#am i a darkling shipper

[justheretolurk24]

There's something really poetic in the way that the Fold was both created and destroyed with/through grief. The Darkling with Luda and Alina with Mal

[blazethecheeto]

Oh boy, now some things I disliked. Some strongly. Sab s2 was a speed run, yes, and sometimes the plot suffered for it. Mostly, I'm mad about the things that were taken away. Nina was done so dirty. She had the Nina personality and was iconic as usual, but I wish they had used more of her instead of her just...being there and talking about Matthias. She has an amazing personality and a lot of plot armor. Yet, they don't utilize that!

We were robbed of ninej as well. I was so excited for Ninej, and we got like two conversations. I want them to have a strong budding friendship, what happened to her flinching when Nina hugs her? Which could have helped with the lack of Inej trauma addressed this season as well. They were so fucking cute together I needed more. Don't get me started on poor Matthias getting like 10 minutes of screen time. I feel bad for him, but that was a mild complaint because what else is he supposed to do this season y'know?

I was mad at the speed run for Nikolina. They literally put all their iconic lines and scenes that were built up and formed of their relationship developing, and shoved them a into one conversation. They made Alina like him right from the start, and I just feel like in general they needed to flesh out Nikolai like a LOT. He was perfect, emanated Nikolai energy, he just needed more chances to prove that!

The erasure of Jesper's crush on Kaz and the Wesper speed run. Oh boy. Okay buckle up. I thought they didn't build up Wesper well enough, and they made them together for the fan service. I wish they had just made them friends or allies this season. Maybe Wylan was crushing on him a little, but I wanted that banter that they had in Soc. Jesper teasing him was great! This season I wished they had spent a lot more time on Jesper's crush on Kaz. Kit Young and Freddy Carter like to pretend it doesn't exist but it does. And I, (a biased Kazper shipper), really would have loved to see it in its early stages. For Inej and Jesper to bond over it and the utter angst in their scenes because Jes knows he won't like him like he likes her. They seriously cut all of that out, and made Jes say they were brothers which is not true. Kaz sees him as a brother, and it just takes out the whole impact of the Jordie line in CK.

Tolya and Inej better not-*sigh* not getting into that.. David I refuse to believe he is dead. He is a part of the Triumvirate, and he was supposed to get married to Genya before DYING. She cannot catch a freaking break.

I also didn't like how the Spinning Wheel was lame. Like, it was supposed to be in the sky. Buried in the mountains. Instead it's like a small mansion in the ground. The sea whip fetter was kind of lame too. Genya's scars could have been better, and so should the Darkling's Sharpie-drawn scars. One thing I just wish could happen is to show Jesper and Nina being bisexual. Like, at this point, people would think Jes is gay and Nina is straight. Is it too much to ask for them both to show their interest in women?

We didn't get lines like "I am not ruined, I am ruination. " and the iconic "i am become a blade. " I have hopes for s3 though. Flaws and all, I love SAB and I have faith in them to give us a good s3 and Six of Crows.

[the-complexity-of-love]

Fandoms & Ships

I am a true nerd, and as such, continously seek out new media and their fandoms, and become involved with them, while also cyclically coming back to the ones I already love. I am a romantic, and I love seeing love in general (all types of love, not just romantic!), so I am also a very big shipper!

I don't always have a set ship(s) for every fandom I find myself in, nor do I think it necessary to try and "prove" that mine are better than other ships. I like what I like, and I like seeing what others like as well. So I might have OTPs, but I also like engaging with content for all kinds of ships, even true rarepairs.

I also don't think it necessary for a fandom to have ships, so just because I have a listed ship that I like/love, doesn't mean I can't have neutral/objective thoughts and opinions about that particular piece of media.

That being said, here's a list of fandoms I come back to, or keep up with, and a list of ships I have a preference for. OTPs are bolded! Oh, and media (as in the series, books, shows, etc.) are rated according to my opinion!

(This list is subject to change.)

Ongoing Media:

A Sign of Affection (/10)

Nagi Itsuomi/Itose Yuki

Nagi Kyōya/Fujishiro Rin

Iyanagi Shin/Nakazono Emma

Black Butler (/10)

Ciel Phantomhive/Elizabeth Midford

Bungo Stray Dogs (/10)

Dazai Osamu/Nakahara Chūya

Akutagawa Ryūnosuke/Nakajima Atsushi

Edogawa Ranpo/Edgar Allan Poe

Chainsaw Man (/10)

Hayakawa Aki/Angel Devil

Fairy Tail/100 Years Quest (/10)

Zeref Dragneel/Mavis Vermillion

Natsu Dragneel/Lucy Heartfilia

Gray Fullbuster/Juvia Lockser

Jellal Fernandes/Erza Scarlet

Gajeel Redfox/Levy McGarden

Romeo Conbolt/Wendy Marvell

Happy/Carla

Elfman Strauss/Evergreen

Alzack Connell/Bisca Mulan

Hunter x Hunter (/10)

Gon Freecss/Killua Zoldyck

Hisoka Morow/Illumi Zoldyck

Chrollo Lucilfer/Kurapika

Meruem/Komugi

Jujutsu Kaisen (/10)

Geto Suguru/Gojo Satoru

Itadori Yūji/Fushiguro Megumi

Okkotsu Yūta/Maki

Fushiguro Toji/His Wife (Mama Fushiguro)

Chosō/Me

My Hero Academia (/10)

N/A

Record of Ragnarok (/10)

N/A

SK8 The Infinity (/10)

Nanjō Kojirō/Sakurayashiki Kaoru

Hasegawa Langa/Kyan Reki

Shindo Ainosuke/Kikuchi Tadashi

(Disney) Twisted-Wonderland

Malleus Draconia/Yuu (Player Character)

Kalim al-Asim/Jamil Viper

Almost Everyone/Me

Completed Media:

Assassination Classroom (/10)

Akabane Karma/Nagisa Shiota

Karasuma Tadaomi/Irina Jelvavić

Attack on Titan (/10)

Eren Jaeger/Mikasa Ackermann

Armin Arlert/Annie Leonhart

Ymir/Historia

Levi Ackermann/Hange Zoë

Falco Grice/Gabi Braun

Avatar: The Last Airbender & The Legend of Korra (/10 & /10)

Zuko/Katara

Zuko/Sokka

Katara/Aang

Aang/Azula

Sokka/Suki

Mai/Ty Lee

Korra/Asami

Wu/Mako

Bolin/Opal

Bing An Ben (/10)

He Yu/Xie Qingcheng

Demon Slayer (/10)

Kamado Tanjirō/Tsuyuri Kanao

Hashibira Inosuke/Kanzaki Aoi

Agatsuma Zenitsu/Kamado Nezuko

Rengoku Senjurō/Kamado Nezuko

Iguro Obanai/Kanroji Mitsuri

Rengoku Kyōjurō/Tomioka Giyū

Tomioka Giyū/Kochō Shinobu

Shinazugawa Sanemi/Kochō Kanae

Uzui Tengen/Hinatsuru/Makio/Suma pls don't get mad at me

2HA (/10)

