#( the honor of having me ) self-promo

[barbieidol]

THIS BARBIE IS A POPSTAR ! ind. personal interpretation of popstar barbie. selective & mutually exclusive. unboxed by dee.

[byakugoseal]

tag dump: broken & updated tags part ii

[aetherdoesthings]

hanahaki!reader x arlecchino

forethoughts: omg aether finally uploads?!?!? apologies for the long break; i was getting my life together, because there's a lot going on in my life right now all at once. nevertheless, this was inspired by my previous work of hanahaki!reader x nico robin, but with arlecchino because of @edgeray's idea! thanks buddy, couldn't have revived my blog without you. also i'm sorry if there are grammatical mistakes or errors, i wrote this at 2am at a sudden burst of inspiration and motivation.

notes: modern setting, y/n and arlecchino are famous actresses, fem!reader, gentle!arlecchino, hanahaki au

“And how long will filming take?” You sighed, biting down on a hateful tone as you looked at your assistant.

“Roughly a year, Ms. Y/N.” Your assistant replied, clicking a few buttons on her tablet.

“How much is Furina offering to have me star in it with her?”

“$10,000,000 Mora, Ms. Y/N.”

You chewed on your bottom lip, despite your makeup artist’s ‘friendly reminder’. That amount could be worth the turmoil and agony to have to be in a constant space with… her.

“Arlecchino has already signed on board to the project. Ms. Furina is waiting to hear from you.” Your assistant looks up at you. “Surely you would not pass up a deal like that just because she is in it?”

“Shut it, Navia.” You scowl.

Navia laughs. “I jest, Ms. Y/N. What about Arlecchino do you dislike anyways? I heard she is kind and respectful.”

“Yeah, like that gives you a golden star.” You rolled your eyes, finishing your glass of wine. It wasn’t that you disliked or loathed the actress. You respected her upbringing and career and found honor in being in the same tier as her. But something about her rubbed you the wrong way. Every time you watched one of her press interviews or promo videos, your stomach would feel ill, hollowing itself out and making your legs kick in the air like a kid on Christmas. Simply sickening and rotten. And now you were to do an entire movie with her. 

“Hmn, fine. I’ll take it.” You sighed, leaning back on your couch. All for the Mora. All of the Mora. Nothing more, nothing less. It’s just one year. You survived with lousy and inadequate ‘colleagues’. Certainly you’d be able to survive the bane of your existence.

“Y/N. I’ve heard so much about you. It is a pleasure to finally meet and talk to you in person.” A familiar voice you only heard from behind the screen was now playing behind you. You turned your body, a curt smile on your face as you faced the disgustingly tall and surprisingly built woman (that looked so much bigger than what you saw on a screen), a dumb, cute and sweet grin plastered on her face. You acquiesced her offer, shaking her hand.

“And I share the same sentiment as you do, Arlecchino.” You smiled as politely as you could muster, suppressing your inner self and pummeling it for the sake of face. “I look…forward to working with you.”

Arlecchino’s lips turned into a thin line, her crimson eyes boring into yours, as if peering into your body to find that soul she tortured with just her appearance. You kept your smile, withdrawing your hand. “How was your flight here?”

Shock and surprise pierced that air tight smile of yours, allowing it to falter for a second. “I beg your pardon?”

“How was your flight?” Arlecchino repeated her question, an amused smile on her stupidly perfect and gorgeous face.

“It was… good.” You stammered, folding your arms.

Arlecchino chuckled. “Vague but straight to the point.”

“I prefer things to be like that.”

Arlecchino grinned, placing a hand on your shoulder. You had to bite back a shriek or gasp, nails digging into your palm as you tried to remain a smile. “Let us go to rehearsal, hmn? I’m certain Furina is eagerly waiting for us.”

A blockade started to emerge in your throat, your nails drawing blood as you nodded your head. “Sure, yeah, yeah. You go on ahead. I need to do something real quick.” You said, hoping Arlecchino would buy it.

“Alright then.” And she did, that lovely gullible soul. The minute Arlecchino walked out of earshot, a violent cough erupted from your throat, causing you to double over until it subsided. Looking down, you noticed a lone cherry blossom petal right by your feet. You massaged your throat, hoping to alleviate the sudden pain. Had that petal been there all along? But you were standing on open land without a tree in sight. Furina’s movie synopsis did not mention any cherry blossom trees. Surely, you couldn't have coughed up a petal. No, you did not cough up a petal. That stuff was out of the movies, not in reality. Your mind recalled back to an old movie you shot once, about the protagonist suffering from something called hanahaki disease, where the victim would cough up petals because of their love for someone. The protagonist was lovesick and had their eyes set on the other character, but died because the other person did not return their feelings. This wasn’t happening to you. Yes, the movie was based off of a true story, but certainly not. You were certain you were hallucinating. 

“Y/N!” You heard Arlecchino’s voice call your name from afar. 

“C-Coming!” No. You had to get yourself together. Come on, this was Arlecchino. That… elegant, beautiful, eloquent asshole who you always watched from afar but never had the chance to be with up close. But now you could. And this was how you reacted? Your stomach churned, as you swallowed anymore nonexistent petals down into your vat of acid before making your way to everyone.

Filming wasn’t too bad in the first few weeks. You and Arlecchino were to play star crossed lovers, and all that was scheduled was basic exposition. No petals came up, which supported your case that you were just hallucinating and definitely not a fictional disease. Until it came to the more intimate scenes.

“Alright, and action!” Furina exclaimed. Arlecchino’s character was pinning you to the wall, her finger on your chin.

“Did you really think you could hide it from me?” Arlecchino’s character sneered, her eyes boring into yours, her lips getting dangerously close.

“I-” You ducked your head in time to not cough into Arlecchino’s face, bringing a hand over your mouth as you coughed loudly, the air escaping your body as you wheezed. 

“Cut! Everyone, take ten!” Furina yelled, and the crew murmured and resetted everything because of your sudden cough.

“Are you alright?” Arlecchino placed a hand on your shoulder, rubbing small circles in an effort to comfort you, her voice soft and gentle. A complete contrast of her character she portrayed. That did not comfort you at all, rather stir up a bubbling feeling in your lower parts, warmth rushing to your face.

You balled your fist, nodding your head as you forced yourself to meet Arlecchino’s eyes. 

“I…” You stammered, words suddenly disappearing from your brain, as if Arlecchino was sucking it out with that crimson glow, radiating with warmth and concern, the grin on her face dissipating the moment she saw your soul momentarily leave your body.

“I-I’m alright. I-I’m so sorry.” You regurgitated. “I don’t know what came over me.”

“That’s alright. Do you need some water?” 

“That’ll… That’ll be good.”

Arlecchino nodded her head, patting your shoulder as she asked a staff member to grab you some water. “I’ll go talk to Furina for you. You just rest and recover, got it? I don’t want my acting partner to be ill.”

Oh, your acting partner already is ill. A voice inside of you replied back. 

“Right, yeah. Thank you so much, Arlecchino.” You exclaimed, smiling back.

"Always, Y/N." Arlecchino walked away, waving her hand. "Get well soon."

The crew was busy packing everything up and preparing everything for tomorrow. Arlecchino was talking to Furina, most likely going over tomorrow’s shoot and your cough. As everyone around you was moving and busy, you were escorted away into a car, which drove you back to the makeup trailer. Alone in the backseat, you opened your fist, staring at the item in the dead center of your palm.

A goddamn cherry blossom petal.

No. This can’t be happening. What the heck is happening?! You forced yourself to breathe, staring at the curled petal. Why was this happening? All you did was be in close proximity with that damn Arlecchino, which made your heart flutter and start to drum, your stomach churn and mind go fuzzy, legs limp and-

No.

No.

You did not have a crush on Arlecchino.

You could not have a crush on Arlecchino.

You were colleagues. Workers. She was the winner of multiple awards, she was the one who the paparazzi could never get a picture of, she was everything and you… you were…nothing. Nothing compared to what Arlecchino had done. 

Yet you were here, forced to work together with her and even have to do intimate scenes with-

God strike me here and now. Or make me go into a fatal accident. You silently prayed to anyone who was listening. 

Arlecchino would not be the reason you coughed and hacked up flower petals.

