#sorry for any choppy dialogue

[lizkreates]

Reflection ~A Trigun fan comic~ (Comic Script in the Keep Reading)

Context note: This takes place just after the events of TriMax Vol 10 on Brad’s ship going to December. I’m giving them more time on the trip because Livio grew a full-ass beard between pickup and drop-off (prob because of his healing factor, who knows.) Enjoy!

Vash's coffee is a reference to my first comic Black Coffee & Donuts!

Comic Script for Reflection: A Trigun Fan Comic

PAGE 1

Panel 1: Vash, with his hair down and dressed in his black undersuit, wakes up startled in a cold sweat. He clearly slept poorly bags under his eyes. It’s only been a day or two since he laid Wolfwood to rest.

Panel 2: A full body shot of him stepping out of the bed, his Colt weight down his hip, face obscured.

Panel 3: He leans over the counter in front of a mirror, shoulders hunched, head hanging.

Panel 4: He looks up, hand covering the remaining blonde of his hair so it appears full black. Large pale portraits of Rem and Wolfwood flank Vash on each side in the background.

Vash: Rem, Wolfwood, you both sacrificed everything. Funny isn’t it that I’m beginning to look more like you?

PAGE 2

Panel 1: Vash flashes back to a moment when he and Wolfwood walked side by side in the arid desert of No Man’s Land.

Vash: Wolfwood, you were there every day by my side, now I'm alone again. 

Panel 2: Another flashback to a moment Vash and Wolfwood sat on the edge of a rooftop and looked out over the cityscape to the stars pricking the sky.

Vash: There was so much unsaid between us.

Panel 3: A fresh flashback to the couch, where Vash held Wolfwood's hand in his final moments.

Vash: I wish I had known how to tell you that I loved you before it was too late.

Panel 4: A dramatic crop of half of Vash’s lower face, tears streaming down his cheeks as he cries out.

PAGE 3

Panel 1: Livio, a tall, tan, broad-shoulder, white-haired man with a tribal tattoo over his left eye, dressed in a white shirt and black pants, bursts through the bedroom door concerned.

Livio: Mr. Vash, I heard crying, are you okay?!

Panel 2: Vash looks over, a little comically rattled and surprised

Vash: Livio?

Panel 3: Close-up of Vash’s lower face smiling, a tear rolling down his face.

Vash: I’m alright.

Panel 4: A blank Panel, filled with still air

Vash: Actually.

Panel 5: Big Panel, Vash crying into the crook of his arm.

Vash: I'm not... I miss him. I can’t stop missing him.

PAGE 4

Panel 1: Vash rubs the tears from his eyes, Livio grabs his arm shamefully, his body language clearly showing regret and discomfort.

Livio: I’ll uh, leave you to it, and see myself out.

Vash: It’s okay, I just didn’t want anyone to see me like this.

Panel 2: Close-up of Livio looking down.

Livio: It’s better to let yer feelin’s out than to hide ‘em and let ‘em fester, I should know.

Panel 3: Livio turns to the side and a sad snot stream runs down his nose he was trying to keep in. Livio is very much struggling allowing himself to miss Wolfwood. He doesn’t feel like, he should even though he desperately does.

Sounds effects: sniff

Vash: Now who’s keeping in their feelings? Let it out! He was your friend too, wasn’t he? You deserve to cry too.

Panel 4: Livio smiles sheepishly. He wants to make Wolfwood proud of him first.

Livio: Yeah, I suppose he was, all this time. But I don’t think I’ve earned that right yet.

Panel 5: Livio’s stomach growls LOUDLY. Draw in a chibi style, breaking the tension.

Sound effects: grumble

Panel 6: Drawn in chibi style, Vash waves around his noddle arms and Livio’s mood brightens, grinning with excitement.

Vash: Oh, are you hungry?

Livio: Hell yeah, I am!

Vash: What would you like?

Livio: Uh, pancakes!

Vash: Alright, pancakes it is!

PAGE 5

Panel 1: They sit down and eat at a retro 50s-style diner booth in a small nook of the ship. Livio swirls the last of his pancake in syrup on the plate. Vash cradles a black coffee with both hands looking at Livio.

Vash: Hey, Livio, what do you want to do when this is all over?

Livio: Dunno, maybe wander around for a while or return to the orphanage to help make up for what I and the other guy did.

Panel 2: Livio hangs his head, eyebrows worried.

Livio: If I can be honest with ya, I'm scared to face them.

Panel 3: Zoomed out drawn in chibi style to break the tension. Livio shivers.

Vash: Is that scarier than Elendira?

Sound effects: shivers

Panel 4: They laugh.

Livio: Well, when ya put it like, hell no!

Vash: Haha!

Panel 5: Extreme close-up of Livio’s eyes softening as he remembers back to his time at the orphanage.

Livio: I think he’d like that. They were my first real family.

Panel 6: Vash is hit with a sudden realization, Livio has no one right now. In a misty background, he remembers when Razlo cried out after Wolfwood did in Master Chapel.

Vash (internal): Wolfwood, you left Livio in my care... so we wouldn’t be alone.

Razlo (background): ...I’m all alone again!

PAGE 6

Panel 1: Close-up of Vash with the sincerest smile.

Vash: I hope you know you’re not alone. You have me now.

Panel 2: Livio’s face contorts sorrowfully.

Livio/Razlo (internal): I don’t deserve this.

Livio: Mr. Vash I --

Vash: Wait, before you say anything...

Panel 3: Zoom out so we can see both of them and the table. Vash extends his leg as he digs deep into his pants pocket. Livio leans on the table watching him.

Vash: I know that we don’t know each other well yet, but he trusted you with me and I trusted him, wholly and completely, so…

Panel 4: Extreme close-up, Vash pulls out 2 black leather wristbands with silver latches.

PAGE 7

Panel 1: Vash offers Livio a wristband while holding one for himself in the same hand.

Vash: Here. One for you, one for me. I used a strap from his cross to make it, so part of him will always be with us.

Panel 2: Livio puts the wristband on his left hand.

Livio: Thank you.

Panel 3: Extreme close-up of Livio’s non-tattooed eye, tears pricking his lashes.

Livio: I hope one day I can repay yer kindness.

Panel 4: They fist bump wristbands in view.

Vash: Welcome to the family, Livio.

PAGE 8

Panel 1: A large portrait of Wolfwood with his sunglasses and back turned, fills the background, smiling as he holds his cigarette in his hand.

Livio: Hey, Mr. Vash?

Vash: Mm?

Livio: Would you mind tellin’ me a lil more about him… Wolfwood? Ya see, we were close at the orphanage as kids, but I don’t know who he became. I’ll understand if you don’t want to, you owe me absolutely nothin’.

Panel 2: A close-up of Vash’s coffee, Wolfwood’s staple morning drink, Vash’s reflection smiles back, tears in his eyes.

Vash: I’d love to.

PAGE 9

Panel 1: Bonus! Sometime later.  Drawn in chibi style.

Livio: Can I hug ya?

Vash: Sure, buddy!

Panel 2: They hug, Vash smiles, and Livio whimpers as he lets out the waterworks. He’s thankful for Vash’s kindness.

Panel 3: This sets Vash off, who also sobs. They cry in each other’s arms.

#Trigun #Trigun Maximum #TriMax #spoilers #Trigun Spoilers #Vashwood #Vash #Vash the Stampede #Livio #Livio the Double Fang #Nicholas D Wolfwood #Wolfwood #my art #tw character death mention #food #TrigunStampede #NO BETA WE DIE LIKE GUNG-HO-GUNS #sorry for any choppy dialogue #shoved a lot in here but wanted to touch on Trigun's running themes like loneliness and family #and Vash being heart wrenchingly kind #vash privately mourning wolfwood was a good move on nightow's part but my guy I needed to see some tears to fill the hole in my heart #take that trust line as you will to fit your narrative :3 #i love these 3 idiots (affectionate) a lot and I can't fit all I want to say in the tags #this spawned from an art mistake I noticed in the manga #livio's wristbands changed from 2 to 3 at some point #it looked suspiciously like a strap from Wolfwood's cross and the rest is history #and i needed more bonding time between vash and livio #and for them to know they aren't alone in this fight #i 100% think livio would struggle mourning ww and becoming worthy to do so #I needed this so maybe someone needs it too

[gifti3]

Okay i wrote this in record time for me. i just got the urge and boom here it is. I wanted to get this out fast so I didn't forget about it.

I called it a CEO AU but honestly its just an AU where MC works as Lucifer's assistant and is ready to wrap up this part of their life and move on to different work.

All the brothers are mentioned in this. And this can be whatever you want honestly. Platonic not so platonic. Maybe MC is dating one of them, maybe not. I kept it pretty vague!

MC is gender neutral.

_________________________

_________________________

"What is this?"

You push the envelope forward. "My letter of resignation."

Maybe it was a bit much handing it to him in person like this, but emailing just felt too cold. And yea he was your boss, but you considered Lucy a friend too and wanted to leave on the best note possible.

"I know you're busy but I wanted to let you know asap so we can plan accordingly."

Surprising to you, Lucifer seems slightly caught off guard. "Did you find new work?"

You nod with a smile. "Yep! It’s pay and benefits aren't as good but it's practically my dream job."

Lucifer observes you. It was obvious that working as his assistant was a lot of stress on you. Asmodeus mentioned your frustrations to him several times. But you always pulled through in the end. 

Did he overestimate you? No, overwork you?

"When do you leave?"

"2 weeks!"

-------

"They're literally going to the other side of the world you guys!"

“They’re what!?” Mammon responds, bewildered.

"They're moving to the other side of the world! A completely different country--this sucks!" Asmodeus lays his head down in his arms.

Unease fills the meeting room. This was new information to the rest of the brothers, including Lucifer. MC had never mentioned anything about moving and now an unwanted change had become much more unpleasant.  

-------

"Hey MC! Why didn't ya mention ya were moving to the other side of the world?" Mammon approaches from the meeting room, wasting no time.

"Ohhh... right, I forgot to mention that part to everyone. But it wasn't really that important honestly."

“What do ya mean it’s not important. It’s kind of a big deal!”

"....Okay yeah you're right, but it honestly slipped my mind. By the way, not on the other side of the world. Asmo likes to exaggerate, I swear. Either that or his geography could use some polishing."

You continue dropping random items from inside your desk into a box. You still had a week and half left but you wanted to take all your personal non-work stuff home to avoid forgetting anything. You were honestly surprised by how much unnecessary crap had found its way into the desk. It was a stark difference compared to your first couple of months working here.

When you first started, it sucked honestly. If it wasn't for the amazing pay you would have quit fairly quick. 

The first several months were rough, but with time you started getting used to working for the overbearing perfectionist that was Lucifer. Things started to feel routine, you could access possible issues before they happened. And Lucifer’s brothers coming in and out of this building stopped being an annoyance and began to be something to look forward to. You made friends with each and every one of them. Then even Lucifer eventually came around. And before you knew it had been 4 years.

You always thought about moving on to new work but would forget about it and go back to the usual routine. But recently, you were starting to feel content--no resigned. Like "I guess I could stay here forever…" resigned. And it scared you! So you immediately started job searching more seriously and your months of work paid off.

But I'm still gonna miss this place.

Next, Asmo is out of the room. He walks straight for you and wraps you in a tight hug. "MC don't leave us please!"

"I must--AH you're squeezing me too hard!"

He loosens his hold. "Sorry."

You pat his arm.

“Aren't ya gonna miss me--us? Whatever new people ya meet couldn't measure up to the Great Mammom!”

"That’s definitely true, but I need to spread my wings and fly you guys. Hmm…that sounded better in my head."

You notice Leviathan standing off to the side listening so you give him a smile. 

"Levi, why are you standing over there?"

He jumps but makes his way over from your prompting.

"S-So you really found your dream job. It sucks you're leaving but maybe it's a good thing too…"

You nod. "It's new and a little scary, but just consider it me starting a new arc in life."

"And honestly if you guys really want to talk to me, then keep in touch. You literally all have my number."

Unfortunately, that doesn't seem to help much for cheering up Levi or the other two.

Fortunately though, Satan appears before the silence becomes unbearable.

"So you're finally escaping Lucifer MC?”

"Ha! I guess you could put it that way..."

Asmo crosses his arms, his frown deepening. "Please don't let him overhear that."

Satan shows what he's hiding behind his back. "I'll miss your company but I'd like to send you off on the right foot so I brought you a couple of items."

He hands you the gift bag.

"If this isn't a book, I'll be shocked," you say.

You peep inside and realize there's multiple things.

A hardback book from a series you and Satan are currently reading (of course), a neck pillow, and a kitty eye mask.

"Oh wait there's something else."

You dig in and pull out a bracelet. But not just any bracelet. A very limited edition one. It was official merch for one of your favorite series, but you couldn't afford it at the time when it was released.

"What the heck, how'd you find this? This came out years ago!"

"Lots of online searching, and thanks to Levi and Asmo we found a somewhat reasonable price to all pitch in for."

You put the bracelet on. 

