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lovee-infected · 3 years

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Your character analysis posts are really accurate! I like how you want to show that a character is a lot more than they show. It kind of angers me that there are people who headcanon the boys as something they're not, or they saying that they're this one personality trait only. What other characters from twisted get mischaracterized, at least in ur opinion?

THANK THANKK !! XD

I really enjoy going into depths of characters' personalities because damn- there were some big brains behind their creations!

This question was rather important so I couldn't decide on any specific characters to talk about, so I decided to list all of the twst characters and how they'd often get mischaracterized.

Mischaracterization isn't bound to twst fandom because as long as a there's a fandom, fanon interpretations of characters exist.

Almost any character in any fandom can be mischaracterized at some point, but it isn't always that noticable or important. Mischaracterization often becomes noticable when pretty different interpretations of rather 'popular' characters exist within a fandom, which causes many to argue over what the correct interpretation is.

For now, I'm dividing all of twst characters into "5 groups" to explain how each of them might often get mischaracterized.

Group A: Complex personalities

It's simple, these characters can be quite hard to understand. It's either because of having too many features at the same time, which makes them quite hard to read because we'll need to achieve a balance between all of their different personality aspects, or being quite secretive and mysterious which awfully bounds our knowledge regarding these characters and their personalities.

•Malleus Draconia: We previously talked about Malleus; the main reason of him getting mischaracterized is having plenty of spine-chilling features while having considerably childish and innocent hobbies at the same time. This opposition often makes it hard to decide on what the cannon Malleus is like, because it can hard to choose one between his darker side and softer side. What we need in order to achieve a rather cannon interpretation of Malleus, is a balance. Just as I previously said: Malleus isn't a baby, but he isn't a monster either.

•Lilia Vanrouge: Even without going into depths, you can tell that Lilia's personality is complicated as hell. Though I can't really tell that he's being Mischaracterized because the cannon Lilia himself can switch into a totally different personality in a matter of second, one moment he's a 90+ year old father trying to lead his children into he right path, one moment he's an unraveled neon teenager playing the ear-scrathing heavy metal with that guitar of his, and the other second he's an absolute monster which can creep the heck out of you with a simple "Boo". Lilia can also get plenty of different personalities through fanon interpretations:Yandere Lilia/Vampire fae/ Papa Lilia/ Daddy Vanrouge many other details which I can't go through now,but let me just say: A Lilia analysis would be rather long, and interesting one.

•Jade Leech: Speaking of reading characters, better know that this mister eel Leech is an absolutely tough one. You'll never know what he's hiding behind that friendly yet evil smile, or what intentions might be behind his extreme will to play the role of the butler and help everyone out. Understanding this Sebastian Michaelis complex is an absolute challenge and this is probably one of the things that makes him so Interesting, you always know that he's hiding something dark on the inside, yet you can't really tell what it is.

•Cater Diamond: This might be rather hard to notice, but there's a lot about Cater which is left untold. Despite his sweet and positive appearance, his personality is actually a bitter-sweet complex of too many emotions and a pretty well-written background. The amount of info found through his voice lines and personal stories is rather amazing as if you're reading a real boy's life story! But this amount of detail and considerably dark aspects of his personality can make it really hard to understand what's going on in this mysterious mind; especially because of how he seems to be hiding a second face under that friendly smile.

•Jamil Viper: Jamil can be quite hard to read. He isn't really emotional and hardly ever expresses his true feelings. Even NRC students agree that he can be quite a mystery, from his past life and daily struggles to how many of his true feelings and intentions remained a secret until chapter 4. Jamil is a complex of pain, power, hatred and patience. His background is perfect example of a villainous story and how a child can grow to be a villain, which is quite interesting! Jamil's story is worthy of a detailed analysis and some time for all of us to understand what this guy has been going through.

•Rook Hunt: We often tend to know him as Pomefiore's "dramatic stalker", and he surely is! The fanon interpretation of Rook doesn't usually go against his cannon interpretation (Expect for the times that people get salty over his appearance or attitude- Which leads to the creation of countless Rook memes-) While it's true that he's more than just a French stalker, it can be hard to talk about anything else when it comes to Rook, because the cannon Rook tends to hide a lot about himself, leaving us with a considerable lack of useful information to use. He really got us all there, huh? Even as he's a fictional character and we're living in real life- he tends to control what we know and think of him-

characters that can also belong to this group: Leona Kingscholar, Idia Shroud, Vil Schoenheit , Floyd Leech

Group B: Ignoring important features:

This group can get easily mischaracterized, mainly because each and every of them has an specific feature that really makes them stand out. (Ex: Riddle's short temper, Azul's soft and sensitive side, Sebek's obsession with Malleus,...) But paying to much attention to that one specific feature often leads to ignoring everything else about their personalities, and gives them a pretty simple and fanon interpretation which can sometimes be the total opposite of the detailed and cannon one.

•Azul Ashengrotto: Azul's fanon picture had an extreme change after chapter 3, mainly because of how his background and breakable side was revealed; the cruel and heartless mafia boss turned into the soft and emotional baby. This sudden change in perspective stole the hearts of many fans and the fandom in general came to appreciate Azul even more, but at some point it caused his most important feature to be forgotten: Azul tends to be strict about hiding that sensitive side of his, so the Azul we get to see in general is the fearful picture of the mastermind who's taken the magics of many away, not that baby Octopus who used to cry whenever other kids bullied him because he was different. Getting to know his background and true feelings made us forget about his professional and strict side which is indeed the most important side of his personality!

•Idia Shroud: Baby boy, soft child, sweet tooth cutie, pretty little emo,...and hundreds of other nicknames to appreciate Idia and his iconic nature. But in contrast to what many assume based on his appearance and social anxiety, Idia is way different from just a shy yet adorable nerd; this guy is seriously hiding some evil inside. If you go through his stories and get to the points where he's thinking with himself, you'll see how different he can be. While he can't really get to tell these properly through his main lines, you can find him secretly insulting and nagging at how annoying some people are several times. It isn't just about being shy, Idia obviously dislikes many of the people around him. Focusing on his social anxiety and awkwardness causes us to forget how different he is when he isn't forced into a face-to-face conversation, also note that there are many thoughts going through this guy's brain that you probably hadn't thought of.

•Floyd Leech: While Jade's personality is obviously a pretty complicated one, Floyd's character is even more confusing because of his playfulness and seemingly childish manners. But it's important to remember that deep inside, floyd is just as mysterious as his brother. Describing Floyd as childish and dumb is equal to falling into Yana's trap, because Floyd is designed as an extremely smart and somewhat of sadistic character. It's so important to know that he's way more than just a chaotic eel or an playful idiot, Floyd literally has anything needed to be ranked among the most dangerous characters of the game, his personality along side his magic and genius can be quite deadly.

•Sebek Zigvolt: To be honest, many of us are just doing him dirty. Look, it's true that Sebek's often caught praising and talking about Malleus but please do not forget that Sebek as well has got his very own personality! Associating Malleus with whatever he says or does (especially through fanfictions) is somehow fading his character because most of the things I get to read or hear about him involves Malleus. Come on! This is Sebek that we're talking about, not Malleus! I understand that talking about Malleus is legit something he often does but while you're writing a fanfic, please remember that Sebek has got hundreds of features and personality manners to talk about other than talking about his "Waka sama". So instead of just focusing on his Malleus appreciation habit, try to get to know his very own features and personality! In many of fanon interpretations, Sebek is bound to doing nothing but talking about Malleus and only him which is pretty unfair! We should all take some time to talk about Sebek himself, not his obsession with Lilia or Malleus.

•Riddle Rosehearts: I understand where this is coming from, but I want to see something more than an angry Riddle shouting and screaming about the importance of rules and harshly forcing others into following them whenever I read something that involves Riddle. I see how being angry and turning as red as a tomato is his rather famous feature but we shouldn't ignore everything else about hum because of it. Other than his background and mentionable talents and abilities as the greatest dorm leader Heartslabyul's history, keep this in mind that Riddle did decide to try and change his way of leadership and reduce his obsession with rules after his overblot.

Characters that can also belong to this group: Vil Schoenheit, Rook Hunt, Kalim Al Asim, Silver, Epel Felmier

Group C: Ignorance/Lack of information

The reason with this group is obvious, we need to talk about them more often! While they're all great characters with interesting designs and personalities, it's somehow rare to see anyone doing a proper analysis of their characters, either because of not going through their details or stories, or even going through them but not finding anything special.

•Ace Trappola: Both Deuce and Ace are characters who have appeared through all of the chapters so far, which means that we've had the chance to get to know them better than any other character in the game! But their fanon interpretations are pretty simple and sometimes, boring. Most of us don't even realize that we're mischaracterizing them-! I often see them being pictured as either stupid or loud and troublesome. Ace for example, got a really strong plot about how he'd go through a relationship and his past experience in the ghost marriage, which can be a strong guide to how we should picture Ace in reader inserts, but sadly we're just sticking to fanon interpretations and don't give his personality the detail and cannon depth he deserves. Let's note that he can be quite evil, smart, logical and unpredictable too at the time.

•Deuce Spade: Deuce's case is pretty similar to Ace. I'm not saying that he's a totally different one from how the fandom is characterizing him, but come on, Deuce isn't just a chicken dummy! We've learned a lot about his relationship with his mother, his past life, his relationship with his close friends, his hobbies and his will to become a great magician so there's a lot we can say about him! Instead of just sticking to his clumsiness and sometimes, stupidity it's better to consider those features and details to describe him. Not only will it make us have more of a cannon interpretation on Deuce, but it'll also inspire us to create newer and more creative content for him!

•Silver: Look, while many of us love this sleepy guy, we need to understand that he isn't just a sleeping beauty or Lilia's cute son! Let's admit something, we're facing a lack of Silver content and even as we go through most of the existing Silver fanfics and content, it either has something to do with his sleeping issues or his relationship with idia, maybe some arguments with Sebek as well but it's rare to see anyone talking about anything else than these when it comes to Silver. His relationship with Lilia and Malleus, he way he appears in others' side stories, how he handles his tasks and the way Malleus and Lilia describe him is telling us that there's a LOT about him which we often ignore!

•Trey Clover: It's true that the cannon Trey isn't that different from the fanon one, but I can tell that the fanon Trey lacks quite a few of the cannon features. We're giving him a rather solid and sometimes boring personality of Heartslabyul's calm and collected mum who treats everyone nicely regardless of how reckless or annoying or rebellious they are. But the real Trey does express annoyance and uncomfortablitiy from time to time, he can even be quite sarcastic. If you come to get a close look, you'll see that Trey isn't always as nice as he seems to be.

•Ruggie Bucchi: I genuinely adore Ruggie's personality design, especially how he mostly comes of as a mysterious troublemaker but at the same time, he's being a tiny family man on the inside. Watching how he can be quite reckless toward other students in NRC (especially the first years) and on the other hand, be a pretty caring and protective sibling who really loves and cares about his poor family and is working his hardest to support them really brings the tears of joy to my eyes. Ruggie's story has got a lot to tell and this interesting design and personality really deserves more attention and supporters!

•Jack Howl: It's true that Jack doesn't really get mischaracterized , but he deserves to be talked about more often! Most of the fandom captured his personality really good and I can feel his tsundere-ish and protective vibes through most of the fanfics that involve him. He's got a rather calm and collected nature which gives him a more balanced personality compared to the rest of the characters, and can make it easier to understand the cannon Jack. He used to get really mischaracterized back in twst's pre-release, but after the game was released and we got to know the cannon Jack, most of those misunderstandings were solved. Perhaps the only thing that I wish to mentioned more often are the adorable details and his background, especially his relationship with his family and siblings.

Characters that can also belong to his group: Silver, Deuce Spade, Ace Trappola, Rook Hunt

Group D: The healing type (Iyashikei)

Look, the cannon interpretation isn't always the happiest or the sweetest. This group usually get mischaracterized because their fanon interpretation is presenting something better, something that more fans would accept and love. 'Softening extremely dark and unapproachable personalities' or 'spreading adorable and wholesome headcanons' are two common ways of the healing type. Characters with extremely bitter personalities usually belong to this group, because their stories can be too sad for the fandom, so many decide to go for a softer yet untrue way of characterizing them, which is sometimes good but going too far with the softening process often leads to creating a character that's nothing like the original.

•Leona Kingscholar: While I was working on my Leona analysis, I came to understand why some fans prefer the fanon Leona over the cannon Leona. Cannon Leona is quite dark and unapproachable, and you'll find his background and personality in general quite painful and sometimes depressing if you try to study the cannon Leona. Within all of the twst characters, he's got the darkest design therefore it can be quite hard for fans to accept his cannon interpretation. That's why some try to give him more of an affectionate and soft nature to make his personality seem less painful to go through. This sometimes create a totally wrong interpretation that goes against everything that the cannon Leona is, but at the same time many fans agree that cannon Leona on the other hand is just too dark to accept. We can tell that this fandom's favorite Leona is a balance of cannon and fanon Leonas, something neither too dark nor to childish and wholesome.

•Ortho Shroud: There isn't much we know about Ortho and his background, and I can't say that he's being directly mischaracterized either. Sometimes all we have to use in order to capture his personality are the fan- theories, which can really complicate stuff. Best way to know him is by paying enough of attention to his voice lines and hidden details, but it can end up being quite dark if you dig too deep- His background with Idia isn't directly mentioned but there are some dark details hiding through the story that can seem quite scary when you actually think about them, therefore many of the fans decide to ignore those details, and since there isn't much of Ortho content (mostly fanfiction) either, many (including me) decided not to mention anything about those dark aspects...

•Epel Felmier: Cannon Epel is quite different from the fanon Epel. Not saying that Epel is a meanie because he surely does have pretty cute and adorable aspects but the cannon can Epel can be quite reckless, mean and rude at the time while the fanon Epel is always described as a shy, cute boy(which is exactly what the cannon Epel hates to be described as). Going through his ghost marriage stories and voice lines, we can realize that Epel's rather bad with romance, and for now, he doesn't really seem to be interested in any love-related issues either. Writing reader inserts especially can be really hard if you're going to stick with the cannon Epel, therefore many choose to use the fanon Epel instead, a cuter and softer Epel who's quite acceptive and approval of being in love. A considerable majority of fans prefer this soft and cuter Epel, and this is why Epel mostly gets mischaracterized in reader inserts.

Characters that can also belong to this group: Malleus Draconia, Azul Ashengrotto, Cater Diamond, Ace Trappola, Lilia Vanrouge

Group E: Mischaracterized on main

Spreading false headcanons, not paying enough of attention to official details and simplifying complicated personalities are often counted as general ways of mischaracterization. Unlike the previous groups, this group doesn't really have a proper excuse for their mischaracterization, especially as we see some fans are being attacked and offended by some who tend mischaracterize characters in this way.

•Vil Schoenheit: We previously talked about Vil and how there's a pile of wrong information about him spread all over the fandom, from the one saying that he's trans and his pronouns are she/her (Many fans were attacked and forced to use She/Her for Vil) to the ones that are picturing him as a selfish character who cares about no one but his very own beauty, and is bullying Epel just because he envies Epel for being more beautiful than him. Look, regarding his relationship with Epel I must say that he's trying is hardest to make Epel be more mindful of his appearance and manners, he cares to help each and every around him look their best and isn't just focusing on his very own beauty. I meant to add him in group B because how many consider him to be obsessed with beauty and ignore everything else about him like his remarkable skills in leadership and other abilities in general, but considering the great amount of wrong information that is being spread around the fandom and is causing misunderstandings and arguments, I thought it'd be better to put him in this group.

•Kalim al asim: One sentence, four words: He is NOT stupid! While I insist that everyone in the fandom is free to have their personal interpretation and ideas regarding the characters and their personalities, keep this is mind that it's okay as long as it doesn't offend anyone else! How does it feel when Kalim stans are just watching others making fun of their favorite and calling him useless and stupid? Even worse, how does it feel when they're being told reckless stuff like: "Hey, you know that your favorite is the dumbest character in the game?" Let me clear 3 points right here: 1)Even if one's favorite is stupid, you do not have the right to insult them because of it even if you mean it as a joke 2)Nope Kalim is not stupid, generosity and caring for everyone around him with genuine kindness makes him a good and pure person, not a stupid one. 3) People who are saying that he's stupid because of not doing that great in school are just as funny as those who told all of us that you won't be any successful if you don't get good grades in exams. Lmao, dude this is the 21st century.

Characters that can also belong to this group: Floyd Leech, Epel Felmier

Well, I guess that's all? I couldn't talk much about any of them otherwise this would've gotten too long- So I just put a small intro of how each of the boys often gets mischaracterized instead. Okay it's awfully late lol I leave this now-

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noctusfury · 2 years

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My Future Fanfic Projects

Thanks @valiantwarrior37 for the tag!

These are my list of WIP projects that I’m doing in the next couple of years:

(UA stands for “Universe Alternation”, which, unlike AU, is basically changes made to the canonverse or characters, but it’s still the same universe.)

Also, keep in mind that despite the placement, these works won’t exactly be in chronological order. I’ll be doing this more on an “as-inspiration-hits-me” basis.

Return of Mildew’s Son (a HTTYD short-story)

Months after Mildew’s disappearance (and treason), his land needs to be worked and lived in. Eventually, a man comes to Berk with his family, claiming to be Mildew’s son, and claims his inheritance. Of course, chaos and hilarity ensue. He is, after all, Mildew’s son. Will Berk come to accept this new resident, or will they wish to give him the boot?

Macey Comes to Life (a Tuffnut/OC short story)

Folklore/Fantasy AU

Inspired from the classic tales where a man wishes that something of his creation was real, and it comes to life as a woman that he then marries.

Tuffnut gets lonely and jealous when the rest of the Gang each get married and have families of his own, while he gets left behind, still a single bachelor, and no family has come to his to offer their daughter’s hand in marriage to him. Sad, he snuggles with Macey and wishes that it was real so that he could have somebody. Next day, he wakes up to find Macey, alive, as a woman, and is overjoyed. Will this be a dream come true? Or will Tuffnut get more than he bargained for?

Bury the Axe (a Snotlout/OC story)

(Snotlout / OFC) An UA story where a Jorgenson MARRIES a Hofferson. But it’s not Astrid whom Snotlout marries, but rather her older sister, in order to end the feud between the Jorgenson and Hofferson clans. Will he survive this union and find love at last? Or will he become eel bait?

This will be set in HTTYD 2 and a little into THW.

Also this story will be loosely canon, as I’ll be fixing up HTTYD 2 and HTTYD 3 and changing the plots to where they’re compatible and make sense. Hiccstrid marries much sooner, Stoick is alive, Hiccup isn’t an idiot, Drago and Grimmel don’t exist and are replaced with the Warlords, instead. And the Berkians will remain on Berk, New Berk will be greatly altered, and instead of colonizing, the focus will be more on exploration of the Western Archipelago, and perhaps even as far as the British Isles and Iceland. 😉

Based on this conversation in the final scene in RTTE episode “Snotlout Gets the Axe”.

Snotlout’s Saga (Snotlout Leaves Berk UA)

Snotlout loses the Thawfest Games, and has to deal with the aftermath. When things get out-of-hand, Snotlout and Hookfang are forced to leave Berk and become Outcasts. This saga will focus on their journey, their struggles, their successes, their losses, their sacrifices, and their growth.

This story will be set during/after the RoB episode “Thawfest” onwards and ends after RTTE but before HTTYD 2. And because Snotlout leaves so early, much of the plot shall be changed. I have, in fact, been watching the show VERY closely and have been taking notes at what exactly gets changed and how to write accordingly. Surprisingly, Snotlout actually affects much of the plot. Some episodes will be gone, others will be greatly altered, and others not much will change.

