#anyway I leave this in tags as it is not related to the main point of my post

[knockknockitsnickels]

I think this is one of my favorite lines from the Wraith route because of (imo) how much the meaning changes depending on if you got there via Spectre or Nightmare. For Spectre, it honestly strikes me as a genuine question. Why are you doing this to her? If you're on the Spectre route, you presumably already know the Narrator can't really be trusted, since you had to reject his reward to get here. What are you hoping to gain from continuing to hurt her? For Nightmare, it honestly just makes me sad. As the Shifting Mound describes her, "She desires only companionship, but the only thing she knows is how to hurt." This line feels like a plea from someone who genuinely doesn't understand why you keep rejecting her. She wants to be with you, but she just can't understand how to do that in a way which doesn't hurt you.

[nonbinaryeye]

Enver Gortash may have escaped hell but didn't Raphael still technically have the ownership over him? He was probably happy and lucky to get out of House of Hope, he very likely did not also steal whatever contract his parents signed with that warlock.

And Raphael was of course annoyed Gortash escaped but I don't think he felt a need to pursue him and drag him back because he can always claim his soul after he dies and oh human life's are quite short...

I think that might have been what partly driven Gortash to religion.

And of course Bane's entire deal is also extremely appealing to Gortash and he embodies all the qualities Bane could require of his followers so there certainly was also the aspect of power and ambition and stuff.

But also maybe Gortash partly decided to become follower of Bane is because gods are so possessive over the souls they can claim and he wanted to ensure his soul will never again gets back to Raphael and House of Hope.

I think that Gortash is very egoistic and self confident and he did not believe he could fail, he was certain he can do anything he puts his mind to and so on... but also maybe even if he would fail any other hell will still be better than ending up in House of Hope.

[chuluoyi]

romeo and juliet

- fushiguro megumi x reader

you were both young when you first saw each other. years later, you and your gentle childhood friend fall in love... but you're betrothed to someone else.

genre/warnings: modern royal(?) au, childhood friends to lovers, soft!megumi, fluff, forbidden love, arranged marriage, mild angst, comfort

notes: i love this request!! but i don’t know if this turned out good🥲 honestly, this is what unholy matrimony would be if done right in another universe *snorts* anyways i hope i did this right! enjoy!

had to repost it 3x bcs it didn't show up in the tags😭 based on this request: “Hey, can I ask a Megumi x Reader with the plot related to “Love Story” by Taylor Swift?” thank you anon!

listen to: love story - taylor swift duh

general masterlist

Your father had always told you that you were promised to the Zen'in.

Ever since you were a child, he had groomed you to be the picture-perfect lady, and he always brought you to their ancestral home, a grand, maze-like estate you would always get lost in.

You were barely six back then, stumbling on your own feet as tears streamed down your face. You sought refuge in the gardens, hoping that someone would come to find you there eventually as you were tired of walking around.

And on that fateful day, the one who finally did was none other than the little Fushiguro Megumi, who looked at you with tilted head and confused eyes.

"Are you... okay?" he asked cautiously, and he was startled when your wide, teary eyes quickly focused on him. The next thing he knew, you immediately clung to his hand.

"I'm lost! Please help me!" you said with trembling voice, and Megumi merely blinked. This unknown girl suddenly latched onto him, well, who wouldn't be taken by surprise?

Yet, even as a child, Megumi knew how to treat someone right. Seeing you in distress, he immediately found a way to console you. "Okay... where are your parents? Let me take you back to them."

"I... don't know..."

He sighed. You were a stone throw away from bursting into tears, and he didn't want that. He had to find another way. "Don't be scared. This place seems scary, but it's not."

You scrunched your face, tears already pooling in your eyes. "How is it not scary? There are so many windows and leaves! This is more like a jungle rather than a house!"

"Well..." Megumi wracked his head and a light bulb went off in his head when he caught the sight of the flowers. He pointed at a pot of roses. "Look, they're actually quite pretty, right?"

At that very moment, your focus was completely captured by the flourishing plant, and your eyes practically shimmered with delight.

Little Megumi thought then, that you were quite lovely.

And your friendship started then, as he took you by the arm to lead you to the main foyer.

Years flew by, and the only thing that made it bearable to pay a visit to the Zen'in was meeting Megumi. You both would explore various hidden corners and knew every nook and cranny of the place. And when you reached your teens, the "playing" was replaced by studying in the library together.

"Hrrrgh, why—can't—I—reach—"

You gritted your teeth in frustration as you attempted to pull the book from the top shelf, only to fail miserably. Your were too short. But you refused to surrender, standing on your tiptoes once more, you stretched your hand as far as it would go.

Suddenly, the scent of fresh roses filled the air, accompanied by a warm presence behind you. Your back made contact with him, and a longer hand effortlessly retrieved the book you desired.

"If you're having a hard time, ask me for help, dummy," Megumi shook his head and handed you the book. "Here."

"Thank you," you pouted. Despite the frequent close proximity between you two, you still found yourself feeling giddy.

Megumi was always like this though. He was curt, but he cares. He would often cheer you up whenever you father smothered you with the talk that he couldn't wait for the day you would be living at the Zen'in estate and became their bride. He would get you flowers, let you put your head on his shoulder, or quietly watch as you cried, offering his silent presence.

You really, really hoped that if you were to be married off to the Zen'in, it would be to Megumi. He was easily the boy you'd pick over Naoya, the son of the main branch of family. You were never close to him, the way he stared at you sure gave you the creeps.

"I can ask for your help anytime, right, Megumi?" you mused, observing his cool profile as he turned the page of the book he was reading.

He regarded you with the straightest face ever. "Of course. I have always helped you since we were kids. Why wouldn't I do that now?"

"Then..." you breathed. "Can you take me somewhere... anywhere, just away from all of this?"

Megumi stilled. He knew about the conflicts in your heart. He knew you hated being played as a pawn in your father's schemes, and he hated that too, because he simply didn't like how sad it made you.

And he hated that there was the looming possibility that you might be out of his reach far sooner than he thought.

"Sure," he answered. "Where do you wanna go?"

And then, you began to do just that. Sneaking out to the gardens, finding secret meeting spots in the town—because you were dead if anyone should know.

Before you knew it, you both had each other's hearts entirely in your hands—before you knew it, his face was mere inches from yours as you both concealed yourselves behind a large cluster of foliage in the Zen'in gardens, your father and the Zen'in clan head engrossed in a conversation just a few feet away.

Your clear, wide eyes blinked up at him, and Megumi gulped. At that moment, he realized once again that you, his childhood friend, were really stunning. And that you trusted him wholeheartedly enough to go with him and be found in this position, with him.

He couldn't deny it any longer. He was in love with you. Have been for a while now.

And so even with the great risk of being found out, he led you deeper into the woods, his arm wrapped around the small of your back, and with a soft tug, he planted the gentlest, sweetest kiss on your lips—your very first kiss. Everything was sealed then.

"So, do you say yes, or not?" he mumbled afterwards, his cheeks burst into the color of peach. Meanwhile you, still breathless, touched your lips in astonishment.

"You..." you couldn't help the grin that was blooming in your face. "You like me?"

He turned away. "Who wouldn't? After making me run after you, lead you to safe places, see you cry—"

"Okay, okay!" you giggled, and the sound was like music to his ears. "Then it's a yes!"

You were the happiest with him. Amidst the intrigues surrounding you and the Zen'in clan, the times you spent with him were your saving grace.

"Am I pretty?" you boldly twirled in front of him, after meeting up at the outskirts of the town in one of your escapades. Megumi watched you from head to toe, taking note of how your flare dress hugged your form so elegantly, and the straw hat that framed your head only made you look even more adorable.

He didn't immediately answer, and when he did, all with red cheeks, you smiled brightly, expecting a compliment.

"Don't do that. People are looking. You're embarrassing yourself."

You pouted. "So I'm not pretty..."

To your surprise, he suddenly plucked your hat and pulled you behind the pillar, and then the round hat was beside your head, hiding your face—

And he stole a kiss.

"Megumi!" you jolted, blood quickly rushed to your beautiful face. "This is public place!"

His soft chuckle only served to make your heart soar even higher.

You were living the dream, with the man of your dreams beside you. This love story no one knew, you were content with it.

"By this point, all there's left to do is run," you heaved between chuckles and his feathery kisses as the two of you hid away to have your thirst in the gardens. "Can't we just run, Megumi?"

"I would, if I could," he gazed at you with a steadfast resolve. "Don't be afraid, we'll make it out of this mess, somehow."

This love is difficult. But it's real.

But so was your father. And his will. In the summer of your coming of age, it was decided that you were going to marry Zen'in Naoya.

Your love story with Megumi... would it end just like that?

"Please, don't go!" you begged. You could hardly believe this situation right now. What did he say? End things here—?

Megumi felt his heart clench. "It's been announced already. You are to marry him. We can... no longer do this."

"But!" you argued. "You s-said... you would find a way out of it somehow..."

Your eyes glazed over, and Megumi had to look away to keep his heart from breaking completely. "I'm sorry."

At the end of the day, he was still a mere son of the branch family and stood no chance against Naoya. If you were to become the bride of his cousin, even he had to respect that.

Your heart shattered into pieces. This day had been looming on the horizon, and you'd been aware of it for some time. Your father didn't exactly conceal his greed with how he insisted on your marriage to Naoya to secure your position as the clan's main wife, instead of Megumi.

Yet it still hurt. You didn’t expect your happiness to he this fleeting, and you were disappointed that Megumi didn’t exactly fight his way through this.

“It’s… for your own good,” he added, and grimaced when he saw how you started sobbing. “I don’t want to compromise your virtue. It'll get ugly fast if people think that we're having… dalliances. You deserve better—”

"Don't patronize me!" you yelled. "Don't t-try... to tell me how to feel!"