Mo Ran/Chu Wanning

Mei Hanxue/Xue Meng

Nangong Si/Ye Wangxi

Ghibli (/10)

Pazu/Sheeta

Tombo/Kiki

Seiji/Shizuku

Ashitaka/San

Haku/Chihiro

Howl/Sophie

Shō/Arriety

Shun/Umi

Jirō/Naoko

Golden Terrace/Golden Stage (/10)

Fu Shen/Yan Xiaohan

Grisha-verse (/10)

Kaz Brekker/Inej Ghafa

Jesper Fahey/Wylan Van Eck

Nina Zenik/Hanne Brum

Nina Zenik/Matthias Helvar

David Kostyk/Genya Safin

Nikolai Lantsov/Zoya Nazyalensky

Alina Starkov/Malyen Oretsev

Alina Starkov/Alexander Morozova (The Darkling)

Haikyū!! (/10)

Tanaka Ryūnosuke/Shimizu Kiyoko

Sakusa Kiyoomi/Miya Atsumu

Harry Potter (/10)

Remus Lupin/Sirius Black

Evan Rosier/Barty Crouch Jr.

Marlene McKinnon/Dorcas Meadowes

James Potter/Regulus Black

Lily Evans/Mary McDonald

James Potter/Lily Evans

let's just say once again that I'm a multishipper

Heroes of Olympus (/10)

Reyna Ramirez-Arellano/Me

Thalia Grace/Reyna Ramirez-Arellano

Jason Grace/Reyna Ramirez-Arellano

Jason Grace/Leo Valdez

Frank Zhang/Hazel Levesque

Nico di Angelo/Will Solace

JWQS (/10)

Qi Yan | Qiyan Agula/Nangong Jingnu

Qiyan Nomin/Nangong Shunu

Magnus Chase & the Gods of Asgard (/10)

Magnus Chase/Alex Fierro

Blitzen/Hearthstone

MDZS (/10)

Lan Wangji/Wei Wuxian

Lan Xichen/Jin Guangyao

Song Lan/Xiao Xingchen/Xue Yang

Jin Zixuan/Jiang Yanli

Lan Sizhui/Jin Ling

Wen Ruohan/Lan Qiren

Naruto (/10)

Too Many, of Several Different Flavors (I'm a multishipper)

Percy Jackson & the Olympians (/10)

Ethan Nakamura/Me

Percy Jackson/Annabeth Chase (.../Rachel Dare)

Charles Beckendorf/Silena Beauregard

Clarisse La Rue/Silena Beauregard

Paul Blofis/Sally Jackson

Qian Qiu (/10)

Yan Wushi/Shen Qiao

Sha Po Lang (/10)

Chang Geng/Gu Yun

She-Ra (/10)

Adora/Catra

Bow/Glimmer

Hordak/Entrapta

Sea Hawk/Mermista

Scorpia/Perfuma

Spirit Animals

Rollan/Meilin

Shane/Abeke

Conor/Worthy | Devin Trunswick

Takoda/Xanthe

Jolt | Karmo/Worthy | Devin Trunswick

Tarik/Lishay

Star Wars (/10)

Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren

Han Solo/Leia Organa

Anakin Skywalker/Padmé Amidala

SVSSS (/10)

Luo Binghe/Shen Yuan | Shen Qingqiu (.../Liu Qingge...)

Mobei-jun/Shang Qinghua

Yue Qingyuan/Shen Jiu | Shen Qingqiu

Liu Mingyan/Sha Hualing

The Kane Chronicles (/10)

N/A

TGCF (/10)

Hua Cheng/Xie Lian

Feng Xin/Mu Qing

He Xuan/Shi Qingxuan

Quan Yizhen/Yin Yu

Jun Wu/Mei Nianqing

Pei Xiu/Ban Yue

Pei Ming/Yushi Huang

Twilight (/10)

Edward Cullen/Bella Swan

Jasper Hale/Alice Cullen

Emmett Cullen/Rosalie Hale

Carlisle Cullen/Esme Cullen

Sam Uley/Emily Young

Paul Lahote/Rachel Black

Jared Cameron/Kim

Leah Clearwater/Me

Jacob Black/Leah Clearwater

Charlie Swan/Eternal Happiness

Charlie Swan/Sue Clearwater

Xiao Mogu (/10)

Lu Feng/An Zhe

Yuri!!! On Ice (/10)

Victor Nikiforov/Katsuki Yuri

Otabek Altin/Yuri Plisetsky

Yu Wu (/10)

Mo Xi/Gu Mang

Zhen Hun (/10)

Shen Wei/Zhao Yunlan

[aceinejghafa]

just finished a binge watch of shadow & bone season 2... have some thoughts!

(many many spoilers for every single episode, so I'm putting this under the cut)

generally: absolutely amazing. The incorporation of the crows & the relationships within the crows (cough WESPER WESPER WESPER cough) are especially well done.

however. I gotta say I'm mad about what happens to Alina. So much of the books is about how Alina doesn't want to be the one to fix Ravka—she doesn't want to be queen, she's only doing it because it needs to be done. look at this quote:

“They wanted a Grisha queen. Mal wanted a commoner queen. And what did I want? Peace for Ravka. A chance to sleep easy in my bed without fear. An end to the guilt and dread that I woke to every morning. There were old wants too, to be loved for who I was, not what I could do, to lie in a meadow with a boy’s arms around me and watch the wind move the clouds.”

She wants peace for Ravka, she doesn't want to spend her life ruling the country. That is so much of the point of Shadow and Bone — the happy ending isn't marrying a king and fixing the country; it's an ordinary life, full of ordinary things—if love can ever be called that. (interesting that nikolai was brought into that quote in the show. love that he's a hardcore malina shipper. actually I think I might like nikolai more in the show than in the books, which is saying something).

but ANYWAY the show just. destroyed alina's whole arc there. throughout the show, she's all "I need to fix Ravka" and she seems to want that responsibility, rather than just wanting it to actually get done.

and then the ending. using merzost to resurrect Mal. not losing her Sun Summoner powers (unless you count possibly trading them for Darkling powers, which I don't). MARRYING NIKOLAI. Mal becoming Sturmhond 2.0 is fun & all, and the show did lead up to it pretty well, but it's just not what book!Mal would have wanted. STOP HAVING A CRISIS OF PURPOSE AND LIVE AN ORDINARY LIFE FULL OF ORDINARY THINGS—

so yeah I might be mildly irritated by some parts of the show there

that being said—Nikolai is SO well done

I think I might've mentioned this earlier, but show Nikolai might just be better than book Nikolai (Nikolai in TGT, at least)

like... the whole love triangle situation was significantly better? Nikolai and Mal didn't hate each other—they actually had a pretty great friendship (and I'm guessing people are going to start shipping Nikolai/Mal/Alina a lot more sometime soon)? Nikolai didn't basically assault Alina? I'm actually really impressed since usually a show would Up The Drama, and this one didn't <3

Nikolai giving Alina the compass, which is associated with Mal's whole true north thing... and then Mal getting the compass in the end... actually pretty cool

the quote about hope being the wind in the sails! "when people say impossible, they usually mean improbable"! yes yes YES !!!

zoyalai hints <3 tbh I was hoping for more than that but I am obsessed with what I got <3

also! dominik being alive at the start! so we get to meet him! and get bits of backstory!

and then he died which. I was expecting. but also :(((((((((

speaking of dying.

