#there’s almost no fan content however. i’d like to change that

[biibini]

nsfw modern!mizu headcannons

a/n: i cannot contain the voices anymore. also 100+ likes on last headcannon???? holy shi i love u all

if u guys have any modern!mizu ideas, feel free to send them over! i’d love to read them all <3

nsfw 18+ content ahead!

oh boy where do i begin

modern!mizu wants u to use ur words

typically for safety as well as to get a rise out of u

she always reminds u of the safe word before anything happens

every time like clockwork

u tease her a few times ab how it’s like a script

she wants both of u to have fun while sticking to ur comfort zones

(always use a safeword 🫶)

besides safety, she loves it when u become vocal

whether it’s a simple stutter or moan slipping out, she loves to hear noises come out of her girl

when u two are making out, if a moan slips out between ur lips, she can read u so easily

modern!mizu is also vocal herself

hello? episode 5???

it would probably be a mix of moans and praise to u

she loves seeing ur reaction every time she praises u

ur reactions are almost like a drug to her

seeing ur mouth turn to an ‘o’ or any sudden changes in ur breathing are the little things that make her keep praising u

if the reaction is u getting more soaking wet, she gets so turn on

however if u go down on her, she would be rambling on and on ab how good ur doing

it would all turn into mush and she would eventually fold

finding herself trying to continue the praising but end up saying incoherent words, moaning under ur touch

speaking of wet

modern!mizu is always a little surprised with how wet u can get under her touch

it rlly turns her on so much

whether it’s her lips kissing and leaving dark red marks on ur sensitive neck

or light squeezes her fingers would make as she massages the outer part of ur thighs

her hands slowly inching towards the softer, inner section

once she starts inching closer to ur wet mess, she likes to keep u close by hooking her arms around ur thighs

she can make sure she can see u in full view

and totally not let u escape

ur not escaping from those arms

(yes ive stated this in the last headcannon but cmon its so good)

it always leaves u in a moaning mess

and her with ur juices all over her mouth and chin and her fingers too

if it’s just her hands moving, she’ll constantly remind u to loosen up ur legs so they stay open

“Y/N, I’m still here hon.” She chuckled, tapping the inside of ur thigh. You nod, letting go of ur legs and opening up. This was her third time reminding you tonight.

You take a peek at her work, looking down as her middle and ring finger continue to enter your insides at a slow pace. Mizu’s attention shifted from you down to her work, searching for your most sensitive spot. Her fingers start to pull out from your throbbing walls again, entering you in one deep thrust.

“Mizu!” You yelp. Only a hum comes out of Mizu as she continues to push her fingers in and out of your gushing mess. Your juices continue to cover her two digits as they pump at a faster pace, hitting deeper in ur core.

modern!mizu would never admit it to u but it would be so easy for her to get off to the sound of ur voice

when u had an out-of-state summer internship, she was excited for ur new adventures

however, both of u failed to realize how lonely the summer would be (horny wise)

she tried to stay patient by keeping herself busy at home with eiji or at the gym while u were at ur internship during the day

she would always get reminders of u whenever she looked at ur phone or the plushie u won on one of ur dates

during the night was more difficult with an empty bed

she thought she could stay patient

keyword: thought

she was on edge for most of the 6 weeks you were gone and nearly threw a basketball at taigen

whenever u guys would call at the end of the week to catch up, she was thankful every week that u werent sharing a room with anyone

it was ur first time trying out phone sex at the end of ur first week

u became a very big fan.

hearing mizu guide u with her voice, almost shaky from how much she’s been holding back this week

on the last week, she was running out of patience and being more dominant than usual

typically during sex, u would hear a lot of praise from her end of the line

but this week, she edged the line of degradation

it was rlly fucking hot

“S’good for me, baby.”

“Pump those fingers faster, like how I would.”

You were a sweaty mess, lying on your bed on one of the final nights in the city. Lights off, your phone was lying next to you, deep into an 25 minute call turned phone sex with Mizu. Your fingers were pleasuring you, trying to remember the rhythm of your lover from back home.

Sticking to Mizu’s words, you began to move your fingers faster. Your pussy was dripping wet, still remembering the vague feeling of Mizu’s long, slender fingers. She was able to push inside you much deeper. Your core starts to remember the similar pace, pleasure rising in you.

On the other hand, your mind replaces your current situation as if Mizu was physically next to you. One hand caressing your cheek while the other was exploring deep inside you. Her body above you, her blue eyes almost glowing in the moonlight.

“M-Mizu…” You let out loud, your phone barely catching your voice. Eyes closed, you were trying to focus on your imagination.

“Y/N…” Mizu said, nearly whispering into her phone. She knew her dad could knock out but the walls at home were thin.

Mizu could only hear faint moans and whimpers from her end as she was using a toy you used on her a few times.

As she got closer, she started to turn up the volume. But it did little to no change as your melody continued to pour out.

“Baby I’m getting close. What about you?”

Only a whimper arose out of her phone. You were way too into your recreation to recognize Mizu asking a question.

“Baby?”

“Mmhmm…”

“Are you trying to remember my fingers again?”

“Yes.” You stuttered out. You could barely speak as you fastened your pace, feeling a familiar warmth build up.

“My baby misses me- ah- so much hm?” Mizu said, fastening her pace as well, trying to match your pleasure levels.

Louder moans only came out of your mouth. You could feel your fingers get tightened more and more, your insides getting ready to spasm out.

“Fuck- my Y/N fucking herself on her fingers? My little slut.”

Hearing her call you her little slut was your breaking point. Your insides start to spasm and lose control of your imagination. Your hips bucking & grinding into your fingers, still pumping into you with little energy you had.

All Mizu could hear from her phone was your cries, moans, and your voice continuously crying her name out loud. She quickly finished as you cried her name one last time, panting into the phone.

#bes mizu #mizu bes #mizu blue eye samurai #mizu x reader #blue eye samurai #blue eye samurai mizu #headcanon #mizu headcanons #mizu x y/n #mizu x you #blue eye samurai x you #blue eye samurai x reader #mizu x reader smut #smut #blue eye samurai smut

[dentos-wife]

Tokyo Mew Mew New is done and what are my thoughts? I think it’s better than the original and I LOVE the original, it’s one of my favorite magical girl shows and introduced me to the genre. I also rewatched it while this was airing to get a better feel on the simulators and differences

Almost every single problem I had with the original has been addressed in New

The mews were more characters then the stereotypes they were in the 2002 show, Mint and Ichigo especially. Lettuce got some of very concrete development along with Mint who reached her goal. The ending felt more solid to me. Masaya finally was the character he was meant to be and what a difference! It’s amazing how bad the 2002 anime did him seeing this.

More detailed and in depth analysis under the cut but if tldr

In almost everything so let’s get to it

-I fully admit I didn’t like Ryo in the OG he felt like he took screen time solely to make a love triangle. Could have focused more on how he felt about the other girls, the project, his goal. They did that. Here Ryo took responsibility for his actions and felt guilt over putting the girls in this mess becoming more than part of a love triangle (and even that was toned down a lot) which is ironic because yes he did get less focus and I would understand why Ryo fans would prefer the OG don’t blame them at all especially if they’re shippers. He got a lot more content in 2002. But I finally got what I wanted from him; responsibility

-Zakuro of all the girls got the shaft for sure I wanted to see her past like the rest but the more equal footing with Mint? Good shit, I love equal ground in things and they finally sold me on Zakumint too. In 2002 it just felt like unhealthy idolization on Mint’s end. I like how Zakuro loves and cares about her friends too and even wanted them in the video with her to show the real her. It's no longer just Mint idolizing her while she does her own thing, she feels connected to Mint too. And I LOVED how Mint was her reason for joining. They were cowards for not canonizing Zakumint after all this because it was 100% the parallel to Ichisaya

-Speaking of Mint while I do like the environmental push they gave her in this one I do miss the ballet aspect and imo her transformation was nerfed probably the one one I'd say worse then 2002 but I would throw that away any day for the character she was in this compared to the rich rude stereotype she was in 2002, very 90’s. She was of course friends with the Mews there but she actually felt closer to this group compared to how she used to be. However she was also one of the biggest character changes so if you really liked 2002 Mint I can see you not liking the Mint she is here, I’d say the most striking character change of the girls from 2002 is her.

-Lettuce! I adored how she picked up on the emotions of Deep Blue and how she had her little romance arc that was meant more for growing her character and left her open ended, don’t get me wrong I now like Ryo with her, good job New, but the point was show her growing confidence. Along with her going back to the museum and her episode there about alien society in the past I loved it all.

-Pudding and Tart felt the most similar to their og selves so I don’t have much to say on them they cute though

-Pai also felt the most similar up his og and then the ending took a turn; that put him too above og Pie for me, liked that a lot more then killing Tart then sacking himself. His whole life was dedicated to restoring his planet. He was told Deep Blue was the one to do that. And then Deep Blue who he put all his hopes on changed his mind it’s very easy to see why he acted the way he did. And it was a really neat parallel to Ichigo snapping and turning on her friends when Deep Blue first appears. Deep Blue just brings the worst out of you huh? No wonder he was seen as some kind of god.

-And even Deep Blue! At first I was miffed he wasn’t a psychopath and just kind of there while Ichigo had her own mental battle but when you find out why…he’s just a normal guy er alien. Yeah he doesn’t like humanity and blames them for destroying the planet but that’s it. He’s not out to get ultimate power or anything like that he just feels at war with humanity and wants his home back for his people. But through Masaya experienced the same feelings and thoughts resonating with Ichigo’s emotions on how things could change and shockingly seemed willing to work things out. Which probably would have ended with dying to release the Mew Aqua anyway but…Pie sped the process up. And I loved this I loved there was actually no true big bad it’s very different from even the manga but the true evil is selfishness toward the environment, cherish the planet work to protect it; all planets.

-Mayasa is my new second favorite character (Twas originally Zakuro but now she's 3rd), but others have said better so I’ll just say 2002’s main issue was taking away his character he’s a huge multi dimensional character all with reasons for how he is but because this was the early 2000’s and following on tropes he was just the typical “pretty boy” love interest, to parallel Ryo being the typical “bad boy” love interest. And it’s a goddamn shame, I enjoyed him in the manga but seeing him in motion really allows you to get into him and see him for who he is. Dislike is fine but if you still hate Masaya after this and call him bland bread and boring (I lived through the 2002 fandom I know) when he’s gone beyond that; you’re probably a bitter shipper and should try to see beyond that. Also this face was gold

-Ichigo my fav my beloved! Had an arc! Before she was your typical magical girl protag and there’s nothing wrong with that she’s a cute cat girl; what more do you need? She was still very much a duo with Masaya so if you don’t like that that didn’t change. What did though was her growing into becoming a Mew Mew finally deciding she was happy it happened then turning to wanting to be useful wanting to find out her future while everyone else around her figured it out. And her answer? She doesn’t know and that okay there’s things she wants to do, lots of ideas she has on everything she wants to accomplish but she hasn't picked yet

She even gained two more ideas at the very end

But she has time to decide on all of them because:

That’s a really good and wholesome message. If we do get a adaptation of ala mode since she stuck around I could see her mentoring Berry now while still working on figuring out her future. It's a more subtle form of development then say Lettuce or even Mint but it's there and appreciated.

Okay that was all I liked, now for what I didn’t.

-The pacing did suffer a bit a times like Ryo’s backstory feeling rushed or Pudding and Tart feeling like enemies to lovers on crack with so few episodes with more it could have been drawn out longer for sure. But really most of my issues could be fixed with more episodes

-There’s also the idol segments normally it was fine but it really took me out in Puddings episode

-I still don’t like Kish, if you like him more power to you I have no idea how you feel about this version but it’s been three iterations now and he still gets on my nerves; sorry Kish. The one thing I wanted was why he likes Ichigo and still don’t know that maybe if he didn’t start out liking her immediately? Dunno but he’s the only one my feelings didn’t change on at all, so felt like I had to note it. I do think if you ship Kishigo you're going to prefer the 2002 no epic scream in this one

-Cat Ichigo was cuter in the 2002 (this is a nitpick)

Anyway! Just because something is a classic doesn’t automatically mean it’s better all the time. I keep hearing how the classic is untouchable and…it was an anime made to sell toys, I hope you don’t think OS Pokémon is the greatest thing ever too lol. It’s just a different take from a different time this isn’t like comparing a soulless Disney remake. This was made both with and as a tribute to Mia Ikumi and I think it shows.

