#Plot twist they're just both high

[greenswing]

So unserious

[dualumina]

Apparently seeing a single Reddit comment mention how something is like Gilead is enough for the brain to decide "let's read the handmaid's wiki page talking about Gilead" and long story short it's been five hours we now know the plot of Handmaid's Tale

[gabrielsbubblegumbitch]

✨Staticmoth wedding headcanons✨

Because I have a lot of thoughts but can't come up with the plot to turn it into fic

✨ Vox absolutely loses his shit. You would think that Valentino would be a groomzilla material but oh no no, Val just wants sexy dress and enough coke to last three days of partying. Vox needs everything perfect. He has his grand vision and is ready to tear with bare hands everyone who does not deliver. During the preparation time, he murders as many people as Val usually does. Velvette bails on being the wedding planner after just two weeks because it was seriously straining their friendship. But after a month, she's back in the game. Why? Because Vox strangled three other wedding planners in frustration, and things weren't moving forward, so Val was starting to freak out.

✨ The event is held at the Vees' Tower. I reckon they've got a venue suitable for hosting conferences and porn award shows.

✨ It's a grand event. I'm talking Grand™, like the Kim K and Kanye West of Hell kind of grand. But it's also elite, so the guest list isn't that long, around 200 invited people plus 50 ticketed spots for anyone willing to drop 100k hellish bucks to attend. Everything is dripping with gold and diamonds because "quiet luxury" isn't in the Vees' vocabulary. The whole affair reflects Val's aesthetic more, as it's Vox's love letter to him. Vox already had his wedding, and now it's time to fulfill his husband's dreams. So Val makes about 90% of the decisions without shouldering any real responsibilities. Which is fine by everyone because he's annoying as hell when it comes to picking roses, flamingo feathers, and starters. Nobody wants to put him in high-stress situations. Expect lots of red, pink, and gold, with heavy, decadent fabrics and neon lights; it's like an exclusive brothel meets the Las Vegas strip.

✨ When it comes to flowers, they settled on roses because they're Vox's favorites, which naturally made them Val's favorite too, given the sheer number of bouquets he's received. Vox, being the freak he is, counts every single bouquet he's ever given to Val. So, for their wedding, he ensures there are twice as many roses. Yes, he's a pathological overachiever.

✨ As for attractions, there’s a plethora of erotic dancers in cages and mesmerizing drone light shows. Karaoke, slot machines, live cooking stations, and all the drugs you can imagine. And let's not forget a fountain flowing with tequila. It's a true adult wonderland.

✨ Valentino skips the whole white dress thing and rocks a fierce red latex gown that's very Mugler but with a fetishcore twist. Vox keeps it sleek in a sharp black three-piece suit. His shirt's a bold blue, and his tie matches Val's dress. His shoulder pads are pointy, his waist is slutty, his ass looks divine. Oh yeah, about slutty waist - underneath the shirt he is hiding a leather corset, as a treat for the wedding night.

✨ Also none of them really have friends other than Velvette, just associates so there are no groomsmen/maids.

✨ Since there aren't any traditional churches or government officials in Hell (if there's even a government at all), Velvette takes on the role of officiating the wedding. Vox isn't entirely thrilled with this choice because there's always the risk she might crack a joke or publicly rib him, but hey, there's really no one else who could pull it off. I imagine that a wedding in Hell is also some form of magical contract but more about partnership than ownership. They do not exchange rings but blood sksksk also I don’t think that Vox can really wear rings with his claws? And they couldn't quite agree on a design that satisfied both of them. In the end, Val ends up wearing his illegally imported engagement ring from Earth, featuring four pink diamonds shaped like a moth's wings.

✨ Val's vow is, well, atrocious. It's the kind of thing that would definitely land him in one of those TikTok compilations of terrible grooms ruining their weddings. He mentions cream pieing Vox at least once. Vox at first freaks out but seconds later realizes Wow that's the man I'm marrying. I wouldn't want him any other way On the flip side, Vox's vow is immaculate. Crafted with the assistance of Voxtek's CMO and practiced to perfection, it leaves everyone in awe. He has out-of-body experience playing this role of prince charming.

✨ For their first dance, they opt for a steamy tango. Picture this: swirling red smoke on the floor, making it seem like they're dancing on the sky of the pride ring when the sun is setting down. Little do the guests know, the smoke is laced with drugs, sending most of them on a wild trip. The party quickly goes off the rails, but in the best way possible (according to the Vees’ standards).

✨ The cake is a five-tier monstrosity with five different flavors: tres leches and chocolate-cherry chosen by Val, confetti cake and strawberry cheesecake chosen by Vox and Red Velvet for Velvette because she couldn't shut up about it To top it all off, there's a big chocolate figure of Vox and Valentino dancing. Val is later caught drunk, eating it with his bare hands like the filthy animal he is.

✨ Velvette’s wedding gift is a pair of customized matching guns with small engravings that read "Partners in Crime."

✨ Valentino pulls off a surprise special pole dance performance as a wedding gift for his husband. Let's just say it's scorching hot and leaves at least 50 guests with, uh, visible excitement. Later on, things almost escalate to a full-on table bang, but...

✨ Velvette spends the entire evening reminding them that they can't just vanish to consummate their marriage because this whole party took months of preparations, and they need to be present. After all, people paid good money to be around them. The threat of cock cages hangs over their heads, but they promise to behave. However, Val being the horny beast he is, ends up taking Vox to the bathroom for a quickie anyway. Velvette decides to let it slide this time.

✨ At least 20 casualties mark the night. Vox ends up zapping one of the guests who gets a bit too clingy with Val during the dance. Meanwhile, Val gets into a brawl and, well, let's just say it doesn't end well for the other guy. Surprisingly, everyone seems to be having a great time, but hey, these are the Vees' colleagues we're talking about—they thrive on violence and sex.

✨ Yeah, there's no shortage of sex at this party. With a guest list mainly consisting of businesspeople, adult performers, and mobsters, tensions escalate rapidly. By around 3 A.M., half of the party is busy getting down and dirty in every corner imaginable.

✨ When Vox reaches the perfect level of drunkenness, he seizes control of the DJ station. Surprisingly, he's a natural, dropping beats like a pro and having an absolute blast. Val, meanwhile, goes absolutely wild watching him, thrilled to see Vox letting loose and embracing his creative side.

✨ Derek, Vox's assistant, is the odd one out, the only low-status person to snag an invite because Vox felt kinda generous. But truth be told, Derek hates the idea and wasn't keen on attending. However, when Melissa caught wind of his invitation, she practically dragged him there to be his plus one, desperate to get closer to Velvette. Derek's terrified of most of the guests, but Melissa's over the moon. She later fucks him as a reward for being a very brave boy. Angel is not invited because he would ruin mood of both grooms.

✨ Valentino had prepared the filthiest, kinkiest, most elaborate wedding night, but it doesn't go as planned. Surprisingly, things turn out very vanilla for their standards, with a lot of missionary, eye contact, and hand-holding. After 16 hours of non-stop action, they're both too exhausted to even think about getting creative.

Thank you @purrpleowl @watcherofeternalflame @canadianlucifer @aroromantic @malu897 @staticmothed @chaggieslovechild @gumm1defloor @mayflowersfly for your thoughts!

[biasbuck]

BiAsBuck’s ficrec Fraturday

It's November! Hope everyone had an amazing Halloween. NGL October lasted approximately 84 years, and I am so so sleepy, but nevertheless I'm back with a fortnight of fic that I've read and loved recently. As always you can find previous rec lists here. Some light spoilers for the season.

2 November 2024

Buck, naked by @starlingbite has Eddie taking an art class on advice of Frank, but the only class left is a life drawing class. That wouldn't be a problem...except you'll never guess who the model turns out to be! Once again obsessed with the idea of Eddie picking up an artistic hobby, and I loved the both the artistry and the physicality of this fic.

You Can Leave It Late With Me by @ponyregrets oh this concept was delightful! In which Maddie becomes a firefighter and Buck becomes a librarian, running a book club for kids. Eddie, in need of more after school childcare support, enrols Christopher. Sweet and such a lovely character exploration. I loved this AU!

drench yourself in words unspoken by @eddiediazes one from 2022, this has Eddie keeping the fact that he's secretly a famous but anonymous romance novelist a secret from the rest of the 118, but when Buck finds copies of his books hidden in the closet, his secret soon comes out. I loved the way this fic showed Eddie processing his emotions and slowly embracing his sexuality through his fiction.

teach me how to love, and how to stay by @sharpbutsoft the sequel to a previously recc'd fave, aka the Chris finds out about the will fic. This is from Chris' POV and deals with the aftermath. His voice is so strong in this, I love his sarcastic teen thoughts that sometimes sway uncharitably into judgey Diaz mode, but are really his shield from the soft underbelly of wanting his Dad and Buck to be happy and his family and not leave him. He truly gets to say his piece here, whilst still ultimately giving Eddie grace and listening to him, and it's very cathartic.

