#(because one would hope I've been pretty clear about just how much I adore Lady Penelope

[riallasheng]

You know what I hate people like you who ignore and hate and downplay female characters! The only characters assholes like you like are the men, you never like the women! DIAF!!

...I think you might have sent this to the wrong person, anon?

I mean to go off the fandom I've been posting in the most recently, Lady Penelope (comics, novels, and tos) is, and always has been, my favorite character? Like most anyone who knows me knows I can and will go on for HOURS about how much I love that woman

If we're treating the Live Action shows as their own thing separate from the supermarionation, then Col. Lake from UFO is my favorite there? (and if we're combining puppet and live, she's tied with Scott for second place)

tosCS Destiny and Rhapsody are easily in my top 5 in CS Lady Ochre and lt Green in nCS are also easily in my top 5 n nCS

Kayo is my favorite TaG character, and Moffat, Casey, and O'Bannon are my favorite reoccurring (although Rigby is in there too) I even like tagPenny, although she (like Kayo) is so different from the TOS version that she's basically a new original character.

To go to older fandoms I'm no longer really active in (and this is down to me really disliking how Astruc handled the series and losing interest in it) Marinette is tied with Adrien for my favorite character in Miraculous, with Alya and Kagami also sharing a tie in second place?

In the fandom I've been in longer than Anderverse... which I'm still active in, even if not here on tumblr... Elita (g1 and the netflix series), Arcee (g1), Arcee (tfp), Strongarm, AIR RAZOR, Black Arachnia, Airachnid... there are a TON of female characters I adore who are consistently in my 'top five favs' for each show / iteration

I could go on, honestly.

Are there female characters I dislike? ones that I, even worse from a reading/watching perspective find boring?

Yup. Heck, even some I hate.

There are also male characters I dislike, am bored by, or hate.

[dxmoness]

Hi! How are you? I hope you're doing great! May ask hc of rezef x (fem) reader? Reader is an intelligent,calm, polite and short person and her look and voice are just like dolls and she is cayena's lady in waiting. Please take your time and thank you!

[ AUTHOR NOTE ] Thank you for requesting, nonnie! Sorry this may be short, it's been a while since I made a hc 😭

[ CONTENT WARNING ] yandere / possessive attitude (it's Rezef)

[ PRONOUNS USED ] she/her! But anyone can read ^^

❏ Rezef was known to hate everyone. No matter who it was, his servants or others he loathed them. All except his sister. This was true enough until he met her.

❏ She was Cayena’s new lady-in-waiting. At first Rezef thought she just looked pretty like a doll but that was it. Later after plenty of illegal observations made him realize her potential. This only fueled his tendencies to search and observe her even more and see if someone had eyes on her.

❏ He hated the fact that Name had so many men on her tail, men desperate for her attention. So much that some even tried to make plans of meddling with his new obsession's things and schedules. So he murdered them, he told himself it was because of the fact that Name was Cayena’s lady-in-waiting meaning she needed to be there for her sister. Little did he know it was for other reasons.

❏ He found about his actual reasons when he saw her with another noble. He had hated it. Hated seeing her with another. He had dragged Name away from there and told her to stay away from any men other than him. Clearly possessive. This was when he realized he wasn't doing his actions for Cayena’s sake anymore.

❏ He'd grown so attached that he'd do everything to get her attention. To get her to be in the room with him. Every excuse possible and Cayena still hadn't managed to catch his obsession with the female.

❏ The day he managed a kiss from her was the day he became infatuated. Utterly infatuated. Every bit of him wanted and needed her as his wife.

❏ When his father made it clear that he didn't want him marrying her, he went into a complete anger tantrum. Breaking everything. The audacity of the man. It didn't matter though as he would still do it. Whether his father liked it or not, that woman will be his.

Name stands there, she was called to the prince’s room yet again. Her eyes hold way to the emotions of concern and curiosity.

Rezef sits by his desk, sapphire eyes fixed onto the female. His lips lift up in a smile as he heads to her, eyes glowing with delight as he watched her bow respectfully towards him. “Do you know why I've asked you to come here, my lady?” He stares at her, fondly eyeing her frame.

“No...” She murmurs, her eyes giving way to confusion now. “Why has His Highness called me?” This question made him laugh. A laugh that was one of a cold-hearted male. Name shifted nervously at the sound of it.

The awkwardness lingered as Rezef came closer towards her. Now near her, he reached forward and touched her chin, lifting it to face him. His eyes were ablaze with the feeling of admiration, adoration and lust mixed together as he leaned closer, his mouth near her ear. His hot breath making her shudder. "Has any man ever told you that you look beautiful, doll?" He whispered as his hand still remained stroking her cheek.

Name was quiet. "They have." She said quietly. Rezef just smirks before he neared her lips. "Then allow me to make those men jealous." He whispered, lips touching hers.

tagging, @sxnful-rage

[imerdwarf]

Part One: The First Meeting

Summary: Wanda invites you over to the compound for some unwinding girly time, when a man interrupts halfway through, taking something of Wanda's and your heart.

Pairing: Wanda x Reader, beefy!Bucky x Reader

Warnings: Alcohol consumption, beefy!Bucky, stressed reader, fluffs, love at first sight, strangers to crushes? 🥰

Word Count: 1,350

Author's Notes: This is day one of The Week in Love challenge hosted by @the-ss-horniest-book-club, this is my first mini series so I hope you guys enjoy it 🥰

This week was just sucky, everything about it just sucked. Your boss ended up giving you a hard time at work, overworking you as usual by piling a ton of files on your desk with a strict deadline or the threat of 'you're fired!' and you feared your boss Rumlow may just follow through on it.

Work wasn't the only thing you were struggling with this week, your heating completely broke down and your landlord refused to get it fixed because it wasn't deemed as urgent. It was the middle of winter, a good foot of snow had completely blanketed the streets and sidewalks of New York City, you were left to freeze to death in your apartment and still, it was deemed as not urgent.

To make this week somewhat tolerable, you had been texting with Wanda and had told her just a couple of things that were going wrong and how stressed it was all making you feel. Wanda hated to see her friends upset and stressed, and invited you over to the compound to unwind and stay a couple of days with a promise she would do everything in her power to make sure you have a good time and that you leave in a better mindset.

And, it was exactly how she had promised it would be, warm, safe and comfortable. After she told you to take a hot shower and gave you one of her fluffy white robes, the wine was going down nicely as you cozied up in Wanda's room, giggling and blushing at the erotic scenes from Bridgerton, a Netflix series you were currently binging together.

An evening like this was exactly what the doctor ordered, it had been months since you last saw Wanda because she was away doing her avenging duties. Her celebrity status never played on your mind either, you loved Wanda as your sister and the two of you have been friends for quite some time now. Usually, when Wanda wasn't on missions, she would come and hang out at your small apartment in Brooklyn. But, seeing as you had no heating and in her own words, "your building looks like a run down dump," the compound seemed the obvious choice.

The next steamy scene was just starting when a fist knocked on the door, sending you tipsy ladies into a fit of giggles.

"Come- come in!" Wanda snorts, taking a sip from her drink and sitting up with her back against the headboard, you did the same.

The door opens and so does your mouth - in walks a man who looks like he was carved by the gods themselves. He was a tall, beefy-looking man in skin-tight sweatpants and an off-white tank top with his hair tied back in a messy bun. His left arm glimmers under the mood lighting in Wanda's room and you swear that he's the most beautiful man you've ever seen. Wanda has never mentioned that she worked with gorgeous men before since she always talks to you about Vision.

"Evenin' ladies." The man smiles, his blue orbs meet yours and your heart feels like it's about to jump out of your chest and into his large hands. "Hello." He waves at you, noticing you were staring. Heat creeps up to your cheeks and you wave back shyly muttering a quiet hello back under your breath.

"Evening Barnes, what can I do you for?" Wanda cackles and her joke makes you giggle, he raises an eyebrow and grins.

"Are you two drunk?" He teases, his eyes momentarily flicking to the TV and blushing when he realises what the two of you are watching.

"Maybe a little." Wanda nudges you, a little too harshly that you nearly fall off the side of the bed, this prompts another round of giggles from the two of you.

"Oh well, I've lost my phone charger, can I borrow yours?" He asks politely, smiling at you before Wanda gets off the bed. You subconsciously put down your wine glass and tuck your hands between your thighs under your robe, feeling yourself growing shyer under his sweet gaze.

"I want it back!" She warns, jabbing her index finger in his chest.

"Yes ma'am." He salutes, "you two be good now!" He winks at you before retreating out of the room and closing the door behind him.

When he's gone, you push the air from your lungs and relax your shoulders. Your heart is still racing and his smile is engrained in your memory.

Wanda notices your flushed state and whistles, "my, my. Do you have a little crush already?" She teases, joining you back on the bed and topping up the wine. His presence made you sober up pretty quickly.

"Nooo, I don't know him!" You giggle and drop your head, your smile reaching your eyes.

"His name is James, but he goes by Bucky aaaaaand," she pauses to take a sip, "he's single, like you." She winks, putting her glass down on the bedside table and curling her tired body into yours.

The next morning, you're awake before Wanda and without a hangover. She's still snoring and fast asleep next to you, the air in the room is warm and through the parted curtains, the falling snowflakes makes you smile in contentment.

Pulling the duvet covers back, you reach over into your night bag and pull out your fuzzy socks, your leggings and an oversized sweater. Changing in quicktime, you leave Wanda's room and search for the kitchen for some coffee.

