#but also the inherent friendship and love between the three of them

[r3dvlvet]

What I loved about the moment where Brennan pointed at Rehka and Izzy and talked about roll clarity (other than it making me lose it from laughter) is that it didn’t come from a place of aggression. He wasn’t legit upset with them, he was laughing his ass off while conveying the information - shit he was likely LOUD about it, but it wasn’t aggro.

[mustardyellowsunshine]

In today's episode of Shut Up Robin, Nobody Cares:

InuKag bickering is so good because it's deeply telling of how comfortable InuYasha and Kagome are with each other at almost every stage of their relationship.

For starters, contrary to seemingly popular belief, arguing does not inherently signal dysfunction. It can sometimes signal the opposite: it demonstrates a level of intimacy and trust in your relationship that you are able to openly disagree with your loved one. You are not afraid of conflict because you know it won't break the relationship. In my experience, at least, it's shaky relationships that avoid conflict at all costs. When there's not enough emotional security with each other to openly disagree without fear/anxiety, open conflict never happens. That's why "arguing like an old married couple" is a cliché: it's the people who've built trust and security who will bicker like that.

I mean, don't get me wrong, it doesn't feel great to be in conflict with a loved one, even in a secure relationship. But being able to navigate conflict together in a way that eventually leads toward understanding and compromise is the sign of a strong relationship. Arguing is often a step in that process.

Which is why I find InuKag arguments absolutely, lip-smackingly delicious.

When they first meet, their arguments have the distinct flavor of, "I don't like you and I don't care what you think about me." Which is an excellent vintage tbh, full-bodied flavor with refreshing tartness. 👌👌 There's something so intrinsically entertaining about watching early-series InuKag butt heads, all the while knowing they eventually get married. And because early-series InuKag doesn't especially care about the other person's opinion of them, they don't hold back: there's no politeness barrier between them, there's no equivocating or filtering. They just have at it. They're not afraid to be themselves around each other, even when they dislike each other.

Then when their friendship begins to form—stage two InuKag 😁—their bond is forged from the two-pronged fire of 1) having each other's backs in life-or-death situations, and 2) experiencing the humdrum quotidian moments that come with traveling together all day, every day for long stretches of time. I've talked about this before, but I love how they know all the dumb little things about each other that you only learn from prolonged proximity: they know the timbre of each other's snores at night; they know how long the other can go without food before hangry-ness rears its head; they know which posture signals irritation or exhaustion, which facial expression signals daydreaming contemplation or a playful mood; they know which jokes will get a laugh and which insults will get the sharpest glances; the little intimacies abound!

By the friendship stage, InuKag bickering takes on a slightly different flavor. There's still that unfiltered, no-holds-barred vibe about them (because they're so used to being blunt with each other), but it also has the tenor of easy familiarity. Friends falling into the same low stakes argument they've had a hundred times already. There's not often any real heat or tension to the bickering, it's more like rote muscle memory. And when they do have real arguments, with real tension and emotional stakes?? It's delicious precisely because there are emotional stakes now! Goodbye, "I don't care what you think about me," hello, "I care so much what you think and I hate it and you're going to hear about it." It's still arguing InuKag, but with different emotional fuel sparking the arguments. Now there's affection and trust underpinning their unfiltered way with each other. It's mmm mmm good! I can eat it up all day.

And as the series progresses, and InuKag begin to develop obvious romantic interest in each other—stage three InuKag, yes it's terminal—the flavor of the arguments gets deeper because now those emotional stakes? They're even higher. And yet despite the higher stakes and the messy complications, they're still not afraid to butt heads. They're not afraid to be blunt and hash things out. I love this example of InuYasha's hack-and-slash style of conflict resolution. If there's a wall between him and resolving the tension, he'll just punch his way through it. 😂 Another favorite of mine is this banger scene where Kagome bluntly calls InuYasha out on his jealousy.

But probably my favorite stage three InuKag fight scene is this one, from chapter 310:

(Full scene here.)

Man, it's so good! Kagome—after taking pains to save Kikyo, who then essentially taunts her for it—starts to feel angry and resentful and then wallops InuYasha with those feelings. (Before any haters pipe in: characters need to make mistakes sometimes. This is one such occasion. Let the 15-year-old girl character make a mistake ffs.) And what does InuYasha do? He sticks around so they can hash it out. The best panels in this chapter are Kagome thinking, "He probably hates me now," only for her to look up and see him right beside her. He can handle her mistakes and flaws, because he knows Kagome. They've spent 300 chapters building trust in each other, and we see the fruit of that here. InuYasha knows very well that Kagome cares for him—cares so much that she's risked her life for him many times over by now, and cares so much that she just saved her own romantic rival partly for InuYasha's sake (but largely because she's just a good person). I think that's why he handles this moment with pretty good composure. He knows Kagome doesn't actually hate him, briefly hurtful as that comment surely was. So he waits until she's processed her feelings a bit more, and they talk it out. (While we're here: I really like that he's sitting close to her but is facing away from her, like he's trying to give her the space/privacy she needs to process her feelings without actually leaving her alone... ugh I love it.)

Notice how, even in the midst of this fight, they start checking in with each other, putting the other person's interest before their own. Kagome sincerely urges InuYasha not to "hold back," the subtext of which reads to me: "Don't let my outburst tie you down, please do what you need to do." InuYasha responds in kind (his subtext reads to me: "Be honest, don't just put on a brave face for me") and also reassures Kagome's underlying anxiety. When he says, "You saved Kikyo, right? Then she'll be fine, I'm not going after her," he's speaking directly to the source of Kagome's insecurity—he's telling her in no uncertain terms that concern for Kikyo's safety was his only motive for seeking her out. Now that he knows Kikyo has been healed and isn't in imminent danger, he's not going after her. Again, he is intentionally addressing what he knows to be the source of Kagome's outburst when he says, "You healed Kikyo? Then I don't need to see her." To me, his message is pretty clear: "I wasn't looking for Kikyo for the reasons you think."

Like! Look at them! Openly and honestly communicating! Messily sharing their feelings! Resolving conflict and talking shit out! They've come so far. 🥹

These stage three InuKag fights feel different than their early-series fights, and they should! InuKag have built trust and love, but with that love comes vulnerability. It's the people we love who have the power to hurt us most. So even while InuKag have fundamental trust in each other, they're both aware that their feelings come with greater potential to hurt each other. And watching them navigate that tension and that duality together? MMM MMM GOOD.

Like truly, InuKag fights at every stage of their relationship are my favorite thing, it's all such good food.

[maxislvt]

Halloween Town

pairing(s): milf!wanda maximoff x reader

summary: your relationship with Wanda was starting to get serious. that meant your relationship with her boys had to get equally serious. what brings a family together better than good ol fashioned trick-or-treating?

warnings: non-sexual pet play, milf typical flirtiness

a/n: um someone have my babies please and thank you

Event Masterlist

Your role in the Maximoff family was getting bigger every day. Billy and Tommy had started to accept you as their guardian. 

Well, less of accepting you and more of dragging you by your ankles into that role. Wanda was happy to see you three getting along but often had to remind them to slow down just a little bit. You didn't have much experience with children and Wanda was afraid the boys would overwhelm you. So she spent hours meticulously planning every outing to make sure you were comfortable but also got to explore things with the twins. She found it easier for the three of you to bond over new things. Even if it meant having three of the people she loved most get in the car and spend fifteen minutes telling her that kayaking during peak mosquito season was a bad idea.  

Fortunately, mosquito season was long gone and fall had begun. 

Fall activities were Wanda's specialty. Whether it was putting up the decorations or finding the perfect costumes for the year. Billy and Tommy always had an amazing Halloween. The only way to make it truly amazing this year was to weave you into their celebration. 

"Can you call off work next week?" She asked suddenly. You were such a busy person that Wanda often had to coerce you into taking time off. Wanda would get you all small and cozy and use that voice you couldn't say no. If you were hesitant, a couple of kisses would always do the trick. "I was thinking you could come trick or treating with me and the boys. They're really into Halloween and I know you're into scary stuff too."

In a more aware state of mind, you'd argue about how there's nothing inherently scary about your music taste but you were much too comfortable to even raise your head. "That sounds fun," You mumbled with your face still buried in Wanda's chest. She had you wrapped around her fingers when you were conscious, there was no telling what you'd agree to in that state. "I'll call off…tomorrow...yeah." 

Wanda smiled down at you. "Why don't you just let me do it for you right now?" She didn't bother waiting for you to respond and simply took your phone. Your phone already recognized her face so making the call was easy. Your boss had already started to recognize her voice so scheduling your day off was even easier. That budding friendship between her and Steve would easily be the death of your stress, you just didn't know it yet. 

"Can…can I get my costume?" 

Wanda hummed for a second. She already had a couple of ideas for what to dress you up as, but you already had an idea she wasn't going to stomp on it. "If you want to." Her hand rubbed down your back when you became too antsy. "Shush, you can be whatever you want to be, baby. What matters is that you're there." She placed a kiss on your forehead. 

She could buy a backup just in case. 

��� ⋆｡°✩ ⋆｡°✩ ⋆｡°✩ ⋆｡°✩🕸

The downside to your sleepy agreements is that you would forget them unless Wanda reminded you. Considering her ulterior motives, she chose not to. 

You went weeks without properly thinking about it. There was a nagging feeling that something was missing but you didn't know what. None of your assignments were missing, you remembered to clock in, and you brought all your props for the photoshoot you were booked for. When you tried to think about it harder, you only felt guilty. 

A heavy sigh fell from your lips as you pulled into the driveway. Guilt was so heavy in your stomach you considered sleeping in your house for the first time in weeks. The thought of washing your sheets before bed was enough to deter you from avoiding your beloved girlfriend. 

"Babe, I-"

Halloween costume. You needed to buy a Halloween costume. 

Billy and Tommy sprinted downstairs the second they heard your voice.

 "Look," Billy shouted, "Mom made us the costumes from that movie we watched!" He stood back and turned around to show off the details of his outfit. 

"Mine has my soccer number on it!" Tommy said excitedly while posing for you. 

You were initially appreciative of the costumes, but immediately became nervous when you realized that Wanda had found out you let them watch that movie. Warriors wasn't the most violent film, but Wanda had explicitly told you not to let the boys watch it. Of course, you were easily swayed by the cuteness of them and had let them watch it with you one night past their bedtime. You made them promise not to tell, but it appears the excitement of Halloween overpowers sworn secrecy. 

