#This is a beautifully executed prank

[the-font-bandit]

100 Writing Prompts

Thought these might be useful for fic writers or anyone else looking for prompts or writing exercises:

Your characters celebrate a holiday.

Describe a character's favorite place/setting through their eyes.

Someone confesses a secret.

Write a brief scene from the protagonist's perspective. Then show it from the antagonist's perspective.

Two or more characters play a version of Truth or Dare.

A character is thrown into a situation with people from a different socio-economic class.

A natural disaster strikes.

A character has to talk their way out of a sticky situation without violence.

It’s a lazy afternoon and your character’s responsibilities are complete. What does he/she do to relax for the rest of the day?

A character writes a letter in which they describe their relationship with another character (any relationship, positive or negative) to a third party

Someone is feeling a very strong emotion and desperately needs to hide it. Why, and what are they feeling?

A character who has committed a misdeed—a crime or a more minor indiscretion—and must decide whether to face the consequences and make amends for the act, or to conceal or avoid it.

A character prepares for a much-anticipated date or meeting.

A character takes a wrong turn that leads to something unusual.

A fable or legend from your world.

A celebration gets out of hand.

Something that really annoys your character, a pet peeve.

A character plays a prank.

A time your character was lost

Two characters are separated and miss each other.

A character prepares and shares a meal.

Envy or jealousy.

A character trying to share important news or a revelation but keeps getting interrupted.

Your character writes a letter to their younger self.

A character spots something startlingly red in the snow

A character's worst fear comes true.

The place your characters are staying (house, inn, tent, etc) catches fire.

Something challenges one of your character's beliefs.

Someone throws a party.

A childhood memory.

A cliff.

A character teaches or demonstrates something for another character.

A family heirloom.

A character has to wear a costume.

Your character's most prized childhood possession.

A goodbye letter.

A character has an emotional breakdown.

A fistfight.

Everyone’s addicted to something in some shape or form. Show the thing your character can't go without.

Use a mirror as a symbol or important object in a scene/story.

A character experiences deja vu.

"Write a story that captures the sadness of the word: ""almost."""

Something your character has always wanted to do but never got the chance.

A first kiss.

Stargazing or cloud-watching.

A character makes a sacrifice for another character.

A character finds beauty in something ugly.

A character's relationship to a family member.

Use flowers as symbolism or a significant object.

A very bad day with a very good ending

A mistake turns out beautifully.

A case of mistaken identity.

Write about a special summer's evening.

It was a trap.

A character's first day in a new place.

Something is stolen.

A nightmare.

What is hiding in the dark?

Sunrise, sunset, or stargazing.

What does your antagonist fear?

Something explodes or catches on fire.

Someone has an outburst of temper.

A mouse or other small pest gets in the house. How do your characters handle it?

A ghostly encounter.

Characters try to have a conversation or execute plans in a chaotic environment that disrupts them.

Start with your character trapped somewhere and show how they escape (or don't).

A chase scene.

Someone is interrogated.

A character has to say goodbye without telling the other character they won't be back.

A lover's quarrel where something gets broken.

Someone talking to a gravestone or memorial.

A scene starting or ending with someone holding a knife.

An accusation.

One character has to break bad news to the other.

Someone tries to appear knowledgeable about something they aren't.

Write a list of ten things you hate. Make a character love one of those things and use that in a scene.

Make a list of your character's three happiest moments. Write about one of them.

Write a scene that highlights your character's greatest flaw.

Someone makes an incorrect snap judgment based on appearances, and is proven wrong.

A character gets what they wish for -- then wishes they hadn't.

A character lies by omission.

A character gives in to peer pressure.

A character tries something they think they won't like and turns out to enjoy it.

A character finds something of great monetary value.

Your character is invisible for a day. What do they do?

A character makes something (craft or art).

Write a scene about frustration.

Write a scene about embarrassment

A character knows they're wrong but refuses to admit it.

A character opens a door without knowing what's behind it.

A character looks in their wallet/bag/purse and panics at what they find (or what is missing).

A problem turns out to be bigger than your characters thought.

A character regrets no longer doing something that they used to do regularly.

Write about a scene where a character is jealous or envious.

A sweltering summer day.

A character has to wake up significantly earlier than usual.

A character wakes up to a loud crashing sound.

A piece of jewelry that has emotional significance.

How did your character handle the first death that personally affected them (a pet, a family member, a friend)?

A character fails spectacularly at an everyday task.

[sunnyrosewritesstuff]

Ready to rec some awesome fics that I read this month!! Feel free to add on with some of your own Bagginshield recs. 😁

January 2024 Rec List

T Rated:

Beyond the Pixels by Ticklesivory (Complete, 15K, 1ch.)- This is one of my new favorite AUs! Living in a post-apocalyptic world, Bilbo and Thorin meet in a virtual reality game that will change their lives. All the world building and lore of this AU is laid out beautifully, and I would love to read more building on Thorin and Bilbo's relationship.

Customer Service 101 by BiSquared (Complete, 4K, 1ch.)- I really enjoyed Thorin being the one working at the book store for a change. Thorin is working when he spies a cute guy who asks for his help escaping from a stalker. Honestly, its a lot cuter and more light-hearted than I summarized.

Defying Death (or at least the ones in charge) by Lucigoo89 (Complete, 15K, 1ch.)- I enjoyed the humor and emotion of this fic greatly. After his death, Bilbo refuses to move on until he reunites with his dwarven family. The level of sass coming off Bilbo in this fic is off the charts, and I love it!

The Gift of Hobbits by MoroseBarnacle (WIP, 22K, 5ch.)- Magical hobbits are one of my favorites! Bilbo has the power to bring people back from the dead and uses it regularly to revive his friends on the quest. I just love how they rally around their hobbit even before they found out what he could do. Found family wins.

Invisible vs. Indivisible by Moirai (Complete, 52K, 11ch.)- This was an indulgent re-read for me. Bilbo is captured by orcs but gets away using the ring only to discover his companions think him dead, and he can't find it in himself to make the reveal just yet. I always wished for a sequel to this, but it does end in a place that makes it enjoyable to imagine what happened on the rest of the quest.

Lord of Bones by Porphyrios (Complete, 6K, 1ch.)- This is one of those fics that you wonder how that much world building was packed into that one-shot. Due to an outdated dwarven law, the restoration crews are having trouble moving the bones of the dead dwarves which is where Bilbo comes in being that he's not a dwarf. Porphyrios does such an amazing job with dwarven politics and this is a sweet fic even with an atmosphere of sadness.

Spoonful of Sugar by RainyDayDecaf (Complete, 29K, 4ch.)- I have been looking for this fic for SO LONG! Without giving too much away, a prank Bilbo had pulled on Thranduil when they were still prisoners might be the secret to curing Thorin's goldsickness. This is just one of those fics that is so fun to read from beginning to end.

M Rated:

Backs to the Wall by Conkers (WIP, 62K, 13ch.)- I held off on this fic for a long time, not because I was worried I wasn't going to enjoy it, but because I knew how much it would have me foaming at the mouth. Missing the deadline, the Company splits up at Laketown with Thorin, Dwalin, Nori, and Bilbo remaining to earn some coin. I'm beside myself with the gentle, sweet moments of pre-Bagginshield that have me screaming.

