#and knowing he got super ace makes me happy because it's well deserved

[byemambo]

20241024 | Water Stage - Paradise Road to Kingdom: ACE OF ACE Episode 6

[bloggingboutburgers]

I need some help.

So, I have this friend who’s Aro/Ace, and we have a very close group of us and like 2 other people. He recently came out to this group, and we’re all super supportive. He actually came out to me before the others, and I helped encourage him to tell them.

I am demisexual, and was planning on telling these same people around that time, but he got there first, and I didn’t want to be a jerk so I waited like a day to tell them, but I’m not sure if I waited long enough. He‘s also being weird about me being demi, and kind of treating me like I’m not really part of the same community, like, just little comments, not malicious or anything, but lots of little things.

I was the one to introduce him to all the fun ace memes, like, garlic bread, and such, and I’m the one who explained the difference between romantic and sexual attraction to him, and I introduced him to qprs, but he still treats me like I’m not the same.

I don’t know if I’m overreacting, but I’m already insecure about being aspec, but not fully ace, so it’s just kinda freaking me out. Should I talk to him about it? Just deal with it? I don’t know. I don’t want to „me too“ his identity, but I don’t want to be erased.

Thanks.

Is that like... Ace gatekeeping of sorts...? Man I'm sorry you're going through this, that sounds awkward.

Sorry I'm replying so late, I hope I'm not too late, but... Yeah, personally I would recommend talking to him about it, to find out why he's doing this. I have no idea what's going on here, but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and assume he might have felt your coming out might have undermined his in ways, even though that wasn't your intention at all and now HE's undermining yours...

Coming out is a very personal experience that should be up to a person's choice on when and how it's best to do it, so it's important for him to be able to respect yours like you did your best to respect his.

Being queer, and being on the asexual spectrum, is also very personal and CAN lead one to being defensive after having been othered for so long, not sure why, maybe 'cus we're afraid we might be damaged in the process or reduced to an image we don't wanna be reduced to. I mean... I don't know if it's a universal experience, but for instance, while I'm always happy to meet other aros and aces, I have trouble engaging in aroace-dedicated communities (welp... mostly 'cus I'm afraid of groups) but also and mostly, every time I get recommended a work with aro or ace characters in it, it hardly ever fails to give me a massive nervous stomachache and make me want to put off checking out said work forever, 'cus... I think I'm scared of finding out the many ways my identity can get undermined in the process, ironically.

I'm not sure what causes this. Maybe growing up in a reality that's so hostile to being on the aro and ace spectrums fucked me up. And maybe there's something like that going on for him too, though I don't wanna project at all. I can only ever speak about my own experience.

Either way... Both of you are valid in both of your ways, he shouldn't be gatekeeping anything, indirectly or not, especially when you've been so open to sharing your experience, and yeah, you're not the same, but you're on the same spectrum, and there are part of your struggles that you share, and he should respect that. Just because your experience doesn't 100% align with his doesn't undermine either of you. You're in this together and you should be able to have each others' backs. I sincerely hope you can talk it out and I hope he doesn't get too defensive about it... But yeah, I hope you can get your feelings across to him as well, 'cus you don't deserve this. I sincerely wish you both the best.

[jinxquickfoot]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Spread the self-love ❤

Oooh picking favourite fics is so hard! I decided to leave out any collabs because I couldn't pick, so in no particular order:

A Pair of Aces

“There’s no one else I can ask. Please.”

It’s the please that has stuck in Tony’s mind, long after the phone call with Steve had ended.

“I know what HYDRA made him do. But it wasn’t his fault. He doesn’t deserve this.” ----------------------------------- When Ross captures Steve and Bucky after the fight in Siberia, Bucky is sold to Selby in Madripoor, with Tony, Sharon and a high-stakes poker game as his only hope of rescue.

Why I like this fic: It's still new so it still has 'new fic' shine to it before I re-read it and find all its flaws. Civil War Fix-Itss my beloved.

2. The One Where Clint is Tony's Weakness

“Do you know who I am?”

Clint twisted Stone’s arm back further, making him yelp in pain. “I know exactly who you are, Stone. And this is me passing on a friendly message from all of us at Avengers Tower—leave Tony alone." -------------------------------------- When Steve, Natasha, and Sam's mission to take down HYDRA fails, it's up to Tony and Clint to escape their respective captors and rescue their friends.

Why I like this fic: I give myself kudos for how intricate the plot of this one turned out and a couple of very creative whump scenes. No, I have not forgotten about the sequel. It will appear one day.

3. Budapest

Whoever they were, they were getting better. Every round of the simulation they learned a little more, took a little more, built up the world around him into something he might just believe. But they couldn’t do it all. They always got at least one detail wrong, and then Clint would know, he’d know. And then the assholes would wipe his mind and start again from scratch. -------------------------------------- Turns out it's difficult to derail a hostage situation when it's a friend doing the hostage-taking.

Why I like this fic: I love how mind-bendy this one is, it's one of the more complicated plots I've had to do and work with, and it has a happy ending.

4. Dollhouse

The torture bingo card.

It was an old joke that had been passed around the SHIELD agents with a darker sense of humor. Phil had disapproved. Fury had pretended not to know. Clint had joined in right away, only to find he had been able to fill out half the squares before the game had even begun, courtesy of a life of bad cards, poor decisions, and worse luck.

No one was ever supposed to win. -------------------------------------- The Barton family gets an uninvited guest, and it has no intention of leaving.

Why I like this fic: Spookiest thing I've ever written and it manages to include so many character.

5. Let's Whump the Spider-Kid and Friends!

Thanos is defeated, the world is saved, and all the Avengers are set to live happily ever after in their Tower. If only their team didn't include a danger magnet in the form of Peter Parker.

OR

31 days, 31 ways to hurt our favorite Spider-Kid, with bonus whumping of his super friends and excessive use of puns.

Why I like this fic: I know it's kind of cheating to include a one-shot collection but this does work as a multi-chapter fic as well. For all the angst and whump and such, it's nice to flex the comedy muscles too and go for something a bit more light-hearted and fun.

[nutmeg-mayonnaise]

Hello~! I am a new fan of Ace Attorney and I found your blog and absolutely fell in love with ur fankids and au, aaaa!!!! It's all so cute!!! I was wondering if I could ask a few questions about it, if you don't mind?

My first question is regarding Maya and Phoenix! So is Phoenix like a sperm donor for their kids together and it's like an agreed upon thing they talked about alot beforehand and felt okay doing because they're dear friends and close or is it more like a comfortable romantic-leaning relationship they've got going on where they have sex sometimes but they're more like cozy partners?

My 2nd question is about Miles!! I wanted to know how he interacts with the girls! For them, he's more like an uncle right? (Or is he like another father figure for them too?) Does he find it more awkward/harder to interact with them or does he soften up and treat them the same as Gregory??

Anyway, thank you for enlightening me to this au!!! I just got through the 1st game and could definitely see the Phoenix×Miles ship but I hadn't considered how well all 3 of them could click together! I love that you're exploring that happiness for them and now it's one of my favorite au/headcanon's for AA!!! (^^)💕

Hello friend (and Happy Pride Month everyone 𔓘⭒๋࣭ )!! Thank you so much and I'm so glad you enjoy the au, it means a lot! The three of them deserve a happy and loving life together and it brings me joy to see that other people think so, too!

I always love answering questions about the au so I'll be happy to answer!

There's a lot here so I have it all under the cut. :)

(And here's another teaser from my illustration series I'm still working on. I haven't had much time to make new artwork for the au lately ahh ಥ⁠‿⁠ಥ )

Anyway, with your first question, it's funny because neither is exactly right. In the beginning, being a donor was something that both Edgeworth and Maya mentioned explicitly (Phoenix feels that there's maybe a "nicer way to put it") but that's essentially what they believed that they were getting themselves into.

They discussed it for nearly half a year while Maya still explored her options and met with other people in the mean time, and this was already after Maya was actively looking for a husband for more than a year and a half. Luckily, Phoenix already knew a bit about the matriarchy and history of Kurain Village, so Maya didn't need to explain much more about that to him. Regardless, the arrangements had to be discussed at length.

Maya didn't expect nor want Phoenix to drop his whole life to be her house-husband in Kurain, so they knew early on that they would spend their parenthood together on a visiting-basis. They visited each other often anyway, so it wouldn't disrupt their lives too much all things considering.

This obviously wasn't ideal on paper, and there was some lament that it was unreasonable for them to be full time parents together. However, with Maya finding herself feeling overwhelmed "in a bad way", as she puts it, whenever she met with potential spouses combined with Phoenix's anxiety with the history of unhappy marriages in Kurain Village and wanting nothing more than for Maya to be happy, they decided the "less than ideal" situation was the best option for them.

Then there was the matter of conceiving the kids, which I detailed in a previous ask.

Their journey to parenthood did push the boundaries of their friendship, and after exploring what those boundaries were, they often had to stop and ask themselves what they even were to each other anymore. They weren't attracted to each other, weren't super comfortable with being married for a long time (with Maya opting to label themselves as "hus-friend" and "wi-friend" in private). However, they still deeply loved each other, found some forms of intimacy pleasant with each other (eg, they enjoy cuddling and sleeping in the same bed but not making out nor having sex), and, obviously, had children together.

It wasn't until shortly before Mia (the eldest daughter) was born--nearly 4 years after Phoenix and Maya decided to have kids together--that they accepted that their relationship could not be defined and stopped caring. They knew what they were to each other and that's all that mattered. (Although, their relationship can be defined: it is queerplatonic, but they don't call themselves this because they are ignorant to the label.)

As for Edgeworth and the Fey girls, it's also a hard relationship to define. He doesn't see them as often as Phoenix does, because when Phoenix and Gregory visit Maya in Kurain, he opts to go to his house to rest and enjoy some time alone. He sees Pearl's daughters even less, since when Maya visits LA, Pearl rarely joins her since she takes over Maya's duties in Kurain.

While all four of the Fey girls call Edgeworth "Uncle Miles" or just "Miles", he’s considerably closer to Maya's daughters than Pearl's. Even before adopting Gregory, he found himself involved by counseling Phoenix and Maya throughout their journey to parenthood, was present when all three kids were born, and even named the youngest daughter (Melusina).

When the girls got a little older, Edgeworth isn't hesitant to discipline them (well, Mia--Melusina doesn't usually cause issues) if he needs to. He tries to give them equal attention but he can't help but be somewhat distant to them compared to his son. Sometimes he overcompensates and Mia takes full advantage of this--and Edgeworth knows it. All in all, he's somewhere in between a father to them and an uncle. Regardless of labels, he is very much part of their family.

Thank you so much for the question!

[sabo-has-my-heart]

Hello! I saw you posting requests so I assume they're open? In case I'm wrong, please ignore this 😅

But well, I saw that you have a couple of love triangle and poly Ace x reader x Sabo stories and I had a blast reading them! But also, they made me think.

Would you mind writing a fluff modern AU where Ace likes (female) Reader since they were kids and Sabo teases the heck out of his brother for it, but is also his biggest supporter to comfess and get together with their best friend already?

I'm so glad you like my Ace x reader x Sabo poly stories. They're my favorite boys. For obvious reasons, this is an Ace fic, it was also super cute. I hope you like it!

