#that being said. I'm sad. :( I don't want “fate” to be setting me up. I actually don't want “fate” to exist at all. this is getting to me

[bumblequinn]

hi @sourpatchsquids! thank you for your question.

as an artist with ADHD, i know this struggle very well. unfortunately offering advice on this kind of thing can be tricky, because what works for me may not work for you (and vice versa!). nonetheless, i can try; take whatever works for you, forget the rest, or reshape any part of it as you see fit. :)

but before i offer any actual tools, i have one caveat. i want you to take a moment to reflect and consider if you should be:

changing expectations

the timing of this question seems fated, because just the other day i had a therapy session wherein i expressed my grief and frustration over struggling to work lately due to my seasonal depression. it's not fair that i'm struggling just because it got a little darker outside! i just want the spark i had in the summer! i was so much more consistent!

my therapist's response: nothing about human beings is consistent. we get sick, we get tired, we get hungry and thirsty (and thirsty) and sad and lonely and restless and stressed and overwhelmed. this all gets amplified for folks who are atypical in some way or another.

when my therapist compared our seasonal cycles to those of plants and other animals, who wilt and slow down and hibernate, i protested aloud that i wanted to be a perennial instead. at this she said: even perennials change with the seasons. rose bushes have to be pruned, sometimes down to half their height! it was a dose of perspective i didn't particularly want, but really needed.

so when you're struggling to work through executive dysfunction, burnout, or brain fog, it can help to first check in with yourself about a few things. what do you have the capacity for right now? do you need any accommodation? and if so, what changes you might make to accommodate yourself?

with practice and self reflection, i've learned a handful of specific routines that help me when i'm struggling with creative work, which i'll detail next. note that while your question is specifically about music and i am specifically a musician, i believe that all of these suggestions can apply to most any form of digital creative work.

with that in mind:

#1: work slower

when i'm at the top of my game, i can get a LOT done in a day. but when i'm depressed, fatigued, or distracted, i just can't go full steam. sometimes i'll try to convince myself that i can if i just push harder, but what actually ends up happening is that i'm just fiddling with settings and going in circles rather than moving forward.

instead of that, when i want to work a lot but can't, i try to work slow. how slow? however slow i need to. take four hours to figure out the melody for a single verse. take all day to figure out that drum groove. yeah, i take a lot of breaks in between. who says i have to be my Absolute Most Productive Every Day Or Else? that's the puritan work ethic talking. kill it. be kind to yourself.

i'm reminded of advice i once read about some super successful and prolific author (gaiman? king? pratchett?) who said they wrote only four hundred words every weekday. that's already less than the word count of this post, and i'm only—[travels into the future to check my final word count]... 22.8% of the way through writing it!

now, i don't think i could function that way, because ADHD means some days i'm hyperfocused like crazy, and other days i just have no steam at all (more on that in #4-6). but it seems to me that if even someone highly respected in their profession can achieve what they have with only a little bit of work on a regular basis, maybe i don't have to punish myself for not pumping out a finished work every single week.

doing less work per day means you're much less likely to burn out, which does a lot for working more consistently. if that consistency still doesn't look like a five-day work week, that's okay! as long as it helps you work even a little more often when you want to, it's something worth doing.

however, if you're still feeling truly stuck, all hope isn't lost. you can still try:

#2: switch projects

sometimes the reason i'm moving slow is because of a bad brain day, but sometimes the reason is that i just cannot muster the motivation to do the specific task i'm trying to do right now. ADHD is fueled by novelty and interest, and if i'm not interested in what i'm doing, or it's feeling stale, that's a sign that i need to switch gears.

this is why first it's helpful for me to have more than one project going at a time. this might mean completely unrelated works, or it might just mean related tracks as with the music for a game like SLARPG or susan taxpayer.

the idea here is not to start a dozen different projects and bounce around them like i'm playing whac-a-mole—though i have done that. (i don't recommend it.) the idea here is to have a manageable number of different projects i can be working on so that if i get bored or stuck on something, i have fallback options.

what that number of projects is depends entirely on the week. maybe right now it's two, maybe another time it's three. i would probably be getting carried away if i tried more than that, but that's just my own limit. maybe yours is different. that's something for you to think about.

but it doesn't have to stop there.

#3: switch focus

maybe there is this one project that i just HAVE to work on, but the task i'm trying to do at this stage just isn't coming to me. okay, well, why don't i try working on a different task?

let's say i can't figure out what i want to do with the melody in one part of the song:

what if i try jumping ahead to a different part of the melody? ...no, i'm stumped on melodies today. okay, how about working on the drums instead? ...hmm no, i think i'm just completely tapped out on writing parts right now. alright, what if i organized my tracks, making sure they're all grouped and named in a way that i can work with easily? what if i did a rough volume balance for the mix?

and so on. if that's not enough to shake the off stuckness, i might consider: what can i do to make this project more interesting to me?

what happens if i try using an instrument or effect that i almost never reach for? what if i try sampling something obscure? what if i bang out the drums using my midi keyboard instead of drawing it in on the piano roll?

any approach that breaks me out of my usual habits is bound to get that feeling of novelty and fun back when i need it.

or maybe i can't do any of that right now, and so i take the time to answer a question from a fellow musician instead. i consider that part of my work, too, in a broader sense. check in with yourself and figure out what you can do right now. the rest will still be there later.

but okay, let's say you try switching gears, and switching again, and again, and nothing is moving. you try new approaches, but that wall of awful is insurmountable in this moment. it happens! the next thing you might try is:

#4: learn something new

when you aren't able to make progress on your projects, you can still make progress on your knowledge and craft. i often find this stokes a flame of inspiration in me where there wasn't one before. and even when it doesn't, it still gets my brain out of that feeling of stuckness and dread and into one of thought and action. learning also benefits in the long term because it adds to the well of knowledge from which you draw for all your future works.

for all the awfulness that exists on the internet, it remains an absolute treasure trove of teaching. there's an endless ocean of videos, blog posts, and articles from which you might learn something about your craft. (and if you sail the seven seas, plenty of book PDFs as well. 🦜🏴‍☠️)

it's true that the quality and depth of information out there can vary wildly, but in my experience most resources get at least some things right. and the more you research, practice, and figure out what works for you, the better you will learn to differentiate between the advice worth keeping, and the advice to forget. (that goes for all of what i'm saying here, too!)

that said, since our shared focus is music, a few resources i would highly recommend are:

music theory and composition music matters, 12tone, charles cornell, music with myles, 8-bit music theory, and this introduction by andrew huang

mixing and production dan worrall (especially this series for fabfilter), kush after hours, red means recording, andrew huang, alice yalcin efe, in the mix

general inspiration nahre sol, ben levin, david hilowitz, game score fanfare, posy, jerobeam fenderson, open reel ensemble, and ELECTRONICOS FANTASTICOS!

(if any readers have their own helpful resources for creating music or any other media, feel free to share in the replies & reblogs! 💓)

of course, on an especially bad day, it might be a challenge to seek out information, let alone retain it. that can feel pretty bad, but remember: be kind to yourself. the next thing you might consider trying is:

#5: consume art you love

not just music. books. shows. movies. games. illustration. animation. whatever moves and inspires you.

but do it intentionally. don't just pull up some random thing the algorithm suggested! check in with yourself about what you want (or are able) to engage with right now. choose accordingly. if you get a little way into it and realize it's not scratching that itch, hit the bricks. check in with yourself again. wash, rinse, repeat, until you find whatever it is that speaks to you right now.

and do it actively, if you can. don't just let it go in one eye and out the other! really pay attention to the work. what do you like about it? what are its themes and motifs? what makes it work so well? what are its flaws, and how much do they matter? what might you do differently? you can write notes as you do this if it helps, but even simply noticing and thinking goes a long way.

what you don't want to do is come at this with a lens of shame or envy. you're not here just to say to yourself, "ugh, if only i could do THAT." it's okay if it happens. use that thought as a springboard for curiosity: "well okay, how DID they do that? do i have the resources for it? if so, how could i apply that to my own work? if not, how can i adapt it, or what do i need to learn?" keep your mind open and approach the work with a sense of wonder.

as a creative person, it's very easy to think, "i should be making something right now, not watching a movie!" but that thought forgets something vital: your art is a response in a conversation. of course the "language" you use is your own, and maybe if you're lucky you'll invent a new word. but most of the words you use have been around long before you were born. you're just one voice in a dialogue that spans continents and generations, and that's okay. it's even the whole point.

none of us is an island. we are profoundly social animals. just as we can't live without eating, we can't make without learning. so half of making art is consuming it. consider this part of the process as well.

and finally,

#6: rest, and live your life

let's say you're in really dire straits. you've tried working slower. you tried changing focus, you tried changing projects. you want to take in new information or actively engage with your favorite art, but you're not in the headspace for it. what now?

take a nap. take a walk. take a shower. eat a nice meal, or an okay one. talk to a friend. maybe even do that chore you've been putting off (you know the one).

it's human to always crave making, but you're not a machine—and even if you were, machines need regular maintenance, too! you wouldn't drive a car that's completely out of gas, and you won't do yourself any favors treating your body that way either.

i know that when you take a break it feels as though you're not accomplishing anything, but you are: you're taking care of your animal self. and while you do that, your creative brain doesn't stop working! much like windows, it has countless background processes running at any given moment, with inscrutable names like "cbdhsvc_692da" or "Microsoft Edge Update Service." it's true, i checked.

when you're stuck on a project and you step away to rest, your brain is still chipping away at your ideas unconsciously. i like to tell people, "it's percolating." much like waiting for a pot of water to boil, that idea is still heating up, even when you take a step away. just be sure to check in on it once in a while. the time will pass, and it'll be boiling again before long. :)

before i go, i'll leave you with one last thing to keep in mind as you try all of these strategies:

be kind to yourself.

being human is just about one of the hardest things you can do. let alone being a human trying to survive capitalism while living with disabilities! the last thing you need on top of that is to overwork yourself, talk to yourself negatively, or treat yourself harshly. there are plenty of other people in the world who do that to you—don't be one of them.

i'm not saying that you shouldn't try to challenge yourself, to test your limits and go above and beyond your ambitions, if that's what you want to do. just remember that hard work and self compassion are not mutually exclusive. so be careful not to bully yourself. take pride in the progress you make, even when it seems small. encourage yourself like you would a friend who's going through a hard time. and when you challenge yourself, be your own cheerleader.

i hope you find this advice helpful! remember, this is just what helps me, so don't feel like you have to follow any of it exactly. maybe taking time to learn new information helps break you out of your rut more than working slowly, so you reach for that tool first. maybe having multiple projects going at once is too distracting for you, so you prefer to stick to one at a time. whatever your needs are, feel free to alter and adapt these ideas to fit you.

thank you for reading, and i wish you the best of luck in your creating.

with care, bee 🐦

#adhd #advice #asks #from #sourpatchsquids

[celiciaa]

GILBERT VON OBSIDIAN EVENT STORY....

CHAPTER TWO.

I just love you.

translations are not 100% accurate. expect mistakes.

special thanks to @otomehoneyybearr for proofreading! ♡

minors and ageless blogs dni.

Emma: Why are there roses here?

Gilbert: Oh, you realized it was a rose even though it wasn't in bloom?

Gilbert, noticing my gaze, sets aside his quill and rises from his chair.

I mimicked his dark figure as he bent down in front of the roses, and leaned in beside him.

Emma: Do you also do some research on roses?

(There’s a tag on it….)

Gilbert: It’s not exactly research, but more like I play around with things as a hobby.

Gilbert: Roses are difficult to grow in Obsidianite soil. 

Gilbert: This is a cold region where not even roses or flowers bloom, except for the area near the Rhodolite border.

Emma: But...this rose is still budding, isn't it?

(And it’s not just one….there are several.)

Gilbert: Yes, I’ve finally succeeded. But the next challenge is whether we can breed this variety.

Gilbert's profile shone with life as he spoke.

Emma: Do you like roses, Gilbert?

Gilbert: Of course I like them. Enough to experiment and try various things like this.

(I thought so….)

