#the idea of being a loyal and good person for years only to be subjected to a Torment Nexus of

[lord-squiggletits]

I think the key component to my personal reading of post-Delphi Pharma is that he's trying to be a horrible person on purpose. Not "on purpose" in the way that people have free will to exercise their own choices, but in that Pharma's "mad doctor" persona is a performance he puts on to deliberately embrace how much everyone else hates him. Basically, if people already think you're a "bad Autobot" and a horrible doctor who just kills his patients for fun, why try to prove otherwise to people who have already made up their minds about you? Just fully embrace the fact that people see you as an asshole. Don't try to change their minds. Don't plead for their forgiveness or understanding. Just stop caring. If you're going to be remembered as a monster, you might as well be a memorable monster, and eke as much pleasure and hedonism as you can out of it before karma catches up to you and you inevitably crash and burn.

I mean, I guess you could just go the route of "Oh, Pharma was always a fucked up creepy guy and Delphi was just him taking the mask off," but I really don't like that interpretation because, for one, it feels really wrong to take a character like Pharma becoming evil under duress and going, "Oh well clearly he did the things he did because he was evil all along," as if somehow Pharma breaking under blackmail/torture/threat of horrible death was a sign of him having poor moral character. As opposed to, you know, suffering under the very real threat of horrible death for himself and everyone he cares about while being manipulated by a guy who specializes in psychological torture.

The second reason is that it just doesn't make sense to write Pharma as having been evil all along. I mean...

Occam's Razor says that the best argument is the one with the simplest explanation. Doesn't it make way more sense to take Pharma's appearances in flashbacks, his friendship with Ratchet, his stunning medical accomplishments, and the few we see of him speaking kindly/sympathetically (or in the least charitable interpretation, at least professionally) towards his patients and conclude "This guy was just a normal person, if exceptionally talented." Taking all of these flashback appearances at face value and assuming Pharma was being genuine/honest is a way simpler and more logical explanation than trying to argue that Pharma for the past 4 million years was just faking being a good doctor/person. I mean, it's possible within the realm of headcanon, but the fact is Pharma's appearances in the story are so brief that there simply wasn't room in the story for there to be some sort of secret conspiracy/hidden manipulation behind why Pharma acted the way he did in the past.

I just can't help but look at things like Pharma's friendship with Ratchet (himself a good person and usually a fine judge of character) and the fact that even post-Delphi, pretty much every single mention of Pharma comes with some mention of "He was a good doctor for most of his life" or "He was making major headways in research [before he started killing patients]" which implies that even the Autobots themselves see Pharma's villainy as a recent turn in his life compared to how for "most of his life" he "used to be" a good doctor.

And although Pharma doesn't know this, we as the readers (and even other characters like Rung) know about Aequitas technology and the fact that it actually works, so... if Pharma really was an unrepentant murderer, why couldn't he get through the forcefield too? The Aequitas forcefield doesn't require that a person be completely morally pure and free of wrongdoing or else how could Tyrest get through, just that they feel a sense of inner peace and lack feelings of guilt. Pharma has murdered and tortured people by this point, and put on quite a campy and theatrical show of how much he sees it as a fun game, so why then can he not get through?

It circles back to my headcanon at the start of this post that the "mad doctor" persona is just that-- a persona. Delphi/post-Delphi Pharma's laughing madman personality is just so far removed from every flashback we saw of him and everything we can infer based on how other people see/saw him before that, to me, the mad doctor act is (at least in large part, if not fully) a persona that Pharma puts on to put his villainy in the forefront.

To avoid an overly simplistic/ableist take, I don't think Tarn tortured Pharma into turning crazy. To me, it's more like the constant pressure of death by horrific torture, the feeling of martyrdom as Pharma kept secret that he was the only one standing between Delphi and annihilation, the physical isolation of Messatine as well as the emotional separation from Ratchet, being forced to violate his medical oaths (pretty much the only thing Pharma's entire life has been about), etc. All of that combined traumatized Pharma to the point that the only way he could avoid cracking was to just stop caring about all of it. Because at least then, even if he's still murdering patients to save Delphi from a group of sadistic freaks, Pharma doesn't have to feel guilty and sick about doing it. As opposed to the alternatives, which were probably either going off the deep end and killing himself to escape, or confessing to what he did and getting jailed for it.

In that light, Pharma becoming a mad doctor makes sense. It avoids the bad writing tropes of "oh this character who was good his entire life was actually just evil and really good at hiding it" as well as "oh he got tortured and went crazy that's why he's so random and silly and killing people, he's crazy" and instead frames Pharma's evil as something he was forced into, to the point where in order to avoid a full psychological breakdown and keep defending Delphi, he just had to stop caring about the sanctity of life or about what other people might think of him.

Then, of course, the actual Delphi episode happens, and Pharma's own lifelong best friend Ratchet basically spits in his face and sees him as nothing more than a crazy murderer who went rogue from being a good Autobot. Then Pharma gets his hands cut off and left to die on Messatine. At that point, Pharma has not only been mentally/emotionally broken into losing his feelings of compassion, he's received the message loud and clear: He is alone. Everyone hates him. Not even his own best friend likes him any more. No one even cared enough about him to check if he actually died or not. He will only ever be remembered as a doctor who went insane and killed his patients.

So in the light of 1. Having all of your redeeming qualities be squeezed out of you one by one for the sake of survival and 2. Having your reputation and all of your positive relationships be destroyed and 3. People only know/care about you as "that doctor who became evil and killed his patients" rather than the millions of years of good service that came before.

What else is there to do but internalize the fact that you'll forever be seen as a monster and a freak, and embrace it? People already see you as a murderer for that blackmail deal you did, so why not become an actual murderer and just start killing people on a whim? People already see you as an irredeemable monster who puts a stain on the Autobot name, so why beg for their forgiveness when you could just shun them back? You've already become a murderer, a traitor, and a horrible doctor, so what's a few more evil acts added to the pile? It's not like anyone will ever forgive you or love you ever again.

Why care? Why try to hold on to your principles of compassion, kindness, medical ethics, when an entire lifetime of being a good person did nothing to save you from blackmail and then abandonment? Why put yourself through the emotional agony of feeling lonely, guilty, miserable, when you could just... stop caring, and not hurt any more?

#squiggposting #pharma apologism #i'm sure the doylist reason for the writing is just that pharma was a designated villain #so since he's a villain and 'crazy' it's fine for everyone even the good guys to treat him like complete trash #i just think from a watsonian perspective taking a sympathetic approach is way more interesting and logically consistent #what i mean is like. from a meta perspective one of the best ways to show that a character is super evil and not worth saving #is when even the good guy heroes. the ones who are supposed to be kind and compassionate and wise. see him as dirt #and this is also kind of a necessity in most plots bc TF is the kind of series that just needs action villains and long-term antagonists #so not every villain is written or has a plot to be made redeemable. and pharma is one of these bc he's not important or a legacy character #so from a doylist (meta) perspective you could read the autobots' disregard of pharma as a sign of #'this guy is not meant to have your sympathy as a reader. pay no attention to him' #but from a watsonian (in universe) perspective it paints a miserable picture of pharma being utterly forsaken by the ppl he served alongsid #and like yeah i'm super autistic about pharma so of course i view him with sympathy but like #the idea of being a loyal and good person for years only to be subjected to a Torment Nexus of #being blackmailed into breaking all of the oaths you held sacred. under threat of you and all your comrades dying horrible torturous deaths #then when your comrades find out about it they focus solely on the 'harvesting organs' and not on the 'blackmail' part #and then you get literally left for dead by your comrades and best friend hating your guts #and then you get rescued by a guy who uses you as a test subject for his evil machine #this is a fucking nightmare scenario like pharma could hardly be suffering more if the author TRIED to make him suffer #and for me it's like. the evil pharma did can't be decontextualized to what drove him to that. as well as the question of like #how easily ppl can write someone off as evil and turn a blind eye to (or even find satisfaction in) their suffering bc theyre evil #and either brought it on themselves or it's just karma paying a visit #like. i feel like if pharma WERE a shitty doctor and a terrible person his whole life then the delphi situation would feel like karma #but the way it's written and the lore retroactively put in makes it feel more pharma getting thrown in a torture carousel #and THEN becoming evil. but then being treated as if he was always evil or was some sort of bad apple #bc like i'm not opposed to LOLing when a villain gets a karmic torture/death related to the wrongs they committed #but in pharma's case it feels less like karma and more like endless torture + being abandoned by ppl who should have been more loyal

[the-whispers-of-death]

Reader is male & his hair is described to be long enough to reach his nape (will be explained why in the Drabble). I just made up kingdom names. Part One, Part Two TW: Blood, Gore, Death

**

You were standing in the middle of a battlefield, your horse most likely one of the horses that were running away from all of you. You were swinging your sword, wielding it with skill that took years of war to perfect.

Enemies and your own soldiers were falling down all around you, but you focused on the enemy king. The king of Loria, a stocky fellow who thought it was a good idea to try and invade your kingdom, Eridies. You've long forgotten his name, but it didn't matter.

All that mattered was that you were not going to die today. Your kingdom wasn't going to fall into his greedy, blood-soaked hands.

You sliced through the enemy soldiers who stood in between you and your foe, blood splashing on your armored uniform and your face but you pushed past all of that. Rage filled your veins as you made your way through, drawing closer and closer to the enemy king with each step you took.

"King {Name}, I'm surprised you graced us with your presence," the king sneered at you. He was slicing through your own soldiers to get to you. "I thought the reigning royals of Eridies didn't step onto a battlefield ever since your great-great-grandmother. Are you cocky enough to die by my hand?"

You didn't deign him a response, merely snarling like an enraged wolf. You lunged forward, swinging your sword. Unfortunately for you, he parried your blow and swung his own sword to quickly try and overwhelm you.

It was working, your heels trying to dig into the blood-soaked dirt as you got pushed back with each blow you parried. You kept trying to land a hit, your teeth gritted.

The king managed to unarm you of your sword, your eyes watching as it flew out of your hands and drop so far away to the side that you couldn't reach it. Knowing that you didn't have time to dive for it, the king grinned wickedly beneath his helmet as he raised his sword, aiming for your head.

"My king."

Your eyes shot open, shaking you awake from your nightmare as you sat up. One of your hands reached up to feel the hair that was growing to your nape, your hair being able to be long again since the war was over and long hair was a symbol of peace in your culture.

The war was over, you had killed the king of Loria. The war was over, you had killed the king of Loria.

Taking a deep breath to calm your racing heart, you turned your head slightly to look at the man who had woken you up. Your most trusted knight in your personal guard, one who had been with you for years.

A man most people knew as Ghost, though you knew his true name: Simon.

He wasn't wearing his signature white skull mask, only his black balaclava. He didn't even have his armor on, probably because he had been dismissed by you for the day, which meant one of the knights on the night shift had woken him up to attend to you.

"Ghost," you murmured, using his nickname since you didn't know if the knights outside were listening or not. "Why are you awake?"

Ghost, who was hovering nearby, kneeled down at your bedside. "One of the knights guarding your bedchambers woke me up, said you were whimpering. She figured that you'd appreciate it if I woke you up."

Well, that was embarrassing.

Not that you were woken up by Ghost, but rather that a knight of yours heard you whimpering in your sleep. You were a king, you didn't have the luxury of appearing weak to your subjects.

Though you suppose, being vulnerable among Ghost as your only audience was okay. He was loyal, though you never knew if it was to you or the throne, but he had seen you be vulnerable before and hadn't decided to stage a coup. So you figured you could trust him.

You ran a hand down your face as you sighed. "Had a nightmare," you said softly. "About the last battle of the war."

