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#6/10 should be over half i should tell them my problems about half of the time

carelessflower · 1 year

Text

rating shtv jace questionable moment

let be honest, it will mostly be season one plus two offending screenshots from season two. critical analysis only when i want to, the rest depends. the descent into hell is easy after all

5/10 - see? sh writers can write, first scene with jace they already show how he treat alec the rest of the season.

6/10 - that his job

3/10 - friendly reminder, alec was the acting head at this point aka jace's boss, it's his duty to report any strange occurrence at the institute and now you brought a STRANGE girl into HIS institute, i dont know, just a thought

3/10 - yes it kinda is, and it's alec choice at that seeing how he your superiors

3/10 - jace would be a shit head for the ny institute if a random pretty girl make him act like this. and again, it normal alec get suspicious at clary, because he, you know, can actually think through situations and not dive in first like a headless chicken

4/10 - yes, he has working brain cells

2/10 - dont you love it when the dude you supposedly share half your soul dismiss your valid concerns regarding your life

5/10 - if he's as you said you would be six feet under or in some ceils not here talking shit

1/10 - yes alec stop, don't you know jace is allergic to reasoning

2/10 - he knows you should be supportive of your parabatai

1/10 - all i can say is if a stranger comes into my life, not caring for anything but herself and jeopardizing my job, i would let out far worse things than angry rant

3/10 - no wonder jace fancies clary, they are never ready to hold themselves or each other accountable for anything. true love

🚩🚩🚩/10 - right before this izzy LITERALLY said clary go out WILLINGLY i have no words, alec's way too nice i would have 'oh this you' and drag jace daddy issue to filth back i would go lower than hell. by the way jace never apologize for this so. flop

0/10 - proceed to lose her next episodes

4/10 - flop. flop parabatai of the year

2/10 - funny how jace only bring up the parabatai bond when he needs alec to do something for himm hmmmm. it giving suspicious it giving affection with conditions it giving manipulation

-♾️/10 - that a totally normal thing to say about your brother, the one who you share a lifetime bond with. i normally wish jace choke on a porcupine

0/10 - jace only contribution to the parabatai bond is 2x03 and when he use his nepotism to transfer the head of ny institute position to alec. and even with alec already on his way to that title before imogen swooped in

5/10 - ooh be making that face now suddenly you care? dont make me laugh

0/10 - jace lies so well, all that practice telling himself he looks handsome every morning paid off

0/10 - my three year old cousin has more critical thinking than these two

0/10 - jace the one to talk he's incapable of seeing anything outside clary

-/10 - for whither thou storest, I will steal, and where thou trust, I will trust to betray.

💀/10 - took them ten episodes to have alec FINALLY punch somebody for joking, using his sexuality against him when he's clearly NOT ready to talk about it. yeah fuck shit up baby

2/10 - oh okay, let talk about how you and clary fuck off to somewhere with the cup when the clave and a race supremacist massacre advocate cult leader are both hunting for it. then you and she proceed to play house with your newly discovered fake dad and left alec to deal with the mess. oh, did i mention izzy's complicit in your scheme and you left her there at the mercy of the clave?

1/10 - your saving cause more problems than elon musk to twt get over yourself

4/10 - selfish intentions + selfish actions = season one clace. a match made in heaven

6/10 - passable apology but why he cant just resist making it all about him lmaoooo

4/10 - the only joke here is your life

tag list: @dustandducks @cityofdownwardspirals @magnus-the-maqnificent @onetimetwotimesthreetimess @wildesummerchild @cam-ryt @khaleesiofalicante

#shadowhunters #anti show jace #anti shtv jace #alec lightwood #im a hater with proof

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ahb-writes · 11 months

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19 Things That Are Wrong With Your Novel (and How to Fix Them)

The original infographic on which this list is based was bulleted with short descriptions (see "All The Things that Are Wrong…" at Hey Writers and FastCompany). It's nifty quantitative data. However, the original article doesn't explore any solutions. So, I spent some time hunting down a few writing resources to fill in the gaps.

The following list of "problems" represents about half of those from the infographic. I tweaked the problem statements, and I drafted the solution text in a feverish rush. No apologies for repeated sources; I have my favorites. Read on:

Problem #01: The Story Begins Too Late in the Novel

Problem #02: The Scenes Are Void of Meaningful Conflict

Problem #03: The Story Has a By-the-Numbers Execution

Problem #04: The Story Is Too Thin

Problem #05: The Villains Are Cartoonish, Evil-for-the-Sake-of-Evil

Problem #06: The Character Logic Is Muddy

Problem #07: The Female Part Is Underwritten

Problem #08: The Narrative Falls Into a Repetitive Pattern

Problem #09: The Conflict Is Inconsequential, Flash-in-the-Pan

Problem #10: The Protagonist Is a Standard-Issue Hero

Problem #11: The Story Favors Style Over Substance

Problem #12: The Ending Is Completely Anti-Climactic

Problem #13: The Characters Are All Stereotypes

Problem #14: The Novel Suffers From Arbitrary Complexity

Problem #15: The Story Goes Off the Rails in the Third Act

Problem #16: The Novel's Questions Are Left Unanswered

Problem #17: The Story Is a String of Unrelated Vignettes

Problem #18: The Plot Unravels Through Convenience/Contrivance

Problem #19: The Story Is Tonally Confused

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Problem #01: The Story Begins Too Late in the Novel

Solution: Gain traction early; use simplicity, momentum, and a bit of the unknown to carry readers toward the more complex and the improbable. The first chapter is context for what the whole novel is about. Don't wait to pull in readers, don't hesitate to tell readers which characters are the most important, and don't hesitate to expose readers (and the viewpoint character) to the narrative's central conflict. Be upfront about what kind of story you're telling.

Develop a strong sense of who your protagonist is, articulate the protagonist's needs (which may change), and hint at the limits or barriers the protagonist must acknowledge, or defy, to achieve their current or a future goal.

Writing Resources:

8 Ways to Write a 5-Star Chapter One (Writer's Digest)

10 Ways to Start Your Story (The Writers Society)

How To Start a Story That Grips Your Readers (Jericho Writers)

7 Steps for Writing Your Novel's Opening Chapter (The Novel Smithy)

4 Key Elements of Scene Openings (September C. Fawkes)

How to Find Your Writing Style (sunnydwrites; ahbwrites)

Writing Riveting Inciting Action: 7 Ideas (Now Novel)

In Media Res: 6 Steps to Start Stories From the Middle (Now Novel)

Writing Great Beginnings and Endings (Writing Questions Answered)

Problem #02: The Scenes Are Void of Meaningful Conflict

Solution: Character growth and story arcs don't occur in isolation. Conflict-guided scenes and conflict-guided storytelling, more broadly, open the narrative to moments in which the characters are continuously tested to validate their knowledge, skills, or relationships.

To drive the story forward with measured purpose, focus on building, developing, and testing a character's desires. If necessary, implement story or relational dynamics to economically assess, judge, and curate a character's failure (and the consequences thereof). Conflict needn't be grandiose; writers must be in tune with the different levels, types, and intensities of conflict that drive their story. Conflict should be multifaceted.

Writing Resources:

A Few Words About Conflict (Glimmer Train Press)

Conflict Thesaurus (One Stop for Writers)

6 Secrets to Creating and Sustaining Suspense (Writer's Digest)

Emotions in Writing: How to Make Your Readers Feel (Jericho Writers)

The Primary Principles of Plot: Goal, Antagonist, Conflict, Consequences (September C. Fawkes)

How to Master Conflict in Young Adult Fiction (Writer's Edit)

Failure, Conflict, and Character Arc (Writers in the Storm)

Problem #03: The Story Has a By-the-Numbers Execution

Solution: Structure must be impeccable. Except for when it shouldn't be. Formulas are essential. Except for when they're not. Outlines are absolute. Except for when they aren't.

Successful storytelling strategies should flex and shift and evolve as the needs and demands of the story flex and shift and evolve. If you plan to wield an effective structure to buffet your storytelling execution, then research and document the structure that best compliments your story, your characters, your characters' conflicts, and the themes reflected in those conflicts.

Writing Resources:

7 Point Story Structure Explained in 5 Minutes (September C. Fawkes)

How to Actually Use a Story Structure (September C. Fawkes)

Description: 5 Times When You Should (and 4 Times When You Shouldn't) Rely on Description (ahbwrites)

Basic Checklist for Your Story (The Right Writing)

Gothic Literature: A Guide To All Things Eerie (Jericho Writers)

Suspense Definition — Literature: Tips for Writing Suspense (Jericho Writers)

How to Create a Plot Outline in 8 Easy Steps (How to Write a Book Now)

The Progressive Outline: How I Balance My Plotter and Pantser Tendencies (Michael Bjork Writes; Scrawls and Rambles; ahbwrites)

5 New Ideas for Outlining Stories (1000 Story Ideas; ahbwrites)

Problem #04: The Story Is Too Thin

Solution: Does the story lack balance?

Purposeful narrative structure. Effective characterization. Meaningful conflict (and meaningful consequences). Immersive description. Authentic character dynamics. A good story needs all of this and more. But it's okay to be stronger, or more experienced, in crafting one area of storytelling than in others. It's okay for one's attention to drift during the initial drafting phase.

If you know your strengths, then you can lean on them to bolster your storytelling where it counts. If you know your weaknesses or limitations, then you can avoid what frustrates you and maneuver toward what excites you. But take the time to identify what facet of your craft needs work and be open to exploring your weaknesses with further experience, research, and insight.

Writing Resources:

100 Character Development Questions to Inspire Deeper Arcs (Now Novel)

How to Write a Sequel That Satisfies: Simple Guide (Now Novel)

Best Story Writing Websites in 2022 (Now Novel)

10 Signs Your Plot is Weak (and How to Fix it) (September C. Fawkes)

Defining and Developing Your Author Voice (September C. Fawkes; ahbwrites)

How to Pace a Story (Writing Questions Answered)

Description: 5 Times When You Should (and 4 Times When You Shouldn't) Rely on Description (ahbwrites)

How to Focus on One Story (Alyssa Hollingsworth)

Problem #05: The Villains Are Cartoonish, Evil-for-the-Sake-of-Evil

Solution: Villains require just as much character development as the novel's heroes, protagonists, and perspective characters. Effective villainy incorporates consequential decision making, relatable character motivations, believable perspectives and experiences, and most important, intention. When a writer diversifies these facets of a so-named villain's free will, humanity, personal interests, and relationship with the story's main conflict, one is better-positioned to craft a more diverse and more engaging villain.

Writing Resources:

How Your Character's Failures Can Map A Route To Self-Growth (Writers Helping Writers)

Good Character Flaws: Create Complex Antagonists (Now Novel)

50 Questions to Ask Your Antagonist (Alyssa Hollingsworth)

Antagonist Starts Good, Becomes Drunk With Power (related, master list) (Writing Questions Answered; ahbwrites)

16 Villain Archetypes (Chosen by the Planet; ahbwrites)

How to Give Your Antagonist a Little Humanity (Fiction Writing Tips; ahbwrites)

How to Write the Perfect Villain (Jericho Writers)

How to Build an Antagonist (How to Fight Write)

Negative Trait Thesaurus (Evil) (One Stop for Writers)

Theme and Symbolism Thesaurus (Evil) (One Stop for Writers)

Problem #06: The Character Logic Is Muddy

Solution: Investing in realistic characterization will give a novel the curious details and sense of familiarity readers will readily absorb. Good character logic means providing original characters with the agency to speak, act, and react with authority. (It also doesn't hurt to have a character or two who are really good at faking it.) But it's not enough to simply imply a character's sense of self through dialogue and action. Writers should aim for a level deeper.

Don't write characters, write character arcs. Don't write character flaws, write character flaws that make characters curious, enticing, or attractive. Craft inimitable dialogue, encourage characters to engage their environment, and remember to hold characters responsible for their actions.

Writing Resources:

3 Redemptive Character Types (September C. Fawkes)

6 Ways to Write Truly Terrifying Villains (The Novel Smithy)

What Is Pathos in Literature? A Complete Guide (Jericho Writers)

Character Motivation Thesaurus (One Stop for Writers)

"I don't think you need all the backstory in the world..." (advice from Brennan Lee Mulligan, TTRPG gamemaster)

How to Improve Your Secondary Characters: 6 Fresh Ideas (Em Dash Press)

Some Quick Character Tips (Coffee Bean Writing)

The Importance of The Unlikable Heroine (Claire Legrand; ahbwrites)

Don't Design a Character, Design a Character Arc (avalera; ahbwrites)

How to Write Character Arcs (Helping Writers Become Authors)

Problem #07: The Female Part Is Underwritten

Solution: Frame and establish female characters who are their own and who can hold their own. Obviously, character-building must be done with care, but the emphasis on writing female characters well is not misplaced. Authors in the majority of those published often get away with female characters that are relegated to the role of the conveniently unprotected, the buddy, the substitute wife/girlfriend, the pawn/sacrifice, the hot chick, and/or the stoic action lady who can do anything because that makes her cool.

Write female characters with their own intelligences, experiences, shortcomings, and successes. These characters must come into their own organically, and they must engage the narrative (and readers) in a way that demonstrates their value without siphoning their agency.

Writing Resources:

Make Them Female (Horrible God)

The Importance of The Unlikable Heroine (Claire Legrand; ahbwrites)

100 Character Development Questions to Inspire Deeper Arcs (Now Novel)

We Need to Talk About Cold Women (HuffPost)

Writing a "Strong Female Character" That Isn't Heartless (Writing Questions Answered)

Strength is Relative: Female Characters, Gender Stereotypes, and Writer Authority (ahbwrites)

The Heroines of YA Dystopias Have All These Traits in Common (Refinery29; ahbwrites)

Female Characters to Avoid in Your Writing: An Illustrated Guide (The Caffeine Book Warrior; ahbwrites)

On Mary Sue (How to Fight Write; ahbwrites)

Core Principles of Crafting Protagonists (September C. Fawkes)

4 Ways to Unlock Your Character's Unique Voice (The Novel Smithy)

Problem #08: The Narrative Falls Into a Repetitive Pattern

Solution: Does the story begin at the right point? Are the characters introduced in scenes where they exert the right influence? Are the novel's emotional beats consistent (or meaningful)? What's the tempo like? Is the pacing balanced and purposeful at the sentence level, scene level, and act level? Is the story's use of description unique and dynamic? What's the difference between the author voice, the narrator voice, and the character voice? Be as flexible or inflexible as needed, but above all, be willing to learn.

Writing Resources:

Never Lie Beyond What You're Capable of Selling (How to Fight Write)

How to Craft Your Protagonist's Inner and Outer Journeys (The Novel Smithy)

5 Ways to Keep Reader's Interest When They Know Something the Character Doesn't (Writing Questions Answered)

Variations on Story Structure: A List (September C. Fawkes)

8 Common Pacing Problems (September C. Fawkes)

How Structure Affects Pacing (September C. Fawkes)

Quick Plotting Tip: Write Your Story Backwards (bucketsiler; ahbwrites)

What Is Pacing in Writing? Mastering Pace (Now Novel)

Problem #09: The Conflict Is Inconsequential, Flash-in-the-Pan

Solution: Many authors struggle to contrive meaningful conflict such that it either shapes or speaks critically to the trajectory of the characters it touches. Conflict is not a consequence or a corollary of scheme or impulse; conflict should develop as the story develops and grow as the character dynamics grow.

Explore character through conflict by reinforcing their goals and their perceptions (of reality), as well as the plausibility of maintaining either. Use conflict to reveal blind spots, biases, or fears. Conflict doesn't narrow the possibility of who characters are, or what the story might convey; conflict opens characters (or readers) to new methodologies, new stakes, and possibly new goals, as a result of enduring or overcoming the fracas in question. Conflict adds depth.

Writing Resources:

Conflict Thesaurus (One Stop for Writers)

Need Compelling Conflict? Choose A Variety of Kinds (Writer's Helping Writers)

How to Draw Readers in Through a Character's Choices (Writers Helping Writers)

Exactly How to Create and Control Tone (September C. Fawkes; ahbwrites)

Are Your Conflicts Significant? (September C. Fawkes)

Tension vs. Conflict (Hint: They Aren't the Same Thing) (September C. Fawkes)

How to Write a Dystopian Story: Our Gide (Jericho Writers)

Plot Conflict: Striking True Adversity in Stories (Now Novel)

How to Use Central Conflict and Drama to Drive Your Novel (Now Novel)

Problem #10: The Protagonist Is a Standard-Issue Hero

Solution: There different types of heroes. There are different types of villains. And the multitude of stories in which these various types of characters might interact require differing levels of focus. Not all heroes must have a tale of overcoming adversity. Not all villains need a tragic backstory. Not all comedy stories require a "meek schlub" to come out on top. Not all suspense or thriller tales require a "world-weary detective" fighting for emotional validation or recompense.

Diverse character types help drive diverse stories. Challenge how archetypes and standard-issue definitions traditionally render a "hero" or a "villain" in a story. Important Note: Don't give in by forcing a character to fit an established mold by the story's end.

Writing Resources:

Guide to Writing an Unlikable Protagonist (Words and Such)

How to Craft the Perfect Antihero (Writer's Digest)

How to Write an Anti-Hero Readers Will Adore (The Novel Smithy)

Types of Heroes: Crafting Your Characters (Jericho Writers)

How to Write Supporting Characters in Fiction (Jericho Writers)

10 Ways to Write a Chosen One That Won't Annoy Readers (The Novel Smithy)

Being the Best at Something (One Stop for Writers)

50 Questions to Ask Your Antagonist (Alyssa Hollingsworth)

How to Build an Antagonist (How to Fight Write)

Male Protagonists to Avoid in Your Writing: An Illustrated Guide (The Caffeine Book Warrior)

Problem #11: The Story Favors Style Over Substance

Solution: Writers commonly risk stumbling into the crevasse of convenience, no matter the genre (e.g., action must be cool or flashy, comedy must be glaringly funny, horror must be unremittingly scary). The primary fault lines for these seemingly innocent errors are twofold: inexperience and immaturity. That is to say, the more one reads and the more one writes, the greater one experiences, learns, and empathizes with a greater array of storytelling styles, techniques, and attitudes. Writing a more dynamic and engaging story that leaps beyond the crevasse of style over substance requires an eagerness to learn, a willingness to experiment, and an openness to difference.

Writing Resources:

8 Ways to Write a 5-Star Chapter One (Writer's Digest)

Building a Bold Narrator's Voice: 5 Methods (Now Novel)

How to Avoid Plot Armor (Coffee Bean Writing)

10 Tips for the Middle of Your Story (Coffee Bean Writing; ahbwrites)

Avoiding Plot Armor (How to Fight Write)

How to Absolutely Wreck Your Audience With a Character Death (lunewell)

Writing Description: Make Introspection More Engaging (ahbwrites)

How to Frame Scenes Like a Filmmaker (Kristen Kiefer)

Shakespeare's Genius Is Nonsense (Nautilus)

Problem #12: The Ending Is Completely Anti-Climactic

Solution: Endings can be dramatic. Endings can be a little ambiguous. Endings can be bittersweet. Endings can be simple surprises. Endings can be unique and unresolved. Endings can reverse motives, reverse perspectives, or reverse fortunes. Endings can be complex webs that tie up every single loose end. Whatever the author's preference, endings shouldn't read as if the last 10 pages were cut off.

