#i don't like the extended edition very much but this was a wonderful extended scene

[inthiskingdomwewillendure]

Extended Gate Scene in 4k

#the hobbit #thranduil #bard #thorin oakenshield #lotredit #elves #lee pace #luke evans #richard armitage #love that scene #i don't like the extended edition very much but this was a wonderful extended scene #4k #his sass here

[antianakin]

@theneutralmime

I think my personal view on Padme is that she was introduced as a really interesting character who then sort-of got swallowed by the romance and Anakin's story taking more and more precedence over her own development. Lucas said a few times that TPM is, in many ways, Padme's story more than anybody else's. Which is cool, but it means that when she sort-of disappears into being nothing more than a catalyst for Anakin's fall and Luke/Leia's incubator, it feels a little strange and jarring. The Padme of ROTS no longer feels like the interesting character we had in TPM. Even in AOTC, most of her interesting character development scenes (like meeting her family, her speech about the war, even just the extended arrival on Naboo where she talks about how she set aside her dreams of a family to continue a career of service) got cut in favor of (presumably) focusing more on the romance and how that affects Anakin.

Padme is someone who got introduced in TPM as a person who wanted to avoid violence as much as possible, she tends to play things safe because she believes it's the better political choice to make, but by the end of the movie she's learned that sometimes she just has to trust her instincts and do what she believes is right (this is the whole point of her being on Tatooine with Qui-Gon and seeing him insist on continuing with the podrace idea and the way this works out for him leading to Padme then choosing to approach the Gungans for aid in taking her planet back by force, a plan NOBODY ELSE believes in but her). So they take Padme on this journey where she becomes someone who trust herself and her instincts above anyone else, but who also deeply cares about doing the right thing to help the most people which is why she's in politics at all.

When we get to AOTC, she's continued that into her senator years and apparently only gotten even more reckless with age. But when her feelings for Anakin come into conflict with what she knows to be her duty, she has to make a choice. Does she "follow her instincts" and do what she wants, or does she continue to make that sacrifice because it's the right thing to do? And in the end, she makes the selfish choice.

My problem with what happens in AOTC is two fold. For one, I don't think it does NEARLY enough to convince me about why Padme likes Anakin enough to throw away her morals for him. The overall journey Padme is taking in this film I think is fine, but I don't think the chemistry between them works and I think the romance has aged like milk, which leaves me just kind-of wondering why Padme would risk SO MUCH for... a dude who can't even be considerate enough to respect her boundaries and who she believes makes jokes about fascism and dictatorships (or more accurately, who she has to CONVINCE HERSELF would make jokes about fascism and dictatorship so that she doesn't have to come up against the much more uncomfortable truth that it's not a joke to him at all). Anakin is creepy, insensitive, and sometimes almost unkind to Padme all throughout AOTC, when I THINK he's intended to come off as awkward but charming, enough to make Padme feel sort-of "young again" (I know she's only 24 in this movie, but she hasn't allowed herself to really ACT young for probably about 10 years) in a way that sweeps her off her feet a little. The romance doesn't work, it just doesn't, and I think a LOT of people would agree with me that it doesn't work even if we might not all agree on why that is. The editing isn't good, the dialogue is clunky, the chemistry is practically nonexistent. So when Padme makes her big declaration about how she loves him so much and then marries him, I find it hard to believe, and that is a problem for the rest of the narrative of the Prequel Trilogy.

The other problem I have with AOTC is that Padme is told to us to be a very MORAL person, someone who believes very deeply in doing the right thing and gets righteously upset at people being mistreated. She's someone who ends up seeing Jar Jar more kindly than almost anyone else and is capable of extending that experience with him to the rest of his people enough that she goes to make a deal with them that allows the Gungans better representation and treatment. She gets upset when she realizes slavery still exists on Tatooine and always treats Anakin and Shmi very kindly. She is incredibly upset by the possibility that her people on Naboo could be suffering and dying at the hands of the Trade Federation, enough that she ultimately decides to leave the Senate behind and find her own solution. She barely is willing to leave Coruscant in AOTC for her own protection because she doesn't want to leave before the big vote about whether they're going to go to war against the Separatists or not. And so I have a hard time reconciling that person with the person in AOTC who hears Anakin advocate for a dictatorship and chooses to laugh it off, or the person who hears Anakin say he murdered an entire village of Tuskens and not only chooses to COMFORT HIM about it, but basically CONDONES what he's done by saying it's only human, and then MARRIES HIM. The moral Padme who cares deeply about people seems incongruous with the one who falls in love with and marries Anakin. Fewer people might agree with me on this one since it requires being critical of Anakin, but I think there'd still be a solid group of people who'd agree that this just doesn't seem to match up.

So by the time those two things come together, that interesting journey of this person who wanted to avoid violence as much as possible but had to learn to follow her instincts if she wanted to get anything done starting to give in to selfish desires because she's sacrificed most of her life to serving her people kind-of... disappears. Because I don't understand why she even HAS desires for Anakin, selfish or otherwise, and loving Anakin by the end of AOTC requires her to be so immoral that it feels out of character for her. I don't think the romance INHERENTLY ruined Padme's character at all, but I do think it was mishandled and ended up causing some unfortunate implications about her with the contradictions that exist due to it being a badly written romance.

I like that Padme is, in some ways, almost equally as selfish as Anakin is. She's giving up her morals to marry him just like she is, her job makes this relationship just as forbidden as his does (more so almost, since the Jedi clearly KNOW about the relationship to some degree and don't do anything to actually break them up until Clovis happens and Obi-Wan feels the need to step in a little more and even with THAT they clearly are still aware of the relationship having continued and don't do anything about it, while Padme believes that if the Queen found out about her pregnancy in ROTS that she wouldn't be allowed to serve on the Senate). I like the idea of Padme paralleling Anakin in this, that she starts off such a moral person and that it isn't Anakin himself who causes her to start veering towards selfishness, but the invasion of Naboo and the corruption of the Senate leaving her feeling like she has no choice but to do what SHE believes to be right. And she IS right in that instance, but the implication we get in AOTC is that she's kind-of gotten... worse since then. She follows her instincts no matter what and it leads her to reckless places, up to and including a marriage to a Jedi that is forbidden to her. I even like that Padme is SO selfishly invested in this relationship that she's willing to lie to Obi-Wan to protect Anakin from committing a genocide and then begging him to run away with her so he can escape justice rather than facing the possibility that this is WHO HE IS and she's just been able to ignore it up until now.

I actually like that and think that that's interesting as a character, this... devolution that she has throughout the trilogy in parallel to Anakin and the Senate themselves. She's an immensely flawed person and her connections to the other narratives about how good things go bad can't be a coincidence.

But what sucks is that, over time, Padme has kind-of ended up getting interpreted as this person who was above those kinds of flaws, who wasn't selfish, who WOULD put her duty over her desires. People see Padme as this person who did everything RIGHT and just ended up an unfortunate tragic victim of it like the Jedi when that just... isn't true. And I think it's a reaction to how contradictory Padme's actions (especially in AOTC) seem to be to her character from TPM to just defend her as being RIGHT to be in a relationship with the person she loved despite the reasons for it being forbidden, as being RIGHT to defend Anakin against Obi-Wan's accusations in ROTS, as being RIGHT to prioritize Anakin's comfort instead of condemning what he did to the Tuskens in AOTC. But it misses that Padme isn't just the catalyst for Anakin's choices, she's not just this perfect thing he couldn't live without, she's someone who ENABLED those choices by being selfish herself. She's ALSO someone who started off with such good intentions, such lofty ideals, and was brought low by greed and selfishness and an unwillingness to be mindful about herself and her own desires. Padme might not have ultimately caused a genocide as a result of her selfishness, but it doesn't mean she WASN'T selfish in her choices and that her selfishness helped lead Anakin down a bad path just as much as Palpatine's machinations did. Anakin's choices are obviously still his own and not Padme's FAULT, but I find it frustrating when people try to exonerate Padme of all responsibility for what ultimately happened and pretend like she never did anything wrong in this story, that her love was pure and selfless and free of any attachment.

So on paper, I LIKE Padme's arc and I find it fascinating and the romance is necessary for that arc, but I do think the romance part of it was mishandled badly to the point that it makes Padme feel contradictory and incomplete and underdeveloped. Like if I'm supposed to believe Padme is willing to set aside jokes about dictatorship and the massacre of an entire village of Tuskens when I've been repeatedly told that she's a moral person who cares about humanitarian issues above anything else, I need more than just "this pretty boy is kinda dorky and sweet sometimes." I need know what would DRIVE her to pursue a relationship she knows is forbidden for a reason with a man who is pretty clearly unstable and almost dangerously obsessed with her. What insecurity is making a relationship with Anakin seem so immensely compelling to her, let alone a MARRIAGE.

So either I think the romance needed to be a little more... romantic and eliminate the things like the jokes about dictatorships and the Tusken massacre so Padme doesn't seem like a complete idiot who believes it's okay to murder people so long as those people are Tuskens, or Padme needed to be more explicitly someone who was a little corrupt herself so that Padme being okay with murdering Tuskens and jokes about dictatorship doesn't feel so out of character for her. Or both, maybe a little of both. She's corrupt enough to enter into a relationship with someone she knows she shouldn't without giving up her position as a senator because it's what gives her power, but she's not SO corrupt that murder of an entire village down to the last child is okay so perhaps leave that bit out.

Padme is a character I REALLY loved as a kid when I first watched the Prequels (which were the first Star Wars films I EVER saw) and so I still really like her generally due to pure nostalgia, but my feelings on her have gotten far more complex as I think about her and her narrative more critically.

Ahsoka I think works fine right up until you get to the Ahsoka show where she's just blatantly and wildly out of character and completely flat at the same time. There's things I wish were done a little differently in TCW for my own personal taste, but I think that generally the idea of Ahsoka as someone who only really knew Anakin through the context of war and as a child actually does work. Some of his more violent outbursts can be more easily explained away through the context of the situation as well as a child's sort-of more naive outlook on the adults around them. Ahsoka also never sees him do anything as heinous as the Tusken massacre or make jokes about dictatorships (at least none that I can remember), so unlike Padme, she's not ever blatantly ignoring anything that should be a massive fucking red flag. Well, there's the abusive training from TOTJ, if we choose to consider that canon, which I think Filoni was technically on the fence about. But even that is something that seems to not cause any long-term damage and that Anakin tells her is for her own protection, so it's easier to set aside perhaps than the massacre of an entire village down to the last child.

What makes the Ahsoka show frustrating is that it doesn't ALLOW HER to have an adult perspective on it where she looks back and sees all of the things her child self wouldn't have been able to notice. She never looks back and sees the outbursts of violence or some of his more unorthodox comments about the Jedi as the warning signals that they were. She elects instead to IGNORE everything that he's done in order to double down on the opinion she'd held as a child (and that she'd been able to KEEP up until Malachor) that Anakin was a genuinely good person overall rather than acknowledging that while Anakin had good MOMENTS, he was in fact a bad person and a bad teacher, and she can only move forward if she LETS HIM GO. Ahsoka deserved that and now she'll never get it and it sucks.

Obi-Wan I sort-of disagree with you on in that I don't think Obi-Wan's ever BLIND to his faults. I think this is part of a major misconception of his character that a lot of people seem to share. But Obi-Wan spends like all of AOTC being VERY aware of Anakin's faults and has to figure out how to let go of his worries in order to have faith that Anakin has learned enough to fix and learn from his own mistakes. So by ROTS, it's not that he's blind to Anakin's faults at all, he's just chosen to have faith that even when Anakin stumbles, he'll always pick himself back up again. We see this most evidently in his reaction to Anakin's temper tantrum in the Council chambers about not being made a master where he's clearly disappointed in Anakin's behavior, but he later tells Anakin that despite that, he's still ON HIS SIDE and tries to give Anakin guidance on the situation. He takes Anakin's apology later as a sign that Anakin is sort-of figuring things out a little more, but he is uh. Wrong. Anakin's apology is sort-of half-assed AT BEST, but I can see where Obi-Wan would at least see it as good first step in the right direction. But I don't see Obi-Wan's faith in this film (or in TCW) as a flaw or a blindness because he cares too much about Anakin. It's his STRENGTH. Much like the Jedi themselves, just because his faith was betrayed and misplaced doesn't mean that he was wrong to decide to have faith in the first place. It was STILL the right, healthy choice to make.

The guilt we see him have in the Kenobi show is more a product of the uncertainty surrounding why Anakin did what he did than it is about Obi-Wan caring too much about Anakin to handle what he did. I think if Obi-Wan had KNOWN about Palpatine, and Padme, and the visions, and how all of those things came together, he might've had an easier time of it. But he knows VERY VERY LITTLE about why Anakin is making the choices he's making, and in that uncertainty, the easiest thing to do is blame HIMSELF. Especially since, at the beginning of the show, he believes Anakin to be dead. In some ways, it might feel easier to blame himself than it is to blame Anakin or even Palpatine. And this ISN'T healthy, but I don't think it's necessarily a problem because he blinds himself to Anakin's faults. His journey at the end is about accepting that he may NEVER know why Anakin did what he did, that there might not have BEEN anything he could've done differently or better to cause a different outcome, and that there is likely nothing he CAN DO to keep Luke and Leia from going down the same path. All he can do is have faith again, faith that he did the right thing by giving Luke and Leia to the Larses and Organas, faith that the Larses and Organas will raise Luke and Leia well, faith that Luke and Leia will not be like Anakin and repeat his mistakes.

Rex is definitely just a product of not knowing the truth. I imagine he'd have a LOT less positive gushy things to say about Anakin if he knew Anakin was the one who betrayed them all and became Darth Vader. I'm STILL waiting for someone to show us Rex's reaction to that because I would maybe DIE to see Rex react to finally discovering that particular truth. With what we do have though, I think Rex is mostly come to peace with what's happened to him. I don't think it's that he's choosing to ignore the things that hurt so much as that he's gotten himself to a place where he CAN just... let himself remember good moments with people he'd cared about. The end of it sucked and there were moments in the middle that sucked, too, but there are still a lot of good memories acquired during the war, good people he'd met, good lessons learned. Rex seems like he's in a pretty healthy place by Rebels, having had to live with the truth about the chips for a while and do what he can to live his life as happily as possible with what's left of his family. He can't do anything to change what happened, so he's let it go. He obviously does still have some PTSD from the war, that's always going to be true, but he genuinely seems like one of the most healthy characters in Rebels despite how shit his life has been.

#star wars #padme amidala #obi-wan kenobi #ahsoka tano #captain rex #anidala critical #padme critical #padme amidala critical #anakin critical #anakin skywalker critical #anti anakin #anti anakin skywalker #ahsoka critical #ahsoka tano critical #anti ahsoka show #ahsoka show critical #kenobi show #long post #this got VERY long since there were a lot of characters to discuss

[miradelletarot]

Part 4: Under the Moonlight - The Weave and the Vines

Summary: Sagora meets Gale outside of camp for a private moment under the stars.

