#I will never forget my love of this game and the fandom ever again

[angelosearch]

I just realized it was around this time last year that I started replaying FFVIII.

This time was different from all the other times I returned to it. For the first time since my initial playthrough, it brought me into the fold of the fandom. I tried to go on Reddit, but that was not enough. In the few months that followed, my ravenous desire for all things FFVIII led me back to Tumblr.

Since then, this fandom has done so much for me and my mental health. I've made new friends (even irl!). I've learned many, many new skills. Through the act of engaging, by creating, interacting with, and enjoying various fanworks, memes, and theories, I've been given so much joy, inspiration, and even moments of self-discovery.

And, of course, this fandom got me writing again, which has just been all-around life-changing. I used to spend so much time scrolling and watching TV - now I use that time writing.

If you would have told me a year ago that I would be learning how to sing, or dressing in cosplay I made, or finishing writing a 200k word fanfic, I NEVER would have believed you. But having this space to explore and play within the context of this videogame has brought out the best, most passionate version of myself.

Connecting with my inner child, returning to my favorite piece of media, meeting some incredible people; it has all just made me feel good about being alive and has motivated me to get creative in ways I never have before.

I was lucky enough to have the time and space to accept the wonderful things the universe offered me over the last year. As I move into this next (likely extremely busy) phase of my life with grad school and my internship starting, I want to express gratitude and also remind myself that while these pursuits do take energy, they also generate it.

This is my promise to myself: I will continue listening to my inner child. I will not stop writing. I will not forget what brings me joy. Holding onto these things is what makes the hard work and late nights and the stress of a new career doable. I will be a better person if I take the time to engage with my hobbies, and, as a therapist, it will be important for me to model strong work-life balance and professional boundaries for my clients.

To all my mutuals, thanks for being here for the journey. Shout out to a few of my closest fandom friends, as I cannot express how much better you've made my life since I met you: @tr1ck5 @suleikashideaway @irishais @gardengalwrites @aleheartilly @sevlinop @foxtrottcantfindshit @quiettekiyet

[bronx-bomber87]

Good Evening wonderful fandom :) Episode 2 already! Thank you to everyone who liked, commented or reblogged last weeks first impressions. Makes my entire day when get any one of those. Excited to delve into ep 2. Let's get started shall we?

7x02 The Watcher

The vast contrast between Lucy and Tim is no secret. But it always cracks me up. Lucy telling Celina she almost washed out with her PCD BUT reminding her Nolan is not Tim. (No he is not..) That he won’t mess with her head. Then we have Tim telling Nolan to do as such. LMFAO God I love these fools. How I’ve missed you so. That Sunshine x Grumpy at it's finest.

Nolan being sassy saying he’s not Tim. You very much are not good sir. You are correct there. Bringing up how Tim almost washed out Lucy and she's a great cop. (Like he could ever forget either of those things John...) Tim instantly correcting him. Saying the key being he’s exceptional and Nolan is well Nolan lol. Oh I’ve missed cocky Tim. haha Now we all know one of the reasons Lucy didn’t, was because she had broken down a small chunk of his wall. Forever the exception is his girl.

He refused to let her fail despite being a hard ass. Love that episode. One of my all time favs. Tim isn’t wrong though, Nolan is being evaluated as well. Something i'm sure he hadn't thought of tbh. As good is Celina is she’s no Lucy. Sorry Celina love ya haha Lucy continuing to be her sunshine self never ceases to amaze me. Saying a T.O. doesn’t have to play mind games to create an amazing cop. You know for Lucy I truly believe that’ll work. Because she can balance being a good leader and a kind one. Idk what works for Nolan. Blind luck?

Lucy is needing to crush Tim in this competition of theirs. It’s very much a necessary win for her. Especially after last season. Like I said in 7x01. I think T.O. will build her confidence back up. Winning this competition with Tim is going to do that. In spades really. Celina acting all innocent saying it’s about T.O. styles this competition? That's it?

Oh honey no haha I mean a little but it’s bottom of the barrel of WHY. Harper and Lopez appear out of nowhere. Saying it’s about the breakup. I mean how could it not be? For Tim it's the best way he can feel connected to her without crossing any lines. Because he knows she has all the power to dictate his presence in her life. Something he touched on in 6x10. Allowing him to be in her life in whatever small doses she allows. This is one of them. Since they can't be what they once were this is the closest he can get right now.

Lucy of course deflects the breakup comment. Saying it’s not about that. That they had friendly competition long before they dated. Ha ‘friendly’ is that what we’re calling your numerous work flirts my girl? Back to denial it seems. S4 vibes once again. Pushing down dem feelings till they don’t pop back up again. That always works right? Worked real well in s4... The fact that she needs to add professional to their 'friendly' bets they've had before says it all for me. Replying she is so over the break up. Uh huh. Sure you are…Mmhmm….Yep. ‘It’s just that.’ Whatever you need to tell yourself my friend.

Seth is late and of course Tim is right on it. Because he wouldn't be him if he didn't tbh. Calling her Chen. I love and hate it. Just means we’re gonna have to really earn that first ‘Lucy’ he utters back. Well Tim is….Oh Seth you are just giving Tim reasons to give Lucy a hard time. Which he immediately does. Asking her, during roll call, when Ridley eventually rolls in, what excuse is acceptable for being late? Lucy replying there isn’t one.. Starting in the loss column. It sucks.

Ooooh bad ass-no nonsense Lucy T.O. I AM HERE FOR IT. Hot damn. When she slammed on the breaks I literally said 'Get em Lucy!' Just because she isn’t Tim doesn’t mean she won’t lay down the law. She and I are so alike in our leadership style. Said this many times before but it just continues to be true. I love it. She's calm, empathetic and kind in her teaching. But if you give reason to take advantage of that then the claws come out to remind you respect is key.

The law will be laid down for that. So proud of her. I know she doesn’t want to be that kind of T.O. But it’s good to have a little Tim in your style so that respect is there. Otherwise you’re kind of a doormat. I loved her laying down the boundary of yes I'm kind. Yes I'm empathetic but respect is still something to be expected. I love watching her grow in this regard. I really do.

Oh my lord Texas is a walking lawsuit. Tim shaking his head while he stick his head up his ass is too funny. It's like he wants to be in trouble constantly with Tim. lol First the premiere and now flirting with a civilian. Tim isn't wrong he could get sued if that flirting goes badly. Stuck with a complaint that could bounce him.

It's going to be interesting to see how he rights this ship. Because with Aaron he had balls with Tim but the dynamic was much different. Aaron had proved himself somewhat before getting there. Where as Texas started there. Should be fun to watch him develop. He has a lot of potential as a character.

Ridley is starting to thrive a little under Lucy. This moment above proving that. Showing you can have empathy and build rapport with the public. He gets this great reply from the man above due to that. It's a very positive interaction and Lucy rewards him for it. I love it.

I hope Lucy wins this whole thing. I really do. God she needs it. I love my Timothy. You all know I would fight to death for him, but Lucy needs this more. I wanna see her win so badly after last year. If this is part of her healing too I'm all for it.

Sadly Seth takes a massive nosedive down. Ahhh training it’s not the for faint of heart. I know it all too well. Been training people for years. Lucy looks so frustrated and I don’t blame her. He fumbled the task pretty badly….Grey just TEARS Ridley a new asshole holy cow. Doesn't hold back in the least with this kid. Lucy stoic by his side. Can’t even look at him. Because she is taking on his failures as her own. Which is why I think she is surprised Grey doesn't tear her one too.

He is much kinder with Lucy than I expected as well. Maybe because I still take my people's failures as my own too. She answers how I would’ve when asked about Seth. Potential with it being too early to tell. Because it is too early. Now for me it’s the learning from failures I see as progress.

You’re afforded a mistake with me; it’s the repeat mistakes of that same issue that start to become a problem. We will see how this kid course corrects during this season. And how Lucy will direct him. It’ll be fascinating to watch.

Of course Tim is right there to gloat about her rookie screwing up. LOL Do we expect anything less during this competition of their's? Now he gives her some damn solid advice to follow up. Letting her know his failures aren't her fault. At least not in the very beginning. That these failure need to be used as teachable moments. Somewhat touching on what I said before. Mistakes are ok at first its learning from them I want to see. To take the failures and use it to make them better.

Lucy is getting legit gold from Tim in this moment. The only person he would share it with I guarantee you. You think he's sharing nuggets of wisdom like that with Nolan? No he isn't. Forever the exception this one. Lucy saying him being enlightened giving me flashback vibes to s1. When she first got a glimpse into this side of him. Saying something very similar to him then.

Their chemistry never ceases to astound me. Adoring the flirty flirts and her smile as he walks away. Love these idiots so much. Yeah you're so over it Lucy. lol Just look at her as he departs. My goodness. She's a ten but terrible at hiding her feelings.

Tim finds Texas just like I knew he would. Can't wear a giant, tent-like bag to work and not make him suspect something is up, my man. Damn Timothy just ripping this kid a new one. It's rough to watch But can’t say I don’t think all of those things when i saw him living in his car…That he's exposed, his car could be stolen, broken into and his service weapon stolen. All very bad things that would get him terminated.

Doesn't help he is financially destitute making him more of a liability to the station. Tim isn't wrong in the least about what problems this poses. He is brutal in his final line absolutely brutal. But he's hoping it'll motivate him to find something better than car. This scene once again showing Lucy was the exception. A running theme in this one for me at least.

This was Tim as a T.O. pre-Lucy. No nonsense whatsoever. She was the ONLY one to get him to soften. To break through. So much so I do believe it bled over to his time with Aaron as well. But this kid is square one for Tim. He has to shape him up or he's not going to make it. Also excited to see where his journey goes this season with Tim.

This sucks for Seth there is no two ways about it. This kid seems to be going through a lot. Has been through a lot as well. But she just had a convo about leaving personal stuff at the door. To focus on his job. Now I couldn't be a cop and do that. I went into a tailspin yesterday at work over a form. It was a government one couldn't see till I got home cause couldn't log in. It distracted me and mine is very much not life and death like his is.

Lucy is wanting to be empathetic, but also knowing she needs to still to be guiding him. Ultimately she is responsible for his safety. Letting him know as such. That he can't keep stuff bottled up like this or it'll be destructive like it already has been. It's fun to watch her navigate this.

I know her gut instinct is to be empathetic and understanding. Which she is. But she also has standards she has to set and hold him to. It's fascinating watching her learning to balance all that. It'll fun to rewatch this in the summer with a much different POV on her T.O. time.

Goodness they’re cute af at the food truck area. Also love this environment being re-introduced. Feels very s1 and I'm here for it. Lucy being baffled by the mistakes of her rookie. Nolan's comment about Nyla was spot on. I can't say didn't do the same as he did. When I got into management and started training people, I apologized to my leader for all the crap and heartache I had caused her as a newbie ha Cracks me up how baffled Lucy is by the mistakes being made.

Tim reminding her rookies don't have common sense LOL Love them continuing this work flirt in front of Nolan. I will say any time their relationship is referred to in the past tense I die a little inside lol No joke. It hurts my soul. I know we're working our way back, but I would be lying if I said it didn't give me a pang of sadness in my stomach.

Maybe this was just me but they were a little saucy. Well Lucy was. Saying whatever gratitude was owed to Tim was paid off while they were dating heh. Was I the only one found that suggestive as hell? LOL I enjoyed it very much if that was the intention. Either way just straight flirting in front of Nolan with no cares in the world. Makes me happy. Look at those dopes above towards the end. Telling smiles. All damn day.

If you wanted to know what continued healing looks like it’s this people. This is going to be a slow climb to get to the top again. They are starting from scratch in so many ways. I mean when Nolan leaves Tim is a little nervous. You can hear it in his voice as he compliments her boot. Who very much did anything but 'Ok.' today. Especially if he was compared to Tim Bradford standards. But this is his connection to her like I said earlier. He misses what they had before. That instant ease and rapport. He misses her.

It's up to him to put the effort in now. To remain in her orbit should she allow him to be there. Which she currently is. They're going to have to be this chill casual vibe to climb their way back to where they were. Going back to their roots is the way to do it. So it's organic and natural. Lucy isn't as open as he is and that's ok. She isn't there yet. Doesn't want to talk about Seth in depth. Deflects back to his rookie instead. This is going to be a slow endeavor to reconciliation.

