#....and therefore probably more interesting to read about XD

[kitkatopinions]

Sorry to come into your ask box to vent after your post...

But I gotta say, you certainly managed to really sum up everything I dislike about the mentality of "subverting expectations = good storytelling" folks.

Like, it had been such a thing for people to say "X is so good because it subverts audience expectations!" And it's been driving me up a wall because that's just such a backward mentality about it: subverting audience expectations is a completely neutral thing, and one can just as easily ruin a story by going against audience expectations as tell a good story by playing out what the audience might be expecting.

Which, not to necessarily be mean about RW//BY, but yeah... that so many passionate defenders of it are also of the "a story is good cuz it subverts expectations" crowd is... not unexpected.

No, but for real! The way that people and seemingly a lot of writers think that surprise = good is frustrating!:This is one reason why spoilers are such a big deal to people, is that their viewing experience seems to bank on surprise and shock about who might die, who ends up together, who wins what victory in the end. I should be able to know all the plot points and plot twists going in and still enjoy the finished product just as much. If something isn't well set up (Adam's switcheroo in motives, the existence of the gods, Penny being a flesh person, the Ever After, Blake's personality change, arguably Ruby's depression in V9,) or not well done (Ironwood's fall to villainy, Ozpin's gray morality, the bees, Neo's eventual suicide, Ruby's journey as a SEW, the whole morals of the whole show) then whether or not it 'subverts expectations' is entirely irrelevant.

People are fully allowed to complain that they thought a piece of media would do something they wanted and instead did something they personally don't like that much, also, because that IS a bummer. But when I complain about RWBY, most of the time it's not just because I'm salty that it isn't doing what I think I'd personally like more. Like, I like the game Octopath Traveler, but I wish it wasn't that 8-bit looking early video game design, but at the end of the day I don't care because just because it doesn't fit my personal preference doesn't mean it isn't good. I wish Zuko had joined the Gaang earlier in ATLA or had more time with the Gaang than he did, but I still think Zuko's story is as close to perfect as it probably could've been. I just write or read fanfiction for the personal preference stuff. But the complaints I typically have for RWBY aren't like that. Like YEAH I actually DO prefer stories without heroes falling to villainy and with lots of redemption arcs, but I'm not about to hate RWBY just for not following my own personal preferences. No, I criticize RWBY for the bad execution, the lack of emotional pay-off in their story beats, the inconsistent morality they splash here and there whenever it sounds good and then forget about. RWBY is a confused show packed with ideas that never seem to be able to come together and writers that seem more interested in making giffable moments than a well done story. It's just generally not a well written well executed show.

I think that 'it subverts your expectations' is just one of many excuses that people use to wave away criticism with as little thought or effort or need to actually engage in discourse as possible. Just like complaints that the writers weren't interested in good world building and lore and therefore the transition from the moster school drama Beacon Era into magical world traversing quest wasn't well done are waved away with 'you're just mad the writers aren't following your headcanons' or 'you just want cute girls to go brr and hate substance' without actually addressing the true meat of the complaint or offering any substantial counterargument.

BTW, complain any time! I don’t mind hearing it at all. XD

#rwde

[cubeapples]

hi bestieeee!!!! i came across that post abt harry not being a saint in the boks and then i scrolled yr blog a bit and im a bit confused now!!! u seem to ship tmrhp but do u like harry? is there smth u like abt him? or do u just like the ship? its completely fine if u do! just askin, sry if this is rude, im just curious!!

hi nonnie, this not rude at alllll, thank you for asking me nicely, ❤❤ i've had people ask these questions with some very colourful names attached and that just ruined my mood for answering any of them. im sorry if my response is a bit lengthy, but i just have a lot of thoughts and opinions about tmrhp :)

first off, i will start by saying that i like canon harry overall, but some characteristics of his just give me a really huge ick. these characteristics aren't even morally reprehensible, i just dislike them, that's all. mainly the unnecessarily malicious way he describes people he doesn't like and also his self righteousness. i'm a firm believer of not liking EVERYTHING about a character. just because i pointed out some flaws of harry doesn't mean i hate him as a whole.

i also simply wanted to point these flaws of his out, because in many tmrhp fics i read, harry is cleansed of all his misdeeds or even has them justified. i personally see harry as a light greyish character, and i love it when he is depicted as such.

moving onto what i like about harry is firstly, his appearance. big fan of messy black hair, green eyes, round glasses XD. i also like that at heart, he is a good person. he tries to save peter pettigrew until the end, even though he is the reason why harry's parents are dead. harry saves draco from the fire even when ron suggests that he lets draco burn to death. harry doesn't use the killing curse on voldemort even once, even though he has the complete right to do so. i like harry's bravery and his defiance (to a certain extent.)

moving onto why i ship tmrhp. i like this ship for all the obvious reasons (the parallels, the contrasts, one chose love, the other chose hate) but also because i love the trope where the main protagonist ends up with the main villain. (call me shallow, or whatever, but it's cute, albeit horrifying.) i also ship it because of the dead dovey nature of this pairing, like, it's so interesting to explore! the angst potential! the betrayal! the guilt! so unusual but also intriguing. i like the fact that this ship isn't 'sweet' or is deemed a comfort ship like most of the other ships in this franchise. voldemort is a Bad Guy, and more than seeing how he is changed by harry, i think it is more interesting to see how Harry is changed by voldemort.

the reason you probably thought i dislike harry in this pairing is because i don't like what the fandom has done to this pairing. (i apologise if i sound entitled, but these are simply my personal opinions. fic writers can write whatever they please, and they are in no way obligated to cater to me. they should write whatever they enjoy writing.)

(i won't dwell a lot here as i also have another askpost here explaining this)

fanon tomarrymort has morphed voldemort's character so much so, that it is unrecognizable to canon voldemort. fanon voldemort simps for harry, apologises to harry begs harry etc. which is something canon voldemort would simply never do even if they were canonically together.

this fandom relies very heavily on Certain Themes, such as harry being a horcrux, and voldemort's obsession with harry being taken wildly out of context. this is mostly it. voldemort views harry as his, goes crazy with possessive issues and abides by harry's every command. harry is now viewed as someone Extra Special and Powerful and therefore can garner all of voldemort's full attention even though that is not the case in canon. harry is more important than the death eaters because they were always incompetent fools, amirite? harry has now fixed voldemort hooray! /sarcasm.

it's just that this is so far removed from canon that it makes me dislike the way harry is so glorified. i am not glorifying voldemort by saying this btw, i understand that voldemort is a Bad Guy.

what i wish was explored more in tomarrymort:

overcoming the fact that harry might not always be noticed by voldemort (in the case of the time travle fics), because voldemort is a self-obsessed guy. he spends most of his time studying, in prefect duties, taming the basilisk, thinking of making horcruxes, it is highly unlikely that he would notice the new transfer student as you guys like to call it.

how voldemort treats bellatrix. (i specifically state bella because she is the closest to voldemort's lover in canon.) it is common for this fandom to brush aside bellatrix and treat her with disrespect. and i hate that. i wish people would explore the fact that in tomarrymort, voldemort would obviously prefer bellatrix before getting together with harry. and even after, he will still view her favourably.

the fact that voldemort might not like harry's defiance towards him. most of the time, in tomarrymort fics, voldemort notices harry because of harry's defiance towards him and he is intrigued. but.. like.. if harry defied voldemort after they get together, he wouldn't like that. he wouldn't like that at all. not to metion the fact that there is a Wholeass organisation called the Order that is dedicated to defying voldmort 😭😭 harry isn't the only one being outwardly defiant towards him. hell, he probably executed death eaters for looking at him the wrong way, how can harry be any different? what i think should be focused more on is how they Compromise. how they form an understanding. how harry shouldn't defy Everything voldemort says and how voldemort shouldn't always order harry around.

how voldemort gets over the hatred he has for harry. i know most people prefer harry over voldemort and thus, their fics are mostly in harry pov, which focuses on how harry forgives voldemort from killing his parents. but what you have to understand is that while voldemort took harry's family from him, harry took Everything from voldemort. Absolutely Everything. voldemort holds MAD grudges. he isn't going to forgive harry overnight. (i know voldemort did it to himself, but he is not going to view it that way.)

their relationship outside of horcrux and main soul.

the power imbalance. the fact that voldemort is more powerful than him. i know harry is his equal, prophecy, blah blah, but harry doesn't want any of the greatness and the extraordinary power whilst voldemort seeks greatness. voldemort was an exceedingly smart, prodigious kid and i don't think his intelligence and capability to scheme should be taken away just to make him equal to harry.

ahh yeah that's probably pretty much it. sorry for rambling and any repeated points. im not proofreading this monster of text, if there are spelling errors... look away!

thank you for this ask nonnie ❤❤

#tom riddle #voldemort #harry potter #lord voldemort #tomarry #harrymort #tomarrymort #anon.ask

[1unpaid-intern]

Ok so I'm kinda new to tumblr, but I just can't get this fanfic idea out of my head. So since I'll probably never write this/ lose motivation half way through, I might as well share it.

Soooo I've come across a really good ghost/calamity xie lian AU fic (Dark Sword, White Flower by Luna04 on ao3 if anyone's interested) and I've come up with my own take on that premise, because it's just so intriguing.

(English is not my first language, so sorry for any mistakes)

Also spoilers for tgcf (obviously)!

Almost all fics I've read make it so Xie Lian dies in the coffin Lang Qianqiu put him in, but even though that'd be pretty cruel (and would therefore make sense in universe xD) I just don't buy it. Jun Wu specifically wanted to make life as painfull as possible for him both psycologically and physically. Xie Lian getting stabed through the heart for decades would be a dream come true, so he definetly wouldn't let him die. Because if you ask me, he definetly knew. As white no-face he was stalking XL constantly and you're telling me he just stopped after his second banishment? XL was still suffering, since his luck got sealed away, so you bet that he's been watching him day after day while eating popcorn and going like: serves you right little sh*t (because we all know he's petty like that).

Instead I'd have XL die trying to stop the human face disease from raining down on Yong'an. In the original Wu Ming sacrifices himself, but what if no-face stops him by scattering his soul. XL then makes the ultimate sacrifice and even though all those resentfull spirits should kill him no matter what, in order to make it a little bit more poetic let's say that right before he gets hit, XL ascends for the second time since he regained his morals and tries to make up for it. (In the process he also breaks his shakle. And I know that you're supposed to also be imortal as a god, but Shi Wudu got killed by having his head ripped off and I just have this head canon that XL would be fine after that because JW just won't let him die.)

Now the "problem" that arises with this premis instead of the coffin-death is that JW absolutly knows about XLs death. If he lets the rest of heaven know that, it'd eventually reach Hua Cheng. Aaand oh booooyyyy. If he found out that his god not only died, but none of the other gods, not even the emperor himself, prevented it by helping him, the temples of those 33 gods wouldn't be the only thing on fire. Because think about it, the reason HC keeps on living is XL, but if he thinks he's gone, then the only thing that'd keep him going is revenge. HCs end goal would then be to become strong enough to even kill JW.

But I can also see this playing out differently. We know JW wants XL to follow in his foot steps and become a calamity, therefore needing to become a ghost (as he says when they're both trapped in the Kiln). So he'd definetly consider the posibility of XL becoming a ghost. Considering the guy has a sword for everything (looking at you virginity detecting sword) I could imagine that he also has one that can tell if somebody's soul is still wandering around even though they're dead. Obviously JW would want to find him and turn him into a calamity. But if he a) tells the other gods that XL is a ghost then atleast Feng Xin and Mu Qing would also be looking for him or b) only tells them that he died then somebody might get the idea to use the aforementioned sword and leading us back to a). So the most logical thing would be for JW to just lie about XL getting banished a second time (similar to how it originally went down).

While I like both scenarios, I'm kinda leaning towards the second one with JW lying, because as soon as XL ascendes for the third time he's gonna be hella confused why nobody is freaking out about him showing up in heaven, followed up by him becoming suspicious of JW.

One thing I've been thinking about a lot was what's special about XL as a ghost king, what differentiates him from the others. HC got his red robs, silver jewelry, blood rain, wraith butterflies, E-Ming and power over luck. He Xuan has his black robes, great acting skills (seriously give this man an oscar), never ending hunger, skeletton fish and power over the seas. Qi Rong (while only having the title of a calamity and not actually being a ghost king) has his green robes, green fire locks and his habit of trying to imitate the other calamities (e.g. hanging corpses & eating people). Bai Wuxiang has his simple white burial robs, the iconic half-crying half-smiling mask, a spirit calling cloth flag, Fangxin aka Zhu Xin, manipulation and the power of the human face disease. Things I've seen a lot in other fics and that I completly agree on are: XL can turn his nails into long claws (similar to Lady Dimitrescu I'd imagine), he doesn't want to be found so he shape shifts a lot and he helps out the common people, especially children and mothers (since trying to help others and making up for his past mistakes is basically all that keeps him going). While these characteristics are great, they aren't enough to make him stand out yet. One idea I'm really proud of is to make XL a puppet master. Because correct me if I'm wrong, but the only "ghost typs" we ever were introduced to were sentient weapons, possed objects, humanoid ghosts, ghost animals, water ghouls and puppet masters. And just imagine XL using threads and puppets to fight in addition to Ruoye. Like, imagine him fighting similar to Sasori from Naruto, the Spider Demons from Demon Slayer or ErrorSans from the Undertale AUs. I also think he should stick with the burial cloths he was wearing as white no-face (maybe with some blood on them to make it more creepy) but obviously adding his signitur bambu hat with some flowy long vails.