You refused to believe those soft crimson glow in her eyes she always had with you, those thin lips that always curled into a smile when you walked in the room, and those fingers that found a way to your shoulder, or cheek, or your waist would be the reason why you were coughing up petals, just like-

Hanahaki. The word taunted you. No. That couldn’t be. 

You refused to believe you had fallen in love with Arlecchino, let alone die because of it. No. As long as you could breathe, you would not let yourself be a victim of love that you will never receive and have. 

Arlecchino was going to be the reason the newspaper headline would read ‘Y/N FOUND DEAD IN HER BEDROOM FROM HANAHAKI DISEASE’ and lead numerous people to speculate who your Romeo was. 

But in that ill state you were, a tiny part of you was at ease with that scenario.

[sgiandubh]

Just so stories: will you have me?

Before having a cursory dinner and going on with more complicated things I've planned for a while, now, just a nagging thought.

We talk a lot, and with good reason, about the inexplicable lack of any harassment insinuations against S, given the very peculiar BTS and promo moments we had the honor (and the undiluted pleasure) to witness for ten years, now.

While doing it, our interest is focused exclusively on S.

I have never read the word consent, in all these discussions. And to be honest, I never needed to read it. It was, as our German friends say, selbstverständlich: self-evident. From Day 1.

A scripted question was asked. As a first time watcher, I have to say I stopped breathing, too: that tension and yes, that urgency.

An unscripted, maladroit answer was spontaneously given. With the same tension and the same urgency.

Consent.

A very inconvenient truth.

It's all on screen, he said.

Amen.

[vexwerewolf]

Hi! I'm working on a TTRPG by the name of Starburn: Asclepias (I'd be honored if you checked out my post about it, but no pressure, this isnt a self promo thing). What I was wondering is, once I finish the damn thing, what next? Should I go find a publisher, or just drop it on itchio? Should I run a kickstarter? How do I get people to hear about it??? I'm sending this ask to a couple people, so it may not be 100% your field, but I'd love to hear any thoughts/suggestions!

So the problem about giving advice is that the things that worked for me were quite specific to me. I had a very strong presence on Twitter and Tumblr prior to launching my Kickstarter, was well known in the Lancer community as the Lancer Ransom Note Meme Guy, and was well known in the furry fandom. I was well-connected and that meant that my Kickstarter got a lot of exposure and support.

My advice based on that would be:

Work out a succinct description by which your product can be easily explained: IGF is Borderlands But In Space With Mechs. Of course there's way more to it than that, but this makes it easy to explain to people. With that description, most people who hear it will understand right away whether or not it's for them.

Do NOT be generic. Establish a very distinct and specific brand for your product and take that shit as far as it will go. For me, IGF has consistently performed better the weirder I make it. It is, as I have described it, "a serious story told in a fundamentally unserious world" and the more goofy off-the-wall shit I add to it, the more people seem to enjoy it. In these times, the indie RPG scene is consistently churning out totally bizarre power fantasies like INFINITE REVOLUTION where you are a superhero with a nuclear turbine for a heart and you can love humanity so much you explode. That game knows precisely what it wants to be. Do NOT need to water down your creative vision for the sake of mass-market appeal because You Will Never Outsell D&D But You Also Don't Have To. Make the game you want to make. Make it as weird and specific and idiosyncratic as you want. I guarantee you someone out there is going to be into it and they will be more attracted to a game that is bizarre but unashamedly authentic than a compromise version of the idea that looks a bit like everything else.

Build an online presence.

Promote your game as part of a complete social media presence. It shouldn't be the only thing you talk about, but you should talk about it, consistently and frequently. Project confidence - assume that people will want to hear about your ideas. If you seem confident that your ideas are worth hearing, it's more likely that others will as well!

When drawing up a Kickstarter budget, work out how much everything that needs to be in the final release will cost, and then add about 20%, because Kickstarter is going to take about that much off of what you make.

Ideally, your Kickstarter should start on a Tuesday at between 12 noon - 5PM Eastern Standard Time, run for 30 days and neither its first or last 72 hours should overlap any major holidays. Promote it consistently and respectfully, especially during its first and last 24 hours, which are the times in which you will make the most money.

If you're going to distribute on itch.io, get your itch.io mass mailer authorization WAY in advance, WAY WAY WAY in advance, like at least a week to two weeks off your release date. It takes a while.

There are probably more things I could give advice on but I have COVID right now so I hope this suffices.

[danpuff-ao3]

In honor of this, my 32nd birthday, I will share with you my Top 32 favorite fics I've written! Cuz...self-love and self-promo and all that. (It's my birthday, give me a break!)

Please check all warnings & tags!

1: Contempt

Harry/Severus. Rated: E. Words: 20,400. Podfic available.

Harry hates Snape, and he always will. (He will, won’t he?)

2: Devotion

Harry/Severus. Rated: E. Words: 25,843.

Is there anything more undignified than needing someone so much?

3: The Curse of Anteros

Harry/Severus. Rated: E. Words: 53,433.

When Harry is cursed, he seeks out Severus Snape. They have a long history behind them, after all, and they've always had so much between them. Who else would he go to?

4: Collateral Damage

Draco/Ron. Rated: E. Words: 16,071.

What better means of revenge than seducing your enemy’s boyfriend? Nothing could possibly go wrong.

5: Orange Blossoms

Harry/Severus. Rated: T. Words: 3,472. Podfic available.

These are foolish times to have hope, and more foolish still to be in love. 

6: A Matter of Time

Harry/Severus. Rated: E. Words: 3,686.

Severus is outed as a spy and grievously injured. Harry doesn’t react well, leading those closest to him to wonder: Just why is Harry so devastated about Severus’ condition?

7: Cruel Summer

Harry/Sirius. Rated: E. Words: 5,445.

Sirius rescues Harry. Number Twelve is a different sort of Hell than Number Four.

8: Lover Boy at Play

Harry/Severus. Rated: E. Words: 4,448.

The sex is bad. Yet Severus wants.

9: Teardrop in Your Palm

Harry/Scorpius. Rated: E. Words: 2,100.

Scorpius never meant to use the Amortentia.

10: In My Veins (In My Blood)

Harry/Severus. Harry/Death Eaters. Rated: E. Words: 7,042.

Voldemort wins the war and rewards the Death Eaters with a prize: Harry Potter. What he doesn't know is that Harry already belongs to one of them.

11: Wasted for Love

Harry/Severus. Harry/Ron/Hermione. Rated: E. Work in Progress.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione are living happily ever after 5 years after the war. That is until the Prince returns, and with him all of the turmoil and temptation from the past.

12: Sugar, Honey

Harry/Severus. Rated: E. Work in Progress.

Severus Snape has been down on his luck since the war ended. Enter: Harry Potter. With no other causes to occupy his time, he makes Severus an offer he can't refuse; but Severus can't help but wonder: what is it the boy really wants?

13: smile with sweet surprise

Harry/Severus. Lily/Severus. Rated: E. Work in Progress.

Harry is barely sixteen. Had barely blown out his candle when Severus kissed him.

14: Close Enough

Harry/Severus. Severus/other. Rated: E. Words: 1,553.

He likes them best as poor substitutions.

15: The Christmas Prince

Harry/Severus. Rated: T. Words: 13,750.

Harry and Snape are (kind of) set up on a blind date. Romance and chaos ensues.

16: Romantic Notions

Neville/plants. Neville/Severus (unrequited). Harry/Severus. Draco/Neville (minor). Rated: E. Words: 8,841.

Neville has feelings for Severus and no hope of reciprocation. At least he has his plants for company.

17: The Yellow Door

Harry/Severus. Lily/Severus. Rated: M. Words: 1,657. Podfic available.

Severus can't decide which world he wants to be in, and risks losing them both.

18: Black Skies

Regulus/Sirius. Regulus/Severus. Rated: E. Words: 7,353.

Sirius won't give Regulus the love he needs, so he seeks it from Severus instead.

19: Phlegethon

Harry/Severus. Draco/Severus. Rated: E. Words: 4,219.

Severus makes the same mistake twice (and he's definitely going to hell for it).

20: The Best Kept Secrets

Harry/Severus. Ginny/Harry. James Sirius/Teddy. Albus Severus/OFC. Rated: E. Words: 115,583.

It was no secret that Ginny Potter favored her daughter over her sons. Only Albus knew this was because Lily was Ginny’s only child.

21: Obscene

Harry/Severus. Rated: E. Words: 1,864.

