#only that its focused on few characters instead of several so i guess thats why it feels so fast

[chocolatina]

tbh this is kind of the same pace that shibuya arc had

#only that its focused on few characters instead of several so i guess thats why it feels so fast #not that its evident gege is trying to wrap things up as quickly as possible fjjg

[emsartwork]

ask dump! Separated loosely by topic 

Questions and Comments

1. is this a homestuck thing. this is a homestuck thing isnt it  2. lol i love doing both!!! i love world building but i also like trying my hand at redesigning the mess that is canon fashion. @theoretical-artist​ 3. thank you!!! oritel and marion are in this post! 4. ayyyyy inginio hit me up (thank you lol) 5. Thank you! 6. maybe? i’ll see if i get around to it, i still have a few characters to get to so the school fairies and the last two selkies might show up with them 7. probably not.... it would be super fun but unless it was a commission i don’t feel like i have time haha 8. I’ve seen their blog around!! i can’t remember if i follow or not but i know who ur talking about and they cool @winxy-writing @winxys-written-world

Character and Worlbuilding

1. My brilliant nerd daughter!!! She sometimes gets so into coding or a video game she forgets to eat or drink so the girls watch out for her. She’s prone to dissociating, especially if the situation is emotional. Her hair is really soft. she actually loves sappy romantic things but has trouble accepting them or vocalizing that she wants them because they’re impractical/illogical. she discovered romcoms when she got to alfea and they are her ultimate guilty pleasure(only flora knows abt this and is always slipping recs to her) 2. They’re weirdly one of my fav couples??? like maybe its because i relate to and have projected onto both of them lmao. but any ways. Daphne and Thoren actually met when they were kids, but didn’t spend much time together because it was at a formal event. Daphne is technically 20 years older than Thoren(only a few years older than Sky), but they’re the same physical age because Daphne spent so long as a spirit. They probably wouldn’t get married as quickly in my version, especially with Daphne’s trauma. Daphne will have nightmares sometimes and Thoren has a whole routine for comforting her and helping her feel safe and grounded. Thoren gets anxious easily, and Daphne will use her magic to subtly change the environment so he feels more comfortable. they like to watch reality tv together and yell at dramatic people. 3. omg yes. this was the most frustrating thing i was watching through winx with my dad like a month ago and every time bloom called her adoptive parents by their first names i yelled at her lol. she would call Vanessa mama and Mike daddy(if you make a kink joke i will eat your liver). She would call Marion and Oritel mom and dad.  4. Yeah kind of! part of her exhaustion in Dowlland was the fact that she had been in fairy mode for so long, hiking underground, and tossed around in a river like??? anybody would need a pick me up after that. She (and all solarians) do have to live where there’s a lot of natural light as they require a high amount of vitamin d(or the equivalent of it for solarians). short trips usually aren’t a problem, Stella is just hella unlucky in the second season lmao. @moonpeachblossom 5. the short answer as to why she’s a blond (scottish??? in one of the dubs???) in an asian inspired culture/planet is because racism (or not so short bcus its a lot to unpack honestly). the answer in my version however is a pretty simple fix. She bleaches her hair. she’s paler than musa but she aint white.  6. I haven’t really yet!! Helia is struggling with his two fairly opposed cultural influences, trying to figure what he wants and whats right for him. He was raised on Lynphea but had frequent trips to Vaonaa. Lynphea is very grounded, they’re slow and steady and stubborn. Vaonaa is much more flexible, they’re flighty and spontaneous and easily adaptable. Helia’s dads love eachother and helia very much but they are VERY different people and both want different things from Helia(they try not to pressure too much but the expectations are still there). Helia’s Vaonaaj dad wants him to pursue magic, specifically wind or air magic. Helia’s Lynphean dad wants him to become a warrior. Helia feels like he’s kind of a misfit in both Vaonaaj and Lynphean culture. It took a while, but he did finally confide his feelings in Flora and she encouraged him to talk with his dads about finding his niche.  7. oooooooh fun fun relationshipsssss Bloom and Sky: so bloom and sky aren’t the most stable couple, and in my version it would take bloom a little longer to be ok with dating a prince. Bloom is fairly insecure in her relationships because of self worth issues, and tend to run away from problems instead of dealing with them. Sky on the other hand is confident but doesn’t really know how to handle people’s feelings and tends to push confrontation. I do believe that with better writing Sky and bloom could be a dope couple but as is in canon they’re VERY problematic.  Stella and Brandon: babies. they love each other so much its the best omg. Stella finds her worth in her appearance but she always seems to take brandon’s complements in a less.... arrogant way? if that makes sense? like she truly appreciates them and wants his support. i wish we knew more about Brandon but he’s legit such a good boyfriend. I think they fight mostly when Stella is being a little selfish, or when Brandon is too busy to meet her emotional needs. Flora and Helia: MORE BABIES. so Helia is more of a drama queen in the comics but we’ll ignore that for right now lol. Flora and Helia are probably the least problematic couple in the entire show. They met. Flirted a little. Confessed. and started dating with out any major problems. if i can remember correctly they don’t even really fight??? unless icy has frozen helia’s heart or something lol. I think both Helia and Flora’s love language is quality time so they’re fairly low key and just like to be in the same space and each other.   Musa and Riven: boy oh boy. Ok so, ignoring the several times Riven was LITERALLY MIND CONTROLLED his character is still difficult to deal with. I think Musa and Riven are both very intense people, and while that can be super fun and develop into a good relationship, it can also lead to LOTS of problems. I think my major problem with how they broke up was that Musa didn’t support Riven’s training? like i understand being upset you can’t see ur person often, or if they’re really busy, but Riven supported Musa’s music several times in the previous seasons it just seemed weird Musa was so unfairly demanding of him? Tecna and Timmy: nerd babies. They’re super cute honestly. I think Timmy was probably the one to instigate the relationship and bonded with Tecna over technology since she wasn’t super emotionally available at first. They have issues when Tecna is unable to voice her emotions and timmy needs to know what she’s feeling mostly, but after the first few times they’ve both learned to give the other space to figure their stuff out. Aisha and Nabu: ugh perfect couple. minus the kind of sketchy beginning lol. Aisha and Nabu generally don’t fight once they get used to each other. Nabu is a focal point that aisha is kind of bungee corded to if that makes sense? like obvi not in a restricting way. its just Aisha is hella active and needs her own space to explore and grow, but Nabu is her solid ground that she relies on.  Aisha and Nex: i actually don’t hate nex as much as the rest of the fandom lol. so like i said Aisha is an active, independent woman, and if Nabu was a separate, stationary, focal point for her, I think Nex is related, moving, counter point. So like Nex can actually keep up with Aisha, and push her and challenge her. Which isn’t a bad thing in relationships so long as a mutual respect is there.   8. well. canon is a little..... messy. My version of the girls definitely retain their individualism. for other differences... they’re just a little more fleshed out? i guess? like Bloom’s moody behavior in the show i think is because of her insecurity issues, so that plays a part in how i draw her and think of her.  9. ok wow this is gonna be tough well here we go Sky: I think sky is an ESTJ he’s not super emotional(inf Fe) but can lean toward controlling(dom Te). he seems to like tradition and think social promises are important(Si). Brandon: ESFJ. Brandon is the mom friend of the boys ok. He goes along with sky’s crazy plans, tries to subtly set Riven up with musa(season 1 i think?), some how managed to land a social butterfly like Stella and seems to just navigate social situations REALLY easily(dom Fe). he also seems to hate being disrespected or taken for granted(Si) stella does this occasionally.  Timmy: ISFJ???? thats the vibe i get hear me out ok so in season 2 Timmy gets tecna the exact computer part she needs because 1. He knows they both like things to be practical(Si) 2. He knows and remembered the part she was talking about and filed it away in his brain(Ti) and 3. He and Tecna bonded over tech (Fe) Riven: honestly he’s a tough one.... Maybe a really stunted and angry ISFJ? (speaking from personal experience i am an ISFJ) i don’t have a real reason why but riven’s behavior is really confusing in the show so it makes typing tough..... possibly INTJ as well....... Helia: ISFP. Lmao I might be basing this entirely off of stereotypes but helia has a strong pacifist belief and can be moody(Fi, and more in the comics lol) is attuned to his surroundings(Se) seems pretty focused??(Ni) and i can’t think of his Te showing up be it is an inferior  Nabu: ISTJ weirdly a good fit with Aisha(ESTP) tho?? even though he’s an Si dom, he doesn’t go along with the arranged marriage because its not what he believes(Fi) and he’s stubborn about it(Te). Roy: ENFJ honestly just a cutie. He’s personable(Fe), focused for the most part(Ni), and is comfortable in his environment(Se).  Nex: ENTP? maybe?? He’s pretty impulsive and has that “work around” mentality I associate with ENTPs.... idk this one doesn’t seem to fit super well...  Thoren: Maybe INFJ?? i mean thoren honestly doesn’t have a lot of screen time but he’s attentive(Ni), and tries to take care of people(Fe). most of the infj’s i know are fun but weird lol, but i think thoren has anxiety so that could play into him being less “out there” in his behavior.  if any of yall have input on this feel free to let me know. 10. ooooooh good question. So I’m basing these on their parent’s name and the names of people from their planet. Bloom: Hestia or Enya, i also think she got sent to earth with an article of clothing or a blanket that had her name on it, which is why her name is the same lmao Stella: Stella is actually named pretty appropriately considering the other names we have are Luna, Radius, Nova, Chimera, and Casandra, all of those are fairly latin/roman based names.  but she could also be called Clara, Aura, Venus etc. Musa: Her mom and dad have very asian sounding names but the princess of melody is named Galatea, so honestly anything is on the table. Aulos, Hee-Young, Jia Li, Kaida, etc. Tecna: lol everybody on Zenith has ridiculous names so im just loosely basing them off of sciencey stuff. Nobelia, Xenon, Titania. Aisha: I actually really like Aisha’s name! Ayize, Sizani, Mehrbano would work tho. Flora: what even is the naming system of Lynphea i don’t understand it. Im gonna make them vaguely naturey and European-ish?? Calla, Terra, Rowan, Willow, I could go on and on there are so many plant names. 11. Hmmm yeah, so basically in my world a person with TOO MUCH magic gets overwhelmed and kinda goes a little crazy(the ancestral witches) the same thing happens with tritannus when he gets the emperor's throne power. He’s loyal to icy and she to him until he looses his ability to think clearly and turns on icy, icy gets freaked out and leaves with her sisters when they swoop in to rescue her. they don’t so much “break up” as they are “broken up” by the circumstances. In general Tritannus does really like Icy, hes attracted to her ambition and powerful personality. Icy started out just manipulating Tritannus but caught feelings oops 12. Yeah so, humans in general can withstand a lot of wild magic as their body “metabolizes” it quickly. Kalshara(the cat lady you don’t know the name of) used extremely concentrated samples, combined with other spells to keep the wild magic in her body permanently. If a human with out a properly developed magic biome (a lot of earthians only have a low functioning one) get exposed to a wild magic source they would probably gain some aspects of fairy animals, probably not like, fur, or anything but eye and hair color changes, maybe some patterns on the skin. but there’s also the chance that they would just.... die..... cus that happens with animals too lmao sry. @weirdghostly