I don't know everyone's expectation for where they should be right now. But I'm pretty happy with the first two episodes. They have to start over and this is going to be a slow ramp up. Saw something it said 'Good things take time and often, the waiting makes the getting all the sweeter. ' Once we get there going to be so damn sweet. Till then I'm going to enjoy whatever comes our way with them.

As always thank you to every amazing person who interacts with these. Makes my heart so happy. Appreciate any likes, comments (I love me some comments. Feel free to share any first impressions you have to), and reblogs. you all make this worth doing every week :) Shall see you all in 7x03!

~~~~

Side notes non Chenford

Yay some James and Harper. They cute. Ha she is funny LOL They are having so issues for sure. Going to have to take a page out of Wopez's book to balance that all. That's stressure.

Nolan trying to rub wearing Civvies in Harper and Lopez’s faces and their reply is primo. Maybe focus on your boot there Nolan LMAO

Hot damn Celina look at her critiquing Nolan holy shit. Then Harper and Lopez reinforcing he did her wrong. Kinda nice to see him mess up and be called out for it not gonna lie. Humanizes him. Loved Nyla’s response’ if you want her to succeed, have to give her the room to fail.’ It’s accurate af for leadership. *mic drop*

I will say I watched 7x03 promo and Bailey was in it and I legit forgot she was missing. Till she was in a damn promo. Sure Jenna is lovely to work with and a good person but my god is her character forgettable. Also it makes Nolan more likable IMO when she isn't there. She has zero impact on this show. Sorry Jenna lol.

[nicoline1998enilocin]

Our Christmas | Christmas Special 2024

PAIRING || Fiancé! Tony Stark x Fiancée! Female! Reader

WORDCOUNT || 7.6K

SUMMARY || You've been working on preparing the best Christmas celebration you have ever had with the Avengers and other loved ones, and tonight is the night that all your hard work will come to life. From a delicious dinner to the most fun game of Secret Santa you've ever seen, it will surely be a night that will go down in history as one to never forget.

RATING || Explicit (E)

WARNINGS/TAGS || Established relationship, former sugar relationship, age gap romance, lots of domestic fluff, lots of PDA, use of mistletoe, explicit sexual content.

SMUT || Teasing, hickeys/lovebites, quickie, unprotected sex (wrap it before you tap it!), fingering, spanking, hair pulling, cream pie, biting, begging, dirty talk, breeding kink, pregnancy kink.

A/N || Merry Christmas! I'm incredibly grateful for everything that my time on Tumblr has brought me this past year, and I'm happy to be able to share my stories with you all, too. I also want to give my special thanks and love to my best friend and the person I love the most on this earth - @ccbsrmsf1. I love you bestie, thank you for everything you have done for me this past year! 🤍

EVENTS @anyfandomfluffbingo || Edible underwear @fandom-free-bingo Book Night || (Catching) fire @fandom-free-bingo Pride || Queer cat parent @fandom-free-bingo Pride || Free space + “Be gay, do crime.”

@fictionaldelightsbingo Under The Sea || Finding safety at their lovers side + Free space + Gift exchange @julybreakbingo Post-JBB || Found family + “We shouldn’t do this.” @seasonaldelightsbingo Sweater Season || Cookies @tonystarkbingo Round 8 || Marriage

All the graphics are made by @nicoline1998enilocin

Main Masterlist || Tony Stark || Sugar Daddy! Tony Stark

“Can you hand me that ornament?” you ask your fiancé, Tony, as you’re standing on a step stool to decorate the Christmas tree in the communal living room you share with the Avengers. You might as well have been talking to a ghost because he is much busier ogling you than he is with paying attention to what he’s supposed to do until you snap him out of it.

“Tony, hey! My ornament, please?” You snap your fingers a couple of times in front of his face, a chuckle audible as he shakes his head to return to reality. He had drifted off into a daydream when he saw some skin on your back as your Christmas sweater had lifted, and he immediately thought back to the way his fingers grazed that spot earlier today as he had you bent over on the bed.

“I- uhm, sorry,” he says shyly, reaching for the red and gold ornament you’ve asked him twice for. His cheeks are flushed with a deep red color, making him look adorable as you take the ornament from his hand, your fingers brushing past one another as you do. Your lips curl into a smile as you take a moment to take in the sight before you - a shy Tony whose cheeks have turned redder than ever before, all because he got caught in the middle of a daydream.

“It’s okay, Handsome. Just don’t let it happen again, okay?” A wink follows your words, and Tony nods before quickly turning around and grabbing two more ornaments for you to use. Your two cats, Sun and Moon, are napping in one of the countless cat beds you have strewn all over your penthouse and communal living spaces, and he melts a little at the sight.

“Aren’t they adorable like this?” You come down from your step stool as you stand beside your fiancé. He hums in approval, and you two stand there for a few more moments before you grab one of the ornaments from his hands and return to decorating the tree because there’s still much to do before your Secret Santa tonight.

“Do you want to help me bake the cookies once this is done? I want to make a few different kinds, and I think they-” motioning at your cats “-will be napping for a while longer. She doesn’t need another bottle until dinner either, so I think it might be fun to make some Christmas cookies together.”

“Hmm, there’s nothing else I would love more than to help you, Sugar,” Tony says as he comes to stand behind you, his hand lying on your ass as he does.

“Can you two keep your hands to yourselves? Not everyone wants to see you two touching each other like that every time they walk into a room,” a familiar voice says. You laugh loudly, and Tony doesn’t move his hand as he turns his head.

“Careful, or I’ll tell Laura you’re staring at us while we’re having an intimate moment!” Tony quips back at Clint, who picked up one of his arrows that stayed behind after cleaning them earlier. The archer flips him off with a chuckle before leaving you two to what you were doing. You have gotten rather close with all of the Avengers, and it isn’t uncommon for Clint to call you two out during moments like this, but you don’t mind because you know it comes from a place of love.

After one more squeeze, Tony lets go of you to grab the last ornaments needed to finish decorating. When you’re done, you take a step back to admire your hard work in full. You feel your fiancé’s hands slipping onto your waist and his chest pressing against your back, and a flutter of butterflies goes wild in your stomach at the closeness.

“You did an amazing job as always, Sugar. ‘M so proud of you!” His words are emphasized by a few soft kisses on your head that have you smiling wide. As you’re standing here together, you take a moment to bask in the closeness, and Tony can’t help but do the same as he nuzzles his nose into your hair, your sweetly scented shampoo reminding him of some amazing things you’ve shared.

“I love you, Tony, but we’re on a bit of a tight schedule, so it’s time to bake cookies now!” you let him know, and he chuckles before letting you go, his cheeks still showing the flush from earlier when you turn around. Your hands cup his cheeks before standing on your tiptoes and kissing the tip of his nose, which warms his cheeks under your fingers.

“I love you too, Sugar. Thank you for brightening my days,” he whispers, and you smile at him before letting go and making your way to the kitchen. Tony gently picks up the bed that Sun and Moon are lying on. They don’t seem to be disturbed as he takes them to the kitchen where you’re getting some supplies ready, and the oven is already preheating.

Over the next two and a half hours, you and Tony spend some much-needed quality time in the kitchen - from preparing the different kinds of cookie dough to cutting them out, baking and decorating them, it’s like you two are a well oiled machine with the way you two are going at it.

“Ready for the last batch to go in?” you ask Tony as he’s finishing a few sugar cookies that are being piped to look like snowflakes. Never in a million years would you have guessed that someone like him would be good at decorating cookies, but in hindsight, you’re not surprised at all - he has very skilled hands after all.

“Absolutely! And when they’re in, I think it’s time we take a small break until they’re done!” The enthusiasm with which he says it has you raising your eyebrow in a questioning way, though you also can’t help but melt a little at how excited he is at the thought of taking a break with you.

“It’s not like I could every say no to you and your cute face,” you tell him with a chuckle, which makes a dark red flush appear on his cheeks. While he has the art of complimenting you down to perfection, he still has a long way to go when it comes to receiving compliments, and you can’t help but look at him in awe when he turns into the shy boy you’ve come to know and love, too.

As soon as the cookies are in the oven, Tony guides you to sit on the bit of space on the counter that he cleared. He steps between your legs before pulling you towards the edge.

“Much better,” he murmurs with a small smile before trailing some kisses over your jaw and down your neck, his teeth sometimes nipping at your sensitive spots as you moan only loud enough for the two of you to hear. His fingers dig into your thighs while yours are tugging gently on his chocolate brown locks, the moment making it feel like you’re floating and going to heaven.

“Tony,” you moan softly, his lips curling into a smirk as he nips at your jaw. Your entire body feels like it is on fire from the time he spent leaving his marks. Unfortunately, the moment is rudely interrupted by the dinging of the oven, letting you know that your last batch of gingerbread cookies is ready to be taken out.

As soon as your fiancé steps away, you feel like a piece of you is missing, and the room has turned significantly colder without him being this close to you. Thankfully, you don’t have to wait long for his return because as soon as the cookies are on the cooling rac, he’s back in his original spot, his hands now cupping your cheeks.

“Have I told you that you look beautiful today?” Even though it’s a relatively straightforward question, you can’t help but feel like your entire body is catching fire as he asks it. From the top of your head to the tips of your toes, every last bit feels like it’s blushing as you try to hide your face in his neck, but to no avail - he won’t let you hide that easily.

“Oh no, there’s no hiding from me, Sugar! Now that you’ve said yes to marrying me, I will tell you even more how much I love you and how beautiful you are. So I suggest you better get used to it while you can.” The smirk on his lips makes you melt in his hold, and you lean forward to kiss his lips gently. It’s followed by a kiss on the tip of your nose, and then Tony steps back, ready to help you off the counter.

As soon as your legs are steady again, Tony kisses your head, making you smile like an idiot, before turning around to get ready to do some more decorating of the cookies. Tonight, you’ll be doing Secret Santa with the Avengers and tasked to ensure there are plenty of snacks for everyone, and baking for them is a love language you’ll happily indulge in.

“If you continue the sugar cookies, I’ll do these gingerbread cookies while Sun’s bottle is warming up, okay? I saw she’s awake again, so I think I’m giving her an early bottle today,” you tell Tony, who wholeheartedly agrees. Soon after, the bottle for your kitten, Sun, is warming while she and Moon are playing with a toy already in their cat bed, making the most adorable of noises as they do.

Once all the cookies are done, you let out a sigh of relief as you look at them, pride flowing through your body as Tony places his hands on your shoulders while standing behind you. Neither of you can stop smiling as you let yourself melt into his touch for a moment, the warmth of his body welcomed more than ever.

“I’ll get our blanket ready if you get her bottle, okay? Then we can maybe watch a movie as we cuddle with our babies,” Tony offers, and you happily agree with his idea. Once you’re on the couch - both your and Tony’s legs are covered by a large blanket, Moon is in Tony’s arms, and Sun is in yours as she drinks from her bottle of milk - you feel a moment of peace come over you as you put your head on your husband-to-be’s shoulder.

“Where do you want to get married?” Tony asks, and for a moment, it’s completely silent. You’ve thought of many places where you could tie the knot, but lately, one place stands out when you think about it.

“Well, I have some thoughts, but you can always say no if you don’t want to do it, okay?” you ask, and he nods in agreement.

“It may sound silly, but ever since I proposed to you, I’ve been secretly doing some wedding planning on the side - nothing major, of course, just figuring out where I want to get married, what type of dress I like, things like that - and there’s one thing that I think will make our wedding day perfect. I’ve been going through many files and found out that your Mom and Dad got married in Italy, and I think it would be a beautiful honor to get married in the same place as them.”

Tony’s mouth is slightly agape as he looks at you with an adoring look, tears forming at his waterline as he lets the news settle in that you’ve thought about getting married in the same place as his parents, even though you never had the chance to meet them. Your thumb wipes away some of the tears trickling down his cheek, and he nods enthusiastically as he doesn’t trust his voice right now.

“Without them getting married there, I never would have had the chance to get to know and fall in love with you, Tony, so I think there’s nothing more fitting than the beginning of our marriage to be in the same place as theirs. It resulted in you, after all,” you tell him with a chuckle. He laughs loudly as he wipes the tears from his cheeks. Moon has shifted from his lap to his chest to comfort him as well.

“It’s okay, Buddy, Daddy’s not sad. Mommy just made him so happy he couldn’t hold back his tears,” Tony says gently as he kisses Moon between his ears, who purrs audibly. Your mouth curls into a smile as you look at them, and Tony looks at you before leaning over and kissing your cheek. You’ve been thinking about it for months, and now that you’ve finally told Tony about your idea, you’re even more excited to say yes to him one day.

