#(I use the 'I need all my friends' for otp tag here but in general the line in Japanese is better aCTUALLY)

[spnfanficpond]

New Member Spotlight October 2024

The Pond is always growing and we want to make our new members feel welcome! Here’s a list of recent additions to our fishy family and a little info about them!

Turtles

Sunshine - she/her, Germany, @sunshine4537, thelionsleepstonight (AO3), sunshine4537 (Discord)

OTP? - Destiel

Other fandoms? - The Professionals (1977); BBC Sherlock

Looking for in the Pond? - Fun, interesting discussions about eps

Pairings you read? - m/m

Genres you read? - almost everything

Favorite writer(s)? - NorthernSparrow, Anrey/queerwerewolf and so many more

Cami - she/her, Argentina, @silensthings, Gwendoline (AO3), Syloephe6179 (Discord)

OTP? - Destiel

Other fandoms? - Harry Potter! but usually I read a lot and watch tv shows/series so I consider myself part of those for (the duration of the obsession) but mainly spn and Harry Potter are my favourite fandoms.

Looking for in the Pond? - I always loved to read fanfics, I read destiel since... 2012 I think! but I always did it alone, none of my friends are into this. So, It will be nice to have some people to chat, reccomend favourites, exchange opinions on fics, maybe help some writer if someone wants/need to. But that's it, nice people to chat, hopefully make some friends!

Pairings you read? - Mainly Destiel, to be honest. But I don't have a preference in other pairings, If the fic has other pairings, great, I don't really mind.

Genres you read? - Spn canon verse, angst, Au, Dark, end!verse, slow-building romance, friends to enemy to lovers, wing!fic, historical, medieval, case fic, canon fic, fake/pretend relationship. Castiel related: jealous! Protective! Possessive, creature! Trueform... etc!

Favorite writer(s)? - Seperis' (Down to Agincourt) is my absolute favourite. But I really love the works of Komodobits, Scaramouche, Whelvenwings, AlchemyAlice, MissAnnthropic, (can I say all the authors of Redemption Road?) NorthernSparrow, Cloudyjenn, Amoosebouche...Saltyfeathers, I'm sure I'm forgetting someone! These are Ao3 users.

Guppies, Jellies, and Mutuals, oh, my!

Toad - they/them, East Coast US, @toadspondofwhimsy (same on AO3 and Discord)

OTP? - Destiel

Other fandoms? - I'm not really active in other fandom spaces, but I love Bob's Burgers, Abbott Elementary, Spider-man. Other like general interests I have are, history, reading in general, psychology, nature, spiritualism, and knitting.

Looking for in the Pond? - Community & friends that can help me in posting on platforms, like how to format, tag, etc. properly. Also help me curate my 'voice', since I've mostly written academically in the past few years and put my creative writing on the back burner. How to take the source material and stay true to the characters while also making it my own. Also, just in general, community & friends!

Pairings you read? - I like reading reader inserts and pretty much any character ships (except if they're related).

Genres you read? - I love angst, fluff, and smut. My favorite tropes are enemies to lovers & "unrequited" love. I love a good slow burn.

What do you like to write? - I like to write reader inserts and OC pairings.

Masterlist!

Something you haven't written but would like to try? Why not? How can we help? - Smut. I haven't tried because I'm not sure of a way to do that while keeping the reader gender-neutral. Also, I'm not confident in my writing skills to be able to write smut. Honestly, I'm not sure how you can help, maybe some tips on neutral language surrounding genitalia that's not like overly medical??

Kayte -she/her, Texas US, @kayteonline, reading_is_my_drug (AO3), kayteonline1208 (Discord)

Other fandoms? - Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon, Interview with the Vampire (show)

Looking for in the Pond? - More mutuals and inspiration to get back into the writing game and finish these WIPs

Pairings you read? - Reader inserts, ships, poly, M/F, M/M, F/F

Genres you read? - Love angsty smut, crack smut, crack, smut, angst. Enemies to lovers, friends to lovers, and

Favorite writer(s)? - (Hopefully I don't misspell these) To name a few on Tumblr/AO3: @littlegreenplasticsoldier, @kittenofdoomage, @manawhaat

What do you like to write? - Smut, crack, smutty crack, angst, smutty angst, PWP, PW some P, enemies to lovers

Masterlist!

Most underappreciated fic? - I don't know that its underappreciated, but this was my first non-smut (I think) and first Sam-centric fic, and I really love how this came together like an episode from the show: Shifting Perspectives And this fun little series I put together in my first attempt at all crack/smut: Strange Magic

Danni - she/her, Indiana US, @castielspahdehrah, same name on AO3

Other fandoms? - Criminal Minds, Markiplier, and K-pop; specifically BTS, GOT7, and Monsta X/Wonho

Looking for in the Pond? - This is why I had some trouble picking if I should be a "guppie" or "jellyfish". I have the writing experience and "seniority" on Tumblr since I started back in 2014, but I've also had a very long hiatus. I need to reconnect with folks to help me immerse myself back into the fandom and get comfortable. I would also greatly appreciate finding people to bounce ideas off of and maybe even beta read for/have them beta read for me. I guess I just need to find my place again, now that I'm back "home" and I can't think of a better way than jumping into the Pond :)

Pairings you read? - Strictly reader inserts for me, but I won't yuck anyone else's yum either. Whatever makes their little hearts happy, makes me happy

Genres you read? - All of the above, really. I am a sucker for a good old "tear your heart out" angst though. Enemies to lovers is always a surefire hit with me too. The tension makes for great writing, I think.

Favorite writer(s)? - Oh my...not only would this list be endless, but I think a lot of them have moved on from Tumblr over the years. Lemme see if I can think of any....@kittenofdoomage, @kaz2y5-imagines, @deansdirtylittlesecretsblog, @willowing-love, @supernaturalfreewill, @abaddonwithyall, @littlegreenplasticsoldier, @mrswhozeewhatsis, man...there were so many. I mainly know them from Tumblr, but I know @kittenofdoomage has an AO3 also.

What do you like to write? - Honestly, I like to write a little of everything, but I've been told my smut and angst are my best genres and I'm, apparently, really good at conveying Dean and Gabriel's personalities like they were on the show. I'm also a "terrible person" because of my cliffhangers! LOL! :)

Masterlist!

Most underappreciated fic? - I'm Going Home and Rite of Ascension

Something you haven't written but would like to try? Why not? How can we help? - I don't think there's a genre/trope/topic I've not tried yet, but I could be wrong. More than anything I would just like to finish the ones that I left hanging during my hiatus. A couple will, hopefully, just require me to rewatch certain seasons/episodes to remember canon events that I was branching off of.

Tika - she/her, US, @artificial-sleep, same name on AO3 and Discord

OTP? - Wincest

Other fandoms? - Previously MHA

Looking for in the Pond? - Somewhere to share writing, build community, and hang out/help other writers

Pairings you read? - I like ship fics and the occasional poly fic

Genres you read? - Everything I read and write contains smut, but I also like a little angst, fluff, crack, + on the side.

What do you like to write? - Smut fics! But smut with feelings, smut with some plot, angsty smut, and getting-together fics

Masterlist!

Most underappreciated fic? - I'm Your Daddy

Alexis - they/them, California US, @queer-dancing-fandom-nerd, BunheadKitKat19 (AO3), DuckChips19 (Discord)

OTP? - Destiel

Other fandoms? - Not actively a part of anything else, though I have written Doctor Who stuff

Looking for in the Pond? - More SPN community + exploring all the amazing relationships in the show and fandom

Pairings you read? - Mostly destiel and TFW family/extended family

Genres you read? - Fluff, hurt/comfort, smut, crack, angst, as long as there’s a happy ending! I like canon-divergent, canon-compliant, post-canon, and human AUs

What do you like to write? - Mostly canon-verse fics with some healing aspect

Masterlist!

Most underappreciated fic? - Teach me how to fly?

Something you haven't written but would like to try? Why not? How can we help? -Slash smut, I need a penis consultant :( Also, I have not done human AU before and I have an idea but would probably need some advice for adjusting the characters into a non-supernatural setting.

Mörökölli - they/them, UTC+3 time zone, @morokollisyo, Morokolli (AO3), morokollisyo (Discord & LiveJournal)

OTP? - I multiship and I am curious to different combos. So, no preferences.

Other fandoms? - none others atm (B5 very long, long time ago)

Looking for in the Pond? - I want to network with other writers. I know a lot about writing (if I say I've been writing for 40 years of my life, that's pretty close to right), but I'm actually avoiding it myself at the moment in fandom, and I want to focus more on making art - preferably so I can illustrate other people's fiction. Oh, and reading good fic. But I really do have a lot of knowledge about writing, long novel projects and short flash fictions, and I'm happy to share that knowledge with others.

Something to signal boost? - I like to describe other people's stories in a different way than just through bangs. I believe that more contacts can be made this way.

Pairings you read? - Sam/Dean, Sam/Others, Dean/Others

Genres you read? - Angst, crack. Tropes: time travel, enemies to lovers, Demon!Dean, Powers!Sam

Favorite writer(s)? - Glasslogic and Zubeneschamali

Masterlist!

Most underappreciated fic? - I still think it's funny myself, and it's Jody drooling over Sam. But no one can find this! The Winchesters Are Not Okay

Something you haven't written but would like to try? Why not? How can we help? - I'm a non-native and writing fiction in English is a lot of work for me, so I'm afraid to write long stories. But I'm trying to write a story based on mythology, where Sam and Dean have been living apart. It would be great if there was a bang to speed things up.

That's all for this month, folks! (If we're missing anyone, let us know and we'll add them to next month's list!) Make sure to say hi to the newbies and make them feel welcome! Thanks to all from @manawhaat, @mrswhozeewhatsis, @mariekoukie6661, @thoughtslikeaminefield, @heavenssexiestangel, and @spn-fanfic-reblog-writes!

[satanstruemistress]

I don't go here (aew) but I am so intrigued as to what's going on bc I've been seeing posts about it all day where I almost never have before 👀 👀 👀

That’s probably because of me lol. I’d apologize but honestly it’s so good.

Honestly, AEW is my favorite wrestling promotion right now, but people don’t seem to want to give it a chance, because they’re ride-or-die for WWE. And WWE is good! But it’s geared more toward kids, where AEW is geared more toward adults. Idk how much you know about wrestling in general, so I’ll explain the whole thing as thoroughly as possible :)

My favorite storylines right now are: Deranged Blond Cowboy and Afro-goth Vampire wannabe (Hangman Adam Page and Swerve Strickland, respectively) hate each other but are inexplicably unable to free themselves from each other. There’s been stabbings, breaking and entering, blood drinking, body stapling, hanging the cowboy with a chain, and the cowboy stabbing a needle into Swerve’s face.

They’re the fandom’s OTP somehow. (They deserve it). We want them to be tag team champions. They’re wrestling soulmates. (They work together super well, no matter if they’re feuding or a team.) There’s a whole playlist I’ve watched a few times on YouTube, that goes through the whole storyline so far. It’s fantastic.

And: “Blackpool Combat Club gets Poly Divorced, violently.”

There’s a lot of history there, but what it boils down to now is: Bryan Danielson, one of the best wrestlers in the world, ever, needs to retire. He’s got a neck issue that needs to be addressed sooner rather than later, but the owner of AEW wanted him to have one last hurrah, so he basically dragged him kicking and screaming into the storyline where he won the World Title from Swerve (my beloved Afro goth vampire). Danielson said he’s not going to just give up the title, he’s gonna fight until he physically couldn’t anymore, and THEN he’d retire from full-time action.

Danielson has a group he’s in, Blackpool Combat Club (BCC for short) with dudes he’s been friends with for a long time, that was started by their mentor, William Regal who is no longer with AEW. (His irl son is in WWE’s “developmental territory - the proving grounds before they actually go in front of approximately half a zillion people).

Danielson’s BCC buddy Jon Moxley came back from some time off and was like “Hey this isn’t your company anymore” and confused the shit out of fans and coworkers alike.

But anyway, the night Danielson successfully defended the AEW World Title for the first time, his BCC team mates Moxley, Claudio (they’re hard to tell apart at first, both tall bald white dudes) and their protégée Wheeler Yuta, along with “new recruits” The Bastard Pac, and scary lady Marina Shafir. They were celebrating. Smiles, kisses, and hugs all around. Pac even hugged Wheeler.

Which is when we knew something was going down. Pac is, in fact, a Bastard. He’s not a lovey/huggy man. He was holding Wheeler back while Claudio uppercutted Danielson which shook fans EVERYONE. And then Mox grabbed a plastic bag and tried to suffocate Danielson while Wheeler sobbed and cried out for Bryan whilst being held back by Pac and ineffectively comforted by Claudio.

Danielson was escorted out on a stretcher that night.

Blah blah blah, a week or so passes, and we see Wheeler…not doing well. At all. He’s dead-eyed, almost catatonic, but he’s using Danielson’s finisher to win matches.

BCC tries to get through to him, but he’s not interested. He’s sided with Bryan.

OR SO WE THOUGHT.

Last night, Mox won the title but wasn’t actually all that interested in the Big Prize. He shoved it into a bag. He and the rest of the BCC started beating the shit out of Danielson. But here comes Wheeler Yuta and another man named Darby Allin, to the rescue.

Darby and Wheeler chase them off, but Darby’s back is turned, and when he turns to check on Bryan, who was sitting in the corner behind Yuta, Yuta hit Darby with one of Bryan’s finishing moves called the Busaiku Knee.

I’m a little fuzzy on the direct actions, because I was busy staring open-mouthed at the screen, processing, but Darby ended up taped to the ring ropes, and Wheeler suffocated Danielson this time.

As he’s suffocating his mentor, his childhood hero, Wheeler is BEGGING him to stop fighting it. Just let go. Then a bunch of faces (good guys) run from the back, and finally help get them off him. Namely three dudes named Orange Cassidy, Hook, and Daniel Garcia.

Danielson was taken out on a stretcher. AGAIN.

Here’s fan theory: Mox, Claudio, Wheeler, and the rest of them still love Bryan Danielson. They’re doing this to protect him from himself so he doesn’t end up seriously hurting himself or worse. That’s how they got Wheeler to do what he did. None of them are happy about it, they’re not enjoying it. They just think it’s their only option.

But this is a story, it’s not real, so obviously we’re thinking that this is all Bryan’s doing. He’s KNOWN to be a devil who thrives on his fan’s horror. (Which is a positive thing in this business). We think that this, not the title, was his last big hurrah. THIS is how he wants to go out, setting his irl besties up for a MASSIVE heel (bad guy) run, while simultaneously setting up the guys that came running out to help him, to be the next big faces of the company.

…Anyway, yeah. AEW is fantastic. I highly recommend it. There’s also a lot of silly and fun storylines that won’t leave you traumatized lol.

ALSO TEN YEARS A MUTUAL HOLY SHIT.

[averinna]

What's disappointing about realizing why you'll never be understood is that it's no amount of trying will change anything

It doesn't matter that I write faster or have a better English. By essence I am different. It's why none of my first fics took off. People saw ocs and assumed mary sue, people saw no romance and assumed it was worthless

Because what is ocs but a way to self insert? What are fanfic but about your otp kissing?

What else could it be. Nobody care.

Isekai are popular recently and I see people hating on it on there and yeah no wonder it's self insert fantasies.

But this website do the same since a while now. Now the fiction which work are those that explicitly want the reader to imagine themselves with Christian Grey #85. Authors don't even have to try, it'll work out anyway.

JJK is nothing but this because people don't even care about the characters, but just their appearance. That's all there is to it.

Fiction doesn't reflect what people really feel about our society but then I wonder why people don't use fiction to have a reality free of what oppress them

Instead I see fiction for women primarily about being treated worst than we are irl but since the guy doing it it's hot. It's a "power fantasy" to be with a guy who have full control over your life but he love you. Lol.

I tried to understand that to accept it since I can't go anywhere in the jjk fandom withiut shit like this and that we keep repeating that cringe culture is dead but it's no use.

It make me cringe and I wish it wasn't as present and that this fandom wasn't known for fangirls using Gojo's figure as a dildo or creating t shirt where they call themselves Toji's hole or asking around which sexymen they would let abuse them

And I think wow so it's why ocs aren't as present anymore? You guys never cared about creating a character or about the character's personality of the one you claim to like? It's just about recreating what society does already?

But yeah. I do write what I want to see because nobody else will write it otherwise. Because fiction is just about that for many of you.

You can't accept a whole fandom for sure. I was just doing good in the past because it was a forum, a little community where we were all friends.

Then fandom in general became bigger and more insufferable.

I don't think this mindset will go even if I go on another one. Fandom define themselves only through amatonormativity and a fake support of aspec to not look bad.

I'm better off cutting tie and not sharing my posts in the main tag anymore, to not give me the illusion that anyone give a damn about what I do.

I just need to stop sharing and wanting to connect so bad.

I will never feel at my place here.

[sprooknooky]

Irene and Wall for the character ask?

Thank you for the ask!! Two of my favorite guys ever!! This ended up being really long...

Irene:

favorite thing about them:

Just her <33 She’s like my favorite person. Sorry real life friends, Irene is my best friend and has been since I was twelve years old.