Frankly, you never cared about virtues or anything. Most of choices made in your life weren't yours, and if you could finally make a decision through jeopardizing your fickle reputation, then so be it.

"I love you too much to let that happen," Megumi said then, baring his own feelings, that he too, didn't want this any more than you did. "You know I would do anything for you."

"All there's left to do is run," you sniffled. "If you would do anything for me, you would run with me."

Just say yes, your little heart screamed. You stared at him through your wet lashes, desperately willing him to just forget all this nonsense about family, virtue, and just choose love—your love.

But he never did. That day, he decided to leave you. This love was indeed difficult, but you really thought it was real, and now you had never felt so alone.

Days went by longer after that. Now that it had been announced to the public, as per Naoya’s will, you would move into the Zen’in estate until the day of your marriage. You resented and barely knew him, and your gut feeling was proven true when he smirked before you, pulling you into one of the hidden compartments of this godforsaken place.

“Don’t think I didn’t know about what you and he were up to,” he spat viciously. “You should’ve already known that you are always meant to be my wife—and what did you do? You’re putting me to shame as you and that lesser bastard run around.”

“He would always be better than you,” you bitterly scoffed.

“Get it through your head already, you’re to become my wife, and that’s final.”

“You can’t do anything if I don’t want to anyway. Beware of upcoming scandals in the future.”

And with that, came the first day of your misery. Naoya locked you up in that desolate place.

You were missing.

Megumi had noticed it for quite a while. Even if you were no longer his, his heart still longed for yours, and ultimately he wanted to make sure if you were okay. You moving in into his home should increase the chances of him seeing you, and yet, it was as if you had disappeared into the thin air.

It was an understatement to say that he was just worried. He knew Naoya wasn’t exactly the kindest in this household, but he really expected him to at least treat you right.

He still remembered how the tears fell from your beautiful eyes, telling him not to go. Megumi was as heartbroken as you, if not more. He had the choice when you asked him to run, yet he willingly stopped and did what he believed to be the right thing.

Was this still the right thing though?

As the maids hurried past, yelling something that vaguely sounded like your name and the phrase "starving herself!", Megumi felt his blood run cold. Without hesitation, he forcefully grabbed one of them, demanding answers.

“Where is she? What happened to her?”

The maid merely cowered with worry and fear. “Master Naoya… specifically instructed us not to let the miss pass freely…”

Megumi didn’t quite recall what he did, but he couldn't forget the frantic pounding of his heart as he rushed through the gardens to find you in the small room tucked away in the farthest corner of the vast compound, near the servants' dormitory. He practically tore the door off its hinges when he opened it.

You abruptly spun around to face the commotion, thinking that it may be your shitty fiancé, utterly bewildered.

Megumi scrutinized you closely, and gradually, he could feel his anger simmering beneath the surface.

You were pale, your hair was a disheveled mess, but what truly infuriated him was the sight of your broken nails and the dried blood. All he could think of was that you probably tried to claw your way out of this place.

"Megumi?" your voice sounded too hoarse to his liking. You looked at him as if you couldn't believe he was real. His heart shattered.

He shouldn't have left you. He should've run with you. You shouldn't have to be alone and hurt like this.

"Save me," you croaked with small voice, eyes brimming with unshed tears and fear.

That did it. When he heard the approaching rapid footsteps, he made the swiftest, life-changing decision of his life.

He caught a hold of your arm, and pinned you to the wall. And when the entirety of the household arrived in your doorstep, Naoya included, he made it a show as if the two of you were having the most scandalous tryst of the town.

"This ends here," he grunted, casting a glare at his rotten cousin. "I'm marrying her."

"I got tired of waiting, you know," you giggled, peering at your beloved's sullen face. "My faith faded at one point."

Megumi hummed, clasping his hand in yours. "I'm sorry."

You rolled your eyes, staring at the clear waters under the cruise. "I kept waiting, but you never came... and when you did, you caused us to make the headlines."

Your wedding to Megumi was both the grand event and scandal of the year. The sudden change of groom on such short notice triggered disapproving glances from most of the people you knew in this infuriating town, but frankly, you didn't care.

"I thought you wouldn't fight for me at all,” you mumbled, fiddling with your fingers.

"I've always believed that if it would make you happy in the end, I would be fine with it," Megumi said, gently tucking your hair behind your ear as the wind swept by.

"And then? What made you finally let go of that righteous, self-sacrificing thoughts?"

The softest smile was graced his lips. "I love you, and that's all I really know."

You didn't give a damn about what anyone else had to say because, in this moment—as you sailed on your honeymoon cruise, and throughout this love story, from your childhood and forevermore, he is the prince, and you are his princess.

[rwrbficrecs]

We’ll Invite Something In by @smc-27 (book-verse)

@dot524: This is a fandom favorite and for good reason. In this canon divergence AU, Alex is President, Henry is out, and they never got together in their 20s. Instead, they encounter each other in their late 30s and a very different type of relationship ensues. They still hide it at first, but there’s a lot of living that they both have done and need to work through. I really enjoyed the character dynamics here and how the premise changed both Alex and Henry, making them bolder and more mature. Definitely read this one!

Eyes Blue, Like the Atlantic by bleedingballroomfloor (book-verse)

@dot524: A Titanic AU! Adapted by an excellent writer, this one has suspense, action, romance, and intrigue. There is a MCD (Main Character Death) in here and some other tags to be aware of, but also vibrant scenes with dancing, chasing, art, and formal wear. I really enjoyed it!

Clean Slate by @smc-27 (book-verse)

@heysweetheart-writes: This was just so excellent. I devoured it in no time, couldn't put it down. I love the way Alex just slips into Henry's life like a silk glove even though Henry has his hesitations. There's abslutely no angst at all other than "you're too young for me" "no, next question" I love it. I love Henry finally feeling young for the first time. I think that is something that Henry generally feels after meeting Alex, like he's never been able to, no matter at what point in life he is. ANYWAY I'm talking about Henry way too much again for a rec. Read this.

Most People Exist by @sprigsofviolets (book-verse)

@na-dineee: Henry, 30, is a nurse on a cancer ward. From the very first moment he feels an intense connection and attraction to his newest patient, the one who has a brain tumor and is named Alexander Claremont-Diaz. - The tags say it all: "Falling in love, Slow Burn, Angst with a happy ending, Hurt/Comfort". After reading this story I am a whole new person. I laughed and cried, had butterflies in my stomach, I felt it all. Hands down one of the best fics I've ever read!

after hours by @dumbpeachjuice (book-verse)

@na-dineee: How much can happen in a few hours? stutteringpeach: Hold my beer. 😅🤝 Reading this was truly a roller coaster ride, my stomach was doing somersaults non-stop: On his last evening in New York, poet Henry meets bartender Alex and the two spend the night together - in true "Before Sunrise" style. To sum it all up: enchanting, sweet, phenomenal, iconic!

No. 1 (Royal Red and Blue) Oil on Canvas by @captainjunglegym (book-verse)

@zwiazdziarka: This fic is so twisted and surprising in the best way! The summary did not prepare me for all the action that comes after the initial relationship drama and I'd really like to fawn over it some more but I don't want to spoil the fun of figuring out what really is going on and what are characters' motivations. Just give it a try.

Meet the Parents (series) by @14carrotghoul (book-verse)

@dot524: I really enjoyed these thoughtful character studies of Ellen and Oscar. The two short stories are a series of canon vignettes from Oscar and Ellen’s POV. These glimpses of the Claremont-Diaz parents add heart and depth to the RWRB canon, giving insight about how Ellen and Oscar think about parenthood, power, family, and each other.

Leave The World Better Than You Found It: A BONES AU by @treluna4 (book/movie-verse)

@myheartalivewrites: I really enjoyed this FirstPrince meets procedural TV show fic! With Alex as Booth and Henry as Brennan, they learn to work together, solve crimes--and fall in love, of course. Plus take down a very satisfying book villain.

No Laughing Matter by @inexplicablymine (book-verse)

@suseagull04: This fic is absolutely hysterical- a must read if you need something to cheer you up! It's also very relatable for anyone who, like me, has said things they've regretted in all the best ways!

in summer air by @acdsbff (book-verse)

@na-dineee: I need a vacation and vitamin D - maybe that's why this series (both POVs are covered 🥰) captivated me so much?! It is set on a Greek island, where Alex, just cheated on by his boyfriend, meets hotel owner Henry. What follows is a whirlwind speedrun romance against a beautiful backdrop. Really therapeutic for the heart on dreary days!!

here is a map (with your name as a capital) by @alasse9 (book-verse)

@dot524: What an incredible surprise to have this entire 50k story drop at once. In this canon divergent story, Alex and Henry start getting to know each other in Rio, when Alex helps him recover from a panic attack. Their friendship, and later their relationship, is a delightful slow burn with funny moments, heartbreak, and steady support of each other. I thoroughly enjoyed this start to finish — the characterization of both Alex and Henry is on point and I really enjoyed how the writer changed some of the scenes from the book while keeping key callbacks. A delight.

Claremont 2008 by @happiness-of-the-pursuit (book-verse)

@suseagull04: This friends to lovers AU is done so well! Having Henry and Alex meet as kids means we get years of their friendship before they even start dating, and it gives every aspect of their relationship so much depth through this entire fic. It also gives some events only referenced in the novel a completely different perspective, which makes them even better!

keep me in the moment (don't it feel so real?) by @anincompletelist (book-verse)

@heysweetheart-writes: I absolutely love everything that comes out of Sarah's magic little fingers and this was no exception. Alex and Henry are best friends and pinning over eache other unknowingly and an accidental lil discovery turns their relationship upside-down (for the better) absolutely recommended. I honestly loved it so much.

you know i can't be found with you by @dumbpeachjuice (book-verse)

@heysweetheart-writes: This was SO much fun. Alex was RELENTLESS and I absolutely love an older Henry. It was also very fucking funny. 10/10

the great duck fiasco by @alexclaremont-diaz (book-verse)

@suseagull04: A spy AU, dating apps, and Alex's Texas roots combine in the funniest way possible- definitely read this if you want a good laugh!

