#“I wonder where are they...” - other characters mentioned

[wangxianficfinder]

Fic Finder

Jan 27th

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1. Hii! I’m looking for a fic and it’s titled something around wondering if there is a place for me in your life. This focuses on teen lan sizhui coping with the feelings of his father wwx dating again after spending 11 (?) years without someone. Wei Wuxian goes to the hospital at some point (he’s fine though) and Lan Sizhui finds a way to invite LWJ into his life after breaking a gift he gave him. I can follow up with more details if needed! The author was trying to write about a-yuan not immediately warming up to wangxian getting together! Thank you so much for all your hard work!

FOUND? Picture Perfect by manaika (M, 22k, WangXian, WWX/Other(s), Past Relationship(s), Widower WWX, Grief/Mourning, Getting Together, Families of Choice, Family Feels, Stepfather WWX, WWX is the father who stepped up, LSZ is a Wei, Single Parent WWX, Asexual Character, Aromantic Relationship, Platonic Life Partners, it's all in the past and only mentioned/discussed when relevant, Sex-Favorable Asexual WWX, Romance, Hurt/Comfort, Modern, Past Character Death, Food Intake Related Medical Issue (not what you think))

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2. hi! I'm looking for a fic where WWX is seriously injured at qiongqi path, and he's barely kept alive by talismans(?). JC hides his body at lotus pier, but everyone thinks he's dead. idk how he wakes, but there's still the 13 year gap where everyone still thinks he's dead. sorry this is so vague, tysm in advance!!!

FOUND? on restitution by glitteringmoonlight (M, 98k, LSZ & WWX, WWX & JL, WangXian, Dark JC, not JC friendly, Captivity, Angst with a Happy Ending, no reconciliation, Crossdressing, Non-Graphic Torture, Violence)

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3. Hi! I'm looking for a fic that I'm pretty sure has been asked for in the past, that has been likely deleted, I know someone had the pdf but I can't find the post or the pdf anymore so I'm here–

I'm looking for a fic where modern wwx receives a book from baoshan sanren that tells the story of yllz wwx. Modern wwx reads a ritual and ends up in the past with everyone while past yllz ends up in the future. If I'm correct it's a two fic series, with the second one being incomplete where yllz goes to the future.

I also remember that modern wwx gathered people from each clan and talked about the future that he knows. I know that at one point he talks about his family (lz and sizhui). There's also a madam yu redemption, and at one point modern wwx calls fengmian dad? PLS HELP ME FIND IT @dollettw

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4. Hello!! I'm looking for a modern AU - what I remember is Lan Zhan seeing Wei Ying on tv and, like, knowing he is The One in a mystical way - I want to say that the process was called The Call or something, as in 'he heard The Call and knew WWX was his soulmate'. I think WWX was oblivious to this for Reasons (par for the course) - not sure if it was A/B/O but had something of that vibe! @stackingturtles

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5. hiiii im looking for this fic where lwj's mom is some kind of heavenly official and before she escapes her husband to return to heaven, she gives lwj a magical robe (or somethijng like that) that holds images of his memories, and every time something major happens an image/symbol of that appears on his cape @ashxi-wx

FOUND? One for Heaven and Earth by cerbykerby (T, 7k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Supernatural Elements, Angst with a Happy Ending, Madam Lán Lives, inspired by wangxian selkie au, Getting Together) Mama Lan was a celestial maiden though, not a heavenly official.

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6. This is for fic finder btw. First thank you who ever runs this account. In the fic I’m looking for wei ying isn’t dead and is alive for Lan Zhans whipping/ punishment and he hears what’s happening and tries to stop it but Lan Zhang uncle just says to beat Wei Ying to (I think he was like really injured not sure tho). Then one of them ( whoever’s POV it was blacks out). There is a chance this was an omegaverse fic but idk. Thanks again your like gods 🙏🙏

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7. Ello! Looking for a lwj-centric fic that I forgot the name of (⁠｡⁠ŏ⁠﹏⁠ŏ⁠) Pretty sure this is an au where wwx is adopted by the lans, and wwx teaches the lan disciples about talismans. The thing I most remember about it is lwj being named rivals with su minshan and jiang cheng for the attentions of wwx. Wwx is also probably older? Thanks so much in advance!

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8. Hi!! does anyone know of a ghost wy fic where he teaches ayuan demonic cultivation and he kind of like follows him around and protects him? @yesibest

FOUND? as i stumble homewards by the_pretzel (T, 27k, wangxian, canonical character death, found family, food issues, trauma, LSZ pov, angst w/ happy ending, fluff)

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9. Hey guys do you know a fic when Lan Xichen started a different Gusu Lan sect that went back to the basic rules? I think the Lans dad was alive in it and he disapproved and was leading the other one. @kyuubikuroba

FOUND! In Defence of Murder by WhiteWitchDark (T, 18k, WangXian, NHS & NMJ, Hurt/Comfort, Time Travel, Angst)

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10. For fic finder

Does anyone have that fic where WWX gets turned into a woman post canon, he and LWJ decide to try for a kid, it doesnt work at first, when it happens LWJ thinks WWX doesnt want one anymore and tries to apologize for asking him to keep it?

WWX was fine with having the baby by the way, thinking he didn’t was because during the time it didn’t work they assumed it wasn’t possible and he decided he wasn’t going to dwell and make himself upset wondering why it didn’t happen

FOUND? In Sickness and In Health (And In Strange and Unexpected Times Too) by purplemonster (E, 28k, WangXian, Fem WWX, Mpreg, well technically not mpreg since he's a woman, Fluff and Smut, also I know I know I ticked the m/m box because it is wangxian)

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11. hello, i'm looking for an au where cultivators choose their secondary gender after "trying out" each one. Wwx decided on beta and LWJ omega. NHS was agender. At one point, LWJ is threatened/almost forced to permanently pick the wrong assignation for some reason. This fic was not the one by everythingispoetry, though there are similarities to their fic. Ty for your help!

FOUND? Pairfire by PaidSubscription (E, 65k, WangXian, LXC/NMJ, JC/NHS, MM/WQ, Slow Burn, Mutual Pining, Fluff, Relationships 101, Literally...the fic is a relationship course, Getting Together, First Time, Explicit Consent, Bordering on Kink Levels of Communication, Elements of Assigned-ish Marriage-ish, Non-Traditional A/B/O Dynamics, A/B/O With a twist, Because Cultivators CHOOSE Their Gender During This Course, After Trying Out All Three, It’s a Three Course Meal and WangXian’s Gender Acceptance is the Dessert, But Horny Pining is the Main Meal and the Most of the Snacks, Bottom LWJ, Bossy Bottom/Henpecked Top Energy, Everyone is over 21, Gender Choice Raises Issues for Most But I Promise Happy Endings + Everyone Comfy in Their Own Skin, Side Couple Aro/Ace/Agender Storylines)

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12. I've been looking for this fic for years now but I do remember the premise it's an postcanon AU?? where in a bid to stabilize the power WWX was betrothed to Lan Xichen and LWJ was not so happy abt the whole thing (I scoured my history and all but I cant find it)

FOUND? still left with the river by TooSel (E, 77k, WangXian, ChengQing, Canon Divergence, Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Fix-It, Arranged Marriage, Political Alliances, Yílíng Wèi Sect, Slow BurnF, riends to Lovers, Pining, Jealousy, Infidelity, Adoption,Angst with a Happy Ending, Golden Core Reveal, Cultivation Sect Politics)

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13. Wondering about the identity of a fic that I remember only one little scene from. LWJ was visiting Lotus Pier and decided to drink about all his pining. While drunk, he demonstrated his feelings to WWX by removing the strings from his guqin and saying "Wangji without Wei Ying". Hopefully this will ring bells for someone. Thank you! 🐇💙 @linderel

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14. looking for a fic! canon era/setting with a bad ending, where wx are ayuan's biological parents. ayuan lives with wwx and the wens in the burial mounds. wwx dies either from the attack at qiongqi path, or in the burial mounds for some other reason. I rmb vividly a scene where wwx is buried in the burial mounds and ayuan cries and lies above the grave, saying that his mother is gone, in front of everyone else like the lans, jins, and nies.

FOUND! To Offer a Heart by WhiteCrane (M, 111k, WangXian, major character death, Sad WWX, Hurt WWX, YLLZ WWX, soft wangxian, Cinnamon Roll WN, WWX Whump, WQ is a good sister, WN is a good brother, everybody loves wwx, yunmeng siblings, Triggers, Suicidal Thoughts, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Fluff, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Heavy Angst with a Happy Ending, Taking care of WWX, Give WWX a break, Canon Divergence, Disturbing Themes, Changing Perspectives, Eventual Smut, Eventual Romance, Grief/Mourning, Temporary Character Death, Getting Together, Redemption, Sibling Bonding, Marriage, Marriage Proposal, Brotherly Bonding, Brotherly Love, Brother-Sister Relationships, Parent-Child Relationship, Sad and Sweet, Tragedy, BAMF WWX, BAMF JC, BAMF JYL, BAMF WQ, Slow Burn, Slow Build, Everyone Needs A Hug, WIP) Is it possible #14 is mixing up two different fics? Because the bit about A-Yuan lying on WWX's grave in the Burial Mounds and crying about his mother sounds a lot like To Offer a Heart but he's not Wangxian's bio child in that. The bit where the visitors witness A-Yuan crying at the grave is in chapter 11.