ACT TWO SPOILERS Don't judge me, this was my very first foray into smut writing, and I adored this scene so much I used some of the lines from the game because they were just too good to replace. Sorry not sorry. I have made some edits/improvements though so hopefully it reads better than it used to. TAGS: Fluff, hurt/comfort, body worship, PIV, Fem!OC , very unexciting but productive use of mage hand. Words: 4,000 | AO3 MINORS DNI - SMUT UNDER THE CUT

“Good evening! I’m here on behalf of Gale of Waterdeep.  He wishes to extend you an invitation for a private conversation in a more suitable locale.”Sagora tilted her head, confused as to what Gale was up to. He said to come to his tent this evening, but she expected him, not a projection. Still, her curiosity was piqued so she followed the projection’s instructions, and traveled the path set before her. She arrived a little ways outside of camp to see Gale sitting in a lush, grassy field. Fireflies flitted nearby him as conjured sparks of the Weave surrounded him in a glittering aura. He heard her soft footsteps coming from behind, and turned to look at her. He smiled. “I love this time of night.” She smiled back, and quietly sat on the blanket next to him. He spoke so eloquently, so gently, about the peak of darkness, of eternity. Suddenly, she was snapped out of the daze his voice lulled her into.

“ –The timelessness of lovers. That most beautiful of fantasies.”   His eyes sparkled like the stars in the sky. She could drown in those eyes. They made her insides swirl, and her heart skip, but she noticed a shift in his gaze. A hollow feeling seated itself in the pit of her stomach. “This may be my last night alive. I wanted it to be under a canopy of beauty and wonder.” He turned his gaze from Sagora towards the iridescent night sky. Translucent waves of purples, blues, and greens blanketed the starry landscape he created.  He needed an escape from his inevitable reality.

“Gale, do you really think this is the right choice? To die for a goddess who so casually cast you aside like a piece of rubbish?”

“It’s Mystra’s will. If she thinks that this can turn the tide of our most unfortunate of circumstances then perhaps I should.” He hung his head. Saying the words out loud make sense enough, but the knots in his stomach tugged at him with hesitation and uncertainty.

“You’re quite brave to face this so…so calmly.”

Gale let out a faint chuckle. “Truth be told? I’m terrified. But, that doesn’t change anything about the task I’ve been given.” “You don’t have to do this, you know.  All of us - together - we can figure something out I’m sure of it.” Desperation washed over Sagora’s face. Was he truly willing to die for such a cause without considering other options?

“I appreciate the sentiment. Really.  My fate is inevitable, I'm afraid. Best to meet it on my own terms.”  His words sounded so confident, but the pained look in his eyes spoke otherwise. “This is ridiculous. Gale, you don’t have to die. There are so many possibilities that lay before us. You have all of us, for better or worse. Let’s figure it out together. No one needs to die…especially for the sake of an ungrateful goddess.” Sagora furrowed her brows at the mere thought of Mystra. Gale didn’t need her anger though. She wanted to comfort him as he did for her days before, though he could sense the rising fury within her that she tried to keep hidden. “ Sorry …I didn’t mean to – ” Her words trailed off as she cast her gaze to the ground. She didn’t know what to say, but she knew her anger would ruin a lovely evening if she continued. An awkward silence hung in the air. Gale understood that she was angry about his new mission. Yet, he couldn't imagine anyone caring so deeply for him. It only made him fall for her more. “One moment with you could sate me for a lifetime. I’m so very glad you came.” He turned to Sagora, and smiled softly. “Thank you for sharing this with me.” She returned his smile with one of her own, and placed her hand on his. His skin felt electric and warm, still charged with traces of the Weave. “I know this is unreal, but I created it for you.” He paused. He was unsure how she would react to his confession. “You must know that you’re...you’re very special to me.”  He wanted nothing more than to be back home, in Waterdeep, showing her all the wonders the City of Splendors had to offer. To do things properly. But, they were all on borrowed time. The luxuries of a proper courtship wouldn’t be possible. Say the words, Gale. It's now or never. “I’m in love with you.” Sagora saw trepidation, adoration, and anxiety flood his gaze all at once. His words echoed in her ears as the heat rose from her core, and pricked at her skin. Her body moved of its own accord as her lips caressed his. Her impulse was all the response he needed for his confession. Softer than the finest silk, he thought.  The sensation sent shivers through him. Such a delicate touch evoking the most fervent response. He didn’t need to hold back this time. Since Elminster stabilized the orb, Gale was free to feel as deeply as he wished. For now. Taking Sagora’s hand, they stood together. “I want it to be perfect.” He sincerely and excitedly shared his ideal evening with her. Within the Weave, bonding like the gods do. To intertwine their spirits in an ethereal landscape with no mortal limitations. “All of that sounds lovely, Gale. But –”

“But ?”

She sighed softly as she cupped his face in her hands. “I don’t need illusions. I want you. Just. You.”

He stepped back with a gentle smile. “If that is what you wish, so be it.” With a flourish of his hand he conjured a bed. It had been so long since Sagora lay in an actual bed. While it was still an illusion, it was real enough for her to dive into. It felt plush on her skin, and smelled of freshly washed linens. Truly, a delight to her senses after a long period of dirt, blood, and a flat bedroll.

She propped herself up on one side so she could look at him. Her eyes darkened with desire as she tapped seductively on the bed, and waved him over. He sauntered over to the edge of the bed, and grazed his hands up her body as he climbed up to meet her. Her pulse quickened as his hands explored her over her garments. She was suddenly overcome with a soft, whispered giggle. Gale paused. The deepening desire that was once on his face was now replaced with confusion, and concern. “Is everything ok?” He really wasn’t sure what to make of her reaction. She grinned wildly. “Yes . It’s just -”

“We can stop if you’re not comfortable.” “No! Gods no. I just - haven’t - it’s been a while.” Her cheeks flushed. “And - I’ve never been...romanced before. I quite like it.” She looked away, and bit her lip sheepishly. His gaze softened, and he smiled. He lowered himself down to whisper in her ear. “Then let me take care of you.” Her eyes flashed at his request. “Me? Why?” Their faces were so close their noses nearly touched. He planted a chaste kiss on her forehead before he sat up.

“Because you deserve it. You’ve done so much, Sagora. Let me show you how much I appreciate you.” His eyes darkened once again. “I told you. I want it to be perfect.” She was fairly certain she forgot to breathe. This was unlike anything she’d ever felt before, but she yearned to experience everything Gale wished to offer her. With a gentle smile and a nod, she gave her unspoken consent, allowing him to pleasure her as he wished.

He extended his hand to her, shifting enough so she could sit up. With his other hand, he slid his arm around her waist, and pulled her in closer to his chest. His fingers lingered at the hem of her tunic. “May I ?” He whispered. He dared not move an inch unless she gave her permission.

“Please.” She gazed at him as he gingerly pulled the garment over her head, and carelessly tossed it aside. He placed his hands on her shoulders, and began tracing his fingers down the length of her body. Her collarbone , her breasts , her stomach . His breath shuddered with every contact of her delicate, exposed skin. But, this moment was for her. He’ll tend to his own desires later.

Gale gently patted her thigh. “Roll over, and lie down.” She flashed a curious smirk at his gentle command, but was happy to acquiesce. When he straddled her thighs he noticed the moonlight had illuminated a multitude of old scars on her back and sides. Some were large gashes, and more smaller cuts. If there were others he hadn’t noticed them in the darkness. Sagora could sense his delay, and looked over her shoulder. She knew what gave him pause. “It was a long time ago…” Thankfully, her vague statement was enough to dissuade him from any questions.

As if his touch couldn’t be any softer, he delicately traced one of the larger scars that went up her back. Then another, and another. He lowered himself down to her, pressing his body gently against her curves. “You’re beautiful.” He whispered into her skin as he began to kiss each scar tenderly. He sat back up, and whispered an incantation, a thin layer of oil coating his hands. He rubbed them together for warmth before he slid them up her spine, and spread them out to her shoulders. A moan mixed with pleasure and comfort was forced out of her as he massaged her sore muscles. “Gale...” Her call to him was muffled by the blankets beneath her. “Yes?” Sagora tried to respond, but all that came out of her were breathy moans, and incoherent mumbles as the tension left her body. He smiled knowingly, continuing his soothing ministrations.  “Are you comfortable?” All she could do was nod, completely overcome by his warm touch. As the oil began to absorb into her skin, he leaned down to her once more, and nuzzled the side of her neck. She giggled softly as his beard tickled her sensitive skin. “How do you feel, darling?” “Amazing.” Her face was slack, and still muffled by the blankets. A contented sigh passed her lips, and she smiled. “I'm glad.” He whispered, and left a gentle kiss on the back of her head. He removed himself from the softness of her body, and asked her to turn again. Sagora took a moment, humming a satisfying moan with her stretch, and savoring the lack of tension in her muscles as she rolled over onto her back. Gale draped his legs around her once more only to find more scars - ones he neglected to notice earlier. The darkness did well to shroud them before, but the moon didn’t allow her to hide her past so easily this time. He knew better than to ask who or what caused her such pain, but he couldn’t help the heat that rose within him. It took all of his will to keep his rising anger from showing itself when his purpose in that moment was to make her feel comfort.

Still, it didn’t discourage him from repeating his adoration as he did before. He lovingly caressed and kissed every scar that painted her flesh. “I swear,” he muttered against her skin, “I’ll protect you so you’ll never have to endure this pain again. If you'll let me.”  

Sagora released a trembling sigh as Gale continued to explore more of her with his delicate lips. He then settled on the curve of her exposed neck, grazing her skin with passionate kisses to her jawline. He lingered by her ear, and playfully nibbled at her soft flesh. She hummed, delighting in the way he felt as his body pressed into her, his cock straining against his robes. He released a soft growl as he seductively tugged at her lobe once again, the vibration sending a chill down her body, her breath hitching at the sensation. She thought she might lose herself from the voracity of her sinful need.

“ Gale –” She huffed. “ Please –” She could hardly speak. “I need you.” 

A wicked grin flashed across his face. “Now, now, my love. Patience. You’ll have me. I promise .” His voice was low and rough as he caressed his cheek against hers. The want in her eyes was growing desperate, and he was enjoying watching her come undone by his touch alone. Slowly and deliberately, he slid his hand up the side of her body, and settled at her breast, filling his hand perfectly. He deftly flicked her nipple with his thumb, and an uncontrollable moan emanated from deep within her. He left a trail of soft kisses down from her neck to her other breast, and took her into his mouth while he continued to play with its mate. She arched her back, writhing under him as his tongue swirled and flicked at its peak. Her walls fluttered, clenching around nothing as she snaked her hands through his tousled hair, her arousal dripping between her legs the more he teased her. The vibration of his moan against her hardened peak forced a shuddering whimper from her lips, throwing her head back as she felt the urgency of his own pleasure begging her for more – begging to be released from its bondage.  Even Gale was growing impatient with the pace he set. Slowly, he grazed his bottom lip across her peak, his eyes meeting her gaze, and lips curling into a seductive smirk at the sight of her. Marking the abandoned spot with a kiss, he sat up and drew his hands down her stomach, finding the laces on her trousers. “Is this ok?” he asked as he played with the laces.

Sagora's eyes darkened with wanton hunger. “Not yet. I want something first.” As he reached for her outstretched hand, she hooked his fingers into hers, and pulled him back down onto her. Unsure as he was, Gale was not displeased with her intensity. She pressed her lips to his, the tip of her tongue teasing at the seam. He parted his lips, allowing her to slip past, their tongues now swirling together, one desperate for the other. Her hips bucked into him as she explored more of him, the fire of their embrace growing more passionate the more they tasted each other. Gods was he delicious. He tasted of honeyed wine, warm, spicy, and sweet. She brought her hands to his cheeks, pulling him away just enough so their noses touched. “I want to undress you…please.” She was breathless. Wanting. Needing. He smiled and pulled himself back, taking her hand as he did so. They stood at the edge of the bed, Sagora grazing her hands up Gale’s chest and down again. He watched her as she reached up slowly, she unclasping the small buckles that held his robes closed, doing so with tenderness like he was a gift meant to be carefully unwrapped. The fabric folded over itself begging to be removed completely, her fingers gently scratching through the small patch of hair on his bare chest. The scars left behind by the orb were now exposed by the vacant garments. She traced her fingers around it, following every wispy line, his breath hitching at her touch. She leaned into his chest, and blew a cool breath at the center of the orb before leaving behind a delicate kiss. He rolled his head back, and his eyes forced themselves shut, unable to stifle the shuddering, breathless moan that left his body. Sagora gripped onto the sides of his robes, and buried her face into his chest, kissing the now glowing orb, in an attempt stabilize her own trembling body. Gale put a finger to her jawline, tilting her head so she could look into his eyes. He moved his hands to hers, and guided her to his belt. She unfastened its buckle, allowing it to drop unceremoniously to the ground. His robes fell open as she slid her hands up to his shoulders, coaxing the garment to fall of its own accord. Once he was freed from his robes, he reached up to her hands and guided them down to the ties on his trousers. She smiled coquettishly as she bit her lip, reveling in the way he grasped her hands, and moved them to places they both desired. Before he let her go, she pulled his hand to the hem of her own trousers. They unwound each other’s laces, but Sagora stepped back against the edge of the bed as soon as he loosened her ties. She wanted to make a show of seductively – sinfully - lowering her trousers and her smalls to the ground. She wanted to put herself on display. Just for him to behold.

He swallowed hard. “Well – aren’t you a sight for these starving eyes.” He stepped closer to her, hooking an arm around her waist, the other cupping her cheek. “But I think I’ll require your assistance getting these off .” He knew by now that whispering in her ear made her shiver, but was equally happy to take advantage of the opportunity to press her naked body against him. She moaned into his chest as she slid her hands across the waistband of his loosened trousers. He placed his hands on hers, and together, pulled them down, along with his underclothes, discarding them with the rest of the abandoned garments at their feet, finally freeing Gale’s hardened cock.

Sagora looked at him with a devilish, playful smirk. “ Now, Mr. Gale of Waterdeep –” Every word she said was coyly enunciated. “What was it you wanted to do to me?” He moved in closer, forcing her to sit at the edge of the bed. She wrapped her legs around him, pulling his body into her. She whimpered, her slick cunt throbbing as his cock brushed against her inner thigh. "Whatever you desire." His deep brown eyes burned into her. She couldn't hold back any longer. “I’m yours.” Her eyes grew impossibly dark with want. “I need you.”

“You have me, Love.” He purred. “Lie down.” She followed his instruction, making herself comfortable. He climbed on top of her, pressing his leg between hers to spread her open before him. Heat rose from her center as he lowered himself down to her, the curves of her body perfectly entwined with his. She bit back a moan as the tip of his cock teased at her bundle of nerves. He grasped his cock, and teased at her swollen clit as he began sliding his tip gently through her folds, her slick arousal mingling with the bead of precum that leaked from his throbbing erection.