"You're alive, my king," Ghost replied, his gloved hand hovering in the air like he was contemplating giving you physical comfort. His hand fell to his side shortly after. "You killed King Tresniar of Loria. You won the war."

Ah, so that was what the king's name was. You probably should've remembered it, considering you're the reason Loria was in power vacuum. Perhaps you should've conquered the kingdom fully and merged it with yours.

"You're right, my dear knight." You sighed again, laying back down and getting comfortable beneath your blankets. "I should go back to sleep, both of us should."

Ghost nodded, standing up. But he didn't leave, he walked over to the wall and stood there, facing your bed. "I will stay for a while, my king. To make sure your dreams don't turn into nightmares. Sleep well, I will protect you. I swear upon it."

Hearing your most trusted knight swear to protect you made you relax, your eyes closing.

Ghost stared at your sleeping face, resolving himself to stay by your side for at least an hour before he retreated to his own bedchambers. His brown eyes softened at the sight of your chest rising and falling, a sign that you were peacefully at sleep.

Most of the other knights thought he was loyal only to the throne. The throne meant nothing to him, only that you were sat upon it. And he desperately tried to tell himself it was simply because you were a good king.

He couldn't fall in love with you, he couldn't. But he was, even if he didn't admit it.

Reblogs are welcomed & appreciated! Asks are open, feel free to pop in and talk or request something! (SFW requests only, please and thank you)

#simon ghost riley #simon riley #simon ghost #ghost cod #ghost mw2 #simon ghost riley fanfiction #simon ghost riley x male reader #simon ghost riley x reader #simon ghost riley x you #simon riley x male reader #simon riley x reader #simon riley x you #simon ghost x male reader #simon ghost x reader #simon ghost x you #ghost x male reader #ghost x reader #ghost x you #call of duty #cod mw2 #cod mwii #call of duty modern warfare 2 #cod #knight!ghost #a little short but it's only the first part #:)

[callmethehunter]

Oh dear Anon, you have made my day! These are great questions about my favorite subject in the world: Robert Plant.:D And as far as that goes, I could (and will) go on and on about this forever, I’ve got so much to say!!

I’ve been obsessed with Robert’s music as well as with his personal life for years. I find him to be a multifaceted, highly talented and intelligent person who embodies traits that one would think were mutually exclusive, yet are somehow at home in him. He is without a doubt, totally outrageous and extroverted, he wants to be the center of attention, yet he is also reclusive, a deep thinker who is keenly aware of the world around him while also being introspective and self-aware. In his own words he has said

“It's part of me to get off on those moments where... well, what people would call attention. Obviously, that isn't the be-all and end-all of life, but at the states of creativity that I've reached, well, it helps the lyrics along a little bit.”

“ I’m pleased with how ridiculous I am. I like me. Though I’m not a huge fan. I know when to switch me off.”

I do think he has a very warm heart. He is genuinely interested in other people, in experiencing the most out of any given situation.

In my opinion, he loves the idea and the feeling of falling in love. He gets off more on that than on the longevity. It’s like he’s got ADHD in the aspect of love lol!! I say this because of the number of serious relationships (and not so serious relationships) that he has had in his life. I’m sure he was saddened when they ended, but then he’s moved on to the next great infatuation and adventure. He’s quite capable of starting again, as he has shown multiple times both in his personal and professional life. But I also think it’s a testimony to his heart that he’s been able to continue to be friends with his past loves. “There have been people I've warmed to over the years but, as the situation I'm in is so fleeting and transient, I've always known it's going to be over kind of real quick.”

I mean think about this: after having children with two sisters, Maureen (his exwife) and Shirley, they have been able to raise their children in what looks like a loving extended family. His sons, Logan (with Maureen) and Jesse (with Shirley), are half-brothers as well as first cousins. Just think on that for a moment. In a recent picture, there’s the entire family on vacation: Maureen, Shirley and their children with Robert, as well as Robert and a previous girlfriend, Jessica something or other (don’t remember her name). He’s not confined to societal conventions. He could give a flying fuck. I love that free spirit and he himself has said (and I paraphrase) that he may come across as being a good mate, but in reality he’s out to do whatever the fuck he wants. (And it shows!! )

He says, “...if you do what you think is right for the benefit of everybody and everything and you make decisions, then to go back and regret them afterwards - it's a futile experience and it's not worth thinking about. Because life just unfolds. Provided you do your best and you think you're on the right track, you can only be right or wrong. But to regret it - I don't think there are any huge errors or misdemeanors.”

In the area of friendship, however, he is fiercely loyal. He and Bonzo were like brothers till the end, and even still, Robert honors his dear friend. He’s also been able to maintain friendships with so many people from his hometown- people he knew before he was famous. He puts away the trappings of fame and fortune to be the good old Black Country boy, riding horses and playing with goats, walking around in the forests and enjoying nature.

“I think I could sing and shear a few sheep at the same time.” He is the picture of the word “earthiness”. Able to be the rock god on stage as well as the humble farmer on the farm or at the local pub. He’s loyal to his soccer team and to the sport itself which has been a lifelong passion. And I love that in him.

Is he a hedonist? Absolutely, he has tasted every pleasure there is to taste. His every material wish could be a reality in an instant...He has done drugs, had hundreds of one night stands. He is a highly sensual man. IMO the sexiest man that’s ever walked the planet. His sizeable bulge perpetually stands* as a symbol (no pun intended*) of his virility and lust (and I like it!!) He exudes charisma and raw sexual energy. He’s done it all to the highest level, partied and cavorted around the globe. What a life he’s lived!!

But in his lyrics there is also a deep spiritual side of him: I think he is a modern day troubadour and philosopher. His lyrics touch on that, “it is the springtime of my loving” ….“In the light you will find the road” “when all is one and one is all” “Then as it was, then again it will be, though the course may change sometimes, rivers always reach the sea” and I could go on and on with other examples. These are just what popped in my head. “I am a reflection of what I sing. Sometimes I have to get serious because the things Ive been through are serious” He’s had moments where he is the “golden god” as well as tragic moments such as the loss of his 5 year old son and the loss of his dear friend Bonzo. These are definitely reflected in his music.

All in all, in his own words:

“I'm like one of those firecrackers that goes off in your pocket occasionally. I'm not really struggling with it as much as the people around me. But at least I'm not doing too much damage to anybody or to myself. It's just the condition I'm aware of.

And he’s still got a twinkle in his eye.

Thank you for letting me go and on about this man, he holds such a special place in my heart. He is a beautiful and joyous old hippie full of wisdom and talent.. He has created a lasting legacy and I hold the deepest admiration for him, despite his human frailties or shortcomings.

#robert plant #led zeppelin #thanks for indulging me on my favorite subject #you deserve a medal if you read all the way through! #i just love him💕

[froginapartyhat]

What if the potters didn’t die and after Harry had a daughter. (For the sake of having a name to refer to her as, let’s call her Phoebe)

Looks wise she would be the reverse of Harry with lilys ginger hair and James’ deep brown eyes. And if the Potters had lived then both Harry and Phoebe would have been raised by them (with the help of Remus, Sirius and Regulus). Harry takes after James and Phoebe takes after Lily so sometimes Sirius and Remus would pretend that they had mistaken the child for the parent and start saying things like “Oh Lily I must say your skin is looking so radiant and youthful today” and the children would collapse into fits of giggles

Phoebe would especially look up to her Uncle Remus and would insist on having him read to her no matter how boring his current book was. On countless occasions, they had both fallen asleep on the sofa mid book, with Phoebe snuggled up in one of Remus’s oversized knit jumpers.

Phoebe was also not a quidditch player. She was very good at flying but she had inherited her mothers fiery temper and her Uncle Sirius’ sass which meant team sports were just not a good idea.

When she joins hogwarts, she’s the year below Harry and therefore the same year as Ginny Weasley. So for the first term of school, 75% of the other students think she is a weasley and are constantly getting the two mixed up.

Despite the fact that they’re in different houses this causes the girls to become very close friends and they start taking advantage of this confusion to get away with things because “well Fred and George are twins, so the gene must run in the family”

Phoebe was sorted into Slytherin. The hat had been deciding between Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff but Phoebe had demanded she be placed in Slytherin. Before she had left for hogwarts, Sirius had told Phoebe to “give Snivellus hell from me” and in her brain, the best way of achieving this was from within his own house. She’s heard about their school days and strongly disliked this apparently incredibly greasy man. It was only after she got her parents amused owl in response to the news of her sorting that she found out that things had been civil between all of the adults for years and that Sirius’s comment was at the fact that he knew Phoebe would be brilliant in potions which, as a Potter, would still irk Snape. It was still, however, one of the most slytherin ways of being assigned slytherin: requesting it to aid your plan for revenge.

As it happened, Phoebe was very good at potions thanks to aiding her mother. She would frequently interrupt Snape’s lessons to question his methods (which sometimes would result in lost points for her cheek and sometime gain her points for her intelligence) which made the man want to dislike her but her brilliance at his subject and generally sunny personality made that impossible.

She also had an aptitude for herbology and in her newts years would often grow her own rare potions ingredients to test possible new concoctions.

Unlike her brother she refused to sign up for divination and instead picked ancient runes. Partially because she’d had a mild crush on Hermione when she had to make her choice and Hermione’s scathing review of divination had made Phoebe decide she would rather run around the castle naked than pick that class. She’d often go to Hermione for advice on her Runes and in turn Hermione would ask for potions guidance as, whilst Hermione was great at learning the contents of books she’d never fully understood the chaotic art of potion making.

These study times were great opportunity to gossip about the happenings in their respective house common rooms, specifically how much Harry and Draco would talk about the other.

Her and Malfoy aren’t friends but have a truce. Mainly because Phoebe will call Malfoy out on his shit and Malfoy is actually incredibly smart and very loyal to his house. She did dye his hair bright pink with a potion she snuck into his dinner because he made some comments about Remus when he was teaching at the school. Professor Snape had even pulled her aside after class just after this incident and all he had said was: “root of asphodel is often used in cosmetics potions to add more of a shimmer” (i.e. he basically told her how to make Malfoy’s hair glitter) and that he wouldn’t be able to mark her extra credit essay till the following evening as he had to do an inventory check of his ingredients cupboard as he was suddenly low on some ingredients.

I might continue this if I come up with anymore ideas, possibly including Regulus as an Uncle of sorts as well as Marlene, Mary and Dorcas. It is quite fun to think about what could have been.

#harry potter #the marauders #james potter #peter pettigrew #sirius black #Remus lupin #wolfstar #draco malfoy #ginny weasley #weasleys #Hermione granger #hogwarts #Harry potters sister #possible drarry #drarry #Severus Snape #gryffindor #hufflepuff #slytherin #ravenclaw #hogwarts au #oc #original character

[haveyouseenthisskeleton]

Underswap Sans & Papyrus character sheets (Updated version)

BLUE (Underswap Sans)

Backstory: Blue grew up happy and lacking nothing until his parents tragically died in a Core accident, leaving him to take care of his six-year-old brother all by himself at only fifteen. Hard worker, he still accepted the challenge, finding new creative ways to gain money, not all of them legal, but at the cost of his relationship with his brother. Blue never wanted to be a parent figure for Honey, and got overwhelmed quickly, which led his brother to meet the wrong people and, eventually, to be addicted to alcohol and cigarettes. Blue still feels guilty about this, even though Honey never considered him responsible, and it deeply affected his relationship with children. He doesn't want to be a father ever again, he's not good for it, and he doesn't want to be responsible for someone else again. Unfortunately, fate laughed at his face and threw Chara on the road. It didn't go well. Chara reset a lot of times, toying with the brothers and trying to manipulate them against each other, which Blue quickly understood. Most of the time though, he didn't have the opportunity to warn his brother since Chara killed him first… He knows that because he read it in a notebook Honey managed to save it from timeline to timeline. That's also in this notebook he realized Honey is actually really not doing well. The brothers managed to get out of there eventually, but they never forgave Chara. They don't remember what happened between timelines, but that notebook is kinda their guarantee Chara won't come and mess up their relationship again. On the surface, Blue engaged as the first monster police officer, with Alphys' approval, who continued to train him. It was a rough start though as the police officers really didn't want monsters around at first. But his energy and friendly face eventually won them over. He's trying to reach high ranks in the police hierarchy now.

