#<- (totally doesn't lose their shit on this trope)

[d3cay1ngst4tic]

— melted hearts, and your chest’s so warm.

contents. suguru geto x gn!reader. fluff. tooth-rotting fluff.

★ jiah’s notes. they’re very much in love, if you can’t tell.

“you’re cold.”

it’s not a question, like you’d hoped. just a flat—voiced observation that suguru makes, blank—faced, albeit with a hint of a smirk on his lips. and that one glint in his eye that makes your cheeks flush just a tad more, this time— not from the cold.

(the very same spark in those honeyed pools that tells you i told you so.)

you want to despise it; you really do.

but it doesn’t really help when all he does is smile and shake his head, like you were a child caught stealing cookies at midnight out of bed.

doesn’t really help when all you do is accept it all wordlessly anyway— letting his fingers linger on your icy skin as he softly coos the frost away, warmth seeping into your shivering bones so easily that you wonder if you’re that cold or it’s just his warmth.

(probably the latter, but you don’t exactly want to acknowledge it.)

especially right now.

“silly thing,” suguru murmurs.

(you silently bottle up his voice in your head so you could gulp it down whenever he’s not home.)

“you should’ve worn a scarf, at least,” he huffs, but there’s no malice behind it. just an endless need to take care of you. “wear mine— ah, ah— ” his eyes narrow when he hears your protests, and you go quiet immediately, “no buts. i’m afraid you’re in no position to speak right now, baby.”

(so much for feeling like a kicked puppy.)

you don’t want to throw a tantrum, don’t want to kick about aimlessly and make a fuss out of nothing— you really don’t. it’s just that a little part of you hesitates when you see you’re wearing a scarf and he isn’t.

“but— but you’ll be cold too,” you find yourself stammer, despite yourself.

suguru actually feels his heart stop for a good second.

(what did you say?)

he doesn’t say anything.

he just stares.

you feel your heartbeat pick up its pace a little more, cowering and running away like a deer frightened by just a clatter of stones.

(but then again, his stare seems much more than a stone or two.)

did you say something wrong? is he mad at you for spilling out words that you don’t even know you shouldn’t have said? surely not, suguru isn’t mad at you, no matter what you do. it’s really hard to actually get on his nerves when it came to you. did— did you even say any such thing? or perhaps—

you barely register being pulled forward by your arms, and your face squishes against something.

(warm, you think, your eyes fluttering close against suguru’s chest. grounding.)

you breathe in his scent, marvelling at how blank your mind goes from just catching a whiff of it. like that raging inferno of the trembling voices in your head just now was a distant, fever dream.

(you stick to the thought that it might have been.)

“you’re just so. . . precious, you know that?” you blink, staying still for a moment, not quite registering the crack in his voice as he says it. “silly, silly thing.”

(his silly thing.)

you hum against his chest, idly smoothening out the creases in his overcoat— trying not to think about the way his hands seem to pull you closer, closer, closer still— even if you aren’t looking at him.

“tell you what,” you tilt your head upwards, and suguru’s eyes catch you before you fall into them, “we’ll share.”

(share? that’s a first.)

you probably might’ve said that out loud, because that teasing grin is back on his face— golden cheshire eyes catching the misty sunlight and reflecting it all back on the doubtful little shadows that your moon created.

“don’t sweat it. i’m only saying it because i don’t want to hear you whine—”

“i don’t whine,” you huff out, arms crossing over your chest in childlike petulance, and oh the way your heart stutters when he laughs. laughs such a hearty laugh that you can’t help but succumb to its irresistable pull as well, a muffled giggle escaping you despite yourself.

“of course you don’t,” suguru hums, and you feel him wrapping one end of the cozy wool round your neck, “of course you don’t, darling.”

(he wraps his presence round your ribs while he’s at it too.)

(and you’ve never felt so warm.)

@d3cay1ngst4tic on tumblr. do not copy or post any of my works.

[yanderedrabbles]

Yandere Movie Week [review]

Day 2 - Secret Obsession (2019)

Yandere Score: 9/10

Overall Score: 6/10

I hate to only give this movie a 6/10, because I really enjoyed it.

But it's the kind of fun, turn-your-brain-off flick best enjoyed with ice cream and zero critical thinking skills.

The premise is solid - our heroine Jennifer (Brenda Song) wakes up with amnesia after being chased down by a masked killer. A great set up for tension, and a pretty classic intro to a thriller.

The opening scene yanks us straight into the action. A rainy night. A mysterious, knife wielding stranger. A desperate dash for safety. (If only they could have kept this pace up for the entire movie, sigh).

You can see where I'm going with this. It doesn't go well for our girl.

After she wakes up in the hospital, we're introduced to her husband, Russel (Mike Vogel). His character design had two words on it and those were "buff nerd." Biceps and bifocals.

He's with her through every step of her recovery, sweet and steadfast while she grapples with the guilt of not remembering him, or their life together.

But most importantly, he's here to whisk her away to safety! That safety being a gorgeous house out in the mountains.

With no cell service or nearby neighbours.

I love the cabin chic look Jen, but maybe not the best place to be when there's a killer out for blood.

As you can expect, things go south and they go south fast. Not even half an hour in and we get our first on screen murder. Trust me, this particular yandere is not shy about his intentions.

He works hard to earn his 9/10 rating. He's been obsessed with Jen for years, and her getting married is the final straw. Either she can be his, or she can join his rapidly growing list of victims.

We've got plenty of the classic tropes. Cameras in her bedroom. Isolation. Chaining her to the bed. A total catch, no idea why Jen was never into him.

He's the quintessential "If I can't have you, no one can" sort of guy. Doing whatever he has to to keep his girl. He gets creative with it too. How many yanderes can say they broke out Photoshop as part of their grand plan?

Unfortunately, he's far from perfect. And I don't mean the murders. (Hot guys can do a little murder sometimes, as a treat).

His plan hinges on people just... not checking ID? You're lucky you made it as far as you did, pretty boy. Guess some deranged killers get all the luck.

On top of that, the chemistry between him and Jen is terribly lukewarm. A few tense moments, but nothing simmering hot.

For the most part, he isn't very scary or emotive. Which is a HUGE missed opportunity.

Show us the passion that led him to this point! Show us a man on the end of his tether, desperate to keep his girl! Give us something more than bland acting, and a range beyond straight-faced and slightly-less-straight-faced.

Despite his long list of crimes, he just isn't intimidating.

Maybe the intention was to have this non-threatening guy do all these things as a way to ratchet up the tension, but I don't think the movie had the budget or the time to pull it off.

He gets much better in the third act - more demanding, more handsy. But it never reaches the point where I'm at the edge of my seat wondering if he's about to lose his shit.

Jennifer as a character is moderately likeable. Despite spending quite a bit of time with her, I struggle to think of anything majorly distinctive. Not great. Not terrible. I think it's Brenda Song herself rather than Jennifer who I end up liking.

She's also - how do I say this politely - not always the smartest. And I get it girl, it's hard to think under pressure. But how the hell do you manage to lock your keys inside your car when you're being chased by a killer?

She's lucky she has her golden retriever man to protect her, really.

In terms of technicals, I'd say they're okay. Not very eloquent of me, but that's exactly what they are.

The cinematography is passable. There weren't a lot of shots that made me pause and stare. It has that glossy look that a lot of direct-to-streaming movies have, where you can tell the budget is stretched a bit thin, and the camera guy is antsy to get his cheque.

The score doesn't stick out to me at all. Hate to say it.

Don't go in expecting a blockbuster, high budget film. It's fun but utterly mid-teir in budget, story and characters. The premise has promise, but it fails to deliver as much tension and terror as it could.