#winx #winx club #winxems #askems #theoretical-artist #moonpeachblossom #weirdghostly #anonymous #ask dump #this is so long im so sorry

[ladyhawk-s]

“Swing Baby Swing”

Relationships: Katsuki Bakugou/Ochako Uraraka, Bakugou Katsuki and Uraraka Ochako, Bakugou Katsuki and Kirishima Eijirou, (minor) Kirishima Eijirou/Mina Ashido

Characters: Katsuki Bakugou, Ochako Uraraka, Eijirou Kirishima, (minor) Mina Ashido

Rating: G

Word Count: 5823

Summary:  [1920s/Swing Dance AU] With others dancing around him, Katsuki falls into the trap of extras, questioning what makes it all special and worth it to them. That is until a girl comes up to him and shows him just a different side to world he was frowning on.

Author Notes: WOW OK THIS FIC TOOK ME FOREVER AND IT’S NOT EVEN GOOD BUT I PUT SO MUCH INTO IT SO I HAD TO SHARE IT. I was listening to a lot of electro swing and Kacchako was on my mind so....THATS WHERE THIS CAME FROM YAY! I tried to do as much research as I could and I know I didn’t really match up the lingo too much but PLEASE BEAR WITH ME ;.; I hope you guys like it! 

Read at AO3 ; Read at FF.net

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Diamonds dangled in a curved array of metal, creating diagonals and swirls as they twisted themselves to create an angelic chandelier that swayed under small breeze that whisped itself into the room. The glass reflected off each other, creating miniature rainbows that bounced off of the wooden dance floor that was already tainted with tracks and sweat as couples of all shapes and sizes intermingled in the fast past motions known as swing dance. Females’s back were dropped against men's’ arms as they felt the cold rush of gravity befall them before being torn back to the surface to begin pivoting on the balls of their heels. Jeers and cheers crushed themselves into the atmosphere and clicks of heels fell to the tempo of the saxophones that bellowed out their tune. It was rich and fulfilling and bodies of all kinds meshed together as they followed the beats the rhythms were resonating through the horns of the instruments. Smooth jazz and charisma came from the composers as their gruff vocal cords and strings flickered against each other to reach into people’s soul and cause their kicks to be amplified with each beat. Even those not having their movements be manipulated by the sound of music still bobbed their heads as they looked onwards the livelihood created in the ambience with straws of coke puckering their lips. From the bar, to the dancefloor, to the kitchen, to even the tables lined in a seperate area that wafted the smell of food in, this was the typical joint to be in with a starry sky that shined brightly under the crescent moon outside.

Seated at one of the rectangular tables in the separate room, Katsuki Bakugou and his trusted mate, Eijirou Kirishima, found themselves gorging on the food and alcohol that had been placed in front of them a mere few minutes ago. Well, more Eijirou than Katsuki himself. While the surrounding individuals silently chattered amongst themselves and shared soft giggles with each other, growls emerged from Eijirou’s throat as he ripped into the meat with his fangs, creating an animalistic look as his eyes deepened their red nature and swirled more in hunger as he continued to shove more down his throat. Even after a few bites, he would clutch onto the fragile glass cup a few inches away from him and leave tiny scratches as he brought the foaming liquid to his lips, allowing his irritated throat to sooth in its cool nature. This pattern repeated itself for a while, receiving looks from the people around them that signaled disgust for Eijirou and pity for Katsuki.

Which, Katsuki would be lying if he said he didn’t feel the same way looking at his friend eating like a cannibal under the dim light. His upper lip curled upwards as hunger dissipated from his stomach and turned into a vapor that somehow Eijirou managed to absorb into himself. The sight was repulsive, unnecessary, and only garnered laughs from surrounding individuals, giving another reason on Katsuki���s long list on why coming tonight as a bad idea in his book.

After looking on for a small while, Katsuki’s irritation grew more under his skin and a click from tongue echoed in his mouth as he grabbed the abandoned menu next to him and smacked it on top of Eijirou’s head, knocking him back to reality. “Oi, stop eating like an animal. All the girls you claimed to be here for are giving you the look like you’re going to eat them instead.” Katsuki reprimanded Eijirou as he slanted his eyes towards him, lines creasing his face that came off to be more menacing than normal.

At the last bite, Eijirou harshly swallowed it down, slightly coughing afterwards as a smile began to line his face and a small hearty giggle erupted from his curved up lips. “Hey, c’mon Katsuki! Lighten up a bit, will ya? I’m sure it’s only your bitter attitude making you seeing that.” He laughed out, unbuttoning his collared shirt to let out the heat from his reddening chest to escape into the air and allowing cool air to seep in and absorb the small sweat he gained from his glazed food binge. Once he let go one more button that clearly showed the defining lines of his muscles, Eijirou began to truly feel the laughable breeze tickling the skin of his chest and the reddening cheeks that had begun to splotch over his face soon camouflaged itself back to his normal tone.

Scanning the area with his glossy eyes, he managed to find a few of the girls Katsuki managed to describe and sent a wink their way that kissed their cheeks and left them blushing messes that giggled within each other. One girl in particular had a style of spunk and seductiveness with how her short, pink hair curled into the sides of her face and she showed her leader status by placing her hand right on top of her lips and then pushing it outwards to him while puckering them to blow him a message. To mimic her story, Eijirou pretended to stare into space with an exaggerated thoughtful gaze until a small light glistened in his eyes and a large smile spread on his face as he slightly stood from his seat and over arched his arm to grab onto something stationed in the air so he smack it straight on his cheek. The girl saw this image and both of them shared a moment before she used her index finger to call him over and claim her fingers as his. “See, Katsuki, told you it was just your attitude. Now if you excuse me, I got a pretty lady to catch!” he said enthusiastically as he left his spot in a disastrous haze, rattling the chair with a caught foot as he hurried on over to the lady that stole his attention. Closing in on her, the same hand that beckoned him over received a tender kiss as Ejirou twisted their hands in unison and strung her along onto the dance floor, energy already prepping in their steps as they traveled to the arena.