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15. Hello, and thank you again for all your hard work! ❤️ For Fic Finder, please help with locating a fic where WWX dies and the truth about JGShit, JGY, JZXun and XY (maybe even SShit, idk) comes out immediately. Here's what I remember: he sent letter to expose them, people investigate and everything comes to light. Everyone except MY is executed in gruesome ways. JZX with lingchi I think. JGShit through being slowly impaled by bamboo. MY ends up giving his golden core to WWX when he comes back. @boxedbutterfly

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16. Looking for fic in which Wei Wuxian's core is given to yanli and it becomes too much for her body and the core explodes because of childbirth and she dies wei Ying is also like lab rat for all clans wanting to know how he cultivated core in such young age I also remember that mxy actually was the real parent of sizhui who was trusted upon weu Wuxian to raise and keep safe pls help me find the fix i would also like to thank you for all the previous times you all helped me <3 @yuukikonnos-world

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17. I'm looking for a story I thought I had saved: after canon, asexual WWX, married to LWJ, but in a female!MX body. They tried M/F sex, but both found it weird. WWX one day realizes that LWJ used to look at (old, male) WWX with lust, but no longer does. LWJ tells him he used to dream of bottoming for WWX. WWX wants to fulfil that dream for him, and (via NHS?) finds someone to create a wooden penis/harness. LWJ enjoys it a lot (WWX also likes being a service top essentially)

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18. Hello! I'm looking for a complete fic on AO3 where Qin Su did the sacrifice ritual to bring back Wei Wuxian. He is now a woman. She left him a letter explaining why/what she wanted, and he has to keep up the act of being Qin Su for a little while until he can come up with an excuse to get out of Koi tower.

I don't remember what he was running around doing once he got out, but along the way he bumped into Lan Wangji, who is travelling with "Mo Xuanyu" investigating the demonic arm.Mo Xuanyu actually summoned Jin Zixuan using the ritual, though I don't remember if that was on purpose or if JZX was just the next best target with WWX already summoned. Because of Qin Su's letter to WWX (? They knew somehow), JZX knows that WWX is technically his sister now.

I don't remember much else apart from some minor stiff arguing on JZX end because LWJ is seducing his technical sister or something like that. He's not impressed/pleased. WWX is just as happy about being related to the peacock now. LWJ realises he is WWX-sexual. Yadda yadda.

Based on other fics I know I read around the same time, the publication/final update should be no later than 2022, but I might be wrong.

If this fic could be found, I would really appreciate it. Thanks in advance! @ramblebrambleamble

FOUND? The Tales of Despereaux by stiltonbasket (T, 53k, WIP, WangXian, LXC/NMJ, JC & WWX, JYL/JZX, JC/WQ, Canon Divergence, Additional Warnings In Author's Note, (when applicable), major ships are listed but others might pop up!) It's the first 23 chapters. Stilton's tumblr also has its masterlist

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19. looking for a fic! i remember it was either someone needs to fight lwj and win(?) to get his hand in marriage, or he needed to give them an item like a token or smth. wwx is in an animal form of sorts i can't remember, and lwj freely gives the item to him while in animal form

FOUND? it’s you, it was always you by myung (G, 7k, WangXian, Bunny LWJ, Mutual Pining, Light angst, Based on Tumblr post) sounds like it's you, it was always you but Lan Zhan is the shapeshifter who gives Wei Ying his forehead ribbon while in rabbit form.

FOUND? heartkeeper by postingpebbles (G, 7k, WangXian, Animal Transformation, Canon Divergence, no war au, Shapeshifting, light convos abt the jiang family dynamic, WWX draws a lot and talks to a rabbit: the fic, Fantasy, Mojo's bookmark, heartkeeper [podfic] by esbielle) Lwj is a rabbit with a chain with a key to hanguang-jun’s heart

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20. Hello :) I need help finding a fic, I don't know if it was deleted or not, but it was a time travel fic where I think sizhui and jingyi went back to either just before the sunshot campaign or just after it but they were either together or the feelings were there they got wangxian together early and wangxian I vaguely remember adopted both older (kinda not officially) and baby sizhui (officially) and I remember also kinda vaguely know but I can't remember if it was Jingyi or older sizhui dying I remember jingyi and older sizhui got married before the death, there is a memorable scene of older sizhui and wangji flying together and sizhui was telling him about his life as a kid with wangji please if you can help it would be appreciated also I do know it's not 'Tragedy is not the end' by Hobbsy3 thank you!!! @lotus-cloudbunny

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[mozart-the-meerkitten]

Been rewatching the early Marvel movies and apparently this is the time of my life where I just get re-obsessed with characters I love so here's some random thoughts about Loki/Thor the Dark World:

Why. In the world. In the universe. Did Odin not ask Loki ANY questions when Loki was brought before him for judgement in Dark World? Like, at the BAREST MINIMUM he should have asked where Loki got an ARMY, the last time he'd seen Loki was when Loki fell off the Bifrost and then he vanished for a year and showed back up with the glowstick of destiny and an army that Thor says "are not of Asgard or any world known". ODIN. WHY ARE YOU NOT ASKING QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS?!

Like, we are aware that Odin is. partial to giving his kids harsh punishments. He obviously doesn't care about Loki's motives. Like, a good parent would look at their kid who disappeared for a year and then came back insane and be like "hey so what happened to you when you disappeared? you didn't get captured by a super powerful being and tortured into submission did you?" (Thanos tortured Loki I have SOURCES and I WILL cite them upon request) But even a bad parent who was a decent king would wonder how their kid suddenly got an ARMY out of NOWHERE and yet Odin never questions this at all. Even Thor in Avengers at least asks Loki "Who showed you this power? Who controls the would-be king?" (which just shows Thor would honestly be a better king than Odin tbh) but Odin is just like "nah this is not important. imprisoning my son for life and telling him how worthless I think he is is more important in this moment."

I wonder if she'd had more time if maybe Frigga would have been able to get Loki to tell her what happened and if maybe that was part of her goal of visiting him (beyond just, you know, actually being a decent parent who cares about her child and wanting to keep him company) because we know she's clever (she's smarter than Odin good gravy, is there like an age difference between them is he going senile or something) so PERHAPS she thought if she talked to Loki she could puzzle out what had happened to him and find out if there was, you know, a potential universal threat Asgard should be aware of. And like, if she had found out anything what was Odin going to say? He can't actually punish his wife in any meaningful way (lol imagine he tries and she just grabs her two grown sons and leaves, help xD) especially if she found out IMPORTANT INFORMATION that he SHOULD have discovered on his own.

This does kind of highlight an underlying problem with Odin, where he seems to think that Asgard is invincible and is, well, lazy about defending it. Like, I've seen posts about how Loki letting the Frost Giants into Asgard in the first movie is actually him not just showing that Thor is not ready to be king, but also demonstrating that Asgard has dangerous holes in its defenses. Because yeah, Loki can HIDE HIMSELF FROM HEIMDALL and sneak into Asgard. Heck, he can sneak OTHERS into Asgard while he's not even WITH them. That- that is a security threat, because if anyone BESIDES Loki could do that then Asgard could easily be invaded and- wait a second, that happens in The Dark World! The Dark Elves hide themselves from Heimdall and sneak an invasion force into Asgard! Destroying it's defenses and KILLING ITS QUEEN. Like, my goodness, do you think Loki is the only person with these abilities? Are you even trying Odin? At all?

TLDR; Odin is an idiot for not questioning Loki about the Chitauri/where he was for a year between Thor and Avengers, not to mention an awful father and an incompetent king.

[hazelcephalopod]

The fact that Ludinus already lives in one of the most religiously restrictive and authoritarian -and imho proto fascist- nation and has immense influence in how it is run and has for centuries. Where wizards wield immense political power and use it cruelly. The empire and its various policies are shown to harm people from the bottom and quite far up too. The empire has produced three arch wizards who set out plots to bring disaster to all of Exandria. I’m supposed to believe he’s gonna bring a better future? That any of his super villain plan is anything but at very best, selfish and misguided? If the empire is a model of the future he wants no thanks. If the -possibly better- dynasty is a model of the future he wants alsk no thnx. (And I didn’t even mention Molaesmyr until now and won’t expand but…)

Meanwhile, Vasselheims issues-

Restrict magic, tho this seems to be spottily enforced based on what we’ve been shown. And I don’t fully agree but, we saw calamity.

