#as much as I’d love to tackle this project all on my own

[ixhkor-and-ambrosxa]

Hey #GreekMythology tumblr, I want ya’lls help on something :).

So, I’ve been thinking about starting this massive project. Like, would take years and years work of writing and research and sheerly finding the time and motivation for. And as I was thinking about the specifics, I thought: why not bring others into it as well? Because as much as I am interested in a lot of Greek Mythology, there are things that are simply not my interests and might cause writers block and my goal for the project would to be as fun as possible. So, here we are.

What is the project exactly? Well, hopefully, it’ll be a long Ao3 series/fic focusing on the individual perspectives of various figures/events in Greek Mythology arranged in (semi/good enough) chronological order. I personally intend to write for Poseidon in his/my version of the Titanomachy and (maybe) some events that follow, if you want a little bit of an idea on what I’m talking about.

The limits on this are almost completely free, all that I ask are that each of your submissions are one POV only (and by that I mean your main subject’s POV). Why do I say this? I say this because that is what I want this project to look like. It doesn’t matter if it’s First, Second, or Third POV along with all the other variants of those three, my main focus is on the individual experiences of these individuals. Kind of like character studies, if you know what I mean. I’m intending for it to be mostly formal but I will absolutely accept crack admissions that I will probably put into its own series to Separate the Vibes for whoever comes by :).

Ultimately, this is a completely open-ended project that has absolutely no deadline. I’m about to go to bed so I can’t go into too much detail, but if you want to DM me or send any asks, I am completely okay with that and we’ll all flesh out the specifics we go :).

What is my overall purpose? Not only is this project made for my own individual purposes of learning more about the gods and other Greek Mythology writers, but it’s also the chance to spread the word of other writers. I know how hard it is to get specific audiences, especially when you’re shy, so this is a chance for your work to be stumbled upon. Each post on the eventual Ao3 fic will include your socials, how to find you, and your other general works on either ao3, tumblr, wattpad, or other :)

Can you participate even without socials or a tumblr page? Yes you absolutely can :). My asks will always be open to anons and I will do my best to give credit when I eventually post everything :). If you want to post multiple submissions or simply just want a trackable (between works) name to your writing, just sign something at the end. It could be a name, it could be a potential username, I don’t mind at all :)).

How do I submit things? Well, the best way would be to DM me :). I have a personal writing email separate from most things that would be perfect to either share a google docs with or to just send a copy-and-pasted copy of it. Otherwise, I take asks. None of them will be posted unless asked or we’re ready to so it’ll be safe to just drop them off in! It’s also where I take questions :).

Any other things to note? I’d really appreciate some other moderators and editors :). There’d only be like two or three of each and we’d have to know each other decently well before officially starting, but some help would be appreciated! Also, I’d like to keep a working ‘spreadsheet’ of who’s working on what just for people to see what’s going on :). Maybe some people can collaborate or it’ll encourage those niche writers to write :). A third thing is that most questionable stuff is accepted. I’d personally rather not handle all those things other than posting it so it might be a while until I can officially accept (consensual and/or graphic) ✨spicy stuff✨ but, other than that, I’ll take any of it (also, it’s Greek Mythology, almost all of it already happened). If someone’s willing to take over the ✨spicy stuff✨ then please DM me so we can work out the details and see if it’s a nice fit :)

Honestly, that all should be it. The main point is that I’m trying to start up a long-term project on Tumblr and Ao3 about what is essentially Greek Mythology character studies that not only allows for mass communication across a wide audience, but also (hopefully) gets some recognition for the smaller writers :). Feel free to DM me or send me asks with questions but for now, I shall sleep

Tagging: @bluebellstudio @thirteen-deaths-later @0lympian-c0uncil @happyk44 @h0bg0blin-meat @sworeontheriverstyx @deathlessathanasia @gotstabbedbyapen. Sorry if I tagged you and you want nothing to do with it, I just wanted to get it out there /pos /gen

#ya know this is the one time I regret deleting all my old accounts :/ #I had such a large (ish) following on my old tumblr (neptunes-sea-of-writing btw if you recognize it) #that it’s kind of intimidating to restart again :( #need to do it tho. i just gotta #but I haven’t really written- #anyway that’s not this post’s problem #tagging everyone to try to get it out there #even if you aren’t interested #it’d be appreciated if you share anyway to get to a larger audience :) #i just. wanna build that community and know more things #as much as I’d love to tackle this project all on my own #I know I can’t and it wouldn’t be beneficial for me #but since a large portion of it is gaining knowledge #why not ask it from others? #tagging everyone to get it out there #also the general tag is going to be: #Neptune’s Big Ass Greek Mythology Project #bc why not :) #but seriously #consider it if it’s your thing #and if it’s not that’s fine #I remember being a small writer so intimidated to find people #and I’m feeling that feeling once again having started my entire platform over again :) #we’ve all got this. we’ll make it work /pos #greek mythology #also #you can write for absolutely any fandom #idc #as long as it’s one consistent pov of your focus character :) #also I’m like incredibly sleep deprived and tired rn ive been up since four am and its nine pm rn

[ssuperficialspacecadett]

i kinda wanna see the triple frontier boys and reader do the “lala” or “okok” challenge from the song see you again by tyler the creator and kali uchis. i’d like to see your interpretation on who’s who and their relationship dynamics.

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Melodic Friendships - Through the Scope Drabble

Rating: everyone ?? (im just having a fun time with this hehe)

Word Count: 2.3K

Notes (more at the end as well): i received this ask maybe two weeks ago and have been meaning to tackle it ! i saw this trend on tik tok back when it was really popular and it seemed like such a fun idea to characterize the TF boys and Estrella using it ! i will preface this post by saying that while i was trying to nail down what the exact definitions for what 'lala' and 'okok' were so i could correctly apply them to our boys,,,i found that each person had their own take/idea/meaning for it. so in the case of this little project i will be defining each term like so ...

'lala' characters (to me): people who are more extroverted, cheerful, talkative, carefree for the most part, and easy to get a long with

'okok' characters (to me): people who are more introverted, a listener, a planner, and easy to be around

*this is also going to be an unedited/stream of consciousness/off the top of my head kinda vibe so i'm sure there will be grammatical errors and i apologize for that now*

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Benny Miller - lala

There was once a time where Benny thought that nothing could compare to being out in the field with his brother and two best friends. He loved the feeling of holding a gun in his hands, the feeling of never knowing what was around the next corner, and constantly knowing that his men had his back. There were some draw backs...okay a lot of draw backs. There was always the fear of his finger getting trigger shy, that what was around the corner could be to much to handle, and coming home one man short. Even so, he didn't think he could love anything more. That was until he opened up Brass Knuckles. And then, he found, his love grew even more when you came to work with him.

You kept up with him in everything he did. Honestly, you did more than keep up with him. If he had cleaned three workout benches, you had already cleaned the last four and were on your way to start another task. If he asked if the water was stocked in the mini fridge, you would roll your chair back with a grin and reveal a full fridge and sneak in a comment about how you 'picked up an extra pack from the store yesterday after work'. Everything was a competition, but it was all in fun. It was so refreshing to not be the youngest anymore. Not that he ever let it stop him. He was the youngest in his academy graduating class, but you better believe he snagged that number one spot. Will had told him once he was 'a one in a million talent' and he wanted to prove it every single day.

The two of you could talk for hours about absolutely nothing and never get bored. He wasn't even sure if either of you ever took a breath the entire time too. It was always go go go with yall. He could always count on you to act as a spring board for new ideas he was concocting for the gym. If his own ideas fell flat, you were there to air them back up with imaginative creations of your own. The pair of yall were a fucking powerhouse. It extended far past the gym too.

Whenever he managed to bully you into having a night with the guys down at The Barrel, neither one of you were quiet the entire time. It was like you were feeding off of each other like batteries that never lost their charge. The other guys would look around try to get a word in, but both of you had already moved onto greener topics. The others could only laugh and look at yall with intense amazement because who knew there was another person alive who could go toe to toe with Benny's mind. As cheesy as it sounds, you made him feel like he got his spark back. He didn't even realize he had lost it to being so wrapped up in life until you showed up either. You were his platonic other half.

***

Will Miller: okok

Will liked to be around people. However, he was picky about who he was around. He guessed that's why he didn't have many, if any, friends outside his group. They were all that he needed. He knew he would never be pestered for being on the quiet side or mocked because he was a little particular about the way he liked things. He was happy for Benny when he hired you. Lord only knows how much help his brother needed running that place. Of course he helped out whenever and however he could, but he had a job of his own.

He was wary about meeting you, he wasn't going to lie. Sure he would treat you with respect regardless, but for all he knew, you were just another employee. Nothing more and nothing less. However, he was taken aback at how naturally you bantered with Pope. When it came time for him to introduce himself to you, you didn't let him down either. You had a bright smile and a firm handshake. Not that he would call himself old fashioned, but he regarded people who had a solid handshake quite high. If he only knew that your grip would capture his heart as well.

You had been convinced to join all them out at The Barrel one Tuesday evening. He was already waiting with Pope at their usual table when you and Benny arrived after closing duties. Frankie would be running late due to his NA meeting, but that wasn't his truth to deliver to you. He watched you walk towards them with that beaming grin on your face. Unfortunately, he wasn't the only one in the bar that noticed. Men turned their heads and stared at you as you plopped yourself down to his right. He felt his chest swell with pride as you reached over and hugged him so lovingly. He wasn't much of a physical touch enthusiast, but you somehow made it seem bearable. For you, he was more than willing to make an exception.

When you realized you had left your wallet at the gym, you were insistent that you went back to get it. You said 'just because I'm a lady doesn't mean yall have to buy me drinks all the time. Maybe I want to buy yall drinks sometimes and I can't do that if I don't have my card'. He pushed away from the table just as you did and gave you a look that meant 'you are more than welcome to go, but you're crazy if you think you're going alone'. He listened peacefully as you pointed out constellations to him in the sky. You looked so pleased with yourself that he didn't have the heart to tell you that he already knew where each one was and how to navigate by using them. He just liked hearing you talk.

On the way back he found himself on the opposite end of the conversation. You had managed to get him to tell you about his job and what it entails. It felt so natural to talk with you by his side. Usually he is the one with a quippy one liner or words of caution, but with you, someone who used to be a stranger, he is comfortable enough to really talk. You pull him out of his shell and make him want to shed the armor he had built up around himself. It felt safe to do that with you.

***

Santiago Garcia: lala

He was smooth. Santi knew he was smooth. He had the body count to prove it and everyone around him knew it. He had never felt so challenged by a woman in his life. Usually they all turned to putty in his hands when he spoke, but you held tough. You were Fish's girl (even if he hadn't officially asked you yet) and he was so excited to see where it went. Yet, that didn't stop him from loving to push your buttons. He knew you could take it. The first moment he met you he knew. What did you say to him exactly? 'Kissing and telling wouldn’t be a good way to end my first day, don't ‘cha think?' God, that was a good line and he would have to put it in his back pocket to use for later. From that day on, the two of you were constantly trying to out wit the other.

Yall were once in the middle of a particularly devious match while grocery shopping together. He had lost at a five way game of rock, paper, scissors to see who had to buy the beer for a hangout. He was pretty pissed about it and it didn't get any better when he heard you volunteer to go with him just to rub in your victory the whole time. He was moping around the beer isle when he saw her. A beautiful woman maybe 10 years younger than him. Unfortunately, you saw her too. 'You couldn't keep up with her if you tried, old man' , 'funny, that's the same thing I told Fish when he said he liked you'. He had to pretend to look at the contents on the shelf to keep himself from laughing at your shocked face. Sure he could joke around with the other guys and they would always joke back, but there was something about your spirit that just matched his so well. Benny was a close second.

However, the one thing he loved more than ganging up on you was when the two of you would gang up on everyone else. 'The entry fee for the table is one shot' you told Fish one night when he showed up late one Tuesday evening. He saw the twinkle in your eye and knew exactly what to do. 'We all did it, man. Now it's your turn'. Will looked like he was about to object, but stopped when he noticed you placing your hand over his. You just had a way with all of them.