I wouldn't change to much about he whole XL posing as the Yong'an goushi backstory. I would only have it so Lang Qianqiu finds out that his goushi was actually a ghost king and XL fleeing so he isn't stuck in a coffin for decades. That way when LQQ finds out about XL being his goushi, it also serves as the big reveal.

I'm not so sure what to do with the Banyue kingdom backstory though. I would like for XL to take Ban Yue as his little adoptive daughter, but if he went back after the kingdom was destroyed, then woudn't he take care of Kemo and the other ghost soliders right there? That would lead to Little Pei never luring people in, therefore erasing the entire Banyue arc and I don't know how to feel about that. Yes, not much would change, were it to play out, but that's the first time XL meets the "earth" and wind master. Also JW led them to Banyue pass (and also to the ghost bride) in order to damage Pei Mings reputation, so he'd lose believers and therefore would be easier to beat later on and that's kinda important. Not to forget he used a puppet for that and with XL as a puppet master he'd definetly be able to get more info out of it, leading to raising his suspicions again.

Aaaaand that are all the ideas I have so far, also my fingers hurt from typing.

Maybe I'll continue this some day, since I probably won't stop obsessing over this AU any time soon. (Also if you know similar fics please let me know, I feel so starved rn)

#xie lian #ghost xie lian #calamity xie lian #fanfic ideas #tgcf

[ninjahiccups]

The Songbird of Asgard

Chapter 1: Breaking News

Welp, I've been convinced. Please interact so I know if anyone actually reads this XD. Heimdall comes in about halfway through. He'll be more present in any upcoming parts.

Heimdall x fem!named reader, name is used as little as possible AO3 link here OC INSERT VERSION here

Words: 9.8k.

Warnings: swearing, Heimdall being his bitchy self. Odin manipulating people, as usual.

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Blurb: To say your life changed in a matter of hours would be an understatement. 

The night before, you were alone in your room, a place that wasn’t even in this realm. But just twenty-four hours later, you were in Asgard, starting fresh, and on the back of a giant beast with probably the most pompous, condescending, and insufferable god that’s ever lived.

All this because Thor just so happened to crash through your roof. The norns are mocking you, surely… 

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The clinking of glass jars was the only sound. Bottles moved from your table up onto a shelf, no longer needed now that your chore was complete. Another round of elixirs, for what exactly you weren’t sure, you never kept track anymore. They were always useful for the elves.

Useful. That was what they always said. That seems to be all you were nowadays.

You sighed, breaking the silence in your tiny room. This was one of the largest outposts the light elves had in Alfheim, one of the few strongholds they had when the Light temple was not within their control, as it was now. Regardless of that, this was your home – the only one you knew, at least.

The jars were abandoned after you took a few strides to arrive at your bookshelf, a finger wandering across the spines of books you've read a hundred times. Another sigh, after you found no interest in reading one of them yet again. Your eyes scanned the room, filled with nothing but a wooden chest next to your bed and a table with a few chairs by a window. How mundane it felt. You thought you'd be accustomed to it by now. Being a tool of war must have made you immune to the comfort of consistency.

You shook your head at the thought, reminding yourself not to be so pessimistic. The elves cared for you, gave you a home. A goddess left with nothing and no one, they could have left you. But they took you in, and you had to help them in return. You weren't an elf, their war was simply something you couldn't possibly understand, that was all.

That's what you had been telling yourself for at least a century now.

The thought was shoved away again as you decided to retrieve your lyre from your chest. Sweet melodies that were plucked from its strings were among the few things you never tired of.

Then there was a sound.

Sound was the wrong word. A boom, a crash, an explosion. Something like that came from the distance. Normal, considering the constant warring within the real and therefore far from drawing attention. But this time it felt different.

Almost like…thunder?

You squinted at the window, seeing a flash of blue rocket into the sky. You took a single step to investigate before it happened.

It burst through your roof, the cacophony of destruction so shocking that you flew back until your back hit the wall by your bed with a hand over your chest, desperately trying to calm your pounding heart. The early morning sun was just barely over the horizon, leaving little light to help you see just what was before you. The dust was settling, thinning enough that you could make out some monstrous object in the center, but ultimately you were stumped.

Until it moved.

You jumped again as the entity twitched and groaned, slowly sitting up.

Okay…this was a man then. He slowly and clumsily rose to his feet, standing so high that his head was poking into the massive hole he had just made. He wouldn't even fit in the room if the roof was still there.

Based on that alone – well, and the lingering sparks of lightning – you had an idea of exactly who this was.

You heard a curse from him as he rolled his shoulders, turning around to have a look at where he was. His dazed eyes landed on you. He froze.

Silence. Then…

"Hey."

How eloquent, you thought to yourself. A son of Odin literally smashes into your home and can barely offer a greeting in return. "Hello," you replied, your disbelief at, well, everything in front of you, overwhelmed by the fear of the god. You knew all the stories, knew how much mayhem and carnage the Aesir would bring when crossed. You were not keen on becoming one of those stories.

Thor glanced up at the roof, then back down at you, only about half his size. "Hope I uh…didn't scare ya too much." The slur in his speech was stronger than the smell of alcohol emanating from him, and that was an impressive feat. He snapped his fingers, leaving you wondering what he was asking from you. Until the whir of electrified metal sounded and the signature form of Mjolnir rammed through your wall and into his waiting hand.

"Eh…sorry, 'bout all that. Lost control of Mjolnir for a sec," he shrugged.

"I…understand?" Really, you didn't, not in the slightest. But what would anyone say to that?

From the newly installed skylight came the flap of bird's wings until a caw sounded. A raven with blue-tipped feathers landed on one of the chunks of roof that was just barely staying in place.

You felt your heart nearly stop. With Thor here, there was no secret who that raven represented.

And yet…it didn't even look at tou. It's eyes scanned your room but skipped right over you. Like you were invisible.

Another caw rose from its beak, aimed at Thor.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm gettin' there. Can't you see I'm busy." Thor gestured towards you with his hammer, drawing the bird's eyes to you. Only this time they stayed. Noticing you.

You had a feeling you knew why, but thought it strange regardless.

The raven stared at you, hints of green flickering across its black eyes. "Well," Thor grunted, turning towards your door. How you dreaded his departure. As terrible as his entrance was, you worried for the door that he definitely wouldn't fit through. "I got shit to do, so uh…see ya, I guess." A hand was carelessly waved at you before reaching for the door. To your surprise and palpable relief, he managed to squeeze through without doing more than disturbing the dirt that settled on the walls.

And that was it. Thor left. But the raven remained.

For a moment you considered saying somthing to it. But this raven was a messenger, and you weren't sure just how much material it had to deliver already.

"Muninn!" Thor shouted from outside. The bird looked at you just a second longer before taking off after Thor. With the roar of hundreds of bird's wings and the silence that followed, the ordeal was over.

Twelve hours. That was all it took.

You were sitting on your bed, preparing to rest for the night. A bit earlier than usual, but cleaning the destruction left behind by the god of thunder was more than enough work for one. Stone wasn't easy to move after all.

Three knocks, thunderous and heavy, nothing like the knock of any elf you knew. You were too tired to care exactly who needed you at the moment and simply went to answer it, intending to send them away as soon as possible. It could be Ymir for all you cared, now was not the time.

Or so you thought. Upon opening the door you found Thor, once again. Not alone this time. An old man stood in front of him, two ravens taking off from his shoulders and into your room.

Suddenly you wished it was Ymir at your door. At least he wouldn't have sucked the fatigue out of you as Odin did.

"Pardon the intrusion, miss. Mind if we come in?" You nodded silently, still processing the scene before you. Thor was close behind his father as he entered.

"Please, take a seat at–" You stopped mid gesture, realizing your table was no more than splinters now.

Oding chuckled, sounding friendly. "My son's handiwork, I'm sure. Part of the reason I'm here, actually." He reached in his pocket while Thor dug a bottle of mead from somewhere (you didn't want to know where) and started chugging it down. Odin held out his hand, prompting you to do the same.

Coins were dropped into your palm.

Absolutely bemused, you looked back at him.

"For the roof," Odin explained. "Thor breaks just about everything he finds, so I've made a habit of compensating his victims."

"Oh, um…thank you?" was all you said. That was it?

He pulled up a chair from against a wall, the only chair to survive Thor's fall, and sat down, requesting you to sit on your bed. Odin seemed to ignore his son completely then.

"Now, my dear, you have me curious." You cringed at the pet name he used but said nothing. "I don't pay too much attention to elves, but never did I find a goddess to be among them…where did you come from, exactly?"

His tone was light but the sting of something lying underneath his words shone through. He was clearly irked that he didn't know about you. "I've lived here my entire life, actually." You tried to sound as confident and collected as you could despite your heart feeling like it was about to spring from your chest.

"Really? From the look of you I'd say you're Aesir."

"I'm of Asgardian descent, on my mother's side."

A grey eyebrow rose. Not out of curiosity. Surprise. Like he knew something.

You didn't dare ask.

"Those though," he pointed halfheartedly at your arms, where tattoos marked your shoulders and extended to your elbows on both arms, but only your left had a thin line down your forearm that ended to your knuckles. Runes were drawn on your middle fingers, though you had no idea what any of these markings were for. "Those are Vanir."

The horror of the situation was settling in. Odin found a goddess with Vanir symbols on them hiding from him. Truly not the finest way to go out. You swallowed to moisten your dry throat. "I…I'm Vanir on my father's side. I've had them for as long as I can remember," you replied weakly.

You flinched when Odin laughed jovially. "Relax, my dear, I'm just asking questions, I don't mean to scare you." As reassuring as he sounded, you couldn't take his words to heart. Thor had no reason to be here after all, other than intimidation.

Said unnecessary god offered a reverberating belch at that moment, proving your point. His father shot him an annoyed look before returning his attention to you. "I take it you don't know your parents?"

He already knew. He seemed to know a lot about you despite admitting he didn't know you existed moments ago. Those twelve hours since Thor busted into your life, that was all he needed to find out. The concept was as terrifying as it was creepy.

"No," you said sadly, eyes falling for a second. "The light elves found me as a child and took me in."

Odin hummed, dissatisfied if you had to guess. "So you don't know of any spells they may have cast on you? Are there any spells you put on yourself?" You shook your head. The old god's voice grew just a bit darker. "Then why couldn't my ravens see you?"

A shiver ran down your spine, seeing how displeased he was at your lack of explanation thus far. You quickly elaborated, "I've always had a natural immunity to certain types of magic. I assume whatever magic your ravens have is among them. And perhaps…" you were grasping at straws, trying to answer the question you had asked yourself that morning. "Perhaps the immunity loses effect if someone your ravens can track interacts with me." Sure, that works.

More than you thought it would, seeing how Odin relaxed a bit and nodded. "That would make sense. They did notice you after Thor pointed you out, and they had trouble before you answered the door."

You had to bite your tongue to hold in the outburst the statement incited. He had been trying to spy on you up until now, experimenting. It wasn't something you appreciated in the slightest. "So what, you just stay here, make protection spells and staves and other crap for a bunch of elves?"

The quick swerve into the topic left you dumbfounded. You sputtered in shock, "W-well, yes. I owe them my life so it's only fitting that I help them."

Odin leaned back in his chair and folded his hands in his lap, the old wood creaking at the motion. "Well, if you ask me…that's a waste." Again, you were baffled at the sudden statement.

"You see, I have a little project that I’m working on. Something that will benefit all the realms once it’s completed. And based on my findings, I think you’re perfect for it…" He trailed off, staring at you expectantly. It took a moment for you to realize what he wanted.

"Eivor."

“Eivor. That’s a beautiful name, very fitting for you.” The more he said the slower your surprise faded. It would seem that with all his questions answered he was much more…respectful, gentle. A part of you still recalled all the stories about him and how cruel he was, but in that moment you thought he wasn’t as bad as everyone said. Then again, he did crush your hope of finding change by admitting he wanted something from you.

Odin must have sensed your disappointment. He stood from his chair and paced as he continued. “Now, I know what that looks like. If I came all this way because I need you for something then I’m no better than the elves, letting someone with value waste away with simple tasks. But that’s not the case here.” He paused, turning back to look at you with kindness and some type of…intensity that you couldn’t describe. “I don’t want to just use you and throw you out, no. No, this is an invitation. To live among your kind in Asgard.

