#I will say; been in the fandom since the start...though I haven't interact much outside friends

[fastfists]

I am enjoying the talk of pastel ponies UwU

[codmw2019-2022]

COD MW [2019-22] - Relationships part 1 of ?

Just wanted to preface before I get into it that I did struggle with writing this. It's my first time since high school writing something like this so it's been a bit of a struggle to get back into it.

I've also haven't added any romantic relationships to this, unless the characters have kissed or are canonically married ( like Laswell ) it falls more into head-canon territory. I may also come back and edit this in the future, I'm just getting down a general idea of how I currently view their relationships.

!! Just adding this is all my own interpretation of these characters. !!

Relationship Chart

Explanation : So this cube shows character relationships following both MW (19) , MWII (22) , and MWII Atomgrad Raids storyline. (Yes I am ignoring MWIII, no I will not elaborate /hj)

With this I can confidently show who has and has not interacted and what their relationship is from there. Since I'm not speculating if relationships are romantic or not I've decided to focus on how close the characters are. For instance Alejandro and Rodolfo are both shown to care about each other, same goes for Laswell and Price.

I was going to add in characters like Hadir and Valeria, but with Valeria her relationship with Alejandro and Rodolfo is very cut and dry; and Hadir's relationship is something I'll focus more on when I write about Farah. Their relationship is more complicated and interesting than most other characters.

Character Relationships

Farah :

Her relationships are mostly focused on trust or admiration. She's more close to characters who have stood by her side in tough times, such as Alex and Price. With this though as soon as her trust is betrayed she is more resentful and hostile towards them, like with her brother Hadir.

You can see through most of MW before Hadir's betrayal that she does care about her brother, but as she says to Alex during the cutscene before Hunting Party.

Farah's relationship with Hadir changes instantly after his betray, no matter how much Hadir and Farah care about each other she will never see him as her brother again. This is shown more during the 6th and 7th cutscene during the Atomgrad raids. Hadir does care for Farah and even admits he personally wont kill her, but he will still stop her since their beliefs are so different.

Quotes :

Gaz: You'll be hunting your own brother. Farah: He is not my brother. Not anymore.

Farah: It is impossible that we share the same blood. Hadir: I love you, Farah- Even if you hate me… Hadir: In that way we are not the same. Farah: One of many…

Hadir: Sister… Together we can stop them, like we did before… Farah: Believe me… I will… Farah: My way… with those I trust.

Price :

He keeps a wall of professionalism between most of his close relationships, the exception being Laswell. We see this on multiple occasions where he goes from calling Laswell by her last name and instead calling her Kate. Usually when she is either in danger like what happens during Recon By Fire, or during moments of stress/anger.

Price does show genuine care for those he is close too especially when they could be hurt or in danger, but it's just not shown the same way his care for Laswell is. Same with Nikolai their relationship is best described by the mission title when we first see Nikolai, 'Old Comrades'. They're close but not in the same way civilians are, both being a hardened solider has changed the way their friendship can be viewed from the outside.

Laswell :

Similar to Price she keeps her interactions more professional, while still also bantering with Gaz or Price on occasion. She does however verbally show more care about those she is close too, for instance telling Farah to "Take care of them." ( in reference to Gaz and Price ) at the start of Atomgrad raids.

Alex :

With rewatching both MW and the Atomgrad raids I've realized that Gaz and Alex's relationship is a lot closer than the fandom makes it out to be. Both of them check in with each other, sharing banter and jokes. Alex's relationship with Gaz is more familiar and close, where as Alex's relationship with Farah is focused more on him being supporting and committed to her and her cause. He's willing to sacrifice himself for Farah, where as Gaz and Alex are equals leaving room for more friendly banter.

Quotes :

Gaz: If it wasn't me- I'm glad it was you. Alex: Too bad we couldn't kill him twice.

Alex: I'm pretty sure everything we do is illegal. Gaz: Only the good stuff. Gaz: You got friends nearby. Alex: You too.

Gaz: Told ya you had friends nearby. Gaz: Man o' steel. Alex: Titanium…

Gaz :

Out of all the characters Gaz is definitely the most open about his feelings. He outwardly more caring and emotional, we can see this with how he treats the other characters, he barely knows like Farah and offers her a drink after Hadir's betrayal and also willing to make his own support for Farah known when her liberation force is put on the foreign terror organization list.

Unlike Price, Gaz isn't as hardened by war yet, we do see this change over the course of the series so far. But compared to Price, he seems more friendly this may be because he is a good judge of character or might be because he is just more friendly. This doesn't mean he's quick to trust though.

AN:

Thank you all for waiting for this to come out, I've been struggling a bit with working on this blog. I will keep working on it but I'm just not as confident with my character analysis as I am with research gathering and collection information which is important to the story and characters we love.

I'm going to spend a bit more time working on the next part to this focusing on the character introduced during MWII, but in the mean time I'll see if I can get something else out.

PS: I've also spent some free time working on my cod oc and because of this I might be redoing the character ages post, not sure yet whether or not to edit the post or make a new updated one.

I'm also wondering if you all are interested in learning a bit about my cod oc and the mixed matched cod universe I've put them in. I'd make a separate blog for zem but curious to know if this is something you want to see.

[tewwor]

🌵 🍀 ✨ 🌼 🍄🌹 🌴 🌺 🪵

positivity meme ( always accepting )

🌵 recommend a canon rp blog

@lovehungered — rewinding a bit to stick my foot back into op for a sec. i absolutely adore the way you write sanji. it's so clear how much care and thought you put into him. and your writing, oh your writing!!!!!! stunning, perfect flow, amazing attention to detail. and you're such a kind person too!!!!! can say, without a single doubt in my mind, that having you on my dash is such a treat

🍀recommend an oc rp blog

@interxstitial — GET over here ( with much affection ). to be honest, idk where to even start. like jiwon is one of my fav ocs out there. i said it!! and i'd say it again!!!!! he's so silly, so full of hope, so trusting ( please stop trusting these very mean characters in my arsenal ), and so so precious. you've put him through the WRINGER and you're SO mean for that, but it does.... make for very juicy interactions............ ( don't look at me ). outside of rping, you're such a hoot and a holler and everything in between. we have the same ridiculous sense of humor with the tendency to YAP AWAY. gosh, it's been so much fun writing and chatting with you!

✨recommend a multimuse blog

@cordoliae — vic, deeply beloved and cherished friend..... you inspire me to the nth degree. your words can quite literally move mountains, i fear. i mean it moved me For Sure and your headcanons. GOSH YOUR HEADCANONS!!!! YOUR CHARACTERIZATION OF EVERY CANON YOU PICK UP!!!!!!!!! YOUR OCS, YOUR BEAUITFULLY COMPLEX OCS!!!!!!!! you singlehanded made me feel so much more comfortable and confident in portraying j.jk canons specifically and i thank you for that. top tier, ten star review, 20 michelin stars. i will never not sing your praises.

🌼 recommend a blog with beautiful writing

@temporalobjects — typed out this url SOOOOO fast yall don't even KNOW. hi buddy (ㅅ´ ˘ `) how've you been? hope life's been really, really good!! oh, before i get carried away, everyone — there's some Crazy Talent here fr. being completely honest when i say i have such a blast writing back and forth with all of these funky fresh and cool characters AND folklore. there's a definite soft spot in my heart for them! anyways, i miss you and hope life's been treating you well ♡

🍄 recommend a blog with incredible graphics

@hiohaku — okay but it's not just your graphics. it's the way you portray utahime and the enthusiasm you share and the prose — dear lort the prose!!!!!!! sublime, simply sublime, i really don't have the right words to describe just how fond and in awe i am over all of your content. and, personally speaking, you've helped me develop higu specifically and i'm so so grateful. but uh yes back to the original prompt — i think your graphics are so cohesive and aesthetically pleasing and so so so good! ♡♡

🌹recommend a blog that makes me happy

@koseigu — okay, am i biased? yeah, maybe, what of it? i see tsari put something on my dash and i leap for joy, duh? WOEIHGAOWIGH okay, but for real though. i thoroughly enjoy seeing you post literally anything. i mean, the replies and asks you hand out are poppin'. the inspo and graphics are bangin'. and you're just so friendly and considerate and i am Gripping our niche interests with both hands. again, i'm glad to have found you, friend ♡

🌴recommend a blog i haven't spoken to yet but admire from afar

@ichigokurosaki — will not lie! a bit surprised to see someone from the bleach fandom follow, but i'm so glad you did! tbh it made me kind of nostalgic since bleach was one of the first big title manga i got into but anyways! hi •ᴗ• i think your characterization of ichigo is remarkable and your writing has me ogling from afar.

🌺 i'll recommend a blog i've followed forever

@womanlives — ( enter entire orchestra and band and choir of the world ). no one should be surprised. they shouldn't!!!!!!!! qt, you phenomenal goober. you marvelous writer, creator, gamer, and just everything-er. i care you so, so much and i hope you're doing alright— at least okay! i eagerly await your return and can't wait to show you my newest jester dance and song. love you so many ♡♡♡♡♡♡

🪵positive thing about my own blog

... why. i already listed two whole entire things. i'm running out of things to say >:( i think my blog is silly in a Good way. there.

[cherryblossombombs]

What are your top 5 (or top 7) favorite media ever (can be anime/manga, tv series, books, movies, etc)? Why love them? Thanks ⭐

Well the top 7 of all time would be (no particular order):

Pokémon (Anime; it was the first anime I got into and the first introduction into fandom. If had not been for Pokémon, I would never knew about fandom/anime. I remember the first pokemon forum I was in *it was a shipping forum, and I shipped pearlshipping at the time. got into a lot of fights with antis/trolls but at the same time we weirdly were also friends with them lol. I will miss them, the forum got deleted and I haven't interacted with them since 2012~*)

Naruto (Anime; as much as I don't interact with it as much as I used to. This anime was the anime that truly got me into fandom. Yes, Pokémon did as well, but this was the anime that got me introduced me to shonen jump magazines. it introduced me into other anime outside of shonen. It got me here to find more people who also liked Naruto/Anime. I started to write my own stories and share them to other people who shipped the same ships I did. Naruto was the first fighting game I got with my first gaming system, *gamecube*.)

The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy (Cartoon/TV; I feel like it's just because it was my favorite cartoon network show of all time as a child and as of now lol. I would always put it in the top when it came to rating CN shows or any show as a child)

Blues Clues (Early Childhood/TV; Out of all the preschool/early childhood shows I used to watch, I loved this show. I loved every episode and was ready to interact/talk with the characters on the show. I remember how upset I was when steve left the series. I remember trying to skiddo into quite a few books when I was 5-8 lol)

Steven Universe (Cartoon/TV; Even though I used to be spotty with this show *spotty as in I would watch some episodes then not watch others. I would say I seen the majority of the series, except early season 1*, it was a good show. I liked how it was the first show with LGBTQ+ representation, something that I would've loved to see as a child. I liked the characters, the lore/arcs, I wished I saw more of pink!steven tbh. I do hope the Rebecca sugar does think about continuing the show again.