“What do you think I should wear to dinner?” you ask Tony, holding up two dress options. One is a stunning black off-shoulder dress highlighting all your curves, and the other is a low-cut red velvet dress with gold accessories. While he gifted you both options not too long ago, you’ve been indecisive about what to wear, and you’re hoping that his choosing for you will make it easier, though there isn’t really a choice. You already know which one he’ll pick between these two.

“Hmm, while I know you will look beautiful in both, I think I’m choosing the burgundy for tonight and the black one for when we go out for dinner on New Year’s Eve,” he offers, and your mouth curls into a smile as this is exactly what you anticipated would happen. If there’s one thing Tony loves, it is you dressing in his colors, and the excited flush on his cheeks makes him even cuter than he already is.

“Thank you,” you whisper before pecking him on the lips and turning around, leaving him breathless as he discovers you were hiding some deep red lingerie behind the dresses you showed him. The sway of your hips immediately has him wanting more of you, and he can’t help but follow, the belt he was putting on now being discarded on his way into the large walk-in closet.

Before you’ve had a chance to properly hang up the black dress and lie the red one down, you feel your fiancé’s hands gently digging into your hips, his lips already on the sensitive spot in your neck as he groans softly, his pants growing tighter by the second.

“You’re such a little tease tonight, huh? First, showing me the red dress, knowing full well that’s the one I’d pick, and then revealing you’re only wearing some of your sluttiest lingerie for me? You’ve been serving yourself on a pretty platter for me to enjoy, right?”

His words come out in a breathy voice, his rapidly hardening length already poking against your lower back as your head falls to the side, giving him all the access he wants while your chest rises and falls quicker as your heart rate and breathing are faster than before.

“Tony, we- we shouldn’t do this right now,” you say with a giggle, as he’s already moving to unbutton his pants with one hand, his other hand kneading your breast as he looks over your shoulder at what he’s doing. He hums as an answer, knowing you want this just as much as he does right now. As your eyes slip shut, you can hear the distinct sound of the zipper being pulled down, which elicits a soft moan from you.

“Is that so? Well, I think that if I were to slip my fingers in your lacey little panties, your sweet pussy would tell me something different,” he says, and without missing a beat, he does exactly that. Your legs spread a little to make room for the thickness of his digits sliding through your soaked folds, an excited hum audible as he takes his time to play with your sensitive clit.

“Please!” The word comes out in a soft whine, your head falling against his shoulder as Tony’s cock throbs in excitement, his hand wrapped around it as he gently strokes himself. Without warning, he bends you over the large dresser that’s in the middle of the closet, your ass being beautifully exposed as he does. With the hand that’s now free, he lands two loud slaps on your ass, that have you moaning loudly.

“That’s it, moan for me like a good slut,” he encourages you before pulling your panties to the side and sliding his tip into your tight pussy, still well aware of the fact that even though you two don’t have much time, he doesn’t want to hurt you by giving you more than you can take, either. With clenched teeth, he takes the time to stretch you, your mind slowly going blank as you grab onto the dresser’s edge as he does.

“Such a perfect girl, letting Daddy fuck her whenever his dick gets hard from you walking around like this.”

A brutal pace follows the words as he bends himself over your back, his hand being placed on your throat without squeezing, giving him enough leverage to fuck you senseless. Your moans turn louder and louder with every thrust, his thickness sliding in and out effortlessly as your pussy gushes around him constantly. As your orgasm quickly builds, you grab Tony’s hair to pull on it, which is followed by him biting down on your shoulder while the pleasure builds rapidly.

“D-Daddy, fuck- I’m c-close!” you tell him, your words barely audible as the pleasure is taking over every fiber of your being, your blood feeling like lava inside your veins as the pleasure takes you under until you’re clenching down on your fiancé’s cock, which is followed by his orgasm as he cums deep inside you with a loud groan of your name.

“Take it, fucking take my cum- You’ll get so fucking pregnant tonight, I’m sure of it,” he groans as he’s panting above you, a small layer of sweat on your skin as you’re coming down from your high. For a moment, you cannot say a single thing as you’re shaking and trembling in your future husband’s hold, his cock still nestled deep inside you despite him having gone soft and being overly sensitive.

“I love you, my sweet, beautiful, and amazing Sugar,” he whispers as he kisses the sensitive bite mark he left on your shoulder - it’s not enough to have drawn blood. Still, it definitely will bruise, and you’ll wear his mark with pride as you’re having dinner with the Avengers and all the others soon. With a dopey smile on your face, you get back up before putting your panties back in place, ensuring Tony’s cum will stay nestled inside you for as long as possible.

“Will you help zip me up, Handsome?” you ask Tony not long after you’ve slipped into the dress, though it took you quite some time to finally regain your composure without trembling on your legs like a baby deer. He’d done a real number on you and your body when he took you like he couldn’t wait any longer, but you wouldn’t change it for the world, especially after seeing his fucked out face when he tried to get himself looking decent again.

“Hmm, I’d rather help you get it off, not on,” his words followed by a chuckle as you roll your eyes at his comment, but he still does what you asked. As you take a moment to smooth out the fabric of your dress while looking at yourself in the mirror, he stands behind you, one of his hands sliding from your hip to your belly as he crosses your gaze.

“You’ll be the most beautiful woman ever when you carry my baby.” The words come out as more of a whisper, but they still set your cheeks on fire as you cover his large hand with your significantly smaller one. There’s a comfortable silence between you two as you bask in the closeness and the thought that Tony has thought about the way you look while pregnant. You two have discussed babies before but haven’t ever gotten too deep into it, so while it isn’t a huge surprise, it still makes your heart beat faster from excitement.

After a few more moments together, it’s finally time for you and Tony to go to the communal kitchen, where the dining table has already been set, and the private chefs Tony hired to prepare a delicious Christmas dinner have been working hard to make your evening unforgettable. However, before you two can head there, he has a small surprise for you.

“It might be a bit silly, but I hung up a surprise for us in the living room,” Tony tells you, his cheeks slightly red as he confesses to his actions. While you have a feeling you know what he did, you still go and check it out to be sure - and your hunch was correct. In your favorite spot - in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Manhattan - is a mistletoe, which makes you smile broadly. While it might be a simple gesture to most people, it’s a massive one to you as you stand underneath it, your hand outstretched for him to join.

“It appears a mistletoe has suddenly appeared, so it’s only fitting we honor the tradition that comes with it,” you say. Tony smiles brightly as he steps in front of you, his fingers intertwining with yours before he ducks his head slightly, kissing your lips softly, making the world around you feel like it’s fading. There’s nothing other than you and Tony, your lips on his, and your souls connecting right now.

You two are only pulled from your moment when you feel a familiar feeling against your leg as your cat Moon pushes his body against it, wanting some attention, too. He follows it with a few soft meows, and you can’t help but smile as you pull away from your fiancé’s lips. Your black cat, Moon, is known for interrupting moments like this when he feels like getting attention, and he’s too spoiled not to do it, seeing how you give in every time.

“I believe someone else might want some attention, too, don’t you, Moon?” You ask as you let your hand glide over his back, a soft purr audible as you do. Tony takes a step back to admire how you interact because even though he prefers to be with Tony most of the time, he also loves getting attention from you, and you’re more than happy to give it to him every time he asks for it. Your mind flashes back to when you first rescued him when he was a little kitten, and he has come from far to be where he is now - a spoiled, well-loved cat with all his heart desires and more.

“Shall we take you and your little sister to dinner with us? Maybe Bucky will bring Miss Alpine too, and all three of you can have some fun, too,” you ask, and Moon immediately meows in response. He always brings a smile to your face, making you fall in love with him more every day as you look at him and the cat he has become since you rescued him a few years ago.

“Let’s head to the kitchen, Sugar. I’m starting to get hungry after you’ve worn me out the way you did,” your fiancé says with a small smile, though you both know it was him who wore you out when he fucked you the way he did not too long ago. Still, you happily agree before taking his hand and leading him to the elevator, Moon following closely behind.

While you open the elevator doors, Tony picks up a cat bed from the couch, where Sun is napping. Moon is patiently waiting for his Dad to join you both. Your face splits into an excited smile as soon as he comes into sight, and as usual, your happiness cannot be contained as you look at how handsome he looks in his black suit. He often wears suits for work, but something about him wearing all black has you squeezing your thighs in excitement.

He pecks your lips softly as the elevator doors close, and soon, you find yourself getting the last things ready in the dining room, which is already lavishly decorated with every last bit of Christmas decoration known to man. Just as you’re about to light the last few candles on the table, you’re suddenly stopped by your best friend and Avenger, Natasha, as she puts a hand on your shoulder.

“I know you two have a thing for marking one another, but this…” Natasha says with a small smirk. “...I approve,” she follows with a wink, making your cheeks set on fire as she examined the bite mark Tony left earlier. It’s less red than before, but the bruising is already starting to happen, making it more evident than you thought. You still wear it with pride, showing your commitment to the man you love. It also gives you a mental note to mark him up like this at some point so he can walk around wearing your marks, too.

Once everything is ready, everyone slowly shows up. Steve and Bucky come in wearing simple black-and-white suits, their fingers intertwined, while Bucky carries Alpine in his free arm. Clint and Laura walk in looking beautiful in their matching purple dress and suit. Thor and Loki are dressed in the finest Asgardian clothing, making them look out of this world, and Bruce and Natasha have gone for classic black.

“Can I have everyone’s attention?” Tony asks as he stands up, the conversations between everyone slowly dying down before there’s nothing but silence - apart from the soft purring audible from the three cats that are having the time of their life during this Christmas dinner with all the attention they’re getting.

“I want to thank you all for being here tonight because it wouldn’t have been as fun if some of you were missing. If there is one thing that the past year has taught me, it’s nothing more important than being with the people you love, and I’m happy to see you all. Everyone here tonight has a special place in my heart, and I’m happy to say you’re all part of my big, found family. None of us would be here tonight without one another,” he says with a slight smile, and everyone agrees.

“One thing I don’t say nearly enough times is that even though some of us may have had our differences before, I love you all deeply. And I love the furry babies - Sun, Moon, and Alpine, too. They brighten everyone’s days in ways they’re probably unaware of, but they are playing a big role in our lives, and I can’t get enough of their silly moments.”

“But there’s one person who I want to mention especially. Without her, I wouldn’t have been able to believe I was worthy of being loved, and I wouldn’t have been able to love myself. Sugar, I cannot thank you enough for showing me every day what it is like to be loved and being with me throughout everything we’ve been through. It’s surely not been easy, but without you, I wouldn’t have gotten through it at all, and I’m thankful that you’re the love of my life. You have made me believe in love again, and I cannot wait to marry you in a few months. I love you,” he finishes his little speech, which has brought tears to your eyes as you smile up at your future husband.

“I love you too, Tony,” you whisper before getting up and kissing him, sealing his words with a promise of loving him for the rest of your lives together. He may be quite a few years older than you, but you’re still looking forward to spending your best years with him as you grow your family. And you know he’ll look very handsome as a silver fox. Applause slowly erupts around the table when you two pull each other into a tight embrace, and there is not a single dry eye in the room when you’re sitting down again, ready to finish dinner before getting ready for Secret Santa.

Once everyone is done having dinner, it’s finally time for the main event of the evening: a gift exchange in the form of Secret Santa. Everyone is spread out on different colored loveseats brought in from any place anyone could think of, ample chairs, and the floor around the fireplace, which burns in the communal living room area. There’s a comfortable atmosphere as everyone sips on a drink and converses until Tony grabs everyone’s attention again, wanting to get started.

“So, it’s only right that the first person to give their gift away will be this beautiful woman next to me, as she has graciously put this evening together for everyone. Will you do the honors, Sugar?” Tony asks softly. You nod before pecking him on the lips and getting up. The present is wrapped in a cylindrical package and topped with a large purple bow.