[happypotato48]

We Are: Fighting Toxic Masculinity With The Power Of Friendship

Wow, who would have thought that it We Are of all things that make me write this, i really need to expand my horizons.

I will mostly be talking about Phum and Toey in this post, on how i feel related to certain aspects of their characters that related to toxic masculinity and how that ties in to the overarching theme of this show, Friendships.

So i've mentioned before that the way Toey talks is very noticeable, let me elaborate that further. both the way Toey use his name as a first person pronoun and his mannerism are very childish but its not just that. becuse of toxic masculinity and societal norms in thailand it's more acceptable for women to talks like that and use childish pronouns than men. for an example the pronoun Nu. boys are expected to drops that when they reach certain age (some don't and continuing to use it exclusively with their parents especially their mothers, including your truly.) cause of that the way Toey talks also can be read as feminine + satang performance made him feels like a very visibly queer character to me.

And here i think We Are strength come in cause the show never break its bubble but alluded that Toey had been bullied in highschool. and it so heartwarming to me knowing that Phum and Fang stood up and protect him then, and now with this current friends group who never one even remotely mentioned or tease him in anyways and ready to protect and fight for Toey's happiness, its give me all the feels. Toey can be himself and never felt like he needs to change and conform to the standard of masculinity because he have men in his life whose said no you are perfect the way you are.

Now Phum oh my dear baby boy. as first i was not vibing at all with PhumPeem as main couple but after the slow burn of 11 episodes they had won me over wholeheartedly. first thing first though i don't know anyone mentioned this before but the word that got translate as "slave" is เบ๊ *Be which in this school context have more of a bullying vibe and feel less harsh than the word slave. anyways we learned that Phum had a lonely childhood abroad far aways from his family and how stuffed toys are his only comfort at the time. as the start of the show Phum because of his childhood had walls up around himself manifested as toxic asshole exterior. and i loved that it not just only because of Peem that those walls came down, the show made the point again and again by having Phum said that he loves spending time with Peem and his friends that being with them makes him feels at ease.

And that why i think this show is goodish (it still a bit trash but hey i love it anyway.) and not a show that has nothing to say because how much it give important to the friendships. the show clearly stated that friends are as important as lovers and through friendship us queer guys can protect and better ourselves with each other. that male friendships can be more then what the world told us to be.

These are the reasons why i think We Are is one of my favorite BLs this year. because the nature of it never breaking the bubble its, for one hour made me feel like i can breathe, that for one hour i don't have to think about queer truth that hurts sometime and live in this queer fantasy. and i appreciated that eminently when i have to leave that bubble and face the music.

tagging for reasons >.> @bengiyo

[manitole]

Emmrich x Rook = Ideas for Fanfic

 (This is going to be a REALLY long post)

Context: I’m an awkward millennial that doesn’t know Tumblr very well. I apologize in advance if this post is weird and not perfect, I’m still learning. My activities on this platform are mostly resharing awesome post on my page. Since the last few weeks, I must admit that the communities here around my tags are incredible, positive, academic and just kind of healing my heart. For this reason, I feel comfortable trying to be a little more invested. Introduction to the main theme: I’m really happy to see that I’m far from being the only one to be obsessed and hyperfocused on Emmrich Volkarin, especially his romance with Rook. His personality is different from my typical fictional crushes: this fact had opened new possibilities about scenarios in my imagination. The main theme: I love to write, but I have a thesis to finish. Plus, I’ve already started two fanfictions and I’m not close to be done with those two stories. Since I’m lacking time, experience in fanfiction, knowledge in the DA universe and expertise in the English language (I’m a native French speaker), I must conclude that writing a fanfic Emmrich X Rook would not be the best idea right now. I would LOVE to share some of my ideas if it can inspire some people out there:

A – Too much rigidity versus chaotic (Mortal): I would LOVE to see a fanfic which addresses the mountain struggles of Rook and Emmrich living together after the story of the game. This man has been alone for a long time. We don’t know if he already lived with someone else during a long period of time. Emmrich likes to have his books ‘’pristine’’. I’m also guessing he has a strict routine regarding mealtime. I see Rook being kind of chaotic, as letting their underwear lying around where they needed to remove them (around a bed, coffin, or on the dinning table after some sexy time… why not). I could also see Rook inviting old friends for a late dinner, at the last minute, while Emmrich is already in his night gown, ready to sleep. Anyway, I would LOVE to see character’s development around those struggles: Emmrich learning to be a little more flexible while Rook is learning to be a little less disorganized.

B – Feeling bored after saving the world (Mortal): Could be related with point A or not. I know that everyone has different opinions, but so far, I preferred Rook to also be a Mourn Watcher. It seems natural to think that after the end of the game, Emmrich, Rook and Manfred are going back to Neverra. I could see Emmrich going back to teaching. I could see both possibilities where he is satisfied with this (with Rook and Manfred in his life) VERSUS feeling bored after travelling so often for saving the world. I’m not sure what Rook would want to do with their life after the war. Could they even be able to stay at one place? I could see them needed to travel and leave Neverra for sometimes for fighting or geopolitical stuff. I could also see Rook being done with that kind of life and wanting a normal happy and almost boring routine. Let’s talk about marriage. We all know that Emmrich always thought he would get married someday. Would he be ready to marry Rook? If yes, does it mean that he has outcome the age gap problem (?). I don’t know about Rook since the character vary from person to person. They could want to wait for marriage. I see this possibility more in the Mortal route since I have NO idea how Lichdom works and if a Lich can marry someone…

Now. I must explain before going on with my next idea. I’m not a fan of any pronatalist outcome. I don’t think a couple should have children to be happy or have some news goals. I also love stories and fanfic that show childfree happy people. Having children is not and should not be seen as a normal progression of life. It’s a choice and it should be a free and informed joint decision. Childfree couples are NOT less interesting than parents. But I also can see the difference between real life and fiction, especially in a fantastic universe like DA. I think some fanfic that adds children into the story can be a good thing, especially if those are kind of REALISTIC (happy rainbow sunshine without any struggles at all) and talk about more than only the positive of parenthood. Now, we could argue about Manfred. For me, as a couple, Emmrich and Rook are already parental figures to Manfred. While it’s not a typical experience, there is still something there. Manfred doesn’t need to eat (nor to sleep?) but he can still burn some books by accident, requiring some ‘’parenting’’ from Emmrich or Rook.

C – Parenting: I could see the couple adopting a kid while the opportunity is there. I also think that Manfred would be an awesome big brother. Now, let’s talk about a Rook that could be pregnant (trigger for some people, so please go to point D if you don’t want to read about this idea or about parenting and or reproduction).

1 – Pregnancy (Mortal): I’ve been thinking A LOT about the last scene between Rook and Emmrich when they have sex in a coffin. I’m an artist geek but also a nerd scientific with a nursing degree. Both don’t always match well together. I don’t know a lot about contraception in fantastic universe, especially DA. I can’t stop myself thinking: did Emmrich and or Rook THOUGHT about this? One part of me think that Emmrich would not be the type of person to forget about any risk regarding that subject. It would seem easy for him to cast a charm for preventing a pregnancy? I don’t know. But on the other hand, the end of the world is happening, and him or Rook could not survive to the last battle. The party banter between Harding and Emmrich show that the necromancer can forget some things important when he is with Rook or just by being in a new relationship. So perhaps Emmrich didn't think about it. I could see Rook having sex without having that in mind at all, kind of like a YOLO attitude. They love Emmrich and they are like '' let’s have awesome lovemaking before perhaps dying or whatever''.

Nooooow. Let’s talk about that accidental pregnancy if we could agree that because of those circumstances, no one thought about contraception, because you know… ‘’ End of the world ‘’. Plus, while an accidental pregnancy could be the end of the world for some person, it could not be as horrible for others, like Emmrich and or Rook. So, the team beat Elgar’nan, Solas linked himself to the fade and all. The world is safe for now. It’s the time of celebration. Even after some rest, Rook doesn’t feel really good. They are kind of tired all the time but again, it’s normal since they have been on high adrenaline during the last few months (?). It could explain things. Them and Emmrich could think it is related to the fade or perhaps a curse. Eventually, I’m pretty sure Emmrich would realize the situation before Rook. He was able to spot that stiff wrist. He could see subtle difference regarding Rook. I could totally see his shocked face while understanding the situation. As for Rook, I could see them not thinking about that possibility because perhaps they weren’t having regular periods in the first place because of the hard activities while trying to save the world. Now, let’s ad point A and perhaps point B to this scenario. The couple is trying to live together in a new routine while also learning they are expecting a baby. I waaaaaant to read about that 52-53 years old necromancer realizing his partner is pregnant with his child. Everything is going too fast, and Harding could make snaky remarks on this. I want to read how Emmrich feel about this: He always wanted a family, and he already has Manfred and Rook, but having a child could be something positive to him for different reasons (legacy and pronatalist blabla). But because of his age, it could also be an experience kind of sad, realizing that he could not see his kid grow as much as he would love to. The reaction of Rook about all of this could be really different since again, Rook vary for each player. I would love to see some struggles (perhaps with a big fight?) with a pregnant Rook who still wants to fight and live their ''normal'' life and an overprotective Emmrich (with only good intentions) kind of overwhelming. I could also see Emmrich taking his retirement from teaching sooner than expected, since he wants to spend as much time as possible with his children. I also think he could be the main parent, as the most ‘’maternal’’, kind of overprotective, again.