At the sight of their love making eyes, Katsuki sneered with rolled eyes as he took another bite of the food in front of him, hunger slightly returning back to his stomach with Eijirou finally out of sight. With placing a piece of meat into his mouth, he found himself in a lonesome position and decided to look around, gauging the place he had to drag his feet to. His eyes focused in on the surrounding dresses and chandeliers and although the place was highly illuminated with little glass fixtures that reflected off of each other, Katsuki could only see a deepened grayscale that left a sense of hell within all the divided fixtures his eyes separated. After each bite, he could only find more reasons to detest giving the place the time of day, hell even the food wasn’t worth the money he could have saved with his own cooking. This place was meant for the conventionals and Katsuki was anything but conventional.

Gagging one last piece down his hoarse throat, he pushed the chair back, creating a screeching sound as he unleashed his entrapment. With his facial expression screaming to make a path for him, residents of the club steered clear of his way while clutching their parts close to each other to protect themselves from his acidic glare as he walked towards the back where the bar laid itself out. Seeing their attitudes made Katsuki smirk as he rummaged through his pockets and pulled out several coins, only commanding a small “Coca-cola.” as he twisted his body around to see if there were any last minute stares. Once the coast was clear of Katsuki’s version of vermin, he returned back to the bar to only be greeted with the specifics he had looked for. Muttering a small grace of gratitude, he snagged the glass from the shiny table and kept it close to him as he allowed his feet to travel to wherever they deemed fit.

Which so happened to be right in front of the dance floor where matches of females and males intermingled with each other as legs kicked upwards in twirls and smiles spread from cheek to cheek in a form of unison. In Katsuki’s eyes, everything was simplistic and easy, nothing of what they were doing was anything special or to brag about. Sure, it was physically demanding and caused pants with beaded sweat drops to trickle down their body once a resting period commenced but nothing about it was noteworthy or something to be remembered down in history. It was boring and useless and Katsuki couldn’t help but scowl at everyone in what they considered was enjoyment when he felt everything but.

“My, I guess you’re more of a people watcher than a dancer, huh?” A small voice giggled out as it appeared right behind Katsuki and slowly moved more into his hemisphere as it got closer and closer. The sudden shock left him losing some balance and the drink in his hand sloshed as he took a step forward and a twisted head back. Behind him was a petite girl with bobbed brown hair that had frontal tuffs curling into the round nature of her face. Her brown eyes glistened under the chandeliers and screamed innocence yet control. The dress she wore formed her figure in polka dots on a red background as it snugged onto her waist and then flourished outward in a ring of fabric. Her petite heels clicked on the hardened floor as she moved closer to him, reaching to touch his arm to only have been met by flinches and scowls. For a second or two, her hand was upright in the air with an unaccompanied shocked expression, but then a small smile appeared on her lips as she placed her hand on top of it and suppressed the small giggle that erupted from her ribs. “Well, it seems like you don’t like people either. Quite the strange place for you to be in, huh?” she asked in a curious tone, her cheeks illuminating the bright nature within her.

Katsuki side glanced her before clicking his tongue harshly, leaving a tch sound to escape his vocal cords as he stared off in the other direction with splotches of red appearing on his face. He wasn’t going to lie, this had been a first time a girl of her kind came up to him so casually and actually stayed in his presence. Most girls, even if they swallowed their fears and came up to him, would be turned off and swing away from his aggressive behavior but this girl, something about him made her stay and even smile at him and his brain couldn’t comprehend it. However, he determined it was too early to judge her behavior and he shoved his free hand into his pocket while continuing the guzzle the drink as it’s sweet flavors trickled down his throat. “You’re one to talk. You seem to like people, why aren’t you out there and dancing with the rest of them?” he bitterly spit out,his face crunching more into itself as his thin lips pouted more and his eyes slanted inwards.

“Well I definitely tried to but I haven’t found a right dance partner. Though…” she drifted off as she gave Katsuki a sly look before subtly grabbing his coy arm and linking with her own. “I think I may have just found one.”

It took a few seconds for Katsuki to realize what her words were implying and it took a few more for his mind to compute how to act towards this. A maddening blush escaped from underneath his skin and turned it weak in red. Everything began to stiffen up and his emotions were crawling up his back as phrases and sentences meshed together in a frenzy of embarrassment and (as Eijirou would use) unmanliness. “Whatwhatwhat!? Where the fuck are you getting that from!?” he cursed out, his tone pitched angry enough that it caused a few to turn their heads at the mention of uncleanliness.

However, instead of giving a look of disgust like the rest, his attitude only caused her laugh even more and have her voice create a melody against the notes of jazz playing. “Oh my gosh, you’re so funny! No you’re definitely the one, no doubt in my mind about that!” she chirped out as she rounded her arm against his linked one and swished to be in front of him, her smiling expression contrasting his retaliating one. “True you don’t really have a happy face, but you have a build for a swing dancer for sure! Your muscles are lean but strong and I’m sure you can get a few kicks with those runner like legs you have.” she beamed out as sparkles lined her face, convincing even more that Katsuki was the only one for her.

Katsuki could feel his heart skipping a few beats as he internalized her words, feeling flattered by the shower of compliments she had given him. Yet, the weak feeling that lowered his immune system made him feel disgusted by how gushy his insides turned and he could only retch out his feelings. “Eh? Those are qualities that even those other boneheads have too. Go flock to them and leave me be.”

The girl widened her eyes for a small bit before a wave of strength dictated her features. “True but….I feel like you have that extra spunk and fire that they don’t have. I bet you could make your movements more passionate if you really wanted to and really beat out all of the pros here.” At her competitive statement, Katsuki’s ears perked up, intriguing themselves to her statement. Though, before he could back himself up with a witty response, she interrupted him again, invading even more of his personal space by lightly placing the pads of her fingers on his chest. “My name is Ochako! What’s your name?” Ochako asked lightly, her round eyes widening in inquisitiveness towards the male in front of her.

Her touch contained a feel of acid and Katsuki knocked it away before she could melt more of his emotions and twist them around in the softening hands genetics gave her. “It’s Katsuki but I don’t see why that’s so fucking important to you Round Face when last time I checked, you were on your merry way to get fucked off.” Katsuki cursed at her, spitting obscenities that flung back the acid she had made him feel earlier.

Yet, she acted as if he was filled with sunshine and rainbows instead of bitterness as she embraced his words with a genuine smile that made her cheeks more rosy and colored under the luminescent light. His phrase didn’t bother her in the slightest and in fact, only pulled her in closer to the bubble that he surrounded himself in. “Well it’s nice to meet you Katsuki!” Tugging on their link of arms, she signaled to him the eagerness to join the other mingling bodies on the floor and to make their being known to the others. “You definitely should come dance with me! I promise it’ll be a lot more fun than just grumpily standing on the side while sipping your Coke and giving people mean stares!”

Before, at least she could get away with the cute and round features of her face but this determined and forward attitude of hers was beginning to get under his skin slightly and it seemed as if no didn’t fit in her vocabulary. “What part of no means fucking nothing to you? Whatever is going out there is shitty and boring and I’m not about to mingle myself with a bunch of losers that find acting like pansies to be a form of fucking enjoyment.” Katsuki stormed off, hoping it would loosen her grip on his forearm and sulk her way to a boy with maybe frizzy hair and unkempt hygiene that would grip onto her better.

For a couple seconds, it seemed as if the plan Katsuki had formed was the one that was going into effect until her demeanor switched once more, catching him off guard. Widening her grin, she left go of Katsuki as she snatched away his quasi finished drink and placed on a nearby waiter’s dish. Ignoring his comments of disapproval, she grabbed onto his liberated hand and pulled him along with her, interweaving into the crowd of people “I’m sure you’re only grumpy because you’ve never done it before! You’re going to love it once you give it a shot!” she called out to him, her pitch soaring above the sounds of others that made herself more clear under the sea of people.