The compound was certainly larger than you expected, there were doors and hallways everywhere. Your head whipped left to right trying to remember which way you arrived last night when she brought you up from the common room after you met Steve Rogers and Natasha. You bite your nails nervously, afraid of stumbling into a room you weren't meant to be in.

A door opens further down the hallway, and your eyes widen. The man who entered Wanda's room last night appears with a yawn, his hand runs up and down his face as he attempts to wipe the sleepiness from his eyes.

Instead of his sweatpants and tank top, he's clad in skintight black jeans to accentuate his thigh muscles, and a black Henley with a silver chain hanging around his neck.

However, his stoic expression turns into a soft smile when he spots you standing there, looking like a deer caught in headlights and dare he say, adorable.

"Good mornin' doll, you okay?" He asks as he gets nearer. Your breath is shaky and you bite your lip when your heart skips a beat again just like last night.

"Um, I'm lost." You chuckle shyly, biting your nail. He slowly reaches out and pulls your hand from your mouth. His touch is electrifying, warm and soft all at the same time.

"Where are you headed?" He clears his throat and shoves his hands in the front of his pockets.

"The kitchen." Your cheeks heat up under his gaze just like it did last night and you're afraid if he keeps looking at you like this, you'll melt into the floor.

"I'm going there too, I can show you if you want..." He trails off and furrows his eyebrows, realising he doesn't even know your name.

"Y/N." You smile, "and yes please, I'd be grateful."

"Y/N." He repeats, your name tasting like drops of honey on his tongue, "I'm Bucky." He pulls his right hand from his pocket, extending it towards you for you to shake.

"It's nice to officially meet you, Bucky." You smile, taking his hand in yours and shaking it. His palm has rough skin, while the back of it is soft and warm.

"Likewise doll, Wanda has talked about you." he blushes putting his hand back in his pocket, "oh and uh, the kitchen is this way." He starts to walk down the narrow hallway, you trail after him, watching his back muscles ripple with each stride in his step.

"I hope she told you good things," you joke, your pace not being able to keep up with him.

"Only the good things, doll." He chuckles before adding, "did you have fun last night?"

"Oh, I did! Very much yes, Wanda has asked me to stay a few nights." He slows down his pace and waits for you to catch up.

"Oh yeah? I'm happy about that." He grins, looking down at you and watches you drop your head to the floor and smile triumphantly.

"I am too." You gaze into each others eyes for a few moments before you look away, knowing you're going to fall fast and hard for this man.

Bucky on the other hand, hasn't been able to get you off his mind since he saw you in Wanda's room last night, the way you became flustered when he looked at you, the shy smile you exchanged. Your smile was the last thing he saw before he closed his eyes last night, and the first thing he saw when he opened them this morning. He only learned your name moments ago, but maybe Steve was right, maybe love at first sight really does exist.

Taglist: @smokeybluebrooke-lyn @pinkdiamond1016 @whatrambles @skkye @bestofbucky @ladyeliot @ddowii @randomfandompenguin @marvelgirl7

Series: @thefallenbibliophilequote @gudenuph @emmabarnes @halietigges @astro-ironman @aliceaddellheidde @justab-eautifulmess @toribentleyva @vicmc624

[pumpkinpaix]

Hello! Feel free not to answer this question if it is in any way too much, but I've been wondering about something concerning the "western" mdzs fandom. Lately, i have seen multiple pieces of fanart that use what is clearly Christian symbolism and sometimes downright iconography in depicting the characters. I'm a european fan, but it still makes me vaguely uneasy. I know that these things are rarely easy to judge. I'm definitely not qualified to do so and was wondering if you have an opinion

Hi there! thank you for your patience and for the interesting question! I’ve been thinking about this since i received this ask because it?? idk, it’s difficult to answer, but it also touches on a a few things that I find really interesting.

the short answer: it’s complicated, and I also don’t know what I feel!

the longer answer:

i think that this question is particularly difficult to answer because of how deeply christianity is tied to the western art and literary canon. so much of what is considered great european art is christian art! If you just take a quick glance at wiki’s page on european art, you can see how inextricable christianity is, and how integral christian iconography has been in the history of european art. If you study western art history, you must study christian imagery and christian canon because it’s just impossible to engage with a lot of the work in a meaningful way without it. that’s just the reality of it.

Christianity, of course, also has a strong presence in european colonial and imperialist history and has been used as a tool of oppression against many peoples and nations, including China. I would be lying if I said I had a good relationship with Christianity--I have always faced it with a deep suspicion because I think it did some very, very real damage, not just to chinese people, but to many cultures and peoples around the world, and that’s not a trauma that can be easily brushed aside or reconciled with.

here is what is also true: my maternal grandmother was devoutly christian. my aunt is devoutly christian. my uncle’s family is devoutly christian. my favorite cousin is devoutly christian. when I attended my cousin’s wedding, he had both a traditional chinese ceremony (tea-serving, bride-fetching, ABSURDLY long reception), and also a christian ceremony in a church. christianity is a really important part of his life, just as it’s important to my uncle’s family, and as it was important to my grandmother. I don’t think it’s my right or place to label them as simply victims of a colonialist past--they’re real people with real agency and choice and beliefs. I think it would be disrespectful to act otherwise.

that doesn’t negate the harm that christianity has done--but it does complicate things. is it inherently a bad thing that they’re christian, due to the political history of the religion and their heritage? that’s... not a question I’m really interested in debating. the fact remains that they are christian, that they are chinese, and that they chose their religion.

so! now here we are with mdzs, a chinese piece of media that is clearly Not christian, but is quickly gaining popularity in euroamerican spaces. people are making fanart! people are making A LOT of fanart! and art is, by nature, intertextual. a lot of the most interesting art (imo) makes deliberate use of that! for example (cyan art nerdery time let’s go), Nikolai Ge’s What is Truth?

I love this painting! it’s notable for its unusual depiction of christ: shabby, unkempt, slouched, in shadow. if you look for other paintings of this scene, christ is usually dignified, elegant, beautiful, melancholy -- there’s something very humanizing and humbling about this depiction, specifically because of the way it contrasts the standard. it’s powerful because we as the audience are expected to be familiar with the iconography of this scene, the story behind it, and its place in the christian canon.

you can make similar comments about Gentileschi’s Judith vs Caravaggio’s, or Manet’s Olympia vs Ingres’ Grande Odalisque -- all of these paintings exist in relation to one another and also to the larger canon (i’m simplifying: you can’t just compare one to another directly in isolation etc etc.) Gauguin’s Jacob Wrestling the Angel is also especially interesting because of how its portrayal of its content contrasts to its predecessors!

or! because i’m really In It now, one of my favorite paintings in the world, Joan of Arc by Bastien-Lepage:

I just!!! gosh, idk, what’s most interesting to me in this painting is the way it seems to hover between movements: the hyperrealistic, neoclassical-esque take on the figure, but the impressionistic brushstrokes of the background AAA gosh i love it so much. it’s really beautiful if you ever get a chance to see it in person at the Met. i’m putting this here both because i personally just really like it and also as an example of how intertextuality isn’t just about content, but also about visual elements.

anyways, sorry most of this is 19thc, that was what i studied the most lol.

(a final note: if you want to read about a really interesting painting that sits in the midst of just a Lot of different works, check out the wiki page on Géricault’s Raft of the Medusa, specifically under “Interpretation and Legacy”)

this is all a really long-winded way of getting to this point: if you want to make allusory fanart of mdzs with regards to western art canon, you kind of have to go out of your way to avoid christian imagery/iconography, especially when that’s the lens through which a lot of really intensely emotional art was created. many of my favorite paintings are christian: Vrubel’s Demon, Seated, Perov’s Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane, Ge’s Conscience, Judas, Bastien-Lepage’s Joan of Arc, as shown above. that’s not to say there ISN’T plenty of non-christian art -- but christian art is very prominent and impossible to ignore.

so here are a few pieces of fanwork that I’ve seen that are very clearly making allusions to christian imagery:

1. this beautiful pietà nielan by tinynarwhals on twitter

2. a lovely jiang yanli as our lady of tears by @satuwilhelmiina

3. my second gif in this set here, which I will also show below:

i’m only going to talk about mine in depth because well, i know exactly what i was thinking when I put this gif together while I can’t speak for anyone else.

first: the two lines of the song that I wanted to use for lan xichen were “baby, I’m a fighter//in the robes of a saint” because i felt that they fit him very well. of course, just the word “saint” evokes catholicism, even if it’s become so entwined in the english language that it’s taken on a secular meaning as well.

second: when I saw this scene, my immediate thought was just “PIETÀ!!” because LOOK at that composition! lan xichen’s lap! nie mingjue lying perpendicular to it! the light blue/white/silver of lan xichen in contrast to the darker robes of both nie mingjue and meng yao! not just that, but the very cool triangular structure of the image is intensely striking, and Yes, i Do love that it simultaneously ALSO evokes deposition of christ vibes. (baxia as the cross.... god..... is that not the Tightest Shit) does this make meng yao joseph of arimathea? does it make him john the evangelist? both options are equally interesting, I think when viewed in relation to his roles in the story: as a spy in qishan and as nmj’s deputy. maybe he’s both.

anyways, did I do this intentionally? yes, though a lot of it is happy accident/discovered after the fact since I’m relying on CQL to have provided the image. i wanted to draw attention to all of that by superimposing that line over that image! (to be clear: I didn’t expect it to all come through because like. that’s ridiculous. the layers you’d have to go through to get from “pretty lxc gifset” --> “if we cast nie mingjue as a christ figure, what is the interesting commentary we could do on meng yao by casting him as either joseph of arimathea or john the evangelist” are like. ok ur gonna need to work a little harder than slapping a song lyric over an image to achieve an effect like that.)

the point of this is: yes, it’s intentionally christian, yes I did this, yes I am casting these very much non-christian characters into christian roles for this specific visual work -- is this okay?