Never has Severus been so wet outside of heat. It’s humiliating; obscene.

22: Hyacinth Wild

Harry/Severus. Rated: E. Words: 5,403.

Neville brings sex pollen to a inter-House party, and Harry wakes up in Professor Snape's bed.

23: Sweet Nothing

Harry/Severus. Rated: E. Words: 7,080.

It's up to Harry to save the day, as always. This time that means getting married and getting fucked.

24: Gray Eyes (Tell No Lies)

Draco/Sirius. Rated: E. Words: 3,695.

Draco is trapped with Sirius at Number Twelve, the summer between fifth and sixth year. He's a shiny new toy Sirius can't resist.

25: The Perfect Shade of Purple

Tom/Albus. Rated: E. Words: 1,101.

Who's using who?

26: The Perfect Tree

Neville/Percy. Rated: T. Words: 9,043.

Percy is looking for the Christmas tree. Neville helps him find it.

27: Red All Over

Ginny/Gwenog. Rated: E. Words: 1,586.

It’s that time of the month. You know. The time for sex. OR: Gwenog & Ginny celebrate the Harpies' latest win the best way they know how.

28: 2+2=4some

James/Lily. Harry/Severus. Rated: M. Words: 2,840.

Lily and James spying on their son's intimate moments. And occasionally joining in.

29: Exposure

Harry/Severus. Harry/others. Rated: E. Words: 3,854.

Harry Potter's sex-capades are all over the news.

30: Take Heed, Dear Heart

fem!Harry/Severus. Rated: M. Words: 3,635.

Are you willing to die for the one you love? Are you willing to kill for them?

31: Clandestine Meetings & Stolen Stares

Harry/Severus. Rated: M. Words: 2,337.

How bad does one have to be to earn detention with the headmaster? …As bad as one has to be, when one wants to be there. 

32: The Gift of Love

Harry/Severus. Rated: E. Words: 4,521.

5 times Harry gives Severus a gift, and 1 time Severus returns the favor.

[risingshards]

I've been hovering around a subscriber number and it's been going up and down a bit and cuz it went down a chunk today I'm a lil anxious, I worry about everything constantly so this probably isn't a big deal, but instead of dwelling on it I'm gonna try and self promote and maybe overcome this subscriber hurdle! So Self Promo Saturday in addition to Storyteller Saturday? Is that a thing already?

Anyways, if you've followed me for a while you've probably seen me talk about my main series, Rising Shards!

Rising Shards is my passion project, a super long web novel that updates Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. It's always tough for me to explain it, but in short it's part fantasy series, part slice of life, part comedy, part adventure, part romance. It's got a huge cast of characters that a vast majority of are queer!

What's life like in a world where monster folks called Cani are as normal as rainy days? What's it like to juggle learning how to use your powers on fantasy adventures with taking tests and giving speeches in class? How about balancing having crushes and getting over breakups with growing tails or having full on werewolf moments? That's what Zeta Faleur, a trans girl getting over a bad breakup, has to do when her fangs come in and she has to go to a Cani school.

Other main characters have to deal with similar issues as well. Zeta's best friend Oka, a kindhearted girl with a troubled upbringing struggles to fit in at school, gets her first crush around the same time she gets her first role in a school play. Kalei, a snarky gamer jock, begins to find her own identity and all the angst and joy that comes with it. Lillia, a by the books honor student, goes through as many crushes as she gets good grades, but what happens when someone finally likes her back? Longtime friends Aira and Laenie face off with the prospect of drifting apart, while similarly close besties Iris and Maia deal with getting closer. Marmalade, a trans girl who is a late transfer to Rising Shards, strains with self doubt and acceptance. Roux goes on a gender focused journey and finds confidence in themselves. Zeta's older sister Stella starts crushing on Zeta's teacher, Dr. Evy Diast, but are there sparks between them? (given that these two also have an 18+ side series which can be read here, the answer is probably yes).

And that's just a chunk of the characters, yes there are somehow more, including wizards, pop stars, goofy principals, princesses, wannabe hall monitors, filming experts, coffee lovers, gambling obsessed gremlins, mean girls, exes, and enemies! I love stories with a huge cast of characters and actually spent time in college getting my writing degree writing essays about series that juggle tons and tons of characters. For the others, you'll have to read the series to meet them! :)

If the length of the series is intimidating (understandable!), I like to think of it like a TV show or a long manga or light novel series. It may be a ton of chapters and words and such, but they're split up into episodes and seasons, so each chunk of episodes is a complete little arc like a TV episode, and each season completes a big story. With such a huge cast and the way I pace the story, I try to use the space I have to the fullest to spend lots and lots of time with the characters.

If you wanna check the series out, it'd mean the world to me. And big bonus if you subscribe as well. :) If Tapas isn't your jam, Rising Shards is also available on Scribble Hub!

Art for Rising Shards is done by the wonderful Flopicas!

[canon-can-fight-me]

F/ovember promo post!

Hi, I’m Sabrina! I will still be in charge of my blog this month, but some of my F/Os will be popping in to answer any questions! Feel free to ask a question for them anytime this month, just specify who you want to hear from! Only some F/Os are open for questions though because they’re the ones I feel confident writing in their voice. For the ones that aren’t listed, you can always ask one of my self inserts instead, listed here!

F/O Lineup!

- C-3PO: “*bows* It is an honor to be here again. I look forward to your inquiries!”

- Yelan: “I’d be willing to provide information…for an exchange.”

- Kenji/Talos: “*grins* I’ll be happy to answer any questions. And sign a few autographs.”

- Egon Spengler: “*doesn’t look up from his work* Hm?”

- Vincent Karm: “Don’t send me any idiotic questions, for example asking about my net worth. I don’t have time to provide information that you can easily google.”

I’ll link some ask games here, but feel free to ask any questions off the top of your head!

[nextstopwonderland]

Hi!!! Can I request 21 “Staring into each others eyes” with Bryan/Yuta, please? 🥺✨✨

Anything for you, Lexie 😘 (Bryan/Yuta my beloved)

Oh look it’s another take on The Red Rocks Date by yours truly.

I’ll show you a place (713 words)

Yuta didn’t really meditate much before meeting Bryan. Claudio would tell him how Bryan taught him years ago, and how it really can help.

Mox has no interest in meditating and Regal, when he was around, thought Yuta’s time would be better suited on the mat.

But Bryan would just look at him, with an expression he couldn’t quite read, and say, “When you’re ready, let me know.”

It felt a little like a test, but Yuta wasn’t sure for what.

Lots of things feel like that with Bryan, and Yuta craves to be passing each and every one. He’s felt reignited by Bryan’s recommitment to them. Has heard Bryan say he loves him, multiple times now.

(Has wanted to know exactly what that love entails.)

And so when Bryan tells him he’s going hiking Yuta jumps at the chance to go. He gets one on one time with Bryan, but it’s never truly private. This feels like it could be a turning point.

It’s everything he hoped, Bryan talking quietly, seeing him so in his element — focused on nature but also focused on Yuta. Asking him questions, wanting to listen.

It’s after Yuta films him for the Okada promo — something he feels so honored to have been able to do — that he gathers up the courage.

“Teach me? How to meditate?”

Bryan smiles at him like Yuta just bestowed the best Christmas present.

They sit a little ways off the path, in one of the few shaded areas. There’s no one around them right now, only the sound of a crow in the distance.

“I’ll walk you through a basic meditation practice. You comfortable?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Find your posture. Rest your palms on your thighs, face up or down, whatever’s comfortable.”

Yuta does so, face up.

“Now close your eyes, and just listen to my voice.”

Yuta doesn’t mean to shiver, but he can’t help it. Bryan’s voice is so soothing, washing over him like a gentle breeze.

He follows the guidance: find a memory, an image, hold onto it, breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Focus only on the place in your memory, let it fill you up, ground you. Breathe in for four, hold for four, out for six.

It only lasts about five minutes before Bryan pulls him back, tells him to lock the memory away, tells him to come back slowly, open his eyes.

He isn’t prepared for Bryan to be looking right at him as he does, and realizes Bryan must have been watching him this whole time.

It’s like he falls right back into that place he was in, looking at Bryan. Unsurprising since he’d been the subject of his focus.

He’d chosen the first time he ever saw Bryan walk into the AEW locker room, the moment when he’d dragged a hand through his hair, looked over at Yuta and smiled at him, warm and bright.

