#a chapter where it feels like only one scene happened bc the rest of it is disjointed and breaks off awkwardly

[snow-and-saltea]

ive perhaps found the most mediocre manhwa ever written. its like the most subpar thing ever and encompasses so many things i don't like people doing in one manhwa / storytelling in general. its actually amazing

#yuu rambles #hoooly shit. this is actually fuckin amazing #saying this unironically btw im just so amazed how mediocre it is and stiff #its like the marvel of manhwas #intent and symbolism assigned to tell not show IMMEDIATELY bc they think readers are too stupid to remember stuff later #a chapter where it feels like only one scene happened bc the rest of it is disjointed and breaks off awkwardly #crude and nonsensical environments #like. wow. this is amazing. someone paid money to have this posted and it passed quality testing and editors #even the translations are a fuckin choice #in a scene where its supposed to be dramatic w a fallen angel lamenting w a friend a normal angel #they use the word colleague #and i was like. hold up is this suddenly 21st century? are we in a sitcom? are the cameras rolling? #what the fuck. how did this get posted. im so genuinely baffled

[toorumlk]

Hi I'm so freaking obsessed with your twitter.

Also what's your favorite Romione moment in the books and why?

ohohoho thank you, friend, i’m quite proud of some of the stuff i’ve posted on there B)

and as for my favourite romione moment in the books, when i read the question i first blanked out for a couple minutes, thinking of a bunch of smaller, sillier scenes. but then i remembered that i do have a favourite and it’s from chapter 11 of DH, when remus visited the trio at grimmauld place and filled them in on he goings on of the war -including the implementation of the muggle-born registry. ron’s response upon hearing this (after his immediate outrage) was

and it’s not just the hand holding and the “‘you won’t have a choice’ said Ron fiercely” that played out so vividly in my head like this:

but this scene demonstrates so perfectly the political weight of this pairing (muggleborn/blood traitor) which i think is the immovable narrative foundation of romione. all of their silly moments and idiosyncrasies aside, there is genuine narrative purpose behind this love. ron has always had an astute understanding of the blood supremacist politics of the wizarding world (need i remind that he was ready to curse shitco at the ripe age of 12 for calling hermione the in-universe slur) and just how wrong it is. ron is a pure-blood wizard and by design has so much privilege in this society bc of it, but by virtue of having parents like arthur and molly, he’s grown up knowing the importance of fighting against blood supremacist ideology. always.

so, after hearing about the completely horrifying muggleborn registry ("People won't let this happen," said Ron. "It is happening, Ron," said Lupin.), he immediately turns to his muggleborn best friend and love of his life and says “i’m making you a family member, i’m going to use the protection my family-name has and use it to protect you from the awful injustice of our situation, no you won’t have a choice but to let me help you”

i remember having such a… visceral reaction while reading this scene like holy shit .. these kids, THESE KIDS!!!!! this is the bone-marrow-deep love that makes me feel insane. this dynamic of the blood traitor/muggleborn always there, from CoS all the way to the epilogue. We get to see that romione is the story’s pure blood/muggleborn that finally made it (rip jily and tedromeda :(). we see it in hermione keeping her muggle last name after they get married (oh my god these two actually got married) and we also see it in the hyphenated Granger-Weasley (granger being first!) in their kids’ last names (oh my gof these two had TWO kids). they are a true symbol of change and progress in their world.

also this is one of those moments where i’m so glad that our only window to romiones relationship development is through harry’s narration because it so brilliantly shows the readers this blossoming love story instead of just telling us about it because harry obviously doesn’t have access to the inner thoughts of his two best friends, he can only witness them fall deeper in love. showing the audience acts of love is always more powerful and my god is this an act of showing your love to your beloved.

(and not to go on an unrelated tangent, but this is exactly why i could never ship my girl hermione w any DE or DE-adjacent character. no fucking way. not when the concept of a muggle-born registry exists in this universe, not when the antagonists in this story wish to eradicate people like her from their society. idk about the rest of y’all but im going to keep taking the narrative seriously bc the worldbuilding obviously has real world ties/implications and i like engaging with the canon. tangently to the tangent, i saw someone (a ron basher) on twitter say that ron, OUR RON FROM THE ABOVE EXCERPT, was “one bad day away from becoming a death eater” ohhhh ohhh i ought to beat you with sticks bc HUH? this is the same kid who said he would’ve boarded the train back to kings cross if he got sorted to slytherin, the house notorious for birthing DEs, at the tender age of 11)

anyways, all this to say is that romione is incredibly, realistically, materially romantic and i love them and i love their love <3

#romione #harry potter #harry potter and the deathly hallows #pro romione #bc duh #romione meta #hp meta #harry potter meta #toorumlk #nusreplies #my art #bc the hands #ron weasley defense squad

[anna-scribbles]

can you share some of your writing/planning process for thirteen? i adore the non-linear format - how do you decide what scenes to put where?

ahh thank you!! idk how much of a defined process I have, but there's definitely a lot of planning that goes into it and i can show you some of that.

i keep all the chapters in one doc organized by month, and then i plan everything out in bullet points in a timeline at the beginning. here i just have october and november as examples bc after december things started to get more detailed/messy

all of the scenes (especially at the beginning) set the stage for things i’ve planned to happen later, or establish something that feels relevant to adrien’s character by the time we meet him in canon. the task of condensing an entire month into about 2-3 scenes has been a bit difficult; i’ve found out that i’m a very present-moment kind of writer so it’s harder for me to describe the passage of, like, weeks of time. so i’ve been pinpointing specific threads of adrien’s story that i want to be sure to tell and choosing scenes from each month that build on that.

i’ve had the idea for this fic in the back of my mind since about 2021 so i’ve had several scenes cemented in my mind, ways i’ve decided things played out, etc. some of the writing process has been building the narrative around those things or figuring out how we get there. that’s what i love about prequels in general, honestly - it’s inevitable where we’re going to end up, but how do we get there?

adrien’s situation, at the moment we meet him in origins, is SO endlessly fascinating to me. he is in the process of doing something reckless and rebellious and bold - running away - against the will of his father, a man he spends the rest of the series struggling with his compulsion to submit to. we find out, via the rest of the show, exactly how difficult it is for adrien to stand up to his father. and yet, in his very first appearance, adrien is running away from him.

how did he get here? what, exactly, pushed him to this point? was this the final escalation of a steady build of rebellious behaviors, or an impulsive breakthrough after one awful day too many? what has this small boy been through in the last year, and why does public school seem to be his only fathomable escape?

and WHY, if his circumstances are so dire as to compell him to rebel so boldly in the first place, does he still throw it away to help the old man in the road? what makes him so kind, when he has everything to lose? what happened? how did he get here?

i’m interested, obviously, in the character of émilie. i think that the hole she leaves in the narrative is a compelling silhouette and i’ve been having a blast trying to pencil in its details. it’s obvious that adrien loved her deeply and had a stronger connection to her than with gabriel. but also, adrien was still shut off from the world while she was alive. he was still, presumably, an exploited child star while she was alive. she was an actress and a mother and died by broken magic and never told her son the truth about any of it. figuring out who i think she was and then how to show that through young adrien’s eyes has been a huge part of planning this story for me.

as far as the twenty three year old adrien sections, those have been less involved as far as planning goes. i only recently mapped out which areas of the house i want him to visit during the different months. i wanted his sections to line up at least thematically, if not physically, where thirteen year old adrien is at in his story. for example, in december twenty three year old adrien cleans out the dining room where thirteen year old adrien was having terrible christmas dinner. and in january they’re both in the garden, etc.

it’s a bit harder to map out twenty three adrien just because it has to also make sense geographically - i can’t have him running back and forth up and down the stairs, let’s be real he doesn’t have the energy for that. i’ve also opened up the agreste mansion page on the miraculous wiki so many times while trying to map this out 💔💔 did you know that apparently there’s a third floor we never see in the show. yeah i have to figure out what to do with that now

ANYWAY long story short: the planning process for thirteen is kind of a mess, but the whole story is built around some central plot points that i knew i wanted to hit from the beginning. the details change a lot (as you can see from the outline above - it’s not quite right) but i keep the end in mind. just have to figure out how we get there.

thank you for asking!! mwah<3

#thirteen #anna rambles #asks #sorry for writing SO MUCH #in my defense i’m sleepy #and i just started rambling #adrien agreste…..kissing your forehead my love. tucking you into bed. agreeing with you about tamaharu #i don’t even know if this answered the question this is just truly my process #the process is that i think about adrien agreste and then write it down #ml

[bi-bats]

Inspiration Saturday Sunday!! I was tagged by @ladytauria 💚 thank you bestieeee 💖💖💖💖💖

Okay so uh. Sorry to my jaytim ppl but this is not gonna be jaytim???

In a WILD turn of events, I sat down to write my Jaytim reverse robins fic bc I was feeling inspired about it and I wrote the first chapter. And then by the time I got to the end of it I was like oh. Oh this is actually DamiTim. And then I just. Couldn't stop writing. I definitely am still going to write the Jaytim flavored version, so no one worry about that, but apparently, this is also happening!!