Make whatever those masked holy super soldiers are called. Which… we really don’t know a lot about so it’s hard to fully judge.

Enforcing “don’t let anyone know about what Ruidus actually is because it could put us all in danger”. (Which they are proven to be entirely correct about arguably?)

They are kinda dicks s/x. But honestly, being a bit rude to the weird, rude adventurers is understandable imho. But idk if it backs up the attitude toward them.

Finally. The Heathdell fiasco -which notable no one in Vasselheim has ever brought up, for whatever reason. Which I could get into again but won’t. Briefly I will add, it did not even fully show that the temple was that much of a issue with the way everything went down, but doesn’t absolve them entirely either. (Also, their leader was hella sus too. She was in the Titan cult at one point!)

… imho maybe C3 should have been set in Issylra if not around Vasselheim specifically to better explore the issues with not just the temples but the gods themselves. If that was the original idea Matt wanted to explore this campaign. At the very least a more religious city should have been included and better explored with characters of various diverse opinion including religious ones. But alas.

And as stated. Those are Vasselheim issues! Almost everything about the gods until very late campaign is just random opinions!

And. Tbh. Laudna brings the most to the table in her dislike of the gods. A) Turn Undead affects her, this however might not even be the gods it’s just an unfortunate part of her undead condition; no it’s not fair too her and I think even she starts to recognize that yes it has harmed her but isn’t intrinsically a slight against her. B) this one is stronger, being chased out of villages by priests leading mobs is mentioned. Which is terrible and unfair to her, and discrimination. That’s true. But also. I saw how she interacts with people, including children, including Gwen DeRolo and if there were occurrences of that before I’m not fully excusing those people who terrorized, I’m sure for some just being undead was the reason, but I gotta wonder if it wasn’t… other issues sometimes too.

Now. I like Laudna. I’m at least excited that this could bring some big changes to Exandria. I’m not a fan of how we got there this campaign with everything shown before -and frankly tbh shown during Downfall and before that in Calamity.

I keep coming back to like, if the entire point of Ludinus & BH's plan here was only to prevent a second mass destruction event like Calamity - the gods being too big to fight with each other without mass collateral damage, and having the ability to wipe out a city like Aeor - then I could see there being a logic in "the gods gotta go, one way or another", setting aside the possibility of mortals to once more develop that same power as Aeor did in the Malleus Factorum, and notably, that we don't know if the BH Third Option will be an effective de-powering of the gods themselves in perpetuity, since it's unclear what will happen to their divinity, how permanent the transformation would be, or what Predathos might do (stay as a presence in a Vessel as insurance? be released and stay on its own? be released and go, taking the threat against the gods with it?). But again, setting all that aside, I can see the logic of looking at the Calamity and going "we must prevent this from recurring at all costs", and not trusting that the gods will never reach the unanimity break the divine gate, and the story digging into the ethics of ends and means. Sorry, gods, you're just too big to be here - shrink or GTFO. (Note if this is the case, this would/should also apply to the Titans if they were still in play, as they have the same widescale destructive capacity.)

But Ludinus and BH also heavily cite more day-to-day systemic oppressions and inequalities among the world of mortals, perpetrated *by* mortals. The power of temples, the intrusion of worshippers on communities like Hearthdell, and otherwise the presence of gods-based religion in all facets of life creating unequal outcomes. Now, I tend to agree with meta positing that we didn't get a strong narrative of gods-based religion being the hegemonic power in Exandria, only that, like other power structures from, say, governments - it exists and can be used for good or ill, with disagreements about what "good" and "ill" are. But Ludinus certainly wasn't spending any time trying to make the Empire's government more agnostic or materially improve the lives of the common people there or anywhere else, despite his vast influence (and he maintained allies like Ikithon, whose idea of a youth enrichment program was the Volstruckers). Critically, the idea that his or BH's plan will effect systemic mortal change hinges on the gods' fate changing the power of their followers, who comprise the presence of gods-based religion on Exandria itself, and these situations where inequality is indicated.

However, we also don't yet know exactly how the gods taking any of the 3 choices - become mortal, run, be eaten - will materially effect divine power that is wielded by mortals. Maybe it will change, maybe it will diminish either permanently or temporarily, maybe it will be the same with the rationale it is powered by mortal faith as opposed to some intrinsic god-stuff. We just don't know yet. Moreover, even if the powers vanished, the faith and the associated sociopolitical structures might remain. It feels like a gap in logic to me which weakens the conviction of the road BH are taking now, and tempers the triumph that this is the "best" solution, because it's still unclear how it addresses the actual problem statement of "no more Calamity AND no more inequality among mortals from gods-religion".

One aspect I didn't touch upon above is that of answering prayers and granting boons, which sort of sits in the middle between the gods' own power and what mortals wield, and is part of the tapestry of the gods' influence in mortal life. Ludinus's plan to kill the gods did follow that any sort of "favoritism" would no longer be in play, but the BH Third Option is less clear on that. It is certainly possible that the gods will become unable to answer any prayer or grant any boon in the same fashion they might have before, and this would very literally remove the issue of "unequally answered prayers" for a measure of that concept: all phone lines are down, no one gets to make a call. But neither Ludinus's plan nor BH's would necessarily solve situations like Bor'dor's, where his mother took on the punishment intended for him believing that her faith in Melora would protect her - or at least would not be a linear "this kind of thing definitely won't happen anymore" because mothers protecting their children and faith in optimal outcomes are not solely the providence of religion, nor is imperfect access to power and safety. The kid Bor'dor accidentally harmed was rich, and this informed the severity of the punishment/lack of forgiveness - there is a very local class struggle aspect there which the gods played no part in, and which their removal would not prevent.

The BH Third Option may be appealing in its potential bloodlessness, but it's also so recent and zoomed out that BH themselves haven't fully revisited what more specific problems they are actually trying to solve, and the story on the way there hasn't scaffolded sufficiently to make it clear. Perhaps there is a narrative to be told in BH taking action despite uncertainty - "we don't know that this will change anything or everything but we have to try" - but that is still weakened by the insufficient exploration of religious hegemony in everyday life, and in BH themselves not solidifying their trajectory of intent earlier (in either direction!) even if their means were uncertain. Like, there is absolutely a version of this whole thing which could have better supported the rationale to shake the etch-a-sketch, whether framing it as "right" or "justified" or even just "logical" from a character-driven arc perspective, but just that's not quite what we've gotten, nor does it seem to be explicitly about about making a desperate and imperfect choice. It's somewhere in the muddy middle.

Anyway, I find it interesting to try and follow these throughlines - and very eager to see what happens next, because it will help define some of these ramifications more clearly, which will absolutely make for a fascinating end of C3 and C4 world state whatever they are. I'm here for it! I'm also still enjoying the show, enjoy BH as characters, etc, all of that, if that need be stated. I will say - this is all certainly taking a chance and rolling the dice!

[chimken-nugget]

not trying to turn this into a warrior cats blog but i have to say, one of my favourite pieces of warrior cats media has to be the Cats of the Clans Field Guide.

Genuinely, this field guide acknowledges some of the biggest gripes I've had with the warrior cat series (and through the perspective of Rock !!).

Also, it's just super well written (imo, at least) and the art is gorgeous ????? The idea of the reader being in the perspective of 3 starclan kits talking to Rock is actually so peak.

Of course, we have the usual continuity errors that appears in almost every book post-TPB, and some stuff did not age well lorewise, but i don't think the writing team ever really thinks that far ahead for the lore to be properly coherent anyways.

I'm just going to share a few of my favourite things about this book, though i do recommend reading it yourselves.

Warning: Massive wall of text below

- Rock being unbiased towards any clan. One of the few books where I didn't feel like it was leaning towards one clan more than the other. Having each clan be represented by the 3 straclan kits (mosskit for river/thunder, blossomkit for shadow, adderkit for wind) is such a smart move. Any biases are portrayed through the kits themselves.

- Rock has these moments where he openly criticises the clans for the way they tend to consider themselves better than non-clan cats. He says that there have been better cats to exist who were never involved with clan life. It was honestly so refreshing to see this weird supremacy stuff get acknowledged.

- Rock also acknowledges that starclan is flawed. Throughout the book he wonders whether they have biases and mentions how strange it is that shadowclan keeps getting messed up by starclan (e.g. the nightstar situation). He also mentions how faith in starclan isn't everything.

ALSO ALSO, quote from the book: 'For once I believe Starclan has acted in every Cat's best interest'

"FOR ONCE",, I love Rock.

My only wish is that leafpool getting doomed by starclan (and the narrative) could've been acknowledged. However, this book was pre-OOTS perspective, so leafpool had not yet reached fully doomed status.

