#also they invented romance for me at the age of 14 <3< /div> Explore tagged Tumblr posts

[roryparis]

jeff and britta are fun because they they’re both terrified of vulnerability and also hate themselves so they create these personas that they play all the time and whenever they’re around each other they turn the bluster up 1000% and also whenever one of them senses a crack in the other’s projection, they lie and do everything in their power to restore the projection, they need their lies so they need each other, they’re both their realest and fakest selves together <3

[sctumsempra]

snape asks :)

1. hot take i kind of don’t. i don’t like snily romantically and i Hate snape/any of the m*rauders. the closest would be snucius? only if i’m looking at it from a certain angle narrative wise. i’d say snape and mulciber but ive read like two things about them and it was just that quote about snape wanting lily but wanting mulciber too so. idk

2. green :) especially after he got hired on and became head of slytherin. it makes him happy to wear it to quidditch matches and see it fill the house cup counter. and he’s probably never given a shit about a color, so i think it would become his automatic response after a while

3. i have no idea. i wanna say elsa but im also not an expert so

4. i……….. dont know. prayer circle our guy got some before he croaked 🙏

5. idk about the romance but i think he loved charity and trelawney (if im allowed to spread my agenda as such) as his friends

6. latin. nerd to nerd, he learned latin. his ability to read and pronounce and understand the scientific names of the plants he uses skyrocketed and he could invent spells easier

7. trelawney

8. i mean he screams slytherin but if he were in a different one, ravenclaw

9. i have so many. i think he’s the classic intersection of victim of neglect and being really autistic so he’ll eat anything set in front of him as long as he doesn’t think about it too hard. and eating at hogwarts is easier because he doesn’t have to grocery shop, make decisions, or cook, or remember to eat. at home it’s a lot of premade things with frozen vegetables begrudgingly thrown in, protein shakes, and smoothies and it’s a miracle if he remembers to eat before seven pm. i think he really loves ice cream, and the kitchen makes sure to have it most of the time for him

10. if i’m honest, not really. i am a fucked up little blorbo apologist and will find the most miserable bitches known to humankind and adopt them as my dads and be like look at them 🥹🤲🏻 like it’s a full time job. he’s not the first and he certainly won’t be the last. i will say some other characters i like now feel very vanilla, if that makes sense, so there’s that

11. i would have to upload a 56gb gif stim board of all my favorite movie bits and i have so many book parts that have suddenly left my brain so i guess that’s a secret i’ll never tell

12. luna lovegood. i think her carefree and kind approach to the things she’s experienced that are similar to his would be good for him to experience

13. absolutely. the way he played him, the advocacy he did- it does something to my brain. and watching him start fidgeting makes me giddy

14. draught of peace LMFAO

15. reading. i think he’d like crocheting too. and a low stress cozy video game if we’re ignoring time periods

16. i have been a snape stannie since i read the books at like the age of 10. my entire family thought i was insane and weird but baby i was fucking free.

17. i think he’s just a deeply, viscerally unhappy person period, and probably moreso after joining the DEs. and i also hc that he didn’t want to join but was groomed into it, probably by lucius and narcissa. but that’s an unhinged meta post for another day

18. eyes hehehe

19. man… letting* people walk all over him. i think he should’ve been worse. i will not elaborate

20. he’s just like me in the most insane ways possible. like some things are different but to my core i feel so seen and so heard it’s unreal. also he’s fucking cool

21. i think the one where he got to show her she was a witch/he’s also magical and she’s not a freak probably. or getting his hogwarts acceptance letter

22. no. homegirl left him for “better” people and laughed when he got assaulted and said he should be grateful and- i could go on.

23. idk??? i just mentally imagine him in a barista™️ outfit like black turtleneck black jeans and then has his robes over that but that’s just me

24. i think his dad did enough of that for him <3 love and light. serious addendum, i think his taking on the spy position and letting everyone treat him how they wanted (see also: like shit) etc were probably forms of self harm

25. the doctor has been my SpIn since the age of three and snape is getting scarily close to being solidified in the hall of fame with them. i think if i start imagining snape in the tardis with twelve in particular it will send me into a spiral but i think once they worked past the overlying asshole to asshole head butting they’d be besties

26. gothic lit babyyyyy

27. no. maybe up until a certain age until he realized she was just the inactive abuser to his fathers active one.

28. YES. GOD. and not to be deluded but i think he’d appreciate my barista engrained meticulousness and mentally ill need to be clean so we’d have at least an understanding.

29. simple and dark and cozy.

30. stop letting people walk all over you. be worse

31. anxiety, depression, probably a personality disorder like bpd. you don’t go through trauma like his unscathed. not necessarily mental illness but i am so convinced he’s autistic.

32. i have no idea but i HATE the fact that his middle name is tobias. hate it. burn it with fire. i think he should just throw the whole damn thing away and not have a middle name

33. not songs but i think he’d LOVE jeff buckley, the smiths, and radiohead

34. i HATE the m*rauders ships with him. remus would be the absolute closest and it’s still a hard no. also any of the kids? y’all are fucking insane for those

35. lucius?

36. i think that he feels like shit all the time and his body lets him off the hook by never making him sick sick. like he can have three migraines a week and feel like his joints are going to fall off at any given moment but he hasn’t had the flu in a decade

37. skin, probably. the mindlessness of a five step skincare routine and it helps him relax before bed and he gets nice looking skin out of it? say less. i also think he’d like doing his nails

38. overcast and chilly but not freezing. nothing bright, nothing too extreme

39. i can’t. i can’t

40. dumbledore

41. i think he’s a huge nerd and if he gets excited about something he starts stuttering and getting really autistic about it. but he’s a fucking masterclass in masking so that’s locked away and brought out once a year like a grandmothers finest china but only for himself.

42. i don’t see how he couldn’t, man. he must’ve cried daily.

43. my favorites are that he’s trans and autistic. i love them so much. i have so many songs that remind me of him it’s… insane

44. i really love the black cloud thing he does and that suits him the best, but out of the “normal ones” i think apparating would. he’s good at sneaking, it’s nearly instantaneous, and he doesn’t have to talk to pre-travel

45. that’s a bisexual if i’ve ever seen one

46. dude none of them??? maybe remus if remus wasn’t remus

47. the points system confuses me because they go from 1 to 10 to 50 for the most random shit. although i love entertaining the headcanon that one year out of spite he just started awarding insane amounts of points to every house but gryffindor because of dumbledore’s tendency for surprise points at the end of the year

48. i don’t think i did and i don’t think i cared if he was or not 💀

49. short snape. i frothed at the mouth for an hour after finding out he’s canonically 5’9 the other day and framed it and hung it in my trans headcanon gallery

50. hell no. i frankly am surprised he didn’t quit way before but if he survived (if you listen closely you can hear me grumbling about it still) he would’ve dipped immediately without hesitation. rip severus snape you would’ve loved the “fuck them kids and fuck you too” meme

Snape asks

Do you have a snOTP? What is it?

What do you think is Snape's favourite colour and why?

Which Disney character, according to you is most like Snape?

Do you think Snape remained a virgin?

Do you think Snape ever loved anyone other than Lily, romantically or platonically?

If Snape learnt another language, which would he choose?

Which staff member do you think gets along well with Snape?

If you had to assign Snape to a house, which one would it be?

What are your personal headcanons on Snape's diet and favourite foods?

Do you think Snape's character has changed the way you think/feel about others?

Your favourite scenes with book/movie!Snape?

If you had to chose a Golden trio era student to be Snape's friend, who would it be and why?

Do you think Alan Rickman contributed to your love for Snape?

What do you think is Snape's favourite potion to prepare?

If Snape had any free time, how do you think he would spend it?

Were you ever a Snater? How and when did you become a Snover?

Do you think Snape was unhappy even after joining the DEs?

Your favourite physical feature of Snape?

According to you, what is Snape's biggest flaw?

Why do you love Snape so much?

What particular memory do you think Snape used to conjure his patronus?

Do you think Lily was a good friend to Severus?

What do you think Snape wore under his robes?

Do you think Snape ever self-harmed?

Is there any other character you love as much as Snape? Do you think they'll get along?

What genre do you think Snape preferred to read?

Do you think Snape was close to his mother?

Do you think you'd like being taught by Snape?

How do you headcanon Snape's bedroom would look like?

If you could give young Snape any advice, what would it be?

Do you think Snape had any mental illnesses? Which ones and why?

If you could change Snape's middle name to be something other than Tobias what would you choose?

Top 3 songs you think will show up in Snape's most played?

Do you have any Snape NOTPs?

Snapey BROTPs?

Did Snape get sick often? Your headcanons for when he was sick?

Snape didn't pay attention to his physical appearance, but if you had to choose a part he would take care of, which would it be?

Which type of weather does Snape prefer?

How do you think Snape spent his early childhood days?

Other than Lily, who do you think impacted Snape's life the most?

Is there a side to Snape that he hasn't let anyone see? What do you headcanon this "secret personality" to be like?

Do you think Snape cried often?

What's your favourite headcanon about Snape? Is there a movie/song/book that reminds you of Snape?

What mode of magical travel would suit Snape the best?

Your opinion on Snape's sexuality?

Which of the Marauders do you think Snape could have gotten along with?

How many points do you think Snape would've awarded during his career?

Did you feel Snape was the "good guy" even before the reveal?

Do you prefer tall!Snape or short!Snape?

Had Snape lived, would he continue teaching at Hogwarts?

Reblog and let your followers ask more about how you think of Snape :3

[itsany62]

SteveTony - Alternate Universe

Here are some Alternate Universe fics that I love. Don't forget to leave kudos and nice comments in every fic!

Food for the Heart, by LagLemon, 14 k >, Cooking, No Powers.

After being introduced to a gourmet food on a budget blog by Pepper (a gift for her elderly, cheapskate mother) Tony starts cooking again. The recipes are good, but the blog owner is even better. Still, Tony isn't so sure Captain America, the guy who runs the blog, can compete with Hot Bagboy, the gorgeous blond who works at the grocery store.

"Free to Good Home" by Captain_Panda, 7 k > words, Alternate Universe - Animals.

"Oliver and Company" AU.

There's a great big world outside the box.

But it's a dog-eat-dog world, and Tony's just one cat. Then a stray dog comes along, looking for a friend.

A Day In Principal Stark's Office, by nannersmelo, 10 k > words, Steve Single Parent, Director Tony.

Tony Stark has his hands full with not only Stark Industries, but also his beloved mother's life project: The Maria Stark Academy, and as he enters his office in order to deal with a ferocious mother whose son was apparently assaulted by one of his brightest students, he was sure this day would culminate in nothing but a heinous headache. Little did he know - he was in for one hell of a surprise.

I Am the Night by gottalovev, 6 k > words, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Vampire Tony Stark, Wizard Steve Rogers.

That's it. Tony is doomed. He rolls on his back, crosses his wings over his belly and closes his eyes. He'll await death here, misunderstood by the world to the bitter end.

C is for Calculus and Compromise, by heydoeydoey, 11 k>, Gifted AU, Post-Divorce, Angts with a Happy Ending.

Steve's just trying to give his prodigy daughter a normal childhood. Enter a meddling school administrator, Tony Stark, and too many lawyers.

tell you my love for you by jelliebean, 22 k > words, Alternate Universe - Normal High School, Based on Love Simon.

A guy at Shield High comes out on tumblr, anonymously. Tony thought he was the only gay guy on campus--not out, because of Howard--and sends him an email.

“Hey, Flying. Same here. I’ve got a secret too, and it’s like I’m hiding who I am, every day. From everyone. All the closest people to me. But I just can’t tell them. I’m gay, too. It feels like I’m putting on this mask, this shell of who I think they want me to be. Even though I don’t think my friends would judge me. I don’t know why. I just. I’ve got a secret. –Shell”

The guy seems great--amazing, even, and then Hammer has to step in and ruin it all.

Mergers & Acquisitions by Robin_tCJ, 33 k > words, Angst, sex as currency.

Steve Rogers is the CEO of the Rogers Corporation, which he built from the ground up. When he learns that Hydra International is making a bid for a hostile takeover of Stark Industries, he decides he has to do what he can to stop Hydra from overtaking the market and becoming an unstoppable, unethical conglomerate. Tony Stark asks for something Steve isn’t sure he should give, but he does it anyway – and it completely changes everything. But when Hydra keeps coming, Steve and Tony realize there’s more to this than they’d realized.

Meeting the Monsters by itsallAvengers, 23 k > words, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Creatures & Monsters.

Tony's at public school with kids his age for the first time in seventeen years, and he is determined that this year is gonna be his year. He's going to make friends. He's going to be popular. People will like him.

Unsurprisngly, none of that actually happens.

He does sort-of-maybe fall in love with a vampire in his class that everyone is terrified of, though. So... there's that.

(I Want You To See) The Darkest Side Of Me by ann2who, 45 k > words, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Alternate Universe - Fusion, Post-World War II.

In Monte Carlo, Steve meets the wealthy widower Anthony Stark. It’s love at first sight—at least for Steve—and he can’t believe his luck when Tony asks him to live at Stark Mansion, his large estate in Malibu. Never in his life had Steve thought something like this was possible… never had he been this happy. However, soon Steve realizes that Tony is still deeply troubled by the death of his first wife and haunted by the many ghosts she left behind. The longer Steve lives in her shadow, the more he understands that… He can never be what Tony’s wife had once been for him. And Tony might never truly love him.

Gift With Purchase Remix by sabrecmc, 43 k > words, Alternate Universe - No Powers, hooker Steve, Sugar Daddy.

Gift With Purchase Remix wherein Steve actually is a hooker. But for a Really Sympathetic Reason.

The Little Glass Screwdriver by ann2who, 19 k > words, Cinderella AU.

When Prince Steven is forced to find himself a bride, true love gets in the way. As the night of the grand ball unfolds, the prince meets a mysterious knight who might just change his entire life in a way he could have never imagined.

**Cinderella AU**

Covered in Lines by royal_chandler, 3 k > words, Alternate Universe - Student/Teacher, Alternate Universe - College/University, Age Difference.

He can’t lose sight of pale, deft hands that gesture on transitive verbs, an ink-stained thumb edging underneath Tony’s ribcage with an affection that can only be called dangerous.

half-wild and glimmering by deathsweetqueen , 15 k > words, Alternate Universe - Western, Prostitution.

“Give me a drink, Tasha,” Tony sighs as he lands in front of the bar. “I’ve had one hell of a day.”

Natasha raises an eyebrow. “Have you really?” she asks, loftily, sliding a tumbler of whiskey along the well-polished wood.

Tony lets his head hang, the sweat beading on the back of his neck. “You wouldn’t believe what I’ve had to put myself through today,” he sighs, wearily.

“I would not know. You will not let me work the rooms,” Natasha retorts, her voice a little strained, busying her hands in a dirty glass.

“I don’t let you work the rooms ‘cause you’re liable to kill anyone who touches ya the wrong way and we can’t lose that much of our business,” Tony reminds her, wryly amused, sipping at his whiskey. He shakes his head at the burn. “We peddle flesh, darling, not death.”

peers, fears and holiday cheers by jacobby, 24 k > words, Parent Tony Stark.

“He’s only two years older than you,” Tony finally says when the silence becomes too much to bear.

“Dad, Teddy is turning twenty-seven next year.”

“I am not dating your husband—”

“I’m not implying you are. I just want you to be...aware that he’s practically the same age as my husband.”

AKA

Tony Stark's new boyfriend is only two years older than his adult sons. Telling them is one thing, introducing them is another. What Tony doesn't expect is that the past always has a way of catching up to him, of biting him in the ass when he least expects it. Well, at least they're all together for the Holidays. What more can he ask for?

A Higher Form of War by sabrecmc, 292 k > words, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Historical Romance.

Tony is a King with a surprising number of people out to kill him. Steve and the rest of the Avengers are fighting for Pierce's rebellion and end up with Tony as their prisoner. Oops.

you can call me babe for the weekend by complicationstoo, 10 k > words, Alternate Universe - No Powers, actor Tony Stark.

Tony left his small town for Los Angeles after high school, leaving behind everything to pursue his dream. Ten years later, he comes back for the first time and finds that some things are impossible to let go of.

Lord, What Fools These Mortals Be by iam93percentstardust, 72 k > words, Alternate Universe - Theatre.

Famed director Phil Coulson brings Shakespeare’s beloved play, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, to Broadway. This production though comes with a twist: a brief but passionate love affair between the faerie king, Oberon, and his attendant, Puck. In the roles of the two star-crossed lovers, Coulson casts America’s darling Steve Rogers, fresh off his third Academy Award, and Broadway royalty, Tony Stark. Steve quickly finds himself falling for the quick-witted and sarcastic actor but Tony is dating the stage manager. Unwilling to come between the seemingly happy couple, Steve steps back but all isn’t right behind the scenes and Tony may need him when everything falls apart.

and so we rebuild by raeldaza, 26 k > words, Alternate Universe - Star Trek Fusion, Soulmates, Mutual Pining.

Sometimes, a voice whispers: you will never atone for your mistakes.

Tony believes that, believes it so strongly some days he drowns in it, but he still tries. Tries through Starfleet, tries through inventions, tries through missions. Then, one day, he meets his new Captain, and things change.

and teach this heart (how to beat with light), by starklystar, 40 k >, AU Hospital, Single parent Steve.

Eight years ago, at a funeral with a baby's cries ringing in his ears, Tony Stark decided to turn his life around. He's a genius, billionaire, philanthropist. What's so hard to adding 'doctor' to that list? And after that, it can't be that hard to add 'husband' and 'father' too, right? But the past has a way of haunting even the very best of us, and in any universe, Tony Stark and Steve Rogers have never had an easy love.