DAVID AND GENYA OH MY GODS

kinda disappointed that they skipped the "I'm not ruined. I'm ruination" quote

but on the other hand! the I know metal speech! that was AMAZING <333333333 they are so soft

and then they. kill david off. and i CRY

THAT WASN'T SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN UNTIL ROW

so yeah upset about that but not really mad... denya is definitely one of the best ships in the show...

and then!!! the crows!!! the crows!!! the crows!!!

SO MUCH WESPER CONTENT. we are BLESSED guys. Jesper & Wylan having a one-night stand pre-canon??? then getting to know each other??? and having a more serious relationship??? amazing showstopping top-tier content

a bit worried about whatever happens in the soc spinoff when jesper finds out that wylan is a van eck—could be kinda painful

also I'm hoping they entirely skip jesper kissing kuwei, never really liked that bit in the books

"I kinda like your face" <<<< "maybe I liked your stupid face" but admittedly it's hard to do the book quote when you don't have the Kuwei tailoring plot

Wylan saving the day by knowing cool botanical facts <3 I love him so much guys

actually the whole thing with Sankta Neyar is fantastic? like WOW I was expecting to dislike any non-books content but I did NOT that thing was GREAT (and showed that there's a future for superpowerful Grisha that is not becoming the Darkling, which is excellent because it's TRUE).

Inej & Mal & Tolya & Tamar going off to hunt slavers together—some mixed feelings about that. I have faith that Inej & Kaz will meet up again in future seasons, but idk?

kinda weird how all those CK plot elements showed up... Kaz beats Pekka and makes him beg, but then Pekka just starts running Hellgate from inside? no real consequences? unsuccessful revenge? and all the plot from CK (fake plague, Alby) is used up already

so yeah that was annoying

but also the scene where Inej asks Kaz what he wants... and you can SEE the words You, Inej. You running through his head... and then he says "to die buried under a mountain of my own gold"... every time they quote the books I go FERAL and this is no exception

so basically I'm worried about what they'll do with the crows in possible later spinoffs/seasons but also I absolutely adore all the content they gave us <3

fun fact: I watched the whole show on 1.5x speed because I only had 5 and a half hours. I used subtitles so I could always understand what they were saying, the only weird thing was any shot of anyone walking ever. still worth it so that I could watch everything, though <3

[lilisouless]

I already posted this, BUT season 2 is coming next year and i need and updated version, rebbloging the old one is not enought

Don’t-harrass-the-actors-or-crew 2.0 (A lot of this is the same text as before, but updated)

If Ben Barnes likes Darklina ,no bashing ,no calling him an abuse apologist or anything like that (again)

If Jessie Mei Li likes Darklina,Malina , Nikolina, Genyalina,Zoyalina, Alina/Tamar or even single!Alina, it´s their experience as an actor,their perspective ,their opinion and must not be treated as a “feminist traitor” or something like that. NEW: Also leave alone conspiracy theories that when they shows liking for Darklina,they are being genuine but if they speak in favor of Malina, they are being manipulated by netflix (yes, people already did that)

If Archie Renaux likes Malina, don't bash or harrass him (AGAIN)

If you don’t like Mal remember, Archie didn’t wrote the script

If you don’t like Alina, Jessie didn’t wrote the script

If you don’t like the Darkling,Ben didn’t wrote the scripts (you get the idea)

And since fandom (not this in particular,just any fandom) will take any excuse to do girl hate: Don’t  hate on Sujaya Dasgupta as much as you could dislike her character. NEW: She didn't wrote the script (something people doesn't seem to get)

NEW: Whatever they do with Nikolai: Patrick didn't wrote the script, and he wasn't the one who had a hand over being choosen over Robert Wilde, he only auditioned.

Also, take in count Patrick probably had to do chemistry tests with Jessie but not Sujaya AND he will spend way more time with the first one. So there is a high chance he may ship Nikolina over Zoyalai and thats okay! there is no need to hate him for that.

NEW:

As much as i want Show!Tolya to be canon aroace and for Leigh to confirm it as canon after all those hints: If Lewis ships Tolya with someone, or if the show gives him a LI (we don't know if Vanessa Grace is actually playing a character, the imdb is incomplete since it doesn't have Adrik nor Jordie) don't hate him for it, since is not completely confirmed on the books and the blame would be on netflix for wasting representation material.

NEW:

Have you seen people giving Amita, Freddy,Kit or Dani a bad time, for bad things that were done with their characters and focussing the critism on the script and/or casting directors? Also: Freddy,Amita and Kit all support Malina, have you seen people attaking them? (other than a couple of joke responses to Kit)? Well, you can do the same! Not harrasing people doesn't hurt. I have the feeling this is because everyone knows the SoC part of the fandom won't let them live if they touch any of the crow actors (reason i am not too worried about Jack). The only i have seen is that person who put down Amita´s acting in order to highlight Ben´s , which fortunetaly was just one person and even Ben Barnes fans called them on that one. If you can show decency to them, you can do it with the other actors.

And Kuwei hasn't been casted yet but i´ll get ahead: don’t bash on his actor ,even if they cast someone who ships Kuwei and Jesper, he´ll deserve respect.

I know there are more new characters but, i am mostly sure no one will have a problem with Anna &Joanna and/or Kit & Jack liking their character´s ships , nor that Zoyalai shippers would come after Alistair for Adrik´s canon crush on Zoya.

Oh yeah, almost forgot: Don't give Joanna a hard time for reemplacing Gabrielle

We are never going to agree in a lot of things,but lets not be that fandom that harrases real people over ships or characters. NEW: Lets say the fandom was mostly tame, but the toxic behaviour should not be "low" it should be "zero"

[alakazamboni-blog]

For the ask game! 🍓 , 🐇 ,🧃, 🍄 , 🔪 , 🦷 ,☁️ , 🌸

OMG tumblr ate this ask for two days! sorry!!

🍓 ⇢ how did you get into writing fanfiction? 

