#there is plenty of angsty stuff but also just lots of good vibes

[the-flying-aquatos]

Hrhrhfndf. Honse Riding AU

The Psychonauts are a simple psychic friendly organization that happens to be heavily horse focused. They call themselves The Psychic Saddle Club, a place where psychics can feel at home, learn to ride…they also happen to take in children who aren’t in good home situations. It’s why they advertise so frequently.

Truman’s the leader, the main man, but he’s always more friendly than people expect. Kids who call the number on those pamphlets always expect someone else, maybe Hollis, to answer the phone. And usually she does, but once she has their names, she immediately hands the phone over to Truman. He has a way with kids, considering he has a daughter of his own, and he’s been looking over the children who came to the club before Lili was born.

They take in kids of all ages, have separate dorms on each side of the land for the specific age groups. It’s a safe place for kids on the run, a home to psychics of any age who need a safe place to live, the horses are just a bonus. Everyone earns their keep, the littler children of course aren’t required to, but the slightly older kids and up all have specific jobs to do. Keeps the place running.

Their pride and joys are their competitive riders. Both young and old. It’s how they get most of their funding, by winning competitions. Their young riders are the “junior agents”, though they’re called junior riders here. Specifically, Lizzie, Norma, Adam, and Gisu are their competing team, and often the twin Natividad sisters will tackle most of the solo competitions, two by two. Sasha and Milla are their main riders on the older side, Milla is especially skilled, however she takes a lot of her time to train the kids, as well as look after them, and Sasha shares this job, more the training than the caretaking. The “campers” are too young to participate in the big competitions, but they have their own little events, and they do indeed do a lot of actual camping, riding out into the more people-less areas of the land is a favorite activity of the kids. 

Frazie read those newspapers and magazines ever since she was a little girl, and one evening, her baby brother came to her because he couldn’t sleep. She decided to share her secret, her obsession with him, and he was just as amazed as she was. All these old stories about people like Compton Boole forming an intense psychic bond with horses of all things, or of Otto’s attempts to use psitanium to amplify the zoolepathy of the other psychics so they could achieve that bond, and the more recent tales of young Milla Vodello dominating the riding ring as if she’d been riding a horse since she was born. They snuggled up together every night from then on, reading those stories against the better judgement of their parents.

Then they found a pamphlet for the club one night, easy for them to snatch up and bring to their hiding place, they read all through it, it was practically an invitation for anyone anywhere to come to the saddle club, to live there. And there was a phone number on the back of it. The duo spent the next day dwelling over the most difficult choice of their lives, keeping it as well hidden as they could, until late into the night, they decided...and they packed their bags.  “There’s a phone booth out in the town nearby.” Frazie tells him as she grabs his hand, “Me and Dion saw it when we were food shopping earlier. We’ll use that to call them.” And she walked him out into the town, ready to burn somebody alive with her pyrokinesis if they dared to try anything, even if she didn’t have good control of her powers. They made it, and she dialed the phone, talking nervously as she held Razputin’s hand, soothed by Truman’s gentle reassurance that everything would be okay.  “Where are you right now?” He asked, “I’ll send Ms. Vodello to get you, stay put.” “Do you think it’d be alright if my pony Sugarcube came along? She’s very tiny, almost the size of a puppy.” Sugarcube fit snug inside Frazie’s bag, and she was welcomed with open arms to the stable.

Frazie and Razputin had never been in a car before, but Milla made the experience less terrifying, her voice was sweet and gentle and she seemed to know just the right questions to ask. Her heart was warmed seeing Frazie so excited to go, to see Raz so excited to meet other kids his age. They would have to adjust to being apart more than they ever have been, but there will be time for them to be together.

#psychonauts #psychonauts 2 #psychonauts au #my au #The Psychic Saddle Club Au #I have a lot of brain ideas #there is plenty of angsty stuff but also just lots of good vibes #Im still trying to figure out where the thorny towers crew and loboto would go #idk maybe they're just vibing in the town #I feel like we're gonna tone down Nona's situation bc it's not as entirely serious? #like its still pretty fucking bad but not flooding an entire country levels of bad #the campers are just a bunch of little guys and Raz gets to share a room with Lili #Bobby Zilch being a little asshole and Raz just: #'I will go find my older sister.' #mean older sister who's dating the prodigy girl privileges #I forgot the name of the cowboy kid #J.T. I think #he'd have a fucking blast here #Dogen is too nervous to ride a horse so he helps Morris out on the sidelines #Chole finds a weird little horse and declares it her alien horse #important to note that pretty much all of the junior agent kids came to the club when they were little #practically raised by the staff #same applies for a couple of the campers

[merakiui]

Hi! This is my first time asking someone in Tumblr, so I don't know if this is the right place to ask or is this a place to make a request only?

But I have a question regarding tips on writing fanfic or the twisted wonderland character in general.

1) How do you write the characters personality in the fic? Do you have to do a lot of analysis characters before writing it?

2) How can you describe the moments and the vibes especially the creepy and angsty moments so well? It is as if you're in the story yourself!

3) How can you get such a good and unique ideas?

4) I love your fics! It's so amazing that I've always check up your ramblings to see new stuff! Also, you're so funny it's cute

Hi hiii!! :D this is the right place to ask all things! Thank you for your questions! I love rambling about writing, so I'm happy you're curious.

1.) I often study their canon habits and interactions to see how well that translates into yandere. In twst's context, there's a lot of potential (considering many of the cast are inspired from villains and the storylines have gotten dark on plenty of occasions). I also just enjoy analyzing characters!!!! It's so fun to look at them individually but also the dynamics and connections shared between other characters as well as their backstories and motivations. If it's a character I haven't written much of before, I'll do more research and analysis beforehand. When it comes to book 7, I've held off on spoiling myself as best as I can and diving into the plot because I want to be surprised when it comes to English. orz which is why I've yet to write anything in-depth for Silver, Lilia, and Sebek.

2.) Aaaa I'm glad it feels immersive! I look at it objectively and try to imagine what someone might do in a certain situation. It varies by character and personality, but then it's also fun to consider the various ways in which paranoia or anger or angst can take someone. I've felt raw, paralyzing fear before in the past, so sometimes I draw from my own experiences when writing those sorts of strong, all-consuming emotions! I also think the setting can help add to the overall atmosphere and feeling in a story. Using the weather to reflect emotions in characters, using the scenery to juxtapose something horrible with something happy, using the allure of various settings to add to the romance or heartbreak, etc etc. There are so many elements to a story that can be played with to get the desired emotional effect!!!

3.) I think it's just in my nature to tell stories. I adore writing and coming up with new ideas. >w< I'm always looking at things through a creative lens hehe. Most of my ideas are the product of my thinking too much or considering a simple subject in a complex light. I like being able to add unexpected twists to the plot.

4.) THANK YOUUUUU!!!! ٩(ˊᗜˋ*)و ♡ I'm immensely flattered you would tune into my ramblings. And thank you for thinking I'm funny! This is arguably the highest compliment anyone can bestow upon me. I greatly enjoy being a court jester and making others laugh or smile. (˵ •̀ ᴗ - ˵ ) ✧

#chit chat #lavender-stuff

[celestialtitania]

20 Questions for Fic Writers

thank you @kasienda for the tag!

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

The current number is 51 and honestly? it still blows my mind.

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

151,239, made up almost entirely of one shots lol.

3. What fandoms do you write for?

There's a lot of them but in recent years, it's mainly been miraculous ladybug, my hero academia, and the occasional percy jackson.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

I'M HIS BEST FRIEND (no, it's me!) (MHA)

A Preposterous Predicament (ML)

Mind Outta Body (FT)

Ma Douce Souffrance (ML)

my colours on you (ML)

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I'm really good at responding right after I publish a fic. It's afterwards that I sometimes forget to respond, or simply don't have enough time to respond. I always appreciate every comment I get though!

6. What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Angstiest ending huh? A bunch of my fics are angsty but the one that I think ends in the most angst would have to be dance with the devil, drink with the demons, without it being outright whump lol.

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

Happy? Happy. Um....I'm gonna say party like it's your heroes' birthday just because there's a party and it's sweet and yeah lmao. It also has the wholesome family/friend vibes that keep me from forever being confused about the correct fluff to angst ratio.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

I've been extremely lucky and have been able to avoid it for the most part. That's not to say I've gotten no hate ever, but it was minimal enough that I pretend it doesn't exist. Fervently hoping it stays that way!

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

No. Maybe. No. The idea has crossed my mind but I haven't been able to write it as of yet. Maybe I never will. Who's to say really?

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

Kind of? I did it exactly once. But not in the traditional way, it was more of a, "take the world-building idea of percy jackson and put it into a fairy tail quest" so I'm not sure if it actually counts.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

I don't think so. Or at least I hope I haven't!

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

I was asked once, many moons ago, but then they never got back to me, so I assume they dropped the idea.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

No? Unless we're counting those fic fights/telephone things where one person starts and another takes over. There was also this one time, I was writing a fic with a few others but we never managed to finish, so I don't really count that one.

14. What's your all-time favourite ship?

All time? And I'm only supposed to pick one?? Next time, give me a tough question, will ya? Wow uh, I don't know if it's my favourite ship, perse, but it is the ship I've shipped the longest + one I've actually written for, so I'm gonna go with lovesquare. *shrugs* probably typical of me, but it was the only ship to get inside my head so badly that I've written over a dozen fics for them, instead of more gen stuff, which is my usual go-to otherwise.

15. What's a WIP you want to finish, but doubt you ever will?

Well, if we look at my gigantic list of unpublished fics, there's probably plenty of WIPs to choose from there. As for published, well I don't want to say I never will but yeah Forsake the Divine (If You Can) seems to be a pretty solid choice, if only because there are only 1 chapter and a half left to go and it's all outlined too, but I've kind of fallen out of the fandom (it's very dead) so idk if I'll ever manage to put it together.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Characterization is definitely a strong suit. And judging purely from my comment section, I feel okay assuming that I'm pretty good at making the emotional beats land too.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Description definitely. It's been pointed out to me more than once that I'm so focused inside the characters' heads that I forget to interact more with the world around them. Nature wants to be incorporated and I'm working on that.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

I hate it. It feels so strange to me to have a few words in a different language and then abruptly switch back to English. The only thing that I feel I have to do in another language though, is honorifics. Whether it be -san, -kun, or Madame, I think I get super extra about it. I once delved into such a rabbit hole trying to figure out what honorific even a side character uses, just for a throwaway dialogue!

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Ooh, officially? Fairy Tail. Unofficially, hidden in the depths of my laptop? Yeah, it was Percy Jackson. My childhood favourite that still haunts my thoughts to this day.