Really though, I actually enjoy her part of the story (ignoring the sequel). I love that she’s a weird old lady who invented dragon slayers and lives in a castle across the ocean from her daughter that she just assumes is dead. Fuckin amazing. She’s flirty. She’s really hot and she knows it. She’s traumatized as hell. Good for her.

least favorite thing about them:

This kinda goes for every woman in Fairy Tail, but I hate that she’s used for fanservice, especially in the sequel, but also how they changed some scenes in the anime to showcase her massive tits. Like really?? She’s better than this. Let her wear clothes. Please.

Also, I really love super overpowered characters, but for a lot of Irene’s attacks, pure plot armor was used to beat her. Like why is she able to summon a meteor? That part is so dumb. Just let her be an enchantress. It just feels weirdly inconsistent to show that she’s powerful. We already know she’s powerful. Whatever. I’m salty.

favorite line:

Irene says some absolutely batshit stuff but I may have to go with this one. I like how sarcastic it is. She’s such an asshole (affectionate).

Also fun fact: they forgot to color the collar of her top in this panel!

brOTP:

Irene and Bloodman!! I know they don’t interact at all in canon but I love that they’re on the same team during the war. It sparked something within me. They’re both super old and have to put up with Zeref’s bullshit and would bond over that. <3

OTP:

Irene x Anna! They’re old and traumatized and totally knew each other 400 years ago. Also, Irene is a lesbian so I like it a lot better than Irene x Zeref or Irene x Acnologia.

nOTP:

Ehhhh Irene x Acnologia gives me bad vibes… I understand the appeal I guess? She created dragon slayers to help the dragons and he became a dragon slayer and killed all of them. But MAN is it toxic. They both deserve better.

random headcanon:

I think I’ve said this one before but she watches so much shitty reality TV. Like the dating shows where people are on an island and have sex and there’s drama for no reason. She loves that stuff. She makes fun of it daily.

unpopular opinion:

She shouldn’t have been back in the sequel…. I love Irene. So much. But she really didn’t add anything meaningful and didn’t need the ending they gave her. It was just really dissatisfying in my opinion. I feel like a lot of people didn’t mind her being back, but it really doesn’t make sense.

song i associate with them:

Never Love an Anchor by the Crane Wives thanks to @pencilofawesomeness ‘s post here (it’s so cool!! I hope you don’t mind the tag)

favorite picture of them:

She is SO PRETTY but also so silly and I’m struggling to pick just one…

But probably this one :)

-

Wall:

favorite thing about them:

I love their silly little personality. I enjoy deranged little guys in general but I like that he has a weird lawyer thing going on. He says “indeed” a lot and stuff like “case dismissed” and it’s so funny. Their title is the adjudicator. Why is he a lawyer??? And the best part is he can rewrite his own personality. So he wrote himself to be this way. That’s amazing. Go little funky robot guy go!!

least favorite thing about them:

I feel like Wall was really doomed by the narrative. He should have had so much more screen time. He just has so much potential. Why introduce a species of robot people as well as alchemy just to kill the guy off? It just makes me sad because they’re so fun.

favorite line:

This is just so badass

brOTP:

Wall and Dimaria are menaces <3 I love that they tease each other in canon and they definitely spar in their free time. Everyone hates it when they’re together because they’ll just gang up on people and make fun of them. It’s great.

OTP:

I don’t think I ship Wall with anyone… they give me aroace vibes.

nOTp:

I think some people ship him with Neinhart? That’s kinda weird in my opinion. Don’t they hate each other? I dunno, it just feels wrong. Besides, Neinhart is too stupid to get any bitches. (Full offense to Neinhart.)

random headcanon:

He was broken out of jail by the empire and that’s why his outfit kinda looks like a prison jumpsuit.

unpopular opinion:

I don’t think I’ve seen enough people complaining about red lightning but it should not have killed Wall. Lightning is lightning regardless of color or strength or whatever. I would have much preferred Wall die by being outsmarted. I also really hate Laxus fighting Wall at all… I think it would have been so much cooler to give the Thunder Legion a better fight against them! Anyway, I don’t know how unpopular that is, but it’s all I have right now.

song i associate with them:

Hmm… I can’t really think of one right now. I’ll update this if I remember anything though.

favorite picture of them:

This one’s pretty rad :D (Or the one I used for his quote)

[spaceofentropy]

tag game - stranger things edition

The lovely @dragonflylady77 and @harringrovest tagged me so here I am!

ride or die ship (your otp): Harringrove

most annoying ship: it's a tie between Steve/Nancy (those two don't work together in canon, they are like soap and grease, why even try to put them together AGAIN?!) and Byler (because Will deserves way better than Mike Wheeler, and he should realize it soon for his own good! T^T)

second favourite ship: Metalsandwich. There's something so fun in the ways those three interact and interconnect...

favourite platonic relationship: Stobin all the way!

underrated ship: Mungrove

overrated ship: Byler (again, free Will Byers 2023!)

one thing i would change in canon: ONE?! I get only ONE and I even have to choose which one?! How can I decide?! [Sadie Doyle voice] The utter inconsistency in how the UD works! No, Troy the little bully almost killing a kid and getting away scot free! No! El needing to be re-traumatized to get her powers back! No! Karen Wheeler noncing around unpunished! No! Eddie's stupid death! No! The rest of the party being shitty friends to Lucas again and again and him just going along with it in the end like it's no big deal! No! Nobody actually trying to pull the mindflayer out of Billy! No, just Billy's death in general!

something canon did right: quoting @harringrovest's answer, lifeguard!Billy. And Steve in that silly silly sailor outfit. Season 3 was a weird beast, but at least it gave us those two things!

a thing i'm proud of creating for the fandom PLEASE BRAG ABOUT YOURSELF I WANT TO SEE/READ YOUR ART: my metalsandwich long fic Of soulmates and colors and also my oneshots Come close and Amok which were banged out in a couple of hours each but I love a lot. And also What doesn't kill you makes you a monster, because writing demobat!Steve Harrington was fun as fuck! Yeah, basically I'm proud of each fic I published, thank you. And I'm also very proud of the shark glasses that led to THIS! beautiful, perfect edit by @imsodishy 🥲❤️

a character who is perfect to me (wouldn't change a thing): Billy Hargrove

the character i relate to the most and why: Billy Hargrove, because... well, personal reasons.

character i hate the most and why: Dr. Martin fucking Brenner, because he kidnapped kids, manipulated and tortured them, tortured El's mom until her mind broke, and the narrative wants us to... not hate him, not really, because after all he was right? He re-tortures and re-traumatizes El but it's for the greater good? Well, fuck that shit, fuck the Duffers and their whole writers' room, and fuck Brenner with a rusty pipe!

something i've learned from the fandom: as with anywhere else, there are lovely talented people in fandom that make great stuff, and there are also not great people (looking at you, assholes who wish harm on others because they like one character you dislike!), so the block button is your best friend. Also, squeeing in happiness at good art and fics is even sweeter when done in group! ❤️

three tags i seek out on ao3: I don't really have an answer, since I don't usually look for specific stuff; I more go with the flow or jump on fics that someone recommended/mentioned that sound interesting.

song i strongly associate with my otp/favourite character: Desire by Meg Myers is so Harringrove it hurts; and while Wolf by Yeah Yeah Yeahs is pure "Billy Hargrove after basking in Steve's love a little too long", Like You Better Dead is my favourite Billy-coded song, because, yeah, he can be as angry as he wants to be, just watch him burn!

I should tag someone, so... uh... argh! Hoping you've not been tagged, and begging preemptively pardon just in case... @salthat @destroya2005 @ariesbilly @suometar and anyone who sees this and wants to do it! :P

[celestialprayer]

SHIPPING INFO. answer the following for your muse(s) so people know how shipping works on your blog.

what’s your OTP for your muse(s)?

bit of a loaded question for a character canon used as sparingly as it did. the closest I can say is Annelie, since she's one of the only non-main cast members (who all have their own Situations going on) Zena has any noteworthy interactions with - and I mean that in a "they shared two Dragalia Life (the gag series) comics together and Annelie was Generally Supportive and Nice in her direction" sort of way.

ofc its a bit irrelevant to the conversation since we're way past the point where dragalia character rpers are freely stumbled on, but! yea

what are you willing to RP when it comes to shipping?

A lot of things! I like to have fun and variety, though I'll admit I'm a bit more of a basic bitch than a lot of RPers - I prefer my ships healthy, or at least to get there with time, thanks! Also no NSFW, very ace writer here, though I can skirt the line with fades, if it fits the mood

how large does the age gap have to be to make it uncomfortable?

A bit dependent on context, imo. Generally 10 years feels like a Lot to think about in a vaccuum, but there've been Individual Instances with more of a gap than that that I can vibe with. That said, Zena's rather a rather young adult physically, and I'd be reluctant to go too much older with her, so there probably won't be too much messing with that on my end.

are you selective when shipping?

not very? obviously I like chemistry and a meaningful bond to be at least implied before I go all in on it, but I'm pretty loose when it comes to what that really entails. I just like having my characters form close and loving bonds of all kinds, and have their base want for closeness met.

how far do steamy moments have to go before they’re considered NSFW?

If there's even a sniff of possibility for the bedroom getting involved, fades/cuts will happen at most once the bed's reached, if I even wrote something that goes that far.

does one have to ask to ship with you?

it'd be nice! i don't mind playing around with little crushes and whatnot without express permission, but if my muse and yours are going to really get meaningfully involved I'd like to make sure we're on the same page

how often do you like to ship?

when it works! i'm a SAP for shipping, I really value the comfort and closeness it can bring to my muses. the ideal is at least one for my muses, but I don't mind messing around

are you multiship?

yeee!! every character and dynamic to explore is different, and I like to explore them all when they're applicable. single-ship is just so restrictive-sounding to me - I might have a preferred ship to fall back on for sake of a blog's central canonicity, but nothing that locks out other options. and i also do poly but i've yet to be that lucky

are you ship obsessed or ship more-or-less?

used to be i'd say ship-obsessed, but these days i'm somewhere in the middle. i've realized that how far i went for ships was rather specifically because that's where closeness and tender emotions were most easily written, but I understand nowadays that's hardly the End of it, and that comfort can certainly come with the right kind of friends, too. I won't turn a good ship away, but I'm not in dire need of them like I used to be.

what is your favorite ship in your current fandom?

See Question 1. like i've never seen ship content of any kind with zena out in the wild, that's how dire it is

finally, how does one ship with you?

just bring the possibility up? if it seems like there's potential in a ship with my muse and yours, just lmk and i'd be happy to volley around the concept and see if I can vibe with it. Worst case we just wind up with good friends instead!

Tagged by: actually i stole it from @gamenu and for the things that woman's done to me i will not apologize /j Tagging: take it if you want it!

[shadowsong26fic]

Coming Attractions!

First Monday of the month (and year!) so here we go!

I'll tag an Open Question Night onto this, too--anything I've posted about here or on AO3 is fair game! I do take prompts but am not necessarily quick to fill them lol.

A little different than the others, since it's January and that means Resolutions of a sort, lol. But first, a quick regular post:

BSG Fic:

Didn't write or post any, but I did podfic for a few Galactica Big Bang/Mini Bang fics, and that was a lot of fun! I had a great time running the event, and am looking forward to doing it again next year (and maybe writing for it as well lol).

If I do write, the two ideas that are foremost in my brain right now (that would work for the event; as opposed to crossovers and/or projects that are Way beyond the scope of an event like this) are:

The Blood of Angry Men Zarek character study in the form of him looking back on his life as he faces his execution after the mutiny. Partly about the question of where does he land on the spectrum of actually believing his rhetoric vs. using it/the way people believe in him to achieve power; partly about this really great quote of his from Kobol along the lines of "it's a lot harder to get blood on your hands than to wash it off later"; partly about his relationships with his inner circle/followers (there would be some stuff about before he went to prison; about Gaeta; about the friend of his who died on Kobol whose name escapes me).

Percussive Maintenance Joke title that would Not remain lol. But yeah this is basically...so, that bit in Downloaded, where Sam is trapped in the exploded parking garage with Boomer, Caprica, and Three insert tangent about 'are there one, two, or three significant Threes it is Unclear' and he gets knocked out like three times? What if. What if all those concussions. What if they unlocked his memories. Probably building up to where he is before he has to be hybridized if not there initially but. What If. (The problem with this one is it miiiiiight also be out of scope, also there's the moment he wakes up and then going back to the school and having a Chat with Philosopher!Cavil and then...not sure where to go from there.)

I also really genuinely do want to get TOB off the ground this year (I know I keep saying that but). And maybe one of the crossover ideas I have floating around in my head, but We'll See. Hopefully I'll have Something out this month (but I'm also waffling a little on How I want to start it--I think it probably makes the most sense to just go in show order and bounce back and forth between the Pegasus and Galactica plotlines once I get all the miniseries setup out of the way there is so much setup omg but every so often I ask myself 'but do I really want to do that? XD)

Also, since I Obviously fell way behind and didn't finish the Year of the OTP project, I'll pick that up and do the rest this year XD

Star Wars fic:

Going back and forth about participating in SWBB this year. I need to actually get on that because deadline for signups is on the 10th, lol. If I do participate it would be the one I planned to do last year (Anakin never joined the Order and meets Ahsoka halfway through the Clone Wars) but never got off the ground.

Note about OTP fills applies here as well, lol.

Also hoping to finally dive back into Precipice this year, so fingers crossed lol.

Other Fandoms (mostly Les Mis, LBR):

I do plan on doing Pod_Together again later in the year because I generally have fun doing it! Will probably adjust my fandoms list though because I keep getting matched on secondary/tertiary fandoms and while stretching myself to write for them is fun, I'd like to do something a little less Stretchy this year if possible, haha.

And I will be updating P&J, I promise XD I know where it's going, and I know what Ari is going to learn, though the specific order/circumstances in which the information comes out I'm still sorting out exactly when and how. (I think there are going to be some Previously Unpublished Letters when Ari gets to the Marseille exhibit about Thierry that give a Name to J, but I'm not sure if Ari's going to go there first or go to Dover or Paris first. And then Calais which is Relevant and Important). Goal is to get At Least one more chapter out this month.

Provenance will come when I finish that--it fills in the gaps Ari can't because Certain People decided to Burn All Their Correspondence, lol.

And then I'm also working on Acheron which is a Groundhog Day AU that I'm excited for. May or may not be other things coming in this fandom, we'll see XD

I do also want to get back to Incinctus and/or other Castlevania ideas I had. May be rewatching that series and/or finally watching Nocturne to jumpstart my brain? So maybe that'll happen this month but it's definitely a lower priority than the other things.

Original Fic:

I think I had a fairly good year where this is concerned? Year of the OTP plus a series of anniversary challenges on Rainbowfic got me to put out a fair amount! Hopefully next year will also be good (I do still have to finish the Year of the OTP for the three ships I was doing here as well, lol.)

...yep, that pretty much sums it up!

So, on to Resolutions! So to speak.

2023 goals:

Post at least arc 8 (and ideally also part 9) in Precipice!Verse as well as at least half of the Preludes stories. ....nope. XD

Write at least 10k of origfic content. Nearly doubled my goal with about 18.7k words!

Complete SWBB and participate in at least one other challenge/exchange Half-completed--I ended up dropping out as a writer from SWBB, but I did Pod_Together and also Ran GBB so XD

Continue posting Incinctus and start posting The Other Battlestar and at least one other non-challenge fic project. Well, I didn't do Incinctus or TOB, but I did do other non-challenge fic projects? Lol XD

Write at least one holiday fic (Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Halloween, New Year’s, Etc.) and post on the appropriate day I actually did do this!

Bonus Goal: Update the origfic archives already. Bonus Goal #2: I have at least one half-finished AU outline I should actually finish and post that. And maybe update the Ventress and Luke time-travel one Yeaaaah neither of these got done, either XD

2024 Goals:

[basically repeating myself, NGL XD]

Get back into Precipice; post at least three chapters of Protectors and at least one Preludes one-shot.

Write at least 10k of origfic content.

Participate in at least two challenges/exchanges.

Start posting The Other Battlestar; complete P&J; and start or post at least one other non-challenge fic project.

Complete the Year of the OTP fills.

Bonus Goal: Write at least one holiday fic (Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Halloween, New Year's, etc.) and post on the appropriate day Bonus Goal #2: Update origfic archives Bonus Goal #3: Post at least one AU Outline.

[serendipitous-magic]

What is your writing advice for young people who want to write fanfiction and original stories in the near future?

If this is just Way Too Much, skip to the end (#16). My most important piece of advice is there. I also happen to think #5 is pretty good.

-_-_-_-

1) Literally just write. Write whatever you want, and do a lot of it.

_-_

2) You don’t have to post everything. In fact you don’t have to post anything. You can, don’t get me wrong, but it can be intimidating to sit down and think “I will now write something that other people will see and read and judge with their eyeballs.” Because that’s probably gonna lead to nerves and writer's block. Just write down the ideas that you have, the things you want to write, whatever’s in your brain that you want to explore and expand upon and make into something. And then if you want to, share it. Or don’t share it. I have plenty of half-baked ideas and documents and random story chapters and shit hidden away on my Google Drive that will never see the light of day, for a whole number of reasons. I wanted to write it but it wasn’t ~Spicy~ enough to warrant posting, or it’s only like an eighth of a good idea, or it’s like one scene with no story around it, or it’s just something incredibly self-indulgent I just wanted to write for my own enjoyment.