But knowing how to end a story is not an isolated challenge. To end a story properly and effectively, the author must know how the story begins, how its characters evolve, and how these dynamics transform over the course of narrative's varying points of tension and conflict. Recall, how does the story begin and why? How, specifically, do the characters evolve? And what compels them to do so? Where and how do the story's internal and external conflicts converge? Endings follow a few essential rules: endings require context, endings must be plausible, and endings must connect to the narrative's key elements.

Writing Resources:

Figuring Out Where to End a Story (Writing Questions Answered)

Writing Great Beginnings and Endings (Writing Questions Answered)

Feeling Overwhelmed by Plot Points (Writing Questions Answered)

What Is the Dénouement of a Story? Your Guide (With Tips) (Jericho Writers)

How to End a Story Perfectly (Jericho Writers)

Story Climax Examples: Writing Gripping Build-Ups (Now Novel)

How to End a Novel: Writing Strong Story Endings (Now Novel)

Tension vs. Conflict (Hint: They Aren't the Same Thing) (September C. Fawkes)

Utilizing 3 Types of Death (September C. Fawkes)

10 Signs Your Plot is Weak (and How to Fix it) (September C. Fawkes)

Problem #13: The Characters Are All Stereotypes

Solution: To be more than a collection of tropes, characters must be emotionally differentiated, possess myriad insecurities, battle visible and invisible vulnerabilities, willingly blur their own logic to achieve what they perceive as necessary, and debate their own flaws. Solid characters, well-rounded characters, and well-defined characters give readers a reason to stay engaged.

To craft these characters, authors should be conscientious of what internal rules the story's characters follow, what flaws these characters must overcome, and what trajectory each character arc takes in parallel to the overall narrative arc. Not every character needs to know who they are or how they want to influence the story to stick in readers' minds, but the author should have a good grasp how the character grows (or regresses) relative to how they engage the story's central conflict or theme.

Writing Resources:

10 Traits of a Strong Antagonist (Fiction University)

The No-Effort Character Sheet for Lazy Writers (justsomecynic; ahbwrites)

How to Write Deep P.O.V.: 8 Tips and Examples (Now Novel)

Character Flaws: Creating Lovable Imperfections (Now Novel)

How to Use Character Flaws to Enrich Your Writing (Perpetual Stories)

Character Flaws: When Is Too Far Too Far? (The Character Therapist)

20 Powerful Romance Tropes (and How to Make Them Original) (Jericho Writers)

Does Your Character Have a Secret? (Writers Helping Writers)

Creating Villain Motivations: Writing Real Adversaries (Now Novel)

Some Quick Character Tips (Coffee Bean Writing)

Dynamic vs. Round Characters: Who Needs a Character Arc? (The Novel Smithy)

Problem #14: The Novel Suffers From Arbitrary Complexity

Solution: More spectacle isn't always better. Larger and relentlessly diverse casts aren't necessarily more dynamic or more representative. More gore doesn't exactly make the violence more believable. More tears won't always pull readers into a deeper emotional connection.

Balance in everything, whether in drawing lots for which characters live or die, or assembling the combination of goals and threats the cast must surmount to reach the end.

Sometimes, it helps to weave from the simple toward the complex: If you understand what is essential to the story, and the role of each character in the story, then you can expand outward, deliberately, and unfold more detail from a central theme or narrative device. (If the author does it the other way around, and weaves from the complex toward the simple, then plot holes form, characters lose their purpose, and the story's conclusion feels less and less tethered to the inciting incident that supposedly pulled in readers at the outset.)

Writing Resources:

5 Ways to Make Mundane Scene More Interesting (Writing Questions Answered)

Feeling Overwhelmed by Plot Points (Writing Questions Answered)

What Is Prewriting? Preparing to Write With Purpose (Now Novel)

How to Write the Perfect Plot (in Two Easy Steps) (Helping Writers Become Authors)

Writing Description: Encourage Readers to Infer More Than They Realize (ahbwrites)

Reasons to Kill Your Characters (Coffee Bean Writing)

How to Absolutely Wreck Your Audience With a Character Death (lunewell)

Coming Up With a Plot (From Scratch) (September C. Fawkes)

Problem #15: The Story Goes Off the Rails in the Third Act

Solution: Weaving a compelling third act necessitates a guarded understanding of how to view and interpret a story on the micro and macro levels. That is to say, an attention to detail is essential, but equally valuable is the opportunity to take a step back and view the whole narrative as the sum of its parts. Do individual characters achieve their personal goals? Are relationship arcs incomplete? Is the drama, humor, or sense of mystery that drove the story in the first two acts, present or validated by the third act?

If one thinks of the whole of a story as a tapestry of sorts, then one might also view each chapter, arc, or act as a meaningful shape, pattern, or attribute of that greater tapestry. These attributes cue the readers as to what facet of story (or character) to focus on, depending on the moment. These attributes can also expose consequential divergences from established narrative designs.

How should readers interpret and process, or otherwise organize, these complex stimuli? For example, an author who purposefully generates tonal proximity between characters or events will ensure emotional continuity from scene to scene or from act to act.

Writing Resources:

5 Ways to Surprise Your Reader (Without It Feeling Like a Trick) (Writer's Digest)

Writing Great Beginnings and Endings (Writing Questions Answered)

How to Pace a Story (Writing Questions Answered)

How to Write Exceptional Endings (September C. Fawkes)

What Is Pacing in Writing? Mastering Pace (Now Novel)

What Is Rising Action? Building to an Epic Climax (Now Novel)

What Is the Dénouement of a Story? Your Guide (With Tips) (Jericho Writers)

How to End a Story Perfectly (Jericho Writers)

Problem #16: The Novel's Questions Are Left Unanswered

Solution: Conflicts require consequences, character arcs require a destination, and unresolved or unanswered questions have their own purpose. But having too many unanswered questions can make a novel's ending feel too foggy, if not outright incomplete. In short, loose threads can be frustrating.

Handled appropriately, loose threads may encourage the reader to hum and ponder how each character's life may evolve following the novel's events. Some readers adore the beauty of an imperfect story. However, handled poorly, loose threads speak to a poorly planned and disorganized narrative for which the writer was mistakenly more invested in drafting a kitschy or vulgar hook than a purposeful climax or dénouement.

Writing Resources:

Guide to Writing an Unreliable Narrator (Writing and Such)

Story Threads: Fixing Rips in Our Story (Writers Helping Writers)

Loose Threads Can Unravel a Novel (All Things Writing)

How to Pace a Story (Writing Questions Answered)

Figuring Out Where to End a Story (Writing Questions Answered)

Feeling Overwhelmed by Plot Points (Writing Questions Answered)

What Is the Dénouement of a Story? Your Guide (With Tips) (Jericho Writers)

How to End a Story Perfectly (Jericho Writers)

Suspense Definition Literature: Tips for Writing Suspense (Jericho Writers)

Problem #17: The Story Is a String of Unrelated Vignettes

Solution: For authors who struggle to coordinate or connect a single, cohesive story, it can be tempting to lean into episodic incidents that are individually intriguing but neglect to pull readers into a larger, more satisfying narrative. Resources about structuring scenes and structuring stories are numerous, but for writers who need to connect the muscle and sinew of their story with intent, learning the basics is often the best: Action and reaction compel reader engagement.

How does a character react to a new, tense, or changing situation? How do these actions or reactions introduce the story to readers or help them explore it? And on a micro level, how do word choice, rhythm, and tone reinforce these facets of the story?

What are the characters' goals? What are the stakes? What burdens complicate (or which advantages elevate) these characters' motivations? What conflicts skew these characters' perceptions of the stakes? What does failure look like? What are the consequences or costs? To the environment (social, political, relational)? How do characters respond to these heightened stakes, to the responsibility of these fresh consequences, to the shifting balance of power in the surrounding context?

Writing Resources:

How to Start a Story That Grips Your Readers (Jericho Writers)

Plotting Tip: One Simple Step to Ensure Our Story Works (Jami Gold)

Episodic vs. Epic: Go Bigger With Your Writing (Writers Helping Writers)

Guide: Filling in the Story Between Known Events (Writing Questions Answered)

What Is a Plot Point? Find and Plan Clear Story Events (Now Novel)

The Parts of a Story: Creating a Cohesive Whole (Now Novel)

8 Foreshadowing Laws: How to Foreshadow Right (Now Novel)

Structuring Satisfying Scenes (September C. Fawkes)

The 5 Commandments of Storytelling According to The Story Grid (September C. Fawkes)

Problem #18: The Plot Unravels Through Convenience/Contrivance

Solution: Many writing workshops and advice columns have opined on this for a reason: Coincidences that get characters into trouble are good, coincidences that get characters out of problems are bad. Resolving issues of perceived relevance between scenes, or events, often requires resolving issues of causality. Contrivances do not serve the reader. A believable and engaging rhythm requires everything to be connected.

What realizations or insights emerge after certain events occur? Does context require readers consume certain types of information before others? How can the story be revised to ensure a natural movement between these events, the information they provide, and characters' reactions to this information?

The degree or intensity of relatedness will vary, depending on the author's narrative style and the presumptive demands of the genre or audience. However, nothing should come easy; the characters (and readers) should earn whatever details they acquire to see the story through to the end.

Writing Resources:

7 Novel-Opening Mistakes That Make Literary Agents (And Readers) Groan (Jericho Writers)

8 Common Pacing Problems (September C. Fawkes)

Cause and Effect: Telling Your Story in the Right Order (Writer's Digest)

Crafting an Effective Plot for Children's Books (Writer's Digest)

8 Foreshadowing Laws: How to Foreshadow Right (Now Novel)

Episodic vs. Epic: Go Bigger With Your Writing (Writers Helping Writers)

Figuring Out Where to End a Story (Writing Questions Answered)

Problem #19: The Story Is Tonally Confused

Solution: What is the novel's general attitude, particularly given the story's descriptive specificity, the characters' emotional latitude, and the atmospheric dynamic of the feelings a specific scene is written to elicit? Tone is an interrelated mix of narrative forms and attributes. Identifying, organizing, and manipulating tone means establishing and controlling these attributes. But a word of caution is often warranted: Mixing and matching and glibly contrasting tone doesn't always come across as clever, to the reader, as the writer might imagine. Consistency and relevance are important.

Authors must know the difference between recognizing a scene's tone and sustaining it such that its rhythm lends the appropriate heft. Word choice matters. Character mood matters. Point of view matters. Scene structure matters. And in the end, disruptions matter, too.

Writing Resources:

How Do You Build a Novel's Tone? (Now Novel)

Suspense Writing: Examples and Devices for Tenser Stories (Now Novel)

Feeling Overwhelmed by Plot Points (Writing Questions Answered)

How to Fix Characters Who Are Too Similar (Writing Questions Answered)

Working Comedy and Romance Into Drama (Writing Questions Answered)

Selecting the Right Sentence Structure for the Right Emotion (September C. Fawkes)

Exactly How to Create and Control Tone (September C. Fawkes; ahbwrites)

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jpitha · 1 year

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Just a Little Further 26

Part 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25

*six months later*

It's been half a year, but I can't believe we're already on our third ship! High Line took two months instead of the one that Omar first promised, but that was because he and his crew were getting use to the process and how best to refurbish the ships. Then after that I made the decision to refurbish the food tugs, but those were (relatively) easy. New thrusters, some strengthening of the cargo containers and a few brand new ones and that was it. Once that was finished the food deliveries increased over 30%!

You would not believe how much cheaper, more abundant food improves one's legitimacy. As soon as that was finished and the food rolled in, almost all of the last grumblings about me coming in and "declaring" myself Empress died down.

I couldn't wait, and we took High Line out for a quick spin around the system after it was completed. Omar asked to be in control for the trip and since he refurbished it, I let him. While Omar was looking through the Builder archives, he found plans for a starship's control chair. It was kind of line a small version of my Throne, or the Builder chairs back on the Reach. From the chair, a Builder can interface with the ship and control it, almost like how AIs are ships back home.

I asked Starlight, River and Ocean if they wanted to come along and see what we did to their ship. The whole time they looked around in wonder and surprise at the work we did. Starlight said it felt like a new ship and River marveled that we were able to add so many features to it.

I didn't tell them about the wormhole generator. I don't know why. Maybe I still think we need some kind of secret surprise.

Really though, I couldn't do what I'm doing now if it wasn't for my fellow Builders and our staff. Ava is my second in command and handles most of the interactions between us and the institutions here at the Reach. Bank, Security Team, and Maintenance Crew; she works with them to bring their needs to my attention, and then we work out a solution together. She still tends to be a little more... aggressive than I prefer, but she knows who is Empress. She makes me more assertive and I'm able to cool her down. I think we work well together.

Um'reli has dug deep into the Builder systems here on the Reach. She's working out how much work the old Builders did day to day to make the Reach run so smoothly. When I told her that the Nanites say that it was a full time crew of 10 she believed me. It's a lot of work. There's still only the 4 of us, so we still can't run at full capacity, but she's got the fire suppression systems up and running, the environmental systems are much more efficient and even the gravity works better. We're operating with a power surplus now! I asked Omar build another reactor for the Reach and soon we will have power to spare.

Omar, he has taken over as my shipbuilder and is really growing into the role. When we were on FarReach, printing was just a hobby and his main role was ship's battery, but here he's become a master printer. Between the database we got from FarReach and the existing Database on the Reach, we have more than enough plans to make anything we need. He even worked out that Reach of the Might of Vzzx used to have defensive batteries! He found the hardpoints and has been using downtime on the printers to make new laser batteries. We don't know where the original weapons went, so we're just going to add Starjumper class laser batteries to the existing hardpoints. We're so large and will soon have such a power surplus that he says running the huge laser batteries should be no problem. That should help hold off anyone who comes to pay us a visit.

Speaking of visiting, I haven't told anyone, but I unlocked the Gate last month. With two ships and the laser batteries almost done, I figured it was safe to unlock the Gate.

I'm anxious to go back out and visit the Wilds and see if we can figure out what happened. I don't think I'm ready to admit to the others yet, but I'm also excited to visit other Starbases and planets as Empress and see just how much of this side of the Galaxy is happy to see me. Waves and smiles for everyone happy to see me, Starjumper laser batteries for those who aren't.

I'm kidding about the Starjumper laser batteries if people aren't happy to see me. I don't think I want to restart a war of conquest, do I?

These days, I spend a lot of my time on the Throne, just watching things. I find it soothing to sit here and just... feel the world go by. Things are running so smoothly, and the people legitimately seem pleased that we're here and working, I like to, I don't know, absorb the vibes?

It's just after breakfast and I'm settling down for a day of reports and presiding over a few small disagreements when a chirrup interrupts my reverie. I glance over and... It's a signal from outside the Reach? I extend my senses into the local space and I feel...

Activity from the Gate. Someone is coming through.

"Ava, Um'reli, Omar! We've got a ping from the Gate. Someone is coming though!" I'm excited to tell everyone.

Omar is less excited. "What? Okay, Reactors to 200%, defensive batteries online, sound general alert.." I can hear hooting in the background. Omar insisted on activating the old alert tones and we have been sending out messages reminding everyone to listen to them.

"Omar, Omar! It's just someone coming through. Do we really need to get ready to shoot them?"

"Uh, yes Melody? We have no idea who it is. I didn't even know the Gate was unlocked. Did you do that?"

"Yes, I did it a month ago. I figured we were ready for visitors then. I'm so excited to see who is coming to visit us!"

Over the mental connection, I can feel Ava, Omar and Um'reli staring at me.

Uh oh.

Um'reli sounds exasperated. "Melody, we are at least a year away from unlocking the Gate. We have some defensive lasers sure, but we don't even have the new reactor online and we have two small ships now. Two. If that's a human dreadnought, we'd be utterly outmatched. What were you thinking?"

"Um'reli be nice, I'm sure Melody was just so happy about our progress she wanted people to come and see it and see her." Ava jumps to my defense.

"It's still something she should have run by us first. We could have given her more insight to our actual readiness..."

"She is the empress Um'reli, and besides, what's done is done. Now we have to get ready for our new visitors. Melody, have they come though yet, do we have a visual on them?"

I'm looking out into the system and I see the ship. It's... huge. It's way larger than anything we know about on this side of the Galaxy. It doesn't look like a Starjumper though, it's the wrong shape.

"It's through. Here, I'll send you what I see through the long range scopes. I toss the visual feed over to them. Um'reli is as confused as I am, but Omar has a sharp intake of breath and Ava swears.

"What is it Omar? Do you recognize the ship Ava?"

"I do, but I wish I didn't. That's the Vengeance of Lavinia. It's the flag carrier for Venus." Omar sound disgusted.

Ava sounds downright angry. What the hell are they doing out here?"

Um'reli zooms in on the image and tries to enhance to get more detail. "It Looks like FarReach didn't succeed in keeping us quiet like she wanted though. Clearly someone told them we were out here and they're coming to say hello."

I don't know much about Imperial Venus, I grew up on Meíhuā. From what I understand and what Omar explains while Ava makes a face, they took over governance of the Sol system about a decade ago. They mostly control the inner planets. The High Mars Cities are the borderlands, and from then out is the OPA, the Outer Planet Alliance. They're a bunch of small starbase city-states that pool their resources together to hold off Venus. It's been a back and forth for the entire time that Venus has claimed sovereignty.

Venus came out into the colonies to throw their weight around a few years back, but they got massacred at Parvati, and they caused trouble over at Sarbase Picaresque. This was all years before we left. A group of residents and a faction of AIs kicked them out. I think a colony ship was involved too? I wasn't living there then, I've heard all this information second and third hand. But, since then, they've stayed in the Sol system and dialed down the anti-AI rhetoric. Nobody is pleased to see them when they come visiting.

Still, it was visitors. Guess we should see what they want.

"Maybe they have people who want to come join us?" I try to sound hopeful. I don't think it worked.

"More like spy on us." Omar said darkly. "Melody, I'm going to go against my usual stance on you using your Voice on people. These folks need to be told how we do stuff here."

I can feel Um'reli nodding. "I agree. We don't want them to start anything, but like don't lead with Voicing them. If you did that, they'd probably try and run and we'd lose any advantage we have. Play it cool. Be nice, be welcoming. It's not like we couldn't use more Builders. If folks are coming out because they want to come out, we should welcome them."

"But they're from Venus, Um'reli. Don't forget how they treat AIs." Ava is unusually firm. Venus has a strict policy of not recognizing AI sapience. It's stupid really. AIs have been recognized as alive and sapient for nearly two thousand years in Human space, for them to come out of nowhere and say that they're not is ludicrous and treated that way in Colonial space. It's almost a joke.

Almost.

We can't turn them away, we simply don't have the firepower. "Omar, let them know we're not defenseless. Free the defensive lasers but don't target the ship. The are probably scanning the heck out of us, they should see them come online."

When Omar releases the lasers, I can feel it. 6 different batteries energize and tell us their readiness. Wow, I don't know if this is something new Omar added, or something he tied into old systems, but it's so... intuitive to use them. With a thought, I can swing them around, aim and point them, and... yes, if I were to pull there, they'd fire. Neat. After moving them around a little, I swing them off to the side and set them to follow our commands. If Venus wants to start something, we can bring them to bear relatively quickly, but Um'reli is right, we do need more builders. If they're just shuttling volunteers because FarReach told all the AIs and none of them will have anything to do with me, then we should be nice.