He found himself anxiously awaiting each time the two of you would meet so he could pick on you. He felt younger when you were around him. He felt just as spry as he did before his knee and neck surgeries. The weight of his years in the service had started to get unbearably heavy on his shoulders. Little did he know, all he needed was to see you throw back your head in laughter because of something he said to ease his pain.

***

Frankie Morales: okok

Frankie loved watching you. He knew that probably sounded creepy to say out loud, so he kept it to himself. He thought that there was a lot that you could learn about the inner workings of a person just by watching them in their day to day lives. When you called him that your car broke down he went through so many emotions and happiness may or may not have been one of them. After everything was squared away at the shop, he realized he didn't want to let you go. So he bucked up the courage and asked you to breakfast.

You allowed him to chose the spot since he was a local and he settled on a hole-in-the-wall diner. He peaked over his own menu to see you smiling and looking over each and every item the restaurant served. He couldn't help but smile when he would catch you mouthing the description of the food to yourself. Frankie didn't even mind that it took you forever to order either. That just meant that he gets to spend more time in your presence. When yalls plates were brought out he saw you sneaking glances at what was in front of him. He wanted to ask you if you wanted a bite, but did that seem to relationshipy?? After you excused yourself to go to the restroom, he cut a piece of his meal off and set it on your plate. He would have given you his entire breakfast if he knew how bright you were going to light up when you came back and saw what he did.

When breakfast was finished, it was you that suggested that the two of yall do something else. He willingly let you drag him into a bath and body works store. At first he was a bit apprehensive, but you guided him over to the mens section. 'I'll break you just like I broke Benny' , "You'll break me? That sounds like a threat' , 'Just smell the candle, Frankie'. He lost track of how many candles he smelled by the time you were checking out. At this point he wasn't sure if it was the perfumes or you that were clouding his brain and making him feel all warm and fuzzy. 'I noticed you liked this one a lot' you told him producing a three wicked candle 'I wanted to get it for you as a thank you gift for helping me today'. He wondered if you saw his heart jump into his throat.

Although his favorite time to watch you was when you were asleep. He never dreamed in a million years that he would be luck enough to have someone as beautiful and kind as you lay in bed next to him. Your body was huddled up as close as could be to his. Your face was smooshed up against his bicep and he could feel your gentle breathing tickling his skin. He brushed a hair that falls in your face away and cursed at it for threatening to wake you up.

Frankie felt differently in the way that he carries himself since he has met you. Honestly, he had seen a change in each and every one of the guys. He felt like he was coming back to life again.

***

Reader/Estrella- lala

I feel like it is fairly obvious that Estrella is 'lala'. I didn't want to write a specific one for her as she is featured in each of the boy's character descriptions and can be seen displaying 'lala' characteristics. I will say, what I love about her is her ability to so easily adapt to the people around her. Her overall personality doesn't change, but she is able to understand what Frankie, Santi, Will, and Benny all need from her. Estrella can bring Will and Frankie (okok) out of the prisons of their minds and mess around on the same caliber as Santi and Benny (lala). She is talker while also being quite the listener. She knows when one is needed and can let the other take a back seat. Estrella loves these boys more than she ever thought she would and I can't wait to see how she spends the rest of her time in Florida with them.

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Notes: Hello to noonie and everyone else who made it to the end of my little brain dump ! I loved this ask so so much and again im sorry it took me so long to complete ! I hope this sufficiently answers your ask ((: thank you again for submitting it to me <3

{tag list: @cutesyscreenname @rsquared31 @smol-beb @bitchwitch1981 @avastrasposts @hoeslingz @saltybutteredtoast @javicstories @c-justhere @pimosworld @modernperplexity @beboldbebravethings @mxtokko @moonliqhtszn @tanzthompson @megcads @myloveistoolittle @casa-boiardi @jitterbugs927 @partyofone3413 @pedrit0-pascalit0 @golden-library @pati-et-vivere @mashomasho @lilmizmoz @angstylittlepascal @sofiparallel @selflcontrol @adriennemichelle98 @painitemoondust @pedritosgirl2000 @tpwkmera @romanarose @missbabyjay @missgurrl }

#through the scope #through the scope drabble #through the scope headcanon #frankie morales fanfiction #benny miller fanfiction #william miller fanfiction #santiago garcia fanfiction #i love asks #literally please blow up my asks

[heaven-s-black-box]

The Edgeworths-Prosecutors office

Return to File

Recovery date: July 13th, 2020

Description:  Edgeworth and his kids

Notes: An entry from my 2020 research project into the universe of Ace Attorney. You can find the next entry here.

Word count: 563

Back to directory

“Mr. Edgeworth!” Kay screamed as she tackled him in a hug.

“Oof! It is good to see you again Kay. How have you been?” He smiled, awkwardly returning the hug.

“Good! Good! Is Sebby here? I haven’t seen him in forever!” Kay let him go and began scanning the room.

“Prosecutor Debeste is currently in the middle of a trial, however you can stay at the prosecutor’s office until he returns. I have some people I think you would enjoy meeting.” He turned around and waved at her to follow him.

Kay had spent the last few months abroad, helping Franziska and interpol. With the recent end to an investigation, Franziska and her had returned to LA. Franziska would be leaving again in a few days, she only had to retrieve a few files, but Kay was planning on picking up an investigation here. She really did miss LA and it’s prosecutors.

“So, who am I meeting? Is it “that man”?” She asked, doing a terrible Edgeworth impression. He rolled his eyes.

“No. We’ve acquired two new prosecutors I’d like you to meet.” 

They climbed the rest of the stairs, with Kay telling him all about her time with Franziska. Apparently Franziska had been done with Kay’s antics after day two. So, she’d told Kay to just investigate on her own, that explained the call he’d gotten. Not long after the two had left, Franziska had called him to tell him he was insane, and nothing else.

“Now, they are a little strange to say the least,” Edgeworth said, as they approached an office. “I’ll introduce you to prosecutor Gavin first, he’s the more… calm of the two.” He muttered something else that she missed. “Prosecutor Gavin,” he said, as he pushed open the door. They were met with yelling so intense, she was surprised they hadn’t heard it outside.

“Herr Samurai while you have a point-”

“Gavin-dono your refusal is futi-”

“Oh my god! You’re Klavier Gavin!” Both men stopped yelling at each other and turned to the door.

Kay stood jaw dropped, pointing at Klavier, and Edgeworth just sighed. She ignored him and ran up to Klavier.

“I love your music! Can I get an autograph? Or better yet,” she fished around in her bag and pulled out a Gavineers CD, “Can you sign this?”

Klavier shook off his shock, and glared at Simon who had started snickering. He turned back to Kay and smiled, “Of course Fraulein.” Kay let out an almost deafening squeal. “And who am I signing it to?”

“Kay, Kay Faraday. I thought Sebby was lying when he said he worked with THE Klavier Gavin… I guess I owe him an apology,” she grumbled the last part. The two prosecutors were shocked when Edgeworth gave Kay a fond smile.

“Now,” he said, turning back to the two prosecutors, “What on earth were you two fighting about?”

“Gavin-dono and I were merely having a heated debate on whether Justice-dono would accept the proposal of a date with him,” Simon smirked, watching as Klavier’s face turned pink.

Edgeworth nodded, “Please keep these debates civil, or do not have them at all. But for the record, I’m sure Mr. Justice would absolutely accept the proposal of a date.” He smiled, before turning around to leave. “Do not cause too much chaos Kay, Prosecutor Debeste should be returning soon.”

“Yes sir!”

#researcher s's recovery #S's 2020 recovery project #ace attorney #miles edgeworth #kay faraday #klavier gavin #simon blackquill #fluff #ons oneshot #aa oneshot

[fantasticallyfruity4]

So last night @midnight-corvid and I were discussing how if hopper actually died eveyone and they moms would be shipping Wayne and Joyce and

Now I need to post some munson-byers family head cannons

We all know Wayne has that southern gentleman charm. The absolute rizz. Joyce deserves it. 10/10. What a man.

When they first get together and start interacting with each others kids wayne is so relieved to see how kind joyce is to his boy. Because people in this town have always judged eddie so harshly, so unkindly, so unfairly. Especially now, after all this shit. And yet she doesn’t. She treats him just like she does her own three kiddos. She’s maternal and loving and supportive and takes an interest in his interests and hobby’s and truly gets to know him. One night Wayne comes home from work a little early (around 2 am, he was feeling a little under the weather) and comes in the door to find eddie and Joyce at the kitchen table talking softly over tea. Eddie had a nightmare from the memories of the upside down. Something Joyce is all too well versed with. Of corse, Joyce and Eddie are instantly turning their worried attention to him when he comes in. (“Honey? Why are you home so early? Oh my you look so pale sit down, Eddie go get the thermometer”) (“you okay unc? Did you get hurt again?”)

Wayne and Eddie are somewhat surprisingly good at fixing things around the house. Years of being unable to pay for repairmen and fixing the car and the van and the trailer left them forced to become very handy. That means eddie and Wayne were all to eager to help jonathan get his car up and running again (“boy, this isn’t even too bad. We coulda fixed this months ago if you’d ‘a just told me. Come out with us eds and I will show you how to fix this”). God knows the byers house has a million things wrong with it from the years of abuse by interdementional monsters. And a teenaged girl with telekinesis and mood swings has led to its own damage (“we’re not mad sweetheart, it’s okay, but how did you do this to the toaster? I just gotta replace the bulb but how I’m gods name?”). On the weekends they pick little house projects to tackle in the morning before the rest of the house wakes up. Patching up holes in the wall, sanding the nail marks out of the floor. It’s their little morning routine, just them.The munson boys are handy.

Both Joyce and Wayne share the same anxiety/mindset that “if they can’t accept my son being gay they can get the hell out”. You can imagine both their surprise when joyce is welcome Steve in the house with open arms “my fourth son! Look at this, now I can officially call you my son in law! Isn’t that something! You know Steve if I didn’t love you so much I’d have to give you a proper shovel talk now.” And Joyce watches with soft eyes as Wayne kisses Eddie’s forehead as Eddie heads out on his date, and reminds Steve “drive safe out there, you’ve got real precious cargo, you know” (“I know sir, I’ll have him back before you leave for work, I swear”). She knows that when wills ready to tell anyone but Jonathan (becuase Joyce knows he knows. She can see it in his eyes when mikes over, he knows something that they’ve all known for a long time) he’s gonna be okay with it all. Hell, his chief complaint about argyle isn’t anything about Jonathan fooling around with another boy but “Joyce, that boy smokes more weed than, no offense- both our idiots AND Steve combined. And that’s a high feet to reach”

Getting close to jonathan is weird for Wayne.

He keeps to himself so much, he’s so reserved even with his mom and will and el. Maybe the most outgoing with will.

And him and Eddie settled into a strange relationship, of smoking together and pretending they believe that no one knows. They bond quietly and slowly over months of hot boxing the van and getting to know each other slowly. And Wayne’s happy got that, truly. That they get on, Atleast. But he can’t seem to find his in. The boys a good kid, respectful, polite, protective and loving of his mom and siblings and Eddie too. But Wayne just can’t find his own in.

Then one day Lonnie’s back in town, bothered by news of Wayne’s presence (trailer trash, really joyce?”) and he comes in, throwing a shit fit. And Wayne doesn’t need to have met lonnie to dislike the bastard. He treated his Joyce like shit, didn’t appreciate his wonderful kids, had the gaul to put his hands on Jonathan. And Wayne doesn’t like men like that. Small men, bullies who like to push around their kids and women. He didn’t like his own blood, his good for nothing brother for the same damn reason. So when he’s faced with Lonnie’s presence he’s almost excited to give that man the what for. And Jonathan is ready to get into it with Lonnie (“get lost dad, I’m serious. We don’t want to see you.”) Wayne is all too happy to come out of left feild and knock that man on his ass. He may be small and wirey but he Damn well can fight. And that wins Jonathan’s favor.