Featuring: drama, chaos, Peter's scheming, meddling friends, and doctors learning again that the heart can never be as simple as four chambers and four valves.

Catching Lightning in a Bottle by sabrecmc, 120 k > words, Alternate Universe - Sweet Home Alabama Fusion.

College student Tony meets janitor Steve at MIT and they fall blissfully in love, until Howard happens and things fall apart. One divorce paperwork snafu courtesy of the ever-helpful Jarvis, and ten years later, Tony has to get re-divorced from Steve.

This does not go as he imagines.

Or, the Sweet Home Alabama AU that no one--well, okay, a few of you--asked for.

The Night Shift by weethreequarter , 16 k > words, Alternate Universe - Hospital.

Welcome to the Emergency Department of San Antonio General where Dr. Tony Stark joins the team fresh from his most recent tour in Afghanistan and - much to the consternation of the other staff - strikes up an instant rapport with Nurse Steve Rogers. Meanwhile, new resident Bruce Banner refuses to give up on his patient, and Dr. Sharon Carter learns something from her own patients. Throw in a pissed off hospital administrator, Clint using the coffee pot as a mug again, and a major car crash and you have, well, just another night shift.

Cake It Till You Make It by ChocolateCapCookie, 10 k > words, Kid Fic, Alternate Universe - Bakery.

Steve Rogers and Tony Stark have a lot in common. They're single parents, they own rival bakeries at the center of town... and they both hate each other's guts.

When a mix-up at Peter and Morgan's school has both fathers scrambling to prove they're the better baker, they do the mature, adult thing and compete in a bake-off. Between the mixing and the creaming, the baking and the icing, Steve and Tony find that hate is actually not that far from love.

Looking for Heaven by foxxcub, 31 k > words, Alternate Universe - Regency, Marriage of Convenience.

When young Lord Anthony Stark learns Steven Rogers has enlisted in the army, he thinks he's seen the last of his tiny, headstrong, haughty stable boy. But four years later, Lord Stark gets an unexpected visit from Steve, whose mother has fallen gravely ill and into financial ruin. Even more unexpected, Steve agrees to a shocking proposal: they will marry, giving Steve the necessary funds to save his mother, and Tony the much-needed reprieve from harassing would-be suitors. It is a business arrangement, nothing more. But as time goes on and circumstances arise, Tony begins to learn that keeping his heart away from his husband is easier said than done.

just a guy, standing in front of another guy by theappleppielifestyle, 12 k > words.

“It’s not real,” Tony says, still smiling, jaw twitching with effort. “The fame. It’s - I’m just a guy."

(Or, Notting Hill AU, with a twist.)

Mother of Exiles (A Titanic AU) by BladeoftheNebula, 21 k > words, Alternate Universe - Titanic Fusion.

“You’ll never guess what just happened!” Steve said, taking a deep breath to try and calm his breathing. “I met someone. A guy from first class.”

Dublin 1912: Steve Rogers is barely making ends meet, living in the tenement slums of Dublin. But a stroke of good luck gives him and his best friend the chance to change their fortune. Two tickets to America on board the RMS Titanic.

The Devil You Know by shetlandowl, 17 k > words, Alternate Universe - Detectives, Alternate Universe - Author/Novelist.

Best selling author Tony Stark revives the bodice ripper genre for a modern audience. From frisky gay cowboys to ravenous lesbian pirate queens, he consistently delivers riveting thrillers full of romance, drama, and the filthy, unapologetically kinky sex that has become his trademark specialty.

Tony has everything a man could dream of - horny, adoring fans, and boatloads of money. Or that's what he thought, until Detective Steve Rogers walks into his life and turns it all upside down.

Bears and Mountains and Lumberjacks Oh My! by justanotherrollingstony (adoctoraday), 24 k > words, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Lumberjack Steve Rogers.

It was supposed to be easy--go meet the reclusive artist and buy some art. And then came the broken down car. And the snowstorm. And the lumberjack with a face like a greek god. So yea, Tony is stuck in a cabin in the woods with a hot lumberjack till the storm clears. Could be worse.

Series: A Furious Vexation by Annie D (scaramouche), 18 k > words, Alternate Universe - Post-Apocalypse.

A Steve/Tony post-apocalypse AU that exists pretty much just for the smut.

That Feline Beat by Tito11, 5 k > words, Alternate Universe - Animals.

Presenting Steve and Tony in the Aristocats!AU

Tony and his three kittens have been kidnapped from their fancy Upper East Side apartment while their owners are away and deposited on the mean streets of Harlem. Unsure of where they are or how to get back home, they'll have to rely on street cat Steve to guide them. Will they get home safely? Will Tony's fear of abandonment cause him to drive away the best tomcat he's ever known? Only time will tell.

do you fondue? by calciseptine, 16 k > words, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting.

Tony has done crazy things in the name of food, but falling in love with Steve Rogers really takes the cake.

a glimpse of heaven's love by parkrstark, 13 k> words, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Terminal Illnesses.

The child begins to empty his pockets. He starts to count coins on the counter. Tony huffs a little impatiently as he realizes most of them are pennies.

The cashier actually humors the kid and counts along with him. They reach 3 dollars and 54 cents before he shakes his head sadly. "Sorry, kid. There's not enough here."

The kid sounds close to crying. "I need these paints for my Papa. It's Christmas Eve and these...he doesn't have any. The doctors said he doesn't have long. I want him to have these. In case he meets Jesus tonight, I want him to paint one more time. Please."

Tony takes a step forward, arms still full of toys he's buying just because. He can cover this child's gift for his dying father. Money. Money is what he's good for.

"I'll buy them."

--

Or, the Christmas Shoes AU no one but me asked for.

If you survive first impressions, you're good to go by itsallAvengers, 3 k > words, Parent Tony Stark, Alternate Universe - No Powers.

The first time Peter Parker-Stark sees Steve Rogers, he may or may not be standing in direct path of the man's motorcycle.

His daddy is really not going to be happy about that one.

A Rat-ional Conclusion by BladeoftheNebula, 6 k > words, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Alternate Universe - Veterinarians, Parent Tony Stark.

He had a strong flurry of patients throughout the morning and by the time it rolled around to noon, he was just about worn out.

He walked out into the reception, stretching until he felt a satisfying pop. “Are we done?”

Bucky checked the screen. “Just about. One more before lunch - a rat, singular.”

Steve breathed a sigh of relief. Hopefully straight forward then. “Great, let me know when they-”

He was interrupted by the bell over the door and looked up to see a little girl cradling a small animal carrier, being shepherded through the door by easily one of the hottest men he’d ever seen in real life.

Oh wow.

Tidal Pull by sabrecmc, 97 k > words, Octopus Tony Stark, Alternate Universe - Shipwrecked.

After the American Civil War, Union soldier Steve Rogers takes a chance on an opportunity to sail with the Stark Trading Company down in the Caribbean. During a terrible storm, his ship is lost. To his surprise, he survives, and ends up stranded on an island that isn't quite as deserted as he first thinks.

Or, a reverse Little Mermaid tale where Steve has to fall for the fish-man.

Twelve Days by elysianprince, 22 k > words, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Alternate Universe - Ghosts.

In which Tony finds himself in a town that looks like it crawled out of a Hallmark Christmas movie, trying to sell an inn he didn't know he owned, all while dealing with Steve Rogers, the resident ghost who has returned to haunt the inn each December during the twelve days of Christmas for the past seventy years. Tony has only one logical solution that benefits them both: break the curse that binds him - but falling for a man almost a century old wasn't among his plans.

She kissed me by S_Horne, 1 k > words, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Howard Stark's A+ Parenting.

“Your mom kissed me.”

Steve blinked awake and lifted his head from his pillow to look over at the silhouette in the doorway. “What?”

“Your mom,” Tony reiterated. “She kissed me.”

“Yeah,” Steve said simply, “she does that.”

[gilly-bj]

Rivamika: age issues

“It’s pedophilia!”

“She’s 15 and he’s 40!”

“He could be her father!”

How many times did we hear that? Well, too many. Indeed, that’s haters’ second favorite negative argument which they like to use against our ship, after “It’s incest!!”. Some of them probably don’t even know what they’re talking about, they just follow what the others say thinking that it’s sensible. Well, it isn’t. Here I want to dispel this myth with you.

I bet that since you ship Rivamika, you already know that it’s a totally fine couple, but some people, who are also part of RM fandom, are a bit confused about Levi’s age, so we’ll talk about it too. Now, let’s start.

In this post you can find:

• Their exact ages and the age gap

• Why Rivamika isn’t pedophilia

• It’s age gap a problem in couples?

The subheadings are written in their own special colour, so if you’re not interested in one of them, it will be easier to find the other.

• Their exact ages and the age gap

Levi’s age is a mystery; many doesn’t know it, many think he’s 40, many that he’s 35, and others doesn’t care at all. Actually, his exact age is unknown, but our dear Isayama gave us some informations who give us the idea of how old Levi is.

Back to 2016 [from chapter 19 to 21 (japanese language)], the Japanese voice actors of Mikasa, Eren and Armin made an appearance at the Universal Studio Japan’s SNK THE REAL exhibition with Hajime Isayama. During an interview, a fan asked to Isayama Levi’s real age (He said that it isn’t important for the story, but he is more older than what it seems), and he answered he’s in his late-thirties. Then, Isayama corrected his mistake and said that Levi is in his early-thirties.

I did some researches and with the term “early- thirties”, you indicate someone between 30 and 33 years old, with “mid-thirties” instead between 34-36 and “late-thirties” between 37-39. So, if Levi was 30 during season 1, 2, 3, now he’s 34, if he was 31, now he’s 35, if he was 32 now he’s 36 and if he was 33 now he’s 37.

Mikasa was confirmed to be 15-16 before the timeskip so now she is 19-20. Knowing this, we can calculate their age gap:

(Sorry If it’s a but messed up)

I consider Levi 34, so their age gap is of 14-15 years.

• Why Rivamika isn’t pedophilia

I think it’s not that difficult to understand that it isn’t, but since haters are a bit crazy, we’ll talk about it. So, for the law, Mikasa is not a minor anymore because she’s 19-20, so a relationship between her and Levi would be considered legal, end of the discussion. But I won’t stop here.

What’s pedophilia?

Actually, 15yso Mikasa with Levi wouldn’t have been pedophilia, SCIENTIFICALLY, but obviously for us a relationship between a minor and an adult it’s disgusting. It all depends on the historical period we are living in; ever since we were kids, our parents teached us that grown people who are interested in children are dangerous and that we have to stay away from them. But the law was different centeuries ago, and I know that it’s difficult to imagine a society where it’s legal to have a romance between teens and adults, but remember that the world we are living in it’s way different from the past one.

But when is AOT set? Well, I think that there’s not an actual year who matches perfectly with ours. We can say that it’s after the discovery of America in 1492 because they eat potatoes, which were imported by American colonies. They have also dirigibles, who was invented in the 19s, but they still move on carts and car were invented in 1886. Another thing, they communicate with letters, so no phones yet, and phone was invented in 1876. Like I already said, for me that’s not an year who corrisponds perfectly to our calendar, so the range of my analysis it’s quite huge.

According to my researches, many girls, even younger than Mikasa, got married with older men in the nineteenth century; in America, many believed that marriage could transform a child into a wife who was legally and socially an adult because of marriage. Her marital status trumped her chronological age. In Great Britain, the minimum age at which marriage was permitted (with parental consent) was 12 for a girl and 14 for a boy. Since usually women didn’t have many options for their future (the works which were permitted for them weren’t many, and they weren’t well payed), it was convenient to get married with a man they didn’t even know; men’s salaries were higher so they could support them economically. Actually, Mikasa could have been considered old according to the usual age of marriage.

And another thing, do you think that in AOT’s world, with titans who eat people, they care about age? no. Falling in love is probably considered a gift from heaven, something special who can make people smile in a such difficult period, and they don’t pay that much attention to age. I know that for us a relationship between an adult and a teen is creepy, but remember that for them it’s a miracle to be alive at the end of the day.

• Is age gap a problem in couples?

I think it’s a completely subjective thing. Google can’t give you the right answer this time; we’re all different in the world, so for some people it would be a problem, and for some no. It depends. Anyway, I want to list some famous couples with age gaps:

I hope you liked this post guys!! I wanted to post it two weeks ago but I don’t know why I didn’t 😂

I’m working on another post right know and it’s taking very much time, I hope I’ll post in before the end of the month.

Tell me what do you think about this!!!! 💜💜💜

[sanchoyo]

danny phantom season 2, eps 1-5 thoughts! opening the new season with episodes like these kinda blew me away. we had multiple serious episodes INCLUDING a two parter!! also, valerie :)

see prev episode thoughts in this tag <3

-I don't know what I expected s2 to open with. but danny portal incident in more detail was not it. (also, I hate to break it to you, sam, but danny's parent's bigass ghost hunting rv def chugs more gas than those vehicles, lmao. unless it runs on ectoplasm or something...)

-WHY WAS DESIREE IN THE SEWER? HAVING TEA WITH IT DOWN THERE?? Her making the giant cow come alive is a boss move, we've almost had all of my fav animals as ghosts now <3 I also don't like how sam was expecting danny to just, haunt the place so the cars wouldn't get sold? I KNOWWW I know she's 14 (and I had a very annoying phase like this, I think I mentioned in a previous post, I GET IT) but they're HIS powers, and messing with (1) dealership will not really put a dent in sales overall because they can just move the cars to another sales lot, and it certainly wont change the industry anyway, it's more of a minor annoyance for (1) location. Also, usually people who work at car sales places work on commission, so if they dont make a sale, they don't have money to pay bills, or eat. sam baby if u wanna be an activist you need to like, actually look into these things. with as much money as her parents have, she could be doing a lot..more useful things for causes she cares about? it's frustrating to see someone with resources who doesn't know how to use them. but shes 14 so again. cannot be really upset :/

-IS THIS A PREDATOR VS TERMINATOR VS FREDDY KRUEGER MOVIE BUT THEYRE ALL WOMEN?? you know, sam is so right to be excited about this. /I/ want to see this movie. that rules

-paulina inviting danny and friends to her quinceañera, aw! even if it is just to get phantom to show up :') and there'll be a meteor shower, and we KNOW danny wants to be an astronaut!! there's not a meteor shower every night!! the tickets are non-refundable, but..she's rich? like. gotta agree with danny, they never get invited!! I KNOW it's the principle of keeping promises, but if she was that upset, she should've said something. directly. I hated how she was like, passive aggressive about it through the episode, like you SAID IT WAS FINE, THAT YOU'D GO TO THE PARTY TOO. MOVIES SHOW FOR A FEW WEEKS IN THEATERS. IF YOU HAD A REAL PROBLEM YOU NEED TO TALK ABOUT IT. WE'VE HAD THIS PROBLEM BEFORE, SAM. YOUR FRIENDS. ARE NOT. MIND READERS.

-MR. LANCER GOING AFTER THE GHOST WITH THE FIRE EXTINGISHER LMAO

-this outfit is everything . anytime the show does an over the top cutesty pink outfit i WANT IT. it looks like shit I wear JKASDHF I HAVE a bow like that and a pink sweater. I need leg warmers </3

-SAMS GOTTA RE-HALF-KILL HIM??? thats fucked up. but also, he finally got his logo!! it took until s2!!! this episode was lowkey very fucked and I felt like it glossed over a lot. does sam have guilt about like. kinda KILLING HIM?? I know, he also agreed and walked into the portal. but. she made the choice to redo it SO quickly (even if it was because someone had to beat desiree) and danny, during their fight, brought up a lot of stuff sam's done in the past, meaning he was holding onto those memories and resentment was building. (I KEEP SAYING HE LOWKEY NEEDS THERAPY, BUT I THINK MOST EVERYONE IN THIS SHOW KINDA DOES) which...is a red flag? and then they didnt even GO to the party URGH I know she tried to make up for it, but it really felt like Sam fucked up and barely faced any consequences and got everything she wanted in the end. I KNOW it's a kids show obv they aren't going to go too in depth, and she undid the damage, kinda, but...I DUNNO how to articulate it but it rubbed me the wrong way.

-but on a note about desiree, her powers of wishes were STRONG ENOUGH TO ERASE NOT JUST THEIR MEMORIES, BUT DANNY'S POWERS?! fuck, if I was danny I'd be like, trying to make friends with her. I know they always have horrible side effects as most genie-granted wishes do, but...c'mon, I'd at least TRY to be like 'I wish no ghosts would hurt anyone in my town' or 'I wish vlad would lose his ghost powers forever no matter What and also forget about my mom' LIKE. SHIT DESIREE IS SO POWERFUL. rewriting reality powerful, basically!! appreciate her. respect her.

