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lovecolibri · 2 years

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SaL anon here friend and it looks like you were as pleasantly surprised by last night's episodes as I was! Of course there was too much L (and will be until she's gone at the season's end) but the fact all her scenes got butchered is just hilarious. Instead, they made room for some truly delightful Henren detective shenanigans, Eddie and May as besties, Chim bring back where he belongs (mostly), and the reminder that even with characters we have no connection too 911 can deliver some truly TBC

devastating rescues that will emotionally wreck you (I feel like it's been awhile since we've seen one and its a shame because this is a wee woo show and it's part of what makes it tick). Also you're right, Ryan would have nailed a heartbreaking version of "You Are My Sunshine", but as an alternative may I suggest Can't Smile Without You? On top of that LS was an joy, and I absolutely want a future episode to have Grace and Carlos wine-drunk and bitching about their husbands.

Our PR friend appears to be looking out for us by reminding us to keep our expectations in the ground and allowing us to be pleasantly surprised! I agree that any L is too much L (especially with her sitting in Buck and Eddie's usual seating configurations), and her moments we do see continue to be things that would work better with other characters. The firetruck scene and everyone talking about youth would have played better with one mostly younger person like Ravi around, plus seeing him and Buck competing to find the car first would have been fun, and the reality TV set was the PERFECT place for Chimney to be (and Eddie 😭 when is he coming HOME?!), and he for sure would have had some delightful commentary instead of putting down the institution of marriage as a whole to a group of people who are all either married or want to be 🙄 (*Chandler Bing voice* could she BE any more of an "I'm not like other girls" character?!) But I find the fact that they literally cut everything they possibly could, to the point that you could clearly see that the scenes in the firetruck were edited to remove her moments hilarious because they would rather have the editing looking a little awkward and disjointed, than leave in scenes of her “bonding” with the team and “poking” at Buck. 🤣🤣🤣 But honestly thank goodness for the editing team. A young woman was having her face melted off on a livestream and they had already wasted a ton of time just trying to figure out the general area where she might be! It was not the time to have them making a “fun” competition about who found the car first, or who got to use the drill to get into the house, same with whatever they had planned for those 2 minutes they disappeared into a dark tunnel together while a woman was planning to say her final goodbye to her kids. None of that fit the tone of those moments! It did make that sauna call a little weird because there was SO much set up, only for the actual rescue part to be over almost immediately, but the fact that nearly the ENITRE scene that was used in the majority of the stills got cut makes me giggle, and then they deleted their watch post on Instagram that had her and I downright cackled, because I’m a petty bench.

And what did we get in return for those missing moments? We got SO MUCH good Karen content!! Every single moment with her and Hen was GOLD and they deserved to have some fun, free, lighthearted shenanigans for once! Plus the actresses play off each other so well, and they just sparkle together. Truly something to add to the blessings pile in this very mixed bag of a season and I can’t wait for their vow renewal!

Eddie and May are SUCH an unexpected delight and I’m going to miss it when Eddie goes home to the 118 and May goes off to college (very likely, so the actress can focus on her college studies!). I hope they don’t entirely abandon that dynamic (or his with Linda) when he’s out of dispatch because it’s truly been so much fun. (It’s also proof that there are enough characters who don’t interact that they don’t need new ones to shake things up and keep the dynamics fresh, but that’s a whole other post)

We also got so much good Chim content! We got sunglasses Chim being so funny in the truck, grossed out Chim at the sauna call, we got Chim (and Hen!) on the ropes which is rare, Certified Dad Chim with Maddie and Jee’s baby box/first time using the spoon herself, and of course he was perfect on that tragic call (as was Bobby) making sure the girls had their dad. We also got some good Maddie/Madney/Buckley siblings content and I can feel the “second (or is it third?) first date” for Madney coming soooon!

911 doesn’t often have tragic calls but when they do, whooo boy they utalize them to their fullest effect! The music, the mom’s talk to her girls, the flipping “mom doesn’t need them anymore” line from the oldest sister? 😭😭😭 It was all done SO well, and showed Chim and Bobby especially taking charge in all the right ways that case needed to be handled. Bobby being the calm one staying behind to watch the girls, Chim making the decision the dad needed to be the one to talk to the kids and that they would load the mom up like they normally would, and them letting the girls wear their helmets and keeping them busy in the firetruck while Chim contacted their dad himself, it was all just so beautifully done and absolutely strikes at the heart of the show which has been so hit or miss this season. But when they are good, man, they are good.

Lone Star may be what it will be with regards to Owen, but this episode was an absolute DELIGHT! The Ryder family drama with Uncle Dave was SO much fun, and TK and Carlos getting to have a totally whimsical, fun, and funny plot was so, so, so refreshing! They have earned this lighthearted moment and it was a JOY to watch. I too need to see Grace and Carlos getting wine drunk and bitching about the strays their husbands keep around for too long! 🤣

I know this is our anniversary week and I was hoping to put together a masterlist of our posts but a whole week of being ill last week and recovering this first part of the week have put me a bit behind, but I’m sure you’ve got something for later this week so I look forward to that!

#my sweet nonnie friends #sleeping at last anon #911 #911 spoilers #anti lucy donato #911 lone star #lone star spoilers #this is my third attempt at this post because tumblr hates me #i had to save this as a draft and not use the new post editor format because my screen kept randomly going white #and then i couldn't do anything until i refreshed the page and that deletes the draft #i also kept a copy in a word document just in case #and then i had to cut a whole ramble about L that's going to be it's own post #but i did it today like i promised!#and next week is may day which i think is going to be THEE serve of the season for the main cast as a whole #we've gotten some great eddie stuff but aside from some madney/maddie stuff everyone else is just kinda...there #so it will be good to see everyone involved and getting their redemption moment #i can't wait!

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justanotherpersonsuniverse · 4 years

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A little random— but I had an idea for a time skip au::

It’s very Steven Universe referential and I will be making characters quoting it- so like be warned—

They're all like- 25+ in this too, they’re fully adults. But it technically starts with them at like.. 16-18 though. Timetagger doesn’t exist/didn’t happen in this universe. So basically, a huge catastrophe and flat out war between the entire (and I mean whole class) Miraculous Team and Hawkmoth happens— lots of casualties and a lot of people go MIA— Chat Noir is one of these casualties, along with Hawkmoth, but the butterfly is missing.

The miraculouses have been scattered, and so has the broken and traumatized class, who despite their worries and grief, still probably regret running away and want to be recruited again.

Ladybug is still around Paris and still grieving, but she’s got a team with Herself, Queen Bee, and either Viperion or Ryuko to keep Paris from being alone, not like that helps or anything though.

However- There’s one wee detail. The new cat hero.

He’s either Adrienette’s literal son, a reincarnation, or a fusion with Adrien’s heart and blood and the cat miraculous— either way— very Rose Quartz to Steven like. They find him a little after Chat’s ‘death’ Kane realize right away. He’s about 14-15 now.

The remaining team is raising him with stories and memories of Adrien— but Marinette.. is still hurt and grieving- and all her friends are gone and she doesn’t know what to do. Chloe, who despite softening up, is still bitter and absolutely crushed by her friend’s death, but she still has complete faith in Marinette because like- what else can she do?

Miracle Queen is canon in this universe and something Chloe heavily regrets and is shameful for, kinda like the equivalent of Amethyst’s disgust of coming from the kindergarten and being a product of home world that hurt earth.

Whoever the third person is is just trying to be strong for everyone cause they know Marinette can’t handle everything, but they can’t handle everything either and despite it being.. maybe.. I’m gonna say 10+ years since everything happened.. they still aren’t relying on each other, just passing leadership every so often so they can have a break, instead of working together. It’s complicated and they’re both hurt.

Meanwhile the (I’m gonna name him Louis) son/reincarnation, Louis, is basically in the role of Steven, where he’s in the middle of this broken but ‘still trying their best’ family as he unravels the broken and complicated past.

Marinette has unfortunately become a stickler to secrets to cope, and like Pearl, has pulled away a lot of stuff involving Adrien and Gabriel from Louis. Chloe is like a big sister to him, trying her best to be better than she was to Adrien. And the third person keeps everything together and Louis looks up to them. So basically our Crystal Gems.

Meanwhile the other members of the broken miraculous team are scattered around the world.

Alya and Nino went MIA but secretly moved to Marsielle under different names, Nino lost a leg and Alya lost part of her soul watching Nino and Marinette suffer so much. Nino feels absolutely horrible about his ‘failures’ and dreadfully misses Adrien. So the two threw themselves in work and research. For both the miraculouses and normal business. They’ll be the first people the team re-recruits, as they need their help to find everyone else. It’s a very quiet but heartfelt reunion between Marinette and her best friends. Chloe is quiet.

Kim is training. Just training. Always training. He feels like he could’ve done more to help but he just.. couldn’t. He’s with his relatives in Vietnam but hopes someone will reach out to him again.

Juleka and Rose are in Scotland with Anarka’s distant family, trying to heal from wounds they got from the ‘final’ fight. Rose hit it close during the final fight and Juleka is scared Rose will get hurt again. She isn’t sure what to do about Luka because he’s either with Marinette’s small Crystal Gem like team, or missing.

Ivan and Mylene are in Russia, most likely married and pushing down their past like skeletons in their closets, but they haven’t had kids yet because they still want to come back and help.

Sabrina is in New York, became a hacker with Max in search of the new hawkmoth and other criminal activity. Both felt useless in the final fight and decided something needed to be done. They’re almost impossible to find. Chloe’s reunion with Sabrina is rough but it’s because Chloe thought she was dead.

A fight between Chloe and Marinette somehow breaks out in New York, most likely involving Audrey, and its basically that scene from the episode ‘On the Run’ where Amethyst screams about how she wished she wasn’t made because of how she was associated with her insecurities. It’s very personal and it doesn’t end happily, not yet, they’re just hurt but more understanding of each other now.

They find Alix with her father in Egypt. She’s been burying herself in history. They give her the watch but she tells them she can’t fix anything without either deleting literally everything or creating a new ass timeline that won’t help them at all, and that it’s too late to change something so major over the course of 10+ years but.. she can help Marinette fix things with a certain blonde. What she does, I don’t know, but she joins the team and things fix up between Chloe and Marinette. Alix takes Louis under her wing a bit.

I don’t know how the rest goes.

It’s like a giant road trip, hopping around looking for the lost miraculouses, trying to find out who the new hawkmoth is, and making up for the mistakes and pains of the past.

#Miraculous ladybug #steven universe #miraculous team #miraculous au #I don’t know what to name this au #help?#lost gems au

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cyberstabbing · 4 years

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Someone left a long and heart-felt message about THROAM to Anna Green on her curiouscat page and Anna replied with a long message as well. I’m pasting the text here so I don’t ever lose it:

May 1st, 2020

Anonymous: Part 1 of 2 — Hey Anna I followed THROAM back when I was heavy in the panic fandom; I would leave you these ridiculously long comments on lj and read your updates late into the night, when I knew my parents wouldn’t catch me. I was 15. Almost Famous was my favorite movie, Ryden was my otp, you were already my favorite fic author, and I loved nothing more than a long, developed, realism-based slowburn. When you started writing THROAM, it was like my dream fic had been dropped in my lap. I was so enthralled, so in awe of you, so appreciative of your craft. I remember those weeks between updates stretching seemingly endlessly. But I never resented the long waits; I re-read previous chapters, perused your other fics, and knew that you were taking the time because the time was worth it. Your attention to detail was unmatched.