The Kitchen Thief by mordelle (WIP, 44K, 17ch.)- This such a unique AU. Thorin is a baker who catches the thief stealing from him to discover that he's a hobbit and his One. There are so many great things about this fic but the 'nutty baker' line will always be my favorite.

Less Than the Best by Sullen_in_Love (Complete, 8K, 1ch.)- YES to all my favorite tropes. Thorin needs to find a dwarrowdam to marry and Bilbo takes over the interviews only to learn something horrifying: they all find Thorin ugly. Honestly, I'm so glad I clicked on this fic because it was a really enjoyable read.

E Rated:

Below the Belt by LordOfTheRazzles (Complete, 6K, 1ch.)- I hope everyone knows by now that Razzy and I talk, so I knew the gist of the fic before even opening it. Thorin needs help taking care of his injuries and so Bilbo helps him. However, the execution in this fic was just perfect. It's one of my new favorites for 'this scene'.

The Danger in Missing You by Fantasyinallforms (Complete, 5K, 1ch.)- In the best way possible, I forgot this was a smut fic. Bilbo is determined to help during a cave-in, distressing his friends and later, Thorin. Bilbo's actions at the beginning to save the trapped miners is just so refreshing and a great start! (The smut is pretty good too though. XD)

Of Palaces and Ruins by livelongandgetiton (Complete, 127K, 17ch.)- I am in my 3rd reread of this fic. Archeologist Bilbo Baggins is hired to nanny for the Durins to earn a spot on a dig in Erebor, but ends up falling in love with his employer. If I'm ever not bragging on this fic you might check on me because I LOVE IT!

Sleep Alone; Start All Over by vicious_summer (WIP, 18K, 1ch.)- I got super excited just by the summary for this fic. After an accident, Bilbo is the one who ends up losing about seven years worth of memories including the fact that he's married to the King Under the Mountain. I'm just always so impressed with vicious_summer's writing style as it has a more Book!Bilbo vibe.

Not Rated:

The Tale of Two Canines--Or When Dwalin Met Ori by BrightStarling (Complete, 16K, 10ch.)- A bit more Dwori, you definitely get more Bagginshield in the sequel. Thorin is a husky owned by Dwalin, Bilbo is a corgi owned by Ori, and a meeting in the park will bring these four together. It's just so cute having puppy Bagginshield!!

[cfr749]

Hi! I’m new to this fandom, just finished binge watching all 5 seasons. Who do you think had feelings first - Tim or Lucy? Also who realized it first? I always felt that Tim realized it first when Lucy was taken by Caleb, but then he was ready to marry Ashley so idk 🤪 Would love to know your thoughts 😊

Hi anon!

I feel like a massive jerk for sitting on this, and taking so long to welcome you to the fandom!

But also... it's kind of your fault for asking such an impossible question to answer simply because canon is riddled with examples of things like you mentioned above and trying to figure out what they were thinking in seasons 4 and 5 feels like this (to me):

It's worth mentioning that there are amazingly thoughtful people in this fandom that have done an incredible job of filling in the blanks; @theflyindutchwoman and @makeitastrength come to mind off the top of my head, but I know there are many, many others as well (feel free to drop any faves in the comments) .

Unfortunately, I have a brain that really struggles to let go of inconsistencies, which has resulted in a wildly volatile love-hate relationship with this show for me.

I was hoping if I held on to the ask, I'd be able to give you a thoughtful answer, and I'm not sure that this is it, but for what's it worth, I'll just share where my head was at some key points, beginning with the early days...

Early Chenford Era (S1-3x07):

My headcanon here has always been that there was some level of a mutual attraction, first physical and then emotional. Not anything either would act on, but a level of chemistry between them nonetheless.

As far as awareness, I'd score Tim as somewhere between oblivious and so highly compartmentalized that even if it had popped into his head on occassion, he never gave it any actual space to breathe or grow.

For Lucy, I think she was generally somewhere between mostly compartmentalized but also aware of the fact that he's hot and it's fun to push his buttons because he's such a hardass. So possibly a bit of awareness of the attraction, but zero intention to do anything more than have a little fun with it in an attempt to soften him up a bit. And zero belief or desire that it would be anything more than that.

GIF Credit: @thesweetnessandthesarcasm

There's definitely an awareness of the fact that aren't afraid to test each other's limits -- sometimes it's intense and other times it's fun and flirty, but either way, it starts to build some delicious tension.

But in moments of high stress or vulnerability, we got glimpses of just how much their emotional connection was growing, whether they were willing to admit it or not.

Needless to say, this was my favorite Chenford era. I think it was beautifully executed (even if it was all by accident 😂). I think the development was organic and believable and what the very best slow burns are made of.

Thanks for the thoughtful and kind ask, anon! If this is at all interesting to you, feel free to drop me another ask and I will continue in a separate post with my thoughts on the infamous feelings prank and what followed.

Welcome to the fandom!

[piedintheface]

Most beautifully executed pie prank.

[winterillustrates]

My Prefect x Jade type post

Are they a couple?

Ofc.

A COUPLE OF SADISTS WHO ARE BESTIES.

Yep, these two love testing each other's intelligence. Their love language is beautifully hidden insults or well executed pranks and they love it.

These two aren't even seen as rivals by most. They interact a lot and to outsiders, they're just laughing and having fun. But they know each other. They know what they are capable of. Prefect can easily see through him and Jade can easily predict her pranks, making them the only other person they feel obliged to compete against.

It's not even rivalry, because they aren't competing against anything either side can even pinpoint. It's a spur of the moment 'fight' that lasts for only a few minutes. Ask either of them why they 'fight' and they'd say their variation of "He/She's interesting."

They don’t have to sit down to explain why they are angry to the other, they just both know and give them the space they need to cool down/plan murder with them.

Jade sees Prefect as an intelligent evil mastermind, which…doesn’t match up with how everyone else sees her.

“I was once in a chess mind with this brilliant mastermind who had kinged me in 2 moves, so I’m working on improving myself to atleast make the game more interesting.” —Jade

“Oh? Who was it? Some old guy from the Coral Sea?” —Leona

“No. It was our dear Ramshackle Prefect, of course.” -Jade

Leona, pointing at Prefect who is watching ladybugs procreate, “HER?!”

Jade also likes how unpredictable Prefect’s life gets. Prefect gets dragged around a lot or just floats around as a ghost, so she has quite a few tales to tell to Jade while they’re in the mountains.

Heck, Prefect can even go to Noble Bell College since Rollo is the only one who knows her ACTUAL name. Sometimes she sneaks off with Chenya to RSA, too.

Prefect likes people who can keep her on her toes, which is why she likes Jade. Jamil is too pretty for her to function, Floyd lacks no grace in her eyes, Azul walks on eggshells around her, Ace is just annoying and Leona and Idia don’t put in all of his potential in a lot of things she does.

It’s not a ship, but no one would be surprised if they saw them making out.

