#But that's one of those that I would say I ship now

[inseobts]

Kidd, luffy and law x reader (love triangle) please 😽😻

Run wild and free

luffy x reader + law x reader + kid x reader

a/n: bestie that’s not a love triangle, that’s a love quadrangle lmao. jokes apart, I ended up making it a bit too platonic and about you joining their crew, but I hope you’ll like it anyway.

reader’s powers: inspired by solo leveling

tags: post-wano, strong!reader, slow burn, tension

words count: 3.5k

masterlist || ao3 || ko-fi

The war for Wano is over.

Kaido has fallen. Orochi is dead. The Beasts Pirates have been crushed.

And yet, despite the celebrations, the laughter, and the cries of victory in the Flower Capital, you stand apart alone, as you’re used to.

The battlefield still writhes with shadows. Black, eerie figures kneel at your feet, remnants of those you’ve slain, now bound to your will.

Your power grants you dominion over the dead. Every opponent you cut down becomes yours, their shadows shackled to you in eternal servitude.

Some call you a monster. Others call you a deity of war. Either way, they fear you.

And that’s why the three most dangerous men alive are now fighting over you.

“Oi! There you are!”

Luffy’s voice rings across the ruined battlefield, his footsteps loud as he runs up to you. His grin is as bright as ever, completely unaffected by the haunting army of shadows still lurking behind you.

“That was so cool!” he says, eyes practically sparkling “You should totally join my crew!”

You blink “What?”

“You’re strong! And awesome! And you’d love the Sunny!” Luffy laughs “I bet you and Zoro would get along!”

You tilt your head. He’s serious.

Before you can answer...

“Tch. Move it, Straw Hat.”

Boots stomp onto the cracked ground. Kid.

His crimson eyes burn with something like admiration but it’s buried beneath his usual arrogance.

“You’re not actually considering that dumbass, are you?” He folds his arms, metal arm gleaming under the moonlight “You belong with a real crew… mine.”

You smirk “You mean a ship full of lunatics?”

Kid’s grin widens “Exactly, you’re obviously one of us.”

Before you can respond—

“You two never shut up.”

The voice is calm, sharp. Surgical.

Law steps forward, hands in his coat pockets, golden eyes locked onto you. Unlike the others, he doesn’t demand or taunt.

He simply says “You’re not looking for chaos. You’re not looking for a crew of idiots fighting over scraps. You’re looking for something bigger.” His gaze sharpens “Join me, and I’ll give you exactly that.”

The air tightens. The unspoken challenge crackles like thunder.

Luffy’s grin never fades “I’m not losing to either of you.”

Kid scoffs “Like hell you aren’t.”

Law just smirks “We’ll see.”

You exhale. They’re serious.

Three captains. Three paths.

You sigh, crossing your arms as you watch Luffy, Kid, and Law glare at each other, their presence crackling like lightning in the air.

“You guys do realize,” you deadpan, “that I never said I was joining any of you? You all know I’m a lonely pirate and somehow I already have my crew…”

Luffy ignores you “They’re all shadows… Join my crew, Y/N!” he says, grinning ear to ear “We’re all super strong! And we have a cook who makes the best food ever!”

Kid scoffs “You think food is what’s gonna convince them, Straw Hat?” He turns to you, crimson eyes gleaming “You’re wasted with these idiots. With me, you’d have the strongest crew on the seas. No one could touch us. And admit it, your powers fit us.”

Law sighs, rubbing his temple like he’s already exhausted by both of them “You two are insufferable.” He looks at you, his golden eyes sharp and calculating “You don’t need chaos. You don’t need a circus act. You need something real. Join me, and I’ll give you exactly that.”

You blink at them. They’re serious.

You already knew that Luffy was stubborn as hell, Kid was relentless, and Law was dangerous in the quietest ways, but you didn’t think they’d actually fight over you.

Your silence seems to fuel the fire.

“What can you even offer them, Trafalgar?” Kid sneers, cracking his knuckles “A crew full of weaklings?”

“I have a submarine” Law says coolly.

Luffy pauses “…That’s actually kind of cool. But the Sunny is way cooler! And we have the best musician ever! Do you guys even have music on your ships?”

You exhale through your nose “You guys do realize you’re treating me like a damn prize, right?”

Luffy blinks “Huh?”

Law sighs “That’s not what this is.”

Kid smirks “I mean, it kinda is.”

The ground shakes as your shadows shift, the weight of your power pressing down on the air “You’re acting like I’m just gonna follow one of you like a lost puppy.”

Kid grins “Wouldn’t say no to that.”

Before you can reply, a new voice cuts in.

“Oi! What the hell is going on here? We thought you were killing each other.”

You glance over to see Zoro, Killer, and Bepo approaching, the rest of their respective crews trailing behind them. Nami, Sanji, and Usopp are already watching from a distance, curiosity burning in their eyes. Heat and Wire stand near Killer, arms crossed. Shachi and Penguin exchange glances, whispering to each other.

It’s clear that the entire alliance has noticed the brewing tension.

“What is this, some kind of territory dispute?” Zoro grumbles, adjusting his swords.

“Oh, it’s worse,” Sanji says, lighting a cigarette “They’re fighting over y/n.”

Zoro pauses “Wait, seriously?”

“Seems like” Nami confirms.

Bepo looks at Law, confused “Captain, what’s happening?”

“Nothing” Law says flatly.

Killer sighs “Eustass-ya, this is ridiculous.”

Kid waves him off “Shut up, Killer. I’m working.”

“Working?” You narrow your eyes.

Kid shrugs, smirking “I like collecting powerful things.”

Luffy snorts “Well, I like collecting friends!”

Law rubs his temples again, clearly regretting everything.

Sanji exhales a plume of smoke “Well, well. What an interesting little mess.” as he eyes you with a smirk.

Your shadows ripple violently.

“Absolutely not.”

The temperature seems to drop as your aura expands. Even the wind seems to hold its breath.

The crews tense. They’ve seen you fight. They’ve seen the horrors your power can unleash.

Kid whistles, impressed “Damn. I like that.”

Luffy grins, unfazed “Your powers are so cool!”

Law watches you closely. Too closely. His golden eyes see more than you want him to.

You exhale “I don’t take orders from anyone. Not you. Not the World Government. Not anyone.”

Kid smirks “Then what do you want?”

You hesitate.

Because the truth is that you don’t know.

Luffy steps closer, eyes bright with something honest “You wanna see the world with us?”

Kid leans in, voice dropping into something dangerous “Or do you wanna rule it?”

Law, ever the strategist, doesn’t ask. He just looks at you and says “You’re searching for something. I can help you find it.”

The weight of their offers settles over you like a storm.

And for the first time in a long time you feel something real.

Luffy’s grin softens “You’d be awesome on the Sunny!”

Kid scoffs “Or you could actually be on a ship worthy of your strength.”

Law sighs, tilting his head slightly “You’re both exhausting.” But his eyes flick back to you, and for a second you see something intense.

They’re not letting this go.

“Yeesh, are they flirting or fighting?” Nami mutters.

Usopp stares “I… honestly can’t tell.”

Killer just sighs “Both.”

Heat nudges Wire “Should we start taking bets?”

Sanji exhales, watching you closely “Lucky bastards.”

You ignore them all, looking at the three captains in front of you. You’re not stupid, you know this isn’t just about power anymore.

It’s about you.

Kid steps closer, voice dropping just for you “You’re different.” His crimson eyes glint with something hungry “You’re not scared of me. You’re not scared of anything, are you?”

You smirk “Should I be?”

His grin stretches wider “I’d like to see you try.”

Luffy, still smiling, grabs your wrist. His fingers are warm, rough from battle and adventure, but there’s nothing forceful in the way he holds you. It’s just excited, unfiltered emotion.

“You’d have so much fun with us, y/n!” He leans in, voice almost giddy “I wanna show you the whole world!”

Your heart skips. Just a little.

Then a hand grabs Luffy’s wrist, yanking it off of you.

Law.

His touch is cool, precise, almost possessive. He doesn’t say anything, just stares at Luffy, then at you. There’s something undeniably sharp in his gaze now.

Something dangerous.

“Don’t touch them so casually” he says. His voice is low.

Luffy just tilts his head “Huh? Why not?”

Law doesn’t answer.

Kid watches, then laughs “Holy shit. You’re jealous.”

Law ignores him, eyes still locked on you “This isn’t a game.” His voice is quieter now “Not for me.”

And for once, you don’t know what to say.

The air feels heavier now, not from battle, but from something far more dangerous.

This isn’t just about alliances anymore.

This is a chase.

The weight of their gazes presses in. Too much.

You exhale slowly, rolling your shoulders back. The shadows one by one sink into the ground, vanishing like ink in water, back to where they belong.

The battlefield is quiet.

Kid watches with sharp interest “Tch. Even your Devil Fruit is showy.”

Luffy tilts his head, blinking “Huh? Where’d they go?”

Law doesn’t speak, just watches you with that calculating gaze, as if he’s trying to figure out what you’re thinking.

But you don’t give them the chance.

You turn on your heel and walk away.

Not a word.

Not an explanation.

Just silence.

The festival in the Flower Capital is alive with laughter, music, and sake. People are celebrating, embracing their long-awaited freedom.

The people of Wano don’t know you like they know the others. You’re not a Straw Hat, not a Heart Pirate, not part of Kid’s crew. You’re just a shadow passing through their victory.

It should be freeing.

It isn’t.

You settle against a wooden post near a quieter part of the town, eyes drifting up to the lanterns lighting up the sky. The night is warm, the air thick with the scent of grilled food and spilled alcohol. Somewhere in the distance, you can hear Brook playing music, the faint sound of Luffy laughing, the chaotic voices of pirates and samurai alike.

And yet, you’re alone.

Just how you like it.

…Right?

“You’re hard to find.”

The voice is low, familiar.

You don’t have to turn around to know who it is. Trafalgar Law.

He steps beside you, hands tucked in his coat pockets, golden eyes flicking toward yours. His expression is unreadable, but there’s something different in the way he’s looking at you. Something unspoken.

You don’t acknowledge him right away. Just sip from the drink you swiped earlier.

“You followed me?”

Law doesn’t deny it “You left without saying anything.”

“You guys were annoying me.”

He exhales through his nose, amused “I figured.”

Silence stretches between you, comfortable but heavy. The festival noise hums in the background, but this moment feels separate from all of it.

After a beat, Law speaks again.

“You’re not staying, are you?”

“Would that disappoint you?”

Law’s gaze sharpens, but not with irritation, but something deeper.

“I don’t like wasting my time,” he murmurs “And I don’t chase things I can’t keep.”

Your heartbeat stumbles.

A challenge. A warning. A confession. Maybe all three.

For the first time in a long time, you don’t know what to say, and Law notices.

Your grip tightens around your cup, but you force yourself to keep your expression neutral “That so?”

Law doesn’t answer right away. He just watches you, too closely, as if he’s already mapping out every possible move you could make. Then he tilts his head slightly.

“You don’t run from battles.” His voice is smooth, steady “But you walked away from us.”

You scoff “Don’t tell me you took that personally.”

He exhales through his nose “I don’t take things personally. I just like to understand what I’m dealing with.” His golden eyes flick to yours, sharp, unreadable “And you? You’re an enigma.”

A small smirk tugs at your lips “Flattery, Trafalgar?”

“Observation.”

The weight of his gaze lingers. Heavy. And something about it, about him, unsettles you in a way you don’t want to acknowledge. Because he’s right.

You don’t walk away from fights. You don’t back down from challenges. But something about them, about this whole mess, made you leave.

Before you can respond, a loud, familiar voice cuts through the air.

“There you are!”

Footsteps. Heavy boots against wood.

Kid.

He stomps over, crimson eyes flicking between you and Law, his lip curling “The hell is this?”

You raise a brow “A conversation?”

Kid huffs, rolling his shoulders like he’s shaking off some irritation “Didn’t think you were the type to have quiet conversations.”

Law clicks his tongue “And I didn’t think you were the type to go looking for someone who left without a word.”

Kid’s eyes darken “Tch. You think I give a damn if they left? I just don’t like loose ends.”

But the way his gaze lingers on you says otherwise.

You sigh, rubbing your temple. This is exactly what you wanted to avoid “Why are you two even here?”

Kid folds his arms “Maybe I don’t like being ignored.”

Law hums “Needy.”

“Shut the hell up, Trafalgar.”

You sigh “You’re both ridiculous.”

Kid leans against the post next to you, his smirk sharp “Maybe. But you didn’t answer the question.”

You glance at him “What question?”

He tilts his head, watching you like a predator watching its prey “Are you staying?”

The air between you tightens.

You could lie and tell them exactly what they want to hear, but you don’t answer at all. And this silence is what gets them.