I am now 25 years old now, with a master’s degree and a job. Nearly every 1-2 years of the past decade, I get a certain itch. And before I know it, I’m re-reading the anthology, page by page, just as consumed as I was the first time around. I find your dialogue and characterization so compelling that I often can’t help but quietly read the lines out loud to myself. Once I’ve picked it up, THROAM occupies much of my thoughts when I’m not actively reading it, and my nights stretch into the wee hours as I plow through the pages. I saved pdf versions of each volume long ago, but to also have the print copies on my shelf gives me such an enormous sense of relief. To know that whatever moves you make, whatever happens to lj or ao3 or the internet at large, I will still have my throam copies...that brings me joy.

I know that you have far outgrown this story, the role it played in your life, the time that you spent writing it, and the person you were back then. The thing is—so have I. It’s remarkable; I am not an active member of any fandoms and am a very different version of myself from the girl who followed this fic’s release. And the version of myself who re-read it my first year of college is a different person from the girl who re-read it as she started her first job. So many different lonely chapters of my life, always punctuated by a return to this old friend. Because of fic stigma, shame, and the whole panic at the disco + lots of explicit sex thing, I refrain from ever sharing the volumes with others, so it feels like I have this little, ever-expanding world of my own with THROAM. Such a huge part of my life, and nobody I know knows a thing about it. It’s special, really. (Cont’d)

pineconepickers: <3333 answer in the next one!

Anonymous: Part 2: Some pages I can practically recite from memory, and yet others read as fresh and surprising each time around. I still feel the same frustration and pain, I’m still swept up by the allure of Ryan’s fame, the impressiveness of his talent, I’m still enthralled by the mad world of 70s rock, I still chuckle at R’s snarky internal monologue and shake my head at his deeply ego-centric world view, it the boys’ cowardices and braveries, at their spite and their bitterness and their love. I still feel the same flutter in my heart at some of the more tender scenes. I still smile softly when I notice the subtle shifts (messy and tentative) towards growth in Ryan’s character. I’m still shocked by just how invested I am in the many side characters, how fully rounded they all are. And it’s still the hottest sex I have ever, ever read.

I was an English major who now teaches English, and I have never had this kind of relationship with another text. Nothing has ever been so relentlessly revisitable, nothing ever nags at me if I go too long without re-reading, nothing consumes me quite like this, and few character dynamics have ever been quite so compelling. The 25 year old woman who had long shaken the fandom world feels so grateful to have been in the right place at the right time to have discovered this story. And I am eternally grateful to you for the care, effort, and absolute labor of love this story demanded. As an avid fic defender and devotee, you shifted my whole paradigm of what fic could be. This masterpiece set the bar impossibly high. Furthermore, thank you for continuing to make it accessible to fans old and new.

Anyway, as I marvel at this fic’s everlasting effect and your writing’s power, I just had to say my piece. It’s been a decade since I last waxed poetic in full fangirl mode at you. Seemed like the time was ripe.

Best and sincerely grateful, C

pineconepickers: Hi, C! Wow I really did not expect to wake up to this and it's left me quite speechless, to be honest. First of all, I am so touched by this letter and would love to give you a hug, but social distancing and all that. ;) Then, to be consistent, tut tut to your minor self for reading explicit adult content - I have to say this because it is a line I feel ever more strongly about, but of course I too used to read adult fics when I was a minor, yada yada yada... And so often people grow up to be immensely embarrassed by what they enjoyed at 15 or 16, and I see a lot of that Shame Discourse around THROAM too, which, as its author, can make you think you just wrote a bad story that no one wants to admit they liked (although they all read it - it's complicated!).

So, ten years on, it's great to hear that the story still compels you and that it has aged in a way that you still enjoy it. THROAM has had such a strange afterlife that I never could have predicted, both good and bad, and my own relationship with the work has grown increasingly complex over the years. You outgrow stories, as you rightly said, and you outgrow your own writing style, too, and become increasingly critical of your past efforts, alas - yet I still have an immense love for the story and its flaws, I can at a moment's notice see snow drifting down on a winter night in Bismarck or am blinded by California sun or taste the salt in the air on a beach in Maine like I never left. Fic will always be regarded as less than "real fiction" - throw in emo bands and sex and even more so. But what is wrong with fictional self-indulgence in a world that often gives you little? I haven't read THROAM cover to cover in years (it's SO LONG), partly out of worry what I'll find there of my self-perceived "bad writing", but I read snippets sometimes and there is still a pull to the story, for me, that I am relieved to find.

I was around 25 when I finished the story - and thus the circle closes. It's hard for me now to fathom the years I spent on it, the sheer number of hours, days, weeks, months it took me to write. What was 23-25 year-old me doing! But she wrote it because she had the story and no other reason. Its afterlife and readership has completely surprised me, but I am glad I didn't know it when I was writing it or I'd never have managed to finish it!

And so it warms me now, endlessly, that the story still has importance to you and that it has grown with you. It is especially lovely to hear when I myself have clearly detached myself from the story, somewhat - it really feels like the story doesn't belong to me anymore because it took on such a life of its own. So thank you for reminding me that I, too, should give the story more love than I do - and that not all that ages needs to be left behind. Much love <333

#anna green #anna green talks about throam #new tag #throam #i just.. i need to save this kind of thing #the internet wasn't built to last but dammit if i wont try my best #mine

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edream93 · 4 years

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A Queen’s Loyalty

Super sorry to @demons-like-music-too for this late @descendantssecretsanta gift. None of these characters wanted to give me an easy time while writing this. Hopefully you’ll still be able to enjoy this Uma/Audrey oneshot with a hint of Humaudrey.

It had been fun. His flirtations had been crass but his attention, anything that wasn’t a look of pity like from her grandmother or a look of fear like when her eyes connected with Chad’s, was better than nothing.

They had danced, spinning around and around for so long that Audrey could pretend that he was some prince from a faraway kingdom. Harry Hook definitely had the jawline of a prince. She even told him that which caused him to look at her with an unreadable look on his face before he erupted with loud boisterous laughter.

“Ye want me to be your pretty little boy toy hanging off yer arm, lass?” he asked with a wicked grin as he dipped her. “Want me to be your little Isle pet?”

Rolling her eyes, Audrey shook her head. “I’m not really interested in just a pretty face.” Her eye caught Ben and Mal in each other's arms, surrounded by their friends as they stared adoringly at each other.

The pain had dulled but the wound was still tender. Audrey doubted that it would ever go away, but it would be tolerable. It would have to be.

“Then what is a princess like ye wanting?” the pirate asked bringing her attention back to him.

“Loyalty,” Audrey said firmly without hesitation. “I don’t remember much about...before, with the scepter. But I remember watching you and Ursula’s daughter. It was so easy to see that you would follow her anywhere.”

He cocked his head to the side, his face unreadable as he searched for something. He looked somewhere over her shoulder, staring off at something. Before Audrey could ask what he was looking at he cut her off, intense gaze on her.

“Loyalty,” he murmured “has to be hard won.” Suddenly, he spun her around out of sight from the rest of the party, pressing her back against a wall. The smell of cologne, leather, and gunpowder set off warnings of danger in Audrey’s mind as he leaned closer. “A good pirate often doesn’t have much to their name but the loyalty they’ve gained. What does a bonnie pink princess like ye know about hardship?” he asked.

His gaze fell to her lips and Audrey couldn’t decide if she wanted him to kiss her or not but the air around them felt charged with intensity, and Audrey wanted one moment of not being a princess. Of not having every decision she made being judged by whether it was proper or not...

“Harry. Chill.”

Audrey jumped, pushing away from the boy whose lips were mere breaths from hers. Guilt and the image of being on the Tourney field embarrassed and heartbroken flashed through her as her eyes turned onto the frightening scowl of the sea witch Ursula’s daughter.

Uma stood, arms crossed and eyes narrowed as she took both of them in. Audrey swore the air around the teal haired girl was thick with charged energy though her face showed no tell of what she was actually feeling.

Audrey sputtered, attempting to speak, to apologize. Despite not wanting to necessarily ruin Mal’s life at the moment, she definitely did not want to follow in the path of the future Queen first year in Auradon.

Before she could get out an apology though, Harry was already pulling away from her.

“Darlin’” he purred in greeting, all swagger and sharp angle as the intensity that surrounded them melted away, Audrey not even an afterthought.

Audrey felt her cheeks warm as the son of Hook easily placed himself next to the sea witch’s side, kneeling as he kissed her hand with such reverence and care that Audrey had to look away from the intimate action. Total devotion, Audrey thought with not a little jealousy.

She allowed herself to feel embarrassed, cheeks warming in shame. She was a princess. Though her memories of the last few days were murky beneath a fog of purple haze, she remembered watching these two through the scepter. A princess didn’t allow herself to act with so little class, especially in front of a sea witch who could potentially have a short fuse and turn her into pond scum.

However, before the delayed panic and pleas could rise within the Audrey, Uma spoke.

“It’s getting late, Harry,” she said as if she had not just walked in on a scandalous scene, expression bored. “Just because the barrier is down doesn’t mean you’re off from doing your sweeps. Mal,” she said not necessarily with contempt but not overly filled with fondness, “forgot that there are actually people who actually deserve to be on the Isle, namely our parents.”

Harry snorted, slinging his arm over her shoulder. “Always cleaning up the wee dragon’s mess, aren’t we?” Uma frowned but otherwise didn’t look too bothered by their closeness, even hooking her pinky with the hook dangling from his hand around her shoulder.

They were already turning around to leave, when Audrey remembered that breathing was something that human beings needed to do. She almost sighed in relief, wanting nothing more than to go to her room and wash off the last week or two. However, Uma stopped and Audrey held back a gasp as the sea witch stared over her shoulder at her with an intense and unreadable look.

“Stealing from a queen is not a smart move to gain her loyalty.”

Cold fear ran through Audrey at those words.

Of course Mal would legally be queen of the Isle and of Auradon but Audrey had heard enough whispers, seen the way that those from the Isle seemed to defer to Uma once the barrier had been brought down and the bridge built.

This was it. Audrey had angered a sea witch, proclaimed Queen of the Isle by flirting with her beau and now Audrey would be cursed, turned into sea foam, and-

Harry was suddenly at Audrey’s side again, slipping on the ring that Audrey’s mother had given her for her sixteenth birthday back onto her finger. An elegant thing where the band was made out of rose gold twisting vines and small delicate roses. It was Audrey’s favorite ring.

When had he taken that off of her? She hadn’t even realized it was gone until he was replacing it.

“Sorry lass. Bad habits,” Harry grinned widely with a discomforting giggle before pulling his calloused hand away. He winked at her, mouthing the word “loyalty” before quickly catching up to Uma who had already started walking away again. Audrey watched them until the crowd of still celebrating people quickly swallowed them up, neither pirate in site.

Letting out a very unladylike sound, Audrey slumped against the wall, heart pounding against her chest and not quite sure what just happened.

---

“Audrey! Will you please stop fidgeting? It’s a beautiful necklace, which is saying something since it came from pirates.”

Audrey glared over the rim of her tea cup at Evie. They were sitting in Evie’s workshop in her castle. Audrey was supposed to be having a dress consultation done for an upcoming royal event she had to attend. However, the dress consultation had quickly turned into a consultation about a particular pirate captain, who was now also the liaison for the Isle and co-leader for the Isle Rehabilitation Initiative. Said pirate captain had also sent Audrey a deceptively beautiful necklace with a teal rose shaped pendant made out of sea glass that Audrey was adamant the sea witch had cursed.

“Is that supposed to be reassuring? Not only was I probably given a cursed necklace but it was probably a stolen cursed necklace. What else am I to think when it comes from the same person who threatened me for stealing her boyfriend.”

