#also this could be platonic. or it could be polycule. you decide :)

[transvampireboyfriend]

part 1 - part 2 - part 3 - part 4 - part 5 - part 6 - part 7 - part 8

"I'm just saying, if the heat bothers you so much, you could cut your hair" Nancy points out, after declining Eddie's pleas for her spare scrunchie.

Robin sits on Nancy's lap, clutching the back of Steve's seat and she looks at Steve through the side mirror like she's afraid that he's about to go on a mission to defend Eddie's honor or something but Steve rolls his eyes at her. He's not that gone.

Or at least he knows how to hide it well.

Eddie's lost several of Nancy's favorite hair accessories and two weeks ago she bowed to never lend him any ever again.

Which, does not stop Eddie from asking her anyway at least once a day.

But the point is, even if Steve wanted to, Eddie's honor cannot be defended in this situation.

Nancy's leaning behind Argyle's back now to glare at the metalhead. Steve can see them in the rearview mirror.

Eddie gasps "I would never" he says, clutching his chest dramatically.

Steve secretly breathes a sigh of relief.

Johnathan chuckles at the wheel. "But you could" he comments, eyes on the road.

Steve can see Argyle subtly laughing and shaking his head out of the corner of his eye.

Today is a rare occasion, Jonathan is driving them in Steve's car.

The goal of Steve's rant earlier about having to drive them everywhere was to get Eddie to drive them, so Steve could sit shotgun and watch Eddie drive.

Instead, Jonathan had offered first and then Steve couldn't go in the backseat because he's in charge of their map.

But whatever, this is fine too. He trusts Jonathan and it is nice to get a break and to be able to fully turn around when he's talking to someone in the backseat.

"Jon, I would lose all my sex appeal, you don't get it" Eddie answers, getting a box of Twinkies from one of the many bags they packed and placed on the floor of Steve's car.

"I get it" Argyle chimes in, watching Eddie pull out a Twinkie and shaking his head no when Eddie offers him one.

"You'd still be sexy with short hair" Robin comments from her seat on Nancy's lap.

Everyone turns to look at her.

"What?" she shrugs "I can say that"

Nancy chuckles into her shoulder.

Steve opens their map again to stop thinking about Eddie's 'sex appeal', even as the guy is excitedly munching on a Twinkie in the backseat of Steve's car.

He's got cream in the corner of his mouth and he clearly put more in his mouth than he can comfortably chew. He's leaning one elbow on Argyle's shoulder, his hand holding half a Twinkie, his other hand holds his mop of hair up in a high bun, causing his cut off tank to sit barely covering his nipples, his tattoos on display and his armpit hair fully visible.

Steve's fairly certain nobody else in this car would get it, but to him the sight is mouth watering. The guy is practically irresistible.

"I don't think i would've gone on even half the dates I've gone on if i didn't have my hair" Steve muses, for something to say and to add to Eddie's point, even though he agrees with Robin.

Almost everyone answers with agreeable noises, except Eddie and Robin.

Robin snorts and says "You are relentless"

While Eddie says "You don't get dates for your hair" at the same time. In a tone that suggests he thinks this is an obvious thing.

"I mean- it doesn't hurt" provides Nancy, she sends Steve an apologetic look but Steve waves her off. It's a compliment as far as he's concerned, he loves his hair.

Eddie finishes his treat and opens a new one while everyone else gives their opinions.

"For a lot of people, hair is a big part of attraction" Jonathan is saying, trying to seem like he's not speaking from experience.

"Especially hair as luscious as Steve's" Argyle agrees, leaning forward to lightly comb the side of Steve's hair, making him laugh.

"Thanks, man" Steve says overlapping Eddie's response.

"And I agree!" he exclaims "I'm saying he doesn't get dates because of his hair." Eddie goes on, waving his new Twinkie around for emphasis. "People throw themselves at Steve, and always will, but it's not because of his hair" he repeats.

Steve feels his cheeks heat up but still asks "Then why?"

"Well, because you're very pretty!" Eddie answers easily, like everyone should already know this.

Steve keeps his eyes carefully trained on the map, like he needs to study it meticulously, right this moment, while they're in the middle of a highway.

His cheeks are burning up and he can feel it spreading to his ears.

"And that's if they don't know you!" Eddie continues "If they do know you they know you're kind and brave and strong ...and generous and funny. Who wouldn't want all that in a date?" Eddie finshes.

Oh I don't know, you? Maybe? Do you? Steve thinks.

"Even bald, people would still go crazy for you" Eddie adds, his words slightly muffled towards the end as he shoves almost all of the new Twinkie in his mouth but apparently thinks better of it, biting all but a small piece.

"Here. You want the rest of this?" Eddie offers Steve, talking through his mouthful, and presenting the small piece with his ringed fingers, right in front of Steve's face.

Without thinking, Steve leans forward and takes it with his mouth, his lips burning where they touched Eddie's fingers.

As Eddie retrieves his hand Steve realizes what he just did and how quiet the car got.

He sends Robin a panicked look through the side mirror as Jonathan awkwardly clears his throat.

"Argyle's got nice hair" Robin tries.

The car immediately fills up with enthusiastic agreement and Steve slowly breathes out.

He can't bring himself to look at Eddie as he chews on his bite. He practically licked Eddie's fingers. Unprompted! The guy probably meant for Steve to grab the treat and then eat it. If he even accepted it at all!

Steve feels like an idiot and he frowns at the map again, willing himself to ignore the goosebumps in his arms and the tickling on his lips.

He doesn't see Eddie worriedly staring at him for the remaining of their conversation, until Nancy takes pity on him and offers up her spare scrunchie to distract him.

part 2

[dystopyx-blog]

as a Floyd enjoyer

I do read a LOT of octotrio posts.

Like a lot

so, as a yandere writer

time for yandere octotrio headcanons!

a lot of this will probably tie in for my ideas for my self insert and yandere posts I’ve written in the past!

it’s hard to say who was interested in you first. Either Azul was interested and sent the tweels on you, or the tweels were interested in you and then got azul interested and then azul sent the tweels on you, all I can say for certain is that at some point, someone is interested, and you get the tweels sent on you.

So you got the tweels following you around now. The two have different ways of studying. Floyd, of course, is more hands on. Jade typically stays back, taking EXTENSIVE mental notes. He mostly only gets involved when he can tell Floyd is getting a bit too… much for any one person to handle.

of course, then you have to deal with TWO tweels, and idc who you are, dealing with BOTH of them is way more to handle than just one of them. Like, one tweel is like 100%, but when those fuckers are working together it’s like at least 110%.

but… you seem to handle them really well somehow??

so whether it was Azul who was interested first, or they were interested from the very start, safe to say they are VERY interested in you now.