Oh this definitely started in college. I started reading fanfiction on and off (homestuck lol) in the 2012/2013 era. By 2016, my senior year in college, I was miserable and almost entirely reliant on tf2 and Danny Phantom fanfiction as a form of escape. My favorite fics, Phantom of Truth and its sequel Shadow of a Doubt, inspired me to finally start writing. My first works were terribly cringe hahaha and will die a nostalgic death entombed in my old laptop under the many things in my closet.

🐇 ⇢ do you prefer writing original characters, reader inserts, or a mix of both? 

never written reader inserts (unless you count second person pov). original characters for sure

🧃 ⇢ share some personal lore you never posted about before

I try to keep a lot of my personal life offline. I don't have a big social media presence. Hmmmm... I really really really wanted to be a paleontologist when I was a kid. I got really good at identifying bones and knew a lot of the names of dinosaurs. I don't remember them anymore, but I used to I swear! (source: 5 yo me)

🍄 ⇢ share a head canon for one of your favourite ships or pairings

:) My fav ship right now is serirei (of course), but i am very partial to ekurei and grey ghost. Despite my track record on AO3, I'm actually not a big shipper. I mostly like comedy and or angst, and in my writing, I like to explore alien concepts and humanity.

🔪 ⇢ what's the weirdest topic you researched for a writing project?

I have researched how long does it take a human to suffocate? to freeze to death? etc but I think these topics are probably pretty common among writers.

For fanfiction, I've researched nuclear physics, decay, and what's actually dangerous in a nuclear fallout event :0

For an original writing project (still unfinished - still unposted anywhere - i need it to be perfect cause i love it), I researched animal tranquilizers and probably got put on a list cause apparently that's a commonly abused drug. I don't know if that's the weirdest topic I've researched, but its definitely the most eyeopening one to a whole underworld I wasn't even looking for 0.0

🦷 ⇢ share some personal wisdom or a life hack you swear on

1.) Humans are human. Even the people with physical and mental problems. You'll get very far by treating everyone with respect and love.

2.) Take things slow. This isn't a race. You'll find where your going when you get there.

3.) Touch grass. Literally. Go outside and do something. The simple act of leaving your house or office resets your brain, and you'll find yourself better off in the long term.

☁️ ⇢ what made you choose your username?

:3 i wanted my fan username to be different from my normal one (in case a friend or family member or coworker searches me), so that forced me to choose something i'd remember. i went with alakazam + zamboni

🌸 ⇢ do you have any pets? if you do, post some pictures of them

i absolutely love animals and have so many pets! two dogs and a praying mantis. my girlfriend has two cats.

i also keep and raise a few different invertebrates like discoid roaches, giant canyon isopods, dwarf white isopods, superworms (and darkling beatles), and black soldier fly larvae (and soldier flies).

I used to have a bearded dragon (hence my feeder bug colonies), but he recently passed.

i do eventually want to have a koi pond, chickens, a rosy boa, some different millipedes, some silk moths, freshwater shrimp, starry night reed frogs, and i'll always keep dogs with me.

I'll post pictures later under the tag alakazanimals

[worst-ships-poll]

competition info:

current bracket (will be updated as we go):

complete list of character names and their respective fandom under the readmore below.

submissions:

submit here: [google forms link]

submission rules: [tumblr post link]

SUBMISSIONS CLOSED!

poll info:

this poll is literally to cause tumblr drama because I’m bored. feel free to start discourse in tags or replies. I’m not a mod of my posts and I’m not monitoring my posts. do your thing.

reiterating this poll is for fun, and while I’ll try to keep it organized, I am not going out of my way to make a tumblr poll bracket I’m doing in my free time 100% bias-free or 100% optimized.

I reserve the right to add or remove ships to the initial bracket at my discretion, or to not answer all asks, or whatever else makes it more fun, short of actually changing results (I will let the people decide.) basically, if you have a problem with something about the way this competition is run, I don’t care.

I feel like this should go without saying but I do ascribe to the idea that some ships are inherently morally bad and deserve to be hated. I won’t post about all my opinions on the ships, but if a ship is predatory/offensive/has bigoted shippers I will join in calling it really bad, and I will not be accepting or starting anti/pro-shipper discourse here. it’s 2023, grow up and stop shipping incest.

polls will be posted in batches from their respective level on the bracket and will last a week before moving on to the next set. i.e. all of the first vs. polls will be posted at the same time until a week passes and they’re done, and then the winning ships will be noted and we’ll move on to the second level of the bracket and all of those polls will be up for a week, etc.

posts will be tagged via batches (”batch 1“, “batch 2″, etc), ships, and fandom.

I will be trying to seed it properly based on ship prestige, number of submissions, and common sense. if you have an issue with it after all of that, send a text form complaint to 1-800-YOUR-MOM to file necessary feedback.

full list of ships and characters with their fandoms and rankings:

(struck out listings are ships that have lost in the bracket so far)

1. Dean Winchester/Castiel from Supernatural

2. Kylo Ren/Rey from the Star Wars sequel trilogy

3. Ciel Phantomhive/Sebastian Michaelis from Kuroshitsuji/Black Butler

4. Midoriya Izuku/Katsuki Bakugo from My Hero Academia

5. Thor Odinson/Loki Laufeyson from Marvel/MCU

6. Keith Kogane/Lance McClain from Voltron Legendary Defender

7. Merlin/Arthur Pendragon from Merlin BBC

8. Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski from Teen Wolf

9. Jiang Cheng/Wei Wuxian from Mo Dao Zu Shi/The Untamed

10. Pannacotta Fugo/Giorno Giovanna from JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind

11. Sam WInchester/Gabriel from Supernatural

12. Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter from you know what

13. Sam Winchester/Dean Winchester from Supernatural

14. Tony Stark/Steve Rogers from Marvel/MCU

15. Axel/Roxas from Kingdom Hearts

16. Edward Cullen/Bella Swan from Twilight

17. Onceler/Onceler from The Lorax

18. GeorgeNotFound/Dream from Minecraft Youtubers fandom

19. Rhaenyra Targaryen/Daemon Targaryen from House of the Dragon

20. Kaeya Alberich/Diluc Ragnvindr from Genshin Impact

21. Alina Starkov/The Darkling from Grishaverse/Shadow and Bone

22. Tony Stark/Stephen Strange from Marvel/MCU

23. Blackbeard/Stede Bonnet from Our Flag Means Death

24. Uchiha Sasuke/Haruno Sakura from Naruto

25. Dirk Strider/Jake English from Homestuck

26. Dabi/Hawks from My Hero Academia

27. Phoenix Wright/Miles Edgeworth from Ace Attorney

28. Catra/Adora from She-Ra and the Princesses of Power

29. Sans/Toriel from Undertale

30. Jack Zimmermann/Eric “Bitty” Bittle from OMG Check, Please!

31. Obi-Wan Kenobi/Satine Kryze from Star Wars: The Clone Wars

32. Kai/Lloyd Garmadon from Ninjago

rankings was done via a combination of counting the number of submissions and balancing fandom/ship popularity and/or exposure. ship names for the bracket image were found via websearching, I did my best to find accurate or relevant ship names for all of them when applicable.