“That she wanted to thank you for advocating to keep Sammy Smee together with his younger twin brothers?” Evie sighed, setting aside the jacket that she was creating for the Queen of Hearts’ youngest son, Ace. The young boy would be coming to live at the quickly filling castle towards the end of the week. “The Isle born pirates always had a strong sense of loyalty to each other, more so than anyone else on the Isle. Since Harry is her first mate and the Hooks and Smees have a long history together, she probably felt indebted to you,” Evie reached for her own cup of tea, frowning at how lukewarm it was. “Isle kids hate owing a debt, especially to outsiders. Never know when someone will use it against you or what for.”

“I was just fulfilling the requirements of my community service,” Audrey softly said.

As part of her punishment for breaking into the Auradon Museum of History, stealing the crown and Maleficent’s scepter as well as her stint as “the Queen of Mean”, Audrey had been assigned to community service work. The majority of her work was helping Evie prepare for and help with the adjustment of Isle children who would be better off living under Evie’s protective care than staying on the Isle.

Queen Leah had initially not been happy but Audrey took the punishment with aplomb and grace of a princess who wanted to repent. Who wanted to do better and grow from her narrow minded shell. Besides, despite their initial first meeting what felt like years ago, Audrey found herself appreciative and in awe of Evie’s ability to balance a fashion line, mentoring Dizzy with the development of her accessory line, housing more than a dozen Isle children, and assisting with the rehab of one marginally disgraced princess.

It didn’t take long for Audrey to admit that Evie was a princess in every way but the title. They weren’t necessarily friends, but it was easy to talk to Evie and not just feel heard but also understood. After all, they had both grown up with the legacy of their mothers’ hanging over their heads.

Setting down her tea, Evie gave her a beautiful smile, moving over to sit next to Audrey. She briefly took the other girls hands in her own for a brief squeeze. “Not that many people would pull connections to get the son of a villain’s sidekick a stable job so that he can support his two younger brothers,” she said before letting go of Audrey’s hands. “Listen Audrey, things on the Isle…” looking down as she searched for her words. “They aren’t, they aren’t always as straightforward as they are on this side of the bridge.” Evie looked up, a strange look in her eyes as she stared at something across the room. “We didn’t have the concept of love, not really or not as publicly shown like it is over here. We had loyalty though.”

Audrey followed her gaze and saw a small table with two picture frames. One was a recent picture of her and Doug, taken shortly after the barrier was brought down. The other frame held a picture of Mal, Evie, Jay, Carlos, and Ben right after Ben’s coronation as king. When Audrey turned back to Evie, there was a soft smile on the other girl’s face.

“If you’re really worried about Uma being after you or not, just talk to her,” Evie advised. “She’s a sea witch but also a pirate. A pirate of her word,” she added when Audrey opened her mouth to protest. “Besides, she’s been working with Ben on the adjustment efforts for the Isle. Uma is passionate, not stupid. Things are too delicate to be threatening a princess who easily fell for Harry’s old flirt and snatch trick. It was essentially business as usual for Harry and I’m sure that Uma knows that you weren’t interested in stealing her first mate.”

Audrey rolled her eyes but nodded before switching the subject to the work she was doing raising money for Evie to find an even bigger castle and staff for Isle halfway home. Days later, if Evie saw Audrey where the sea glass necklace, she didn’t say anything, just smiled knowingly.

----

Weeks passed. And then a month.

Audrey’s community service ended two weeks ago but she continued to work with Evie, creating fundraisers and promoting the need for Isle informed trauma care at Auradon Prep for both Isle and Auradon born. Some days she would be at Evie’s castle, helping to wrangle some of the more energetic children to eat their vegetables before they could stuff their faces with cake. And some days she sat patiently, helping the smallest children to those who were very nearly close to her in age sound out their words as they read, the summer before the school year being used as a literacy crash course.

Chad and her grandmother didn’t understand why she would want to continue with her community service work when she had met the requirements but Audrey merely politely kissed her grandmother on the cheek and temporarily blocked Chad’s number before diving deeper into the Isle Rehabilitation work.

Surprisingly, Audrey found her groove when it came to keeping some of the rowdier Isle children in place. Apparently her short stint as the Queen of Mean was known about even on the Isle and had given her a pretty hefty amount of “street cred” making it very easy for the younger children to quickly get in line with just one look. Even the older ones felt more comfortable going to Audrey if they needed anything rather than their assigned Auradon peer mentors. It was nice to be looked at with awe and not fear and distrust. It was surprising that the people she had once thought were Auradon’s enemies were the most forgiving.

“Moldy bread for your thoughts?”

Audrey startled, brought back to the bench she was sitting on from her thoughts. She had been watching Carlos and Jay teach some of the younger Isle kids how to play Tourney. It was a nice day and Evie had forced her to take a break. Audrey looked next to her, eyes widening when she saw who had interrupted her thoughts.

“Uma!” She squeaked, causing an amused tilt of the sea witch’s lips.

“So you do know my name,” she said while leaning back on the bench with a combination of casual ease and an air of deadly grace.

“Of course I know your name,” Audrey nervously brushed invisible wrinkles from her skirt, folding her hands delicately in her lap when there proved to be no wrinkles to be smoothed out.

“Wasn’t sure,” Uma yawned, chuckling when the Smee twins tagged teamed Jay and knocked the older boy on his back. “Atta boys!” she cheered, a wide genuine grin spread across her face.

Audrey found herself staring. Uma looked nice with smile, she thought distractedly. Definitely better than the scowl that Audrey had last seen her with when she caught her with Harry.

“Flattery will get you everywhere,” the sew witch grinned, her brown gaze on Audrey.

The world screeched to a halt and the only thing Audrey could do was hide her face in her hands. “I said that out loud, didn't I?”

Uma merely smirked.

A few minutes passed as Audrey wondered if the ground beneath her would just swallow her up and end her embarrassment. Jay and Carlos continued with their Tourney lessons, Jay explaining the importance of trust and teamwork.

“So,” Uma broke the silence between them. “A little blue bird has been sayin’ you’re avoiding me and after I got you that pretty necklace. Looks good on you by the way,” she said reaching out and gently stroking the pendent. Audrey felt warmth rush to her face as the tip of Uma’s fingers brushed against the sensitive skin of her collar bone. “Gil picked it out. He has a good eye for things like that,” Uma moved her hand away to toss her long waves of teal hair over her shoulder.

In the sunlight, Audrey was mesmerized by the strands of gold hair that was brought out in the light, difficult to notice unless you were up close.

“I’m not jealous or out to get you because you were with Harry,” Uma suddenly said.

Eyes widening, Audrey managed to get out, “You weren’t? But aren’t you two, a thing?”

“The labels in Auradon don’t always perfectly match with the ones from the Isle,” Uma shrugged tilting her head back to bathe in the warm light of the sun. “It’s like explaining to Gil the difference between a grape and a berry when he’s never had the reference for any type of fruit to begin with.”

Audrey found herself frowning, once again reminded how sheltered her life had always been. “Evie mentioned something similar.”

Uma nodded. “But passion, drive, initiative? Loyalty?” she smirked as Audrey’s eyes widened. “That’s something that translates well anywhere,” she bumped her shoulder with Audrey’s. “That’s why I want you to help me with some of the Isle Rehabilitation initiatives I’m working on. Hence the necklace to butter you up.”

Carlos let out a loud cheer, running around with one of the Smee twins laughing on his shoulder, narrowly dodging Jay’s grab with his own twin on his shoulder.

“Why me?”

“You impressed me. Didn’t know a pretty in pink princess could care about what happened to Isle kids.”

“It’s not that big of a deal. Evie does the same thing. I don’t see why you don’t just go to her.”

Uma rolled her eyes. “Seven seas, give me strength,” she muttered before turning to fully face Audrey on the bench. Audrey only had a second to process Uma leaning in towards her before their lips met. The sounds of the beautiful day and the Tourney lesson faded away as Uma’s lips pressed firmly against hers. Audrey was frozen, brain failing to process how to respond until Uma slipped a warm but calloused hand against the back of Audrey’s neck. Her other hand combed along the scalp of the princess’s head, bringing out an unexpected moan that parted Audrey’s lips further, giving the sea witch further access.

Audrey melted against Uma, feeling like she was drowning in the best way, surround in the sea witch’s attention. The voices in her head that constantly went back and forth about proper princess protocol were silent, everything else put on pause to just lose herself in this unexpected but not at all unwelcome embrace. She was just Audrey.

Uma smirked at the whine of protest that Audrey didn’t even have the energy to pretend to be embarrassed about letting out as she pulled away. “That’s why,” the sea witch explained.

Audrey glanced over at the area where Carlos and Jay had been giving Tourney lessons only to see that they had left, only Harry Hook grinning at them as he leaned against a nearby tree. When their eyes met, he winked at her, mouthing “loyalty”.

Uma got to her feet, looking cool and collected, the only evidence of what just happened being her tousled hair that Audrey just realized she had been running her hands through.

“No more avoiding me,” Uma ordered more than said. “Doesn’t do well for the others to think we’re not on the same page.”

Audrey licked her lips, tasting faintly sea salt. “And,” she began before clearing her throat. “And what page exactly are we on?”

Uma grinned, already sauntering away towards Harry, a little bit more of a sway in her hips as both Harry and Audrey watched. “That two queens are better than one, of course,” she called over her shoulder.

#disney descendants #uma descendants #harry hook #audrey descendants #evie descendants #umaudrey #humaudrey #descendants secret santa #edream93 fanfic #edream93 fanfiction

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kshitij1997 · 4 years

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Greetings, people!

Oh, damn I haven't done this in some time.

Well, the life of an engineer is a hectic one and I had written myself into a corner and was blocked for many days as a result. Not anymore. I have decided that I would update this once a week from now on.

We're getting somewhere in this, hopefully you people enjoy it.

All frozen and Tangled characters belong to Disney, all I own is this head-cannon and the original characters.

Let's continue!

Chapter 6: Of children fortunate and not so fortunate

Throughout Europe, the new year was always celebrated with utter pomp and show, what with firecrackers bursting in the city centres and town squares and if there weren't any firecrackers at hand, one could always fire a musket up in the air. Singing, dancing, drunken behaviour, smashing of public property, brawls and general noise. It was comforting to see that even though the major empires were coming up and clawing at each other's throats on a regular basis, nothing would really dampen the typical European spirit even if some drastic changes ever happened.

Which is not to say they didn't have different customs. The Ottoman Sultan for example, would start celebrating three days in advance, binging and drinking while being surrounded by scores of concubines, throwing golden medals and eggs onto the streets for all his citizens to collect. This pious act of charity was ample for the people to forgive the Sultan his misgivings. As for the Tsar, the rumoured massive drinking appetite of the typical Tsar held strong and displayed itself in all its glory during the coming of the new year, singing, jumping on tables, screaming Moktor! a drinking chant he had borrowed from his Arendellian ally, banging a kettle drum while removing his royal tunic and tying it around his forehead, it certainly wasn't a sight the typical Russian nobles would forget easily even as they were busy distributing free beer and bread throughout St. Petersburg. The royal family of the Southern Isles always started as a family dinner but dissolved into everyone getting wasted and threatening to kill each other right then and there. However, for some unexplained reason, they always ended up weeping and caressing each other. One could be forgiven for thinking that it was an Irish wake, unsurprising as the Southern Isles had some sizable Irish ancestry. As for the Duke of Weselton, it was an opium binge, smoking up into the wee hours of the morning. If one made the mistake of asking the duke his plans during such a session, they could be trapped there for the rest of the day and miss the blessed celebrations. Now that his merchants had begun smuggling Marijuana from central America, those plans became more outlandish every passing year as the intoxicant made its way in the duke's habits. The Monarchs of Corona were more chaste and less dramatic in comparison, nevertheless it didn't stop them from holding a quirky national lottery at the end of the year in which save the crown, the state and the Monarchs, nearly everything was for grabs.