“Do you know what that means, my dear? Once you’re done with this tiny, tiny chore for me you’ll have a world of possibilities. You can move on to something better.”

Try as you might to remain cautious, the flicker of hope rose up within you. Something better, something other than elves coming to you when they wanted something, more than just waiting to be needed.

Again, Odin saw through your thoughtful silence. “Think about it. In Asgard, you’d be serving the realms, protecting people, promoting peace.” He wandered to your shelves of elixirs that the light elves were waiting for you to deliver. “No more useless trinkets, no more sitting around while they constantly war.” He turned his head to you while lazily lifting his arm to the shelf. A single finger extended and tapped one of the bottles, tipping it off the shelf and shattering on the floor.

Odin let you ruminate to the sound of the glass for a moment, then went back to the chair he abandoned earlier. He sat up straight, his posture displaying what a powerful god he was. Contrary to that, his next statement was soft, like he was comforting a scared child. “You said you owed the elves your life. Well, you’ve served them for more than a lifetime, haven’t you? Your debt is paid. Isn't it time you made your own choice?”

It was so much information to take in. It felt exhilarating, the thought of not only something new, but finding other beings that didn’t just pretend to care for you just to get what you could offer them.

Even so, you were still scared. Not just by the suspicion you felt, knowing this could easily not be what it seems. It was the…novelty of it all. Something you knew nothing about. Perhaps the security of the mundane wasn’t as bad as you had always thought.

And yet, the chance of finding your own purpose was too tempting to ignore.

“Forgive me for rushing you,” Odin began. “But I’m afraid I’ll need an answer now. I would give you time to think, but unless you don’t plan on moving a muscle while you do so, any raven I leave with you might lose track of you. And I can’t stay forever, I’m a busy god after all.”

The clock was ticking, and your one chance was here. You could finally be something you wanted to be. And perhaps get away from all the coercion and lies. Away from wondering how truthful the elves' declarations of gratitude were. Away from wondering if any of them loved you as you thought they did.

But many of them didn’t. And you knew it. You just didn’t want to accept it.

And you were tired of it.

Odin was right. You wouldn’t wait for your problems to go away. You would find the place you were supposed to be. A deep breath passed through your lungs, your steeled determination showing in your eyes. A determination that Odin smiled at.

“I’ll go,” You said, feeling the rush of excitement as you spoke.

In the background, Thor raised his now empty bottle of mead like he was celebrating, although you doubted he was sober enough to really be paying attention. Odin stood from his chair with a clap of his hands and a big smile adorning his face. There was something almost sinister about it, but you ignored it. Whatever was tipping you off couldn’t be worse than wasting this chance.

“Perfect! Then let’s get going!” Odin said, his ravens gliding back over to him. One, who you recognized as Muninn, morphed into tattoos on his right arm. The other, this one with red tipped feathers, stood on his shoulder, ready for orders.

You also got to your feet. “Wait! Can I have a moment to pack my things?”

A chuckle. “My dear, you don’t need anything here. I’ll provide a room, new clothes, and Asgard has an expansive public library that likely has all those books of yours.” Your eyes went to the wooden chest at the end of your bed.

You couldn’t leave those behind. Nothing had been as constant as their presence. “Could…could I bring just a few things?”

“If it’s something that can’t be replaced.”

You nodded and rushed to the chest, opening it and taking the instruments within, handling them with care. You’d had both your entire life. A simple bone flute, with carvings of patterns like the ones on your arms. It was old, scratched, and chipped in a few places, but the sound was still rich. The other was a lyre, a simple rectangular shape with no special decorations that also had its share of nicks, though the strings were new. You always replaced them when it was necessary. Both of them went into their respective thin leather bags, then you returned to Odin. He didn’t even look at them, like they meant nothing to him. Which, to be fair, they probably did.

“Ready, then?”

You nodded, watching Thor reach his father’s side while the raven, presumably Huginn if your memory served, took off, forming a cluster of ravens around the three of you. Just as the vortex closed and the last of your room faded, Thor leaned down and mumbled to you, “You made a good choice,” while fixing you with a sincere stare.

His serious tone caught you off guard. It made you wonder what would have happened if you refused Odin’s offer.

You didn’t want to think about it. It was too late now anyway.

The ravens cleared, and once they were gone you were in front of the Great Lodge. The sunset of Asgard greeted you, the sight of Gladsheim leaving you stunned at the size of the city. And the wall, of course.

"Welcome home!" Odin cheered with a smile. It fell quickly when he saw Thor, still idling next to you. "What are you still doing here? Go! Don't you have somewhere else to drink?"

Thor nodded, glancing at you, looking almost worried. He said nothing, planting a heavy hand on your shoulder as he walked past. He clearly was still too drunk to mind his strength because he nearly knocked you over with the gesture.

"Now I'm sure you have a lot of questions, but it is getting late, and I want you to have some time to settle in. I've arranged for you to have a tour of Asgard with Heimdall in the morning. He knows everything about everything in Asgard, he'll tell you all the things you want to know…and what you don't want to know, probably."

You chuckled, thinking he was joking. Since he didn't you assumed there was something there you were oblivious to.

Hopefully it wasn't something awful.

"For now," Odin continued, "I'll be off. Sif here will show you to your room." Just as the goddess's name was mentioned, a tall blonde woman came from behind you, making you nearly jump out of your skin. "Sif, I trust you'll make sure she finds her way?"

"Of course, All-Father." You could help but notice the smell of mead on her breath as well. Was being drunk just a thing in Asgard?

"Good. I'll be off then, I'll greet you in the morning, Eivor." You bid the old god goodnight and he disappeared with his ravens. Sif turned her attention to you and offered a friendly smile. “Well, I hope you’re ready to see your new home.” She waved a hand and two servants scuttled over. “They’ll put your things away, that way we can take our time getting to your cabin.”

You looked at your leather bags worriedly, afraid to let your precious instruments out of your sight. Ultimately you put your trust in Sif and gave them to the servants, muttering a thank you to them as you did. Both of them appeared shocked that you did so, or that you even acknowledged them. And you could see why, Sif didn’t even look at them as she started down the path in front of the lodge. You thanked them again and followed after her. But then a streak of read flew past you, nearly mowing you over as it passed.

Sif spun around at the sound of little feet tapping on the dirt, smiling when the red you saw came to her. A little girl, no older than five winters, holding a wooden sword. “Mama, I almost got you that time!”

Sif chuckled and ruffled the fiery hair on the girl’s head. “Almost, you’ll have to keep practicing if you want to catch me though.” She then looked up to you. “I hope you don’t mind if my daughter comes with us? She’s trouble without enough supervision.”

“Of course!” You knelt down to the girl’s height and asked, “And what’s your name, little one?”

“I’m Thrúd! And I’m not little!” She protested. “I’ll be big like my daddy and brothers.”

That’s right, this would be Thor’s daughter. That would explain why she seemed tall for someone so young. If you were honest with yourself you weren’t sure how to act with children. Warzones in Alfheim were not for the young and that was where you spent most of your time. Before you came up with something to say to the irate girl, Sif interjected. “Don’t be rude. And you aren’t big yet.” Thrúd pouted for a moment, a moment that ended when her mother was moving again. She took off, running ahead of her mother while you caught up.

You felt…shy, to say the least. These people were very different from the elves. With your habit of being sarcastic and occasionally sassy you were doing your best to bite your tongue while Sif engaged in small talk.

The Light elves were constantly drilling into each other how crucial winning their war was, how it was no laughing manner. Every elf should be treated as a respected soldier, every high ranking official like a king. There was an excess of formality and decorum, forcing you to reserve any laid back energy for the few private moments you had with the even fewer elves you trusted not to take it to heart. Out of habit you defaulted to this type of exchange, offering quick and succinct answers to everything she asked, offering little to any comments she made. It wasn’t long before you noticed that she seemed to get bored as a result. She paused the conversation for a minute, grasping for anything to make the interaction more interesting. That moment somehow acted as the cue for an Einherjar to fly from behind a building and trip onto the path in front of you, a moment when Thrúd was thankfully close to her mother. The man shouted something in an old language, another one leaping out with a club in his hand, missing completely. The two squared up again, only this time the one with the club was holding it upside down, the thin end making contact with the other’s thick armor. It was then that they both stumbled before engaging again. So being drunk apparently was a thing in Asgard.

You stared incredulously while Sif rolled her eyes. Thrúd, clearly confused, looked up at you and Sif. “Why would he use the stick like that?”

“I…think he’s a little confused,” you commented, attempting to avoid any accusations.

Sif, however, was not. “They were probably part of the drinking game that was going on this afternoon,” she huffed.

“What’s that mean? Is he dumb?”

“Well–” You didn’t get a chance to offer a neutral explanation. The Einherjar threw his club at the other from about a foot away from the other. It bounced off of his opponent’s armor and straight into his exposed gut, making him double over as the armored one laughed hysterically. In that moment, you decided being courteous wasn’t possible. “Yes, he is.”

To your surprise, Sif laughed. “That’s definitely not far off.” You stood, relieved that no one was bothered by your humor. Perhaps, you thought, because not everyone was a hardened footsoldier or a jaded general like you were so familiar with, they were more tolerant of not taking things so seriously.

You should relax.

And so you did. Once the two Einherjar were shooed away by Sif you tried to actually contribute to your interactions, mentioning Thor’s entrance. A troll squeezing through a mouse hole was how you described Thor stumbling through your front door. Sif had a good laugh at that one, taking no offense to poking fun at her husband. And how you used to use your flute to lull overworked guards to sleep so you could sneak out of your room to play in the sand of the barrens when you were a child. Sif was more at ease as well, despite Thrúd constantly circling her and waving her toy sword around carelessly. She told you about the time one of her sons toppled over an entire kennel for the servants' work dogs, scaring them all enough to send them yipping and howling into the middle of Odin observing the valkyries training new Einherjar. You seemed to have shenanigans in common, although yours were born from your rebelliousness, Sif’s from a family of boisterous gods.

You two had stopped in front of a moderately sized building while you exchanged a few more remarks, laughing once more before Thrúd started to constantly tap on her mother’s hip, complaining that she was bored. Sif shook her head at the girl, still smiling fondly. “You hear the girl, this is where I’ll leave you for the night.”

You stiffened, realizing the building you’d been loitering around was yours. “This is mine? All this for me?”

Sif smirked. “And why not?”

You shook your head. “It’s so much bigger than the tiny room I had in Alfheim.”

Sif hummed, her smirk growing just a tad. “Afraid you’ll get lost in there?”

You didn’t miss a beat. “I hope I'll make it out before I wither away into dust.”

Sif let out another guffaw, all while latching onto Thrud’s shoulder before the child wandered off. Once the girl was secured (for the time being), Sif put her hands on her hips, looking much more pleased than she had all night. “You know, I like you. You’re much more fun when you let go.”

Without you realizing it your face lit up. Not once had someone said they liked you just for being you, not since you were…you couldn’t even remember how young you were. “You really think so?”

“What reason would I have to lie?”

For once, you didn’t have an answer to that question, and you felt overjoyed. It was one you asked about the elves so much that it practically became your mantra. Now you really could believe that there weren’t strings attached to everything you did.

Finally, you could leave that part of you behind.

You swallowed all that emotion down, wanting to hop back into the mood that had been set. “So you can get me out of your hair and get a handle on Thrúd?”

Sif sighed, watching as Thrúdwas tossing her sword around for a servant she’d cornered a few doors down, swearing that she could do tricks with it. “There’s no handling her. She’s learned too much from her brothers already.”

When Thrud’s toy sword was getting hurled too high above her, Sif saw fit to bid you goodnight and get her calmed down enough to get to bed relatively soon. And once you entered your cabin you found that Odin had kept his word. Simple but sturdy furniture, thick furs on the bed, a closet with cloaks and dresses ready for you, even if some of them didn’t look like they would fit. Much to your relief, your instruments were placed on a table below the window, safe and sound, and exactly how you left them. There was even a full bookshelf, but you chose not to inspect its contents for now. The fatigue from the day had settled in now that you had a moment to breathe, and you were in dire need of some sleep.

To think Thor had literally dropped into your life this morning. It already felt like so long ago.

The next morning, you awoke to a bashful knock at your door. Upon answering it, you found it to be a seamstress, timidly requesting she get some measurements to tailor some of the clothes Odin had given you. You obliged and welcomed her inside, even asked if she needed a drink. It made you sad to see her so confused at your kindness, shining a light on how she, and likely many others, were treated by higher ranking Aesir. Once the measuring was underway, she began to unwind, as if she was feeling safer than she did outside. Upon her leaving, you expressed your gratitude, which made the seamstress smile with, as far as you could tell, relief. When she opened the door she nearly bumped into Sif. And just like that, the servant was back to curling into an invisible shell, apologizing profusely and scampering off.