All are good but as for me if I’m ever introducing a friend to tmm this is going to be my go to

Red haired Mew Ichigo will be my choice every time.

#Tokyo Mew Mew #Tokyo Mew Mew Mew #tokyo mew mew reboot #analysis #tmmn spoilers #you know since I talk about the whole thing #this is really long and rambly I don’t expect anyone to read this #but I had so many thoughts and emotions tm #hmm *looks at my image choices* maaaaybe I should do a full blown Ichigo analysis in the future #if you still prefer the 2002 and it's not a reason I hit on tell me why! I'd love to know

[sirianasims]

After that night, things slowly changed. Katherine would get up at dawn and go for a run before work. She got fitter and more confident, stopped seeking me out for reassurance.

We also welcomed Cooper into the family. His owner had come to the clinic, asking if I knew anyone who could take him in, and I’d immediately called Katherine to ask if we could keep him. She said yes, surprisingly. She was never a dog person.

Getting Cooper definitely helped me. After our night of rage, Katherine had been avoiding me. And while it was kind of a relief that she no longer tried to touch or even talk to me, it also made me even lonelier than before.

Katherine would be out jogging when I woke up, and I would run with Cooper late at night.

This way, she’d already be sleeping when I came back so I could have a drink and be alone with my thoughts before going to bed.

The clinic was going well. We were consistently making money, and I even considered getting rid of Lloyd and getting a nurse instead. His work wasn’t quite up to my high standards.

The seasons passed uneventfully. Katherine and I actually got along much better now that we no longer tried to make the relationship work. We made polite smalltalk, mostly about Freya or various household chores, and we rarely argued.

While Katherine and I grew further apart over the months, I became much closer to my daughter. It had started slowly, like when she was about eight months old, and I realised that her eyes had turned out green, exactly like my own. Shortly after Jamie and Athena’s wedding, she’d taken her first real steps and I was so proud I felt like my heart would burst.

The first time she called me “dada”, I cried.

The older she got, the more she looked and acted like me.

She was developing a nose that I recognised as mine – and my father’s. I would even see my mother in her features. She loved animals, especially Cooper, and could constantly be found hugging and petting him. It reminded me of the old pictures of Maggie and me on my parents’ walls.

In everything but our relationship, Katherine seemed to thrive. Her administrative talent and obvious intelligence had gotten her promoted to senior manager in no time, and she’d become interested in stocks and trading. She seemed mostly content.

On an average weeknight, we almost looked like a real, normal family. Things were fine. Not perfect, but I figured I could live like this.

I even made an effort to drink less. For Freya’s sake.

On family-oriented holidays like Harvestfest, however, the distance between us was especially noticeable. I hadn’t realised how much effort Katherine had been putting into our relationship until she simply stopped trying.

Freya was not a fan of awkward silences, though, and made sure the focus was on her whenever Katherine and I got too caught up in our own thoughts.

It was hard not to smile when she stirred up trouble only to then play innocent. Even Katherine would laugh at her antics.

It was impossible not to adore Freya, and I could barely remember why I had struggled so much in the first year or so.

What had been wrong with me? She was my daughter, she felt like a part of me.

Katherine and Kailani had become like sisters. I’d come home to find them chatting on the couch at least twice a week. We had tried having dinner with them a few times, but Colten and Kailani’s well-functioning relationship made me and Katherine look so much worse.

So instead Kailani came to our house, and sometimes she’d bring her own toddler, but Colten was usually home from work early to take care of both of their boys so she could come alone.

I always made a lot of noise coming in if I knew Kailani was there. I didn’t want to accidentally overhear Katherine complaining about me. I’m sure she did, based on how often she looked a bit guilty when I walked in.

But I was also glad that she had a friend to talk to. And whenever Kailani was here, it meant that Freya and I got to have dinner by ourselves.

In her eyes, at least, dada could do nothing wrong.

And I loved spending time alone with my biggest fan.

beginning / previous / next

#duchellilegacy #duchellichapters #duchelligen3 #eric duchelli #katherine gilscarbo #freya duchelli #kailani ward #freya must be protected at all costs #you hear me eric?

[solarwynd]

When armys used to talk about leftovers I used to roll my eyes because not liking a group when they change their musical direction is the most common thing just as I found myself annoyed by their hatred for multis - do you expect everyone to not listen to or to hate every other musical act just because they stan BTS?

However as someone who used to hardcore stan JK, I finally get the leftover part a little. I talk about him a little too much and it's because I used to stan him. I think its so much disappointing when someone you used to like becomes a poster boy of selling out. But I'm going to try to make a conscious effort to stop. It's just a bunch of negativity for no reason. Unfortunately pjms talk about JK a lot - mostly because jjks talk about Jimin - and the whole cycle keeps running. To some extent I appreciate the spite-inspo they provide pjms but at a certain point I want to open my twitter tl and not see fight after fight with every fandom on twitter and a bunch of ratkooks and maidkooks or pigmins or horsie or all that bs being thrown around. I've been off twitter for a week because of this (also to catch up with my assignments) and coming back, things are worse than ever.

I don't know what the solution is but things seem more exhausting than fun sometimes. I need some Jimin content stat 😔

Armys hatred of multis wasn’t because they liked other groups it was because multis 9/10 are fake and constantly threw BTS under the bus in defense of whichever other group they stanned. And in the case If they dropped BTS completely, they’d always immediately start to shit talk BTS the moment they unstan. (Even more embarrassing when you’d pull up old tweets to see that they were professing their love for BTS or specific members not even 3 months earlier sometimes) That’s where that term came from and it’s always been fitting. The bulk of these groups in kpop wouldn’t have the fanbases they have now without the fans BTS brought in. Especially 4th gen cause 80% of them are ex armys that’s just the truth. Me personally, I had no issue with anyone unstanning BTS when I was an army if their music started to not be to their taste. That’s understandable. But to unstan then go pick a group like NCT, SKZ or BP and want to talk about quality of music or talent? Yes, I will look at you dumb cause you’re not serious.

I will say that armys do give western multis a lot more leniency because they do hold western acts to a more superior standard than kpop groups. Which is ironic because those same western multis would in turn do the very same thing armys would call kpop multis out on and then they’d even add in a hint of xenophobia and condescension ontop of that too. So it really was all just one mess of a circle.

If PJMS weren’t as productive as they are in supporting Jimin, I’d be 10x more annoyed with them. They do talk about JK a lot but like you said it’s because jjks can’t mind their business. It’s also because how JK operates almost directly correlates to how jimin gets treated so it’s inevitable. Outside of that specific type of name calling (which irks me to no end on all accounts cause the majority of the people who are doing it are grown.) It’s the constant screenshooting and going back and forth that bugs me. Like I get receipt keeping cause I do it. But then you’ll have some pjms who will literally camp on the worst jjk anti accounts like Muri for a screenshot a couple minutes after that man posts some nasty tweet about jimin. And it’s like why? Why is he not blocked for you? What will he or any jimin anti really have to say that would be new or any different from him hurling the same pig insults, SH drags or reposting that same encore vid?

I don’t think the dynamic pjms have with jjks will ever change, so the best thing to do if you’re more on twitter is just stay in your own corner or continue to take breaks. Jimin hasn’t dropped music yet so you’re not really missing anything anyway.

[theladyofrosewater]

honestly I feel like the name of “Link” is just that a Title and none of the boys actually have that as their name so here are my headcanons on what their birth names would be. Most of these are normal names

Hyrule: Arthur, The original Zelda games were based around the King Arthur Mythos so I think it’s fitting for our original hero.

Legend: Franklin, He gets this one for no other reason other than I think it’s kinda a dorky name, the kind you wouldn’t expect adventures to have but also it has a nice ring to it for Legend at any regard

Wind: Henry, this one’s pretty simple, there was a dude called Henry Avery during the Age of Piracy and one of his names was King of Pirates or something so Wind gets to be Pirate King, good for him.

Twilight: Terrance, another dork name but I still want to give him a T name, however I know people from more rural parts of the US often give their kids names like Mason, Hunter, or Fisher so a “profession name” could also work for our resident ranch hand

Sky: Liam, He’d still get an L name I think, like it was mistranslated over the years due to changing of languages and writing systems but it’s also a softer name that fits Sky’s sleepy nature plus I’ve never met a Liam, so I don’t think it’s a popular modern name so yeah older name for an older in the timeline hero.

Time: Trevor, Both Time and Twi get T names so they can match (Also I just rewatched Castlevania but shhhh) and Time doesn’t seem like a more than two syllable guy.

Warriors: Laurence, I really think the name fits for him, plus it’s the name of a character from an old fandom I used to be a part of and that character had a similar characterization as how Warriors is sometimes pictured in fan content. It’s a very “Knightly” Name, He defiantly would get an L name tho

Four: Isaic or Ethan, Four was a little tricky as I like the name Isaic for him, but it almost feels too fancy for him, and Ethan was my second choice as it has a more down to earth name.

Wild: I debated actually still giving him the name Link because honestly, I think it would be funny for him to be the only one stuck with that name but I’m not that mean so I think maybe something like Simon maybe, he feels like he would have an S name.

And that’s all! hope you like them but I’d defiantly hope to improve it as time goes on if I every use it for projects

#linked universe #linkeduniverse #lu #lu warriors #lu wild #lu wind #lu time #lu legend #lu sky #lu hyrule #lu twilight #lu four #i made this like a few weeks ago #but still liked the idea so I posted it #lu headcanons #the legend of zelda #linked universe headcanons

[whippedcreamcookie]

if whipped is added to kingdom, is there anything youre particularly worried about happening? i.e destruction of character or odd new plot points

hi anon! and very interesting question <3 and admittedly i have thought about this more than i should, though i never wrote it down lol (more under keep reading)

i feel the main, yet the most likely, thing im worried about is whipped releasing where literally nothing about him is explained or is made even more vague for no reason. which has happened already to many ovenbreak characters in kingdom, their release just being a nothingburger / unrelated

ignoring that however, i am worried that kingdom might woobify him or make him into like. a very soft, fragile, and weak character. much like in some of his fan portrayals, which will never not piss me off lol. and this line of thinking has some basis already, where ovenbreak characters either get slight or extreme changes to their personality. (an example for slight is unicorn cream, where their awkwardness and overall mannerisms has been tweaked so that they're more outgoing, and extreme cases we have wizard as a result of him being a main character).

whipped cream as we all know is indeed a soft and well-meaning character, however it doesn't encapsulate him entirely, and his demeanor changes as soon as he sees an opportunity to dance, even if dancing leads him to further trouble.

this also makes me wish that whipped cream is NOT a support cookie if he ever releases in crk. i just think it would be more funny and true to his character if he was like some sort of damager. ballet is NOTTTTT for the weak and i know those legs can kill people

anyway other than that, hmmm weird plot points huh… well the thing is whipped cream is kind of a blank slate at the moment. we barely know anything about him, or his past for that matter. like whether he’s a normal cookie (him being an all around performer) or a magical cookie (his weird connections to the twisted maze grove) is still extremely unknown and at this point the answer’s just up to the player’s head. so in that regard i cant think of anything really.

the one thing i’m almost certain about is that it doesn’t seem like he was a dessert paradise cookie, because otherwise the entirety of trip to paradise would’ve held much more significance to both him and the sugar swan.

i do wonder if we’ll ever get answers regarding that like if he has a family or something LOL that would be nice… i kinda love the duality of how he’s a performer cookie going to these parties and theaters meanwhile he goes “oh yeah i danced to a biiiiiiig swan once in a floating island. that was funny. need to do that again actually”

if they make him a full fledged dessert paradise cookie id be very confused but at the same time i won’t be too bothered about it, same goes for him being FULLY performer with no other hints… the vagueness of it all kinda made me (HEAD EXPLOSION) so if they stick to one thing instead of answering the 900 questions i’d be content for his crk iteration

oh and of course, they better not touch up his design. he’s perfect as is.

#cookie run #whipped cream cookie #anonymous #ask #i kinda rambled at the end there but this was a good write up #as always thank u anon for the question <3

[dduane]

Hi Diane! I’ve been a huge fan of your Star Trek work for years (and will now be investigating your original fiction I wasn’t previously aware of) and am absolutely thrilled to find you have an active blog.

