#THESE PALS THESE DEVOTED FRIENDS

[jirsungs]

NO IDEA ☆ l.dh

pairing: loser!donghyuck x fem!reader

no idea synopsis: a story where both you and lee donghyuck seem to get what you want. he's the perfect pawn in making your ex-boyfriend jealous and the smarty pants tutor helping you pass your math class. donghyuck has it easy too, he's finally able to seek out and experience the world of dating through you, his long-devoted crush and surprisingly enthusiastic tutoring student. but then again, when meaningless tutoring sessions soon evolve into reciprocated feelings, is it really that easy?

genre: college au, nonidol au, fake dating au, social media au (includes written chapters), classmates to friends to lovers, he's a nerd & she's a popular cheerleader (you see where this is going), he fell first but she fell harder trope, kinda based off to all the boys i've loved before, fluff, crack/humor, angst, one-sided pining that turns into mutual pining

warnings: explicit language, unrealistic college partying, talks about family issues (this does NOT reflect any of the idol's families!), yuqi has an ex gf, some alcohol consumption, kys and sexual humor, bullying, hyuck and his buds are mistreated ☹️, hyunjin is a bad bf!!!, cheesy af, unrequited love, bad insults that sound like they're from the 2000s, HELLA miscommunication

no idea playlist: btr's no idea, taylor swift's you belong with me, the vamps + demi lovato's somebody to you, james arthur's can i be him, ariana grande's daydreamin, fitz & the tantrums' out of my league, shawn mendes' treat you better, bruno mars' just the way you are, lonely god's marlboro nights, the 1975's i'm in love with you, sam smith's like i can, arctic monkeys' wanna be yours

author's note: FIRST HYUCK SMAUU! how we feeling 😏 i needed to get this idea out of my system! plus, i love this type of trope, and haechan just fits the nerdy role 😭 I HAD TO! but happy reading :D <3

comment if you wish to be tagged for the story's updates!

profiles: "ncu freaks" + jeno 🤔 | gal pals & two men

intro. #manifestationiskey 🩷

ep 1. but a FAILING?

ep 2. i guess i'm her tutor

ep 3. WHY IS HE ATTRACTIVE

ep 4. COUGH y/n bag him COUGH

ep 5. i know i can treat youuu bettterr

ep 6. YNHYUCK PLOT IS FINALLY SAILING!

ep 7. bro texts with his 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓴𝔂 𝓪𝓵𝓹𝓱𝓪 mode on 🐺👅

ep 8. bro fumbled HARD 🤦‍♂️

ep 9. LET THE BOY LIVE!! HES IN LOVE!!

ep 10. THE HARD LAUNCH GOES CRAZY

ep 11. lemme guess, fake boyfriend responsibilities? (written)

ep 12. jeno got me up... plotting

ep 13. AMAZING fake boyfriend

ep 14.

ep 15.

ep 16.

ep 17.

ep 18.

more to come. . .!

started: 09/06/24 finished:

© JIRSUNGS. ANY TRANSLATIONS/REPOSTS/PUBLISHES OF MY WORKS ON ANY PLATFORM ARE STRICTLY PROHIBITED! ALL COMMENTS, REBLOGS, LIKES, & FEEDBACK ARE GREATLY APPRECIATED! THANK YOU SO MUCH! I LOVE YOU, MWA! <3

[astrolovecosmos]

The 5th House + Romantic Themes/Tropes

Aries in the 5th House: Knight or hero saving their damsel in distress, competitor suitors, "bad boy/bad girl" with "nice guy/girl" dynamics, queen/princess saving the king/prince, a hard to catch chase, red roses and red lipstick, athlete or warrior connected love story, second chance love stories, couple vs. nature or unknown as they pioneer a new frontier, lingerie, things move fast, "no one else like you", fated lovers, lover's quarrels, innocent love, first loves, love at first sight.

Taurus in the 5th House: Worshipping each other's bodies, making love in nature, paradise themes, fancy venues, luxury, secret prince/billionaire stories, Cinderella-like stories, seduction, sensuality, aphrodisiacs, massages, the fastest way to their heart is through the stomach, willpower, ugly duckling themes, silk and cashmere, kisses on the neck, serenading, rose petals on the bed.

Gemini in the 5th House: Friends to lovers, pretend relationship tropes, sexting, online dating stories, pen pal lovers, long distance relationships, romantic academia, coffee dates, study dates, eloquence, unexpected softness, talking dirty, rivalries to lovers, Kama Sutra, twists and turns, love letters, vocalness, teasing, arguments.

Cancer in the 5th House: Old friend or flame love stories - maybe similar to second chances, parent trap themes, moonlight, waterfalls, ocean waves, baths, intimacy in the shower, cuddles, feeling wanted or needed, private or secret lovers, waterbeds, remembering and celebrating important dates like anniversaries and birthdays, sentimental love, nurturing their lover back to health themes, pearls and silver, traditional love themes, Romeo and Juliette, Titanic vibes, homecooked meals or lunches, long hugs.

Leo in the 5th House: Holiday romances or flings, everyone else can see how fated or good they are with someone - but they themselves are oblivious, wine, dance floors, flattery, adoration, gold, luxury, sex on the beach, roleplay, hot-blooded passion, romance that involves royalty, center of attention, turns heads, strip tease, mirror on the ceiling, professing undying love, great adventures, drama galore or a love worthy of the stage.

Virgo in the 5th House: High School sweethearts, devoted lover who does a service or keeps a promise for a dead partner, defending someone's honor or being defended, saving their lover from a bad partner or ex, loyal servant and royalty loves, light tracing, tickling, taking care of someone or nurturing them back to health, sexy outfits, plenty of praise and appreciation, couple's spa day or massage, attentive, caring, the details in love matter.

Libra in the 5th House: Love triangle stories, masquerades, balls, Parisian love stories or themes, opposites attract, wedding related romances (meeting at a wedding or stopping a wedding), lovers against the odds, love potions, star-crossed lovers, matchmaking, sunsets, pastels, clouds, rivals or enemies to lovers but with grace or focus on making peace, sensual moments, biting lips, charm counts for something, perfume, candles, oils, flower petals, champaign, strawberries or cherries, feathers, cliche seduction, inspirational love, love and art, love songs.

Scorpio in the 5th House: Enemies to lovers, dark romances, horror and romance, forbidden love, secret romances, "if I can’t have you, nobody will", vampires, magic or the occult, Phantom of the Opera, passionate kisses and touch, lingerie, naked, bondage, power, vulnerability, jealousy or possessiveness themes, leather, being by or in water, strong taste and fragrances, avenging your hurt or dead lover or being avenged, dark fantasies, secluded romantic places, overcoming fears or challenges together, psychology, villains and heroes, transformative love stories.

Sagittarius in the 5th House: Lovers from very different cultures or backgrounds, eloping, loveable rogue themes, fish out of water stories, deep thoughts and discussions, speed dating, daredevils and calling bluffs, adventure, "I can show you a whole new world", exotic romantic places, escaping with your lover, hotel rooms, casino or game nights, learning together, discovering something new about their lover frequently, lucky to find each other, free-spirited love, surprises and passion.

Capricorn in the 5th: Force proximity stories, love that grows or takes time, time-travel romance, historical romances, secret romances, age gap themes, gothic themes, consistency, lotion and oils, romantic music, power dynamics, fine wine, wealth and luxury, secret prince/billionaire stories, earthy and erotic, punishment and submission themes, respect and grace, powerful libidos, leather, antique or fine jewelry, beautiful crystals or gems, great smiles or teeth, unique bouquets, careful lovers.

