forehead together, resting gently as their breaths mingled between them. "Then, we're in agreement, right? You're my wife, Weiss."

"And you are mine, Yang." She'd thought the night of their bedding was all the affirmation she needed but the words brought with them a rush she hadn't felt in a while. A warmth in her chest sprouted, the same kind that invigorated her like the blonde's semblance yet distinct, different.

"Good." She could see the smile that curved the blonde's lips, hands settling on her slim hips a comforting weight. "If you ever start doubting that, just let me know. I will do whatever it takes to remind you that I chose you. No one else. Not Blake, not Junior, not your brother- you."

What?

"My brother?" She drew back slightly in confusion, brows pinching together. But then it dawned on her, with a force to rival the driving rains outside- of course it would be her brother; her father would want to put forth the most appealing offer that could benefit Atlas as well, and combining their bloodlines would put House Schnee in a rather advantageous position. She'd never thought to question why she- the second born daughter- would be offered up as the bargaining chip; it wasn't like her query would've been answered had she the forethought to voice it, anyway. It also fell perfectly in line with everything that constituted her life before coming to Vale. "My father never mentioned that. You chose me over my brother?"

"Of course." The blonde chuckled, leaning forward conspiratorially and winking. "He doesn't sing like a fallen goddess or look like the moon's daughter."

Weiss couldn't help but laugh, incredulous. "You chose to marry me based solely on Jaune's ridiculous exaggerations?"

"He didn't exaggerate. At least, not as far as I can tell." Yang smirked. "Weren't you just teasing me this morning about my thoughts on your form? I've told you before- beauty to rival the Maidens, the sun and moon are jealous, and you're so..." She paused, searching for the right word. "You're more than I can say. I don't have the words to express it." Lilac eyes flicked down, and she could guess it was tempting for the blonde to kiss her, but she refrained and refocused on the conversation at hand. "But, there's something I still don't understand. What Blake said- something about a mistress?"

Dread welled in her heart but she forced it down. She couldn't be surprised that Yang would ask, curiosity plain in her expression with only a little apprehension around the edges, but that didn't make providing the explanation any more appealing.

"Among Atlasian nobility, arranged marriages are often for political or financial gain. It's rather common for the spouses to... take partners on the side. Lovers whom they care for, kiss, love- the marriage itself serves a purpose and that alone, at least as far as the nobility is concerned." She drew away enough to turn her head, suddenly feeling ashamed of a concept that months ago seemed normal as the clouds in the sky, as snow in winter. Mainly because she could see the dark clouds forming in her wife's eyes, feel the spike in heat enveloping her. "Our peasants... they are likely different, but I was never privy to those sorts of interactions. I... indulged in your... affections while I could, I thought... well, you certainly seemed fond of my company, and maybe things were different here."

"They are." Yang looked absolutely horrified, the red returning to her eyes, swirling with the lilac until the latter disappeared entirely.

"I've come to realize that. But there was still a part of me that thought... well, if you did choose someone else, someone you'd known for longer, someone who didn't force you to learn about a whole other culture and language..." She wanted to stand, move away, create distance, but she couldn't be sure she'd be steady on her feet. "It would be easier to accept that reality if I didn't-"

The hands on her hips gripped her more forcefully and pulled, a gasp slipping past her lips as she suddenly found herself being moved into the warrior's lap, arms enveloping her in a tight embrace. Her head was guided to lean against the blonde's shoulder, lips pressing against her ivory locks, and she felt compelled to return the gesture, burrowing into the woman's warmth. They hadn't been this close for this long- outside of their usual sleeping arrangement- since... that afternoon in the clearing, before everything became so difficult, so convoluted, when she could allow herself such simple indulgences without feeling like she was paying on borrowed time.

"Weiss." She tilted her head back, looking up into a deep shade of lilac shining brightly with unshed tears. "I chose you. I'll keep telling you until you believe it; we are tied together. No one else will come between us." Strong arms brought them closer together, another kiss being pressed against her brow. "I will be faithful and loyal to you and only you, until you don't wish it anymore."

The Atlesian dug her fingers in the rigid muscles along the woman's back, fighting back the laughter building up in her chest, because how ridiculous had she been this whole time? Denying herself, worrying Yang- all because she just... couldn't accept it. Couldn't understand how this brute of a woman could be the kindest, most sincere person she'd ever met, treating her with nothing short of respect and adoration since that night on the staircase when she first removed her headdress and showed herself, her true self- Yang was never anything but, no matter how many times she doubted the woman.

This time would be different. She turned her head and pressed her lips against the blonde's neck, curling further into her wife's embrace. "You still haven't even heard me sing."

"Not yet, but I will. I know it." She looked up, seeing the determined fire reigniting in Yang's eyes, the kind not born of rage or pain. "I will earn it."

"Yes, you will," Weiss replied, pushing away gently.

On the tip of her tongue sat the words to an old song she'd sung more times than she could count but they remained there, for just a little longer. Now was not the time but... perhaps soon, on a cold day when the warrior Queen sat bent over scroll and scribbling out messages. As she blew out the lights and returned to bed, sliding beneath the covers and immediately finding herself enveloped by the blonde's comforting warmth, an arm around her waist and lips brushing against her ear. The Atlesian turned her head, catching her wife's affections and returning with a bit of her own while laying her arm over the one at her waist, interlacing their fingers. Eventually, Yang settled back, ready for bed and, for a few minutes, she considered falling asleep, entirely content. But then, something came to mind, an impulse that beckoned her to act upon it immediately.

With only the the thunder rolling in the distance and the rain peppering the roof above them, Weiss picked out a melody she'd heard long, long ago, no words accompanying the memory. Simple, soft, and slow, she hummed; it wasn't singing, of course, but it seemed to mean just as much to Yang as it did to her, the significance picked up on instantly as the grip around her waist tightened, the only warning she had before her wife assaulted any flesh she could reach with light kisses. The Atlesian had to break off her nonsensical song, consumed by an unexpected giggle fit as the blonde's vigorous approval tended towards the ticklish side.

They eventually fell asleep, with smiles on their faces and more relaxed than at any point in the past the week.

AN: Real quick! The steps Weiss follows to warm Yang up are pretty on point, but you should definitely review cold weather survival tips if you happen to be traveling anywhere with a markedly lower climate than your own, and vice versa for hot weather. Also, I actually think it’s not recommended to eat/drink warm or hot foods and drinks; the energy required to digest them is higher the further you move away from room temperature and could put you in a worse position. Also, you don’t want to apply clothing/blankets that are too hot to the affected area straight away; the drastic change in temperature can cause shock. But it definitely feels better and medicinal practices in this AU aren’t the same as modern, real world equivalents. So, basically, while Weiss’ actions are generally good guidelines by modern standards, don’t take them as gospel. (These are the things I think about when I write shit.)