Will doesn’t know what to do with Wayne at first. Bob was weird, sure but he was nice enough- so nice to him and Jonathan, and tried to connect with him over nerdy things. But Wayne is a quiet man, a kind one, who loves his mom and is so good to him and his siblings like they’re his own, but he’s not sure how to interact with him. But Wayne just treats will the same way he did a little Eddie when Eddie first came to live with him. This is all very familiar to him. One day he plops down next to will while he makes his campaign. “Eddie always thought he was too cool to teach me how to play this game you boys love so much. Could you maybe spare a few minutes and help me out?”. “You watching Star Trek? Oh, I loved Star Trek back in the day, mind if I join you?”

El is a different story. Els had it hard. Too many father figures who did her wrong or died on her. So she’s hesitant to let Wayne in. He gets it. That girls been through hell. And he’s got no idea how to raise a teenaged girl, but he had no idea how to raise a little boy either and despite what local losers say his boy turned out Damn fine. So he’s not gonna push, but he’s damn well gonna try his best. “Joyce, we’re out of syrup” el calls out one mourning with a wobbly lip and water fills eyes. Wayne has come to underrated that as strong as she is, she’s real sensitive to little breaks in her routine, and this is a very important part of her routine. Because she misses her dad, and these damn waffles remind her of him. And when the boys all flounder trying. To figure out what to do, tear apart the fridge and cabinets for a spare bottle the poor girls just getting worse, pulling at her hair now. This is his chance, no pressure. “Hey, hey now kiddo it’s gonna be okay, I know it’s scary now but it’s gonna be okay. We’re gonna go to the store after breakfast and fix this but right now it’s scary, huh?”. And el looks up with teary eyes and nods. “Can I give you a hug?”. She nods again, letting Wayne give her a hug. “Take slow, big breaths. That’s what I used to tell Eddie to do when he was a kid and would get like this, slow big breaths.” And when el calms down he’s got a proposition. “Hey, I know it ain’t Mrs buttersworth, but have ya ever tried peanut butter and chocolate chips on waffles?”. El looks up with shocked eyes. “Chocolate chips at brekfast… is that… allowed?”. “Corse it’s allowed! I offered it didn’t I? Whatta ya say? Give it a try just for today?”. Later that night, el invites Wayne to watch Miami vice with her and Joyce. The boys have never been allowed, understanding it’s how the girls cope, a fact Wayne respected. They’d been through a lot, all of em. But El let him inz

Jonathan and el and will getting Wayne a “#1 step dad” mug for Chanukah. He cried.

If you thought joyce was a wreck when she got her first Mother’s Day card from el? You should see her with Eddie’s. Wayne was just as much of a cry baby when Eddie gave him his first Father’s Day card too. She cries. It’s snotty. She just loves her kids so much.

When Jonathan and Eddie walk across the stage at graduation, the cheers are so loud from their 5 person personal cheering section (not including their friends of corse) that joyce and Wayne get glares from the other parents. She doesn’t care. She’s a proud mom! Wayne’s a proud dad! And el and will are so Damn proud of their big brothers. (Note: el holds max’s hand the whole time at that graduation becuase Billy should have been on that stage, too). Jonathan is used to the outpour of love from his family at school events. And he’s still appreciative of it, but he’s used to it. Eddies never really had a schools accomplishment or a big family before so this is a new experience for him. And he’s a bright red mess under everyone’s affection and attention. Joyce needs a million photos of the boys and Steve can’t stop fussing with his cap and gown (“to fix it” but really bc he’s just so in awe and proud that Eddie did it) and el and will are just smiling like idiots

[el-writes-things]

day one - "you're my new pillow"

day one of the 30 day writing challenge woohoo!

this one is for the quanyin fans :3 i love them very much they're the sweetest ☀️🌙

sorry if it's slightly ooc! i haven't written for quanyin... ever... this is literally my first fic for them which is surprising but yeah!

you can read the fic here utc or on ao3 (i'm putting more context for it on ao3 too!)

rbs and comments are super appreciated :) esp as a small writer, they're very encouraging!

day two >

“Shixiong… I’m so sleepy…”

Yin Yu took a glance at the number of stops that remained before they would return to their home station, then tapped the screen of the phone that sat between him and his boyfriend. The numbers on the bright screen, flashing above the song they were listening to together, informed him that it was nearly three in the morning.

The pair had gone out into the city to watch a movie together, planning a whole day around the nine-o’clock showing in the evening. It only took one mishap with the sudden pouring rains and Quan Yizhen’s mix-up with the navigation that resulted in them missing the movie. They’d gone to eat dinner while they waited and caught the next screening, which had ended at two, leaving them to catch their train with exhausted and addled brains, nearly boarding the wrong train before finally managing to collapse into the seats that would bring them home.

“We’ll be home in half an hour, Yizhen. Will you be okay?”

Quan Yizhen groaned dramatically, burying his face in Yin Yu’s shoulder. “I’ll die before we get there.”

Yin Yu’s lips twitched upwards in a smile and he scooped up the phone to rest in his lap, moving closer to Quan Yizhen. 

“Do you want to know what this reminds me of?”

Quan Yizhen mumbled a generally affirmative noise, moving to rest his head more comfortably on Yin Yu’s shoulder, and Yin Yu went on.

“Back when we were in high school, the sparring club… you’d do this all the time. You’d sprint all around the gym and yell and challenge people to duels and tackle people and come running back to me with some kind of bruise or bump. And then…” Yin Yu trailed off, and gave Quan Yizhen a look. 

The curly-haired man beside him let out a small, embarrassed laugh. “Go on…”

“And then you’d exhaust yourself. Before practice was even over, you’d come back to me and tell me that you were thirsty and tired. I’d tell you to sit down, and I’d pass you my water bottle-”

“Because I’d either left mine at home or drank all of mine-”

“Exactly. As if that wasn’t enough, you’d take my water bottle and drink all of my water.”

Quan Yizhen covered his face in his hands. Pink blush tinged his ears. “Shixiong, you were a saint.”

“I was?” Yin Yu teased. “I’d say I still am.”

His boyfriend huffed in mock-annoyance. “Finish your story, you bully.”

“Why? You already know it.”

“But I like it when you talk about it. It’s cute.”

Yin Yu gave a soft, dramatic sigh and reached around to wrap his arms around Quan Yizhen's middle. “Fine.

“So, you’d run up to me complaining about how sleepy you were. I’d let you drink all my water and then you would flop down on the gym floor and close your eyes.

“I’d scold you and tell you that you’d catch a cold if you slept like that-”

“Which I never did! You were wrong,” Quan Yizhen insisted. His eyes were half-closed, but a self-satisfied smile spread across his lips. 

Yin Yu snorted. “Maybe I should tell this story more. You would’ve definitely caught a cold, but I told you to either use a sweatshirt as a pillow or put your head on my lap. Now do you remember?”

“Yeah,” Quan Yizhen said. His face was soft, making him appear a few years younger. If Yin Yu unfocused his eyes, he could pretend they were back in the gymnasium of their old high school. “I always picked your lap.”

“Mhm. Then, before I knew it, you were snoring away with your head on my lap and Coach was yelling at us for being lazy.”

Quan Yizhen’s face scrunched up. “Coach hated me.”

“She did not.”

“No, she definitely did. I didn’t care though. I hated her too.”

Yin Yu grinned at that. “You did. Anyway, that’s what I was thinking about.”

The train rumbled to a stop and a flow of bleary-eyed late-nighters and foul-smelling drunkards exited. Their subway car was nearly empty now, save for a single college-age boy wearing black headphones, scrolling through his phone absentmindedly, and an exhausted looking couple leaning on each other, eyes closed. Yin Yu watched them through the haze of his memories, nostalgia burning behind his eyes. Those days had been so long ago, he’d almost forgotten to miss them. 

As if Quan Yizhen was reading his thoughts, he sat up and gave Yin Yu a broad smile. “That’s a great idea. You’re my new pillow!”

With that, he flopped down across the bench they sat on together. He stretched and yawned enormously, resting his head on Yin Yu’s thigh. His golden sun earrings glinted brightly in the flashing lights passing by as their train whipped through tunnels. 

“Yizhen!” Yin Yu said, half-amused and half-exasperated. 

“Shh,” Quan Yizhen said, closing his eyes and pulling his dark blue jacket tighter around himself. “I’m sleeping.”

He did look rather peaceful, fluffy hair pooling around his head in a golden-brown halo that caught the harsh fluorescent glow and turned into something almost like sunlight. Yin Yu relented easily.

“Alright, fine. Sleep well, my favorite shidi.”

Quan Yizhen sighed happily. “I’m your favorite. I knew it.”

“You always were,” Yin Yu feels compelled to inform him. He moves one hand to rest lightly on Quan Yizhen’s shoulder. Quan Yizhen reached up and grabbed that hand, as simply as if it was breathing. 

When Yin Yu finally looked away from the sight of his sleeping boyfriend, he caught sight of a dark-haired man across the train from him. 

His long, jet-black hair was braided down his left side, secured by a dark purple ribbon. The space beneath his eyes was dark with sleepless nights and the heavy weight of stress. His black sweater didn’t fit as perfectly as it used to, hanging slightly loose around his shoulders.

But it was hair braided by his boyfriend’s loving hands, palms calloused with years of hard work, full of tenderness just for him. They were eyes that sparkled with happiness, not the same exhaustion he used to feel in high school, trying his best to feel like he measured up to everyone else around him. They were shoulders that didn’t slump, cutting a bold figure, confidence spilling out of the way he held himself. 

Yin Yu smiled at the man in the reflection, and the man smiled back. 

#yin yu #quan yizhen #quanyin #tgcf #tian guan ci fu #heaven officials blessing #tgcf fic #writing

[the-l-spacer]

Chapter 1 Chapter 2

Last chapter! In which dinner concludes, and Madeleine's family takes him aside for a little chat regarding one coffee mage

-

Espresso is not the first Madeleine has brought to meet his family.

He’s not even the first since Madeleine’s time away from the Republic (Gingerbrave and his entourage had that honour). During his days in training, Madeleine’s time was split rather evenly across perfecting his physicality, deepening his devotion to the Divines, and of course, getting to know the other aspiring paladins training alongside him. 

He befriended many, inviting a good number to tour Mansion Madeleine and enjoy his family’s hospitality. A few, he even introduced as ‘boyfriend’ (and in one case, ‘girlfriend’, though they mutually decided a while later that neither was the other’s type), and sat back while his mother and aunts peppered them with questions, their intense scrutiny masked in friendly, get-to-know-you chatter.

Typically, his family would come to the mutual decision that the contender for their beloved heir’s affections was simply not good enough, and unworthy of being part of the family.

Their reasons ranged from the infinitesimal; less-than-perfect manners, or an unruly appearance, to more… significant shortcomings (at least, in their eyes). A cookie from too low a station, a cookie whose allegiance to the Divines was questionable. 

Still, it all tended to end the same way. Madeleine’s family taking him aside, and bemoaning that while that cookie was so smart, so talented, with such a bright future ahead, they just don’t quite see it lining up with your own.

Over the years, Madeleine learned to spot the signs, signalling that his family had come to a consensus on his partner, and were about to deliver an ultimatum.

When the clock chimes half past ten, his mother announces her intentions to retire for the night, and her words serve as an invisible cue for everyone to rise from their seats, signalling an end to their family dinner. Espresso collects his cloak, Aunt Helene neatly packs uneaten leftovers in a hamper for his boyfriend to take home, and somehow, Madeleine senses that such an ultimatum is sure to be delivered soon.

His trepidation only grows as they escort Espresso to the foyer, though he hides it admirably. He’s faced down villains and monsters armed with his shield and his smile. How much worse could confronting his family be?

He’s drawn out of his thoughts when he hears Espresso speak.

“I don’t typically enjoy social gatherings like this,” Espresso confesses impulsively, “but this evening was surprisingly pleasant. Thank you all, again.”