The tweels, despite being chaotic neutral at best (chaotic evil at worst) are still pretty goddamn loyal to Azul. So they eagerly report back to him (either to convince him or further convince him, again, doesn’t matter)

then this is where it gets really fun (for me)

I love the octotrio, and what I especially love is the mix of platonic and romantic. Like, ofc Floyd and Jade are purely familial. But when it comes to their relationship with Azul, it’s the kind of platonic that so fucking seamlessly shifts into romantic that no one is sure when it turned, and also no one cares. The octotrio blend so fucking seamlessly with each other, that they could even be purely platonic with each other, it could be less romance and more family, but an outsider would never fucking know or understand that. THE OCTOTRIO RELATIONSHIP/S ARE SO FUCKIN NOM NOM NOM I’M DEVOURING IT —

Ahem

anyway

point is, whether octotrio is a romantic poly or just three really fucking close friends, they all look at you and go “that one, we want that one.” And they don’t even have to vocally announce they want to share you, it is understood. There is no “all in favor say aye,” after a few times of the tweels reporting back to Azul they’re just all agreed “yes, this one is ours now, we are taking them for the seafood polycule.”

calamari, unagi, and shrimp, yum yum

ANYWAY

Expect the tweels on yo ass even more than before. Not only that, but they are FULLY embracing their statuses as fucking terrifying menaces to keep all your icky clingy friends away

Suddenly they’re paying extra close attention to your flaws. All of which they find endlessly endearing, what they’re really looking for is a chance to snap.

an insecurity, a life ending mistake, anything to get a chance to whisper in your ear that you need special help. Or maybe they’ll even use the fact they’re living up to their name and stick to you like leeches to convince you you need to talk to Azul

maybe you’re strong, maybe you can’t be fully convinced. Maybe once they do bring you to Azul (trust me, they will) you decide “nope, I’m out.” Thing is though, once they get you there, it’s already decided. Azul will know exactly how to trap you, exactly what to do to get you to come back, or even better, stay.

if you’re in Yuu’s shoes, I imagine he’d be willing to let you AND Grim live in the lounge. To make it less suspicious, he’ll probably say you have to work, or that he gets to use Ramshackle. Something to make sure you’re not suspicious why he’s suddenly so hospitable. But really, ramshackle or service are not what he’s after. Obviously. No, he needs you there, with them.

I don’t even really have to get into what these guys do as yanderes, since most students are already pretty frightened by the tweels. And now that they have someone to ‘protect’? HO BOI, do they REALLY give the student body to fear.

and if they get past Jade and Floyd, then there’s Azul, who will bribe or blackmail until they leave their darling alone.

yeah, sorry to say, once they have you in their sights, it’s pm over for you.

Doesn’t matter who saw you first, cuz you were doomed from the start either way.

GENERAL OCTOTRIO + READER HEADCANONS ❤️

Pleeeasassse I cannot get the image of octotrio dog pile outta my headdd. Azul, Jade, and Floyd are CUDDLY MOTHERFUCKERS, you cannot convince me otherwise. And once they have you, you’re joining. Typically Jade and Floyd both spoon Azul (you can’t convince me otherwise (or maybe you can, let’s talk)), and you’ll likely be sandwiched between Azul and whichever tweel called dibs that night. Or, it’s the true dog pile, where limbs are kind just all over the place. There’s typically a tweel at the bottom (cuz big bois), and that tweel is typically Jade because Floyd insists on being on top, despite his height and weight. And adding you just makes the dog pile feel so much fuller ❤️ (and if you’re one of those people like me who falls asleep better with like weight on top of you… yeah, you are not gonna be awake long enough to protest)

it may take a while for Azul to get comfortable enough to go full octomer on you, especially if you’re a darling who runs away, but once he does trust you enough, he will. And like… come on, I think we as a fandom agree that octo Azul is beautiful/adorable, so of course you do not react negatively to it, even if you’re a stubborn darling.

maybe you’re speechless, and Azul gets flustered and wants to ZOOM back to the surface, but the tweels hold him back, and thank god they do, because even if you aren’t screaming “omg you’re so cute/pretty!!” like I would, you probably mutter it under your breath, just loud enough that he definitely hears (did you know sound moves faster in water?) and he is a blushing cephaloboy. (Bet you didn’t think I’d bring SCIENCE into this, HA)

Suddenly now they’re also snuggling you in the water in med form, because yes these boys cuddle in med form, and you’re one of them now. Can’t breathe in water? Silly, they got magic for that. You are not getting out of this seafood pancake 🫵🫵

you are going to have so many limbs all over you omg. The tweels are trying their damndest to wrap their eel tails around the both of you, and Azul is keeping all of y’all together with his arms

(here’s another science fact, octopus do not have tentacles, those are arms)

AND DON’T EVEN GET ME STARTED ON THE BREE—

[windor-truffle]

Dolphinnnnnn i finished L&L and you’re one of the two people who’s used the Asbel/Lambda tag so pls yell with me about them 🥺

OKAY WELL REMEMBER YOU ASKED FOR IT 😂 Time to raise the age rating of my blog!

I mean for me it's largely the tsundere-isms. Pav can testify that when I streamed Lineage and Legacies for her i was cackling throughout most of Lambda and Asbel's conversations, they always go the EXACT same way and it's so stupidly funny: Lambda shows up to insult/threaten Asbel, Asbel decides to view it in the rosiest tinted glasses in the fucking world and ends up either thanking or complimenting Lambda, and Lambda always IMMEDIATELY leaves with some insightful like commentary "This is foolishness," or "Hmph." That is peak comedy to me, watching a dude set a trap then fall for it himself 😂 "Haha I'm going to ruin this guy's life for fun and oh no, what are these, feelings?? Abort!!"

I know I'm always poor little meow-meowing Lambda a bit, but it's clear the loosely defined "guy" has been loved by exactly 1 (One) person and then that guy was fucking murdered which made Lambda think that love, or anything good really, would never find him again. So for Asbel to show up with unconditional positive regard despite barely knowing him, and forgiveness despite everything Lambda had done... yeah I'd fall for someone like that too 😅 He's such a kind man, it's the trait we love most about him 💜

Personally I'm fine to see Lambda and Asbel written platonically, like in the fic I wrote (which I'm assuming you're referencing in your ask thank you for the kudos 💜) where it's more ambiguous and a little one sided. But ALSO personally I think Asbel should have a harem, EVERYONE'S a little in love with the guy (but that's probably my oh so obvious bias talking 😅) (bonus points if Asbel's contentedly aromantically oblivious to his polycule). Asbel's always radiating beams of friendship, and he believes in people so much it makes them want to believe in themselves. And for characters who feel/have been told they are unlovable and shouldn't exist? Yeah that's how you get partners who are utterly obsessed 😅

But that's the more wholesome take on shipping them... there's also the appeal of more toxic and/or erotic dynamics. I'm not 100 percent sure this is what you're asking for so if the idea makes you (or anyone reading this) feel uncomfy, this is the paragraph to stop reading at.

So the fun thing about characters undergoing potential redemption arcs is that their journey can be nonlinear, or completely unsuccessful. I have no qualms about keeping Lambda in an antagonistic role regardless of Asbel's support. In some ways it makes sense for him to doubt or dislike Asbel's love; after all, it's unfamiliar and uncomfortable. If Asbel is right in his assertion that humans have potential, it means that Lambda was wrong to hurt and attempt to exterminate them, and that's not easy to admit. So it's fun to imagine Lambda doing everything in his power to make Asbel hate him so he can "win" this argument of whether he's redeemable or not. Things like bullying and intimidation like in canon, or more serious stuff like trying to kill Asbel's friends with his own hands :)

But that's barely toxic, in fact that could have a very wholesome ending if so desired. There's also some "fun" dynamics to be had with jealousy and abuse; it stands to reason the being possessing a guy would be, well, possessive 😅 If Lambda latches onto for Asbel for his kindness without actually internalizing it himself, we get into some pretty toxic stuff :) My long fic, though not shippy, does this, blurring the lines of Lambda's possessiveness from "you're mine" into "you're ME, you're an extension of myself and thus have no agency beyond what I permit." He's mistaken Asbel's friendship for unwavering approval and agreement with his worldview and actions, he blatantly violates his boundaries, and he dismisses his protests as "foolishness" or "not understanding reality." In the long fic, this comes to a confrontational breaking point (murder-suicide attempt), but knowing canon Asbel's endless belief in others even to his/their own detriment (like failing to call out Richard sooner during the main arc), I could see Asbel letting himself be abused for far too long under the misguided notion he can still "save" Lambda (good luck convincing someone who's actively benefitting from their actions to stop them buddy 😔).