Point being, don’t write for other people. Don’t write so that other people can read it; write what you want, write for yourself, and then if you want to share it, do.

_-_

3) You can pretty much ignore any and all of these for fanfiction. In fact, you can ignore pretty much any rules or guidelines you want for fanfiction. Fanfic is a sandbox. You don’t have to be a “professional writer” to post fic. No one expects you to be Stephen King or Margaret Atwood. Fanfic is just for playing in a fandom and having fun. If you wanna write a 50 chapter slow burn with very little plot aside from the OTP slowly getting to know each other, and no real stakes or central conflict, I guarantee people would read that. Really, fanfiction is the Old West of writing: lawless, wild, unpredictable, and free.

However, here are the rules you must follow:

-Separate your paragraphs. (I’m sure you know this already, but I’m gonna say it anyway just in case.) Do not post one big block of text. Make a paragraph break when someone new is talking, when the characters are in a new place, when a new event occurs that changes the scene, when a chunk of time has passed, and when there’s a major change in subject.

-I know it’s obvious, but... grammar, punctuation, and capitalization. They exist to make writing easy for readers to read, and more people will read your stuff if they don’t have to stop and try to figure out what you meant.

-Use tags and labels, as is possible with whatever site you’re using. Especially if you include possibly triggering content in your story. Again, I know it’s obvious, but it’s common courtesy. Bonus: tagging the themes and content of your story helps readers find it and read it :)

-If possible, limit the use of all-caps and exclamation marks / question marks. 99% of the time, one ! or one ? will do. If you overload the page with a lot of all-caps and long rows of exclamation marks or question marks, it hampers readability.

... That’s literally all I can think of. And, like I said, it’s all pretty basic stuff. You were probably rolling your eyes like, “Uh, yeah, Gwen, I know.” But that’s literally it. You can pretty much do whatever you want in fanfic.

That being said, here’s my advice for both fanfiction and original work...

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4) A quick and dirty rule for coming up with a plot, starting a story, keeping up pacing, or maintaining tension: figure out what dreams, desires, and goals are nearest and dearest to your main character’s heart (see #16). Then set up the main conflict to be directly in opposition to that goal. It doesn’t have to be in a tangible way, though it could be. But, if your main character wants more than anything to reach the ships on the southern coast of your world and sail to a new life, make sure the main conflict immediately prevents them from doing that - in fact, make sure to send them north. If your main character just wants to keep their loved ones safe, kidnap the loved ones. If your main character just wants to date their best-friend-turned-crush, make sure they think they have no chance - or, make them cocky about it, and make sure it makes Person B determined not to ever like them. You get it. Figure out what your character most wants, and then keep them from having that. Boom - your conflict now ties in with your character's motivation. It's like instant yeast for plots.

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5) If you’re anything like me, you want your first draft to be Good, despite all that advice about how the first draft doesn’t have to be good and it’s just to get words on the page, yadda yadda. And if you’re somewhat of a perfectionist (like myself), it’s easy to get stuck looking at a blank page because you don’t have The Perfect Words, and you want what you write to be Good the first time.

Here’s how I cheat that:

Instead of trying to write a Good First Draft from a blank page, hit the enter key a few times, skip a little down on the page, change your ink to red (or blue, or whatever - just something immediately identifiable as Not Black) and just thought vomit. Write whatever the hell you’re thinking, exactly as you think it. Don’t worry about it being readable, don’t worry about narrative flow for now, don’t worry about covering all the details, don’t worry about anything except either a) getting all the details of your idea out onto the page, whether that’s a lot or whether it’s just a sentence or two, or b) if you don’t have an idea yet, finding your way there.

Because this method is also very good for finding your way to ideas when you’re stuck in writer’s block.

Because of how human brains work, getting this stuff out onto the page - in all its messy, stream-of-consciousness glory - will likely spark more thoughts. As you write your original idea about the scene, it’ll likely spark more ideas. Creation begets creation. If you just start thought-vomiting your ideas onto the page, chances are you’ll think of more things as you go, and you’ll start filling out description or dialogue or tone or action or whatever, and pretty soon the scene starts writing itself.

Not sure where you’re going with the scene or which ideas you wanna use? Use a lot of ambivalent language in your “thought-vomit draft.” My pre-writing notes are chock-full of the words “maybe,” “perhaps,” and the phrases, “At some point...” and “...or something like that.” In this way, I don’t tie myself down to one idea; it’s just an idea, and I’m keeping it on the page in case I use it, but I might chuck it in the trash or change it or whatever.

And then, once your ideas for the scene (or story, or chapter, or whatever) are on the page, then go back to the top and start translating them into a “real” first draft. Use black ink, and start copy-pasting chunks of the thought-vomit up into the top part of the document and translating them into Draft 1. Separate out paragraphs where paragraph breaks should be. Add the correct punctuation and whatnot. Change “describe the lobby here - include potted plants, fancy carpet, blood stain, etc.” into an actual description of the lobby. Flesh it out, or condense, or whatever it needs. And if you’re still stuck, change back to red ink and ramble some more until you find a path that feels right, then plug that in. This keeps you from looking at a blank page, and it allows you to generate a kind of Draft 0.5, somewhere between a plan and a first draft.

You don’t have to use every idea. Like I said, jot down whatever comes to mind, put a “maybe” before or after it, and keep working. If the idea grabs you and you wanna keep expanding on it and exploring it, cool. If you just wanna jot it down so you don’t forget it and then move on, also cool. Red-ink draft / “thought-vomit draft” is your time to jump around in the timeline, add or finesse details at whatever point your brain moves to, etc. Don’t try to do it exactly in story order, because you will get tangential thoughts and ideas, and you will not remember to write them down five pages later when you finally get to taking notes on that scene. Trust me. On that note...

_-_

6) Write everything down the moment you think of it. Seriously.

“I’ll remember it when I get around to writing that scene in a couple days / weeks / months (/years).”

You won’t.

Write it down.

Phone, journal, google docs - hell, my family regularly laughs at me for grabbing a napkin during dinner and scribbling thoughts down alongside pasta sauce stains.

And then, once you have it written down somewhere...

_-_

7) Consolidate your writing ideas in one place.

Maybe this isn’t really your style, and that’s totally chill.

Buuuut, if you’re Type-A like me - or if you tend to be somewhat unorganized and you know you’ll lose track of your writing notes if they’re scattered across multiple notebooks, journals, napkins, phone notes, etc. - having one consolidated document of notes is a life saver. I keep mine on Google Docs so I can access it, add to it, and look through it for inspiration anywhere at any time. When I have one of those Shower Thoughts that I jot down on my phone or on a napkin during dinner, I set myself a reminder on my phone to type it up in my Story Ideas document later.

(Or, if the idea I had was for a story of mine that I’ve already started planning / drafting / whatever, I put it in the document for that story instead of the Big Random Story Ideas doc. You get it.)

_-_

8) Have other ways to collect and save writing ideas, besides just writing stuff down. If you like Pinterest, make pinterest boards of your characters or stories or settings or whatever. If you’re big into playlists, make a playlist for your character / setting / story / etc. Or both. Or something else. I’m not good at drawing, but maybe you are, and maybe you like to draw your ideas. Whatever form it takes, having another way to save ideas and think about your stories is invaluable.

_-_

9) Some writers can just start writing with no idea where the story is going, and they just kind of figure it out as they go. I envy those writers. And I do that sometimes for fanfiction, where the stakes are somewhat lower and the audience is reading more for scene-to-scene enjoyment (and to see their OTP kiss) than for a Driving And Compelling Narrative.

But here’s the thing: especially if you’re just kind of starting out, writing without some sort of plan is really, really hard, and will likely lead you into a slow, meandering narrative that will likely frustrate you.

Even if you think you’re someone that just can’t write with a plan (and again, I have the highest respect for pansters out there - I don’t know how you do it, you crazy bastards, but you keep doing you) - even if you think “I can’t work with plans, they’re too prescriptive, I just want to write and see what happens -”

Try at least making the most skeletal of plans.

Even if you have no clue what 90% of the story is, yet. That’s fine. But you need to have some idea of what you’re building to, even if that’s nothing more specific than a feeling, or a turning point for your character. Even if your entire plan for everything beyond Chapter 1 is, “At some point, Charlie needs to realize that Ed was lying to her.”

This is where those Draft 0.5 notes come in handy. Because, more than likely, working on your current scene that way will spark ideas for later scenes, which you can put down at the bottom of the document and save for when they become relevant. In my experience, the line between planning ahead and making a Draft 0.5 is exceptionally thin. One can quickly turn into the other.

If you’re really, really resistant to the idea of planning ahead, that’s okay. It’s not everybody’s style. But for the love of all that is holy, write down your ideas for future scenes, even if you’re a person that doesn’t like to plan and writes only in story order, because you will not remember that idea once you get to that scene.

_-_

10) You don’t have to write in order.

Here’s the thing: I’m a person that can only do my Draft 1 in story order (meaning, chronological order). I just have to be in that flow; I need to write in story order for me to best channel where the character is at from scene to scene, both narratively and emotionally.

But my Thought Vomit Draft is another thing entirely. By using the brain hack of putting my notes in red (or another color, it doesn’t matter) and going down to the bottom of the document / page and taking notes there, and then integrating them into whatever plan I have, and then translating them into Draft 1 once I get there in the story - by doing that, I can get my good ideas onto the page (and expound upon them and let my muse carry me and ride that momentum while I’m in the moment of inspiration) without writing out of order.

Maybe that’s just me. But if you’re a person who really prefers to write in story order, that could be hugely helpful to you. It is to me.

_-_

11) Emotion and motivation will do more for your story than technicalities of plot.

If your characters really care about something, and their journey through the (shaky or weak) plot is emotionally engaging, it will be a much more compelling story than a story with a “perfect” plot and unrelatable or unmotivated characters.

If your characters care about what they’re doing, and it means something to them, and their goals and actions are driven by dreams or fears or emotions that are integral to who they are, your audience will care too. If you have a perfectly crafted plot that hits all the right beats and has high stakes and fast pacing and drama - but your characters don’t connect with what’s happening in a way that’s deeply meaningful or emotional for them? You’re gonna have a hard time engaging readers.

When in doubt, prioritize character emotion and motivation over plot. Emotion is what drives story.

This power is highly exploitable. (Just look at pulp novels and shitty but entertaining movies.) You can even use it to glaze over plot holes or reinvigorate a limp narrative. Use it that way sparingly, though. It’s a band-aid, not a surgery. 

_-_

12) Evil villains are hard to write - mostly because there are very few truly evil people in the world. (There are a few. Billionaires and several big name politicians come to mind.) But by and large, there aren’t that many evil people. There are plenty of bad people, but bad people have some good in them, somewhere in there. Trying to write an evil villain is hard, because they often turn very cartoony.

Here’s a tip: it’s much easier to write antagonists who aren’t evil. Even if they’re bad people. Of course, there’s no reason you can’t write a villain that’s just truly evil - a serial killer, or an abuser, or a billionaire, or someone who legit just wants to hurt people or blow up the earth or stay in control of an oppressed population, or whatever. But chances are, it’s gonna be really hard to make them feel real, and even harder to create a plot around them that doesn’t feel forced or contrived.

Instead, try writing an antagonist / villain whose motivations and goals directly clash with your protagonist’s - but not because they want to take over the world or see people suffer. Write an antagonist who’s chaotic good, but whose perception of the situation is completely opposite from your hero’s. Write an antagonist whose only desire is to save people, and who will do anything to achieve that goal - anything. Write an antagonist who believes in the letter of the law, and will hinder and oppose the hero’s methods even if they agree with the hero’s motivation. Write an antagonist who got in way over their head and did some things they regret, and now they don’t know how to get out, and they’re doing their best but whatever they set in motion is too powerful for them to stop now.

Write villains who are human. Write a killer who thought they were doing the right thing by taking their victim out of the equation, who vomits at the sight of the body and sobs over the grave they dig. Write a government leader who truly believes she’s doing what’s best for her people in the long-term, even if it might hurt them in the short term, and is willing to endure the hatred and belligerence of the masses if it means securing what she thinks is a better future for her people. Write a teenage bully that thinks they’re the one being picked on by the world, and they’re just fighting back, standing their ground. Write a scientist who will break any code of ethics and hurt anyone he needs to - in order to bring back his baby sister from the grave, because he promised her he’d protect her and he failed. Write an antagonist who is selfish and self-centered and capricious - because in order to survive they had to look out for Number One, and that habit ain’t about to break anytime soon.

Write villains who aren’t even villains. Write antagonists who oppose the hero because of moral differences. Write antagonists who are trying to do the right thing. Write antagonists who treat the heroes with kindness and dignity and respect and gentleness.

They don’t have to be good. They don’t have to be Misunderstood Sweethearts who “deserve” a redemption arc. They can be cruel and nasty and dismissive and callous and violent and etc. etc.

Just hesitate before you make them Evil-with-a-capital-E. Because evil is hard to write, and honestly, boring to read. Flawed human beings with goals and motivations that directly oppose the main characters’ are much easier to write and much more interesting to read.

Ask why. Why is your villain trying to take over the world? What does that even mean? Are they trying to create a Star-Trek-like post-capitalism utopia, but they know that won’t happen in a million lifetimes, so they’re trying to do it by force? Are they actually super in favor of human rights, but they got very impatient waiting for the world to do anything about poverty and war, so they decided to take it into their own hands? Are they determined to fix the world - no matter the cost? Are they terrified and overwhelmed, but committed to see it through to the end? Or - maybe they’re just doing it on a dare. Maybe they don’t really give a shit about world domination, they were just a mediocre rich white guy who decided to fuck around and find out, and now he’s kind of curious how far he can take this thing. And now he’s kind of an internationally-wanted criminal, so he’s kind of stuck living on his hidden private island in his multi-billion dollar secret base, strapping lasers to sharks’ heads for the hell of it. Gross, selfish, uncaring, and dangerous? For sure. Evil? Depends on your definition. See, now we’re getting somewhere.

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13) It’s tempting to let the plot control the characters. It’s easy to drop your characters into a situation and see how they react. But here’s the thing: that doesn’t drive plot. In fact, it bogs down pacing. Instead, try to build you plot off of your characters’ actions and decisions. Let your character build their own situation. Not to say it should go they way they wanted it to go; in fact, usually, their grand plans should go to hell very quickly. But having the characters take action and make decisions, and letting the plot develop based on that, is much easier to make compelling than making a rigid series of events and then trying to herd your characters into them.

_-_

14) Having trouble justifying a character’s actions? Consider having them make the opposite decision, or having them approach the situation in a different way. For example: you need your character to go meet the bad guy, for plot reasons, even though there’s no way it’s not a trap. If the character goes, readers are gonna be groaning with their head in their hands, because c’mon man, that was really fucking stupid. But he’s gotta go, because the plot needs that. Two ways you might handle this: a) He knows it’s probably a trap. He decides not to go. The plot conspires to get him near the villain anyway. Or, b) He knows it’s a trap. But he needs to go, for (insert reasons here). So, he approaches it in an unexpected way. He brings backup, recruiting a side character we met earlier in the story. Or he arrives on the back of a dragon, because ain’t nobody gonna fuck with a dude on a dragon. Or he goes - early, and ambushes the villain. It may work, it may not. He may get himself kidnapped anyway. But it moves the plot along without having Stupid Hero Syndrome.

_-_

15) This is a legit piece of advice: if all of this sounds overwhelming, literally just ignore it and write what you want. For real. Writing should be fun, and every single writer operates differently. If you’re sitting here like “I’m getting stressed just reading this,” just flip me a good-natured bird and get on with your life. I promise I won’t take it personally. Same goes for literally any other writing advice you see. Lots of rules and guidelines can very quickly make anything thoroughly un-fun. Just write. If you’re passionate about it and you do it for long enough, you’ll start figuring out the tips and tricks on your own.

_-_

16) Here’s the best piece of advice I can give you: know your characters. More importantly, know what’s important to them. Build their personality and decisions off of that, and build your plot off of their decisions.

I see a lot of character building sheets that ask a shit-ton of questions like “What’s their most prized possession?” “Do they like their family?” “What’s their favorite food?”

And while these are good questions, my problem with this type of character building is that if you start there, with the little stuff, you’re building on nothing. IMO, to make a truly strong character (not strong like Inner Strength, strong like effective), you need a strong foundation.

Here are the things you must know about your character:

a) What are their greatest fears / deepest insecurities? And I don’t mean “wasps” or “heights.” I mean the deep shit. I mean fears like “living a meaningless life,” or “turning out just like their parents,” or “that no one will ever love them,” or “being powerless.” You may say, “But they’re really scared of wasps! They fall into a wasp nest when they were little and got stung so much they almost died!” Great! That’s a fantastic bit of backstory. They should absolutely be afraid of wasps, and that should absolutely be an impediment later in the story. But dig deeper. What about that event actually scarred them? Was it the helplessness? Stumbling around, swatting at the air, not being able to do a single thing to stop what was happening to them? Was it that they were alone, and no matter how loud they screamed, no one was coming? Was it the bodily horror of feeling themself turn into an inhuman creature as they swelled up from the stings, unable to move their fingers or face normally anymore?