- Rock wonders whether tigerstar ever looks at hawkfrost and remember his persecution of halfclan cats (this drove me insane while reading TNP i am so glad it has been pointed out here)

- Something that stood out to me so, so much as well is the way Rock points out, and criticises how overlooked Sandstorm is and how she tends to be reduced to simply being the mother of Firestar's kits. Rock is a no. 1 sandstorm fan, and i agree with him.

- Rock's disdain of spottedleaf being in Firestar's business is so true. Thank you Rock for speaking on what the authors would later forget.

- Rock calls Tallstar's last-minute deputy change foolish. Tallstar is one of my favourite characters, but even I have to agree with this.

- PRINCESS SITS ON THE FENCE AND STILL WONDERS TO THIS DAY WHETHER HER KIN ARE SAFE

Genuinely, what ?? Did the Erin Hunter team actually just decide to sit down that day and properly (kinda) consider all the flaws of the characters they created.

idc what anyone says, i consider majority of what this field guide says to be canon LOL

[schrijverr]

Hi, Eddie. Hope I’m Not Bothering You?

Divergence from chapter 9, where Buck decides to go through with calling Eddie after making it out of the plane crash. His side of the conversation is overheard by Hen, who has some questions for him when they make it back to the station.

On AO3.

Ships: Buddie, Henren

Warnings: referenced minor character death, referenced near death experience, insecurity

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Hen is still shaken herself. Mass casualty events always make her anxious and slightly despairing, always make her want to hear her wife’s voice. Hear her son.

It’s already late, so the latter doesn’t happen, but Karen picks up the phone and talks with her for a bit as they drive back to the station. Hen leans against the window, letting the words wash over her. She’ll listen better some other time, Karen knows this is more about the comfort of hearing her be okay.

When she finally feels human again, she thanks Karen in a soft murmur, promising to drive home safely, before she hangs up.

After that, she finally tears her eyes away from the streets zooming by outside. Most in the rig are sleeping, having called spouses or partners. The only outlier is Buck, who is staring at the lit up contact screen of someone. Hen can’t make it out.

On his forehead is a little crease and he keeps biting his lip. She is about to ask if he’s okay, when he suddenly takes a deep breath, before he clicks the screen, bringing the device up to his ear. Curiously, Hen keeps quiet, listening.

It barely takes a second, before whoever Buck just called to pick up. From where she is, she can’t hear what is being said, but she can hear Buck shyly say: “Hi, Eddie. Hope I’m not bothering you?”

Hen watches as Buck’s eyes turn surprised, then bashful. Whoever this Eddie is, it’s clear Buck is fond of him. Very fond. And Eddie is probably also fond of him, because he must have expressed concern for Buck to reply with: “I’m okay, just took a small dip in the ocean, but it’s alright. Ice baths are good for you, right?”

That last part makes him want to strangle him, because ice baths are not a proven thing and what he just did very much wasn’t an ice bath. It was a near death that almost gave her a heart attack.

Fortunately, Eddie must agree, because Buck goes: “I am, I am. No hypothermia, I promise. Hen gave me a blanket and I’m going to make sure I’ve stopped shivering before driving home.”

It’s a little strange to hear her name said to someone she doesn’t know. It becomes obvious that Eddie is someone close to Buck, maybe even a boyfriend. He did stop sleeping around after all. However, she half expected that they all would have known if Buck started dating. He’s not one to keep that sort of thing to himself. So, this puts her off slightly.

She doesn’t know what Eddie replied to that, but Buck sounds a little confused as he says: “Uh, yeah, that was the plan, yeah.”

Eddie must disagree, because Buck frowns: “What? No.”

“Come on, Eddie, you don’t have to do that. I can drive just fine,” Buck tries to convince Eddie, but Hen mentally hopes Eddie wins this. Buck is still pale and shivering. He shouldn’t be driving. She is half starting to feel bad about listening in on a private conversation when Buck hits her with something that piques her interest: “What about Chris?”

Eddie was already a new name and a surprise, but adding Chris is suspicious. She doesn’t want to assume or judge when she doesn’t know, but that sounds questionable. Why would he need to check if a random other guy is okay with Eddie supposedly picking him up?

She already thought that Eddie might be a boyfriend. She can understand him not sharing, since he never mentioned anything about his sexuality. He might just not be comfortable being out. But now, she has to wonder if there is another reason he didn’t mention it. If it’s an affair instead.

This is almost immediately tossed out as possibility by Buck saying: “He needs sleep, you could accidentally wake him. I’m good to drive, I swear.”

Hen knows that concern. That is parental concern. Did Buck start dating a parent? Is that why he didn’t tell them, because he didn’t want to get the flack and jokes?

Now, she feels bad for him, because she knows that they would have made jokes about it. Buck isn’t an immature kid or anything, but he has a frat boy vibe. She thinks it’s sweet of him to want to help and with the way he is with kids, he’d probably be alright, but they would’ve teased him regardless. It makes her guilty that that prevented him from asking for support.

“You don’t know that,” Buck sulks indignantly.

Hen blinks back into the conversation, putting her musings aside to focus. It takes her a second to connect that response to Buck’s assurance that he’s okay to drive. Seems that Eddie agrees with her assessment of him, despite not being able to see him. That’s kind of romantic.

And it seems that Buck is also won over by it, fondly rolling his eyes as he goes: “Alright. Fine. You win. Come pick me up.”

Almost immediately after, Buck pouts: “No need to be smug about it.” Eddie says something, then Buck’s pout deepens as he quietly exclaims: “I’m not pouting!” There is a beat, then Buck rolls his eyes: “Ugh, you’re such a dick sometimes.” Hen can’t stop the small grin on her face at that.

Then he suddenly falls silent. Hen’s smile drops. It doesn’t seem like the listening silence, Buck’s eyes get a little watery and he chews his lip, as if he’s considering if he should say something at all. Despite herself, Hen holds her breath as she waits for Buck’s decision.

When he finally speaks, there is a vulnerable note in his voice that she has never heard there before, but instantly recognizes when she hears what he is saying. “But Chris- He’s okay right? I know that’s stupid, I just… There were kids on that plane, you know?”

Her heart does a familiar constriction. She still feels exactly like that every single time with Denny, but it was so much worse at the start. This is Buck’s first mass casualty event. Maybe even his first big accident since he starting dating this dad. Of course he must be terrified and unsure if it’s okay to ask if the little guy is okay.

It’s very sweet and she can’t help but watch how Buck’s eyes get wide and his face flushes, a pleased little smile tugging on his face, before he shyly asks: “You will? I mean, you don’t have to, but, uh, thank you.”

The smile grows a little and he looks practically giddy as he says: “Yeah, I’ll meet you two outside.” Then after a beat: “Bye, Eddie. See you soon.”

He hangs up and looks at his phone a bit, smiling, but unsure what to do with himself. In the end, he nods a few times, then clicks the screen off, before stuffing it back into his pocket. With a little grin on his face, he watches them pull into the firehouse.

Everyone starts to wake up, the familiar sounds and corner of pulling in rising them. Bobby has been sitting in the front seat, but Hen doesn’t think he’s been listening. He seems kind of zoned out, which is unusual for him, but then again, he’s only been here 18 months. This is the first time she’s seen him this close to losing his life. Maybe that’s normal for him.

They all climb out of the rig and trudge towards the showers. Hen would pull Buck aside to ask her questions and give the encouragement he might need, as well as help or advice. However, he is still soaked, so instead she says: “Make sure it’s lukewarm when you start. I don’t want you to hurt yourself.”

“Thank you, Hen,” Buck smiles and Hen is glad to see he’s dealing better with the losses they’ve suffered today than when he started. This Eddie is good for him.

Everyone washes the gross ocean smell and salt of themselves, with most of them leaving in their own cars or getting picked up. It’s been a long shift and Hen is glad they can hand it over.

She herself would usually already be on her way to drive home and collapse on top of her wife. But she wants to check on Buck before she leaves and satisfy some of her nosiness. Both to support a potential fellow queer parent and to have gossip to bring to Chimney in the hospital, since he can’t be here to collect it himself.

So, she doesn’t instantly crawl behind the wheel when she comes out of the shower. Instead going to sit down next to Buck and nudging him with her shoulder as she asks: “Are you okay, Buck?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine,” he smiles tiredly at her, damp hair curling at his temples. “Just called for a ride, my arms feel like they’re going to fall off.”

“I hear you, I’m gonna sleep so hard when I get home,” Hen smiles back. Then she makes her move, curiously asking: “Eddie coming to get you?”

Buck stiffens in surprise, giving her a confused look.

Apologetically, Hen says: “I couldn’t help but overhear your call on the way here, sorry. I didn’t know you were seeing someone.”

At that Buck flushes a bright red, seeming mortified as flails his hands and goes: “Oh, uh- No, no, it’s- it’s not like that.”

Now Hen feels uncomfortable and wrong footed. It’s not like she’s never been wrong before, but it doesn’t happen often and she was so sure. “Oh, I’m sorry, I just- I guess, I assumed. My bad.” A beat, then curiously she can’t help but ask: “Then who is Eddie? And who’s Chris? He sounded like a kid.”