Gilbert: Hehe...My dream is to conquer and rule a country where roses are in full bloom, and hold it in my hands.

Emma: !?

He had uttered something so absurd with such a refreshing smile, and I felt a strange noise threatening to escape me.

Gilbert: It's fun just thinking about all the different ways to subjugate Chevalier.

Gilbert: I'm willing to use force, but I don't want to ruin the roses if possible.

Gilbert: How about cornering them both economically and diplomatically to the point where they want to hand over their country to us? // How about we strike them down economically and diplomatically to the point where they are willing to give up their country?

Emma: N-no! Absolutely not!

Gilbert: Ahaha, do you think a simple no would stop me?

Gilbert: You once successfully prevented my scheme, but you’ll have to continue preventing it for a second and third time.

Gilbert: The fate of Rhodolite lies/rested on the memories you lost.

(There’s no way a simple bookstore employee could bear such a weight, right?!)

Gilbert: Maybe you would be happier if you just forgot about it forever, right…?

Emma: …After hearing what you just said, there's no way I'd think it's okay to just forget about it.

(I have to remember, no matter what.)

Gilbert: You're quite earnest.

Gilbert chuckled and prodded the rosebud with his finger.

Gilbert: Well, my plan to conquer Rhodolite is a future matter, so I'll hold back for now….

Gilbert: I'm thinking of building a rose garden in the castle.

Emma: A rose garden?

Gilbert: Yes. A rose garden even grander than Rhodolite’s.

Emma: To love roses so much…

Gilbert: That would be you.

Emma: Me…?

Gilbert: You love roses more than I do, don't you?

Gilbert: I thought you'd be happy.

(What's with that expression…?)

It was a beautiful smile tainted with a hint of sadness, and a painful feeling gripped my heart.

I felt an indescribable sense of guilt well up inside me.

(….These roses are meant for me.)

(However, the “me” Gilbert loved is not here.)

(Even if the Rose Garden is completed, there is no guarantee that my memory will return.)

(I may not be able to accept this man's affection as I once did.)

(That’s just how it is, and there's nothing I can do about it….)

Gilbert: Emma.

As if being pulled back by the name called out in a tender tone, the sensation of my eyes blurring faded away.

Gilbert had already retracted the melancholy atmosphere from earlier, and instead was gently tapping his fingers on his  hair.

(Is there something in my hair…?)

When I reached out my hand to touch my hair, I felt something with a distinctly different texture.

Emma: Wait, when did this happen?

Gilbert: While you were in a daze.

Gilbert: Actually, a few buds had already bloomed.

Gilbert: However, I have to cut the flowers in order to grow the roses, so I trimmed them this morning.

Gilbert: These are for you.

Emma: …Thank you very much.

(It has a nice fragrance…)

I lean towards the flowers as the scent of my hometown wafts in the air.

It’s a scent that had been with me since birth, a fragrance that would never exist in Obsidian—-

Gilbert: Feeling nostalgic?

Emma: …Did it show on my face? 

Gilbert: You're so easy to read.

Emma: …I’m sorry.

Gilbert: Why are you apologizing?

Emma: I probably used to blend into the everyday life of Obsidian before losing my memory.

(…I can only remember my life in Rhodolite…)

(I remembered my days in the Land of Roses more than my love for Gilbert.)

(How can I miss my hometown in front of someone who loves me so much?) 

(I’m the worst.)

As I try to distance myself from the roses, Gilbert grabs my hand.

Gilbert: Shall I grant you permission? 

Emma: Permission for what?

Gilbert: To return back to your hometown.

Emma: …!

Gilbert: With conditions, of course.

Gilbert’s cold hand moves from my arm and reaches my neck.

Just a light pressure with his thumb was enough to choke me.

Gilbert: If you don't come back, I'll come and get you.

Gilbert: With a large army in tow...okay?

Emma: ….I guess I’d better not go then.

Gilbert: Ahaha. Why? Were you not planning to come back?

Emma: It’s not that, I’m just scared of the possibility of something happening, like this memory loss incident.

Gilbert: There’s no chance of something like that happening

Gilbert: ——You experiencing an accident? It will never happen.

(….)

The momentary glimpse of a murderous intent was indeed real.

I couldn’t tell if it was directed at me or at someone else,

But the moment I saw him, I felt a cold shiver running down my spine.

Gilbert: Aah, sorry. It slipped out. 

Gilbert: Force of habit….

(…I wonder what kind of life leads to developing a habit of emitting murderous intent.) 

Gilbert: Well, think about it. It shouldn’t be a bad thing for you.

━━

In the blink of an eye, it became night.

(….I can't stop thinking about what he talked about earlier today.)

I sprawl on the bed in the room designated as mine, gazing at the ceiling without purpose.

Our discussion of returning home endlessly swirled around in my head, and I couldn't make a firm decision.

(I want to go back to Rhodolite….)

(But there’s also a part of me that wants to stay by Gilbert’s side.)

(He loves me so much, enough to smile with such a poignant expression….)

(I’m sure it would be lonely without him.)

"I mustn't make Gilbert lonely," I thought without knowing why.

This emotion seemed to be interfering with my judgment.

(…But if I go to Rhodolite, I may find clues to my memory.)

(If I can find a clue as to why Gilbert has fallen in love with me, then maybe...)

(….)

I got out of bed and put on my shoes.

I took one final look at the rose on the side table and left.

━━

—-At the same time, Gilbert stood by the window sill, and a man with a hood covering his face silently approached.

Gilbert: I take it you found the coachman? Good job.

Gilbert: So, was it white or black?

Roderich: White.

Gilbert: I see. Had the accident been intentional, they would have killed all the involved parties when it happened.

Gilbert: Crimes can’t be committed without leaving any traces, you know?

Roderich: What about the imprisoned coachman?

Gilbert: I want to kill him. 

Roderich: Lord Gilbert.

Gilbert: ...Strip him of his coachman qualifications.

Gilbert: Instead of taking his life, never let him handle horses again.

Roderich: I will make the arrangements right away.

Gilbert: Ugh…if it had been intentional, I could have killed his whole family.

Roderich: …Even if it wasn’t intentional, I thought you would use them to set an example for others.

Gilbert: No, I won’t do that. The little rabbit won't like it.

Roderich: ….

Breaking the silence, small footsteps approach from beyond the door—

 ▸       [  previous / sweet / premium ]

#ikemen prince #ikepri #ikemen prince spoilers #ikepri jp #ikepri translations #ikemen series #cybird #gilbert von obsidian #ikepri gilbert

[wolffoxnation2]

The Cupid scene but make it unrequited? Valgrace

Meant to finish this yesterday but couldn't get it done in time so heres it now. I'm not completly happy with it but im just glad its done.

-------

"You cannot lie to Cupid, Leo Valdez. If you let your shame and sadness rule you...well, your fate will be even sadder than mine," Favonius said, and Leo could have sworn there was pity in his eyes before the god disappeared in the wind.

Leo felt like he was back in Khione's ice palace. There was no way this wind god he just met knew his deepest, darkest, never-to-be-said-out-loud feelings. Right?.

Right?.

No, he must be talking about something else, and Leo is just being stupid and paranoid. He has to be.

Fortunately, or, more unfortunately, Leo didn't have the time to dwell on the ominous words of wind gods.

Because the ground was shaking. Why was the ground shaking?

So. A voice said.

Something zipped past his face and nicked his ear, throwing him off his feet and into Jason. Pain blossomed in his right ear, and he was pretty sure he was bleeding.

"You okay?" Jason asked, catching him in his strong arms.

Leo winced, holding a hand to his injured ear as he scrambled to his feet, trying not to think about the fact he just fell in Jason's arms. "Yeah, I'm good," he muttered.

You come to claim the sceptre. The voice said behind them, more like stating rather than asking.

Leo turned to where the voice was coming from, but no one was there.

"Cupid!" Jason called, standing at Leo's back with his sword drawn, "Where are you?".

The voice—Cupid laughed. It definitely did not sound like it belonged to a sweet baby angel's. It sounded rich and velvety but also threatening— like an ember in a fire before burning a house to the ground.

Where you least expect me. Cupid answered, As love usually is.

Leo's heart skipped a beat as something invisible slammed into Jason and hurled him across the street. He toppled down a set of concrete steps and sprawled on the floor of an excavated Roman basement.

I thought you'd know better, Jason. Cupid's voice circled overhead like a vulture. You've found true love after all. Or do you still doubt yourself?

"Jason!" Leo screamed, scrambling down the steps.

Jason took his hand and got to his feet. "I'm okay! Just sucker punched by an angel."

Oh, Did you expect me to play fair? Cupid laughed. Make no mistake; I am no angel, Jason Grace. I am Love. I am never fair. 

Oh boy, do I know that. Leo thought dryly before Jason swept him off his feet.

Literally not...not metaphorically.

Leo was swept into Jason's chest as Jason intercepted an arrow that would have gone straight into Leo's chest with his sword. The arrow exploded against the nearest wall, giving them a nice limestone shower.

Of course, Jason wasn't done giving Leo butterflies in his stomach and grabbed his hand, pulling him up the steps and behind another wall as another arrow rained down on them, shattering a column nearby into a thousand pieces.

"Is this guy Love or Death?" Jason growled, still holding Leo's hand.

Thanatos and I are often not so different. Cupid said from somewhere above, except Death is usually kinder.

Leo understood that more than he should: Death is just...well, death. The End. Just boom, you're dead! No more pain. No more problems. And if you're lucky, you get to chill in Elysium for eternity. 

While Love is...terrifying: It hurts, sometimes it doesn't last long, and some just don't get it (cough cough).

"We just want the sceptre!" Jason shouted, poking his head above the stone wall. "We're trying to stop Gaia! Are you on the gods' side or not?"

A second arrow shot at the air dangerously close to Jason's head, landing on the ground near Leo's feet and glowing white-hot. 

The arrow's temperature shot past 2,397 F (Hephaestus power.) before combusting into a geyser of flame. 

Love is on every side. Cupid said. "And no one's side. Don't ask what Love can do for you.

"Great," Jason said. "Now he's spouting greeting cards as well as trying to kill us."

"It's official. Queen was right; Too much Love kills you," Leo joked. If Love is gonna kill him in the end, then at least he wants to make Jason laugh before they both die.

Leo caught a ghost of a smile on Jason's lips before another arrow landed between them, ruining the moment.

You can't hide from Love. It will always find you no matter what. Cupid's voice said nearby.

Leo's hair sparked; the idea of burning the feathers off that smug, overgrown chicken's wings was getting more and more enticing. He knew Cupid was toying with them, enjoying their discomfort as he shot his stupid arrows.

Another arrow narrowly missed him, and something inside of him snapped.

He snatched the arrow up and threw it back where it came from. "Enough games, show yourself!"

Lucky for him, he had good aim. The arrow hit something and hung in the air for a moment before dissolving, leaving no trace: not even a spot of ichor that could help pinpoint his location.

"...Very good, Leo," Cupid said, though it was strained. There wasn't a wound, but it must have hurt. "At least you can sense my presence. Even getting a glance at true love is more than most Heroes manage. Maybe there's hope for you after all".

"So we get the sceptre?" Jason asked.

Cupid laughed. Leo was seriously getting sick of that laugh.

Oh no, there is still much you can do for me.

Jason started to speak, "But—"

An arrow shot through the air, zipping past Jason and hitting Leo square in the shoulder.

"Leo!"

There was a burst of pain in Leo's right shoulder, and suddenly, he was back at the Wilderness School again.

He had just met this cool guy, Jason. He was also a foster kid like him. Jason seemed too good for a school like this. He wouldn't tell him and Piper what he was here for, just that his case worker, Juna— Juno or something — sent him here.

Piper told him later on that she thought Jason was kinda hot.

Leo thought so too but he didn't tell her that. 

Another arrow hit him in the back this time. 

He wasn't sure when Piper and Jason started dating; it had only felt like a day had passed since they met.

He pretended it didn't hurt.

He didn't dare ruin their happiness.

So he just smiled and bared it every time they flirted with each other and told jokes every time they kissed.