“And in such a short time too…Im.never taking this off!” 

You grin. “Well…now I gotta hug you all!”

Before he responds you're crushing Satan, managing to fluster him. You then pull (a blushing) Levi and then Asmo in for a hug, the latter eagerly returning it. 

“No way ya guys are making me look bad,” Mammon says.

"Get in on the collab next time!" Asmo quips.

“Don't worry Mammon, I'll give you a hug later.”

“What? I didn't say anything about a hug…”

“So you don't want one. Got it.”

“Hold on, wait a second…”

You smirk and shake your head. “Okay help me move my stuff you guys so we have a reason to keep talking.”

-------

"Is Belphie still ignoring me?"

Beel nods. "Sorry MC. I think he just needs more time to process."

The other day after leaving the meeting room the youngest made a beeline for the elevator. He didn't even look your way.

"Ah he wounds me..."

"I'll talk to him. Maybe eating out together would help clear the air?"

“Oo, you, me and Belphie. Let's do it!”

Beel smiles that way you love and you give him a sudden hug. It couldn’t be helped, you had a soft spot for the two youngest brothers.”

“Beel, I’m gonna miss you so much!”

He returns the hug. "Me too. I wish you didn’t have to leave, but what makes you happy is most important."

You pull back to look at his face. “I swear you're way more mature than some of your older brothers.”

-------

As your last day gets closer and closer, the brothers (6 out of 7 at least) accept your impending departure. And along with that came endless gifts. It was like Satan triggered a competition to see who could do better. And it looked like you'd have to spend extra money on moving all this extra stuff that had been dumped on you.

Especially after that shopping spree Asmo took you on.

Start your new life with a new wardrobe MC!

Even Belphie had gotten over his initial shock after your dinner with him and Beel and gifted you several items. 

Please make sure to answer mine and Beel’s messages right away.

Don't worry I won't miss any of you or your brother's texts!

Who's talking about those others?

You chuckle at the memory. Belphie was too much sometimes.

You shake your head and sniffle. 

….Oh god. 

You wouldn't see them in person like this anymore! These moments with them. They would be far and few between once you started your new job.

And for some reason while you're surrounded by half packed boxes in your home, it’s finally hitting you.

Your phone pings and you wipe your eyes.

A text from Lucifer.

That was the last person you expected. He hasn't really been talking to you much outside of work since you gave him your resignation, and even then it was purely professional. It made you feel bad. Like your relationship had regressed.

So you quickly respond.

L: Did you already schedule transportation to the airport?

M: of course 👍 don’t wanna wait last minute

L: Make sure you double check the dates too.

M: lucy are you gonna miss me? :3c

If you didn’t bring it up, he might not say it out right.

L: You're so troublesome.

L: But yes, I will miss you.

L: And I honestly don't understand why you're leaving.

You stare at the messages. How were you supposed to respond to that?

M: i have to. it's what i want to do with my life…

L: Okay. Make sure you're on time tomorrow.

That's it? 

You let out an annoyed sigh.

-----

You're in Lucifer's office first thing in the morning. He looks up with you with a raised eyebrow when you barge in.

You drag a seat directly in front of his desk so he’s forced to look at you. "We are handling this right now. I want to leave here with no loose ends"

"What is there to handle exactly? Youre leaving this job in 3 days to start your new one."

"Lucifer, you're obviously upset at me and I want you to be happy for me....like everyone else."

"I'm not like everyone else."

"Obviously, everyone is different. You're all different. That's not what I meant..."

You take a deep breath, lean forward and rest your arms on his desk. "Be vulnerable with me this one time. I know you're going to miss me but I feel like that's not enough for you to be so cold towards me like this..." 

He’s quiet.

"Please Lucy?"

"...I don't want you to leave. The idea that I won't get to see you easily bothers me."

He looks away

"And I feel like I'm the reason you're leaving."

Oh.

“I'm so sorry, I know sometimes I joke around with your brothers but Lucifer it's not actually you. Work like this has always been stressful for me. It's always been. And I just happened to find where my limit was in this particular job.”

“I love you and all your brothers but my final goal was to always aim for work that would be easier on me mentally in a place where it was enough to sustain me. I just got too used to being here.”

"You handle every situation so calmly though. You're always on top of everything

"Heh my acting skills are just that good! But you're starting to understand I hope?"  

He crosses his arms. “I can’t be happy about you leaving MC.”

Your brows furrow.

“But I suppose I can support you going for what you really want.”

“You know what…I’ll take it!” You rest your head on your arms.

He smirks. “Now get out, I'm busy. We can talk more afterwards.”

#its kind choppy but i just wanted to explore feelings and everyone having to say goodbye! #yay okay time to put this AU to rest #get the shovel! #obey me nightbringer #obey me #obey me x mc #obey me x reader #obey me lucifer #obey me mammon #oh my god do i gotta tag all of them!? #obey me leviathan #obey me satan #obey me asmodeus #obey me beelzebub #obey me belphegor #im open to criticism for this cause imma be honest the amount of attention i pay to asmo is much greater than everyone else #so im not that comfortable writing dialogue for them yet #sorry for any grammar issues too btw #obey me lucifer x mc #i have to hes getting mad focus here #obey me lucifer x reader #for free?!

[blueisquitetired]

When you got time, do you have any tips on writing Ingo and Emmets dialogue? I really like how you write them but I can't seem to get their speech down. It's mainly Ingos which is annoying since he canonical has more dialogue than Emmet.

Oh thank you!! I’m glad you enjoy- writing these boys dialogue is one of my favorite parts of writing and has made me seriously consider how I write speech for every character I do. It’s been great practice!

Okay, actual advice time lol.

HOW TO WRITE INGO AND EMMET

(According to me, Blue)

(Now, keep in mind that there isn’t one true way to write the boys, and this is just how I personally write them. Take this with a grain of salt)

When you’re first starting out writing the boys I recommend writing dialogue in your own voice and then submasifying it.

For example, let’s take this dialogue and transform it:

“Sorry I’m late for work! My dog chewed through my nice pants so I had to find some new ones! It’s been a bit of a rough day today, not gonna lie.”

So starting with Ingo-

Ingo talks extremely formally and is super long winded. When writing dialogue for him, try to imagine a fancy British butler who uses long words and long sentences. Replace normal words with more “fancy” ones and use more words then you really need to. (A thesaurus can be extremely useful for this)

“My sincerest apologies for my tardy arrival!”

Then, pepper in train terms as much as possible. If he goes three sentences without saying something train related, find a way to stick one in. If you’re stuck, look up a list of train words and take inspiration (I’ll include a list of train expressions I commonly pull from at the bottom of the post) (Make sure to use “Bravo!” and “All aboard!” whenever applicable as well)

“I awoke to the unpleasant surprise of joltik holes in my trousers this morning- which delayed my cab significantly as I was forced to find an undamaged pair!”

I personally strive to use consonants (stuff like I’d, we’ll, don’t) as little as possible with the boys. For Emmet it’s to add to the choppiness of his dialogue and for Ingo it’s because that man would rather use fifty words when one will do. (It also makes them sound more professional!)

“Honestly, after a morning like this one, I pray that the remainder of today’s tracks prove to be much smoother.”

Another thing to keep in mind is that Ingo is extremely polite while Emmet is a bit more blunt. Try to use titles like “sir” and “miss” when writing Ingo- and then just don’t bother with Emmet.

Next up is Emmet, who I personally find much harder then Ingo! Unlike Ingo who’s dialogue you need to add words to, Emmet you need to subtract and simplify! This is the post I originally read to kinda get the jive of things, but here’s my pointers!

First off, figure out what concepts the are being expressed in your sentence, and split those apart.

“Sorry I’m late for work!” has two parts- an apology and an acknowledgment that the person is late. For Emmet we would want to split this single sentence into two.

“I am Emmet! I am late! Sorry!”

Next is vocal ticks! Emmet has several, and they should ideally be sprinkled in sparingly through his dialogue. (You can see that I used ‘I am Emmet’ in the previous section)

‘I am Emmet’ should be used when he is joining a conversation or when he’s about to say something about himself. It CAN be used more then once in a single conversation- but try not to overdo it.

‘Verrrrrrrry’ is another one! Other submas authors have him roll the r on other words as well, but I stick with verrrrrry. This one is easy to use- just extend the word very with extra Rs and use very whenever naturally applicable.

‘Yup’ is one as well- and one I admittedly don’t use often. It rarely jives with the way I write Emmet so I usually don’t bother- but you should definitely keep it in mind!

And of course, train terms! Less often then Ingo of course (since he says less words in general) but if you can find a way to fit it in, go for it.

“The joltiks chewed holes in my pants! Verrrrry naughty. Had to find new pants. Holey pants do not pass safety checks! Yup!”

Finally, the man likes his patterns! When writing Emmet it’s a good idea to have his Blubapedia page open nearby so you can just steal chunks of his script from that. (You can, and should do this for Ingo too!)

“Bad morning. Oh well. Follow the schedule! Everybody smile! All aboard!”

Of course, the man is perfectly capable of speaking longer sentences- but when and where he does so is up to the author.

All that being said, it’s important to remember that you’ll likely have to attempt their dialogue a few times before getting a sentence to flow right. Even for these examples I had to do a couple takes until I found one that really worked!

Here’s a couple of other notes for writing Pokémon characters in general:

Watch out for expressions and words that use animals. (like beeline or ‘in the dog house’) Try to replace those words with their Pokémon counterparts- (such as combeeline [which I’ve typed so many times I’ve started using internally in my day to day life]) or something that sounds close enough (like if your censoring f***, ducklett doesn’t work nearly as good as duck. So try muk instead!)

Do your best to replace religious swears with Pokémon religion! Instead of heavens, or the big G word, use words like, ‘Dragons!’ Or ‘Sweet Swords of Justice!’ (Of course, these are Unovan swears. For Hisui you should be using things like ‘Sinnoh’ and ‘great Time!’. Other regions have their own legendaries as well)

And finally, my list of train terms I pull from regularly!

Cab (or car): To refer to one’s body

“I am afraid my cab is in need of repairs.”

Tracks: A plan or intended route

“Very well! I will follow the tracks you have set!”

Destination: The goal or like, the actual destination

“Bravo! Your talent has brought you to the destination called victory!”

Station (or terminal): A location

“Very well! Let us set our tracks to the Pearl Clan’s station!”

Two Car Train (or three or four or whatever number you need): Friends or a team

“Emmet and I are a two car train!”

Couple (opposite being uncoupled): To join together

“I must ask that you couple your car to mine as we make our way through here. It can get quite dangerous!”

Engine: Another term for your body, but more specifically in regards to energy or drive

“I’m afraid I must rest my engine.”

Refuel: Eat.

“It is getting quite late- let us take a break to refuel.”

Conducting: Guiding

“I look forward to conducting you on this endeavor!”

Derailment (or collision, wreck, trainwreck): Something that has gone wrong.

“Apologies. It appears I have been derailed.”

Unscheduled (opposite being scheduled): Something unexpected

“Ah! A cave in! It appears we must make an unscheduled stop.”

Passenger: Person (or Pokémon)

“It appears we have picked up some unexpected passengers!”

Conductor: Ingo sometimes uses this to refer to himself (works especially well in Hisui)

“Passenger, please refrain from stabbing the conductor”

Delay: Something happening later then scheduled

“Apologies for the delay! Let us begin!”

Sidetracked: put off course

“Ah, but now I have sidetracked us with this talk.”

All aboard!: Good conversation ender 💙

“ALL ABOARD!!!”

#submas #blue askbox #blue’s writing #subway master ingo #subway master emmet #writing tips

[sagau-my-beloved]

You’re probably swamped with asks and I’m so sorry to add another but your writing of Venti and the SAGAU real-world AU is so good! If you’re still accepting can we have a drabble of Venti meeting creators parents? Thank you so much and please make sure you’re getting plenty of rest ❤️

Something of a Family Reunion

Thank you very much, but it's only one 1 am, so I think I'll probably be fine for now—

I've actually been trying really hard to avoid using gendered pronouns along with the phrase (Y/n), but I really physically don't think I can get around it this time without making my dialogue choppy, so I apologize for that, reader is also explicitly female here

Warnings: general sagau, mentions of readers parents, mild cussing

-

He had been with you for over a year now.

You knew this was coming.

Things were getting more serious, well it's not as if they weren't serious from day one when he barged into your house and claimed you were a God, but this was a completely different kind of serious.

"My love, I'm almost packed." Venti practically sung, carrying a rather large suitcase as he rushed past you to put it in the car.

Ever since the beginning he had wanted to know everything about you, including all the people you were either related to or chose to hang out with.

You had managed to put it off this long, but you should have known he would have set something up behind your back.

Then again, it was kind of more right in front of your face.

You happened to get a call from your mother, and he happened to answer first, despite the amount of times you told him not to pick up the phone.

Cheerful and smooth as always, never making anything but a good first impression.

You did manage to get the phone back about five minutes later, but the damage had already been done.