Radio contact. We're being signaled. "Uh, Reach of the Might of Vzzx? This is Vengeance of Lavinia. We'd like to speak to... Empress... Melody?"

They're reading from notes. Their comms officer sounds so unsure. I decide to answer myself and lay it on thick.

"Good morning Vengeance of Lavinia. This is Empress Melody Mullen the First, Empress of the Holy Imperial Systems. I hear your call and am replying. How may I assist?"

"We are requesting docking permission and to be able to come aboard for a goodwill exchange as well as to deliver some volunteers from our side of the Galaxy who wish to sign on with your work over here."

Interesting. They say they have volunteers. It's not like we don't need more Builder help.

"Be careful, Melody." Ava is right.

"But, don't turn them away just yet." Um'reli is right too. Ugh do they want to do the talking here? I feel like I'm being pulled in so many directions. I check on the docking ring. High Line and Sun Dancer, the two ships we were able to refit are next to the dock the FarReach used, I'll put them there.

"Vengeance of Lavinia you are cleared to dock at umbilical X45, I shall note it on this image I am sending your way. Additionally it shall be lit as you pass by. After you dock a welcome party will meet you at the umbilical."

"Umbilical X45 confirmed. See you soon, Reach of the Might of Vzzx. Vengeance of Lavinia out."

Well then. Guess we had better go meet them.

"Okay everyone, we're on. Let's go gather some folks and go see them."

Ava, Um'reli and Omar disconnect from their chairs and come out. "I swear to you we're not ready for someone like Venus coming, but here they are so I guess we're going to have to be ready." Um'reli looks around. "Where is City?"

Sound of the City bounds up the stairs. "Here, Builder, what do you need of me?"

Um'reli smiles. "Hello, Sound of the City. Please gather Starlight, Ocean, River, Vaaqo, and yourself. Dispatch a runner to Sep and ask them to bring a few security guards too. Make sure you have your Builder uniforms on and they're clean and neat. We have visitors."

City bows nervously. "Of course Builder. I shall fetch them at once." There is a pause while they try to figure out what they can get away with. "Who is visiting?"

"It's a group of people from our side of the Galaxy. They're a different... faction than we were and we always haven't been... friendly? We're willing to give them the benefit of the doubt for now, but make sure everyone knows to keep watch on them."

Another bow "Builder. I go!" and Sound of the City bounds away. I'm so happy we are able to give them a job. They're still young so it's only part time, but they bring me happiness every time I see them. They really are becoming a vital part of our retinue. They're just so energetic! I hope they stay with us.

I pick up my rifle from next to the Throne and examine it. I do get a chance to go to Sep's Security office and get some range time in now, but it's never enough. Omar has programmed the Security Office's printers to make rounds for me, so I don't have to conserve, it's just that there are only so many hours in a day. But, I feel good that I can still do the things that Melody likes to do. It helps ground me and reminds me that I'm more than an Empress.

I sigh to myself, check the rifle to make sure it's loaded and safe, and then click it to my back. It's weight is reassuring. While we walk down the steps, I get myself ready. The crown and wings come out, but I keep them subtle for now. I make my heels a little taller but keep my working outfit on - no gown today. It's still royal blue and still sharply cut, but I just look like the head Builder I am instead of all full Empress.

As we reach the docs, Starlight, Ocean and River are there already. They were probably over in the drydock working on the third ship so were close by. At our approach, they all bow low.

"Empress, Builders. It is always a pleasure to see you."

I incline my head. "Starlight, Ocean, River. We have guests coming."

They look at me and blink. This was unexpected.

"O-of course Empress. We shall welcome them warmly. Who is coming?"

"People from our side of the Galaxy. They represent a different faction than us, so we're wary about their visit. Still, we shall receive them. Just, be on your guard."

They bow again. "Always Empress. We have learned that about Builders."

Huh. Cheeky. But not wrong. I decide to let it slide.

City bounds up out of breath. "I have alerted Vaaqo and Sep, they shall arrive shortly."

"City, take a moment and catch your breath, they're not here yet." Ava looks concerned. Sound of the City is so eager to help that sometimes they run themselves ragged. I think we all fuss over City just a bit because they're still a kid, but I remember being a teen and so eager to prove myself.

After a short time, Vaaqo arrives with Sep and they bow. Behind Sep is about a dozen security guards, all with clubs and energy weapons. Vaaqo speaks first. "Builders. What is it you need of us? Your runner mentioned visitors?"

I smile warmly and nod. "Yes. people from our side of the Galaxy have come through the Gate and wish to visit. They are from a different faction than us originally, so be wary, but let us welcome them. Sep, have your people set up around us, visible, but not part of the welcome party. Clubs can be seen, but let's keep the firearms behind their backs for now."

Another bow, and Sep gestures to the guards and they set up like I asked. We have a semicircle of guards a bit away, and the rest of us are a few meters from the umbilical.

As we finish setting up, I hear the whir and hum of the umbilical coming out to meet the ship.

After a few tense moments, there is a hiss as the pressures equalize and the umbilical opens. Immediately, silently, 6 troopers walk out. They're wearing glossy maroon armored pressure suits polished to a mirror sheen They're so glossy the coloring of the pressure suits looks like it has depth. I can see all of us distorted in the reflection of their faceless helmets. They're holding battle rifles, but they're aimed down and I can see they're safe and they have little decorative tips on the end - that's a nice touch. Shows everyone that they can't shoot them without extra effort. Looking closer at the rifles I'm shocked.

It's the same model I use.

That's not standard issue. My rifle was a special order. I can feel it's weight on my back, reminding me.

The troopers line up, three to a side of the umbilical and stand there at attention for a moment, and then a woman walks confidently out.

She's not wearing a pressure suit, but she has a very elaborate uniform on. It doesn't look like our Builder uniforms, but it's of a similar ilk. Professional, Military, it's short sleeves and form fitting, with pockets and folds and places for medals and ribbons. Her uniform has plenty of both. It's the same maroon as the troopers, but there's a pure white sash from her left shoulder to her right waist. On her waist is a sidearm - hmm, that looks like a custom version of a very fiddly - but accurate - pistol and is very well taken care of. She's wearing maroon pants tucked into highly polished black riding boots that click on the floor of the dock. On both of her shoulders are a gold fringe. She's wearing a cap at a rakish angle and peeking underneath I can see that she has very close cropped blond hair.

Is that a tattoo I see around her collar?

She is standing there with a smirk all casually professional and extremely cool. She looks like she is in charge through sheer charisma. She looks as if nobody would dare question whether she was in charge.

Swallowing and hoping I don't look too awkward, I turn up the crown and wings and take one step forward. "Welcome to Reach of the Might of Vzzx. I am Empress Melody Mullen of the Holy Imperial Systems." I gesture to my side. "This is Ava Williams, Omar Adel, and Um'reli Desmen, my Builders." I turn to the other side. "This is Starlight on a Moonless Evening, The Smell Of The Ocean, Rapid River Roaring, Sound of the City, Sep and Vaaco. They are part of my retinue and assist with day to day operation here. We welcome you."

She inclines her head slightly then stands up straight and salutes sharply. "I am Archduke Helen Raaden of Imperial Venus, second to the crown prince of Venus and third in line for the Venusian throne. I come with a contingent of Venusian soldiers and citizens as well as a small group of volunteers from throughout Human space.

We come as friends on a goodwill tour, and wish to extend our most sincere greetings to her Imperial Highness and make a personal offer from the Emperor to give assistance in any way we can." When she finishes her pronouncement she winks at me.

Oh no, she's so hot. What am I going to do?

Part 27

#humans are deathworlders #humans are space orcs #humans go on adventure #humans are space oddities #sci fi writing #writing #humans and ai #humans and aliens #the k'laxiverse #jpitha #just a little further

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radioactivepeasant · 1 year

Text

Fic Prompts: Free Day Thursday

Back to Meddling Mar, picking up where we left off

Part 1, Parts 2-3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11

Narrowing his eyes, Damas glanced from Jak to Mar and back again. "You never met your own parents. But you would have been old enough to remember when Seek was born?"

Mar shrugged angrily. "Loghead said he wasn't s'posed to remember I existed."

It was all Damas could do to refrain from pinching the bridge of his nose to stave off an impending headache.

These kids were going to make a lot of paperwork for the monks, he could already tell.

"...no parents or guardians," he sighed, making a mental note to look into getting some regular supervision in place once these kids were released from convalescence. "Alright. Do you have any particular skills or interests that you feel should be taken into account in your placement?"

Daxter raised a paw. "Does "surviving murder attempts on an almost daily basis" count?"

Precursors give me patience...

"Nobody should live in Haven," Damas grumbled under his breath.

"It's a pretty crappy place," Jak agreed easily. "But Dax is right. You people are all about survival, right? We've been scraping by on nothing since we were kids."

The king fixed him with a sharp look. Stern, but not skeptical. He seemed to have no trouble believing what Jak had said, it was just that he didn't like what he was hearing.

"Since you were..." Damas leaned back and drew a hand over his face. Peering over his fingers, he examined the boy.

"What is it you generally do when you aren't fighting to survive?"

Jak stared at him. "I don't...um, I don't know, I've never had a chance to find out."

Then, as an afterthought, he added, "I guess I'd explore. Find weird Precursor crap. I'm pretty good at that. I race, if the competition is any good."

"I own a bar," Daxter volunteered, "Drink mixing, finances, non-life-threatening skills."

Well at least one of them had some actual life skills. Of course, their scars and hostile attitudes did suggest they knew how to fight to survive. He didn't expect the child to offer the same kind of answer, but he looked to him anyway.

"I cause problems," Mar announced unrepentantly.

The king cracked a smile, welcoming the mischievous boy's attempt at a joke. "Hm. I see that."

Returning his gaze to the older boy, Damas asked, "Do you have any combat experience?"

"Combat makes up the bulk of my experience," Jak shot back. He folded his arms across his chest and tried to look intimidating.

Damas didn’t look intimidated. He looked troubled.

"I suppose in a city like Haven you would've had to learn to defend yourself young."

Daxter scoffed. "If we'd grown up in Haven, we wouldn't have had the guts to fight. Gotta know freedom first to recognize a cage."

"Hm. Well said," Damas commented, but his frown remained. "How did you come to be in that city? Most people don't move to Haven by choice."

"Neither did we," Jak growled. "Got tricked into a-"

He paused to think of a convincing half-truth. "Sabotaged transport ring. It dropped us miles apart, and Praxis's attack dog was waiting."

Errol's face flooded his memory and he shuddered.

"Waiting?" Damas pressed, but the boy seemed to shut down.

"Not in front of the kid," he said. It was probably supposed to be firm, an imperative.

Damas heard a plea underneath.

He thought of the scars along the boy’s arms and nodded slowly. The instinct to wince was tamped down harshly; pity was not what this young survivor required.

"You may speak to me about it later if it becomes relevant," he allowed. "At the moment, the House of Praxis and their ilk are less important than determining where, precisely, you will fit best in my city."

"I can pull my own weight," Jak grunted.

The rock began to dig into his legs, and he shifted in a futile attempt at getting comfortable. "The kid’s, too."

There, he'd said it again. It wasn’t Damas’s imagination, the castaway was actively avoiding using the little brother's given name. An odd quirk under more standard circumstances, to be sure. But for reasons he was afraid to put his finger on, something about that bizarre behavior set his instincts screaming in the back of his mind.

"Why," he asked bluntly, "do you refuse to tell anyone Seek's proper name?"

He watched a retort form and then disintegrate on Jak’s tongue.

Had he not expected to be called out on it?

Jak and "Seek" shot worried looks back and forth for a moment before Jak relented.

"His name has...history. People...expect things of us when they hear it. They demand things, actually. We're not people to them. Just tools."

This time, Damas knew that it wasn't the brothers' resemblance to Mar that kindled a growing empathy in his chest. He was the only surviving son of King Arez and Queen Maegera for his entire youth. The pressures placed on him by the history attached to his blood had been enormous, threatening to crush him with every passing day. Every look of disappointment on his mother's face when he failed another channeling test his older brothers had excelled at, every reprimand by his father's counselors while Arez sat silently and did not defend him -- they'd all added to the weight on his soul. Becoming nobody in the desert-

Earning his rank with his own blood and sweat had been liberating.

He tapped his fingers restlessly against his forearm and nodded again.

"You want him to experience life free from the burden of other's expectations," he guessed.

Jak’s eyes slid away. "Well one of us should," he scoffed.

Somehow, Damas didn’t think he'd meant to say that out loud.

If only I could say I'd never felt the burdens you carry, young castaway. But if nothing else, perhaps I can show you how to let them go...

"Why not both of you?" He gestured between them. "You have some years yet before you'd be expected to earn your gate pass and work more than just chores."

"Because someone has to keep us fed?" Jak answered slowly, like he was afraid it was a trick question. "What else would we even do here?"

"Well, what kind of education have you had?" Damas asked, seeming to change the subject.

He had a feeling he could guess by the bewildered faces staring back at him.

Jak looked uncertain and embarrassed, and Seek just looked uncertain. If they'd been surviving on the streets in Haven -- which so far sounded like the case -- Damas didn't suppose they'd had much opportunity to pursue more than the most basic education. And with no parents to speak of, any money that could've gone to tuition would have, by necessity, been funneled to mere survival.

"I...think Dax might be the only one with more than basic reading, writing, and cartography," Mar admitted. "Because he knows math with ration cards and ratios and stuff."

"Cartography?" Damas raised his brows. "Not many still study map-making, I'm impressed!"

Mar lit up at the praise, only to realize a second later that this was still "the Snitch", and he still bore a grudge. Quickly, and not very convincingly, he schooled his face back into a skeptical scowl. Jak was even less convincing as he tried to look like the compliment had meant nothing to him. As if he wasn't sitting that little bit straighter, holding his head that little bit higher.

Damas felt something inside him loosen just a little at the sight. So, they weren't so hard to crack after all. The castaways wore tough outer shells to be sure, but here and there he could glimpse the children underneath. They responded to praise like most other young ones, it seemed. Well, if they were truly determined to pull their own weight in this city despite their age, doubtless they'd find their share of approval out there.

Damas nodded and rubbed his chin. "That will serve you well out here. New citizens are required to learn a basic history of Spargus -- lest we repeat the mistakes of the past -- but whether all three of you require any other remedial schooling will be determined by the head of education."

Daxter jolted so hard that he fell off his rock and into the water. He came up spluttering.

"What?! You can't make us go to school!"

He got a wry look in return.

"I most certainly can. Citizens of your age may choose whether they pursue a more academic education, or a more experience-based education, but make no mistake-"

Damas leaned forward and pointed.

"-you will have to learn some things if you wish to thrive here."

Jak stared him down.

"I'm not leaving my brother by himself," he challenged.

For a moment, they kept eye contact, one trying to gage the other's meaning and the other refusing to be the first to look away. Then with a tired grumble, Damas stood up. "Follow me," he said shortly.

He picked his way across stepping stones to the dais carved from stone. From there, he followed a narrow walkway between planters and water to a doorway half obscured by a linen curtain. Then he paused, and turned to regard the boys.

"Sometime tonight, younglings," he called dryly.

They hesitated, but dragged themselves from the pool to follow.

"The school day," said Damas briskly as he led them up a short flight of steps, "Begins at dawn and ends at noon. Six hours are generally allotted for education, to allow the city's handful of children the same schedule as adults. Regardless of whether you chose the temple school or an apprenticeship, you still wouldn't be leaving Seek "by himself" for an entire day."

Daxter scrambled up the steps behind him. "Well whaddya do after lunch?"

Wryly, Damas gestured around. "Perhaps you hadn't noticed, but it gets very hot in the summer months here. We try to accomplish most of our work in the morning and evening. Midday is for resting and doing indoor work. Even my predecessor -- may even the ground reject his bones -- knew that it was best to give families time together during midday."

Unexpectedly, Jak snorted. ""May even the ground reject his bones"? Wow. Someone's got dad issues."

"Probably," Damas agreed, giving the boy an annoyed squint, "But my predecessor wasn't my father. Gods, what a nightmare that would've been."

The thought stayed in his mind a second too long and he shuddered.

"If I'd had to call that stunted slime my parent, I think I'd have just disowned myself."

Behind him, Seek giggled. And though the older two boys were clearly trying to look like cool, aloof, teenagers, Damas could tell it had amused them, too.

See, Pho, someone appreciates my wit around here-

He cleared his throat.

"No, titles in Spargus are not inherited. We earn them. I am king because I had the practical experience necessary to keep a city running. And also because I killed the old king in single combat."

Jak blinked. "....yeah, that would do it."

He hurried up the next couple steps to put him level with Damas.

"So uh, where exactly are you taking us?"

"Map room."

It turned out to be more of a utility room than a map room, full of gages and pumps for what looked like a truly massive water filtration system. A flickering, scratched screen took up the back wall, showing a readout of the city, and it was here that Damas led them. Spargus was smaller than Haven by a good fifty percent, but it was still far larger than the boys had anticipated. Just the northwest district alone could have comfortably fit all of Sandover at once!

"I'll have to ask around and find out what rooms are open at the moment," Damas said, eyes fixed on the map.

The lines around his mouth deepened.

"There are always some. Even the most experienced warriors are not immortal."

Mar grimaced and silently commented to Jak, "Morbid guy."

"He's not wrong, though," Jak agreed.

When Mar tired of squinting at the screen, trying to decipher the tiny writing, he boldly poked Damas in the back. Jak stiffened, but Damas didn’t seem unduly bothered by the impertinence.

"Yes, little one, what is is?" he asked, turning slightly.

"Are there other kids here, or are they all teenagers like Jak?" Mar demanded.

If he was going to be the only eight year old in a class, then he refused to go.

Damas turned back to the screen and rapped sharply on the side until some of the fuzzy quality cleared a bit.

"Spargus, at the moment, is home to twenty people between the ages of fifteen and nineteen," he said, "and twelve between the ages of two and thirteen."

Only Jak caught a flicker of what almost looked like pain in Damas’s eyes as he added quietly, "Far too few..."

He blinked and seemed to shake himself, then made a sound of triumph as he tapped a spot on the northwest edge of the map.

"Alma's place, of course!" He glanced back at the boys, realizing they wouldn't have the slightest idea who Alma was.

"One of our non-warrior citizens. She keeps rooms for newcomers. Rent is a touch eccentric, but at least it shouldn't put much burden on you."

Daxter hopped up to grab the edge of the console. After several seconds of struggling, he managed to claw his way up to a sitting position and folded his arms.

"Rent?!" he demanded, "All we got is a fiver ration card! Exiles don't get severance pay!"

For a second, Damas pressed his lips sharply together. If he found the ottsel's way of phrasing things funny, he was never going to admit it. Ever.

He cleared his throat and set about downloading the map into an odd-looking talk-box plugged into the side of the monitor.

"We don't use ration cards here. We barter. Time, food, water, shells, artifacts -- mostly artifacts. Most rooms come with a set of scales -- you'll need them."

