#but i still feel this for other characters i don't post as much

[kckt88]

A Heartbeat Between Us III

Summary:

Aemond and Y.N attend a scan for their baby and arguements ensue when Alys and Jace reappear.

Warning(s): Angst, Drama, Arguing, Discussion of Past Trauma, Swearing, Threat of Violence, Mild Jealousy, Allusions to Sex.

AEMOND x Y.N

Word Count: 6454

A.N - Bit of a filler chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the House of The Dragon or Fire & Blood characters nor do I claim to own them. I do not own any of the images used.

Comments, likes, and reblogs are very much appreciated, do not copy/post to other sights without my permission.

Tag List - @jasminecosmic99 @kaelatargaryen @yesterdayfeelings-blog @immyowndefender @0eessirk8 @killua2dot0 @msassenach @xcharlottemikaelsonx @moonnicole @toodlesxcuddles @mamawiggers1980 @minttea07 @nommingonfood

Y.N. stirred as the soft rustling of clothes caught her attention. Her eyes fluttered open, catching sight of Aemond standing at the edge of the bed, already half-dressed, pulling on his shirt in the early morning light.

"What time is it?" she murmured, her voice thick with sleep.

Aemond glanced at her, buttoning his shirt. "6 a.m.," he replied, smoothing his collar. "I need to head home and shower before work." He walked over, leaning down to press a soft kiss to her forehead. "Go back to sleep."

Y.N. blinked a few times, shaking her head. "No, I need to get up too. I have a book restoration to finish for a client," she said, stretching her arms above her head.

Aemond paused for a moment, looking at her with concern. "Is that safe for the baby?"

Y.N. gave him a reassuring smile. "I wear a mask and gloves. It should be fine."

He nodded, clearly still thinking it over but trusting her judgment. "Thanks for letting me stay last night," he said quietly, brushing a lock of hair away from her face.

"It's okay," she smiled back, her eyes soft.

Aemond leaned in and kissed her lips, a lingering gesture that seemed reluctant to let go. "Make sure you have a healthy breakfast," he murmured as he pulled back.

Y.N. mockingly saluted him. "Yes, sir."

Something shifted in Aemond at her words, a flash of heat lighting up in his eye. He leaned closer, his forehead resting against hers, the air between them suddenly thick with tension.

"You’d do well to listen to me," he whispered, his voice low, laced with intent. "Or I’ll have to punish you."

Y.N. giggled softly, clearly enjoying the playful edge to his words. "I might like it, Daddy."

The growl that came from Aemond was deep and possessive. He claimed her mouth with a fierce kiss, laying her back down on the bed as his body pressed over hers, the heat between them flaring back to life.

"I'm going to be late" muttered Aemond torn between desire and responsibility as the covers slipped revealing Y.N’s naked body.

Y.N. bit her lip, an apologetic smile tugging at the corners. "Sorry."

Aemond smirked wickedly, his eye dark with lust. "Don't be." He kissed her again, his hands moving quickly to undo his trousers, freeing his hard cock.

"I thought you were going to be late?" teased Y.N

Aemond glanced down at her bare body, his hunger for her consuming any fleeting thought of punctuality.

"It’s worth it," he growled, as he took his cock in hand and sheathed himself inside her in a single thrust.

Y.N. burst through the door of the bookstore, cheeks flushed and slightly out of breath.

“I’m so sorry I’m late!” she called out, her words spilling out in a rush.

For all the worrying about Aemond being late this morning, it ended up being her who was running behind.

Damn him and his big cock.

Luckily, Aemond had dropped her off, so she wasn’t that late, but still.

She didn’t like showing up behind schedule, especially with so much work to do. Wasting no time, Y.N. headed straight to the back room where her restoration materials were waiting.

She slipped on her gloves and mask with practiced ease, feeling a sense of calm settle over her as she focused on the task at hand.

The book in front of her was old, its cover worn, pages delicate from years of handling. She’d been commissioned to restore it by a client who cherished it, and she felt the weight of that responsibility.

The process was time-consuming and required precision—every movement measured; every touch careful. But there was something so satisfying about it. Bringing an old, damaged book back to life, piece by piece, always filled her with pride.

A couple of hours passed in a quiet blur, Y.N. so absorbed in her work that she almost forgot the time. She was just about to take a break when her phone buzzed on the worktable beside her.

It was a message from Helaena: ‘Lunch at the café round the corner? xoxo’

Y.N. smiled and texted back a quick, ‘Yes, see you in ten xx’, before tidying up her workstation. She placed the restored pages back into their protective covers, wiped down her tools, and slipped off her gloves.