Kid’s smirk twitches, like he doesn’t like not knowing. Law’s fingers flex at his sides, like he wants to dissect every inch of your thoughts.

And just when you think you might finally get some peace a familiar laugh echoes.

Luffy.

He lands in front of you, grinning like he hasn’t just dropped into the middle of something tense.

“Oi, y/n!” His grin stretches wide, his eyes shining “I’ve been looking for you!”

Of course he has. Of course they all have.

Luffy's wide eyes flick between you, Law, and Kid and he doesn’t miss a thing.

“Eh? You guys are here too?”

Kid rolls his eyes “No shit.”

Law sighs, rubbing his temple “Straw Hat-ya, this really isn’t—”

But Luffy’s already stepping into your space. Closer than the others. Closer than anyone should be.

His warm fingers brush against your wrist, tugging lightly but not pulling, not forcing.

“You left before the party started,” he says, pouting “I wanted to drink with you.”

His voice isn’t demanding. It’s something worse... soft.

Unfiltered. Real.

Your pulse skips just for a second. And from the way Law tenses and Kid narrows his eyes, you know they notice.

You don’t pull away, but you don’t answer either.

Luffy tilts his head “Are you mad?”

You blink “Why would I be mad?”

He shrugs “Dunno. Maybe ‘cause we wouldn’t stop arguing in front of you.”

Kid scoffs “You mean because you wouldn’t shut up?”

Luffy grins “Well, yeah.”

Law exhales, voice flat “Straw Hat-ya, you’re not helping.”

But Luffy doesn’t care. He never does. He just looks at you, his fingers still wrapped around your wrist.

“You didn’t answer Kid’s question” he says.

You freeze. Of course he noticed.

Kid shifts beside you, arms crossed, eyes burning “Yeah, y/n. You staying or not?”

Law watches you, calculating, unreadable.

The festival noise fades. It’s just them. Just this. And you still don’t answer. Not because you don’t know, but because they all want different things.

Kid wants power. A challenge. Someone who doesn’t bend to him but still stands beside him. And you can give him that.

Law wants strategy. Precision. Someone he can trust, someone who understands things without needing to say them. And, angain, you can give him that.

Luffy just...

Luffy just wants you as you.

Not for your strength. Not for your Devil Fruit.

Just because you’re you.

And that’s the scariest thing of them all to you.

So instead of answering, you finally pull your hand back.

“I’m going to get a drink” you say simply.

Then you walk away, again. And this time none of them stop you.

Your boots move over the worn wooden planks of the street, but your mind lingers on the moment you pulled away. On the way they looked at you. You grip the sake bottle you swiped from a distracted vendor, your fingers pressing just a little too tightly around it. You shouldn’t care and yet... Footsteps. You don’t turn. You don’t have to. “I thought I told you I was getting a drink” you murmur. A low chuckle. Rough, amused. “Didn’t say I wasn’t getting one too.” Kid. Of course. You glance over your shoulder. He’s close.

Crimson eyes gleaming, coat still torn from battle, his usual sneer replaced with something slower, something that lingers. He’s looking at you like you’re his favorite fight.

You sigh, raising the bottle to your lips “What, afraid I’ll disappear?”

Kid’s smirk sharpens “I don’t get afraid.”

You swallow, letting the warmth of the sake burn down your throat “Could’ve fooled me.”

His grin widens “Tch. You wish.”

You should tell him to leave but you don’t. Because despite the way Kid is all sharp edges, all arrogance, all chaos, he’s also the one who followed. The one who didn’t let you slip into the night alone.

“Where the hell do you think you’re running off to, anyway?” he asks.

You tilt your head, watching him “Who says I’m running?”

Kid scoffs “Please. You didn’t just walk away. You walked the hell out.”

You hum, taking another slow sip “And yet, here you are.”

His smirk doesn’t fade “Damn right.”

“You’re different from them” he mutters.

You raise a brow “Them?”

His eyes flick back to where Law and Luffy were.

“They don’t get you like I do.” His voice drops just slightly, lower, rougher “You don’t play nice. You don’t follow. And you sure as hell don’t belong on a crew that treats life like a damn adventure story.”

You exhale, tapping the bottle against your thigh “That why you’re here?”

Kid takes another step closer, his voice a challenge and a promise all at once.

“I’m here ‘cause you don’t belong to anyone, y/n...”

His grin turns sharp.

“...but you could stand beside me. And you know that.”

A challenge. A temptation. And a mistake.

Because before you can answer, another voice cuts in.

“You don’t decide that for them.”

Kid turns, scowling, just as Law steps into the light.

You exhale through your nose “Figures you’d show up next. You all won't give up until I make a choice, will you?”

Law doesn’t deny it “Because you keep walking away” His voice is level “But you didn’t leave.”

Kid scoffs “Oh, for fuck’s sake!”

But Law ignores him. He steps closer, close enough that the air between you shifts. His voice is quieter now, meant only for you.

“If you were really leaving, you would’ve been gone by now.”

You grip the bottle tighter “And what if I just wanted a damn drink in peace?”

“Then you wouldn’t have let him follow.”

Your pulse stumbles. Kid’s jaw clenches, but before he can snap back, a familiar warmth crashes into you.

Luffy.

Arms wrapping around you like it’s the most natural thing in the world, his laugh bright, unbothered by the tension thick enough to cut with a blade.

“There you are!” He pulls back just enough to grin up at you “I knew you weren’t really leaving yet!”

You blink “What makes you so sure?”

Luffy tilts his head, confused by the question itself “Because you didn’t say goodbye.”

The simplicity of it hits harder than it should, because he’s right. You didn’t.

Law’s eyes darken, but he doesn’t look away from you “You’re still deciding.”

Kid’s jaw ticks “Tch. Just say it already.”

Luffy just waits, still smiling. Because he already knows.

And suddenly, you realize that so do you.

You inhale. Exhale. And then you turn.

Not to Kid.

Not to Law.

But to Luffy.

His eyes widen slightly, his fingers twitching against your sleeve “Eh?”

Your lips curl into a smirk “Took you long enough to find me, though”

Then he jumps with joy, hugs you tightly and kiss you on the cheek, which shocks you.

Luffy’s arms still wrapping tight around you like he never wants to let go.

Kid curses loudly, wheeling around to storm off, shoving a stunned passerby out of his way “You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me.”

Law sighs heavily, running a hand down his face “Honestly.” But there’s no real bitterness in his voice, just understanding. Because they both saw it before you did.

You were never meant to follow. Never meant to stand beside them.

You were meant to run wild and free, with the only captain who never wanted to tame you in the first place.

Luffy pulls back, beaming, his hands still tight around you “So that means you’re coming with me, right?”

“As if you’d let me go.”

He grins.

“Never.”

[butterflys-corner]

You went too far (pt.2!)

Part one here: pt. 1!

Summary: The monster trio finally track you down and apologize for the dumb fight you had. Warnings/Tags: swearing, mention of fighting, slight violence, fluff and apologies

Note: I'm so sorry this is super late! I hope you like it!

Monkey D. Luffy

Luffy spent time on the island with the crew to figure out what was even here to no avail. It was a hunk of rock just sitting in the way of more land ahead.

He scratched his head, the feeling of something being off stirring an unfamiliar knot in his chest. He wasn't hungry so it wasn't that.

All of the crew was here, and you were watching the ship, so clearly everything was fine on that end of things too.

But, then that tightness in his chest got worse as he looked across the island to where the Sunny was supposed to be docked. The ship was gone. And you with it.

"Huh?" Luffy's eyes darted around the coast for any sign of the ship, but there was nothing but ocean.

You would have told him you were leaving- even if you were that upset with him.

Now that he thought about it.. what were you upset at him for? He called himself the captain, sure, but he always did.

The little- albeit cobwebbed- wheels start turning in his brain as he sits cross legged on the ground.

It wasn't your birthday. It wasn't your anniversary. No one recently passed away. He didn't eat your food.

The captain sighed out, instantly understanding that you were upset that he used such a serious tone toward you.

"Hey. Nami," he calls over to the redhead and she turns on her heels, arms folded over her chest as she undoubtedly searched for the ship as well.

"The ship can't be far. We would have seen it by now. Was there anything suspicious or something around here?" He was deadly serious, voice full of confidence as his eyes glanced around the desolate rock they were standing on.

"That's Monkey D. Luffy's woman!"

"Yeah? So-"

Your captors spoke, pretty loudly at that, as you leaned against the ancient cell they stuck you inside. The bars lightly dug into your forearms as you held your hands together outside of them.

"You guys are so fucked." Your voice echoed against the spacious prison, the guys jolting in place.

"You shut your damn mouth! We ain't scared of that kid-"

"He's going to break me out of here and beat the hell out of you." You were firm in your words, even through the anger you held over your boyfriend being a jerk earlier.

It was a wonder how he wasn't here yet, but you know he makes it to where he needs to be eventually. Especially when you or the crew were involved. Your captain would come through for you, just like he did every time.

And as you pressed your face against those uncomfortable bars, you heard him.

"Gum gum, pistol!" And those chumps were done. Knocked out cold on the ground in front of the cell from the impact.

"Took you long enough," you were still upset with him, he in turn just glad to see your face after the few hours apart. The door to your cell gets blown open courtesy of Usopp's exploding stars and you cough on the shaken clay dust.

You take no more than three paces out of the cell before familiar rubber limbs coil around you. You stand still and take the impact of his limber body with a few stumbles backward.

"Lu, hey, come on-" you teeter to stay upright, your goofy captain just laughing.

"I'm sorry for being a jerk and saying I didn't care. I'm just glad you're okay." He made your upset melt away with his infectious laughter, your chest rumbling with chuckles of your own.

"Yeah, okay. I forgive you. Get me out of this stuffy cave already."

Roronoa Zoro

"Oh, you'll miss me so bad, Roronoa. I'm going into the village. Stay here with your precious swords."

Those three sentences haunted his thoughts as he felt the night grow later and later.

"You'll miss me so bad-"

You never came back from the brisk adventure into the village. He knew he shouldn't blame himself for it, but he was responsible for you. He felt responsible for you.

He'd never admit it to you, but your words stung the more he waited for you to come back. Why weren't you back yet?

"Luffy," his rough voice hid his concern well, it came with practice he supposed. "I'm heading into the village. Be back soon." And he was met with a quick wave as the captain was occupied in a game of tag.

The swordsman obviously didn't know where you were, just that he needed to find you. He had that stupid mistake to apologize for. Damn, his poor sense of direction! This was the third right he'd taken into a dead end.

The village wasn't particularly a maze, but Zoro was so determined to find you in this sea of people that he'd taken to asking around now. Him! Asking for help!

Much to his misfortune, you were already walking up the gangplank with a rare bottle of sake for the idiot. You returned from the village after painstakingly picking out, haggling, and paying (less than half price, lucky you!) for it. And this was after handling those shitty pirates who bothered trying to kidnap you for a couple Beri.

The fight left you with bloody knuckles and a sore wrist, but that was all. The precious bottle of Sake was worth it. You didn't even pay with your own money. You used those morons' money.

You knew the fight was dumb, really just wanting him to apologize for it so that you could get on with your night. It wasn't fun going to sleep mad at each other.

So when you looked around the Sunny in his usual spots and found him gone, you asked around to find he left.

"Idiot," you sighed out and left the ship to retrieve the green-haired musclehead.

It took you hours to find the directionally blind man, the poor guy covered in a thin sweat from the worry he worked up. You tap his shoulder and easily avoid a sword handle to the gut.

"There you are." You smile at Mosshead and his alerted face melts into a much more relieved, ever so slight smile.

"There you are, troublemaker." He shot back, just glad he finally found you. Or you him, he didn't pay attention to the details as you receive a nearly bonecrushing hug.

"Ah! No, Z, you're all sweaty!" You squirm under his arms to no avail, but the hug was short lived anyway. He rested his left over his hip, the right on his swords as always.

"C'mon. I'm tired of being in this village."

And you left with him, eventually having his arm over your shoulder as he usually rested it.

He didn't verbally apologize until much later when you were alone in your cabin. He always did it that way, not needing the others to overhear his vulnerability with you.

Even then, it was enough for you. He apologized in his own way after by doing some extra lifting when you needed it- with much less complaints- and even scoring you an expensive bottle of your drink of choice. And of course he tended to your bruised knuckles and cleaned up your face.

You wouldn't trade him for anything in the world. He was your stubborn as a bull swordsman and you loved him that way.

Sanji Vinsmoke

Sanji had immediately jumped into action when he found that you never made it to the ship. He searched high and low, in different bars and restaurants and shops, but you were nowhere to be found.

He screwed up- he knew that. He screwed up horribly by letting his tendency to fawn over women get in the way of the most important person to him. You.