Daxter looked a little put out, having become rather adept at making financial decisions based on Haven's currency. Jak and Mar, however, were relieved. It sounded far more like Sandover's way of life, except it applied to everyone and not just them.

Damas unplugged the talk-box and handed it to Jak. "Batteries are hard to come by out here. Try not to use this if you don't have to."

"Um...thanks." Jak switched on the boxy device's bulbous screen and cycled to the map. "We don't have anything to trade for this."

The king studied him for an uncomfortable moment, then his lips twisted at the corner into a smirk.

"You let me fix that haircut you gave yourself, and I'll call it even."

Jak did not appreciate Daxter's howl of laughter. Or Mar agreeing on his behalf.

#meddling mar au #free day thursday #fic prompts #writing prompts #jak and daxter #jak and daxter au #jak and daxter mar #king damas #dadmas #long post #Following this interview Damas basically assigns himself their guardian #it's because Jak insists they don't need one and Damas is trying to prove a point. Jak comes by his stubbornness honestly.#game Jak runs around during the hottest part of the day while the rest of Spargus takes siestas like sane people

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myreia · 3 months

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Divergence of the Heart

CHAPTER SIX: PROMISES KEPT, PROMISES MADE

Chapter Rating: Mature (full story rating is Explicit) Characters: Aureia Malathar (WoL), Aymeric de Borel, Thancred Waters, Hilda Ware Pairings: Aureia/Aymeric, Aureia/Thancred, Thancred/Hilda Chapter Words: 7,625 Notes: Set during the Heavensward patches. Summary: Aureia Malathar may have made a name for herself in Ishgard, but her deeds come with a hefty personal toll. Despite her victories at the Grand Melee she has never felt more unsure of herself. Her relationship with Thancred—the person she thought knew her the best—is strained, yet she cannot abandon him. Aymeric is falling for her harder with each passing day, yet she cannot bring herself to accept it. All may be fair in love and war, but at least war is predictable. Love on the other hand… Chapters: 1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • 6 • 7 • 8 • 9 • 10 • 11 Read on AO3

Aureia sips at her wine, barely cognizant of the smooth, rich flavour flooding her mouth, distracted as she is by Aymeric. Friendship, he proposed, but it is more than that and they both know it. Something better left unnamed for now. She doubts either of them know where this evening will end, but to be frank, she would rather not think on it. She wants nothing more than to enjoy her time here in his company, without distraction or worry.

The food is as good as it smells, featuring dishes she knows and more that she doesn’t. The last time she had a meal this fine Raubahn lost an arm, but she has a feeling the limbs of all attendees to this dinner are safe tonight. She bites her tongue, refraining from making the joke. Even with a glass and a half in her system, she’s not a fool enough to overshadow the evening with memories of the bloody banquet.

Aymeric is more talkative than she has ever seen him. Of course he is habitually loquacious, rivalling only Urianger for the amount of words he can squeeze into a sentence before running out of breath, but the way he relaxes over the course of dinner brings a smile to her face. The politician is always simmering underneath, but the more their conversation wanders, the less present he becomes. So rarely have they had the chance to talk about topics unrelating to war or politics, she knows she is seeing a side of him he rarely shares with others, if at all.

She knows the feeling all too well. Idle chatter about unimportant things isn’t something she’s used to even among friends. Outside of Tataru’s company, that is. Then again, Tataru makes it a point for her to talk about non-world-ending events on pain of death, so maybe that doesn’t count.

This is good. For both of you.

“…would that I could have seen such a momentous event,” he says, his eyes sparkling with interest. “Thank you, truly—”

“Wouldn’t have been a problem if it wasn’t so bloody cold,” she replies with mock sarcasm. “Why is it so cold here? Is it always so cold?”

“Ah.” He pauses, lowering his fork. “It has been this way for some seven years now. Ever since the Calamity overrode the land with frost and fury.”

“Oh.” She flushes, pressing her lips together. She should have known that; or, at the very least, put two and two together. This side of the world was ravaged by horrors she could only imagine from the safety of her post in Ilsabard when Dalamud fell from the sky. “What was it like before?”

A strange expression falls over his face, lost in thought. Whatever memory he is retreading resonates with fondness and loss. “Green valleys and rolling hills, so vibrant in their colours no painting could capture them,” he says quietly. “Lakes clear as glass reflecting skies of pure azure. I remember there were small periwinkle flowers that bloomed in abundance near Whitebrim Font. My mother… the viscountess… She was very fond of them. Now that I come to think of it, I cannot remember their name.”

He pauses and glances across the table at her, the memory subsiding. “I am certain any botanist could tell you the extent of what was lost far more keenly than I,” he continues conversationally. “A whole land irrevocably changed. We cannot return to what we have lost, but perhaps we can look to what we have gained. A new land sprung up beneath our very feet. In time, who knows what will come to call these snowbound highlands home? As destructive as the Calamity was, I would consider it rebirth rather than destruction. For Coerthas was not destroyed. We remain.”

She smiles. “I like that.”

He returns the smile and reaches for the decanter, refilling his glass. “I suspect you will admonish me for this, yet I must admit I have the desire to apologize for our inclement weather, as far outside my control as it is.”

Aureia snorts, unable to hide her laughter. “Don’t,” she says and pushes her glass across the table. Not necessary, perhaps, but why shouldn’t she be indulgent when in the company of friends? “There’s comfort in it. Familiarity. Predictable, if you know what you’re getting into, what to expect, and come prepared. Too many Eorzeans balk at a little snow.”

“Speaking from personal experience, I presume?”

“It’s not exactly a climate the city-states are used to, no. Three years on this continent and I’ve yet to see genuine snowfall outside of Gridania. It’s funny to think I would have had an easier time adjusting had I found my way to Ishgard rather than Ul’dah. Thanalan was unbearable after Ilsabard. I’m used to snow, not heat. The desert was suffocating enough outside the city, but inside? Like being trapped in a hothouse.”

He pauses, gripping the decanter, and a strange look crosses his face. Too late she realizes the implications of what she has said, the conclusion he must have come to. She flinches, mind whirling as she grasps at any explanation that will do, truth be damned. It’s not that she wants to lie to him—of course she doesn’t, she never has, the thought of it makes her sick to her stomach—but that she can’t bring him into her past. It is not a place she is willing to go with him. He doesn’t deserve to suffer in those trenches with her.

“I take it you spent time in northern Ilsabard, then,” he says carefully and tips the decanter, the deep red liquid pouring out in a rush.

She swallows the lump in her throat, her eyes drawn to his hands. He fills the glass near to the brim and pulls back. A bead of wine bubbles at the lip, clinging to the edge. It falls, the spot splotching the tablecloth. A single crimson spot on a sea of white. Like blood in the snow, Coerthan, Garlean, or otherwise.

Trust him. You have to trust him. If you can’t trust him, you can’t trust anyone.

“I did,” she says finally. “I was there for many years.”

Aymeric sets the decanter down. “The Imperial capital?” he asks.

“Close to it.” Her throat is raw. A lie, of a sorts. Stationed there for a time, but on the outskirts. She never stepped foot in the Imperial palace or the districts that composed the true capital. She may have been born within Garlemald’s borders, but people like her were never considered as such. They would never let a non-native like her, with dangerous magic coursing in her veins, closer than that. “Long enough to adapt. Eorzeans think Garlemald is bitter and unforgiving, but they do not know the half of it. It is far more than the cold and the ice. There is no survival if you are unprepared.”

“I have heard similar when Lucia has seen fit to speak of it. You have all my respect and more, Aureia—” He cuts himself short, laughing awkwardly as he quickly corrects himself. “Of course you always have—I didn’t mean to say that I did not before—but knowing this, even in the smallest capacity, knowing what trials you must have faced on your journey here…”

You don’t know. You have no idea. The bitterness of the thought takes her by surprise and shame flushes her cheeks. How could he know any different? He must be imagining some grand escape by yet another defector with too much good in their heart to endure living in a tyrannical nation. Not an operative with too much blood on her hands, who fled for selfish reasons.

Avoiding his gaze, Aureia reaches for her glass and disappears behind it, taking a long drink. Aymeric exhales a long breath and runs a hand over his chin, lost in thought. If her behaviour is odd to him, he either has not noticed or thinks nothing of it.

“Aureia, may I confess something?” he says after a moment.

She lowers the glass and nods.

“For countless decades Garlemald has been an enemy to all nations upon this star. But oft I have wondered where we would stand had history shown us a gentler hand, one of collaboration and cooperation rather than one of ruthless war. What could we have learned from Garlean expertise had the few not corrupted the many with tyrannical ideals and gluttonous expansionism? What could they have learned from us?”

He leans against the table and holds his gaze to hers, his eyes blazing with passion. How long has he been withholding these thoughts, waiting for the right person to tell? Someone he trusts irrevocably? “Ishgard has its own bloody history, a fanatical fabrication upheld by the very souls charged with her protection while they bled her people dry. As Ishgard recovers, I am left to wonder whether the cycles we have suffered here are not also in play in a land like Garlemald. As our nation has been isolated from the brutality of their war by virtue of being preoccupied by another, I would dare utter this before the Alliance when our coalition is so young and untested. But I believe there is a mirror in our greatest enemy, one that reflects a terrible truth we see in ourselves.”

“I don’t know if many would agree with you,” Aureia replies grimly. “It’s an empire. It’s not a place you can forgive.”

“I do not speak of forgiveness. They have harmed and will continue to harm the world greatly. But to paint every citizen who lives beneath their banners with the same broad stroke does not sit well with me. It would be the height of hypocrisy after what Ishgard herself has partaken in.”

“Perhaps.”

“I am not a faultless man, Aureia, I know this to be true more than anyone. I still have much to learn. But if there is one lesson that has remained with me throughout my time in command, it is that leadership does always speak for the people. Those with power will always have an agenda at play, for good or for ill. I will not condemn civilians for the place of their birth. When they have been shown no other path than one that has led to dogmatic beliefs and unquestioned chauvinism, perhaps they are as much victims of their government’s regime as those who have fallen to Garlemald’s might.”

“And those who are not civilians?” The question is out of her mouth before she can stop herself. “In a future where the Alliance wars with Garlemald and the Empire is brought to its knees, what grace would you extend to those you fought on the battlefield? Would you see them as victims worthy of help or perpetrators deserving of punishment?”

“That is a difficult question. One that has no easy answer.”

What would do you, Aymeric, if you knew? That I was one of those very people.

“I would like to hear it.”

“Then I would say I have none. For war only muddies the waters, never cleanses it. We know all too well how the annals of history are written in the hand of the victor. There are casualties on both sides of any war. If we are to judge our enemies by the harshest laws, then we must look to our own leadership and judge them by the same standards.”

She blinks, uncertain what to say, and looks down, chasing the remnants of her meal across her plate. The evening’s conversation has led them in a direction she didn’t predict. And all from a discussion about the weather…

The again, Aymeric’s sincerity has struck her deeply. She has never known anyone like him, really. His unshaking resolve paired with his unflinching acknowledgement of his own flaws… He has a capacity to see the good in people without excusing terrible actions. What he has told her tonight will stay with her for a long time.

“I apologize.”

His voice interrupts her thoughts. She blinks again, clearing her vision, and finds him staring at her from across the table, concern in his eyes.

“I did not mean to ask you to revisit painful memories,” he continues. “Whatever is in your past you have no obligation to tell me unless you wish to.”

She raises her head and picks up her glass, swirling her wine and fixing him with an arch look. “Did you know you say sorry too much, Aymeric?” she says.

His eyes widen, an embarrassed pink flushing his cheeks. “I—well—perhaps I do, but it is out of respect, is it not? I apologize, I had not realized—” He stops, cutting himself off as he hears the words he has just spoken. Chuckling, he shakes his head at himself and takes his wine in hand. “I am a fool, aren’t I?”

She smiles. “No,” she says, taking a drink. The wine warms her, flushing across her chest. Despite the gravity of their conversation, she feels content. Safe. Happy. “At least, no more than the rest of us.”

“I should strive to do better.”

“You should strive to be no more than yourself.”

Aymeric pauses, once again surprised by her words, and raises his glass to his lips. He drinks deeply, savouring the wine as he regards her from across the table. There’s that look in his face again… The one she can’t place. He seems enchanted and she hasn’t even done anything. Who is she to hold his attention? His friendship? His love? Though she wants to believe differently, she can’t ignore the deep sense of wrong within her. That this is some horrible mistake. That someone like her doesn’t deserve someone like him.

She drums her fingers against the tabletop, desperately searching for a way out. She thinks back, winding the conversation back to before it slipped into uncomfortable territory. The weather. The snow.

An idea forms.

“You know I don’t mind the cold,” she says, raising her glass to her lips. She nurses her wine, her fingers dancing across the table. She waits, noting how he watches her as she turns her palm upwards. With a breath, she commands the smallest threads of aether, her fingers crackling with frost as ice manifests in her hand. It dances above her palm, reflecting the warm glow of the candlelight in its crystalline heart. “I have a few tricks.”

He smiles and watches enraptured, the remains of his meal forgotten. “Ah, of course,” he replies. “The talents of a black mage are never to be underestimated.”

“Useful in Ul’dah.” She relaxes her fingers as the ice splits into three small shards and rotate in a circle above her palm. Show off. “On scorching days when I could barely think.”

Adrenaline is already coursing through her. Creating ice is a shock to the system, jolting her mana regeneration into overdrive. The font is infinite, regenerative, powerful. To have so much mana flood through her at once makes her head spin, her heart beat faster, every fibre of her being pulsing with untouched power. So simple, yet so addictive.

Aureia exhales and dismisses the ice. It dissipates in a puff of air, snuffing out the nearby candles. “This is more helpful here,” she says, summon a small ball of flame. She splits it into three and lets it play across her fingers. The orb burn brightly and happily, the light warming her skin. Fire-aspected aether is so often deemed the crux of destructive magic, but she knows better. As devastating as its power can be, fire can also soothe. Warm the hearth. Light the way. A spark in the darkness. “I don’t need much when travelling the Coerthan wilds.”

Aymeric watches in rapt silence as she twists her hand and sends the orbs flying, each alighting on a candle’s wick and setting it aflame. “Estinien thought I was quite the idiot last year. Running off into the snows by myself.”

He chuckles. “Estinien has a low opinion of all adventurers. Himself included.”

The pained look on his face does not go unnoticed. “He will return someday, Aymeric,” she says.

“I would like to believe it. But some days I am not so certain.”

“I think he was right to leave—”

“Without informing a soul? Vanishing without a trace? That is true to form. He is gone, and for those who remain, those to whom he extended a rare hand of friendship, are left to only speculate where time and tide will take him. Or how many moons will pass before he sees fit to return.”

She pauses, meeting his eyes. She has never heard him speak in anger about those he holds dear, at least not like this. Estinien was a friend to them both, but Aymeric knows him in a way she never will. Their bond runs deep, one of comradeship and brothers-in-arms. That he gave her no notice before departing doesn’t phase her, nor can she blame him for it. She may have very well done the same thing had she been in his place. But for Aymeric… Forget Ishgard, to walk out on him without a word has stung him.

And of course he is too polite to show much anger.

Without thinking much of it, Aureia reaches across the table and slips her hand into his. “I miss him, too,” she says softly. “Give him the time he needs, he deserves that much. As I said, I think he was right to leave. There can be no recovery in a place that reminds him of everything that was done to him.”

He exhales a long breath and closes his eyes. “You are right, of course. I spoke in haste and ill of a very dear friend who deserves compassion and understanding, not grievance and blame. Forgive me.”

“Aymeric. What did I say about you apologizing too much?”

He chuckles, shaking his head, and opens his eyes. She catches a flash of a smile in the flickering candlelight and he squeezes her hand once before retreating. “What say you to another round, my friend?” he says, raising his cup.

Aureia glances downwards. When did she finish her glass? She can’t remember. “Why not?” she replies and grabs the decanter. Normally she would avoid a third glass except on nights when she’s intent on drinking herself into oblivion, but with Aymeric she feels… Well. It’s not like she has anything to do tomorrow. And he offered.

He rises from his chair as she refills their wine, reaching for the platter of pastries and shifting it down the table. They have yet to taste any of them, distracted by their conversation as they are. He returns to his seat and clears his throat, hovering awkwardly as if he is waiting for her to make the first move.

“You must know we Ishgardians enjoy indulging ourselves,” he says, taking his glass from her. “It would be very poor manners indeed for me to deny you the first taste of dessert. Please, go ahead.”

She pauses, arching an eyebrow. There must be a reason for his hesitance. Why does she have the feeling he is planning something? “All right,” she says suspiciously, reaching outwards. She doesn’t know half the names of the desserts on the plate, but a familiar red pastry catches her eye at once. “Oh gods, tell me you didn’t.”

He chuckles with laughter and takes a long drink of his wine, eyes sparkling with mischief. “I heard whispers that you were fond of such little treats.”

“I was! I am! I—”

“Are you blushing, Aureia?”

“No, I—” She shoots him a dirty look. “It’s just that these are made with snurbleberries. What kind of a name is snurbleberry? The Warrior of Light can’t go around announcing she likes snurbleberry tarts, it would ruin the image—oh don’t look at me like that, you know what I mean.”

“Of course.”

“Oh, I… Fine. Perhaps I should consider this vengeance for all the times I’ve teased you.”

“Perhaps. Though, in the spirit of honest conversation, I would be bereft if you stopped. Your spirited remarks are a reminder that I am not confined to the stoic and stately countenance required to be upheld by the Lord Speaker.”

Warmth floods through her. Or is that the wine? “I used to love these,” she says, plucking a tart from the plate. The red berries stain her fingers. “I haven’t had one since I was exiled from Ul’dah. How did you know?”

“As I said, I heard whispers.”

“Mhm.” She takes a bite. “Whispers. I’m sure.”

“And by that I mean to say that I spoke with Tataru. She was quite keen to spill your most closely guarded secret.”

She laughs, mouth full, and finishes the tart. “She’s a good friend. Knows me better than she lets on. We have been through a lot together. Her, me, and Alphinaud.”

He nods, his smile warm. “You have. It was by terrible circumstances that the three of you sought refuge here, but I am forever gladdened that you did. Our lives would be quite changed had it been different.”

The conversations stills, lulled to comfortable silence by sweets and wine. Aureia sips at her drink, pleasantly full and warm, her gaze passing around the dining room. She can’t remember an evening where she has enjoyed herself so thoroughly and so peacefully. When they are on their own—without the meddling of stuffy butlers—there is something about Aymeric that keeps her grounded. At peace.

She doesn’t want this evening to end.

“Aureia,” Aymeric’s voice says quietly, interrupting her thoughts.

“Hm?”

She glances across the table to find him risen to his feet, a hand extended. Ever the gentleman.

“Would you join me in the parlour?” he asks with a half-bow.

She arches an eyebrow. “Am I allowed to bring the wine?”

“I don’t believe I could deny you even if I wanted to.”

Glass gripped in one hand, she follows him through the double-doors at the end and across the threshold into the parlour. The room is smaller to the sitting room they occupied before, though similarly decorated in plush furnishings and soft blues. Cozier. More private. Her gaze wanders, taking in the portraits lining the walls and hung above the hearth. Family portraits, hunting scenes, brave knights and fearsome dragoons… Naegling makes an appearance in more than one. These must be the ancestors of House Borel.