I see Emmrich having a girl. I’m not sure why, but it flows better in my imagination. It would make a lot of sense if this girl had the name of a flower or a plant, and her middle name could be Emmrich's mother. With Rook and Emmrich as parents, this little girl would become a badass woman with high self-esteem, taking bullshit from no one. She would LOVE her big brother, and Manfred would also LOVE her. I like to think he will learn faster while being a brother figure. I really see the young girl saying to everyone she has a big brother called Manfred without ever explaining that he is actually a spirit in the body of a skeleton. I could see everyone kind of shocked while meeting Manfred for the first time without that context.

Plus: Vorgoth must be one of the godparents, please. And the family should eventually adopt a pig.

Bonus: a time jump where Emmrich is dying, more than satisfied with his life, and all of his family is around him. I don't mind crying.

2 – Lich route (kind of a silly idea): This idea is kind of a joke. I don’t know how Lichdom works, but I’m pretty sure that once you are a Lich, you are sterile? Now… An accidental pregnancy could happen if Emmrich and Rook had sex BEFORE Emmrich became a Lich. I think it would be really hard on him to outlive not only Rook but also his children and perhaps his grandchildren. I could only see this as possible and not heartbreaking if Rook and Emmrich have a kid who is also a mage and would eventually also become a Lich. I could totally see an awkward family tradition that goes on generation after generation where each child gifted with magic MUST become a Lich before they are 60 years old or something. Imagine: you are like 25-year-old mage and Lichdom don’t appeal to you at all, nor does necromancy. Your sibling doesn't have magic so all the expectations are ON you (and that sibling is, of course, jealous of you).  One of your parents is getting close to becoming a Lich, and the ceremony is approaching. You have a grandparent and a lot of great-grandparents who are also Liches, and the festivity dinners are always awkward. Your family is like famously known in Nevarra but from the inside, you just feel weird. Eventually, you take your courage to break this tradition, coming out to your parents, and they tell you: “You are too young to decide this yet. Your great-grandmother thought the same thing at your age. You will change your mind.” To prove your point, you decide to join the Grey Wardens (or any action making it impossible for you to become a Lich), and half of your family is MAD and saying, “Omg, your great-great-great-great-grandfather is SO disappointed in you.” Done. I just find this possibility really funny.

D – Age gap: I would also like lots of scenes where Rook reacts the opposite of expected regarding the age gap between Emmrich and them (this post as an example). I could see Emmrich being a little annoyed sometimes when people talk to him about this subject, but I would love a Rook who doesn’t seem to understand the problem and just reacts possessively, as if the people talking about it are just jealous. That would also reassure Emmrich (I think).

E – Cute little scenes: I want to read about Emmrich and Rook snuggling on the couch in front of a fire, while Emmrich reads aloud a book about some academic stuff. I also would love a scene where Emmrich gives a powerful massage to Rook (since he knows anatomy so well…).

This is it. Thank you very much for reading. Now that all of this is out of my system, I can go back in peace to my boring thesis. If you already know some fanfics with one of those subjects, please tell me. I’m trying to check on AO3 often, but I don’t always have the time.

[batsu4eva]

Long rant ab the fuckass server I'm leaving AKA Why You Never Join RP Servers From Disboard

Okay so I won't name any names for two reasons: One because I'm not an ass and TWO bc I'm afraid one of the server owners will find this post n yell at me even though I don't even know if they have a Tumblr <333 anyways this is gonna be mostly bullet points where I put as much bad shit as I remember from this server I joined while it's still fresh in my mind. And ofc I wanna use my character Carrie again so if you have anywhere BETTER I could rp let me know <333 anyways now onto the hater shit

So first of all, important thing about my character is she has a mortal partner and I mentioned that, and obviously knowing how the lore is I was like "She's going to keep her girlfriend a secret though because she does realize how that would go down if anyone knew" and they straight up said no???? And me, being socially awkward, immediately left in response bc I didn't have anyone else in mind to use as a character LMFAO- and it was only then that they asked me to rejoin and they changed their tune and said it was okay?? I did have my character ghoul her gf later so it was fine but that was... weird. But ok

Another thing about my character is: She does urban exploration in deserted buildings for aesthetic pics! Very risky obviously but one of the main points I was making about my character is that she's a very reckless fledgling girl. So she makes stupid decisions sometimes. Her sire is dead y'all she's gonna be a little dumb. But anyways I tagged an ST for these types of scenes exactly TWICE and then never again because every time he kinda just sent random bullshit at me to basically chase me out of the area and whatever I was rping??? It honestly irritated me because even if they DID feel the idea was dumb I wish they would've just told me instead of this??? Idk if they were trying to prove a point here or what

I'm not irritated that my character couldn't just do what she wanted to be clear- I'm just irritated that most of the rp was straight up "no" instead of giving me anything to work with. Like if they didn't like the idea I wish they'd just have told me!!! I feel like they just didn't like me for whatever reason. Anyways

I am going to leave a screenshot here relating to our nsfw server and let that speak for itself for this next point.

Anyways… 💅💅💅

Me and other people would start rps just to be told last second "actually you can't do it in this channel because of x reason" which was irritating bc then I'd have to plan around it last second and like. Everyone in this server is an adult with a job so we don't have all the time in the world to plan around this...

People would take LITERALLY FUCKING FOREVER to respond to rps I am so serious. I once saw an rp be NINE DAYS LONG and they were hardly doing anything except HAVING TEA TIME IM BEING DEADASS RIGHT NOW THAT WAS LITERALLY IT

I don't blame the entire server on this but have a horror story within the horror story. So there was this one player who immediately wanted to ERP with me and to their credit they did ask first. So we did it because my weakness is that I'm a slut in theory <3 (it was... not good. I don't think that person had ever had sex with a woman before and the way they typed responses was SO BAD) and they kept like horny messaging me in like ALL THEIR MESSAGES and like as hyper sexual and very 18+ as this blog is I don't like talking about sex ALL THE TIME. This motherfucker somehow made SEX unsexy it was pissing me off. So they disappeared for a while and I forgot about them and then they came back and they dmed me right? And they were like "What have you been up to" and I was just like "Oh I'm actually working on a lot of stuff! :)" (bc I was) and they were like "haha me too" and sent a gif of a porn actor beating off and ngl. That shit pissed me off so bad I just had my bf take my phone and respond "He's busy rn lil bro ;)" before blocking LMAO. Sorry, I was NOT the bigger person in that situation. Anyways end of my mini horror story haha

People were using ai as their literal character profiles. Not joking. They used ai for a LOT of stuff and I was dying inside as I kept seeing it happening.

THEY OPENED A FUCKING BATTLE ARENA SECTION??????

Like there were several rp channels in the server that suddenly opened up while I was there where characters would randomly teleport there and fight to the death before being revived back in... well, Seattle because that's where this server was set. I guess that's a fun concept for a different ttrpg but this is VTM???? The whole point is that the setting is realistic and gritty and. This felt so anime MMO THAT should've been the final straw for me and it just. Wasn't.

Should also mention that in response to experiencing this for the first time one of the characters said VERBATIM "Is this... how do they say, an isekai?" That shit pissed me off SO BAD I wanted to throw my phone away lmfaoooo

Oh also for some of the characters who were mid rp when they left just. Had their characters killed off after they left. No joke AT ALLLLL

The server owners and staff had like 3895783475029380328 characters in the server and mostly interacted with each other :/

And last but not least this fuckass ruling that doesn't even make sense????

Like that literally doesn't even make sense in either V20 OR V5 or any of the versions actually but okay we are just in a made up world now I guess. GOD I FEEL INSANE

That's it though hope u enjoyed my rant!!! I certainly learned a lot from this experience haha. It felt good to get this all out and if u all have better servers I'd be glad to join bc I wanna give Carrie something better than this bc she's my fav girl <333 that it now end of post yayyyyyyy!

[vixstarria]

2024 Writing Retrospect

I was tagged by @marlowethebard, thank you so much!

What's been your biggest learning point this past year?

I think the main thing I've come to realise is that discipline and simply sitting down to write something is more important than and will often surpass a lack of inspiration or writer's block - the ideas will often start flowing once you just get started.

...Whether or not I've learned how to actually be consistently disciplined is an entirely different question.

How has your writing developed this past year?

It's difficult to measure it. One thing that I can say is that re-reading the fics I published in 2023 now makes me cringe, which I suppose is a sign that I've (hopefully) improved.

I will add that I am currently actively working on learning and improving (i.e. reading / watching lectures on the more theoretical aspects of writing, story building, etc) - and it's been interesting. There are some things that I've already been doing intuitively, and others that I only realise now that they've been explained to me. Hopefully it will show in my writing soon.

Good writing habits?

Just sitting down to write even when I don't feel like it. Chances are, I will start feeling like it soon after I start, and even if I don't - at least I will know that I have accomplished something that day.

Bad writing habits?

I feel I've gotten so used to and spoiled by my writing software (scrivener) that I can no longer just open a google doc on my phone or work computer and jot down a few lines whenever an idea hits me - I leave it for later, and when the later comes it's all washed out. I need to stop being so damn picky.

Favorite thing you wrote?

Bloodbang Chronicles my beloved longfic.

Favorite reads?

This is a very tricky question, because I have a lot of very talented friends in the fandom, whose works I love and always look forward to seeing updated, and 1) I don't want to offend anyone by omission, and 2) I don't want to make the list a mile long.

I will only list the fics that are completely unlike anything else that I've read:

Direct from Hell Logistics by @ineadhyn - modern AU Raphael/Haarlep - Raphael is killed by Tav and is sent to our world as a DHL delivery man as punishment. Hilarity ensues. But also, the slow burn romance? (well, the romantic aspect of it, anyway) And the angst? And the action? Mwah. This is the fic that made me love Raphael.