“Merry Christmas, Clint,” you say as you hand him the present, but you can’t get too far as he pulls you in for a hug while murmuring his thanks to you. With a large smile, you walk back to the loveseat you and Tony share before getting comfortable with his arm wrapped around your shoulder. Once seated, he kisses your cheek before looking at Clint, who’s quickly unwrapping his present.

“Oh my god-” is all he can bring out before he’s out of his seat and running over to you, pulling you in a hug while you’re still half in Tony’s hold. He uttered about a hundred thank yous as you two hugged. You have thought of the perfect gift, so make a mental note to thank Shuri when you speak to her again. When he finally lets you go, he cannot stop smiling as he looks at the Vibranium arrows he received from you, which were specially made by Shuri. He’s wanted some for a long time, and these will be perfect for taking on missions with him.

“Okay, now it’s my turn! Here you go,” he says to Bucky, who’s sitting one seat over. After a small thank you, he takes the tissue paper out of the bag he’s been given and pulls out two presents that make him laugh and nod in approval. He receives a mug with the text ‘Queer cat parent,’ as well as a shirt that reads ‘Be gay, do crime.’ It’s like they were made just for him.

After gently putting the presents to the side, he grabs a small package wrapped in black and gold paper and hands it to his oldest friend—other than Steve, of course—Natasha. She takes her time opening it, and when she finally does, she gasps loudly as she examines the set of custom Vibranium knives that Bucky has gifted her. The blades are of different lengths and all black, while the handles are deep red, resembling blood.

“I- wow. Thank you, Bucky,” she says as her cheeks turn dark red. While she would have been happy with any other type of knife, too, something about these has her appreciating him even more than she already did. They match her black widow aesthetic beautifully, and she’s either looking at them or doing tricks with them the rest of the night, showing off her expert knife skills.

“Before I give my gift away, I need to thank someone very special. Tony, thank you for helping me out with this present because, without you, I still would have been deciding what to give. You’re the best friend anyone could wish for, and Detka, you’re a pretty lucky lady with a man like yours,” she tells you, and then grabs her significantly sized gift from the pile in the middle of the circle you’re all sitting in.

“Merry Christmas!” Natasha practically drops the gift in Bruce’s lap because it is so heavy, a loud huff audible as it lands on his thighs. His glasses slide down his nose, and he quickly slides them back up before tearing the wrapping paper off to find a collection of science books he’s been dreaming of for years.

“I know you don’t like to spend money on yourself, so Tony figured it would be the perfect present-” is all she can say before her words are cut off with a kiss - it might not be the first one they’ve ever shared, but it is the first one they’re sharing in front of everyone. Other than you - Natasha told you as soon as they became official - no one knew that they’ve been secretly dating for a few months now, and tonight is the night they’re finally coming out with their secret, even if it wasn’t planned this way.

As you look at them with a smirk, Tony pulls you closer to him before whispering, “You knew about this, didn’t you?” With the same smirk on your face, you turn to him as you nod proudly, as you want nothing more than to see your best friend happy and in love. Then, when all the excitement in the room died down, it was Bruce’s turn to gift his present, and he got a beautiful pair of diamond earrings for Laura after Clint recommended that he get some.

“They’re lovely, Bruce. Thank you so much,” she says shyly, a blush on her cheeks as she takes in their beauty, almost forgetting that it’s now her turn to give someone their present. It turns out that now it is Tony’s turn, and he would never in a million years have been able to prepare for the gift he has gotten. Inside the bag is a set of edible underwear for you and him to enjoy as an engagement present, as well as two Santa hats - one for him and one for Moon - and a brooch with a matching tie pin in the form of a Sun, so you two can always carry your little girl close to your heart.

It doesn’t take long for Tony to put on the Santa hat and the one meant for Moon, even if he isn’t the biggest fan. Eventually, he warms up to the idea. Happily, he returns to his cuddle pile with Alpine and Sun while wearing it, which means everyone takes countless photos of the inseparable trio.

“Now that you’re wearing the Santa hat, does that mean I get to sit on your lap tonight and tell you what I want for Christmas?” you ask as you gently rake your nails over his chest, making goosebumps appear all over his body. He quickly nods in approval, not trusting the words that’ll come out of his mouth if he opens it. Then, as most drinks are now empty, you and Tony offer to fill up some drinks, and he quickly pulls you out of the room to get away for a moment.

“Tony?” you say as you’re in the kitchen, waiting for him to grab a few cartons of egg nog. He pokes his head around the fridge to look at you, his Santa hat swinging as he does. You smile as you look at his adorable expression.

“I know I asked you if I could tell you what I want for Christmas, but I already have everything and more right in front of me. I have an amazing future husband who takes care of every need and two amazing cats that are the light of my life,” you say, and Tony blushes deeply as you tell him. He’s still getting used to you saying things like this, even after being together for as long as you two have now.

“Aren’t you just the sweetest little thing?” he asks before closing the fridge door and walking over to where you’re standing. He leans in to kiss you softly, taking your breath away as he does. It’s a sweet, loving kiss that has your heart beating faster and the butterflies in your mind go wild. While you’re unsure if it’s possible, you love him even more than you did before, and his sweet words will melt your heart every time.

When he pulls away, you’re both standing there with wide grins on your faces, wanting the moment to last just a little longer as you intertwine your fingers with his.

“I love you so much, Tony. Thank you for choosing me every single day.”

“Thank you for being with me through my good and bad days. I love you more than I can ever describe.” His words make tears gather in your eyes as he pulls you in for a hug, sealing his words until it’s finally time to head back.

Before heading back to the gift exchange, you grab a few cartons of egg nog to ensure there is enough for everyone, and it is divided rapidly among everyone, allowing you to sit on the couch again. Tony pulls you to his side, where your fiancé feels safest. He knows he can always find safety at your side, and the ease with which he sinks into your body shows it.

“So, uhm- My turn?” Tony asks as he rakes his fingers through his dark brown locks, and everyone hums in agreement. He gets up with a small gift, but you know exactly what’s inside as you smile broadly. Thor is the recipient this time, and as he rips open the package, he finds a silver necklace with a thunder pendant on it and a voucher for a lifetime supply of his favorite pop-tarts.

“You two are the best, thank you!” he says, his Australian accent thickening as the night progresses. When he gets tired, it always gets more noticeable, and it never fails to make you smile. It’s Thor’s turn to give the gift he has gotten, and it is Steve’s turn to open it. Inside is an extensive palette of the most beautiful paints you have ever seen, and Steve can’t stop smiling as he examines every color with a careful eye.

“Thank you, Thor. These are amazing! I can’t wait to get some use out of them as I finish the portrait of Bucky I’ve been working on!” Steve says proudly, though his partner is less impressed as he turns bright red, knowing that Steve is working on a nude portrait of Bucky. Still, he smiles as he looks at the colors, too, and they’re some of the brightest, most beautiful colors he has ever seen.

“At this point, only two people are left to receive a gift, and I’m sorry to say you’ll have to wait a little longer, Y/N!” Steve says as he hands Loki a square package, which he graciously accepts. You smile in appreciation at Steve’s words, though you don’t mind being last because you enjoy everyone else opening their presents just as much as you love opening them yourself.

As Loki gently opens the package, he finds a large, handmade cloak with an emerald green lining, a black outside, and a beautiful pattern of swirls in thin gold thread. The clasp that keeps it closed is gold, which matches his other garments beautifully. He immediately tries it on, getting many nods and words of approval as the gold detailing shimmers in the light coming from the fireplace and Christmas tree lights.

“Now, I hope that I will have saved the best for last,” Loki says as he gifts you a square gift wrapped with emerald green paper, letting you know exactly who it came from.

“Merry Christmas, Y/N,” he says as you take it from him, the anticipation nearly becoming too much as you’re excited to see what is inside. Once you open it, you immediately gasp at the sight. Inside is a customized stethoscope that has your initials on it, but instead of the initial of your maiden name, it’s an ‘S’ for Stark because you’ll soon be Mrs. Stark, of course.

“I am speechless,” you say as you pick it up to examine it closer, the silver shining back at you as you fight the tears gathering in the corners of your eyes. It doesn’t often happen that someone gives you such a thoughtful gift, but it warms your heart to know Loki had it made for you to use in the long run, as it’ll proudly show the initial of Tony’s last name.

“Thank you, Loki. It means a lot that you got me this,” you say as you get up to hug him, too, wanting to give him an extra special thank you. He then whispers another Merry Christmas before letting you go and sitting back down, the stethoscope proudly hanging around your neck. Once everyone has opened their gifts, it’s time to thoroughly check them out until it’s time for everyone to call it a night and head to bed.

As soon as you’re back in your penthouse with Sun and Moon - vast asleep in their cat tower - Tony pulls you to the bedroom to get some much-needed cuddles. The past few days have been nothing but stress and running around to get everything ready on time, but now that you have had a successful Christmas dinner and Secret Santa, you can finally breathe a sigh of relief.

“I think I’m going to sleep the entire day tomorrow because I’m not getting up for anything or anyone after the days I’ve had,” you say with a chuckle as you take off the dress you’re wearing. Once you’re left in your lingerie, Tony unhooks the bra before you let it fall to the floor and walk over to the dresser, where you have your comfortable cotton panties, together with Tony’s shirts, waiting for you.

“Hmm, as long as you’ll be awake long enough for me to gift you one last present tomorrow, then we’re all good,” he says with a chuckle before disappearing into the en-suite bathroom, ready to do his nighttime routine. You follow shortly after, wearing nothing more than the panties and Tony’s shirt you picked out, ready to brush your teeth and call it a night.

“I think I’ll be able to manage that. But I don’t want to be awake before 10 AM, okay? A girl deserves to sleep in now and again.” He looks at you through your mirror, and you smile as he raises a brow in response. Still, he wouldn’t dare go against your wishes because he is always willing to give you everything you’ve ever asked for, and if sleeping in until 10 AM is what you want, then that’s what you’ll get.

Once you’re finally in bed and tucked away under the soft sheets, you quickly fall asleep with your future husband against your back, his large hand splayed over your belly and his face buried in your neck. The following day, Tony is up bright and early again, but he won’t wake you up before 10 AM, just like you asked, instead going to the kitchen to do some meal prep for you and the two long shifts you have ahead of you before New Year’s Eve, as well as making breakfast.

Then, at precisely the time you mentioned, Tony wakes you up as the smell of pancakes and coffee fills the air, and the sheets feel tighter by your feet, which means Sun and Moon have joined the two of you.

“Good morning, Sugar. It’s 10 AM, and I have one more surprise for you,” he says. You smile before nodding and getting comfortable in bed, your back against the headboard as a pillow supports your lower back. Soon, Tony is back on his side of the bed, with a present in his hand wrapped in gold and red wrapping paper, just like the colors of his Iron Man suit. After a whispered thank you, you quickly unwrap it to find a golden necklace with three charms. There’s a red ‘T,’ a small black Moon to represent your oldest cat, and an orange Sun to represent your kitten.

“Sadly, we can’t be together all the time due to me being gone for long missions sometimes, and you are working long shifts as the best surgeon SHIELD has ever known, but this way, you can carry us wherever you go, Sugar.”

“Tony… I love it. Thank you so much,” you say as your fingers glide over the beautiful charms, complementing each other perfectly. He has thought this gift through to the last little detail, and it’s the best present he has given you - apart from your engagement ring, of course. You lean in for a few kisses, his facial hair tickling your skin as he does, but you can’t stop smiling while holding the present.

“Would you like for me to put it on you?” You immediately nod, and it doesn’t take long for him to have the clasp closed, making it official. You’ll always be able to carry your husband-to-be and your cats with you, no matter where you’re going. While your Christmas was fantastic, it has become the perfect holiday. Now, you can finally look forward to being spoiled by your fiancé on New Year’s Eve, as it promises to be one never to forget.

[isaidyoulookshitty]

idk it is so upsetting to me that veilguard is the first dragon age game i won't be replaying. when i was 15 i played origins so many times (almost a dozen) it is one of the only games i have ever 100% finished. da2 was the same! and while i didn't make it through as many playthroughs of inquisition i put hundreds of hours into it and made an effort to get to the bottom of everything the game threw at me. until veilguard, i had bought every available dragon age dlc for all games, tried to play almost every route given in the story choices, and spent hours reading through codex entries to soak up as much lore as i could.