Angst:

If Prefect left w/o telling Jade, but she practically hugged all the first years goodbye (something about her not seeing herself as important to the others), Jade would take that most to heart.

He’d deny it, at first, but Azul notices his passive-aggressive attitude has become more prominent and Floyd notices how his partner in crime is just sitting there…being boring.

They’d tell him to snap out of it, and Jade would just revert back to normal, mainly because he doesn’t want to wear his heart on his sleeve.

But something about seeing the first years mourn, just makes him snap. Why should they get to openly miss her? She obviously valued them more than anyone else. For Sevens’ sake, she fricking hugged them goodbye.

Jade reverts back to normal for everyone, and he can’t help but think that Prefect would’ve pointed out his acting from a mile away.

Sometimes, he dreams of her punching his arm and calling him a bad actor.

But, time goes on. Jade finds other things that keep his interest. Other things that can replace the impact she had on him.

Then, right when he thinks he can finally forget her, she reappears, like she always did when she was a ghost. Except this time she was real, she was tangible and Floyd could probably finally squeeze her.

Excited, he tries to approach her, but she claims to not know him. She claims to not be the ‘Prefect’ he is looking for. She even has the audacity to make up a fake name and life.

She has the audacity to laugh off the interaction with those strangers she walks with, not knowing that Jade has seen through her most crafted lies, so he won’t be easily swayed by this one.

The first years might have been easily fooled. Azul, Floyd, Leona, Ortho, Lilia, Rook, Jamil and, heck, even Grim and Malleus can be fooled.

But he won’t.

He won’t lose her, again. No matter how much she denies it, she’ll always be ‘Prefect’.

(Not me loving the ambiguously romantic/platonic relationship that I have meticulously planned. The little angst at the bottom is up for interpretation, honestly. I thought my Prefect’s relationship with Jade needed a whole post so here we are.)

[twittercomfrnklin2001-blog]

In a Violent Nature

Shooting a horror film from the killer’s perspective is not a completely novel idea. Starting with HALLOWEEN (1978) and FRIDAY THE 13TH (1980), directors have created sequences in which the camera become the eyes of the killer. Major parts of PSYCHO (1960) focus on Norman (Anthony Perkins), though, of course, originally the audience didn’t know he was the killer. Making almost the entire film about the slasher, however, at least when it’s one of the silent clones of Michael Myers or Jason Voorhees, is an idea whose time probably shouldn’t have come, particularly as executed by writer-director Chris Nash’s IN A VIOLENT NATURE (2024, Shudder, AMC+). For two thirds of the film, we follow Johnny (Ry Barrett), the inexplicably adult incarnation of a child killed in a vicious prank, as he walks through the forest, occasionally stalking and killing a group of young adults one of whom had stolen his mother’s locket from its resting place above his grave.

It’s not that Nash is a bad director. His use of natural sound throughout, particularly animal noises and a Walkman slowly losing battery power, is quite strong.  And there’s a beautifully lit scene (shot by Pierce Derks) when Johnny stores one of his kills in a nearby ranger’s station. But all that walking takes its toll. Nash says he was influenced by Gus Van Sant’s “Death Trilogy” (2002’s GERRY, 2003’s ELEPHANT and 2005’s LAST DAYS), which were in turn influenced by Bela Tarr’s films. But he seems to have copied the technique without understanding its purpose. At times, it’s like a bad imitation of Chantal Akerman as if she were directing THE ASTOUNDING SHE-MONSTER (1957). The only dialog we get occurs when Johnny eavesdrops on his future victims, but they’re such a drab lot you may start longing for the stereotyped characters in the worst FRIDAY THE 13TH movies. Hell, even the group’s two lesbians are boring. And they’re all intensely stupid. One wants to get Johnny’s attention to lure him into a trap. Does he call or throw things from a safe distance? No. He stands directly behind a deranged killer who’s holding an axe in one hand and a large hook in the other. When the focus shifts to the final girl (Andrea Pavlovic) you may hope that things could pick up a bit, but at first the camera just follows her as she runs through the forest, and a major plot development occurs between shots.

The kills are the film’s highlights, but it sometimes seems to take forever to get to them. The effects makeup is good and, you should be warned, quite grisly. This almost compensates for the few shots of Johnny. It’s a good thing that he puts on a firefighter’s mask early on, because he looks rather like an undernourished Sontaran. None of the cast gets much of an opportunity to act, except for scream queen Lauren-Marie Taylor who turns up in a cameo and delivers a long story about her brother’s being attacked by a bear. The story has no real point, but she delivers it well, and by that point it’s just a relief to hear something as conventional as a monolog.

[road-breakin-slasher]

~Chapter 2 - Mischief That Can Work!~

"I've been constantly failing pulling off my strings. It's either being caught doing it or didn't execute really well and just moved on like nothing happens. Uhgh, I was so exhausted, frustrated, and unhappy!

That is when I did a failed prank on Jeni. Sasha walked by and saw me frowned angrily. She suddenly walked to me and said...

'Well, it seems you did... Inappropriate that can make them scared, huh?' she said, as if she knew what I was doing!

'Yeah? So what?' I said. I regretted saying that one to that one, pretty girl.

'Perhaps you should make some adjustments to your setup. It wasn't even the best spot you're pulling off,' she said.

'I suggest you move it somewhere that is more covered than that. Like that one over there, a little bit further,' she said. 'And deepen your voice. It's not scary enough,' she added.

'Since when do you even know how to pull those strings? You just moved here,' I said.

'Well... Let's just say: I did a lot better back at my home town than you did here,' she said.

Wait, did she said, she did pull pranks a lot better than ME?? Umm... Seems like there's more to her cuteness than I thought.

'Then...' I said, 'can you help me pull it off?'

'Sure!' She said. 'BUT, if only you listen to me veeerry carefully...'

I... I got heart-pounded and simply answered loudly, 'Y-ye-yeah, sure! I'll listen!'

'Very well. Now shall we begin?' She said.

We've been plotting, planning, and setting my scariest prank me and Sasha setted up. Now the next day, we have to wait for someone to pass by...

...And there passes Jeni, the fastest person on Wonderville! But there, walking by. Like a normal Wonderville life. And this is where we started pulling the string. Beautifully.

We started shaking the bushes, side by side. Jeni started to feel scared about the place she is walking. She's helpless. Heeheeh! And I howled like a wolf. Perfectly practiced to me by Sasha.

'No... Not this time...! This can't be one of Billi's pranks, can it...?' she muttered.

Jeni started to feel tense. Shaking. The last thing she wanted to do is run. Besides, that's her gifted ability.

Now for the big one...

Aggressively raising my voice to intensify my howling. And...

BAM!

'AAAAAAAAH! A BIG, BAD WOLF!!!' Jeni screamed! I costumed as a hunched wolf. And is cleanly woven by me and consulted by Sasha.

'Wolf! Wolf! WOOOLF!!!' Jeni continues to run and scream, probably isn't gonna walked to that road ever again. And my play finally ended. And, oh boy, it's kinda heavy and sweaty. I almost slipped from chasing Jeni.

Walking back behind the bush, I unwear my costume because it's killing me. 'Wooooo! It worked!' I yelled.