Aquarius in the 5th House: Sci-fi romance themes, unconventional dynamics or roles, time-travel romance, beautiful minds and/or beloved geniuses, light touch, substances to enhance experiences or feelings, incense or candles, anything goes, the unexpected, unique gifts or romantic gestures, romance that shows how much their lover knows them, rebel lovers, acceptance, deep talks, mind melds, fetishes, spiritual and/or mental challenges, unique beauty, each partner doing their own thing, their lover being the only one to arouse passion in them or vice versa.

Pisces in the 5th House: Running to catch up to their lover at the airport, amnesia related love stories, hopeless romantic, poetry, daydreaming, soulmates, finding a muse or being one, kissing in the rain, foot massages, love songs, satin sheets, skinny dipping, oysters, champagne, roses, making fantasies come to life, eternal promises and fidelity, loving life and love, overly idealistic love stories, fairytales, healing themes, intuitive lovers or psychic connections.

[rms-expensive-girl]

JUNGKOOK LIBRARY

PARENTS AU

Inevitable by @ahundredtimesover

CHEATING AU/INFIDELITY AU

I surrender by @krreader

Stoic by @blue-jade

Not the only one by @mono-moonchilds 

Golden by @kingsuckjin

Bow to you by @flowerwrites06

CEO AU

Untitled by @to-star-lake

ENEMIES TO?????

The wedding planners by @gukyi

OREOs... and Electroshock Couples Therapy by @ladyartemesia

Dextrocardia by @jeonstudios

Clash by @matchagator

FRIENDS TO????

Pen pals by @gukyi

Liability by @alexlwrites

Falling skies by @fortunexkookie

No such thing by @ganggangscenarios

ZOMBIE/ALIEN AU

Wanted by @jincherie

Flesh and blood by @kinktae

FRATBOY/FUCKBOY AU

Night after night by @brown-bi-beautiful

Bitchin by @kinktae

After midnight by @gyukult

New rules by @tayegi

TIME TRAVEL? FUTURE? ALT REALITY

Sweet Apple Biscuit by @rosaetae

BROTHERS BEST FRIEND

My love is here by @solemnreads

FAKE DATING AU

To All The Men I’ve Fucked Before by @hisunshiine

The millionaire and his lover by @gukyi

The proposal by @hansolmates

Blush by @jhsbrat

Here comes the bride, all dressed in pride by @hansolmates

MAFIA/GANG AU

Neon lights by @sunnebeam

Cruel intentions by @explicit-tae

Trigger Happy by @cosmostae

MARRIED/ESTABLISHED RELATIONSHIP

Bloody hell by @personasintro

This love by @daegustae

You're leaving me

EXES TO???

Way back home by @solemnreads (Parents AU)

Guilty Pleasures by @kookslastbutton

DEMON/ANGEL/DEVIL

Deal by @jeonstudios

SPIDERKOOK

Entangled by @caelesjjk

Please Don't Go by @httpjungkookcom

Tangled Webs by @ughseoks-main

Swinging by a fine line by @hongcherry

Devoted to trouble by @jeonsweetpea

ROYALTY

Primrose by @mingshits

One year, my love by @hayjeon

Silver Blades by @jooniyah

Dynasty by @jimlingss

August by @cutechim

Duty before love @blue-jade

SUPERHERO/SUPERVILLAIN

Red and Gold by @thedefinitionofbts

Banter by @littlemisskookie

Bicker by @littlemisskookie

THREESOME

In the dark by @jksangelic

Floored by @lavienjin

NEIGHBOURS

The underwear thief by @gukyi

????

Tethered by @13lov

Polarity by @darkestcorners

Where Do Broken Hearts Go by @back2bluesidex 

[coinandcandle]

Offering Ideas!

Offerings can be so difficult to keep up with, but here are a few examples of some daily--or even weekly--offering ideas! These can be used for gods, spirits, ancestors, or any entity, really!

What is an Offering?

An offering is generally something that is offered as a religious sacrifice or token of devotion. This could be a physical item, a digital item, or an action.

Non-Physical Offerings

These are often easier to do, if you can remember to do it! Personally I have to have a reminder on my self care app to tell Lugh and The Morrigan "good morning" and "good night" every day. Here are some other non-physical offerings you can do!

Greetings. Just a simple "hello" or some other pleasantry at the beginning and end of each day.

Pray. Either improvise it or use one that you recite regularly. It's a bonus if you created the prayer yourself!

Sing. Again, you could create your own song if you'd like. This also works if you'd like to play an instrument.

Dance.

Recite Poetry.

Exercise. Dedicating your exercise is a great way to incorporate offerings into a more regular routine!

Chat. Sometimes if I feel like I'm not able to do much else, I will try and chat, almost in the way one would speak to an old friend while catching up. I know some folks who make whole discord servers specifically to talk to their deities or spirit pals.

Write a digital note on your phone. This one is simple and easy and you can do it anywhere without worrying about other people overseeing/hearing.

Meditate. Meditating with the sole purpose of it being an action as an offering is a good way to not only help you feel connected, but can help you throughout your day, too!

Physical Offerings

These involve a bit more work, especially if you're trying to make sure your pets or children don't get into them! But if you have a space you can place an offering, even if it's on a countertop or the topmost part of a bookshelf, then here are some things you can do.

Or consider doing a libation instead--where you pour out a drink instead of leave it out!

Drinks. Alcohol is a pretty common offering but can be rather expensive. Try milk, juice, tea, or coffee. Hell, even your favorite energy drink or sparkling water can be an offering!

Food. Set a portion of your meal aside as an offering.

Tending to plants. If you have a dedicated plant (or multiple!) then tending to them can be an offering in an of itself.

Candles or Incense. This one is as old as...well, candles and incense, I suppose! You can also use an LED light for this if needed!

Cleaning. This is especially good if you're doing it as an offering to house spirits. Also good for deities that reign over homemaking and the sort.

Pick up litter. This is a good one if you're trying to get in touch with local nature spirits.

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Bowen McCurdy and Jordan Morris’s “Youth Group”

NEXT SATURDAY (July 20), I'm appearing in CHICAGO at Exile in Bookville.

Youth Group is Bowen McCurdy and Jordan Morris's new and delightful graphic novel from Firstsecond. It's a charming tale of 1990s ennui, cringe Sunday School – and demon hunting.

https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250789235/youthgroup

Kay is a bitter, cynical teenager who's doing her best to help her mother cope with an ugly divorce that has seen her dad check out on his former family. Mom is going back to church, and she talks Kay into coming along with her to attend the church youth group.

This is set in the 1990s, and the word "cringe" hasn't yet entered our lexicon as an adjective, but boy is the youth group cringe. The pastor is a guitar-strumming bearded dad who demonstrates how down he is with the kids by singing top 40 songs rewritten with evangelical lyrics (think Weird Al meets the 700 Club). Kay gamely struggles through a session and even makes a friend or two, and agrees to keep attending in deference to her mother's pleas.

But this is no ordinary youth group. Kay's ultra-boring suburban hometown is actually infested with demons who routinely possess the townspeople, and that baseline of demonic activity has suddenly gone critical, with a new wave of possessions. Suddenly, the possessed are everywhere – even Kay's shitty dad ends up with a demon inside of him.

That's when Kay discovers that the youth group and its corny pastor are also demon hunters par excellence. Their rec-rooms sport secret cubbies filled with holy weapons, and the words of exorcism come as readily to them as any embarrassing rewritten devotional pop song. Kay's discovery of this secret world convinces her that youth group isn't so bad after all, and soon she is initiated into its mysteries, including the existence of rival demon-hunting kids from the local synagogue, Catholic church, and Wiccan coven.