I might also do a companion story for this that gets into the Gang’s POV during Snotlout’s exile, just so that you guys can see the changes caused by Snotlout’s absence. I don’t plan on doing this for the other Gang members. Only for Snotlout. Because he’s fun. lol XD

This story will be part of my X-Leaves-Berk Series, which will be loosely connected but not much. It’ll mostly be a series where each of the Gang members will be leaving Berk for one reason or another and at different times. Simply because I’ve never seen any fanfics where the rest of the Gang leave Berk besides Hiccup (and sometimes Astrid who goes with Hiccup). So I’m deciding to fix that. I’m actually quite excited about this series! ^_^

Aside from the Gang, I plan on doing stories for Stoick, Spitelout, Alvin, and Valka for this series. (Valka’s saga will be original and won’t follow the “canon” backstory given to her in HTTYD 2.) Heck, I might even do some Sagas for GUSTAV and MILDEW, of all Vikings. lol XD

Gobber, Dagur, Heather, and other characters might also have Sagas of their own but won’t be part of this Series (since they don’t leave Berk). Or maybe I will... who knows?

Family Bonds || PRE-HTTYD 1/HTTYD 1 Retelling (the Berkian Sagas)

A fix-it fic starting from Pre-HTTYD, with Hiccup as a baby. Essentially fixing the mess-ups of the plot of this film, beginning with Valka and having her not get taken away (which will eventually result in Hiccup having more siblings later down the line), Hiccup having a group of friends (OCs), a stronger Hiccup who knows how to fight but still isn’t good with dragon killing, a better graduation of Astrid and Hiccup’s relationship and better explain how she eventually ends up with Hiccup, getting rid of the “Romantic Flight” and the kisses (or maybe keep the one at the very end). Also, Hiccup’s oppression and ostracization will be more obvious and heavier than the film since it was a “kid’s movie”, though with his group of friends to protect him, it won’t be as dark as you’re fearing.

The biggest changes to this plot will be those but also focusing on Hiccup’s childhood and the others as well. Another one is that Hiccup will be having an adopted brother whom he’s close with (I really wanted to implement the historical adoption and foster system of the Vikings into this franchise, since that was a huge part of Viking culture — and an important one at that — and because I got tired of the whole twin sibling thing that people keep giving Hiccup, and nobody had ever come up with a story where Hiccup gets an adopted sibling). We’ll also be using characters, locations, Tribes, and plot-points from the HTTYD Books as well.

This will literally be a fix-it series that will change and fix anything in the various plots in the franchise that was badly written. I’ll also be adding OCs to help balance the cast and also to make the families more larger and emphasize on their interactions with their families (I was a little miffed that we didn’t really get to see everyone else’s families, aside from Snotlout’s and Hiccup’s fathers and the occasional extended relative on the Twins’ side, and various mentions of family, there wasn’t really a whole lot of family interaction); there.will also be OCs to help increase the Dragon Riders, aaaand also to become Hunter fodder so that Berk and the Riders will actually have suffered losses and make this an actual conflict. (Also because Hiccup trained with a lot of kids in the Books, so Hiccup being with only 5 other kids his age is way too small for my tastes.) Many of these will be essential to the plot of the overall franchise, but won’t hopefully change the plot TOO much — just enough to make it interesting and unique.

There will also be politics involved and new adversaries to defeat, as well as dwarfing the plot armor and making sure that the Gang actually USE armor and weapons and shields when they go to battle. I’ll also be fixing the Defenders of the Wing and the Wingmaidens and making them more Viking-like. I’ll also be implementing various headcanons into the stories to give various characters more background depth to help explain various circumstances in the canon. As well as several other changes.

Obviously, this will be a rather ambitious project — one that will definitely take me a good chunk of my life in doing (since I’m writing for several other Fandoms besides HTTYD). So I’m definitely don’t plan on posting these until I get the outlines or even the entire fics written. Though there WILL be a scattering of short stories and one-shots that I plan on adding into these series for various characters and what-not. Such as “The Return of Mildew’s Son” and “Rig’s Impossible Quest”, etc, etc.

Unforbidden Friendship (A One-Shot Collection)

A collection of one-shots that, obviously, will be focusing on friendships. There’s really no limit, people. The platonic pairing can be anything or anyone — human, animal, or inanimate object — and be up to 3 people (because anything more than that’s a crowd).

Anyway, if you have any platonic pairings that you’d like to see, send me an ask and I’ll add it to my list. It can literally be anybody or anything. Create your own combo that nobody has even thought of that you’d like to see if you have to. Have fun with it!

Enemy of My Enemy (A One-Shot Collection)

A collection of one-shots that, obviously, will be focusing on antagonistic pairings — essentially two or more people who are either antagonistic or hostile (aka villainous, evil, or enemies) towards each other, with absolutely no romantic or platonic notions for each other. There’s really no limit, people. The antagonistic pairing can be anything or anyone — human, animal, or inanimate object — and be up to 3 people (because anything more than that’s a crowd).

Anyway, if you have any antagonistic pairings that you’d like to see, send me an ask and I’ll add it to my list. It can literally be anybody or anything. Create your own combo that nobody has even thought of that you’d like to see if you have to. Have fun with it!

The Whumpfest Games (A One-Shot Collection)

A collection of one-shots that, obviously, will be focusing on whumping characters. There’s really no limit, people. The whumpee(s) and whumper(s) can be anything or anyone — human, animal, or inanimate object — and there’s really no limit to the number of characters either (because anything more than that’s a crowd). That being said, 2 people would be preferable. This may include heroes, neutrals, antagonists, and villains. And animals and inanimate objects, even. (It would be interesting to see Tuffnut emotional whump for the loss of Macey, and also Macey’s “thoughts” as its being... well... whumped.)

Anyway, if you have anyone whom you would like to see whumped, send me an ask and I’ll add it to my list. It can literally be anybody or anything. Create your own combo that nobody has even thought of that you’d like to see if you have to. Have fun with it!

Hiccup the Weaponsmith (A Hiccstrid Story)

(Saga AU) A story where Hiccup and his brothers Snotlout, Throk, and Fishlegs are out hunting and run into a group of Valkryies bathing. As they watch, they see some ne’er-do-wells trying to take advantage of them and corner them, so they decide to come to their rescue. Afterwards, the Valkryies introduce themselves as Astrid, Heather, Minden, and Ruffnut. They then offer themselves to the men, each of them choosing the man they wish to marry. But they warn that they’ll be off to join in Odin’s wars after a long hiatus. So for several years they end up happy living together and even starting to have children of their own. But eventually they disappear as promised. Saddened, Throk and Fishlegs abandon their homes as they go on a journey to find their wives again, leaving Hiccup and Snotlout, and their children, to remain, having faith that their (Hiccup’s and Snotlout’s) wives will return one day, and thus continue life as usual.

However, Mala (or Griselda), Queen of the region where they live, hears of them and how Hiccup is a legendary weaponsmith and warrior, along with Snotlout, and with a prophecy which foretells of this, and also wanting to increase her martial abilities, Mala/Griselda sends soldiers to take them and tries to pressure Hiccup to marry her.

Will Hiccup and Snotlout be able to get out and escape? Will their wives ever return?

Melotraumatic/Saving Snotlout (Snotlout whump story)

Originally created for the Whumptober event, this story will be essentially me whumping Snotlout. Set after RTTE, Savage abducts Snotlout in an act of revenge and, with the help of his witch, Norna (unofficial name), they inflict torture on Snotlout for information, and use an unknown dragon species to instigate it. During this, Snotlout meets two other prisoners who are Savage and Norna’s slaves — adolescents from Meathead Island who had been captured during a raid. Despite being in great pain, Snotlout’s determined to protect them as well, and his fellow Riders, while trying to find some way to escape. Can he hold out long enough for his friends and allies to rescue him?

(May or may not become a part of the Retelling Series.)

A Most Dangerous Game (A Hiccther Arranged Marriage UA story)

(Hiccup / Heather) After the events of “Twinsanity”, when Dagur and his Berserkers leave, a letter arrives to Stoick from Thorvald, Dagur and Heather’s cousin, asking for him and Hiccup to meet him secretly, at night, on Berserk Island... with their dragons. With their secret now out, they go to meet him, where Thorvald tells them of the political situation on Berserk and gives them a proposal to help them take Dagur out, preventing a potential conflict between their two Tribes, and helping Berk with their conflict with the Outcasts. He then offers a pact between them. He also reveals to them a secret he’s been keeping for many years: Heather.

However, Thorvald also offers an ultimatum: either Hiccup marries Heather to seal the deal between them, and to ensure a lasting peace between their two Tribes (as well as to protect Heather), or Thorvald will expose their little secret to Dagur and use it to his own advantage in his struggle with Dagur for the throne, bringing Berk into a costly war they don’t need.

Will Hiccup step up and do what’s needed for Berk, or will he plunge his Tribe into a costly war?

Snotlout’s Bride (part of the Bride/Groom Series)

(Snotlout / OFC) It’s the time in every Viking’s life when he or she settles down and gets married — and Snotlout is no different. When his clan go to the Althing in search for a bride, Snotlout explores the various tents in search for the ideal wife. He eventually catches sight of a young woman who’s struggling with sewing a shirt — and her relatives aren’t encouraging at all. Snotlout, seeing himself in her, decides to help her discreetly with her task, much to her surprise.

While he takes his leave and tries to move on, his mind keeps wondering to the girl with the downtrodden face who doesn’t seem to be very competent as a housewife (he knows she’s not a shield-maiden because she wore no armor not had any weapons around like many shield-maidens are wont to do). Before he knows it, he finds himself going back to his family’s tent and talks it over with his father. Spitelout, of course, isn’t too pleased, expecting Snotlout to do as he had asked and find a strong, competent wife from a great family to help strengthen the clan’s prestige. Needless to say, they eventually get into a disagreement, resulting in Spitelout refusing to use any of his money to buy the girl’s hand, and asserts that Snotlout, if he’s so persistent to have her, can go buy her himself.

Not being allowed to bring his dragon, nor having much in the ways of wealth aside from what he took with him, Snotlout decides to go to the girl’s father to make a deal, and at least offer a down payment until he can acquire the rest. But when he sees who the girl’s father truly is, he is shocked.Eventually, after a lot of haggling, he’s able to acquire her hand in marriage, and the wedding date gets set.

Will Snotlout be able to live happily with his new blushing bride for the rest of his life? Or will this turn out to be the greatest mistake he’s ever made? Will this chance bride become the woman he never knew he needed?

Hiccup’s Saga/Wilderwest Saga (Young Chief UA)

A Hiccup-Leaves-Berk story with a ton of inspiration and elements of the Books, this story will be placed before the events of HTTYD 1. When Stoick goes off to search for the Nest, 10/12-year-old Hiccup and his adopted brother Drift get abducted and taken by Danger-Brute warriors to the Dungeons at the behest of the Chief of the Shivering Shores. There, the Chief of the Danger-Brutes imprisons them so that they don’t escape. While in the dungeons, they meet a fellow prisoner, Heather, daughter of Chief Osvald of the Berserkers, who has also been abducted and imprisoned.

Meanwhile, back on Berk, news of the “deaths” of Hiccup and Drift send shockwaves to the villagers. Even worse, a week after their disappearance, Stoick is still nowhere to be seen. Stoick’s brother decides to take over with his son Snotface Haddock (Book Snotlout) as Heir and declares Stoick to be dead. Not wanting to accept it, the Gang decide to go search for Stoick and warn them of what’s happened.

Can Hiccup and his brother escape the Dungeons of the Danger-Brutes, a prison said to be inescapable? Can they survive? And what happened to Stoick? Will the brothers be able to return to Berk and reclaim Hiccup’s birthright? Even more important: Can they do it without ending up with the Slavemark before then?

Zephyr’s Hero (a Zephlout short story)

(Inspired by “Sense & Sensibility”) When 18-year-old Zephyr gets injured and trapped after a fall, Snotlout finds her and rescues her and takes her back to her family. He later comes and keeps her company while she recovers. Zephyr eventually develops feelings for him, and the determination to have him as her husband burns strong within her. Will she claim him as her own, or will her heart get broken? (This is a crack ship fic.)

The Berkian Berserker (Berserker!Hiccup UA)

This story idea was inspired by Berserker!Hiccup fanart by @baisleyarts , and whose gracious permission allowed me to use this idea for my own use.

Wanting to solidify their alliance, Stoick exchanges his son Hiccup to Chief Osvald of the Berserker Tribe to foster in the hopes that Hiccup will become more Viking-like. As the years go by, Hiccup becomes more warrior-like and strong, adopting the Berserker life as his own — albeit a difficult one to deal with due to his mild and kind-hearted personality, as well as looked down on for being Berkian, despite not feeling any loyalty to them in the slightest. Still, he was nowhere near the derangedness of his foster brother.

By the time he’s 15/16, Berk has been slowly weakening from the Dragon attacks and the Outcast and Meathead raids. What’s worse is that Osvald mysteriously vanishes and Dagur claims to have slain him to take the throne for his own in a coup. Alarmed, Hiccup (renamed Hauberk or Brandur) and Thorvald conspire to overthrow him, find Osvald, and reinstate him as Chief once again.

When they go to Berk to sign the treaty, Dagur sees the weakness of Berk and reveals his cards to his relatives, causing Hiccup and Thorvald to secretly send a message to Stoick to warn him.

War is coming. Will Hiccup and Thorvald, with Berk’s aid, thwart Dagur’s schemes and also find Chief Osvald again? Or will Dagur succeed in his ambitions?

The Furian Sagas

This work(s) will focus on the POV of my OC “tribe” and the OCs who come from it — Norrik and Nidhoggr, among others. You’ll see parts of this be in the Retelling Series, including the Rogue Riders that I plan on introducing in the series (because RTTE indiscriminately neglected that particular plot-point in the “Have Dragon, Will Travel” episode about the Rogue Riders! The potential was staggering and was a crime for that plot-point having been wasted!). Essentially, this will get into the history, background, and day-to-day life of the Furians behind-the-scenes that we won’t get to see much of with the rest of my stories. (Or that’s the plan, anyway.)

The main focus will be on Norrik’s father, Norrik IV Nottrikr and his brother, and will be more or less in his perspective. We’ll see his sons from time-to-time, but since they’re usually off with the Gang, we won’t see much of them.

The Accomplice (A Viggo Grimborn-centric Story)

(Canon Divergence AU)

Did Viggo REALLY die in the cave? What if the Skrill wasn’t the only accomplice up Viggo’s sleeve? Created from one of my pet peeves where one of the plot points — in “Wings of War” — was never used at all in the series.

In my headcanon, this Hunter was the other “accomplice” that Viggo had up his sleeve and he comes in the nick of time and rescues Viggo from impending death, smuggling him out of the cave and away to somewhere isolated where Viggo can heal his wounds. When he recovers, Viggo, keeping his word to Hiccup, leaves the Archipelago for his Tribe’s home. While he has a new respect for dragons, he still wishes to continue dragon hunting, and even in the human slave market. He decides to take a page in Krogan’s book and form his own Dragon Flyers.

This story will follow Viggo and his new subordinate as he gathers the remnants of the scattered Dragon Hunters and reorganizes his organization, his ambitions no longer residing in the Archipelago, but in other parts of the world.

Memoirs of a Dragon Flyer (part of the Memoirs Series)

An auto-biographical/fiction story that goes into the perspective of a Dragon Flyer freshly recruited into Krogan’s ranks. It will showcase his thoughts, his experiences, the people he meets, the dragon he rides, the enemies he fights (mostly the Riders, but other foes too), the ideals he inherits, and the various adventures he undergoes as an up-and-coming Flyer. Will he survive long enough to return home? Will he remain a Flyer even after his service is over? Or will he perish — either by the hands of his enemies, the dragons, or by Krogan’s own hand?

Or will he join Viggo in an act of treason against Krogan?

When Love Washed Ashore (a Johann/Atali story)

Based on my headcanon that Minden is Atali’s daughter — and that Johann (who won’t be following the Traitor arc) is her father — this fanfic goes into Atali’s story before she became the Chieftess of the Wingmaidens. When she was young, she lived in a Tribe that was dedicated to the preservation of the Razorwhips. According to tradition, only female members of the Royal Family of the Chieftain could fill the role. But doing so meant giving up the idea of get married, raising a family, and dedicating most of one’s life to Freya.

Young Atali is 17-years-old and her father has plans to marry her off to the son of an old ally of theirs. While she doesn’t protest, she’s not accepting of it either. She has no idea what her purpose is in life and doesn’t know what she wants to do. But she knows that duty to her clan comes first. That is... before Fate had other plans.

When she finds a young man unconscious on her island’s shore due to a shipwreck, her life is changed forever. He is a young merchant by the name of Johann Johansson and he fascinates her and her people with many tales of his journeys and adventures, as well as those that he has heard from his travels. Her heart stirs with a desire to explore and travel to places that she’s never seen before, let alone heard of them.

As he recovers from his injuries, Johann and Atali fall in love. Unfortunately, her father is adamant for her to marry the son of their old ally; and with Johann being a merchant now with nothing to his name, and Atali being of royal blood, just the mere suggestion of their union would never be considered. Nonetheless, this doesn’t stop romance from blossoming between them.

Will they be able to live a happily ever after? Or is their love condemned to the fate of never being together? Will she choose love, duty, or will Freya make things more complicated by throwing the Wingmaiden option on the table?

Saga of the Berserkers (HTTYD Retelling Series)

(HTTYD) This story focuses on the narrative of the Berserker Tribe -- namely the Royal Family of High Chieftains who rule Berserk. Osvald, Osvald’s Wife, Heather, Dagur, their extended family -- we will see them all. We will also see the shifting political plates as characters grow up and things heat up as Osvald disappears while on a Quest with Lady Valka to find a way to end the Dragon Wars. Dagur starts butting heads with members of his own family, namely Thorvald (OC), his cousin, and others. This saga will also detail the relationships between the characters and how this’ll result in the eventual Berserker Wars with Berk.

Savage's Saga / Savage's Revenge

(RTTE / Post-RTTE) Savage may have lost his opportunity to rule the Berserkers thanks to the Dragon Riders, but that doesn’t mean he’s out of the fight yet! When his backup plan is activated, he and his cohorts are able to escape captivity and flee Berserk. However, Savage’s heart is fuming for revenge for the humiliation and defeats that he had suffered at the hands of his former masters and the Dragon Riders as well.

With this in mind, Savage gathers his followers and goes into hiding, determined to build and grow his strength for when he can strike his enemies. When that opportunity arises, Savage is determined to finally become a Viking Hero of Legend.

Will Savage be able to overcome all obstacles and enemies in his path and claim the Title of Ultimate Villain?

Savage Regression (Reincarnation/Regression AU)

(RTTE / HTTYD) While dying from pneumonia while in prison after having failed in his coup, Savage is left with the bitter regret of not having become the Great Viking of Legend that he had always promised himself (and his mother) that he would become. However, when he wakes up, assuming to be in Niflheim, he’s instead back during his days as an Outcast. How did he end up here? Regardless, Savage is determined to not let this chance go to waste. It is also time for him to change the past, and reverse choices that he had regretted having made in his past life.

Will Savage be able to come out on top as Ultimate Viking?

Savage Rematch (Reincarnation/Regression AU)

(RTTE S5 E3) Not wanting to take any chances of him escaping and starting a coup again, the Berserkers decide to kill Savage and his followers by beheading. However, an unlikely ally decides to step in, and, upon his death, he has regressed back in time to before the Dragon Riders came to Berserk.

Noticing this, Savage decides to monopolize this second chance at life and change things up, now armed with the knowledge of past events, and setting up countermeasures against that happening again, will Savage be able to change history and alter his fate? Or is he only setting himself up to lose again?