#Freezerburn Arranged Marriage AU #Freezerburn #Queens of Vale fanfic #TRR writes

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floridageekscene · 4 years

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Before we get into the questions, I’d like to say that cosplaying draws some of the best people in the world. Before I got into it, I associated grown adults wearing costumes as some sort of deviant lifestyle; like how much must their life suck if they have to pretend to be someone else? Then I fell into it, and I realized that it can be a powerful tool to brighten up the life of a child who may not have much going right; or be a momentary enjoyment to someone who’s life has been knocked down. It’s not easy to explain until you’ve done it. There’s a gift there for the artists that can do it, and do it well. Not everyone can afford a theme park ticket, but they can go to a con at the local library for free, or go to a community event at the sheriff sub-station, and meet Chewbacca and Darth Vader and Stormtroopers and Rey. To see a kid’s reaction is really special. It might be the only time that child will get so close to a hero that they see on tv, and I think of that when I do events. I remember fondly a response that Don Spiers gave to a local news reporter along the lines of “within the four walls of a con, anything can happen, and dreams can be realized. It’s the only place in the world where that can happen.” Leo Nocedo : How did you discover cosplaying? Troy Whigham : I was a WW2 reenactor sitting bored in my office one day (the usual requisite before spending a lot of money and filling my house with a lot of stuff I don’t need) when I started looking for something to fill the down-time during the WW2 reenactor off-season. I found Necronomicon and became interested in sitting in on some of its creative writing panels. I didn’t want to go alone, so I roped my reenactor buddy, who had his Bachelors in Literature, and we went dressed as WW2 pilots. We got a lot of “Love your costume! What character are you?” questions so we started making up a backstory as we went along: ghosts from the B-25 “Lady Be Good”, video game characters from “Call of Duty”, sidekicks to “Captain America”, and such. After that, I decided I should probably invest in a real sci-fi costume, and we both enjoyed “Game of Thrones” for its parallels to actual historical events, so we went down that rabbit hole. We met a lot of great people at the next con who were also GoT fans and we swapped information and Facebook tags and pretty soon we had a whole new social circle. Leo Nocedo : What was your first cosplay? Troy Whigham : Technically, you could say our WW2 pilot uniforms, but our true dedicated cosplay would be “Game of Thrones” as Ser Jorah. Leo Nocedo : What are your next 3 cosplay plans? Troy Whigham : I’m a member of the 501st and Rebel Legions here in Florida, so my next plan is to finally assemble my Resistance X-wing pilot costume. I already have the ANH Rebel pilot, TIE pilot, Jedi, and Scariff Rebel Soldier completed and approved. I just need to get the Resistance Pilot pieces measured and trimmed to fit, and get the flight suit tailored. Leo Nocedo : Have you ever been in a cosplay contest? Troy Whigham : Only a few times, and only with a group. I’m not anybody special. I’m not trying to promote myself as an individual; I prefer to support those who can do a much better job with their costumes than I can. I prefer to be the shoulders that someone else stands on to achieve their own measure of greatness. Leo Nocedo : Do you prefer sewing, armor making, or wig working? Troy Whigham : My background actually comes from building scale models as a kid. I can sew (most reenactors are forced to learn eventually), but right now I only sew by hand (I have a 1950’s Singer machine, but I haven’t learned how to use it). So, I prefer to work with hard pieces, like armor or helmets or props. If I sew, it’s to modify something I’ve bought off-the-shelf or something that absolutely can’t be obtained somewhere else. Leo Nocedo : Do you prefer to do photoshoots at cons or at specific locations? Troy Whigham : I’ve done both. Con photoshoots are great for convenience and for meeting other costumers, but I enjoy dedicated location shoots for the party that goes along with it. My Star Wars groups do an annual photo shoot where we all come together and do a pot luck picnic in Pinellas County while shooting pictures for trading cards. My GoT group does a similar thing at Bok Tower. For my Ghostbuster and SHIELD groups, we literally get into some cars, either an Ecto or my SHIELD Xterra with a support vehicle, and convoy to different spots. Cons tend to be a bit more rushed, because everyone has other things scheduled. Location shoots tend to be more dedicated and relaxed, and who doesn’t enjoy a good road trip? Leo Nocedo : Is there a type of character you cosplay frequently? Troy Whigham : Rarely will I do a “title character”, like Batman or Iron Man or a main character from a show. I prefer costumes where you can have multiples and the more you have, the better it looks. For example, you can have 1 Ghostbuster, and it’s a good Ghostbuster. You have multiple Ghostbusters, and it becomes a show. So, most of my costumes are characters that you can have multiples of. Leo Nocedo : Do you have any favorite cosplayers? Troy Whigham : I do. I’m going to blame the guy that threw me down the Marvel superhero rabbit hole. David Mansfield of Super Dave Cosplay has built a full-on hard-shell armor-plated Iron Man suit. The thing is amazing; missiles pop out, laser beams come out, it’s just fantastic. The problem is, he has to be buckled and screwed into it, and with the suit on, he has limited mobility and limited vision. Because I’d worked with Stormtroopers and Darth Vader cosplayers through my involvement with the 501st, I offered to be his handler to keep things under control while he was “on-stage”. I didn’t want to just walk out in a t-shirt and shorts; I wanted to look somewhat official and related to him, but I didn’t want to drop a lot of money on something that I might wear only once. So, I reached into my closet and pulled out a business suit, added some sunglasses and a $20 ID badge and boom, I was Tony Stark’s SHIELD security man for his first public appearance. As soon as we walked out onto the show floor, people went nuts. The crowd reaction was amazing. I’d seen how people react to Chewbacca and Vader, but the reaction to Iron Man was a whole different level of “wow-ness”. Kids stopped in their tracks. Parents were amazed by the engineering. We couldn’t move; it was picture after picture after picture. I don’t think Dave was really prepared for the response and the mob we generated, so it was good that he had me there to keep things chill. At the end of the day, as we were exhaling, we looked at each other and nodded “yeah, we gotta do this again.” Funny story about that Iron Man suit. We were at SyFy Bartow and Dave had entered into the costume contest as Iron Man. In the process of being assembled into the suit, he managed to snap a servo that allowed the mask to lift up and down. For him, that was the straw that broke the camel’s back. He was always having to fix something on the suit; loose wires, broken plastic, unglued Velcro, chipped paint. It was constantly under repair. So he was ready to just toss the whole thing in the garbage and get on with his life. Fortunately, he was talked out of it (not by me) and glued it together just long enough to walk across the stage for judging. He ended up winning 1st Place in it. So, now I give him a hard time about winning a contest while wearing a costume he pulled out of the trash can. Leo Nocedo : What’s the most detailed cosplay you’ve ever done? Troy Whigham : For my Star Wars costumes, everything has to be made to a standard, so I can’t really take credit for any of those. I’m constantly adding bits and pieces of bling to my Night’s Watch and my SHIELD costumes, so probably my most detailed would be one of those. Leo Nocedo : What are your top 3 craftsmanship tips? Troy Whigham : 1. Look for advice on YouTube. There’s a lot of great crafting videos on there, some better than others. 2. Look for advice from those that have been there, done that. 501st and Rebel Legion (and the Mando Mercs) are great for giving advice to those trying to build up to the approval standards, and a lot of that advice can carry over into other cosplays. The radio I wear for SHIELD is actually my TIE pilot intercom system, right down to the radio chatter. 3. Don’t be afraid to experiment. You learn more through failure than you do through success. Leo Nocedo : What is your favorite cosplay you’ve done? Troy Whigham : SHIELD. Absolutely SHIELD. I can do as little or as much as I want. Business suit and a badge = SHIELD agent. Jeans and a t-shirt and a $15 hat = SHIELD agent. Tactical boots, pants, vest, radio, patches, cuffs, weapons = SHIELD agent. I can customize to suit the environment; warm weather, cold weather, marching or just standing. For people that don’t have a lot of money, or need something that they can also use in everyday life, I recommend doing a SHIELD cosplay. You can be tactical, you can be science, you can be technology. SHIELD does all of it. And with the MCU chugging along, SHIELD will be chugging along, too. Leo Nocedo : What is your worst cosplay “horror” story? Troy Whigham : I’ve never had anything important break or rip or snap, so I’m luckier than most. Leo Nocedo : What’s your funniest cosplay story? Troy Whigham : Our GoT group had gotten quite large at a con once; almost 18 people. Because GoT is an ensemble show, there were a lot of different character options and we had managed to get an almost complete set of the key characters just by bumping into people as we wandered around. Everybody was still getting to know each other, but we just gelled right away as a group, and would frequently get stuck with picture after picture after picture. The space between the two escalators at the Tampa Convention Center became our deathtrap. We couldn’t get away! Just as we finished photos for one group of people, a fresh batch would come down and ask for some, too. We learned that if we peeled away in batches of 3 or 4, and then reconvened at a new spot, we could move about a con a lot better. So, that afternoon we were in the process of reconvening, walking single-file down the back hallway to register for the costume contest and the hall was packed with people. The men would hold up their swords as beacons for the others to follow behind. As we were coming up to a cut-out, a lady, phone in hand, started to take the picture of our character in front. Then she saw the next one, then the next one. “Hey, it’s … and there’s…. and it’s… and he has…!” She was so excited that she couldn’t form a complete sentence. By the time I got up to her, she was shaking – seriously shaking – as if we were rock stars. That’s when I realized the power that a good costume, and a good group, could have on someone. Its powerful stuff and something I respect. Leo Nocedo : What’s the best in-character interaction you’ve ever had? Troy Whigham : Our SHIELD group was in the DragonCon parade, which is massive. The people of Atlanta really turn out for it; just huge groups of people 5-deep standing on the curbs waiting and watching and having a great time. Kids to grandmas, they all turn out. I love marching on the sidelines interacting with the people, dancing and giving high-fives the entire way. There aren’t any barricades. You just walk right up to someone and give a high-five. Well, ahead of us was a mixed group of superhero costumes. Clair Bauer, as she’s known presently, was dressed as Wonder Woman (and an excellent one at that). A little girl bolted from the side and ran