And don’t forget insecurities, because those factor in, too. Are they deeply insecure about their identity? Do they believe, deep down, that they’re ugly? Did they grow up poor and they’ve always been really touchy about that? Why? Dig deep. Figure out what really, really bothers them.

b) What are their hopes and dreams? What do they truly want out of life? What do they consider the most valuable to their experience here in this thing called life? Is it the freedom to forge their own path and be independent? Is it the approval of their family or peers? Is it a home? Is it knowledge, or understanding? Spiritual fulfillment? Is it deeply important to them that they contribute to their community, or protect those they love? What do they need in order to feel truly and deeply fulfilled in life?

Figure out those two things (each one encompasses several things, btw, you don’t have to stop at just one for each), and then use that to inform how they behave and the types of decisions they make within the story. 

It also informs character behavior and personality. 

Let’s say we have a character who’s afraid of helplessness. They’re probably gonna be the person that always wants to do something, try something, no matter how hopeless the situation seems. They’d despise just sitting and waiting, probably, because it makes them feel powerless. They might even be the person that makes rash decisions and acts impulsively and puts themself in danger unnecessarily, because in their mind it’s better than being at the mercy of fate. This is one way you could use a character’s personality to inform their decisions, which in turn helps to inform plot.

Or, let’s say we have a character whose greatest fear is being left behind or forgotten. We may have a chatterbox on our hands. They might be obnoxious. They might love the spotlight, constantly vying for attention no matter the situation, because deep down they’re so afraid that they’d be forgotten otherwise. Or, it may go the opposite way. They may be so afraid of people leaving them that they’re terrified of bothering people. They don’t want to do anything that could annoy people, anything that might give people a reason to leave them. They might be exceedingly polite, quiet, accommodating. A push-over, really.

These are two nearly opposite types of personalities, both stemming from the same core fear/insecurity. You can go a lot of different ways with it. But if you build on that strong foundation, you’ll have a strong character, and a stronger plot.

Likewise, the structure of your story can and should inform the design of these character traits. If you need your characters to team up near the end, it may be impactful if you give your main character a deep fear of commitment, an insecurity about being unwanted or left behind, and make them highly value independence and freedom. That could make their team-up for the final battle very meaningful. Conversely, you can use your character’s deepest fears and desires to help design the plot. Is your character deeply insecure about voicing their opinions or taking a stand, because of trauma they faced in the past? Make them face that. Build that into the climactic third act. Give them the big inspirational speech where they stand up and talk about what they believe to be important, what they think the group should do. And then design that character arc to run through the story, giving you more handholds and stepping stones, more pieces of foundation on which to design the plot.

In this way, character should inform story as much as story informs character. It’s a feedback loop.

Bonus: if you build your character and your plot off of each other in this way, it automatically starts to build in the foundations of that emotional investment I mentioned earlier. If your character’s decisions are based on what they most want and do not want in life, you basically have your character motivation and stakes pre-built.

Note: you need to know these things about your villain, too.

-_-_-

I’m genuinely sorry about the length of this, lmao. But you did ask.

Best of luck!

Edit: I forgot an important one:

17) Start when the scene starts and end when the scene ends.

What do I mean by that?

If your notes say “Danny asks Nicole out after school and majorly flubs it,” start the scene when Danny approaches Nicole after school. Better yet, cold-open the scene on “I was wondering if, you know, you’d wanna. You know. Hang out some time?”

Don’t start that morning when Danny goes to school, unless you’re gonna cover the school day in like one or two sentences. Don’t spend whole paragraphs going through the school day, unless it’s to cover other plot points first (in which case apply these same guidelines there), or if the paragraphs are there for a specific reason, like to illustrate how stressed he is and how it seems like every little thing is going wrong. Even then, trim the fat as much as possible. Expounding and describing everything Moment-to-moment is for the meat of the scenes, not the leading-up-to and coming-away-from.

Here’s my rule of thumb: study how and when movies cut from scene to scene. Movies have exceptionally strict, limited time for storytelling; they’re excellent examples of starting a scene when the plot point starts and ending when it’s over. If you can’t picture a movie showing everything you showed, start the scene later and end it earlier.

[missameliep]

Incorrect Quotes

Thank you so much for the tag @aallotarenunelmaenunelma and @jerzwriter ☺️

I'm just having a blast with this generator and I can't stop laughing!

Here is the generator where the following quotes come from. Special OTP edition!

Rules: Use this (https://perchance.org/incorrect-quote-generator) generator to generate a quote for your characters and share as many as you like!

Tagging: @princess-geek @lorirwritesfanfic @noesapphic @storyofmychoices and whoever feels like doing this

Incorrect quotes for Elizabeth x Hamid; Arwen x Tyril; Malia x Troy and Zoe x Colt under the cut (beware, there are a lot of them! I couldn't stop! this is simply too fun!):

Elizabeth x Hamid

Hamid: I’ve been dropping them the most insanely obvious hints for like a year now. No response.

Elizabeth: Wow. They sound stupid.

Hamid: But they’re not. They’re really smart actually. Just dense.

Elizabeth: Maybe you need to be more obvious? Like, I don’t know… “Hey! I love you!”

Hamid: I guess you’re right. Hey Elizabeth, I love you.

Elizabeth: See! Just say that!

Hamid: Holy fucking shit.

Elizabeth: If that flies over their head then, sorry Hamid, but they're too dumb for you.

Hamid: Elizabeth.

Hamid : Fruits that do not live up to their names; passionfruit, grapefruit, honeydew and dragonfruit.

Hamid : Fruits that do live up to their names?

Hamid : Orange.

Elizabeth : The next time I open up to someone, it'll be my autopsy.

Hamid: I warned you.

Hamid: I'm perfect.

Elizabeth: Of course I have a lot of pent-up rage, you fool! I've been the same height since I was twelve!

Hamid: I don't need to go to bed. I'm not tired, I'll be fine.

Elizabeth: But, darling, I'll be so lonely without you. Come curl up in my arms so I can feel whole again.

Hamid: O-oh. Well. Are you trying to seduce me into healthy sleeping patterns??

Elizabeth: Is it working?

Hamid: What are you in the mood for?

Elizabeth: World domination.

Hamid: That's a bit ambitious.

Elizabeth: You are my world.

Hamid: Aww...

Elizabeth:

Hamid:

Elizabeth:

Hamid: OH.

Elizabeth: Is something burning?

Hamid, leaning seductively on the counter: Just my desire for you.

Elizabeth: Hamid, the toaster is literally on fire.

Hamid: So... what would you do if you were in bed with me?

Elizabeth: Depends. Is your bed comfortable?

Hamid: Yes.

Elizabeth: I'd sleep.

2. Arwen x Tyril

Arwen: Assert your dominance over your friends by kicking them in the face, and then giving them a little smooch on the forehead!

Tyril: Hey, quick question. How petty am I allowed to be?

Arwen: I was put on this earth to do one thing.

Arwen: Luckily I forgot what it was so I can do whatever I want.

Tyril: Dracula had it right, sleep all day, live alone in a castle, and explode into bats to get out of all social situations.

Arwen: *coughs blood*

Tyril: Don't die, Arwen!

Arwen: Don't tell me what to do!

Tyril: Caffeine no longer keeps me awake while I work, so instead I have Arwen periodically send me texts saying ‘we need to talk.’

Tyril: It gives me the right amount of adrenaline and fear I need to keep going.

Tyril: Where are your parents?

Arwen: What are parents?

Tyril: That’s just about the saddest thing I've ever heard.

Tyril: This is a very powerful artifact. You’d be messing with some forces we don’t fully understand.

Arwen: That sounds like a dare to me.

Tyril: Oh my god.

Arwen: Can you cut me some slack, Tyril? I’m sort of in love.

Tyril: I’m sorry, but that’s really not my problem.

Arwen: I’m in love with you.

Tyril: *blushes* Oh. That brings me in the loop a little.

Tyril: Valentine’s day is just a consumerist holiday that holds no real value other than drive people insane buying heart shaped chocolates for their significant others and pos-

Arwen: I wrote you a poem.

Tyril, already crying: You did?

Arwen: Tyril, you love me, right?

Tyril: Normally I’d say yes without hesitation, but I feel like this is going somewhere I won’t like.

3. Malia x Troy Hassan

Troy: I’m in love with you.

Malia: We called off the prank war last night at midnight, dork.

Troy: I know.

Malia: Ah. Okay. Um. Cool. Neat. Very cool. Cool. Cool. Coolcoolcool-

Troy : And I’d love to be sorry for that, but we all know I’ve done much, much worse.

Malia: *angrily presses Troy against a wall* WHERE'S THE MONEY?!

Troy: ...

Troy: Are we about to kiss-

Troy : We got a free day now. What do you wanna do? Eat? Sleep? Nap? Snack?

Malia: When life gives you lemons, don't make lemonade. Make life take the lemons back! Get mad! I don't want your damn lemons, what the hell am I supposed to do with these? Demand to see life's manager! Make life rue the day it thought it could give Malia lemons! Do you know who I am? I'm the person who's gonna burn your house down! With the lemons! I'm gonna get my engineers to invent a combustible lemon that burns your house down!

Troy : Malia, remember when you said you weren’t going to interfere with my love life?

Malia: No, that doesn’t sound like me at all.

Malia: You’re an idiot.

Troy : That’s the charm.

Troy : Truth or dare?

Malia: Truth.

Troy : How many hours have you slept this week?

Malia:

Malia: Dare.

Troy : Go to sleep.

Malia: I don't like this game.

Troy: I like your new pants!

Malia: Thanks, they were 50Troy off!

Troy: I’d like them better if they were 100Troy off. *winks*

Malia: The store can’t just give away clothes for free.

Troy: Thats’s… not what I meant.

Malia: That’s a terrible way to run a business, Troy.

Malia: I WOULD DESTROY THE WORLD FOR YOU!

Troy : Okay, can you do the dishes?

Malia: No!

Troy : Are you an F5 key? Because that ass is refreashing.

Malia: Are you a software update? because not right now.

Troy : *raises eyebrows*

Malia: Put those back down!

Malia: You call yourself my soulmate, but where were you when my meme only had four likes?

Troy : Making four accounts.

Malia, tearing up: Really...?

4. Zoe x Colt Kaneko

Zoe: Did you buy eggs like I asked?

Colt: Even better!

Zoe: What the fuck did you-

Colt: *holding up a chicken* Her name is Fluffy.

Zoe: Hey Colt, do you have any hobbies?

Colt: Swimming...

Zoe: Really? That’s cool. I never expected you to-

Colt: In a pool of self hatred and regret.

Zoe: Isn’t a bit dangerous?

Colt: Zoe, please. We’ve in a lot of unexpected predicaments before and we always escape unhurt.

Zoe: ...

Colt: Okay, we sometimes escape unhurt.

Zoe: ...

Colt: Alright, we escaped unhurt once... Then we hurt ourselves in the way home.

Zoe: Think you can answer some questions without the usual level of sarcasm?

Colt: If you can ask the questions without the usual level of stupid.

Zoe: I still have no idea how I’m attracted to you...

Colt: Yeah, well, you’re stuck with me, and no take backs, honey.

Zoe: You can’t have a gun on stage!

Colt: WRONG AGAIN! I can have a gun, and I must have a gun, that’s the rule of Chekhov’s Gun: have a gun. And now that it’s been seen, I will have to shoot someone before the end of the play.

Zoe: I'm trying to juggle family life and work life but I can't seem to find a balance. What do you suggest I do to keep everyone happy?

Colt, deadpan: Quit your job, kill your family.

Zoe: You have to apologize to them Colt.

Colt: Fine! But I must warn you that this might make me a better, nicer person and that is NOT the person you fell in love with!

Zoe: When you said 'Magic in Bed', I wasn't expecting this...

Colt: *pulls out card from deck* Now, was this your card?

Zoe: Holy moly-

Colt: Talk dirty to me~

Zoe: Inflation is a serious problem and lumber prices are at a high.

Colt: Wha-

Zoe: The economy is in shambles.

Colt: Go fuck yourself.

Zoe, smugly: Sure, but only if you watch

[spnfanficpond]

New Member Spotlight - February 2024

The Pond is always growing and we want to make our new members feel welcome! Here’s a list of recent additions to our fishy family, along with a little info about them!

Guppies, Jellies, and Mutuals, oh, my!

enteselene (twitter) - This new member is cool and mysterious, but probably does not have a son named Fergus. Probably.

@disenchantedhalo -

Other SM names? - ghoulsnhalos (Discord), morgawse_hp (Twitter), GhoulsnHalos (AO3)

OTP? - Destiel

Other fandoms? - Bandom

Looking for in the Pond? - Have a space to share ideas on fics, writing, editing. Help me make better use of social media to promote fics etc.

Pairings you read? - novel-length Destiel

Genres you read? - Pretty much anything except sports AUs and crack. Tropes: Enemies to Lovers; Two-person love triangle

Favorite writer(s)? - JuniperJones (AO3)

What do you like to write? - Mostly explicit alternate universe with a happy ending. Range of lengths. These days I pretty much stick to writing for Bangs.

Masterlist!

Most underappreciated fic? - Take Me Down

.@charliethealpaccaso -

Other SM names? - Same name on Discord

OTP? - Not sure as I tend to hop around.

Other fandoms? - Furry Transformation

Looking for in the Pond? - Looking for new transformation fics and meet some new friends

Something to signal boost? - Mellowfello on furaffinity.net

Pairings you read? - Now I think about it I hop around to more ship tags

Genres you read? - Fluff, Crack, and a small bit of Angst

@ryladante -

Other SM names? - Same name on Discord, Twitter, and AO3

OTP? - Destiel

Looking for in the Pond? - Help to get my writing back on track, some ideas to get me writing again.

Pairings you read? - Destiel ftw, lol.

Genres you read? - Angst, Smut. Even if it has a sad ending, I'll read it. I like pain in my stories. Tropes? Enemies to lovers, roommates who fall in love

What do you like to write? - Angsty, dark and suspenseful. I like pain and drama in my stories.

Masterlist!

Something you haven't written but would like to try? Why not? How can we help? - I've never written Omega/Alpha stories. The idea intrigues me, but I wouldn't know where to start.

@dustlines - This new member is cool and mysterious and definitely was not seen breaking a seal to bring on the Apocalypse.

@deeranger -

Other SM names? - Deerangerfanart (Twitter), deerange (LJ), deeranger (Pillowfort)

OTP? - Sam/Dean and Wincest all the way

Looking for in the Pond? - Find new and interesting ppl and creations that tickle my fancy (I like dark and dead dove primarily) and I also hope to maybe find resources for my writing, maybe ppl to talk to and bounce ideas off of.

Something to signal boost? - My (often NSFW) fanart is scattered all over, primarily it's on my Twitter though at @DeerangerFanart. Also, I have my carrd where you can find all my social media accounts.

Pairings you read? - Wincest or anything bottom!Sam, really. I have a weakness for noncon Samifer. 3rd person pov is my preferred pov and I mostly read m/m but f/m is okay too. And hey, so are tentacles! 😂

Genres you read? - Noncon, angst, dead dove, smut, pwp, dark and smutty stuff in general. I like "problematic" stuff.

Favorite writer(s)? - BlindSwandive, AnOddSock, hunter_king, CleverUsernameHere, TammyRenH

What do you like to write? - Dark and angsty ones, mostly noncon bottom!Sam... Usually my fics are pretty dead dove.

Masterlist!

Most underappreciated fic? - "Nothing Hurts Like the Truth", a Jess/Sam dubcon fic

Something you haven't written but would like to try? Why not? How can we help? - I've never written a long fic. I'm currently trying though (at 74k as we speak) and I'd love some support and such on it and maybe advice if needed. I've never had the guts to try and write such a long fic. But now is the time! Also, I'd just like to get better at plotting out fics and such and get better at writing in general. That's my goal. Inspiration and practice!

@zepskies -

Other SM names? - Zepskies (Discord), Zeppelin_skies (AO3)

OTP? - Dean Winchester x Lisa Braeden

Other fandoms? - Actively writing for: The Boys, Big Sky, 10 Inch Hero, Smallville, Dark Angel

Looking for in the Pond? - A community of fellow writers/fandom enthusiasts. I like talking and sharing about the writing craft, mutual encouragement of ideas, just basically continuing what I've been doing on Tumblr.

Pairings you read? - Reader inserts, OC pairings

Genres you read? - Romance, smut, fluff, hurt/comfort, comedy, drama. Favorite tropes: Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, Mutual Pining, Meet Cute

Favorite writer(s)? - Ooh this is tough. I have many, but on Tumblr there's @waynes-multiverse, @deanwritings, @dean-winchester-is-a-warrior, @deanwinchesterswitch -- and many others that I follow and love their work.

What do you like to write? - Genre wise? Romance, fluff, smut, angst and hurt/comfort, soulmate AU and other AUs. I've also dabbled in A/B/O.

