#I don't really know what else to say. But I got rarepairs and I got mod files

[eashgirl]

I can't believe starwavewave is such an underrated ship esp since its been 40 years these guys were around. Well tbf I do think tfone is one of the few versions where their dynamic isn't inherently contemptuous/distrusting of one another. They have a surprising undertone of camraderie? Like I don't think they're besties or whatnot, but there's an air of cooperation and trust with one another. Starscream doesn't technically order those two around — the three of them just do what they do. They help one another in the couple of battles they were together without even saying anything, and they're coordinated in fights. I haven't seen another iteration where they all like... Just actively work together by choice.

There's also the fact the the HG doesn't move until those three flew off to join Megatron. And the three of them don't discuss nor order it around — they're just united in that decision. Idk it really speaks that the HG has an unexpected trust in those three's decisions and judgement — what they say, goes.

So yeah I love shipping tfone starwavewave and I hope we get to see more of their teamwork and a more cooperative dynamic with one another, I think them actually getting along somewhat would be super interesting and have a lot of potential

I totally agree I've been obsessed with the dynamic of TfO StarWaveWave since I saw the movie, and I'm kind of surprised they aren't shipped in other continuities they have been around for quite a long while. I know their individual ships are somewhat popular but they have a lot of potential as a trio too.

I actually started shipping them because of a running joke between me and my friend about our tf one ships, besides Dpax,Oplita because rarepairs are fun,with the most random ships ever for funsies. Like shocklita,soundbee, starbee,starlita,megalita, sentistar, arceelita,jazzop etc. (if there's an abundance of Elita ships it's besides she's my fav,her and Starscream ngl)

I just joked that I might as well ship Starscream, Shockwave and Soundwave because like they were together in every scene in the movie besides the times they were forced apart by circumstances. That and the added history of being comrades for several hundred cycles, plus their personalities could be made into an interesting dynamic so I just got hooked then and there. They really do feel coordinated in that sense, like that one scene where Soundwave shoots down one of sentinel's guards trailing Shockwave and Starscream destroys the one after Soundwave. Plus the way they fight with Optimus, they don't exchange any words they just know how to fight together and that's just so interesting to read between the lines. They don't give the vibe they're outwardly close nor the most typical but they give old married couple vibes because they're just so used to eachother's habits and pretty resigned to them. Soundwave knowing why Starscream was riling up D-16 and choosing to step aside and see what happens because he likely had seen the latter do this a thousand times before,Shockwave's bursts of anxiety and Soundwave's... I actually don't remember if he had any of them he seems to be the one who's tolerating the other two and their interesting.....quirks lol.

In other continuities the toxic side of their relationship is pretty appealing too, they're like the three co workers who can't stand eachother but just happen to work well with e/o so they are constantly forced to work together. In comes three competent people acting so petty and childish when they are around each other, Soundwave/Shockwave's beef in cyberverse,Soundwave/Starscream's beef in idw2 and Skybound. And I think Starscream/Shockwave's thing in tfp maybe... Ironically I think those two have been more amicable in canon continuities than with Soundwave ngl.

I legit need more fics of them, I'd pay for a pre canon story, heck I may write one myself if no one else does because I NEED to see it.

[momotonescreaming]

A quick thing for @hellion-child , thank you for joining me on my Sal Deluca/ Josh Russo rarepair bullshit 💜

"Is he always like this?" The probie — Hayden — asks, brows furrowed underneath his helmet as his gaze flicks between his fellow firefighters and their Captain — Captain Deluca, smirking as he speaks into the radio strapped to his chest.

"Thanks for the assist there, dollface," their Captain says, flirts, to the dispatcher on the other end of the radio. He's smirking, looking all smug about it, but Hayden can't quite tell if it's mean spirited or not yet.

When his friends from the Academy heard he got assigned to Captain Sal Deluca from the 122 — they winced. He's got a reputation of being a bit of an asshole, apparently, who scares the shit out of all the probies. High turnover rate. When he got to the actual station, however, the other firefighters said he really wasn't that bad. He just pushes them because he knows that they can do better. Some people just can't handle his leadership style — weak people — someone joked. Hayden can't tell if it's a style meant for him yet, but he's being put through his paces at least. And isn't that what being a probie is all about?

This however, in front of him, doesn't match up to the Captain Deluca in his head. The Captain Deluca he's been told about.

"Assist?" The very male voice of their dispatcher crackles though the radio, smile in their voice evident. "You'd be lost without me, and you know it."

It's like they don't even care that everyone can hear them.

"He didn't use to be," one of their paramedics — nicknamed Barbie, on account of her being a tall blonde — says with a casual shrug. "But he is now, and only with Josh."

"Josh?"

"The dispatcher," Barbie nods, looking over at their Captain, flirting through the radio waves. "We know him by name now."

Hayden — admittedly — hasn't been on very many calls yet, but on all the other's he's only heard Cap refer to them as dispatch. Maybe thanking them by name at the end, once they've rescued their person and done their job. But today, it's been 'what've you got for me Josh' and 'how's our caller doing, Josh' and 'give me good news Sunshine'.

"Cap's always been a bit of a charming asshole," the other paramedic — Riley — chimes in, where he's starting to pack their gear back into the ambulance. Thankfully, they didn't end up needing most of it. "Good at getting people to calm down and listen to him, y'know?"

"But the flirting," Barbie parrots back, smarmy smile on her face as she flips her long blonde hair over her shoulder. Hayden kind of gets the nickname a lot more now. "Is an 'only in the past few months' sort of thing. A new development, shall we say."

It's so weird, to hear these two paramedics, these two seasoned professionals — openly gossip about their boss flirting at work. Their fucking boss, who's stern and tough and pushes Hayden because he knows he's got the skill so why isn't he fucking using it. A real man's man, all bulky muscles and a sharp jaw. Talking to the others about basketball and how he's been helping a friend of his restore an old hotrod. Who can command a scene like nothing else, and then, right at the end, when everything is wrapped up and everyone's safe — flirt with the man on the other end of the radio like no one else can hear them.

Hayden's gaze flicks back over to his Captain, the macho asshole, smiling and laughing as Josh the dispatcher threatens to send all the interesting calls to the 118.

"Oh sweetheart, you wouldn't fucking dare," Sal retorts, slowing walking back to the truck and the ambulance Hayden is leaning on. His heart speeds up — traitorously — as his Captain approaches him not doing anything to help them wrap up the scene. But it turns out he needn't have bothered. "As if they don't get all of the wack shit already."

Sal nods at the three of them — Hayden, Barbie, and Riley — and continues on to the truck proper. They can all hear Josh huff a laugh down the line.

"Am I losing my mind?" Hayden says, brows continuing to furrow, an incredulous smile starting to creep onto his face.

"Best get used to it probie," Riley laughs, clapping him on the shoulder. "We've been placing bets on when they'll actually start dating."

[doyelikehaggis]

Rarepair Rowboat: Argwaine | Arthur Pendragon x Gwaine (BBC Merlin)

Requested by @thedragonlies

Steel clashed together, the clang of swords reverberating across the training grounds. Arthur ducked, dodged a blow, then shot back up, sword already swinging. Gwaine managed to knock it from his hands. The tip of his own sword hovered an inch from Arthur's throat. He gently tilted his chin up with it and raised his eyebrows.

'Give up?'

Arthur held his hands up and huffed out a chuckle, and Gwaine grinned, triumphant and smug. That was, for the two seconds before Arthur ducked again, disarmed him and put him flat on his back on the ground.

Gwaine huffed, but he nodded. 'Alright. Should've seen that coming.'

'You just lack concentration,' Arthur said. 'You're easily distracted.'

'Well, now, whose fault is that?' Gwaine said dryly.

He pushed himself up onto one elbow and pushed his hair out of his face. He eyed Arthur, squinting up at him from the glare of the sun beating down on them. It was giving him a golden halo of sorts around the edges of his dishevelled hair.

'Give us a hand?'

Arthur bit back a smile as he rolled his eyes. Still, he was a courteous opponent. He stuck his hand out and motioned for him to take it.

'You know, I'm not one of your fellow knights. You really should address me with a bit more respect, I mean, I am your king, so, it's not a lot to ask that you--'

The rest of his sentence was knocked out of him as Gwaine yanked him down onto the ground. Somehow, he had him pinned beneath him with a sword to his throat before Arthur had even regained his breath.

'You just lack concentration, sire,' Gwaine teased, his mouth curving into a wicked grin. He tilted his head. 'You're too easily distracted.'

Arthur glared up at him; his heart had quickened and his face was red-hot. It was embarrasment, obviously, at being overpowered by a knight in broad daylight for anyone to see, and because he had, in fact, allowed himself to be distracted. He was just thankful there was no one else around to see it.