Would I recommend? Despite its issues, I'd say it's worth picking up. Not the scariest or prettiest movie on this list, but it's a quick fix of yandere to get you through the day.

Day 1 - Fear (1996)

Day 2 - Secret Obsession (2019)

Day 3 - Hush (2016)

Day 4 - The Perfect Guy (2015)

Day 5 - The Boy Next Door (2015)

Day 6 - The Invisible Man (2020)

Day 7 - Til Death Do Us Part (2017)

Taglist: @jsprien213 @trolleri-trollera @mel-vaz

[avelera]

So my silly little fanfic trope-y Hob amnesia fic (where Hob gets cursed to lose 100 years of memories each night not long after he and Dream start dating officially, so Dream gets a walk down memory lane with all the past Hobs) is becoming a lot more in-depth as I write (it's at 45k words now and I suspect it'll be at least 65k total).

But one of the things I hope readers will realize coming into it is that this is basically a novel. The characters are going to have arcs. And really the main arc is going to be around how Hob and Dream maybe got together in the 21st century before they actually resolved the communication issues that have dogged their relationship since literally the day they met.

And I admit, it's a little weird to be trying to write "Dreamling, but they actually kind of suck at dating" lol like... so much of fanfiction in general kinda runs on the assumption of "once the main couple officially get together, it's going to be great!"

So I hope that people don't get turned off because this fic doesn't open with them getting together and then everything is fine. It actually opens up with they get together and come very close to fumbling the ball! And I worry some Dreamling shippers might not like to read like... "Hey the fairytale ending is just the beginning here, these two aren't perfect and there's a lot left for them to figure out."

Like there's very much a thesis going in of, "Actually, even if they did jump into bed together, Hob and Dream still have a lot of shit to work out between them and might come very close to Not Making It as a couple because they never actually fixed the communication thing before they started fucking. They're going to need to fix that before they actually have a shot and yeah, it could just as easily have been Hob who fucks it up because he has, on numerous occasions over the centuries of knowing Dream, completely missed the mark when he tried to guess what Dream wants and he is perilously close to doing the same goddamn thing again now that they're dating." Fortunately, Hob then gets cursed by an angry witch in true nonsense fanfic-y fashion and Dream gets a reminder of all the different sorts of people Hob has been over the years and there's your plot right there so I'm not going to spoil it too much, but... it's been interesting to decide to actually write how they initially got together in the 21st century for this fic, early drafts just skipped over it and told the audience what had happened, because it's really pulling into focus kinda what this fic is about and why it's not just a silly amnesia story, it really is about Dream pulling back the layers of Hob and who Hob is to him and who he has been to Hob over the years as the real start of their relationship, if it's going to survive.

[mytalemyworld]

Oh God, I thought the writer tried to bury the "forbidden love" trope, I turned out to be sooo wrong…look at these two scenes, we watched them consecutively so the climax would get hurt.

First, here, Alya takes her hand back hastily and he gets angry with himself. OH FUCK

Second, this scene (I was holding my breath the whole time, they ruined me here):

Alya: I can't do it. (She is actually talking about her feelings but how can he know?) Cihan: Please accept this situation. Accept it so I'll walk into this room with my head down. I didn't look at you. I won't (look at you that way). I didn't get close to you. I didn't touch you. (OH FUCK FUCK FUCK, is he referring to the kitchen incident as well?)

WHEN HE SAYS HE DIDN'T TOUCH HER HIS VOICE CHANGES AGAIN, GETS WEAK.

NOBODY WANTS ME TO BELIEVE THAT THIS MAN HAS FALLEN IN LOVE JUST FOR ONCE.

And nor this is all, I know for a fact that his love for Alya is the most heartbreaking, the strongest, the most devastating one. I am not exaggerating, this man can not literally breathe when speaking to her, he did everything to not lose her when she wanted a divorce and it still pains him to be reminded of how forbidden she is to him actually.

And by the way Alya told Nare that Cihan promised her that he would never get close to Alya (physically and emotionally). So the forbidden love trope was reminded. It's all coming back to this, this is why suddenly their old conversations were brought up again.

Guys, let's be honest, if he still had feelings for someone else, he couldn't have fallen in love with Alya, that is not something you want to tell your audience, however, this show is mostly watched by the "total" audience and this was such a risky move. I mean, I have watched 50 episodes of Fazilet Hanım ve Kızları, I've seen Yağız's struggles, how he even brought his friend so nobody would be suspicious of his feelings for Hazan. I've seen worse, Güneşi Beklerken, Yabani…so I'm used to it. But still it was too risky. It seems the guilty conscience will cost this relationship a lot, because Alya said "she can't do it". (Oh God, the man completely lost himself, the reality struck again) And when they got married, Cihan made a promise that he wouldn't touch her, he wouldn't see her in that way. A promise, guys, a promise. He must be ashamed of himself.

I am not saying he didn't love Meryem, he loved her but all happened in the past. But he didn't want Alya to find out more, he thought he would have no right about anything anyway. But I must say, I've watched countless tv shows, you might not enjoy it (it could have been written better, I know) but this doesn't mean this is another dead end. Alya must have fallen in love with him, so they could feel the impossibility that's why this trope is being used harshly now but I wish it could have been handled more openly. Now we have to go through this shit too.

And now we have a bigger problem which is the fact that Alya is falling for him hard but we can't even enjoy it. It's become so painful, why did things end up this way? I can't bear to see her get hurt, I caaaaan't. (When he says he won't look at her that way, did you see how hurt she looks? I AM NOT OKAY!)

He is doing wrong because even though he really wants to stop himself he can't fucking do it, so how long will he keep doing this?

[animentality]

it really pisses me off how isagi doesn't see bachira as a threat.

no one does, not even the damn creators.

isagi is shocked bachira is above him in third selection. raichi can't believe bachira's doing the best out of everyone in the former team z.

he is literally the only reason isagi even awakened his ego in the second fucking chapter. isagi would never have eliminated kira without him.

he was a terrifying fucking presence. you can tell by how he was drawn.

he's a menacing figure.

and he's like, one of the most powerful members of team z from the get go.

he literally solo dribbled/scored against the BEST TEAM IN THEIR STRATUM, who were literally undefeated up until that point, AND who had completely crushed their team morale.

he got past the entire japanese u20 team, and would've scored, if not for Plot.

it's so annoying how he's been relegated to just Isagi's best buddy and he's been thrown off screen.

one of the most wasted potentials in the second selection for me was the fact that isagi losing bachira was treated as only an emotional loss for isagi.

because as sweet as that was, and as much as I love them pining for each other on opposite sides of the cafeteria, it's such a fucking shame.

that never once.

not once.

did isagi ever think... oh FUCK.

the guy who used to fucking carry me for all of the first selection... has now joined the team that I couldn't even beat with him on my side.

fuck. shit.

how am I gonna get him back, when that requires beating him first?

it's because isagi doesn't respect women.

also the creators don't respect women because they treat bachira like isagi's love interest, and thus NOT A THREAT.

misogyny used against a male character, guys, it's possible.

and it's even WORSE.

because bachira and rin should really be this fucking horrifying dream team.

I know rin is doing his whole, I'm better than everyone else schtick, but bachira is EXCELLENT at bringing the best out of people.

he helped isagi eliminate kira. he helped isagi score multiple times. he forced aryu to jump higher, and nagi to trap without totally slowing down the spin.

he is an excellent passer.

he and rin should've been this unstoppable force. the final bosses of second selection.

it would've enhanced the narrative tremendously, because not only is it the emotional climax of this arc...

isagi getting the chance to take his friend back, but also prove he's better than his rival.

but also.

it's an exciting action climax, because the guy he once relied on to help him score, is now his enemy, and he has to use both his knowledge of him as a person AND his new skills to defeat him... so he can take him back.