Masterlist! (AO3 Works list)

Most underappreciated fic? - Damned If I Do and Chico Malo

Something you haven't written but would like to try? Why not? How can we help? - Well, while I'm primarily a Dean girl, I've toyed with the idea of a Sam Winchester soulmate AU, or a Sam Winchester series (which I sort of have outlined). Maybe for the soulmate AU, some brainstorming prompts would be fun and helpful! <3

That's all for this month, folks! (If we're missing anyone, let us know and we'll add them to next month's list!) Make sure to say hi to the newbies and make them feel welcome! Thanks to all from @manawhaat, @mrswhozeewhatsis, @mariekoukie6661, @thoughtslikeaminefield, @spencereliotwinchester and @heavenssexiestangel!

[lunar-years]

I have gotten some new followers on here lately so I just want to remind everyone that I am multi-fandom and post whatever the heck I want…but I DO try my best to tag my mess! If you don’t like a certain person/fandom/ship I post and would like to blocklist here are the things I go on about about most:

Fandoms—

Taylor Swift: #ts

Stranger Things: #Stranger Things

Hunger Games: #thg or #hg (I just use both now because I never remember which one is my main one)

Little Women: #little women

Harry Potter (I very rarely reblog anything hp these days for obvious reasons, but I’m including it b/c I know it’s a big one people might want to block): #hp

Misc. shows all tagged by their full name: Ted Lasso, The Crown, Derry Girls, Downton Abbey, Friends…

Ships—

Jonathan Byers x Nancy Wheeler: #jancy #otp: monster hunting

All other st ships I reblog infrequently and tag by their popular ship name: #jopper #lumax (also #otp: I see you now) #elmax #byler #mileven etc.

Peeta Mellark x Katniss Everdeen: #everlark #otp: real or not real

Jamie Tartt x Roy Kent x Keeley Jones: #Jamie x Roy x Keeley ; and their other combinations, #Roy x Keeley , #Roy x Jamie , #Jamie x Keeley

Amy March x Theodore Laurence: #Amy x Laurie

Ron Weasley x Hermione Granger: #otp (they have the og tag because I was once primarily an hp/ swiftie blog woops). I will start using #romione too to keep it consistent

I am anti-Nancy/Steve (always tagged #anti st*ncy), & anti Billy and any Billy ships. That’s about it out of the ones that might actually come up over here!

If a post revolves around a specific celebrity or character I try to tag by name as a general rule.

Other oft-used tags:

Quotes I like: #words

Art/Photography: #art

Travel or destination based photography: #places

Misc. movies: #a good movie

Misc. people, celebrities and otherwise: #pretty people

Cute cats: #what a cat

Grammar/Literature/Writing tips: #English

A lot of the funny nonsense is tagged #same or #exactly but I make no promises on those :)

I think that’s most of what you need to know to navigate my blog! Happy tumblr-ing

One last note: I try to keep my blog as inclusive and welcoming a space as possible. I do not tolerate transphobia, homophobia, racism, xenophobia, sexism, etc. and if I see it on my dash I will block you!

[avidoro]

Edit: Guess I’ll put this in here since everyone is just glossing it over to look for the negative parts. I never said you couldn’t ship SessRin. I never said I was anti-SessRin. I know I tagged it as such, but it isn’t because of my opinion. I have friends who ship SessRin. I love those friends. What I mean by these statements is that the community in general is toxic because of the people in it who have caused problems for others. Like, for example, the person who felt the need to jump me about my personal ship because it wasn’t with Rin when I wasn’t even talking about a ship. Or the people who harassed the English voice cast to the point that even they were calling the SessRin community toxic. Or the people who are fighting to have any Sesshoumaru shipping blog deleted if Rin isn’t involved. I am capable of peacefully sharing Sesshoumaru with other shippers if they could be civilized. But since they aren’t, then I feel like I have the right to speak my mind. And those of you who feel the need to fight me about it are just proving my point because you’re so worked up that anyone could have a different opinion that you absolutely have to argue. That being said, I also stated that I would never have said a word about this if it weren’t for the fact that Rin is underage in Yashahime. Sunrise is trying to lie about how much time passed. They clearly didn’t do their own math. And while I’m fine with SessRin shippers who ship her as an adult, I will not tolerate the people who justify her being underage in Yashahime. Also to those trying to argue about Yashahime being canon, I would love to provide the evidence to the statement I saw, but it’s gotten lost in the sea of people arguing about the show being canon. It was something along the lines of her saying the story wasn’t canon or wasn’t hers but the three girls were and that she was washing her hands of InuYasha and other’s could do what they wanted with it. Which kind of implies it’s not canon but she doesn’t care. If I find it again I will definitely share it. But if Rumiko steps up and actually says the show is canon, then I’ll accept it as canon. But that doesn’t mean I’m okay with Rin being underage. But go ahead and continue to comment with your ridiculous arguments. New edit: @tiny-foots​ It’s not what I saw but I was provided this where Rumiko stated InuYasha was complete within herself meaning the story was done. She left it up to Mr. Sumisawa to write. Take it as you will, but I see that as her giving the okay for a fanfic to be officiated. But I don’t see it as canon. I suppose that can be left up to interpretation. But my personal belief is that it’s not canon. Even before all this I never even saw the original anime as canon.

I am going to start off by saying that I always said I would never be anti-ship. But if this is what it's come to then I am completely against what is happening right now.

Let's just pretend my OTP isn't actually my OTP right now. What I ship has nothing to do with this. In fact I am a multi-shipper, so don't even think about that. This is beyond more than my personal shipping opinions. InuYasha was my comfort series during a very rough time and Sesshoumaru is my favorite character because of his massive character development and redemption arc. He is an astounding character.

The fact that Sunrise has "officially" (I refuse to say canon because it's not canon. Rumiko said so. Fight me!) paired him with Rin is the most disturbing and disgusting thing they could have possibly done. Again, I am not against people who do ship them. If that's what they enjoy then that's fine.

HOWEVER!

The SessRin community is toxic AF! They have been for a long time and now they've been given a reason to really be horrible people. And that's only one reason why I'm disgusted by this entire thing. And mind you, since Yashahime isn't canon anyway, I wouldn't have cared as much if they hadn't done it the way they had. Let me break this down for you. I'm going to list why SessRin is unhealthy, toxic, and morally wrong and I'll even list some of the justifying arguments shippers have tried to use to support it and explain why they're wrong too.

Pairing Sesshoumaru with Rin destroyed his character development and redemption.

Sesshoumaru's father had a strong desire to see his son learn compassion. Toward everyone! Humans and youkai alike. He learned that lesson through both a human and a youkai. Rin and Kagura. These were the characters who were meant to teach him to be compassionate toward others. By pairing him with Rin you have taken away that compassion that he learned. It's like sticking a giant middle finger up to all the humans he was supposed to learn to respect and say he only tolerates Rin and no one else. There goes his redemption! Way to go, Sunrise!

SessRin was never meant to become a thing.

Rumiko went out of her way to create a bond between Kagura and Sesshoumaru as well as Kohaku and Rin. It's clear who we were meant to ship them with. These characters were placed as a barrier between Rin and Sesshoumaru to avoid an improper ship. SessKagu is the ONLY canon Sesshoumaru ship.

No child in their right mind grows up to fall in love with the man who raised them from childhood.

And if they do then they need to seek counseling because that's not healthy. A normal child would grow up to view that man as her father.

And how about these lame and unjustifiable arguments that SessRinners are throwing out.

"He waited until she was an adult! She's 18!"

Do some research. She is not 18! Look at the the facts that have been compiled. She is 15 MAX. She's underage!

"This was normal back then!"

No it was not! Again, do your research! Nobility groomed children to be wives, yes, but it wasn't normal. Even then the girl wasn't bedded until she was an adult. Also, would you portray a black person, in media, as an abused slave in 1800s America by your story's "good guy" and say it's okay because it was normal back then?  I don't think so!

"They were meant to be together! It was a given! It was clear!"

Again, no it wasn't! Kagura was placed in the story for this purpose! She was in love with Sesshoumaru and he was falling in love with her. They are the ONLY canon Sess ship!

"Well, you're forgetting about the original series being about a 15-year-old girl getting with a 50+ year old man!"

There are so many reasons why this is an illogical statement. - InuYasha and Kagome met when they were mentally the same age. Sess and Rin met with he was mentally a young adult and she was EIGHT! - Kagome and InuYasha didn't have an official relationship until she returned from her time after three years... WHEN SHE WAS 18! - Every moment in the original story where Kagome was in an inappropriate situation she got mad and did something about it! She didn't just giggle and let the men around her ogle or touch her! - And my personal opinion, I also believe InuYasha and Kagome’s relationship was toxic anyway, so don’t try to hold that one over me. There’s a reason I’m a multi-shipper.

And one of my favorites, even from pre-Yashahime

"NO ONE is shipping child Rin with Sesshoumaru!"

Yeah? Go do a Google image search, you sickos. Edited to include this little treasure in the comments:

Who’s putting words in her mouth? She stated, in an interview plain as day, that Yashahime was not canon! She didn’t write it. An official publication does not canon make! Not to mention “the woman who changed him” is such an incredibly vague statement. If it was meant to be Rin, she’d have just said Rin. As mentioned before, she was very adamant about pushing the Kagura x Sesshoumaru ship. And Kagura definitely changed him. Was it not his compassion toward her specifically that regained his arm and gave him a sword? I’m pretty sure “the woman who changed him” was meant to be a vague statement because the canonical intention was just to leave it open to interpretation and is probably meant to be some random village woman who bonded with Sesshoumaru and ultimately completed his change.

And if, by chance, she did mean Rin, she didn’t say it was canon. Just that she was his wife meaning that is who Sunrise set as his wife in the show. Think about it? She was answering the question of “who had his children in Yashahime.” If she meant Rin, she was avoiding spoilers and giving a hint to who Sunrise chose as his wife. That’s not saying she would have picked Rin, herself. She didn’t write it. So it seems to me that you are the one putting words in her mouth.

Now tell me, if your best friend from grade school who was adopted told you when she was a teen or even an adult, "My dad's hot. We decided to sleep together." would you not find that disturbing? That's SessRin right now.

Also:

HANYOU NO YASHAHIME IS NOT CANON! THIS IS PER RUMIKO TAKAHASHI HERSELF! DO NOT TRY TO JUSTIFY THAT SESSRIN IS CANON NOW BECAUSE IT ISN'T! IT'S JUST AN OVERGLORIFIED AND POORLY WRITTEN FANFICTION!

ONLY THE MANGA IS CANON! OG SESSHOUMARU IS THE ONLY SESSHOUMARU!! That being said, I still say if you do happen to be a SessRin shipper, then you do you. Enjoy what you want. But what is happening right now does not give you a right to justify any toxic behavior that your community is expressing. Again, I wouldn’t even be mad if Sunrise hadn’t portrayed Rin as still being underage. I won’t stand to see people justify this!

[kanerallels]

My Heart Is In Your Hands

(For Kanera Week, based on the prompt "ultimate OTP moment/night out")

Read on AO3 here!

@kaneraweek

Word Count: 5,250

Tags/Warnings: rated G

Summary: The Jedi throw an engagement party that Kanan and Hera in particular find very... engaging

Hera couldn’t believe how fast the next two weeks slipped by. Maybe it was because of all the work that needed to be done in preparation-- many of the guests invited were Imperial, so they had to make sure there were no signs of Mace, Depa and Kanan’s work with the Rebellion. There was also a lot of cleaning, cooking and various preparations to be done in general. Hera and Kanan had their own way to get ready, going over their story repeatedly to make sure they didn’t forget it, memorizing key details and producing answers for any possible questions that could be asked.

Of course, there was also the fact that Hera had started working with the cell on Lothal, alongside Kanan. She was usually the getaway pilot, but she’d gone on a couple of actual ops as well. After the first mission, Kanan relaxed significantly about her being out in the field, although Hera still wasn’t sure why he’d gotten so jumpy. She didn’t have much time to think about it, though.

Most of the guests would be arriving the day of the party, but a few arrived a couple days before. Kanan and Hera went down to meet some of them at the front door, the first of which was a tall Kalleran. The moment the Kalleran spotted Kanan he all but crushed him in a hug. “Kid! Since when are you getting married?”

“Kriff, Kasmir-- can’t breathe-- Kanan gasped.

Releasing him, the Kalleran turned to Hera and gave her a gentlemanly bow. “Janus Kasmir at your service. A pleasure to meet the young woman who caught Kanan’s heart. I have to know everything. How’d you two meet?”

“Believe it or not, it was only a month or two ago,” Hera said, slipping her arm through Kanan’s. “I was having… a little trouble with a street gang, and Kanan stepped in to give me a hand. By which I mean he handled one of them, and I took out the rest.”

“Give me a little credit,” Kanan protested. “I handled at least two.”

“Uh-huh. Sure, dear,” Hera said, unable to prevent the smile crossing her face at Kanan’s fake chagrin.

Chuckling, Kasmir said, “She’s good for you, kid. I like her.”

“Don’t call me kid,” Kanan grumbled. “But I like her, too.”

“I should hope so, you are marrying her,” Kasmir said with a dramatic roll of his eyes. “Excuse me, I’m gonna go say hi to your Jedi mom and your kid who’s cooler than you.”

As the Kalleran strode into the house, Hera turned to Kanan, trying not to laugh. “So, he’s… interesting. I like him, I will say.”

“I can’t imagine why,” Kanan said with some drama, and Hera smirked.

“Well, I kept you around, didn’t I?”

The next guest was an older man, mostly bald with a fringe of white hair, and a white beard. Directing a warm smile at them, he said, “Well, isn’t this a lovely surprise? Two of my favorite people are getting married.”

“What-- Okadiah?” Kanan said, and Hera’s gaze snapped to him.

“Wait, you know Okadiah?”

“YOU know Okadiah?” Kanan countered.

“Indeed,” Okadiah said with a chuckle. “I met Hera when she was just starting out on her own. Gave her a place to stay for a while and helped her on her way.”

“And how did you meet Kanan?” Hera asked curiously.

“It’s a long story,” Kanan cut in hastily. “That we don’t have time for right now. Suffice to say there was a moon that was about to be blown up, actually a few crazy cyborgs, and a couple barroom brawls involved.”

“I’ll regale you with the full tale another time,” Okadiah assured Hera. “In the meantime, let me just say I couldn’t have chosen better for you two if I had chosen myself. I congratulate you both deeply.

“Thanks, Oke,” Kanan said, shooting the older man a smile as he headed inside.

Next, they found themselves facing the third group, which was an eclectic group Hera had not expected-- a Mandalorian woman in green-blue armor, a Mirialan woman with purple skin, curly hair and exceptional fashion, and a human man holding hands with her. In their free hands, both of the latter two carried hefty suitcases, and the Mandalorian was lugging two more.

Grinning, Kanan stepped forward. “Cinya! How are you?”

“Still very willing to punch you out again,” the Mandalorian said tartly.

“But you won’t because he’s only got a week until his big party,” the Mirialan reminded her. Turning to Hera, she smiled warmly. “I’m Hadassah, and this is Lanter.” She nodded at the man next to her, who shot Hera a friendly smile.

“They’re dating,” Cinya said, and Kanan’s eyes lit up.

“About time-- congratulations, you two.”

“Thanks,” Lanter said, grinning. “Congratulations to you-- I can’t believe you’re getting married! Seems like only yesterday Cinya tried to kill you in Hadassah’s juice bar.”

“Good times,” Kanan said remiscently.

“I take it there’s something of a story here,” Hera remarked, and Hadassah laughed.

“You have no idea. Luckily, we'll have plenty of time to tell you. Lanter and I are your stylists for the party.”

“Really?” Kanan said, surprised. “I didn't know Mace and Depa asked you guys to do that.”

“You bet your life, you tall string bean,” Lanter said with a grin. “Lanter and Hadassah are here to save the day.”

Kanan looked at him for a moment, then turned to Cinya. “He watched “The Princess Diaries” on the way here, didn't he?”

Cinya nodded. “Both of them, and he cried twice during the second one.”

“I won't apologize for my love for Clarisse and Joe,” Lanter said dramatically. “They're the ultimate couple goals. Hadassah is my Clarisse.”

“You are so sweet,” Hadassah said, kissing him on the cheek.

Cinya let out a dramatic sigh. "You guys are so ridiculously sappy. Let's get moving.”

The five of them headed into the house and up to a suite that had clearly been prepared for this very reason-- a table was set up with a mirror on it, a swivel chair in front of it. At one end of the room Hera spotted a folding screen set up to change behind.

Lanter and Hadassah instantly started unpacking from their suitcases-- hairbrushes, makeup containers, ear cone pendants, perfumes, and a thousand other things that could be useful. “You… really came prepared,” Hera said, staring as Lanter pulled out a curling iron. “However, I doubt I’m going to need that.”

“Oh, that’s for Dassah,” Lanter assured her. “But if Kanan could just let me do his hair--”

“Absolutely not,” Kanan said immediately. “I already told Sabine she could.”

“But Kanan, I have the perfect--”

“Under no circumstances are you giving me the moose hairdo from “The Princess Diaries”, Lanter.”

Smirking, Lanter said, “But you would be a handsome moose. Make all the girl moose go WHUA!”