I did a cursory search through your tags but didn’t see anything answering this so forgive me if you’ve already gone over this, but how do you go about publishing work that belongs to an already established franchise like Star Trek? Is it just through the publisher? Do you go to some branch of Paramount/CBS and get their approval for the story content? I’d love to know the process. I’m assuming with all the new Star Trek content these days, and CBS locking down on what’s “canon”, it’s probably more difficult to get a one off novel published using their IP anymore. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this (or be directed to a post where you’ve already explained).

Thank you for all your wonderful work!

You're very welcome! I hope you find my original work at least as enjoyable as the Trek.  :)

Re the business of working with an established franchise: yep, we've dealt with that here before, every now and then. But the tagging has been (admittedly) uneven. So let me just come at it again. :) (Always adding the note that this is how I did it, back in the day, and the methods or pathways of access may have changed.)

...So how did I get to be a published Star Trek novelist?

(adding a cut here, because this is a long one)

I am a first-generation Star Trek fan. I fell in love with ST:TOS* as soon as it premiered, and immediately started writing fanfic in that universe. (It should be mentioned here that—a couple/few decades before the days of widespread internet-connectedness—not only did I have no idea that other people were doing something very similar, but I had no idea it even had a name. I was writing all alone, in a vacuum, with no support whatsoever… but however accidentally, I’d discovered something invaluable: it made me happy. We’ll come back to this later.)

So. Time went by and I slid from that genre of fanfic-writing into writing fic that was much more Tolkienian in genre, and from there, into writing original fiction that Tolkien would have found, well, rather different. Cutting another longish story short, in 1978/9 I sold and had published my first novel, this one—the initial volume in the LGBTQ-and-poly-ish Tale of the Five / Middle Kingdoms series that would later get me nominated two years running for the Astounding Award for best new writer in the SF/fantasy field.

Now when something like this happens to you, it gets a lot easier to pitch new novels to people. I’m not just talking about the increased attention that awards and nominations bring you. But just having a traditionally-published book out tells other potential publishers that you’ve mastered at least some important aspects of the novelist business: (a) being able to conceive of a plot that will sustain a novel-length work, (b) being able to go from concept to starting in on a novel, © being able to finish a novel, and (d) being able to cope with the editorial process—handling suggested edits, dealing with a copyedited manuscript, dealing with proofs, etc etc.

As it happens, while I was dealing with the sequelae to publishing The Door Into Fire—meaning the inevitable question “And what are you going to do next?”—I'd also been doing some typing for an acquaintance who was typewriter-challenged. They were writing a Star Trek novel. And I have to say that what I was typing up for them was giving me hives. It was…not anything like what I thought a Star Trek novel should look like. I remember saying to a friend or two, on the quiet, “I could eat a ream of typing paper and barf a better Star Trek novel than this.” And finally one of them—almost certainly David Gerrold, who (God love him) has a history of daring me into doing things I want to do anyway—turned around and called my bluff and said, “All right, go on then, quit your kvetching and just go do it.”

Which left me staring at the problem with a lot more intent. Fine, you’re going to pitch a novel to Trek: what story are you going to tell? It’s not like you’re constrained by a TV budget here. Stretch out and tell the biggest Star Trek story you can find: one that can only be told, or best told, in this universe. (This being my working “prime criterion” for stories told in other people’s universes. For best effect the story should only be capable of being told within that set of characters and circumstances. The jewel must be cut to suit the setting, not—however counterintuitive it might seem—not the other way around.)

So I sat with that concept for a while, and eventually the right idea, or set of ideas, presented itself. I can vividly remember the moment. I was sitting on a bus bench near Victory and White Oak in the San Fernando Valley when the idea hit. It was a long time before cellphones, so I had to wait an hour or so to get home so I could call my agent and say “Don, guess what? I’m going to write a Star Trek novel!”

There was the briefest pause, after which he said, only half joking: “Do you have to?” Because both of us knew perfectly well that from Paramount’s point of view, Star Trek novels were merely another kind of merchandising, like plastic phasers and James T. Kirk action figures. (And strictly speaking, regardless of how we love them, they still are.) …But then Don said, “Okay, do an outline and we’ll see what they think.”

And so I wrote the outline, and my agent sent it along to the editor of the Trek books at Pocket—who was then Dave Hartwell (God rest him, a fabulous editor of any and all kinds of SF)—and Dave read it and liked it, and he sent it to Paramount for approval, and they read it and liked it, and gave Dave the go-ahead to buy it. And that turned into The Wounded Sky. (A nice overview is here. But I am also charmed to tell you that this book has its own entry at TV Tropes.) As a tied-for-second novel went—So You Want To Be A Wizard was written at very nearly the same time—it doesn’t seem to have done too badly.

Anyway, after that got written and turned in and published, the people at Pocket—somewhat to my surprise—said to me, “Okay, what have you got for us next?”  It was that simple… and I was that lucky. I liked working with them: they liked working with me: and they liked what I’d done enough to ask for more. (And...though I have no data on this... I strongly suspect the first book sold well.) So I was in for eight novels more, spread over a fair bit of time. And I have one more plot lying around that I should really get in touch with present editorial about and see if there’s any interest. You never can tell…

So that’s how I did it. Everybody else’s mileage will inevitably vary. But I don’t think there’s going to be much argument with the idea that before working with other IP-holders in their worlds, you might usefully first do as much work as possible in your own. That way potential publishing partners will have something to look at to help them get a sense of what your voice sounds like outside someone else’s world.

…Now as for working with someone else’s IP—anyone’s—this is how I manage it.

(a) Remember it’s theirs. They were there before you arrived and will doubtless be there long after you’re gone. They own that property, are likely enough to have worked hard on it in their time, and—whether they originated it or are just its buyers—are almost certainly powerfully protective of it. You can press against the edges of their envelope—quite hard, if you’re careful and have permission—but break through the fabric of their corporate reality without warning and you are going to be in deep trouble.

Do your homework. Know your licensor: know their history with other creators. Find out where there have been problems in the past and keep your eyes open for warning signs that you may be about to discover some new one. If you were lucky enough to be invited in, act like a considerate houseguest (creatively speaking). While working in that universe, don’t (for example) sneakily attempt to jettison parts of the property that annoy you, or covertly subvert bits that seem to call for subversion. (Overt subversion is a different story. Be in communication with your IP owner about this, and you may be able to win them over.  [Though you should be prepared for them to take credit for this after the fact.] But I have seen people disinvited from franchises with extreme prejudice after they were caught trying to pull one or another kind of “fast one” on their publisher.) If there’s a work-with-us guide or in-house bible, sleep with it under your pillow.

(b) Know your subject/universe. KNOW it. It is an absolute certainty that no matter how well you think you know it, there are fans out there who know it better than you do—massively, obsessively, eat-drink-and-sleep-ively better— and if you put a foot wrong, they will come for you. Leaving aside the issue of not wanting to be left looking like an idiot on the Internet, you ought in any case to be deeply cognizant of your host-world’s internal verities before you can expect to write it flexibly and well.

—And add (b1) to this: Know your characters’ voices. Not just the way they phrase things, but the way they think about things and (possibly more importantly) feel about things. It’s not you the readers will have come for. It’s them. You must channel the core characters at the very least authentically, and (ideally) affectionately, or it’ll all end in tears.

For the duration of this work, you are in service to them. Treat them courteously and give them your best words to speak; but always in their own voices. Don’t be afraid to let them be more real than you are. For a lot of people, unquestionably, they are. If that’s a problem for you, you shouldn’t be doing this kind of work. (At least not more than once.)

© Don’t do it for money. Don’t do it for fame. Do it for love or not at all. ...Let’s be realistic: any licensing IP is likely to (in the great scheme of things) be far better and more widely known than you are. You may acquire some positive press for your work with it, but in many people’s minds the positivity will have to do far more with the property than with you, regardless of your gifts or how much you love that universe, or whether or not you “came up through the fandom.”

As regards money, some licensed work will pay competitively with original work done in the same genre, but most will not. Not even being a Hot Name with a given IP will necessarily guarantee you any kind of serious money. (In particular, IP licensors have a historical tendency to pay lower-than-normally-accepted royalty rates, and in the past it has taken very energetic and insistent agents to break them of this habit, even if only temporarily and on a case-by-case basis.)

It therefore stands to reason that, for the sake of your own best functioning as a writer, you need to be doing work of this kind because you really need to do it (or to have done it) to make yourself happy: to scratch a creative itch, or to give something back to a property/universe that you love.

Now, “do it for love” can cover a lot of ground. You don’t have to be head over heels in luuuurrrrve with a property to write for it well. (In fact I suspect this state could hinder a writer’s ability to do their best work for an IP. You need at least a little separation from it so that you can realistically evaluate how what you’re producing is stacking up.) You can just be in really strong like with a given property. But you ought to be in at least some kind of like. A personal commitment to the stylistic, rational or emotional core of a given property will get you through the times of challenge that will inevitably surround your involvement with it far better than any unrealized hope of a big payday or of more widespread recognition of your own talents. 

Finally: This may sound heretical, but I don’t believe that licensed work is necessarily most fruitfully viewed as a natural stepping-stone to doing original work. (Or even to becoming a licensor yourself, though that does happen.) I think that, well and thoughtfully handled at both ends of things—the auctorial as well as the editorial—not-your-own-IP-work can be entirely worth doing wholly for its own sake. To write for the enjoyment of readers who’re using licensed work to scratch the same itch or feed the same passion that fanfic readers/writers know—of just wanting more good story in that universe? That’s entirely honorable employment, in my book. You’re an entertainer! Entertain, and fear nothing.

(And read your contracts closely.) :)

HTH!

(ETA: for the interested or curious, another post looking more at the issue of how IP-adjacent book editors pick the writers to work on them is over here.)

*Isn’t it wonderful to have to specify which kind of Star Trek you’re talking about? The times we live in...  :)

#Star Trek #Star Trek novels #writing #working with IP holders

[thatkodochagirl]

▶️🎉1 Year on YouTube ▶️ 🎉

Today marks my 1 year anniversary of being a YouTuber. When I started creating Kodocha videos, I never expected to make so many new friends and gain so many subscribers who feel just as passionately as I do about the series.

Thank you ALL.

Not only did I become a YouTuber last year, but I also became a wife and an official resident of a new state in the US. 2022 was a big, and difficult year for me. With all the changes and adjustments going on around me, it was comforting knowing that I had the Kodocha community to go back to each day. 

So what inspired me to create a Kodocha channel? There are many reasons, so let’s talk about them! First of all, Kodocha is my favorite animanga series, and sadly there isn’t many Kodocha content creators online. However, the ones that do exist do such AMAZING work for this fandom. I want to give a shout-out to my friend Li over on Twitter (https://twitter.com/kodomonomochaa) for her incredible work gathering Kodocha media and resources for fans to enjoy. She has been a big part of my channel’s growth and is just a sweet person all around. Make sure to give her a follow on all her platforms!

I also want to give a shout-out to @thekodochaarchive, another great resource for fans to see rare content. There is a lot of interesting rare Kodocha media over on that blog/channel, I highly recommend checking it out! Watching the old Kodocha commercials is like being able to go back and time and experience Kodocha at the time when it was first being aired. I would have loved to have been a kid who grew up with that show!

Last but certainly not least, I want to give a HUGE shout-out to my girl @dailykodocha aka M, who runs the BEST Kodocha blog around and writes INCREDIBLE fanfiction. Please go and check out her fic about Akito during the middle school years; it’s SO good and she gets the characters so well. It feels like it could be an official Kodocha novel. Here’s the link to that! (https://archiveofourown.org/works/41971272?view_full_work=true) She also co-hosts our unofficial Kodocha podcast, “19 O’Clock News” with me. We have so much fun with it, and I look forward to sharing many many many more episodes with everyone!

So wanting to contribute more to a series I deeply love, I decided to create my YouTube channel, as I noticed there weren’t really any video essays about Kodocha anywhere. This felt wrong given how much there is to talk about with the series, and how deep the characters are. 

Many of the videos that you’ve watched from me for most of 2022 were formulated from ideas I’ve had in my head since I first saw the series back in 2016. That’s why I was uploading almost weekly, as the writing flowed so naturally as I’d had a lot of time to think about the characters and plot. 

I’m very proud of all the content I have put out thus far - but I will keep improving! I’ve been re-reading the series and am about to finish volume 10, and noticed some things that I should have talked about in previous videos. It’s crazy just how detailed Obana was when she wrote Kodocha! Just when I think I understand a character, I notice a new detail during a read-through and it completely shifts my perspective on them. I used to feel very indifferent about Fuka until pretty recently! Now she is becoming one of my favorite characters.