With Eyes on the Stars and Hands in the Earth by @letmetellyouaboutmyfeels been working my way through all of Lincoln's Halloween fics (read the ghosthunters, were!Buck and were!Eddie fics next!) but this one had me gripped earlier this week. Buck has plant magic, an unusual set of skills that set him apart from most of the natural witches he knows. Eddie is from a long line of witches but doesn't demonstrate magic of his own...but perhaps he's repressing more than just his emotions. Romantic, full of twists, and truly magical.

the kiss that lingers by @greenbergsays 5 times Eddie kisses Buck's birthmark and 1 time he doesn't fic! What I really loved about this one is the way Buck's sense of home in his own body grows with the ever evolving romantic butterflies of Eddie showing him such specific affection.

There’s No Place Like Home-Spun by icewhisper ahhh undiagnosed adhd!Buck being offered learning accommodations by his high school teacher who helps him learn to crochet to keep his hands occupied whilst his mind focuses. Traverses through his personal growth until he ends up at the 118, gifting his creations along the way. But no one exactly realises he's making these himself.

a world to rediscover by @itsactuallycorrine the 'what if Chris DOESN'T come home' fic. In which Chris is a young man, settled and about to get married. Eddie followed him to El Paso to repair their relationship and stayed. They're back on somewhat steady ground, when Chris learns the truth about why Buck is no longer in their lives. His fiance plots with him on how they can fix it. Lovely and complicated and ultimately uplifting despite the premise that initially made my heart go oh no! Worth it.

been broken one too many times by @glorious-spoon an episode coda to 8x05, in which Eddie is struck by the realisation that yes he absolutely *would* kiss Buck if he weren't covered in boils.

That's it for now! Bring on the Eddie-sode.

[lurkingshan]

10 Things I Love About Only Boo!

*kicks down the door* I'm a few weeks late but I have arrived and I am here to yell about this fucking adorable show. Have you heard that it's the cutest shit you've ever seen in a fresh new package of all your favorite silly old romance tropes? Besties, this is truly the Sunday Serotonin we need. Here are the top 10 things I love about it:

The main romance is between a confident sunshine protagonist and a kind older boy working through his grief and an artistic block. Mok (Moo) and Kang are such nice boys, two cinnamon rolls too sweet and pure for this world, and I loved them instantly. They have a nice crackly chemistry between them and really solid communication right from the start.

The setting is rural and refreshing. Moo moves to Nakhom Pathom to attend school for a semester because his mom wants him to focus on his studies before she will allow him to pursue a career as an idol. Little did she know she was delivering him to a cute boy who would become the new distraction.

The crushing and flirting starts immediately, and it's mutual. They just like each other, man. Kang is (slightly) older and trying to be responsible about keeping Moo focused on his studies so he's putting up some token resistance, but it's very very token. They both find excuses to keep seeing each other after they meet.

There's a side couple with a long-term pining friends to lovers arc. The way I squealed when they revealed that photo wall. I support you, Payos, you will get your boo. These two also have a lovely, easy chemistry and seem so comfortable around each other. Their characterization also gets a fun twist in the beginning of the story.

The writing is strong and assured. This was written by the same screenwriting team as Cooking Crush, aka the best written original Thai bl of last season. These folks know their way around a smart romcom. They know how to deploy classic tropes so they feel fresh, build authentic character arcs, and make all the beats of the story feel confident. We are in good hands and don't need to worry about any out of left field conflicts or weird plot turns with this one.

A fresh new cast brings a ton of energy. I really love all four of the main actors for this show. They're young and bright and breathing some new life into an old formula. And both pairs have solid chemistry and seem comfortable in their scenes together.

Some of our old favorites are here too. They've made the smart decision to bolster the young main cast by surrounding them with more experienced seniors like our lady Milk, here playing Kang's friend and neighbor who is all up in his crush on Moo. Louis and Book are also going to show up at some point.

The show incorporates music and dancing in such a charming way. Moo is one of those kids who just has to dance, and the show mines a lot of comedy around his efforts to stifle the impulse as his mom ordered. I don't think he'll hold out for long, though, because Payos and Tae are on him to train with them. And of course the music supervisor is having a great time working in some classic GMMTV music gags (yes, Love Score and Too Cute To Handle both make memorable appearances).

It's a high school story brimming with youthful energy without being mired in immaturity. The tone of this show reminds me of My School President in the best way, in that it has all the sweetness and innocence of a high school romance without making the characters so immature and bad at communication that it's annoying to watch. As expected from the CC writers, these characters may be inexperienced but they are going to talk to each other and honesty will prevail every time.

We are only three episodes in and the romance is already well underway. This is the kind of show where we will see the main pair flirt and date and face obstacles together. The swoony moments started immediately and Moo is already throwing around the faen title. We know from the synopsis that the core conflict will come when Moo is forced to choose between his relationship with Kang and his dream of being an idol, and I expect he will be finding a way around that choice. I'll be strapped in for the ride because I already believe in these two.

[rayroseu]

💚Mallevan/Levanoa Headcanons (2/?)

PART 01 PART 02⬇️

you guys dont know how often i brainrot about these couple who never even talked in game yet KDJAKSK

Am glad to see that Levan's receiving the "Yuusona treatment" because of the various ways that twst artists draws him lolol

• • • Headcanon 2.

Malenoa is the strongest of the trio. Because she is a royalty, she is much more knowledgeable about magic— particularly if its related to dragons. Naturally, she became kind of like a magical tutor to both Levan and Lilia when they were children.

i really like the thought of eastern dragons in TWST🥰 its a nice foreshadow that Levan is a Long bcs thats Malleus' Halloween costume✨

(if its really like that,,,, im going to cry bcs that means Malleus dressed up like his papa who he never knew 💔😭)

(also I'm praying with all my heart he's not some plot twist jerk in game like King Stefan from Maleficent 1 😭)

I think dragons are rare on TWST not only because they're really particular on their mates but also because raising one is extremely high maintainance.

Its 1: life threatening to the caretaker, 2: needs constant attention and love, 3: once it grows up, you even need to withstand its tantrums and emotions (who are btw magically powered) 😭����

That's why I think ??? there's limited knowledge about mediating their power (so they just get stuck in this cycle of being the strongest but that very strength can bring disaster bcs its uncontrollable)

Thus, I thought of Malenoa being Levan's friend who teaches him about controlling his draconic powers because Levan doesn't really want to accidentally harm others because of his uncontrollable strength--✨✨✨

I like to think its because of Levan's pacifist nature that Land of Briar chose to have war treatiest first instead of just crushing the Silver Owls through Malenoa's military strength. He's aware that killing off humans would just make them more hostile to faes in general, and I don't think both Malenoa and Levan wants Malleus to grow up in war once he hatches-

—

Levan's fire is purple because I remember getting surprised when Overblot Malleus used that on his attack despite Land of Briar/Malenoa (?) being "mainly green colored" all this time...

So, I think that's one magic he got from his father??? because most of his features already derives from Malenoa (horns, tail, magic (i think his green fire is from Malenoa), straight hair, etc)

The purple fire might've originate from Malleus' mastery of void magic (I hc their dorm spells' element are their forte magic and Dorm Malleus is double void card) but we've never seen void magic used like a fire... its usually like an energy beam right? I think it was so exciting when he attacked like that💜👆‼️✨ (I literally squealed lol its so pretty?? but I know I'll die from that lol)

I love the thought that Lilia is the "mom friend"/"sensible friend" of this trio... 😂 because he says hes the one constantly working for these couple... mostly to deal with their antics lol

plus Lilia is literally the sole person working for Levan and Malenoa to meet together right now---

since Levan's missing and Malenoa can’t really leave the castle since she’s guarding unhatched Malleus--- and its just a bad move to send the best queen on the frontlines when they can just send Lilia yk 😆

i hope we get more dragon egg lore and also specifically egg malleus reveal🙌🙌 like how do THEY take care of a dragon egg anyway.... do they put it on cradles as well like human babies??? or their parents will hold them since they require vast amount of love-

i'd used to think malleus backstory would be his child self being lonely (which in the future might??? but for now?? his backstory is literally just him being an egg and all of us are crying over an egg JDHJWJD 😭😭😭

[theostrophywife]

Could you please do a soft fluffy az/reader where they spend a rainy day in bed reading together? Maybe they're newly mated ?