20. Favourite fic you've ever written?

Ironically? This is the second time I've been asked that today and the choice is still just as difficult. Or maybe it's that my actual favourites are still unfinished and hence unpublished. For now, I'm going to say Enduring, it's the fic that was most different genre-wise from what I usually write, and I'm very proud of how it turned out. If I ever manage to finish it though, my favourite will probably be a life unlived or maybe I'm just doomed to never have a favourite, because there will always be something new I'm looking forward to reading (meaning I have to write it to be able to see it). Tagging (no pressure!) @shortmexicangirl @rosiesared @ck2k18 @heartfulselkie @coffeebanana @mdelpin @kiliinstinct @lady-charinette

#writing #fic writer #about me

[alittlepudge-neverhurtnobody]

Remember when you posted about Roger from Rent? God I love me a washed up rockstar going soft. I just. Been thinking about that Yknow

AHAHAHA I DO, ANON and i am sending incredibly toxic vibes to spotify for removing the rent obcr and therefore making it impossible to add "christmas bells" to my holiday playlist, therefore making it impossible for me to celebrate the season by listening to roger davis talk about how getting fat is the one vice he has left, therefore rendering my entire holiday season INFERIOR

ok first of all anon this message is superbly timed bc i finally got my shit together and collected all of MY soft washed-up rock star tidbits into a cohesive masterpost, so if you haven't already gotten to know my OCs Hunter and Kate, now's your chance!

but uhhhh YEAH SOFT WASHED-UP ROCK STARS!! my favorite kind 😎 (though soft rock stars in their prime are a very close second.) rock stars who've accumulated a huge collection of leftover tour t-shirts that don't cover their bellies anymore. squeezing into tight jeans only to find that they don't button anymore ... or zip ... or fit over their hips.

this trope is so good from so many angles but i think my faves are, in no particular order:

1. ANGSTY: soft washed-up rock stars who fell out into obscurity and don't know what to do with themselves now, and are using food to cope with that aimlessness and lack of purpose. living on takeout and frozen meals bc they never learned to cook out on the road and sleeping too much bc what else do they have to do? staying out of the spotlight bc they're self-conscious about the weight they've gained and how different they look and how nothing fits the way it used to and they're afraid of what the tabloids might say. maybe they're in denial and keep squeezing into those old clothes to keep up appearances, or maybe they retreat into oversized hoodies and sweats to hide their new figure. lots of comfort-eating, lots of angstily learning how to reposition their instrument against their plump belly or learning how to move in time with it now that they're bigger and softer. soothing their ills with fast food and sweets and maybe going home to visit family for a while to lick their wounds while their waistline continues to expand ...

2. OWNING IT: soft washed-up rock stars who've just decided fuck it, it's punk to be fat, no one cares what they're doing or what they look like now anyway, so what if they lEt ThEmSeLvEs gO. they're finally going to enjoy actual good food instead of convenience store meals on the road or late-night instant noodles in the studio. doing livestreams for fans on their social media that are sometimes music but more often are cooking videos about the fun new recipes they're getting into on the side. (josh ramsay of marianas trench is not soft OR washed-up but he does sometimes do really fun cooking videos on his instagram!) doing road trips to visit friends and other band members and looking softer and softer in each picture they post. reveling in their new size and indulgence and posting cheeky pics of shirts that are starting to ride up or tattoos that are stretching as they soften up.

3. FUCKING FINALLY: soft washed-up rock stars whose partners have just been WAITING for the day they settle down bc they have an agreement to start playing with some kinky stuff once they do, and while they relax and figure out what comes next for their career, they let their partner feed them up and they put on plenty of well-deserved weight and get a lot of mileage out of all their old skinny jeans and tight t-shirts that are now a few sizes too small 😏 AND THEN when the band reunites after a hiatus or for an anniversary tour or something, they go back fat and happy and get to have some long-distance fun with their partner via video calls of junk food at rest stops and long phone calls to tell them about all the parts of performing and touring that have changed with their new bigger body. OR their partner is ALSO in the band, so before the hiatus/break/whatever they got to tease each other with kinky stuff but it wasn't feasible or sustainable while their career was still active, so they get to indulge all those fantasies in their downtime and then when they go BACK on the road or get the band back together or whatever, they have an established routine they get to adapt to their tour life and explore in that environment instead. sleeping in tiny bus bunks except one of them is much bigger now and oh no, what if you have to lie on top of me ..... and you're 300 pounds ......

4. AND THEY WERE BANDMATES: OR, OR, a combination of these where bandmate A is crushing super hard on bandmate B while they're an active band, but also bandmate A keeps thinking about how much they want to feed bandmate B and how fucking hot bandmate B would be if they were chubby instead of rail-thin/if the little belly they hide under t-shirts were a bigger belly. but their crush is unrequited/they never make a move but then shit goes down and the band breaks up and they don't see each other for a couple years bc of what broke them up. but then they all start talking again gradually and decide to try again ... except that, due to either scenarios #1 or #2 from this list, bandmate B has gotten pretty chubby since they last saw each other, and bandmate A is DYING at how their soft, plump belly pushes at their t-shirts and how their thick hips and thighs fill out their tight jeans and how their round, full cheeks make them even more adorable than they did the last time they were together. the reunion brings them closer together until they start to fall for each other, and bandmate B is self-conscious about how bandmate A will see them now that they're heavier, but bandmate A is SUPER INTO IT and it is not a problem AT ALL.

#anon #chubby rock stars #fic inspo #wg text #GOD this is such a good trope anon thank you

[caroll-in]

Drarry Tag Game aka It Took Me Two Weeks Longer Than Planned Lmao 🙈 tagged by the loveliest @pineau-noir 💖💞

When did you get into Drarry and why?

It was 2015 and I was in search of sth new to obsess about as I have been getting a little bored of les mis, especially since all my friends have long since moved on to other things. I have been seeing more and more random drarry stuff on my dash but since as a kid I was all in favour of canon and canon only I never paid it any mind. But then I saw THIS fanart and it was like a switch - I got intrigued and decided to read a fic to check out what is this ship really about. Which brings me to...

Which Drarry fic hooked you?

It was All Our Secrets Laid Bare by @firethesound - my very first drarry fic and I will never forget the awe I was in while reading it - I loved the characterisations and the worldbuild, the plot with its mystery and the awesome style it was written in - and it made me so thirsty for more 😂 So I then spent the next couple of months reading drarry fics in secret and total denial bc after I mentioned that I might like this ship now one of my rl friends made so much fun of me for it 🙄 A few fics more and I finally decided to fuck what others think and I drew my first drarry fanart ☺️

Top three favorite Drarry fics:

omg you can't just... why only three 🥺

🌟the already mentioned All Our Secrets Laid Bare by @firethesound

💛my most often re-read drarry fic: All Life is Yours to Miss by Saras_Girl

⭐and one that taught me to love 1st person pov: The Man Who Lived by sebastianL

Why can't you quit them?

Easy: the community 😍 Drarry Squad is a very special bunch of people that are so welcoming and kind and talented! I can't see myself getting bored of the fics either, because both old and new fans keep coming up with more and more ideas for them and their writing styles are also insanely good - often way better than in published stuff out there. And drarry artists are a contant inspiration for me as well 😍😍😍 What's also helping a lot is the amount of Fests we have - no matter if I'm a participant or a reader, they're always so much fun!! 🙌💞

Who breaks your heart more often?

Both! Harry with his past traumas and the fact he was manipulated his whole childhood and led to sacrifice his life for a cause, who now has to learn how to trust and not be a saviour anymore... And Draco, a kid who chose the wrong side and has to live with the consequences, often down and out and feeling undeserving of true love 😭

Ideal career for Harry? For Draco?

Tbh I enjoy a variety! I could say I don't think Harry would be happy as an Auror but then again I'd inhale those casefics like candy 😂 I like them working with kids and animals, or doing something creative, or Draco with a Muggle job...

Harry and Draco are being sent to a desert island for a week with plenty of food and water. Each is allowed to bring three additional items (no wands). What do they bring?

Harry: snitch and two brooms

Draco: sunscreen, a book and lube (they coordinated this xD)

Favorite non-Drarry HP character?

How can I only choose one, when I'm so obsessed with bg and rare pairs 😭 I think Neville, but Pansy and Ginny are so close behind!

If you had to pick one, enemies to lovers or (enemies to) friends to lovers?

Enemies to lovers, always 😚🤌

Would you rather read a fic that made you laugh or one that made you cry?

Both, please! I love a good crack fic on a bad day but also to cry my heart out with the angsty ones... My only condition is that it has a happy ending 🙌

Three songs that scream Drarry to you (feel free to include the Drarry-est lyrics!):

I'm super bad at those types of questions, let me skip this one, all right? 🙈 As much as I enjoy putting music in general in my drarry comics, I'm not good at finding a vibe in a song that would match a ship 😳

Favorite authors outside of fic?

Terry Pratchett, Natasha Pulley, Carlos Ruiz Zafón

Tagging with no pressure, and please feel free to pick and choose the questions you’d like to answer!

not sure who was already tagged, as I'm weeks late to the party, but:

@slytherco @cibeewastaken @xanthippe74 @babooshkart @veelawings and everyone else who would like to do it too! Please tag me, so I can see your answers 😍

#hp #drarry #tag games #about karol #drarry squad

[coeursetcolores]

Therion, the Thief: Chapter 1

WARNING! Spoilers ahead for Chapter 1 of Therion’s story in Octopath Traveler!

Oh yes, it’s time! Angsty thief boy time!

Crime! Yayyyyyyyy!

This is the one I’ve been waiting to do the longest! Therion’s actually the character I picked at the beginning! Thief mains, rise up (and steal things)!

I gotta say, Therion is hitting on every right note for me: angsty boy, mysterious past, snarky but not too much of a jerk, sarcastic, clever, fringe; that’s the good stuff. Mmmm, quality edgy boi material.

I love thieves who take pride in their work. I get some people only turn to crime because they have no choice, but it’s fun to see people who take pride in something someone else would look down on them for. I mean, based on Therion’s flashbacks, he probably didn’t have a choice but now he’s just going around robbing rich people. Which honestly, goals.

I also just get this really haunted vibe off of him, like clearly something happened to him that involved Darius. And whatever it was has clearly affected him to the point he refuses to work with anyone. In a game that’s focused on it’s party. Where he can be recruited.

...

Yeahhhhhh.

BUTWHOCARESWEGETTOROBPEOPLE!!!!! This is every thief main’s dream, stealing outside of fights and cutscenes, robbing random NPCs! Children, the elderly, the poor, forget morality! Everyone’s belongings are mine to take! MWAHAHAHAAA!!!!

I like the steal option. (＾◡＾)

And it works great in fights! Once the enemy’s health is low enough. Free stuff is just great!

The knife totally fits and I know that thieves can use swords, but I would think if he already had the knife he’d bring something lighter for support, like a claw or a crossbow. Crossbow for range, claw because he’s like a kitty. ヾ(=`ω´=)ノ”  I dunno, the sword just seems kind of heavy.

Bolderfall...lives up to it’s name, it is a bunch of rocks. Pretty rocks. I would’ve liked a waterfall in the middle somewhere, but it’s nice. It’s a good place to make one of the big cities, I bet it’d be really fun to build around a mountain.

Ravus Manor is also really cool and I appreciate the game leaving it in town so I don’t have to go through a different are with different enemies to get there (Tressa Chapter 2, I’m looking at you). And the manor itself gives a unique tone: you know there’s people still living there, but the lighting gives off this feeling of emptiness, like what was once there is gone, even though it’s mostly still there. But something’s missing, and it’ll never come back.

This also works for Therion. He’s clearly lost something: he’s a lot happier in his flashbacks with Darius and something had to have happened to have turned him off partnerships. When he watches those other two thieves go off, you can tell he’s hurt but still longing for the time he wasn’t alone.

Similar to Olberic and Primrose, a lot of Therion’s character and motivation is fleshed out through his flashbacks; this is a good and subtle to show that, compared to the other travelers, these three have more experience when it comes to the world. They’ve had their own adventures while the others are just about to start their first one. I think it’s good to have a little diversity in experience within a party to convey more than one mood in a story; this also helps allow the characters to have different views on a situation.