Thy People Shall Be My People by @leomonae - postgame Astarion/Tav. What makes it so different from other Tavstarion fics? Well, Tav is an illithid. Also, this is a fic where every single word and sentence is full of meaning, nothing is irrelevant, and I read with bated breath to make sure I don't miss anything.

Ruins by @marlowethebard - modern AU but not really, the setting is Faerun 1,000 years in the future, and it is close to the modern world, but not quite. Astarion is in the centre of it all, with some 'friends' from BG3 increasingly making appearances. The mystery, the drama, the amazing characterisation, the unique setting, the absolute love with which it is written. I squeal happily every time I get an email about a new chapter.

Biggest win?

"The real treasure was the friends we made along the way", lol.

But quite seriously, it's being part of the community here and on Discord - having the opportunity to bounce ideas and inspire each another, as well as the general support (relating to writing and otherwise) I've had throughout the year - it's been amazing and I doubt I'd still be writing or creating if I hadn't met so many lovely people here. ❤

Goals for the new year?

Publish winter big bang fic in February

Continue writing Bloodbang Chronicles (I'm not going to commit to actually wrapping it up - I've got way too many ideas to fit inside it before the end)

Publish some original works and try to actually make some money with it - that would be nice

Your favorite words of the year, aka the words you check each chapter for, making sure you didn't repeat them 788 times?

I should probably come up with a way to depict that a character was surprised or momentarily caught off guard, other than having them "blink". They tend to "sigh" entirely too often as well.

What are you excited for in the new year?

Accomplishing the above goals and reading more of the fics I love.

tagging @tragedybunny @spacebarbarianweird @snowfolly @wilteddreamsofbaldursgate @mj-bites

@leomonae @ineadhyn @bardic-inspo and whoever else wants to share their thoughts

[topfsecret]

Dress to Impress Lana Lore: Thoughts on Nurse Julie

Post Date: 1 November 2024

with special thanks to youtuber callmehhaley for her video "SECRETS In The LANA LORE QUEST & Breakdown! *STORY EXPLAINED?* | Dress To Impress Halloween Update"

warning: discussion of ableism, mythology, and death

so, ummm........ Lana Dress To Impress was a Greek Mythology nerd.... umm... you think she'd play Hades Game? You think she'd main Aegis since it's an in-game item?

Despite our liking Hades Game, we ourselves are not nerds for ancient greek mythology (currently obsessed with Japanese myths atm) so please pardon any inaccuracies.

The (Possibly Romantic) Tragedy of Nurse Julie

ANYWAY, in all seriousness... Julie didn't just pity Lana, she relates greatly to Lana due to their similar ages (teen to young adult - they're there for a year).

But most importantly, Julie also was a genuine friend to Lana (maybe she even had a crush on her*) - her constantly going against hospital rules to sneak in cookies into Lana's room, had a picture of her and Lana in her office, and even bring flowers (anemone, to be exact) to let Lana experience the spring outside.

*Re: Julie having a crush on Lana comes from the flower symbolism of anemone flowers. This is just from a cursory search - Aphrodite (the goddess) fell in love with a mortal man, Adonis, and when Adonis died, her tears that fell into his body grew anemone flowers. Thus, anemone became a symbol of tragic love/romance.

It can be mapped easily: Julie as Aphrodite, and Lana as Adonis. They can never be together, since Lana is doomed by Agamemnon. Lana, who's been dealing with Agamemnon for a while at this point, knows that he's causing Julie to hallucinate and get physically sick because she dares to help Lana.

So Lana told Julie to get out as soon as she saw Julie change. But Julie, being a nurse, probably didn't believe in ominous, vague warnings of a patient - and ableism (both internalized and in the medical field) makes her hesitant to leave.

After all, hallucinations are "crazy". While Lana is "crazy", she is "getting better". So, Julie herself fears telling others about her own hallucinations due to the stigma - if she's found out as having hallucinations, she could lose her job. She also doesn't want to "make her friend crazy again" ("I don't want to jeopardize her [Lana's] progress"), not knowing that the hallucinations of the two girls came from the same person.

(Lana knew. That's why their love is tragic.)

Not to mention, Agamemnon is influencing Julie into thinking that Lana doesn't care about her (the tape has Julie insult Lana - "obsessively reading those stupid mythology books" and thinking that Lana didn't have her best interests in mind - "Lana told me I should quit. She must be jealous of me. I don't believe her when she says she cares about me.")

Julie then said, "I'm always angry. I look and smell different. I don't know what's happening to me. But I'm scared."

Just when Julie is at the peak of vulnerability, Agamemnon reveals himself to not be a mere hallucination after all, and threatens her into compliance: "He said that he's going to make me suffer, and it's Lana's fault."

And the tape ends with this:

"It's not my fault for loving her. Lana was right this entire time. She was never crazy. But she's gone now - she's free!

If me turning into a monster will satisfy him, and protect her, then so be it. I'm sorry Lana. I promised I'd come visit you after you got out.

He said if I give into it, he'll leave you alone. I have to protect you, Lana. I hope one day, you'll forgive me."

Agamemnon is using classic abuse tactics - isolating Lana from allies (her parents, Nurse Julie) here.

But... youtuber callmehhaley still had one question: why Lana?

That, my dear readers, will be answered in my next post...

TopfSecret's Lana Lore Tag

[t0ta1-w31rd0]

(transid list here (link))

˖⭑꒰ঌ🫀໒꒱⭑ that one person on everyone’s dni ⭑꒰ঌ🫀໒꒱⭑

(warning, very long intro./srs)

(‼️ warning. this being is a minor. ‼️)

my name is vixen and I use any pronouns but she/her or anything she/her aligned. (sh3/h3r, shi/hir, sh./h.r, etc.)

typing quirk: all lowercase letters, no exclamation points, all red letters.

i may sound very emotionless while typing. if I sound like i’m mad at you when you didn’t do anything, chances are i’m not.

toddler-kid regressor + pet regressor of many different animals.

🌈🍓, 🍖🌈, 🎱🎀, 🐰🎀, 🎒🍭, 🍋🌈 (i know emoji codes aren’t really used for tumblr but someone must know what these mean, right?)

★ 👁 DNI + boundaries 👁 ★

seriously, leave: basic dni, antishippers, anti endos, anti kin in most circumstances, pro contact big 3, anti good faith labels, “lgb alliance”

thin ice: anti factkin, 4chan users, bronies.

please interact: radqueers/transid/para, pro/dark/comshippers, profic, selfshippers, systems, weirdcore folk, people who share f/os, any otherkins.

boundaries: don’t call me human or female, don’t call me any slurs that you cannot reclaim. also basic boundaries like don’t send me death threats, don’t say that my f/o is not really my f/o, don’t misgender me, bla bla bla… I know a lot of you are going to ignore the basic boundaries anyway.

★ 💉fictional others 💉★

romantic: kinito pet, shrimpo (dandy’s world), MR (regretevator), unpleasant gradient, vampire cookie (crk), mozzelle (regretevator), onion cookie (crk), alchemist cookie (crk)

pet + romantic: pebble (dandy’s world)

mains (in order):vampire cookie, alchemist cookie, unpleasant, pebble, Shrimpo, MR (…for some reason, i really like rock characters.)

★ 🪓 tags 🪓★

#🪦: posts relating to MR, specifically in a romantic context.

#💕: posts relating to kinito pet, specifically in a romantic context.

#🍷: posts relating to vampire cookie, specifically in a romantic context.

🧪: posts relating to alchemist cookie, specifically in a romantic context.

#🪱: posts relating to unpleasant, specifically in a romantic context.

#🪨: posts relating to pebble, specifically in a romantic or pet context.

#🍤: posts relating to shrimpo, specifically in a romantic context.

#🎀: posts about mozzelle, specifically in a romantic context.

#🧄: posts about onion cookie, specifically in a romantic context.

[elisedonut]

How do you feel about Percy x Charlie?

Warning Incest under cut

Just incase one of the TW tags get's past one of you by accident dkjfskdf

Anyway! I think it's neat!!

it's not like my top Percy incest ship tbh because it doesn't have as like messy of a vibe that i like when it comes to incest since they just seem like they get along like fine

like for me at least the fact that most of us are like

"yeah- Charlie could have totally kept in contact with Percy during the fight it makes alot of sense"

is more a deterrent

Like--

you don't get like the pigtail pulling like you get constantly with Fred and/or George /Percy (or Fred's death or the whole the twins seeming to feel the most betrayed by him leaving)

or the drama of the fight(tm) and it's aftermath and the whole following in his footsteps thing like you do with Arthur/Percy

Or the Fleur+Percy comparisons and missed wedding and weird wolf instincts to play with that you get from Bill

they just seem to get along pretty well and while that's great! love that in a family sense but it makes it less enticing as an incest ship

though i will still read it because it's still fun

my orders probably like

Fred, George, Arthur, Bill, Ron, Charlie (with Molly and Ginny being nowhere on the list because i can't get myself past the ick factor of M/f incest that i just don't tend to have for m/m or f/f)

but Charlie does fit in well with Percy's type if you're the type to think his main one is people stronger then him (aka what i mean when i say he likes quidditch players and even then he did play quidditch at one point so-)

and it's fun to play with the reason him leaving for somewhere so far away being related to feelings he's running from

Also think it could be really neat in a mistaken identity situation! like in a Charlie comes home a little early situation without telling his family to have some time to himself and they just end up sleeping together due to like Polyjuice or something

I also think there's some fun to be had with Percy being Charlie's first little brother and the special feelings that involves and beating himself up even more over it