As for the erotic, there's the sormik of it all... You know, the whole *leans into my imaginary microphone* fellas is it gay to live inside another man? 😅 It's probably not very hard to get someone off if you have direct control of their body huh. In fact, getting back to the jealousy thing and the fact that I'm still a hardcore Richass shipper, I like to think Lambda could get a little jealous of Asbel's arousal at Richard's hands and is like "oh that? I can do that here watch" and picking the absolute WORST moment to demonstrate. So Asbel has to clean himself up and awkwardly explain the reason why he and Richard keep that in the bedroom, beyond just for comfort's sake 😅

In conclusion, I like them :) They can be the most wholesome redemption-through-love pairing, or the most toxic fucked up kinky thing imaginable. Or both! They're fun 💜

[torimidori2-blog]

I'm poly, and I keep getting people who don't understand what the difference between polyamory, open relationships, and cheating, so let this be an educational moment for all the mono people out there.

Polyamorous is when someone is attracted to or in a relationship with more than one person at the same time. This is all with consent from everyone involved. A group of poly people who are dating are called a polycule. Just like regular monogamous relationships, poly relationships can consist of romantic, platonic, sensual, and sexual attraction, and can even be done with people who are aspec (on the ace spectrum).

An open relationship is when someone is attracted to more than one person, but the person who you're dating isn't attracted to the people you date. For example: if the relationship started of monogamous, and you decide you want to open the relationship in order to cater to a specific need that your current partner can't provide, that means you and your partner can see other people outside of your relationship with consent from your partner. Just like poly people, this can also be done between people who are aspec and you could have different reasons for wanting another separate relationship, whether you need a sensual, sexual, romantic, or platonic/queer platonic relationship. In my opinion, I think open relationships should be a last resort after communicating with your partner enough to where you both realize that your relationship needs aren't being met, but you still care enough about each other to still want to be together.

Cheating is when someone in a committed relationship sees other people without consent from their significant other(s). The reason why cheating is bad, is not because they're dating someone else, it's because you trusted them to not break the boundaries of the relationship by seeing other people, and they did anyway.

Even if you're in a poly relationship, you can cheat because if you didn't trust your partners enough to tell them that you're interested in seeing someone else and it breaks their boundaries and makes them feel violated and uncomfortable, that's cheating. It's also a danger to the polycule because they don't know the person you brought in and they weren't aware of you bringing them in. Why would you not tell your cule who you're dating when they're usually comfortable with letting more people in? For all we know, they could hurt the cule, or hurt you, or they could be hiding something themselves.

Someone who tells you that their actually poly after they got caught cheating is a blazing red flag. Cances are, they're just trying to find a valid excuse to cheat and get away with it. Someone who tells you that they want to open a relationship before sorting out the issues in their current relationship is a blazing red flag. Especially if you have a solution to the problems that you're facing, and it could've been solved through negotiating with your partner.

To be honest, as a poly person, I don't understand why cheating is a thing. For one, it could be because being monogamous is the societal norm, and seeing other people is a means of trying to secretly bypass that norm, but I don't think thats the case seeing that there is a whole cheating culture that proudly says that they like to cheat and gloat about how many people they play on a constant basis. It could be the fact that people just think that emotions are a game to be played with, or it could be some sort of insecurity that they have with the relationship they started before they decided to cheat. But fr, can someone tell me the reason why people cheat? I don't understand, and I need a real valid answer. Not some "They were boring and I don't like them anymore." because you can either do one of two things there, break up with them, or talk to them about how you feel and tell them what you want from them moving forward.

[ladykailitha]

Royal Pain: Epilogue

I know I said I would hold off posting until the Christmas story was completed, but this one literally had one chapter left and it felt rude to make you wait for it.

Happy boys!

Pt 1 Pt 2 Pt 3 Pt 4 Pt 5 Pt 6 Pt 7 Pt 8 Pt 9 Pt 10 Pt 11 Pt 12 Pt 13 Pt 14 Pt 15 Pt 16 Pt 17 Pt 18 Pt 19 Pt 20 Pt 21 Meta Pt 22 Pt 23 Pt 24|Pt 25|Pt 26|Pt 27|Pt 28

****

Six months later:

They were having a holiday plus everyone celebrating something awesome party.

It was held at Steve and Eddie’s new house. Steve had decided to move out the apartment and buy a house now that the business was so successful. And on their six month anniversary, Steve asked Eddie to move in with him.

It had two studios. A music one for Eddie, where he could write songs and the boys could practice so that they no longer had to rent out that garage.

The second one was for Steve to get his art degree. He was still running Royal Pain, but wanted to learn new styles and techniques that would help him become a better tattoo artist.

Chrissy, Robin, and Vickie had also moved into together, but into a bigger apartment that had three rooms so that they could all have their own space, but still remain a committed polycule.

Argyle and Chrissy were both full time tattoo artists, leaving time for Steve to go back to school.

Robin was going back to school, too. To become a translator.

Eden and Argyle were still a couple and expecting their first child in the summer.

Nancy and Jonathan remained broken up, with Nancy in therapy and Jonathan dating a friend of Miranda’s.

Jeff and Miranda were getting married in February, the reception to be held at the Nightmare Holes.

Mike and Will were official now, too and were in talks to move in together. They were trying to decide to move to Will’s apartment, Mike’s, or a find another apartment all together. One that was both their space.

Erica had moved to New York to be with Max and Lucas. But all of them were in town for the party. Having planned it around when the Knicks would be in town.

Hopper was loving Eden as his apprentice, hers almost being up. He was eyeing the first of the year to promote her.

Brian came out as ace and that Cecil was his platonic life partner and had been for the last couple of years.

Gareth and Gethin were still sharing the apartment, but they were still single. Gethin was always looking for the next Mrs Hughes, but Gareth was content to find out more about himself before diving into a relationship.

Dustin and Suzie were also expecting, but they had just found earlier that week.

The Binghams were so excited that two of their daughters were pregnant and were planning to come up in the summer to help with Eden’s baby and help Suzie get ready for hers.

They were all gathered around in the kitchen with a package that Murray had sent over that morning.

“Come on, Ed,” Wayne said softly. “Open ‘er up.”

Eddie nodded and tore the brown paper off the gift. He let out a choked out sob.

Steve put his arm around Eddie’s shoulder.

“Oh sunshine,” Steve breathed. “Show everyone.”

Eddie nodded and lifted it over his head so everyone could see.

There in a black frame and nestled in a white background was a gold record for their song, Pretty Boy Under Bright Lights. The first love song Eddie ever wrote for Steve. And it had just sold its five hundred thousand copy.

They all started cheering.