Okay...confession time: Heathcote destroyed me. My first boss made a fool out of me. He also had minions with him because apparently I did some horrific crime that earned me the wrath of the JRPG gods who have cursed me to continually face summon bosses. And the game just let him summon more and more and I’M SORRY! PLEASE HAVE MERCY ON MY SWITCH BATTERY! I also couldn’t do anything about his specials. And do you know why? Because I am an idiot who forgot about the BP system. Yeah, I’m that dumb. And Heathcote took full advantage of that.

Speaking of Heathcote...

Cordelia.

WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU TWO?!

You two had the one of the most ridiculous plans I’ve ever heard! Your plan to get your stuff back is lure a thief into your home, have them prove themselves by attacking and injuring your staff, significantly lowering your home’s defenses, fight your elderly butler with no reason to believe that your invader wouldn’t kill whoever tried to stop them and get them to go get your dragonstones by putting what’s basically a dunce cap on them?! What if, oh I don’t know, the thief didn’t care?! What if they just walked away? What if took the dragonstone with them? What if another thief or an enemy to your house came in after your defenses got whipped and decided to wreck the place? HUH?!!!! What then?!

Why not, and just hear me out, use your vast fortune and HIRE someone to get it?! You clearly have plenty of money to hire a bunch of guards and weird ice lantern spirits! Or offer to pay the thief and pay them when they bring all the stones back! Who knows, Therion might have willingly helped you! Because you know what happens when you blackmail people? Once you let them go, there’s no insurance they won’t want revenge! Who’s gonna stop Therion f after he get’s the Fool’s Bangle off, he decides to steal the dragonstones again, because you pissed him off?! You know what, that’s what I’m gonna do!

Sorry, I was just really peeved off at that.

Well, might as well get it over with.

With annoyance, this chapter ends and Therion’s story begins.

If you have to get your hands dirty for freedom, then mine will never be clean, and my fingers will stay sticky as they steal whatever I desire.

#Octopath Rambler #Therion #Chapter One #Review #Octopath Traveler

[sincerelyreidburke]

i know this is quinnamon roll's theatre time here rn, but how does he get on with the other cricket children rhododendron and rat boy? was Nando nervous to introduce them? what do rhododendron and ratatouille think of quinnjamin?? (idk why i cant just use their names tbh sorry)

My friend, forgive me! This response to your ask has been slightly delayed. But now is a good time to reiterate that, as a PSA, if you send me an ask, I will answer it— even if that doesn’t happen right away. The way I sort through my inbox isn’t exactly arbitrary, because I do try to go from oldest to newest, but sometimes I’ll get several asks about the same concept or character, and I’ll decide I want to space them out a little.

Anyway. That was just an aside. This ask covers a generally broad cricket topic, so let’s start out the week on a wholesome note.

(This came in during a Quinn Theatre Hours session, which is context for the qualifying sentence. And feel free to ask me anything about the crickets!)

First of all, I seriously appreciate your inability to use their actual names. It’s a big mood. I’m sort of getting ahead of myself on the answer to your question here, but Rhodey does exactly what you did in your ask with Quinn all the time. As in, he can’t call him Quinn. He’s Q, or Quinnothy, or Quinnjamin, or His Royal Highness Sir Quinnington III, et cetera. Mostly, he’s just Q. But Rhodey is a goofball, and he gives him random not-names constantly.

Anyway, let’s backtrack a little, because there’s a thorough answer in store for your question.

Before he and Quinn actually become official, Nando has talked about Quinn to Rhodey and Touille. This starts early, probably on the night they meet at that Halloween party. He probably doesn’t say much right away, just that he was talking to a guy and he had a good night.

Touille doesn’t really latch onto this, because he’s not attentive when it comes to relationships. Rhodey, wingman of the century, absolutely does. Dude, when are you seeing that guy again? Did you find him on Instagram? You should ask Ford about him. What, are you gonna let a prime opportunity slip through your hands like this!???! N A N N Y. Bro. You gotta try to see him again. You guys talked for like three entire hours.

The reason Rhodey is adamant about this is: although I would absolutely not say that Nando let his failing relationship with N*te ruin his first two or so months at Samwell, he definitely let it affect him emotionally at least a little. I mean, how could he not? He was genuinely invested in making that work as an LDR, and N*te so obviously was not, so Nando was the one trying to keep the entire operation from collapsing. I don’t know why I’m making a relationship sound like a government strategy, but anyway. The point is. The only impression Rhodey has of Nando’s love live up to the point he meets Quinn is that Nando got treated like shit (and then cheated on) by his ex.

Rhodey, as his best friend, obviously thinks this sucks majorly and wants the best for Nando. So when a boy walks into Nando’s life whom Nando is obviously sweet on, Rhodey thinks he should seize the opportunity.

Anyway, that’s why Rhodey knows right away that he wants to set Quinn up with Nando for Winter Screw. And when Screw goes well, he considers it a huge win for his judgement and his best friend’s well-being.

So Nando and Quinn court. It’s soft. It’s schmoopy. They take, like, two weeks to actually become official because they’re both so useless and gay that each of them is waiting for the other to drop the will you be my boyfriend question. Finally, Quinn gets tired of ambiguity, and he just asks. Then they’re dating. And all is well.

The first time Quinn meets Rhodey and Touille is before they’re dating, but not long before that at all. Nando has talked about his friends, and he and Quinn are starting to make a habit of meeting up for some meals, so one day for lunch, he texts Quinn to come and meet him with his other freshman hockey friends.

Quinn is nervous, but Nando is more nervous. The reason Quinn is nervous is that he’s still sort of wary of jocks. Let it be known that Quinn has no deep-seeded jock trauma; he’s just a theatre kid, and the Samwell drama club in particular has reservations about the school’s athletes. Quinn is an incredibly confident person, and he’s not ashamed of himself or the things he loves to do or the way he is in the slightest. But he likes Sebastián, a whole lot, and he wants to be his boyfriend, and he knows how important his team friends are to him— so Quinn desperately wants his friends to like him. The thought of them disliking him or judging him makes him a little nervous.

(Quinn is literally that John Mulaney bit where he’s like “I need everyone to like me so much, all of the time!!!!!!!”)

Nando is more nervous, though, like I said. And the reasons are relatively similar. He wants Rhodey and Touille to get along with Quinn. Like Quinn, he is experiencing feelings of wanting to be his boyfriend. His best friends from back home did not get along with N*te, and it was a recipe for discomfort. Rhodey and Touille not liking Quinn wouldn’t be a dealbreaker for him, but it would leave him in an awkward situation, and he knows that.

He just feels so soft on him, and he wants his friends to understand how much he likes him, and how great he is.

Okay, so finally! We’ve reached the point of the post. Quinn comes to lunch. He introduces himself to them in his funny little formal way and sits down, and for the briefest, most terrifying second, Quinn realizes he brought nothing prepared for them to talk about.

And then Rhodey, because he is Rhodey, breaks the ice, and everything is uphill from there.

Rhodey gets along with people easily, and so does Nando. Touille may be a little more introverted, but he feeds off of their energy, and it makes their trio socially effective. So the conversation over lunch is animated and enjoyable, because the three crickets already work so well on their own, and they welcome Quinn right into the fold perfectly.

Once Rhodey and Touille learn they’re actually, officially dating, they’re well pleased. Because they like Quinn.

Now. In general? I want to talk a little about Rhodey and Quinn’s dynamic, because it’s priceless. They get along very well, to the point where Rhodey has a genuine friendship with Quinn that exists outside of Nando. Oh, sure, it’s based in the fact that Nando is dating Quinn, but the two of them just get along. They team up to organize for Nando’s birthday, bond over queer culture stuff (Rhodey and Quinn force Nando to watch Drag Race and it’s the best), share music recommendations, and just generally vibe. When Rhodey starts his secret undercover drag queen thing, Quinn is his costumer and also his makeup artist. Because apparently that’s a thing.

Alsooooooo Rhodey has emotional venting hours to Quinn when he’s being Angsty about a certain dumb Canadian rat boy.

Also, Rhodey is the king of chirping. He does a hilarious Quinn impression over team breakfast when Nando is being roasted for being a simp, and he does the refusal to call him by his actual name thing that we discussed above.

The four of them hang out all the time. I’ve mentioned briefly that Quinn is to the crickets as Farmer is to the frogs, and that’s absolutely true. The three crickets hang out on their own plenty, of course, but when Quinn tags along, there’s nothing awkward about it. Like, Rhodey and Touille aren’t the kind of friends who are like ugh, he always brings the person he’s dating around. Because the person Nando is dating is also their friend.

They do go clubbing together. I’m not even sorry about it. They’ll all cram themselves into Quinn’s tiny room and pregame while they get ready. “Why don’t they use Rhodey and Nando’s room, Mel?” Because the clubbing doesn’t start until their sophomore year, when Rhodey and Nando both live in the Haus in separate rooms, and they’re avoiding Captain Whiskey trying to be discreet.

The point is: Rhodey and Touille love Quinn, and he loves them right back. There’s no room for friends-clashing-with-boyfriend angst in Nando’s story.

Also, this is very much a found-family thing for Quinn, because his sister is the only actual family he has, and she’s far away. In Nando, and by extension in his friends, Quinn finds a home.

Thank you for the ask! :D

#oc taddies #crickets #quindo

[lexosaurus]

wait what didn't you vibe with ultimate enemy

I dunno I think I was put off from the way Danny was treated for his “cheating.” Like, okay, the concept of TUE is cool. Very angsty and traumatizing. Right up my alley. 

My issue is that, doing some mild “cheating” (that, let’s be honest, wasn’t really even cheating. I mean, did Danny even look at the answers at all? Like really look at them? In any way that was more than just a passing glance?) doesn’t really warrant having to watch your future self murder everyone you’ve ever known and loved.

Yeah yeah cheating is wrong blahblahblah but idk I guess I just don’t see it as THAT big a deal (for reasons I will explain plz wait). Then again, you’re talking to someone who only passed high school physics because they cheated on EVERY exam. So, you know, now you know where my morals are at.

Idk I mean teach kids that cheating is wrong, but also how about we fund schools so they can actually hire adequate teachers to teach the material? Stuff like TFA is cool because it ensures that schools actually have teachers at all, but like, those teachers aren’t qualified for their positions. How the fuck is a kid supposed to learn math if their teacher was a goddamn International Relations major in college or something? The teacher sure the hell doesn’t understand what they’re talking about. What makes you think the kid is gonna understand that then?

I don’t think—rich parents college case aside—that kids cheat because they’re terrible people. I think they cheat because they’re desperate. Telling a kid that if they cheat in school then their parents will die and they’ll become a murdering criminal isn’t going to stop kids from cheating. Funding schools so they can buy textbooks and go to teacher conventions to get new lesson plans and hiring qualified teachers and giving funding to IEP programs so struggling students can get the extra help they need—those are the things that are going to stop the majority of kids from cheating. Not…whatever the hell TUE was.

No one enjoys going into an exam unprepared. Kids like learning, they like feeling smart, they like walking to school confident in the material. No one chooses cheating as their first go-to thing. Students resort to cheating when they’re stuck between a rock and a hard place and they don’t want their grade/future to suffer because of one bad test. And you know what can help kids not get put in these situations? Qualified teachers with plentiful resources and lots of books and a good network of support! Which many schools in the US are currently lacking.