Not his family by blood, but his family by choice.

He settles into a couch by the hearth, resting his wine glass idly on the armrest. She joins him and sinks into the cushions, curling her legs beneath her. He looks different here in the comfort of the parlour. Relaxed. More at ease. His proximity sends an excited shiver down her spine. She has seen him countless times, but now she wonders whether she has ever truly seen him. The deep midnight of his hair, the faint flush on his cheeks, the way the light catches his familiar blue and gold earring. The curve of his lips.

She presses her glass to her mouth, the rich wine heavy on her tongue. She wonders what it would be like to kiss him. She wants to. She imagines it would be nice. He must be good at it. How many lovers has he had, she wonders? He’s so determined, pragmatic, married to his work. It doesn’t seem like he has had the time for that kind of thing. And yet he is far too much of a romantic not to.

Her stomach twists into a knot. There it is. The familiar embarrassment rushing up within her, the horrid sense of wrong, wrong, wrong. She��s not normal. She knows this. The things that come so easily to others are not easy for her. She hates the judgement, self-inflicted as it is.

Would he think differently of her, if he knew? How incongruent it is—a warrior and a saviour on one hand, capable of striking down primals and stemming the tides of chaos, and a shamefully inexperienced woman on the other, who at over thirty would be considered an unsalvageable old maid by Ishgardian standards. There are girls half her age who are married.

Not that Aymeric thinks much of Ishgardian standards.

You have got to get over this.

She hides from the thought by gulping down a mouthful. When she resurfaces, her head feels light and buoyant, buzzing from the drink.

“I think it’s my turn,” Aureia says finally, sinking deeper into the cushions.

Aymeric raises an eyebrow. “For…?”

She nudges him playfully with a foot. “You asked me a personal question. It’s time for me to ask you.”

“Oh?”

“It’s only fair.”

“I won’t argue that. What would like to know?”

She pauses, wetting her lips as she thinks. “Your parents. What were they like?”

He doesn’t answer. The longer they sit in silence, the more her panic grows—perhaps she misspoke, perhaps it was a mistake to go down this path. She told herself she wouldn’t pry into his family history, but her curiosity won out in the end. She wants to know, if only to know him better.

“My foster parents…” Aymeric speaks quietly, lost in thought. He rests his hands against his knees, his wine glass held loosely in his hands, his eyes lingering on the portraits on the wall, the generations who came before him. “Were I to describe them in a single word, I believe I could choose no other word than resolute. They were elderly when I was born. No heirs. The Borel line would have died with them had they not taken me in.”

She curls up, leaning her head against the back of the couch, and listens with rapt attention. There is as much love in his voice as there is pain.

“They knew there would be talk. That their House’s reputation would be tarnished by adopting a bastard boy. But when it came down to a choice between sacrificing their reputation in the eyes of the nobility or surrendering their house entirely, they chose the former. Too many depended on them. Loyal knights whose fathers served their fathers, and their fathers before them. Servants who had been with the family for generations. They had a right to call this house home as much as my parents did. Had they died without an heir, they would find themself in need of different employment. The knights would be absorbed into the personal guard of rival houses, the servants scattered among the staff of the nobility if they were fortunate or to the Brume if they were not. Benoit and Violette did not wish to condemn those sworn to them and under their care to such instability.”

Aymeric clears his throat and lowers his head. She can barely make out his face in this light. His profile his dark, the lines of his sharp, proud features backlit by the crackling hearth.

“And so they were steadfast in their decision to raise me as their own. The scandal of it haunted them for the rest of their lives, but they cared not. They were upstanding members of high society, the most noble of nobles. For every cruel word spoken about them, they simply smiled and carried on, secure in their decision. And they were happy in their final days. Content to see me grown. Benoit, proud of how I had proven myself in battle and honoured to pass me Naegling, the symbol of his lineage. Violette, proud of the caring and determined soul she believed me to be.”

“How old were you when they passed?”

“Fifteen.”

A lump forms in her throat. Fifteen. So young. Too young. Still a child, though he may not have been considered as such at the time. Ishgard is far from the only nation to send their children off to war, but the unquestioned nature of the status quo does nothing to relieve the pit in her stomach. She was a child once, too. Garlemald crushed it out of her.

Aureia sips slowly, nursing her wine. “I’m sorry,” she murmurs.

He catches her eye. “They loved each other deeply. Trusted each other beyond measure. Their faith in one another saw them through the course of life, both the good and the hard. Some would say they were blessed by the Fury, to live the full lives that they did, for as long as they did. It is not often that Ishgardians reach their old age, even among the Elezen. War, grief, and illness all take many before their time.”

A pause. There is no discomfort in his voice; she knows without a doubt that he is telling her this because he wants to share it with her. Her fears of prying too far into his history dissipate. “A love like theirs was precious. Perhaps it is idealistic of me, but one day I hope to find the same, unlikely as it is given my position.”

“Aymeric…”

He raises his glass to his lips and drinks. “It is the way of the aristocracy. Family is of the highest importance, second only to our war and our faith. The relationship between noble bloodlines is ancient and complex. Marriage is a joint endeavour, a commitment struck between two households with an heir as the prize. I may be the Lord Commander, but I am also a viscount. I know the expectations set before me.”

“That’s hardly fair.”

“And yet I understand the truth quite plainly. No, Aureia, as long as I hold Ishgard in my heart of hearts, my duty is to her and her people above all else. Personal sacrifices will be demanded, and they are ones I am content to make for the sake of this fledgling republic.”

“It shouldn’t be that way. Can’t you… I don’t know, change their minds? You are the Lord Speaker, aren’t you?”

He throws his head back and laughs, fixing her with a warm smile. “I can certain rouse discussion between the Lords and Commons and guide them as best I can,” he replies. “But no. Enacting reform within a system of governance is a far cry from changing a culture itself. I cannot expect the high and minor houses to change their views overnight. It will be a slow progress, one that I can only hope will benefit our children’s children and their children after them.”

She nods, rubbing her thumb absently against the side of her glass. This talk of love has brought a flush to her cheeks and she is once again thinking what it would be like to kiss him.

Damn it. Maybe he wouldn’t even want to. As he has said himself, there are expectations placed upon him. He will eventually need to marry. Have children. Where in that is there room for someone like her?

“And this is what your parents wanted for you?” she asks.

He glances at her. “Benoit and Violette wished only for my happiness,” he replies. “That I pursue a life worth living, whatever I believed that entailed. But there was a time when my foster mother did confess to me that she wished for me to leave Ishgard and see the world beyond our borders. And I will freely admit there was a time I yearned for that too, only to set it aside when practicality won out. However…” He trails off and he sets down his glass, shifting on the couch to face her. His fingers brush hers, tentatively taking her hand in his. “Truth be told, visiting those sweeping vistas of the Churning Mists with you at my side has reminded me of those days. I do feel the slight pangs of wanderlust, and I think… Someday, perhaps.”

Aureia meets his gaze. A part of her wants nothing more than to keep staring at him, to listen to his steady voice and fall deeper into his eyes. Another, smaller part is screaming at her to excuse herself and flee, escaping back to her miserable existence in the Forgotten Knight and forget all about him. She knows this will never work, this thing between them. Why set herself up for failure and risk hurting them both?

She swallows the panic and shoves it down. “Someday, yes,” she echoes tentatively. “Aymeric, do you think perhaps—”

A warm rumble resounds in her ears. A cat—large, orange with grey streaks, his fur fluffier than any she has ever seen—steals out from under the couch. He rises up and places his paws on the cushions by her legs, his tail swishing back and forth.

She stares at him. He stares back with large, yellow eyes.

“Sylvaine,” Aymeric chides, his tone somehow both fond and irritated. “What are you doing here?”

“Sylvaine?” Aureia asks.

The cat mews and stretches, his claws digging into the cushions and pulling at the fabric.

“My parents’ cat.” He leans forward and scratches the back of the cat’s head. “An old gentleman by any standard now, though Marcel complains he is far too lively for his age. One could say he is as much a symbol of House Borel as I am.”

The cat yawns, showing sharp teeth.

“Be careful. Majestic though he is, do not underestimate him. He has a mean streak the size of Coerthas for anyone he deems troublesome or dangerous. Or—quite frankly—anyone he thinks has looked at him wrong. Once he has judged you unworthy there is no asking for forgiveness.”

She holds back a smile. “Oh? And what counts as troublesome in his little lordship’s mind?”

“Your guess is as good as mine. It changes day to day, week to week, you see. I would never dare to assume what is happening in my dearest feline friend’s mind. Though I do recall quite vividly the day he cornered the fair Lady Hermine de Gervaise in the corner of the second floor library. As the staff could not catch the dastardly creature, a dragoon was called to assist the good lady in climbing out the window and escaping to the safety of the garden below. So great was her fear of Sylvaine that it far outstripped her fear of heights, you see.”

Aureia snorts with laughter. “Poor Hermine.”

“Indeed. Poor Hermine. She never called on me again, despite her family’s insistence.”

Sylvaine mews and leaps into her lap, curling his tail around him. His weight is warm and pleasant. Friendly. Cautiously, she reaches out a hand and runs it down his back. He offers a content purr in return and snuggles deeper into her lap.

“…and the dragoon?” she asks, petting the cat. She’s not used to being around such creatures, especially household pets. The closest thing she has is Filo and her chocobo is such a notorious biter that the Holy Stables refuse to stable him. “What happened to him?”

“Hm? Oh. The lady thanked him for his service, as I recall. And he made every excuse never to see her again.”

Her eyes narrow. “Please don’t tell me that was Estinien.”

“I have indicated nothing of the sort.”

“Oh, you liar. That absolutely was Estinien, wasn’t it.”

He grins. “Old stories aside, Sylvaine is very dear to me and the staff. His temperament may be ferocious at times, but we could not want for a better guardian.” He scratches the cat fondly, watching the way he curls in her lap with amusement. “I am glad he has taken a shine to you.”

She returns his smile. Finishing off her wine, she reaches over and places the glass on the floor. She has no desire to get up and find a table when there is a cat in her lap. “Aymeric,” she begins softly. Her head is buzzing slightly. It is so comfortable here, sitting on this couch with him. Between the warmth of the hearth, the contentedness of the cat, and his company, she has never felt more at ease. “When you said someday earlier…”

“Yes?”

“You spoke of wanderlust.”

“I did. I have no shared this with many, but I have a fervent wish to see more of this world. The lands beyond Ishgard. Beyond Eorzea. It is a yearning I cannot fully explain. My mother once said I had an insatiable curiosity; perhaps it stems from that. We have turned a blind eye to the world beyond our gates for too many years. I once considered myself well-versed in the ways of the world, but your arrival here has shaken that. Indeed, the vivid accounts of your adventures and our exchanges with both the Alliance and the Scions of the Seventh Dawn have been a firm reminder that there is much I do not know.”

She pauses, careful not to jostle Sylvaine as she moves closer. “Then come with me.”

“To where?”

“Anywhere. Beyond Coerthas. Beyond Ishgard.”

“You have no idea how fervently I wish to accept such an invitation. But I cannot. My duties with the House of Lords demand my undivided attention.”

“They ask too much of you.”

“They ask nothing. It is I who must give it to them freely, for the sake of my nation. I cannot abandon them for my personal desires, no matter how much I wish I could.”

Aureia meets his eyes. “Have you considered that perhaps it is not they who do not have faith in you, but you who do not have faith in them?”

He blinks, so shocked by her statement that he is lost for words. “I… well… I…”

“The situation is perilous, I know. This new republic of yours is young and fragile. There are many in Ishgard—and the world beyond—who believe you are the sole reason why it has not fallen apart. That makes you a target.”

“We both know that all too well.” The gravity of his words is not easily missed.

“But if the Lords and the Commons are indeed so volatile that they will fall apart if you disappear for a day, then it will happen one day with or without you. You speak of trust so often, but I think, perhaps, it is you who do not trust them, rather than the other way around. Show them you have faith in them. They will eventually have to learn to govern without you.”

He sighs and bows his head, a faint flush on his cheeks. “Once again you have seen straight through to the heart of the matter,” he says. “How do you do it?”

“Sometimes you care so much you blind yourself. Or put yourself in your own way. I have a fair bit of experience with that latter one.”

Sylvaine mews and sits up. With a long stretch, he gives a great yawn and leaps down onto the floor, skidding across the rug. He prances away, tail held high, and slinks through the open door into the dining room and out of sight.

Aureia watches him go and shifts closer to Aymeric. A distant part of her mind is startled by her newfound confidence. Perhaps it’s the direction of the conversation or the comfort she feels here—or the wine. Most likely the wine. But she will seize this moment before she loses it. She has to.

“So,” she finishes, slipping her hand into his. It would be too easy to curl up against him, her head on his shoulder. “I’m going to ask again. Would you come with me?”

He squeezes her hand, his eyes unable to leave hers. Thancred would likely say something snide about him looking besotted. Her heart thunders in her chest. Between the wine and the way he’s looking at her, the desire to kiss him is overwhelming. Why shouldn’t she? She may never get another chance.

Aymeric smiles gently. “There is nothing that would make me happier—”

She kisses him.

For the briefest of moments, she feels him freeze in shock and surprise. Then he melts, his mouth warm and gentle as he kisses her in return. She trembles, her mind buzzing, giddy with astonishment at her own boldness. Without giving it much thought, she twines her hands at the back of his neck and pulls herself into his lap, straddling him. His breath catches in his throat and she senses his hesitation, his hands resting gently against the small of her back.

But he does not push her away. For a moment, they are caught in time—seconds passing, indecision mounting, as if they are both too hesitant to make the first move.

And now that she is here in his arms, it terrifies her how scared she is of losing this. Losing him.

Head fuzzy with wine and too lost in the moment to think, she does the only thing that make sense. She presses her mouth to his again and kisses him deeply—

He pulls back. “Aureia, wait,” he says.

“Hm? What for?”

Aymeric exhales a long breath. “I… This… A moment, if you would, please?”

Shame flushes her cheeks. Was she too eager? Did she misunderstand him completely? Did she misread every sign? Maybe his interest in her was simply her imagination. Fuck it, maybe those romance chapbooks really did do a number on her. This is all Tataru’s fault.

Fuck. What the hells do I do now?

Cursing inwardly at her own stupidity, Aureia disentangles herself from Aymeric and slides off him, shifting to the far edge of the couch. Her face burns with embarrassment and she tugs awkwardly at her coat, readjusting it. It’s difficult to forget the feel of his hands on her back or his mouth on hers. For a moment, brief though it was, she was in a fantasy.

Brushing her hair out of her eyes, she rests her elbows on her knees and stares determinedly at the opposite wall. “I’m sorry,” she says. “I didn’t mean—”

“You have nothing to be sorry for. It was I who—”

“No. It was me—”

“Aureia—”

The door opens.

“Lord Commander, I—”

Aymeric rises to his feet and drops his hands to his sides, standing at attention. “What is it, ser?” he asks, his tone crisp and official. “News from House Fortemps?”

Aureia flushes, doing her best not to fixate on how quickly he has fallen into his professional façade. The messenger is not one she recognizes, but from the shine in his armour and the terseness in his voice, she has a feeling he is one of Artoirel’s men. The Fortemps heir has never liked her much and the distant professional courtesy he extends her has rubbed off on his knights. If he had walked in only a few seconds sooner, he would have caught them in a moment that would no doubt give Artoirel yet more ammunition to disparage her with. Not that he couldn’t put two and two together…

To his credit, the messenger either hasn’t noticed or refuses to acknowledge the empty wine glass on the floor.

“An urgent message for the Warrior of Light,” he says with a curt bow. “I was instructed to deliver it without delay.”

Well then, spit it out already. She forces a smile on her face and gestures, silently inviting him to continue.

“Master Thancred returned to the manor a short while ago—”

Aureia’s heart drops. Thancred, returned. Thancred, at the manor. She hasn’t given him any thought for a while now. Impressive, considering how difficult it has been to excise him from her mind. So many restless nights of unanswered questions rolling around her head, wondering what went wrong and when, shoving down the hurt of seeing him and Hilda together like that. She was enjoying being free of it.

And now it has coming rushing back.

She would be lying to herself if she said she wasn’t relieved to hear of him. Confirmation that he is safe and sound.

“—bearing an injured maiden.”

Her ears prick up. What’s this?

She exchanges looks with Aymeric. He raises an eyebrow, but she shrugs and spreads her hands. She is as perplexed by the announcement as he is. What maiden? Who could it possibly be? Thancred has a reputation for philandering, but it is, frankly, a farce. This must be something else.

“Master Leveilleur and Mistress Tataru are tending to her wounds, but they do not like her chances. Respectfully, my lord. They have requested the Warrior of Light’s presence immediately.”

Aureia’s eyes widen. If Alphinaud is involved…

It can’t be. Alisaie…?

His long-lost sister and twin, who diverged from her brother’s path to take matters into her own hands. Aureia doesn’t know her well and has not seen her in years. But if she is back and she is injured, if Thancred saved her… Then she knows where she has to be.

“I will go at once,” Aureia announces and rises from the couch. Blood rushes to her head and she winces, doing her best to keep her expression straight as a headache pulses between her eyes. She is regretting drinking that much wine. She may not be drunk, but from the way she is wobbling she knows she must be tipsy—and it’s going to be a pain to hide it.

Aymeric puts a gentle hand on her elbow, steadying her. Whether it is a gesture of support or to save her from further embarrassment, she doesn’t know. Her stomach twists into a knot. She doesn’t wanted to leave things left open with him like this, but she doesn’t have a choice.

“And I shall go with you,” he says firmly. “Lead the way, ser. Mistress Malathar and I will follow.”

#ffxiv #ff14 #final fantasy 14 #ffxiv fic #ffxiv fanfiction #ffxiv wol #aymeric de borel #aureia malathar #oc tag #writing tag #long post #once again in case the read more breaks

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hirik0 · 9 months

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Jealousy Part 10

09 Soap/Ghost

Soap is about to have the most embarrassing phone call of his live. He asked Ghost if he can take Riley on a walk. Ghost raised an eyebrow clearly confused before he asked" Is this a I need a private phone call walk?" And then gave him a long leach after Soap said yes. "And Soap don't let Riley roll in a cadaver " "What?" "Happend to Scarcrow ones." He dials the number of his littel sister, waiting for her to pick up. "I'm honored to get one if your rare calls, John." He sister answers over the sound of traffic. "You're in a car?" "Yeah I'm about to pick up some friends from the airport." "Emma, I need to ask you for a favour." "Okey..", Emma seems to smash the horn and then cursed loudly. "I need you to buy a collar for me." Silence Soap nervously figtgets with the leash. "Jesus you can't drop something like this on me. If I wasn't standing at a red light I would probably had a crash." "Sorry." "You need the collar for a sexual context right?" "Yes", Soap answers his face burning from embarrassment turning red. "Got a kinky girlfriend?" "You're still at the red light?" "Yes." "It's for my boyfriend." "Thanks that you gave me time to mentally prepare.", his sister jokes. "Can you get me the collar or not?" "Sure, just some questions. What color ?" Soap thinks a while about it the obvious answer is black, but its his claim on Ghost. "A dark green." "Okey so how did you meet?" "Work." "Oh.. so is he also on the battlefield?" "Yes." His sister is silent for a while thinking about something. A siren can be heard in the background. "Maybe a more discreet collar would be better then." "Discreet?", Soap unsure if Ghost would like something that. "Yeah some thing that people would thing is a necklace." Soap is thinking about it something like a necklace could be easy hiden under cloths, if Ghost would be fine with it. "I can get both and he can chose", his sister offers clearly sensing her brother has no idea what to choose. "Thank you Emma." "So how long you two are dating?" "We well we are just fucking at the moment." "Oh, how did that happen?" Soaps face turns dark red and he stops walking making Riley shortly stop and look at him. "I walked in on him." "John MacTavish, couldn't keep it in your pants couldn't you?", Emma says in her best Impression of their mother. "You got send home form school for indecent behaviour, don't tell me about keeping it in my pants.", Soap hisses. The traffic noise ended, Emma must have reached the airport parking lot. "So two collars one for day to day live and one for in the sheets. Should I send them to base?" "No, I will be at my place in 1 and half weeks, just drop it of there." Soap sees Riley disappearing in to a bush. "Riley, come here if you roll in a cadaver your owner will kill me", he shouds after the dog, but to late Riley is gone. "Are you walking a dog?", Emma ask confused knowing of Soaps dislike for dogs. "Yes." "Is this your not boyfriends dog." "Yes." "Cute and I want a picture of the dog. With out a cadaver", Emma demandes. "Sure and Emma thank you." "No problem, love you bye." "Love you too, bye." When Soap is putting away his phone Riley reappears with a giant tree branch in his mouth. "Well at least no cadaver", Soap says to himself.