Steve kissed Eddie’s cheek fiercely. “See? I knew you could do it on your terms, Eds. You are a rockstar now.”

Tears ran down his cheeks nodding his head. Then he was surrounded by his band. They were hugging him and cheering.

Sometimes it really does work out for everyone. Even if didn’t happen the way they thought it would.

Eddie thought back to that day so long ago when Max had called him to let him know that she was leaving. He never thought that losing a tattoo artist would change his life forever.

Later that night, he pulled her aside.

“I owe you big time, Red,” he said, wrapping his arm around her.

Max grinned. “Hell yeah you do.”

“Anything you want, you’ve got,” Eddie promised. “My left kidney. My first child.”

She laughed. “When you two get married, I want to do matching tattoos on both of you.”

Eddie blinked. “Deal!”

Steve wandered over just then. “What’s a deal?”

Max grinned up at him. “Eddie just promised me that I get to do wedding tats when you two get married.”

Steve looked at Eddie and then back to Max. “Yeah, that’s fair.”

Max nodded once. “Damn straight it is.”

“Oh, honey,” Eddie teased. “There ain’t nothing straight about this relationship.”

She smacked his arm.

But Eddie just giggled.

“Come on,” Max said. “I want to see it.”

Eddie rolled his eyes. “You saw it on my Insta.”

“It’s not the same and you know it,” she growled. “I want to see Steve’s masterpiece.”

Steve blushed. “Come on, Max...”

Eddie looked at his blush and then turned to Max. “Fine. But here and not out there where everyone can gawk.”

“Well, duh,” she said. “That’s why I asked now.”

Eddie took off his shirt and turned around.

“Oh shit,’ she hissed. “It’s even better than the pictures give it credit. Steve, this is incredible. There’s no way I could have done something like that.”

Steve ducked his head. “I really really like how it turned out.”

Eddie put his shirt back on. “Yeah. Me too. I just don’t like showing it off, because it’s so personal. Between me and Steve.”

Max nodded. “Yeah. Absolutely. Thanks for showing me.”

Eddie nodded back and wrapped his arms around, Steve. “Thanks for everything, Red.”

She waved them off. All she had done was leave. But they didn’t see it that way. So yeah, they owed everything to Max, for choosing to live her life on her own terms.

“Before we go back to the party,” Steve said. “I wanted to give you another present before we got to the main one later.”

Eddie’s shoulder sagged. “Babe you didn’t have to do that.”

“I wanted to,” Steve said scratching his cheek. “In fact it was something I’ve been meaning to give to you for a long time.”

He pulled out a brightly wrapped package the size of baseball.

“This isn’t a baseball, is it?” Eddie asked playfully.

Steve laughed. “No. It’s not that.”

Eddie removed the wrapping paper to find a small black velvet box. He opened it slowly.

“Babe, you can’t give this to me,” he begged. “This is the only thing you have left of your grandpa.”

Steve took it out and slid it on Eddie’s middle finger on his right hand. It fit perfectly. “I’ve been wanting you to have it since you gave me your lucky guitar pick. I wanted to give you something that was on the same level of importance to me that this was for you.” He tapped the pick gently that was under his shirt.

“It’s not–you’re not–”

Steve shook his head. “I will propose. Just not yet and not with that. You’ll get a ring on your left hand, sunshine. Make no mistake.”

Eddie nodded. “I love you, babe.”

“Steven Courtney Alexander Harrington you better not be making out in there!”

Eddie and Steve laughed and kissed deeply, then they walked back to the party, arms wrapped around each other.

“Right names, wrong order,” Eddie teased as they rejoined the group.

Robin blinked. “Wait, really?”

Steve nodded.

“I can’t believe you told him before you told me!” Robin hissed. “I was here first!”

“But I liked watching you guess,” he said laughing. Then he turned to the rest of the crowd. “Who told?”

Robin wiggled her shoulders smugly. “No one told me. I looked up your grandparents. They’re both pretty famous, after all.”

Steve sighed. “Again which of you told her to look it up?”

Robin’s jaw dropped and Vickie’s hand slowly went up.

“Traitor!” Robin said in mock outrage.

Eddie leaned down to see that Steve was pouting about her learning his middle name.

“Don’t worry about it, babe,” he said kissing Steve’s cheek. “We can make her guess my middle name.”

Steve immediately brightened up. “Oohhh. Yeah, okay. It’ll take her years to guess yours!”

“It’s Wayne,” Robin said confidently.

Wayne snorted from the corner. “You really think my deadbeat brother would name his son after me, the responsible one?”

She frowned.

Steve turned to Eddie gleefully. “You’re right, sunshine. Best game ever.”

Robin started shouting out names and it wasn’t even Eddie correcting her. It was Jeff, and Miranda, and Gareth, and Brian and everyone else who knew Eddie’s middle name.

And of course Steve knew it too, but he liked watching their friends and family laugh and try to guess. Because the truth was, Eddie didn’t have a middle name. Robin could guess forever and never get it right.

Steve curled up against Eddie’s side and sighed happily. It was his best year yet. And as long as he had Eddie by his side, they would all be great years to come.

END

****

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[do-you-ship-this-taz-ship]

this only kinda fits the blog theme i apologize, but i have thoughts on which set of the players PCs would function the best as a polycule and you asked for asks. (I am including all the main campaigns and very inconsistently some liveshow/smaller arc PCs if I feel like it.)

I think Justin's characters wouldn't have a lot in common, so that's a major hurdle. Duck and Taako might hook up, or Taako and Sebastian, and maybe Amber and Godwin, but besides them, it's hard to really pair anyone up. Maybe Pepsi Liberty and Opera Man, but it would have to be exclusively while Opera Man is in Opera Man form. And no one would want to fuck Augustus. (He would be into Godwin but it's unreciprocated). Bad polycule. There's no poly here.

Travis's characters would be better! I think Aubrey and Devo would clash a lot initially, but eventually they'd get along pretty well, I could see them dating. Aubrey is into Magnus this is fact, he is canonically her favorite podcast character and I know firsthand that means she would fuck him if given the opportunity. It's debatable if he would reciprocate, I can't decide -- the age gap might make him uncomfortable, but he definitely likes her, at least platonically, they're friends. Magnus Beef and Mutt would def get along. Maybe Shoots also. So at the very least we have one triad+ and one couple, maybe with a connection between them. Decent polycule!

Clint's characters would get along super well I think. Zoox and Argo would be significantly younger than the others, and I don't think either of them would really be into the old guys, but they'd be friends, and maybe they could get together. And by maybe I mean definitely for the purposes of this thought experiment. And then all the old dudes (Merle, Ned, debatably Thacker, Emerich, Phileaux, possibly Benny Gene) are together in whatever combination (Merle/Ned and Thacker/Emerich for sure, and I think Merle might find Phileaux annoying but he'd still hatefuck him) Old man yaoi polycule with two younger guys sitting it out. Pretty good!

Griffin has less characters, which is both an advantage and not. Fitzroy isn't fucking anyone (might be romancing someone, not that theres anyone for him to romance), but Errol Indrid and Montrose could for sure have something. Dell Kraven might be able to get in on that triad, it's debatable. And 48… dunno their pronouns theyre just a cube. Yeah I don't think they're into romance or sex or any sort of human relationship including friendship. 48 and Fitzroy hang out and Fitzroy tries to start up a conversation but 48 always brings it back to Tim McGraw who does not exist in Fitzroy's universe and it's a bad scene. Okay overall, but not great.