Yeah I guess TUE just kinda rubbed me the wrong way for that reason. Again, I love the concept and the angst. I just hate they way they set it up. 

#ask #lexx rants #sorry! #btw i wont be offended if you like TUE or anything #i totally understand the appeal #and i get that a lot of people liked it a lot #and i know loadsss of people loved Dan's sultry voice lol #im looking at you Audi #i just thought the punishment didn't match the crime #and i spent 2 years in a secondary education degree lol #but like you can totally gush in my DMs about why you think it's awesome #and im not gonna tell you ur wrong or anything lol #it's just my opinion! #it's okay to have differing opinions!

[kookadoodle]

Something Between Us (Pt 1)

PLOT: Being best friends with Min Yoongi is not always the easiest thing to do. Especially, when he finds out about your blooming relation to one popular friend of his - Jeon Jungkook.

PAIRING: Jungkook x reader (ft. Yoongi and the other boys) GENRE: fluff, F2L!AU WARNINGS: swearing, a little angsty but lots of fluff WORDCOUNT: 5.5k A/N: my first series is of my main babe ofc x

Pt 2 ♥

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

{Y/N’s POV}

I come home to an empty house and I barely notice how the feeling of loneliness pierces me yet again. I have grown used to being alone, but still, I find myself surprised by being left behind by my parents, leaving me a simple note on the fridge, saying, “We will be back in two weeks, money is on the counter”. I sigh as I stare at it, letting my bag fall from my grip, sliding down beside me. I stare at the cursive writing left by my mother on a piece of paper that feels as if it means more to her than I do by now. I know that it is not true, yet if actions speak louder than words, I believe them leaving me a twelve-worded note means less than the fourteen days of their absence. At least I can leave my bag on the floor without being scolded for it. I guess that is a pro. 

I walk back out the way I came, heading for the mailbox out front. I check it and pull out the letter for my father, which I know I will be forced to look at, lying on the dresser in the hallway until they return. My depressed train of thought is suddenly interrupted by a familiar voice. “Did they leave?” Yoongi asks me and I look up, meeting the eyes of my next-door neighbor and best friend. He leans against the mailbox with a disappointed look on his face, mirroring my own. He has lived next to me for the past five years and despite our differences, our similarities brought us together. “Yeah,” I sigh, not bothering to crack a joke as usual. I hate them for leaving me yet again without telling me in advance. I sometimes wonder if they regret having me and are simply living their lives as if canceling me is an option somehow. I know it sounds depressing, but it is true. “Okay,” he says and grabs my wrist, pulling me with him towards his house. “Yoongi, what are you doing?” I ask, scolding him for his tight grip on me. Yoongi might have skinny arms, but he is too strong for me to bother trying to resist. “You are hanging out with me tonight,” he says, pulling me along as if I do not have a choice. I groan yet let him have his way.

We step inside his house and take off our shoes in sync. I notice the chaotic noises coming from his living room “Who do you have over?” I ask in a hushed voice, not wanting his company to hear me. A strained smile forces itself across Yoongi’s face as he avoids my gaze. “Please do not tell me they are all here,” I say as I place my hands over my face in dread. “It’s kind of a sleepover thing,” he says hesitant, knowing it will send me running for the hills. “I am going home, I will not interrupt your bonding-time,” I say, reaching for my shoes. Yoongi grabs my arm, stopping me in my motion. “You are not going home, spending your Friday night in an empty house,” he says seriously, looking me in the eyes. I groan again, letting my shoe fall from my hand in defeat. “I will kill you, Min Yoongi,” I scold him again for forcing me to stay and be social. I do not want to be social, especially around his fuck-boy friends. He tugs on my arm and I follow him into the living room, not knowing what to expect from the rest of the evening.

“Hey guys, Y/N is joining us,” Yoongi says aloud, making the guys on the cornered couch look up and over at me. Five gazes fall upon me, making me unsure of what to do. “Sure, she is welcome,” Namjoon says with a distracted smile, mind still wrapped in the current conversation between the boys. I stand awkwardly, waiting for the worst part to fade. I watch them return to their interrupted chattering. They are all very different, yet somehow, they get along, complimenting each other well. That is one of the reasons I feel so misplaced here when the guys are over. Even though I probably feel most at home here out of all of his friends, I turn into a shy and insecure mush around them. No one can really blame me though. It does not make it easy for me that they are all extremely attractive and have girls pining for them. I never took enough time to truly crush on them myself, but their presence still makes me a flustered mess. “You can sit here, if you want,” Hoseok says with a big smile, gesturing to the seat next to him on the couch. His smile is the brightest I have ever seen, and I almost forget to return it. I snap out of my thoughts before they disappear into an embarrassing dream-like state. “Thanks,” I say, finally smiling back as I sit down next to him. “So, what are we watching?” I ask, trying to ease into the conversation. “Just some lame k-drama that Jimin suggested,” Namjoon says, shoving at Jimin’s shoulder. “Hey, I just said it had gotten some good reviews lately,” Jimin defends himself as he hides his pearly-white grin behind his hand. “You just can’t admit that you love this stuff,” Taehyung chimes in on teasing his friend. Jimin laughs it off as he runs a hand through his blonde locks. Yoongi leans a knee on the armrest beside me and I relax in his presence. “Speaking of love,” Hoseok says and turns to me, eyes filled with unanswered questions and mischief. “Are you and Yoongi dating?” he asks bluntly, and a chuckle escapes him. Suddenly, I feel my cheeks blushing and eyes widen. “No, we are not, but that does not mean any of you are allowed to come near her,” Yoongi quickly states, looking over at his friends. I want to curl into a ball and roll out of here, but sadly, I am stuck. The doorbell rings, saving the room from an awkward silence. “Y/N, would you get it? I don’t wanna leave you alone with these losers,” Yoongi says, earning a few snickers from his friends. “Yeah, I guess,” I say, getting up from my seat. Normally, I would have told him to get the door himself, but I kind of want to escape from the subject, Hoseok had brought up. As soon as I am standing, he falls into my seat and I raise an eyebrow at him. He just smiles at me with his gummy smile and I let it slide for now.

I walk to the front door and open it up, meeting eyes with the missing member of the group. Jeon Jungkook. He looks up from behind the stacked pizza boxes and as he meets my gaze, he frowns slightly surprised. “Y/N?” he says, confused by my presence. “Am I at the wrong house again?” he asks, stepping back to look at the house number. Jungkook is probably the one out of the group that I know the best besides Yoongi. For several times over the past three years, Jungkook has shown up at my doorstep instead of Yoongi’s, mistaking my house for the neighboring one. We would never talk much, but the small encounters did result in a slightly less awkward vibe between the two of us surprisingly enough. But you do not have to know Jungkook personally to know him, since he also is the one with the most well-known reputation, told from a line of girls’ mouths. “You are at the right house,” I smile, taking a step back and opening the door for him to walk inside. “Good,” he chuckles and steps in. He is wearing a black t-shirt and slim jeans, hugging his thighs as if they were made for him. I take a peak, trying not to be obvious and of course I fail at that, sending myself into a moment of scarring awkwardness. An awkwardness I was already trying to avoid by opening the door in the first place. Jungkook meets my eyes and smirks, raising an eyebrow at my almost stalker-like gaze. “Could you take these for a second?” he asks and hands me the pizzas, ignoring my flustered state and saving my ass from embarrassment. He bends down to take off his shoes before returning to me. He reaches to take back the boxes yet places his hands on top of mine. His gaze locks on me and a small blush creeps onto my cheeks. “Thanks,” he says and a smile tugs on his lips as he pulls the boxes closer. I try to smile and hide how much he affects me. Jungkook never acts as the playboy he is known as when I meet him. I guess, either his reputation is misleading, or he is a bigger flirt than I am imagining. Or -- maybe he is just not into me. I depressingly assume it is the latter, taking he has never made a move on me. I would lie if I said it did not sting since he seems as the kind of guy to make a move on every girl that he meets. Everyone except me, I guess. He walks into the living room and is immediately greeted by his friends. “There he is, the man of the hour,” Jin says as he walks over to him. “You just say that because I brought food,” Jungkook smiles and Jin laughs in return. “You are absolutely right,” Jin adds and takes the pizza boxes from Jungkook’s grip. Jungkook looks back at me and shakes his head at Jin’s comment. I smile slightly, feeling as if he is trying to include me. Or maybe I am reading too much into it. That is what I hate about being around these guys. Even though I rarely meet them, they tend to make me question everything about myself, when I do.

“Let’s eat!” Jin says, placing down the pizzas proudly on the table as if he were the one, providing them. All the guys gather around the food and I lean against the armrest by Yoongi. “There is plenty of food, so just eat with us,” Yoongi says to me without the others overhearing it. I smile accepting of his offer and sit down on a pillow on the floor, copying Taehyung at the opposite end of the table. “Thanks,” I say, smiling up at Yoongi. He smiles back as he ruffles my hair a little. “Here you go,” Hoseok says and hands me a piece on a plate. “Thanks,” I say, and he smiles back. Jungkook returns from the bathroom and despite the free spot on the couch, he joins me on the floor. “Yoongi-hyung, could you grab a slice for me?” Jungkook asks and is given a plate. He shifts to place himself comfortably and ends up grazing his knee against my thigh. I subtly look over at him and notice that he is unbothered by the contact. I take a bite of my pizza and try not to let it fluster me as I convince myself that he has not even noticed our closeness.

After we have eaten, the boys decide it is time to play video games. They set it up and minutes later, they are already being loud.  “How come your parents aren’t home?” I ask Yoongi, making conversation just between the two of us. “They are visiting my aunt and uncle for the weekend,” he says unbothered by their absence. I wish I could feel the same. “What about yours? What are they doing this time?” he asks, looking down at me on the floor before him. “You tell me,” I huff, getting slightly uncomfortable by the thought. “Sorry,” Yoongi says and places a comforting hand on my shoulder. I feel an unexpected tear starting to form and I panic slightly. “Can I borrow your charger?” I ask as I get up from the floor, not wanting to break down in front of the school’s popular group and heartbreakers. “Sure,” Yoongi says slightly concerned. “It’s in my room,” he adds. “Cool,” I say and head towards the stairs. I want to tell him what is bothering me, but I am not even sure where or how to start. I walk upstairs and enter his bedroom, sitting myself down on his bed. I relax my shoulders and exhale, but soon I can feel my eyes watering. A tear escapes and I tilt my head to the side in annoyance. We have been through this too many times, I think to myself. I too often find myself in this position, tears falling down my face as I feel utterly helpless. I should be happy to have the house to myself, but how can I, when I only ever find myself alone? Left behind with nothing but an amount of money to prove how much I am worth to my parents. Why do I even still let it affect me so much? Suddenly, I notice a presence by the door. I look up and meet eyes with Jungkook, standing in the doorframe with furrowed brows. “Are you okay?” he asks hesitantly, worry staining his features. I quickly dry off the tear on my cheek and stand up. “Yeah, I’m fine. I’m just looking for Yoongi’s charger,” I say, failing to lie. He stands there for a moment, still and looking at me, trying to read me, it seems. He might be having an inner debate on whether or not to call me out on my untrue claim. To my surprise, he decides to play it cool and leave the truth untold. Jungkook then walks into the room and looks around for a second. “Here it is,” he says and pulls the charger out of the plug on the wall. He hands it to me and smiles. I know that he knows I was crying, but it is kind of him to pretend he does not. “Thank you,” I say, smiling back gratefully. “Anytime,” he says back in a raspy voice that surprises us both a little. He clears his throat and chuckles, gently blushing. I feel my stomach, tying a knot on itself as I notice his eyes are hiding from mine. Is he being shy around me? I ponder but quickly brush it aside, not wanting to make up false stories in my head. “I didn’t mean to interrupt you, I just wanted to make sure you were okay,” he states sincerely. “It’s all good, don’t worry about it,” I say, while a part of me long for a deeper explanation from him – wanting to hear sentences alike, falling from his lips. “Good,” he says shortly and smiles back. I plug in my phone before we make our way back downstairs.