Sasha then said, 'Of course it worked! Crafted and supervised by me. And you did it wonderfully the first time under my guidance. Sure, you can also do stuff like that without my supervision. But, stupid.'

Wait, did she call me 'stupid'?

'Luckily, I like stupids. Like you. Waiting for a chance to ask for my help or my help to come to you,' she added.

'Whaddya say? Until next time?' She said with her hands wave up.

'Sure! Until next time!' I said and gave her a high five.

Geez, her hand felted soft. Or paw. I dunno since we're different creatures. She's a white tiger. I'm a cougar with a boomerang-shaped hair.

Well, that's about it for today. I'm thankful for her.

...I like her already.

--------------

P.S., This was after an episode called 'I'm A Problem Solver, Too.' Hogi told me about it. That's about 6 days after it, and I don't even know how he found out..."

[healersadjust]

Ishgard prank shenanigans, see @bramdreamshade for more context!

Rulian and Bram belong to @miqomischief (I... don’t know which blogs to tag?)

Elja belongs to @eljaofthecrookedgrin

Olivia and Leslie belong to @linkus611

I have not edited this, its all just for funsies. So... Hopefully it isnt stinky poo hot garbage fire! And, sorry for any OOC-ness or anything... I’m happy to edit things if needed.

“Operation: ‘Nobles need to learn how to mind their business’ is a go,” Cecelia whispered into the linkpearl.

“That’s not the name. Don’t call it that,” Lucien’s voice came through.

“Alright. Opening the doors, then!” Olivia spoke.

“Places, everyone!”

(More under the cut!)

At Cevi’s command, phase one commenced. Olivia, the sweetheart she is, offered to help hold a ball to help get some of the nobles out of the way. On such short notice, it wasn’t expected that many would show up, but each letter came with an RSVP. This gave the group another more unique trouble: With Olivia hosting the ball, The Lord Commander himself managed to hide away from work for a night to help her. He could not know of Olivia’s involvement, nor any of Olivia’s friends' involvement either.

Everyone that knew Aymeric would join the ball for some time. Each of the Scions (with the addition of Luka) would be there for the start, and slowly slip out one by one. They would then return after assisting in the Great Pranking to be there for the ball’s end.

Aki’s family were all unknown to Ishgard, (Save Constianne) and, as such, they were set to distract the knights and the housekeepers in the minor noble’s homes.

The roles were as such:

Constianne was assigned to distract the Knights. They knew her well enough already that they could spot her in a crowd, and she was wanted enough that they would stop at next to nothing to chase her down.

Florian would cause a commotion in the streets. Ishgardians are nosy, and surely they’d be looking for new gossip with the state of relative peace that had come about after the war ended. He even enlisted the aid of Hilda, practically guaranteeing success at drawing anyone in the homes outside to watch.

Amil would scout ahead before signaling for the chaos crew to enter the houses. With void teleportation magics, he would check each room for anyone who could witness the destruction, then slip out as quietly as he came in, but not before leaving a window open for the chaos crew to come in.

If any housekeepers were particularly stubborn, Cecelia and Lucien would pose as some maintenance crew and insist upon fixing some far-off portion of the house. They would then ask to be guided to this spot, and keep the housekeepers engaged in conversation and, essentially, trapped by social norms.

Cevi climbed atop the highest pillar she could find to scout from a bird's eye perspective. She would send updates as people left the ball.

Everyone else was on the chaos crew. And, with all the nobles now accounted for at the ball, Phase Two: Distract, was a go.

With Aki’s family all in place, it was first Kaine, Leslie, and Vivace’s move. They slipped in through the window after receiving the go-ahead from Amil. Not a single person was in the house, distracted by Cecelia, Lucien, and Florian already.

“You take the restroom,” Kaine whispered to Vivace. “Leslie, the bedroom. I’ll get their kitchen. Understood?”

“I don’t take orders from you,” Vivace muttered.

Leslie chuckled. “Well, in that case… Dibs on bedroom!”

“Dibs on the kitchen!”

Vivace groaned. The rules of dibs were not to be messed with. “Unfair, why do I get the stinky restroom?”

“Be faster next time,” Kaine whispered before sneaking off to the kitchen.

All three executed their pranks beautifully. Leslie opted for a more subtle approach in the bedrooms. They flipped the sheets inside out, stuffed the pillowcases with coats from the closet, and hid the actual pillows in difficult-to-find places. He hid the match to every pair of socks across the entire house. They’d be finding socks around the place for moons. Kaine rigged anything that opened with confetti cannons. Cupboard doors, the oven, and even the icebox were fully set up to blast confetti when opened, all while Vivace put dyes inside the showerhead, so it would stain the person’s hair and skin bright blue. The three of them threw streamers and confetti all around the main room before making their escape back to the ball.

“Nice work, kiddos,” Cevi said over the linkpearl. “Next, let’s get Leo, Kris, and Luka. Be quick.”

“Understood,” Luka said, making up some excuse to drag Leo and Kris out of the ball.

The three Viera made a mess of the whole place. Leo summoned more sand than he thought Ishgardians may have ever seen in their life, rubbing it all into the carpets. Luka and Kris ganged up to paint an ocean scene on the walls with their hands. They would be transported to a beachy scene, right in their very own home! They snuck back out and made sure they had no paint or sand on their clothes before returning to the ball.

“Anyone suspect anything, yet?” Cevi asked over the linkpearl. “I don’t see anyone leaving the ball early.”

“Everyone is drinking and dancing here,” Olivia replied.

“I’ll be running out of steam soon,” Constianne said.

“I didn’t think it possible…” Amil muttered.

“Understood. Aki, Elja, take your houses early. Cecelia, Lucien, split up. Amil, be quick. Florian, you’re gonna have to cause a bigger scene than you ever have. Everyone else…” Cevi paused. “Well, I’m not your boss, but we gotta take this all up to a 10.”

“Yes ma’am!”

Elja and Aki took their own houses, though they were right next to each other. It was easy enough to keep everyone in the homes occupied while they set about their masterpieces.

Elja put confetti and glitter cannons all over the entire home. Some had some form of intricate tripwire, so they would blast simply when the owner walked into the room. Others were more personal, timed to explode moments after they laid down in bed and things like that. Every door had a dozen cannons ready to blast at any moment… And to top it off, he put confetti and glitter underneath the blankets in every bed. The place was like a confetti and glitter landmine- one wrong step and you’d be drowning in the stuff.

Aki’s approach was more confusing than anything. She flipped furniture upside down, and swapped things from one cupboard to the other… But in addition to this, she drew all along the walls. Anything from stick figures to misspelled crude words, she decorated the walls oh-so-nicely for the owners in quite possibly the most permanent ink she could find. They’d have to replace the whole wallpaper if they wished to get rid of it, and she was more than happy to make rich people spend their money on stupid things. She put clear, double-sided tape on doorways so they would get a face full of tape if they were not careful. Lastly… No prank was complete until she had the most inconvenient items encased in jelly.