"Stop it!" Leo shrieked, "None of it was real! Hera faked everything!"

Not everything, Cupid said softly, and a third arrow dug into his skin.

This time he was on their first quest in Boreas's ice palace.

Khione told them he couldn't come with them to see Boreas because of his fire.

He played it off that he wasn't hurt about it, even though it did. It wasn't the first or last time someone was scared of him.

Jason tried to defend him at first with his hand on Leo's shoulder, which only made him love him more.

And it sting more when Jason walked away holding hands with Piper, leaving him alone with Cal.

It was fine. None of it was real, not even his feelings were, and even if they were, it's not like he could act on them. He was just the funny guy, the mechanic, the seventh wheel. He wasn't supposed to fall for his male best friend, who was already dating his other best friend. He wasn't supposed to want something more than friendship with Jason.

He bit back the tears that were already threatening to fall. The grass at his feet was starting to smoke. "Show yourself!" He screamed.

It is a costly thing, Cupid said, looking on the true face of Love.

Another column shattered. Jason barely scrambled out of its way in time.

My wife Psyche learned that lesson, Cupid said, She was brought here aeons ago when this was the site of my palace. We only met in the dark. She was warned to never look upon me, and yet she could not stand the mystery. She feared I was a monster. One night, she lit a candle and beheld my face as I slept.

Jason said something, but Leo couldn't hear him over the sound of his own heart pounding in his chest. He could still somehow hear Cupid though. Of course, Love was the only thing he could hear other than his heart.

Cupid laughed from somewhere at the edge of the Amphitheater. I was too handsome, actually. A mortal can't look upon a god's true appearance without suffering grave consequences; just look at poor Semele. My mother, Aphrodite, cursed Psyche for her distrust. My poor lover was tormented, forced into exile and given impossible tasks to prove herself. She was even sent to the underworld on a quest to show her dedication. She earned her way back to me, but she suffered greatly.

Leo had no clue what he was talking about, but it sounded like he was a terrible husband.

Jason thrust his sword into the sky like he was a demigod He-man and was about to yell, 'By the power of Jupiter!' and beat up Cupid.

Unfortunately, he did not do that. 

Instead, the ground shook, and lightning blasted a crater where Cupid's voice was coming from.

There was silence, and for a moment Leo thought it was over and that they could get the sceptre and leave. And hopefully, never speak of this day again.

Leo should have known they were never that lucky.

An invisible force—Cupid, knocked Jason to the ground, sending his sword skittering across the road.

A good try, Cupid said, his voice already distant. But love isn't so easily pinned down.

A wall collapsed, Jason barely managed to roll out of the way.

That was enough for Leo.

"Hey!" Leo yelled, waving his arms around. "It's me you want! Not him!. Leave him alone!"

Poor Leo Valdez. The god's voice was patronizing and tinged with disappointment. Do you really know what You want, much less what I want? My beloved Psyche risked everything in the name of Love to win my trust back. And you — what have You risked in my name?

"I'm literally saving the world!" He yelled, clenching his fists, "I've faced way worse! You don't scare me!"

I scare you very, very much. Face me. Be honest.

Jason struggled to get up off the ground, and a piece of Leo's heart broke. This was all his fault. He knew exactly what Cupid wanted. But he didn't want to admit it just yet.

All around Leo, the ground started to heat up. Grass smoked, and stones steamed.

"Give us Diocletian's sceptre." He said, trying to put his best brave face on. "We don't have time for games."

Games? Leo's breath was knocked away as a hand slapped him sideways into a granite pedestal. Love is no game! It is no flowery softness! It is hard work — a quest that never ends. It demands everything you have — especially honesty. Only then does it rewards.

Pain blosomed from Leo's...everywhere. His head spun from the pain, and the ground started to heat up more. Stones were starting to crack, and the grass was starting to spark. All it would take was one more push, and everything would burn.

Jason was up now and had retrieved his sword, "Leo!" he called, "What does this guy want from you?".

Leo's lip trembled. Everything was going so wrong. He didn't want to admit it. He didn't want to tell Jason. "I don't know!" He yelled back, and an arrow embedded itself in the pedestal, inches away from Leo's face.

Tell him, Leo Valdez, Cupid ordered. His voice was starting to get less patient now. Tell him you're a coward, that you're afraid of yourself and your feelings. Tell him why you hide among your machines like your father. Tell him the real reason you run and why you're always alone.

Leo gritted his teeth, his entire body trembling with pain and frustration. Cupid's words cut through him like a knife, exposing the raw truth that he had been desperately trying to bury.

The grass started to burn and the stone's cracks got bigger.

"I... I can't," Leo stammered, his voice barely above a whisper. "I can't tell him."

Cupid's laughter echoed around them, mocking and cruel. "You see, Jason Grace? Your friend is afraid. Afraid of his own feelings, afraid of the truth. He hides behind his jokes and his bravado, but deep down, he knows."

Leo let loose a guttural scream, and like a volcano erupting; everything exploded at once.

Magma burst from the rocks, splitting them wide open. The grass combusted into green flames — Greek fire —he really is going to burn everything down.

"H—haaa"

Leo laughed through the tears. It was really all he could do and all he really ever did. It was funny really; he'd worked so hard to shove everything down, yet it was all destroyed in a fiery explosion in less than an hour.

A nearby tree collapsed dangerously close to Jason as the fire consumed it. "Leo! What is he talking about?" He almost couldn't hear his voice over the fire.

Will you hide forever, Leo Valdez? Cupid taunted, who unfortunately can still be heard because not even fire can shut him up. Will you let fear rule your heart, or will you finally have the courage to face the truth?

He didn't want to face the truth. He was too scared of what would happen. What might Jason say. How he'd react.

He just wanted to keep things the same.

Even if it kills him.?

Leo sobbed, and the flames burned brighter. If this was love then he didn't want it. Or maybe if love was this painful then he deserved it. Another arrow pierced his back—or maybe that was the feeling of his heart breaking more—and more images flashed through his mind.

He was back on that mountain in Colorado. Jason had his arms around Piper, his face scrunched up in concern. Leo pretended it didn't bother him. It was cold, and Piper ended up getting hyperthermia. He had tried to ignore the aching in his chest. He didn't want to think about how much he wanted to be in her place.

After their quest, they left him alone while he worked on the Argo II. He named it after the ship the first Jason sailed on.

It was all for Jason.

He was back on the Argo right after he had fired on New Rome—Jason's home. Everyone was angry with him, and Jason was in the infirmary; some asshole threw a brick at his head. 

He didn't go down to him. He couldn't face Jason.

It was all his fault.

Jason got hurt because of him.

And he didn't even have the guts to face him.

There were more scenes like this flooding his senses. At some point, his brain switched off, and he was just drowning in agony. He couldn't move or speak.

He was weak.

Meanwhile, the flames grew to an inferno of green and reds, drowning out everything. Leo's hair was a white flame. An outline of wings caught fire for a moment before being put out again.

"Interesting!" Cupid's voice said from somewhere above. Do you have strength after all?

"I...I can't," Leo said, though it sounded more like a whimper. He was on his knees now. 

Heh, too weak to admit your feelings and too weak to stand, his mind mocked in Cupid's voice.

Still hiding, Cupid said above, a flame burned an outline of a wing tip before going out again. You do not have the strength.

Leo sobbed. He really was weak. He was going to burn everything down just because he didn't want to admit his feelings.

"Leo" Jason yelled from somewhere. "It's okay! I get it!"

Leo stared at the burning grass below him. It was too hot for tears to fall. Only steam came from his eyes. 

"No, you don't," He said defeatedly. Jason didn't understand. He couldn't understand. If he understood, then he wouldn't be so nice to Leo. "There's no way you understand. If you did you'd hate me".

And so you run away again, Cupid chided, From yourself, from your feelings, and from your friends.

The fire had engulfed Cupid's wings now. But the god laughed cruelly and blew it away.

"Leave him alone Cupid," Jason croaked somewhere. "This isn't your..."

Oh gods, he was hurting Jason again. The smoke is choking him.

Cupid's laugh echoed from above the flames. But oh, it is exactly my business, Jason Grace. Love is me. I am love.

"Leo!" Jason choked out through the smoke.

Oh, you're killing him, you're killing him. Leo's brain screamed. You're a monster, you're such a fucking monster, and you're weak.

"Look, I don't care if you're in love with Piper!" 

He doesn't understand. He doesn't. He doesn't. Leo's brain screamed over and over again.

Cupid laughed again, and Leo's will broke.

"I—I'm not in love with Piper," Leo said, and everything seemed to go silent.

The fire subsided and all of Leo's fight and denial went out at once.

Cupid circled Leo like a shark. His form was visible now—long blond hair, muscular in a simple white frock and jeans, snowy white wings that were singed at the tips. The bow and quiver slung over his shoulder were weapons of war—not toys. His eyes were as red as blood, as if every heart in the world was broken and squeezed dry into one poisonous mixture.

Leo vaguely recalled that some think that Eros was a son of Ares and Aphrodite. And he could see why:

Love and War were the most painful things in the world.

He gestured for Leo to continue.

"I have a crush on you, Jason." Leo said.

The fire died down so Leo could see Jason's face.

And he swore he saw pity in his eyes.

The End

#heros of olympus #pjo headcanons #pjo #leo valdez #percy jackson heroes of olympus #pjo jason grace #jason grace #valgrace #Pjo cupid #Writing #Wolffox's writing #percy jackson #pjo leo valdez #piper mclean #only mentioned tho #pjo fanfic

[jaidens]

Young Maverick Mitchell x reader fic where it starts out super angsty and it ends really sweet between mav and the reader

then i think about summer, all the beautiful times watched you laughin' from the passenger side

pairing [s] : pete ‘ maverick ’ mitchell x feminine!reader

warning [s] : mentions of : goose, fighting, arguments. | it all gets better, swear.

a/n [s] : requests are open.

The night felt fresh on your mind, even months later. Pete storming into your small house, the sound of slamming doors and boots slapping the floor. You're in the small kitchen making dinner for you and your boyfriend. The radio playing the top hits of 1986, The Bangles filling the small house with a ‘Manic Monday’. Pete was still your Pete, but he was different. Ever since that fateful day of Nick Bradshaw’s death, he was different.

Sleeping in, coming home late. The smell of booze and cigarettes that ejected from him whenever he would get home before a shower. You had mentioned it, but the man would shrug it off as nothing. You decidedly chose not to press in hopes things would go back to the way they were. Pete’s eyes had bags of darkness underneath and his eyes were a blood-shot red that night.

“Pete,” You said. “I’m making your favorite. Alfredo with extra sauce.” Pete doesn't find your eyes at all, staring down at the ground as he opens the refrigerator and takes a bottle of beer from it. You take the pot over to the table and set it down on a towel. You scoop some onto his plate and there isn't a thankful word in any way from him.

“Pete, honey. We have to talk about this. This isn't healthy. The drinking is getting out of hand. I won't stand back and watch someone I love practically kill themselves.” As you press, Pete gets visibly more tight into himself. His shoulders are practically touching his ears as he clenches his fists into balls of rage. You're staring at him, waiting and anticipating a response from him. All you hear is silence, contradictory to how he usually was. “You need to stop. This isn't okay.”

“You don't control me. I'm a grown adult, and I can do whatever I please. Go and leave me the fuck alone!” Pete is enraged as he storms up and out of the house, and all you hear is the sound of his bike revving away and speeding down the road.

Pete left you sitting at the dinner table, eating your food you made it silence as his was losing its warmth into the air. You can't bear to stare at the picture on the wall of you and him. It was a simple photo that Goose had taken, but the memories and the emotional ties that held it to your soul entwined with laces of sadness.

You hadn't seen him for five months, seventeen days, and twenty-two hours. You're sitting in The Hard Deck with some of your close friends from college. You catch a glimpse of him. The short, dark-headed man in his flight suit grabbed two beers and walked away. “Isn’t that Pete? Oh hell no.” Your friend Katelyn says, grabbing her purse and wrapping the small jacket she brought into a ball.