Her ferocious attitude only made him string along a bunch of curse words that welded perfectly into a sentence but his thoughts were immediately cut off by her rapid swing to bring them into a position and from the minute he truly gazed into her eyes, he found himself lost in a sea of dance that had stars twirling around them as his feet were being strung along by her commands. Any twist or turn she made, his body would follow suit, matching up to the rapid tempo she exhibited. Even though this mysterious girl that he met 5 seconds ago had the audacity to pull him into this trance, he could feel himself getting into an euphoric high with her and they complimented each other’s voyages as their bodies flourished into a unified wind gust that soared throughout the floor. Their harshening steps clicked against the wooden floor as their tempo increased with the crescendos the saxophones shared.

“See! I knew you’d be amazing at this!” she praised out with her words being chopped off by heavy pants as she gravitated closer to Katsuki so their chests would mesh together as they weaved around the curves of their body.

Katsuki, admittedly embarrassed by her words, shifted his pupils off to the side for a few moments as his upper lip curled back to its customary position. “Shut up Round Face.” he muttered behind his gritted teeth, his asperity showing at full force as he tried to camouflage the blush that was spreading at full force.

Which, instead of flinching at his attitude and sneering away from it, his endearing nickname and flustered face only made the girl clutch onto him tighter, her hands sewing into his with her body threading against his. “My name is Ochako and you are really amazing! I could dance with you all night!” she corrected meddled in a sea of praise as she gave a satisfied giggle, her rosy cheeks illuminating under the sparks he exhaled.

The blush he had tried to suppress soared back in full force and his teeth gritted against each other as words formulated in his diaphragm, trying to find the voice to say them. Different phrases were teased with his vocal cords, some more on the pleasant end with gentlemanly convictions and sweet language while others were mean and disgusting, making him come off as a sailor that just docked on the shore recently. His mind fired the cells to get him to use the former phrases but with his erratic and nervous behavior, the latter is what ended up spewing out, spitting out a form of acid that lingered on her aura. “Well I hope a new guy comes along because this is shit.” he growled out, though his eyes revealed the hypocrisy within his words as he continued to lung into action with her, occasionally extending her outwards and then twisting her back into his arms where they would resume their quick footed steps.

While normal girls would have rolled their eyes in their sockets and leave a tattoo of red from their palms, Ochako was different and shaped her teeth into a giddy smile as the gloss on her lips sparkled against her face. Her hands curled around his own even more, feeling the stark difference between her soft and delicate hands against his calloused and roughened ones. “I think I’m good with you. I’m actually am working up a sweat with you which is something I can’t say about others. Plus…” she drolled out, her eyes turned sly as she shoved her face close to Katsuki’s face, reading all the stories his creases told. “I can definitely tell you’re liking it!”

“What!? The fuck!? No I’m not-”

“There’s no need to lie about it! I can totally tell!” she gleamed out as she let go one hand and poked at one of the dimple that left a small dent by the corner of his mouth. “You’re definitely having fun! I can see it from the smile you’re giving.” Ochako chirped out as she tangled her hand with his again and continued to string him along, enjoying the heated dance they were engaging in.

Though, her enjoyment made her completely oblivious to the widened eyes Katsuki sported on his face, his irises dilating inwards as shock of reality electrified him and shook him in his core. This had been a first time that someone looked past the outer shell that had carvings of his intense features and saw the softening insides that filled his hollowness. And it didn’t help that she had the power yank a smile out of him that fell under his radar and temporarily steal his consciousness for a bit.

Katsuki’s mouth was left a jar for a few seconds, completely iced in a gaping position and they were beginning to press into each other to swallow the saliva holding back from speaking when Ochako interjected and replaced his words with her own. “We’ve even gotten a lot of eyes towards us.” she whispered to him, prompting Katsuki to twist his neck slightly away from her and notice the eyes that latched onto their backs. Yet the stares weren’t like the ones he usually got, in fact, it was as if they twisted completely 180 degrees. They were filled with admiration and a sense of jealousy as they wished they could rip their shoes away and place themselves in it. Their smiles had a veil of control as the duo’s movements controlled where their irises would be placed and how fast the tempo of the hand claps would go.

It felt surreal and everything became a blurry mesh as Katsuki got lost in the crowd, his chest beginning to become warm and friction happening between his skin and fabric as his eyes shifted everywhere. With the more swipes he was making, the more a fire was beginning to ignite in his core and it fueled the flames of his confidence and arrogant competitiveness as a carnivorous grin twitched itself to the surface, creating a demonic aura around him. His head finally whipped back to her and the tips only creased more upwards into his dimples as he crushed her hands into his. “Well, what do you say about giving these shit stains a show, Round Face?” he muttered to her, his voice cracking under the bursting flames that ran dormant in his chest.

To Katsuki’s amusement, Ochako took herself back for a second before matching to his expression, though she contained a more vibe of determination and vitality than the crimson fire that crisped in her partner’s eyes. “Mmmhhhmm! Let’s do it!” She sharply nodded back, creating a tension of boldness that could be felt from vibrations that tingled out of the paws of her fingers.

And without a doubt, the minute their mutual understanding arose to the surface, their steps began to fasten and glide through the wooden floor as a quickening tempo could be heard from the bottom of their feet.

As more and more eyes landed on them, the duo could feel the pressure beating down their backs while their legs carried on with the tempo of the handclaps that began to form. Space liberated for them as they crosshatched their steps, their hips swinging to the velocity of the saxophone. Ferociously making sure their fingers stayed in their alliance, Ochako kicked her feet backwards, moving her body to follow their arms extended fully outwards, locking their elbows in place before bringing them back in. Repeats of this move happened a number of times until Katsuki switched it up and allowed only one arm to extend outwards with Ochako before spinning her into his arm. The minute he could feel her chest pressed against his, his liberated hand encased itself at the small of her back and lifted her from the ground, first cradling her in a princess position before whipping her to rotate on his back. It was the beginnings of acrobatic arts that only the toughest could pull and toes lightly touching the ground indicated the prosperous outcome that befell on them. With the night continuing on and on, Katsuki and Ochako only pushed themselves more in the feat of dance, causing inspiration to spark in others as they attempted the moves they did. Though, as much as the others tried to copy, their energy all got seeped into the chaotic good duo as they continued to lock and bend their elbows as they brought each other in and out. Moves of spinning around Katsuki’s muscular body frequented their style and it left both in smiles that had them gasping in laughter with their experiments on twists and turns.

As each song passed, the clock on the wall passed as well and the last song bellowed out it symphonies as they ended with a chime of a bell to indicate the closing. Boos and disappointment could be heard within the crowd, even daggers sent by Katsuki’s eyes were digging themselves into the band to make them continue on with the show. However, with a squeeze on his hand and a resting touch on his arm, the nod of command Ochako gave made him succumb to her wishes and Katsuki gave out one last gruff as he exited with her.

Hand in hand, the duo left the rustic building, sweat dripping down the sides of their faces as amassed themselves with the crowd that was slowly heading out into the street. Heavy pants escaped their chapped lips as they stared at the blurry backs of participants and everyone’s laughter felt like they were submerged underwater as it felt gargled in their ear drums.

Soon though, they could feel the cold breeze whipped against their skin and a dark night overlooked them with bulbed lights that latched onto them like comfortable blankets. The ignited fires from earlier began to die down, leaving only slight sparks electrifying their pores as the frigid air frictioned against the heat. Ochako’s drooped head suddenly brought itself back and she inhaled the crystallized air into her lungs, icicles forming on the insides of her tissues that had her temperature lowering in degrees. Veering her eyes towards Katsuki, she gave him a narrow smile that had breaths disrupting the curves her lips were formed in. “Tonight was definitely a lot of fun.” Ochako managed to pant out as she tightened her hold onto Katsuki.