It could be a normal brooch, or a kettle, or something outrageous like the ancient Dusseldorf cathedral, or even better, the Munich Palace of Justice. However, short of the royal palace, nothing truly awed the people of Corona as the Mansion, a building so singular and unique in the Rhinelands that it had acquired a legend of its own. How that massive building was built during the earliest crusades in the holy lands, had sheltered thousands of innocents in the mindless massacres which was a hallmark of said crusades, how the same building became a terrible final place for those unfortunates who were accused of witchcraft and found guilty, how said building harboured the Coronian resistance as they battled the Habsburgs for the identity of Corona in the thirty years war. One could see that the Mansion was home to centuries of history both good and bad, a monument to human suffering and human triumph; it was a matter of prestige and honour to those who lived there.

Since the passing of the Patriarch, the Mansion was up for bid for the first time in fifty years. Unfortunately, the Mansion had been burned down, some said it was a careless baker, some said it was a figure as dark as night, yet many believed that it was Flynn Rider, the little boy who cast a gargantuan shadow in all of Rhineland, where some thought he was a hero who avenged someone dear to him and brought down tyranny, while some thought he was a rat bastard, who sold out everyone from his trade to escape the noose and ruined the businesses of the Rhinelands. Ah well, the public could never make up its mind.

Even though the public was upset by the loss of the Mansion, they had to agree that the Monarchs were generally generous in the lottery and accepted the loss with a heavy heart. After all, a cooking pot was much more useful in cooking than an entire monument , no matter how symbolic it was and how brightly it burned into oblivion.

Last but not the least, the kingdom of Arendelle often saw a lot of parades and street performances around that time of the year. Typically the various students who had come from abroad to study would often bring out a procession, banging some drums, beating some cymbals and singing songs in unison in their native languages, becoming a crowd of thousands as they used to go door to door, either offering food and gifts, and inviting those to join them who weren't in severe want. The fact that It always snowed in the final fortnight of the year as if on clockwork never dampened their spirits. The evenings would often see people from all strata of Arendellian society coming together without social barriers. In recent years, the crowds had started becoming rowdier and more rambunctious, but they all settled as the Monarchs addressed them from their pedestal at the Royal Palace, bringing the year to a dignified end and rousing hopes for the new year. The Palace courtyard itself often became a fair ground, with various stalls selling delicacies, trinkets and souvenirs.

Queen Iduna had always enjoyed the fairs at the palace and meeting foreigners in the parades when she was a commoner, and now she loved it even more as she had her husband to share that joy with. It was a common sight to see the royal couple strolling around, meeting the stall owners, trying some exotic foods and relishing them. Now with baby princess Elsa, they had developed a very sweet tooth as well, they had been spoiled for chocolate as the baby girl always went gaga over the sweet. Even though she hadn't yet spoken, by now her parents were well acquainted with sounds of disapproval or enthusiasm coming from her. For example, when Elsa tried to nibble on any sweet, she would always gurgle and moan and form wisps with her tiny fingers, which always succeeded in bringing a smile to the couple's lips. After the exciting parades and stalls of food, the evening had surprisingly become calm as it approached the new year. Princess Elsa had had an active day, and now was sleeping in Queen Iduna's arms in the royal bedroom, her face buried into her mother's bosom.

"I guess Sophia is to take the credit or the blame for this" grinned Agnarr.

"Ha, yes surely. I wouldn't put it past her at all." smiled Iduna "However it's a shame Elsa can't drink the hot chocolate yet. It's getting lonesome drinking it by myself."

"What does that mean? It is OUR drink, right?"

"It was once, but then you got self-conscious about your health and everything." Iduna teased.

"Well, I can't really flaunt my stretch marks for my certification of fatherhood." Agnarr teased back.

"That was rough. Parenthood has changed you for the worse." Iduna laughed after staring at Agnarr for nearly a minute about that comment.

"On the other hand, I think you've become soft, I still remember the day you made the Duke of Weselton shit himself." Agnarr smirked.

"Boo you, I'm with child." Iduna accepted the challenge "I can still drive you around in circles, you know? You remember earlier today, when I made you cook an Artichoke salad for my cravings. Oh god, you were hunched over the damn stove. Good fun. And a story the whole litter would enjoy someday." Iduna finished with a laugh.

"A whole litter? Dammit woman." Agnarr laughed.

"Yeah, better stay in shape." Iduna smirked.

"Alright, I admit defeat. I swear I can still hear the blessed kitchen ladies sniggering." Agnarr backed off "Ah well, another bun hmm?"

"Yes, another bun. Due in early spring, if Dr. Klaus is to be believed."

"I would wager my life under his knife, should the day come." Agnarr said quietly.

"Hush, don't say that." Iduna whispered. "It'll be a new year in a matter of minutes, how can you think of doom at such a precious moment?"

"It's because I know how life can turn out for a lot of people. I tell you Iduna, all things considered we are luckier than most, and I know fate has a way of balancing the scales." Agnarr replied with an inscrutable face natural to kings, but Iduna knew better.

"Look, it's true we have been fortunate. However, we've had our share of suffering as well. We both have lost a lot in order to find each other and come together. You know, I still wake up sometimes looking towards the North, reminiscing what could have been if somehow war didn't break out, and I would have become a herald for the voice, be one with the fifth spirit, who knows? However, I do know that if I hadn't ventured south, I would have never met you. Not to mention the peace we brought together, the people we have allied with, the thousands of opportunities that have opened for the people because we have worked together and a lot more. Sure, we can lament what we were forced to give up, but then we wouldn't have this, and we certainly wouldn't have Elsa." Iduna consoled him.

The king of Arendelle gave a weak smile and continued " That is true, but her abilities do make me nervous. I hope we can mitigate any problems that arise from the fifth spirit's blessing."

"We got some time to figure it out. I know what you're insinuating, no need to say it out loud, anyone could hear us. Look, the key here is proceed carefully, and to make sure she's not afraid of herself. We'll be there every step of the way, and I tell you this, our baby is going to dominate the world." Iduna reassured the king.

"We certainly can't let them do what they did to Rapunzel." Agnarr shuddered at the mere thought of the incident.

"That will certainly not happen, believe me. Elsa's a light sleeper, if anyone other than us dares to take her, she'll shriek and bring the castle down." Iduna tried to ease his worry with some humour.

"Ha, our proud little banshee." Agnarr grinned.

They were interrupted by the fireworks bringing in the new year.

"godt nytt år, Iduna." "godt nytt år, Agnarr." Said the royal couple as they embraced, and Iduna felt Elsa smiling in her sleep.

While Elsa may have been at perfect peace with the world in that moment, another infant was not so lucky.

"Another fucking year gone." Hissed princess Paulina of the former kingdom of Poland, as she tried to rock the five-month-old prince Hans to sleep in his cradle. The baby prince had always had trouble sleeping, but that was to be expected as babies generally need contact to grow properly, however the princess in question didn't believe in it.

"Another year gone to shit, and I am just another windbag for your fucking father, eh kid?" the princess made a point not to join the new year's celebration, citing colic as her cause of worry, but truth be told, she could never tolerate the whole family together at once. She was alone in a strange land, among strange people who didn't think too much of her; Afterall, they had seen many like her come and go over the years. The only joy she found in her life was the one thing or person she could claim to be her own; her infant boy Janus, or Hans as his father preferred to call him.

"Your father professes his love for me, yet betrays me everyday with those loose women that lick his balls all day, his heart condition doesn't flare up then, does it? He doesn't fucking keel over then, does he? Your father promises he'll bring justice to my homeland, and then has the entrails to stab me in the back by sending his fucking lapdogs to participate in the massacre of my poor people?!" She foamed at the mouth. Little did she care that her kid could not console her or understand her yet, her bitter vitriol needed to flow somewhere, and her infant was in the unfortunate way.

"But remember this Janus, someday you will bring glory to all of Warsaw, and bring justice to all of Poland and her murderers." Whispered the princess as she calmed down and reached out to her child. The baby was only too glad for the contact and grabbed it with both hands.

"Good boy" whispered the princess with a smile to her fateful son, but the smile disappeared as she remembered what she had set out to do. The sheer memory of her father's murder by the Russians' firing squad as her family's ancestral home of over three hundred years burned to nothing, made her blood boil to vapour. But she knew better than to make a public display of her misery. No, she would wait, and hold fast as her fateful kid would hopefully bring Europe to heel one day. But for that to happen, the child needed toughening up and foolish superstitions and fancies like love and family had to be quelled before they did any damage to her 'chieftest pearl'. She pulled her hand away from Janus and walked to the window, not caring that the baby prince had started wailing loudly.

"Great, let it out, it's just pain and anguish leaving you, little prince of destiny." Whispered the now inscrutable princess as she witnessed the coming of the new year fireworks and chants from her dark little room.

"Godt nytår, Janus."

More than 900 miles away, a craven boyish figure on a horse had nearly crossed the borders of Corona into France as he approached the city of Alsace, when he decided to take refuge into the chapel two miles ahead of him. The new year celebrations had long ended and everyone had fallen asleep, save for the priest in the chapel. Eugene walked up lead footed and tired from the expedition up to the chapel doors and then he knocked on the door.

The priest opened the door silently and saw the gruff boy and took him in at once. Now, Eugene's week-long ordeal had exhausted him, and anything he could beg for was enough to feed only either him or his horse. More often than not, Eugene chose to feed the worn-out horse. But now, finally some good shelter for both the horse and Rider.

"Comment tu t'appelle?" the priest asked in a language Eugene didn't fully understand. When the priest didn't receive any answer that he could expect, he got up and peaked outside in the direction from which the little boy had ridden in.

"Tu parle Francais? Parlez-vous allemand?" The priest asked.

"Je parle allemand." Eugene replied in the little broken French that he knew.

"Ah, Deutsch." Replied the priest. Then he went in, brought a spare change of clothes and some bread and stew left from the celebration, and a quilt and mattress for the little boy.

"Essen, mein Kind" spoke the priest as her made the bed.

As Eugene bit into the bread, he couldn't hold back any longer, and burst into tears.

The priest patiently waited for him to calm down, then asked him in German "What's your name?"

"Flynn" the kid replied, his voice still raw from sobbing.

"You are far from home, aren't you?"

"I don't have a home, not anymore."

"What happened to your home, your family?"

"It got burnt down, I tried to get help, but it was too late." Flynn lied, fearing what could happen if he answered honestly.

The priest replied "It's alright, my child. Please rest now, you may stay on or leave in the morning if you wish."

"Danke, Vater" Flynn said.

"Frohes neues Jahr, mein Sohn. And don't worry, your horse is safe." The priest smiled and said quietly.

Well, it was a different tempo for me in this chapter, trying to show one day from a lot of different perspectives. I'll just say poor Hans for now.

As always, constructive feedback is always welcome.

#frozen #frozen elsa #frozen angst #hans frozen #frozen fandom #frozen fanfiction #frozenxtangled #eugene tangled #frozen agnarr #frozen iduna

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juleswolverton-hyde · 4 years

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The Raven on Writing

Top o’ the morning, lads and lasses,

It has been a wee while since a post about a specific literary subject was written and since creating this post has been contemplated many times recently, it is perhaps the time to finally write it.