You and him were now taking a rather long road trip to get to your parents, no ifs ands or buts about it.

You had felt a strong desire to yell at him after that, stronger than usual at least, but the way that he looked at you, apologetic but beaming.

You knew that he wanted this, and you knew that it was partly your fault for putting it off so long.

As much as you wanted to, you couldn't bring yourself to blame him for it.

You were pulled immediately out of your thoughts as he boomeranged back around, giving you a quick peck before going to grab the last bit of luggage.

You hadn't seen him this excited since he found that sale on wine a few months ago—

The car was finally packed, both of you in your respective seats.

You were obviously driving, leaving Venti to take up the responsibilities that come with the passenger seat.

He was insistent not to turn on the radio, claiming that he was perfectly capable of simply providing music himself for the four hour ride.

You had to give him credit, he did go a solid hour.

When he seemed relatively tired out you decided to just talk instead.

"So, same rules as when we're in public, no 'your grace', none of that 'creator' business, and absolutely no mentions of 'God' when referring to either me or you. And I shouldn't have to say don't mention Teyvat at all."

You two had already gone over this before you left, and after it was decided that you were going to come over about a week ago, but you really couldn't afford any mistakes on this.

"Of course, I wouldn't dream of doing such a thing."

Venti laughed at how you practically rolled your eyes, he really should have been taking this more seriously.

"Well, we're only staying there for a few days, I really should have just booked a hotel." The last part you said more to yourself than him.

Booking a hotel was your original plan before your mom just had to emphasize that they had a spare room, and it would be such a shame not to use it in an opportunity like this.

The idle chitchat between the two of you made the time go by quicker, and before you knew it, you were driving into the same driveway you remembered from all those years ago.

Venti was basically bouncing in his seat, you could see metaphorical stars in his eyes as he practically jumped out of the car.

You got out yourself and physically grabbed him by the shirt to pull him back, he almost fell into you and gave you a confused look.

"Remember what I said." There was warning behind those words, and a promise of something if he didn't heed it.

"Of course my love, I won't mess up, I promise." He gave you a small smile of reassurance, one that satisfied you enough to let him go.

You walked to the door, your nerves climbing higher and higher at every step until they were practically in your throat.

You hesitated for a moment before knocking, giving very serious consideration to just turning around and immediately going back.

It wasn't as if you didn't like your parents, of course you loved them, but this just had 'bad situation' written all over it.

Your hesitation was in vain because the door quickly opened before you even had the opportunity to let out a single knock.

"(Y/n)!" your mother quickly embraced you in a hug before pulling back at arm's length to look you over, "It's been too long, you really should call me more, I've been so worried about you recently you know."

You only managed to let out a nervous laugh. She looked at the same as ever, sometimes you wondered if she would ever look any different.

"Right sorry, things have just been a bit hectic lately." You weren't lying, you just couldn't tell her exactly how much you were telling the truth.

Her eyes drifted over to Venti who stood straight, you assumed to make himself look a bit taller.

She seemed to be taken by slight surprise, her eyes widened ever so slightly before returning to their same inviting look.

You mentally cursed at yourself for only just now realizing that it would be kind of surprising how young Venti looked, could you even manage to convince them that he was over twenty-one when he had quite literally nothing to prove it?

"This much be Venti right? The one I've heard so little about?"

That, of course, was a direct jab at you. You could feel guilt seeping at how secretive you'd been about this whole thing, but it wasn't as though you really had a choice.

"Yes ma'am, it's very nice to meet you, I love your daughter greatly." The sincerity in the way he said it almost caused you to blush.

Your mom just laughed at that, "Well come in, both of you, me and your dad can help you unpack a bit later."

Oh right, your dad...

Venti took your arm in his as you both went into the modest house, although even while being modest it beat the place you were currently living at.

Your dad, who was previously sitting on the living room couch, rose to meet you at the door.

"Well it's about time, and here I thought we might never see you again."

You smiled slightly as you gave him a hug, it had been a while, and you would be lying to yourself if you said you hadn't missed them both.

When you both had pulled away he looked over to see Venti at your side, a brief flicker of a similar expression your mom held crossed his face for a moment, causing your stomach to drop slightly.

"This is Venti, he was the one who set this up to begin with."

Your dad gave him a quick once over, but Venti's smile didn't faulter even slightly.

Instead, he simply extended his hand, one which your dad accepted after a moment of hesitation.

"Nice to meet you sir, I've heard a lot about you."

That was a pretty blatant lie, you never really talked about your parents to him, but you had to stop yourself from laughing at the formal way Venti said it.

'Ma'am'? 'Sir'?? You almost felt the need to compare him to Zhongli.

"Hey," you turned at your mothers voice to find that she was beckoning you to the kitchen, "Come give me a hand won't you?"

You let out a quick "Be right there" before grabbing Venti's arm and physically pulling him with you.

You received no protest from him.

Your mother looked over towards you when you entered, putting down the knife she was using to chop vegetables.

She looked over at Venti, giving him a small smile before hurting you out of the kitchen rather quickly.

"What are you—"

"So, that's your boyfriend then?"

You didn't quite like the way she phrased it, a tone that was on the borderline between accusing and worried.

"And uh, how did you two meet? How much younger than you is he exactly?"

You knew this would be brought up eventually, so you made sure to study your voice before calmly speaking, "He's twenty-one." That number was missing a few zeroes, but you had a feeling they would have an even harder time believing you on that one.

Your mom just pursed her lips, stuck between the option of believing and not believing your statement. It's not as if she had any reason not to believe it, other than his general appearance looking a bit younger than that.

She chose to drop it, walking back to the kitchen as you followed suit.

You both walked in to find Venti meticulously cutting vegetables.

"Oh! God I'm sorry, there's no need for you to do that. I can take care of it."

Your mother quickly rushed in to take the knife, her instincts not to let guest do any work kicking in at high speeds.

"I'm going to go start unpacking while you finish that."

Your mom barely had time to register what you said before you had grabbed Venti and left the kitchen.

You both went out to the car before he stopped you, putting his hands on both sides of your face as he gave you a worried look, "What's wrong? You seem nervous."

You practically laughed at that, "Nervous? Now what possible reason do I have to be nervous?"

His frown deepened at your sarcasm.

Venti pressed a gentle kiss on your nose and gave you a smile, "Don't stress yourself out so much, nothing bad is going to happen."

You wanted to believe him, really, you did. But your outlook on this entire situation was getting dimmer by the second.

"It didn't even occur to me before we got here how young you looked, I told my mom you were twenty-one, what a lie that was."

Venti giggled at that, "That is just slightly off."

You let out of breath as you tried to clear your mind for a moment, to let yourself believe that this would all work out. He stood there looking at you the entire time, eye's filled with such profound feeling.

Venti almost regretted making you come here, putting this stress on you, being the direct cause of it in a way. All he could do to make it up to you was give back to you in this way, to reassure you that he would do everything in his power to make this go well.

After you had calmed down slightly, you both grabbed a few suitcases and moved them inside, you directing him to the spare room.

It was your old room, though it looked nothing like it had when you lived in it.

Once you had finished explaining that this was the room you had spent the majority of your time living here in, Venti's excitement pretty much shot through the roof.

He jumped onto the bed immediately, sprawling out, barely able to restrain his mind from thinking about all times you had laid in this exact spot.

You plopped down next to him and he immediately gravitated towards you, clinging to your waist.

You couldn't help but laugh slightly as you patted his head, allowing him to rest on your lap.

After about five minutes you pushed him off, despite his protests, choosing to open a suitcase and start unpacking instead.

You weren't able to get very far before your mom called you both for dinner.

Another bundle of nerves decided the best resting spot would be directly on top of your chest, because it was getting harder and harder to breathe at the thought of sitting at a table together for roughly an hour with nothing but small talk.

Venti could tell by your facial expressions exactly what you were feeling and pulled you into a hug, giving you a kiss as he whispered how he wasn't going to mess up and remembered everything you told him.

The beginning of dinner wasn't quite awkward as much as it was quiet, nobody seemingly wanting to be the first person who spoke.

Your mother did eventually break the silence, looking straight at Venti while doing so, "So, you've been together for a year right? I don't believe (y/n) ever told me how you two met."

Venti sat for a moment, looking almost as if he was recalling the memory fondly, "Well we met through a mutual friend actually, he introduced me, and I knew as soon as I saw her that I very much wanted to get to know her."

You guessed that some of that was partly true, at the very least your mother seemed to believe it.

"So your name," your dad spoke next, "is it Italian?"

"Yes actually, although I'm not."

You wondered for a second how he knew that, before resigning yourself to the fact he probably wouldn't tell you.

"We're just so glad (y/n) has found someone they like." Your mother cut in, giving that all too familiar patient smile, "We were worried for a while she wasn't ever going to date anyone."

"Mom."

Your mother simply responded by laughing, "It's true, you never really made connections with people easy."

The more that came out of her mouth the more embarrassed you were starting to feel.

"Well, I would never have guessed that, your daughter is actually a very popular person, I know quite a few people that care for her greatly." Venti spoke in a way that was practically laced with praise and good intentions, wanting so strongly to announce you as the most important person in his world.

You simply responded by clearing your throat and taking another bite of the food in front of you.

"So where are you from then?"

You mentally cringed at that question from your dad, you were hoping to avoid it at least a bit longer.

Before Venti had the opportunity to fumble for an answer you 'accidentally' knocked over your glass of water, startling them all.

"Oh shit sorry, complete accident—"

You darted off in the kitchen to grab a towel as your mom followed you.

It took a moment for you to get yourself dried off, and by the time you got back, both your dad and Venti were debating about alcohol.

You rolled your eyes and use the towel to wipe off the remaining water on the table, "Well, this has been pleasant, thank you very much for the meal, but I think I'm going to go ahead and retired to the room, tired from the long drive and all."

There were general murmurs of disappointment amongst your parents before they both wished you good night, adamant on the fact you would all do something together tomorrow.

You simply replied with a nod and walked away as Venti followed you quickly.

You practically buried your face into the pile of pillows when you finally found yourself comfortably laying on the bed.

"Well, it wasn't that bad now, was it?"

You had to admit that could have gone a lot worse, you couldn't even imagine what answer he would have given for where he was from.

You hummed in acknowledgement as he crawled into bed with you, quickly situating himself on your side.

"Just four more days." You mumbled to yourself.

"I think we'll pull it off just fine." Venti responded, pressing a kiss to your shoulder before you rolled over to face him.

This was a long shot, but maybe you could actually get an answer out of him.

"Hey, how did you know your name was Italian?"

He responded with a very sheepish looking smile, "I didn't."

You couldn't help but laugh at that, pulling him into your embrace.

"Well, at least you're a good bullshitter."

He only gave you an affectionate kiss on the cheek in response.

You hadn't really intended on falling asleep so soon, but all the stress just seemed to melt away when you were lying there with him.

You would get out of this week alive.

As long as your mom decided to keep the family photo album with all of your younger pictures to herself that is...

#genshin impact #sagau #genshin venti #genshin x reader #yandere genshin au #yandere genshin x reader #venti x reader #you're so sweet anon thank you for the kindness

[goodboyaudios]

writing question from me this time (shocking)!

I know you write all the scripts for your series by yourself, and I've been interested in writing fanfics (or just fiction ig?) Of the little people inside my brain that refuse to leave, but I've always been really intimidated by writing my own stuff. Do you have any tips on writing fluent dialogue between two characters? Its always been a main struggle of mine when I do try to write, since it always comes of pretty choppy and unnatural. Do you have any writing tips in general?

Sure! I can help you out a little bit!

First: Write your brain. Whatever you have in your head, put it on paper (on on a google docs sheet) That way you have something tangible to work with.

Second: Try to find and stick with a plotline to follow. Once you have everything written out, its time to use your puzzle pieces tp make a story! There's not much I can say about this process without knowing you personally, so all I will say is just make sure you're having fun. If it's not fun for you to write, its not worth writing.

Third: At the point where you've got a plotline you want to follow, figuring out dialogue, in theory, should come naturally, but in the event it doesn't, turn to your characters and try to find similar ones in current fiction and use them as a base point for dialogue. Nothing is perfect on the first attempt. Look at Bastard Warrior. I basically just used Yargwynn's voice for Albus back then. I had no complete direction for his story, and the overall arc had many glaring issues. Obviously it was a good series in general, but even I cannot overlook certain issues it had.

In summary, you're not going to like your writing. You're your own worst critic. I am too. Make sure to take a step back and think about something else every now and again. Come back to it later. If you still aren't sure, ask a trusted friend for criticism and make sure to take everything said with a grain of salt. Not everything everyone says is exactly what you should have done.

I still get comments about Faithful having a gun during bastard warrior. Why did I never do it? Because its a stupid idea that breaks my worldbuilding. It's fun for a laugh sure, but if anyone actually wants me to do it, they can kindly kiss my posterior!

Point is, and this is my life philosophy, Everything in Moderation.

This ended up being a lot more than I wanted lol! Sorry about that! Hope this helps!