I would also like to point out, that it would've been a really fun inversion of the battle shonen trope of defeat means friendship, lol.

rin is an excellent striker. bachira should've been enabling him to be even worse than he already was. he should've been seen as a real threat, all along. not just a prize isagi needed to win back.

isagi should've been fucking worried about rin and bachira being on the same team too.

but he wasn't. he was just worried about rin being better.

because he's a sexist.

and he doesn't respect his girlfriend.

isagi, you need to respect women.

also, the creators need to respect bachira.

if they did, they might've actually had rin and bachira bringing out the best in each other, and making that a real fucking problem for isagi and his team.

and hell, they could've even had isagi having a mini break down as he realizes oh my god, bachira might be better off with rin... maybe he'd rather be with him.

make this a proper shoujo, kaneshiro, you coward. show me the cucking.

but no.

no.

sexism ruins everything, guys. it really does.

bachira I'm sorry you keep getting fridged to develop a male character.

this is disgusting.

feminism for bachira, man.

[bayleavesfromthevine]

some kn8 ramblings (with a side order of manga spoilers)

i love that (as far as we know) kafka and mina's tragic backstory is "dead cat." we know nothing of their parents, homes, or friends from after the kaiju attack, only that mina's cat died. (obviously, the series isn't over yet, so this could be totally disproven at any point, but bear with me lol.)

i actually find that really refreshing. yes, it's so heartbreaking to lose a pet, but it's not the typical trope of a character's power level correlating to how traumatized they are (ex: family massacres, everyone they've ever loved ending up dead, backstabbing, torture, etc etc). their traumas are grounded in very realistic and relatable circumstances, and i think that goes to show that a character doesn't need these extreme reasons to want to do good and fight the scary monster. mina's cat died in a kaiju attack and she wants to make sure that no one else has to lose their best friend/ball of floof to a kaiju ever again. that is enough of a reason and a noble one at that.

soshiro, as another example, has a complicated relationship with his family, but they aren't dead or rogue. he's not seeking revenge on them, but rather they did not support him when it mattered and made him feel inferior - that is a traumatizing environment to grow up in, and unsupportive parents & sibling favoritism are also SO grounded in reality.

it really makes these characters feel real, and i think it's a powerful thing for a reader who maybe doesn't have the best relationship with their parents/siblings like soshiro, or who has lost a beloved pet like mina, or who doesn't have natural-born talent in a specific field like kafka, to see these characters take those experiences, work through them, find a support system, and overcome them.

(side note: i LOVE to see that soshiro actually went no contact with his brother for past behaviors! that sets such a powerful example to readers that it's okay to cut out people who have made you feel like shit!!)

of course, there are other characters like narumi and reno who have heavier backstories, but i love that their experiences don't automatically turn them into the brooding emo characters who think only of killing kaiju and seeking revenge with zero intentions to form friendships with the people around them.

it's just really nice to see. i feel like in stories that have a large cast, it's easy for a character's backstory to completely shape their personality, rather than being shaped by a multitude of experiences - good and bad - gained throughout life. (in cases like reno and kikoru, we see them grow as people & change their outlooks due to their positive experiences with kafka and the rest of the defense force. that doesn't override their past experiences, but adds layers to who they are overall.)

i see kn8 getting criticized a lot for lacking in depth or themes - and i do think there is a conversation to be had about locating the series' central theme and whether or not it's been clearly communicated (and whether or not that even matters) - but i also think part of that criticism stems from having a fantastical premise (that maybe SHOULD have a little more death, but that's another conversation entirely lol) with deeply grounded characters, a contrast we don't see too much of - especially from series in the battle shonen & shonen-adjacent genres (thinking about shows like naruto, aot, jjk, demon slayer, hell's paradise, etc).

basically, i find it refreshing that kn8 isn't over-traumatizing its characters despite the fact that the premise would allow it lol

[welcometothedopeworld]

Hey! Saw requests are open :) If possible, could I get headcannons or a drabble, whatever you prefer, of the grumpy x sunshine trope with Ryoga Tosa and reader please? I like to imagine they're total opposites lmao where Reader is pretty petite and bubbly and sweet to everyone, always knows just what to say, but is easily scared...

If not that's okay :) but if so, thank you!

-🐀

Summary: You are the sunshine to Ryoga's raincloud. And you make prison life all the more brighter.

Pairing: Ryoga Tosa X G/N!Reader

Genre: Fluffyish Headcanons

Word Count: 1055

Warning: N/A

Masterlist

A/N: Thank you so much for requesting! I am so sorry for the wait! I hope you enjoy it! I really enjoyed writing this!

In my opinion, Ryoga is the best candidate in all of GokuLuck to have a Grumpy/Sunshine romance

Not saying the others can't, it just works better with Ryoga

Now, let me set the scene for you

Ryoga is in jail obviously

And he's big and mean and scary

But the prison he's in has this program that allows prisoners to foster kittens if they keep up good behavior

And somehow, Ryoga gets one

You're the one to give him this cute little gray kitten

Telling him that this little baby was the runt of the litter and he doesn't have to take her if he doesn't want

Well, he's not taking no for an answer

One, because he really wants a kitten

Two, because he's afraid he'll make you sad if he asks for a different

He doesn't know why he feels that way, but he does

And when he tells you he's going to take care of this adorable yet sickly little kitten, you are just gushing and thanking him profusely

It's like Ryoga's heart melts right then and there at the sight of your excitement and care

When you tell him that if he needs anything, anything at all, to take care of this little kitten

He knows he's going to be annoying the shit out of you by asking questions

Mainly because he doesn't know how to really take care of a sick kitten

But also because he just wants to keep talking to you

Already from that first interaction, he likes you

He thinks you're the sweetest and cutest thing ever, similar to the kitten now in his possession

At first, Shion is giving him shit for having a kitten and Kenta is teasing him

But when they see it's not affecting him, they start to become curious as to why he's not flying off the handle

Well, for starters, if he freaks out, he loses the kitten

And that is definitely not an option

But also, he doesn't seem to care

Because he knows that this kitten, who he's named Pearl, is his line to you

And Pearl is sick a lot, due to being the runt of the litter

So Ryoga is constantly by your side, watching as you show him how to take care of her and nurse her to health

You are so kind and so patient with him

You show him how to gently hold her and how to carefully feed her

You explain every procedure she has to go through and how to give her the medicine she needs to take to get better

And through it all, he also learns about you

Why you love animals so much

How you got into leading this program

And just what makes you, you

He loves and cherishes every second he's with you

But he still doesn't know why

Ryoga believes that it has to do with the fact that you're so nice to him

No one has really been nice to him like you are

So he thinks he just enjoys the treatment

But when he sees you talking to other inmates a part of the program, he can feel jealousy and a bit of possessiveness begin to stir within him

And he wants nothing more than to wrap you in his arms and keep you to himself

Those feelings linger and he finds himself constantly thinking about you

Your presence is everywhere and reaches into his brain at all times of the day

And he doesn't know why

Eventually, Yuto cautiously asks him about how Pearl is doing and how he's enjoying being apart of the foster kitten program

Ryoga enthusiastically tells him that he loves everything about it

He loves Pearl and he loves you

And that's when he gets his why

He loves you

He loves you so much, he's cleaning up his act and rehabilitating because he wants to prove to you that he can