So in conclusion Clint's PCs win, Travis's get second place, then Griffin's, with Justin's coming dead last.

This was such a fun read even if I don't know a lot of the characters!! Thank you for sending it :) i'm glad to hear it confirmed, as i suspected, that clint makes the most fuckable PCs 🤍

What do you guys think?

[the-resident-gay]

top 5 fable ships go

I don't know ship names very well so please forgive me

I've also decided to do 5 platonic and 5 romantic because yes

ROMANTIC

5. Wetbird- I am a proud Icarus POV main and I enjoy a healthy bit of Vens POV as well. There is something about this ship that just feels very right to me and also they both have experience with Fable so I feel like they'd have this ability when something might set the other off with trauma and stuff

4. Ghaae- The OG polycule on the server and they can do no wrong in my eyes. They support each other so nicely and its just wonderful.

3. Isla/Enderian- The momssss. I love them sm for so many reasons. Enderian being protective of Isla and only soft for her is mmmmm/pos

2. Ocie/Centross- you guys I love them. I love them so much. They are so similar and I love them so much and they're just mmmmmmm/vpos. How to I explain the love I have for these two.

Wolftross- I hold them in my little hands. As a Centross POV main(until the cathedral, ofc), watching this relationship form was one of my favorite things ever. From the castle back to spawn to s3, I love this ship with my whole heart.

PLATONIC

5. Rae/Wolf(Nightingstar?)- Okay so I love these two as a duo, and the cast can do what the cast wants to do with their characters. Now, with that being said- something about them becoming romantic didn't and still doesn't sit right with me. I can totally see the two in a QPR, they have a great dynamic as partners, but I just prefer them as a platonic ship.

4. Ari/Momboo- I have seen like three posts about them as partners and I hold them in my hands. The sun/moon imagery. The potential for nicknames. They would be wonderful QPPs.

3. End duo- They're such close friends. They are always there for each other. I hold them in my hands.

2. Ghosty/Momboo- LOTW and the guy she revived. The everlasting friendship. Their beauty as a duo. They are so good you guys I don't know how to sell this please just trust me on it.

Prison duo- I could go on for so long about why these two are the perfect platonic relationship in my eyes. They have similar trauma, saw each other at their worsts, when through so much shit and came out as best friends. Icarus taking off their jacket, which they don't do often, in front of Centross. Icarus letting Centross give them a tattoo. Icarus barely fighting Centross when he took off their gloves. Centross showing up on Icarus' doorstep with a skulk injury. Centross fighting Fable for Icarus. Them, everyone.

[artdcnaldson]

the watch party is making me think things

in particular

about my stupid fucking chaos polycule au brain worms

let me give you the full setup

Reader has been internet friends with Patrick for an unspecified long time. They don't know each others real names, she doesn't even know he plays tennis, the whole thing. Things were casually flirtatious for a while.

Reader also works as a sitter on one of those baby sitter agencies. She gets picked up by the donaldsons.

She fucks the donaldsons (well, they seduce and fuck her, really) and basically has phone sex with patrick about it. she doesnt tell him their name because why would she.

At an unspecified time during her affair with the donaldsons, she leaves the agency to work for them privately.

Then she gets fired. She doesnt know why, but Art basically saw patricks gamer tag on her phone and drew way too many conclusions.

Anyways, all of this is prior to the challenger. The trio reconnect, and at this point, the only one whos really aware of whats going on is Tash.

and theres just so many ways that art and patrick and reader could get this all untangled

maybe art hears reader on vc

maybe patrick brings tashi and art when he meets reader for the first time

djfkldaswjkl brain worms always wormin

panda emoji (im on my pc lol)

This is so real like. Patrick WOULD be the type of man to get an online discord kitten…. Speaking from my friend’s experience there was this guy she used to fuck around w online and over Skype and when the both decided to move on they remained friends just bc they had a good bond! I could see this with Pat while he’s on tour tbh. Needing a constant like friend to talk to when he’s always bouncing from city to city with no real home.

and things with Tashi and Art were Normal. You fucked around with them with no commitment, and while you did, you still had Patrick as a nice, constant thing. And art doesn’t mean to snoop, but Jesus… he only knows one fucking asshole who would use the username pzwiggy69.

He gets cold about it. Gets a little paranoid. Were you just talking to them because of Patrick? Was it some weird fucking revenge thing? Was it blackmail? He doesn’t tell Tashi, he just cuts things off as professionally as he can.

So the donaldsons are gone, even though you have to see them in every fucking department store, trying to sell cologne or underwear or a goddamn cookware line (which, okay, it was great and you bought it). But you still have Patrick. Even when he texts you “i’m in a throuple lmfao”

Which is fine. Good for him! You’ve both been in relationships here and there, it just means things get a little more platonic… until one of you inevitably fucks things up and you crawl back to each other.

But according to Patrick, it’s serious. It’s “been a long time coming” and he’s happy and living with them now. So things are platonic forever. That’s fine, you want him to be happy.

And then you suggest a face reveal. You’ve known each other for a few years now, why not? You just didn’t think he’d show his goddamn fucking throuple. That’s how Art and Tashi find out, and they feel like they’ve been struck by lightning. Because what do you mean you and Patrick have been fucking around and sexting and jerking off over Skype this entire time?

And Jesus, how can they get you back to them now that they know they can have it all?

[green-apple-juice]

Lúthien x Thuringwethil, Modern AU, part 1

Actually, it’s kind of a spin-off from my angbang story, where Melkor is a rock star and Mairon is a jeweler—but now I want to talk about the girls. Beren’s here too, so I guess you could call it a polycule, though he and Thuringwethil only bond platonically over their love for Lúthien.

Firstly, I’ll start with my headcanons about who these characters could be in a modern world.

Thuringwethil is 25 years old and plays bass in Melkor's band, "Utumno." She wasn’t in the band from the start but was found by Gothmog, their manager, when they needed a replacement for their bassist. She's a big fan of rock music and started learning to play in high school, but wasn’t sure if she wanted to focus on a musical career. At one point, she even considered becoming an actress. That idea didn’t pan out, so she started working as a session musician for other artists.

She has trouble writing her own songs, which makes her feel insecure about dedicating her whole life to music. But when Gothmog found her—crossing paths in the studio—he immediately decided she’d be a perfect addition to Utumno’s lineup. She's beautiful, charismatic, and very stylish — like the cherry on top. And he was right. Fans noticed her and started to love her, not just for her beauty but also for how she behaves during concerts—how unhinged she can become, adding even more energy and magic to the chaos created by the guys, mostly Melkor, of course.

Other members welcomed Thuringwethil just fine; only Melkor thought she might feel out of place because of how she dresses: the first thing that comes to mind when you see her is vampire movies from the 2000s, or Dracula's brides. He thought it wasn't exactly what he wanted to see in "Utumno", because his band played a mix of heavy, thrash, and viking metal, famous for heaviness, brutality, and pathos. But he decided to trust Gothmog, whom he secretly considered smarter than himself. He didn’t regret it, because Thuringwethil wasn’t troublesome, especially when it came to professionalism.