I obviously thought it was because I made it. but would I feel the same about a work that was written doing something similar? probably not. I think that would make me quite uncomfortable in most situations. but there’s something about visual art that makes it slightly different that I have trouble articulating -- something about how the visual often seeks to illustrate parallels or ideas, whereas writing characters as a different religion can fundamentally change who those characters are, the world they inhabit, etc. in a more... invasive?? way. that’s still not quite right, but I genuinely am not sure how to explain what i mean! I hope the general idea comes across. ><

something else to think about is like, what are pieces I find acceptable and why?

what makes the pieces above that reference christian imagery different than this stunning nieyao piece by @cyandemise after klimt’s kiss? (warnings for like, dead bodies and vague body horror) like i ADORE this piece (PLEASE click for fullview it’s worth it for the quality). it’s incredibly beautiful and evocative and very obviously references a piece of european art. I have no problem with it. why? because it isn’t explicitly christian? it’s still deeply entrenched in western canon. klimt certainly made other pieces that were explicit christian references.

another piece I’d like to invite you all to consider is this incredible naruto fanart of sakura and ino beheading sasuke after caravaggio’s judith. (warnings for beheading, blood, etc. you know.) i also adore this piece! i think it’s very good both technically and conceptually. the reference that it makes has a real power when viewed in relation to the roles of the characters in their original story -- seeing the women that sasuke fucked over and treated so disrespectfully collaborating in his demise Says Something. this is also!! an explicitly christian reference made with non-christian japanese characters. is this okay? does it evoke the same discomfort as seeing mdzs characters being drawn with christian iconography? why or why not?

the point is, I don’t think there’s a neat answer, but I do think there are a lot of interesting issues surrounding cultural erasure/hegemony that are raised by this question. i don’t think there are easy resolutions to any of them either, but I think that it’s a good opportunity to reexamine our own discomfort and try and see where it comes from. all emotions are valid but not all are justified etc. so I try to ask, is it fair? do i apply my criticisms and standards equally? why or why not? does it do real harm, or do i just not like it? what makes one work okay and another not?

i’ve felt that there’s a real danger with the kind of like, deep moral scrutiny of recent years in quashing interesting work in the name of fear. this morality tends to be expressed in black and white, good and bad dichotomies that i really do think stymies meaningful conversation and progress. you’ll often see angry takes that boil down to things like, “POC good, queer people good, white people bad, christianity bad” etc. without a serious critical examination of the actual issues at hand. I feel that these are extraordinarily harmful simplifications that can lead to an increased insularity that isn’t necessarily good for anyone. there’s a fine line between asking people to stay in their lane and cultural gatekeeping sometimes, and I think that it’s something we should be mindful of when we’re engaging in conversations about cultural erasure, appropriation etc.

PERHAPS IT IS OBVIOUS that I have no idea where that line falls LMAO since after all that rambling I have given you basically nothing. but! I hope that you found it interesting at least, and that it gives you a bit more material to think on while you figure out where you stand ahaha.

was this just an excuse to show off cool (fan)art i like? maybe ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

(ko-fi)

[fandom-blackhole]

I'm back from my mandatory two day socialization recovery period required for all socialization even if I enjoy it. It's time for some Mermaid!Din au thoughts (No thots unfortunately but we'll live)

First off I love the isolation that the reader faces because of the lighthouse they live in. And I love how the townspeople being nice to the reader help give them a reason to stick around when weird things start happening.

I love how it took months before anything strange starts happening, like were Din and Grogu just not around or were they observing the reader. Did Din ever try to stop Grogu from damaging the lighthouse or did he let the little rascal do as he pleased.

· And gosh I love the idea of reader dressing in old worn clothing, a knit sweater with fraying sleeves, sweat pants covered in paint from repairs, an old windbreaker to help keep the cold out. It makes me heart all warm and fuzzy.

Edna, who i've head cannoned as this series Miss Chatham (H2O: just add water charter) is honestly life goals. Like live near ocean - check(ish), have rare knowledge that can be used to help new person - check, being just slightly spooky -amazing. And is that a little matchmaker I see her playing? I love it.

Then Grogu being injured :( I bet that Din is absolutely being eaten alive by guilt even though we all know it’s not his fault and he does literally anything he can to keep Grogu safe and happy.

And In love how Din is venerable enough to ask for help, like he recognizes that this is something out of his area of expertise so he goes to the person he knows is “safe” to get help. He’s humble enough to admit that he needs help and is not capable of doing everything for Grogu. And being able to admit that is an important life skill that not enough people have.

· But even after he ask the reader for help he is still hesitant which shows that even though hes trusting reader he will still kick (is it still a kick if its with a tail) the readers ass if he hurts him.

“But you can help him” Oh my heart the trust in that sentence. Like Din just heard, “so yeah I can help your son but I have to take him somewhere it will be hard for you to follow. And he needs to stay there for at least a week, and even if you manage to come its going to be so far from your natural element.” But he was still on board with the plan. And then he goes to climb on the rock so he can drag himself all the way to the light house because he can’t let his little boy go alone even if it means hurting himself to do it.

Reader was smart af for doing the old blanket slipperaroo trick

Reader immediately knowing something was up when she walked into town is so realistic. She literally is hiding a massive secret at her lighthouse of course anyone would be on edge walking back into society. Especially a society that already knows a little something about the secret. But them to amplify it. Miss Chatham to the rescue. She knows that reader is up to something and she uses her powers as an old lady with lungs and karen potential to scare off the problem for a little bit. The reader just placed so much trust on Edna by straight up telling her that she's housing Din and Grogu.

· Also that fool browsing the menstrual hygiene rack, like dumbass. Is this your way of making him miss every shot? Because we know that storm troopers are well known for their ability to miss every shot so making him automatically turn to tampons? Genius

Cashier for the win, like beep beep bitch now pay up

The "cyare" omg and then the reader warning Din about the cookies and him being so curious about them. The way Din is so perceptive of the readers mood that he is already able to tell that something is wrong. It was such a smart idea to have the reader lead with asking him to give her a small chance to calm down about what happened in the town.

Din and the reader low-key flirting and teasing each other at the end is so adorable. Grogu with the cookie absolutely melts my heart like of course that boy is hungry.

So this is a slightly polished layout of my stream of consciousness while reading this. Does it make sense? Probably not. But I love this idea and you have done it justice.

Ahhhhhhz thank you for all of the lovely thoughts and compliments, im glad you like my story and I hope it continuesto meet your expectations!!!! And you made perfect sense darling!

To reply to some things:

Honestly, I chose the isolation for two reasons, 1- it made sense, especially for how the plot is going to play out, privacy and isolation is needed, and 2- im introverted and I like being alone, so I just projected

The town's people are great! They are used to having lighthouse keepers just up and leave because of all the weird stuff, so the second that one sticks around they were all overjoyed, because like I said, a lot of the people work on boats fishing so the lighthouse is super important to them

Din did wait and observe the reader, wanting to know what to do when to attempt to scare them off. But also like no, he tried keeping Grogu away from the lighthouse as much as possible, not knowing what the reader might do to him, and just being a protective father, but we all know Grogu is a little shit and he snuck out before Din could stop him

Reader dresses in the COMFIEST clothes, and honestly, I am very much a sweater and comfy leggings kind of person, so again, something I am projecting

I love that you and everyone is loving Edna, she is definitely one of those cool old ladies that sneak you treats and shenanigans when no one is looking!

Also because idk if anyone has pointed it out.... in the last chapter I thought I was heavily hinting at it, but maybe it was more subtle than I thought, Edna and her MERMAID were alot more than friends *wink wink* she's gay as fuck and thats why she made the joke about not liking NUTS

Din loves Grogu, in and out of this AU, and it was 1000% not his fault that Grogu got hurt, in fact he was trying to protect him! Din definitely panicked and the first person that came to mind was the reader, and while he didn't know them, he knew for some reason they were safe to go to for help (as well as knowing the lighthouse would be a good place to hide while some things cooled down 👀), but Din will always be cautious because he is scared for his son

Din is just *chef's kiss* 👌, an amazing father who will do ANYTHING for his son, no matter what it takes

The whole blanket thing literally came from my childhood, thinking about how my sisters and I would drag eachother around on blankets, and I just thought it would be great for this scenario

Like the reader is gonna get real paranoid during this series, im not going to lie to you, things are gonna get rough, but Edna is the MVP she's one of those people that could pull your darkest secrets from you just by glancing at you, and the reader pretty much assumed she was safe to talk to after she had informed her about the food offerings

Ok ok, as for the dudes, I was too lazy to look up their names and stuff but they were these dudes from season 1 that gave Din Grogu's bounty: the first dude is the one 'hiding' in the women's hygiene section

Din is just obsessed for human food at this point, and he feels things for the reader even of he doesn't want to admit it quite yet

Din also may be oblivious as fuck, but he's also observant, hes a bounty hunter for fucks sake, he needs to be able to pick up on these things, so yes in my stories Din is really good at picking up on emotions, even if he doesn't fully know how to react to them

Im aiming for a slow burn foc, but to be honest with you all, chances are it is going to be a regularly paced romance, which for my writing is slow paced, so yeah the idiots are flirting and teasing eachother, but also like they will not be talking about or admitting feelings for at least a few more chapters

Grpgu deserves all the cookies!!! He's a growing tadpole, who has been magically healing himself while in a coma like state, so he hasnt eaten in days, and if he wanted he'd probably be able to devour 2x his body weight and then some, so a few cookies recieved in some kind of mysterious way are well achieved

Merman!Din Tags: @writeforfandoms @ahopelessromanticwritersworld @honey-goth  @mando-abs @lux-cream-67 @rachelle-on-the-run @katcharm   @ladamari68 @bluegalaxyprime @my-life-as-a-bird @altarsw @zarakem @stargazingthenightaway

(Added the taglist in case any of you guys wanted to read over my thoughts and things bc I have some hcs and cleared somethings up ypu may be wondering about)

[artificialqueens]

Gimme Love, 8/9 (Miz Cracker/Blair St Clair) - Grinder

AN: Oof! After this part, we have one more chapter. Things start to look a little bit better for Brie in this part of the story. Not completely, but she's getting there. Enjoy!