And he loves telling you about his progress and how you praise him for his hard work and dedication

And he loves hearing all your stories about your life and what you like and don't like

When he realizes just how much he loves you, he has to tell you

So the next time that Pearl has a procedure, he tells you just how much he loves you

And when you reciprocate his feelings, he gets a little rowdy

You have to calm him down so he doesn't accidentally break anything

From there, your relationship progresses about as smoothly as it can with him still being in prison

You visit more frequently and your visits are less focused on Pearl

You bring him treats and send him letters

He keeps each letter in a box in his cell and he never shares your treats

Though Kenta has stolen a cookie once and told you that you're an amazing baker

This just leads to you sending treats to all of GokuLuck

Ryoga loves going for walks with you when he can

It's all supervised by Yuto, but he never steps out of line

And everyone can tell how hard he's trying to be the best he can for you

Of course, he still has his occasional slip ups

He still has a nasty temper that flares whenever he thinks you're getting too close to someone else

But you always assure him that he's the one you care about

Telling him that no one will take you away from him

And it seems to settle him for awhile

But he still has his bad days

Sometimes, he gets angry and it's not because of you

He gets frustrated by Shion or Kenta or Yuto or just other prisoners

And he wants to fight and get into trouble

But then he thinks of you and Pearl

If he makes one mistake, he loses both in one fell swoop

And that usually pulls him out of it

He has to remind himself that he needs to be good to keep the two things that make life more bearable

Things with Ryoga are never easy

But you both try and bring a little love and light into each other's lives

And Ryoga promises you that one day, he will get out and the two of you will never be parted again.

[princess-of-the-corner]

fun spin on Never be the same, but I just realized it could still be tied into the Headshot AU XD

As discussed, Chloe seeks a distraction and educating Lila about fanfiction tropes and the way in which she totally just missed her shot is something to wind down with.

After the whole "One bed" bit is done and Lila is trying to hastily reorganize her entire understanding of Chloe, the blonde moves onto the Omegaverse and goes for the most "grounded" one she knows of.

Lila is now readjusting her metal image of Chloe again because if she takes this seriously then clearly she is still brain-dead. They bicker and Lila's irritation at the situation, anger over losing the money and dread of Ladybug coming to cave her head in makes her an easy Akuma target.

Gabriel is mostly just like "hee hee, hoo hoo, things have been going so well and now Lila's pissed off, maybe I can start my plan early or just let her make the situation worse, she hates Ladybug after all"

Unfortunately proving Chloe wrong is more on the agenda right now and Lila's low key scared to step to Ladybug if there will be real consequences so she Akumatizes into DNA-Dominator and uses that authors world building as a basis for the Α-Ω virus and releases it.

Only for Chloe to snatch the Akumatized object and smash it.

Chloe doesn't want to be within a hundred feet of Hawk Moth until she has a means of fighting him, lest he twist her brain again. Lila keys into that and things start to make sense but she lets slip that's he might know who HK is, there's a brief tension where-in both lose sight of the butterfly and Chloe has the truth revealed.

She's less angry (Which is what Lila was hoping for) and more disappointed, but basically resolves to say fuck it and go try and get the Peacock now even if she is tired as fuck. Lila's feeling a little hot and bothered by the whole situation and how... Commanding Chloe is now, but its nothing, really, its nothing.

So they get the Peacock and manage to steal/liberate some of the Kwami and Chloe learns about the spell-book and so has their Sentimonster raid Marinette's place for it & then go to celebrate/recuperate/make out and may... Lose themselves in it.

Main thing is they are to distracted to notice the world waking up to a changing society even as they themselves are changed.

IE, the Α-Ω virus has still been released and before Lila was De-Akumatized launched every which way which includes an airport, train stations and so on. (Or it went through the Alliance rings)

Thus its already all over the world.

Gabriel is freaking out and hastily launches his big final play, fails, and is likely blamed for the new plague sweeping the world, if anyone is and life goes on.

Lila barely registers any of this cos she's too busy having an ego fueled meltdown about the fact Chloe was right and also grappling with the fact she (Lila) is the one who got marked.

Not sure where things go from there but people are still stuck with this XD

I blame the Alliance Rings because Gabe already uses them to magically transmit shit and if he was gearing up to make Lila the catalyst for his bigger plan then he'd link into all of them.

[hey-august]

I'll Be Your Whatever - Story Hiatus

Description: Life is full of all sorts of characters - some who come and go, and others that stay. After propelling yourself into a lie you can't (won't) take back, a certain pirate captain may have a reason to come by more often. (Story tag)

Alrighty, I would very very much like to come back to this fic one day, but I truly do not know when that will happen. I think the outline I put together took away some of the drive to write the actual story, but I still want to SO BADLY.

So this story doesn't remain unfinished for however long, I'm going to share the outline I put together using beat sheets and story arcs.

Tag list: @rorywritesjunk @ane5e @venulus @misadventures0fdes You asked to be included in the tag list for the story, so I'm also tagging you here. I'm sorry for dropping the story and this hiatus, but I hope knowing that the ending exists brings some peace!

For reference: CB = Captain Buggy, MC = Main Character (aka, you, the reader!) WC: ~1.4k

As a recap of the story so far, MC tried to get 2 overly flirtatious guys off her back by saying a stranger passing by was her boyfriend. That stranger was Buggy, of course lol. Trying to stay low and play the part, MC and CB kiss. They joke about CB continuing to be a boyfriend and MC mentions having a treasure chest. A few days later, CB shows up at MCs place with flowers and saying he'll agree to be her boyfriend if she promises him the treasure map.

Chapter 4

They go on a mini date, as a way for them to talk about the agreement - they talk about the timeline and how long to "date." They decide to go get lunch.

Hot dog lunch. Hint at CBs favorite food.

CB blows kisses to MC while she’s in line.

Contract: 

Don’t tell the truth -  a deal’s a deal

MC pays for food

Compliments for Buggy

Hold hands

Kissing? We’ll figure it out if we need to

Buggy has to stop by whenever he’s in town

Buggy goes to the town festival - MC tries to convince CB to agree to go to a town festival in a few weeks or whatever, long enough for dudebros to lose interest. Offers a treasure map.

"If I’m being totally honest, that sounds like my worst nightmare."

MC stands up to someone who tries to insult Buggy’s nose. Fiery. They have to leave wherever they were. CB is impressed by her spunk.

B Story - CB inviting MC to visit the ship. 

At some point CB invites her, a shadow passes over her face, he asks if she really dislikes the idea that much.

MC feels stuck to the small town and guilt about her dad missing those kinds of experiences. She looks at Buggy's eyes and sees the draw of the ocean in them. Whatever enticed Buggy and her dad to love the sea, is reflected in his eyes.

Chapter 5

Fun and Games - coming to the weekend market

Oh yeah, no he said he wasn’t able to make it. But! CB shows up unexpectedly. YN blows him a kiss and he catches it.

CB gets into a scuffle at the weekend market.

Rowdy customer, "how about I pay you in kisses, pretty thing? No? Whatever, this shit isn’t even that good."

“no one gets to treat you like that, you hear me? no one.”

They eat fresh donuts, “oh you have to try these, they’re my favorite,” MC dabs some powdered sugar off the corner of his mouth.

Test of love trope! Conducted by a new jewelry shop. Start easy - eye color, fave food, feed each other, draw each other, blindfold and guess their partners hands, winners get matching bracelets. This is their first kiss.

CB putting the bracelet on MC "This means you’re mine. That’s what you wanted, right?" She gets A LOT of butterflies.

Walking back, the pictures they drew of each other blow away and fall into a tide pool. MC wading through water to get the drawings.