-aww, sam helping tucker pass the nurse's office so he wouldn't see because he's afraid of medical stuff? very sweet. I also don't like medical stuff, I've gotten a lot better at handling it tho. but seeing blood and needles still makes me feel lightheaded x_x

-FOLEY, BY TUCKER FOLEY. I want to make my own perfume, that's so cool. even if his first attempt isn't good, he's pretty consistently shown to have an inventor/entrepreneur streak in the show, so like. I can see him inventing or making something (or several somethings) that make him $$$ when he grows up :) proud of my creative son

-I know the 'creepy abandoned hospital on the edge of town' is a joke and the creepy hospital trope is so Worn Out, but in my town we actually DO have a hospital like that! my dad was born in it, but its not in use and hasn't been for, like, 20 years! it needs to be torn down but I think the city doesn't wanna pay the money. the inside is horrible, spray painted and broken glass and shit everywhere. but there's still like, rusty equipment and fucking DOLLS all over the place. the cops drive by it pretty frequently to make sure no one is like, breaking in. (because of water damage, some of the areas really aren't safe. also, asbestos, but people still go in anyway) but also, some of my town was used in a filming for a stephen king show. So it's lowkey spooky all over. just a fun personal tidbit :) to lead into saying, any hospital abandoned for any period of time is NOT safe to quarantine these kids in JKSAHDKF like I KNOW it's a ghost trying to do this, but NONE of these parents are even like, 'well, why dont we keep them in the regular, working hospital'....YIKES. this hospital looks pretty accurate to the one in town. grungy and spooky.

-fentons are tax evaders confirmed by jack's fear of being audited, lol no one is surprised

-ghost sickness via ghost bugs. horrifying concept. I actually expected it to be a new villain, not dr. spectra again! this is a very elaborate scheme. her new form rules, love the new costume. the way none of the bg kids seem to recognize her as their old school councilor. did we just forget about that completely?

-dash watching romance movies in the fucked up ghost hospital. same.

-'oh please, you're ghosts, do you have any idea what YOU smell like?' no, tucker, what DO ghosts smell like? I genuinely didn't know they would even have a smell, I actually want to know now.

-it feels like a while since we've seen jazz!! i was happy to see her again, even if she was a head in a jar for most the episode. I want another jazz-focused ep!!

-we finally see danny doing space-related stuff!! him and his friends stargazing to open ep 3 of s2. cute :) until, GHOST PIRATES!!!!! ...ghost pirate captain is a small child?? VOICED BY TAYLOR LAUTNER???

-oh, the easy listening is ember's song instrumental slowed. 'vapor drone' THEY VAPORWAVED HER!!! ember in a pirate outfit tho >>>>. and the cruise being called m.bersback JKASDHJK. ember adopting a little pirate brother is also pretty cute. concerning this teen and little kid have such bad opinions of adults, like, who hurt you?? (how did you DIE ALSO?? im always lowkey curious about that. we know desiree died at an old age, but her ghost form is young, probably mid-20s, so I wonder how that sort of thing works...its a more mental thing, isn't it?) but ghost team-ups are always cool to see, even if ember bailed after danny took her guitar. I guess she probably thinks youngblood can handle it (which, he's been owning danny this far in the ep, so...fair)

-tucker got that sponsorship from nasty burger for their radio!!! again, opportunistic money maker king, love to see it!!!

-danny taking control of the kids SO FAST. he makes a pretty great leader. no one is surprised, im pretty sure I said I think he's the most mature of the trio, once again, correct, because he's taken on so much responsibility already. all the teens suiting up in the jumpsuits to go save the adults and taking the ship over with a BLIMP. OKAY LETS GO. this feels like it should be a mid finale or straight up finale.

-...speaking of finales. why is ep 4-5 of s2 combined into a 50 minute episode? I havent even clicked play and im concerned. weird placement, like, this season JUST started and we're getting a two parter? okay...why are the episodes placed like this? why not put this at episode 10 or something, for a mid-season thing?

-this is also a cute dress. possibly my fav dress so far. can her parents give ME cute dresses, I'LL wear them.

-it turns out the castle fright knight was in is called pariah's keep and there's something worse than fright knight in there! lovely! fuck off vlad wtf are you doing <3 your hubris <3 is going to literally get you killed <3 'ring of rage' and 'crown of fire' are great names tho. ...vlad turning into a super polite guy when he was scared of mr. pariah was hilarious. and fright knight doing the same...I mean, it makes sense, he's a knight, he serves a king? happy to see fright knight again either way :) vlad telling him to call him tho, lmfao. you WISH HE WOULD. (I wish hed call me, too. 😔)

-so...jack being genuinely concerned about vlad...maddie really didn't tell him what happened at the cabin, did she. damn. if I was her id immediately come home and be like 'YOU WONT BELIEVE THIS SHITTTT THIS CREEPY GUY--' like, I feel like that stuff you need to tell your partner!!! I know she didnt want Jack to think she was an irresponsible parent putting danny in danger at that time, but STILLLL. maddie spilling boiling tea on him. get his ass. how is jack this oblivious to his wife's discomfort with vlad!! ughhh

-fenton wipe (tm). trademarked toilet paper.

-DANNY AND VALERIE BEING FRIENDS??? :D that was a cute moment. 'hey val <3' and 'if you like him like him, make a move, or someone else will ;)' at sam...damn!! I love her. valerie go for it girl!!! I hate how sam and tucker treat val also, like I GET IT YOURE PROTECTIVE AND DONT TRUST but if anything him befriending valerie will help when she finds out or he tells her like I feel like she'll be more understanding that they think! ALSO I feel like her reason for not liking ghosts is valid, like you haven't really explained the full story to her anyway! she doesn't seem to have any other friends after being booted from the a-listers so im like :( but seeing them kick butt together again was nice <3

-the ghosts all RUNNING FROM PARIAH DARK IS NOT GOOD, I thought he sent them to attack or something, but no. why doesn't someone just tell desiree 'hey i wish pariah dark would die' lol. once again I think she can solve every problem <3 but seeing all the enemies in one place, being civil and hiding together? love it.

-you just know danny's gonna have to clean up vlad's stupid mess. also, jack being willing to put on the ectoskeleton pants to help maddie, as soon as vlad heard it could kill him, he suggested jack do it instead of helping maddie himself? this is why jack got the girl, my man.

-ghost skeletons. how do you end up as a skeleton ghost in your afterlife instead of a humanoid like most the ones we've seen? lmao

-the ghosts just making new homes in various stores. I'd totally be setting up in an expensive clothing store if I was a ghost.

-valerie's dad is possibly the most useful adult so far, with that ghost shield expansion!!! and valerie saving vlad and danny, even tho shes been thru it already, shes still so good!!! this family rules.

-danny: *gently caresses valerie* :)

-*then he immediately TELLS HER DAD ON HER. and his first response is 'are you okay?' :'( such a good dad...

-*me every time fright knight breathes* youre doing SO great sweetie :)

-the fenton suit thing is so silly looking. does anyone take this thing seriously

-ALL THE GHOSTS FIGHTING WITH DANNY <3 AAAAA. and the fact that pariah isn't perma-defeated, but just locked away again. yikes. he'll probably get out again, won't he? it wasn't too clear, but if vlad DID make a pact with fright knight, I am rabid. I will beat vlad to death with the fenton bat (tm). YOU DONT DESERVE A COOL KNIGHT.

-valerie being direct with sam and challenging her? kinda love that, even tho I normally don't like 'catfight' type situations. because sam has been very passive aggressive about it which is annoying. valerie knows wtf she wants and wasn't even embarrassed to tell sam, but she did tell her, giving sam time to make her own move! and sam denied it and got embarrassed/mad! and sam did have a chance when danny was about to go off and fight, and she hesitated and didn't tell him. I feel like she's hesitating because they're friends and it might make it weird between the trio (poor tucker would be third-wheeling) but if u snooze u lose, u gotta GO after what u WANT girl. smh this is a No Tsundere Zone. 😤

[furubabes]

Okay. Somebody Asked. @shoujobell and @cryptidaicat, y’all encouraged this. I’m gonna tag this #long post if you wanna filter.

So here. I got the urge to write and so I ranked the Fruits Basket couples from my favorite to least favorite. These aren’t my complete thoughts because I could honestly do multiple full meta posts on each pairing, but I tried to justify and explain all my choices. Standard disclaimer, this is subjective and we can agree to disagree.

Part 1: Just the reasonably popular ones

1. Kyoru: Someone’s gonna call me unoriginal for this but it’s fine. Kyoru is the main romance of Fruits Basket! They bring out the best in each other and build each other up as characters. Kyoru is basically my gold standard take on Sunshine Girl x Grouchy Dude, and I’m not even usually into that trope otherwise. Their romance is one of the few that feels so genuinely necessary to the story. They love each other and like each other. Kyo understands Tohru in a way no one else in the narrative does, and vice versa. They’re in love like soulmates and also like awkward teenagers. Kyoru invented romance. If it’s boring to like healthy romances with realistic development, I’ll be boring.

2. Tohrin: If Tohru didn’t end up with Kyo I would only want her to be with Rin. I guess they have some of the same appeal as Kyoru for me - Rin reads Tohru in a way a lot of people don’t. I also like how honest and raw they are with each other. They yell! They fight! Rin is down to just straight up knock Tohru over to keep her from rushing off. Also, they’re both absolute fashion icons. Goth x Prep rights. I firmly believe Tohru Honda is bisexual.

3. Yukeru: This is my favorite Yuki pairing. I followed @yunsoh way back when the reboot first started and her blog has got me absolutely hooked on Yukeru. I think Yuki’s arc would have just made a ridiculous amount of sense if he was gay. It screams comphet. Kakeru is an excellent complement to Yuki, and their bond feels incredibly natural. Honestly I feel like it’s the most organic romantic development outside of Kyoru. I think realistically they wouldn’t have gotten together until post-canon and frankly Yuki shines in his friendships much more than romances, so I’m not absolutely dying for them to be together, but if Yuki’s going to date anyone Kakeru is my pick.

4. Arisaki: Man... I just like them. They strike me as less of an epic love and more of a comfortable partnership. I also read them both as lesbians anyway lol. Honestly I think they both had feelings for Tohru at one point and bonded over it. The way I picture them happening is honestly just Arisa at 25 frantically googling “is it gay to hold hands with my girl roommate who I spend all my time with and also we never date men“ because Saki bought them rings that look like wedding bands but they could just be super close friendship rings and oh god she’s in too deep. They’re dating for four years before they notice.

5. AyaMine: But Jessie! You literally never post about this pairing! Yeah, you’re right. I never think about them actively. But when ranking the canon ships I realized that I like the two of them together because they’re chill and understated. They’re huge loud personalities on their own but as a couple, they just feel like two people who are happy together and like spending time with one another. No drama, no mess, very understated. No plot contrivances driving their relationship. Good for them.

6. YukiKyo: Okay, so I can be convinced to put on my YukiKyo goggles more often than not. It feels iffy because there’s debate about how closely related all the Sohmas are and these two are called “cousins” a lot in school, but since half of the Sohmas are dating each other anyway, I err on the side of them being more of a clan than a proper blood family. Anyway, YukiKyo is my designated angst fuel. I think it would realistically be pretty one-sided from Yuki’s side, since we see him wanting Kyo’s approval from a very young age, but I like exploring the what-ifs of their lives if they’d been friends instead of rivals. In canon, I like to think that after high school they’re not best friends in the traditional sense, but either one could show up with a dead body and the other would help them bury it, no questions asked.

7. Yuchi: Really? Yuki’s wife is my third favorite pairing for him? Look, I adore Machi, and I still like Yuchi. But as I’ve been watching the reboot and reading others’ metas, I think I agree that their relationship could have been very powerful as a platonic one, sort of running parallel to Yuki and Tohru. I like them together but I think there wasn’t quite time for a complete character arc for Machi and her growth sort of begins and ends with Yuki. I don’t object to them being a couple in canon and I think they’re genuinely very sweet, but once again, I think Yuki stands out in his friendships more than anything. I would have liked to see Machi strike out on her own a little more.

8. Haru x Yuki: I don’t have any particular feelings towards them but I love their dynamic already and I think as a couple they’d both be really easygoing and comfortable with each other. I think a childhood crush turned close friendship is honestly the narrative that works best for them so I have no need for the two to date canonically, but every time they interact in the anime it gets a laugh out of me. They’re cool. They’d make a very pretty pair.

9. Mayutori: I’m Mayutori-neutral. I think they suffer from Fruits Basket’s pair the spare syndrome, but out of the side pairings that don’t have too much impact, they’re one I enjoy. Mayu’s fun as a character, and painfully relatable, and I like that Hatori’s eventual romance isn’t with someone who reminds him of Kana or something like that. I also want good things for Hatori. Mayutori has serious heterosexual energy though. I’m not saying this as a pro or con, they’re just very straight.

10. Hatsuzu: Okay, Haru and Rin aren’t this far down because I hate them. I’m perfectly fine with them being together in canon. But I think their romance almost... functions better as individual motivation for their character arcs than it does as an actual relationship, if that makes sense? Rin’s backstory episode is heartbreaking and her motivation to protect Haru is compelling and sympathetic, but their actual scenes together just don’t move me that much. Their romance is the least interesting part of either character for me.

11. Hiro x Kisa: Yeah I never got into it that much. It’s cute, it’s a sweet depiction of childhood crushes, but I’m not a fan of the idea of them ending up together. Kisa’s a cutie and Hiro is entertaining but the two of them together don’t actually do much for me. The dynamic between them is almost like if someone did Kyoru with none of the nuance. Ultimately though, they’re kids. I don’t expect them to have a deep and complex romance.

12. Yukiru: I think it would be a disservice to their characters if they were a couple. People far more eloquent than me have already written plenty of meta on why Yuki and Tohru aren’t what the other needs romantically, so I won’t get into it, but basically I just think their canon friendship is so beautiful and meaningful that I wouldn’t want to change it. Yuki and Tohru support my thesis that not all soulmates are romantic.

13. Tohru x Momiji: Welcome to the subjective dislike corner! This pairing is reasonably popular among people theorizing who Tohru would be with if not Kyo, but for some reason it just sits poorly with me. I can’t rank it any lower because there’s nothing evil or morally wrong about it! I just really don’t like it. I’ve quit a few fics because this pairing came up and I just can’t enjoy it.

14. Kakeru x Komaki: Idk, I just think Kakeru latching onto the one girl who was nice to him and put up with his bullshit and then being with her forever isn’t compelling. Komaki’s also probably his beard. She’s likable as an individual though.

15. Akigure: There’s plenty to say about the age gap, Shigure being in love with Akito since she was a fetus because of The Dream, the implications of a 15-18 year old knowing he’d one day want to be with a then-10-year-old... yeah, you get it. But even if I was able to put all that aside because Soulmate Destiny Logic, I still don’t think I’d like Akigure. I think they’re interesting as bitter, codependent exes, but I don’t like the idea of Akito ending up with anyone who she abused or who abused her. I think she has so much growing to do as a character and staying in a relationship within the Sohma family to do it can’t be healthy for her. I can’t see them living happily ever after, nor do I really want to.

16. Kurisa: I think what frustrates me the most here is that I want to like Kureno and everything about this romance is written to dull his most interesting traits. First of all, the age gap. Yeah, it’s gross, I don’t like it. But even past that, the love at first sight, instant fixation with each other, and lack of actual chemistry just kills me. Arisa’s stated reason to like Kureno is that he reminds her of Tohru, basically piggybacking off the chemistry she and Tohru already have, and his total lack of agency means the plot just sort of carries him along. It frustrates me that Takaya could have done something pretty cool by making them simply friends who have a chance encounter and then build a friendship from there that parallels Kureno’s abusive dynamic with Akito. It would be neat if a stranger’s kindness was the push Kureno needed to get himself out of the Sohmas’ grasp, without all the nonsensical drama about them being in love. It would also be less of a disservice to Arisa, who basically just spends the whole series pining for Kureno after they meet and I hate it. I could write a whole post about this. Maybe I will sometime.

17. Kyoko x Katsuya: I don’t think their story is romantic. I think it’s tragic for Kyoko, and if it were framed that way within the narrative, I wouldn’t object so much to its existence. But... Takaya just really likes age gaps with a younger woman and an older man, so the narrative romanticizes this man marrying his student. Katsuya can be depicted as well-meaning as you want, but he’s still got a ridiculous amount of power over Kyoko. She was also still pretty young when she had Tohru, which doesn’t make things any better because it’s clear that the relationship turned physical when Kyoko was a teen, thus dashing the idea of Katsuya legally marrying her to save her but not actually doing anything creepy. I wish Fruits Basket framed this as a story of Kyoko escaping one dangerous situation by entering a relationship with a huge power imbalance, because that happens to girls all the time and it’s tragic and compelling. The events of the story could stay the exact same and if the framing changed I would be fine with it. But this is not that. This is just a really romanticized teacher/student age gap. I’m not into it.

Part 2: Rarepairs, weird shit, and others (oh my!)

1. Yuki x Kakeru x Kimi: OT3. I’m enamored with the idea of this hot mess polycule.

2. Momiji x Kimi: Chaos meets chaos. This couple would say uwu without any irony and also steal your car keys. They’re both perceptive and smart hidden under a layer of cute and I’d wanna watch them play 4D chess with each other.

3. Kazuma x Kunimitsu: Idk how old Kunimitsu is so if he’s like 20, strike this one from the record. But I saw one post once that was like Kyo slowly realizing Kazuma and Kunimitsu were gay and had been dating for years and it was funny as hell.

4. AyaTori: It’s cute. Opposites attract, black and white hair, and Aya only listens to Hatori anyway. It’s just fun to think about.

5. Megumi x Hiro: They don’t interact in canon I just think Goth x Punk-Ass Bitch is a great concept.

6. Motoko x Nao: They’re both loud as hell and Nao having a gf that towers over him is funny. Maybe Yuki would finally get some peace.

7. Machi x Kimi: I don’t see them actually being compatible in canon but I think they could have a really homoerotic college friendship.