As the nature of the new demonic incursion becomes clearer, it falls on Kay and her pals to overcome these sectarian divisions over the protests of their guitar-strumming, magic-wielding leader. That takes on a special urgency when Kay learns why the demons are interested in her, personally, and a handful of other kids in town who all share a secret trait.

I confess that as someone who lived through the 1990s as a young man, there is something disorienting about experiencing the decade of my young adulthood through the kind of retro lens I associate with the 1950s or 1960s. But while the experience is disorienting, it's not unpleasant. McCurdy's artwork and Morris's snappy dialog conjure up that bygone decade in a way that is simultaneously affectionate and critical, exposing the hollowness of its performative ennui and the brave face that performance represented even as the world was being swept up in corporate gigantism.

McCurdy and Morris are really onto something here, implicitly asking us why the 1990s gave us Buffy and Sabrina (and The Coven, etc etc) – what was it about that decade in which Reaganomics and globalism consolidated the gains of the 1980s, where the climate emergency took on its undeniable urgency, where media monopolies mastered the art of commodifying counterculture faster than it could mutate into new forms?

Morris's writing really shines here. If you enjoyed Bubble, his earlier outing based on the post-apocalyptic comedy podcast of the same name, you will love this one:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/08/21/podcasting-as-a-visual-medium/#huntr

Morris is also half of Jordan, Jesse Go!, the long-running podcast where he and Jesse Thorn do a weekly ha-ha-only-serious goofball schtick that never fails to smuggle in really clever and insightful ideas amidst the poop jokes.

https://maximumfun.org/podcasts/jordan-jesse-go/

John Hodgman calls nostalgia a "toxic impulse." Church Group deftly avoids nostalgia's trap, managing to be a period piece without falling prey to the Happy Days pathology of ignoring the many flaws and problems of its era. And of course, it's a hoot and a blast.

Support me this summer on the Clarion Write-A-Thon and help raise money for the Clarion Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers' Workshop!

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/06/16/blight/#the-dream-of-the-nineties

[cuubism]

concept where hob is like: sure we are married and we kiss and cuddle and have sex and spend all our time together but he couldn't actually feel that way about me, it's just a friend thing, platonic marriage, it's different for supernatural creatures, we're just pals, besties, mates, he doesn't return my feelings--

meanwhile dream: WE HELD HANDS ONCE AND WE ARE NOW ETERNALLY DEVOTED TO EACH OTHER. I'M OBSESSED WITH YOU AND MY ENTIRE WORLD REVOLVES AROUND YOU NOW, I WILL KILL FOR YOU, I'LL DIE FOR YOU, IF YOU LEAVE ME I'M REDUCING THIS WORLD TO DUST AND THEN I'LL KILL MYSELF. THIS RELATIONSHIP WILL TRANSCEND THE HEAT DEATH OF THE UNIVERSE YOU WILL NEVER ESCAPE MY GRASP I'M GOING TO BREAK OPEN YOUR RIBCAGE AND LIVE THERE I'M GOING TO--

[samblackismygirlfriend]

the tension in the group of misfits and magic is wild. connections between everyone.

k and jammer are on opposite sides of the spectrum but you can feel the support and the security they have in each other. jammer is a leader, he brings them together, k is a networker, they keep them together. they are a well-oiled machine and a god damn pair and the most queer platonic thing in the world imo

sam and jammer are the best of friends, a bond unbroken since the day they locked eyes with each other. the unbridled trust and admiration that permeates the air when they look at each other is unmatched. to look the panic of flashing red lights in the face and decide to go get a fucking salad with each other instead.

evan and jammer are a bromance that is completely platonic if you do not think too hard about it, if you do not notice the way evan softens when jammer looks him in the eye, the tension that only jammer seems to be able to release from evan's shoulders, the way that jammer seems to always go the extra mile and then one more for evan. devotion in it's purest form.

k and evan are a bond forged in blood. they are in love and there is nothing either of them can do about it, to make up for the complication, the resentment and the bitter feelings, they bicker and mock each other, but there was no hesitation behind slaughtering the woman who dared lay a hand on k. there is never any hesitation when k leaps to heal evan's injuries. they are unhealthy and deeply flawed and both far too prideful to admit so

evan and sam are the knight and her steed. i will ride you into war. i will protect you with my body, and when you fall, i'll fall with you. i will be your sword, your protector, and if i cannot be that, i will be your shield. a love so strong and blossoming that it activates the most basic instincts in the mind. protect, nurture, shield, defend. evan would follow sam into hell. sam HAS followed evan into hell.

sam and k. sappho and her friend. i'm not sorry to say it. they were girls together, they grew together, watched each other blossom into adults and mold the world into something they could take. of course they love each other, in a way that is deep and yearning. each reassuring look thrown k's way, each happy squeal shared between pink pals, is code for "i need you, i love you."

love it LOVE IT LOVE LOVE

[theriverbeyond]

Do you think if John hadn't purged the knowledge of My Immortal from the universe that the sixth would've known immediately that cyth was impersonating dulcie? I just feel like dulcie is the most likely candidate to describe herself in that style.

SEE i think the tragedy is despite both Cam and Pal having spent over 10 years corresponding with her, neither of them were able to pick up on Cytherea's lie, even (as we find out later, in HtN) when she really isn't trying very hard. Like, why didn't they know immediately? It's not like they didn't have enough clues as is.

because.... Dulcie had definitely described Protesilauris to them, quite extensively!! and it doesn't take a genius to know the vivacious man who loved his children and roses and Dulcie isn't the shambling zombie that showed up at Canaan house. Not to mention the girl who wanted to run away and smoke cigarettes instead of lying in bed to convalesce from familial blood cancer wouldn't have spent her days at Canaan house lying on the terrace, reading books and knitting, doing exactly the same thing she would have been doing had she stayed at home to die. The clues were so obvious they were barely even clues!! Dulcie fed Cytherea "a lot of hot bullshit" about her life, which means Cytherea was literally working with less than no information when it comes to a convincing impersonation and... Cam and Pal still missed it.

i know this was probably supposed to be a silly ask but I just can't not think about the tragedy of it all. Was it Palamedes' well of grief -- maybe even anger? annoyance? frustration? resignation? -- at her rejection the reason that both he, and Cam, missed that she was gone? Did Cam's fire of devotion towards Palamedes blind her to all the obvious signs, her rush to protect and close ranks around him being enough to eclipse all rational thought with regards to the image of the person who rejected him? Were they both so utterly wounded, frustrated, jealous, that they truly did forget the friend they knew?

[queerplatonicshipshowdown]

The Finals!

Camilla Hect and Palamades Sextus (Campal) from The Locked Tomb vs. Jessie and James from Pokémon!

Propaganda for Campal:

They're two people who have spent their whole lives together and are hopelessly devoted and loyal to each other. While some people do read their relationship as strictly romantic or platonic, it has way more going for it through a QP lense! They've been lifelong friends, and in their culture are essentially non-romantic life partners as a necromantic wizard and his bodyguard/champion. It's actually strictly taboo for them to engage in a romantic relationship because of this. But nonetheless they remain close to and devoted to each other, going so far as to use necromancy to keep each other close after one of them dies, and then going on to share a body until it becomes physically impossible to do so any longer. So they burn both of their souls to merge together into one new entity, creating a walking metaphor for queerplatonic partnership. They endlessly support and encourage each other, they're a perfect team when it comes to both peaceful study and combat. They know each other inside and out, long before they had to share a body, they were inseperable. They're two halves of one whole, literally, and nothing about that intense closeness and partnership is written to be romantic! Especially because other, similar characters in the series ARE written to read as romantic, and there's a distinct tonal difference to those relationships! Basically, they're two peas in a pod, two halves of a whole, clearly not quite platonic with it, but certainly not romantic either.