“Alright. Now, to slip off into the night,” Cevi’s grin could be heard through the linkpearl. “My group, we will meet back at the house. Anyone who’s made an appearance at the ball, head back there until the nobles head home. Make sure you are sighted by anyone and everyone you can so they don’t suspect you.”

And like that… It was simply a waiting game. The fun was far from over- they still had an entire moon before Rulian returned, and Aki would be certain those nobles never messed with him or his family again.

[sugar-petals]

Hi Caro!! How are you doing? Hope everything is okay :)) So I’m starting to get into figure skating and was wondering if you could recommend some performances, like you favourite ones etc... also could you name some skaters if it’s not too much to ask (i know you talk a lot about Yuzuru), i truly wanted to know more about it. thanks in advance✨

i’ll serve you a whole buffet, get ready. joining at the right time! we’re off-season and the olympics are way to go so you can catch up without missing out on any events, and there’s a lot you can indulge with.

get into FIGURE SKATING: the in-depth guide

wanna know who’s who?

key skater introductions, the masterpost (bonus: meme threads)

6 breakthrough moments of famous male competitors on video

top 10 most successful female skaters

retired legends! their last big performance 2010-2020

so who’s up there in the points, who to watch for, who’s active, who are the best of the best? 

official, current world standings LADIES | GENTS | PAIRS

how to prepare for the winter season?

skating competitions calendar 2021 (more bite-sized than usual, a lot is cancelled)

want to tell apart the 6 essential jumps?

lutz VS loop VS axel VS toe loop VS flip VS salchow

more jump explanations, beginner’s guide

how yuzuru jumps more than just textbook quads: all 6 analysed 

who landed the quadruple jump first? ladies/gents compilation

nathan chen, god of all quads 

why achieving the quad axel is shaking the community since years

first ever quad axel attempt in competition: artur dmitriev

are quintuple jumps possible?

quads are killing artistry debate — too much technique, while creativity and feeling aren’t scored enough

rare and unusual jumps: complete insanity combos

history-making jumps

the key jump: triple axels in ladies’ skating

quads in ladies’ skating

what about other elements? learning movements by video and by skater without just reading about them:

fantastic moves that skaters are know for

more elements that skaters perfected and made their own

more famous signature moves/the ’personal touch’ (crack editing)

elements named after a person

physics behind spins

highest scored ladies’ spins

pair skating elements

ice dance lifts

banned elements

scoring explained! the base value and GOE (grade of execution) mark

what went down in prior olympics in singles and pairs? 

sochi 2014 best of videos

pyeongchang 2018 best of 

the king: all world class olympic yuzu routines 

the queen: yuna kim’s olympic programme stunners

who are the game changers?

highest olympic scores ever moments

surya bonaly’s groundbreaking backflip!

all yuzuru world records compilation (time to cry)

completely bonkers gala performances aka non-competitive skating where most rules don’t apply lmao, props and all!

must-know medallists

fantastic moments in ladies’ skating

yuzuru dedicates first olympic gold to his tsunami-struck hometown and country

top 10 black figure skaters — historic and recent

yuzu’s legendary costume reel

heart-wrenching moments 😪

more emotional stuff that went down

and now, what programmes are the talk of the town?

nathan wins the 2021 world championship with a firework of clean jumps

“the performance of his life from the best skater of all history”: yuzuru dishes on let me entertain you donning all black and landing a murderous triple axel on the beat

alina zagitova wins ladies’ gold dressed in my fave red costume ever, amazing storytelling, not a single fall, at only 15 years of age

my recent favorite: impossibly beautiful ballet on ice — mikhail kolyada’s art and precision are indescribable

“the king of silver” — shoma uno beautifully wins 2nd place at the olympics!

the tears. pair olympic gold, savchenko and massot, my fellow germans. obv has to be on here.

every yuzu performance is the talk of the town. 80-video playlist with gems to pick from 2008-2021

and now... the retired GOAT among the ladies! yuna kim’s charismatic send in the clowns. she is art.

what are the dominant teams?

team usa introduce themselves

different camps of team russia

bonus: watch team japan gala skate

things to warn you about — what controversies, tws, and shadow sides to brace for. you don’t have to read in depth if not comfortable, just know what goes on and what you might have to stay clear from:

the 2018 murder of kazakh skater denis ten

the 2019 case of john coughlin: sexual abuse in pair skating

gay figure skaters facing homophobia: the adam rippon VS mike pence incident (which becomes further complicated by adam rippon’s racist and misogynist comments on other occasions)

yuzuru talking about suriving the japan 2011 earthquake

yuzuru’s graphic 2014 crash with han yan, slow medical teams on the ice, nasty injuries, almost-concussion

yuzuru on his asthma attacks 😔

the lutz jump causing issues (underrotations, flutzing, mis-judgings)

the endless story of judges underscoring yuzuru

creating enemies/rivalries between friends

international skating union’s bs, politics, yuna kim’s robbed of olympic gold scandal

risk rewarded over art

harrowing accidents, the sport is extremely dangerous esp in pairs (tw)

extra toxic mess that needs to be addressed: russian coach eteri’s cruel methods (youth cult, instrumentalizing underage skaters, abuse, nationalism)

why are there so few black skaters?

skaters pressured to come out 

likely known to you, the kerrigan VS harding attack

yuzuru’s fans bordering obsession, death threats

sportsmanship DOs and DONTs that occurred

more essentials about yuzu’s team?

check out yuzuru’s coach: olympic silver medalist, brian orser!

tour of his training grounds: toronto cricket club

yuzu’s rituals and winnie pooh 

wanna have a laugh? 

hilarious crack of famous skaters, turn down volume (medals that look like paper, wrong anthems played, spanish skater javier fernandez skates as superman)

funny moments on the podium/award ceremony

skaters multilingual moments! one big international family. ❤️

hockey players try to keep up with skaters

yuzuru is a flippin ice diva

stages of yuzu costume reveals

yuzu said let me entertain you and so he did!

skaters fooling around

skating artist pranks rink in an old man costume doing a wild backflip

[kiisaes]

since you really like cute things, do you have any cute bkdk fic recs?

this might come as a shocker, but i don’t read fics that frequently ^^; i’m practically illiterate so i prefer looking at art over words, so i’m afraid my recommendations are going to be very short and very basic

but regardless, here’s a list off the top of my head!!! (all of these fics are sfw)

“No raisins? How about a date?” by supercrunch

rated G

oneshot, 4k words

i’d be remiss if i didn’t include my current favorite bkdk fic!!! i drew something for it!!! i’ve read it like 40 times!!! i can practically recite what happens in it scene by scene!!! it lives in my head rent free!!!

deku realizes that he has a crush on bakugou and tries asking him out on a date, but he fails wonderfully in every way imaginable. bakugou is extremely dense and can’t seem to pick up on any of the signs. it’s absolutely adorable and hilarious at the same time -- frankly any bkdk fic from supercrunch is a recommendation from me -- and it’s such a joy to read from start to finish! characters are in-character in the most ridiculous ways. it makes me want to give them support and also strangle them for being idiots. i love it so much.