Junie B. Jones (Childhood Books; I was going to harry potter as my favorite book series, but then I remembered that I only read the first 3 books of harry potter, compared reading a lot of the Junie B. Jones books. Idk, it was something about her that intrigued me and related to her *I think it was her likely undiagnosed neurodivergence, lol*. I read the majority of those books from ages 7-11. I read a lot as a child and it was one my favorite chapter books to read).

Super Mario (Gaming; because it was my first true exposure to gaming as a whole. my older brothers used to have a nintendo 64, SNES and NES. my younger brother and I would play mario party, super mario and smash bros with them. It was my first introduction to my favorite nintendo princess *daisy*)

Phineas and Ferb (Cartoon/TV) and FNAF (five nights as freddy's; Gaming) both coming in at 8th.

[riptozier]

hey everyone, happy (almost) 2024!! even though this blog hasn't existed for the entirety of 2023, this blog has still given me the opportunity to meet and get to know a lot of really amazing people in and outside of this fandom! we're small but we support each other, which i think is really important and meaningful in a community like this. before the new year hits, allow me to express my sincere thanks to all of those that have made my time on this blog so meaningful and fun! i'll be speaking for both this blog and for @ripkaspbrak since i don't wanna be redundant. although i've mentioned specific people here, i want to state i've enjoyed every interaction i've had with everyone i've ever gotten to interact with here this year!! thank you all so much for a great 2023, and i hope for so much more in 2024!!! ❤️❤️

@scribedhorror. skye, your bill is truly an honor to write with! he is very well-developed and honestly one of the best-written bills i've ever seen on this site. i've had a ton of fun discussing and building our muses' relationships and i can't wait for them all to have even more fun together in this new year!!

@eddiethekaspbrak. CARE you truly are the GOAT!!! your eddie really is everything that my richie has ever wanted and more, i've enjoyed literally each and every single one of our ic and ooc interactions, my richie truly fucking adores your eddie and would die for him. you truly are the sweetest and i can't wait for what 2024 has in store for us!!

@tczier. the og richie!!!! at least that's how i see you, merrick. you've truly been an inspiration to me in joining this fandom and every second my eddie spends with your richie the more attached to him he becomes. you've always made me laugh and seemingly know exactly what to say to make your richie ... richie. it's really inspiring to see your characterization of him and i hope we can have more of these wonderful shared moments in the next year!!

@diedbrave. if there's an eddie on this site that i love, it's strode's. i love how you take inspiration from all the canon material at once and manage to make the perfect characterization of eddie that the movies just don't do him justice with. it would be an understatement for me to say that my richie is fucking smitten with your eddie. i'm looking forward to them developing their relationship even more in 2024, and for more moments where richie can tease the hell out of eddie ;)

@spider-self. now THIS is truly one well-written IT. not only is IT's terrifying nature captured in your highly descriptive writing, but this interesting little relationship that IT has started to develop with richie ... it certainly is interesting, isn't it? i'd be lying if i said i didn't highly enjoy every second of that, though. everyone needs a bit of (sometimes hidden) toxicity in the things they write if they're open to it, i think. i look forward to developing them and doing even more creative things with them this new year!!

@myheartburnsthere. carrie!! your ben is honestly so ... ben?? like in the most perfect, yet most original way. so fucking lovely. he's still incredibly sweet, still kinda shy, exactly what richie likes in a man, if i must say so myself ;) i love how on and off they are with one another, in a sense that they're so open in an almost romantic fashion one moment yet so platonic in the next. and i fucking love it, but richie is starting to feel teased!!! as fun as it is, i look forward to seeing where they may or may not go with this in 2024!!

@rayofsunshinc. while i haven't had the opportunity to write with all of sara's muses, the ones i have written with (only richie & ben so far iirc) have been incredible and wonderfully entertaining!! richie honestly needs someone to just chill with, and in terms of my eddie ... he's really falling head over heels for your richie, if i'm being perfectly honest. it's been so fun and rewarding getting to write with you, and i hope to continue doing so in the new year!!!

HONORABLE MENTIONS . @painofhumanity @infernalrampage @gazebobullshit @multivcrsity @witchoflegends

[dreaming-of-mossballs]

hii so I'm like a super ultra silent reader of your content bc I am deathly afraid of my liked posts showing up on my friends' feeds. but I had to somehow let you know that even though you seem to be having some sort of burnout and unhappiness with your writing, as someone who's very very picky about what writing I even enjoy, your writing style and skill is definitely some of my favorite on the app at all. I totally understand being unhappy with your own work since I'm an artist too (albeit a visual artist so, not quite the same here but the idea applies), and I can relate to being unsatisfied with whatever it is you're putting out there. but basically, I just wanted to let you know from an outside view, your writing is extremely eloquent and well-put-together and organized. you can tell your writing is created with a lot of thought and time put into it, which is why it's so easy to enjoy. and side note, I LITERALLY haven't been able to stop thinking of your last post since I read it yesterday which almost never happens 😭. honestly even though there's like 5 gepard fans on here so he gets practically no content from anyone, I'd still prefer to have your writing carrying the "fanclub" of sorts over a large crop of posts from lots of people that isnt very well-done or thought about. I know you said this recent post may be your last one for a bit, so please, PLEASE take your time with whatever's next!! your stuff is always very much worth the wait ❤️ and please do take care of yourself and don't push yourself too hard.

(by the way, you totally don't need to post this on your profile or respond to it at all, I just wanted to send in some kind of message about it since as I mentioned, my paranoia prevents me from interacting with your posts directly 😞)

CRYINGB UGLY SOBBING OMGOMGOMG

It surprises me when people say I don’t need to respond because I can’t keep such a nice note to myself 😭 but I do the same thing when I’m sending asks so I totally get it (I’d get this tattooed on my forehead if no one stopped me)

i had NO IDEA I had a super ultra silent reader so this was an absolute joy to get. There was a post I saw earlier about how in fandoms, it’s either you talking with a small group of friends or your door is open and people come in and listen to you ramble. I’m definitely the latter. I’m so fortunate to have so many people invested in my story lol, because like most things I write, they start off as daydreams in bed. I’ve never written one out before, but I’m SO GLAD I DID.

And honestly, if I were to release something the quality I wanted it to be, it would take ages of rereading and refining. Unfortunately im not a very gifted writer, but all the practice I’ve gotten due to being obsessed with gepard has helped me a bit. I just have to remember that haha

Some less coherent thoughts

ITS EASY TO UNDERSTAND???? YAY IM SO HAPPY AHHHHHHHH

i actually based my style off the wings of fire series, i don’t know if y’all are familiar with it, but the introspective humor was so fun to me as a child. (Also I love using Chekhov’s gun as a crutch I’m sorry guys) it also stemmed from the worry that readers wouldn’t be able to visualize what I was picturing, so that ended up in a LOT of describing scenes early on. With no metaphors so it was just like. (Y/N) set the cup down, (Y/N) put the laundry in the washer, etc. hahaha it makes me laugh looking back on it

it also makes me absolutely kicking my feet giddy that it’s invaded your brain. I love giving people brain worms and inflicting emotional damage on them. And gepard ALWAYS shares posts with other Hsr men like. The absolute middle child treatment. But I’m glad I’m doing my part to bring something to the table that’s different than the usual 1k words he gets sandwiched in between five other people.

it makes me so so happy you think my writing is organized and well thought out, because I do put a lot of thought into it!

I’ve run out of words to say but i might come back to this to ramble pfft

i hope that fic gives you a good supply of serotonin for days to come 🩵🩵

[m34gs]

Tag Game:

Twenty Questions for Fic Writers:

Thanks to @voxofthevoid for tagging me 💜💜💜 I loved all your answers btw. (also sorry I haven't been doing a lot of tag games lately; if I don't get the notification at the exact moment I have both time and motivation, it tends to not get done...😅)

How many works do you have on AO3? Currently I have 87 posted fics!

What's your total AO3 word count? 589 678

What fandoms do you write for? Currently I am actively writing for: Blue exorcist, Twisted Wonderland, Bleach, and Haikyuu!! I also have fics posted for: BNHA, JJK, Fire Force, and Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc I am planning to post more fics in some of those fandoms again, and I have more I would like to eventually write for :)

What are your top five fics by kudos? This was interesting for me; since I don't usually organize my stats by kudos...lol! United - BNHA Hogwarts AU (first fic I started posting on AO3...kinda surprised because I haven't touched this one in almost a year...I just really lost a lot of my motivation to work on anything related to HP, however loosely it may be...though I guess this might have the most simply because it's my oldest) The Ones You Lose are the Ones I See - BNHA au where Izuku has a quirk that allows him to see ghosts (again; surprised...I haven't had much time/energy/motivation to work on this one either) Lost - Haikyuu!! mer au; Shouyou gets lost from his pod and has to find his way back home. I wrote this one in my first 2 years of writing on AO3...I was very into Haikyuu at the time lol. The Sushi Protocol - Fire Force, Part of the Bar AU @kimium and I came up with together. Licht has some very poor dietary habits and once Companies 7 and 8 catch on, they intervene. Unforgiving Winter - BNHA AU where Katsuki and Izuku get stuck outside in the cold as children. (heed tags and warnings)

Do you respond to comments? Why or why not? I do! I love interacting with people who enjoyed my writing, and I like to discuss my ideas, so it's a win-win when I get a lovely comment and then get to discuss the fic in more depth with someone!

What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? Hmmm, probably Unforgiving Winter (as listed above). I think that's the one I've gotten the most comments about breaking people's hearts on. That being said, angst is subjective and I've got more than a few angsty fics (my friends know I was an edgelord child at heart even if I wasn't allowed to show it and I have only gotten worse with my angsty bullshit hahaha)

What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? Not 100% sure. Probably Three Orange Hearts (Haikyuu UshiHina Youtuber AU)? I think that was one of my happiest fics and it has a pretty fluffy and happy ending for me. But, to be honest maybe someone has a different opinion. I started writing more fluffy/happy fics because of @kimium. (she challenged me to do so and I love her for constantly helping me grow in my writing)

Do you get hate on fic? I wouldn't classify it as hate, but once in a while I will get a comment that is worded rudely or sounds like they're criticizing how I've written characters. Usually for those I either ask for clarification because I may have misread the tone or explain what thoughts go into why the character is acting that way. I mean, when it comes to critique on how I've written the characters...the bottom line is I write them the way that makes sense to me and makes me happy, so I always will say if someone doesn't like the way I've done it they can always write the idea their way and have fun with it. Most times this clears up any misunderstandings and I feel like it encourages communication and learning. I don't like to feel like I've lashed out at someone, it makes me feel bad.