A chorus of ‘aww’s, and Madeleine can’t help the feeling of warmth that blossoms in his chest. 

“I’d say Madeleine… is rather lucky to have a family like yourselves. I- oof!” 

Before he can continue, he finds himself tackled in an embrace by Aunt Suzette, who squeezes him and presses kisses to both his cheeks. “Oh, you darling!” she exclaims, “I’d say Madeleine is lucky to have a boyfriend like you! Do come again soon, it was lovely to have you for more than a half hour.” 

The rest send him off in a similar fashion.

“Be sure to get enough rest,” Aunt Helene says between kisses, “you have such lovely eyes, it’s a shame to see them so tired all the time!”

“And remember that if the Institute of Thaumaturgy gives you any trouble, just say the word and I will march down there to give that Mulled Juice a piece of my mind.” Aunt Charlotte smiles. 

“I will certainly take note,” Espresso says. He firmly shakes the hand of Grand Madeleine, meeting her piercing gaze unflinchingly, then turns to Madeleine.

“Allow me to escort you home,” Madeleine grins and proffers his arm. “After all, it’s a knight’s duty to protect the citizens of the Republic from whatever evil may be lurking in the dark late at night! That is,” he turns to his family, “if you all do not mind my brief absence?”

Please say you do not mind, I’d like for the evening to end on a good note, rather than my family telling me once again that the cookie I brought home does not meet their expectations.

A brief, uncomfortable silence. His mother and aunts look at each other, and Grand Madeleine speaks. “It’s far too late for you two to be out, especially since Espresso’s lab is so close to the lower city. I will arrange for our hansom to take Espresso back to his home.”

“An… an excellent course of action, mother, “Madeleine concedes, his heart sinking. “I’ll wait with Espresso until the driver is ready.”

“Actually, Madeleine,” Aunt Charlotte says, “we would like to have a brief word with you.” 

“But Espresso-”

“I’ll be fine waiting a few minutes, Madeleine,” Espresso assures gently.

“We’ll be in the drawing room,” Aunt Suzette says, with an air of finality. She sweeps out of the foyer, his mother and the rest of his aunts in tow. 

“Very well, then.” Madeleine, like his aunts before him, kisses Espresso’s cheeks, though he lets his linger a tad longer, breathing in the scent of coffee and old parchment he’s come to associate with his boyfriend over their time together. “In case I do not see you later, I wanted to thank you now for coming tonight. You don’t know how much it means to me.” 

In response, Espresso tilts Madeleine’s chin downward, and kisses him. It’s a pity Madeleine is too nervous to enjoy it properly. 

“I think I do,” Espresso murmurs afterward, “now go talk to your family.”

-

The act of letting a cookie down gently is an art form mastered by House Madeleine over generations. 

Typically, the most tried and true method for breaking bad news is what Aunt Suzette likes to term ‘the compliment ice cream sandwich’, with said news being cushioned in between layers of good wishes and kind words.

The first layer of the proverbial ice cream sandwich takes the form of, well, the entire evening leading up to this point. His family’s hearty welcome of their guest, their endless hospitality, rapt attention to Espresso stories, and genuine kindness that makes Madeleine almost believe that his aunties have adopted Espresso into the family.

Almost.

Then, inevitably, the other shoe drops, and Madeleine has to choose between his family and his beau.

As a younger cookie, Madeleine had simply accepted his family’s habit of overseeing his love life. After all, they were only looking out for him, keeping what was best for him in mind and at heart, as they had been since he was a child. How could they let Madeleine, the sole scion of their noble house, promise himself to anyone less than absolutely perfect?

But things are different, now.

He marches into the drawing room. The wide, airy windows are open, letting in the evening breeze that makes the white, airy curtains flutter gently. He resolutely looks everywhere but at his family, who have taken up seats in the room’s various plush armchairs and couches. 

He’s never had the most pleasant of associations with this particular drawing room, his family reserving it for difficult conversations. It was where they discussed the friends and boyfriends his aunts did not approve of. Where his aunts explained the reason why his mother was so distant from him in the first few years of his life, leaving the three of them to raise him in her stead. Where he announced his decision to take up the quest for the Legendary Soul Jam, amid his family’s protestations.

Despite their wishes for him to stay in the Republic, he had stood firm, just as he’s planning to now.

“Madeleine Cookie, I thought we raised you better than this.” Aunt Suzette speaks up first, in a tone so unlike her usual cheer that Madeleine’s gaze is immediately rooted to hers

His heart pounds. “Aunties, mother, I know that Espresso is not the cookie you had hoped I’d-”

“How could you treat Espresso in such a manner?”

Wait, what?

“Aunt Suzette,” Madeleine begins speaking, even though he has no idea of his next words. 

“Don’t you see how hard that mage works? Tell me, when was the last time he had a good night’s rest?” This time, it’s Aunt Helene who interjects, her curls framing her expression, set in a hard, disapproving frown. 

His previous arguments thrown out of the window, Madeleine has the distinct feeling of being a child who had done something very, very wrong. “I, I’m not entirely sure, he must have rested at least… two days prior?”

“You don’t even know,” Aunt Charlotte says with a disappointed sigh that’s somehow more damning than the ire of Aunts Suzette and Helene. “Well, did you at least know that he was being overworked by that Institute of his?”

“Espresso overworks himself,” Madeleine can’t help from countering, “the Institute of Thaumaturgy simply provides him with the materials and assistants needed to expedite his research!” 

“And yet,” his mother says from her perch on an overstuffed wing chair, “he looks so tired, and so thin. That boy seemed to have his mind on other matters all night, which must mean he has many stressors in his life. Are you one of them?”

The picture is starting to clarify for Madeleine. “Are you… are you all implying I am not taking good enough care of Espresso?” he squawks, colour rising to his cheeks when his indignant voice jumps an octave. “Because I’ll have you know that the very reason he’d taken so long to warm up to me was my insistence on ensuring he got enough rest, and more food than just coffee and leftover jelly stew!”

“Evidently you weren’t insistent enough,” Aunt Helene huffs. “Don’t you remember how I hand fed you your vegetable jellies for years because you just refused to eat anything with a stem?”

As a matter of fact, he doesn’t remember, but Madeleine isn’t about to contradict her. “Espresso is hardly a child, and I’m being respectful by giving him the space to live his life the way he wants!” 

“Even if that life is an unsustainable one?” his mother intones. 

“It’s hardly…” Madeleine trails off briefly. It’s a rather sore point for him that Espresso remains determined to do anything in the name of furthering the field of Coffee Magic, his own health be damned. The mage is fiercely self-reliant, even the simple act of coaxing him to depend on his assistants and fellow researchers, allowing himself some time away from the laboratory, had taken weeks of persuasion and compromise. Even with small steps in the right direction, Madeleine cannot bring himself to say that Espresso’s situation is ideal. 

Taking his silence as an answer, Aunt Suzette tuts. “That’s what I thought. And after all that poor boy has been through, how could you let him continually push himself like that?”

Keeping up with his family’s sudden accusations feels rather like trying to hang on to a bar of soap in the shower, and Madeleine desperately tries to wrest matters back under his control. “As I said, Espresso is more than capable of taking care of himself,” he says firmly, “and would certainly not appreciate being spoken about otherwise. That I’ve learned personally. And besides.” Now it is his turn to regard his family curiously. “What is it with all this talk about me not being a proper partner to Espresso? Typically, when we have discussions like this one, things tend to go the other way around.” 

“Nonsense,” Aunt Suzette protests.

“For once, I’m in agreement with Suzette,” Aunt Helene says, “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Surely you jest!” In disbelief, Madeleine runs a hand through his hair a little harder than necessary. “What of Honore, or Calisson Cookie? You told me that they did not have my best interests in mind.”

“It’s true,” his mother dismisses, “I saw the way those boys looked at you, as if calculating how much you were worth to them. They did not deserve your time and attention.”

“Then you see Espresso as different from the others!” At the realisation, Madeleine has to fight the smile creeping on his face. “You… you all really like Espresso, don’t you mother? Aunties?”

Madeleine remembers seeing the look Aunt Charlotte levels at him on her face when talking to particularly slow chess partners and functionaries. “Did it take you this long to realise, dear?”

The wind taken out of him, Madeleine lets himself slump into the fainting couch behind him. “It’s not like you’ve ever approved of my previous beaus before,” he mutters, feeling a little foolish.

“Frankly, your taste in boyfriends left something to be desired,” Aunt Helene says.

Aunt Suzette swats at her sister. “You were just a teenager back then,” she reassures, “and you tended to go for a cookie’s looks before everything else.”

“But you told me that looks are everything!” Madeleine protests.

“They are, but that’s just one part of it,” Aunt Charlotte raises a conciliatory hand. “House Madeleine would not have lasted as long as it has if it was run by handsome idiots, now would it?”

“We’ve seen too many noble houses run themselves into the ground because some descendant or other made one too many poor decisions,” Aunt Suzette adds.

Grand Madeleine’s words are barely audible. “House Scone is one example. A shame, what happened to them.”

“I suppose that’s true,” Madeleine admits, “but what of myself? I’m, as you said it, rather a handsome idiot.”

“Don’t you dare say that about yourself!” Aunt Suzette exclaims. “I will hear none of it!” 

“It’s true! Compared to Espresso, I’m just a dashing paladin capable of swinging his sword around.” Months ago, Madeleine would have been appalled at his own words. It’s funny how travelling, meeting cookies both Ancient and just plain heroic, can put things into perspective. 

“Could an incapable paladin have saved the Republic from the soul jam shard that threatened to destroy it?”

“Or command his own legion of Creme Knights?”

“Or represent the Republic in the Council of Heroes?”

“Aunties, mother!” Madeleine cuts them off before they can continue. “I could not have done any of those deeds without help from others, and especially not without the help of Espresso Cookie.” 

“And before you left the Republic, would you have been able to admit that?” his mother asks.

“...No,” Madeleine says.

“There you have it,” she says. “The mark of a good paladin is being capable of putting aside your pride and admitting the help of others. Why else would so many turn to the Divines for aid?”

Madeleine lets out a breath. “You’re right, mother, as always.”

“Of course she is, she’s your mother,” Aunt Charlotte says, with an air of finality. “You’re most certainly not an idiot.”

“At least, not at the moment,” Aunt Helene can’t help adding. “I was severely against it at first, but it seems your time away from us has benefitted you greatly.” She crosses the span of the room to sit by his side. “You’ve grown so much, not just in stature, but as a paladin, and as a worthy heir of House Madeleine.”

“Thank you, Aunt Helene,” Madeleine smiles.

“And of course, it helps that in your time abroad, you were able to catch the eye of a cookie as sharp and intelligent as Espresso,” Aunt Suzette sighs contentedly.

Madeleine perks up. “So you do approve of him?”

“Of course we do!” His other two aunts take the remaining spots on the couch. 

“A pioneer of an entirely new form of magic, even an unorthodox one, is no one to be scoffed at,” Aunt Suzette says. 

Aunt Helene adds, “And good looking too, that can’t be discounted!”

“You picked a good one, Madeleine,” his mother reassures. “Now it’s just a matter of keeping him.”

“And as your family, we feel it our responsibility to tell you-” Aunt Helene turns to face him, and Madeleine inches back ever so slightly at her solemn expression.

“And we know that you are doing your best to take good care of him-” Aunt Charlotte leans in as well.

“But if we find out that you’ve caused that boy hurt or harm in any way-” Madeleine is pressed against the back of the couch now, his aunts looming over him.

“We are sure to have words more… significant than what you heard in our little parlay tonight,” Grand Madeleine concludes.

Madeleine is frozen to his seat, barely believing the words he’s hearing. “Are you all really… threatening me on Espresso’s behalf?”

For a millisecond (or maybe longer, Madeleine has the dim impression that time is dilating for him), no one speaks. A bead of sweat runs down Madeleine’s back, and he fights the urge to squirm under the combined glares of his family.