“Gale. Please,” she mewled. He guided himself to her entrance, watching as he sheathed himself inside of her, a shuddered moan breaking past his lips as her wetness surrounded him. She eagerly attempted to rock her hips into his, but her movements were halted. He grasped her hips, and held her in place so he could keep a slow rhythm. It was torture for both of them, but he wanted to savor her as much as possible. He pulled himself out almost entirely before sliding back in, his controlled movements forcing a curse from her lips as the pressure of his girth stretched her slick walls. After a moment, he settled into a steady, deliberate rhythm. She gripped his forearms, and dragged her nails into his flesh as another curse escaped her lips. “More. Gods…Please. More!” Her words were breathless and ardent. “The gods…can’t give you…what you desire, my love.” His own eloquence breathlessly began to falter at the mercy of his coiling pleasure. “Gale!” She pleaded, her eyes piercing into him hungrily. Hands still on her hips, he slid his hands under her ass and pulled her up, the new angle allowing him to bury his cock deeper into her core. She wrapped her legs around him forcing him to fold, and brace himself on top of her. Their movements grew faster and less coordinated while beads of sweat glittered on her skin in the moonlight. Gale’s breath hitched at the delectable sight before him.

“Sagora… ahh –” His mind betrayed him, no longer able to utter anything coherent. All that could be heard were the sounds of their gasps and moans, and the friction of their slick bodies against each other.  Harder. She bucked her hips into him, his cock plunging deep into her core.

Faster. Desperately, they chased each other's pleasure. With every thrust, Sagora moaned louder and louder, no longer caring if the camp or even of Faerûn heard her.

She arched her back, lifting her arms over her head, gripping the pillows beneath her, and crying out in toe-curling ecstasy as she found her sweet release. Gale’s thrusts intensified as her walls pulsed around him. A deep, guttural moan poured out of him as he spilled deep inside of her. His concentration broke as his cock throbbed, sending shockwaves through her overstimulated body. They gasped for air in a dizzying frenzy, trying to come down from their high, when suddenly…

POOF!

The bed vanished beneath them, and they collapsed with a thud on the ground. Stunned, they simply looked at each other for a moment before dissolving into a fit of laughter.

“Dear Gods! Are you all right?” His concern blended with a fit of laughter at their hilarious climax. Her reply was thankfully tangled up in her own laughter. “I’m fine. Promise! Are you?” Gale winced, rubbing one of his knees.

“Never better.” Despite the dull ache in his joints, he couldn’t help but smile. Sagora gazed at him with satisfaction, nibbling at her bottom lip with a playful grin, paying little regard to the untimely break in their illusion. “Well...that’s not exactly how I wanted that to end.” He sat up, still nestled between Sagora’s legs. “Perhaps not.” She smirked. “But...hmm. How many blankets did you bring by the way?”

Gale cocked an eyebrow, looking at her inquisitively. “Uh, three. Why do you ask?” Sagora sat herself up, legs still splayed open before him. Grasping his arms, she pulled herself into his chest, her breasts grazing his skin with each breath she took. She walked two of her fingers up his chest, and dragged her fingertips through the slick of sweat that caught in his chest hair. “I think…we should make our own camp here tonight – ” She kissed the center of the orb, the salty taste of his sweat on her lips. “ – under the stars.” She kissed the orb again. “ – our bodies tangled up to keep warm.” She looked up and gave him a chaste kiss on his lips. He wrapped his arms around her, and they pressed their foreheads together.

“That sounds lovely …but first –” With a nonchalant wave of his hand, the evidence of their climax had vanished. He offered his hand to her, and helped her to her feet, walking over to the blanket he spread out earlier, and leaving their clothing behind in an abandoned heap. She worked her own magic to make the ground more plush beneath the blanket. Lush grass, and small wildflowers cropped up through the entire field creating a soft, pillowy surface for them to lay on.

They spread themselves out on the blanket, Sagora nuzzling her body into Gale’s. She draped one of her legs around his while he made use of mage hand to help him fan out the extra blankets on top of them. She let out a contented sigh as the warmth of the blankets caressed her skin. He kissed the top of her head, and pulled her in closer, fitting together like two pieces of an intricate puzzle. The comfort of their embrace was enough to lull them both into the edge of sleep. “Gale…” “Hmm?” “I love you, too.” Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7

#sagora x gale #The Weave and the Vines #gale dekarios #gale of waterdeep #bg3 gale #bg3 #baldur's gate 3 #gale #baldur's gate gale #baldurs gate #gale romance #gale x tav #bg3 fanfiction #bg3 fan fic #gale bg3 #bg3 romance #bg3 spoilers #ao3 author #ao3 writer #ao3 #ao3 link #ao3 fanfic #fanfic #fanfiction #fanfic writing #archive of our own #act 2 spoilers #fem!oc #gale x oc #sagora

[papermonkeyism]

Finished my first re-read of this book in twenty years. (original name Homeland, this is the Finnish edition.)

And yup, this sure is a thirty year old book. I don't know why I feel kinda disappointed, I knew exactly what I was getting into. It was somehow both not as bad as I remembered while also being in a way worse than I expected.

But nah, they're just evil. Grinning maliciously and taking unholy pleasure in being evil.

It's kinda frustrating read, to be honest. The story in itself isn't all that bad, I'd say, but it's hindered pretty bad by being based entirely on DnD mechanics, specifically the alignment system. Like, the story in itself makes sense, it tells about dark elves, who basically live in a cult, and the protagonist who's born into it, but will eventually abandon it and leave.

But instead of actually examining what living in a cult would be like, they're just evil. Maybe it's just my perspective, being someone who's been on the internet for a couple decades. I know people who come from abusive bacgrounds, and I've heard stories from people who've survived actual cults, and it would make perfect sense to treat the drow as a cult, except with their god being actually real and actively meddling with their lives to make the brain washing just that much worse. There's a lot of potential in there!

Like the main character is raised from the very start being indoctrinated in the spider cult, there's even a scene where he gets whipped (with a multi-headed magic whip made of living snakes) at the age of four or five for daring to look happily at a woman while being a child of inferior sex, yet he never acts like this kind of raising left any marks in the way he behaves. No trauma at all, what so ever. He keeps being openly surprised by his people not being nice to each other despite the book telling how he was raised to know his place. The guy has no self-preservation at all, he keeps wondering out loud at people with the power to hurt him and I just keep wincing so bad.

He somehow just speed runs his thirty years of life in life lessons in the last few days of the book. Like, you were raised into this your whole life, yet you're only learning all of it now?

(and why do you keep calling it "unholy" all the time, it's the only religion you've ever known. Also that one time he openly gasped about the unholiness at his sister, who's an entire priestess, and her reaction was along the lines of "yeah, but she's the goddess of our people", like why are you agreeing with him about the unholyness?!)

Honestly, you could very easily just rewrite the whole book, keep all the story beats as is, and take out the "always evil by default" racial setting without losing pretty much anything. You'd probably still need to keep the gods as real, physical entities the way they are, but it'd still make it a lot more beliveable.

I have much gripe about the tone of this book, apparently.

I mean, I do like some of the tropes it has, not gonna lie. More prominently in the later books, but still. There's a reason Drizzt was the favourite character of teenage me twenty years ago, and it's been so weird revisiting this story after all this time. I'm still having many mixed feelings here. Multiple emotions even. I don't even know what they are, but they sure are many.

Though, you know what's the worst thing? I am notoriously bad when it comes to names, I have some serious trouble learning and remembering even people I live with for extended periods of time. I can't name most of my old classmates despite them being people I spent 3+ years with, and it once took me over three months to learn the name Paula despite being such a simple and common belonging to one of my closest friends at the time. I'm bad with names. So why is it that I can still remember things like fucking Daermon N'a'shezbaernon, that's an absolute monster of a name, and I haven't thought about it for a single second in the past two decades, why the fuck do I still remember that one???!?

Anyway, onwards to the next book!

#shut up paper #Fun fact I just found out the character of Drizzt is as old as I am #Had to google the english name of the book and apparently the character was created in 1987

[thatgirl4815]

Gloomy ramble ahead, sorry! The only thing giving me hope right now is that in literally the first millisecond of the extended ep 8 preview, when Ray asks if they can still be friends, he really doesn't look happy. It's not being played as a 'come on now, let's all get along' moment, he doesn't look flippant or sulky or whiny - he looks desperate. I think strangely enough what's got me most down about the Ray/Mew development is that it makes Boston appear to be right about Ray's motivations in ep 6, and yet I genuinely don't think that's why Ray told Mew about the cheating, and I still believe Ray was being honest when he said he didn't expect to get anything out of it, and that in that moment he really was removing himself from the whole equation. So in that respect it feels like a massive step backwards (though I do understand the view that for Ray/Sand to ultimately pan out, this is something that needs to happen, otherwise the spectre of Mew and what ifs would always loom over them). And as much as everyone talks about Ray not sparing Sand a moment's thought as soon as Mew opens up, it's equally true that when Ray is spending time with Sand, he doesn't appear to be giving Mew a moment's thought either, until he's forcibly reminded of him (ending of eps 3 and 5). So is he just super good at compartmentalising? Does he just grab onto any affection offered to him at any given moment? I think the cutting/editing of scenes is making me feel more wary about the outcome than I otherwise would be because I'm feeling acutely conscious of how many eps are left and how much (or little) screentime Sand/Ray (and Sand on his own) have had of late, and I very much DO want them to have a happy (or at least open but pointing that way) ending, and a LOT needs to happen (Ray getting over Mew, Sand's ex, Ray realising how he feels bout Sand and making up for his behaviour, Ray accepting he has a substance abuse problem and wanting (and hopefully getting) help for it) before that can be a possibility, and with the screentime ratio the way it has been, at this rate I don't see how they could fit it all in in a satisfactory manner. But I still want to believe! I'm still holding out for a finale timeskip wherein Sand picks Ray up from rehab and whisks him off to Chiang Mai so the series can end with them sipping non-alcoholic beverages beneath the stars!

I am clinging desperately to the hope that Sand and Ray will be together happily in the end. I do remember one interview/livestream (?) where Khaotung mentioned that everyone will come to terms with their true feelings. So that alone is giving me hope, and I'm going to choose to believe that's in relation to Ray's feelings for Sand.

About Boston seemingly being proven right...I agree with you that I don't think Ray was telling Mew the truth because he thought it would increase his chances of being with Mew (I'm sure that occurred to him, but I don't think it was his primary motivator). Tbh, I think Ray would have survived in the friendzone with Mew, and I think he'd even started to resign himself to it, until Mew opened up that possibility. That's the most important thing in my mind: Mew is the one who brought up the state of their relationship, not Ray. Ray wasn't going to push it until Mew gave him the opportunity to ask if they could be something more.

Another thing giving me hope is as you mentioned; we've seen this dynamic play out pretty often. It's certainly not ideal, but if Ray wasn't in a relationship with Mew at any point, I truly don't think he would ever be able to move on from him. He might come close, but there would always be a part of him harboring that unrequited crush, wondering what could've been. It's interesting to me also that Ray's crush seems to go back to Mew 'saving his life,' when in fact Sand has also saved his life on multiple occasions (different situations, but the effect is similar). I do understand that the situation with Mew 2 years ago lingers with Ray so much because in it, Ray seemed to be making the conscious deciding to end his own life.

And yeah, Ray doesn't look pleased in the Ep8 preview. Not at all. Which begs the question: If Ray really was so head-over-heels for Mew, why would he care who Sand is involved with? I think his possessiveness is about more than just egotism.

I do think Ray is so desperate for affection that it made it easy for him to develop feelings for Sand. But I also don't think that is the only reason why he appears to be all-in on Sand whenever they're alone together. It's a catalyst for those feelings to develop, but I don't think it tells the full story (or at least, I'd like to hope it doesn't).

Finally, this ep seemed most focused on Mew's revenge plot, which might mean that the next ep will be devoted to the other characters. Again, I'm just clinging onto what Khao said about the characters working through their feelings. (But if they do not go to Chiang Mai together in the end, that will be a giant missed opportunity imo haha.)

#Five more eps I have faith they will be able to hash things out #Prayer circle activated #only friends #only friends ask #only friends the series #ofts #sandray #raysand #sanray #raysan #raymew #ask #firstkhaotung #first kanaphan #khaotung thanawat #only friends meta #only friends episode 7 #only friends theories #only friends predictions

[discluded]

I’m 😭 know I get the snake joke when they asked Apo about kissing Mile lmao (this whole thread) idk what todo with this info

https://twitter.com/jsaturfiles/status/1563481374228508679?s=21&t=AMC2YXZLS7DPz3QwKzzMaw

Nonnnyyy!! Thank you for giving me the chance to talk about something I've wanted to talk about for a while, which is how good MA's acted kisses are. And it's good acting too! But first,

I spent a bit of time trying to figure out who the person being translated was (apo_mytype), and it looks like they're just a fan. But their comments resonated so much with people the twitter translator (jsaturfiles) got asked to translate/share. I'll post it here so people don't have to go to the tweet:

ive seen #MileApo in kissing scene workshops since the filmania era, their kisses are so real. apo said before that p mile wasn’t yet good at controlling himself. so every time they kissed he wouldn’t stop until apo nearly fell on his back. but apo couldn’t even fall because p mile was gripping his arm.

back then p mile’s body was very thick (he’s still thicker than apo today) one of his arms could wrap around apo’s entire body like a snake wrapping around it’s prey. from kissing in filmania to kissing in boc. by the time kpts ended #MileApo probably kissed 100s of times. let me ask for real, have you guys ever felt anything for each other at all? even some little thing?

some couples have been together for their whole lives and don’t kiss as often as #MileApo (reffering to them in the series)

Now let us take a very necessary break to watch some Filmania era kissing

(mobile is a PITA so here's video 1 and video 2 if they don't show up)

***

The Art of a Good Kissing Scene

For anyone (no one) wondering "Kyuu, how the fuck do you know so many things about everything" the answer is 1) I don't know shit, 2) I have ADHD, and 3) I spend a lot of time just learning things about I find interesting. Like watching a lot of videos like the above.

The coach basically breaks down a list of things she's looking for in good/bad scenes, including 1. prelude (setup), 2. breath (pause before the kiss -- it's a moment of dramatic tension to set up the audience), 3. rhythm of the kiss, 4. dialogue/chemistry/moment/surrender (checking in with each other).

And she specifically compliments Jonathan Rhys Meyers' ability to create a private moment (13:39) of intimacy in a crowded place to establish the context for the kiss. So there is actual acting technique in how technically good on-screen kisses are, and also specifically how good Mile and Apo make KP's kisses.

I adore all of KP's kisses, but I specifically want to talk about how good their first kiss in episode 3 is.

The thing is, it's obviously not the first time MileApo have kissed, and certainly not even the first time they've kissed as Kinn and Porsche, but they have to sell to the audience the authenticity of it being their first kiss in the context of the events of the show -- the hesitancy, the heart in your throat jolt of tension, the tenderness and chasteness and longing and release of the first kiss.

(cr smittenskitten for the gifs! here's another edit of this extended...tumblr glitched on let me add more pictures?)

And you know it's good acting because they can recreate this exact same tension, breath, longing, and relief of tension live in one take

(video link for those suffering mobile like me)

It's so good in that the setup is both anticipatory and surprising at the same. Watch both happen...This youtuber's mom was even able to count down to their kiss.