“Love at first sight,” Kris had said later that night. Yuta had snorted in reply, saying “I’ve seen him for years now, have the DVDs to prove it.”

“Not the same.”

And maybe she was right, because he hasn’t stopped looking at Bryan since. Has wanted his attention, focus, smiles, slaps, whatever he could get.

And now they’re looking into one another’s eyes, all alone amongst the Red Rocks and Yuta wants — he wants.

“What made you finally ask?” Is the first thing Bryan says.

Yuta shrugs, never breaking their gaze. “Just wanted to know. To be… closer.” He flushes as soon as he says it, awkward and fumbling.

Bryan quirks an eyebrow. “To your inner self?”

Yuta bites his lip, and shakes his head. “To — you.”

Bryan’s smile is a slow, revelatory thing, starting out as surprise and then turning softer.

He reaches out a hand, the two of them sitting crossed legged only a few inches apart. Yuta grabs it, letting out a breath as Bryan squeezes his palm.

“I’m glad,” Bryan says, pulling Yuta closer to him, their eyes still searching one another’s. “That you asked.”

Yuta only closes his eyes when Bryan’s lips meet his own, like a firework going off inside him.

He breathes out and kisses back.

He thinks maybe this’ll be a new memory for his next meditation.

[snowbellewells]

Self Promo Sunday: "Bless What is Given You"

I realize that it's time to roll out the Christmas-y fics, but I had one more Thanksgiving story, and I didn't want to leave it out. I hope you will still enjoy it, even in December. There’s a nod to a missing moment from 3x19, but then it jumps to post s6 in Storybrooke, to all of them in their happy beginning… Most of this is also written in Robin Hood's point-of-view, so there is some Outlaw Queen in amongst the larger Swan Jones Charming Mills family fluff, if that is a deal-breaker for anyone...

** Also available on AO3, if that is your preference **

by: @snowbellewells

“Do you mean to tell me you think you know better than a queen?” Regina’s haughty voice practically dripped disdain from each clipped, precise syllable she spoke. The perfect arch of her sculpted brow rose in question, disbelief and disapproval clear on her challenging, flawless face, even if her tone had not made her opinion more than apparent. “My mother was Rumplestiltskin’s most prized pupil; he sought me out himself to train me as well, chose me to cast his precious Dark Curse… Do you honestly think the fact that you can scare off a few monkeys with your arrows and you’ve been squatting in his deserted castle makes you a better judge of...of…” Even though she spoke the “you” as though her mouth was swallowing something foul and her face scrunched up accordingly, it seemed that the formerly Evil Queen was at a rare loss for words to express just how ridiculous the very idea was.

Unfazed, the scruffy archer gazed right back at her cheekily, seeming more than a bit amused by her ruffled feathers and inability to continue. “Not sure that is quite the distinction you’re making it out to be, Milady,” he offered with a smirk.

From across the way, Snow couldn’t seem to resist chiming in with the outlaw who had once befriended a princess on the run; who, in what now seemed like another life had helped her fine-tune her skills with a bow and advised her on spots in the forest where one could most easily hunt game to eat without encountering Regina’s guards. Though Snow had long since made the choice to put their painful and sordid history in the past, there was something that teased a warble of delighted laughter up her throat at the sight of this bandit who once graced “Wanted” posters by her side agitating Regina to the point of losing all her icy, polished reserve. “It is a bit of a dubious honor, Regina, you have to admit.”

Charming beside her dipped his head to hide the chuckle rumbling in his chest as well, reaching across their round council table’s polished surface to squeeze her hand. The shepherd-prince consort would have been lying if he refused to admit there wasn’t a part of him who enjoyed watching her Majesty flounder for her unaffected poise. It went without saying that the curse they were speaking of had ripped he and Snow apart and taken their daughter from his arms almost the moment she was born; consigning them all to 28 lonely years of misery. The truth was that plain and that simple, but he wisely held his tongue. At least since his recent pirate friend had gone off on his own after their arrival back in their land, Robin was someone with whom he could break a bit of the tension and who might lighten all of their dark and despairing moods once in a while.

As they returned to discussing the plan to raid Gold’s castle here in their home realm, knowing Zelena had holed up in the Dark One’s stronghold - with Rumplestiltskin himself still prisoner - it became clear it was really the only method they had left to try, to hope that the man who always knew so much more than anyone else would also know some way out of this mess, some way to stop Regina’s rage and envy fueled half-sister. Belle across the table looked pale and strained, her lips pressed together in a thin line but determined, needing to help in whatever way she could. Even if they couldn’t free her True Love, even if his mind were already too fractured by his near death, the half-possession that had held his son’s mind within his body as well, and then that son’s violent loss, he wouldn’t want things to continue as they were; with him under Zelena’s control and bent to her will. Belle had to cling to that truth if nothing else.

Seeming to sense her flagging spirit, Charming saw Leroy sitting next to her place a clumsily large, ax-calloused hand over her slender, tiny one and give it a reassuring squeeze. The dwarf leaned over to whisper encouragingly to the petite beauty, and the prince realized that even within his inner circle of friends and allies there were deeper friendships, and stories leading to them, that he didn’t know, as Belle’s petite frame relaxed and her tense shoulders lowered slightly at the stout little man’s clearly welcomed assurances. The former shepherd thought he just made out the kind, if gruffly voiced, words, “Hang in there, Sister, the battle ain’t over yet.” Charming smiled; that might as well be a mantra for all of them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Robin of Locksley, otherwise known in the Enchanted Forest these days by his more colorful moniker of Robin Hood, simply could not seem to help it. He knew something about him - be it his cavalier attitude towards risk and danger, his leisurely and rather lax methods of ruling over his crew (Can he help it if he’d trust them with his life and has never had cause to question their loyalty or skill?) or perhaps it was just his very form and person she objected to. Whatever the case may be, he couldn’t help goading her Majesty, rattling that posh control of which the woman seemed so proud. Behind the cool and haughty veneer Regina Mills carefully wore, he sensed something injured - fragile, even - though she would be appalled at the thought that any weakness showed, he had no doubt of that. The irony, of course, was that bit of a chink in her flawless armor was the one thing that kept him from dismissing her as another selfish, cruel royal stepping on the backs of those less fortunate to get ahead. Her tiny show of pained humanity, the loneliness hidden behind those large dark eyes, beguiled him no matter how hard he tried to resist; drew his empathy where otherwise he would have had only scorn for her past actions and the villain she had been.

They were in the Dark Castle; seemingly, hopefully, having escaped Zelena’s notice so far, but stymied by a large door into the chamber where Rumplestiltskin had to be imprisoned. They had searched the entire rest of the castle and found it empty. None of them were foolish enough, however, to assume that the fact that they had not yet seen the Wicked Witch meant that the way ahead was safe or that she had not laid hidden snares for any intruders. Particularly not if this door were the barrier beyond which she was hiding the powerful being she meant to both use and prove herself to. There had been no other closed doors until this one, after all.

With a huff of impatience, as if she couldn’t be bothered to waste another second of her time - even with safety - the former Queen reached forward, her perfectly manicured hand nearly to the golden inlaid handle despite the Princess Snow’s warnings for caution and the Lady Belle’s wise suggestion that they wait. What appeared as bold unconcern and decisiveness radiated down her spine of steel, held ramrod-straight, but there was a slight tremor in those pale fingers, one he would have missed if he hadn’t been seeking it, just before they closed around the polished metal.

Some strange shiver of foreboding knowledge borne of a life in the forest, in the shadows, constantly on the move, pursued and on the run, made some more-than-tangible knowledge run through him, and Robin’s limbs and muscles were reacting before his mind issued a conscious order. Knowing the proud woman plowing ahead would not heed any words he called out anyway, he had silently reached over his shoulder, pulled an arrow from his quiver, nocked it to his bow, and let it fly before another moment passed, startling Regina enough as its course whistled past her ear to make her jerk back several steps. 

The feathered missile embedded in the heavy oaken portal with the solid “thunk” of a shot ringing true, but to the horror of all, rather than remaining there, vibrating from its landing, the arrow was lost from sight as the entire door was engulfed in instantaneous flames.

Watching the blaze which would undoubtedly have devoured her as well had he allowed her to pull open that door before loosing his arrow, Regina paused for mere moments before whipping around, dark eyes flashing, to arrest him angrily. “That arrow nearly took off my head!” she barked, voice as sharp as jagged glass.