And yet, despite that, he found himself smiling. 'You got lucky.'

'What can I say? That's my speciality.'

Gwaine finally got off of him, and he was the one offering his hand this time. Arthur begrudgingly took it. He was still flushed and flustered, and he wasn't sure if it was him or Gwaine that held on a little too long.

'Oh, and Gwaine? You tell anyone about that...'

Gwaine's grin widened. 'Don't worry, sire. I won't tell anyone. Happens to the best of us, right?'

'Right.'

'I mean, it's hardly your fault. Not even royalty are immune to my good looks. You're only human, after all.'

[altraviolet]

Thank you @spicedrobot for the template! (template HERE)

My stats are kinda wonky because Echo Garden took 4 years to write but since it ended in 2024, all its stats go towards 2024's totals.

Other than TEG, I only wrote 2* other fics and I love them all equally tbh so I chose Nucleus Memory simply because it isn't TEG and was a really fun big bang with Sync :)

The numbers for the fics at the bottom are total comments and total bookmarks (AO3 distinguishes between comment threads vs total comments and public bookmarks vs total (public + private) bookmarks so I went with total for both).

*I also wrote my secret solenoid fic but it won't be published until tomorrow which means it'll count towards 2025's stats!

Long post!

This was a challenging year for many people, for sure! Personally, there were a lot of things that took away the energy/time I need to write. Family things (2 funerals and a wedding) and my day job (which is killing me, sometimes fast, sometimes slow). TEG ate my brain completely and so even though it ended in February, I haven't written very much since then. But I've decided to try to take a healthy view of this and not be mad that it's taking so long to recover xD but I do hope it hurries up! I had an initial goal to move on to original writing after TEG, but I think I'll try one more Really Big Fic as practice before doing so.

Since I only wrote 3 fics in 2024, I'll do a lil list of my thoughts:

The Echo Garden: massive fic! thanks so much to all the new readers and to everyone who's drawn art or left comments or rec'd it to new folks. it's astonishing to me that it's still drawing new readers :u I'm very happy overall with the fic. it was hard to write, sometimes, but I'll keep it positive here! there are so so so SO SO many posts about this fic, and comments, and the whole last chapter of it is a giant author's note with even more info. honestly I don't know what else to say about it that wouldn't either be a repeat of information or extremely long. it's very probable that if you're reading this post, it's because of TEG, so thank you for reading! :)

Nucleus Memory: reverse mini bang project with sync! they drew a pic and had a pitch, and I and another writer each wrote a fic about it! sync had some awesome ideas, I'm really happy I was selected to do their prompt. they did some beautiful art!! be sure to check it out if you haven't!

Bismuth: this fic was done for a Soundwave-centric zine! in Jan 2024 I read The Locked Tomb series and it had a big effect on my brain. this fic was an attempt to write something in an inspired style: disjointed, parallel timelines. scenes out of order. purposeful confusion to make the ending reveal rewarding. plus I got to jam another rarepair into the TF mire

In 2025 I hope to plan and post another big Rodimus/Soundwave fic, as well as any little idea that comes along, and also maybe participate in the TF big bang and secret solenoid events again! I'll probably abstain from zine events, but, I say that every time and then apply anyway xD

2020-2024 will always be the TEG years for me, and it's honestly strange to leave it behind. the 5 year anniversary of posting chapter 1 is in a couple months (holy moly :u) and that's wonderful and humbling. I don't think anything else I ever do will resonate so much with people, which is good in that I'm glad it gained such a happy audience and helped so many people. But it does make the idea of working on future fics to less reception a little less appealing.

There's nothing to do but keep going, though. I mean, the alternative is to not do anything? Nah. I do think unless another TF One style canon production drags a bunch more young people into the fandom, there probably will be a slow decline of new readers throughout 2025. Eventually it'll become less of a daily reminder for me, and it'll become more of a Past Thing and less of a Now Thing. If that doesn't make any sense, don't worry. It's like... idk. I get a lot of reminders of its existence every day. Which is fine! I think it'll peter off, though. And I'll work very hard again to make something to share, and I hope people will love it just as much =)

Anyway!!!!

Thanks for reading! I hope 2025 will be a very fun and productive year for all writers! 🎉✍️✨ That will mean so much good stuff for readers! Be sure to encourage your favs with comments!

Wishing you all the best in 2025!

[midnightshard06]

STH Rarepair Week Day 5: Fluff

You can check it out on ao3 here if you prefer.

Summary: Out on a run, Shadow gets rudely interrupted by Sonic's inner chaos demon Super Sonic. Though at least for him meeting with Super is less of a life threatening experience and more of a... pleasant one. Not that he'd admit that out loud.

Pairing: Shadow/Fleetway Super Sonic

Warnings: None to be had

Word Count: ~1100 words

AN: I feel like no one should be surprised I've done another thing related to Fleetway stuff. This time technically set in the actual StC continuity. Not that it really matters for this thing lol.

Shadow felt his fur stand on end and came skidding to a halt. That feeling could only mean one thing. His mind raced through several questions. The two most prominent being: was everyone ok and what had happened? Well if he was showing up to Shadow then at least he could be reasonably sure that everyone else was fine. In fact it was possible they’d managed to prompt him to look for Shadow if he hadn’t just done so himself.

“Hey there Shads~” A voice that seemed far too forced rang out behind him.

“Why do you insist on showing up at the worst times Super?” Shadow turned to level a glare at the golden hedgehog, hands tightening into fists. Super Sonic simply grinned back, not at all phased by the hostility. Both of them knew that Shadow likely wouldn’t come out on top if they fought. It was an oddly terrifying thought, but one he’d made peace with a long time ago.

“Not happy to see me?” Super tilted his head, a sharp look in his spiral eyes.

“Do I ever give you the impression that I’m glad to see you?” Shadow huffed.

“Do you want a real answer to that? Or the answer you think you want to hear?” Super sounded amused, any trace of annoyance gone. Shadow simply grimaced and Super’s grin grew. “That’s what I thought.” The golden hedgehog draped himself over Shadow’s shoulders from his floating position and Shadow hated that he actually relaxed at the touch. Chaos energy flowed freely between them in a familiar and comforting act. Something that Shadow had resisted at first, but he quickly learned that he stood no chance against Super in this. Plus he could privately admit to himself it was nice. Sure he’d pulled chaos energy from the emeralds before, but that was a somewhat painful experience just due to the nature of such concentrated chaos energy. With Super it wasn’t forced or overwhelming, so naturally it felt… good. 

“Is there a reason you’re here?” Shadow kept his tone neutral despite him feeling himself unwind at Super’s contact.

"Isn't you being here enough of a reason?" Super hummed, pulling Shadow closer to him. Shadow really wished he wanted to pull away but he didn't. Not that Super would let him anyway.

"You know what I meant. Don't deliberately play dumb with me. I thought we were past that?" Shadow tried to swat away Super's hand when the other hedgehog moved to try and mess with his quills. Unfortunately he wasn't trying very hard and Super got his way.

Super hummed, sounding almost bored. "What can I say, Sonic got careless and I had to bail him out as usual. I figure I deserve a reward for being so nice and not trying to kill his stupid friends"

"They're all alright?" Shadow asked, mostly out of a sense of obligation. He was fairly certain he knew the answer though.

"They're no more ruffed up than what Robotnik did to them. As nice as it would have been to go after them I'd much rather come see you." Super moved his hand to scratch behind Shadow's ear. 

Finally Shadow allowed himself to relax completely. If there was one thing he could trust it was Super being honest with him; he simply had no reason to lie. Plus if Super was with him he wasn't hurting anyone. It didn't hurt that he enjoyed the chaos demon's company either. He just couldn't enjoy it fully until he knew Super hadn't hurt anyone. “Fine.” Shadow huffed.

“There you are.” Super chuckled. “Was it really so hard to believe that I didn’t hurt anyone?” There was a clearly forced innocent tone to his voice.

“Do you want the real answer to that? Or the answer you think you want to hear?” Shadow barely held back an amused grin.

“Using my own words against me? How low.” Super growled, but Shadow knew he wasn’t actually upset.

"Being in your presence requires me to stoop to such methods." Shadow sighed. "How long do you have anyway?"

Super hummed. "Not long." He huffed, ears drooping. "Took longer than expected to deal with Robotnik."

"A shame." Shadow honestly wasn't sure how much of his own comment was sarcasm and how much was genuine disappointment.

"Awe, is mister ultimate lifeform sad he can't spend more time with me?" Super practically purred as he gently messed up Shadow's quills.

"Hardly." Shadow batted Super's hand away. Super chuckled but gave up and went back to scratching Shadow's ear.