Perth (Ken) has talked on his channel about how shows are filmed non-sequentially and it's up to the actors to know their characters well enough to know what's going on with them in that scene. Since the first kiss on the pier was physically in the same place as where they ended their first date in episode 8, they likely shot those on the same day or very close together. So MA had to know their characters' hearts very well. And their trust in each other, in taking each other's small cues, is what builds in the authenticity of watching Kinn and Porsche falling in love.

So yes, all the practice helped, but their kisses really do feel special. Mile and Apo constantly sell to us how special it is.

And that's what we call acting, baby. 😩💦

Let's just say it's probably good Mile had a whole year to get all of that hunger out of his system first because KPTS Episode 3 Kinn was way more respectful than Mile was haha.

(if you keep asking sending me anons, I will eventually run out of interesting things to talk about!!! 😅)

#kinnporsche #kinnporsche meta #mileapo and acting #mileapo #and that's what we call acting #mile phakphum #apo nattawin #actor mile phakphum #actor apo nattawin #first kiss my love #first kiss

[valeriefauxnom]

Euden's Surprising Spread of Spidey Senses

So this is another of the 'things I noticed a while ago but am now properly committing to text so I don't forget everything'. Anyways, I found it funny the more I looked that Euden seemed to have a wing of general senses/ability to discern things/feelings or reactions that nobody else had, and sometimes he thought he was completely normal when they really weren't.

The earliest example I can think of offhand is chapter 13, wherein he feels drawn to the whatever ominous mana stuff that gives Ranzal the heeby jeebies.

Yes Euden I wonder why you're attracted to artificial mana that may be corrupted by black mana

As my friend joked in this scene, he's the one kid in a tv show that has to be stopped from licking whatever clearly bad object everyone else has the good sense to not touch (even if in this case, he'd be perfectly fine if the main reason it is 'dangerous' is because of black mana, being immune. Not that they knew that because since everyone hightails it as soon as it starts getting too thick so they have no idea he's not susceptible, but I digress).

Then, there's his ability as I jokingly refer to as the ability to sample and dissect dragon roars/behavior like fine wine:

Nothing like being able to tell if a dragon is hurting or sane as well as their mood based on their roars. And it's not exactly a set science or habit that can be learned with all the noises the very-varied-in-form Dragalia dragons make. I think he does this at least once or twice more, but I could be wrong.

Regardless, imagine Euden and Bahamut having a conversation where Bahamut does his standard Variations On A Roar performance and Euden's just like, 'hm, interesting. that does sound tasty'. And everyone is very confused how he got that from ROOOOAAAARR.

Then there's his sensitivities regarding other things, like his ability to tell when someone is about to shapeshift.

This is where he also tries to turn to his siblings to go, 'hey this is normal, right guys??' only to be flatly rejected.

Granted, they more suggest experience might be the cause of his talent here, but since it's ultimately speculation and up in the air and explicitly something everyone else finds weird I elected to include it. Regardless if it's natural or supernaturally developed, it's a sense nobody else has.

Even Nedrick realizes quickly that Euden's just Weird and hypersensitive to dragon-mana stuff and decided to formulate a plan around that and extend a bit of trust to his ability. Which, for Nedrick, Mr.Never Trust Anyone Ever To Do What I Need Done, is a testament to just how weird and valuable he finds the skill.

He later goes on to use his understanding of dragons and pacts to split up the power concentrated under Elysium back to their proper owners, the individual Greatwyrms.

Then, of course, is the built-in 'GPS return to sender' he has when it comes to Xenos' location and status. Quite handy he had that, or else we would immediately have gotten Dragalia 2: Electric Boogaloo wherein everyone collectively realizes Xenos isn't dead and has to assemble the gang again x years into the future. (Actually maybe it'd be better if he didn't so we could've gotten another Dragalia-)

Ahem. Anyways, this is getting long, so I'll cut it off there, but the fact that Euden was weird compared even to his family is just a thing that is passively baked into canon. And this isn't even counting his behavioral oddities that constantly leave others going ??? regarding him all the time, just his sensory ones!

And I like those little kinds of oddities very much.

Long story short regarding Euden:

Bonus round on editing:

Oh yeah, he also has a Find a Friend working ability that allowed him to track down and hear his friends across pocket dimensions. Even Mids, who has supernatural senses of his own in being able to derive 'true location', can't hear across worlds. Perhaps it's a good thing Euden didn't make too many otherwordly friends. Imagine constantly hearing friends speaking that aren't even in the same area or time of existence as you are (like Luca did that one time in the comics).

Also, it's a bit funny that even if it's a power innate to him he's still addressing it as if it's completely separate from him and asking 'it' nicely to open up portals. Nothing like Euden being unable to do something himself, but because he's asking 'himself' nicely suddenly finds the willpower to make manifest what he wants.

...Imagine if it applied to food. 'Please mysterious power my friends and I are starving, can we have some food?' and a luxury turkey dinner just pops in front of them, what he was secretly wanting and is like 'wow what a coincidence, exactly what sounded heavenly to me personally. Thanks mysterious power!'

#dragalia lost #dragalia #I know dragalia rapidly went on a crazy train trying to wrap everything up #and mystical senses provide a quick and easy way to provide direction to a group when dealing with matters 0.1 people understand fully #...but I gotta say #the unintentional slow building of Euden as just a Very Weird Person in regards to sensations and powers is funny to me. #Like it's not even the standard protagonist powers of 'I press win/you lose.' OP kind of things. #But the exact blend of 'ignorant to his own weirdness' and the powers themselves they added is just funny. #Dude's a walking friend locator/dragon empath combo. And isn't that the dream?

[hotcheetohatredwastaken]

Hi! This is anon from the other day who was asking about outlining! First of all, thanks so much for your input! It was really helpful and I finally have an ok outline- at least in my opinion! Just wondering if you have anymore advice on outling in general- My fics going to be a longer one- looking at average novel length here for everything I want to shove in it. Have a good day! :D

Hello, dear anon! I am always happy to give advice (though the quality of it may be lacking, as I speak from personal experience rather than professional study).

If you're looking for some more advice (writing wise), I would suggest making sure that you don't spend too much time obsessing over any one chapter, especially as you're just starting out on such a long project. Not that you can't edit, but I've seen so many new writers (how new are you at writing? That may change my future advice, if you ask for it) edit and edit and edit their first chapters without ever moving onto the second because they're trying to get it perfect. I'm on a writing exchange platform on Reddit (Writers Helping Writers), and I had one kid send me his first chapter no more than seven times to review the different versions, because he couldn't get down the details of how he wanted that inciting scene to go. It's been like 3? months, and he just sent me an eighth version the other day, and I had to tell him that I wasn't gonna give (the same) feedback on the chapter anymore XD

Especially if you're going to be doing a long fic, new things you'll want to add to different sections will pop up as you go. You just have to accommodate for ideas as they come up rather than try to preemptively pin them all down, and I'm saying this as the person known as being super super detailed with crazy outlines, apparently. You have to be a bit flexible--the story will take you places that you didn't expect to go, and you'll have to go back and fix details and revise many many times.

Specifically for outlining, however, I am a very visual person, so I have drawings, diagrams, and I also have a corkboard with all my chapter "sections" on sticky notes, with string connecting big subplots (I've actually taken these all down right now, and the only one's up are concluded subplots XD Arc 2 is a mess rn). You'll just have to play around and see what works for you, when it comes to that. Have you seen the train station model for subplots? I'm not sure if that's exactly what it's called, because googling it gets nothing, but when I started writing years and years ago there was one for the Hunger Games going around XD Basically, deciding which subplots will be advanced in which scenes, and tracking them through the story that similar to a system of subway rails, with each chapter being a stop that only some of the trains (subplots) will stop at. It gives you the opportunity to visually make sure that you give each the amount of screentime they deserve and also remember to give them a satisfying conclusion that's going in the same direction, to extend the metaphor, as the main plot.

It's great that you have an outline already, as that'll cut down on those revisions that I mentioned earlier a lot! And you're going for NOVEL LENGTH? Wow, good luck, and as I said before, please message me when you get around to posting that! Feel free to message me if you need anything, whether that be talking through plot points or my specific processes for anything.

You have a good day yourself, my dear writing anon!

#cheetotalks #cheetowrites #cheetoanswers #lovely anon #perhaps dubious writing advice #but it is what has worked for me

[loquaciousquark]

Mulling over the news about the upcoming Patch 2 and trying to decide what I want to do here. I'm very, very close to the end of the game--just the dragon quest, Orpheus, and assaulting the Elder Brain left--and the news about the epilogues has me wondering if I should wait to finish until after Patch 2 drops, since IGN suggests it's coming out this week. (I mean, I played ME3 both with and without the Extended Edition DLC, and knowing what came first helped me much more deeply appreciate what came after, but...hm.)

I'm also trying to figure out what exactly is being suggested with this new Karlach content. The Steam post says it's a "more fleshed-out" ending that many have been asking for and that it's a "new optional ending" that's "fiery, poignant, and gives her the ending she deserves." The IGN article quotes one of the devs as saying "it will make a lot of people happy," which...what's going to make them happy other than an implication that her heart can be fixed permanently--but also, what's poignant about that? Hmm.

I don't really care about the Minthara stuff (sorry Larian), but I'm very interested in the expanded epilogues being suggested for the rest of the party. What Larian says on the Steam post, that they were sure fans wouldn't want a long epilogue in a game where you can complete so many quests in so many ways, is silly to me, but regardless, they seem to be addressing it, and I won't argue with more content letting you know how you've affected the world. It's also not clear to me if this patch is going to include new/expanded epilogues for everyone or if Karlach is just first. I've also read about the bugs with the LI post-epilogue scene not triggering unless you let Karlach die in the final battle, and I'm curious to see if this fixes that. Not that I'm exactly over-eager to get Astarion's at this point, ha--though whatever happens there will shape my post-game oneshot, for sure!

It doesn't really matter to me if they add the Upper City back in; I've been reading some of the original material (ads, trailers, and such), and frankly I think people made a lot more of a few throwaway lines than they should have, and I'm not sure that's Larian's fault. I don't even really want another area to explore in Act 3; what we have is plenty! I do think Cazador's palace's entrance is dumb, but meh. Not exactly a dealbreaker. So that they say here that they never meant the Upper City to be more than something to fight through in a climactic battle--fine, sure, good with me.

I am super glad to see performance in Act 3 especially is being addressed. I've had to restart the game for fps drops there more than any other place--it felt like almost every two hours sometimes. I found myself actively avoiding saving because it seemed like every time I saved, I dropped five fps. It'll be good to see that section run more smoothly.

In other news regarding my actual game progress, I finished the House of Hope the other day, and that special fight song at the end has been stuck in my head on loop ever since. I really, really loved that song & how they used it, and I'm going to go listen to it again now.

(I also got the Devil's Fee woman the Gloves of Hill Giant Strength to complete that quest, then stole them right back out of her back pocket and gave them to Karlach. For as generally altruistic as Tavish has become over the course of the game, some habits die too hard, and some items are just too shiny.)

#bg3 spoilers #baldur's gate 3 #quark plays bg3 #karlach #patch 2 #tavish gale

[rickie-the-storyteller]

Get To Know My OC Tag!

This'll probably be the first of many since this was sooo much fun to do lol.

I was going to do this with Steph… but I felt more drawn towards El today for some reason. Probably because I've been editing a lot more of her scenes/chapters lately. So Elise, I choose you!

Thank you for tagging me, @gummybugg!

Let's begin!

__________

The door opens, and 18-year-old Elise Kennedy enters the room. She walks with graceful strides that indicates the quiet confidence she holds within her. She is a pretty girl - long wavy blonde hair styled in a messy bun, crystal clear blue eyes sparkling with joy and curiosity (despite being baggy from that high school stress and sleep deprivation), and a bright beaming smile that honestly does a better job of lighting up the room than my terrible cheap lamp does. She appears to be about 5'6, if I'm not wrong.

She extends a hand in greeting, radiating an immediate sense of warmth and sincerity. Her voice, I notice straight away is soft warm and gentle. It carries an undertone enough to put you at ease in an instant. Then she takes her seat.

I know I've only just met her, but she seems nice.

1) Are you named after anyone?

Elise: Uh, no. Not after a person, I don't think. Although, I do know how I got my name. My late grandmother was really into classical music, and she came up with the suggestion of "Elise" for me when I was born because one of her favourite pieces of music was "Für Elise" by Beethoven. When I was little, she actually taught me how to play it on the piano, too! That was a fun time… yeah. But to answer your question, no. Not that I know of.

2) When was the last time you cried?

Elise: I don't know… hmm, let me think. This is actually a deep question when you think about it.

Me: It is??

Elise: Wait! Do you mean, like proper crying? Bawling like a baby? Or do you mean like welling up, but not actually making a sound?

Me: Uh…

Elise: If you mean the first one, then probably last week. I was watching a really sad movie with my brother, and I just couldn't help it. If you mean the second one, then… I don't know. To be honest, it happens on a regular basis. So probably yesterday or something. I try not to be overly emotional all the time, but I'm a sensitive soul, what can I say? (pause) OH! I remember now!

Me: You do?

Elise: It was two weeks ago! Ok, let me explain - I have this friend who really loves music. His name is Bret, and something he likes to do as a hobby is write and produce his own songs, right? And two weeks ago, he sent me an email with a link to his SoundCloud. He posts all his songs there now, its amazing! Anyway, he asked me for feedback on the first song he uploaded on there. So I listened to it, and it made me cry. It was very deep and moving. I loved it… (laughs awkwardly) I feel like my answers are way too long, ha-ha! Sorry about that.

Me: Don't be sorry. This is good!

Elise: I'll send you a link to Bret's SoundCloud! You need to listen to it yourself, so you know what I'm talking about.

Me: Would your friend mind?

Elise: Uh… (pauses for a while to wonder whether or not Bret would actually mind) Probably not?

3) Do you have kids?

Elise: Uh, no. Nor do I want any - at least not right now. I'm still a school kid! (pause) I know I'm 18, so legally I count as an adult, but I still feel like a kid, honestly. And I think that just as a general rule, if you feel like a kid or act like a kid, you probably shouldn't raise a kid.

4) Do you use sarcasm?

Elise: (thinks for a moment, then nods) Yeah. Not as often as some people do, but sometimes it's just necessary, especially when you're dealing with difficult or incompetent people.

5) What's the first thing you notice about people?

Elise: I feel like I'm naturally quite good at reading people, you know? Like, even with people I don't know all that well, I can just look at them and have a good idea of how they're feeling, what their thinking, what they're like. And it's usually pretty accurate, as well. I'm quite intuitive in that sense. I think this is also the reason I connect well with others even if they're very different from me. Like, I'm an introvert, and I'm generally rather quiet and mind my own business most of the time, but quite a lot of my friends are super energetic extroverted people. I think its fun to be curious, you know? Like, taking the time to understand and empathise with a person. You form closer bonds with people that way.

6) What's your eye colour?

Elise: Blue! You see? (opens eyes wide so that I can see their colour)

7) Any special talents?