So here you are, some Nightwing!Damian/Red Hood!Tim!!!! I hope you all enjoy 💖 (context to the scene: they are on the phone at a ridiculously early hour)

“I told you already, you may scold me if you like.” “Scold you? Right now I’d like to strangle you.” “I think that would be fair.” Tim laughs, a surprised, sudden noise, and Damian wants to beam. “How is your throat?” he asks, and his voice has gone gentle, softness leaking into it. “It’s fine.” Tim's voice is icing over, losing warmth. “And your wrist?” “You left a few bruises, but nothing’s broken. Full range of motion. Does it matter?” Of course, Damian wants to say. Of course it matters. “I did not mean to hurt you.” “You never mean to,” Tim mutters, and Damian isn’t entirely sure he was meant to hear it. “What are you doing right now?” “Making coffee,” Tim sighs, irate. “Do you still take it with an obscene amount of sugar?” Damian asks, trying to get him back, trying to get his brother back. He wonders how much of the rest of his life will be spent trying to get his brother back. “No, I drink it black.” That knowledge settles painfully under his left rib. “You used to take it with so much sugar that I was concerned.” Tim scoffs. “And you still won’t touch the stuff, I’m sure? Only fine teas for the prince?” Damian squeezes his eyes shut. “I have… developed a taste for coffee.” “I bet your blend costs five thousand dollars a bean.” “I don’t think it even costs five cents a bean.” “Oh? Where do you source it?” “The bodega.” Tim snorts. “Sorry, sorry. I’m just trying to picture Damian Wayne walking into a bodega with a sword strapped to his back, digging through his pockets for enough change to afford his morning cup.” A smile curls across Damian’s lip, against his will. He is powerless to prevent it. “The owner is Egyptian. It can be nice to have a conversation in Arabic, every once in a while.” There’s a pause before Tim answers him.

“How do you take your coffee?” he asks in Arabic. “Black,” Damian responds in Arabic, feeling that same feeling he always gets when he gets to rest his English. Like collapsing onto his bed after an especially long day, remembering that his comforter and sheets and pillows were waiting for him. “I didn’t know you missed speaking Arabic.” “I never knew you spoke Arabic.” “Yes, you did,” Tim snaps, abruptly switching back to English. “You knew.” “…not when I would have had an occasion to use it.” “An occasion, are you kidding me? Any time you wanted. Any time you wanted to walk into the manor and say anything to me, you know I would have listened. I would have done anything for you, don’t you get that?” Damian sighs at himself. Why is he even doing this? Every time he thinks he finds an opening, Tim slams the door on his fingers. “Yes, I do." “You are infuriating to talk to, you know that?” “Yes,” Damian answers. “Why are you staying on the phone with me?” “Because you—” Tim groans at himself, and Damian feels like an intruder. “You always make me want more than I can have.” Before Damian can think of an answer to that, Tim has hung up.

No-pressure tagging @yasmindifference, @jpeg-dot-jpeg, @chipmunkery, and @cheetahleopard!!!

#damitim #never used that tag before #this is lowkey also a testrun to see if people actually want to read stuff from me that isn't jaytim??? #also sorry I'm late to the tag I had a busy day today 💖💖💖 #👸 ladytauria #also lmao tauria I def stalked ur bookmarks to see if there was any damitim in there before posting this 😂 #I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE YOU LIKED THEM BEFORE I PUT THIS AS MY ANSWER FOR YOU LMAO #batwrites #reverse robins au damitim flavor #tag games #timdami

[whatacaitastrophe]

Is It Over Now - Chapter 9

Previous Chapter

Chapter Song Inspiration: "BLENDER" - 5 Seconds of Summer

Chapter Warnings: mystra (bc all my homies hate mystra)

Spotify Playlist: Here

Chapter Notes: if you have read this fic, liked it, reblogged it, or left comments THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart. keep the comments coming bc i love hearing your feedback (and like tinkerbell, i need applause to live). also, if you feel so called to support me in other ways, here is a link to all my other socials, including my twitch channel, "all my homies hate mystra" merch i created (lol), and a donation link <3

Chapter 9: I Guess Only The Stars Would Know The Truth

“You know, you two are really something.” Wyll scolds Astarion and Gale like they are his children. “I asked you for one night of peace so we didn’t embarrass ourselves in front of the most important people in The Gate, but your bloody egos just couldn’t let it go until after the ball was over.”

Just as Wyll predicted, the moment the fight broke out, someone with a badge classifying them as press, covering the ball for The Baldur’s Mouth Gazette, was all over the scene, furiously taking notes, interviewing dignitaries who’d been nearby when the fight began, and trying to get quotes from The Heroes of The Gate regarding what happened. None of them spoke, of course, namely because Halsin and Wyll were too busy pulling Astarion and Gale apart and dragging them out of the ballroom to speak, and the rest were too busy rushing after them. 

Neither of the men sitting in lounge chairs with cuts and bruises on their faces look the slightest bit apologetic to Fallon, and presently, she doesn’t know which of them she’s angrier with. Gale, for purposefully riling Astarion, or Astarion for keeping it from her that he not only went to see Gale but that Gale was the person who gave him the information about Velrea. 

Right now, she’s leaning towards being angrier with Astarion. Knowing he’d kept such a massive secret from her…it didn’t sit well with Fallon. Yes, she’d been in an absolute state when Astarion returned to Baldur’s Gate, but he’s been living with her, sleeping in her bed, for a month. They spent nearly every hour of the day together. The vampire had plenty of chances to come clean about how he knew about the coven in Velrea, or where he’d gotten the book with information about Asha to begin with, but he remained silent. 

The decision to keep that information close to his chest felt like something the person Astarion was when they met would have done. Astarion withheld important information for the sake of self-preservation. The way Astarion reacted to Gale outing his secret is the only confirmation Fallon needs to support her theory. She feels used. Betrayed. 

Gale and Astarion both remain silent, not even bothering to deny they’d embarrassed them all by acting this way, and Wyll just scoffs. “You both need to go,” The Blade of Avernus declares, and he turns to Fallon. “Fallon you are, of course, welcome to stay. However, I understand if you don’t want to be here anymore, if not simply to avoid the press. Feel free to use the portal over there to get you back to the Lower City by The Elfsong.”

Fallon nods. Wyll is correct: she does not want to be there anymore, and not just because the press will be all over her. She needs to speak to Gale. She needs to speak to Astarion, too, but that is guaranteed to be a much shorter conversation. Wyll and the rest of her companions leave Fallon alone with the two halves of her heart to return to the ball, and Fallon glowers at the men in front of her. “You’re idiots. The both of you.” 

“If we’re going to be lectured some more, can we please at least go back to The Elfsong where there’s good wine?” Astarion asks dryly, glaring at Gale.

“Gale, do you mind giving us a moment? You can go on ahead to The Elfsong, if you wish. I’m in the suite on the second floor. Devlon, at the bar, will let you in.”

To his credit, Gale says nothing as he stands to leave, and only shoots Astarion a smug smirk; as if he already knows Astarion is in more trouble than he is in this present moment. 

As soon as Gale is gone, Astarion’s icy facade fades and he’s on his feet, crossing the room towards Fallon. “Fallon, I can–”

“Don’t,” Fallon cuts him off, raising her hand in front of her in warning to keep his distance. She takes a step back. “How could you, Astarion? How could you keep that from me?” her voice is barely above a whisper and hurt shines in her eyes. 

“I was going to tell you, I swear.” Astarion defends, a pleading look in his eyes.

“So why didn’t you? It’s not like you haven’t had the time, or we haven’t seen each other,” Fallon demands, her voice rising slightly. “You lied to me. I trusted you.”

Astarion huffs. “I didn’t lie to you, darling, I just…didn’t tell you everything.”

Fallon laughs sharply. “Oh, and that makes it better somehow? I’ve spent a year wondering what happened to him, where he’d gone, if he’s okay, and you come back here without even bothering to mention you’d seen him?”

“Fallon, you were a mess when I got back. You had a gods-damned panic attack after dreaming about him the first night I spent here. Less than four days ago, you almost had another panic attack after Shadowheart said his fucking name. So don’t stand there and tell me you could have fucking handled knowing I’d seen him.” He snaps at her. 

Fallon stands up a little straighter, squaring her shoulders as she frowns at the vampire. “But it’s not just that you’d seen him, Astarion. Gale said you sought him out . That’s different than just keeping it from me that you happened to run into him somewhere. You sought him out, he gave you a very vital piece of information, and you kept all of that from me.” Heat pools in her eyes as she stares at Astarion, daring him to deny it. 

“Okay fine, yes, I tracked him down intentionally, but–” Astarion starts to argue. 

“That’s all I needed to hear,” Fallon glares. “Gale is a lot of things, and he hurt me, but at least he never lied about it.” 

“I didn’t–”

“Stop, just. Stop. I think it would be best if you do not return with me to the suite. I need to speak to Gale, and I don’t think I can have the conversation I need to have with him if you’re there. You bring out the worst in each other, and it won’t be productive,” Tears are forming in the corners of her eyes and she swallows thickly, her throat feels like sandpaper. “Actually, I think it would be best if you don’t come back to the suite tonight at all, because I can barely fucking look at you.”

Astarion stares at her like she just staked him in the heart. “Fallon, I– I’m sorry.” 

“Be sorry all you like, but I’m not ready to forgive you and it’s going to take more than an apology to earn my trust back.” Fallon strides across the room towards the portal.

“When you fuck him, be sure to at least change the sheets before I come back, darling. I’d rather not have to live with his stench lingering in the air.” Astarion’s icy words hit Fallon like a knife and she whirls around to face the vampire.

“I’m sorry, what the fuck did you just say to me?” Fallon snaps, fury building in her gut. 

“Please, don’t act like you don’t want me there because it won’t be productive. Your love has returned to you, and you’d like to reunite with him privately .” Astarion sneers, and Fallon feels like he just slapped her across the face. 

“I changed my mind. Don’t come back at all. I’ll have Shadowheart bring you your things tomorrow,” Fallon says coldly as a single tear slides down her cheek. “Have a nice life, Astarion.”

Without another word, Fallon enters the portal and disappears. Astarion picks up a wooden chair and throws it at the wall. The chair shatters into tiny pieces, and Astarion kicks another. “FUCK!” He yells. 