veilguard has rendered all of that completely null.

it feels almost spiteful at this point that this new frakenspliced bioware cared so little to honor the bones and meat of the first three games. 15 years i have spent loving and cherishing (and criticizing) this franchise and now i feel like a fucking idiot for it. my grey warden? canonically awol and never addressed again. hawke? irrelevant and, for some players, potentially stuck in the fade forever. inquisitor? stripped of any complexity or depth i had given her in favor of the most syrupy, out of character fairytale true love's kiss ending with a man that shattered her worldview and broke her heart. how do you take 10 years to craft an ending this dissatisfying and thoughtless?

and the world i spent a decade and a half fighting for, shaping with player choices, and calling home? gone. "overwhelmed by the blight." literally scorched earth for the next game to build on with whatever the writers pull out of their ass to make players forget all about the original dragon age. it's tragic! disrespectful to longtime fans at best, at worst it feels intentional and like i am being made the butt of a joke told by writers who in the promotional material sound like they could not even be assed to play the games they're attempting to draw from. veilguard is just a product to be sold, not a story worthy of The Dragon Age Setting.

and i haven't even touched on all my gripes with the game's writing, the sanitization of any canon conflict that could be uncomfortable or difficult to address, the stale and cutesy therapyspeak and lessons in basic morality that are baked into every in-game interaction (most of which are shallow and all the same anyways) compared to the dialogue trees from the other 3 games. it is so frustrating to see that the devs chose to cave to a decade of vitriolic fandom politics in favor of addressing the kettle they wrote themselves into.

instead of hand-waving racism toward elves, the panic over qunari, the isolation of the dwarves, the corruption of the chantry, the abuse in the circles of magi, and slavery in tevinter, we should have been given the chance to confront all of it. to put a real end to it. we will never get to do that now. in fact, in their failure to follow through, bioware has only succeeded in exacerbating all of these issues. they have made the elves, which they have openly ADMITTED were "inspired" by Jewish and indigenous peoples, their mouthpiece for white guilt and shame passed down from one's ancestors (while also gutting elves' religion, culture, history, social differences, etc. i could go on). they PERPETUATE the same stereotypes of barbarity, violence, and warmongering imposed on the qunari by the rest of thedas by continuing to make them an opposing enemy force with the exception being a couple of friends they have neatly packaged for us. the unsatisfying conclusion to the mage-templar schism in inquisition is inconsequential. who the player chose to HEAD THE SOUTHERN CHANTRY as divine is deliberately made irrelevant. the dwarves are still isolated and ignorant of their origins save for harding (assuming she doesn't end up killed) and a single closed-off group. and the slaves in tevinter (again, mostly elves)? conveniently kept out of sight and conversation when we finally get to minrathous. everything that happened to fenris to make him the character he is, arguably the most impactful and sympathetic out of all the da2 companions, is not even addressed, much less tackled. all of it is swept under the rug.

i wanted dragon age: dreadwolf. i wanted a solid conclusion to a story almost 20 years in the making. a dragon age reboot might even have been a great idea somewhere down the line, but this was not the game to do it with. it was supposed to be a sequel and they couldn't even get that right. did i enjoy parts of it? of course! i finished it! but i won't be doing it again. the game clearly intends you to, considering a significant portion is locked away by decisions players are forced to make pretty early on, but i can't make myself do it. it makes me way too sad.

i could go on about how i, a queer and nonbinary adult fan, thought their handling of gender and LGBTQIA+ identities was heavy-handed, infantilizing, and felt so out of place within the setting it makes easy fodder for the "woke=broke" crowd that wouldn't have been receptive to queer rep anyway, but that would need to be another post in itself. not to mention the romance! unfortunate that i chose to romance lucanis not knowing his is now notorious for a lack of content, meaningful dialogue, pacing, and actual development. i won't even get to see the other romances in comparison because, as i have said, i will not be replaying.

[crazylittlejester]

honestly, the fandom dismisses wars trauma a little too much. Have you noticed it’s always never brought up in his character studies? And when it is, it’s totally brushed off him and cia had a WEIRDDD age gap. It’s also weird hyrule warriors never acknowledges this. I honestly don’t think it’s gonna be recognized in LU but idk. It’s just weird how quickly the fandom brushed over all that. What’s your opinion? Cuz you have cool opinions lol

Disclaimer: Everything you’re about to read is my opinion and my interpretation of a game. I’m not talking about headcanons (unless otherwise specified), I’m just talking about my experience with the game and everything else. All of this is from MY perspective interacting with the canon material from both Hyrule Warriors and Linked Universe. Also! I am dyslexic, my bad for oddly autocorrected words or weird spelling mistakes

A huge reason I started yapping so much on this blog was because I saw a lot of people either actively disliking Wars, making fucking INSANE comments about his body, overly sexualizing him, or just straight up dismissing him all together and it helped me get over my posting anxiety because it genuinely made me so upset. He’s been my favorite character since only a few posts into LU (i originally liked Twilight better based sheerly on design but it took like only a few posts before that changed), and I love HW Link in general, and I thought it was actually crazy that more people didn’t like him. I’ve written several of my own characters studies on him, some of which I’ve posted, others lay trapped in my old laptop in the form of a full on analysis paper, never to see the light of day

You can send a full grown man to war and he will come back with trauma, imagine what happens when you grab some poor teenager and tell him everything relies on him. Literally forget Cia for a minute, Link as a teenager was taken and shoved into a full on war where his men turned on him and in order to survive, he had to kill. Monsters and hylians alike, it was him or them, and he’s the one who made it out. Not to mention he was constantly running all over the battle field trying to prevent the hylian captains from being defeated, and he most certainly lost many people he cared about just because he couldn’t get there in time. He had to carry around the guilt that this war was started because some sorceress was obsessed with him ON TOP of that

This was said earlier by an anon on a post I reblogged, and I’ve been saying it myself for months but I will say it again: If Warriors had been a girl and been obsessed over that same way, I fucking GUARANTEE you people would be taking it more seriously

I literally just typed in the character name and the game she’s from and that is what google had to say about her. If an older man was described as ‘harboring serious affections’ and having a ‘desire to claim’ a teenage girl I literally don’t think it would’ve been glossed over or ignored like it is

I don’t think nintendo was ever gonna elaborate or really recognize it in the game, they never go super in depth on anything in Zelda games from my experience, and I doubt Jojo will really get into it in LU mainly just because she has so much going on with eight other dudes and potentially two more (based on the header on the linked universe blog)

I saw a lot of characterizations of Warriors and opinions of him that made me so confused and also a bit mad, such that he is a womanizer or a stupid twink (of which he is neither), and that’s a huge reason I started writing fanfiction for this fandom. Firstly to just create more content for my favorite character because I rarely saw any that focused on him, and secondly because I didn’t like some (NOT ALL) of how I was seeing him characterized. (i cannot emphasize enough: NOT ALL people in the fandom characterized him this way, I saw plenty of amazing and beautiful characterizations of Warriors)

I do not think he is a womanizer at all, in fact I fully believe his flirtatious behavior is a defense mechanism. I think his ‘woman problems’ are the fact that he’s afraid of women (especially older women) he doesn’t know or trust, but also that’s just my opinion. And I am genuinely a bit worried that now that people have stopped talking about how they noticed he seemed off a few updates ago and now that they’re saying he’s back to normal that people are going to start reducing him to a stupid dramatic twink again, as if Warriors was not the one who came up with the initial plan to fight Dink and was not the first one to fight him. As if this is not a man who lead a god damn army. As if everything he’s done and everything he is no longer matters because he’s ‘pretty’

anyways I have a lot of thoughts about him in general and im just glad the fandom has been treating him better as of late, but i am a bit worried it’s just gonna go back to how it was

thanks for the ask!! sorry i got a bit carried away 😭

[runnning-outof-time]

K!! Super congrats on your 3.5k babe - so well deserved 🙌🏼 Thank you for being a beacon of loveliness and positivity in our little fandom ♥️

I’d love to play your blurb game so how about: Forget I ever said that? With Tommy (obvs 🤭). Feels like it could be teasing or angsty but dealers choice, you decide how the spirit moves you, xx

Thanks for sending this in and for your kind words, Alex! I’m sorry it took me a bit to get to it! I hope this is what you were envisioning and that it makes sense. Enjoy! :)

PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK! - YOUR COMMENTS & REBLOGS HELP ME WRITE!

Part of my 3.5k Celebration — find more stories here!

A Contingency Plan

Tommy Shelby x Reader

Warnings: smoking

Word Count: 878

Summary: (Y/N) lets Tommy know her thoughts on how he’s decided to operate now.

“So…” Tommy Shelby trailed off, tapping the ash off of the cigarette that was perched between his fingers without breaking eye contant, “what will it be?”

“What do you mean, Mr. Shelby?” (Y/N) (Y/L/N) asked, confused by the sudden proposition. She moved forward to sit at the edge of her seat, waiting on bated breath to hear what her boss had to say next.

He stared at her for a moment (which felt like eternity to her), sitting still as his cigarette sent a plume of smoke up to the ceiling. She wanted to melt under his gaze. The sounds coming from bar packed full of patrons were now miles away. It was now only him and her in this small room.

“You came in here to speak to me. Sought me out outside of business hours. Why?” he asked her, his voice making her bubble break and everything come flooding back in.

(Y/N) wrung her hands together under the table. She hoped he didn’t catch her nervous demeanor. She wanted to come across as confident, as the person who could finally cut through the cold exterior that Thomas Shelby had built up since the last woman he got involved with took off for New York. But being under his intense gaze now had her wondering if maybe she should abort her mission and just continue being his secretary.

“Well, Mr. Shelby, I’ve been thinking…” she started off, pausing as she tried to gather her words.

“Thinking about what?” his impatience was starting to show through his otherwise collected nature. He had a list of things on his mind at the moment, and if she wasn’t here to speak about what he was hoping she was, he didn’t have any time for it.

“What you said to me a few days ago…about what you saw in me,” she answered, her voice wavering as she uttered the second half of her statement. His eyes were still zeroed in on her, and she felt like she was going to crack under his gaze even more so now than before.

“Oh,” he titled his chin upwards slightly at her statement, showing his intrigue in the situation. “And what will it be?” he asked again, telling her that the final decision was still in her hands.

(Y/N) hated that he was doing this. For a man who so clearly knew what he wanted, and never shyed away from making it known, he sure was playing it close to the tape right now. “You don’t have anything you’d want to ask me?” she tried to flip the question back onto him; put the decision back in his hands.

“I’ve already laid everything out to you. The choice is yours,” he responded in a nonchalant manner, showing her that she wasn’t going to get even an inch of wiggle room in this situation.

His response irritated her. In an instant, all of her nervousness was swapped for frustration, and she was no longer worrying about her demeanor and how it’d make him think of her.

“You know I don’t like the man you’ve turned into,” she started, speaking in a resolute tone now. The switch made Tommy furrow his brows at her. “I don’t like what you’ve become, Tommy. Gra…” she paused, the thought of even speaking that woman’s name putting a bad taste in her mouth, “that woman, she ruined you. Completely, utterly ruined you. And maybe it’s for the better overall, but I can’t see it. Because it’s not better for me. You think you’re better for now giving me a choice on whether or not I’d want to warm your bed…like you’d be completely removed from the situation if it all blows up. That’s not what I want, that’s never what I wanted. I just wish you saw what you see in me now before she sauntered into your life. Because maybe then I wouldn’t feel like I’m just a contingency plan,” she paused then, taking a deep breath and holding it as she realized what she’d just said.

She’d been around the Shelby family since the beginning of Tommy’s push to make things legit. She helped in any way possible because she believed in him and what he was trying to do. His ambition was one of the many things that made him attractive in her eyes, but she tried so hard to keep her personal interests out of it and stick with the business. Now that he seemed to be interested in her the way she had always been interested in him, she just couldn’t will herself to go for it. This was not what she had been imagining…it was the complete opposite of how she wished it would go.