With a final glance at her progress, she grabbed her coat and headed out the door, eager to catch up with Helaena and unwind a little over lunch.

Y.N. spotted Helaena waiting by the café entrance, her blonde hair blowing softly in the breeze.

Helaena's face lit up the moment she saw her, and Y.N. couldn't help but smile back. As she approached, Helaena reached out, gently taking Y.N.'s hand in hers, guiding her inside.

They found a cozy table by the window, the soft hum of chatter around them as they settled in.

After ordering drinks—a coffee for Helaena and a fruit smoothie for Y.N.—Helaena busied herself with the menu, eyes scanning the options. Y.N., on the other hand, had already decided on her favourite: a jacket potato with tuna, cheese, and, of course, a side of pickles with Helaena eventually settling on a Caesar salad.

As they waited for their food, the conversation shifted to work. Helaena talked about the flower shop she owned just down the street, mentioning how autumn was bringing in new customers.

It was comforting, chatting about the mundane, but Helaena soon changed the topic with a knowing smile.

“So,” Helaena began casually, “-How are things going with Aemond?”

Y.N. nearly choked on her smoothie, wiping her mouth with a napkin. “Uh, well-I’m not sure what’s going on, honestly,” she admitted, feeling the heat rush to her cheeks.

Helaena leaned forward; her gaze soft yet knowing. “Is it because you two keeping having sex? Or is it because you're pregnant?”

Y.N. froze, her eyes widening. “H-How do you know?”

Helaena smiled warmly. “Aemond called me this morning,” she explained. “Don’t worry, he didn’t say much. Just that there's something between you two and that you’re pregnant.”

Blushing deeper, Y.N. asked hesitantly, “Are you-mad at me? You know, for being with him while he was still with Alys?”

Helaena’s expression softened even more. “Of course not,” she said, shaking her head. “That’s Aemond’s issue, not yours. But if I’m being honest, I always knew something was bound to happen between you two at some point.”

“Really?” Y.N. asked, surprised. “Even back in school when he was-kind of a dick?”

Helaena chuckled lightly, nodding. “Yes, even then. Aemond was dealing with a lot—the loss of his eye, the surgeries, the pain. It was really hard for him. He struggled with his appearance and thought no one would ever love him for the way he looked. But then we became friends, and he really liked you, but he didn’t know how to handle those feelings, so he pushed you away. He’s always felt terrible about how he treated you.”

A tear slipped down Y.N.’s cheek as she listened, and Helaena reached across the table, squeezing her hand gently.

“Just be patient with him,” Helaena said softly.

Y.N. nodded quickly, wiping away her tears just as the food arrived. Helaena laughed as Y.N. immediately dove into the pickles.

“The baby makes me want them,” Y.N. said with a sheepish smile.

Helaena grinned, reaching into her bag. “I know it’s early, but I couldn’t help myself.” She handed Y.N. a small gift bag. Inside was an adorable bib with the words ‘I have a cool auntie’ written across it.

Y.N. laughed, her heart warming. “Thank you, Helaena. It’s so sweet.”

Helaena winked. “No, thank you for having sex with my brother. Now I get to have a niece or nephew to spoil.”

Y.N. rolled her eyes but couldn’t help smiling at her friend. The two shared a warm moment before tucking into their meals, the worries of the world set aside for now.

Y.N. arrived home, juggling her bag and the stack of mail she’d collected on the way in. She sorted through the envelopes, her eyes catching on one particular letter—the familiar scrawl of Jace’s handwriting on the front.

With a sigh, she tucked it into a drawer, deciding she didn’t have the energy to deal with whatever was inside.

She moved on, opening another envelope, this one from the midwives. It was her appointment letter for the ten-week checkup. The date—October 22nd.

Smiling softly, she grabbed her phone and texted Aemond about the appointment, knowing he’d want to be there. A few minutes later, her phone buzzed with his reply:

‘Thanks for telling me. I’ll be there’.

Y.N smiled as she put her phone down, she then reached down and pulled her shoes off.

“That feels good” muttered Y.N as she headed down the hallway towards the bathroom.

She put the plug in the bath and added a little too much of her rose scented bubble bath, before shedding her clothes and throwing them in the wash basket.

The moment she sank into the warm water, surrounded by bubbles, she let out a contented sigh. The warmth soaked into her muscles, easing her tension. After washing her hair and body, she laid back, closing her eyes.

Her thoughts soon drifted to Aemond and their baby, and she placed a hand on her stomach, wondering about the future.

Would she even be a good mother? The thought stirred something deep within her—she had no real role model to draw from.