right up to her, because here was a real live Wonder Woman and the little girl couldn’t believe that she was real. In that instant Clair realized what was going on, and what her responsibility was. Clair smiled at the girl, gave her a quick hug, then gently guided her back to the curb so that she wouldn’t get run over. As cosplayers we have to remember that to some people, we are the character we represent. Clair did that, and I was fortunate enough to witness it. Leo Nocedo : Have you ever cosplayed with a family member? Troy Whigham : No, but my sister and niece were impressed that I got so much recognition as a member of the 501st when we went to Disney one weekend. Leo Nocedo : What is your favorite cosplay photo of yourself? Troy Whigham : I’ve come to the conclusion that I just don’t photograph well. That said, there are photographers that do manage to put lipstick on a pig and make it look pretty, so there are photographers that I’ll invite to shoots specifically because they do good work, and they’re good to work with. Leo Nocedo is one of them. Joe Tomasone, Bri Kupfer, Travis Kirk, Greg Rice, and Michael Trefry are others. Susan Schaller dabbles in both cosplay and photography. One of my favorite photos came about randomly. It’s just a simple shot of me as SHIELD walking along in my first DragonCon parade, taken by a stranger. Someone I know saw it, tagged me, and it came across my feed. I found the photographer that took it and thanked her for the picture; that it was one of my favorites from the weekend. It blew her mind that a random stranger would take the time to PM her directly to thank her for a photo she snapped almost on instinct; she totally didn’t expect it. If someone manages to take a good picture of me, I take the time to acknowledge their talent. They put lipstick on a pig and made it pretty. Leo Nocedo : What are your go-to stores for cosplay materials/full cosplays? Troy Whigham : Every cosplayer eventually finds something at thrift stores. You don’t need to drop $400 on a business suit if you can find one that fits well for $25 second-hand. But, with a suit you have to know what to look for, like sticking with natural fibers – wool, cotton, silk – and how to accessorize it. Polyester fabric doesn’t hold shape. A black suit can be used for so many costumes: Blues Brothers, John Wick, SHIELD agent, Men in Black. There’s a lot of stuff that can be purchased cheap and re-purposed for props. I’ve seen VCRs be converted into remote-controlled machine gun turrets. Eventually you develop an artist’s eye for things. Leo Nocedo : Do you prefer to buy pre-styled wigs or style your own? Troy Whigham : SHIELD doesn’t have time for wigs. That’s why we wear hats. Leo Nocedo : Have you ever had someone mistake you for a different character? Troy Whigham : All the time. When I do my GoT Night’s Watch, everybody assumes that everyone with a black cape is John Snow. In the 501st, TIE pilots are called Darth Vader on a regular basis. We take it in stride. At least they try. I never correct the person; I just go with it. Leo Nocedo : List all the cosplays you’ve done. Troy Whigham : WW2 pilot, X-wing pilot, Ser Jorah, Night’s Watch, TIE pilot, Scariff Rebel Soldier, SHIELD agent, 17th century Royal Navy sailor, Thomas Wayne (Bruce Wayne’s dad), Muldoon from “Jurassic Park”, random ACU guy from “Jurassic World”, and WW2 infantryman (I talked some of my reenactor friends into coming to a con in a costume, so we dressed as WW2 infantry and got pictures with all of the WW2 themed superheroes – Wonder Woman, Captain America, Batman, Catwoman, Superman; we even got a picture with Colonel Sanders and a Desert Shield Eagle!). Leo Nocedo : What’s the biggest con you’ve cosplayed at? Troy Whigham : DragonCon. Hand’s down. We do a panel for kids called the Junior Agents of SHIELD where kids have to solve a puzzle to earn their SHIELD badge and ID card, then they go through a path to get autographs and pictures with Avengers characters. At the end, they get their picture with Director Fury and Tony Stark. The first year we did it, we had to turn families away. We’ve been invited back every year ever since. I’m going to reiterate how cosplayers are the best people in the world. The first year we went to DragonCon, Dave and I went to Atlanta sweating about whether we’d find enough characters for our panel. We met a few at the parade, and a few just walking the hotels. We’d explain what we were doing and that we needed help, and people jumped in. On the morning of the panel, a few backed out with family and business obligations, but we sent Directory Fury, whom we’d known for all of a day, up to the main level and he came back with some excellent people to fill spots for the panel. Every year we’ve managed to find some really great people, and even though we only see them once a year, it’s like we just saw them yesterday. Leo Nocedo : Do you prefer cosplaying characters with props, or characters that you don’t need to carry a prop around all day? Troy Whigham : A good prop can go a long way. It draws attention. At some cons, you’ll see a lot of the same character, but if you’re that character with a good prop, you’ll get noticed a lot more. That said, props can get heavy. They can be bulky. You have to go through weapons check, which is another delay to getting on the show floor. It’s all about your priorities. Leo Nocedo : Have you ever lost a cosplay piece at a con? Troy Whigham : Once is all it takes. Fortunately I was able to get it back. Volunteer staff don’t get the credit they deserve, so I’m giving it now. Thank you volunteers! Unpaid, unrecognized, but very much appreciated! Leo Nocedo : Have you ever bought a cosplay piece at a con? Troy Whigham : Yes. Badges, pins, IDs, patches are usually easy to find. One time I found a resin-cast Maltese Falcon for a Humphrey Bogart cosplay I want to do. Leo Nocedo : Do you prefer to cosplay solo or in a group? Troy Whigham : Groups. I’m in it for the social interaction and the opportunity to meet different people. Cons are good places for that, because you can walk right up to someone dressed in the same theme as you and make an instant connection. I’ve met a lot of great people that way. If you want to go to a con but you can’t find anyone to come with you, just come in costume and you’ll have friends within an hour. Leo Nocedo : If you had a chance to meet your all-time favorite cosplayer, what would you say to them? Troy Whigham : I’d tell him that his cosplay is weak, if only he was taller, and to get off my coattails. He knows who he is, and right now our mutual friends are laughing. Leo Nocedo : Have you ever done a cosplay panel? Troy Whigham : Yes. I would encourage everyone who gets into this hobby to do it at least once. I know public speaking is a scary thing, but it’s also a good way to exchange information, and in a convention setting there’s a lot more freedom without judgement. Inside the four walls of a convention, dreams can come true. It’s a good place to get experience because at some point in your business life, you’re going to have to give a presentation to people that aren’t as open and forgiving as attendees at a sci-fi con. The great thing is, at a con, you don’t even have to be yourself. You may lack self-confidence, but does Tony Stark? Bruce Wayne? Natasha Romanoff? If making yourself a starship captain gives you the strength you need to give a one-hour presentation, then go for it. Inside those four walls, dreams can come true. Leo Nocedo : Do you prefer to buy or make cosplays? Troy Whigham : Coming from a reenactor background, where the uniforms and equipment are all bought from cottage industry shops, I have no qualms about buying a piece from a store and customizing it. Amazon has become my go-to for medieval and tactical gear, simply because of the selection available. Etsy is a good place for specific designs, and eBay (love it or hate it) is also an option if you don’t mind correcting things. What usually happens is I’ll get one piece here, another piece there, make a piece myself, and then hit the thrift store for something to use as a prop. Leo Nocedo : If you could tell your past self anything about cosplay, what would you say? Troy Whigham : I should’ve been doing this sooner. The balance of male to female is about 50-50; much more preferable for dating than reenacting where it’s almost 80% men to 20% women. It’s also open to creativity, and is a great way to meet good people. Leo Nocedo : What is your ultimate dream cosplay? Troy Whigham : Oof. Tough question. I’ve already hit my dream cosplays. I think I’d make a good Skipper from Gilligan’s Island if I can find a group of people to do the other characters. I already have the stuff to dress. I’d also like to do a Sheriff Buford T. Justice cosplay someday, and finally catch that sumbitch Bandit. Leo Nocedo : What’s the most difficult cosplay you’ve ever done? (Craftsmanship, wearing of, ect) Troy Whigham : X-wing pilot. I built the helmet myself, which was initially more challenging than I imagined, then I had to modify the extraction straps to fit my short, fat body. It was my first serious costume and it took me a couple of years to finish it. Leo Nocedo : What’s the most difficult character makeup you’ve done? Troy Whigham : Never tried. Leo Nocedo : What, in your opinion, makes a cosplayer a “pro” cosplayer? Troy Whigham : People that can make money at it. I think being a pro cosplayer is a modern invention; people weren’t doing this at this volume twenty years ago and getting paid for it. Look at “GalaxyQuest” for a representation of what the scene was like. That said, I know cosplayers that aren’t pro, that could make money at it, but prefer to do it for fun because they find it rewarding in and of itself. Leo Nocedo : What is your favorite part of cosplaying? Troy Whigham : The reaction from people when I do it right. I don’t mean that I expect accolades, but when kids faces light up, or someone laughs because they’re having fun, or people just simply give a compliment, that’s the best feeling in the world. No matter what other problems are going on in my life outside the four walls of the con, getting that validation inside of it makes all the effort worthwhile. Leo Nocedo : Make up your own question! Troy Whigham : If you’re going to do something, do it to the best of your ability. When I walked into my first con in costume, I didn’t know what to expect, but I had a good quality costume. Quality attracts quality, and if you’re bringing your “A” game, you’ll get noticed by other “A” level cosplayers; they will come up to you and start chatting and pretty soon you’re in a good circle of people and having a great time. Case in point: A lot of Deadpool costumers thought Deadpool was all about being a clown and a jerk. No, no he’s not. The best Deadpool cosplayers know when to strike a funny pose for a picture, and when to be cool with other characters. Deadpool lampoons stereotypes. You have to know who the Deadpool character is; what his perspective on reality is. Otherwise, you’re just a guy in a spandex onesie ruining the con experience for everybody else. Don’t be that guy. Be that guy who brings the right props, plays with others well, and is open to suggestions on improvements and fresh ideas for the character. You’d be surprised at how many friends you can make that way. If you’re going to your first con and don’t want to drop a lot of money, you can go as a zombie hunter. Some jeans, a t-shirt, and a re-painted Nerf gun from a thrift store. Total cost: the $4 you spent on the gun and the $4 you spent repainting it with spraycan truck bed liner. Bloody it up if you want. Or don’t. You’re your own muse. You’re bound to meet Umbrella Corp, or The Walking Dead, or other random zombie lovers. Have fun with it. That’s what it’s all about.