Word Count: 1630

     Running a hand through his hair, Ace tilted his head back. It was the ‘anniversary’ of the day he’d met you. 12 years ago today, he’d bumped into you while running down the halls causing trouble. It was shortly before class started and you’d been the new girl headed for your first class. He’d just set up a prank in the teacher’s lounge and was hoping to get away before someone caught him. Thankfully you were as mischievous as he was and had helped him get away. The teachers had exited the lounge, covered in silly string and immediately pinned it on him, knowing how much of a troublemaker he was and suspicious of how close he was to the teacher’s lounge. You’d given the string covered teachers your biggest puppy dog eyes and told them, in your saddest voice, that he had been leading you to your class and to ‘please don’t get mad at him’. When he’d asked why you’d lied to them, you simply stated that seeing your new teachers covered in multicolored silly string had been funny and that you could tell you were going to like him. From then on, the two of you protected each other. You’d protect him from getting caught by the teachers and he’d protect you from the kids on the playground. While the teachers suspected he was still causing trouble, with you at his side, they couldn’t ever get any proof. Naturally, he’d introduced you to Sabo and, later, Luffy. While you were close to all three boys, you hadn’t joined in their brotherhood as the only sister, confusing the poor boy. At the time, he’d wanted you to be a part of their special bond, wanted you to know how important you were to him, but now, he was actually kind of happy you hadn’t.

     It had been years ago, as the two of you entered high school that he’d started feeling… different about you. He noticed different things about you; like how pretty your eyes were, how silky and smooth your hair always looked, the lusciousness of your lips. Had you always been so beautiful? It hadn’t taken long for him, or Sabo, to notice his feelings towards you, something Sabo enjoyed repeatedly mocking his brother for. In truth, Sabo was absolutely rooting for his brother’s love life, Ace deserved to have the girl of his dreams and to be happy, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t tease him. 

     Sitting on the back of Ace’s motorcycle, you couldn’t help but smile, your arms wrapped tightly around him. You loved riding on his bike with him and not just because riding on a motorcycle was fun and exciting. You loved how close it allowed you to be to Ace, loved how you got to hold him, feeling the heat radiating from his body, his scent wafting off of him, your heart pounding as he raced down the streets. It seemed like everything that made Ace, Ace could be found in being on the bike. From his wild, carefree spirit in the way he sped down the roads to his borderline recklessness in how he took sharp turns. His exciting, exhilarating way that he would skid to a stop sideways, to the sweet way he’d always make sure you were okay and that your helmet was always in top condition. The two of you were practically inseparable, almost always found together. If Ace forgot his phone, you were the first person Sabo called, if your parents were wondering where you were, Ace was the person they turned to. Hence why Sabo gave him so much shit about his crush on you. 

     Walking inside their shared apartment, Sabo grinned, seeing Ace by himself for once, eating a batch of what looked like homemade cookies.

     “Oooo, sweets from your girlfriend?” Sabo asked, giving Ace a knowing look.

     “What? No! They’re from Y/n! You know I don’t have a girlfriend.” Ace shot back, glaring at his brother as he stuffed another cookie in his mouth.

     “So yes, cookies from your girlfriend.” Sabo teased, setting his things down as Ace glared harder.

     “She’s not my girlfriend!” Ace growled, even though he knew that Sabo knew that he had a crush on you.

     “Really? Could have fooled me with how often you two are together. I think even the barista at her coffee shop thinks you two are dating by now. Though I suppose if you’re not dating her, that’s good news for me. For a lot of guys out there, really. A beauty like her? I’m sure any man would kill for a piece of that.” Sabo said teasingly, even as Ace jumped up from the couch, a furious look on his face.

     “The fuck does that mean?! I swear if you’re thinking of asking her out, I’ll kill you in your sleep!” Ace said, the look on his face one of pure anger as he glared at his brother.

     “Alright, alright, I won’t ask her out, but you can’t stop me from a little flirting and if she asks me, I’m not saying no, that’s her choice and since you haven’t asked her out, she’s free to date whoever she pleases.” Sabo said, continuing to rile his brother up.

     “Over my dead body! You’ll stay the hell away from her or I’ll-” “You’ll what? You can’t control her and it’s not like you’re her boyfriend, although again, you could have fooled me.” Sabo said with a chuckle. Ace was up and over the couch, chasing the blond around as Sabo laughed. He loved when he riled Ace up enough that the boy would chase him in an attempt to kick his ass. He only caught Sabo about half the time and they never did much more than a ‘light’ punch to the shoulder, but it was all in good fun, they were brothers after all. A knock on the door drew them out of their play fighting, Ace’s face lighting up as he scrambled for the door. The look on the boy’s face told Sabo everything he needed to know. You had been planning on coming over and Ace couldn’t wait to see you. 

     It was a few weeks later, as Ace munched on some brownies that Ace considered what his brother had said. The two of you did hang out a lot and people had thought you were dating before. If you two were giving off those sort of vibes, didn’t that mean they had a point? Besides, he couldn’t deny his attraction to you; he’d known how he felt about you for years, but he’d always worried about if you felt the same way. He was a troublemaker and a punk, he wasn’t particularly intelligent nor did he make a particularly large amount of money. Wouldn’t you be better off with someone else? At the same time, the idea of you getting with someone else infuriated him, to the point where he’d scared off dozens of guys before. Looking down at the, now demolished, brownies, he dusted his fingers of the crumbs before pulling out his phone, he needed to talk to you. Shooting off a text, he took a deep breath. His brother had a point, he needed to tell you how he felt.

     Ace squirmed as the two of you sat on the couch for movie night. He hadn’t been able to just tell you he needed to talk to you, so he’d invited you over for a ‘movie night’ and hoped to talk to you at some point. Sighing, you grabbed the remote, hitting pause before turning to him.

     “Ace, you’ve been wiggling like you’ve got ants in your pants since we sat down. Not only do I feel every shift, which is highly distracting, but it also makes it very hard to get comfortable. So what’s got you so restless?” you asked, putting your hands on your hips. He swore his heart dropped into his stomach. You’d noticed, you sounded annoyed, he was going to have to tell you how he felt. His heart was pounding out of his chest and his stomach was in so many knots that he felt sick.

     “W-well, it’s… you see, there’s something I… you’re…” Ace took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down, “Y/n… we’ve, no, I… fuck, why is this so hard.” Ace ran his hand through his hair, closing his eyes and taking a few deep breaths, “Would… would you go out with me? Not like friends, but like, go out with me?” Ace asked finally, his eyes squeezed shut, afraid of your rejection. You giggled, putting your hands on Ace’s shoulders before pulling him close, giving him a soft kiss on the cheek.

     “I’d love that more than I can say. Maybe this Saturday at our favorite restaurant? Or I hear there’s a fair in town. I’ve always wanted a guy to win one of those stupid, cheap, little toys they hand out.” you said with a sweet smile, Ace staring at you in wonderment.

     “I… the fair sounds great. I’ll win you the best stupid, cheap toy they have.” he said with a smile, kissing your forehead before pulling you close, “Though I uh, can we finish the movie? I’d um, I’d like to actually watch it with you and get to hold you close.” he muttered, nuzzling his head into the crook of your neck.

     “Alright, but we’re going to have to start from the beginning because I missed so much due to your wiggling.” you teased as you grabbed the remote again. Honestly, it was just an excuse to spend more time in his arms, but neither of you cared, it was simply nice to be snuggled up like this.

[providing-leverage]

The A-Team

(asexaul and aromantic Ted Lasso fic recs)

Let's be honest, half the reason for this post is the title. But also to shine some light on a couple beautiful fics I've found with aro and ace characters in this fandom. The purple heart indicates ace, green indicates aro content.

A is for Ally by starryeyedknight 3.8k💜

When Richard suggests a novel way for the Richmond boys to show their allyship, Colin ends up coming out to the team...just not in the way they were expecting.

In which the team gets distracted (multiple times), Isaac is overprotective, Jamie suspects Colin might actually be a Jedi knight, and Bumbercatch reveals way more about his sexual preferences than anyone was expecting. (And poor Will is inadvertently scarred for life.)

A cute little fic that I found perusing the asexual tag. I really enjoyed this au, and Colin's coming out/the guy's reactions to him as well as him not having it all figured out himself.

Love Stuck by @altschmerzes 6k 💚

When Keeley opens the door, Jamie bypasses any kind of perhaps typically-expected greeting. While this isn’t exactly unusual for him, what he says is.

“I’ve got great news,” he tells her, smiling like he really does have great news, which helps to somewhat offset the sense of foreboding she’d been starting to feel. “I am not in love with you. Can I come in?"

OR: Jamie Tartt is aromantic. This changes everything. This also changes nothing. A study in identity, defining your own relationships, and different kinds of love.

I am completely in love with this fic. Jamie having a bi panic before he realizes actually, neither is good/ref. It's very true to my own experiences and made me relate to him so much.

Such a Skeptic: or, Keeley Jones is Bad at Communication by ellarree 800💚

Keeley Jones is definitely not bitter about Shandy. Barbara is definitely interested in double dates and the institution of romance as a whole. Jamie Tartt definitely knows why he’s here. And Jack Danvers? Well, she knows that none of those three statements are true.

A short sequel to the above fic, with aromantic bonding and Barbara who quite honestly deserves so much more screen time in cannon. It has it's own sequel which you can find here.

A Simple Matter of (Mis)Communication by starryeyedknight 3k💜

For the past few weeks Moe Bumbercatch and Jan Maas have been spending an awful lot of time together, and everyone knows what that means. Everyone, apparently, except for Moe Bumbercatch himself...

Apparently I just need to binge read this author's whole collection of works because I didn't realize they also write A is for Ally until making this. Asexual Jan Mass which again I found myself relating to a lot. Technically part of a series and his asexuality was mentioned in the first work, but it's central to the plot of this one. It's also super cute.

Self rec: it's a rather touching notion by providing_leverage 5.7k 💜💚

“I won’t beat around the bush. We think you might be bisexual. You familiar with it?” A friendly team game of spin the bottle ends in a few revelations, some quicker than others. (AKA Moe Bumbercatch going through the unofficial aroace right of passage: adding no real attraction to men with no real attraction to women and coming up with bisexual, with a little help from his friends)

I really enjoyed writing this, even if the last 2k was just a fight against myself. It went through so many different versions and ended longer than I meant for it to be. I really neat part of the Ted Lasso fandom is how platonic so much of the content is.

If you've got any aspec recommendations of your own, please drop them here or tag me. Self recs are absolutely invited. Happy pride!

[total-drama-brainrot]

Marathoned through what I can find of season 2, here's my thoughts so far:

Nichelle is a queen, an icon, literally the first total drama character to show self-improvement and character growth without being an antagonist. Can't wait to see her continue to show up everyone, though I wish we got to see her form actual friendships instead of just girlbossing 24/7.

Mkulia is more canon than literally all of the relationships. They're so fun to watch as antagonists, and I can't wait to see where the cheating arc goes. The fact that they've shared confessions since they formed their alliance? The lesbians are eating good this season. Also Julia in particular is just really well written and voice acted? She sounds like an actual teenager her age. It's 👌 chefs kiss.

Speaking of the cheating arc, the rift between Bowie and Raj because of the team's under-the-table methods is such an on-the-nose way to play it. The "boyfriend kisser" arc of World Tour handled a literal cheating scandal super poorly, but this season is handling its' 'cheating' scandal really well in terms of how it dissolves trust in a relationship. Can't wait for Bowie's guilt to reach it's apex, we never know what he'll do when it does.