Into the Archipelago (Nonfiction)

Similar with the How to Pick Your Dragon work, this work will be in a “non-fiction” format in the guise of Hiccup and Fishlegs writing this for the future generations of Vikings about the nations of the Archipelago. This work will detail the geography, history, politics, culture and customs of every “Tribe” (even though they’re technically communities or chiefdoms) in the Archipelago seen and/or mentioned in the HTTYD franchise.

Even though there are probably many “Tribes” in the Archipelago, most of them aren’t mentioned or shown, so I’ll only be focusing on those communities that are shown and mentioned. Some of the communities portrayed are inaccurate and so I’ll be altering them to fit the HTTYD world better.

Please keep in mind that the majority of this content will contain my headcanons, theories, and my perceptions of these Tribes, since much is unknown about these Tribes and I have to fill in the blanks to the best of my abilities.

The rest of the Retelling Series.

Riders of Berk Retelling

Defenders of Berk Retelling

Race to the Edge Retelling

HTTYD 2 Retelling

HTTYD 3/THW Retelling

HTTYD 4 Epilogue/Next Generation(?)

Aside from these fics, I also might work on other stories that will bridge the gaps throughout the franchise: Pre- and Post-HTTYD 1, Pre- and Post-RTTE, HTTYD 2-HTTYD 3, and HTTYD 3-HTTYD 4 (fanon).

The rest of the Bride/Groom Series.

Hiccup’s Bride

Astrid’s Groom

Fishlegs’s Bride

Ruffnut’s Groom

Tuffnut’s Bride

Gustav’s Bride

Dagur’s Bride

Heather’s Groom

There might be more, but let’s just stick with these characters for now.

The rest of the X Leaves Berk Series.

Astrid’s Saga

Fishlegs’s Saga

Tuffnut and Ruffnut’s Saga

Alvin’s Saga

Stoick’s Saga

Valka’s Saga

Spitelout’s Saga

Gustav’s Saga?

Mildew’s Saga?

Drift/Rig’s Saga (OC)?

And maybe others...

The rest of the Memoirs Series.

Memoirs of a Dragon Hunter

Memoirs of a Warlord

Memoirs of an Outcast

Memoirs of a Berserker

Memoirs of a Viking from the Shivering Shores

Memoirs of a Mercenary

Memoirs of a Bounty Hunter

Memoirs of a Wingmaiden

Memoirs of a Defender of the Wing

And maybe others...

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Fateful Consequences (A Brave trilogy)

(Canon Divergence / Historical AU / Arranged Marriage AU)

[Eventual Merida x OMC]

In an alternate universe where there is no magic, Merida’s rebellion has real-life consequences, and she has to witness her misdeeds tear apart the former unity of the Four Great Clans and have it start a civil war between them once more. As a result, the Viking-held earldoms of the Scottish islands take advantage of this turmoil and invade the Kingdom of Dun Broch. When they try to claim the castle, Fergus orders his family to ride to one of their relative’s clans for safety, and battles them out as his family rides out from the castle to escape the invaders. But they end up getting captured by Norse raiders.

Elinor and Merida are put into a tent with other hostages. Merida is left with feelings of guilt and sorrow for what her selfishness caused and afraid of what their fate will be. But her fiery heart is determined to right the wrongs that she had caused and restore her Kingdom. She and her mother also befriend two royal adolescents from a Scot-Norse clan who’ve also been taken hostage. When the camp gets attacked by a warband and the hostages rescued, she meets her new friends’ elder brother, a ruler-in-exile by the name of Heimir (called “Hamish” by the Scots), who heard about his siblings being taken and rushed to save them.

Later on, when they return to his base, Elinor and Merida ask him to help them reclaim their home and route the Norse invaders, but Hamish’s court isn’t willing to participate in a war that was of their (Dun Broch’s) own doing and tell them that the only reason they would go to war was if Merida’s hand was proffered in exchange for martial aid.

Will Merida learn her lesson and sacrifice her freedom for the sake of her people, or will history repeat itself? Will she fix her mistakes and defeat the Norse invaders with Hamish’s aid, or will their new union fracture under the weight of different cultures, beliefs, customs, and idealogies?

The Pirate Life (Brave 2012)

(Pirate AU)

[Eventual Merida x OMC]

Merida is the boisterous daughter of an infamous Scottish pirate in the Caribbean. When a raid goes horribly wrong and ends up in prison, a mysterious ally comes to rescue her on behalf of her father. He is the complete opposite of her -- and everything she detests. And yet... why does he draw her mind in like a will-o’-the-wisp?

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This trilogy will consist of this fic, along with a prequel fic that will dive into Hamish’s past and the events leading up to his fateful meeting with Merida and Elinor, and then a sequel fic which will not only focus on their future, but also on their quest to find Merida’s missing father and brothers.

In addition, I plan on there being short stories or semi-full-length stories which will give alternative scenarios in Hamish’s case spouse-wise — since he had a couple of past love interests whom he couldn’t get together with — and how they would change his fate. Including a what-if fanfic where Hamish marries Elinor instead of Merida (due to Fergus dying) and how that would change the current plot only slightly.

The Boy King (A Frozen story)

(Historical AU / Light Supernatural AU)

[OMC x OFC, later Anna x Kristoff, mentioned Elsa x OMC]

This story is part of the same universe as FTN and Han’s Redemption, being around 1830s-1840s, and will be focused on a foreign nation that’s in dire straights. Prince Nyrriki, the youngest and only surviving son of King Haappi of the Kingdom of Tulemar, inherits a political hot potato stuffed with explosives when his father dies under suspicious circumstances. With Nyrriki being too young to rule, his grandfather decides to take up the mantle until his grandson comes of-age — only for him to share the same fate some time later, leaving Nyrriki all alone.

But since birth, there were omens and a phenomenon that only a couple of people noticed and saw: Nyrriki was born during a fierce storm during the night — possibly foretelling that he will live during a tumultuous time and dark period in the Kingdom’s future. Not only this, but Tuumi Varyoya (”dark shadows”) — evil spirits of the spirit world in folklore — tried to kill the boy, or at least put a curse on him, but was stopped by the Fire Spirit, Tulisydaan (”Fireheart”), considered by many, according to legend, to be the Guardian of and Guide to the Royal Family, and is said to be the living spirit of the volcano by the same name. Ever since he was young, Nyrriki was able to hear the whispers of this Guardian Spirit and even see it when it decides to show itself. Besides his siblings, this spirit was his only friend for a long time.

8-year-old Nyrriki, considered too young to take up the throne, is forced aside so that the Council can rule in his stead until he comes of age (even though there are notable exceptions in the laws that exempt him from this rule). Even from a young age, Nyrriki has had a powerful urge to rule despite his young age, and rule like the Warrior Kings of Old — to protect his people from any danger and exploitation thrown at them. But such ideals are considered old-fashioned and “no longer applicable” in this current modern age. But with a Council who seeks their own interests, enemies on all sides, claimants who wish to take the throne for themselves in Nyrriki’s place, and with the kingdom on the brink of economic and political collapse — on top of all the bias and prejudice towards his age and inexperience — the young heir definitely has a steep uphill climb to the top if he wishes to be the monarch his people need. It’s up to Nyrriki to search for some trustworthy allies and friends who can support his dream, vision, and ambition.

On top of all of this, their trading partner, Weselton, adds to the turmoil by imposing economic and political pressure onto the already-struggling nation, sensing weakness like a shark to blood. What’s more, Weselton is rumored to be meddling in Tulemar’s administrative affairs, and could also have been the culprit behind the deaths of Nyrriki’s father and grandfather. And war is a grim possibility not only from Weselton but from other nations besides.

Can Prince Nyrriki survive this tribulation long enough to be King? Can he pluck his kingdom out from the metaphorical furnace and bring them into a golden age that they haven’t seen in a century(ies)? Can he overcome his adversaries and his country’s enemies? Or will he lose everything and succumb his people into a period of conquest and foreign rule and darkness?

From the North (A Frozen story)

(Historical AU / Arranged Marriage AU)

[Eventual Elsa x OMC(??) and Kristoff x Anna]

In an AU where Elsa has no magical powers, and, as a result, bears the consequence of Elsa and Anna’s parents still alive (thus making Elsa a princess again) and there’s no war that happens — for now. And since Elsa is now of-age to look for a suitor, many candidates come from many countries. One of whom is Nordrik X of the Northern Isles, and also the Duke of Weselton’s son, Lord Waldo.

However, between assassination attempts, kidnapping attempts, and suitors wearing masks of charisma while hiding barely concealed daggers of ambition, who can Princess Elsa truly trust and proffer her hand to in eternal matrimony?

Then Prince Nordrik X offers his assistance. Can Elsa trust him, or will he prove to be another Hans? Just who is he? Can they be able to defeat the conspiracies, or get swallowed by them?

Hans’s Redemption (A Frozen story)

(Prince Hans x OFC)

This story idea has been a great source of internal conflict for me over the years. I’ve heard of and read several Hans redemption stories, and also of how much flak they’ve gotten over the years due to how badly written several of them have been (among other things). However, I’ve been vaguely outlining it with a friend or two of mine and I think I can confidently say that I can do this when I decide to do it.

Set in a Historical AU — where cannons, muskets, and pistols exist — Prince Hans of the Southern Isles has been dealing with his punishment for 3 years, his reputation tarnished and his plans foiled. And the persecution of his Father and brothers has gotten worse due to his failure and shaming the family name. However, he gets a surprise one day. His brother, Lars, who gave him the idea of marrying into the Arendelle royal family and ruling there (but not the murder part), comes to him and gives him a chance to escape their family and the Southern Isles... forever. Lars arranges for him to leave the Southern Isles on a ship and gives him new clothes and money and they say goodbye for the final time, before Hans leaves.

Hans arrives to a distant small country and accidentally ends up becoming the Heir when an ailing King is appalled by his son’s antics, which is bringing the Kingdom down and causing conflict within his Kingdom. Hans is basically offered the Throne on a silver platter — provided that he marry the Princess, along with a few other conditions. Of course, as is routine, many of the nobility and the son don’t approve of this new move, and when Hans does eventually become King, he’ll have a devil of a time proving himself and winning their favor.

This story will focus on Hans’s journey and will detail his slow and gradual reformation, in a *hopefully* realistic and believable manner. One that will hopefully keep Hans in-character while giving him the chance to change into someone better... in time.

This may or may not end up being connected to my Boy King and From the North stories.

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There’s also the myriad of one-shots that aren’t included in this post. I’ve also been thinking about writing some HTTYD/Drifting Dragons crossover fanfics. Because it’d be a crime to pass that up! lol XD

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Note: Of course, I’m not working on these projects all at once. But these are projects that are in my files that I outline from time-to-time. The top-most ones are the ones that I’m currently focusing on. But this list isn’t exactly in order. It may be that I get inspired and do one of the fanfics that aren’t one of the foremost ones.

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There are also several other projects I plan on doing but they’re either far-off into the future or belong to my other profiles (such as @minlout3heathlegs3ruffthrokfan @companion-of-the-dragonmark profiles).

Plus, also, the myriad of one-shots that I have planned. Hehe. ^_^

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foilfreak · 3 years

Text

Beauty and Her Beast: Chapter 5

WARNING PLZ READ BEFORE CONTINUING: This fic is rated NSFW and contains graphic depictions of things some people may find disturbing or alarming, including, but not limited to: violence, gore, unhealthy family relationships, Oedipus complexes, gratuitous amount of pornographic literature, ableist language, physical, mental, and emotional abuse, etc. If you are someone who does not enjoy fiction with these elements in them, then I suggest you refrain from reading this, because this fic will have all that, and probably a lot more. So, this is your first and final warning to turn around and go somewhere else if stuff like this just isn't your vibe, because from this point forward, your emotional wellbeing is in your own hands, and I will not be accepting blame if you disregarded my warnings and ended up reading something you didn't like. Idk why I feel compelled to write one of these despite this being Resident Evil fanfic, but I figured I'd cover my ass just in case.

(AO3 Link below)

This was a bad idea... no, actually, scratch that. This wasn’t just a bad idea...

‘THIS WAS A TERRIBLE IDEA’ Salvatore thought to himself, as he frantically hid beneath a large blue tarp covering a couple of old, rotting shipping crates, his body trembling uncontrollably and his shoulders heaving from the terrified and panicked state Salvatore had managed to work himself into.

Now, for those of you who may be wondering why Salvatore was currently hiding behind a bunch of crates like prey hiding from the hunter, despite being in the safety of his own reservoir-

“Hello?”

-that would be why.

Yes, the 2 days that Salvatore had been given to prepare for his gift’s arrival had come and gone faster than the disfigured man could have ever imagined. And while he’d done a marvelous job of cleaning up the reservoir to make it suitable for the beautiful young lady who’d now be calling this place ‘home’, what he hadn’t anticipated having to deal with was the full blown panic attack he got the second the villagers arrived to release her into his custody. Thankfully, his anxiety grew more manageable when one of the villagers explained that, due to Nadine’s tendency toward violent behavior, combined with her superhuman strength, Mother Miranda had gone ahead and given the young woman a nice heavy dose of sedative to keep her asleep throughout the journey to the reservoir, as well as for a couple of hours afterwards, too.

You know… just in case.

After the villagers finally left, Salvatore closed and locked the gate behind them before turning his attention to the large wooden coffin that, according to the men who’d carried it here, contained his long awaited gift from Mother Miranda.

Taking a few tentative steps forward, Salvatore takes the metal key the villagers had given him and slowly, but eagerly, unlocked and opened the wooden vessel, gasping in shock and awe as the sight of Nadine’s perfectly angelic face finally came into the light. He wasn’t sure how this was possible, but somehow the young woman looked even more perfect than the first time he saw her, the soft glow of the early morning sun reflecting off her blue scaly skin in a way that gives her a gorgeous, almost iridescent shine.

The continued nudeness of Nadine’s body, while mesmerizing to look at, did unfortunately make the act of keeping his hands to himself rather difficult, and Salvatore quickly found himself grappling with his inner demons as he contemplated reaching in and taking a quick feel, just a quick one, if only for the sake of finally figuring out what on earth her skin was made out of.

Was it smooth and silky to allow for rapid aquatic maneuverability, like that of an eel, or did her soft, feminine exterior hide a rougher, more textured sort of skin, like that of a shark or a whale?

Oh how Salvatore longed, with every fiber of his disgusting, twisted being, to reach inside that wooden carrier and run his hands over the mutant woman’s perfect little body, every atom in him aching to touch, hold, kiss, lick, bite, and devour every square millimeter of this gorgeous specimen, blurring and melting the lines of reality that once separated them until you couldn’t tell where beast ended and where beauty began.

But he refrained.

As much as Salvatore desperately wanted to give in to the primal desires of his still-human mind and mostly-human body, he instead decided to give the young woman some time to wake up first, guessing that she probably wouldn’t want some random stranger, much less one that looks like him, touching her without her permission. So with a deep breath, and a strong swallowing of his raging libido, Salvatore stepped away from the crate Nadine was sleeping in, pocketing the key in case Mother wanted it back later, before turning around and beginning to hobble back toward the lake to complete the few minor tasks he hadn’t managed to get to before the villagers arrived earlier.

It would be well into the afternoon, nearly evening by this point, before Salvatore heard so much as a peep from Nadine. Mother Miranda must not have been kidding when she said she’d given the young woman enough sedative to knock her out for hours. If it weren’t for the fact that she was still breathing, Salvatore might have thought her dead after this amount of time.

Unfortunately for Salvatore, it would appear as though Nadine taking ages to awaken from her drug induced slumber would be the least of the deformed man’s concerns, quickly overrun and forgotten about in the blind panic Salvatore went into once the young woman’s voice, soft and slightly high pitched, though a bit scratchy from lack of use, calls out from, presumably, the spot where Salvatore had left her by the front gate.

The heavenly tone bounces and echoes off the wood and water of the surrounding area, filling the reservoir with a song-like magic that made Salvatore’s knees buckle weakly in reverence, and his stomach want to turn itself inside out from complete and utter terror. Hit with the sudden realization that Salvatore was going to have to actually look at AND speak to Nadine now that she’d awoken, and at the same time no less, immediately sends the mutant man tumbling into a full blown panic, resulting in Salvatore locating the nearest solid structure, the tarp and crates in this case, and throwing himself underneath it, hoping and praying that if he remained quiet for long enough, Nadine would lose interest and go somewhere else-

“Hello? Is anyone here?”

-Unfortunately Salvatore wasn’t a man who had his hopes and prayers answered terribly often, and today seemed to be no different than usual.

Despite being given extra security due to the rapid approach of nightfall, Salvatore didn’t even dare breathe as the sound of footsteps passed by his hiding spot, his heart pounding uncontrollably in his chest as Nadine came within just inches of finding him. This is it, the jig is up, there was absolutely no doubt in Salvatore’s mind that Nadine was mere seconds away from pulling the tarp back to reveal his horrible and disgusting self, scrunched up into the tightest little ball between the narrow spaces of the crates.

Closing his teary eyes and accepting his fate, Salvatore merely sat and waited for the inevitable moment of shocked silence after the tarp had been lifted, followed by the sound of Nadine’s smooth and rich voice bursting his eardrums with a piercingly shrill and terrified shriek, as well the heavy booming of feet against wood as she ran away from him, disgusted, horrified, and appalled by so much as having to look at the monster that Salvatore was, much less do anything else.

“Ah man, I could have sworn I saw someone around here, earlier,” the low but feminine voice of Nadine said aloud, sounding quite dejected as she leaned against the blue tarp covering Salvatore’s hiding spot.

“Maybe they just went out to look for food, and will be back later?” Nadine says to herself, sounding more optimistic than before, though her hopefulness fades as quickly as it arrived when she continues with, “Then again… maybe the poor bastard caught a glimpse of me as I stumbled around and took off in terror at the sight of me. I suppose I can't really blame him… not with the way I look now, at least.”

Nadine pauses, trailing off for a moment as Salvatore remains rooted in his spot, hands clamped firmly over his mouth and nose to prevent any noise from escaping, despite the increasing burning sensation from his human lungs, which, despite their somewhat shaky ability to do their prescribed role ever since the cadou mutations screwed him up, still very much needed air going in and out of them if Salvatore wanted them to continue functioning at all.

The young woman remained in that spot leaning against the tarp-covered crates for a few more moments, not saying or doing anything as far as Salvatore could tell, before the sound of shuffling and more footsteps, softer and less hurried than the ones he’d heard earlier, caught his attention.

Silence persists for another moment, causing Salvatore to grow curious the longer he waits. And so, despite his earlier reservations, Salvatore can’t help but shift his position slightly so that he could peek through a narrow space between the wall of crates, just enough to give him a solid view of Nadine, who currently stood with her back to him just a few feet away from where the mutated man was hiding. Her gaze seemed transfixed on the lake’s surface, or perhaps it was less the water that held her gaze, but the reflection staring back at her from the mirror-like surface.

Even without seeing her face, Salvatore could tell that the young woman was afraid and in pain, and his heart wrenched agonizingly as he watched her beautiful form shrink in on itself. Her arms curled around her body defensively, as if trying to hide herself shamefully from any potential onlookers, while her torso slumped limply forward, shoulders shaking heavily as she sobbed quietly to herself in the ever growing darkness of evening time.

“Whatever, it’s not like it matters anyways,” the young woman sobs dejectedly after a while, pointlessly rubbing the tears from her face away, only for them to be quickly replaced as new ones fell. “Even if somebody did actually live here, it’s not like anyone would even want to help a disgusting abomination like me... much less have anything else to do with me.”