Another reason I started my channel was for my mental health. Being creative is what keeps me sane. Unfortunately, making music (my main creative hobby) just didn’t have the same spark for me anymore. It used to be my go-to activity for my mental health - but I think I had done it for so long that I got burned out. Also, I felt very limited in what I could do with music, but with my channel, I feel like I can exercise and hone my writing skills and also talk about something I love in a unique way. This summer, I created a second channel which I hope to upload more content on that focuses on obscure media, which I will use as another outlet to discuss things unrelated to Kodocha. I watch YouTube more than anything and would love to create similar content to YouTubers that I enjoy, where they talk about interesting things from childhood or just niche internet mysteries.

Kodocha is the only thing in my life that has ever consistently brought me joy. Ever since I found the series, it’s turned my life around in more ways than one. When I first watched the anime in 2016, it made what could have been a miserable year for me into something hopeful. Sana’s enthusiasm and positivity really awakened my own, and it’s stuck with me ever since. Maybe taking life so seriously isn’t the answer. Sometimes you just gotta shut up and smile, and not worry about things you can’t fix, and just go with the flow. I never knew by 2023 Kodocha would have brought me so many new friends and just a better understanding of myself and life in general. I hope everyone watching my videos can learn not only about the characters of Kodocha, but about themselves as well. My latest video, part 2 of “Exploring Sana & Akito’s Relationship”, actually helped me in my own marriage. Yesterday, my husband told me that he’s the happiest he’s ever been. It made me feel so good because the research and time I put into that video helped me better understand my husband’s love languages, which ultimately strengthened our marriage. 

Kodocha really is my light in this dark world and I hope I am able to spread the joy that it’s instilled in me.

Thank you for reading, and sticking around until now. There is a lot more Kodocha content coming in the future, as always. See ya! 💖

#Kodocha #kodomo no omocha #anime #animanga #manga #life #positivity #youtube #miho obana #shoujo

[drawnaghht]

@trufflemacandcheese

About the ship tags poll... Ah, sorry for not specifying ^^; I did post that the poll was about Yuichi x Rise!Leo specifically.

I actually want to do a separate one for Leosagi, but this one was specifially just for Leoichi/Leochi! (or, me using mostly my own made-up tag, YuiNardo)

TL;DR - Leosagi and Leoichi/Yuinardo are separate ships :D technically we don't have this problem with other fandoms with newer versions of characters, or even with other ships like Donsagi, but since Yuichi Usagi is a separate character from his ancestor, Miyamoto Usagi, it would make sense to have separate ship tags as well. Especially since the tags already exist anyway, so why not use them per ship? It is also more respectful to both older and newer Leosagi fans and fans of both Usagi characters. I am all of these myself, so hah, this is all silly fanstuff, but I'd just prefer the separation bc the ships are too different to share a tag + it's easier to sort and find fanart/fic later if there are separate tags. So Leosagi poll will go up later!

Longer explain: there was discussion around it a year or more ago, + posts here and there on tumblr mostly, about how technically Yuichi Usagi x Leo is a whole new ship bc Yuichi Usagi is a whole new character from the Samurai Rabbit show... and how maybe it's good to use just the one tag for it? So the oldest unique name/tag for them seems to be Leochi/Leoichi. Since Miyamoto Usagi x Leonardo is an older ship that's been around for 19 years since the '03 turtles show and Leosagi has been the tag/ship name that stuck with that, it's a separate ship. So are the tags associated with it, such as Katanashipping and older tags (which I haven't seen people use anymore.) But people saw the similiarities of the two Usagi's (family after all, lol, but I wonder if there's something else simmering under there), and started tagging the newer ship as Leosagi too, almost as an umbrella term, since we'd briefly had 12!Leosagi as a ship, and people just like the dynamic that the 03 show introduced, but people liked the new TMNT cartoon too.

ROTTMNT didn't have any Usagi eps tho, so - some Rise fans had started making their own Rise versions of Miyamoto Usagi as well, well before the Samurai Rabbit show. And this new ship clashed with that a bit, because people were either taking the character of Usagi from the show and just giving him book/2003 Usagi's personality (so continuing what Rise!Leosagi shippers were already doing, but confusing the pool of thoughts there bc it's a new character w a new name). So the fans who use tumblr and draw/write for the ship got upset that this new ship was taking over the tags and clogging the tags with just Yuichi x Leo content. There’s also the distinction that og Leosagi in 2004 is a ship where they’ve interacted in canon - Usagi exists next to the TMNT in the cartoon, and I consider 03 Usagi a whole separate version of him because they seemed to have changed his backstory a bit + made him younger to match the turtles. There’s also history of the characters interacting in the comics, because their creators Peter Laird and Stan Sakai were friends and Leo is Stan Sakai’s favourite character of the TMNT. Yuichi x Leo is a crossover ship however. so the new ship was a surprise.

Perhaps at first, it was kinda fun to see new art or fic, but then I guess people started getting annoyed for how many fans were using multiple tags and including Leosagi in their posts too, even when Miyamoto Usagi is not there.  A lot of people treated the two ships as the same or made the name an umbrella  tag, which I sorta did too at first bc what, it’s not like there’s guidelines pinned to the start of a tag page on tumblr, are there? So imo, it’ll just sort itself out eventually the more people start using the unique tags exclusively vs the old tag. Sliderbunny was the Miyamoto Usagi x Rise!Leo tag for a while, but that's also become mainly used for the newer ship. I’m not sure if tumblr shows the contents of tags from over a year ago anymore, but there are most likely blogs still active which jave those older posts with tagging prior to Samurai Rabbit coming out on Netflix.

I'm more annoyed personally that people also mis-tag the characters and the book/show. They are not interchangeable! So yeah, it's been a whole many-posts-long discussion over this ^^;;

I also made longer posts thinking abt these myself but I'm not gonna link them here cuz these are just general polls of curiosity. But you can find them under "ship tags" tag on my blog if you get curious. RABNerd28 on youtube made a very succinct (imo) video about this topic as well, which summarizes many of the issues the older shippers find when going online to see content for their favourite ship.

I actually have no idea where Leoichi or Leochi came from as ship tags or why there are two spellings of it (almost like "two pronunciations" lol), but so far, it's a pretty popular tag. So there seems to be no need to double-tag it with Leosagi, when it's 2 different ships. I find it also that whatever the fan content for 2003 Leosagi or just Leosagi is in general, it would be nice to just respect fans who made the ship popular at first, when TMNT03 aired their Usagi eps in 2004. I actually shipped this too back in the day and still do, so for me personally, it's nice to have separate tags just so I can find things better on my blog + so if people who don't like one ship, they can always block the tag and not see those posts from me. Or just general consideration ^^ I think we don't have this discussion around the other usagi ship tags bc well, there are a lot less posts about these other ships both on tumblr and elsewhere, maybe the fans don't have the energy to argue about this?

Another result of earlier discussions and the general tag-clogging, lots of people also dislike the show and the character of Yuichi Usagi. I as a fan of both show and comic, really don't like that, so that's one more reason why using separate tags is better - so at the least: Leosagi and Leoichi separately.

i still prefer my own made-up tag bc it's more unique + sounds fun. also reasons why I made my own unique ship tag: fans make Yuichi really OOC in their art/fic, or they haven't seen the show or the flat-out hate the show.... which is all fine, ordinary stuff even, as far as bigger fandoms and fanworks go. folks make Rise Leo OOC often too, but no one bats an eye. But hey, it's just other fans having fun with concepts and ideas. That's what fanworks are. Transformative fiction. People can change anything they want. But I personally like the show and character, and I like the Usagi Yojimbo books too. So reading/watching and making theories and in-character or just plain meme/funny stuff is how I have fun.

whatever the reasons for the tag names, for this poll I just piled all the reasonable ship tags I could find for it (i.e. used in at least 2 posts) just to see what people use the most. seems that Leoichi is winning so far, which makes sense as it is easier to pronounce.

#trufflemacandcheese #aghhtreplies #ship tags #leoichi #leochi #yuinardo #all this to say: it's just nicer when the tags are separate. that would be preferable #how many posts have i written analysing the ship tags... #texty #long post #anyway shipping is kinda silly but i do like the occasional post and fic so. tags are a must for me personally

[beefromanoff]

Going Under Ch. 5

summary: Bucky Barnes is assigned to head the security detail of an internationally beloved singer named Gianna as his next mission.

characters: Bucky Barnes x OC

soundtrack: sleeping with a friend - neon trees; phantoms and friends - old man canyon

warnings: fluff, pop star fantasy x love story, set in an AU where the Avengers reunite after Civil War, pre-infinity war, slight angst, hurt/comfort, lonely reader/OC.

author’s note: realizing this story combines all my favorite things right now...the Anakin/Padme dynamic of love interests/assigned protection, the Taylor Swift eras tour content all over my FYP, and of course, James Buchanan Barnes.

chapter list/links - xo

Standing backstage, Bucky shoved his hands deep into the pockets of his dark jeans, watching as Gianna took the stage. Tonight’s show would be the first time she was performing the song they had written together live in concert, and he was nervous. Since it wasn’t recorded or released yet, she planned to sing it in the encore as a special acoustic version for her fans. He’d seen dozens of her shows, and every single one went to at least one encore, sometimes even more. The time she chose to do a third encore, Bucky had been tempted to walk out onstage, throw Gianna over his shoulder, and force her to leave the show. He’d held back, seeing the light in her eyes that didn’t seem to dim as she sang to a stadium full of people who adored her. He did, however, give Tom and the tour staff a very pointed warning that anyone who woke her up before noon the following day would risk losing the hand that knocked on her hotel room door. 

Several hours later, the final song faded out and all Bucky could hear were the screams of the crowd. He wondered if he’d ever get used to the deafening roar of tens of thousands of screaming teenage girls, made even more unbearable by his heightened super soldier hearing. 

“Great job, doll. Took my breath away.” Bucky winked, handing Gianna a glass of water as she walked offstage. She gulped the glass down, too parched to respond, but the look she gave him over the top of the plastic cup made his stomach turn. Her green eyes didn’t break eye contact with him as Kate dabbed her brow and another stage hand checked the settings on her earpiece. Gianna didn’t seem to notice anything but Bucky, and he almost felt himself shrink under her undivided attention. Especially knowing what she was about to do. 

Just like all the nights before, not one person had left the stadium. The chants of encore, encore echoed throughout the arena, only growing louder the longer Gianna held out. 

Tucking her hair back over her earpiece, she remained locked on Bucky. “Are you ready for this?” Her eyes showed genuine concern. “I don’t have to sing this one, if it’s too soon, if you’d rather not -” 

Bucky cut her off, tilting her chin up to look at him as he stood inches from her face. The cool vibranium felt heavenly against her hot skin as he did so. 

“I’ve been waiting for this all night.” 

He looked back and forth between her eyes, shoving down the nerves he felt at something so vulnerable about to be shared with thousands of people. He reminded himself that no one would know what the song was about, or the circumstances it was written under. No one would know about that rainy day in the hotel room that changed their relationship from contracted security to something deeper and not yet defined.  

Gianna nodded, a smile spreading across her pink glossed lips as she reached for her microphone from the stage manager standing beside her, parting the curtain. She took a deep breath, her chest twinkling with the sweat beads still illuminated in the neon lights. 

Turning on her heel, Gianna walked back to the stage, taking a seat at the piano on the far side. She was facing the side of the stage where Bucky stood in the wings, shifting his weight as he waited for her to begin. 

“If it’s alright with everyone tonight, I thought I’d play a little something I haven’t gotten to share with the world yet.” Gianna’s eyes twinkled as she teased the fans. The crowd erupted and lit up with tiny pinpricks of light from every phone rising into the air. It looked like she was singing to a sea of stars. Bucky swallowed nervously, trying to focus on the beauty of the moment and not the prospect of this song being played for millions of people via the internet. He always seemed to forget about it, no matter how many different iterations of it were scrawled down in his notebook. 

“Okay, okay,” Gianna laughed, quieting the crowd down. “This song was written on this very tour, with someone who has come to mean a great deal to me.” If it weren’t for his super soldier eyesight, Bucky would never have noticed Gianna’s eyes searching for him in the wings. He took a step forward, letting the light illuminate him while remaining hidden from the crowd. Her eyes softened when she spotted him. 

“This song is about strength, struggle, and coming back to ourselves on the other side. I hope you all feel a little of yourselves in this one. It’s called…Going Under.” 