#good boy audios #goodboyaudios #youtube #asmr roleplay #asmr boyfriend

[foibles-fables]

talanah: the case of the omitted hfw companion

soooo @meg-noel-art and I have finally connected the dots we haven't connected shit re: Talanah's conspicuously short and choppy quest line, along with her overall unsatisfying departure from the game (in lieu of joining the base team). We now hold with 99.9999% confidence that Talanah was fully intended to be included a member of the base, either with a different ending to her quest line, or a different quest line altogether.

As we all know, the early (earliest!!!) promo--the GG Instagram splash posted in tandem with the 2020 HFW Announcement trailer--featured her in exclusivity as a returning character. While this official promo art has since been retconned, it still appears on the inside of the steelbook case with the special preorder additions, as well as on a bunch of GG's official ad material (the Twitch stream header, for example). Her comic was also being released at the same time as all of these dealings, culminating in one final confirmatory line: Talanah's story will continue in Horizon Forbidden West.

Now. I won't get into how I do or do not view any of the returning characters' stories as...real or satisfying continuations in HFW. But it's pretty objective to say that Talanah's was decidedly Not. Without even diving once again into the characterization issues (of which there are plentymorethanseveral), both of her quests give us nothing more than a recap of the comic. Seriously, every dialogue wheel we get with her and with Amadis provides a summary of what happened in The Sunhawk. Nothing new learned, no growth made. Story Not Continued, Same Story Rehashed. It's conspicuously not what we were promised, and not what (IMO) GG knew the fans wanted. I think that's pretty clear, regardless of your view on anything related to her character.

So, what the hell happened? Why was this the product were were given?

Easy: it wasn't at all the product that was intended in early baseline development.

There's a pretty glaring complication re: Talanah's integration into HFW--Freya Parker (her hilarious and lovely VA, seriously go check her out) began shooting Jurassic World: Dominion in February/March 2020. And uhhh we all know what was going on right around then, lmao. So not only does this become a scheduling issue, but a quarantine issue as well. Actor travel during projects was likely a huge ordeal, and Freya's actual studio time was probably vastly limited. Combine these challenges with an already-bloated cast load, and...it becomes pretty obvious which character needed to have their role diminished by degrees. Freya can't get to the studio and dedicate much time--we don't get a Carja base member.

One can pick up hints of this around the base. How almost every character (even new bloods Zo and Kotallo) bring her up at length in the "Companions" speech option, even if they're never mocapped in the same room. The item left at the base, when no other non-members get that treatment. How every single thing about her quest's epilogue and beyond reads like a huge "sorry sorry sorry we're sorry" from the devs ("until next time," "I wish she could have stayed," etc.). It's a consolation for what they had intended--fuller tribal representation, balance among the new and old cast members, a true continuation of Talanah's story.

So what does this mean? Well, yeah, it means that I'm still disappointed and that it's still okay to be disappointed. But having a more rational explanation beyond "this was probably the plan the whole time :))))) she's really not THAT important after all just accept your dinner :)))) oh look the writers forgot about her :))))) i ordered you a new clown nose :)))))" makes me feel a whole lot more optimistic for her potentially having a bigger comeback role in HZ3. We must stay focused, brothers. Shoutout Freya Parker.

#honks my big stupid red nose as loudly as I can #i am seated in front of a whiteboard chewing on my hands #horizon forbidden west #talanah khane padish #rolling in the deep.mp3 #mildly hfw critical???? #nobody touch me im unstable

[dear-mrs-otome]

Silvio Ricci - Main Story - Chp 10 Avatar Challenge (Premium)

Standard Disclaimer: I do this for fun. I don’t, and never would, claim to be proficient at JP. There will be mistakes herein. There will be dialogue I choose to smooth out or change, because it feels choppy just straight translating. There will be the occasional snarky aside and irreverence and just plain summarizing. If you’re looking for 100% pure accuracy, without commentary or localizing, this is not for you. If you don’t mind that…then proceed, and I hope you enjoy! And please, support your local localizer (they make this stuff look easy) and Cybird by playing the games and routes when they come to English.

~~~~~~~~

She can only vaguely remember her wonderfully soft dreams. But the reality that awaited for her, when she woke from her slumber, was anything but gentle.

“Finally awake?”

What the…

Right before her eyes is Silvio’s ridiculously beautiful face, only the barest breath away. And when she tries to jerk back, his arms wrap around her waist to hold her in place, leaving her scrambling desperately to make sense of things. 

What are they doing here, like this, on the bed? She’s certain she’d fallen asleep on the sofa, and certain that Silvio seemed to have changed his clothes at some point between then and now, and certain that it wasn’t dark outside when she’d passed out like it is now. 

She’s left baffled by how she’s gotten into this weird situation of being held in Silvio’s arms on his bed.

“You’re making it seem like you’ve got no idea what’s going on here, but…” With a grin and a wicked look on his face, Silvio shifts his body atop hers. “Someone was disrespectful to me while they were drunk.” At her confusion, he lays it out plainer. “Which is why I figured I’d make you pay for it. With your body.”

Just what the heck had she done?? She can’t remember at all, but it seems obvious she’d upset Silvio a great deal. “I’m really very sorry.”

His grin flattens as he tells her it’s not a matter of apologizing, and she retorts that that doesn’t mean he gets to take it out on her body. Thinking to herself that it all seems weird in the first place - Silvio might be a tyrant, but he never seems the type to condone trampling all over her self-respect. He knows there are lines that shouldn’t be crossed.

Not to mention, he doesn’t even seem to like women much.

Maybe…he’s drunk?? And it’s just hard to tell?? He could have kept on drinking that strong booze while she was asleep. She clings to that possibility as a means to keep her cool.  

Silvio, brows furrowed irritably, buries his face in the crook of her neck. And for the second time, she feels his breath hot on the skin of her throat. Alarmed, she asks him what he’s doing, flailing back against him but he easily holds her still…and his mouth draws hard on her skin.

No matter how drunk he might be, this should NOT fly….but for some reason, the slight pain melts into something sweeter, and a wave of heat engulfs her body. Far hotter than when she’d slammed back that entire drink. The roar of her own heart pounding drowning out all other sounds.

“Sleazy…beyond sleazy!” she loudly accuses.

“What, not enough for you yet?” Silvio smirks. 

Her protest breaks off in a low moan at the feeling of his tongue tracing a line up her neck, and the novel sensation only stokes the heat burning her body. Appalled by the sound that just came from her, in disbelief that she’d done that  - just the wanton tone of it enflaming her even more. 

A very pleased Silvio points out on a grin that she can react pretty cutely, nipping lightly at her skin as if to render her even more senseless. 

This is nothing like being a guest and hostess at all. It feels instead as if she’s become Silvio’s  rumored ‘beloved flower’ in truth. “...Stop, please.”

He tells her that if she doesn’t want him to continue, she should just shove him off, kick him away and put an end to this.

“You’re holding me down!” she exclaims, indignant. 

“Not with any real effort. You could get out if you felt like it,” he counters. 

Furiously, she tries doing just that, struggling against him…but she doesn’t seem to be getting free. 

Or maybe…is it that…she’s not really trying that hard?

Is it…maybe…that she doesn’t really want to escape at all? Frantically, she denies that line of thinking - what’s happening here is an AFFRONT. She should be horrified!

So then, why is her heart racing so fast and loud?

As she’s thinking this, at a complete loss, Silvio’s shoulders shake with amusement and he tells her actually, he is holding her down with all his strength so she can’t escape.

This man!! Furiously, she hurls an accusation at him. “You said, quote, you’d ‘never attack a shabby-looking woman’, didn’t you?? You liar!!”

His grin falls. “Shut up. This is your punishment for making me feel bad -” Lifting his head from her neck, he abruptly stops mid-sentence. Eyes going wide as he falls silent and his body freezes, as if taken by surprise. 

“Wh-what is it now?!” she demands. 

“You…” That’s all he manages as he studies her, stunned, and she’s baffled by what the heck is going on.

His large calloused hand comes up to cradle her cheek, her body tensing at such a strangely gentle touch coming from such a tyrant. Left only able to ask herself why her face keeps growing hotter and hotter, simply from just that small contact. 

No no NO heckin way, it doesn’t mean anything. It’d be embarrassing to have anyone do this, she reminds herself fiercely. It’s absolutely, 100%, definitely NOT because there’s anything special about Silvio!

When his ocean blue eyes seek out hers, she pointedly turns away. 

“That look on your face…” he says.

“Look?” she echoes, confused.

He closes his eyes. “And you’re utterly oblivious about it.”

What expression is she wearing? she wonders, baffled.

Heaving a deep breath, Silvio gets up and takes a seat beside her on the bed, his back turned to her. Leaving her reeling at yet another mercurial shift in his attitude. 

“I…don’t get it,” she finally says. 

“Took the words right outta my mouth,” he answers.

One second it seems like she was going to be taken advantage of, the next he’s done an about face. She has no idea what’s going through his head, and she sits up, trying to peer around and look at his face from behind. Figuring if she can just see his expression it might shed a bit of light on things, but he keeps turning away before she can get a good look at him. 

But… “Your face…it’s red, isn’t it?” She’d seen that much. He flinches, and she suddenly understands why he’s not making any sense. “I knew it. Silvio, you…”  He scowls in silence, and she finishes in triumph. “You must be drunk!”

“....Huh?” is his only reply.

It seems perfectly reasonable that he would be, that was some incredibly strong liquor even for him. It’s bound to have some effect. Aloud, she tells him it’s alright - they’ll just chalk all this up to some drunken shenanigans and leave it at that. 

Silvio lets out a long breath. “Alright, enough already.”

She wonders why he’d heaved such a heavy sigh. Her feelings still a mystery to her about this whole thing, but she is relieved that the worst-case scenario seems to have been headed off here.

Just as she’s musing on this, she hears a flurry of activity coming from the hallway outside - and the door is kicked open before Rio tumbles into the room, calling her name to her surprise.

“Figured you’d be here about now,” Silvio says to him.

She’s assuming one of the servants must have told Rio what had happened, as he rushes over and starts peppering her with questions, asking if she’s alright, unhurt, if Silvio had done anything to her. 

She assures him she’s fine, and there’s nothing to worry about - only to have Rio freeze as he walks over towards her, as if noticing something. She notices where he’s looking, and has an ‘oh shit’ moment. Tries to clap her hand over her neck, but it’s too late. 

“What did you to do Emma, Prince Silvio?” Rio accuses. 

Silvio scoffs. “That’s none of your business.” She’s taken aback when he turns around and hugs her about the waist, as if trying to piss off Rio. 

The harassment just never ends, does it?! 

She tries to explain to Rio that this is all just a big misunderstanding…but for some reason, her mouth is clapped shut before she can.

“You…” Rio says, furiously.

But Silvio only warns him off with an abrupt subject change. “Jade and Obsidian made a play today.” Rio startles, and Silvio goes on to say they clearly had been waiting for the moment Rio took his eyes off her. “If I hadn’t found her, she wouldn't be sitting here safe and sound right now, would she?”

Rio flinches, and Emma tries fruitlessly to protest - not liking how Silvio’s words seem to be blaming Rio for all this. Not when she was being careless.

“You should be thanking me, damned dog,” Silvio says. “The eyepatch bastard is already on the move. If you make one wrong step, she won’t get away unhurt.” Rio’s only reply is silence, and Silvio goads him. “You’re in over your head now, aren’t you? Why don’t you just let go, you coward?”

She’s aghast at Rio’s wounded expression…and unable to take it any more, she bites down on Silvio’s hand. 

He lets out half an exclamation of pain, and she takes advantage of the loosening of his grip to dash over to Rio.

“...You did it again, damned woman,” Silvio accuses.

“So sorry, but I couldn’t just sit there and say nothing,” she tosses back. “I’m the one who was careless. The one who needs to be more cautious here is me, not Rio. For starters, he’s not a coward.”

“Emma…” Rio manages.

She turns her back on the dumbfounded Silvio, and apologizes to Rio for having assured him that Prince Keith wasn’t anything to be concerned about…but he tells her not to. Insisting that he was in the wrong here, just like Silvio said he was, and he asks her to tell her all about it later.

“I couldn’t protect you...” Rio says. “I can’t let that happen again. I’ll never mess up like that again.”

She has to wonder at the way he grabs her hand, his usual bright cheer dampened…but when she looks up again, he has his same sunny smile back again as he reassures her he’ll never make the same mistake again - and he’ll never let her be scared anymore.

He still looks like the same old Rio, but something seems different about him. And as he pulls her by the hand from the room without pause, his words are left behind.

“I won’t let anyone take you away from me.”