Her own mother had abandoned her when she was a toddler, and she never knew her father. Her grandfather, the one who raised her, had passed away just after she’d finished college.

She missed him very much, and the way he would always insist on a cup of tea and a biscuit at 11am whilst he listened to the wireless as he called it, the way he would go for his morning paper at the same time every day, and how he would read a new book every week from the local library as he insisted on keeping his mind active.

Even on the nights when he insisted on having a cheeky glass of whiskey and tonic water, she remembered how he taught her how to count money, and tell the time, the man had the patience of a saint.

He even taught her how to ride a bike and funnily enough how to roller blade, she laughed at the memory of him chasing after her as she went a bit too fast down a hill and fell cutting her knees open.

She then had a thought, that maybe, if the baby was a boy, she could name him after her grandfather.

Suddenly, a knock at the door interrupted her thoughts. Y.N. groaned, stepping out of the bath and wrapping a dressing gown around her. She hurried to the door, praying that it wasn’t Jace.

When she opened it, Aemond stood there, his expression tense. Before she could say anything, he launched himself at her, his arms wrapping around her tightly.

"Aemond?" Y.N. asked, confused, her words muffled against his chest. "What's wrong?"

He pulled back slightly, his eye wide with concern. "Don’t scare me like that again."

"Scare you? What do you mean?"

"I called you a bunch of times, but you didn’t answer,” Aemond explained, his voice tinged with frustration. “I thought something had happened."

Y.N. blinked. "I’m fine. I was just in the bath."

At her words, Aemond visibly relaxed, his grip on her loosening as he let out a breath. "Okay. I just—"

She cut him off with a soft smile, closing the door behind them to keep her nosey neighbours from gawking.

"I’m okay, Aemond. Promise."

As the tension eased, Aemond’s attention shifted around the flat. His eye landed on a stone figure placed on her dining table. He walked over, inspecting it with curiosity.

“What’s this for?” he asked, gesturing to the statue.

“Oh, surely you know that books aren’t the only things I restore,” Y.N. said, stepping up beside him. “That’s a piece for the museum. They asked me to restore it.”

The statue was of a woman, possibly a Greek goddess, though time and neglect had left it damaged. Despite that, the design was still beautiful.

Aemond looked impressed. “That’s amazing”.

“It’s for an exhibition in a few months, so I have to get it done by then.”

“I’m sure you will,” he said confidently, before adding with a smirk, “I didn’t notice it this morning.”

Y.N. laughed. “That’s because it arrived this afternoon.”

Aemond’s smile faded into a look of concern. “Please don’t tell me you carried it from work by yourself.”

She scowled at him playfully. “I’m not some weakling, Aemond.”

“I know, but you’re also pregnant,” he reminded her. “You have to be careful with heavy lifting.”

Y.N. couldn’t help but smile at his protectiveness. “Don’t worry. It was delivered by the museum.”

Satisfied, Aemond took a closer look at the statue, his interest piqued. “I’ve always been fascinated by history.”

“Yeah. I remember how nerdy you were about it back in school,” Y.N. teased.

Aemond chuckled. “You were just as much of a history nerd if I recall.”

She laughed, recalling a memory. “I still remember that time I answered a question before you in class. You were livid.”

Aemond smiled at the memory, his tone mock-serious. “You infuriated me.”

“Well, it made my day,” Y.N. shot back with a grin, “-Finally getting one over on the all-knowing Aemond Targaryen.”

They shared a laugh, the old academic rivalry from school long buried but still amusing. Aemond’s gaze softened as he asked, “Are you working on anything else?”

“Not right now,” she replied. “This piece will take a few weeks. Then I’ll take on something new-”

“I think it’s fascinating” said Aemond.

“W-Would you like to see pictures of the other works I’ve restored?” asked Y.N

 “I’d love to” replied Aemond eagerly.

With a nod, Y.N. handed him a thick photo album. Aemond flipped through the pages, marvelling at the before-and-after shots of her work.

His genuine interest made Y.N.’s heart swell. Jace had never shown this kind of enthusiasm for what she did, he just mostly complained.

When Aemond finished, he handed the album back, a thoughtful look on his face. “You ever think about starting your own business?”

“I’ve thought about it,” Y.N. admitted. “But setting up a business can be very expensive, and I don’t want to leave Mr. Howlett in the lurch. He gave me my first job after college.”

Aemond nodded. “I understand, but surely Mr. Howlett would want to see you succeed instead of working in some-dingy store.”