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Cosplayer of the week : Troy Whigham Before we get into the questions, I’d like to say that cosplaying draws some of the best people in the world.

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ecotone99 · 4 years

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[SF] 3 chapter original (post apocalyptic)

WHERE WAS EVELYN (Intro)

Where was Evelyn?

James bolted upright in a cold sweat. The forest around him glimmered with dew and frost. Sunlight filtered in through the needles of the trees, now peeking over the horizon. A hint of smoke and haze blurred his vision as he peered through the dawn. He felt the familiar scar running down his side, brushing it with his fingertips and listening to the birds beginning to stir. He felt calm. Where was Evelyn? James stood up and felt the crunch of pine needles through his boots, familiar and welcome. He shivered. The smell of smoke seemed to get stronger with each crunch forward.

Instinct told him to stop and take a breath, observe. Where was it coming from? Where was Evelyn? He frowned, only for a moment, deciding the best answer was to keep moving. His hand naturally grasped and played with the knife hidden in his belt as he walked. It was gradually coming to his attention he didn’t have a clue where he was or how he got there, but the fog seemed to be thinning as the sun rose higher. He glanced up at the treeline, deciding to head downhill towards... Was that a house?

James blinked in surprise at the small clearing. The building in front of him had every semblance of the word "home". Straw and pine needles insulated the roof, leading down into a light cabin covered in moss. Outside was a small gentleman kneeling in a garden. Inside, a fire had been blazing to keep out the chill between the sparse boards. Amber smoke rose lazily from a stone chimney. As James continued into the meadow, he fought the urge to pull his weapon. Everything inside of him wanted to turn around. He felt naked, exposed.

The man in the garden looked up. James peered at the odd figure. He looked surreal to him, a straw hat as leathery and worn as his tired face. A look of concern flashed across his brow. James looked down and saw his hand still gripping the handle tucked in his belt. A quick look of embarrassment and apology was rewarded with a slight smile. The man turned and stood with grace faded by age. He introduced himself as Timothy Faith, and invited him inside.

Warmth enveloped James' body as he stepped through the door, not from the fire, but from the woman who later introduced herself as Laura. A simple smile was all it took for James to melt completely. Scrambled eggs seemed to appear magically on his wooden plate, one after another. He savored every bite, finally acknowledging the pains he hadn't noticed when he woke up. He ate until he possibly couldn't anymore, drinking milk and gnawing on a tough piece of dried meat. Laura simply laughed at the look of bewilderment after each plate she brought him. "Are you heading into town?" She eventually asked. "Excuse me?" He managed through cheeks full of food. "Manning?" "Hmm?" She studied him for a moment, finally deciding he wasn’t kidding. “You’re not from around here, are you?” He swallowed. “I really couldn’t tell you.” She frowned. “Well, I know you don’t work for the cockroaches around Notikewin, you seem mannered enough. And you don’t strike me as a thief. Which can only mean two things: You’re either a foreigner or a foreger. Which is it?” “Are the only people from around here cockroaches and thieves?” “Only the interesting ones,” she laughed. “I suppose you could be a figment of my imagination, I haven’t seen anyone eat my cooking like that since we first married!” She shot a glance at Timothy. “Well, I have to be honest, I don’t really know…” James was interrupted by a knock at the door. “I’ll get it,” Laura nearly leaped from her chair towards the sound. She immediately smothered the poor twin siblings in a powerful hug for her slim, frail frame. “Laura, will you let those kids go, you’re going to squish them to death!” Timothy roared with laughter as his grandchildren raced into the kitchen. “Papa, who’s this?” The boy asked. “Why is he dressed funny?” Asked the girl. A carefully placed swat followed the second comment, but was mostly ignored. “Thomas, Sarah, this is our guest… hmm, what did you say your name was?” “James.” “Ah.” “James here hasn’t quite finished all of our food yet, so why don’t you go ahead and help yourselves?” The pair laughed and tore into what was left. Outside, a light started to shine. Where was Evelyn? As the kids started feasting on leftover muffins, his attention slowly started to draw away from the kitchen. A bright star was beginning to glow through the window. “You know, I really should be going,” he said, as he started to walk back towards the door. James started to voice his concern as the light became brighter, but quickly realized they could no longer hear him. The light coming through the window became blinding as the nightmare reached its peak.