~~~~~~~~

<< Chapter 10 | Chapter 11 >>

#spoiler #spoilers #ikemen prince spoilers #ikepri spoilers #mrs o loves salty seadogs #mrs o's translations of dubious quality #ikepri silvio main story

[saetoru]

Tee. Do you have any tips when it comes to writing fics??? i really wanna write one but its either i don't know how to or im just too lazy. (you're one of the most talented writers here in tumblr i swear)

help i definitely am not up to par with half my moots buuuuut i will attempt to give you some advice

sometimes not planning helps you plan best—like sometimes if you just sit with the empty doc in front of you with a vague idea and start writing, a story will just naturally come to you as you write. just write what comes to mind, even if its choppy and messy and fast—the editing is where you can reread and add and take away and adjust, etc. this is usually the norm for me in short pieces like drabbles n stuff

for longer fics, i usually think of the "conflict" and the ending first. and then depending on if the conflict is internal vs external, i break up the scenes that build up to the conflict, then the scenes following it to the end / solution, and i plan who the scene will be centered around—as in if its reader-centric or the character-centric bc that's the person you'll be developing more / giving an inner monologue for in the scene most likely. breaking the fic up into scenes gives you a solid idea of your progress—like if you're 4/7 scenes along, that tells you how much you've developed the story you know ?? and this is especially nice for when you're feeling stumped / uninspired bc if you're on scene 4 but its slow and hard to write it, and you really wanna get to scene 6, you can just skip to scene 6 and get ur creativity flowing again. connecting the scenes if you skip around can be a bit challenging sometimes, but once you slowly weave them together, you can sometimes come up with good ideas that add to the plot.

also, if there is a certain detail you'd like to remember if the future to hold significance, highlight it in the google doc and leave a comment like "connect later"

if you think of any dialogue that you'd like to use for later scenes you're not at yet, write them at the very bottom of the doc for safe keeping—it is very possible you can (and will if you do not do this sobs) forget dialogue that could've been really good

and as far as planning scenes go, it depends on person to person—i find making my outlines too structured makes me lose interest in writing bc it feels like the whole story is tangible and right there for me to see and then i lose motivation to actually develop the words and bring it to life. some ppl need a whole outline of how the scene opens, develops, key dialogue, and how the scene ends, etc. try playing around with how you outline your scenes—but id say the most important part is splitting your fic up into the major scenes and their purpose in developing the story.

theyre like "arcs" if you will sdjhghsdgf. anyway i rambled WAY too much IM SORRY SOBSOB but i hope this helps at least a little !!

#♡ — one new notification !! #♡ — unknown number. #tumblr tips

[brick-a-doodle-do]

For the ask game,

1-22 24-39

I am sorry

-Small brain anon

you're forgiven, it's in the past :)

okay before i get into these,,,, 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15, 20, 25, 26, 27, 28, 30, 35, and 36, 38, have been answered!

that leaves....still quite a few. god damn.

2 : if you had to give up your keyboard and write your stories exclusively by hand, could you do it? if you already write everything by hand, a) are you a wizard and b) pen or pencil?

i would try, i probably could it just wouldn't be a very long time, even longer than usual. my hand cramps a LOT when i write (which is a new thing idk why) but my stories are still important :D

7 : what is your deepest joy about writing?

i have a few actually! honestly, starting with the most basic joy, it's really rewarding to remind myself that i have the ability to make a world. i can create cool versions of people i absolutely adore and make totally new people too! and i often forget that if i try hard enough i can make people cry with my writing or make one joke have people go feral,,,

another one is the reminder that god damn. almost eight billion people and i had this idea. i have complete freedom over this. i have claimed the coolest idea EVER out of almost eight billion people.

and i guess just the fact that i can write what people want me to write or what people enjoy. i love taking input from others because i know it'll make one person enjoy something! little details that i remember about someone? throw it into a fic and hope they see it and smile

8 : if you had to write an entire story without either action or dialogue, which would you choose and how would it go?

bye bye fucking dialogue. i would love to write something wordless and see how it works out, it just sounds awesome tbh, very moody. one of my non g/t wips is like that for a lot of it and it's just really calm to write! i don't have to worry about balancing things or making accurate dialogue, it's just one person in the universe and the vibe of that can easily get through to me. and in my experience, it'll go pretty good!

13 : what is a subject matter that is incredibly difficult for you write about? what is easy?

ehhh i really hate writing combat or anything fast paced. moving scenes along and changing settings has never been a strong suit of mine imo,,,, like it always feels either really rushed or really choppy imo

and i think mental health is pretty easy for me to write. like that hazy, unhappy mind. it's extremely slow and easy to make long and extravagant descriptions with,,,,

14 : do you lend your books to people? are people scared to borrow books from you? do you know exactly where all your “lost” books are and which specific friend from school you haven’t seen in twelve years still possesses them? will you ever get them back?

i don't have a large collection of books. i'm never really immersed into actually reading a book which i know is awful as a writer and honestly just a terrible attribute of mine but i'm not a big reader. fanfic tho is my bitch, and in which case i have no experience with any of this :'D

16 : what’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever used as a bookmark?

a piece of lined paper i found in the book, so essentially someone else's makeshift bookmark

i am respectfully gonna skip 17 & 18 because i don't have the energy to really explain any of that and all of my wips are so like not worthy of those questions. the best ur gonna get is the minutiae of tiny workers i'll post tomorrow lmao

19 : tell me a story about your writing journey. when did you start? why did you start? were there bumps along the way? where are you now and where are you going?

it's nothing too dramatic, i started when i was in third grade and wrote a nine page story by hand and my teacher mentioned i was a strong writer for my age. i wrote all the time in school, picked up fanfic in like early 2019 (which also conveniently was my first g/t writing)

and uhh i started just because the feeling of writing was really rewarding and freeing. i loved roleplaying on roblox all the time too i would love making long descriptions of things n such :DD

i think i'm on a good track, i have 42 full-fledged wips that i have some ideas for, 3 book ideas and a cool and supportive community to share my growth with :]

21 : could you ever quit writing? do you ever wish you could? why or why not?

honestly, no, i don't think i ever could. even if i change my mind about pursuing it as a career i could never stop it being my hobby. it's so freeing and a great way to unwind, i love the thought of writing all of my life and the thought of what my writing will be like in a few years if i'm writing like this now (which is such an improvement from 6 months ago, let me say. and yeah i'm complimenting my work for once)

i never do wish i could, because i know that regardless of if i take a break or not i'm never going to completely abandon it. i have ideas that i'm too in to be out of,,,

22 : how organized are you with your writing? describe to me your organization method, if it exists. what tools do you use? notebooks? binders? apps? the cloud?

it depends on my wips, but for the sake of convenience i'll just go off of my aus on here: it is so messy. there is no organization, and if it is there are so many wips of my organization ideas, it's so sad. i have tried so many different ways to organize my thoughts because doing lists and making things look neat and tidy is my favorite, but on the opposite end i get bored countlessly listing out information i already know, so uhh yeah no organization. occasionally i'll jot down like "make sure to add this!" in my notes app or at the end of wtv im working on

24 : how much prep work do you put into your stories? what does that look like for you? do you enjoy this part or do you just want to get on with it?

i love the thought of prep work, hate actually doing it. i go in head first, usually with a mental map of whatever i want to happen. a lot of the time though i let the story write itself cuz i'm lazy like that :'D

i dislike trying to actually sit myself down to make things all laid out and ready to be written cause..........gagghghhsadskdj

29 : where do you draw your inspiration? dhat do you do when the inspiration well runs dry?

it depends! some of my ideas are directly from a movie or show i watch, usually taking the idea of an "au" not from the fandom but from that show specifically if that makes sense,, other times my head'll give me some three am ideas or random ideas.

i also really like picking a color and making an inspiration board off of it! it gives me some cool ideas cause imagery can tell a big story sometimes imo

when the well is try i usually either work on other stuff or just wait for it to rain again so there's water to run off of.

31 : write a short love letter to your readers.

idk about a love letter but honestly y'all are literally so cool. i know my community isn't remotely close to any big publishers' fanbases but damn it feels so overwhelming in the best way possible to get showered with love by the people i can easily recognize whenever i post something! to have over 100 notes on some of my fics and know that every like on my work is an individual person is just baffling. to know i have almost 200 followers in my corner, even if some of them are bots or following me for other content, it's fucking amazing. sweet comments and questions about my work is just fucking exhilarating!! it's so motivating to hear "write more of this" because damn. demanding. people demand i write more. it's SO COOL. joining social media was probably the worst decision i've ever made but tumblr has singlehandedly fixed every doubt i've had about being on the internet :) <3

32 : what is a line from a poem/novel/fanfic etc that you return to from time and time again? how did you find it? what does it mean to you?

ee passerine & rooftops spoilersss down below :]

i will do fanfic bc. yeah wtv. anyway there are a few, i think that if i'm being actually serious and not doing joke ones, i absolutely love the ending off passerine, it's so perfect. i am tearing up thinking abt it ngl which sounds dumb but damn. "he had a life before this, a mother, a father, a home, sisters and brothers, but what he had now was alright too. he stood alone in his bedroom mirror, combing his hair back from his face to braid it for the day, tucking it behind an ear where a sapphire earing hung, catching sunlight. he paused when he saw it, leaning in close to make sure it wasn't a trick of the light, or the lingering traces of a dream. he blinked once, twice, his mortal heart caught in his throat. there, nestled amongst the pink strands, delicate as a bird's wing, was a single, grey hair. if he listened closely, he could hear his brother coming down the hallway, looking for him. but this moment was his alone, half-sobbing, half-laughing, he fell against his chair and closed his eyes against the sudden sting of tears. he could see in his mind, a field of flowers under an open sky, a place for waiting, where all the finished stories went. where he too would go someday. a knock came at his door, and technoblade began to smile." LIKE DUDE. I AM SUCH A SUCKER FOR ENDINGS TO STORIES. it's so dramatic and so domesicated and passerine is such a short story all in all but it's so perfectly written and captures relationships so well. it shows technoblade's acceptance of death so well, and although he'd been wanting of death for a while it still kind of shows how he is eager to pursue the rest of a mortal life.

also from passerine i like "this is what it feels," someone gasped, "to lose everything" I LOVE IT. tommy is their everything and losing him made the story turn so dull,, it went from silver to grey easily. love it.

ALSO. FUCKING ROOFTOPS. it is such an old fic, but it's the second fic i've ever read in the fandom. “youuu aren’t real. nope! noo, no you aren’t. youu’re not reeaal, you'ree inn my head. my head! geoorge is in my head again!” it's just so sad. i love it. the atmosphere of this scene despite it being out of context here is still just so perfect. the vibes of rooftops have never left my head.

and also this absolutely doesn't count but there's a comment on rooftops that said "this is the same story where they went camping" and i have never gone a day without thinking about that LMAO

33 : do you practice any other art besides writing? does that art ever tie into your writing, or is it entirely separate?

hghghhhhh not really, no other art. cooking and baking sometimes but i wouldn't call my skill level art LMAO

but it did start a gbbo au and has helped a lot with terminology and stuff!!

34 : thoughts on the oxford comma, go:

i love it in practice but the second i get reminded to use it i go bonkers and start hitting things

37 : if you were to be remembered only by the words you’ve put on the page, what would future historians think of you?

they would think i am weird as hell bro i keep writing about these people SWALLOWING EACH OTHER ALIVE 😭😭😭

i wanted to do a real response to that but a. its 3 am and b. this was funnier <3

39 : what keeps you writing when you feel like giving up?

the atmosphere of the thing i am writing. i can be in the most unmotivated mood but the second i start thinking about how a scene or an au feels i am immediately lightened up and want to write it!

god damn it only took about half an hour but i did it!! thanks for these questions, even if they took like 2 weeks to finish and cut me short of what i wanted to do tonight /lh/nmay

#brickquiries #brickquiries games #small brain brickling #sb my beloved :] #cw vore implication/mention #breif but still

[cadavertrolls]

31. power + erik

 Realized this prompt gave me an excuse to write plot things <3 Erik being snippy at Omnius for obsessing over his ex moirail but not for the reasons you think. Sorry if it sounds choppy at parts, this is dialogue from a brief back and forth that I yoinked and wrote around.

Characters: Erikus Reemur, Omnius Dioxal (@memurfevur), Rutaci Faurux (Mentioned, @/memurfevur)

     As soon as Erik found out Rutaci would be attending the ball, her goal was to simply keep Omnius in check. A task easier said than done but was going well until Omnius’ eyes caught glimmers of gold and pyrite entering the ballroom. She followed the direction of his gaze, her hand quickly securing itself to Omnius’ forearm once she saw exactly what, or rather who, he was looking at: Rutaci Faurux.

     Erik's nails made the grab itself clumsy, but her grip on Omnius was tight. Staying by her side wasn't a suggestion, it was a demand punctuated by a gentle tug further away from Rutaci. The smirk on Omnius' face twitched and faltered to an acceptable smile as he turned his head to meet Erik's gaze, lukewarm and getting colder by the second.

    "You're not going to do this, Omnius. Whatever you're planning, you will drop it. You are known as my moirail, do not let that slip your mind. You're not going to ruin this night for me and embarrass me in front of my other quadrants, friends, and colleagues." Erik hissed under her breath, a frustrated huff escaping from her flared gills, the only other sign that the King's mood was being soured.