Elise: Hmm. I don't know if any of my talents count as "special" or anything. I have talents… like, back when I used to perform in my old choir, I was known for being able to hold notes for really, really long. My record back then was like 47 seconds. But it's been years since then, and I probably can't do it anymore. Anything else? (pauses to think for a second) Don't know whether this counts, but I'm really good at memorising things. My brother says I have a memory sharper than a katana… which I think says everything you need to know about him. (laughs) But like, to give an example, I can read a book and basically be able to quote it word for word afterwards. Or watch a show, and be able to recite every line in a given scene. It's quite helpful as a student, actually. Makes the studying process a bit smoother. Not that I don't work hard for my grades, because I do. I don't consider myself to be a mega-super-genius or anything.

8) Scary movies or happy endings?

Elise: Are you kidding me?! Happy ending all the way! I can't sit through a horror movie for the life of me. I hate scary stuff, I just don't like the feeling of terror. I don't get why some people actually like it. I mean some people have to like it, right? There has to be a reason that the horror genre has a market.

9) Where were you born?

Elise: Born and raised in London, baby!

10) What are your hobbies?

Elise: Reading, first of all. I love to read so much. I always have.

Me: What is the book you're reading currently?

Elise: Right now, I'm re-reading "Normal People" by Sally Rooney. It's so good, I highly recommend it. But aside from reading, I like music a lot. Not as much as Bret, but I love to play a bit of piano whenever I have the time, and I also love to sing still. Even though I'm not in my old choir anymore.

Me: Why did you stop if you clearly loved doing it?

Elise: (sighs) It was a toxic environment for me… I needed a break from some of those people. I don't really want to get into it.

Me: Ooookay… (slightly concerned)

11) Do you have any pets?

Elise: No, and I've always wanted one! (pouts) It didn't even matter what it was! My parents aren't about that, though. Ugh! (pause) Maybe in the future, I'll get a puppy. I love dogs so much!

12) What sports do you play/have played?

Elise: None. (laughs) I've never been a sporty person.

13) How tall are you?

Elise: Five foot five. And a bit, depending on what shoes I'm wearing.

14) Favourite subject in school?

Elise: These questions are getting harder… (laughs) I don't know what my favourite subject is. I like all my subjects… I chose four subjects I really enjoy for A level. English Lit, Politics, History and Textiles. I like all of them for different reasons. Even when I struggle with one of them, and it is my least favourite one day, I can't bring myself to hate it… and it ends up being my favourite subject the next day.

Me: Well, tell me why you like all of your subjects.

Elise: Ok! So English Lit is because I love literature, as you may have inferred before from what I said about reading… Politics is because I just find that aspect of the world interesting, you know? I mean, I never used to, but once I started taking this class, I just found it fascinating. Just seeing how that stuff works. History was my strongest subject back when I did my GCSEs, so I was like "I have to do it again next year!" And Textiles… I don't know, I just find it peaceful. It's a chill subject to balance out the crazy intense ones. (laughs again)

15) Dream job?

Elise: In my dreams, I have all kinds of different jobs. Just last night I had a dream that I was this therapist, right, and all of my friends from work were coming into my office to ask for help with their love lives, despite the fact that I literally have no dating experience and am therefore the least qualified person to ask for help in that department. Man… why would you even go to your therapist just to ask about your love life anyway? Is that the only thing in your life that's bothering you?! The ONLY thing?!

Me: …That's not what I meant.

Elise: Yeah, I know. I just wanted to talk about my weird dream for a second. I don't know what my dream job is. As a child, my dream job was to be an author, like Cressida Cowell. I used to love her books growing up. I wanted to write just like her… create this huge epic fantasy series… have that series get turned into movies… but I couldn't come up with any original ideas. So I gave up.

Me: Awww…

Elise: Oh, it's okay. I still write a bit sometimes for fun. But in terms of an actual career, I'm stuck between two things - a lawyer, and a journalist.

Me: Two completely different things.

Elise: Yep. Lawyer because it's something I've been working towards all my life, pretty much. I mainly did it because my parents always said that it's a promising career to have. But journalism is just so fascinating to me. It's like being a writer, except you don't need to come up with original ideas. Plus, you get to explore the world, discover exciting new people and places and cultures and events… and tell stories that don't often get heard. It's like the career was made for me!

Me: It does, doesn't it? Well, I'm sure you'll make the right choice for yourself. Thanks for coming, Elise. This has been fun.

Elise: Of course! Thank you for having me.

END OF INTERVIEW.

__________

This was so much fun! I want to make this an open tag, but I'll just tag these three people to give it a go as well:

@rubywrite

@soph1333

@winterandwords

#rickie-the-storyteller #writerblr #writing #tag game #writeblr tag games #get to know my oc #oc interview #Elise #steph's crew #stephanie smith and her friends #I'm really fond of this character from Steph's Crew lol #while I put a bit of myself into all my characters #I think El is the one that I gave most of my personality to

[fluffykitteninabox]

I never blamed Dabi for using the footage of Hawks killing Twice, but I also wonder what was Hawks supposed to do after offering Twice a chance to surrender, besides offering asylum for the rest of his friends as well since that was the main reason Twice rejected his offer?

This is coming from someone who only watched the anime adaptation, so I would like to know why this event is a setback for Hawks character development.

Hi, thank you for the ask🥰🥰

here, have some sparkles ✨✨✨

Also sorry in advance but I ramble a lot and...

I don't know if there's an equivalent phrase in English but in Greek we say "Μέσω Λαμίας" when we do something in the most inefficient way possible.

This is me in this post! 😂 (and also Hawks too in a way👀)

Also I'm not a meta blog so I don't always have a conclusion when I start responding and I might realise something new mid way through typing and then I go back and edit stuff because I change my mind so...

hopefully this makes sense

First of all I do agree that this is the main reason Twice rejected the offer, but probably not the only one.

I think the two "requirements" for his offer to work would be

Hawks extending the offer to not just Twice, but to the other LOV members as well

Convince Twice that this offer is genuine and he's not just lying to him

And that second one is kind of hard to do because Hawks gave their location away to the heroes who are currently ambushing them and he's also attacking Twice specifically. Plus Twice had been let down by heroes and society itself in the past (as have all the other league members) so it would be hard for him to trust that this "chance at rehabilitation" isn't at best going to fail, or at worst a trick.

And I don't think Hawks meets either of these two requirements. I'm not saying he's lying when he offers to help Twice. It's more like... he can't actually do what he's promising here.

The commission gave Hawks the order to kill Twice, not bring him for rehab. So in his mind that option wasn't possible from the start. He entered the battle knowing how it would have to end. That's why he wastes a bunch time by explaining himself to Twice, he doesn't want to do it.

If Hawks doesn't offer help to Twice, then there's also the option of simply arresting him without talking to him at all. (Then they would have probably placed him in Tartarus, because other people would have witnessed his arrest and the commission definitely wouldn't want people to know they give heroes assassination missions.)

I pointed it out in some posts here and there, but Hawks very clearly had the upper hand in the battle right up until the moment Dabi joined. The scene starts with Twice already pinned down to the ground surrounded by Hawks' feathers. Even when he starts making clones to fight, we see that Hawks doesn't need to put much effort to destroy them. He almost doesn't move from his spot at the door at all before Dabi comes in. He could have very easily knocked him unconscious and taken him quietly. We know he is physically capable of doing all of that.

But again, Hawks went into this with the predetermined notion that anything other than killing Twice wouldn't work.

So in this case Hawks had other options technically speaking, but he thought he didn't because of the way the HPSC have conditioned him to follow their orders. When Dabi joins the battle Hawks loses the control he had over the situation.

He could stand still before and let his feathers do the work, now he has to dodge Dabi's attacks.

He had Twice immobilised on the floor, now he escapes literally from under him.

He was wasting time before, but now he needs to find a way to end this quickly.

So he does what he was ordered to do in the first place.

All of this to say that Hawks had plenty of other options, but also no other option at the same time!

Twice's death was a tragedy because it could have very easily been prevented, but it was also inevitable.

Hawks had the ability to make other options, he's not like the nomu, he has free will. It was his own choice to kill in the end. But because of the way he was groomed by the commission in his mind there was only one option.

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

Now about the second point..

I don't think Hawks' decision to kill Twice was bad for his character development. In fact I always thought Twice's death was a great direction for the story to go. It creates conflict which makes things interesting.

My problem is that this very interesting plot point wasn't used to its full potential afterwards.

We don't see Hawks thinking about his decision, whether or not he could have done things differently. We don't see him regret it. Again I have said in some other posts that I (personally) didn't even need Hawks to regret killing Twice specifically. I would have been happy to see him struggle with his decision to kill a person in general. He took someone's life, I think he should have been more affected by it. But by some of his lines in the latest chapters it seems like he didn't struggle with that at all. (I'm keeping it vague because you said you only watched the anime and I don't want to spoil you, even if it's just a couple of lines)

This didn't just affect Hawks' character arc, he's just the worst case because his character arc was stopped in its tracks.

Imagine Twice's death as Chekhov's gun in a way, but it's for character growth. And then Hori brought some bullets to shoot but forgot the actual gun! Twice died and we saw how that affected the villains (and not even all of them) but we didn't see how it affected the heroes.

We never got to see Tomura's reaction to losing another member of the league (when we saw him avenging Magne in the Overhaul arc)

Dabi asks Tokoyami "who do you think really needs saving?" and Tokoyami never thinks about that ever again.

Hawks kills a man and then proceeds to never think about it again (except to publicly acknowledge the fact)

Also Hawks is used in the Todoroki family side plot a lot after the war, which in my opinion is a bit forced. I think it would be more interesting to see him separately from his parasocial relationship with Endeavor. He was already lacking in the self identification department because of how the commission groomed him, I was hoping he would separate from them after the war. Not only does he not do that, he also latches onto Endeavor and is now only a tool to push his atonement arc forward. And he doesn't even do a good job doing that! (Again keeping this kind of vague, hopefully I didn't accidentally spoil anything you don't already know)

Basically I wanted to see more of his internal conflict. I wanted to see him struggle I WANTED ANGST AAAAAA!! 😂😂

Hopefully we're going to get that now with the inevitable Hawks vs Toga, but this will still be external conflict caused by his actions. I still think it would work much better if we saw his thought process before he gets narrative consequences.

#ask #responding to these is really fun #i can freely ramble and rant about the things i like or don't like and i get to talk with people #thank you again for the ask #😊✨✨✨ #hawks #takami keigo #krista answers

[space-blue]

No spoilers review of Rings of Power's first 2 episodes

TL;DR : It's great so far overall. Pirate it if you will, but haters beat the hate drum for nothing, in regards to quality.

The detailed version:

I'd like to open by saying I've read the trilogy multiple times, and the hobbit too, but never finished the Silmarillion. I've seen the OG films a million times, and their extended bonuses. I've seen the Hobbit films once or twice (worked in a cinema in NZ at the time the second came out…) but generally dislike them. I've never engaged with fandom much and basically know precious little of what's supposed to go down in the series.

The costumes are good. Some better than others.

The characters are all engaging. I've seen reviews that didn't care much for the harfoots, but I found them adorable and was often grinning during their scenes. There is definitely a sense of slow pace, with the characters building slowly and giving no indication of where the series might take them. I don't mind actually. I don't want tropes thrown in my face 2h in if there will be time to build.

The CGI is perfectly fine. Some scenes are more obvious than others, but I never really broke immersion except for a couple of scenes where I thought "maybe this would be nicer if practical". I have no idea what the workload was like for CG artists. It's usually shit, and I can't imagine Amazon treats their workers well in any domain. But they did a fantastic job. This is NOT TV show quality CG. This isn't Marvel or even Star Wars. This is very careful, very well executed, and I felt like watching two movies, not two tv episodes.

The plot... Is very slow to build. I honestly don't mind, because there's a satisfying sense of mystery throughout. I'm invested in all the storylines so far, to my own surprise.

The music is good too. It's not often noticeably "insane" the way it could be in the films, with tracks like for the Nazgul attack at Bree that just rips you from your seat. but overall I never thought the music was lacking, and noticed a few great tracks, notably at Khazad-Dûm! There are some very interesting sounds here and there and I think I'll get the OST as it's the sort of stuff I'll do some great writing to.

The one massive drawback so far for me is EDITING. OMG the editing. I don't know what they think they are doing, but I suspect they believe audiences need some sort of constant back and forth between PoVs to keep our interest? It this the TikTok editing trend? lol I joke but I genuinely wondered if this was edited for the tik tok crowd.

I'm really looking forward to the whole show being out and some pro editor reclipping this nicely. Some scenes, you will have very low interest walking, some talking... there's a mystery afoot... ok... And then oof, they discover something suspicious! A creepy tunnel! Character drops down into it and finally, we're talking. Something interesting. CUT!! And yeah, that happens a lot. They cut away from scenes that finally become good, or that have been built up to.

For me it did nothing but frustrate me.

Otherwise, nope, I like it. MILD SPOILERS FOR CHARACTERS:

I think Galadriel is great as a Trauma Queen. She has that one line, telling a human who's asking her to "let it lie" that "It would take longer than your lifetime even to speak the names of those they have taken from me. So letting it lie is not an option."

And I was both like "yasss queen!" but also "do elves have therapy? Because please, try and get some of that, you need it."

There was a lot of misogyny dressed in white knighting for "strong female characters" online in the last months, and I wish a happy fuck off to all people who will be hating on "strong female uwu Galadriel". I think there's some interesting acting choices going on, and the more we see of her, the more apparent it is that she GAINED her composure, but wasn't always so. I feel it's a great exchange for knowing she isn't at risk in this show. Instead of wondering if she'll "make it", I can wonder how she became the Galadriel I know. I hope they do her justice!

Elrond is fine! He's got depth!

There also was a fuss around the black elf, Arondir... AND YOU CAN ALL FUCK OFF TOO, HE'S MY PRECIOUS!!! Dude is a fucking gardener turned soldier in this war, he's relatable in his fears and bravery... And his name means "to round up" in French. He's sweet and I'm invested in his story. Some of the more chilling scenes came from his side actually.

And OMG DURIN!!! During and Elrond have this fantastic energy to them, I loved their scenes. And yeah, no beard on the Dwarven ladies. But I didn't mind. I found Disa super charming.

Also, a lot of scenes had fantastic fandom energy. I was watching, enjoying myself, and a little monkey at the back of my mind was like "ooohohohohohoho the tumblrinas are gonna be posting about this, I know it." But not in a bad way at all. More in like... there is space for tropes and retellings, and fix its and missing scenes... and I can already tell what's gonna be excellent at a glance. The visit at Khazad-Dûm is one of those settings imo.

Anyway, if the quality remains the same, it will be a fantastic show and a great addition to my personal canon of the Lord of the Rings. I think my final edition will be taken from fandom spaces when someone fixing the woeful editing... But I'm going to keep watching religiously until further notice!!

#rings of power #review #mild spoilers #lord of the rings #amazon #rop positivity #rop review #lotr rings of power #lotrrop

[ramblyngrobyn]

Juvenile (Pkmn/Prsk crossover) Prologue notes extended

Okay! So! This is the start of a little big something I've been sitting on for a while. For the last several months (since at least April 2023) I've been occasionally poking at this ever-expanding AU in my phone's notes, adding ideas for story beats and things to do with the characters and world. I always figured I wouldn't actually turn this into a real thing and figured I'd just keep it to my own imagination but the brainworms eventually won, so here I am!