Y.N. crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow. “ Hark at Mr. Snooty Pants. If it doesn’t have fifty floors and its own receptionist, it’s not good enough, huh?”

“That’s not what I meant,” Aemond said, exasperated. “I just think—"

“Well, that’s what it sounded like,” she interrupted, her voice rising slightly.

Aemond took a deep breath, steadying himself. “All I meant was that Mr. Howlett probably wants you to do well, wherever that may be.”

Y.N. shrugged, her frustration ebbing. “Doesn’t matter. I can’t afford it. I have student debt, and now, with the baby—”

“I’m helping with the baby, remember?” Aemond reminded her, his voice gentle but firm.

“I know,-” Y.N. replied, her voice softening. “But I’m not a charity case.”

Aemond frowned. “I never said you were. Why are you twisting my words?”

Before he could brace for an argument, Y.N. suddenly burst into tears.

Aemond was startled at first, but then instinctively pulled her into his arms, hugging her tightly as she sobbed against his chest.

“I’m sorry,” Y.N. sniffled, her voice muffled by his shirt. “I don’t know why I’m crying. I’ve just been so emotional lately.”

Aemond gently wiped her tears away and cupped her face. “It’s okay. I’ve got you.”

She gave a watery laugh. “I cried earlier because I ate all the pickles.”

Aemond smiled, pressing a tender kiss to her forehead. “I think I might know of a way to make you feel better,” he whispered, leaning in closer, his lips brushing against her ear as he whispered something naughty.

Y.N. blushed, her cheeks burning. "Aemond!" she exclaimed, swatting at him playfully, though she couldn’t help but smile.

“So-shall we?” asked Aemond as he offered her his hand.

Y.N playfully hesitated for a moment before she took his hand and followed him to her bedroom.

As Y.N. stood in the lift, she found herself reflecting on the past two weeks. Almost every night had been spent with Aemond at her flat, their evenings filled with conversations about work, shared meals, and a surprising amount of amazing sex.

Sometimes she cooked, and other times Aemond amazed her with his culinary skills. Their nights always ended the same way—the two of them together in bed.

She wasn’t entirely sure what was happening between them, as they’d never discussed it but whatever it was, she liked it. She felt a sense of warmth and connection that she hadn’t anticipated.

The lift dinged, pulling her from her thoughts. She stepped out onto the 20th floor of Targaryen Inc. and approached the receptionist, offering a polite smile.

“I’m here to see Aemond.”

The receptionist returned her smile. “Mr. Targaryen is expecting you.”

Y.N. nodded in thanks and entered Aemond’s office. He was on the phone, clearly in the middle of a heated argument. His eye flicked up when he saw her, and he waved her over to the sofa. She took a seat quietly, trying not to intrude.

“I don’t care!” Aemond's voice was sharp, frustration laced in his tone. “I’m a grown man—you don’t command me!”

Y.N. flinched when he slammed his fist down on the desk, her heart skipping a beat.

“I’m done with this conversation,” Aemond finished, slamming the phone down. He sighed heavily, his expression softening when he turned to her. “Sorry you had to hear that. Just my grandsire trying to tell me what to do.”

Y.N. gave a small smile, though she still felt a bit shaken by his outburst. “Maybe, in some twisted way, he thinks he’s looking out for you.”

Aemond scoffed, shaking his head. “Trust me, in this instance, he’s not.”

She didn't press further, instead changing the subject. “Are you ready for the appointment?”

Aemond nodded eagerly, rising from his chair and pulling on his jacket.

As they left the office, his hand settled on the small of her back, a comforting gesture that made her heart flutter.

They stepped into the empty lift together, and Y.N. giggled quietly when she felt his fingers teasing her side, a mischievous smile tugging at Aemond’s lips.

He leaned in, his breath warm against her skin as he began pressing gentle kisses along her neck.

“-Aemond” gasped Y.N.

Aemond then spun her against the side of the lift and pressed his lips to hers in a slow, passionate kiss. His hands sliding around her body, pulling her close as the kiss deepened.

The lift pinged open on the ground floor, and at the sound of someone loudly clearing their throat, Aemond detached himself from Y.N to see Alys glaring at the two of them.

Aemond's entire demeanour shifted, his hand tightening protectively around Y.N.

“What are you doing here?” Aemond asked, his tone cold.

Alys’s eyes flickered between the two of them before she replied, “I’m here with Larys. He has a meeting with Rhaenyra.”

 “Excuse us, but we have an appointment with the midwives” said Aemond his voice was clipped and slightly dismissive, but Alys sneered, her eyes landing on Y.N.

“Oh yes, the child,” she said, her tone laced with contempt.