He made the day so special and she doesn’t want this to ruin it.

The drawing / picture she made isn’t that bad, he actually kinda likes it himself. So MC gives it to him. He becomes more enamored with it when she goes to save it from the water.

Nearby sailors / pirates laugh at MC in the water (lighthearted), she calls back that it’s not like they don’t get dirty treasure hunting.

CB gets butterflies from her insistence and calling the papers treasure.

Piggy back ride home? Slightly spicy. It was like their skin was calling out for the other's gentle touch.

Chapter 6

Fun and Games cont - MC said she would see CB off the next day but she doesn’t show up because she’s sick from the previous night.

CB comes by, sees that she’s okay but sick. 

He leaves for a moment and comes back with some stuff to help her feel better. He also postponed shipping off until the next day.

She bashfully asks if he’ll stay a little longer. He stays until she falls asleep.

MC calls him pretty boy and he hecking likes it.

She wakes up the next day to a note telling her that he won’t be in the area for a while.

Chapter 7

Mini scene, MC notices that the dudebros seem to have moved on. They asked for a double/triple date, but MC deflects bc who knows when CB will be in town.

MC mentions this to CB in passing.

Midpoint - Next time, MC visits CBs ship. It’s a good visit. Overall a positive experience. There is some real-ness to life aboard the ship.

Cabaji shows unicycling, meet Mohji and Richie, CB shows off knife throwing (maybe a contest between him and Cabaji, CB wins and Cabaji says at least he’s better at unicycling)

Buggy helps rig the new sails

Pirates swap stories. Talking about what it was like adjusting to life on the ship, but how amazing it is. All the sights and experiences. She has stars in her eyes while listening. Her mind sketching images of what’s being described. She’s even comfortable talking about her dad.

How do you tell your fake bf that you're nervous near him because you're starting to fall for him?

MC likes seeing CBs swagger and how his crew adores him. CB puts his hand on her shoulder and kneads.

She stays overnight (one bed), CB doesn’t sleep.

Chapter 8

Bad Guys Close In - As MC leaves, she’s accosted by pirate thugs, who notice she’s been hanging around CB.

Maybe they think she’s a sex worker? Sugar baby? She tries to say that’s not it, then they think she must be something more special. They could probably get a ransom.

Chop chop Buggy comes in to save the day. Or CB throws a knife, trapping them. CB walks her back home, tries to make it seem light hearted, doesn’t want MC to be too afraid.

MC is a bit unphased since pirates are always visiting.

MC kisses CB goodbye on the cheek. “Could you try that again?” “Better?” “Yeah…”

Chapter 9

All is Lost - Break up because CB is afraid MC will become a target. CB breaks up with YN, afraid of putting her in danger.

Even though CB dealt with those other pirates, that doesn’t mean there won’t be others 

He doesn’t want to put her in danger any longer. Besides, the guys she was avoiding seem to have moved on.

MC asks if he found someone else, something more fun, feels cruel because they don't really think that's what's happening.

I guess my expectations were too high.

Dark of the Night - MC storms back and hands off the map. "A deal’s a deal and I don’t want to be in debt to a pirate."

Wrapped around the map is her bracelet.

Chapter 10

Dark of the Night - Why does CB change his mind? - He reads a letter on the back of the map and realizes he should give it back to MC.

Break into Three - CB's waiting for her at the party. A deal’s a deal. He also gives back the map and leaves.

MC probably talking with the art shop owner:"He likes you, I can tell by how he looks at you." "How does he look at me?"

"You think he's really waiting for me?"

Finale - MC reads the note on the map and runs to the dock for CB. 

Note, from dad: “My dearest seashell, I thought being a pirate was how I could see the world, but then you came along and I saw the world through your eyes. Thank you for giving me the greatest gift anyone could ask for. I hope that one day, you find your key to the world.”

CBs not there? He’s by the wading pools, looking at the moon and drinking alone.

CB moping

How long do you think it’ll take for this to become a memory? Do you think you’ll forget about me?

They wanted to be touched, to be missed, to be loved. Was that too much to ask for?

He’s wearing both bracelets.

"Why did you come back?" "Because that belongs to you, it has your name on it."

"Bullshit, Buggy. You’re a pirate. A treasure hunter. Why did you really come back?"

"Why do you think?"

"You actually wanted to go to the festival?"

"That’s not what I want."

Anguished declaration of love - confessing love during a moment of angst

"I don’t want to stay here anymore. I want to leave. I want to draw the world you see."

MC is steadfast and waits for Buggy to respond. “I want that too.”

Big romantic kiss

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Do you want to?"

"Yes, you have no idea how much I've thought about this."

[rjalker]

Update April 13 2025 because I forgot it the first time!!!

Exibit fucking A for Martha Wells doing this for all her stans:

Literally the Arbora vs the Dakti and Kethel in the Books of the Raksura. The Dakti and Kethel literally get magically mind controlled, and we're told this is slavery and expected to be angry on their behalf and want them to be free. A thing that is literally not possible to happen in real life is considered slavery and therefore is bad.

But the Arbora are "just" systemically oppressed including through the use of literal eugenics, going on for generations,, so we're supposed to think they're not really slaves, because you see they're /happy slaves/, so it doesn't count!

They're not slaves!!! It's just that if they don't do all the work keeping the home running and the kids fed, no one else will, so that means they're /choosing/ to do all the work because they enjoy it!!! They're not slaves, they enjoy being forced to do all of the labor!!!! (Wait, but isn't that just....also literal misogyny saying that women belong in the kitchen and have to raise the kids? You fucking bet it is!!!!)

Ignore the part where they regularly get the shit beaten out of them by the people enslaving them if they cause problems!!!!

Ignore the part where they literally cannot ever leave because they're literally an entirely separate wingless species that has been enslaved by the Aeriat and forced to live up in trees as tall as mountains to prevent them from escaping!!!!!!!!!! You see, it's JUST systemic social inequality and oppression, so it's totally not slavery, it's just how they Naturally Evolved To Be!!!!!!! It's just in their DNA to be laborers!!! That's how they evolved naturally!!!! It would be CRUEL to not enslave them!!!!!!

____

Original post:

A thing I keep noticing in stories about slavery that have been written by white people is that it can never just be "regular" oppression and slavery.

It always has to have some magical or scifi-tech componant to it that makes it work.

The Jaffa in Stargate are only enslaved because they're dependant upon the Goa'uld larva. As though it's impossible to oppress people without literally making them chemically dependant upon you.

Constructs (aka, anthroids) in The Murderbot Diaries are only enslaved because they have brain chips that will fry them if they disobey an order. As though it's impossible to force people to do things they don't want to unless you can literally kill them instantly if they don't.

These kinds of authors don't seem to fundamentally grasp that slavery is a real thing that happens in real life. Without any impossible outside help that only exists in fantasy or scifi. Real people are enslaved and they don't need to have killer brain chips in their heads to do it. They don't need to be surgically altered to rely on their slavers for their health.

It's the same with people who only write abusive relationships if there's some literal actual magical thing keeping the victim from leaving. As though real abusive tactics just don't exist.

It's just really fucking aggravating. I know I've seen tons more examples of this but I can't remember what they were from.

It's like these people just refuse to accept that real oppression exists without the aid of magical brain chips or parasitic aliens. You don't need to be able to literally fry someone's brain if they think bad thoughts about you if you physically or psychologically beat them down and enact real fucking control over their life.

I don't know. This kind of trope just seems like it's diminishing the affect of real slavery and abuse because it's pretty explicitly saying that "if XYZ magical control thing didn't exist, these people wouldn't be oppressed because they'd fight back".