“Do you have popcorn?” I ask as we return to the others. Yoongi looks up and notices Jungkook and I entering the living room together. His brows furrow and his expression turns unreadable. “They are in the cabinet,” he then says and looks back to the TV. I make my way to the kitchen as Jungkook is handed the controller by Jimin to take his turn to play. I quickly find the box, taking one out and placing it in the microwave. As I wait for the popcorn to finish, I lean against the kitchen counter and look at my feet. I wiggle them, desperate to entertain myself or maybe just distract myself from my current state of mind. Then Yoongi walks in and I look up, meeting his gaze as an unexpected silence falls. “They take a long time to pop,” I say drained from energy. Yoongi smiles at my lame attempt to make conversation. “Are you okay?” he asks, stepping closer to me. He looks at me intently as if he is trying to read my thoughts yet is only met with a sigh. “I am fine, okay? I just wish they had said something, so I wouldn’t have to impose on you guys,” I say apologetically. “You are not imposing,” he says. “I am more worried of them imposing on you since they are all fucking players,” he states, making me chuckle. “I might just have met them a few times, but they seem nice,” I say, trying to hold back a blush. He studies my face and I hope he does not notice. “They are only nice because you are a friend of mine,” he says, trying to warn me. I scoff, acting as if my pride has been hurt. He shoves my shoulder a tad and I laugh. “Anyways, just tell me if you want to talk,” he says. I nod in return. He then turns around and walks back into the living room.

{Jungkook’s POV}

I burst out into laughter as I finally beat Taehyung, the screen reading a big fat K.O. He hits me on the shoulder as he sighs deeply, irritated by my win of the first round. “I hate that you’re so good at this,” he mumbles, and I grin smugly. He does not like that either, but I find his irritation amusing. As the game loads, he turns to me. “So, how did your date go earlier? Did you get lucky?” Tae asks, a teasing glint in his eyes. I scoff as I replay the moments in my head, trying to decide what to say about it. I guess it was fine. I have known long about Hailie’s crush on me and the boys have too, teasing me about it for weeks. So, I finally chose to give her a shot, asking her out. I mean, she is hot and seems like decent company, so why not? We went for coffee and she went on and on about how much she had longed for some time alone with me. I was flattered and all but getting girls to say things like that has just been too easy lately. She was as well, which is why we ended up at her place with her face pushed into the pillows of her bed. We both got what we wanted, but now I am not so sure about what to do. It kind of just feels dull. “Let me just say that she probably needs to change her sheets,” I grin, and Tae fist bumps me proudly. “That’s what I am talking about,” Tae smirks and pads my shoulder a few times. “Taehyung, let Namjoon have a go,” Yoongi interrupts, not feeling amused by the topic of our conversation. I look back at him and notice that he seems off tonight. I do not know what it is, but something is bothering him, and he clearly was not into the gossip like Tae was. Tae gets up and Namjoon takes his place, getting ready for his obvious defeat.

{Y/N’s POV}

I bring two bowls of popcorn into the living room and place them on the table. The guys greet me with enthusiasm, digging into the snack immediately. “You are my hero,” Jimin says, smiling at me widely. My guts do a flip as I study his teeth shaped in by a perfect set of pinkish pouty lips and his eyes shaped like crescents. I grin back at him and place myself on the couch between Yoongi and Taehyung, hoping no one is noticing my clear infatuation with them all. Get a fucking grip, Y/N! I scream internally at myself. Luckily, they are all following the screen, watching Jungkook and Namjoon play. “Don’t let him win! His ego is already too inflated,” Taehyung yells eagerly at Namjoon, wanting him to wipe the floor with Jungkook. I chuckle at that and Taehyung smiles at me. “Namjoon-hyung is useless. Maybe you should beat Jungkook for us?” he says as looks me in the eyes. I study them for a moment, registering his question in my mind along with the millions of stars I see in his irises. I snap about of it before it turns unnatural. “I would, but I am really shitty at this game,” I claim, and he laughs with me. “You are probably better than you think, you are,” he smiles as his gaze returns to look ahead. I feel a slight fluttering in my chest at his words of encouragement. So much for getting that grip, huh? I think to myself. “At least you can’t be as bad as Jin-hyung,” Jimin says with a wide smile spread across his face. Jin immediately turns to Jimin by his side with a look of disbelief. “Are you trying to embarrass me in front of Y/N? Who do you think you are?” he scolds and Jimin crumbles into a ball of pure amusement. “Sorry hyung, but it’s true,” he smiles with a teasing look in his eyes. Jin is not having it. “We will go next, Park Jimin, and I will show you how much better at it I am than you!” Jin states proudly, impatient to prove his statement wrong. Yoongi leans back grinning at the drama unfolding and I find myself leaning onto him. I pull my legs up under me and I rest my head on his shoulder as I have done many times before. The mood settles down into a more relaxed vibe and I get comfortable in my anonymity with everyone’s focus on the screen. Suddenly, I notice the exhaustion overtake me as I am resting on Yoongi’s shoulder. I widen my eyes and try to fight it, yet a few minutes later I doze off.

{Jungkook’s POV}

“Don’t wake her up,” Yoongi says hushed as Y/N is sleeping against him. “but hyung, what do you want us to do?” I ask quietly, wanting to help. She has slept against him for about half an hour and he does not want to wake her up already, but it is problematic since he really has to go to the bathroom. “Take my place,” Yoongi says, looking at me. The other guys look at me as well, waiting for my reaction. “I don’t know, hyung,” I say hesitantly. “Jungkook, do as I say and take my place, so I can go and take a piss,” he says, scolding me for taking so long. “Okay,” I say, giving in and stepping closer. I know he is serious when he is ordering me to do it. He is always telling me to stay away from her. I cannot really blame him though, given my history with girls. It is not like I am doing it to hurt anyone, I am just not a relationship kind of guy. The girls know it and Yoongi definitely knows it as well. But I do not think Y/N does and some part of me wants to keep it that way. Yoongi leans a bit forward, so I can slide in and replace him by her side. He rises from his seat and Y/N places her sleeping head softly on my shoulder. Yoongi steps away and the guys return their eyes to the TV after realizing nothing crazy is going to happen. I try to focus on the game as well, but I am distracted by the odd sensation in my chest. A familiar sensation when it comes to Y/N. As the others are not paying attention, I look over and study the part of her face that I am able to see. She is pretty. I wonder why she was so upset earlier. I did not expect to see her like that and I really wanted to comfort her, but it would have been weird since we do not know each other that well. Even sitting here with her head on my shoulder feels so intimate and I do not know if she would want to be if she was awake right now. I hope she would. I suddenly feel her shifting a bit, wrapping her arm around me in her sleep. My body stiffens, but I immediately try to relax, wanting to make her comfortable. Why am I so nervous? I take a breath and try to focus back on the TV. I fail.

{Y/N’s POV}

My eyes flutter open slowly, clearing my sleepy vision. “Y/N,” I hear a hushed voice say gently beside me. I lift my head and notice how I am only inches away from Jungkook’s face with my arm around his waist. I fell asleep. I pull back my arm, removing it from him and I am almost certain that his expression turns slightly disappointed. Did I fall asleep against Jungkook? I am confused. “I-I’m sorry,” I stutter quietly, trying not to look at him directly as I feel embarrassment overtake me. He chuckles softly. “It’s fine, it was pretty cozy,” he says with a cheeky grin, trying to lock eyes with me. I blush slightly, trying to avoid his gaze. Looking around, I notice the living room is empty besides us. “Where did they go?” I ask, my voice still lazed with tiredness. “They are just setting up the rooms to sleep,” Jungkook explains, trying not to speak too loudly for me. It feels very intimate with his hushed voice and warmth still lingering between us. “Yoongi told me to wake you since he wants you to have his bed,” Jungkook says and tenses up a little. He bites his bottom lip and studies my face for a reaction. “Where will he sleep then?” I ask confused and a satisfied smile forces itself on Jungkook. I look back over at him and capture his gaze, noticing it does not falter. Then it slowly falls to my lips and I am suddenly made aware of the soft expression on his features, the slight darkness of his eyes. I find myself wondering what he is thinking right now, and I can feel in my gut that I am hoping for one thing in particular. One thing, that I have previously doubted to happen up until now. “Jungkook, you are sleeping with Namjoon and Jin-hyung, Taehyung and Jimin took the guestroom,” Yoongi says as he enters the room and Jungkook pulls back from me. “Y/N, you get my bed tonight,” he adds, and I rise from my seat. “Yoongi, I will just go home, I live right next door,” I say, gesturing to my house through the window. I notice how dark and empty it looks from here. I think Yoongi sees it too. “No, you will stay and eat breakfast with us in the morning,” Yoongi states firmly. “But three people in one bed? Jungkook can’t possibly…” I start, but I am interrupted. “It’s fine, Y/N. Please, just go get some rest,” Jungkook says, rising to his feet. I look over at him to catch his eyes, yet he is looking at Yoongi instead. There he goes again, confusing me. Maybe I am overthinking the moment we just shared. I feel the tiredness kick in again. “I will, then,” I say and walk away from them, making my way upstairs.

{Jungkook’s POV}

I watch her leave my side and I feel her taking her warmth with her. I find myself studying her form, wanting to join her upstairs, but I also know that she is not the type of girl, who will let me into her bed so easily. I cannot say I would mind if she did, though. I then look over at Yoongi again, whose eyes surprisingly stare daggers into my soul. “I’ll just go,” I say awkwardly, trying to avoid the tension between us. I do not know why he is annoyed with me tonight, but I ignore it as other thoughts are occupying my mind. Thoughts of her, which will not so easily escape me. “Night, hyung,” I say as I pass him. “Night,” he says back. Hoseok walks by me with a bunch of pillows in his grip, grazing me with them as he passes. “Sleep tight, Jungkookie,” he says with a gesturing expression. Unaware of his intention, I just say it back. I walk upstairs to the room opposite Yoongi’s. I look over for a moment and I consider knocking on her door, but I stop myself and join the guys instead. I step inside and the bed is already occupied. “Ah, Jungkookie, did you come to say goodnight?” Jin says as he rubs his hands in some cream. “Yoongi-hyung says, I have to sleep in here with you guys,” I state, noticing just how small the bed seems now. They exchange looks and suddenly a wide grin is on both their faces. “I think you can find a better option than that,” Namjoon chuckles as he gets under the covers. I sigh with a frown, taking a moment to gather what they mean. “You know, I can’t do that,” I sigh, crossing my arms. “You will just have to sleep on the floor then, I guess,” Jin smiles proudly as he spreads out, filling up all the space left in the bed. I rub my face in my hands, debating whether I should do it or not. I really do want to, but I know it will cause trouble. But then again, when were I ever the one to shy away from a challenge? “Goodnight, then,” I say as I side-eye them, taking in their smug looking faces. I close the door behind me and I sigh, looking across the hall. Will she even want me in there? I ask myself. I step over and lift my fist. I hold it in the air for a second as I tilt my head, contemplating my options. I decide to knock.