You quickly glanced up at Wanda and immediately noticed the mischievous glint in her eye. Your eyes didn't go any lower because you didn't trust yourself not to stare. "These look great," You crouched down to their level as if you were about to tell them some top-secret information. "You didn't hear this from me but Tony is only giving out full-sized ones this year.  Why don't you two run down the street and get some of those before he runs out of the foodstuff?"  You patted the boys on their back and sent them off on their merry way. "I swear I didn't mean-"

"Upstairs now, unless my puppy wants a third punishment tonight." Normally, she'd be kind enough to give you a warning or at least ease you into subspace, but she was on a mission today. She didn't wait long before following you up the stairs. The longer she left you unattended, the more time you had to pout your way out of trouble. "And here I thought puppies had good hearing."

You were actively fighting against slipping into subspace and trying to avoid arousal. Being a good puppy was your number one goal, but the threat of punishment made your body tingle. You were even more turned on by Wanda's costume made you feral. As beautiful as the nod to her culture was, your hands were just itching to rip it off.  "Sokovian fortune teller," You said while rubbing your hand against the fabric. It was like a succubus had invaded your mind. "You look pretty." The admiration in your eyes was nothing but genuine.

Wanda revealed in the compliments you gave her. It was nice to see you weren't scared to touch her anymore. "You can't wiggle your way out of this one." She squeezed your hand affectionately before dropping it in your lap. You had to be punished, no amount of puppy dog eyes could change that. "You're lucky I have a costume for you just in case, but I don't want to hear any complaints." 

Your eyes followed Wanda as walked to her dresser and pulled out your costume. "I'm sorry I forgot. I know they like Halloween, I just…I don't know what happened but I promise to do better." Your apologetic mood quickly turned into unease when Wanda turned around with your costume. "You want me to wear my collar in public?" 

"It's not your collar, just a collar." Wanda didn't bother arguing with you and wrapped the collar around your neck. She showed you the set of ears she bought for you. "But these you will be wearing later," She said with a smirk. The ears fit snugly on your head. "Oh, I bought you some teeth too!" 

You thought you were going to die from embarrassment.  Even though you were convinced no one would think anything of it, you still felt ashamed. "...are the fangs at least cool?" You mumbled. 

Wanda opened the box. She tripped the extra latex off the top so they'd fit in your mouth comfortably before handing them to you. "You're going to be the cutest werewolf in the whole neighborhood." She kissed your cheek only for you to fake a scowl and rub off her kiss. Wanda scoffed and gave you another kiss. "Those boys are starting to rub off on you in all the wrong ways."

You kissed Wanda back but still shrugged. "You said you wanted me to be more adventurous…they're bringing me out of my shell a bit."  Your tongue corrected the positioning of the fake teeth in your mouth before you stood up. "Well, we better go get those little rascals before they sweet talk Tony out of a whole bag of candy."

🕸 ⋆｡°✩ ⋆｡°✩ ⋆｡°✩ ⋆｡°✩🕸

The rest of the night went on pretty well. 

Wanda was too late to stop Tommy and Billy from robbing Tony blind, but she didn't exactly have time to reprimand them for being greedy. You were snatched up and dragged around the neighborhood for most of the night. She couldn't keep up with the balls of energy she was grateful to call her sons. It worried her at first. The last thing she wanted was for you to get overstimulated or push yourself too hard, but you seemed to have everything under control. 

You were the one to slow down and check in on her this time. 

You walked back to Wanda with a sack of candy. "Are you okay?  I can get them to take a break if you want." The concern on your face was so genuine that Wanda couldn't help but laugh. 

Wanda giggled. "I'm fine dear, but thank you for asking. Just go back and have fun." She leaned to the side and examined the sack of candy you had on your back. "Is this your version of a dad tax?" 

You shook your head. "Nope, I have been pressured into abetting a robbery of all the people in the town." You held up the bag to show how full it was. The sack was already halfway full and the boys had only been out for about half an hour. "I guess between all the dads liking the costumes and the seemingly empty candy buckets they're racking up a nice stash." The boys had been dumping their collections into your bag to collect more candy and you didn't mind. Especially since they promised you 15% of their candy from the end of the night. "Your kids are scarily good at business." 

Wanda let out an amused sigh. "That's all Vision," She said. Her hand held yours as you two trailed behind the twins on their candy-collecting adventures. "...Are you doing okay?"  She turned to look at your face, searching for any signs of sleepiness or stress. "We can head home if you want." 

"Baby, I promise you I'm fine. Just let Billy and Tommy run themselves tired so we'll have an easy bedtime." 

Considering the rather complex system the boys had in place, it didn't take long for them to tire out. After two hours of trick or treating, you were carrying two very sleepy baseball-playing gangsters back home. 

Just as you predicted, putting the boys down for bed was as easy as pie. They didn't even throw a fit about having to take their face paint off, but you did promise to do a proper photoshoot with them in their costumes another time. 

Once the twins were adequately tucked in, you headed upstairs to start your nightly routine. You were going to only bother with some of the fancy creams and tools Wanda had bought you since it was so late. Just a simple face wash and a shower would do just fine. Or so you thought.

"Oh puppy, don't tell me you thought mommy forgot about your other punishment."

[hephaestuscrew]

“This has both our names on it”: Viewing Fleet and Clara’s relationship in Victoriocity through a queerplatonic lens

TL;DR: By Season 3 of Victoriocity, Fleet and Clara have developed a committed emotional partnership that certainly moves beyond the purely professional. Whilst very much operating as a duo, they can be interpreted as often rejecting or subverting romance-coded elements in their relationship, instead embracing a unique dynamic that can be read as resonating with the concept of a queerplatonic relationship (QPR).

Buckle up because this is over 2,500 words long! If you'd rather read it as a document, you can access it here: Fleet & Clara QPR Google Doc

Disclaimer: I'm not making any claims about creator intent, nor about how anyone else ought to interpret Fleet and Clara's dynamic. It's also worth acknowledging that queerplatonic relationships are inherently defined by the people in them and any attempt to apply such terminology to a story set in 1887 is obviously anachronistic (although whether that should matter when said story also contains a cyborg Queen Victoria is up for debate). 

With that said, if we define a QPR as a committed personal partnership which is not entirely captured by the typical expectations of either friendship or romance but may contain some elements typically associated with either (other definitions of QPRs are available), I enjoy viewing Fleet and Clara's relationship through a QPR lens, and I want to talk about some of the reasons why I think this reading works.

***Spoilers for all three seasons of Victoriocity and the novel High Vaultage***

Detective duos

Even before we actually get into Fleet and Clara's particular bond, detective / crime-solving duos as a general concept have QPR energy to me (which probably predisposed me to this interpretation). It's the Holmes-and-Watson legacy. It's the use of the word 'partner' in a non-romantic context (‘associate’ or ‘companion’ can also serve a similar purpose). It's the intense trust and reliance on each other. It's the sense of being a recognisable pair, always appearing together, known as a duo, with skills and attributes that complement each other. 

Romantic assumptions

Moving on to Fleet and Clara specifically, one aspect of their relationship that can be read through a QPR lens is how they are often in situations where other people believe or imply that there is a romantic relationship between them. Sometimes this is a deliberate strategy of theirs, and sometimes it’s imposed upon them by others. But I’d argue that there’s never a point where they both simultaneously seem entirely comfortable with that romantic narrative for their relationship. Usually one of them will actively deny the assumption or react negatively to the implication:

When Mrs Hampshire interprets Clara and Fleet as a couple experiencing “young love”, Clara might be happy to adopt this as an effective cover story, but Fleet seems unsettled and keen for them not to be perceived this way: “No. No. You’ve misunderstood, we are not, that is to say I am…” (S1E2)

When Warden Hughes assumes Fleet is the new Warden and Clara is the new Warden’s wife, Clara says “I am certainly not”, with emphasis on the ‘certainly’. (S2E2)

Fleet definitely doesn’t sound enthused when he realises Clara has gone for a married couple as their cover story at the Grand Salcombe: “I am sure I’ll regret asking, but by any chance am I [Mr. Theasby?]” (S2E2)

When Titus Byrne tells the pair “I take it you're happy sharing [a room]”, Clara responds with a horrified “What?” (S3E4) (Obviously sleeping in the same room isn’t inherently romantic, but it is often perceived that way.)

Of course, fake dating and external assumptions of romance are very common tropes in romantic will-they-won't-they dynamics, and these moments could definitely be interpreted that way for Fleet and Clara. But I prefer to read these instances as reflecting a different kind of closeness between these two characters. They have a sense of emotional partnership that allows a marriage cover story to seem plausible to others and that other people sometimes automatically assume to be romantic (obviously with some period-typical heteronormativity at play). But to me, it doesn't seem like either of them are fully comfortable with their relationship being perceived in a directly romantic way. Perhaps they are a couple in a different sense…

Proposal via door plate 

The way that Fleet asks Clara to be his business partner has always seemed to me like a platonic version of when people find personal ways to surprise their romantic partner with a proposal:

CLARA: You bought me a door plate for your office? [...] This has both our names on it. FLEET: What do you think? CLARA: I like it. (S2E7)

Fleet could have just asked Clara outright, without going to the trouble of buying a sign that would have been useless if she’d said no. If it was purely a professional business proposition with no emotional meaning behind it, I think he would have just asked verbally. But instead, he gifts her a sign with their two names paired together: Fleet-Entwhistle Investigations. There's something so intimate about that to me: about Fleet asking Clara whether she would like to be a duo with him in a more formally-defined but still non-romantic way; about him choosing to present this offer in the form of a gift; about the way he presents her with their two names joined together etched into metal and asks what she thinks; about the significance that this gesture attaches to their partnership; about him having enough trust that she'll say yes that the effort and vulnerability of presenting her with that sign seem worth it for him. And the gesture means an awful lot to Clara:

She thought about the door plaque he’d had engraved with both their names on it as his way of inviting her to be his business partner – typical Fleet, refusing to tell her so much as his favourite breakfast food and then to go and do something like that. It was the nicest thing anyone had ever done for her. (High Vaultage, p187). 

Anniversaries

In the special episode ‘Murder in the Pharaoh's Tomb', Clara says “And you know what else is a big occasion Fleet? It's our one-month anniversary.” She wants to celebrate the anniversary of Fleet-Entwhistle Investigations. Their partnership holds a significance for her that means key dates associated with it are worth remembering and remarking upon. 

When Clara first mentions their anniversary, Fleet nearly chokes on his drink, which seems like an instinctive reaction to the usually romantic connotations of an anniversary (see my point above about Fleet not being comfortable with their dynamic being perceived as romantic). But when Clara clarifies what she means, Fleet seems much more cheerful about the notion of their anniversary: “Ah, so it has.”