The sound of Nadine jumping off the dock and into the cold lake water below pales in comparison to the sound of Salvatore’s whole world turning itself upside down from beneath the large blue tarp under which he was hidden.

Disgusting abomination?

Nadine?

No. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, NO!

Of all the things Salvatore has ever heard in his entire life, this one has to be the most ridiculous thing by far.

Salvatore was a disgusting abomination, that much he was more than aware of and had long since accepted, as painful as it still was to admit from time to time. But Nadine… Why Nadine was quite easily the most beautiful woman he’s ever laid eyes on, save for perhaps Mother Miranda herself maybe, which was certainly a very high standard to be compared to in Salvatore’s book. While the young woman did indeed have several mutations that would make going back to her previous life almost impossible, that didn’t mean she was disgusting, or an abomination.

Not to Salvatore she wasn’t, at least.

The fact that the poor young woman thought this of herself sent a sharp, stabbing pain directly into his heart, practically tearing him apart from the inside out as he frantically thought of something, anything he could do to make the tiny woman feel better.

Thinking back to when he’d watched her just moments ago, he remembers the way in which her arms and hands curled around herself as she sobbed, looking like they were attempting to cover as much exposed skin as physically possible. How Nadine could call herself an abomination when she looked like the picture perfect definition of beauty, Salvatore didn’t know, but what he did know was that women, at least the women he was used to, always enjoyed receiving pretty things with which they could cover and decorate themselves, like dresses and jewelry.

And luckily for Salvatore, he just so happens to know of a few places where he might be able to acquire both of those things.

With a quick peek from beneath the tarp before taking off, Salvatore quickly makes his way toward the exit gate, barely managing to close the gate behind him and pull his cloak over himself before sprinting, as much as his mangled body would allow anyways, down the snowy path that would lead him to the estates of the only two people Salvatore can think of to help him in this messy situation.

Hopefully Alcina and Donna won’t be terribly upset with him for stopping by unannounced.

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merakiui · 2 years

Note

yeah!! im so excited for that event especially!! (≧▽≦) the choice is one that's easily made, since the only 4* i'm missing is ningguang, haha,, i take it you have all the 4* yourself, though? good luck on picking either way ;;

ahh that's really admirable, especially getting chongyun c6... sadly, i'm ashamed to admit i don't have any constellations for him ( ･ั﹏･ั)... the best i have is lisa c3, and sadly i personally don't use her ... ahh it's such a hassle to get constellations for characters i use, the only one I have is a c1 for yanfei, and it was so much trouble to get i got ayaka before that con (っ˘̩╭╮˘̩)っ...

hehe, thanks for the encouragement and wishes!! i will definitely try, it's true that the mind games are some of the best parts to read too, when coming across fics with characters like him! not gonna lie, im a little scared, though, because he seems a little complex haha (´ . .̫ . `)

mhh yeah! (though the easier one will always be the electro hypostasis for me and my yanfei ᕙ( : ˘ ∧ ˘ : )ᕗ) i understand!! im personally always lacking in cryo and pyro gemstones, and im not very eager to go farm those...

yup ( ꈍᴗꈍ) ill hit you up if i get him!!!

ahh azul is the glasses guy from octavinelle, right? i can definitely see his appeal, though he's not my type... i totally get you for riddle, though!! he's really compelling, and i probably would've taken his hand if ace hadn't been there;; it doesn't help that i am biased towards his dorm, and alice in wonderland themed things ✿

i can't wait for that debut!! watching folly unfold in different ways is definitely fun, and i feel like making fanart of these fanfics once they come!!

yeah!! i love diligent characters that still have a bit of spice, and eeee i just love heartslabyul in general!!!! (which makes me wonder what your favorite dorm is? (. ❛ ᴗ ❛.))

such a scary guy ... you know, dorm leader being translated as 'housewarden' gives it a prison feel, and i feel like it fits riddle in particular... he definitely sounds like a painful yandere to deal with.... actually, i've been considering writing Its him too! it intrigued me to see how he'd interact with a darling, and his treatment of them/how he'd show his interest! i hope i can show it to you soon! (｡•̀ᴗ-)✧ ive already started compiling a few little things together for that ..

im so silly, i never noticed they were supposed to look like a heart haha, but you're right, he definitely looks adorable omg!! actually, i think i might buy that nendoroid, if i still can!!

(riddle is an interesting case, but i can't seem to figure out the other housewardens yet, man, i can't wait to progress more into the story, because epel and malleus especially confuse me..)

-yanven anon!! :D

Ooh!! Good choice! Ningguang has a very elegant design. I have her at c6 thanks to Xiao's banner. I think I might choose Yanfei to get her third constellation, though.

:O c3 Lisa! I only have her at c1. I think Amber is c2 if I remember correctly. And Kaeya is stuck with no constellations. T_T One day let’s hope we can get some cons.

Childe is like a lasagna with all of his layers. ^^;; Seeing that caring older brother side to him really added to his complex nature, but it's a very sweet side nonetheless. Putting on that act for his brother's sake is so nice of him. How can this be the same man who would be a menace to his darling?! ｡ﾟ(*´□`)ﾟ｡

If I could give you some Pyro and Cryo gemstone resources I gladly would! Please take some of them off of my hands. I have too many. </3

Azul is the glasses guy, yes!! He isn't exactly my type, but his character is interesting to me and I'm starting to see his appeal. I think I like him because of his cunning behavior and the way he gathers information so seamlessly. Also, he's attractive and has scary eel henchmen who would probably capture his darling if they made a run for it. But Ace also became an enjoyable character for me! At first I wasn't sure what to think of him, but I like how he was unrestrained when he was spitting facts at Riddle. King behavior. I'd like to have him as my friend! :D

Thank you for those kind words! I hope the debut fic is received warmly when it's posted. (ＴωＴ) Omg but making fanart?! I would be honored to see your art!!

Those types of characters are very good! As for my favorite dorm, I would have to say either Heartslabyul because Riddle's there I adore anything Alice in Wonderland themed or Octavinelle because I love the ocean and its many sea creatures. You have great taste with your favorite dorm!! Alice in Wonderland has such a pretty aesthetic!

Prison feel... Warden Riddle... Omg. It fits him scarily well!! Actually, 'prison' reminded me of Nanbaka lol. Have you ever read or seen it? It's very funny and I recommend it!! Aside from that, though, he would be such a bother to deal with. Like Scaramouche, he also has high expectations for darling. orz But if you do write something for him, I will absolutely read it!!!! Good luck with the writing! ✽-(^▽^)/✽

Riddle and his heart-shaped hair strands. <3 I love it. I really want the nendoroid as well! I can't believe I missed the original pre-order sale. Maybe I was too occupied with celebrating the upcoming Mafumafu nendoroid that I forgot all about the beloved Heartslabyul dorm leader. And now it's sold for much higher prices online. OTL

(I'm excited to learn more about the other dorm leaders and characters! I will be starting book two very soon and I'm curious to learn about Leona. Curse him for sleeping in the greenhouse so often. >:( That would be my favorite area if I were in twst... That and the library!! And Azul's Mostro Lounge hehe.)

#chit chat #twisted chit chat #yanven anon #chilling at the lounge with good food and drinks?!?! sign me up :D

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captainkappa · 3 years

Text

Fanfic:: Hunter and Prey

To be a Mandalorian pirate is to be both hunter and prey. This, Din understood after being taken into their care as a child.

Now he is hunting a Mandalorian artifact to deliver his charge to the aquatic sorcerers in order to teach him how to handle his magic. His quest brings him to a sandy stretch of shore, Mos Pelgo.

Link to AO3

For Day 4 of @dincobbweek aka AU day!

The prophecy as foretold; I have a hyperfixation, therefore I must write a pirate AU. And oh my god, I loved writing this fic so so much.

Huge shout out to @staranon95 for betaing and @ayantiel for providing the needed inspiration to get this thing going!

-=-=-=-

Mayfeld took in a deep breath, letting the salty air fill his lungs. There was a lot riding on today, his reputation, Ran’s reputation, but with the Empire’s finest knelt at his feet, all of their note-worthy possessions, he thought he was doing pretty well.

“No one makes any dumb decisions and you all will get to live,” he called out, voice carrying over the wind so even the poor bastards at the end would be able to hear. “We’re just here for what’s ours and then we’ll leave you be. You’ll never have seen us.”

Xi’an was getting her brother from the prisoners down below and Burg was raiding the captain’s office. Sure, the objective was to get Xi’an’s brother before he made it to the Empire’s colonies, but this was an Imperial vessel. The three of them would have to be stupid not to rob the Imps blind when they had the opportunity. Plus, their informant assured them that not only was this a prisoner’s vessel, it was a transport vessel, moving a map that led to a whole lot of Mandalorian gold.

It was the perfect plan; do a job for Ran, undermine Ran, get filthy rich, and live the rest of their days on an island in the Outer Isles.

And everything was going great, when Burg burst through the captain’s doors, startling everyone on board. Everyone jumped, bar Mayfeld. Burg cut an intimidating figure, a mountain of a man, horns poking through holes he made in his hat so he had to crouch to get into most places. His sudden presence didn’t startle Migs. What was a surprise was the concern on his face.

“Migs! The captain is dead!”

He rolled his eyes. “And? Do you want me to pay you back for the ammo it took to do that?”

“No, he was already dead! And the map’s gone too!”

His blood ran cold. He gave up the act and ran into the room, grabbing onto his hat so it wouldn’t fly away. His eyes adjusted to the darkness of the room. He couldn’t tell if there had been a scuffle or it had been Burg who had torn up the room. Drawers were half open, hanging out, papers scattered, a blood-spatter, maybe, but there was so little Migs couldn’t tell if it was recent.

And in the center of it all, the captain, dead in his chair. His body was cool, so Burg wasn’t bluffing in saying someone had shot him before. There had been a lot of commotion when they had first boarded the ship, could the thief have entered then?

“You swear he was like this when you got in?”

Burg nodded.

“And he wasn’t holding a pistol?”

Burg nodded again and the evidence confirmed it. There was only one pistol in the room, halfway across the floor. That didn’t happen when someone tried to off themself for fear of the pirates coming on board.

Migs pushed the body to the floor, getting on his knees to root through the drawers, hoping to find the map, to be able to smack Burg upside the head, but there was nothing. He ripped them out of the desk, holding them upside down and shaking them, but still nothing. Just useless documentation with Imperial seals splayed everywhere.

He slammed the top of the desk as he stood up.

“Did you check everywhere?! Every possible drawer, false drawer, any of that bullshit?”

“Yeah! But it ain’t here!”

Migs pulled off his hat, balling up the rim in fist before throwing it back on.

Ran would tell him not to get greedy. There was an unknown element at play now, so focus on getting Qin out and run. With the group back to what it was before Mando sold them out, they could rob big ships again, but who the fuck cared about that. If Ran knew about the map, he would’ve said to hell with Qin, focus on the pay-out.

Migs stormed out of the quarters and back onto the deck. It was too sunny to see, but that didn’t stop his furious walk back to the line of Imperials on the ship. He grabbed the one in the fanciest looking clothing, who he could only assume was the quartermaster or second mate, and hauled him to his feet by his collar.

The man made a choking sound and face-to-face, looked at Migs with terror.

“Where the fuck is it?”

“Wh-Wh-Wh-?”

“The fucking map! Lost Mandalorian treasure? I need it, and if you don’t, Burg here will make sure you meet those fucking dead ass Mandalorians that hid it in the first place.”

Something must’ve gotten the man brave, because he said, “I thought Mandalorians were extinct, like you pirates are going to be.”

And as if signing his death wish, he spat on the floorboards near his feet.

Well, Migs wanted a nice clean run, but he had a reputation to uphold.

He threw the man back down to the floor and before he could get his arms out from under him, Migs pulled out his flintlock pistol and aimed it at him.

He was a second away from painting the floor with this asshole, when Xi’an ran out from under the deck, her brother trailing behind.

“Captain! It’s Mando!”

That made Migs whip his head up. “Mando? Here?”

She nodded. “We saw him climbing down. Port side, now!”

The four of them raced to the railing, watching as the small craft sped away, faster than any ship could hope to move. She flew familiar colors, the flag of someone who had sold Qin out in the first place.

Migs thought today couldn’t get any worse.

Then the flare went out, bright and brilliant even in the daytime sky. An Imperial flare, that would’ve had to have come from the captain’s quarters, that they wouldn’t have been able to spot in the chaos of the room, that was absolutely going to call every Imperial ship in a hundred miles radius.

Fuck.

Fucker didn’t even have the decency to flip them off as he sailed away.

-=-

Din keeps his eyes low to the ground, brim of his hat pulled low over his head, scarf pulled round his face as he weaves in the crowd. It’s Nevarro, so he knows he blends in with the rest of the criminals that inhabit the port town, but he finds himself more cautious these days.

Especially with the small cargo at his side.

It’s only when he takes a corner into a dark alley, down a set of stairs just off the tavern, into the gloom, does he look at the bag at his side.

As they passed a torch on the wall, the Child looked up at him and beamed, his pointy teeth just coming in, ears unfurling as he lifted the flap.

“You doing ok?”

The child babbled in reply.

“Good, we’ll be there soon.”

For what was basically an underground network for a bunch of criminals, it was surprisingly clean. There were puddles of brackish water that Din stepped around to avoid, along with passing others, but it wasn’t as piss-soaked as Nevarro was up top.

Hiding a whole community under a criminal network didn’t seem like the smartest idea at first, but the thing about criminals is they can either be paid off or disappeared with little problem. As he stepped around a pair of running children, he hoped there would be one day Mandalorians wouldn’t have to hide. He had no idea how that would happen, but no one had ever died on hope.

They finally arrived at their destination, a door on the far side of the hallway. He knocked on the door and opened it when he heard the familiar voice say, “Enter.”

She was already sitting at a table, a bottle of rum in front of her, a candle burning, doing its best to light up the space. Her hat was beside her, feathers drooping so they touched the brim. He made a mental note to pick up more on his next supply run.

He took off his hat as he shut the door behind him, keeping his bandana firmly in place.

“How was your trip?” the Quartermaster asked coolly, picking up the bottle to pour him a drink. It had been years since she had manned a ship, but the title still carries in their community.

He pulled out both the kid and treasure from the bag, setting the kid down on the ground to run around the space before sitting across from her.

“Successful.”

He spread out the map in front of the Quartermaster. He heard those fools talking about Mandalorian gold, and it wasn’t entirely true. It was a map to a compass that would reveal what the holder most desired, which for some might be Mandalorian pirate gold or power or love.

Or the location of the aquatic sorcerers the child needed.

The child wasn’t fully human. He needed to spend a lot of time in water in order to spend time on land, which meant a lot of time spent swimming alongside the Razor Crest. He could also shoot water up out of the ocean, a gift Din was well acquainted with, it being one of the child’s favorite games to play.

Since he had failed to fully deliver the child to the Empire, he had had privateers and other pirates on their tail for months. This map was their last hope to make sure the child got back with his people and then…

And then Din would go back to what he did best; providing for a people now scattered by his actions.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of the Quartermaster’s chair scraping back. She stood up, only to bow over again, her back parallel to the table. She moved her scarf to the side so her lips could ghost over the map as she spoke words of power into the paper.

She stood back up fully as the ink on the map shifted and moved. Waves rolled in place, sea serpents dipped in and out of the surface, all the while the path moved like an eel, slippery and changing, until everything at last was at rest and the ink seeped back into the page.

All three bowed their heads over the map. The starting point of the path was now the tiny cluster of islands of Nevarro and the end point was…

“Tatooine?” he asked out loud. “They’re basically land locked. What would a Mandalorian be doing there?”

Tatooine was a coastal stretch of land, surrounded by jagged rocks and ship-wrecks on one side and impassable mountains on the other, with desert in the valley.

She raised her head, scarf now back in place. “I suspect you’ll find out when you go there.”

He nodded and the child cooed. Din looked over at the child grabbing at the map, hands scratching at the lines like he could pick them back up.

“Come on, little one. We have a long journey ahead of us.”

-=-

Din sailed into Mos Pelgo, following the instructions Peli had given him.

“You have to arrive at low tide, that’s the only way you’ll see all the shit you have to get through. If you haven’t decided to turn tail and leave, you have to keep to the south. If you go north, you’re dead. Last I heard, there’s a pile of sticks they call a dock if you keep going south.”

The dock was a simple thing, as she’d said. Rotten wood, with just one post tall enough to hold the rope to the ship. Din was half tempted to jump straight into the water and swim to shore rather than test the strength of the wood, but resisted the urge with the Child in his bag.

He could see the town in the distance and set off on the beach, letting the Child out to stomp around on the beach.

The town was small, a couple of shacks on stilts for the stormy season. Few people were out, and those that were openly stared at the two of them. Din paid them no mind, one goal in his head.

He walked into the cantina, knowing if there ever was a way to learn about a town, it was going to their cantina first.

And not half a minute of talking with the Weequay bartender, the “Captain” walked in. The man wasn’t a Mandalorian, his face was bare, showing off white hair, sun-freckled pale skin, and a well-trimmed beard. His coat was sturdy, but patched to high heaven, with a bright red scarf around his neck. He wore the compass on his belt like he was flaunting it. It made Din’s blood boil. If Din were a younger man, he would’ve shot him right there for it.

But he tried talking. The compass should be in the hands of a Mandalorian. The Captain swore up and down he had gotten it fairly and therefore it should be his.

“I’ve given you an easy out already. Take it off,” Din said, “Or I will.”

“We gonna do this in front of the kid?”

“He’s seen worse.”

The Captain stood, fingers already itching for the flintlock on his hip, no doubt preloaded like Din’s were. They were interrupted by cries from outside. The Captain holds up a hand before smoothly exiting the cantina. Din follows, but stops in the doorframe to take it all in.

There were several broken fishing boats being led through the rocky shores, dragged onto the sands, people shouting, people carrying others. The Captain was in the middle of it all, shouting orders, trying to bring organization to the chaos.

In the distance, was the unmistakable view of a large tentacle slipping beneath the waves.

Din didn’t want to get in the way of this organized chaos, but then a twi’lek with scarred lekku was shoving bandages into his arms and gesturing over to a house across the way. Din wasn’t going to say no to that.

The house was quieter than outside, only pained whimpers and soft, hushed voices. A collection of wooden splinters already piled beside the bed as the doctor continued to take tweezers to one of the people who came in. Din placed the bandages by their side before stepping back, nearly colliding with the Captain.

He looked at the scene with a pensive expression. Immediately, Din could see that his care for his people went further than words. There was corded energy in those shoulders, anger that wanted to be released at the creature that did this to his people.

The Captain ushered him out of the room.

As they walked back to the cantina, the Captain said, “How about this; you help me with the kraken, I give you back your compass.”

“Deal.”

-=-

The Captain led him past the edge of town to the cliff’s edge. On the journey he told his name was Cobb Vanth; Din held off on his own introduction.

“None of us are much for traveling,” Cobb said, “but the kraken planted itself right where we normally fish. Even when I send people to fish in a different spot, the damn thing follows after. We’ll be starved out sooner rather than later.”

They crested over the hill and the expanse of ocean fell before them. The kraken was visible from the cliffs, a dark mark under the waters, swimming languidly around the coast.

Din did a mental inventory of what he had on the Razor Crest; a handful of spears, a harpoon, some rope. Cobb had shown him the town’s stores before they left. It wasn’t going to be enough.

He stepped back from the ledge, back where Cobb is. “Is there a Tusken encampment nearby?”

Cobb raised an eyebrow. “The Tuskens? But they’re-”

“They know the coast and water better than anyone. We can’t kill it with just the two of us.”

“If they know the area then won’t they want to… I don’t know, not kill it?”