The drink in your hand suddenly felt heavy as you set it down against the table. As soon as your eyes click together, you want to disappear and shrink away. He hurt you; but those soft green eyes drag you dangerously into the hole further in. The bubbly feeling in you starts to boil and you take back the drink you have and gain that liquid courage. Who said you would need it?

Here comes Pete Mitchell, walking over to you while holding that eye contact with you. He comes into your vision and he looks better, healthier and happier. His eyes are the color you fell in love with, and he looks much more normal that what he had originally looked like. “Pete.” Your voice wavers as you say that name.

The name burns your tongue. Your friends are still standing near you, one of them being encaptured with a random guy who complimented her. “Can we.. talk?” Pete asks you, gulping when Katelyn stares him down. With the extra feet she had on him, it wasn't hard for him to not be scared.

“Sure, we can talk. Do you wanna, go outside? Like old times.” You follow him out to the door, the sounds of the bar immediately quietening as the door shuts behind you two. Pete stops on his tracks, turns, and you're looking at him. The silence is uncomfortably long before either one of you speaks.

“Are you stationed here again?” You ask quietly as you sit down on one of the many benches. Pete nods and sits down next to you, twirling a pen around his fingers. “I’m stationed for the next couple of months. Made another admiral mad again.”

You and him hold a small and relaxed conversation. Somehow pushing through the uncomfortableness after months of estrangement. The quietness of the night looks over both of you. His knee touches yours, and you can't tell if it's purposely or not. However it enlightens those fireworks once again.

Your hand opens and sits against your leg, giving an opening to him. His hand almost unconsciously slides into yours and holds it softly. You turn your head and Pete is staring at you. The magnetic pull in-between you and him pulls you closer to him, head slightly turning.

His lips touch yours softly, baring sliding over them. His hand goes behind your neck and pulls you close in, as your lips play closely together. “Pete... I missed you.” You tell him as you stare into his eyes once more underneath the gorgeous moonlit night.

“Me too. I'm never leaving you again.” Pete tells you. Hugging you tightly into his arms. Whatever roads you took that led you back to him, you thank your lucky stars.

#pete mitchell x y/n #pete mitchell x reader #pete maverick mitchell #pete mitchell #pete maverick mitchell angst #maverick x you #maverick x reader #top gun maverick #top gun x reader #top gun fanfiction #top gun 1986 #pete mitchell x fem!reader #pete mitchell x you #pete mitchell angst #top gun angst

[riddlerosehearts]

another thing i think about a lot when it comes to vil and idia is... i feel like vil is someone who had to grow up quickly, just generally from being under so much scrutiny as a child actor but also because of how he overheard adults talking about him and saying that he was too "otherworldly" and "special" to play a hero or a relatable teenager back when he was twelve. ever since he was a kid he's had so much drive and ambition and worked so hard throwing himself into his training and beauty regiments to try and achieve his dreams, and he also carries himself with such a mature and dignified air compared to most of the other characters that kalim laughs when vil refers to himself and the rest of the VDC crew as "boys our age", even though he's no more than 2 years older than any of them. he was probably the kind of kid who started thinking he needed to be mature and not waste time on silly things, and rejecting things he thought were too "childish" for him, from a pretty young age.

and then idia, on the other hand, also had to grow up quickly in a sense. but for him it was more that he became jaded and gave up on himself at an incredibly young age, because he knew that his future as the heir of STYX was set in stone before he was even born and that he had no choice in what to do with his life even though everyone always said he was a genius and a prodigy, and the one time he tried to briefly break free from his fate, it resulted in the death of the person he loved most. which he coped with by creating a robot version of ortho who would never grow up or get hurt, and by staying closed off and isolated while throwing himself into his hobbies and interests--and his interests mostly consist of things that are commonly seen as childish and immature, but he fully embraces them and doesn't care if others don't get it. he also hates his responsibilities and tries to avoid them as much as possible, and feels like there's no point in doing anything to try and improve his future.

so, like, i think idia and vil would be good for each other because they could bond over their pasts and the expectations that were placed on them. and as we've already kind of seen during book 6, vil is someone who can encourage idia to take better care of himself and not be so afraid of trying. but then i bet idia could also get vil to relax, to slow down for a bit and let himself act more like a typical teenager.

anyway, this post really got away from me because originally i really just wanted to point out that yana toboso once made a tweet saying that the basketball club members (jamil, ace, and floyd) are some of the oldest students in their years since they all have autumn birthdays and the school year starts in september. unless i'm even worse at math than i thought this implies that vil, being born in april, is several months younger than idia, who's the same age as him but was born in december. i find this both hilarious and a little sad depending on how you look at it.

#does any of this make sense or is it worded terribly?? idk but i'm posting it anyway #twisted wonderland #vil schoenheit #idia shroud #putting ship tags on this because they are my rarepair OTP <3 #but you can also take all of this platonically idc. i just think they're neat. #vildia #vil x idia #idia x vil #vilidia #idiavil #twst

[captainsspnanon]

Mighty Nein Echos of the Solstice reaction

First of all, the new art just confirms for me that the Nein are 100% the hottest of all three campaigns. holy FUCK. Also lol at 90% of them having long hair now.

I actually called Luc being Sam's PC before it was revealed! Not...not MUCH more, but when Veth didn't immediately have new artwork and she said "I have a TEENAGER", that's when I figured it'd be Luc. Look at me predicting things slightly sooner than they occur!

Did NOT call the guest PC though! Was this the fastest death? Or does Spurt still beat him out? Really did go through the full run of 9, nat 20, nat 1. What more could you ask for?

I really don't think I feel strongly one way or the other about Veth not being there and Luc being there instead. We got a lot of funny bits because of it, and it's not like Veth has fully abandoned adventuring, considering she said that next time she would. It truly seems like it was just the responsibility of the kids, which very fair. What I would love to know is Sam's thought process as to why he wanted to do it. Very intrigued.

Taliesin definitely took a few minutes to get back to Caduceus's voice, but *squeal* love him so much! Interesting that he told Yasha to 'go fuck him up', because I'm genuinely not sure if that was a bit of Ashton bleed, or if this actually broke Caduceus's desire to not swear. Could be either! XD

Yasha doing so much damage!!! Is it just because her strength score is finally good? Well, holy weapon added a bunch, maybe it's just level 20 bulk? But 110 on a NON crit??? DAAANG.

As someone who does enjoy periodic Caleb whump fanfic, this was delicious, especially his interactions with Beau. I do like that Trent ended up getting 'fate worse than death' scenario.

Combat was fun as heck even though there were things that got set up that didn't get used (crown of stars, etc), and I'm a TAD sad that Caleb ended up shapechanging as I always love some good high level spells flung around, but it was still an utter blast regardless.

SURPRISE MARRIAGE PROPOSAL!! Are they poking for another one shot?

The audience wearing Sam face masks at the beginning was the PERFECT troll move, SO MUCH.

#cr spoilers #critical role #the mighty nein #echos of the solstice

[florencetypemaniacs]

MC, after being awaken by another person, go straight to the ROs and reaffirm their love despite Fate💞

Your eyes opened, relief washing over you in waves as finally you are free from the sleeping curse, but it isn't your love who has awoken true love but a stranger. You sit up straight in a hurry, coming face-to-face with your real, true love.

💛 Marcel

Watch as Marcel's face changes to the biggest smile that you have ever seen, picking you up and spinning you around. 

"You're awake!" Marcel hugged you tighter, his excitement coating you in warmth. 

"Ugh...excuse me?" The other man said this, looking between you two. "I think I'm their true love." 

You see realization cross his face as the truth of the matter finally sets in like a storm over the relief of you being okay. 

Marcel took a step back from you, an understanding smile on his face, although you saw the heart break in his eyes and couldn't stand it. 

"No. My true love is right here." You said that, closing the gap between you and Marcel. 

"Are you sure?" Marcel whispered, not hesitating to wrap you in his arms. "I'll understand-" 

You kissed Marcel, sealing your love with a kiss. 

🧡 Margaret

Heartbreak was clear on Margaret's face, tears streaming down her cheeks. 

How could she have been so stupid? 

She doesn't even look back as she runs out of the room. You follow her hot on her trail, shoving the other woman out of the way. 

"Margaret! Wait!" 

You caught up to her, catching her by the sleeve. 

"Just let me go, MC." Margaret said it meekly, pulling her arm away from you as if she were on fire. 

"Why? Because of what some stupid cruse says? I don't care about them, Margaret! I love you!" 

"...MC..." 

"No! Margaret, I love you!" You said, yelling, your heart racing as you tried to get your point across, gently turning Margaret's face towards your own, tears still streaming. 

"I love you too." Margaret whispered. "But true love" 

You kissed her nose. "You're my true love, and I'll fight for you as long as you have me." You wrapped your arms around Margaret, who hugged you tighter. "Don't leave me." She whispered. 

"I wouldn't dare." 

❤️ Owen

You saw Owen grab the other guy from stepping towards you.

"Don't touch them," the redhead said, his eyes cold. 

The other man scoffed. "Why? They are my true love." 

At that, Owen's eyes softened with sadness as he looked towards you, who walked over to him, tugging on his arm. 

"He isn't worth it, Owen. You have me anyway; you always have." 

Owen pulled you close to him, his face buried in your hair. "Do you want this....do you want me, Lass/Duck/Lad?" 

"Always." You whispered back, ignoring the outraged cry of the other man as Owen kissed you. 

💙 Rosemary

Rosemary looks up at you and then at the other woman, running her eyes down both of you through the tears as if trying to get a read on you. 

But only you had eyes for Rosemaey as you walked towards her, ignoring the rant of the other woman. 

"Rosemary...." 

You stepped closer, kissing her hands. "Really? I think it's quite clear that I want to be with you." 

Rosemary smiled a little, tears streaming down her face as she tried not to let the heartbreak show. "It seems we have a predicament, dollface/angelface/ handsome." She whispered, For the first time, you see, she does not look so sure of herself. 

Rosemary frowned a little, trying not to let her hope to show. "But the curse..." 

"it is a stupid curse! You are my true love, Rosemary, no matter what, this stupid mag-" 

Rosemary cuts you off with a kiss on the lips, then leans back a little, only to try and wipe her ruined makeup away. "I must look like a mess." 

"My mess." You said that, bringing her in for another kiss. 

🩵 Tai

Tai was completely unreadable. No emotions. No sadness. No happiness. Not anything. He was just as stoic as ever, like every wall that you have been trying to break down with love has gone back up, but this time Tai was just holding it together. 

The other man said, "It is lovely to meet such a gorgeous..." 

You only move your head towards the man to tell him to piss off, but when you went to look towards Tai, he was walking out the door, his lips pressed in such a thin line. 

"Tai! Wait!" You ran towards him, only catching up to him a moment later, when you two were already out of the room, catching him by the sleeve. 

"Let me go, MC." Tai said, his voice monotone, like the first day he met you. 

"Never! I could never let you go, Tai." 

Tai tensed as he turned around towards you, his resolve only breaking for a moment to really see the hurt in his eyes until the walls were built up again. "The fact is that you and I aren't meant to be." 

You cut in with the same knowing, mocking tone that he usually wears and that you have come to love. "The fact is that I know my heart. I know my heart wants you, Tai. Not anyone else but you." 

Tai shakes his head, pulling back a little. "You can’t know that." 

"You know me, Tai. Would I ever lie to you about this?" 

Tai studied your face, his walls breaking down one by one as you saw the tears steam down his face and a shaky hand held yours. "I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I kept you away from your one true love." 

You smiled, putting your arms around him. "Then get out of your own way Tai because your my only true love and that's a fact." 

💚 Zane

First, you would feel the room run cold, being able to see your breath as the other man looked confused. 

But you weren't. You felt the anger in the air as the room suddenly got darker as you saw Zane, shadows moving around him like wind and eyed pure black. 

"Stay. Away. From. Them." The voice that came out of Zane was demonic. Pure fury. The shadows picked the other man up who screamed in terror. 

With pure adrenaline, you ran up to Zane and kissed him, his pure black eyes going wide in surprise until he deepened the kiss. 