Super finally let himself land on the ground. Shadow felt the chaos demon's full weight suddenly land on his shoulders. The only reason he didn't complain was because of the exchange of chaos energy forcing him to relax. Well perhaps it wasn't forcing him, but that is certainly what he'd claim if asked. "Is there a reason you still act so mean to me?" Super lifted some of the weight from Shadow's shoulders. "We both know you don't actually hate me."

"You're far more tolerable than Sonic." Shadow huffed. "Though that bar is low."

"Ah yes." Super pulled his arms off of Shadow and walked around to be in front of him. "You've complained about him plenty to me." He sighed happily. "Music to my ears." He pointed at Shadow, finger against his chest. "That's why I like you."

Shadow's eyes trailed down to Super's hand. Without really thinking about it he grabbed Super's hand and pulled it away. Super looked amused until Shadow linked their fingers. The look of shock on the other hedgehog's face made Shadow wish he had a camera. It wasn't often he could catch Super off guard. Shadow rose a brow in question as he fought to keep an amused smile off his face.

Several emotions passed over Super's face, eventually it settled on quiet contemplation. "Huh." The golden hedgehog looked oddly calm. It honestly was sort of nice to see him like that. Shadow in an odd way privileged that he was the only one to see him like this. Well nearly the only one.

"Do you have enough time to visit the Groovy Train? I believe Ebony and Pajamas would be happy to see you." Shadow gently pulled Super to his side.

Super perked up a little bit. "You just want to go there because they let you buy straight coffee beans you nutter." He looked away, his expression morphing into something more neutral.

"I'll take your lack of disagreement as a yes." Shadow did finally let a small smile grace his face. As much as he liked to put up a front he did like Super. It was an odd relationship for sure, but it was one he was glad for. At the very least Super could understand the struggle of trying to keep chaos energy under control.

[t1oui]

HII

I know I've asked you this before, but I need more of your thoughts and head cannons on rosekiller raising Luna please!!!! Or like if you have any fic recommendations... They are so precious to me and I just need more of your thoughtssss

Also, what do you think Barty and Evan's reaction to Luna presenting her partners to them? Specifically Ginny but if you don't ship Luna and Ginny that's fine

yeah anyway rosekiller raising Luna!! I love them so much tbh

HII ok so i have no fic recs as of rn (😔) so i'll have to stick with headcanons (also sorry it took me so long to answer this, i haven't had any ideas lol)

these three are so damn judgy. every party or whatever they're invited to ends w them standing in the corner gossiping about people

constantly taking in strays. it's a miracle luna is the only kid in their household.

LOTS of cuddles, these three are very codependent

can't think of anything else so moving onto partners... it depends very heavily on who the partner is imo so i'll do a few different people

first of all ginny since that's who you asked for, also bc i can be partial to linny occasionally

so i already said in one of my other posts about rosekiller raising luna (i think it was from an ask from you actually lol) that evan and barty give a shovel talk to luna's partner(s) and ginny's the only one who isn't scared

like nah this girl finds that shit funny. barty loves that for her

evan is a little uncertain about her but he's uncertain about everyone

(the chance luna's partners will be murdered by her parents the second they do something wrong is low but never zero)

this is barely anything but ginny and barty high-five a lot. idk why they just do

now onto some other partners

first of all neville. oh my GOD he nearly has a heart attack the first time he meets luna's parents

he's so sweaty and awkward and he accidentally bows to barty (who finds it very funny but doesn't laugh bc evan won't let him)

he passes their tests bc he clearly likes luna a lot

nev is so shocked when he finds out they actually liked him. he's like luna i love you but please never make me spend time w them ever again

so they only really see e/o at holidays... god forbid they end up alone in a room together, nev pretty much just starts crying

moving on to runa bc i WILL push my rarepair agenda on you >:)

ron is the same except most of his panicking is internal

face blank but believe me bro is NOT keeping his cool

barty 100% thinks he's high and when luna says he's not barty's like "ok but do you think a joint would calm him down" (barty is no longer allowed to be left alone with ron)

evan dislikes quidditch yet somehow ron manages to get him interested in it, nobody knows how

when ron starts on a quidditch rant luna is sure it's over for him lol

luckily evan decided to do a full 180 on quidditch opinions just for him

ANYWAYSSS BACK TO A FEW MORE HEADCANONS

they love watching murder mystery shows together, they always guess who did it

they have monthly presentation nights on the most unhinged shit... i don't have any ideas rn but it's them so you can probably use your imagination lol

them baking together!! specifically barty & luna

i just like the idea of them bringing evan breakfast in bed on his birthday... and he and barty's anniversary... and holidays... and like every other day actually they're very fond of him

making blanket forts

they're never embarrassed of being affectionate w luna & playing w her in public (this one is inspired by the dad who i saw playing with his son on the train the other day bc that was really cute)

tandem bicycle w luna in a basket in the front. barty and evan on a motorcycle w luna in a side car. do you see the vision

going to ikea together to judge the fake rooms

sometimes they just hang out there for a few hours and the employees are like wtf???

they always say they got lost in there as if barty hasn't memorized the layout. what a nerd

they visit pandora, xeno, reg, and cas's graves every year ;-;

back to the thing about playing w each other i can totally see barty playing on playgrounds w luna. he is being judged by the other parents and he could not care less

(when someone asks evan which kid's his he points to both luna and barty)

they have little fashion shows

barty's learned how to fix up clothes for luna and evan knows how to do hair bc pandora... remember in a past post when i said they treat luna like a princess? they make sure she looks like one too

they're always the best dressed ones at the function <3

luna may seem airy and dreamy but she is secretly feral. she will bite you (barty approves)

the three of them get matching bite mark tattoos when luna's an adult... i want them to have matching tattoos and i want them to be weird so here you go

barty & luna doing cartwheels around the house while evan reads

evan teaching luna everything pandora taught him about magical creatures and doing research to tell her more when he runs out of things to say

they love arts & crafts... they always make their own christmas/halloween/etc decorations w each other

movie nights. they take snack preparation very seriously for them

winter nights curled up on the sofa, luna & barty watching some sort of muggle television while evan cuddles up to barty and reads a book :)

they write each other SO MANY LETTERS while luna's at hogwarts

barty and ev telling luna stories about reg and james :')

stuff like "once there was a prince from an evil kingdom who fell in love with a knight"... im making myself sad

they don't directly tell her who harry is when she goes to school (i mean, ofc she's heard of harry potter, but yk... in relation to her bedtime stories) but she figures it out

they make sure to tell her to treat harry like a normal person since they know most people won't

this mostly goes well except for the initial confusion + minor crisis harry has when luna starts telling him about jegulus lol

molly makes them weasley sweaters and insists on personally delivering them every year. nobody knows why she starts doing it, and she always excuses it as simply looking out for the neighbors, but really it's bc she knows what it's like to lose people to war. she lost her brothers, but barty, ev, & luna lost everyone

molly becomes best friends w barty and evan. luna loves her sweaters and if kindness wasn't enough of a motivator to keep bringing them, luna's smile is

luna hanging mistletoe all over the house for barty and evan

she gets a forehead/nose kiss every time she walks under w one of them

when they get bored they have competitions to see who can mkae the worst smoothie with what they have in the house

luna always wins... she does NOT hold back

also here's a lil something... not exactly rosekiller raising luna but it IS from one of my rosekiller raising luna aus, it's jeggy ft cop james x detective regulus :>

this is getting pretty long so i'll end it here - thanks for the ask and feel free to send more whenever !

[das-a-kirby-blog]

alright, this goes out to you guys. just gonna build off of this post

(THIS IS ALL JUST MY OPINION, NOT FACT!)

soooo I think the reason there are so many contrasting headcanons is not only because of the open interpretations the games leave, but because of what kinds of kirby media people are introduced to at first. you got the main games, the anime, the mangas, the light novels, etc. which. wow that's a lot of material you can build on. AND CONSIDERING THE AMOUT OF LORE EACH OF THESE TOPICS ARE COOKING???? DAWG WH

and I GUESS I can understand why some hcs are so bizarre in other people's eyes. but the way this fandom handles those different headcanons is...a lil bad.

YES I KNOW THIS ISN'T SPECIFIC TO THE KIRBY FANDOM, but the whole reason why I'm making this is to at least understand why people take it so close to heart.

and. not calling anyone out. but I do see quite a lot of posts with people (critiquing? complaining?) about how popular headcanons "ruin" the fandom (and this goes with ships too, but I'll get into that later) and all I gotta ask is

does it really??? does it really ruin the fandom?

I'm just gonna say. no. it doesn't.

you are focusing on a small percentage out of...oh idk...AN ENTIRE FANBASE? at LEAST open up a little and find a new circle if it is bothering you that much. or better yet. BLOCK! filter out tags!

with the amout of differing kirby medias, please understand that there will be headcanons that will oppose yours and that's okay! just don't be a jerk about it!