“Miss Clara Entwhistle, my partner”

I get extremely strong QPR vibes from this moment, when Fleet introduces Clara to the sailors at Grave End:

FLEET: This is Miss Clara Entwhistle, my partner - in business, my business partner. CLARA: I'm also his friend, but he doesn't like to say it. (S3 E3)

Fleet and Clara are partners, but not in the way the average person might assume from that word, which Fleet realises mid-sentence here. This is another instance of Fleet reacting negatively to the idea that their relationship might be interpreted romantically (see above). And yet, 'partner' (rather than, say, ‘colleague’) is the word that comes naturally to him in this moment to describe who Clara is to him. He then frantically emphasises the professional element of their relationship so as to avoid the romantic implication, but Clara is keen to proudly assert that there is a personal, emotional aspect to their dynamic too. They are first-and-foremost partners, and they are friends, and they do not want to be seen in a romantic light - this post basically writes itself... 

“Her ridiculous detective.”

When Clara fears for her life at the display of the Lanterns, the narration tells us:

“she thought of her brother, her sister, her parents... Her ridiculous detective.” (High Vaultage, p172) 

The fact that Clara thinks of Fleet in this moment of fear clearly indicates his importance to her, but I think the phrasing of this quote is particularly interesting. The narration lists Clara's immediate family: two of whom are dead (her sister and father), one of whom is publically mourning Clara's life choices (her mother), and only one of whom we have any real evidence of her having a positive relationship with (her brother). And then, separated from these complicated familial relationships by an ellipsis, the narration tells Clara also thinks of Fleet, “her ridiculous detective”. 

Parents and siblings are familial relationships that tend to come with established expectations, in which the use of a possessive pronoun (i.e. her brother) to indicate the relationship is a norm. ‘Detective’ does not fall into this category; unlike ‘brother’, ‘sister’, ‘parent’, ‘friend’, ‘partner’ etc., ‘detective’ is not a word that inherently implies a relationship or that we'd usually expect to see preceded by a possessive pronoun. The idea of ‘her detective’ therefore stands out, giving the sense that there is a unique relationship being indicated here. The way in which Fleet is ‘hers’ is something that Clara has chosen for herself, something that they have shaped together. Who they are to each other can't necessarily be fully expressed using standard phrases that traditionally describe relationships between people. But Fleet is Clara's detective, of which she only has one, and who she'll think of in the midst of “the screaming of the heavens at the end of the world”.

Fleet is also the only one in this list of Clara's loved ones who gets an adjective - her love for him has detail. And while “ridiculous” might often be perceived as negative (it's certainly not a classic romantic endearment), it seems to me like there's such fondness in it in this context: the recognition of and affection for eccentricities, the idea that his importance to her is not (purely) based on his professional strengths but on Fleet as a whole - perhaps at times ridiculous - person.

“Settled”

When Clara and Fleet talk about Clara's mother’s expectations for her, they have this exchange:

"She's still living in hope that one day I'll settle down."  "You're not settled?" asked Fleet. "I am." (High Vaultage, p259) 

By ‘settle down’, Clara's mother of course means ‘marry’, ideally into “at least a minor baronetcy”. But Clara already considers herself "settled", just not in a way her mother would understand or appreciate. She's not looking to "settle down" into a lifestyle other than her current one. She is settled in a situation where Fleet is certainly her closest personal connection in London (and perhaps anywhere), and where the two of them work closely together, operate as a duo, and then go back to their separate homes. And this partnership with Fleet is a comfortable set-up that feels right for Clara exactly as it is, rather than being a precursor to, or a distraction from, the marriage ambitions that her mother wants for her.

I think this exchange also contains an implicit sense of the commitment between the two of them. Fleet wants to check that Clara is ‘settled’ in her current situation, of which working closely - and platonically - with Fleet is obviously a major element; Clara confirms she is. There's a subtle indication of their shared intention to be in this for the long haul.

As a sidenote, Fleet and Clara’s implicit assumption that their partnership is a long-term one can manifest itself in joking contexts as well as serious ones. Look at this exchange from S3E5: 

FLEET: We're not bandits, we're just going to flag it down. CLARA: We'd be terrific bandits! FLEET: Let's just see how our current line of work goes.

I think it’s notable that, in this joking speculation, both Fleet and Clara use ‘we’ and ‘our’. The joke could have been phrased just as effectively if they were imagining only Clara becoming a bandit. But the suggestion is that, if either of them was a bandit, they’d be bandits together. Even if they changed their lives entirely, they'd still approach life together.

Inseparable 

Fleet and Clara have become a nearly inseparable duo in a way which is noticed by others. For example, after Clara and Fleet fall out in High Vaultage, Fleet meets with Keller, who says: 

"You're here with me instead of barrelling across town with her, so I'm just assuming there is some thickheaded puffinry for which you need to apologise to Miss Entwhistle" (p335)

Keller, hardly the most emotionally perceptive man in Even Greater London, automatically infers from the fact that Fleet is on his own that he has had a falling out with Clara, rather than that they just happen to be in different places. When all is well, Keller expects to see the two of them together, whether or not they are in a position to be actively working a case.

Going back earlier in their partnership, Keller makes a similar assumption about Fleet and Clara being inseparable in S2E6. When Clara shouts her name amidst Keller's anti-Vidoc booby traps, Keller asks "Entwhistle? Which means… Fleet?" Again, there's this idea that if one of them is there, the other is likely to be there too - they come as a pair. (It's worth noting that this scene takes place less than two weeks after they first met.)

“Like a friend might?”

At the end of S3E7, Fleet suggests that he and Clara go to the theatre together. It would have been easy for this invitation to have been explicitly framed as a romantic proposition, or even for the nature of the offer to have been left more ambiguous. But Clara says "Archibald Fleet, are you inviting me to a social activity? Like a friend might?" The use of the word 'friend' directly labels this as a platonic interaction. And it's with that platonic lens on it that Clara is extremely excited to spend non-work-related social time with Fleet.

“Maybe it'll just be my good luck charm.”

CLARA: My grandmother's ring, I don't suppose you managed to hold on to it? [...] FLEET: Oh, it's been crushed.. I'm sorry Clara [...] CLARA: No, you keep it. FLEET: What? No... CLARA: Keep it. Maybe it'll remind you not to run towards trains. FLEET: Maybe. Maybe it'll just be my good luck charm.

In S3E7, Clara gives Fleet a ring, which - as a gift from one person to another - is traditionally a symbol of a particular, legally recognised, kind of personal commitment. But when Clara tells Fleet to keep the damaged ring, down in the Underground tunnels after the destruction of the beast and Fleet's latest brush with death, it is quite a different situation to a wedding or a proposal. A married man would traditionally wear his wedding ring on his finger for all to see, but Fleet won't ever wear this ring like that. The ring itself has been bent into a different shape between the wheels of their misadventures, subverting the usual associations of a ring given from one person to another. (In a heteronormative world, those associations are particularly strong when the two people in question are a woman and a man.) 

That ring is not an engagement ring, but it is Clara’s grandmother's ring, an inheritance from the blood family she never really felt she belonged in, now given to the man who might be a very different kind of family for her in London. That ring - with which Clara saved Fleet's life - is a symbol of their bond. And it therefore serves as a reminder for Fleet “not to run towards trains" and as a “good luck charm”. I like to think he'll carry that ring with him, perhaps in his jacket pocket - a little piece of his partner, kept close to his ticking heart…

Thank you for reading all of this!

If you’ve read all of this, I'm assuming you also enjoy the concept of Fleet and Clara as a QPR (unless you're really a glutton for punishment) and that makes me very happy! This was long because there's so much to say about them… And I wrote all of the above without even getting into: the potential to headcanon Fleet and/or Clara as aspec (which I don't think is necessary for QPR headcanons, but which is also fun); Clara's baggage around and discomfort with marriage in general; the speed with which Fleet and Clara become a ride-or-die duo; and the many other demonstrations of care, understanding, trust, respect, and affection between them that didn't feel as directly QPR-coded to me but are nonetheless wonderful. Please do feel free to share your own thoughts!

[joelswritingmistress]

You Scare Me, Professor: Chapter 37

Summary: The reader is taking graduate classes at a local university in the wooded upstate New York. She is drawn to her professor, Dr. Joel Miller, though she is also inherently aware that he has something dark about him that she can't quite put her finger on. As the reader's attraction grows deeper, she has to decide whether to endure the danger or run away as fast as possible.

Pairing: Professor Joel Miller x f!reader

Woodbridge University. Another frigid February evening. Another text to James that I didn't want to send. I had to give it to him, he was being a really good friend in light of the awkward interaction the last time we had seen one another.

I waited in my car until I saw him crossing the parking lot and braced myself as I got out.

“Hey,” I greeted, “Thanks for meeting me here. I'm sorry to bother you like this.”

“It's no problem.” James shrugged with a genuine smile. “Not like I have much to do most nights anyway.”

I nodded and looked down, and then back up. “Are we okay?” I asked.

He nudged me with his elbow. “We’re good. I, uh.. I just hope I didn't put a damper on our friendship.” James made a face. “I was bummed out at first when you weren't interested but that wore off a little bit and then I was just kind of bummed that I might've ruined our friendship.”

I took a deep breath, feeling some relief from his response. Finally, someone wasn't mad at me. And this was the guy that I had assumed, of the three of them, would be.

“I'd really like to remain friends,” I told him. “It's just bad timing, I think because I'm with somebody and-”

“Don't even explain. You don't owe me anything. Let's just, for my pride’s sake, pretend it didn't happen.” James shrugged and I smiled at him with a nod.

“Okay,” I then added, “Thank you.”

“Thanks for not making it weird.”

James and I strolled toward the building and I squinted my eyes toward the entrance when I spotted a familiar face. Our eyes met briefly and he did a double take.

“Will?” I gave a wave and he waved back.

“Who's that?” James asked.

“Oh, that's..” I caught myself. Carol’s husband-to-be. Dr. Miller’s future brother-in-law. Shit, I didn't know how to explain how I knew him.

“Hey hun, how are you?” He greeted me with a quick hug and then extended his arm to shake James’s hand. “Will Brennan.”

“James.” He gave a nod.

“I just had a quick chat with one of the guests of honor,” Will explained with a grin. “Will you be playing hookie tomorrow night and Friday, as well?”

His words were vague enough, though my eyebrows lifted and I suspected Will got onto the same page as me. He cleared his throat and glanced at James, “Family gathering,” he added.

“Yes.” I nodded at him and smiled big and borderline awkwardly at my friend. “I already took work off.”