Tommy kept his eyes locked on her as he let her words settle into his mind. She was standing from her seat before he could even think of something to say in response.

“You know what…” she paused, a look that was somewhere between shocked and disgusted now present on her face, “forget I ever said that.” And with that, she turned and opened the door to the snug, exiting the small room and Tommy Shelby’s life at the same time.

**I’m trying to add the taglist in as a reblog in hopes that the notification will actually be sent out.

MASTERLIST

[valenteal]

Oh my god I keep forgetting how some people in the Star Wars fandom see Anakin and then someone likes my long ranting reply and I just get reminded all over again.

And I know. I KNOW that I can’t change everyone’s mind and that it’s far from the most problematic issue I could be debating. But GOD does it piss me off when people say that Anakin was selfish or he should’ve just left the Jedi Order if he didn’t agree with them. Like… did no one ever teach you about recognizing a cult or its tactics? Do people not understand that the Jedi are literally brainwashed and have no “worldly possessions” and that leaving the order means striking out on your own, probably on Coruscant, with no money or job? Have people not payed attention to any of the NUMEROUS red flags? Do people just see that the Jedi staunchly oppose the obviously evil sith and decide they are saints?! Do people not recognize that the Jedi have literally committed genocide??? Like… the Jedi started the conflict with the Sith. They wiped out their entire civilization because of religious dogma. What are people not getting about that!?!?

And Anakin’s mental state. Oh my fucking god! Are people blind to the fact that he’s been groomed and manipulated for years by both the sith and the Jedi and is suffering from a severe mental breakdown during RotS??? Like. Even if you don’t know enough about psychology to recognize and understand BPD and a splitting episode it should still be obvious that he is NOT in his right mind through no fault of his own?!?! He’s traumatized after just coming back from literal WAR, he hasn’t been sleeping because he’s having premonitions of his wife DYING IN CHILDBIRTH EVERY NIGHT, his already feeble support system is in fucking shambles, and a guy he’s trusted for years is suddenly revealed to be an evil mastermind but the person standing against that evil mastermind is someone who has distrusted and scorned Anakin for just as long as the evil mastermind has been his mentor and confidant!!!!!!!!!

I don’t get it and I’m literally crying right now because I just don’t understand how people can’t feel empathy for Anakin and just want to vilify him while putting the people who hurt him on a pedestal. All it took for Anakin to come back to the light was ONE person believing in him. If you somehow missed that the original trilogy is about how love saves people and the prequel trilogy is about how denying love DESTROYS people then I don’t know how to help you.

No seriously I’m crying right now I know people are sheep who want to follow the pretty light and see the people in the marble castle with the gorgeous gardens and peaceful philosophy as good. I get it. But open your fucking eyes!!!!!!!! Being detached from reality and your emotions is not a healthy way to live and I don’t want people like that in positions of power and authority. EMPATHY! COMPASSION! These are the things Anakin embodies that the Jedi largely discard in favor of being cold and distant. The only Jedi who don’t are rebellious af. Qui-Gon (who is still problematic but at least he fucking cares), Obi-wan (was never a fucking golden boy, he almost wasn’t a Jedi and contemplated leaving on MULTIPLE occasions!), Quinlan Voss (no explanation needed here, man wasn’t even raised in the temple), Aayla Secura (Quinlan’s Padawan and the only Jedi we ever see actually contemplating the morality of the Clone War and having a discussion about it and actually LISTENING to what a non-Jedi has to say), Ahsoka (again no explanation needed, she fucking left and didn’t look back), Cal Kestis (has multiple crises about Jedi philosophy throughout the games and eventually decides Fuck It and becomes a much better and less confused person for it)… I could go on but you get the picture right?! You do get this? The Jedi Order was a toxic environment that messed people up so badly and never acknowledged their own flaws until it literally killed them all. Every single tragedy that happened to the Jedi was a direct consequence of their actions and literally all of their biggest enemies originated from within their own ranks!

At least Palpatine was decent enough to put literal red flags all over the Temple when he went and made it his palace!!! Because you know… he turned the Jedi temple into a palace with minimal cosmetic changes and that should REALLY tell you something!

[alienoresimagines]

For the ask game, 1, 3, 15, and 28!

Thank you for the ask, Dawn ❤️ Starting with the last question because if I want anyone to remember one thing from this post, it's those recs so putting this in the Clegan tag for more visibility for the fic recs🫡

28. Share three of your favorite fic writers and why you like them so much

The Mota fandom has so many talented writers who share absolute masterpieces so it was so so hard to narrow it down to 3 but I tried to put 3 authors I don't see as often as others in fic recs post and I hope that for those who don't know them, this'll be your sign to read their works ❤️ So, in no particular order and wih hope that I didn't mess up any link :

@amiserableseriesofevents (Link to AO3)

I devour absolutely every single one of Ginia's fics, even those that tear my heart apart because she's the devil and she loves to make everyone suffer. Some of her fics are the definition of "The love is there. It just simply isn't enough" and all of her fics are "The love is there". The way she writes the Buckies falling in love in different ways is so beautiful every single time, no matter what situation she's put them in. I remember Love At Second Sight to be one of the first fics I've ever read for Clegan and it'll always be one of my It fic. Also I think it takes a special kind of skills to be able to write characters in AU while keeping the essence of those characters because they are so shaped by canon that it can be hard to see who they are if you take those circumstances away but Ginia nails it every single time. She has a couple of different AUs, but they're all undeniably John and Gale, and reading them falling in love and getting together in all those different situations is so so wonderful because with her writing it doesn't feel like you're reading but more like you're there, like a little familiar on the protagonist shoulder <3 Only nobody hears when you inevitably howl because there was too much feeling for you to handle lol

Special mentions to those stories that have my entire heart :

I think the love I bear you should make you not to die or the Timelines AU my beloved, precious darling

The man I've looked for that may or may not be one of my comfort fics of all time

ships in the night aka I might just die if they don't meet again and their almost stays an almost because this AU has my life, I would sacrifice anything to have more of them

@caustinen (Link to AO3)

Obviously there's the Hollywood AU that has a very special place in my heart but every headcanon and fic of theirs 😍 I think about those quite often, especially sharp dressed man that's one of my favorite smut fic in the clegan tag! I just love their overall takes on Gale and John, and on Clegan. Even if it's not set in canon, it's always so clearly them that you have no difficulty picturing them in that universe and that really is a feat ❤️ And the diversity of all those universes is mindblowing, I love it, so much creativity and different scenarios to put the Buckies in 🥹

@majorbuckyegan (Link to AO3)

Definitely one of those writers I get a fangirl moment for when they write a comment on one of my fics lol, their never saw the sun shining so bright fic (or Five kisses that Bucky stole from Buck, and one kiss that Buck stole in return) lives in my head rent-free. I can't tell you how many times I've read it and imagined it as a daydream to help me fall asleep, it's one of my favorite fics in the entire world. Also I read it when I hadn't watched Mota yet so that's one of the fics that introduced me to them and I wouldn't be surprised if my own characterization of the Buckies is lowkey inspired by those works like this one that I've read before watching the show. It's so soft and tender, and yet you never really forget the war. The war is everywhere but so is the love and the balance between the two in every single fic is an absolute gem every time. For tonight, let's love like there's no goodbye is also one of my favorite fics in the fandom, the way you just go into John's head and his thoughts and you can feel how much they love each other is so 🥹❤️❤️

It's come to my attention that all three of these writers are also fantastic smut writers so that's important too, especially because personally, I'm not too much of a smut person, my favorite parts of smut are the feelings involved lol, and all three write pure love making, the feelings are so beautiful and merge so well with the smut, I love it 🥹

Also cheating a bit because technically that's a fourth writer but I have to mention you, Dawn 🥹 The Atonement AU is especially dear to my heart, and the snippets you've shared with us are absolutely stunning! I'm truly in love with your writing style, I don't know how to explain it but it's like the love Gale and John have for each other is so raw that it actually kind of chokes me up a bit, because it's so big and they love each other so much 🥹 And the way you weave words together is so lyrical and gripping that you don't just read what they're feeling, you're feeling it with them if you know what I mean. And I'm repeating myself but, even if I know it might not save them, the love in your writing is so overwhelming that it's obvious that you're loving writing it and that might be my favorite part of it <3

This was very nice to do, it's been a while since I've dived in my bookmarks like that! Also served me as a reminder that most of those 180 Clegan fics were bookmarked before I got the nerve to start commenting on fics so adding on the new Year's resolution to go through them again and leave a comment <3

That got very long so under the read more are the answers to the other questions :)

1. Describe your comfort zone—a typical you-fic.

Well. A typical me-fic starts as a could-be-2k-fic then I start yapping and it ends up over 6k so I suppose I'll try to think of what makes me yap the most. Definitely either pining that the protagonist (usually Gale lol) doesn't see is mutual or the Buckies already being in love and them waxing poetry about each other 🥹 So fluffy/pining love with too many metaphors is probably my comfort zone 🫡

3. Is there a trope you wouldn’t touch with a ten foot pole?

I don't know if it's a trope per say, but horror or too gory stuff I'd say. I'm not really into reading it so writing it would be pure suffering I think 😂 Whump and wounds I might dip my toes in but body horror, painful transformation are definitely not in my range

15. If you could choose one of your fics to be filmed, which would you choose?

Oooh this is so tough because when I write I see the scenes in my head like a movie, like the camera closing on certain elements for examples 😭

I'd say either I'm On The Run With You My Sweet Love because I love the setting of the lake in a summer's day, how carefree they can both be and the softness of their love or Never Coming Down With Your Hand In Mine because I could see it so clearly in my mind while I was writing it, the way their hands compliment each other and the contrast between how rough they look vs how gentle they are with the other. Also I could really see the winter light filtering through the window, with little feckles of dust in the air and you can see them sitting side by side, all reddened cheeks from the cold that turn to blushes because they're both in love 🥹 I would love to see Gale's sweet face as he smiles at the ground and John's looking at him so fondly and loving 🥹 The shot of Gale squeezing John's hand back would be so special to me 🥹

[pedroscurls]

get to know your mutuals

thanks for the tag @lubdubology @themareverine @princessanglophile <3

what's the origin of your blog title?: - i think it's best if i just show you. the curls were CURLIN that night and i've been obsessed ever since.

favorite fandoms: oof - that's a tough one. i've been in a few fandoms before this one, but aside from the pedro fandom, the negan/jdm fandom was by far one of my favorite times in my life 🥹

OTP(s) + shipname: joel miller + me, frankie morales + me, marcus acacius + me... (shipname - idk lol) 🤭

favorite color: i go back and forth quite a lot, but forest green might be my go-to

favorite game: the last of us (part 1 btw) - i have played that shit like 8 times now lmao

song stuck in your head: at my worst by pink sweat$

weirdest habit/trait?: oh i know so many commercial jingles that i'll literally stop what i'm doing to sing along if it comes on lmao

hobbies: writing, working out, and photography

if you work, what's your profession?: i'm in edtech (currently a team lead that assists with pre- and post-enrollment)

if you could have any job you wish what would it be?: photographer (i've always had this dream that my photographs would be in a museum or i'd work for nat geo)

something you're good at: photography (and it's only taken me 15 years to finally admit that lmao)

something you're bad at: building anything (listen - i can follow the instructions... it's not my fault that most of the time i have to redo it lol)

something you love: taking pictures, spending time with family, and my soul dog, Kobe

something you could talk about for hours off the cuff: oh i don't think i can talk about something for hours (i'm naturally a very quiet person)

something you hate: aside from what the US is gonna be after jan 20? i hate when people are very inconsiderate of others...

something you collect: cameras + lenses (it's an expensive hobby lol)

something you forget: everything??? (my memory is shit nowadays)

what's your love language?: words of affirmation and physical touch (tell me you're proud of me while cupping my cheek 🙂‍↕️)

favorite movie/show: surprisingly, i don't have a fave movie, but fave show? modern family, hands down (it got me through a very rough year)