Personality: Accessible - Active - Athletic - Caring - Challenging - Charismatic - Cheerful - Confident - Conscientious - Courageous - Creative - Curious - Daring - Dedicated - Dynamic - Efficient - Faithful - Friendly - Hardworking - Helpful - Heroic - Honest - Independent - Leaderly - Very loyal - Objective - Perfectionist - Playful - Protective - Reliable - Spontaneous - Ambitious - Competitive - Moralistic - Proud - Stubborn - Argumentative - Arogant - Fiery - Impulsive - Pretentious - Resentful - Research of adrenaline - Tendencies to put himself in danger - Hyperactive

Job: Police officer

Hobbies: All sorts of sports, hanging out with his friends, working for the Queen, solving neighborhood problems, trapping the house so Honey stops emptying the fridge during the nights.

Loves: Running, screaming, being loud, puzzles, his brother, competing with Alphys, promotions, people giving him high responsibilities, when people come to him to find ideas of fun activities to do, bitching on Karens, sweets, sugary foods, well-thought puns and jokes, messing with his brother's romantic life, gossiping with Toriel, driving BIG cars, drama movies.

Hates: Sitting for more than ten minutes, people who baby him, being in charge of children, Honey asking him to buy something when he's ten meters away from home and had the entire day to ask him, the office printer, pigs and all their relatives, having to chase criminals in dirty places, people picking him up because they can't resist his small size, being sick.

The S/O of his dreams: Someone active who can keep up with his energy, which is rare. Someone who is honest and has time to argue with him because he will argue on a lot of subjects.

Dealbreaker: Saying he's a bad father when he clearly said he wasn't feeling comfortable with being a dad, hurting his brother, baby him.

Contacts :

Family: Honey.

Best friends: Papyrus, US Alphys, US Undyne.

Close friends: Sans, UT Toriel, UT Undyne, UT Alphys, Pumpkin, Coffee, Salsa, Ink.

Friends: UT Mettaton, UT Grillby, UT Asriel/Flowey, Oak, Willow, Nugget, Copper, Chief, Nox, Moon, Sun, Rambo, Rumba, Sam, Ben, Delta.

OK/Neutral: UT Asgore, UT Muffet, UT Burgerpants, UT Gerson, Rus, Demon, Error.

Would better avoid: UT Frisk, UT Chara, UT Gaster, Red, Tango, Creeper, Fang, Killer, Dune.

Absolutely hates: Edge, Wine, Torpedo.

________________________________________

HONEY (Underswap Papyrus)

Backstory: Honey doesn't have many memories of his early childhood, he pretty much remembers only losing his parents and then Blue taking care of him the best he could. Unfortunately, fate wasn't nice to Honey as it gave him a hyper empathy that caused him troubles growing up. He cares for others so much that he struggled a lot to see the people he considered his friends during his teenage years were mainly with him because he could be easily manipulated. When he noticed, it was far too late as he fell into the hell of addictions and depression as no one really understood his way of seeing the world. Honey felt terribly lonely all the time he was Underground, to the point he developed tendencies to self-destruction, sabotaging himself because he had no self-confidence. It got worse after Chara fell as he had the brilliant idea to write his thoughts in a notebook he passed to himself through the timelines. It just led him to develop, added to everything, high anxiety that he couldn't get rid of, even after reaching the surface. The first thing he did once out of this hell was to find help for his addictions. His mind got blown the day he discovered what neurodivergent means and since he's slowly learning to understand himself better with his therapist. What really helped him though is finally finding people he could call friends and that actually cares about him. Honey is a very loyal friend and he's one of the most caring people ever, so he makes the best friends. Maybe, after all, all he needed to know was that he mattered all this time. He's doing way better now and discovers life again.

Personality: Benevolent - Caring - Cheerful - Compassionate - Cultured - Discreet - Dramatic - Hyperempathetic - Forgiving - Friendly - Generous - Gentle - Genuine - Honest - Hopeful - Humorous - Idealistic - Kind - Observant - Open - Optimistic - Organized - Patient - Peaceful - Perceptive - Prudent - Reliable - Romantic - Self-critical - Sensitive - Sentimental - Sweet - Tolerant - Trusting - Absentminded - Emotional - Anxious - Demanding - Dependant - Easily discouraged - Fearful (he faints to protect himself from big scares) - Lazy - Procrastinating - Reluctant to do new things - Attached to his routine

Job: Writer.

Hobbies: Art, cosplay, fanfictions, binge-watching movies and TV shows, reading a lot, playing video games, sharing his favorite pieces of media with his friends, making 5k words of theories essays on Tumblr, staying in bed four days in a row.

Loves: Talking about his hobbies, people who show interest in what he likes, DOGS, and PUPPIES, and CUTE ANIMALS, having the inspiration to write, screaming in tags on Tumblr when something excites him, hugs, attraction parks, his little routine, every time he realizes how much he feels better after a therapy session, hanging out with his friends, childish jokes, fake mustaches and glasses, goofing around.

Hates: Loneliness, the bad days he struggles to do anything, the blank page, when his brother argues for nothing, people wanting to drag him in things he didn't plan, going to new places without a warning, random people asking him random things in the street, when he can't listen to music in crowded places, being alone in crowded places, people telling "i will tell you later", phone calls, when Blue turns off the TV after calling him to have dinner twenty times, scary things, jumpscares, people scaring him just to watch him faint.

The S/O of his dreams: Just someone who cares and shows interest in what he likes is enough. Liking to hug for hours is a bonus.

Dealbreaker: Treating his anxiety like a joke, screaming at him for doing nothing when he struggles on bad days and can barely function, manipulate him, using his addictions against him, not being patient with him in general.

Contacts :

Family: Blue.

Best friends: US Undyne, Oak, Coffee, Rus, Ben.

Close friends: Sans, Papyrus, UT Toriel, UT Alphys, US Alphys, Willow, Pumpkin, Sam, Delta.

Friends: UT Undyne, UT Grillby, UT Muffet, Red, Edge, Copper, Chief, Moon, Sun.

OK/Neutral: UT Mettaton, UT Gaster, UT Burgerpants, UT Gerson, Rambo, Salsa, Rumba,

Would better avoid: UT Frisk, UT Chara, UT Asriel/Flowey, Nugget, Nox, Tango, Killer, Demon, Creeper, Fang, Ink, Error, Dune.

Absolutely hates: Wine, Torpedo.

#character sheet #underswap #sans #papyrus #undertale ask blog #undertale imagines #undertale headcanons

[avelera]

Writerly Thought Exercise: How I'd Edit "The Sandman"

The other day I made a post about how I'd love to clean up some flaws in The Sandman story that I believe are owed to Gaiman's relative inexperience when the story was first written, specifically some little tweaks I'd make to the Sandman (TV) story if it were mine. These would not necessarily make the story better, sometimes cleaning up a story is just sanding off the rough edges that make it interesting, but I wanted to take a moment to articulate some structural changes I'd make were it my story (fwiw)

1:

Establish that Dream was unequivocally a good ruler before he was captured, but he was also a control freak. This flaw was forgivable since Dream held himself to the same rigorous standards he held everyone, but it made him inflexible, and gained him enemies like Desire. However, as axiomatic as he was, Dream was an indisputably benevolent ruler who would never harm his own subjects. As it is in the show, this is implied but often contradicted by the actions Dream takes on-screen. Canonically, Dream shows many moments of poor leadership and casual cruelty that undermine the idea that his subjects were loyal to him out of love rather than fear. I personally believe the causal chain of Dream's emotional arc would be stronger if it was clear that he was a good ruler before his imprisonment, but Burgess's torment made him go dark. What this changes: When Dream unmakes Gregory, we get mixed signals about how typical this sort of action was for him. My edit would be to have this moment as completely unprecedented for the Dream his subjects knew. This would better explain why Cain, Abel, and Lucienne are shocked into paralysis by his actions when he kills a beloved member of their community. If Dream's been nothing but a good, generous, but inflexible king before this, then they'd be held back by the fact the Dream they knew would never do something like this if it wasn't absolutely life or death necessary. But here's the thing, after being imprisoned for over 100 years, Dream is deeply traumatized, erratic, and lashing out while trying to keep a veneer of his old self-control. This isn't the Dream they knew. Related story changes: - Nada isn't imprisoned because she rejected him, but because she broke an old law that Dream would have held himself to as well had their positions been reversed. - Dream's humiliation of Lucifer is also out of character for who he used to be. The old Dream would have been wise enough not to toy with such a powerful being. The new Dream is grasping after lost control, not realizing he's acting erratically because of his trauma. He just wants to feel powerful again against someone. He just chooses the worst, most dangerous, self-destructive target for this need to lash out. His subjects are once again caught off guard by this erratic behavior, but begin to realize they might need to intervene before things get worse.

2:

No one magical could see or hear Dream inside of Burgess's prison, including Jessamy and Death herself - what this means is that Dream did call for help, but his cries never escaped his prison. When Jessamy attacked his prison, it's because she was convinced he was in there, but she couldn't see him. Hence why she didn't speak to him when she got there. Death, when she came to collect Jessamy, couldn't see him either nor could he see her. His other subjects have searched Burgess's house and found no trace of Dream. Since Jessamy was with him though when he was captured, she is the last holdout who refuses to believe he was moved from this location. What this changes: Dream is no longer too proud to call for help, but calling for help didn't work. One inherent contradiction in the story as it is canonically is that Dream would call out damage to himself as "hurting the dreamers" and yet not do everything necessary to help the dreamers himself in another scene, when the only apparent thing holding him back is his pride. This makes him a bit of an unforgivable asshole (which can be interesting, I don't think all these changes are guaranteed improvements) and it undermines later claims that he is or ever has been a good ruler. Related story changes: Dream's trauma is deepened. He was truly alone and had no control over his situation, rather than that he could have escaped if he'd just gotten over his pride at asking for help. His story is a survivor's story, this centers that fact for the show. Dream is a person who once thought himself powerful, untouchable, who has to come to grips not only with his trauma but also that he was helpless to prevent his trauma. That something bad happened to him that irrevocably hurt and changed him from the person he was. And when he first gets back to the Dreaming he is unwilling to admit this. The trauma leads him to him unmake Gregory in a desperate bid to regain a scrap of his old identity and control as quickly as possible, even if it means long-term danger to himself (getting the Fates involved) and patience would have been a safer route. His actions are not just implied to be a red flag, but fully signaled as such, in the story, by those who love him saying that this out of character for the ruler they once knew. As it is, Dream's past behavior as an asshole undermines moments that would support this reading. Also: we no longer need to question if Death is a good sister or not, or if Dream's subjects are incompetent. If the summoning circle that was intended to bind Death also keeps even Death from seeing that Dream is captured, Dream's isolation is absolute and we don't have to come up with complicated meta reasons why no one helped him (or if they were just jerks for not doing so, or if he was a jerk for being too proud to ask for help, etc etc).