Then, Aunt Charlotte is the first to relent. “Of course we’re not threatening you, silly!” She leans back back and graces him with a smile. “We’re simply -”

“Looking for my best interests?” Madeleine tentatively interjects.

“Yours and Espresso’s,” Aunt Helene says, leaning back and giving his shoulder a warm squeeze. “Has anyone else given you a talking-to on his behalf?”

“I can’t say they have,” he confesses. 

Aunty Suzette nods wisely. “All the more reason to hear it from your family, then.”

Madeleine mentally runs down the (admittedly short) list of cookies that Espresso considers close. Latte, Eclair, Strawberry Crepe… no, Aunt Suzette is right. He’d very much rather be on the receiving end of the candy-shovel talk from his family.

He lets out a breath, and collects himself. “Rest assured that Espresso is safe with me. We may have our disagreements, but there is no cookie I trust more, aside from you all of course!’ he qualifies, “and while he’s not here to corroborate, I’d like to believe that he’d say the same of me.” 

“That’s our boy,” Aunt Charlotte says, to a chorus of nods and smiles. 

Finally satisfied, each having said their piece, House Madeleine rises to its feet and marches out of the drawing room. The clock chimes, marking the true conclusion to their evening. 

-

While his mother and aunts retreat to their respective chambers for the night, having said their ‘good night’s and ‘I love you’s, Madeleine emerges into an empty foyer. I suppose Espresso must have left while we were away, he notes with some level of disappointment. 

So, he returns to his room. Still bewildered by the turns the night had taken, he almost eschews changing out of his evening wear in favour of slumping into his plush, golden goose-feather bed. Yet, years of ingrained etiquette and discipline instilled in him by his family and the Creme Knights win out, and he begins the tedious process of undoing his cravat and the laces on his boots and shirt, unbuttoning his vest, and pulling his hair out of its ponytail.

Should I be offended that my family thinks I’ve been neglectful to Espresso? he muses as he untangles the golden mane that falls around his face, or simply relieved that they like him enough to question me so intensely about his wellbeing?

In the end, the question doesn’t require much thought. He had walked into the drawing room with a dozen arguments at the tip of his tongue as to why Espresso was worthy of House Madeleine’s time, even if he did not fit their typical picture of what his suitors should be like. His wit, intelligence, work ethic. His quiet affection and protectiveness over those who reminded him of himself. His utter disregard for Madeleine’s status, making him one of the only cookies who dares to question his behaviour, and push him to be more. 

“It seems those arguments were entirely unnecessary. They like him. They like him!” Grinning, he falls into bed.

Rather than a three-layer ice cream sandwich, with bad news being sandwiched in the middle, the evening had proceeded much in the fashion of one of those plays his aunts used to bring him to as a child. The first act, an introduction. The second act longer, his mother and aunts navigating the newcomer to the family. The third act the most complex, bringing previously unspoken matters to a head, even if not in the manner he’d expected. Then, the sweet and satisfying conclusion.

In Espresso’s absence, he pulls Mr. Snuggly II, a plush golden retriever Aunt Suzette had bought him shortly after the first had been lost, into his arms. This particular play may have concluded, but he can’t wait to see the next, and the next, and the one after that, with the cookie he loves the most.

#cookie run #espresseleine #not my best work ngl #but im glad its written!!! finally out of my head #not me writing a whole fic aroudn just. the one conversation

[melodyofthevoid]

Writing Wrap Up 2022

So... this year I want to take a bit of a different approach. The last 2 years I’ve wrapped up my writing by posting one from each month and thanking y’all for reading, which I thought about but then... it hit me. 

I haven’t really posted anywhere near half of what I’ve written this year. 

It’s a little insane to me, I’ve posted a shit ton these last 2 years, racked up an impressive word count for sure, but this year was. Different. For a few reasons. 

So this is just going to be me contemplating and examining how my writing has changed this year, if you’ll indulge me. 

Talking with a friend, the year itself stuck out to me. 2022. 3 years since I started writing at all. To keep the story brief, I wrote my first work on winter break back in 2019 at the behest of my bestie @/freshfruitforrottingvegetables (I’ve @’d them enough times crediting them for this) and posted it on ao3. I’ve pretty much been writing non-stop since. Invader Zim got me into writing, and the community I found there boosted me and gave me an absolutely incredible support system. 

But, other than the occasional reblog, this isn’t really a Zim blog anymore. I certainly don’t write about it as much, if ever. Now there’s a few reasons for that, not the least of which being almost 3 years is the longest I’ve had a fixation in a while. I’m amazed it held on as long as it did. Second was... I finished the royalty au. It’s almost hard to remember the beginning of this year but back in March, I posted the last chapter of “Isn’t it A Trial”, wrapping up the project I’d spent nearly two years trying to complete. My first big project. 

And it was done. 

There were a few other behind the scenes things that led to distancing from IZ from a writing standpoint but those aren’t really the point of this. 

For the first time since starting this journey, I was... on my own, so to speak. It was weird, scary at times even. Hell, I’m still very much adjusting to doing entirely OC work. The circle of people I’m posting to isn’t a huge thriving fandom, it’s just my mutuals, and those who’ve come to love the Ocean Idiots crew. I throw in some of my (and @/shmunter’s) ocs in as well, but that’s what I’ve been writing from y’all’s perspective. 

As I said, that’s not even a fraction of the stuff I’ve written in my own time that I don't post. Before, I was writing for an audience on some level. They were always stories I wanted to tell, but there was also the excitement of putting them in a pool of collaboration and community. That there were others. Now, these are my stories almost (really key word of almost, I’m not claiming sole ownership of anything) entirely. 

So I’ve had to adjust. I’m still adjusting. I’ve had a lot of days where writing had been a real uphill battle for me and I questioned the quality of my work. What does it mean now that I’m writing for a more narrow group? Is there a point to it? Am I less inspired now? How can I tell I’m growing or not? Can I tackle the scope of project I want to tackle next? Each time I think about it, it gets more and more daunting, overwhelming even. 

That one post about “Aww did you scare yourself out of doing a project” plays often in my mind. Very often. 

It’s going to be a weird year, even few years going forward. Graduation is on the horizon, with the prospect of maybe moving out and making it on my own from here on. I might move away, I might stay home. There’s a lot of unknowns and within that is what I’m going to do with my writing as well. It’s a part of me now without question, but what form will it take? Will I take? 

Much to consider.

So for this moment, I’m choosing to focus on celebrating the changes that have happened, the work I’ve done this year. The ways I’ve improved, the small leaps into different original ideas that I’ve had. I’ve had a ton of fun with making aus for just myself and like- one other person. I had a blast writing for my old DND characters too! There’s a lot to be proud of, and that’s what matters. 

I want to see what I can do, and I think sticking to some short stories while I shore up and figure out what to do with my bigger concepts might be where I go. Maybe not. Who knows. But at the end of the day, we’ll find out when we get there. Thank you, all of you, for your support, your comments, and your encouragement this year. It’s been a good one, for all its ups and downs. 

#melody rambles #my writing #(in case you want to peruse my wares lmao) #ngl part of this was I didn't entirely feel like going through and finding a piece for each month #and I'm still going back and forth as to what I want to do with a lot of my original things that don't have a particular mold or fit anywher #I want people to read them yeah #but post is... a mixed bag #so we'll see #maybe I'll start a thing/blog for writing on a different platform so it's just all writing #who's to say #thank you for reading this btw #the support and questions have meant a lot #I'm very lucky to have what I have #and I'm grateful every day for it

[midnightdemonhunter]

I don't if you consume a lot of this sort of content, but do you have any Mikan-centric recommendations? Specifically fanfics/things on AO3 so I can put them in my Mikan collection, but comics would be fine as well. I'm fine with any ship also—I specifically really want works that deal with either Mikan and Junko's relationships or Mikan's relationships with the rest of the remnants! But I'm pretty much fine with any Mikan content. I have a Mikan collection that needs more work! Though it's fine if you don't have anything to recommend, too; I'm not sure how big on reading fanfic you are versus writing it (her smile is the sun is one of my favorite fanfics ever btw). Just was wondering if you had any Mikan centric recommendations!

Ooooo thank you for the ask! I do in fact read a lot of fanfic, and there have been many times where I've gone out of my way to find Remnant or post canon sdr2 fics, so I do have some in mind!! (And thank you for the compliment!! I'm delighted to hear my fic stands out to you!!) Here's some Mikan recs:

The Lion's Den - Chapter 1 - Arcawolf - Dangan Ronpa [Archive of Our Own]

Okay so this fic is LONG, and it’s Makoto-centric, since it's 90% his pov in an au where he’s kidnapped by Remnant Komaeda in the middle of Despair Era. However Mikan’s dynamic with Makoto and the other remnants is a prominent feature, and I remember really enjoying her in this fic!

Kayleen756894 | Archive of Our Own

I’m just linking the author here since literally all their danganronpa fics are about Mikan and Junko lol. Might not be your thing if you’re looking for a darker, canon-compliant exploration of Mikan and Junko relationship, since all their fics are non-abusive Junkan, but I do love their writing style, and their fics are really fun! I’d recommend giving them a shot!

Okay it’s been a while since I read this one BUT I love all of op’s danganronpa works, and so I trust it completely! It’s post canon, and focuses on a still despair-filled Mikan’s recovery with the help of her classmates! So exploration of both Mikan’s relationships with them and Junko!

There's Something Wrong With Mikan Tsumiki - Chapter 1 - RedPen - Super Dangan Ronpa 2 [Archive of Our Own]

Obligatory ‘There’s something wrong with Mikan Tsumuki’ rec because all of Redpen’s remnant fics are SO good and everyone needs to read all of them. Premise is that after Hajime also gets Despair Disease, Fuyuhiko stays at the hospital overnight instead, and tries to prevent any murders! This is mostly Fuyuhiko’s pov but one of the chapters IS Mikan's pov and I just love her perspective and general creepiness in this!

Also obligatory rec of one of my own fics! Each chapter is a different direction specific remnants could have gone in! Mikan features a lot in the first chapter, and chapter 6 is fully a Mikan chapter, with the concept of her having birthed Junko’s child during the apocalypse! It focuses a lot on her dynamics with Hajime and Izuru during and post Despair Era, and I really enjoyed writing it!

Another one of mine whoops, but this is basically the funeral the About-to-become-Remnants give to Junko, and Mikan is a pretty noticeable figure in it!

Took me forever to find this fic again but this is one of my absolute fav Mikan oneshots!! It’s post canon, and concentrates on her dynamic with Komaeda and her former relationship with Junko. Really love how op tackles her own self-hate, and her continuous struggles with escaping Despair.

Anyway, that's all I can remember for now, but anyone can feel free to add more recs in reblogs or comments! I'm always happy to add to my repertoire of Remnant related fics :)

#danganronpa #sdr2 #mikan tsumuki #remnants of despair #fic rec #midnight speaks #This was a fun challenge!! #honestly i'd love to do just one big rec list for remnant/post-remnant fics because GOD have i gone down that rabbit hole many times #the lesson here is read Redpen. #gotta say there were several fics i wanted to rec that just. are generally good remnant fics but i did my best to stick to fics where mikan #at least has a very prominent role! #realizing most of these aren't fics solely about junkan....man. i loveee thinking about that fucked up dynamic honestly its shocking i cant #think of more ive read. maybe ll remember some later hm... #hope this helps anon :) Thanks again!

[birdkeeperklink]

✨2022 Writing Year In Review✨

I was tagged by @lassiesspanishaccent! Thanks, Swattie! 💖

1. Number of stories posted to AO3: 11

2. Word count posted for the year: 76,818

3. Fandoms I wrote for: Psych and Gods of Egypt

4. Pairings: Shawn Spencer/Carlton Lassiter, Horus/Bek

5. Story with the most:

- Kudos: Complementary Souls (382)

- Bookmarks: Complementary Souls (107)

- Comments: DoMaystic Shassie (79)

6. Work I’m most proud of (and why):

“DoMaystic Shassie” because it was the first time I’d ever tackled one of those month-long challenges and actually followed through on it.