Ty and I Love your work 🥹

rain clouds.

as strange as it seems, she's endless to me she's just like paperwork, but harder to read she knows me so well, she knows me like i know myself

author's note: as it happens, it's currently raining where i'm at which makes for perfect reading weather so this request is spot on. i'm honestly so soft for this concept and i also threw in a little bit of cheeky az in there.

song inspiration: she by ed sheeran.

Rainy days in Velaris were your absolute favorite.

As the storm rolled in, you watched as droplets of rain pelted the glass windowpane of your bedroom and covered the city of starlight in a soft, cloudy haze.

While High Fae and faeries alike took shelter from the torrential wind and weather, you and your mate took the opportunity to participate in one of your favorite past times—reading in bed.

It had been Azriel's idea to assemble a makeshift nest, gathering pillows and blankets to make your reading nook as cozy as possible. As the two of you cocooned yourselves in bed, the faelights that you'd twined through the headboard twinkled, creating the perfect ambience for a day of leisurely reading.

At present, Azriel was leaning against the cushions, his wings relaxed and draped over his back as he cracked open yet another mystery book. Your mate held the tome in one hand while stroking your hair in the other. You sprawled out across his lap with your nose buried in Sellyn Drake's latest release, which Nesta had kindly let you borrow from her impressive collection.

The steady pitter patter of the rain outside mixed with the shadowsinger's soft breathing filled the room, providing soothing background noise as you delved into the steamy romance novel. Every once in a while, Azriel would lean over to kiss your forehead, nose, or cheek just because he could. The fond gesture melted your heart.

It had only been a couple of months since you both accepted the mating bond, so you were still adjusting to the fact that this beautiful male was yours and yours alone. You smiled up at him, nestling further into his lap while cheekily slipping your fingers underneath his cream cable knit sweater. Azriel felt warm and solid beneath your touch as you traced patterns upon his golden brown skin. The pads of your fingers brushed over every mole, scar, and freckle with a sort of reverence as you committed the feel of your mate to memory.

The shadowsinger sighed in satisfaction. You grinned up at him as his fingers stilled against your scalp. He paused his reading and mirrored the gesture, ensnaring you with the warmth and joy radiating from him. The weather might be dark and gloomy outdoors, but in here, within the private walls of your bedchambers, you had your own little pocket of sunshine in the form of your mate’s smile.

You intertwined your hand in his and brought his scarred fingers up to your lips, kissing each knuckle as your mate blushed. He pressed a kiss to your temple as you returned to your reading. You spent the rest of the day like that, tangled up in one another, lost to your own stories but still anchored by each other’s presence.

The storm continued outside and the only conversation exchanged between you came in the form of Azriel’s occasional gasp which told you when he’d come across a twist in his novel. You chuckled softly until your own book beckoned your attention.

Thank the Cauldron for Nesta and her impeccable taste. The smut in the book had you blushing and curling your toes, but that was to be expected from your friend’s recommendations. A particularly steamy scene involving a headboard and a few creative positions sent a rush of heat to your cheeks. The shift did not go unnoticed by your mate.

Azriel’s voice was low and husky, it’s usual cool timbre scratchy from disuse. “Come across something interesting, my love?”

You nodded slowly. “The plot thickens.”

Your mate raised an amused brow. “I’m sure.”

The mischief in his tone didn’t register as your eyes stayed glued onto the page, eating up every filthy detail with fervor. You hadn’t even noticed Azriel setting his book down until he was gathering you up in his arms. He pulled you into his lap and nuzzled you from behind, his chin resting on the crook of your shoulder.

“Hi,” he breathed.

You chuckled, kissing his cheek. “Hi, baby.”

“What are you reading?”

Blushing fiercely and suddenly conscious of the absolute eroticism that you were devouring without blinking, you attempted to wriggle out of your mate’s lap. “Nothing.”

Azriel caught you by the waist. “I doubt that nothing would illicit such a response,” he teased. “You’re beet red, my love. What’s got my mate so riled up, hmm?”

“The romance is just really well written, that’s all.”

“Oh?” Your mate tossed your hair to the side as you inhaled sharply. His lips ghosted over the column of your throat. "I can't say I've had the pleasure of being aroused by literature as much as you are right now."

Azriel was being an absolute tease as he toyed with the straps of your silk nightgown. You hadn’t bothered changing into your normal clothes seeing as how you’d spent the entire day in bed. A choice you’d come to thank yourself for as your mate's hands wandered over the thin material, the brush of his rough, calloused fingers making every fiber of your being come alive. He eased the strap down over your shoulder and grazed your soft skin with wet, open mouthed kisses.

“Tell me about it, angel.”

Your eyes fluttered close as Azriel sucked gently on your collar bone. “I’m sure your book is much more interesting.”

“I beg to differ,” your mate said, smirking into your skin. “My novel doesn’t seem nearly as thrilling as you find yours to be. Naughty girl, am I correct in assuming that you’re reading smut?”

“Maybe,” you coyly replied. “What would you say if I was?”

You squealed as Azriel flipped you over, pinning you underneath him. With his body pressed flush against yours, arousal rippled through the bond from both ends. He pried the book from your hands and carefully set it on your bedside table.

“I’d say, why on earth are you reading smut when you could be acting it out with me instead?”

Gods. You were practically dripping. Reduced to nothing but a puddle of heat and arousal in Azriel’s hands.

The purely predatory look on your mate’s face sent a shiver down your spine. “I think you’ve got it all wrong, Az. You’re the naughty one, not me.”

Azriel pinned your wrists above your head and looked at you like you were a spread of his favorite dishes. His wings flared behind his back and you got the sense that you were really in for it now. “You have no idea, my love. But don’t worry, I’m about to show you.”

[raayllum]

What do you think is the narrative, thematic and symbolic relevance of Claudia's amputation and prosthesis?

There's a few, I think, both in how the actual amputation happened, and then how the show handles things with her actual prosthetic.

The amputation:

Claudia is drinking and using a spell that uses her own blood. In arc 2, she increasingly takes on more animalistic forms with her dark magic (snake spell, wings, the tentacles). This mirrors how she's increasingly cannibalizing herself and treating herself as spell parts, as well as themes of fragmentation ("How are we going to move it?" "In pieces" / "We're all that's left of our family, and I'm not going to let anything break us apart" / "Our family was shattered forever"). She may not realize that's what she's doing with herself - dark magic is an extension of herself and her power - but that is what she's doing, hence having a 'dark magic leg' cut off but with real lasting consequences.

There's also the element of Rayla and her brutality that comes into play. Rayla nearly lost a hand in trying to save Zym and usher in peace, which is why she got to - narratively and literally - keep it. Meanwhile Claudia is going down an increasingly dark path, so she loses it, just as her assault on Ibis led her to injure her leg with her dark magic flask. That's not to say becoming disabled is a narrative punishment, but it does showcase how she's putting herself in 1) increasingly dangerous situations for 2) increasingly dangerous people and 3) always by herself. This is contrasted by how the trio wins because they have each other VS Terry (+ Claudia's support system) being regulated to the shore.

Rayla in arc 2 is walking her usual razor's edge of on the one hand being increasingly open and empathetic / letting her compassion shine through - which is a good thing - while being hands down more violent than she was in arc 1. She left to hunt down Viren and recognized it'd gotten twisted into revenge, much like her first mission, and gave this one up without a dragon's egg to change her; she held Terry hostage (although whether she would've hurt him is unknown, but the threat was there!), abandons the drake when Soren doesn't, and cuts off Claudia's leg, etc. We even see this with her actually agreeing to kill Callum if he's possessed again (6x03). All this is, I think, there to create room for the possession plot line to take centre stage in S7 as her own 'dark path' as an assassin will be challenged and likely, finally, put entirely to rest. (Arc 2 opening with her failing to kill a high mage and it's a bad thing vs closing with her failing/refusing to kill a high mage and it's a good thing, probably?) And Claudia represents like the middle road of Viren and Callum in some ways, just as Callum is a middle road between Viren and Claudia -- but meta for another day maybe

On a plot level: it's much harder for Claudia to stop and keep up with Viren if she can't fully walk, and it represents how she's continually sacrificed herself and her body for her family's survival (which dark magic is deeply interested in the idea of "bodies as sites of trauma" but again, meta for another day maybe / adjacent metas in my 'dark magic' tag).