As though real oppressed people don't fight back. As though the whole problem of being oppressed isn't that you lose every time because you lack the power that the people who oppress you use to keep you down.

I feel like it's because A)These people don't want to actually admit how horrible real life slavery and abuse is. B)they see themselves as the main character of the universe, so they think that if they were the one being enslaved, they'd instantly succeed at fighting back and winning, because they either can't, or refuse to aknowledge that when faced with systemic oppression, they'd be just as helpless as every other victim in history. They want to see themselves as all-powerful even in imaginary situations where they face oppression they've never actually dealt with, so they have to add some magical Impossible Barrier over top of the actual oppression to make it justified for why they haven't won already.

They think that if the roles were reversed and white people were systemically oppressed, they'd be the main character who magically leads the uprising with has no casualties. They think they'd magically never get hurt or watch their family or friends get hurt or be traumatized or actually opressed in any way.

It's definitely a form of victim blaming. It's definitely making light of real slavery and abuse. It's very fucking infuriating to have to keep reading in pretty much any scifi or fantasy series that deals with slavery that's written by white people.

so. Writing tip. How about learn how actual systemic oppression works instead of assuming the only way to enslave people is by literally being able to fry their brain?

Like. It's saying "these people have literal murder chips in their heads to enslave them, what's your excuse for not freeing yourself?"

[zvtara-was-never-canon]

So basically there was no plausible way Azula, or any other character, could have been not straight because heteronormativity?

It wasn't because of heteronormativity, it was fulll on HOMOPHOBIA. Cultural homophobia and network homophobia, that were a result of literal decades of full on censorship and legally enforced homophobia on TV and films.

Until 2003, just two years before Avatar, it was totally okay for every state to have laws that were openly anti-gay, and some of them took full advantage of that. We're not talking just "No getting married or adopting kids" here, we're talking "You could get fired because of it. You could go to prison for kissing your partner in public."

Obscenity laws are still a thing today in some states. What are obscenity laws you ask? Basically a legal loophole that allows authorities to go "This thing you did is not illegal, but it offends me personally, so I can treat you like a criminal anyway." When asked to describe what even is obscenity, because that's a REALLY vague concept, one of said authories even said "I know it when I see it" and that was it. That was all you needed then, and if the "criminal" doesn't know their way around legal technicalities, it's all you need now. One dude getting offended at a song, movie or, you guessed, cartoon aimed at children, could make the thing ILLEGAL where he lives.

Nickelodeon would not allow non-straight characters in 2005. There were writters that had been trying to go there since the freaking 90s, and at best it'd result in banned episodes/episodes never got greenlit, and at worst in their shows getting cancelled - likely as a result of decades of the Hay's Code being legally enforced, and still having an effect on TV and film once it was no longer mandatory.

What did the Hay's Code forbid you ask? Oh, just a few things like showing married couples sleeping on the same bed, or interracial romances, or any mention of gay people - unless they were the villain AND the story not only highlighted that they were evil BECAUSE of their sexuality but also killed them in the end as punishment for their sins. That's where the "Bury your gays" trope came from.

Nickelodeon's primary goal is to make money. They were not going to spend money on a show that would result in angry parents, boycots, and episodes or the entire series becoming ILLEGAL in parts of the country.

Bryke themselves said they didn't even think to ASK PERMISSION to make Korrasami a thing until the very last second, almost a whole decade after the original show, because "Any kids network is gonna say no, and if you ask multiple times they might get mad and fire you" was the rule and everyone knew it. And even when they got permission to do it, it was just the two of them holding hands, in a season that was mostly only shown online because of the shows poor performance on actual TV. They didn't get explicit with the "THEY ARE A COUPLE" thing until it gave the show a HUGE popularity boost - aka when corporations like Nickelodeon FINALLY realized "Ooooohhhhhhh, gay stuff is PROFITABLE now, not something that will make us lose money."

It's great that gay characters being straight up illegal/something deeply controversial that could sink an entire series is not the reality anymore (for the most part, again, obscenity laws still exist), but lets not kid ourselves into thinking it was always common to see LGBT+ characters in children's shows.

It's totally valid to reimagine characters from Avatar as being gay or bisexal or whatever you want, but to claim it was CANON is pure delusion AND shows complete ignorance of the history of LGBT+ rights. I'm not even from the US and I know that shit, people, learn a bit of history for God's sake.

Oh, and lets not forget: now that Avatar CAN get away with gay characters, they made Kyoshi openly bisexual. Azula meanwhile continues to only show interest in boys and want only boys to think she's attractive, even after ships like Tyzula became so popular that the voice actresses themselves started to like it. It's almost like the writers ALWAYS INTENDED FOR HER TO BE STRAIGHT, STILL VIEW HER AS STRAIGHT, AND WILL LIKELY ALWAYS THINK OF HER AS STRAIGHT!

We can make headcanons and ship her with whoever we want, but let's not pretend the message isn't loud and clear here. It took years for her to finally be allowed to be written as anything other than just a walking ableist stereotype of a mentally ill person and be treated with any shred of humanity in the comics. Bryke literally said Azula fans are like a cult for feeling sorry for her. They are not interested in almost any reading of her as sympathetic. Not once have they ever so much as acknowledged the popular fanon idea of lesbian Azula.

They're not giving her a girlfriend, guys. It's already a minor miracle that Spirit Temple finally acknowledged she was also a victim of Ozai, and it still ends with her all alone and convincing herself that she is Totally Not Sad about it and will find herself a new group of friends that will Totally Not Leave Her even as she relapses into bad habits. Stop setting yourselves up for failure.

[lightningbreath]

LONG, VERY LONG RANDOM THOUGHTS

We've already started that much of the series' lore isn't in the show... it's divided into shitty twetts, lives, discord, streams, etc. How does the fandom know what happens to souls when they are killed by angelic weapons? It was on a stream or tweet from Viv. How does the fandom know that Angel Dust was a mobster? Live or tweets from Viv. How does the fandom know the year/decade of each character's death? LIVE, TWEET AND DISCORD FROM VIV!!! It's incredible how the series is EMPTY in terms of lore, it only gives minimal information such as that angels can be killed by their own weapons, it explained a little how overlords accumulate power and that Heaven seems to be stupid for not considering that THE TEN COMMANDMENTS AND JESUS ​​EXIST, in addition to the fact that the series doesn't decide whether it wants to be a critique of Christianity (we have the classic trope of corrupt Heaven and religious Hypocrisy) but at the same time it doesn't bring the characteristics that define this religion (God doesn't even exist in this series ?). Adam is not Adam, the fact that he is the First Human means nothing since the series does nothing with it, not to mention that they deprived us of Eve's participation since these two only work together. If Adam were, I don't know, Charles, this would have a total of 0 changes (we would lose the initial joke with Charlie and that disgusting Lucifer "joke" at the end, but those things have 0 relevance). Nothing about Adam says he is the First Man, these characters live by what their names invoke, for without that, they are empty characters. The same goes for Lucifer, nothing about him says he is Lucifer, he could very well be a random demon with another name and it would be the same. The character characterization work was basically left to the fans, who managed to create an incredible characterization not only for Adam, but also for the other characters in the cast.

Another thing: why is there royalty in the Pride Ring? And why do sinners follow her? What's the point of Charlie being a princess? Unless Lucifer is planning to do the same as Lilith and "retire" there is no reason for Charlie's princess title to have any validation. And we're not even talking about the fact that the Pride Ring is basically anarchy, Lucifer and Charlie are both useless when it comes to leadership (Lucifer literally ran away from responsibilities and we have Charlie's regrettable performance both in the Hotel and in the War against the Exorcites). Only Lilith tried to do something and it seems that even she got tired of that shit.