Some of you may wonder how it is the pencil was first picked up or at least be curious as to how it is able to bring fantasies into words in a style that seems to be marked as ‘’quite unusual’’. This is put between quotation marks since this is the polite term of what has been gathered from comments (both positive and negative) on all publishing platforms (AO3 & Tumblr). However, in personal opinion, it is labelled as poetic prose or prosaic poetry reminiscent of the past. Indeed, the tales and the style aim to make the audience remember the great names who have preceded this wee birdy who can never excel them.

Now, how has this rather odd style been gained? How can one create a style at all?

It should be noted that the use of the word ‘odd’ is in comparison to the styles of modern authors.

Kathryn Lasky once said: ‘’I believe that reading widely is the best preparation for writing.’’ It is the manner in which many if not all wordy artists start their literary journeys, allowing themselves to be guided by a skilled author into a world of another’s making. Out of curiosity, the reader might pick up more works from their favourites and create an unconscious liking to the style. Withal, this preference might only become fully known in a creative way upon attempting to put personal fantasies onto paper. These imaginations might be ignited by a disagreement with a scene in the book that could have gone differently or the end is too open and thus begs for a continuation where the original author has left off. Whatever the case, the individual endeavours to make something of their own thanks to the inspiration provided by another’s work.

Certainly, this is essentially true each time a novel project is started since writers tend to follow the principle that originates in Ancient Rome and the Renaissance, namely translatio, imitatio, aemulatio. In other words: translation, imitation, innovation. One might study a language and translate a story they are curious about into their own tongue or find an already existing translation. Afterwards, they might be fascinated with the tale enough that they might try their hand at writing a similar chronicle themselves, imitating the original. A truly radical aspiring novelist will take the original work and give it their own spin.

What if it was Beatrice who had to reach Dante instead of the other way around? What if Athena was not actually raped by Hephaestus but the god was accused of this to worsen his reputation among the Olympians even though she might have actually genuinely fallen in love for the first time?

What if?

That is the most important question when it comes to writing. Ask it and it will lead to an answer.

Returning to the specified questions above, they particularly pertain to classic literature and mythology which are two of the trademarks that have been absorbed into the pen’s style while reading and following the old law. Admittedly, it was without awareness until the moment of enrolling in university to study English literature and specializing in classic literature and poetry.

And there is the answer as to how this wee birdy writes as if she hails from the sixteenth century or Romantic Age. Major influences and inspirations for the works currently making up the bibliography and the stories yet to tell are: William Wordsworth, William Blake, Shakespeare, John Donne, Charles Dickens, Edgar Allan Poe, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, W.B. Yeats, James Joyce, Seamus Heaney (a more recent name), Lewis Caroll, Oscar Wilde. In hindsight, the novelists of the Victorian and Late Victorian age alongside the Irish appear to be the greatest influences.

Regardless, style can also be developed in other ways. At university, it is expected of students to write in formal English. Henceforth, it is not allowed to use first and second person pronouns (I, you) as well as colloquialisms (get, a lot of, thing). Now, there is no shame in admitting the pen is guilty of the latter at times and even of the use of the pronouns nowadays. Yet, both of them are noticeably absent from the works unless there inherently was no other option but to use informal language. The use of I is, personally, still regarded as selfish for the reader might not want to accept the role offered to them by the narrator nor be able to sympathise with the character and their point of view.

Alongside the now innate restrictions on use of language, music is another great source to look for inspiration. Find what it is that makes a song attractive and write a tale about it if there is one to be told. Take a whole album and paint the images the songs conjure. ‘’Spring Remembrance’’ is based on BTS’s Spring Day, ‘’Babel’’ is based on the song with the same name by Mumford and Sons and this is the case as well for ‘’Broken Crown’’. Furthermore, references to various songs are strewn about in the chronicles told thus far. Look at the music by Delain, Within Temptation, Stray Kids, BTS, Linkin Park and Breaking Benjamin to find the obvious clues. However, nowadays, there is also creative fuel to be found in the soundtracks of Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate and Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey and Mumford & Sons’ album Babel.

Last but not least, and unfortunately not everyone has the chance to exploit this means of advancing as an artist, travelling. A couple of true stories might arise in A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Woman, but yours truly has had the lucky opportunity to have seen a lot of the world and continue to journey despite work and education.

Dear reader, before an untrue maleficent thought finds its way, it should be noted that by no means do I come from money. In the gap year before starting university, I had a fairly bad job at the local train station working shifts from five in the morn till half past one, requiring me to cycle to the city around a quarter past four. The pay was good, but mental wellbeing did not particularly take a turn for the best and the liquor bottles emptied pretty fast, too. Still, it allowed for seeing places that would otherwise have been left undiscovered and hear local myths and legends that could not have been as authentic and credible as when they would be told at a later date on local soil. Working (fortunately under better conditions) alongside studying maintains this Romantic and Byronic lone wolf’s ever-wandering lifestyle and supports the development of a wide view on the world that is at times disconnected from. Notwithstanding, all personal negative implications aside, if there is a chance to go out and explore, please take it for it will allow growth as a person and an artist alike.

A truly last piece of advice: do not be afraid to fail. All arts need to be practised in order to be perfected and even then have to be worked on in order to be made distinct from the rest. The first works will not be the best, but eventually, they will become of better quality if effort is continuously put into the craft.

In sum, look to creative outlets that are nearby such as music and books, the latter remaining the prime source for a proper start on the road to becoming a novelist. Of course, there are other means to gain inspiration such as art and travelling as well as academic education. In the end, there are various manners in which to develop as a distinct wordy artist. However, most of all, do not fear failure. If you fall, get up and try again. Translate, imitate and emulate a personal path in the world and artistic growth will come along naturally.

Until we speak again.

Forever yours,

The Red Raven

#writing #writer #writing advice #writing tips #author #novelist

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awildhanmonster · 6 years

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More Ado about Characters:

Alright, now for round 2! The following characters are all more one-offs and have no direct relation to each other quite the same was as Nell/Leonora/Barnes do, so let’s see if I can keep this under novel length.

Remy Green, aka Remy: 17 years old in current canon, and still in the last leg of high school, Remy is, for lack of any better term, a reverse werewolf: perpetually stuck in the form of a gangly wolfdog monster on all nights save the brightest of full moons. Originally just a “normal” human kid just trying to survive through graduation, her entire life wound up turned on its head when an out of control werewolf attacked and bit her while out with friends one night. He was subdued and arrested, even later charged for the negligence and violent assault, but the damage had been done and the virus passed on— in the worst ways.

Remy essentially suffered the equivalent of a severe allergic reaction and anaphylaxis during the first shift, which took hours (normal were shifts should be minutes) and resulted in her parents frantically driving her to the ER in tears. She survived, though the diagnosis— for a fragile kid with shaky self esteem— was, at the time, seemingly a fate worse than death. Despite her form, she never seems to suffer the loss of mindfulness or weakened inhibitions of most werefolk during “peak” moon periods.

Remy has since started learning how to cope with life in a new form she didn’t really want or ask for, and she has the full, unwavering support of her parents, though it’s still a lot for a teenaged kid to handle. I’m pretty sure she wound up being pulled from high school and is trying to finish out her last year and a half or so at home, though she could really use some friends she doesn’t think are “obligated” to love her like her parents are. I think she’s pretty lonely and dealing with a lot of depression issues. Luckily she’ll fall in with Wayne at some point, who’s like a sweet (greasy stoner) older brother, and he and the rest of the Losers can adopt the hell out of her as a little sister and teach her how to not give a fuck about what humans think when you’re a weirdo. She’ll earn her happy ending eventually.

Rose Lund: Absolutely 100% a retooling/transplant of one of my dearest, most beloved, super shitty/earnest self-insert characters as a 12 year old on Neopets and I have NO SHAME AT ALL. Rose is a human mage (they do exist!) around 30 or so, a pale/skinny English-Caucasian mutt with green eyes, straight brown hair, and a penchant for fancifully extra looking dyed bang fringies because she’s stopped giving a fuck. She’s one of those rare people who can strike up a conversation with just about anyone, blessed by a very… unique way with words that’s unintentionally contributed to her internet fame as a slice of life blogger about the day to day trials of pet dragon (well, wyrm) ownership.

Rose has been passionate about rare and magical exotic creatures since she was a wee girl, and developed an obsession with dragons (‘wyrms’ being the correct term for all non-sentient varieties) before she was out of grade school. In college she double majored cryptobiology and spell artistry, then upon graduation, acquired a pair of rare pygmy wyrms— from temperate and tundra subspecies— respectively, as pets, both for personal reasons and to aid in her pursuit of a master’s degree in cryptobiological husbandy.

Pygmy wyrms, it should be noted, are generally terrible pets. While only growing to approximately the size of a house cat (10-12 pounds on average) and sporting the appearance of beautifully miniaturized mythological six-limbed dragons any fantasy nut would fall in love with, they are far from domesticated, exasperatingly precocious, and have the charming habit of expelling flammable gas from a myriad of orifices when startled. They have a distinctive, vaguely musky sulfurous smell about them regardless of cleanliness and are just clever enough to ignore training commands when convenient. Imagine giving a very ornery, very clever raccoon flappy wings with a several foot wingspan, feeding it rotten eggs, and strapping a flamethrower to both ends, then rigging it all with an excitable hair trigger. That is a pygmy wyrm. Rose owns two in an apartment complex: Ice Pack (Packy), who is a pale milk white/ice blue, and Sharky (Sharkbite), who is black and burgundy/red.

Needless to say they’re the loves of her lives and she revolves around them, having garnered a massive internet following thanks to her daily posts about their antics and the realities of exotic pet care. They’re harness trained now and reasonably polite, though this is only due to years of hard work and constant reinforcement. She hopes one day to breed more biddable specimens and help contribute to the conservation of the species worldwide. Also, they’ve made her very good at anti-flammability hexes.

Shun —: known only by her first name, a kitsune who moved into the apartment complex fairly recently with her pet pipe fox, Yuzu. It should be noted that kitsune are particularly long lived among mythicals, though how long exactly that is tends to be hotly debated and unknown by all but the foxes themselves. What is known is how they are extremely slow to age after reaching their peak maturity/fitness, with certain individuals reported over 500 years old and, apparently, showing very little of their age beyond a massive swath of grown tails (nine being the highest on known record). Kitsune typically grow to around 30-40 lbs, outwardly resembling a much large. leggier, more willowy silhouette than traditional foxes, and will begin life with a single tail that splits or “buds” and multiplies over time.

Neurologically they are fairly unique among mammals, possessing a kind of distributed intelligence throughout the body that can give the tails a “mind of their own”, so to speak, in much the same way as octopi or other related cephalopods do. In fact, due to the extremely slow rate of cell death/turnover, a severed kitsune tail will continue to move and attempt “functioning” for weeks, even years by some reports, under correct conditions. Which I’ll get into shortly.

Swerving back to Shun herself, she’s an artist by trade who zigzags between traditional and digital freelance work for a living. Conservation of mass is still in place for humanoid shifts— which all kitsune can voluntarily assume— with predictably small, delicate, androgynous bodies that rarely get above 4’5’’ or so in stature. Features like pointed ears or slit pupils/exposed tails can be morphed or shown as desired, though the chronic perception of being childlike or “cute” regardless of how old they are is a pretty common occurrence. Shun is no stranger to this either, and hates shopping for clothes at non-mythical-specific places because she has to do so in the *really* young children’s department for anything to fit.