Uh, so I don't know how "good" this is gonna be? Hell even this first chapter I'm already worried that maybe I tried to do too much at once. As I was writing a lot of extra ideas hit me for how I could better build this as a solid foundation of the rest of the story. I wanted every scene to like, matter, yknow? It might just straight up be too long! But any time I considered cutting a scene just to make things more brief I was like "no, no, I need that part". I could have also cut it into multiple chapters but it's the same amount of content so like, what would the point be. If you're wondering, the break points for a 3-chapter version of this would have been Mafuyu showing up at Kanade's place and Kanade seeing the others off at the train station.

Right off the bat, the prologue is a bit different tonally and I wanna talk about that. There's not a super high saturation of Pokemon stuff in this opening! I hope that isn't too weird considering this is a Pokemon AU! I wanted to ease Kanade into it before dropping her in the deep end for the last chunk. When the next chapter hits, we’ll be in full on Poke-mode. This chapter also has a handful of more serious moments, which is par for the course since y'know, Niigo. I actually cut out or edited some bleaker moments because I thought they felt out of place, lol. It's gonna get a lot more consistently lighthearted from here, I promise! (Mostly!)

I have the broad strokes of this story outlined, both in written notes and a map that I scribbled out. I don't have all the details in-between locked in, I'm being flexible there, but I know where I want this to go and generally speaking what I want to do with the whole cast.

I'm not aiming for anything super profound with this, and I have no practical experience in long-form storytelling. Hopefully that doesn't bite me in the butt too hard. Going forward, some chapters might end up being mostly choreographed action, some might be the characters sitting around talking for a few thousand words. At the end of the day, this is just me having fun with my favorite characters in one of my favorite fictional words. I'm trying to not think so hard that I corner myself.

On that note, I think it's worth noting up front that this is very much my version of these characters in my version of Unova. Not in a "my fic don't like don't read" kind of way but like... you might not agree with every choice?

For the most part character origins will have to be built from the ground up, though as you can see from this first chapter I've tried to keep bits and pieces from canon that I think naturally fit. Niigo's origin story is honestly pretty easy to write and intuit around considering they first met remotely. And while I did do a lot of expositing in this opening I think that instead of every character getting an airtight, perfectly laid out backstory, I'll leave some things to the imagination.

As far as the laws of the Pokemon universe goes, it probably goes without saying that I definitely won't be following strict rules from the games. Some Pokemon might end up learning moves that aren't in their learnset, for example (or at least, if they make sense for the Mon in question). Some moves and abilities might have their function tweaked for this context, or I might go for a different interpretation of how the move manifests physically. There’ll be Pokemon that have more than literally four moves. Stuff like that. I'm inserting some headcanons, some ideas that I think fill in gaps in the world building, and there'll be a lot of changes to the design of the world. I joke to myself that this is a "post-globalism Unova", because there's some locations that are really different, a couple totally original locations, and Pokemon here that don't show up in Pokemon BW/2. You could call it "anime logic" if you want, I just think loosening the rules makes things more interesting and fun to write and read. 

One more little nugget: In case you didn't recognize it, the title is from the Jin song made for the Project Voltage collab! It's my favorite song so far from the crossover, it makes me feel so many things. It just felt like a perfect fit for this story vibes-wise, as well as a fun coincidence since I’d been imagining Kanade with an Eevee for months beforehand.

I may run out of steam eventually, but I'm publishing this first chapter because I'm currently feeling fired up about it. Even if the current enthusiasm wanes over time this'll be here for me to poke with an update whenever I want.

I'd love for you to join me on this silly journey, and I hope you can enjoy it!

[apixrl]

SINCERELY, YOURS.

hanta sero x fem!reader

WARNING(S): none

word count: 3.0k

song: sincerely, yours // nohidea

note(s): i just think that he'd be the perfect hubby tbh (EDIT: I'M SO DUMB I POSTED W/O TAGS PFAHAHHA)

Hanta finally managed to force open the door to the log cabin that had long been awaiting your arrival, the wooden structure welcoming the approaching warmth and laughter of the newly wedded couple. The ravenette smirked joyously and let out a triumphant 'hoorah', your laughter only adding to the display of ego on his face.

"And you said I'd drop you," Hanta mocked your earlier words, looking down at you with that very same smirk. If not for your arms wrapped around his neck and entire weight held in his arms, you most likely would have pushed his face away by the cheek. To avoid that shit-eating, joking smirk that rarely left his dumb and lovable face. The face you fell for so undoubtedly swift and heavy.

"I didn't say you would I said you may drop me," Was your response. "It's not every day we walk through so much snow!"

"Hush now, that was nothing to me," Hanta lifted the arm that supported your back, planting his lips on your forehead in a sweet welcoming kiss. Your lips curled in approval, accepting the gesture as Hanta used his foot to close the door behind you both, driving away the cold breeze from outside as warmth replaced it. "Now would you look at this place!"

Heeding Hanta's words, your eyes averted from his addicting gaze to the bonnie log cabin interior set out before you two. From left to right the cabin maintained an earthy theme, consistent in wooden textures excluding that of the supple beige sofas in the centre of the room. They were accompanied with ripening red cushions, as well as a few other pieces of furniture containing the same colour to maintain an advertising aesthetic no doubt. Lengthy beams stretched from one end of the walls to the other, set out in rows. The deepest wall (opposite to the entrance) was made mostly out of glass and onlooking a gorgeous snowy forest scene, small golden lights lit up outside to only add to the aura already presented. Built-up by red bricks and extending up toward the ceiling was a great open fireplace, already sparked alight and sensing a contrasting warmth to the bitter cold outdoors. In the corner of the room were a set of stairs most likely directing themselves off to the bedroom, though you and Hanta were so taken by the bottom floor's interior neither of you even processed there were more rooms to see.

"Wow... this place is gorgeous!" You said through a whisper, face lighting up at the sight. Never had you thought a place could be so beautifully arranged and so beautiful in general, and the two of you had this place to yourselves for an entire two weeks... it made you feel like the luckiest person alive! That you were really, as you'd just tied the knot the love of your life and were starting an entirely new journey with him. From the very moment you'd both uttered 'I do' in front of all your friends and family - the paths you lead became one that you would waltz down together.

"So you like it then?" Hanta asked, ebony eyes trailing away from the open fire and down to your own E/C irises. His smirk slowly transitioned to an endearing grin upon seeing your face of wonder, heart skipping a beat as your gaze met his and your expression mirrored.

"Of course! It's just how I imagined it - even more stunning than the pictures online," Your hand grazed Hanta's gloved one, though the barricade of wool and cotton did nothing to prevent the love and desire sent through the tips of your fingers. The ravenette admired your beauty in that lingering stare shared between you, exhaling a content sigh. You never failed to astound him with your beauty, the way your eyes glowed whenever you looked at him. How your hair fell perfectly into place no matter the circumstance (even on your worst of hair days you somehow managed to make it work). Not to mention your smile and laugh - those specific factors alone making Hanta fall for you over and over and exceeding limits of love and admiration he didn't even think he possessed.

Just before Hanta was to fall into daydream you shook him out his thoughts, the shifting of weight in his arms struck him to shake out of it, realising that you were attempting to shuffle out his arms in order to stand. So he let you down, grip loosening and reluctantly allowing you to step away.

"I'm glad," He quickly uttered, his hand lifting to his head to remove the woolly hat resting there. Then he proceeded to unbutton his winter coat as did you, the pair of you making light work of it due to the excitement of exploring your temporary home.

"So our suitcases are already here?" You asked Hanta, straightening out your knitted turtleneck jumper which was a soft pink shade. Usually something you wouldn't wear, but it was well-suited for the weather and didn't irritate your skin. So you took advantage of the purchase. From your left Hanta hummed softly, turning towards you once he was done hanging his coat on the rack. He too had a turtleneck on, but his donned a collect of abstract patterns and stuck to more neutral colours than yours.

"Yep, they should be upstairs," Hanta replied, running a hand through his hair as he looked over at you. He shifted over to your side, hugging you from behind with a mischievous chuckle. "But we can unpack tomorrow,"

"I like the idea of that, I just wanna snuggle," You responded with a giggle, leaning back into your husband's hold. After a few seconds Hanta stepped forwards, forcing your feet to follow suit. The ravenette guided you both to the nearest sofa, where he messily fell back against the ruby red cushions and you alongside him.

"That's because you procrastinate more than you've ever been willing to admit," Hanta turned you over so you sat atop his middle, hands settled on your hips like they were structured to hold them. There was a smirk on his face as you rolled your eyes at his last comment.

"I procrastinate because you distract me," You corrected, poking his chest with a prominent finger.

"Ah well, what can I say? I'm just that pretty aren't I?" He replied, laughing joyously. You couldn't help but echo with your own form of a chuckle, shaking your head as the smile on your face sent Hanta all kinds of elated emotions through his veins.

"You're not wrong there, Tiger," You grinned ear to ear, staring lovingly in his direction. Words weren't enough to express how much you loved him, your mind struggling to form sentences most of the time with just how much he took your breath away. In truth, you would have allowed yourself to remain gazing into Hanta's eyes the entire night. But you were due to catch sight of an envelope on the coffee table next to you both, drawing your attention away from him as fast as it came. The item too out of the ordinary to ignore. Peculiarly you leaned over to grab it, tilting your head at the item.

"What's that?"

"I don't know," Was your answer. Your fingers proceeded to slit open the top, discovering a smaller, folded piece of paper inside. Curiously you opened it up, voice filling the room as you discovered golden ink was printed on one side and intended to read it out.

" Dear Mr and Mrs Sero,

We are beyond pleased that you chose to stay with us for your honeymoon. Have a wonderful and splendid time at the start of your journey together and we wish you nothing but happiness and joy during your stay.

Kindest regards,

[resort/name] "

"Mr and Mrs Sero," Hanta repeated with a thoughtful stare to the wooden beams above. "I'm still not used to hearing that and we've already been married a week," A smile formed on his lips, releasing a chuckle from the depths of his chest. Almost like he couldn't believe the words he had just uttered. Tilting your head, you pondered on what he meant.

"How do you mean?" You didn't receive an answer straight away, the man you called your husband gently sighed, almost with the case of the lovesick. Somewhere during the exhale Hanta's eyes fell from the beamed ceiling and onto you, gratitude threaded in his expression as he stared at you.

"I just don't know how I got so lucky to marry someone like you," His hand extended to cup your cheek, cradling the slightly chilled part of your face (thanks to the cold air and wind from outside) as his thumb stroked the surface of your skin. Your eyes widened, all too used to the gesture but rarely ever prepared for it whenever Hanta committed to it. You smiled, nuzzling into his warm hold as your eyes closed.

"Me too," You hummed, sighing out yourself as your heart fluttered higher and higher with each passing second. A short silence ensued, ending as you abruptly let out a little laugh. It caught Hanta's attention, his head cosying into the cushion behind him as his brows raised.

"What?"

"Oh, nothing. I was just thinking about the night you proposed. That's all," Another laugh escaped, humour striking you as you recalled how it had played out. From the manner your lover rolled his eyes, he clearly still hadn't emotionally recovered from it.

"That stupid fire pit," He groaned, eyes closing in annoyance. "I can't believe I let it ruin the moment,"

"I don't think that was the fire's intention, Hants,"

Despite being blatantly confident and bold, when it came to more... intimacy-related things, Hanta Sero's expertise dwindled dangerously. It had taken him months of knowing you to actually ask you out on a date, and when you finally got together? Well, it took him four years before he began to think about popping the question - three months more to actually pop it. Whilst you did say yes once he got down on one knee on the balcony of your holiday home for your fourth anniversary together, the events that proceeded after were what truly traumatised the poor ravenette.

Your holiday was spent somewhere in the Caribbean at a beachside residence that locals rented out for tourists. You and Hanta had always been big on travelling, hence your honeymoon location being such an unconventional place. Or as far as you knew, you didn't have an exact number on how many honeymoons were spent in remote mountain ranges surrounded by blustering winds and snow. It was a nice change of pace to the intense heats nearer the Equator.

During that vacation in particular though, that was the year Hanta finally decided to propose. After a long day on the beach, swimming in the ocean and feeling the sand between your toes as evening approached, you watched the sunset on the balcony of the second floor, neighbouring your bedroom. To set the mood the firepit in the centre had been lit, creating a stunning orange glow in Hanta's eyes as he held you close to his chest.

You noticed he was quite fidgety in his seat, wondering what was wrong with your lover as he gripped his knee tight. Like he was uncomfortable or nervous. Like he needed to get something off of his chest. It was only when you pointed out your concern and his odd behaviour that Hanta managed to shift his stance. Moving from his stiff position to wobbling on one knee, then came the heartfelt speech that gave you a sense of where he was going. A subtle reach into his pocket and before you knew it, you were shouting yes into the night sky and your eyes foggy with tears of complete and utter joy.

Hanta placed the ring on your finger, the realisation hitting him at that moment that you and he were engaged. His excitement got the better of him, the male sweeping you in his arms and swinging you around as he babbled sweet nothings into your ear. The speed wavered his balance, his leg knocking into the table holding a bottle of wine he had ordered specifically for the occasion. Much to both of your bad luck, it all collapsed against the firepit and tipped it over - and one can only imagine what happened next. A rather chaotic ruckus erupted between you as Hanta grabbed you by the waist and flung you both out of the building via the balcony to ensure your safety. Then he 'thwipped' straight back up to the fire and frantically searched for the fire extinguisher to put it out, all whilst you sat on the sandy ground outside, frozen to how drastically the mood had changed.

Luckily the fire didn't spread too far. If not for Hanta's efficiency in dealing with it upfront, it could have spread to the bedroom and the rest of the house. It did not, however, the most damage being the balcony sofas that were scorched no thanks to their wooden frame and white cushioning.

Despite having just been engaged, there wasn't much you and Hanta could do to celebrate. So the night ended with you and he falling to slumber in the early hours of the morning, too exhausted after dealing with the owners' wrath after the slight mishap of nearly setting their building ablaze.

"At least you didn't burn the entire house down," You tried after a few seconds of quiet, earning a scoff on Hanta's part as he ran a hand through his hair.

"It felt like it when I called the owner's to tell them what happened," Hanta answered, softly frowning at the shrieking yells he heard during that call ringing their way through his mind again. Long after he'd shut them out based on the humiliation of being on the receiving end. You giggled, recalling how you were able to hear them despite the phone not being on speaker.

"I'm surprised they let us stay for the rest of the week,"

"That's because I paid the money for the damage caused within six hours of them demanding it," Hanta reminded you, dragging his hands down his face as he groaned out. Probably expelling his inner cringe at his foolishness that night. "Times like that make me relieved I'm a top ten pro, helps out with emergencies a great fucking deal,"

"Are you sure that didn't play any part in their generosity? That you're a top ten pro?"