Raj really does see the best in Bowie, unfortunately his glasses are a little too rose-tinted to see that Bowie is more than happy to continue enabling Julia and MK, so long as they keep winning. I'm not sure if this will lead to a breakup or a heart-to-heart, honestly this series could go either way, but it isn't called Total Drama for no reason. Keeping my fingers crossed that it'll work out.

Another relationship I unfortunately saw coming from a mile off is RipAxel, though I can't say I'm upset about it. A lot of people saw Axel as queer, myself included, and Ripper is, well, Ripper. But they had a season one Duncney vibe going on in Axel's brief run last season. Something about the misogynistic guys (Ripper called himself an alpha at one point?) and the competitive latinas 🤷‍♀️.

Their actual dynamic this season is different enough from what I thought it'd be that it's refreshing. I guess it works in a very Roger and Jessica Rabbit type of way (if Jessica Rabbit was a butch teenager), and if you're third eye is opened enough to see it as yuri it's a win. (The poetry scene was really sweet, in a way.)

Prialeb came out of nowhere though. For a character who was essentially a Justin clone last season, I really do like the direction Caleb's character is going in. He's got that competitive mindset, and is trying to flatter Priya into an alliance by being friendly/flirty, but the narrative doesn't really make it clear if he's aware that he's manipulating her Alejandro style or if he really is just oblivious enough to see his approach as platonic/friendly. Holding out for some aro or ace (or aroace 🤭) representation with Caleb if they go with the second narriative, but the "only ever had one girlfriend" line hints more towards him being gay than ace.

I'm predicting Priya's foil being her crush of Caleb. It's gonna lead to her elimination. I love the fact that that, despite being hypercompetent thanks to her upbringing, she's terrible with things like relationships and feelings.

I'm super happy that Emma and Chase ended things again. They're terrible for each other. Also, Emma was way less likable this season? IDK if that's just me. Chase was never likable but he's at least funny to watch, especially when he's taking Ls.

Lauren's antagonist arc is brewing at Playa Des Losers (if that's still a thing?) so she's definitely coming back in the merge Izzy style. That, or she'll pull an Ezekiel and sneak back onto the island.

Millie's brief character arc about learning not to take advantage of people was cute, if undeveloped, but I can't say I liked her this season. Damien didn't deserve what she did, but he did need the reality check it gave him. And some therapy to help his fear of everything- the guy's an anxious wreak, and it's not so much endearing as it is pitiful to watch.

Wayne and Raj are my two beautiful sons who deserve the world. Zee has been delightful as always. No need for elaboration.

Chris is delightful this season. All of his lines are great, and what little we see of Chef is golden too. Good job to the writing team for our favourite geriatric couple.

My only real gripe with this season, which has been more and more apparent since season 1 back in 2007, is that the characters don't really feel like they're in a summer camp. Back in the OG island we had character interactions and dynamics outside of challenges that helped set the tone of the series; it felt like they really were teenagers at a summer camp, the challenges and eliminations came second to the character plotlines.

Whereas now, most of every episode is based in the challenge itself. Every elimination is based around something that character does during a challenge. Most meaningful interactions happen during a challenge. It feels more like a gameshow than the reality tv it's supposed to imitate. The only non-competition based conflict we get to watch is Emma and Chase's thing, which is more akin to influencers beefing than two teenagers at a camp having a rocky relationship (see: Duncney S1, Gwent S2 briefly, whatever happened with Gwourtney). I wish we got to see more of the character as they are, than the characters while they're actively in a challenge.

[comingyourlugubriousness]

"I've spent so much time worrying... but today I'm just going to enjoy my time here! Every minute, every second!"

Here is Yume's Birthday Groovy! Thank you to everyone who sent birthday wishes to both of us lol! (*・ω・)ﾉ”┌iii┐♡

Fun fact: I started drawing this two months ago as a joke but then it started going well and I really love how it turned out! As you may have noticed its half art and half edited. I used Cater's card as a base of sorts and drew in Riddle and Yume and made all the other edits myself! I also have a short birthday story that I wanted to share, a vignette of sorts, that goes with this Groovy. But it's still in the works. Since this is the first birthday card I wanted to focus on some of Yume's first friends at NRC; the Heartslabyul gang! :D I'll try and get it out as soon as I can ^-^!

Thanks to everyone who enjoys my content as much as I enjoy making it!

Voice lines under the cut, now with the groovy lines, I made those purple so you can tell them apart!

Summon: Ah you came to wish me happy birthday? T-thanks that means a lot…! *smile*

Groovy: I've spent so much time worrying... but today I'm just going to enjoy my time here! Every minute, every second!

Set Home: Heh, it's a little embarrassing wearing this outfit…

Home Idle: I know it's tradition and all, but making a big fuss about my birthday…is all this really necessary? (...Yuuta would call me a hypocrite huh?)

Idle 2: No one knew it was my birthday this morning and yet somehow everyone came out of nowhere with presents! Cater must have made a post...*grins*.

Idle 3: Trey and Yuuta managed to make me a cake; they even knew my favorite flavors; must be the big sibling super power…!

Idle Groovy: Hm...you didn't have time to get me a gift?... That's okay, your presence is present enough! *grins* Hehe~!

Home Login:  I don’t remember what my last birthday was like, but…I hope my next one is just as fun!

Tap: I asked Trey to make something besides cake for Cater because he’s not a fan of sweets. When I told Cater he gave me a strange look and laughed…*blink* Did I do something weird…?

Tap 2: Vil gifted me a really expensive hair dryer and homemade hair products…Since my hair got singed I don’t care about it too much, but…maybe he’s right. I should put in a little effort!

Tap 3: Ah! What the-! I suddenly got a bunch of paid coins from my mobile game?! Is this a birthday promotion or…a gift from someone? Oh…! I see…I’ll have to send him a thank you…*smile*

Tap 4: Ace, Deuce and Grim didn’t have time to get me a gift, but they ‘performed’ a routine on the spot at my party. Pffhh-haha! *snort* It was hilarious!

Tap 5: I ran into Leona at the school store and he paid for my whole purchase! Sam even slipped in some extra candy for me once he heard it was my birthday!

Tap Groovy: At first this was all pretty embarrassing, but Riddle’s right I should be proud and celebrate myself! I deserve it! Duo Magic with Riddle: Yume: *singsong* A very merry birthday~ To me?

Riddle: To you!

Yume: To me!

[haejjoon]

Recently I was brain-rotting with someone about Joker's sexuality and we both concluded that... He seems kinda uncomfortable in the game. Mostly because of the "There's no turning back..." Msg afterward. Like, Atlus? Why is this so menacing and dreadful? And then you have these several moments of Akira jokingly flirting/or openly flirting with his Bros (gobro included<3)

It's just that nothing happens in relationships... I know you can interpret anything as you want *ahem* Curse Atlus for making silent Protagonists. But I couldn't feel like Akira enjoys it. It is as if he felt that he has to be in relationships with women (I forgot the term name but it's like when you question your sexuality because of heteronormative everywhere)

Of course, it may be just because romance is purely optional so there is no need to write it that in deep. But some romance routes are showing disapproval through Sojiro or Akira's face in model change.

It's just... Seeing Akira smiling after the friendship route with Futaba was such a whiplash for me. He doesn't do it when saying he loves her. I never even KNEW he CAN change his face on a model!!! That made me so curious if his face changes with others by he always facing away from the camera</3

Let me study you, Jokerrrr

(if someone is curious about Futaba, you can find screenshots on @/leonawriter's blog)

So uhh... I am really curious what are your thoughts on Romance in P5 :D

Because there are several posts about some translation misses in Persona for a variety of reasons as well as THESE. DAMN. FLOWER. KEYCHAINS.

Atlus can "queerbait" me as much as Capcom(Ace Attorney) but it is not my fault they have written these characters with homoerotic tension!!!

...or maybe I am just deluded AroAce V.V

So, yeah, sorry for my rant about not well-written romance :'D

HOL ON LETTER COOK???? U HAVE A POINT.

i always saw the romance options as... you know, options, which was why i always took them with a grain of salt. like its kind of ridiculous how little romancing anyone affects the overall plot. i romanced haru my first run through because i thought it'd somehow give her more screentime via plot (jun hhaeyeun u poor, poor fool.)

but you're so right??? whats the in lore reason as to why joker seems so aloof?? from his various options in main plot we know that hes pretty memey, cares a lot for his friends, etc etc. but when u have the option to romance the Girl Of Your Dreams you're suddenly about as emotional as a rock? i think ur onto smth...

not to mention he DOES seem to be super uncomfortable with the options... idk he always seemed like he was just going along with whatever the girl wanted to make her happy, bc he was her friend. one thing in particular that i wanted to point out was ann's romance route, where ur choices are either "you can rely on me" or "you can rely on the others" .... WHAT. like obviously you'd say "i'm here for you", right?? obviously akiren would say that he's here for ann, right?????? personally i think that akiren doesnt even know when hes dating a girl. the horde of girls who castrate him on valentine's day absolutely took him by surprise. he was just being a homie.

(which i think is prettu sad if you think about it... half of the dialogue options to toggle the romance route just sounds like akiren's trying to be friendly. "you can rely on me" "i came here to see you" "you've got me" arent romantic in the slightest. these poor fucking girls... a guy is decent to them One Time and they're over the moon .......... pls u all deserve better)

[phanbeats]

🦉Positivity owl reporting for duty! This was sent by a friend who wants you to smile as much as your posts make them smile. Please list five things that make you unique, four things you are super passionate about and why, OR three of your favorite memories. Feel free to send the owl to those who you feel deserve to smile🦉

four things that I'm passionate about -

1. dan and phil

so i got into them in November of the worst year of my life: 2015. They were the first people older than me who'd ever seemed really alive? like, phil especially seemed genuinely happy, and they were weird in a way i thought grown ups weren't allowed to be, and I spent years clinging to my childhood because I was terrified of losing that spark of whimsy that made life feel worth living sometimes, so that was incredibly important to me. and I'd just lost three family members within a three month span and graduated from high school (therefore I'd lost my sole reason to get out of bed in the mornings) and i was trying to come to terms with being aro ace while a "friend" who was very well aware of my sexuality wouldn't stop coming on to me, and so by that November I was just waiting for the last straw; i wasn't planning to live much longer. but that's when I found d&p, and they quite literally saved my life. They gave me a reason to keep going when I really, really needed that, and i love my life now. I've met so many friends and had so many experiences i would have missed out on if not for them. So how can I not love them? they're everything to me.

This picture, by the way, was taken at tit Vancouver, shortly after i got down on one knee with a blue raspberry ring pop and asked Phil to marry me. He said yes!

2. sewing

i got into sewing (and other fiber crafts) several years ago because i wanted to make myself a corset, which was. an ambitious goal, for someone who had at the time only really done any sewing once several years earlier in home ec class. Since then I've made about a dozen skirts, four capes, three sets of pants, a few blouses, and right now I'm making my sixth corset, which is going to be made from silk and coutil and is heavily embroidered:

the lesson here is don't give up on doing things you want to do just because there's a learning curve; one day, with enough practice, you can become good at anything.