You liked Sif, and you were already beginning to see her as a friend, but you hoped she was not the reason the servants always seemed so on edge. You would have to find that seamstress sometime, tell her you were open to being friends. You were all for forging bonds now, thanks to Sif, and why limit yourself to the elite?

Sif barely noticed the seamstress, choosing to greet you with a warm smile. “New wardrobe already?” She asked, noticing the freshly altered Asgardian dress you wore over simple leather pants.

“Odin certainly works fast,” you chuckled, joining her outside.

Sif’s smile fell a tiny bit. “All-Father certainly does," she replied, pointing out your mistake without saying it outright. You found it odd, considering the Aesir seemed much looser than the elves, except when it came to the gods here. “Aside from that, I’ll be dropping you off at the lodge for now, I’m just making sure you find your way there.”

Disappointment washed over you at the information. Sif had promised to introduce you to her sons sometime, and based on what you heard about them, they sounded like they would be…entertaining, to say the least. “Where will you be?”

“Tending to my regular duties, mostly handling affairs we have with the dwarves for today. You, however, will be getting a tour of Asgard, courtesy of the watchman himself. I’ll be handing you off to Heimdall, our resident mind reader.”

Your eyes widened at the casual remark. “He reads minds? That’s…terrifying.”

Sif laughed, making you think you were overreacting. “Well, he reads people more than minds, but he can find more details and pick up precise thoughts with eye contact. But I doubt it will matter much since he’s just giving you a tour.” They entered the courtyard of the lodge, Odin’s ravens dropping him there just as your feet met the mud in front of it. Sif leaned down and whispered to you, "And for that…I apologize in advance."

You raised a brow at her. "What?"

"Eivor!" Called Odin from the doors of the lodge. Sif gave you a rueful smile and left as Odin approached. "How was your first night in Gladsheim?"

"It's been…nice. Thank you, I've never lived in this much comfort." You didn't have the heart to admit most of it felt unnecessary to you. You secretly hoped you'd get used to it.

"One of the many perks of serving the greater good, my dear. Now, the city has a lot going on, and I'd hate for you to feel overwhelmed. That's where your tour guide comes in."

The doors to the Great Lodge behind him opened and a man stepped out. For the first time since you arrived, despite the gods you'd seen thus far, you felt starstruck. Not because you knew who he was, you hadn't the slightest. You couldn't help but notice that he was your type of handsome, his tall but lean frame a stark contrast to the bulky men you had seen already. Sharp facial features framed by ornate golden hair, but his eyes…a glowing purple like you'd never seen. Piercing, almost intimidating, but beautiful all the same. Those eyes met yours for a heartbeat before you looked back to Odin, embarrassed that you were caught ignoring him.

The man approached, stopping by Odin as he finished his last statement. You suddenly knew who this was.

"This is Heimdall." The fair god gave a slight bow to you, the smirk he wore showing just how confident – or cocky – he was. He looked directly at you when his head rose. Within a moment the smile melted, and he looked…confused.

"He will be taking good care of you while you get acclimated. Right, Heimdall?" Odin gave him a stern glare, almost like a warning.

"Of course, All-Father. When have I ever disappointed you?" His voice, though smooth and soothing to you, carried something that made you think he may be more on the cocky side than confident. His glowing eyes raced back to you after addressing Odin. His jaw clenched.

"Good. I'll leave you to it then. Have fun!" Odin gave you no chance to reply, he simply fluttered away in a whirlwind of feathers, as he seemed to so often. You're left alone with Heimdall. It was silent for a few seconds, like you two were sizing each other up. It gave you a chance to notice he was almost a full head taller than you…which you admittedly liked.

Heimdall was the first to speak. "So, you're the stray from Alfheim I've heard about, hm?"

You felt your brow twitch at being referred to as "stray." You chose not to react. This was a stranger, after all. He might not have meant anything by it. "...I guess you could say that."

His expression grew even more sour, painting a sneer on his lips. He looked…angry? He harrumphed, then brushed past you rudely. "Very well then, stray, let's get on with it."

He definitely meant something with that nickname. Unease stirred in your stomach, feeling that this wasn't about to go as well as you would have liked. A deep breath was what you needed, so you took it while you turned and followed him to the edge of the courtyard. He whistled, then waited for a barrage of thumps to reach them. A giant armored beast launched into view and raced down the path to you. You thought it would trample Heimdall with how fast it charged toward him, jumping back once it finally stopped just in front of him.

Heimdall laughed, patting the beast's neck while giving you a condescending smile. "Relax, stray, Gulltoppr won't hurt you…" he effortlessly climbed onto its back, settling comfortably on the golden saddle before adding, "...unless I command it." You thought you knew what a shit-eating grin looked like, but you saw that you never did until now. Heimdall jerked his head to the space behind him, signaling you to mount. The beast towered over you, and getting on its back would be a chore without help.

…which Heimdall clearly had no intention of offering. You waited a moment at Gulltoppr’s side to see if he would offer any sort of assistance, but all you got was an impatient frown.

You held back a sigh and leaped as high as you could, just barely grasping the saddle enough to pull yourself up. You were panting a bit once you finally sat with both legs on one side, all while Heimdall mocked you with fake pity.

This couldn't possibly get worse.

Of course, you were wrong.

He had something to say about everything. The first thing he pointed out to you was the very obvious Great Hall, as if you were too stupid to notice it was there. You let that one go, thinking he was just being thorough. But then you passed by a commercial area, where Asgard’s resident craftsmen carried out their business. “This is where the finest goods in the realms are made, by the hands of pureblood Asgardians, for pureblood Asgardians. So you shouldn’t soil it with your presence.” Your jaw dropped at that. By now you figured out he was naturally rude, but flat out prejudiced and spiteful had to be added to the list of his worst qualities.

No, you wouldn’t sink to his level, at least not so fast. You prided yourself on your patience, and you wouldn’t let this prick force you to abandon it. “I see…” You began, desperately trying to find something cordial to say. It was harder than finding a specific grain of sand at the bottom of the ocean. “I don’t want to be a nuisance, so I’ll stay away as best I can.” A complete lie, you had no intention of bending to his perceived rules. Heimdall looked at you over his shoulder, saying nothing. After a moment his jaw clenched tighter than before.

You came across the training grounds next. Armored men were clamoring about, nearly beating each other to death, it seemed to you. “Isn’t this a bit rough for training?” You asked after his introduction to the area.

A scoff was his reply. “Are you too daft to see? They’re Einherjar, they’re already dead. Why hold back anything?”

“Because dying again probably isn’t pleasant?”

Heimdall gave you a theatrical sigh. “Oh of course, what a loss it would be if they did something twice. Do you think it makes any sort of difference? Or should I start explaining every little thing to you?”

Gods, he was irritating. Did he have to be so dramatic about it? “I just mean–”

“What you mean doesn’t matter. It’s a stupid question.”

You balled your hands into fists, your fingernails digging into your skin hard enough to leave marks. Oh, how you wanted to tell him how stupid he was for completely missing the point. But no, you were better than him. You were better than him, you swore. “I suppose it is,” you said curtly, having no desire to say any more.

Again, Heimdall glanced at you over his shoulder, brows knitting together in addition to his clenched teeth.

Then Gultoppr strolled past a much shabbier part of town, lacking the grandeur of the buildings near the Great Lodge. “These are the servant quarters. Do I need to explain this to you, or are you finally beginning to understand anything at all?”

An impatient sigh passed through you, this one you made sure he could hear. Though you doubted it made any difference to him. “No.” That was it, a single word was all you could manage to say politely at this point.

“No useless questions this time? Good, perhaps you will get the hang of things before the next century.”

You didn’t entertain him with a response, and he didn’t seem to be looking for one either. From there you both were silent, watching the cabins go by as Gultoppr meandered across things you’d already seen. As much as you hated hearing what Heimdall had to say, it was starting to feel awkward. And maybe this period was a good time to patch things over and hopefully –hopefully– get him to stop being such an ass. Clearly asking about Asgard was a mistake, as he had an unfortunate talent of finding a flaw in just about everything you said about it. His ego certainly seemed big enough for your chosen approach to work.

“While we’re passing through these familiar parts, why don’t you tell me about yourself, Heimdall?” You asked, forcing the irritation out of your voice to make your tone pleasant. Heimdall looked back at you for a second, this time with suspicion. Was he really so against talking about himself with how much of an elitist he was?

“What, pray tell, would make you ask?”

“Well, if we’re both serving the All-Father it’s likely we’ll come across each other again. There’s no harm in making our interactions more personal.”

Another glance at you, this one longer. “All you need to know is I am the scion of the Aesir, watchman of the gods, and herald of Ragnarok. It is my job to keep this realm safe from any harm whatsoever…whether it comes from the giants or a foolish stray from Alfheim.”

Of course he had to tack on an insult somewhere in there. You had to admit, however, that you did hear the pride in his voice when describing his role. It didn’t feel like it was born from the prestige of his position, but the joy of having it. It was almost enough to make you think there might be some parts of him that are bearable. Almost.

“It appears you love the realm very much.” You felt some of the anger recede as you made a genuine statement.

“Of course, it is the peak of perfection…At least it was, before you got here.”

The anger was back.

“Oh really?” You mocked, not thinking about what you said before you said it. “I’m sure just about everyone else in the realm would say the same about you.” As much as you wanted to be nice, the snark you threw right back at him felt so good.

Heimdall yanked on Gulltoppr’s reins, making the beast yelp in protest. He turned around as much as he could on the saddle and snarled, “Have you forgotten who you’re talking to already?” You recoiled, not expecting such a violent reaction. It hadn’t occurred to you until now that you had no idea exactly how much of a fighter Heimdall was, but based on this sudden threat he must have been enough of one to hurt you if he wanted to. And yet, it was not enough to scare you into caring. You shot back, “I think it’s you who's forgotten. What was it All-Father said? That I would be ‘taken care of?’ I don’t feel taken care of.” Your reply was as much of a threat as his, reminding him that you could drop him right out of Odin’s good graces if you wanted to, and considering how much more respectful he was to the older you guessed that would mean a lot to him.

All he did was glare harder. It was then that you noticed something. He didn’t seem to be angry. Well, he was, but not just angry. He looked…frustrated?

For a moment you felt like you had unknowingly been the problem and felt a tinge of guilt. Before you could ask him if you were in the wrong he turned away and instructed Gulltopr to move again. “If you think the All-Father would take your word over mine, then I assure you, I will revel in the look on your face when you realize you are nothing compared to me. A mongrel next to a dragon”

You didn’t care if you had done something wrong anymore. He deserved whatever it was that made him tense.

Finally, Gulltopr made it to something new, a large building not too far from the cabin Odin gave you. “Here is Asgard’s public library. All the finest pieces of literature have been collected and are available to read at your leisure. Can you even read, stray? I seriously doubt it.”

Don’t react, don’t react… you repeated to yourself. Just keep in mind that the library is there and you can read some new books for the first time since you were a child, that was all that mattered.

“Aww, did I hurt your feelings, stray? Don’t worry, I’m sure you have something that can be considered a redeeming quality.”

That’s it. Sif had said you were better when you let go. So you did.

Without warning, you reached across him and pulled on Gultoppr’s reins, the gradungr coming to a halt. Heimdall caught your arm as you pulled it back, looking like you had severely offended him. Before he opened his big mouth you slapped his arm away and leaped off Gulltoppr’s back. “What are you doing?” Heimdall demanded, drawing attention from other residents. Every single one cowered at his voice.

You turned around and gave a mocking curtsy to him. “I’m so sorry, but frankly, I’m sick of you.”

“We’re not done here,” he growled, turning Gulltoppr to face you. It did nothing to change your mind.

“Yes, we are. If that’s a problem, then you can figure out how to explain it to Odin.” You spun on your heel and started marching away.

“All-Father,” He emphasized, correcting you, “ordered you to get acquainted with the city. This defies a direct order!”

“That’s your problem!” You shouted back.

Your patience was gone and you were not going to waste your time humoring the jerk any longer. Not even the hammering of Gulltopr’s heavy footfalls racing towards you were frightening. You waited for the perfect moment to stop walking, until Gulltopr was just a few bounds away. You raised your hand, summoning a barrier of golden magic swirling above the ground, positioned just in front of Heimdall’s upper body. Gulltopr kept running full speed, and Heimdall was hurled directly into the barrier – the equivalent of sprinting face first into a stone wall. He let out a pained yell and was thrown off of Gulltoppr, who skidded to a halt as soon as he realized his master was no longer mounted.

You didn’t register the sound of the astonished gasps from passersby that witnessed the event. Heimdall fell directly onto his back, having the wind knocked out of him, but the pain did nothing to stop him from standing up immediately. This time you were the one to look over your shoulder at him, finding exactly what you expected: the most hateful, menacing glare he’d shown all day. You didn’t pay any mind to it at the time, but you did notice something else in his purple eyes that was new.