The author of The Locked Tomb has a long term queerplatonic partner! She even dedicates the books to him and signs those dedications with a <> (which is a Homestuck reference, denoting a non-romantic partnership that a number of fans associate with QPPs!). You can feel the influence of her own experience with queerplatonic attraction in a lot of the series, but it really comes through especially in Cam and Pal!!

Propaganda for Jessie and James:

Have you seen them

As a side note, I highly encourage making propaganda for your fav! I reblog propaganda as long as it's not in the tags or comments. You can even make your own post as propaganda, and as long as you tag me, I will reblog it!

I can't wait to see the winner! Thank you to everyone for supporting and voting in this tournament!

Come check out @transgenderswagcompetitions, where I'm hosting the Transgender Swag in Books tournament! That tournament is expected to begin 3 weeks after this one ends.

[rebelangelwings]

Thank you so much for the request Sparrow <3

It's a little open ended but I hope you like it!

____________________________________

could i please request a buddie/reader getting together fic? i dont mind the specifics but maybe reader thinks buck and eddie are already dating (even though they arent) so when one of them confesses, reader is really confused and it ends up with all of them tgt?

______________________________________

Y/n had been introduced to the 118 family through Maddie and her work at Dispatch. The two had clicked instantly, sharing knowing looks about particularly arrogant members of staff or stifling giggles in the breakroom. Relatively new to the area, y/n didn't have any friends or many family members she could regularly see other than her cousin and their kid who she doted on. 

Chimney had been her first encounter with an official member of Firehouse 118, when he kindly picked up a tipsy Maddie and y/n from a Dispatch work Christmas party, and chatted along with her before dropping her to her small apartment. 

"So, y/n do you have any family in the area?" Chimney looked at her in the rear view mirror.

"My cousin Lola doesn't live far. She has a kid, Joey. I adore her." She replied with a smile on her face at the mention of Joey. 

Maddie tuned into the conversation, sitting up and exclaiming, "oh she is so adorable, Chim! She's got this wheelchair with all these Disney characters painted on it that y/n did by hand!"

Y/n smiled but ducked and shook her head slightly at Maddie bragging on her behalf. "We've actually been having a bit of trouble recently…trying to find or get Joey into a school that is accessible. There aren't as many around as you might like to think." 

Chim looked thoughtful, "my pal, Eddie, he's another firefighter at the 118, his son Christopher has CP. I could ask him if he'd be willing to speak with you about how he got Chris into his school?"

Not one to naturally ask for help, y/n felt awkward, "do you think he would mind? I don't want to put people out, especially as he's never even met me."

"Come meet him then!," Maddie chirped, spinning in her seat, "Bobby is having a BBQ tomorrow afternoon. You should come, right Chim?"

"Absolutely. Bobby always says, 'the merrier' and there are always so many leftovers. We can pick you up if you want?" 

And so the next afternoon, y/n found herself in the garden of the captain of the 118, someone who she had spoken to plenty of times over the Dispatch radios, but never met.

Everyone in the extended 118 family was kind and welcoming, not thrown off at all at an outsider joining them.

Maddie had gone round giving introductions, most memorably for y/n were two tall and effortlessly handsome men who were seemingly teasing each other, shoulder and thighs pressed together and beers in hand. 

Buck and Eddie. 

Y/n would have been enamored with them, had she not taken note of the way Eddie's hand rested on Buck's shoulder, or Buck teased Eddie about his cooking catastrophes, or the looks of sheer devotion both of them had for each other. 

Of course these two gorgeous, kind, selfless, brave, firefighters were already spoken for. 

Y/n did get an opportunity to speak to Eddie about little Joey, and he was more than happy to speak about Christopher's school and his struggle and eventual success with getting him enrolled. 

"It's really sweet of you to care so much for your cousin's kid," Eddie smiled at her. 

"Me and my cousin are close. More like best friends, and we have a bit of a rocky relationship with the rest of the family so it was just pretty natural to step in and be a part of Joey's life."

Eddie nodded appreciatively. 

Later, Buck found y/n trying to find a drink in the kitchen, "hey, y/n, I forgot to say earlier how great it is to finally meet you - Maddie talks about you a lot." 

Y/n looked up from the fridge and beamed, "naaw that is really sweet and I am most definitely going to tease her about that later…what sort of stuff has she said about me, exactly?" She becomes suspicious. 

Buck looked mischievous as he said conspiratorially, "Uh… does blue vomit right a bell?"

Y/n gasped, "she didn't?!"

Buck nodded, repressing a laugh, "mhm. An unfortunate incident with a hot glue gun? Oh! My favourite has to be the one with the LEGO."

Y/n had her head in her hands whilst Buck laughed at her embarrassment. Finally  she lifted her head and raised an eyebrow, "Laugh it up Buckley. Go ahead. But Maddie talks to me too and I know a fair amount of your greatest hits."

"You're bluffing."

"Am I? Am I really…Firehose?" 

Buck's mouth dropped open as his ears turned pink, "wha- how did she…dammit Chim!" 

"Not to mention the bread that landed you in hospital, or your unfortunate boy-band blond frosted tips phase."

"Hey, that was fashionable when I was in Peru!" Buck tried to defend himself. 

"Baby, that has never been fashionable anywhere on the globe." 

At that moment, Eddie joined them in the kitchen area. He was overcome with an emotion he didn't often feel, which confused him to no end. Because, jealousy was not completely foreign to him, however, confusion over who he was jealous of in this situation, was a foreign concept to Eddie Diaz. 

__________________________________

Weeks went by following y/n's first introduction to the 118, and many encounters had followed, either as a big group, or as quiet nights drinking wine with the Buckley siblings, or a meeting at a coffee shop with Eddie to talk about the bureaucracy of the American education system. 

Whilst y/n enjoyed the company of Buck and Eddie very much so, she didn't allow her feelings to be anything more than friendship, knowing they were unavailable on several levels. 

The boys however, had found themselves conflicted for a while now. 

Firstly, Eddie was still ruminating over his feelings of jealousy that occurred that day, hearing and seeing the almost flirty conversation between his best friend and the beautiful woman that cared so deeply about her family. 

Buck, in a slightly different position, was far more in tune with her sexuality that Eddie. Buck had explored other options on his travels, he knew that he was not straight although he had yet to place a label on himself, and he had even been in a poly relationship whilst in South America. It hadn't lasted long and was mostly about sex rather than feelings, but it had opened his eyes to other options. Buck was also painfully aware of how in love with Eddie Diaz he was. Had been for a while now. But he had yet to make any moves, giving Eddie space to come to terms with his own identity and feelings. 

And, unbeknown to Buck, Eddie had realised his feelings towards his best friend were not strictly platonic. He was talking with his therapist, Frank, and slowly coming to his own conclusions. 

So, when y/n arrived, all yellow energy and wit, that really threw a spanner into the works for Eddie. 

Unknowingly, both men experienced the same "oh" moment about their feelings towards y/n at the same moment. They had arranged a playmate between Chrisopher and Joey, the three adults first taking them to the zoo, and then returning to Eddie's house for snacks. The two children were crowded around y/n as they recounted their favourite animals from their trip, and she proceeded to illustrate them in a sketchbook. 