Do you write smut? Yes :D and unless you're one of my trusted adult friends who ask me where it is, you will never find out where I post it. Mwaahahahahaha

Do you write crossovers? Yup! The Glorious Bar AU is a giant crossover of all the fandoms @kimium and I decide to mash together! And I am currently working on my first AO3 contribution to our Sort of Saw Franchise AU for Twisted Wonderland. I hope to post it soon! (see my pinned post for links to all the asks where Kim and I have discussed this AU!)

Have you ever had a fic stolen? Not to my knowledge...but I've also locked down all my fics because of the AI scraping bullshit

Have you ever had a fic translated? Yes! I was very honoured!

Have you ever co-written a fic before? Currently Kim and I are co-writers for the Bar AU and the Saw AU! It's not necessarily one fic, but multiple fics in the same AU gathered in series!

What's your all-time favourite ship? I'm not sure if I have an overall favourite that I like more than all my other favourite ships...Right now, I'm really into Kalim/Idia from Twisted Wonderland. It makes me happy and I have been writing a lot for them.

What's a wip you want to finish but probably won't? I hate to label anything as "never going to finish" because I honestly always have plans to finish a story. I don't know if I have the heart to say I probably won't finish one. I do have a lot that I have taken a long break from though.

What are your writing strengths? I've had people tell me they really love how I write characters in fics, and that they enjoy my worldbuilding in AUs; I like to think those are my strengths.

What are your writing weaknesses? Scenery and describing it. I almost always have to go back and tweak things a little to make sure I didn't forget to include enough of the setting; but I am getting better at it.

Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic? I would not feel confident enough to do most languages as full conversations (maybe a little German? though the Duolingo Owl probably feels otherwise based on how long it's been since my last lesson...) but I could probably manage a few phrases if a characters says something in another language in canon (like Rook Hunt).

First fandom you wrote for? Ever? Ever ever? I wrote a few chapters of a One Direction fanfic when I was 15 and it will never see the light of day again. I deleted it...lol. It wasn't posted on AO3, since I wasn't on the archive at that time.

Favourite fic you've written? I don't choose favourites among my children... (Right now it's A Different Kind of Magic; a multichapter Kalim/Idia fanfic set in an AU where Idia has to teach Kalim and Jamil to master their magic before it consumes them)

Well that was fun! I don't know if I have 20 writer friends/mutuals who are actively writing/posting fics to tag (who also haven't already been tagged...lol), so I'll tag the ones I can think of! If I miss you or you see this and want to join in, feel free!!

@kimium (sorry for tagging you so many times in this post lmfao), @collisiondiscourse, @sailormew4, @iluvmilkchoco, @vermillionair13, and anyone else who wants to join! No pressure, it's all for fun if you want to do it! 💜💜💜

[tnc-n3cl]

Did I send you an ask for this yet? You might have 2 from me I've been sending them all over. A - Ships that you currently like a lot. (They don’t have to be OTPs because not everyone has OTPs.) Friendships, pairings, threesomes, etc. are allowed. H - What is your favorite source text for fandom stuff (e.g., TV shows, movies, books, anime, Western animation, etc.)? M - Name a character that you’d like to have for a friend.

Thanks for the ask @unmaskedcardinal! (This is the only one from you, though Tumblr does say that I have four other unaccounted for items in my inbox but they're not showing up. Been like that for a while actually...)

A - Ships that you currently like a lot. (They don’t have to be OTPs because not everyone has OTPs.) Friendships, pairings, threesomes, etc. are allowed.

Hm... Revalink and Midlink I reckon. Midna is (and likely always will be) my favorite LoZ character, and her arc was really good and her and Link's chemistry was good so yeah pretty much the first OTP for me I guess (Outside of maybe Picard/Crusher). Revalink was something that I had no idea even existed but once I started reading some fics, I was like "okay, I get it now."

H - What is your favorite source text for fandom stuff (e.g., TV shows, movies, books, anime, Western animation, etc.)?

I'm not sure that I prefer any of them over the others really. I watch several TV shows/movies/anime that I enjoy but don't feel the need to engage with the fanbase. Anymore at least, I used to be on a Star Trek & Scifi forum but it shutdown back when season 2 of Discovery came on (by that time there were maybe only like 5 people that were any kind of active) and I haven't felt the need to seek out a new place (or even lurk on any of the other sites I visited). Partly because I'm actually super behind on Star Trek at the moment, and also cause of how hard it can be to find a chill Trek group...

I uh... haven't read a non-textbook since the early 2000's, part of David Brin's Uplift Universe (I do like the scifi novels having more freedom to do super weird aliens. Since they don't have to worry about special effects budgets/CGI limitations or fitting people in costumes and whatnot.)

I like the interactive aspect of video games, and I've got quite a few "what if I could make the next game in X series ideas" so maybe a slight preference for games. Then again I did write a Star Trek and a Stargate fanfic...

M - Name a character that you’d like to have for a friend.

Oh man that's really tough lol! Kass would probably be a good friend, though he's probably super busy with the rainbow fledglings and all...

Send me some letters!

[tartrazeen]

I'm playing with the Mystic Knight polycule today 😝

I've never actually considered polycules in a fandom before, but as soon as @schimmelspore put it in my head, I dunno - this time, it clicked. This show lends itself so well to one because each character gives you a concrete personality to work with. It means even when certain dynamics aren't getting the same kind of screentime to show you what would happen, it's still easy to picture how it would be playing out somehow.

The dynamics all have something unique about them too, which might be why I've never thought a lot about polycules before. What I've been stuck with is "Okay, you two date like this, and you two date in the exact opposite way, and then when you switch, here's how you make sure all these exact same roles are in play but with different people doing them." Like a constantly self-enforcing hierarchy where every single one of them has a clear rank within the group, or a checklist of 'top/bottom/verse' that everyone has to complete. Or like a rote partner swap. Not fun for me.

But this is fun, because if two or three people are together at a time, you can't just slip in someone else without changing absolutely everything about how they interact with each other. Their relationships are distinct, and there's an equally distinct consideration that has to be made when someone else is added to the mix. There's always a slight moment of, "Is this person intruding on what these other ones are doing, even if they have all independent relationships outside of this?"

The best part is how I feel totally free from the boringly standard, "This person's a top and therefore also the dom, and this person's a bottom and therefore also the sub" fandom patterns. Like - putting aside how these characters seem so fluid across those anyway, since it's not something that just gets boiled down into sex, it feels like as soon as the tone or mood changes, everything else could change on a dime. There's a certain level of receptiveness that I get from them where they adapt to each other rather than inherently stick to their 'assigned role'. Even purposely 'sticking to a role' is situational.

There's just so much drama in this group that nothing has any reason to be consistent. Especially with the royalty factor involved in terms of who has a title, who grew up with a title, who's willing or able to put titles aside at any given moment, and how that holds up to the relationship that exists outside of any titles at all, there's a constantly shifting balance of power. To me, there are as many times where someone's insisting royalty plays a part in an interaction as there as times where it's purposely inverted, subconsciously maintained, mutually cancelled out, or inevitably overruled by the rest of the relationship (particularly where Angus is involved for that one). And like I said, depending on the tone or mood at that moment, that can all shift and shift again. Someone says something off-handedly and - bam. Things change, and there's a new question on whether they try to ignore it, notice and embrace it, or stop to figure out what it means.

And that's before we start counting the number of brain cells involved to realize, "ohhhhohohoho these guys are doomed if they pull on that thread" or "they are not gonna fucking notice that 🙃"

So for me, even though this hyperfixation of the past-several-months has been filled with many, many scenarios and daydreams of everybody getting along (or not lmao), one thing I haven't visualized is how everyone would get together. Obviously I have my favourite dynamics within everything either along the way or after everyone's discovered this can exist for them, but I'd like a little fanon narrative for how they first come together - so I can immediately reimagine it in forty other different ways 😝

Link to the full thread (the rough, messy draft version) for now :3

Yaaaaaaay here we goooooooooo

1. Angus and Rohan

Not like you'd think! I don't see these two getting together right away. In fact, I think they'd be dead last in getting officially together, and that it'd almost represent the polycule being 'complete' - quote unquote. :)

It's almost like they're bookending the whole thing: they're at the heart of this, they're the ones with the first connection of any kind (canonically!), and they're the ones with the most increasingly obnoxious "will they or won't they" that serendipitously serves as a springboard for everyone else to learn new things about themselves, mostly 'cause the others get to take a look at these two's mess and go, "LOL we are not fucking doing that."

But yes, they are my foundation for everything else. In my mind, if it wasn't for Rohan, Angus would very happily shack up with the other three at varying levels of shallowness or sincerity, but they would be entirely independent of everyone else. In other words, Angus would be cheating on all of them with all of them, and there'd be nothing bringing them all together. Rohan's the door to something 'real' - something Angus can't carelessly break and throw away, can't really outrun, and can't neatly separate into 'public' and 'private' relationships since Rohan doesn't 'do' that kind of discretion. Rohan's a painfully all-in type of person; he's the walking embodiment of a powder keg. Compared to him, everyone else is on the 'manageable' end of the scale when it comes to Angus confronting some genuine feelings, since everyone else is automatically less intense than Rohan is, and by the time these two actually figure something out with each other, those genuine feelings for everyone else stop being as scary to grapple with - 'cause again, everyone else is a thousand times less intense about it.

Likewise, if it wasn't for Angus, nobody would be getting together at all. Deirdre is too prim and proper about being a princess to initiate anything herself. Ivar's a guest in this kingdom, and while I could see him openly pursuing someone else in Kells - or Garrett, actually - I don't see him going anywhere near Deirdre (his host) or Rohan (waaaaay too much work to get him on Ivar's level). If Ivar did go after anyone, I definitely don't see it connecting to Deirdre or Rohan eventually. Those two are quite content to stare in sadly from a window, pining for romance with some theoretical soulmate that might've been in that cancelled season two lol. And Garrett? 😑 The reason Garrett wouldn't be bringing these people together is "Garrett." 'Nuff said.

It's Angus who's that common ground. :D It's Angus who's universally approachable, enticed, willing, and rule-breaking enough for "Hey, you wanna make out a little" to be a question any of them could actually be brave enough to ask (not Rohan; I mean the others), and for "Hey, you wanna make out with us" to be a question they get asked without immediately slapping the asker in the face and saying no. Unless that's their 'thing' and it's actually how they say yes. 🤔 Angus is too open for anything for his own good lmao, I love him.

So yeah - Angus is everyone's initial connection to each other, and Rohan's what turns it from being a fun romp that can end whenever into a full-blown committed relationship. Not to say that everyone's going to be as ungodly serious as Rohan is, but he's going to at least show that that is on the table. And I said 'initial' connection for Angus, because I do think some of these relationships could exist even if things fall or drift apart, but there wouldn't be something with just Rohan, Deirdre, Ivar and Garrett that could last. Angus needs to be in there to do a surprising amount of maintenance and distractions across these competing personalities. They'd kill each other without him, is what I'm saying.