3. art

I've always been creative, and art is one of the easiest ways to express yourself creatively. I've been drawing and painting regularly for most of my life, and the career path I've chosen is animation. I have a diploma in 2D, but I'm actually planning on going back to school for 3D animation as well. Right now, I'm working on a realistic digital painting of d&p asleep on the couch in their tour bus as a bit of a challenge for myself. Here's a wip:

The final piece will be lineless, but I've included a lined version just so you can see the parts I haven't painted yet lmao.

4. writing/poetry

I distinctly remember being six years old and sitting down to write a book. Writing has been a part of me just as long as I've been able to read, and while the book six-year-old me attempted to produce was perhaps not very inspiring, I've written quite a lot since then. I got into writing fanfiction when I was 12, and it was my main hobby until I was about 16, at which point i got too depressed to continue with it. I have written fanfic since then, though, mostly in the past few years. I don't post everything I write only because I mostly just write down a scene here or there when I can't get them out of my head, but I have posted a few complete works which can be found here (for my teenage writing) and here (for my more recent stuff). I also write poetry, and one day I'd like to compile it into a book perhaps. Here are a few of my pieces:

I don't really have a favourite type of poem, although I do enjoy rhyming couplets lmao.

------

thank you for sending me this ask!! I know it's been a week or so but I've enjoyed answering it.

[goldenworldsabound]

I'd love to hear about your ships and SIs as well! Could you tell me about them? (also to see if they an be friends!)

HELLO I AM 500 YEARS LATE!

Okay so Rufus is my primary ff7 f/o so I'll talk about Aura Golden first!!! Under the cut

Aura Golden is a scientist at Shinra. They aren't exactly happy but they aren't miserable either. Working under Scarlet, they have a massive breakthrough in the production of All-Materia! Naturally, Scarlet scoops up all the credit and Aura gets just about nothing, not even a promotion. It sucks.

They eventually very meekly confront Scarlet about it and she yells at them. Shock. Surprise.

Importantly, this is taking place during Before Crisis, while Rufus is under house arrest in the Turks HQ. He happens to find about them and is somewhat smitten at first sight and after hearing about all their achievements. He's using that VP access to dig and learn EVERYTHING about them even if he refuses to admit he's got feelings. He has a monitor with a security camera focused on them up literally all the time. He harasses people who upset them (this can range from preventing doors from opening for them to fucking with their paycheck). And when Scarlet tries to take revenge for Aura confronting her, Rufus gets them transferred to a safer and less noteworthy department, vowing to himself to get them the recognition they deserve.

So when he becomes President, he promptly calls them to his office to personally promote them, and then asks them on a date KJFLEWJHFEW abuse of power who-

He continues at this point to be like, "they're just really trustworthy and smart and would make a good ally for me when I start rebuilding the Directors, I'm just dating them because that's the role I chose for them, I don't have feelings"

no he has feelings bro. And then well you know the plot of ff7 shit starts to hit the fan. Hojo goes missing. He promotes Aura to Director of R&D instead. We grow closer and go on dates and fall head over heels.

And then...Meteorfall. The geostigma. And through it all, Aura stays with him. He worries briefly they'll abandon him now that his status is gone. He's nothing but himself now. But they don't. Of course they don't. In fact since he gets fucking KIDNAPPED between ff7 and AC, they actually go extremely feral and are willing to kill for him. They definitely were not willing to kill before.

That's the cliff notes fkjdshafs I have fic up through the kidnapping and plans to write...through AC I guess? But like the thing that isn't in the summary is like. Rufus finally being able to be vulnerable and open up to someone and just 🥺♥️I am there for him.

♥️♥️♥️

Then we get to Reno and Crystalline!

Crystalline works for Reeve. Technically a software developer, they kind of end up wearing several hats working with him on getting projects to actually benefit Midgar's populace approved. They have taken the approach of like...improving Shinra from the inside. It's not going super great but they're making small improvements! At least what they do has a positive impact.

Crystalline and Reno grew up as childhood friends, until Crystalline's parents were able to move to the plate. They never saw each other again...until one fateful day they passed each other in Shinra's halls.

Oh- bad handwriting, but that calls out, "necklace under shirt line". Crystalline wears a necklace Reno gave them as a kid...it's a materia, but they didn't know that at the time.

So they start hanging out! And Reno finds he's weirdly choked up around them. it doesn't help that they know he flirts with everyone, so they don't take his flirting seriously, and he just can't seem to make himself say it outright. So it takes a bit for them to get together!!!

But then they're adorable.

This takes place mostly before Before Crisis. As such, Reno is so excited to introduce Crystalline to everyone, Verdot included! Like getting approval from dad a little bit.

After main plot and AC they end up involved with the WRO while Reno's still under Rufus - but I guess they end up mostly moving in to Healen and commuting or something idk- fkjdahfkjdsa it's not like they're on the front lines anyway, that definitely isn't them.

So there you have it fkjdsahkjfdsa I HAVE FEELINGS

[nanamisflowerfield]

︵✿︵︵✿︵︵✿︵︵✿︵︵✿︵︵✿︵︵✿︵

It was a big day, well at least for Idia. After all it was his crush’s birthday! Scared and excited, he tried to prepare a gift for his beloved crush in secret.

︶✿︶︶✿︶︶✿︶︶✿︶︶✿︶︶✿︶︶✿︶

@teashopwritingzz I know I don’t have to do it, but I really really really wanted to give at least one small present to you! Because you totally deserve it!🥺❤️ Happy belated Birthday! I know that yesterday was your birthday, but I wasn‘t online yesterday due the post+ demonstration! D: I still hope that you had a wonderful day yesterday and today and the whole week! Stay safe and healthy too!!

Idia took a deep breath, staring at the list of gift ideas that you might like, but a small voice back in his head kept telling him, that you would never like any of those gifts. “I’m sure that (Y/N) (L/N) will like it!” His younger brother always said, but the tall dorm leader of Ignihyde was still pouting at his thoughts. If you would reject any of those, you would also reject his feelings. It would be like a critical hit, getting it from the most greatest SSR character ever. “If you are still unsure, you can watch them. Maybe you will figure out what (Y/N) (L/N) will like.” Ortho advised his big bro, who glanced over his shoulder to the only person he might listen to at this very important situation. “Maybe you are right…” Idia’s gaze wandered from his brother to the list he had on his phone. Headphones, phonecases, games, books and more were listed on it, but would you liked them?

“Owww! My paw!” Grim cursed the ground, after he fell down from the bed, being accidentally pushed down by you. “Sorry, Grim.” Apologizing by petting him on the head and promising to give him a can of tuna later, he halfheartly accepted your apology, walking with you to school for another mayhap exciting school day. “I will only accept it, because it’s your birthday.” The cat-like friend of yours, fummed, watching the Heartslabyul duo walk into your direction to greet you and wish you a happy birthday. “Trey-senpai even baked a cake.” Deuce told you, getting elbowed by Ace, who groaned at him that the birthday party should be a surprise, only to spoil it himself. “A surprise party…? I’m probably not invited…” Idia watched the screen, his eyes never leaving you, hopeful to get any informations of what you might wish for, while his fingers tipped on his keyboard, coding something he always had on mind.

As you wrote on paper everything important professor Crewel told the class, Ace drummed with his finger on the table, while Grim was half sleeping next to you and Deuce tried his best to be a perfect student. “Hey, can you read the list of invited students later on? Did we invite every friend of yours?” Deuce whispered to you, getting harsh words of the professor for interrupting the lesson. But every time Crewel watched away, you read all names of your friends on it, only noticing that one name was missing. The person you wanted to see not only through screen. Idia Shroud. But maybe he couldn’t come over or doesn’t want to for being such a shy and yet adorable being.

Surprisingly the day went on like every other day. You laughed, had fun, talked to your friends and went to the Heartslabyul garden, while wearing shiny bright white clothes to show the whole school that it was indeed your birthday, like many other students had to wear on theirs. It was a bit embarrassing to talk with plenty of students about your birthday, but it still made you happy nonetheless, even when you still hoped to talk on specific student of NRC on this very day. But he didn’t came, so maybe you should get your little present from him by visiting Idia. “That’s a great party, guys. Thank you all so much, but I will be gone for a short time.” You smiled at your friends, watching them having fun, eating delicious food and talking to each other.

Idia yelped as he heard a knock on the door. Wasn’t everyone gone and having fun right now? Who was knocking on the door? Arguing with Ortho with mere stares, the younger Shroud walked to the door, opening it to your delight and Idia’s dismay, as he stared at the door opening more and more and then- oh no, by the great seven, was it truly you?! You were supposed to be at your party, having the time of your life with your dear friends and not be here! Why were you here?!

Like a good child, Ortho greeted you, standing next to the door to give you some space to walk through the door to Idia’s room. While you were smiling at the Shroud brothers, Idia was sitting on his chair, turning around to hide his blushing face that got warmer by every second you stood there and talked to Ortho. The tips of his hair and ears were dusted cheek and he was sure, that some might compare to him to fresh cherries!

“Sorry to disturb you-“ You started, getting interrupted by Ortho, who dragged you into the room, telling you that you would never disturb any of those two. “Oh… Uhm… Alright.” With the same smile that Idia fell for, your eyes stared at his back. Oh, how much you had wishes to hold the introverted boy in your embrace, pat him and give him the love and affection he deserved. “I-I-It’s… alright…” Idia sputtered and stuttered, trying to avoid your gaze in fear that you might tease him for having a crush on you. He just couldn’t help himself. You were such a lovely person. So nice, helpful and that smile. He could babble around, what a great person you were in his boring shut-in life. That you were like the light in his dark life. A total ultra super duper rare card in the gacha games he keeps playing, being frustrated that he couldn’t get those cards, but at least could look at them on photos. “Am I creepy…?” Idia mumbled to himself, forgetting your presence for a second until you asked him to repeat it, after not able to hear it. “N-Nothing!”

Fortunately or mayhap even unfortunately, Ortho knew of Idia’s feelings and how much he had took a liking towards you, which is why he had asked you, why you were in the Ignihyde dorm. “Oh… I wanted to get my present.” The blue-haired tall student turned around, nearly shrieking in fear that you figured out, that he wanted to give you a gift as well like plenty of your friends, who unfortunately had gifted you many presents he had listed a couple weeks ago. “My present would be… to spend more time with you, Idia.” Your gaze wandered to the ground as your cheeks got warmer by your mere words and wish you had, not realizing that Idia’s face was mirroring yours at the same time your words had left your mouth.

That was a gift that he would love to give you every day as long as you wanted to have him by his side. His mouth opened slightly, wanting to talk, before you had asked him what he was programming right now as you took a look at the codes, ignoring the fact that a humming Ortho left the room, so he might not disturb you two love birds. “A g-game… I’m trying to make a small game I had in mind for quite some time.” He answered, staring at it once again.

“Have you finished it already?“ The bluehead nodded. “May I play it?” Mumbling a few words here and there, Idia hoped that his hair hide his flustered face, but he nonetheless let you sit next to him and play his selfmade game, even though he feared that you would reach the end of it and find out about his big secret he never wanted to reveal to you.

“Another level up. Great!~” You cheered, playing the rpg of Idia’s even though your friends might miss you during your birthday party. You should get back, but you couldn’t stop playing the game, after all you has nearly reach the endboss! “Is that a giant cat? He reminds me of Grim.” You chuckled, trying to defeat the endboss with the spells of the protagonist named Hadia. It was a cute game.