3:

The Dreaming is tied to Dream's mood, not his presence or absence - When Dream says that Roderick and then Alex Burgess are causing damage to their world, it's not because Dream was kept from his realm. The idea that his absence hurts the Dreaming creates a plothole where we must wonder why then he would ever leave it; unless he's a bad ruler willing to risk the world just so he can go out sometimes. But if capturing and torturing Dream impacts his realm (effectively making him resonate with another mythological figure, the Fisher King) then he's not being petulant when he is furious with them for hurting him. He is furious on behalf of his subjects. It means his subjects can be terrified for him, knowing something awful is happening when they watch the realm crumble around them, knowing it means Dream is suffering, but they are unable to find or help him. Instead of Dream's realm crumbling just because he's not there to do maintenance, it becomes a metaphor for the loss of his self-control, of his old self, under the relentlessness of his torment. Even the strongest of us can break. It also makes the healing metaphor stronger. Dream doesn't just fix up the house like a handyman, he fixes up his realm by finding peace and healing, becoming a better person towards his loved ones.

4:

Nightmares and Dreams are incapable of walking in the real world on their own. Desire released the Corinthian. It was not random chance. (This might be canonical to the comic, I don't remember it's been years since I read it.) This sets up a clear causal chain: Desire released the Corinthian so Dream would go to the real world, where Desire's trap would spring as Burgess cast the ritual and imprisoned Dream. This is all part of Desire's plan for revenge. Dream, being inflexible, often thwarts Desire, and finally, Desire had enough. (Heck, perhaps it was Dream's imprisonment of Nada that set all of this off in the first place, then at least the punishment would fit the crime.) What this changes: Lucienne's "presentament" that something bad could happen to Dream if he leaves his realm is no longer random clunky foreshadowing, but very well informed. If Nightmares like the Corinthian can't leave, then something feels deeply wrong if one does escape. Her instincts are correct: this is a trap. However, Dream can't delegate recapturing the Corinthian, because as their creator and because he is a good ruler, he wouldn't entrust this task to anyone else, because it would be dangerous to them but not to him. He too can suspect something suspicious is going on, but as a control freak feel he is the only one capable of handling the situation. Then, when he is captured, the tension would skyrocket because it was a trap and it becomes clear that all of these events were put into place by an unseen, powerful puppet master. No one, including Dream or Lucienne, would be laboring under the impression that this is all random chance. They'd be anxious to figure out where the vendetta is coming from starting from the beginning of the story. Other changes: Desire is the one who tells Burgess how to lock up Dream, not the Corinthian. This cleans up the causal chain and gives the audience an early glimpse of who is really pulling the strings. Desire also makes more sense as the being that would know how and where to find Burgess: He is ruled by his desire to resurrect his son Randall. That would make him a beacon to someone like Desire.

Basically, I find the idea of Dream's arc being around trauma and healing to be one of the most resonating aspects of the story. I'd want to bring that into sharper focus by giving Dream more of an arc, and the above tweaks are where I'd begin.

#maggie rambles #the sandman #sandman meta #writer thought exercise

[teecupangel]

...Have you considered: instead of being assholes, Templars putting in some serious time to recruit Desmond, instead? Doesn't matter which ones - Order of Ancients, Templar Order of Crusade/Renaissance/Civil War era, or Abstergo. And, surprisingly, being quite smooth doing that. It's the nice (kidnapper) organization vs Desmond's morals and he tastes temptation

There was this passing idea I had of Vidic finding a sixteen year old Desmond who just ran away from the Farm. The idea was Desmond would be indebted to Vidic and become loyal to him because Vidic pretends to treat Desmond like a son that he volunteered to be an Animus subject. I didn’t really get that far into the idea other than the main point was that Desmond’s bleed will be more aggressive and volatile like Cross’.

Putting that aside, let’s see how it would be possible to make this work. In this setup, Desmond would be time-traveling after the Grand Temple so I think that the best temptation the Templars can give Desmond is ‘power’.

To be more specific: the power to change the world so that humanity would be ready for December 21, 2012. A kind of ‘the end justifies the means’ type of deal.

Now, let’s talk about the different (Proto-)Templar situations:

The Order of The Ancients

During the Peloponnesian War: the Order of the Ancients would have Deimos on their side. Now, it can go either way, Deimos’ violent tendencies could easily be a turn-off for Desmond but Desmond would most definitely see the pain and loneliness that Deimos tries to hide. However, the Order of the Ancients’ ‘interest’ in the Isus is a definite red flag for Desmond. The most I see him doing is accidentally taking over the Order with Deimos’ help (whether he wanted Deimos to do all that morally questionable things or not)

During the end of the Ptolemaic period: it would be much harder for Desmond to be seduced during this time. For one, he knows that Cleopatra will be killed by a proto-Assassin (thanks to Amunet’s statue in Villa Auditore). Another is there isn’t really any Order member I can see him thinking “Oh, maybe he has a point”.

During the 9th Century: now, this one, we can work with. In this setup, the Hidden Ones technically allied themselves with the Vikings, to be more exact with the Raven clan. If Desmond was to see how the Vikings looted and raided innocent villages, burning down homes and churches, it’s a solid case for him to team up with someone sorta sus but still sounding like a good person, King Ælfred. Not to mention, Ælfred wants the Order to die so he could push for his idea of a Templar Order. Desmond would probably be unfamiliar with Ælfred’s history so, as far as he knows, he would be allying himself with someone with a similar agenda of ‘Stop the Vikings, Kill the Ancient Order’. It’s only when King Ælfred gives him the title of Grand Master of the newly created Templar Order that Desmond would think “Am I… the baddie?”

The Templar Order (Desmond Saga)

The 3rd Crusades: Okay, so this one would be moving towards more of my Yew Branch idea of Desmond being reborn as Richard the Lionheart’s brother but I think that the main reason why Desmond would even consider joining the Templar in this scenario is if he sees the other side of the Templar Order. The ones not in Robert’s inner circle. Maybe even get close to Maria Thorpe. In this scenario, I think that the one who has the highest to ‘convert’ Desmond isn’t a Templar per se but someone like King Richard or one of the other high-ranking members of the Crusaders who are doing this for, well, not the right reason but a reason they believe in. Desmond would infiltrate and take over the Templar Order and suggest a truce between the Assassins (hopefully, by this time, are now under Altaïr’s) and the Saracens then grow his power to make preparations for the Solar Flare with Altaïr’s help.

Renaissance: This is absolutely the hardest to think of. Like… Desmond wouldn’t even entertain the idea because of the Borgias in general. Anyone who could ‘seduce’ Desmond to the Templar Order has a hand in the Auditore’s deaths and that’s… that’s the reason why this wouldn’t work. Unless… Desmond time-traveled maybe a decade or so before the execution? Kind of “I’m keeping an eye on all these assholes so they won’t hurt the Auditores” which would snowball to him being the more ‘reasonable’ figure in the Order in comparison to the Borgias. (Desmond vs Rodrigo power struggle? Templar Order civil war while the Assassins just watch with wine and cheese? XD)

American Revolution: Okay, this one is probably the easiest to think of. Desmond tells Haytham about Connor early on and has this weird ‘I can fix him’ mentality concerning Haytham. Haytham, on the other hand, thinks he can ‘indoctrinate’ Desmond. Desmond thinks he’s winning because Haytham is making changes in his plans to build a beneficial alliance with the natives, not realizing that Haytham is just keeping Ziio and Connor safe and trying to get ‘I’m a good dad’ points. Haytham thinks he’s making progress with Desmond because Desmond is okay with a lot of dubious things he’s doing, not realizing that Desmond counts it as progress because Haytham was more vicious in the original timeline.

The Templar Order (Nameless MCs Trilogy)

Golden Age of Piracy: Honestly, the Templar Order in Black Flag has the weakest pull to Desmond. Anyway, I can see Desmond working with the Templars because the Assassins have joined with pirates and he mistakes it as the Assassins reaching Abbas-level low. (I kinda like the idea of Edward not being an Assassin in this setup but more of Desmond’s second-in-command and driver thanks to the Jackdaw. Edward believes Desmond would lead him to gold and glory while Desmond is just soft on him because he knows he’s Connor’s grandfather)

French Revolution: Okay, I think this is the easiest. The Templars during this time period are mainly moderates and de la Serre wanted to have a truce with the Assassins. Desmond would probably have a soft spot for that as he still feels Connor’s desire to reconcile with Haytham and he knows that not all Templars were bad people… just look at Maria (although she did leave the Templars because they were assholes). The moment Germain and his cronies makes their move, Desmond would be accidentally leading the moderates of the Templar Order.

Industrial Revolution: ngl, this is like the opposite of Borgia for Desmond. Starrick has total control of London, sure, but this is the same dude who raised his workers’ salary after Jacob… well… assassinated someone who was pretty much keeping the economy stable. Starrick and his cronies were keeping London stable (or another way to see it is that they have taken over the important sectors of London that assassinating them without any follow-up plan was bound to backfire really hard on everyone). The easiest way to seduce Desmond to the Templar side is for Starrick to focus on the consequences of Jacob and Evie’s (and, by association, the Rooks’) action.

TL;DR: If Desmond does become a Templar, dude’s gonna end up accidentally becoming the Grand Master most of the time and broker peace with the Assassins or whip them back to shape.

#templar desmond miles #assassin's creed #desmond miles #king alfred #rodrigo borgia #king richard #crawford starrick #haytham kenway #warren vidic #ask and answer #fic idea: assassin's creed

[captain-azoren]

Idea(s) for Tekken 9;

Set after the events of 8, Paul and/or Law invite several of the other fighters, primarily the younger competitors, to do some cross-discipline training. The ones who show up are Hwoarang, Asuka, Lili, Steve (possibly more like Leroy or Azucena, but these are the main ones). Asuka wants to improve after being beaten by Feng, Lili is there to bug Asuka mainly, Hwoarang thought Jin would show up, and Steve wants to get more used to fighting other styles.

Reina shows up as well, unexpectedly as no one had seen her after the battle in Yakushima. She keeps up her friendly facade from before. Reina came looking for Jin, but takes a strange interest in Steve. They had all met during the events of 8 but now everyone has a chance to get more acquainted.

After a while Steve gets a feeling of deja vu when he and Reina spar. Reina eventually reveals that she knows him from the Mishima Zaibatsu's Devil Gene project, as she was a test subject like him.

Whereas Steve got out, she did not, yet still survived. Reina is indeed Heihachi's offspring, in the sense that Heihachi's DNA was used to create her. Reina was raised to admire and worship Heihachi, but rarely ever actually interacted with him. While it was believed that they failed to splice the devil gene into her body, Reina still showed great battle prowess and so was allowed to live, being groomed to be a loyal soldier to Heihachi.

Steve was one of Reina's only friends during her early years, and since he escaped she's wanted to get him back, wanting him to join her in her plan to take over the MZ. This is also why she wants Nina to work with her, so she can get Steve and Nina to actually reunite and bond, as a kind of misguided present to Steve.

There's not a lot to go off of for Reina as of now, and I still need to see all character endings, but I could kind of see a need for some kind of family unit and her trying to sort of craft one through taking over the MZ, trying to bring the rest of the Mishima family in (except for Kazuya and Jun, judging from her ending and post battle dualogues).

I can kind of see Reina disliking Asuka simply because of Asuka's Kazama bloodline being able to supress the devil gene and therefore being a threat. I would like to see Reina be Asuka's new rival/nemesis to try to make her more relevant to the main plot, while Lili can be her more casual rival in the way Hwoarang is to Jin.

Hwoarang I'd like to see follow a cause that's greater than just beating his rivals. I'd kind of like to see him and Lili interact, if only because I think they'd have an even greater contrast than her and Asuka. Hwoarang is the kind of street thug that Asuka deals with in her hometown, but actually a really good fighter.

I'd actually really like to see the young blood fighters form a kind of friendly social group; Jin, Xiaoyu, Hwoarang, Steve, Reina, Asuka, and Lili. Throw in Leo and Azucena too since they have some connections. There are plenty of characters in that age range that could fit, but these are the ones I could see together without much pretense.