Ghost is losing his mind. Ever since he realised he fallen in love with Soap he just feels out of control. And the worst he has nobody to talk to, Roach is not returning before his leave. So he hides behind work, trying the hardest not to hide from Soap. With how their relationship changed hiding is just not a option anymore. Soap himself also seems to need somebody to talk to already walking Riley for nearly a hour. At least he hopes they are still on a walk and it's not because Riley rolled in a animal cadaver again. Several baths were needed to get everything out of his fur and this dog hates being bathed. Getting him dry again was also not easy. For the last 4 days he freaked out about this unwanted development of his emotions. Basically just laying on his bed the second he's done with the days work, sometimes staring at the ceiling, sometimes reading and sometimes showering Riley with attention. And Riley is getting concerned by his change in behaivour. Well in 3 days he can freak out in his flat. He's pulled out of his thought spiral by his phone ringing. "Soap? If you call to tell me that Riley is covered in dead animal, we have a problem." "No, but Riley trys to bring half a tree back in to the barracks and don't take no for a answer." Ghost chuckles at this. "I'm on the way."

When he walks out he laughs out loud, because Riley had a gigantic branch, looking proud of himself. Tail wagging and a really pissed of Soap. "Did you let him disappear in the woods?", Ghost ask amused. "Yes", Soap don't look amused. "Riley drop it", Ghost says and Riley drops the brench looking unhappy. "Good boy." "Of course when you tell him to drop it he does it." "Well it's not my fault this is the longest interaction you had with Riley alone." Soap gives him a pisst look. Ghost makes sure that the branch don't cause any accidents. Kneeling in front of Riley and the dog instantly drops his side so Ghost can give belly rubs. "Had a good call?" "Yes." The three walk back in together Soap following Ghost to his room. "Something the matter, Captain?" Ghost ask a bit nervous. Soap not really knowing why he followed Ghost just happpy that he can spend a bit more time with him. He feels that Ghsot is avoiding him, not as bad after the night in the bar that caused all of this. So he comes up with something. He looks around before stating: "I will pick you up on the way, need to pass Manchester anyway." Ghost nods while opening the door. Riley already walking in the room dropping on his dog bed to take a nap. "Soap, thanks for walking Riley." "No problem Oh and my sister likes dogs and eh can I send her a picture?" "Sure." Soap steps in Ghostt rooms taking the picture. When he walks out the room, Ghost grabs his arm. When he looks as Ghost he sees his fully exposed face. "Simon?" Ghost presses his lips against Soaps. Soap closes his eyes enjoying the kiss and pulling Ghost right back in the next kiss when he trys to pull back. Soap bites Ghost lower lip slipping his thought in his mouth when Ghost gasps. Ghost to focused on the kiss to notice that Soap is slowly pushing him against a wall till his back is hitting it. "Soap", he moans "I meant it when I said keep it in your pants." "Well you never said I can't get you out of your pants." Ghost is blushing, mouth open as he looks speechless at Soap. "Got that bratty attitude finally out of you?", Soap ask smug. Ghost is conficted getting off by something that his not his own hand sound so nice on the other site his heart is hurting, knowing that this is just sex for Soap. Soap is getting nervous, Ghost is not talking back too him, starts feeling like he fucked up somehow. "I, I should go", he stammers before walking out the room. Ghost just slides down the wall, feeling his heart break a bit. "Fuck", he says into the room. Tears are gathering in his eyes.

To say the next few days are tense between them is a understatement. Gaz and Meat ask them concerned if everything is okey. "Yeah, just the leave that makes me nervous", Ghost lied. Gaz just told him he will drive him to his flat. Ghost has the feeling he will be ask some question on this car ride. They make it past Shrewsbury before Gaz is starting his interrogation. "What is going on? And no I hate going on leave bullshit Lieutenant." "I.. I'm in love with Soap and he wants just sex", the words fall out of Ghost mouth. Feeling like a weight is falling of his shoulders that trys his dammest to crush him. "Are you kidding me? I get it you're bad with feelings and all this scary aura and making the enemy shit their pants think, but you really think that Soap wants just sex?" Gaz ask him clearly confused. "Yes." "Okey, let me ask it in a other way. Do you think someone that just wants sex is sabotaging your one night stands for months, says no to a person that is clearly their type, gripping their glass so hard it nearly breaks when somebody is flirting with you or is so pisst at Stacy from admin for telling everyone you showed a woman a great night with leaving bruises in form of his hands on you?", Gaz just stats some of the thinks Soap did over the past months. "Well I..", Ghost stammers, his heart beating so fast it feels like its about to jump out his ribcage any moment, his hands getting sweaty. "NO, Ghost the answer is NO!"

Oh, oh.

"How am I supposed to know?", Ghost ask, blushing out of embarrassment, preferring his heart jumping out of his ribs. Gaz gives Ghost a short shocked look before focusing back on the traffic. "Is Soap your first love?", Gaz ask carefully knowing one gslse word could be his last. "The first in a long time.", Ghost admittes not even rembering his first love. Gaz just nods. "So all misunderstandings on your side a cleared?" "Yes, and Gaz if you tell anyone, your body will never be found." "Of course Ghost." A small smile appearing in Gaz face. The rest of the trip is silent only the radio and Riley snoring filling it. They are stucked in Manchester traffic when Gaz is talking again. "Well, hope you have a nice time when Soap is visiting you." "Garrick", Ghost warns voice dropping dangerously low. "Oh common, you go on leave by choice and 4 days later Soap also goes on leave? Not like its hard to figure out." "Garrick." "I know of nothing Sir." "Good."

The 4 days where hell for Ghost. Soap send him some texts, they talked on the phone ones. Riley hates sleeping in so Ghost has to spend a lot of time beeing nervous about the few interactions with Soap. Soap asked him to buy lube and condoms of his likeing so it sounds their original plan is still standing. Soap texted him a while ago when he will reach Manchester and Ghost is sitting on packed backs. He's crawling up the walls, the nearer the time of Soaps arrival is coming the more is growing his restlessness. "Fuck Riley, this is dumb it's just Soap no reason to get this nervous", he says to the dog. Riley just yawning at him from the couch. The true torture of the last 4 days was him thinking about what to say to Soap every think just sounds like shit. To put 'sorry for being wired before my leave, I thought you just want sex and I'm deeply in love with you' in words should not be that fucking hard. But it is because he did nearly nothing else but overthink this for 4 days. He feels like he's about to throw up a gigantic knot forming in his guts. His heart is beating fast, he's sweating not just because Britain is still cooked by a heatwave. Riley is pushing his nose against Ghost leg clearly concerned about his owner. "Everything is fine, just nervous", he says to the dog before sitting on the floor burring his face in to Rielys fur.

Soap is nervously drumming his fingers on the steering wheel. He's stucked in traffic just 10 minutes from Ghost flat. First he needs to apologise to Ghost clearly he did something wrong, pushed to far, ask for to much. Gaz told him to not worry about it to much. And he did the exact other think. Getting questioned by Price who marched in his office the second he heard about Ghost mysterious one night stand, also didn't help. "Son, I don't care if you and Simon are fucking. But I will make sure you get kicked out of the military if you hurt him. You know what happend to him. Oh and keep it in the apropaited places, i dont want any paperwork because you two getting catchend in a closet or somethink like this", Price right out threatenes him. "Yes, Sir of course Sir", he just stammered out, but this was nothing against getting the shovel talk from Roach. Price would take away his job but Roach? Roach is ready to hurt him. "You maybe got in his pants, but let me tell you something I don't care how good Ghost thinks your dick is, if you hurt him you had a dick for the longest time of your life, Captain." Soap honestly still fears for his live, Roach is a very lay back person so for him to say such words is nothing to just brush over. Earlier this morning Emma texted him she placed the boxes with the collars on the kitchen table. He shortly text Ghost he's stucked in traffic. Ghost asking him if he should wait outside the building and Soap told him to just wait inside as the sun still clearly trying to fry Britain at the moment.

20 minutes later Soap is standing in front of Ghost flat. Hes nervous hands sweaty heard ponnding. he rings the bell and Ghost opens the door a bit confused. "We could just have walked down", Ghost states but lets Soap in. "I know, just wanted to talk about something first." Ghost is visible tensing what is not helping Soap nervousness at all. "I want to apologice for the day in your room I took it to far", Soap vomit the words out. Ghost looks at him like he just grown an extra head. "I, Soap you did not took it to far.. I just had some false ideas in my head about... us", Ghost says in a very mechanical way as if he thought about saying this way to long. "What do you mean with false ideas, Simon?", Soap ask unsure. "I...", the rest of the sentence ends up in a mumbel. "I need to be able to understand what you are saying. Can you repeatthis, please?" "I.., god this is really dumb and emberressing. I thought you just want sex from me." Soaps jaw drops open in uter shock, well he guees this is what you get from fucking twice and only talking about the next time and nothing else. "Simon, i would not fuck you in my office where EVERYONE could just walk in on us for just sex." Ghost is blushing, his face burried in his hands. "I now know that too", Ghost wispers in his hands. Soap carefully steps in to Ghost space under the very watchfull eyes of Riley. He removes the hands from Ghost face placeing a chaste kiss on Simons lip. "For some guys that trust eachother with their live we are really shit at talking about important stuff", Soap jokes getting a amused huff from Ghost. "I guess." They both laught. Ghost keeping the i love you for himself, feeling its maybe a bit to much right now, mostely for himself. "So we ready to go?", Soap ask smilling at Ghost. "Yeah, can you get the last bag from the bedroom?", Ghost ask not remebering he did not clean up his toys he used earlier today.

#call of duty #simon ghost riley #ghostsoap #kyle gaz garrick #gaz cod #riley the dog #captain mactavish #gary roach sanderson #they finally talk about feeling a bit

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allyriadayne · 3 months

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....i guess i should have frazed the question better. i'm not asking this in bad faith i'm genuinely asking for your take because i like your analysis and i respect your opinion. if you would have asked me last year if i think alicent is a well written character i would have said yes. but because of all of the fandom discourse skewing how i view things i'm honestly not sure at this point.

it's okay, thanks for clearing it up!

to me, TO ME (because at the end of the day this is more of a nitpicking issue that this fandom likes to indulge in after more than a year of hiatus), alicent is generally well written. if she wasn't, i don't think that many people would've fixated on her for good or bad, she's a well realized character with a clear personality, made to be sympathetic and it succeeds. the alicent from eps 1 until the first half of 8 is SO compelling and tight. is in moments where the writers put her relationship with rhaenyra over her writing that her character falters, like regarding her motives: does she want rhaenyra to be queen? or does she believe in what otto tells her? i go back and forth on this issue because it'd fit with alicent's nervous and anxious personality, wanting to please everyone but failing, i think she'd want to take the "easiest" route and believe in rhaenyra like she does in ep 8, but it's also pretty easy to believe it's just the writers squeezing another emotional moment from the two of them over the development of the alicent from eps 6 & 7 where she's rightfully afraid of what would happen to her and her children if rhaenyra ascends. i have this same beef with the motivations on ep 10 when otto brings the page to rhaenyra, it's not that it's a rhaenicent moment or whatever because out of context it's pretty good and such a good callback to when they were girls together but these women are past that!! 20 years too late!!!

but i wouldn't say at all that she's badly written, or that is /just/ her. i think there's a larger problem with some characters where the writers dropped the ball that could've been fixed with one line of dialogue or something. it's more prevalent in the second half and i think people have pointed at alicent for two reasons in good or bad faith: 1) she's one of the protagonists and 2) she's garnered incredibly amounts of attention. so most of her problems would have more traction inside the fandom. i could give you the example of larys, a minor character with zero traction in fandom in comparison: he terrorizes alicent by showing her his power over him, it's fine, this could be shown in SO many different ways, instead the writers decided to give him a foot fetish. the character with the clubfoot. why? WHY? dropping the ball completely for the laughs. in the fandom this got reviled only for what it did for alicent (valid) and only the larysheads saw that it was completely against his character but it stopped there bc no one cares about larys.

my point with this is that the fandom will speak about alicent in every which way from here to eternity, it's a given and with season 2 it's going to be worse. you are not asking me and i'm sorry if i sound patronizing but what i recommend is rewatching at your own pace and just closing the tab when there's discourse that doesn't contribute or critic in any meaningful way.

#ask #Anonymous #alicent hightower #the worse thing in this fandom is the going in circles about the same issues. it's fun when it's someone obsessing in good faith about idk #the costumes; but then there are people who go round and round about how bad they are the fabric the style etc just shut up!!#it's valid to criticize but these negative spirals are not fun to anyone #it's the fandom recycling the same discourse every month. stop!!!#anyway. too much time to think about is bad for fandom #hope this helps.

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natashxromanovf · 2 years

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natashxromanovf's 1k followers writing challenge

hi my angels! i wanted to thank you for 1000 followers. that's huge. there's so many of you here that i could fill a small town! i am infinitely grateful for every single one of you. i have met great friends on here, the nicest people, so thank you. i love you all, you deserve all the kisses in the world xx

⍟ rules:

- please choose max. 4 prompts

- fandoms: HP; MCU; Outer Banks; Stranger Things; The Vampire Diaries; The Originals; Teen Wolf; Descendants; criminal minds; 911; 911: lone star; shadow and bone; shameless; shadowhunters

- there's no deadline, however the final date for entry is october 28th :)

- you can mix prompts (ex. choose one from angst, one from fluff etc.)

- no nsfw fics please!

- you have to tell me the prompts + character for which you want to do this via asks

- you must tag me @/natashxromanovf and use the tag #tajas1kfollowerswritingchallenge so we can make sure i see it!

- tag the warnings approprietly, and most importantly, have fun while doing it. don't force it if you don't feel like writing, i don't care if you post the fic in two years or if you don't post at all. my intention is for people to have fun <33

۞ fluff

1. “I didn’t get soaked wet through walking to your apartment for you to say no to pizza. I have beer too. I know you’re sad, so let me in.”

2. “I refuse to stop irritating you until you give me attention.”

3. “You’re like... everything good that has ever happened rolled into one adorable package.”

4. “You’re so cute when you’re half asleep like this.”

5. “Well, I am pretty irresistible.”

6. “Oh, you’ve started started stealing my socks now?”

7. “Do you think the moon is jealous of how pretty you are?”

8. “Everything alright?” “I just missed you.”

9. “You getting so flustered is one of the cutest things I’ve ever seen.”

10. “I would like my good morning kiss now.”

11. “I love to hear your voice, even if you’re so far away.”

12. “There is no better way to start the day than seeing your face.”

13. “How come you always end up under my blanket?”

14. “Believe me, I will never be tired of you.”

15. "So, who..." "Not going to talk about that."

۞ angst

1. "I told you not to fall in love with me.”

2. “I will leave now, or I’m going to say things I will regret later.”

3. “This is not how family is supposed to feel like.”

4. "I didn't want it to come out like that. That's why I wanted to leave." "Without ever telling me?"

5. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me.” “It’s ok. We’ll figure it out - together.”

6. "I love you, okay?! And I can't stay in your life when I'm just ruining it." "You can't just say that and don't wait for me to answer."

7. “You’re going to be okay. Just keep breathing. Please.”

8. “You’re supossed to be mad at me! Why aren’t you yelling at me?”

9. “If you don’t hug me right now I think I might fall apart.”

10. “I don’t hold people close. It makes it easier for them to hurt you.”

11. “I had a nightmare. Can I stay with you?”

12. “Nobody has seen you in days.”

13. “Are you hurt?” “No.” “Then why are there bruises all over your face?”

14. “We found you crying. What happened?”

15. "How could you do this to me?" "You're so naive, it's almost adorable."

۞ misc + situation prompts

1. Person A gets a phone call from Person B around midnight, in which Person B is clearly panicked.

2. “What do you mean they’re my new partner? They tried to kill me last week!” “Sounds like your problem.”

3. “Did you just slap my ass?” “Actually, I firmly grasped it.” “Did you just quote Spongebob?”

4. Person A hasn’t been sleeping due to work, and they of course get sick. Despite person B’s wishes, person A continues to sneak out of bed and stay up late to get more work done, and person B is not happy.

5. “Didn’t you two used to hate each other?” “Yeah, but now we hold hands and shit!”

6. “Walk it off!” “I literally can’t walk.”

7. “Hold on... you’re bilingual?” “Yes?”

8. “I’m too sober for this.” “You don’t even drink.” “Maybe I should start.”

9. “Can I pet your dog?” “Do I know you?”

10. "You owe me." "I owe you $20 not a day of pretending to be your boy/girl-friend to get your parents off you're back."

11. Seeing videos of yourself and not recognizing the person you see, is a horrible feeling.

12. “How much money would you give me to flip this table, right here, right now, in the middle of class?”

13. “You said to be honest stop hitting me!!”

14. “Ew, that is so sappy, I might vomit.”