Kanan groaned, but Hera couldn’t help but laugh. “I think I’m going to like you,” she told Lanter, who beamed.

“Why thank you, Ms. Syndulla, I like you very much, too!”

Grinning, Hadassah said, “Alright, we have work to do, and I'm sure that you two do, as well. But before you go-- color preferences for your outfits? Keep in mind that they have to be somewhat coordinated.”

“Nah, I trust you not to put me in anything too reprehensible,” Kanan said jokingly.

Rolling her eyes, Hadassah said, “Immeasurably unhelpful. Fine-- I'm thinking of a blue and green color scheme for the two of you. Lanter, what do you think?”

“Perfect,” Lanter immediately agreed. “We'll get to work straight away.”

“And we'll leave you to it,” Hera said. Looping her arm through Kanan's, she tugged him forward, and they headed out.

As they made their way down the hall, Kanan murmured, “Nice job with Kasmir earlier. He can be a little too nosy for his own good.”

“No worries-- he seems nice,” Hera commented. “Very excited about us.”

A slight smile pulled at the corner of Kanan's mouth. “He's an old friend. I'm not surprised he's so excited, frankly. It's kind of who he is.”

Hera nodded without speaking, but felt an internal twinge. Part of her couldn't help but dislike the fact they were deceiving so many people, good people. They didn't deserve to be lied to like this.

And there was also another part of her. A part that found herself noticing Kanan's quiet determination and his kindness around Ezra and the grin he'd give her sometimes-- and she'd be lying if she said she hadn't noticed the fact that she was engaged to an extremely handsome man. There was a part of her that felt a flutter in her chest at his touch.

And that part of her wished that this whole thing wasn't based on a lie.

“Hera?” Kanan's concerned voice broke through her thoughts, and she glanced up to see him frowning at her. “You okay?”

Hera gave her head a quick shake, like the motion would send those thoughts flying. But they’d been there too long for that. “Fine, sorry-- were you saying something?”

A slight furrow in Kanan’s brow hinted that he wasn’t quite satisfied with her response, but all he said was, “I was wondering if you still think your father won’t accept his invitation.”

“Oh.” Hera shook her head. “No, he won’t come. Especially since you’re inviting Imperials to keep our cover. He doesn’t know that-- he’ll probably assume I’m all but colluding with them. So either he won’t come, or I’ll wish he hadn’t.” Releasing a sigh, she said, “I guess I always assumed he and my mother would be here for this.”

Kanan slipped his arm from around hers long enough to catch hold of her hand, and Hera felt her heartbeat stutter as his fingers laced through hers. “I’m sorry,” he said quietly, giving her hand a quick squeeze.

“It’s okay,” Hera told him, returning the gesture. “I may not have my father and mother, but I have you, and everyone else here. And at this point, they feel like family almost more than my father does.”

The smile Kanan gave her was a soft one with that unusual warmth shining around the edges, the light that she saw in his eyes more and more these days. Hera couldn’t bring herself to look away, despite the flush she knew was growing on her cheeks. Time to get out of here, she decided. Before I do something truly stupid.

“I should probably--” she started.

“Do you ever--” Kanan began at the same time. They both stopped short, and Hera laughed, feeling a flash of self-consciousness.

“Sorry, you go ahead,” Kanan said, giving her the crooked grin, the one that was Hera’s favorite. For just a second, her gaze lingered on it, and she found herself wondering what it would be like to close the distance, to drop a kiss against the upturned corner of his mouth--

What are you THINKING, Hera? She scolded herself. You can’t just start thinking about kissing Kanan, not now. Clearing her throat, she said, “I was just going to say that I’d better get going-- plenty to do before our party.”

“Right, yeah,” Kanan said, and was Hera imagining it or was there something a little strained about his voice? “Same here. See you later?”

“Yes-- but didn’t you want to tell me something?” Hera asked.

Kanan opened his mouth to speak, and stopped for a moment. Closing it, he finally shook his head. “Doesn’t matter. I’d better get going.”

Releasing Hera’s hand, he headed off down the hall, leaving Hera staring after him. Well, that was… strange. But she really didn’t have time to spend thinking about why Kanan was acting so strangely.

So of course, over the next three days leading up to their engagement party, that was all she thought about. Especially since Kanan seemed to be avoiding her. He was always out on some sort of business of some kind or in a fitting with Lanter or working to help clean out the ballroom.

And Hera didn’t feel hurt by that. That would be ridiculous. They were both busy, she didn’t exactly have time to spend with him either.

Or maybe she was avoiding him, too. Either way, it didn’t matter. Much.

Alright, it definitely did matter, but some part of Hera didn’t want to bring it up. Maybe she was afraid of the answer, maybe she was afraid she’d lose what she had with Kanan, maybe she was afraid that she was falling in love with a man she wasn’t supposed to technically fall for.

So she kept pushing aside the thoughts, and threw herself into working for the engagement party. And before she knew it, it was the evening of the party, and she was heading up to Hadassah’s suite to get her dress.

The Mirialan was waiting with excitement stamped across her face, and a companion-- Depa Billaba. Throwing her a smile, Depa said, “Don’t mind me, I’m just here to see my future daughter in law get ready. It’s my prerogative.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Hera said, giving Depa a smile and pretending like the “daughter in law” part didn’t throw her for a loop. “Okay-- where’s my dress?”

“Here,” Hadassah said, darting over to the changing screen and pulling a dress on a hanger from behind it. She held it up, her eyes gleaming with anticipation. “What do you think?”

Hera’s eyes widened at the sight-- a sleeveless dress with a high neckline, made of fluttery fabric, the color shading from teal into a deep cobalt blue. It was stunning-- Hera knew just by looking at it that she’d never owned anything so expensive and beautiful in her life, other than the Ghost.

“It’s beautiful,” she breathed, brushing a hand across the smooth cloth. “I-- I don’t know how to thank you.”

“Well, Depa paid us,” Hadassah said with a shrug. “But you can repay us by going out and having a good time with your fiance tonight. Speaking of which, I’d better get going-- Lanter’s waiting for me downstairs.”

Giving them a quick wave, Hadassah slipped out of the room, leaving Hera with Depa. Glancing at the Jedi, Hera said, “Thank you. I don’t know how I can repay you--”

“No repayment necessary,” Depa said firmly. “I’m happy to do it.” As Hera admired the dress for a moment longer, she added, “However, I do have a question for you.”

Hera glanced at Depa curiously, and saw the Jedi wearing a patiently curious expression. “I’ve noticed you and Kanan have been avoiding each other lately. Did something happen?”

“No, I-- we’re not-- what makes you think--” Hera stammered, and Depa held up a hand.

“Hera. I’m not the blind one. You two used to spend every day together, but I haven’t seen you with my apprentice in days. What’s going on?”

Hera bit her lip, her eyes flicking from Depa to the floor and then back again. Part of her felt that saying how she felt out loud would make it far too real. But the sympathy and understanding in Depa’s eyes pulled the words out of her. “I don’t want to avoid him. But things are just… complicated right now.”

Narrowing her eyes, Depa said, “Did he make a move on you?”

“What? No, of course not.” Hera felt herself flush at her next words. “Do you think-- would he-- never mind.”

“Ahhh.” A knowing smile grew on Depa’s face. “I see.”

“See… what?” Frustration boiled through Hera at the almost desperate curiosity in her words. She felt so irritatingly petty about this whole thing.

“That you’re in love with my apprentice,” Depa said matter of factly.

Oh. Oh, dear. But she wasn’t wrong. “I… I didn’t expect this to happen,” Hera said softly. “I had no idea that Kanan would be…” Handsome? Charming? So incredibly caring and kind? The kind of man I could spend my life with?

“I know,” Depa said, her tone soft and sympathetic. “It can’t be easy to be in a relationship without actually being in a relationship. Hera-- if I may give you some advice?”

“Okay,” Hera said hesitantly.

“You don’t seem to be the kind of woman who would give her heart easily. But if Kanan’s the one who’s earned it, don’t give up on that. Both of you deserve better than that.”

“He does, you’re right,” Hera agreed, her voice low. “I just don’t want to ruin what Kanan and I have by--”

“Telling him that you love him?” Depa reached out and touched her hand, her eyes kind. “You don’t have to. But honesty is important in any relationship, whether it’s romantic or not. And will you regret it if you don’t? Just think about it, please.”

“I-- I will,” Hera promised, unsure whether it was fear or determination swelling in her chest. Depa smiled and gave her hand a quick squeeze.

“Good. Now, get dressed. You have a party to get to.”

Half an hour later, Hera was wearing the amazing dress Hadassah had given her, along with a set of silver ear cone pendants set with teal gems and a matching bracelet. She waited by the door of the ballroom for Kanan, who still hadn’t arrived. Is he even coming? She wondered with a flash of worry-- silly worry, really. Kanan wouldn’t just stand her up, and it was his party, too.

Seconds after she thought the words, she heard footsteps behind her, and Kanna’s voice. “Sorry I’m late,” he called. “Ezra needed something before I left.”

“Don’t worry about it--”

Hera’s words stuttered to a halt in her mouth as she stared at Kanan, who gaped right back at her. She usually saw him in his casual every-day wear, or occasionally Jedi robes. What he wore now was nothing like that.

He wore a crisp white shirt with long sleeves and dark trousers. Over the shirt, he had on a navy blue jerkin with teal embroidery that brought out the vibrant color in his eyes. At his hip hung his lightsaber, which Hera had only rarely seen him with.

“Wow,” he breathed as he stared at her. “You’re… wow.”

“You… you look incredible,” Hera managed. And it was the truth. A small smile lifted the corner of Kanan’s mouth.

“Thanks,” he said, closing the distance between them and capturing her hand in his. Hera felt her heart start pounding as he gazed at her, seeming to drink in the sight of her. “But trust me,” he murmured. “No one’s going to be looking at me when you’re standing next to me.”

“I will be.” Hera felt her face warm the minute the words slipped out of her mouth, because it sounded like flirting. It was flirting, she knew. But she really couldn’t help herself, especially with him standing inches away from her, looking at her the way he was.

A crooked grin danced across Kanan’s face. “Really, Captain Syndulla? Flirting at a time like this?”

“Well, it is our engagement party,” Hera pointed out, feeling a ridiculous sense of relief. Kanan was here with her, and even his presence made this whole thing a little easier to deal with. Well, except for the fact that she was incredibly caught off guard by how handsome he looked tonight.

Offering her his arm, Kanan said, “That’s true. And we should probably head in. Are you ready?”

Looping her arm around his, Hera replied, “Not remotely. Let’s do this.”

“That’s the spirit.”

They moved into the ballroom subtly, but somehow everyone noticed them the moment they set foot inside. Hera could feel the eyes on her, and she stiffened, trying not to panic. Kanan’s thumb brushed against her bare upper arm, sending a quick shiver down her spine. “It’s okay,” he said, his voice too low for anyone else to hear. “Take a deep breath. I’m here.”

Somehow, that was more comforting than anything else he could have said. Hera took a quick deep breath as Mace and Depa headed their way. Depa was clad in a lavender dress, while Mace looked majestically elegant in formal Jedi robes, the dark scar across his eyes totally unhidden.

Giving both of them a warm smile, Depa said, “You both look wonderful, although you are a little late.”

“Sorry-- Ezra was trying to convince me to smuggle him cake in my pockets,” Kanan apologized.

“I’m sure that’s what the guests will think happened,” Mace muttered with a small smirk that looked a little too much like his grand Padawan’s.

“Manners, Mace,” Depa said. “And I can’t believe I’m saying that to you instead of the other way around. Okay, here’s what you two need to do-- mingle a little bit, say hello to the guests. Make sure to greet Governor Pryce--”

“Absolutely not,” Kanan said flatly. “She’s the reason Ezra’s parents are--”

“I know that, but we have to be careful, Kanan,” Depa said, her voice firm.

“What-- Pryce isn’t some invincible succubus,” Kanan protested. “She’s a regular succubus, who can be defeated.”

Releasing a sigh, Depa turned to Hera. “When Pryce comes over-- she’s the one with the short black hair, Imperial uniform--”

“Don’t look straight into her eyes, though,” Kanan muttered.

“Why, because she’ll turn you to stone?” Mace asked.

“No, because her eyes are ugly.”

Letting out a sigh, Depa said, “Perhaps it’s better if Hera does the talking.”

“Perhaps,” Hera agreed.

“Fine,” Kanan said, not looking upset. “Anything else?”

Nodding, Depa said, “Yes. Actually try to have a good time. And don’t forget to have at least one dance.”

“Finally, something I can get behind,” Kanan said with a grin, and Hera was suddenly very aware of how close they were standing, of his arm brushing against hers.

She saw a slight smile flicker across Depa's face, but all the Jedi said was, “Have fun, you two.”

Turning, she led Mace away as the music began and a few couples started to move out onto the dance floor. One in particular caught Hera’s eye--- a man with dark hair and a scar across one eye, dressed in all black, including a long black coat embroidered in gold. At his side was a slight woman, her long curly hair hanging loose and free. She was dressed in a floor length golden silk gown, with a decorative aqua panel along the bodice and a matching sash. Slim straps hung the gown from her shoulders, which were bare except for a gauzy aqua veil that was clasped to her wrists with cuffs made of the same golden silk.

“Is that Senator Amidala?” she asked Kanan quietly.

“Yeah-- as it turns out, giant engagement parties are a really good way to get your Rebellion contacts in close proximity so you can exchange information. There’ll probably be a meeting tonight with some of the leaders-- including them.”

Hera followed Kanan’s discreet nod to a dark haired woman wearing dark blue, dancing with a man in a matching cape who Hera suddenly recognized. “Wait-- Senator Organa’s here, too?”

Nodding, Kann said, “As is Senator Mothma, the Duchess of Mandalore, and about a dozen others. The Jedi aren’t submitting. We’re just waiting for the right moment to strike.” Flashing her a teasing grin, he added, “And to think, you thought we were just sitting around letting the Empire walk all over us.”

“Well, you were acting that way very convincingly,” Hera pointed out.

“Glad to hear it.”

Spotting a tall woman in Imperial greys making her way through the crowd towards them. Hera muttered, “I think I spotted your friend, Governor Pryce.”

“What? Kriff.” Kanan grimaced. “Time to pretend to be polite.”

“Unless you didn’t see her, and you had something else very pressing to address,” Hera pointed out. “After all, you do owe me at least one dance. Probably more.”

A grin slowly crossed Kanan’s face. “I do, don’t I?” Giving her a bow, he offered her a hand. “Will you dance, Captain Hera?”

Placing her hand in his, Hera said, “With you, I will.”

The two of them moved out onto the dance floor together. The music in the background was sweet and elegant, and she had an excellent partner. True to form, Kanan’s movements were smooth and graceful. “You dance better than I expected,” Hera observed.

“I’ve been practicing,” Kanan admitted with that crooked grin of his. “Didn’t want to embarrass myself in front of my fiancee, after all. Spin.”

Hera obligingly twirled away from Kanan, her hand still locked securely in his. With a gentle tug, Kanan brought her back to him, his arm slipping back around her waist. Hera felt her breath catch as she met his eyes, and was suddenly very aware of the space between them. She was close enough she could sense the warmth of Kanan’s skin, and the look in his eyes as he gazed at her sent a flutter through her stomach.

“You’re staring, dear,” she told him in a soft undertone.

“Is it that obvious?” he asked, his voice equally low.

Lifting an eyebrow, Hera said, “I mean. A little.”

A small wince crossed Kanan’s face. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable.”

“Uncomfortable isn’t the word I’d use,” Hera replied, and something flickered in Kanan’s eyes.

“Then… what would you call it?” he asked, his low baritone holding a soft question beyond his words.

“Cherished.”

The word slipped out before Hera could help it. But it was true. No one had ever looked at her the way Kanan had, the way he was looking at her now. Not like she was an object or a price on the slave market. Like she was something truly priceless.

Kanan’s eyes widened, and he started to speak. But before he could, a voice caught their attention. “Kanan! Mind if I have a word?”

Hera glanced towards the sound, catching sight of Anakin Skywalker heading towards them, a bearded man at his side who Hera realized must be Obi-Wan Kenobi. He shot Hera a look that could only be translated as “I am so sorry for this” as Anakin paused next to them.

“It’s important,” he told Kanan as he and Hera came to a halt.

“Of course,” Kanan said, releasing Hera and stepping away from her. Hera thought she saw a flash of reluctance in his eyes, but if it was there, he masked it well. Glancing at her, he said, “I’m sorry--”

“It’s fine, love,” Hera told him, forcing a smile. “I’ll leave you to it.”

She slipped away from the three of them and headed into the crowd, feeling Kanan’s eyes follow her as she walked. But it wasn’t long before she was out of their sight.

At the far end of the ballroom, there was a door that led out onto a balcony overlooking the Lothal prairie beyond the house. Hera made her way there, and slipped outside.

The cool night breeze was a relief after the nearly stifling warmth of the ballroom-- although not all of it was from the amount of people in there, Hera knew. She felt heat sweep over her again as her mind wandered back to dancing with Kanan, the warmth of his skin seeping through her dress.