But as for how they - Angus and Rohan specifically - are with each other...

:/

My God. These two. A mess.

I'm not as concerned with whether or not either of them consciously know or suspect anything. I have my preferences, which I'll get to in a sec, but given how both of them are, they're - hilariously - gonna act the exact same way no matter what combination of 'knows' and 'doesn't know' you'd use.

My favourite is that Rohan felt something for Angus back when they were kids. He consciously remembers the moment, and in my head, it was just that they were lying in the grass and making up stories about the stars, and Angus happened to look over at Rohan in a way that stuck in Rohan's mind forever. And in a very 'Angus' way too, so Rohan keeps seeing reminders of it again as they're growing up, since - like... well, it's Angus' face. That's just what his face is. And sometimes there'll be a moment where Rohan's like, "Hm, like that one night," and then go back to whatever it was he was doing - which he's become very good at, since he mostly thinks it's a neat childhood memory.

That's 'cause Rohan, our resident genius (even though he gets a tiny pass because he was a kid when this started), has taken this feeling as proof that they're best friends. The thought that it might not be platonic or familial has not even entered the farthest reaches of his mind, and every parallel sign he sees in other people's romantic relationships translate back to him as, "Haha that's almost like me and Angus. :3 Anyway, back to sweeping or whatever tf it is I do as as an apprentice." Sexual? OH-HO-HO that's an embarrassing thought, but it's totally normal because they live together and anyway Angus says he has dreams of 'lovely maidens' so it's basically the same thing and they don't have to talk about it. Ever. Hahaha.

And in my head, even though I have different ideas for what starts that conversation off, Rohan only 'gets' it after he's talked to Ivar. This is completely separate from anything Ivar has going on with Angus, btw, because Ivar can be trusted to compartmentalize his friendship with Rohan and his one with Angus.

Rohan - for one reason or another - asks for Ivar's opinion on him and Angus. It's a somewhat generic question 'cause Rohan's never said this shit out loud and usually doesn't even question it, so Ivar gives it an equally generic answer. But Rohan's not quite satisfied with that and tries asking again, still wildly generic but more insistently about it, and the repetition is enough for Ivar to see that Rohan's trying to get at something in particular but isn't sure how. They talk for long enough that Ivar gets it, and then continue talking long enough for Ivar to explain it to Rohan. Slowly. Multiple times. Small words.

And this is Rohan having to really, really push back on what he's hearing, getting borderline defensive to cover an increasing sense of panic (classic Rohan), because if what Ivar's saying is true (it is), then that means the entire friendship since at least that night under the stars has to be re-evaluated. And Rohan's brain has only got one little hamster running in its little wheel, so this is a long process that ends with the conversation winding down as he's completely consumed by his thoughts, only to pick up again a few days later when Rohan's gotten exactly 3% further in putting it together.

The only good news is that with him being so caught up in his thoughts, he has nothing to act on yet because he doesn't understand it - so even if he's being quiet and frowning while that hamster's spinning as fast as it can, Angus can ask if everything's alright and Rohan can honestly say, "Yeah, just thinking," without it feeling awkward or concerning. This is normal for Rohan; it's what he always does when he's thinking about something big, and Angus is comfortable moving around him like this as he's staring intensely at a wall and poking him in the face when he's stopped eating again. He'll just snap out of it when he's done ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯

But then finally, the hamster's finished. And then finally, Rohan gets it. And that is when it suddenly becomes incredibly awkward for Rohan to be around Angus at all. Which is - uh... when Angus starts being a little worried, because it starts to seem like Rohan's avoiding him as if he's been the problem all along. But Rohan's there insisting "EVERYTHING'S FINE" in a way that means Angus shouldn't take offence, so Angus does the only thing he really can do and carries on as close to normal as he can until Rohan figures his shit out.

And oh 👏🏽 my 👏🏽 god 👏🏽 there 👏🏽 is 👏🏽 that 👏🏽 mess 👏🏽

The number of conversations Ivar gets pulled into with Rohan trying to check and double-check - thank God Ivar thinks it's funny and is being patient with him because it's funny, or Rohan would honestly implode. I kinda imagine that these conversations happen so often that Garrett stumbles onto one of them at some point, and even though they both freeze so Garrett doesn't hear anything, Ivar decides to just invite Garrett into this since who else would love to watch a human being tear himself to pieces by squirming? Garrett. Fuckin' Garrett. Of course. They probably wouldn't invite Deirdre since is Man Talk and she's a Girl™, but no one really escapes because Rohan is all-consuming and the story will eventually find you and he will take that as permission to unload all of his angst onto you too and then take none of your advice.

It should go without saying that Rohan is doing a fucking awful job of playing it cool around Angus back at home. When he isn't avoiding the guy, he's being a weird little teenager who just got his first crush, and that includes all those annoying moments of staring, stammering, walking into shit, completely forgetting to talk, talking in totally meaningless strings of words and almost-words, and then trying to brush it off with a power pose and a deliberate silence.

So Angus isn't having a good time.

Except that within that, there are still times where Rohan actually manages to relax and me a normal human being again. Conversations get past the awkwardness and finally start flowing again, chores get done, patrols are walked, herbs are picked, they don't train together because Rohan's a tragedy, and it's... nice. It's familiar. It's the closeness they've always had and it feels effortless in those moments, and as fun and safe and warm as it always has.

And then the conversation naturally peters out and Rohan is looking at Angus, wondering how he didn't see this between them before, grateful to have this with someone who's so easy to be close to...

... and just stares way too fucking long and goes back to making an ass of himself. And then runs off to go find Ivar and Garrett, who are - I cannot stress enough - loving this. It's so dumb.

As for Angus, idk, I kinda always thought he knew Rohan was clingy and touchy and generous beyond any other friend he's had, but took one look at Rohan and said, "That is a small hamster and a tiny wheel, he's got nothing backing that up," and wrote it off as harmless. Was it a crush of some kind? Maybe. Or maybe Rohan was just 'like that'. Either way, it wasn't causing Angus any problems, he enjoys the attention overall, and if it wasn't for Cathbad being shitty about 'bad influences' on Rohan, Angus could've happily lived without a single reminder that Rohan was a bit too attached at times.

So all of this? What Rohan's doing right now? It's very inconvenient at best. But at worst - and it's a race for Rohan to figure something out before Angus makes this conclusion - his idiot friend just decided he's in love with Angus after all, which would be horrible 'cause Angus does not need to deal with that. They've made it too far for Rohan to screw up what was a perfectly stable arrangement, and if that's what Rohan's trying to do, ruin it, then Angus is gonna be mad as hell.

And that's the first step in the polycule. :D

2. Angus and Deirdre

The complete and utter opposite situation is happening with these two. They've been openly flirting for a while, and the tension's always been there between them. Obviously with Deirdre being a princess, there's a line that can't be publicly crossed, but there's a lot that be heavily and plausibly denied.

It's mostly teasing from Angus at first - making fun of the princess as a joke with Rohan, then as a joke for just his own sake, and then as a joke that Deirdre starts to anticipate. She moves from being reproachful and scolding, reminding him of his place, to drawing a loose sense of enjoyment out of having someone she can return fire on. There's some calibration, I guess, in how hard they're allowed to go with that (again: princess), because some jokes carry a bit too much truth to just put out there. But Angus is surprisingly patient and Deirdre's actively checking to see if something went too far, and they're able to forge a shockingly healthy way to communicate.

They learn to gauge each other's reactions to see if their jokes landed like they intended, and they especially learn how to walk back what they said without killing the momentum overall. They're able to riff on each other, pause, take the feedback (which might be just be a purposely scrunched nose), and replace it with something better, or actually break character to explain what the problem was before going back to it, newly enlightened.

Angus and Rohan could never.

The effort and care put into learning how to tease each other, finding the line and carefully skirting it, and occasionally warning the other that they're going to try purposely crossing the line to see how it feels, becomes such a welcome way to talk that they start actually talking. Deirdre asks questions about life outside of the castle when the villagers are able to speak freely, and Angus gets curious about royal stuff and - well, Deirdre herself. On his side, some of it is just to be polite, and some of it is a hunt to find more things to tease her with later, but sometimes he's genuinely interested. She'll lie across his chest, head tucked under his chin, crown off because she's almost poked his eye out twice on that thing, and he'll idly play with her hair while she tells him what she remembers about her mother. He doesn't reciprocate on those topics, but he likes listening to her through it and being able to ground her while she's holding onto him. Maybe it's cruel to let her open up when he has no intention of sharing the same, but he's able to comfort her and distract her before she ever slips too far. He has a lot of practice with that.

Btw, they are absolutely the first two to get in bed together. This is all "deep conversations in the afterglow" talk - they absolutely had to burn off their energy before they could slow that far down again, and most of the time, 'comfort and distract her' just means Angus brings her back for the next round before he has to go to the hut. He can't exactly spend the night, and it's best to leave everything on a high note - which they can hit, because they have somehow mastered talking to each other. I have to imagine that at one point, they rolled over and high-fived. That seems like the bad influence Angus would be on her. 😝

There's discretion in their private relationship, because they're both highly motivated to keep this quiet. Deirdre can't risk anyone knowing she's been with anybody before her marriage, especially someone like Angus, so she keeps it tight-lipped. And Angus agrees with that, on top of having Rohan as his other consideration. In Angus' mind, Rohan and Deirdre are such an easy answer to his problem: it doesn't matter whether Rohan's got a crush on him or not if there's a bigger, more official relationship between Rohan and Deirdre. Then Rohan's accounted for! Problem solved! And Rohan likes her, at least agreeing with Angus every time Deirdre's brought up, so they're halfway there already.

Except that Rohan's also been very slow to act on any of it. And for all Deirdre asks about their friendship, she doesn't seem to ask about Rohan for her own sake. So yet another reason to keep from reciprocating too much (beyond it being none of her business anyway) is that he doesn't want her to get too attached. Sex is fine - sex is just for fun, but the emotions are what make or break it. Fortunately Rohan being Rohan will sweep anyone away in those once he's got his mind set on someone, so it's only a matter of managing Deirdre until then and keeping her in a pleasant state of satisfied and noncommittal fun.

... And then she wants to date him.

As in 'publicly'.

Maybe 'date' is the wrong word, but she certainly wants him to escort her to more and more shit. She volunteers him for it without even asking - like she was Rohan, right down to the terrible communication - and then stares at him with pleading, guilt-laden and royal eyes while she waits for him to answer, "Don't you want to go with me?"

And he, being a peasant, can only get so close to saying 'no'.

So she hears 'yes' and keeps doing it.

He's always quick to reassure Rohan that it's to punish him or something, haha, their little joke, dragging the common thief to some who-the-hell-cares as her guest to parade him in front of those who properly matter. Rohan (who, as I mentioned, is working on that hamster wheel about Angus) seems to accept this without much convincing, assuming he heard what Angus said in the first place. And Deirdre, of course, is expertly convincing everyone else that this is just as friends. He's only got to worry about Rohan - and, uh, apparently the king, who just wants to make extra sure that this stays 'professional'.