The crowd roared and then quickly quieted down as she began to play, fingers dancing over the keys. Bucky stood stiff and still, soaking in everything from the sound of her voice echoing through the room to the fans in the front row wiping their eyes on their sleeves. 

Blurring and stirring the truth and the lies (so I don't know what's real)

(So I don't know what's real and what's not)

(Don't know what's real and what's not)

Always confusing the thoughts in my head

So I can't trust myself anymore

Gianna sang the lines that had gutted him the first time he heard them. After such a vicious struggle reclaiming his own mind, endless hours of work and therapy to find himself in his own mind, and years of brainwashing convincing him of what he was and what he wasn’t…these words sank heavily into his skin.

Her powerful voice filled the arena, stronger and bolder than the soft rendition he’d heard in the hotel room, and the words they had written together based on his history as the Winter Soldier took on new meaning.

For the first time, Bucky was able to see his horrific past as something other than shameful. He felt a sense of pride and gratitude that Gianna had been able to take his experiences and turn them into something beautiful. Everyone backstage had paused their closing duties to listen to her sing. He heard a chorus of soft voices saying “wow” and “this is her next hit” from the team gathered behind him. 

As the encore came to a close, Bucky stood ready to escort Gianna offstage. Instead of the usual hand outstretched to guide her to the green room, he greeted her with the tightest hug Gianna had ever felt. Typically the extent of their physical contact was Bucky’s hand grazing her back as he guided her through crowds, and that was mostly unintentional. This was different. Warm, firm, assuring, full of gratitude, and something else Gianna wasn’t sure if she was imagining. She closed her eyes and relaxed into him, feeling her sheer exhaustion for the first time all day. 

They stood like that for several moments before a sharp voice yanked them from their own world. 

“Hey! Stop! You can’t go back there!” Bucky opened his eyes to see a thirty-something man in a mask running towards Gianna, having hopped the barrier and evaded the preoccupied security. The man was barreling towards them with a crazed look in his eye, but didn’t appear to be armed. Bucky rolled Gianna behind him and took two powerful steps forward, left arm rearing back. There was a resounding thud as Bucky’s metal hand collided with the man’s skull, and a second one as the man landed on the stage, unconscious. 

Gianna gasped, unable to process what had happened in a matter of seconds, but Bucky didn’t hesitate. He put his arm around her shoulders and began weaving her purposefully through the backstage chaos. Her vision blurred with fear, confusion, and exhaustion as Gianna struggled t keep up with Bucky’s long strides. She heard him talking into his earpiece, but her ears were still ringing with the sound of the man’s head smacking the hard stage floor. 

She closed her eyes and concentrated on the warmth of Bucky pressed against her side and the weight of his arm resting on her shoulders. She heard a whoosh of the sliding door, felt the cool night air on her skin, and hear sirens in the distance. 

Gianna opened her eyes to see the black SUV parked right outside the back entrance to the stadium, but the bus was nowhere to be found. 

“Get in. We aren’t taking any chances.” Bucky growled, eyes scanning everything around them. Gianna nodded and climbed in through the door he was holding open for her. Bucky joined her in the backseat and the private driver peeled out of the parking lot. Glancing over at him, Gianna noticed that Bucky’s hand was firmly resting on his right hip, where she assumed he had a gun holstered. 

He must have felt her eyes on him, because he tore his eyes from the window and looked to his left where Gianna was sitting. His eyes softened, seeing her trembling from a mixture of fear, adrenaline, and cold sweat from the show. 

“Hey, don’t be scared, this is what I’m here for. We haven’t had an incident so far on this tour and nothing happened.” Bucky tried to keep the angry edge out of his voice. Reaching for her hand, he spoke softly. 

“I won’t let anything happen to you. I promise you, Gianna. That guy never had a chance.” He squeezed her hand and she smiled sheepishly. 

“Thank you, Buck. It all happened so fast, I didn’t even…and you moved so quickly…it was weird to see you like that, so intense…” She fumbled over her words, eyes glossing as she recalled the events playing out. Bucky stiffened next to her, worried that she was afraid of him. 

“It was cool, you know, seeing you like that.” She flipped her hand over to squeeze his. “You’re kind of a badass.” Bucky looked up and locked eyes with her again. 

“Just doing my job.” 

At that moment, with her green eyes locked on Bucky’s, it hit him how important his role on the tour was. He wasn't just there to protect Gianna physically, which proved to be more necessary than he’d originally thought, he was there to provide emotional support and comfort to a scared and lonely girl. Whether or not that was in the contract that Stark had given him, Bucky didn’t care. If he was all she had, he was determined to be everything she needed.

They took a service elevator back to the room and crept through the halls, Bucky remaining glued to her side as Gianna walked along. They got to her room and she slid the card into the door with trembling hands. 

“Your bag should already be on the bed, Tom gathered it for you. The room has already been cleared, but I can do it again if you’d like.” Bucky stood in the doorway, one hand above Gianna’s head to prop it open. 

“I’d appreciate that…y’know, can’t be too safe.” Gianna mumbled, flipping on every light switch in her reach. Bucky nodded and walked into the room, combing it for anything unusual. He ran his fingers over every door frame, checked each closet, and found nothing. 

“Alright doll, you’re good to go. You gonna be okay?” Walking over to where Gianna sat on the edge of her king sized bed, still in full sequin leotard and heels, he tilted her chin up to look at him. Bucky felt a pang in his chest when he saw the streaks where her tears had torn through her makeup. 

“Yeah, yeah, I’m all good. Thank you again.” She stood, mustering a smile. “Knight in shining armor and all.” Gianna reached for his hand, weaving her soft fingers through his metal ones. “Literally.” 

Bucky chuckled, relieved she still had her sense of humor after a rough night. 

“I guess that would make you a princess, which doesn’t seem like too big of a stretch.” Bucky’s voice was low and soft, gentler than she’d heard it before. He tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear and regarded her for a moment. Gianna couldn’t read him if she tried. 

“If you need anything tonight, anything at all, just ring my room. I’ll be here before you can even get my name out.” He squeezed her hand. 

Gianna felt a lump in her throat and hot tears welling up. Not wanting to seem childish or weak for being so upset over something that almost happened, she didn’t speak. She fixed her eyes on the ground and nodded, standing to walk him to the door. 

As Bucky walked through and pulled out his keycard from his back pocket, he heard Gianna’s voice, barely above a whisper. 

“Don’t go.” 

He hesitated, unsure if he heard what he thought he did. He looked over his shoulder, still holding the room key in his right hand. 

“Stay with me. Please.” 

She stood in the doorway, illuminated from behind with all the lights in the hotel room left on. The way the rays of light shone around her made her look like some kind of angel. Some kind of sad, scared angel. Bucky let the door fall shut behind him and crossed the hall towards her. 

“Whatever you need.” 

She let out a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding, unsure how he’d respond to her asking him to stay the night with her. Even given the circumstances, there wasn’t any way around the fact that her room only had one bed. 

“Give me two minutes to get my stuff, I’ll be right back.” Bucky gave her a reassuring look. “You can time me if you want.” 

Gianna smiled at the super soldier’s attempts to be goofy, and slunk back into her room. She wiped off her makeup, throwing her lashes in the garbage and running the hottest shower the hotel pipes had to offer. She heard Bucky let himself back in and set his bag down outside the bathroom door. 

“I’m here, doll. Take as long as you need. I’m not going anywhere.” He rapped his metal knuckles softly on the door, a random but comforting thing he’d taken to doing when he had to retrieve her from her hotel room in the morning or green room before the show. 

After scrubbing her skin and rinsing all the hairspray and most of the glitter from her hair, Gianna emerged from the bathroom in the hotel’s plush robe and slippers. Her feet ached from the extended time in her heels tonight. The excess cushion in the slippers felt like heaven. She rounded the corner into the bedroom to find Bucky pacing, talking on the phone. 

He’d turned off the overhead lights but left all the lamps on, and even pulled back the covers so the bed was prepared for her to collapse into.

“I gotta go, I’ll call you tomorrow.” Bucky said to whoever was on the other end of his call. “Yeah, send me any details you can come up with. Thanks Nat.” 

Bucky shoved his phone into the pocket of his sweatpants, a look Gianna couldn’t help but appreciate. He was typically in slight variations of the same outfit every day. Leather jacket, dark jeans, tactical boots, various holster buckles visible from different angles when he moved. 

Tonight, he looked softer, more human. He wore dark grey sweats with a black t-shirt that read Stark Enterprises across the chest. She let her eyes wander over him, soaking in this unfamiliar look. The shirt was snug across his chest and even more so on his arms. The short sleeves revealed more of his metal arm than she was used to seeing, and it caught the lamp light when he moved. Bucky ran a hand through his hair and took a deep breath, turning to face Gianna. The dog tags hanging around his neck clinked as he lowered his hand.

Tousling her damp hair with the towel, Gianna sat down on the bed. “Who’s Nat?”

“Natasha, she uh, works with me. She’s good, we should know this guy’s blood type and childhood stuffed animal’s name by the time we wake up in the morning.” 

“Natasha, she’s Black Widow right? I’ve seen her before, online and on the news, and wow - I can’t believe you just called her up, you are way, WAY cooler, than me…” Gianna gushed. 

Bucky couldn’t help but notice how young she looked. The excitement over Natasha, her bare face and wet hair, the way she was swallowed up by the robe and the giant bed, she seemed so small. So innocent. So undeserving of tonight’s circumstance. Selfishly, part of him was glad it had happened. He wasn’t sure there was really a need for him on this tour or if Tony had just given him this assignment to throw him a bone and keep him busy. 

Now, after tonight, he knew he was there for good reason. He tried to force away the small part of him that was thankful for the scare, because without it, he wouldn’t be crossing the room to spend the night with Gianna Cruz. 

He perched on the edge of the bed, giving her a sympathetic smile. “Feel better?”

She nodded and widened her eyes to show how serious she was. “Oh, god, yeah. The attempted assault, or whatever that was, that was bad, but those heels were the real crime.” 

“You’re a real trooper.” Bucky teased. “I figured I’d just sleep on the chair, I don’t want -” 

“No!” Gianna startled him with her abrupt response. “Sorry, I uh, I just really want…I want to be held tonight.” Looking down at her hands in her lap, she fidgeted with the belt of her robe. 

“It’s just been lonely, I guess, and tonight was so scary, and sometimes I have nightmares anyways, and you’re already here so I just thought…maybe you wouldn’t mind…” As she trailed off, she looked up to meet Bucky’s eyes. When he saw the way she looked up at him, his heart melted and turned to stone all at once. He knew he would do anything this strawberry blonde little thing asked him to do, hell, he’d throw himself off another train if it meant keeping her safe. He knew that he’d stop at nothing to protect her, and that scared him. He knew what he was capable of without having someone dear to him to protect…but now? He pushed the thought out of his mind and smiled. 

“Whatever you need.” He sat down beside her, sliding his legs underneath the plush white comforter. Propping his back against the wall, Bucky lifted his arm so Gianna could crawl underneath it. She rested her head on his chest and nuzzled in, her hair leaving a damp spot on his shirt. He felt her sigh and then relax, as if she hadn’t taken a deep breath all day. Her shoulders rose and fell with her breathing, and Bucky used his left hand to stroke her hair out of her face. 

Her eyelids fluttered open and looked up at him one more time. Wrapping his arms around her and holding her close, Bucky knew that he couldn't erase the trauma of what had just happened, but he could be there for her in that moment. He could stay through the night and until she didn’t want him there anymore. 

As they laid together, Bucky realized that he had come a long way since he first started working with Gianna. He had gone from being a distant and cold bodyguard, reluctantly assigned to protect a twenty-something singer, to being the one holding her as she fell asleep.

“G?” Bucky asked softly, wondering if she’d drifted off yet. 

“Mm-hmm?”

“Your song was incredible tonight. I never got to tell you.”

Her cheeks turned the slightest bit pink, and he saw her smile into his chest.

“Our song.” 

#bucky barnes #bucky fluff #bucky fanfic #bucky barnes x oc #james bucky barnes #avengers #winter solider x reader #winter soldier fluff #winter soldier

[daymies]

“Grr, stupid kids! You made me look bad!”