With his breaths matching hers, it took him a couple seconds longer to be able to move his focus onto her and he could feel his lungs hitching as he saw her glimmering face against the deepened lights above them. Even though sweat was amassed by her face and her features lingered more downwards than normal with creases aging, her angelic features still outshined the rest and it dazzled the irises located deep within his sphere. No matter how she was twisted or turned, she was still a diamond that somehow revealed herself to Katsuki and small piece of his heart clenched in the gratitude that out of all the men she could have approached, it was his arm that she pulled out along with hers onto the floor. It was their heels that clicked together, their bodies that twirled around each other, their breaths that got mixed in a tornado of serendipity, their eyes that sparked between them as they created tread marks that left traces of their work for generations to see. Tonight they created history that would linger into the minds of everyone who set eyes on them. However, even though gratitude and enjoyment wanted to escape and mix with her euphoric semblance, it was as if Katsuki felt a fuse short circuit in jitters and explosions bubbled in his core, allowing his mouth to ramble on and on. “Yea, maybe for you and the other fucking extras here. But you’re going to have to drag my fucking corpse to get me to step another foot in this shit hole.” He grumbled towards her as his hand found a void in his pocket and dug itself deeper in, allowing his delinquent attitude to be seen in the redness of cheeks covered in sweat.

Silence of their voices overtook them a bit as surrounding traffic noises and hearty breaths covered them in a blanket of white noise. There was a small inch of astriction that hung between them and slowly, the velvet from Ochako’s hand slowly became a foreign concept as her fingers liberated from his. Recoiling from that sudden motion, Katsuki’s features creased together as his nose scrunched up in familiar apprehension, animosity resurfacing back from the past. Weakness began to fill behind his eyes, making him needing to divert them before he allowed her to see that. He had thought she maybe had been different, special even, maybe someone could read past him and understand his mannerisms but she was just like the rest of the extras in the world. She had merely used him as a pawn and that attention seeking aspect of him sought after it like a child and it only made him bitter that he allowed her to get under him like that and rip out his skin and toss it out like-

“You know, you don’t always have to act like a tough guy all the time. It’s ok to admit you had fun once in awhile!” Ochako spoke out, shattering Katsuki’s thought trail with her sunshine filled hammer. Intrusiveness crawled in his mentality and it only intensified when he felt the soft return of her fingers lingered on his, though this time, a piece of paper pressed against his palm, causing an immediate contraction to secure the contents. Moving his head to scope out the foreign object, his cheek was greeted with a kiss that caressed by her lips. His cells sensed the glowing and candied essence of her lips and the hinges of his jaw metaphorically broke as his jaw began to sling downwards in a jolt of electric love that radiated when she amplified it by surrounding his fist with the cushions of her fingers. Slowly, Ochako freed herself from his skin and allowed the red on her face to deepen as dimples accompanied the lustrous smile that formed against her teeth. “I really hope to see you again! Maybe if you free next week too, we can meet again.” Leaving one last trace of her mystifying stroke that laid idle on his arm, she swiveled away from him, her polka dress matching her circular motions as it traced along her as heels snapped her exit.

With Katsuki’s hand crawling up to delicately touch the relics of her kiss, he watched her gracefully walk away, her legs picking up as if she was skipping in excitement and exburencence. When he saw her introduce herself to the interiors of the bus that rolled in, sensibility popped back to him and his gaze lowered down as his fingers unraveled the crumpled note left in his fist. Exposing it contents revealed a small rectangular strip of paper that filled the blank spaces with her cursive writing that spelled “Ms. Ochako Uraraka aka Round Face :)” and right below that followed a series of numbers that could be interpreted to be a telephone line of communication to get access to her.

Katsuki, not aware of what any of this meant or even how to react to this sudden bold move done by a female (usually it was done the other way around), left him lost and confused for a temporary moment as he stared at her dissipating figure. Time slowed down as smears from his peripheral zoomed past him while his corpse stayed stagnant and frozen from the magic of Ochako’s presence. It took the hand of Eijirou slamming down on his shoulder and his rumblings of laughter to jolt Katsuki back to the present moment where he could feel the balance against the balls of his feet.

“Hey buddy! Sorry for ditching ya back there! Seemed as if you had a lot of fun.” Eijirou rolled into his ear, commenting on the dancing he saw Katsuki partake in earlier, before his gaze turned to the crumpled mess that formed itself against Katsuki’s palm. “And that maybe you go lucky?” he sneered as he jabbed Katsuki’s side with his pointy elbow, finally showing his wingman qualities at the last minute.

At the word “lucky”, Katsuki’s ears and nose released a comical and metaphorical steam that expressed the release of bashfulness from the lewd images that had crossed his mindi. All of it involved Ochako and pivots around him as the buttons in front slowly came undone with each arch her back subjected itself to. Needing to compose himself the suppress the thoughts of the girl that stole his dignity together, Eijirou was greeted with mumblings of how the place was terrible, the food seemed like it forgotten it’s expiration date, and even how the people seemed mindless and only knew one side of the dimension. Yet, all these complaints seemed to go against his true feelings as he kept twisting and turning the paper within his fingers in hope that the numbers who sprout out and give him the clear message that he needed to call her.

Muddling out Eijirou’s teasing and cheery attitude, Katsuki flickered his eyes once more towards the inked numbers before thrusting his buddy from his proximity and walking the opposite direction. With cramming his fists again in their natural position within his pockets, he picked up his feet in exaggerated trudges to give the image of bitterness that was tanged with saltiness as he muddled curse words and distasteful phrases. Yet, even though his exterior screamed fire and disdain, if one looked closer, under the fabric of his pocket, the veins on his hands protruded out as he clutched onto the note harder, creating moon shapes with his nails as a maddening love arrows began to stab into his back, indicating love at first dance.

#lizwrites #kacchako #katsuki bakugou #uraraka ochako #bakuraka #urabaku #kirimina #kirishima eijirou #mina ashido #boku no hero academia #bnha #mha #bnha fics #my hero academia #bnha au #swing dance

[teamevilwinter-blog]

Luna ( A Winter Soldier Story) Part 12

Pairing: Bucky x OC(Luna) 

Summary:  Character is a super soldier who escaped Hydra after S.H.E.I.L.D fell. As she recounts her past she finds herself in New York City seeking out a certain soldier who is the only one who can help her find peace within herself. This chapter is the conclusion to the series.

Word Count: 2,130 

A/N: I am so relieved to finally have this out. I havent updated in literally forever!! Enjoy! 

Catch up here:  Luna Masterlist  

~ Part 11 ~

Bucky’s POV

“How could this have happened!?! I thought she was under security!!” I shouted at Stark as Steve attempted to pull me back by the arm. I knew it was wrong to be directing all my anger at Stark, especially after all he had done to save Luna in the first place. 

Stark was quick to retort, “I am not the one who should be at blame here! You were the last person to see her before she left. So let me ask you this Barnes. What the hell happened?” 

Steve stepped in between us putting an end to the argument, “This is not the time to be throwing around accusations! We have to focus on the matter at hand. Which is that Luna is gone.” 

“Ran away, seems more fitting.” All heads turned to the figure leaning against the doorway. It was Romanoff, just come back from security central. “I obtained the security footage from the past few hours. While Luna may have disabled the alarms, she left the cameras alone.” 

The red head made her way over to a monitor and synced up her tablet to show us the footage. The first clip was of the hallway just outside this room. The guard was there, this time standing tall and alert. Moments passed and the door creeped open a crack. Something was thrown into the hallway, catching the guards attention. By the time he turned back, it was too late. Luna had used the distraction to her advantage and swung a solid hit to his jaw. The guard stumbled and then Luna swiped at his face, leaving a nasty cut above his eye. 

“What did she use to cut him?” Stark asked, clearly as stunned as the rest of us. 

“Most crucial tip of any assassin: anything can be used as weapon. By the looks of it this room has no shortage of possible ideas.” Natasha replied, her arm gesturing to the multiple items in the room. 

The next several clips showed Luna taking out guard after guard expertly until she finally made it to security central. According to Stark, the whole reason the alarms didnt go off when she left the tower was because Luna hacked into the system and shut it down. 

“We underestimated her.” Steve said what we were all thinking. 

Natasha nodded her head in agreement. “Not to mention she just had surgery. If she can take out this entire tower’s security while still in recovery, imagine her potential when she’s in full health.” 

“Like you said she’s an assassin-” Stark added. 

“- Ex-assassin…. Don’t forget she’s no longer Hydra.” My voice was clipped and no doubt my expression matched. 

Stark threw me a look of pure venom before continuing. “Like I was saying, Luna is an ex-assassin who just perfectly demonstrated she had the ability to leave this tower any time she wanted. But she didn’t because she had no reason to. Now that she’s gone I wonder what her reason was.” 

Even though Stark didnt directly look at me while saying it, it was evident he knew something was up. 

Steve cleared his throat interrupting the thickening silence. “Buck, you mentioned a note when we first got here. That’s how you knew she was gone?” 