Robin shot back, unable to keep himself from rising to the bait. Her lack of gratitude didn’t even surprise him by that point, but he hadn’t intended to be chastised for his quick-thinking aversion of danger either. “Where I come from a simple thank you would have sufficed.”

The regent’s black eyebrow rose in eloquent derision, making her opinion of where he came from quite clear without speaking a word. Yet, despite that hateful, snarling facade he could see the slight tremor he had previously noticed in her pale hands become a full-body quivering that, while still not plainly visible, had to be making it hard for her to remain standing, much less glaring at him with such vitriol. Her full, blood-red-painted lips trembled minutely as well until her perfect white teeth bit into the lower one, stilling it and making him swallow heavily with some reaction he couldn’t explain. She was shaken; that much he knew. But he could understand refusing to admit fear, not being able to let it show for the sake of those who follow, who must see strength to stay their course.

Thankfully, the clearly magical blaze soon expired and the way before them was as clear and unbarred as all the previous entryways they had encountered. Not without a bit of trepidation, but also as brave and determinedly as he had long since learned their hero contingent to be, Prince Charming and Snow pressed forward, followed anxiously by Belle (whom Robin’s heart panged for as she clearly ached to find the man she loved still able to recognize her and navigate his own mind) and the rest of their group. Regina just to the side, looked for all the world as if she were in no particular hurry to enter and see her former mentor, but could instead care less one way or the other. Hanging back, the outlaw of Sherwood Forest made sure the others had passed through the door and into the other room, well out of hearing, before he stepped up to Regina’s side, drawing almost nose-to-nose with her. He then leaned forward practically brushing the shell of her ear as he murmured. “There’s no need to pretend you’re made of stone, your Majesty…” He put precise emphasis on the title which she had let him know in no uncertain terms she preferred upon their first meeting in the forest. “In fact, with the present company, I believe you might get much further by letting them see that you have doubts and fears, just as they do. I know I like you much better seeing you as more than the Evil Queen.”

At her sharp intake of air with his last pronouncement, he pulled back quickly, half expecting a slap to be stinging his skin at any moment. Instead, he found color rising hotly up her neck, her chest rising and falling strenuously in that ridiculously low-cut corseted gown, and her generally looking more flustered and affected than he had ever seen her before.

She opened and closed her mouth soundlessly for several seconds until her tart tongue seemed to return to her, then spit out a quick, “Insolent bandit,” before moving to brush past him and follow the others.

Something in Robin snapped and surged to life in answer to her challenge; not allowing her to push him aside, he grasped her upper arm firmly and held on, her back to the wall and crowding in close to her, until their breaths were mingling in the same air, their faces were so close. Even as his pulse pounded and his heart rate skyrocketed, Robin wondered what had come over him. The woman had maimed and killed, schemed and plotted for her own selfish ends, and stood for everything he had devoted himself to toppling. She was nothing like his beloved Marian had been; someone with whom he would not have imagined sharing a thing in common - and yet he couldn’t fight the pull he felt. The need to imprint upon her not to put her life at risk so needlessly again.

Sweeping forward, he dove into an all-consuming kiss, taking her mouth with his and giving no quarter, delving further instead, and swallowing the whimper and hum that escaped her throat unconsciously, despite her best attempts to remain unaffected.  

Regina’s hands grappled blindly at his biceps as if trying to steady herself. She scrabbled for solid support before helplessly melting against him, opening for his questing mouth and giving herself over to the heated embrace. When they finally broke for air, she was breathless, and he huffed out a winded chuckle himself when she managed, “Well, Thief, that really was quite pleasant… Even if you do still smell of forest.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Several realms, curses, and years later, in Storybrooke

The three men and their half dozen offspring of various ages creeping through the woods on the border of Storybrooke out near the town line are quiet and intent, completely and unabashedly focused on their prize. Up ahead, atop the small rise of a hill as the sun climbs fully into the cold, clear November morning sky, their prey struts proudly, stopping occasionally to offer its warbled call or peck at the rough ground beneath its feet. They have been tracking the large turkey for some time now, since before day fully dawned, and the time to strike has come at last.

Briefly, the thought flits through Robin’s head that this could be the same tom that had escaped himself and his Merry Men in this same forest years ago, when the hunt had been interrupted by the nightmarish interruption of a winged simian attacker and LIttle John’s subsequent transformation. To this day, the large and otherwise unflappable man stays far away from this particular section of the forest and refuses to go anywhere near the town line on foot. A quick glance at David and his preteen son to the right, then Killian and his little girl and second son to the left, gives him the hint from both men’s expressions that they are also remembering that rather ill-fated day, as bows are readied and last instructions offered.

He can only hope they will face nothing so unexpected this fine morn. The turkey before them has been promised to grace the main table of the large community Thanksgiving feast, and between the three men and their brood of adventurous junior hunters it is a matter of pride that they not return empty-handed today. Roland was promised the first unobstructed shot, and the young man, just barely a teenager but already capable and thoughtful as an adult, has already taken aim and is readying his shot to fly, much to his half-sister Margot’s displeasure as she stands just behind her big brother at Robin’s elbow. She is as untamed and mischievous as Roland is quiet and serious, and was much put out at the decision that Roland as the oldest child should get first chance, arguing rather heatedly that Roland might be biggest but she was the best shot. His blond-braided, green-attired second child is one of the best shots he’s ever seen at barely ten, but if she doesn’t learn to keep her temper and her slightly spoiled younger sibling petulance under control, he is certainly in for further trials in a few years.

Even in the few silent moments afforded him as they all hold their breaths, Rob feels the gratitude and love he has for his children, and the friends and adopted family surrounding them, surge through him with new strength. He had so very nearly left this world, numerous times over, as had the men on either side of him, and the women each of them loved. It was part of the heavy mantle they wore when standing against the Darkness in the world and fighting it back from the light and good time after time. Still, what better time than the present holiday to give thanks for the fact that they are all still standing and present to celebrate together?

Roland lets out a soft breath and then releases the arrow, just as a sharp cry rings out to the left.  His son’s aim is true, but the bird is startled from its perch just in time to have the shot glide by beneath its talons as it takes flight. David on his right is already directing Leo to adjust his aim quickly and get off a second shot, even as Robin’s eyes sweep to where Killian is righting Hope from a tumble over a jutting tree root, brushing off her dark leggings and checking her for injury as she clearly struggles to hold back embarrassed and disappointed tears.

What he hasn’t banked on is his daughter’s inability to wait her turn or hold back any longer. Quick as whip, Margot lets fly, striking the bird right as she intends and sending it toppling from the sky. Mouth falling open in surprise at her audacity and her skill in equal measure, Robin can’t help the surge of pride at his daughter’s prowess, even if he knows he should admonish her for taking Leo’s moment from him and wondering if he should be making certain Roland doesn’t feel overshadowed.  However, his eldest spares him the trouble when he whoops and claps Margot on the shoulder, crying out “You got him on the fly, Sis! Nice one!”

When the whole group converges together, he decides to let the lecture about abiding by the rules and taking turns slide for the time being upon noticing that Leo looks rather relieved that the pressure to prove his mettle before their quarry escaped has been taken off of his shoulders. Instead, he claps his little girl on the shoulder, squeezing with gentle affection until she looks up at him, beaming.  Like her brother before her, she is growing much too fast, turning into a young lady before his eyes, and so for a moment, he lets himself revel in the fact that she still wants to spend time out in the woods with him and wishes to make him proud. Her papa won’t hold the favored spot in her heart forever, so he may as well savor it while he can.

He thinks Killian’s youngest, barely old enough to be tromping around out here with them in truth, looks a bit teary at the downed and unnaturally still bird before them, so he hurries to bag their prize for the journey homeward and puts it out of sight over his shoulder while Killian picks his tired youngest up off his feet and begins asking him how many different types of trees he can recognize from their leaves on the way back. That seems a bit difficult for a five-year-old until little Liam David begins happily babbling (suitably distracted thankfully) and pointing out oaks, maples and scotch pines as the pirate’s unerring sense of direction leads their whole troupe out of the forest toward the main road where they’ve left their trucks, Margot takes his hand, and Hope her grandpa’s, and Roland and Leo fall in behind talking amiably and carrying the bows. Apparently they have a budding naturalist in their midst as well, and Killian Jones - as usual - knows exactly what he is doing.