There are only like two dads in this show and they're both suspicious of him. 🤣 And I wonder why he's got such a complex...!

3. Angus and Garrett

This one's fun, because it's Garrett.

Garrett has such weird arc in the show. To this day, I think the worst decision they made was having the episode where he leaves for a bit be so far after he's already disappeared (he's gone in episode 28 but isn't shown to be sailing away until episode 39 for some reason, then disappears again to come back for the final fight 🙄), but even within that he's got an odd arc. He starts off as super arrogant and dickish, which is a blast! Then he gets schooled by Fin Varra and comes down a little, then gets kinda neutral-to-nice near the end of the show. He really loses his spice. Less fun.

But in all the time we see him, we never see him get to a point where it'd make reasonable sense for him to tie someone to a tree.

Angus, as far as I can tell, has a unique way to get under Garrett's skin. On purpose too - he openly laughs at Garrett in that episode with the drageen ("ummm a baby dragon is called a drageen" shut up rohan, no one asked), and he's merrily scamming Garrett out of the Dragonbow later too. In fact, the only other real spice we get from Garrett at all is when he asks Angus what happened to the Dragonbow, 'cause other than that, the guy stays fairly bland.

So to me, Angus is having fun tormenting Garrett once he becomes a Mystic Knight, partly as revenge from Garrett's (justified?) decision to tie him to a tree and gag him, and partly because it's another royal who's overly prim and proper and look how much fun he's been having with Deirdre. And Garrett's even easier to rile up because he never lets himself stoop so low as to 'return fire'. It's heaven.

And then Garrett comes back and he's boring now. :/

'Fixing this' is the key to getting Garrett tangled up in what's to come. 😏 Sure, there's probably something going on with Lynette over in that wherever that Garrett was visiting, but Lynette was such a nice princess - even nicer than Deirdre - and that's boring. Garrett's boring. Garrett used to be so much fun and now he's all patient and helpful and a team player. And Angus takes it as a personal challenge to see just how far that patience and helpfulness will go, 'cause it wasn't that long ago he was tied up, and he known he can get that side out of Garrett again.

Their dynamic is an excellent "Why don't you make me shut up" deal, which fits the first episode where we even got Garrett, and balances End-Show personality with more of the defining characteristics we know him for. He gets to be both, because just like Deirdre, there's a separation between his private and public relationships: one, he's as arrogant and unbearable as ever, and two, he's a changed man who's found some peace from having to brag about his accomplishments all the time. And Angus is ecstatic that the switch between public to private is so immediate now that he's cracked through the shell.

I see these two as being purely physical, in a way where when Rohan starts complaining about how in love he is with Angus, Garrett doesn't see the need to mention what he's been doing behind closed doors. It isn't any of Rohan's business really, and it doesn't interfere with whatever mess those two have made of their confusingly devoted friendship.

Besides, if Angus wants to stop, they can stop. It would simply mean Angus loses.

And as Garrett was pleased to discover, Angus hates losing to him as much as Garrett hates losing at all.

Their situation is almost like a permanent state of combat. Angus should've balked by now, and Garrett shouldn't have ever come close to balking, but he starts to realize what kind of person would willingly choose to live - and be best friends with - someone like Rohan. For all the complaining he'll do and concern he'll show and caution he'll preach on the battlefield, Angus is kind of... crazy? Apparently? And as he's alone with Angus one moment being casually asked if he'd like to yield, and with Rohan the next hearing him whine about how difficult it is to decide what to do, Garrett slowly starts to gain a low note of empathy for the mighty, great, and legendary warrior Draganta, hopelessly defeated by telling his friend, "I like you."

The curiosity that it stirs has Garrett making the first move emotionally. It's not that they don't talk outside of their private wars, but they don't have the same friendship as everyone else. Despite things going well with Rohan and Ivar out on the battlefield and as fellow royals, newly or not, Garrett's still a 'guest'. An outsider. In a land that he was meant to one day rule alongside Deirdre. But good luck finding any help with that from Rohan, who's back to learning how to walk in a straight line. Ivar is more helpful in theory, but Garrett needs someone who's from this land.

Angus.

Obviously.

But to strike up such a conversation so suddenly might have been off-putting to the peasant, so Garrett tries to soften it by trying to get to know Angus better.

The first thing he 'knows' is to cut that shit out and get to the point. Fair enough.

So they talk about Deirdre, and while yes, Angus is guarded in what he says, there's plenty of useful information for him to work with. Importantly, there are plenty of useful events that Angus would rather genuinely choke than have to keep going to. Perfectly normal events in Garrett's opinion, but if Angus is going to throw a fit and waste that energy on Deirdre (who he very much knows about, since Angus at his most guarded is still fairly careless), then Garret gains nothing and might as well go in his place. And Angus is delighted to start arranging that.

But that still leaves one matter unsolved. And as noted earlier, Garrett hates to lose. So his attention starts to turn towards Angus' reluctance to start talking about himself, expecting to have to push, and is floored by the total lack of resistance. Instead, Angus dryly drops a list of facts about himself, sucking away any of the thrill of the hunt that Garrett was readying himself for. In their world, this counts as another loss, but the truly frustrating part is that Angus isn't playing it as one of his taunts. It's serious; Angus truly isn't interested in talking about himself. About things, sure, and about others, but he seems to have predefined himself as 'uninteresting' without any input from Garrett (who had also prepared to agree with that assessment, but wanted to make it himself). And that drives Garrett right up the wall. It's the first true challenge Angus has ever posed to him, and it's as inexplicable as it is insurmountable.

So Garrett does what he always does: refuses to be defeated.

He needs information, just like he needed it for Deirdre. Except now he needs it about Angus. And of course, the resident Angus expert iiiiiiiiis broken oh right Rohan is useless.

But.

Ivar isn't.

And Garrett isn't a fool.

The talks they've been having with Rohan have been including more insight from Ivar lately, and it's surpassing what even Rohan could've known pre-hamster.

(ya know what? i know these posts have a text limit on mobile, so i'll just post this here and continue it in the reblog. :3 please forgive any typos you see in this one - i'm just moving right along, which unfortunately locks them all in 🥲)

[marshmallowprotection]

Hi! How are you doing? I wanted to ask since you've been in the fandom for a long time, what are you what are some of your favorite sites to interact with other mystic messenger fans? Do you have any advice on how to deal with fans who are a little too extreme or a bully? I have played MM since it came out but only this year have I interacted with the fandom and I've had so much whiplash compared to other fandom spaces.

So far I think Tumblr is the best. I find the people here are a lot calmer and nice. I like to tweet but I don't have many mutuals there who share my interest and reddit is just... Toxic. Its odd because most of the subs I'm on are very mellow and even if there is a disagreement I don't get downvoted to oblivion but the MM sub can be high tension. There have been times where I say something like "Ray is cute" or I could be saying similar things as others who have upvotes and be in the negatives. I can at least understand more controversial opinions like "I want a Rika route" or something but it feels like once you get a "bad" opinion You're just gonna get downvoted forever even on other threads. It's a shame because I think the format of reddit makes it easier to talk to people but I feel very discouraged. I wanted to give the Amino a shot but I've heard very bad things about it so I've been avoiding it.

In that sense I appreciate your blog. Even if there's a character or a route you don't like youre very nice and understanding and you're very inclusive in your writing. It really makes my day to see your character analysis and head canons. I wish there were more forum sites without a like or upvote/downvote system. I don't want my opinions to be ranked, I just want to blab about my silly little favs. Any advice or words of encouragement would be appreciated. Thanks for your time 🙂 🩷

I interact with people on Tumblr and Discord! Discord can be tough to navigate since you can't check out a community before you join it, however, I can vouch for SapphireIceCream's server if you ever want to join a Discord community. But, outside of that, I'm comfortable in this cozy space on Tumblr! It's quiet, but that's not a bad thing. That isn't a sign of there being nobody in the fandom here, we're just here in our space, relaxing and enjoying the game without worrying about this or that.

I have a Twitter, but I mainly use it retweet other artists. I don't talk on there even though there's an active fan base over there. Sometimes I see debate, but given who I follow, it tends to be warranted analysis and/or criticism as opposed to old themes the fandom already dealt with over the years.

I haven't gone onto Reddit for the game before and I don't intend to, because I don't want to see the same arguments play out fifty times that we've already had here on Tumblr years ago and have settled in a comfortable place of peace and quiet knowing where we all stand in those conversations. I'm not sure about TikTok or who's active there, though I don't post there outside of a cosplay or two, so I can't speak to what goes on there.

I would never suggest Amino. I've heard a lot of horror stories about that place and never tried it myself because of that, not just for this fandom but for many others.

If you want my advice about avoiding conflict in a fandom, start blocking people. I think people feel like blocking is only served for extreme purposes, but that's not the case, block people who annoy you. You don't have to have an explanation as to why you blocked somebody.

They don't even have to be a bad person, maybe you don't like their opinions or what have you, and that's okay. To cultivate a space in a fandom for yourself, you have to make it enjoyable for yourself, and that means using a feature that is there for you to do whatever you want with it. 

Or, if you feel as though it's too extreme to block somebody, just scroll past them. Don't engage with something that makes you upset because it's just going to sully your experience. I can give you a good example, if I see anybody write content where Saeran and Saeyoung are consuming alcohol, I either A) block them or B) scroll past the post because I simply can’t handle seeing someone disrespect the boundaries those boys have with alcohol. It feels like a slap in to the face, especially for someone with similar trauma as them.

Because, unfortunately, when I see it written, it's not somebody doing a character introspective where one of them wants to try a sip of alcohol because they want to better understand why their mother would do everything she did just for a drink that tastes like piss. It's a piece where the characters are at a damn bar and they are happily consuming alcohol with no regard to their trauma as if it was never something to begin with. For my comfort, I block or move past those people.

It's not going to do me any good emotionally to comment or reblog a post like that to start a conflict. So, I either ignore that or block the person who wrote it. After all, I can't tell anybody that they're not allowed to write something, people can create whatever the hell they want to create, but I don't have to consume or see it. That's a part of cultivating a healthy experience in fandom. The old motto: Don't like, don't read. That’s something great about Ao3. I can plug in “Exclude: this, this, this”, and I never have to worry about reading a story where something happens that gives me the ick.

People are going to have opinions, and we're not always going to agree about each other's opinions, but you have to make sure that you are in a place where you can engage with other people without feeling like you're going to get an egg thrown at your head. Like, I get people who get very angry at me for trying to understand who Rika Kim is as a person a lot. I get it, she's a controversial character, and you either love her or hate her, there aren't a lot of people who are in-between.

I want to know why she has done what she's done because I think she's interesting as an antagonist, but that doesn’t equate to me condoning or supporting her crimes. Just because you like a specific character who isn’t a good person doesn’t mean you support their wrongdoings.