Y.N. turned to Aemond. “I’ll wait for you outside,” she said, sensing the tension and wanting to avoid a confrontation.

But Alys wasn’t finished. “Oh, sweetheart, don’t leave on my account. You’ve already helped yourself to everything I had, so you may as well take my time as well.”

Aemond’s jaw tightened. “Apologize,” he demanded, his voice low and dangerous.

Y.N. placed a hand on his arm. “No, it’s fine. Alys has a right to be angry.”

Aemond frowned. “Maybe, but it was me who came onto you.”

Alys let out a bitter laugh, her eyes gleaming with malice. “Oh, and there was me thinking that Y.N. intentionally seduced you and got pregnant.”

Y.N.'s fists clenched at the accusation. “What?”

Alys's voice was dripping with sarcasm. “He’s a Targaryen and he’s wealthy. It’s easy to assume you’d want a child with him, a way to secure a permanent tie to the family name considering you have no family of your own-”

Aemond could see the fury shaking through Y.N. and as she took a step towards Alys, he quickly moved forward, grabbing the back of her coat, to stop her from throwing a punch at Alys.

After a tense pause, Y.N. exhaled sharply. “Not everyone wants Aemond for his money or his name, Alys. I’m not you.”

Alys’s eyes flared with anger. “How dare you—”

“I’m done,” Y.N. said firmly, shaking off Aemond’s hand. “I’m going to wait outside.”

Without another word, she turned on her heel and walked away, leaving Aemond standing there with Alys.

Aemond turned back to Alys, his expression hard. “If you want to hate someone, then hate me. I’m the one who pursued Y.N., not the other way around. There’s no need to speak to her like that.”

Alys pressed the button to call the lift, her eyes narrowing as she looked at him. “I always knew you had a thing for her,” she said, her voice softening to something almost wistful. “Just surprised it took you this long to act on it.”

Before Aemond could reply, the lift doors slid open, and Alys stepped inside.

The doors closed with a soft thud, leaving Aemond standing alone. He let out a slow breath, collecting himself before heading outside.

He found Y.N. standing by his car, her arms crossed as she stared out into the street. She didn’t look at him when he approached, but she didn’t move away either.

“Y.N-” Aemond started softly, unsure of what to say.

She glanced at him, her expression tired but not angry. “Let’s just get to the appointment.”

Y.N. and Aemond sat in the waiting room of the midwives in complete silence. Ever since their encounter with Alys, Y.N. hadn't spoken a word, her fingers restlessly fiddling with the rings on her hand.

Aemond watched her, feeling awful. He knew that Alys’ insinuations had cut deep. Y.N. was no gold digger—he knew that better than anyone—but the way Alys had framed it was enough to wound her. He longed to say something, to make it better, but the words stuck in his throat.

"Y.N.?" A nurse called out, breaking the tension between them.

Y.N. stood up, and Aemond followed as they were led into a small room. The older midwife, a kind-looking woman with greying hair, smiled warmly.

“Hi, I’m Marie, and this is Kelly,” she introduced her assistant, a young woman who was there to observe and learn. “Kelly is training today, if that's okay with you?”

Y.N. nodded quietly, still not saying much. She sat down and introduced Aemond as the father, trying to keep her composure. Kelly’s eyes went wide with recognition as she stared at Aemond.

“Aemond Targaryen?” Kelly gasped, and Y.N. felt a flicker of irritation as the young assistant's eyes lingered on him.

Y.N. shot her a scowl, but Kelly seemed oblivious, too engrossed in staring at Aemond, who moved to sit as close to Y.N. as possible.

Marie began asking Y.N. questions about how she was feeling and how the pregnancy had been progressing so far. Y.N. answered quietly, just wanting to get through the appointment.

“All right, Y.N.,” Marie said after a few moments. “Let's do a scan, shall we? Could you lay down on the table?”

Y.N. lay back on the examination table, exposing her stomach as Aemond stood by her side, his expression softening with excitement.

As Marie asked for the gel, Y.N. noticed Kelly still gazing at Aemond, utterly distracted. Marie snapped her fingers sharply.

“Kelly, the gel, please,” Marie said, sounding annoyed.

Kelly blushed and fumbled as she handed the gel to Marie, who shot her a disapproving look. “You need to pay more attention,” Marie scolded under her breath.

The gel was warm as Marie spread it across Y.N.’s stomach, and soon the image of their baby appeared on the screen. Aemond’s eye lit up with wonder, and without thinking, he took Y.N.’s hand, squeezing it gently.