15. Seeing their lover getting hurt ignited a fire full of rage inside of them that nothing could’ve held them back.

uff, that was a long post. anyway, thank you again for all the support, i couldn't have made it without you. all prompts belong to @creativepromptsforwriting so make sure to check her blog out!

and now, for the end, i'm tagging some people who might be interested in this and/or would be so kind to boost :) i love you all, remember that <33

@pregnant-piggy @mirclealignr @velvetcloxds @cxoffeeaddict @arkofblake @jackys-stuff-blog @leossmoonn @sarahisslytherin @milkiane @cupids-crystals @sheraayasher @f4irydaydreams @fairydxll @griffxnnage @henqtic @kimoralov3 @serpentargo @melin-oe @of-apollo @annab-nana @sabstfu @rorybutnotgilmore @shadesofvelma @awritingtree @imabee-oralizard @mendesxruel @messers-moony @dunbarsjersey @spring-picnics @robinbuckleyluvr @just-a-smol-spoon @peggycartervariantbetty

#tajas1kfollowerswritingchallenge #taja talks #thank you!!!#harry potter #marvel #outer banks #stranger things #the vampire diaries #the originals #teen wolf #descendants #criminal minds #911 #911: lone star #shadow and bone #shameless #shadowhunters #mcu

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stormyoceans · 2 years

Note

Now that you've seen Vice Versa in it's entirety (multiple times), what's your favourite PuenTalay moment? Feel free to make a list if you can't choose just one ;)

FDKSGFKDGSFKJ GLAD YOU ALREADY GAVE ME THE OPTION FOR A BULLET POINT LIST BECAUSE THERE’S LITERALLY NO WAY I COULD EVER PICK ONLY ONE MOMENT i can give you a top 10 in cronological order and even that is gonna cost me blood sweat tears and whatever’s left of my sanity…. which admittedly is not a lot so HERE WE GO!!!!!

1. bathroom meeting in episode 1. truly the moment the blueprint the alpha and the omega the beginning and the end the genesis the impetus the single most scene of all time. talay is standing there with pee hands telling this famous actor he just met that he has a big head and puen is just giggling twirling his hair kicking his feet going ‘oh my god stoppp you’re soooo cute!!!!’ IM EMBARRASSED FOR BOTH OF THEM BUT MOST OF ALL FOR MYSELF FOR LOSING MY SANITY OVER THESE CLOWNS

2. NIVEA BATHTUB SCENE IN EPISODE 3 MY BELOVED. somehow this isn’t one of the most replayed parts of the episode and i have beef with people because of it. like yes, it’s a product placement. yes, it’s cheesy as hell. STILL!!!!!!! y’all are really telling me you DON’T need to be forcibly escorted into a padded room every time you hear puen say “if this can be used to wipe away dust, i should use it with your heart. i think your heart hasn’t been used in a long time”???????????? WISH THAT COULD BE ME i see puen using the cotton pad on talay’s chest and suddenly there’s an entire mental health crisis intervention team in my room pulling out the elephant tranquilizers to keep me sedated

3. bed scene at the end of episode 6. this scene knocks me flat on my ass every single time i look at it. it’s about the vulnerability and comfort of it all!!!!!! the way it parallels the scene in episode 4 in tun’s apartment where puen tells talay “one day, if there’s a problem or fear, you can tell me”!!!!!!! and talay does!!!!!!! and puen is there for him no questions asked!!!!!!! and then they’re holding on to each other and spooning and cuddling while my last half functioning braincell is holding on for dear life grip slipping fast and these fuckers haven't even confessed yet!!!!!! ep 6 was really the moment i started breaking apart at the seams and it shows

4. GREYLLERY CONFESSION IN EPISODE 8. LITERALLY NO WORDS JUST SCREAMING SHAKING CRYING THROWING UP SPINNING COUNTERCLOCKWISE ON THE FLOOR WAILING. look i know im biased but if you don't think this is one of the best confession scenes in the history of television you're just lying to yourself. the fact that it happens when the lights are out to emphasize that their feelings aren't about the bodies they inhabit but about who they are????? talay cupping puen's face as if he's holding the most precious thing in the world in his hands????? puen being so overwhelmed with emotions he needs to grab talay's wrist to ground himself????? THE KISS PARALLELING THE ONE IN EP 4????? the tear falling down puen's cheek and the ear graze and the hand at the small of talay's back just enveloping him completely?????? I NEED THE HEAT DEATH OF THE UNIVERSE TO TAKE ME NOW

5. the entire beach reconciliation in episode 9. i feel like this moment is a bit underrated and yet if someone asked me to pick a scene that perfectly sums up the puentalay dynamic i think this is the one i’d go for, because it really shows the one thing that sets them apart from all the other pairings to me, which is the willingness they have to make things better and try to understand each other. any argument they have never lasts too long because they love and need and care about each other so much that they’re always ready to set aside their pride and come together to work things out. im not even kidding when i say they’re the kings of communication!!!!! i also think that we as a fandom should talk more about puen calling talay’s name being enough to stop talay from having a panic attack and puen not knowing that talay drowned but still understanding that something was wrong. THE ROMANCE THE CONNECTION THE LOVE

6. THE HAT SCENE IN EPISODE 9 AKA THE SINGLE MOST THING THAT EVER HAPPENED TO ME. i know i say that a lot but THERE IS LITERALLY NOTHING THAT COULD EVER HAPPEN THAT WOULD BE MORE THAN THIS. like do you get chills every time you rewatch this scene or are you normal!!!!!!! i swear puen's face alone is enough to have me committed to the psych ward, especially the moment right after talay admits he is falling for him. i simply wanna know what the directions for jimmy were here.... look awestruck to the point of reverence?????? look undone overcome and made whole again in the span of 2.8 seconds??????? he is giving adoration tenderness wonderment devotion love and im giving rabid animal frothing at the mouth clawing at the walls of her enclosure

7. NOM NOM SCENE IN EPISODE 10. head in hands about to partake in fits of female hysteria any time i remember this scene was improvised. i honestly don’t know what to do with that knowledge. this is the one scene we were all looking forward to since the trailer dropped, what made me think ‘oh, maybe these two will actually be good together’, my most favorite thing about puentalay (along with how good they are at communication) which is the playful nature of their relationship and the genuine fun they seem to have with each other.... and it’s all because of jimmy and sea. when your lead actors are so comfortable with each other they spontaneously come up with THEE most boyfriend thing i’ve ever seen!!!!!! we do not engage in parasocial relationships in this house but i owe them my life

8. THEE Reunion™ in episode 11. i genuinely can't have more than surface level thoughts about this scene or else i'll actually go insane and not like quirky funny insane, but like isabelle adjani in the tunnel scene from possession insane. there are just not enough words to properly convey the sheer incomprehensible immensity of everything happening here. the heartache the longing the realization the relief the comfort the tenderness the understanding the joy the love. truly changed the trajectory of my life my outlook my values the very foundations of my personhood i will never be the same

9. kitchen scene at the beginning of episode 12. yet another scene i can't think about for too long otherwise i start dying from multiple organ failure. i've never seen two people be more domestic in love and enamored with each other in my entire life like THE BACK HUG????? “WHATEVER COMES FROM YOU IS SO GOOD”????? PUEN’S HANDS ON TALAY’S WAIST????? TALAY CUPPING PUEN’S FACE LIKE HE DID IN THE GREYLLERY CONFESSION????? “I THANK YOU TOO FOR BEING BORN SO THAT I COULD LOVE YOU”????? FOUR KISSES IN A SINGLE SCENE????? this is how the rest of their lives is gonna look like and im honestly too mentally unwell to process any of it

10. ending scene in episode 12. PEOPLE DIED BECAUSE OF THIS SCENE!!!!!!! it’s me. im people. and i swear it’s not just because of horny puen, but because it’s seriously the most perfect ending they could have ever given them. the two of them fixing the RV together parallels the scene in ep 6 where they did the same in the alternate universe, and they actually gave us a visual representation of their journey and of how much their relationship has grown through the pink trumpet tree: what was once a small potted plant is now a 25-meter-tall tree with strong roots that won’t ever be moved, just like their love. they painted each other’s life pink forever and i will be on my death bed surrounded by nurses and my last words will be i would die for puentalay and then i will die for real!!!!!!!!!!!

[CURRENTLY THROWING UP BLOOD BECAUSE I HAD TO LEAVE OUT SO MANY MOMENTS like the pinky promise and helmet scene in ep 3????? everything in ep 4????? the snow scene in ep 5????? the 12.960 minutes/777.600 seconds scene in ep 6????? the reconciliation in ep 7????? everything else in ep 8????? the “we got to see the same moon” and the river bank scenes in ep 12????? IMAGINE WINNING SO MUCH THAT A TOP 10 ISN’T NEARLY ENOUGH]

#sorry for the late reply but this was really one of the hardest things i had to do in my entire life #also i hope you weren't expecting like. coherency or normalcy #I SWEAR IM SO SORRY #thank you so much for the ask tho!!!!! like i died a couple of times there but i also had lots of fun!!!#hope you're gonna have an amazing day!!! 💜#sonnyleaf #vice versa #vice versa the series #puentalay #m: ask

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crazylucciola · 1 year

Text

Do you want to come to Italy to study? Prepare yourself.

I was scrolling on Instagram yesterday and I came across an italian account: toxicschool. In their posts I saw one talking about the differences between Italian school or American school. I agree with them school Is toxic we have to Improve it. But should we see deep the world of scholarships in our globe?

State grade Percentage of GDP spent on education

1 Guinea Equatorial 0.7%

2 Myanmar 0.8%

3 Central African Republic 1.2%

4 Zambia 1.3%

5 United Arab Emirates 1.3%

6 Monaco 1.6%

7 Lebanon 1.6%

8 Liberia 1.9%

9 Sri Lanka 2.0%

10 Eritrea 2.1%

11 Liechtenstein 2.1%

12 Guinea-Bissau 2.1%

13 Dominican Republic 2.2%

14 Libia 2.3%

15 Iraq 2.3%

16 Pakistan 2.4%

17 Zimbabwe 2.5%

18 Qatar 2.5%

19 Antigua and Barbuda 2.5%

20 Democratic Republic of the Congo 2.5%

21 Chad 2.6%

22 Peru 2.6%

23 Cambodia 2.6%

24 Sierra Leone 2.7%

25 Georgia 2.7%

(Guinea Equatorial)

This is the ranking of the worst schools in the world. What's about the best schools in the world?

1.South Korea.

2.Japan.

3.Singapore.

4.Hong Kong.

5.Finland.

6.United Kingdom.

7.Canada.

8.Netherlands.

(South Korea)

In the world there are 244 million young people and children, between 6 and 18 years old, who do not go to school. This was announced by Avvenire, which points out that, of these, 40% live in sub-Saharan Africa, of which 20.2 million only in Nigeria.

So now we know the baddest and best schools in the world, but what's the school system more stressful?

Stress, especially when prolonged over time, can lead to many health problems, from the simplest to the most serious, because it alters the immune system: skin diseases, dry mouth and memory lapses, and, in the most serious cases, even heart problems.

The WeWorld report highlights how the Italian school system is one of the most stressful in the world: more than half of students say they feel nervous while studying, compared to an OECD average of 37%.

Among the 3651 students surveyed, 9 out of 10 confirm that they experience anxiety and/or stress before taking written and oral tests.

I'm an Italian student. I can confirm it.

But why do I think that is really bad the organization?

Is outdated and overly theoretical curricula, inadequate technological equipment, poor teacher motivation, school buildings and overcrowded classrooms. These are the 5 main weaknesses of the Italian school system, beyond the Coronavirus emergency that has further complicated the situation.

How is the Italian school system organized?

State compulsory schools are free and divided as follows: Primary school (elementary) - from 6 to 11 years, compulsory; Lower secondary school (middle) - from 11 to 14 years, compulsory; Upper secondary school from 14 to 19 years, compulsory up to 16 years old.

How toxic is the Italian school?

The European Commission brings us back to our difficult reality: Italy is among the five worst in Europe (out of 28) for dropouts: 17.6% of pupils leave their desks too early against the EU average of 12.7%.(-23 Oct 2016.)

My Testimony:

Italian school is really though, not because we have more hour to do but because teachers never said thing that can motivate us. They kick our butt if we aren't what they want us to be. If aren't good in their subjects we are a bunch of losers.

They insult us saying that we are going to make anything in our life. They said that to children, kids and teenagers.

For the new generation they have reserved us a bullshit.

Teachers don't teach us to live. They teach us about somethings that we have to know but they don't tell us how to survive.

In Italian we have two different options for saying teacher. "Maestro" is the one that teaches you life lessons explaining traditional lessons, "Professore" is the teacher that teaches you traditional lessons without a lesson . And I met only two teachers that are "Maestri".

#school #social justice #teacher #school curriculum #stress #students #my opinion

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inglourious-imagines · 10 months

Text

PROMPT LIST

Hello people! This is my own prompt list! Feel free to send requests! I’m really excited to do this haha

Also, this really took me some time to put it all together so please, if you reblog/use it/etc. give me credit. Thanks!

Update: If you have your own prompt that is not listed, quote or whatever else and you think it’s great, you can send it to me and we’ll see what comes out of it.

1. I fucking hate everyone. But you, you’re the only person I don’t hate.

2. And he looked at me, like there was something in me worth looking at.

3. Anger makes you stupid. Stupid gets you killed.

4. I’m here. You can talk to me or not talk to me but I’m here.

5. Goddamn right you should be scared of me!

6. And suddenly, life wasn’t about living. It was about surviving.

7. "-but you’ll die!“ "I don’t care."

8. I said I’m fucking fine.

9. Don’t you touch her.

10. We sat there smoking cigarettes at 5 in the morning.

11. Oh! The girl/boy I’ve heard so much about.

12. No one would hurt you again, or I’d kill them.

13. A cigarette for a thousand problems.

14. I could keep you save. They’re all afraid of me.

15. You look so proud standing there with a frown and a cigarette.

16. Thank you for loving me when I still tasted of heartache and war.

17. His eyes had more darkness than any other eyes I had ever seen before.

18. You don’t know shit about what happened to me.

19. This is who we are, a product of war.

20. Looking half a corpse and half a god.

21. I wanna see how you lose control.

22. I look at you and I just love you and it terrifies me. It terrifies me what I would do for you.

23. "You can’t protect everyone.” “I have to try."

24. He’s a badass with a good heart.

25. You are losing my interest, and that is very dangerous.

26. In a fight, they’re lethal. Around each other, they melt.

27. I wonder which will get you killed faster, your loyalty or your stubbornness.

28. You collect scars because you want proof that you are paying for whatever sins you’ve comitted.

29. With this smile, I can get away with everything.

30. I was so stupid to make the mistake of falling in love with my best friend.

31. Come over here and make me.

32. Oh my god! You’re in love with him!

33. Oh, do you ever shut up?

34. Can you two please get a room?

35. I have a name and it’s not sweetheart.

36. If I ever see you anywhere near her, you’ll have to deal with me.

37. Everyone keeps telling me you’re the bad guy.

38. Such dirty words from such a pretty little mouth.

39. Kiss me.

40. Are you flirting or starting a fight?

41. You stay awake do you hear me?! Don’t you dare close your eyes! Please! Come on!

42. Honestly, I only asked you for help because it’s so cute when you try.

43. You’re standing a little close to me..

44. You’re evil. It’s hot.

45. If you bite your lip one more time, I swear I’m going to do it for you.

46. By the Gods! You love her, don’t you?

47. It’s blood, not nuclear waste. Chill out.

48. A knife? Are you flirting with me?

49. "Hear me out.” “Why the fuck should i listen to you?"

50. I’ve been wanting to kick your ass all week.

51. Rumour has it, I make you nervous.

52. Leave, leave right now.

53. Can you just fuck off already?

54. "I- I trusted you!” “Sweet naive girl, trust is for children. You are a soldier."

55. Alcohol’s the only instant in my life.

56. You gotta stop saying things that make me want to kiss you.

57. Please don’t do this. Don’t act like you care.

58. Is everything supposed to go dark?

59. Why can’t you see what you’re doing to me.

60. Fuck, you’re the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen in my whole life.

61. It’s 2 in the morning. Why are you still up?

62. I want an answer, goddammit!

63. You make me want things I can’t have.

64. Cut the crap and tell me what happened.

65. Hear my heartbeat? Just focus on that.

66. It’s nice to see someone who can appreciate my humour.

67. We’re more than just friends and you know it.

68. It’s pitch black in here and I can see you’re blushing.

69. Yes asshole, I do care about you.

70. They’re both stubborn and it’s complicated.

71. For you, I would.

72. I like you more than I planned.

73. I need you, idiot.

74. Golden eyes and a smile made for war.

75. Take that, fuckers!

76. I licked it so it’s mine!

77. We’re in this together.

78. Can I have this dance?

79. Look, I know you’re a hardass but can you play with my hair? It would really help.

80. No! Stay away from me! Stay back!

81. Maybe if you actually stop staring at her and talk to her, you might have a chance.

82. You have to promise you won’t fall in love with me.

83. I know that face. That’s your I’m-upset-with-you face.

84. I think we’d make this a fair fight if we each had a gun. Don’t you think, boys?

85. He loves you, you know? He’s just afraid of admitting it.

86. Dear Lord, please have mercy on my soul. This woman/man will be the death of me.

87. There are other things than Germans that can kill you.

88. What the hell? You are supposed to hate me!

89. Why do you like me?

90. "You’re annoying.” “You love me.”

91. Wanna go to hell together?

92. I lack the vocabulary to describe you.

93. You make me feel… you make me feel.“

94. What the fuck…?

95. So that’s you, the girl/boy who destroyed armies.

96. You’re my regret.

97. You better not die on me!

98. Can you stop shouting at me?!

99. Why are you making this so damn hard?

100. But that’s the problem, (name). I don’t think I’m able to stop loving him/her. Ever.

! UPDATE !

101. There is no way you’re going anywhere with him, not on my watch.

102. “You know you’re in love with her right?” “Since when?” “Since always.”

103. Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t do this.

104. I love you, I do, but you’re a real pain in the ass.

105. Is that my shirt?

106. Neither one of us is drunk enough for this conversation.

107. I think I might be falling in love with you.

108. What are you talking about? You’re married!

109. I saw that. You just checked me out.

110. Quick, pretend you’re talking to me.

111. I just wanted to hear your voice.

112. That was, by far, the stupidest thing you’ve ever done.

113. No. The moment you saw me as a bet was the moment you fucked up.

114. "It could be worse.” “You aren’t the one bleeding.” “Look, you’re still alive. Stop whining.”

115. Are you naked under that thing?

116. “Are you flirting with me?” “You finally noticed?”

117. What the hell were you thinking?!

18. You’ve been drinking tonight, haven’t you?

119. Well, if I told you, then it wouldn’t be a secret.

120. Is it weird that was a total turn on?

121. That was the worst joke I’ve ever heard.

122. If I kiss you right now, I won’t be able to stop.

123. What did you just say?

#hbo war #band of brothers #the pacific #generation kill #bridgerton #imagine #band of brothers imagine #the pacific imagine #generation kill imagine #bridgerton imagine

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void-botanist · 10 months

Text

Cady & Declan OTP asks 2/6

From this question list.

There are 60 questions, so I’m doing this in 10-question chunks.

Nicea taglist: @kahvilahuhut @kingkendrick7

Do either try to hide their emotions if upset? Can the other still tell? Declan's emotions are usually not that obvious in general. Cady tracks them better than most people, but still can't always tell if Declan is actually upset. On the other hand Cady does actually try to hide his emotions when they get too intense. It doesn't usually work, instead making it more obvious that something is bothering him, but he knows the longer he can stave off having a conversation about it, the more likely he'll be able to have a proper conversation about it because he's had time to think about it.

Do they have many heated arguments? How do they smooth things over? Not really. They have plenty of small disagreements, but they rarely escalate to the point of heated argument. When they do, the best thing for it is just a good cuddle.