Curly brows lit a cigarette to calm himself down, his blue eyes looking around for anything that stood out.

There.

Long strides to the alleyway he hadn't spotted before and he finally found you at knife-point. Who did these bastards think they were?

"Back off." He grumbled with a puff of smoke, hands snaking into his suit pant pockets like they always did during serious fights.

"Hah, what're you gonna do, pretty boy?"

"I should fillet you for even thinking about hurting that woman right there. You're deplorable for such an atrocity. I'm teaching you a lesson, but first-" Your hopeless romantic jumps from his spot, your assailants looking around in absolute confusion. You knew better however, expecting the sweet embrace of his arms underneath your knees and behind your back.

"I'm sorry I kept you waiting, Dearest. I won't ever do it again. Wait here," Sanji sets you down delicately nearby and you take the chance to lean against a wall to watch him kick ass. Literally.

Those three guys were no match for the cook's speed, being thoroughly punished by his flaming kicks in record time. You could swear it was a personal best of his now.

When the other men fell to the ground, your lover spun on his heels and checked on you intently. He circled you, held each of your arms up to his eyes to be sure, put your cheeks in his hands to tilt your head how he needed to-

Oh. He just wanted to kiss you.

"I'm so sorry, Mon tresor," he tested his forehead against yours, his soft eyes closed in shame. "I should have left with you. I just wanted to get you a few more things before we left the island. Will you ever forgive me?"

"How could I not, you silly cook?"

Credits:

Taglist: @siraxealot, @kyllium, @exoticrasin, @mrharringtonsbae, @penguinsravioli, @cousinconnie, @ellisaworld, @xcriaturex, @bluevenus19, @augghhgghhh, @silentscream2022, I hope I didn't miss anyone!!

[treefish815]

I've talked about this a lot on other sites, but as a queer man and OG fan of Kingdom Come Deliverance, I really want to talk about the canonisation of Hansry in KCD2 and just how healing it was for me as someone who escaped through this game and the ship hard as a young teenager.

Look, I just need to put out into the world how much it meant/means to me, and I think of all places, Tumblr will probably appreciate it the most. I also just kinda want to write it for myself because I've never written ALL of this out and it's something I've been thinking about for nearly 2 months now, so it's a little long, which is why it's under the cut.

So, I've been playing KCD pretty much since it released, which was when I was about 12. Living in a conservative area as an effeminate, sensitive, very obviously and loudly queer little boy, at around the age of 11 or 12 I reached a point in growing up when I think the people around me realised it wasn't just a weird little kid phase, and that I really was a faggot, and, as I'm sure you could guess, I suffered a significant amount of bullying over the next 3 years.

But, as silly as I feel saying this, KCD was an escape from that for me. I was miserable in my own life, so, between the ages of 12-15, I threw hundreds of hours into KCD1 dedicating myself to Henry's life instead. And I think there 2 big reasons why I latched onto that game in particular over others- the world was so immersive and beautiful that it was easy to get lost in it, and Henry and Hans's relationship. (It's also just a great game- but there are dozens of great games that I played in that time that never quite captivated me in the same way).

Putting aside the fact I had a fat crush on Hans, his and Henry's relationship was something I always looked forward to watching the development of every playthrough, and I would often spend a good chunk of my playthrough not actually advancing the main quest to instead make up (usually very angsty) little scenarios where their relationship evolved into something more. I'd follow Hans around Rattay and pretend he and Henry were secretly in love but could never show it, lest they be beaten and ostracised, or have conversations to myself while sitting with Theresa where I would imply that Henry had to be with her for his own safety or to distract himself from Hans, that type of thing. Considering I never thought to write KCD fanfiction until this year, I would've had a LOT of material if I'd started then, but I digress.

My point is that Hansry was something that, in a way, I think I used to cope with the homophobia I was facing. They were characters who lived in a time where they could never openly love each other, Henry was a character who could stand up for a queer monk who was being ostracised in the monastery when no one else would, Hans was a character who put on an act of arrogance and "I don't give a fuck" that we can see in more serious end-game moments isn't 100% true to his personality much as I did at a younger age to pretend what was happening to me didn't bother me, and I just... connected so strongly with them.

I've been waiting for KCD2 for 7 years. In those 7 years, I always wistfully hoped for there to be a possible Hansry path to go down, but never in a million years did I think it would ever actually happen. I'd been to KCD Twitter. I'd been to KCD YouTube. I knew the anti-woke and by extension mildly homophobic section of the fandom was far larger than I'd have liked it to be, so as much as I yearned, I knew in the bottom of my heart that Hansry would forever just be a silly little daydream of mine.

But, that brings me to 2025. I'm nearly 19, I've been living in arguably the most progressive and queer-friendly city in my entire country for 3 years, I'm openly queer and haven't heard a negative thing about it since I left my hometown, I'm happier than I've ever been and have almost no anxiety in my day to day life, and I cried for a good few hours when I watched the Hansry romance scene for the first time.

I'd seen a spoiler that Hans was the main male love interest a few days earlier, and that had WORRIED me. I thought either 1. it would be a drunk fuck that was played entirely for laughs and that ultimately meant nothing or 2. it would be a tragic story that no matter what you did, could only end badly as an attempt to uphold historical accuracy (which... could be done well, but I thought it would probably be hard for me to play through and could spark its own form of homophobia in the fandom wherein people specifically had that outcome happen to stick it to the gays, or whatever. I'd seen someone on Steam complaining that Hans was the male LI because it meant he couldn't kill him and "protect Henry from the potential of sinning" and it really stuck with me.)

Holy hell was I wrong. Daniel Vavra, you may be kind of a cunt on Twitter, but I will sit back and let you cook from now on before I make a judgement.

I cannot tell you what an incredible feeling it was to see those two characters, who I escaped through and who I adored with my whole heart not only both canonically be bisexual, just like me, but also actually have a loving, and intimate romance scene (seeing the intimate naked making out when I'd been so afraid of a drunk, no strings attached fuck was such a strange feeling of relief) after 7 years of desperately wanting that even while knowing there was no way Warhorse would ever go through with it considering their target audience. That alone would have made my year, even if they did have an unavoidable tragic ending no matter how hard Henry tried to salvage it.

But there was another thing about their romance that really really stood out to me, and that was so unbelievably healing. Their romance is generally... quite happy. They never experience homophobia first hand. They never go through the whole "it's a sin... we should stop seeing each other..." rigmarole. They're never found out and outed to the wrong people who try to tear them apart.

Sure, Hans is engaged to a woman against his will, but as a noble, that was always a strong possibility regardless of whether the person who truly has his heart is a blacksmith's son or a butcher's daughter. And it's never even a suggestion that his marriage would end his and Henry's relationship- Hans's angsting over the marriage comes more from the fact it's out of his control and will give him less freedoms than he currently has. And yes, their story is filled to the brim with angsty moments, and so much death or near death, but that's completely separate to their love story- they suffer just as much if they're best friends as they do if they're lovers. The queerness is not the angst, the war they happen to be living through the beginnings of is the angst.

Henry and Hans are two men, in love in a time when they could never openly be together, in a time when most people around them would object to them being happy together and living true to themselves, and yet they have a happy love story anyway. And, as silly as it sounds, I don't care, I'm going to say it anyway- that positive portrayal of their love felt like telling my 12 year old self that everything would be okay, and he wasn't doomed to be miserable for the rest of his life. Because if those characters he identified so strongly with could be happy in their queerness when living in arguably worse circumstances to be queer, why couldn't he? As much as I processed the trauma of the bullying I was going through through angsty plotlines involving Henry and Hans, and as much as I'm an angst lover period, that... that healed me. It was like hugging my younger self.

As much as KCD is just a game and Hansry is just a gay ship, it's always been something that means so much to me, and this silly little video game romance made me realise just how far I've come and how different things are for me, while simultaneously comforting that past version of myself who still lives deep inside me somewhere. I feel him less now than I did in January 2025, and that's insane.

"No one asked for this!" the snowflake conservatives cried on the steam discussion boards in their 1 star reviews of a game they boycotted and never bought. The 12 year old boy who processed and coped with traumatic homophobic experiences through those characters did.

Representation does matter, and always will.

[saphronethaleph]

Legitimacy

“Take the throne, my granddaughter,” Palpatine invited.

Rey blinked.

“Why?” she asked.

“...what?” Palpatine asked.

“Why me?” Rey replied. “I am, by all accounts, the least suitable person you could possibly want – I hate you, I hate the Empire, and I also have no diplomatic skills.”

“Because I wish to pass on the throne to my descendant,” Palpatine said.

“Why?” Rey asked, more forcefully this time.

Palpatine glared at her.

Rey cocked her head slightly.

“...well?” she asked. “Do you actually care about what happens to the Empire after you die? You’ve built a fleet of over a thousand Star Destroyers with the capability to blow up every planet in the galaxy. That’s sort of out of keeping with-”

“The Sith Empire will rise!” Palpatine declared. “And, with my bloodline on the throne, it will last forever!”

“It won’t,” Rey said. “Once you’re dead, if you put me in charge it’ll last less than a day, depending on how long it takes to flush all of your loyalists into space and get elections started.”

Palpatine leaned forwards with a frown.

“Hereditary monarchies are more stable,” he said.

“No, they’re not,” Rey replied. “They’re not more stable, it’s just that when something collapses it tends to collapse into a hereditary monarchy, as someone seizes power and passes on power to their descendants. So you have a period of a few hundred years with four or five succession crises, each of which for any other government would be a visible collapse, but for the monarchy it’s just going from hereditary monarchy to hereditary monarchy.”

Palpatine stared at her.

“And you say you have no diplomatic skills?” he asked.

“I did do a distance learning course on constitutional theory,” Rey conceded. “But about forty percent of it was how you deliberately broke a system that had lasted a thousand years just so you could point at the wreckage and say it needed fixing. And then how long did that last?”

“...I made mistakes,” Palpatine admitted, though it looked like he wasn’t very good at this whole “admitting things” lark. “But still! You will take the throne. It is your destiny.”

Rey laughed.

“Less than twenty-four hours ago you sent Kylo Ren out to, and I quote, ‘kill the girl’,” she said. “You’re making this up as you go along, aren’t you?”

“How do you know that?” Palpatine asked. “The first bit, I mean. Not the second. The second is wrong.”

“Force vision,” Rey shrugged. “For both.”

“I have an intricate plan that you cannot even comprehend!” Palpatine declared.

“Doubt,” Rey said, clearly.

“All right, then, I will force your hand!” Palpatine said. “Unless you become my heir and the new ruler of the Sith Empire, I will have my fleet destroy every planet in the galaxy!”

“Starting with this one, presumably?” Rey asked.

“What?” Palpatine asked. “No. I would leave this one for last. Obviously.”

“Right,” Rey frowned. “So… see, I did hear about Operation Cinder and how you wanted to destroy the whole galaxy, and now you want to rule the galaxy or destroy it, so… your plan, if I understand this correctly, is that either your descendants will end up ruling the galaxy or you’ll burn it to the ground.”

“Yes!” Palpatine agreed. “Finally, you understand! Now, fulfil your destiny!”

“...so,” Rey said. “Who was your heir before?”

Palpatine blinked.

“What?” he asked.

“Before,” Rey repeated. “When you were the Emperor of the Galactic Empire. You didn’t have an heir then. My father didn’t exist until you cloned him seven years after the Empire fell.”

Palpatine glowered at her.

“...like, this is just a fundamental legitimacy problem,” Rey continued. “There’s thirty million crew on those ships out there and all of them know me as the girl who’s done more to mess up the First Order than anyone else in the galaxy. I’ve got a reputation. You should really have thought this through better, like, found me on Jakku or something.”

“You were left there to hide you,” Palpatine said.

“That sounds like something said by a man who’s really keen to use the Force to explain everything except the thing he doesn’t want to explain,” Rey replied.

Palpatine stared at her.

“Are you… bitter, my grandchild?” he asked. “Yes, feel the Dark Side flow through you!”

“Not everything is about the Dark Side,” Rey said.

“It is if I say it is,” Palpatine replied. “It is a Palpatine speciality!”

“Really?” Rey asked. “All right, then.”

She cleared her throat.

“Knowledge and the use of minimal force is the way of the Light,” she said, waving her hand. “And I know how a repulsorlift system works.”

“What?” Palpatine asked, then noticed something.

All the Star Destroyers hovering overhead had suddenly decided to stop hovering.

Rey was too busy running for cover and curling into a ball.