{Y/N’s POV}

“Come in,” I say, not knowing who or what to expect. The door opens half way up and Jungkook peeks out his head, looking over at me with an unsure expression. “Hi,” he says shyly, playing with the wooden door. “Hi,” I say back, lifting myself up on my elbows in the bed. Not knowing what to do, I pull my hair behind my ears just to do something with my hands. I then settle them interlinked across my stomach, feeling as awkward as ever but I do not think Jungkook is noticing. He seems too occupied with his own thoughts. “I wanted to ask if… you would maybe let me join you in here, since the guys kind of kicked me out of the room just now,” he chuckles, scratching the back of his neck. He reminds me of a little boy, asking for permission so shyly. Somehow his flustered state makes mine less dominant, bringing a more confident attitude forward in me. “If you are uncomfortable, I will just find somewhere else,” he states quickly, not wanting to come off like a perve, I presume. “It’s okay, there is plenty of room,” I say, gesturing to the empty side of the bed. I scooch over a bit, making more room, slightly surprised by my own actions. “Thanks,” he smiles relieved as he enters and closes the door behind him. He steps closer and sits down on the edge of the bed, eyes barely leaving mine as if he is searching for confirmation. “Jungkook, it really is fine, just make yourself comfortable,” I smile as I lay back down, trying to do the same. I hope my outer self is not as blubbery as my insides feel right now. “Okay, good,” he says and shakes his head a little, grinning at himself. He takes off his pants and socks, before getting under the covers beside me. He takes out his phone, checking a few things before placing it on the nightstand by the bed. Then silence falls, and he just lies there for a second, staring out into the slight darkness of the room. I exhale, relaxing into the depths of the mattress. “I’m glad you came today,” Jungkook says quietly, breaking the silence. I am stunned by his statement, feeling my stomach do the twist for the third time today. What does he mean by that? I look over at him and notice his peaceful features. He notices but does not look back at me as if he suddenly feels exposed by his own words. “Me too,” I answer, and a soft smile lights up his worried expression. “Good,” he sighs eased and turns to his side, facing away from me. I look at his back for a moment and wonder why he is being so nice to me. From what Yoongi has told me, Jungkook would either be all over a girl or not show interest in her at all, depending on his plans with her. Right now, I feel as if I am finding myself in some middle ground between the two. Maybe it is just a friendship in the making? I think, and then I turn my back as well, relaxing until I fall asleep beside him.

#bts #btsimagine #jeonjungkook #jungkook #jungkookimagine #minyoongi #yoongiimagine #bts suga #bts jeongguk #jeongguk #imagine #fluff #romance #fanfic #love #friends to lovers #strangers to lovers #ot7 #kim namjoon #kim seokjin #jung hoseok #park jimin #kim taehyung #reader #min yoongi x reader #jeon jungkook x reader #jungkook x reader #y/n #series #imagine series

[mercyinthestars]

God, this trope list is amazing in general, how about 14+60+Korrasami or 7+56+PPKM? How would you do it? I love what i saw of your writing until now btw!

Ooh, I wanna tackle both of these! You’re lovely, by the way, thank you so much

For Korrasami 14 (Bodyguard AU) + 60 (Poorly Timed Confession): A world where the events take place in the United Republic of Nations, same kind of political atmosphere as TLOK’s timeline, but in a more modern timeline, where they have technology and guns and stuff like that. Asami is an investigative journalist working for Republic City’s most prestigious newspaper. Korra is the bodyguard assigned to protect her when Asami is assigned a piece that involves traveling to the region where Korra was born -- Water Tribe’s territory. Things are peaceful at first, Asami staying with Korra’s family and getting to know them while they help her navigate the area, but then civil war breaks out (probably courtesy of Korra’s uncle). A lot of the story would focus on that conflict and the growing romantic and emotional tension between Asami and Korra, as Asami wants to continue with the piece while Korra thinks Asami should return to Republic City and leave it to Korra to broker negotiations between her father and her uncle (yeah, she’d still be “princess” of the area I suppose, which I’m sure would leave plenty of room for snarky comments from friends and family about “how funny it is that the princess decided to slum it as a bodyguard”). Eventually, the conflict comes to a head, and Korra’s family compound is directly attacked by her uncle’s forces, with Asami and Korra caught in the crossfire. And here we have the poorly timed confession -- at some point, with bullets literally whizzing past them, both girls frightened for their own and the other’s safety, it’s decided that Korra will try to take down the attackers blocking their exit path so they can both try to get to safety. Asami tells her, “Don’t go out there and die for me. I want you back here alive.” Korra looks at her and says, “I’ll do what I need to do to protect you.” Asami grows frustrated with Korra’s stubbornness and asks her why, why she’d put her life on the line for someone she didn’t even know a year ago, for someone who should be nothing more than a job to her. Korra simply responds, “Because that’s what you do for the people you love,” and then leaves a very confused Asami to sort through all that while she tries to get rid of the attackers. PS: They get out safely, conflict would be eventually resolved, happy Korrasami future in Water Tribe territory (bc Asami grows to love the area and its relative peace and quiet, so different from the constant noise and hustle and bustle of Republic City), all is well.

For PPKM 7 (Florist AU) + 56 (Awful First Meeting): An AU where Diya and Noelle have been friends since elementary school, but Akarsha and Min went to different elementary schools, Min still moved to Florida and came back for high school, and then went to the same high school as Akarsha (different high school from Noelle and Diya’s). Also, for the fun of it, the girls live in San Francisco, not Oakland. The girls are all in their first year of college but are back home for the summer. Noelle’s parents own a flower shop but are just as anal about grades as they were in the game, holding their profession over her head to threaten her with “what the future will look like if you don’t get into medical school or law school”. Diya, Noelle, and Akarsha have just returned home for the summer from their first year of college; Min is working at a café whose hipster vibe she both despises and oddly admires. Noelle’s parents are forcing her to work at the flower shop for the summer as punishment for her not getting a competitive internship that she’d applied for (we would later find out that she sabotaged her application because she didn’t want to follow the med-school path her parents had planned for her). The second week of Noelle’s summer break, Akarsha comes to the flower shop with her mom, who is looking to order flower arrangements for some banquet she’s helping to host for Akarsha’s father’s business partners. Akarsha, clumsy as ever, stumbles and runs into a shelf of glass vases, which she promptly knocks over and destroys. Noelle is furious to the point of tears, knowing her parents will blame her for the accident and scream at her about the cost of purchasing new vases. Akarsha’s mother feels terrible about what happened and drags Akarsha back there the next day, offering her up as a worker for the shop until Akarsha has earned back enough to repay them for the broken vases. Noelle’s father is with her when this happens, and though Noelle doesn’t want to work with Akarsha, who she thinks will only be a thorn in her side, her father accepts Akarsha’s mother’s offer and takes Akarsha on as a new hire. At first, Noelle and Akarsha constantly argue, and Noelle is pretty convinced she’ll never get the hang of things -- but as time goes on, she discovers that Akarsha is kind of an asset, with the other girl having a real eye for colors and arrangements (and selling people on them) that Noelle just doesn’t have (she’s far better at running the books and keeping things organized). She starts to genuinely enjoy working with Akarsha, and as they grow closer, she realizes she might be interested in getting to know her as more than just a coworker, or even more than a friend. Akarsha brings Noelle to the café where Min works, and this kickstarts a background Min and Diya relationship, as Noelle has Diya meet them there one day so they can catch up, and Min is of course immediately enamored with her. There’s conflict when, after Akarsha has paid off her debt, Noelle’s father wants to fire her, saying she only distracts Noelle; he does fire her, but after some Good Ol Angsty Time filled with other conflict that I’m not sure of yet (probably Noelle taking Akarsha’s firing as a sign that She Is Meant To Be Straight and this was God’s way of keeping her from falling completely for someone she has no business being with, blah blah), he realizes sales have gone way down since Akarsha has left and offers her her position back. Akarsha and Noelle finally get together at the end of the summer, though Noelle of course has concerns about a long-distance relationship (Akarsha goes to the University of Toronto and Noelle goes to UC Berkeley), but Akarsha promises they’ll make it work, and Noelle for once allows herself to take a chance. Cut to epilogue where Noelle has secured a summer internship in Toronto, as has Akarsha, and they’re Super Happy and disgustingly in love. We love icons

thanks for asking!! this was super fun to do

[darkisms]

alias: elle pronouns + timezone: she/her, gmt identifiers: pisces af, addictive personality (but, like, w/ tv shows and stuff ig... i go through STAGES), literature lover, dog mum, legal jargon extraordinaire, slytherclaw tbh, lots of heart emojis, sleepy girl vibes 5eva favorite plots: anything remotely angsty and a little eccentric. i’m always here for big ass family plots, and ride or die friendship groups tbh. huge lover of polyships (honestly, like the more the merrier, pls) and codependency and idiots being idiots. make me feel things. suggestions + hopes for dead ends: inclusivity and a happy environment! something lasting with plenty of room for character development and the ability to try things that you might not usually try! what would you like to see as a preview: sub plots!! also just can’t wait to see the characters everyone comes up with tbh. a meme, a gif, a link to some good jams, or anything that makes your heart warm + fuzzy!: i rly wanna link to that HURRICANE TORTILLA vine (u KNOW the one) but i can’t access youtube in work, rip

#handstiedrp #intro #hello pls do not judge me by my blog it's under construction

[xueyangs-pinky-finger]

ksbsjzjzj yes this is net admin aka hope🐇🐇

MoD is so good and angsty but also maxtul are actually so cute irl im kinda in lov,,, so im excited for ur gifset!

I finished uwma like 6months ago i think or even more akabsjsks and i was sure between us will come out by the end of 2020 so to say im ready for this series is an understatement, esp with winteam being my faves. their story seem so interesting so i cant wait to see all of it and to see bounprem again! (I was even considering watching longkhong for them but i dont do well with horror stuff)

anyways i remember u said u watch like more then 80 dramas so idk if u havent watched everything already but if u need recs lmk, im also always looking for more drama recs☺☺

hope thank you for all the work you do for the net!! i’ve met a lot of cool people through it and it’s been a really great experience for me 🥰

oof i’m enjoying mod so much but i haven’t reblogged posts about it yet bc i’m having to avoid the tag since i don’t pay for wetv 🙈 i’ll definitely reblog posts about it after i finish but yeah if you don’t see me post about it these days, that’s why; make no mistake, it occupies much of my thoughts 😫 and i’m also living for mo(n)days for probably the first time in my life lmao~ i haven’t watched much maxtul stuff yet but i peeked at their instagrams and they seem rly cute 🥺 let me know if there’s anything in particular i should check out tho! idk where to start 😅

(also mod gives me trapped vibes which is a huge compliment and i wish we had more shows like this!!)

oh gosh rip!! i only got into thai dramas at the end of march last year so i haven’t had to wait that long for anything yet... my longest wait was probably for saifahzon story, i think. yeah initially i was enjoying deanpharm, but by the end i had kind of swerved over to winteam alkdf (i liked inkorn, too). i can’t believe how few scenes they got tho like usually side couples get a bit more?? i guess they were always planning on doing a sequel but it’s frustrating bc we don’t have that much content for them and then the wait on top of that...! i even read all the hemp rope chapters i could find lol. yeah i’m in love with the idea of them sharing a bed for comfort like are you kidding me?? that’s so goddamn soft 😣

i also checked out bounprem’s drama list pages looking for more things to see them in~ i’m not a horror person either but i’ve actually been wanting to watch long khong (for ticha as well), i just have never been able to find it anywhere!! i might have to watch it illegally idk. 😔

lol when you phrase it like that... i guess i have seen a lot 👁👄👁 i’ve only completed 47 tho, so 💀 there’s plenty i haven’t seen tho! you know how like the more you watch, the more there is to watch? 😅 my work is never finished alksdf. and i’m totally always open to recs! like yes i’ve seen a lot of dramas, but not too many that i would call really good dramas, and i’m always looking for more good shit!! i’m happy to give you some recs as well, tho like i said, it’s been less than a year for me so as a bit of a drama noob, idk if i’d be able to recommend you things you haven’t seen!