When he, Roland, and Margot trail back into the mayoral mansion some time later, discarding their muddy boots by the door, but still scattering crumbled leaves and dirt in the entryway, Regina stands in the hall shaking her head, and directs the children toward the laundry room to discard their outerwear before heading up to wash for dinner.  She looks at him, trying to muster exasperation, but unable to do so. That flawless Queen is long gone; she has come a long way since they snapped and snarled at each other in self-preservation back in their home realm, neither wanting to fall in love and risk heartbreak again.

Snatching his jacket collar and pulling him in close, Regina nips at his lips playfully before murmuring against his scruffy cheek, “You still smell like forest,” she mocks, “but somehow you’ve managed to steal my heart.”

He shakes his head, offering back words she’d stunned him with once long ago, “That’s not quite the way I remember it.  If I recall, your heart was given to me,” he whispers, emotion taking over the jest, “and a person can’t steal what’s been given to him.”

All in all, he’s been given much more than a simple archer from Sherwood Forest could have ever hoped.

Tagging a few who might enjoy: @searchingwardrobes @kmomof4 @jennjenn615 @laschatzi @whimsicallyenchantedrose @jrob64 @apiratewhopines @xarandomdreamx @booksteaandtoomuchtv @kazoosandfannypacks @teamhook @revanmeetra87 @stahlop @anmylica @gingerchangeling @gingerpolyglot @winterbaby89 @spartanguard @therooksshiningknight @optomisticgirl @tiganasummertree @donteattheappleshook @elizabeethan @the-darkdragonfly @bdevereaux @thislassishooked

[clawedevil]

Tag Dump because I'm tired of not having my tags handy.

Also NSFW headcanons because i forget my headcanons. I have headcanons but I only write smut when the stars align and two blood sacrifices have been made in my honor so no one needs to know these.

HIM's eyes go black when they c*m.

They are a nonbinary-shapeshifter but they prefer to have a pen*s.

Head game is insane.

They are EXTREMELY vain so when it comes to talking during its usually stuff like "you like my *blank*" "i know it feels good when i *blank*"

Believe it or not, HIM is a switch. They have no preference for either though. It's really just whatever they feel like at the moment.

They love to leave marks in visible spots.

Finally, the tags:

ooc. ｢ monster fucker simulator. ｣ ic. ｢ lace a lie with truth none is sweeter. ｣ him. ｢ creature most vile. ｣ mojo. ｢ prove yourself worthy to a worthless cause. ｣ musings. ｢ delights of pain and pleasure. ｣ headcanons. ｢ to kill a god. ｣ aesthetic. ｢ luxuries of devil to make angels weep. ｣ style. ｢ dipped with gold and blood. ｣ self promo. ｢ fall in decay. ｣ promo. ｢ succumb to your weakness. ｣ desires. ｢ the taste of the forbidden  ｣

body. ｢ all the better to eat you with. ｣ fc. ｢ evil always seeks to tempt. ｣ answers. ｢ look to the heavens and pray to devils. ｣ jojoisnomo. ｢ beautiful disaster i’ll eat you. ｣ mojo and him. ｢ own me i'll let you play the role. ｣ rebelpuff. ｢ what's the most you ever lost ｣

[bigshot-furbiestm]

In honor of Spamton's Birthday I thought I'd share the thing that's been rotting in my notes app, my addison headcannons.

blue - Reta she/they (said rita, short for retail) oldest, most mature. Pb the most loving and accepting of the group (our beautiful transfem<333) Second tallest

pink - Click he/she (its the name everyone uses for them pretty much lmao) middle child ass, acts like it too. Pb the bossiest. Makes clickbait, keeps making the others fall for ridiculous jokes. Middle height

click: You know that you eat 8 spiders in your sleep per year?

Spammy: This is another trick, isn't it?

click: Why would I lie about that, Spammy-wammy? Don't you trust me?

Spammy: I-I do...

click: Yeah, 8 spiders. In that mouth.

Spamton, visibly panicking: GUYSSSSS!!!!

*after a breif discussion with reta*

reta: Spamton. when have you ever even seen a spider in the cyber world?

Spamton: Oh. Dammit, I fell for it again!

yellow - Promo they/them (short for promotional material) does graphics, flyers, and posters. Has so much energy for arts and crafts. Litterally a ball of sparks. third shortest (shorter thank click)

orange - Link he/they (self explanatory lmao) second oldest, poor dude just wants a break. In charge of coding websites and online ads for the others. Chillest. Tallest

purple (oc) - Ema She/her ( short for email) took over as the mail girl after Spammy quit, youngest because she was made to fill the gap he left. "They’re big shoes to fill! Well, not physically but- metaphorically." Full of anxiety. A little taller than spamton but not as tall as the others so second shortest.

White - Spamton g Spamton. he/him Named because he was they guy handling sending out the spam emails. He never really fit in all that much. Used to be the youngest, is now second youngest. Shortest.

All of their last names are Addison (except for Spammy, he changed his name because he doesn't really see himself like the others and because it gives the name a better ring for branding.)

thank you for reading le brainrot

[colossal-niamh]

@reneethejackdaw

Alright I promised it so here’s my top 20 matches

Now a quick heads up, this isn’t just going to be a retread of my 5-star list. That’s more of a list of what I think is the best matches in the world, while this is more matches that I in particular like and/or hold sentiment for me. Though there will inevitably be overlap

Honorable mentions:

Hangman Adam Page vs Bryan Danielson 12/15- This match is basically number 21. this is the best AEW world title match and I love it sooo much but it just barely gets eeked out by the other 20

Asuka vs Ember Moon Takeover Brooklyn 3- one of the best NXT women’s matches and just barely didn’t make the cut. If they were to do this with modern Athena this would soar in my personal rankings Bull Nakano vs Aja Kong 11/4- an excellent finale to Aja's long title chase and her crowning as the new top boss of AJW

Kaientai DX vs Gran Hamada, Gran Naniwa, Masato Yakushiji, Super Delfin, and Tiger Mask 4- great and extremely fun multiman tag and a perfect primer for Michinoku Pro's style

Daniel Bryan vs Randy Orton 6/24- One of Randy's best matches and probably the best PG era no DQ match. THE LIST: 20. Bryan Danielson vs Kenny Omega, 4/12/09- a cartoonish and lighthearted match before each man went on to dominate the world. This is probably the most farcical match on this list but for good reason. it's an excellent display of both men's comedy chops, crowd work and eventually a sprint of both men's in ring capabilities. I delightful foot note

19. Cody vs Dustin Rhodes, 5/25/19- The Match that made me go "oh yeah, AEW's gonna work." Bar none Dustin's best match as he and his brother honor their late father's legacy by drenching themselves in blood. I know Dustin getting busted open was an accident but it added so much to the sprit of the match.

18. WALTER vs Ilja Dragunov, 8/22/21- This is the best NXT match of all time. A passionate and brutal rematch of their 2020 encounter. Dragunov shows he truly does have that dog in him as with a chest made of hamburger meat and a gash on his forehead, physically clobbers WALTER into submission

17. Steve Corino vs Yoshihiro Tajiri, 5/14- This is probably my most self indulgent pick on this list as I feel a lot of people could be turned off by Corino's racist pre match promo. I justify my liking of this match by going "DID YOU SEE HOW HARD TAJIRI KICKED THAT RACIST FUCK'S HEAD?!" Tajiri gives Corino one of the most satisfying beat downs I've ever seen and it rocks so hard.

16. Tsuruta Gun vs SGA 4/20- best 6-man tag in wrestling history, every participant plays their part perfectly. Tsuruta Gun's monumental hater energy is prevalent in all 3 members, Jumbo's ongoing grouchy ace energy, Taue fighting to prove he belongs with the vets, and Fuchi's the evil old man viciously harassing his younger opponents. Meanwhile Misawa, Kawada and Kobashi are in a constant state of white hot babyface sprit that does not let up the entire match.

15. Rey Misterio vs Eddie Guerrero 10/27- The perfect encapsulation of WCW's cruiserweight division. Eddie clawing and slamming Rey with the viciousness only a rudo like himself can show off. Meanwhile Rey shows of just why he's one of the best underdog babyfaces as he uses everything in his book to counteract Eddie's harsh offence. Special shoutout to Rey's The Sprit gear here as it works with the theming of the PPV and as a visual metaphor for a Luchador's mask being a part of themselves.

