#the characterisation of these two is so spot on so far

[selarina]

A Patch of Blue

-> Gojo Satoru x Reader

Summary: Set against a backdrop of a rainy day, Gojo Satoru apologises.

Content Warnings: angst with a happy ending, hurt/comfort, established relationship, fluff, sensory overload, exhaustion, sleep deprivation, hickey, kissing, reader is implied to be a jujutsu sorcerer, canon divergence

Word Count: 1.7k words

Author's Note: I’ve always been scared of writing for Gojo because his characterisation in the canon is so layered & subtle but here goes nothing. Reblog or leave a comment if you like what you read <3

Read on AO3

You feel the bottom of your pants getting wet as you sit. The water slowly seeps its way onto your skin, battling through your pants and your underwear. 

You feel it on your thighs now, your knees, and your ankles and you think it's the ankles that bothers you the most. The water is slowly seeping through your very thick socks. You can't help but squirm in place, it's always an unpleasant feeling but now you don't have a mission to distract you from the sensory nightmare it is.

Thwap! 

And your head is up in an instant. Your hands loosened around the blazer that was hugging you tight. Just in case it's a fight and recently, it usually has been. 

You squint and your eyes take in the scene in front of you — nothing seems to be there other than a bunch of trees and a few newly formed ill-sized puddles of water. No sign of anything living or moving. You hear another swap, and your eyes zero in on the moving figure.    You squint harder as it swivels its way through the trees. Rather slowly for something that’s about to attack.

A second passes, and you're deciding if you're going to give the assailant the privilege of fighting you or if you want to finish this off all with one snap. 

A few seconds pass as you deliberate, blank face as your eyes begin to droop. Knowing how today is panning out, you have an inkling that this will end in mere seconds. You're finding that you do not have the kindness to give them a fight today — far too tired, and far too angry.

A few more seconds pass as your hands let go of the blazer, completely this time. Almost immediately, it starts breezing in the wind, trying its hardest to clutch onto your back. It’s subtle but enough for you to feel it but not enough for it to fly from its place on your shoulders.

The next second passes and you spot the horns. A deer. It was just a dear. You feel your body slowly giving you permission to relax.

Your eyes come back down, a bit embarrassed even though no one’s around to witness what just happened. 

You think about what you can do now. Go back in, and join your friends, power through the afternoon, or leave. You could just leave, you tell yourself. You've gone through enough as a group to know that no one will say anything, apart from a few worried "Are you home?" questions that is. 

But you don't like this, you don't want to go home like this. Not when the weather's so nice. It's thundering, and you have a feeling you'll sleep well tonight if things are sorted before you can leave.

You look down and notice how the rain has stopped falling on your shoes, and your thighs, and you don't have to look at your hands because you no longer feel the droplets. You look only a bit away from your shoes and notice that the puddles remain brimming, still overflowing and forming little streams that flow against the mud. 

You don't look up, and you can't tell if it's because of shame or sheer pettiness. You decide immediately that neither is better than the other.

"Can I sit?" His voice is soft, so unlike him but also very much like him. He's always reserved this part of him, it takes a lot for him to peel off all the many layers. 

You look up now, finally ready, all you needed was a second or two to get out of your head.

He's standing right behind you, the umbrella is away from him and it’s placed over your head, and he's completely exposed to the rain but not a single drop of water is falling over his imperfectly styled white hair. 

It stands out, not just against the wet scenery of the green around you, but always. You don't know if it's because natural white hair is so rare or if it’s because he’s just him. Oozing singularity and always maintaining a sense of otherness. 

You think it's mostly because he is who he is.

You don't try to smile when you nod. Your hand reaches up to take the umbrella as he brings it closer. 

He follows suit you realize as you hear the soft splash like he just sat down. 

The two of you sit there in almost complete silence. The sound of rain accompanies the two of you, the occasional sound of a bird doesn't alarm you anymore, and you feel one with nature, one with him. 

And the tension from early on almost dissipates, but then he speaks up, in the same low voice, "I'm…”

You don't say anything. 

He attempts again, “You know…”  You do, but he won’t say it, and you know it and you stay and you think that's why this is happening. You know and you love all of him, you’ve said this umpteenth number of times but you still feel disappointed and you don't know how you can feel justified in your feelings. 

If anything this is your fault, you start to think. It's not logical, not one bit of it, and you can’t find yourself wanting to logically deduce a way out, not like always.

"I know. I'm sorry," you say because you are. Of all things, that is the most important thing you want to say.

You turn, just slightly towards him to look at him. He’s looking ahead at a puddle a mere feet away. He doesn’t say anything so you continue looking at him as you wait. The soft blue shirt ruffles onto his chest against the wind. Your eyes flit up, you can barely see it but you see a peak of the bright blue hidden away behind his glasses. 

“Me too,” and your brows raise up in surprise. He’s not one for apologizing, not when most things about him are so deliberate. 

“You are?” You ask you think you would be fine even if he didn’t apologize. You know who he was before you started dating him after all.

“I feel that way,” he says, firmly. His eyes are still intently directed at the puddle. 

“I see,” you say, turning to look at the same puddle. “Thank you for telling me.” 

You smile.

You turn back and he’s looking towards you this time, his demeanor so different from mere seconds ago. His body is no longer hunched, and his face is no longer serious. 

You smile harder.

“Now now! Can I please take us home?” he asks. “This party is so boring!” He almost whines, akin to a cat in need of immediate sustenance.

You pull his blazer closer around you — since you’re no longer numb, you start feeling the chill now.

“Okay, Satrou. Let’s go home,” you say, unlike your usual answer to such requests from him. You feel the urge to indulge him today. 

You stand up, the umbrella shakes off the drops of water as you do. You frown, seeing your shoes get wet but you suppose sitting in the rain for a while has done enough damage to it anyway.

You look up, and he’s standing right in front of you. Just a mere inch away, and standing under your umbrella now. You notice that some of the raindrops start staining the back of his shirt.

“Hi,” you feel his breath against your skin. He smiles. 

“Hi,” you smile back.

“I don’t have the patience to drive all the way back, and I really really do want to kiss you,” he says.

“You can kiss me right here,” you speak softly, not needing to pronounce your words when he’s this close.

“Well,” he drawls out as he smirks. “If you insist.”

He dives into you, his kiss is searing against your lips but it is, much to your disappointment, short-lived. 

His dry and soft hands come up to your neck, wiping down on the expanse of your skin in order to get rid of any water droplets that haven’t dried up yet before he dives back into the crevice of your neck. He starts leaving soft pecks before he eventually bites.

You immeidtely hiss, “Satoru, not here!” 

He doesn’t stop as he continues sucking on your skin, your hands come to his hair, and you fight against the urge to softly card through his hair like you usually do. Your hands dig in, holding onto a fist full of hair before you squeeze.

“Satoru,” you try again. “Someone could see. Shoko already suspects something.”

“You said I could kiss you right here,” he mumbles, leaving soft kisses over the hickey like he usually does. “And I’m sure Shoko of all people already knows.”

You groan, “Not like this, Satoru.” 

He backs away. “Then let me take us home,” he says, pouting. 

“It’s going to take us 2 hours,” you say, and you don’t want him to drive like this — sleep-deprived and exhausted.

“Could take a split second if you just say please,” a cocksure smile on his face as he squeezes your hips.

“You want to teleport us back?” You groan, your voice is soft now, “It’ll drain you out, baby. We fought for 2 whole days, and you haven’t had a wink of any sleep.”

“Sure, I did! But didn’t you hear me? I really really want to kiss you. I’ll be more be fine,” he says.

“Fine, as long as we get to sleep in a bed that’s not made of stone,” you roll your eyes but you’re grateful you get to go home. Your hands come up to pull his chin, and you squint your eyes, feigning seriousness, “But only this one time are we ditching them.” 

“If you insist,” he says and smirks as he usually does when it’s a challenge he’s willing to more than outdo. 

One moment the air around you rises, the clothes on your body fluttering against you, and then — Swoosh. 

You find yourself in his room now, the comforting and starkly dim yellow light clouding your vision, and before you even begin to access the rest of your surroundings, he’s pushing you up against his wall, embracing you in a kiss.