The suite is quiet when Fallon enters, and for a moment she wonders if Gale decided not to show up. She moves deeper within and finds him sitting in the same armchair Astarion prefers, reading a book from the shelf that Fallon recognizes but can’t remember the name of. 

Gale senses her presence and when he looks up from his book, he smiles at her. “There you are, my love!” He looks around behind her. “No Astarion?” He’s still smug after their fight and he doesn’t bother to hide it. 

“Astarion won’t be joining us. I thought it best we speak alone,” Fallon confirms as she fully enters the sitting room, glaring at Gale as she kicks off her shoes and sits down on the couch. “You’re a right fucking prick for antagonizing him like that, you know.” 

 Gale quickly moves to sit next to her on the couch. His expression changes from smug to apologetic. “I know, dearest, but you needed to know. The moment I arrived, I saw the look on his face and the look on yours…I knew he hadn’t been honest with you.” 

“You couldn’t have waited until we weren’t in fucking public anymore?” Fallon folds her arms across her chest. 

“Admittedly, my jealousy got the best of me, and while I won’t apologize for telling you his secret, I will apologize for the manner in which I went about it; and have every intention of apologizing to Wyll and his father tomorrow.” 

Fallon’s body language softens. Well, at least Gale was sorry. “You’ve done a lot of apologizing in the last two hours.”

“And I know I have much more to apologize for. Truly, I am deeply sorry for abandoning you in the way I did. Just as I told you that day on the docks, I had every intention of returning to you the moment I ascended to godhood, but Mystra got the better of me once again.”

Of course fucking Mystra had something to do with Gale’s failure to return. Fallon honestly could have assumed as much, seeing as Gale originally intended to use the power of The Crown to challenge her, but hearing him say it? It just made everything worse. Fallon stares at Gale for a moment, letting him suffer in silence like she’d done for the last year of her life. 

“I’m going to let you explain yourself, because I loved you for a very long time and I deserve a gods-damned explanation, but please don’t mistake my willingness to listen for forgiveness,” She warns him. “Not yet, anyway.” 

Gale’s face falls slightly. “Loved.” 

Fallon looks at him in confusion. “What?”

“You said loved. Past tense. As in you no longer love me in the way you used to.”

“Gale–”

“No, I understand. I suppose that was to be expected, given the state in which I left things; but I do hope that my tale will perhaps shed some much needed light on the situation, and also provide me with the opportunity to earn your love again,” He reaches over and takes her hand, squeezing it gently. “Because I can assure you, despite my absence, there has not been a single moment where I stopped loving you.” 

Six months ago, hells perhaps even a month ago, the words coming out of Gale’s mouth were ones Fallon only dreamt of hearing. Months ago, she would have immediately fallen into his arms and forgiven him, no explanation needed. Only now she has more self-respect than that. Her guard is up and Gale is still on thin ice.

“Best get on with it then, yeah?” She tells him, removing her hand from his. Relief floods Gale’s face.

“Thank you, Fallon. It means…everything to me that you’re even willing to hear me out,” the look on his face is one she’s seen before– like he would kiss her if he thought she would let him. “It all starts right after I found the final piece of the crown…”

There he stood, at the gates to Elysium. The Crown of Karsus was in pieces, still, but that was only because Gale wanted Mystra to watch him take his power back by re-forging it in front of her. The path through Elysium was all too familiar to Gale, though the time he spent here with his goddess felt like an entire lifetime ago. So much had changed. Gale had changed. He’d met Fallon, the woman who showed him what true and unconditional love looked like. He’s been gone for far too long, and he knows it. After seeing Astarion, Gale knows now that he was a fool for not asking Fallon to accompany him to search for the pieces. Ascending to godhood will be the most monumental thing to ever happen to him, and the one person he wants to share it with isn’t here.

Gale does even make it to the part of Elysium where Mystra resides before she appears to him. “Gale of Waterdeep,” she greets with a smile on her face. “You’ve returned to me; and you have The Crown of Karsus with you. I can sense its power hidden away in your pack.” 

“I did as you asked Mystra, but I’ve come to the decision that I’m not going to return it to you. I’m going to reforge it, become a God, and finally be your equal.” Even as he speaks the words, Gale can feel the ripples of the Karsite weave around him, responding to the call. He can also feel Mystra’s fury through the True Weave. 

“You are a fool, Gale of Waterdeep. A human fool who will never learn from his mistakes. I was prepared to remove the orb from your chest, restore you to your former power, and be my Chosen once again in exchange for The Crown, yet you are so bold as to believe you deserve more? So pathetically human, indeed.” 

Gale feels the mixture of humiliation and fury bubbling within him. This whole ordeal was another one of Mystra’s tests, and he’d failed. Again. If Gale thought he could outright kill the Goddess, he would. “You’re the fool, Mystra, for not believing in me. For not believing in all the good having a human ascend to godhood could do for the world, for all of existence. I’ve been to the hells and back. I deserve this.”

“Another perfect example of how foolishly human you are, to think you deserve something that was never yours to take. I should smite you where you stand.” She threatens, and the sky above them rumbles. 

“Then strike me down, Mystra. The orb is still in my chest, after all, so killing me would destroy you and all of Elysium as you know it.” Deep down, Gale knows it’s not the best idea to taunt a goddess, especially one threatening to kill him, but he also knows Mystra. She values her own immortality too much to waste it on destroying him. Not only that, but if she truly intended to kill him, she’d have done so already. “You’re hesitating.” He dares her again.

“There is…another way. For you and I to both get what we desire,” Of course she had something else up her sleeve. Nothing was ever easy with his goddess, so why would it be now. “But know this, Gale of Waterdeep, the bargain I am about to offer is the last you’ll receive. Deny me, and not only will I take The Crown from you by force, but I will take away your connection to The Weave altogether. You will never be able to contact me or use The Weave to manipulate magic ever again.”

Gale stares at Mystra in disbelief, as her so-called “bargain” doesn’t exactly feel like one. Still, he is in no place to deny her before hearing what she has to say. “Go on.” 

“Being a deity is much harder than you seem to think it is, Gale of Waterdeep, and as you are now, you are not ready. So, my offer is thus: You will return The Crown of Karsus to me so I may destroy it once and for all. In exchange, I will grant you demi-godhood, to start. You will remain a demi-god under my mentorship, and you will live here in Elysium with me– as my Chosen and my lover once more– until such time I deem you ready for all the power and responsibility that is required of becoming a god. These are my terms, and they are final.” 

Yes, this bargain is absolutely not a bargain whatsoever. It’s a conniving trick from a scorned ex-lover, jealous that he moved on and found happiness elsewhere. 

For that is what Mystra is truly asking of him: choose between the godhood he has been working towards his entire life and the woman he once claimed to love more than Mystra herself. 

“You tricked me.” He glowers, and Mystra simply smiles at him. 

“Is it a trick if we both get what we want, in the end?” She muses, turning her attention to her fingernails. 

“Not everything we want…” Gale mutters. He loses either way, and Gale was not prepared to make such a decision today. How did he not see something like this coming? He should have, and it boils his blood that he was not better prepared. Gale’s mind immediately goes to Fallon, and the information Astarion shared with him just days earlier. If he doesn’t go back to her… “Must you take out your anger with me on Fallon? She does not deserve this.”

The sky rumbles again. “The elf will survive, for I have seen her through your eyes. Soon enough her life will go on, and you will be able to watch over her from here. Keep her safe. Someday, you can even make her your own Chosen, if that is what you so choose. However, as I told you, my bargain is final. There is no negotiating. You either accept or you do not. Make your choice.”

Gale’s mind turns over and over again, trying to weigh his options and find some sort of….loophole or something, anything that would not hurt the woman he loves. However, Mystra is right. From here, he can watch over her and protect her. As a truly mortal human man…he can offer her nothing. Not only can he offer her nothing, but losing his connection to The Weave and to magic altogether? The thought makes him sick to his stomach. Gale scrunches his eyes shut and inhales deeply. He exhales in an extended sigh. When he opens his eyes again he looks directly to Mystra.

“I accept your bargain.”

Chapter List

#baldur's gate 3 #bg3 #gale dekarios #gale of waterdeep #gale #astarion #bg3 fanfic #astarion x tav #female tav #astarion fanfic #gale fanfic #gale x tav #astarion x gale x tav #gale fic #baldur's gate 3 fanfiction #baldur's gate 3 fanfic

[wetcatspellcaster]

Do you have any advice on how to craft pretty descriptions? I find myself loving how pieces still stuck in your teeth is written and being obsessed with just how vivid your descriptions paint it

hi anon! thank you for the compliment, I really appreciate it! I don't consider description to be a particular strength of mine so I'm very flattered that people have found something to enjoy in my work, more than anything :D

I'll do my best to answer your question!

How I approach descriptions! - under the cut!

I tend to only go into extreme detail for essential things. Often, unless a setting is important, a few details (the colour, the vibes, the size) are all that are needed for then the reader's imagination to fill in the rest. This makes an allowance for you to go ham on what is important, and in turn also signals to the reader what should be important to them. If you say the room is white but then spend a paragraph describing the person in it, they know the person is what is important, not the room. Think of description as a way of signposting and determining focus.

Describing around something, or using description to avoid focusing on the action, can sometimes perform the inverse of this - why is the character focusing so intently on this meaningless detail, rather than the matter at hand? Are they, mayhaps, avoiding something in the room? This tip bought to you by Rosalie, the 2nd most unreliable narrator after Astarion.