“The baby has a strong heartbeat, and everything looks good,” Marie said, taking measurements. “Growing nicely.”

Y.N. glanced up at Aemond, who was utterly mesmerized by the screen. The baby’s tiny legs wiggled, and his smile grew wider. Marie froze the image and printed two pictures.

As Y.N. wiped the gel off her stomach, Marie reminded her to eat well and take her vitamins, setting the next appointment for four weeks.

Just as they were wrapping up, Kelly approached Aemond shyly, holding the printed scan pictures with an obvious blush on her cheeks.

Y.N. felt a flash of rage bubbling inside her as she watched the woman practically fawn over him. With a sharp tut, Y.N. snatched the pictures from Kelly’s hands, her patience at its limit. She spun on her heel and walked out of the room without a word.

Behind her, she could hear Marie scolding Kelly. “You need to be more professional, young lady.”

Aemond quickly followed Y.N., not saying a word as they left the building and headed toward the car.

Once inside, Y.N. handed Aemond one of the scan pictures. She watched as he stared at it, his expression softening with awe.

“Are you okay?” Y.N. asked gently, her anger at Kelly fading.

Aemond swallowed, his voice quiet. “There’s really a baby in there.”

Y.N. rolled her eyes slightly, scoffing. “Surely you didn’t think I was lying.”

“No, not for a second,” Aemond replied, his eye still fixed on the picture. “It’s just-being there, seeing the baby moving around. It’s real. There’s going to be a tiny person who’s going to depend on me, and-I don’t want to mess it up.”

Y.N. reached over and took his hand, her thumb stroking his knuckles. “You won’t mess it up, Aemond.”

He shook his head, a worried look crossing his face. “How can you be so sure? My father wasn’t exactly present, I have no idea how to be a good father.”

Y.N. nodded, understanding his fear. “I know how you feel. I have no idea who my father is, and I never had a mother. I’m terrified too. But all we can do is be there for this baby and support each other. Sure, there’ll be ups and downs, but we’ll get through it together.”

Aemond looked at her, a grateful smile pulling at his lips. “Thank you,” he said softly, squeezing her hand. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

Y.N. blushed slightly, feeling a bit overwhelmed by the sincerity in his voice.

Before she could say anything else, Aemond’s expression changed to something more mischievous. “By the way, I’m taking you back to my penthouse.”

Y.N. raised an eyebrow, smirking. “And what makes you think I want to go there?”

Aemond grinned, leaning closer. “Because if you do then I’ll do that thing you like with my tongue” he whispered teasingly.

Y.N.’s cheeks flushed a deep red as she tried not to smile. Aemond chuckled as he started the car, the tension from earlier melting away as they drove back to his penthouse.

The night was spent with Aemond keeping to his word and doing that thing with his tongue that Y.N liked before he fucked her into the mattress, thrusting his cock inside her with a series of deep measured thrusts that made her toes curl.

Y.N. smiled with satisfaction as she carefully placed the restored book into a protective sleeve, feeling a deep sense of accomplishment.

The book had been her focus for weeks, and now, it was ready for the customer to collect. Mr. Howlett, her boss, marvelled at her delicate work.

"Exceptional job as always, Y.N.," he praised, gently handling the book. "I’ll contact the customer to let them know it's ready for pickup."

As he placed the book behind the counter, he added, "By the way, you have a visitor."

Y.N. sighed as soon as she spotted Jace hovering by one of the display shelves.

She approached him, and Jace immediately pulled her into a hug. Y.N. stiffened, awkwardly stepping out of his embrace.

"What are you doing here, Jace?" she asked, her tone clipped but controlled.

Jace gave her a sheepish look. "I was wondering if we could go out for lunch and talk."

Against her better judgment, Y.N. agreed. Mostly because she was hungry and because she needed to tell Jace the truth about Aemond being the father of her baby.

She excused herself to Mr. Howlett before they headed to the café on the corner.

Once inside, Y.N. ordered a cheeseburger with fries and extra pickles, while Jace opted for an all-day breakfast. They sat in awkward silence until Jace finally broke it.

"Are you still set on us being over?" he asked quietly, his voice uncertain.

Y.N. sighed, nodding. "Yes, Jace. I’m pregnant with another man’s child. How could we possibly get back together?"

Jace leaned forward, his expression desperate. "I want to be with you. I’m willing to help raise the baby."

Y.N. was about to respond when their food arrived. She thanked the waitress before immediately reaching for her pickles, devouring them. Jace watched her with mild disgust, but Y.N. didn’t care.

"What?" she snapped, catching his look. "I’m hungry."