Fear. So subtle that you weren't sure if even he knew it was there.

“I said,” you hissed, “that’s your problem.” With a flick of your fingers the barrier you created disappeared in a flash of golden sparks and you flounced off without another word. Any onlookers quickly scurried out of sight.

You were appalled that you thought he was handsome earlier. Live and learn, as they say.

Heimdall’s fists shook with rage, his teeth ground together like he was trying to break them, his breaths quickened with fury. He opened his mouth to call after you, a hand reaching across his torso to unsheathe his sword but he never got the chance to. A raven's call from the top of a nearby roof stopped him in his tracks.

He knew exactly what that meant. Heimdall snarled to himself and nodded at the bird, commanding Gulltoppr to return to his enclosure alone, which the beast obeyed without question. As the black feathers surrounded him and the scenery faded, so did his anger, slowly replaced by the sickly sting of dread. It only doubled when the vortex dropped him off in front of the doors to Odin’s study, not inside the study. Odin had no patience with people who weren’t calm and rational. It was his way of silently commanding Heimdall to collect himself before entering. He felt like he had been stabbed in the gut knowing Odin was so displeased with him.

No. No, he would prove to the All-Father that he needed no such treatment. He was calm, level-headed, and ready to accept the criticism he knew was coming. Heimdall straightened his back and squared his shoulders, head held high, and pushed the door open with confidence. Odin was standing behind his desk, Huginn and Muninn were on their wooden perch while the god studied maps of Muspelheim and books that were scattered across the tabletop. He didn’t lift his head to address Heimdall.

Whatever confidence Heimdall had when he entered was steadily deteriorating the longer he was ignored, not daring to rush Odin. It was a few minutes before his superior finally grumbled, “You’re done early. All of Gladsheim so soon?”

The utter shame Heimdall was inundated with left him speechless. He never failed Odin. He made sure of that. Never did he disappoint the Aesir king with shortcomings of any kind. That was his job, his responsibility. One he held with pride. Knowing that he should feel none of that pride at that moment was eating him alive. Heimdall resisted clearing his throat, refusing to show how much he loathed the talk he was about to get. “The str–She was not interested.” That was it. That was all he could manage.

Odin finally looked up, and the sheer dissatisfaction and impatience nearly made Heimdall shake with guilt. “And why would that be?” Heimdall had no answer. Odin simply sighed in frustration, pacing around his desk as he spoke. Even Huginn and Muninn looked at Heimdall like they were deeply unimpressed. “One job, Heimdall. I gave you one thing to do, and you couldn’t do it!”

Heimdall visibly winced. Odin was exactly right, and in more ways than one. “I mean,” Odin continued, more exasperated. “It was so simple. Let her look around, and take enough time to figure out if she’s hiding anything, see if she’s not telling me something, anything. And look at this! Twenty minutes. Twenty minutes was all it took for you to fuck it up!” Normally these words would make Heimdall grin with pleasure, relishing in the complete incompetence and worthlessness of the receiver. But that was because he wasn’t the receiver. He was never the receiver. He was always better than them. Until now. Thanks to you.

“All-Father–”

“Don’t interrupt me!” Odin barked at him, Heimdall’s mouth instantly closing at the command. He had already committed the sin of failing Odin, he wouldn’t dare make it any worse. He wouldn’t stoop so low to make excuses. “You’ve made this so much harder, and for what? Because you couldn’t keep your mouth shut? Because you can’t stop being…yourself for a mere hour? You couldn’t just focus on reading because you couldn’t help but be you?”

Heimdall schooled his expression into one of an emotionless soldier as best he could, but that…that hurt. And he hated that he could feel the hurt showing. Not because the lecture hurt his feelings, no. His feelings were irrelevant. What hurt was hearing Odin himself say that Heimdall as a whole was the problem.

His entire life had been proving his worth, proving that he was more than a simple henchman, a lackey, an assistant. No, NO. He was worthy of his role as a valued confidant and loyal chancellor. He accepted orders willingly and carried them out to a T because he was capable of doing so without fail. But if Odin said that he himself was the flaw…then he had been wrong in believing he earned the All-Father’s certitude in his reliability. And worst of all, he knew that Odin’s harsh reprimand was justified completely. He had ruined his goal because he wasn’t willing to let the newcomer think she was one of them, that she belonged here in any way, even though that was what Odin wanted her to feel. He undermined Odin’s plans. He let himself be the obstacle in the way. He had to fix that.

Unfortunately, what he needed to say wouldn’t make that easy. “That is the problem.” His muttering was barely audible, just enough for Odin to hear it. He returned to his desk, resting his hands on it while he waited for Heimdall to clarify. “I…I can’t read her. When I look into her mind it’s like staring into a void…I see nothing.” He despised that his voice wavered and shook as he spoke, that he was showing how affected he was by Odin's disappointment. Heimdall waited for him to continue on his rant, to chastise him for his defeat as he deserved. That way, once Odin expressed the full extent of his resentment, he would understand exactly how to never beckon it again.

He would be perfect for the All-Father again. He would make sure of it.

To his dismay, Odin loosened up just a bit, turning his attention to his two treasured ravens and stroking their feathers. “I figured as much. She’s immune to my ravens as well. Your foresight having no effect is to be expected.” Odin paused, his hands dropping back down to his sides. “And?”

Heimdall blinked as he processed what Odin said. “What?”

“And? Yes, I knew she would be immune, but I still expected you to break through. My ravens can see her under the right conditions, which means she’s not invulnerable. All you have to do is find a way past her defenses. That’s why I assigned the tour to you, so you’d have enough time to experiment.

“Really, Heimdall, when I tell you to do something, I plan on it happening. But if you give up at the first problem you come across, then what good are you?” Odin posited, throwing his hands up.

The pit Heimdall felt his soul falling into swallowed him whole at last. He couldn’t lose his value to the All-Father. He CAN’T. “I haven’t given up!” Heimdall screeched, reeling his emotion back in to sound less frantic. “I will find a way, I swear to you. I was simply unaware that reading her would take more than others. I will find everything you need to learn from her.”

Odin calmed considerably, though his reaction was not enough for Heimdall to judge how convincing his declaration was, with his harsh gaze piercing through him. Heimdall hadn’t realized he was holding his breath. “See to it that you do,” Odin said, finally sitting down in his chair. “But I doubt you’ll do it quickly, thanks to this dereliction. So, to make sure you’ll be able to keep her around enough – without causing much more trouble – I’m putting you on babysitting duty.”

“For who?” If he had to atone by taking care of Sif’s little muskrat of a daughter he would surely lose his mind.

“She’s going to be finding some things for me throughout the realms. You’re going to go with her and keep her safe.”

Babysitting Thrúd didn’t sound that bad to Heimdall all of a sudden. “All-Father, with all due respect, I’m concerned that my absence will put Asgard at jeopardy.”

“The realm will survive if you’re gone every once in a while. Don’t try to get out of this because you don’t like her. Consider this punishment as well. I was going to send Thor with her to do the heavy lifting, but hopefully this will remind you how important it is to meet my expectations.”

Heimdall put a hand on his chest and bowed. “Of course, All-Father. I will not disappoint you again. You have my word.”

Odin nodded. “Dismissed.”

It had been a long, long time since Odin had excused his watchmen so coldly. He made no protest and promptly exited the study. As Heimdall stomped through the lodge and back outside, he felt his fists clenching, his back constricting, his arms locked up and ready to destroy the next thing his hands touched. Something anyone who passed him noticed and backed away from before they were in the line of fire.

And you came in and destroyed it. All because you thought you were special.

How dare you.

He had a perfect record. Always succeeding, always surpassing Odin’s expectations with flying colors. Never too slow, never too fast, always on time. There was not a single time in his life that he recalled falling short, showing that even the most miniscule parts of him were efficacious. Everything about him was laudable. He was worth keeping.

No, oh no no no. He wouldn’t allow that. And he would prove to Odin that he was not so useless that he should take one of Thor's lowly tasks, that he could easily do more than be a glorified bodyguard. He would find a way into your head before your little quest began. You had to be around Gladsheim somewhere, and he would find you and start prodding at your mind right away.

Well, after he found the Einherjar and sent some of them back to Valhalla to blow off some steam. He didn’t want to unleash it on you. Not yet, at least.

If this gets interactions I'll post on Ao3 and keep going. Thanks for stopping by! :)

#god of war #heimdall gow #heimdall x reader #heimdall #heimdall x named reader #heimdall x oc #however you want to look at it

[gemsofgreece]

the book I'm reading: "many historians specializing in other ancient mediterranean peoples have expressed how annoying it is that all sources they have to work with are from the perspective of Herodotus (Greek)"

me:

Okay, context for non-Greeks, this means "Vinegar. I am sorry." (here said by the Greek PM to hooligans or something and then it was memed).

Telling someone to drink vinegar is a Greek phrase used when someone is angry and you want to show them how much you do NOT give a shit about it and therefore make them even angrier. Like telling someone to their face an, "aw, you're angry at me? Count to ten!".

The root of the phrase is probably that vinegar has many good qualities, one of them being that it has a calming effect.

And by the way, I TOTALLY understand how this can be very frustrating for historians who struggle to discover their own field's of interest perspective of things, and not how a foreign nation viewed it. I totally get it. It's very valid. I would feel the same way.

But when I read it this was the meme that came to mind first XD

P.S. The book I am reading is brilliant so far. There are few "hiccups” I have found so far and they are more genuinely baffling than offensive or annoying. However, because the concept of the book is sensitive and it is going to get more sensitive as I move through the chapters, I am waiting to read the whole of it before I decide whether to write about it here. Fingers crossed, it will remain more or less this way and then I will have a nice thing to recommend to you all.

#funny #random #shitpost #greek sayings #greece #greek culture #greek post #γρεεκ ποστ #didn’t expect to empathise with a koulis gif #but it’s a great reaction meme dammit

[theaggresivepacifist]

Twenty Questions

Thank you @cupofteaandstars for the tag!

1. How many works do you have on AO3? 16, plus a Spanish translation a friend did of one of my works.

2. What's your total AO3 word count? 73,165, for now.

What fandoms do you write for? Exclusively Stranger/Secret Forest and related crossovers, although there was that one Andor one that I just had to put out there to cope with the intensity of my feelings about the cliffhanger season ending.

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

It's a close race among some of these, but:

gamsa

chilyo

chib

heonsin

haengbok (with maengse only one behind at the moment)

Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I do, always! I'm honestly always so astounded and delighted to think of someone reading my work while I'm just out here having a normal Monday or Tuesday, and want to express that delight.

What is a fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Oh boy, just you wait.

What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Since all things Si-mok and Yeo-jin related (or Stranger-in-general-related) are usually bittersweet, probably inyeon, a relatively recent one. However, the one that leaves me with the warmest feeling at the end is actually pyeongsaeng.

Do you get hate on fics?

Fortunately not! I've gotten a few weird comments once or twice but nothing mean-spirited.

Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

I do not, and the few times I've been tempted I have realized swiftly that I'm not cut out for it.

Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

Only within the Stranger/SF multiverse so far - in other words, AUs for Stranger/SF that are based on Bae Doona and CSW's other works, which I think of as other lives of Si-mok and Yeo-jin.

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Ditto Cup, not that I know of. I would go absolutely off-the-charts feral in order to get the copycat fic taken down.

Have you ever had a fic translated?

I have! My IRL best friend of many years graciously wrote me a Spanish translation of chib.

What's your all-time favorite ship?

Eh, I'm not really a shipper...? HOWEVER, @ohyangchon has given me massive Changjae feelings and I love their relationship so much.

What's a wip you want to finish, but doubt you ever will?

Scenes just sort of seem to come to me, and once they're there I don't stop until they eventually coalesce into a complete story, no matter how long that takes to find its shape. I do have an extensively Yeo-jin and Si-mok inspired novel (low-key sci-fi? space opera?) that has been nagging at me for years, but I don't think that one will ever amount to anything.

What are your writing strengths?

I'd like to think I inhabit the voices of the characters well.

What are your writing weaknesses?

Pacing, probably?

Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

Similar to Cup's thoughts, this is difficult because I feel like sometimes names, titles, and terms of address in particular just don't have the same nuance and feeling translated from Korean into English-- especially the terms of address that Si-mok and Yeo-jin and others use for each other. Therefore, sometimes I do transliterate. Also, as I become a little bit more comfortable IRL speaking Korean, where practical I sometimes find myself wanting to mimic the Korean clause order/speech patterns of sentences even while writing in English.

First fandom you wrote for?

I think it must have been a gift fic in the Redwall fandom (never made it to AO3, but a cozy and comforting thing to work on)

Favorite fic you've written?