You frowned a little when you felt water on your face and pulled back to see your Zane, gray eyed back to normal and shadows back to their original form. 

Zane let out a shaky breath. "You lied to me...you said that you loved me." He spoke in a whisper that made your heart jump as you put your forehead on his. "U love you. I love you. I love you." 

You kept repeating as Zane held you closer, burying his face into your shoulder, falling for your "trap" again. Although it took a few minutes for him to relax, eventually he did after he was sure you were his forever and always. 

#my inner sins #interactive fiction #twine interactive fiction #ask #answered ask #MIS-Ask #MIS-Answered Ask #marcel #tai #rosemary #owen #zane #Margaret #MIS-RO:Zane #MIS-RO:Tai #MIS-RO:Rosemary #MIS-RO:Owen #MIS-RO:Margaret #MIS-RO:Marcel

[gffa]

I'm very curious, and sorry if you've answered this before but, how do you think an AU where Ani does not fall could happen?

The solutions I've seen in fic are mostly three: Palps dies (disappointingly rarely via Zillo beast); Obikin get together and clear up their disagreements/Ani comes clean about the Tattoine massacre and together they figure out Palps is the sith lord and prepare the order to face him/prevent order 66; or something happens that makes Ani realize his mistakes and ask for help (something that's somehow more of a wake-up call than Padmè begging him to stop and Obi Wan trying to talk sense into him). Shmi not dying is often part of all 3 options but I've never seen it alone changing Ani's fate and I don't think it would either.

I love the prequels, but Ani falling makes me sad because he starts as such a kind boy (though he struggles with attachment and later fear) but as a young adult he already has these massive flaws that seem insurmountable and he seems doomed to fall no matter what happens. So I think a lot about how could Ani not have fallen, in a close-to-canon AU? Palps dying, of course, but that doesn't feel like an emotionally satisfying story to me. Obikin getting together isn't (though I love them!) the story Lucas wanted to tell (disregarding that Ani not falling wasn't the story he wanted to tell either). And the third option I just don't buy.

What do you think? Is Ani doomed by the narrative, and no small change could have saved him, and a big deus ex-machina event is needed so Palps dies/Obikin get together/Ani comes to his senses?

Sorry if this is a bit rambly!

Hi! I've given this thought before and I generally come down to--once we set aside that Anakin had to fall, because that's the story being told--that I'm with George Lucas on this, that Anakin's fall is down to his unwillingness to accept that life is transitory, that life changes, that you have to let go, instead of trying to possess things. That is the issue that has to be solved, so any fix-it AU has to stem from that, in my mind. One instance is, as Lucas said, if Anakin had been found by the Jedi earlier, he would have been trained to love people without becoming attached to them, but that's changing more than what I think you want to change. For me, my answer is usually pretty boring--as much as I love reading pairing fic with fix-its and I roll with the way an author sets things up, I generally don't believe that a romantic relationship would have fixed Anakin, not even a healthily balanced one. Anakin's problem is that he was so afraid of losing people, of living with that loss, that he clung to the ones he loved, putting him in a relationship just hurtles him down the same path as in canon. The best way for him imo is to get rid of Palpatine, which doesn't take away Anakin's issues, but it gives him breathing room to grow in a healthier way, to not have that constant temptation and seductive whisper dripping poison in his ear. It gives him the space to slowly come to trust the Jedi ways, because I very much do think that Anakin believed in the Jedi ways, he just couldn't get over himself when it was his own fears on the line. The way he teaches Ahsoka, he works to help her to let go of her attachments, he tells her exactly that when she's on Onderon. He teaches that to Rex when they're looking for Echo on Skako Minor. He believes in the Jedi ways, he has a good heart, he wants to do the healthy, balanced thing. He just can't get past that last, most terrifying hurdle. In a galaxy where he has more breathing room, where he doesn't have Palpatine driving a wedge between him and the Jedi, preying on his insecurities, he has the time to slowly do the self-examination necessary to grow into the person that he had the potential to be. And it's actually my favorite one, because I think it sticks closest to the heart of Lucas' Star Wars and the Force and the Jedi. That it's about learning to let go, to have a lifetime of discipline and work on yourself, to look inside and acknowledge your feelings and let them pass beyond you, that you have to do the hard work yourself and there's no shortcut to a better self. You have to work at it. I genuinely believe that Anakin could have gotten there without Palpatine. That doesn't mean his choices aren't his own, I've planted my flag hard on that hill, but that doesn't mean that Palpatine didn't fuck him up hardcore and, without his influence, in the events in Anakin's life where Palpatine's not a direct influence, he actually generally fares pretty well. When Palpatine isn't around, Anakin rises to the potential in him, he reaches out and does good, he accepts the help he's offered, like Anakin Skywalker had so much good in him, and if he hadn't been so tempted by Palpatine's siren song of "your feelings make you special", then I believe he would have gotten to a really good place with himself. But it's one I see as an internal journey of self-discovery, rather than being magically fixed by an external change. Getting rid of Palpatine is pulling the knife out of his side, but Anakin still has to heal the damage himself. Whether that happens during ROTS (harder, but still doable) or when he was younger, I think you have to truly get rid of Palpatine's existence, not just put distance there, but that Palpatine has to not be an option at all. Then Anakin will do the work himself.

#anakin skywalker #sheev palpatine #meta

[irinanonyme]

⚠️Long ass XO Kitty post with spoilers⚠️

OK I need to say this: I would MUCH rather people were honest and said that they just personally prefer Kitty x Minho because of their fun dynamic instead of saying stuff like "Kitty x Yuri came out of nowhere" or "it didn't feel natural" or "it was already too late in the season"

Like... No??? It?? Wasn't??

You cannot IMAGINE the euphoria I felt when I realized that this plot is actually going somewhere. As I was watching episode 1, right off the bat I felt like Yuri's and Kitty's "meet-cute" was the most powerful.

With Dae, Kitty had asked him to take a picture of her with her family.

With Minho, he bumped into her with his bag then pretended that he doesn't speak English.

But Yuri??? her car ALMOST runs Kitty over, it STRIKES her, sweeps her off her feet then Yuri gets out in a hurry, worried, offering a ride then they actually have a genuine conversation in the car.

The first half of the season is them being "rivals" while still respecting eachother. (So the whole "enemies to lovers" argument for Kitty x Minho doesn't even work cause like, it was the same??? For Yuri and Kitty?? If not more intense because there is actual tension, not only bickering) Then learning about how their mothers were best friends and roommates adding to the "fate" factor of their relationship after their over the top meet-cute. Finally, they become friends and support eachother as best as they can and as they do, Kitty realizes that this dream she had of Yuri wasn't "just" a random dream and she actually *does* have feelings for Yuri and this. ALL of this progression just felt so organic and gradual and overall just, well-done?? And not rushed at all how some people claim it to be.

To me it just feels like this is the first time in a while (if ever, for ME personally) that the audience of a show got "straightbaited" and honestly? I loved it.

Everytime things were going well or starting to go well between Kitty and Dae I couldn't help but be worried/sad/disappointed, thinking that surely this whole development with Yuri would be dropped and they would go back to being friends but it NEVER HAPPENED. Thus far, everytime things were going good, great or even amazing with Dae, Kitty couldn't help but think back to Yuri and I felt so much relief from it everytime.

And to be clear, this isn't meant AT ALL as hatred towards Kitty x Minho or their shippers. I think their potential is very solid and Minho is really lovable BUT I just don't want Yuri to be erased from the picture by people's claims that their relationship "wouldn't make sense" or that it was rushed or any other complaint of the same type.

People say that while Kitty hasn't shown any interest in Minho (yet) Yuri hasn't shown any in Kitty either and that she's still very much in love with Juliana... now I'm just entering speculation territory here so feel free to leave if you're not interested or take this with a grain of salt but -> I almost fully believe that if (and I hope to god there is) a season two of this show, Yuri and Juliana might encounter some difficulties and break up. Now I don't want to undermine the feelings they have for eachother AT ALL, but as we've seen with this season with Kitty and Dae, the author/writers aren't afraid to end a couple that had (apparently) been going strong for 4 years. So if a 2nd season gets greenlit, although Dae is out of the picture, I bet Kitty Minho and Yuri will somehow end up in a triangle (well, in a way they kind of already ARE but you get my point.)

Realistically we really don't know that much about Yuri and Juliana's relationship beyond the fact that they were most likely eachother's first love and that their parents separated them after finding out that they're gay. I don't think it's impossible that in some way or another, their romantic relationship will end (on a good note hopefully!) To let place to the love triangle. Not that I like love triangles but well, they gotta set something up for 2nd season and this is the most safe bet atm.

On a completely unrelated note, I loved that scene on stage where Minho and Dae were looking at eachother like typical rivals in love with the same girl right out of a k-drama while their "girl" just accidentally set fire to the stage and her clothes because her mind is full of another girl jdhzhdjdhdhd. And that's also a big part of the reason why I'm rooting for KittyxYuri! I feel like a concept like this has never been done to completion. In general the girl will go right back to liking one of the guys while her "crush" towards the girl will be written off as just a short-lived attraction but here? There's still a strong possibility of it being legit.

Aaaaaa anyway this all ended up in a rambling. Sorry about that

#xo kitty #xo kitty spoilers #kitty x yuri #i'm not actually sorry #jdjshehshve #I love rambling #hopefully some people will like it at least 💀

[ladykibutsuji]

Muichiro x Reader

"If he doesn't want you, I do."

Modern AU | FLUFF | Aged up muichiro

MUICHIRO WITH DRUNK READER

|Muichiro's personality is his current one in the anime but have a soft spot for his brother and reader (you)|

For years, you kept on chasing this guy from your class who's know to be charismatic though he can get mean at times but it looks like fate had other plans.

You planned to invite him on your party, a celebration for graduation unfortunately he wasn't interested but this didn't stop you from having fun with your girlfriends so you decided to drink something strong with them to keep your thoughts away Celebrate your graduation

"Cheers to L/N Y/N for finishing college!"

Mitsuri said as she raised her glass and they clinked their glasses all together, After that they all together drank the liquid inside.

Kanae then put her hand on her mouth after tasting that the alcohol inside was too strong for her taste and asked you in a concerned tone "My, My. I must say that this is a strong drink, are you sure you can handle this Y/N-san?" You gave her a smile and assured her that you can handle it this is nothing compared to the years I spent chasing him "Yes I can handle it I always wanted to try something strong y'know" Kanae then just gave her a slight nod as they continued drinking, talking, eating and singing with the others.

After a few drinks, they all talked about their love life and you were the most quiet one in the room the topic is pretty shit lame, shinobu noticed this and decided to ask you if you were okay "Oh? Y/N-san you seem a little too quiet are you okay? You can't be sad right now since you just finished college! C'mon put up a smile" shinobu then walked towards you trying to force a smile on your face, you were a little drunk by now and just decided to put on a fake smile for them not to worry about you.

"I don't think she can relate to the topic just yet, judging she doesn't have a boyfriend." The girl with pig tails stated while she was eating her favorite snacks with kanao who just nodded at the girl's statement.

Mitsuri and kanae gasped at this "You don't have a boyfriend yet?!" They spoke in a sync. Shinobu just had a shock expression "So that's why you avoid talking about love life "

You then tried to defend yourself "You know I'm too busy for that! He choosed my best friend" You made up an excuse even though you just got rejected by the guy in your class who have a long black hair that fades to mint green, he always seems mad when you try to talk to him and not only that he rejected you harshly too.

"We understand that you are busy but sometimes.." kanae paused and took a sip of her drink "We all need someone to be there for us." Mitsuri and shinobu nodded at kanae's words, Aoi then looked over at kanao "tanjiro-kun have a lot of friends right? Why don't you try introducing som-" you then interrupted at the thoughts of being set up with someone "no need!" You don't really like those kind of blind dates or set up things you really are really more into destiny and believes that waiting and patience is the key.

Aoi just slightly nodded and to lighten up the mood, you all just talked about another topic instead and continued on drinking. Aoi and kanao didn't drink as much as you and the others did so they didn't really got drunk only you, kanae, mitsuri and shinobu got extremely drunk.