Buck’s face does something complex, before settling on a grimace. “It’s complicated.”

Hen nods quietly to herself a few times, trying to figure out what to say. She started the conversation, it feels weird to just end it now. However, she knows how annoying it can be for people to poke. But she’s also nosy. In the end, she asks: “Complicated as in you’re not willing to tell me or…?”

“Complicated as in it’s a long story,” Buck finally sighs, rubbing his face. “I’m married to Eddie, adopted Chris.”

Now her eyes nearly fall out of her sockets. Maybe that assessment of it being an affair wasn’t that far off, but Buck wasn’t having an affair with Eddie, but cheating on Eddie.

Oblivious, Buck continues, only making it worse: “Eddie was in the military. He got injured, so I’ve been kind of providing for now. Chris is a great kid, I’m going to miss him.”

“Uhm, Buck…” Hen says, as in ‘what are you on about?’

“Yeah?” he asks, looking to be completely genuine.

“I- I don’t mean to assume – again – or judge,” she lies, “but leading an injured person on and fucking over a kid, is a horrible thing to do.”

“What do you mean?” he frowns, looking confused. Hen’s heart stops. She honestly thought Buck was a good kid, someone who’s heart was in the right place. She warmed up to him. God, she really should have known better than to trust a frat boy vibe. Of course he doesn’t even realize that what he’s doing is wrong.

“You’ve been sleeping around left and right,” Hen exclaims. “And clearly he doesn’t know that by how he’s acting. And clearly you’re aware it’s going to blow up in your face and tear your family apart and all you can manage is that you’ll miss him?”

Blink. Blink.

“Huh? Oh… No! No, no, that is- that’s not what is happening.” With wide eyes and grand movements, Buck desperately tries to convey that this is not the situation.

“Then what else is happening?” She honestly can’t come up with an explanation that will make all this better.

“It’s a marriage of convenience. Eddie’s straight. He only married me so I could adopt Chris and take care of him while Eddie was in the army. The plan was to divorce when he came back from tour, but then he got hurt, so we didn’t so he can recover. But he never wanted me in his life. It was just easy, you know. Once he can work, he’ll divorce me and- and I’ll lose it all…”

Tears come to his eyes and his voice wobbles when he forces out that last bit of explanation. He seems devastated, but trying to hide it and kind of failing at it.

Again, Hen finds herself wrong footed. That sure is an explanation that will make all she thought better, but that is also so much worse. She can’t imagine knowing there is a deadline to having Denny. To be married to someone who doesn’t love you, but just uses you.

She gets dealing with that has been so hard. It explains why he was practically spiraling when he got there. The sleeping around, the exploding at a patient, the way he never fully commits to team drinks after work.

It’s clear Buck is all in. That he loves Chris and Eddie. His family. That he doesn’t want to lose it and isn’t ready for it to end. And she can’t imagine how anyone could do that.

But it still doesn’t sit right in her stomach. Sure, she didn’t hear what Eddie said, but she’s pretty sure he’d been worried about Buck catching hypothermia, as well as strong armed Buck into getting picked up when he wanted to drive home, and at least comforted him about Chris. None of that sounds like a person that would just kick Buck to the curb.

However, she doesn’t know Eddie and she does know Buck, who is sitting right next to her looking like he’s about cry. So she definitively says: “Well, then Eddie is a dick.”

“Hen!”

“What? He is!” Hen exclaims. “If he is only using you for money and child care and is then kicking you to the curb, then he is a dick and you deserve better. You’re married and adopted Chris? You can take that man to court when it comes to it. Cause he’s an asshole.”

“No, no, he’s not,” Buck immediately goes to assure her. “He’s the best person I know. I just-”

“Buck? That’s- I-”

Both their heads snap up at the stuttering. They’d been turning to each other more and more as they spoke, slowly getting in their own bubble, both forgetting that they’re still in the locker room of the firehouse.

Hen thinks it might be one of their colleagues who just also had to hear the batshit lore Buck just dropped on her, but when she looks it’s not one of the people on their shift. Instead it’s a brown haired, brown eyed man, who is looking almost as devastated as Buck did moments ago. It hits her that this must be Eddie.

“You think that’s what I’m doing?” Eddie finally finds his voice, sounding like a kicked puppy.

Buck stumbles to his feet, immediately assuring him: “No, no, I know you’re not using me for my money or whatever. You were hurt, I want to hel-”

“No, not that, Buck,” Eddie cuts him off, looking angry on Buck’s behalf. Maybe Hen did pin him right that first time. Because he seems more upset now: “You think I don’t want you there?”

“Uhm… No… I mean, maybe?” Buck replies, the answer clearly being ‘yes.’

“Buck, what the hell!” Eddie says. “You’re my best friend, of course I want you there. You’re not allowed to just walk out on us. I- I can’t-” He stops himself with a swallow and Hen guesses there is a story there.

“Hey, hey, I’m not going to leave,” Buck shushes him. “If you want me here, I’m going to be here. You are my best friend too. Of course I’m not going to walk out on you or Chris.”

Eddie nods a few times and Hen can see him push down tears and straighten his shoulders, pretending like he never did anything close to crying ever. “Good. That’s good.”

Hen seriously wonders if they’re ever going to talk more about this or ever mention the tension between them that she can clearly classify romantic. God, these two idiots probably don’t even realize any of this and she has got herself caught up in this. She could’ve been at home in Karen’s arms by now. At least it’ll be proper drama to tell Chim when she visits.

It seems like neither know what to do with themselves now. In the end, Buck puts them both out of their misery, asking after an awkward silence: “So where’s Chris?”

Eddie is grateful for the change of topic, a fond smile on his face: “Asleep in the backseat. I came to see where you are, figured I’d let him sleep. Didn’t wake up all throughout the entire thing. I swear he gets from you.”

“Oh like you’re one to talk, you can barely be dragged out of bed in the morning,” Buck teases, his shoulders relaxed again and eyes sparkling at the comment of Chris getting something from him.

“People just aren’t supposed to be awake that early,” Eddie shrugs, before moving. “Besides, I don’t think you’re waking up easy tomorrow. You look dead on your feet. Still think you could have driven home?”

Buck sends him a half hearted glare. “Oh shut up.”

“I think the words you’re looking for is ‘you were right, thank you, Eddie, for picking me up instead of letting me do something stupid,’” Eddie retorts with a bad impression of him, before starting to usher him towards the car. “Now, go check up on Chris, I’ll grab your bag.”

“Oi, I don’t sound like that,” Buck complains, but he starts to do as told. The exhaustion has truly hit by now, probably not made better by the emotional conversation. Still, Buck has the mind to throw a: “Goodnight, Hen,” over his shoulder.

She smiles. “Goodnight, Buck.”

Eddie watches Buck go with a fond smile for a moment, checking that he can make it on his own, then turns to her again. “Uhm, I’m Eddie. It’s nice to meet you,” he says, looking a little uncomfortable as he holds out his hand.

“Hen. Nice to meet you too,” Hen shakes it. Then she indicates a bag, “That one is Buck’s.”

“Thank you,” Eddie says, giving her a grimace-smile. She watches him grab it, then move towards the door, pause and turn back to her. He hesitates for a moment, then says: “I don’t know exactly what caused him to say that, but I promise that is not what I’m doing. Buck is the best thing that happened to me, I- I would never- It’s not-”

He starts stuttering, before he gives up, cringing at himself. Hen thinks it’s probably a gay mental barrier and internally rolls her eyes, but externally, she just smiles. “I believe you. I think he needs to hear it more than me. It was a rough call.”

“I’ll tell him,” Eddie vows. Then makes an awkward move, says: “Uh, goodnight,” before speeding out of the firehouse.

Hen watches him go for a second, then shakes her head to herself. Today has been weird. She misses Chimney. He would have made today more weird, but also more fun probably. She contemplates swinging by the hospital before going home, but ultimately decides against it. It’s late, they both need the rest.

Instead, she texts him, then Karen, before going to her car. She needs to face plant on her beautiful wife for a bit.

~~

A/N:

The entire phone conversation for those interested:

E: “Hello? Buck? Is that you?”

B: “Hi, Eddie. Hope I’m not bothering you?”

E: “Of course you’re not bothering me, you dumbass. I just saw your unit on the news at that crash. Are you okay?”

B: “I’m okay, just took a small dip in the ocean, but it’s alright. Ice baths are good for you, right?”

E: “Oh my god, please tell me you’re trying to prevent hypothermia.”

B: “I am, I am. No hypothermia, I promise. Hen gave me a blanket and I’m going to make sure I’ve stopped shivering before driving home.”

E: “You’re driving home?”

B: “Uh, yeah, that was the plan, yeah.”

E: “That plan is stupid. I’m picking you up.”

B: “What? No.”