Jace just shrugged and started eating his own food.

Halfway through her burger, Y.N. wiped her mouth and took a deep breath. "Getting back together isn’t what I want, Jace. I meant it when I said it was over between us."

Jace swallowed the food in his mouth, his eyes hardening. "Is it because of Sara?"

Y.N. shook her head. "No, it’s because I don’t love you anymore, and I’m pregnant with another man’s child. Getting back together is out of the question."

Jace’s jaw clenched, his eyes narrowing. "Are you going to tell me who the father is?"

Y.N. hesitated, knowing how explosive this moment was going to be. "Promise me you won’t go ballistic."

Jace forced a smile, a weak lie in his voice. "I won’t. I promise."

Y.N. took a deep breath, steeling herself for the fallout. "The father is Aemond."

For a moment, Jace was quiet. Then, his face twisted in anger. "My uncle?" he hissed, standing up abruptly. "You slept with my uncle? How desperate are you to spread your legs for him?"

Y.N. flinched, but her anger quickly flared. "Are you calling me a whore?"

"Yes!" Jace spat, his voice rising as people in the café began to stare. "My uncle, Y.N.? After all the trouble me and Luke have had with him over the years, and you go and get pregnant with his baby?"

Y.N. glanced around nervously, her voice low but urgent. "Jace, keep your voice down. People are staring."

"I don’t care!" Jace shouted, ignoring her plea. "I was a fool to think we could get back together. There’s no way I’m raising Aemond’s kid."

"No one asked you to," Y.N. retorted, her voice trembling with emotion. "And as for getting back together, you’re the one who kept pushing for it."

Jace scoffed. "You have no standards, Y.N. How could you let that animal touch you?"

"Aemond isn’t an animal!" Y.N. shouted back, her face flushed with fury.

"Of course he is," Jace growled. "Don’t you remember when he threatened to kill Luke?"

"That was said in a rush of anger!" Y.N. snapped. "And Luke was the one who slashed out Aemond’s eye and wasn’t punished for it."

Jace sneered at her, his voice dripping with disdain. "You’re pathetic, defending him like this. He attacked me and Luke first, and now you’re pregnant with his child."

Y.N. shot back, "That’s because you spent years bullying him!"

Jace’s eyes narrowed. "You only know what he told you."

Y.N. shook her head. "Actually, it was Helaena who told me what happened."

Jace scoffed bitterly. "Well, I hope Mr. Moneybags is worth it."

Y.N. felt tears sting her eyes, her voice breaking as she replied, "How can you say that when you live off your mother’s money? At least Aemond works for his."

Jace’s face twisted in rage. "Aemond knocked you up but won’t marry you. What does that tell you?"

Y.N. shot back, "He actually offered to marry me, but I turned him down."

Before Jace could respond, the café owner appeared, looking stern.

"That’s enough. You’re upsetting the lady and causing a scene. It’s time for you to leave."

Jace glared at Y.N. before snapping, "With pleasure!" He stormed off, slamming the door behind him.

The owner turned to Y.N., his voice gentle. "Are you all right, miss?"

Y.N. nodded, but the moment he asked, the emotions overwhelmed her, and she burst into tears.

Aemond sat behind his desk, feeling the strain of the day weighing heavily on him.

His head throbbed as his eye strained from staring at reports for hours. With a frustrated groan, he took off his eyepatch and rubbed the sides of his head, hoping to relieve some of the pressure.

Just as he was about to relax for a moment, his phone rang. Y.N.'s name flashed on the screen, and he answered immediately, his heart pounding.

"Hello? Y.N.?"

But instead of her familiar voice, a man answered, “Hello, is this Aemond Targaryen?”

Aemond's heart raced even faster. “Yes, where is Y.N.?” he demanded, standing up abruptly from his desk.

“She’s with me, but she’s very upset. She asked for you,” the man explained, his voice calm but concerned.

“Where are you?” Aemond barked, already reaching for his jacket and eyepatch.

The man gave him directions to a nearby café. Without another word, Aemond hung up, and told his assistant to cancel his meeting later that day. He sprinted to his car, the only thought in his mind being Y.N.

In record time, he arrived at the café and scanned the room until he saw her, huddled in the corner. The moment their eyes met, Y.N. rushed into his arms, her body trembling as she buried her face in his chest.

"Do you think I'm after your money?" she asked, her voice cracking with emotion.

Aemond cupped her face, tilting it up to meet his gaze. "Fuck no. What’s going on?"

Y.N. took a shaky breath. "Jace showed up at my work, and I agreed to go to lunch with him to tell him who the father of the baby is."