Shinobu got so drunk that she ended up hugging you and crying about her pet gold fish that just died, kanae was opening up to Aoi and kanao about her sweet moments with her boyfriend, mitsuri was clinging to you while at the same time chatting her boyfriend and you thinking about when your love life will begin.

"oHh~ I forgooooot to m3ntion!" Said the pink hair girl "my snake guy wi- hiccup will be picking me up soon!" The girls then giggled seeing mitsuri's state and said that they will be also accompanied by their boyfriends. Kanao then realized that you have no one to pick you up so she decided to offer you some company.

"Y/N-san, do you want to go along with me and tanjiro-kun? It's dangerous for you to be out there.." said kanao nervously, she was still pretty shy despite knowing the girls for years. You then just declined the offer and said that you can walk yourself even though the girls insisted you didn't give in because you don't wanna be a third wheel

After an hour the fun had ended, the guys showed up one by one and of course you are jealous for being the only one without a significant other. You were left alone with mitsuri at the karaoke room and she was waiting for her snake boyfriend to arrive so you started a conversation with her while her boyfriend isn't there yet since it was pretty boring and she wanted to entertain herself for a while unfortunately it didn't take too long for him to arrive. After a knock was heard you sighed and mitsuri kissed you on the cheeks waving goodbye, her snake boyfriend gave you a death glare. what's up with this guy he's fucking weird

"keep your girlfriend in check because the next time I see her she's mine!" I teased him and he looks like he was about to explode while mitsuri was giggling

You decided to stay for a few more minutes because your head was hurting, and when you were just about to leave you noticed something, mitsuri's wallet was on the couch

You took the wallet and was planning on returning it to tomorrow. You sighed and thought that you should gave mitsuri a lecture when you meet her since if it wasn't for you who saw this another person would definitely steal money from it.

you then tried to walk but failed you instead dropped on your knees and was having a hard time to walk due to your vision being blurry and your head hurting. You were too dizzy to move and a thought came across your mind Why do they found the love of their life while I'm here suffering how unfair is it?

"FUCK YOU YUICHIRO CAN'T BELIEVE I WASTED ALL MY COLLEGE YEARS ON YOU! I can't believe it you fooled me with your promises." You yelled while still on the ground and you started crying, tears of regret on how blind you were. You literally did everything for him and be there for him but all he did was push you away where did you go wrong? After that you covered your face and kept on questioning yourself why did you even liked him?

A hand was then placed on your head "Are you alright ma'am?" This voice... it's too familiar isn't it? You slowly looked up and you saw his long black hair that fades to mint green "YU-YUI? How did you find me? Get out of here!" you mistaken this poor guy for yuichiro and slapped him out of rage he seemed so confused and lost. He then hold the part you slapped "I'm sorry for interrupting you but I'm not yuichiro, My name is Muichiro Tokito." You being drunk still couldn't care less and proceeded to tell him how much you hate yuichiro and you still think that he is yuichiro.

"I actually just came here to retrieve a item that my friend's girlfriend lost but looking at your condition...It is indeed dangerous for a girl like you to walk outside at this hour so please let me accompany you, Also My brother Yuichiro is sometimes a bit mean but he is also a good guy so please calm down." The guy said as he helped you get up, your shoulders was placed on his while he held your waist for support. Even at your drunken state you couldn't help but realize how cute he was and how he was being such a gentlemen he was way better than his brother.

He then placed you on his car's front seat and he sat in the driver's seat. He then asked you where you lived and you didn't even answered him instead you kept on saying the most random things ever "Y'know your brother, I feel like he just needs a sympathetic pat...." You paused "on the head. . . With a hammer" muichiro then just looked at you "ma'am where do you li-"

"you are way better than your brother I'd marry you if I have the chance."

Muichiro was caught off guard by what you said and heat rise up his cheeks "yo-you are drunk ma'am." He gulped.

"I might be drunk but trust me Moihiro, I always mean every single word I said." Muichiro then raised an eyebrow at you in confusion "it's mui-chi-ro ma'am"

"Okay maichiro!" Muichiro then just sighed and chuckled, his chuckles caused your heart to beat fast so you immediately looked away "you should marry me"

"what?"

"marry me"

Muichiro was dumfounded as he was driving, he then turned over to the clock on his car and sighed "I can let you stay in my house if you want if not just tell me your address so I can drive you th-" You then cried and cried out randomly mentioning about yuichiro again and muichiro listened even though you weren't answering his question or even listening to him at all.

"they say ice cream is therapy maybe ice cream would really make me happy maybe it will even make me move on from yui!" You said while hope filled your eyes, muichiro handed you a handkerchief and you took it wiping your tears. "Well I guess I'll buy you ice cream if that's what will shut you up."

Muichiro then drive-thru McDonald's and got you a mcflurry and some other sort of ice creams, you happily ate them all up and muichiro was basically cleaning all your mess since you were still drunk and out of your mind so you ate so messingly.

"My name is y/n, but I'd prefer it if you call me love!" Muichiro then decided to go along with your jokes "Okay, love is it then."

You happily hugged him and he scolded you "Oi, I'm driving right now". after a non stop ranting to muichiro you basically fall asleep in his car. It took 30 minutes of driving for him to arrive to his house he tried waking you up but you weren't budging so he carried you bridal style. He then placed you on his bedroom and covered you with his warm blanket as you were sleeping soundly.

"muichiro, what is she doing here?" The older brother was in the door standing, "Oh brother, I just took her in since it's dangerous for girls to be outside this hou-" yuichiro then got mad and cutted his sentence "Shut up! You are too soft muichiro you should of have just let her freeze outside! You don't know she could be a thief or whatever bad intentions she have!" Yuichiro said those mean words though he didn't really meant it he just wants muichiro to stay away from her. After all sometimes "feelings" just comes in late

"but bro-" yuichiro then just walked away. With this muichiro felt a little sad that his brother was mad at him so he just sat on his little couch while watching you sleep "Why is big brother so mad?"

THE NEXT MORNING

Y/N'S POV

My head hurts, I can barely open my eyes. What the fuck happened last night? I couldn't even remember anything.

I opened my eyes and the first thing I saw was the ceiling, I didn't recognized the ceiling's color at all. I started looking around and I spotted a guy who was seating in a couch reading a book silently. He looked mesmerizing but at the same time he looked quite... familiar

YUICHIRO?

"yuichiro-san?" I tried sitting up but I was struggling and I couldn't sit up myself, "what happened last n-" the guy then got up on his couch and hushed me "Shh, you can't be moving around too much you were pretty drunk yesterday." He paused "it's muichiro not yuichiro."

"muichiro? I have never heard that name do I know you?" I asked, this guy...did he do something to me? Do I know him? Damn I regret not going with kanao and tanjiro

"I'm yuichiro's younger brother, we are twins." He stated. I then gave him a surprised look I didn't know yuichiro had any twins however this twin looks more gentle and calm than yuichiro was.

"how are you feeling, love?"

I then frozed on Spot, did he just call me that?

"sorry what?"

"did you not heard me? I'll repeat. How are you feeling, Love?"

I then blushed in embarrassment, I did heard him but I didn't want to believe what I just heard, why is he calling me love all of the sudden I don't even know this dude I only know his brother, "My name is Y/N. Why are you calling me that?" Muichiro then just chuckled a bit which made my heart fluttered, his chuckles was cute I thought.

"I think it's only fair I tease you back for what you said all night to me."

huh.

OH

DANG I FORGOT I WAS HELLA DRUNK WITH THE GIRLS. "HUH? I'M SORRY I DON'T REMEMBER I WAS DRUNK LAST NIGHT!"

he then just gave me a smile "It's fine, I was just kidding." He returned to his coach "Mitsuri will be arriving soon and she said she will love to give you a ride on your way home." I then nodded and decided to ask him two questions.

"Is there anyone else in this house?" He then shook his head "no, it's just me and my brother yuichiro. Why?"

"is that so? Then why is my clothes different from what I wore last night?"

#kimetsu no yaiba #kny #fanfiction #demon slayer #muichiro x y/n #muichiro tokito

[fullstcp]

"Rolling Up the Welcome Mat" by Kelsea Ballerini Sentence Starters

MOUNTAIN WITH A VIEW

"I should be missing you."

"I wonder if you even know where I am."

"I'm wearing the ring still, but I think I'm lying."

"I think we're done trying."

"I think that this is when it's over for me."

"I can't handle another year of you and I just being fine."

"I've shared all my secrets and I've paid for all my crimes."

"Our stars ain't falling back in line."

"I think that this is when I set myself free."

"I'm taking the ring off."

"I'm finally crying."

"No reason to fight it."

"You'll say I'm crazy for being the one to leave."

"Looks like our ending ain't ending happily."

"I'm the only one alone at a table meant for two."

JUST MARRIED

"I don't think I lied when I said I wanted that life."

"Maybe I was too young to understand what I wanted to begin with."

"I wasn't strong enough to keep on with all of the weight that I carried."

"Tired of asking when I'll see you next."

"It was a beautiful wedding."

"I wish I wasn't this ready to undo I do."

"It was, it really was."

"Then it was just married."

PENTHOUSE

"When I left town, did you hate me?"

"I changed the second we were moving out."

"One day, the curtain started coming down."

"You changed the second we were moving out."

"And now we don't talk."

"I kissed someone new last night."

"Now I don't know where you're sleeping, baby."

"Now I don't care where you're sleeping, baby."

"You sad it was wrong. I wanted it all along."

INTERLUDE

"There's a thin line between love and hate."

"It was love, but it wasn't fate."

"This wasn't how it was supposed to play out."

"So, which side are you gonna take now?"

"People that I loved are just people that I knew once."

"Ain't it like this town to only criticize a woman."

"It's kinda scary opening a wound that time had mended."

"I guess we've done each other wrong now."

"We really turned goodbye to a game to a hobby."

"You collected bones, but I buried the bodies."

"All this back and forth, well, it's getting pretty sloppy."

"Happy ever after ain't always true."

"Forever's just the interlude."

BLINDSIDED

"Was there nothing ever wrong, cause you were always right?"

"Tell me, were you blindsided or were you just blind?"

"I know the truth is hard to hear, but it wasn't hard to find."

"We had to get drunk to ever really talk."

"I told you what I needed, didn't have to read my mind."

"I didn't want a family."

"Tell me, when did I start looking like the enemy?"

"You couldn't say it to my face."

"You would've searched the whole world over."

"Yeah, sure, okay."

LEAVE ME AGAIN

"I hope you're feeling happier than you've ever been."

"For a while the shoe fit, but then I outgrew it."

"Staying only made me get real good at pretend."

"I hope to learn to love myself like I loved you then."

"I hope that when I see you that you smile."

"I hope that you find somebody new."

"I hope that you get the house, and the good wife/husband/spouse, and the kids."

"I hope I never leave me again."

HOW DO I DO THIS

"They say to get out with the old you get in with the new."

"I haven't been out on a date since I was twenty-two."

"Are you free Saturday? I know a spot."

"I'm scared of looking stupid."

"I think it's time to keep it moving."

"Everything I knew about love is ruined."

"How do I do this?"

"What if it's feeling right?"

"What if it's too good to be true?"

"I know who I am, but what the fuck do I do?"

#rp memes #rp starters #rp prompts #rp lyric meme #lyric prompts #lyric starters #roleplay starters #roleplay prompts #sentence starters #not the old me. 2.0 me. no it's all of meme combined (ask meme) #when there was me and queue (queue)

[veliseraptor]

@mayedays replied to your post “Sometimes I get immensely sad that you're not in...”:

What do you see as the other options? Bc the alternatives to defanging or death that I can see are (1) the author subjecting the antagonist to serious suffering/punishment (up to and including 'fate worse than death') to appease readers' sense of justice or (2) the fandom becoming so much more toxic towards the character (and their fans) bc of rage that justice (read: punishment) "wasn't served". (And I hate those options too! This feels like a no-win situation!)

​I feel like you are talking about something a little different than I am, first of all, in that you seem to be talking about the canon fate of characters in-universe whereas I was specifically (in this post) talking about the way characters get written in fandom. But since I'm here and this does feel relevant to my interests, I'll take it!