As for her prosthetic:

Claudia has always used magic as a crutch, specifically dark magic. She doesn't have to deal with the big scary feelings permanent consequences or 'brokenness' can bring if she can fix it with dark magic. She can "cure" Soren and bring her dad back from the dead, and she expresses confusion or mistrust when those experiences of being paralyzed or dead undoubtedly affect them and change them, especially when it changes in ways that take them away from her. Because if they're not okay, or not here, then she's not okay. Her using her corrupted Sunforge staff, which at this point just represents dark magic in her life tbh, as a literal crutch is what she's been doing emotionally for a while now, which is also why she takes it with her when she leaves Terry. (The fact that it, much like Claudia, is a corrupted light is just the symbolic cherry on top.)

This isn't too dissimilar in terms of framing of how Callum uses magic as a crutch to distract from / avoid his emotions in S4, and how he drops the staff in order to pick up Rayla's sword to embrace those feelings and embrace her. And why Claudia has a moment of likewise dropping her staff to embrace Terry as well; even if he isn't as critical of dark magic as he arguably could/should be, he is still one of Claudia's guiding lights and wants what's best for her.

The prosthetic, then, represents learning to lean on Terry rather than dark magic (which Terry saving her in 6x04 and her staving off dark magic use also reflects) again, quite literally in 6x03. The prosthetic is the literal creation and metaphorical embodiment of Terry's love and faith for her and his connection to nature/primal magic, all things she sorely needs in her life.

TLDR:

The fact that paths and "every step forward is a choice" and "Daddy look I'm following in your footstep" are continually emphasized, I think Claudia losing a leg made a lot of sense symbolically. I think her prosthetic is also very strong symbolically if very straightforward. S6 honestly gave a lot of signals that she's going to be redeemed and this was one of the biggest to me; I'd expect that prosthetic as a symbol of Terry's love for her will either maintain that hope, or help bring it home (making her remember him if they diverge paths or something) and that we'd only be in a big trouble if it got burned to a crisp tbh

[ninainthetardis]

Just something I need to get off my chest

I really think that series like Harry Potter and Percy Jackson, fantasy novels with high stakes focused plots addressed to children, should be romance free. They would be so much better without any romance in it.

I mean, as a young reader, I was just there for the action, the magic, the adventure, the plot twists, the plot itself, the characters as individuals, some of their friendships... that kind of stuff in general. I didn't give a sh*t about romance, not even when I grew up and became a teenager. And those are books meant for children and younger readers, right? So, I'm going to share the opinion I had when I was younger (the one I have now would be much harsher, not to mention much longer).

Now, all the romance in HP bored me to death; most of it didn't even make sense. I just wanted to know Voldemort's back story and then proceed to see how they were going to destroy the horcruxes, you know? And yes, I get it, they're teens at that point and it's realistic they have love interests, etc etc etc, except it felt like that author (*insert disgusted emoticon here*) only chose those couples to make all the characters related by the end of the series and none amongst the relationships was really developed to make any sense or look good. Take Hermione and Ron. They'd have zero chances to work irl. Be honest. But mostly, they're lame, boring, casual, rushed pairings with no development whatsoever (thankfully, I dare to add), usually involving characters who are not compatible at all/in the long run.

This is about the canon, but moving on to the fanon ships (Dramione/Drarry), I don't think that that author would have been able to write enemies to lovers properly (I'd add the plus: involving an LGBTQ+ couple, for the Drarry). The sole idea of any of it gives me the ick. Like no. Thanks, but no thanks.

About the PJ ships, on the other hand... they are a mess. None of them is even remotely good. They're all just a total mess, featuring the following problems:

Weird/creepy age gaps

Toxic behaviour

Emotional abuse

Physical abuse

Disrespectful behaviour

Judgemental behaviour

Disregard/dimishment of other characters' trauma

Isolation of characters from other characters they care about/may meet and befriend

Pairings of characters who are not exactly compatible/would never work in long term relationships

Glossing over problematic stuff, which is a big problem considering the audience the books are aimed at

Also, when they get together, some of them are still KIDS. KIDS!

(Fanon ships also fall under some of these points)

In both cases, it's not even like they are necessary to the plot. The funny thing here is that these stories would flow much better without those parts. What's the point of forcing romance into a story where so much is already going on, which leaves little to no space to develop things properly, and in which such romance has actually no purpose?

No romance at all is better than sloppily executed romance. And not every story needs romance in it to be compelling. Especially if they're meant for kids and are full of magic, action and adventure.

A better exploration of the characters and their trauma would have been much more interesting for me to read as kid who became a teenager while the series were coming out, instead of reading cheap romance while the characters were, well, you know, fighting wars and dealing with tons of sh*t.

[kangals]

ok so here's what we found out from kepler's embark results! buckle up, it's a novel:

to start, i did what i've done for the past 2 embark tests i've sent in, in that when activating the kit i said that my dog was a mixed breed of unknown type, and i opted to not upload a photo beforehand. and like the last 2 times, embark correctly deduced that kep was a purebred collie. so while there's some dna tests out there that definitely suck, i can at least confirm that in my own blind trial, embark got it right 3/3 times. they're great. anyway:

also keeping very in line with being a purebred collie, kep's COI came back at 42% - very high for a typical dog, but dead-on average for a collie. he shares 60% DNA with stellina (despite being on paper second cousins, which should be around 1-2% shared. woe to the collie genepool). he's got a bunch of the same relatives that show up for stellina, which is, again, not surprising. dogs from windcrest, overland, and thistlebrae pop up a lot - if you're familiar with US collie lines, you probably know them.

color traits! kep is confirmed as white-factored, which i was almost certain of based on the pattern of his white markings - you can find more info on it here (referred to as "flashy irish" white) but essentially collies that are white-factored carry the gene for "extreme white" or color-headed white. white is an "incomplete dominant" gene, meaning that one copy affects the dog a little, and two copies affects the dog a lot (remember this term!) two copies of the gene makes the dog almost entirely white (an accepted color in the US, but not the UK/europe i believe), whereas one copy of the gene makes the regular "irish white" markings (the classic white neck ruff and white socks) extend a little further than usual - you'll notice that on kep, his white extends over his shoulders and up to his knees. whereas on stellina (who does not carry the white gene), her white is restricted to her neck, front stockings, and back paws. one of kep's brothers is white, so we knew he likely carried the gene too.

he is confirmed as not a secret merle, though he technically could have been a cryptic/phantom merle - didn't think so, but worth a check.

so all of this is very expected - the health testing is where things get interesting!

embark tests for 265 different genetic health conditions, 4 of which are considered "breed-relevant" for collies: collie eye anomaly (CEA), mdr1 drug sensitivity, degenerative myleopathy (DM), and some immune thing with a long name.

immune thing - clear

DM - clear (not particularly common in collies, but it does show up sometimes and it is a nasty disease)

MDR1 - double copies! this is a recessive gene and kep is mutant/mutant, aka he carries both copies which makes him clinically affected. this is common in collies, as about 60-70% of collies have at least one copy. the good news is this just means we have to avoid/take smaller doses of certain medications and he otherwise shouldn't be impacted by it at all. also his breeder already tested him for this so i already was aware.

CEA - single copy! this is also a recessive gene, which means that kep is not affected/normal-eyed, which is actually pretty uncommon! it's estimated that between 70-85% of collies are affected by CEA (yes, the gene literally called collie eye is common in collies. wow.). i also was already aware of this since he was already tested (worth mentioning that if you buy a collie puppy in the US, a screening by an ophthalmologist to check for CEA is required by the breed club).

and then the plot twist:

embark tells me "oh hey, btw, there's two other genes you should know about"

"your dog has one copy of the gene for accumulating copper toxicosis"

fucking what

so yeah, after a lot of reading into this: there's a gene called ATP7B that's almost exclusively found in labradors, goldens, and dobermans which affects a dog's ability to filter out copper. excessive amounts of copper start to build up in the liver, and if it gets to be too much it can cause liver disease, failure, and neurological problems. remember when we talked about white and white-factored dogs, several thousands words ago? ATP7B is also an incomplete dominant gene - one copy affects the dog a little, two copies affects a lot. kep has one copy, which in theory means he is at no risk, mild risk, or moderate risk of developing copper storage disease in his life. not devastating, but not ideal.

the plot thickens!

kep also tested positive for the gene called ATP7A, which as far as i can tell is like the exact opposite of ATP7B (i know, the names suck). see, ATP7B causes copper to accumulate. but ATP7A has been shown to cause a copper deficiency. it's also incompletely dominant, so one copy impacts a little, and two copies (should) impact a lot - and kep has both copies of ATP7A.

so: kep has one of the "too much copper" genes... but he has also two of the "too few copper" genes. and studies seem to suggest that the two genes have a neutralizing effect on each other if they're both present in one dog - basically, they cancel each other out.

there's a handful of studies looking at the effects of these genes on dogs, but they basically exclusively focus on labradors and dobermans - one UC davis study even suggested that these genes might not even have an effect on other breeds. i could find absolutely no literature about these genes in collies, or even in herding breeds in general. embark helpfully added that they don't have enough data on this gene in other breeds to claim if they had any effect. the genes also appear to be sex-linked, and affect females moreso than males. one study on labradors suggested that although many dogs tested were carriers of ATP7B, few dogs were clinically affected, which would say that perhaps its not uncommon for dogs with only one copy to not be impacted.