8. Hajime x Mutsuki: This is just YukiKyo, the non angst version.

9. Akito x Hanajima: I’m so wary of shipping Akito with anyone but this is kind of fun. The two are friends in canon and Hana isn’t remotely afraid of Akito. Plus Akito never abused Hana. I can sort of see it.

10. Hiroshi x Yusuke: Makes no sense, wouldn’t be relevant, but if those two just never spent any time apart and continued being a pair for life it would be a really good bit.

11. Akitohru: I don’t think it’s healthy to date anyone who’s previously stabbed you.

12. Kazuma x Hanajima: Stop. Go to jail. Hana’s one-sided crush is funny though.

[winryofresembool]

Things We Lost in the Fire, ch 14

aka Caleo uni au

Fic summary: Calypso starts studying at a new university, but to her annoyance her new flatmate is a loud mouthed mechanic who also likes to sneak his dog in whenever. But as she learns to know him better, she realizes they might have more in common than what she first thought. Eventually, even the darkest secrets come out…

Chapter summary: Leo's fear raises its head at the worst possible moment.

A/N: Finally some (slight) drama after I've drowned all of you in fluff in the previous chapters. Also, it was pretty exciting for me to finally get to explore Leo's studying life a bit more in this chapter.

I also want to take this opportunity to advertise a future fic of mine that I /hope/ to finish by the end of this week. The past week I've been working on a post ToN Caleo one-shot which is already over 4000 words long and at this point mainly needs some heavy editing to be posted. So stay tuned for that too if you like this ship!

Big big thanks to Cris for helping me a whole lot with this chapter! I really needed your science knowledge :’)

I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! And remember that comments are the only reward I get so they would be much, much appreciated!!

Characters in this ch: Calypso, Leo. Jason, Percy, Annabeth

Words: 3000+

Genre: romance & hurt/comfort

Warnings: none

previous chapter / next chapter / AO3

...

“Mister Valdez? Are you listening?”

Leo snapped out of his daze. He was at his engineering math class and for the past 15 minutes the professor had been explaining to the group a problem that had taken Leo about 2-3 minutes to solve. Usually he did something else while listening to his professors; finish more calculations (sometimes even ones they weren’t assigned to do), doodle blueprints and ideas for future inventions into his notebook, write down a new joke he had come up with, or text Jason that he was bored. Weirdly enough, doing all that other stuff helped him to focus on what was going on in the lecture.

However, this time his mind was elsewhere; it kept showing him images of a girl with shoulder length reddish brown hair, dark brown eyes that seemed a bit harsh at first but softened when she laughed at his joke, a couple of freckles on her light skin… He could also hear her laughter and smell the cinnamon scent that probably came from the shampoo she used in his head. The previous evening had gone so well but he had no idea what to make of it; even if he did like Calypso (which he wasn’t quite ready to admit yet), could anything ever happen? They were flatmates. Things would sure get complicated if they got together and then broke up and would barely stand each other’s company… Besides, who was to say she’d ever like him? Sure, sometimes she seemed amused by his jokes but what other reasons did he give for her to like him? Not much, he felt.

Leo started to get frustrated because he couldn’t get those thoughts out of his head and he might have started to growl to himself if the professor hadn’t called him at that exact moment.

“Yes?” Leo answered unsurely, not having heard what the professor had asked.

“Good. Then you can tell me what the solution to this problem is.” The professor pointed at the long and complicated looking problem on the whiteboard.

Leo sighed of relief on the inside. They were still talking about the same problem that he had solved over 10 minutes ago. He could do this.

“X is 3,65, Y is 5,51 and Z is 7,24,” he said, sounding almost bored.

“That is correct,” the professor said, badly hiding his surprise. He had thought this kid who seemed to be living in his dream world would be utterly confused by his question. He turned his attention back to the rest of the class and continued: “Of course, the easiest way to solve this equation is to divide X with… Yes, Mister Valdez?”

“Actually, I disagree,” Leo said, now completely awake. “Why would you divide it when you can…”

“Which one of us is the professor here, Mister Valdez?” the professor cut him off. “You may think you know how to do this but there are plenty of students here who aren’t quite as advanced and that’s why it’s better to show them one way to do it rather than to confuse them by....”

“Yeah, right, my bad,” Leo said sarcastically. “If these students are so simple minded, then why don’t you give them more practical problems to solve? You know, things we might actually need in the work life instead of… that,” he pointed at the whiteboard.

A couple of people were brave enough to nod and hum in agreement to Leo’s comments but there were also a few that started laughing.

“Alright, that’s it, Mister Valdez. Leave my class.”

Leo obeyed gladly (that class was such a waste of time anyway). He packed his things and headed out of the room, grinning widely as he left to let the professor know he hadn’t won that battle. It was almost lunch time so he decided to already go to the cafeteria to wait for Jason whose class wasn’t too far either.

About 15 minutes later Jason showed up, and to Leo's surprise he also had company. Percy Jackson did occasionally join them for a game night or a sparring session but Leo almost exclusively saw him outside the university. From what he knew Percy was currently focusing on his swimming career and wasn’t studying anything. Now he had however joined Jason for lunch and that made Leo wonder if there was some specific reason for that.

“Hey, man,” Jason greeted. “You’re early today. Are they having enchiladas or something?”

“Nah,” Leo shook his head. “I may have gotten kicked out of the class.”

“What did you do this time?” Jason rolled his eyes.

“Nothing, really!” Leo exclaimed. Jason kept looking at him suspiciously, though, so he had to add eventually: “Fine, I may have disagreed with the professor about some of his methods, but really, that’s all. Didn’t blow up the lab or anything like that.”

“One time when I was in the high school I told the teacher his pants were unzipped and I wasn’t allowed to participate in his classes for a whole week after that. Didn’t miss much, though, he sucked as a teacher,” Percy joined the conversation.

“That’s exactly what I thought about this guy!” Leo said and gave Percy a high five. “Anyway, what are you doing here? I thought you’d be in the pool at this hour.”

“Just checking the places,” Percy shrugged. Leo raised his eyebrow questioningly. “Fine, Annabeth thinks that at some point I should start thinking about my career after swimming so Jason said he could show me around today so I’d get an idea what it’s like here. Oh and, he promised me a free lunch.”

“Makes sense,” Leo said while already looking at the menu eagerly. “I’d come here for a free lunch too.”

“You pay for this one, though,” Percy pointed out.

“Back to the actual topic ,” Jason said, looking at Leo a bit worriedly. “You didn’t get into big trouble with that professor, did you?”

“I think he’ll go back to ignoring me again in the next class. “ Leo replied. “So no need to worry.”

“Good. It’s just that, after that last lab incident…” Jason started, referring to an incident that had happened in the previous semester, but Leo stopped him.

“I said no need to worry,” Leo said a bit louder. “I’ve got things sorted, OK? Just… let’s go to get that damn lunch now. Chili con carne, anyone?”

In reality, Leo knew that if he skipped one more lab class, the professors wouldn’t be that understanding. The saddest part about it was that he actually enjoyed the lab classes way more than the boring theory classes because there you got to try things out with your own hands, but… there was one big but. He couldn’t be there when…

“Leo?” he heard Jason’s voice somewhere nearby

“Yeah, what’s up?”

“You were just totally zoned out, I was talking to you like a full minute and I don’t think you heard anything I said,” Jason pointed out.

“Oh, sorry. Lots going on in my mind. So, what did you say?” Leo asked.

“I was asking about when we should meet up on Saturday? I have soccer practice in the morning and Piper has a meeting with her theater group at 1 pm but we’re free after that.”

“I have to ask Cal but I think I can organize my work so I’d be free any time after 4 pm.”

“Alright, sounds fine to me,” Jason said, but Leo could sense that he was still wondering what had been bothering him that much.

“So who’s this Cal person?” Percy asked when the boys made it to the buffet tables.

“My new flatmate,” Leo said simply, currently more interested in filling his plate than elaborating on his living situation.

“OK. I was just wondering because Annabeth mentioned that she’d been at your place, and apparently she’d helped to give this flatmate of yours a makeover.”

“Oh, yeah!” Leo said, remembering that meeting quite vividly. “From what I’ve heard they’ve been hanging out quite a lot lately. That’s good because… well, she’s new here.” Leo was going to say that she doesn’t seem to have a lot of people in her life, but decided that he didn’t want to reveal too much to someone who had never even met her.

“Where is she from then?”

“I think she moved here from New York,” Leo said. “And she’s around your age. Who knows, you might even know her.”

“New York is a pretty big place,” Percy pointed out. “I guess Cal is a nickname? What’s her full name?”

Leo was going to answer when he spotted the chemistry lab professor in the crowd and he quickly hid behind Jason.

“Don’t let him see me,” Leo said hastily. “He’s gonna…”

Leo didn’t have a chance to finish his sentence when he heard the said professor say loudly: “Mister Valdez!”

Leo peeked from behind his friend.

“Hola, professor,” he said awkwardly. “Didn’t see you there.”

“Yes you did, you were just trying to hide from me. I wanted to remind you that today is the test day which is 60% of the mark. And that means that…”

“If I skip that test, I will fail the class,” Leo added, looking down at his feet. He didn’t remain like that long, though. “I’ll be there, professor.” He put up a brave face and saluted him as the professor just ‘hmmph’ed and turned away from me.

“I thought you said you have everything in order.” Jason raised his eyebrow once the boys had paid for their lunches and started to look for a table. “That didn’t seem like it.”

“Take care of your own business, Sparky,” Leo grunted and pointed at one empty table not far from them. “Let’s go there.”

“I’m serious, Leo,” Jason continued once they got seated. “Something is bothering you. We are your friends and we do care. You can trust us on this.”

Leo let Jason’s words sink in. Friends. Care. Trust. Since his mother died, he had always been the oddball, the outsider until he got a family who actually cared about him, Jo, Emmie and Georgie, but he still got a bit overwhelmed every time he realized that he really mattered to someone.

“Thanks, man.” Leo said finally. “I’ll… keep that in my mind. Promise.”

“Good.” Jason smiled at him encouragingly. “You can talk to us whenever you feel like it.”

After that the discussion moved to other things. Percy was hopeful that he was fit enough for a new record in his next competition and he didn’t forget to praise her little sister as well. Jason mentioned having seen his father at the campus but he had barely acknowledged his presence. Leo threw a few sarcastic comments here and there to let the others know he was listening. However, he had lost his appetite after hearing about the test. He had barely tasted his lunch and was now moving the rice back and forth on his plate as it got cooler. If the others noticed that, they didn’t say anything, probably thinking that it was better to let Leo open up on his own accord.

The lunch time flew by too fast for Leo’s liking. After separating from his friends he started heading towards the lab where most of the other students were already getting prepared. Taking a deep breath, he stepped in, hoping for the best.

The lab class started with a brief written test that made sure the students were ready for the practice part. This time would be particularly important, though, because it was testing them about pretty much everything they had learned so far in that class, and would be graded accordingly.

The written test caused no problem to Leo. He’d be able to name the lab tools by heart even in his sleep and the calculations weren’t much harder to him. However, he was already dreading the actual practice part for a very specific reason…

In the practice Leo would have to mix a few compounds together to get a chemical reaction. That was the simple part. But unfortunately for him, these said compounds would have to be heated in order for them to react. And of course you’d need a flame to do that. Now that was the hard part for Leo. He hated the gas burners and it had become a habit for him to skip a lab class when he knew they would be used. Unfortunately for him, that was fairly often because apparently the university’s heating plates were used by some other group at the same time, and that was also why he was about to fail this class. But if he could handle using the burner just this once, maybe he’d be fine… He knew he couldn’t afford to fail it because if he did, it might be a sign that he wouldn’t be able to do the job he was so excited about, and that would be a huge slap in his face. Maybe even bigger than he was ready to admit.

He measured the compounds and was ready to heat them when he noticed that a fellow student nearby had accidentally mistaken two of the compounds with each other, ruining the mixture. That gave him an idea.

“Pssst. I can mix a new one for you if you heat this for me.”

“What?” The other student looked at him with confusion. “Why would I do that?”

“I just told you. I can fix that for you.”

“You just want to flex with your skills, that’s all,” the guy said, knowing Leo’s reputation as the genius who however refused to join lab classes. Probably because he felt he was too good for them. “May I remind you that this is a solo practice!” the professor yelled from the front of the class. “No talking allowed.”

“Yes, professor,” Leo said quietly, but rolled his eyes at him when he turned his back. He read the instructions one more time to make sure he hadn’t missed anything and when he was double convinced that he was in the part that he had dreaded, he breathed sharply and picked up his gas burner and some matches. He felt his heart starting to race and his hands starting to shake as he took one match from the box and tried to light it.

He tried once. Twice. Took a deep breath and tried once more. At this point his hands were shaking so furiously that the match fell from his hand. Realizing that he still couldn’t do it, he made a frustrated groan, dropped the match box on the table and started shakily collecting his things.

“Mister Valdez? Did you finish your task?” The professor raised his gaze from his desk and focused on him. A few others turned to Leo’s direction as well.

“No, sir.”

“And why not?”

“I. can’t.” Leo said with a voice so deep and raw that you rarely got to hear it from him. He left his unfinished product on the professor’s desk. Then he threw his bag over his shoulder and doors banging left the class.

He didn’t make it far when he felt his knees going weak and he had to sit down on the closest chair, burying his face in his hands.

…

“Thanks so much for showing me that place! It feels so good to see some nature even this close to the city,” Calypso exclaimed happily to Annabeth as they were walking towards the dorms. Calypso loved nature and she didn’t really feel at home in the concrete jungle, hoping that one day she could afford to buy a house from the countryside. She had once mentioned that to Annabeth who also enjoyed adventuring in the less crowded areas and had promised to take Calypso to one of her favorite parks nearby. They both had had free time from their classes that afternoon so they had decided to take the advantage of that and go to explore a bit.

The park had been pretty, having a small river running through it and little trails circling the trees. Calypso, who had grown near the sea missed seeing bodies of water so even the river had made her feel a little less homesick. The girls had been there for a few hours, taking pictures and having a small picnic while talking about anything and everything that had come to their minds.

Now, unfortunately, it was time to return back to real life and the assignments that were waiting for them at home.

“No problem,” Annabeth replied to Calypso’s comment. “Honestly, I think this break was much needed. I do love architecture and history and all that but sometimes my ADHD kicks in and I just need to get out of the house.”

“Yeah, it helps to focus again afterwards,” Calypso agreed. “Hey, do you have anything special to do this weekend? Leo, I, Piper and Jason are supposed to have a video game night on Saturday and I thought I’d ask if you want to join. You can ask your boyfriend too if you want, of course! I’m sure Leo wouldn’t mind.”

“What time would it be?” Annabeth asked.

“I haven’t asked Leo yet but he does work on Saturdays so probably not very early. Sometime in the evening. I can inform you when I know more,” Calypso promised.

“Okay, I’ll keep that in my mind. My boyfriend has a swimming practice twice a day so he may not be able to join us but I might!”

“Great!”

The girls had reached the area where Calypso lived so they turned to their own directions.

“I’ll contact you!” Calypso said before Annabeth was too far to hear. She waved at her in response.

Calypso was still smiling when she entered her flat, but the smile soon melted from her face when she saw Leo hunched on the couch, looking utterly lost. Calypso approached him cautiously, asking: “What happened?”

Leo patted on the seat next to him, gesturing to her to join him on the couch. She did, but when he didn’t say anything for a while, though, Calypso decided to be bold and wrap her arm around his shoulder. Leo looked at her with dark eyes, still appreciating the gesture.

“I may have to start making new career plans.”

[cl0wnapologist]

lets get personal (but im answering now 4 funsies)

i wanted to make a question tag but feral and this is what i came up with. tag ur friends, tag ur enemies, but most importantly give me a kiss at ur earliest convenience.

1. say hi! :D (name/age/pronouns)

molly and 20 and she/her but i do not care if i am referred to w they/them pronouns either. i identify v strongly w femininity and also feel like a woman but also gender is not real and was invented by gender companies to sell more gender (and limiting something so complex to a binary scale is silly)!

2. what’s your venus sign? <3

pisces </3 absolutely disgusting the way i gobble up a mere whiff of romance

3. would you rather people perceive you as the person you present to the world or your true self? are they the same?

person i present as i guess bc if i wanted to be seen as my true self then they would be the same :) but! i think they are merging more and more everyday.  

4. what do you prioritize in your relationships—how well someone treats you or how much you like them?

i think how well someone treats me. i like most people! so ive tried to prioritize healthy and loving relationships more recently.

5. what’s the most embarrassing fanfic you’ve ever read?

during a manic episode a couple months ago i logged on here very briefly for the first time in years and it happened to be when the supernatural finale came out. i have never seen a single episode, scene, or even a clip of supernatural and know nothing about it. but a famous 100k word spn fanfic came on my dash and i read the whole thing. whole time had no idea what actor played dean and what actor played castiel. still dont know which one goes to which. thats not my business.

6. would you rather be fluent in every language or a master of every instrument? if you could only pick one of each what would it be?

language! but one of each would be french and piano :^)

7. share some of your favorite characters!

mr. darcy, grendel, pompey the clown and isabella from measure for measure, hinata from haikyuu!!, ash from banana fish, tamaki from ouran, lisa from my cousin vinny, any lesbian

8. what’s a niche interest/subject you could write a 12-page essay on?

food politics! origin of certain dishes and how every dish is a product of class, either being creative with very little or flaunting an excess of. even the method used to make different things have different meanings!

9. what are you missing the most right now?

my friends :) !