The plot of it was like plenty of other rpgs. The protagonist Hadia, a royal guy fell in love with Readi, a sweet princess who got kidnapped by the evil cat-monster Grimopy. Grimopy tried to be the strongest wizard and king and had plenty of henchmen like Dice and Acepo, which were quite strong enemies. Hadia had to train a lot and even gained the help of different wizards like Lio, a sleepy lion, Otto, a cute robot. Then there were Ralice, Tri, Phone-Addicted Rabbit, who still had no name, because Idia couldn’t find a good fitting name for the character. Marteus, Kala, Azure and many other characters and all of them reminded you of your friends. That meant that Hadis was probably Idia and the lovely princess Readi was… you. “Cute game.” You whispered to yourself, using the last spell to defeat the boss, watching the end scene of the rpg.

Hadis was rushing through the castle until he found his beloved princess. When he leaned down to kiss her awake with the kiss of true love, she woke up and they confessed their loves, swearing to each other to be together forever until they lives will end.

“I think I have a new ship.” You giggled, pointing at the protagonists, while you looked at Idia, the blushing mess. “I’m really glad that they are together. They are perfect and cute together. So sweet. I hope that my Hadis likes me as much as he does…” You commented, shutting his computer down, while Idia clenched his fists, knowing that you finally know about his feelings. “Come. We have to go to a party, Idia.” You smiled at the marveled dorm leader. “P-Party?!” Faster than he could expect it, you grabbed his hand in yours, pulling him away from his room towards the garden of the Heartslabyul dorm. “Oh, I like you too, my Hadis.” - “I-I like you too… my Readi.” With the other hand of his, he tried to hide his red face as you chuckled at him, happy that you finally can call him yours.

[angry-slytherin]

We Really Like Fluff

a totally incomplete guide to dousy fan fictions that are a must:

according to me, anyway

no idea where to start? looking for a fic you read a year ago? I’ve got you.

help me find the tumblrs of those not tagged (if they have one)!

all we do is drive. (romantashas) @romantashas

Daisy has missed the open road. She used to always love taking her van out and just driving. Los Angeles was where she liked to stick around, but she would always go on these road trips just because she wanted to explore somewhere new.

She's always liked running away from things.

It was different, having someone with her.

In which Daisy Johnson helps Daniel Sousa explore the modern world by taking him on a cross-country road trip in a van. Post-Finale road trip AU with MCU tie-ins.

the first beloved fic by this fandom. completed in august 2020, it strays from canon somewhat at S7E11, but the characterization makes you forget that anything is different at all. truly a masterpiece, and definitely a must-read.

6/17/55 (lazyfish)

6/17/55.

She never thought it would mean 1955.

(Spoilers up to 7.06.)

one shot. soulmate au. beautifully written. it’s only just under 2k words but one of the most popular fan fictions under the tag on ao3. absolutely adorable and you’ll feel your heart flutter for them.

One Year Later (marvelsquake) @marvelsquake

Set right after the series finale's 'one year later' part where Daisy stares into space with Sousa and Kora.

Inspired by the 'anatomy analysis' bit Jemma says to Daisy.

there are so many amazing “anatomy analysis” fics out there. that is one of those “if you know, you know” things;) this one is really thoroughly written, and marvelsquake took their time to make every detail perfect. really, just excellent.

Stay (SteeleHoltingOn) @steeleholtingon

Not everyone knew she could feel heartbeats. Sousa’s sped up every time he looked her way.

His reaction wasn’t particularly unusual, and Daisy was an expert at fending off unwanted advances. But that was just it: Sousa hadn’t actually made any advances, and if he did, Daisy wasn’t sure she’d ward them off.

Her heartbeat, it seemed, liked to match tempo with his.

this one needs little introduction. it has been recced(??) to death, and rightfully so!!! the author is this incredible genius and I love them for giving this to us. it’s over 150k words, so be ready to commit some much deserved time to this excellent character study on both Daisy and Daniel.

Feel Good(I Like It) (enigmaforum)

It's not the the first time she’s felt something for someone since Lincoln but it’s the first time she felt like it had the possibility to actually turn into something. Something Good.

I’ve always loved the title of this fic, but that’s besides the point. enigmaforum is a very talented writer who does plot AND characterization like a pro. definitely an A+ in terms of quality. also part of a series with some other excellent works!

Exposure (agentquakingskye) @blcssqvake on instagram

Dying in a half-second blast of radiation wasn’t as bad as she thought it would be.

Dying all over again, slowly, because of that half-second of radiation?

That was worse.

okay I lied. we also love angst and this work is angst central. it’s a cancer AU following the finale, but it’s just as happy as it as sad. prepare your tissues, but also prepare for some seriously good writing.

A Week After Death (manoutoftimeandquake) @puddle-of-awesomeness

An explosion in an alien junkyard sends Daisy, Sousa and Kora back in time to meet some people from Sousa's past.

the astro ambassadors sent back in time to meet the AC cast(essentially). such a fun, action-packed, hilarious work. such a classic. go read it now!!

Where I Need To Be (JennaPotter)

This is set from Episode 7x03 onwards and follows the story of Daisy Johnson and Daniel Sousa, and how their relationship has been developing throughout this amazing season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.! This story mostly follows canon but is interspersed with missing moments between Daisy and Sousa that I imagine could have happened off-screen.

almost 200k words of absolute beauty. it’s incredibly detailed and excellently written. it’s like reading a published novel!! but with dousy!!

you’ve got that power(over me) (romantashas) @romantashas

"It's you," Daniel whispers. He's in awe, looking at Quake. She steps back away from him. "Let me help you," he says, reaching out toward her injured arm slowly.

Daniel only gets a moment more to admire her glowing eyes and her purple hair before she turns and runs away, her hand slipping out of his.

In which the superheroes of the Marvelverse actually try to keep their identities a secret and Daniel Sousa is determined to figure out who is behind the mysterious Quake mask. Superhero AU with MCU tie-ins.

yet another classic(I’m definitely misusing that word… it’s deserved by these authors) work by romantashas. the description gives the gist of it, but it’s one of the best dousy AUs out there.

get ready for the shameless self promo…

Your Heartbeat On The Highline(Once In Twenty Lifetimes) (doctorsimmonswilson) @angry-slytherin

He’s a man out of time and she’s an orphaned superhero. They’ve just got to figure out what to do next, after the mission is over.

[aka Daisy and Daniel’s story post finale]

welp… I included my own story. honestly it’s because it is one of the most popular in the tag(I’m sifting through too kudos and top hits). I’m really super proud of it, so read it if you’d like. it’s canon compliant (and extremely fluffy for the most part:)

somebody hurt you(but you’re here by my side) (agentmmayy) @agentmmayy

Daniel doesn't leave Daisy's side, even when she's out of the healing chamber.

very popular, and for good reason. such a sweet, nice fic. I very much enjoyed it and it’s a quicker read than most on this list!

and here’s to the question marks

aka: unfinished works that are beautiful and deserve your attention

want you(to unravel me) (IzzieBee)

Daisy never wanted to be rescued, by anyone. She never wanted to owe someone that debt, but especially not to a handsome WWII Vet, traveling through time. Daniel, who was brave and decent, and kind of funny, and who she could easily depend on, which was way too dangerous to consider.

OR

Daisy really wasn't ready for Daniel Sousa.

sexy, fun, well-written… what more could we ask for? it’s missing the last chapter, but the brunt of the story is there, and it’s satisfying either way.

A Truth Stranger Than Fiction (wordsmithraven)

Daniel Sousa was having the worst day of his life...and he’d lived through a war. Service had always been something he’d understood. Honor. Sacrifice. Duty. He’d just never thought his journey would mean leaving everything he loved behind.

a lot of daisy and daniel getting to know one another… a little bit of season 7 adventure… a whole bunch of fun.

Loving The Journey Together (manoutoftimeandquake) @puddle-of-awesomeness

Moments in the lives of Daisy and Sousa (and Kora) after the end of the team's final mission.

this one is a WIP(being updated currently). manoutoftimeandquake has some amazing snippets/slices of life waiting for you in that work!

it’s in the subtext (eggsaladstain)

Snippets of the relationship between Daisy Johnson and Daniel Sousa through the words they said and the ones they didn’t.

SO. FREAKING. GOOD. just go read it, okay?

and finally, some links to some authors who’ve written a bunch of amazing stuff.

romantashas

manoutoftimeandquake

enigmaforum

@hecckyeah

lazyfish

hereforthephilindafics

dearemma

seriously, there’s so many more amazing fics in this tag. I didn’t have the energy to include all 800+. these are just some that are most popular and/or deserve your attention.

thank you for taking the time to read through all of this! I hope you’ve found some things to bookmark(or binge-read;)

[spenciegoob]

Unfolded (Request)

A/N: hey hey hey... I’m gonna be honest this was super hard for me to write I absolutely hate the idea of being outed/outing someone, but I just channeled that anger into writing how much of a douche reader’s ex is... so enjoy and THANK U FOR THE REQUEST I LOVE GETTING REQUESTS I LOVE YOU <3

Summary: When an ex comes back to reveal a secret about Reader to Spencer, Reader prays it’s not the final straw in their relationship. (Requested) 

Pairing: Spencer x Gender Neutral Ace!Reader

Category: Angst/fluff

Content Warnings: being outed, acephobia, bad break up, coming out

Masterlist

Word Count: 1.4K

____

When I agreed to go out with the team for drinks after a rather gruesome case, I didn’t also agree to hiding out in the bathroom while a particularly awful ex ruined my brand new relationship.

Doctor Spencer Reid wasn’t quite like anyone else the world had to offer. He was brilliant in a way that made other people jealous, and while his mind was filled with statistics and the hard facts of the universe, his heart was soft. Spencer was kind, laying a blanket of serenity across the people he came in contact with, and I was lucky enough to be gifted his love.

Spencer Reid was mine, and in turn, I was his.

But that also meant that along the way to finding him, there had been some mistakes. I gave my heart to people who didn’t deserve it, watched from the sidelines as they smashed it to bits all because I was “a freak,” “weird.”

“Different.” I was once called different like it didn’t hurt as much as the others, but it did. The man who said those horrible things to me as he stormed out of my apartment as if I did something wrong was out there, sitting at the bar, telling my lover just how different I am.

“Hey, if you don’t want to go out, we can go back home and watch a movie. I’ll let you pick this time,” Spencer whispered in my ear as we approached the doors of the bar that held our friends. I couldn’t help but smile at the simple gesture. Spencer cared.

“As tempting as making you watch A Clockwork Orange again is, we’re already here. Let’s just have a good time.” I laughed along with him as he held the door open for me, the smell of cigarettes and booze immediately overwhelming my senses.

“You sure do have a weird taste in movies.” We deposited our coats on the backs of chairs to reserve our spots at the table with our friends before moving through sweaty bodies to the bar.

I ordered my usual rum and coke, and a water for Spencer knowing he wouldn’t be drinking tonight. As I went to continue our conversation from earlier however, a voice I wish I could forget came from behind me.

“Isn’t this a sight for sore eyes.” John, a man not worth the time or energy it takes to deal with his immaturity. The kind of man who only wants one thing, and wreaks havoc when he doesn’t get it.