#gojo x reader #gojo x you #gojo fluff #gojo angst #jjk x reader #jjk x you #jjk fluff #jjk angst #gojo satoru x reader #gojo satoru x you #gojo satoru fluff #gojo satoru angst #jujutsu kaisen x reader #jujutsu kaisen x you #jujutsu kaisen fluff #jujutsu kaisen angst #gojo satoru x y/n #jujutsu kaisen hurt/comfort #jujutsu kaisen x gender neutral reader

[zu8her]

✧･ﾟSuna Rintarou | Sweet — just suna being extremely horny

✧･ﾟtags — lots of cum. like a lot. an ungodly amount. non penetrative sex. video call. audio porn. nudes. black!reader. thick!reader. fantasising. switch!suna. no beta. maybe a part 2 if im feeling up to it. masturbating. cock fisting. cock. cock. cock. whiny!suna. Virgin!Suna switch!suna. voicenote.

✧･ﾟnotes — this is the fastest fic i have written thus far. it's inspired by @chrollohearttags and @forusomimiya (y'all are fucking amazing). i dabbled a little bit and added some of my own characterisation to suna. i really hope yall like it.

✧･ﾟ— word count: 1.6K

She's cute. So fucking cute. He thinks staring down at a picture she recently posted. Her hair’s in mini twists. She has on a cherry pink dress with a white-ish nude pink corset outlining her waist. She lays on her signature plaid punch pink picnic mat, snacks surrounding her with a porcelain vase in the centre containing sweet pea vines. She looks up at the camera with a smile. Her hickory skin producing an angelic luminance under the sun's honey glimmer.

Her friend's rust coloured hand can be spotted at the crook of the photo with their glamorous green acrylics in view tapping against the mat.

But his eyes only fixate on her. Her glistening skin, her chest pushed up with the help of the corset (he questions if it was deliberate or not), her thighs in view as her dress is hiked up slightly and her alluring smile.

His eyes has been taking in every tantalising detail of her body. He grunts, a moan or two slipping out, stroking his cock faster. Hissing at the cum seeping down his shaft.

He'd like to say that this doesn't happen often but it does. Him relentlessly stroking his cock for her, because of her, is a near daily occurrence for him. The mere thought of her would make him palm his cock through his sweatpants. The mere sight of her as he scrolled through his phone would make him throw his head back closing his eyes to filthy images of her.

Like right now, viciously fisting his cock. He groans as yet another shaking orgasm washes over him. His cum running down his hand gathering with the previous spurts of cum and precum. It landing on his tile floor and droplets on his phone. It rolls down from his cum-covered balls onto his sweatpants he pulled down a good 2-3 hours ago. His mind too dazed to even conceive the time or how many times he had cum.

To overwhelmed to hold it, he drops his phone. Shutting his eyes, he envisions her with his cock in her mouth. Teasing him with little licks at his tip and her hand running up and down his cock.

He’d always think about her. During practice, lectures, at some of event where he sat for hours, at home, with a smirk planted on his face as she scolds him after finding a piece of her clothing he had hidden in his room after she forgot it there. "You think this is funny? I thought someone stole it. I've been looking for this."

His thoughts would be filled with her. Her in utter ecstasy. Her flowerful voice always in his head, dripping with lust as it whines, moans, gasps and giggles.

“Fuck me, Rin.”

“I’ll make you feel so good, baby.”

“Be a good boy and let me fuck you, Rin.”

“Touch yourself for me, baby.”

He’s been violently horny, since he became her boyfriend. She knows his for a fact. He's always teasing her. Pressing his hard cock against her ass and whispering the things he'd do to her. “What about we get out of here and you show me what you're hiding under this shirt, hmm? Would you like that?”

This is especially enticing for him because he has not done anything with anyone yet. She has. The thoughts of his 'extremely fucking attractive and experienced' girlfriend fucking him, would rile him up. It would have him in the bathroom rubbing one out with images of her between his legs lapping up all his cum and him fucking her pretty little throat, filling it and watching her swallow.

He'd spent hours fantasising about fucking her in everyway imaginable.

With her bent over his knee as he fucks his fingers into her. Licking off her cum. How would it taste like, he seldom ponders. Would it be as sweet as her.

Her legs over his shoulder, while he moans her name and fucks his cock into her wet cunt. Rubbing her clit as he feels her cum on his cock. How would that feel like?

With her laying on her stomach, drool running down her cheek as he fucks her from behind. Watching her ass repeatedly bounce against his cock.

From the side, holding her leg up as he plunges every inch of his cock into her. Sloppily kissing her. Looking through his mirror at her tits bouncing with his thrusts.

This is torture. Depriving him from fucking her (even if it was him who said he'd like to take things slow). Surely, she had to suffer alongside him. Probably with her wand, pressing it against her clit. Her ass up, legs spread rubbing her clit and teasing her soft fingers inside her slit.

He often wonders if she fucks herself to the thought of him. Does she grope her tits and press her thighs together at the photos she has of him, at the photos he sends?

These thoughts would send him into a frenzy, that leaves him with his cock hard again. Then he'd retreat to his bed or bathroom with his trusty phone and the baby wipes she had left in his dorm and forgot about.

He'd like her to experience and bare the brunt of the disgustingly lewd lust she brought onto him. He'd be cruel, evil even. Torturing her by sending her pictures of his hard cock with his pretty pink tip, audios of him moaning for her, videos of his throbbing cock. His cock twitching with cum all over it, his hand too, holding the base while cum drips onto his stomach. Deliberately but vaguely placing emphasis on his hand or taking it out of the frame entirely because he knows how much she loves his hands.

This night. This normal, Sunday evening, he felt particularly needy. He came, and came, and came. To the point that a small puddle of his cum formed. The ache started when he woke up scrolling through his phone to find a voicenote she had sent to him, of her quiet moans and whimpers with the sound of her vibrator accompanying her, in retaliation. He listened to it on his way to the bathroom. Which is where he stays currently, stroking his cock again after finally ceasing stroking his cock an hour ago.

He cleaned up. Throwing his dirty sweatpants in the laundry hamper. Just then is when he caught a glimpse of her underwear and hot pink towel hanging over the rack.

So, he sits on his toilet with her towel wrapped around his neck inhaling her scent and rubbing her thong against his cock.

While he continued to indulge in his fantasies, she sat by her desk with scented candles, her computer in front of her as she finished her paper. She hums to the music slightly bobbing her head feeling her twists brush against her cheeks.

Feeling her phone vibrate she picks it up. She has notification. A message from: ☆*: .｡.Rin🤎.｡.:*☆ with a video attached to it.

Seeing that, she stops. It’s either him beginning his tirade of bombarding her with videos he found funny (his humour is quite... stale but she loves him for it), the practice match footage, random volleyball plays he wanted to try or him begging her to come fuck him. He’d done this many times. She’d respond with a picture of herself effectively worsen his problem, sometimes she'd be kind and send him a message telling him to care of it himself/ to fuck off (which she found he enjoyed) or her laying in bed with her vibrator between her folds rewatching the video, over, and over, and over again.

She sits thinking. Finish the essay now, but she does have 3 more weeks before she has to hand this in. Her eyes snap to her phone when she receives yet another message from him. She discards all reason and opens it. Clicking on the notification the video automatically plays.

Her screen is filled with his cum-covered cock. It would be abhorrent how much cum covers his cock and hand if she did not find it attractive, which she does. Over her speakers softly plays the sloppy sound of him rubbing his cock and him moaning. She presses her thighs together when he finally speaks.

“Hey, baby.” His husky voice greets.

“Look what you’ve done…” He sniffs. “You did this. Fuck- You have me stroking my cock like this… You won’t even help me… Look how hard it is… I just need- just- fuck- please, please come fuck me, baby.” His deep voice whines.

“I’ll do anything. I’ll be good. Just please let me fuck you." His voice softens. "I'll be good."

He continues, unable to form a coherent thought or sentence with his mind dazed in a haze of pleasure. Just blabbering whatever slips out with his moans.

“You’re so pretty y/n. So fucking pretty. Just thinking about you… Fuck-” He whines as cums spurts onto his stomach and drip down his hand.

Hearing only his whimpers for a few moments as he gathers himself. Then he slips into a domineering tone with his sly chuckle.

“Please, come fuck me. Just your tits will be fine. Or let me eat you out. Or just come watch me. Watch me fuck myself for you. Just for you.”

The camera flips and she's met with his face. Sweat runs down his face, his yellow eyes dull with lust as he gives a fucked-out grin before his face twists and he deliverers a deep moan. She hears him continue to sloppily stroke his cock.

“Fuck, I’m still cumming for you.”

He pants, him biting his lower lip. With a chuckle the video ends.