--

NOW. with the ships. specifically metadede. gonna try to put my overwhelming bias aside for this one I promise.

though metadede is the most popular ship in the fandom, it still comes with it's critics. and some are. actually valid! such as their relationship doesn't immediately have to be romantic. it can be seen as platonic! and I can understand why people feel that way.

but things get sour when people immediately try to crap on it because in their eyes, and correct me if I'm wrong here, metadede overshadows every other ship in the fandom. you hardly get to hear about their rarepair because of how metadede is everywhere.

if you take a step back and really look. there is a reason it is so popular. because of the LARGE amounts of media they have together. in the games. in the mangas. in smash. in official art. I mean if you wanna count the anime go ahead.

what I'm trying to say here is that compared to any other character interactions, meta knight and dedede are definitely up there for the most interaction in the franchise. and I'm not trying to downplay any rarepairs or other ships with a smaller fanbase.

BUT DON'T BLAME THE SHIPPERS! they are only doing the same as anyone else, they are going off of what they are given by canon and simply building off of that.

though, because I am a metadede shipper myself, you can take this segment with a grain of salt.

---

in conclusion...people can have their different takes. and that's okay! having different opinions is what builds this fandom and draws the attention of so many. but please! do not take any of these takes personal!

If there is a point in here you would like to argue against or build on, feel free to do so. I'm open to any other views.

[foone]

So if Threshold happens to different Trek crews, who gets who pregnant? Voyager is one of the few shows where it makes heterosexual sense, (for lack of a better word, "sense" not being the word anyone would use to describe threshold)

So for Voyager, it being Paris (pilot) and Janeway (captain) makes sense through that lens. Paris, sure, because he is a pilot. We could pick a Science Guy to do it, but then it might be B'Elanna who does the flying fast, and then who is she going to kidnap for Lizard Sex? Harry? ... Yeah it'd be Harry. Anyway once you've picked Paris, you've got to figure out which woman is funniest to have him abduct into Lizardry. B'Elanna? No, not funny enough. She'd be a Klingon lizard and beat him up instead of mating, even if they did get married later. Besides, what if she evolves into a super-advanced Klingon, not a lizard? *claps* PUT TUVOK ON THE SHUTTLE. Kes? No, they already did a Tom v Neelix episode. Seven of Nine isn't on the show yet, so Janeway it is.

Ok so for other shows, we gotta pick a pilot or science guy (who might be screwing around with transwarp, and thus get Lizarded) and someone they could turn into a lizard to have babies with. The show is assuming heterosexual pairings here, but we know about things so we are not so limited.

The original series: as much as I'd love to say Sulu and Uhura ("I'll save you, fair maiden!" "sorry, neither"), I think TOS was much less of an ensemble than later Treks, so it'd need to be Spock. Spock is doing some science stuff, he gets hyper-evolved, and he picks someone else to hyper-evolve and turn into his lizard bride. As much as I want to say "Kirk", I think it's more likely that he runs off with Uhura and then Kirk has to rescue them. Kirk was always about being the one who rescues people, having the Enterprise come rescue Lizard!Spock (is that antisemitic?) and Lizard!Kirk and it's called commanded by McCoy? Nah.

TNG: the direct analogy to VOY would mean we have Wesley and... Picard? No, no, and no. Sorry. Frankly, we already had this plot on TNG (Genesis), and canonically the answer is Worf and Troi. The problem with it being a pilot thing is that Wesley is a child and Data (the official science guy) is an android, so he can't really be hyper-evolving. We could go with Geordi, the other Science Guy, but then we've got the image of a black man kidnapping a white woman. Uhhhh no. We already did that episode and it is an example of Deep Shame for the show. So Worf and Troi it is.

DS9: so this is what inspired me to make this post. We all agree Sisko would be a damn good father to his lizard babies, but would it be him? If so, with who? You could have it be Dax, and she lizards first and kidnaps him, which makes some sense given that she's a Science Guy. But you also have to consider Weird Guys. Every Trek series needs a Weird Guy so that whenever an ancient alien artifact turns the whole crew into Muppets or whatever, they can be the one who isn't affected and can thus solve it. This is all to say, Odo/Kira could be done. We've had a few episodes where he's been shown to do very extreme things out of his pining for her, so it makes some sense. Odo/Quark would be funnier but given how the DS9 writers handled Profit and Lace, I really don't want to see them do a gay mpreg episode.

ENT: the series with canon mpreg! Direct translation of would be Mayweather/Archer. Mmm. Probably not. I think it's gonna be a rarepair: Trip/Hoshi. Trip/T'Pol is too canon to be funny. The next best option is Archer/T'Pol and that's just kinda bleh. It makes sense but it's just the kind of thing they'd do and it'd be bland. We can do better. Honorary mention: Trip and Reed.

I've not watched enough of the New Treks to have an opinion there. Maybe SNW: Ortegas and La'an. Don't ask why.

[amethystfairy1]

Are there any deleted scenes/miscellaneous ttsbc things you'd love to share but haven't found the opportunity to yet? This is an open mic to ramble about anything related to ttsbc (if you don't have anything, feel free to ignore this ask)

OHHHHHHHHHH BOY YOU'VE GIVEN ME PERMISSION TO RAMBLE!

Ok ok ok...

Well, there are a couple little things I guess as far as 'deleted' scenes.

I was originally planning on having more heroes in the overcity alongside Scar and then having several other undercity vigilantes and really leaning into that concept. For example Cleo was going to be an older undercity vigilante who worked in the overcity and was helping Grian out as a mentor-type. There was also plans to have guy-in-the-chair Doc, and have him and Cleo be the two people who raised the avian trio. Alongside that, Pearl, Jimmy, Bdubs, and others were going to be vigilantes as well with various gimmicks/power sets.

But then as I was writing I realized I wanted to expand the AU, so I decided to lean more heavily into the idea of having various pairings that all had their own storylines. First up was Flower Husbands, and as I was considering them I decided on the route I ended up taking, with Grian being the only vigilante and having a support network behind him in the form of Pearl and Jimmy. Then it just sorta spiraled. 😆

As for other rambling about stuff I deleted/changed, I've always shipped Doctho but it's kind of a rarepair so I wasn't originally going to include it. Like I said, I was originally going to have Doc and Cleo be the ones who raised the avian trio, with Bdubs and Tango in that mix. The more I thought about it though, I decided that I wanted to have Doctho be the parental figures for the avian trio!

For Doctho, I originally was just planning to drop them as sort of a background thing and not really give them much attention. Just that they were the parental figures for the avian trio. But then people started saying in comments how much they loved Doctho in this AU and that they wanted to see the worldbuilding expand, and learn more about the undercity and it's history, and I thought the best way to do that would be through Doc and Etho and their history together!

And so we got 'Bleeding Sweetheart' and that was really when the ball started rolling on having this AU have an actual plot that is being driven forward by the characters instead of it just being a world for all these characters to exist in. Let me be clear, TTSBC will always be a character driven narrative. If anything is happening, it's for the sake of driving their relationships, both romantically and for the found families we've met, such as the Oddball Family, Cleo and Bdubs, and the Empires family whom we are getting to know right now in 'Blessing in Disguise'!

Anything else to share...I dunno, there's a ton of stuff in this AU. What I have posted so far isn't even half of it which is kinda ridiculous, huh? Theres lots I have planned for the AU! I know right now Traveling Thieves is getting a lot of my attention because of Febuwhump, but I'm really excited to get back to working on TTSBC and continuing it forward! Zedango is one ship I'm really excited to show off, I have a plan for them that I think is really interesting and unique. Not to mention Nature Wives, I haven't forgotten about them, either! So yeah, I guess the conclusion to this ramble is please stick around! I wanna share a whole bunch more of the AU with everyone!

Thanks for coming by 💖

[themurdochmemesteries]

shran/malcolm for the rarepair? 👀

I said I wouldn't get to these right away, and yet here I am.

Alright, sticking this under a Read (Reed) More because this one got away from me a bit lmfao. Have some whump featuring a concussed Malcolm and Shran as a secret softie. I know it's not too romance-focused, but if you know me well enough, you know that I don't really do lovey-dovey stuff lol.

Malcolm tugged fruitlessly at the bonds that were wound around his wrists and ankles. The rope was tied tight, without any give at all. Sighing, he slumped back against the wall, head angled up to stare at the drab grey ceiling through his one good eye.

The aliens had given him quite a beating when they’d been taken. Malcolm and Shran had fought fervently against their captors, using their fists and teeth when they’d been disarmed. Shran had been taken down first—the aliens had pressed some kind of device to his neck that knocked him out cold in an instant. Malcolm had continued to fight, but it was four against one, and soon he also found himself on the wrong end of that device.

He'd woken up here, in this dim grey room—this cell—bound hand and foot, and with Shran nowhere in sight.