10. hottest non-human animated character? (ex. zootopia fox, ryuk from death note, aunt fanny from robots)

raven from teen titans and robin hood

11. share some of your old urls/handles/usernames (i’m looking at u, 1D insta with 70 followers from 2013)

this used to be shampainmarina which was cute; before it was marinas-supermodels-legs which was less cute and pretentiously niche of me.  oneband1dreamoned when i was 11

12. what’s a favorite physical feature of yourself? what are some favorite physical features of your friends/loved ones?

i like my eye color bc its the same as my mommy’s. jills u have the prettiest smile and freckles <3 and alyssa u have the most striking eyes :o

13. what’s a favorite personality trait of yours? of your friends/loved ones?

i like my sense of humor and being kind ! jill i think u r vey adventurous and creative and alyssa u r very dedicated and passionate ab a lot of stuff. all of my friends r funny and kind too those r staples

14. describe a recent time someone made you feel loved/valued

my mom giving me a hug and  telling me that things will be ok when i was upset a few days ago, and making soup w me the next day :)

15. what’s the most embarrassing character you’ve been attracted to?

maybe jimmy neutron mom? or teapot from beauty and the beast idk slim pickings for 6 y/o me

16. gayest thing you’ve done recently? (complimentary)

made frog cakes w fellow queers @the-bean-god @veganmilf

17. gayest thing you’ve done recently? (derogatory)

listened to man or a muppet in the dark in an empty bathtub about an hour ago 

18. what are your comfort movies/shows/books/foods?

movie is a tie between ponyo, coraline, and baz luhrmann’s 1996 romeo and juliet; show is haikyuu! and 2003 teen titans; book is grendel; food is miso soup and honey tea

19. last 5 things you looked up in your youtube search bar/history?

red swan attack on titan opening (i listened to it 30+ times yesterday @ jill its so good), guren no yumiya opening, sasageyo attack on titan (had to compare w the ones u txted me yesterday lmao), jim carey grinch monologue, titanic sinks in real time

20. should we kiss rn? :*

:o yes. even tho i made this. pemdas effect and im actually kissing all my friends rn

[buildarocketboys]

Books read 2020: Reviews (1-20)

Decided to write a little review/overview for all the books I’ve read this year. Mostly just for personal record but please feel free to message me about any of these books!

1. Amberlough by Lara Elena Donnelly (Jan 6th – Jan 13th) 8 days 400 pages

I loved this whole trilogy, but this might have been my favourite of all three. I loved the setting (the main reason, apart from the queer characters, why I wanted to read this book) which is a fantasy setting based on the dying days of Berlin during the Weimar Republic. Loved this setting (especially the cabaret/music hall part) and it’s the only book that really features it. I also enjoy (or…find compelling, enjoy might not quite be right since there’s some very ‘yowch’ descriptions regarding torture/being beaten up) the story/plot most in this one, I was on the edge of my seat wanting to know what happened next…

2. Maurice by E.M. Forster (Nov 17th – Jan 21st) 256 pages

This is the only kind of cheat I have in here, because yes I did start reading it in November 2019, but I read the vast majority of it in 2020. I’d wanted to read it for ages because it’s such a gay classic and there were many sections (sentences, paragraphs) that I related to heavily, not even always as a queer person, but in that way that the best books get at the heart of something about the human experience in a way that’s intensely relatable to the reader. I think I found the romance elements kind of anticlimactic overall but maybe that’s kind of the point? It’s a happy ending, but in a very quiet way. (I think, it has been nearly a year since I read it!)

3. East, West by Salman Rushdie (Jan 17th – Jan 24th) 8 days 224 pages

I started reading this to compare it with its Spanish translation for my Postcolonialism in Translation essay lol. Some pretty interesting stories in here, also pretty sure this is the only collection of short stories I read this year, so it has that distinction. Not super my thing but acted as an enjoyable reading break in the local park while I was slogging my way through essays (and God do I miss that life now).

4. Affinity by Sarah Waters (Jan 24th – Jan 31st) 8 days 352 pages

This was the first of three Sarah Waters books I read this year. I have now read all of her work, and I enjoyed this one a lot – very much a ghost story. It wasn’t my favourite, but definitely sits nicely in the middle.

5. The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger (Jan 31st – Feb 5th) REREAD 6 days 500 pages

Reread this while on a trip to York, when stuff like that was still possible. As good as ever. I love Time Traveler’s Wife not for the romance (which is…interesting, but personally I don’t find it exactly enjoyable and the characters aren’t particularly likable or relatable for me) but for the prose and the structure. The back-and-forth structure of the book (travelling through time, Henry – and Clare – at different points in their life) makes for a breathtakingly constructed plot and I love it more every time. Some of the prose and stuff the characters talk about are kind of pretentious but I’m kind of pretentious myself (I discovered  Rilke through TTW) and a lot of it has stuck in my brain, to the point that 10 months later I keep thinking about it and kind of want to read it yet again.

6. Armistice by Lara Elena Donnelly (Feb 5th – Feb 9th) 5 days 400 pages

I really enjoyed this sequel, I loved exploring the rest of the world, I loved the interaction between characters who either hadn’t met before, hadn’t seen each other in years (there’s a time jump between Amberlough and Armistice) and brand new characters (who were mostly equally as compelling/lovable). A worthy sequel.

7. Consider the Fork: A History of How We Cook and Eat by Bee Wilson (Feb 13th – Feb 24th) 12 days 327 pages

My thing (at least non-fiction-wise) this year has been books about food and food history, and this is the first of those on this list. It was pretty good, very interesting. I have trouble retaining information from non-fiction books so I only remember it in the broadest strokes (and remember reading it in the Hygge café in Sheffield which was really cool and I hope it’s survived the pandemic) but it was a really eye-opening look into different appliances/tools/processes/spaces used throughout history and in different parts of the world when it comes to food and cooking.

8. Bi: Notes for a Bisexual Revolution by Shiri Eisner (Feb 25th – Mar 11th) 16 days 352 pages

I read this in the period just before everything started shutting down and the day I finished it (incidentally my girlfriend’s birthday) was more or less the start of the lockdown for us, so that’s my prevailing memory of this book. It was a very good, enlightening look into bi politics and what we (I, as a white gentile especially) could do better. But again, I don’t remember it in great detail because I was more preoccupied with what was happening around it.

9. Solitaire by Alice Oseman (Mar 14th – Mar 16th) 3 days 392 pages

This was pretty good but I definitely read most YA (well, reality-based YA) as an easy, quick read that doesn’t challenge me too much, so I don’t have too much to say about it. It was nice to read about the Heartstopper characters

10. What If It’s Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera (Mar 17th – Mar 20th) 4 days 437 pages

Again, early lockdown YA so basically brain popcorn for me. That’s not a bad thing though.

11. The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters (Mar 20th – Mar 30th) 11 days 512 pages

This was my least favourite of the Sarah Waters books I read this year, and probably not coincidentally, the only book of hers without explicit queer characters. But still a pretty good scary story.

12. Amnesty by Lara Elena Donnelly (Apr 1st – April 6th) 6 days 384 pages

The last in the trilogy. I still liked it very much, but not as much as the first two books. I think endings to a trilogy are hard to get right. I feel like there was too much focus on one character and his predicament (and while I enjoyed his ending and happily ever after with probably m favourite character of the series), I wasn’t as compelled by this one as I was by the other two.

13. Lisey’s Story by Stephen King (Apr 6th – Apr 15th)  10 days 513 pages

My first Stephen King! I actually really enjoyed this, especially the scary fantasy dream world thing. It wasn’t too scary for me (I am a big scaredy cat who’s just dipping my toe into horror novels since I figure reading horror is moderately less scary than watching it) and just overall pretty good.

14. This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone (Apr 16th – Apr 20th) 5 days 209 pages

Loved this! The meandering almost poetry of it, the epic enemies to lovers, the weird admixture of sci fi and larger than life fantasy concepts (and beings!). Will definitely return to this one again.

15. Five Hundred Mile Walkies by Mark Wallington (Apr 21st – Apr 25th) REREAD 5 days 224 pages

I read this as a young teenager and found it hilarious. It was one of my dad’s books (he might even have recommended it to me, although I did have a habit of reading anything and everything that was in the bookcase – Memoirs of a Geisha at about 13, anyone?) and I laughed out loud practically every page. The gist of it is that Mark takes his sister’s (or sister’s ex??) dog, Boogie and goes to walk the entire 500 miles of the South West coast path. I loved this anyway because I loved the South West (especially Cornwall) and love seeing it through someone else’s eyes. So I reread it and I still enjoyed it, but didn’t find it as rip roaringly hilarious as I used to. Guess your sense of humour changes as you grow up, who knew?

16. Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café by Fannie Flagg (Apr 27th – May 10th) 14 days 416 pages

I’ll be honest, I struggled with this one. I’m not sure if it was the setting (historically, geographically, linguistically) that put me off or the way it was written or what. I enjoyed the story but it just wasn’t really my thing.

17. The Night Watch by Sarah Waters (May 11th – May 17th) 7 days 528 pages

My final Sarah Waters book (until she writes more! *fingers crossed*) and definitely my favourite of the ones I read this year. Set during the Blitz in London, it’s pretty much straight up historical fiction, and I enjoyed it very much. I think part of it was I related heavily to the characters going through this dramatic time in history, because, you know, pandemic! There were certain passages that really connected with me/felt like an echo of today in a way that was sort of comforting, I guess.

18. Doctor Who: The Maze of Doom by David Solomons (May 18th – May 19th) 2 days 272 pages

A fun, quick and easy Doctor Who romp. Not much to say about this one.

19. Room by Emma Donoghue (May 19th – May 20th) 2 days 321 pages

Possibly the opposite of the previous. If you know anything about Room (the book or the film, which I actually watched years ago) then you know the subject matter is pretty dark and harrowing. Because it’s told through the eyes of a child however, I found it pretty easy (in terms of speed rather than subject matter) to get through and read it in about 24 hours. It’s super compelling too.

20. The Psychology of Time Travel by Kate Mascarenhas (June 6th – June 11th) 6 days 372 pages

This, as far as I remember, was just a random one that I managed to pick up (metaphorically since I read this as an ebook) but it was pretty good. Possibly my favourite random discovery of the year, an interesting look on time travel and its consequences, based around the discovery/invention of time travel by four women scientists in the 1960s (I think) and how it affects the rest of their lives.

[tempolarriefix]

dig deeper tag game

thank you so much to one of my favorite people ever @goldenfive for tagging me in this q&a. ilysm! xx 1. Do you prefer writing with a black pen or a blue pen? black gel pen is my go-to!

2. Would you prefer to live in the country or in the city? in the city. i love the feeling of everything all bustling, busy, and lit-up around me.

3. If you could learn a new skill, what would it be? this is going to sound sort of weird but i’ve been really tempted to learn lockpicking lately? so i’ll say that haha!

4. do you drink your tea/coffee with sugar? ........yes, a lot of sugar. probably “too much” sugar.

5. What was your favourite book as a child? i hadn’t thought about this series in ages but i loved The Land of Elyon series and also Dealing with Dragons. 6. Do you prefer baths or showers? showers! my old roommate loved baths and so i tried to get into them but its just not my thing.

7. If you could be a mythical creature, which one would you be? something with magical powers!

8. Paper or electronic books? i always say that i prefer paper but... when was the last time I actually read a hardcopy book? i have no idea. so truthfully, electronic.

9. What is your favourite item of clothing? an oversized hawaiian style shirt with a Brave (like the disney/pixar movie) inspired design

10. Do you like your name? Would you like to change it? i used to not really like it but now i do. (Teachers also always used to say things like “wow your parents named you serena and you really are so serene!” so that’s probably a factor). 

11. Who is a mentor to you? i’m not sure actually? I guess my professor is.

12. Would you like to be famous? If so, what for? not really! i dont really like attention and overthink everything so i think if i were famous i’d just be stressin over every detail of everything all the time.

13. Are you a restless sleeper? nope! i’m a very deep sleeper.

14. Do you consider yourself to be a romantic person? not really? i love the concept of romance and enjoy romantic movies/books/fics but when it comes to real life I feel like making things super romantic also adds a lot of pressure so i’d rather just be chill 

15. Which element best represents you? everyone says water signs are emotional and i am both a water sign and emotional so... i guess water?

16. Who do you want to be closer to? all my friends! while social distancing it’s been so different connecting with people and i feel like i’ve drifted quite a lot from the people i used to see almost every other day. 17. Do you miss someone at the moment? not any more than usual! Im always missing my long distance friends & my boyfriend.

18. Tell us about an early childhood memory. this is too vague idk what memory to share hahaha.

19. What is the strangest thing you have eaten? i’ll usually try anything once. i guess chicken feet is prob the strangest? 

20. What are you most thankful for? my loved ones being safe & healthy 

21. Do you like spicy food? yes but i’m sort of weak so there will be tears streaming out of my eyes even tho i’m having a good time.

22. Have you ever met someone famous? i met drake bell when i was in college bc a student club i was part of hosted him for a charity concert event. he was chill and actually had a really good voice during his sound check but then he got high during his meet & greet and after that at the actual show he didn’t sound quite as good hahaha. He was super nice & even took a pic with me for free tho!

23. Do you keep a diary or journal? nope. i used to keep a planner and even that didn’t last haha

24. Do you prefer to use pen or pencil? pencil if i’m working on something where i’ll make mistakes like writing or math but pen if im just jotting down notes or whatever.

25. What is your star sign? cancer

26. Do you like your cereal crunchy or soggy? soggy

27. What would you want your legacy to be? soph’s answer is literally so beautiful so i’m gonna steal it too: “that i made the world a little bit kinder and brighter and better while i was alive” 28. Do you like reading? What was the last book you read? i do enjoy reading but mostly i read fics! the last fic i read was adjudication by @bottomlinsons and it is FANTASTIC. the last actual book i read was the first game of thrones book. 

29. How do you show someone you love them? quality time is my love language!

30. Do you like ice in your drinks? usually! i’m drinking iced coffee as i fill this out haha

31. What are you afraid of? failure

32. What is your favourite scent? the smell of an ice cream shop when you first walk in

33. Do you address older people by their name or surname? whatever they introduce themselves to me as. if they don’t, then surname.

34. If money was not a factor, how would you live your life? i would travel so much. if money wasn’t a factor i wouldn’t have to worry about affording to travel OR being able to take time off to do so... it would be great. i wouldn’t always choose the best value option when i purchased anything and would be able to actually support brands that have good values (sustainability, good wages for employees, etc.). i would donate to everything i’ve ever wanted to bc i always feel bad about having to pick which causes i feel most for bc i can’t afford to donate to everything. also i would drink way too much boba (which, let’s be real, i already do).

.35. Do you prefer swimming in pools or the ocean? the ocean! though i guess i dont really swim so much as like... wave jump haha.

36. What would you do if you found $50 on the ground? try to see if someone lost it and if i couldn’t find them, then keep it.

37. Have you ever seen a shooting star? Did you make a wish? yes and of course!

38. What is one thing you would want to teach your children? just one? hahaha

39. If you had to have a tattoo, what would it be and where would you get it? i have no idea but i would get it someplace hidden where no one would see it, not even me. maybe like a dot on the bottom of my foot lol. i really.... don’t want a tattoo.

40. What can you hear right now? construction noises

41. Where do you feel the safest? in bed

42. What is one thing you want to overcome/conquer? feeling like i’ll never find a career or even field of work that i’m actually passionate about and enjoy and can actually make a steady living in 43. If you could travel back to any era, what would it be? maybe ancient egypt? there’s a lot of cool times to go back to & i’m really indecisive haha. 44. What is your most used emoji? red heart

45. Describe yourself using one word. indecisive

46. What do you regret the most? dwelling on things that were not important and letting it affect my happiness too much

47. Last movie you saw? the warcraft movie lol. i don’t recommend it but playing warcraft is great.

48. Last tv show you watched? either greys anatomy or b99, i can’t remember which was last 49. Invent a word and its meaning idk if there’s a word for this already, but i need a word for feeling like you want to be busy and have things to do when you don’t but then not wanting to do anything when you finally do. bc thats....me. hahaha.

anyways this is pretty long so thanks if you actually read it all. if you want to do this, i’ll tag @harryeatsburger, @louandhazzalove, @bottomlinsons, @nauticalleeds, @soft1ov, @allwaswell16, @lululawrence, @forreveries, @lightwoodsmagic, @ferricadooza, and anyone else who wants to do this. i highly recommend it when procrastinating other projects hahaha.

[thedaughterofkings]

Tag Game: Dig a Little Deeper

Thank you for the tag, @theproblemwithstardust! These are always fun to think through!

1. do you prefer writing with a black pen or a blue pen? Blue

2. would you prefer to live in the country or in the city? Depends on the city - I was very happy in Edinburgh, but wouldn’t be able to live in New York, I think, at least not for long. In general, the happy middle is ideal - big enough to get most of the advantages of a city (big shops with long opening hours, good travel connections, some cultural options), but small enough and close enough to the country side to have a garden and a short way into a forest

3. if you could learn a new skill, what would it be? I think I’d like to be better at handy man type things, and just feel more confident to try them out? Other than that there are so many instruments I’d love to learn!

4. do you drink your tea/coffee with sugar? I very, very rarely drink coffee, and if I do I’ll often add some sugar. But I drink tea every day and take no sugar there.

5. what was your favorite book as a child? An old book of my grandma’s, from when she was a child, which I used to read every single time we visited! It was about four sisters and their coming of age and I just loved it! I really need to reread it. Other than that our fairy tale books (good old German bloody versions, no disney sugar in this household!), and Max Kruse’s Urmel series!