James opened his eyes. It was still dark outside Randy’s mansion. He found himself almost unable to move, wedged in the comfy crevice of a large couch. He realized the pillow he had been enjoying was actually the lap of the girl sleeping next to him, leaning back into a reclined portion of the couch. He panicked for a moment, then slowly relaxed a bit. Then a bit more back into the fuzzy blanket wrapped around the two. The TV still flickered in front of them, and Evelyn’s soft breathing was the last thing that faded as he drifted back to sleep.

James had always been an interesting boy growing up. The day after his 19th birthday, an unidentified asteroid turned most of Morocco into a crater, covering the world in ash. If there were any scientists left, they likely would refer to what followed as a second ice age. A fully day passed before the sky turned dark over Toronto. The news had spread before it arrived, but there was nothing anyone could do. Four months later, food began running short. Tension was building like a time bomb. The less fortunate who couldn’t afford the ever-rising prices looked less human every day. Hunger tainted their eyes into hollow spheres. Millions died in the following weeks, more than in the impact itself. It didn’t happen like you’d see in a movie. There was no apocalypse. People just started… disappearing. A few preppers had reserves, but most just started to give up. Sure, there were a few who were desperate enough to try to eat one of their dead friends, but the truth is that nobody had a plan. Food had run out. There was nothing left to do but wait for the end. James had spent most of his summers and weekends working for his uncle’s concrete business among grown men. Most of his time was spent alone. He was always on the small side, but years of labor had gifted him with strong hands and a lean body. Not in a perfect movie star sense, but blocky shoulders that gave a look of intimidation to his frame. In addition to growing up camping in the forest, his skilled hands were likely what saved him from what became known as the ‘Frost of 14.’ He had no trouble fending off angry survivors. Or voices. At least, for the first year. Evelyn saved his life the day he failed. James hadn’t eaten in days. His family long gone, he was cold, hungry, and out of options. Finally, something snapped. He had been thinking about it for hours, sitting in an abandoned gas station with a cocked revolver under his chin. Everyone he had ever cared about was gone. Frozen. He closed his eyes, clenched his jaw, then… froze. Light footsteps rushed forward. He tensed up, inwardly screaming. His hand was gripping the gun harder and harder... Soft arms wrapped around him. He looked up in shock into the most beautiful emerald eyes he had ever seen. Evelyn squeezed him harder. Tears streamed down his face as she pulled him in closer. “Wait,” she whispered. “Just, wait.”

Evelyn was a nursing student when the sun disappeared. Taking care of her sick mother and younger sister began taking more and more of a toll on her body as the weeks passed by. She never spoke about what happened to them, but staying with her cousin, Randy, was likely the only thing that brought her around. She was driving by to pick up supplies from an indoor greenhouse when she noticed the dented Jeep parked outside. Panic filled her as he raised the gun. Then, not at her, but himself. It wasn’t a decision. She was not going to let anything happen to him.

PANCAKES (Ch 1)

The smell of freshly cooked pancakes slowly drifted over to the couch. Randy, as it turns out, was an aspiring chef and pothead before the meteor. He always had the munchies, but lived too far out of town for takeout. Thus, a genius was born. He flipped a chip-filled pancake as he hummed along to an album playing from his phone. He wasn’t high at the moment, but was missing his dwindling supply. His cousin had showed up one night a few months ago asking for a place to stay. He didn’t always appreciate her making him him cut back, but hell, if she hadn’t started looking after him, he might not still be there. Still, he always had a brotherly soft spot for his younger cousin, and was glad she was there. As was she to wake up to the heavenly smell wafting through the air. Evelyn started to sit up, but found herself unable. She frowned, still half asleep and glared at the lump preventing her from reaching her breakfast. Her face softened a bit when the lump stirred, suddenly remembering yesterday’s events. “Hey sleepy head, you alive enough for some pancakes?” James’ eyes snapped open. He had a similar lapse of memory for a moment, but quickly remembered her act of kindness. To make things worse, she was offering him breakfast food. He didn’t believe in love at first sight, but then again, he hadn’t had Randy’s pancakes before. James found himself almost glued to the couch like the night before. This was by far the most comfortable he had been in a long long time. His head still resting on her lap, he looked up. Evelyn had an Irish look to her, he noticed. At that particular moment, she looked more irritated than anything. “Five more minutes?” He asked. She rolled her eyes, dumped his head out of her lap, and rushed for the table. James wasn’t far behind her, still yawning and trying to fill in blank pieces of where he was. Over breakfast, the usual awkwardness following a younger cousin bringing home a crying boy the night before ensued. James took a bite and nearly fainted. “Dude, what the heck did you put in these?!” He demanded. Randy just laughed and started to relax. Over the course of a few minutes of talking, all signs of hesitation were gone. James and Evelyn destroyed an unholy stack of pancakes. And then another. James was still embarrassed about how he ended up there, but that was slowly fading. The longer the morning sped along, the more at home he felt. Evelyn decided to give him the grand tour. Her rich aunt had owned the mansion, leaving it to Randy when she passed. He had been an only child growing up, so relatives and friends coming to visit were something he reveled in. The inside had been decorated to a teenager’s dream. Everything from ping pong tables, pool tables, an actual pool, it was all there. Downstairs, a small bowling alley had been under construction, but never got finished. Grand chandeliers hung from grand archways. A grand piano sat in a grand music room. The only thing missing was a grand little butler to ask where Bruce Wayne had been all night. Paradise. At least, not counting the occasional bit of frost inside. The pool was completely frozen, despite being 14 feet deep at one end. Electricity came and went, which gave some hope someone was still running the generator station in town. Not very well, granted, but still. The tall gate surrounding the house kept out any… unwanted guests. Rumors were spreading of packs of scavengers looking for anything... or anyone, that could improve their situation. Evelyn gave a small shudder. “At least, that’s why Randy doesn’t like me going off without him.” She shrugged. “Then why were you out yesterday?” James asked. “Because Randy’s paranoid. And we needed flour.” He smiled a little and served again. The score was a staggering 17 to 6. He didn’t have the heart to tell her he was playing with his left hand, but she seemed to enjoy kicking his butt at ping pong, so he went with it. “Man, this is kinda nice!” She giggled as he whiffed another one into the net. “Randy’s been practicing with his friends for so long, it’s impossible to beat him.” “Is that so? I think we might have to have a little tournament after lunch.” Evelyn gave him a sparkling laugh and proceeded to stuff the ball down his throat for the 21st time. “Game! Is that it? I go to all the work to…” She was cut off by the nearby window exploding in a shower of glass.

MEDIC (Ch 2)

Unknown to them, the meteor’s friends had decided to show up. Over the course of the next few weeks, hundreds more tiny rocks would be visiting Earth. None on the same level as the one that blocked out the sun, but enough to put a damper on anyone’s day within a few miles. It was at this moment, a few miles away from the house, friend number one decided to drop by. It was the same moment as it turns out, as he rushed to protect his new friend, James suddenly remembered his dream from the night before. The one where he went into the warm house, ate a bunch of breakfast food, made new friends, then the window started glowing.