[carmenilla]

"why does everything have to be gay? why can't mike and will just be close friends?"

because then the show would be badly written (and mike wheeler's character especially would be absolutely ruined). his actions would make no sense and the duffer brothers would have lost the plot to such an astronomical level that they destroyed one of their best main characters from the first season for the sake of making a ship have more conflict.

yes, one of the reasons i ship byler is because it's gay, i am drawn to gay stuff because i am gay and because those storylines have a fuller potential to be very interesting and unique. but at the end of the day i am rooting for byler for two reasons - 1, i don't want my favorite character (michael wheeler from stranger things) to be massacred because i like him for the way he's written and don't want that taken away from me. and 2, i also don't want to see will byers be given a really badly written half-assed gay unrequited love because i also want his story to be well written and also as a queer person that pisses me off. i'm sick of writers mistreating queer characters so badly just to forward heterosexual relationships because it says absolutely nothing about queer people besides "boo hoo, isn't it so sad to be gay?" i'm sick of queerness being used as a plot device, i'm sick of people pushing the narrative that queer people just can't win or find happiness or joy because that only makes real queer people feel that much more hopeless.

i'm so sick of never seeing a fully flushed out queer love story in mainstream while we get bucketloads of heterosexual love stories. is it so evil to ask for a win every now and again? is it so evil to want to see representation of my community on the big screen for not just me to see, but for everyone to see? so that they know our stories exist too, that we experience things like internalized homophobia and self hatred and hopelessness, and that a lot of us spend a long time trying to push it down and try to force ourselves to be straight? mike wheeler is the perfect opportunity to showcase an incredibly common queer experience that i barely see in media at all, let alone mainstream media. our stories deserve to be told too, not just relayed back to ourselves, but to others who don't relate to us.

i am queer. i want proper representation. i want a compelling story about queerness. i want to see unashamed queer joy on my TV screen instead of a not even explicitly stated gay sob story.

i am a fan of stranger things. i want it to be well written. i want it to have a good ending. i want its characters to make sense and reach their full potential, instead of being absolutely wasted to half-assed writing for the sake of engagement.

so yes, at least on behalf of good writing and good representation, mike and will have to be gay. sorry!

[deliajackson]

Hey, Delia!

May I ask. What do you like about Perpollo? Idk if you answered this, but if you did, would you mind linking it so I can read it. Anyways, I'm asking Perpollo stans about their opinion and love for the ship to get a better understanding, probably get some good ideas, and just stan Perpollo together.

Thank you for your time, and have a beautiful day!

Hey!

That is a very good question. I stumbled across Perpollo by "accident". I saw a fic on ao3 with this pairing, got curious and I read it. Turned out I started devouring every perpollo content I could find since then.

There are many things I like about Perpollo, tbh. I will try to speak about them in topics and then explain my reasoning. (This kinda reminds me of making a PowerPoint. XD)

Highlights the Greek Pantheon

PJO is a novel centered in Greek Mythology, but funny enough, it is not often Rick actually explores this world out of the surface level or with charicatures of the Gods playing its part. Today more often than not, I see Fanfic writers actually exploring more of real greek mythology, and introducing it in the fics and highlighting what is to be a god. To be divine. They explore more this relationship, and most part of the times, they do an awesome job. Especially in the time travels ones.

They adapt so well the historical part, and a lot of the complexities within the Olympian family. The Gods have more nuance. Sometimes it shows more of the "dark side" of the Gods, sometimes they just makes them more "divine". What Rick does not do. My only problem with it is the Zeus slander on purpose when he is not better nor worse than any other God within the myths. If Poseidon and Apollo deserves to be seen with nuance, why not Zeus? The King? That is personal, of course, especially for worshipping Him. But hey. Food for tought.

Sea Family

It is basically impossible to read a long perpollo fic without Poseidon and Percy's relationship being a part of it. We seriously lack any kind of relationship between Percy and Poseidon after PJO (Even if it is canonic Percy goes to Atlantis and the Queen bakes makes him cookies when he is there. Thank you, Rick). And honestly, I love it all the time. No matter if it is more centered in conflict, or in fluff. Poseidon being protective and in conflic is always a masterpiece.

We need more interactions between those two in matters of heart. And Perpollo gives me many ideas to how make it happen.

Oh. And how could I forget. Perpollo is an excelent way to introduce more of the Sea Family, such as Rhodes, Benthesykme, Kymopoleia, Triton, and there it goes. Especially if Percy ends up as a God within the narrative.

+ Funny enough, Helios once married Poseidon's daughter Rhode. But then - for a very long short history - he married another another ocean nymph called Perse. What quites makes me laugh about the entire irony of a another child of Poseidon falling in love with another sun god. And his son is called Percy. 😅

There is so much potential for drama, and this is just one of them.

Percy's ascencion might gives Percy a closure

Honestly. This one is a controversial take. People who talks with me for a long time knows my opinion on the fact I dont like how his story is going. I feel like it is going nowhere, and has no purpose. Not on how Rick's writing it, not since HoO and much less now on the Marketing Triology.

Nothing has really changed since Luke's death when the Gods promised to change. And where Rick is leading this story? Percy is bitter. Ok. But what is he gonna do about it? Nothing?

It seems for me the message PJO is sending is: "Adjust to an unfair system is better than to fight for make it better. It is nonsensical and leads you nowhere." That is my opinion. You might have your own.

Making him a God would fix it. (No. I dont believe Percy is able to beat Zeus. Everyone who has little knowledge about Greek Mythology knows how out of mind you have to be to say that), but he could be more influent and with his domains be able to help demigods in quests and keeping them safe. + always being there, would assure the Olympus to not change their ways back to neglect. Something he cant unsure after he dies. (He cannot even do that being alive because he is a mortal, guys. Hera took him for months. And he couldnt do anything).

+ It would make more sense with how powerful he is and has become, instead of only brushing it aside with "He is a child of the Big 3" bs.

Percy & Apollo dynamic

It depends a lot on how the writers is going to develop it. But I find really funny the bickering and their contrasts whenever they are on page. Percy with his sass, and Apollo liking to provoke him, and even his ceticysm in some circunstances. Both being very much two menaces together in different ways.

+ I believe Apollo with his more extroverted nature would well balance Percy introspection. Percy is always someone who has many things on his shoulders. He carried the weight of the sky on it and we can say he never let it go. Always taking responsabities it wasnt his to carry. Always sacrificing himself. Apollo can be the one to take it off from him for a while. And make Percy appreciate life more.

+ Percy making sure Apollo keeps his promises? Showing Apollo what is really a mortal life? Keeping him humble? Ensuring they will never let the other forget about what it is like to be human? Both being domestic with very mundane things? The sun falling in love with the sea? The archer who fell in love with a swordsman? The bard with the knight?

There are many tropes here and I love each one of them. (I have a soft spot for college student Percy with Apollo patiently tutoring him with whenever he has a difficult time task)

Apollo & Sally (+Blofis Family)

We talked about Apollo with Poseidon, but Apollo and Sally is really great in the fics. I find so cute Apollo deeply respecting Sally despite her being only a mortal. I just love it. And it makes complete sense, and a parallel between both Apollo and Percy is that both are momma's boys. (Actually, whenever Leto is introduced in a Perpollo fic Ik it is gonna be good)

+ I find the idea of Apollo blessing Estelle in arts and musics such a soft headcanon. I can just picture him teaching her to play different instruments and giving her different gifts.

With Paul is different. I picture Apollo being a bit indifferent with him at first, untill they start talking and debating about school reforming, teaching methods, etc. That is when they start getting along.

Apollo Cabin

I am not a fan of "Camper Mom Percy". There are fics I like, but in the overall, it is not really my thing. But we cant talk about Perpollo without mentioning Apollo's kids. And the chaos it spreads when the news is out is such a great and enjoyable thing. All the perpollo fics I read which highlights Will and sometimes Kayla, were incredibly funny.

And there is something really sweet about Percy falling in love with Apollo for him trying to be a better father.

Artemis & Apollo

The twins. When Artemis is brought to the narrative, I know for a fact I will like the story. Their dynamic is one of my favorites in greek mythology and I love when fanfic writers brings this to PJO. Even if it is a little thing? It is great to see Artemis there.

Gives Apollo a Happy Couple Moment

Despite the popular belief, Apollo had lovers that werent turned into plants. But! Always love to see him happy. Let him live a happy life with Percy. Be it mortal while it lasts or immortal.

What I wish to see?

More of Lester and Percy. It has so much potential. Honestly. Like. In any way you can imagine. It is a disaster comedic duo. And we deserve to see it.

[meowmeow518]

The biggest problem with most portrayals of hetero ships in media is the laziness of making them work. Particularly in shows like invincible, shows centered around male main characters, superhero stories, etc. we will see the main guy and the main girl get together but there is no real buildup. If there is buildup, it’s falsified in the form of the characters being in other relationships. Typically these relationships are only treated as obstacles to the main goal, they are either framed as unhealthy or toxic, possibly missing something or they portray it as meaningful by doing that one great writer son of telling rather than showing.

For instance: Amber in invincible is a pretty girl, she’s sweet and caring but predominantly we see her angry and frustrated with mark for various reasons. Resentful he’s not around more or whichever which is absolutely valid (aside from that first bit where she actually got mad at him for not just telling her his secret? That was dumb) now I can understand that writing a female character angry is not the end of the world but the first and only time I see a relatable, meaningful reaction from amber is when she is threatened by that evil viltrumite lady. That was interesting, mark trying to comfort her after was interesting.

In the instances where they are being loving to each other, amber and mark only say that they like each other, that they care about each other. There’s no other real signs shown in body language, or interactions. No meaningful arcs where there is fun tension. If they weren’t together I would barely consider them close friends.

Now with Eve, she is much better characterized, she has development but she is very much given the same treatment when it comes to bonding with mark. The girl characters are treated like rewards to the male characters, like hot accessories for being so cool.

Part of the issue I see is that mark doesn’t get frustrated with amber or Eve enough. There’s no equality in the relationship, he doesn’t laugh with them or seek them out to hang out with aside from dating. It’s a frequent issue I see with many het ships and even some side queer ships (which are usually either used for representation brownie points or just poorly done)

Mark and Rex, or mark and William make a better ship given the complexity of their characters and the equality and banter between each of them. They are written like friends which should be the baseline for any written couple.

I will also mention that the relationship between William and his boyfriend is also incredibly dry. The design in my opinion is very poorly done for a character who is supposed to be “super hot” he looks like a generic muscle dude. Him and William do the same “I care about you” routine instead of anything that feels more real. There is the arc where wills boyfriend does go through the cyborg angst thing but even that felt a bit dry.

The girl characters are frequently not allowed the same personhood a man would be, which seems to be coming less from an outright misogynistic perspective and more from an attempt to be politically correct. The girls are only allowed to be angry and content. They are superheroes so they don’t get scared, they don’t get needy, they are just these vehicles of feminism. I don’t think I even know any of their hobbies aside from ambers activism and eves bigger activism. Mark is into comics and nerd stuff, Rex is an asshole (his hobby), will could use a hobby tbh but he is opinionated and has what i would call a more distinct personality.

What is ambers personality? She is nice? Sure. She likes to help people? Okay. What are her quirks? Flaws? Interests outside of helping people? She was dating mark for a while and the audience doesn’t know any of this. I’m aware that she was a place holder character but that is a cheap tactic to make Eve and marks relationship seem like it has build up. It feels unnecessary and those scenes with amber should have been interactions between Eve and Mark, building their friendship, sharing their worries and thoughts. Disagreeing with each other, compromising, etc.

[deadchannelradio]

🛼and 🍄 for those fic asks!!

🛼 ⇢ describe your latest wip with five emojis

😏🥾💦🔝🍆

🍄 ⇢ share a head canon for one of your favourite ships or pairings

at some point dick and kori will be single at the same time. donna will text kori (celebratory) and be like my sweet do you know if anyone in the vigilante dating puddle is single and looking right now i've finally managed to wean dick off of grindr. and kori will be like Hm no not that i can recall (<- did not think. did not ask. there are minimum 5 people she could name. she is not going to. actively texting dick to ask what city he's in and if they can catch up. shes like a jaguar who just found the juciest antelope on the plains with a broken leg. shes not letting anyone else in on the hunt. carting him home quicklike before anyone else smells blood.) they get lunch. dick is weirdly introspective and quiet. finally he's like hey. and takes both of her hands. and explains that you know they were his most important relationship and he has so forever regretted messing it up with her and he wants to learn from it so that he'll never do it again and has it been long enough that he can ask why she broke up with him?

"what? I did not. you broke up with me?"

"what? no i didn't."

and they go back and forth like that for a minute. slowly begin to go round in circles telling the story. realize that neither of them can actually recall the breakup conversation or when it happened. they stare at each other for a long minute. and then dick says "so my beautiful girlfriend where do you want to go for dinner tonight" and kori says "well my beautiful boyfriend i would love to go get pad thai with you." the rest of the date is deleting hookup numbers from their phone and the waiter comes over and is like haha so the dates going well i take it? i just saw both of you delete hinge. and kori says "it's wonderful we're getting married"

they move in with each other in less than a week. donna very nearly murders them both.