14. E&C vs The Hardy Boys vs The Dudley Boys 4/1- WWE's best stipulation match with 3 of their best tag teams ever. TLC 2 is the wrestling equivalent to watching the police car pile up from the end of Blues Brothers. An insane series of mesmerizing car crashes in rapid precession.

13. Akira Taue vs Toshiaki Kawada 4/1- These 2 start their own independent blood feud while inside the bigger blood feud that is Tsuruta Gun vs Super Generation Army. Taue and Kawada go at each other like 2 beta fish in the same tank, fast and violently. Taue in particular does the rare but awesome All Japan blade job. a dark horse in the 4 Pillars cannon

12. Eddie Kingston vs Jun Akiyama 11/19- The proper match itself is a good time and one of Eddie's sleeper hits, but the post match is special to me. Eddie showing respect to one of his all time heroes and that hero showing an equal amount of respect back is the only time a wrestling match made me cry. The exact moment I realized who my favorite wrestler is, hail to the Mad King.

11. KENTA vs Ricky Marvin 10/15- This match is one of the best sprints I've ever seen. The moment Marvin launches himself at KENTA begins 2 minuets of the 2 men throwing the sickest strikes and nastiest bombs I've ever seen. Gets everyone I've shown it to jumping out of their seats

10. CM Punk vs John Cena 7/17- Punk snatches victory from the jaw of a corporation. Punk truly attains his 2nd City Saint nickname and the title of generational talent. Cena's no slouch here either as he does his patented one night stoic heel routine like it's 2006 all over again.

9. Jon Moxley vs Wheeler YUTA 4/6- This is my most biased pick as I was there live in the arena for this, but also it's the best match I've ever seen live, so it evens out. This is the match that convinced me Yuta is a guy to look out for. Jon Moxley initiates Wheeler Yuta into the BCC through blood and carnage. I was physically leaping out of my seat as Yoots bit and clawed his way to meet Mox on his level. While he failed to beat Mox, Wheeler's sheer tenacity proved he deserves to stand shoulder to shoulder with some of the best wrestlers in the world.

8. Kenta Kobashi vs Kensuke Sasaki 7/18- I lovingly described this match to a friend as "if 2 fridges worked out and hated your chest." Kobashi vs Sasaki is one of the most Dudes Rock matches ever in a medium designed for shit that makes you go Dudes Rock. watch that chop off in the middle of this match and not get hype I dare you.

7. Daniel Bryan vs John Cena 8/18- This is John Cena's best match in his best genre, all timer wrestler sets their legend in stone by surpassing Big Match John. Bryan that this point was, you know, an exceptional technician with a storied career outside of The Fed. But this particular bout cemented him as a star so bright Even the WWE couldn't look the other way as oceans of people rallied behind that little harry hippie.

6. Mitsuharu Misawa vs Toshiaki Kawada, 6/3- This match is mythical. A short hand for greatest of all time for those in the know. In the early years of their decade spanning war, Toshiaki Kawada throws everything in his arsenal at Misawa. In the face of this offence, the Ace manages to have an all timer comeback. I first watched this while on a plane ride and by the time the match was over I didn't ever realize the plane had landed, I was so enthralled I lost track of time.

5. Mitsuharu Misawa vs Toshiaki Kawada, 6/6- Buuuut this is my favorite match between the 2. Years later into the feud, Misawa and Kawada have fought so many time and have elevated into a barrage of heavy bombs, stiff strikes and tight grapples. Kawada is an absolute freak at this point, desperate for his first win and eating everything the Ace has in store. Despite all his efforts, the heartbreak sets in as Misawa once again vanquishes Dangerous K. The ending is the same as always but hits hard, Kawada was so close, but victory slips away yet again.

4. The Briscoes vs FTR 12/10- I find it fitting the late great Jay Briscoe's last great match, the last Great Briscoes match, sits atop the heap as the best tag team match. Blood and metal fly. Jay's bleed, Mark's bleeding, Dax and Cash are bleeding. hell even the ref gets in on the blood. A grand farewell to the best team, dead or alive.

3. Terry Funk vs Atsushi Onita, 5/5- This match is a beautiful as it is violent and boy, is it violent. Onita and Funk slug each other as their bodies are pelted with explosions as the hit real barbwire. The battle makes these great transitions as it goes from all out hatred to desperation as the clock winds down, then finally one of the grandest acts of kindness I've ever seen in a match. Onita, realizing Funk will get caught in the explosion, show his foe some humanity and shields his near lifeless body from the final bomb. The best ending to any match I've ever seen

2. Shinobu Kandori vs Akira Hokuto, 4/2- This. Is. War. Hokuto and Kandori go at each other from minute one with unparalleled animosity. They're snappy, they're agile, they are vicious. Kandori's murderous submission holds, Hokuto's brilliant dives and bombs, THAT TOMBSTONE ON THE TABLE. Undoubtedly the greatest women's match ever, no chance of it being topped.

Kenta Kobashi vs Samoa Joe 10/1- The perfect dream match. 2 of the best to ever do it, at the hottest time for the promotion, at the zenith of both men's careers. Kobashi is fresh off his legendary reign of fire with the GHC heavyweight title. Joe's in that mythical period of his career where he's the best wrestler who ever lived. It is 2 unparalleled greats colliding likes stars, and the explosion is spectacular

[citrus-cactus]

For the character ask meme! 1 and 7 for Kaito, 24 and 26 for Minoru, and 10 and 11 for Aoi. Sorry if this is a lot! You don't have to do all of them if you don't want to! :)

OOOOH A BUMPER CROP OF SURVIVE KIDS HECK YEAH LET'S GOOOOO! For reference, the ask game is here.

Kaito:

1. My first impression of them

"Wow, these lone wolf/rival archetypes are getting edgier and edgier!" (sorry! Kind of a facetious answer, but I think the first time I saw him was the promo art/intro credits image of him and Dracmon, so there was literally no other information to go on other than his partner and appearance. Pretty sure I thought the same thing about Rei from Appmon as well. Sorry, recent Lone Wolf characters of Digimon media I’ve latched on to, I have two nickels!)

7. A quote of them that you remember

Not so much a direct quote, but I know I was definitely struggling to understand Kaito through my first playthrough-and-a-half of Survive (vis-a-vis the correct affinity dialogue choices for him). But his behavior in Wrathful really unlocked something for me. He understood the pain Aoi was going through, and his relative level-headedness about it really helped the rest of the group pick a direction at times. So it’s less about exactly what he said, and more about what he did and how he reacted to Aoi going down that dark spiral as the things that really stuck with me, and helped inform my Truthful playthrough. Plus, I got his affinity Mega at that point (even though I was fully committed to scum-saving anyway!).

Minoru:

24. What do you think is a secret they have that they never told anyone?

This is a really interesting question for Minoru, because given the right circumstances, I'm not sure he has any secrets that he would be 100% determined to keep forever. But this is related to my answer for #26, so see the next question below.

"Sexuality headcanon" is definitely going to assert itself on the rest of this answer (so apologies if you weren't looking for that), but I think something he would not admit during the game timeframe is that any time he's mentions/teases Takuma about girls or some get-your-mind-out-of-the-gutter thing, it's all 100%, grade-A, this-is-whats-expected-of-me 14-year-old posturing, and my headcanon is that he currently has no interest in girls or any of the “naughty” things he's teasing Takuma about. Either he won't admit that to anyone but himself for a few more years, or it's possible he doesn't even realize it himself yet!

26. When do you think they were being “themselves” the most?

I think the confrontation between him and his shadow self in the Moral ending, where he said he knew he was "trash" and a "total failure" and "worthless," was THE instance where Minoru’s happy-go-lucky attitude was revealed to be largely a facade, and there were a ton of secret insecurities he had about himself... which I don’t think is something he would have admitted at that time to his "heroes" Takuma and Aoi under many other circumstances. I don't... thiiiiink... this self-doubting low-self-esteem reveal comes up as directly in any other route? So this felt like a once-in-a-game opportunity to learn who Minoru really is, and fill in some of the thoughts/motivations behind his previous (and perhaps alternate route) actions.

Even though Minoru didn't get to choose the time or place of revealing that information to Aoi and Takuma in Moral, I think it's possible he would choose to admit it at some point after the ending of another route, either just conversing with one of them in private, or to bolster one of them if they were down on themselves and he thought sharing this info might help them (again, I interpret him as perfectly willing to share what he’s thinking, but only under the right circumstances).