The children were amazed at her accuracy, as were Buck and Eddie when they saw her work. 

"You're an incredible artist, y/n," Buck told her.

"Don't be silly, they're just doodles, Buck" She rolled her eyes.  

"Not like any doodle that I've ever seen," Eddie chipped in. 

"Well then I'll take the title of Doodle Queen if it's up for grabs," she joked, not looking up from her paper. 

Both men glanced at each other, smiling fondly. 

__________________________________

Things started to evolve from there, at least for Buck and Eddie. 

Eddie began to feel a low level of animosity towards Buck, thinking that he would make a move on y/n. 

And Buck, whilst he was open to ideas of polyamory, did not think Eddie or y/n would be, and thus felt anxious at the prospect of becoming a third wheel. 

The other members of the 118 started to sense the different dynamic between the two, having expected them to finally realise and admit their feelings for each other by now. 

Everything changed when the 118 were dispatched to multiple vehicle pile ups.

"Alright Team," Bobby directed as they exited the engine. Each member took stock of the several damaged cars, a small fire already forming from one and a lorry pressing a small Toyota precariously onto the edge of the bridge. "Hen, Chim, you're on triage, work your way through the casualties. Buck, Eddie, I want you harnessed up and working on that Toyota, I'll assist from up top. Let's go!" 

As they got closer to the teetering vehicle, Buck turned to Eddie, "isn't that… is that y/n?"

"Shit. Y/n!" Eddie began running, joined immediately by Buck. 

Y/n was just coming round to consciousness, confused why she had fallen asleep upright. When she finally managed to peel her eyes open, being stuck together by something, she could see a clear view of LA. 

Looking around frantically, she started to remember the moments before she had fallen asleep: horns honking, crashed from behind her, her leg hurting with the force she applied the car brakes, it not making a different because a lorry slammed into the rear of her tiny car and propelled it through the bridge barriers. Pain. Airbags. Nothing. 

The moment before she felt her heart was going pound right out of her chest, she heard two familiar voices. 

"Y/n, is that you?!"

"Y/n?!"

"Buck! Eddie!" She clarified her identity. As she turned to get a better look at them, there was a wobbling sensation that had her freezing. 

"Woah woah! Don't move, y/n. Y/n, do not move, okay?" That was Buck. 

"You're going to be just fine, but we need you to stay really still, okay? Just let us do all the work, y/n." Eddie that time.

For the next few minutes she could hear them speaking in low voices to each other, could hear shouting from the rest of the scene, and the occasional radio crackle. The lack of distraction from her view of impending doom wasn't serving her well. 

"Uh…guys. I don't mean to be any trouble and I know you're doing your best out there, but I'm really freaking out. Like, about to have a panic attack kind of freak out." She called. 

A pause. And then Eddie spoke, "That's okay, mi amor. You're doing great, y/n, handling this like a champ. We've secured the bumper of the car to our engine so we've got you a little more secure. Still need you to stay nice and still though, got it?"

Y/n nodded to herself, "Thank you for updating me. However, I've been driving this car for years now and I'm well aware of it falling to pieces. I don't know how confident I feel about it being secured to the engine."

"That's why Buck and I are putting on harnesses right now and are going to get you out. Don't you worry, you're going great, just keep taking deep breaths."

Buck was next to speak, "Eddie's right, you're going great, y/n. We're on our way to you now, okay?"

Buck didn't lie. Within minutes she could hear movement at the rear door of the vehicle. The rear of the vehicle had been squashed like an accordion in the collision with the lorry, and so they were going to use jaws on the back door to access her. 

She was instructed to cover her eyes if she could and keep her back to the machinery. 

Soon, she felt the door being removed, and the unforgiving movement that alerted her to someone else entering the car. 

"Hey, mi amor, how are we doing?" Eddie. 

Eddie was with her. She allowed herself to breathe a little easier just knowing he was close. 

"Try not to move, okay, I'm going to access you real quick and then pop this C-collar on you just as a precaution." Eddie proceeded to feel her neck from behind her, getting her rapid pulse, then placing the hard plastic around her neck, forcing her gaze upwards. "Can you tell me where you're hurt, y/n?" 

"My head. Think I passed out. And my chest…probably the airbags." 

"Okay, good job, and can you wiggle your toes? No numbness anywhere?" Eddie asked while moving about doing something. 

"No numbness I don't think. I don't know, Eddie, I really want to get out now please." Her voice broke as her resolve started to crumble. 

"I know, mi amor, we're working on it."

"Eddie." She heard Buck. He sounded serious, almost like a warning. Then she heard the metallic grinding. 

"Okay, okay. Y/n this is what's going to happen, I'm going to cut your seat belt off and on the count of three I'm going to pull you through the middle of the seat and pass you over to Buck. We're going to be quick and we're going to be careful." 

She could hear the barely stifled panic in Eddie's voice.

The belt was cut and she made an effort not to move. 

"Okay, one…" Eddie had his arms around her waist, putting uncomfortable pressure on a sore spot, "two…" he moved causing the car to wobble precariously, "three!" Eddie heaved her body through the gap, ignoring the cry of pain. Y/n could barely make out what was happening before she was face to face with Buck who was reaching out for her. 

She moved her arms out too until she cast her eyes downward and noticed there was nothing but a sheer drop and water below them. If her head wound wasn't already making her queasy, that view certainly had done it. 

Eddie was gently guiding her to Buck as the car became less stable as a result of their abrupt movements, "y/n, you have to go. Buck had you, okay? He won't let you go. We won't let you go," he murmured in her ear whilst making eye contact with Buck. They seemed to be having another of their silent conversations. 

Buck nodded at her, getting a proper grip on her as the car shrieked, "I've got you sweetheart, we've got you. Just close your eyes."

She did as suggested and closed her eyes, and let herself be handed over, limbs automatically grasping at whatever they could, which happened to be Buck as she wrapped around him like a koala to a tree. 

She could still hear the metallic creaking growing louder and louder, and then a crack and she felt more than heard Buck gasp. 

"Eddie! Eddie, you okay?" Buck called somewhere stirring panic in y/n. 

"I'm good! Let's get her up here." Eddie was safe. 

Next thing she knew, she was being gently laid on the ground, although her limbs were reluctant to unfreeze from their terrified position. 

She could feel movement around her. 

"Hey," that was Buck. "Hey, sweetheart, you can open your eyes now. You're safe, y/n. 

Slowly, she peeled her eyes open and unbleached her arms and legs, relaxing onto the pavement below her. 

Buck was smiling down at her. 

"Eddie?" She asked. 

"Right here." She couldn't turn her head, but she could hear that he was to her side and feel something wrapped tightly around her arm. 

Buck didn't fully disappear from her view but he did move to lightly pressing on her sides, assessing her ribs and noting when she hissed in pain. 

Eddie appeared directly in front of her, "just going to shine this light in your eyes, just look straight ahead…Hey," he began softly, seeing the distress in her face, "You're doing really well. We'll get you out of here soon and to the hospital."

At Eddie's soft voice reminding her of an impending hospital stay where she was bound to be alone and uncomfortable, she couldn't help the burning tears that rolled fiercely down her face and tickled her ears. 

Eddie started to catch some of the tears with the back of his fingers, making concerned eye contact with Buck who leaned into y/n's line of vision. 

"Hey, hey, sweetheart. None of that, you're safe. We'll get you checked out at the hospital and you'll be back to normal in no time."

"I- I don't want-" she struggled to get her words out.

"Take a breath. That's it. What don't you want?"