6. do you prefer baths or showers? Showers for sure! I pretty much only take a bath in winter and then I’ll usually take a quick shower afterwards to wash my hair, because washing my hair in the bath is a pain that will lead to flooding.

7. if you could be a mythical creature, which one would you be? A DRAGON!!!!! If that’s for some reason not an option, then a selkie!

8. paper or electronic books? Paper books and electronic fics - though I’ve seen some book binding tutorials making the rounds and I’m very tempted now to print out my favourites and bind them prettily!

9. what is your favorite item of clothing? Gosh, I don’t even know? Probably a dress, but I wouldn’t be able to choose between them...

10. do you like your name? would you like to change it? I like it and wouldn’t want to change it! It’s relatively rare here (though not world wide, so not some strange invention from my parents), but not to the point of being incomprehensible (usually - there have been some interesting spellings, especially from English speaking people) and I think it fits me!

11. who is a mentor to you? My mum? But she’s my mum, so does she really count as a mentor? Singing wise perhaps my conductor, but she’s also a pain, so there’s that? I can’t really think of someone I’d truly call my mentor!

12. would you like to be famous? if so, what for? To do Dancing with the Stars! (Or Strictly, or Let’s dance, wherever they’ll take me!) No seriously, I’d love to do one of the dance shows, and that’s the only reason I’d like to be famous. I’d like to be reasonably rich of course, to be financially secure enough to be able to easily help family and friends and causes close to my heart (and buy and uphold a Scottish castle), but you don’t necessarily need to be famous for that. But just being famous for famous-sake? To be recognised wherever you go? No thanks. That sounds absolutely horrible.

13. are you a restless sleeper? That’s a pretty resounding yes unfortunately.

14. Do you consider yourself to be a romantic person? Oh god, I don’t even know. Do I enjoy romance? In fic yes, in books and films often not, in realy life excessive PDA creeps me out and honestly, my threshold for that is super low, so excessive probably means more like ‘any PDA’. As for whether I’m personally romantic? I’ve never been a romantic relationship and I’m not sure I even want to be!

15. which element best represents you? Earth perhaps? I’m not really sure what the elements even represent, though, so who knows! Probably not fire, though :p

16. who do you want to be closer to? I’m good actually, I think!

17. do you miss someone at the moment? Not in a particular ‘I miss you right now and won’t miss you in an hour’ way. I always miss my dad and grandpa, but that’s a different kind of missing, I think.

18. tell us about an early childhood memory. I remember the blinds and doors of the holiday home we stayed in when I was ... four? five? And the path to the beach!

19. what is the strangest thing you have eaten? I’m not the most adventurous eater admittedly, but as far as ‘I’ll never eat it again’, I took a bite out of a pickled egg once and it was properly disgusting!

20. what are you most thankful for? My family and my living circumstances (is that a word? term? It sounds weird)

21. do you like spicy food? Not reallyyyyyy - some spice is okay, and some spiciness is worse than others, but in general I’m a total wuss.

22. have you ever met someone famous? I said good morning to David Tennant, but I’m not sure I’d call that “having met him”.

23. do you keep a diary or journal? Nope! I’ve started one a couple of times, but never made it beyond three days or so!

24. do you prefer to use pen or pencil? Generally a pen, but a pencil is fine, too!

25. what is your star sign? Leo

26. do you like your cereal crunchy or soggy? Crunchy! (though I haven’t had actual cereal in ages)

27. what would you want your legacy to be? Positive, if I’m to have a legacy at all

28. do you like reading? What was the last book you read? Very much so! I last read Cornelia Funke’s Reckless series.

29. how do you show someone you love them? I try to tell them, and I try to make sure they know I’m here to listen or help or talk or whatever they need. I’m not sure I always succeed, though...

30. do you like ice in your drinks? No.

31. what are you afraid of? Not being good enough.

32. what is your favorite scent? My roses - individuals with a superb scent are The Lady of Shalott, Rose de Resht and Sweet Juliet, but there’s something really special about that first breath of rose air when Frühlingsduft (scent of spring), the first rose of the year blooms!

33. do you address older people by their name or surname? Surname! Unless they offer their first name and the ‘Du’, and even then I’ll probably try to avoid using either^^°

34. if money was not a factor, how would you live your life? I’d buy a Scottish castle and plant so many roses!

35. do you prefer swimming in pools or the ocean? Definitely pools, I’m always just a little afraid something is going to happen in natural water^^°

36. what would you do if you found $50 in the ground? I’d collect them (Unless I just saw who lost them) but try to put it towards something charitable (not 50, but one day I found two pounds on the ground, gave them to the homeless person with the kitty on Princes Street, found another pound, gave that to the one with the pupper and found another three, I think! That was a really nice day)

37. have you ever seen a shooting star? did you make a wish? Yes and yes!

38. what is one thing you would want to teach your children? To be kind? To themselves and others

39. if you had to have a tattoo, what would it be and where would you get it? A watercolour tattoo probably, perhaps of a dragon or fox, or a flower, and somewhere not always on display

40. what can you hear now? If I opened the window I’d probably hear at least some birds (some woke me up this morning with unholy yowling)

41. where do you feel the safest? At home.

42. what is one thing you want to overcome/conquer? My perfectionism that usually appears through some really strong procrastination. I also wish I was better at talking to people, especially people I don’t know or who are intimidating (which is everyone I don’t know and quite of those I know a little). I’ve mostly come to terms with my shyness, but that doesn’t make everything easy suddenly, unfortunately.

43. if you could travel back to any era, what would it be? There’s way too many! But for just one I’d love to see a Shakespeare play in the Globe when it was performed originally, ideally Twelfth Night or Hamlet! And I’d like to meet Queen Elizabeth I!

44. what is your most used emoji? 😘 probably or 😊

45. describe yourself using one word. overwhelmed (I am also hungry and tired right now, and that plays a big part in that - ask me again in an hour or so when I’ve eaten and the world will look a little more rose-y again^^°)

46. what do you regret the most? I can’t think of anything I truly regret - there are things I wish I’d done differently, but what’s done is done and I have to do the best with what I have now

47. last movie you saw? The Martian!

48. last tv show you watched? Die purpurnen Flüsse/Les rivières pourpres (the purple rivers), a French (German co production?) series based on the novel the Jean Reno film was based on!

49. invent a word and its meaning. This is hard because in German you can just compound away, so for every thing I think of, I’m like ‘but you could just put these three words together for the same effect!!!’ But this is English, so I’ll go with “pflundering” - the sound a bird makes when it takes a very enthusiastic bath!

This took quite a bit, and my brain is no longer able to come up with people to tag, so I’m tagging you, person who actually read through this! Do it (be honest, you already thought up most of your answers while reading it^^) and tag me, I’m curious!

[drev-the-procrastinator]

1, 8, 12 and 52 for the writing thingy!!!

Look at me finally answering these after like a whole month lol

Thanks for the ask!

1. Tell us about your WIP!

Which one lol, I’ve got many of them. Too many. Really. That, coupled with the fact that I am a slow writer because I keep getting distracted and procrastinating (like with answering these asks,,,,) means that pretty much everyone on this site will die of old age before I finish like any of them :’D

Anyway, I guess I’ll give brief summaries of all of the… main ones. This is gonna be a long one, fellas! I guess in the order I came up with them? Or the order I’m pretty sure I came up with them in.

TT: My original story I’ve been low-key working on and reworking since… 2012…? It’s a fantasy story, and it is… way too long probably. Also needs a lot of work. Worldbuilding and character building and plot building… At the moment, I guess I could summarise it as, our world gets wrecked for some reason, and the main characters, these two girls, who got saved into another, fantasy world with like… a bunch of other survivors, leave the Earth-refugee camp and get tangled with like, politics? Of that world? Well, politics and then eventually like, a war type thing… I didn’t say it was good, and I did also say it needs a whole lotta work. I’m pretty happy with some names younger me came up with though! Also it has dragons, so. Yup.

Fantasy fanfic: I am very good with names, as you’ll come to notice. Anyway this is a.. Hetalia fantasy fic..? I came up with in, like, 2014. I’m not actively working on this one at the moment, but I would like to maybe write it one day, and my most beloved OC originated in this story, you may have seen me mention her in my tags? I haven’t managed to come up with a name for her, but I call her the Asshole Goddess, because she’s a goddess, and also an ass. So.

Anyway this one’s pretty cliche, and it’s like, an absurdly large cast of Hetalia characters ending up in a fantasy world, where a bunch of other characters, who’d gone missing earlier, have apparently been taken to? Then it’s a journey to find and get them back, friendships are formed and magical things are encountered, but uh oh! They’re mortal here and can die! And many do. You may note I was 14 when I came up with it, so. Well. It is quite edgy. Had some good concepts though!

Kingdom AU: Great with names, as I said. This one is also a Hetalia fic, because that is the fandom I’ve been stuck in forever, though mostly just because I’ve so many fics for it. This is the odd one out in my fics though! This is like, a royalty AU of an rp AU me and my friend made by accident one time? The RP, not this AU, this is all my invention. It’s really just for me and my friend, since it’s based on that strange RP and the main thing in it is like and OC x canon character ship? That’s also why it’s the weird one, I don’t usually have much romance in my fics because I’m not big on ships and just prefer gen stuff, but this one is like primarily romance? Lots of pining. And it’s very soft. And I love this AU with all my heart. It’s also got a whole lotta angst!

Basic plot is the more or less classic, kinda cliche, peasant girl goes to get a job in the royal palace to help her poor family and meets the crown prince, and they become friends, and slowly fall in love.. Except, well, this is weird also in that the end point isn’t them getting married or confessing their love or anything, that’s like...Maybe the midpoint? There’s also politics, kinda worldbuilding? It’s set in like a 1700s type setting, I think, And while it’s not really a fantasy world since no magic, it’s not like, a real world setting. Anyway, yeah, this is near and dear to my heart.

The Home Front Fic: This! This is the one I’ve been trying to work on lately! It’s about life on the Finnish home front during WWII, and yes this is uh, also a Hetalia fic. Sorry. Though to be fair with this one and the previous one everyone’s probably gonna be so OOC and the setting is so different they might as well just be original works lol. Anyway, it’s a human AU, and also had a lot of OCs for that reason because it’d be tough to make a story of this scope with like. Three characters.

Basically! Tino is a 8, soon to be 9-year-old boy living in the Finnish countryside in 1942. His dad’s gone off to war, as well as the farmhand they had at the farm, and his mom and grandma can’t take care of the whole farm by themselves. So when they hear a nearby factory and some other farms in the area are getting extra work force in the form of Soviet prisoners of war, they decide to ask for one, too. They get a worker, his name’s Ivan. It takes some time, since they’re technically enemies, right, but eventually Tino befriends him and slowly he kind of becomes a part of the family… But you know what happened when the Continuation War between Finland and the Soviet Union ended in September 1944? :) Well, I’ll just say that Stalin did say “There are no Soviet prisoners of war, only traitors.”

This one also has angst. But it also has found family! I like it a whole lot, I wish I’d written it already, but I have been having such a hard time starting it. :(

That BNHA Fic: I can call it that because I’ve only got one so far! So this is a My Hero Academia fic, and hmm. I haven’t talked about it too much, but I do like it, even though my focus has been pulled back to the Home Front Fic again. I do wanna write this one!

So this is like a future fic? It’s canon divergent because some stuff happening in the manga rn is not gonna work with the plot, I guess it’ll diverge at least from like… all the New Year’s chapters? I don’t remember what the number is.

Anyway, the main character is Eri, who’s been going to like this boarding school meant for kids with volatile quirks. She wanted to go there herself when some years ago her quirk had gone bonkers, she thinks? Something like that, she doesn’t remember that well anymore, but anyway, she’s going to apply to UA! Just the Gen-Ed, her quirk isn’t any good against robots. She’d love to be a hero, though, she knows so many heroes and she just wants to help people, but her quirk is no good. :( Anyway she’s back in Musutafu for the summer break in her last year of middle school, and she meets Mirio and Aizawa at the train station, and they go around the town meeting everyone! In the entrance exams she meets Kouta, who for some reason doesn’t want to be a hero though he’s got a really good quirk for it, and he’s proud of his parents who were famous heroes! They both get into UA, and she manages to convince him to try to get into the hero course through the Sports Festival, and he does! She doesn’t get that far in the festival though, because even though she’s practiced using her quirk, she’s scared to use it on people when in battle and stuff. Anyway, she’s very upset about it, and when she tells Mirio about how she wants to help people, but can’t, because her quirk sucks, he gets this look on his face and later tells her that he knows someone who could help. They go to meet this scarecrow lookin’ dude, and oh wait, is that All Might?? Why’s he refusing to help her out from Mirio’s request?? And later, what’s this One For All Mirio’s talking about?? And whose kind arms does she keep dreaming of in her sleep??? 

So yeah. That’s the BNHA fic. One more WIP to go!

Space Fic: Back to Hetalia, and this is technically an older fic but I decided to someday actually write it just recently. So it’s my Historical Human AU No. 3. It’s based on a space facts video fact, where it said that in 1963 Kennedy had proposed the USSR and US go to the Moon together, and Khrushchev had been meaning to agree, but then Kennedy died and the plan was abandoned. This story idea was like, but what if they’d gone through with it? And then, because why not, what if they’d included other countries as well? And this WIP was born. It’d be like, the main characters would be representatives of their home countries, sent to take part in the program and they’d all be candidates for going to the Moon, but there’d be only 3 spots on the rocket so like, they’d kind of have to compete for the spots? And the ones that wouldn’t pass would take part in the mission on Earth. So then there'd compete, there’d be personal drama, their personal relationships would be affected by the relationships between their home countries, but overtime friendships would be forged, and they’d all just become… one big ole found family. A space family. A big ole found space family. And the Overview Effect would also play a part. This is kind of on the back burner, this’ll need lots of research and the Home front fic also needs a lot of it, so I’ll try to.. write that first, I guess? We’ll see.

So that’s all my WIPs. There are other fic ideas that I haven’t put much thought into yet so they’re not on the list, but yeah!

8. Do you have any writing buddies or critique partners?

I don’t have any one person who I’ve talked to about all of my stories, but I have discussed my stories with a few people! Both online and irl. I’m also on a couple discord servers that are for writing or where people talk about writing, even though for the most part I’m too shy to talk much on any of them ;u; But the people who’ve been awesome enough to listen to me ramble about my stories have helped me a lot!

12. Which story of yours do you like best? Why?

Aaaa, don’t make me choose between my children! ;__; I love them all,,,

Well, I am very fond of TT, since it’s my own original story and I’ve worked on it the longest… Then again, the Kingdom AU has a lovely aesthetic and those two pining idiots in it… But also, that BNHA fic has some really nice plot and character moments? But also I’ve spent so long researching for the Home front fic and it’s got my boys in it! And the atmosphere in it is so nice, and it has found family,,, But then also… Space??? And even the fantasy fanfic has the Asshole Goddess in it?? And a nice storyline with Liech?? See I can’t choose ;_;

To be fair, the story my dumb brain takes interest in changes every now and then, for example lately I’ve been mostly thinking about TT, the Kingdom AU and the Home front fic, so I guess those would be my favorites at the moment? But a couple weeks ago I was really into the Space Fic, and at the start of the year it was the BNHA fic. So it depends! But I do love them all.

52. Who do you write for?

Well, primarily probably for myself. I do often find myself in a situation where I’m looking for fics or books to read but none of them really click, and then I realize I’m looking for my own story. Which I haven’t written. So that’s definitely a big one! Then, to some extent, I also write for the people I’ve rambled about my fics to, so they might maybe someday get to experience the whole thing through something other than just my ramblings :’D But mostly for myself, I think.

Thanks for the ask again and sorry for taking so long!

[andersssandrew]

Fanfic meme (or my opinions about some fanfic tropes)

Thanks to @flo-nelja​, I lost like one hour and half to do this post, you know my weakness for long ass meme. ❤️ on you, it was pretty entertaining.

So...let’s go

1. Slowburn or Love at First Sight: I’m never satisfied with the slow burn I read (or write, for what it's worth). Theorically I prefer slow burn, but it’s never slow enough, or BURN enough. I mean, for me, the slow burn involves some pining/longing, like they are accointances, then friends, then PINING/LONGING happens, then lovers. Probably the reason I love one sided love, because the feelings have time to grow, there is the pining/longing, with a pinch of angst ? 

aNyWaY I love a Love at first sight too, I don’t like it in rom-com, because it’s often without any background, but in fanfic, when you know the characters, you have implicitely the background, so it feels like fate they will be together, because you went to read this fic for your OTP, so it feels right they fall in love at first sight, because you know they are good together (even if they don’t know it yet in the fanfiction). Again, it’s the reason I love soulmate au. 

2. Fake Dating or Secretly Dating: It’s the last one I answered because it needs lof of thinking. Fake or secretly dating ? Hmmmm. I’m not often interested by the “dating” part, and more in the “feelings realization” and all the “confession part”. So Fake dating, I guess ? Like, they start dating and fall in love after ? And it can be funny, like quiproquo and clumsiness ?

3. Enemies to Lovers or Best Friends to Lovers: love shipping rivals and antagonistic relationships

4. “Oh no, there’s Only One Bed” or Long Distance Correspondence: I’m a pure victorian bitch

5. Hurt/Comfort or Amnesia

6. Fantasy AU or Modern AU

7. Mutual Pining or Domestic Bliss: Domestic is boring to me

8. Smut or Fluff: Not a big fan of fluff. I like some cheesy tropes (like Love at First Sight) but I’m tired really quick of fluff, so it needs to be a fic with other elements. And not tooth-rooting fluff.