Back on the subject of pipe foxes, though— Shun is a kitsune with 3 and 3/4 tails. She had an unspecified accident several years ago in which she lost the final quarter of her fourth tail, but managed to retrieve the piece after several weeks of searching, at which point it was already trying to become a pipe fox. Pipe foxes (at least in this world) are the result of a severed kitsune tail’s survival instincts going horribly wrong (or right) and attempting to restructure themselves for survival, and the amount of tail there (i.e. how much was separated from the body) will determine what becomes of it, though the “starting” process is pretty identical no matter what you do.

If a severed piece of tail has no food, eventually, with time, it will die. If, however, you keep it somewhere safe (like a drawer) and you present it with food (which could be, I don’t know, a chicken leg), it will sense it, and you will see the start of a small, gaping fanged mouth begin to grow from the stump. Once this has formed, the tail will wriggle itself to its prize and devour everything it can, sustaining it. Keep feeding the tail and it will continue to grow legs, organs, features, and a face— though not necessarily in that order. Eventually, you will have a small— usually mouse to rat sized— beautiful white magic fox, prized heavily by black market collectors for its splendor and apparent luck giving properties. A true quarter-tailed pipe fox will live somewhere between 5-40 years, unpredictably. The distributed intelligence of the tail will reform/conglomerate into a brain relatively on par with a modern pet dog, possibly smarter (or much dumber) depending on your luck.

If, however, there is MORE than roughly a quarter tail chopped off, with more of the nervous tissue and mass intact, the pipe fox resulting may appear larger and more robust. Many exotic buyers have been lured into purchasing these creatures from traders without realizing, and years later the unlucky recipient will find their precious fox’s skin suddenly flaccid on the ground like a shed cocoon, having erupted into 75 tinier pipe foxes that will summarily swarm the accessible property to spirit off with literally anything they decide is valuable, never to be found again, often raging like an infestation for days or WEEKS before vanishing forever.

Rumor has it that feeding an entire severed tail will result in 75 tiny pipe foxes bursting forth from the cocoon shell that will each burst into 75 more bug sized foxes each, resulting in a plague of nigh biblical proportions. But that’s never actually been confirmed on record.

Needless to say the kitsune have a lot of protocols for dealing with severed tails and will usually destroy half-formed pipe foxes of unknown origin on the spot. Shun keeps Yuzu as a pet due to being intimately aware of the little rat-sized creature’s origins, and she still had to sign SO many extra insurance papers and wavers before the complex would let her move in.

I am not good at keeping it short, am I? Wow. Well, there you have it! I’d be happy to answer any extra stuff I forgot too if someone has a question. I do love these nerds.

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aion-rsa · 3 years

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Line of Duty Series 6 Episode 6 Review: No Comment!

https://ift.tt/3xqJBJI

This Line of Duty review contains spoilers.

Adiós Marcus. So much for Jimmy Nesbitt’s starring role. Those of us looking forward to a Hastings v Thurwell Northern Irish grudge match next week will have to go without. Unless the finale features an interview between AC-12 and a fly-buzzing body bag, that’s Nesbitt’s character done with. The Jed giveth, and the Jed taketh away.

Who giveth the order to kill Señor and Señora Thurwell? (Some time ago by the looks of those decomposing corpses. Certainly longer ago than the few days between their discovery and ‘Unknown User’ ordering Jo to get rid of Kate.) It would have to have been the real ‘H’ covering his tracks – surely CC Osborne rerouting his IP address via Spain with a VPN? Osborne’s guilt was decided the second he put trackers on AC-12’s cars. What possible reason, other than needing to know when they were coming for him, could he have had to do that? He’d already closed down the unit and forced Ted to retire. The trackers were one precaution too many from that nervous little piggy.

Credit where it’s due, without Osborne’s trackers, Jo and Kate might have successfully gone to ground, checked into a Travelodge, split a Jalfrezi and had all this out. We’ve him to thank for the exhilaration of watching Kate Bullitt around the streets in Steve’s little Mazda, her finest action sequence since the season three finale.

Kate survived the shoot-out, as if there were ever any doubt. After all, this is DI Fleming we’re talking about, the auburn-haired, steel-eyed ma’am of calm. After a night in which she was lured to her death, held at gunpoint, killed a man, participated in a city-wide car chase that ended in an armed police barricade plus helicopter, got arrested, and performed a masterful emergency stop that saved Steve’s tyres from a spike strip, Kate let only a single tear fall down her album-cover cheekbones. What a woman. I’ve melted down in grander style about an over-long queue at Morrison’s. Fleming then spent a night in a cell (all three of AC-12’s major players now having had their turn at wearing the sweatshirt of shame) and the next day was back in the roll neck jumper of justice, having assumed command of the rapidly depleting MIT.

Let’s hope that whatever they dig up from under that White Rock cement floor is incriminating enough to put CC Philip Osborne on the other side of the table in the finale interview scene – a Line of Duty tradition as faithfully observed as mince pies at Christmas. Unless, that is, we’ve already had our extra-long interview in this week’s Jo Davidson marathon. If so, weighing in at 29-plus minutes, nobody could complain about being short-changed.

Line of Duty Series 6 Episode 6: Thurwell, Carmichael, Osborne & All Our Questions & Theories

By Louisa Mellor

Line of Duty Series 6 Episode 5 Review: Is Marcus Thurwell H?

By Louisa Mellor

That was an acting masterclass from Kelly Macdonald, who executed perfect control over every emotional valve. Information flowed, and was cut off, flowed again, and was stopped dead. The different inflections Macdonald gave to each side of Jo: the bewildered victim, the noble repentant, the ultra-capable cop who breathes out lies like CO2… were all captivating. This was the pivot point when our sympathies moved firmly in Jo’s direction. She exonerated Terry and Farida, and admitted to manipulating Buckells (“It wasn’t hard.” You don’t say. There are lamp posts with more wile.) Also, Jo clearly loves Kate as much as we do, which is only going to endear her to the nation.

The interview scene was also a writing masterclass in precision. The ‘No Comments’ told their own story, one that showed Jo as surprisingly virtuous. She admitted to everything she could personally take the blame for (and more, in the case of Ryan’s death) but expertly dodged anything that would incriminate the OCG or their police counterparts. No fool, Jo knows that her choice is to stay quiet or be killed. There’s nowhere they can’t get to her, as her final scene being menaced by those cartoony HMP Brentiss goons showed.

On the subject of cartoon evil, Pat ‘the Guvnor’ Carmichael couldn’t have looked more bent if she’d tried – which, on this drama, probably means that she isn’t and that for her, it’s just all about her next promotion. Pat’s only an anti-corruption officer insofar as she’s anti any suggestion that corruption exists, unless it hurts AC-12. She powered down for much of this episode, only activating her malfunctioning theme park robot smile whenever the conversation approached Osborne, whom she treats with the veneration afforded to one of the starrier popes.

It was generous, this penultimate instalment, giving us a lot. With an hour still to go, the case is more or less solved. We know who killed Vella, we know why, and we know how. We know what steps were taken to suppress the investigation and by whom. We know Jo Davidson’s terrible family secret (and now so does she), and that she’d been coerced into a life of corruption. We firmly suspect that CC Osborne has been pulling the strings since day one. What we don’t yet know is whether poor, poor Ted will run out of time before he can be brought down. Things were left with Jo in danger, Steve in trouble, the gaffer in bits, and Kate in charge. With one episode of this ludicrously diverting series remaining, can AC-12 get this job done? For the sake of Jesus, Mary, Joseph and the wee donkey, let’s hope so.

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

Line of Duty series 6 concludes on Sunday the 2nd of May at 9pm on BBC One.

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tumblunni · 6 years

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Random list of still WIP npc charries I need to make for this game, yo

* Mayor Grandma The Ultimate

Not actually anyone’s grandma but like... Everyone’s Grandma. That whole ‘village elder as a goddamn force of nature’ kind of character. She’s the Big Good. She’s this tiny unassuming gran who had a history as a legendary hero and is now the super amazing mayor who can solve goddamn anything and defeat any threat against the village and just... HOLDS US ALL WITH HER GRUMPY LOVE I’m imagining her like the protagonist’s gran in The Wee Free Men, or Granny Weatherwax from other discworld books, or the grandma from Summer Wars, or the grandma from Jade Cocoon 1 who even turned out to be literally the deity of badass grandmas who came down into mortal form to slap the shit out of some fools. (The “grim midwife of life and death” is a really fucking badass title)

Anyway she isn’t actually technically the ‘mayor’, she’s just like.. village elder under old country rules, but Regis is the duke that was sent down to Officially be ruler of this province. Officially. It’s just that absolutely everyone knows that the duke is just a figurehead and Ancient Powerful Gran Of The Old Ways is the real power behind this well-oiled machine of a town. Even Regis knows, lol! The previous duke was a total asshole that got served a slice of humble pie by gran and they were fighting at every turn, but now Regis and Mortimer are the Comparatively Less Stuck Up Noblefolks and the town is better off for it. Still, even if Regis isn’t evil like his brother, he’s still a bit foppish and occasionally stupid about what it actually takes to run a town. So they do come into conflict sometimes, but mostly its like BFFs quarrelling instead of the old Shephard Grandma Brings The Wrath of The Heavens Upon Rich Man No Matter How Many Rich Man Guards He Has, Seriously We Found One Of Them Upside Down On Top Of The Roof How Did That Even Happen

And then also i think that she might have a larger role in Blair’s plot cos Blair is kinda like the new Village Hero In Training. But she’s INTENSELY reluctant about it! Not cos she doesn’t like being buff as fuck and punching through walls, but because she doesn’t think she could ever be better than supergran. Cos like.. “yeah I’ve got the muscles but I don’t have the brains, how could I ever cope without you?” She gets really fucking sad at the very idea that supergran might be retiring, and like.. might die someday. So it’s someone who’s clearly qualified for the role repeatedly rejecting it and bringing up more and more perfectionist excuses why she isn’t ready yet, just because she cares so much for her mentor figure and wishes she could fight the tide of time. And that’s how Blair became the Miss Perfect rival type character, and why she’s so humble and oblivious of her own strengths. Also I think this same plot would have links to mortimer and sorrel too, because there was An Event that happened 15 years ago that was what caused mayorgran to start feeling as if she’d hit her limits and the town needs a new Hero. Apparantly ~something~ happened that was like.. the one time mayorgran ever found a problem she couldn’t solve. And also at that time mortimer and sorrel used to be childhood friends, since they’re cousins, but suddenly sorrel’s mum fell in status amoung the noble family and there was a huge upheaval of the town’s status quo. What exactly is this mystery...?

ALSO! she must have a big hat i just want her to have a really big hat (mayorgran, not sorrel, she’s fine with her medium hat)

* Sorrel’s mum

(and Regis’s sister and Morty’s aunt. It IS cousins when someone’s the son of your mum’s sibling, right? I can’t remember all the rules for first removed and stuff...)

Generic Mom. She’s just so NICE! Isn’t she nice? Don’t you agree? For some reason she had a falling out with Duke Regis in the past, and now she lives in comparative poverty and like.. no press statement has ever been released on WHY this happened, and everyone’s become rather distrustful of Regis because of it. What exactly is going on?

I kinda wanted to leave it vague at just this, cos you can’t exactly talk about her at all without spoiers. So yeah the next paragraph is gonna not reveal exactly what happened in that backstory, but it’ll talk about this character’s personality and what it.. actually is, I guess..??

SO...

...