TW for this chapter: mental health mentions

2020

A week later, still no change on the Ed Sheeran thing. Launch day was just around the corner, and my nerves were wrecked. And Jujubee still hadn't spoken a word to me.

It was only morning time, and I hadn't even been awake for 5 minutes. Already so many things were playing in my mind.

I still hadn't reinstalled Messenger. So I had no idea whether Blair had replied or not. I really wanted to just forget about her already, but it was slow. I probably should have applied for counselling sessions with HR. I hired a lady a few years prior named Dela, and apparently, she was brilliant.

But therapy could wait until after the launch.

I had seen Jujubee at work a few more times, either making eye contact and looking away just as quick or trying to say hello at least. She'd just brush by.

I tried texting her but never received a reply. As much as she had pissed me off, I missed her. A lot.

"Hey, this is Jujubee. Leave a message."

Beep.

"Hey, Juju, it's me." I paused, struggling to figure out where to go from there, "Look, I...I know things are bad between you and me. But I...I don't want to lose you."

I couldn't think of what else to say.

'Please, talk to me?'

'You mean a lot to me.'

My silence was going on too long. "I...hope to see you at the prelaunch party...OK. Bye"

I hung up, burying my face in my pillow, feeling very pathetic. And because I was impatient, I thought to try reinstalling Messenger and try there.

Or was that too much? And did I really want to risk seeing a reply from a certain someone?

...Fuck it, I was doing it. I'd just ignore her. Yeah, I'd do that.

Blair: Wow. I didn't think…

I never clicked a message quicker. I sat up with my back against the headboard, eyes already reading the message.

Blair: Wow. I didn't think you'd actually reply! For sure, girl, we need to hang out! I'm in New York for two weeks anyway. Perfect timing, right? Give me a call as soon as you get this. TTYL.

"Oh my God." I let the phone slip into my lap. How was this real? How the fuck hadn't she found that message creepy? Were things starting to look up? I couldn't just leave her on read. It was sent last week, meaning she was still in New York.

Good. This was good.

But still, why didn't she address the confession to my feelings? Why was she avoiding the subject?

Sorry, you have to hear my innermost thoughts, all these questions. It just goes to show the whirlwind my head was experiencing.

Make a move, Brie.

My thumb hovered over the phone icon in the upper right corner. Do I just...do it?

Yes.

I clicked the button. It rang for a few seconds, the nerves telling me to just give up.

"Hello?"

Why the fuck do the people on the other end always say 'hello' like they didn't see who is calling them?

Why was I even thinking that?? Focus, Brie.

"Hi," I said.

"Wow, I didn't think you'd call." She sounded surprised.

"I'm sorry I keep doing this," I said too quickly. "Anyway, yes. Let's hang out."

There was a moment of silence, and I realised how panicked I sounded.

"Brianna, are you OK?" I heard the concern.

"What? Yeah! Of course, I am." I cleared my throat, "Just a bit...stressed out. Trying to...deal with this launch thingie and...deal with Ed Sheeran, I don't know," I laughed nervously before almost slapping some sense into myself, "I'm not majorly stressed out, though. I can still hang out."

She laughed. And fuck I realised just how much I missed it.

"You always made me laugh. You wanna grab a coffee?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Great! When are you free? I would say today, but I'm stuck with this thingie…" She replied.

And a thought hit me. "Actually... there's gonna be a party for my thing. It's for that project I told you about...back on Prom night, I don't know if you remember."

"Of course I do, Brie. I've been following all the media coverage. It's pretty awesome."

"You have been?" I sounded a little too excited and then reminded myself to not sound too desperate, "I mean, that's pretty cool. But yeah, there's a party the night before the launch. I could add you to the list."

"Yeah, of course! I'd love to come."

"Fantastic. I'll send you the details."

"Well, I'll leave you to it then."

"Thanks."

"I can't wait."

"Me too."

"Bye, Brianna."

"Bye, Blair."

She did the awkward half-spoken "bye, bye, bye," and hung up.

I threw my phone down onto my duvet and puffed out a breath of air.

"Yes!" I punched the air, "Yes. Fucking yes."

Shit was definitely looking up.

I found myself loading up my emails. "Dear Ed Sheeran, I appreciate your enthusiasm about participating in our project. However, after some thinking, we would love for you to perform at the event instead. This is strictly for your safety and the safety of everyone else. Sorry for the inconvenience. Kindest regards, Brianna Caldwell and team."

Sent. Easier than I thought.

No matter what the reply would be, I felt strong. Two problems down in less than ten minutes.

All that was left was Jujubee and Mom.

Fuck...the Mom problem.

It wasn't that I didn't love her. I adored the woman with all my heart. But I was still afraid of that recurring conversation, the memories of how I was a problem child. And if it wasn't that, it was my Grandpa.

Funny how those were always the recurring topics, things I didn't want to address. And now, on top of things, we were going to have to talk about Piggie's health.

I sent her money for his medical bills, so maybe things were different for him.

But still, the other topics of conversation I just wish we could avoid…If only there was something else to talk about...

Wait.

I stared at my phone and instantly became very still.

There was one subject that had gone unaddressed for so long - too long. Oh, God.

Half an hour later, I was in the kitchen, shaky hands pouring a cup of coffee. I couldn't call Mom immediately. I needed to will myself, build up my willpower.

After two cups, I found Mom's name in my phone book, hesitated to hit call but forced myself.

I breathed deeply, taking a seat at the breakfast counter and put the phone to my ear.

Ring...Ring...Ring...Ring…

She answered but was silent.

"Mom?" I spoke.

"Hey, honey." She sounded deflated.

"Did you get the money?" That was all I could think of to start with.

"Yeah. It's actually really helped. He's already showing improvement." She paused. "Thanks, baby."

It was painful how thankful she sounded, yet so miserable.

"Mom, I'm gonna come see you," I confirmed.

"Really?"

"Yeah." I smiled upon hearing how she lightened up. "I'm sorry about last week. My phone just...cut off, I guess."

I heard a sniff before she spoke again, "It's OK. When are you coming around?"

"Well, I got the launch this week, so maybe not now. How about 2 weeks?"

"Yeah, that's perfect. I have a job interview to prepare for anyway. I applied to this new boutique that opened in town. My interview is next week."

"That's great!" I was actually excited for her. Things weren't just looking up for me, it seemed. "I'm really happy for you."

"Yeah, me too. I'm not even nervous. Just ready to start working again. Anyway, how about you?"

"Actually, Mom…" I paused, squeezing my hand into a tight fist.

"What's wrong, Brianna?" She lowered her tone.

How did she know? I didn't even sound sad. Mothers intuition? Because I always thought that was bullshit. Like, if I was a Mom, I'd be the worst in picking up on things.

"You there?" Mom asked.

"Yeah, I just…" I licked my lips and swallowed. "Mom. Why was I adopted?" I sighed. "Why did they give me up, Mom?"

She was silent for a moment. I could practically feel how she turned cold. "It's time, isn't it?"

I nodded, not that she would see, "Yeah. I...I need to know."

"OK...How about we talk about that when you come here?" She asked.

"No. I...wanna know. I need to know." My voice cracked. "Or I won't be able to move on."

She's silent again…just for a moment. And I felt like I crossed a line.

But she spoke. I hadn't crossed any line.

"OK...Brianna? I just want you to know that I love you, and I always will. No matter what, I'll never stop loving you." Her own voice was cracking now. "When you came into my life, I never realised I could be so happy, how I felt when I met you. You were this...little light that brightened the dark...a reminder that life wasn't so bad. And I promised I'd give you the best life. I'd be the best parent you'd ever have." She paused again. And I knew she was crying. "Brie, it wasn't that your parents didn't want you. I'm sure they knew that they would have been the luckiest parents in the world." She was crying. "Brie. They...they went for a drive one night. And it was raining really bad. And they…"

She was silent. But I nodded slowly, my eyes just staring at the counter, glassy with tears. "I-I understand."

"I'm sorry, baby." She whimpered. "I should have told you this years ago. I...I didn't know it would affect you for this long. I'm such an idiot."

I held my forehead in my hand. "No. No, Mom. You're not. You had no idea." I sniffed.

"I know. I know. But I just...I...How do you tell a child something like that?"