"I don't want…to be a-alone. I'll be…all alone in the h-hospital. Like al-always." She stuttered. 

"You're not going to be alone. We won't let you be alone, okay mi amor?"

"Yeah, we'll stay with you, I know how much hospitals can suck without someone to distract you."

Y/n appreciated the sentiment but if anything, having Buck and Eddie sit vigil at her bedside only made it more apparent to her that she was alone whilst they had each other. 

"I don't want you wasting your time babysitting me. You have a life together. You have Chris. Plus, no offense, but you two being sickeningly cute and in love won't make me feel any less shit about being alone."

At that moment, Buck and Eddie shared a look over her form. Confusion at her assumption, turning to shock that she could see their inner feelings for the other, then settling into something that looked like contentment and understanding.

It was clear to both men that they shared the same affection for y/n and would do anything to stop her hurting. It was also apparent that both Buck and Eddie were willing - no not just willing, but that they yearned to share this role with y/n. 

Eddie was the first to make his move. He reached over across y/n, extending his fingers to his partner. Buck, surprised, but eyes full of contentment, wrapped his own fingers around Eddie's.

"Let's get you to the hospital and home. I think we have lots to talk about." 

[ragdolls-and-such]

MP100 WONDERLAND AU!!!

I will probably never write a real fic for this, so I'm gonna explain the general plot and ideas and lore and stuff as a way to introduce each character. Or you can just not read and look at the designs instead

Ritsu is our Alice,

and Sho is the rabbit he chases after. Unlike the white rabbit, Sho isn't anxious - he's mischievous more than anything. While he IS trying to be on time to the Queen's croquet game at first, teasing Ritsu as he fails to catch up with him becomes his main priority.

Tome and Goda (do people in this fandom call him musashi or goda?? i have never seen anyone talk about him) are the first characters Ritsu meets. They play the roles of the mouse and the dodo from the book. After the whole pool of tears thing - I'm assuming you know the general story of Alice in Wonderland - Tome infodumps at everyone, much like the mouse does in the book. Goda is basically like "that's BORING we should EXERCISE the water off of us" and then the caucus race happens!!

The scene where Alice gets stuck in the Rabbit's house does happen but I have no character assigned to Bill so I didn't draw anyone for this.

Next stop is the caterpillar!! Played by Dimple. He's the ghost of a caterpillar that looked forward to becoming a butterfly, but died before reaching the chrysalis stage, and has since become a little crazed about the butterfly idea. He finds Ritsu kind of annoying but keeps talking to him because he enjoys the attention.

Mezato is the Cheshire cat! Psycho Helmet is not a thing in Wonderland so her time is more devoted to being mysterious and cryptic and taking photos of people and things. Plays the cheshire cat role pretty straight.

And now! The moment everyone's been waiting for! The three characters that people usually care the most about in aiw AND mp100.

Reigen started the hat business with his good pals Serizawa and Mob and then went a little bonkers. The Queen sentenced him and his coworkers/friends to eternal teatime for being annoying basically. (There IS lore there, but aiw is my special interest and i could talk about that forever.) He's still very Reigen-y but always a little on edge. Basically, think about Reigen's most high-energy yet pathetic little meow meow moments, it's just that.

Serizawa is just like - imagine you teleported Serizawa into the March Hare's place without warning and he just had to figure out what to do about it. That's not what happened, but that's basically how he behaves.

Mob is the dormouse, but like the book version of the dormouse, he gets his time in the spotlight. (anyone out there know about the three girls in the well?? no? just me?) Because this is Ritsu's dream, nobody needs to wonder whether mousemob is humanritsu's brother. Just don't worry about it

Finally, we have Teru as the Queen of Hearts. His personality definitely matches his pre/during-that-fight-with-mob self. Violent, self-absorbed fashion disaster. Sho, being his messenger, has a very "siblings who kind of hate each other" dynamic with this Teru, in my eyes.

That's it!! If anyone wants to write or draw a wonderland au based on this casting, that's totally fine because I in no way own the idea of a wonderland au. That's like, the most basic "what if this media was actually this other story?" au concept.

[sheepwavehdg]

HDG story Recs: Read Only Mind exclusives

HDG used to live on a website that wasn't AO3! these are some stories that are often forgotten because they haven't fully made the jump after ROM banned HDG (because it was too big and taking over the site) because I'm not from this era, I got help from a pal who is to fill this list out!

The Saga of Dandelion Fluff, Real Affini by Anglemoon: two absolute moron rebels attempt to evade capture by assembling a fake suit and pretending to be an affini. it is hilarious, fluffy, and heartfelt.

Petals and Vines by evningrespite: the seediest sub in the entire universe is slowly domesticated in this fluffy romance story that still has a fair bit of bite in its consensual sadomasochism elements.

Satirical Spouting by Violet: a goofy oneshot that pokes fun at common tropes in the setting. I literally laughed so hard it hurt when I first read this story.

In The Shadow of The Independence by TsukiNeko: a somewhat controversial story that I have a difficult time recommending without qualifying first. this story is painfully sharp, has long segments devoted not to its own narrative but instead extremely clumsy metacommentary on the setting itself, and a cringe final chapter note devoted to a discord that no longer exists. It is still one of the most influential HDG stories to many writers, and there is an incredible story about sadism, communication, dominance, and surrender buried under the nonsense.

Human Domestication Guide by Glitchyrobo: while this one is being ported over to Ao3, the original 12 chapter arc is still incomplete, and the 1984 style ending to that arc that is still currently ROM exclusive is one of the most chillinglingly happy moments in the entire setting.

thanks to my anonymous friend for the following:

Hospitable Takeover by wyril: The first ever HDG fanwork! a bit of a lighter take than the OG story, while still maintining the underlying feel of creeping manipulation.

A little Self Sabotage by Doeposting: Captain Samuel Dirkost is commander of a wing of Resistance fighters unwilling to surrender to Affini Compact. The Affini have plans of their own, unveiling a secret prototype device used to curtail the Terran Rebel threat.

What Sunlight Tastes Like by Fallenlog: an M/M ace semi-romance story about a scared and lonely rebel finding happiness in a new home. It's very cute.

In the Garden of Eden: far in the future, a lone terran ship has been running dark the whole time, flying towards an affini core world. everyone on the ship are clones, and everything is recycled to keep everything going. one clone starts questioning things. a story that notably features an affini the size of a planet, and is generally a really nice story about overcoming trauma.

[willowser]

hey willow since i am so in love with ur katsuki writing is it okay if i ask to pls pls pls make another argument prompt with him since i am currently in the mood for angst (WITH HAPPY ENDING PLS MY POOR HEART CANNOT TAKE IT) ILY WILLOW UR SO SWEET AND NICE AND I WANNA BE UR FRIEND 🫠🫠🫠🫠

we are friends !! 🥺 pals !!! 🥺 you're very kind, tysm !!!

idk if i have a prompt necessarily in mind rn but !! i could talk about fighting with him all the time, idk why there is such a draw to it for me aifhfjakal

the thing about bakugou is that he's not shy at all in almost every other aspect of his life, besides romantically (in my opinion). so if there's ever an issue, he's tackling it straight on; he's sure of himself, unafraid of confrontation, speaks his mind, stands up for himself and what he believes in—and if you're not like that, too, for the most part, i can see how little misunderstandings and hurt feelys could occur so easily.

he's also such a go-getter, so venting to him is probably impossible at the beginning of your relationship because he's immediately just telling you how to fix it and he doesn't understand why you're not listening to him.

like if you're having an issue with a coworker and just kind of lamenting about it to him, he's so—

"need to say somethin'," katsuki grunts, only briefly looking away from the gauntlet he's fiddling with at the dining table. there's a mess of screws and tiny pins and his hands are coated in a grease you can smell from where you're standing at the sink. "gonna walk all over you if you don't say nothin'."

and you're just—frustrated. wanting to complain in order to put words to how you're feeling, in case that will lighten the tension coiled in your shoulders.