A kind of over the top cloyingly “nice” person who really isn’t. A bit of Umbridge and a bit of an overbearing soccer mom. Like.. at first you’ll be wondering ‘why is Sorrel so self hatey when her mom is so nice to her’ but then it becomes clear that’s not what’s really happening. Mom only supports when you act how she wants you to, its a classic ‘living through your children’ situation where she pushes her kid way too far to achieve some goals they never wanted in the first place. And she’s a bit of a moral crusader, like she’s just.. SO convinced that she is ‘nice’, and that if she just acts ‘polite’ and ‘mumsy’ and cute and harmless and follows all the feminine stereotypes it balances out any horribly not nice things she does. Because she’s ‘not that kind of person’. Anything she does is good because she’s good, yknow? And anything Sorrel does is bad if it shows any sort of personality outside of what her mum has so kindly picked out for her, I mean why would you be so selfish, seriously! She kinda always lives like that, seething with resentment and selfish desire and looking for excuses she can use to paint someone as Bad so she is Justified in feeling superior to them and/or ruining their life. And her Nice facade covers up a lot of rather bigoted attitudes she holds, in addition to all the abusiveness. Ones that can be far more insidious cos she delivers them in such a Nice way and appeals to Logic and Compromise and oh but You Know, Everyone Knows, Isn’t It Just Natural And Biological, look at them getting Emotional. She’s very much the archetypical horrid nobleman that we were all so grateful that Regis wasn’t. Except she’s also way more devious and able to hide it beneath a relateable facade, so she can get these stupid naive townsfolk to do stuff that only makes life harder for themselves for the sake of like.. mythical trickle-down benefits that don’t actually exist. And oh, Sorrel, you know you could pass so well for a good Narcian lady if you dyed your hair, you know? Not like Regis’s filthy child. (She says, even though she also married a foreigner, just one from a majority white country...)

Basically she’s just gonna be a detestable monster, and the only pure evil person in the plot. And even more evil because she does such a good job hiding it, and has been able to spread her toxic influence to so many victims undetected for so long. Cos seriously, the story starts off with her being treated as a martyr and people clamouring to replace Regis with her, and it’s just gonna be So Damn Uncomfortable in retrospect when you do a second playthrough and see even Sorrel’s friends completely oblivious to her mum’s evilness. (″Friends? Honey, you don’t HAVE friends. Well, who do you need except little old me?”)

Also I was thinking randomly as a subplot there could be a thing that her mum was in charge of the town library once, and her planned renovations fell through and now the town doesn’t have a library at all, just this big abandoned building and The Enduring Shame. It’d be a good example of how she handles things, cos this is an Enduring Shame for Sorrel and not her. from Sorrel’s perspective she thinks that her mother trusted her with a big responsibility and she fucked it up and thus deserves the scorn. But really her mum just threw a sinking ship at her so she could take the blame, and then was all like “OH THE POOR GIRL IT WAS JUST TOO MUCH RESPONSIBILITY, PLEASE DON’T BLAME HER”. Spreading all these negative rumours to encourage Sorrel to never try and be independant ever again, but in a sneaky reverse psychology way so she could still look like a loving mother. But anyway this is how Sorrel ended up running a Secret Underground Library, her one form of rebellion against her mother’s control. She rescued as many books as she could when the library went under, and now she keeps them all crammed in her room and tries to spread them around without leaving any threads back to her. Cos she knows that her mum is super trusted, and that even good people can’t be trusted to keep secrets from her, and nobody would believe her if she tried to explain why it needs to be secret. So instead she just plays it off as if she’s just another person receiving books from the ghost library, and she’s totally searching for an answer to this mystery too, honest! It’d be a sign that you reached high friendship level with her when she’s like.. able to believe that you’d believe her if she told you her mum abuses her. And the first step of that is ‘hey remember that library we were questing for? its literally under my bed.’ Welcomes you to the secret trapdoor book heaven and you have a strangely romantic evening going OOOOMG FIRST EDITION TOLKEINS (or whatever the equivelant is in this universe XD) But it probably still takes her a while after that to open up about exactly why the library has to be secret, and to come to terms with the fact that she really doesn’t deserve how her mother treats her. So I’d definately give you an opportunity here to Fuck Up Massively by telling the mum about the library, yup. Gotta torment the player every now and again! XD ...but I mean if you’re reading this you know all the spoilrs so you’ll be fine, lol

* Quincy’s grandma (or possibly grand aunt?)

A stern and super professional businesswoman who has a bit of a quarrel with him over how exactly to balance profit vs like.. morality. She’s not a BAD person, her business isn’t so profit-heavy that its like all the actual atrocities you see in mega corporations nowadays. But she’s very distant from her customer base and also from what it’s even like to be poor. And she doesn’t believe that such minor things to improve the shopping experience would like.. actually change anything. What is ‘brand loyalty’?! What is this principle that if people are able to live more comfortably they’ll be able to spend more money on luxuries?? She used to be less greedygrump once, but she gets more jaded every year and keeps bumping money higher and higher up her priority list, abandoning things that used to seem important. And similarly she’s become super ‘I don’t need anyone, I’m better off being alone’, and developed this strained relationship with her grand-nephew. I think maybe I could add another layer of sad to this, woo! I think she raised Quincy alone after his parents were Giant Assholes and ran off. Probably stole a bunch of the family money, probably left her with a failing business that they’d ruined with all their selfish decisions over the years, and an angry mob out for blood against the brand name. And Quincy was very sickly as a kid, so she had to work a lot, leading to the distant relationship and obsession with profit. But she’s become so obsessed and paranoid of losing her money even after it became less of a death sentence, and she just keeps working super hard even though now she has time to spend with her family. And she gets scared seeing Quincy grow up cos she remembers how his parents turned into absolute monsters when she used to trust them so much. Being distant is better than getting hurt again... and god damn why does he have his mother’s eyes...

So yeah, they’re a bit estranged, and you can potentially help with that, woo! But mostly during the main game you’ll just hear about her cos everyone is like ‘oh, are you from [grauntie’s brand name]? why don’t you have this thing, she always has it’ and Quincy is like ‘no, this is my own store.. we’re a small business.. but umm, we’re cheaper..’ He’s trying to step out from under her shadow and prove that her philosophy is wrong, so maybe he can bring back the loving grauntie that he remembers from his childhood. i think maybe the ending could be that she turns up to inspect his new shop and they have some sort of merchant showdown and like... even if Quincy loses he still ends up proving her wrong because she sees just how much everyone in this town cares about him and how he’s improved various parts of their life by bringing access to these imported goods and just generally being a supportive community member. Maybe there are some things more important than profit...

Oh and also I think she was the one responsible for helping out Blair and Dionne when they were running from their abusive parents, and that’s why the two of them are the most friendly with Quincy at the start of the game. They hadn’t seen each other since they were kids, and Blair is kinda like I Owe You A Blood Debt, Is There Anyone You Need Me To Stab Grauntie looks back on this as a moment of weakness tho, and that’s why she stopped keeping in touch with them, she’s embarassed she used to be so sentimental. Cos like.. she spent so much money helping set up these girls with their own house and she lost out on a business opportunity (it was a property she originally purchased to turn into a franchise store) She can’t stop thinking about how tight the funds were around that time and how if she messed up she could have lost her own kid for the sake of helping some other kids... But then she turns up in town and its like Oh No I Walked Down The Street By Accident *gets buried in blair hugs* And she can’t stop crying seeing how much they grew up, and then they’re all like “we’ve been trying to send you a cut of the cafe profits for the last seven years!” and she’s like “NOOOOO, KEEP IT” *even more embarassed at doing even more irrational sympathetic actions*

Also possibly she could get a crush on mayor grandma cos they are both grumpy badasses of opposite? Strength gran vs wisdom gran!

+++

so yeh i made a bunch of grans/demigrans of various kinds, and now I am thankfully satisfied with this story’s gremp quotient

#test game thing #but should i add more grandpas too??#regis kinda counts as one even though his role in the plot is as a dad #but i mean you could give him grandkids if you pick his son as your love interest route! :3

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shsl-seinen · 7 years

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45 questions...now that endgame has commenced

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Does your character have siblings or family members in their age group? Which one are they closest with?

Nope! She has no siblings and her mother’s gone up and left when she was young, so the closest she’s with is her father, whom of which she regrets not cherishing him enough before getting trapped in VR hell, so whoops! Sucks for you, Ai! (EDIT: I MISREAD THIS SLIGHTLY SO YOU GET EXTRA INFO ON AI’S THOUGHTS ABT HER DAD LOL) Speaking of mom…

What is/was your character’s relationship with their mother like?

Uhh not too well NOWADAYS, considering she left when Ai was young, but they spent time together watching TVs dramas and comedies and playing with Ai’s toys together and such, as Naoko (her mum’s name) was a stay-at-home mom. Nowadays Ai wonders how she is (in a bit of a more spiteful sense but…maybe it’s in a different sense now.) since she KNOWS her dad’s pretty lonely and a bit distraught for being left with her daughter (that resembles her a little too well, down to appearance, acrid tongue and drama love). …perhaps she’s forgotten about Ai and Yosuke by now. Speaking of THAAAT…

What is/was your character’s relationship with their father like?

Well, pretty distant and a bit one-sided, unfortunately. They were like any other cute father-daughter pair up until Naoko left, then Yosuke (dad’s name) became a bit distraught with being left a single dad. (He works as a nurse at a hospital!) Still, he took care of her nonetheless–then Ai started to become distant by middle school. Her working on her drawings and getting bullied and developing a bit of a sleazy, drama-loving personality and all–it REALLY started to hit by high school. Even if Ai was raking in cash with her manga and giving a portion of it to dad to help financially, she basically kept cooped up in her room and their interactions were mere greetings. Heck, she mostly ate meals in her room! A shame, really.

Edit: Regret. She…she feels regret.

Has your character ever witnessed something that fundamentally changed them? If so, does anyone else know?

THIS was a toughie. Perhaps one major thing was seeing Shoko Yazawa, the girl she indirectly gossiped about being a compensated dater, commit social suicide and basically disappear from Kameoka. She just…doesn’t feel comfy thinking about how she might actually be dead and how something that might have not even been true at ALL possibly cost her her social life. She may like drama, but she feels lies makes it…complicated? I can’t find the right word. Everything’s more authentic when it’s true and real, Ai feels.

EDIT: Cody’s deletion. It gave her the feeling that they very well may just be erased off the face of the Earth without feeling anything, in the blink of an eye. Mostly because, spoiler spoiler, Ai glitched out in the hospital space just like Cody but got spawned in a different area rather than deleted. So. Yeah. Scary.

EDIT 2: I GUESS DYING AND WHAT FOLLOWED AFTERWARD WAS AN EYE OPENER

On an average day, what can be found in your character’s pockets?

Out of game: strawberry gum/various candies, her phone, a spare pen/pencil or two just in case~! Not like she’d need to carry stuff in her pockets–she’s mostly a shut-in anyway!

In Telos Hell: Her ID, and…er, that’d…probably be it. I didn’t think this very through. In the case of what she often CARRIES (like, in her hands) it’d be snacks like pudding or candy and her sketchbook, I suppose.

Does your character have recurring themes in their dreams?

Erm…this took a while to answer since I never thought that Ai would have dreams–I lowkey imagined her to be one of those dreamless sleepers. Y’know, granted she doesn’t get much shut-eye in the first place? But I suppose her dreams often involve her being a shadow or a ghost of some sorts in a bit of a beat-up town, just watching the town go on (robberies, theft, murder, or just…regular things like a couple arguing or girls gossiping) as no one notices her.

Does your character have recurring themes in their nightmares?

This goes just as above, but I’ll list it out anyway: I feel something along the lines of all eyes and blinding lights always being on her wherever she tries to run, and all mouths (her classmates, her fans, her patrons her dad, her mom, Shoko) always speaking of her, revealing her gross nature in contrast to the mysterious but ladylike (??? I guess?) mangaka alias she pretends to be online. Maybe hands would be holding her down so she can’t run and has to face all the lights and all the people.