"Don't worry about that, you idiot. I know now." One of the tears finally slid down my cheek. "I love you, Mom."

"I love you too, Brianna."

I smiled, wiping the tear away. And then a quiet laugh escaped. "OK, I can't lie. I don't wanna leave you like this right now. Let's talk some shit or something."

She laughed in return. "God, you and your potty mouth."

[aubrey-plaza]

I've seen a lot of fic rec lists lately given everything happening. Do you have any recommendations to get us through the lock down? p.s. I love everything you write.

omg thanks anon!!

I know these are scary times so have here a quick and dirty list of my fave fics starting with Staubrey and then just... veering offcourse. They’re all femslash except the one I marked with an asterisk but yeah. 

as always, I’m not gonna rec my own fics on my this list bc that’s cheating but if you wanna read them pls click this link and that ends the self promo for today lmao

 recs under the cut!

Stacie x Aubrey

Snowbound  

by ACamp_toner / @stepintotherevolve​ (22.171, complete, rated E)

summary: The Bellas go on a ski trip and Staubrey happens

notes: this has amazing smut and features just enough jealousy to spark these two idiots into a meaningful talk. there’s also side bechloe and a healthy dose of humour.  

The Howl

by @tiny-maus-boots​ (30.739, wip/currently being written, AU)

summary: Stacie's pack is forcing her into a corner but Fate has other plans for her - if she doesn't die first.

notes: werewolf!Stacie and vampire!Aubrey who meet on a full moon and fuck. there’s more to it and a great backstory that’s being wonderfully developed (trust me, I’ve been told of the plans and I’m ri-ve-ted). also has some amazing soft moments and a fab spark of heat.  

Prelude in Lydian Mode

by knappster / @ss-staubrey​ (5972, complete)

summary: Remember tonight... for it is the beginning of always.

notes: I will rec this fic til the day I die. It’s such a lovely brand of staubrey and a perfect example of the idiots to lovers trope.  

and the songbirds are singing (like they know the score)

by angelranger (2326, complete)

summary: It came as a slight surprise to Stacie that Aubrey, the same Aubrey who had grown up in a strict and dysfunctional household, was just so good with her daughter.

Bella seemed to unearth a side of Aubrey that was just so unbelievably soft, a side Stacie is almost positive even Aubrey didn’t know existed. But there she is, sat on the carpeted floor in front of the coffee table, sat right next to Bella, drawing outlines for the four year old to colour in.

notes: oh god i love a good, soft bella fic and this one hits all the right notes. it’s sweet and lovely and features singing Bella to sleep which is like. my weakness. go leave some more love on this deserved fic!

Sansa x Margaery

The Crackpots and These Women

by Netgirl_y2k (8089, complete, WEST WING AU)

summary: "You're in charge of press relations," Yara told Margaery, gesturing to Sansa. "Relate.”

summary: yeah you read that fuckin right that’s a West Wing AU. My love for this mashup has no bounds. It’s so perfectly coy, the way I imagine adult Sansa and Margaery would be, combined with the hopeful tinge of WW, and the pining of a somewhat open ended yet hopeful finish. If you like either of these universes, read this.  

Kind Regards

by MsCFH / @hell-much (9835, complete, explicit, part of a series!)

summary: Margaery Tyrell is determined on setting foot in the Northern market of Westeros by establishing a collaboration between the Tyrell Corporation and Stark Incorporated.

The only problem? The likewise gorgeous and stubborn Deputy Managing Director Sansa Stark.

summary: holy hell this fic is amazing. they hate each other SO MUCH. the author has a vibe setting skill that makes me want to weep. the smut is off the charts hot like there are literally no words. go read it and then read the series bc it’s *that good*. please go get your church lady fan before reading because you WILL need it.  

EXTRA NOTE: same author is writing a post-s6 canon compliant fic where Marg is actually still alive and if you’re looking for a full weekend activity, go ahead and binge this one (it’s a wip but is still being updated)

lay all your love on me

by 1once (9498, complete, show-compliant)

summary: It has been eight years since her demise.

But for the world of her, she cannot figure out why. For what? Why was she alive?

notes: i will say just one thing: flower. magic. okay, i’ll say more things. this fic is the redemption show!marg deserved combined with the fun supernatural magicky aspect of flower magic that’s just so in character. reading this fic feels the way a warm cup of tea in your hands on a cold winter’s day does.  

til you come back home

by heart_nouveau (7978, complete, AU - modern setting)

summary: “Using one-night stands to distract myself from my crush on my roommate counts, right?”

-

Margaery Tyrell is an ambitious law student who needs a perfect grade point average if she wants to stay at the top of her class - and she is not going to throw that away by falling for her very attractive, very sweet roommate, one Sansa Stark.

notes: margaery is a moron with feelings aka my favourite type of character.  

Birds of Prey’s Dinah x Helena

Siren Call

by ThanksForListening (3300, complete, part 2 of a series) 

summary: "It always happened in the quiet moments. The early hours of the morning, when the leftover energy from a mission hadn’t quite disappeared yet. The sleepless nights, when memories clawed their way into her mind and wouldn’t let go until her screams released them. The lazy afternoons, when the radio played softly and melodies she’d almost forgotten danced around her lips. It was only when the world went still that Dinah felt her watching.

She didn’t remember the first time she noticed it. The staring. Maybe it was because Helena was always watching everything and everyone around them that Dinah didn’t realize how frequently that attention fell on her. How it felt different. Helena looked at the world with suspicion and anger and indifference, but not her. She looked at her with something much softer, something she hadn’t found a name for just yet. No word in her arsenal was deep enough or strong enough to describe it.

Whatever it was, she could feel it now.”

notes: gahhhhh this fic. “What do you see,” she finally asked, “when you look at me?” is a line that I’m gonna think about until the day I die. this is the second fic in a series and you can read it as a standalone but the first fic is also fuckin amazing

after the afterparty

by novoaa1 (1181, complete, set right after the movie ends)

summary: The Canary had let loose a delighted snort at that, as if she found the whole thing somehow laughable.

(Which it wasn’t, to be clear—laughable, that is.)

“Are y'all seeing this shit?” she’d turned to ask the rest of them, earning a giddy squeal from Harley and a bemused scoff from Montoya even whilst Helena remained stock still in place, dutifully blinding herself with one hand. “Absolutely adorable.”

“Shut up,” Helena had hissed back more out of instinct than anything else, though her tone was markedly devoid of any real anger.

(And if Helena had felt her cheeks flush ever so slightly beneath her palm at the Canary’s glib assertion, she certainly didn’t let on.)

Or: Sionis falls. The rest of them remain.

notes: just. read it.  

knew your love (before i kissed you)

by z0ejake / @zxyjxy (58.263, wip / currently being written, rated E for the last chapter)

summary: Surviving the massacre of your entire family at the age of eight is a pretty impressive feat. Training for fifteen years in Sicily until you can kill a man with one hand and a hairpin is also a pretty impressive feat. Returning to the city where your family was cut down and killing every single person involved in their deaths is maybe the most impressive feat. Somehow, it's never been enough for Helena.

notes: bro this fic is a masterpiece and zoe is a genius. features absolute moron feral dumb jock helena and my favourite version of dinah: patient and endeared and a little teasing.  

the war is over (and we are beginning)

by ace_verity (12.573, 5/5, complete)

summary: The thing is, Helena has no idea what comes after.

The past fifteen years, she’s had a singular goal. She's never given any thought to what she’d do once she killed the men who murdered her family in front of her.

Maybe, Helena realizes, she never actually thought she’d make it this far.

—

In which Helena Bertinelli joins a team, buys a cactus, beats up criminals, goes to church, bakes bread, and falls in love.

(Not necessarily in that order.)

notes: this fic is beautiful and perfectly explores a lost Helena. I also love the way Renee is written in this and the whole vibe of the story is just *chefs kiss*

cheap shampoo

by OfElvesAndAliens (1609, complete)

summary: The thing is, Helena is a rigidly focused kind of gal, iron rage forged into skilled precision. Dinah has also noticed it in the little things, like the way she frowns a bit when she's doing something as trivial as writing, her penmanship always neat and firm. That same tiny furrow of her brow is showing up again while she's methodically whisking some eggs in a bowl.

Dinah finds it cute. Fucking sue her.

notes: oh god but i love a bedsharing fic and this one? feeding and post-mission and just winding down together??? ohhhh my god

two extra random goodies just for fun:

Lamplighter

by the_years_between_us (116.915, wip, rated E)

show/ship: The Fall, Stella Gibson/Reed Smith

summary: Stella gets a call from Reed directly following the final episode of The Fall S3.

notes: this is one of only a handful of wips that I’m keeping up with and reading constantly. It’s written like goddamn poetry and I love an older ship with more baggage, because the emotions here run so much higher with their shared history and the tentative steps they’re trying to take. Also, given the source material, this is almost cathartic to read.  

Nothing to Lose*

by tielan (8013, complete, rated E)

fandom/ship: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Maria Hill/Steve Rogers

summary: “It’s one of the traditional rituals of manhood,” Natasha observes as they’re sparring. “Kill a man, fuck a woman.”

notes: listen. i know. okay? i know this seems like a crackship. but I love it SO MUCH and this author writes so well that I’ve been fully converted. ~something some of you have told me I do for you~ so go read this fic, and then read the others, and then fall in love and join me in this lonely ship. You won’t regret it.  