favorite food: chicken nuggets lol

favorite animal: i love quokkas omg

are you musical?: nope lol (i wish tho)

what were you like as a child?: a brat (ask my parents) - my parents used to think i'd grow up to be a lawyer bc i just loved to argue any chance i could get

favorite subject at school?: english! (so much that i got my bachelors in it lol)

least favorite subject?: science (it took me three times to pass bio 101 in community college)

what's your best character trait?: people have told me that i've got the biggest heart (and sometimes, that backfires on me)

what's your worst character trait?: hmm - i don't think i'm ever good enough

if you could change any detail of your day right now what would it be?: i'd like to just be less stressed out (can i just win the lottery and never have to work again?)

if you could travel in time who would you like to meet?: frank sinatra (would love to hear him sing live lol)

recommend one of your favorite fanfics (spread the love!): my favorite question so far (and this not even the full list - i really need to make one bc everyone on this site is just so talented ok)

with all my love by @lonely-ey3s (joel miller)

two weeks notice by @yxtkiwiyxt (dave york)

guilty as sin by @ovaryacted (marcus acacius)

diet pepsi by @logansbaby (old man!logan)

prima nocta by @fuckyeahdindjarin

stranger at my gate by @leslie-lyman

late night texts by @jolapeno

--

no pressure tags: @yxtkiwiyxt @ovaryacted @logansbaby @whimsiwitchy @wadewnstonwilson @lonely-ey3s @th3mrskory + anyone else who would like to do this :)

[theotherbuckley]

Inspired by @thatmexisaurusrex

New ask game! Please recommend at least three of your favorite BuckTommy fic authors, artists, meta writers, gif makers, or edit makers. Maybe sing their praises a bit if you'd like. And if you want to, send this to a few other people and spread the good vibes 🥰

Oooo I love spreading positivity!!! Thanks so much for the ask 🫶🏽

Artists: there are SO MANY talented artists out there so I will tag @buffaluff soo many incredible drawings and paintings Buff is so amazing @bigfootsmom Molly has the most perfect drawings including Bucktommy girl dads which is so cute and I love it so much! @iinryer is so talented and draws the most amazing drawings @macaronimars has some really cute art I love @pirrusstuff Pirru has some of the cutest drawings!! @tommys-wings has some incredible art too! There’s one piece of Buck and Tommy kissing in the rain which is so gorgeous I love it! I know there are many other blogs with some incredible art too that I just can’t think of right now!

Gif makers: so many gifs we are so lucky! @xofemeraldstars always has the best gifs and frames of the day are my favourite. @buckera-backup Newbie always has amazing gifs but if currently in the process of getting their account back :/ can’t forget @sunglassesmish always has amazing gifs too!! There’s so many others but once again they seem to be evading me!

Fic writers: oh there are SO MANY. Here’s some: @thatmexisaurusrex who started this ask game has some of the BEST long form bucktommy fics. You can not go wrong with them! @typicalopposite made me cry with their breakup/makeup bucktommy fic “everytime i try to fly (i fall)” @snarkythewoecrow has some incredible fics and has betad my fics in the past they’re amazing 🫶🏽🫶🏽 @wikiangela also has some of the most perfect bucktommy fics just ahh incredible amazing no notes @bidisasterevankinard starting shipping bucktommy before season 7 started so they’re an OG and their fics are perfect (especially if you want spicy) @princessfbi you can never ever ever go wrong with her fics she is such an amazing writer both ficlets and long form I love her writing so so much @diazsdimples is my bestie who writes amazing fics especially dad fics!! He recently wrote piece of bucktommy dads to a bunch of kids that I drew a picture for! @perfectlysunny02 is another fantastic writer especially if you’re looking for some shorter and still perfect bucktommy fics! @firewasabeast has some amazingggggg fics!! Their tumblr ficlets are actually my fav and always bring out so many emotions I love it! @userautumn has some ammmmmazzzzzing fics of all shapes and sizes! @rosetterer has some incredible fics too “something, everything” was one of my favourite fics it was so adorable and perfect. @devirnis you want good smut? Ali is your girl she is so good at it 🔥 okay wow that’s a lot of people already and there SO MANY MORE!!! We are so lucky to have a fandom with so many people contributing and sharing I love all of you💜

Okay and because I can’t leave out people here’s some more amazing blogs to follow!! @smallandalmosthonest @30somethingautisticteacher (has an amputee buck fic which I am yet to read but know will be amazing) @evanbi-ckley (currently writing a kink club au that I’m a little obsessed with) @watchyourbuck @bambibuckley @half-oz-eddie (hilarious incorrect tweets/texts) @lavenderleahy @actuallyitsellie (some really cute art too) @monsterrae1 @agenttommykinard @buckevantommy there’s so many more but I can’t think of them right now!!! I think I went a little overboard but damn our fandom is huge!

Also not to shout out myself but shout out to my own blog because I do art, write fics, make Bucktommy incorrect tweets, make gifs, and more! 🫶🏽🫶🏽💜

[leviosally]

2024 Fic Roundup / AO3 Ask Game

Thank you for the tag @gaiaseyes451 ! Sorry it took a bit to get around to this 💜

What fandoms do you write in?

Good Omens currently, but have written for The Witcher, and a bit for Legend of Zelda

How many words have you published in 2024?

459,251...that's not including my other account. Wahoo!

What is your greatest achievement this year?

I'm just so happy (and a little wistful) to have finished my long fic, Play for Me the Music of Your Heart It's been a long time in the writing (since 2022) and I'm so pleased to have crossed the finish line.

What are your favourite top three fics you've written this year?

(I technically have only written/added on to 2 fics this year 🙈)

Play for Me the Music of Your Heart- My 31 ch. Good Omens university music school AU that I finally finished!! May I offer you violinist Crowley? Or pianist/conductor Aziraphale?

Sweet Things - My short post S3 kinky fic from The Art of Yelling server's Valentine's Kink Calendar event. (CW sex with snake form Crowley)

( I wrote an rpf on almost this exact day a year ago though)

What was your biggest pit of despair moment?

I worried myself several times (unnecessarily, but anxiety gremlins) that I would draw a complete blank on the final ch. of my long fic and fail to complete it. I gave the gremlins the finger.

What have you learned?

Tell the story you want to tell. Better to write for yourself and the handful of people the story will resonate with than to force a story you think will appeal to the masses. If it's pulling at you, it's pulling for a reason.--wise words there by gaia that I'm going to leave.

And also, just continuing to learn more about writing, art and the creative process in general.

What fic did you want to do but never made it off the ground?

Nothing that I started that didn't make it, plenty on the idea pile that I want to write.

Did you beta any fics? Any favs you want to shout out?

I did! I've looked at fic for @dat-carovieh, @nightgazings, @tawnyontumblr, there might be others that I'm forgetting and I'm so sorry, but all of you are wonderful writers and it was a pleasure working with you!

What three fics have you read this year that you love?

The Squire's Wife by @copperplatebeech - Good Omens. I have had it marked for later for forever, because 24 hours/day is criminal. It's wonderful! Copper's signature snappy, crisp prose, her wonderfully witty sense of humor and the absolute sorcery she invokes in her dialogue use make this a wonderful read. And of course, she had me at 'music au'.

The Red King's Consort by @okamiwind - This one is Legend of Zelda (BotW/ToTK) and the pairing Link/Sidon. It is one of the most beautiful fics I have ever read, pairings aside. It is scorching hot, evocative, and just lush. It's like eating a particularly rich truffle, and the pining and longing is off the charts gorgeous.

I did a lot of re-reading of comfort fics as well, as this year was quite stressful, so @mia-ugly Slow Show, @sevdrag, Old Vines, I will always love these from the bottom of my heart.

What ideas are percolating for next year?

Let's see...I want to write my own Link/Sidon if the right idea hits. I also have a shorter kink fic in mind for GO as well as a meet-cute that's art student Crowley and figure model Aziraphale. Longer GO fic includes a wildland firefighter Crowley and forest service ranger Aziraphale fic (not 31 chapters again, Someone willing) and we got pretty jazzed about a drum corp AU on The Serpent and the Saint server last night, so...maybe a collab? 👀

I've also been told I need to get cracking on a historical original fic for Liszt/Chopin 😆😏

Who do you want to thank?

Oh godddd, so many amazing people: @ajconstantine, and @tybalttrouble my wonderful betas, and @dawn-the-rithmatist for yelling with me and cheering and also helping beta. WE MADE IT. Everyone on the Art of Yelling discord server, really, y'all are awesome.

@wingsofopal for your amazing art, your encouragement, and for reaching out and prodding me to open The Serpent and the Saint pub discord server to all the amazing people reading and supporting Play for Me the Music of Your Heart. @gaiaseyes451, @paperclipninja, @hermiola, @notalostcausejustyet (and special shout out to you, my dear, for helping me navigate formatting for print) and everyone else I didn't tag who is there, or that I can't find here, I LOVE YOU ALL TO ABSOLUTE BITS AND I DON'T DESERVE YOU 🥹😭🙏🫂

No pressure tags: @dat-carovieh, @badwolfbadwolf, @ambrasue I have no idea who hasn't been tagged yet, if you're mentioned above, also please take it as a tag. If you see this and want to play, please do!

[choicesfandomappreciation]

It’s spread kindness week! And who would I be if I didn’t leave a bit of pink & glitter for everyone to enjoy 🩷 ✨

I haven’t been active a lot. I’ve been dealing with the passing of my beloved dad. Which is still hard to grasp for me. It‘ll be 4 months on 11/29/24 and to know he touched so many lives of people who’ve known him in person and those who didn’t means a lot to me. But honestly? I’m glad and thankful to have been able to spend as much time with him as I could. Especially when it was time for him to go, you all came together with prayers, kind words and support, something I’ll never be able to repay or forget. So thank you for that! I hope you know how much this means to me 🥰

So I’d like to mention some people that I call friends 🌸 (don’t worry this won’t be the only post I make 🥰)

@aallotarenunelma I am beyond happy we’ve grown close and that we’re able to talk and exchange messages. It’s as if we’ve know each other for years and I’m so so happy we’re friends. Your constant support and kind words, help me through the toughest of my days. Our chats about our characters & stories and the way we hype each other up means the world to me. Puno mi znaći što si uz mene, nemogu ti opisati koliko mi znaći, hvala još jednom puno na svemu 🩷 Grlim te 🩷

@cariantha Cariii! It’s hard to find words and describe how much our friendship means to me. Not only do you make me laugh with all your stories, but you’re a true friend. I remember when you first joined tumblr, I was so happy to see a new person join our little family fandom. And then I saw all your stories and I fell in love with your writing and Sawyer & Ethan. It brings me a lot of joy to know you’re here. Your reblogs and your gif game is on point girl! Thank you for being there for me, for making me laugh and simply for being my friend. Love you to the moon and back 🩷

@mysticalgalaxysstuff I know you’re rarely on tumblr M but I do miss you and our talks. I hope you see this message and you’ll feel hugged 🩷 Your outpouring of love and friendship is and will always be appreciated 🩷

@secretaryunpaid You were one of the first people I’ve met on tumblr and we instantly connected. I hope you know how much our friendship means to me. Keep on shining! 🌺🩷🌸🥰

@thosehallowedhalls Caro!!!! You’re back. Which means I can tag you again, and you’ll see this message 😍 I am so so happy we became friends and shared messages. Your stories, your characters and you as a person make this fandom even brighter so thank you for all your kind words and burst of positivity it means the world to me 🩷🌸

@aria-ashryver Ariii! First of all. What a light and luminous presence you are despite everything that you’re going through. You find time and space for all of us. Whether it’s a kind message or a kind word, please know it’s more than appreciated. And don’t even get me started on your stories they’re amazing 🩷 Keep on glowing 🩷

@dutifullynuttywitch Léa! You’re one of the nicest and kindest people I’ve ever met! From the time you joined I just wanted us to be friends and we became friends 😍 (how awesome is that?) Thank you for being you! Kind, compassionate, nice and a damn good writer 🥰 And all in all an amazing person, never let anyone tell you different 🩷

@quixoticdreamer16 Your constant enthusiasm and support really are amazing. You’ve been so kind to me and everyone else. You take the time to reblog and leave a comment under my stories and for that I’m truly grateful. Thank you for being my friend and thank you for being you 🩷🩷

@jerzwriter Els 🩷 Where to start?! You were one of the first friends I made on tumblr. I saw your stories & your writing style and was really impressed. I was like damn she’s good! The joy and laughter I experience when I read your stories helped me through many dark days in my life and for that I want to thank you. Thank you for being supportive, thank you for being my friend, thank you for being real when I needed it and thank you for just being you! Never change because that’s what makes you unique 🩷

@the-pale-goddess Hilde! I had to mention you my dear friend. Even though you’re barely on tumblr these days that doesn’t mean I don’t miss you and obsess over Tiffany & Ethan and your stories. You’re such a talented writer. You’re a beautiful and amazing person inside and out. You’ve been so supportive of me, my stories and my characters it’s truly amazing thank you for that! I hope we’ll see more of you on tumblr. Sending a lot of hugs your way 🩷🩷

Again thank you to everyone who’s ever touched my heart it means the world to me 🩷🩷

💛

[galactickohipot]