#haikyuu smut #haikyuu x reader #haikyuu!! #suna x female reader #suna x y/n #suna headcanons #suna x black reader #haikyuu x black reader #suna rintaro smut #suna rintarou #suna rintaro imagine #black reader smut #black reader #haikyuu scenarios #haikyuu suna x reader #hq x reader #suna smut #suna x you #suna x reader #suna rintaro x reader #suna rintaro drabbles #switch!suna rintarou #suna rinatro #haikyuu #suna rintaro scenarios #suna rintaro x you #suna rintaro fic #suna haikyuu #suna rintarou smut #˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ — zu8her

[thegrimreaperisanerd]

hi :) binge read your de fic that you have posted on ao3 last night and really enjoyed all of it! excited to see any updates. was wondering if you have any rec for other fic youve read and enjoyed-- i am not god's bravest soldier and do not enjoy trudging through tags and was wondering if you had read anything yourself that you really enjoyed lolol

Hey, thanks so much!!! Sorry it's taken a couple days to answer this, I'm poor as shit and have two jobs now wah... capitilism...

I'm working on the next 46' chapter, It's about 70% complete and I generally let it sit for an evening once it's done then re-read it the next day to catch the vast majority of mistakes (I edit everything myself) so I'd say expect that in the coming days.

I have some thoughts! I... Have never been asked for fic recs before so I'm gonna list a bunch in no particular order that I enjoyed, and reasons why. I will note that I tend to enjoy meaty plot-based works over fluff, so that's what I'll be recommending. Anyway!

Paddling Out (THE REPEATER CORPSE CONUNDRUM) - @transhitman - So this is the first DE fic I read and it set the bar pretty fucking high. YOU'VE GOT: a very cool and insular setting (don't get me wrong I like fics where they travel around Revachol too, but there's something to be said for building a set and living in it for a while) YOU'VE GOT: extremely harrowing tension and pale-fuckery YOU'VE GOT: some genuinely beautiful, heartfelt moments (I don't want to spoil anything but "people don't need your permission to care about you" kinda undid me) YOU'VE ALSO GOT: Amazing art?! Always a bonus, I wish I could draw people lol

Have You Heard The News That You're Dead? - Wizardlover - Time Loop shenanigans hell yeah! Basic premise: Kim is *unable* to save Harry's life after he's shot at the tribunal, each time he dies he Reawakens in Martinaise on the first day and desperately has to try and find a way to either prevent the Tribunal entirely, or survive it. I think the major draw to this one is how well it's characterised and how well that lends to the major source of tension: trying to convince THE WORLD'S BIGGEST SKEPTIC that you *a man he 'has only just met'* is actually stuck in a time loop. Juicy shit.

The Case Of The Man Who Two-Thirds Wasn't There - @glisteningceruleaneyes - We got another case fic here, gang. This is one of those "they travel around Revachol" numbers I previously mentioned. A lot to love about this fic; the minor OCs are all loveable (or at least well-written, looking at you Mr. Bigot-All-Rounder), the elements of writing in the game's style (particularly use of Harry's 'to do' list that you find in the ledger, you don't see that as often!) are all fantastic. Also without spoiling too much I'm a sucker for hurt/ comfort :) I like when bad things happen to our specialist guy :) ALSO! alternating chapters, Kim vs Harry's perspectives contrast REALLY well! Just a super enjoyable read. - On that note I also wanna include a special mention: there's a podfic for this one and since I mentioned my two jobs, I've been listening to audiobooks at work (I'm a cleaner. It's very boring) and that was a fun change of pace!

The Emergent Causeway - hal_incandenza - Now you KNOW this one is good because it's the only *unfinished* fic I'm recommending. Again, We've got art! We've got a brand new (non-Revachol!) setting that still feels excellently Elysium! We got that excellent balance of humour and misery from the get go! EXCELLENT murder mystery so far, I am intrigued AND also there's a fucking puppy. Hell yeah. This one's from Kim's perspective and does a really good job of it, nothing like a man being begrudgingly sent on holiday and being somewhat relieved to have a corpse to deal with.

A Spilled Kaleidoscope - @spilledkaleidoscope - I'm actually recommending a series here. Real definition of "came for the art, stayed for the writing" I mostly have a soft spot because I got to watch a few "haha, what if-?" musing text posts become a series of written chapters and INCREDIBLE DRAWINGS HOLY SHIT. Like, you really just draw hands for fun, huh? This person made a pact with some sort of devil beasts to draw hands very good, at the bare minimum we can read their fiction.

Nothing To Lose But Our Chains - Lepak - I almost forgot this one and I honestly can't believe it because this is one of these ones that you need a cigarette afterwards. Good fucking god. This is probably the best fic I've ever read in terms of not shying away from the heavy themes that make Disco Elysium such a beautiful, moving game. It tackles a racism in many forms, particularly how people like Kim (in working for the RCM) and immigration laws do their part in upholding racist systems, despite the way it hurts him too. Of course, it's also excellently written with tense scenes and some real funny moments. A real good'un here.

The Catacomb Killer - SupposedToBeWriting - Give Harry more memory loss. Make him convinced he killed a kid. Make *Kim* convinced he killed a kid... Then the plot thickens. I won't lie I can't remember fuck all about this one because I was mostly drunk when I read it, but if it was good enough that I kept reading instead of smoking a spliff or something then it must have been excellent... I will re-read it when I have the time, lmao.

MURDER ON THE AIRWAVES - @randomisedmongoose - I'm just a really big fan of murder mysteries and gore. You show me somebody with brain matter pouring from their earholes and I'm like "yum yum, more of that please." I am a sucker for curious methods of murder and this one's good for that. Lots of trekking back and forth like in the game again. More ACAB - always good.

I did not mean to include this many...........................

Oh well. Here's my list, there are plenty of others I've enjoyed but these are just the ones that came to mind! Thanks again for reading my fic! Always makes me happy when people let me know they enjoy my writing :3

#hey if i tagged u in this and u don't want to be tagged then PLEASE lemme know and i'll remove u #likewise i dont know if everyone has tumblr so if u know somebody does ping this post their way and if they wanna be tagged let me know and #i'll do that #fic recs

[spacemagicandlaserswords]

The Clone Wars 2x4 'Senate Spy' Reaction

Putting this one under a cut as it deals with some heavy topics.

CW: Domestic violence, abusive relationships, emotional abuse

Wow ok this episode really emphasised how controlling Anakin is of Padmé. There were a few instances of it in Season 1, particularly at the start of the finale, but it was a constant presence throughout this episode. In every interaction between Anakin and Padmé it was glaringly obvious how controlling and possessive Anakin is of Padmé.

I know possessive characters are a fandom trope favourite, particularly in smut, and I can understand it in that exact, precise, fantasy, pretend, entirely made up context but I've also always been squicked out by and wary of it outside of that one highly specific context. To me, it's a giant red flag and a trait that basically screams 'Danger! This person is a threat!' Which is entirely applicable in this context, because we all know how that relationship ended. With Anakin attempting to murder Padmé and their unborn children by strangling her.

Seeing multiple clear and obvious signs of an abusive husband in this relationship is rather jarring to watch. Usually I will easily keyboard mash out reaction thoughts to an episode but I'm really struggling with this one. It's important to talk about but it's also quite difficult and tough. There are so many red flags in Anakin's behaviour in this episode alone and it's barely the start of Season 2. He's controlling, possessive, selfish, egotistical, angry, and frankly downright frightening. The part that really got me was where he decided for Padmé that she wasn't allowed to go on the mission because he had deemed it too dangerous, completely removing her agency and denying her free will.

I'm glad Padmé reacted the way she did. That she called out Anakin on his bullshit and made it completely clear that no one makes decisions for her. That definitive rejection of Anakin's controlling and abusive behaviour needed to happen. What frustrated me was the way in which it was done and the way in which Padmé is characterised and written in her relationship with Anakin.

Because they wrote Padmé as the Strong Female Character. Who never backs down, always gives back as good as she gets, ready with a snappy comeback and full of fight, just as strong and tough as The Boys. Which, sadly, makes sense given that this episode was released in 2009. The Strong Female Character was still the best we could really hope for in terms of mainstream media representation. Mass Effect had only come out two years earlier and the option to play the main character as a woman was considered groundbreaking at the time. It was only a few years before this episode that Padmé was fighting in the middle of a gladiator arena turned battle field in Attack of the Clones in nothing but a blindingly white skin tight outfit that somehow magically never got dirty with no amour to protect herself with apart from some clunky looking shin guards. How was she supposed to protect herself from getting injured from attacks and blaster bolts?! Armour sure would've helped when that nexu conveniently ripped her top off in just the right spot so that it became a crop top because god forbid we have a woman existing in an action movie without showing some skin. Urgh. (little teenage nerd me had many about opinions about this). The usually singular female character in any action movies of the time were always the same Strong Female Character trope as well, usually with a whole bunch of unnecessary sexiness thrown in purely for the male gaze (see aforementioned crop top).