Beginning Notes - Hey guys, before you start reading, this is the first fic I had written a while, some nice criticism will be great. Another thing, I'll be adding YOUR original characters to this story! Make sure to DM your OCs in my discord sillymies#0696

One last thing, this story will be LONG... so stay tuned. Check out my social media for drawings and comics (along with some extra scenes) for this fic! And, of course, for more content for our favorite two characters, Streber and Kevin. I hope you guys enjoy the first chapter; I already have an extra two chapters written already; however, they are heavily edited during this time. The next update should be up by tomorrow. (This is also posted on AO3)

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October 1st, 2012 Monday 6:00 PM

"KEVIN!" "KEVIN! KEVIN!"

Oh great, not those two again.

Today is the first day of October, which meant Halloween was coming soon enough. A holiday that employees that serve the public can't certainly enjoy. Unfortunately, I had the pleasure of being the only guy who sold candy in this crappy town. As a result, this business was almost busy. My two best customers– If I could even call them that, viewing, I give them free candy every day waddled themselves here.

I sighed, "What'll be kids?"

Ugh, I don't know why I asked! I already knew what they wanted! But these two do love Bocadins. I don't blame them; they're delicious. I'm not entirely sure why they don't use the actual name, but whatever.

"Can we get a candy can? Please, Kevin!" "We'd waited all year like you said!" "Yeah! It's finally the spooky month!"

Right...

Kevin's Flashback

The Candy Club shop had existed for a while. Funny enough, I never thought I'd work at this place. Jeez, I didn't even think I'd be the only employee in this dead-end job. In middle school, I remembered when this building was under construction. I had to be around fourteen when everybody realized a new business was opening in this tiny town. I was definitely an eighth-grader when this happened. I don't have the best memory. By the time I reached sophomore year, it had finally finished production. With a small town and low labor, it was bound to take a few years to complete.

After Candy's Club's grand opening, the place was frequently packed, visited by everybody I knew. Literally.

It was next to my high school and a couple of neighborhoods. So it was bound to get heavy traffic. If I had to be honest, I always dreamed of visiting the place, but I couldn't. Of course, it didn't help that my walking route to home, school, and my best friend's place forced me to walk in front of the business occasionally. So it was almost every day I walked past it.

I remember the first day I visited. I wasn't a huge fan of candy. Scratch that. My parents were heavily against it, so I couldn't form a strong opinion on it. So I never really knew whether or not I would've had a sweet tooth in my younger years. Now in my early twenties, I can finally say I love sugary food, which, if you haven't noticed, includes candy.

Radford was honestly the one who took me for the first time. He'd just turned sixteen and applied at the local theater we used to visit during our free time. The place he applied at wasn't JUST a theater; it had an arcade and was pretty cool. Radford was the one who mainly spent all his allowance and time there.

Anyways, he got the job. No surprise there. Radford knew the owner due to how frequently we visited. He had a great relationship with the guy. Man, Radford didn't even have to go through the struggle and process of an interview. He was hired on the spot when he asked. What a lucky guy...

Radford was more than happy when he realized he was hired on the spot. The first thing he did was excessively call me. Even though Radford smiled joyfully when we met, my parents weren't. They were upset with the bill they got from the calls from Radford.

We'd typically celebrated things by, well, hanging at the theater/arcade, but Radford wanted to change things up. To be fair, I don't think you should celebrate the news of your brand new job at– well, your new job location. With the theater being a no-go, he wanted to try out the new candy shop with me. The one that everybody in our high school went crazy on. The Candy Club.

I was excited. But I had to pretend I didn't want to. What if my parents saw it? I freaked out, knowing my parents would've grounded me for something so small.

"Come on, dude, you gotta at least try it. Your parents aren't even here. What are you so worried about?" Radford could tell I was nervous when we walked closer to Candy Club. But, of course, Radford being the worst friend I ever had, found this funny. Jerk.

"You know my parents can sense when I did something wrong! They're like super crazy freaks–! Oh crap, I shouldn't have said that. What if they heard?!" I could visually remember how I looked around my surroundings just in case one of them was watching me, but not a single figure. That didn't even matter to young me. He was still feeling uneasy.

I was an extremely paranoid kid. I didn't have abusive parents; they were sweet but heavily overprotective, and they could've been harsh at times too. I was the only child they had, so that could be why they were so weird sometimes. They were against anything considered unhealthy, like pizza, burgers, or whatever. Obviously, that included sugary substances. For most of my life, I was on a strict vegan diet.

Man, I remembered when I had my first bite of a burger. It was so delicious. Radford took me all around town, trying out different fast-food restaurants. Grills & Boys had to be my favorite restaurant at the time! It's a shame it wasn't like it used to be before.

I think today; I still might be a little paranoid. Not as much as before, thankfully.  But I still kept up with eating vegetables. I had to maintain my figure somehow; it's not every day you see some good-looking guy down the street! Right? I'm kidding.

I worry a lot; it's the one thing I'm known for. Radford constantly has to remind me to 'calm the fuck down,' but what does he know? His life was much smoother than my miserable one.

"Dude. You're the super crazy freak. Come on." He mocked. He found my terrified outbursts funny. But, like I said, Radford didn't take me seriously. Even today, he's still basically the same person.

He forcefully dragged me to the candy shop, ignoring my complaints whenever I mentioned what my parents would do to me if they found out. After that, which would've been nothing, I was just all talk.

My parents wouldn't have done anything necessarily wrong to me. The worst thing they could've done was a long boring lecture about how sugary foods can kill me. Just the usual on what their speeches were usually about.

When we entered the place, we were greeted heavily by the only employee who worked before me. To get this straight, no, I wasn't the first to work at Candy Club. I'm glad I wasn't the first employee at this shit establishment. I would've been more disappointed if I had worked here since the beginning it was built.

"Hey! Welcome to the Candy Club! Where your satisfaction is our treat!"

At the time, previous Candy-Club employees had to say this 'slogan' whenever someone entered the store. That has never changed. It's required for all employees to say once a customer comes in. But I don't do it. I refuse to say it because I find it so stupid.

Radford was the first who started talking to the guy. It looked like they knew each other, once again, not even a surprise. Radford liked speaking to people. I didn't.

"Hey, Dennis! Did you get your latest shipment in?" Radford asked, pushing up his glasses as they were clearly a bit too big for him. I never knew why Radford wouldn't get actual glasses that fitted his face, but whatever. He was a weird guy. He still is, actually, now that I think about it. Radford doesn't even wear actual glasses anymore. I'm pretty sure he has contacts. He didn't even need authentic glasses, so he replaced them with 3D glasses, nerd.

At the time, Radford had a sweet tooth, constantly chewing on some type of flavored gum. Back in high school, that's all he ever ate throughout his school days. Now? Not so much. Let's just say he frequently visits our local Dentist in town now.

I'm not entirely sure how Dennis, you know, the first ever Candy Club employee, and Radford's friendship began. Still, I can just guess that Radford was his best customer, considering all the sweets he bought had the Candy-Club logo on them.

"Just got it earlier this morning! Who's ya new friend there?" Dennis responded and pointed right at me, not knowing who I was. The town was small, so sometimes everybody knew each other, but I wasn't as social as Radford back then. Few people knew me. Not like I cared. I much preferred that way!

Up until when I became the new guy who sold candy in town. Fucking Dennis... I shouldn't have listened to him.

"Oh, this lame guy? Come on, dude, introduce yourself!"

Radford was a much more talkative person. He was more playful, open, and much more of an asshole than me. But, we had similar traits, and we were both... Never mind, I lied. We actually don't have anything in common. He was the one who spoke to me first back in middle school. Radford never even left me alone; he was so talkative. How we met is a story for another day.

I glared at him, irritated by the name-calling. Lame guy... you're the lame guy, Radford.

Dennis was— gazing at me. He seemed like a friendly guy. He had blonde hair and had to be older than us by a couple of years. At the time, I recalled rolling my eyes and giving out a huge groan. I wasn't the best at introducing myself to new people during my teen years. Now that I'm in my early twenties, I am even worse at talking to new people. So it's Radford who gets me to chat with somebody new.

"Kevin," I said, this being all I managed to tell Dennis.

"Nice to meet ya, Kev. Say, what's your favorite candy–?"

Why did he care? If you could compare Dennis and me, we're both entirely different. It's clear Dennis enjoyed his job, interacting with customers, and everything this job had to offer. Me? Not so much. Sure, it was nice to talk to people without forcing a conversation. Still, I soon realized anybody who came through that glass door would verbally abuse me for no reason. That's business, though! Great.

I cut Dennis off midway through his sentence, "I don't like candy. Not really my thing." I told him, crossing my arms. I frowned at him. Dennis was probably around 19 years old when I first met him. I don't talk to him now. He's closer to Radford, not me. I do see him occasionally, but it's just awkward.

I heard a loud sigh. The sigh came from nobody else but from Radford. "Come on, man! Kevin has never had candy before. He doesn't even have an opinion on it! He has no say in anything half of the time!"

I sneered at this as I crossed my arms and looked away from the duo. I was pissed. Yeah, it was true, but it wasn't like I wanted everybody to know about it.

"Is that true? Huh. Say, Kev, grab a scoop of those fruit gummies. I'd think you'll enjoy them." Dennis said, now he too was crossing his arms. But he wasn't upset. He remained happy the entire time, which I respected about Dennis for a long time. Dennis was still annoying, though.

It's not like I was a downer all the time. I just genuinely had no idea how to respond or even react to things.

"It's Kevin. And where? there's a lot of candy in here."

Dennis' head pointed to the left side of the place.

"Top row, pink bin."

Dennis was an asshole, too. I knew he was messing with me when he was facing the bin on the tallest shelf of the store. See, sixteen-year-old Kevin wasn't the tallest person at the time. I was a 5'4 kid, pretty much considered short at the time. I grew taller since then, but Radford continued to tower over me. I continued to glare at Dannis. He should know why I'd be pissed off.

"I can't reach that."

They both laughed with each other, with Radford being the loudest in the room.

"No worries, Kev, that's on me! I'll get it for ya!"

"Whatever," I said, turning my head away so I didn't have to face these two. Radford was already annoying on his own, and adding Dennis? They were even much more irritating and more menacing than these two stupid kids right in front of me—

Oh no! Oh crap! I forgot they were still here!

Dammit, Kevin! You need to quit dozing off on the job! This is how you get your candy stolen! You're lucky these two aren't 3 miserable preteens who wore hats!!

"Hey, err, Kevin? Are you okay?" Skid was the first to ask. He seemed concerned, but I could tell he was mainly curious about why I had been staring at the wall for a good minute.

"Yeah! You were looking at the wall for a while! Are you sick, Kevin?" Pump was more considerate than the other. Well, they both are, but Pump was typically the one who usually acted.

Huh, I forget they both are good kids. I just wished they had stopped pouring through my store, screaming at the tops of their lungs. They're not bad kids. Hell, they're the only two decent human beings who don't entirely make fun of me.

Lila and Pump's mother told the truth when they said these two kids were the purest and most excellent boys. But god, how destructive they were.

"I have some medicine the man in the van gave us!" Pump shouted, taking some mysterious bottle out of his backpack.

What the hell?

"What? What are you two talking about?! Give me that!" I completely ripped the bottle out of Pump's hands and tossed it in the trash.

"Stop talking to strangers, you two! Don't you know how dangerous that is? Where'd did you even get that from!"

These two are oblivious! How aren't they dead yet?! I can't even imagine what their parents must deal with at home! I'm glad they're not my kids! I'll never be a dad.

I groaned as I reached to grab the two pieces of candy I had saved for these two earlier today before they ran out. After pulling my hand from behind my desk, they both practically had stars in their eyes when they realized what I had.

My glare soon faded away. I smiled. It was nice to see happy faces on people. Especially innocent children. I can tell why Dennis loved this job. But, listen, I don't hate these two kids. But, as I said, they sometimes are too loud and dangerous.

I gave these two a long genuine smile. Then, with the two pieces of candy I had, I dropped them into their hands.

"Remember, they're called Bocadins. Call them by their real name next time, will ya?"

"Whoa! Thanks, Kevin! You're the best! And we will!" They said to me both at the same time. Jeez, it's like their heads are telepathically connected.

"Yeah, yeah. Now go away." I said, my smile now fading quickly. I squinted at these two. That was enough socialization for me today.

Instead of walking out of my store, they just stared at me! What the hell could they possibly want now? They got what they wanted. Why are they still staring at me? They could be so weird sometimes!

"What? What do you want?"

Pump and Skid looked at each other and started giggling. They were whispering pretty loudly to each other. A ton of 'No! No! You tell him! No, you!' Okay, now these two were getting on my nerves already.

"Tell me before I kick you both out."