Who’s the bigger tease? I was on the fence until the phrase "titty window" appeared in my brain, and then I knew that the answer was absolutely Cady. That's not his only way of being a tease but he does in fact own a shirt with a heart-shaped titty window in it, which he wears sometimes just because he feels like it and sometimes for tease purposes. This is the same shirt that Declan occasionally mistakes as one of his, and only realizes that mistake after he's put it on. I also should point out that Cady actually does have tits because he likes them, so he never got top surgery.

How do their personalities compliment each other? How do they clash? Cady is generally high energy, always has something that he is mildly obsessed with, and maintains a ton of social connections, while Declan is much more chill and keeps to himself. Early on they used to have more conflict about that because Cady wanted to bring Declan to parties of all different kinds and Declan was like, okay but maybe not? But in situations with only a few people, or with people he knows well, Declan is pretty fun, though without the vigor that Cady brings to everything. Before Cady's disappearance, the biggest way they clashed was Cady would have a grand idea and Declan would be like okay but are you sure about that and they would both try to convince each other of their position. In general Declan worries about Cady too much. But for the most part, they're quick to learn and accept each other's limitations, and they're both incredibly loyal to each other and want to put in the work.

Do they always say 'i love you' before leaving? Of course. Cady does it because that's what you do, because why wouldn't you? Declan also does it, but with the added fear that one day something would happen to Cady after he left the house, much like what happened when his parents died, and if that happens he wants the last thing he said to Cady to be 'I love you'. That was the case when Cady disappeared, and yet somehow it didn't really save Declan any grief. But at least he didn't have to regret the last thing he said being something bad.

Can they stay up all night just talking? Sure they can. And sometimes they almost do but inevitably someone is tired by about 1 AM and they give up or fall asleep.

Who's more likely to pull the other in by the waist and kiss them passionately? They're half and half on this one. It seems like a very Cady thing to to but never let it be said that Declan's unromantic, especially when no one else is looking.

How likely are they to have fur babies? How many and what kind? Again the problem of spending half their time in space precludes them having any kind of pet, but if that wasn't the case they'd probably have several cats and/or aquatic pets (which aren't really fur babies but are cute and quiet, Declan's favorite qualities in a pet).

How do they feel about PDA? Cady surprisingly doesn't super like PDA because it feels awkward and almost performative. But that doesn't prevent the occasional kiss or cuddle. Declan's fine with that for the most part.

Choose one song that perfectly describes their relationship. Turn To Stone by Electric Light Orchestra is the best I've found so far. But I also keep thinking about how they are that one part from Jolene: Cady is "you could have your choice of men" and Declan's "but I will never love again" (to be clear Cady doesn't want someone else, but unlike Declan he's not completely and categorically opposed to the idea).

#almost feel like I need to tag this for liberal use of the term 'titty window' lol #do I know what happened with Declan's parents? no. but they died sometime in his early adulthood #cady & declan otp #obligatory otp ask game #c: Cady #c: Declan #wip: nicea

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taeboisdutae · 1 year

Text

The integral : Dear Me, Dear You [Taekook]

First of all, I would like to apologize for the spelling mistakes, English is not my native language so I hope it will not disturb you. I try to improve as I go along. Thank you all for your understanding ❤

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

Dear 1

11/05/23 As Marguerite Duras once said, if you knew something about what you were going to write, before you did it, before you wrote it, you would never write. It would not be worth it.

To write is to try to know what one would write if one wrote - one only knows it afterwards - before, it is the most dangerous question one can ask oneself. But it is also the most common.

The written word arrives like the wind, it is naked, it is ink, it is the written word, and it passes like nothing else passes in life, nothing more, except it, life.

And that's exactly what I'm not doing right.

- Taehyung -

—

Dear 2

12/05/23 When was the time I actually burst into tears? I had no idea. The last time it was supposed to happen, I wasn't given the chance.

So, inside my body, it's still screaming without being able to let it out of me...

- Taehyung -

—

Dear 3

13/05/23 One day I'll explode, but when? All I'd like is for them to stop, well, to stop telling me what to do, what I should do, what they'd like me to do.

To give me orders every time you get the chance, all because you have all the rights over me and half the things you ask me I just can't refuse! All the time I feel tired, worn out and misunderstood. You don't realize how much pressure you put on me every day. I feel so bad but also so frustrated.

When will you finally leave me alone? I guess never? I'm laughing so hard it makes me despair. I can't even tell you everything I feel in my heart because you will take it the wrong way. Because your "Yeah but me" is fine okay? Are we talking about you or are we talking about me right now?? But I know you will always have something to say to make me look like the liar and a person who abuses a lot. Yes I abuse, yes I complain but so what? I'm actually tired of it. I'm sick of having to put up with this!

I'm drowning slowly but everything is fine...

- Taehyung -

—

Dear 4

14/05/23 If you feel too much emotion, let it out.

Oh yes, that's right, I just write what's on my mind...

- Taehyung -

—

Dear 5

15/05/23 "He's too weird."

Ah because you think you're more human too? Is laughing at someone normal? Making fun of someone for free because we're not all perfect and without problems?

Fuck you assholes.

- Taehyung -

—

Dear 6

16/05/23 If you had to have a favorite motto, what would it be? I have one, and I would like you to anchor it in your head.

If what you have to say is not more beautiful than silence, then shut up.

- Taehyung -

—

Dear 7

27/05/23

No, it's not that they don't know, it's just that they don't understand me...

They never believed me. But I did, I always believed them.

- Taehyung -

—

Dear 8

28/05/23

One day, someone said to me,

Run, so you can escape your past, your present, but what you must not leave is your future.

And I always thought that you would be the right person...

- Taehyung -

—

Dear 9

29/05/23 Our conversation was like that. At least, that's what it came down to,

"I hate the humans in this world...

But you are a human too."

"Except that he and I are quite different.

How so?"

They're just inhuman, that's all. He doesn't care what other people feel, if he's going to do that, he might as well let us die, you don't want to reach out to us. I am human, because I know how to reach out. I know how to help and forgive. And you know why? Because we are stronger than you think. They are the weak ones, and I'm sick of people playing with my patience. That they've been making fun of me since the beginning! At least I have feelings. Do you? You're here because you're afraid. And the weak, as you know so well how to say, don't deserve you.

You must have thought I was crazy...

- Taehyung -

—

Dear 10

30/05/23 I also thought of those stories of people who forgive the unforgivable after hearing the words, "I love you. From what I understood, love was a rather extreme idea, which seemed to lock the indefinable into the prison of a single term. And everyone abused the word. People used the word "love" for a yes or a no, whenever they were not feeling too bad or when they felt gratitude.

- Taehyung -

—

Dear 11

31/05/23 Powerful people don't talk. And people in trouble fight back.

- Taehyung -

—

Dear 12

01/06/23 You are the reason I smile every day. I am also your reason to smile.

So I hope I'm important to you...

- Taehyung -

—

Dear 13

02/06/23 I lied because there's no way you could love me.

- Taehyung -

—

Dear 14

03/06/23 Don't come closer or you'll be unhappy...

- Taehyung -

—

Dear 15

04/06/23 Life smiled at me then rejected me. Life loved me then it hated me.

- Taehyung -

—

Dear 16

05/06/23 There's nothing wrong with you, it's just that we were born in a judgmental society. We get insulted so gratuitously that sometimes we wonder if it's worth responding to them. They just want attention because they think they're as perfect as us. It's ridiculous. Just be beautiful in your own way, that's all.

Does he deserve our attention?

- Taehyung -

—

Dear 17

06/06/23 The blows hurt, they are fatal, but the hurtful words are even more so.

Isn't it Gukk?

- Taehyung -

—

Dear 18

07/06/23 Why did you separate me from the person I care so much about? It was on purpose, right? I laugh nervously. I hate you...

But I don't even know what I did to you...

- Taehyung -

—

Dear 19

08/06/23 I lost absolutely everything... But tomorrow is another day, isn't it?

I was in tears...

- Taehyung -

—

Dear 20

09/06/23 The fact that I don't fight back doesn't mean I'm weak. Only enough to understand that anger does not solve anything. But here, it's really too much.

- Taehyung -

—

Dear 21

10/06/23 Yesii, that's great, bravo! Thanks a lot. In fact, you are really the king of the bastards. Dare to come near me once and it won't be your empty words that will be broken, but your whole heart, asshole!

- Taehyung -

—

Dear 22

11/06/23 I want you to know that my heart is in my hand Jeongukk. But it can also come to your face.

- Taehyung -

—

Dear 23

12/06/23 The shorter jokes are the better ones.

- Taehyung -

—

Dear 24

13/06/23 It's never their fault anyway. It's true, they are perfect. Now that I think about it, that's really what it is, they are "perfect".

I get it. Now you have to stop taking me for an idiot.

- Taehyung -

—

Dear 25

14/06/23 You really want to know, huh? Do you want to know why we're not together anymore, Jeongukk? Well, simply because you fucked up.

It's that simple, Jeon.

- Taehyung -

—

Dear 26

15/06/23 It's not that I can't take it anymore, it's that it hurts to take it. And I'm sorry I wasn't good enough for you...

- Taehyung -

—

Dear 27

16/06/23 "It's okay, you don't have to force yourself, pretend like it's okay and nothing's changed because I can see that."

Don't you dare say that to me. You don't know anything about me.

- Taehyung -

#vkook fanfiction #vkook fluff #log book

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buffintruder · 1 year

Note

from the ask game: 6, 10 and 11!

Thank you!! From this ask game

6. Do you have your work beta'd? How important is this to your process?

I think it's usually important, but not essential. If I have a friend in the fandom who is up for it, I'll probably ask them to beta like 80-90% of what I write in that fandom. But I've posted many fics (probably more than half? I'm not sure) without a beta. There are some fics where I'm really uncertain about something and I will really want someone else to go over it to tell me if it's actually a problem or not, and if so what exactly is off about it.

But usually I think, it's mostly just nice for me to be able to talk about my fic with someone, both to get ideas and stuff but also just for fun.

10. Cltr+f "blinks" on your WIP & copy paste the first sentence/paragraph that comes up

"Manga is art," Sonoza said. Sonoi blinked. "Is it?"

From my Donbrothers fic where a nonhuman guy tries to understand how art and emotions tie together, along with his friends girl who is obsessed with understanding love and guy who is obsessed with manga (also his rival who is the sun to his moon and the sky to his sea)

11. Link your three favorite fics right now

Okay I have a very specific list of 3 fics that make me feel certain emotions I can't get elsewhere, and idk if all three of them are really my most favorite fics, but they do go as a set so I'm reccing them together (even though once I started looking through my bookmarks to find these fics, I kept finding more fics that are so so so good and I would be here all day if I didn't stick to this trio)

Cornstalk Fiddle by notbecauseofvictories

I rec this to literally everyone because I think it is one of the top 10 works of fiction in general that I have encountered. It's a fic of the song The Devil Went Down to Georgia (so very little context necessary) and it's a really really beautifully written story about music and hope and life, and also a very human person falling in love with the very inhuman Devil

We Must Tend our Garden by DesdemonaKaylose

This is a Small Gods post-canon Discworld fic about the god Om being in love with his head priest Brutha. The dialogue and narration feel very Discworld while also having a sort of peacefulness and heartbreaking yearning that isn't really Terry Pratchett's thing, and it works together so well.

Of Uruk by electrumqueen

This is a pre-canon Bartimaeus fic and idk exactly how to describe it. It's basically a character study between the djinni Bartimaeus and a boy he once loved, Ptolemy, though 5 different scenarios where over the course of them knowing each other Bartimaeus tells Ptolemy his "origin story" (different from his story of being created), each with varying amounts of truth to them. It's just such a good story about names and the way other people in the past and present can shape you and how you tell a story impacts it but also what it says about you and your audience, and I wish Bartimaeus was a more popular series just so they could read this fic (that's a lie, I think it the series should be popular for it's own merit, but anyway)

#ask #please read the fics i recommended they are so good #my writing #dang now i want to reread them i was going to write but aaah

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oh-three · 2 years

Text

Incorrect Unit Arrel Quotes (Part 12)

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Part 7

Part 8

Part 9

Part 10

Part 11

Linaleh, walking in: "Tindri, are you talking to the cats?" Tindri: Vori, on the floor right in front of Tindri: "...Meow?" Linaleh: sees Vori "...Oh."

Jurr: “Not every problem can be solved with a lightsaber.” Loktof: “That's why I have two of them!” Loktof: attacks Rakesh

Trohr: “Not gonna lie, I'm kind of afraid of Rakesh...” Linaleh: “As you should be.” Trohr: “No, for real, he’s kind of-” Linaleh: “As. You. Should. Be.”

Rakesh: "I can’t deal with the fact that I walk into this place and find you standing there talking at me." Tindri: "All I said was good morning." Rakesh: "EXACTLY!" Rakesh: "And who in God’s name wants to hear that every day?"

Vori: "Rak, you’re bleeding." Rakesh: "Oh, that explains it." Vori: "Explains what?" Rakesh: "The stabbing pain in my side."

Vori: “Oh, Rak, we have a visitor!” Rakesh: “Don't tell me it's Tindri.” Vori: “It's Tindri.”

Linaleh: “What's a math emergency?” Trohr: “That's when things don't add up.”

Tindri: “You are a solid 11/10.” Jurr: “Aw, thank-” Tindri: “Which is 1.1 because you look like shit.”

Loktof: “Don’t go picking a fight with me. I could make your life difficult.” Rakesh, sarcastically: “Wow. I wonder what it’d be like to have a difficult life.”

Linaleh: “Okay. Let's play The Quiet Game. Whoever talks first loses. Get it?” Vori: Vori: “...I lose! Wanna play Jenga??”

Brakan: “Do you have any tips on how to get rid of ants?” Rakesh: “I'm assuming diplomacy has failed.”

Tindri: “It’s Tindri! You guys home?” Trohr, to Linaleh: “So she just walks into our house now?” Tindri: “I got you Costco chicken!” Linaleh: “Fuck, yeah. We’re in here.”

Linaleh: “Do you like my jeans?” Tindri: “Not as much as what’s underneath them.” Linaleh: “Tindri!” Tindri: “No, seriously. Get up. I need your chair, I’m so tired.”

Trohr: “Do you want some tea?” Tindri: “What are the options?” Trohr: “Yes or no.”

Loktof: “I'm so tired of this life. I want to be a Roomba. I want knives taped to me. And I want to be set loose.”

Jurr: “Time for plan G.” Trohr: “Don’t you mean plan B?” Jurr: “No, we tried plan B a long time ago. I had to skip over plan C due to technical difficulties.” Linaleh: “What about plan D?” Jurr: “Plan D was that desperate disguise attempt half an hour ago.” Vori: “What about plan E?” Jurr: “I’m hoping not to use it. Tindri dies in plan E.” Rakesh: “I like plan E.”

Tindri: “Never again.” Tindri: agains

Jurr: “I need you to come meet me, and I need you to come alone.” Linaleh: “And I need you to be less vague and weird.”

Rakesh, tending to Tindri’ wounds: “How would you rate your pain?” Tindri: “Zero stars. Would NOT recommend.”

Brakan: “Five little monkeys jumping on the bed. One fell off and…” Rakesh: “Was diagnosed with mesothelioma.” Brakan: “Mamma called the doctor and the doctor said…” Tindri: “You might be entitled to financial compensation if he or a loved one dies.”

Rakesh: “You really think Ahsoka is here that much?” Loktof: “She’s like the little sister I never wanted.” Rakesh: Loktof: “I mean, had.”

Brakan, reading from a cookbook: “It says here to ‘beat the eggs’.” Brakan: Brakan: “At what?”

Tindri: “Here’s the secret to being happy.” Tindri: “Just pretend you are happy, and eventually you’ll forget you’re pretending.”

Vori: “The house doesn't like visitors!”

Rakesh: “If my life had an escape button, I would have checked out for the day.”

Trohr: “I haven't slept in seventy-three hours.” Tindri: “Eighty. Democratically elected leader of insomnia.” Rakesh: “Bitch, it's been ninety for me. I'm going for an even one hundred.” Linaleh: “You guys are fucking terrifying.”

Linaleh: “Okay, we need to get serious. And that means no more elevator jokes.” Tindri: Tindri: “But they work on so many levels.”

Tindri: “That was a joke. Say ha.” Loktof: “Ha.” Tindri: “Now do it again.” Loktof: “Ha.” Tindri: “Congratulations, you are officially the life of the party.”

Rakesh: “Everyday I ask myself are people dumb or do I just get irritated easily?”

Vori: “A guardian angel is like this friend who follows you around and makes sure you don’t get into trouble and loves you with all their heart.” Rakesh: “Oh, so like you.” Vori, tearing up:

Jurr: “A Christmas miracle is when your family doesn’t get into a single argument all day.”

Rakesh: “Good morning, Trohr, Brakan.” Brakan: “Rak. You’re smiling. It’s very weird, like seeing a turtle out of its shell.”

Rakesh: “Sorry, I’m not very good at emotion.” Trohr: “Which one?” Rakesh: Rakesh: “All of them.”

Rakesh, to Unit Arrel: “It’s just…very hard for me to trust people. Honestly, it’s pretty hard for me to even like people. But you guys…Are you really gonna make me say it?” Linaleh: “I’d kinda like to hear the words, yes.” Tindri: “Also rank us! I’m dying to know who your favourite is.”

Linaleh: “I hate that no one protected you when you were a padawan and I hate that person who did that to you got away.” Rakesh: “They always do.”

Loktof: “You should rely on your natural instincts.” Brakan: “My natural instincts are to panic.”

Tindri: “Pleasing everyone is impossible.” Tindri: “But pissing everyone off is easy and fun as hell.”

Tindri: “Every now and then, I like to do something responsible.” Tindri: “Just to confuse people.”

Trohr: “Uh oh.” Vori: “Uh oh good or uh oh bad?” Trohr: “When is ‘uh oh’ ever good?” Vori: “I don’t know? Maybe this time?”

Jurr: “When I was your age, we didn’t even have cellphones.” Brakan: “Yeah, but you had stuff we don’t have.” Trohr: “Like dinosaurs and Moses.”

Tindri: “Linaleh Kartosh is fiercely loyal, she'll do the right thing for you even if you can't see it for yourself. She's saved my ass countless times.” Linaleh: “It's twelve, I counted.”

Tindri: “Come on, you love this show.” Rakesh: “Yeah, but I always skip the Christmas episodes.” Tindri: “Because the themes of family and togetherness are a chilling reminder of your own isolation?” Rakesh: “No, but thank you for that.”

Vori: “Help! I’m drowning!” Rakesh: “Calm down. We’re only in six feet of water.” Vori: “NOT ALL OF US ARE THAT TALL!!”

Brakan: “I love bees. They're very important for the ecosystem and they're cute and make honey.” *A bee flies by* Brakan, shaking and crying: “Please don't hurt me.”

Linaleh: “Describe yourself in one word.” Rakesh: Linaleh: Rakesh: “Tired.”

Vori: “Rak, I am so lucky you're my brother.”

Tindri: "Rakesh, since you're leaving, I'd like to make a toast." Tindri: "Bye." Loktof: "Oh my god, that was perfect."

#Rak: complains about people saying good morning #also Rak: says good morning #no but he's really calming down this time isn't he?#some of these really did go deep though and that's because at one point I may have looked up Station 19 quotes #incorrect quotes #jedi temple guard #ocs #grand inquisitor

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