Going thru the ER fandom after the DLC really is fun. It's the first rodeo with a souls game for a large portion of the fandom it seems... It's mostly people raging about the difficulty of the last boss, or Radahn fanboys freaking out abt their man. It feels like the fact Elden Ring exposes its lore very openly in comparison with other titles, pushes some people to take it very literally too. Those people often forget that the lore is in service to a broader narrative, and lose themselves in tiny details at the expense of the feeling the story is supposed to evoke. imo that's always how Soulsborne were supposed to be read, but the lore was so nebulous in comparison that it's what people would naturally default to. That said, I really enjoy watching deep dive videos about the lore, bc those games are so well crafted. It's just really satisfying! Anyways, here are my (unorganized) thoughts on the ending:

So far, we really don't know if Radahn did consent. That's the point: the text emphasizes what Miquella wanted, but never questions what others around him truly desired. If anything, people asking the question themselves had the intended effect. That's pretty great, me thinks! Funnily enough, Miquella/Radahn are kind of a subversion of the Power of Love character/Shonen protag tropes, except you are on the receiving end of it.

On the other hand, my interpretation is that the promise was made by a very young and impressionable Miquella, a very long time ago. Like a promise a tiny child would make, innocently. It's tragic that in his and Malenia's horrible situation, it probably meant so much him. At the same time, I would imagine an older Radahn would pay it no mind at all. My interpretation of Radahn is of a simple and honest guy; kind but ultimately unconcerned with these issues. It feels like he'd be the most down to earth and straightforward of all the demigods in that regard. The vow was probably lost to time, in an age and a context that was vastly different from after the Night of the Black Knives and the Shattering. How sad is it that it probably meant so much more to Miquella than anybody could've imagined. It's heartbreaking, that after centuries, this is all Miquella could hold onto, as well as the tiniest hope he could make the world a gentler place. He sacrificed everything for it and yet still... it was all so very naive.

And even then, what did Miquella truly bring back? After so long, after loosing his wits, eating corpses and fighting off the rot for an eternity, what was there left of Radahn to restore? An idealized and distant memory perhaps? Even if he tried to create an alternative to his mother's order, Miquella still made the same mistakes. And so he resurrected a person that spent his life trying to emulate Marika's Lords and champions.

A part of me would like to think that Radahn's heroics were more genuine than Godfrey's or Radagon's ever were. That despite having these two as role models, he took better decisions and was a more accepting person ( also he had a pet cat and Leonard come on!) Yet, Radahn still represents an outdated ideal of what a Lord should be, especially for Miquella's intended "Age of Compassion". He is a character whose development was left during the Shattering, untouched forever. Would this have been another cycle of the same thing? Would Miquella have made the same mistakes as his Mother again, and would he also have reached the same breaking point? Could the same cause have the same effects? In learning about Miquella, we learn a lot about Marika; the inverse is true too. The Shaman Village revelation is two-fold. We learn of her kindness without Order: the genuine sadness she had for her people, and her true honest motivation. Kindness was intially the reason behind her action, just like Miquella. We know from St. Trina that just like him, her godhood ended up being a prison. Her kindness "with Order" is conditionnal and institutionalized. We know of the unconditionnal love all of her children yearned for, the afflictions they suffered because of her actions, and the strong reactions they had towards all of it. We see her struggle, between the love she wants to give her children and the order she is supposed to uphold. When this paradox becomes too much for her to bear and her kids are either killed, cursed or rebelling, she breaks. The vessel she molded herself into is then exploited, until grounded to dust, until Ranni lets her go or Chaos swallows everything. By contrast, when it is revealed Rennala was exploited and betrayed, she is solely reduced to her motherly role; earning her the scorn of her people. She rebirths children anew, in a process that ultimately became sterile. Mother Metyr, herself a daughter of the Greater Will, is abandonned and broken, forever waiting for a sign from her maker. Finally, Count Ymir, who is quick to place the blame on Marika, truly fails to understand the heart of a mother.

Miquella's ending in the dlc is also a perfect parallel to Ranni's ending. While Miquella promises you an age where you won't have a choice but to be loved and saved, Ranni gives you an age of loneliness and uncertainty, wherein she'll grant you the free will to save yourself. Miquella's action started selflessly, as he was intent on helping others above all else; while Ranni started her quest because she selfishly didn't want the Greater Will dictating her fate. If you put your love and compassion in the hands of a God that won't give you a choice in the matter, is it truly love anymore? Is it the unconditional love that you dreamed of anymore? Isn't it an issue if you rely on an external figure for these matter (ie a godly mother figure)?

All those years ago, I started playing Dark Souls because I watched an essay about it. It ended with something like: "You despair when you realize everything is pointless, and you become wiser when you realize you can find your own meaning. Dark Souls is a game that makes you happier, because it makes you just a little bit wiser." Maybe this game is about finding acceptance. Although this may start as a lonely road, you still have the power within you to love yourself and others, regardless of the love you were given. It's difficult and it takes a lot of courage, but you already beat this game so why not? But also, they made jar people so you would feel bad about breaking clay pots in their games. You can throw dung at gods and dragons, and Radahn is a shounen protagonist... so who knows lol

[amber-laughs]

how far do you think ned would have gone to hide jon's parentage? e.g. if someone found out would he make them have a little accident so they died or something like that? or do you think he would feel it is too far?

I've thought about this before! I think its one of those questions where most people in the fandom would have a different nuanced answer and none of them would be wrong. So let's start with: Ned has already answered this question (kind of).

"He saw us. You love your children, do you not?" Robert had asked him the very same question, the morning of the melee. He gave her the same answer. "With all my heart." "No less do I love mine." Ned thought, if it came to that, the life of some child I did not know, against Robb and Sansa and Arya and Bran and Rickon, what would I do? Even more so, what would Catelyn do, if it were Jon's life, against the children of her body? He did not know. He prayed he never would. Game of Thrones - Eddard XII

First of all I hate when people use this scene as a “Ned doesn’t see Jon as his son” moment because imo it’s the opposite. He doesn’t list Jon with his bio children but he’s saying he’d react with the same paternal instinct and, unlike Cat, he wouldn’t save them at the expense of Jon. So we have half an answer. Would Ned sacrifice Jon's life for Robb's? No. But would Ned sacrifice anyone life for Robb's? Jon's? Sansa's? etc. We don't know for sure because he doesn't either. But we do have some instances of what happens when Ned feels his family is being threatened.

"A brothel," he said as he seized Littlefinger by the shoulder and spun him around. "You've brought me all this way to take me to a brothel." "Your wife is inside," Littlefinger said. It was the final insult. "Brandon was too kind to you," Ned said as he slammed the small man back against a wall and shoved his dagger up under the little pointed chin beard. A Game of Thrones - Eddard IV

Ned Thinks Catelyn is being disrespected and shoves a dagger to Littlefinger's throat I mean come on!

(...) in bed one night, Catelyn had asked her husband the truth of it, asked him to his face. That was the only time in all their years that Ned had ever frightened her. "Never ask me about Jon," he said, cold as ice. "He is my blood, and that is all you need to know. And now I will learn where you heard that name, my lady." She had pledged to obey; she told him; and from that day on, the whispering had stopped, and Ashara Dayne's name was never heard in Winterfell again. A Game of Thrones - Catelyn II

Specifically for R+L=J Ned does not like being questioned. He scared Catelyn so bad she didn't bring up Jon's mother again for a least a decade. He presumably scared the servants and soldiers so bad they never mentioned Ashara again.

“Still, she was struck again by how strangely men behaved when it came to their bastards. Ned had always been fiercely protective of Jon.” A Clash of Kings - Catelyn VI

And there we have it. And let's not forget if Robert found out about Jon it's not just him that dies, Ned dies and if Robb takes up arms against them he probably dies too like in the WotFK which is only if nobody Lannister style takes them all out before anyone has time to get that far. So in my personal opinion yes, if somebody found out about R+L=J Ned would do what he needed to do.

[squiddokiddo]

Love your fandom asks: 10, 11, 24!

Sorry for the wait!! Been struggling with a couple of these questions. (;^^)

10• A blog (mutual or one you follow) that has made your fandom experience brighter.

There are a few people who come to mind, all who I love very dearly but I want to mention @tracybirds. They are such a patient, supportive and kind person who supported me after I tried to take my own life and defended me when I was being targeted.

They started the @thunder-pride event to raise awareness and celebrate our LGBTQIA+ thundernerds and queer fandom content. They brought a group of us together, people who I'd never even spoken to before and they're now some of my best friends.

Bri you are amazing, don't forget that ever!!

11• If you're a writer or artist, what fic or piece of art are you proud of making?

I think I already answered this question previously but I've done more art since then so I'm happy to answer again.

This one of Virgil, I have a bit of a perfectionism problem in that I feel like everything I share with the fandom has to be perfect. I had a colour palette I wanted to do something with and I was not in the mood to make a whole intricate and clean piece so I just did a scratch up for fun and I loved it so I posted. It's kicked off the concept in my head that nothing I make has to be perfect and I'm allowed to draw for fun and share that with others.

And my most recent one, Gordon and my OC Squirt on the sofa. I just got this idea in my head and sketched it up, not intending it to be that good but like I have no idea how I managed to draw Squirt laying upside down like that, also Gordon's face is just perfect to me.

24• How has fandom positively impacted your life?

It reignited my love for art, you guys are always so supportive of my artwork which means so much. Also through support of my fandom friends, I've discovered that I'm allowed to set boundaries and I don't have to try and please everyone. I'm still learning but it's already made a positive impact.

Ask game

[sawyer-is-eepy]

goodbye campfire fest!!

this has been so so much fun- i'm so happy i got to be able to be a part of this wonderful event with so many talented artists and writers- it's been so beautiful seeing everyone's interpretations and writing and i've loved seeing everyone come together to create something unique. being so excited to open tumblr everyday and see what people's contributions are has been the highlight of my days this week, and it's so cool to me that i can be a part of this for the first event, and even though it was a teensy bit stressful, i'm so glad i've been able to hit all the prompts.

i can't wait to see what people might post during late submissions!! gonna keep checking every day to see. I've found many new talented artists and writers I had never seen before through this event, you all are seriously so nice and have been so sweet to me and to each other, this event has made me so happy.

I can't wait to see more from all of you. happy fest and much love!

@outerwilds-events

some more doodles(base game and eote spoilers) + random sappy rambling (positive vent?) below cut

some other random doodles from this weekend <3

yes I gave prisoner ears. I'm sorry I'm too much of a furry for this fandom aha

on a serious note, this fandom and this game have been my favorite thing about this year so far. Seriously, I was actually having a really tough couple months around the start of this year. I was dealing with a really really toxic friend in November and December and I was struggling to get over them. I was having a hard time letting go of my hurt and of the memory of them and our friendship- I was hurt and angry and I missed how great it was in the beginning. It was really tough for me, I didn't have any way to distract myself and I didn't have a way to let out my feelings. I felt stuck and trapped with a horrible memory and I didn't have the motivation to let it go. Then comes along this silly little game, that I remembered trying to play forever ago. I decided that I should probably try to play it again, and god it was the best decision I've ever made. This game, it has brought me so so much joy. I finally felt like I was able to let go and learn to move on and just enjoy the good memories while still remembering that they're in the past and while I can't change what happened, I can look forward to the future and hope. this game helped me cope with the grief, it helped me learn how to take care of myself and recover. It affected me so much in many ways, I will never ever forget it. This community has also brought me so much happiness, I've met so many wonderful and kind people, and I've became friends with some really cool people(one person in particular has been especially swaggers, you know who you are you weirdo /affectionate /plat). campfire fest has been great and I'm glad I got to be a part of it!! When I was thinking of what to draw for today, all I could think of was the immense amount of support I've received and given, and seen being passed around. So I figured it should be something to express that love!! Much love, and goodbye to campfire fest!! Can't wait to do this again next year <333