“Like Something Out Of A Shoujo Manga” by Merrywetherweather

rated G

oneshot, 2k words

as the title suggests, this fic aims to hit a couple notable shoujo manga tropes within the realm of bkdk and it’s super cute!!! deku gets hit by a quirk that triggers flags as if he were in an otome game. he keeps getting into potentially romantic situations with bakugou! it’s short and sweet with a happy ending :) ofc, as anon seemed to pick up on, i’m a sucker for cute things so this concept really peaked my interest. give it a read! <3

“Friends Come and Go, but Fandom is Forever” by Erina

rated T

oneshot, 4k words

this one is HYSTERICAL. if you’ve read the “The Misadventures of Explodo-kill Agency” series, this one is the most recent addition. during a training camp trip, todoroki becomes a bakudeku stan on twitter and it consumes his life. it’s unfairly funny, in both concept and execution. the author’s writing style for this series never fails to make me double down in laughter. the shit that every character goes through is both believable and hilarious; out of all the characters in this fic, i can’t believe i’d feel for iida the most. you’ll see what i mean. please check it out!

“good morning (asshole)” by writedeku

rated G

oneshot, 2k words

a cute story about bakugou trying to befriend deku through a very simple and easy method: saying good morning! it’s adorable and funny (i hope u can see the pattern here lol) and it makes me root for bakugou throughout it all! i love fics that give us “bakudemption” and this one really goes in-depth without making it sound forced. as in, bakugou still feels like bakugou and not a big softie out of nowhere HAHA

“Slowly” by Darkanny

rated T

oneshot, 1k words

a very short but heartfelt oneshot about bakugou wanting to dance with deku! it’s very soft and written beautifully, it feels like the very concept of love...! i still can’t believe with my own two eyes that every beginning of a paragraph in this fic is just a line from despacito because there is no way in hell something this pretty came out of fucking despacito but i’ll take the author’s word for it.

“daisies bunches and heather branches” by halcyonwhispers

rated T

oneshot, 5k words

a classic fic, both in time of posting it (2016) and the concept (flower shop and tattoo parlor)! deku works at a flower shop, bakugou works at the tattoo parlor next door, and they fall in love :’) it’s very sweet, very soft, and it gives me such serotonin to see these two boys crush on each other. both deku and bakugou are also very in character for such an early fic!!! (this was also one of my first bkdk fics so it’s always nice to go back and read haha)

“Joke's on You” by spicymacaron

rated T

oneshot (though there’s a sequel), 3k words

a youtuber au! bakugou (+bakusquad) runs a prank channel and he tries to pull the engagement prank on deku, an unsuspecting stranger, but is flat-out rejected on camera. it’s funny and cute, both bakugou and deku are so enjoyable to read here, and overall the execution is great! i normally don’t care for social media stories (youtube included), but this one is really clever and i loved reading it :)

“Co-op” by Mikacrispy

rated T

chapter fic (completed) (there’s also a sequel), 25k words

this was one of my very first bkdk fics! it’s a gamer au - both bakugou and deku are gamers, bakugou has a crush on deku, and deku grows to crush on bakugou too. they’re super adorable in this one, since they’re literally just pining the entire time, and i also love the differences between the types of gamers/streamers they are. the attention to detail is really awesome! as a fan of playing video games myself, i felt very heard somehow LOL

hope this is a good enough list! :0

[sonyapaxtonapologist]

house and cuddy primed me for enemies to friends to lovers bc there was always a deep well of trust and understanding between them. even when they were antagonizing one another there was a strong sense of respect (even when house mocks cuddy’s aptitude as a “real doctor” and cuddy is afraid of house’s recklessness). many of their smaller, episodic conflicts are clashing goals and objectives, not misunderstandings of one another. cuddy is The Boss and therefore must look out for all the players. house is the rogue madman with an itch to scratch when it comes to solving medical mysteries. the more comedic conflicts (like with mirror man or their prank war) are largely enjoyable to watch bc they know one another so well. it’s so much more fun to watch them try to outsmart one another and play to each other’s weaknesses (in a bit of a ridiculous way). i think this is so beautifully executed bc house and cuddy do love “playing” together (literally with poker or boggle, but also making bets about clinic duty) as friends, but with a level of antagonism and sexual overture that lets them be enemies, friends, and lovers both synchronously and asynchronously. (also bc i think the actors had lovely chemistry)

[petty-crush]

The Burning (1981)

-easily one of, if not the, best slasher films I’ve seen. Beautifully shot, great cast, superb score

-This is the one to recommend to people curious about the sub-genre

-the legend of a burned camp groundskeeper may in fact be true, as the campers discover a stranger with garden shears stalking them

-another timeline moment; when Harvey Weinstein’s name comes up (as producer and co-writer) he was vividly boo’ed by the audience

-this film almost has two openings (ala book of Genesis)- the kids playing a (backfired) prank on Cropsy, fire included, and then a absolutely hysterical scene of a black male nurse telling a new white doctor to “check this freaky burned guy out”

+I kinda wished they had just opened with the black nurse, but fire is a good opening visual

-there is a touch of melancholy as Cropsy (our burned villain) claims his first victim.

-there is a long detour of just the kids playing at the summer camp, and it’s so well done that this film could almost reasonably work as a straight (non horror) summer long film

-the score by Rick Wakeman (of the band Yes) is wonderful and gives it a very different atmosphere. Slightly vulnerable and medieval

-what a treat to see Jason Alexander (with hair!) and Fischer Stevens early in their career, with juvenile jubilance as young campers

-actor Brian Matthews does a excellent job as the head camp counselor, not the biggest stickler for the rules but absolutely protective of the kids under his wing

+has a weary sea captain / Kirk vibe to him

-the scene where the little camper barely avoids getting killed by Cropsy while retrieving a baseball is a perfect execution of the tense scenes this types of films thrive on

-boobs, boobs, boobs

-more then once, I recall “Aguirre the wrath of god” (the great Herzog film about the doomed search for the lost city of gold) which is not exactly the vibe most slashers go for

-in particular the part where after Cropsy destroys their canoes and they have to build a makeshift raft

-when the kills do come, they go hard, and the fingerprints of effects man Tom Savini are well noted

-it’s so interesting to have the lead be a man (usually a woman) in a slasher film and one who has a dark past full of harm

-the final sequence is gorgeous, lights straying in through the windows, the abandoned building epically creepy, and the tension palpable

-a superb example of a sub-genre all too often thrown together as a tax haven; here there is beauty and a feeling of true craftsmanship

[hamaon]

my top three jin ling moments

1. tricking jiang cheng into leaving so he could let “mo xuanyu” go. made up a thoughtful plan that was both plausible and tailor-made to work on the person he was trying to fool. executed it beautifully. leaned into his terrible temper to act believably. he’s smart. he can scheme. his temper is still terrible. i love him

2. that time when he didn’t blow the peephole prank. made the misfortune go round and strung the other juniors along instead. i’m so proud

3. the post-temple flashback and everything surrounding it, this one is a freebie

[jostepherjoestar]

Can I ask what would happen if the yakuza La Squadra member got drunk with majima and began singing 24 hour Cinderella (full costume and all) as the team watch confused and laughing their asses off and kiryu kinda just enjoying the reunion