He knew he did a good job acting as a shield since Evelyn seemed completely fine. His other clue was that she had to spend the next 20 minutes picking glass out of his face. The explosion was more than enough to wake up Randy, who ran downstairs in his neon boxers to check on everyone. He winced at James, then went to get some warm water. That meaning, 5 minutes to heat it on the stove. “I’m fine, calm down, Mom.” James half laughed as a particularly large chunk was removed from the front of his shoulder, causing Evelyn to ask for the millionth time if he was alright. James hated being rescued for the second time that week, especially since his intention was to make up for the first. He sighed and leaned back into the couch. She squinted at the long jagged scar on his side exposed without a shirt, giving him a questioning look. “Sorry, I don’t think you’ll be able to fix that one.” He shrugged. “What happened?” She asked. “Some other time.” “I’ll stop helping if you don’t tell me.” “Right.” James let out a sharp cry of shock and pain as she slammed a soaked alcohol pad on a large bloody spot. “Feel like talking now?” “What the hell, Evelyn, that hurt!” “I said I’d stop helping if you don’t tell me.” She laughed. “That pad was to prevent infection. Just imagine what I’d do if I wasn’t trying to help,” giving him an almost apologetic smile. He looked up at her, deciding he couldn’t read the situation in the slightest. “Alright fine, it was an accident when I was little.” “Keep going.” James paused. Evelyn, deciding this was unacceptable, proceeded to pull the next piece of glass without warning. “OWW!” “You were saying?” James seriously considered running away. He sighed. “My friend and I were playing in the woods one day. We made a tire swing in a tree. Not a very good one. It broke, I fell on a log and got impaled. Happy now?” Evelyn paused for a moment, thought about it, then decided to keep working. “What was your friend’s name?” “Miles.” She gave him a small smirk of satisfaction just as Randy walked back into the room and dropped off the water. “You guys finish up, I’m going to take a look outside and check out the damage.” His question was quickly answered by the lights shutting off. He cursed under his breath and went looking for candles and flashlights.

The two were left alone again, and all James wanted to do was fall asleep again next to her again. He halfway thought telling her about his dream last night. She walked back, James noticed, with the slightest limp in her left leg. “Looks like I’m not the only cripple in the house,” he tried to joke as she sat back down. Evelyn, not finding this particularly funny, just sighed and sank into the armchair next to the couch. She looked tired. “My leg is fine. I’ve just been sitting on my foot for the past two years trying to take care of my new pet. I just got him, I’d hate to have to put him down already.” This unnerved him slightly. Evelyn looked over and cracked a smile. “You look like a mummy with your face all wrapped up.” “Ha. Ha. Ha,” he replied, putting forced gaps between sarcastic laughs. His head throbbed a little and was working very hard to figure out what had happened between them. Yesterday, she was an absolute angel of kindness. She literally did not let him out of her sight the entire afternoon and demanded that he share the couch with her. Then again, he wasn’t exactly the most perceptive yesterday. Evelyn frowned a little at the puzzled look on his face. She hadn’t slept at all the night before. Worry had filled her the night before that he might try to end it again that night, under her care. Her sister never showed any signs. A small tear was wiped away before James could notice. He was still sitting there, frozen. She could tell he was thinking and decided to let him be. She would just close her eyes for a minute. The morning did a good job of distracting him from his thoughts, but the voices that convinced him to pull the trigger yesterday were starting to whisper again. He didn’t deserve to be here. He felt a piece of gauze on his arm and noticed Evelyn had actually fallen asleep in her chair. He quietly stood up and gathered his things. It was time to go.

MILES (Ch 3)

As James crept out the front door, he did a quick inventory. He didn’t take any food, no use wasting it on a useless little shit like himself. A small headache had grown during the day. His sidearm rested heavy on his hip, a counterweight to the binoculars he kept in a pouch on the other side of his belt. He sat and watched Randy swear at a large gap in the fence caused by a fragment of the meteor as it hit the atmosphere. He looked worried. James quietly made his way back to the road. James thought quite a bit on his way back to the Jeep, still parked a mile down the hill. He knew it wasn’t healthy, but somehow he couldn’t stop himself. He took off some of the smaller bandages on his face and arms as he walked, as he preferred them to heal on their own in the open air. Bitch stickers, his brother had called them when they were younger. He shivered slightly, reconsidering removing any fabric from his exposed face. His breath showed up in sharp contrast in the cool air. The sun was barely visible through the ever-present haze, although it seemed brighter every week now. He hugged his thin jacket tighter as he broke into a slow jog. “Idiot, you’re going to get yourself killed,” Miles chided. “Shut up.” He ran faster.

James’ mind raced as he went. He had woken up in heaven. He shouldn’t have been there in the first place, and he knew it. He kept a photo of everyone he had lost during the frost in his wallet, now growing thick. The last thing he needed was more to carry around with him. Miles was among the first to go. He hadn’t exactly lied about the scar, he thought to himself, as a finger traced it through his jacket. He did get it when he was younger, and it was with Miles. It had nothing to do with tire swings though. He shook himself awake a little after thinking about 8 months ago. James was starting to feel better, resolved. Things were going back to the way they were. He tossed his backpack on the passenger seat of his Jeep and started the engine. He hesitated, trying to work out where he was and wanted to go. He had just sort of stopped at the first place that looked like it might have food, not really thinking where it fit in with the next stop. A series of shooting stars passed as the vehicle sped along, tank full of gas now. He looked up and thought about how beautiful they looked. He thought about Evelyn again, and considered pulling the wheel so he wouldn’t have to think about what he was leaving behind. He stared at the stars more, flicking across the sky one after the other. A bright star had started to appear. How beautiful. He decided to keep driving, putting one of his favorite CD’s in the player and turned the heater up a notch. He relaxed as the music swelled and put his mind at ease while he disappeared into the icy night. The light through the windows became blinding as the next meteor hit its target.

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Know Your Meme Goes to New York Comic Con

The west side of 8th Avenue in midtown is a strange place in New York City. On an island where every plot, lot and its sublot has been claimed or filled, Hudson Yards, Manhattan’s soon-to-be latest neighborhood, is an urban ghost town, a surreal snapshot of a newly developed district in Simcity. But this weekend, Hudson Yards was flooded by hundreds of thousands of pop culture fans of all ages: teens, adults, kids chaperoned by their moms and pops, moms and pops chaperoned by their kids. New York Comic Con (NYCC). It’s the biggest nerd convention on the East Coast.

Thursday, 10:00 a.m. Matt, Adam and I met up by Penn Station on 34th Street and 8th Avenue. This was the first NYCC for all of us. Having had a daily commute in the area for a few years, I’ve certainly heard and seen the hubbub NYCC brings to the city every year, but as soon as we joined the first wave of attendees and entered the main venue, we were immediately struck by the sheer volume and size of the gathering.

Jacob K. Javits Center is a massive complex designed much like an international airport. Yet, with thousands of attendees moving in droves at all times, the 1.8 million square feet arena felt like, as Matt put it, a “geek mall” filled to its max capacity. And it’s true. Unlike its west coast counterpart, San Diego Comic-Con, NYCC has always been a for-profit event organized by ReedPOP, with a reported annual revenue of $50 million. At that level of rainmaking, it has grown into such a high-profile industry event that not even Hollywood’s most wanted A-list celebrities can decline to attend, not even George Clooney.

Once we made our way through the security checkpoint, we were greeted by Bandai Namco promoters offering wearable printouts of Luffy’s straw hat and calling on a few volunteers to participate in a lottery game for their mobile game One Piece Thousand Storm.

After a brief moment of complete distraction by fancy pop-up booths, neat gadgets and professional cosplayers all around us, we headed over to our first panel event of the day, Geek Journalism in the 21st Century, hosted by Ryan Britt of Inverse Magazine and joined by writers Caseen Gaines, Emily Asher-Perrin, Jill Pantozzi, Krutika Mallikarjuna and Mike Cecchini. Reflecting the popular consensus that’s been running for years on the Internet, much of the discussion centered around the future of fandom and challenges entertainment critics face as Hollywood’s reboot frenzy persists, a trend that hasn’t sloed down since Disney’s acquisition of Marvel Comics in 2009. While the panelists acknowledged that reboots can bridge the gap between generations, especially for the millennial audience, and serves the industry well with its guaranteed profit, they all seemed to agree that some of these classics have been rebooted at the expense of legacies that the original works left behind.