I'm sure it gets better, well I hope it gets better, but it's another reminder that while enjoyable so far, The Clone Wars, especially the earlier episodes and seasons, are products of their time and have already started to show their age. That doesn't excuse it. I guess it's just me noticing that it's interesting in an odd sort of way that I can't really describe to watch it all for the first time 14 years later in an entirely different media landscape.

The other thing that really stood out to me about Anakin's abusive behaviour was that every time Padmé pushed back, stood her ground and called out Anakin's bullshit, he never acknowledged Padmé's point of view, that he might possibly be wrong or even considered apologising. He just kept barrelling along, doing what he wanted to do because he was always right and Padmé was wrong and Padmé should be listening to him and doing what he says because Padmé is his. For the entirety of their relationship, Anakin is either fighting, controlling or love bombing Padmé. A healthy relationship is not based on any of these.

I'm not really sure where I'm going with this and I've no idea how to finish this but watching this episode was like watching every abusive relationship I've had to deal with. All the red flags were there. All the emotional abuse was there. All the abusive behaviours were there. I'm not sure if Padmé and Anakin's relationship in this episode and throughout The Clone Wars was written this way intentionally, and I'm not sure I'd give the writers enough credit to do so, but it was all so very alarmingly, scarily, jarringly accurate.

#star wars #sw #the clone wars #clone wars #tcw #sw the clone wars #sw clone wars #sw tcw #watching the clone wars for the first time #padme #padme amidala #anakin #anakin skywalker #anidala #reaction #domestic violence #abusive relationship #emotional abuse

[the-al-chemist]

Happy Worldbuilding Wednesday! As you've written a fair bit about Charlie, I'm sure you've thought a lot about dragons by proxy. Are there any headcanons/ideas you have about dragons in your world (that Charlie is likely to talk about at length to people)? - @hphmmatthewluther

Well, look who is here asking me about things that I love to talk about. Dragons? Yes please. Charlie Weasley? Even more yes please.

So, I had a good think about dragons when it came to Learning to Fly. I’m a stickler to canon, so I knew I wanted them to be completely wild animals, but I needed to have Norbert(a) able to interact with Charlie. So, I based my “characterisation” of dragons on a few things, some of which made it into the story, some of which remained unpublished.

Until now.

I’m so sorry, you hit my nerdy/hyperfocus spot. This is such an essay of a response. I’m leaning into it with picture examples and everything…

Anatomy/Physiology

Firstly, I used birds as an inspiration. This is an obvious one, sort of. Generally, you have two different dragon appearances in recent western fantasy: either they have four legs plus a pair of wings or their wings are their front limbs. In the Harry Potter films, they use the latter. It’s less cute, but makes more sense in terms of them actually being able to fly.

All the terms I used to describe Norbert(a)’s body parts were anatomical terms for these body parts in birds, e.g. the keel. The keel is the breastbone, and in birds the muscles used for flight all attach here in order to keep the centre of gravity low on the body for flight. There are tendons that then extend up through a loop of bone and act as pulleys for their wings, the bones of which are actually very similar to our own arms, if you look closely.

As well as their flight mechanisms, birds have a bellows system of air sacs that I wanted to borrow for my dragons. Birds use these for respiration (think about oxygen at high altitudes during flight), but for my dragons, they have another purpose. Because, what else needs oxygen? What is it that dragons are most famous for? What is responsible for those burns on Charlie’s arms?

Fire.

I am not much of a reptile expert, so I didn’t take much in the way of inspiration from reptiles when writing about my dragons. I do, however, have the headcanon that, like all reptiles, dragons are cold-blooded. Most physiological adaptations have more than one purpose, and so, my dragons don’t just use fire for hunting and defence purposes — they use it to keep themselves warm. They produce the flames in their thorax, where there is a good oxygen supply and the blood can be warmed easily due the proximity to the heart, and the muscles and thick bone of the keel are able to protect it.

Behaviour

I used more elements of dog behaviour when writing Learning to Fly than anything else, for the simple reason that it is the animal body language I understand best and that I thought most readers would understand best. However, I would argue that dragons are far more like cat species than dogs in regard to their behaviour, so I included some cat-like tendencies as well.

Dogs are social creatures, and most of their behaviours have evolved in order to maintain order within a pack. They hunt in packs, roam in packs, raise offspring in packs. Other than lions, cats are usually solitary creatures, only joining together as adults to mate. There are exceptions, of course, but this is usually the rule. The same goes for dragons, from what we see in canon. Therefore, their behaviour will largely be based on avoiding conflict in order to avoid injury to themselves, and on solitary hunting. I did put this in with Norbert(a) — in one of the final chapters, she engages in play behaviour by mimicking hunting, like a cat.

I also took a lot of inspiration from orcas, mainly in respect to the ethical arguments surrounding their captivity. If you haven’t seen Blackfish, you should definitely do so. I headcanon dragons to be immensely powerful and intelligent beings with wide roaming ranges, who do not cope well in captivity. In canon, it is known that dragons are too dangerous to keep as pets, and judging by the treatment of the Gringotts dragon, the ones that are kept in captivity do not lead happy and fulfilled lives.

I have written several times that dragons kept in captivity suffer from severe impairments to their physical and emotional health, to the point that they have reduced length of life as well as quality of life compared to their wild counterparts. Most of that has been in the form of dialogue from Charlie.

Three guesses what is the thing he really won’t shut up about…

#al speaks #charlie weasley #dragonology #about those dragons tho #dragons #wbw asks #did I mention that I love dragons

[woundlingus]

Okay, Unfinished Business 13x20 THEE Gabriel master thesis of episodes for his characterisation tells me one very important fact about him, and that’s that he is an unreliable narrator.

This is perhaps not even his fault, years and years of suffering the worst kind of abuse it’s hard to think clearly about much at all, let alone the intricacies of what happened to put you where you are and trying to understand other perspectives. It’s hard when you’ve spent a near decade (or undisclosed amount of time being shifted between Earth and Hell) with only the worst kind of torture at the forefront of your mind.

Or maybe, he does know. He is the trickster in every way that matters regardless of if he’s the original Loki or not. I’d find it pretty hard to believe that the trickster who haunts Sam Winchester’s nightmares would be unaware of the irony of his situation and the symbolism of his own torture, I imagine that makes the punishment all the more humiliating and bitter. Gabriel is also a show boat. A peacock. He’s always paraded himself around as tough and unknowable, he’s also a known liar and both of those traits work together to create a very convincing story in whatever episodes story it is he wants to tell. But he is a liar.

What sounds better? Gabriel ran away to hide under the skirt of his pagan friends?

Or, Gabriel was living a luxurious life where he was pampered and beloved;

(That’s right, the pornstars obviously)

That these so called friends wined and dined him, fed him his fill, and then when he was at his most vulnerable after they’d made well sure he felt comfortable enough to let his guard down- THEN, and only then, did they strike out against him. He could have never seen it coming. The ultimate betrayal.

Gabriel can’t keep his story straight the whole episode. He opens with a bold faced lie (can you spot the resemblance to any other lies so far?)

He knows this looks bad. He’s already so fragile, and he knows the Winchesters want him for his grace so I can’t imagine him knocking on their door for help was a decision he came to easily. So these two men who are bigger than him, stronger than him, and have a bone to pick with him, bring him into their motel room while he’s bleeding his guts out and can barely stand. He peacocks. I’m fine, “you should see the other guy”, wink wink. God forbid they know he’s weak, god forbid they think he’s any more pathetic than they already do.

He’s guarding his very fragile ego right now, frankly, it’s the only thing he has left.

I don’t doubt for a moment that Loki’s POV is any less clouded by his own personal prejudices and ego, they’re very much the same after all. Loki was in that cave, Gabriel did rescue him.

These are facts. That doesn’t change that Loki freed Gabriel from a cave of his own and saved him from his family as well.

They are equals in this fact. But neither willing to admit to it. Loki I understand, he’s given very little time to plead his case and so he gets right to the point. I saved Gabriel’s life, he killed my father.