You want a mixture of short sentences and complex sentences, so that the description doesn't interrupt the pacing of the wider scene. Sometimes, you just need to state something simple, e.g. 'the room was blue' and then that avoids a paragraph describing the room as blue that interrupts the action. Pieces is a weird fic for this bc there are whole chapters that are just exploration, so I had to be descriptive to generate pace, when often all it does is undercut it. But in scenes where shit is actually happening, I can just say "they were in an office" and that's basically all that's the description that is needed. What's more important is they're about to fuck in that office.

Be careful of too many overextended metaphors or similes. Everyone has their bandwidth and patience for purple prose. In my experience, less is more. I'm honestly sure my writing is purple prose, for some people, and this is me being restrained. So basically, save your metaphors for when they really matter. Use one per thing you're describing, at most (less, when also using the rule above).

Alternatively, you can make a simile into an understated metaphor without using many words. Instead of 'the ceiling looked like ribs', 'Rosalie walked down a corridor feeling like she was being swallowed into the belly of a dragon' I can just say 'the ribs of the ceiling' and 'they were led into the bowels of the mansion". Single words can create an image, without being florid or labouring the point.

Descriptions tend to circulate around the visual - a colour, a pattern, a facial expression, the beauty of a space, the visible contents of a room, etc. (we all love knowing what pretty clothes our blorbo is wearing). but descriptions that focus on sensation are also my go-to. Yeah, use all the five senses for variety, etc., but stating how the space/person/item makes the person feel tailors the experience of the setting to that character, specifically, and makes the reader more immersed in their perspective.

Use things you yourself have experienced. This tip bought to you by: Rosalie getting knocked unconscious by Wish, after her author had just been under general anaesthetic for the first time! Rosalie getting panic attacks, after her author experienced somatic symptoms of anxiety! Rosalie going to live by the sea, after her author went on holiday to the Scottish Coast! I am one of those neurodivergent people who catalogues a feeling as I'm feeling it - you don't have to be like that. But if you use stuff you or someone close to you has personal experience of, it feels realer - what do you experience, when you feel fear? What's a landscape or setting you remember vividly? etc.

If it lies outside your experience or expertise... read. Read extensively, and in the genres you like or want to emulate. I read a lot, I highlight and annotate books I read, underlining descriptions I enjoyed, ESPECIALLY on kindle so I can find them later. It will teach you fun and unusual descriptions... it will also teach you the established shorthands. If you've never had a panic attack, how are panic attacks signalled in fiction? Using a trope is so totally valid, and often helpful for getting the reader on the same page as you. It's ok if you're using a cliché, if the cliché serves you.

Finally... be a little silly with it! Take risks! Use weird descriptors. Use odd metaphors. Use your description to make jokes, so it's not just a boring stage direction! Description can feel dull sometimes, bc people don't use it to do anything except set the scene. If your description is doing other things - being funny, telling the reader something about the pov character's voice or how their mind works, creating an odd image that sticks in the person's brain - this makes it more enjoyable to read. In these cases, not only is it just providing cues for the reader to understand where the character is or what they're doing, it contributes to the overall experience of the story!

Hope any of that helps lmao. x

#asks #anons #writing tips

[taruruchi]

☆ Azul and Taruchi's relationship timeline !

⚘ [ TAGS ] #slowburn #fell first fell harder #ansgt #it's been seven and a half chapters why haven't they confessed yet #but i will break them #chapter 7 🙏

𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐋𝐎𝐆𝐔𝐄

Taruchi saw Azul and thought, "Man… He kinda scary." (Tbf she thought that about. Everyone) But also, "Wait, stop, he kinda pretty too"

Azul saw her and only went "??????" (as did the rest of nrc)

𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐒𝐋𝐀𝐁𝐘𝐔𝐋 + 𝐒𝐀𝐕𝐀𝐍𝐀𝐂𝐋𝐀𝐖

Nothing happened, though Taruchi did wonder about him and tried to catch glimpses of him in the halls

Though it was more out of admiration and curiosity

𝐎𝐂𝐓𝐀𝐕𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐄

Taruchi probably died inside ngl. She had to give it to him—he pulled a very lawyer move. She did hate that fact too, because it meant more problems for her.

Remember when they spied on Azul?? Yeah… Yeah. She was totally not impressed at all, haha…

Anyways, she tried very, very hard to keep from hugging him after learning about his past. But she did offer many words of comfort. And died a little inside again when they went to the museum and that one scene happened. (pov the writer doesn't remember exactly what happened in the scene) She's thinking, "I probably don't like him and it's probably just admiration, right?" yet she still goes to the Mostro Lounge more often than she should

Azul probably just saw her as another problem. Did not understand why she was being so nice. "What is she trying to pull here?? Does she want some sort of compensation??" Yes. But nonetheless thankful. He probably offers her tiny discounts just as thanks, though he is wondering why she's there often. 

𝐒𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐁𝐈𝐀

Taruchi: Dying Inside Pt. 2. She was honestly terrified when they came crashing into the Mostro Lounge. They're broke as hell, how are they gonna pay for damages??? Thankfully they agreed to help her and was once again Dying Inside when they all had to stay in that one room. She was internally giggling when they had to head back to Scarabia together. Genuinely impressed all over again. Like. "How does he knows all this stuff… Wow…" In total awe. Then she thinks about how much she'd owe Azul in the end and starts internally sobbing. (The writer doesn't remember if they owed him something) In the end, she's worried it's not just admiration

(I don't remember if this is canon or not but whatever) I think Azul would just consider this as his payment for causing so much trouble when he overblotted. I also think this is where he actually learns a bit more about her? (We ignore that Jade collects info on people) Through the lesson stuff, he learns she's smart and understands quickly. He's slowly starting to learn she's just genuinely nice. But he's still quite on guard around her, especially considering she knows his past.

𝐏𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐅𝐈𝐎𝐑𝐄

Taruchi is sad she's busy nowadays and is mostly stuck at Ramshackle. Meaning she doesn't go to Mostro Lounge anymore bc by the end of the day she's too tired. She knows it might be unlikely since he was so busy with the Lounge, but she hoped that Azul would be at the VDC.

Azul was wondering why she hasn’t been to Mostro Lounge lately then finds she’s been dragged to help with the VDC. He’s not sure how he feels, it’s weird. Later on, he decides he might as well drop by VDC to see the performance. After all, it was the entire reason they’d have more customers. 

When the performance is done, they both see each other and talk for a bit… and they wind up spending the day just going around together. Azul goes back to his dorm more confused than before; meanwhile Taruchi is blushing all the way to her room and hides in her blanket. This night is sparkling don't you let it go I'm wonderstruck blushing all the way home

𝐈𝐆𝐍𝐈𝐇𝐘𝐃𝐄

Taruchi was in a classroom playing board games since the Board Game Club had met up. All of a sudden her friend and the lov— *coughing* her two friends are kidnapped??? She was RUNNING for a teacher but apparently other students were kidnapped too and she was friends with all of them. Maybe. Who knows about Leona

Oh, Rook is going after them? And Epel too? Well, count her in. She couldn’t do it on her own but she has two friends with her!! Me and the boys looking for classmates

The SHOCK when she discovers that one of her closest friends has done this. But also, so cool. But STILL how could he kidnap them all??

She’s relieved when she hears everyone is fine. Until it all goes downhill

When they finally meet up with everyone, it takes everything in Taruchi not to run to Azul and hug him… So she does that with everyone. But Leona. When she finally hugs Azul, it’s a little tighter and she says, “I’m so glad you’re okay.” Azul sighs and asks, “Now WHY would you come here willingly??” to which her response is “I wanted to save you. ...I mean— you as in everyone” and he shakes his head

When they have to split up, while Taruchi knows it’d be better to go with the Pomefiore group especially since they have two third-years, she desperately wants to go with Riddle and Azul. Rook sees that and he suggests that she go with them. “You’re both close to her and four in a group is a lot of people, hm?” Rook gives her a knowing smile and Taruchi smiles back.

She has to witness her two friends arguing and while their snide remarks make her let out a small giggle sometimes, she also tries to mediate. When they have to fight something, both of them jump forward to protect her so she's just 🧍‍♀️👍 At the part where they talk about their past and their dreams, she absolutely melts. She didn’t think she could admire Azul more than she did before, but apparently she was wrong. When they take a break and Azul talks about what he wants to do in the future, she listens so intently. And then he leans on her shoulder and falls asleep

She and Riddle whisper to each other: “Riddlehelpme” “What do you want me to do?? Move him??” “No, he might wake up!” “What then???” “I don’t know!! …Do you want to sleep too?” “No!”

Taruchi gets bored and she’s tired so she also falls asleep… leaning on Azul. Riddle tries to fall asleep but ends up leaning on Taruchi too. 

They all wake up like o_o and pretend it didn’t happen

Then they have a wild ride. Literally. And their scene is over once Riddle gets white hair and Azul and Taruchi are panicking over that

Until later on the ride back to NRC where she’s staring at Riddle and trying to get used to it. Oh and also she and Azul desperately want to say something about what they’re feeling but they never get to it

𝐃𝐈𝐀𝐒𝐎𝐌𝐍𝐈𝐀

They… are closer and more awkward. Yeah, they interact more, but they can’t get through a conversation without internally freaking out and therefore making it end too soon.

Taruchi is regularly going to Mostro Lounge again. One day, she and Azul talk and she tells him that they found another clue on how to get her home. Their conversation goes: “So... The other first years and I have found a clue that gets me closer to going home (small smile)” “Oh! (smile) That's good news. I'm glad you'll finally be able to return to your world. (dying inside)” “Yeah, thank you (smiling but also dying inside)”

But you only need the light when it's burning low, only miss the sun when it starts to snow (<- the song genuinely made me cry) (Update: Guys nvm they're so Say Don't Go coded)

Taruchi realizes that it's only a matter of time before she leaves, so she decides she should try to get over her feelings! One goodbye was bad enough, this one would definitely be painful too. If she could make it less painful, the better. And no, you can't convince her to confess, she doesn't function that way

Azul also snaps into his senses and realizes he likes having her around and didn't want her to leave. It'd sting not seeing her at her usual table at the Lounge, not passing by in the hallways, not seeing her laugh in defeat as he once again takes all her money in Monopoly. But how is he supposed to tell her all that

[SPOILERS]

They meet again in Diasomnia during Lilia's going away party. Taruchi pretends she doesn't see Azul and continues talking to Lilia and the gang. Until Azul goes up to Lilia to say whatever he had to say, then she says hi and wanders off.