I love all my children equally!!! But I do think I did some really great character work in bohoja, one of my works on a more underrated duo (Si-mok and Mr. Kang). I usually am pretty self-critical, but there are a few lines in there that I always read and think "damn, who wrote that???" XD

Who hasn't been spoken for? Tagging @gottagobuycheese, @inkingtwice, and @michyeosseo as well as anyone else who's interested!

#my original fic #stranger #tvn stranger #forest of secrets #secret forest #stranger 2 #tvn stranger 2 #forest of secrets 2 #secret forest 2 #*gasp* personal information about me???? #only Cupofteaandstars and ohyangchon could have dragged this out of me

[theroundbartable]

Can I ask your top 10 fav fics ever (from any fandom, if you don't mind)?

Also, just curious, is there a story behind your name "theroundbartable "?

Haha^^

10 fics will be hard for me to do, since I'm very bad with names and I don't really.... Save any. I read, like, comment and move on.

Let's start with my name first. That's easier. Theroundbartable was a joke I made a couple years ago and I had it as the headline of my blog for a while when I was still Changelink23.

I'm not sure where it came from anymore... But I think it was kind of the basis for "connecting the dots". Which is a fanfiction I wrote that is about Gwaine and the knights making up stories about Merthur. It was their game to guess what Merlin was up to and gossip about Arthur's pining. And collectively, they'd make up the entire series on accident.

My idea then was that the knights gather in a bar, got really drunk and basically play DnD with the BBC Merlin storyline. So, the knights of the round table, but at a bar. And maybe that table was round. And maybe it was their regular seat and they called it the round bar table.

After Changelink outdid its purpose and I got really deep into the Merlin concepts, I decided my name should fit the theme. And what else am I doing here with you guys, other than exchange ideas about Merlin while half sounding on drugs? It's my idea of being part of this fandom, I think. All of us sitting at the round bar table and having fun with the series together.

Now, fanfics:

1. Dirty laundry by Gybslythe (Voltron)

It's just... It has sentimental value for me. The author put down the story because they were bullied, sadly. I just felt at home in that fanfiction because the places seemed so familiar to me and I caught the feeling. I could compare it with me visitung my godmother as a child and the described places were just the best moments of my entire childhood. Also the writing style is SOOO good! I mimicked it for a mock exam and that was my best English Exam during my A-levels.

2. Sadly I don't know the actual name of this one :/

Funnily enough, it was a Gravity falls fanfiction... And a Bill cipher x reader one at that, which is WILD that I ever read it. The Reader thing really repulses me. Lol. The thing is, it was very non intimate and the world building blew my mind. It started off with Bill realizing his existence and step by step, he'd give his knowledge to the one human that interested him and therefore lost his power. The reader, however, grew with the knowledge and in the end, wakes up as the entity Bill had been. Just, suddenly knowing she existed, no memories of ever being human. It was so well done and pulled at my philosophical brain, I built "Wired" off of it.

3. Not a story but a series...

Anything by CaffeinatedFlumadiddle. This is the series that made my Merlin writings what they are. I read these and they brought me SOOO much joy! I used to write really depressive stuff. Still do. But after reading these, I wanted to bring that joy, too. I really dug into my humor after that and it really changed how I see stories and even myself and became the foundation of what I focus on in dialogues.

4. From the grave to the cradle by larcluce

I admit it, I'm a bit biased for this one because I'm so proud of larluce for posting their first story after wanting ME to write it. As if I could have done it justice. It's so good for a first work and yeah... I'm very proud of them.

5. My soul has your claim, my soul is in flames

(Voltron) i'm currently reading that due to my online friend's suggestion and it's just... Maybe it's because I'm currently obsessed with it but it really is just that good. It's everything I want from a voltron fanfic :) obliviousness, pining, misunderstandings, and reassurance and Lance's death reveal. Like... Yeah. I'm a sucker for this story.

...

There are probably a lot more on my list but I'm REALLY bad at remembering stuff XD I remember when I stumble on them. I just listed the ones that are at the top of my head. Sorry it's not a full ten :/ I actually write more than I read too. When I start reading, my mind gets ideas and then I have to write them down and I somehow rarely finish fics over 100k words.

BuT wRiTinG tHEm iS fInE.

By the way, I haven't read "like the cycle of the year" yet. It's been on my list for a while but I haven't gotten around to it. I know it's a fandom favorite. But maybe that's what's putting me off. It'll probably make me feel inadequate after reading it and comparing it to my stuff and then I'll feel bad about my writing. Which would by both oddly motivating and off putting, lol.

As a little bonus, I'll just say what I'm currently working on/planning to work on for now.

1. second chances (Drarry)

I've been writing on that one for over a year. Which is the longest I ever spend on a fic and also the longest fic I've ever worked on in total and also the one I most edited. I'm writing it for my girlfriend. I feel like I'm getting closer to the end and I will post it once it's finished.

Jkr sucks, by the way. She'd probably hate the story which satisfies me greatly.

It's a time travel au, obviously, in which Drarry was a muggle therapist after the war. The magical world doesn't respond well to the idea of therapy but that's not Draco's concern even though it should be. He just wants to atone for his sins. Being thrown back in time gives him that chance... But it also awakens deep traumatic issues while he struggles to help the good side and betray his parents and friends in the meantime. It's very analytical of his character and he suffers a lot and it's a lot of fun to do.

2. Karak'nirir- the goddess of creation (Voltron)

A Lance centric Voltron fanfic in which he is gifted the power of a goddess. I'm trying to get back into world building and well... I just really love Lance XD

3. The clockroom (BBC Merlin)

... It's on hiatus... Again. It's so hard to find the time to work on it. But I will... At some point. Probably. I hate unfinished business.

4. ... I'll probably focus on the Merthur marriage concept next. In which Arthur tries to raise Merlin's status and has Merlin learn magic in order to defeat Emrys. Cause then Merlin would be druid king and they can get married XD i want to apply some stuff I'm currently learning through "my soul has your claim" and maybe that will change how I write in the long run, too.

5. .... I should be working on a book that's publishable. Maybe feedback from professional book sellers will help me improve my work also.

By the way... Having 4 wips kills my brain. I hate it. One fic at a time. That's how I work best. It's too much for me. I'm dying. I have no ideas how other people do it.

Anyway.

Thank you for the question, anon ^^ I hope I answered it well enough XD

#bbc merlin #voltron #faq #ask #answer #anon

[mitamicah]

Before starting some christmas doodles and/or dtiys brainstorm thumbnails i wanted to do a thought experiment and draw down every new tattoo idea I have as if money, time and pain tolerance wasnt an issue 😆 so here is what I would look like if all my ideas got made :3

1) words under right collarbone reading: "write your own story" - at the end there is a peacock feather pen still in the midst of writing the "y". Reminder to myself that this life I am living is my own and I get to decide what story I want it to be.

2) Harpy in a dynamic pose with wings stretched out and top surgery scars. The motive may change since the idea mostly is to cover up a feature i have started to become insecure about (my thigh) and make it into something I can be proud of (an artwork)

3) If I am lucky enough to meet either Jere or Bojan I will ask them to write "Are You" on something that I then want tattooed on me. This is probably the least meaningful i just love them so much i want a part of them on my skin as the parasocial delulu fan I am xD

4) a logo i have made for my own artist persona/singer songwriter persona. Placement may change. Represents my passion with singing and songwriting.

5) Flapjack from the Owl House with a brush in his mouth. Tribute tattoo to my grandmother who passed away last year. This tattoo i do have (made by Christine at Cray Cray Ink in Copenhagen on March 23 2023).

6) Eevee sitting down tilting his head where he wears a tiara with the transgender symbol on it. Eevee was my favourite pokemon and to this day i love the symbolism of the eeveelutions for the trans readings of the whole thing. The tiara just makes it more obvious plus its cute.

7) Bulbasaur with a studded collar. Ngl this one is here because I love Jere and that he fits with Eevee and Flapjack.

8) an ouroboros snake all the way across my arm making an infinity symbol. The infinity symbol is a nod to the autistic symbol while the snake is mostly here to nod to norse mythology. Probably one the tattoos that are mostly here for aesthetic reasons and that I am most likely to drop.

9) a flagpole with a t-shirt reading Ihan Sama on it. A reference to both the coverart and the lyrical content of käärijä's song Paidaton Riehuja (he has put the shirt on a flag pole when taking it off and screams ihan sama aka whatever at his insecurities about his looks at the beginning of the song). Feel connected to the song on both a gendered way and as inspiration to love myself and my body. Still figuring out if it would be most fun to have on my left arm (easier to see) or down my side (right where I have the second most body insecurity therefore being a reminder to love that part of myself)

10) the three birds concept - i mentioned it in another post so I wont go into detail here - will be running along with my left collarbone so the peacock tail is resting on the shoulder

11) my newest idea for a post-op chest tattoo is one of these adorable fox doodles created by Frederikke at Shay Ink in Odense - the fox will be wearing the bolero pointing metalforks into the air. Under it will be written this lyric from CCC: Enkää pelkääkään tätä maailmaa.

12) an ansuz rune on my left lower arm. Represents tons of things from my heritance (dane aka viking), interest in norse mythology, humanity, creativity, interest in language (last three is all meanings the rune has in itself), my autism, asexuality and aromaticism (since ansuz is also an old version of the letter 'a') together with being a nod to the käärijä concert I watched two days prior (the font being related to the käärijä font). This tattoo is one I already have and was made by Caroline at the psycadelic unicorn in Berlin.

Thank you for listening to my venting and I hope you can excuse the bad quality picture :'D

#ngl i am really loving the paidaton riehuja idea rn #but given i had the same enthuiasm for both the peacock ink pen and the three birds right after coming up with the idea #it might “just” be recentcy bias xD #too many ideas :'D #i need to stoooop xD #feel free to let me know if you have a favourite idea :3 #micahs foolery

[gendervapor14]

8. What song would make a great fic (to either write or read)?

9. How do you find new fic to read?

10. How do you decide what to write?

(if not answered already), and 37 & 38! Fanfic ask meme❤️

ooh hello!! thank you for these!! i did answer #38, but i'll answer #37 for sure!

8. What song would make a great fic (to either write or read)?

ooooo as a music nerd i love this question and i apologize for how longwinded my answer is XD i don't do many songfics or much song-related writing [*shoves the title of two fights for freedom under the rug*] but i do have a ton of playlists and songs that make me think of specific characters or fics. to answer this question, i'll just pick one called "Fever Dream" by Dirt Poor Robins. specifically the part starting just after the 4:00 minute mark. the lyrics make me go INSANE with this idea for a dark/horror dq bros fic where doflamingo realizes that corazon is just a false identity and he can't do anything to get his brother back and it drives him even more insane. these lyrics make me crazy Now here comes the liar (lion) Clawing at your door Drunk on the blood of your brother And he's back for more (apparently the lyric is actually "lion" rather than "liar", but i hear "liar" so therefore i declare it is "liar" for the sake of my own brainrot) imagine a fic where rosinante is the one psychologically tormenting doflamingo!! unsure if i'll ever get around to writing it, but it'd probably have a similar vibe to blood gone sour.

9. How do you find new fic to read?

i usually do a nightly prowl under the one piece fandom on ao3 and either filter by most recent fics with rosinante or bell-mere. otherwise i read recs that are bumped on discord servers, or stories friends write! i'm actually terrible at reading tho i don't read nearly enough. when i have free time, i usually use it to create.

10. How do you decide what to write?

excellent question. i make a list of priorities. sometimes it's disorganized lists on my phone, sometimes i use calendars. first and foremost are things with due dates, so zine work, or gifts for exchanges, birthdays or holidays. next i prioritize stories that are works in progress, but already posted on ao3. i hate having incomplete works posted on ao3, so i strive to get them wrapped up asap. then it's a rabid thunderdome of all my other wips and ideas all wrestling for victory for who gets to be created XD i'm constantly bursting with ideas i never get to work on, unfortunately.

37. Promote one of your own “deep cut” fics (an underrated one, or one that never got as much traction as you think it deserves!). What do you like about it?

i'm gonna go ahead and promote spitfire and ice because i busted my ass on this for the crackpair event and i was actually really happy with the result? i was assigned makino x kuzan, so i threw bell-mere in there too just to shake things up, and then i fell madly in love with bell-mere x makino and their flirty banter. it captured my heart in a way i was NOT expecting. i guess the tags aren't particularly interesting to most, so it's relatively unknown with only 4 kudos and 31 hits. but look at this!! “Hey, I’ve gotta ask you something.” She leaned over the counter once Makino settled herself and refilled the pitcher for the next round. “Would I still be wanted here…after hours?” With a tight smile, Makino rested her hands over the tabletop. “We’re closed for customers after hours. I need some time to tidy up the place.” “Right, right…” Pretty gray eyes wandered. “But in this situation, I wouldn’t be a customer.” With an amused chuckle, Makino folded her arms over her stomach. “What do you want me to say, Miss Bell-mère? Do you want me to welcome you to my private quarters upstairs?” That exposed chest filled with air. “I wouldn’t be against an invitation.” smh. well, at least i'm proud of it!

ahhh sorry i got so rambly XD i had fun answering these! thank you so much for the questions!! here's the list if anyone else has a question, or wants to reblog it for themselves!