“Then, we’ll just have to ask.”

“Ask? You don’t ask a Tusken anything.”

He could, in fact, ask a Tusken for things. Din was thankful for the cloth in front of his face, masking most of his pride as he watched Cobb’s jaw drop as he asked the Tuskens for their help. It turned out, they did want help in defeating the kraken. Its sudden appearance had also affected their fishing.

They had to travel further to where the kraken had made his home. Din stayed in the back with Cobb, where he seemed more comfortable.

Cobb also apparently liked to talk when he’s nervous.

“So, you spend your days on the ocean? All the time?”

“Mhm. Do you spend all your days on land?”

“Mostly. I used to be on a ship, but not like you. I was a galley slave on an Imperial ship, but before then I had dreams of being as free as you, traveling the waters on a boat with a crew of my own.” His face fell. “Haven’t thought about that dream… for a while.”

To have something that should have meant freedom be taken away from you, Din couldn’t imagine.

“But you escaped?”

“Kriff, yes. Raised a mutiny, sunk those fuckers to the bottom of the sea. I found the compass in the captain’s drawers and it pointed us here. Few more people joined, some left, but it’s as home as we can get.”

Din could only nod. He found himself surprised with the thought that he was glad that Cobb got the compass. He had no idea what the Empire was doing with a Mandalorian artifact, but it was definitely put to better use finding people a home.

They made camp up in the dunes. Din had to waste a bullet, firing into the air to disrupt the startings of a fight between Cobb and the Tuskens. Planning was slightly easier after that.

He took off his coat, bundling it up into a nest for the child to sit in. He rolled up his sleeves to free up his arms as he continued translating. He noticed Cobb looking at the tattoos that traveled up his arms. He doesn’t comment on it.

-=-

Small boats littered the coastline the next day. The plan was for people from both the Tusken band and Mos Pelgo would distract the kraken long enough for a boat of explosives to be set up and ignited close enough to kill it but not the people.

It doesn’t go great.

There were enough boats in the water to pick up people who capsized in the wake of the monster’s waves, the thing lashing out as folks took pot shots with pistols and arrows. They managed to set the boat laden with explosives off in its direction, but when the time came to ignite, the explosion happened, but it just managed to scratch the beast.

Din reached for the harpoons he brought as backup. He and Cobb try firing at the kraken, but they skim off its skin.

The Tuskens were still firing their weapons at the creature. Mos Pelgans took turns firing guns and reloading in turn. All it did was keep the creature at bay, which wouldn’t last long at all. He needed to think of something to kill the creature or everyone here would die.

He furtively scanned around the deck for something, anything. His gaze landed on the extra explosives they had kept on hand. The monster’s skin was too thick for the explosions to take but elsewhere…

Din doesn’t think, he just moves. He grabbed as many sticks of dynamite as he could, stuffing them in the pockets of his coat. There was a coil of rope tied off to the railing, which he took and wrapped around his waist. Even after years of living on ships, his hands shook as he tried to tie it. Suddenly, Cobb was in front of him, taking the rope from his hands and tying it tight around his midsection.

He pulled it hard, once, twice, and it wasn’t going anywhere.

“What are you gonna do?” Cobb asked.

“I’m not sure,” Din said, pulling the rope tighter around his waist.

“Then what should I do?”

Din looked at him, really looked at this man who was willing to do so much for his community in light of so much hardship in his own life. He looked back at the dark shape in the water racing for their boats

He took off his hat and tossed it at Cobb. “Take care of the Child.”

And before Cobb could do anything beyond catch the hat, Din leaped off the side of the ship. He couldn’t tell if Cobb shouted anything after him as the kraken burst from the water. He forced himself to keep his eyes open as he fell straight into the kraken’s maw.

-=-

It was nothing but darkness inside the beast. Even with the scarf over his nose, the scent of salt water and death was everywhere. He dug himself in the mouth of the beast, boots scraping against bony protuberances in the things throat. He emptied his pockets as fast as he could while holding on for dear life as the monster bucked and screamed.

He hoped the kraken was out of range of the boat.

When he was left with one explosive left, he fished around in his pockets for his matchbook. He struck the match and lit the explosive before chucking it down with all the others like it.

He turned and clawed at the kraken’s beak, heart pounding in his chest. If he doesn’t get out of here before the explosion goes off-

Suddenly, a roaring filled his ears and a mass of hot air flung him out of the monster. His scarf twists around his head and he can’t see anything as he flails. He landed hard in the water and then it was silent as the dark water pulled him down.

He wasn’t sure how long he drifted. The shock of cold water and the heaviness of his coat made movement impossible.

He didn’t regret asking Cobb to take care of the child, he’d be in good hands.

Something wrapped around his waist and pulled. Din tried to resist, not sure if he was being dragged toward air or to his death, but his arms were useless, heavy and leaden. He had no strength and so he let it happen.

And then they broke through the surface of the water, a cool wind icing his skin instantly. He took a shuddering breath and nearly choked on water and his sopping wet scarf. Hands came up and pulled the scarf off his face. He coughed, chest shuddering with each intake of breath. He realized he’s being held, arms around his waist, and it isn’t until he can take a full breath did he finally bother to wipe salt water from his eyes and look at who was holding him.

It was Cobb. His hat and coat were off, red shirt darkened to maroon with all the water. He was searching his face for… something.

Din took a breath, resisting the urge to cough again. “I thought I said- you need to take care of the kid!”

“I am!” Cobb said, holding his head up to avoid a passing wave. “By making sure his daddy lives!”

Cobb maneuvers his arms so he’s gripping a floating piece of rowboat. It’s thankfully big enough that when Din leans his whole weight on it, he doesn’t sink back into the ocean.

“Everyone okay?”

Cobb gave him a look that Din thinks means he’s stupid. “Yes, thanks to you, partner.”

They only have to tread water for a couple of minutes before a rowboat headed by the twi’lek Issa-Or arrives. Cobb makes sure Din is pulled aboard before climbing in himself.

-=-

They stayed the night. Din isn’t in any position to argue with Cobb’s hospitality. He didn’t think he’d be able to turn the wheel on the Razor Crest let alone sail it out of harbor.

Cobb opened his house to them. It was a small abode, raised off the ground like the others. Its small size made it even more obvious the telescope and sextant were on display on the only table in the main room.

Din wanted to pass out then and there, but Cobb firmly set him in one of the wooden chairs before disappearing behind the one door in the house. He returned with a roll of bandages and water. He thought it was to drink, until Cobb started peeling back the wet layers of Din’s clothes to reveal burns and scratches he hadn’t even felt. Cobb dips a rag into the freshwater, rinsing out the salt and detritus from the wounds.

He worked in silence, both too exhausted from the day to say much. They could hear the sounds of the party outside, Tusken and Mos Pelgan alike celebrating the death of the beast.

A drunken group walked past and the two of them can hear the butchered shanty they sing. They glanced to the window then to each other, sharing hidden smiles.

All patched up, Cobb gave him the bed and set something up for the child. Din knew he should be aware of his host, should know where his host himself is sleeping the night, but he couldn’t bring himself to care with exhaustion tugging him into the bed.

Voices from the other room kept him up, cracking one eye open to focus on the now familiar drawl.

“You know, in the past few days, whenever I looked at the compass for a sign of how to kill the kraken, it always pointed out to sea. I didn’t know what that meant, if I had to go sailing for a kraken expert or find a sunken treasure that would kill the kraken. I don’t know, I was getting desperate. But now… I’m thinking it might’ve been pointing to your dad.”

He heard the child’s burbles of delight and finally, finally, he slid into unconsciousness.

-=-

Din woke up to the sun shining in his eyes, light reflecting off the compass placed on the pillow that wasn’t there last night. Any lingering drowsiness left him when he realized what it is.

The Mandalorian compass.

He grabbed it and opened it up, thinking about Grogu and the teacher he needed. The arrow spun around, until stopping, hovering at a point out back toward the ocean.

A heading. He had a heading.

He fell back into the bed, just staring at the compass. It was embedded in a box made of dark wood, carvings all around the edges, Mando’a script, if he had to guess. It’s incomprehensible, chipped to the point of being illegible.

Something in the bed crinkled as he shifted. He turned and searched for the source and founda scrap of paper. It took a moment for him to parse, but it was just Cobb letting him know he had business to attend to and he would be back when Din left.

Right... they had to leave this town to continue their quest.

He reminded himself of that as he went out to find the child. The house sounded suspiciously quiet for all the mischief the child got into.

-=-

They got their affairs in order quicker than expected. Some people had spent the night alongside the Tuskens preparing the kraken meat to distribute to the rest of the town – and Din, apparently.

It seemed like the whole town had come out to see them off. They apparently had held off giving their thanks until they knew he was conscious. Din looked over the grateful townspeople’s heads to see Issa talking intently with Cobb. When Cobb glanced over his way, he ducked his head back down.

Normally he would sneak out of this kind of attention, but the kid was eating it up, beaming like he was the one who took down the beast, so Din went down the line, nodding respectfully at every given comment.

By the time he got to the end of the line, he was already ready to take a nap, but he raised a hand to bid them all good-bye and turned to walk out of town.

“Mando!”

Din turned around to see Cobb running after him, heel kicking up sand.

He stops in front of him. “Do you- do you need help on your quest?”

“Are you offering? Thought you had a town to look after.”

He scratched the back of his neck. “Well, the kraken was our biggest threat, and with the peace brokered with the Tuskens, there’s not much for me here.”

Din tried to tamp down his excitement, not believing what he was hearing. “You still have your sea legs?”

“Long as you don’t lock me up below deck, I should get them just fine.”

“I’d never,” he said quickly.

Cobb smiled. “Well then, permission to come aboard?”

Din hoped Cobb could tell he was smiling behind the bandana. “Granted.”

-=-

As they sailed out of port, Din kept glancing at Cobb, who was fidgeting up a storm. He kept tapping his fingers against the railing, glancing out at the disappearing coastline.

Finally, after even the Child was tapping on his pant leg to point out Cobb’s unease for him, he hatched a plan. He affixed the wheel so it wouldn’t turn on its own. Then he went about setting the sails and ropes for the same task, keeping them on course while Din took care of Cobb.

“We can still head back if you want to,” he said as he approached the other man.

Cobb turned over his shoulder. “No, I’m not having second thoughts. I’ve… My friends know I’m not exactly made for land.”

“Oh?”

Cobb flipped his scarf up to wipe at his head. “Before we made landfall at Mos Pelgo, we took out a few Imperial ports. Small things that we only noticed because of the ships with galley slaves, but… I ain’t felt that alive in a while.”

Din fished the compass out from his pocket, flicking it open. The arrow spun lazily, pointing back to Cobb for a second before spinning around in the direction they were sailing, the same direction it had pointed when he thought about what Grogu needed.

He snapped it shut, coming up to stand beside Cobb.

“I’m sure we’ll run into something along the way. Here, I’ve got something to show you.”

Cobb raised an eyebrow. “Alright, I’ll bite. What is it?”

Din bit his lip, glad for the bandana. “Do you trust me?”

Cobb chuckled. “I would have to be an idiot to sail out to who knows where with a man I didn’t trust.”

Din nodded. “Then let it be a surprise.”

Cobb acquiesced, letting himself be led to the middle of the deck. When they were under the main mast, Din grabbed the main line in one hand, pulling Cobb close with the other. He ignored how his cheeks flushed with the sudden closeness.

“Hold on tight,” he said.

“Wha-?” That’s all Cobb got out before Din flicked the switch with his foot and the two of them went rocketing up toward the crow’s nest. Cobb’s arms circled around him like a vice, his shouts lost in the wind.

Din made sure Cobb got in the basket before he did, especially when he realized his eyes were shut.

“Cobb, open your eyes.”

Cobb cracked one eye open and then both flew open as he realized what he was seeing. Glittering blue ocean, as far as the eye could see. There were two dots in the far distance, ships of some sort.

There was no better way to experience the vastness of it all, than looking at it from above.

He glanced at Cobb and saw his eyes tearing up a bit.

He doesn’t say anything for a long moment, letting Cobb take it all in. This was what being on the ocean was supposed to mean, freedom and possibility, beauty and wonder. Din didn’t expect to do much in laying a balm over Cobb’s past, but he hoped he could communicate with this view that he wanted to help when he could.

Cobb turned to face him and Din knew he understood.

“Thank you, Mando.”

“Din, my name is Din Djarin.”

“Then thank you, Din.” And to his surprise, he leaned over and kissed him just above where the scarf covered his face.

Neither of them acknowledged it, except for an exchange of eye contact. Neither could contain the mirth in the crinkles of their eyes.

“We should start plotting a course, shouldn’t we, Captain?” Cobb asked.

“Yes, Captain.”

#dincobbweek2021 #dincobb #marshmando #cobbdin #dincobbweek #pirate aus my beloved #cant get enough of them #so many times i was like 'oh shit that translates so well into pirate au!!!'#it was just a joy to write #as you can probably tell by how fucking long it is #esp compared to the other fics of sensible lengths for this week #kappa talks #my fanfic

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orangepanic · 3 years

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001 | Just for the fun of it... Mangroh for the ask meme

This is perhaps the greatest ask I've ever received in my inbox.

when I started shipping it if I did: I fully blame @old_and_new_friends and “The Jelly-Eel Incident"

my thoughts: Honestly, they’re perfect together. Some might call it a bit one-sided, but mangoes always seem to be there for Iroh when he needs comfort, and it’s cute.

What makes me happy about them: There’s so much versatility in this relationship! It’s a really trope-rich environment. Hurt/comfort (hit by falling mango, then eats it), unrequited love (mango he can’t have), coffee shop AU (mango tea), friends to lovers (mangoes enjoyed during sex), etc. There’s so much potential.

What makes me sad about them: I, personally, hate mangoes. So sometimes I struggle in my own writing of this relationship.

things done in fanfic that annoys me: Sometimes other people try to separate them for petty reasons like “We only have one bathroom and I don’t want you to have the shits for three days.” Iroh is a grown-ass adult. Let him eat what he wants and reap the consequences.

things I look for in fanfic: Still waiting for that shamelessly NSFW Mangroh story. May have to write it myself.

Who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other: Honestly, though Mangroh really grew out of the Makroh community, I’d love to see Mangrohsami as an OT3. I don’t think that’s been done yet, and it’d be cute. May have to write that myself, too.

My happily ever after for them: Just finished writing something where Iroh uses lightning bending to try to shoot mangoes out of a tree. It, perhaps predictably, does not go well. My HEA is that he figures out how to reach them with other methods.

who is the big spoon/little spoon: Usually Iroh is the big spoon, but it depends on the quantity of mangoes. If there was a big enough pile of them I can see it the other way.

what is their favorite non-sexual activity: Consumption.

#mangroh day 2021 #iroh ii #headcanons #mostly joking #but also not

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mylordshesacactus · 3 years

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1, 3, 15 and 23 for the askmeme?

What themes would you like to write about that you feel don’t get explored very often?

Hmm. See, I feel like it’s fairly self-evident from my writing what themes I care about and want to explore, and since 99% of that writing is already embarrassingly niche, it goes without saying that I don’t think those themes get enough love XD

Found family is, thankfully, a very popular trope. The slightly more niche themes that I enjoy exploring are...hmm. How to phrase this.

The (inherent eroticism of the) loyal lieutenant trope; that not only is it okay to not want to lead, but that people can want to be a natural second-in-command without feeling resentful or having that itch of ambition. That being the loyal, quiet support and standing back and watching someone you trust implicitly lead can be what you aspired to in the first place.

The idea of kindness and respect being about what the other person needs to feel safe, not what feels right to do.

The bright, dramatic, larger-than-life fantasy realm is primarily populated by ordinary people. This does not have to be a “deconstruction” or “commentary” on fantasy tropes or on the larger-than-life canon characters; they can and should coexist, because they’re part of the same world.

Asskicking =/= authority. Authority =/= leadership. Leadership in its purest form is soft-spoken and sure, with nothing to prove and no need to posture. Authority only requires certainty that the people under your command can be trusted to do their jobs. Leadership requires certainty that the people under your command can be trusted, fully and completely.

Animals Don’t Work Like That, Actually

Canine Body Language Is Completely Different From That, Actually, You’re Thinking Of Cats.

Loyalty requires you to challenge the people you love outright. Anyone worthy of real loyalty might be angry at first, but will ultimately trust you more as a result.

True love means trusting one another to do the right thing, and knowing for a fact that the other person will not betray their greater responsibilities for your sake no matter how much it hurts them. Anything less is not love; it’s selfish obsession.

What loves do you tend to write about?

Oops I kind of gave that one away with #1 huh. Well, a quick summary then: Agape, philia, storge, pragma, are going to feature most heavily.

Which isn’t to say there’s less of eros. And if you’ve read my smut you know I LOVE playfulness in sex and romantic relationships; all intense passion is exhausting, you should be able to laugh together, and honestly it’s healthy to still have the hallmarks of ludus show up sometimes. Especially when my faves have such fucking awful lives, letting them just kind of...be grinning, giggly young women who like each other a lot is nice.

Mania (as in, the term for obsessive love in the Greek tradition and not like, the psychological condition) is such an intensely terrifying and deeply unpleasant force--writing it makes me feel so dirty--that it doesn’t show up very often if at all. It’s always an antagonist, if it does, because it’s so incompatible with love.

And all my fanfic faves are like no philautia we hate ourselves like wlws.

What physical quirks do your characters tend to have?

Oooo, I LIKE this one.

This is pretty clearly OCs, since with fanfic characters I at least TRY to just accurately recreate what their physical quirks onscreen seem to be. So, my OCs...

One linguistic quirk that I like to give to OCs is an oddly specific one--you can get a LOT of characterization into a small package by creating characters who are extremely laconic--writing their dialogue by trying to get across their idea in as few words as you possibly can, and using body language for the rest. The most recent version of this is my WoW character Talet, who I actually write as mostly nonverbal. In her case, this is the result of long-term isolation and partially due to trauma; she can and does speak, but she communicates mostly through lupine nonverbal signals to the point where her ward (officially her “apprentice” but in practice, her adopted daughter) openly describes herself as Talet’s “translator”.

I also have a weakness for characters with extremely still body language; not necessarily stiff or tense, just....still. No fidgeting or wasted movement. And for characters who can be described as soft-spoken--often as surprisingly soft-spoken, like my blunt and impolite mule handler with a low, rough voice...who has a completely contradictory tone, very gentle, very calm. Only with her beasts, of course. Or trauma victims. Or children. Or--

Do you prefer reading series or standalone novels and does that reflect on how you write?

Oh that’s also a good one. I like both! Honestly, SHOCKING information from a fanfic author--I love stories that set up a unique and interesting universe with like...rules? Especially when that universe feels bigger than the one story we get to see in it.

And I’m a sucker for the IDEA of spinoffs, I’d normally adore big sprawling universes that allow for lots of stories to be told in the same basic world. It’s a shame that expanded universes get so bloated and that the writing gets so bad--and I think a major failing of that format is that they so quickly lose sight of the POINT of an expanded universe and try to make every goddamn thing interconnected. The whole POINT is that you can just....read or watch the stories that appeal to you, and while knowing other stories might enrich that experience not knowing them doesn’t detract from it.

(Discworld. The perfect model for how to do this is Discworld. Not interested in the Watch? Cool, here’s a pile of books about other characters. Not interested in Granny Weatherwax? Cool, have fun being wrong but also have fun reading all these witch-free books while doing it. Not interested in Death? Tough shit and have I got news for you about the degree to which not being interested in Death affects its presence in your life, but you don’t have to read books ABOUT Death.)

However, I do have a firm policy about series, and ESPECIALLY about the first book in a series: Cliffhangers are cheating, and they’re weak writing, and they’re only allowed if they’re setting up the actual finale.