#concise? me? never #asks but not questions #february 2021 #abangchan #paulyubin

[victorineb]

Fic Recs Mega Post

More fic recs for you fabulous fannibals, this time round there’s rare pairs a-plenty, actual devil Will Graham, and a fabulous Pacific Rim crossover AU

The Marriage of Heaven and Hell: Volume 1 by @fragile-teacup (fragile-teacup (Mrs_Gene_Hunt)): So what are the chances that Will and Hannibal emerge from the Atlantic with all their issues resolved, finally a stable unit, murder husbands for life? Pretty much none, right? Certainly, in this beautifully-written post-TWotL fic, there is still a massive amount of that typical Hannigram miscommunication, obfuscation and downright stubbornness that keeps our boys from their happy ending. None of which is made better by Hannibal keeping Will sedated while he recovers from his injuries, or by sequestering them in the house of the one person guaranteed to drive Will out of his mind with jealousy… Centred on that dinner hinted at by the post-credits scene in TWotL, this winds the tension between Will and Hannibal (and Bedelia) to a fever pitch, in an absolute riot of bitchiness, resentment and pining. And then busts everything wide open when Will just can’t keep his emotions under wraps any longer…

Tomorrow, More Sun by @shiphitsthefan: Beardogs (Nigel/Lee) is a new pairing for me but it took precisely five paragraphs of this fantastic fic to make me fall in love. For those who aren’t aware, Lee is the Hugh from the infamous “I like bears” gif, and more specifically is an adorable ball of sass and joy who loves wine and is suffering from terminal cancer (but don’t worry, this is very much not an angsty story). Anyway, our tale begins when Lee is suffering from the worst post-chemo effects of his life and, desperate for relief, begs his dealer – a certain formerly very bad man from Bucharest – to drive out in the snow and provide him with a hit. Now, I mentioned the part where Lee likes bears, right? And there’s no-one more bearlike than Nigel – even “New Nigel,” who’s had to reform his ways (a little) as a result of the bullet in his brain landing him in a wheelchair – and Lee is, unsurprisingly, infatuated. There follows a charming and romantic tale of getting high, telling wicked jokes, and maybe, just maybe, falling in love (but definitely getting the best shag of either man’s life).

To Fuel Your Radiance by @fancybedelia (GoldenUsagi): Mischa Lecter should have died. Should have… and did, except that her brother made a deal with the devil. Hannibal’s soul in exchange for Mischa’s life. Some forty years later, the devil pays Hannibal a visit (disguised as a rather handsome, blue-eyed man named Will) in order to see what he’s done with his life. And, as is the Hannigram way, a mutual interest quickly turns to something much more twisted and obsessive. The brilliant thing about this AU is that, despite being a devilishly sexy (literally), self-assured, phenomenally powerful version of himself, Will is still Will. He’s not some malevolent, flamboyant devourer of souls, he’s still conflicted and weighed down by the nature of what he is. Which leaves Hannibal to take up the role of tempter (yes, even to the Devil himself), drawing Will into killing with him (which, admittedly, takes much less effort with this version!) and falling helplessly in love with the beast that emerges.

Ugly by @slashyrogue (nightliferogue): We as a fandom should be immensely grateful to count slashy as one of our number. She turns out a frankly staggering number of AUs and rare pair fics (in addition to her wonderful Hannigram works) and they are all, without exception, imaginative and beautifully written. Recently she’s been writing a lot of Basic Chickens and this, her most recent (at the time of writing) might be the best yet. When Elias finds a strange, black egg in amongst the chickens, his superstitious brothers order him to smash it, fearing it contains a demon. Elias (of course, this is Elias) refuses, and tends to the egg until it hatches, revealing a small, black, winged monster, which Elias decides to keep,  christening it “Ugly.” Which is all well and good until it turns out that Ugly also sometimes takes the form of a man (quickly renamed Adam) whose determined seduction of Elias has worrying, potentially dangerous side-effects. This is Basic Chickens with a brilliant supernatural twist and the story is sexy, sweet, constantly surprising and very, very much worth your time.

Stricken by @crossroadscastiel (peacefrog): So say, instead of landing on the rocks at the bottom of that cliff, Will and Hannibal instead land in a completely different universe, one where everything seems to be the same, except that they’re not dead from their horrifying injuries. Seems like a win, right? Oh, except there’s the little issue of Hannibal suddenly producing slick and the pair of them needing to shag like bunnies every five minutes or they’ll explode. Yep, the boys are not in Baltimore anymore, they’re in an omegaverse, Hannibal’s in heat, and if they can stop knotting each other’s brains out for long enough, they’re going to need to have a serious talk about feelings. Wanna bet how well that turns out? This is such a fun exploration of the omegaverse concept, with our intrepid murder husbands utterly baffled by what’s happening to them and how they can deal with it. It’s also sexy and sweet as hell – if you’re not into a/b/o, give this a shot, I’d be surprised if it doesn’t change your mind.

Ananta by @unicornmagic (canis_m): A what-if fic, with the what-if in question being ‘how might things have gone, had Hannibal not rubber-stamped Will back into the field but instead recommended he receive further treatment. Oh, and asked him on a date while he’s at it.’ Well, in this ‘verse, it means Will stays away from murder scenes while Hannibal takes his place, that Will starts therapy with a certain blonde ice-queen, and Will has to navigate the beginnings of a relationship with Hannibal while contemplating when he should reveal that he’s asexual. This is a beautifully-paced, patiently crafted exploration of the complex relationship between these two characters and the ways in which they fit together with each other unlike with anyone else. Will’s asexuality is written with grace and sensitivity, as the writer explores the other, less obvious intimacies that he and Hannibal share. If you need something lovely in your life, read this.

The Best of All Possible Worlds by @desperatelyseekingcannibals (TigerPrawn): Mortimer (from Hysteria) is one of my favourite Hugh roles, so I’m always delighted when the adorable, slightly bumbly doctor turns up in a fic. And this one is so much fun, pairing Mortimer with Galen from Rogue One (via some timey-wimey shenanigans that land Galen back in ye olde England) and developing a very sweet romance between the two, even as they try to figure out how to get Galen home. These are two of the most decent characters in the madancy back catalogue and they work really wonderfully together, Mortimer’s eager earnestness nicely grounded by Galen’s steadiness. Plus I was very pleasantly surprised by how much chemistry the characters have together – not to put to fine a point on it, but they’re wicked hot XD. The rare pairs phenomenon is truly the gift that keeps on giving and this is one of my favourite ships to come out of it, please do hop on board and prepare to be totally charmed.

A Way to Live by @sugarmaus (Sugarmouse): Hannibal Lecter is in the market for a new slave. He goes through them quickly, always on the lookout for some elusive something that even Hannibal doesn’t seem able to define. When he spots Will Graham in the dealer’s catalogue, he thinks there’s a chance he may have found it, and when he sees the man in the flesh he is almost certain of it. But Hannibal soon learns an important lesson: Never Underestimate Will Graham. And so begins a complex, high-stakes game of shifting identities and hidden desires between master and slave, with Hannibal’s rigid control slipping further and further as he loses himself to his fascination with getting inside Will’s mind. Essentially an AU in which Hannibal can buy and dispose of murder interns instead of influencing them via therapy this is a sharp and intense character study of our darling cannibal. Hannibal’s ennui and loneliness are front and centre here as he both strives to gain control over Will and hopes that he will not be able to. It’s fascinating, compelling, intelligent stuff, with more than a few surprises up its sleeves.

Fais Do-Do by @moku-youbi: Will is on the run. He has lost control and shot a man, and now he’s tasted blood for the first time and Jack Crawford is on his tail. Which is how he winds up staying at The Little Bear Inn, owned by Mischa Lecter and currently being run by her brother while she is unwell. Of course, this is an establishment run by the Lecters, so nothing is quite as it seems and it may not turn out to be the safe haven Will is looking for. Even if Hannibal is unexpectedly easy to talk to (and not too hard on the eyes, either). Then again, Will’s got some secrets of his own, and we all know what happens to people who underestimate Will Graham… This is a really fun trip through some classic horror tropes, stylishly fusing a Hitchcockian vibe with supernatural elements as Will’s paranoia grows in the face of the Lecters’ strange behaviour and the threat of Jack hunting him down. It’s atmospheric, sexy, and thrilling – old-fashioned horror at its very best.

An American Empath in London by @legohanniballecter (MaddyHughes): In this (very slight) Sherlock crossover AU, Jack loans out Will to Scotland Yard in order to aid them in investigating a series of horrific murders involving Tory politicians (seeing as their normal consulting detective recently jumped off a roof…). Except here, Will hasn’t met Hannibal Lecter, not until he sits next to him on the plane to London, that is, though it doesn’t take long for the pair to become intimately acquainted. Yeah, ain’t no slow burn around here, and Will finds himself in a strange city, attempting to deal with a case that frustrates him, a police force that doesn’t understand him, and an intense, overwhelming attraction to a man he barely knows. Not to mention that Hannibal’s up to his usual tricks: murder, manipulation, and winding Will Graham up to see how he goes. Two years in the making, this densely-plotted, highly intelligent case fic also features some seriously intense Hannigram, with its trademark mix of sexual tension, blood and mind games turned up to the nth degree. I highly recommend giving it a shot – once I started, I found it nigh-on impossible to put down!

And Do Abominable Things With Grace by @thedancingwalrus-blog (The_Dancing_Walrus): I love and adore Pacific Rim, let’s get that out of the way. That said, it’s not exactly the subtlest movie ever made and I always kind of wished they’d done more to explore the concept of drifting. Well, wish granted and with Hannigram into the bargain in this fascinating crossover AU. Set sometime in s2, after Will’s mistrial but before his release, things diverge sharply from canon when Beverly and the FBI arrest Hannibal for his crimes. And then leave canon in the fucking dust when the first Kaiju arrives and Will and Hannibal are kidnapped by the government to be used as guinea pigs in the development of drift technology. Of course, it turns out that fusing the consciousnesses of two people like Will and Hannibal – who are pretty much inextricably bonded from their first glance anyway – has some interesting, and not altogether pleasant, side-effects. This is a genuinely stunning piece of work, playing with POVs and levels of consciousness to portray the invasive intimacy of being forcibly mind-melded with another person and written with a lyrical, experimental style that is both effective and highly memorable. It also has one of the most interesting, insightful depictions of the relationship between Hannibal and Will I’ve had the fortune to read – by turns sad, hopeful and endearing, and never less than utterly beautiful.