[musicalmoritz]

Do you have any bsd hot takes or any popular ships you don’t like

Oooooooh I love this question!! BSD hot takes are my specialty so I’m just gonna rapid fire some with zero elaboration

• Saying that Dazai hasn’t changed is a fundamental misunderstanding of his character, as well as the major themes of the manga. This shouldn’t even be a subject that’s up for debate

• As for ships, I temporarily really disliked Soukoku but it’s grown on me again. I think my most controversial shipping takes would be that I really dislike FukuMori and Atsulucy

• I wish people talked about the Hunting Dogs more!! Like their actual characters, not just simping or ships (not that there’s anything wrong with those things ofc). Jouno specifically is soooooooo interesting to me

• Dazai being suicidal is another subject that shouldn’t be up for debate. Saying he’s not because “his attempts always fail” or “he wants to live” is a horrific misunderstanding of how suicide ideation works

• The reason Atsushi doesn’t feel like the protagonist is because most of the light novel content focuses on the supporting cast, which then gets integrated into the show and gives Dazai more screen time. Reading the manga by itself, Atsushi actually has quite a bit of screen time and development. There are also two light novels focused on him so like,,,yeah

• I’m sorry but it will always be WEIRD to me how many fans switched up on Mori when Yosano’s backstory got animated. It’s fine to like him ofc but why are ppl allergic to focusing on the female characters

• The plot is very straightforward ya’ll it’s like one of the most basic plot structures of all time. Stop acting like it’s impossible to comprehend

• It’s also WEIRD to me how so many fans deny Higuchi being abused by Akutagawa. We see him hit and berate her multiple times, these are textbook examples of abuse. Especially within a professional relationship like theirs that has a power imbalance…again, no idea why this is even a debate

• Look personally. PERSONALLY. I do think Mori is intended to be a pedo. I know a lot of people probably just rolled their eyes so I want to clarify that I have read every analysis you’re about to recommend me that says otherwise. I see that perspective, however it really seems to me that people are doing mental gymnastics to deny the obvious. Again this is just my interpretation so pls lower your guns

• I fucking love Fukuchi he’s one of my favorite antagonists

• Nikolai is queercoded

• I so desperately wish we got more focus on Gin. What we have on her is already so compelling and I would love for Asagiri to flesh her out more

• “Dazai leaving the mafia was a good thing that ultimately saved his life” and “It is rational that Chuuya would be upset over his partner abandoning him with no explanation” are two sentiments that can and should coexist

• Not really a hot take but the Buraiha Trio is my favorite dynamic in the series. I need an entire spin off that’s just them meeting up at Bar Lupin except nothing bad ever happens

• Oda’s death scene is one of the most impactful moments from anything I’ve ever watched or read. It genuinely changed my outlook on life

• And on that note, The Dark Era is my favorite thing to come out of BSD

• It shouldn’t be controversial to say that Dazai was abused by Mori. Not physical or sexual like a lot of fans suggest but child endangerment and manipulation are definitely at play here. Mori’s actions in the Dark Era should be considered an act of abuse on their own

• I don’t care much for The Guild as a whole but the individual characters are super compelling!! Fitzgerald’s comeback is one of my favorite parts of the series and I absolutely adore Louisa, Lucy, Poe, Margaret, and Mark. I hate Nathaniel tho

• I do believe that Ranpo is autistic coded due to Untold Origins, however a lot of fans get very stereotypical and weird with that headcanon. I don’t see that as often now as I used to but it’s still a thing to some degree

• Most fans only look at half of Dazai and Akutagawa’s arc together and completely ignore how it was pointed out to us that Dazai is trying to show Aku the light and make him stronger by pairing him up with Atsushi. He hasn’t stopped training him, he’s just doing so from a distance now because he’s aware he caused Aku a lot of trauma. Not saying their dynamic is entirely positive, but it has changed. There was a whole chapter to point this out!! But people exclusively look at every scene with them through a negative light and it leads to the fandom undermining the development we see from both of them

• Oh and btw, Akutagawa and Atsushi’s partnership is amazing. I’m a big AtsuAku shipper but setting romance aside completely, I love seeing their characters interact. Their banter is so funny and omg the mutual respect between them??? The parallels between their arcs??? The way they help each other grow??? Absolutely fantastic, Asagiri ate with that. I must confess I like them way more then Dazai and Chuuya as a duo

• All these male partnership duos and not a single one for the women, c’mon Asagiri😔 Give us a toxic lesbian pair (I would say Higugin but technically Gin’s partner is Tachihara so they don’t count)

• Kyouka is easily the most underrated character in the series. She’s incredibly well-written and, not to mention, one of the main characters. We see her more than Chuuya and Poe but do people talk about her more than Chuuya and Poe??? No, my baby gets ignored. Sad times we’re living in

• I do believe in the whole “abuse cycle/web” concept, however there is also a healing cycle that is far more important to the story and I hate seeing fans overlook that

• Dazai’s talk with Kyouka at the end of The Guild arc is one of my absolute favorite scenes from the manga and I wish people talked about it more

• Fans joke a lot about Atsushi calling Dazai a good person but I do genuinely believe Asagiri wants us to think of him that way. He is morally gray for sure, but currently he is dedicating his life to saving others, therefore most people in-universe would consider him good. His past actions don’t matter to the every day people he saves on a daily basis. Imo this line was an attempt to challenge what we generally consider to be a “good” person

• To elaborate on that, it directly parallels the scene at the beginning of Dead Apple where Atsushi points out that Dazai is visiting a grave. “Do I look like someone visiting a grave to you?” “Yeah, you do” / “Do I look like a good person to you?” “Yeah, you do.” Atsushi was right the first time, so I believe he was intended to be right the second was well. Why else call back to it???

• Tbh it is objectively hilarious that Dazai doubts himself being a good person directly after saving the city. I understand why but like…sir, cut yourself some slack

• I think the fanon family dynamics are super cute but people should be able to acknowledge that a lot of them aren’t canon (besides, like, Fukuzawa and Ranpo or Bram and Aya). Ranpo and Yosano’s canon relationship is best friends, you can absolutely view them as siblings but don’t treat it like a canon fact

• Yk that post that said “Who the hell gets into bsd and looks for a healthy ship?? Take your sensitive ass back to Haikyuu” ? Yeah. I second that

• As an OCD-er myself I am TIRED of people calling Kunikida OCD. Yes I’ve written him that way before but it’s another thing that people treat as canon which it just…no, that’s not what OCD looks like😭 I could see OCPD or autism tho

• Yes, Kouyou abused Kyouka. Yes, Kouyou cares very deeply about Kyouka. Both of these statements can coexist. Every decision Kouyou makes is motivated by what would be best for Kyouka and if you don’t get that then you won’t understand her character very well

• I want to see Dazai and Kenji interact. Asagiri please

• Since I mentioned Kenji I wanna point out smth very weird I’ve noticed where, when people bring up healthy bsd ships, they tend to only mention the straight ones??? Even if it’s a mischaracterization or the characters have never interacted. It gives me a very weird vibe

• I think Tecchou and Jouno should kiss each other

• Fyodor is probably my favorite antagonist, the chapter with him and Ace is one of my favorites. He’s a good parallel for Dazai and I just love his whole aesthetic. I love the Decay of Angels as a whole, all of them. I’ll also note that his fans seem to understand the manga very well so shoutout Fyodor fans

• Tachihara has an amazing character arc and I hate that the anime cut it out

• Higuchi is so…ugh I love her to death. Her character is the perfect mix of comic relief and tragedy. I once saw someone point out that it’s nice how Asagiri is able to use her for humor without making the jokes misogynistic and I fully agree (although I do have some qualms abt Aku hitting her being used as a joke in that one bonus page). And her finding her place in the mafia, realizing how important she is to the people who work for her???? I adore her, I hope she gets a satisfying ending

• Higugin has so much potential to be explored in fanon and I hate how they always get reduced to the token fluffy wlw ship or how some ppl only like them for the aesthetic. Give me angst!!! Give me toxic doomed yuri!!! Or give me death!!!

• I really like Fukuzawa’s backstory and want to see more of it

• I’ve seen a lot of interesting headcanons for Dazai’s mental health status, and a lot of them feel realistic, but personally I think he’s very obviously intended to have MDD. Nothing wrong with other headcanons ofc, I’ve written him many different ways, but I think since a lot of people downplay the severity of depression, they overlook that option when trying to psychoanalyze severely mentally ill characters

• The light novels have some of the best bsd content and more fans should read them

• I don’t like the “all lesbians love Chuuya” jokes because I am a lesbian and I’m not down bad for him. Do I love him?? Yes. But not in a simp way. He’s more like my gay brother

• Speaking of which- I do really like the gay hc for Chuuya and the bi hc for Dazai but I wish fans weren’t so afraid to step out of the established box!! Nothing is fully confirmed guys, we can headcanon them as whatever we want. Let’s get creative with it

• I wish more fans humanized Yosano the way they do with the male characters. We see from her backstory how much being out on a pedestal hurt her and so it just seems weird that she’s upheld as this flawless girlboss. Yes, she’s a totally badass and a hottie and I love that but there is so much more to her. She has her weak moments just like every other character, and she has such an incredible arc

• On that note I hope everybody who told me Mori is more interesting than her dies in a fire (I’m joking) (ik how Mori fans like to tussle)

• I happen to really like both the Tanizaki siblings. Actually that’s a lie I used to hate Junichirou. I can’t remember why, I think I just found him annoying. No idea what my current opinion is but now I feel kinda bad for hating him so I’ll say I like him now

• Idk why ppl get so pissed when you suggest that Dazai self-harms like. Okay fine ik it’s not fully confirmed that that’s what the bandages are for. But let’s use our brains for a second…

• Ango did nothing wrong

I could go on but this is already absurdly wrong so I’m gonna end it on that doorknob confession. I miss my bsd hyperfixation sometimes, the TikTok fandom got on my nerves but it truly is one of my favorite series ever. And not JUST because of Dazai, clearly I have a lot of thoughts on everything about it lol

[bow-of-aros]

Bring Him Back

What if Jacobi had died instead of Maxwell? How would SI-5's resident computer genius handle the loss of her best friend? By putting Kepler in a Saw trap, apparently.

Hey folks!! I've been chipping away at this one for a while and I'm pretty proud of it. It's inspired by that one tumblr post saying that Maxwell would've put Kepler in a saw trap if she'd been the one who survived and I took that and ran with it. It ended a little softer than I expected but I'm not complaining. Hope that y'all enjoy!! <33

The door slams shut behind Kepler with an air of aggressiveness that is… unusual for the Hephaestus. Kepler’s first instinct is to brush it off, chalk it up to the culmination of the ship’s ragged edges and the AI that has made no effort to hide her disdain for him.

But something tugs at him, and Kepler’s never been one to question his gut instinct.

Not until recently, at least.

“Hera?” He keeps his tone neutral. Curious. He prides himself on maintaining careful control of his emotions, of exuding a calm yet powerful air to those around him. A man who is always in charge.

Or, a man who was always in charge seems more appropriate now.

The speakers crackle to life, “Sorry, Hera’s not here at the moment. I asked her to give us some privacy for our little chat.”

Ah. “Doctor Maxwell.”

“Ding ding ding! We have a winner!”

Her voice was dry, tired. And still she managed to sound so much like Jacobi. Kepler supposes that that’s what happens when you really only interact with two other people. He’d always tried to maintain his distance, but Jacobi and Maxwell had picked up mannerisms from each other until you could barely tell where one ended and the other began.

Of course, Kepler had always been able to tell, but that was no longer relevant.

He looks around, taking in the room. Nothing seems amiss but, knowing Maxwell, he wouldn’t be able to tell she was killing him until he was already dead.

It wasn’t the sort of thing he was used to worrying about.

“You didn’t have to go through all this just to have a conversation with me,” Kepler’s eyes flick up to the lone security camera in the corner of the room. “What would you like to talk about?”

A short, humourless laugh echoes throughout the room. “That’s such a good question. What on Earth could I want to talk about with you?”

Kepler can picture the wry twist of her mouth, the way she taps her finger mockingly against her chin.

“Well, sir,” Maxwell bites out the word, all respect that might have been there replaced by a venomous derision, “I was thinking that we could talk about Daniel. You know, my best friend? Your good right hand? The man who died because he trusted you? Because we trusted you? This ringing any bells?”

The name hits him like a punch to the gut, but he refuses to flinch. He can’t show weakness. Especially not now, not while he can feel Maxwell scrutinizing him like a bug under a magnifying glass, trying to find the perfect angle between the sun and his body to burn him to ash. Instead, he composes himself by letting out a long, steady breath.