Jin will be just trying to enjoy some peace and quiet hanging out with Xiaoyu, but he would eventually get dragged into the new conflict. I think Reina would have mixed feelings about Jin, maybe seeing him as a kindred spirit, maybe disappointed he wanted to destroy the devil gene, but she offers him the chance to join her new MZ.

Back to Steve, I'd also want him to finally encounter Anna, maybe when Anna tries to kill Nina. I know a lot of fans want Anna to care for Steve as a way to spite Nina, but I think that Anna would care for Steve because she would see him as family, and Anna seems to be a lonely person in need of some familial affection. It's kind of something Steve wanted from Nina as well.

So familial bonds would be a common theme between Reina and Steve, at least according to my headcanon. Reina adores a father she never actually knew, Steve wanted to know who his blood relatives were, Anna wants a normal family, etc.

Not quite sure how things would really play out; Reina would probably try to do what Heihachi, Kazuya, and Jin before her did by trying to build her own empire and crushing those who stand in her way. There'd be fighting and so forth, people taking sides, etc. Nina would probably join Reina and Steve and Anna could team up to oppose them.

I could see the conflict resolving with Jin and Steve having some kind of heart-to-heart with Reina about living for herself and not what Heihachi would have wanted. Reina is very different from most Midhimas in that she's trying to carry on her father's will rather than tear diwn what he built. They'd have to convince her that it isn't worth it, that Heihachi wouldn't have cared for her either way, that she needs to stop chasing his ghost and decide what she really wants for herself, to be more than just a weapon and to break free of the Mishima's bloody legacy. Asuka can be the one to cleanse Reina of the devil gene. She SHOULD be the one.

I'd like to see Steve sort of passing on the care that Leo's mom Emma showed him, have him realize that Emma would always be more of a mother to him than Nina could. He should treat Leo like a younger sibling. Dunno if Anna can ever forgive Nina for killing her fiancé, but she could find family in Steve and move on with her life in that respect. I'm not opposed to shipping her with Lee, if it's done super playfully, almost in a Morticia and Gomez Adams sort of way.

Anyway, that's some of what I'd like to see in future Tekkens.

#tekken #tekken 8 #reina mishima #steve fox #hwoarang #emilie de rochefort #kazama asuka #anna williams #nina williams

[bluegekk0]

How's Ogrim faring in the Feral PK AU? He was the King's most loyal knight, after all

oooh he's doing great, actually! i haven't really talked about him much, but i did include him in the au, he's one of the hallownest characters who eventually moved to dirtmouth after fpk's arrival

i like to think hornet was aware that he was still around, so once she reunited with her father, i think she remembered that ogrim was still there and would like to know that his king is still alive. so she decided to pay him a visit and inform him, and soon after he left the waterways and traveled to dirtmouth. of course, he had to get himself in shape before properly moving in. he's always had an unpleasant smell, but years of living in the waterways certainly didn't do him any favors, so a few good showers were in order hahah

because fpk is no longer king (and because it's a very touchy subject for him), ogrim had to readjust as well. it took him a while to get out of the habit of referring to him as the king, he tries his best to be respectful even if he still occasionally slips up, but it's hard to blame him. as for his relationship with fpk, i imagine he becomes something of a family friend. i see him as someone who's extremely pleasant to be around, a wholesome "bro" type, as i like to describe it. he's always there to cheer you up and his positive energy is contagious. so with all of that, and with his massive respect for fpk, i think it makes sense that he'd always be welcome at their house. it also gives him an opportunity to deal with his grief. he was unaware of the fate of the other knights for many years, so the news that he's the only one remaining definitely shook him. and after being alone for so long, i think he needs some company

as an additional note, since the dialogue implies that he's aware of the vessel plan, i think it gives him an even more personal connection to fpk. there's not many people who know of fpk's past actions, and that makes it difficult for him to deal with the trauma and guilt related to it since he doesn't want to burden anyone with it. so i imagine ogrim could be someone he could talk to about it, and that gives them another opportunity to progress their relationship from "king and his knight" to close friends

now, fpk does not need knights anymore, so that means that ogrim is basically out of job. that's another aspect in which he has to adapt. the urge to defend and protect hasn't left him, now that he can call dirtmouth home, i do think that he would be the first one to defend it. but the threat is no more, so he has to readjust to a more domestic life. what would he do in his pastime, then? well, he seems to enjoy sculpting, so perhaps he could do that? another idea i had was that he would become a cook. there's no basis for that, and it seems a bit counter-intuitive, but for some reason i really like to think that he would be a good cook. and if he worked on his hygiene, then why not? him opening a small restaurant or something of that sort in dirtmouth could be a fun little plotline for the au. though this is all just me thinking out loud, i haven't really decided where i'm gonna take his character yet

so yeah, in short, he joined the dirtmouth community and quickly became everyone's favorite guy purely due to his positive energy and supportive nature. as expected, to be honest. but i'm happy that i had this opportunity to share more about him!

#ask stuff #feral pk au

[russeliarat]

Got bored and decided to reveal the Zeldas in the Zelda!Linked Universe AU (waiting at least a day or so before I decide on a name just in case). Basically their names, what games they're from, their personality etc. Btw this is all subject to change coz I'm still experimenting atm.

Sun - Skyward Sword:

Also known as Hylia's vessel, she is energetic, wise, and a team motivator. She prides herself on being sociable and friendly to others while also being able to pull them in line. She's basically the mother figure the girls never really got. She's also one of the best at swordfighting due to her academic training and she recently started working at the academy as staff coz she lives there with her father anyway.

Dot - Minish Cap, Four Swords:

Dot is a sly girl, and quite cunning too. She often slipped out of the castle in 'peasant clothing' to visit Four and played off being of a lower class than she really was surprisingly well (thanks to him). Dot is quite chatty, but a lot of it are jokes and quips because she likes to uplift others with laughter. She learned a few bits about blacksmithing and repairs from Four and so she's very useful when one of the Court's weapons are getting blunt or damaged. She also carries around a multitude of shields for the girls 'just in case'. Don't put her near anything hot, she sweats under all of those layers. Dot and Aurora are basically inseparable and often joke about things like their unnaturally opposite heights and how Dot could probably pass as an adult (shes 6'5).

Lullaby - Ocarina of Time:

Despite being the oldest at 31 years old, Lullaby desperately chases the childhood that was ripped away from her since she comes from the Adult Timeline, were she sent Link back but not herself. Because of this, she has the Ocarina of Time and uses an arsenal of songs to her advantage. She grew quite pessimistic over the years as she hid as Sheik - which to this day she sees as an extension of herself (yes she's genderfluid) and often causes confusion because of her and Athena. Lullaby has the best survival skills of the group, making her Athena's second-in-command to go to for battle plans, and has more stamina and increased agility compared to the others. She also fights with traditional Sheikah weaponry which sets her apart from everyone else. She looks quite short but she really isn't (she's about 5'8).

Tetra - Wind Waker, Phantom Hourglass:

The 21 year old pirate captain gets along somewhat well with at least half of the group if she doesn't think about the technical side about her heritage. Although despising the idea that she is a princess and would rather be considered the girls' friend than a relative, she also craves to be accepted as one of them, because although Sun should've faced the same experience where she's left out from the group, her bubbly, sociable nature makes them feel that she's to be trusted. Meanwhile, Tetra feels left out due to her rep as a pirate not being a good one, not aided by the fact that she's incredibly mischievous, suspiciously charismatic, and high energy, or the fact that she clashes constantly about leadership roles and authority (especially with Fable and Athena). Despite conflicts, she's an absolute charmer and her confident, headstrong nature is able to get many out of their shells. Tetra's also the only member of the Court to not be of a similar age group to their Link - it doesn't stop her from being mistaken as a teenager for being the second shortest at 5'1.

Dusk - Twilight Princess:

Dusk is the second oldest of the group, shared with Athena. She keeps this stoic, calm, regal front to cover the crippling anxieties that comes from her possession, of which she's still affected by. When she opens up to people, Dusk is a very calm and caring presence which naturally leads her to become the Court's mediator. However she's incredibly loyal and self-sacrifical due to self-esteem issues from the possession (which will be talked more about in her proper reveal post). As the Court go through more of each other's eras, the more weapons are held inside Dusk's cloak. In fact, her paranoia and anxieties she's had since she was a child led her to get sword-fighting lessons, which is why she weilds her sword pre-Court.

Fable - ALTTP, ALBW, OOS/A:

Fable is Legend's older sister by a year at 18 years old, and contrary to Legend, Fable is a very strict, no-nonsense, commanding authority. She very often conflicts and sometimes demonizes certain members of the Court such as Tetra because of her authority as well as others' less traditional viewpoints - though exactly like Legend, it's because she both incredibly emotionally tired and pushes others to hate her so she doesn't get attached in case something happens to them. She acts like a lightning rod for the Court's frustrations and negativity because she knows that other relationships run smoother if she gets the brunt of everyone's problems. At some point you have to wonder if its emotional self-sacrifice. Fable is one of the few members of the Court who doesn't use any weapons until later into the story because she's so strongly tied to her magic, that she thoroughly believes that it can win all of her battles. She's eventually coaxed into using a traveler's sword and a vicious sickle from Flora's time though.

Aurora - Adventure of Link:

Being the smallest and youngest of the Court, Aurora is seemingly forever stuck at 14 years old and 4'11. She a very snarky, sarcastic girl that uses harmless pokes at others to express her affections for them. Her banter is much like Dot's in a way, though has that optimistic, self-assured charm a 14 year old usually has. Aurora has a very troubling relationship with sleeping, as one moment she was being interrogated by her twin brother and the next she wakes up in the arms of an unknown boy, generations ahead, with her beloved uncle and brother already passed. Thus comes a succession crisis for Aurora and Dawn, and the two have a rocky relationship during the start. It isn't until Dawn started to admit that Aurora was her great aunt that the two finally began to make up. She has that fiesty short person energy and she 'borrows' spare weaponry from others so she can fight herself. She is comically strong for her height and age and has won almost all arm wrestling matches she's been in. Aurora sometimes finds herself belittled or coddled by some of the Court for her age, but surprisingly enough, she was one of the first people Fable properly opened up to. She doesn't understand why she insists that Aurora reminds Fable of her younger brother, though she feels like she recognises something about Fable...

Dawn - The Legend of Zelda (1)

Dawn is a very stubborn 17 year old whom is easily distrusting of many. Once she knows she wants something done, she works hard to get it done, no matter the cost. At times her actions come off as morally questionable, as sometimes her relationships are affected by them. Dawn is consistently exhausted due to working hard to win the favour of her royal council of advisors back in hers and Aurora's era, to the point that her health is poor and she's quite frail under her clothing. She shares more of Fable's traditional values and looks to her almost like a role model when in the Court. Though the beginning of the story has her and Aurora on a very rocky relationship, she slowly tries harder and harder to please her great aunt and fix their friendship.

Athena - Hyrule Warriors:

Athena is the second oldest of the group at 25, a shared age with Dusk. She is very closed off and distant from the girls, but will work to collaborate on battle plans, mapping, and anything to do with strategy. She is the Court's medic due to her wartime medical training. She is the closest to Lullaby, though it was mostly through getting to know her so she could cover Lullaby's ass with her own Sheik disguise. Though reserved, Athena is usually the one to start bets as it was a good way to pass time and heighten morale among soldiers (especially with Warriors and the younger Links as they would have something to look forward to so they could keep going), though passes the time by doing weapon and armour maintenance, reading, and zoning out into her own world. Zoning out usually includes grooming the Court's appearance absentmindedly as she subconsciously cares deeply for public image. Athena is also the only Zelda to not use pockets, pouches, or bags to carry items or money, as she stores everything away with her magic.