Azul finds her again and talks to her: “Hello, Taruchi. Are you enjoying the party?” “Oh, Azul. Hi. Yeah, there's a lot of people here. Though I'm sad Lilia's leaving.” “So am I. He's a good upperclassman. ...I've made an observation. Apologies if I'm wrong, but it seems like you're trying not to talk to me.” “N-no, not at all. Sorry if it seemed that way.” “It's all right...” (pause as he's thinking about if he should bring up his newly-discovered feelings, but it gets too awkward and she starts to leave) “Wait, Taruchi—”

Cue Malleys overblotting and putting everyone to sleep

The rest is dreaming and Azul isn't in it at all so!! To be continued!!

#☆ taruchi's writings ✍️ #☆ 💙

[antilocaprine]

In chapter eight of Speechless there's a little bit where Gordon realizes Benrey's probably really tired from keeping him safe this whole time, do you have more thoughts and words to say abt that concept bc it intrigues me greatly and makes me cry a little

(Speechless) (spoilers below the cut, if that matters)

That's such a great moment to latch onto and ask for details about, because it kind of distills the purpose of that particular fic to one moment of clarity.

In general, Gordon HLVRAI is pretty self-centered and self-absorbed. Of course he is! He's literally the main character, and he knows it! Whichever way you look at it - streamer playing a weird game, or actual scientist reacting to his world falling apart - he's the catalyst and the linchpin. Things wait to happen until he happens upon them. Nothing important happens any time he's asleep - of course he figures he's the only one who matters! And he uses this attitude as a gauge for how he treats the rest of the Science Team. Lots of yelling, lots of flailing, lots of swearing. He'll wait for them to catch up for a grand total of five seconds, and then just move on without them. It doesn't matter! He's the main character!

In Speechless, all of that crashes down onto his head when he loses his general defense mechanism of being loud and shouty. He can't react the same way he did in the streams, so he can't yell louder than everyone else in order to lead the way. Instead, he is almost taken hostage by the Science Team as they suddenly have all this free airspace to talk in. And in response, he maybe starts to see them as their own people, not just supporting characters. It's kind of like some version of Stockholm Syndrome, except it's really just Gordon being forced to act like a decent human being.

So that moment where Benrey rips the last of the Coomer clones off of him and immediately goes into protective mode, Gordon's got a moment to catch his breath and really think about how his team has been treating him the last few days. And he's smacked with the realization that Benrey has actually been nothing but helpful ever since he found him again after Gordon got his arm cut off. Of course, Gordon doesn't know this, but we do: Benrey changed everything by getting to Gordon first. The Science Team is reunited in reverse order, and that allows more time for Benrey to "redeem" himself for the arm thing, and also more time for Gordon to see him interact one-on-one with Bubby, as well as the others.

Chapter 8 is the true climax and heart of that fic - everything happens so much and it all happens there. It's Gordon seeing a sliver of humanity in Benrey, seeing the olive branch Benrey has been smacking him with, and starting to reach out in response. He's still a self-centered idiot, and Benrey still doesn't really know how people work, but that little glimpse of the effort Benrey had been expending is the real point of taking away Gordon's voice and forcing him to see his team for who they are - people who could be his friends.

I hope this makes sense, but please feel free to ask for clarification if not. I wrote some of this, then did something else for an hour and came back to ramble some more, so hopefully it's coherent. Great question, though, I love it - and I'm always happy to talk about behind-the-scenes stuff for my fics!

#askbox #joyflameball #behind the scenes #spoilers below the cut #speechless fic #hlvrai

[polychocobros]

if i’m allowed to speak on it, this will be tagged as infinite wealth spoilers. Just wanted to talk about how they handled kiryu on here and see if anyone else agrees with me. I know some of my mutuals on twitter do but I want to actually have an open discussion with others on it.

After chapter 7, when Yamai beats the shit out Kiryu and kidnaps him, I feel like the story took a turn for the worst. They clearly put no care into this game’s story at all, especially Kiryu’s part and it was really disappointing to me as Kiryu is probably my favorite character of all time. I personally saw no point in Yamai kidnapping him and then actually not doing anything to him, it felt contradictory, not to say characters can’t be but it felt like there was almost no consequence for it or it wasn’t meant to have an impact on you to begin with. They make you stressed out (at least I was) over what could potentially happen to him and did nothing with it. Kiryu’s bucket list was filled with shit that wasn’t even important. I don’t need to know that Kiryu went to a Poppo on Nakimichi St. at 7:57 am and bought a fucking bento. Maybe make space for shit that actually matters like his children or his relationship with the Jimas. Instead of having Kiryu spend what could be his last months with Ichiban’s friends (i love his interactions with Zhao and his relationship with Seonhee aside from the flirting don’t get me wrong), he should’ve had his party be the people who impacted his life the most. Haruka could have literally been the idol class. She could’ve fought alongside him even to his protest. They used a bunch of heat actions for Kiryu’s skills and could’ve done the same for the Jimas. The Jimas were literally just added into the game for exposition and a boss fight. Daigo seemed to be the only one who was expressive about Kiryu having cancer, Majima and Saejima didn’t even fucking care? Majima who waited ten years for Kiryu to get out of prison so he could train him to be better? Majima who got in the way of one of his subordinates to take a stabbing for Kiryu because he insisted he belonged to him and only he could kill him? Kiryu trusting Majima to the point where he would rather talk to him first than outright assume he betrayed him in 3. Kiryu having a breakdown thinking Majima was dead and almost broke his cover to seek revenge on his killer in 5. There’s way more I can get into but not caring that Kiryu has cancer? Only one sentence on the matter and that’s that? They want to convince us Kiryu and Majima never cared for one another and it feels insulting to us who actually value Majima and Kiryu’s relationship as friends (shipping aside) bc Kiryu and Majima both trust each other with their lives. Saejima and Kiryu also trust each other and have a friendship and it’s like Saejima might as well have not even been there cause he said next to nothing.

I would’ve been happier about him seeing Taichi had I not known he literally only sees him. Not even a single one of his other children does he see besides a scene I mention later on in the post.

Ichiban telling him he deserved to live for only about 2.5 seconds.. was that supposed to make me sad? Or cry? Sure I got teary eyed but they did not even give us enough time to sit with what Ichiban was saying for me to feel as emotionally impacted as I thought I would. Then Kiryu calling him pathetic for being embarrassed about what happened with Saeko? Like seriously? Kiryu may not be super expressive naturally but calling Ichiban pathetic for being rightfully embarrassed felt wrong.

Was Kiryu supposed to develop as a character in this game at all? Everyone keeps telling him that he shouldn’t take things on alone and that he should rest and then at the boss fight with Ebina he’s like I have to do this alone and Zhao and Saeko have to tell him this fucking bullshit again? As someone who can relate to Kiryu in many avenues (feeling like a burden, feeling like he needs to do things on his own instead of ask for help, feels like even the smallest things are my fault even when they aren’t), it felt like his development in this game was scarce to none then rushed right at the end for some villain who literally did nothing all fucking game. Am I supposed to care about Kiryu telling Ebina all this fucking bullshit? The only thing in that speech that made me teary eyed was Kiryu crying, not even what he was saying because I dont care about Ebina enough to waste tears on him cause he was so irrelevant in game.

And the icing on the cake, the final scene. Haruka and Haruto pull up and Kiryu isn’t even there, he’s in chemo and we get a scene of him just saying his actual name again. Not a single fucking interaction with Haruka or Haruto. No, I’m sorry for abandoning you guys I should’ve never done that. One of the, if not, MOST, important relationship in Kiryu’s fucking life, gets not a single fucking interaction. I literally cried because I was so fucking upset we couldn’t even get that. Like seeing the way they dealt with Kiryu in this game.. I feel like I got fucking shot in the chest (no need to be so dramatic). This was supposed to be a send off to Kiryu? After 3,5, and 6 being a send off? Like how many fucking send offs can you possibly fucking give Kiryu? If I knew this was going to happen I would’ve rather they just killed him off of tetanus like Dean Winchester.

It sucks knowing the journey I spent with Kiryu during all the fucking games I played ended up with so much disappointment. I woild literally wake up mad almost every day after chapter 7. It was that serious for me. There were other things besides Kiryu’s side of things that really upset me (the entirety of the Tatara Channel subplot, the mini games with Ichiban ended up being SA’d because a man being SA’d is funny apparently, Hanawa’s death, Seonhee being one of the first women (besides Daigo’s mom) in the game who’s a cool mafia boss for only half her bond interactions to be flirting with fucking Kiryu, them implying she is into women and then doing literally nothing with it, Saeko’s drink links revolving around some irrelevant man who asked to marry her when she got mad at Ichiban at the start of the game for that, to the point of ghosting him, Zhao and Joongi being complete fucking after thoughts, especially Joongi.. Zhao and Ichiban do not interact in the game at all whatsoever, only one plot related sentence). I fell in love with Kiryu for a reason in Yakuza 0. From going to 0 to possibly one of the worst send offs in any game I’ve ever seen; is fucking heartbreaking. I really hope they mean it this time because I cannot sit through another game with Kiryu in it unless he isn’t at peace with his children, where he is truly happiest. Please leave Kiryu alone and let him go.