E: “Uhm, yeah.”

B: “Come on, Eddie, you don’t have to do that. I can drive just fine. What about Chris?”

E: “Chris can survive sleeping, or I can buckle him into the backseat.”

B: “He needs sleep, you could accidentally wake him. I’m good to drive, I swear.”

E: “Buck, you’re in no condition to drive.”

B: “You don’t know that.”

E: “I do know that. You’re a stubborn shit and your definition of ‘fine’ and ‘little’ are off, so you’re gonna stay there and let me pick you up.”

B: “Alright. Fine. You win. Come pick me up.”

E: “Ha.”

B: “No need to be smug about it.”

E: “No need to be pouty.

B: “I’m not pouting!”

E: “Hm, sure.”

B: “Ugh, you’re such a dick sometimes.” … “But Chris- He’s okay right? I know that’s stupid, I just… There were kids on that plane, you know?”

E: “I get it, I check on him all the time. I’ll buckle him in, so you can see him soon.”

B: “You will? I mean, you don’t have to, but, uh, thank you.”

E: “Of course, I will. It’s no problem. I’ll see you two at the station, then?”

B: “Yeah, I’ll meet you outside.”

E: “Goodbye, Buck.”

B: “Bye, Eddie. See you soon.”

[estrella-zoe39]

// lcb new intervallo check up event spoilers below

just a lil rant post on heathcliff i love him lots he deserves a lot of love as well

i went to check hohenheims log because i really like him and the minute it was written by heath i knew i wouldnt survive but OH MY GOD THIS SHIT SHOT ME 57 TIMES.

god its so nice seeing someone treat heathcliff like he isnt stupid (because he isnt its proven in main story AND mirror id stories) and treat him with the same respect they would another person. like look i like ishmael but her one line in the event was so rude even if it was a joke. like if some of the sinners stop making heath the butt of their jokes i will praise the lord 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽. im not trying to like be mean to ishmael or single her out other sinners do this too shes just one example btw.

it was just really sweet seeing hohenheim in the event explain to heath WHAT he was getting wrong and not just going "wow this guys an idiot!" because literally how else would heath learn if no one explains it to him. in that regard heathcliff reminds me so much of neurodivergent getting absolutely shit on by the horrid school system that was built for neurotypicals making him doomed to fail from the start. (side note: i cant remember if its mentioned but i wonder if heath even got to go to school even if the system was broken for him or if wasnt allowed to go and there just wasnt anything at all for him.) god PLEASE sinners try to not write heathcliff off and consider his plan and if it works thats great use it!!! and if its wrong actually tell him how he's wrong or how it wouldnt work!!!!

another thing i want to add relating to this? post i guess but in this event they did the rodya tkt thing with heath this time where in the text the straight up tell you something about a character thats so obvious yet people still didnt pick up (rodya being #1 faker, heathcliff not being dumb) and like im kinda concerned about that i hope they dont do it in later cantos telling you the sinners personality rather than showing it because i swear if ryoshu straight up says "actually i cared a lot for my daughter and mourn her everyday" i will cry because let us infer that by ourselves.

tldr: i love the hohenheim heath dynamic!!!!!!! i want more of it even if theres literally a 0% chance of it happening so lets cope hard and hope he comes back whatever reason it may be. personally i love the insane cope of people thinking johann lived and is in demians group please god let that happen because it would be so fucking funny. make the doomed yaoi even MORE doomed.

[ninja-muse]

The Scholar and the Last Faerie Door by H.G. Parry is like coming home after a long day and having someone to share a comforting, knowing sigh with. It's hot tea on a blustery weekend, a beam of light splitting rain clouds, and an acknowledgement that the world has always been complicated and imperfect and worth fighting for. It is, in other words, another pretty much perfect novel from Parry and as written for me as I thought it would be.

I don't know where to begin, really. My instinct right now is to wave my hands dramatically and say: this! this! so good! everything! just! aaah! Which is, I realize, not all that helpful. So let's start with the fact that this is a memoir. Clover, the narrator, has lived the story already and is telling us what happened, with compassion for her younger self, and criticism, and regrets, and a commitment to the truth. It feels very much like other books I've read looking back at the time between the wars, that mix of nostalgia for youth and excitement and novelty, and awareness that it can't last, that it was spurred on by a world that had fractured, that there was darkness at the edges of everything. (This has to be intentional; the book begins in 1920.)

This is also a magic school novel. It's a story of a girl fighting her way into a magical university, determined to find a way to break the faerie curse on her veteran brother. It's about finding a friend group and falling into research and learning about a hidden world. It's about the joy, and the pain, of striking out on your own as an adult. And it's about what happens when all of your hopes and dreams go awry, as well as the dangers of messing with the fae. It's not quite dark academia, but it's certainly on that continuum.

Where Parry really excels though, here and always, is her characters. Clover feels real. Her friends and family feel real. They're people shaped by their circumstances, full of complexity and contradictions, not beings whipped up by an author or puppets on a stage to further an end. They do things and make mistakes that take the story in unexpected directions and, generally, lend the book a richness that a lot of novels lack. That's one of the reasons I'm calling this a memoir. It felt like I was reading something that actually happened, told by someone who experienced history.

So: we've got the 1920s, a magical school, faerie lore. That could easily lead to something trite and repetitive, but Parry lends it all so much nuance, so much shading, that even when it felt familiar, it also felt fresh. (For instance, a lot of the faerie stuff reminds me of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, but tackled from a different angle.) I loved the way the themes and narrative wove together, the way Parry believably builds up the historical world, the way she has of foreshadowing and then surprising the reader anyway. The way she merged the tropes and "genres" together felt seamless and, dare I say, magical.

You might notice that I haven't really said much about what the book's about or what happens in it. I don't think I can, without ruining the experience. I can't very well say this goes in unexpected directions if I also tell you what to expect, after all, and a lot of what Parry is actually talking about will be more powerful if you have to put the pieces together in time with the characters. I went in blind, knowing only what was in the reasonably unhelpful blurb, and my experience was all the better for it.

In short, this was a wonderful read and one that pulled me in and kept me close. If you're a fan of anything I've mentioned in this review—Oxford novels, magic schools, dark faeries, character-driven stories, the 1920s, etc—I highly recommend checking this out, especially if you've been on the fence about it. Take this review as a sign.

[jupiterthesmart]

Overanalyzing the FNAF fandom's view on Fanon Henry - a result of Toxic Masculinity?

Just know if you like Fanon Henry I'm probably not referring to you. I'm referring to the people who make him a one dimensional OC who's happy and cheery all the time, the 'stereotype Henry' if you will. And no I don't care about his weight or anything like that, only how people viewed him to change him so much in Fanon. Disagree if you want but I'm not looking for hate or debates here! (Though Tumblr is the least toxic place to share this opinion XD)

TL;DR Fanon Henry is a caricature of what happens when a man reaches out about his emotions, he's seen as ""weak"", no matter what, and people will always insist he's weak because of his mental state. It happens to celebrities, to historical figures, and even to FNAF characters because toxic masculinity is and always will be in everything!

609 words, 3,336 characters ;-;

My reasoning/rant V

What's the appeal of Fanon Henry for people in the FNAF Fandom?

Let's think of the traits Fanon Henry has - He's a good father, depicted as weaker than William Afton, with softer colors, usually shorter, more emotional, and overall every "not manly" trait you can think of dialed up to 100.

I've noticed the same people who prefer Fanon Henry seem to love Canon William. It seems like an OC next to a FNAF character which is fine, but I'm looking for the reason why people feel the need to change Henry so much?

It could be passed off for some sort of ""understandable"" fandom reason for him being turned into an OC and all his canon personality ignored (like if he was POC or a woman) Because then the reason would be obvious and I wouldn't have to question it. But he's a conventionally attractive white man! He's a father with two kids and a blonde haired blue eyed wife! What did this character go through in this fandom to have so much change done to him for seemingly no underlying or discriminatory reasons?...

Well! My theory is people see him as 'weak' because of his depression, and so the fanon version represents that. Like, think of it. He lost his entire family, his business came crashing down, his friend turned out to be a child murderer, and Henry got so emotionally unstable that he killed himself. FNAF has some pretty one-dimensional characters but not Henry, in fact I think he's one of the more well written in early FNAF. But... why dumb him down to just 'William's friend' or 'Charlie's dad'? Why recognize his depression as the only thing that matters?

I don't hate the people who make him fat but this is one of my points too. Fat people in media are typically seen as weak and depicted as overly emotional, (especially fat men, because rounder features make them seem, you guessed it, less manly.)