"No way," He said and sat up to meet your height, hands looping to cradle the small of your back. He held back continuing to briefly peck you on the lips. "The bill they gave me was the complete opposite of generous,"

"How much was it again?" You asked, memory not serving you the answer. The ebony-haired male leaned forwards to kiss you again before he moved his lips up to your ear. His voice became a whisper, telling the sum in Yen which made your eyes widen in astonishment.

"Wow," Was your instinctive reply, Hanta scoffing a laugh in agreement based on your tone of surprise. It was there he nuzzled into your neck, inhaling through his nose to catch a whiff of your scent. The aroma acting as a sedative to wipe the memory from his mind permanently. All he wished to remember of that night was the way your face lit up as he asked you to take his hand in marriage. How your tears formed and how your lips uttered the words he had oh, so desperately wanted to hear after months and months of worry of being rejected.

And look at you both now; husband and wife and on your honeymoon. Holding each other as close as close can be with no doubt or hesitancy in your minds at all. Why he had worried so much was something he would never be able to figure out. As looking back, all of it felt like the easiest thing he had ever had to do.

Due to that, Hanta smiled into your neck. The change could have been missed, but you were far too attentive to not notice. The feeling of his cheeks shaping his smile made you smile as well, your arms wrapping around Hanta's neck in a desperate need to pull him closer. Your fingers ghosted the back of his neck, tickling the hairs that attached with care like no other. You rested your chin on his head, eyes closed gently in comfort. In response, Hanta hummed lowly, hands starting to rub up and down your back like he was giving you a massage.

Silence passed, the two of you simply enjoying the other's company and the intimate moment you had welded together. The proximity created a warmth that could fight any cold, the fireplace behind you both unneeded to fight the swirling snow outside. Your eyes peaked open as the faint crackle of the fire nearby caught your attention. You watched the flames dance for a second or so before you plucked up the confidence to speak.

"Just... let's not set fire to this place. Alright?" You mused, holding your breath as you waited for Hanta's response. Luckily he didn't dismiss it, actually finding the comment quite funny. He voiced a blurt of a laugh, head shaking as much as he could make it whilst it buried into the depths of your neck. Hanta's mouth opened to make his reply, quickly hushing up again to return to the peaceful silence of before, not at all ready to let it go just yet.

"Agreed,"

#bnha x reader #x reader #fluff #mha x reader #anime x reader #boku no hero x reader #my hero academia x reader #hanta sero x you #hanta sero x y/n #hanta sero x reader #hanta sero #sero x reader #bnha sero hanta #my hero academia #boku no hero academia #sero fluff #hanta sero fluff

[fy-2pm]

[Interview] 2PM's Taecyeon 1st Look Magazine

In "Vincenzo", going back and forth as the foolish intern lawyer and the cold-blooded sociopath, Ok Taecyeon has added tension. Another side of him begins.

Q: It has been approximately one year since your last acting piece and you're back with the drama <VINCENZO>. Did you watch the first episode?

T: Of course, I really enjoyed watching it. Actually, I don't know much about the part without my appearance until I watched it on TV. So, it's like something new to me. Watching the first episode, I realized I am in a project that's much bigger than I thought.

Q: What's your reaction?

T: Overall, it was fun. However, there were many scenes with the comical elements came out stronger than I thought. As this is the work from scriptwriter, Park Jae-Beom, I expected some comical elements to some extent but most of them, I didn't even think about it.

Q: Like you said, scriptwriter Park Jae-Beom is someone who will address the social issues in a comical way. What's it like to work with him?

T: While I was reading the script, I thought the writer has something he wanted to say. He wanted to bring out social criticism through his piece of work. Actually, the black comedy genre needs to be more comical so that it won't be too heavily weighted. It's not easy. The scriptwriter managed to solve this without placing too much weight on this. Personally, I am very impress.

Q: At the drama press conference, Director Kim Hee Won told us that she worked very hard on each character to the extent that it took her 6 months to do casting. Why do you think Ok Taecyeon became Jang Jun Woo?

T: I think the biggest reason is my good health. From Director Kim's perspective, bright and healthy image matches with Junwoo's character. She said I should be able to explore and express this character well.

Q: Actually, I thought Jang Junwoo would be very different to the Ok Taecyeon that we know for a long time.

T: When I first received the script, I thought, "Should I be doing this?" because Jang Junwoo and I have a lot in common. The very first scene for Junwoo is riding an electric scooter, which made me feel if someone is hiding a camera to film my real life. I like to ride it all the time (laugh). However, as the story unfolds, it is more than just Junwoo's foolish out look. I'm going to show a different side of me, so I am paying a lot of attention in my acting.

Q: With a different side, what would that be?

T: I think Jang Junwoo is someone with many sides and shadings. It's character that goes back and forth between cold and hot bath. I keep thinking, "Can I express it like this?" I am thinking into each and single details. Personally, I have never acted like this before, so I'm expressing it in various different ways under the directions from the director. Viewers will be able to see this, I wonder how they will accept it.

Q: Personally, I think your "Tikitaka" with senior lawyer played by Jeon Yeo Bin was impressive. I'm looking forward to see the chemistry between you two. (T/N: "Tikitaka" means "the situation whereby someone does something and the other supports with efficient responses")

T: Actually I tried to get to know each other better. She's an actress who receives well and so, we are in sync when say our script lines.

Q: Jang Junwoo is an intern who just took his first step into the society. What was Ok Taecyeon like when he first started? Let's talk about the old days.

T: When I first started working... It was already 15 years ago (laugh). Back then, to me, everything was fun. The very first time I earned my own money was when I did some modelling. At that time, I didn't have a manager, so I took the bus with heavy stage makeup. I also went to practice just like that. However, everything was really fun. At that time, my parents were in the US and I came back to Korea alone. One of the fun things is to tell them each and everything I did for work.

Q: <VINCENZO> will be meeting global viewers via Netflix. Will the global viewers be able to relate to the story?

T: For sure, I don't think there's anything you can relate to it. This is because it is a black comedy where they are pointing out the current problems in Korean society. However, if you look at it at a wider scope, the definition of a dark hero is the same in any society. Viewers with their conventional thoughts and curiosity will have questions as to why things are not resolved by the law. I think this is where <VINCENZO> will attract the global viewers.

Q: You have been an actor for more than 10 years. When was the first time, you are convinced about this?

T: I think it was at the time when I was filming the drama <WONDERFUL DAYS>. One day after shooting a scene, the writer praised me for doing well. While I was filming, I thought, "Am I doing it okay?". I didn't know I would get a good compliment. After the filming, I was able to feel the relief of my nervousness, which I have never felt before. For the first time, I thought, "Is this the charm of acting?"

Q: When you first dream of becoming an actor to now, is there any difference?

T: Well, I think we should use the expression "When I first started" rather than "When I first dreamed" about it. I think I really started not knowing what was really going on. With the thought that I am working with nice people, every time I go to work, I will think about how I can contribute to make it interesting and fun in the filming. I thought about how I can express more. I think it's about time for me to think about how to make my characters look new.

Q: Actually, there is no right or wrong answer for acting. Sometimes, there are different opinions but what kind of choices do you have to make?

T: Personally, I will analyze the characters and prepare a lot of things. Sometimes, I will approach the director. Times like that, I will follow the director's instructions. Of course, there are also times when I have my own thoughts. However, no matter how I act, it doesn't mean much if it gets edited out later. I came across an actor who doesn't look at his acting at all on the monitor. If he sees his own acting, he would be forcing his acting without realizing it. So when he the director says it's okay, he is okay with it, too. After hearing that, I thought that was right too.

Q: What attracts you when you look at a piece of work?

T: Personally, I think how the story flows is important. Next is, what can I show with this character? I will look into it.

Q: What's the joy living as an actor?

T: While you get to play different characters every time, you can also break down people's prejudice. I think this is the part with the most fun. So I think it's important to take on new challenges with something new. I am always thinking how to keep people's attentions and to what extend people can take when I do something outrageous.

Q: If so, what does actor Ok Taecyeon want to show with his acting?

T: Honestly, instead of showing a completely different side of me, I am trying to focus on what I already have and I'll increase all aspects little by little. I was watching my acting to look for the character's flow and what the character is missing all at once. I'm trying to do that (laugh).

Q: By the way, at the end of last year, 2PM announced their group comeback at a live. How's the preparation going?

T: We're preparing but I'm not sure if we can make a comeback this year (laugh). We are planning but there are situations overlapping so we need to organize that.

Q: Since 2016, it's been 5 years since your last group album. Personally, anything you want to show us?

T: As all our members are composing songs, we all have different ideas. Like what music to use as our title song? We cannot make a start unless we find our direction. Actually, once the title song is decided, it will progress from then on, but members haven't come to a decision yet. Recently, our first round of gathering failed (laugh).

Q: Define Ok Taecyeon in a few words. What words are appropriate?

T: A lot of people said the words "healthy" or "vitamin C" (laugh). Personally, I like all of them. However, if I put them all together, I hope I can become the "Happy Virus." Doesn't matter where I go, I want to give happiness to many people. As a singer who is acting, if you watch me act and you can feel the comfort and happiness from my heart that would be great.

Q: I think you have achieved this. Everyone in the site here today is happy. Thanks to Taecyeon.

T: Really? Then, that's all. What. Hahaha...

Trans @JLML718

#2pm #taecyeon #p: photoshoot #e: magazine #e: interview #1st look #1st look korea #Vincenzo #korean actor #korean singer #kpop #k drama #march 2021 issue

[twinkle-320]

Hi my sweety pie i was wondering if you would write something about king Liam and Riley hooking up together. I sure do miss them.🤎🇹🇨

Hi nonny! Thanks for sending this ask. I've been trying so hard to get out a chapter of 'Unbreak My Heart' and I keep questioning everything I write and then I end up scraping stuff and trying again, so this gave me a chance to step away (briefly) from that frustration. Riley and Drake are my OTP but since this ask is for Riley and Liam, I tried to deliver...I hope I don't sound like a rambling mess in my author's notes.

Warnings: Language and NSFW - do not read if you are under 18.

A/N: This takes place in my AU, specifically Book 1 'Somebody That I Used to Know'. If you haven't read that here is an extreme cliff notes version of what you need to know for background: Riley and Drake met when Riley was in high school (her name was Emily at the time, she changed it when she turned 18) and Drake was in the US for college. They became the best of friends but Emily/Riley was very much in love with Drake. When Drake began to distance himself from her without explanation once she started college, she assumed that it was unrequited love and was heartbroken. Drake ended up cutting himself out of her life completely and then one day just disappeared. 7.5 years later he walked into her bar in New York. With a new name and slightly different appearance, Riley was able to lie about who she was and pretend she didn't know him in an effort to guard her broken heart. But Drake didn't believe her and shared his suspicions with Liam, because the truth she didn't know was that he'd loved her all along. Hoping to help his best friend, Liam convinced Maxwell to sponsor Riley and bring her to Cordonia while he launched an investigation to prove she was Emily, but he didn't expect to fall for her himself. Riley continued hiding her identity when she got to Cordonia and threw herself into the competition hoping her feelings for Liam would grow so she could ignore the fact that she was still in love with Drake. If you want to read any of my other stories, you can find links in my Masterlist which is the pinned post on my page.

A/N 2: So, Riley and Drake are my OTP but in this AU she does have real feelings for Liam. This story takes place in Lythikos when Riley joins Liam in his room. In STIUTK, we see this scene mostly from Riley's POV and she stops things before they go too far in the hot tub. Here, I decided to delve into Liam's POV as well as write this as a 'what if' Riley didn't put on the breaks. Of course there is angst and the constant 'presence' of Drake between them but I hope this fulfills your desire for a Liam and Riley hook up :)

Taglist: @ladyangel70 @petiteboheme @lovingchoices14 @gkittylove99 Feel free to let me know if you want to be added or removed.

Word Count: 4044

Please excuse any errors, I didn't do a full edit.

I Want You to Want Me

I want you to want I need you to need me I’d love you to love me I’m begging you to beg me Liam nervously paced in the living room of the grand suite in Lythikos. It had taken monumental effort to convince Olivia that he was ready for bed when she had tried to accompany him to his room. There was no way he could be honest with her and tell that he had already extended an invitation to Lady Riley.

While guilt and loyalty had been holding him back since Riley had arrived in Cordonia, he was just a man and he couldn’t deny that he desperately wanted her. Or that he was just as desperate for her to want him in return. Sure, she had initiated nearly every kiss, but the nagging voice in the back of his mind wouldn’t let him forget who she could be. If she was in fact Emily, there was a very real chance that despite all of her advances, her heart truly belonged to Drake.

If there was ever a time, ever a perfect place to find out for sure, this was that night and he had set the scene perfectly. In the hour that had already passed since he extended the invitation to Riley, he taken the time to ensure the hot tub was prepared and the balcony was now romantically lit with dozens of candles. As the minutes ticked by, the candles were quickly melting away and Liam became increasingly worried that he’d have his answer when Riley didn’t show.

Just as he turned to the balcony to extinguish the candles, there was a gentle knock on the door. On the other side, Riley stood sheepishly in the hall. Liam smiled brightly, but Riley’s expression showed something that looked like regret before quickly relaxing and returning his smile.

Liam felt a glimmer of hope when he noticed her shift. “Lady Riley, welcome. I take it no one saw you?”

Riley hesitated. “No, no one saw me…Drake showed me a way through the servants’ passage.”

Liam’s expression immediately fell at the sound of his best friend’s name passing her lips. Stepping out in to the hall, he looked around, nervous and confused. “Drake brought you here?”

“Yes.”

“But how…why did he know?” With all the tension already mounting between the friends, Liam knew that Riley coming to his room would likely further anger Drake.

Riley tried to control her expression but Liam picked up on the nervous fidgeting of her hands and the shiftiness of her gaze as she formulated an answer.

“I met him for a drink when I left the ball. In his role as my bodyguard, he offered to walk me to my room but I wasn’t thinking and told him I had somewhere to be…and he just knew.”

“Of course he did,” Liam thought. If the circumstances were different, a post dinner drink would be innocent enough but Liam couldn’t help but think about how often Riley seemed to seek Drake’s company. Taking her hand, he gently pulled her into the room. “Come in and get comfortable, it’s not safe to keep talking in the hall.”

Subterfuge and sneaking around didn’t exactly scream romance, but it was unfortunately the nature of the circumstances they were in, for more reasons than one. Despite that difficult reality, however, he couldn’t quell the desire rising inside himself as he watched her take in the luxurious suite. Hoping to keep the evening moving in the right direction, Liam poured them each a glass of wine before taking a seat beside her on the sofa.

It seemed no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t separate sentiment and feelings from his constant need to observe and analyze. It was a blessing and a curse that he could read people so well and he found himself making mental notes of how she wearily eyed the glass of red wine and the slight grimace when she took a sip. “If you don’t like it…tell me,” he thought to himself. “I just want to please you. I just…want to love you.”

“Liam, is it a problem that Drake knows I’m here? I don’t want to get you in any trouble,” Riley asked, breaking him from his desperate train of thought.

Liam sighed, disappointed that her focus still seemed to be on Drake. “No, Riley. It’s not a problem in that way, but…it’s complicated.”

Riley’s face shone of confusion and he immediately chastised himself for not just saying no. If he didn’t want Drake between them, he too had to stop leaving that door open.