One more question: how long have the exterminations been taking place? How long did Vaggie serve as an exorcist? These questions need answering, one for world building and the other for character building.

Another question: why does the entire HH fandom assume that Lucifer and Lilith were happily married? The story at the beginning of the series is incredibly biased and the photos in Lucifer's studio? Divorced or troubled couples have photos of happy moments, even toxic couples can have photos in this style. And another, why does this fandom never want to hold Lucifer accountable for his shit? Let's not talk about the fact that he stooped to objectifying his "supposedly" beloved wife and Eve just to spite Adam? This is expected behavior from Adam, but Lucifer? And the fandom still applauds as if it doesn't matter. We know that Lilith went to Heaven of her own free will, the series says so, but still the fandom insists on either demonizing Lilith for not having fulfilled the unfounded fantasy that they are "Morticia and Gomez" or that she was forced to go to Heaven. Heaven or who is actually Eve (and all because of a necklace). My God, these two didn't even interact in the series! And best of all: how the fandom can only make Lilith the "evil one" who abandoned the innocent Lucifer and Charlie who are just UwU, who are "pure light", or, that Lilith is a "poor victim" of "evil" Heaven. Amazing how the series and the fandom end up validating Adão's words about things being "black and white". We have no nuances and it has always been very clear who is the “good guy” and who is the “bad guy”.

But, If anyone can explain this mess, I'd appreciate it.

[sweaterkittensahoy]

Reverse trope clegan accidentally kidnapping mafia boss. Like I can totally see Buck as the mafia boss that no one knows is the mafia boss because he looks so angelic

No full story idea has solidified, so let's go to me just rambling this idea out:

Bucky's an expert kidnapper. Don't ask how. Don't ask why. If you want someone kidnapped, and it seems good enough reason to him, that guy is kidnapped.

So when he gets, "Grab the head of the Meatball crew," he spends two weeks observing the Meatball crew (named so because the crew is known to own a series of Meatball sub restaurants that are absolutely fronts but also fucking delicious for the hour a day they are actually selling subs), and the hierarchy seems very fucking obvious. The lieutenant to the boss is one Gale Cleven. The boss is clearly Demarco, so obvious in his pleasure at being a boss he named his fucking dog Meatball.

This is not the first time Bucky's seen a boss name a dog after the crew name, but does Demarco have to be so Italian as fuck on top of it?

So he kidnaps Cleven, and he decides to really annoy him from the beginning by saying, "Shit, you look like a guy I know from back home. I'm calling you Buck."

"My name's Gale."

"Nah, not now it's not."

It takes exactly one set of questions for Bucky to realize he's been played. The lieutenant is Demarco. The boss is Buck. He doesn't give it away. It's too much fun to watch Buck come up with further lies. It's too much fun to watch Demarco run wild all over the city terrified he's about to get caught.

Finally, four days in, Buck says, "Look, John--"

"Bucky."

"No, I'm not doing that. John. You know who I am, and I wouldn't mind spending even more time here, but no one in my organization called for this kidnap, and I need to launder some cash so a few different community orgs that the rich fuckers in my neighborhood won't fund can have enough funding can keep a few kids from joining a group like mine."

"Oh, you're a criminal for altruism?"

"No. I'm a criminal because I'm a criminal. Same as you. I launder the funds because people who tried their best to get away from being criminal don't know how to file for grants and even when they do, still live on the edge of losing one. So, I help."

"I'm a criminal because it's fun," John says.

"Oh, it is," Buck agrees. "But on my side, you also get to annoy the rich people by keeping the non-profits open that keep the poors in the neighborhoods they deserve to be in anyway."

"...Can I work for you?"

"Sure. If you also want to date the boss, just say the word."

"Oh, you better believe it."

[lolotr]

fanfic author 20 questions!

I am late to the party, but i was tagged by @shadowquill17, thanks my love <3 <3

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

51

2. What’s your total AO3 wordcount?

162,166 total words! Not too shabby

3. What fandoms do you write for?

I've written for a bunch of fandoms, but these days it's mostly Dead Boy Detectives. in theory i have other fandoms, but none that i'm so feral for at the moment

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

all of them are DBD which is kind of astonishing to me, this fandom never ceases to amaze 1. after the insects have laid their claim 2. like breathing 3. terms of endearment 4. a certain step towards falling in love 5. you can throw a party full of everyone you know

5. Do you respond to comments?

yes, every single one, no matter how old the fic is! i might be a little slow or miss one every so often, but i really try hard to respond to every one i get. comments mean the absolute world to me, so i want to thank everyone who takes time out of their day to tell me they enjoyed my work <3 <3 i also LOVE when fanfic writers respond to me, so i assume other people do, too

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

i am an angst with a happy ending sort of bitch, but probably one of the fics i wrote during the Nothing Much To Do Radio Silence (TM) when we were all losing our minds with no updates. haven't read those in forever, so maybe Something to Do, Someone to Blame? or maybe it isn't cinema that i wrote for Nothing Like the Sun? or maybe Tropes for Keleidotrope?

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

gosh, so many. again, i write mostly happy ending stuff, so it's hard to pick just one. maybe my fourth favorite public building to visit, if i had to pick one that hasn't been mentioned already. though after the insects have laid their claim has a VERY happy and corny ending that i will forever be proud of haha

8. Do you get hate on fics?

no, thank goodness

9. Do you write smut?

yeah! i'm new to it, but it's a lot of fun

10. Do you write crossovers?

not usually, but i'll stick characters from one universe into a similar universe because something resonates (like Heartstopper Squared or The Quest of the Maddening Mace), but i don't usually write characters meeting or anything like that.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

not that i know of! *fingers crossed*

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

no, but if anyone wants to do so, just make sure to tag me in it and go right ahead!

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

yeah! i have stuff in progress (that we haven't worked on in a while sorry @courfaeriedust) but i've also definitely written collabs that i've published, i think?

14. What’s your all-time favorite ship?

Charles and Edwin from Dead Boy Detectives have such a special place in my heart, and I really hope this hyperfixation doesn't go anywhere, but in terms of pure longevity? Merlin and Arthur from BBC Merlin. I've been reading that shit for a decade. Special shoutout to Alex and Henry from Red, White, and Royal Blue, and Drew and Harrison from Keleidotrope, because I'm still insane about you all too, don't worry.

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

THAT IS QUITTER TALK AND I WILL NOT STAND FOR IT. but to give a kind of cutesie answer, i'm not sure i'll ever be done with the libraryverse. there's so much story there, and i keep having ideas for it, so maybe i'll be able to keep playing in it forever. that would be kind of nice.

16. What are your writing strengths?

why are you making me say nice things about myself. why. overall, i think i'm good at dialogue. i actually wrote a whole manuscript in instant messages because i love writing dialogue so much. i'm pretty good at getting into characters' voices, whether they're my own or someone else's, and i find a lot of joy in writing everything from banter to flirting to meaningful conversations (but some of those are easier than others lol)

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

action, descriptions, things that aren't dialogue. i also tend to keep my writing kind of short, so i don't always allow for moments to breathe the way they should.

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

woooooof the only other language i speak is hebrew (and not amazingly well) so probably not. if i ever got good enough at another language, maybe? but english is my first and by far my strongest language, so I don't think i'd ever be able to express myself well

19. First fandom you wrote for?

as far as i remember, Lord of the Rings. (no you will never find it.)