Thuringwethil is a lesbian, and she's very touch-starved and can be clingy when she seeks comfort through physical contact. It might sound strange, but she usually chooses the guys to touch and cuddle with because she doesn’t see it as inherently sexual or romantic, just a way to bond with friends. This sometimes gets her into trouble if guys misinterpret her actions, but she knows how to defend herself if someone doesn’t understand the word "no." Over time, she formed a circle of friends who understood her well and didn’t try anything inappropriate.

When she joined "Utumno", Melkor became the main object of her "affections" because he’s big, tall, and buff, reminding her of a gigantic plush toy. She never says this out loud, and Melkor assumes she’s just trying to get on his nerves by following him around. But he’s not rude to her, and they could be considered a strange pair of friends.

One time, she unintentionally made Mairon jealous. He didn’t know anything about her and thought she was Melkor’s ex when he saw her clinging to him. That misunderstanding was cleared up quickly, but Mairon still decided he didn’t like her—though that changed over time as they met a few more times.

She had dated Ungoliant in the past, a tattoo artist she found absolutely charming, and was happy with her. Other people didn’t share the same sentiment, especially Melkor, because Ungoliant loved bringing spiders with her and leaving them in the most unexpected places, which scared him half to death every time. Thuringwethil broke up with her—not because she wanted to, but because Ungoliant had a serious problem with alcohol addiction and an eating disorder. It got so bad she nearly died and was forced to leave the city to return to her parents in a small town. Since then, Thuringwethil has been heartbroken and hasn’t been able to fully move on to start a new relationship, only having one-night stands.

Lúthien is 27 years old and comes from a very rich family. Her parents love her and would buy her the whole world—or at least part of it—if they want to. But despite that, she always wanted to gain some autonomy and try her hand at different things. She studied at university, where she met Mairon—who wanted to become a jeweler, and she studied art. They were very close; their friendship started because she noticed he was one of the few guys who didn’t try to hit on her and wasn’t annoying to be around. Later, she discovered it was because he’s gay and not interested in any woman at all, no matter how beautiful.

They also worked together as models, though Lúthien started first out of curiosity and a desire to meet interesting people. Later, she offered this job to Mairon because she knew he needed money, after moving to the big city from a small town and nearly overworking himself juggling multiple jobs. She’s also a very good singer, but she never wanted to work in show business and mostly sees it as a hobby that makes her happy.

She’s a kind and sincere girl, but she had to toughen up and learn how to be strong—partly because it was the only way to deal with an overprotective father, and partly because her beauty often brought trouble, forcing her to constantly reject unwanted advances from men.

Despite her charming and tender appearance, she could be compared to a sleeping volcano. She’s usually calm, but when provoked, her temper is something to be feared—especially if someone tries to hurt the people she loves.

She met Beren shortly after graduating from university. He’s a former war correspondent who was injured in the line of duty, losing one of his hands. He’s struggling with that loss, trying to find his place after everything he’s endured, and now works as an investigative journalist. He’s still driven by a need to expose the truth and make the world better, but he’s also dealing with trauma and adjusting to his new reality. They met at a charity dinner organized by one of Lúthien’s friends, who asked her to sing at the event. Beren fell in love with her immediately—not just because of her beauty, but because of her voice, too. He approached her, feeling like it was impossible to stay away or risk losing the chance to say even a few words. At first, Lúthien wasn’t really interested, but since he wasn’t rude or demanding, they stayed in contact and eventually fell in love.

Her parents weren’t happy when they found out their daughter had chosen a poor, disabled man who, in their eyes, couldn’t take care of her. They didn’t approve this relationship, but Lúthien had always been stubborn. She would rather live without their money than leave the person she loves.

[kitkatt0430]

A, B, D, G?

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

Barrisco - decided to make Barry/Cisco the ship I write the most for this year because I just think there needs to be more of it in general.

Also Caitlin & Iris or Caitlin/Iris or Caitlin ~ Iris. I don't know how much of them I'll actually write this year, but I want more of these two in pretty much any form or fashion whether I'm writing or reading. Since there's not much compared to other platonic and romantic ships, I'm probably gonna have to write more for them though. (I mean, if I'm trying to be the change I wanna see for Barrisco then...)

B - A pairing–platonic, romantic or sexual–that you initially didn’t consider, but someone changed your mind.

I answered this one here but this is one that could have many answers.

I think I got more into the Jesse & Caitlin friendship because of you, @shrinkthisviolet. Admittedly you've written more of your OC Morgan & Caitlin, but it made me really get more into the Caitlin & Jesse friendship which I hadn't really put much thought into the first time around through S2/S3/S4

D - A pairing you wish you liked but just can’t.

Caitlin/Cisco. I know there are really good fics for that ship and it's got the potential to be really cute. And I even read some of the ship when I was still pretty new to the fandom because I thought for sure it was a ship I was going to end up liking and... I just really don't like the ship. Their friendship became so precious to me and having a guy & girl as platonic besties with no hint in canon of even the slightest ship tease? It really is such a big deal.

As a result I just don't find the romantic ship interesting or in any way workable anymore. They're besties. They love each other already, why would I want to ship them any other way?

But, like... I just know I'm missing out on some really great fic. *sigh* I just wouldn't enjoy the fic the way they deserve so it's for the best really.

G - Have you ever had an OTP? If so, do you remember your first one? Who was in it?

I've definitely had a few OTPs over the years. But my first? Hard to say.

I used to ship Seven/Doctor on Voyager but I think that was more because they had such a strong friendship than because I actually shipped them for reals.

Maybe Buffy/Spike and Angel/Spike. (Though I liked Angel/Buffy, it wasn't nearly as much as the other two ships and I never really got into the polycule for them.) I still like both ships though I don't think either are really OTPs for me anymore. But they were definitely a big deal to me at one point.

(I considered maybe some Harry Potter ships but looking back while i enjoyed a lot of diff HP ships, I don't think any of them were truly OTP level for me and more 'there are a ton of fics for this ship 'causes it's popular, I'm gonna deep dive'. Which, given what JKR has become, is kind of a relief to realize.)

[piastrinorris]

come along, one and all, to the hawkins fair! a special event held in honor of two thousand of you fine people being here. why not have a look around? we’ve got two wonderful parks for you to peruse, writer’s world and gifset grounds, so take your time, pick an attraction or two and be sure to check out the fireworks show at the end!

●・○・●・○・●

-ˏˋ Writer’s World ˊˎ-

🪞 hall of mirrors: you’re here, you’re there, you’re everywhere! which is the real you? who are these doppelgangers? – send me a description of yourself and i’ll write you a short blurb about what i think your role would be within the stranger things timeline! (+ add a 💕 if you also want to be shipped with someone)

💜 tunnel of love: they can’t stay still. your breath is shallow. awkward laughter as you catch each other’s eye, crammed in a boat with a strangely ominously glowing void ahead of you. – send a character or ship (please specify if the ship is standalone or an x reader polycule! i’ll assume all ships are standalone unless stated otherwise) and i’ll write a romantic blurb. (+ add a 🔥if you want smut)

🎠 carousel: the music fills your ears, the cool metal pole pressing against your warm, flushed cheek as you see your best friend next to you, having the time of their life. – send a character or platonic ship (please specify if standalone or x reader) and i'll write a friendship blurb. *this is the only option where i will also accept members of the party as options, but not directly interactive with the reader UNLESS as a side character/sibling of reader. (e.g. i won't accept dustin x reader but i would include dustin (+ other kids) in a henderson!reader x older teen scenario, or dustin with other canon characters)

🎪 big top: sit back, relax, and enjoy the show! this one’s all about celebrating you, dear audience, so we’ll need volunteers! volunteer yourselves, your friends, your idols. everyone deserves a spotlight! – send a fic you’re proud of! send a fic you love! this totally isn’t a thinly-veiled attempt at me trying to farm fic recs since i’ve slipped so much! it could be a reader insert or a ship. i don't mind any ship (as long as it doesn't include b*lly or j*son), especially rarepairs!