“Yeah, I um, found it in a book in her room. I was only there because I couldn’t sleep and found it…comforting.” I tried my hardest to make it sound as normal as possible. Like any guy would just enter a girls room and rifle through their reading selections. Gosh that was real smooth. 

I took the slip out my pocket, unfolded it and read the words that had initially made my heart stop: 

To whom it may concern, 

I’m sorry that I’ve left so abruptly. I couldn’t stand another second in that room or in this tower. I don’t wish for my departure to seem like I’m ungrateful for all that everyone has done for me. You’ve given me my life back and I will forever be thankful. 

 However in the process, some things have arisen that I must deal with on my own. There is no telling how long I will be gone but I assure you I will return to repay the debt that I so heavily owe. 

Thank you all again. And farewell....

Luna 

“’Some things have arisen’? What does she mean by that?” Natasha looked at the others in confusion. 

“Barnes?” I could feel Stark’s eyes boring into the side of my head. 

I sighed. Might as well just say it. “The Winter Soldier…killed Luna’s parents. A fact she became aware of when she experienced repressed memories during her surgery” I faced Stark and looked him dead on. “So technically your right. It is my fault. And so are a million other things. None of which I could control. This included. When I came to talk to her this evening she was….inconsolable. Nothing I said or did made anything better. So maybe I’m insane for saying this but…I think she did the right thing.” 

Stark failed to mask his astoundment,”Are you insane?” 

“He’s right” Natasha stepped in before Stark could continue. “ Those tapes proved she can hold her own just fine. Not to mention she was already living alone for four years prior to coming here. With that aside, we have to consider her emotional state right now. A sudden onset of traumatic memories right after you’ve woken up from brain surgery is a lot. More than even she could handle. We all have our ways of coping. My guess is she didnt leave the city. Just went somewhere where she feels most at peace. To help her get through this.” 

“Oh my gosh.” I whispered. 

“What?” Steve stepped towards me. 

I help up the slip. “Theres a part of the note I didnt read to you. I thought it was just a rhyme that she wrote but I think its a clue. ‘The only place I feel free, amongst the stars I will be.’ Does New York City have an observatory of some sort?” 

“The closest is Staten Island. Which is way too far.” 

“Ok then….whats the tallest building in NYC?” I was starting to figure out where she might have gone. 

“One World Trade Center. Access to the roof is restricted but it has an observatory deck.” Natasha replied. 

“Thats it. I know she’s there.” I was out the door before anyone could question it. I heard Steve called out after me but my mind was already made. 

By the time I made it to the center it was just shy of 9 in the morning. I had opted to walk the whole way through the night using the time to think about what I would say once I found her. After buying a ticket I made my way to the observatory deck, as always keeping a low profile. 

I was surprised at the amount of people, considering how early it was. I searched the crowd looking out for that raven-haired bun I always saw on her. I walked over to the edge of the room passing a  few couples and families with some rowdy kids. 

I peered out of the floor to ceiling windows, tilting my head to the sky. Even though the stars had disappeared hours ago I still felt a strange closeness to it all. A sudden movement caught my right eye and I pivoted to look. Thats when I saw it. A streak of dark tresses piled high ontop of a head and flash of tan skin as the body moved swiftly back into the crowd. 

I took after her, delving between tourists and guides. I caught her just as she was about to enter the elevator to go down. “Luna!” 

The figure turned and thats when my hopes shattered. The girl, a complete and utter stranger, gave a look of bewilderment as she shook my arm away. “Hey! Can I help you sir?” 

“Uh, no. No I’m so sorry I thought you were someone else.” I stuttered out the apology. The girl gave me one last baffled look before stepping away into the elevator. 

I returned to the windows, more frustrated than ever. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe she was never here at all. There was a couple not too far away from where I stood, silently admiring the horizon. What caught my attention wasn’t the unusual distance between them, but the girl herself. Or rather her hair. 

Usually I don’t take notice to stuff like that. But this was an exception. It cascaded down her back in loose curls stopping just above her waist. I felt weird staring but something about it just didn't seem right. The guy beside her  walked away revealing her face to me. 

I dared to sneak a glance and when I did I just about fell over. Luna didn't look surprised to see me, she just looked...exhausted. I saw her breathe in deeply but she made no move to walk over. So I did instead.

Just as I came within earshot she started to talk, "James, I have to apol–"

Before I could think about what I was doing I pulled her close to me and met my lips with hers. She tensed and that's when I realized I made a mistake kissing her. I was ready to pull away but then her hand found the back of my neck and she relaxed into the kiss.

My own hands migrated from her waist up to the base of her hair. My god this hair. Why on earth would she keep it up? It transformed her. So much so that I didn’t recognize her when I was initially passed her. 

The kiss grew deep as we disregarded our surroundings and focused soley on the two of us. 

“Hey you two! Get a room will ya?” A brutish voice yell from behind us. That seemed to snap us out of it as we broke apart. Luna was just as breathless as I. Her hand fell from my neck giving me the chance to grab it and guide her away to somewhere with less people. 

Luckily I found a small alcove away from the mass. I checked behind my shoulder out of habit. Then turned back to be met with those bright eyes of her. 

“James-” I raised my hand to stop her. 

“Luna, I knew what you were gonna say and it is not necessary to apologize.” My hands came to rest lightly on her shoulders. 

She gazed at me in confusion. “How can you say that? I practically threw a tantrum right in your face! I yelled and cried and didnt even give you a single chance to explain yourself!” 

“I know. And initially I was incredibly upset that you did that. But then I considered the circumstances. I sorta know what it feels like to wake up from a surgery with your whole life changed.” 

Luna glanced down at my left arm as I saw her visibly gulp. “James....as much as you don't want me to say it, I have to take responsibility for my actions. I probably caused quite the scene back at the tower.” 

I couldn't help but scoff slightly. “Yeah, you could say that.” 

Luna’s expression hinted at guilt. “Is anyone seriously hurt?” 

“Not seriously. Some of those guards may be walking around for awhile with some nasty bruises but they’ll be fine. I have to say though, what you pulled off was pretty impressive despite the circumstances.” 

She sighed, looking off in the direction of the masses. “I completely regret it. I wasn't thinking straight y’know? Just needed to get out of there. Now I doubt Tony will ever let me in the Tower again.” 

That caught me off guard. “Your saying you would return??” 

Luna leaned against the alcove, crossing her arms. “Well of course but I’ve kinda ruined my chances now.” 

I chuckled softly at that. “Your crazy if you think Stark would kick you out of the tower. I mean yeah the guy has got issues, but he isn't cold-hearted. Besides everyone is sorta getting used to having you around. And with talents like yours maybe some day you could be an agent.” 

She looked up at me with hope in her eyes “You really believe that?” 

I stepped towards her, closing the gap between us. “Of course I do.” 

Luna looked down for a moment and when she came back up I noticed a glimmering in her eyes. I wrapped her in a hug as she began to cry. 

Through the quiet sobs, I heard her tearful words. 

“Thank you Bucky. Without you I wouldn't have gotten my life back. Without you I would have ceased to be Luna. Thank you.” 

MMMMMMM The end? Not so fast. there is a very cute epilogue heading your way! 

Tags: @nodramaaloud @peony13 @chipilerendi

#bucky x reader #bucky x oc #bucky imagine #bucky fanfic #Bucky Barnes #the winter soldier

[dnd-inspiration]

If you’ve sent me an ask within 30 days… it's here!

If yours isn’t here, send it again!  I’m sorry it took me so long to get to you guys. It’s been a few crazy weeks, I’m generally a lazy person, and having more than 5 asks stresses me out so I avoid my inbox. So lets get to it!

@leonmashedpotatoes Hello there, I'm going to be running a 3.5 shackled city campaign and I'm excited about the campaign, but I'm nervous because my homebrew campaigns have been making me super overwhelmed and I don't end up having any fun playing and the session just ends anticlimactically. How can I keep myself from getting overwhelmed? I figured it'd be easier since I'm using a module but I'm still nervous that I won't end up having fun PLeS HalP

It depends! Why does it overwhelm you? Are you organized enough? Do your players ask you stupid questions that you didn’t think you had to prepare for? Get good at predicting those dumb questions, or get good at improv. Are they doing things you don’t want them to do, like going north when they should go south? Just change the stuff happening in the south to the north. Or block off the path. I’d also recommend taking a 5 - 10 min break. Get up, stretch, get some snacks, etc. AS for anticlimactic session ends, try to plan for a good stop or stop playing too long. Sometimes sessions I’m in go so long we basically end when someone falls asleep.