(It’s a mark in Rise Of Kyoshi’s favor that I didn’t....entirely....mind the cliffhanger because the rest of the book was so good. And since the Kyoshi novels are a duology, it’s TECHNICALLY allowable)

You CANNOT use a cliffhanger at the end of your first book. That’s a horrible sign in the author’s faith in their own story. If this is your FIRST IMPRESSION, and you don’t think the story you told is good enough, you don’t think your world and your characters are compelling enough, to get me to come back without straight up leaving the story unfinished in order to make me come back if I want to find out basic information?

Cool. You’re probably right. I don’t care anymore.

Your first installment HAS to stand on its own. The penultimate book can end on a cliffhanger if you really must, because at that stage in the plot it’s normal to assume there’s lots of things happening quickly, and it feels like less of a cheap trick; if I got four books into a five-book series, or two-thirds of the way through a trilogy, I was probably already planning to come back for the finale. But the first installment has to tell its own story, whole and entire, or I’m probably not gonna care enough to stick around.

Open endings are not the same as cliffhangers. Open endings are great.

So, yeah. A well-written standalone novel and a well-written series are basically the same, and the initial book in a series at least should also serve as a well-written standalone novel in the first place!

#askmeme #natsu-tigre

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randomslasher · 5 years

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Hey, LJ. Sorry to bother you, but I had a question about your... "dissertation" regarding fandom story idea theft. Say someone had taken an idea they'd had for a story and begun crafting it, adding in world-building, putting in art pieces, creating short stories, etc., and sharing that as they go along. (1/3)

Now say someone else comes along and sees all this material, likes it, and even finds themselves being inspired to write a similar story of their own. But the inspiration for their own includes things like major character traits and certain crucial setup and setting details, even though they have their own overarching story idea, as well as different world-building lore and in-universe rules and such. (2/3)My question would be, does that count as stealing someone's story idea? At what point of borrowing elements does it go from "being inspired by" to "stealing someone else's story"? (3/3)

Honestly? I can’t really answer that question. My “dissertation,” as you put it, had more to do with taking the very basic idea someone posted and just running with it, usually on the same post, usually as part of the first basic idea. Without knowing the details of the set-up you’re describing, I can’t really say. But my post never said you shouldn’t do it--just that you should ask first.

As for when you should ask and when it’s just okay to run with it? That is something on which you’ll have to use judgment. Yes, stealing major story elements, character elements, and set-up could be considered plagiarism. You can see examples of this in published works. But where exactly the line gets drawn between inspiration and theft is kind of nebulous.

A general rule of thumb, though? If it’s something unique enough that you’ve never seen it before, probably that’s not something to use without permission.

For instance, my very specific mer AU where Virgil is specifically a giant Moray eel, specifically adopted and raised by guppy mer Patton, and where they’re friends with betta-fish Roman and Octo-Logan? I’d consider that my story, and anyone wanting to write something about it I’d prefer to check with me first.

On the other hand, though--a merAU with the sides is not such a unique idea that any one person could lay claim to it. Even a mer AU where Patton adopted Virgil could still be considered not a super uncommon trope. A Mer AU where there’s a vast size discrepancy? Absolutely no problem, as that is, again, not a terribly unique idea.

But if you took ALL the elements of my specific AU and started writing stories about them without my permission? That’s where it starts to feel a little iffy.

And again: Fanart is a different story. Doing fanart of someone’s story is generally not going to challenge their canon like doing fanfic of their story would, so most writers are thrilled if someone wants to draw fanart. And frankly? Some are thrilled with fanfic too. My point in that post was that not everyone is cool with it, so asking to make sure the person whose story you want to play with is cool with it will help ensure you’re not stepping on any toes.

So I guess my advice? If you feel weird about it, or worry that it might be verging on crossing that line, ask. That was really the whole point of that post in the first place: if you’re planning to go into someone’s universe and play with their set up and ideas, don’t assume they’ll be okay with it before you check in with them.

I’m not claiming to be any kind of authority here. I just know that the phenomenon of someone seeing someone else’s idea then “writing it for them” has caused some distress among content creators in this fandom, so I wanted to address it, because shared ideas aren’t necessarily intended to be open-source for anyone to jump in on, you know? Sometimes someone is sharing ideas because they’re planning to do their own thing with it, and would really rather not have someone else come in and take their set-up away from them.

Again, though, use your judgment. If you think it’s too close for comfort, or that someone might be made uncomfortable by it or feel you’d stolen their idea, then ask them if it’s okay if you write something inspired by it. I find most people are more than happy to say yes to a request like that, as long as you are willing to credit them with the inspiration and/or clarify that the two works are not in the same universe.

I hope that answers your question.

#davidthetraveler

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figr0llmouse · 5 years

Text

The Real Poor Unfortunate Soul

Note: I came up with this while at work and I felt like I had to write it down before I lost the motivation to do so. This is my first attempt at writing “fanfic” in a long time, so please keep that in mind when offering constructive criticism.

Synopsis: More or less the same story as the 1989 film The Little Mermaid, except that it is from Ursula’s POV(mostly); and it is just an attempt at filling in the blanks where I thought was needed. I hope to write more entries in the future. Until then, enjoy!

Fanfiction.net URL: https://www.fanfiction.net/u/13276408/

Part 1: Pre-Poor Unfortunate Souls

Hidden within her bed chamber, Ursula sat deep in thought, as she waited for her eel henchmen Flotsam & Jetsam to bring Princess Ariel to her lair for an unscheduled appointment. Just a few minutes earlier, she had witnessed an explosive argument between Ariel and her father King Triton, which was transmitted to her crystal ball via F & J witnessing the situation in real time, and which resulted in destroyed objects and the princess collapsing onto the ground in tears. At first seeing Ariel and her father argue over his human prejudices filled Ursula with malicious glee. This was turning out to be so perfect! While she held deep resentment for the entire Atlantican Royal Family, Ursula’s real grudge was with King Triton who had permanently banished the sea witch from the kingdom for the crime of usurping the throne; or so the official story goes. In reality Triton was growing jealous of Ursula’s talents in witchcraft and magic, which won her praise and acclaim amongst the merfolk who sought her services and advice; and he feared that along with her bared ambition, she would seek to challenge his rule over Atlantica by staging a coup. So it was not long until vicious rumours about her started spreading all over the kingdom, magical abnormalities started cropping up which were blamed solely on her and her witchcraft business suffered as a result. Living in Atlantica became so unbearable that Ursula had no choice but to pack up her belongings and leave the kingdom for good. The only customers she can currently get consist of the curious merfolk who had heard the stories of the “evil sea witch”, and wanted to seek her out for themselves and the desperate. And Ursula in her simmering rage and bitterness over her predicament which has never abated all these years, went out of her way to make her deals with her customers as difficult for them to fulfill as possible, to ensure she could survive another day. So when she became aware of the fact that Triton and his youngest daughter’s relationship was strained over her desire for the human world, Ursula finally saw an opportunity to enact revenge on the king. She had no genuine hard feelings for Ariel; she just saw her as the crucial key to Triton’s undoing. By the end of their argument, Ursula’s mood of sadistic triumph had vanished, and seeing Ariel huddled on the ground surrounded by broken objects evoked feelings of…..anger. At Triton for behaving like his typical petulant bastard self. The violent nature of his loss of temper alone brought to light painful memories of her past Ursula thought she had buried and forgotten. And compassion. For Ariel. The latter made Ursula want to slap herself. Was she going soft in her old age? She was The Sea Witch; she had a reputation to uphold! Ever since she started sending F & J to spy on Ariel, Ursula’s feelings toward her developed from mutual curiosity, to lustful attraction, to full-blown obsession. Something about that fiery red hair and vibrant youthfulness awakened a deep longing and new-found passion that Ursula had not felt for a long time. She saw in Ariel an adventurous spirit which could not be confined to the depths of the ocean and which could prove detrimental to her father’s plans for her future. A young woman who despite her high status was an outsider. Just like her.

�� "She’s waiting.“

F & J’s slow drawling announcement woke Ursula up from her daydream and she sat up straight, while still keeping herself hidden in anticipation for Ariel’s entrance. She finally appeared; she swam forth from behind the wall of the entrance, her posture bent low, like she wanted to disappear into thin air that very second. Her large eyes darted around the room in fear, her face woebegone and tearful. Ursula was taken aback by such an open display of raw vulnerability. It was hard to believe that this pitiful creature standing inside her humble lair, was the young Princess in Waiting of Atlantica. All Ursula wanted to do at that moment was take Ariel into her arms, comfort her and lay down with her and never let her go. For one brief moment, Ursula almost re-considered proceeding forward with her plan. Alas her golden opportunity was here now and she had to take advantage of it before she lost it for good. Maybe when this whole ordeal was over, provided that it went her way of course, Ursula could persuade Ariel to start a new life with her, where she could be her own personal magical muse. There would be no need for her to end up being yet another sea polyp like the rest of her “customers”, no. Ursula was prepared to make the end result as painless as possible for Ariel. Ensure that she will grow to enjoy her new surroundings. Heaven knows how lonely Ursula has felt so many nights, with nobody but her henchmen and a garden of moaning polys keeping her company. It would be a nice change to have a relationship with someone who had such a love for learning and an appreciation for the finer things in life. Now was the time to act, before Ariel got cold fins and swam back out again.

"Come in, come in my child.“

Ursula’s deep seductive voice echoed all around the room. Ariel froze, not knowing where to look and how to react.

"We mustn’t lurk in doorways, it’s rude.”

Suddenly the sea witch materialised right behind the mermaid, two of her tentacles wrapping around Ariel’s waist while she pulled her closer to her bosom in a type of embrace; taking Ariel’s small petite hands and clasping them into her own. Ariel reacted to all of this with surprise, this was not what she expected. After her confrontation with her father, Ariel had decided to turn to Ursula for help as a last resort, her head filled with the stories of “that dangerous sea witch” who had nothing but contempt for all that is pure and good. But feeling the witch’s tentacles messaging her hips and her warm, tender embrace sent a shock wave through her system. It was all she could do to not burst into tears again, even if they were of relief. Slowly Ariel started to feel her resolve strengthen.

"One might question your…..(here Ursula turns Ariel around slowly so that they were now face to face, one tentacle cupping Ariel’s chin so that they finally made eye-contact, their lips almost touching)…upbringing!” the witch said with a wide, toothy smile.

With a voluptuous chuckle, Ursula carried Ariel into her spell room where she gently untangled her while she swam towards her boudoir. Peering at the reflection in her mirror, the witch was pleased to see that Ariel, while still appearing to be nervous, seemed much more relaxed and her miserable countenance had evaporated. It would not do much good to do business with a customer who did not feel wanted or special; Ursula was determined to use all that was in her skill-set to exploit Ariel’s weaknesses and make her receptive to whatever she had in store for her. It is better to attract bees with honey, instead of vinegar or however that silly human-created phrase went.

“So…..you decided to come to me because you have a forbidden interest in the world above. Most especially a human prince to be precise. And Daddy doesn’t like that, does he?” She says as she reapplies her lipstick and fixes her hair.

Ariel shakes her head.

“Well then, it seems such a personal problem of this magnitude requires an even more radical solution.”

With her elbows on the dressing table, her chin resting on her downward-turned hands, Ursula made eye-contact with Ariel through the mirror.

“The only way you can get what you want is by becoming human yourself. And I will help you do just that.”

Hearing this, Ariel’s face lit up with awe; a new-found hope.

“You will do that for me?”

Ariel’s response sent shivers of euphoric pleasure through Ursula’s body; it took a lot of restraint just so she didn’t end up grinning like an absolute fool. She had the mermaid’s full attention now, which guaranteed that her deal with her will go swimmingly. But what really touched her in Ariel’s question to her was its childlike innocence, a willingness to trust her with her fate and its tone revealed respect and admiration. It was more than Ursula hoped for.

“Of course, my sweet child.” Getting up from her seat, Ursula swam towards Ariel, her hands reaching out to cup her face; this time Ariel did not tense up. Rather she let the witch lead her into a sort of strange circular dance with both of them enveloped in the kind of physical space only two souls sharing a common desire could be. Ursula could not tell whether it was real or a part of her fevered imagination…..but she thought she detected a tiny smile spread across Ariel’s lips for a brief moment before being replaced with shy politeness again.

“What kind of witch would I be, if I didn’t seek to help someone in such distress?” she said while cradling Ariel’s head and stroking her hair. “It broke my heart to see you in tears and alone, who else could possibly understand your plight?

While this was part of Ursula’s strategy for sweet-talking her customers into letting their guards down, all the same the emotion behind her words was real. Which in turn sought to make this double game she was playing a painful one. Giving Ariel’s shoulders one last squeeze, the witch started to prepare for the grand magical spell she was about to perform. With a snap of her fingers, she activated her custom-made cauldron, a mixture of smoke and bubbles emanating from its surface. Peering at Ariel through the pink haze, Ursula’s expression suddenly turned serious.

“You may have heard some…rather sordid stories about me. I am here to tell you that none of them are true.”

She let these words hang in the air between them, the only sounds that could be heard in the silence was the hissing and bubbling erupting from the cauldron. Ariel took this opportunity to confront the sea-witch directly with her misgivings.

“According to my father and all those loyal to my family, you were seeking to overthrow him because you weren’t satisfied enough with his offer that you can run your witchcraft business however you pleased as long as you did not interfere in royal affairs. Apparently you think you can rule better than he can. Is that true?”

“ My only crime, Ursula said, throwing and mixing various ingredients into the cauldron. “was that I was the only person with close relations to your dear dad who was not afraid to speak my mind and tell him when he does something wrong. You see…..I know you love him dearly but your daddy is an egotistical control freak; I am sure you would agree with me on this?” Ariel’s response was to roll her eyes and turn her face away slightly, the stormy confrontation with her father still fresh on her mind. Smirking, Ursula continued:

“As it turned out I was blessed with the privilege of interacting with the common merfolk who sought my services. Dozens and dozens of them would come to me, with such wretched tales of woe you could not even imagine!” Ursula bit back a sneer. But the one complaint they all shared in common was how unhappy they were living under your father’s rule. That it was not just that he would throw endless lavish parties for his friends while they struggled daily to get by. Naturally this was all very positive for my business, I am not a free therapist you know, and eventually he started to notice. So I may have offered some criticisms here and there over how he should prioritise the well-being of the merfolk instead of looking to feed his ego all the time, and I naively thought he would take my advice as me being helpful. But to overthrow him? Absolutely not!.” At those last words, Ursula had grabbed a bottle full of some gooey business from a nearby shelf and flung it into the cauldron with a little too much force, resulting in a mini explosion of violent red and yellow sparks. “Your father couldn’t stand the fact that I was more popular with the public than he was, so he and his loyal goons conspired to turn them against me and ruined my reputation for good! He put me through hell!” It took her a few moments to realise that she was breathing heavily and her eyes were wild with suppressed rage, and Ariel was staring at her with shock.

“I…..I had no idea..”

Ursula quickly composed herself and laughed reassuringly: “Oh why would you, you are the baby of the family. Am I correct in assuming you just heard what I said for the first time?”

“Yes.”

“Thought so. Now I admit that I am rather ambitious, but not SO ambitious that I would even think about overthrowing anyone, no matter how terrible they are. But enough about Daddy dearest and his dull desires. We are here to fullfill your desires my dear. You need not fear suffering punishment for his sins.” Here Ursula motioned to Ariel to swim near the cauldron, beckoning her with one crimson nailed finger. She dropped her voice to just barely above a whisper.

“Come closer, child.”

The two of them were now leaning forwards over the cauldron, facing each other on opposite sides. The bubbling substance was now emitting a yellowish orange glow and it felt really warm and pleasant on Ariel’s skin. To Ursula, Ariel with her hair floating like a fiery halo, large blue-grey eyes and and her full lips parted slightly appeared to be like a creature more otherworldly than a mermaid, as if she were goddess from a legendary myth. The light emanating from the cauldron only served to further enhance her beauty which seemed unfairly impossible. Her face was only a few inches away from hers…..what should she give to just kiss those luscious lips…..but alas….focus! For now Ursula had to contend with keeping Ariel in as close to her physical proximity as possible.

“What I am about to tell you is very important. I am making you a potion that will give you a human form for three days. Three. No more, no less. If you decide to stay as a human indefinitely, you must find your prince, get him to fall in love in you and seal that love with a kiss.”

“And if I fail?”

“Then you turn back into a mermaid and……Ursula leans back biting her lower lip. “You are mine.”

“What???”

“Oh don’t look so alarmed girl, this is quite a generous arrangement that I am offering you. When I say you become mine I mean that you pay your debt to me by visiting me on an agreed number of days and offering whatever services I ask of you. Sort of an employed muse of some sort.”

It was during this moment that Ariel happened to notice the miserable-looking polyps hidden in the furthest corner of the room.

“What are those supposed to be?”

“Oh those are mostly spies sent from the royal palace to expose my hideout. I had to teach them a lesson. Pay no attention to them!” Ursula waved at them dismissively. To her relief, Ariel seemed satisfied enough with her answer and did not ask further questions.

“So about the deal?….”

Ariel signalled to the sea-witch that she wanted to think it over and closed her eyes, her head bent over the cauldron, her hands gripping its opening. Outwardly she appeared calm, serene but inside she was bursting with adrenaline and conflicting emotions. Ariel was still very furious with her father for barging into her private grotto and destroying the “human” collection she had worked so hard to build, and finding a way to escape the ocean by going to his biggest nemesis for help seemed like the perfect way to get back at him. He had another thing coming if he thought she was going to swim back to him right on time for dinner and give him the satisfaction of thinking that he managed to shatter her human-world dreams into pieces. Oh how she will make him sorry that he ever lashed out at her like that, and for what? For saving a human being from drowning underwater instead of letting him die like he would have. Recalling the horrible cruel words Triton used to describe humans in general made it easier for Ariel to believe Ursula’s side of the story, her body language and facial expressions alone read as genuine. Speaking of the sea-witch, Ariel found herself getting drawn towards the older woman. Her charisma and charm was incredibly infectious, her flirtatious bordering on erotic behaviour also did not go unnoticed by the mermaid and she happened to have a magical spell for her that will give her at least a once in a lifetime opportunity to experience true happiness. It was all very exciting. Almost too good to be true. And yet…Ariel still sensed that there was something off about her. That underneath the warm, heavy comfortable aura that was currently enveloping her, she was in dangerous and threatening waters. Nevertheless she was being offered a choice to finally take charge of her own destiny and she had to make a decision now. There was no going back. After all she had to admit the deal Ursula was offering to her was quite fair. Being in servitude to the sea-witch in case she failed the challenge of achieving her permanent human forum did not sound that bad. Ariel was startled awake by a slippery tentacle encircling her waist and she felt a hand brush her hair away from her face and a sensual voice whisper in her ear.

“So what will it be child?”

Ariel turned to see Ursula looking down at her with a tender expression on her face. She could not help but feel a little smitten.

“If I am to remain human forever….like you said….I will never see my family again.”

“That’s right.” Ursula replied with a dramatic flair. “but you will finally be happy. If your father really loved and cared about you he would want that for you. Wouldn’t he?” Here she shoots a sharp, side-ways glance at Ariel.

“ I guess.”

“Oh I almost forgot. We haven’t discussed the subject of payment.”

Ariel clapped her hands over her face with sudden dismay.

“Oh no I didn’t bring anything with me. If I had known-”

“No need to fret dear. I am quite flexible when it comes to payment methods.” Ursula stroked Ariel’s cheek, letting her fingers trace downwards towards her throat. Her facial expression suddenly turned carnal.

“You can repay me with…your voice.”