Malcolm closed his eyes. His head was throbbing, and he was sore all over. He knew he should be alert, but he felt so lethargic, and his body was so heavy. He couldn’t keep his eyes open…

It was less than fifteen minutes later that he was drawn from his restless doze to the sound of a scuffle coming from outside the door to his cell, along with a familiar voice shouting something. With great effort, Malcolm pried his eyes open, just in time for the door to open and light to flood into the room. At the same time, Shran was pushed inside the cell. The door immediately slammed shut behind him. However, this didn’t stop Shran from whirling around and banging his fists against the metal. “Why, you bastards!” he yelled. “When I get my hands on you, I’ll tear you apart! Where’s Reed? What have you done with him?”

It took two tries for Malcolm to speak loud enough for Shran to hear. Finally, the Andorian whirled around, and his eyes widened. He hurried over and knelt at Malcolm’s side. “Reed,” he whispered.

“I suppose there’s no need to keep up the pretence now that we’re alone,” Malcolm said, half-jokingly.

“Malcolm,” Shran corrected. He reached out, but didn’t touch Malcolm, perhaps fearful at causing more damage. His face darkened. “They really did a number on you.”

“You’re looking a little worse for wear yourself.”

Shran rolled his eyes and scoffed. “Andorians are much tougher than humans.” He took Reed’s cheek in his hand and tilted his head towards the small beam of light that drifted in from the window in the door. “You have a concussion,” he said.

“What else is new?” Malcolm sighed.

“Shut up.” Shran dropped his hand and began feeling around Malcolm’s body, searching for more injuries. At the same time, he undid the rope that bound Malcolm’s hands and feet.

Malcolm rubbed his wrists, wincing a little. The rope had dug in deep, leaving red rashes that were bleeding faintly. “Thanks,” he breathed.

Shran immediately grabbed Reed’s hands to examine his wrists. He sucked in a breath. “Fuckers nearly cut off circulation.”

“I’m alright, though. Really.”

Shran looked at him incredulously, his antennae arching forward.

“Really,” Malcolm repeated.

“Whatever you say,” Shran said, before sitting down next to Malcolm with a light huff of air. He curled his knees in slightly, rested his arms on top of them, and leaned his head back.

“Enterprise will notice we’re missing,” Malcolm said into the silence.

“I damn well hope so,” replied Shran.

Malcolm felt his eyelids begin to droop again. “Captain Archer will come for us.”

Shran remained quiet for a moment. In the interim, Malcolm’s head fell to the side, resting on the Andorian’s shoulder, and his eyes fluttered shut. He was too exhausted, his mind too fuzzy to really comprehend what he was doing.

“Wake me when they come for us,” Malcolm murmured.

More silence. Malcolm was just drifting off when Shran replied softly: “I will.”

[queer-omens-in-the-archives]

(No pressure but) tell me about your wiiiiipppss!!!

!! Hi thank you for the ask!! <3 TwT

Putting under a cut because it got suuuper long, I hope not TOO long dfjhsddsjfhhsd. Everything is Mello/Near unless otherwise stated.

I'm going to start with the WIPs we're not gonna have much to say about publicly. They're basically... two full AUs, each set in the same base universe and within similar conditions, except the Mello/Near dynamic plays out differently in each, because there's a couple major differences which butterfly-effect the characters and how their stories play out:

to escape an empire has a main fic (of seven chapters + an epilogue) and two sequels (one of which is so self-indulgent I don't know if it'll see the light of AO3) in the works. The main fic is almost fully drafted and already partially beta'd (which, I'm not @-ing our beta directly in this longass post but HEARTFELT THANK YOU FOR HELPING US MIDWIFE OUR FIC INTO THE WORLD SO SKILLFULLY)

and throw me into life (a lot less developed because we're keeping it on the backburner for after empire, for reasons of "the universe is similar but the characterisation is so different and we don't want to accidentally get mixed up").

We don't talk about either much in public -- because we're 100% sure nobody has written the concept before, but we write slowly and we'd be sad if someone else got to doing something with that idea before us sdhfjgsdhf. (That said, we did post a couple of excerpts from one of the sequels to empire: here and here!)

And then in our series sweet atonement (in which Near acquires an introject of Mello as a coping mechanism for the grief brought upon him by Mello's death, and then we make the two of them interact in various ways; it's self-indulgent plurality/multiplicity fiction as much as it is Death Note fanfic) -- we've already published six fics, but we have many ideas for more, including in no particular order:

at least one POV from (some of) the folks who work with Near, pre- and post-introject!Mello

exploring how Near and introject!Mello learn how to work together and/or sometimes clash (this spans several WIPs actually, one of which we expanded on a little here)

exploring Near's grief and depression and burnout and such (because the emotional injury he sustained when Mello died does NOT magically disappear just because he has (a) Mello back, and on top of that, being L on his own is incredibly taxing for him)

exploring introject!Mello's grief and assimilated emotions (non-exhaustive list: he remembers what dying was like; Matt is still dead; Near is really not doing well which affects Mello in multiple ways)

at least one other PWP

a conclusion-ish piece of what their cooperation looks like when it's fully established (like a decade or two after introject!Mello first shows up)

and possibly more that are just embryos of ideas in our Discord channels!!

Not bothering with the working titles here because when we work on WIPs in this universe, we often end up combining them or splitting the ideas into different works for pacing/focus reasons -- it's very fluid, we haven't planned anything ahead like we did with empire. It's just a collection of whichever moments we feel most like writing at the time.

Originally we'd planned on keeping this universe for after we'd finished empire, but it didn't turn out that way -- both because empire got so much longer than we expected it to be (we'd planned for about 10,000 words, it's at nearly 35,000 sequels included and will probably keep growing...) and the editing process is also taking longer than anticipated; and because sweet atonement keeps grabbing us by the throat at semi-random and we've learned to ride those waves when they happen.

We're also in the process of fleshing out some of the Matt/Mello/Near drabbles we wrote for DN Rarepair Week into longer pieces!! Toying with the Matt/Near of #2 - Absence currently :3

And then we have some tiny WIPs that are basically just... bits and pieces. Scenes that could maybe be reabsorbed into other works, single paragraphs or lines, concepts and ideas, bits we cut out of one fic but might reuse in another, etc.

So that's everything we've got cooking right now!! If you have read this far, I would like to award you this:

(seriously thank you)

[wolfboy88]

for the make me write thingy: can i ask for all of them? all of them are so cool

Of course you can darling. It just took a hot minute!

🪦Graveyard Secrets/Hook Up (Thiam/Thisaac/ Thiaac)

"But there's someone there," Liam insists, breathless as the figure draws near, emerging from the mist with a sinister glint in their eyes and a wicked grin on their face.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" Isaac chimes in, his voice cutting through the heavy silence.

"Theo and I are just getting to know each other a little better," Liam tries to explain, his nerves getting the best of him while Theo remains cool and collected.

"I see," Isaac responds dryly. "It's about time. I was starting to think I'd drown in all that homoerotic rivalry nonsense."

"What are you doing here?" Liam finally finds his voice.

"Just making sure you two haven't killed each other," Isaac replies, his smirk unyielding.

"Kill each other? No, we've moved past that," Theo jokes with a smirk. "I'm just about to make him mine."

"That'll be a first," Isaac snickers. "Usually, it's you who's on the receiving end."

🏡 The Hellhound(s) Next Door (Liam/Halwyn/ Jordan)

So this one’s changed from a Liam/Halwyn pairing to a Liam + married Halwyn/Jordan. And it’s more smutty than spooky with the whole neighbour/voyeurism thing again.

"Well, that sounds like a recipe for boredom or mischief," Halwyn interjects. "Why don't you come join us for a swim later? Cool off and let us get to know you.”

Liam tries to hide his eager enthusiasm. "Yeah, that sounds great. I'd love to."

Jordan grins. "Awesome. We'll fire up the grill too, make it a proper pool party."

"Oh, uh, that sounds perfect," Liam says, already imagining the toned, glistening bodies of his new neighbours as they lounge poolside.

🐺 An Omega & his Alpha (Thiam/Dark Theo)

Slowly, Liam begins to regain consciousness. His eyelids flutter as he adjusts to the dimly lit surroundings. As he tries to sit up, he realizes that he is restrained and unable to move. His wrists are bound to a table, but it's not just any table —it's an operating table. And it soon becomes clear to him that he is not in a hospital; instead, he finds himself in a dark and eerie underground lair, resembling an operating theater from a horror film.

🐈‍⬛ Cat Got Your Tongue

So, this one I can’t decide on who I wanna pair Scott up with. I really wanted to do my favourite Scott rarepair Scosh (Scott x Josh) but there’s a hint of Lahey Brothers in this one and Scott either needs to end up with Isaac or Jordan. Thoughts guys?