I can only imagine La Squadra’s reaction when their yakuza La Squadra member who’s normally serious and kinda stoic starts singing and dancing with majima in flashy outfits that look like the 80’s puked on them

Former Yakuza La Squadra member letting loose at karaoke

When two anons think alike and cozy is loving this idea, it must happen because wow this is just *chefs kiss* thank you for asking my dearies 💖✨(we’re all allowed to call them oushi-chan fyi 😎, this was so fun to write so it’s a bit longer than expected) 24 hour cinderella is the song they sing

CW: excessive alcohol use, embarrassingly wholesome fun

Majima and Kiryu’s visit was sadly coming to an end. Their week spent in Napoli walking around with their old friend brought them some mindless new adventure that for once didn’t include having to ward off punks every street corner. It felt refreshing, their former colleague glad to show them around whenever they had the time, even spending afternoons with their current teammates and the guests. The men had slowly began bonding among them, the power of temporary friendship was not one bound by language barriers. Even though the stand users were experienced fighters, Kiryu and Majima had tips to lend for more streetwise moves which the group gladly accepted.

For their last night in Italy Majima had requested karaoke, it had become quite the fad overseas now. New karaoke bars popping up all over town carrying the cheesiest hits and unknown gems. Begrudgingly oushi-chan booked their room, it would be cramped with ten muscled humans packed in the small room, but they’d all grown a lot closer over time. It seemed like the visit did them good, opening up more about their past and letting their guard down, even if it was just a smidge. But nothing had completely broken that stoic façade just yet. It made the team of assassins even more interested in the life of their latest team member. Risotto knew how annoying it could be to have people prying at the gates, begging them to open up, so after his prank of calling them oushi-chan he opted to let them be and just observe.

The alcohol was flowing like waterfalls in rainy season, luckily for them they kept it at one kind, some good old Sambuca making the room stink of anise. Every shot taken irrupting groans and smacking lips as everyone had begun to loosen up. Formaggio and Illuso were actually getting along for once, even singing a duet together, the quality of their singing varying to whoever you asked. Prosciutto had brought along playing cards so they could all play a game or two between songs, bringing the mood up to a high tension. Whoever lost had to go up there and sing as punishment. Kiryu had been quite good at playing, gladly avoiding having to embarrass himself even though he’d been indulging in the Italian liqueur, sure he’d remember the smell forever. Risotto just seemed to enjoy the company and the bustling room that was loud enough without music filling it, carefully sipping his drink, he never really liked to get overtly wasted. Ghiaccio had been scowling all throughout the game, knee bouncing up and down in anticipation. If he were to lose, his biggest tantrum yet would take place, he was under no circumstances going to sing.

Unfortunately for oushi-chan, they were losing quite badly, all the way at the bottom followed by an unlucky Majima, who had slung his arm around Melone. They’d become quite familiar over the span of the visit; always glad to get into a fight. Both way over their alcohol intake, swaying every so often as Melone tricked him into playing the worst card possible by pointing it out and encouragingly nodding. With an exasperated groan the stoic drunk slammed their cards down, knowing the punishment that followed. Majima only grew a mischievous grin as he started digging behind him on the cushioned booth. “Here oushi-chan, I thought I’d return it to you.” he handed a folded jacket over, the iridescent lapels glinting in the low light while their eyes widened as they recognised it. “Majima... you didn’t.” a soft, bordering on emotional, glint of nostalgia hazing their eyes. The Sambuca had taken its toll, letting al inhibitions take a backseat as they accepted the jacket they so loved to dance around in on drunk nights like these. Of course only them and Majima knew of it, not another soul had seen them executing their trained choreographies. It still smelled like smoke and apple flavoured sake as they put it on, nodding to Majima who had surprisingly brought along his own matching cropped sparkly jacket, like he’d been planning on this all along. It had been his plan, his most fond memories of any kind were having mindless fun with his beloved oushi-chan.

The rest of the group had begun egging them on, nagging for the two losers to get up front and engage in their retribution. Prosciutto noticed the tacky matching jackets, nudging his colleagues to pay attention as he barely contained a cackle. All eyes were on them, a devious grin on Illuso’s and Melone’s faces as they admired the shell oushi-chan crept out of as they looked through the song choices. Luckily for the two performers, their favourite song had become a cult classic in a few select European countries, Italy including. The serious frowned brows on their face didn’t match the sparkly outfit, Risotto fully intrigued at what was to follow, hardly even trying to conceal his amusement.

The clammy room was filled with hushed voices trying to make sense of the two in front, looking like an idol duo preparing for their concert, heads down, mics in hand. “Sta' zitto!” the former yakuza’s voice commanded the room as the men shut up, Kiryu knowing Majima’s usual performances already anticipating a great show, a slight smirk on his lips. As the nostalgic corny 80′s synths started, their heads snapped up, commencing their show. Formaggio instantly cackled in shock, slapping Pesci’s arm to assure him he was seeing this as well, the green tufted man’s mouth slack as he took in the show. As they began singing, voices harmonising beautifully and not even missing a beat, the team of assassins were perplexed by the smile adorning their teammate’s face. They beamed confidence, those fiery eyes they’d seen in battle now equipped as a different weapon. Ghiaccio couldn’t contain his smirk either, never had he expected to witness this display. The dimple on Risotto’s cheek now at full potential when their usually stoic underling shot him a wink during their performance. The duo slid over their small stage, energetic moves from side to side while still perfectly singing along. How many times have they done this before, a question on everyone’s minds. Kiryu wasn’t even surprised, he knew those two were close, knowing that their fights weren’t the only bonding they were doing.

As the two would-be-idols finished up, resting in their final pose while catching their breaths, their audience broke out in cheers and applause. “How did you guys do that?!” Formaggio yelled as he took their teammate under his shoulder, wobbling from his drunken state. They sat down, taking big gulps of water to satiate their thirst from performing, their stoic face making a comeback as the complements overlapped, not even being clear who was saying what. Melone slinking back next to Majima giving him a double thumbs up, admiring how great he did, while the other man coyly rubbed his neck shooting Kiryu a look who just smirked back telling him to handle this himself. “You will never see me do this again and I hope you all forget by morning.” oushi-chan slurred, wiping their mouth with the jacket. They didn’t regret the performance, it felt freeing to let loose again, especially with their old friend, but it was still embarrassing to have done it in front of the team knowing they’d tease later on.

After a lot of chatter, the room was starting to quiet down again as the night was coming to an end. A lazy game of cards being played as some others conversed among themselves, Kiryu and Majima out for a smoke with Prosciutto. Risotto slid over next to the sleepy idol who’d been leaning their head against the soft cushioned booth, halfway to dreamland. “That was really impressive, never saw that coming.” Risotto’s deep voice snapped them out of the stupor, their face only flushing more than previously. “You’re not blackout drunk are you?” they whispered trying to focus on their capo who was moving around their blurry vision. “Not even close.” he smirked, laying a compassionate hand on their shoulder. “Don’t worry, you can beat the memories out of them later.” he joked trying to put them at ease with the threatening suggestion. “That’s great.” yawning as their eyes fluttered closed again, the alcohol and activity having taken its toll. All the while oushi-chan slowly fell forward, hitting Risotto’s chest and accepting the comforting pillow it made. His plush muscles formed a very nice resting place for the exhausted drunk. The ambience of the room was like white noise humming them to sleep, a small satisfied groan coming from them as Risotto let them rest, taking another sip of his drink, glad to have seen a different side of his latest member.