Gabriel however, has plenty of time to explain himself and wastes it spinning a story in which he can both simultaneously look cool and still find himself to be the ultimate victim in. He wastes time keeping the Winchesters in the dark and it could have cost them their lives when they ran in after Gabriel without the whole story. Lucky for them, no one here cares about the Winchesters lol Loki is as occupied with Gabriel and he is with Loki. But they could’ve been hurt!

I’m not saying Gabriel doesn’t deserve catharsis, that he shouldn’t get to kill Loki and his children. I don’t need to, Gabriel does-

Maybe that was the tricksters best trick so far, that Gabriel managed to warp his own memories and perception of what happened to fuel his own survival, and now that he’s out and the world is real again he can’t make himself let go of what he had to tell himself. That Loki was unnecessarily cruel. That Loki snapped out of nowhere. That his closest confidant sold him out for money of all things. He can’t let himself remember it was more complex than that, he tells himself he needs this, because if he doesn’t he’ll have to admit that under all this peacocking and lying he is that weak and broken and scared. If Gabriel has to sit down with the reality that he’s never going to be that cool and sexy guy who gets everyone he wants and couldn’t care less, he’d probably want to kill himself (which is what really starts to get him down in the following episodes because guess what, killing Loki didn’t fix anything he’s still broken, :( always will be)

I think he believes if he can lie hard enough, this fabrication could be real. It can be real to him at least, so he doesn’t have to face the humiliation of either admitting to his own stupid naïveté and he didn’t see the obvious coming, or that he knowing and wilfully begged Loki for a place by his side and got throw down hard for his cowardice. But it’s not like there’s anyone left to contest his story now.

#this is so ramble-y I’m so sorry 😭 this probably doesn’t make a lick of sense but it’s plaguing me #gabriel spn #supernatural #spn #supernatural s13 #supernatural 13x20

[applecrumbledore]

Hey so regarding your recent post about past tense vs present tense: I would love to hear thoughts about why you prefer one over the other, if you feel like sharing?

I love your writing style, you have such a good sense of dialogue as well as making the settings feel very like... viscerally real, and your characterisation is always spot on, so I'd love to hear your thoughts on writing and how you approach it in general. I remember you mentioning once that you pay a lot of attention to smells, are there any other things you're like consciously trying to do when you write?

(this is so long sorry) hello! I love talking about writing, thank you!!

tense is very personal, but for me: my goal with writing is to be as economical with my language as possible, while still doing all the things good writing should do. I always think, every sentence should have a job. Move the plot along, share something new, convey something. that's what I like to write and read, personally.

and for me, past tense lets me do that much more easily. I feel like present tense has a very alluring way of making everything sound poetic and immediate and sexy, almost like spoken word, but for me it's always felt like a crutch, and at direct odds with the goals I mentioned above. tldr I think it's got a way of injecting false gravity, I guess. past feels like the opposite. I think it slows me down and encourages me to choose words more carefully, focus on good verbs and think about what everyone is actually doing and what I'm trying to say.

with that being said: that's 100% a matter of style and what you're trying to do as a writer!! I recently wrote a fic in present tense for the first time in a VERY long time because it felt like it suited the story, which itself was different than my usual style. the POV flowed back and forth between two characters and it was for true detective s1, so I was trying to evoke a very grimy greasy sexy violent type of thing, and I thought that present tense suited it.

BUT! right now I'm working on a fic for the show The Bear, which I also want to be grimy greasy sexy violent, and I thought present would suit it, but about halfway through I just kept reading over what I'd written and thinking, this doesn't work, this doesn't feel good, it feels like stumbling downhill. so I changed the tense (painstaking) and now it's going much better. it's funny how much it makes a difference, I think

for other things I think about-- I love that you remember my thing about smells, lol. smells are very important to me, especially bad smells. sweat, morning breath, lube and latexy condom, dirty clothes, unwashed hair, unwashed dick. I like gross stuff, I think it evokes a v unique kind of discomfort around sex/romance. getting fingered by someone who hasn't washed their hands, blood and shit on a condom after anal, snowballing. for setting a scene, I like to think about 1-2 things I can mention about an environment that would pack the biggest punch instead of describing everything. does it matter if there's a bookshelf against the back wall if there are heaps of dirty clothes on the floor? etc.

I don't know what I can share about dialogue but I love writing it more than any other part of a story. I love how people talk. I watch a lot of movies (good movies, I think) and I think it's so great to dissect HOW a character says something and figure out what else they would say.

for fic specifically, I try not to get too far from the source material. I have to be actively watching/reading something to write fic for it, and the farther I get from that, the worse the voices come out. you can see this bigtime in my spn fic. my watching slowed down around snooping and breaking things, and I don't like much of what I wrote after that. even pine sweat has weak characterization, compared to like, human hands or yesterday minnesota. a xerox of a xerox.

hope any of that was helpful. for some more general writing advice, this post has some thoughts and resources that I still stand by!

#ronWIPs #ronanswers

[nudistjayne]

Naked In Nature

Guest Post by Alexander

The Summer of 2022 brought a couple of extremely hot spells. With the soaring temperatures and a day off I decided to take a drive to the Peak District and did a walk not far from Three Shires Head (a well known beauty spot characterised by winding rivers, mini waterfalls and small pools. I managed to get away from the crowds and found a quiet spot to lay in the sun.  After a short while of sunbathing at a secluded, quiet spot, the temptation took me and I stripped off and submerged myself into the cool water. The feeling was one of exhilaration and a little bit of smugness too as I couldn’t think of a better way to enjoy the sweltering sunny conditions. I looked around and not a soul could see me. 

After a few minutes of in the cool water I made my way to the river bank near where my clothes were laid out. I perched on the river bank and the water bobbed up and down a little reaching about waist height or a little below. I looked up and noticed a small group ambling vaguely in my direction,  as they were paddling in the shallower part of the river downstream. I immediately became fully aware that I was nude (albeit partly covered by the water) and of course to unsuspecting members of the public this sort of activity is quite unusual, my heart started to race a little. I could see and hear that they were getting closer -  they seemed to be in good spirits and were seemingly becoming increasingly amused. At this moment I considered getting out and covering myself up – I didn’t want to make anyone feel uncomfortable. As I looked over I could now see that the little group was three girls and a guy. Their joviality and giggling got louder and the atmosphere felt relaxed… I decided to stay as I was as the relaxed atmosphere made me feel less self conscious. By this time the group could also see that I was fully  naked and one of the girls struck up conversation with me after I smiled. We remarked on what a lovely spot we’d found and the group continued further past my spot but as they were passing by a couple of them started to find it a little difficult to keep their balance on the rocks, perhaps fair to say that all four of them were somewhat distracted. The group continued about 40 yards further on and they began taking some photos of each other. The laughter continued and they seemed to be having a good time. What happened next was a little unexpected, the blonde girl took off her top and posed topless for a few pictures and then one of her friends followed suit and did the same. The group looked back over towards me and at this point I was beaming. Of course the view I had was enjoyable but the sense of fun and freedom in a random beauty spot in buttoned up old England was great too and it felt like that feeling was shared by all of us.

A few minutes later the group headed back my way and our paths crossed once again. I asked one of the girls to get a pic of me (enclosed in this post)  and she was more than happy to do so. The giggly guy in the group then suggested I had a photo with the girls to which I agreed. The girls were once again covered up so for a bit of fun and sensing their nudist curiosity I decided to politely enquire whether their bikini tops would be staying on. After only a brief moment of hesitancy, the two girls I was posing with whipped off their tops. I was stood fully naked and the group of girls (I’d never met before today) topless as we had a few final pics together.

At this moment one of the group noticed that a family started to become visible in the distance and this was our cue to cover up and go our separate ways. What a joyful, cheeky and fun naked experience.

#submission

[thorniest-rose]

Loving prism so far, I wanted to ask about something tho. In this most recent chapter I noticed what I thought of as like little Easter eggs from your other fics (senior Eddie noticing freshman Steve like sour candy, Eddie being infatuated with steve while steve is in a fucked up relationship with another man like in the dark) and I was curious if this was intentional or just natural gravitation towards writing themes that intrigue you?

Thank you so much, so happy you're loving it!! This is such an amazing and insightful question too and I love that you've picked up on those small elements that remind you of my other fics, it's very flattering that you remember them in detail.

So Az and I have talked about how Prism feels like the intersection of a lot of our fics, it's almost like our ultimate fic because we're writing it together and see it as the dark mirrored version of canon. So there are tendrils, purposeful and I'm sure accidental, that we've pulled from our individual fics.