🌀 a portal?!: uh-oh, looks like HNL’s been at it, again. this time, it seems as though they’ve opened a portal through the entire multiverse! people are appearing that look strangely like existing hawkins residents. – send another character that a stranger things actor plays and i’ll write a romantic or platonic blurb for them, too! (+ add a 🔥if you want smut)

●・○・●・○・●

-ˏˋ Gifset Grounds ˊˎ-

🤹 the juggler: that’s right, i’m the juggler, baby! i can juggle almost anything you want, anything at all! i might even toss one your way, get ready for it! – make me choose between any number of things! people, ships, scenes, locations, seasons, etc.

🎈 balloon stall: get your balloons here! we got all the colours here, you want one? two? all?! you got it, kid. – send a character/ship and as many colours as you want to be featured.

🐤 hook a duck: feeling lucky, duck? why not take a chance on one of these rubbery fellas? anything could be under it, anything at all. you won't know unless you try! – send this and i'll have a randomiser decide who i make a gifset for.

🎡 ferris wheel: far above the shrieks of an excitable crowd, the blaring lights, the aromatic mix of sickly sweets, sweat and smoke; a moment of peace. just you, the world beneath you, and a simple song to guide you. – name a character and either choose a song/artist yourself or leave that up to me, and i'll make a lyric gifset for them!

👻 ghost train: what is dead may never die. what lurks within the dark depths of the unknown? truly anything can happen, if you dare to take the leap and open yourself to possibility. – give me an au (literally anything non-canon-compliant) and i'll try and make a gifset about it!

●・○・●・○・●

🎆 fireworks! 🎆

i just wanted to take a moment to thank every one of you. it's been insane how i can once again fall in love with writing, be this close to finishing a majorly hefty writing project, and learn a new skillset that i actually enjoy right from the get-go. being a part of fandom again has me getting out of the house again, going to conventions again, making new friends wherever i go, making plans to go to places i've never been before with those people. i thought that part of my life was behind me. i've never been more proud to be wrong.

all of you have encouraged me in ways i couldn't begin to explain, but the mutuals i'm tagging inspire me with their support and creativity every dang day. i'm so lucky to have these people in my life in any capacity, whether we talk every day or we've never spoken (though if the latter's the case, i'd love to fix that!) 💜

@denim-mixtapes @fanatictypist @keerysquinn @userquinn @hellfirehoe @reysorigins @eddieandbird @heroeddiemunson @roykentt @iero @hellfireclubs @corroded-hellfire @munson-blurbs @lunatictardis @loveshotzz @quinnsbower @newlips @wroteclassicaly @usedtobecooler @corrodedbisexual @dindjarins @stargyles @mulderfcx @enidsnclr @elizabethgillies @sebuckyverse @wordscomehither @eddiemunsons-missingnipple @hearsegrrl @mcbeanzontoast @pitifulbaby

[yallemagne]

I think maybe my biggest problem with the polycule jokes is that...

Well, first of all, it really makes a mockery out of actual polyamorous relationships and degrades them as being nothing more than a sex thing-- but I'm not getting into that--

Lucy is not in love with Jack. She does not have romantic feelings for Jack. Certainly not at this point in the story, though their relationship develops later on (I could still see them remaining platonic, however, even though I do support the ship). And she doesn't even have much faith in the future of their friendship. She sees through his "You can count me one of your best friends" and knows it's not so easy as that, certainly not for Jack, at least. Sometimes, when you have such intense romantic feelings for someone and they don't reciprocate, you can't accept a different form of relationship instead. Especially so early into knowing someone-- the sunk-cost fallacy doesn't really apply.

This is not to rag on Jack, of course. It's just I feel that the "let Lucy have her three husbands!!" jokes come primarily from a lack of understanding of Lucy's words and actually devalue Lucy's romantic feelings for Arthur and even Quincey because she only considers marrying Jack as a way to save him from heartache, not a decision made out of romantic love for him. Jack is not on an equal playing field with the other two, and the way people try to make it equivalent is by taking Quincey and Arthur down a peg. Or two. Or three.

It also has undertones of people seeing Lucy as a queen bee and the men as just her worthless drones. Aaaand that, again, is inaccurate and contributes to awful depictions of her.

Lucy is polyamorous!! My long post states it! I am in agreement with that reading!! But Lucy does not want to marry Jack or Quincey. Lucy probably still would have rejected Jack even if not for Arthur. Meanwhile, with Quincey, I do see a possibility that if Arthur were not in her life, she would have accepted his proposal or at least given herself time to think about it before coming to a decision. But nevertheless, Arthur is in her life, and even without truly knowing that he plans to propose, she has her heart set on him.

It's just so much more complex than Lucy and her satellite boyfriends. They have their own lives and relationships that don't entirely revolve around her, and she is not so indifferent to them as to view them all in the same detached way. Lucy does not see her Suitors as Dracula sees the Weird Sisters: as just three mere possessions kept to serve one's vanity. She respects Jack and values his friendship, mourning the possibility she may no longer have it after rejecting him romantically. She has burgeoning feelings for Quincey that she has decided not to act on because she is devoted to Arthur, but she still cherishes him as a friend. And she's loved Arthur since before any of this and longs to be with him and is always reminded of him wherever she goes and whomever she talks to. It's a disservice to all characters involved to simplify that into a dumb joke.

[shock-micro]

if i ever make a game with a relationship system it needs to be both poly (or at least allow you to be) and platonic (until/unless you decide to take it further)

like it feels slightly wrong to take away the agency of characters who have shown interest in other characters by making them just Not when you become good enough friends. like, i get if you've already chosen to start a relationship, but even just being at high hearts...

and like! some characters could just be more poly than others. like you decide to give a bouquet to one of them and they still like to visit the other character and you can also get enough hearts with them and become a polycule and be awesome and have a three-way wedding

[hylianengineer]

im sososo normal about your OC i am not scratching at the walls of my enclosure because i ran out of Owen&Cate fics to read. haha.

perhaps.... you would consider... posting more??? 👀

haha just kidding... unless?

(only if you want to!!! not trying to pressure you at all!!! i just. i know you already have more written so if you're waiting for someone to tell you how much they love them and encourage you to post more. this is that. huge cate and owen fan over here!!)

This is the best possible ask any writer could ever recieve and I am SO HAPPY that my bizarre little characters have resonated with you! The fact that someone besides me cares about a person I made up is so so weird and awesome!

I promise I will post more fic for you as soon as Real Life calms down and I have time for such things, hopefully tomorrow. Although I should probably warn you, a lot of what I have written about these two is not as fluffy as what's been posted so far - I do write dark stuff sometimes, but it will all be tagged accordingly of course.