Flora - Breath of the Wild:

Being the scientist of the group, she is able to easily identify and locate important herbs and plants, mix together medicines, and knows pretty well how to exploit certain parts of nature. She's very curious about the world around her, though had been conditioned over her childhood to repress her emotions in order to focus on the potential of any powers. She equates a lot of her self image and importance on her powers and how much she can do in regards to it. Over time in the wild, however, she was able to let loose and relax to do whatever experiments she wished. She is somewhat socially awkward and sticks out like a sore thumb when she talks due to her accent and vocabulary because of a very sheltered, overwatched life. Silent Princesses are Flora's favourite flower because it is able to obtain the one thing she couldn't; freedom from confinement. Still on a journey to explore herself, she finds a lot of similarities in Sun and takes refuge in her. They have an almost mentor-ish relationship going on and they both act as each others emotional anchors.

#linked universe #lu #lu athena #lu flora #lu dot #lu lullaby #lu tetra #lu fable #lu dusk #lu dawn #lu aurora #lu sun #zelda linked universe #linked universe but zelda

[cynthia39100]

@themerlinlibrary August Writing Challenge

Prompt 9: alone (Definitely too late to post...)

Arthur-centric, canon compliant.

Just letting him speak some of my frustration toward season 5.

AO3

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

Arthur’s reign had proceeded into the fourth year. The round table system ran smoothly and the number of knights climbed fast. Arthur had a beautiful wife whom the people adored. He had a loyal friend who always stood by him. He had trusted knights who were like brothers to him. Advisors who had despised him gradually came to respect his opinions. The people of Camelot always greeted him with friendly smiles. 

Arthur should feel proud and fulfilled, yet more often than not what he felt was loneliness. 

People respected him more and more as king, and in turn, talked to him less and less as a normal man. He still went to the tavern with his knights, but it didn’t feel the same anymore. They didn’t fear him, just acted with polite respect. Only Gwaine would talk to him normally, but that too became rarer. Maybe he was cautioned by other knights. 

He and Gwen seemed to grow distant ever since they were married. Both were too busy fulfilling their duty, especially Gwen who needed to try so much harder to act like a queen. She seldom confessed to him about her struggle, and Arthur didn’t want to burden her more with his problems either. 

Merlin…… He acted more like a proper servant recently, and Arthur never felt more alone. Merlin had always been secretive, which Arthur had long given up on changing. Recently though, he didn’t even talk to Arthur about anything anymore, whether it was a silly joke or a boring gossip. Except, well, when Arthur went on a rescue mission or so much as going on a patrol. Arthur once valued Merlin’s advice and counsel, but all he said to Arthur now is “ Don’t you think it’s too dangerous?” 

He missed his friends.

He missed the days when Merlin would silently pack their travel bag for an unofficial rescue quest. He missed the days when he could sneak out of the castle just to fight for an outlying village with his friends. 

Maybe it was naive and childish. He seemed to be the only person who refused to grow up. Other people learned that the life of a king was valued more than others. They learned that risking Camelot’s army for a conquered kingdom wasn’t a good idea. 

Before, at least Morgana would encourage him to stand up to his father. Gwen would praise him for being kind to his people. Merlin would assure him that being merciful was a strength. He would say that Arthur would become a good and just king. 

Now, Merlin told him to abandon his fellow knights at Morgana’s hand. Gwen somehow thought he would risk his life for a long due revenge rather than rescuing an important ally. It was like they didn’t know him anymore. Arthur wasn’t sure if he knew them that well himself. 

Though, when he sat outside the Disir’s cave and listened to Merlin’s description of the sacred place, Arthur seemed to grasp a little more of Merlin’s mysterious self. He could even see a faint smile on Merlin’s face. He was quite pleased, even though he couldn’t feel anything Merlin described. 

It didn’t last long, however, once the subject turned into magic. He kept dodging the questions, and when he finally looked into Arthur’s eyes and answered, it was a blatant lie. 

Arthur knew Merlin had many secrets. He was quite used to Merlin’s mystery at this point. At least when Arthur genuinely asked for advice, Merlin was never afraid to utter his true opinion. 

Arthur stared into the fire, wondering what decision should he make. He wondered if Uther had been right all along. A king could only rule alone. Even if he didn’t choose to, in the end, it wouldn’t matter.

#arthur pendragon #bbc merlin #august writing challenge #merlin fanfic #my merlin fanfic

[cookinguptales]

Now that I'm finished posting Smoke Gets In Your Eyes, I guess I can talk about my motivations a little bit.

Fic commentary placed under a cut because it's very long and contains spoilers for basically the entire fic.

I've spoken a few times about my Literal Obsession with the idea that Guillermo's bloodline will prevent him from turning how he should (see: the other fic I started writing on this subject well over a year ago) so I guess I won't go over that part again. That seems fairly self-explanatory, considering what the fic ended up being about.

I will say that I always want to play with this idea of like... if Guillermo gets bitten and doesn't turn into a vampire, then what was all this for? What is his life's work if it doesn't have the goal that he's been working towards all this time? What are his relationships with the vampires if they'll never be on equal footing? I love the idea of Guillermo becoming A Secret Third Thing, but I think he'd take a while to come around to the idea, y'know?

I wanted to take that idea to the worst possible conclusion with this fic, him becoming not just not the vampire he's always wanted to be, but the actual antithesis of it. He struggled so much with even being a slayer, y'know? I wanted to ramp that up with him becoming a creature that could only exist by feeding on the exact people he'd wanted to join. Like... Guillermo could always just not slay vampires, though he's still good at doing it accidentally. But in a situation like this, his only options are to drink vampire blood or starve to death.

And while I think Guillermo is overly sentimental and romantic and would like to think he'd sooner starve than decimate the local vampire population (including his friends), I think he's really got a stronger will to live than all that. So it was Nandor's romantic streak that convinced him, but... I mean. Guillermo wants to live. That man is a fuckin survivor, even though he makes terrible choices that put him in harm's way fairly often. Him saying yes was complicated within his own mind, but I think it was always a foregone conclusion.

And then on Nandor's side... tbh I wanted to play with this idea that I've had since watching s4 that Nandor is really starting to situate himself in the "wife" role, re: Guillermo. Once we saw Nandor interacting with all his wives (both male and female) I realized that he sees it more as a social role than a gender one. A wife is loyal, puts him first, takes care of him, encourages him, listens to him, provides for him, is physically intimate with him, etc. And we see him doing most of those things with Guillermo in s3/4, don't we?

We see him praising Guillermo and hyping him up the way he wanted his wives to do at the familiar fights. We see him caring for Guillermo when he's hurt after he falls through the floor. We see him immediately and enthusiastically throwing himself into a(n ineffective) servile position as soon as Guillermo pretends to be Colin's father. He very tenderly cares for a sleeping Guillermo at his own wedding. Nandor starts prioritizing Guillermo's physical well-being as well as his feelings, which is made abundantly (and... bizarrely) clear in the Freddie debacle.

(Look, I said that he's prioritizing Guillermo's feelings, not that he's fucking good at it.)

Moreover, he's really starting to be okay with putting himself in a more subservient position; after all these years, he actually seems to prefer that. He's stressed out in the Council and he doesn't actually like all the fighting and arguing and bureaucracy anymore. He really just seems like he wants to support and take care of Guillermo, but also won't allow himself to think too hard about what that means. Nor is he any good at it, not yet.

So... I think some of that was what I was aiming for in this fic. This strange need to be needed, and the way he feels like a failure (as a vampire, as a master, as a friend, as a wife, as a person in general) who is being rejected when Guillermo won't allow him to take care of him. Guillermo has needed to be aggressively self-reliant in the series thus far (something he even talks about in s4) and that's made him really guarded about accepting help from the others, especially Nandor. I mean... he's been burned before, and often.

But... I think Guillermo also fantasizes about the ability to truly be open with the others, especially Nandor, and that's kind of what vampirism has come to symbolize for him. Being a better, stronger, more powerful version of his current self. Becoming a version of himself that won't need to lie about who he is anymore -- because he'll finally be a version of himself that's enough for the others and for himself. They'll respect him, he'll respect himself, and he'll finally get the love and acceptance he's always wanted. He won't have to lie anymore, because he'll be confident in who he is. His reality will finally be better than the web of lies and half-truths he's constructed.

Like... he won't even have to lie to himself anymore. And won't that be lovely?

But then he finds out he can't be a vampire, will never be a vampire, and is in fact the direct opposite of a vampire. Vampires will hate him and reject him and fear him, and so of course, Guillermo hates, rejects, and fears himself. He's always built up this Perfect Vampiric Version of himself and has put his hopes in the love and acceptance he'll receive as that... so when he gets the opposite of that, that's the new vampiric version of himself he's struggling with.

And while Guillermo's dealing with all that loss of hope, Nandor's just becoming even more aggressive in his attempts to get through the shields Guillermo has constructed for himself. So as Guillermo's withdrawing even further, Nandor is trying even harder to get Guillermo let him in. They're both becoming frantic, in other words. lmao

It's funny... Guillermo's been creating all of these fantasies of being a person who can take while Nandor is slowly starting to fantasize about giving. Guillermo's never had power and Nandor is tired of having it. Guillermo's tired of being under Nandor (so to speak) and Nandor is equally tired of their power differential, but in the opposite direction. So they're both really struggling with the things they desire and how they've been granted but in this terrible, warped fashion. Guillermo is now strong enough to take anything he wants, and Nandor is now in a unique position to offer Guillermo what he needs. But there's this terrible danger associated with it, and there could be unimaginable consequences.

Guillermo... briefly and occasionally grapples with the consequences of his actions, you know? He has the capacity for guilt and self-loathing and loneliness, even if he typically refuses to let himself think about it. I think Derek in particular has always been a trigger for that. So by having him outright kill and eat him in the service of this new quest for power (sorry Derek, RIP, I felt really bad about it) I think that was a way to traumatize him so badly that he had trouble feeling anything but guilt and self-loathing and loneliness.

idk man I guess I just really wanted to traumatize them both in one fell swoop. lmao

I suppose... in the end, what I was going for here was the disruption of the roles they've made for themselves and a perversion of the fantasies they clearly have for themselves and each other. I wanted to write about taking vs giving and consuming vs being consumed and how being devoured can feel good, maybe, if it means that you finally feel worthy of being consumed. And maybe devouring can feel good if it's in a safe space where you know your appetite can't hurt the people you love.

It's an exchange, y'know? And one that can only be done with consent, if consent that Nandor uhhhhhh really had to push for. lmao

In the end, I wanted the emotional release of the fic to be not the realizations of love or the kiss or the sex but actually that moment just afterward when Guillermo finally consents to Nandor literally and metaphorically supporting him. It's that moment when he finally realizes that he doesn't have to carry all this anymore, all his hopes and dreams and fears and the trauma that he's been struggling to deal with himself. He doesn't have to keep hiding who and what he is because Nandor wanted all of him, even the parts that scared him.

I wanted it to be the crying that was the real emotional release for the reader, just like it was for the two of them. Guillermo finally opening up, Nandor finally being allowed to come in, and that tension between them finally breaking.

Did I succeed... idk. I mean, being honest with you, I'm still not entirely satisfied with what I wrote. I've been toying with writing this since Christmas-ish and I finally just kind of. Sat down and wrote it. I've been struggling with a lot of issues re: writing (partially due to physical health issues, partially due to personal stuff, probably) and... idk. I guess I'm just happy I managed to complete something, even if I'm not sure that it's up to my usual standard.