(i'm also wondering if perhaps this could be the case for kep - given that he has 2 copies of ATP7A, he had to inherit one from each parent. given that these genes aren't regularly tested for in collies, is it possible that some lines carry them and are just clinically unaffected? it may be entirely incidental.)

so essentially, he does have one gene that may be nothing, or may cause mild-moderate issues as an older adult/senior. he also has two copies of that gene's natural neutralizer, and is male, and comes from clinically unaffected dogs. so... i think in retrospect, it's something to note on his chart and keep an eye on, but the odds seem to be very stacked in the favor of him either not being affected, or having only mild affects later down the line. could be a nothingburger, might be a little-somethingburger, unlikely to be a seriousburger.

that being said: i am VERY glad i decided to do this test! obviously i knew what breed he was, and his breeder had already tested him for the most collie-relevant conditions, so this was done on more of a whim, but it turned up this potentially important result that i now know to investigate. you'll hear a lot about how breeders who just do embark, or pawprints, or etc aren't doing complete genetic testing, because so many of the diseases these tests screen for aren't breed-relevant and lots of other conditions aren't testable. which is true. 265 genes and only 4 are considered for collies! but once in a blue moon, one of those random other genes will indeed flag, as is the case here.

so yeah: very interesting results! breed, COI, relatives, color, and most of the health is exactly as expected. but boy that one little health bit really threw me for a loop.

[utilitycaster]

What is the d20 meltdown about? 👀 If you don't mind getting into it

I literally don't know other than vague shit because I'm semi-avoiding spoilers. I'm making this nonrebloggable because we're in pure speculation country.

From what I have gathered, people are mad because I think the Bad Kids kill the Rat Grinders (another adventuring group that's been set up as their bitter, jealous rivals from the start) and they want...redemption or some shit? This is absurd to me like this party was set up as The Enemy from the start.

I am 4 episodes behind so I can't speak to this, and also I admittedly have a rather low opinion of the D20 fandom at large for a number of reasons despite being a big fan of D20 shows, but: I just by chance watched the scene that I would say counts as a point of no return for at least some the Rat Grinders. Like, actually some of the most villainous shit I've seen on this show amplified by how petty and small and purely fueled by jealousy the motivation is.

My guess as to why the D20 fandom is, per whispers on the wind/texting my brother who is caught up/talking to friends not avoiding spoilers, having a meltdown about it is because people have this idea of Brennan Lee Mulligan always making capitalism the BBEG, or occasionally religion or politics.

That is untrue. He does hate capitalism, and that is a theme in the (real-world-ish set) Unsleeping City, but ultimately the thing Brennan sees as the villain is a willingness to hurt, exploit, and dehumanize others for your own goals and benefit. Capitalism and religious corruption are two major examples of this, but in the end, the worst thing you can do is kill people out of a desire for power, or attention, or spite. What Brennan truly hates is what we on Tumblr call a tar pit.

Now. My much more pointed analysis? Kipperlily (and presumably the other Rat Grinders) are deeply entitled people jealous of the Bad Kids, who aren't as academically strong at times but who have leveled up through saving the world at least three times. How many people does killing rats so much that you hit the high levels of D&D save? or even help? Like congrats, you're level 14 from killing rats real good. These guys stopped the fucking Night Yorb. Of course they get the fame and glory, you entitled, self-absorbed little brats. Do you not understand how this fucking works? This is underscored by the fact that they've definitely murdered at least one of their own and almost certainly two (and a teacher to boot) at least in part to get at the Bad Kids.

And herein lies my feeling as to why the D20 fandom is really melting down. Because the loudest and most unpleasant contingent (which is probably why the server is, ultimately, shutting down all discussion channels) have always struck me as entitled self-absorbed little brats who demand precisely what they want when they want it (and also have the literary analysis skills on par with the 3/4ths of a stick of Monterey Jack cheese currently in my fridge) and they're seeing, in real time, that in this story, they're the villain.

But: I haven't seen the next 4 episodes and I could be getting the details of the plot wrong (not the first 15 episodes though, and I do not think the Rat Grinders are going to make the world's best Heel-Face turn in 3-4 episodes, and at this point they're so clearly the villains that to deny it is to admit truly earth-shattering levels of stupidity) and so: nonrebloggable. I'm hoping to catch up this weekend though on both the show and the hot goss, and if I'm right this will become rebloggable.

ETA: I am caught up making this rebloggable but I'm actually more confused, because as my posts indicated this was not even like, edgy. Like I assumed maybe there was a twist where the Rat Grinders appeared to regret their actions or something but failed to do anything about it, making this a little bittersweet? but no there literally was nothing, they went into the final battle still like hell yeah we're going to be the living worst.

[voxofthevoid]

Random, what are your top favorite fics that you've written (feel free how much that you want to list)? Why they're special to you? Is there a specific inspiration when you wrote them?

Oh, this is gonna be dominated by JJK 😂. I'm always more aware, let's say, of things I wrote more recently. On top of that, with JJK fics, I've tried new things and challenged myself (successfully) a lot more than I have with my previous fandoms.

I've picked 7: five from JJK, plus one each from Bleach and MCU.

1. (let me be clear) every version of the story ends with you being slaughtered

JJK, goyuu: When told to choose his hell, Itadori Yuuji picks the easier one—a clean death, then and there. He couldn’t have known that it was never really a choice. Or, Gojou Satoru kidnaps a teenager, supposedly for his own good.

This is the work I'm most proud of among all my stories, and I'm sure that'd be the case even without recency bias. Not only is it the first canon rewrite I completed, it's also a story that tackles a lot of themes and tropes I find highly compelling, in general and with regard to JJK in particular. Plotting and executing it was a fun challenge; I worked with an extensive outline, but the plot and characters evolved significantly during the writing process. It was fun from the beginning to the end (there's a reason I finished this in less than two months), and the final result is something I'm immensely satisfied with.

2. bloodstains on the collar means just don't ask

JJK, sukuita and goyuu: Yuuji has a type. Unfortunately, his uncle and his teacher embody that type.

This was my first no-powers AU for JJK, and I ended up liking it way more than I expected. Transposing Yuuji, Gojou, and Sukuna to a mundane setting while keeping their relationships twisted really helped me get a deeper and better understanding of their characters and relationships. In particular, I'm now far more comfortable writing sukuita and utterly in love with their uncle/nephew dynamic. I write or intend to write plenty of incest for JJK, but most of those didn't really delve into the implications of the blood relation (due to canon circumstances), but this story is explicitly and excruciatingly clear on how Sukuna's known and (in his own fucked-up way) cared for Yuuji since he was an infant. It's a flavor I hadn't tackled before but enjoyed immensely.

3. little lamb to the slaughter

JJK, goyuu: Gojou offers to blow Yuuji as part of his training; it escalates from there.

It's rare that I fill in canon missing moments like this, but I just couldn't resist the basement era. I'm so fond and proud of this because this is the fic that cemented my grasp on Yuuji's character, in addition to helping me flesh out Gojou and Yuuji's canon dynamic. Hilariously, back when I came up with this, I figured this would be my most imbalanced, unhealthy dynamic for JJK/goyuu, but not only did this fic turn out pretty wholesome (...aside from the statutory rape aspect that goes ignored in-verse), but the bulk of my subsequent ideas for this ship makes this fic look like puppies and unicorns in comparison. I guess that impression came because it'd been quite a while since I tackled adult/minor, so it felt taboo in a way I took time to adjust to—now I thrive here.

4. the brute fact of flesh awaiting our teeth

JJK, fem!goyuu: Satoru embarks on a quest to seduce her hot giant of a teacher and continuously bites off more than she can chew.

I started this because I wanted to write filthy femlash porn, which I absolutely did do and enjoy immensely, but the reason this ended up so high on my list of favorite children fics is because exploring the role reversal dynamic and the genderbending one in tandem helped me better flesh out adult!Yuuji, especially one that lived with Sukuna for years and eventually subsumed him (her, in this case), and get a good handle on how I want to work in the gender changes while retaining their canon traits. I've tried at my hand both dynamics before, separately, but the length and depth of this fic solidified both. Also, I go wild for tits and pussy, and it shows.