“My voice??? But if I gave away my voice how will I communicate with Eric? With other humans?”

“You’re a smart girl, I’m sure you will find a way to make your feelings known. Take it from a woman who knows. Men whether they are on sea or land are rather simple creatures. A lady who talks to much confuses them, enrages them even. In fact they prefer that she does not talk at all. So she must rely on her looks and her body to get her man; and you my dear are blessed in that department!” Here Ursula made a playful attempt at grabbing Ariel’s seashell bra which elicited an embarrassed giggle from the mermaid.

Suddenly the cauldron started to erupt, signalling that the potion was nearing completion. Ursula reached inside it to pull out a a golden shimmering piece of parchment, flinging it open to Ariel. She handed her a fish-bone for a pen.

“All you have to do is sign. Make your choice.”

Ariel hesitated but only for a moment. Whatever consequences occurred as a result of her actions today, she will face them when the time came. She was sick and tired of denying her dreams and desires out of fear of punishment from her father. Whatever it cost she was going to experience the world of the humans above. To finally meet Eric properly.

“I’ll do it.”

With a quick cursory glance at the parchment’s contents Ariel signed her name at the bottom. The contract disappeared into a puff of smoke by a flicker of Ursula’s hand who now appeared to be in a state of manic joy.

What happened afterwards seemed to be all a blur in Ariel’s mind. Smoke and lightening everywhere. The room filled with an electric blue light, then sickly green. Ursula shouting at her from the other side to sing something, anything. She does. Two long, ghost-like claws travelling down her throat and feeling her vocal chords go numb. Suddenly a small volcanic force covers her entire tail and she is being propelled upwards towards the surface in a burst of speed. While all of this was happening maniacal laughter was ringing in her ears.

The sea witch let herself go into a state of euphoric mirth as she watched her spell do its work and Ariel spinning to the top out of her sight. Today has turned out to be the best day of her life. The first phase of her plan went flawlessly; she knew that she made the right decision in trusting her intuition and seeing it through without hesitation. Once she was in a state of calm and was sure enough time had passed for Ariel to have reached the surface, she turned to Flotsam and Jetsam who floated to her side.

“Go after her boys, make sure she never receives that true love’s kiss.”

Sneering the eels dashed out of her lair leaving Ursula alone. She caught her reflection in her mirror and indulged in her vanity, her hands travelling across her breasts down to the area where her stomach and tentacles met. She may not be the young sprightly thing that she used to be, but she had curves in all the right places and the power to seduce anyone who crossed her path. Including Ariel. She recalled the few moments she made physical contact with the mermaid. A little touch here, a little embrace there…she swore she did not imagine this…but she was sure Ariel understood what she was doing. Not once did she utter a word of protest or show any revulsion towards her advances much to her delight. Still Ursula hoped that she did not intimidate her with her less than subtle gestures. Once Triton’s precious daughter was finally hers, she intended to be very very gentle with her; that insipid human prince Ariel latched on to was nothing compared to the lover the sea witch was capable of being. There was no chance that the mermaid and human could fall in love in three days hence why she dictated so in the contract. One way or another she was going to make Ariel love her. All she had to do now was wait.

Next chapter: Part 2 Post-Kiss The Girl

SPLASH! The little rowing boat Ariel and Eric were riding tipped over, catching them both by surprise. Flotsam and Jetsam emerged out of the water, checking to see that the couple failed in their attempt to secure their true love’s kiss. Confirming their success, they snickered and beamed their vision back to their mistress; who was watching everything through her crystal ball several feet below the ocean.

“That was so close…..TOO close!”

Ursula sat in her lair fuming a toxic mixture of panic and rage. Pity the fool who was unlucky to approach the sea witch in her current state. Had the eels not acted right on time, her plan would have completely fallen apart. This was not supposed to happen this soon! How did that wretched mermaid manage to seduce her boy toy in only two days? Were human couples really able to get intimate that quickly? Even though Ursula realised deep down that it was irrational for her to feel this way, she viewed Ariel’s almost kiss with Eric as a betrayal. No, not just a betrayal, a cruel rejection. Apparently the deal she had offered wasn’t good enough for the ungrateful little brat. The first few hours after the deal was struck were nerve-racking. How she waited on tenterhooks for something….or nothing to happen….that would signal to her that there was still time. The first night passed she breathed a sigh of relief. She recalled their meeting the previous two nights….Ariel’s face inches away from hers….her torso pressed against her own…the witch grimaced with longing. That palatable chemistry between them was no magic trickery, it was real. She was sure of it. And Ursula had managed to convince herself that Ariel felt the same way about her, at least a little. Just the thought of the mermaid giving away her heart to that bland human fop was enough to make her blood boil. How dare she? Ursula watched Ariel huddle close to Eric as they walked out of the beach soaking wet. She had to think fast. A malevolent smile slowly formed on her face as she suddenly thought of an idea. Oh you’re not getting away from me that easily princess. A demented chuckle caught in her throat as she rushed towards her potion cabinet, grabbing the items that she needed and tossing them into her cauldron. As the mixture formed, the sea witch stroked the sea-shell pendant hanging from her neck. Ariel may have gotten within a hair’s reach of securing her permanent human form but she was missing her most important asset: her voice. It was very clever foresight on Ursula’s part that she never specified what she will do with her vocals regardless of the deal’s outcome, which gave her the freedom to use them as she pleased. A blinding orange beam of light shot out of the cauldron and the sea witch swam into it. Ariel belonged solely to her and nobody, not even Triton had the power to stop her from getting her way. Now she was at war with both of them. As she felt her octopus form transform and the light of the spell permeating every nerve and muscle in her body, she let out a demonic laugh that could only mean that her already fragile sanity was slipping at a dangerous rate.

Chapter 3 (?) Post-Sham Wedding

The third day is almost over; dusk is fast approaching. Ariel had gotten her voice back but had missed the deadline to permanently become human and has reverted back to her mermaid form. Ursula had grabbed her off Eric’s ship and was currently dragging her down to the bottom of the ocean.

“It’s no use struggling.” she said in a mocking tone to Ariel who was desperately trying to free her arm from the witch’s steely grasp.

“You cheated!” Ariel shouted angrily.

“I did no such thing, child. Since I am the original negotiator of our little deal, I have the authority to intervene and subvert any situations that might threaten to break it. It is all in the contract. You should know, since you read it in my presence.”

“That isn’t fair!”

“Life isn’t fair princess. Better get used to it.”

Somehow or other, Ariel managed to stop in her tracks, causing Ursula to also pause right next to her. They had managed to reach the sea floor by this point.

“That incident with the boat….that was your doing wasn’t it?”

The sea-witch flashed a taunting smile. “I might have had some…..indirect influence in that….OUCH STOP THAT!!!”

Ariel had let out a scream of rage and started pummelling Ursula with her free arm as well as trying to kick her with her tail. It did not take Ursula long however to defend herself and stop Ariel’s attacks by grabbing both of her arms and pinning her down.

“Why can’t you see that I did this for your own good? Those humans you are so enamoured with….they are a mediocre, primitive, ignorant lot. Do not think for one second they would not destroy you if they discovered what you really are. You will never belong with them. And that includes your precious prince. That boy has nothing to offer you.”

“You’re wrong. Eric is in love with me. I can feel it.”

“BAH!!! You foolish girl. He is not in love with you, only with the idea of you as I demonstrated when I used your voice to trap him just now. Tell me dear, if he really is in love with you, why hasn’t he come to your rescue?”

Ariel turned her gaze upwards towards the ocean’s surface, where she could see the faint reflection of the moon rising against the violet-hued sky. The bottom of the wedding ship hovered like a giant bird in mid-air casting shadows on the sea-bed. Even from where they were floating, Ariel could sense that there was chaos above the deck due to the surreal event that had just occurred. Humans had just seen an actual mermaid and a half woman half octopus with their own eyes for the first time. Things will never be the same from this point on.

“He will come for me.”

Ursula rolled her eyes in frustration. “You know…..even though you broke my heart pretty badly these past few days, I am willing to forgive you for your transgressions.”

“What are you even talking about?” Ariel asked, incredulously.

“I must admit I had my eye on you for quite some time. And I say that you and I have more in common than just ideological disagreement with your father. We could make a powerful partnership together.”

Ursula picked Ariel up from the floor, albeit holding her hands and tail tight with her tentacles so she wouldn’t start physically attacking her again.

“I am being honest when I say I have no real quarrel with you. In fact the only reason I involved myself in your little family drama is so I can get close to you. Why throw your mortality away for those inferior creatures up there when you can become the greatest, most splendid mermaid this kingdom has ever known, with my assistance? I can show you wonders and knowledge any human with his vast riches could only dream of possessing.”

Ursula pulled Ariel closer to her, wrapping her arms around her waist. “You might not know it, she said lustfully. “but you are an especially bright woman, as well as beautiful. It would give me great pleasure if you actually considered my offer. Forget your father, forget the prince, start a new life with me. What do you say?“

Alternate ending 1

Ariel turned her head once more towards the ocean's surface. The evening dusk had completely turned to night so the wedding ship was just a barely visible outline. She could no longer hear the shouts and cries from the humans aboard; it became eerily quiet. In her desperation, Ariel waited, hoping that Eric would somehow release her from her predicament. But he never came. Why would he? She remembered the last time she looked at his face as he saw her mermaid form. His reaction was strange, was it shock? Definitely. Confusion, disappointment, disgust? He did not seem able to reach down and comfort her before Ursula grabbed her from him and threw her overboard. He probably thought that she had deceived him these past three days but what choice did she have? If she had tried to communicate the truth to him, he would have thought she was crazy and laughed at her. Minutes passed. Nothing. When it dawned on her that her waiting for Eric was futile, she let out a heavy sigh and her head dropped. Her journey to the human world was wonderful and she will never forget it, but it was over now. She had metaphorically sold her soul to get what she wanted and now she must pay the price. At least in the midst of the commotion on the ship, she had gotten her voice back, albeit accidentally. As Ariel slowly accepted her fate, Ursula wrapped one tentacle around her shoulders, nestling her closer. “I will make it worth your while.” she said in a velvety whisper before planting a soft kiss on Ariel’s forehead. This time, the mermaid did not flinch, or protest.

Alternate Ending 2 coming soon :)

#disney #fanfic #the little mermaid #ariel #ursula #ariel x ursula #unrequited affection #fanfiction #obsession #little mermaid fanfiction

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kriscme · 3 years

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One Life to Live

Hi, here’s the latest chapter. Almost at the end. This is also on A03 and will be easier to read. I’m Kris22 over there. I’d link if I knew how. As always thanks for Ronja for allowing me to write fanfic of her Hunger Games fanfic “The Chance You Didn’t Take”. You can read it on AO3 and FanFiction. Chapter 36 “. . . and so Blake’s wedding was called off. And in the meantime, Celia’s been attending a therapy support group for sex addiction. They think it’s caused by a fear of emotional intimacy or something like that. I guess it’s because she’s been hurt. You know, by Blake. And that’s all I know. I haven’t watched it in a while.” “And who’s that guy?” Peeta asks. He’s referring to a man in overalls and a straw hat crouched in a field of what looks like withered lettuces. He appears to be examining the soil. “That’s Celia’s father, Mulch Chastely.” The camera zooms in and ominous music builds. His hands are stained with a black, greasy substance. “Oil!” he screams, as the music reaches a crescendo. He shakes his fist at the heavens. “The Knights will pay for this barbarous act! You’re a dead man, Rigger Knight!” Then it segues to Rigger Knight who is seated on the porch of the Knight family home as if in wait. Across his lap is a firearm. It looks like a bazooka. The scene ends with Mulch Chastely selecting a pitchfork from his arsenal of agricultural tools and marching with grim determination in the direction of the Knight property. Peeta bursts out laughing. I can’t help laughing at the ridiculousness of it either. “I told you it was stupid,” I say.

Next, we’re in a large room, mostly empty except for a circle of nine chairs spaced at regular intervals. People start to trickle in and each of them takes a seat. Celia is among them, wearing denim trousers and a blue sweater, her long blond hair pulled back into a ponytail. She looks tired and dejected. Last to arrive is a gaudily dressed middle-aged woman with bright yellow hair carrying a clipboard. She’s accompanied by a younger man in expensive sports clothes. When he sees Celia an expression of deep longing passes over his face. Celia doesn’t look up. The woman with the yellow hair starts the discussion. “Good afternoon, everyone. We’re in for a big, big session! We have new a member joining us. I know you’ll make him welcome. Blake, would you please introduce yourself and share with the group what’s brought you here today.”

Celia starts at the name and her eyes widen with shock. As Blake speaks, his gaze never leaves her face.

“My name is Blake Knight and I am an addict. My addiction is Celia Chastley. I was a goner from the moment I first laid eyes on her in her family’s orchard when were eleven years old. She became my best friend, my confidant, the object of my adolescent masturbatory fantasies and my great love. I didn’t understand you then, Celia, when you broke my heart when we were sixteen. That you were sacrificing your happiness for mine. That you recognized the impossibility of our situation when I did not. I shut my eyes and tried to forget you in the arms of another but I was deceiving myself. I was a coward – too afraid to confront the reality of my undying love for you. Please forgive me. Give me a chance and I will prove my constancy and devotion. To hell with our families. To hell with everything. Our love is the only thing that matters in this crazy world. Even now, as my father waits for yours to fall into his trap so he can shoot him dead and plead self-defense, our love will endure. Will you, Celia? Please say yes. I love you so much.” The other members of the group are transfixed, eyes darting between Celia and Blake in mounting expectation. Celia’s eyes are awash with tears. She lurches to her feet and throws herself into his arms. “Oh, Blake!” she cries, “If I have only one life to live, I want it to be with you.” They kiss. The group stands and cheers. It then goes to a commercial break for romantic getaways in District 4. I look at Peeta. He looks at me. It’s as if we’re each looking to the other for how to react. It was funny. So why aren’t we laughing? Plutarch’s words ring heavily in my ears, “You and Peeta are Celia and Blake.” “We’re really not like that, are we? “I ask. “I mean it’s so . . . dumb.” “No, not quite us, but there are a few things in common. What Blake said to Celia is pretty much what I’ve been trying to say to you.” “Oh.” I say nonplussed. Is that what he’s been doing? “Um . . . which parts?” Peeta shifts closer to me on the sofa so that our thighs are touching. “Adolescent masturbatory fantasies.” I pull back, frowning, hot words ready on my lips.

He nudges my shoulder with his. “It’s a joke. Well, actually not quite a joke. You did feature in them quite a lot. But I was Blake. Going around with my eyes shut, too scared to open them in case I remembered how much I love you and then to find out that you didn’t love me back.” “You love me?” I don’t dare look at him. It’s been an impossibility for such a long time, I can scarcely believe it. He was engaged to marry another woman not so very long ago. How can this have happened so quickly? “Since when?” I ask dubiously. If he was expecting a more positive reaction, he doesn’t show it. He takes one of my hands in both of his. “Since I was five years old and you stood up in music assembly to sing the valley song.” I attempt to pull my hand back but he keeps it in a firm grip. He can’t just whitewash the past two years like that. Lace happened. “Then what has Lace been about then? She was just a figment of my imagination?” “No. She was more like a figment of my imagination. I don’t want to discount what I had with her. She’s been a good friend and I’ll always be grateful but a lot of what I felt for her wasn’t real. I’ve gone over this with Dr Aurelius, to make sense of it. She was a coping mechanism in the same way my reluctance to deal with my past was also a coping mechanism. I could give her the feelings I didn’t think you wanted. So, she was sort of you, in a way. I didn’t exactly have a high opinion of myself then either and she didn’t hold back on telling me how wonderful she thought I was. I think I just wanted to make myself feel better.”

Sort of like a rebound then. I want to believe him, I really do. He’s turned to sit sideways, our knees touching, his face close to mine. I look at him beneath my lashes. He’s watching me carefully, with a mixture of hope and uncertainty. Everything that I’m feeling. “Tell me what you’re thinking,” he says. Be honest. “I’m scared. What if what you’re feeling now isn’t real either?’ “I’m scared too. Scared you’ll reject me and there’ll never be another chance. Katniss, I’ve never been more certain about anything in my life.” I turn away momentarily to collect my thoughts. As I do, the television screen comes into my field of vision. Rigger Knight fires the bazooka at Mulch Chastely. It misses his head by inches and zooms past to hit one of the oil rigs in the distance. It explodes into flames and sets off a chain reaction until every one of the oil rigs is a massive ball of fire and thick black smoke. Mulch’s face is a picture of glee until the billowing smoke is picked up by the wind and headed over the border towards his prized apple orchard. The drama hasn’t ended for Celia and Blake. And I know it hasn’t for Peeta and me either. We still have things to work through. And there’s also the television special and whatever fallout there might be. But at least we can do it together.

I let out a breath. “Okay.” “Is that yes?” “Yes,” I answer, more firmly this time. We both lean in and meet somewhere in the middle. A slow, getting-to-know-you-all-over-again kiss. Soft, tender, shy. This is real. Not a daydream, not the reliving of a cherished memory, but real. In between kisses he tells me he loves me. And when I get the chance, I tell him I love him too. Somehow, I end up lying on the couch with him half on top of me. The kisses have long ceased to satisfy either of us. My t-shirt and bra are hitched around my neck, the nipples wet from where he’s sucked on them, and there’s something iron-hard pressing into my lower belly. “I think we should have an early night,” he murmurs into my ear. “I think you’re right.” Our first time together should definitely not be on the couch. The television is still blaring and I grapple for the remote to turn it off but not before catching a glimpse of Celia and Blake writhing like eels on a bed with red satin sheets. We make our way upstairs and down the hall without touching but immediately upon entering the bedroom we fall on each other and start peeling off each other’s clothes. There’s a struggle pulling off my slim-fitting trousers and he grumbles that I shouldn’t have changed out of my dress. I fall backwards onto the bed and then, with a final tug, my trousers with underwear still inside them, are sent flying. I close my eyes and put out my arms hungry to feel his warmth and weight along the full length of my body. But instead, my foot is lifted high into the air and kisses trailed down my leg until he gets to the juncture of my thighs. The first brush of his tongue is a jolt of electricity, the final one a lightning bolt. “Oh,” I say, when I eventually come down. I hold out my arms and he’s inside me, filling a space so completely, so perfectly, I didn’t know there had been a void until now. Nothing has ever felt so right. When we fall, it’s within seconds of each other. We share a slow, lazy kiss before he rolls onto his back and I nestle into the cradle of his arms. My head rests against his chest, the strong and steady beat of his heart in my ear, and it feels like home. I wake before he does. He’s on his back, his face relaxed in sleep. I rise up on one elbow to watch him. The long lashes resting against his cheeks, the curve of his lips. It seems such a miracle that he’s here, in my bed, and that he loves me. I was convinced he was lost to me forever. That by this time, he’d be in his own bed, in his own house, with Lace beside him as his wife. And I would be . . . Well, I don’t know where I’d be. I don’t think I could have stood living across from them for very long. So probably searching for someplace else to live like I once planned to. Certainly not having dinners with them, or having Lace drop by for neighborly chats. I still don’t really know why the wedding was called off. That they both lied is the only explanation I’ve been given. Lied about what? I should ask him. And other questions I have too.

I put out my hand to brush a lock of hair back from his forehead and it’s seized and brought to his lips. “How long have you been awake?” “Not long. I didn’t want to interrupt. Do I pass?” “With flying colors,” I say, and lean down to give him a kiss. His arms go around me and I’m rolled onto my back. The kiss goes on for a long time.