@meme-regime

Hi, gonna DM a campaign that revolves around 2 countries at war. The campaign will eventually build up to each country having a superweapon, but the players only know about the enemy's. They are sent to stop it and while gone the allied country's goes off accidentally. My question is, how should i get my players invested in the story and really care about and join one side, rather than just do mercenary work? Its a war over land, so neither side is necessarily in the right, morally. Thanks!

Ask them to come up with detailed backstories about where they’re from, any friends, etc. Put those NPCs in the town in the region you want. Maybe one side pays well, maybe one side is filled with [x “evil” race]. Have them meet NPCs that they themselves care about their land. You can’t really force anyone to care about anything. I always stressed myself out when I cared if they did, so I stopped caring. And weirdly enough they started!

@ anon

I want to start dm'ing a campaign. Any advice for someone who's never dm'd before?

Just read up on the rules, find a module you want to try, read through it, and relax!

@ anon

I need to create a D&D character for a group me and my friends are starting. How do I go about it?

I use the app “5th edition Character Sheet” and I love it. If you pay 1 dollar you get to level up easy. There are guides online to help you out. Reading the player's handbook also helps! Make sure you and your buds know what level you’re starting at, and if you’re doing point buy or rolling your stats.

@sevenawkwarddays

So, I just recently started DMing and my group really seems to enjoy inns and enjoys roleplaying visiting one. I'm running out of gimmicks and fun quirks to give them and was wondering if you have any advice or suggestions?

Watch/read/listen to media related to that and take inspiration from there. Look up historical inns, look up local bed and breakfast joints, etc. There are some cool podcasts about history, myths, etc.

@irl-yuya

I'm writing a campaign for my friends (in which I will be both DMing and playing a character) should I get ideas, just knowing my friends' classes and see what happens or wait until they've finished character building? (We're using fan made classes. Dancer, Death Weapon (based on the show Soul Eater) and Dragon Slayer Wizard (based on Fairy Tail.)

Its your campaign, you should make it no matter what they want to play. Their races and classes shouldn’t matter too much. I’m in the middle of writing a campaign where Drow are despised, much more than normal, and driven out of towns. I’d gently suggest my players not play Drow, but hey if they want I won’t stop them. They just need to know what they’re getting into. I’m not about to change my entire campaign just because they want to play Drow but not be treated unfairly.

@ anon

Im setting up a Lamia lair in an old desert ruin, and so far i have a Lamia, jackalweres, manticores, and slaves occupying it. I have a maze, main lair, and slave cages planned, but i want it to be bigger. Any ideas???

Honestly I have no idea what Lamia is and google didn’t help… so here are some maybe not so helpful suggestions.

Room of pots, some overflowing with rubies. When you dig for more, its sand. If one breaks, endless sand pours out.

A giant room with pillars, and a single set of stairs that almost goes up to the ceiling.

A room dedicated to giving gifts to gods. You probably shouldn’t take anything. Should leave something instead.

Giant crocs who can be appeased with hearts

@ anon

So, in my campaign, almost all the PCs have a dead sibling, so I try to emphasize familial bonds in the story. Would having the BBEG's goal to bring back their own dead sibling be keeping to the motif or just lazy writing? Any suggestions for alternatives or ways to make that more interesting?

Whats bad about bringing your sibling back? Obviously raising the dead is a bit iffy but if I was one of your players I wouldn’t hunt him down for doing that. Maybe his sibling is bigger, badder, and generally better at doing evil stuff.

@didthething

My players are wandering through a mountainous region, with occasional Kobold tribes interspersed. They are searching for an old tower surrounded by a thick, cloying fog. What might they run into while they are wandering about?

I don’t have a monster manual, but I’d look into that to help you out! Rocs could be funny, since they sound like “rocks”. Bullets? Birds, goats, other typical animals you’d find on a mountain. Maybe some mountain monks or something.

@candalable

I think this is totally doable for your first game. Neat idea! I think your plot is fine, I don’t have any points. Since this is set in one place, make this places VERY detailed. Names, ages, jobs of all npcs they come across, town export and import, etc. Not sure about puzzles since everything sets back to normal tbh.

@anon

I'm DMing a session and my players are in a campaign where they're in a magical rubix cube dungeon that rotates and opens paths to new rooms when they interact with certain parts of the room they're in. I'm trying to design each room to be unique in both it's layout and what kind of challenge they'll have to go through, and i've already got three rooms planned out, but i'm running dry on cool ideas for puzzles, traps, or fun battles for them to stumble into. There are 5 players if it helps.

@anon

Could read through my blog and see if you can apply/tweak any to a room. Look up popular brain teasers and puzzles, twist them to a dnd setting. A room with a long staircase, halfway up you notice a really tall being just staring at you. Narrow bridge to get to the other side, but its cut. You can climb down the ladder into darkness. The other side seems slanted enough you can climb up.

@literal-trash-heap

In an adventure I'm writing, I need a monster that could make ships mysteriously vanish, but still be suitable for first level players. I was thinking maybe something to do with ghosts and the ethereal plane, but any suggestions would be terrific!

Low HP powerful monster that actually only makes ship invisible and sets them off course? Otherwise your suggestion sounds great.

@anon

In the party I have, everyone seems to be focused on only the task ahead and they aren't finding creative ways to overcome challenges. How can I change this and slyly force them into some RP and world exploration?

You can’t make them play how you want them to. If you want them to get into room A, and the door is locked and you don't want them busting it down but finding the key… make it impossible to break down. Thats as far as you can force their hand though. Maybe they like the straight path? You can introduce some NPCs  that want to show them the world, or need an escort.

@anon

Several sessions ago the party I have been DMing helped an Armorer and a Weaponsmith get together. Now, they've been invited to their wedding. It looks like the party wants to go so I want to spice it up a bit. I'm thinking some sort of monster should attack mid vows but I'm not sure what would be good. The wedding will take place in a city set on the side of a mountain, and the players should be about level five by the time they get there. But I have no idea what the monster should be

@anon

Look in the monster manual? Maybe there is a crazed ex lover that wants revenge. Maybe some giant birds want the bird seed, or see shiny objects in the wedding like the rings or decorations.

@anon

im dming for my four friends, but two of them chose to be bards, and the other two are a cleric and a wizard. should i like, force some of them to change roles or is there someway for me to change monsters and enemies so they dont get completely junked

I’d tell everyone everyone’s class, see if they’re okay with that, and treat them like any normal party. I treat my normal parties like they CAN die… but if they’re nice and don’t do stupid stuff, they only almost die. I don’t force my players but if you’re cool with that and so are they, go for it I guess.

@cometgrace

I have a question, if you don't mind. I'm really interested in playing d&d but I have no friends who would be interested so I'm looking to play it online. The problem is, I have absolutely no experience with the game and I know pretty much nothing. What's a good way a get started and figure out the game? or a good way to just learn the ropes?

Read up the players handbook and go online! Roll20.net is something people use. You can also find game shops in your town that host [free] dnd nights with tables for you to use! For free! Most people are patient. Just be up front that that you’re new and do your best to play along.

@gxjira

i have an idea for a campaign and several little details for it but for some reason i cant connect them? so far i have a tiny town full of completely regular people, a well with weird powers, the lunar eclipse and a bad time

Sorry but there isn’t nearly enough information for me to help you out!

@synodicstudying

I have a new DND session this weekend and I'm dusting off one of my old character ideas- a wood elf druid with a chronically ill wife and a 10 year old stepson, driven by trying to find the cure for her wife. She's definitely a motherly figure, with an emphasis on healing and shapeshifting abilities who I mean to make into the glue of the party, but I just got the setting. We're in the Arctic. Any ideas on how to adapt her to fit?

I love your idea so much!  Why not have her travel from your beautiful home continent? The arctic supposedly has the oldest seed in the world, frozen in time. And its one of the things you need for your wife!

@anon

So my players have unknowingly contacted the first arcs Big Bad and asked them for work. The Big Bad has been scrying on them and is slowly recognizing them as a threat, not just an annoyance. He's in a really good position to get rid of them without losing his sterling reputation. Any suggestions on how he could do this without tipping his hand that he's a villain to the party until it's too late?