7. Work I’m least proud of (and why):

“Never Be the Same.” It just didn’t come out the way I hoped it would.

8. Share or describe a favorite review you received:

Oh, dear, I have so many favorites - so many people say so many lovely things 😭💖 But I guess, for recent ones, I’ll have to go with this one -

“This was super sweet, I loved when the dwarves realized WHY Bilbo complains so much, and their reactions when he started complaining again were adorable.  I loved this, loved how they all came together to make sure their Hobbit was all right!  Thanks for sharing!”

It was left on a story I’ll always have a soft spot for, and it always makes my day on the occasions when a comment is left on it. It reminds me that people are still reading those older works and enjoying them, which is a reminder I really need quite often.

9. A time when writing was really, really hard:

Mmm, September through December? 😂 This past semester really kicked my ass, mostly because one of my classes wasn’t offered online, so I ended up driving a ton and it sapped my time and energy.

10. A scene or character you wrote that surprised you:

It’s not a scene, but a whole story 😂 “5 Times Shawn Called Carlton ‘Babygirl’ + 1 Time Carlton Didn’t Freak Out About It” surprised me because I don’t usually liked 5+1 stories, with very, very rare exceptions, so I really never expected to have an idea to write one of my own.

11. A favorite excerpt of your writing:

<<The teens bolted, slipping and sliding in the snow. Carlton watched them go with satisfaction, partly just for the joy of it and partly to see that they really did stick to the trail, heading back towards the lodge, and didn’t turn off into the trees.

It was a mistake, though, because he’d forgotten that there were more than just two hooligans out here.

He yelled, flailing, and stamped around, wriggling to try to get the cold out of the back of his shirt! Specifically, his neck, and oh, God, it was going down his back now, and —

Carlton went still, whirling to glare at Spencer, who was laughing. He’d just stuffed snow down the back of Carlton’s shirt and he was laughing.

“Oh, you son of a —”

Ordinarily, he’d try to strangle Spencer, but today, he had a snowball in his hand.>>

From “Coffee on the Snow,” which I suppose was technically 2021, but I’m counting it in 2022 because AO3 does and I’m lazy, lol

12. How did you grow as a writer this year:

I don’t feel like I did, really. Sounds like a bummer downer answer, but what can you do 🤷‍♀️

13. How do you hope to grow next year:

I hope to learn to let go of what other people think and just write what I want. I’ve always known that intellectually, but I have a really hard time taking it to heart, so I’d like that if I could develop that skill more permanently next year, rather than just having waves of not caring followed by long periods of insecurity.

14. Who was your greatest positive influence this year as a writer (could be another writer or beta or cheerleader or muse etc etc):

Oh, without a doubt Swattie and my bestie - those two are beacons of light.  I know Swattie is always there for everyone and always has an encouraging word, and it’s amazing.  My bestie, of course, is my bff and even has kind words for me when I write about shows or characters she doesn’t like. 💖

15. Anything from your real life show up in your writing this year:

Not that I recall. If it did, it was a tiny throwaway bit, like something I was eating at that moment, lol

16. Any new wisdom you can share with other writers:

You don’t have to take every bit of criticism into consideration.  If someone offers you “advice” and you didn’t ask for it, it’s okay to ignore it.  If someone offers you advice and you did ask for it, it’s still okay to ignore it.  Sometimes it’s personal preferences clashing and sometimes the other person doesn’t understand what you’re trying to do - that’s okay, and you don’t have to pay it any mind if you don’t want to.

17. Any projects you’re looking forward to starting (or finishing) in the new year:

I have a short Elementary fic I’m working on that I’d love to finish very soon, I’m collaborating with my bff on a Bagginshield fic that will remain between the two of us and I’m excited for that, and I went back to a really old Buffy fic that I’m really excited to rework into a second draft, even though absolutely no one else will ever want to read it but me.  Other than that, who knows?  I’m giving myself a break from deadlines and expectations this year, since college has plenty of those, and am just writing whatever I feel excited about in the moment, without guilt.

18. Tag some writers whose answers you’d like to read.

Oh, let’s see.... @stevviefox @asublimehimbo @lenievi and...I feel bad, but I can’t remember who’s already been tagged for one of these and who hasn’t among the writers in my mutuals, so...if you haven’t already been tagged and you see this and want to do it, then I’m tagging you. Although no pressure even to the three people I did tag 😅

#tag game #year in review #writing #ao3 #archive of our own

[arrjaysketch]

Future Plans! (September Update)

COMMISSIONS (UPDATE) I presently have no idea when I’ll open for commissions at this point! I really want to tackle personal projects first. REFERENCE SHEETS Presently, I have seven male characters left to do for this round! The characters are Graphite Doodles my unicorn stallion, Chris the mouse, Evan the rabbit, Kyle my red fox, Gabriel the squirrel, Trevor Dawson my wolf, and Bud Blaze, my MLP earth pony! There will be more coming at some future point; I really want to establish my characters! Having references available has been really helpful! It takes about two weeks to finish these reference sheets. Sometimes I can finish them earlier; I’m hoping to finish these by the end of 2023! TRADES & GIFT ART I’m thinking about doing gift art and trades sometime in 2024! I don’t have a set date in mind; I mostly want to work on some personal projects first and then see how I feel!  EXPRESSION PROJECT Something I’ve been wanting to do for a long time is a better version of the 25 Expression Challenge. I’ve done a few challenges a long time ago, and I know I’ve done one recently-ish with Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. BUT! I haven’t done one when I’ve had this much self-esteem, self-compassion, and self-efficacy! Like, I feel like I could push myself well beyond what I’ve done before! I’m making a 100 Expression Challenge! You all are in for a treat! I might work on this at the same time as Tremmie and Evan series! TREMMIE & EVAN SERIES While I’m working on the 100 Expression Challenge, I want to dive into a passion project I’ve been wanting to start for 15 YEARS. I’m going to have a Tremmie and Evan sex romp series/comic! It’s going to be everything from sweet, silly, to hot and heavy and gooey! I want to give myself a fun challenge, and I think y’all would love it as much as I do! SOFT SHADING I’m also planning on dinking around with soft shading in 2024! I think I could make my art really pop with some quality shading and lighting! POSSIBLY SELLING SOME OLD CHARACTERS AS ADOPTABLES I am thinking of selling some characters as adoptables! There are 13 characters of mine that I'm never going to draw again, and I’m not going to combine them nor redesign them. I was thinking of making a ref sheet for each and selling the characters! The characters are: Callisto the skadger (skunk badger (spoken for), Sheila the Ringtail, Helen the spotted skunk, Heather the hedgevixen, Mindy the otter, Shazzy the felox (feline/fox), Brook the swift fox, Yasmine the red fox, Jessica/Jessie the arctic fox, Ian the whitetail buck, Liam the jackal, Nemo the snow leopard) and Natalia (striped skunk, formerly Natasha, and unrelated to Jim Hardimans’s Natasha),Todd Vickson, the [undecided] fox. I was also thinking I’d probably due ¾ front view and ¼ back view, and 1 fully clothed view, instead of the 5 views I’m doing for my own characters. I’m thinking I’ll do this sometime much later in 2024. FUTURE REFERENCE SHEETS (LATE 2023) I realized that there are also characters I wish to keep! There are 10 characters in addition to the above that I want to do ref sheets for. Some are my wife Mistletoe's characters! She's not involved with the fandom anymore, but we fully support each other's interests! She sees how happy my characters make me and still likes furry and MLP art! (The characters are: Betsy, the arctic wolf (may change her name), Celeste the genet, Holly Graham, the red Scottish vixen, Josh the striped skunk, Marissa the mouse, Miriam the mouse (thinking of a new design!), Mistletoe the snowshoe hare, Rose Bunny the arctic hare, Josh, the striped skunk, and possibly bringing back Tremaine, but as a simple red fox, not a hedgefox). This will probably be late 2024. POSSIBLE ART PACKS: Instead of a printed portfolio (10 images printed on cardstock with a cardstock cover), I was thinking of doing two art packs I’d sell online! Printing, shipping, and storing physical merch is a huge pain, so I figure I’d sell it online! II am thinking of Poking At Vixens 4: Revisiting The Classics and Poking at Vixens 5: Vixens Poke Back! FUTURE CHARACTER SERIES IDEAS! In no particular order with no set date, yet! How Sherri the negaskunk met Kyle the fox Kyle being seduced by Cindy the kitsune Evan and Bridget  Chris and Andrea Bridget and Andrea Chris and Evan A very soft, sweet, and steamy series involving Bud Blaze the stallion being very attentive to Boninie the cow gal! Sherri introducing Kyle to Bridget and Andrea PONIES I still love My Little Pony a whole danged lot! I’m absolutely expecting to draw more ponies from here until the end of time! I’ve been into ponies (1984) way longer than furry fandom (1996); I still love both fandoms a whole lot! I want to do art ranging from general audiences to smutty!  HUMANS Re-uploading my old art on my Tremaine account back in 2018 made me realize how much I missed drawing humans! There are a bunch of artists whose humans really inspire me, and I absolutely want to practice drawing them! Once I feel I’ve got some decent progress made I’ll share some art! LEARNING NEW STUFF And, of course, I’m hoping to keep learning new things all the time! Goodness knows I’ve already learned so much since I started back on this path in May! Self-esteem, self-compassion, and self-efficacy have helped me a great deal in learning to take constructive criticism better, as well as learning to self-criticize with the aim of improving my art! I feel like as long as I make “having fun” a priority, everything else is so much easier! DISCORD SERVER (MAYBE, EVENTUALLY, BUT NOT RIGHT NOW) Definitely not at this time, but it’s something I’ll consider for the future! I’d like to be more active art-wise and grow my community significantly more before I go that route! STREAMING! I am also planning on streaming eventually. My real concern is being able to split my attention between drawing and a chat! I think I’ll start after I’m done with my initial round of character reference sheets! I do want to watch more streams, too, but I still have the same problem! I pretty much ignore the stream to focus on my own art. I feel like this is a thing I’ll need to jump into and play by ear, so to say!

Posted using PostyBirb

#status #status update #update #future plans #plans

[allthingsfook]

Hi there!! Not sure if you are still doing ships but if you are could i please have one??

My name is Shae i am 22 years old and a virgo (Sagittarius Moon Rising if that is of any use). I have green/grey? eyes and auburn-ish curly hair (ish because it only looks red in the sun) and i’m about 5’3. I have been told that i am an extremely loyal person and that i am hilarious and should be a comedian. I am very opinionated and am also not afraid to call people out when i see fit and that has gotten me in trouble a couple of times but i’d rather let someone know when i am not happy than just suck it up to make the other person comfortable (lets just say you don’t want to get on my bad side).I am an extremely creative person i love to paint and sculpt and do anything hands on. I danced for 18 years, 15 of them competitively and could have made a career out of it if i wanted to. I can sing as well as play a few instruments (did violin for 3 years, learned the basics of ukulele, i kinda know guitar? But I haven’t touched it in years so who knows how i am at it now). I have worked with animals before and loved it so much i am trying to get into the animal course in my state so i can continue to do so. I am a HUGE nerd especially for anything to do with pop culture, history and Mythology and i love anything nostalgic. I’m a huge thrifter and i love any old type of media (vhs tapes,cameras, things of that sort) i also love to explore new places and love a good bushwalk. I am known in my friend group for being cow obsessed (to the point that if my friends are on a roadtrip and see a cow they will send me a pic) and for being full of a wide range of knowledge that even I don’t understand where it comes from. I think that’s enough info and Idk how to end this so bye

Hi Shae, yes you may! I ship you with…

Sam 🤍🌅🧡

Sammy is definitely a goober, he needs to be with someone who can take and give a joke! Being with him is sorta like living at a comedy show, nothing is mundane. With that being said, Sammy does have a serious, intellectual side. He often gets labeled as the class clown, but I am sure that he can be your rock when you need it.