Caging the Beast by Vulcanmi: How many have us have begged pleaded wondered how things might have gone if Will had called off his Mizumono dinner plans with Jack and Hannibal? In this AU the stupid idiot our intrepid empath does just that, and, having realised that he doesn’t want to live in a world where Hannibal is behind bars, sets about constructing one in which he can tame the beast and put it in a cage of his own. His decision sets everybody on an unfamiliar path but while some things change (no Florentine jaunt for Bedelia this time), others just can’t be avoided (Mason still needs to be someone’s bacon, and Will and Hannibal still dance around each other like a pair of nervous teenagers). Or put off forever, as Will’s growing awareness of the nature of his feelings for Hannibal shows. Many Mizumono fix-its focus on the murder fam running off together and trying to avoid capture. This takes the opposite approach, keeping everybody in Baltimore with the inherent dangers and tensions that involves, extending the game between Will, Hannibal and Jack, even as the former two inch their way towards true Murder Husband status. It’s a fascinating reframing of canon, retaining many elements from s3 but with Will and Hannibal acting as a team and a family. I lost count of the number of times I sighed “If only…” while I was reading this – if you still dream of what could have been that rainy night in Baltimore, this is definitely the fic for you.

Yet Another Hannigram S1 AU (series) by @coloredink: Fans of intense, complex, drawn-out conversations between Will and Hannibal (which is… all of us, right?) will be in heaven with this two-part series set sometime post-Tobias Budge in s1. Both instalments see the boys thrust into close living quarters and exploring the powerful but confusing nature of their relationship. In and built a little house that we could live in, Will takes Hannibal up on the offer of using his vacation house for a week, on one condition: Hannibal comes with him. There follow seven days in which two solitary men begin to realise they might not want to be solitary anymore, and tentatively negotiate how that might work. By contrast, there’s nothing tentative in follow-up a tower to broadcast all our dreams, in which Will and Hannibal have to pretend to live together as a couple in order to draw out a serial killer. The pretence soon gives way to something else, but when you’re the Chesapeake Ripper, deciding you want a boyfriend comes with extra complications… This series is a beautiful riff on some favourite tropes, the second instalment in particular playing on the “fake date” with brilliant results. It also lets us see a charmingly domestic version of Hannigram, investing time and care in building up the relationship without sacrificing the dark and twisted aspects of their story. And really, does it get any better than domestic fluff with a bit of murder on the side? Nah, didn’t think so…

As ever, if there are bad links, or I’ve misattributed anything, let me know and I’ll fix it lickety-split. Happy reading, lovely fannibals!

#fic rec mega post #hannibal fic rec #hannibal #hannigram #rare pairs fic rec #beardogs #basic chickens #rogue hysteria

[spiceukonline]

Georgia Meets "Dark Pop" Duo City Conga

THE first thing I notice about City Conga before the interview has even started is how accommodating they are.

A few days before the interview is due to take place, I confess to one-half of the music duo that as hard as I may try, I am not a London girl and cannot think of a “cool” enough interview location. Taking pity on my country ways, they email me a location and we sit down to chat in The Troubadour in Earls Court, which is possibly the most indie bar I’ve ever stepped foot in.

In typical “me” fashion, I walk straight past them to the other end of the bar, looking hopelessly lost, until one of them taps me on the shoulder. This is 22-year-old James-Eden Hutchinson, who I will come to learn likes to refer to himself in the third person. He’s dressed like an advert for Urban Outfitters, and I will spend the whole interview trying to match up his aesthetic against his well-spoken demeanour.

He embraces me and tells me it’s “lovely” to see me again, and introduces himself to my photographer, before pointing over to where his other half, 23-year-old Dan Choppen, is sitting. Dan does not get up when we approach him and watches us cautiously, and I instantly notice he appears a lot more reserved than James, who seems eager to please. Dan’s aesthetic is what I call “effortless,” dressed in a simple T-shirt featuring a scene from a movie I am nowhere near cool enough to have seen.

By this point, I’m confused about a lot of things. I’m confused about how these two found each other, confused about what genre of music they belong to and furthermore, still confused about how to operate the Circle and District line.

Firstly though, I want to address where in the world they got the name “City Conga,” and whether they are aware it has the potential to sound like the next dance craze or a strip club in Soho.

James (left) and Dan (right).

Dan admits that they went through a lot of potential names, but the penny finally dropped for him after spending a weekend back home. ‘I thought about the massive contradiction between the city, the business people doing the 9-5 type thing, and students like us stressing about not having a job after uni,’ says Dan, ‘and then I just got this image of all the business boys in like a conga dancing to work. I came back and said to James and he was like “that sounds cool.”’

Cool indeed, and that’s the vibe they seem so keen to give off, so much so that I feel artsier just breathing the same air as them.

James and Dan met when they were both students at The University of Westminster, studying mixed media arts. I nod when they mention this last part, even though I have no idea what such a degree entails. Initially working on their own “soundscapes,” they eventually “jumped in” on each other’s solo work and began writing together. Not only are they now one another’s bandmate, but they also live together and are best friends.  How do they work together when they’re always in each other’s space?

Dan explains the creative collaboration process in possibly one of the best-worst analogy I’ve ever heard. ‘It’s kind of like that game you played as a kid called “hot potato,”’ he says, (it should be noted that I never played this game as a child), ‘I’ll have the potato and then I’ll chuck it on to James, and then he’ll add something and then I’ll add something and then the potato is perfectly cooked at the end.’

They admit that their “sound” is difficult to describe, and having seen them perform live, I would also agree. Experimental, angsty and synth heavy, their vibe is reminiscent of The 1975 or The Neighbourhood, without the poppy overtones and the floppy-haired poster boy. I recall being at a recent gig of theirs not being sure whether to sway thoughtfully, whoop like a teenage girl or start forming a mosh pit.

So how would they describe their sound to someone who was approaching it for the first time?

They look at each other as if they’re sharing some kind of inside joke that I’m not allowed to be privy to.

‘We’ve come up with a one liner,’ says Dan finally.

After a prolonged and slightly awkward hesitation, James pipes up: ‘I want to say Dark Renaissance.’

‘Dark Renaissance?’ I repeat uneasily, which perhaps gives the impression that I’m challenging his creative authority because in a moment of insecurity he backpedals and says “I’m not quite sure that fits.

Dan tries to save James from the hole he has dug himself, but that doesn’t go to plan either. “We say dark pop duo because influences range from…it’s weird really because one minute we’re listening to the Clash and the next minute we’re listening to Biggie.”

Biggie? I didn’t see that one coming.

“Yeah, I guess I’m slightly more hip-hop, broken beat more like actually DJing and producing music,” says James.

Who would be their dream collaboration?

‘I mean Kanye West would be class,’ James declares. I didn’t see that one coming either.

‘I just find him so intriguing and interesting,’ he elaborates, ‘and even if you try not to like him, I think his ability to instigate and play around with his image and music and everything that he’s pioneered is just very, very interesting. I’d just love to see how his brain works.’

“Dark pop” aside, they seem to be quite positive individuals. There is a sense of charming awkwardness about Dan and a sense that he would happily give you his undivided attention for hours on end. James is careful with his words and avoids eye contact, so much so that multiple times I wasn’t sure if he was talking to himself or not.

But they are fun and interesting, and to all intents and purposes, just like us regular young folk. They enjoy nights out (Peckham’s infamous “Soultrain” is a joint favourite night of theirs), are partial to a bit of laddish debauchery and despite seeming to have it all figured out, come across as being a bit lost post-graduation.

  “Having a diverse range of musical influences is really important. There’s so much stuff out there now.”

  Listening to the one song available on their Soundcloud called “Family Feud,” I’m surprised such dark lyrics could’ve been created inside the minds of the two charismatic lads in front of me. Are their lyrics always so dark and damning?

Dan laughs, aware that they’re never going to be asked to debut on a Disney soundtrack anytime soon. ‘I think our lyrics do often take quite dark turns, maybe because of our course. The lecturers were always like “you’re never going to be able to buy your own house,” “you’re always going to be struggling for money,” “you’re going to die alone,” and we’re like “fucking hell.” And then as the course developed, we realised that there’s a lot of shit wrong with the media industry, and I think that’s where a lot of dystopian or apocalyptic blues all stems from.’

The mood shifts and I suddenly want to order an entire bottle of wine to myself. ‘I mean, “Family Feud” is probably the most depressing song we’ve got,’ Dan clarifies.

What’s so wrong with the media industry then, I ask, aware that the answer is most likely “everything.” 

‘Fake news’ says Dan, and I subconsciously clutch my notebook tighter to my chest, aware that as a journalist, I’m the creative industry’s public enemy #1.

‘The thing that really winds me up, I see it on my Facebook all the time, is that people believe anything they’re given. People say “oh my God, so-and-so did this,” but I’m like yeah but where did that come from? Billybob’snews.org.biz.za or something saying shit and everyone’s like “oh, it must be real.”’

This is the most animated I’ve seen Dan thus far, and I’m slightly taken aback but also want to hear more of what he has to say about the very industry he’s trying to break into.

James fails to outdo Dan on this one, telling me that we’ve “slightly been sold a lie” by the media, and I think reading too much George Orwell can sometimes be a bad thing in situations such as these.

Despite their differences in just about everything, it is that difference, at its very core, that seems to make City Conga what it is and has acted as a help, rather than a hindrance to their collective project.

‘I’d never think to do some of the stuff [Dan] says,’ James confesses, ‘but then [he] does it and I’m like “wow, I was wrong, that was quite good!” And same with me, I’ll be like what about some bongos here and he’s like “really?” and then we do it. Diversity is important, there’s so much stuff out there now.’

They both seem to realise that they have chosen an ever-saturated market to break into. Are they worried that they’ll never “make it?”

James disappears off into his own world again and seems hopeful. ‘ I guess sometimes it’s a challenge to make any noise at all because so many people are doing it,’ he ponders, ‘it’s wicked now that with like £20 you can buy a little sim thing and you can write an album on it and upload it and two million people can hear it. But I guess sometimes it’s like, you wonder…’

Dan finishes his sentence as it becomes clear James is about to venture off into his own personal monologue. ‘How are we going to get ourselves heard?’

On Saturday night, where they play a live set at The Water Rats in King’s Cross, they appear to answer their own question. Playing to a larger audience and their sound significantly more fine-tuned than the last time I saw them, they seem to be actually enjoying themselves this time, even if James’s interpretation of dancing was a bit dodgy, but 10/10 for comedic value.

Dan clocks me after the gig and admires my “dedication” since I have to make it back home to Kent from here. I joke about being eligible for a free T-shirt, and he says I’m like their “no. 1 fan,” by which he means to say “crazed groupie.” I’m not sure whether now is the appropriate time to tell him that my attendance was a personal challenge to see how much I would need to drink to approach edgy indie boys who play the guitar. I wouldn’t say no to a free T-shirt, though.

Nonetheless, with promises of “plenty” more music and a lit music video to come, the conga line is only just getting started.

 City Conga’s EP “For Our Friends” is available on Soundcloud and Spotify 

You can also stay updated on all things City Conga via their Facebook, Instagram and YouTube (yay, new fans) 

WORDS by Georgia Chambers (@Just_GeorgiaSD)

PHOTOS by Robert Bruce (@RobBruceK)

#City Conga #dark pop #Georgia Chambers #Indie #Interview #London #music #New Music #The 1975