#infinite wealth #like a dragon: infinite wealth #infinite wealth spoilers #kiryu kazuma #tp

[the-kr8tor]

I have no one to tell this too so im gonna tell this to you, since your my favorite author and i love talking with you. I have an idea for an ARG series, and i wanna take it out but i wanna wait till im older at the same time. Cause i dont fully know how to make an ARG but i feel like the concept i have, id love to do. And i have the ideas and i write them down. Or like mostly the concept of it. But it has some cool factors of where the people can see the character at the start and finish of it. The ARG itself is depending on people who watch or view the content though. Or like what they do because certain things will impact the series/characters and the endings. Not only that but people also get to view things because if i ever do end up doing it, the character has a diary. Its about mostly normal stuff at first but as the series goes on and what happens to the main character the diary gets more. Offhanded…. In a way. And like in the background of like the series or in certain things of it itd have chapters/page numebrs/pages that people would be able to find from like a wattpad book where they can actually read what the pages says. Since the only thing about the pages that will be readable will the the chapter/number/date/title. And itd correspond with the chapters and stuff on wattpad as theyd be titled that or with those stuff. Theyd get to see what the character wrote down and it also fits into what happens in the like episode. Itd fit in for the overall series as theyd get to see what slowly happens to the character and their thoughs. Itd be a depressing series though. Got tons of ideas for it!!!!

That sounds amazing! As someone who wants to keep creating, I say go for it whenever you have the time. Practice making, watch tutorials on how to make it so you could learn and grow with your creation! Make it in different sequences, make it in a non chronological order based on scenes you really want to do, it's your choice! That's the beauty of it all! You get to choose the progress you're making. And the best of all, no one can tell you otherwise bc it's yours! So keep making it, write everything down, learn everything abt the genre but remember to rest from time to time when you feel burned out. And if you ever need someone to playtest it, I'm here! Ly ❤️

#ask answered #chatting with lovelies #🫶🫶🫶 #ly ❤️

[minzart]

At first I was uninterested towards BB AU because I don't like evil or angst cruel stuff but the more I read it. I'd like to see how it goes but man it do be painful.

So how does Chapter 5 work here? I doubt the VDC Group would stay in the Ramshackle Dorm because Crowley ain't fixing it, unless someone decided to pay for it to be furnished without Yuu's knowledge or as a gift for Yuu. Does Yuu not enter the audition room to watch or they watch from the otherside of the window while cleaning Pomefiore Dorm? Would the beach scene with Epel not occur? It does but Yuu takes Deuce stead causing Epel also start having a Yandere obsession as well? Does Yuu also become manager as well? Even I don't know if the part where Malleus fix the stage occurs. Unless Yuu was given an extra VDC ticket to invite others but knows no one to give it to then Lilia barges in and recommends a friend of his that never gets invited a lot (not mentioning Malleus). Yuu feels skeptical and could guess it's Malleus but decides to give them an invitation even knowing the consequences. They're done with this, they're ready for what's coming

That's so many questions and thoughts

First things first I want you to know how touched I am, bc you specifically said you didn't like cruel aus and even tho you read, probably by curiosity, and then you got invensted and for some reason that made em feel like I'm doing a good job so thank you so much??? I don't even know how to explain it??? Just ( ;°;)

And second: I am VERY SORRY for the LONG WAIT IN THIS ONE

So, remember how chapter 4 is before 5 and Kalim goes Yandere for Yuu there? Yup, Kalim offers to pay for a reform in Ramshackle, wich Yuu partially agrees, just the most serious things got fixed like the roof, Yuu would be happy with only their room being in good condition but Kalim insisted in reforming some more bc sleepover he's dieing to suggest

Early mornings were always a blessing in NRC, when the students were too groggy to care about their surroundings, when the headmaster was mostly found in his office, when teachers were only preparing their classrooms, when the sound of birds were Yuu's only companions

Today Pomefiore was the dorm assigned to Yuu's care, it's one of the friendlier dorms, for what Yuu most got from the students was a snobbish look and nothing more, but it's always a breathtaking to see it's walls and garden shine in the early morning sun

They swept and cleaned until the floor shined, finally taking a break as the first busy hour of the day started, as they rested a boy with lavender hair passed running by, he looked extremely tired and angry, but that's noone of their business is it? No. It isn't.

They lie to the hunter anyway...

Rook: pardon me but, have you seen a boy passing by in a hurry?

He approached from behind, quietly as a cat and Yuu is sure his intention was to scare them, poor guy should have tried that before Azul's overblot, Jade made sure Yuu knew how to perceive someone's presences now, by... prolongued experiencing it

Yuu: wich one? Many students seemed to wake late today y'know

The boy's eyes narrow, a glint of something more, something dangerous lured behind his smile, and Yuu knew they attracted the attention of someone they shouldn't, he already knew the truth didn't he?

Rook: is that so? A purple haired one perhaps?

He leaned in closer, watching and memorizing every inch of Yuu's presence

Yuu: yeah,but I don't know where he went tho, didn't pay attention

Yuu holds his gaze, instinct screaming to look away, hide, run, get away from the hunter

Rook: AH! That's why you look so familiar! You are the magicless janitor aren't you? The one who lives at the Ramshackle dorm?

Yuu: what about it?

Rook: you see, there's an event, VDC, that's going to happen in the school, a talent show if you will, and our dorm leader, you might have heard of him, Vil Schoenheit, is in desperate need of a place for our team to train, would you be so kind to let us stay at you dorm? Just dor a couple of weeks! Promise we are very well behaved!

Yuu: look dude, even if I could let you, the dorm is called Ramshackle for a reason, trust me it's easier to gain an injury there than to bound with your friends

Rook: but we could help you! We could do an easy fix in the basic needs and stay, please, just dor some days!

Yuu is tired, they have more tasks to do than to refuse this guy's request to sleep in a old dorm

Yuu: look... I-

The playful nature that surrounded the Hunter minutes before vanished in a blink of an eye, he leans closer and whispers

Rook: I suggest you accept my offer so you can get on Vil's good side before even meeting him trickster, I ask, not demand, a no is welcomed anytime, but for him... trust me, you do not say no to the queen... I could very well say you recovering for our precious Jewell to escape his morning practice so easily, and you don't wanna see him mad do you?

Yuu shuts their mouth, no is not an answer... then again... when do they choices even mattered in this school to beggin with? They smile bitterly looking at their feet hanging by the bench

Yuu: ... alright

Rook: wonderful! Thank you for your support Yuu! See you next week!

.... when had they given their name?

Epel couldn't belive his ears, they were hiding him

The magicless human of NRC was sticking their neck out for him and they didn't even talked

He... couldn't help but fell guilty when using that to his advantage, leaving Yuu behind alone with Rook

He would come back he just... needed a break... they would understand it right? Surely

As for Vil well... he watched it all happen form his windown, Yuu's quietly working, Rook's treat and Epel's retreat, he would be lieing if Yuu didn't intrigued him

Their resilience of the rumours and bulling is something he admired if we're being honest, being an actor came with a price and Vil could recognize a diamond in the rogue like them

He did planed to introduce himself... eventually... if his schedule permitted, there's just something about the magicles handyman that just... calls to him

And when Rook said they accepted their stay at their dorm? well... his genuine smile did put off some students during his classes

---------------------------

No, the beach scene doesn't happen, Epel just gets away and Vil's performance can't occur bc Epel is extremely late, blame RSA studnets

Yuu had to deal with Kalim, Jamil, Rook and now Vil's yandere asses while they stayed and... let's just say... things turned a little bit diferent

Yuu wasn't a manager, nor a member of the dance team,but they did always watched them train, the janitor of NRC saw how strict their routine was and how hard all member were dedicating themselves

So when Epel snapped and ran, they decided to help, as a stand in

And when Vil got away in the middle of Neige's performance? A chill ran down their spine... Kalim's behavior didn't help, him and Jamil tried to get out with Yuu before Vil's overblot ... but Yuu...

Blinding rage boiled in Vil's veins as Rook took the poisoned apple juice, he vold strangle him right now and watch as the life faded from his eyes even before the curse took effect in the hunter... if it wasn't for Neige's presence he wouldn't be conflicted on wich end first

Liquid poured from his eyes, what he could only think be tears... fainted in black and then- a slap in Rook's hand

Yuu: YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE!

The human's eyes burned intensely at the Hunter's, fury, exhaustion, fear and... hurt, all danced in their face, their attention shifting from him and Vil and then Neige, who was still standing there

Yuu pushes Rook aside and goes to Vil but... it has already started

"DON'T LOOK AT ME"

As Kalim entered the scene Yuu pushed Neige to his direction screaming for them to get out

Rook drags Yuu along as Vil overblots

____________

The smoke cleared as the consequences of the fight appeared before their eyes... the headmaster wouldn't be happy... not at all...

Yuu wasn't a manger nor a student, Vil gave them his plus one ticked for them to watch the performance

Malleus wasn't invited

Crowley had to plea so the fairy prince could help

ATENTION EVERYONE!

Asks for the AUs are still closed

This is a very old ask that I was working since my block for the AUs beggin since last 2 years I think

If you send me an ask for any of the AUs I will throw it in the trash

So yeah, if you sent me an ask before I closed them, before the big fucking READ ME in my pined post, so there's a big probability that I will answer them

But if you send the ask recently about the AUs? Sorry, it's going out of the window

#twst bb au #twst bad beggining au

[a-swiss-and-a-spaniard]

Twenty Questions for Fic Writers

Thanks for thinking of me @yoellglia ! I had fun reading your answers and even more so trying to answer myself :)

1. How many works do you have on A03?

Jeez, should I consider both of my accounts? Let's do it, why not.