Another characteristic you both share is being honest to a fault! Your honesty and strong views would capture Sam’s attention from the very beginning and remain his favorite quality about you. Sam is certainly attracted to those that march to their own drum. Sounds like you fill those shoes!

Your artistic side would create quality time between the two of you. He’d love tackling an art project on a Sunday afternoon. Imagine setting up a craft station in the backyard and spending the day painting and sculpting, listening to music and sipping wine!

Sammy would certainly encourage you to exercise your inner musician. He’d set you up with all sorts of instruments, encouraging you through this at home lessons 🤭 Although his methods may seem scatterbrained, you’d slowly realize they are effective when you practice while he’s away.

As we all know, Sam is passionate about wildlife and animals. He’d support you in any way to get into the animal course! Through your adventure with that, I could see him tagging along to events that include petting, feeding, and snuggling animals 😆 He’d beg to bring home an impractical animal and convince you that he could make it work!

Sam is the definition of nerd. Imagine laying in bed when he brings up the most random topic, then you lay there for hours on end… discussing your thoughts, feelings, and ambitions 🤍 Thrifting right up his alley ✅ Media… Photograohy, yup ✅ I see he’s been walking around with a vintage camera lately. So sweet to think Joe inspired him to document his creative vision. I’d love to see the film he gets developed. With you, no doubt he’d end up with rolls filled with candids of your beautiful face 💗

I hope you enjoyed your ship, Shae!!! Let me know what you think ✨✨

#greta van fleet #gvf #gvf ships #gvf imagine #greta van fluff #sam kiskza #sam gvf #samuel francis kiszka

[swolesome]

First of all, just wanna say I absolutely adore the work you’re doing on YouTube. It’s so fucking good. You explain masculinity issues so well and witch such empathy. I fucking love it. As both an ace man and a hyper-empathetic and emotional one, my own relationship with masculinity has always been a very subversive one, but your videos help educate folks like me just as much as the folks who have bought into the toxic patriarchal gender norms assigned to boys and men.

Now for my question

What do you think are some of the most underrated examinations of masculinity?

There’s really popular ones like Breaking Bad and How to Train Your Dragon, but what’s a story that deals with masculinity really well that deserves more attention?

For me, I’d say RWBY. One of the major male characters starts out trying to be a heroic macho man but slowly learns to accept a role as support, and the entire show is very critical of the “Lone Hero making the hard choices” kind of thing we’re so used to and that’s usually very intertwined with male power fantasies

There’s even a character who becomes a villain because he’s so convinced he’s the Lone Hero who will Do What Needs To Be Done and he refuses to process his emotions or trauma, so he ends up being played like a violin.

That is so wonderful to hear, thank you so much for saying that! I love hearing from everyone about their perspectives, but it's especially motivating to hear from empathetic men who feel seen and empowered by the topics I tackle. I also love this question, and I'm not gonna lie, I had to sit on it for a long while and think about my answer. Speckle from Tuca and Bertie is one example who came to mind, though maybe that's a little too on-the-nose. The show obviously tackles a lot of oppositional sexism, and deals with some pretty heavy themes where patriarchal masculinity is concerned. I think Speckle is such a wildly important character specifically because he counters the negative representations of manhood by providing an example of a positive archetype. The fact that he isn't perfect helps in this representation. He's a regular person, he's flawed, he has his struggles, he misses the mark sometimes; but he acts from a place of love, he communicates his feelings, and he demonstrates a lot of emotional awareness and security. I think this deserves more focus because Tuca and Bertie has a lot of feminist themes, and it exemplifies the essential role that healthy masculinity and male expression plays in deconstructing patriarchy. Another example that I think gets overlooked is the EMH from Voyager. He quite literally goes at odds with his programming, both by developing skills outside of it, and by being confronted with the way it can affect his behaviour when he doesn't want it to. I think there's a really helpful reading of masculinity to be found in this; the way a lot of expressions of what it is to be a healthy, well-rounded person mean confronting our "programming" and addressing when we don't have the skills (or subroutines, as it were) to accomplish our goals and meet social needs. I have a project planned for the future that uses him as an example of male grief in media, and I'm excited to get more into his character and what he represents on that front. Lastly, Dr. Nerdlove has a fantastic video discussing the understated positive masculinity of two specific characters in Letterkenny that I adore, so I'll link that too in case you haven't seen it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AS6B8zEssuU

[basedkikuenjoyer]

2022 was certainly a year, and will always be for me a year I occupied some of my free time with an odd little obsessive journey. Taking a closer look at every panel of Okiku in One Piece. Idea being...she does a lot of fun subtle stuff. We’ve talked about folklore, world lit, connections with the rest of Wano and broader series, and all kinds of fun little references. We’ve come back from the from the brink of death together, saved a nation, lost a brother, and taken a nice relaxing bath before blowing off that battle people who are about to leave need to stay away from. I sure hope we see more Okikus along the way, but for the time being these are the 10 y’all liked best. 

Under the cut I figured I’d go back and reflect, but first...I’ve had a lot of fun with this. Been an anime fan for like, 20 years now but never had my own little fandom project. Kiku’s special for me; already felt Robin was such a good personal tie but my god does something about a melodramatic prim and proper lady who somehow ended up like that despite a childhood keeping up with a bunch of brother figures resonate.

I love that my favorite is still #1. Spear tackling Kin is just...everything. Especially since we really do not see Kiku lose her composure that often in any circumstance. That was such a clean little early twist too. Just when you think the weird new girl’s going to bow out for a bit she pops back in making herself way more interesting. It’s also a great start to this running theme for her; the first time we see her with another Akazaya she’s putting that childish side on full display. It is kinda odd at the time, right? We’re used to Kin’emon being a major goof and before this Kiku’s been bubbly but incredibly mature. If each Act is a kishotenketsu plot, this right here is the biggest ten, or Yama. 

Then in second is the other big one. Rising from a brutal injury. Think this one got a boost from the observation about Kin/Izo’s faces, it being the only time any of them use her full name. But you know...talking faces always kicked myself a little for not mentioning Kiku’s. Girl’s coming off pretty cocky during this segment! 

Then...gonna be honest I’ve always been a little shocked about the one of Tsuru throttling Tama ending up #3. Early installment bonus helps and it seems like being a Kiku fan trends with stanning Tsuru. But it’s the early one people really dig. Don’t get me wrong, it’s hilarious. Here’s a thought I had later; initially I said how many times has Kiku seen this type of behavior out of Tsuru? No no no...Kiku’s probably been in Tama’s position getting throttled for being too humble and refusing food hasn’t she? Think a younger Tsuru ever dual wielded the siblings?

Thought it was cute to have a four-way tie for fourth. The three in red and the one of Izo’s grand entrance. Couple of weird ones, the innocuous Law one probably up here for being #100. Sanji, good memorable Akazaya panels. Seems we really enjoy ripping on Sanji here. So with Izo...was he like, perched up there waiting for Usopp to finish his speech? We’ve established these siblings understand the value of dramatic timing. 

“DAIMYO!!” Is a classic Akazaya moment, though I like the procession more. And of course...the bath. Like, I’d be upset with y’all if the bath wasn’t on here. 1052 was a highlight of Wano for me. Didn’t really think about this as much before, but it’s interesting to see that shame motif quietly work it’s way in. We know that’s a pretty serious feeling to this group. 

#one piece #okiku #every okiku

[nctzenkane]

Nctzen Kane presents... the top 10 Kpop Songs of 2022!!!

This year was insanely good musically, so it was really difficult to narrow it down to just ten fantastic songs.  If your fave didn’t end up here... then make your own list, what do you think this is?

Anyway, without further dudes...

NUMBER TEN: FOREVER 1- GIRL’S GENERATION

 This song feels like a wish come true. It’s not the most complex or interesting song out there, but it deserves its spot on this list just for the fact that we got a full group comeback from the one and only SNSD in the year of the goddess Hylia 2022.  I love the vibes of it, it puts me in a great mood, and that’s enough for it to be on here

 NUMBER NINE: VENOM- STRAY KIDS

 All I need to say to justify this one is… pewpewpew

 But seriously, this song’s beat is so SKZ that it’s INSANE. Like disgustingly addictive, springy sound that perfectly encapsulates the feel of a spider’s legs. It’s so fucking *chef’s kiss*. Of all the songs on the Oddinary album, this one really tickles my brain just the right way. However, there is one other song on the album that works just a tiny bit better…

 NUMBER EIGHT: MANIAC- STRAY KIDS

 And that’s Maniac.  All the disparate pieces of this song coalesce in a way that is just so perfect. I’ve always loved the way SKZ utilizes Felix’s unique voice, and the chorus of Maniac is the perfect example of that. It’s an absolute bop, and the superior track on an album with no skips

 NUMBER SEVEN: OPENING SEQUENCE- TXT

 I love TXT. I love everything about them so much. But what I didn’t love, was Good Boy Gone Bad. It pained me to admit that when the track dropped, so imagine my delight when I started listening to the album and I heard this absolute gem.  I love the atmosphere of this song so much, and TXT is incredibly skilled at capturing feelings of discomfort and desolation in their music, and those feelings fit the lyrical content perfectly

 NUMBER SIX: I HATE YOU- WOODZ

 The pop punk trend in kpop is one of the best things to happen to the genre in years, and in my opinion, there’s no one better suited to capture it than Woodz.  In the past I’ve described Woodz as something of a musical chameleon; able to tackle any genre and absolutely kill it.  He captures the carefree “fuck you” vibes of early 2000s pop punk effortlessly, and I’d love to hear more of this sound from him in the future

 NUMBER FIVE: 28 REASONS- SEULGI

 Seulgi as a dark, sensual, domineering badass? Yes. Very yes.

 Jokes aside, Seulgi absolutely murdered this concept both visually and musically.  I’m not sure if it was meant to be a throwback, but it definitely reminds me of something Aaliyah would’ve released in the late 90s. This was a strong solo debut for one of kpop’s most high profile aces, and I really can’t wait to see what she’ll do next

  NUMBER FOUR: CYBERPUNK- ATEEZ

 This song is why I love ATEEZ as much as I do. This shit hits you like a wall of unstoppable sound the moment the chorus kicks off, and it’s the type of sonic euphoria that I’ve been desperately missing with 4th gen groups. It’s no secret that this generation has pivoted more towards choreography and elaborate concepts, and away from killer vocals like 2nd and 3rd gen.  That’s not necessarily a bad thing mind you, but ATEEZ proves why having killer vocals is such an asset.  I love every second of this one start to finish, and uh… let’s just say those concert stages were iconic *wink wink*

 NUMBER THREE: TIME LAPSE- NCT 127

 I mean it when I say that the 2 Baddies album might be NCT 127’s best one yet.  Almost every song is phenomenal, but none more so than Time Lapse.  I love the attention to detail; the computerized/digitized sounds at the beginning, and the old Hollywood style music sting at the end really tie in well with the concept of ‘time’, and the fucking CHORUS. Every czennie has been bumping “can we fix it?!” for MONTHS.  It was hard for me to pick a single song from this album, but after some thought, I knew it just had to be this one

 NUMBER TWO: BEGIN- ONLYONEOF’S YOOJUNG

 OnlyOneOf’s “UndergrOund IdOl” project has been one of the best things to ever happen in the history of kpop.  What really endears me to it is not just its unflinching depictions of explicit queerness (no teasing or implication here) but also the fact that the music is ACTUALLY GOOD.  Not gonna say any names (not looking to insult people here) but we shouldn’t have to sacrifice musical quality just to have some queer rep in the industry.  Of all the releases so far though, I think the one that kicked it off is still the best.  There’s just something magical about Begin; I’m not sure if its his delivery of the lyrics, the mellow energy of the track that builds to a satisfying climax, or just the relatability of the single line “hate this city” as a queer person.  Whatever it is makes Begin such a perfect song, and so far its yet to be topped by the rest of the series in my opinion

 HONORABLE MENTIONS (IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER)

 -The rest of the UndergrOund IdOl series (Be Mine, Be Free, Because, and Beat)- OnlyOneOf

-Gold Rush- NCT 127

-Birthday- Ten

-Limbo- Jun

-Pose- Kino

-Gasoline- Key

-Hair Cut- Xdinary Heroes

-Taste- Stray Kids Danceracha

-3racha- Stray Kids 3racha

 NUMBER ONE: STRAWBERRY CAKE- XDINARY HEROES

 Yeah, if you know me, this is no surprise.  I’ve been a Villain since Happy Death Day, and this band just keeps getting better and better with every release.  I love their unique sound and their insane vocals are truly showcased on this track. The moment I heard this one, I knew it was gonna be my number one song of the year and as the months passed, nothing quite managed to dethrone it.  I can not fucking wait to see how the guys evolve as time goes on

#xdinary heroes #onlyoneof #NCT 127 #girl's generation #seulgi #red velvet #ateez #TXT #stray kids #Woodz

[renee-writer]

Loved Her First Chapter 1 The Stones

A/N @omgbarbiegurl came up with this brilliant idea. As she didn't wish to tackle it alone, I offered to write it with her. We are doing alternate chapters. This one is hers. 💙💙💙

AO3

Claire cuddled Faith closer to her as Jamie galloped down the road. 