Maybe I'll come around to it. Sometimes I do. Sometimes you have to let the idealized perfect version of something in your head go a little fuzzy before you can appreciate the imperfect version of it that you actually managed to finish. But all of y'all never saw the version of it that was in my head, so hopefully you're happy with the only version of this particular fic that you'll ever see. lmao

tbh I could write a long post like this for every fic I've ever written, but I try not to get too bad about it. lmao. But this time I decided to indulge myself a little and write more about the ideas I wanted to toy with while writing. Maybe I'll write more about them later. idk.

At any rate, the next thing I post will probably be a somewhat similar nandermo fic. It's wrestling with a similar central question (what will Guillermo be if he can't be a vampire?) but it goes in a very different and deeply self-indulgent direction. Will you all like it? Hell if I know. But I'm going back to my love for academia, primary sources, extreme codependency, and fucking in the stacks.

(No, My University, I never actually fucked in the stacks. But don't test me.)

I wrote the first 10-15k of it before s4 started, and I put it aside when it became immediately clear that things had gone in a very different direction, but... It still has a lot of ideas I like, and I think I'm ready to go back to it and write a What If? situation that should be a lot of fun.

as always, thanks for indulging me. haha

#writing liveblogging #wwdits tag #wwdits meta #nandermo tag

[incognito-lionbeast]

SJ Returns!AU thoughts & additional story – RE: Yue Qingyuan (ft. Shen Jiu) [Master Post] -------------------

Which was to say, there was much to unpack. Shen Jiu’s return, the fact that he was here and willing to talk to him was nothing short of a miracle. Yet, there were some very complicated feelings to go along with that, and not just about their shared history, either. Because, if he accepted that this young man was the real Shen Jiu (and he did), then… if Yue Qingyuan was truly honest with himself, he wasn’t all that surprised that Shen Qingqiu was someone else. Amnesia from a qi deviation could account for memory loss, but there were things that never made sense no matter how he hoped otherwise.

A good example came from around the time of Tianlang-Jun’s invasion and the knowledge “Shen Qingqiu” had regarding the subject. Inexplicably. Yet, then and even still now, Yue Qingyuan chose trust and acceptance. While he didn’t regret that trust, he couldn’t help feeling a little foolish, knowing that he’d so desperately held onto the hope that Shen Qingqiu was still the same… even with evidence against it. He wanted to believe in the small chance that Shen Qingqiu might suddenly remember. Perhaps his confession on Maigu Ridge was as much a dying man’s desperation as it was confirmation that Shen Jiu was well and truly gone.

But he was there now. 

So where did that leave the soul Yue Qingyuan had known for the past dozen years?

He couldn’t help feeling sincere affection for Shen (Yuan) Qingqiu. Even if he wasn’t the man he’d been pretending to be all these years, even if perhaps some of that was misplaced affection for the Original. Shen Qingqiu, by his own merit, was an extraordinarily loyal and caring man, he thought. Perhaps just as extraordinarily flawed, but who was he to judge? Some might argue that he ought to judge a little, but Yue Qingyuan didn’t have the heart. Though, as Sect Leader, he had to take this seriously, too. An imposter had been living among them for over a decade, and no matter how much he liked them… well, at the very least, Yue Qingyuan needed answers. 

It wasn’t a possession insofar as any conventional means could detect. So what then? Shen Jiu seemed to be in a similar position, but neither could he explain the details. Well, only time would tell.

The time between Shen Jiu’s arrival and the confrontation with Shen Qingqiu was both indescribably long and far too short. Explaining everything that happened in Shen Jiu’s absence was a horribly awkward task; though at least Shen Jiu could recount some of it on his own, if partially through the lens of rumour and hearsay (also, as far as Shen Jiu was concerned, confirmation that Shen Qingqiu & Luo Binghe had married was enough on that subject). On the other hand, Shen Jiu’s account of his own life… 

Yue Qingyuan felt privileged that he was willing to share anything at all. Based on what precious scraps of information Shen Jiu volunteered, his second try sounded far more kind. If anything, he seemed the most put-out that he’d had to suffer being a child again. Yet, in exchange, certain opportunities had been returned to him. So, he came back.

It eased Yue Qingyuan’s heart some.

(If I’m vague about Shen Jiu’s experiences, it’s because I haven’t fully determined what they are yet. I’ve tossed around a few ideas—including one where Qiu Haitang is the person who finds/takes care of freshly-transmigrated Shen Jiu. Which is very tempting, but would require considerable thought & development to make work.)

In any case, as the day of Shen Qingqiu’s visit drew nearer, Yue Qingyuan wasn’t any more certain of how he ought to feel. Shen Jiu asserted firmly that he didn’t want his old body back, which made things a little easier… suppose… Yet, he couldn’t help experiencing a twinge of sadness at how vehemently Shen Jiu insisted — how repulsed he was by his own flesh and blood. And, by extension, the shared memories attached to it. Perhaps his soul mattered most, but it was a wistful sort of emotion that pricked like thorns. Yue Qingyuan could only accept and try to hide his complicated expression.

Xiao Jiu willing, perhaps they’d make new memories. He placated himself with the thought (though don’t let Shen Jiu know he’d used that name again), mulling over what it would take… and what’s more, how he was to go about forgiving himself like Shen Jiu insisted. There were still things he needed to explain— like what he’d told Shen Qingqiu that day at Maigu Ridge, for starters. Hopefully, he’d be able to speak of it a second time without nearly dying first, but either way that was a topic for the future. Probably. Shen Jiu hadn’t actually asked about it yet. Maybe he wouldn’t. Maybe Yue Qingyuan needed to stop trying to desperately make up for the years spent apart and slow down. That was probably true.

So, as an aside–

Shen Jiu spent the first night back at Cang Qiong mountain completely unable to sleep. The next few nights, he managed somehow, sitting with his back toward the wall in a corner of Yue Qingyuan’s room. They’d agreed to wait on sending him to the disciples’ quarters ‘til after they settled things with Shen Qingqiu. So, he’d been reading. Adjusting to being back. Yue Qingyuan didn’t mind the company; it wasn’t as if they’d never shared a room before. Yet, it was on those final two nights before the confrontation that Shen Jiu surprised him. He’d thus far denied the use of a bed—any bed; and yet, when Yue Qingyuan returned from a very long day of being Sect Leader, he found Shen Jiu both times laid crumpled up on his side in his bed, fast asleep.

If it weren’t for a nagging sense of propriety, Yue Qingyuan might have joined him.

#SJ AU #I really need to go back & tag the others #Shen Jiu #Yue Qingyuan #SVSSS #Bay babbles #bay scribbles #I think this counts as fic atp

[sharpen-your-hatchet]

Old Wounds - Chapter 7, Wenclair fic

Description: Now aged 22, Wednesday Addams is an up-and-coming author. Her time at Nevermore is well behind her, and she is alone, and that suits her just fine...But when a 'new' neighbour shows up in her apartment building, she'll truly be tested on whether her "bad habit" of caring truly has been broken. (Hint: It hasn't.)  

Pairing: Wednesday Addams / Enid Sinclair

Rating: Teens & Up (subject to change in future)

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Click Here To Read This Chapter On AO3 or keep reading below!

x-x-x-x-x

The time is 10:30am. 

Wednesday finds herself in the coffee bar, sat across from Enid.

Following their phone conversation, they texted briefly and Wednesday found herself opening up more to the idea of this meeting. Whilst she continues to flip back-and-forth on her desire to pursue anything to do with Enid, she knows her mind will eat away at itself until some speck of curiosity can be satiated. 

As such, being in this coffee bar isn’t the worst possible thing that could be happening right now… Granted, between the stares and whispers from the staff, alongside the incessant buzz of her own brain, Wednesday is still working through what exactly she is supposed to be feeling right now. 

She's never been particularly invested in processing her emotions, but apparently these last few days means she actually has to stare them in the face for once. 

It's more tiresome than she will admit. Not that she'd admit to having emotions in the first place. 

It’s becoming increasingly apparent too, that Enid is like an electric fence that she cannot stop herself from approaching - The electricity stings like nothing else, but her hand remains wrapped around that barbed wire regardless.

So Wednesday truly finds herself in a conundrum: to have been content with perpetual emptiness whilst awaiting a gentle lul into insanity… only to violently and unexpectedly have that void infested, like ivy taking root in an abandoned building, giving it a new lease of life. 

It is disturbing to say the least… but Wednesday concludes this crowded coffee bar perhaps isn’t the place for giving herself grandiose psychological assessments.

Thus Wednesday drags herself from her thoughts, sips at her coffee, and decides it’s easier if she tries to play along. She listens to Enid speak, offering minimal replies, all the while glaring at the baristas who have been peeping at them. It seems to scare them. Good. Wednesday is at least glad her reputation still precedes her. 

Enid is unaware of these silent interactions as she chatters away. Despite what the pleading on the phone had Wednesday believe, in person Enid seems brighter and bolder than Wednesday could ever remember. She seems more confident now.  Whilst Wednesday still cannot abide by her cutesy pastel clothing and finds the aura of good vibes xoxo a tad overwhelming, she quietly admits to herself that it is a good thing for Enid to be sure of herself finally. 

Wednesday meets Enid’s gaze again, and nods politely as Enid continues to detail her life over the last four years. There’s a few highlights that Wednesday makes note of: Various boyfriends and girlfriends, jobs, an unnecessarily extended anecdote about her first tattoo… It all seems like standard young adult life stuff with the exception of one thing. Enid is a werewolf and there hasn’t been a single mention of her family; her wolfpack. 

Knowing Enid is away from her pack struck Wednesday as odd prior, but her not mentioning them at all? Something isn’t right.

And it’s not that Wednesday cares. She’s just… curious. Werewolves are fiercely loyal beings so what makes Enid so different? Wednesday intends to find out. 

“- What about you, Wednesday?” Enid asks, smiling, “I’ve just talked about my life for the last 20 minutes. I wanna hear about you!” 

Wednesday stares blankly at Enid. She drinks from her cup again. Part of her neglected to remember that hanging out would require her to speak about herself also. 

“...What would you like to know?” 

Enid gestures vaguely, “Anything! You’re Wednesday Addams, you’ve always got something either incredibly terrifying or interesting to say. Back at Nevermore, your vibes were always scary, but in a cool kinda way, y’know?” 

Wednesday’s eyebrows twitch upwards slightly: A barely perceptible emote by all accounts, but perhaps one of Wednesday’s only tells when she’s experiencing anything vaguely positive… and damn it, Enid did flatter her with that one. It’s enough to make her take pause for a second and realise she might have not entirely hated it. 

But with everything else she’s currently processing, Wednesday takes it for what it is. She really doesn’t want to think about it any further… but she’s perhaps made a mental note about it for later, anyway. 

“Well, the last four years have been adequate.” She begins, speaking plainly, “This miserable city suits me. It bleeds the hearts of most people who live here, whilst also giving me the opportunity to bleed other things of the people who foolishly pester me during my late night walks whilst I look for writing inspiration… Also, my family is well. Pugsley’s limbs are still fully intact for now, and-” 

“-What about Thing?” Enid interjects. She seems entirely unphased by Wednesday’s blasé mention of violence. A younger Enid may have felt faint at the mention, but it seems she’s grown past her hematophobic ways. How intriguing. 

Wednesday takes another sip from her coffee. 

“Thing is doing well. He still paints his nails.” 

Enid grins at the answer, clearly delighted by the news. Wednesday offers a slight softening of her gaze in return - Another subtle expression; not a smile by any means, but the mildest appreciation that Enid still holds Thing in high regard. It’s what he deserves. 

“God, sorry I interrupted you…” Enid sighs with a slight shake of her head,  “Tell me more about your writing!” She requests, picking up her own drink (A large vanilla oat milk latte, with extra syrup) and taking a happy little gulp, giving Wednesday centre stage once more. 