Taking a quick breath, Hera pressed her hands against the cold stone of the balcony railing and stared out at Lothal’s moons shimmering amongst the stars above them. Two out of the three were full, just like the night when she’d first met Kanan. She never would have thought that evening that all of this would come about, that she would end up engaged to a man she’d just met.

That she would end up falling in love with him.

Hera pressed her eyes shut, taking a shaky breath. Force. She wasn’t even sure if he felt the same way. But that didn’t exactly stop her from thinking about Kanan, from wanting to be near him, from wondering what it would be like to kiss him.

“Hera?”

Kanan’s voice came from directly behind her, low and warm. Hera took in a quick breath, then turned to face him. The light from the doorway illuminated him from behind, the shadows obscuring his expression.

“Depa said she saw you heading this way,” he said, moving up next to her. “Mind if I join you?”

“Not at all,” Hera said, and Kanan settled beside her, resting his forearms on the balcony railing.

“Sorry we got interrupted earlier,” he said, flicking a quick glance her way. “Apparently, Skywalker’s daughter had collected some important intel he wanted to share as soon as possible.”

“It’s fine, love,” Hera said. “I understand.”

She sensed Kanan stiffen next to her, and frowned. What did I-- oh.

“You called me love,” he said, his voice soft.

“I-- yeah, I did,” Hera said, feeling herself flushing. Of course this would be how it came out. She was trying to think of what to say next when Kanan spoke.

“Do you ever wish this was real?”

Hera froze, her brain going blank. All she could manage to say was, “What?”

“This whole thing, this engagement. Do you ever wish it was real? Because I-- I can’t lie to you, Hera.” Kanan turned towards her, and Hera felt her heart stutter against her breastbone as he met her gaze. “I do,” he said. “I’m sorry--”

“Don’t be.” The words slipped out of Hera’s mouth, but she didn’t even try to take them back. She couldn’t, not with the way Kanan was looking at her now, his eyes wide but full of something that made Hera flush.

“Hera,” he whispered. “I would never, ever do anything to push past your boundaries.”

“I know,” Hera said, her gaze locked on Kanan’s face and her heartbeat steadily rising as she watched him.

“But I really, really want to kiss you right now.” Kanan paused, his eyes lingering on her, then stepped a little closer. “Can I…?”

Hera closed the distance between them without hesitation. Her lips met his, and Hera was nearly swept off her feet by the dizzy array of emotions washing over her. A strong arm slipping around her waist steadied her as Kanan kissed her back, gently drawing her close.

They broke apart a few moments later, and Hera took a quick breath in. “Force, Kanan.”

“Can you tell I’ve been waiting a while to do that?” Kanan asked, his voice amused.

“Maybe a little,” Hera said, letting her forehead rest against his. “I-- how does this even happen? Who could have seen this coming?”

Kanan paused, then let out a soft chuckle that Hera more felt that heard. “Uh. Possibly Mace.”

“What??” Hera pulled back enough to see his face. “What are you talking about?”

“The first day you were here, he told me the Force led him to you, and it wanted you here,” Kanan said. “I didn’t know why at the time, but he seemed pretty confident.”

“And you think the Force wanted us together?” Hera said, lifting an eyebrow. “The mystical Force that binds the whole galaxy together could not possibly be invested in our relationship.”

“Well, you never know,” Kanan said, giving her a cocky smirk. “We are pretty amazing.”

“You are a pain, dear,” Hera said with a roll of her eyes.

“Lucky for you I’m your pain,” Kanan said. Pausing, he asked, “Will you call me love again?”

“Kiss me, love,” Hera said, and Kanan happily obliged.

[maladaptive-ninja-returns]

It’s The Avengers (03x15)

Loki x Reader Avengers The Office AU (Slowwwwww Burn)

Season 3 Episode 15: Not All Rainbows

Series Summary: Living in the Avengers facility post-apocalypse in a better timeline   Tony Stark has decided to capture every moment by pulling The Office on the Avengers. All of housemates are pretty used to the idea except for you, who had just come here to finish her degree, and the newest member- Loki.

Warnings: did someone just go and tell the otp about the otp?

Word Count: you know that feeling when you have had a bad experience on some project or assignment or homework before. And you know that thing is going to come around again next month or something like that. And you just age yourself by giving yourself anxiety by thinking everything that could go worse in that area. Yeah. So, I kinda shut that off for a few hours and wrote this.

MASTERLIST in bio, darlings. Tags are open (check bio)

An ice pack sits partially on the sofa’s arm and partially on the head that is being knocked softly- but repeatedly- by its designated owner. The fist taps that forehead with the vigour of a dedicated hammer that is softly checking the tensile strength of its mettle. The second camera takes the liberty to zoom in on Tony’s face that has the tension the size of the Alps looming over his head. Other spectators sit around, going about their activities with their five senses while the sixth was stuck on Tony. One camera panned on Wanda’s figure standing in the kitchenette, stirring her coffee cautiously, locking eyes with the lens.

Wanda: Only if you could see the monstrous cloud looming over his head. *stretches the corner of her lips* It’s made less of anger and more of worry and embarrassment. *blinks and furrows her brows* And choco-chip ice cream for some reason. *shrugs* Though I'm just glad that nothing was broken or smashed today. *stops midway* *raises her index finger* Although...

Scott: *glows inside out with a big smile stuck on his red face* *swings from side to side in the chair* Huh? What? *shakes head* Nothing. Just *inhales* I'm worried about Tony *continues to smile*

"So-" Steve took the first step and everyone held their breath- "now we know why we weren't able to reach Carol before. She is clearly...kinda...sorta stuck right where Y/N and Loki are? I think the kids are safe now." "Oh? The kids are safe? I must have missed the scene where they returned home with another weird pet," Tony remarked monotonously with his eyes still closed. Peter leaned in towards Scott. "So Loki is one of the 'kids' now." Both the shippers fist-bumped discreetly before looking all serious. The camera swivelled right towards Wanda, who shared a look of bewilderment while pointing at the joy of the shippers who were clearly not reading Tony's wavelength. And Tony was not the only one on the wavelength. There in the corner on the dining table, Clint sat lost in some thought so deep that his resting face was now a resting bitch face while he dipped his arrows in tiny bottles- the purpose of which only he knew- and handled them like his own babies. "You still have to find a way to stab him with these," Natasha was quick to mention as she walked towards her friend and sat opposite him. "Oh, I'll find a way. I was in his head too, remember," Clint pointed out. "He completely underestimates me." "Hmm," she scrunched her nose, "just remove that itch-like thing on your neck before you go after him though." "Where?" He asked as he scratched the side of his neck with the end of his arrow, his furrowed brows suddenly releasing themselves at the dawn of realisation before disappearing from the camera frame to fall down from the seat with a thud. "Told you not to wipe both ends with the same cloth," she muttered while wistfully looking down at an unconscious Hawkeye.

That One Steamy Dungeon™ No one knew how, when or why Lulu was sitting there in Carol's lap like he knew her for ages. No one knew why Carol was stroking him with the back of her fingers while her eyes were stuck on you like two magnetic poles finding that one direction and sticking to it. And you genuinely did not know why you could not stop looking at Carol. All of Carol Danvers. Especially her lips. "What?" Carol finally dismissed the silence with one casual word. "Ag-sa-wuu-you're looking beautiful," was what you came up with. Loki stared at Lulu's camera with one long blink of...slowed surprise. The buzzing camera caught all three of you sitting in the returning silence over dried hay, looking at each other before you scooched down a little to hide the embarrassment visible over your face.

You: *whisper* W-well, she does look pretty despite all the dirt she's lying in. I mean *violently points at Carol in the background* look at her!!! How can someone look sooooo fucking beautiful??? *lick your lips* Except for Loki of course. That dude is on a whole another level.

Carol threw a shirt over Loki's face from her backpack. "Weren't your looks enough this time?" "Wasn't your hairstyle enough this time?" came the retort. You sat there in the middle, your eyes moving between both of them to calculate this new chemistry you were seeing. The camera caught you pulling your legs closer to your chest. "I didn't know you two were so...close to each other."

Javier: *signing* Why? *Furrows his brows* does that make you furious, Y/N? *wiggles his brows up and down in question* Hmm? *zooms in on his face* Hmm? *turns the camera towards the screen from which he and Green are watching the live broadcast*

"Close? I met him on one mission and this punk would have been dead had I not saved his ass back then." Carol smirked through the sentence and you did not realise any time sooner that you were staring at her, your mouth almost at the edge of drooling. "You blew my cover," Loki stressed while putting on the grey free size shirt. "And then she had the audacity to make me pay for her bar bill on the next stop," he gasped while looking at you. Javier took the opportunity to make his drone zoom at your iris, catching your pupils dilate in 4K as soon as Loki started narrating the story to you while you nodded in enthusiasm. "You do realise your ex-girlfriend wants to cut off your new girlfriend's head right this moment, right?" Carol was generous to point out while getting up and wiping off all the dirt and hay. "I'm not his girlfriend." "She's not my ex-" Both of you had the synchronisation of an orchestra. Carol took this opportunity to let her eyes pass the judgment- which played from one face to another and back for sheer entertainment.

Carol: *shrugs* *runs her hand through her pixie cut hair* Priorities, I guess. *nods*

"Anyways," Loki tried to cut this weird air surrounding the three of them that apparently Lulu was the only one enjoying, rubbing himself all around Carol's leg, "do you have a plan to get out of here?" "Of course," Carol simply jerked her shoulders, "punch my way through." You blinked at the camera.

You: Is that why they are called Captain? It has to be, right?

You shook your head and looked around in the ground, leaving Loki to do the bickering on your part as well. "Well, Miss one-punch woman, this time you are not the only one that needs to escape." You found a stick in the corner. It seemed to be made of the same ashen wood that Aellae sat on in her throne room. "We have tiny mortals to save too." Carol chuckled. You raised the stick your eye level, feeling the weight in your hands when suddenly your eyes grow wide and your mouth turns into a horror-filled 'O' "What? Where is the comedy?" A violent grunt came from your lungs, turning both Carol and Loki into attack and defence mode in your direction. Lulu's camera caught you taking the stick out of the orc's stomach. The dull creature blankly looked at the blood turning into sparks flying against the gravity before slowly consuming the whole creature, taking him with them. The next twenty seconds were a pause on every breath. You finally turned around, the stick still in your hand. "Did I kill him?" you asked in a whisper. Loki and Carol shared a glance. "It was just a bruise" Loki shoved your concern away with his hands. "He's in heaven now," Carol sang. "He was a bad guy, right?" "Yes," both of them nearly shouted. "It's good that he disappeared. You helped the universe get rid of a bad guy," Loki clapped his hands before give you an awkward thumbs up. You blinked at both of them. The smile eroding on your lips slowly turned the duo uncomfortable. "Good." Was all you said for your stature completely transformed. "Because that felt..."  you did not finish the sentence, clearly concerning your company. Well, Lulu seemed to like whatever vibes you were giving off. “Y/N,” Loki pretty much sang your name cautiously, slowly lifting his hands in the air to have a word with you to process whatever you were feeling. But you were already running outside with the most suspicious giggle the room had ever heard. Carol even shivered a bit to shake it off of her.

My daddy's got a gun My daddy's got a gun My daddy's got a gun You better run

The one buzzing drone in the hallway caught the slow-motion emotion of you walking into the hallway with the ash stick in your hand like a gun- locked and loaded- with something fierce burning in your eyes. Behind you Loki was trying to catch up with the adrenaline rush you were feeling, calling out your name to stop you. Carol was close behind, cheering you on as much as she could.

My daddy's got a gun My daddy's got a gun My daddy's got a gun Ga-ga-ga-ga-ga

The orcs didn’t even seek you out. One of the reasons was the fact that you were running towards them first, swinging your arms with as much force as your body allowed, screaming your lungs out and jumping with fueled excitement whenever they went up in flames. Loki had to take a moment out of those crucial seconds to look at you. To look at that animalistic look in your eyes. Pausing for a millisecond to consciously question whether to admire it or fear it, he almost smiled. He might have stood there for a few seconds more had he not felt the blue plasmic force run by his side to destroy the one orc aiming for you from your blindside.

It started with the hayloft a-creakin' Well, it just started in the hay (loft) With his longjohns on, pop went a-creeping Out to the barn, up to the hay Young lovers and they are not sleeping Young lovers in the hay (loft) With his gun turned on, pop went a-creeping Out to the barn, up to the hay (loft)

"Seriously?!" He shouted at the glowing Captain who flew past him. "Catch up. Catch up!" she teased him while leaving a trail of bodies in her way. "ANARCHYYYYYY!!!!!!!" You howled as you ran, following your new crush. Loki sighed, his head trying to hang as low as possible as he looked at the sleek shackles around his wrists. Breathing in a lungful, he grabbed the nearest iron rail from the window looking out at the barren mountains and bent it till it broke in his flexing hand. "Is this why I am still alive?" He whispered to himself while continuing to walk in the direction you just dashed in.

My daddy's got a gun My daddy's got a gun My daddy's got a gun You better run My daddy's got a gun My daddy's got a gun My daddy's got a gun Ga-ga-ga-ga-ga Ga-ga-ga-ga-ga

Throne Room Aellae sat on the ash throne frozen in thought when one of her underlings interrupted her daydreaming with its presence. "What?" She did not disguise her displeasure. There has been a mishap on the laboratory floor, my lady." Her body automatically shifted on her seat. "Four guards are dead. The source is unknown." "Is it the woman?" "No, my lady. I just checked up on her after locking Master Loki up." "Then who is it?" "We are yet to find out. My lady." "Then why are you wasting my time by standing here and doing nothing about it?" The skinny elf-like underling bowed down to her and scurried in the opposite direction. It had reached the entrance of the throne room when a weak scream left its lungs and it stepped back- falling down in the process- to make way for the uninvited guest. The poise on Aellae's face took a turn as she looked at the person casually sauntering in her direction, never realising when she got up. "Oh, don't stand on my account," White mentioned breezily with a smirk, coming to a halt right in the middle of the room. "Zune." She called out the name like spitting a curse. "It's been a while, my least favourite Witch of the West Galactica." Zune smiled his precious smile, standing bright in stark contrast to his dull surroundings. "Last time we met, you were grovelling on the floor, begging for mercy in front of the Silver Court, asking them not to punish you for the endless crimes you committed in the last century." The composure was evidently crumbling away in little pieces. Aellae's stone-like glare was slowly turning into fast blinks. Her usually unruffled breaths were now a mocked laugh. "And the court decided to send you to arrest me? Where is the rest of the coven?" She pretended to guess before snapping her pale fingers. "Oh, right. I burned them all. Poor boys. J'uke, Fae and Mi'in were still so young." Zune huffed and smiled. "Hmm. They were really young when they fought you, weren't they? And to answer your question, no. The court did not send me here." Now this made Aellae burst into laughter. "So, you are here for revenge? For your mates?" Licking his teeth, he bit his lip and rolled up the sleeves of his shirt, all the playfulness in his feature draining out with every passing second. "I am just here to clean up the mess that you made. But they are the ones who are here for revenge." Taking a step back, Zune gave Aellae a few seconds to realise that they are not the only ones in this room. And just when it dawns upon her, she sees the rest of the 'coven' come out of the shadows, surrounding her from every probable escape route this place could have. "Fae," she whispered with a deep-rooted horror in her throat, backing up into her throne when she looked at the familiar red figure walking towards her. "When you were setting us up on fire-" Fae carried no empathy in his eyes as he moved closer with every step- "you forgot that you cannot make Gods made up of ancient stars disappear when you please." Every cell in Fae's body vibrated with a demonic aura that made the witch go down on her knees. Her breaths shook and her eyes watered. The claustrophobia resulting from just his presence made it hard for her to breathe. "No," she shook her head, trying her best to mask her fear. "No. This cannot be. I destroyed you. I destroyed the senate. I destroyed everything that stood in my path. I cannot fail this time. This world needs to kneel before my power. That God needs to kneel before me. NO!!" The six looked at their leader to begin the ceremony. "Aellae of the covens abandoned, child of the dark refugees, you are hereby sent to the endless pits of the universe for your crimes against the creatures of the universe." The screams of the witch echoed throughout the castle till every last ounce of life in her voice could be heard fading away by the other group at the far end of the other wing. By the time Carol arrived, all that was left were the seven boys and a pile of ash resting by the throne. “That was fast,” she did not refrain from mentioning, “I thought it would take more than that to get her to give up.” Zune shrugged. “Well, it was easy because we had you and your friends this time. She did not have much to distract us with, unlike the last time she was in prison.” Carol smiled a kind smile at them. “I hope they didn’t give you any trouble?” Fae stretched the corner of his lips. “When you first called us to go around the universe to look for a human, we were a little sceptical. But we were glad to have met her.” “Especially Zune,” Mi’in quipped, earning a yank by the ear from the leader. “Thank you for protecting her.” “No biggie. We would have protected her even if you didn’t tell us to.” Carol furrowed her brows at the statement. “Because Loki had already asked us for that favour,” Zune mentioned, clearing any doubts, “and we owed him from way back.” Feeling the ‘ah’ of a satisfactory conclusion coming on her face, she stopped midway to hear your scream turn louder the second you got closer till you turned the corner to enter the hall with your stick, forcing yourself to stop your lungs from going any further than that. “Oh,” you straightened your stance, giving up on the attack position as soon as you realised there was no more threat, “looks like you guys already cleaned the place.” “You almost sound disappointed,” J’uke stressed, judging by your disapproval of the lack of bad guys. Loki stepped in next, clearly having taken care of whatever tried to attack them from the back. "She hurt my friend. I at least wanted to watch her burn," you simply shrugged. Fae patted your head softly. "Don't worry. You'll get your chance." He smiled the most ridiculously comforting smile. "How?" You whined, "you guys already finished her." All the seven boys, Loki and Carol shared a look with each other while you stomped her foot in the ground while staring daggers at the pile of ashes.  "Yeah-" Zune blurted out, scratching an itch in the back of his neck- "we definitely, for sure, totally killed her. Like-" he pretended to chop the air with his hand- "so smooth." Everyone nodded in agreement. Our elder boys of the group supported their leader while Carol gave them soft applause. Loki gave them a thumb's up.