    "What do you mean?" Omnius placed his hand on Erik's arm gently and slid it down, dragging his palm over the silk before letting it rest comfortably on the back of her gloved hand. The gentle affection was accompanied by a tone that felt like running a thumb over a sharp blade; A demonstration of potential and a warning to pull back if she wanted to avoid getting cut.  

    Erik would grip the blade when she spoke, heeding no warning she was given, "I am not ignorant, please do not act as if that's the case. You're going to turn your back to him and we're going to go somewhere else. I would rather not argue with you on this or argue at all." She didn't realize she was holding her breath until she spoke, not daring to stray above a murmur to keep whatever pleasantries were left and to camouflage their conversation in the surrounding sound.

    "And what, pray tell, do you expect me to do? I have my dignity, and he is an old friend. Am I not allowed to see him? Is he such an unsightly thing to your image? And what could I possibly do to hurt it so much? I'm not some wild animal. You know me better than that."

    A wild animal wasn’t too far off to what Omnius was to Erik when it came to Rutaci. Wild animals have the capacity to scheme, to trap, to take advantage of those weaker. Wild animals don’t know what they do is wrong, all they know is self-fulfillment at any cost. Doesn’t that sound familiar to you? Those words died in her throat, but their struggle upward caused her jaw to tighten until they stopped fighting. The pressure caused her fins to twitch and inch backwards, folding flat against her head when the words ‘old friend’ fell from Omnius’ lips. It was a lie by omission. It misrepresented what their relationship had become. It bet on the fact Erik didn’t pay close attention whenever Omnius’ name was mentioned during her audiences with the Alternian government, and that was a bet he lost.

    She glanced past Omnius, her gaze passing over Rutaci from across the ballroom. If their eyes met, she didn’t notice or acknowledge it as she continued speaking, "Correct, you're not allowed to see him. Because he is not the problem here, you are, Omnius. Nothing good can come of it, he deserves as much as anyone else to spend this night without stress and enjoy it to its fullest."

    Omnius’ smile had left his eyes while his lips pressed thinly together, his bottom lip flushing teal as his canines dug into them, "You speak as if you know something about him and I. What do you think you know, Erik?” he asked, the tips of his fingers pressed into the back of Erik’s hand. His body tensed as he teetered on his own tightrope, knowing that if he fell The Initiate would catch him.  

    "I know better than to allow you within a hundred feet of him. I promise this neurotic pining of yours isn't worth losing me over, nor losing anyone else over." Erik replied, his words just a dry bite in hopes it would be enough to get Omnius to back off.  

    "I won't. The truth of the matter is that he will likely be the one to chase after me. I'll be a good boy, Erik, I always am a gentleman first." Omnius’ smile returned, using Erik’s hold on his forearm to pull her closer and lean in close to her ear. "I appreciate you stepping in as my moi… friend, but not all business can be sorted out so favorably."  Whether or not it was a true warning mattered little to Erik, it was enough to ring alarm bells and bring forth his own persona. It was no Initiate, cut from the same cloth perhaps but tailored into something fit for a King.

    Erik released his arm, brushing off his hand and bringing her own up to Omnius’ face. She cradled his jaw in her thumb and forefinger, tilting his head and bringing her lips close to his ear just as he did, "Whether you approach him or vice versa, I am not allowing it to happen. That is not debatable in the slightest. I want a night of peace, for once I do not have to worry about who might be around me and no one is going to take that from me. You are not going to 'sort out' any business here, not unless you want to make me upset." She squeezed gently before letting go and pulling away from him completely. As she gave her words time to settle, she held out her right hand to him, palm upwards, silently demanding Omnius take her hand.  

    With his own glance back towards Rutaci, his shoulders relaxed as he relented. Reluctantly, Omnius placed his hand in Erik’s.  

    "Whatever you wish, your highness."

#answered #anonymous #erik text #.txt #royal court #interpreted the prompt as like... power struggle if that didnt come across #erik is a man that uses she/he pronouns #used she exclusively here otherwise it wouldve been a Mess

[clonehub]

rewatched the s7 bad batch arc. the whole thing was so shitty. again, this is because i JUST recently finished arcane but now DBBs VAing, which Id never had any opinion on beforehand, just sounds....so subpar. so so bad. the different voices, the line readings/deliveries, the sheer speed at which these people talk to each other, damn near cutting off the ends of one another's sentences. the writers tried to make it a little humorous but fell flat because the delivery and timing was so choppy. half the dialogue from tbb to the "regs" was more quips than actual conversation--like, that thing where people basically use keywords in each other's sentences to make their comments. why.

DBB still hasn't outgrown the heavy lean into sarcastic comments that I really wish had died in season 1 of the clone wars. ie "tHaT sOunDs LiKe A gReAt IdEa" nobody talks like that. like this whole thing was so bad. the music was annoying. not every scene needs a song to go with it. this whole arc was more fighting and shooting things than anything else I swear. there were so many questionable camera angle decisions. why is rex's entire face in the screen. why is echo's entire face in the screen. why is the lip syncing still this awkward. i dont think people open their mouths that much when they talk. all these models are so fucking ugly im sorry echo babey they really did you dirty by animating you like that. why the fuck did they choose to do square eyes for all the men. why don't they vary the mouth shapes at all ever. every single smile is like c: instead of :) and bc their lips are so thin already it just looks so odd. no like seriously seeing anyone smile is just weird because sometimes they stretch it normally. but not all the time.

animations' stiff as hell. its not as bad as the earlier seasons but these run and walk cycles still arent where they should be. like i KNOW animation is hard i know this. but like. its been more than a decade.

i know the screenwipe transitions are like integral to star wars' DNA but they're so so so jarring. just awful sometimes when the old and new scenes are two very different colors. and like im sorry but how many times are you going to do the whole "this is a stealth mission! *starts blowing shit up*" that gag works once

#ch posts #me n my friend got about a third of the way through the premiere #wrecker is........awful </3

[graceful-not]

Y'know I never understood the whole trope of "character A drops character Bs nickname in moments of peril as they scream their actual name in grief/whatever other emotion as character B is either killed or extremely injured" because like.... Real names aren't more personal or close than nicknames. The exact opposite, in fact. I get it in cases where the "nickname" wasn't actually a nickname but a title (Sir, Captain, General, etc), and the person slips up, dropping the formal pretense and yells Bs actual name in a moment of desperation- in those cases it's *chef's kiss* 10/10, but... In a lot of others, it feels weird, forced, and kinda ruins the moment? Like- here, let me give a few examples where it works and where it doesn't.

---

Ex 1: character A is stumbling through the snowy forest looking for character B (in this case, someone named Emily.) B ran off in a random direction, and A is frantically searching and calling out their name in an effort to find them, because snowy forest = bad/danger. The dialogue would go something like; "EMI!? e-Emi- EMI WHERE ARE YOUUU? oh fuck- EMI!? EMILYYYYY!???"

That specific instance is okay, because their trying to get a response out of B. It's just. In character for it to happen, especially since their desperate and attempting to evoke any reaction. Also because like, y'know. It's just. I dunno. More realistic? (I hate using that word shshshsjsbbd)

---

Ex 2: Character A is running after Character B (Magnolia), who's running away because of something A did and also about to do the dreaded self sacrifice. Dialogue would go something like;

"MAGGY-! MAGGY- WAIT-! I'M SORRY-! I DIDN'T MEAN TO-" B turns around;

"Devon, go AWAY!!"

"MAGNOLIA!!-"

B does the self sacrifice thingy

"MAGNOLIA NO!!"

It feels kinda choppy here? I didn't frame my example well at ALL because for some reason my writing doesn't let me purposefully try to write. Not good. For some reason- and these lines can def 100% work for certain characters, but for a majority it'd be better if.. the names and the nicknames were switched, with some tweaking of sentences.

---

The whole example thing was kindofa bad idea but I wrote all that and amnt deleting it now SO!!! basically the takeaway;

- first names CAN be used in these scenes but they should be either followed by using the usual nickname (to emphasize characters desperation by using real name as a sort of last attempt) OR in moments of sober vulnerability (other character says an epiphany that's sad or something which causes the character to PAUSE in their stammering and say the other characters full name softly and bittersweet [other examples also apply but that's the first I thought of])

- for more levelheaded/serious characters it's better to START with the first name (to show that they mean business/aren't fooling around right now) but then devolve into nicknames as they slip into vulnerability and desperation at trying to get other character to Not Do what they're doing anymore. (If you still want that 'namechange' moment!!)

- Nicknames are way more intimate than using first names are ffs who ever started the thought they weren't

- someone write a scene where a person with like 200 nicknames has a character having that nickname moment but they just cycle through the list with increasing desperation and ur like 'dude that was a one off inside joke come on-'

- in cases where the nickname is mocking or from an enemy or rival and it DOESNT grow to be affectionate, using the first name WILL work better in this context bc it'll show that the character actually giving them respect and taking it seriously, OR!! it'll emphasize the desperation (which really, is what this is all about-) to get the other character to Stop Doing Thing, because they'd stoop so low as to actually give them a modicum of respect when all this time they were adamant on antagonizing everything about them....

- the thing about titles vs first names still stands btw- moments where the title is dropped and a name or nickname used,,, 😔👏👏

#grace gvoices gthings (nothing starts with g and i wanted alliteration) #just wanted to rant

[nemesis-is-my-middle-name]

Thank god is not just me who mourns the loss of flavor to Emmet's dialogue. I too love how short and choppy his sentences are, to the point, no words wasted, a fantastic contrast to how comparatively wordy Ingo is. Which makes sense, as they're mirrors of each other in many ways! iirc in Japanese Ingo is also very formal while Emmet is much more casual in the way he talks, which I think translated to English pretty well, although obviously some nuance is lost because we don't have different formal levels built in like Japanese does.

I think you captured that well in oop too, as Emmet lacks the level of politeness that Ingo has, and he's a lot more blunt. It's well matched to how you've written Emmet in the first arc too, with his near single-mindedness in finding Ingo, and how it puts characters like Rei and Cyllene at ease. I've always kind of thought that the blunt way he talked, his blatant honesty and confidence without any frills, was what got Cyllene to trust him. She's very similar in that regard, which I think is probably part of what made Rei trust him so fast in turn (well, that and he's a kid who is floundering and desperate to have an Adult take charge and give them direction, especially an adult who showed him kindness and care in the way he righted Rei's rails when he started to panic)

YEAAH YEAH okay i am also glad this is not just like... a me observation. like i don't play ex so i hadn't really looked at the quotes before now and... why did they do that to my man... it feels so wroooong

and re: what you were saying about translations, yeah, maybe the ex voice is the more accurate translation, i. would not really know, but like. rip to japanese players for missing out on emmet's incredible eng bw cadence if it's true. it's simply the far superior version... i'm sorry...

+ the thing abt him having an opposing voice to his brother!! like yeah, imho you REALLY lose that contrast in ex because english just does not have the same kind of obvious registers for formality. the bw dialogue is sooo much better in terms of making a really clear contrast btwn them... and also i know i said it before but the eng bw voice is just like. better? more interesting? it has more Character in it? im tryna sound objective and all here really what i mean is i love it and am obsessed with it.

ANYWAAAY waaah yeah!! like i said idc what they do with emmet in newer games they can pry his bw cadence out of my cold dead hands. and i'm REALLY REALLY GLAD it comes across in oop... i think i've said before that he's one of my fav characters to write bc he is just so unique in the way he talks and just sort of. his character generally. in such a perfect way. he's blunt and direct and incredibly purposeful and. with all of the careful hop-stepping and social maneuvering and mind games going around in pla it is SO fun to write a character who actively refuses to fuck around like that even a little bit. and yeah!! i think it can be both very disarming and very reassuring to people.

like cyllene you are exactly right!! they only spent a very brief time together but i REALLY love the idea of them interacting anyway. cyllene i think is someone who has a very specific way of reading and interpreting others, and to her it just came across so strongly how much emmet meant what he was saying, and how driven and simultaneously caring he was, and. like i said. both disarming and reassuring. i think she likes and trusts him an inadvisable amount already.

#the nemesis speaks #the nemesis answers #anonymous #jailbirds au #i think emmet also kind of reminds rei of cyllene in that they're both kind of intimidating but like #in a way where he also thinks they're very cool and wants to emulate them #everyone in oop thinks emmet is either very intimidating or cool or both lmao #idk if that's unrealistic or w/e i'm just incapable of imagining anyone feeling differently abt him. #my man my guy my everything... #there's a line that got cut from ch11 that was ingo noting that he couldn't remember ever meeting a person so self-possessed #and like yeah that's the word

[ladyeliot]

It’s been a long, long time 

Pairing: Steve Rogers x Fem!Reader

Summary: You never knew what fate had in store for you, as if it was testing what it had offered you one day it took away from you the next. It was almost four years after Steve gave himself up to save the world, but you had never given up hope of being with him again.

Warnings: Angst. Disappearance. Fluff ending.

Word count: 2883

A/N: Captain America First Avenger / Avengers Endgame. Some of the dialogue is taken from the film. Sorry for my spelling and grammatical mistakes, English is not my native language, I am learning.