[atrophiedemotion]

hey Cast! uh so this ask is about. alien stage. but imma send you another about some random shit because why not. anyways

the tags that you had on that previous post with me and plip (the one about ivan and till and how they show honesty differently and how we know about their characters a different amount because of how forthcoming or not they are) and my question for you is, how many of Ivan's actions do you think are representative of his true emotions? I don't think his body language, in general, is very forthcoming but I do agree that his actions can be pretty revealing (he strikes me as an acts of service person especially with trying to escape with Till) but uh yeah I'm wondering if there are any specific examples that you think of as being revealing of his actual thoughts or specific examples of him pretending to be someone else?

thanks for listening to me yap uh I hope you're doing well and that you have an awesome day!

rock... oh boy... this is gonna be a long one. wonderful question. thank you for the ask, i hope you have a great day as well!!

so, i didn't fully explain in the tags because i didn't want to write a full length essay on plip's post (ty plip for dealing w the rambling)(i was also very tired so i wasn't fully articulate lmao) but i meant that ivan shows his emotions through the outcomes/projected outcomes of his actions. he certainly isn't very forthcoming in the way he acts and portrays himself, but there is undeniable truth in the intent and meaning behind everything he does, even things that seem counterproductive.

i think that since ivan genuinely cannot fully be upfront and honest (due to trauma, his lack of self worth, and his decided survival strategy) his main truths show in the deeper meaning of the things he does for other people and himself. with ivan, it is all about intent. i've said before that the only way to understand ivan is to dig deeper and this is very much true here. he uses a lot of subterfuge to throw people off from his actual intentions, but they're there.

ivan often uses unconventional, roundabout ways to achieve his goals/get what he wants- especially when they mean something to him. he is a guy who is caked in layers upon layers of meaning only if you pull back the acres of curtains he's covered them with. he doesn't want people to know what goes on in his head, so he covers it up valiantly. this is due to his low self esteem of course, but also full on survival. in order for his plans to work, no one can be in on it. no one can know what he's thinking. all of his true feelings and thoughts need to be hidden in order to achieve success, but in the end it's fucking hard to not leave a trace of your true feelings.

with all that being said, examples!

the biggest and most obvious examples are mainly related to till (of course they are) and i also feel like they're the most telling. ivan's teachers specifically pointed out that he was only childish around till (they were relieved by it, too, because he was so damn serious the rest of the time and didn't behave like a child should). ivan has the hardest time hiding his true emotions around till, which makes sense, because till makes him feel the most emotion when his are always dulled. that doesn't stop him from going the 'i must hide my crush by pulling his pigtails' route but, y'know.

since most of these are talked about frequently and i dont want to keep beating a dead horse in an already long post, here's a (hopefully) brief list:

-the biggest one, the meteor shower. going through all of that to escape with till, specifically during a meteor shower that it seemed ivan was desperate to show till (to introduce his shooting stars to each other or smth im sure). ivan offered till freedom and denied himself of it when till turned around and he followed him back without question.

-his good behavior can arguably be considered to be due, in part, to the perks an obedient pet gets. this isn't just a till thing but ivan's obedience is very telling of his need and drive for survival, which considering his uhh,, track record is likely largely so he can protect till. gaining perks and learning insider information, like how to take collars off and gain access to isolation cells, assist him in assisting and caring for till.

-the sometimes silent companionship they share. the way ivan will poke at him to get his outright attention but is still at times satisfied with just existing in till's space and enjoying his presence says a lot about his genuine adoration and admiration of till

-his sacrifice. i don't think i need to say much about this as it's pretty self explanatory lmao but it is a Great example of what im trying to convey. ivan does honest things and has to cover them up at the same time. the 'violence' was to end the round of course, but it was also kind of like a familiar bandaid over the painfully honest feelings he conveyed with the kiss. even if he didn't really hurt him he couldn't just be honest

there are definitely more (most everything he does in regards to till tbh) but i wanted to talk about some others too

the comic conversation with sua about her sacrifice! such a big one. ivan's feelings about sua are very complicated, but to me i feel like he cares about her to an extent, almost pitying in a way. he's horribly jealous of her and the love she has, but he sees so much of himself in her that what he says in that conversation is probably at least half projection, even if he's not aware of it.

the way he looks at her without trying to hide his distaste feels like the way he would look down on himself. the whole thing shows not only his disgust with himself, but his anger towards someone who is so similar to him that she makes the same plans in her head even though she has something he believes he'll never have. it's envy, tried and true, and he doesn't even hide it at the time. he hides the self loathing behind it, but still. that might be the most honest we've seen ivan aside from the end of r6.

that conversation also does kind of show the fact that he cares for sua and mizi. sua in a way he acknowledges less to himself, but certainly mizi.

and speaking of mizi, my last example for right now is the way he watched round 5 like he was barely holding it together and sort of did his own recreation of it in round 6. the strangling was reminiscent of the way mizi lunged at luka and he almost certainly got the idea for his method of sacrifice from what she did. it kind of feels like an ode to her, in a way. an ode to mizi while offering himself up for till, which. is very sad but almost a little sweet, that he had a piece of mizi in what he was doing for till.

okay okay im sure i could keep talking about this but ive been writing for. a long time LMAO so i will stop here but! yeah. ivan shows his emotions inadvertently through his actions and about fifty levels of subterfuge. but it's all we get, so...

thank you for the ask again my dude, i really enjoyed answering it!

[sketchyorsomething]

So, the long anounced lellinger-fanfic is here!

This is the link for ao3

But if you want to stay on tumblr to read it , you can find it underneath the cut.

Thanks to @skijumpingf1 for beta-reading it and leaving lots of nice comments in the process!

Tags are mainly Hurt/Comfort and Fluff and Angst, it's about Lellinger trying to cope with their bad start into 4hills

„Oh, look! I’d say we‘ve already seen Oberstdorf a lot greener at the start of the four hills", Andreas pointed out, nodding outside of the car window. Stephan hummed in agreement. He chuckled as he entered the circle crossing „Well, that's a way to advertise your brand". The Geiger building on the left side of the road showed a ski jumper – probably Karl – along with the slogan 《fly…. And land your dream job》.

„You can't tell me that Oberstdorf doesn't have a gang problem", Andreas joked.

„The Geiger-Gang?“

„Well, or the Schmid-Gang, you can choose one. Though, I like the alliteration in Geiger-Gang"

„Do I have to turn left here?“, Stephan asked. „Huh, I think so?“ „Thank you for help"

---

It was always a struggle to carry all their things inside their accommodation, no matter how often they have already done it. While Stephan and Andreas tried to figure out how to reduce the amount of times they would have to go back to the car, their team noticed their arrival.

„There you are, what took you so long?“, Pius asked, looking at the other two struggling.

„Andi isn't really the best navigator", Stephan complained while passing him. But not without Andreas overhearing it and starting to argue. He, in turn made a sad grimace as he went inside.

„You know you could also help us, Pius, instead of“, Stephan paused, „supervising us“. It was Stephan‘s third time going back to the car, with Andi already arranging their belongings in their room. He wasn't even sure how they could fit so much stuff into the car. There is no way they are using all of it. Especially because they would stay in Andi's flat for the competition in Bischofshofen and only needed luggage for a little over a week.

„Aren't you done now anyways?“ Pius sounded far too amused for Stephan’s liking. „And besides that, youngsters like you and Andi need all supervision you can get". If Stephan could kill with just a look, Pius’s chance to win the four hills would equal zero right now.

„Please don't remind me“ Stephan rolled his eyes, he did not exactly like his birthday always taking place amidst the tournament. He took out the last bag and closed the car trunk. „We’ll meet up for dinner, right?“

„Oh, yeah. Though Karle and Hille are going directly to the nordic center. But everyone else will be here at the hotel first“, Pius answered as he accompanied Stephan to his room. He said his goodbyes to Pius while already entering it.

His hand ached a little from the strange grip he had to carry the bags with. Stephan heard some rustling from the bathroom. Andi was probably unpacking their sanitary bags. He had already put everything else away (which looked like their jumping related stuff on different piles across the room and one pile with their other belongings. They have not even been here for more than an hour and their stuff is already piling up. They really need to work on their neatness . (There is no way that is actually going to happen – what do they always say? Never change a running system. Even though that exact system is the reason why Stephan isn't sure anymore which Shirts belong to himself and which ones are Andi's)

„Is everything okay, love?“ Andreas made his way back into the main room, hugging Stephan from behind while resting his chin on top of his boyfriend's shoulder.

„We‘ve just arrived and this room already looks like the fight between heaven and hell happened here", Stephan pointed out yawning. „The tournament hasn't even started and I'm already tired.“

Andreas just hummed in agreement. The new season had not been too kind to them yet. Somehow, with their good preparation in summer their current results were even more frustrating. And he should not be the one to complain; he is still considered one of the top jumpers. Stephan had to fight for his spot on the team just a week ago. He profited from his role as the supportive and understanding navigator of the team, who would always listen to everybody’s worries, no matter how small they seemed – even though god knows how much he himself had to worry about. Stephan would always try to help everyone, even if it ended in slowing down his own career. Andreas loved this selflessness, Stephan's empathy. The possibility that this quality could cost him his spot on the team scared him. „Can I sit next to you at the opening ceremony? I don't think I'll be able to answer all the questions about my performance without you by my side"

Now it was on Stephan to make a vague noise of agreement while he maneuvered the two of them towards the bed to properly cuddle his boyfriend. „Sounds good"

---

The weather in Oberstdorf was phenomenal. Andi was right, they have seen it a lot greener already, with snow just on the hill and the skiing tracks. But right now, it glistened in the sun on top of the trees. It was basically perfect ski jumping weather.

With the promising conditions in mind, Stephan made his way to the top of the hill. Sure Østvold wasn't bad – he certainly earned his spot on the team – but Stephan was confident he could beat him. Or at least get into the lucky loser list.

(He ignored the fact that he didn't exactly like the hill in Oberstdorf, Andi always tells him that he shouldn't think about everything that could potentially go wrong and why it could)

Instead he let the sun shine on his face while he stretched and concentrated on his preparation as the first jumpers started.