20. Favorite fics you’ve written?

HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO CHOOSE, THEY'RE ALL MY CHILDREN. how about this, you tell ME what your fave stories of mine are, because im tired of linking things. and because i thrive on praise lol

i am too lazy to tag people specifically, so anyone who writes fic is welcome to answer!

[quigzahhutt]

📓📓📓

Put "📓" or some other version of a book emoji into my inbox and I'll explain the plot of a fanfiction that I haven't written but daydream about!

mmmmmm this one is a little different. still sargebon, but if u aren't a fan of omegaverse, this will not be for u !

me and a buddy of mine have been cooking up like. a relatively complex omegaverse concept bcuz I LOVEEE overthinking tropes and making them like. concrete and realistic (ish), but this is my own little concept that kind of eats me alive every night when I'm trying so sleep

so my own personal headcanon is that Alex is a very just. non-instinctual alpha. he doesn't really get the whole super alpha-y alphas who growl and rumble for their omegas and whatnot; Alex, for the most part, is just kinda normal. a lot of people assume he's a beta at first because he's just so subdued

because of this, a lot of omegas and pups don't really pay attention to him because there's just not a lot of instinctual drive to. it's not necessarily Alex's fault, and plus he doesn't really care. he has his friends and his family who all care about him and that's really all he needs; hes actually relatively comfortable like this. if anything, Alex would probably lose his mind if he was as instinct ridden and wild as other alphas tend to be

but then Logan rolls around, and Logan is an omega and that's like. whatever. Alex doesn't even think twice of it, and neither does Logan despite what everyone else is thinking. alpha-omega teammates have never really gone down well in the past and so a lot of people are talking about it; especially because Logan is so competent on his own, very much the opposite of Alex, who kind of just stays in his own lane

if people assume that Alex is a beta, then everyone assumes that Logan is an alpha, simply just because of how he looks and acts and how feisty he is. so, although the media is worried about them as a pairing, they're also excited because they're sort of peculiar. nobody really knows what to expect

and Alex is included in that, because he really doesn't understand what anyone means when they say that Logan is more like an alpha in his behavior, because to be honest, Logan has been nothing but a polite in every interaction they've had together. kind, even. funny, maybe. Alex doesn't know what to think

and then, well. turns out Logan is excited to be Alex's teammate, because maybe he can rile him up, get Alex acting like the alpha he is. and Alex knows that it's just a joke, that's just how Logan plays around and it's like, totally fine. it doesn't make Alex feel a little insane. especially not after he learns that Logan has always preferred hanging out with betas and other omegas because he doesn't like how overbearing alphas can be, always snarling and whatnot

and it gets worse when George points out that he's never seen Logan act this way around an alpha. y'know, comfortable, easy going. usually alphas would make him kind of anxious, a little bit on his toes. but around Alex, hes... normal. relaxed and joking around and hanging close to Alex totally fine

George waves it off like thats completely fine and not insane, chalking it up to the fact that oh, you're just not all that instinctual, is all and Alex tries to accept it but he just Can't

and then shit starts going downnn. because he starts feeling very different around Logan now. like... anxious, but not because of Logan. but it kind of is because of Logan? Alex then realizes with horror that the thing he's feeling is a protective instinct. for Logan

and Alex has never felt more humiliated in his life, but he also feels bad, because the reason Logan likes him so much is because Alex isn't so instinct-y, that he's not like other alphas, or whatever. and it sucks because Alex is really starting to cherish the dynamic they have going on

but on the flipside, you have Logan who is dealing with his own freak out about y'know, being so fond of an alpha, which is something he's never really had to deal with before. he doesn't know how to cope with that, or how to cope with the fact that Logan can feel his chest unfurl and his scent preen whenever Alex says something positive about him, or compliments him, or says something funny or assertive or affectionate or. oh god Logan is so fucked. his cool, unbothered persona is being totally destroyed as we speak

but of course, in very typical sargebon fashion, neither of them talk about this at all, and so they wind up stewing in these new feelings all on their own. and it starts kind of ruining their relationship, and Alex starts feeling awkward around Logan, and Logan starts feeling uncomfortable around Alex, but it's funny because both of them are so strongly desiring each other. and so now they're stuck

the turning point is sort of when someone points out that Alex's scent is sort of different now, or that Logan seems a lot more relaxed when he's around Alex, or that they both kind of lean into each other when they're together. and it forces them to realize like. oh. maybe I'm not the only one who's feeling this. they then also realize that oh, I'm not the only one being stupid about this, either

and so they do the typical romcon thing where they both try to talk at the same time and then interrupt each other and then argue about who talks first. and they both finally realize oh. I am so much more at ease right now than I've ever been. and it's because of you

[mermaidsirennikita]

Hi,

Can you rec historical romance where hero abruptly has to take care of his family and is impacted by it?

Not Anthony Bridgerton but Julian Blackthorn style

Thanks 🙂

Yes!

The Truth About Cads and Dukes by Elisa Braden is one! The hero had a very cold father and has sort of become the man of the house, is managing a total mess of a brother... who compromised a mousy girl in a non-sexual way, and now the hero is marrying her to make up for it. Fortunately, he's DEEPLY obsessed with her hands.

I would say that Lisa Kleypas's The Hathaways series has this. I can't remember exactly how both Hathaway parents died (one had scarlet fever, I think) but point is that Leo becomes head of the household fairly young, and having just lost his fiancee to the fever... He is a MESS. A MESS. Total dissolute rake. His book is next to last in the series, but each book (about his sisters) shows you his character development. The second one introduces his heroine, too, and they have this slow burn supporting tension. Her Ravenels series has a similar situation, but you get that hero's journey first as he's the hero of the first book. He inherits a title unexpectedly, and with it his three cousins who he now has to take care of lol.

Alexandra Vasti's Ne'er Duke Well has a hero who has to care for his two younger illegitimate siblings. It's pretty fun—he needs to get married in order to maintain full custody of them, and the heroine tries to help him find a wife while CLEARLY being the right wife.

Duke Most Wicked by Lenora Bell is about a duke who was a bit of a mess before, but now has to shape up to find good matches for his sisters. Too bad he's really into their poor music teacher...

Lorraine Heath's The Return of the Duke is about a hero who's doing this in a unique way... His father is a duke and ends up executed and losing his title after he's convicted of treason. The hero has been lowkey trying to reclaim the title and get the family name restored for years, which is what leads him to the heroine... his father's former mistress.

Her Protector's Pleasure by Graced Callaway introduces Ambrose Kent, the patriarch of her Kent family, who is in charge of his billions of younger siblings who all find love in their own books lol (their father had most of them quite young). If I'm HONEST, Ambrose is one of my lower-ranked Grace heroes because he is very like... stolid? In a lot of ways? BUT it fits this trope very well.

An m/m option would be The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen by KJ Charles. Joss Doomsday has kind of fallen into a "protector" role in his crime family, though he certainly has relatives that oppose him and the family matriarch (his grandmother) technically isn't dead... Just very old. He's really sweet with his little cousin.

Lmao if you want "dark but also weirdly comical" Hart Mackenzie was forced to become the family father figure even before his own father died because the man was so abusive. Hart... doesn't always do it right... But he deeply loves his family, and the moment in his book (The Duke's Perfect Wife) where he and Ian have this big like... recognition of how much they love each other... Makes me wanna cry. He's got a lot of paternalistic shit in the first three books in the series (both literally and metaphorically) BUT again, his book is The Duke's Perfect Wife.

OH! Devil Cynster in the Cynster series is TOTALLY this. Deeply dominating and bossy. Also a doting brother/cousin/uncle/whatever he is to all of the family.