“Great.” Will smiled and then rolled his wrist to glance at his watch. “My lovely bride is late.” He looked back and forth between the two of us, “We’re here to see a former student perform next door in the strings quartet. Brilliant young woman. Excellent musician.” He motioned toward the theater.

“That's nice.” I smiled and nodded, wanting to chat him up some more about the wedding; but I couldn't with James standing right there.

“Ahh.. there she is now.” Will huffed a laugh and shook his head when he spotted Carol’s car practically whipping to a screeching halt in a parking space nearby. “Give her a ticket for that, will ya?” He tapped James with his fingers and gave a laugh.

James snickered and looked at me. “You'll be alright now?”

“Yeah, thank you.”

“No problem.” He added to Will, “Nice meeting you.”

“You, too.” Will gave a quick wave and then wiggled his eyebrows as Carol approached.

“Traffic!” She claimed, making him chuckle.

“I'm sure that was it.” They shared a quick kiss and then Carol realized I was standing there and leaned in for a hug.

“Are you getting excited?” I asked, glancing briefly at Will and then more directly at Carol.

She gave a nod. “The last few nights I’ll be spending as a Miller.” Carol looked at Will, “It took me long enough.” Her eyes flashed back to meet mine, “I was sort of a lone wolf for most of my life. I never met a man I wanted to spend all my free time with.”

“I don’t know how I pinned down this free bird,” he admitted with a grin.

I smiled at their interaction. They seemed very much in love and it made it all the more special, in my eyes, that Carol had never wanted to settle down with anyone until she met Will. I was thrilled to know she was getting her happy ending, especially after a rough start in her younger life.

“I’m very happy for you both,” I said, “And I’m honored I get to attend.”

“I just stopped in and said hi to Joel,” Will told her.

“I’m sure he’s working hard.” Carol said in a sisterly, eye-rolling fashion, and thenl turned to me and pointed her finger in my direction, “Keep him on his toes.”

“I will,” I promised with a grin.

They both smiled and nodded before Will checked his watch again. “Ready, my dear?”

“Ready.” Carol linked her arm through his and they gave a final farewell before heading down the lighted walkway toward the school’s theater.

I bid them a farewell and texted Dr. Miller to let him know I bumped into his sister and Will. And then Dr. Stevenson’s class dragged on for the next hour-and-a-half. I was partially focused on the material, partially focused on Trevor and partially focused on leaving the area the following day for the wedding.

With ten minutes left in class, I texted James. I checked my phone every minute or so but he never responded. As I was walking out I sent a second one to see if he was around.

Trevor passed me by without so much as a look. The rest of the class filtered out one by one and made their way to wherever they were going.

I glanced down the hall toward the brown door that led into Dr. Miller’s lecture hall. To kill a few minutes in hopes that James would respond, I wandered down and put my ear to the door.

Inside, I heard Dr. Miller’s muffled voice as he carried on about something similar to what we had learned the night before. I smiled to myself. I couldn't wait to see him now that both of us were past the little spat we’d had the night before.

I glanced down at my phone and when I saw James hadn't gotten back to me, I decided to be loyal to the agreement I made with Dr. Miller and called campus security.

“Hi, my name is (Y/N). I'm really sorry to bother you, but is there someone available to walk me to my car? I just don't feel safe at night since the incidents have happened.” I paused as they responded, “Thank you. I'm in the psychology building.”

I put my pride to the side and wandered up to the main floor. Two other young women were huddled around a cell phone laughing by the entrance and just outside on a bench someone sat alone with the hood of a black Northface jacket pulled up. It was Trevor.

He leaned forward with his elbows on his knees and his thumbs typed away on his phone.

“Shit.” I whispered the word to myself and waited for campus security to show up. When a small white car with a single, orange flashing light pulled up, I wasn't sure if it was for me or not. When the security officer got out and started looking around, I pushed open one of the doors that led out into the cold and waved a hand. I didn't look back at Trevor.

“You called?” The tall, thin man asked.

I nodded. “I didn't expect a car. Thank you for coming out.”

“No problem. Where are you parked?”

“At the back end of the lot over there.” I motioned with my finger and saw the man make a subtle face, most likely because my car was so close, but otherwise smiled and nodded.

When I hopped in the car, I turned and made eye contact with Trevor, who looked away immediately and paid full attention to his phone.

“Thanks,” I said again to the driver. “I usually call James to walk me but he didn't pick up.”

“Oh, you're the one.” The man huffed a laugh and then realized what he had said aloud. When I didn't say anything he added, “James is off duty.”

“He walked me to class earlier.”

His coworker shrugged. “Sounds like he’s.. always willing to help you out.”

The car stopped beside mine and I opened the door. “Thank you.” I have a nod.

“Anytime.” The two of us exchanged a wave and I climbed into my car. Thankfully, my last night at Woodbridge, for the time being, was relatively uneventful.

I wish I could have said the same for my final day of work before the trip. It wasn't long after morning coffee that one of my work friends made the announcement to all of us - one that was dreadfully haunting and raw and real.

“They found another body at Woodbridge!”

CLICK HERE FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER

@untamedheart81 @suttonspuds @cesspitoflove @michilandcof @grogusmum @morallyinept @akah565 @brittmb115 @magpiepills @poodlebae @gobaaby-blog-blog @mermaidgirl30 @mandijo17 @shotgun-shelby @itscatrodriguez-thepearl @macaroni676 @acciowolfstar1 @smolbeanzzz @sarcasm-theotherwhitemeat @bandluvr97

[ari-but-unhinged]

Art for Toritsuka/Hairo fic where I explored what was meant to be a crack ship and is now one of my favourite (??) ships in Saiki k- PLEASE HEAR ME OUT

(A long rant ensues so, if you don’t want that then that’s all good and you don’t have to click, but if you’re interested, then welcome to my rant about a rare pair i love!)

Of course, I started out by simply laughing at the “I hate men” line Toritsuka said about Hairo and thinking writing a crack taken seriously fic would be funny and it would be a nice break before I started this other fic I have planned that is going to be an even bigger endeavour with Saiki k x Danganronpa. What I didn’t see happening was for this Torihai fic to completely take over my brain space and end up with a fic just shy of 20,000 words.

This may not seem like a lot, but I usually only write fics in 1,000-2,000s so this is a lot for me, especially since I’m a slow writer/editor so it takes me a while.

Part of the reason I love these two together is because of the inherent dynamic of Hairo’s inspirational preachiness and how it doesn’t work on Toritsuka, and how it might be refreshing for Hairo to have someone who challenges him (and not in the fake way Teruhashi does, with Toritsuka being very upfront and honest about it). Toritsuka also, because he’s so upfront about his feelings, helps Hairo to express certain emotions like annoyance/sadness that he wouldn’t normally express outwardly. Something else too is that Toritsuka tends to be very physically affectionate, and I don’t know that Hairo is used to that (I haven’t seen any examples of him being physically affectionate in any other way than a bro way) so that could be refreshing as well. Also, also, Toritsuka is Hairo’s gym buddy who was reluctantly dragged along that day Saiki was trying to avoid everyone and no one can change my mind lol (this, in Hairo’s mind, forms a bond between them that can never be broken and he will never stop reminding Toritsuka of this when they hang out).

I just think their dynamic can be playful/fun because they’re both real with each other if that makes sense?

On Toritsuka’s side of things, he doesn’t have a lot of friends and the friends he does have he either doesn’t have any chemistry with or hate him (Saiki lol), so I think it’d be nice for him to have someone who is extremely caring/attentive to his friends and clearly cares deeply about them and shows it often. Because of this, Hairo shows interest in Toritsuka’s life, and for someone who probably hasn’t had many friends, that would mean a lot. Also the fact that Hairo cares so much for Toritsuka sets an example as to how to be a good friend/human would behave and could help him grow as a person (which are always the best friendships/relationships when they grow together rather than staying stagnant and dragging each other down). Being more caring of others and allow him to develop his interpersonal relationships with more than just ghosts, instead with real humans.

Also, I’ve taken to calling them the “errand boys” because it’s a great prompt to force two people who are polar opposites and would never interact to hang out/do an activity together, so I thought it fit them perfectly.

In the fic I changed a few things from canon (sexualities obviously- Tori is bi/queer and Hairo is gay. Although quick side-tangent- I’ve written Tori/Kaidou, Tori/Akechi, and now Tori/Hairo and all three of them either are Asexual or are often headcanonned as ace by the community/me and I just find it very funny that the horniest character is continuously shipped with them. I only realized I did this after I first started writing the fic.)

- Hairo explicitly has psychic powers (it’s something they can bond over and it’s something that plays off of Hairo’s emotions. Cue a lot of blushing not only because of embarrassment but also actual literal heat rushing to his face.)

- Hairo was raised by a single parent (His family is never mentioned so I just made one up)

- Personal headcanon, but I feel like Toritsuka might occasionally pretend to not see spirits in order to avoid getting approached.

- Toritsuka’s backstory has been slightly altered and has a lot more angst to an already pretty sad backstory (it’s played for laughs, but imagine how that would’ve felt for him :( he realized he lost two people he loved in a matter of minutes. Also, he’s a child when this happens so that’s even sadder. I honestly wonder if they died somewhere in the house or he was just there and his guardians didn’t know, like??? How???)

If this made you interested in reading the fic which this is all about, I’ll link it at the end, but if you were just here for the rant, that’s cool too! I’m obsessed with these two because they’re adorable and I must spread the gospel of Torihai.

Link to original fic-

[clearascountryair]

Okay so I still can't get over how perfect "We Visit the Garden Gnome Emporium" was and I have a lot of thoughts. I just can't get over how perfectly they're blending together character exploration and plot. It's all so perfect and cohesive and I want to talk a little about how they're dealing with the relationships between the characters.

Percy and Grover

I think at first we’re supposed to think Percy wants Grover on the quest because he is his only friend, so therefore has to be the traitor, but then at the end, we get that it’s just because Percy fully trusts that Grover won’t betray him because he is used to the world where he and Grover are each other’s only friends.  But that completely breaks for him when he finds out that Grover was Annabeth’s (and Luke and Thalia’s) protector first because he’s realizing that, while Grover would never betray him in malice, he, like Luke, might betray him if that’s what Annabeth needed (for safety, for the quest, for anything).  And it also speaks so loudly to Percy’s views of friendship and loyalty:  I don’t think Percy thinks he will be betrayed in some big malicious way.  I think that he believes it is tied to failing to save what matters most—he won’t be betrayed by a fake friend who actually hates him, but by a real friend who will try to stop him from saving his mom if it interferes with the quest.  He trusted that Grover will help him save his mom, even if that means risking the quest, but made that decision not knowing that Grover has an even longer history with Annabeth and might choose her not because he doesn’t love Percy, but because he loves Annabeth, too.