“Hi, John.” I would’ve said more, but what could I have possibly said? It’s good to see you? It’s not, and I’m not lying to boost the man’s ego.

Spencer must have felt the discomfort practically screaming out at anyone who looked at the interaction between me and my ex, because he came to stand next to me, the height added from me sitting on the bar stool enough for Spencer to rest his arm around my shoulder.

“I didn’t expect to see you here. It never really was your kind of scene.” You didn’t know me at all, John.

“Yeah, well, uh, I’m... my friends-”

“I’m Spencer, and you are?” Oh thank god.

“John. One of (Y/N)’s exes.” I want to slap that god damn stupid smile right off his face and watch the way he- “You’re Spencer, the coworker, right?”

“Boyfriend, actually.” He said it with such pride, happiness about the 9 letter word evident in his tone that I couldn’t help but rest my head on his shoulder with a small smile of my own.

“Oh, wow. I guess you know then, right?” My blood ran cold. No, no no no this can’t be happening. Not now, not ever.

I have to get out of here.

“What?” Spencer asked. He looked down at me with pure confusion before returning his attention back to John. Rookie mistake.

“I’ll be right back.” It was stupid of me, I know. I got up and left Spencer all alone with no defenses against the army that was John’s condescending tone, but I couldn’t stay there. I knew what was coming, and I knew I couldn’t stop it.

So I ran, crashing into drunk 20 something year olds and bodies grinding on the dance floor until I reached the bathroom. By the time I made it inside, the music dulled so I could hear my own thoughts, I was already hyperventilating.

I don’t know how long I stayed in there when there was a knock at the door. All I know was that my eyes were red and puffy, and whoever was at the door would just have to wait.

“(Y/N)? It’s me, Spencer.” I didn’t reply, just held my breath hoping that he believed I was somewhere else. Where the hell else could I go?

“Can you open the door? Please?” No part of me wanted to face the man on the other side of the door. I knew what was waiting for me.

Disgust, and anger for lying to him for so long, for roping Spencer into a relationship without sharing a key component of myself as if I could keep it a secret for so long.

What did I expect in two months from now when Spencer wanted to take the next step? Was I just going to run and hide the way I did tonight? It was stupid, and cruel, and-

“Come on, let’s go watch A Clockwork Orange again.” Spencer Reid knew how to get my feet moving. I didn’t care how crazy I must look right now. If tonight was the last night I’ll be able to love him, what’s the point of trying to hide my distress?

But when I opened the door and fully expected Spencer to be red in the face, eyebrows furrowed over raging eyes, I was surprised to find a very different expression.

There he was, with that soft, awkward smile that made him look like the most adorable frog, handing me my coat like everything was right in the world.

I guess it was, because there he was, just being so authentically Spencer Reid.

“Let’s go home.” One obstacle: out of the way.

No matter how hard Spencer tried, the ride home was still awkwardly silent with the exception of the soft, classical music coming from the radio. I could feel the way my restless leg shook the car at stop lights, but he had the decency to pretend my anxious tendencies weren't so vicious.

It didn’t stop him from asking. “Are you okay?”

“What did he say to you?” I questioned right back. I wanted to know, needed to know, because if John’s sick smile wasn’t indicator enough, Spencer Reid just listened to my ex air out my dirty laundry.

“It’s not important what he said to me. I will wait an eternity for you to be ready to tell me. Now answer me, are you okay?”

“Yeah, I think I am.” And it was the truth. I was okay, because Spencer wasn’t like John, he wasn’t like any other man, really.

Spencer Reid was gentle, pulling my flower from the ground with careful hands to make sure my roots came with it instead of selfishly breaking my stem, and watching me wither.

I knew he would never let me wither away, not alone at least.

“I’m asexual.” Spencer was silent for a moment, not taking his eyes off the road, until finally, after enough time for my leg to start bouncing again had passed, he spoke.

“Okay.” It was so authentically Spencer Reid, yet, I couldn’t stop my shocked expression. 

“You- you’re not... mad?” At this point, Spencer had reached our apartment and as he was parking, he slammed the breaks harder than necessary, jolting me forward. I don’t know if he was trying to knock the thought out of my head, or if I finally struck a nerve, but he turned to look at me like I was preposterous.

“Why would I ever be mad about that? I’m not in this relationship expecting you to, uh, you know. You’re you, and that’s more than enough.” I didn’t realize I was crying until he reached over to brush away a tear with his thumb.

“I love you so much, and that includes everything about you.”

“I love you too, Spencer.” And it was the truth. I was so deeply in love with him that everything else in the world seemed so dull.

“A Clockwork Orange?” Spencer Reid knew just the thing to get me smiling again.

___

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Requested by: @televisiondreamstomorrow​

Taglist: @the-girl-who-writes-fanfiction​ @haylaansmi​ @masumiyetimziyanoldu​ @cielo1984​ @rexorangecouny​ @username2002​ @calm-and-doctor​ @pieceofried​ @mermaidshmari​ @missyoumaybank​ @everythingbutnormal​ @seasonfivereid​ @no-honey-no​ @muffin-cup​

[fubukiswifenoimnotjoking]

One Punch Man ship reviews bc I’m bored

WARNING: BIG ONE PUNCH MAN WEBCOMIC AND MANGA SPOILERS

GenoSai: do I even have to say it?? They compliment each other so well and are already besties. They make me so happy and I love their love. Genos literally came into Saitama’s life and brought so much new life and excitement when Saitama thought he’d never get any. Genos gives him love and appreciation all the time and never abandons him. Saitama isn’t connected to his feelings, but he cares about Genos and would do just about anything for him, to keep him safe. Genos constantly teases Saitama and Saitama grumbles and takes it with some banter, Genos is super emotional and Saitama does his best to comfort him, they fucking love shopping together and just hanging out period, they talk about the dumbest shit and somehow they still understand each other with the one brain cell they both share. It takes Genos forever to realize his feelings are deeper and Saitama has to be TOLD by their friends that he should fucking realize his feelings already. Just...I could keep going but I’ll stop! 2718873737839439/10 (let’s not talk about the age gap btw, 6 years isn’t bad and Genos is a legal adult.)

FubuSai: the stereotypical straight ship ppl gravitate to. Eh. I can see it, but at the same time I feel like they don’t completely compliment each other. Are they a hot couple? Duh. But I feel like their pride and communication issues would get in the way. 4/10

TatsuSai: hnghhhh. Someone mentioned this before, can’t remember who, but Saitama literally thinks she’s a child in canon. So that just....makes it gross. Same problems as FubuSai but worse. I’d rather see them as hesitant friends w a weird bond. 0/10

SonSai/SonicSai/idk the ship name: eh, toxic. Cant see them getting past communication issues and pride, again. Plus Sonic wants to kill his ass. Also, I just feel no romantic tension?? Even in fanfic it just falls flat for me. 3/10

MumenSai: a favorite!! Wish I saw it more, it’s very cute. Mumen is so kind and would absolutely be there to help him w self esteem and just help him be a better person period. And Saitama would have a cute little kind guy to tease and open up to. I could maybe see Mumen’s kindness getting on Saitama’s nerves when he’s in a bad mood bc Mumen almost never snaps and Saitama feels shittier, or maybe Mumen being mad at Saitama for being kinda lazy at home while Mumen is working his ass off and he’s like babe I just got home, please stop playing the fucking game and pay attention to me I have a concussion again. Prob too nitpicky on this one, heh, but 8.4/10

Genos x Sonic: wtf? As a crack ship, sure. That’s hilarious. But as a serious ship, 1.3/10 bc I could MAYBE see them bond over their love of my chemical romance or sum.

Anyone x Puri: -128382839287473828739219833468282/10. Fuck Puri.

TatsuKing: eh. Indifferent on this one too. I can see them getting along and Tatsu being the mean but supportive gf in public, but a sweet gf in private. King could be like her calm oasis of video games and sweet blonde shy bf. I sway more towards ace/aro King and queer non binary Tatsu, but this is still good. 6/10

FubuPsy/Fubuki x Psykos/idk: hell yeah!! This series NEEDS more wlw ships, both for me to project onto and to cry over. Prob my fav Fubuki ship, cuz they’ve known each other since they were young and had a tenuous friendship. I didn’t use to ship it until I saw that scene in the wc after the MA arc (u know the one) but here we are. They’re big personalities so any interaction is bound to be chaotic at first, but I really think they’d work. Pride put to the side, Psykos could be someone for Fubuki to finally rely on other than the Blizzard Bunch, someone to confide in, a badass partner to fight monsters with, talk about nothing for hours with, be a super fashionable #girlboss couple with, and someone who would really see her for who she is-especially w Psykos knowledge of her from the past. Hell, Psykos might even know her better than Tatsumaki. Fubuki could be an anchor to her like she currently is in the wc, providing a quiet comfort and making her open up little by little. Would prob be toxic at first bc of the MA arc and their desire for power, but is a very good ship I think. 9/10

Speedal/Sonic x Mumen: an old fav! Sonic would have a hard time not hating Mumen at first bc he’s the picture definition of a hero, sum he hates. But hanging out with him would show him Mumen is a GOOD guy genuinely and he’d be like ohhhh shit I’m in love w this man. Mumen would thoroughly appreciate someone to make him live a little, break some rules and stand up to ppl when they talk over him. He’d DEFINITELY be upset when finding out Sonic is an assassin, but would prob be conflicted bc he knows Sonic is a good person despite that. Would prob make Sonic give up on killing for them to be together. Sucks bc of the assassin thing and bc they haven’t met in canon! So we’re not sure how they’d interact with each other, sigh. 7.4/10

Okamaitachi x Bushidrill: a very underrated ship! To be clear, I headcanon Kama as a trans woman and so does most of the fandom. Anyway, very sweet and already built as a friendship bc of their partnership under Atomic Samurai. I can’t remember who writes fic and makes art of them on tumblr but AAAAA it’s so good! Very sweet. Basically depicted Bushi as a nervous himbo who’s honest about his feelings but scared to say them and Kama as a sweet lady who’s crazy about Bushi. Very sweet. Want more of them!! 6.1/10

OneZon/Zombieman x One Shotter: never even thought of the ship till I saw @megidolan art work! Very wholesome, and from what little we know of Shotter we know he’s a sort of nervous yet strong willed guy, and Zombieman would totally help him calm down bc he’s so chill. I could see them sharing cigarettes and talking shit on heroes while cuddling u know? 7/10 only because I don’t see enough of it but very good concept.