"well, i know," you tell him quietly—and you do, you do know that, but you just want to be a crybaby for a minute. "but it's not like i can start a fight in the middle of work."

"why not?" he casts you another quick look, dark and furrowed, before leaning closer to—whatever he's looking at. there's a very small snapping sound, and he leans back with a hot huff and shakes his head. you know it's not but—it almost feels directed at you. "this is why they do it, you know that? because you don't do anything about it."

"i know, katsuki," you frown at him, but his attention is already diverted. "i'm just saying."

"saying it to me ain't gonna help you."

"okay," you huff now, too, before pushing off the counter. "i guess i just won't say it to you, then."

you catch the snap of his head in your peripheral vision, but continue on to your bedroom, not bothering to look back even when he starts stuttering.

"'m only—fuck. hang on."

i think i like writing it bc—there's so much for each of you to learn about each other every time 🥺 katsuki, how to talk to you; you, to read between his lines. and i think that's so sweet 🥺 two people that love each other working through their ugliest parts, and coming out the other side just as devoted 🥺

hope this is okay !! tysm for your sweet words 🩷

[alister312]

Recently, some official South Park merch was released in claw machines across Japan! Since one of the designated machine locations was relatively near where I live, I made a weekend trip of it and thought it would be fun to share a bit of it with y’all 🥰 This will mostly focus on the info about the plushies but also touch a bit on the place I went to to get them. Read on if you’re interested!

Thanks to a tip from my good pal @allymumu, I learned about two different South Park claw machine merch drops happening in March. First were these plastic cases:

As well as these plushie keychains:

None of the machines carrying the plastic cases were anywhere near me, however one machine with the plushie keychains was! So I decided to head over to AruAru City (a 6 floor mall devoted entirely to anime/manga/games that houses the Kitakyushu Manga Museum) in Kokura to try my hand at winning these guys.

Once there, the claw machine was actually incredibly difficult to locate. I searched around for a while along with my friend who joined me on this trip. Eventually, we had to ask an employee where the machine was.

As you can see, it definitely needed to be pointed out!

Claw machines in Japan aren’t usually stuffed with prizes so when we got to it, there were only 3 of the 4 plushies available to win at a time, with employees restocking whenever the machine ran out.

This was actually perfectly fine for me because I hadn’t been planning on trying to win Towelie. Sorry to all the Towelie stans out there but I don’t care that much for him 😅 Crane games are just as much about luck as they are skill so I didn’t want to waste any more money than necessary. Plus, the claw machine was small and close to the ground, so it was kind of uncomfortable crouching down and playing at it for an extended period of time.

Surprisingly, getting Kenny and Stan was relatively easy! Probably 5-6 tries each.

Which, at ¥100 (~$0.66 USD) a try, is a reasonable amount to spend.

Butters, however… well, he lived up to his name and kept slipping out of the claw every time I got a grip on him. I’d prefer not to specify exactly how much I spent trying to get him but let’s just say it was a lot 😭 My friend was able to win him for herself though so I do have a picture of all the boys!

They’re very soft and well made, perfectly palm sized 🥰 The elastic feels a little short sometimes if you plan on looping the entire plush through it to attach it to something (I did this with my belt loop to carry them around with me) but with some squishing they get through just fine.

Since going on a trip just to win some plushies seems a bit crazy, my friend and I visited some other cool places in Kokura the next day! Of course, the plushies came with us. ケニーちゃんはかわいいプリンセスだから, I of course brought him to Kokura Castle.

Then basically right down the street is the TOTO Museum, a museum dedicated to the company TOTO. However, since TOTO specializes in toilets, this place is more colloquially known as the Toilet Museum. Considering Stan’s last season trauma surrounding Japanese toilets, I thought it would help give him closure or something to learn their history.

All in all, a very fun and rewarding trip! I really hope there’s more claw machine merch drops relatively soon. If there are and I can go, I promise to share the info with y’all just like this! Hope you enjoyed 💕

[saintsenara]

Do you think there’s any situation in which Sirius/Snape could work as a ship if James Potter was alive/around?

I love both Sirius/Snape and Sirius/James (platonic, romantic and everything in between) as ships so I’d love to see a universe in which the 3 of them have a lovely time together but I dunno if I can picture it. I can mainly see Sirius/Snape working with James and Lily dead and Sirius post Azkaban because it really brings him off his pedestal and leaves that shared grief and longing for that intensity of companionship.

I guess part of the problem is trying to imagine Sirius being able to even remotely care about or prioritise someone else with James in the picture, even if James is only giving platonic on his end. But then doubly so if that person was someone James had a massive rivalry with and doesn’t want near his wife. (Although if he knew Snape wasn’t interested in Lily like that maybe he’d chill out about it? Or would only child syndrome kick in and he’d hate him even more for trying to “steal” Sirius from him because it would be really shocking and maybe low key traumatic for James to have any less than 110% of Sirius’ attention…again even if they were only platonic… 🤔)

If it was going to work I could see it maybe more after Hogwarts when they’ve all grown up a bit and James and Lily are wrapped up in their family and Sirius is a bit adrift at adjusting to not being able to have all of James all of the time.

The closest I’ve seen to making something like it work was a fic where Snape was horribly tortured for killing Peter in front of Voldemort to stop him telling the secret and it left him vegetative for years and the Potters cared for him and eventually Sirius took over so they could go live their married lives. I was really interested in where they were going with it and pretty sold on that being a situation in which it could end up all happy families but unfortunately the fic was kinda preslash and stopped before it explored how things would go romantically for Sirius/Snape after Snape regained his consciousness.

Would love to hear your thoughts on any scenarios in which you think the 3 of them could get along swimmingly!

My other thought was maybe if Sirius had been put in Slytherin and James decided to talk his way into Slytherin to be together, they might eventually adopt Snape into their wider friendship group for his dry wit the way they did Remus. I feel like James was waiting his whole life to have both a best friend and his own gang and would make one wherever he was with the best of what he had available (lbr Peter is hardly a stellar pick), and without the “he’s evil because he’s Slytherin” divide they could potentially find the Dark curses Sev knows fun/useful against whoever else they decide to bully instead, might notice in the shared dorm how poor he is and get a pity thing going like they did for Remus’ werewolf issue (which Snape’s pride would hate but he’d probably milk knowing how he was with Lucius?), and if Snape was gay and as devoted to a crush on Sirius as he was to the canon one on Lily and therefore willing to do some wing maning for James with Lily to keep in James and Sirius good graces, it could really cement his value as a pal….and if Snape had other options for well connected friends who could get him out of Cokeworth (picturing Fleamont setting up summer internships for James’ unfortunate looking poor but impeccably mannered pal at Sleekeasys R and D department 🥹) I’m sure Snape would be happy to not bother with the blood supremacist half of his year who want his childhood best friend dead (unless we think he joined to be in with them as a way to keep Lily safe, but I think that would be more a rationale he’d give himself or her later to justify his behaviour) ……..but anyway even if all of this elaborate scenario could happen so that the 3 of them would be pally, I still can’t picture Sirius being able to love/fancy someone more than James if James is right there, even if it’s only platonic on James’ end.