Firstly, I don't think that avoiding a storytelling choice because "readers/fans will react poorly" is...a good way to do writing. An understandable way in this day and age, certainly! But I also think it's generative of...well, you know how people talk about the phenomenon of media being bleached of its color for the sake of not offending potential advertisers? That's what I see happening as a result of this kind of implied emotional terrorism, or fear of emotional terrorism on the part of writers.

Like I said, I think it's understandable to be scared of how people are going to react to something you write, whether that is for your own sake or the sake of a hypothetical reader - it's human to want to avoid unpleasant experiences. But I think caving to that fear, or accepting that as a stifling force on the creative decisions a writer feels at liberty to make, is neither desirable nor inevitable.

Secondly - it is relevant that I was talking about fandom here, because in a canon setting the antagonist is probably going, in some form, to have to lose. But if I'm engaging with this purely on the personal level of "how do I like to see writers handle their antagonists," there is a wide variety of ways for a narrative to treat its antagonists with grace. Even if an antagonist dies horribly, that doesn't necessarily mean that it's a narrative decision that I by nature have a problem with. (I have discussed before the internal conflict for me between 'but I want this character to live :(' vs. 'it makes for a better narrative if they die', including with several of my own original projects.) But the way that defeat or death is handled can make a world of difference in my (personal) response to a text.

I have read books where it feels like the aim of the text is specifically punitive: it wants to punish the bad character, it wants to make them suffer, it wants to illustrate that they deserve it. I tend to not enjoy that. It's not the only way to write an antagonist's defeat, and not even the only way to write an antagonist's death. It feels miles better to me, as someone who tends to get invested in antagonists, to read a text that doesn't come with a punitive mindset baked in. (Punitive texts aren't inherently bad, they just tend to not be for me.)

But that isn't the only way to write a conclusion, and there are ways of hurting or even killing an antagonist that don't have to feel like the goal of the narrative is specifically to punish them. (I wrote a whole essay about an example of this! There were footnotes and everything.)

But I think the bigger thing here, that is perhaps just a distinction between the way I approach this question and the way you seem to be, is that the question you're asking is predicated on the understanding that the question of "how a text handles its villain" is a matter of how readers/fans will react to a text, and that is a major determining factor in how a story should be told. I just fundamentally disagree with that, and I think a story that is written under those premises is going to suffer.

#mayedays #lise has opinions #christ that got long #i need to eat dinner #i wrote this instead of doing havdalah whoops #actual english major lise #does this make sense? i hope so

[verybadatcardgames]

Sightshipping for 001?

Also answering for @over-roaming-waves, who was curious.

Sightshipping

when I started shipping it: Back in 2017, I started drafting a fic about their adventure in Egypt trying to hide the God Cards. It was really supposed to be a drama/humor fic about Isis having a constant headache and finding Pegasus to be an annoyance (because I personally found Pegasus to be an annoying character at the time), but as I kept writing, I really fell in love with both of the characters and imagining how their personalities would clash and complement one another

The adventure fic was up for a while, but I yanked it offline not long ago. The story is undergoing revisions and I want to redo it as a comic because I'm a masochist

my thoughts: Do you like to read novels?

I have so many thoughts, but for the sake of the ask, I will try to keep it short.

I really like the idea of them being so set in their plans pre-series and not really being amicable at the start, the both of them so committed to their pasts and their Items that it blinds them from seeing any alternatives from their personal life scripts. Then both their plans go up in flames (Pegasus loses Duelist Kingdom and Seto shows Isis the grim fate she believed in is not infallible), they both lose their Items, and with Atem crossing into the Afterlife, they're no longer tied into the Great Game. So now they have this freedom to explore the future and what the world has to offer, but there's also uncertainty and powerlessness in not being able to foresee what is coming, not knowing what other people are thinking, and not knowing what to do next.

And somewhere in there, I like imagining them going from business acquaintances to friends to lovers.

(also my constant daydream about Isis wanting to confess to Pegasus that she foresaw him getting the Eye ripped out of his head but didn't say anything back then because she didn't believe she could alter destiny with a warning but uh oh-oh no Seto proved you can change the future so she feels like utter crap that Pegasus nearly died and fears he won't want to talk to her again and the looming sense of dread and judgment haunts her; she's so scared he's gonna kick her to the curb when he learns she could have saved him so much grief if she had just said something

and she's so absorbed in the guilt of her past inaction that she doesn't realize Pegasus can plainly see she's torturing herself with all these thoughts so he reaches out and touches her hand and

ok I'll shut up)

What makes me happy about them: The possibilities--in the anime timeline. They're both alive and there is a chance something could happen. Daydreams and headcanons abound

What makes me sad about them: They stand in a room staring at each other for less than 10 seconds in the anime. Isis talks about wanting to "fulfill his wishes" offhandedly in the manga (by getting the God Cards back from her brother). The most dialogue we see exchanged between the two of them is in a GBA game

MY CROPS ARE THIRSTY AND I AM KEEPING THEM ALIVE WITH A NOVELTY SHOT GLASS

things done in fanfic that annoys me: Oh

Oh honey

There is not enough fanfic of this rarepair for that to be a thing

things I look for in fanfic: I dunno I have to look at my WIP folder

Who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other: Isis with her job and intermittent dates with Aileen Rao; Pegasus sober with his art supplies and comics

My happily ever after for them: Married with 5 kids but one of them is a daughter biologically fathered by Seto Kaiba after Isis and Pegasus have a heated threesome with him in Marrakesh. Isis and Pegasus know the kid is Seto's, but they don't tell him because it would make things complicated, but Seto does eventually find out at his daughter's 13th birthday party. Seto punches Pegasus in the face and tells him he isn't surprised Pegasus could be that cruel but he can't believe Isis hid the truth from him, which leads to Isis' oldest daughter resenting her because she believes she was the product of an affair, even though she wasn't, but the fine details were not disclosed as Isis thinks the news that Pegasus isn't her biological father was already traumatic enough and she felt it wasn't appropriate to tell her teenage daughter she was conceived during a passionate threesome

Like it all works out in the end when all their kids are adults with their own lives and it gets better after a lot of shit hits the fan but that's my future/next gen "happily ever after" headcanon

who is the big spoon/little spoon: It switches, but I'd say Pegasus is the big spoon 70% of the time. He likes to hug Isis to his chest and doesn't want to let go because she is warm and comfy

And he has PTSD related to this

what is their favorite non-sexual activity: Morning, afternoon, and evening tea time--and movie night.

#ask #sightshipping #pegasus #maximillion pegasus #pegasus j crawford #isis ishtar #ishizu #ishtar #aileen rao #yugioh #ygo #dm #duel monsters #seto kaiba #headcanons #fanfic woes

[dont-leafmealone]

My thoughts on the new Avatar show announcement

disclaimer; these are my personal opinions and not objective fact. Take this as more of a vent than anything else. Also, this will be VERY long and rambley, and will contain spoilers for just about every existing Avatar-verse IP.

ok so I'm generally of an optimistic mindset when it comes to new Avatar content, because like. Even the GLY comics had SOME good moments (they at least TRIED to answer questions people had after ATLA and Korra were both over)

But I'm having a HARD time being optimistic about this new Earth Avatar show. I have no idea how they're gonna pull off telling a good story that's also a NEW story when LOK had nothing resembling the seeds for a new plot?

ATLA left enough (interesting) loose ends that HAD to be tied up in a future setting (finding Zuko's mom, the fate of the Air Nomads with Aang being the last one, etc.) as well as a few interesting questions that could be explored in either past or future settings (how the avatar came to be, whether the water tribe was rebuilt and how successfully, political unrest with a new fire lord on the throne and the war suddenly ending, past avatars' lives and stories, as well as general questions about the fate of certain characters). LOK and the comics and the FC Yee novels have (with varying degrees of success) answered a lot of those.

The problem is, I have a hard time thinking of any such interesting threads in LOK that don't just point back to the past again. Whatever questions I have about the future are strictly related to the characters, because there wasn't a whole lot going on in the *world* of Legend of Korra that would have long-term effects. At least not beyond the connection to past Avatars being cut off, which is a story that for me just isn't interesting enough to center a whole series around the implications of, unless it's set during the era of Wan's immediate successor trying to learn the ropes from the ground up; or the effects of Wu abolishing the monarchy, which...creates a political drama and not much else, as far as I can see, and that's literally the last thing I want to watch a cartoon about.

As i said, the questions LOK DID leave me with were related to the characters rather than the world itself, which...is kind of a bad thing if you're setting the sequel in a time when most or all of those characters are going to be dead. I mean, we saw how that went in LOK; nobody liked Toph being a cop, or Katara being a lonely old lady (and yeah, she wanted a peaceful life, but there's nothing about her in LOK that says 'peaceful' to me. She's lonely and sad.) or Sokka being barely mentioned, or Aang being a neglectful dad (and yeah, there's nuance to that one but it isn't done very well in my opinion). Zuko gets to be in a couple episodes and have a dragon and a daughter we know nothing about from a wife we know even less about.

Setting the story as far in the future as they would need to to avoid killing Korra off at the ripe old age of like 30 (and wow, wouldn't that be such a good take, having both existing named water tribe avatars die tragically young?) would in the process do two things:

Remove nearly all ties to the original show and any relevant stories that could be told in relation through characters and plotlines that showed up there (and all ties that I would personally find interesting)

progress the world of Avatar further into an already over-westernized version of the world, presumably technologically advancing it and keeping in line with the 'real-world progression' set up by setting LOK in a 1920s-esque era.

I don't know about you but nothing excites me LESS than seeing characters I have no emotional connection to and no information on navigate a modernized, westernized version of the avatar world. LOK tried that, some people liked it, but it didn't really do it for me. If it had been a miniseries like Bryke originally planned, and actually focused on worldbuilding and saving-the-world rather than interpersonal drama, or even kept the long-form series but had a more overarching plot, I would have probably liked it a whole lot better, but...that's not what happened.

Instead they had four separate conflicts, all of which ended up rushed, and all ending with (for me) extremely unsatisfying conclusions. The non-bender protesters are shut down (even though they're still oppressed) and it's never mentioned again; Vaatu gets killed (which is still just dumb to me, Chaos isn't bad and you can't have one without the other); The Red Lotus all die painful deaths and their only impact is political (yet we don't feel the impact because of how little time is spent with the world-building over interpersonal stuff, as said before); and Kuvira's ultimately noble goal is negated by the distinctly terrible actions in the name of said goal.

So yeah. LOK didn't lay much groundwork for a future series, and unless the plot synopsis drops and it's something truly groundbreaking (lol get it? Because it's an earthbender Avatar? So it's literally - yeah nevermind) I'm not holding out a lot of hope.

But that's just my two cents!

#avatar studios #new avatar #long post #ranting #atla #atla meta #lok meta #lok #legend of korra #genuinely sorry for how rambly this got #i was gonna say more but most of it should just be its own post or whatever #earth avatar #legend of korra meta #lok critical #the legend of korra critical

[lyutenw]

ACOD| Chapter XV

The words of the man kept ringing inside Aria's ears. She tried hard to brush them off, but her mind would wander back to them, wondering what they had meant and whether he was a gifted or not. None of the maids nor her sister had heard what he had said, so at least no one was bothering her with questions, but Zaya had noticed her mood shifting despite not saying anything.

"Do you want to drink something?" Zaya offered with a worried smile, "You seem pale."

"No, it's fine, don't worry." Aria's words were curt and cold, and she knew that her sister would be hurt by that tone, but it was already too late to get them back.

The maids had noticed nothing and were still going around the town excitedly, looking at every shop and dreaming of wearing the dresses advertised. Zaya had also joined them, leaving Aria on her own a few steps behind.

"We meet again, darling." A voice snapped Aria out of her thoughts and when she looked up her eyes met with black, messy hair and a set of different colored eyes.

"Raven!" All her thoughts disappeared and the only thing she could think about was how relieved she was that he hadn't abandoned her. There was still hope.