“Jacobi knew what he was getting into, he—”

“No, he didn’t.” On any other occasion, Kepler wouldn’t allow this kind of insubordination, but the longer he stays in here the more lightheaded he becomes.

And he has a sneaking suspicion that his oxygen supply currently rests in Maxwell’s hands.

Kepler focuses on limiting his air intake as Maxwell continues, “He didn’t know what he was getting into because you didn’t tell him. And now he’s dead.”

“What would you like me to do about that, Doctor?” Kepler gestures at the room around him, “I’m stuck in here and, even if I wasn’t, it’s not like I have the power to bring him back.”

That laugh again. Kepler can’t remember the last time he heard her genuinely laugh, but he can guarantee that Jacobi had been the cause of it. They had their own language, their own convoluted sense of humour that Kepler had always considered himself above.

What he wouldn’t give to hear them laughing together again.

There was no use dwelling on it. The past was done, and holding onto it would only serve to get in the way of the bigger picture. There was only moving forward.

“You know, back on Earth, if I heard you say that you didn’t have the power to do something I would’ve laughed in your face. And then I’d have probably shot you because obviously something had taken the place of my commanding officer. You were invincible, so we were invincible by extension.”

She sighs, the speaker crackles, Kepler tries to breathe.

“Turns out that we’re not invincible. Daniel’s dead because of you and I feel like I owe him one last science experiment, for old times' sake.”

Something clanks in the air vents and a rush of oxygen pours in. The abrupt shift sends Kepler into a coughing fit and he can barely hear what Maxwell says next:

“We’re going to see if Daniel’s death triggers your own. A cause-and-effect of sorts. My working research question is ‘Does Warren Kepler deserve to breathe while Daniel Jacobi doesn’t, or are we going to prove once and for all that he’s not as invincible as he seems?’” A panel in the wall opens, “It’s a bit wordy, but I feel like it gets the point across.”

Kepler ignores the tendril of fear that curls within him, pushing it deep down and as out of sight as possible.

There’s a box sitting in the opening, a simple wire cutter resting next to it. Wires poke out and twist around each other, all connecting to a panel. There’s no timer, though, just a simple engraving.

Delta. Alpha. November. India. Echo. Lima.

“Look familiar?” Maxwell’s voice startles Kepler, a truly impressive feat. “That’s the bomb—”

“The bomb I had Jacobi dismantle on our first field mission together. Yes, I remember.” The words escape him without his consent, floating amidst the onslaught of memories that threatened to crash into him.

“Good.” An alarm blares, “You can leave when you diffuse it.”

Kepler’s eyes are glued to the bomb, “Maxwell, you know I can’t—”

“Meanwhile,” She cuts him off sharply, “Let’s talk about Daniel. What do you remember about him?”

And what could he say? Maxwell and Jacobi may have been close, but Kepler and Jacobi had been Goddard’s best team for years before she’d joined and made them unstoppable. They’d shared shitty motel rooms and dined in some of the world’s finest restauraunts. Kepler had been there for Jacobi’s first intentional kill and he hadn’t even flinched, just turning to Kepler for approval when it was done.

Jacobi somehow knew him better than anyone else, and it wasn’t for lack of trying on Kepler’s part.

“He was an invaluable member of our team—AH!”

A bolt of electricity fires through him, singeing his shoulder and sending the acrid tang of burnt flesh wafting through the air.

Kepler looks around for what shocked him and comes up empty.

“Now, Colonel, let’s try that again,” Maxwell’s voice sounded distantly pleased, like she’d been hoping that Kepler would give the wrong answer, “But this time, try to respond how you think a human being might. I’d say there’s no rush, but, well, there is a bomb in the room with you.”

He briefly considered calling Maxwell’s bluff. Kepler isn’t confident when it comes to his life resting in her hands, but she wouldn’t risk damaging Hera at the very least.

Probably.

There was a chance, however small, that if Kepler played this right, he could potentially win back enough of Maxwell’s favour that he wouldn’t be in imminent danger. It shouldn’t be too difficult to separate his emotions from his words, it’s what he’s done his entire life.

“Well,” He started slowly, “I remember that his favourite colour was orange. He told me that most people thought it was odd, but that he liked it because it reminded him that fire could be warm, comforting, and not just used in the name of destruction.”

A round of applause sounded through the speaker.

“Good job, Kepler. I could almost detect some real emotion in there, I’m impressed.” She didn’t sound impressed, but Kepler wasn’t going to mention that, “My turn. I remember that, after my first close-range kill, Jacobi stayed up all night with me because I couldn’t stop shaking. We didn’t know each other very well back then, but he didn’t leave me alone. He didn’t make me feel weak, either.”

A noise sounded from the bomb.

Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep.

“Maxwell.” Kepler eyed the bomb, taking it in, trying to remember what Jacobi had done to get them out of the room that he’d locked them in all those years ago.

“Oh fine, how about I make you a deal?” He had a feeling that he was not going to enjoy this, “I know how to disarm the bomb, obviously. So, for every genuine memory you can recount about Daniel, I’ll tell you the next step in the process.”

He was right. But there was something in Maxwell’s voice, a tinge of desperation that she couldn’t quite hide and that Kepler couldn’t quite place. “Fine. I think I’m already owed the first step, if you wouldn’t mind.”

Silence drones on for an uncomfortable length, even for Kepler. With every second, he’s made more and more aware of the very literal ticking time bomb he’s trapped on a space station with.

And he can’t help but think about how this situation wouldn’t be any trouble at all if Jacobi were here. Not only would Kepler not be in this situation, but Da—Jacobi had diffused this exact model before. He shouldn’t be in any danger.

But Jacobi isn’t here and Maxwell is, and Kepler feels the lack of balance keenly.

“There’s a bundle of wires adjacent to the engraving. Two white, a blue, and a green. Cut the green wire.”

He grabs the wire cutter from beside the bomb and doesn’t hesitate before cutting the green wire. There’s no room for doubt here, but an inkling of anxiety worms its way through.

But he doesn’t blow up, so that’s something.

Maxwell barely gives him the time to register this before she pushes him along, “I’d suggest that you start talking, sir. We’re on a time limit, after all.”

Alright, Kepler can play this game.

He sets his shoulders, trying to reclaim some sort of control over the situation. “Do you remember that mission last year in Budapest?”

“The one where Jacobi killed that politician and almost got us all fired?”

“Yes, the very same.” They both knew which mission he was talking about. And fired was certainly a generous term for what Cutter had threatened to do to them. “Did he ever tell you why he killed that man?”

There’s some static, an exhaled breath, “No. He didn’t.”

“He’d seen you in your suit since you refused to wear the dress Cutter had sent for you.” Kepler could see it. It had certainly suited Maxwell better than any dress, and her hair had been pulled back into what some might consider an acceptable fashion. One could have called her beautiful. Striking is the word Kepler considered most apt. “He made some joke about getting you into his bedroom and teaching you how a ‘real woman’ should behave. I watched Jacobi take aim and fire within less than a second. A perfect shot.”

“And you didn’t stop him.”

“I didn’t.”

A pause. “Why not?”

Because Kepler had seen red, and the moment that man had laid eyes on his team was the moment he deserved to die. Because if Jacobi hadn’t taken that shot, Kepler very well might have.

“I don’t think I could have even if I’d wanted to. When Jacobi makes a decision, it’s nearly impossible to dissuade him unless he’s faced with a direct order. I learned a long time ago to choose my battles carefully, and that’s not one I wanted to fight.”

Maxwell hums like she’s considering it. Like they both aren’t playing different versions of the same game, looking for any crack in the other’s defenses to exploit.

“There’s only one orange wire. Cut it.”

He does, and remains intact.

“Maxwell—” No, that’s not right, “Alana.”

Kepler, on principle, doesn’t use first names. The SI-5 are a team, one that relies on efficiency, ruthlessness, and the ability to keep working towards their goal even if someone takes a bullet to the brain. Emotional attachments are not conducive to their work and Kepler has made sure to keep a very clear, professional distance.

“Sir?” Her guard slips, just a bit, but enough to hint that maybe Kepler hasn’t fully lost control of the only other person on this station worthy of a sliver of his trust.

What he said next would determine not only his chances of survival, but also whether or not he could complete his mission.

Whether or not Jacobi’s death had been in vain.

“Jacobi’s death was— He didn’t—” Kepler paused, collecting his thoughts, “I… miscalculated.”

Colonel Warren Kepler does not make mistakes. What’s more, Colonel Warren Kepler certainly does not admit to making mistakes. This position that he has clawed his way into requires nothing less than perfection from both him and his subordinates.

Colonel Warren Kepler does, in fact, take risks. Sometimes a gamble is the difference between success and failure.

When Maxwell didn’t respond, Kepler took that as his cue to keep going. “I made a call that I thought was best, and Jacobi died because of it. That is an indisputable fact, and something that I will have to carry for the rest of my life.” Too personal, switch tact, “It has cost us dearly, and I know that you cared very much for Jacobi—”

“You did too.” Maxwell’s voice was soft, but her words cut through him nonetheless.

Kepler ensured that his tone was perfectly steady, even a little threatening, as he replied, “Excuse me?”

“You cared about him too.” With every word, Maxwell’s voice grew stronger, “He wasn’t just my best friend, he was your second-in-command. You two knew each other for years before you hired me.”

“Doctor—” Kepler tried to warn her off, but was interrupted by her incredulous laugh, piercing through the static.

“I mean, the number of times you could’ve fired him, even killed him, for some mistake or another. And all those times you complained about insubordination without ever doing anything about it. Even the way he talked about you!”

His breath caught in his throat, and, against his better intentions, he waited to hear what Maxwell would say next.

And, of course, she didn't disappoint.

Kepler’s team never did.

Her voice rang out like a gong, sure and with a sense of finality appropriate for the occasion, “I thought he was delusional. He was in love with you!”

There it was. Kepler had always known. Relied on it in the way you relied on the sun rising in the morning, or the way you relied on the tides rising and falling in accordance with the moon.

Actually, that wasn’t quite right.

It was more the way you relied on a loaded gun to fire when you pulled the trigger or a bomb to explode when you lit the fuse. A prized weapon that remains at your side, willing and able to tear through anything in its path with brutal efficiency the moment you give the word.

Kepler’s finger twitches in the empty air, searching for a bullet that has long since been fired and is now embedded within the walls of the Hephaestus. No longer his to wield.

“—ler? Kepler are you even listening to me?” The question was an unwelcome reminder of the reality of his situation, plunging him back into a world where Jacobi was dead, and it seemed that Kepler would be following him sooner than he’d prefer.

His eyes flick back up to the camera, keenly aware of the eyes watching him, cataloguing his every breath.

“Yes, Maxwell,” He sighs, “What would you have me do? Even if he did love me, he’s gone now, and love never saved anyone.”

The temperature in the room dropped. “You’d better hope that’s not true, Colonel. Because love might be the only thing that gets you out of here alive.”

A chill crept up Kepler’s spine and he wasn’t entirely sure whether it was of Maxwell’s doing, or entirely his own.

“Doctor, I would much appreciate it if you would just tell me what you want me to do instead of dancing around while I am trapped in a room with an active bomb.”

He heard a scoff and, “That’s rich coming from you.”

Fair enough.

“But fine, you want to know what I want from you? It’s simple, really, even you could pull this off.” She paused, took a breath, “I want you to say that you cared about Daniel Jacobi.”

Oh. “Maxwell, I—”

“I’m not finished.” And, miraculously, the words vanished from the tip of Kepler’s tongue, “I don’t just want you to say that you cared about him. I want you to mean it. And not just as a part of the team, but as a person. I want you to mean it so much that you manage to convince me that you’re even the slightest bit upset about the fact that you sent him to his death.”

This… certainly wasn’t what he’d been expecting.

“Maxwell, I won’t—”

“You will, or I’m going to let that bomb go off. Cosmic justice and all that. I feel like it would make Daniel proud.”

Kepler eyed the bomb apprehensively. Alana Maxwell didn’t bluff, she made promises and she kept them.

All of a sudden, it hit him: Kepler didn’t have anyone on his side. He was alone in a room on a space station 7.8 light years away from Earth. There was no good right hand to rely on; the only remnant of him was the bomb just a few feet away, mocking him. There was no computer genius in his ear, watching his back and making sure they all got out of there alive.

When he lost Jacobi, he lost them both, leaving Kepler to pick through the wreckage in an attempt to salvage what remained of his team.

This might be his best shot. “Alright, Doctor. You win. I cared about Jacobi.”

The words felt like razor blades tearing through his throat, which is likely why Maxwell’s response was so horrible.