Having them do tasks that kind of fuck up the town, or powerful people only. Tasks like taking a package from the Yarl to X address, instead of Y making it look like you stole it.

#ahh this took like an hour and a half #i gotta start answering them as I get them #dnd #d&d #Dungeons and Dragons #not inspo #ask #asks

[slothcritic1]

Moana (2016)

Amazing Hair: The Movie. Moana is a tale of Hawaiian/Polynesian folklore centering around Dwayne The Maui Johnson and brand new talent (Auli'i Cravalho) as the titular character.

As someone who grew up with Toy Story, it’s funny to think about what this movie represents from a technical standpoint. Toy Story purposefully did not have an explositions or exposed liquids due to the limitations of technology at the time. And now we have a movie that takes place 90% of the time in the middle of a huge ocean.

The movie has some genuinely good songs, thanks to the singing talents of Ms Cravalho and, surprisingly, Dwayne Johnson himself. Yes, The Rock can sing, and while it’s semi-obvious that he doesn’t have the range of some other singers, he works within his means and knocks it out of the park in the song You’re Welcome

The plot structure itself is very formulaic however, which is a shame as everything else holds up so wonderfully. The focal girl has a duty to uphold, but instead decides to “follow her destiny” and choose a life of adventure over the life she’s expected to live (you know, like Brave, Frozen, Mulan, Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Hunchback of Notre Dame, Tarzan… you get the point). She then meets up with the wacky, street wise (or ocean wise), reluctant helper that she goads into helping on her journey. They become friends and bond, then theres the third act break up where the helper separates for no good reason, and the fourth act triumphant return at the ending climax for even less of a good reason.

With that out of the way, the movie rocks. Some people completely judge a movie only on plot, but I think it’s more about how it makes you feel. A movie is a vessel for emotion and intrigue.

Aside from the stunning visuals (which, lets face it, are now a standard practise for Disney Pixar films) and a catchy song (songs however are much easier to screw up, and this movie has a lot of good ones), the opening scene is bland. It sets up Moana to be the next village chief and her journey into leaving the island. The scene doesn’t really have anything for itself, but rather is used to carry the impact of when she actually disembarks. It’s necessary for backstory (no one ever leaves the island), exposition (Moana is the daughter of the village chief, etc) and the premise (find Maui and have him restore Heart of Te Fiti to stop a black virus from consuming all life), but doesnt do too much on its own.

The disembarkment scene however is wicked powerful. My friends thought I was alien for not crying or tearing up during it, but I will admit it did give me a good *pang* in the heart. Magical spirit stingray!

Two things should also be mentioned at this point. 1) A rooster named Hei Hei has snuck aboard Moana’s boat. It’s a very special rooster that my friends would not stop comparing to me. And B) The ocean is a sentient character of sorts, and provides some of the comedy for the movie.

Moana follows the constellation of the fish hook to where Maui is, since thats his dealio. At some point however, the lovable ocean gets triggered and decides to unleash its torrential stormy wrath upon Moana. I mean, it does get her to Maui’s island, but I’m sure there were less dickish ways of accomplishing that. Though I don’t think ocean cares since it killed Moana’s dad’s best friend. Oh, ocean, you little scamp.

Maui pops in and drops my favorite song of the movie, then steals the boat and leaves Moana to… I dunno, die? But she makes it back to Maui and explains that he needs to help her because, guess what, she’s the Disney Princess of this movie. And yes - She is. Her father is chief, which is like a king. She’s the chief’s daughter, which is like a king’s daughter, aka princess.

Maui responds by throwing the Heart of Te Fiti several miles away. This almost works out for Maui until p̶l̶o̶t̶ the ocean interferes by throwing it back, railroading him into a whole new world.

Maui however is at a disadvantage in his current state; He’s missing his hook. No hook, no powers. So when tribal coconuts show up on a HUGE ship, armed to the coconuts with poison blow darts, they’re kind of fucked, especially when they steal the Heart of Te Fiti, which is… currently inside Hei Hei.

Luckily, Moana does some badass shit while Maui handles the boat and the three of them get out fine. Next stop, Maui’s hook. But before that, Moana wants to drive the boat. Maui says no, and the ocean pricks him with a stray poison dart. Now he cant drive. But he can pee in the water just as he tells Moana to check for a “warm current”

I can get on board with that level of petty.

They arrive at Monster Island, which is where Maui’s hook is. Maui tells her to stay on the boat and do nothing like a good woman while macho man demi-dude saves the whole day. It has little success. I should also mention, this entire time they’ve been traveling from Casa de Maui to Mount Doom, Maui has just been roasting Moana for being a Disney princess. To summarize:

“Oh look at me. I’m the chosen one. I’m like 8 years old and never sailed a boat in my life, but here I am thinking the ocean chose ME, with my bleeding heart spiel and animal companion to try and save the world.”

To be fair, large bodies of water have never been good at chosing leaders - Ask Monty Python.

Regardless, Moana and Maui both climb what is basically a 90 degree incline to the top of the Dread Spire. It is at this point Maui informs Moana that the door to the monster realm can only be opened with a human sacrifice. Before Moana can protest, Maui ritually disembowels her with his own hands to appease the ancient blood gods.

Kidding. He chants a few words and the gateway opens. The two jump in, and Moana is almost eaten or killed numerous times with the first few moments of being in the realm of the monsters.

Maui’s hook is resting upon a mountain of gold. Seems innocent enough to Moana, but Maui insists she wears a bright and gaudy disguise to draw the attention of… something.

The mountain of gold rises up. Turns out thats just its back. Meet the British Crab. He sings a song about how he loves shiny things and then nearly eats Moana, until Maui reveals he retrieved his hook from the British Crab’s back.

But he’s a little rusty and it, uh, doesn’t work right. So Maui gets his shit stomped by BC. Moana saves the day by painting a rock with bioluminescent algae to make it look like the Heart of Te Fiti, which is shiny, and BC is all about the shiny.

They escape, and Maui learns to reuse his hook. Everythings looking swell until they try and take on the great evil of the story, Te Ka. He uses fireball and Maui presses E to deflect with his hook, only instead the hook gets mad cracked. It sparks like its somehow made of electricity, which I find weird. Maui is now done with life since his hook is nearly toast and he fucks off, leaving chosen girl all by herself, depressed as fuck in the middle of nowhere, ocean.

One drug trip and amazing song later, she regains her confidence and tried to take on Te Ka by herself. It surprisingly works, because now she knows how to drive a boat. Hei Hei comes in clutch and stops the Heart of Te Fiti from falling off the boat, and they make it through the border islands towards their main goal.

Te Ka is still rather pissed, being a giant lava demon and all, so he keeps trying to kill Moana. And for no real reason, here comes Maui to save the day - or at least to stall Te Ka until Moana can do the thing. His hook gets completely totalled but its okay, because he learned a valuable lesson off-screen that he’s still Maui, hook or no hook.

Moana realizes that the Heart actually goes into Te Ka. So she pulls a Moses, lets Te Ka come at her bro, and puts the Heart into her chest. This turns her from the red Lava Groot to the green Mother Nature Jemima, and everything is better forever. And hey, she gives Maui a brand new hook after he apologises for being the literal cause of ALL of this. Maui does his own thing and Moana becomes the leader of a brand new generation of voyagers.

I do have to applaud Disney for NOT having the two of them kiss at the end. Its always nice to see a platonic m/f duo in movies and the romance subplot sells so well to resist sometimes.

Overall, very stunning. I often cite “movie feel” as a reason why movies with plot/cliche/logistic problems can still make good movies, and this movie does a wonderful job of sweeping you off your feet. Though honestly, the writing on this movie is not bad. Rather, I would say its poorly structured. Think of it like a support beam a beanstalk might grow up. The characters were amazing; Full of life, personality and moderately complex emotions, the animation is so good the whole movie is like a humble brag about how awesome the DisneyTech is, a lot (i’d say 80%) of the script is bang on, and an astounding amount of the songs are really good - Songs are easy to screw up and I’d say that’s this movies second biggest strength (behind hair/water animation). It just struggles with the standard “winning formula” plot structure that was honestly ill-fitting in parts and did not impart a wholesome explanation or comprehensive rationale behind certain scenes.

I’m not a big Disney buff (unless you count the Star Wars acquisition), so I’m not qualified to say how this ranks compared to other movies (disregarding modern tech advancements and focusing more on storytelling) - However I will say that it’s better than Frozen.

#slothcritic #moana #moana review