Aoi:

10. Describe the character in one sentence

"This anxious, well-behaved, 15-year-old honors student is also an amazing, terrifying, absolutely tragic and sympathetic villain."

11. What’s the first thing you think about when thinking about the character?

"Girl, same."

(And then I proceed to think at least 15 other things, because there's just SO MUCH to think about when it comes to Aoi all the time always. So much great meta has been written about her already, and I'm eating it all up while nodding along, and thinking more thoughts that I can't even articulate, but it's fine. Aoi contains multitudes, she's an absolutely brilliant deconstruction of the "supportive mom friend" character trope, and I love her and pity her and root for her self-actualization all at the same time).

[twwpress]

Weekly Press Briefing #94

Welcome back to the Weekly Press Briefing, where we bring you highlights from The West Wing fandom each week, including new fics, ongoing challenges, and more! This briefing covers all things posted from April 7 - April 13, 2024. Did we miss something? Let us know; you can find our contact info at the bottom of this briefing! 

Challenges/Prompts:

There are no open challenges or events on our radar this week. Do you have a challenge or event you’d like us to promote or know of one we’re missing? Be sure to get in touch with us! Contact info is at the bottom of this briefing.

This Week in Canon:

Welcome back to This Week in Canon, where we revisit moments in The West Wing that occurred on these dates during the show’s run.

Season 7, Episode 17: Election Day Part II aired on April 9, 2006.

Photos/Videos:

Here’s what was posted from April 7 – April 13:

Allison Janney posted screenshots from this week’s Palm Royale episode. 

Dule Hill posted about his daughter Kennedy’s partnership with Backlot Coffee. 

Dule Hill posted promo about his upcoming PBS arts and travel show, The Express Way, which airs April 23rd at 9/8 central. 

Elisabeth Moss posted a promo video for her upcoming FX show, The Veil, which premieres April 30. 

Marlee Matlin posted photos from her trip get her 18th tattoo.  

Mary McCormack posted a video of herself and John Slattery telling one fighter pilot’s story in honor of National Former Prisoner of War Recognition Day. 

Melissa Fitzgerald posted a promo graphic for The 50, a film featured at All Rise’s 2023 conference. It is now available VOD on Apple or Prime. 

Donna Moss Daily: April 7 | April 8 | April 9 | April 10 | April 11 | April 12 | April 13 

Daily Josh Lyman: April 7 | April 8 | April 9 | April 10 | April 11 | April 12 | April 13 

No Context BWhit: April 7 | April 8 | April 9  | April 11 | April 12 | April 13  

@twwarchive: April 7 | April 8 | April 9 | April 10 | April 11 | April 13 

Editors’ Choice: 

No recommendations this week. We'll be back with more stories soon!

Fics:

Presenting your weekly roundup of fics posted in the tag for The West Wing on Archive of Our Own. 

Josh/Donna

Self-Evaluation by Telperien | Rated T | Josh Lyman/Donna Moss | In Progress

all i know is a simple name (and everything has changed) by JessBakesCakes for sam_writes_fics | Rated G | Josh Lyman/Donna Moss | Complete

Other Pairings/Gen Fic

Regarding Jamie: Sound and Fury by mlea7675 | Rated G | Helen Santos/Matt Santos | In Progress

An Intriguing Variable by silasfinch for justdreaming88 | Ellie Bartlet/Original Female Character(s) | In Progress

you just got me started by taliamytalia | Rated E | Josh Lyman/Sam Seaborn | Complete

Tuesday, I’m in love. by muldxr for wabadabadaba | Rated T | Joey Lucas/Josh Lyman | Complete

This Seat Taken by Forgott3nQu33n | Rated G | Will Bailey/Kate Harper | Complete

The First Lady by unseenacademic | Rated T | | Abbey Bartlet/Jed Bartlet | In Progress

Multiple Pairings

What Sons Do by kcat1971 | Rated M | Josh Lyman/Donna Moss, Helen Santos/Matt Santos, Abbey Bartlet/Jed Bartlet, Ainsley Hayes/Sam Seaborn, Zoey Bartlet/Charlie Young | In Progress

THE WEEKLY PRESS BRIEFING TEAM CAN BE REACHED VIA THE FOLLOWING METHODS:

Twitter: @TWWPress

Email: weeklypressbriefing@gmail.com

Feel free to let us know if we missed something, if you have an event you’d like us to promote, or if you have an item that you’d like included in the next briefing!

xx, What’s next?

[thepolyamorouspolymath]

The ghosts of penises past strikes again... twice in one month.

I finally had cut ties with M. Like deleted his contact info from EVERYWHERE so I couldn't dig it back out some time when I was feeling lonely and unattractive.

I didn't block him, because he hadn't been responding the last time I tried talking to him, and because I made a promise once to always be there for him if he needed me. He may have no sense of honor and he may never keep his word, but I'm not that person. If I PROMISE (rather than just saying I will) I fucking stick to it. I have too many broken promises and cracks in my heart from them to do otherwise.

So I'm sitting here one day chilling, working on some research, and I see the whatsapp notification on my bar. I assume it's this company that always sends me promos or a back up running. Nope, it's him.

He beats around the bush for awhile before making it clear he was looking for sex. And I said no, that he should remember my stance on casual meaningless sex. He suggested an ongoing thing getting to know each other. When I asked why he reached out to me when he could find someone easily to cheat on his gf with he gave me some bullshit. Then said how he didn't want to get back together, it'd take a lot of long conversations before we got there and I straight up laughed. For a solid 3 minutes straight. Then went why would I want to repeat the worst mistake I ever made. Not that he meant it -- those conversations would never happen unless he needed me to feel guilty about something and he was never going to want a relationship with me. It was the equivalent of the married man leaving hints he'd leave his wife for you if things worked out. I listed all the shit he pulled and he got mad, how it reminded him of how I'd berate him and never let go of anything (a, he kept doing the sane shit and b, funny how that's the same thing he said about all his exes to me way back when) and he'd just been thinking with his dick again and should find someone easier and thanks for the reminder. So I responded even his dick should have known better than to try to hook up with me after making his disdain for me clear, abd that he absolutely should find someone else bc not only did my mind not want him but I was bone dry at the idea of him ever touching me again.

Then I think he deleted whatsapp despite needing to talk to people in Europe, because his pic and stuff went but it didn't tell me I was blocked which it usually does, I think. Fucking coward.

So we'll see how long this sticks, as it's fine for him to ignore me but he can't stand when I don't want him. Hopefully forever.

Then I get a message yesterday. A guy I went out with 3 times in January or something. Guy wanted me to accept scraps of time when his wife thought he was with friends bc she wanted a don't ask don't tell. Even I had more self respect than that. Oh and he wanted a lifestyle partner, not a life partner. Not bc he loves his wife but bc he likes his life the way it is and if he could squeeze in some kink on his terms only, so much the better. I shot that shit down and called him out for being completely manipulative and selfish, qualities he thought he'd left behind and no, still the same guy he was when some other poor woman had to call him on it and I said so. I'm not shy.

He acknowledged I'd been right, apologized, asked to be friends first, and to unblock him on fet. I said I'd agree to friends, and he proceed to pull all kinds of manipulative crap in the course of one conversation -- still saying he wanted a lifestyle partner to which I asked why I'd want that now when I already turned down that same offer from the same guy months ago. I called him out on his refusal to compromise or adjust anything in his life, because I'm worth more than his leftover crumbs. He said how not many guys would drive out to the city I'm moving to and again I laughed -- does he think that a college town is devoid of men? No, most guys from the burbs probably wouldn't drive out there which is why I'm not dating at the moment and will find one out there if I want one. Fuck, with as young as I look I could probably have my pick of frat guys. I'm like that was manipulative implying I should settle for my last chance, and it wasn't subtle or accurate. Do better if you want to con me.

I'm so not interested in men. They continually disappoint me, with one exception who sadly lives too far away for more than occasional sexting and being an exceptional friend.

The ghost can start passing me right on. I can't think of a man I've dated that I feel the urge to test drive again. Thanks but I finally figured out that chasing my mistakes won't undo them and the time I spent is a sunk cost, and trying to recoup sunk costs has never ended well for anyone.