“No. I don’t believe you, say it again.”

But he kept his composure. “I cared about Jacobi.”

“Again.”

And he didn’t let anything slip. “I cared about Daniel Jacobi.”

“Interesting. Again.”

Or, at least, he tried not to let anything slip. “I cared about Daniel. Isn’t that what you want to hear? I cared about him.”

“Ooh, there was certainly something there. Maybe even something believable. Again.”

Kepler took a deep breath.

And then he snapped, throwing the wire cutters in his hands with deadly accuracy. It shattered the camera into a million glittering pieces, blinding Maxwell.

“I loved him.” He heard Maxwell suck in a sharp breath, but the dam inside of Kepler had broken and there was no stopping the flood, “I loved him, and then I killed him. There should’ve been no room for love on this team. Love slows you down, it makes you look over your shoulder. Love gets you killed.”

He looked at his hands, the hands that had curled around a glass of whiskey, clinking it against another. The hands that had clapped Jacobi on the back for a job well done too many times to count. The hands that were drenched in so much blood, and yet Jacobi had been willing to take them in his own.

The hands that now felt so empty. “I couldn’t afford that. One shred of weakness and Cutter would’ve killed Jacobi before either of us could blink, so I never told him, and I let him love me as long as it meant he would still get the job done. His love meant loyalty, mine meant a slow and gruesome death.” A short laugh escaped him, sharp as a dagger through the heart, “If you could even call it love.”

“We’re monsters, Maxwell,” Kepler looked up at the shattered camera, “What we call love is more like some twisted form of need. Of loyalty and obsession and dependency that warps and binds us together. We just call it love so that we can trick ourselves into feeling a little more human.”

All the rage that had swirled inside him dissipated, leaving him empty once more. “But I did love him, in the only way that I knew how, and then I ordered him to his death. I wanted all of us to make it out of this assignment alive and intact, but now we’re more broken than ever. And that’s something I will carry with me until my dying day, and perhaps a little longer.”

Silence rang. Kepler took the opportunity to scrub a hand over his face, to straighten out his clothes in order to look even mildly presentable if this was how he was going to die.

Then the door slid open.

“I loved him too.” Alana stood in the hall, slightly hunched over and eyes downcast, “You too, actually. We were supposed to be a family.”

And against all his training, all his better instincts, something inside of Kepler’s impenetrable exterior softened.

“We were.” He opened his arms just slightly, an invitation that was eagerly accepted as Maxwell sank into him. They held on tight, away from prying eyes and clinging to the only tangible evidence of what they used to have.

After a moment, they separated. Kepler pretended not to see the way Maxwell tried to subtly wipe at her eyes, the same way she pretended not to notice the way he cleared his throat before speaking.

“I’m going to go spend some time in my quarters, and I think you should too. We still have lots of work to do, and I want you energized and ready come morning.”

The smile she sent him was tentative, a bridge in the process of being rebuilt, “Yes, sir. I’ll see you then.”

They went their separate ways and Kepler made sure that his strides were sure and his head was held high until he got to his assigned room. The moment the door closed behind him, he sank to the floor, rubbing a thumb over the badge that he kept in his pocket at all times.

It was burnt and slightly bloodied, but you could still read the D. Jacobi that had been printed on it for this mission.

And finally, for the first time since they lost Special Officer Daniel Jacobi, ballistics expert and classified sarcastic ray of sunshine, Kepler let himself mourn.

[bitbybitwrites]

20 Fanfic Author Questions

Haven't done one of these in a while, so let's give it a go. 😊

Many thanks to the following folks who tagged me 💖💖💖💖: @porcelainmortal , @alasse9 , @theprinceandagcd

Answers under the cut . . .

How many works on AO3?

38

2. Total AO3 Word Count?

281,632

3. Top 5 fics by Kudos

i hate waiting (RWRB/FirstPrince) If I can Make Your Heart My Home (Glee/Klaine) Falling for You (Glee/Klaine) hold me close (RWRB/FirstPrince) smutsgiving 2023: RWRB/FirstPrince

4. What fandoms do you write for?

Glee/Klaine RWRB/FirstPrince

5. Do you respond to comments?

I try to . . but to be honest Ive gotten a bit overwhelmed with my inbox right now, so Ive stopped at the moment. I do read every one and love that people take the time out to write anything at all. One day I'll finally catch up and answer everything. *sigh*

6. Angstiest Ending?

Most of my stuff usually ends up happy at the end . . . with a lot of angst in the middle. So not sure if you'd qualify this as angsty but its certainly not a happy ending. . . Come Into My Parlor (Glee/klaine)

7. Fic with the Happiest Ending?

Like mentioned before i think most of my fics have happy endings . . .so I'll pick this one - because it is a pretty wholesome feel-good ending: Falling for You (Glee/Klaine)

8. Do you get hate?

No. I've gotten some very passionate comments, mostly about what characters are doing in certain stories, but nothing that I'd take as a personal attack against me or my writing in general.

9. Do you write smut?

I do but its a constant struggle because it doesn’t come easy for me. Most of the time it slows me down writing because i agonize over those parts so much!

10. Do you write crossovers?

I have done a few and would do it again. . but mostly I do stick to original AUs when I write. Dancing In The Moonlight - Glee/Klaine and The Adams Family Advanced Potions - Hogwarts!AU - Glee/Klaine and Harry Potter study date - klaine hogwarts!au - Glee/Klaine and Harry Potter

11. Ever had a fic stolen?

Not to my knowledge. But if anyone hears anything, let me know!

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

No

13. Have you ever co-written a fic?

No.

14. All time favourite ship?

I love Klaine and FirstPrince equally. Those boys make me so happy.

15. WIPs you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

I intend to finish everything . . .eventually - the problem with me is WHEN I'll get to do that! An ongoing list of my WIP can be found here.

16. Writing strengths?

Dialogue, I guess . . humor . . angst? . . Maybe I should ask any readers about this. What do you all think I do well?😂

17. Writing Weaknesses?

Smut . . . its so challenging. And just finding time to write in general.

18. Thoughts on mixed language dialogue? 

I don't mind it. . . As a reader, I like the extra depth it brings to a charater. As long as there's a translation for me to read. I enjoy it. As a writer, it can be a bit nerve wracking because I think and write in English and then try to translate it over, which sometimes doesn't always work. I am lucky bc one of my betas speaks Spanish so I often bounce ideas off of her when I need that for characters. But for a recent ongoing WIP, I decided (because I'm insane) to include A LOT of French in my dialogue. I had used an online translator, but thankfully one of my readers jumped in to offer to help with corrections and any French translations going forward!

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Officially - like posted stuff, would be Glee/Klaine . Though I've been making up fandom AUs/ bits of stories in my head for years before I knew what fanfiction was! i just never shared it with anyone! 😂

20. Favourite fic you’ve ever written?

I love all of my fics! It's hard to say which is my all time favorite . . but I will say that ( though it's almost finished - 1 more chapter left) If I Can Make Your Heart My Home (Glee/Klaine) will always hold a special place in my heart . . its been a true joy writing it and seeing how others have reacted to it. It's also my longest piece to date - a little over the length of a novel (127,206 words) - and has taken me a LONG time to write . . ( its been a year and 10 months) The whole writing process for this has been very challenging and very fulfilling to do. I have very much fallen in love with the AU and will be happy to revisit it after the fic is complete.

Well this was fun . . I'm going to tag some lovely writers to take part (no pressure - only if you want to!) and leave a big OPEN TAG for anyone who sees this and wants to jump in . .

 @iboatedhere , @forabeatofadrum,  , @firstprincehornyramblings , 

@sophie1973 , @onthewaytosomewhere  @heartsmadeofbooks

 @getmehighonmagic, @caterpills, @blueeyedgrlwrites, , @annepi-blog,

@myheartalivewrites , @14carrotghoul, @kirakiwiwrites, @emeryhall

@wowbright @coffeegleek, @cha-melodius

@gleefulpoppet , @special-bc-ur-part-of-it   @daisyishedwig @sarkyblueeyes , @hkvoyage

@tinyarmedtrex, @1908jmd , @sparklepocalypse @spaceorphan18, @firstprincehornyramblings

@kirakiwiwrites , @cha-melodius @yadivagirl, @lady-divine-writes, @cryscendo 

@rockitmans, @madas-ahatters-world , @little-escapist  @thesleepyskipper  @caterpills

@nocoastposts, , @thinkof-england , @shame-is-a-wasted-emotion, @blurglesmurfklaine 

[ohdorothea]

more info on the tournament here <3

lyrics under the cut!

So Long, London lyrics

So long, London (So long, London)

So long, London (So long, London)

So long, London (So long, London)

I saw in my mind fairy lights through the mist

I kept calm and carried the weight of the rift

Pulled him in tighter each time he was drifting away

My spine split from carrying us up the hill

Wet through my clothes, weary bones caught the chill

I stopped trying to make him laugh, stopped trying to drill the safe

Thinking how much sad did you think I had

Did you think I had in me?

Oh, the tragedy

So long, London

You'll find someone

I didn't opt in to be your odd man out

I founded the club she's heard great things about

I left all I knew, you left me at the house by the Heath

I stopped CPR, after all, it's no use

The spirit was gone, we would never come to

And I'm pissed off you let me give you all that youth for free

For so long, London

Stitches undone

Two graves, one gun

I'll find someone

And you say I abandoned the ship

But I was going down with it

My white-knuckle dying grip

Holding tight to your quiet resentment

And my friends said it isn't right to be scared

Every day of a love affair

Every breath feels like rarest air

When you're not sure if he wants to be there

So how much sad did you think I had

Did you think I had in me?

How much tragedy?

Just how low did you think I'd go

Before I'd self-implode?

Before I'd have to go be free?

You swore that you loved me, but where were the clues?

I died on the altar waiting for the proof

You sacrificed us to the gods of your bluest days

And I'm just getting color back into my face

I'm just mad as hell 'cause I loved this place

For so long, London (So long, London)

Had a good run (Had a good run)

A moment of warm sun (Moment of warm sun)

But I'm not the one (I'm not the one)

So long, London (So long, London)

Stitches undone (Stitches undone)

Two graves, one gun (Two graves, one gun)

You'll find someone (You'll find)

Fresh Out The Slammer lyrics

Now, pretty baby, I'm runnin' back home to you

Fresh out the slammer, I know who my first call will be to

Fresh out the slammer, oh

Another summer, takin' cover

Rollin' thunder, he don't understand me

Splintered back in winter, silent dinners, bitter

He was with her in dreams

Gray and blue and fights and tunnels

Handcuffed to the spell I was under

For just one hour of sunshine

Years of labor, locks and ceilings

In the shade of how he was feelin'

But it's gonna be alright, I did my time

Now, pretty baby, I'm runnin' back home to you

Fresh out the slammer, I know who my first call will be to

Fresh out the slammer, oh

Camera flashes, welcome bashes

Get the matches, toss the ashes off the ledge

As I said in my letters, now that I know better

I will never lose my baby again

My friends tried but I wouldn't hear it

Watched me daily disappearing

For just one glimpse of his smile

All those nights you kept me going

Swirled you into all of my poems

Now we're at the starting line, I did my time

Now, pretty baby, I'm runnin'

To the house where you still wait up and that porch light gleams

To the one who says I'm the girl of his American Dreams

And no matter what I've done, it wouldn't matter anyway

Ain't no way I'm gonna screw up, now that I know what's at stake

Here

At the park where we used to sit on children's swings

Wearing imaginary rings

But it's gonna be alright, I did my time

[epickiya722]

*sighs* I'm not surprised to see this...

Look at this ask for context.

I thought we already went over how it isn't BakuDeku shippers doing the harassing to Horikoshi? As I mentioned in my ask, canon was not going to matter to BakuDeku shippers because they're still going ship it.

Did it for years before the manga ended and even now there's people just getting into the ship when giving MHA a try because of all the context Horikoshi put in the story.

Why would BakuDeku shippers harass the mangaka, the one for giving more than enough for the ship? BakuDeku shippers live off the covers for 29 and 37 still! (That's 8 volumes in between, by the way. You know how 8 is like a recurring number for MHA.)

The reason why other gay ships don't get bashed as much is because BakuDeku is an easy target. Something I even mentioned here in the ask I answered before this one.

It's the most popular ship of MHA.

There's a lot of shippers so there's a lot of people for others to harass.

Easy targets.

Not saying all BakuDeku are good people (some I had to block myself here and there for getting on my nerves), but does that call for harassment of any kind? Let alone to anybody?

NO.

It's like this person wants to dismiss how bad harassment has gotten. Let alone that harassment exists towards shippers at all because some people feel that shipping is a competition.