Not to mention the way people on the 'Fanon Henry' side tend to describe him as pathetic or always point out how sad he is all the time, and every other character trait is perfect. It's weird! He has more character than that but people forget... I wonder why. This doesn't happen to William because he's the more 'stoic, smarter' one despite him being WAY more emotional than Henry. William wasn't infantilized because he abused his family, killed children, and gaslit his closest friend. Those are ""manly"" traits to the fans, and even seen as attractive. Henry, the one who has more written about his personal life and family in flashbacks than William has so far, the protagonist of this story, is babied because he's a depressed man. He killed himself to avoid help, and the fandom treats him exactly how he would've been treated if he reached out. He's 'weak' because of his emotions.

He never said how he felt out loud in the books, and in FNAF 6 if you listen to the tape where he is venting out his frustration and saying his plans, you get a game over and get falsely sent to a mental hospital. This man did not want help for his issues, he told no one, and would get whoever knew how he felt institutionalized or burned! But ultimately his verbal suicide note in FNAF 6 came back to bite him. Fans took this as a sign that he was extremely verbal about his emotions, thus making him "weak." Now that's all he ever will be in the eyes of about 80% of the fandom.

...And that's why I will ALWAYS prefer Canon Henry.

[lavender-tea-fling]

Author ask tag

OH SHIT HELLO @sorrowsfallallaround AND @sunny374940 ! Thanks for thinking of me!

Let’s focus on something a little different, shall I?

What is the main lesson of your Story?

I think that if “Proven Guilty” had a lesson, it would be that people, while often well-intentioned, are imperfect and have human memories. Things shift and change through the lens of time, and sometimes things that seem obvious in hindsight are not so obvious at first.

What did you use as inspiration for your world building?

I LOVE crime dramas and spy fiction, specifically Columbo, Knives Out, Glass Onion, and Only Murders in the Building. Funnily enough, though, the main world building inspiration was probably good old fashioned Film Noir: the femme fatales, the high profile victims, and the wet cat ass detectives (except, due to the sheer lack of really pathetic female characters, mine is a chain-smoking caffeine addict who is surviving on spite alone).

What is your MC trying to achieve, and what are you, the writer, trying to achieve with them? So you want to inspire others, teach forgiveness, or help them grow as a person?

I guess my story sort of has two MCs: Detective Inspector Ethel Carter, and Dr. Julian Fox (the murder victim). The primary driving force is Ethel, who is trying (sometimes in vain) to find the truth despite the chaos and conflicting stories. At the heart of it, Julian wanted the same, and got killed for it.

Julian is, in many ways, who I wish I was: clever, unapologetic, and committed to the freedom of information and justice in the face of a corrupt government. I wrote them to be an inspiration, but there is something to be said for the fact that they don’t make it — something I fear deeply the more controlled information becomes.

Ethel is a bastard. I say that with love. She is who I see myself as now: tired, angry, but determined. She is also a cautionary tale: despite your best efforts, people can be dumb. They can lie without meaning to, forget major details and change their story without realizing. In the end, you may solve the murder, but there is a toll.

How many chapters is your story going to have?

It’s a play, actually! Two acts, six scenes. Runs about 90 minutes based on its debut. It has gone through edits since, though.

Is it fanfiction or original content? Where do you plan to post it?

It is original content! I wasn’t sure exactly what I was going to do with it beyond finishing up the little details and sending it to the copyright office. Maybe try to get it published? What do yall think?

When did you start writing?

Oh a LONG time ago. I think my first short story was when I was 5 or 6. It wasn’t good: I had no concept of age, so I assumed 16 was grown up enough to have a baby. Looking back, I wonder what my teacher thought.

My first work on ao3 was a BBC Sherlock fanfic I wrote back in 2019 (it is no longer connected to my account bc I got really embarrassed about it), and the rest is history!

Do you have any words of encouragement for fellow writers of Writeblr?

Sure do! @sorrowsfallallaround mentioned it in their post, but write what you want to read. Proven Guilty was born from a bunch of burned out techies talking about what we would want to see in a mystery. Also: imposter syndrome happens. It doesn’t mean it is correct, but it will suck regardless. Someday, you might look back on an old piece and cringe; but, someday, if you’re lucky, you will read an old piece and finally see the brilliance in your own work. You got this.

Tagging @the-font-bandit @themontess @woundedsoul12 and anyone else who wants in!

[a-cloud-for-dreams]

tysm for the tag Lizzie and Ava!! mwah 💗 the images are "objectively" ranked (left->right, then top->bottom) but the explanations are moreso based on personal attachments

kali: flame of samsara/song of the crimson nile: despite my well-known hatred for remy, she always has some of the most interesting story concepts (even though they're poorly executed especially past S1). i love her MCs, LIs, and and the historical settings infused with fantastical/mystery elements (even if they aren't handled well.) in my heart, i knew these books could be better with a stronger writer, but i have a soft spot for these characters and always play remy's books first after every update before moving onto other books. i would rewrite a lot of their S2s (and SOTCN's S3) to make them cleaner and more efficient because there technically is a lot to work with

astrea's broken heart: i don't think there's anything unique i can say here but i LOVE LOVE LOVE this book!! i have a soft spot for this book since it was the first RC book i saw update from the very beginning rather than jumping into an already ongoing/completed book. i love the concept, the MC, the art style, the LIs, the MYSTERY!! it's a book that is really easy to rec to new RC users (even tho the Wattpad nature of writing for S1 did make me cringe a bit i'm sorry 😭). i wish this book wasn't tied down by the HS-verse of it all but at least they set it up? and i want to see where they go with this

heaven's secret requiem: specifically S1, but i'm still giving S2 room to improve itself ig. i adore lane she's literally one of my favorite and most relatable MCs. the unsettling atmosphere, the morally grey characters, the overall concept, the WRITING STYLE?! top tier. if someone else were to write for greg and anna (along with letting boris stay dead but still haunting lane) this book could be PERFECT. also i will mention lane again because i love the way she's written as a sort of unreliable narrator who doesn't even know what's going on with herself. *chef's kiss*

soulless: wow, just, wow. i need to give a standing ovation for Wincy for how much she DEVOURED with this book. i don't even know where to begin but the way haters turned into fans when they realized this book would be deeper than "haha smut" was INCREDIBLE to watch unfold! I love vyx sm like lane she's such an amazing MC with some of the best character development on the app I can't wait to learn more about her

shakespeare's code: when it was revealed amy was the one writing for this book, i will admit i was skeptical. but thankfully i was proven WRONG. amabelle is literally one of my favorite MCs we finally get to play as someone who is evil and doesn't have to become a better person (alongside lane)!! i love how many stats you can play through and the LIs are all unique and interesting, we love to see it. i love the current ongoing theory that amabelle is a "lost shakespeare character" in one of his plays that never came to light which is why she's being surrounded by shakespeare characters in other plays in one world that shakespeare is holding together to avoid coping with a grave loss (ok wandavision). but tldr i can't wait to see what amy does with this book <33

and the haze will take us/the thunderstorms saga: these books are somewhere between being honorable mentions and faves. bear in mind that i haven't read their recent updates yet, but both books are really well done and have wonderful MCs/worldbuilding!! i always enjoy playing them but i don't have an aggressive attachment to them like i do with other books even if those other books are objectively worse if that makes sense?? it's like after i close the book i don't spend a lot of outside time thinking about them unless i'm in the mood to do so. i love the way haze is centered on slavic culture and i feel like it's difficult to mess up fantasy/elves it's so classic!

honorable mention: the missing (it's too early to officially declare it a fave but i LOVE it so far) & w: timecatcher (really well thought out book and you could feel the love arina has for all of her characters)!!

Bringing this back !

Here's a fun little thing I'm bringing back for the fandom - reblog this (or make ur own post) with your favorite ONGOING books, if you want you can add reasons as to why they're your favorites, and tag people who you think would like to participate ! 😁

reasoning & tagging below the cut to not clog the post ✨

honorable mentions: astrea's broken heart, the missing, w time catcher, kali: flame of samsara.

tagging: @theodoravery @suckitphaneuf @lanesrequiem @haitianempress @ratanslily @jillfvs @a-cloud-for-dreams @taemcains @webanglikethat @hexesandroses @renninflight @rosesandpearlss and anyone else who would like to participate ! <3

a) Soulless - where do I start ? Amazing. Showstoping. Spectacular. Totally unique, completely not ever been done before. I LOVE every single love interest, I love Vyxaria as an MC no matter the path, I looove how neatly the plot all ties together - it's just all amazing. Best ongoing story I think.

b) Shakespeare's Code - despite the fact it's been 6 episodes, this story is bumped to the TOP of my favorites. It's just amazing, Amabelle is extremely entertaining as an MC, the love interests all have different plotlines, and I love how many stats & combinations you can have !

c) 7 Brothers - of course, it wouldn't be fair to talk about my favorites without talking about this story I've been defending tooth & nail since forever. A misunderstood work of art, I really like the MC, Jaynie's so relatable & an all-around character, I absolutely cherish her. Of course, there's the love interests & Langley's amazing writing strikes again. It's always the first story I play every update <3

d) Love, Sin & Evil - another underrated work of art, my favorite thing about this story is the mechanics of saving the characters ! Super innovative, I love it. I also think Mina's a super entertaining MC and the fashion is just top notch, though on the more expensive side 👌 Eagerly waiting for the next update & the upcoming finale.

e) Heaven's Secret: Requiem - unfortunately, despite all its problems, specifically romance-wise, I still really like this story, at least for the plot of it. I'm still invested in what the fuck is the deal with Lane, and how it's all going to end.

f) And The Haze Will Take Us - Suuuuper invested to see where Alice is taking this story. I was kind of torn on season 1 but I'm actually really focused on season 2 to see where this story and this haze will be taking us ! Looking forward to the next update.