Wednesday continues, “My foray into the world of literature is something I have worked towards for many years. I have two books published and I’m working on the third. Though, I write under a pseudonym - I refuse to expose my own name to the idiocies of fandom.” 

Enid nods with a knowing smile, “Smart.” 

There’s a pause. 

“So, what’s the pseudonym?” 

Wednesday’s expression drops into a glare.

“That is for me to know, and for no one else to seek unless they wish to end up in a very painful position.” 

Enid smirks. She throws her hands up in defeat.

“Alright alright, I won’t dig for deets.” 

“Thank you.” Wednesday replies curtly. 

It’s still a lot. The way that this is all happening. 

Wednesday is feeling conflicted. Enid is painfully easy to talk to, but Wednesday still finds herself on a razor’s edge. She is unsure of whether she really should be here, humouring Enid’s desire for companionship. Wednesday knows that ultimately she is a poor companion for anyone, but between her curiosity and her thoughts that polarise themselves constantly, she is stuck between staying and leaving - And evidently opting for the former. 

Then there’s all the unanswered questions that they’re yet to ask... Do they create more openings for conversations, or does it invite distrust? 

Despite these considerations, Wednesday has to admit to herself, she's having a more-than-bearable-time. She won’t commit to enjoying herself (impossible, frankly), but she will privately concede it could be a lot worse. 

It seems Enid notices Wednesday lost in thought. She gently waves her hand, offering a soft “Hey… everything okay over there?” 

Wednesday stiffens. 

“Yes. I’m fine.” 

“I mean, it’s totally cool if you’re feeling weird about this.” Enid says, shrugging, “I kinda am too.” 

Wednesday’s eyes dart down to the table, focusing on the steam that rises from her remaining coffee. Is she really so easy to read? 

“If you must know Enid, I find it difficult to believe you would want to speak to me after all these years… and frankly, I find it even more difficult to consider that I want to speak to you in return.” Wednesday states. 

It comes across way colder than she intends. It’s almost vicious,  and although Enid seems perplexed for a second, there’s not a single moment where she seems to think negatively about the comment. It’s as if she expected it. 

“I think that’s something for us to talk about later…” She muses, “If I’m being real with you, it’s just nice to have you- I mean, to have someone familiar around.” 

Wednesday keeps staring at the table. 

For a moment, Enid looks as though she’s going to say something more. Her mouth hangs open before she pulls her face into a smile, losing the words to nothing more than a contented sigh. Wednesday only catches it out of the corner of her eye. When she finally looks back up at Enid, the other woman is pulling the coffee mug to her lips again, gulping down the last of her latte. 

Wednesday gives a slow, thoughtful nod, and says “Yes, I suppose it will be useful knowing a competent person is around in case of danger.” 

Wednesday isn’t about to say she’s glad Enid is here. She’s still figuring out if she wants Enid around at all… So, saying her presence is maybe useful is all she can offer. Wednesday trusts that Enid understands. 

And seemingly, she does. 

“Of course.” Comes Enid reply with an empathetic expression. 

Now, Wednesday doesn’t consider herself a believer in deities… but the way that Enid’s phone suddenly starts to blow up with notifications and the consequential breaking of the strangely tense air is something Wednesday could almost thank God for. Almost. 

Enid's phone is going crazy, multiple texts blipping through in a matter of seconds, followed by phone call that cancels itself only a moment later. A cry for attention, clearly. 

Enid scrambles to pick up the device, rapidly brushing a finger along the screen, eyes widening by the second. She quickly types some messages out, sighing as she does.

“Shit sorry,” She mumbles, “It’s my job… It was supposed to be my day off.” 

“Then they shouldn’t be contacting you.” Wednesday replies indignantly. 

Enid sighs again. She drops the phone onto the table and massages her temple with her now-free hand. Wednesday finds it strange to see her so worked up. 

"I think… I think I have to go." Enid says dejectedly, "I'm really sorry to cut our hangout short…" 

Wednesday downs the last of her coffee.

"It's fine. I just finished anyway." 

"I'll make it up to you, promise." Enid offers. She frantically gets out of her seat, pulling her jacket around her shoulders, giving Wednesday a pained look, "This is such a shitty way to end our hangout, but I will text you, okay?" 

Wednesday nods. 

Enid gives a sad smile, and then rushes out the door. 

And just like that… Wednesday is alone again. 

She lets her expression neutralise, allowing herself to finally decompress after that wealth of socialising. There's a lot running through her head, to the point she feels the need to lay down somewhere dark and dingy for a few hours; let the darkness seep back into her bones.

Wednesday studies the space that Enid occupied… and despite all the conflictory thoughts, there's part of her that strongly wishes the blonde was still there, smiling away. 

And that thought alone… Is Terrifying.

#Wednesday #Wednesday Netflix #Wenclair #Wednesday Addams #Enid Sinclair #Fanfic #AO3 #Merry (late) Christmas have some fanfic #or Happy Holidays if you don't celebrate <3

[kittyandco]

If your OC was made royal (or is royal) how would they use their power? Are they a good leader or bad? Do their subjects like them or is it ‘off with their head’? Do they enjoy being royal?

For any one you want to answer for-! ( @aricka-and-her-fictional-others )

thank you!!! 🥺

so my mind goes to my frozen s/i immediately! she was born a princess, but like hans she never had much actual power. she's always seen her role as pretty useless, so she would abandon her responsibilities pretty often. but she wanted to keep her family satisfied enough with her... it wasn't until she got older and was ready to leave it all behind that she began to really speak her mind and act on her own accord. (at the expense of her betrothal to hans, too.)

eventually she's promoted to queen thanks to hans, but again... this is his operation, not hers. all she wanted was a life with him, everything else was secondary. she wants to be a good leader, she cares about others generally (unlike hans) but her desires aren't so selfless... like hans, she's in it for personal satisfaction, which is a lasting love with hans. it doesn't benefit their people at all. i don't think hans is like some cartoonishly tyrannical king, but his moral compass is a bit wonky, and his only example was his father, who oversaw a lot of questionable operations in the southern isles. like in canon, his schemes are just that: sly and underhanded. bring his victims in, gain their trust, and pull the rug out from under them (hot 😻)

still, i believe that hans swore long ago that he would never become like his father or his brothers; he wanted to be better. in his mind, this doesn't mean ethically better, but doing the exact same things his father would do is in bad taste to him. reminds him too much of that era of his life, and i remind him of that. i don't want to be reminded of it either

UNLESS he legitimately believes it's justified. and again, he mainly wanted this position because of the pain related to his family. he wants to upstage them, he wants to overcome them. so i think he makes very brash decisions toward the southern isles to punish them. he also finesses other kingdoms that we make alliances with to build our wealth and influence (mostly as an ego trip).

on the other hand, kitty is fine with her royalty now because she has hans, no strings attached, no gods or masters. she just wanted him... and a little bit of freedom. i'm sure she would try to guide hans' decisions, and he does respect her perspective. but he's had this grand idea in his head for years. it will take a bit of convincing.

anyway, the people of arendelle like me a lot! they see me as quiet, but intelligent. "lovely" is the word they usually use. and that i'm a great fit for hans. very loyal to him. also, they are fully convinced that hans did the right thing, given that he bolstered the idea of elsa's malevolent witchcraft being a lasting threat to them. she wasn't fit to be their queen, and he had already gained their trust while anna went to look for her before. he's charming and attentive to everyone (except perhaps certain officials where he has to stand his ground and maintain a stoic character). they remember him out there helping them while their kingdom froze, and now, likely forever grateful and seeing him as a legendary figure, they believe that he saved them from an eternal winter --

༓･*.☽25 OC QUESTIONS☾.*･༓

#asks #ME WRITING THIS ESSAY INSTEAD OF THE ONE THAT'S DUE FRIDAY #PLEASE INDULGE ME GUYS #💕 love is an open door

[spynorth]

░ BASICS .

NAME. ░ Johnathan James Bateman NICKNAME / ALIAS. ░ Lucas North AGE. ░ 39 CURRENT RESIDENCE. ░ London, England SPECIES. ░ Human GENDER. ░ Male PRONOUNS. ░ He/Him ORIENTATION. ░ Bisexual ETHNICITY. ░ Caucasian PROFESSION. ░ professional liar. but also, MI5 agent. EDUCATION. ░ university drop out (had been studying math and philosophy) ALIGNMENT. ░ True Neutral ZODIAC SIGN. ░ Scorpio  SPOKEN LANGUAGES. ░ Fluent in English and Russian. Knows bits of Latin and Spanish. PARENTS. ░ Paul and Christine Bateman SIBLINGS. ░ None.  SIGNIFICANT OTHER. ░ Aurora Phillips CHILDREN. ░ Of his own? None. But he got a few killed, once. PETS. ░  Aurora’s cat is finally warming up to him and there were those few weeks where Rembrandt the duck was his flatmate. ░ PHYSICAL .

FACE CLAIM. ░ Richard Armitage HAIR COLOR. ░ Brown, almost appears black EYE COLOR. ░ Blue HEIGHT. ░ 6′3″ MEDICAL CONDITIONS. ░ None.

░ PERSONALITY / OTHER .

HOBBIES. ░ Reading. Saving London. Bad telly at 3am. The usual.    POSITIVE TRAITS. ░ Intelligent, charming, funny, ambitious NEGATIVE TRAITS. ░ Sarcastic, loyal to himself, judgmental, stubborn, pathological liar. LIKES. ░   Aurora. Coffee. Chess. Occasional videogames. Classic movies. DISLIKES. ░ Feeling insignificant, disorder, losing, being outwitted FEARS. ░  Flying, being found out, losing those he loves through his own careless actions. FAVORITE MOVIE. ░ It used to be A Clockwork Orange. Now, Keanu Reeve’s Constantine. It was on tv the first night he was back in England and couldn’t sleep in the safe house they had assigned him. The whole escape from hell thing really struck a chord.  FAVORITE TV SHOW. ░ He’s not much for mindless television, so he’ll usually watch whatever the other person wants to watch. he trusts their judgment. SMELLS LIKE. ░ soap, bay rum. WHAT’S IN THEIR BAG. ░ what bag??? WHAT DO THEY DO TO UNWIND. ░ read. sketch out tattoos. text aurora.

░ DETAILED BIOGRAPHY .

Johnathan James Bateman was born to Paul and Christine Bateman on November 3, 1982 in the village of Abbotsbury in England. An only child, John was quick and clever, had an affinity for learning when the subject matter suited him and was just as fond of books as he was tumbling about with friends in the outdoors. He had an affinity for dismissing things that didn’t concern him or seemed otherwise unimportant, often ignoring the feelings of friends or family when they conflicted with his ideas on what should be done. If he had been asked, John would have described himself as pragmatic and open, while others would have mostly agreed. He was a trustworthy friend, always good for a laugh and if anyone ever noticed that conflicts always ended in his favor .. it was never mentioned. John had a way about him that left other boys and girls alike competing for his attention - everyone wanted to be someone worthy of having been noticed by the charming, charismatic leader of their sleepy town. As he entered his teenage years, the fact that others seemed so interested in his company was something that he took more and more notice of, learning how to use it to his advantage in subtle ways. Where he once would have trod after his father to one of his many job sites in order to help, he began making excuses, telling Paul that he was tired or had a lot of studying to do - anything that would get him off the hook, so to speak. He began showing signs of careful planning. Making subtle moves that would culminate in a fruition of him getting what he was after days or even weeks down the road. He was methodical, a planner, and he was not afraid to do what must be done in order to justify things for his own reasons. 

#me looking at john's background info like ... nice. #* headcanon. betrayal is a cancer. let it eat your soul. not mine.