#fanfiction ask game #genwrites #music #donquixote brothers #belle mere #bell mère #bellemere #makino

[the-monkey-ruler]

Dong Yue is such a troll because from the wiki I got this

At the end of the novel, the author lists twelve hypothetical questions that a reader might ask and answers them. Some of the answers are very similar in nature and, sometimes, contradictory.

The eighth asks how it's possible for Monkey to have a wife and children. He states that the book is simply a dream.

Since the Supplement is about Wukong’s desires, it would be funny if Wukong subconsciously thought Princess Iron Fan was pretty and that Demon Bull King didn’t deserve her (therefore uncle) and that she’d make a good mom for his 5 sons that he also apparently desired? Wukong desiring Tang to be a warlord though XD

Anyway bad timeline where everyone is OOC because it’s a fever dream sounds crazy awesome I wish I could read it.

Sometimes people are all about allegories, and nothing about substance! Which nothing wrong as long as it is entertaining. I do like how he anticipated the question because he knew himself, but he didn't explain them well enough. Also that Red Boy also doesn't exist in the book as it was said that these were Princess Iron Fan's first kids so its like Wukong willed Red Boy from ever existing as well! THAT IS FUNNY! He wanted a big family and no annoying nephew! Nooooo!

But you can read it actually it’s in English!

Here’s a link!

You are going to make a profile but still. Even comes with audio options if you want it out loud.

Have fun with the crazy fever dream!

While I will admit it is absolutely insane. I myself hope one day to have a script of how to make it into something of substance because I think there is a lot to work with. Time travel and inter-dimensional transportation aren't anything new but to know that this was one of the first 'time travel' books out there is pretty fun! It’s somewhere between a dream and a nightmare, where the dreams become so intense that they just go overboard. I feel like nowadays a lot could be played with, especially with how to look into what Wukong really wants and what he is willing to do to take it when in the middle of his journey. Like to measure himself mentally where he has changed from being willing to do anything in his power to get what he wants verse actually seeing the consequences of his desire affecting those around him that he has grown to care about and how their lives are ruined as well.

Sanzang becoming a general probably is too farfetched but the idea is that he becoming controlled by a Evil King because Wukong left and Sanzang lost his way. Now THAT can be interesting. Bajie tries to go back to Gao but as expected by rejected and thus he also joins the Evil Army. THAT is a cool take. Wujing being lost in all this and going back to hire hermit lifestyle, THAT IS SAD. BaiLong been forever, forgotten by his family and force the roam the Earth has a horse. THAT IS ALSO SO SAD. I don't know why people look any further for angst when if this story could be put in a more cohesive manner without the loose plot point or useless quests could be an interesting introspective of Wukong's desires have how they have changed from what he thought he wants versus what he wants now.

I do feel like a lot of the takes are more out of character but that is what makes it kind of scary and a bad timeline way. To think that because you (Wukong) can push people to new means. Maybe Wukong just wanted a big family before and missed his monkey, projecting that onto Princess Iron Fan who is deprived of both a son and husband and he understood that missing family. And maybe he feels responsible for both Bajie and Wujing on his journey to keep them together else they lose their ways and just go back to being forgotten criminals of heaven, nothing better than canon fodder. And his greatest fear of Sanzang losing his way... and becoming more like him. Choosing violence as the real answer to his problems, similar to Wukong. Any little desire he wished for Sanzang to be "more like him" taken to the extreme of him being a general sending out armies.

And it's that image of King Paramita, his desire for a family verse General Sanzang, his desire for Sanzang to be stronger (or rather just a little bit crueler to their enemies) being forced to confront each other in the climax!

Like I said there are a lot of wishy-washy side quests in the middle that really lead nowhere and are more of a commentary of the times and certain historical figures but there CAN be a lot of interesting plot points that could be SO MUCH FUN to play with! Wukong is always some of the first to say that he is a monk that left the family but maybe he still has that desire to be more than a grandpa to his monkeys and he a family man, but is that worth the cost of the friends he made along the way? I like to think that a lot of dreams are more his distorted desires which is what a lot of the book is. He even meets himself in a human form in the book which helps him out of his red strong of desire to help see reason.

It is only at the end when he sees the son he never knew kill Sanzang does he lose his mind, going into his giant form as he tries to destroy everything around him in a second.

But he can't.

Because he finally starts to wake up.

And when he sees that Fake Fish coming in as their "new" fellow disciples.

Man does NOT hesitate to snap his neck for messing with his dreams like that.

Have to admit that is definitely one way to end a story! But why anyone that is interested I definitely recommend it a read if anyone has the time!

#anonymous #anon #anon ask #jttw #journey to the west #sjttw #supplement to journey to the west #sorry i kinda went off on this book! #I just really loved certain idea that it gave! #Also love the idea of Wukong always battling his inner self #And that Wukong does have these moments of wishing things were different on the journey and that things were simpler #That he is unhappy with how things are #The grass is always greener on the other side kind of plot #Wukong seeing how the world is in fake WORSE OFF without him #and how him on the journey with these people who he thinks don't appreciate him actually need him so much #and how he kinda needs them to #And that maybe he really does make a difference in the world because maybe it isn't all that bad and maybe he is doing something good with #what he has #I know Im cherry picking this book BUT TRUST ME I GOT IT FROM THIS #Def not as good as I am explaining it but... I felt a lot of emotions when reading it at least. #ask

[thenextcelestialchapter]

TOTK!Ganondorf’s personal motives?

I feel like probably enough time has passed that I can dish about the juicier plot details, so here’s your warning if you need one! Don’t read further if you care about spoilers!

Okay so, it’s obvious what Ganondorf’s -ultimate- motive always is. Power, of course. That’s his deal, his greatest ambition, and he’s never needed any other reason to do what he does other than that. But well heck, it sure would be a lot better if he did! XP

So I keep thinking about that line Ganondorf throws at Rauru and Sonia that was basically all like “Oh you have a Hylian wife? How nice for you.” In this clearly mocking tone, like he’s some kinda racist against it, and yeah that would work for most other villains... But like that doesn’t make sense for Ganondorf for two big reasons. 

First of all, I just feel it’s a weak personal reason for a guy who ultimately wants power more than anything. It’s petty and quite frankly I feel like someone who cares about power would know that actually complaining about something like that if it in no way unbutters your bread just makes you look like a weaksauce bitch boy, and also it completely gave away any chance of him playing shit sneaky, not that it mattered when Rauru led his Trojan Horse inside anyways lmao... 

Second of all, it doesn’t make sense bc LITERALLY ALL GERUDO ARE DEPENDENT UPON INTERBREEDING WITH THE HYLIANS. THERE ISN’T A SINGLE GERUDO BORN THAT ISN’T HALF HYLIAN. WHY WOULD GANONDORF CARE PERSONALLY ABOUT THIS? XD;;

So yeah, I really feel like Ganondorf needed a much better personal motive, bc if power and domination are always his ultimate goal then why bring back Ganondorf at all when all we need is the mindless version of Ganon or some other evil dude for Demise to possess? Obviously the fanbase prefers Ganondorf when he has a good motive bc nobody can STFU about Windwaker!Ganondorf.

So here’s what I would have tweaked... I feel like it should have been made clear that the reason Ganondorf mocked their union was bc Ganondorf had formerly proposed to Queen Sonia and was rejected. It would make much more sense for Ganondorf to mock their union if it was clear that he was salty about not being the one who was chosen and felt that union was a weaker one than that which he proposed. It would have made his huge mocking smile when he Aerith’d the poor woman even more dastardly. 

And don’t get me wrong, Ganondorf would have been in no way in LOVE with Sonia. He’d want her for her stone and her kingdom, he’d want her because he is the King of the Gerudo and therefore he deserves a Queen. IDK, I just think adding a bit more of this personal touch would have made his evil actions and the motives for his hate even more impactful and interesting...

#totk spoilers #totk #totk ganondorf

[eledritch]

hi ele!

i’m a fan of your writing, mostly your voltron fics but i’ve also read your dragon age, critical role, and captive prince stories, they are all so fucking good. where do i go to join your cult? /j

you’re insanely creative in your AUs or plot ideas, from plant porn to beauty in the beast with vampires but also magic schools with magic goddesses and incubi and cambions!

i was just wondering what inspires you when you’re coming up with ideas for fics and what normally comes first to you, the setting or plot or something else? plus, how did you develop such a strong sense of characterization? because across alternate universes and in every different life, your characters are so consistent and recognizable.

another way your creativity shines is the world building in your fics, it is always so fascinating and effortless, it’s a tantalizing background that really hooks me into the world of your stories. i don’t know if you have more notes on world building that didn’t make it into your fics but please know i would sell my soul for a napkin of extra notes for your fics. do you world build as you write or plan it in advance? and do some things you consider fic-canon not make it into the final edit or do you try to work everything you have in?

i know this is a lot, i’m very interested in your writing methods and how you develop so many amazing stories sorry! thanks for your many years of amazing writing and the time it took you to read this ask XD

Hi wow this is all so kind of you to say!! I'm so glad you enjoy my writing <3

so, I would say that usually when I am starting on a new story, I start with the characters and think about what kinds of situations, settings, conflicts, genres, themes, etc I want to write them in. Fantasy is one of my favorite genres because in many ways it feels the most flexible -- I am probably halfway between a pantser and a plotter in terms of story-planning, so I enjoy having space in my plots for them to change if I feel like they need to. I usually know the ending early on in the process tho.

Worldbuilding is one of my favorite aspects of writing and partly why I am so partial to writing AUs. I tend to do more planning for the worldbuilding up front than I do with the plot: my story worlds are scaffolds on which I can build the plot, if that makes sense. I've loved worldbuilding since I was a kid, and I think the best advice I can give for how to build story worlds is to read a lot of books. Books I read as a kid still influence how I worldbuild today (a few that come to mind are the Redwall, Series of Unfortunate Events, Narnia, & May Bird books), as well as videogames (Dragon Age always), places I've actually been, and honestly my academic reading/writing also definitely influences my creative writing, i.e., when thinking about how to write about social conflicts and cultural norms and especially colonization/empire in the worlds I write stories about.

For writing both characters and worldbuilding, I think it's really key to figure out how to suspend your readers' disbelief, and this starts with suspending your own disbelief. You have to believe in the worlds and characters you create. This means being comfortable with writing your characters in all kinds of situations, because people only show a lot of aspects of themselves (and therefore seem like real people, because people & their personalities & motives & backgrounds are complex) if they experience a lot of things. This may be why I gravitate towards writing stories with more dramatic tones and plots, because I find it much more fun to figure out characters by stressing them out. Seriously, I think characters solidify when they're placed in wild situations lol! And these don't necessarily need to be really serious perilous situations, but rather events and conflicts that fundamentally challenge the characters and force you to imagine how they might react in ways that feel true to how you've written them.

For example, one of my favorite character types to write is "kind of a bitch but like, a complicated bitch and kind of justified in their bitchiness because they're going through some stuff." Laurent from Captive Prince definitely falls under this; Keith from VLD, Essek from CR, and Astarion from BG3 also fit into this category (albeit all in really different ways and shades of bitchiness haha). I find these characters fun to write because they're characters who should probably change -- they also have clearly defined flaws and desires, which is great when you have to create a conflict and keep readers engaged/make readers get attached to these characters.

It's tough to root for a character who is consistently a bitch, never feels bad about it, has no reason for being that way, is never critiqued by other characters about it, and is not influenced to change by the narrative at all. It's a lot easier to root for a character who has some kind of inner conflict going on which is complemented by the outer conflict/s of the story. I'm especially fond of characters who have trust issues, because this is a flaw that obviously lends itself well to romance plots, but also can have some very interesting backstory implications and lead to really dynamic yet believable character development, as trust can be built incrementally and also wax and wane in a way that feels natural and builds narrative tension in a compelling way. It also allows you to work on other characters, since trust requires at least two people :)

Thank you for your questions!! I'm sure this is all over the place (it's finals week and dear god grad school finals week is actually hell) but best of luck in your own writing and I hope to share more fic soon~

#ask me things #writing tips

[iffylogic]

I should pick up A Realm Reborn again. Yes! I will do this.

I haven't talked about the game much and it's killing me, I know no one'll probably read this but I need to go off, I have so many thoughts

I was level 50 when I last left off, just about to battle a Big Fighty Boi the Garleans uncovered. It has very "season finale" feel to it.

(I cheated and have been watching an online playthrough about halfwayish into Heavensward, but I still want to continue properly!)