[stromuprisahat]

You know, personally I think of the Darkling as a different character than you do (Alina too) but your posts are fun to read still. I just wanted to vent a bit about how much hostility is there in this fandom. How much you get jumped for saying anything except for "the 'morally' correct thing" you get jumped and condescended by a hundred different people (especially on Twitter) and it is just so frustrating like even if i believe your thing that he is evil incarnate (strongly disagree) you still don't have to do all that, he is NOT REAL, calling people abuse apologists, digging up old tweets where a person talks about their abusive past relationship and then using it as a gotcha and comparing it to a fictional story and ugh. I don't know I know it is stupid to care about strangers online but so needlessly cruel and personal attacks and dissecting every little detail of said past abuse and it made me fucking cry like it's stupid i am not a child i shouldn't cry about this stuff but whatever

Kys is just a funny phrase they use, ok but 'you deserved what happened to you', 'and it will happen again' and other shaming and all of that while picking out the most vulnerable details from the abuse story and i wasn't even making a ship post (not implying that this should happen to shippers, this should happen to no one at all, just trying to say how extreme the reaction was when someone had mildly different views) i was merely analysing some of his thought process, not even 'justifying' (which again people can) like come on. sorry for venting here lol, was feeling very alone

[mermaidsirennikita]

I mean yeah it all comes back to her being a reylo, the way people still talk about them shocks me. Idk if i've ever seen shippers from such a mainstream popular ship get treated this way when honestly....reylo isn't even that problematic. I would argue something like darklina is more problematic and those shippers don't get 1/3 of the shit reylos get. Hell I could name you other more problematic ships where the shippers don't get nearly as much hate as reylos.

Well, to be very fair a lot of reylos said a lot of out of pocket, racist (and specifically antiblack) shit about John Boyega and Finn. I don't want to downplay the shit John Boyega went through making those movies.

And in turn, a lot of finnreys said some really fucked up, racist (specifically anti-Asian) shit about Kelly Marie Tran and Rose... and I do think that gets downplayed a LOT. Like, if we're going to talk about racist fandom antics in SW, and there are a lot of them, then let's talk about all of it. Obviously, all of this goes beyond shipping, but the interesting phenomenon that did happen with the reylo stuff is that because they didn't want Rey with Finn, many of them did support Finnrose (and by the way, lol--I'm not into Finnrey because in general I don't like Rey outside of TLJ and I frankly though Finn deserved better on every level, and I wouldn't consider myself a Reylo, but I AM into Finnrose, and to a lesser extent Finnpoe). For some, I do think that was a "get Finn out of Rey's path" thing, for sure--but also, setting Finn up with a cool pretty girl to get him away from Rey is... not the worst thing lol. And I would also say that many did seem to genuinely like that ship, and a lot of the reylo fic authors I saw back in the day used to write some good Finnrose shit.

(Also: Roselo? Let's get into it. I would kill for Rian to cast Adam and Kelly in a Benoit Blanc movie, the chances that Adam would do it are MIDDLING but still.)

I think the main reason why the reylo thing got much bigger, tbh, is that it's Star Wars. Darklina is in theory more problematic (though to me it's very much a draw because while I personally do not find Kylo Ren as like, threatening as the Darkling, he's still a prominent cog in a dictatorial fascist-aligned regime and he did kill a lot of innocent people, so, you know, fair) but S&B is NOTHING compared to SW. I think in general shippers are loathed by a lot of old school SW die-hards because Shipping = Kissing and Kissing is Gross, and Bad People Bad, except for Vader because Vader Cool. They make exceptions for Han and Leia because they still jerk it to Leia to this day and it's a part of the old lore, and a lot of them just want to be Han Solo in a way I don't think a lot of them wanted to be Kylo Ren.

And then you combine that with the morality police who really just like. Didn't like reylo for whatever reason, but decided to take on the idea that it's HORRRRRIIIIIBLEEEE to ship a bad guy with someone (when like--I personally cannot STAND Anidala, but you would have no SW if a bad guy hadn't fucked someone back in the day... tepidly, I imagine, but it happened). The idea of using moral righteousness to justify your ship has always been a thing, right? (If we're keeping it real here: while I do think that a lot of reylo antis were genuinely concerned about racism with that ship, I also think that many of the white antis.... were only concerned with racism when it suited them. I mean, where were they when Kelly was getting death threats? Care about it for everyone, you know?) But I think it became a much bigger thing when it was reylo.

Then in turn, the reylos reacted by becoming more cultlike, because that's what happens when you vilify people for wanting to ship something. And they became wackier, and the lore became more kNOWN. Like, again--I don't personally ship reylo. I find the dynamic compelling in TLJ; I think Adam and Daisy have great chemistry in that movie; I think that he and Rian pulled her best work in the trilogy out of her; and I think that that movie is the only one where Rey feels like an actual human being, versus a girlboss cypher. She's human, she idolizes Luke and then realizes he's only human, she experiences disappointment, she experiences DOUBT about morality, she is, I believe, genuinely pretty horny for Kylo Ren in that movie (imo, Rey probably has like, zero sexual experience lol, but I also doubt that he has much either), and the idea of her wanting to be SOMETHING only to find out she's NOT THAT is really interesting. I find the idea of her being tempted to become his Dark Empress or whatever, and the idea of him being both an incredibly weird, dark, amoral person who's all about assuaging his own Feelings because mommy and daddy didn't love him the way he wanted them to... and someone who else wants this girl to bounce on it as his Dark Empress.... really interests me.

I didn't want to see them have babies. I didn't want to see them be happily ever after. I wanted to see her kill him while kissing him or something. Which I don't think was what a lot of reylos wanted, right? So it kind of made that ship inaccessible to me, and I imagine a lot of people who might've otherwise been into it. And I think things like "grey force babies" or whatever naturally made it seem more ridic, which of course happens with any ship (BOATBABY.......) but the size of the fandom and the ship made it seem bigger.

But because that ship was so archetypal (big bad man, girl onto which you could project whatever you wanted because she has like zero personality in 2/3 movies) it was easier for allll of these fic writers to do whatever they wanted with the dynamic, to pass the fic around, to do weird shit with it. And I think that tends to happen with bad/good ships. The fic writers have something very iconic to cling to, and they can do more with it, and therefore the fic is better, and that makes the ship bigger. The ship evolves into the fanon version, and then everyone who hates it hates it more because that ship is getting what they want. It reminds me of Darklina, Dramione (and for the record Dramione is something like... Go with God, but I do nOT. GET. THE DRAMIONE RENAISSANCE LOL.), Haladriel. Because reylo was again, so big though, there were more writers and more types of fic and it just got More More More.