“Complicated, how?” she asked.

“It’s not something we should be discussing, it is between Drake and I,” he replied, hoping that would be the end of it, though he knew her well enough by now to know it wouldn’t be.

Riley regarded him curiously. “But, it does involve me…doesn’t it?”

“Yes,” Liam relented.

“Then don’t I have the right to know?”

There was no backing out of the conversation now; Liam knew she wouldn’t let it go. If there was any hope to salvage the night, he needed an answer. Setting down his glass with a sigh, he squared his shoulders and took a deep breath. “I suppose you do, but…I’m not sure how to explain it. Suffice it to say that your presence has stirred something in Drake, and I fear he is letting his past cloud how he feels in the present.”

“Feels? Does Drake think he has feelings for me?” Riley gasped.

Her surprise seemed genuine enough, but there was more. The subtle flush of her cheeks, her wide, expectant eyes, and the rapid increase of her pulse that he could see in the delicate curve of her neck betrayed the hopefulness she was clearly feeling as she waited for his reply.

Liam picked up his glass and downed the rest of his wine in one gulp, trying to douse the flames of guilt burning in his gut. No matter how much he wanted to, his honor would not allow him to lie. “Yes, I believe he does,” he replied, carefully watching her reaction. A deep, measured breath and the slow sipping of her wine was not the reaction he had expected but if the revelation hadn’t immediately sent her rushing after his friend, Liam could hold onto hope that her feelings for him were real. Hoping for the truth, he surged forward, “Riley…I’m sorry, I know we’ve been over this, but…”

“Don’t ask me again, Liam,” Riley exclaimed, abruptly cutting him off. “You said you took my word.”

“I know, but…Riley, you must understand. Drake is my best friend. No matter how drawn I am to you, no matter what I feel…I would never act on it if there were something between the two of you; from the past or otherwise.”

Waiting for her reply, it felt like he was holding out his heart, waiting for her to take it or crush it. If his judgement weren’t so clouded by his desire for her, he may have realized the truth behind her immediately defensive response.

“From the past or otherwise?” Riley spit. “You think I have feelings for Drake?”

“Do you?”

Riley’s gaze immediately shifted again. It was a tell…a tell Liam willfully ignored. “There is nothing there, Liam…” she replied, raising her glass to her lips with a shaky hand. “…from the past or otherwise. I just met him weeks ago.”

“But you’ve spent a lot of time together.”

“He’s my bodyguard!”

Liam could feel his desperation rising. Her words and her body language didn’t match and he needed something; something that made it okay for him to love her. “Then why was it you following him into potential danger last night?”

Riley pulled back reflexively. “What…how?”

“Riley, I am the Crown Prince…I have eyes everywhere.”

Riley remained on the defensive. “He was upset, Liam, and I was trying to be his friend. Your friend Olivia needled him and belittled him until he stormed out. I wanted to make sure he was okay, that’s all.”

Liam remained unconvinced. “You have a kind heart, Riley and you…”

Riley raised her hand and placed a finger over his lips. Her gaze was gentle and affectionate and Liam was immediately lost in her hazel eyes. “I came here for you, Liam,” she whispered. His heart raced with hope as she continued. “To get to know you better…that’s what tonight was supposed to be about.”

It wasn’t the whole truth, but for his aching heart, it was enough. “You’re right,” he replied, kissing the tip of her finger. “I’m sorry.” Rising from the couch her took her hand and urged her to stand with him. Tension and lingering questions hung in the air but he mentally repeated her refrain, “I came here for you…I came her for you,” as he turned her toward the balcony. “Come with me, there is something I want to show you.”

Wrapping his arm around her waist, he guided her through the double doors out onto the balcony that was nearly as large as his suite. Wonder filled her face as she took in the snow-capped mountains and the quaint village at their base and her breath caught in her throat as her eyes fell to the candles that lined the balcony and framed the hot tub.

“Wow, this is beautiful,” Riley exclaimed smiling up at him.

That smile was the reward he had longed for all night. “Now you see why I wanted to share it with someone.”

“Did you…light those candles for us?”

“Oh! I…well, yes. I wanted this to be…magical.”

A blush raced to her cheeks and her heart quickened again as she stood gazing at him as if he was a dream or apparition.

“Riley?” he implored, “are you ok? Do you like it?”

“Yes, Liam…I love it,” she whispered.

Delicate rays from the flames caught the golden flecks in her gleaming eyes. “You look so beautiful in the firelight.”

Riley blushed again and threw her arms around his neck, holding him tight. Liam’s heart soared.

“Thank you,” she sighed, “thank you for doing something so thoughtful and…romantic.”

Liam pulled back and cradled her face in his hands. “Riley…I have never really had someone that I wanted so badly to please. I feel like I’d do anything to see you smile and know that I was the cause.”

Riley stood on her tip toes and leaned toward him slowly. When he felt the delicious tickle of her breath on his lips, there was a moment where he hesitated, but when their lips met and her tongue swept across his lower lip, he caved to desire. Caught up in the moment, they shared a slow, passionate kiss as their tongues languidly explored each other. When he felt the noticeable twitch in his pants, he resisted the urge to carry her to bed and pulled back, kissing her softly on the forehead.

“I don’t know about you, but I am ready to get in the hot tub,” Liam said.

Riley immediately looked nervous. “We’re…we’re getting in?”

“Of course…you didn’t think this was all just to look at, did you?” Liam replied as he slowly started stripping off his shirt. In a matter of moments, he stood before her in only his boxer briefs. Riley sighed and was regarding him with obvious appreciation for his physique and Liam felt a small swell of pride. “Your turn.”

Riley hesitantly shrugged off her wrap and shivered as the cold air hit all the skin that her dress left exposed. “Um…this dress is really low cut.”

“It is indeed.”

Riley laughed. “No, I mean…low cut as in, no possible way to wear an undergarment.”

“Oh!” Liam smiled sheepishly. “I don’t mind if you don’t,” he said, somewhat hopeful.

“I, um…I kind of do. Do you have something I could put on?”

“Of course.” Liam disappeared into the suite and returned a moment later with white cotton undershirt, knowing full well that it wasn’t necessarily ideal for coverage.

“This won’t leave much to the imagination once it’s wet, but I suppose it’s better than nothing,” Riley said as she took it from his hand.

Liam watched as she turned her back and unbuttoned the neck of the halter gown. Riley had the t-shirt over her head already, but when she allowed the dress to slip down to her waist, Liam saw the smooth expanse of her bare back and caught a glimpse of the barely there white lace thong just before the t-shirt fell over her hips.

When she turned back to face him, Liam was smiling and he couldn’t hide the desire in his eyes. “I’m convinced that you’d look incredible in anything.”

“You are far too kind,” Riley laughed.

“I only tell the truth. Are you ready to get in?”

“Yes, please! It’s freezing.”

“Then let’s warm up.”

Liam took her by the hand and led her to the hot tub, helping her climb in. A soft moan escaped her lips as she sunk into the warm water and Liam immediately felt aroused by the sound. Hoping she wouldn’t notice, Liam sank into the seat immediately beside her and gently draped his arm over her shoulders.

“Riley, I feel like I have been waiting for this moment the entire trip.”

“Is that so?” she whispered, snuggling into his side.

It was starting to feel like a monumental effort to keep his desires in check with her so bared to him and so close but he knew she needed more than the physical from him. For her, this was about connecting…that was the way to her heart. “I feel like I can be myself around you. You don’t know how rare that is for me. I’ve spent so long building up this image for the rest of the world…but you let me just be Liam.”

“I happen to like just Liam. But…what’s that like, having to maintain an image? I have to be honest, I think out all of this the thing that scares me most is having an image to uphold.”

Her honesty caused a surge of hope and heartache. It was clear that she was truly giving full effort to the season and the court and he hoped that meant she truly wanted him. However, he came with a world of expectations and if she was fearful of that, it could hold her back. “I was raised for this, Riley, but I can see where your hesitations come from. If you are true to yourself throughout this social season, the court and the people will already know you for who you are and therefore already love you if you were to become Queen.”

“I guess I’m just finding it hard to be me in the midst of all the training from Bertrand.”

Liam nodded. “Bertrand is a useful resource for the ways of court but having Maxwell around will keep you grounded…it’s something he and Drake have always done for me. I’m grateful for my upbringing though. It allows me to approach this social season with caution…especially with you.”

Riley lifted her head from his shoulder and looked up to him in surprise. “What does that mean?”

Fighting the urge to kiss her, he pushed on. “You may be the only woman here who sees this side of me, and that alone means I need to be careful with you. I would never forgive myself if I…if I hurt you in any way.”

“How could you possibly hurt me? I knew what I was getting into coming here.”

A knot of guilt formed in his stomach. In reality, she knew so little of why she was there, and he was the one hiding it from her. “Riley…the reality is that every time I am with you, I feel that I could set aside propriety and throw myself into you…really allow myself to fall for you, but…” For a moment, he lost his voice…if he continued, he’d be throwing aside his own happiness. If she knew the truth, surely she’d either end up in Drake’s arm or out of Cordonia all together and his heart ached at the thought of losing her. Before he could continue though, she whispered words that made him forget it all.

“I could throw myself into you too.”

“I know,” he lied, wondering how true her words were, “and I probably wouldn’t resist long.” It was already taking all of his effort, and a healthy dose of guilt, to resist now. “But I don’t want to do something you might come to regret, even if you don’t feel that way now. And that, I am afraid is how I could hurt you…I could come to love you and my duty could take me away.” “Or my lies,” he thought…

Riley reached up and cupped his face, pulling him from thought. In one swift motion she shifted so she was straddling his lap, holding his face in her hands and brought her lips to his. There was urgency and passion in the kiss; Liam could feel her need. Allowing his hands to roam her body, he slowly glided his fingers below the hem of her t-shirt and found his way to the soft, smooth expanse of her back. Riley broke the kiss and reached for the hem, pulling the shirt over her head. Liam gasped at the feel of her bare breasts against his chest. All rational thought was gone with her naked body in his arms and she once again kissed him like she was desperate to breathe him in.

Liam slowly moved from her lips, down her jawline to her neck and collar bone and her lips pressed against his ear. Need possessed him and he wanted to taste and explore every inch of her.

“I want this,” Riley whispered. “I want you…I can be what you want and what you need. I can be the image of a perfect queen.”

Driven by his longing, he didn’t stop to realize that they were both acting out of a desperate need to be wanted. Liam knew he could give her what she needed; he wanted her in every way. “I’d never ask you to be anybody but who you are,” he said softly as his lips moved toward her breasts.

Riley froze.

Liam pulled back, noticing something unreadable in her eyes, but kept her held tightly in his arms. “Riley? What’s the matter?”

“Nothing…nothing,” Riley sighed, leaning down and kissing him again.

Liam returned the kiss eagerly, hoping to get past whatever had caused the shift in Riley but it was evident that the only heat in the kiss was his own. Reluctantly, he pulled back and shifted to put some distance between their bodies. “It’s getting late, perhaps we should call it a night,” he said sadly.

Riley shifted in his lap and reached up to stroke his cheek. “No…I’m right where I want to be.”

Liam sighed. “Riley…if I were to listen to my body, I’d keep you here all night. I want you…I want you more than I can even express with words, in every way possible. But I can’t ignore my mind or my instincts, and something changed just now… did I do something…say something?” Reaching up, he softly brushed a wet strand of hair away from her cheek. “I just wanted you to know that I…that you are perfect, just the way you are.”

Riley sat silent and thoughtful for a moment. “I…I have trouble believing that I’m enough for you. And not because of anything you’ve said or done. It’s just…I…I’ve been left or discarded or mistreated so many times, I find it hard to believe that I’ll ever be enough for anyone.”

Liam took her face in his hands and held her gaze. “The people who have hurt you are fools.” Deep down he knew it was a very real possibility that Drake was included in that, but it didn’t change that he meant it. “You are enough…you are more than enough, and certainly more than I could have ever dreamed of or deserve.”

A tear escaped Riley’s eye and Liam wiped it away, wishing he could take away all her pain with it.

Riley leaned down and kissed him again; her need had returned. “Show me,” she whispered.

Liam lifted her slightly, aided by the water, without breaking the kiss he slid off his boxer briefs. Pulling Riley close as if trying to make their bodies one, his hands grazed over her breasts and teased her nipples as he worked his way down her waist to where her panties rested on her hips. Riley didn’t resist when he slipped his fingers in the waistband and began pulling them off of her.

With no fabric between them, his fingers slipped into her folds and he could feel her arousal. Holding her hips, Liam guided her back down and sheathed himself inside her. Gasping against each other lips, Riley shifted to adjust as Liam slowly started to rock his hips.

Riley was the first to finally break their kiss. Her head fell back with her eyes closed tight. Soft moans escaped her lips as her breasts bounced in Liam’s face and he swirled his tongue over her erect nipples. Liam lifted his hips to drive into her deeper and Riley began grinding slow circular motions and he felt her walls tighten around him, already teasing him close to the edge. Reaching up, he grabbed the back of Riley’s neck and pulled her back down into a passionate kiss. When Riley pulled back without opening her eyes, she shifted in his lap so that her back was to his chest. Her head fell back on his shoulder and his lips and tongue assaulted the delicate skin in the curve of her neck. His hands squeezed and massaged her large breasts, tweaking her nipples with his thumb and forefinger.

Riley seemed to love the sensation and increased her tempo, lifting up and down on his shaft as he reached around and placed his hand over her mound. Liam’s fingers found her swollen numb and rubbed circles matching her rhythm until she could no longer hold back and fell over the edge. Liam came close behind as Riley’s walls tightened around his cock.

Liam wrapped his arms tightly around her when Riley’s body went limp with pleasure and fell back against him. Gently lifting her, he shifted her so she was cradled in his lap and snuggled up to his chest. They sat in silence, both basking in the afterglow as the candles began to melt down and go out.

Running his hand through Riley’s hair, Liam leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. “You are amazing,” he sighed. “Everything about you is wonderful, Riley. Anyone that hasn’t been able to see your worth is a fool…its impossible not to love you.”

Riley’s eyes snapped open. “Liam…I…” Without finishing her thought, she quickly slid off his lap and frantically searched the hot tub for the t-shirt that she had previously discarded.

Panic filled Liam when he saw the regret written all over her face. “Riley, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have…”

Riley shook her head. “I…have to go.”

Without looking back, Riley haphazardly wrapped herself in a towel and grabbed her things, racing back into the suite. Liam pulled on his boxer briefs and hopped out of the tub. Grabbing a towel of his own, he wrapped himself up and rushed after her, only to find her gone. Sinking into the sofa, he couldn’t stave off the tears that formed in his eyes. All he had wanted was to make her happy, to show her how much he was falling in love with her and he had failed. It was just another in the long list of his failures since he’d brought her there. There had been red flags all night that her mind, and quite possibly her heart, was elsewhere and he had willfully ignored them. By letting his heart lead him, he had made an already complicated situation worse and potentially hurt Riley and betrayed his best friend. All he could wonder now was where they would go from here.

#trr fanfic #trr #trr mc x liam #trr drake x mc #trr au