I’ll be writing while in isolation so if you have any Dinah/Helena or Stacie/Aubrey prompts, shoot ‘em my way!

and also hit me up for anything, as always. 

peace and love, and stay safe everybody!

[gracie-p8-officialblog]

Defending Raoul, the Vicomte de Chagny

Ah oxymorons, one of my favourite literary devices... If you don't know what an oxymoron is, let me enlighten you: it's a phrase that contradicts itself (kinda like verbal irony), like "jumbo shrimp", "chilled hot chocolate," "clearly confused" or "defending Raoul, the Vicomte de Chagny".

Because, you know, Raoul doesn't need much defending. Seriously. If there's going to be any defending going on here, Raoul's the one who does the defending for most of the play (up until Final Lair where the roles are reversed and Christine is now the one who does the defending but more on that later.) Are we clear on that? Good.

And it has come to my attention that Raoul has got a lot of flak from phans for various reasons. And in this post, I'm going to refute the stupidest Raoul bashing arguments.

Also, we're not counting Love Never Dies because I think it's just an alternate universe and that it ruined Raoul's character for the sake of that fanfiction.

It is a truth universally acknowledged (or at least in the wee Raoul Defense Squad Circle) that Raoul is one of the greatest and most underrated boyfriends to ever exist in musical theatre. There seem to be two kinds of people in this world: those who appreciate Phantom of the Opera, and those who don't know what they're missing. The ones who appreciate Raoul as the hero, prince charming and cinnamon roll he is, and then there's the other camp. The ones who villainize Raoul and think he is nothing but a stupid, wimpy, abusive fop who crushed the Phantom (aka. Erik's) dreams and never truly loved Christine. They seem to be laboured under the mistaken delusion that Raoul is a cowardly pretty boy who is pretty much Gaston 2.0. (Technically, there's a third group: those who know nothing about Phantom of the Opera (POTO) but we can only hope that they will come out from under their rocks as soon as possible)

In case if you couldn't tell, I'm Team Raoul. And the bashing he recieves is unfair tbh. This is where I will appreciate and explain why I love him.

First of all, I'd like to combat the theory that he is boring. Ladies, puh-leeze. He's much more relatable than you admit and that we all have a little bit of Raoul in us. Failure to see things staring us in the face, saying or doing the wrong thing at the wrong time, having a 'see it to believe it' attitude when we have little-to-no evidence on something... yeah, don't pretend you don't see a trend. Raoul is relatable whether we want him to be or not.

And just because Raoul has boy-band hair and dresses well, that doesn't make someone a fop. He's a navy man and a nobleman so he is expected to look nice. But Erik is the one who takes it to the extreme. I mean, c'mon, a fedora?

I also noticed that when he asked Christine out for dinner after reuniting with her ruffled the feathers of many phans. What right has Raoul to fall in love with Christine? What does he need from her? He only fell in love with her for her voice and beauty! And he only noticed her when she was in Hannibal! Can't he just go get someone else?

News flash people. It's been YEARS since Raoul last saw Christine. And they were kids when they last saw each other, along with the fact that he travelled in order to train as a navy man! So it's understandable on why he got excited to see Christine again after so long. Plus, his love for her is more than just her voice and beauty. Sure, they have mutual memories and he likes the way she sings, and he likes how beautiful she is. But there's nothing wrong with thinking of how beautiful a girl is AND how beautiful is her voice (within reason).

I admit, Raoul and Christine's relationship at first struck me as being sappy and overdone. You must know that I was only nine or ten when I first discovered POTO, and so excuses must be made. By the time I listened to it again at fourteen, I was completely won over. Raoul fell in love with her because she was a nice, beautiful person (both on the inside and out) and they knew each other since they were kids! His love is genuine AND stable for Christine. He represents everything she needs- stability, protection, a guiding hand and affirmed affection. She represents everything he needs, in turn, someone to show affection to and the woman he has loved since childhood. Plus, he was brave enough to ask Christine to marry him despite their class differences, risking that his family might disown him for being married to someone inferior to his rank. It just shows how strong his love for her is.

And now, let's get this point clear, I believe the claim that he was gaslighting Christine is bogus. He's been raised as someone who doesn't believe in the supernatural and 'phantom' literally means 'ghost'. But here’s the kicker. He doesn’t leave. Like, no matter how much he doubts her love of what she says, he still loves her and stays with her. And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with him thinking Christine is a little delusional with all the Phantom stuff. None of it added up to him, and it all seemed illogical. Its natural for any human being to not believe those kinds of things, so stop using that to make him look bad. Plus, if he said something like "Oh Christine, you're SO stupid!" and laughed at her about it, phans could definitely have a valid reason to hate him. But he doesn't do that! Instead, he tries to find the Phantom's voice calling out to her and when he saw nothing, he began to comfort her and was like" There, there, shh... Don't worry... Everything's gonna be alright. I'll help you make all the bad things go away." And due to dramatic irony, he has little-to-no evidence to prove the Phantom's existence compared to the audience who saw it all!

If you still aren't convinced, then listen very closely to what I'm about to say: Here's some 'Raoul's I highly recommend to look up before y'all hate on him.

I highly recommend John Cudia, Michael Shawn Lewis, Jordan Donica and Patrick Wilson who play VERY princely and adorable Raouls. Trust me, their Raouls are IMPOSSIBLE to hate!

One last point before I wrap this up: The only reason Raoul asked her to agree to be the lead is because he realized that if Christine does that, the Phantom would be there. And he knows it's their chance to get rid of this elusive Opera Ghost. And the only reason Christine doesn't want to is because she is afraid of what the Phantom will do. Now this annoys many Raoul-haters and call me a broken cassette tape but... Even though I agree it was a teensy bit callous of him to persuade Christine into performing her stalker's opera, Raoul hoped it would catch the Phantom, and he was willing to do it to get protect Christine from the Phantom in the future. Was his plan risky? Probably. Did he honestly think Christine would be in danger? No! He was going to get all the cops to come and protect her. How was he supposed to know the Phantom had other plans? Plus, running away is a big no-no for Raoul. Because as shown in "Why Have You Brought Me Here/Raoul, I've Been There" and "Wandering Child", whenever and wherever they run to, the Phantom ALWAYS finds them! Therefore, to his naive, young mind, he believed that doing Don Juan Triumphant would stop the Phantom from doing more harm to Christine and the opera house. So stop using this to vilify him!

I should like to also take this time, while I still have your attention (you are paying attention, right? Right? Hey! Wake up!) to point out some other important events that showed Raoul's character and bravery; namely, him fighting his way through the French sewer system (aka. The yuckiest parts of France) to save Christine, he didn't keep his hand to the level of his eyes to comfort a terrified Christine, he dodged some fireballs thrown at him in the graveyard just so he could protect Christine AND last but not least, he nearly died for Christine in order to save her from Stockholm syndrome/an abusive relationship!

In short: Raoul de Chagny is a knight in shining armour who loves Christine more than his own life. He stands by her, fights for her, comforts her AND was willing to sacrifice everything for her! And how the audience writes him off as an one-dimensional bad guy who does not love Christine, I will never know why. Are you convinced yet? If not... *hands list of what are the differences between a healthy and unhealty relationship* Yours, I believe.

[ceterisparibus116]

Hi! Are you still taking Karedevil prompts? I've been enjoying your "Ella" series a lot, but I'm in need of something less angsty :') Could you please us? THANKS!

I wrote this instead of school.

Working together again was more than she’d dared hope forbut also more difficult than she’d expected. Foggy wasn’t the problem, ofcourse. It was Matt. It was always Matt.

That was unfair. He was doing a great job being a normalhuman being. As much as was possible for him, anyway. He showed up to work on time,and even though he was in a pretty much constant state of injury (he reallyneeded to get an armored suit), he endured Karen and Foggy showering him withice packs and some weird anti-inflammatory cream that Foggy found on theinternet with all the patience of a saint. So she honestly thought that they,as a team, were handling things pretty well.

And she loved the work itself. Being a private investigator requiredthe perfect blend of truth-seeking and recklessness. She missed the Bulletin (shemissed Ellison and she missed her press pass), but this was definitely what shewas meant to be doing.

And these were the people she was meant to be doing it with.

She was smiling a little at that sappy thought when their brand-newoffice door opened. Matt stepped in, his face appearing slightly paler thanusual under his red glasses glinting in the harsh office light, or maybe thatwas just the contrast with his black suit jacket. “Where’s Foggy?” he asked.

“Donut run,” Karen answered. “Wait, it’s Monday. So…scones?”

“Sounds right.” He set his cane in the corner and startedtowards his office, trailing one hand along the wall as he went.

“You don’t have to pretend anymore,” Karen reminded him,trying not to feel irritated.

“Yeah,” he said absently, disappearing into his office likea cat slinking into some dark space. Almost literally, because the light wasoff. Which…it wasn’t like he needed light, and Karen was all about saving a fewbucks, so she didn’t point it out.

She wanted to ask if he was okay, though. Maybe he’d beenstabbed. Maybe he was hit in the head last night. Maybe he’d broken something. Maybehe was bleeding internally and crawled to work just so he could spend his lastfew moments with—

She firmly cut off thatline of thought. There would be no dying declarations of love in this office.

That was the thing, though. The real problem with workingwith Matt wasn’t that Matt was bad at his job (he was great at it) or that Mattwas keeping as many secrets as he used to (he still kept secrets, but he wasobviously trying not to, and she could respect that). The problem was that hewas distracting. And she couldn’t even call him out on it without revealing howeasy she was to distract.