Song: It’s been a long, long time - Harry James

1949.

The rumours of his possible return were fading with time, but hopes were not falling.

Nearly four years had passed since the end of the Second World War, and the consequences were soon felt worldwide, especially by those who had survived that tragic period. You had been present from start to finish, being a potent participant in the covert operations linking the US and the UK. Although you had not been on the front line fighting as a soldier, you had been on the front line commanding the actions they would take. In 1939 you became a member of the British Royal Military, then a recommendation from a superior officer led to you joining the Special Operations Executive, a British spy agency, changing your destiny, causing MI5 to contact you, and then you were seconded to the Strategic Scientific Reserve, a top-secret Allied war agency during World War II, created by President Roosevelt. Too many things happened in a single year, too many things that would change the course of your history, but the most important was yet to happen.

In 1943 you were assigned to Colonel Chester Phillips' training base, known as Camp Lehigh, where you were assigned to supervise the candidate division of Project Renaissance, the project that changed everything. Project Renaissance was a highly secret project run by the United States Government. Its aim was to create super soldiers to be deployed during World War II against the Axis powers, thus having a great advantage in strategic warfare, however things didn't go as planned and they only had one success, a young man from Brooklyn named Steve Rogers.

You could never deny that you didn't notice him the first moment you saw him, he instantly caught your attention in two ways. The first of them was his physical shape, he stood out for his small stature compared to the other cadets, and his physical appearance looked sickly, although his medical record didn't say anything about it. On the other hand, the other aspect that impressed and inspired you was his courage and endurance to face each of the tests they had to pass, as well as his cunning, all of which won you over, as well as the generals of the project, as he was selected for the Renaissance project. The time you spent together at Camp Leigh made you realise the determination and humility he possessed, traits that the other members of the group, or any other man you had met before, possessed only to a slight degree.

The day the experiment was carried out, that is, the injection of the Super Soldier serum into Steve was another turning point in your life, the young man who went into that machine was not the same as the one who would come out of it, at least for everyone present, a human being went in and a super soldier came out, although for you he was still the same Steve Rogers with 30 centimetres more height and greater muscle mass. From then on he became the secret weapon that would overthrow Hitler, as the leader of the project, Dr. Erskine, was killed which meant that Steve was the only one of his kind.

You would have liked to have been able to say that your relationship was moving towards a more effective environment, but you were really living in a period of war, plus your character did not easily fit in with the word love, it never really did, or rather, you had never shown any interest in any man. You were rude, you had suffered enough harassment in your job, a job by and for men, to become insensitive in several cases. You were selective with your friends and also with the people you could trust, that's why every time you felt any affection for someone you stopped it, and that's what happened with Steve at the beginning.

Frankly, there were not too many moments to show your affection for each other, nor to enrich it, but every occasion that brought you together, there were certain feelings in the air that were never expressed in words. You encouraged him to be more than a lab rat or a fair hand for the soldiers at the front, you also helped him from your position with the missions, which after his triumph in rescuing the soldiers of the 107th infantry, were assigned to him. You complemented each other, you understood each other in many aspects that no one had ever understood, you had faith in him and he in you, that is why deep inside you were waiting for the day when the war would end to discover what it would be like to be able to dance with him without any worries around you, but it was not that simple.

As if the universe itself was mocking you, everything it had offered you was taken away in a breath. Even if you had never extrapolated it, your heart shrank every time he marched on a mission in enemy territory, you used to find yourself behind the controls of the base of operations that commanded his missions waiting for his voice or news from him to indicate what the situation was, but the last time what you saw was different. It was all a consequence of your attack on HYDRA HQ, you had worked out a strategy to take out their leader, the Red Skull, Steve was inside and you later came in with the assault guard and became part of the operation. Things had gone a little shaky during the operation, as the Red Skull managed to gain access to a ship and almost escaped from the place, but at that moment you appeared as if you were a breath of air together with Colonel Chester Phillips to offer him the last chance for Steve to finish him off and gain access to the inside of the ship that was about to escape, but not before sharing your first and last kiss. Every day you remember the last words you said to him in person "Go get him." before watching him jump into the plane and disappear into the snowy mountains.

After that, the ship became a direct path to death unbeknownst to you. A few hours later, from the command post, you managed to maintain a direct connection with the ship, specifically with Steve who was still inside it.

"Come in. This is Captain Rogers. Do you read me?" you all heard from the intercom.

"Steve, is that you? Are you alright?" your heart raced as it did every time he was away from you on a mission.

"Y/N! Schmidt's dead.

That brought a breath of relief that neither of you had experienced for a long time, you could see a little light at the end of the tunnel that was getting closer and closer to you, but what you heard next put the light out again.

"What about the plane?" you asked still worried about his situation.

"That's a little bit tougher to explain," Steve's words were choppy.

It really was complicated, the plane was loaded with explosive devices and was clearly headed for New York City, that meant there was only one possibility and you all knew what it was. You tried to talk him out of it, to find a new solution, but time was running out.

"Y/N, this is my choice," a lump formed in your throat at those words. "Y/N?"

"I'm here," you managed to say with watery eyes and a hand to your lips.

"I'm gonna need a rain check on that dance," you heard through the intercom, as a sharp gust of air rushed in between his words.

"Alright," you hid a soft sob. "A week, next Saturday, at the Stork Club."

"You got it," he said firmly, making it seem real that he was going to show up there on Saturday.

"Eight o'clock on the dot. Don't you dare be late. Understood?"

"You know, I still don't know how to dance," a wistful smile appeared on your face at his words.

"I'll show you how. Just be there," you said almost begging him.

"We'll have the band play somethin' slow," Steve picked up the pace of his words, "I'd hate to step on your...

That was the last time you heard his voice, the line connecting the intercom to Steve went static with a soft continuous noise, that's when the tears flowed freely down your cheeks.

"Steve? Steve? Steve?"

Of course, life puts us all to the test, we believe we need redemption for the acts committed in the past, that often makes us lose hope that better times will come.  Almost four years have passed since those last events, since you shared your first and last kiss with your Captain America, since you heard his last words and since you felt that thing called love. Now your life had been turned upside down, you had dreamed for too long of meeting him, of seeing his face again and not only through those war films, but your life went on and you couldn't keep yourself stuck thinking about him, that's why you had decided to leave the Strategic Scientific Reserve and go into a new project with Howard Stark, called S.H.I.E.L.D.

It was unusual for the month of January to have that warm morning out, although it was actually quite comforting as it had brightened up your day, and even when you got home you opted to start cooking to the rhythm of whatever song was playing on the radio, which was unusual for you. The open windows allowed the sun's rays to stream into the living room, offering that homely touch that the little house in the middle of a residential neighbourhood lacked. Due to your countless projects and missions in the SSR you had not been able to enjoy home life as much as you would have liked, although it was really your decision, that house was too quiet and too big for you alone, although the radio offered you the company you sometimes needed.

As if it were a special event you had brought out the table linen and arranged the table in the parlour to eat there for the first time, normally you used the table in the kitchen, for you did not waste too much time on your meals, but this day was a new beginning, a new year, a good time to work out new habits. You opted to open a bottle of wine, which had been a gift from your dear friend Howard Stark, and poured yourself a glass while you waited for the chicken to make its acquaintance in the oven. The rhythmic melody of Nat King Cole along with your glass of wine lifted spirits that hadn't been this high for some time.

"Love is all that I can give to you," you intoned as you walked around the kitchen.

The midday seemed to be going smoothly, until a crashing noise from the front door brought you to a screeching halt. "Ogh, Mrs. Foster," you said to yourself before taking a sip from your glass of wine to fill your spirits. Mrs Foster was the neighbour from across the street who was always knocking on your door whenever she could, hoping to whisper about the other neighbours and glean as much information about you as possible, the funny thing was that she always barged in at the most inopportune times.

"I'm coming!" you exclaimed, taking off your apron and placing it on the counter. "I'm there!"

When you reached the front door you took five seconds to exhale the air inside you, position your dress correctly, take another breath, roll your eyes and expose a wide grin before you very quickly lowered the door handle. We've been talking before about all the turning points that changed your life and shaped your destiny, okay, that was one of them, maybe the most important one of all, the one that set the rest of your life on track.

"Hello Mrs. Fos-!"

Your voice disappeared, your vocal cords seemed to break at that moment, your wide, false smile also vanished as if it had never been on your face, your eyes seemed to have no eyelids and your lungs ran out of air, leaving you breathless. What you saw when you opened that door was your whole life, every moment appeared in front of you as if it were a frame. They say that happens when you are about to die, but it happened to you when the person you had loved had returned from the dead and was prostrate before you. You couldn't tell whether your reaction was the most humane or what someone else would have done in your place because you had never met anyone who had. Soldiers sometimes took long months to return home after the war ended, but it had taken Steve almost four years to do so.

Perhaps there had been hundreds or thousands of times you had imagined that moment, and now you didn't know what to do, your limbs were stiff, you were grateful for it or you would have collapsed in those moments. You kept holding the doorknob tightly, while he stood there on your porch staring at you, not knowing what to do. They were the longest minutes of your whole life, or maybe they were only a few seconds, you didn't know how time worked in those moments, but that didn't matter, your emotions recovered when you looked into his eyes, those blue eyes that you had dreamed of so many nights and they were watery, that was the sign that told you that this was not a dream, it was real life.

The air opened again and passed through your lungs in the form of a gasp, you shared the wateriness of his eyes in yours and in a moment you were wrapped in his arms. You could feel him again, or rather you could feel him around you for the first time. His arms were around your back bringing your body closer to his.

"You're... here." you murmured against his chest almost afraid that your words would make him disappear again.

"I'm home," he whispered against your forehead before kissing it and pulling away to look at your face.

It really was him, you noticed the odd changed feature, as if the years had passed him by more quickly, but there was no doubt that it was Steve. He placed his hands on your cheeks cradling your face, that sensation made you close your eyes as you placed your hands on his. Gingerly, you felt his breath collide against you and the longing for his lips that had haunted you for so many years came to an end.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, leaning his forehead against yours.

"No, you're home," you murmured, taking his hand and bringing his palm to your lips.

The open windows of the living room let out the melody of the radio, as if it were one of those Hollywood feature films with its own soundtrack. For a few long minutes you stood there on the porch of your house, oblivious to everything around you, oblivious to curious stares or if the chicken was burning in the oven, there was nothing more relevant than the two of you.

After a few minutes without taking your eyes off each other you took his hand and went inside your home, there were no unnecessary questions, no comments that could break the moment, your gazes were pleased to observe each other and as if your thoughts were connected and the person in charge of playing the songs on the radio knew it, one of Steve's favourite songs began to play. Harry James' voice came into the room, giving you the moment you had wanted for four years in your case, but for Steve it had been many more. 

“Never thought that you would be

Standing here so close to me

There's so much I feel that I should say

But words can wait until some other day”

His arm found position around your waist and your face found position on his chest. You listened to his heartbeat work to the rhythm of the melody, you could never have imagined ever feeling like this again, you would have made a pact with the devil on too many occasions to feel it. It was so unreal that you had to lift your face from his chest to look at his face again, to find out if it really was Steve in front of you, it was. 

“Kiss me once, then kiss me twice

Then kiss me once again

It’s been a long, long time

Haven't felt like this, my dear

Since I can't remember when

It’s been a long, long time”

Life had offered you a new opportunity to enjoy it together, and you were never going to miss it.

“You'll never know how many dreams

I've dreamed about you

Or just how empty they all seemed without you

So kiss me once, then kiss me twice

Then kiss me once again

It's been a long, long time”

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[writtenonreceipts]

Hey there friend, may I ask you for some writing advice? I'm really sorry for jumping in your dms in order to ask writing advice but really you are the only one I can talk about it all...

Okay so the matter is this: I read a lot. Always did, always will. I learnt how to analyse literary works too. My problem is that I hate my writing style. To me it feels wrong, old, full of descriptions which fill the writing count in a way it seems to tell the wrong story, overnarrating and with empty dialogues. English is not my first language and I learnt it in a good way only a few years ago and I now the importance of using the right words so I have to look them up too. Even then it feels like I cannot convey the right message I want. Even in this ask, even with love cards I write to my boyfriend. It just seems to me that I am not truly able to use words.

How do you write so nicely? Have you some... I don't know, some tips for dialogues and not overdescripting (both surroundings and thoughts)?

Thanks a lot for taking the time to read my ask💐

-starry anon🌌

Hey friend! ✨️✨️✨️Don’t apologize at all!  I am more than willing to talk and answer any questions!  Thanks so much for reaching out and trusting me! I love talking about this stuff.

Your English is awesome!  ❤❤Good for you for learning and practicing.  That is amazing.  I wish I had the discipline with learning and keeping up with my Spanish.  I can get by, but it’s really not the best.