There seem to be brewing problems with people’s media literacy in that regard as of late. The world isn’t black and white, it's shades of grey. It’s complicated, messy, and difficult in every sense of the word. There is good and evil in this world, and there are times when there is a sense of right and wrong with no middle ground between it—because what was done was either unforgivable and wrong or the right thing to do. But, to apply black and white thinking to every situation you've come across is a detriment to your health and world view.

I think it’s important to say you can hate and judge Rika for committing countless crimes, but it’s okay if you empathize or even sympathize with the trauma she suffered as a child, too. When I think about her as a character, I want her to face as much jail time as she deserves for everything she's done, but I also want her to be able to find a therapist who can help her find peace from what she suffered as a child. I can want her to face justice but also hope that she finds peace someday.

The nuance of Saeran's After Ending can be a minefield when it comes to online discussions and I've seen everything you could possibly think of.

People get angry with him because he decided that he wanted to forgive everyone who hurt him. But, that's another long conversation to be had about what we’re taught about forgiveness. It's also not a case of extreme thinking where you either forgive someone and let them back in or hold onto the anger forever and scorn them. Those are just part of the story of forgiveness and judgment.

Those examples are a part of what people can choose to find peace, but they’re not the only path. Saeran decided to be someone who forgives. He doesn't forgive because he wants to let those people back into his life, he wants to forgive them so that he can learn how to forgive himself, because every ugly, bitter thought and action he committed was an echo of what they had done to him, and if he could find it in himself to forgive them, he could forgive himself for what he did to the player. 

He wants nothing to do with his Saejoong, V, or Rika. He just needed closure by forgiving them and finding peace his own way.

I understand why people feel upset with him because they've been taught that forgiveness is something where the only option is to forgive and forget. He chose to forgive, but he will never forget. He chose to forgive, but he will never allow them the opportunity to hurt him ever again. If you're not the kind of person who would choose to forgive somebody, he would respect you and your decision.

That's the great thing about his after ending compared to what happened to Jihyun, who got the short end of the stick. It makes it abundantly clear that no matter what you decide to do, it is your decision to make as a victim and nobody will ever take away that decision from you or make you feel like you have to choose one thing or another. 

But, you can see how these conversations are filled with a lot of nuance, and it takes a little bit of time and self-reflection to understand why we feel a visceral reaction to these kinds of stories as people. It's easy for a conversation to get carried away when we're talking about something heavy, and it's even easier for us to get angry at other people as we're having these discussions.

I'm sorry you haven't been able to have a lot of fun discussing the game and everything in it, but, if you start posting around here, I'm sure you'll find a sense of comfort and community from those of us who are here. 

Fandom can be hard to get into when you're trying to learn the nuances of how to interact with other people, but make sure that you're making an experience that's created for yourself first and foremost. Don't hesitate to use that block button. 

[ragecndybars]

🥝🍐🍈 for the ask game! <33

HIII JACKS SORRY FOR THE LATENESS, I WROTE MY ANSWERS OUT, LOST THEM TO A TUMBLR GLITCH, WROTE THEM ALL OUT AGAIN, AND THEN MY WIFI WENT DOWN FOR MULTIPLE DAYS SO I COULDN'T ACTUALLY PUBLISH THIS ASK UNTIL I HAD A DAY OFF TO GET MY HOTSPOT WORKING... THIS ANSWER HAS JUST BEEN OPEN IN FIREFOX STARING ME DOWN UNABLE TO BE PUBLISHED BC IT WAS ON MY LAPTOP AND NOT MY PHONE HSLJSDFHLFDKSHJ.... THANKS FOR THE ASK EVEN THOUGH GOD CONSPIRED AGAINST ME ANSWERING IT, ENJOY

🥝 What’s your favorite trope/AO3 tag to write?

Last time I did this ask game, I went with a cop-out answer and said angst, but that's really more a genre than a trope imo, and as an AO3 tag it's verrrry broad. The funny thing is that, since I'm not letting myself say angst, I think I'm instead going to have to say Time Travel, which is very funny because I haven't posted very much time travel, lmao. The reason for that, though, is that every time I start a fic which involves time travel, it spirals massively out of control and ends up becoming such a large project that I never finish enough of it to post... 😭 But god I just love time travel so much, it's so juicy, there's such wide potential for both angst and comfort, fixing things and making them worse. Someday one of the many time travel fics rotting away on my computer will come to fruition... I swear it...

🍐 Is there anything in canon that you absolutely hate and love to fix in fics? A wrong choice made, a fuck-up in characterization, a misunderstanding never cleared up, a conversation never shown onscreen, etc…

Oof. Uh. Yeah... 😅 There's usually at least one of these in every fandom I get really into, and depending on what it is, I go back and forth on whether I subscribe to the "canon isn't real it can't hurt me" philosophy, where I just pretend it never happened, or the "canon is real but I came with a hammer" philosophy, where I acknowledge the event as canon but then explore whatever the problems are with it in my writing. Sometimes it just depends on the tone of the fic, too, haha. As a good example of this, I love Kanji from Persona 4, and depending on the fic, I'll either choose to explore the way he continues to reject his sexuality and the homophobia he suffers from the rest of the cast..... orrrr I'll just quietly sweep canon under the rug and write both him and the rest of the cast the way I think they should've been written to begin with. (I do the same with Naoto, lmao, he's my special little trans man)

🍈 Who’s your blorbo and what are some of your favorite headcanons/ideas about them that repeatedly show up in your fics? Free pass to rant about blorbo opinions.

I've ranted at GREAT length about my Minato headcanons before, so I'll just pick one I haven't really focused as much on which I've been thinking about more while playing Reload. My god Minato is so autistic and I love him so much. I basically always write him as having an extremely limited understanding of social cues, and, in an effort to make up for this, he kind of just defaults to being a passive yes-man since that's what's gotten him the least negative results in the past. This is how I understand him through the lens of his most criticized social links (such as Kenji, Kazushi, and Hidetoshi) where the "correct" answers tend to be just agreeing with people and letting them do as they please. The way I see it, he's just... so tired of trying to interact with people earnestly only to be misunderstood and accused of being an asshole just because he can't pick up on the silly little social dance that everyone expects him to know instinctively. It's only as he experiences his character development over the course of the year that he begins to hit his stride as a leader and therefore learns to step outside of his comfort zone a little and speak up for himself with the understanding that he might still be misunderstood sometimes and that's something he's willing to risk.

[suseagull04]

WIP Weekend Game

Thanks @14carrotghoul @inexplicablymine @happiness-of-the-pursuit @gwiazdziarka @daisymae-12 @myheartalivewrites and @kiwiana-writes for tagging me!!

1. WIP List:

I'm not even going to include OQ fics here, because that list would be a mile long... So if we're counting ideas that are only in my head, it's just:

-The Beauty Within (high school AU)

- Divergent AU

-post-Kensington AU

2. Which of your WIPs is currently the longest?

Definitely The Beauty Within (high school AU), the other two are only ideas so far... Although the Kensington AU technically has words, but they're just the prompt I was given, and the Divergent AU has the drabble I wrote one week.

3. Which WIP do you expect will end up the longest?

I'm sure Divergent will be long too, but since I just finished the outline for it this morning, I'm going to go with The Beauty Within (high school AU), I'm about to post chapter 4 and there's going to be 21 chapters including the epilogue

4. Which WIP is your favorite to write/the most enjoyable to write? Why?

I guess I'll have to go with the high school AU, but I also can't wait to get into the Divergent AU, I love the first two books!!

5. Which WIP do you find the most intimidating to write? Why?

Post-Kensington AU or Divergent, only because both of them will involve a form of angst I'm not great at writing.

6. Which WIP do you experience the most self-doubt about. Why?

ALL OF THEM. See the last question for the two I haven't started yet, but for The Beauty Within, it's that it's my first multichapter in this fandom, and I know I didn't make Alex likeable... And he's the only narrator so far. But both the POV and Alex's likeability will change as the fic progresses, I promise!

7. Which of your WIPs will you seek out a beta/sensitivity reader for? Why?

Divergent AU for sure, mostly because of the "I'm bad at science" aspect of the first stage of Dauntless training

8. Have any of your WIPs been struck by the curse of writer's block?

I've definitely had it before, but not for RWRB yet!

9. Which WIP has your favourite OC? Tell us about them?

Ooh, this is giving me ideas to add to my outline... Suffice it to say that the fact that they mention a girl from the Spiderman movies in the books gives me an excuse to have a character named Zendaya, and now, I have plans for her!

10. Which WIP is the sexiest?

Lol if you knew my writing, you wouldn't be asking this question 😂

11. Which WIP is the angstiest?

Probably going to be... Actually, might be a tie between the Divergent AU and Kensington AU, although the high school AU has its fair share too!

12. Which WIP has the best characterisation (in your humble opinion)?

I'm hoping it'll be my high school AU (guys, I have actual character development planned. That's not quite a first for me, but close!), but it'll probably be the Divergent AU since I have something to bounce off of.

13. Which WIP has the best scene setting (in your humble opinion)?

Ooh... Probably going to be Divergent?

14. Which WIP have you worked the hardest on?

The high school AU for sure!

15. Which WIP do you have the highest expectations for? Why?

Probably the Divergent AU, since I love the first couple books so much!

16. Do you dream about any of your WIPs?

I've almost never even had a fandom dream, so no- but I wish! Then I could get ideas from them!

17. Do any of your WIPs have particular complexities that your other fics don't?

Maybe the high school AU... But I'm not going to say why yet! You'll all find out not in the chapter I'm posting tomorrow, but the chapter after that...

18. Which fic is the funniest or has the most humor?

My sense of humor is so picky that this is a great question... I'm going to have some great Claremont-Díaz sibling interactions in the high school AU, though!

19. Do any of your WIPs contain outside POVs or a deep dive on a character other than the main ship? How are you finding that process?

My high school AU will also feature Junora in a prominent role, so I'm excited about writing those two! Especially Nora, for her, it'll be a first, and I haven't written much for June.

20. Tell us one thing we don't know about one or more of your WIPs

Henry's home life is VERY different from Alex's in my high school AU... And that's all I'll say!

Tagging @celeritas2997 @heybuddy-drabbles @believingispowerfulmagic and @read-and-write- , but no pressure!