I have 12 fics in total. 7 for Tennis RPF and 5 for the DC Universe.

2. What's your total A03 word count?

37,211 words combined. Ngl, I thought it would be less than that as there are only two multi-chaptered fics and the rest are one-shots. Hopefully, I'll add some more words in the upcoming months :)

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Currently, I only write Tennis RPF. I've been toying with a few ideas for the Good Omens fandom, but I haven't opened a new doc yet. And I used to write for the DC Universe, but I haven't done that in ages.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

(I’m gonna keep this Tennis RPF only bc this blog is tennis themed)

Waking in the Night Light: Fedal share their first kiss in a parking lot.

A New Target: Fedal have sex in the locker room.

Moonlight in Paris: Rafa goes to Roger's hotel room.

Strawberry & Dulce de Leche: Roger and Rafa get ice cream.

Somewhere or Other: Fedal phone call.

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Yes yes yes! At least I try to. Although more often than not I get the notification, reply in my head, then forget to actually write back, and I'm too embarrassed to answer if more than a week has gone by… so apologies for that. That doesn't mean I don’t appreciate every single comment I have ever gotten, they always make my day in fact.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Mmh… perhaps Moonlight in Paris. It's not angst per se but it does have an overall sense of uncertainty.

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Strawberry & Dulce de Leche, definitely. Rafa's joy at the possibility of Roger going to his birthday party is everything.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

No, thankfully. I’m glad I haven't unlocked that side of fandom yet.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

I do, but I consider myself a newbie at it (smut writers, pls teach me your ways).

Generally speaking, I prefer it when smut has a little plot. It doesn't have to be anything complicated or serious, I just need a bit of a story behind what's happening for it to feel more organic. I also like it when the focus is on the emotional aspect of it, though descriptive can be nice as well. And I don't mind wordy smut as longs as it doesn't mess with the flow.

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

Nope, and I'm not a big fan of those tbh

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Story time! Yes 💀 Although it wasn't the whole thing, just a fragment. The fic in question was None but the Lonely Heart for the DCEU. And I only found out bc a lovely person left a comment on my fic, letting me know what had happened and the link to the other fic. I checked and the writer had indeed literally copied and pasted one of my scenes, they'd just changed the names of the characters. So I reached out to the AO3 team and they took care of everything.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

No

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

No. Stef and I had an idea for a Fedal fic, but who knows if we'll ever get to actually write it lol

14. What's your all time favourite ship?

I don't think I have one, really. I would say my main ones/the ones I keep coming back to are Fedal (Roger Federer/Rafael Nadal) and Superbat (Superman/Batman). Though right now I've been reading almost exclusively Ineffable Husbands (Aziraphale/Crowley), so it mostly depends on my hyperfixation at the time

15. What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

Oof, that might be a Superbat (long) fic set post BvS, where resurrected Clark has lost his powers (and the sun seems to actually make him sick now), so Bruce helps him to get back on his feet and of course they fall in love in the process. I have the whole thing outlined, sheets of dialogues and a couple of scenes already fleshed out, but I took a break from the fandom bc it was draining me out. Idk, maybe one day I'll get back to it. I mean, never say never and all that, but it's looking highly improbable right now

16. What are your writing strengths?

I think I'm good at setting the tone of scenes, be it fluffy, angsty, whatever.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

I tend to write in long, long sentences. Seriously, you should see my drafts, sometimes a whole paragraph can be a single sentence. I don't know if it's due to my Spanish hard-wired brain or what, but I’m working on breaking things up a bit more.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

I love it! But you need to make sure readers will still get the message through context, so I think it's best to stick to single words and/or common phrases. Unless, of course, you want to leave your character (and thus your readers) feeling confused.

I do it often when I’m writing Rafa and it's part of the reason I love writing him so much.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

DC Universe

20. Favourite fic you've written?

Tough question… can I say an unpublished one? I have this sort of introspection/character study of Domi, his struggles coming back on tour after the wrist injury and dealing with all the ups and downs. There's not a story to it per se, like I'm not trying to get him from A to B. It's just a dive into his mind, where it gets kinda dark real quick, and it's unlike what I usually go for in tennis fics (fluff), so I've been enjoying the challenge of getting out of my comfort zone there

#fic writing #tag game #about me

[flowerslut]

Hello! Do you mind telling about your writing process? Like, how exactly do you outline the chapters, and do you ever lost the excitement about a story bucause the idea of it was better than the thing itself?

hello there!!! you're in luck because boy oh boy do I have a nice in-depth answer for this one. time to introduce to you what I now affectionately call DayDreamLand

(glitter text provided because it felt necessary for emphasis)

now, I'm someone who writes long-fic by default. I've managed to successfully spit out shorter fics over the past few years (ranging from around 8-10k on the low side and 20-25k on the 'high end') but those fics very rarely, if ever, get outlined or planned-out. most of those smaller fics (why yes I am calling 20k words of North Star small) are stories that I pretty much just sit down and throw up out of my brain. there is no process for those other than: daydream, daydream HARD, and then once the daydream is bubbling inside my brain, sit down, pick a starting point, and write. (unhelpful advice, isn't it?)

with my long-fic I have only recently started following a strict outline for my stories! and the way that I get this outline put together is by doing the exact same thing as I do for any of my stories: I buy a one-way ticket to DayDreamLand baby!!!!

I think that's the thing I spend the most time on if you don't include the actual writing itself: I think and think and think about the idea until it sparks so much joy in my heart that I have to put it down on paper; or, more appropriately, in an iphone note. I usually know once I'm ready to take an idea from DayDreamLand to the physical world we inhabit once I get to the point where emotionally, I feel like I'm going to burst if I don't start writing SOMETHING down.

and if I'm looking to elevate this from a little one-shot or short-fic to a full-blown Long-Fic that is the point in which I start an outline. every single one of my outlines starts as a bullet pointed list. sometimes there are gaps in the list where I imagine a scene break/transition or a new chapter might occur. sometimes the things I write in the outline don't even happen the way they're outlined. but the outline is just the bones of it. you can build on top of those bones in whatever way feels right or works for your scene.

(the rest of this answer is going under a cut bc boy is this shit going to get long. sorry bestie)

here's a snippet from my Call of the Night outline from march 2018 as an example:

in my outlines I take the scenes I want to see, plan them out like you see above, and then suddenly anywhere from 3-20 bullet points of 'outline' becomes a multi-thousand word chapter while I build on those bones and fill in all the blanks and let the action and dialogue erupt from the scene I've set.

I am someone that writes and plans stories in chronological order approximately 95% of the time. but even despite this I usually know the answer to three things from the very start:

what is the main conflict?

what is the point of no return?

how does it end?

for example, in Call of the Night, my main conflict is that Alice's first vision of Jasper is a terrible one in which he kills her. the point of no return is when Maria's broadcast goes live. and it ends when Alice finally 'lives out' her vision.

in A Loyal Wife, the main conflict is that Alice is in an army down South but still sees visions of Jasper, who belongs to a warring coven. point of no return: when she first kisses Jasper. how does it end? she kills her 'husband'.

for me the main conflict is the one plot point that quite literally haunts nearly every scene. sometimes there are multiple of these and they do overlap but they usually all link back to one main plot point. (sometimes the main conflict isn't introduced until the point of no return and sometimes it's present for the entire story)

the point of no return is—and I am certain there is an actual literary term for this that I don't know about—the point in the story where you can mark a sharp sudden change that alters the entire pace and mood of the story. this is what gets the story MOVING! perhaps the main conflict arrives suddenly on the scene, or the emotional tone veers off course in a way that gets your adrenaline pumping or your anxiety going. when you're at the point of no return the pressure is on. it's go time baby!!!

and when I say how does it end I don't mean "what does the very last scene look like" although it can be that. for me it means "what happens during the climax of this story" and "how does the main conflict get resolved."

once I have those major details sorted—and usually I only receive these answers and these details from spending hours and hours in DayDreamLand—I'm able to really connect my outline. very rarely will I outline later parts of a fic before I get to it chronologically but I've been trying different systems recently, and honestly if you know the ending before you know the middle, go ahead and write down what that might look like! I personally tend not to do that because I usually shift gears and change details so often during the beginning and middle that the end has to be Vastly Different anyways (minus the answer to question number 3) but I know so many people that outline and plan out of order and it works well for them. so really I think you should do it in the order that feels right to you. and if that gives you trouble, try switching it up a bit!

my current project's outline has provided me with so many goddamn chapters. I quite literally have FIFTY-FIVE chapters outlined, THIRTY-THREE written and I'm either around or almost at the half-way mark. outlining has helped me write faster and more efficiently than I ever have before but holy fuck does it not help me determine how long a story is going to be lmfaoooo

sorry this has gotten so long but I'll go ahead and wrap this up with referring to the second part of your question: I don't think I've ever gotten bored with an idea before while writing. I don't usually start writing until I've gone so far into DayDreamLand that I can't not write something, yknow??? if it's not exciting enough I'm not even going to try to write it. (sometimes there are exciting stories that want me to go study them in DayDreamLand but I outright refuse to because I have too many damn WIPs at this point)

I actually usually find that the opposite of what you mentioned is true for me!!! once I have a fun idea and once I start writing, the story itself becomes more and more exciting as I start to flesh out all of the characters, their individual motivations, the world, everything!!!!!! once it starts coming to life is when I get more excited. the only times I've ever felt my excitement begin to wane while writing is when my overall fixation is waning, too. or in the case of my CotN series, when I just need a breather because I've spat so many words out in that universe already. (although the excitement is still there; just dormant while I focus on other stuff atm)

I recommend long, extended stays in DayDreamLand in order to let your brain properly marinate the idea that you're tossing around in there, that way when you start outlining or writing you're pretty much bursting at the seams and so so so intensely ready to just WRITE baby!!!!!

this might not have helped because I got a bit sidetracked, but I hope it did!!! buy your tickets and book your stay in DayDreamLand today!!!