Unfortunately, the hottest guy at the party seems oblivious to Scott's existence. Yet, he is the one person Scott would willingly allow to touch him all night long.

He's so hot and distracting, that every time he gets near Scott, accidents happen. Drinks spill, food drops, and Scott's job is hanging by a thread.

But as the night goes on and the party progresses, Scott notices the attractive man watching him. The man can't seem to take his eyes off Scott, and it makes Scott feel tingly and more clumsy than ever.

🧞‍♂️I Dream of Theo (Thiam)

Liam's heart races, torn between confusion, shock, and...something else he didn't dare name. "How is this possible? Am I hallucinating?"

"You never heard of a genie, Dunbar. Or a djinn, if you want to get technical." Theo's grin is downright predatory. "Should I call you master?”

Liam's mouth goes dry. "Master?" he squeaks, cheeks feeling warm.

🕳️ The Mythical Bathhouse (Thiam/Monsters)

Summoning his courage, Liam approaches the Berserker, his steps steady and determined. The creature's gaze follows him, its expression unreadable beneath its mask. Liam's heart races, but he refuses to let fear consume him. He has come too far to back down now.

As he approaches the entrance, the Berserker graciously steps aside, granting him passage. Liam's heartbeat quickens, and he cautiously steps through the entrance and into a seemingly ordinary locker room.

🏚️ The Horny Phantoms of Hale House (Thiam/ Hale Men)

Late into the night, after hours of setting up their gear, Liam and Theo finally retired in their shared sleeping bag, nestled together like they normally would back in their bed.

Theo, however, took comfort to a new level, snuggling against Liam and using his chest as a pillow. His hand roams down, playfully skimming over Liam's stomach before slipping into his pants.

Amused, Liam chuckles, “I can’t believe you’re getting frisky in a supposedly haunted house.”

“Got to past the time somehow,” Theo replies with a mischievous grin.

“You’re unbelievable,” Liam laughs. “Only you would think to use this a place to hookup.”

“Don’t lie, you’re thinking the same thing,” Theo teases, now boldly caressing Liam’s hard cock. “And I saw you sneakily checking out those pictures of our phantoms”

“Apparent phantoms,” Liam reminds him.

“So, who’s your favourite?”

🧛‍♂️The Vampire’s Vice (Thiam/Dark Liam)

“Mmm, is that a stake in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?” Liam taunts, grinding his thigh against Theo’s hardening length.

“Fuck you,” Theo mutters, though his heart isn’t really in it; the friction sends him spiraling deeper into the vampire’s intoxicating grasp.

“Fuck you? That’s an intriguing proposition, but I think it’ll be the other way around,” Liam teases, a wicked grin spreading across his face. “You won’t be the one doing the sticking, hunter boy,” he chuckles, and Theo shivers in response. “I’d much prefer to take you,” Liam whispers, his gaze intense as he holds Theo’s eyes.

[laismoura-art]

Regarding your latest Ship War™ reblog: The way SubSmoke is my OTP but I'm so detached from its community that I wasn't even aware the drama in the SubScorp tag had been a thing. .____.

(Okay and I stay away from the SubScorp tag too lmao)

Like- especially given how MK1 also killed SubSmoke- We are literally both losing. Guys, c'mon. 😭

In the name of all SubSmoke fans, I apologize lmao. Tbh, I quite quickly found out that I didn't vibe with SubSmoke fans because of how most of them treat Tomáš. Some fans really strike me as Toxic Teenage Cringe Yaoi Enthusiasts™, which makes me super uncomfortable. Maybe it's just a vocal minority but it's nothing I want to be part of. ^^'

What a sad little shipper existence it is lol.

Are ship wars still active in the MK fandom though? The fandom is quite dead, the MK1 hype has been deader than dead since Khaos Reigns. Do people still fight over these? 😭

(That reminds me that I have to finish the ask memes you sent me months ago. I have the Kira/Frost almost done y'know? Just got my brain stuck in other things-😭)

Hey there, Rasta!💕

Yeah, SubScorp was my main tag to explore back then so I was there right when it happened😭 it was annoying but died quickly cause not long after the karma Lin Kuei trailer came out with the "We don't share blood but we are brothers" putting us all officially on the same boat! :'D

(lmao, I get it, I’ve never been to the SubSmoke tag either🫣)

In the name of all SubScorp fans, I appreciate and accept your apology and if any SubScorp shipper ever did anything like that in you guy's tag, I offer my own apology and a slap to the back of their head!😤

But seriously, what these SubSmoke shippers did was a minor inconvenience compared to the absolute HELL the inc*st shippers pulled when they started claiming that now that Kuai and Bi-Han were Scorpion & Sub-Zero, their stupid "ship" qualified as SubScorp and therefore they had the right to use OUR tag.

Like seriously, taste apart, go to someone else's PRE-ESTABLISHED ship tag and claim you own it too because of some damn technicality was just straight up EVIL and DISGUSTING!

It made everybody uncomfortable and annoyed, it took us MONTHS of arguing and blocking to cleanse our tag from those ill-mannered PRICKS! >:(

°.✦

Oof, I feel you with the Smoke/SubSmoke situation! There's nothing worse than the feeling of the rest of your fandom not vibing with you😭😭 I've been through a similar situation back when I was in the Voltron fandom with Keith/Klance (whereas their entire dynamic, development and growth was being twisted and ignored to the point where they were just the hot yaoi meme and Keith became just your stereotyped gay boy who's personality is just "gay" (ಠ_ಠ)). I was NOT having a good time there, Rasta! Not. At. All!

But I did have a wonderful time chatting with this lovely Lotura shipper, who gave me a lot of room and encouragement to write my ship the way I wanted!🥹💕 Love ya @amerricanartwork !

°.✦

Are ship wars still active? Hmmm, I haven't seen any? The "rarepair war" I mentioned in my reblog was the last I saw and I think it didn't last long cause... you know... rarepairs... don't got that many soldiers to begin with... lol!

Some HanRumi shippers still pop up here and there to complain about KuaiRumi but honestly, us KuaiRumi shippers have been hit so many times by so many different shippers (in the spam of a YEAR) that at this point we're just:

SHOOT ME, COWARD!

Plus, I dunno which are the top ships these days, I know there's JohnShi and... RaiLao? But they aren't my jam so I don't know if there's any big ship war going on.

Like you said, the fandom is pretty quiet, ain't gonna say dead, cause I keep feeding my Harumi girlies and tending my OTP (safest place on Earth: a pseudo OC × Canon, lmao), but I think as soon as MK1 pulls another brand new ship into existence we'll be getting some real movement here, lol!

(Oh yeah, I'm quite curious about those!👀 But please, do take your time, I know we've gotta share you with the Arcane fandom now, lol! But I ain't complaining, I'm quite happy to see that you adopted the fandom's flower girl!💕)

Anyways, hope it has somehow answered your question!😅💕

[raayllum]

"My mom used to do that." for claudiez 👀

as always they're in their 20s... Plus send me a number with a ship and i'll write it &lt;3 accepted ships are tdp canon ships + rarepairs (claudiez, sopreli, corvus/terry, sorvus)

There's very little that Ezran remembers about Sarai.

He remembers the warmth of her smile, he thinks. The softness of her hair in his chubby little hands. But beyond that, there's not much else—too recently weaned before her death for more than stories he's heard to take hold, and even then, it feels like every year Harrow (until he couldn't) and Callum, or even Aunt Amaya, would bring up something new, something small, that they remembered, and he was learning it for the first time.

Mom always wore little gold beads in her hair.

Those were her favourite pair of earrings.

She planned out the castle gardens, with those hedges over there.

Soren, even, citing that she was his first sword-fighting teacher back when she'd been captain of the guard, before she and Ez's dad had fallen in love.

Her birthday is always hard, an added winter chill growing throughout the castle. Ezran ensures more fires are lit, and Claudia enchants little glass jars of orange light with her Sun primal, for people to carry in their pockets to keep them warm. He dons his more heavily furred royal cape and keeps Bait close while he writes letters to his brother and Rayla in Xadia, climbing the cold steps up to the rookery to send them.

Claudia joins him more often than not in his study, to save on candles, she says, as they do their work long into the night, but Ezran thinks she just likes his company, his heart doing a hopeful little dance in his chest. He steals glances at her atop the rim of candlelight dancing in her green eyes, now with that spark of light in them that'd been gone for so long during the war. After the war, too.

"You know," he begins, when they're heading to the study after lunch, "we could go to the library. The fireplace there is warmer. There's more comfortable chairs."

We used to always sit up in the library when it got cold, his dad had said, and Callum would play on the floor with you in your mom's lap.

Claudia thinks for a moment, then grins adorably. "Why not?" she says.