5. i could keep your bed warm, otherwise i'm useless

JJK, goyuu and sukuita: Sukuna in Megumi’s body rapes Yuuji to break Megumi’s spirit, and Gojou rescues him but isn’t very sane afterward.

This is going to sound demented, but I like this one so much because it has the most viscerally uncomfortable rape scene I've ever written. It's not the sukuita; that's straightforward violent rape. But the goyuu that follows features a specific flavor of intimate violence framed as tenderness: someone who cares about you pushing your boundaries and actively retraumatizing you—not in spite of the love or even from a lack of love but because of the love.

6. and you cried, love's like watching someone die

Bleach, grimmichi: Repeat reincarnation cycle AU where Ichigo never remembers and Grimmjow never forgets.

This is a total angst train that was something of an ambitious project, in terms of technique, characterization and the general mood I wanted to evoke. Judging by my post-fic analysis and my readers' reactions, I succeeded. Writing such a heavy emotional story from Grimmjow's PoV wasn't easy, and the non-linear sequence was a bitch to sort out, but I'm very happy with how it turned out.

7. here is the repeated image of the lover destroyed

MCU, stucky: Steve's helpless not to love his ghosts.

Memory, identity, and associated manifestations of love and grief are themes that have haunted me for years now, including in the JJK fandom, but these two stories are my best takes on it, in my view. Said themes are already intrinsically present in Steve and Bucky's relationship, and this series recasts their past and their present to prod at questions of how much of us is our memories and experiences and how much is something there in core—a soul, so to speak. This is a fundamentally romantic take on the topic, so the outcome is obvious, but I'd like to say the answers are a little complicated.

[six-eyed-samurai]

SUMMARY: Jirou and Denki's likes are far and between. Jirou likes Denki and Denki likes Jirou anyway. A/N: I was listening to Wild Side by ALI when I thought of them and you should too. (Actual a/n: It was so fun imagining all of this! I based them off some actual events between me and my friends. The homeless one is an actual thing my best friend and I do lmao, sit outside the mall's store and eat while our gang illegally take our photos and call us beggars) WARNINGS: Some mild swearing and a lot of probable inaccuracies for the sake of the plot and because I haven't finished MHA yet

It is wonderful my life

Jirou likes the name Jamming Whey and Denki likes the name Jirou-Jack.

Obviously the both of them detest the nickname the other’s given, or so everyone thought, based on the poking from Jirou’s end and dramatic sighing from Denki’s. Not that it stopped them from calling each other that at all opportunities. It was endearing to watch to the class; it was a trifle odd for the Bakusquad, for when they tried to use it…

“Um, what?”

“Sorry bro, but that ain’t for you to use!”

Mina thinks it’s funny, how it’s like a codename for only each other. Suspiciously so.

Please could you kiss my name

This round’s exercise of heroes versus villains is different.

The villains were Todoroki and Momo, so Jirou and Denki would have to play it smart to win. Inside the building it had seemed like a good idea at that time to split up. Now, not so much, when Jirou found herself stuck in Todoroki’s ice as he handed her the device Aizawa had given them to stay in contact with each other. Momo, no doubt, was nearby to catch her partner unaware.

“Call Kaminari to come out.”

“…Denki, the bomb’s in the room down the hall. The door to the left.”

But then suddenly it’s Momo and Todoroki on the floor, shocked by Chargebolt’s electrical attack. Jirou breaks out of the rest of the partially melted ice herself and grudgingly slaps her partner’s hand when he raises it, hopeful for a high-five.

Todoroki twists his head around, surprise evident on his face. “How’d you know it was as trap? Jirou didn’t say anything suspicious.”

Denki bursts out laughing smugly. “She’d never call me Denki willingly - it’s always Jamming Whey…” his shoulders slump. “Unfortunately. But anyways, we won, Jirou-Jack!”

“Shut up.”

Momo wonders if that day was when Jirou finally accepted the nickname, because for once she didn’t object to it.

Todoroki admires how in sync they are.

When the music's over?

Jirou likes rock and Denki likes electronic.

They argue about it a lot. The usual which is better, yours make no sense, it's much more superior that whatever you call that music. Sometimes during study nights the books and work are forgotten, pushed aside, to make way for their heated debate. Their friends roll their eyes and ignore them; it's almost a ritualistic thing at this point.

Only Mina thinks there's something more to it - to the rest the noise just dies down when one of them whips out their phone and forces the other to listen to their music. So what if they were sitting really close to each other and occasionally lean their heads on the other's shoulder? They're sharing an earbud after all, and the wire required them to be close.

(They're sulking, the rest think, because they see the eyerolls and shoulder shoves.)

(They're in denial, Mina thinks, because she sees them smile at the same moment when it hits the chorus and hum together.)

Turn off light, it was such a sweet time

Momo thinks she’s come up with a solution.

Jirou and Denki stare at her blankly, bewildered by her sudden excited announcement that study night. She says she’s heard them arguing about what music to choose a lot; Jirou replies they do it all the time and Denki adds that it’s normal. Momo nods but repeats what she says. She hands them both her phone.

“Jazz? Yaomomo - what?”

“I thought you were the sort to listen to classical shit. This ain’t my type!”

“No one cares about your opinion right now, Jamming Whey.”

“No, no, I just thought that if the two of you can’t agree on either one of your genres you’d like to try a third option. A compromise, sort of.” Momo smiles, believing she’s provided a resolution to their squabbling. Jirou’s not, though she tries to - she’s going to miss -

“What’s with that face, Jirou-Jack?”

“Don’t elbow me!”

“We can still share earbuds…or you could just plug your jacks into my phone.”

Jirou smiles, but it’s with an eyeroll as Momo looks hopefully on. Denki plays Momo’s choice, holding the phone uncomfortably close to her face like a kid showing off his crayon drawing to his mom. “I’m still choosing which one though!”

They still argue over the music, unsurprisingly. They’re openly sharing the earbuds now, surprisingly.

Could you pray for me, my friend?

Jirou likes movie night and Denki likes the popcorn.

Most of Class 1-A is already gathered in front of the TV, sprawled on the sofas or lying on the ground. She’s a little way from him, squashed between Momo and Mina. Denki pretends he’s not staring at her when his neighbor Kirishima points it out and Bakugo explodes telling them to just pick a movie already. Most of them vote for horror.

Jirou gets up. Strange, because he knows she likes movie nights. Then he remembers, she doesn’t like horror, but her pride wouldn’t allow others to know. Denki himself wouldn’t have known if he hadn’t deduced it by her actions over time and gotten her to admit it. Her friends attempt to persuade her to stay, but she feigns tiredness.

“Why don’t we watch something else? We’ve already watched this movie like what, three times already? Boo, we literally all know what’s going to happen!”

Of course he gets pummeled by the pillows but after a little more convincing they agree to change it. He claims he needs to use the bathroom and runs out.

It's starting over time

Jirou’s not yet to her room.

He catches up and makes her turn around, ask why she left, tries to wheedle her to stay. Denki already knows her so well, so Jirou says she doesn’t like the movie. But he’s convinced them to change it, something he think she’ll like, so reluctantly she follows him back. It’s really hard to say no to Denki sometimes, Jirou thinks, then sighs as she remembers that no, it’s actually ALL the time.

They get back and find their seats been taken. No matter, he shoos a few legs away from the ground near the couch and practically forces Jirou to sit next to him. The movie’s a murder mystery; Denki worries the gory parts might affect Jirou. Unconsciously an arm slips around her shoulders and maybe he shifts a little closer. But Jirou feels it. An eyebrow is raised and Denki jerks his head back to avoid the earphone jack, tilting his head back with a protesting look.

“Get your arm off me.”

“If you get scared-”

“If you try anything, Kaminari, I'll poke your eyeballs.”

“I wasn't!”

But they end up cuddling anyway; Sero helpfully throws a blanket over them because that’s what happens every movie night, somehow.

Taking overnight

Jirou likes to sleep and Denki likes distracting himself.

It takes his mind off the fact it’s nearly 1 a.m. and if he lies down on his bed he’ll just overthink everything and probably count down how much hours of sleep he’s losing and he’s going to be so sleep deprived and tired tomorrow and then he’ll get scolded by Aizawa for not paying attention in class and be stupider than he already is and he wishes he could close his eyes and why is it so cold in the room, all his senses feel waaay too alert and man does he want some ramen-

He tries a few other things like finishing some homework or reading but his eyes don’t feel like they’re working right. Or rather they are, but everything is blurring together. Denki leans back, listens to some music and scrolls on his phone. A bad distraction but a distraction nonetheless.