[necrotic-nephilim]

as a Helena fan who's witnessed this whole bit go from silly jokes/memes to genuine vitriol, it's been utterly bizarre. from what i noticed, the root of the comparison came from people fanonizing Jason to the degree of saying "he has Catholic guilt (bc of the Flashpoint priest!Jason) and he'd be an English school teacher (bc i'm assuming, his taste for classic lit) and he's female rage-coded and he would adopt/protect children" which, are canonical traits of Helena. so at first, it was sort of a joke lamenting the fact ppl would rather force unrealistic headcanons onto Jason than consume content with a woman in the Batfam. because it's sort of a tad ironic/painful to see fanonized Jason Todd who's being called all these things he isn't, when there's a canon character who *is* all of those things right there. like if that's the character you want, why wouldn't you want to read about Helena. the issue started with frustration against fanon Jason, from my experience anyway.

but then, it spiraled out of control to become a comparison of their lethal moral code and their disagreements with Bruce suddenly making Jason this stupid boy clone of Helena. which isn't true and is an insult to both of them to claim they're at all the same. they kill for different reasons, they're at odds with Bruce for different reasons. a well-written Helena and a well-written Jason really have little in common. though their interactions could be interesting, i don't even think they'd get along tbh.

i think in recent months/years, the Batfamily fandom suddenly became self aware that they grossly ignore the women of the Batfam. and now they're trying *too hard* to course correct for that. to an extent, i get why Helena isn't in the majority of fanon content- she hasn't really *been* a Batfamily member since pre-Flashpoint. the New-52 and Rebirth versions of her character are arguably not even the same character and certainly not a character as important to the Batfamily as she used to be. so why *would* a fandom mostly pulling from modern comics know who she is aside from the couple WFA episodes she's been in. (which did her *no* favors for people understanding her and also whitewashed her before the art was fixed.)

but, i think everyone's now trying to prove how woke their fandom content is (i hate using that word, it sounds very republican but i can't think of a better one.) by including women and characters of color to prove they don't just care about the boys. and sure, it's cool and all if you want to pick up Huntress comics bc you're sick of reading about stories only featuring Bruce and his "sons", but now it's like. almost a competition to prove how much more you know about the Batfam than other people when you make these jokes. i've seen the same thing happening comparing Steph and Jason recently. yes, it's important to care about the more diverse characters of the Batfam as much as you care about the boys. but now they're put on this ridiculous pedestal of being the "more cool alternatives". an organic push for content about the underrated characters is one thing, but it's another thing entirely when it's born out of a performative nature, which is certainly what this whole... thing feels like.

and the irony is, you can *really* tell the people doing this the most haven't actually read much of Helena's content outside of Gail Simone's Birds of Prey. and my hot take is, i don't think Gail Simone does a *great* job with Helena and she's often pretty sexist toward Helena (making other characters slut shame her, making Helena very promiscuous which isn't something she has a history of, etc) so, while it's important content for Helena, it can be a shallow reading of her. where all you really get about her is "pro-murder Batfam vigilante with a crossbow and a sassy personality" which sure, feels a *bit* like a shallow Jason. but that's the whole point, you have to make them both *incredibly* shallow to compare them. bc it's not about actually liking the women, it's about getting the shallow brownie points of saying "look i know who she is and i think she's *totally* cooler than Jason he's a dumb copy".

tbh even with the Jason Todd headcanons that are more egregious in feeling like "oh that's just Helena Bertinelli but a dude", it's not like it's being done on purpose. none of these fanon-only fans know enough about Helena to be purposefully stealing her traits and it really isn't that deep aside from sometimes, people just have bad headcanons that kinda make you wish they would read about characters aside from their main blorbos. but hey, they're not *required* to, and no one is an evil misogynist for having some OOC headcanons. you suck the fun out of fandom when you require people to interact with characters they aren't interested in. and depending on why someone likes Jason, they honestly might not like Helena. they're wildly different and have very different dynamics with everyone around them.

and i get it, Jason has had *wildly* inconsistent writing and there's debate upon debate of what's in character for him, what comics you should consider when trying to make fan content about him, and so on. i'm in the "anything past pre-Flashpoint isn't in the version i prefer" camp, but the whole mess of it scatters the fandom on how to write him. which i think is the actual root of him getting fanonizing beyond recognition, *not* people stealing from Helena. is it particularly headache-inducing to see Jason fans say "he's girl coded" or "he's female-rage coded"? yeah. but even those fans aren't ever going to be convinced out of their bubble by vitriolic comments made about how Jason's a total loser and Helena's so much cooler than him. and then the more canon-based fans who might *actually* like Helena and probably would read her comics if just given an honest recommendation of her character are *really* not going to want to be interacting her content/fandom. painting a broad stroke of the Jason fandom all seeing Jason as this cartoonish fanon version of himself does you no favors with anyone.

like i used to find the silly jokes/memes that were solely calling out bad fanon enjoyable as pure lighthearted "oh i wish more people liked this character the way they liked that character bc the fandom for this character is so small" vibes, but you're right about it getting out of hand. it's become the only thing people seem to talk about in the Huntress fandom space. i'd much rather discuss Helena for who she is then talk about Jason. because isn't it just a *little* ironic that in attempting to make this fandom more inclusive of the women, we still just *have* to make it about the men? you don't make Helena, or Steph or Cass or Onyx or any other underrated woman sound cool by comparing them to Jason. you just make it sound like you don't know how she stands as a character on her own. she's a cool character with a cool history (both in-universe and the meta history of the Huntress mantle) but this whole weird hate boner for Jason permeating the fandom space for her just makes people hate her instead of not know of her. and really, i can't blame anyone for that.

Like. Where and when did Helena vs Jason thing start? It's so fucking annoying and makes me think that I'll never want to interact with the Huntress fandom if/when I read more stuff about her. Which is a bit how I avoid interacting with the Nightwing fandom at large despite liking his stuff.

[kidflashimpulse]

Any yj fanfic recs, it doesn’t have to be just Bart or zetaflash. It can be anything! I’m just trying not to think about the cancellation lmao

im glad im answering this now instead of when I first saw it cause all this time I thought u were asking about fics in general and ive been trying to come up with some since and WHEW I have zero idea on where to start id be at it for hours. 

apologies for only replying now, ik this might've been more helpful in the moment but I was hoping my post on YJ status was somewhat helpful on the matter ! still imma give some reccs in case u need it in the future

though warning... I get the impression its entirely possible (very likely) u might have read them all already? im gonna try my best with variety but I can't promise u haven't read it already

for YJ, I have to confess....... I have tunnel vision for bart, I don't recall reading much outside/beyond him and those that I have, well since I don't archive what I read (one of my worst traits if u ask me), its not coming to me rn, but next time I read smn I wanna recc Im gonna try to remember to add it to this post as an edit lol

but for now...

Sunshine. Falling by @/radioactive-earthshine 

ok...so ik im gonna mostly be giving the stuff that ive bookmarked on ao3 (which isn't at all a comprehensive list, theres sooo much more that ive loved but I don't use my acc to read at all so I usually just free-ball it when trying to remember fics, and yes, its a habit I very much hate lol) and in fact, I wish I could mention them all here but I would be writing a novel if I spoke about each and every one of the so ur best bet is to just check that list out honestly 

and also, yeah its not a YJ fic, but I enjoy how it follows his comic characters run and builds on it. I find his characterisation in this fic rlly interesting and authentic (also Max being Native American there is everything, I actually have this whole theory/HC in YJ that Max is a Native American “God” (like the ancient greek/roman gods) i.e commonly known as Mercury, that just kinda roams about but is mostly in New Genesis (no idea where that thread/post is rn but I read someone connecting Lightray to Hermes/Mercury and since then that idea has been stuck in my head lol)) 

okay I have gone totally off track (im so sorry omg) im gonna try to keep it concise from here lol, anyway supper recc sunshine falling, the writing is gorgeous and the plot is rlly interesting! 

After the fall of Olympus by @/greycappedjester  

okay, im obsessed with this series, the world building is INSANE, the first fic in the series is basically a YJA AU where failsafe actually happened (whole flashfam except jay dies, but YJA bart still makes it to that TL cause he actually ended up dimension hopping rather than time travelling, or smn like that). To keep it short, his characterisation here is AMAZING, I love it sm, the second fic, flash facts is one of my all time favourites (if u ask me its the only canon take of his interaction with the rogues, cause don't get me started on how foul his comics history with them is (and not in a gd way)) so personally, this series, particularly flash facts, is just fantastic. it also very much explores other YJ/DC characters, (Dick is the central figure in AFTO and bart appears relatively later on and when the YJ Invasion plot passes, the plot focuses alot on other characters, especially considering its largely about Dicks evolution).

For zetaflash, I mean it quite literally when I say I think ive read almost all the fics under the tag... we are very much at that stage in the fandom, so yeah lol, quite a few of my faves are in my bookmarks but I haven't updated it in a while

Sooner than later, a Wally and bart oneshot on their YJ bond, its quite sweet, ft spitfire

Waking up to Ash and Dust  its incomplete (just one chapter) and quite an old fic, its also been super long since I last read it so I can't remember it clearly, gotta give it a reread but I remember it being a rlly interesting take on things so it stuck with me, basically an outsider POV of bart with OCs 

ill try to update this list when I can! and my bookmarks at some point too whilst im at it lol, hope u can enjoy these (if u haven't read them already lol) and im so sorry for the totally unwarranted random essay lmfao

[yaz-the-spaz]

Do you think Joe Jonas and Sophie are really together and really have a baby? I’m curious what you think since you have followed three fake 1D pregnancies and I think you said you were a Jonas Brothers fan. Sorry if I’m mixing you up with another blog! I’m not in the JB fandom but I occasionally read about them and I like Joe and Sophie as people. But the way their relationship and Nick & Priyanka’s relationship have been portrayed in the media seems PR/bearding to me.

i am indeed an og jobros fan (been so since about '07) and i agree with you about the way both brothers' relationships have been weirdly pushed to the fandom and portrayed in the media (esp inserting all their wives into the music vids and whatnot and making most early comeback promo all about their marriages/wives, ugh no thank you). but i have to admit i've kinda tuned most of the relationship stuff out the same way i often do for ot5, though that tuning out is prob on a much heavier scale for the jobros these days cause 1) i just don't have the energy lol and 2) i've first and foremost ALWAYS been here for the music above everything else when it comes to any musicians i like. (my paying as much attention to personal lives or relationships like i have for ziam/ot5 was a novelty tbh, and probably a standalone from any other music/artist-related fandoms i have been or will ever be in)

that said, from the little i've seen/heard of things, nick's is absolutely a pr relationship and i believe that with my whole soul. i don't feel like i need a lot to go on to see that they don't really have much chemistry or seem compatible as people. ofc i could always remain to be surprised but i don't think i will. they'll probably get quietly divorced in another couple years/whenever the contract becomes less advantageous or they get tired enough of each other.

as for joe & sophie, it's harder to tell...again, possibly cause i just haven't paid close enough attention to things. but on the surface i will say they seem genuinely very compatible and warm/cute and friendly together so even if it isn't legit, i think there is some degree of friendship (or some sort of positive working relationship and some common interests/personality traits) there at least. although like i said, i could be wrong and just be being fooled by the few surface interactions i've seen and my not paying closer attention.