I figure she doesn’t have nightmares often, since, again, she doesn’t get much shuteye, but…ha

EDIT: Glitchy erasure has probably haunted her a few times nowadays.

Has your character ever fired a gun? If so, what was their first target?

Nope.

Is your character’s current socioeconomic status different than it was when they were growing up?

Pretty much! She didn’t grow up POOR but things were probably pretty tight at one point in her life, considering Yosuke soon became a single working dad in the middle of Ai’s childhood. As soon as she started raking in that Sweet Sweet Manga Cash, however, she was happy to set out a portion of her money for her dad, so they ended up okay and a little well off! (Not rich but u get what i mean, hopefully)

Does your character feel more comfortable with more clothing, or with less clothing?

More clothing–she just feels better that way.

In what situation was your character the most afraid they’ve ever been?

Hoo-wee. It’s…a liiittle hard to say.

Tora chapter 2 was a doozy, but she wasn’t as scared then as she was, say...witnessing Cody getting erased, or glitching out HERSELF way back in ch7 when she was in the hospital space. She just felt...terrified, feeling like she’d suddenly disappear without another word, AND without feeling anything.

In what situation was your character the most calm they’ve ever been?

Whenever she’s in her room, not disturbed by anyone, just browsing through social media idly with snacks on standby. Or asleep, considering … help this girl

Is your character bothered by the sight of blood? If so, in what way?

She really isn’t…at least, she thought she wasn’t. She’s gotten pretty used to the sight of blood as a kid, when she’d gotten the occasional bloody nose from bullying back in her school days, and ofc with her job revolving around illustrating violence and sometimes GORE, you get immune to it!

At least, you think you do. As quoted from what I put on that FE AU spreadsheet a longass while ago “Gore looks much…mushier than on paper.”

Ryouji’s dead corpse was a nice ‘ol REVELATION for Ai. Since the closest thing to shit like that was descriptions of shit from the hospital (thanks nurse dad) and anatomy charts and guro art she’s browsed, seeing a REAL corpse in such a situation was…a game changer.

At this point, Ai’s a bit immune to it lol. So many bodies, yanno? She’s now…scarily used to it. Of course, the nature and customization of the executions are…unnerving to her, sometimes. I’m talking to you, Ryouji, lmao (She’ll probably still be pretty unnerved if she…ever…wants to go back to drawing manga tho…I don’t think she will. She’ll take a longass break.)

Does your character remember names or faces easier?

Depends, I would think. Ingame: faces, but out of game, since she doesn’t really care for her classmates and real people and shit, she remembers names more. The internet is a far more vast place, after all.

Is your character preoccupied with money or material possession? Why or why not?

This is hard because I don’t think about this often myself

I guess she IS? She enjoys having things like snacks and desserts and tech around her, but she’s mostly just preoccupied with drama, relationships, fights and…people, I guess. I don’t have a good answer for this.

Which does your character idealize most: happiness or success?

I was about to say neither and point at “enjoyment”, but I guess…that could…sort of align with happiness? You can’t be a mangaka forever, and WHAT ELSE is she good for? Ha. She’d rather sit back and simply be able to enjoy a show rather than idealize shit like that. Life’s a show you can’t waste a minute to wake in!

…mm.

What was your character’s favorite toy as a child?

Dolls, probably. Y’know, er…the equivalent of Barbie dolls, I guess? I can’t go too into depth since I haven’t fleshed out her childhood all too much, but…dolls seem accurate for her. She’d like dressing them up, decorating the houses (if that was a thing…?) and sometimes even playing pretend with them, I’d imagine–and Naoko would honestly play along with her, I’d think!

Is your character more likely to admire wisdom, or ambition in others?

She admires the pettiness ambition of people around her, really. Just…seeing the lengths people would go for their goals, good or bad.

What is your character’s biggest relationship flaw? Has this flaw destroyed relationships for them before?

Like I said, she was literally alienated at the concept of people caring about her and her wellbeing.

Said alienation, initial refusal to accept praise of her, AND general nasty/careless/joking attitude, as well as her constant self-deprecation is a pretty fuckin’ big downer in relationships. Hell, part of her attitude already drives people away, she knows–might as well show she’s self-aware of it right?

…it’s definitely cost her potential friendships. Lots of ‘em.

In what ways does your character compare themselves to others? Do they do this for the sake of self-validation, or self-criticism?

Depends. …mostly the latter though. She knows she’s a piece of shit but occasionally she sees some people and goes “ok at least I’m not them tho lol”. Sorry Senji, Ryouji, some others I probably forgot to mention here. I still love you.

If something tragic or negative happens to your character, do they believe they may have caused or deserved it, or are they quick to blame others?

Oh hell yeah she thinks she deserves it. Karma, baby! Gotta love it.

What does your character like in other people?

Pettiness, wittiness, cunning, the ability to take a joke and make a joke–people who are laidback and careless enough to not be easily brought down. ok look masashi “hee-haw” oichi is a special case here, she thinks hee-haw is annoying but ill be damned if she doesnt eventually get used to it and admires masashi’s directness

What does your character dislike in other people?

Pettiness done WRONG to look like absolute immaturity…and on that note, people acting like loud immature brats in general, people who hold huge grudges over small and/or past events, haughtiness, tryhards (ok yes she can be a tad hypocritical but she’ll swear there’s a difference), people who (in her words, probs) have “sticks up their asses”…you surely get the gist.

How quick is your character to trust someone else?

LMAO NOT QUICK @ ALL (especially in a game like this) she can drop trust pretty quickly tho ;0

…once you do end up gaining her trust, though, it’s strong with just a liiitle bit of doubt. As soon as you break it tho, her trust in you AND others plummet down the fucking toilet so lol

EDIT: ok so i’ll be honest now that it’s endgame, the reason she seems more willing to believe lies in others than she probs should is that she believes in predictability and also me myself, the mun, am Fucking Dumbass and fall for the lies myself, so if i can’t see past them even if Ai in-characterly Can, then im sorry my dudes im Fucking Dumb :’O

How quick is your character to suspect someone else? Does this change if they are close with that person?

Pretty quick, but she won’t necessarily voice it until she has a good opportunity. If they’re close to her, and she trusts them, she won’t suspect them unless shit seriously starts pointing to them, then it starts getting 👀👀👀

How does your character behave around children?

[ai voice] i think the fuck not, goodbye

She doesn’t…handle children well.

How does your character normally deal with confrontation?

haha……………..she doesn’t (usually)

She literally watches drama from afar, you think she wanna get involved in shit?

…when she does deal with it, she replies as bluntly and honestly as possible so she can get it over with. confrontation? no thanks lol

…maybe she’ll add some sass when she finds a good opportunity if she wants to make the confronter feel like a dumbass or smth, or if it starts to piss her off.

How quick or slow is your character to resort to physical violence in a confrontation?

Ai…knows that violence in a losing battle for her. She’s weak. (….listen ryouji was already down in that one trial, ok) If a punch is thrown, she’ll either dodge and run, or take it and scuttle, tbh.

What did your character dream of being or doing as a child? Did that dream come true?

She didn’t really have those types of dreams as a kid, really?? But maybe her drawings as she grew up started to make her think of being an artist. And…well, it DID come true, right? …with, y’know, the cost of tons of potential friendships. And other shit. ha

What does your character find repulsive or disgusting?

Well, ONE thing is wasted opportunity, which is why, as you saw, Ai was PISSED at Ryouji when he was the chapter 6 culprit.

…okay, that’s very exaggerated for being listed and something “repulsive” to her, but…disgusting? ye.

Describe a scenario in which your character feels most comfortable.

Same spiel as the calm one, if you scroll up: in her room back at Kameoka, no one bothering her, the sound of rain and muffled thunder rumbles outside as she scrolls through the internet, snacks at her side while feeling cozy af in warm clothing/probably a blanket over her.

Describe a scenario in which your character feels most uncomfortable.

I can list a few, actually! A certain text conversation between Andrew and Ai during Chapter 6, CHPT4 MONOTHEATER IN TORA AND CHPT5 MONOTHEATER? IN TELOS I BELIEVE? Because there was a very down, depressed vibe goin’ on–mostly the reaction of the deaths and all that, and the feeling that…everyone’s in despair. And tense. It’s infectious, unfortunately.

…and also, er, tora chpt2 trial. You Know,

EDIT: Cody’s erasure lol

In the face of criticism, is your character defensive, self-deprecating, or willing to improve?

SELF-DEPRECATION, BABY ;0

Nowadays, thanks to the magic of Character Development, she’s starting to see that she can improve. So she does the third one more, now.

Is your character more likely to keep trying a solution/method that didn’t work the first time, or immediately move on to a different solution/method?

She’s definitely the type to keep trying a certain method a few times before moving on in frustration.

How does your character behave around people they like?

Laidback, and more open, with banter all around! If you’re someone she likes who has…made an impact on her (like Holly acting like a big sis for her, thanks holly ily) then she’ll still make jokes but not be as biting! She’ll try to be more lightheartedly jokey rather than have each joke be a diss.

How does your character behave around people they dislike?

Prepare for disses, eye rolls and snappy attitudes…or, er, just straight up disrespect and igonring.

Is your character more concerned with defending their honor, or protecting their status?

Protecting their status, most likely. She…has no honor, really.

Is your character more likely to remove a problem/threat, or remove themselves from a problem/threat?

*ahem*

abscond

Has your character ever been bitten by an animal? How were they affected (or unaffected)?

Nope! Never been bitten, and she certainly doesn’t plan to!

How does your character treat people in service jobs?

General respect and decency whenever she DOES go out for, say, groceries at 7/11 or something. She’d generally like to leave asap when she goes out though, so she does sometimes ask to, like, quicken the pace. What did the service job people ever do to her, anyhow, besides like, possibly make her wait? No disses here, thank god

Does your character feel that they deserve to have what they want, whether it be material or abstract, or do they feel they must earn it first?

Ai feels she doesn’t…deserve a lot of things she has, and definitely thinks that a lot of kids in Telos don’t deserve the shit they get thrown at them either (but, yes, there are some who she thinks do get what’s coming for them, but not many), so it’d be the latter, I suppose.

Has your character ever had a parental figure who was not related to them?

Nope. Easy answer.

Has your character ever had a dependent figure who was not related to them?

…not dependent, but…there’s one person who does a pretty good job trying to be one for her. (Spoiler alert it’s Holly, god bless this water polo player I love her so much get better soon athena ur great ily)

How easy or difficult is it for your character to say “I love you?” Can they say it without meaning it?

Pretty goddamn difficult. She thinks of it as a bit of a hard thing to say herself, but agrees it’s something thrown around way too much nowadays–which is, in part, why it’s hard for her to say. (Also she’s never really gotten it from anyone except her parents ha) Ai doesn’t and wouldn’t say it in general (unless it’s joking with friends but even THEN its rare bc Got Damn can’t have too much hypocricy) since it’s a bit overused in society and seems like a throwaway term w/o meaning. When she DOES wanna say it MEANINGFULLY, she’d really want to MEAN it, which is hard with…the kind of mindset she has on the word.

What does your character believe will happen to them after they die? Does this belief scare them?

She doesn’t know!

Which is exactly what scares her.

Not like she thinks about it often, though! (er…well…maybe she does now.)

Nor does she want to. :)

EDIT: this still goes unchanged but it goes to show, uh...what she might’ve thought when she was “dying” at the time.

#[👁about👁]#[🖥ooc🖥]#as of 6/17/17 i have drafted this and ill post it endgame :3c

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