But now he can’t keep his mind off wondering if he could text Jirou and just…dunno, talk? Gossip? Ask her if she wanted to get instant ramen with him? Probably because one of her songs somehow crawled their way into his playlist right now.

She’d probably yell at him for waking her up and order him to go make ramen himself. The thought seems funny to him, but then again everything is funny at night. He opens up her chat because insomniac + a-need-for-company = no self control.

(Somewhere in the back of his mind he wonders why Jirou is the first one he thinks of.)

>>hey you up?????

>>can’t sleep 💀💀

>>would anyone be mad at me if i got up right now to make ramen

>>kinda want a juicebox or something lmaoo

>>CANNOT MATH RIGHT NOW 😩😭🥴

>>sorry to wake you

Denki throws the phone to his bed after deleting everything but the last message.

Taking over blue time

He’s in the midst of actually going out to get that juicebox when there’s knocking at the door.

Denki throws open the door, electricity at the ready in case a ghost really existed and was paying a visit to all those naughty little boys who aren’t abiding by bedtime.

It's Jirou, actually, who's paying a visit.

“…hi?” His brain and mouth feels numb but he attempts to be normal. “What, couldn't sleep until you saw my handsome face?”

Jirou's face gets more annoyed and disbelieving that she was even here in the first place. “A face that's about to be punched.”

“Aw, you do miss me~” Denki yanks her inside, unable to stop his grinning. He slams the door shut. “But seriously, why’re you here?”

“Just because you deleted the text doesn’t mean I didn’t see it.”

“…oh, yeah…about that.” Denki awkwardly scratches his neck. “We don’t gotta get the ramen or anything. I’m just having trouble sleeping then.”

Perhaps not so much now, when he suddenly found his eyes about to close themselves while his head was tucked under Jirou’s and his arms looped around hers, both somewhere in the stacks of blankets and pillows and plushies lying on Denki’s bed.

“Not a word, Kaminari.”

Not that he could manage one, finally dozing off with her.

(It’s a little hard to explain to Kirishima the next morning why Jirou’s plushy is on his bed.)

If you heard that screaming, shout in your mind

Jirou likes fries and Denki likes hamburgers.

There’s not really anything to argue about for this one but they do anyway, comparing which fast food chain was better. Usually it winds up with Denki defending his honor while Jirou pokes fun at how his big mouth came about by having to stretch it to fit all his beloved burgers. Nothing different this time round as Class 1-A heads out to another shopping trip together.

Denki doesn’t want to go into the stupid store. He’s hungry. Jirou snorts and says he won’t die of starvation like he says. He whines about craving a greasy, fat hamburger. Jirou elbows him; he lingers outside the store, at the window, declaring he was going to stay outside until they could eat and if they find his corpse lying out there it was because they wouldn’t let him have lunch. Tokoyami helpfully points out that it’s still morning.

He stays out there regardless, ignoring the scoffs and snickers from a certain someone that he looked like a homeless tramp.

A very hungry tramp, Denki argues. I want a hamburger. Maybe a soda.

Taking over the shine

“Hey.”

“What…aw, hey, you got me a burger! I’m saved!” Denki eagerly peels back the wrappings, taking a huge bite and beaming at Jirou, who’s plopped down next to him. She points out the lettuce in his teeth and sips her drink, holding her own burger.

“I didn’t see you come out of the store?”

“There’s another exit at the back. Passed by a restaurant and well, you said you were hungry and I didn’t want you complaining anymore.”

“Didn’t you say I looked like a homeless tramp sitting out here?”

“…now there’s two homeless tramps.”

Denki bursts out laughing and Jirou scolds him for spraying out hamburger. You never heard me say that, she says, and Denki stores it away in his memory as he takes the drink from her proffered hand. Jirou unwraps her burger and makes a face. “This better be as good as you say.”

(Later the Bakusquad catch them feeding each other fries; Jirou complains Denki opened the wrong packet of sauce.)

Taking over the shooting star

Jirou likes the solitude and Denki likes socialising.

Which is why despite the numerous asks from her friends if she needed them Jirou declined, preferring to spend her quarantine from the flu in her own room by herself. It wasn’t too bad - she could just do whatever she wanted in bed: scroll on her phone, practice a little music, catch up on assignments…if it weren’t so damned COLD.

She’s already sneezed about a bajillion times already and the bin’s full from tissues. No matter how many layers of blankets she was trying to burrow under she just wouldn’t heat up. Maybe her tolerance for the freeze had just lowered after hanging out with Kaminari - the man was quite literally a walking electrical heater.

Speaking of Kaminari, Jirou just might have to borrow Bakugo’s nickname of Dunceface for him, because who the hell gave him permission to barge into her room like that?!

Jirou throws a plushy at him. “Get out.”

“I’m not here to pass you your homework though…you know I don’t even understand any of it myself.” Nobody asked but he plops down next to her. “I heard you were sick!”

“Less sick and more of in danger in getting frostbite,” Jirou grumbles, hugging herself and shivering.

So of course he just hauls her ass to the door and basically kidnaps her to the kotatsu.

All I was talking about was music

“Better?”

“Maybe.”

Denki smirks and pulls her closer. She doesn’t even bother fighting it, finally warming up from the combination of the kotatsu and him. Probably the stifling three thousand blankets Denki piled on them as well. At least he had the decency to kidnap her rabbit plushy as well; he paired it up with his worn, dumb Pikachu one. The one where she had won for him at an arcade to get him to stop his sulking. Hah.

“Let’s play music! My turn to pick!”

“I’m the sick one, Jamming Whey.”

“It’s my phone!”

“You’re literally borrowing-”

They both rolled around for a while before someone’s elbow, finger, knee, something touched the screen sufficiently for the phone to recognize the command and start playing. Start playing Momo’s music choice, specifically. Jirou sighs and Denki shrugs. They let it play and huddle under Mount Blanket. The plushies are kidnapped inside.

“Warm enough yet?”

“Yeah.”

(And that's called jazz!)

[neerons]

Hi! How are you doing? I wanted to ask if you know some stories that are similar to MK. It can be another game, manga/webtoon, or even movies/series/dramas. I want to read or watch a similar story with an interesting plot and deep stories, but not too complicated. The storyline has to be logical/coherent and well written. The characters must be strong and have interesting personalities, good developments and if possible, good relationships too. I don't have a particular theme in mind, but I'd like some romance in the story (the two lovers are equals). If you have some recommendations or if someone else has some stories to share, I'm interested! Thank you ❤️

Hi! I'm very good thank you. I hope you're doing well too ❤

I'm not going to help out much when it comes to other games, webtoons, movies or series as what I play, read or watch in these categories don't really fit Masquerade Kiss' universe.

Anyone is welcome to leave recommendations as well. Try to tag @ himawari ⬆ for visibility so your comment can be seen

MK is pretty unique so not everything I recommend is even 50% close to being similar to MK, so I mostly rely on core details that match.

However when it comes to mangas/animes, there are ones I can instantly think about, and some others that have similarities as well. Some of them don't involve romance but I tried to think of ones who do.

Black Butler

If you're looking for something similar to Kei's route, let me introduce you to my favorite anime and manga ✨ Black Butler/Kuroshitsuji ✨

It doesn't involve the romance you're looking for, but the story is deep, linked to religion and a sexy demon butler, with one of the main characters (Ciel) having a very similar past to Kei. It's actually the only one I can think of that is so similar to MK overall, but it's definitely darker.

It involves the same things we see in Kei's route in general: rejection of religious faith, demons (but here an actual one), philosophy about what being a human is, child abuse in a religious setting, being left as an orphan, and another thing very similar to Kei that I will not spoil as it is a big plot twist in the manga. (But tbh I wouldn't be surprised if the writer in charge of Kei got inspired by Black Butler)

(However, keep in mind that if you watch the anime, you need to look up the episodes that are adapted from the manga so the plot stays coherent (the anime has some parts of S1 and S2 that were invented, and you should avoid watching those, unless you want to, if you want to understand the actual plot)

The Apothecary Diaries

The romance is not completely established yet even in the manga, as it is slow burn. However the FL is extremely interesting and strong, intelligent as well as very funny. The ML is equally as good, and both have a very interesting relationship.

I recommend this one especially for the "equals" part you're looking for, but the era they're in in this universe doesn't fit MK's. But the story is quite deep and not that hard to understand

Spy x Family

This one is linked to spies and assassins, and family life in general in a cold war setting. I realize as I'm writing this just how much I suck at doing these masterpieces justice btw.

Anyway, the characters are extremely good. The story, with all its comedy and funny moments, is also quite profound as you have characters start to understand what love is (kind of similar to MK as well in this aspect?) and well, it's about ✨ spies ✨ I like to compare the MK Boss and Twilight (the ML) as they're incredible at their work.