#writing #cotn #ffr

[sticks-and-souls]

8, 13, and 25 for the fic writer ask.

Thank you so much for sending me an ask from the list!! I answered 8 in this post, so I won’t rehash it here.

13. How much planning do you do before writing?

Usually a lot but not always. For one-shots, I know the general trajectory and am content to figure out how to get from point A to point B as I go. For my long fics, see Question 8 in the post above. So much planning. And yet, I guess it’s the same: I don’t know ALL of the plot details but have enough touchstones that I’m aiming for that I encourage myself to figure it out as I go. And in the process of “writing myself there” I have come up with some great story ideas. So I just try to find the balance between having enough planning to have direction and not too much that I’m stifling myself from actually writing anything. But planning is arguably my favorite part of the writing process and I do write a lot during that time—dialogue and scene setting—but with the informality of not pressuring myself to make it “sound good” yet, or forcing myself to write things in chronological order. 

The only exception to the planning rule so far has been Before You Go. I sat down to write that one because I was so angry about something in my life that I couldn’t do anything to change and was just stuck feeling that way, that I literally told myself to go make art. Like, pulled that scene out of my ass bc I was like “SURE THAT’LL WORK, I BET REX WAS REAL FUCKING ANGRY ABOUT THAT” and then poured it out all the way up until Ahsoka calls out him as he’s turning to leave. I then had to pause and, in a second session (after I’d calmed down from the Life Stuff), figured out what happened next and where the resolution was going to be. And I did actually sketch the rest of the scene first and then I wrote it. 

So yes, I plan :) 

25. Have you ever upset yourself with your own writing?

Haha I feel like this is directed at Battle Scars, and I kind of did in that second chapter. I love writing emotions and in order to capture how my characters are feeling I end up creating those emotions in myself. Whether I’m writing because I’m upset or I make myself upset in order to write (lmao), I’m emotionally linked to my characters.

#my writing #ask meme #rexsoka

[lokislytherin]

hello again it’s me, the One who misses Jaeyeol LOL

thanks for answering my rant ask and i don’t mind if you rant back at me 😂 it feels good, like i’m not just talking to myself in my head but to a friend who feels the same way as i do.

like YES PTJ i love some of the new characters introduced like johan and samuel but with all these new characters added into the story, it’s like the old cast got thrown away (minus zack and vasco etc because they’re always in the mix for some reason, AND NOT JAY ahem i shall rein myself back for some semblance of sanity lol) and i’m like.. why so many characters man? UGH.

ALSO ALSO ALSO what’s with all these middle aged looking characters suddenly entering the scene with a [name] and [age] AND THEY DON’T EVEN LOOK THEIR AGE LIKE

new middle age looking man: blah blah

[name] [16] LIKE BITCH WHAT DO U MEAN THAT GUY’S 16??? HE LOOKS MORE LIKE A 40 TO ME LOL i feel like ptj just gave up making the characters look their age because these ppl definitely do not look 16, 17, etc. or did he even try in the first place? anyway

like this story just became all about gangs at the point where i stopped lol like what happened to his convenience store job (i guess he quit once he entered workers? maybe i missed that part), what happened to the mom visiting every so often (like wouldn’t she worry about her son when he disappeared god knows where?), what happened to attending school during the back end portion? WHERE ARE THE PARENTS/ADULTS? this is like tokyo revengers all over again 😂 idk.. i just wish that it didn’t have to be all about gangs? like i’m fine with the hostel and god dogs portion but after that it’s like i couldn’t give a shit anymore 🥲 and daniel doesn’t even seem like himself anymore 😭 i miss when all he had to care about was making friends, memories and letting his mom live a good life…

i wish ptj just kept it simple with a few gangs, having to keep the secret about having 2 bodies, why crystal has 2 bodies as well, normal school activities/relationships (i keep fantasising about a chapter with them playing some king’s card game where the person who draws the king card can do anything/order anyone to do anything they wanted for a turn like that Baka to Test episode, man that was hilarious LOL like if joy got picked as the king and she would probably have done something to daniel and jay had to step in HAHAHA oop my shipper is showing) and it would have still been a great series. now it feels all muddled 😩

yeah.. oh yes please let me join your prayers circle!!! PTJ U MUST BRING JAY BACK AND GIVE HIM THE ARC AND CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT HE DESERVES!!!!!!!!! I WILL NEVER REST UNTIL U DO!!!! 😤😤😤

good timezones anon who misses jay! i'm glad you find these convos fun hehe i only have one single friend who Gets lookism to talk to so this is really nice for me too

new characters: i think one of the reasons why characters like johan and samuel are so popular are bc they have a backstory that's actually fleshed out really well? like even jake and big deal they had like a redemption/backstory arc (personally i like jake more than samuel tho. i want to punch samuel but his tits would probably break my fists) and i think that's why they're liked more than new characters like, for example, ryuhei. personally i think ryuhei is decent looking but idgaf about him yk.

the age thing: YOU'RE SO RIGHT like no way samuel is 19?? no way that bitch is only one year older than me AT MOST. or maybe he's got the daddy energy coz he's tall, is The fanservice character at this point, and has muscles n big booba. still wanna punch him tho. the ogs being 16/17 international age i can believe, and the anime also made them look younger in a way? especially duke i miss that funky lil guy. i hope his music career is going well

all about gangs: i see what you mean but this is also Animanga Logic right. adults are kinda irrelevant if you're the overpowered protagonist but at the same time i get u honestly i feel like jay's own father has more plot relevance than him at this point 💀 jay vs h group arc WHERE. jay and crystal interaction WHERE. their parallel could be so interesting but i'm not getting into that today i'll like. explore it in a fic or something

plot: i think to us it feels like ptj kinda lost sight of the meaning of 'lookism' in relation to the plot, but i'm sure ptj knows where he's going with the plot, and i trust him to give us more good chapters. for now us jay hong stans are gonna have to make content to feed each other

welcome to the jay return arc prayer circle

ptj if you won't give jay the backstory and character development arc he deserves i'll do it myself 😤 i'll catch up to canon and write that jay vs h group arc myself 😤

hope this helped!

#rinanswersthings #anon who misses jay #jay hong #hong jaeyeol #lookism

[rollercoasterwords]

Hi hi hi!! I hope you’re well 💖

Just a quick question! I’m making a typeset for thtf because I’d really love to try and bind my own copy of it SO I was just wondering if there was a quote that you really love/think suits the vibe that i could put at the start of the book? If possible two options would be wonderful bc I think I’m going to split it into 2 books (this is my first time binding a fic so I’m not entirely sure yet but I’m thinking two volumes… and I’ll also put thtb at the end of the second volume as well! So if you want a seperate quote for that I can do that too 🥰)

Thanks! 🌻

hello!!! i know i am SO late responding to this but first of all !!!!!! screaming and jumping up and down it makes me so emotional to hear that ur binding thtf if u do end up doing it and want to/would feel comfortable sending pics 2 me please do i would love to see <3 but in the meantime yes let me find some quotes!!

from ch 19: "She’s a phoenix, Dorcas thinks—something doomed to destroy itself, the way any good hero is."

from ch 33: "There is no ending where the wax does not melt; there is no conclusion to the story where the sea is not waiting."

i feel like those both kinda capture the vibe for like...the first part of the story? and then if ur splitting it into two i feel like this part of their conversation in ch 40 sort of encapsulates the war years:

"We have now. We’re alive, and we get to have that, and it’s like—don’t laugh, alright? But it’s like…trying to catch a butterfly. If you hold it too tight, you’ll only crush its wings. It just—it lands on you, and it’s there, and it’s beautiful, and you have the moments you have, and then it flies away. It still matters. It isn’t any less beautiful."

or like the end of that same conversation:

“How about this,” she whispers, as she strokes Marlene’s cheek, “How about we make a promise, yeah? I won’t let you die, so long as you don’t let me die, okay?”

Marlene laughs, a small, choked sound.

“That’s a stupid promise, Meadowes,” she says, leaning into Dorcas’s touch. Dorcas smiles.

“I know,” she whispers, “But let’s make it anyway.” 

and then i also really like this part from ch 47: "She wants to be the worst thing that has ever happened to her. She wants to be the only thing that ever hurts her. She wants to be the thorn that pierces and remains under skin, forcing the body to grow around it. That’s love, isn’t it?"

and then from the very last ch there's: "But what point is there, really, in living a hungry life? What point is there in rationing joy and hurt and risk when it could all go sour in an instant?"

if u wanted, u could also use the two quotes that i used on the very last chapters, which are both from the same scene in the book the last unicorn:

1: “I am myself still. This body is dying. I can feel it rotting all around me. How can anything that is going to die be real? How can it be truly beautiful?”

- The Last Unicorn, by Peter S. Beagle

2: “Whatever can die is beautiful—more beautiful than a unicorn, who lives forever, and who is the most beautiful creature in the world. Do you understand me?” “No,” she said. The magician smiled wearily. “You will. You’re in the story with the rest of us now, and you must go with it, whether you will or no.”

- The Last Unicorn, by Peter S. Beagle

anyway, those are my suggestions--but of course just go with whatever you like, ur the one binding it! and i know this response has been very delayed so it's possible u won't even need it anymore, but here it is just in case <3

#thtf #the hand that feeds spoilers #SO sorry about how late this is this #sending sm love 2 u this message literally made my whole entire week