2. Annabeth and Percy

She’s so freaking determined to be the best.  And as must as I love that post going around on here and Twitter and TikTok about how Annabeth was struggling with the candy because, in addition to never having gone to a store before, she wanted to do something nice for Percy (and Grover), I don’t think it was just about friendship.  Percy was doubting her authority.  I don’t think she gives a crap (at least, she won’t admit to it) about whether or not he likes her.  I just don’t think she’s above buying his respect.  The way she refers to him is so mean?  Like, constantly referring to him as Grover’s friend, but in a way that feels like a pet.  She says “Grover, control your friend,” but might as well be saying “Control you dog.”  I could easily believe that she was effectively buying dog treats. But I also think both can be true.  Because she clearly was so hurt by what he said about them not being friends, so she must want to be friends. ***Very minor spoilers for the rest of the books here, so skip to the third section if you've never read them*** And the ONLY time Annabeth talks about something positive from the first seven years of her life in ALL ELEVEN BOOKS IN WHICH SHE PROMINENTLY FEATURES is when she talks about her dog.  For seven years, the only thing that loved her (and the only thing she loved) was her dog.  Obviously, she is 12 and knows that dogs aren’t people and people aren’t dogs,  but the only time she has probably ever had to work for someone’s affection and has been successful in that effort was probably with her dog.

(And yes, I know: Grover and Thalia and Luke.  But those friendships are all different because all three of them were in an inherent place of authority and protection over her.  I think we all tend to forget that while Grover and Annabeth appear the same age now, they probably didn’t when they met.  Thalia was the closest in age to her, and she’s still five years older.  And Annabeth doesn’t seem to have any other close friends).

I also love that it’s Percy who’s reluctant to the friendship here.  Annabeth is just too traumatized and un-socialized to do it on her own.  They’re not not friends because Annabeth is hung up on the Poseidon v Athena rivalry like she is in the books, they’re not friends because Annabeth (from Percy’s perspective) is a jerk.

3. Annabeth and Athena

The way Grover looks at her when Percy suggests leaving her hat with Medusa and she just says “Okay”!!!!  Like, you cannot tell me that that conversation went down the way it did with no relation to the earlier conversation with Medusa.  Despite her adamant defense of Athena, Annabeth was just told that her mother is a monster and a monster creator, straight from the mouth of one of her victims.  For the first time in her life, the pedestal Annabeth has put her mom on is deteriorating and, before Annabeth gets the chance to pry further, they kill Medusa.  And sure, this confirms to Annabeth that she was right.  But she can’t stop the nagging in her head that, even if Medusa is a monster, she’s a monster that Athena created and how can that mean Athena is anything other than a monster?  Especially when Medusa loved Athena just as Annabeth does.  Even if she doesn’t totally believe her, she doesn’t not believe her, either.  How can there not be a part of her brain that wonders, “will my mom turn on me one day, too?”  So when Percy suggests leaving her hat behind, that broken, doubting part of herself says, “Okay.”  Because, yes, it’s a gift from her mom.  But what does that mean when her mom is a monster?

(And so maybe we will get an Annabeth-driven emphasis on the Athena v Poseidon rivalry not because of Annabeth’s blind loyalty to her mother, but because she has seen what happens when favorites of Athena appear too loyal to Poseidon.)

[whinlatter]

thoughts about wolfstar? you're now the one i go to for any hp related thoughts

omg this is VERY nice of you but i'm pure flop on marauders thoughts, they're all extremely half-baked, so best left to others. here my half-baked wolfstar thoughts offered sheepishly and apologetically!

the thing is - i quite like the idea of wolfstar. to be honest i was sort of imagining a sort of wistful wolfstar vibe to how i wrote lupin in orchards in the aftermath of sirius' death. but i think the wolfstar i like is quite a specific version of it that's increasingly hard to find in fic searches so i don't often go looking for it (which is pure laziness on my part). my interest in canon coherent characterisation limits me here - i think there's such a strong case for wolfstar as a pairing written in ways that attend to the very clear dynamics (and timelines) that canon makes plausible (including in AUs, where actually characterisation matters more, not less, than in 'canon compliant' fics, because it's the reader's only anchor). there is an intensity and an intimacy to what sirius and remus share in the marauders and the significance of a boyhood spent together in their adult lives, a literal physical proximity of them living together as adults post azkaban as two men who have such complex feels towards themselves and especially to their bodies, including an overlapping self loathing, and they're both characters that can very plausibly read as queer-coded in rich and interesting ways. and then, of course, there's an inherent narrative shape to both of their canon arcs (the tragedy, delicious). these are just some of the dynamics in a potential romantic relationship between the two of them that can make for really rich and interesting potential to work with in fic writing.

the trouble i find with a lot of wolfstar, less as a matter of principle than what actually gets written more often than not, is that the stuff i personally find rewarding and interesting as a writer/reader is work that bears some relationship with the canon text (even if - especially if - it's to pull it apart and expose its flaws and complexities). a queer reading of the relationship between sirius and remus in canon is absolutely plausible and can be deeply compelling, and, as queering HP as a text remains a powerful fuck you to its author whose reaction to the ship was errrr quite homophobic, still really important.

but. challenging the text means having some sense of the characterisation of the essence of these characters as rendered in the text, and canon is clear about certain aspects of sirius and remus' characterisations that limits my enthusiasm for a lot of wolfstar that has sprung up in recent years (especially in and around ATYD, which i'll say more about in a minute). the truth is that canon strongly suggests that sirius cares much less about remus than he ever does about james (dropping @saintsenara's excellent manifesto for why unrequited prongsfoot is canon, also the rec for one of the best fics i read last year that @ashesandhackles put me onto, empire builders by shecrows, a gorgeous complex funny angsty prongsfoot fic that's not not canon compliant timeline-wise). it's also clear that the marauders as a friendship group functioned as a group of three boys all working towards james potter as the de facto leader, each with their own complicated feelings and levels of loyalty and devotion to james that undoubtedly shaped, and limited, how the other three felt towards each other (especially after james' death). the kind of wolfstar lore that's sprung up in the last few years, especially from marauderstok, of roadman remus the romeo of gryffindor tower that young sirius is wildly and hopelessly in love with, and is desperate to reunite with after azkaban, is a version of wolfstar that's sort of compelling as an original story but, for my taste, bears too little relationship to their core canon characterisation to be really up my street. a wolfstar with really fucked up power dynamics that plays with sirius' idolisation of james and remus having to play second fiddle? delicious. or even unrequited/onesided wolfstar from remus to sirius - yum. but the rest, i struggle with. by the time they've left school, remus thinks sirius is the spy and sirius thinks remus is the spy. that is not giving soulmates, in my mind. but as with most of these things, i'm very open to being proved wrong.

(with that said, though, i think the subculture and lore that's built around wolfstar is really astonishing and often extremely compelling, i think ATYD is obviously a huge accomplishment and deserves its flowers for launching such a phenomenon, and there's masses of quality writing and art and general creative talent coming out of wolfstar spaces that it's hard not to be continually impressed by. also some of those tiktok edits absolutely slap. that remus-centric animated noah kahan one. unreal)

[daedalusdavinci]

MY Davekat Fic Recs

i read everythign in the davekat tag a couple years back. yeah. everything. the whole bitch. it was a couple of years ago, so that might date this post, but heres a bunch of fics that i thought were so good i put a little note on them in my bookmarks about how hard they went

>Dave: survive three years on this rock

by MadSeason

Growing up on a flying meteor is hard work. You know this from experience. TG: dude what is this piece of shit you just sent me CG: TO PUT IT IN YOUR HUMAN TERMS: CG: IT’S A FUCKING LOVE STORY, DAVE. Well, it's a bit more than that.

this is a meteor fic, and youve read any davekat fics, thats a summary in of itself. however, from what i remember, this particular meteor fic goes really hard bc it does such a good job of building dave and karkats relationships with the other meteor residents and it leans hard into dave and roses friendship which is so important to me, bc guys they are BEST friends and theyre just so ; ; its just important ok. also according to the note i left for myself on this fic it made me cry a lot so thats always good

catch me, keep me

by CurlicueCal (@curlicuecal on tumblr)

Dave drops by the twinkle vermin class transport-ship Calliope to visit Captain Crocker and her crew. He engages Jake for some repair work, bugs his brothers of the corporeal and non-corporeal varieties, and stops in to harass chat with Karkat. Absolutely no flirting ensues.

frankly everything curlicuecal writes goes hard as fuck, so write that one down. read everything. they never miss. they are SO good at handling side characters and dealing w the complexities of homestuck characters, never shying away from the things that make them miserable little assholes. their fics are always so fun + funny and this is a really good one

just two guys being dudes being moirails and smooching a little

by MisPronounce_and_MisAccent

DAVE: yeah id be down DAVE: just two guys being dudes being moirails and smooching a little im not opposed DAVE: if youre cool with that A few options flit across your mind. The first is picking up the couch cushion next to you and screaming into it for a solid minute. The next is just screaming, sans-pillow. The third is, of course, throwing in the towel and flinging yourself off the meteor, because it is abundantly fucking apparent that you possess an inherent incapability to maintain any simple, good relationship without getting your feelings in a bullshit fucking twist. You decide to do none of this.

if you are like me and you really really love fics where they blur the lines between romantic and platonic and flushed and pale, this is the one. this is the fic.