For example, the dynamic between the three boys feels like an inversion of the dynamic Az writes in her fic "Rooms" where all three boys are in love and it's a poly relationship. Here, in contrast, it's a love triangle with Steve in the middle and Billy and Eddie fighting over him. There's Prism Steve having been a child model, which is similar to sour candy Steve, who's a teen model, plus Prism Steve and sour candy Steve both having daddy issues and feeling drawn to older versions of Eddie (Eddie's mid 20s in Prism). Then we have the slut-shaming element in Prism and Steve being humiliated and degraded for how desirable he is, which is an important element of both "in the dark" and Az's fic "Black Out Days". We've even taken Az's peripheral character Tommy T from "You're Divine" a cameo in Prism and I also nabbed him and gave him a cameo in "in the dark".

Plus Az has a theory about her fics that they all take part in a kind of Az multi-verse and that Little Bit from "You're Divine" can sense all of them and all the iterations of Eddie and Steve that she's written. We've talked about how Prism is part of this now too and that Little Bit would be able to sense everything happening in the Prism universe, making all our fics and our versions of these characters connected. I'll let Az @azrielgreen comment if she'd like too. But in a nutshell, I think it's a combination of little accidents, Prism being a love letter to each other's fics, and Prism being part of Az's multi-verse.

Plus, you're spot-on about there being certain themes and dynamics I'm constantly drawn to in my writing, which plays a part here too. I'm very drawn to stories about sexual obsession and all-consuming desire, plus toxic and destructive forms of love where there aren't boundaries and where two people become completely codependent. I've always seen Steve in canon as being this ultimate object of desire for both men and women, and I've been exploring that consistently in my fics, in particular in "in the dark" and now Prism. So Prism is very particular to me and the characterisations I'm drawn to and what I like to write about, but it is for Az too, we're so complementary and so aligned, and it's been a beautiful process to come together and write a fic that's completely 100% us, where we're not pandering to fanon but instead doing what we want with the characters and exploring themes and topics that fascinate us.

#asks #prism fic #this is so long sorry!!!!

[boyfridged]

What is your opinion on the Arkham Knight version of Jason

i have to say that I’ve never watched the full walkthrough nor played the game, but I did watch fragments and read the comics (although that was some years ago), so this is what my opinion is based on. &also there are things that i don’t enjoy about it, like the militia and aesthetics that comes with it, but fash undertones are present in so many batman titles, i’m not going to get into it right now.

i would like to say that i’m quite ambivalent, but that’s a lie because i usually have a soft spot for all jason iterations, even if they are very far off from the original characterisation and even perpetuate stereotypes that i can’t stand in canon. and that is, i think, for the most part, the case with arkham jay, an elseworld characterisation that might have even inspired the mainstream red hood comics a bit too much… especially that the arkham universe seems to be much darker and hopeless.

needless to say, I don’t like it in the main continuity, but for that title i didn’t mind it. if anywhere, pieces of media like that are the place to explore these themes.

two things i find interesting:

pre-robin/robin jay: something that is central to my reading of canon jason is his kindness and dedication to the world. this is attitude that ak jason is many ways definitely lacks. he is sensitive of course & motivated by desire to protect the innocent, but he is already cynical before he even gets to become robin.  it makes sense if you consider he’s older than jay when we first meet him in the main continuity, and that ak jay’s circumstances are much worse from the beginning (which is something i don’t appreciate that much tbh. you know i love willis & i don’t like this portrayal of gotham nor the crime alley specifically; not even sure if they call it in game/ak comics the same either). ak jay doesn’t give up (which i love), but he is already much more vidincative and has more of this somber determination. in batman and red hood comics flashbacks bruce sometimes mentions that jason “always” treated crime-fighting like a “game” – and this rings more true for ak jay than it ever did for 80s robin jason. i’d say ak!jay does treat life as a game because he knows that to an extent, it is one – and he is already on a disadvantaged position, which is why he’s willing to play dirty in the field. it’s a gritty take and much less mature and empathetic than what we get in og jason storylines. there’s def something captivating in this unromantic approach – hence its popularity even with rh retcons & fanon, but i'm more willing to accept it here than on earth prime. the way we can choose to believe that maybe robin could affect it and let him work him through his grievances with the world, only for it this chance to get completely crushed.

ak!jason: this is the universe in which jason gets to actually blame bruce for abandoning him (as a result of psychological torture, of course, but he still does), and in which he seeks revenge on him specifically. it’s interesting to see it unfold since in in comics it makes only for a short episode in the lost days for jay. (however, ngl, i also find it interesting that so many fans who are obsessed with jason being autonomous and responsible for all of his actions seem to adore this take.)

so, tldr, i guess while i do like this version of jason, he’s also basically a stereotype of og jason and everything i don’t want comics jason to be, which is a bit ironic. but there is some good storytelling in there and nice panels in ak: genesis.

and ngl i do like the monicker & his design. perhaps more than the red hood one even.

#this was asked before so this is a copy-paste from my old blog! #outbox

[thestobingirlie]

it's so annoying that fanon completely twisted what originally made me like steddie sm which is how sweet they were! i remember being so happy (esp compared to the rest of s4) when eddie complimented steve and never insulted him or mocked him. even the whole "you were an asshole" thing felt different w him bc eddie outright says that he made certain assumptions about steve and he was wrong. also all of their interactions were so playful like the "big boy" scene or the "it's not exactly a car" thing. not to mention steve genuinely trying to reassure eddie during their talk in the woods and trying so hard to protect and help him after initially being reluctant. like they probably would have been shipped anyway bc they're two attractive white guys but steddie felt a step apart from that bc almost all of their interactions were sweet and playful (except boathouse scene but i don't really count that considering the context), and they were so fun to watch on screen together. all of this stuff about eddie being mean to steve post s4 (and even sometimes pre s4 if eddie is not in defense mode when they interact) don't make sense to me bc the second they start actually talking steve and eddie get along really well and they both really like each other. also particularly w post s4 i think if steve carried eddie out of the upside down eddie would be obsessed w steve for the rest of his life even if nothing happened between them lol. the only ones i buy are eddie teasing but hitting a sore spot w/o realizing.

the fact that steddie is such a popular ship, and yet nearly every single writer is so fucking shit at writing them is insane.

and yeah, obviously steddie was going to be shipped; steve has been shipped with every single age appropriate guy on screen with him, even random extras in the backgrounds of shots. but i do really think steddie had the potential to be a ship anyway.

narratively their arcs intertwine well, and if written that way, they really could’ve grown together. with eddie convincing steve that, yeah, dustin worships him and eddie could never replace him, and steve telling eddie that he’s run before, and eddie doesn’t have to be ashamed.

and THEN you’ve got the chemistry, the cute scenes together, the little jokes and the smiles, and steve staring at eddie’s lips.

but the fandom is just… really bad at sticking to canon characterisation, and it’s a shame.

eddie would 100% be obsessed with steve, he’d never let his friends talk shit about steve, let alone join in!!

but they are two pretty insecure teenage boys, so at one point or another, one would probably go a bit too far, but i don’t think they’d just let that anger fester. they’d get it out in the open, and talk about it and apologise. eddie’s pretty fucking open with steve about feeling like a coward, and though steve doesn’t say anything, i do think eddie picked up on how shocked steve was to hear that dustin really loves him.

anyway! yeah, i loved steddie when s4 first came out, and it’s a shame so much of the fandom has bastardised it.

#steve harrington #eddie munson #steddie #stranger things #asks #anon

[ao3feed-piltovers-finest]

Which caitvi fic is the BEST one you’ve read so far? (post-canon)

First of all I owe you apologies for taking so long to respond to this, but in my defense - you put me in a bit of a rough spot there, my friend. I was like - bloody hell, you had to go all out and literally kill me here, because - THE best, like, just one? Seriously?!

Lol.

But after a while, and quite a few new ones read and perused, it kinda crystalised. Mostly, since in the meantime, not sure why (supply/demand?) most of them out there seem to be AUs recently, or just (like, during this kinktober month) one-shots not really focusing on the canon... yeah. The absolutely BEST one I’ve read so far - is definitely the one I already recommended (and raved about) when asked, before. It’s...

Grenadier by antistar_e (kaikamahine)

So if it sounds familiar - that might be why? Because again, this is the most complex non-relationshippy relationship story that ever was. Completely canon-compliant and set post-finale, it is basically a character study as well as character dynamics piece, written from Vi’s perspective. It’s definitely not one of those plot-driven CaitVi focused stories, but it does explore (quite profoundly, yes) all three pivotal relationships centered around Vi - both intricate complexities of her relationship with her sister, the budding one with Caitlyn - as well as their (Jinx and Caitlyn’s) post-bombing one, where their antagonism reaches an entirely another level.