She knew the facts. Factually, it was obvious that both sheand Matt were attracted to each other. Those dates and all that kissing had definitely been mutual. And it was stillmutual. The attraction, at least, since she had no reason to believe that he’dever stopped being attracted to her and, thanks to his senses, he had everyreason to believe she was still attracted to him.

Of course, she’d been the one to end things between them.But he knew why, right? It was because of all the lies. The secrets. And they…allright, maybe they weren’t past allthat, but they were absolutely working throughit.

So why couldn’t they try working through…other things?

Maybe he needed more time. Really, maybe she needed more time. But it felt morelike wasting time.

Whatever. She was a professional. She resolutely shifted herthoughts from Matt Murdock to her work and was actually falling into a grooveof productivity when there was a loud thudand muffled swearing from the room belonging to the subject of her previousthoughts.

She sprang to her feet. Dashing into Matt’s office, sheflicked on the light to see him on the floor, chair tipped over beside him, pushinghimself unsteadily upright.

“Matt?” She dropped down beside him but stopped herself fromreaching for him. “What happened?”

“Nothing.” His glasses were on the floor, giving her fullview of his eyes fluttering closed. “Tried to get up too fast. Got dizzy. M’fine.”

She blinked. “You…fainted?”

“No,” he snapped,like fainting was an offensive thing to be accused of.

“Did you pass out? Don’t you dare lie to me,” she added,because she could practically see the denial on his parted lips.

He closed his mouth. Nodded once.

She rolled her eyes. “That’s literally the same thing asfainting.”

“Whatever,” he mumbled eloquently, drawing himself up andbracing a hand on his desk.

“Matt, wait, let me—”

Too late. He got to his feet and the blood instantly drainedfrom his face. She darted forward, but he was too heavy to catch. Instead, shejust kind of altered his trajectory so that he ended up slumped against thewall instead of face-planting.

“You’re welcome,” she muttered under her breath, beforebeginning a very professional pat-down of her coworker. Her hand came away wetwhen she touched his right side. The dim office light revealed blood glisteningon her fingers.

Swearing quietly, she slid the jacket off his shoulders toreveal blood mottling his gray dress shirt. She returned to her original stabwound theory as she started tugging the shirt unceremoniously out of his pants.

And of course thatwas the moment that he woke up. Jolting backwards from her touch, he thumpedhis head against the wall and…was he blushing?

Would’ve been adorable in other circumstances.

“Karen,” he stammered. “What’re you—”

“You’re bleeding,” she said crisply, too annoyed with him totease him. Shoving the shirt out of the way, she glowered at a three-inch-longcut in his side. Bloody stitching had been torn from his skin. Ew. “Who didthis?”

“This guy,” he breathed, closing his eyes. “Stalking some runawaykid on the streets.”

Her stomach flipped. “I hope you broke something painful.”

A hesitant grin flashed across his face. “That’s not whatFoggy would say.”

“Yeah, well, I’m not Foggy. And that’s not what I wasasking. Who did the stitching? Your mom?”

She doubted it. As far as Karen knew, Maggie’s stitching hadnever ripped out. Not once.

“Oh.” He shifted a little under her scrutiny. “That was me.”

She trailed her hand up his side just next to the cut,mostly ignoring the way his whole body tensed at her touch. “Yeah, I figuredthat’s why it looks so crappy.”

“Hey,” he protested. “S’not…s’not that bad.”

“You just fainted.Twice.”

“Passed out.”

“Right, much better.” Rolling her eyes, she put her hand overhis pants pocket, feeling for the lump of his phone and privately enjoying theway he flinched again. Maybe she wasn’t entirely above teasing him. “Calm down,I’m just grabbing your phone.”

“Why—”

“I’m calling your Sister Maggie.” She found Maggie’s contactnot under Sister Maggie or even Maggie but Mom.

“Wait, no, I’m not—”

“Too late,” she said cheerily as Maggie answered. “Hi,Sister Maggie, it’s Karen. Are you busy? Your son just fainted in his officedue to the worst stitching job I’ve ever seen. He’s fine now,” she addedquickly, “but if you don’t come I’m dragging him to the hospital and I don’tthink he can fight me without fainting again.”

Matt glared sightlessly over her shoulder.

Karen hung up. “She’s on her way, and you owe us bothcoffee. Think you can last until she gets here if you just sit there and lookpretty?”

“Pretty,” he repeated, his broody expression replaced by agrin.

“Like a Victorian lady,” Karen explained mercilessly.

He rolled his eyes, but the cocky grin remained. Obviously. Becausehe might be stupid about a lot of things, but it must be kind of impossible forhim to not be aware that she thought he was pretty.

She hesitated. “For the record, Matt…”

He raised his eyebrows.

“Thank you. For taking care of the kid.”

“She’s not taken care of. Not yet.” He rubbed at the back ofhis neck. “She ran away from her foster family. I’ll look into it, see if I canfigure out why. See if I can connect her to some other organization that mighthelp. I don’t think she’s from Hell’s Kitchen, I don’t think she…I don’t thinkshe really has anyone.”

See, Karen would’ve been impressed enough that he protected thelittle girl while she was on the streets. But this? She loved this about him.

(She loved him.)

He tilted his head at her. “What?”

“Nothing.” She reached out to touch the unbroken skin besidethe wound, but this time she did it slowly, and this time he held very still.She trailed her hand up over his chest, then brushed her fingers under his jaw.“I’m just thinking I should learn how to do stitches.”

He cleared his throat. “Uh…why?”

“It’s like I told you before.” Before so many, many things. “You’reworth keeping around.”

And to prove it, she leaned in to press a kiss briefly tohis cheek.

[jacqueswriteblrlibrary]

yesyeysyesyesy

you have no idea how many times i had to re-read this, "Will and his friends are superheroes fighting Dante..."

i was mentally like J'EXCUSE? but then i got to dante falling for will and it made sense LOL.

Dante could see him from clear across the room, his skin glowing like the bronze plating of his machines in the light of the chandeliers overhead. His hair didn’t seem to want to stay down, fraying and twisting like golden strands of ivy, framing a pair of sapphire eyes. Most intriguing of all was his outfit; a dark, flowing dress, much more sophisticated than the ladies on the dance floor. The other guests stared at him, but not at all politely. Dante waved his guards back and made his way to this beautiful stranger.

bruh i adore everything about this. the prose. the rhythm. the visuals. WILL. and dante just all heart eyes. oh my goodness. i adore your style.

ITS ALSO really cool how will and gazali are working together, AGAINST DANTE. sorry - the whole concept just pulls me in with tension lol.

and this is so fucking funny lol. dante just getting between the heroes, UNAWARE, just like "this guy bothering you, pretty boy?" gazali so CONFUSED LMAO.

For a man who unleashed his mechanical minions onto the town on a regular basis, he spoke like a prince. Will felt his face heat up as Dante chuckled.

Will initially falls for Dante because he accepted him!!! but then Dante just pulling down all of his defenses BECAUSE THE BOY IS PRETTY!!!!

BUT. DANTE WAS STILL THE NICEST PERSON HE MET ALL DAY.

yeah - yeah i like this already LMAO.

ill just be here on team winte - waiting for them to join sides, and watch the world burn so they can be happy in a world that accepts them, with the person that loves them the most.

OH MAN I WAS HOPING DANTE WOULD TAKE WILL AFTER THAT BATTLE ASDHKFD

BUT HE BOUGHT HIM A DRESS!!! A BLACK ONE?? YES. YESSS. GOLDEN HAIR IN A BLACK DRESS WILL MATCH DANTE AND HIS GOLDEN EYES.

MATCHING VILLIAN/HERO DUO

He sighed and left the room, and Will held the letter close to his chest. Dangerous… but kind and charming, someone who knew what the town needed, even if he was going about it differently. Perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad to play along, to trade out the fear of fighting in public for nights with a guy who had gone out of his way to mail a box to the heroes’ headquarters just so he could apologize.  Honestly, Will liked the sound of it.

I F YOU EVER WRITE ABOUT THEM MEETING AGAIN I WOULD LOVE TO READ IT CUZ THEYRE SO PRECIOUS TOGETHER ALREADY. this is a dark!will.... a dark will that i've been craving....

i love this so much omg

Super Villain AU

So @bloodlessheirbyjacques I'm in love with your Senator AU for Astrea 🤣 And I remembered I had this old thing that I'm not sure I've posted before 😅

Behold, a self-indulgent Ichor AU where Will and his friends are superheroes fighting Dante, Gazali's mortal enemy, but Dante falls for Will and slowly convinces him to the dark side 🤣 This is how their first meeting goes.

Dante could see him from clear across the room, his skin glowing like the bronze plating of his machines in the light of the chandeliers overhead. His hair didn’t seem to want to stay down, fraying and twisting like golden strands of ivy, framing a pair of sapphire eyes. Most intriguing of all was his outfit; a dark, flowing dress, much more sophisticated than the ladies on the dance floor. The other guests stared at him, but not at all politely. Dante waved his guards back and made his way to this beautiful stranger.

That was when Will saw him. A dark man with the most intensely golden eyes he had ever seen, like an eagle or crocodile. It wasn’t bad, not at all. The gold stood out brilliantly against his suit of black and dark purple. Truthfully, Will thought he was beautiful… If only they didn’t have to fight.

Will’s pulse quickened the closer Dante got to the group of disguised heroes. Gazali leaned down and hissed into his ear, the tip of his mask scratching Will’s cheek.