You: *turning away from the scene in the background where everyone now sits outside the castle having a chat with each other* Aww *smile widely* it feels so good to watch them get along like that!! *start staring in the distance* *smile still stuck on your face* I wish my family could get along this well too. You know. *tilt your head* If all of them got along with Loki, I feel like half of the world's problems would vanish just like that. *watch Javier sign something to you* What? Merch store? *reads some more* Manga?? *looks closely at Javier as he continues to sign* Fanfi-what does any of it have to do with Loki? *camera pans in on your confused innocent face*

"Here's my little monster!" Carol talked in a tone that one used on babies while stroking a very excited Lulu. "Who's a scary boy! Who's a scary boy!!! You are!!! Yes!! You are!!!" You chuckled, watching Lulu enjoy the love and attention from the Captain, bumping his head with hers, wiggling in her lap before settling down in her arms, his adrenaline going down. "Who's that?" Carol asked him, pointing at you. Lulu chirped. "And who's mamma's boy?" Lulu chirped again. "Aaaand who's gonna protect mamma from bad guys?" Lulu growled. And then he chirped again, hiding his faceless husk hairy face in his paws. "Oh my God, he growls!!!!" you gasped. "Oh, he is got a lot more to show you, mamma! Give him time." You sat down next to Carol and stroked a yawning Lulu, who was now making biscuits in her arms. "This one's helped me a lot through this weird, fatal, dreamy galactic trip," you mentioned wistfully. The camera- as well as Carol- noticed how your brows furrowed slightly before your teeth bit down on your lower lip and you turned your gaze up to search for something in the rocky terrain before finally resting on Loki. Carol watched this subtle shift, patiently spectating how Loki too was stealing glances your way while having some serious looking chat with the boys.

The boys and Loki: *standing in the grey terrain like a bunch of Gods modelling for luxury hair products* Loki: It's spelt Z-U-K-O Zune: You named a dog after the fire God? Loki: Wha-no. It was all her *points at you*. Apparently, Coco was a bit too mushy for her. Something about 'Zuko reminding her of a guy who was in his redemption arc right now'. Whatever that means. Zune: *looked at the camera panning in on his face*

"So, you wanna go back now?" Carol asked you, her hands still busy stroking a purring Lulu. You inhaled to answer but felt yourself turning to look at Loki. Carol noticed it too. "Of course. H-how, long will it take?" you scratched your forehead. "We were actually pretty close to getting Loki free of his...cuffs. And I'm sure two powerful beings is always better than one." Carol chuckled and nodded. "Tell you what-" she took your hand in hers, something that you were not expecting- "I will go and take care of a couple of things for our return journey. Till then-" she stroked your hand- "you find out for yourself. Whatever it is that you're looking for." That gentle tone and those cryptically simple words changed some spectrum of the emotions on your face. You stared at her for a long while with your mouth agape. "What are you talking about?" Your breath asked in exasperation. "Cuffs, I guess?" she proposed softly with a knowing smirk. You forced out a laugh. "I have no idea what you're talking about," You chuckled and found yourself looking back at Loki again.

The boys- well, at a few of them- tried to calm down the God who seemed to be picking up a rock from the ground. "Okay now-" Gin, our green jellybean, raised his hands- "let's all calm down and talk about this." "Yeah, yeah. How about we all go to the nearest oasis and have a cup of starry vodka and discuss how we are all alive. Right, Mi'in?" Me'isri, sweet yellow candy boy suggested casually. "Right," Loki nearly sang. His every step towards the boys made them retreat two. "We should be happy that the witch is gone for now. What could we possibly have had to do with her anyway? Hm? What's that? Oh! She was the one who stole my essence you say?" "Look," Ho, the sky blue cheery lad was suddenly not feeling so cheery at all, "we did not know-" "You numbnuts were the one who told me that!" Loki was practically hissing through his teeth right now, his steps breaking into a jog that was letting out some potential screams waiting in some lungs. Lulu was having a gala time just jumping in whichever direction the boys ran into as Loki chased them.

[zubi-arts]

I saw this wonderful ship meme template by gibb_arts on twitter and decided to do it for one of my most beloved rarepair OTPs, ItaKabu! I hope this gives you some insight into why I love this ship so much <3

More detailed headcanon descriptions below the cut!

Age/Height: Canon, actually! I think it's really funny that they're almost the same height but Itachi is juuuust a little bit taller.

Gender: I see both of these characters as cisgender male, but while Itachi hasn't questioned things much, I feel like Kabuto went through an entire roller coaster about his gender identity at one point in his life. He eventually settled back where he started, but it's now that purposeful cis perspective that only comes with intense questioning. (I'd also consider Kabuto nonbinary male, but he probably prefers to be called a man)

Sexuality: Itachi demisexual, Kabuto bisexual. Not much additional detail here!

Big/Little Spoon: I think they're both pretty cuddly but Itachi is gentle and passive and Kabuto is happy for any kind of attention, so Itachi probably meets him halfway and they trade spoons back and forth. Kabuto's horns might make it hard to have your face behind his head lol.

Lends Clothes/Borrows Clothes: They mostly have their own stuff but Kabuto is slightly smaller, so he fits in Itachi's things better.

Uses Pet Names: Kabuto is incredibly respectful and feels very weird calling Itachi by anything but his actual name. Itachi doesn't tend toward pet names but might call Kabuto "honey" just to see how red his face goes.

Introverted/Extroverted: Kabuto is generally shy but wants to have connections with people. Itachi likes having company but is low energy--I'd classify him as more of an ambivert.

Affection through Words/Actions: Kabuto does try to make deliberate gestures, but he feels like it doesn't come across well, so he's constantly telling Itachi how wonderful he is and making sure he understands exactly how he feels. Itachi of course reminds Kabuto that he really does love him, though a lot of his affection comes in warm gestures like bringing him tea when he's working or covering him up with a blanket when he falls asleep.

Confesses First/Waits: Kabuto would never imagine anyone could possibly have a crush on him, so only at the very last minute would he even consider telling Itachi how he feels. Itachi is slow to get attached but once he's in deep he realizes exactly how resistant Kabuto is to making the first move, so he does it for him.

Screams about Bugs/Squashes: Neither of them are afraid of bugs. Kabuto goes to swiftly whack it with a rolled-up newspaper, but Itachi stops him and scoops the bug up to put it outside. As long as it's not a mosquito. No mercy for mosquitoes.

Drives the Car: If they had a car, Kabuto would do the handling and maintenance. Itachi can drive but often doesn't because they usually travel together.

Can't Cook/Cooks: Kabuto can functionally feed himself and it tastes alright. Itachi enjoys cooking as a hobby and is happy to make dinner basically every night.

PDA: Itachi is a bit shy but doesn't care much if people see him being sweet with his S/O. For Kabuto, the idea of someone proudly showing their affection for him in public makes his bones turn to jelly. Itachi often humors him by taking his hand when he's not expecting it and kissing his cheek.

Overprotective: Both previously dealt with narcissistic control complexes and are prone to trying to solve problems by themselves. They are also both aware that their boyfriend has disaster tendencies and do their best to look out for each other.

Relationship Experience: Itachi might possibly have dated someone when he was very young but he doesn't really count that. At the very least he loves his brother and does have friends like Kisame. Kabuto has not had a single human interaction that did not devolve into terminal backstabbing disorder and/or brutal death. He is starting from entry-level and Itachi is prepared to tell him as often as he needs to hear it that he loves him and isn't going anywhere.

Horny Level: Kabuto is way too awkward to be thirsty 95% of the time. Itachi is more relaxed and thinks it's funny when Kabuto gets flustered, so he'd probably make the first move. That being said, as soon as Itachi made it clear what his intentions were, Kabuto's meter would shoot through the roof.

Awkwardness Level: Itachi is a resurrected undead paper mache lantern man who feels like everything is borrowed time, so as long as people can be okay with some of his past mistakes he's pretty chill about most stuff. Kabuto has only recently come down off his tirade of unchecked terrorism and mass murder, and is largely of the opinion that while he really really wants people to like him, he completely understands if they just want to lock him in prison forever.

Jealousy Level: Itachi is not the jealous type at all and would let Kabuto do his own thing. Kabuto also respects Itachi's choices, though he is a bit envious of the people who seem closer to him.

--- That's it for this! Feel free to add any headcanons in the tags or let me know if you want to hear more of mine! :D

[mrs-nate-humphrey]

I am curious: what are your favorite scenes from your main ships (date, dair, derena...)?

scenes involving milo don't count, sorry!

for me, it's really not just scenes, but body language & just in general, how they are with each other, you know? dan and serena grin at each other and hug SO much, you can tell that being around each other in s1 made them both so happy, and even after that glow fades the way they look for comfort in each other... top level stuff. the way blair looks at dan... we never see her as radiant at any other point. she was not looking at anyone else like this. and gosh, dan and nate. they're both so comfortable around each other that there's absolutely nothing weird about like. discussing that one ex girlfriend whom they both share AND both were in love with. there is literally no other duo who trusts/enjoys each other's company so much that they're comfortable in a love triangle. (probably because they're more in love with each other than with the girl, but that is not the point. or is it?)

anyway, more specific answers. under the cut. this is one of the longest answers i've ever written on this blog possibly but you KNEW that would happen when you sent this ask, didn't you? (affectionate)

derena: i tagged one of my ds reblogs as 'the grumpy one is soft for the sunshine one' and like. look at them! this hug from 1x10 kills me in the best way. they are both the literal embodiment of :D when they see each other! i love 1x10 as a whole moment, their entire thing at cotillion is so sweet and they're both so happy. the fact that he is talking about his chemistry teacher during this kiss in 1x07. that bit at the end of 1x05 when they talk about their siblings (being there for their sibling because of fallible parents being a derena parallel makes me simultaneously really sad and really soft, tbh). 1x05 gives me SO MUCH SECONDHAND EMBARRASSMENT but the way they walk off together arms around each other does something to me - these are two people who are still getting to know each other but who really like what they see, and who trust each other and. are just having a good time together! back when derena was my OTP, the 1x11 "your story's about me?" was absolutely a fave, too, and i still adore it, albeit in a different, more nostalgic way. i like a dan who writes cute stories about serena. no empty shell sabrina van skoneker bullshit. she is so much like you, daniel! you'd be shattered if she did this to you. don't do this to her. tbh, most derena moments from s1 are just A+ romance. the bit in 2x02 in the jitney is so funny, they're SO bad at being exes. the bit in... 3x03 i think?? i don't remember... on the contrary. when they're talking about dan's fling w/ georgina and serena's relationship with carter, the ease with which they talk and how happy/supportive they are of each other's new relationships... yeah. love to see it.

i also really like any instance of them having honest/open conversations. 1x13, talking about how serena is concerned about blair. 1x08, serena talking to dan about feeling jealous of vanessa. this bit from the touch of eva or whatever that episode is. 4x04 i think. this is the conversation everyone is trying to get dan to have and he's avoiding EVERYONE else. derena interactions in 3x21 (can't find a gif right now) - the fact that dan is with serena when her dad abandons them, the fact that he goes all the way there with her. 2x07, "i'm really glad you're nate's friend. he really needs someone like you right now" (though i'm cheating, that's technically a d/n moment too klhdflkgf). there's a bit in s4 where he's advising her against having an affair w/ colin, i don't remember the ep number, but the way he takes her side so easily and naturally and puts due blame/responsibility solely on her professor... yeah. 4x10 i think this ep is?? idk. but like my tags say, im sentimental about this moment because while what dan was doing was irresponsible, sneaking her out of the ostroff, he was the only person in this episode who was actually talking to her and listening to her and taking her seriously. nobody else was doing that!!

i probably have more moments i'm not remembering, but we're only 1/3 into this answer and LOOK AT THE WORDS, good lord, i'm sorry.

dair: my favourite dair episode is hands down despicable b (5x21) which i have heard is an uncommon answer. i just love the conflict resolution of it all, okay!!! 1x04 & 2x08 are like. standard answers any dair shipper will give, and i'm no different. i love dan being able to give blair advice and blair actually taking his advice even though they're not friends yet!!! be right back, yelling at the intimacy of it all!! 5x16, with their getting together (this little kiss and dan being so startled by it), blair admitting a flaw she genuinely does have and dan saying it's not awful because it's her, which is just. romance at its finest. those vows, good lord. 5x18.... they're having fun! blair showing up at the loft in lingerie for dan... the delight on her face.... (i know this moment blows up in their face but when she's there she looks so happy and proud of herself and this was like THE moment when i was like. oh. dair is really the heart of this garbage show huh).

i think for me, the thing that really sells dan & blair together is the serena of it all. both of them love serena more fiercely than anyone else, and that is what brings them together. (fwiw i definitely think nate loved serena this much and this deeply, too; the writers just wanted to pop the serenate balloon, which even i think was extremely unnecessary and ooc.) but (& i have so much meta about this) their relationship grows beyond serena. their entire s4 arc is SO good. i love how comfortable around each other they are, in such an adult way, in the sense of like. they both bring so much stability to each other? morgan tagged this edit "the marrieds" and like. yeah. b offers to help him shave. they're having breakfast & reading the paper together.

all the love declarations we got that weren't a simple 'i love you.' be your charming wonderful self (how could she not love you/ tell me what would make you happy, dan) i told chuck he doesn't have my heart anymore (you spent your life earning the keys to set you free when you were free all along!!!!) dan's pep talk to blair in 5x21 (already linked a gifset earlier, here's another one if you want i guess). there's definitely more... but honestly, the way the dair arc was executed was so good - while i do have my complaints, i also think keeping those aside, it was SO close to perfect. i love dan & blair's banter and gradually becoming closer and closer and closer. it felt very organic and real and GOSH. the way penn & leighton looked at each other while playing dan and blair...... it's just SO MUCH.

date: this is the hardest, because it's. *screams*. maybe you saw me losing my mind over those 2 seconds of nate handing dan a waffle? i love almost every scene with these two, even the hellish s6 breakup scene. my favourite episode for d/n (& also favourite gg episode in general) is 2x06 - i love the homoerotic subtext of it all. nate pretending to be dan because dan's name is the first name that came to his head. dan flirting w/ nate while tied to that thing, in his underwear. them becoming friends. and 2x07 as a follow-up to that! dan getting nate to live in the loft with the humphreys for a while. i am so soft.

4x09 is a terrible episode in general, especially for serena my beloved, but the d/n moments in that one? off the CHARTS. this weird overly macho flirting, in some ways THE most iconic d/n line. this entire finish each other's sentences nonsense. someone (i think it was ana but im not sure?) compared the energy of those scenes i just linked to the book blairenate love triangle resolution, blairena choosing each other over nate in the books, date choosing each other over serena in the show (if only! RIP.) after the saints & sinners ball, this cute little moment of 'youre the only one who understands me. please tell me they went home together. i mean. how could they not have.

3x07, them watching vampire porn together. a tag i used on ao3 (& also on here, once) is 'nate brings out the himbo in dan'. here is a prime example. 'is she levitating?' i don't fucking know, dan, what do you think?? (i was telling my partner that that's what i love abt dair vs date. around blair dan is an intellectual, a librarian, an art historian, a museum curator. around nate it's like dan is competing to be #1 himbo on the show. can my girlfriend actually fly? i don't know, dan. i can't believe you're seriously asking such a question.)

3x12 pep talk. (sorry about the shitty quality!) essentially nate telling dan that he (dan) is hot and that he shouldn't talk himself down so much.

dan making nate gay in his book. you know. his book from which blair found out he was in love with her. nads (who i will not tag in this billion word long gushy meta, because i value her sanity) once called inside "wish fulfilment' and. i mean. yeah

nate checking dan out at the derena wedding continues to be hilarious. hilarious in the same way as dan sexually fantasising about nate. canon really went 'let's give ivy some special easter eggs' and i appreciate them a lot!

i love the way they are around each other - so quietly attuned to each other. i showed my sister my date!husbands gifset, and she was like. yeah they're so married. and it's just stuff like how dan looks for nate over his shoulder, it's not even an active action, it's as easy and natural and intuitive as breathing, checking to see if nate is still there.

oh, that wasn't as hard as it could've been! okay. cool. im SURE there's more things i could scream about, because it's DN, the fact that they're non-canon makes me THAT much fiercer about them than dair/derena, to be honest. so many dots to connect!! anyway.