9. Canon-Compliant/Missing Scenes or Fix-It

10. Alternate Universe or Future Fic: love the AUs. ALL THE FUCKING SUPER WEIRD AUs !!!

11. One Shot or Multi-chapter: It’s very rare a fic manages to stay good (like , interesting and/or coherent with the canon) during a long time, so if the fanfic is 34 chapters, for me, it’s a repellant, because it probably means the chapters are meaningless or the author loses themselves in their universe and forgot totally the canon. In my opinion, a good fanfic (I mean, ideally) has like 3 or 4 chapters, 1000 words at least for each one. So, I love one shot, it’s less risky to be disappointed.

12. Kid Fic or Road trip Fic: I deeply hate kid fic, omg, I hate it with my guts, for me it’s the incarnation of the patriarcal and heterocentric injonctions

13. Reincarnation or Character Death: Again, I hate character death (I mean, major character death - except if it’s canon ?)

14. Arranged Marriage or Accidental Marriage or NEITHER: Hmmmmm I didn’t read a lot of “accidental marriage”. I’m not really fan of “arranged marriage” neither.

In fact, I recently read a Reddie fanfic (1000 nights​), it was in Las Vegas, Richie and Eddie were...plastered and Eddie pushed Richie in the chapel of a casino and they got married by a drag queen priest. Does it still count like an Accidental Marriage ? Because it was pretty funny.

15. High School Romance or Middle-Aged Romance: I feel so old when I read High School Romance fanfiction lol but even when I was 16 I didn’t like it. I like the characters in their own age, so SOMETIMES they are in high school but...hmmm it’s rare I read fanfiction taking place IN a school, it feels weird and more, it feels boring, because school is almost the same for everyone, I mean it’s a totes cliché genre. Also I don’t really like to imagine these fantasy characters becoming boring teenagers with boring occupations, sorry not sorry (but it’s the same with College AU, guys, I will kill someone if I see another art student pining for the annoying fratboy)

(I still read highschool BL mangas btw)

16. Time Travel or Isolated Together: Time travel give me headache. OH GOD I HAVE ONE RIGHT NOW !

17. Neighbours or Roommates

18. Sci Fi AU or Magic AU: aaaah a good supernatural au, like vampire au, werewolves au, demon/angel au, fairy tale au, hpverse au, incubus au or any other ideas. I love how it’s creative, I love how it can be super original, I love the potential in these idea, because magic AUs are very rich in themes, you can play on the medieval fantasy genre, the urban fantasy, the alternative timeline or the past (like victorian vampire AU 👌)

19. Body swap or Gender change: I don’t like Gender change anymore because first, gender is a spectrum, these fanfics are about binary genders, it’s a little bit cringy (but it’s not the real factor I don’t like it), second, (the real reason), it’s often male characters becoming female, and it often to make it “femslash”, so the femslash tags are FULL of gender bending stuffs about male characters, and not actual real femslash with the female characters, it...erases femslash and even if I’m not a reader of femslash, I think it’s sad, because it deserves its own space in the fandom, not everything has to be about the male characters (even the ones I love a lot). 

You can say it’s more a choice driven by my opinions and not my preferences, but it’s kinda the same thing isn’t it ?

20. Angst or Crack: Dude, it’s not a hard choice because I don’t really like crack in fanfic. I like it in fanarts, but you take more times to read a fanfic, and I don’t like crack during a long time. Crack is more a thing you enjoy quickly, it’s something who make you smile for a second then you scroll (or share it if it’s really funny or inventive). But crack in fanfic, it’s like a too long joke.

I don’t talk about crack ships, because crack ships can be interesting. Sometimes, I don’t see WHY you ship it (like Gavin x RK900 in Detroit: become human, or Lestrade x Mycroft in Sherlock BBC), sometimes I TOTALLY see it, but it still fun to see the explanations to put them together, the meta, the fan theories...

In the other hand, about angst...I like the drama, I like the horror genre (if you know my blog, you know I’m currently in the IT fandom, you know, the eating-kids clown thing), I like tears and blood, but...when it’s too much, it’s too much. I don’t like...I don’t know explain it : sometimes, you feel like the author had to get out some dark things they feel, it’s therapeutic for them but you feel kinda uneasy to read it, because it’s so DARK, man, it’s not even about the canon, it’s all about the writer’s feelings, and really, it’s okay, myself, I happen to cope like that. But as a reader, I don’t like it.

So I like some angst, when i’m in the mood, but it needs to have positive things in it too. Or to be short.

21. Apocalyptic or Mundane: At first, I chose Mundane, but now I ask myself. I like the post apo genre, but I don’t like angst too much, like I said in the previous question.. But I still like it a little so...hmmmm it’s tricky. What is meaning mundane, by the way ? Mundane Lord of the Rings fanfiction, what is it ? What is MUNDANE in kids learning to fight with their quirks in a superheroes school ?

I will chose Apocalyptic because I love a good survival (and they have to cuddle to stay warm and save each other and cry by thinking the other is dead but in fact they are not and find a way to cure the zombie plague/find a safe place/kill the aliens XD)

Now, the tagging part (sorry if you were tagged by someone else, and of course feel free to ignore it if you are not interested : @calimera62​, @wilwywaylan​ aaaaand....I don’t know fucking people on this hellsite anymore. Maybe @sleeping-potatoe​ ?

[madonna-la-cardinalessa]

Another tag by my beautiful friend @tiffany-of-wales which I am glad to do finally :D

Flower tag:

jasmine; what mythical creature do you wish actually existed? 

Unicorns. And I also believe that what we call mythical creatures once did exist and somewhere still do.

lavender; soundcloud or vinyls? 

May I say CDs instead? I always like to have a CD booklet and like own the CD, putting it in my cupboard and say “ Look, I own this.” – not only on an online platform.

 primrose; what book does everyone right now need to read? 

Hmmm. Everyone? I do not think every book if for everyone but I recommend classics from Goethe, Schiller, Lessing and Shakespeare.

 lunar mist; do you like wearing other people’s shirts/jackets? 

I share some clothes with my mom. But if I had a boyfriend rn I would love to cuddle in his hoodies at times I think^^”

 bird of paradise; what was the best thing that happened to you this month? 

That I finished my bachelor’s thesis. I learned so much and I hope the work was worth it so that I pass it and get a good mark!

 gardenia; what’s a promise you’ve recently made to yourself? 

That I will try to get things done now that I have time during Corona.

 lion’s fairytale; would you rather be the sky, the ocean or the forests? 

Forests!

whirling butterflies; would you kiss the last person you kissed again? 

Definitely not Ö.ö

marmalade skies; do you plan your outfits? 

Yes!

 apricot drift; how do you feel right now?

Bored. I don’t like the current situation.

 everlasting daisy; what’s the last dream you remember having? 

Omg this night I dreamed sm shit, I swear. I was horse riding at night in the forests (no sane soul would do that lol) and found a deserted planetarium.

queen’s cup; what are you craving right now? 

Getting a good mark on my bachelor’s thesis xD Oh, and I hope that I will be able to visit Rome this year – we had to cancel the Rome trip that was planned in a week for obvious reasons..

 lavender dream; turn ons/offs? 

Dangerous vibes/ being clingy and/or wimpy.

 water lilly; when was the last time you cried? 

Last week I think. Maybe the one before that.

 lily of the valley; did the one person who hurt you most in your life apologize?

No.

 winterberry; do you bite or lick your ice cream? 

Depends, actually I do both.

 honey perfume; favorite movie ever? 

Hände weg von Mississippi (2007), Die Wilden Hühner (2006), most Studio Ghibli movies.

 desert rose; do you like yourself? 

Yes, I do.

 snapdragon; have you ever met or seen in person a celebrity? 

Yes, I did.

 night owl; how many countries have you visited? 

Only 5.

heliotrope; have you ever been in a castle?

Many, many times. I love visiting castles and monasteries.

 creams and sky; what’s the craziest/bravest thing you’ve done? 

Riding nearly every day into the woods with my high speed thoroughbred? xD Does that count? My girl is FAST.

 lantana; what’s on your mind right now? 

My horse Poly <3

 pumpkin patch; what’s your zodiac sign?

I’m a Capricorn.

 tulip; name 5 facts about yourself.

1. Even though I may look like it, I am no party girl at all.

2. Since childhood I had to deal with envy towards me which is why I never had many friends.

3. My best friend and I broke up several times – we’re both stubborn but we love each other a lot.

4. My love for history started with a documentary I watched when I was about 14. It was about vampirism in the balkan states. And it manifested with watching “The Tudors”, since then I knew that I wanted to study history – and now I do.

5. Without my friend Sandy I would have never settled down in church history during the Renaissance.

 daphne; do you believe in karma?

Absolutely.

 queen of the meadow; ever been in love?

Never with a person from this time period, no. I hope I will in near future tough.

 wisteria; whom do you admire and why?

People who don’t spend their time with overthinking what other people might think of them.

 angel’s face; what was your favorite bedtime story as a child?

The tales my father invented for me.

 remember me; did you make someone laugh today?

My dog when I offered him a bit of my banana.

 iris; do you believe in ghosts?

Yes.

 lilac; if you could go back in time which time period would you visit?

That is hard. Renaissance Italy sure is fascinating but 17th century Europe comes to my mind more often, it’s weird.

 caramel kisses; would you want to live forever? why/why not? 

Maybe not living forever, But I would not mind at all staying young and beautiful as long as I live xD

 primula; what makes you sad?

What mankind does to the world, to the earth to it’s creatures: plants and animals. I think we deserve to suffer and die out.

 rain lily; was today typical? why/why not?

No, since everything is upside down thanks to Corona.

 queen anne’s lace; who do you trust the most?

Myself.

 Lady’s slipper; what did you have for breakfast today?

Toast with Nutella and fennel tea. <3.

 forget me not; do you have any regrets looking back in your life?

I wished I had done more social things during my teens. I was always studying and reading with my head in the clouds. I wonder how things would be different now when I had been in relationships earlier etc.

 lunaria; what’s your favorite fictional universe?

Torn between LOTR and Harry Potter.

 violet; favorite tv show?

Borgia, now and always.

 sunflower; share a favorite quote.

Look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under it.

 snowdrop; what does your ideal day look like?

Getting up early, go seeing my horse and take a long ride into the woods. The weather would be cold but sunny. After having a nice lunch with my mom I would relax in the afternoon and then go visiting my best friend, for dinner we would have sushi and watch a nice movie together like best friends do. When I got home I would watch an episode of Borgia to relax and then go to bed <3.

 tiger lily; do you have any hobbies?

Reading, writing, history, horse riding, dreaming…..

 peony; share a small random book passage that means something to you.

In Neil Gaiman’s Coraline when Coraline is about to find the last child’s soul and the other crazy old man says: “You’re too clever and too quiet for them to understand. They don’t even get your name right.” I feel that sm.

 tea rose; what’s something you always wanted to do but were too scared?

Partying maybe? I am a very shy person and would feel uncomfortable but I am afraid I miss something always staying at home at night.

 honeysuckle; do you usually date people your age or older/younger?

Mostly about my age, but I like the guys to be older than me tbh.

 sweet pea; who means the world to you?

My horse Poly.

 love in the mist; best books you’ve ever read?

Actually I really enjoy Ludwig von Pastor’s History of the Popes. It may have it’s flaws but I it is really good researched and I appreciate all the notes and footnotes. Even though it’s academic literature it is still enjoyable to read.

 foxglove; who is your favorite cartoon character?

Sailor Moon! If that counts as a cartoon.

 magnolia; coffee or tea?

Tea, I have one right now.

 crown imperial; would you rather be extremely rich or extremely loved?

Can’t I have both?

 snowflake; are you a dog or a cat person?

I love both but probably more a dog person.

 bell flower; what is your biggest addiction?

History.

 cosmos; do you ever think about the galaxy?

Yes, we are so small, aren’t we? And yet mankind pretends to be so special and to know everything. How pitiful.

 moonflower; what’s your favorite color?

Fir Green.

 freesia; do you have a good relationship with your parents and siblings? why/why not?

I think so, yes.

 sundrop; are you a morning or a night person?

A morning person.

 poppy; have you ever dealt with a mental illness?

Yes, but I try to lock it inside.

 clover; how would your friends describe you?

Calm but clever.

 dandelion; do you consider yourself and extrovert or an introvert?

Introvert.

 lilly; what’s something you love watching/reading but you are too embarrassed to admit you do?

In romance novels I am always waiting for the s*x passages lol xD Probably because this kind of thing is missing in my life atm xD

 anemone; describe yourself in 3 words.

Astute, spiritual, special.

 lotus; best memory as a child?

The holidays in Bavaria. Nothing was more beautiful.

 angelonia; what is your eye and hair color?

Smokey grey, blonde.

 dahlia; do you like crystals?

Yes.

 buttercup; if you could change one thing in the world, what would it be?

Let everything bad for the environment disappear.

 baby’s breath; what’s your hogwarts house?

Slytherin.

 calendula; biggest pet peeve?

Pollution.

 blanker flower; would you rather go to a cocktail party with your best friends or stay home and read a book/watch a movie with your pet?

If you read everything till now you will now – stay home with my pet and watch a movie/read a book. xD

 blazing star; share a secret.

Why would I?

 carnation; would you rather live longer or happier?

Happier.

 petunia; who’s story is your biggest inspiration in life? why?

I stopped looking for rolemodels but try to live and be the best I can.

 bluebell; do you wear glasses?

Nope.

And I tag everyone who wants to do this :D

[bat-lings]

whats your favourite ship for each of the bat kids?

Dick

I’m sorry but that man is the most shipable dude ever I physically can’t chose? My holy trinity is dickkory, dickbabs & dickroy. Kory & Babs were canonly different relationships at different times of his life that were both essential for different reasons aka the kind of content I dig. And his relationship with Roy is just too great for words.

Jason

Huh, that’s a tough one. I don’t have strong opinions about Jay’s love life. Rena was important in a young love way but it’s not a ship outside of that, and post-resurrection!Jason isn’t in a place where it’s easy to imagine him in a healthy relationship.

Maybe Jayroy, but like. With preboot!Roy’s characterization.

Oh my god. Jason/Grace Choi. I just invented a power couple lmao. Look, definitely not endgame material (tbh not sure they could be good for each other more than short-term), but they’d have the most vivid and entertaining dynamic ever. With adequate writing they could even navigate some of their issues together? It’d be wholesome while it lasts and then Grace would go to her wife Anissa & Jason would go on with his life too.

[Outsiders (2003) #16]

[Red Hood: Lost Days #3]

I hope you’re happy with yourself Anon, I have a new ship with 0.000 content because of you now

Bottom line is, I can’t imagine Jason in any kind of long-term relationship before he has done some serious healing & growing. But there’s definitely some ships to be shipped. Should be with people who can stand up to him, call him out on his bullshit when necessary, and with whom he has enough in common to strike an understanding from the start.

Tim

Timkon definitely. While I love Tim/Tam & Tim/Steph too, if we’re talking endgame material Timkon would definitely be the healthiest option imo. Tim/Ari & Tim/Zo while part of his story had to end at some point for similar reasons. So it’s kinda like Dick where I think all his relationships should be considered because they’re part of his growth, but unlike Dick there’s only one I could really imagine lasting… in the way they existed in canon that is. Timsteph or Tim/Tam could maybe work out better in a future AU after everyone has matured some more.

Anyway! Timkon. I got a soft spot for the “best friends in love” trope; make ‘em grow up together like those two canonly did from and I’m sold. They respect & care so much for each other and man they’re just way too funny.

[Robin (1993) #141]

Cassandra

Cass/Kon is the ultimate rare pair that I’ll defend with my life okay;; they were literally the cutest thing ever and it’s too bad canon didn’t hold more content for their relationship whether they’d have ended up as an actual couple or as friends.

Just. Look at these cuties

[Batgirl (2000) #43]

Also Onyx/Cass had some rad potential too, shame it wasn’t expanded on

[Batgirl (2000) #60]

Stephanie

Steph/Kara. The ultimate combination of adorable, funny, and touching.

[Batgirl (2009) #14]

And the more I get to know Duke the more I think he and Steph could be a cute match?

But I wouldn’t put her in a long-term romance until after Batgirl (2009) / after Steph learned to love herself & do things for herself.

Damian

Probably either with Jon or Colin when they grow up some more? Kinda hard to have real shipping opinions given his young age. The pre-slash has dream-like potential tho, as a “best friends falling in love as they grow up together” slow-burn-ish thing. Me loves that.

Barbara

For all that I love dickbabs, Babs/Dinah wins this one. They admire each other, they inspire each other, they support each other, their banter is the stuff of gold, what is there not to love?

[Birds of Prey (1999) #68 & #84]

Duke

I stand by my Steph/Duke. Those dorks would be hilarious together, just imagine the banter potential.

[Batgirl (2009) #6 || We Are Robin #1]

And they’re both stubborn kids with a big heart who are way too determined for their own good. I’m seeing it guys.

Thanks for the ask!

[trinuviel]

Winterfell’s Daughter. On Sansa Stark (part 14)

I’ve previously written a series of essays that analyse Sansa Stark’s narrative arc in Game of Thrones - during season 1 (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6) and during season 2 (Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10) and now during season 3 (Part 11, Part 12, Part 13).