“We should start getting ready for work,” I say, although I make no effort to get up. “Not yet,” he says. And he says it again when we take a shower together. There’s no sign of Haymitch at breakfast. Probably slept in after the excitement of last night’s episode of “One Life to Live.” But we figure that now that we’re genuinely in love, no one needs to tell us how to act. So, we walk into town together as we’re inclined to do anyway, and then meet for lunch again at the park near the school as it’s conveniently situated for both of us. Haymitch is nowhere to be seen at dinnertime either. We delay eating for half an hour in case he turns up but after checking first to see if he’s home – the lights at his house are on – we conclude that he’s decided to leave us alone from now on, and start eating. And delicious it is too. Roast pork with crackling to die for. I guess I’m just a carnivore at heart. Following dinner, we sit down to watch some television. One channel is covering the mayoral elections in 7. Johanna is well ahead in the count and early predictions are that she’ll win by a landslide. Then Peeta flicks between cooking shows. I don’t care what we watch. I lie back on the sofa with my head on the armrest and my feet in Peeta’s lap. I love having my feet and calves rubbed so much, I think it’s almost as good as sex. Later, in bed, I decide that it’s not even close. I am blissed-out, and still tingling from our love-making. I stretch voluptuously, like a cat, bury my face into his neck and sigh, perfectly content. His free hand plays with my hair, gently combing out the tangles. If I could freeze the moment, I would. So, I guess it makes it an odd time to ask the questions I want answers to. But on the other hand, maybe there’ll never be a better.

“Peeta, can I ask you some things?” “Sure.” “Why did you and Lace break up? Was it because she lied about her background?” His hand stills for a moment before going back to my hair. “No, it wasn’t that. I mean, I was disappointed she hadn’t told me herself and angry that everyone seemed to know before I did, but it’s not what broke us up. You remember when I said that what I felt for Lace wasn’t real?” I nod against his chest. “I’d been having doubts for a while – almost soon after we got engaged actually – but after that night I couldn’t ignore it any longer. It was seeing you with Marcus that did it. It wasn’t the first time I’d been jealous. I was jealous over Max, even Arthur, but I’d put it down to being possessive over a friend. But Marcus – it was Gale all over again. He was so obviously in to you and you seemed to like him too. And he loved nature, as you do, and you went into the woods together, and he had both his legs and wasn’t a mental nutcase. And then to see you walk away with him, with his arm around you, upset over something I had done, when I’m the one who should protect you . . .

“As for Lace, I’d almost forgotten she was there. And when I did get around to remembering, she was sobbing her heart out to Arthur. She’d seemed to have forgotten about me too.” There’s another pause and a snort of irritation. “And that Max! “ “What about Max?” I ask warily.

“It was like he was selling tickets to a sideshow. Shrugging his shoulders and gesturing to anyone watching. I don’t know how you tolerate him.” “It has it’s challenges,” I say carefully. “But he does have his good points. They’re just not immediately apparent.” And isn’t that the truth. I recall our first encounters and how much he annoyed me. Still does.

I think I’m starting to get an understanding of Peeta’s relationship with Lace having gone through something similar with Marcus. Desperately in need of affirmation. To feel worthy of love and acceptance. And something, anything, to dull the pain of rejection – either real or imagined – in the arms of another. At least I can take comfort in that there were no hurt feelings when it ended for Marcus and me. “What about Lace?” I ask. “How did she take it?” Peeta gives a short laugh. “She was as relieved to be out of it as I was. While I’d been projecting an image on to her, she’d been doing the same to me. In her case, the celebrity she’d seen and fallen in love with on television. And then she said she realized that she had feelings for Arthur. I doubt she’d admit it, but I think Johanna’s flirting that night had a lot to do with it.” I smile to myself imagining Johanna’s satisfaction that her scheme had worked. She’s pretty people-smart, when you think on it. A useful attribute for a politician to have. “But you didn’t break up straight away.” Peeta was still wearing the ring Lace had given him the day he called around to apologise for yelling at me and to give me cookies. “That’s because neither of us wanted to be the first to tell the other they’d made a mistake. But once it was said, it all came tumbling out. Whatever we once had was gone except maybe friendship and a few superficial things we had in common. A marriage wouldn’t have lasted long.”

Another thing that Johanna had got right. Trying too hard, she called it. It makes sense in retrospect. As doubts surfaced, so would efforts to alleviate it in the form of frequent and overt shows of affection and more money thrown at the wedding, as if a lavish display of either could cover the deepening cracks. One thing puzzles me, though. “Why were you so upset when it ended, then? Johanna told me about the flashbacks.” “I was upset over a lot of things. All that money wasted, feeling like a fool for letting it get that far, but mostly I was upset over you. I thought I had ruined any chance I might have had. And I had no one to blame but myself.” I feel a stirring of guilt. There was someone else to blame. And that was me. I ran hot and cold, giving mixed messages of my own. I could have been more open with him. Risked rejection, see where it led. Because I couldn’t really be certain of anything until I did. And I was the one who put it into his head that Lace was his girlfriend. And that he should marry her. I open my mouth to contradict him but Peeta starts speaking again. “You and Marcus were so cozy that night at the pub, holding hands on the way into town and then making plans for a weekend in the woods together. I just couldn’t get it out of my head, imagining what the two of you were up to. That’s what triggered the attacks. It was jealousy, pure and simple. The same emotion the Capitol worked on to get me to hate you. And after they were brought under control, there was still despair and self-loathing to contend with. How could I have been so blind and stupid?” “I – “

“And then having to watch those tapes. I didn’t want to. I knew the “to be watched with Katniss” label could only have meant two things. It was either confirmation that you’d never loved me, or confirmation that you had, which actually would have been worse, since I’d messed things up so spectacularly.” My mind goes back to that day. Peeta at the door, looking harried and nervous. That speech about us trying for friendship. It’s obvious to me now that he made it because he thought that’s what I wanted. His careful examination of any nuances that would give at least some hope that he was wrong. “I’m so sorry,” I say. “I’ve messed up too. You’ve no idea. I don’t know why you just didn’t leave me to my fate after seeing that video of Marcus and me. I wouldn’t have blamed you. Wanted you to, actually. Weren’t you . . . you know, disgusted?” He pulls me closer and kisses the top of my head. “No. Why should I be, after what I’ve done?” My body stiffens at the implication. That’s right. He’s been in the same situation, only he was lucky enough not to be caught. He’s talking about what he got up to with Lace. The Mayor’s party. When he fucked Miss Facelicker up against a wall. Hot jealousy surges through my veins and it takes all my self-control to squash it down. It’s hardly reasonable is it, for me to feel this way? Not when I practically did the same thing. “Weren’t you even jealous?” I ask. That would make me feel a little better if he had. “Katniss, all that concerned me was that you were in trouble and how I could help.” His arms tighten around me. “I want to protect you, keep you safe. And in some way, begin to make up for the poor job I’ve done of it lately. I just wanted you back. There was simply no room for a petty emotion like jealousy.” Instantly, I’m ashamed of myself. Peeta has always been better than all of us. “You could live a hundred lifetimes and not deserve him.” They were Haymitch’s words, and so true. “Besides,” says Peeta, “You didn’t seem to be enjoying yourself. And who would? Being pounded into against a hard surface like that.” Not jealous, huh? So that’s what he was doing when he kept watching that tape over and over. He was actually studying my facial expressions and taking comfort that I didn’t seem to be having a good time. As if Lace would have enjoyed being whisked into a dark corner on an important night of her life to have her new gown pushed up around her waist and thrust repeatedly into against a hard wall. But I say nothing. At some point you do have to put aside the negativity and move forward or you might as well give it up right now.

But one more question. I’ll always wonder about it if I don’t ask. “Would it have made any difference if I’d told you how I feel about you? You know, when you were going out with Lace? Or before?” There’s a long silence. I wait nervously for the answer. Please say it wouldn’t. Please say it wouldn’t. “It might have. I don’t know. I guess it would have depended on the timing. My mind was so stuck on the impossibility of you loving me, that I might not have heard it. Or not believed it if I had. But it could have changed the trajectory and ended my relationship with Lace sooner.”

Haymitch kept nagging me to. I should have listened to him. Taken that risk and kept on trying until Peeta understood. But then, how could I have known? And when would have been the right moment? Sometime before the marriage proposal, it seems. But not before he’d slept with her and banned me from using his guest room at night. And wasn’t it these two things that had crossed a line for me? There was no going back for us after that. It had changed our relationship irrevocably and we had to come back as two different people. That’s what Arthur said about Celia and Blake. And there was something Max had said too. That if they did get back together, they’d need to bring the same level of experience to it. Celia had to, at least, try another relationship, otherwise Blake would always be the one who’d broken faith and she’d be the one who hadn’t spread her wings while she had the chance. Marcus had to happen. I can’t regret that. Not only because it would betray what we had, but because I would always wonder what it’s like to be with someone not Peeta, when he’s been with someone not me, and possibly resented him for it. “I did tell you this one time. That I love you, I mean. It was when you started to get serious about Lace. We were sitting on your back porch and we got to talking about her. I kept coming up with reasons for why you should be careful of her but what I really wanted was for you to stop seeing her and to notice me. And then I decided to just come straight out and tell you how I felt. But you misunderstood my meaning and said I was like your family and what you needed from me was to accept her. That’s why I never said it again. It hurt so much to hear it the first time, that I didn’t want to risk hearing it again when there was no sign that you’d changed your mind. But I should have. Kept trying. Maybe – “ Peeta doesn’t let me finish. “And maybe I should have faced my demons instead of running from them. And maybe I should have asked about the blanks in my memories instead of filling the spaces with what I thought I knew. And maybe I should have told you of my feelings for you once I became aware of them. And maybe I should have ended my relationship with Lace when I started having doubts. I think if we added up all the ‘maybes’ they’d be mostly on my side. I don’t blame you for any of what happened. It all started with me.” I shake my head. “That’s not true. It started with Snow. That’s where the real blame lies.” We lapse into silence for a few moments. “I wish . . .” I begin. He brushes a tendril of hair from my forehead. “What do you wish?”

I sigh deeply. “That it could have been different. That there’d been no Lace. Or a Marcus. That when you came back from the Capitol there was only the two of us, growing back together. It seems to me that’s the way it was meant to be but somehow it got all messed up.” “Yeah, me too. But we’re together now. That’s what matters.” “I would have liked, at least, for us to have had our first time with each other. I feel like we’ve missed out on something special. We should have . . . before. You know, before we went into the Quell.” There’s a long pause. “Didn’t we?” “No.” “Well, I just thought . . . are you sure?” “Peeta, I would remember something like that. We didn’t. Why would you think that?” “I don’t know. I just thought we did. I remember make-up and showering or something and it was in your room.” “That would have been the night before we went into the arena. After the interviews. But all we did was sleep.” “Oh. I guess I must have imagined it then. There are still memories I can’t be sure of but this one seemed so real.” I pull his face down to mine. “This is what’s real.” I give him a long kiss and then settle back into the crook of his arm. But before I drift off to sleep, my thoughts go to that night before the Quell. I recall pulling Peeta into my room and a state between wakefulness and sleep. But between times is a complete blank. I don’t remember showering for instance. Or Peeta showering. Or of us getting into bed. But we must have. Without thinking, I press my hand to my left temple. Right on the spot where Johanna hit me with the coil of wire. There’s no pain anymore, but the memories swirl just as they did then as I try to sort out what is true and what is false. Maybe . . . maybe, it happened? Peeta and I were very familiar with each other with those kisses on the beach for people who had, up until then, only shared chaste kisses. And it didn’t hurt at all that first time with Marcus. But I just don’t see how I could forget. I roll over onto my other side and Peeta rolls with me, cradling my back. I sink down into sleep, enveloped in his warmth, and dream of seventeen-year-old Katniss and Peeta and their very first time.

Addendum. The following excerpt was discovered among notes made by Katniss Everdeen for her memoir on the Hunger Games and her role in the Rebellion. For reasons unknown, it was not included in the final draft. Historians have speculated that the omission could be due to a number of factors: that it lacked relevance to the central theme of war and oppression, that it was too personal in nature, or because the prose resembles that of a particularly bad romance novel. It is also notable for the difference in point of view narrative from first person to third person. Various theories have been put forward. Does this suggest the introduction of a fantasy element, that this is what author would have liked to have occurred? Or is it due to prudishness on the author’s part? As a teenager, Katniss Everdeen had a reputation for purity. Her memoirs, written when she was in her mid to late thirties, take on the language and tone of the adolescent she was at the time the action takes place. Could this be teenage Katniss distancing herself from her burgeoning sexuality? Evidence to support this is her account of the famous “kisses on the beach” which, in her memoir, was confined to prolonged kissing but in actuality was more akin to heavy petting. In addition, is her tendency to cloak feelings of sexual arousal behind euphemisms such as “that thing,” “a stirring inside my chest,” and kisses that don’t satisfy.

Contentious, but also worthy of consideration, is hijacked Peeta Mellark’s insinuation that more happened on those “nights on the train” than Katniss Everdeen admitted to. Was the accusation simply an attempt to embarrass her in front of her friends, or was this the resurfacing of a genuine memory? Eminent psychiatrist Dr Lucius Aurelius, a descendant of Dr Gaius Aurelius, the same psychiatrist who treated Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark, proposed that Mellark had confused adolescent masturbatory fantasies with reality as a form of wish fulfillment. At the time, he had great difficulty discerning the real from the not real. However, it should be noted, that this recollection, no matter how nebulous, is given greater credence by Everdeen’s own telling of this one event. From “Catching Fire” the second volume of the trilogy “The Hunger Games.” The omitted passages are in italics. We walk down the hallway. Peeta wants to stop by his room to shower off the make-up and meet me in a few minutes, but I won’t let him. I’m certain that if a door shuts between us, it will lock and I’ll have to spend the night without him. Besides, I have a shower in my room. I refuse to let go of his hand. She showers first and while he is in the bathroom, she searches for something he can change into. “This might fit,” she says, holding up a voluminous nightgown with a ruffled high neck. “It won’t fit across the shoulders,” he replies. “Maybe a robe?” She retrieves her discarded robe from the floor and hands it to him. Aside from being too tight around the arms, the front edges don’t come together. “Perhaps you could wear it backwards,” she suggests. “Like a hospital gown.” “That could work,” he says with a wry smile, “Except my backside will be hanging out. I’ll just wear the towel and hope it stays put during the night.”

“It won’t. Look, I’ve seen you almost naked before and you didn’t care about me seeing you then. Don’t wear anything. I don’t mind. I’ll even sleep naked too so it doesn’t seem so strange. I often sleep with nothing on anyway,” she says with a nonchalance she’s far from feeling. She hasn’t forgotten the naked Johanna in the lift or his laughter at her reaction and her so-called “purity”. She’ll show him she’s neither pure nor has a problem with nakedness, either his or her own. She starts to lift the hem of her nightgown but drops it again. “I’ll just turn the lights out,” she says. They get into bed. She lays her head against his chest as she always does and his arms go around her. But the skin-on-skin contact evokes sensations previously not felt before. Her breasts are flattened against his side and she’s conscious of her bare pubis, recently divested of its hair, pressed against his hip. The sensation builds and demands some kind of release. In an attempt to alleviate it, she moves onto her back, and as she does, she inadvertently lowers her arm and it brushes against the tip of something long and hard.

He gasps and tries to twist away from her. “I’m sorry,” he says. “I didn’t mean – “ “It’s all right,” she says quickly. “That happens to boys, doesn’t it? I’m not offended, really.” She had known about, and ignored, other times in bed together when his body had acted without his permission. And this time, with her lying naked next to him, she would have been more offended if his body hadn’t reacted. “Please stay,” she says. “I need you to hold me. I don’t care about that.” He lies back down and she lays her head on his chest but it’s impossible to relax. All her senses are heightened and she’s acutely aware of a corresponding tension in his body. How are they to sleep? And they so need to sleep, tonight of all nights. Who knows when they’ll be able to sleep next? Maybe if they. . .? She agonizes over it, uncertain of what to do. Her experience at this kind of thing is almost non-existent. The most she’d ever done is kissing, and the most she’d ever felt before is a stirring inside her chest. And then to make the first move? She knows it will have to be her because she’s certain that he won’t. He doesn’t even kiss her unless there’s a camera or someone around to witness it. She can guess why. It’s because he’s not sure of her. He doesn’t want what happened before to happen again. Very gradually, she lowers her arm again, over his ribs, over his taut abdomen. There’s an intake of breath and she can feel the rigidity of his muscles. Lower goes the arm until it glances against that thing again. With almost certain death in the arena perhaps only hours away, this might be her last chance to engage with one. She gathers her courage and puts out a timorous hand to encircle its girth and is amazed at how soft it is over the steel. He moans but makes no attempt to take her hand away. She’s unsure how to proceed and moves her hand gently up and down the shaft. She doesn’t want to hurt him. He puts out a hand to encircle hers, tightens her grip and gives a firm tug. He takes his hand away and, taking his cue, discovers that the tighter and faster she employs her hand, the more intensely he reacts to it, until there’s a series of shudders and a viscous liquid spurts out over her hand. She discretely wipes it on the sheet. “Thank you,” he says, and kisses her softly on the lips. Then, shyly, “Would it be okay if I touched you?” “Yes,” she breathes. She moves onto her back and opens her limbs. Reverently, he starts at her shoulder, trailing his fingers down to her ribs, skirting her breast, and then back up, cupping it fully, thumb brushing against the nipple. A pulse beats insistently between her legs and she shivers.

“Do you like that?” he asks.

“Mm,” she murmurs. She parts her legs a little more in anticipation, willing him to take his exploration there next. But he takes his time, skimming the curve of her waist and then her hip and inner thigh, perhaps hesitant, perhaps teasing. Either way it gives rise to the most exquisite torture. Please, please, she silently begs. And then his fingertips softly trace the line of her sex, pressing deeper between the slippery folds, finding first a cavity into which he inserts a gentle finger, and then higher up, encountering a hard little nub that elicits the most intense of sensory delights. “Oh,” she cries, and with that small word she eloquently conveys the place where he should focus his attention. With the lightest touch, he strokes and circles, keenly attune to how her body reacts to him. He covers her mouth with his own as she hurtles towards the pinnacle, and with one delicate flick of his finger, she tumbles down, down, down into an abyss of the purest pleasure. “That was amazing,” she says between kisses and he smiles against her mouth. He’s half lying across her, and she becomes aware of that long hard thing again. It’s seemingly sprung back to life. She takes it in her hand feeling its weight and length, and thinks, “This should be inside me.” She turns towards him and guides him between her legs. He needs no further encouragement. Lying fully over her now, he presses his hardness at her entrance and she tenses at the unfamiliar intrusion. “You need to relax,” he tells her. She nods and turns her attention to loosening her muscles and more of him glides in. There’s a kind of burning, but not too unpleasant. A final push and he’s all the way in. He moves slowly at first, but then, seemingly overcome with passion, and with a few vigorous thrusts, he finds his release and collapses on top of her, panting against her neck. She kisses his brow and brushes back his damp hair.

“Sorry,” he says. “I couldn’t – “ “It’s okay. There’ll be . . .” she starts to say but then stops. By this time tomorrow, one or both of them could be dead and there will be no other times. She begins again. “I’m glad I did it. And with you.” He kisses her and moves onto his back. His arm is around her shoulders and she rests her head against his chest. “I love you,” he says. She doesn’t say it back. It doesn’t seem the right time, somehow. But she takes his hand and kisses it. Do we sleep? I don’t know. We spend the night holding each other, in some halfway land between dreams and waking. Not talking. Both afraid to disturb the other in the hope that we’ll be able to store up a few precious minutes of rest. Cinna and Portia arrive with the dawn, and I know Peeta will have to go. Tributes enter the arena alone. He gives me a light kiss. “See you soon,” I answer.

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