Mumarou/Mumen x Garou: a lot of ppl are gonna hate me for this but....I don’t like it. I’ve tried! I just—idk. I’ve read so many good fics about them that make me like it a bit, but the concept is just eh. I think their relationship is, in most reps, really cliche angsty stuff. I wish I could elaborate I just...gah! Basically, there’s better ships for the both of them imo. Sorry!! 4.3/10

Sonic x Flashy/SonFlash: yes!! Prob my fav Sonic ship. They have soooo much tension, it’s almost worse than Genos’ tension w Saitama. Flashy LITERALLY poisoned Sonic so that he wouldn’t be forced to kill him at the ninja graduation. He cares. They’ll never say it out loud, but they care. They have someone who understands what they went through in each other and someone they’re both so similar to, yet so different from. Sonic is more vocal about his expressions and let’s people know it while Flashy often keeps things to himself, they could really influence the other to be more this or that. I could see a lot of comfort with these two, and not much is needed for relationship development; they already have so much unspoken between them after meeting for the first time in years. Love it. Wish I saw it more! 10/11

KingSai: wonderful! Out of the few ppl Saitama is close to, def my second fav pick for a ship for him. There’s a post saying how Saitama doesn’t cut King off when he’s going on rants about games and stuff bc he’s talking TO Saitama, not at him like Genos tends to do on accident. They’re already great buddies! Saitama could find a shy gamer man who he can talk to about manga and stuff and also a passionate bf who could break out of his shell w Saitama and be himself with no lies. King can have someone to protect him, duh, someone who finally understands his weird sense of humor, and someone to shower him in the love and kindness he deserves when Saitama is in the mood to be all out like that w his affections. Plus he’s Saitama’s anchor and brings him back down when he’s super anxious and depressed and tells him what’s up that he needs to fix without sugarcoating it. Would def have a bunch of inside jokes and go on dates that are just staying inside playing video games all night. Domestic af. 10/10

Fubuki x Mizuki: my first wlw Fubuki ship! Hard to find but very good. Mizuki is this big ball of kindness, energy, and raw power that would make Fubuki go ‘Ohhhhhhh, big pretty lady make brain go brrr.’ I could see Mizuki grounding Fubuki when she’s in over her head, giving her random gifts bc she saw sum and thought of her, doing a marathon run and wildly waving at Fubuki in the crowd, and all around being a dependable woman confident in herself and in love with a mysterious esper. Prob a little shy when it comes to anything physical bc she loves Fubuki so much and is overwhelmed by the realness of being w her. Fubuki gives Mizuki advice on ‘acting like a proper hero’ or whatever and though Mizuki thinks she doesn’t need it, Fubuki still helps her a lot w her career and being taken more seriously by others. Would give Mizuki someone who loves her for who she is and would go wild on her in private when she can be open about her affection, would be someone Mizuki could exercise with and listen intently to Mizuki’s physical knowledge, and would absolutely bandage her when she’s all banged up. Hnghh love this ship. It’s only behind the FubuPsy ship juuuuust a little bc they haven’t met in canon so we can’t be sure about their interactions and stuff. 8.8/10, I love WOMEN

Batarou: how could I go this far without mentioning them?! They have SOOOO much tension in the centichoro fight, like come on. Both snarky assholes who are huge softies one the inside, Badd being the more logical one (still a himbo, tho) and Garou being the more chaotic one. Probably take forever to admit their feelings bc they’re so prideful and stupid <3 flirt through constant wrestling matches and it takes Genos saying ‘they should kiss already, they’re getting on his nerves’ for them to finally realize what’s up. (@rayadraws has a great au where Garou Genos and Badd are a chaotic friend squad and Genos is the only brain of the group, haha. Very good au y’all check it out!) Would constantly pick on each other affectionately and switch into concerned SO when the other is hurt like the big teddy bears they are. Raise Zenko together for sure. Garou would fumble being romantic and Badd would find it both hilarious and cute. 11/12

Zombie mask/Amai x Zombieman:

So. I don’t like Amai Mask and I used to hate him, BUT the webcomic and fic have really helped me calm down on him (he’s still a dick tho), so it’s easier to want to ship him and stuff. Bc of Amai’s anger issues and controlling behavior, I could see this relationship being super toxic and icky—but I think they have some form of understanding that pulls Amai back from being a complete dick, you know? Start off as fuck buddies and slowly form something else from spending companionable time together other than screwing. Zombieman pulls Amai back from his angry fits and soothes him over with his logic. Talk maaaaaad shit about heroes, but only when they’re alone because Zombieman knows Amai will talk loud af about the heroes they’re roasting and Zombie doesn’t wanna stop a fight from happening. Zombieman loves making Amai flustered and has a secret check list in his head of all the things that get Amai red faced. Loves to listen to Amai rant about things for hours and loves to watch his face go through almost cartoon like expressions as he talks. He won’t admit it, but Zombie loves to be spoiled by Amai’s shit tons of cash and often takes rides in Amai’s limos when he wants to smoke and think to himself. Amai has a hard time realizing how his feelings have changed, but gets hit hard with it when he wakes up to Zombie making them breakfast one morning while wearing Amai’s underwear. Amai also loves to spoil Zombie and takes him out to restaurants and buys him cool new weapons on the weekends. @batneko has pretty much gotten me into this ship and I strongly suggest looking at their works! 7.9/10

DemonKnight/Genos x Zero/Drive Knight: I’m pretty sure this used to be a crack ship before the past like 10 manga chapters—and now here we are! Not a fav bc 1. ZERO LEFT GENOS TO SELF DESTRUCT AFTER THEY COMBINED TO FORM THE FUCKING JET HE WAS JUST LIKE lol bye SO LIKE if he left him to die that’s super hard for me to forgive and ship grrr 2. Disregarding the manga’s canon and looking at the wc, while I love the little trip they went on where Zero demonstrated his abilities and helped Genos kill monsters, it’s super sus. He knew alllll of this info on Metal Knight and was super supportive and understanding when Genos said he needed time to think. Like,,,what are his intentions? We know so little about him—is he trying to trick Genos or was he being sincere? THAT STUFF ASIDE, they’re a really fun ship. They’re both huge fucking nerds and can keep up with their talk on robotics for hours, they’re both cyborgs so they understand each other’s pain, and they’re both super cool and angsty. I think they could really settle into a deep bond that can go platonic or romantic, just depends. Genos needs more ppl in his life so hell yeah! Plus, he can really let go with Zero bc they don’t have that teacher/student relationship and Zero, if he’s really a sincere and kind guy like in the wc, can be there for Genos and listen to him. Don’t have much to say on this ship other than @wellthisisembarrassing makes GORGEOUS art of them! 6.3/10

Webuiko/Suiko x Webigaza: YEAH I KNOW THEY HAVENT INTERACTED IN CANON AND WE DONT KNOW MUCH ABOUT THEM BUT HEAR ME OUT. Webigaza—cool af determined cyborg idol who’s surprisingly down to earth when talking with Child Emperor. Suiko—sassy and honest fighter who doesn’t take shit and is very passionate. Suiko would go to talk to Web then immediately freak out bc aaaa she’s way prettier than she thought, she can’t do this! Web would have to gently encourage Suiko to talk and at first is like ‘ah man, must be an adoring fan, ugh I’m so tired. At least she’s hot’ but when Suiko snaps out of her shyness Web is like oh! She’s super cool wtf. Always bump into each other during fights and help each other get fixed up, Suiko using her muscle power to lift Web’s pieces (and give Web a great view of Suiko’s muscles holy SHIT) and Web would patch Suiko up. Not to be stereotypical, but they’re def a masc/femme couple. I love the idea of this ship soooo much and I really hope they interact! 6.6/10 only bc they haven’t met 😭😭😭 look them up on here! There’s some great art of them by a few blogs

Dr. Kuseno x Bang: pretty sure @baldyborg came up with this one! Super cute. Just two old dudes finding a nice friendship in each other, maybe after Bang helps carry Genos to Kuseno’s after a day of fighting. Bang would find Kuseno to be a very cute little nerd man and would be sooo impressed by Kuseno’s mad scientist skills. Kuseno would be super impressed when seeing Bang in action too. They’d prob talk as soon as they meet each other and Genos would be in the background like you guys it’s been an hour, please fix me I’m on the verge of death 🧍🏻Bang would give Kuseno advice on training techniques to teach Genos and advice on making his bodies more martial arts ready or sum, meanwhile Kuseno would give his take on how to be kinder to Garou so that Bang would learn to repair the relationship with a gentleness he’s seemingly lacking (yes I’m talking about the chapter where he and Garou start fighting and Bang is just not doing enough to reach out to Garou, he’s being a callous old man! So yeah I’m still mad about that). Genos and Saitama would prob be out on a date and Saitama would be like oh theres Bang, wonder what he’s doing? Then Kuseno would walk up and kiss Bang and Genos and Sai would be shocked like SIRS 👬 Genos would tell Bang he doesn’t need another adoptive dad and Bang would be like....ok.... I see them retiring in a cottage together and Bang would become a huge softie. Yes I’m actively ignoring chapter 141 of the wc, shut up. 7.6/10

TankTop master x Mumen: they have a nice friendship going on in the manga right now! Just bros supporting bros. Tank is the picture definition of a muscly himbo and Mumen is his cute passionate bf. Also workout buddies af!! Don’t have much to say other than pretty good ship, just not a fav. 5.2/10

To sum it up—

GenoSai: 2718873737839439/10, Batarou: 11/12, SonFlash: 10/11, KingSai: 10/10, FubuPsy: 9/10, Fubuki x Mizuki: 8.8/10, MumenSai: 8.4/10, ZombieMask: 7.9/10, Dr. Kuseno x Bang: 7.6/10, Speedal: 7.4/10, OneZon: 7/10, Webuiko: 6.6/10, DemonKnight: 6.3/10, Okamaitachi x Bushidrill: 6.1/10, TatsuKing: 6/10, TankTop Master x Mumen: 5.2/10, Mumarou: 4.3/10, FubuSai: 4/10, SonSai: 3/10, Genos x Sonic: 1.3/10, TatsuSai: 0/10, anyone x Puri: -1283828319833468282/10

If there’s any ships I left out, it’s bc I don’t know them, don’t wanna talk about them, or just don’t have an opinion strong enough. Also, I know there are some poly ships like Genos x Saitama x Fubuki, but I’ve read only one fic about that (it was pretty good, here’s the link https://archiveofourown.org/works/5406992 ) so I don’t feel like talking about it. Hope no ones offended! All my opinion here :)

[tlcwrites]

Two Hearts Make a Whole

Prompt: “Kiss me again, like you mean it.” Photo prompt below.

Summary: NYC Pride is for celebration, and occasionally, long-overdue revelations.

Word Count: 2,001

Tags/Content warnings: Marvel. Stucky. If you have a problem with it, there's the door. SFW. Slight TFATWS spoilers so read at your own risk. Platonic Reader. Two idiots in love. Technically canon-divergent because I'm still in my everyone-is-alive-and-in-this-timeline happy place that I will never ever leave fuck you very much Russo brothers but not AU. Found family. All the feels. Complete and total LGBTQ+ support. Lots of bad language words because #me. Un-beta'd.

Author’s Note: Okay so yes this is technically 4 weeks late for @autumnleaves1991-blog's Writer Wednesday weekly challenge. BUT, it was incredibly important to me to finish this one before Pride month is over. Made it by the skin of my teeth.

Happy Pride, y’all. If you’re out, you’re amazing. If you’re closeted, you’re amazing. However you identify is valid and important. Trans folx are LGBTQ+. Bisexuals are LGBTQ+. Ace folx are LGBTQ+. Anyone who identifies or thinks they may be as queer is LGBTQ+. All are welcome in the family. You have the right to choose your pronouns and we have the responsibility to use them. Live whatever your truth looks like to you and love each other. Love is love is love is love. If your family doesn’t accept you for you, I’m your mom now and I’ve got mom hugs available on demand. Homophobes and TERFS can fuck off and roll in poison ivy. Always punch Nazis. Pride shouldn't be limited to the month of June. And don’t you dare forget that Black and Brown trans women were the ones who rioted at Stonewall, and we owe everything to their bravery. Don’t forget that much of popular ‘gay’ culture was appropriated from Black women. And for more facts about Pride that you should absolutely know, Rawiyah Tariq (@ mammyisdead on Instagram) has a phenomenally good overview.