Thursday, 12:15 a.m. Tara Strong is a celebrity of her own class. As the familiar voice behind Bubbles of The Powerpuff Girls, Twilight Sparkle of My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic and a number of other characters in video games, it is little surprising that she commands one of the most diverse and devoted fan bases. The seating in the conference room had already filled up by the time we arrived. Taking in the spotlight, Strong opened up the panel by talking about her latest voice work in the forthcoming film My Little Pony: The Movie, at times playfully breaking into the voice of Twilight Sparkle, and offered quite a few insights on how to get one’s foot in the door of a career in voice acting. In a way, Tara Strong is the archetype of a celebrity whose fame probably wouldn’t have been the same without the power of internet fandom. For decades, most voice actors lived behind-the-scene of films, TV shows and video games (unless you were already a famous actor), until people on the Internet began putting faces to their names in all corners of fan forums.

Thursday, 3:00 p.m. We assembled on the main exhibition floor, a gigantic open showroom where hundreds of vendors were offering all sorts of geek treasures and merchandises. The density of the crowd was more than any of us could bear for too long, although it was on the show floor where we spotted some of the most impressive cosplays at Comic Con. Aside from an army of Rick Sanchez, there were a number of other usual suspects in attendance: Deadpool, Princess Leia. Sailor Moon. Dv. A. Super Mario Bros.

Cosplay is a magical way for people to socialize. In 1939, Los Angeles sci-fi fan couple Forrest J. Ackerman and Myrtle R. Douglas showed up at The First World Science Fiction Convention in New York in futuristiccostumes, little knowing they had invented the world’s first prototype of a “fan costume,” which would eventually become known as cosplay in the coming decades. At this year’s NYCC, swarms of cosplayers, many of whom are Con-goers, but also event promoters and journalists, roamed the show floor, greeting each others in passing. Who they were didn’t really matter. It was all about what they were.

This isn’t to say that everyone is on equal footing at Comic Con. After all, it was the familiar faces from the big-screen that drew the fans out in hundreds of thousands. Throughout the day, we could hear intermittent bursts of applause from the live stage and autographing booths all around. And just from a glance at the guest list, one could gather which stars came to make an official appearance and which stars came to seize their day.

Friday, 11:00 a.m. Midtown Manhattan felt livelier than ever, with long lines wrapped around every venue on the way to Javits Center and the day’s construction work in full swing. Most workers seemed barely distracted by the seemingly endless stream of Rick Sanchez, Captain Kirks and Power Rangers pouring out of the 7 train subway exit, except for a few who would take occasional snapshots with their phones. I asked one of the men in hard hat if he has ever seen a crowd like this in Hudson Yards before. He said this is the most people he has seen in six months of working in the neighborhood. I asked him which character he has seen the most thus far. “Hello Kittys,” he said. “Lots of Hello Kittys.” Funnily enough, we didn’t catch any glimpse of Hello Kitty cosplays.

In stark contrast to the construction workers, the tension was running high among the New York Police Department officers, as they tried to keep the crowd in motion outside the convention center. Mix a couple hundreds of RPG and FPS cosplayers sporting all sorts of weapon replicas into an estimated crowd of 200,000 people, you’ve got yourself a long day at work.

We started our second day off with our own agendas. Matt attended the Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams panel, which explored the storylines of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep and The Man in the High Castle, and how art can combat bigotry through representation and diversity. As Matt put it, imagining the worse case scenario for America was “a real nice cup of coffee at 10:15 in the morning.” Adam went to the Hey Arnold panel event, where the creators and voice cast of the show came together to talk about the upcoming animated feature film Hey Arnold!: Jungle Movie and reminisce about the early years of the show when the voice actors themselves were kids. I headed straight to the Artist Alley, where more than 100 artists and independent vendors have set up shop to showcase their works, ranging from hand-drawn illustrations and comic zines to custom figurines and wearable merchandises.

Just one floor level below the festivities, next to the autographing booths, there was something very different going on. As much of a geek mall NYCC felt like, the vibe in the conference rooms stood out from the rest of the convention as scholarly and inquisitive. For an event of such massive scale, there were quite a few panel discussions that opened the doors to constructive discourses on identity politics and pop culture: The Wonder Women Behind LGBTQ Characters in Comics, Super Asian America, How to Respectfully Draw POC and LGBTQIA Characters, Gender Identity Through Art, the list went on. TL;DR, they were woke AF. And unlike the discussions that all too often devolve into mudslinging on the internet, everyone listened and waited for their turns to speak. With things in order, the discussions made leaps in the short span of an hour, something that we don’t see every day.

Had the late French cultural theorist Jean Baudrillard still been alive, he would have taken great pleasure in tearing NYCC apart, just as he had done with the Pompidou Centre in Paris and Disneyland. To be fair, Comic Con is a hypermarket of industrialized pop culture, where the boundaries of fiction and reality blurs with every transaction. Nevertheless, despite its glossy artifice and Disneyland-like deceit, NYCC does ultimately serve its purpose as a public forum where the creators and consumers can critique and workshop the status quo in today’s pop culture. Say what you will about the mall culture in America, but there’s nothing like the good old-fashioned consumerism that brings people together in this country, regardless of age, gender and color.

Round Table Discussion

This conversation was audio-recorded, transcribed and edited for clarity at Jacob K. Javits Convention Center on October 5th and 6th, 2017.

First Impressions of NYCC

Adam: We’re all really exhausted, just from the sheer amount of people and fandoms and cosplays and comic book booths and panels. It was pretty crazy.

Brad: Luckily, we got our badges sorted out beforehand.

Matt: It seemed like a real nightmare this morning getting into the place. It’s a lot like Disneyland with the lines and the check-ins and the bags–

Adam: Also, let’s clarify that the Javits Center is like a fancy airport, better than the actual airports in New York City. It was basically like going on a flight through fandom, I guess?

Adam: It’s like the movie The Terminal, but for fandoms.

Matt: It’s like a play land for people who like very specific things. The more specific the thing, the better.

Thoughts on Panel Events

Adam: One thing from Geek Journalism in the 21st Century that was interesting to all of us as “meme journalists” was to hear the perspectives of other people in the pop culture journalism industry, even if we all hears stuff we were a little bit familiar with, in terms of how to break into it.

Matt: I think that’s one of the things you see at a thing like Comic Con. You see all these people that like a very big “work,” whether that’s an anime, movie, or video game, and they really want to be a part of it. I think that that’s true in that a lot of the people here also want to be creators. They want to either be writing about this stuff or create this stuff. A lot of the panels we saw today, like the Tara Strong panel, there were a lot of people there asking her how to break into voice acting. I got to the Tara Strong panel assuming people would be asking her specifically about My Little Pony stuff, Powerpuff Girls stuff. I didn’t expect so many people would be asking her how to break into this thing. There’s a lot of people here looking into that, and that definitely carried over into the Geek Journalism panel.

Brad: There was kind of a workshop layer to it, and that’s as good as Q&As can get.

Adam: Matt, you went to Michael Rooker’s panel. Did you find your experience similar there? Were people asking him about acting or was there more a “people geeking out” vibe to it?

Matt: There was more geeking out, but it was also in a bigger room. Tara Strong Spotlight and Geek Journalism were held in very small, conference-like rooms, but Rooker’s panel was held in the special events section, a giant auditorium. The way that it started was he was on a panel with an author who wrote Guts, Frank Darabont. They were discussing Rooker’s career. As the panel was going, Rooker became more and more restless answering this guy’s questions, and all of a sudden, he was like, “We have 38 minutes left!” then ran offstage and started running through the crowd, being like, “Who has a question? You have a question? What’s your question?” And people would be like, “Uh, what’s your favorite scene in Guardians of the Galaxy?" and he’d be like “Any one that I’m in!” Just stuff like that. It was very much like he was there to let people experience him. He was such a personality, you couldn’t even get a word in. There were maybe one or two questions about how he got his start in acting and he was just like “I had nothing else to do.”