One of the important themes in Sansa Stark’s narrative arc in season 3 is her political importance. As Robb Stark’s heir apparent she is the Key to the North, which is stated by political players such as Lord Varys and Tywin Lannister. That is also why she is courted by both Patyr Baelish and the Tyrells. They all want to secure her claim in the case of Robb’s premature death. However, her arc is also about hope - the hope of escape, safety and family - and the subsequent crushing of that fragile hope. 

In my previous post I analysed how Sansa was charmed and courted by Margaery and Loras Tyrell - with Margaery not only offering a marriage to Loras but also the promise of sisterhood as well as a new home, filled with all the courtly sophistication that a nobly born girl could wish for. Loras’ awkward courtship in the beautiful gardens of the Red Keep re-awakened all of Sansa’s girlish dreams that she had gleaned from the romantic songs that she loved so much in the first season.

A POLITE REFUSAL

The Tyrells are not the only ones that offer Sansa an escape from her abuse. In the very first episode, Petyr Baelish offers to sneak her out of King’s Landing. This is a plan that is much more dangerous than the Tyrell offer and Sansa is vary of Baelish in a way that she isn’t with Margaery - so it isn’t surprising that Sansa chooses the less dangerous option, an option that promises the protection of a powerful noble House. 

In episode 5, Petyr Baelish once again approaches Sansa while she’s alone,  watching a lonely ship at anchor in Blackwater Bay. A bit of seemingly inconsequential small talk follows. I say seemingly because this little exchange between Sansa and Baelish is, in fact, fraught with subtext - and the subtext is informed by our knowledge of the fact that Baelish already knows about the secret betrothal between Sansa and Loras Tyrell.

Baelish: She may not be the grandest ship in the world… or the fastest… but she is mine. I’ve always wanted a ship. Now I want a dozen. Strange, isn’t it?

Sansa: What is?

Baelish: It doesn’t matter what we want, once we get it, then we want something else.

Sansa: Many ladies wear it this way.

The subtext to this exchange revolves around Baelish indirectly implying that he offered Sansa something she wanted - seeing her family again, escaping King’s Landing - and now she wants something else, something more. The way he then changes the subject to Sansa wearing her hair in a style favoured by Margaery Tyrell is also him hinting that Sansa is now under the influence of Margaery in more ways than just a sense of fashion. Of course, Sansa is unaware of him knowing her secret - so the subtext of his words are entirely for the benefit of the audience. Then, Baelish changes the subject of conversation yet again.

Baelish: I have good news. I’ll be leaving the city soon.

Sansa: You still want me to come with you?

Baelish: It is not a question of what I want. It is what you want. You want to go home, do you?

Sansa looks down.

Sansa: Of course. More than anything.

She looks down again.

Sansa: But maybe it is better to wait. I’ve been thinking how dangerous it would be. Not just for me, but for you. You’ve been so kind. I’d feel terrible if anything happened to you.

Baelish: I can’t tell you how touched I am by your concern for my welfare. I hope you know that I’m your friend, Sansa. Your true friend.

Sansa: I do, Lord Baelish.

Baelish: Petyr.

He’s trying to force familiarity here, a sense of friendship - but unlike Margaery he isn’t very good at charming people. He’s unctuous and oily, quite different from the lighthearted camaraderie that Margaery so effortlessly projects in her interactions with Sansa. He understands neither real love nor true friendship because he’s always looking to exploit people for his own benefit. Not to mention the fact that he’s a middle-aged predator, obsessed with Sansa’s mother whom Sansa greatly resembles. 

Sansa: Petyr.

Baelish: If you wish to stay, then of course you will stay.

He takes her hand and kisses it.

Baelish: We’ll talk again when I return.

As he leaves, Sansa exhales audibly. She was extremely nervous about this conversation because she was lying to a man who had previously told her that she’s a poor liar. She smiles slightly and it is clear that she thinks she pulled it off. However, the audience already knows that Baelish is aware of the truth. He knows she’s lying to him and that her concern for him is false. I wonder if this has made him angry. It is clear that his decision to tell the Lannisters about the Tyrell-Stark betrothal is a move he makes to prevent Sansa from slipping through his fingers but I do wonder if there’s also an element of him wanting to punish her for rejecting his offer. However, this is pure speculation on my part.

HOPE CRUSHED

In my previous post, I wrote how the secret betrothal between Sansa and Loras Tyrell re-awakened all her girlish dreams of chivalric romance. The prospect of marrying a dashing knight and escaping her prison in order to live in Highgarden with its sophisticated culture has Sansa all atwitter, which is highlighted in a scene between Sansa and Shae where Sansa is happily discussing both fashion and her future wedding to Loras.

There are two things that are worth noticing in this scene:

Sansa still tells Shae everything! Her planned betrothal to Loras is secret but Sansa trusts Shae implicitly.

Sansa is so hopeful in this scene, which is rather heartbreaking since the audience already knows that her hopes are about to be crushed.

Sansa asks Shae whether the Tyrells will let her invite her family to her wedding to Loras. I’ve seen a lot of fans say that this line proves that Sansa is still hopelessly naive and stupid. I beg to differ. She is hopeful. I don’t find hopefulness stupid. Is her hopefulness naïve? Perhaps – but how is she to know that the secret betrothal isn’t very secret anymore? Are the writers telling the audience that Sansa is stupid and naïve? Possibly – but considering the scene that immediately follows this exchange between Sansa and Shae, I tend to think that this particular line of Sansa’s (“Will they let me invite my family?”) is more about lending a poignancy to her hopefulness right before those hopes are unequivocally crushed. It is a more generous interpretation than the one that dominates the fandom but I’d argue that there is room for both – it all comes down to whether you think the ability to hope for something better, even amidst abuse and loss, is stupid or not.

The conversation between Sansa and Shae is interrupted by a maid, announcing the presence of Tyrion Lannister who is there to inform Sansa that they are to marry.

Tyrion: Well… This is awkward.

The scene ends before he actually tells Sansa that they are to marry but the fact that Tyrion is about to break the news to Sansa in front of his lover shifts the focus of the narrative from Sansa onto Tyrion and Shae. In fact, all of Tyrion’s lines following his initial statement refers indirectly to his relationship with Shae! So this scene is really about him and not about Sansa at all, even though it is her hopes that are about to be crushed. This scene is also is an invention of the show since in the books Tyrion never bothers to actually inform Sansa of their upcoming wedding. In the books, Sansa is only informed of her wedding to Tyrion on the very day it is to take place and Cersei literally threatens to have her forcibly dragged to the altar.

One of the things I really dislike about the show is the way that it expunges Tyrion’s worst qualities and makes him act better than his character is originally written. This creative decision really impacts Sansa’s arc in a rather negative way since it frames Tyrion’s “suffering” as being equal to Sansa’s and it removes the focus on how utterly helpless and friendless Sansa is as a hostage at the Lannister court. Indeed, the way the show depicts their wedding (and marriage) repeatedly shifts the focus away from the victimization of Sansa in favour of Tyrion’s man-pain – and it erases the fact that this marriage serves to rob Sansa of everything while it only serves to benefit Tyrion. 

He may not being jumping with joy at the prospect of this marriage but let us not forget that it is designed to rob Sansa of her inheritance while Tyrion stands to benefit politically from her disenfranchisement.

We don’t get to see Tyrion actually telling Sansa that they will be wed but we do get to see her heartbroken reaction in the montage that accompanies Baelish’s infamous “Chaos is a Ladder” monologue at the very end of the episode. Sansa appears in the middle of his monologue after we’ve seen what happens to the people that try to climb the ladder of chaos but fails and are broken by the fall with an shot where Joffrey fiddles with his crossbow while Ros’ dead body is tied to his bedpost. Then the camera cuts to a shot of Sansa and Shae, their backs to the camera, with Blackwater Bay and Baelish’s ship in the background.

Baelish (VO): …and some are given the chance to climb…

The camera slowly zooms in on the ship that represents Sansa’s lost chance of escape.

Baelish (VO): …but they refuse.

Cut to a shot of a tearful and heartbroken Sansa.

Baelish (VO): …they cling to the realm or the Gods or love.

Cut to a close-up on the ship at anchor in the bay.

Baelish (VO): Illusions. Only the ladder is real.

Close-up of Sansa’s face as she desperately tries to hold back her tears.

Baelish (VO): The climb is all there is.

On the surface it looks like the narrative judges Sansa negatively for refusing to climb the Ladder of Chaos, that she’s still naively clinging to her illusions. It is easy to see why many come to that conclusion due to how the shots of Sansa are placed in the montage that is combined with Baelish’s monologue. However, we have to ask ourselves this: does the show itself endorse Baelish’s cynical ideology of chaos as a means of self-promotion? In order to find the answer to this question we have to look at how the entire sequence is framed, both the monologue and the images that accompanies it.

Baelish delivers his monologue after a conversation with Varys where they discuss their actions. Varys justifies his actions by saying that they are for the good of the realm. Baelish scoffs at this remark and says that the realm is simply a story that is a lie. Baelish doesn’t believe in the realm, in any kind of community that serves the many rather than the ambition of the individual. Varys counters this statement by saying that without the “illusion” of the realm, there is only chaos: “a gaping pit waiting to swallow us all”. This is where Baelish states that chaos is a ladder - a ladder for the ambitious individual to climb to further his own advancement.

Neither should we forget that Baelish is consistently presented as a villain who is willing to let the world burn in order to get what he wants - there’s a reason why Varys calls him the King of Ashes! Varys, on the other hand, is presented as Baelish’s opponent, as someone who puts the good of the many before his own desires - and if he can help someone at the same time as achieving his overall goal, so much the better (like preventing Baelish from getting his hands on Sansa and at the same time getting her away from Joffrey’s abuse). 

It is also worth noting that while we see Sansa when Baelish talks about the people who refuse the climb, she is not the only person that this segment of the monologue targets. It also targets Varys when he talks about people refusing to climb because they cling to ideas of love, the gods or the Realm! 

Love, Religion, the Realm. These are things that Baelish himself considers to be meaningless illusions. Baelish is a cynic who scorns people who believe in things that are larger than themselves, people who don’t put their selfish desires first – and while it seems that people like that are losing the game at this stage in the narrative, he is actually the one who is wrong. Despite its many weaknesses, season 7 is actually where the narrative affirms that protecting the realm is more important than the people who selfishly try to come out on top. During season 7, Jon Snow, one of the undisputed heroes of the story, reaffirms that his role is to be “the shield that guard the realms of men” – and the narrative leaves no one in doubt that his mission is far more important and more morally sound that the objectives of the people who bring about destruction in their desire to rule the fates of other people.

So, no. The narrative doesn’t punish Sansa for not wanting to climb Baelish’s ladder of chaos – Baelish is the one punishing her for rejecting him! But you have to look beneath the surface of the montage and look at the way it is framed within the larger story.

MAKE THE BEST OF THE SITUATION?

While we do not witness Tyrion telling Sansa of their upcoming nuptials, nor her immediate reaction, we do get to see her heartbroken state later on in a scene between her and Margaery in episode 7. The scene begins with a wide shot of Sansa and Margaery, sitting in a patio in the gardens of the Red Keep. Margery comforts a tearful Sansa who is mourning her lost hopes of a brighter future in Highgarden.

Sansa: Growing up in Winterfell I always wanted to escape, to come to the capital. See the southern knights and their painted armour. All the candles in burning in all the windows.

The camera cuts to a close-up of Sansa’s face. She starts to cry.

This is just such a heartbreaking utterance. Sansa has never been stupid. She was a sheltered child, loved and protected by her family. Her innocence wasn’t stupid and neither were her dreams. They were the symptoms of a child who had been loved and protected. It is incredibly sad to see her denounce her hope of a better future in Highgarden as stupid. 

Hope is never stupid! Hope is what drives people to work to create a better world, even in the face of overwhelming hardship. To give up on hope is to give in to despair.

Sansa wasn’t stupid or wrong to hope for something better – to despair is to give up on life and Sansa is stronger than she thinks, stronger than many people among the audience think. Her hopes were crushed by callous people who seek to rob her of her inheritance, her freedom and her autonomy. Sansa’s crushed hopes are not a symptom of any stupidity on her part but an indictment of the callous ambitions of men like Petyr Baelish and Tywin Lannister. The very fact that Sansa calls herself stupid is also an effect of the emotional abuse that both Cersei and Joffrey have heaped upon her. Both of them repeated call her stupid and foolish. Her self-esteem has been destroyed. Thus, it is no wonder that Sansa has internalized this notion, sad as it is.

Margaery: I remember the first time I saw you in the throne room. I’d never seen anyone who looked so unhappy.

Sansa wipes away her tears. Margaery takes her by the arm as they stroll into the lush gardens of the Red Keep.

Margaery: I want very much for you to be happy, Sansa, and so does my grandmother.

I think that Margaery is honest here – at least about her own feelings – and Natalie Dormer’s acting choices certainly supports this interpretation. Her expression is genuinely sympathetic when she’s witnessing Sansa’s unhappy tears. 

This scene is very much about Margaery extending her hand in a genuine spirit of friendship. This is yet another marked change from the books where Margaery drops Sansa like a hot potato after the Tyrell betrothal falls through. It is a change that I actually like because one of GRRM’s most glaring blind-spots is the complete lack of any positive relationships between women in his story.

During their stroll, Margaery stops to pluck a rose, the heraldic symbol of House Tyrell.

Margaery: You would have been happy in Highgarden… but women in our position must make the best of our circumstances.

Not only is Margaery older and more worldly than Sansa but I think it is safe to assume that she was never raised to be quite as sheltered as Sansa has been. She’s an ambitious pragmatist and she’s giving Sansa what she thinks is the best advice that she can offer.

Sansa: How do I make the best of my circumstances? I have to marry him.

The camera cuts to a medium close-up of Margaery and Sansa, facing each other. Margery hands Sansa the rose, which is a nice call back to the tourney scene in season 1 where her brother Loras handed Sansa a red rose. However, unlike Loras, Margaery offers Sansa her rose as an act that symbolizes a genuine offer of friendship.

Margaery proceeds to ask Sansa whether Tyrion has mistreated her? Whether he has been kind to her? Sansa says that he has tried to be kind.

Margaery: You don’t want him though.

Sansa: He’s a Lannister.

This is the crux of the matter! Tyrion’s family holds her prisoner, they are responsible for the death of her father and some of them abuse her emotionally as well as physically for their own enjoyment. She is being forced to marry an enemy of her family and this marriage will keep her a hostage forever. 

In this context it doesn’t really matter whether Tyrion is kind or not – this marriage will strip her of her family name and it effectively ends her hope of ever returning to the loving embrace of her family. 

Furthermore, the very reason for this marriage rests upon Tywin Lannister’s desire to appropriate her family home since she is Robb Stark’s heir apparent. It is also one part of a two-pronged attack on her family since Tywin is plotting to kill Sansa’s brother so that he can install Tyrion as Lord of Winterfell by way of this marriage. Tywin’s nefarious plot comes to a bloody fruition just a few episodes later when Sansa’s brother and mother are cruelly slain by the Freys.

Margaery continues to dispense advice as she and Sansa stroll in the gardens.

Margaery: My son will be king. Sons learn from their mothers. I plan to teach mine a great deal.

While Margaery is ambitious, she doesn’t plan to wield power directly. We have already seen that Margaery excels when it comes to the use of soft power – her charitable endeavours have helped win her the love of the people in King’s Landing and so far she’s successfully manipulated Joffrey. She plans to use the same approach in her marriage, not only by subtly influencing people in power but also by shaping any future children she’d produce so that it’ll be her legacy rather than Joffrey’s that would shape the realm in the future. Interestingly, this scene also functions as a companion piece to Cersei’s advice to Sansa about loving her children despite not loving her husband from season 2.

Margaery then points out that if Sansa has a son by Tyrion, he might be Lord of Casterly Rock and perhaps even Lord of the North. She’s trying to appeal to a sense of ambition in Sansa because that is how she approaches her place in the world – and she doesn’t really understand that Sansa doesn’t crave power but just wants to be safe and loved. This talk about children makes Sansa rather uncomfortable and the issue of sex comes up. Sansa is adamant that it isn’t the pain of losing her virginity that she fears (she’s used to bodily pain after what Joffrey’s put her through). Rather she objects to the fact that Tyrion is a dwarf. Margaery then proceeds to talk about how different people find different things attractive and says that sexual experience in a husband can be a good thing for the wife.

I cannot stress enough how I absolutely HATE how the show frames Sansa’s upcoming marriage here! Suddenly, Sansa is presented as shallow when it is in fact not Tyrion’s dwarfism that is the most problematic thing about this marriage. The most problematic thing about this marriage is the fact that Sansa is being FORCED to marry him and that he, as a Lannister, is an enemy of her family! This marriage is a scheme aimed at disenfranchising Sansa and it is predicated upon a plot to murder her older brother so that the Lannisters can claim her home for themselves. 

Furthermore, the idea that she should just give Tyrion a chance and try to make the best of things completely puts the onus on her to make the marriage work and that is such a gross notion since she has been given absolutely no choice in the matter, the marriage will make her hostage situation permanent and the whole thing is designed to steal her inheritance. 

Combined with the general whitewashing of Tyrion’s character, this framing blames any lack of success in the upcoming marriage on Sansa while erasing her helplessness and lack of consent - it is an implicit piece of victim-blaming, which is almost too gross for words. The changes that the show made with this marriage plot are really deplorable because they appear to have been made in order to make Tyrion more likeable than he is in the books - and this comes at the expense of Sansa’s characterization.

To be continued...

(GIFs not mine)