Aria looked towards her maids and Zaya, now a lot further than before, not having noticed her stay behind with Raven. Satisfied, she grabbed Raven's wrist and dragged him away from the crowd to a small fountain with birds drinking from it and chirping happily. There was a willow tree above them, hiding them from the crowd and giving them sufficient cover and silence.

"Did you make the papers?" Aria asked, intertwining her hands, and digging her nails on her skin, biting her lips.

"Not even a question about how I am?" Raven smirked and placed his hand at the edge of the fountain, supporting all his body weight that way. Aria's eyes narrowed at him, turning into a deathly stare. Raven seemed unfazed and didn't talk at all, a smirk spread across his face.

"Okay, how are you? I hope you are well, and your days away from me were great!" Aria gave in and with every word raised her voice. "Did you make the papers?" She could barely keep herself sane; her heart was about to jump from her chest.

"I'm not that well actually, had this mini accident-"

"I swear to the gods that gave you your power, I'm going to return it soon if you don't answer my question." Aria knew better than to make Raven mad, but she didn't know what to do. She needed to escape, and it had to be soon.

Raven didn't get mad at her raising her voice; instead, he smiled and chuckled at the sight of an infuriated Aria. There was sadness in his eyes, but he had accepted his fate, so he might as well have fun with it.

"Yes. I found the guy and your papers are ready." Raven said and as soon as Aria heard she let out the deep breath she had been holding all that time. She placed a hand on her chest, on top of her heart, to calm it down from beating so quickly. Raven reached out and touched her hand without thinking; he didn't want her to be anxious. Aria was at a loss for words, and they stayed there for a few seconds, their hands on top of one another's, Aria's heart beating quickly again but for a different reason.

For a little while Aria could only focus on his lips and the curve of his upper lip, and how it would feel to kiss him. It wasn't the first time she had thought of him kissing her and she didn't know why she wanted to do it. There was something about him helping her when no one else did; something about his touch that was electrifying and something about everything bringing them together despite being from two different worlds.

It seemed as though it was only the two of them in the world, but then Raven took his hand away and everything returned back to being loud. The birds were chirping again, the fountain running, the people talking and the willow tree whispering to then in an ancient language as the wind caressed its leaves.

"S-sorry." Raven stammered and looked away from Aria, scratching his head and nape in embarrassment.

"It's okay." Aria muttered, her cheeks a flushed pink. "So, about the papers, can you hold on to them?" She quickly added, desperate to forget the previous moment.

"Uh, yeah, sure." Raven was disoriented, cursing in his mind. Her fate hadn't changed since he had last touched her and so hadn't his. Their path was inevitable.

"So..." Aria trailed off, her thoughts jumbled. She couldn't stop thinking how hot his hand was when he had touched her, and how rough his skin had been.

"Do you want to go for a walk around the town?" Raven suggested with a smile.

"Sure." Aria answered, unsure of how to feel about him. On one hand he was her 'escape partner', the one helping her get away; someone she had placed all her trust blindly. On the other hand, she desired him. She wanted to touch him and kiss his red lips. There was something inexplicable drawing her to him. She was reminded of the red string of fate, and she chuckled on the irony of it existing.

❋

The walk around the city's center with Raven was silent. Aria didn't know what to say and Raven was calculating her every move, so he didn't try to make any kind of small talk.

Aria was on edge, trying to find her sister and the maids, wondering whether or not they were searching for her or whether they had already returned to the palace thinking she had as well.

"Were you here alone?" Raven asked, his eyes fixated on hers.

"No, I was with my sister and our maids." Aria answered.

"Why is your sister here?"

"She was sent with gifts for my wedding, and she decided to stay for a few more days."

"Is she as beautiful as you are?" Raven bit his tongue as soon as he realized that he thought out loud. Aria had heard him clearly though, and she chuckled.

"If you are asking if we look alike... No, we don't. She is my half-sister; the daughter of the queen."

"Are you not the queen's daughter?" Raven was taken aback by her statement; Ellian hadn't mentioned Aria not being royal.

"No, I am the byproduct of the king's affair with a servant." Aria explained bitterly, looking down. She had grown up ashamed; ashamed for being a servant's daughter and ashamed for being the first one born. Ashamed that she was the reason her mother had died.

"So, you are half-royal then." Raven understood why Ellian hadn't said anything. Celenial's king was a snake with many heads; it made sense that he wouldn't have sent his pure royal daughter to marry the prince of the kingdom he had been at war for all these years. The bastard daughter would have to be sacrificed as per the queen's orders.

"You are putting it lightly." Aria stopped dead in her tracks and looked at him with a pained expression. "Most call me a bastard daughter."

"I'm a bastard child too, so I have never liked that word." Raven placed his hands in his pockets and broke eye contact. He noticed a small canteen shop.

"Want to eat something?" He asked and Aria's eyes lit up. She not only was hungry, but she enjoyed his company and needed ways to extend their little date. She nodded and they both walked towards it.

They looked through the scribbled menu, almost everything sounded delicious. Aria settled for the minced duck and vegetable rolls, something she had never tried before.

"Go on and sit down wherever you want." Raven said and Aria did just that.

The sun was still up over the mountains in the distance, painting everything golden. As Aria sat down it was the only thing she could focus on; how beautiful the pink and orange rays of the sun were. Her mind knew that this was not a date between them, it was a random encounter and he accompanied her since she was alone, yet her heart was about to explode. Se couldn't understand why she felt the way she did for him; he was an almost stranger that was being nice to her and helping her escape her abusive husband. She had barely seen the guy more than a few times.

Raven coming to the table with their food interrupted her thoughts and the smell of the food made her mouth water in anticipation.

"Your food, darling." Raven said and placed it in front of her then sat down himself. He also placed a big bottle of wine in the middle of the table with two glasses. He hadn't bought anything for him to eat.

"Don't look at me like that, I really need some wine right now." Raven chuckled and poured himself a full glass of wine, downing it immediately. His eyes were slowly growing darker, and he filled his glass again.

"Don't you have anything to do afterwards?" Aria asked taking a first bite of her rolls and a small sip of wine. He seemed lost in his thoughts, and she wondered how someone could change so much in such little time.

"Yeah, so?" Raven downed his third glass, the bottle already halfway finished.

"I will manage, darling." He smiled but in a way that hid great sadness. Aria couldn't say anything to him, so she lowered her eyes to her plate and continued eating. She had no way of knowing the reason he was drinking so much but she also didn't want to think of it.

"You know what the worst part is of being a gifted person in Oceana?" Raven put down his glass down on the table with a clank and looked at the sky that was now a dark blue.

"No. What is it?" Aria asked, thankful that he broke the silence.

"That you are a slave. You don't live for yourself but for others." Raven circled the rim of the glass with the tip of his finger, still not taking his eyes away from the sky. Aria let the words settle down in her mind and even though she understood what he meant; she couldn't truly feel his pain. Maybe it was an even worse one than hers.

"Maybe you should change that. Live for yourself..." Aria trailed off. Raven chuckled bitterly and drank one more glass of wine, his cheeks now a flushed red. He turned to look at her and his eyes were glassy, but still shining under the streetlamp's lights.

"Do you know that I can see the fates of the people I touch?" Aria nodded and she realized where this was going. She could feel a pang of sadness in her heart.

"I was born knowing my fate, darling. I knew you before I met you; I knew Ellian before he was even born." Raven got up from his seat and went next to Aria.

"My fate is set in stone. All of ours are."

"Is there no way to change it? If you know what will happen, you can make different choices." Aria looked at him, his lips dyed red from the wine and wondered whether her fate was to kiss him or not; she certainly wanted to.

"Fate is a cruel thing, darling." Raven bent down and was now a breath away from her.

"I cannot help but fall in love with the one that destroys me."

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

Tag List: @angie-j-kay @mysticstarlightduck @boundedsea @pheonix-thefirebird @quillinhand @lottierae1 @puckpuckett @aalinaaaaaa

#acod #writer #booklr #acod wip #my wip #female writers #book blog #authors #writeblr

[hackerqueen]

""Together?"

Jake x MC

A short story, fluff and a little sadness, Jake is absolutely adorable

‼TW(?) poor self-esteem

Their lives were filled with fear of being caught by the police. Escape became their everyday life, which is why they appreciated every moment spent together. And there were really a lot of them because they spent days and nights together. Jake wouldn't let MC go out alone even to the store because of the overwhelming fear of losing her. He couldn't imagine the pain he would experience if something happened to his girlfriend. He wasn't even sure he would have survived such a blow.

Jake knew his life sucked. He did not want the MC to share his fate, he preferred that she would leave him, break his heart and bond with someone completely different, even though the image of a girl who was in love with another man made him mad. He preferred that he had to suffer than that the MC was in danger. He didn't want her to have to live like him for the last 4 years so much.

However, MC was the most stubborn person he had ever known. She was sure she wanted to spend her life with Jake. And it didn't matter to her whether she was exposed to danger or not. Jake made her see colors in her gray life. Without it, she would have ended up on a rope or with her veins cut. Before getting to know him, she struggled with mental disorders and took medications. Falling in love was a wonderful feeling and a medicine.

When, after several days of constant escape, Jake confused his pursuers, he earned them a few extra hours to rest.

-What do you want? - Jake asked, and seeing the signified gaze MC, he blushed -N-no, not in that sense!

The MC laughed sincerely. It's cute how embarrassed he was about these little things even though they'd been a couple for several months.

-Don't laugh at me like that. You know it drives me crazy.

-Like what?

-It's just that your laugh is the most beautiful sound I have ever had the pleasure of hearing. And it makes me nervous. - now it's time to blush for MC

-Stop being so cute. - she muttered in response - I have an idea, come on. - she grabbed his hand and moved forward.

That night was dark and cold. The overprotective Jake obviously made sure the MC was warm enough.

-Are you warm enough? - he asked three times until he made the MC roll his eyes

-Yes, Jake I am warm enough, thank you.- she replied

When they got there, Jake looked at her in disbelief.

-Are you kidding? Did you bring us to the playground?

-Yes! - she replied happily and clapped her hands - Let's go to the swings.

Jake shook his head in amusement, but obediently followed her. He would follow her anywhere.

They were swinging talking about everything and nothing. For a moment they forgot that they were being pursued by the government. It was soothing.

At one point, Jake took her from the swing and grabbed her hands. He started running around, dragging her with him, until he finally grabbed her by the waist and lifted her up. MC screamed at the top of her throat and pretended she wanted to break free from his embrace. She wrapped her legs around his waist and felt the moon illuminate her face as the wind gently ruffled her hair. Her stomach tightened as she looked into Jake's deep blue eyes.

-God, you are so beautiful. - he whispered Jake felt her body tense slightly and he frowned.

-What's wrong?

-I..I just don't know what you see in me. I'm not wearing makeup, my hair is unkempt, and I'm wearing sweatpants and a sweatshirt. I don't have a perfect figure or perfect complexion. Why .. - she began and her voice broke a little

-I really don't like when you say things like that. To me, you are perfect. No, not only to me. You are perfect to the whole world. Jake shook his head and set her down on the ground - You look absolutely beautiful and hot in anything.

-Thank you but..

-No, but. I love you so much that it hurts me to see how you see yourself. - he said and began to put sweet kisses on her forehead, cheeks, nose. He rolled up the sleeves of her blouse to reveal the old scars, which he also treated with kisses. - I appreciate and absolutely love every inch of you. Mentally and physically.

A tear flew from MC's eye, however, her lips curved into a slight smile. She grabbed Jake's cheeks and pulled him close. She kissed him passionately to convey what she couldn't say now.

-You make me so happy, Jake. - she whispered into his mouth

Looking each other straight in the eye, still being lit only by the moon, they heard police sirens. The MC smiled and laced their fingers together.

-We have to run. - MC said

-Together? - the black-haired boy asked

-Together.

from the autor: hi guys, remember that all of you are perfect and absolutely beautiful! take care<3

#duskwood everbyte #duskwood fandom #duskwood jake #jake duskwood #duskwood mc #duskwood lilly #duskwood jake x mc #duskwood fanart