They continued to giggle as they both finally turned to face me. Whatever it was, it was obviously so important.

"Did you hear, Kevin? There's a new haunted house! You should go!"

"Yeah! You'll like it, Kevin!"

Not that important, apparently. Sighing, I gave the two one last smile for the night.

"Sorry, kids, those things aren't for me. Now go away, please. I'm tired. I had a rough night last night!"

They looked disappointed. Of course, since they're Skid and Pump, they looked at each other, and a smile suddenly formed quickly.

"Oh well, let's go, Pump!"

"Oh, okay! Let's go see the new guy!"

New guy? What new guy? Was this the second thing they would tell me if I agreed to go!?

"New guy? What are you two talking about?"

I tried to get an answer from these two, but they were already running out of the store! Why are they so quick with things?!

"Bye, Kevin!!!"

That was the last thing they said before I stood there, confused. What new guy can they possibly be talking about? Who would even move to this town?!

———————————————

End Notes - Hoped you guys enjoyed it. I'll be taking suggestions throughout the story! Remember to check out my social media for more content for the story!

#spookymonth #spooky month #spooky month kevin #spooky month streber #srpelo #sr pelo #kevin x streber #streber spooky month #kevin spooky month #streber x kevin #sm streber #streber sm #sm kevin #kevin sm #candybat #candy bats #spooky month radford #spookymonthkevin #spookymonthstreber #radford spooky month #sm radford #radford sm

[cupids-chronicles]

Hades X Persephone Saga: A Game of Fate #1.5

Please note that this is not a sequel to "A Touch of Darkness", but rather a retelling from Hades' perspective. This means that you do not need to read this book to read the rest of the series.

Author: Scarlett St. Clair

Genre: Romance, Fantasy, Mythology

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐/5.

Spice: 🌶🌶🌶🌶

Goodreads rating: 4.1/5

Pages: ‎‎416

Published: 12 September 2020

A Game of Fate Review

Note: This book is intended for mature audiences over the age of 18 due to explicit content (steamy chapters).

Ah, the Fates. They're like that meddling aunt who sets you up on blind dates without your consent. One day you’re chilling in the Underworld, doing your dark and brooding godly things, and the next, boom, you're hitched to a feisty journalist called Persephone. This is the premise of A Game of Fate, the second installment of the Hades Saga.

First, let’s set something straight: when I first heard there was a Hades POV, I imagined something dark, brooding, and mysterious. Instead, I got a modern twist that was somewhere between "The Devil Wears Prada" and Greek mythology speed-dating. Let’s dive in, shall we?

Expectation vs Reality: Scarlett St. Clair, you sly minx, you played with my emotions. I was waiting for depth, for a change in the narrative, but alas, it was like watching your favorite movie with director’s commentary. Interesting, sure, but not quite the new experience you were hoping for. If you’ve read A Touch of Darkness, this is essentially the 4K ultra-HD rerun from Hades' perspective. Although I know that it was the whole point of the book to just read Hades' perspective of "A Touch of Darkness", sometimes it just felt a little too dejavu-ee to me.

Now, let's talk about the continuity issues. You remember that scene where Hades is chilling in his throne room, banishing Minthe, and suddenly needs to "teleport" to the Underworld? Wait… isn’t he already there? I’ve got to say, I spent an unreasonable amount of time trying to figure out if I missed a location change or if Hades was just being extra dramatic. Either way, it made me chuckle.

However, for the fans of the previous book, A Touch of Darkness, there's a lot to like here. The scenes with Hades showcasing his soft side — whether it’s confronting Demeter, comforting a battered soul, or bantering with his hooved companions — is just the right amount of sweet and somber. My personal favorites include Hades telling Minthe it was never her (Ouch! Burn!) and, of course, him making cookies. Because what's more divine than a god in an apron, right?

The world-building is commendable. We’re shown an Underworld with its own culture, quirks, and horse chats. And as for our dark and brooding protagonist, there's considerable growth in Hades. It’s quite something to watch him evolve from a stoic, perhaps misunderstood ruler to someone more human, all thanks to love and… journalism?

A stand-out quote for me: "Take her, and I will destroy this world. Take her, and I will destroy you. Take her, and I will end us all." It encapsulates the depth of Hades' passion and the lengths he's willing to go for love. Bravo!

As for the spice? Oh boy. Let's just say, if this book was a salsa, it'd be the one that leaves you reaching for a jug of water (or perhaps a fan? Oops, I promise no more cringy jokes!).

To wrap up, while A Game of Fate did serve some déjà vu vibes, it didn't stop me from enjoying the journey, even with a few giggles. You'll love it if you’re seeking a unique take on Greek gods and their soap-opera-worthy drama. I’d rate it a generous three stars. But remember, approach with caution and perhaps a pinch of humor. Because when a god starts baking, you know you're in for a wild ride.

Please note that this book is part of a series and can not be read as a stand alone. Lucky for you this can be your little weekend binge as almost all the books in the series has already been released !

Wait a minute boys and girls, check out these trigger warnings first:

Murder.

Sexual abuse (mentioned)

Torture

Harsh Language

Romance Tropes, you ask ?

Enemies to lovers

Fated Mates

Who do we meet in this book ?

Hades

Persephone (Perri)

What to read next:

Neon Gods (Dark Olympus) by Katee Robert.

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black.

Drag Me Up (Gods of Hunger) by R.M. Virtues.

Or just like read the next few books of this series.

#bookworm #book review #books #books & libraries #books and reading #romance books #a game of fate #hades #persephone #hades and persephone #review #books and literature #bookstagram #booktok #book tumblr #book things #book talk

[sillythoughtsaboutstupidthings]

Bioshock Infinite

Preface

Just finished playing through Bioshock Infinite, first time I’ve beaten a game in a long time.

I remember when the game was relatively recent some people were very disappointed with how it didn’t live up to the hype and differed from the previous games in the series. I’ve seen Bioshock Infinite criticized for its cut content, two weapon limit, story that has a plot hole so large it completely falls apart and of course for abandoning Rapture.

From my experience with the game it was exactly everything I expected it to be, some of that expectation being formed by the criticism I’d read and heard. I went in expecting a competent, somewhat spiced up PS3/360 generation shooter, which is exactly what it is. Compared to Bioshock 1 which I played back in 2014 it’s clear that the game underwent some serious CoDification. I absolutely understand that that wasn’t what fans of the series wanted, but I don’t think it was all for the worse.

CoDification of a oldschool shooter

Let’s go over the ways that Bioshock Infinite was made more like Call of Duty.

Aim Down Sights

Two weapon limit

Regenerating “health” (shield)

Sprint

Linear structure

Cinematic cutscenes

As far as ADS is concerned it’s thankfully basically a completely pointless addition. “Hip fire” or in other words shooting without aiming down sights is the optimal way to play 95% of the time, the spread on the weapons is so limited that you can be very accurate at almost any range with almost any weapon. Additionally the ADS mechanic itself adds recoil that isn’t there when not aiming down sights and also removes any spread from all weapons, resulting in vastly different behavior for something like the machine gun. This in combination with most weapons using iron sights actually makes it more difficult to aim down sights. The only time ADS comes into play is for the sniper rifle and maybe the hand cannon or carbine when enemies are absurdly far away, but most of the time you’re better off just repositioning closer to them in those cases.

The two weapon limit is probably the most controversial change from previous Bioshock games, not being able to carry around an entire arsenal in your pocket marked a clear departure from the series’ oldschool roots. Overall I think it’s a bit of a mixed bag. On one hand in you can’t use any weapon you want whenever you want, but on the other hand it allows for more weapons total and also (at least in theory) forces the player to switch to whatever weapons are available. However in Bioshock Infinite this is implemented sort of half-way, as you still have your pockets full of ammo for all the different weapons, the only things restricted is which you can actually use. This differs from most games, like CoD or Uncharted etc. where the only ammo you have is whatever you found with the weapon or that you picked up from other copies of the same weapon. In contrast in Bioshock Infinite weapons found on the ground don’t supply you with ammo, rather random drops from enemies and vending machines provide ammo like in previous Bioshock games. On top of this you might randomly get some extra ammo from Elizabeth if you’re about to run out. This means that for most of the game you can simply keep your favorite couple of guns and just ignore any others. The only exception is when there is so much fighting between vending machines that you end up running out of ammo, in which case you might actually have to pick up weapons across the level to fight on. In my experience I ended up sticking to a carbine and RPG combo for almost the entire game, however sometimes I would swap weapons mid-fight, most often to a sniper rifle to conserve ammo on my carbine. Toward the end I was forced to give up my carbine in favor of the more powerful alternatives, the hand cannon and sniper rifle in order to dish out as much damage as possible. Overall I think the game would’ve probably been better off with the old weapon system, or if they wanted to have a CoD style two weapon limit they should have implemented it all the way. As it is it doesn’t add much in terms of enjoyment and adds lots of frustration toward the end when you scramble to find anything usable after having emptied your weapons into multiple tin men, a handyman and tons of grunts.

The shield is more of a Halo-fication since it works exactly like it, you have a regenerating shield that takes some time before it starts to regenerate after being hit and when you run out of shield you start taking damage to your health. This essentially makes it so that some of the damage you take is completely negated as long as you sit behind cover for a bit. In practice this allows you to save money on health kits and worry far less about the damage you take. However unlike previous games you can’t carry health kits with you to restore your health when needed. This changes the nature of combat encounters, as rather than being focused on conserving the life you have, you can gamble a bit more knowing that you can always get your shield back as long as you don’t take enough damage to run out of health. Combine this with occasional health kits thrown by Elizabeth and you get combat encounters that have lower stakes compared to previous games while being more dynamic at the cost of having to sit and hide behind cover from time to time, although often this can be substituted with a fun ride on the skylines. Overall a good change in my opinion, as the old system just made me anxious about every bit of damage I took.

Sprint is basically only ever used to get from point A to point B, in combat it’s almost entirely pointless since you rarely want to face away from enemies when retreating, and often there are skylines you can use to reposition faster. It does help traversal though since the areas in general are far more open and larger in scale compared to the cramped corridors of Bioshock 1/2. I would’ve preferred a simple increase to movement speed (as it would’ve made combat faster and more dynamic as well), but at least there’s the equipment thing that gives you faster strafe and backpedaling speed (which I kept equipped the entire game).

The linear structure was in my opinion an improvement compared to Bioshock 1, I found it quite annoying to backtrack and try to navigate the samey looking corridors of rapture. Also I’m a bit lazy and went into the game with the expectation of turning my brain off, not having to think too much about where I’m going or where I came from allows me to do that.

As for the cutscenes I feel like they were a fine addition, even if the engine clearly wasn’t intended to show characters and objects as up close as they did in some cutscenes. In some cases I saw some really odd looking shadows, like on the very polygonal baby and any closeup of someone’s face.

On the story

The story really is as confused as I’ve heard, there’s the whole people being un-killed business that makes no sense. More confusingly what happens to all the universes that are hopped in and out of? The original universe you come from has no Booker nor Elizabeth left in it, that universe’s Comstock must be quite frustrated to see that his plans were ruined just like that. The second universe you go to ends up presumably having two Bookers and Elizabeths temporarily, or perhaps that universes Booker and Elizabeth had already jumped somewhere else? Who knows. The “final” universe where the revolution is in full swing has a dead Booker and a second Elizabeth locked up in Comstock house. What happens then when Songbird grabs Elizabeth and takes her to get experimented on? Are there two Elizabeths now in that universe or did the other one manage to flee somehow? Another Elizabeth then drags you into the future, supposedly from that same universe you were in, but she then sends you back to stop that future from happening, but the only way for that future to happen is for him to be gone from the past because he was pulled into the future like that. Also where’s the second Elizabeth in this (these?) universe(s)? The ending also makes no sense. I mean if there are infinite parallel universes how exactly are you going to stop someone from “being born in the first place”, your actions are obviously only going to affect a single universe or is Booker saying he’s going to spend a literal eternity going through every single possible universe? Booker is Comstock, so stopping himself from being born is a grandfather paradox. If it’s a metaphorical statement then that means he’d have to somehow go through every single possible universe where he becomes Comstock to stop it from happening, but given the infinity of universes that’s also impossible and even if it was it would also undo everything he did to get to that point in the first place creating another paradox. Could Ken Levine just not figure out a good way to wrap things up after all that dimension hopping? It seems so.