They settle in with tea and jelly tarts as an extra bonus, Claudia easing off her prosthetic and letting her stump be close to the fire; Ezran knows the cold makes the phantom pains worse this time of year. (Terry still sends over a herbal remedy that helps with it from where he's set up an apothecary on the border of Del Bar and Katolis with Corvus.)

More of her dyed black hair falls in front of her ears while she works, making notes on charts for what magical goods will be imported once the ice melts, and Claudia pushes it back impatiently until she sits back and begins braiding it. It's still shorter than it was in their teens, no longer all the way down her back, but long enough to braid as she starts the process, fingers jolting.

Dark magic took a lot from her, but one of the things it left was permanent nerve damage in her hands. (The cold makes that worse, too.)

"My mom used to do that," Ez half-remembers, half-recalls. Another story about the differences from their royal portrait—the one real non-Callum produced picture of their mother he has, the way he pictures her in his mind's eye—and how she'd worn her hair in a braid just as often loose or in a bun.

Claudia smiles then, softly. "She did. She's actually the one who taught me, after..." Lissa, another woman Ezran has never really met, isn't a wound anymore, but it's still hard during this time of year. "After my mom left and I grew my hair out."

Ezran sets aside his letter to an Evenerean diplomat, rising when she struggles again. "I can do that for you, if you like."

"Oh. You don't—"

He steps around easily to stand behind her armchair. "Let me?"

Claudia turns to the front fully, exhaling. "Alright."

He gathers her hair gently, hands confident due to the way his father had shown him him growing up, but styled a bit more the way Moonshadows do their braids, like how Rayla had demonstrated. For love and affection, she'd said, having small, long ones tucked away behind thicker locks for each of them—Callum and Ez and Soren, her boys, and then for each of her parents.

"There," Ezran says, finishing. He takes off his cape too for good measure, and drapes it across her shoulders. Claudia is looking at him wide-eyed when he walks back around to face her, and he passes a hand self-consciously over the patch of hair he's growing on his chin.

"Thank you," she says at least, tugging his cape further over her shoulder. The royal red brings out the green of her eyes and black of her hair. It suits her.

"Don't mention it," Ezran says, sitting again. They catch each other's eye, briefly, and share a smile, before she blushes a bit and looks away.

He feels warm for the first time all day.

[ranbowkng]

Can You Really Love A Wench? (When All Else Fail)

Summary: John knew she was evil. He knew she tried to kill him without a second thought seconds earlier. And yet, he couldn't help but feel sorry for her, a connection to the heartache. And perhaps, a new sense of longing. (Rarepair so rare I'm probably the only one who believes it's possible. TW mentions of SA)

It's over, the fight against what was left of that woman. The demon she had inflicted herself with was gone. Only her body remained. This was a fight John could successfully say he has won.

And yet, he couldn't help but feel... something for the headless body of the woman below him. No friends, no family, no obituary, the poor girl had likely died before the demon had taken over her body. She didn't even get to keep her dignity by dying with a shirt on. The poor creature.

His instincts told him to run, to get out while he was still in one piece. He'd already saved Lisa, and defeated the demon inside this woman. Not to mention this was the very woman who had betrayed Lisa's trust and nearly got her killed, what more could this world possibly offer her? And yet, he still saw something... something in the woman. It wasn't much, but it was something.

At the very least, he couldn't let her body be found shirtless. Knowing the creeps and monsters that lurked around Lisa's apartment, Lord only knows what would happen to her body as he left it.

"Sorry, I don't have anything else," John said, removing his clerical collar to take off his shirt, wrapping it around the woman's body. He gingerly buttoned the shirt closed, allowing her to at least die with her modesty, "I hope it's alright...it looks good on you."

He got no response. Of course he didn't. How was a corpse to respond? A corpse that was a part of a cult. A corpse who nearly killed his friend. A corpse who nearly killed him. This corpse was a harbinger of evil, the more he stuck around, the more it tried to suck the soul out of him. A corpse of violent intent.

John sighed, lifting the body and leaning it against the wall. A corpse who didn't know any better. He took her hands and folded them, leading her in prayer, "Father forgive her, for she did not have a choice. She was being used and hurt without realizing it. Grant her a life in heaven and forgive her trespasses. I'm sorry I couldn't save her."

He squeezed her hand, prepared to let this be her last goodbye. At least he was, until the headless corpse loudly gasped to life. John fell backwards, pushing himself back as the corpse desperately reached out in front of her, panting in desperation.

"Gary! Gary my love, is that you?" He didn't know how she was speaking, but her voice loomed, still distorted and scratchy, "It's so dark... it's dark and it's quiet! Please my love, tell me you're there!" Her corpse was reaching in every direction, trying desperately to find someone. John knew it was stupid to not have gotten up to run away then and there, but he didn't. He watched her for a few seconds before standing, taking her hand, "Gary?"

"No, I'm sorry, it's just me," John said, gentle with his touch, prepared to exorcise her again if need be.

"Oh, I recognize your voice priest," she said, her grip on him loosening as she realized Gary had not come back for her, "Come to gloat at my defeat?"

"No! Not at all!" John said, "I just...I didn't want to leave your body exposed."

"And why not?" Tiffany's far away voice huffed.

"I- well...I didn't want someone to see your exposed chest and try to...you know...take advantage of you," John said.

Tiffany let go, had she still had her head, she probably would have looked away as she grabbed the hems of John's shirt, pulling it tighter over herself, "You say that as if it hasn't been happening the entire time. Like I haven't had to just deal with it ever since I moved into this godforsaken place."

"I...well...I don't know...but you don't deserve that," John said, letting her take back her space.

The two sat in silence. A priest who saved what should be dead, and the dead who had no desire to be saved. John stepped backwards while she curled her knees in, tapping against the skin of her leg.

"You still there?" She asked.

"I'll be here until you tell me to go away," John said, looking down at her sorrowfully.

"Okay...okay..." He voice was devoid of emotion, yet it wasn't cold. More so, melancholic, "At least you can pretend to be useful for something."

Normally John would have at least made a comment on this, but it would probably be counter productive considering the poor girl's position. He watched her as she bounced her leg, then began tapping at random around her. First her leg, then the wall, then the ground, seeming fixated on anything that made noise. John watched and began tapping his foot slightly. Not to drown out her own tapping, but just loud enough that she could tell he was still there.

"You know, it's almost funny," she said, "The first time Gary caught it happening to me, he shut it down, saying not to ruin such a beautiful face. I was certain it was because he loved me, but I think it was just because he thought I was a child. When it came to the Martin girl, sure he'd hold her around the waist and touch her shoulders occasionally, but never ever would he lay a hand on her where he shouldn't, and nor would he allow anyone else."

"That's... that's horrible," John said.

"That's life," Tiffany shrugged, but without an expression she was impossible to read, "When I saw the way she got treated, I think I was jealous. I hoped I could put myself in her position. To be the one treated with fragility and delicacy." She rubbed at the opening in her neck, "Stupid, isn't it?"

"No! No! I don't think it's stupid at all!" Having a habit of hugging people in need of comfort, John approached, but realizing just how horrifying it might be for a newly blind girl telling her story, perhaps that's about the worst thing he could have done, "Ah, sorry, do you mind if I hug you?"

She was still for a moment before tapping at her knee again, "I want my head back."

John blinked, "I'm sorry?"

"I want my head back," she repeated, "It's somewhere in here, likely with the mask still on it. Find it for me, will you?"

"Ah! Right!" John began searching the room for her head while her body sat there, still tapping, making as much noise as possible.

Eventually, he found her head. The ears, filled with her own blood and clearly trying desperately to listen for something, were twitching. He could see where she messed up, halfway across the top of her mask was the outline of the carving of her face, then as she got closer to her mouth the panic must have set it, causing her to drag lower, cutting her head clean off in the process.

"I found it," John said, picking it up by the hair.

"Agh! Careful!" Tiffany yelled, reaching at the empty space above her neck to try and stop him, even though she knew he wasn't there, "I can still feel it you know!"

"Sorry!" John changed his grip, cradling her head in his arms, "Now what?"

Tiffany felt around her skirts, feeling for a pocket. When she finally found it, she pulled out a sewing kit and pushed it towards John, "Put it back on."

John was skeptical. There was no way she could just be okay with this. Yet he did as she commanded, not wanting to leave her with nothing after taking the only thing she had left. He got on his knees in front of her outstretched legs, "Do you mind if I-"

"There's nothing you could do to me that some creep hasn't done against my better judgement," she said.

"Well, I'm not a creep, and I'm not going to do anything to hurt you," John said, "So I'd like your permission before I start doing things you might not want."

Tiffany was silent for a moment, crossing the arms of her body before speaking again, "You may do whatever if necessary to put my head back on. But once it's on I expect you to back off. Got it?"