Car Accident Blues

by ode

Dave Strider is good at looking fly, but he sure isn't good at not getting run over!

fuck i remember this one actually. its really short but its SO fucking funny

midnight soliloquy

by apocalypticTaco

If you had the time, you could wax poetic about every inch of him. Well, it’s past midnight. You could spare a few minutes to wax. If someone asked you what was it specifically about Karkat that you fall head over heels over, you honestly could not tell. It's everything.

its short and sweet, really cute fluffpiece. i CANNOT remember this users tumblr un anymore but they were huge in the davekat fandom for a while and they have a really good grasp on dave and karkat as characters which makes all of their davekat fics hit hard. highly recommend checking out their whole page rlly

We've Got Time

by acedavestrider (@acedavestrider on tumblr i think)

He’s very pointedly trying not to smile, trying not to give you the satisfaction of knowing you made him smile, but his eyes completely give him away. They’re far too fond to give any sort of impression other than absolutely smitten, regardless of how hard he’s trying to seem annoyed, and the way he blinks at you - quickly like he’s trying to clear his vision, like he’s trying to figure out if you’re real or if he’s imagining you - is enough to make your heart swoop in your chest.

another REALLY cute sweet one. honestly i think this is one of my favorite davekat fics ever. acedavestrider writes some of the best davekat in general and you should 100% read all of their stuff, because it ALL goes this hard. ofc anyone w a un this good is bound to have a good grasp on the characters so like what more do you even need me to say

Fait Accompli(cation)

by IntelligentAirhead (@dragonomatopoeia on tumblr, but im p sure it was cowritten w someone else? dunno theirs)

In Which a Mutant and an Alien Meander Towards a Quadrant of Indeterminate Identity at a Glacial Pace While Examining the Internalized Toxicity Perpetuated by Their Respective Societies, and The Nature of Friendship is Determined to Be More Universal Than Originally Theorized [Banned In Alternia]

this IS the best davekat fanfiction. this is the one. ive read it multiple times and its good each time. im just going to copy my notes straight from ao3 on this one, i think theyre from a second reread some time after the first

"ok this does slap. this slaps super hard. its a meteorstuck fic wherein karkat and dave both have to question toxic ideas theyve internalized from their own planets and eventually fall in love and get together. no one is delegated to rosemary therapist, all of the charas are beautiful and just as important, and the characterization is so flawless it couldve been written by hussie himself. this TOTALLY holds up, holy shit

"#literally the most beautiful piece of prose known to man"

The Eurydice Suite, v2.0

by callmearcturus (@callmearcturus on tumblr)

Dream-sharing: a highly illegal little industry in which agents delve into people's dreams, and unearth their deepest secrets and memories. Within this business, the Strider-Lalondes are known as the best there is — until Dirk Strider gets his fool-ass trapped within the confines of his own subconscious, with his Auto-Responder playing malicious prison warden. To save him, the best and brightest dreamers in the world will have to form a team. Backed by the token rich friend, lead by the surliest extractor ever bribed out of retirement, haunted by the shade of the latest, greatest agent in the biz, and on the run through a dangerous tiered dream in a hostile mind... It's going to take a miracle to pull this one off.

ive read this one so many times and honestly its still really good. the writing style is fantastic and i have spent many a year trying to capture the same beautiful atmosphere arc does. its a really creative au with really cool ideas about classpects and the characterization in this fic is awesome

Crash Standing

by Asuka Kureru (@asukaskerian on tumblr)

It's been eight days since the end of Sburb and Davesprite is not coping especially well.

ive already listed my favorite davekat fic, but THIS is my favorite homestuck fic period of all time ever the end. this is the best one. this is the ONLY one, as far as im concerned. you dont want to know how many times ive reread this fic ok. i love davesprite/karkat way more than i love dave/karkat (bc you know me w my doomed characters) and the way this author handles the interpersonal relationships between not just karkat and ds but also like ds and all of the OTHER characters is SO. GOOD. davesprite and kanayas relationship in particular lives in my brain rent free at all fucking times oh my god they are so perfect. shes so perfect. i love kanaya so much in this. oh my god and JOHN. the senor strider thing is so fucking funny sldkjfnsdf just. AUGH. its such a good fic just trust me ok just trust me

there are probably more i could recommend but its been so long since i read them im just going to stick to these bc like. man. i do NOT remember some of the bookmarks ive got in there anymore. ask me again when i finally snap and reread homestuck

[operationslipperypuppet]

Any new shipping/romantic thoughts about Arryox, Melisa, and Telaine?

oh boy friend do i have thoughts.

i spent the entirety of yesterday compiling and pouring over the limited amount of lore we have ever gotten on our eladrin adventurers (with han, shoutout) and i have thought about a lot.

these shipping thoughts for them aren’t exactly new. but they are fun.

telaine and aryox both, separately, loved and appreciated melora louder than they did each other. because she was an easier target of their affection. because she was calm and collected while they were passionate and calculating. because she was stalwart. but that didn’t erase the love they had for one another and the fierceness that was present in all their interactions. sure, they butted heads, but they put as much passion into their arguments as they did their feelings for one another. they just didn’t say it as much.

when they met, they fell fast. but let it grow before acting on it. there is an inherent love that grows while you adventure (provided there is genuine trust between the members of your party), who the people are simply dictate how that love takes shape. for them, it was romantic love in addition to the love that comes from a friendship forged in fire. they didn’t start something right away, but by the time they killed the god and split the heart, it was just a completion of a process they had already started. they had been sharing a heart for a while.

melora never once lost love for them, in the millennia after aryox was dead and telaine was gone. in erasing the knowledge of their names and their powers, she protected them from the world using them. because that was all she ever wanted to do. protect the world, but her friends first. she only revealed telaine as a last resort to save everyone. because she loved her. telaine is a painter. melora’s demiplane is painted.

telaine’s love for them, even after she was forced out, remained, just not as steadily as melora’s did. she still visited the place they just to hide away during their adventuring days. none of her murals depict either of them in a bad light. she was mad at them both, certainly. but that anger lulled as time passed. and was mostly fueled by the fact that she loved them so fiercely, the betrayal cut deeper.

after telaine was banished, melora and aryox did not remain together. that time was relatively brief, as aryox’s punishment for breaking the pact loomed, but they didn’t try. it would not have been the same.

aryox considered, at some point (perhaps after he gave up the heart, i have conflicting theories on how that played out), going to apologize to telaine for his actions. people could enter and exit her plane. ultimately, he decided not to, possibly because he knew he was newly mortal and she could have struck him down. and he wouldn’t do that to her. allow her to do that. because maybe without an apology she would never forgive him. but if she killed him she’d never forgive herself. and she would lose melora forever. so he didn’t. he protected them. as he promised.

anyway that was a lot and it was also fun. please join me in insanity about these three it’s very fun.

[deripmaver]

I keep sending you links (. ❛ ᴗ ❛.)

Interested to hear your opinion on this: https://www.jacksonpbrown.com/anime-and-manga/2020/7/26/on-berserk-and-femininity

Have a good day <3

HAHAHA that's fine, another incredible article and I absolutely agree with all of it. I love the varying portrayals of femininity in Berserk, and while I do grumble about how all the women are attracted to either Guts or Griffith, outside of that they're all three dimensional with their own dreams, goals, and stories.

I think when a lot of male writers try to make feminine but still badass characters they sort of over-correct with the feminine aspects of them, very much like... "She can kick ass while still in heels!" Even if that's not realistic. I love how all of the female characters in Berserk. esp Casca, have this dichotomy where they feel insecure and incomplete for not being feminine enough as dictated by this misogynistic society, feel resentment for society for forcing these feminine ideals on her, and meanwhile are being crushed by the hatred the world has for them for being women. They don't feel like they're trying too hard to be "female characters," they're characters who have realistic reactions to being female in a misogynistic world with all its contradictions. It's kinda wild to have that level of complexity from a cishet male mangaka.

Both Casca getting her period and also Casca's later miscarriage feel very appropriate - in a violently misogynistic society, the very aspects inherent to being a (cis lol) woman can become violence in and of themselves.

ALSO IM GLAD THAT THE AUTHOR BROUGHT UP THE CLEAR DIFFERENCE IN FRAMING BETWEEN THE GUTS X CASCA SEX AND THE GRIFFITH X CHARLOTTE SEX SCENES. On the one hand you have two characters mutually coming together, with Casca's POV at the forefront - on the other hand you have Griffith coercing and dominating Charlotte to reclaim some sense of power after being left by Guts. Also >inb4 this isn't some ship war nonsense ok but the circumstances leading up to each individual sex scene very much set the stage for how they are framed, as below:

Just like I said in my meta!!!!! Hehehehe

There's so much more to say about all the women in Berserk which are outlined in the article so I def recommend reading it. My one very minor gripe is that I think it's a bit harsh on Charlotte LOL because I really like her as well. I do get how she functions as the "ideal woman" in the story, who Griffith overlooks Casca for, who is small and delicate and feminine while Casca feels manly and ugly, but I think it's ultimately Griffith who deserves the approbation for how he uses Charlotte at the expense of the rest of the BotH, Casca included, to fulfil his power fantasies. I think she's very naive and childish, and the more I think about it I think even in the latest arc she's intended to be the sort of "ideal woman," cooking for Griffith even though she's a princess and why tf would she do any cooking LOL. However, I also think it's inevitable that she's going to be in huge trouble soon, once she's outlived her usefulness to Griffith, or if she tries to defy him, which could serve as an interesting commentary on how the "ideal woman" is not afforded any agency and will lose her status if she ever tries to gain some.

Also, this article was written prior to the continuation, but I think it'll be interesting to see Charlotte and Sonia's reaction to Casca's trauma now that she's in Falconia. For both of them, it opens up two possible paths: shake their faith in Griffith and have them, as women, support Casca against him, or have them dig their heels in even more. Miura has been really into the inherent safety of female friendships up to now, so it'll be interesting to see if he keeps with that theme, or if he does change it up a bit.

Anyways that's it LOL tysm again!!

[giraffeclass]

my personal thoughts about the whole queerbait discourse regarding the daddies that are buddies

So. Do I think Buddy Daddies is queerbait? There's two things to analyze there. First, is the marketing of the show geared towards grabbing a BL audience? I'm not japanese nor speak the language so it's impossible for me accurately make a judgement on that.

But at least regarding the show itself, I don't think so. Like, I don't think the show is promising anything it isn't delivering? It's very straightforward about Kazuki and Rei having a strong partnership as roommates/coworkers/friends, and both being Miri's dads and the three of them being family and that's it, it never hints at anything else, never goes "wink wink nudge nudge are they a couple~? ;333"

Like in episode 4 for example(the daycare episode) it would have been so easy to sneak in some bait-y jokes, have a teacher assume they're a couple and then show Kazuki denying it getting all nervous and blushy, but they don't do that. They directly say "Yes, we are both her fathers" and no other characters in the episode question that or make any suggestive comments. What you see is what you get. It ends up being pretty refreshing how easily accepted it is.

Basically I think the show is like... non-hostile to a queer interpretation while also not feeding any false hope I guess?

And of course there's a lot of subtext, whether that subtext is accidental or not. Just the premise itself is already inherently queer. At the end of the day, this anime has a message of acceptance for non-conventional families, which is very queer-positive, whether intentional or not.

I started this show genuinely thinking it was gonna be generic bait and so far I've honestly just been pleasantly surprised? Like I just don't feel like they're dangling something in front of me or whatever. idk I'm just enjoying the ride lol

also here's the thing. I actually tend to really enjoy the more ambiguous/subtle kind of relationship writing, the kind of stuff that blurs the line between friendship and romance, and so I gravitate towards a lot of stuff that people would usually consider queerbait lol. I just love the concept of two people who have this deep and unspoken trust and love for each other and don't need precise words to define it, or don't know how to define it, or are not emotionally honest enough yet to define it, but the love is clear as day. Like I love it when two characters refuse to even call each other "friend" but you know they would die for each other lmao.