Adam: So he wasn’t trying to be workshop with the audience. He was trying to be a celebrity.

Brad: That is really endearing, especially considering he has been a longtime character actor whose fame suddenly blew up only as of recently.

Matt: He’s like the breakout character of Guardians of the Galaxy, for sure. He is kind of building up a cult-following, like Bruce Campbell. Your parents might not know his name, but you know the face. Fans of the Guardians of the Galaxy movies and fans of The Walking Dead will love him. And he’s a great actor. It’s about time he’s gotten that recognition.

Brad: I think that also reflects as how fandom works on the internet. Even in the context of memes, there has always been a tendency to put the spotlight on people in the backdrop instead of up and center.

Adam: Like the Left Shark.

Brad: Definitely.

Thoughts on Fan Interactions

Matt: I think that the appeal of conventions like this one is that its a celebration of the specificity of these things. Like, everyone loves Star Wars but not everyone loves TC-14 or R5D4, things that have fans but have like, one line in the movies. Still, fans will watch these things so many times that they end up having to focus on different elements to get new appreciation.

Adam: And that spoke to a conversation Brad and I had with Ryan Britt of the Geek Journalism panel about memes, and he immediately jumped to talking about Prequel Memes, which I think are exactly the type of hyper-specific, fandom-driven things you were talking about before. You pick out this one moment of the films and if you keep repeating it, it becomes a joke. I mean, at this point, it’s like almost 60% of the script is a meme.

Matt: Prequel memes in general changed the way I saw the Star Wars prequels. The fans are so attuned to finding one word that’s delivered in the strangest way and it becomes a meme. That’s very similar to the type of specificity you’ll see here. You’ll see things now, like Simpsons shitposting, where it’s like the more obscure thing you can put into a new context, the more successful that meme will be. That’s true for cosplay too. Like, if you can make something super specific and make it super well, your thing and blow it out, that’s where you’ll have the biggest Comic Con success.

Thoughts on Cosplay at NYCC

Adam: By the way, our Rick Sanchez cosplay count is 12.

Matt: But to be fair, you have to have a high IQ to like Rick Sanchez cosplay… [laughter]

Brad: Rick Sanchez has to be the most frequently seen cosplay, right?

Matt: There’s a lot of Deadpools.

Brad: Oh yeah, that’s true. Deadpool has to be the unofficial mascot of cons. There’s that YouTube guy, D Piddy, who goes to like, every single Con.

Matt: I think Deadpool is like the unofficial spokesperson of adult geeks. Like, “This isn’t your granddaddy’s superhero. He swears.” You know, this stuff started out as just being for kids, basically, but there’s a lot of that sort of “adulting” going on in fandoms and superhero movies right now.

Brad: It’s not surprising you see a lot of Deadpool after the movie. I’ve gotten so used to seeing D. Piddy doing wacky antics. I completely forgot that there was a movie after Deadpool had already become a convention staple.

Matt: And we saw that Deadpope, that was pretty awesome.

On NYCC and Consumerism

Adam: Matt, you were talking about a point earlier at lunch about how this place is very much like a Disneyland, and in the same way Disneyland is a land of wonder, it is also like, an orgy of capitalism.

Matt: When I was going through all the aisles and booths, I started realizing that we were basically at the geek mall. All the stuff that you want and care about in pop culture is here at your disposal. The things you knew you wanted, didn’t know you wanted, all here. It exists in the center of this Venn diagram between consumerism and emotional investment. People want to express their enjoyment of these things but outside of here they only have designated areas to express these things, like the movie theater or online. Comic Con gives people a chance to celebrate that, hence the cosplay. But there’s also this element of this engagement being sold to these people. There’s an element of exploitation here. It’s like the people here can become the billboards for these giant corporations like Disney and Marvel.

Adam: And you were saying before how you used to collect things but the realization eventually dawned on you how you were being kind of a pawn in this larger machine.

Matt: Yeah, at a certain point, you realize you’re spending so much money on books you read like one time, and you’re just like, well, what am I doing with this comic book collection? Like, I’m not gonna make money off this in the future. The comic book industry was ravaged by overprinting. The reason comic books aren’t worth any money is because everyone threw them out. There’s so much supply and no demand. Now we’re existing in a space where superheroes and science fiction are the biggest American export. Entertainment is America’s biggest export, and superheroes and Star Wars are the top of that heap. Right now, to participate in these things is really to engage with America’s biggest global machine. It’s a weird thing, because the flip side of that is very pure: people love these things. I’m one of them! I love Star Wars and Star Trek, and people want to go and, as I witnessed today, argue over whether the Millennium Falcon would beat the Starship Enterprise in a fight. This is a conversation people want to have! There’s nothing wrong with that, but it does exist in a weird space.

Adam: Someone brought up in the panel how fandoms crop up around certain things basically on the strength of the characters. On the one hand, the general idea of a Comic Con is to create a place where perhaps social outcasts can geek out about their fandoms and find themselves in pop culture where they might not necessarily see themselves in their daily lives outside of that. There’s something really empowering about that, but at the same time, it is sort of playing into the great industrial machine. You can look at it both ways. It’s sort of cynical and cool at the same time.

Matt: There are some cool aspects. I think a big part about this convention and cosplay in general is feeling like you want to participate in this thing, in the same way, say, a Patriots fan wants to put on a Tom Brady jersey and paint their face. Someone wants to dress like Spider-man to express they like Spider-man. It’s basically the same thing. It’s not like the Patriots are a small Mom-and-Pop business. They’re a huge sports franchise!

Adam: That makes me think that the reason so-called “sports cosplay,” if you will, is more socially accepted, and part of what makes Comic Con so special, is that when you walk around the convention, there’s a really supportive and wholesome vibe, which is really awesome. Maybe because NYCC is so big, it doesn’t leave any room to be cliquey, which may be the case in some smaller Cons. If you have a niche fandom, you may not interact with like-minded people IRL every day. To come to a place like this is an opportunity to engage with some people like you.

Matt: I think what’s really weird about that is that this place is so pure and feels very welcoming to all different types of people, which is so different from the type of fandom that exists on the internet. It’s a total 180!

Brad: I agree that is the most refreshing thing, in comparison to other smaller-scale conventions I’ve attended. Like you said, the size of this place kind of renders cultural elitism almost impossible. There’s something nice about not having to be on, say, the same frequency, but everyone is on the same bandwidth, more or less.

On Inclusiveness at NYCC

Adam: This brings up an interesting point. Matt, you recently wrote a bit on Simpsons shitposting and how the phenomenon exemplifies the way geek fandom is portrayed in pop culture. Do you think the preconceived ideas about NYCC has shaped your expectations of what this event would be?

Matt: I always have a hard time with fandoms because of the toxic online culture of it, and it can really put a sour taste in your mouth. I don’t know why we have to be so mean about a cartoon! But when we came here and started talking to people and engaging with people it was a lot calmer and nicer than I expected. You’re dealing with a lot of personalities with things like this, and granted we went to small panels, but… I had a good time.

Adam: Mark Hamill was here, and there were some big names here that if we wanted to meet them, that would’ve been our entire day. We saw the line for his autograph signing and it looked at least two hours long.

Matt: Mark Hamill is like the perfect model supporting fandom as a base. After Star Wars, Mark Hamill wasn’t a huge movie star. It wasn’t until Batman: The Animated Series that he really started taking off as a voice actor. Through that, he built this fanbase that grew at conventions like this and carried him to where he is now. A lot of people and studios today recognize that you can maintain a good base and evangelize for your thing if you’re good to them. Michael Rooker is taking advantage of that right now by blowing it out and saying “I am the guy fans want to be around,” so people will cast him because they know he’ll promote the film.

Via Knowyourmeme

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