So yeah, I think it's all kind of a snake eating its own tail thing. And now everyone who hated reylo anyway hates it even more because of all these reylo authors getting book deals, and often having solid success (or better). You can make a lot of critiques about why that's happening with a white ship versus a ship featuring poc, but that's beyond reylo and gets into fandom racism and racism in publishing AT LARGE. It's a bigger thing than just "the reylos did this".

But yeah, I personally don't really find Reylo all that shocking or perverse a ship. I've shipped worse lol. I just think there are a lot of really complicated things that have less to do with the SHIP than the shipping culture. Some of those things are super valid. However, I also think that this narrative occurred wherein it was like "the only toxic ones are the reylos" and... Yeah dude, there were plenty of toxic reylos. However... The Kelly Marie Tran of it all is where I really start getting bugged, because what happened to her and her character was one of the grossest things that happened in that franchise, and LET US BE REAL, the driving force behind that was not the reylos. (Nor do I want to imply that it was all finnreys--a lot of the SW fandom in general is super fucked re: basically any people of color in prominent roles.)

[bardofavon]

Found your fic and it's truly incredible!!! You can say you created another kazling shipper hehehehe. But man the darkling BOTHERS ME sometimes. I don't like how he infantilizes kaz. Talking about his "tantrums" and "outbursts" and telling him he needs to be educated. Like sir... there's already a MASSIVE age difference here. Maybe it's better to not emphasize on that... Your not his fucking dad..... Or maybe that's exactly what he wants to be lol

You are so sweet!!!!! every day it becomes less and less of a rarepair and i am terrified yet thrilled.

also i'm both sorry that he bothers you and delighted that he bothers you!!! does it make things better or worse if i told you that was intentional????? they're very healthy and not at all toxic <3 he just likes making kaz feel small. and trivializing his (actually sometimes valid) reactions by reducing them to being childlike gets under kaz's skin because he has spent a significant part of his life proving to people that his age isn't a reflection of his maturity. and the darkling knows this, so. calling it a tantrum and brushing it off is more likely to decrease the behavior than validating and acknowledging it because he doesn't actually want to fix the issues between them he just wants kaz to shut up about it and accept things as they are. which. of course. is super super healthy and not at all toxic.

it's just like "if he disagrees with me it's only because he's naive"

Kaz is aware of this, he has brought it up a bit in his internal narration, but having people dismiss him because of his age is not anything new to him considering his past

[thoughtfulbearpanda]

LB parallelograms

so i know that it common knowledge that ms tracy deonn, our queen, is a zutara shipper so of course there are sel/bree/nick parallells to zuko/katara/aang. but am i the only one who noticed that are parallels w/ darkling/alina/mal from S&B as well.

examples:

in S&B/LB the main protagonist Alina/Bree journey begin w/ Mal/Sel (Mal is Alina childhood friend/crush, Sel is Bree's 1st introduction to the LB world)

events happen and Alina/Bree are separated from Mal/Sel (Alina's powers are discovered and she is taken away, Bree meets Nick and is attacked)

Alina/Bree grow closer to the 2nd guy Darkling/Nick, who makes them feel special and wanted -> Alina/Bree are pushed further away from Mal/Sel (alina feels as though he forgot about her becuz he wasnt sending her letters, Sel treating Bree w/ suspicion & animosity)

romance blossoms b/w Alina/Bree and Darkling/Nick but events happen & they are separated (darkling's true motives are revelaed, nick is kidnapped)

Alina/Bree are back w/ the 1st boy Mal/Sel by the end

in S&S/BM Alina/Bree are on the run with Mal/Sel

Alina/Bree interactions with Darkling/Nick are limited through the tethers/memory walks

Mal/Sel betray Bree/Alina and they go running to Darkling/Nick for comfort

introduction of new character Nikolai/Valec brings out the jealousy of Mal/Sel when they flirt with Alina/Bree

Mal/Sel sacrifice themselves for Alina/Bree so they can save the day

all of this stemmed from that 1 scene in chptr 49 of BM where Sel and Bree are sitting crosslegged in front of each other as they watch her root in her hands -> reminded me of that scene in S&B s1 where Mal and Alina are huddled over Alina's powers and Mal says "I see you now Alina" (Tv! mal, book!mal gets on my nerves)

idk i just thought it was cute. sel has a much more intimate relationship when it comes to Bree & her powers considering that it a big aspect of who she is.

[ludarklina-fan-spot]

Swept into The Dance

Lady Darludalina (Ladylrbloom)

Summary:

Inspired by Hannibal NBC, Winter's Tale and Don't look back" Resurrected and being rewritten! Alina Starkov manages to steal a horse and escape during the ambush. Whilst she has every intention of returning to the first army encampment and Mal, Alina is forced to confront her true self and a very chatty Darkling.

Notes:

If the show were mine so many things would have gone differently. Dedicated to all Luda and Darluda, aka Lusander shippers, we deserved better as did Luda herself. I am not anti Darklina I ship them too but I am anti fridging Lucy Griffiths characters especially when we know so little about her and her relationship with Aleksander. Rant over. Rated M just to be safe. Written in Australian spelling and grammar. Now …. Follow! Again!

https://archiveofourown.org/works/51754150

[blazethecheeto]

Ok some of you are going to hate me for this but I genuinely really liked Shadow and bone s2!! I was spoiled beforehand of how bad the ending was and how they changed so much- etc. But hear me out , I thought the changes (at least, most of them) made a lot of sense and actually made me like the story more!

First off, Inej going off to fight slavers with her ship made a lot of sense to me. She was looking to the future this whole season. She wanted to find her family, to be free of Ketterdam and her debt to the Staves. Inej looked so free in her last scene, chasing down a slaver ship just like the one she had been captured on. They established that nicely in the show and I love that she's going to find herself (of course she's coming back for the heist, I'm not worried about that). Also the boat crew are going to be such a power team (Mal, Inej, Tolya, Tamar, Nadia)

Malina's changed 'ending' made me really happy too! I adore how they split paths in the end, because I dislike soulmate tropes if they're done badly (which they usually are). However this line that they said, "If I come back to you, it's by choice. Choice, not destiny." Yes! That's everything I wanted from them. They can't be in love because he's the Firebird and basically serves the Sun Summoner as a weapon. (I am become a blade-), but as two people. They have to go away to find themselves before they find each other. Also, in the books, Mal was absolutely miserable tagging along, being Alina's loyal soldier. He wanted to be out there, exploring the world. Being Sturmhond was a smart move as Nikolai has to focus on being king and Mal fits his vibe. Alina is the opposite, she likes the power, as we saw, she craves it, for better or for worse.