WOL

I have a pathological need to keep my characters thematically consistent, so Carmine's gone from conjurer to white mage and I can't make myself try anything new. XD (It's pathological because I don't really enjoy playing white mage therefore this is self-harm klhfvjasdjklfhjasd)

I'm thinking once I finish this msq I'll start a Fyo playthrough that I'll actually see through into the expansions. She's a lot more flexible. She's also a punchygun person so I guess pugilist/monk and then gunbreaker later 🤔 but she DOES dabble in magics! So who knows 💃🥋

I can't put a self-insert in there because Yda already exists oTL

(not in looks lol)

GAME THOUGH!

It's so pretty and big and hilarious. My favorite quest so far has been the white mage one where I have to go all over the world finding relics to pray at. I was underleveled at the time and hadn't explored enough, so I was seeing lots of new interesting areas (and new routes to and from old areas) while running like hell from superior enemies in a panic. Seriously loved it. XD

I'm a person who gets really excited when I see new things. I love new scenery, new characters, new everything. So this game's been a constant joy and I'm frequently beside myself. I play in the name of joyous wonder, dang it. And this game delivers it with gusto. ⭐

I actually really enjoy traveling in games like this, it was almost sad when I got the hang of aether teleporting. I mean I understand but yeah I like to hoof it lol. And I still can! And it's fun!

I'm very predictable because my favorite character so far is Admiral Merlwyb. Tall person with guns and I could listen to nautical metaphors from her all day.

not kidding about her voice - a specific banquet scene happened, I was freaking out for plot reasons, then she blurted out "Seven Hells!" and I was like "thank you, I feel a little better now" XD

Favorite main cast character is probably Tataru and I am incapable of explaining why, but I love all the scions so far. I'm betting we'll get more eventually, so that'll be fun :D

The Garleans are ridiculously one-dimensional villains so far and it's kind of amazing. RE5 Wesker is my fave game villain, I eat that cheese up. Out of curiosity, I googled it and even their capital city is going out of its way to look as evil as possible. 10/10, will go on vacation there next summer

Ascians are over the top too of course, but they have a cult vibe, therefore being over-the-top is just sort of expected

oh yeah

GRANT US SUCCOR IN OUR HOUR OF N E E E E D

I know all the voices get better in the expansions (most of the main cast I already like but I get why people say this), but I'm going to miss the background-character voice acting in Realm Reborn holy shit lol

The soundtrack's alright so far (I know that gets better later as well). Kinda wish they had more than one "troubling/suspicious thing is happening" track, though. Is... is that still going to be there by Endwalker? XD

I'm crazy for the bagpipe floating island music and all the Alexander tunes 💃🎵

oh and Revenant's Toll! Arriving there was amazing. At the time, I was (again) under-leveled and was going deeper and deeper into unwelcome territory, far from help and civilization, then suddenly I'm in the middle of this remote town with pumping adventurer music and the locals are like "hey, you made it this far! Welcome to a town made by badasses, for badasses" and I'm like 🤩

SOCIAL...NESS

I need more friends to play with, I'm too shy. (I lost ALL of my momentum wanting to be social after that hell-job last year. I never quite got my spark back. 😔)

So um... what's the best way to find more people? Friendly laid-back people?

I'm obviously "Iffy Logic" on there if you wanna add me! Unless you need to search by character, in which case look for Carmine Pentella? On.... Cactuar?

Unless I'm playing Fyo. I uh... I don't know what her last name is yet. In the story she's from, family names aren't a thing. errr...

Also I notice a lot of the game's story stuff you HAVE to play alone? That's... kinda messed up, isn't it? Especially non-dungeon/raid cutscenes. You play together and one person just sorta stands around awkwardly while the other watches the story, and reacting is weird because they can't see what's happening.

Like... it feels like I'm going to a friend's house to watch a show with a friend, but then we have to be in separate rooms when I get there. Seems unfortunate.

it'd help if I could make myself play dungeons with other people. I'm too afraid I'll mess up and get yelled at. oTL

PFFFF

If you read this far, I'm both impressed and very sorry

how did you get here without a machete and safari hat

#Iffy rants and raves #this is long unedited and unhinged I'm just blabbing #miraculously mostly spoiler-free #tldr: love game- too shy to enjoy properly #Final Fantasy XIV

[straightfacedstrangeness]

There's a lot of interesting stuff in the Titan AE directors' commentary, especially about the conflict between the humans and the Drej, pointing out that audiences (like me...) were confused about why the Drej were hunting humanity and the Titan. The novelization goes so far as to create an entire backstory and narrative POV for the Drej out of whole cloth, saying that the advanced technology built into the Titan project was threateningly comparable to their own and that the Drej Queen wanted to use it to repair critical problems with her own ship. And that the Drej Empire was trying to wipe out the entire galaxy one species at a time, with other species staying out of each conflict in a very unsettling "they came for X and I said nothing" mindset.

Don Bluth and Gary Goldman explain (in commentary over the Sessharim scene) that they were trying to tell the story through subtext rather than be too obvious/heavy-handed about it, but that the destruction on Sessharim and the fact that the Gaoul help our heroes without question (and know how to read Cale's map) was meant to imply that they had been humanity's allies and had been brutally attacked and almost wiped out by the Drej for it. Akima's line that humanity hadn't done anything to the Drej, the Drej were "afraid of what we might become" was meant to imply that the Drej saw humanity as a threat, with the planet-creating Titan project indicating human plans to expand outside their own homeworld. The ideological(?)/thematic differences between humans and Drej in terms of things like chaotic individualism VS unity/conformity was also meant to play into that, the idea that humanity and the Drej couldn't see eye-to-eye and therefore became enemies.

...but also (*doffs Special Interest hat*) in the commentary over Gune's death scene they mention that after John Leguizamo's first recording session, he came to the second one having written scenarios and dialogue to fit Gune into basically every scene in the movie X'D and it sounds like they wound up using at least some of it, so A) Gune got a lot more to do than was originally planned (thanks, king XD ) and B) that presumably explains why Gune's characterization is so different in the novel, to the point where Novel Akima actually thinks to herself that Gune "doesn't talk much"—probably the novel was being written earlier in the production, before all the improv happened.

Novel Stith is also a lot more feral with often broken English, VS the final movie characterization, so possibly her character went through a lot of changes too. Several cut scenes mentioned in the commentary (not all of which appear as deleted scenes on the DVD, as I recall) also appear in the novel, including Cale and Akima spending a lot of time as tourists on New Bangkok before they're stranded there by Korso.

Another interesting note I never would’ve thought of: the directors point out that Preed is never involved in a fight until his big turn at the climax (the closest he gets is being nearby when Stith beats up the guard on the Akima rescue mission), but the missing ear and metal skull plate in his design imply a connection with violence from the beginning

#titan ae #rambling

[lycheesodas]

Sumeru Storyline Predictions

omg Sumeru trailer was so intense i can’t believe it’s only the first look at the new quest?? I’ve had these theories for a long time but now with the trailer they seem more and more plausible, here we go!!

Disclaimer: not trying to pose anything as confirmed canon or whatever, these are just my thoughts.

I think this Archon Quest is gonna be so interesting because we’ll see someone who’s not of the original Seven publicly trying to step up to their predecessor’s legacy.

Kusanali is not Acknowledged as the new Dendro Archon

“Maybe they see Lesser Lord Kusanali’s birth as confirmation of Greater Lord Rukkhadevata’s death.” -> The people of Sumeru, or at least the Great Sages who basically run things there, are not willing to accept Kusanali as the new Archon. They’re still clinging to the old ways.

“Yes, well, Sumeru is the land of the God of Wisdom, where the quest for wisdom and knowledge is never-ending. But their obsession gives rise to some truly inexplicable things, for example... In Sumeru, knowledge is holistically managed as a resource. [...] I don't know whether it was the sages or Lesser Lord Kusanali who came up with the idea” -Yae Miko at the end of Inazuma Archon Quest

“Having personally witnessed raving-mad scholars in the forests of Sumeru and powerful sages sitting underutilized on advisory councils, Lisa realized what uninhibited erudition can really do to a person.It seemed such a high price to pay... How much did one have to sacrifice to attain the profoundest knowledge of all?“ -Lisa’s Character Story 5

Rather than knowledge, I think the Sages are more concerned with maintaining the status quo, acting as if things are still the same as before the Cataclysm.

The Conflict Between the Rainforest and Desert

There’s also the matter of the Withering... Here’s where things get more theoretical/headcanon-based.

We know that Sumeru is divided into two large regions, the rain forest and the desert. In one of the early trailers (I can’t find the link sorry) Kusanali’s voice says something about “If only the desert sand and the jungle ring can get along like this” hinting at... yet another civil war.

Thanks to the Withering, the desert area is slowly expanding into the rainforest. This causes a lot of misunderstanding which led to conflict between the two factions. The rainforest dwellers believe that the desert people are deliberately enroaching on their territory and killing all the plants. While the desert people might feel like they’ve been abandoned by the Dendro Archon, especially after the Cataclysm, and therefore hold a grudge against them. Because they are located further away from the Akademiya, they might not know that Kusanali pretty much has her hands tied by the Sages.

They might also end up following another leader (like the Abyss Order) who promised them resources and power, hence that scene in the trailer where a Ruin device is seen corrupting(?) one of the Eremite commanders.

Other stuff that might be connected but I don’t know how exactly they’re connected:

Someone is definitely trying to extract information from the Ley Lines and then destroy them afterwards. The giant burning tree at the end of the animated PV is confirmed to be an Irminsul tree. Presumably, this means all the knowledge stored in the tree will be destroyed too. But who is doing this? What are they looking for? Why are they burning the evidence?

EDIT 14/8/2022: Saw some posts on Twitter and Hoyolab that suggested that whoever they are (The Sages, with support from either the Abyss or Fatui), they’re trying to reincarnate Greater Lord Rukkhadevata, which I think is super interesting and plausible!

The Akasha Terminal is probably a brainwashing device. I got no canon evidence for this but I read a fantasy book with brainwashing plants once and that was a cool concept xD I’d like to see how Genshin pulls it off.

The grown ups in Sumeru don’t dream, only children do. This is also probably why Kusanali is so interested in the subject of dreams when she talks to the Traveler on the Golden Apple Archipelago. One of the devs in Preview Teaser 02 also mentioned “cute forest spirits that can only be seen by children”. Probably also something to do with the Akasha Terminal. But also probably because the Sages discourage imagination and creativity (they don’t want anyone questioning their status).

#genshin impact #genshin spoilers #ver 3.0 spoilers #sumeru #sumeru theory

[13eyond13]

(sorry in advance for the ramble but) i saw your post on PE... i read the beginning as it came out, excited for a new O/O collab, but tbh i hated it ? it felt like the "death note" version of mirai nikki, which isn't the greatest compliment i can give

the protagonist is mostly unlikeable (Yuuki never does anything even remotely interesting up to the finale) and from what i saw before i gave up PE... the side characters, ironically the strong point of mirai nikki, are also not interesting ?

i have no clue if this is a cash grab, Ohba running out of ideas, or the editors trying to get every cent they can bc you can slap O/O on anything and it'll sell, but it's so unoriginal and weirdly paced and i have no clue why ???

a tangent but in bakuman the self inserts had really cool concepts (KTM and PCP honestly sounded great), but i guess they can't use them now... even without my friend and i's conspiracy theory that Ohba is Takano Tsuneo (so uses other pen names, including for collabs with Obata), i'd find it kinda sad if Ohba ran out of ideas when he had so many good ones before. though i guess i shouldn't be, they are the duo who claim biblical symbolism in DN was an accident XD who knows what they'll do next ! idk if i'm excited but i'll be there

Yeah, I honestly feel like I gave it the best shot I could and sincerely went into it excited about it and ready to have a good time, but not even the villains nor the side characters in Platinum End were interesting enough to keep me emotionally invested in things. I liked the two main angels Nasse and Revel the best. I thought they had the most personality and most endearing character qualities of the bunch. But even so, the amount I liked those two did not nearly make up for all the stuff that was boring and confusing and grossing me out about the rest of it, haha.

In some ways I think Ohba is just better at writing characters that aren't coming from underprivileged circumstances or tragic backstories or anything like that, too? He's great at writing people who are basically the opposite of that, haughty and spoiled and entitled and wealthy and vain and whatever else. He's not the most sensitive of writers, and he often seems to make the characters who come from less privileged backgrounds more cartoony and cliché and vague in comparison to the rest. My theory is that he probably had a fairly privileged upbringing himself (similar to Light's), and therefore is just way better at empathizing with and writing that kind of person and situation realistically than he is the ones that come from rougher backgrounds and sadder or more difficult circumstances.

Your theory about Ohba's identity sounds interesting as well! Never heard of Takano Tsuneo before... if you wanted to share why you think that's the case I'd be curious to know

#ask #hazblogs #platinum end spoilers #p