Best example I can think of is G/ood Omens(the show, haven't read the book yet). Lots of queer people complained that they never kiss or outright say "I love you" or anything like that, meanwhile I was there like oh shit, I actually really loved the way their relationship was portrayed in the show and wouldn't change a single thing about it

I do understand the feelings of people who want something that leaves absolutely no room to be interpreted as platonic, and I think we need more of that always. But also I feel like the discourse has lost a lot of nuance, idk. anyway I got off topic oops

[well-dressedwords]

Notes from Re-watch #?

The scriptwriters continue to amaze me as I dig deeper into things that are set up and referred back to:

I find it interesting that Xiao Lanhua’s conversation with Changheng - when he tries to call her to her responsibilities as the Goddess while she is still XLH – ends up foreshadowing her choice when she does have to be the Goddess.

“I am (Orchid), not the Goddess of Xishan. It’s like when you are Xiao Run, not Changheng. Xiao Run doesn’t need to bear the burden of Changheng, because they are not the same person.”

Because the way she handles actually becoming the Goddess of Xishan is a reflection of that conversation. She didn’t need to bear the Goddess’s burden while she was still (only) XLH, but as soon as they revive her with all of her memories, she takes responsibility for who she is.

As she told Tuanwu, she “saw what she needed to see: the three realms, her love with DFQC, her friendships with people in all three realms (I’d say Xiao Run and Xie Wanqing can count as mortal friends) and lost what she needed to lose – the fulfillment of her love. Because she got to live her dream of being DFQC’s wife, even if it wasn’t in “reality” – at the end of the day, it was real enough for her. And now that DFQC has chosen to leave their dream, she has to also accept his choice and become her Goddess self with the inherent responsibilities of protecting the three realms from Tai Sui.

Ironically, Changheng is just as offended by how she acts as the Goddess as he was by XLH not immediately accepting her responsibilities as part of the Xilan tribe. And yet he is also able to make the choice to be Xiao Run later on so that he can be happier as well.

Second, when DFQC is being yanked around by XLH at Simingdian at the beginning, he rages to Shangque that he’ll become her servant for real if she realizes the power the curse gives her over him. Of course, later on, he desperately wants to be her servant both for the reason of staying by her side, and because he actually DOES want to care for her in every way he can. Instead of furious at his servitude, he actually wants to serve his beloved. The contrast is just *chef’s kiss*

Slight crack thoughts:

Can we talk about Changheng’s sucky choices in friends? Through no fault of his own!! Ronghao’s been lying to him for as long as they’ve been friends (when they met at Chidi’s memorial) and tries to kill the girl he’s in love with. Dongfang is deceiving him in regards to why they’re hanging out in the mortal realm (though there were definitely times of true friendship between them), and though I wouldn’t count him as a friend, his servant Qingchun is constantly interrupting his chances of getting somewhere with Xiao Lan Hua and recalling him to his duties.

Honestly, his friendship with Danyin as both Cricket and herself when she gets over him is probably going to be the most healthy relationship he’s had, which should give him a good balance for when DFCQ comes back (and is going to be mostly occupied with his wife).

As terrible as Yun Zhong is as a leader, I’ve got to laugh at how many prisoners escaped in a three month period. I would guess the last 30,000 years were pretty peaceful if you were just living in Shui Yun Tian and not experiencing the constant attacks that Changheng was leading against the Moon Tribe, but you’ve got:

Dongfang Qingcang (though it takes a while for them to realize this)

The other nameless criminals who escaped when he destroyed Haotian Tower

Changheng

Ronghao

Ronghao again

Technically Chidi was under house arrest, pending execution? And Ronghao absconded with her

I would hope the trend would continue with Li Yuan being broken out, maybe by Changheng to repay Danyin for helping him out twice? I’d hate for that guy to be dead when less worthy people are still alive and free (*ahem* Yun Zhong)

The only person who doesn’t escape their punishment is Yulin, because she doesn’t have any real friends to either help her or blackmail someone who can help her. I wonder if her mother even had time to try and save her; she seemed to be taken straight from Fairy Court to her execution/immortal bones being removed. Which, eugh, just trying to think of what that would entail is terrible.

One of XLH and DFQC’s first conversations is about how stealing someone’s job is like killing one’s mother.

So when she sacrifices herself for his people, when it was his job, I think beyond the agony of losing her, he’s also frustrated that he couldn’t fulfill his duty by himself. On the other hand, I think XLH could’ve seen it as fulfilling her duty as the Moon Supreme’s wife & partner – saving the people she chose as her own.

And then finally he goes and steals “her job” – her destiny - as both an act of love to save her, and (tongue in cheek) either stealing her job as revenge OR taking her burden on as her husband.

Without intentionally trying to stay balanced, they nevertheless do balance out their sacrifices for each other because their love is just that all-encompassing.

[crystal-verse]

Day 11 - Surrogate

[brief and vague mentions of pregnancy and childbirth. featuring lyna's parents, and queerplatonic relationships between the two of them and the exarch]

It escapes them, some days, just how lucky they are to have Dulna and Vaimet by their side. Then, of course, he is reminded, by a stray word or some thing he'd forgotten that one of the two had dealt with in his stead; by a stray pat on his shoulder, or the way one of the two would so casually yet carefully press a shoulder against one of his.

He is very close with the two, the Exarch -- Raha, though the name is feeling less and less his each day -- knows. The two had been the first to meet the Exarch, really, back when they were just Raha, an unnamed Mystel of some amount of power. They are perhaps the only ones to know his face, here in Norvrandt; all those who had met him in those initial years, so confusing and chaotic with the Flood having been so soon, are either dead or no longer remember them, and the Exarch cannot help but be grateful for it. They are more and more strange, living without aging, ageless and timeless just like the crystal that crawls further and further up their arm and shoulder, and while the Exarch knows that 'tis to prevent any recognition on the part of either Warrior of Light when they are eventually summoned. . . it is also a small source of comfort, keeping their face hidden, being an anonymous face to match their simple role. (Or -- 'twas supposed to be a simple role, at least.)

Dulna and Vaimet have never betrayed that trust, either -- they are always naught but professional when in public, the commander of the guard and his second-in-command who are ever loyal and respectful of the Crystal Exarch's time and duty. But behind the closed doors of the Tower, the two shed those roles like masks, the same way that the Exarch lowers his hood and is simply Raha again, for however long it lasts. There is comfort, between the three of them. Raha does not know quite what he would call it, but they are -- close, certainly. Not lovers, no -- they are well aware of what romance feels like, what infatuation swelling in their heart feels like (for they still love Sae'pheli'ehva, all these many, many years later) -- but neither is it quite friendship. There is friendship there but it is. . . it is different, somehow. (Raha hesitates to say closer, as if this relationship -- whatever it is -- is inherently better than friendship, as if romance is inherently better, but Raha does not know how to phrase it.)

It is not romantic love, at the least. Raha is certain of that. The Exarch, themself, had been the one to officiate Dulna and Vaimet's wedding, at their own shared request, and they know that just as they do not view the two in that light, neither do either of them view Raha like that. Still -- still, there is closeness. A deep bond, enough that Raha trusts them with his face, with his name, even. (He has not spoken of his past, but. . . they do not pry. When the memories grow too heavy, enough to choke, Vaimet will sit with him, oftentimes humming something beneath his breath, and will sometimes shift Raha to sit with his head pressed against Vaimet's chest, to hear the heartbeat. When Raha cannot carry the weight of all the grief he is forced to bear, Dulna will talk of whatever comes to her mind, until Raha is tethered in the current time and can breathe a bit easier.)

(It is not romantic love. It does not have to be. Raha loves them regardless, whatever this relationship might be.)

Perhaps they should be less surprised, then, at the request that is made of him.

"We want a baby." Dulna had said, one morning, with little preamble.

Raha raised merely blinked in response. ". . .alright. Were you wanting to adopt one of the orphans from the Sin Eater attacks. . .?"

Dulna looks at him as if he is stupid. Perhaps he is. "No," she says, enunciating carefully, "we want a baby."

"I'm. . . afraid I don't grasp your meaning?" Much more of this and Raha will be truly well and baffled.

Vaimet huffs, quietly, his shaking shoulders the only sign that he is repressing further laughter. "We want a child of our own blood." He explains, leaning his weight on one leg. "And I cannot sire a child, on account of lacking the necessary parts. So we need a surrogate."

"Ah. Well, I can. . . see about who would be willing to. . .?" Raha trails off, shrinking in on themself slightly as Dulna's expression only gets stonier.

She sighs, pinches the bridge of her nose. "Raha." (He does not startle at the name, but there is a fluttering in his chest regardless.) "You beautiful, beautiful fool of a man."

"I'm. . . sorry?" Well. Now Raha is baffled.

Vaimet, then, seems unable to restrain himself any longer, finally laughing loud enough that he is breathless for several moments. "We want a baby." He repeats. "And we want you to be the surrogate."

They -- "ah." Raha says, simply. They then proceed to scream into their hands.

After Raha has finished making a fool of himself, and Vaimet has finished laughing, and Dulna has sighed the last of her exasperated-if-fond sighs, the three properly sit down and plan how they are going to go about this. (Raha is awkward enough about it to make Vaimet laugh, and Dulna snicker at them, so even if Raha is horribly embarrassed the entire time, 'tis at least worth the smiles. And -- 'tis not as if the three of them have not seen each other naked, various times, between the damage from fights and needing to patch one another up or simply wishing to forgo the heavy layers of clothing amidst summer heat, so it's really the point of the whole thing that has Raha so embarrassed to begin with.)

It's Dulna that shall bear the child, they decide -- well. Vaimet and Dulna decide. Raha is mostly happy to be included, after he has eventually gotten over the awkwardness (as much as he ever will, at least). Vaimet is captain of the guard and presumed to be the same as any ordinary man by those who do not know him well enough, and Dulna is willing enough to take some time off from the regular guard rotation, once the pregnancy gets into its later months.

(Raha is still embarassed the entire time, but -- they do feel so very honored, that Dulna and Vaimet would trust them with something like this. And happy, of course, always happy to spend time with the both of them, individually or together.)