HOWEVER

the pics i've seen of them out and about with the baby were indeed what caught my eye and made me more genuinely start wondering if there was something a little odd there as it rings a little too closely with z's "family outing" pics wherein joe looks about as interested to be there as eleanope at a louis concert lol. which is to say he's often on his phone/looking away/standing or walking like 500 feet away with around 2 feet of space from sophie or the stroller when he's not looking bored af pushing it (or looking like he could care less about having to be out with them on a pap walk), and from what i could see never actually holding the kid himself. it definitely looks odd, but again i'm not as up on the details and from what bits i did see of sophie's pregnancy and their relationship beforehand from dating to the marriage things def looked a lot more "normal" than they ever did w/ z*gi or ch*am or laya (though ofc normal is relative lol, esp in the world of pr dating and closeting. but like at least joe&sophie had actual freaking baby bags and blankets while out, didn't take their newborn out in the middle of fucking snowstorms in the middle of the night where literally zero other grown adults even felt safe enough to be outside, and sophie got photog'd with a legitimate pregnant belly out and about multiple times and not weirdly trying to hide it, etc.). i will admit the vegas wedding was a tad weird and out of left field but at the same time still felt very much in character for joe's rather eccentric personality (and sophie who seems like a bit of a weirdo in a fun way too from what i've seen of her lol). so all that in mind i'm still inconclusive on them (the pics could just be happenstance cause maybe he just didn't want him or his family being dragged through obligatory pap walks by whoever greenlit it and that was his way of getting through it, or was genuinely just killing time while they walked, or maybe there really is something larger there idk)...i'm keeping a very tiny corner of an eye on it, and an open mind to multiple possibilities, but just don't have enough info (or motivation) to dive into it enough to really say anything conclusive for sure 🤷🏽‍♀️

[xpao-bearx]

《Original post here》

Part 2 HERE

SUMMARY: [Supernatural TWD AU] In which Negan is a kinky incubus, Rick Grimes is your secret guardian angel, and Daryl Dixon is a gruff monster/demon hunter. Three drastically different men who can only agree on one thing: making you theirs.

PAIRINGS: Reader x Negan, Reader x Rick Grimes, Reader x Daryl Dixon (Polyamorous Ships)

RATING: Mature/18+/Romance & Smut. Please be prepared and do NOT report.

NOTE: This is actually my first time ever writing an xReader story series as well as writing on Tumblr (I usually only write on Wattpad). As such, it probs won't be perfect though I would SERIOUSLY appreciate your *respectful* feedback and support!

I understand writing xReader content can get a lil tricky, so please just keep in mind that not everything Y/N says or does would be something that you'd do IRL or even approve of. Also, sometimes I may not help but put a teeny bit of myself in Y/N...

Lastly, I recently got back into the TWD fandom after a looong ass time and I'm taking a while re-watching the whole show. So I apologize in advance if my portrayal of any of the characters are rusty or I may not remember too much of the events from the show, but I promise to do my very best and hope y'all enjoy~!! \(^o^)/

DEDICATED TO: The wonderful @blccdyknuckles and @negans-attagirl 💖

"Heavenly Sins"

Part 1

The sounds of laughter and easygoing chatter filled your ears as you walked closer to the church, a light breeze blowing through your F/C floral dress and the sun blinding your eyes. It was Sunday, most residents of the small town of Alexandria having gathered for mass.

It was a day like any other; peaceful and happy, children giggling and chasing each other around as their parents socialized outside before church could start.

Your heels clacking rhythmically on the pavement, you were just about to enter the building before a familiar voice called out.

"Y/N!"

Spinning, a huge smile instantly reached your ears as you saw none other than Carl Grimes waving enthusiastically at you as he jumped out of a car. From the driver's seat, his father soon followed as he stepped out.

Rick Grimes--dedicated sheriff of this fine town. His usual uniform forgone, instead replaced with a casual navy coloured suit. His baby blues met your E/C, flashing you a bright smile of his own that rivalled the sun itself.

Carl was running towards you now, and once in front he gave you a big hug.

"Settle down, cowboy! It's as if you haven't seen me in forever." You chuckled, ruffling Carl's hair affectionately.

"That's 'cause it did feel like forever." Carl pouted, eventually letting go as he looked up at you.

Before you can reply, Rick patted Carl's head and greeted you. "Hey, Y/N. How are things?" He asked in that endearing Southern accent of his.

"Just fine." You nodded, grinning before you couldn't help but let your gaze wander around a bit. "No Judith?"

It was then that Rick's smile faltered, but just barely. You nearly didn't catch it. "No. She's with her mom."

Rick was divorced from his ex-wife, Lori, after he discovered her cheating on him with his also now ex-bestfriend Shane Walsh. After the divorce, Shane and Lori quickly moved to the neighbouring community of Woodbury together and agreed on joint custody of the kids.

It really made your blood boil; you've interacted with Lori only a few times before so you didn't really have much of an opinion on her...that is, until, you learned what had happened between her and Rick. You knew it wasn't any of your business, but you cared about Rick a lot and he sure as hell didn't deserve to get cheated on.

"Oh." Was all you could say, quite stupidly. Your cheeks reddened, mentally slapping yourself before clearing your throat. "Will I see her in the daycare tomorrow, though?" You were a daycare teacher and even though you loved all of the kids, Judith was your favourite. She was simply such a sweetheart.

Rick nodded, his smile softening. "You got it."

You couldn't continue the conversation as the bells rang, making you jump out of your skin. Carl, noticing this, laughed which made you playfully roll your eyes before slinging an arm around him as all of you went inside.

♡♡♡

You took your place near the back of the church with Carl and Rick. Once everyone was settled and done singing, the service began and Father Gabriel stood on top of the podium. A few minutes into his sermon, the interruption of a motorcycle revving loudly outside sliced through the air. Gabriel flinched in surprise, and it was obvious he was desperately trying to keep his cool. Finally, when it was silent again, you found yourself biting back a smile knowing all too well who had caused the ruckus.

It seems Rick knew, too, judging from how his jaw clenched and his hands turned into tight fists.

The doors were thrown open, making Gabriel flinch once more and some of the congregation turning in the pews to look. But poor Gabriel quickly fumbled with his Bible, raising his voice just a tad to regain their attention.

There was a low whistle accompanying the approaching footsteps, but the congregation did their damn hardest to ignore the latest visitor.

"Damn... I assumed the church would be a lot more welcoming than this." A husky voice whispered, and you at last couldn't hold back as a smile broke through.

"Negan." You whispered back, turning slightly in your seat to see he has taken the spot behind you. His leather clad arms lackadaisically resting on your chair, the musky scent of his cologne invading your senses oh so wonderfully. "Fancy seeing you here."

"What? Is it really that surprising, darlin'?" He grinned, presenting a row of perfectly straight white teeth. "I go to church."

"Not all the time." You pointed out.

"Ah..." He chuckled softly, hazel eyes twinkling. "That's 'cause Father Creepy McGee over there is just that. Creepy. As. Shit."

You bit the inside of your cheeks, suppressing your laughter. True, Gabriel did have his moments, but he wasn't that bad. That didn't change the fact that Negan knew exactly how to tickle your funny bone, though.

He was new to Alexandria. It was a lovely town, but since it was relatively small not a lot of people want to move here not unless it was families looking for their children to grow up in a safe environment. Which was why it was quite a shock to find out that a single man like Negan chose this destination, and even more so when he took everyone aback with his infamous pottymouth and rather inappropriate charisma.

He had moved just a couple of houses down from yours, and you made it your mission to befriend him. Right from the get-go, he had piqued your interest and curiousity. He was different from everyone else--even possessing an air of mystery about him--and that definitely intrigued you. And also, perhaps you were just too nice and didn't want him to feel outcasted. Although, that didn't seem like an issue to him at all.

"Want one?" You were brought back to reality when you saw Negan's hand outstretched with a pack of cigarettes.

"Dude, we're in church." You reprimanded, frowning.

Negan didn't say anything, only cocking a brow and still with that same shit-eating grin. You sighed, finally giving in as you swiftly grabbed one and stashed it away in your purse for later.

"Y/N." You turned to the left, Rick's icy gaze piercing you. "Pay attention."

"R-Right. Sorry..." You mumbled sheepishly.

Carl, who was sitting in the middle of you and Rick, had dozed off. Rick nudged him, but the brunette only groaned softly and snuggled into Rick's chest. Defeated, the sheriff sighed and was just about to listen again to Gabriel before Negan cut in.

"Rick!" Negan purposely raised his voice, knowing it would get a rise out of the other man. "Didn't even see ya there. Howdy, cowboy!"

Rick grimaced, and it looked like he was just going to ignore Negan though he knew that if he did that then Negan would just irritate him even further. "Good to see you, Negan." He forced himself to say.

"Only you can say that while giving me such a deadly side eye, Grimes." Negan snickered. "How have you been? How's the wife?"

Rick flushed, his fists in a tight ball again and it looked like his nails would be digging into his skin. You abruptly swung into action, placing a hand on Rick's own.

"Rick..." You said gently. "It's okay. Calm down."

Rick did, his shoulders drooping as if a heavy weight had been lifted. He can barely pay any attention to Gabriel now, then you suddenly stood up and grabbed Negan's arm.

"We need to talk. Now."

"What, we going for a quickie?" Negan smirked, but that soon faded when he saw your serious expression. He sighed dramatically, reaching his full height as he towered over you before following you out.

At this point, you didn't care if people saw what transpired or would even start gossiping. No one, not even Negan, was allowed to harass Rick. He has helped you through so much shit--more than you'd like to admit--and you at least owed him this much.

Once outside, next to where Negan parked his motorcycle, you exploded. "What the fuck is with you?! You leave Rick alone, or I swear to fucking Christ I will--"

"Woah, woah, woah! Hold your horses, missy!" Negan guffawed, his hands up in mock surrender. "I mean, I like 'em feisty, but goddamn! Watch your fucking language."

"Tch. You're one to talk."

"Did you just scoff at me?" He raised his brows, putting his hands in his pockets as he slowly drew closer to you. A devilish grin tugged at the corners of his mouth, tilting his head slightly. "No one's ever fucking scoffed at me and didn't regret it soon after."

You frowned, letting out a huff as you met his gaze challengingly. "As if you'd do anything to me."

He was silent for several moments before chuckling, leaning back against his motorcycle. "You're right. I have too much of a soft spot for ya." He pulled out a cigarette, lighting it then taking a drag. He drew his head upwards, puffing out the smoke. "Whaddya say we just forgive and forget? I truly am sorry. You can even tell Rick that I am metaphorically down on my goddamn knees begging for forgiveness~"

"I'm not forgiving or forgetting anything until you actually face Rick and apologize yourself." You muttered. And without another word, you spun on your heel and strutted back inside the church with your head held high.

Negan's intent stare lingered where your ass had just been, taking another long drag and letting out a small laugh to himself.

His eyes suddenly glowed a crimson red, a smirk playing on his lips.

Oh, he really did pick a GREAT one.