„Stephan!“, he turned around when Andi called out his name. „Good luck" Andreas reached out to take his hand before he could go the inrun for his training jump. He held it so gently as he kissed Stephan's knuckles and looked at him with a soft smile. It wasn't the bright and blinding one after a great jump that won him the competition, drunk on adrenaline and success. It also wasn't the wide grin, that Andreas always had when he teased Stephan to no end, fully knowing that he could never be annoyed of him. It was the smile of pure love , the one smile that was only Stephan's to see, the smile that made his day each time he saw it, a smile full of trust and support that made the world around them disappear. The smile that always made Stephan smile himself. He pulled Andreas' hand towards his own mouth to press a kiss onto it. „Thank you". His voice was a lot hoarser than it should be. And deeper. Andreas' eyes widened. „Good luck to you too, my love"

Stephan took a deep breath as he turned around, hearing Andi chuckling in his back. That man did things to him, makes his heart going way to fast when he should be focusing on his jump. Stephan loved every second of it.

His jump was good, over 130 meters. He would have beaten Østvold with it, if it had been the actual competition. Stephan was positive the next one would be even better.

He was wrong. The next jump – the one in the competition, the one that was important – was horrible. 115,5 meters. On a large hill. You can't really call that a jump. It was more of a crash than anything else.

Lahti.

It felt like Lahti all over again.

He tried to keep his reaction to professional disappointment. Stephan knew Andreas was watching his jump – his reaction to it in the athletes‘ room . And he wouldn't be able to properly focus on himself if he had an actual reason to worry about Stephan’s wellbeing. So he tried to keep the frustration, the anger, the sadness and the growing fatigue inside.

(He knew Andreas could see right through it)

He waited for Andi's jump. 129 meters. And with that he already lost the tournament. There were already jumps which went nearly ten meters further.

„Come here", Stephan greeted Andi with open arms. A hug would help Andi to swallow his own disappointment and calm him down enough to focus on his second round.

„How are you feeling, Stephan?“, Andi asked as he pulled out of their embrace.

„Tired.“, he answered. „I’m already done with my interviews. I'll take the train back to the hotel after this round finishes. Good luck with your second jump“. Stephan tried to give Andi an encouraging smile but judging by his frown didn't exactly succeed.

„I think we should be there for dinner at around 8. I'll text you when we are heading to the hotel". Andreas knew that Stephan would like it best to be alone for the rest of the day. However he also knew that his boyfriend will start to spiral down in negative thoughts if he was alone for too long. It's always the same with him; Stephan will isolate himself from the others as to not cause any – in his mind unnecessary – worries, thinking that some time alone will calm him down and make accepting the loss easier. In reality, he will only bottle all of the negative feelings up inside him and become more and more antsy and restless throughout the season. And when the season ends and the new preparation begins, with no real expectations, Stephan will be better than all of them combined and everybody will be confused as to why he hasn't been able to perform as well in competitions. And then they will all think that he is going to be the next favourite for the new season, finally back from his injury. And as soon as the new season starts, Stephan will loose his form and will disappoint their coaches‘ expectations again, which will cause him to do even worse because he doesn’t want to disappoint anyone. And now Andreas is the one spiralling down negative thoughts.

The point is: they both need each others' company to perform well. Which is technically why Andreas needs Stephan to stay at the hill, but he understands the wish to not see all the pitiful looks.

---

Stephan walked back to train station. From there he would take a train to Fischen, where their hotel was located. The cool air did not leave any space to think of something different than his fingers aching, his toes freezing and his nose running. So in theory this was an unpleasant state to be in, but right now it felt like heaven.

He took a longer way to the station, wandering through the little city. It seemed quite calm right now, a great difference to when they wanted to drive to the hill. A few hours ago cars could barely make it through the streets because they were filled with people everywhere. People who came to watch Germany taking the first step to secure the golden eagle again after over two decades.

Now he started to think again, what a bummer. To distract himself from that fact, he looked upwards to the lifts going up the mountain behind the ski jumping hill. What was it called again? Nebelhorn. At least according to the big letters on top of the building he was standing in front of. Stephan had actually never been able to go skiing in the cities they visited with the world cup. Although Karl and Hille and Katha and Selina and Lilly and why are there so many people from his team that already live here? Anyways, they all said that there are a lot of good mountains around here.

Oh, there was that book shop that Hille always talks about. The one with the wooden façade! Stephan could go inside and take a look, the shop was still open. However he doesn't know when the train will arrive and he doesn't want to be too late.

Stephan could already see the church, so the train station wasn't too far away anymore. He read through all of the different names of the endless cafés and restaurants. It felt like there were two at every corner. „Bäckerei Schwarz", he mumbled one name. „L'Ultima Trattoria, Café Franziskus". That one looked cozy. He liked the rounded enteryway, it gave the building a certain depth. Cute. Now that he thought about it, Hille probably talked about that one as well. Didn't he have a date here or something? Stephan took a step closer, there was a big yellow letter taped to the door. 《Dear Guests! The Café Franziskus will open its doors for the last time from the 25.12.2024 to 02.01.2025. Thank you for your understanding. Let's hope for someone who wants to keep this tradition alive. Stay healthy. Yours, the team Franziskus》. They are closing. Permanently. Now he remembers what Hille said, he was sad about the café closing. Stephan should really get going.

„Excuse me", Stephan asked one of the police men in front of the train station. „Do you know when the next train to Fischen will arrive?“. Apparently it did in roughly ten minutes. That was more than fine.

---

„Stephan?“, Andreas asked into the darkened room. He did not receive an answer. Taking a few steps into the room he saw that Stephan wasn't lying in the bed but had – judging by his open sketchbook on the little side table – sat at the desk at some point of the evening. That's good. It meant he still had enough energy in him to do something else than lying in bed and stare at the ceiling. And the sketch was already finished as well. Andreas recognized the photo Stephan used as a reference. It was a portrait of Andreas smiling at Stephan behind the camera from his birthday in August. He always drew Andreas if he had no idea what to draw, calls it ‚studying real life subjects to incorporate elements into finished artworks‘. Andreas skipped through the thick pages of the little book. There was another one from today showing Stephan’s hand. The one he kissed before his training jump. Although Stephan seemed to have scrapped the idea of actually finishing the sketch, there were still a lot of lines all over the place resulting in an almost airy, feathery look. Andreas is always amazed by Stephan’s ability to draw. The thought that someone could create feelings with just some strokes of their hand felt nearly godlike, divine. It was the reason Andreas loved Stephan's hands so much, loved kissing them.

„Oh, love, you're back!“, Stephan came outside of the bathroom. Now that the noise had disappeared Andreas could tell that he heard the shower earlier but seemed to be too accustomed to noise at that moment to notice it.

Stephan wore just his boxers and there were still some stray droplets of water running down his body. Godlike, divine. If Andreas could draw, he would also only ever draw Stephan. There would be no reason to draw something else if he already had the most beautiful thing god has ever created right in front of his eyes. (Although Stephan always told him that art isn't always about beauty; it's about feelings. But then again, there was no feeling that made him feel better than being close to Stephan)

„Andi? Are you still there?“, Stephan waved his hand in front of his eyes, smiling, and suddenly being way closer to Andreas. He immediately grapped onto his boyfriend's barely clothed waist, pulling him flush against his own body. Oh, he had missed him. Even if it had just been a little over two hours. Stephan pulled back a little to cradle Andreas' cheek and press a kiss on his lips. He tried to chase it, against his better judgement. They should get going, there is still a meeting waiting for after the dinner. Still „My second jump was better again"

„I know, I watched the livestream while drawing". Another kiss. „I'm proud of you, love.“

„You know, as much as I like to stand here and cuddle and kiss my nearly naked boyfriend,“ Stephan laughed at that comment. His laughs always make Andreas' day. It deserved another kiss.

„To finish my sentence: we should hurry up a little. I don't wanna keep the others waiting"

„I'll grab something to wear then", Stephan smiled without actually letting go of Andreas.

„Just, give me a second". He buried his face in the slope of Andreas‘ neck. Stephan was clearly cold. He had goose bumps all over his body and was shaking in his arms. They stood like this and Andreas knew the moment would be too long, too raw for the both of them. His hands started roaming Stephan’s back, slowly bringing one hand upward to caress the back of his head. Andreas heard him sobbing dryly. „Shhh, I'm here, everything's alright"

„I'm sorry", Stephan cried.

„What are you apologizing for, dear?“

„It's just-", Stephan breathed, trying to pump air into his lungs. When did it become so hard to breath? „It's just“, he tried again. „I know that if I continue on like this, I won't start in Innsbruck". It wasn't just that. It meant a completely new routine, a new roommate, a new schedule, less time to spend with Andi. And it meant worse results – for both of them. Those are what his is apologizing for.

When did they get this dependent on each other?

Oh right, it started basically in the first week they have known each other. Their relationship has always been special, not like a normal friendship. They were always bound to love each other, always bound to be in each other's lives. Only that Stephan's performance, or rather the lack thereof, could result in weeks not spent together. Could result in having to celebrate his birthday alone.

Stephan hated that his birthday always took place amidst the four hills. Andi only ever made them bearable.

„Oh, you are starting to spiral“, Andreas mumbled, softly trying to focus Stephan's attention onto himself rather than his thoughts. „Hey, you know there is still a good chance you're gonna make it. Don't give up before you even started trying"

„I'm cold“, Stephan said and parted from him, his voice hoarse from the regret he felt. „And we're probably late, sorry about that"

Andreas grimaced. Stephan should not be sorry for needing someone to care about him.

„Don't worry about it", Andreas said as an answer while Stephan pulled a shirt over his head. That one certainly didn't belong to Stephan. It had Andreas' sponsors plastered all over it. He smiled.