She was so confused as to where they were going, Lallybroch was back the other way, she thought. 

Her confusion turned to fear when the sight of Craigh na Dun. He got off the horse, and helped her down. 

She shook her head and tried to run from him, but he held her arm firmly. 

“Ye must go Sassenach, this world is done, the battle already lost. Ye ken it.” 

“No!” 

At her shout, Faith starts to cry, Jamie takes her into his arms. “Shhh caileag bheag bhòidheach.” 

Claire didn’t brush away the tears that were falling. 

“At the witch trial at Cranesmuir; if I’d gone to the stake with Geillis, would you have left me?” 

Jamie rocked Faith side to side, she was starting to quiet now. 

“I would have gone to the stake with you, and to hell and beyond, if it had come to that.” He gave her his sweet half smile. “But I wasn’t carrying your child.” 

Claire felt her face fall. “You can’t tell that. It’s much too soon.” 

He moved closer to her, putting Faith into her limp arms. She tightened her grip on the baby, still in shock. 

“Sassenach, ye haven’t been a day late in your courses in all the time since ye first took me to yer bed. It’s been two months now.” 

“We are in the middle of a bloody fucking war, and you kept track?!” 

He pressed a kiss to her lips, and then to Faith’s head. 

“She, and this bairn is all that will be left of me...ever. I beg ye, Claire…”

“No, please Jamie, no.” 

She looks down at Faith’s red head. Her sweet little girl, born so early. She was so sure she would die, but between Mother Hildergard and Master Raymond, she lived. A precious gift to both of her parents. 

And now she was expected to take this precious thing that she shared with Jamie, and play happy family with Frank. 

“And how shall I explain all this...when I get back?” She sways Faith a little. 

“To Frank? That I leave to you. Tell him what you will about me. About us. It’s likely he’ll no want to hear. But if he does; tell him I’m grateful, tell him I trust him, and tell him I hate him to the marrow of his bones!” 

“Jamie, come with us!” 

“I canna come Sassenach, ye know this. My destiny is on the moor.” 

He pressed his lips to hers and then to Faith’s head. 

“Blood of my Blood.” 

Claire fought back her tears. “Bone of my Bone.” 

He reaches into his Sporran and pulls out a ring. “Give this to Bairn, when he is old enough.” 

“I’ll name him Brian, for your Father.” 

He gave her a small smile and tapped Faith’s cheek, making her giggle. 

“Young Miss, this is for ye.” 

He pulls out a gold locket with a diamond. Inside is a miniature of a Baby Jamie.

“Yer Grandmother Ellen painted this. It is a family legacy Faith Elizabeth, carry it well.” 

He places it around her neck and kisses her cheek. 

There is a distant echo of Cannon Fire. Jamie looks out over the hills, knowingly. 

“It has started, it is time for you two to go.” 

Claire sobbed as she pushed her backwards, Faith was starting to cry now, confused. 

“I love you, Jamie.”

“And I you.” 

And then they were gone. 

Claire woke up at the foot of the stones, clutching a crying Faith. Her 18th century garments were bedraggled and filthy, but they were both alive and whole. 

She hoped the 3rd member of their party was as well. 

She set Faith down for a moment to get to her feet, but baby completely fell to pieces, clutching her mother’s skirt, screaming at the top of her lungs, which made it impossible for Claire to get to her feet. 

“Faith! You have to calm down my love. Everything is fine!” 

For an almost 3-year-old, the baby had a grip like an adult. 

“Faith Elizabeth Fraser! You let go of me right now.” 

The firmness in her Mother’s voice made her start, and she really started to howl. 

“Jesus H Roosevelt Christ!” Tears started to fall from her eyes as she joined Faith in sobbing.

“Ma’am? Are ye alright?” 

She started at a male’s voice, half expecting it to be Jamie, but it was a just a man in a derby hat. 

She wrenched Faith off of her skirt, and marched over to the man. 

“What...year is this?” 

“The year?” 

“Tell me the fucking year!” 

“Why it’s... nineteen hundred and forty-eight.” 

Claire sobbed as she collapsed into the man’s arms. 

The man calls an ambulance, and Claire and Faith are taken to the hospital. 

They are both declared healthy, if not a little dehydrated and malnourished. 

Claire is given a sedative as she gets hysterical when they ask her where she has been, and even more so when they try to take Faith from her. 

In the end, they give her a sedative and put the baby in a cot in the same room. 

And of course, they called Frank. 

Because clearly, a woman couldn’t take a piss without needing a man around. 

No, no, she needed to change her attitude. Jamie was gone, Scotland had lost Culloden; he was dust in his grave now. 

She only had herself, Faith, and the new baby.

She stroked her belly gently and sighed softly as the matronly nurse swung into the room. 

“Breakfast for ye Mrs. Randall! Your husband is on the way.” 

“Fabulous.” 

Faith stirred in her cot and sat up, her red hair was fluffy and curled like a halo, she looked so much like Jamie, she wanted to cry. 

But instead, she smiled at the nurse. 

“Can you hand her to me so I can share my breakfast with her?” 

“Of course.” 

The nurse set Faith on the bed with her. Claire fed her bits of food, until Frank arrived. 

He stared at her for a moment, and then at Faith who was looking at him with wide blue eyes. 

“I-”

“Frank, I know you have just arrived, But I have a favor to ask of you.  It’s a long story, and I’ll try to

relate it all exactly as it happened. Please let me tell it at my own pace and keep any questions until the end.” 

He nodded and Claire took a deep breath. 

“You’ll remember that I had gone back to Craigh na Dun that day looking for a flower I’d seen near the standing stones…” 

She recounted everything. Slowly, painfully, and cathartically. 

She held Faith tighter during the story of her birth, and sobbed into her hair when she talked about the last day with Jamie. The baby fell asleep as she got to Culloden. 

“And then the man brought me here, I was hysterical until they gave me a sedative.” 

Frank said nothing for a long moment, and then he cleared his throat. “And did this Jamie believe you, when you told him you were from the future.” 

“Yes.” 

“Then I can as well.” 

“There is something else that may cause you to rethink that.” 

“What?” 

“I’m pregnant.” 

She can see the brief look of incandescent joy on his face, and then complete and utter heartbreak.  

“If this is not going to work for you, or you can’t reconcile yourself with it, tell me now so I can make other arrangements.” 

“What arrangements?” 

“Housing and money. I still have my inheritance from my parents and Uncle Lamb.” 

Frank puffed out a breath. 

“I was offered a position at Harvard, I wasn’t going to take it. However, with these circumstances, I feel we should. I can accept this Claire, Faith and this new child.”

“Just like that? We just... pick up where we left off?

“No, we can start over in Boston. Leave everything behind.” 

Claire looked down at Faith and nodded. “I suppose we could try. But I am sure you have conditions.” 

He nods. “One, We shall raise the children as our own. Ours. Yours and mine.” 

“In a lie.” She said softly. 

“Raised with a father. A living, breathing, man -- not an echo of a memory they can never catch.”

She nodded. “And the second?” 

“I cannot share you with another man while I draw breath on this earth. No research. No searching through the libraries of the world hoping to find some reference to him or the lives you once led. You must let Jamie go.” 

She hesitated only for a moment, before she nodded. 

“I can agree to that.” 

He smiled and kissed her hand lightly. 

“Reverend Wakefield has been kind enough to invite us to the Manses for you and…Faith to recover. After you two are steadier, we shall go to Boston.” 

Claire gave him a faint smile. 

“To Boston.” 

#my writing #omgbarbiegurl and I's #we are writing alternate chapters. #this one is hers #outlander fanfic #loved her first #the stones #jamie and claire #cannon divergence #outlander fandom

[foolishle]

Obsessed with this Baking Reality Show/Pride and Prejudice Destiel AU. It's like the peanut butter whiskey I have. It feels like it shouldn't work, but then you get a taste and it's almost offensively amazing and becomes all you can think about.

I love AUs. For SPN I read exclusively AUs because my familiarity with the source material is... close to zero? I watched like four or five episodes from somewhere in the middle.

And I love modern adaptions of Pride and Prejudice. I love discovering how the author updates the events and tackles the themes.

So these are things Iike? But I wouldn't have thought they'd... meld well? But they so do.

Making a modern adaption of Jane Austen is hard because in the modern day it's hard to justify why the characters would end up in the social situations they end up in. Setting the story on a reality show seems to work well for keeping the characters around each other and limiting their choices about who to socialise with. It's following P&P canon much more closely than I would have thought it could and I'm finding myself thinking "oh how will they do...? Oh! Of course! Perfect!"

It's not flawless--in some places the dedication to including Austen's dialogue feels clunky and out of place. In some cases it works beautifully but I think it's slightly overdone.

But where it works? Fucking incredible.

She makes a happy noise at having, finally, pulled an agreement from him, shares a pleased look with Mrs Hurst, and asks, “did you see the car he showed up in?” Meg’s smoke-rough voice is loud in the quiet of the room uncaring that she might be overheard by the subject of her observations.

“I don’t know how anyone could miss it,” Hester replies quickly, “covered in all that mud and dirt? Such a nasty loud old thing; I’d be ashamed to arrive anywhere in such a contraption aside from a scrap yard perhaps.” The sisters dissolve into fits of laughter and even Mr Hurst manages to summon a derisive snort. Castiel, however, remains stoically unmoved by the joke, to Meg’s disappointment.

The main criticism I have as far as the writing goes is the headhopping. While most of it is set 3rd person close on Dean, the Author's dedication to following the events and conversations of the novel means we headhop to Castiel, often mid-scene as Dean leaves the room. I think that the author probably should have gone with 3rd person omniscient, as the original does, or just stuck with 3rd person close on dean the whole time and sacrificing those scenes that aren't from Dean's POV.

But, to be honest, I'm too attached to Pride and Prejudice to really complain and some of my favourite exchanges are those where Dean isn't present.

I haven't finished the story yet--I've just gotten up to The First Proposal. I find that Modern Pride and Prejudice adaptions almost always let me down with Lydia's Fall and make Darcy into a white night who just wants Lizzy to be happy by solving a problem she has, instead of him realising how his past errors have contributed to Lydia's situation and trying to make up for that (and also hoping that it will ease Lizzy's suffering).

But the way that Wickham has been handled in the story so far makes me pretty confident that Castiel/Darcy will be making efforts to redeem himself by taking responsibility for his mistakes, rather than just using his power and influence to fix Dean's life.

Like I said earlier, my familiarity with SPN Canon is extremely limited, and while deeper knowledge of the characters would probably add to enjoyment of the story, it's not at all required IMHO. My familiarity with almost all of the side characters comes purely from other SPN AU fics. So I'm basically recommending this more to people who like modern P&P adaptions, than to people who like Destiel AUs.

#destiel #supernatural #pride and prejudice #fanfiction