They opened up so many great storylines that could make the third season. Alina being an evil queen with shadow summoning abilities that parallels her with the darkling?? Nikolai as the king, also filled with merzost?? One, maybe I'm biased as a nikolina shipper, but now they can understand each other's darkness. we still have yet to get the "i want to kiss you" scene from them. There are actually a lot of things and plots from both books they could fit in the third season. The Apparats cult for one. I know that Alina is going to get more powerful, and this is where the Soldat Sol comes in... maybe she accepts them this time and raises her army. Her hair could still turn white from using her shadow powers. I'm very excited for the prospect of Alina's character development in s3.

Characters like Adrik, relationships like Tamadia, they still need to be developed as well, so they could focus on them in s3. Harshaw and Oncat need to be introduced! Inej's trauma needs to be addressed, and hopefully in s3 or the spin off, they focus a lot more on it. Nina's past as well.

Another change I liked was Matthias choosing not to kill the wolves, and instead killing a guard, permanently imprisoning himself in Hellgate. That was surprising to me because I was going into that scene prepping myself for the wolf deaths. Although I do love Matthias killing them in the books because it shows how messed up Hellgate has made him become, this outcome in the show changes things. Now he is not innocent, now he saw Nina and the pardon that was just out of reach. Matthias damned himself and it hurts. That Helnik angst.

I loved loved the Crows this season. The mini heists, the banter, the development we got from everyone but Jesper especially?!! I was shocked and so so happy that he got an episode to embrace his Grisha heritage and got to be a badass Durast like YES I have been waiting YEARS.

The burial scene with Kaz and Pekka, I agree would have been insane in the SoC spinoff, but I think it fit a lot better in s2, because one, Pekka had already been introduced as a big bad in s1, it wouldn't have made sense to wait years and years to finally take him down for "book accuracy. " Kaz backstory, Pekka taking the Crow Club, all of those things are in Sab s2, so why not just do the burial scene in s2? Also it was so well done I had chills.

There are obviously things I did not like, and I will make another absurdly long post to rant about that. But I think the hate around the season for book fans is unnecessary. I didn't think it was rushed, and I was satisfied as a book fan!

[darklover06]

sooo since I've watched all of s2 of shadow and bone I'm gonna give my honest opinion on it so SPOILERS!!!

Also this is my own opinion so if you don't like it keep your trap shut idc

So first of I feel they left out a really key part with the whole ordeal with the aparat and how Alina was forced to hide away and not use her power as well as her being forced to lead the sodat sol, as well as her nearly killing herself and the darkling then her hair turning white. These things I feel were major character development for Alina and should have been included in the show. They left out the two best characters HARSHAW AND ONECAT!!!

I also feel like they should have done this series based off the second book and then have ruin and rising as the third series as it is the third book as to me it would have made more sense and the show should have included more. The show also missed out on the dynamic of Nikolai, Alina and Mal as in the book there was more tension and more angst to it whereas in the show they kinda just got on with it.

I was also waiting for the 'i become blade' and 'i am ruination' because that would have set me off and I would have never come back from them.

They rushed killing the sea whip and it because of how quick it was I almost forgot it happened.when they added Nikolai getting attacked I was waiting for him to turn into the nichovoyi (don't come at me for the spelling of that) and all that jazz but not seeing it makes me think that it might happen in the potential next season.

The whole keeping Alina on the throne threw me off a little because it then takes away the fact that Zoyla doesn't become the first grisha queen and that was an important part of her development.

They rushed wesper. It shouldn't have happened that fast and although I'm absolutely in love with it, the show was so quick to make that happen. Now I'm not the biggest Malina shipper but to split them up and make Mal more likeable just doesn't do it for me, they should have more to the story for them and not just 'oh mals going away now, guess I'll have to be queen' it seemed very out of character. SPLITTING UP KANEJ BEFORE THE ICE COURT HEIST?!?!?! the literal worst thing everrrr I need all the crows together for once PLEASE. DAVID DID NOT DESERVE TO DIEEE. He shouldn't have and he and genya should have gotten married like they did in the book.

Despite all these things I still liked the series and will watch it again.

[vole-mon-amour]

2x02. Now that I started watched s2, how do I peel myself off the screen and do things irl? Lol. I'm already glued to this season.

Alina standing behind Mal's back to kind of shield him is so sweet?

I don't understand though, Nikolai IS the king, no? I remember this pretense when he met Kaz. He was honored to meet the Bastard of the Barrel. But what is going on here & why does no one recognize him? Sure, he worked hard to build him reputation, but I'm a bit confused. (Which won't make me pick up the books about Nikolai again, lol. I was done with it the first time.)

It's been a hot minute & I'm already tired of this Mal/Alina/Darkling triangle. Especially when I remember that Darkling is supposed to be a grow ass adult, way older than Alina, and both Alina and Mal are supposed to be teens. Like, my dude, what did you find there? I'd never want to deal with a teen, and definitely not pine after her. Fast forward, "My Alina." DUDE. WAKE UP. What are you, five?

Hmmm? Hmmm. I can twist it into "He keeps her safe no matter how painful that is for him", which would be fun. The acknowledgment of her being terrified of it all, though.

Genya looks kind of weird this season. I feel like it's the wig.

No but the details. The clothes. Oh, I doubt we'll see the masquerade, but I'd LOVE to see it. It was such a fun scene in the book.

Oooh. That is GOOD. As much as I'd love the crows to have their own show and see CK page by page being shown to us, I didn't think they'll go there. Aside from Jordie giving me Sam Drake vibes, this is a nice visual. Though I believe they were younger in the book?

Speaking of, are we getting Wylan's backstory or? The way he slept in that cold and dirty bed, basically waiting to die? Bc rn Wylan is kind of doing alright? A bit hungry, but alright.

Oooh, Kaz sitting down next to Jesper? I like that. Honestly, if he sees a bit of Jordie in Jesper, it's basically trust. "I'm safe with you. I trust you with my life. You make mistakes, but..."

And THAT is where she becomes Kaz's friend. Their relationship in the book. <3

The "It's not enough to kill him" scene, though. The looks Inej, Jesper, and Nina give him. I rewatched it at least 3 times & WOW.

I love her and her personality SO. MUCH. If she was portrayed by a fatter actress, she would've been a perfect adaptation from books to tv screen.

<3 I am so glad Inej now had Nina. My girls.

Ooooh, Matthias remembering Nina, all the touches, the soft lips. Blaming himself, hating her, but also loving her and wanting her. *sigh* Yeeeah. That's a good adaptation as well. Though I still struggle see Matthias in this actor. Matthias was different.

Oh, that bastard. That expression. :')

Can anyone remind me if this was in the book? Because I am about to say a lot of shit about this. I absolutely HATE the vibe of "You're gonna have to used to me touching you, whether you like it or not" & I don't want to see it in the show, either, Back off, will you? Maybe that's why he sees Jordie in Jesper though? It's safety. No pushing. Jesper waits patiently.

Inej is a badass, but I absolutely hate when she becomes like that. "You gotta tell me. You can keep the others in the dark, but not me." Ughhh.