To tide your over, a hint of what's to come: I have an entire AU whose premise is these characters meeting much sooner in their lives, as university students, and proceeding to become found family about it. Torchwood comes into the picture eventually, and so does Katie Russel - who also joins the found family and doesn't die like in canon (or at all. I hate killing characters and I'm too fond of her now). It's a weird polycule thing in which Owen and Katie are romantically in love and then everyone else is platonically/queerplatonically in a relationship with each other. It's kinda messy timeline wise but frankly I'm about to say fuck timelines and post chunks of it anyways.

Yes I did in fact get myself into a situation where there are two main characters named Cate and Katie, yes I regret this, but no there is nothing I can do about it now. It was very unintentional, as I never intended to write about Katie Russel - she just waltzed into my story and decided to stay. And the OC's name could not be changed at that point - it had stuck. Hopefully this does not come across as too weird/implausible/annoying, because it's out of my control.

Yes I know I'm the author and allegedly like god to my characters but look, sometimes they just do stuff and I have to write it down and yell things like "hey! You broke my plot!" while frantically restructuring the entire story around their shenanigans.

[mangokabuto]

💛💚💙💜

💛: What is a popular ship you just can't get behind, and why?

Ohhh man... I'm going to be murdered if I say "all of them" but. Well. I promise I'm not "different from the other girls" or something LMFAO I just typically can't get behind monogamous ships because they do not interest or intrigue me, usually? It takes some really compelling characters to pull it off in a way that will get me invested. And honestly, I REALLY hate in shipping fanfiction/etc where the shipped-characters-in-question are portrayed as feeling "more" for their partner (singular or plural) than the rest of the crew. I feel this way for One Piece and the strawhats specifically. Like, as soon as I see the "A missed their captain and their crew, but they realized that they missed B more" or "loved B more" I've clocked out. It's just fully not believable to me. Why does romantic always have to be more, instead of just different? This is separate from my bias as a polyamorous person, btw. I'm not fond of the idea that you HAVE to love your romantic partner MOST; Like if you're closer to your best friend than your partner then you've failed somehow?? Or like you're supposed to be less close to your friends once you have a partner?? That's insane to me. And SPECIFICALLY I think it doesn't fit these characters. If there's anyone on the crew that any of them feel "more" for than the others it's Luffy, and they ALL feel that way, and it doesn't interfere with their romantic relationships because that is silly. ...I realize this probably isn't the type of answer you were looking for, haha. For a simpler one: I don't really get the romantic chemistry behind zosan as a ship, unless they're in a polycule with other people. Which is weird, because enemies-to-lovers usually gets me! Also I don't get the romantic chemistry behind lawlu either.

💚: What does everyone else get wrong about your favorite character?

I have several favorite characters honestly, and I haven't been in the fandom long enough to know the most common opinions like that outside of some large-sweeping and very common ones. (So, it's hard for me to answer this question with Franky or Bon Clay.) So, I'll pick an example that involves two of my favorite characters (Usopp and Zoro) I feel very strongly about the platonic divorce arc (Water Seven), and I think a lot of people either don't really understand what Usopp did/was thinking, or don't really understand what Zoro did/was thinking, or both. Which sucks. "Get wrong" is a loaded term, since everyone's entitled to their own opinion/interpretation, ofc, but... I stand FIRM in my belief that if Zoro had not held the line like that, Usopp would not have been able to come back to the crew, and the crew wouldn't have survived it if he came back anyway. Zoro enforced that boundary BECAUSE he loved everyone involved, not because he "hated usopp's cowardice" or whatever the fuck. Usopp decided to leave, and Zoro held him to his word, and there is a lot of respect in that. And Usopp DID fuck up! Bad! He needed to apologize, and the Usopp fans out there who think "Usopp did nothing wrong/shouldn't have needed to apologize" need to unpack why they think so. This isn't to say Zoro and the others did everything right, either. EVERYONE fucked up there, but Usopp fucked up the most! Usopp stans I know there are few of us and we're used to him getting shit on by the fandom, but we need to accept that he really was at fault. And it's good to have a character in fiction who stumbles for understandable reasons, then pushes too far, and then is able to fix what they'd done and mend their relationships. That is a beautiful and important thing to have. (If anything, I think Usopp's apology should have been a little better, but that's just me.)

💙: Which character is not as hot as everyone else seems to think?

I could be here all day. :') I know anything is possible and different strokes for different folks, but I cannot believe THAT MANY people find Sanji and Law THAT attractive. Sanji's popularity baffled me more than law, but still. I know tattoos are hot but come on. Lets be serious. It's just us here I won't be mad tell me the truth

💜: Which character is way hotter than everyone else seems to think?

FOXY. SILVER FOX FOXY. IM IN LOVE WITH HIM DO YOU PEOPLE HEAR ME. SAYING IT LOUDER FOR THE PPL IN THE BACK, HE IS THE LOVE OF MY LIFE!

For my other controversial picks I also think Franky, Jinbe, Mont Blanc, Brook, Big Mom, Blackbeard, Magelllan, World from that one movie, and Borsalino are attractive but those aren't as controversial -- I've seen a couple other people be as open about them -- but no one appreciates my husband. Cowards!!

[slightlyhopefulromantic]

i penciled out a polycule chart for mnmoms au last night instead of sleeping (because you know. priorities) so i decided to digitize and edit it while listening to today's episode. got a bit um. distracted from posting it XD but here it is now! a strange lil mix of hierarchical (samantha, ron, darryl, glenn) polyamory, non-hierarchical (mercedes, henry, carol) polyamory, and some guys who just happen to be there (morgan and jodie). because i do not believe in simple polycules, they do not exist.

this all happens like... a few years after the end of s1, i would say? except for the preexisting marriages, obviously, and also morgan and jodie's whole deal. that's been confusing since the trial and morgan refuses to clarify it for anyone including herself.

gonna transcribe all of the connections below the cut because i think that'll be too confusing in alt text and also, my handwriting isn't great so people might wanna read it in plain text anyways. this is gonna be. long. sorry LOL

okay so first: the key indicates romantic or platonic, though obviously, some of these connections are a mix of both (cough morgan cough). the heart symbol means that a relationship is prioritized, and if a character has several prioritized relationships, that means that they practice non-hierarchical polyamory :) yes, it could have been simpler to give them no hearts, but that's not as cute.

Samantha to Ron: Husband, romantic, prioritized relationship. Samantha to Mercedes: Girlfriend, romantic. Samantha to Carol: Girlfriend, romantic.

Ron to Samantha: Wife, romantic, prioritized relationship.

Mercedes to Henry: Husband, romantic, prioritized relationship. Mercedes to Samantha: Girlfriend, romantic, prioritized relationship. Mercedes to Carol: Girlfriend, romantic, prioritized relationship.

Henry to Mercedes: Wife, romantic, prioritized relationship.

Carol to Darryl: "??? coparents? queerplatonic?", platonic, prioritized relationship. Carol to Samantha: Girlfriend, romantic, prioritized relationship. Carol to Mercedes: Girlfriend, romantic, prioritized relationship.

Darryl to Carol: "Wife /p", platonic, prioritized relationship. Darryl to Glenn: "Boyfriend?", romantic.

Morgan to Jodie: "Whatever these two got going on", platonic/romantic. Morgan to Glenn: "Words cannot describe what is going on here.", romantic/platonic.

Glenn to Darryl: Lover, romantic, prioritized relationship. Glenn to Morgan: "Darryl's hot friend", platonic/romantic.

Jodie to Morgan: Wife, romantic, prioritized relationship.