The class dynamics are really strong and I really appreciated how the author hammered home the point about that Vi didn't just disappear for seven years, and is rather the opposite - it's so heart-breaking and clearly colors every decision she makes, how she takes action like there's no time to waste. So it’s a gentle, at times funny and yet gritty and profound exploration of regret, mourning and unhealthy coping mechanisms - on everyone’s behalf, with developments between all three of them, and Cait being portrayed largely as seen through Vi’s perspective (and her guilt, of course) while right at the centre is this uniquely beautiful portrayal of the sisterly relationship. The simple way Vi explains her love for Jinx is heart-wrenching and heartwarming at the same time, because she loves her “despite everything, the guilt, lack of remorse – it’s the love that doesn’t preclude justice or exempt her from consequences, but just grows, adapts, restitches its seams.” (that one tore me apart, yes). So yes, it has elements of romantic developments (in different directions, some even surprising?) but the central part is the sisters, and the intricacy of the situation of Jinx [spoiler space] without really showing any regret or remorse (which, totally in character for her - since despite shown from Vi’s angle - her portrayal is bloody brilliant, she’s shown with all her damage and quirkiness) so I’ll say it again - perhaps it’s just my personal interest and focus (the two of them) because there is no good CaitVi story - without Vi’s anguish over her sister and their relationship. And this is definitely the best fic I’ve ever read exploring these dynamics, post finale - both characterisation as well as style wise. Now, like I already disclaimered previously, I sincerely hope that the Cait/Jinx thing won’t deter you. Because [mild spoiler ahead] it’s mostly a tool, showing how Cait works through the very difficult state Jinx’s actions left her family in, and then begrudgingly arrives to the point of acceptance (albeit in that all-around unusual way - since Jinx has absolutely no boundaries and her coping mechanisms are just as unpredictable like everything else about her) which… basically only brings Caitlyn closer to Vi. And since it’s all been portrayed from Vi’s angle… yes, it only intensifies what’s between them - but it’s shown with infinite gentleness (rather than the usual… heat?). So, not really a love triangle piece, but rather Vi-centric situational character study, where that (imho, crucial) scene between the only two people she has achingly deep feelings for - it’s totally Caitlyn. Because that’s who she is, she’ll always put herself second and be that beautiful compassionate, accepting and forgiving person, and…

Well. You get my point. Lol. I’ll end my soliloquy here just by adding that this particular scene keeps haunting me - so much that I’m actually genuinely thinking about commissioning an art piece - to grace one of my central walls. And that’s how I decided that this was the fic you asked me about. In the end simply because, as a friend (another super-talented CaitVi author - which, if you’re reading this - you know who you are, you agent of unhinged ;) said the other day “I am somewhat in awe of the creativity and imagination but also simplicity in how these emotions are portrayed” when we talked about it, and that’s just it. That’s the appeal of this entire piece.

Now, the author, @kaikamahine​ - definitely isn’t a predominantly Arcane writer (rather, they’re a super-gifted multi-fandom hopper, lol) and this is their only CaitVi piece (of sorts) and... while they have another incredible piece centered around Jinx (as portrayed from the perspective of a nine year old girl) it leaves me personally starved for more. I’d offer my firstborn to see them write another Cait/Vi, Vi&Jinx or even Cait/Jinx piece. But, well. Perhaps, maybe? Fingers crossed? ;)

Anyway. I hope you’ll find this (waffly) answer satisfying. Thank you for asking. Cheers. 💖🌈

#caitvi #vicait #piltover's finest #violyn #caitlyn x vi #vi x caitlyn #piltovers finest #caitjinx #arcane (league of legends) fanfiction #fic recs #mrwinterss #replies

[doctorhoe]

Yesterday, two of my friends and I watched the library and the weeping angles two parter parter back to back and what struck me is how in the library episode River Song is actually not presented as a femme fatale. She wants the Doctor to trust her and is heartbroken when he doesn't. The whole point is that she is going to be a person he trusts enough to tell her his name. But as soon as we get to her second appearance in the angles two parter she is suddenly like "[you could trust me] but where's the fun in that". She is still fairly close to her original characterisation, but that's more on Alex Kingston's acting abilities than anything else. The Point is: River could have been a far better, far more interesting character than she ended up being if Moffat had focused less on her as an enigma to solve and more as a person the doctor learns to trust an love. The Doctor cares for River, sure, but if feels like he builds more of a relationship with her in the library episode than at any other point in the show. The (admittedly clever) way the library episode ends up solving the issue of the Doctor not trusting her ends up also being the way they solve the love story: River learns that she will love the Doctor and so she does.

And while I do have a soft spot for The Husband of River Song I feel like this episode too did everything it could to lessen the tragedy that Moffat had already written himself into (and that's just part of the problem with Moffat refusing to actually go through with tragic endings). In short, the library episodes are stunning and really well written and build up the mystery well, but after the entire River plot line is finished, they're so frustrating to watch.

#i mourn rivers character like a sister. #you deserved better alex kingston #dw #ten #river

[dcrankamateur]

Birds of Prey #1 Review

First things first, I have a huge soft spot for team assembly issues. This is in large part because it’s a great opportunity contextualise each characters’ starting point from a practical and emotional standpoint, and for creating either a common goal or sowing discontent amongst the cast members. They become doubly useful as a reader entirely unfamiliar with the characters as a quick download of a characters’ personality, their powers and their pre-existing relationships with one another.

Spoilers for Birds of Prey #1

Birds of Prey #1 has all the hallmarks of an opening issue, with Kelly Thompson and the art team of Leandro Romero and Jordie Bellaire guiding the reader through the mystery that, by the end of the issue establishes the mission, the stakes and the future dramatic tension within the team. The story opens with Black Canary beginning a mission to save her sister Sin, given to her with an unnamed ‘She’ later revealed to be Meridian, from the clutches of the Amazonians in Themyscira. The stakes: the inadvertent end of the world. Along the way, Dinah Lance (Black Canary) recruits Cassandra Cain Big Barda, Zealot and, after some resistance, Harley Quinn to the team. The team’s motivations range from just wanting something to do to making sure “cool-ass little girls get to grow up and become cool-ass women”. Both Cassandra and Big Barda are aware of Sin already, which I’m unclear is because of their history with Sin or whether she’s someone I as a reader should know, but hopefully this will be clear later. While research isn’t strictly forbidden from this process, these essays will be written from the lens of a new reader accessing these stories for the first time, so I’m going to see how this one plays out.

To this end, the delight of this issue is in the journey rather than the destination, with the process of recruiting each team member the heart of the issue. Thompson establishes the character voices of each team member and the relationship between them initially through a series of one-on-one scenes, which establish Cassandra as a quiet and purposeful elite fighter, Big Barda as a lofty ‘New God’, Zealot as a short tempered and impatient warrior masking some kind of physical ailment and Harley Quinn as a principled if a little reckless singular force of nature. It’s apparent that her characterisation of Harley is railing against expectations a little bit, particularly in establishing her motivation as slightly altruistic, which challenges Dinah’s perception of her as untrustworthy and a ‘risk’. Thompson hints at a tense history between the two, and an opportunity for tension within the team as a result.

Harley Quinn’s appearance in the book has the same effect it has on the team. Much of her dialogue focusses on her discussing her own motivations, and challenging Dinah’s leadership, and she dominates most of the scenes that she’s in. She’s both reader stand-in and exposition funnel, both of which devices are managed deftly without detracting too much from the pacing of the story. The structure of the issue, with the rest of the team being recruited first, is therefore really effective in ensuring that the reader has a sense of the other characters and, despite their somewhat tenuous links to one another, the stability of their composition as a team. The way Harley is introduced, through a flashback scene, accentuates her value to the team and creates a mythos around her that perhaps indicates the narrative focus she might carry in future issues. I hope this isn’t the case, as she is by far the character I’m already most familiar with, and getting a sense of the other characters will probably be crucial in my enjoyment of this series as a team book.

The art absolutely defines the tone of this book, and combines kinetic action sequences with a pop art style that gives the book a classic feel. The close ups of characters’ faces throughout the issue capture emotions frozen in time like iconic pop art portraits of the mid-20th century, and suggest that the characters, and the team overall are icons that are deserving of their status in the DC Universe. The background colours, typically either black or washed out shades of yellow, white and green, foreground the colour of characters’ costumes, again giving each character a unique and iconic presence on the page. The all-female cast lends itself to this point, and makes it somewhat of a political one, especially in consideration of Birds of Prey’s somewhat patchy appearances in DC Comics publication history.