Time passes. The general public assumes that Dulna's child is Vaimet's -- and why should they not? 'Tis not as if there is anything to say otherwise. (And 'tis not like there is any stigma or judgement against those like Vaimet -- but Vaimet is older than a fair few of the Crystarium's citizens, by now, and values his privacy just as much as the Exarch does.) For the ease of avoiding any rumors, the Exarch does hope that the child will resemble Dulna more. (Raha hopes that his own Viera blood, however much of it there is, will shine through and hide any traits that would suggest a Mystel parent. Better for all their privacy if the child looks naught but Viis.)

Dulna and Vaimet toss about possible names for the child, through the months, but Vaimet is insistent that Raha should get a say, as well. Dulna reminds them that Raha will be involved in the child's upbringing regardless -- as if Raha would forget that. In the end, 'tis Vaimet's idea for the child to take the latter half of Dulna's name, for Raha's idea to name them Lyna. Dulna, smirking victoriously, declares that she does not care for whatever the gossipmongers may think, so long as their child (their child, claiming Raha as Lyna's parent just as much as Vaimet and Dulna are, and it makes a fragile little warmth bloom in Raha's chest) grows up happy, and loved, and cared for.

"We can claim you're their grandfather." Vaimet jokes, one stormy day when all are in their dwellings -- a rare day, where the Light is not quite so blinding.

"And what would that accomplish?" Raha raised an eyebrow, curious. "I assume that Lyna will discover the truth eventually, if they are not raised knowing it." They wrinkle their nose at a sudden thought. "I certainly would not like it assumed that I am a parent to either of you."

Vaimet only shrugs. "Well, we don't want them calling you father in public." And that is the issue, isn't it. The masks, and the roles. As far as anyone knows -- as far as anyone can confirm, at any rate, which has to be good enough -- they are simply Vaimet and Dulna, happily wed couple expecting their first child, employed as heads of the Crystarium guard, and the Crystal Exarch, kind but distant from all, a mysterious mage who's face and name is unknown to all. "Besides, you have taken time to interact with the other orphans and various children -- you've enough grandfatherly airs about you, when you want."

Before Raha can respond to that, Dulna cuts in. "We will figure it out when we get there." She declares. "For now, let us just enjoy the rest, hm?"

And so the time continues to pass. (Vaimet, Dulna, and Raha work on that idea, some -- the Exarch most certainly can put a grandfatherly aura about him, when he wants. Vaimet near laughs himself sick at it, and Raha can't help but join in. The many orphans, certainly, are grateful for the attention from their so very respected Exarch, and the orphanage caretakers, and the Settlement Council, are glad for their own brief respite from work as the Exarch takes time to care for the children for some hours out of a week, every now and then.)

(Raha worries, as the months go by, about what Lyna would inherent from them. If they would inherit anything at all. Would they get the curve of his nose? The pale shade of his skin, so unlike Dulna's deep reddish brown? Would Lyna get the red of Raha's hair, or the upward slant of their eyes? Would they get Raha's own full lips, or would they take after Dulna with thinner ones? Would there be any Allagan blood made present, in Lyna? Would their eyes be the one thing to mark them as being Raha's?)

It is another stormy day, when the child is finally born. Vaimet paces circles in the small washroom they had absconded to, the three of them, muttering under his breath, while Raha's hand is held in Dulna's white-knuckled grip. It is over rather more quickly than any of the three of them had expected, but it leaves them all exhausted -- nonetheless, there is nothing more memorable than the cries of a newborn infant.

Lyna's ears are clearly Viis, as is their short stub of a tail. Their skin is paler than Dulna's, but still a rich brown, and the downy fur on their ears and head is an off-white color, a pale echo of Dulna's near-black shade of purple. They sneeze, and open their eyes, and Raha can feel the breath leave his lungs. Lyna's eyes are a purple the color of Lakeland -- this, too, they did not inherit from him. Allag has no claim on them, despite his contribution to their parentage. There shall be no other sanguine-eyed individuals in Norvrandt, or on the entire First. Raha weeps, and they do not know if it is in loss or in relief.

[chdmeeksmartins]

Which of the three Scream 6 killers do you see as the most likely to be sincerely 'rehabilitated' or at least deeply remorseful one day in the (distant!) future? I wanted to write a fic where I explore this particular issue, by the way, and whether any of our core four could or SHOULD ever forgive them :) Also, what do you think Richie, Quinn and Ethan were each like individually and as siblings in the years prior to Richie's murder spree and death? Obviously there had to be hints of instability and darkness even then, but do you see Richie as the most imbalanced and unrepentant? Were they once all semi-decent kids just trying to impress and protect their father and one another? Was Quinn close to Richie or to Ethan? Do you think they suspected that Richie could or would murder people before he actually did? Did their father directly encourage their sociopathy? You get the idea ---please talk as long as you want since you know how much I always love your answers!

okay this ask is SO good, but i’m going to get a bit lengthy on this one so i’m adding a read more <3

out of the three scream 6 killers, i’m honestly not sure which one is the most likely to be remorseful/rehabilitated. my gut instinct is to say either ethan or quinn, just purely because they’re younger and have more of their lives ahead of them? and i think with that in mind, they’d be more likely to feel bad about it only because they threw their lives away.

(imo, they would NOT regret avenging their bro.)

but i think the idea of your AU is really interesting and could be fascinating to explore. i feel like, with that in mind, maybe ethan would work best due to his friendship with chad? but i don’t know! i feel like either of the two of them are likely options.

now, when it comes to the siblings personalities & dynamics pre-canon? i have a LOT of thoughts…

richie was definitely the favored older son, who is definitely at least a couple of years older than his siblings. i think he was probably around 25 when he died and quinn was about 21-22 in scream 6 while ethan was the same age as chad and in the 18-19 range. so that’s, at the very least, a 5 year gap between him and his siblings if you factor in the fact he died a whole year before scream 6.

quinn was definitely the most outgoing/social out of the siblings although i think a bit of her “slutty” roommate persona was just for the cover… and a bit of coping mechanism for her trauma as well. but she totally has the vibe that she was popular and never had trouble making friends — or even any issue with the fact that people don’t like her.

ethan was 100% the stereotypical youngest kid and he was probably a crybaby growing up lmao.

i’d have to find the post, but i saw someone share their headcanon here awhile back that richie had quinn and ethan help with his stab fan-films and that is TOTALLY canon to me! quinn always got to be the final girl while ethan was always the victim.

i’m kind of inclined to think quinn & ethan were the closest out of the siblings, both due to the age gap with richie and because i think det. bailey and richie had a very special father/son bond that kind of made way for quinn & ethan to become close.

i also HC that quinn would always be the first one to tease ethan but if anyone at school bullied or bothered him then she’d be there in an instant to essentially fight his battles for him 😅 (which, imo, is totally backed up by the scene in 6 when quinn reaches the balcony and ethan so joyfully is like “you guys are so fucked now!” … like she’s always been the protective sibling to both ethan & richie.)

i think the bailey-kirsch family like… very clearly has some screws loose, but i think richie’s issues inherently come from the fact that wayne coddled him too much and never curbed his bad traits.

(this kind of ties into a HC i have that their mom died when the kids were really young but….)

i feel like quinn & ethan definitely had an inkling that richie had to the capability to hurt people, but it kind of raises the question to me that with the way their father idolized him… did the two of them even see that as a bad thing? or was richie’s killer instinct something their dad admired and they kind of wished they had more of themselves?

i also know this is definitely a debated topic in the fandom but i do objectively think ethan had some hangs-ups on the favoritism of richie. like, in the monologue det. bailey has about the special bond between a father and his first-born son there’s a very clear acting choice from jack champion to react to that with some pain that i can’t ignore.

i also think there’s a LOT to be said about quinn’s position as the only girl in a family full of boys that seemingly does not have a present mother but that’s a topic for different post because that alone could be as long as this one is right now lmao.

this has gotten LONG so i’ll leave us off on some fun head-canons lol

quinn 100% mains bowser in mario kart and ethan mains yoshi… she’s also not above literally shoving the controller out of his hands in order to win 🤷

they are also SUPER hyper competitive around each other and struggled to hide that from the friend group in scream 6 lol there was definitely an instance of quinn shoving ethan or his remote during mario kart that earned her a whole essay from chad on how cheating is rude while ethan had to try and suppress his laughter LMAO

okay, one last side note, i actually am curious on how ethan and quinn successfully hid the fact they were siblings from the group because even with fake identities that kind of bond seems really hard to hide to me but that’s a separate essay…

[banorawhite]

1 (for ffvii) and 2 for Genesis! 🖤

ah i’m so sorry this is late!! had a lot of fun answering them though 💞

1 - otp for ffvii?

oh this is hard, i find so many dynamics in ff7 interesting and compelling! i’m going to have to cheat and list a few

aerti - if i HAD to choose a single ship as my favourite i’d probably say them! they absolutely have the best chemistry in the game, though i think what really draws me to them is that they GET each other. they’re open with each other and there’s definitely a spark going on, barely 5 minutes after meeting they’re planning a date. they absolutely were on a date in costa del sol!!

zakkura - where do i begin?? country boys. they’re laughing together in 5 seconds. zack is one of the first people to genuinely care about cloud. cloud invited zack to his house. zack DIED protecting cloud. zack continues haunting cloud long after his death. they just care for each other SO MUCH, they’re both important to the other, they are both so bright around each other. (and that’s ignoring EVERYTHING about these two in the rebirth ending)

ags - i love every variation of these three! (and it just makes watching everything fall apart in crisis core that much worse). the push and pull with sephgen, childhood friendship and intimate understanding with gengeal, quiet but resolute loyalty and supportiveness with sephgeal. they balance each other so well and i’m in love with their dynamic. if i had to choose a favourite duo it would probably be sephgen - there’s tension between them from differing vulnerabilities/insecurity, there’s rivalry, but also passion and it’s clear they really care about the other. paired with the inherent tragedy that comes from canon and there’s so MUCH to dig into with their dynamic that’s highly enjoyable!

strifesodos - ohhhh they make me insane. i LOVE thinking about post canon with these two. you have cloud coming out of his identity crisis and finding his feet again, gen reorientating to a world that’s suddenly unfamiliar to him; they’re both trying to figure out who they are and what they want. there’s also a LOT of history that’s kind-of-shared, kind-of-parallel, and having them dig into that is delicious. there is so much potential. also there’s the fact that gen has only ever met cloud as CLOUD, which is probably refreshing for cloud

i don’t think i can write any more mini essays but i also really like cloti, zerith and clerith - i’m a massive multishipper, and ff7 spoils me when there are so many great dynamics going on!

2 - ot3 for genesis

i feel like i’ve already covered my main ot3 with ags, but i’m also intrigued by gen/cloud/tifa. i haven’t thought too deeply about them yet but their dynamic seems really fun and interesting, there’s a lot of possibility going on there!