Anyways, I truly am humbled by your comments both in your desires to improve and your compliments to me.  More often than not, I just feel like I am barely functioning with language.  Words are hard.  Expressing ourselves is hard.  I think that there is something intimate about writing and expressing ourselves in any medium.  For me, my writing can be really personal.  A lot of my works (both fanfiction and original) have especially taken on a personal note that reflects my real life.

First and foremost--as writers, I think we are always hard on ourselves. It is so easy to compare to others around us. Especially in a place like tumblr when we often put value on notes or what others announce as their follower count. Please know, I think you are better than you think you are. We all have our individual specialties or nuances that we add to a story--that only we can create. Something that is so distinctly and directly you that no one can replicate. So please, please keep writing. And if you are ever comfortable enough, I would love to read what you have to share.

I took examples from some of my Original Works because the excerpts have gone through years of editing and thinking about and I just thought they illustrated these ideas best. Also get ready for rambling.

I’ve had people describe my writing as poetic and lyrical.  Multiple professors and people in my writing groups over the years have said so. Part of that comes from my desire to allow my writing to reflect who I am and what I’m feeling.  Truly, I don’t know where a lot of my style comes from.  Maybe my love of nature and desire to connect to the world and other people?  So I guess I put a lot of emphasis on those things?

Or maybe it comes from the fact I am too quiet in the real world and I just need to vomit all my thoughts into one place.  Maybe I hate being silent.  Hate being silenced.  Using punctuation and syntax plays a really big part in how I write too.  One of my professors had us study dozens of literary rules and styles and how to use different punctuations and diction rules and told us to go wild on how to reform and edit the same piece for an entire semester.  Let me tell you.  That was the biggest learning experience of my college career.

Because punctuation can be a means in making even a single sentence come to life.  It can make a paragraph come to life. For me, I like varying sentence length.  I like using long sentences to form that sense of rambling and great, long build ups.  And then, the short.  The choppy.  The quick little sentiments to break it up.

So down to it often where I start is with my own experiences and emotions.

This goes back to the idea of “Write what you know.”  For the most part, I support this.  It is important to keep that mindset and not over stretch your boundaries particularly in sensitive subjects.  As far as emotions go—I have become accustomed to grief and loss, depression and anxiety.  And I use these details to help be make my characters more real.  In a lot of my work, I do over emphasize some of these details and it takes a lot of editing to whittle this down.  Here are some ideas that I use with descriptions:

What ideas/descriptions help build and add onto the themes I want to cover:  When I write I always try and start with a theme or feeling that I want the story to go.  In one of Original Works, I wanted to create an atmosphere of fear and disconnect.  My characters are travelling through time and realms.  They are scared, lost, confused…and I like to hone on what I can do to add to those feelings.

This also applies to dialogue too.  One of my creative writing professors assigned us to people watch.  Go sit in a café, go walk the mall or somewhere with a lot of people—listen to their conversations and how they react both in words and expressions and body language.   Just to listen how people interact and engage in the real world. Though, I think with fiction we are allowed a little leeway in how we push the norms of conversation like Gilmore Girls of MCU Avengers, some of that dialogue just isn’t natural sometimes.

Words hold a lot of power.  Sometimes a conversation can relate the same thing descriptions do.

Here’s an example from my OG stuff:

“She may as well sleep all day,” Valek mutters. “She doesn’t do anything else.”

Mother whaps him on the head with her free hand, the other holding a pot of porridge.  She clicks her tongue at me, beckoning me over to her.

“Do you really have to make comments like that, Valek?” Lorne says. “You aren’t as useful as you seem to think.”

“At least I can speak,” Valek snaps. 

Here, I was working to set up how Brother 1- Valek does not have the best relationship with his sister.  He quite frankly doesn’t like her and thinks it’s her fault the Main Conflict takes place in the book.  Brother 2-Lorne, is often the brother off to the rescue of the sister.  It also sets up room for growth and change within Valek, and illustrates some of the family dynamics.

Ground the reader:  Tactile details are so important.  In setting up any scene I think it’s important to hit on at least three of the five senses. Help the reader feel like they are with the character so that they (the reader) don’t wander and lose themselves.  Now, I do suffer A LOT from purple prose.

Here is an example of something of my own from a first draft of the same story I reference above:

The cheers grow louder; the villagers are like a brook bubbling by with joy of their freedom.  They are worms, slinking against each other to get closer to the stage so they may watch the show.  Irrepressible rage froths within me.  Who are they to allow such a sentence?  They know nothing, nothing at all.  Collected together they may be able to dig a whole, but one would get distracted by a fly, the other enthralled by a worm, all the while staring at the clouds taking form. (this was first written in 2013)

Here is the most recent draft:

The cheers grow louder as the villagers react to the sheriff.  Rage froths within me.  Who are they to allow such a sentence?  They know nothing, nothing at all.  If they knew what we were once capable of…if only we could remember that too. (this most recent edit is from just last year)

See how much I cut out?  As much as I loved some of those images—bubbling brook, worms writhing around—they just didn’t fit.  They put too much attention on the villagers and not on my main character and her feelings and what she was feeling.  In this scene MC is witnessing her mother being hanged and her brother is holding her back.  Now, I did save those descriptions and I think I’ve put them in other places BUT, the thing I want to point out here is where I want the attention directed to.  The villagers aren’t important.  My MC is. So now the surrounding details are easily noticed and take greater precedence to the reader. They don't get lost in the "fluff" and "purple language."

Here is another bit from this story:

I try to scream as the village exhales.  My throat burns in desperation, though nothing but dry air scrapes its way out in a low hiss.  Valek’s calloused hands pull me away from the scene.  I thrash and try to hit him, but he’s too powerful.  Tears burn down my cheeks as candle wax that careens over the lip of the stand.  Eventually they will stop.  It won’t be for a long time, but the tears will harden and I will let Mother go. But not yet. 

I stretched the image of the melting candle to encompass all of what MC is feeling and use it to show her mind and the state she’s in.  Candle wax doesn’t harden immediately, just as her tears won’t stop.  She will be changed by this, just as a melted candle changes shape.

A lot of this comes down to practice.  Write more and edit more.  Plan.  I know I’ve said I hate planning and I am a failure at it, but when I do plan, everything tends to work out for the better.  Think of how you can simplify one description and watch for repetition in words and if you’re saying the same thing over to describe something.  There is a lot to be said about simplicity.  Know when you want to use lots of language and words and make every word significant.  Simplicity and significance.  One of my favorite professors taught me this and it helped me so, so much.

“The Chosen One” by Carol Lynch Williams, “The One and Only Ivan” by Applegate, heck even the “Hunger Games” are good examples of the above concept of the power of simplicity.

Some craft/style books I highly recommend: “Bird by Bird” by Anne Lamott, “Ordinary Genius” by Kim Addonizio, “On Writing Well” by William Zinsser.  Also Brandon Sanderson’s lecture series you can find on youtube.

thank you again for trusting me and asking me about this, I hope I didn't overstep any bounds as I went off on this. Remember, take what works for YOU. I just think it's a lot of fun to explore craft and style.

#starry friend #starry anon #writing #writing advice #my writing #i ramble #writtenisme #writeblr #i try and give advice #just some thoughts

[frosteee]

Shiemi's Past - Answers, Questions & Theories

My brain is just a whirlwind of thoughts right now thanks to the epic new chapter, but I wanted to take apart some interesting bits of exposition from Amaimon regarding Shiemi's past.

Sorry if I ramble and sorry for the choppy layout - I wanted to write out the questions and answers the dialogue brought up so that's literally what I did ^^;; Otherwise it might have turned into a wall of text and nobody wants that!

[Spoilers ahead! Duh!]

"Oh hey, I just remembered your childhood... and you haven't changed a bit."

This is interesting on multiple levels. It answers a lot, and makes me question a lot!

Answers:

Amaimon is familiar with the descendants of Shemihaza to the extent that he knows them personally from childhood, or even from the time they are born.

Questions:

Is this part of the contract between Shemihaza and himself? To be the guardian protector of each generation until they come of age (at which point he is subjugated by them)? If so, damn.

If so, why was his memory wiped, and by whom?

Answers:

Shiemi has been missing a portion of her memory since childhood.

Amaimon (appears) to be missing the same, if not more, of that portion of his memory as well, seeing as he 'suddenly' remembered Shiemi's childhood now and only recently remembered Shiemi being the successor to Shemihaza. If he knew Shiemi as a child then he should have recognised her as a teen. She hasn't changed so much you wouldn't recognise her after a few years - and she's Shemihaza's successor, a very pivotal person in his life!

Amaimon knew her well enough to perceive that her confidence and self-belief problems are things that has been with her since that incident - that the incident was most likely the cause.

Questions:

Was Shiemi's memory wiped or did she forget due to psychological trauma?

Did Amaimon know her before the 'incident' as well? So he knows that the 'incident' made her, and apparently her alone, a 'puppet' of someone or something?

Was Shiemi controlled before the 'incident' in which she may or may not have killed someone, and this is why Amaimon calls her an eternal puppet?

Does Amaimon consider all descendants of Shemihaza puppets regardless?

Why would Mephisto need to spell out for him Shiemi's true identity so late in the game?

Has Amaimon's behaviour towards Shiemi prior to this been his subconscious mind remembering her, or the effects of a spell slowly waring off?

Speaking of which...

[Amaimon's entire explanation of the aftereffects of Chuchi use on a person]

Theory #1: Amaimon had his memories of Shiemi removed or buried deep by the very effects of hypnosis he described after being invaded by a Chuchi. The Chuchi are the kin of Beelzebub. Now, it's entirely possible Amaimon is simply aware of the power of the kin of his siblings in general, particularly one he is technically allied to through Mephisto, but considering, well, Mephisto, something seems fishy. As @philosophicalparadox brilliantly stated, Mephisto has plans for Amaimon, and if he told Amaimon Sheimi's identity late, that's because he had a reason, and that he kept Amaimon in the dark all this time on purpose. Mephisto could have had Beelzebub, as his ally, hypnotise Amaimon to keep him seperated from Shiemi until the right time. Perhaps Amaimon protested against it when he saw Shiemi, and Mephisto stepped in?

Theory #2: One of the Uzai family. The Uzai family are a pretty shady bunch, and they were the first to express knowledge that Shiemi doesn't remember a part of her past that they were involved in. From the hair, the man in the flashback is most likely Jeremiah. If they were not directly involved in physically removing or altering Shiemi's memory, then they definitely had it arranged (maybe colluding with Mephisto to do it, removing Amaimon from her early life in the process).

"You're a failure/You're defective/You're always seeking approval... like a puppet."

Answers:

Shiemi is the first of the descendants of Shemihaza to have such memory loss and - no doubt - trauma inflicted on her. Whether it was planned by the Uzai family, Mephisto, a combination of the two, Shiemi is not the traditional 'puppet', if one destined to take up the Shemihaza mantel can be called that.

The 'incident' and those involved attempted to change Shiemi from a successor into their tool, unlike previous Shemihazas, who were trained to be confident and powerful enough to take over the position and subjugate Amaimon from birth. Shiemi, however, has been sheltered and purposely removed from her past and heritage until recently.

Questions:

Why Shiemi?

If Amaimon knew child Shiemi as a 'puppet' of the Uzai family, did he react against it, and have to have his memory removed as well to stop him complicating things? If he had been fine with Shiemi losing her memory, especially if this meant he could be free from the contract's bindings - for a little while at least - then why didn't he remember Shiemi? His memory must have been tampered with too. Amaimon certainly does not sound pleased with Shiemi's supposed 'weak' state.

"And it's your fault you're like this."

Answers:

Shiemi's involvement in 'the incident' led her to her losing her memory of both it and her identity. I believe that if she wasn't already under the Uzais' control, she must have witnessed 'the incident' accidentally, something she shouldn't have, that led Jeremiah or another Uzai to wipe her memory.

Questions:

Could Shiemi's relationship to the murdered person - a man, it seems, possibly her own father? - have led to the Uzai taking him out of the picture and wiping Shiemi's memory because she witnessed it?

Did the Uzai know that Shiemi's memory of the incident would turn her against them because of her relationship to the person they killed?

Was the memory wipe a pre-planned thing or a last resort?

Did Shiemi witness murder or was she an unwilling/unknowing accessory to it?

"You don't make a very good bride, either."

Answers:

This is more than a one-off joke. Amaimon isn't joking, he seriously is intent on the bride thing, it seems. This is at least the third or fourth time he's mentioned it, and at this point it comes off as genuine (and scary).

Questions:

Is this is one of the terms of his and Shemihaza's contract way back when? It reminds me of Shura's ancestor and Hachiro...

Is this a personal desire of Amaimon's, possibly relating to his rage way back when? The apple wouldn't be falling far from the tree in that regard...

At the very least, Amaimon knows that he was dead wrong about Shiemi lacking the conviction and strength of her forebears. He thought there was no way she could be any better in the face of whatever the Uzai did to her, but she proved him wrong!! I love Shiemi so much!!! <3 <3

#analysis #Thoughts #Blue Exorcist spoilers #Ao no Exorcist spoilers #spoilers #Amaimon #Shiemi Moriyama