If people didn't think that at all, the "gays/BakuDeku shippers" will go away after their ship doesn't become canon then why do they still go in those spaces and harass people?

If the BakuDeku shippers "lost" because of canon, then why do they still feel the need to post hate about the ship in the spaces for the ship?

To drive them out!

By the way, the other ships mentioned here also gets hate from time to time, let's not act as if they don't so bringing them up was pointless. I have seen those shippers get criticized, too. Just not as much because again hating BakuDeku is the easiest ship for haters to hate on.

Let's be real, BakuDeku haters did think "I'm glad that gay ship sunk".

[georgcs]

visibly pleased with himself for eliciting the nervous reaction from william, he continued to gaze intently at the other. george conceded his point with a slow nod, abandoning his makeshift compress in favour of twirling a lock of dark hair around his finger. "it does not. but i think it is more than fair to say it becomes some people better than others. wouldn't you agree?" though he was rarely one to restrain himself from... well, anything -- he was becoming increasingly aware how nice it was sitting with william and simply allowing the conversation to flow without the fear of an aunt ( or other miserable, responsible adult ) overhearing. certainly those handsome features would remain etched into his memory regardless, but it was the ease of william's disposition that was solidifying george's favour.

"well now, that would be telling," he teased brightly, motioning the closing and locking of his lips. "i am grateful mine hasn't tried yet -- perhaps he is smart enough to know that would be a pointless endeavour." many a time he had thought up the same plan william had executed ; he would be on the next ship to ireland the moment an arrangement was proposed. "i do not think my father would notice i had left, honestly... some other drastic measures would have to be taken in protest." he barked a hearty laugh. "goodness! can you imagine? leaving my father's beverage collections and stables for a wife i do not want? unlikely!" a pause, then ; "though i suppose i could sneak at least a few bottles away with me."

Their interaction may have been a brief one so far, but already William could tell that this man was not like the other stuffy aristocrats that infested London. It threw him a little, but he tried to hide that fact. The deep flush crept from William’s neck up to his ears as he scratched the back of his neck, a nervous laugh escaping him. “I think it’s too late to worry about any creases on my forehead; age doesn’t escape us all, now does it?” William wasn’t conceited by any means, but he knew his features were striking yet refined, something that would have those back home gushing over, but he always kept those thoughts at bay, of course, until someone complimented him.

“And what reputation do I have?” William asked, tilting his head as his eyes twinkled with amusement. He was all too aware of what his reputation was and how it was growing over the weeks since his arrival, though none of it was by his own choice. The social season was truly the season of the marriage market, but William doubted that those around him would take too kindly to that little jibe, despite it being true. “My father tried to marry me off once; you could do what I did and leave home and never look back.” William shrugged; the memory of the offer of a marriage all those years ago had long escaped him. “But I suppose I didn’t leave behind as many luxuries as you did. It may be a harder task than finding a wife.” William said in jest, hoping the man took no offence at his playful candour.

[amethystina]

Shipper Tag Game

I was tagged by @a-very-fond-farewell! Thank you so much, darling! Though I'm not sure how good I'll be at it x'D

---

1. What ship were you completely obsessed with when you were a teenager, but now you don’t care anymore?

Honestly? None. While I did have some ships I was interested in, I wasn't obsessed with any of them. And I kind of still care about them? In a very nostalgic way. So I kind of fail at both parts of this question x'D

2. Which ship would you consider your first one?

If I'm going with the one I got really invested in? Destiel tbh. Mainly because I was very much a late bloomer who didn't really discover fandom and fanfics until I was 20-21. I mean, I HAD read some before that but since I didn't have internet in my apartment until I went to university (I was too poor xD), it wasn't easy for me to access them. Shipping is just easier when you have internet.

But, once I had it, I DID revisit a couple of ships that were technically older than Destiel that I had never really gotten into before that, many of them from video games, anime/manga, and books I'd read. But they were all overshadowed by Destiel so that's the one I remember as my first.

3. Your first fanfic belonged to which couple?

Are we talking reading or writing? I guess I'll do both?

Reading: I think it was a Zell Dincht/Seifer Almasy one from Final Fantasy VIII that a friend printed out on actual paper and gave to me back when I was 16 or 17 (again, no internet). And I honestly can't say why he picked that pairing xD (I'm definitely more of a Squall/Seifer girlie now)

Writing: Sterek. Because it felt interesting but also not too intimidating. And I also just like werewolves?

4. Do you remember the first couple you saw a fanart over?

Not really, no. Since I've been drawing for so long I spent more time looking for art than fanfics when I was younger so I probably stumbled over a lot of them without even knowing it.

5. Did you ever get into ship discourse?

Not if I can help it, no. I tend to stay away from that sort of thing as best I can and just let people ship whatever they want. It's honestly none of my business.

6. Did you use to have any no-otp or have it currently?

I have several, mostly based on what I find triggering or squicky. But I don't announce them publically because that's just rude to those who DO ship them. And, as stated above, I try not to get involved in what other people ship or don't ship.

7. Who were the couples in the last fanfic you read?

Choi Yoon/Yoon Hwa Pyung from The Guest. Because who doesn't love some pining and Catholic guilt?

For real, though, I read very few fanfics right now and actually had to go check my history on AO3 to figure this out x'D The second to last fanfic was a Strangers From Hell one. And the one before that was a Guardian one!

8. Currently do you have any OTPs?

Several. Honestly too many to list x'D I'm one of those people who don't really let go of ships I like. They're not always at the forefront of my mind, though, but I remember them fondly and coo a little when I think of all the fond memories.

But if we're talking about the ones I'm the most focused on right now I'd say Kang Yo Han/Kim Ga On from The Devil Judge, Yoon Sa Wol/5-8 from Black Knight (currently struggling with chapter 6 x'D), the aforementioned Choi Yoon/Yoon Hwa Pyung from The Guest, and Shen Wei/Zhao Yunlan from Guardian.

9. Is there any couple that, to this day, you are extremely mad about not getting together?

Sterek. But that has less to do with my dedication to the characters and more to do with the queerbaiting and how extremely shittily Jeff Davis handled that whole thing. To use the Sterek shippers for publicity and hint that maybe it could happen, only to turn around and do everything within his power to not make it happen?

I take that personally, not because I have a huge stake in Stiles and Derek as characters, but as a queer person who, for once, thought that maybe we would actually get to see a couple we really liked get together, and then didn't.

I had more hope for Sterek than I ever did for Destiel, which technically had more in-canon queerbaiting, because the people behind Teen Wolf did their damndest to give me hope. Only for me to be ignored and basically told I was being gullible for ever thinking it would happen.

And that's a betrayal I'm probably never going to forgive.

10. Is there any ship you used to dislike but now you think they are kind of interesting?

Not... really? I can't think of any, at least. But that could be because I always have a pretty good reason for disliking the ships I dislike. As mentioned, it's usually based on triggers and squicks and those don't really change. So my opinion on ships I dislike aren't likely to change, either.

11. Do you have any ship that, in the past, was considered normal but now you would be cancelled over?

I mean, considering the social climate right now? Even Sterek qualifies because Stiles was underage when I started shipping them and Derek most certainly was not xD That said, I always prefer the fics when Stiles had time to turn 18 before any of the sexy stuff happened.

12. What was your favourite crack ship?

Okay, so, I've actually read a lot of fics for ships I don't actually ship, just for research purposes. Like, I find it FASCINATING to watch what other people like, how they choose to write about the things they like, and how they decide to portray the characters. Basically, I like to analyse authors just as much as I like to analyse characters. It's a hobby of mine.

And one of my absolute favourites was reading fanfics for Newt Scamander and the original Percival Graves from the first Fantastic Beasts movie (Sidenote: She-who-must-not-be-named is an asshole and this is not an endorsement of her franchise or shitty beliefs). And why I loved that so much was because the fics were about THE ORIGINAL Percival Graves who, technically, was never IN the actual movie (he might not even be alive anymore?). Like, it was Grindelwald all the time. We never actually SAW the original Percival Graves, just Grindelwald's impersonation of him.

And I just had so much fun reading various authors' takes on this character who was never actually seen but, based on Grindelwald's impersonation, can sort of be hinted? Because he must have done a good enough job of it that the people around Graves didn't notice? It was like an anthropological dig of Percival Graves transpiring right before my eyes and since I got on the train pretty early, I could see authors being inspired by each other and how the fanon developed over time. 10/10 would recommend if you're interested in watching a fandom evolve.

(also, some of the fics were so fucking good. So there's that, too xD)

13. Who is the couple you read most fanfics of?

I'm not entirely sure if it's Destiel or Stony, but definitely one of them (Sterek is most likely in third place). Partly because there are just so many to partake in (those fandoms are HUGE), but also because they've been with me for so long and numbers accumulate. That said, I haven't read any for those ships in a long, long time. But considering how many fics I devoured during the time I was the most active in those fandoms? It's going to be difficult for any of the ones I'm currently into to catch up.

Also because I tend to be in much smaller fandoms now >_>

14. What do most of your ships usually have in common?

WELL. A while back I would have said that even if there are some enemies-to-lovers tropes and antagonising in some of them, they're all mostly unproblematic and pretty healthy.

... I can't really do that anymore, can I? x'D

I mean, Kang Yo Han is problematic all on his own, but even HE is a green flag compared to Seo Moon Jo. That fucker is just a straight-up psychopath x'D

A more serious answer: An interesting dynamic. Which sounds like a given, but is actually a bit more tricky than that. Because I've only gotten more and more picky over the years. I've actually spoken to my wife and friends about this, because I've seen a pretty noticeable shift in my own shipping practices lately.

I gather fewer and fewer new ships and that's not because I watch/read fewer things, but because I'm getting pickier about them. There has to be an extra spark that interests me, often connected to the characters' personalities and how they play off each other, while, before, a bit of chemistry was enough.

But that also makes me more versatile, I guess? Because I focus less on tropes and more on characters and dynamics. But that also makes it harder to spot similarities xD

15. What do you absolutely hate in a ship?

I mean, hate is a strong word. But, again, it would mostly be connected to my triggers. I don't like ships that are too abusive and unbalanced. A little bit of danger is fine, but things like abuse, infidelity, grooming, non-con etc. don't work for me, personally.

---

I don't really know who to tag so just do it if you want to! :D

[thasmin4eva]

@bean-spring if you don't like what I've added, just tell me and I'll reblog it without my addition.

I think the case could be made that we would not have had Jodie Whittaker without David Tennant. From that standpoint, even if just from a meta, writer's room perspective, I like the symmetry.

Christopher Eccleston was an amazing Doctor, but I am not going to sit here and say he was super accessible. Some of his storylines remain my favorite but the actor left with some toxic feelings about the show. He made it pretty clear, which rippled out into the fandom.

Then David Tennant came along. He's young, he's ridiculously good-looking, he's hyper like the best kind of golden retriever and he was Extremely accessible. You can see the funding just skyrockets after David Tennant's run. That's down to a lot of things, not just David Tennant. RTD is one of the best television writers of our generation. There were some really great companions. There were some amazing storylines with an almost criminally-satisfying-it-felt-so-good ending in Series 4. It was that series that launched Doctor Who into the American side of things, which is what got Series 5 much more funding than Doctor Who had seen all the way through 1-4.

That's what I mean when I say we might not have had Jodie Whittaker without David Tennant.

On a personal note, David Tennant is my Doctor. The first episode I ever saw was Smtih & Jones. It was ridiculous, it was sweet, and even when it was unbearably corny I could not look away and I didn't hesitate for a second when my roommate asked if I wanted to watch the next episode. Except for the Van Gogh episode, I am not sure I have ever cried harder at a television show when Donna Noble ends her time in the Tardis.

However

Jodie Whittaker is quite possibly my favorite Doctor. She represents everything the Doctor is to me: compassionate, brilliant, full of surprises. Her run, and Chris Chibnall's, felt like such a huge breath of fresh air. We got new monsters, which we really needed. We got a female Doctor, which I argue we also really really needed. We got Jodie Whittaker, who can beam her emotions right through the television screen with her giant puppy dog eyes and sad sad smile.

Even though we finally got resolution with Donna Noble, which I will forever be grateful for, and even though I love David Tennant, it was sort of like walking across a mountaintop, breathing fresh alpine air, wondering WHAT COMES NEXT, opening the door and breathing in a stale fart.

TO BE CLEAR, those episodes with David Tennant and Donna Noble are now in my top ten, the one on the ship past the edge of the universe is definitely top five, but COME ON! The Doctor is about change, about adapting to whatever situation they find themself in, and it just felt like such a weird slap in the face.

Imagine sobbing after watching one of the most tragic regenerations of a Doctor who just needed more time and was so so so loved and has definitely changed your irl life for the better, to then look up at the gorgeous sunrise and see David Tennant AGAIN