[arttsuka]

Based on somewhat real events

I spent way too much time drawing this...

But yeah, Ford finally saying thank you

A continuation (kinda)

[bumblingbabooshka]

When the only person who might understand what happened- understand. Not sympathize or empathize or comfort you but understand what happened, isn't there anymore. Or: 'A Man Made Me Do Something I Didn't Want To', for when you can't talk about it or look it in the eye [Patreon | Commissions]

[dykedvonte]

The second fic idea is a what-if scenerio where Jimmy dies in the crash due to and altercation with Curly and how Curly would navigate being Captain once he has to notice the little things and how he and Anya's relationship develop as he adopts an identical view point to hers rather than just keeping the peace.

And maybe i will write it but only time will tell tbh but it's stuck in my brain dome for the time being.

[mmpookie]

ONE THING? nah I'm rolling up my sleeves for this one (LOTS of rambling)

1. OK quick 😭 the gameplay.❌️ I REFUSE to spend money on this game, if we have to grind through levels for more story at LEAST make some minigames that are actually fun 🙏

2. Second. Easy. Have someone who can actually accurately translate the Korean to English ☹️..Please.... are there any korean mutuals out there......

3. Ok now for actual story and probably just nitpicky things:

Spica. love the guy. infact. he was real close to being my favorite bc personally I found his character really sweet and low-key funny. but man. by the end of game compared to everyone else, this guy got the least development :( I like all the little things, like that he's just some overworked college student who's a lil sassy and loves horses+mythological animals, but if I could make canon, I would say the reason Spica works so hard is because he has to fill the space that his influential parents left when they died in the first great disaster. Would that make? sense to the timeline?? who knows. I think he's a good contrast to Sirius, since out of everyone, he's the best example of someone who's DEVOTE to the constellations and academy, along with his adoration of Polaris' heroism. But. It'd be cool if they could've written more of WHY he's like this, It would neat give perspective

THE TIMELINE?? WHAT IS THIS CANON TIMELINE 😭 IT'S HARD FOR ME TO FIGURE OUT. WHY ARE SPICA ALPHERATZ AND SIRIUS NOT OF HIGHER STATUS IF THEYVE BEEN SORCERERS FOR MORE THAN A CENTURY? ARCTURUS TOO RIGHT? I JUST WISH I COULD UNDERSTAND WHY THERE'S SUCH A LARGE TIME SKIP FROM THE POLARIS ERA. IT COULD MAKE SENSE IF THERE WAS JUST THE WORLD BUILDING FOR IT🙏 I like to think about Marcille from Dungeon Meshi when I think about characters with long life spans, and it can be genuinely a cool concept when done right !

I'll just mention quickly that I like how they wrote Alpheratz to be this kind of cranky apathetic guy, but eventually becomes alot more likeable n compassionate. He's found meaning in protecting the friends that he realizes he actually cares about. mm. love that. But the whole Alpheratz as Sirrah thing was.. pretty brushed by? I think they mainly had it that way so Alpheratz would have more specific reason to protect summoner, it drives the mystery of polaris lore further but I don't feel like it gives the oompth that it should. Cool concept, but! I feel like it should have deeper purpose OTHER than just eluding that polaris=summoner. SAME WITH ARCTURUS BUT WE'LL GET TO THAT. Alpheratz represents the burnt out gifted kids who are uncomfortable with filling in the large shoes they're expected to fill. He could be the character to push forward the tragic narrative of what it's like have your sole purpose in life = dedicating yourself to the constellations as a sorcerer. it'd be so interesting

have castor more involved in the main plot please please please please

Make the Polaris lore more clear?? please??? There was the whole stage play where they were all like ooh Polaris fell in love with a star and ooh the void god was jealous and therefore wreaked havoc-and while I know that Sirius implies that this is far from the truth, I can't help but wonder what the ACTUAL context was for the void's motives (tho I have theories). Also. was Sirrah meant to be Polaris' lover if this was the case or?? Hey atleast it could tie into Alphertaz's whole memory thing

FLESH OUT ARCTURUS' VOID ARC MORE PLEASE. OH MY GOD. Bro when that floor first released I was HOOKED but so dissapointed how quickly they moved on from it bc like- it's implied that Arcturus has been a dark sorcerer for the void for a WHILE, but when mc frees him all he says is "Golly! How weird! Sure glad that's over! Anyways! Here's Ursa Minor! ", and it's kind of like the Alpheratz as Sirrah reveal where it's more of a device to reveal that Summoner=Polaris..than any actual major character development. So. if I could rewrite it, I'd either do maybe two things, one- have it implied that Arcturus HAD the choice of whether he'd become a dark sorcerer, but from his perspective it was a decision he made for "the greater good", but it's something he genuinely does regret later on, and it would create a shift in his relationship to the committee once they discover this. Second- it really is more of a possession that creates a seperate persona he has little control over, (which happens directly after the banquet poisoning incident). I would make it more obvious by perhaps writing in mysterious disappearances he would make or other odd behaviors he can't explain. Either way, after he's seperated from the void I want there to be CONSEQUENCE!! Like maybe he had to sacrifice his magic or something physically, just anything he willingly offers to redeem himself, idk it'd be cool.

If they didn't have to rush through the ending, I feel like an arc where Summoner actually COMES TO TERMS that they're polaris is needed. Its kind of comedic how CHILL summoner is after they have this giant life-altering revelation with this sudden insane magical power. Like- I know mcs aren't written to have too much personality in these games but cmon give them a training arc atleast lmao

Sigh..... Sirius..... I've been humbled the past year while converted into a Sirius lover 😞which is so painful bc his character deserved so much better..... I'll atleast say that when reading inbetween the lines, there's a lot of things I like: like how he's pretty free-spirited guy who just likes to have fun, a trait he shares with other queen tets like pollux, his hobby is theatre and spreading gossip and pranking people with his transformation magic, I mean, he's been around for more than a century so ofc he does. I ALSO like the nuance in how though he rarely opens up to people or reveals what he's truly thinking- at the same time- he can never hide how he's FEELING, his eyes will always give it away haha. I like to think that since he sort of blames himself for what happened with Polaris, his self-loathing makes it hard for him to believe that he deserves any form of love, despite him always joking, and despite his flirting. AND HE'D DIE BEFORE EVER TELLING YOU HE FEELS THAT WAY!! Since then he's always felt uncomfortable with the vulnerability of TALKING about his feelings. There could be a cute arc where he learns to heal from this :') ... Now, for all the Sirius haters, I know where you're all coming from 😭 because.. he tries shooting us.. and they don't even reveal why for SEVERAL. FLOORS. Dude, I would have it so Sirius DOESN'T have this insane impulsive part of his personality that HARMS people!! No!! It would be far more interesting if he played his role through intellectual means, riddled spells and stuff bc. this guy studied under Polaris afterall.

Ok and just one more thing: IF the game is meant to have Sirius as a love interest, I would NOT have mc in their past life (polaris) have a familial relationship to Sirius, it just has weird confusing vibes. I would just easily change it so Polaris and Sirius were close friends or lovers instead. If this WASN'T a romantic otome game and Sirius is never meant to be a love interest, then yeah go ahead the family dynamic would be super bittersweet!

WAIT THIS IS AN EDIT. ALSO ALSO THE ENDING !! NEEDS WAY MORE DEVELOPING !! + MORE CLOSURE WITH SIRIUS IN A WAY THAT DOESN'T KILL HIM OFF !!

I want your opinions for reasons…

If there was one (or more than one) thing you could change in Arcana Twilight’s writing, what would you change? Be specific please 👁️👁️

[stopper-my-heart]

Nothing like Heartstopper S2E8 removing some of Taylor Swift's "seven" lyrics just so that the singing can specifically come back in at "Or hide in the closet" while Isaac is processing difficult emotions related to the book he's reading (i.e., Ace: What Asexuality Reveals About Desire, Society, and the Meaning of Sex by Angela Chen).

Did I mention "Or hide in the closet" hits just as the camera focus finishes shifting away from Isaac?

This is fine

[f0rgetf0rgetting]

ameest au inspired in the scum villain self saving system that i just pulled out of my ass

im still thinking what to do with and the details of what the “original novel” was about, im thinking cardverse setting