Unless I guess we take a reading of canon that Sirius was so mean to Snape because he fancied him madly and was furious about it, or because he could sense the queerness in him he hated/was being told by family to squash out in himself. Then maybe they’d have a special type of connection that could be powerful in a way Sirius wouldn’t be able to share with a straight James? Would that be enough though for Sirius never see one without the other Black? 🤔

I do think if that was the friendship group and they made Snape the secret secret keeper instead of Peter James and Lily might have lived! (And Snape might have let himself get killed keeping the secret 🥲) …although that said if Peter had an inkling James Potter might go to Slytherin he probably wouldn’t have fought the hat so hard and would have still been in the gang too!

I’ve really gone on a tangent here but yeah so interested in any scenarios you could see it working, I think about this a lot and I love the way you think about HP things! 👏

thank you very much for the ask, anon!

this is a question which i've wondered about for a while, which i'm going to answer with a tentative... yes.

because i do agree with you that one of the things which makes snack-in-the-90s really work is their shared grief over the loss of james and lily [and their shared guilt and desire to punish themselves for the role they each played in their deaths] and how it contributes to them being one of the series' most interesting narrative mirror pairings.

but it's equally true that they're narrative mirrors even without the grief aspect simply because of their mirrored love - whether you wish to interpret this as platonic or not - for one half of james and lily, and the quiet devastation [even though sirius expresses this very differently to snape] they feel when the two pair off.

and so i do think - in a world in which both james and lily survive [i don't think it can be either/or] - there is the potential for snape and sirius to find themselves drawn together by a grief which is less profound than that caused by james and lily's deaths, but is still transformational in a way that i think is often overlooked in fandom: the grief of realising that the person you love doesn't feel the same way.

because i love platonic prongsfoot and platonic snily as much as the next girl, and i think that the grief i'm describing can apply just as much to platonic love as to romantic love.

but i prefer - and, indeed, i'm on the record as being convinced this is the text's actual intention - to read both snape's love for lily and sirius' love for james as romantic.

and - obviously - the intensity of this feeling prevents either snape or sirius getting a grip while they're in their teens [especially if they're both also grappling with the idea that they're not straight - i'm afraid i've never bought the fanon that the wizarding world is more enlightened when it comes to sexuality]. it makes perfect sense that - as you say - it's impossible for the nineteen-year-old sirius to imagine caring about someone the way he care about james, and to convince himself that the only way he can live his life is to spend decades pining nobly from afar, never letting on how much his heart aches.

but one of the great tragedies of the canonical snape and sirius is that they get stuck in a state of arrested development from their lives - essentially - stopping when they're both twenty-one. there's an inherent pettiness to their interactions in canon - the obsessing over schoolboy experiences, the fact that snape finds himself stuck at school and sirius finds himself stuck in his childhood home - which other characters clearly don't quite understand [dumbledore saying to harry at the end of order of the phoenix that sirius was too sensible to be goaded by snape seems dismissive in the context of what we - the readers - have seen, but it makes perfect sense that - from dumbledore's perspective - a thirty-six-year-old man wouldn't still care about playground beef from twenty years ago.]

in a world where james and lily live, snape and sirius get a chance to act their actual ages - and with that, sirius gets to learn how to accept that his role in james' life will change as his best friend settles into being a husband and father and snape either gets to learn how to stop pining for lily from afar or how to start trying to make amends for his treatment of her.

and james and lily also get to grow up too - to recognise how their priorities towards their friends will change as they form a family of their own and to see their school days [and their behaviour during them] more objectively the further removed from them they become. james at eighteen would rather die than have anything less than 110% of sirius' attention. james at thirty has other things to worry about.

i think that it would only work in a scenario where snape and sirius encountered each other again after having left hogwarts [i like the slytherin!james suggestion - and i'd be interested to see how you'd write it - but i personally think that there's no way on earth james is having snape anywhere near him until he's - for want of a better term - "won" their rivalry over lily]. but i also think it would only work if that scenario was decades after they graduated, rather than years, and that the two don't meet again until they're - at least - in their early forties.

i think you could do something really quite interesting with james in that setting - as he realises, as his children reach adulthood and start to fly the nest, that sirius is chronically single and decides the project he wants for his middle age is to find his friend true love.

never expecting that his friend will bail from a date he arranges with a lovely woman and end up hiding in the leaky cauldron talking to snape - but then being mature enough [after some running around screaming "snape? snape?" at lily] to think that if sirius is happy, then he is.

and on this point, both sirius and snape canonically struggle to be realistic about how they see themselves and their worth - for example, in how they both refuse to believe that they could successfully atone for their roles in causing james and lily's deaths. when this is combined with the fact that sirius grew up in a community which is obsessed with blood and lineage - and how that blood and lineage is continued - and snape grew up with his primary masculine role-model being a violent man who was presumably also a homophobe, i do think that both of them would find it difficult to be open about their sexuality, especially since - in a world where they get to live normally after 1981 - they would be starting to understand themselves as queer during the aids crisis [which i refuse to believe doesn't impact the wizarding world, because i loathe the implication of canon that wizards are resistant to muggle diseases].

i think you can plausibly write them as both still in the closet in the 90s/00s - and for sirius especially to be worried about james' reaction if he found out he was interested in men. [which is a dimension often left out of things which examine sirius as queer and james as straight. lots of queer men worry - sometimes unnecessarily, sometimes, sadly, justifiably - that being open about their sexuality with straight male friends will cause those friends to back off from their platonic relationships due to a homophobic fear that queer men will automatically interpret platonic physical and emotional intimacy as romantic.]

but - whatever else he is - james clearly isn't a bigot. and i think he could once again get over the fact that sirius has shacked up with snape [snape?] in order to be proud that sirius was finally comfortable with who he is.

[and yes, i do genuinely think that sirius and snape's canonical vibe can be read as having some level of sexual attraction in it - they are both just so obsessed with each other that it's giving "why do i have this hyper-intense need to get in this other boy's face oh wait that's why"...]

[i-will-just-nyom-bi]

A New Guest

Imagine, Charlie finds a new sinner and takes him to the hotel.

When he settles down, he starts talking to other residents.

Angle: Sooo, how long are you here?

Sinner: About 20-30 years.

Vaggie: Wow! Where were you all this time??

Sinner: I was lurking around. Wasn't that hard, really. Since I died I don't have to eat.

Husk: Hmm... How did you die?

Sinner: On my death bed, surrounded by my loving family.

Niffty: Why are you here?

Sinner: Pardon me?

Niffty: What did you do to come to hell.

Charlie&Angel: NIFFTY!!

Niffty: What? He doesn't sound like a bad boi. Boring.

Sinner: Heh, a little funny actually.. I was a hunter. I used to hunt for living my whole life, until my kids got out to town and bought me there. Gosh, all that new technology! Made me insane

Alastor: I can understand you, my dear new friend.

Sinner: Thanks pal. Anyway, I was hunting one day, and I heard a shuffle and saw some brown fur. I thought it to be a deer, so I shot it.

Sinner: Unfortunately, it was our local radio host. Such shame... I loved his little podcast... I felt so bad for taking his innocent life and devoted mine to help other people...

Alastor: ...

Husk: That's unfortunate buddy. I guess you've got the highest change to actu- OH MY GOD ALASTOR PUT THE GUY DOWN

Vaggie: ALSTOR PUT OUR GUEST DOWN AAAA

Angel: CHARLIE CALL THE SHORT KING ALASTOR HAS GONE ROGUE HE RIPPED THE NEW GUEST APART