Aside from that both political sides of Columbia are cartoonishly evil to the point of it being kind of silly, one is lead by a cult leader who argues that racism is good because cruelty is good because god, like some cartoon villain version of an American conservative. On the other side you have a revolutionary with red flags who literally kills children for no apparent reason, as if to try to outdo the evil of real life revolutionary leaders who waved red flags.

The hamfistedness of the messages portrayed is also quite absurd. There’s moments like at the start of the game when they make a public exhibit of a mixed race couple and raffle out baseballs to throw at them, it’s completely absurd and cartoonish. There’s of course also the capitalism stuff with Fink’s wonderful philosophies some of which aren’t too far off from the real life dystopian hellscape that is the USA. I mean if you showed Fink's personal creed to the average Wallmart manager they’d probably agree wholeheartedly if the antiwork subreddit is anything to go by. However I will say that the bit where workers have to bid with times to complete a work task in order to get the job and thus be able to earn an income was not only funny but also an interesting interpretation of where uncontrolled capitalism could go in the case of a complete oversupply of workers. Sadly it’s not shown what the consequences of failure to complete the work in the time you’ve set for yourself is. It’s also interesting because in real life consulting firms will bid on jobs in a similar manner, with the cheapest (which typically means the one promising to use the least number of man-hours, but could also mean the one to pay their workers the least) typically winning. A system that obviously can’t ever go wrong ever, absolutely doesn’t lead to vast underestimations of the time it takes to complete something and never leads to quality issues.

Some additional thoughts on the game

I ended up barely using any of the vigors the game provided, just like with the weapons I found a couple that really worked and stuck to them throughout most of the game. In this case it was Shock Jockey and Bucking Bronco adding Devil’s Kiss to the rotation toward the end of the game to attempt to do a bit more damage to the big sponge enemies.

Speaking of spongy enemies, the handymen are so spongy they make Borderlands games look like their enemies’ healthbars are perfectly reasonable.

The level design of the game and the shooting as a result is much more more enjoyable than Bioshock 1. There are far more opportunities to get out of trouble either on skylines or by hiding behind cover.The overall scale of everything is also larger generally putting enemies at a greater distance from yourself, meaning you always have a good chance to take out melee enemies before they’re on you like a zombie horde in Left 4 Dead. Thanks to this, the changes in mechanics and the nice upgrade that makes enemies ragdoll when you melee them I didn’t have the problem of being overwhelmed by enemies running straight into my face like in Bioshock 1. The only time I faced that issue was against handymen, because they just refuse to stay more than a few meters away from you for more than a couple of seconds, jumping and running to you the moment you try to reposition and of course they take minutes to kill.

The PC version is an interesting beast, on the lowest settings it can almost run on integrated graphics from the time, while maxed out at 1440p it often struggles to stay above 60fps on my Ryzen 2700X, RX 480 machine that in terms of GPU power vastly outperforms the best GPU at the time and even slightly beats the best GPU that came out later the same year as the game

Overall a solid 7/10 experience.

#bioshock #bioshock infinite #gaming #video games

[filmntv-analysis]

The Goldfinch (Movie) Analysis

Movie Name: The Goldfinch Where To Watch: Amazon Prime Video Overall Rating: 7/10

This film is classified as a Drama and is an adaptation of the book, “The Goldfinch,” by Donna Tartt. This film follows the main character, Theodore Decker, and tells the story of how his life changed after his mother was killed in a bombing when he was 13.

Throughout the movie, the audience witnesses Theo’s experiences through life, which mostly surround a painting he saved from the bombing as a token of hope. 

Overall, this movie is a great film with amazing cinematography and well known actors like Ansel Elgort, Finn Wolfhard, and Sarah Paulson, but the film is very different from the book which makes the film almost disappointing. 

What stops this film from bordering disappointing is the amazing acting and emotions that all the actors portray. Emotions depicted in the movie translate extremely well off screen and tells a different side to each character. Not only this, but the film makes most, if not all, characters relatable.

This being said, I would recommend reading the book before watching the film as the book heavily outshines the film. I’d also recommend this film to any person who may be a fan of Finn Wolfhard’s work as this is definitely one of my favorite performances from him.

However, I will warn readers and watchers that both the film and the book contain drug use, abuse, death, and basic descriptions of depression. If any of these topics upset you, I’d steer clear of consuming any content including The Goldfinch.

This has been the film analysis of The Goldfinch.

#the goldfinch #theo decker #theodore decker #boris pavlikovsky #pippa blackwell #kitsey barbour #finn wolfhard #sarah paulson #ansel elgort #oakes fegley #donna tartt #movies #film

[noramoons]

Hey for the ask game

Got7 all of them?

omg absolutely! 💚💚 putting this under the cut hehe

kpop ask game!

1. who’s your bias?

the one and only jackson wang…

2. how did you decide on your bias?

i actually heard jackson’s solo music before i got into got7! (which was literally two months before they left jype 🥲) i rlly enjoyed what i heard from the actual group so I started looking into more of their content, but i was still very enamored by jackson lmaoo he’s just such a funny dude in their group interactions

3. who’s your bias wrecker?

it’s a VERY close tie between jaebeom and bambam…jaebeom is such a great leader and bambam is so funny gdndndj

4. hyung line or maknae line?

ooo this is tough…i think i’ll go with hyung line BUT i love maknae line so much too 😔 decisions decisions

5. what is your favorite era?

probably not by the moon/dye era! everyone looked SO good and that album has some of my favorite music from them

6. your favorite song and why?

omg i’ve been playing pray on repeat this week so it’s definitely my favorite rn but i do feel like my answer for this changes constantly jfnfndj. i just love that instrumental part at the beginning a lot!

7. what’s the first song you heard?

안보여 (Come On) ! heard it in the car with my roommate and i was like 👀 u got any more of these hehe

8. your favorite album?

breath of love: last piece!

9. have they ever made you cry?

i cry pretty easily LOL but got7 actually hasn’t made me cry yet—however i got REAL close with that goodbye stage right before they left jype…bambam getting so emotional rlly got to me, especially with him talking about how devoted the fans are :(

10. favorite music video?

another question that changes all the time but rn i’d have to say look! that footwork in the chorus is some of my favorite choreo from them

11. what do you love about this group?

oh gosh, ik it’s cliché to say they’re just so talented but they rlly are!! and it truly shows with how much their music has changed and evolved throughout their careers, they have such a diverse discography which is what i love abt them. they’re also such a genuine and funny group—my dad has even watched got7 compilations with me before and enjoyed them 😭 i think they’re a great group for whenever you’re feeling down to help you get to feeling better again.

12. who would you marry and why?

jaebeom! him being a cat person is probably at least 80% of that LOL but he’s so genuine and caring w the members too 🥺

13. who would be your best friend and why?

bambam! his humor actually reminds me a lot of the guys i was friends with in high school fndndjd and i just think you’d always have a smile on your face around him

14. do you own any merch?

not yet :// i’ve contemplated collecting jackson’s pcs but there are…so many LOL. i rlly like the got7 lightstick tho!! if they ever tour again i might have to grab one

15. what’s a concept you would like to see them try?

i feel like everyone and their mother is doing a rock/emo concept rn but it would be kinda fun to see got7 go back to their roots w this next comeback a little bit hehehe…they probably won’t LOL but that would be interesting 🤔

16. a subunit you would like?

since got7 already has a few subunits i would love to see more jus2 in the future…please 😩😩

17. favorite look from your bias?

had to dig thru his instagram for this LOL but this was his pfp for a while and it’s just such an immaculate look ☕️

18. your favorite title track?

last piece! played that on repeat almost every time i walked to class last semester loll

19. favorite choreo?

i said look earlier but i do also really enjoy the choreo for poison! especially the studio choom vid with the jackets hehe

20. favorite live performance?

i rlly need to watch more live stages of got7’s tbh! 😩 but that 2018 mama stage with jackson, bambam, and mark performing individually before everyone came out to do lullaby was one of the first things i saw from them and i was hooked immediately!

#took me way too long to do this LOL but i love got7 and i wanted to put some effort into these 😌 #beck answers 💌 #anon #ask game

[jcmarchi]

Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble Preview - Getting Things Rolling Again - Game Informer

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/super-monkey-ball-banana-rumble-preview-getting-things-rolling-again-game-informer/

Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble Preview - Getting Things Rolling Again - Game Informer

After a long absence, the Super Monkey Ball series returned in 2019 and 2021 with remasters and remakes of previous games, but it’s been over a decade since fans received an all-new Super Monkey Ball title. That changes in June, as Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble is poised to deliver the continuation longtime players pine for. But with some recent mixed results, massive changes in game design best practices in the time since the series’ heyday, and likely a whole lot of cobwebs to shake off for developer Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, I was skeptical about the viability of a new Super Monkey Ball in 2024. Thankfully, after spending an hour playing Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble, those fears have subsided almost entirely.

Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble brings a ton of content and changes to the series while still remaining definitively Monkey Ball. Banana Rumble apes its freshest new move from Sega’s flagship franchise, Sonic the Hedgehog. In previous Super Monkey Ball games, you could jump, but that ability is replaced by a Spin Dash, a technique in Sonic’s moveset since Sonic the Hedgehog 2 in 1992. At first, I was unsure of this change, but as soon as I got my hands on it through the tutorial, all my concerns were dashed away.

The Spin Dash fits incredibly well into the Super Monkey Ball formula, giving you a better flow through the levels but also letting you peel out and blast off ramps and lips to find shortcuts. During my hands-on session, my most thrilling moments came when I lined up and blasted through a level using the Spin Dash. It’s useful for cutting corners in the stages, but it’s essential for hitting the missions each level gives you, particularly when combined with the refreshed physics that make the series feel better than ever.

As you play through the 200 all-new levels in Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble’s Adventure mode, you can simply make it your goal to reach the end of the stage. However, if you want to be a completionist, each level has three side missions: One for collecting a set number of bananas, one for grabbing the Golden Banana, and one for completing the stage in a set amount of time. You don’t have to get all of them in one go, but I still strived to do so during my demo. It quickly became apparent that I could complete the banana-centric missions during a normal playthrough of the level, I’d have to get crafty to finish some of the levels under the time target. That’s where the Spin Dash and creative thinking come into play.

On one level, I waited for a moving platform to lift up, giving me enough airtime if I Spin Dashed into it at the right time to send me flying over the other platforms and into the goal. On another, I had to drop down at just the right point in the stage to skip huge swaths of the level and reach the goal faster, harkening back to games like Super Mario 64 in the best possible way. I loved tackling these head-scratching stages, and having only played through the first two worlds, I can’t wait to see how the challenges escalate in the levels still to come. If you end up stuck on any level, you can turn on various assist options, including ghosts that show you optimal routes and checkpoints that let you continue the level if you fall off the platforms. As you complete these worlds, you earn trophies to display on your island, as well as in-game currency to purchase cosmetics in the shop.

Outside of Adventure mode, I had a chance to participate in the Battle modes, which allow for up to 16 players online or 2 players locally. Since the game isn’t out yet, I play against 15 bots, which will be an option in the final game if you want to fill out with up to 16 total competitors mixed in with your actual players.

The Battle modes give me a lot of hope for the multiplayer aspect of Banana Rumble. Whether it’s the Mario Kart-style Race game, the collectathon Banana Hunt, or the fun risk/reward game of Goal Rush, where you players roll down a hill at high speeds to try and go through the highest scoring goals to contribute to your team’s total, Banana Rumble delivers a diverse array of experiences within this suite. However, my two favorites are Ba-Boom, which is basically a game of tag where you need to pass off a bomb before the timer reaches zero and eliminates those with bombs, and Robot Smash, where you use momentum and the Spin Dash to blast into robots in the arena and rack up points for your team. I can’t wait to actually get into these modes with real-world players, as they feel like they hold a surprising amount of depth for side modes.

And that was my main takeaway from my time with Banana Rumble in general: I came away impressed by how the game feels like far more than surface delights and lighthearted fun. The puzzle-solving fan inside of me can’t wait to figure out the best paths through the various Adventure mode levels, while the party-game lover is itching to play more rounds of the Battle mode titles. 

I had an absolute blast during my time with Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble, and what I played was just a sampling of the content that awaits players. Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble arrives exclusively on Switch on June 25.

#2024 #bombs #bots #change #content #cutting #Design #Developer #display #entertainment #game #Game Design #games #Giving #hands-on #hedgehog #how #it #One #Other #Physics #platform #Play #PlayStation #PlayStation 5 #risk #robot #Robots #shortcuts #sony