“We’ve drawn too much attention. We need to split up and find Briggs’ workshop before he—”

They both jumped as Dante slid between them. Gazali was ready to start fighting guards, hoping that Will wouldn’t have to use his powers… but Dante didn’t even turn in his direction. He was focused on Will, and Will alone.

“Excuse me,” he said, “is this fella bothering you?”

A chill ran up Will’s spine. He had never been so close to a supervillain. As dangerous as it was, though, Will recognized the opportunity he had been given.

“Yes,” he said.

Dante smirked and pushed Gazali away. “Don’t get mad at someone for having better taste than you, okay, tough guy?”

Gazali was at a loss for words. Before he could blow their cover, Frank took his hand and led him away. When Will looked back at Dante, he was holding out his own hand.

“May I?”

Will nodded, letting Dante lead him to the dance floor. He could feel the heat of Dante’s chest as they swayed closely together. The orchestra drowned out all the chatter in the room, almost as though they were the only dancers there. Dante smiled at Will in a way that felt both unnerving and flattering.

“Don’t worry about that guy,” Dante said. “Some people just don’t get it.”

“Right,” Will said, trying to hide the fear in his voice.

“If it means anything, you look incredible.”

For a man who unleashed his mechanical minions onto the town on a regular basis, he spoke like a prince. Will felt his face heat up as Dante chuckled.

“For real,” Dante said, “I wish I had half the guts that you do.”

Will managed to shrug. “Sometimes, you just have to dress how you feel.”

“And how do you feel?”

“I feel like… not wearing a suit.”

Dante laughed, and Will cursed his heart for fluttering so much. This was his team’s mortal enemy, and he had to stop his plans, no matter how charming he was.

“What’s your name, doll?”

“It’s Will.”

With a grin, Dante spun him around and pulled him back in time to the music.

“Dante. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

His chest was pressed against Will’s back, and his breath felt hot. He leaned closely and whispered.

“You know, I’m really glad you showed up. I thought tonight would be so boring… but it was fun to see Gazali stumble like that, right?”

Will’s heart skipped. Of course, Dante knew. Anyone could recognize a man who was six-and-a-half feet tall. Gazali and Frank were probably walking into a trap right now. Will struggled out of their dance, ready to fight back, despite the damage he would cause, but Dante held him securely.

“Hey, easy now. I don’t plan on hurting you. Look—” He pulled a small remote from his coat and pressed a button. “Office-security just shut down. There’s no guards over there, so your friends can grab whatever they find. I don’t trust them to find much, anyway.”

Little pulses of power swelled in Will’s wrists. His body was begging him to start fighting, to go get the others and leave, but he knew the destruction that would bring. The city would never let him step outside again. Will felt like passing out, and against his better judgment, he let Dante pull him closer.

“Honey, you’re shaking like a leaf. I swear, you’re not in trouble.”

He led Will onto the balcony. The fresh air admittedly helped him a bit, and they were still within view of the party, so Will didn’t feel too isolated. Dante reclined against the stone railing.

“Better?”

Will nodded. “Thank you.”

Dante snickered. “How nice of you, thanking your enemy so casually.”

“Honestly, you’re the nicest person I’ve met all day.”

He hated himself for admitting that so easily, but the more he saw the sincerity in Dante’s eyes, the more he wanted to just unravel.

“What do you mean?” Dante asked.

Will sighed. “There’s a reason we haven’t met until today. My powers are too destructive. I’d kill everyone here… Doesn’t give people much reason to be nice to me.”

If he didn’t know better, he could have sworn that Dante was offended to hear that.

“Humans are conceited as all hell. They don’t see us as nothin’ but doormats. I’d do anything to give people like us a chance again.”

“Is that why most of your competitors are chased out of town by androids?”

Dante waved his arms outwards, as though to display his accomplishments. “It works, doesn’t it? Less people wanting to round us up and chuck us on an island.”

Will rested his head against the railing. “I won’t argue with that.”

“Really?”

“If they put all the Freaks on an island, I’ll be put in a boat just off the shore. There isn’t really a place for me, either way.”

“Well, you’ll always have a place here, if you want.”

He took Will’s hand, and the hero jumped a little. When they looked at each other, they didn’t see an enemy, just another person hurt by this cruel city. How relieving, Will thought, to finally find someone who understood, someone who didn’t push those feelings aside for the good of the people. Their cathartic moment was cut short when the music indoors rose in frightened pitch, followed by the building rumbling and the crash of a falling wall. Dante held Will steady.

“Stay here, I’ll check it out.”

When Dante went back inside, he wanted to laugh so badly. Gazali and Frank were holding on for dear life to a large machine moving wildly across the room like a vacuum cleaner… which is exactly what it was. All the time Dante had given them to find something, to make their game more interesting, and they stole a lumbering cleaning machine. The other guests fled downstairs, so Dante was free to tease his enemy as he pleased.

“Having fun up there?” he yelled, barely containing a sarcastic chuckle.

“Turn this thing off!” Gazali said.

“Hey, you ruined my wall. You figure it out.”

Frank opened the top of the machine’s “head,” grabbing a handful of wires and randomly cutting a few. That only managed to make the machine speed up. It moved towards Dante like a raging bull, and before he could duck out of the way, the machine jolted violently in place. The wheels were spinning enough to create a cloud of steam, but it didn’t move any further. The sound of strained breathing drew Dante’s attention to Will, at the end of the room, holding his arms out.

“Will—” Gazali’s voice was hushed, like he was speaking over a sleeping bear. “—be gentle.”

His powers were swelling in his wrists again, moving through his bones and veins like fire. It blurred his vision, making his arms falter, which made the machine inch a little closer. Gazali’s heart sank as Dante rushed towards Will, only to be confused when he grabbed the troubled hero’s face.

“Hey,” he whispered, “it’s okay.”

“I can’t keep it there,” Will said through his teeth.

“Then let go, please.”

“It’ll get loose. We have to—”

He cried out in pain, and the sudden movement of his arms sent the machine and his friends into another wall. Will ran after them as the machine spun around the room. It hit him like a car, sending him into a table that collapsed under the sudden force. Frank cut one last wire, unaware of Dante pushing the off switch on his own remote, and the machine finally slowed and fell over, dropping him and Gazali to the floor. Gazali scrambled to his feet and picked up whatever parts he could.

“I’ll take this. You grab Will.”

He left as Frank went to get Will. He hesitated when he saw Dante picking Will up off the ground, trying to clean the oil, food, and metal parts from his dress.

“Are you okay?”

Will kept staring at the floor. “Why do you care?”

Before Dante could answer, Frank took Will’s hand and led him to the stairs. Dante was left alone in the destroyed ballroom with the response he hadn’t been able to give.

“You saved my life.”

------------------------

The news had gone crazy, as expected. The machine was blamed for most of the destruction, but many citizens were calling for Will to be locked away, citing him as the reason things got worse. Will hadn’t left his dorm since that night, afraid to even look his fellow heroes in the eye. Gazali continued to watch countless news anchors insult his friend, until Alex came into the commons with a box.

“Is Will up?” he asked.

“Still in his room,” Gazali said.

Alex strolled down to the last room at the end of the long hall and knocked on the door.

“Package for you, boyo.”

When Alex was far enough away, Will reached his hand out of the doorway and snatched the package inside. He couldn’t believe his eyes when he read the sender’s name: It was Dante. If it made it through security, it couldn’t be a bomb or machine, but Will still opened the box cautiously. Inside was a crimson envelope, and a lovely black dress, softer than the one he had worn that night. He opened the envelope and read the letter inside.

"Sorry to ruin your dress, doll. I can’t imagine how much it cost. I also can’t imagine superheroes get paid enough to afford clothes like this." Will chuckled, feeling lighter the more he looked over Dante’s handwriting. "I hope this makes up for the damage, and that you aren't too scared to come see me again. i want to thank you properly for saving my life. Yours, DB."

Dante wanted to see him again. Will destroyed his party, and he still wanted to see him. It had to be a trap, clearly, and yet… Will had never been shown this kind of attention before. A large shadow startled Will from his thoughts.

“Is it a gift?” Gazali asked.

Will took a deep breath and gave him the letter to read. Gazali went through all the motions: shock, disgust… and then a distinct look of focus. He handed the card back slowly.

“My friend, I’m afraid you’ll have to come back out with us next time.”

Will pushed himself against his dresser. “No, not yet. They’re not ready, they’ll—”

“I hate to do this to you, truly, but we can’t pass up this opportunity. You’ve caught Briggs’ eye, we can use that. He won’t hurt you, we’ve seen that he won’t.”

He shuddered, angry tears filling his eyes. “So what, I’m your bargaining chip? I get to seduce your enemies while you go and save people?”

Gazali hung his head. “I know, it’s not ideal… but it’s the best chance we have of saving this city.”

“From what? A guy who wants people like us to live freely?”

Will froze at the darkness that flashed across Gazali’s face.

“He is not a liberator,” Gazali said. “He is dangerous, fool-hardy, quick to pull the trigger. Don’t let him fool you, Will.”

He sighed and left the room, and Will held the letter close to his chest. Dangerous… but kind and charming, someone who knew what the town needed, even if he was going about it differently. Perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad to play along, to trade out the fear of fighting in public for nights with a guy who had gone out of his way to mail a box to the heroes’ headquarters just so he could apologize. 

Honestly, Will liked the sound of it.