Lol. Is this a joke? She's twice as lighter as him. What are you doing?

YEP! The "I trust him" trope. Damn it, I love Kaz and Jesper's relationship.

"Long standing". You had to add the 'working', too, otherwise us shippers would lose our minds, huh?

You tell him.

"I don't hate Pekka Rollins cause he's not real." Well, sorry to be you. In moments like this one, especially in the book, it's rage for me. Die, asshole, die. Brick by brick, Kaz will destroy you.

Wheezing. Wylan is so pure. Doesn't know what to do yet. Not familiar with Kaz and his crew yet.

Jesper, you remembered in THIS position? :D What were you doing back then?

<3.

WHAT IS GOING ON :DD

One episode one hour long. I'm gonna need at least 3 days to watch this season, I feel like.

[void-kissed]

21 for the kiss meme w/clio (for darkling aria au, perchance? :3)

Hehehehehe, I can certainly do that for you, friend! Thank you very, very much for this ^-^

(question source: "F/O Kiss Meme" by self-shipper-snowdrop)

21. "Hello"/"Welcome Home" kiss (1293 words)

..I was actually able to repurpose a piece of writing I'd already been working on for this one, haha! So, this one is pretty long as far as ask answers go. However, I hope it's still alright! ^-^

The late morning sun had filled Clio's bedroom with light and warmth in the time since she had left it, but her first act upon getting back was to go over and pull the navy curtains closed, letting soothing shade settle over the space instead. Aria had kept close behind her the whole time, not only to hopefully be safer if she happened to be spotted on the way back, but also to simply appreciate the feeling of finally having someone else close by again.

"You can just sit down on my bed if you want." Clio was saying. "You look exhausted."

"Oh.. Thank you.." Aria quickly came over to perch on the end of the bed, watching as the room became darker and subsequently much easier to see in. This was her first time being invited into Clio's bedroom, so she was taking time to examine her surroundings - it was an open and spacious room with ample wardrobe space built into the wall near the doorway. A jewellery stand adorned with a number of pretty accessories stood on the dresser, and a many-flowered jasmine plant was growing in a terracotta pot sat next to it. It was this that she was staring at when Clio finished closing the curtains.

"I picked that one up from a shop not too far from here, back when I was out with some of the others." she explained, speaking up to fill the silence once she saw where Aria was looking. "I read that they don't like too much sunlight all at once, so I put it on the dresser in case today's mission took a while, and.. I mean, I don't want to jinx it, but it seems to be doing pretty well where I've left it!"

"Yes." Aria stated. "Constant light can be damaging in excess."

"Say, you wouldn't happen to know what this flower means, would you?" Clio asked casually, knowing the affinity she had always had for flower language.

There was then a long pause.

"..I can't remember." she admitted, and looked awfully downtrodden at the fact.

"Oh, that's alright!" Clio smiled to try and ease tension again. "It might say in the book I got, actually, so- don't worry!"

This did little to reassure her partner. "..I should be able to remember. No- I should be able to know. It's.. not good that I can't.."

In return, Clio couldn't help but be confused by her wording. "You should be able to? Did the.. do you think the darkness affected your memory?"

"Less memory, more.. instinct." Aria stated. Then she stopped. A lump caught in her throat, and Clio could see tears starting to form in her eyes again.

"Ari.."

"I have already lost so much.." she began to mumble, voice wavering now as she brought a clawed hand to where her heart would be. "I don't want- I refuse to let anything else of what I am be taken away. Whether by darkness, light, or any other aspect."

Clio opened her mouth to speak, but found she could not find the right words, so she settled for coming over and sitting on her bed next to Aria instead.

"..It'll be okay." she tried again. "You're back in Daybreak Town now."

"..A world of Dandelions, now." she muttered back. "The darkness was not safe for you, and it took something from me. But now, I fear the light here is not safe for me, for how much of it's present here."

Clio couldn't help but feel sad again at that, and reached out to take Aria's hand again, gently running her thumb over the hard parts of her claws, painfully aware of how cold she now was to the touch. In return, Aria simply leaned over to rest her head on Clio's shoulder, away from the spikes of her armour, tilting her wing to embrace her, trying to sense what warmth she still could.

There was a long, but not uncomfortable, silence as the two sat there together side-by-side.

It was Clio who spoke up again to break the silence, as a soft thought settled in her mind.

"Hey, um- There's something I've been meaning to give back to you."

"Mm..?"

Aria tilted her head in confusion as she watched Clio get off of the bed again, this time moving to the table right beside it. On it lay many items one would expect to find in such a spot - an alarm clock, a glass of water, a small pile of scrunchies and hairbands - but also a crown of clovers, woven together in a delicate yet strong wreath that Clio could gladly put back on her head now that she no longer needed to wear her helmet. However, before she did that, she set about dismantling her regalia, removing pieces of it one at a time and carefully setting them down on the floor away from Aria. Finally, her upper half was free of it, showing off her arms as all she was wearing underneath was a black short-sleeved shirt.

Even so, as she turned around, it could be seen that something was still fastened to her chest, right over her heart.

The flower still held the same softness and health as it had when it was gifted, all that time ago before the war - that much could be clearly discerned from the soft shine of its five pale pink petals. Two green leaves curled out from underneath the petals, one sitting just on top of the other, both pointing downwards like overlapping clock hands.

It was not just any cherry blossom, though that was clearly evident from its size - but above any other ways it stood out, it was her flower, a part of her still wholly untainted and free of the weight that the realm of darkness had worn the rest of her down with. A part of her willingly given up to someone who did not even know its true meaning, yet accepted it and treasured it for what it still was - who yet accepted her and treasured her for who she still was - nevertheless.

"You kept it.." was all that Aria could say, taking in the meaning of what she saw with an aura of what seemed like disbelief. She tentatively stood up from the bed to try and get a closer look.

"Of course I did." Clio said reassuringly, lifting the flower from her chest so that it could be put in its rightful place. "It was all I had left of you, and it was a promise that you would come back - so, how could I have not?"

"You really- I- I don't know what to say-" Aria's voice was now shaking with emotion, but she was interrupted when Clio reached out and pulled her cold body into an embrace, carefully placing the flower back where it belonged in the process with her other hand.

There was a moment of pause, as the flower settled back and found the rest - and then all Clio felt was a veritable glow of warmth and love as she held Aria close. She gently eased out of the hug, but only to get to be able to look down and see those catlike eyes of bright amber staring up at her - those eyes that held a visceral, and powerful, and yet no less adoring sense of life behind them now. Despite what the realm of darkness had done to her, and turned her into how she now appeared, no part of her seemed monstrous, anymore.

With a relieved and loving smile, all she could do was lean down and give her girlfriend a kiss on the lips.

"Welcome back, Aria."

Thank you very much again for sending this in, friend!!