„You know what I was thinking earlier?“, he asked to pull Stephan further away from those dark thoughts. He looked at him expectantly. „I think we should make up for the missing Raclette way at new year's eve.“

Stephan huffed and started to grin a little.

„You know the weekend after the tournament is empty. They removed Predazzo.“, he further explained his idea.

„Do you really think that's a good idea? All the fatty cheese in the middle of the season? I know you don't really notice that, but not everyone has your genetics". That's good. Stephan joined the banter.

„You know what they say", Andreas mumbled as he pulled Stephan – sadly now fully clothed – towards him. Stephan's eyes were red rimmed from the tears that have yet to be cried, but he smiled a little. „The way into a man's heart is though his stomach". He kissed the tip of Stephan's nose. „And you could definitely use some love.“

„Aren't I lucky to have you as my boyfriend then?“, Stephan asked, just mouth just millimetres away from Andreas'. He closed that gap.

[ereyies]

i love your of mice and men oc. let me tell you i was scrolling thru the omam tag after reading that book for class because GOSH that ending destroyed me. bronwyn is so cute!!! and i love the ideas you have for her character and how she’d add onto the book. is there any more of your character that u thought of?? i’d love it hear it! ur art is stunning btw!!!

artists and writers are the backbone of dead fandoms. but i dont know if you could even call this fandom dead cuz i dont think it even had a life 💀

THANK YOU SO INCREDIBLY MUCH!!

this means the entire world to me you have no idea just how touched i am that you love my oc 💖 💖!! be VERY careful going through the of mice and men tag because unfortunately there are a LOT of nsfw bots!!

as for anything else relating to Bronwyn and her character, I don't have much else written/in mind other than that I have already shared other than maybe two things (copied and pasted from a document i made just to keep track of her lore):

Candy and Bronwyn probably wouldn't be close despite Candy having worked at the ranch for years. Not because of anything bad that happened between them, however I imagine that Candy was initially the main contributor to all the gossip said about her on the ranch and later on he learned she wasn't a bad person at all and just a lonely ill child, but by that point he had both immortalised her as a legend but condemned her from ever making real connections with people again. Knowing what he started and how he unintentionally isolated her and prevented her from being easily able to make friends with people on the ranch, the guilt would probably prevent him from forming any close connections with her.

I feel like if she were actually a character within the novel, her presence within the story would be similar to Andrey Bolkonsky in the musical Natasha, Pierre, & the Great Comet of 1812 (brilliant but strange musical btw, if you're interested in musicals it's definitely worth a listen!!). She is this looming presence amongst all the characters, always being mentioned in passing during conversation, this figure that everyone is aware of yet never sees, never actually being present in person up until the very end.

Candy would probably be the reader's introduction to Bronwyn, since Candy is a known gossiper. She'd be this influence in the story but is never truly there. I'm not too sure how she'd be important if that were the case though? Perhaps she'd be a figure symbolic of a 'point of no return' for all the characters. They all have a dream that isn't totally impossible which they come very close to achieving, and could very well leave their situation, but Bronwyn never had a chance and can never truly escape, locked up just to be forgotten about. Maybe she'd be a warning of the terrible fate which Lennie would have faced if he had lived and been institutionalised.

ANYWAYS moving past all of that; i have only made very few drawings of Bronwyn since my last post talking about her (admittedly due to extreme art block). But I’ve mostly been brainstorming about Curley and Bronwyn, the similarities and differences between them, mostly differences. Here is some of my recent art:

I always love experimenting and playing around with my style, trying out new brushes, techniques and colours <33 The last isn’t exactly my favourite mostly because i was just getting a feel for how to draw Curley and had little to no references for the pose and so it looks a little stiff. But!! I made many notes for my ideas while I was doing the sketch:

Thank you once more for your ask!! It means the world to me <33 I was so embarrassed when I first made her and feared being called ‘cringe’ or that people wouldn’t like her or something else along those lines, but the reception so far has been nothing but positive and encouraging!! I definitely plan to make more art and potentially even write some short fanfics including her in the future!!

oh one final thing, i also made a spotify playlist for her!! https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0qrBhwqopc6KrC7RouFxOZ?si=GPudTv12S92QwBBXqxw0Bg&pi=khdpmOzjTfeQP

Thank you once more for being so kind <33 I hope you have the most wonderful day/evening/night!!

[icejinlov3r]

ART CONTEST!!! - Frieza and Frost’s Fashion Show!!

So, I’m very much burnt out from writing (at least from my big stories, I’ll probably still drop occasional oneshots) and am taking a small hiatus. But turns hiatus can be a bit boring. So how am I gonna change that?

By hosting a random art contest for fun!!

I thought this might be a fun little thing to drop. No idea how many participants they’ll actually be, but we’ll see 😁😁.

So, here’s how it’ll work. The theme will be my two fav bois, Frieza and Frost. Specifically, with the two of them wearing cute outfits that you guys come up with! There will be a time limit of one week (meaning March 26th, 2024 is the due date). And when that day comes, I’ll share everyone’s drawings in giant post - make it a little “fashion show” for everyone to see! And then the next day, I’ll set up votes so YOU guys can vote on the winner!

I’m gonna have votes set up for different categories too, such as “cutest outfits” or “most unique outfits” that people can also vote on. But the main winner at the end will get to request a drawing from me - on any character, fandom, or ship they want!

There are gonna be a few rules, but really it’s more like a guideline on the contest:

You don’t have to draw ship art of Frieza and Frost together - just a simple piece with these two wearing an outfit of your choice will suffice, or even two separate pics of each individual character will work (that said, ship art is welcome too).

They don’t have to wear matching outfits, have them wear whatever you come up with.

You are not limited just because both characters are male - you can dress them up in either male or female outfits, but they both only require ONE outfit each.

If you want to dress them up in outfits from a crossover show (for example, dress Frieza up as Alastor from Hazbin Hotel, etc) you can absolutely do that.

You can have Frieza and Frost be in any form you want - obviously most people recognize their final forms, but I’d be delighted to see them in their first forms, or Frieza in Golden Form.

Art can be digital or on paper, you’re free to choose.

You don’t have to follow me to participate - everyone is welcome!

Okay, now for the ACTUAL rules: please keep your outfits and drawings PG-13. I don’t know how many minors actually follow me, or look at my content, but I wanna make this available to everyone.

Leave some sort of signature on your art. I know most artists do anyway, but I don’t want anyone’s art to get stolen.

No AI art. I shouldn’t have to explain why.

And finally, please show good sportsmanship. No matter what category someone wins, or who wins the contest at the end, the point of this is just to have fun and show the creativity of many artists! If I catch word any any artists harassing me or other artists for any reason related to the contest, your art will immediately be disqualified. No if, ands, or buts. Be respectful.

Okay, I think that covers everything, but if I need to, I’ll update this later. Like I said, you have one week to submit your art. You can either DM it to me in my private messaging, or send it in my inbox - just don’t do it anonymously, otherwise giving proper credit to your art will be much more difficult. In any case, good luck, and I can’t wait to see your guy’s art!

@anonymous-harpy @bluberryboom @justme068 @purrfectcellz @gojiberry-bbq @airplaneear2 @amiz06-certified-b1mb0

(These are just great artists I’m tagging to see if they’re interested 😊)

[dailymarin]

@lenhishiro i had to make this into an actual Post post because i have a SUPER outdated app, and a lesser character limit on replies 😭 i will spare everyone this time and actually put a read more LOL

your replies made me tear up a little no lie. :') thank you for always being SO nice! your comments and replies are always appreciated 🌺🌺🌺 and also a HUGE thank you for all of that because YES , agreed to literally EVERYTHING!!!! if you try to filter anything related to lu, people want to tag their fanworks with the main series as well. and i get it, you want visibility for your creations! everyone wants to be acknowledged for what they work hard on, i 10000% get that. but also not everyone wants to see... the au stuff! it also just feels like a spinoff at some point? and while some people like to diverge from canon, thats all fine and good, but when your spinoff au is Inescapable and everyone likes to act like its just as good as the main series or better? (when thats Entirely subjective?) its just so... ugh. alongside their headcanons being widely accepted amongst fans-- fanon, i think is the word. their fanon is just kind of EVERYWHERE, and its very tiring! i think everyone should be allowed to have their creative outlets, but also its kind of annoying having to block Everyone in sight or filter this filter that because they want to use the main game's tag too :(

i also greatly enjoy some artworks that have come out of lu fans, that they also attribute to being very intertwined with the au! i can and will admit to that! but the mindset of them as a whole has just... set so many people back by so much with how they approach the series 😭

then theres everything about marin, huge agree on literally everything you said. shes very important to me as well, and its Frustrating to see how lately, everyone wants to attribute everything about her to zelda! when they both have their strengths and personalities!! :( doubly agreed on how its about making her less of a person and "haha sad dream girl go poof" and then it makes the rest of the game have less impact in a way, because "what did they matter? no ones real anyway and hes just gonna go home eventually to zelda. oh but maybe we'll just throw in some cheap guilt for him and slap the angst label on it, call it a day at that." argh!! its lazy!!! and like you said, it makes it hard to enjoy zelink sometimes :( i do enjoy a lot of zelink too, dont get me wrong im not against the ship or anything. but the things that some zelinkers say and do is soooooo...... 😬 theres one person i know who also just doesnt care for the story or the games and openly admits to only caring about zelink, never the story, and its just very.... ???? why are you here then you can technically get a ship like that anywhere...... but yes, agreed, it does kind of leave a sour taste when youre trying to appreciate other characters and/or ships for what they have to offer, but everyones gotta bring it back around to zelink for some reason or another (usually by dragging down the other characters)

i feel like i could bounce off of everything you said for hours in this reply so ill cut it here but 🤝🤝🤝 you put everything EXTREMELY well