The romances are not well established as well in this one but they're slowly building.

The era is also a bit different, but it's not too shocking

Kaguya-sama: Love is War

This one is also a funny one. The FL and ML and side characters are all amazing and well written. It's an elite high school setting. It's not dark like the others ones I've mentioned and is more of a comfort anime/manga.

I think the characters' banter can be similar to what we're used to see in MK, and it's a lovely, although frustrating at times, slow burn

7th Time Loop: The Villainess enjoys a carefree life married to her worst enemy!

I almost tired my fingers out typing that title, but this anime has a really good romance with a very independent, strong, intelligent and capable FL, with a strong, cold but actually tender ML.

Not the same era as MK again, but it's another one with both leads being equally as good and having a good relationship (although it's not easy at first). The FL's belief in justice and her kindness are also similar to our lovely MK MC as well.

I don't know if you have already watched or read those, but that's mostly what I could think of. Sadly, I have yet to find one very similar to MK's glamour, sensual, funny and dark vibe myself but I hope I helped you a bit, and if I didn't, then I'm sorry and I hope you'll find something good!

I guess the Mission Impossible movies that the MC loves so much are actual inspirations for MK? So you might be interested in those if you haven't watched them.

The movie or series about Hannibal Lecter with Mads Mikkelsen for Kei's route as well? Although I haven't watched it myself so I don't know if it was an inspiration, and it's gore, so be careful with the warnings

I could recommend you French romantic movies that MC would enjoy and that would be similar to MK (as MK heavily implements French references in its content), but I won't be able to guarantee there'll be a translation for you to understand, so I'm giving up the idea

Thank you for the ask, and have a lovely day/night ❤

[wallbeatjournal]

If they'd have chosen to just be straight up about it, when in the canon timeline do you think is the most likely place narratively for hirarchie to have gone sexual?

i've said before i think season 2 is already a grooming narrative with a subtextual consummation, but if i'm actually script-doctoring what we've got across the whole series to have hirarchie fuck nasty as a shocking and trashy and high-aesthetic plot development, i'm going to argue that it's more satisfying if we don't have an explicit archie cheating plot at this stage in the story. it works better as an emotional affair. (saying this bc to the characters i think it would be first and foremost about the complication of cheating, not bc that's the biggest problem with hiram/archie.)

imo riverdale should have done it as a mid-seasons escalation in season four. give us a season or two to really sit with how unhinged and obsessed hiram is about archie and then decode it in the worst and most extreme bad taste like the second archie turns 18.

putting my season 4 hirarchie proposal below the cut since it got quite long:

the s4 dodger plot is...extremely uneven and feels a bit cobbled-together on the fly by a writing team grappling with the death of luke perry and the in-universe death of fred andrews, and whether it would be respectful to keep being super weird about hiram in the wake of all that. but there are still useful components in the dodger arc - archie is the oliver twist in the oliver twist riff happening*, a boy "orphaned" without reliably engaged, aware parents who was groomed into criminality and doesn't see a way out without a wealthy benefactor. lean into that!

it can happen as hiram starts working out at archie's gym, mysteriously ill in a dickensian sort of way. riverdale's favorite weird incestuous overtones come into play especially hard if we're considering season four hirarchie, when it can really only be largely about fred for archie and holding on to/deepening a relationship with the sometimes-father-figure he has left. archie has been trying so hard to be a good brick in this monument of fred's legacy but it feels impossible because the only tools that come naturally are violence and sexuality and appealing to benefactors, so why not get a little nihilistic-horny with it.

he's also frankly already being a pretty bad boyfriend to veronica this season, it's stale, they're bickering, they don't have emotional intimacy the way he used to have emotional intimacy with hiram during what he probably still unfortunately remembers as their best days......i just don't think he'd be guilt-ridden about fuck-nastying veronica's dad at this point the way he would have been in season 2 when fred's cheating was the big looming legacy beat to avert and goodboyism seemed like an achievable and real thing archie could prove to others.

this is also i think when indulging in fuck-nasty hirarchie would be least damaging/difficult an option for hiram - he's ill and wants to feel vital again, he's ill and he wants archie to remember and honor him when he's gone the way he remembers and lionizes fred (he knows this isn't possible and that makes him resentful and apt to grasp at another form of intimacy that wasn't available to fred). he's feeling aggression towards his daughter, who is leaving him (by going to college) as much as he might be leaving her (by dying of a mysterious illness). it's a big complicated sick emotional motivations stew and both archie and hiram are looking at getting left behind to cook in it while the rest of the core four move forward in life.

and it would be hot. archie and hiram in the gym "personal training" (gone sexual) with weird grief-hate-reconciliation-validation sex would be hot. archie and hiram doing vigilante violence and then making out in sketchy alleys would be hot. are you kidding me?

all of this would make archie even weirder about hiram's illness and tenser in discussions with veronica about what to do about hiram's illness, and i do think barcheating would still happen - it's escapism/avoidance from what's going on within varchie, it's escapism/avoidance from what's going on within hirarchie, and archie is primed to be impulsive. so we still get barcheating fallout but MORE.

does veronica find out archie hooked up with her dad when they all thought her dad was dying? maybe! maybe she feels more sorrow and guilt (irrationally, about being the conduit bringing hiram into archie's life in the first place) than personal betrayal. or maybe she does feel very betrayed and that's an additional factor in everything (especially archie choosing to run away to the military. sorry everyone i know i've disappointed you all deeply and am very fucked up. instead of talking it out i will simply Leave).

all of this fuck-nastyism of course would make hiram's reaction to the barcheating that much more intense and outsized. veronica was feeling her relationship with archie wane already but hiram was IN IT. he's getting well, he's fighting again, he's offered archie a job, archie is about to be his main special interest while veronica and hermione drift and archie would CHEAT on him?? he's only supposed to be cheating WITH him!!!!

and then we segue into season 5 post-timejump when the riveradults are all kind of weird with each other but moving through it, and hiram has been behaving like a jilted ex throwing a temper tantrum for 7 years. and he will certainly continue.

*i think everyone notices but the dickinson crew is mostly named in reference to the gang of thieves who adopts and trains oliver - the artful dodger, fagan, bill. intertextuality, yippee!

[dairy-farmer]

Hi ❤️ so asides from horny, what other tropes do you love to write? Because your comedy has me literally howling and your angst has me sobbing and obsessed for days. You are an amazing writer, you convey not just emotions, but each thought of each character you write so fully. They all have their own distinct personality, it seems as if Im watching an episode of a person's life or a movie with the best actors ever who act as if they *are* the person and not they're pretending to be the person. No character you write feels like some plot device, instead there's a reason and a result. You are beautiful and brilliant and if I was a billionaire nobody would know it except you cause Id spend all my money on you. Each story you have, even when you're just entertaining thoughts, you build a whole new world where everythint just makes *sense* your mind works in mysterious chaotic and entertaining ways and I wish I had your skill and your brain

🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺 this is so nice!!!!!!! thank you!!!❤️❤️❤️ wow this is such high praise!!!! i'm so happy you enjoy my work and characterizations it means so much to hear 🥰🥰🥰!!!!!!!

aside from horny hehehe some things i really like are case fics!! where the driving point of the plot is a particular or specific case/mystery. it's like detective novel-esque inspired but not quite because i'm still not quite good at mysteries yet (you need to genuinely be clever to write them well😂)!!! i also like sort of 'twist' ending stories where you're subtly decieved about what's really happening until the end where the full picture blooms and everything that happened makes sense and what you thought was going on wasn't what was happening. i've done a twitter thread or two with that as the main trope. but i think my very favorite trope aside from horny is the whole 'alternate dimensions' thing!! the plot of those is just so fascinating because you have characters set opposite to people who both are and aren't their friends/families!!!

i'm so happy you like my writing!!!!! for a lot of what you mentioned liking i think it really comes down to fleshing out characters!! i think that the two major things that make someone's writing really enjoyable, and the things i try to focus on are 1. character writing and 2. pacing. for me, if a fic has those two things then the quality, writing style, and even the plot would mean nothing to me because i would be absolutely entertained while reading!!!! i remember a while back i saw a tweet or something about people complaining how massively popular and successful books like twilight and harry potter were when they weren't even written well and they didn't understand why they were so popular and the answer someone gave is that the characters themselves were well done. that if you plucked a character out and put them in any sort of scenario or situation, you'd have a pretty good idea of how they'd respond. and in reading that i realized that's sort of what i've been trying to do while writing- try to make characters, not realistic, but fleshed out! and i'm so happy its what you picked up on that you liked about my writing!!!!!🥰🥰🥰❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️