[rabble-dabble]

Johnkat Fic Rec

oh HELL YEAH. THIS IS HAPPENING. i have a google doc open, a drink full of water, and a will full of last-minute idea inspiration. 2020 fic list baby. 

Thin Air - NGL this was the first fic i read after i realized i should look at ao3 for johnkat back a few years ago and it was a GREAT re-introduction back into the ship. it’s when john retcons canon but “over the top gay” (LEGIT THE TAGS) and john and karkat’s relationship develops over the time trips. a lil bit of blood at the end but it all ends happily. 

(do not ask) the price I pay - multi-chaptered alternate universe sort of take on how sburb works and centers around karkat who is “sacrificed” to the Gods and ends up living with them. it’s REALLY emotional and REALLY sad and it takes your heart and STOMPS ON IT REALLY REALLY HARD. but it is SO worth the read. i’m trying so hard not to spoil it but it’s good. 

Dead Man’s Poison - karkat becomes a ghost and it’s such a funny and sad take on his (after) life. time moves on, someone moves in, and karkat discovers being a ghost can be really boring (and really regretful). has a little bit of a horror aspect at the end, but resolves it beautifully. it’s angst cranked to 10 even though he’s already dead. 

Carbonated Truth Enhancer - a oneshot vortex of emotional egbert trauma that john TOTALLY deserves. this fic takes up my one braincell at least half the time. 

How Not to Make a Species - better to be called “how god underestimated my ability to weep” because it really, really did and it was a lot. it’s just poetically soft and gentle and it brings a tear to my eye just skimming it. 

And It Was Clear - karkat needs glasses and john has a really, really good idea. it’s alarmingly short and yet, perfectly clear. (hehe)

Breath & Blood - sadstuck, bloodheavy short story made by FiveTail and if you haven’t even heard of that name i weep for you. i have never felt more pity for a doomed timeline and i think about it constantly. 

Waiting For God Tier - I AM GOING TO SHAKE YOU IF YOU HAVE NEVER READ THIS. this is basically a doomed john and karkat going through their afterlife trying to figure out how they died (warning blood and sadstuck) and i cried so much i had to go blow my nose. and then i drew johnkat art cuddling each other before i went to bed thinking about them very, very alive. 

Just a Taste - adorable valentines day fic. john thinks he is sneaky to try to get karkat to lick cake batter off his hand and this is probably the closest suggestive fic on this list. AND IT’S NOT EVEN MEANT TO BE SO LIKE ARHJGHGHJHJHJRGHJ-

responsible, forever, for what you have tamed - this SCREAMS fluff and romantic. karkat had made john the stars, but for karkat, john has made him a garden. it’s beautiful and read it to hear my distant happy tears. 

Happy Accidents - John and Karkat become parents in the most unconventional of ways. They foster a baby grub and it’s adorable and yes, if you must ask, i did also cry at the end. it has a happy ending though so it is WORTH it. 

Blurring the Lines - John is the idiot who goes wandering off and Karkat is the one who has to save him from the stupidity he has before it gets him murdered by an insane clown. So, basically, regular life lol. 

In Which John and Karkat are Pranked - in which my reasoning why dave is simply the best person to always have the two idiots get together, and my heart goes out to the poor bastard author who had to format this. it’s PESTERLOGS. and i feel. SO SORRY. 

This Could Work - Karkat is scared for the future of their new universe and John decides at the WORST time to confess that he might be in love with Karkat. it’s presented so delicately well that i’m suspicious that they might have just looked into an actual alternate universe or something and saw canon. 

A Line Between You and Me - Everyone takes on aspects of each other, and John is led living life figuring out who he inherited his from. sadstuck alarms, this is one story that doesn’t end as well as the others.

Welcome to the Rest of Your Life - this hits ALL the right sadstuck feels and ALL the right “winning the game” feels. sburb didn’t take very kindly to losing so it takes the one thing karkat cherishes: his home. 

Surfeit - a comic story au about growing up and childhood crushes and the beautiful, beautiful scene of idiotic love. 

Blue - karkat is bored from his marriage, his life, and from his work. this fic really details that feeling about the state of melancholy, where it is all just bland. this was a type(?) of inspiration for Step by Step (i think) and it just pulls you in to read more. 

Jesus Wouldn’t - considering how i know the inner workings of being the religious type and how people tend to abuse what messages come with it, this fic is oddly beautiful and inspiring. it truly just quilts together the messages of what is important and how everything is sort of okay on the inside and outside. not exactly johnkat centric, but i thought it was worth it to be here. 

i will buy the flower shop, and you will never be lonely. -THIS is moirallegiance or nothing is. pale johnkat is beautiful and worthy and basically i love this one so much it fills my lungs with honey and flowers. 

lock it up and leave - sadness sadstuck about how broken karkat is and how hard it is to take care of someone when they think the only thing left to do is to give up. but john egbert isn’t having it, no, he refuses to lose anyone else - “if you go, you’re taking me with you.”

Apocalyptic Literature - i found this in the depths of ao3 hell. honestly, it intrigued me and i wasn’t disappointed with what i found. sadstuck grim, and there’s mention of blood and bodies but the ending is surprisingly soft and on a happy note. 

 Of Growing Up - Yeah you know of RMWT? Real Men Wear Tights? Someone in the universe got the memo that i am always angry about super hero friends who can’t recognize each other and gifted this upon the world, which I like to think i was meant to find and gush over. this is PERFECTLY executed and even has some detail i was smug on finding, so if you too have read RMWT and want an ending i suggest giving this a look. 

and that’s about it! i have more but they’re not really..eh, what i’d want to put here (for now). i’ll keep ya upd8ed if i come across more i really, really enjoy. 

[ghostinked]

Snippet from Curse Of The Seer

On The Day of Bill and Fleur’s wedding - 

---------------------------------------------------

On her way past the twins, Celeste sent a shy smile to George. His breath rushed out of his body, leaving his head spinning.

George’s mouth went dry as his eyes trailed over her. Taking in the way the soft lighting inside the Burrow highlighted the brown in her hair, his eyes followed her as she ran her fingers through the side of her hair, pushing it away from her face. Their eyes met and it felt like someone had just punched him in the stomach.

She was beautiful. 

A beautifully damaged woman who needed someone to help guide her back to who she was meant to be. As the pieces fell into place, George realised that she had always been beautiful. When they’d been at Hogwarts together, he would catch himself watching her in Potions, the way her tongue would press to her top lip and a slight crease between her eyebrows as she concentrated. The way she would tilt her head back as she laughed. The little smile she had on her face when she saw one of his pranks executed perfectly. George knew he needed her in his life. 

--------------------------------------------

Continue reading on AO3 - https://archiveofourown.org/works/30327261