"Understood," John said, placing her head back at the neck, "I have to warn you, this will probably hurt."

"I don't care," she said, "Get it over with."

John was horrified as he watched the needle go through and bleed the skin, staining the thread crimson as he put her back together, but what was twice as horrifying was the fact that Tiffany hadn't flinched once the entire time. She sat perfectly still, waiting for him to finish. As soon as he tied the string a hundred times over, making sure the stitches would hold, he backed off, standing again.

"Any better?" He asked.

"I still can't see," she said, ripping off the mask. John's stomach lurched at the sight. Her eyes, forehead, and half of her nose and mouth had been replaced with the same voice Amy had, only hers seemed far more empty.

"Dear God, you let him do this to you?" John said.

"I did this to myself," she said, "It was the only way I would get him to love me."

"Tiffany please, he's just a guy," John said, "There are plenty of other men out there."

"Not like him!" She grumbled, "No other man would stop the act while it's happening! They just use you and toss you aside when they're bored! What man would possibly help me in a state such as that?"

"...I would have," John spoke softly.

"Then where were you!?" She yelled before leaning back against the wall.

"...I'm sorry...you didn't deserve it..." He said, his voice dripping with sympathy.

"Well...too late...it did," she said, turning to look away, rubbing her right ear lobe, "And to think...to think I actually loved him...I let him tell me what to do...I..." She didn't have the eyes to cry, but she could still tremble, and she could still hiccup and groan in pain, "I let him use me and now...now I'm useless...just a washed up toy no one wants to play with... unlovable..."

She buried her head in her knees, trembling violently. John moved slowly, making sure his footsteps were heavy enough to hear where he was moving. He sat against the wall next to her, knocking at the brick next to her ear before slowly placing a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"I don't think you're unloveable," John said, "You just, you know, fell for the wrong guy."

"He was the only guy that gave me the time of day," Tiffany said, "Everyone else just wanted my body."

"Well...I'm not everybody else," John said.

Tiffany's shaking slowed, "What are you saying?"

"You're more than just your body Tiffany, and far more than just your heartache," John said, "You know, I used to ask Lisa about you all the time. She always told me all the wonderful things you've done for her. You're more than just an accessory to some guy."

Tiffany was silent before sitting up, turning towards the sound of his voice, "May I touch your face?"

"Excuse me?" John blinked again.

"I can still smell and hear you all the same, but I can't see you, may I feel your face?" She asked.

"Well...I...sure," he stammered, taking her hands and guiding them towards his neck, "But, tell me, what is it that I smell like?"

"Candle wax and cologne mostly," she said, moving her hands to gently caress his face. She felt his cheekbones and lips, under his eyes, behind his ears, anywhere she felt she'd want to feel, "Your face feels different from the way it looked the last time you visited Lisa."

"More tired?" He chuckled, allowing her to feel everything.

"Stronger," she said, "The strength you've gained shows in your skin. I wish I could see it." She slowly lowered her hands before fidgeting with John's shirt, "Still married to that girl I assume?"

"Molly? No," he said, "She left me behind."

"I see," she said. No she didn't, but John knew she'd probably stab him if he said that out loud, "Well...then I suppose it wouldn't be wrong to say that your face also feels more handsome than the last time we met."

John blushed, but he knew she wouldn't see that, "Oh! Uhm...thank you!"

The remaining half of Tiffany's mouth smirked, "Don't mention it." She rubbed his cheeks once again before moving to hold his shoulders, which is when she realized he really had taken off his shirt just to keep her covered, "Unlike me, I wore out my beauty the first time I let them use me."

"What? No not at all!" John argued, moving her hands back onto his cheeks so he could rub the back of her knuckles softly, "Even with only half your face you are still twice as beautiful as most girls."

"Don't flatter me, it's only going to be false," Tiffany huffed.

"Well I am telling the truth," John said, moving his hand to rest below her chin, "You truly are a thing of beauty."

Tiffany tilted her head into the touch, a hint of a blush on what remained of her nose and cheeks, "If you say so."

"I do," John said, gently rubbing her lower lip, or what remained of it, "May I?"

Tiffany shrugged, "Fuck it, give it a shot, you won't like it."

"That's for me to decide," John said. He gently pressed his lips to hers, moving slow and gently. Despite not having as much skin to work with, the kiss sent sparks flying from his heart, and he yearned for more, but he still backed away slowly. He wanted to go at her pace, "You have very soft lips."

"Shut up preacher," she said, the blush on her skin and the way she touched her lips and smiled giving her away.

"Hmm, tell you what," John said, helping her to her feet, allowing her to cling to him like he'd fly away with the wind as soon as she let go, "I'll take you back to my house and get you something to actually wear. From there we can have a proper discussion."

"Yes," Tiffany nodded, "Yes, I think I'd like that."

"Alright, good," John said, "I swear on my life, no one is ever going to hurt you again."

"Don't get all sentimental now priest," she said, loosening her grip tightly, "You might actually make me fall in love."

John smiled, "Then I suppose it's too late for me considering I've already fallen."

Tiffany shook her head, "Not too late." She clung onto his arm tighter, "I'll catch you."

[kennys-parka-jacket]

Heidi x Rebecca! A rarepair, to be sure

The cafeteria was noisy with the chatter of fourth grade children. It was very different from the strict silence of the Cotswolds' dining room. Rebecca shuddered.

She clenched onto her tray with a death grip. Had she held it any more loosely then her trembling hands would have sent to clattering to the floor.

She scanned the room for a place to sit. Every table had at least one person at it, most of which Rebecca did not know the names of. The few kids in the entire school whom she did recognize sent dirty glares her way every time she passed them. All morning she had been tormented with whispers of "skank", "whore", and "the slut from last year's dance".

Finally a kid got up, leaving one table empty. Rebecca darted towards it as quietly as she could. She must have scooted onto the bench a little too quickly, because she heard laughter coming from the table beside her.

"You'd better run", a boy said in her direction.

Rebecca picked up her pizza and chewed slowly.

"Do you eat cum the same way? Do you chew it like that?".

She did not say anything, face hot and tears beading against her eyes.

"She's acting like she can't hear us".

Rebecca did not catch any of their words after that. Her body moved on autopilot as she ate her food, mind somewhere else. She had become so distant from the lunchroom that she did not notice another girl talking to her.

"Hello? Hello", a lady Rebecca's age said while standing near her table. Based on her tone she had been trying to get Rebecca's attention for a few minutes.

"Hmm?", Rebecca said through a mouthful of milk.

"Can I sit at your table?".

Rebecca swallowed. She tried to respond, but no sound came out. She tried for a few more seconds to verbalize, but gave up when she bit her lip instead.

She nodded in the other girl's direction. At this point the girl, with her pink striped hat and watermelon colored coat, might be growing tired of her anxiety. She may not even want to sit with her anymore. Then there would be another reason for students to hate Rebecca in addition to the way she made a fool of herself last year.

Instead the girl sat on the bench beside her. "What's your name?", she asked as she opened her milk carton.

Rebecca's body siezed up again, but this time she was determined to not stay silent. "R... R-Rebecca", she stuttered.

"I'm Heidi", the girl repied. "How long have you been going to this school?".

She was nice. She was the only thing so far today that made Rebecca feel a little bit happy.

Rebecca squeezed her palms together as she focused on getting words out. "I'm new. I... I-I just started today".

"I see. I've been going here since third grade. It's pretty crazy compared to my last school. Aliens or monsters or something come out of the sky every week".

Rebecca laughed, a small and fragile noise. "That *sounds* crazy".

"Yup". Heidi picked up her pizza and took a bite. "What was your old school like".

Rebecca did not reply for a moment. She tried to find a way to tell the truth without revealing that she was homeschooled. "Uh...". A non-answer. That was just as bad.

"That's okay, you don't have to tell me right now", Heidi said patiently. "We should probably eat instead of talking anyway. Lunch is almost over".

Thhe two of them ate their food in silence for the next several minutes. To Rebecca's surprise it did not feel awkward.

They threw away their trash and put up their trays at the same time. On the way out the door Heidi spoke up again.

"Do you want to hang out at recess?".

Rebecca hesitated, then nodded.

"Okay, cool. I'll see you later".

"Wait", Rebecca said, causing Heidi to stop in her tracks. "Why are you being nice to me?".

"Because you're cool", Heidi replied.

"No I'm not. The last time I went to this school I did something bad".

"So? I've done bad things before too".

"But this was *really* bad. I hurt people".

"I know about that", Heidi said slowly. "But everyone deserves a friend".

There was something in her eyes, something about the way she held her palms close to her sides. In just a moment Heidi's body language had changed completely. Rebecca wondered if she, too, knew what it was like to be all alone.

"O... O-Okay", Rebecca said. "Then I'll see you at recess. And thank you for being my friend".