The fight scenes are punctuated by Clayton Cowles’ similarly pop art lettering, with sound effects moving in tandem with the movements of characters’ bodies as the wreak destruction on their surroundings. Characters are generally still when talking, which brilliantly accentuates the deliberate focus of their actions in combat, every punch and kick executed with ruthless poise.

Overall, not only was this issue both accessible to new readers and a great introduction to the characters for a new reader. That said, knowledge of DC lore through films and cartoons certainly helped fill in a few blanks. None of that, however, detracted from the reading experience. Not does the issue set the plot up well but I am invested in each character moving forward. The verdict: keep going!

#dc comics #comic books #comics #comic review #birds of prey #harley quinn #black canary #cassandra cain #big barda

[tearose26]

Lockwood and co fic recs

Since I’ve spent way too much time trawling tumblr and ao3 drowning myself in lockwood and co related content, I might as well do my bit for the fandom and put out a fic rec list.

I’m definitely a locklyle-focused reader, but there’s a loooot of fic out there that sacrifice characterisation for romantic scenes or are have a narrative voice with the melodrama pitched way too high. The following are fic that I find myself rereading. (Note that I have not looked at fanfiction.net or wattpad, the latter of which frankly scares me a little).

bending at the heart of me by lady_mab

Lucy/Lockwood, Oneshot, 4,039 words

Lucy and Lockwood’s outing at the Fittes Halloween ball is interrupted by Lockwood getting his drink spiked

Really great characterisation and dialogue; if the romance was dialed down, it could very well be a scene from the TV show or books

I love the lived-in domesticity of their interactions, and how there is very clearly a romantic tension running underneath that threatens to surface, but they stay in that delicious space of not-quite pursuing it

take pride in what is sure to die by the_one_that_fell

Lucy/Kipps (platonic), 4 chapters (so far), 12,305 words

Book 3 spoilers for Chapters 3 and 4

Not a locklyle fic yet probably my favourite Lockwood and co fic??

Kipps spots Lucy having a drink at the pub and the two unwittingly find themselves bonding over losing people at their work

The implications of the worldbuilding in the show are absolutely ripe for fanfic to come in and explore, and this one does that, specifically for the question “How do young people cope with the trauma of ghost hunting?”

I love watching these two learning to worry about and look out for each other, and the added details about Kat, Bobby and the Portland Rowe crew are a delight

Will have you laughing one moment then swiftly stab you in the chest the next

Haute Couture by bubblesodatea

Lucy/Lockwood, 9 chapters (complete), 52,217 words

Book 3 spoiler characters present

Fashion AU! Lockwood is a up-and-rising model, Lucy is a fashion reporter, George is a photographer, and Holly and Kipps run a fashion house

Fashion shows, parties and social media shenanigans ensue!

In full seriousness, this is a really excellent, lovingly-detailed execution of the AU

Everyone is an adult living in a modern, ghostless world, and hence are less sharp-edged and traumatised, but the characters are still recognisably themselves

Lovely slowburn romance between Lockwood and Lucy as they go from tentative friendship to something more

Easily done by The_Biscuit_Agreement

Gen, Oneshot, 1391 words

I’m just gonna copy the summary, which really tells you all you need to know:

"We are containing the source," Lockwood told her. Lucy shook her head, going to lift the net off her face. "We don't even know where the source is," she returned. "We do. Trust me," Lockwood replied. "I ate it," George said, sheepishly.

it’s the house telling you to close its eyes by halfahint

Lucy/Lockwood, Oneshot, 4,144 words

Lockwood keeps sleepwalking into Lucy’s attic bedroom

Despite the tropey premise, the execution is realistic, careful and full of the gentle warmth and tenderness from the TV show

I love watching the two slowly size each other up, exchange vulnerabilities and delicately dance around the question of what they mean to each other

#lockwood and co

[razieltwelve]

Body Language and Gestures For Non-Humanoid Characters

Body language and gestures can play an important role in characterisation. We can see this via some of the characters from The Unconventional Heroes Series.

Gerald, for example, is often depicted as nervous, anxious, and fearful. This isn’t done solely through words but also through his body language and gestures. Conversely, Avraniel’s body language and gestures suggest a character who is confident to the point of being brash, a person who prefers actions over words and who will gladly wade knee-deep through the blood of her enemies.

But not all characters are the same. In particular, although many characters are humanoid (e.g., humans, dwarves, and elves) not all characters share the basic body structure of two arms, two legs, one head, and so on. What about those characters, how should you handle their body language and gestures?

The most important thing is to acknowledge that they are not humanoid. As a result, not all of their body language and gestures will be the same. They may be unable to act in certain ways that a humanoid character might while being able to act in ways that a humanoid character cannot. Their physiology may also be bound to certain psychological traits that you need to consider as well.

We’ll use Spot, who is a dragon, as an example.

A dragon has six limbs, consisting of two arms, two legs, and two wings. A dragon also has a tail and tends to walk on all fours although walking on their legs is possible. In Spot’s case, his arms (which tend to operate more as legs) end in claws that grow more and more dextrous over time until they can eventually be used like hands. All of his limbs end in wickedly sharp claws, and his teeth are far larger and sharper than any humanoid character’s teeth.

Due to the shape of his body, Spot cannot use the same sort of body language and gestures as other characters like Timmy or Gerald. Instead, for Spot to feel like a real character, he needs to use body language and gestures that take advantage of his physiology. What sort of body language and gestures might these include? Here are a few of them:

As a dragon, Spot will often draw himself up into a threat display. This involves rearing up and flaring his wings to make himself seem as large as possible. It may also involve baring his teeth and allowing flame to kindle in his jaws. The human equivalent might be to stand straight and loom over someone, but that just wouldn’t feel right for a dragon to do when a dragon can do so much more.

Spot will often use his head to nudge, poke, and otherwise interact with people and objects. This is due to his lack of dexterity with his claws. Since he is a dragon, his head is heavily armoured to the point it can be used as a battering ram. As a result, it’s perfectly acceptable for him to use it in a way a human never would. When he’s curious, he might gently nudge Katie with his head to get her to explain something. But when he’s mad, he can easily send a bandit flying by ramming them with his head.

Spot has been seen wagging his tail in a manner similar to a dog when he is happy. This is not something all dragons do. Instead, it is a result of Spot having a tail and growing up around a dog (Chomp). Due to the current stubbiness of his tail, he also can’t use it in the more intricate fashion of an adult dragon.

Rather than walk, Spot is often described as loping, stalking, or otherwise moving in a more predatory fashion, even when he isn’t actually threatening anyone. As a dragon, that’s just how Spot moves. It is instinctive, and it is a reminder to everyone else of what he is.

Although Spot uses telepathy to communicate speech, he also relies on a range of other sounds to communicate. He will trill, croon, rumble, and so on – sounds that humans cannot easily make. He makes these sounds because he isn’t human. They are the sounds a dragon would make, and him not making them would be strange.

As you can see, Spot’s body language and gestures belong to a dragon because he is a dragon. It would be extremely unusual for him to have exactly the same body language and gestures as the humanoid characters. Indeed, a running gag is for him to adjust his movements to avoid accidentally damaging things in places designed with humanoids in mind (e.g., it’s easy for him to accidentally knock things over if he isn’t careful about his wings).

Of course, Spot isn’t the only non-humanoid character around. Sam is a protoplasmic horror from another dimension who has near-limitless control over his own biology. He most commonly appears as a floating sphere of eyes, tentacles, and teeth. Apart from using a form of eldritch telepathy to communicate with Timmy (who is one of the few people who can withstand it), he relies on shape changes, colour changes, and tentacle movements to convey his thoughts and feelings. This is an even more extreme case than Spot since Sam’s physiology can change dramatically in a way that Spot’s can’t. However, the important thing is that his very much non-humanoid shape is accompanied by body language and gestures that suit it. This makes him more believable as a character and makes it easier for readers to picture him in their minds.

Body language and gestures are important parts of characterisation. However, for non-humanoid characters, you should always remember that their body language and gestures may not be the same as for humanoid characters. Taking these differences into accounts can help make them more memorable and unique.

If you’re interested in my thoughts on writing and other topics, you can find those here.

I also write original fiction, which you can find on Amazon here or on Audible here. I’ve also just released a new story, Attempted Rescuing!

#writing technique #writing #writing advice #writing tips #improving your writing #body language and gestures #characterisation