“Oh my god.” You gasp loudly. "Oh my GOD. Is that-"

“What?!” Instantly in First Avenger Protective Mode™️, Steve surveys the crowd, wishing he had an actual shield instead of the screen printed one on his shirt. “What is it?”

You gasp again, smacking Sam’s arm repeatedly. “OHMYGOD IT IS HOLY FUCK.”

“First; ow.” Now-Cap rubs his bicep. “Second; clue in the class before Steve has an aneurysm, please.”

Vibrating with excitement doesn’t begin to describe your current state. “HER ROYAL HIGHNESS MISS LEMON MERINGUE IS STANDING RIGHT FUCKING THERE.”

With the finesse of a shampoo commercial, Bucky's dark locks fly as he whips around. “What?!”

“RIGHT THERE RIGHT THERE RIGHT THERE.” You abandon a relieved Sam and latch on to Bucky’s vibranium arm. “Oh my GOD I love her so fucking much.”

“She was robbed, absolutely fucking robbed,” he agrees, craning his neck to get a better view. “Divine Tension’s lip sync was shameful.”

Sam glances at Steve, who is slowly coming out of protector mode. “What the ever-loving hell are they talking about?”

“RuPaul’s Drag Race.” Nat flicks more confetti at both Cap-the-former and Cap-the-current. “They watch it every week.”

“Really, Steven, for a guy with enhanced super senses, you miss a lot.” Tony hefts a bedazzled Morgan higher on his back. The toddler, accompanied by Scott playing air-piano on the ground, sings along with the ABBA song being blasted at full volume through the street. Tony continues as if this is an everyday occurrence. “Why do you think both of your People disappear every Friday evening?”

Ears pink, Steve mumbles something.

“What?!” The only other one with hearing enhanced enough to hear a murmur over the cacophony of several thousand people belting out the chorus of ‘Dancing Queen’ at the top of their lungs, Bucky turns to stare at his friend. “You thought we were datin’?”

Steve’s blush extends down his neck.

You and Bucky stare at each other for a moment before you both collapse on each other, exploding into stomach clenching, thigh slapping laughter.

“I’m gonna guess that’s a ‘no’?” Clint confirms with Nat.

“Oh, a big ‘no’.” She watches affectionately as you and Bucky calm down enough to look at each other, breathe for a second, and both promptly dissolve into hysterics once more. “Like, the biggest ‘no’.”

Sam crossed his arms across his chest, his stoic stance so reminiscent of Steve it’s amusing (as well as a beautiful disparity to the sequined crop top he’s sporting. Oof, those abs.). “How do I not know about this?”

“Because you’re not a former super spy?” The usually-Black-but-today-Rainbow Widow tosses the last of her confetti at Tony, who spins a jubilant Morgan into it. “Or because you and that leggy barista from the lobby coffee shop are too busy playing hide-the-“

“-Baby Shark!” Morgan suddenly shrieks, flailing towards a guy on roller blades wearing a fin and tail (and not much else).

“Yeah,” Nat finishes with a smirk, “Hide-the-Baby Shark.”

Sam flips her a gesture that makes Clint laugh and Bruce sigh.

You and Bucky have finally managed to pull yourselves together. “Oh my god, Steven Grant,” you gasp, wiping tears from your eyes. “That’s the funniest fucking shit I’ve ever fucking heard.”

“Language!”

Steve glares at Tony. “One. Time. It was one. Time.”

Bucky slings his flesh arm around Steve’s shoulders. “Oh, punk. You may have perfect vision now, but sometimes you’re still as blind as you were before.”

Visiortn himself nods sagely. “Humans can be quite unperceptive when it comes to matters of the heart.” Vision casts a fond smile at Wanda, who is using her powers to make Pietro’s tinsel wig fly on and off. “Sometimes you have to look harder to see what’s right in front of your nose.”

A confused frown on that handsome face, Captain Clueless looks at Bucky. “Why do I feel like everyone else knows something that I don’t?”

His bestie sighs deeply. “Because, Stevie, almost everyone else on this planet knows that my tastes tend towards tall, blonde, blue-eyed knuckleheads who have zero sense of self-preservation.”

“And an ass you could bounce a quarter off of,” Scott helpfully supplies.

“And that,” Bucky agrees.

Steve frowns.

You press your palms to your eyes in vexation. “You, Steve. He’s talking about you.” (Seriously, how has this idiot survived for over a century while being so dumb?)

Whatever he was expecting, it was certainly not that. “He-“ The Man With A Plan gapes as he turns to his oldest friend. “You-“

“Me,” Bucky says gently.

Even though you’re slightly surprised that Bucky is going to do this in such a public forum, you can’t help but be so proud of your friend. It has taken a long time for Bucky to believe he deserves to be happy. There are days he still sinks into that dark place, where his inner demons whisper that he should have fought harder against his Hydra captors, and that his past actions were still somehow his fault. Those are the days no amount of baking or Modern Marvels will bring him out of his funk. You, Steve, Sam, and Nat have all held those strong shoulders as they shook with sobs, overwhelmed by the shame and horror at what his hands had done without his consent.

But he’s here. He’s free. And he’s smiling nervously at his best friend.

“I-” Steve is short-circuiting. “Me?!”

“Stevie.” With the kind of tender patience that can only be born of a lifetime of keeping (or attempting to keep) an idiot such as one Steven Grant Rogers from flinging himself headlong into every fight he comes across, Bucky moves his flesh hand to the back of Steve’s neck. His face is full of such soft affection that you almost want to look away for fear of intruding on this suddenly intimate moment. “What do you think ‘til the end of the line’ means, you idiot? You’ve been it for me since I was thirteen-years-old.”

Blue eyes are locked with blue eyes as Steve processes this revelation. “I-” He shakes his head as if to declutter his thoughts. “This whole time?”

“Since the first time I saw that asshole knock you down, and your scrawny ass climbed right back up.” A wry chuckle escapes as Bucky reminices. “You were ninety pounds soaking wet, and you stood there, against a guy who was three times your size, and never waivered for a second. It was magnificent.”

“I don’t like bullies,” is Steve’s quiet response.

Bucky’s grin is adoring. “I know, sweetheart.” He gently strokes the back of Steve’s neck with his thumb. “You’ve always had a heart way bigger than your brain.”

Steve is still back on the first part of Bucky’s admission. “If you’ve felt- if you-” He’s practically pleading. “Why didn’t you say anything then?”

Bucky shrugs, attempting and failing nonchalance. “It was a different time, you know?” He’s uncharacteristically unsure of himself, the subtle waiver in his voice revealing the anxiety born of a lifetime of being forced to hide his truth. “I mean, you remember how it was; you didn’t talk about, no one talked about- about being- about people like...” He swallows thickly.  “And I was so scared you didn’t, that you weren’t-” His voice breaks.

Even though you’ve all been emotionally invested in this love story for years, the entire team respectfully pretends not to listen as the former Winter Soldier quietly admits his deepest secret to his closest friend. It’s enraging as Bucky confesses yet another way he's been a victim of his circumstances, and denied his right to live freely without derision. Once more, you’re awed by his resilience.

“-it was a risk I couldn’t take,” Bucky finally gets out, that stubborn fire back in his eyes. “I couldn’t lose you, Steve. I couldn’t chance it. I could live with just being your friend and only your friend so long it meant you were in my life.”

Stunned silence meets the end of his confession. Steve’s face is impassive, those cerulean eyes uncharacteristically inscrutable.

You can all tell Bucky is heading steadily towards dread and heartbreak the longer Steve takes to respond. You and Sam exchange a look, both ready to intervene if Steve demonstrates any of the abhorrent attitudes that were so prevalent in the society of his youth. It would be completely out of character for him, but...

Finally, Steve speaks. “You’re telling me,” he says, his words slow and deliberate, “that you made me wait ninety-three years to tell me you’ve felt the same way about me as I have about you since the day you picked me up out of that alley?!”

The whole found family breaths a collective sigh of relief as Steve pulls Bucky even closer, broad chest to broad chest.

“Okay, to be fair, you were an ice cube for most of that time and I wasn’t exactly available for a relationship.” Bucky’s grin stands in contradiction to his mullish defense. “But yeah, that’s the gist of it.” There’s the Bucky you all know and love, biting his lip with those perfect white teeth. “Now, punk, I’d really like to kiss you now, but first I need you to say you want me to.”

“You-” Steve’s throat works as he attempts- and fails- to rein in his emotions. “You jerk.”

And then the Star Spangled Man seizes the president of the Sometimes-Former-Assassins Club by his ridiculously perfect face and crashes their mouths together.

At any Pride event, seeing two men kissing is, obviously, to be expected. But seeing The First Avenger and The White Wolf attempting to swallow each other’s tongues is not at all routine. As people realize what is happening, the crowd is whipped into a frenzy the likes of which is usually reserved for the aftermath of sporting events and elections that defeat fascists.

Watching the two men embrace, Scott sniffles loudly. “I’m gonna cry, I’m so happy.”

He’s certainly not the only one. Wanda has a watery smile as she wraps her arms around Vision and Pietro; Pepper, Tony, and Bruce are watching with fond parental energy; you and Sam sandwich Peter between the two of you, grins practically splitting your faces. Even Nat’s eyes look suspiciously shiny and she and Clint sling their arms around each other with platonic affection. And that’s not counting the several thousand people who are cheering for love being love being love being love.

When they finally break their embrace, the Centennial twins are startled to see they’ve collected quite an audience.

“Uh, so…” Suddenly bashful, Steve glances back to his- partner? Boyfriend? Soulmate? Is there a word that can accurately describe two people who have found each other time and again in a world that seems hell-bent on keeping them apart?- his ears practically maroon with embarrassment. For a guy with one of the most-recognized faces in the world, Steve is still incredibly and endearingly uncomfortable with attention. “Buck?”

Bucky seems just as stunned as Steve.

Thankfully, the masses demonstrate the usual support that’s the hallmark of Pride. “LOVE IS LOVE!” someone screams in the crowd. It’s quickly echoed, and chants fill the park.

The attention momentarily off them, the former Winter Soldier and his giant himbo of a soulmate look back at each other. You pretend not to watch through the happiest tears as they embrace again, bringing their foreheads together. The relief they share is palpable, as they’re finally able to show the world- and each other- the love they’ve each hidden for so long.

Bucky’s voice is so soft you have to strain to hear it. “You have no idea how much m’in love with you, Stevie.”

“Pretty sure I do,” Steve answers, bringing a hand up to carefully wipe the tears from Bucky’s face. “‘cause it’s as much as I love you, Buck.”

Bucky's answering grin can only be described as saucy. “Then kiss me again, like you mean it.”

And Steve, for once in his long life, does exactly as ordered.

---

A/N: “The Sometimes-Former-Assassins Club” is from Starry_Emerald173’s BRILLIANT The Avengers Wrangler over on AO3. If you haven’t read it yet, drop what you’re doing and do so immediately. Make sure you're not drinking any liquids, or your keyboard/phone may be in peril.