Aemond’s face hardened. "I guess he didn’t take it well."

She shook her head. "No. He basically called me a whore-and referred to you as moneybags"

Aemond scoffed, his lips curling into a sneer. "He lives off a generous allowance from Rhaenyra. How dare he say that to you?"

Y.N. sniffled. "I-I don’t care about your money."

“I know that,” Aemond said softly, stroking her cheek. “Jace is just a piece of shit.”

“He might come after you,” Y.N. worried aloud.

Aemond's eye narrowed, his voice cold. “Let him try. He’ll be missing a few teeth if he does. He’s jealous, Y.N., plain and simple. And I don’t for one second think you’re after my money. You have your own job, and you’re incredibly talented.”

Y.N. blushed at his praise, and Aemond smirked, pulling her closer. “Let’s get out of here. We’ll go back to my place, snuggle up, order takeout, and watch a movie of your choice.”

Her smile returned, even if just a little. “Deep Blue Sea.”

Aemond groaned playfully. “What is it with you and shark movies?”

Y.N. shrugged with a giggle, and Aemond chuckled softly.

Before they left, Aemond thanked the café owner for taking care of Y.N.

“It’s no trouble,” the owner replied kindly. “No one deserves to be spoken to like that.”

Aemond thanked him again and took Y.N.’s hand, leading her to his car.

Once back at his penthouse, Aemond immediately ran her a bath, telling her to relax and that she could wear one of his T-shirts and shorts when she was done.

“I’ll get the takeout menus ready for when you’re out.”

As Y.N. soaked in the bath, Aemond made a call to Rhaenyra. He wasn’t exactly fond of his half sister, but over time, they had managed to put aside their differences for the sake of the family business. Still, he couldn’t let Jace’s behaviour slide.

“Rhaenyra,” he greeted when she answered, "I need to talk to you about Jace."

She sighed on the other end of the line. "I already know. Jace called me earlier, ranting about it."

Aemond’s tone remained firm. “Regardless of what has happened between us in the past, Jace shouldn’t have spoken to Y.N. like that. I never expected to get her pregnant, but it happened, and I will do everything in my power to protect her and our child.”

Rhaenyra was quiet for a moment before saying, “I’ll deal with Jace. I hope Y.N. is all right.”

“She will be,” Aemond replied, his gratitude evident in his voice. "Thank you."

Just as he hung up, Y.N. emerged from the bathroom, dressed in his oversized T-shirt and shorts, her hair damp and loose around her shoulders.

She looked more at ease, and Aemond smiled at the sight, his cock responding in earnest to the sight of her dressed in his clothes.

“Pick out what you want to eat,” he said, handing her the menus as he willed away his erection.

She had just started browsing when the doorbell rang. Aemond groaned, walking to the door. He opened it to be instantly greeted by Aegon and Daeron.

Aegon shoved a case of beer into Aemond's arms, and Daeron waved a deck of cards in his face. “Don’t tell me you forgot about game night.”

“Well, I—” Aemond began, but he stopped when both his brothers noticed that Y.N. was standing in the living room, dressed in Aemond’s clothes.

The atmosphere instantly shifted, both brothers grinning mischievously.

“Oh,” Aegon drawled, eyeing them both with interest. “Not interrupting anything are we?"

TBC

[factual-fantasy]

27 asks! Thank you!! :}} 🔮

Oooo very cool! I hope you have fun with it!! :DDD And as for how I make a story it kind'a depends-

For Grimace, Sylvester and the rest of the gang.. well that was just my Violet team. I gave them personalities that I thought would suit them and just.. went from there I guess? <:D

For Conkeldurr, Zuora, Emboar and the 4 piglets.. well, it started with just thinking about Conkeldurr and how much I like that Pokémon. I pictured him as a Gentle giant and imagined how fun it would be to draw him with some other tiny Pokémon that he adopted. I went through the Unovan pokédex and picked a Zuora because she was small and fluffy <XD

After making a post about them I wanted to give Conkeldurr a friend. Well I like the Emboar line so hey why not do that? She can be a mama Emboar to switch it up and she can have 4 kids. Why not? Since I didn't draw her in that first post, I made the story they they went their separate ways for a time but now they're back together.

I honestly don't have solid concrete advice I can offer- I just think "hey this would be neat" and slap it on there. Or I think "hey this scenario would be fun to draw" and so I structure the events and story to make the characters run into this scenario in a reasonable way. That's really all I do.. <:D

@beryl-shade

I've seen Markiplier play it :0 Its.. well its something! <:D

(Referencing this post)

<XD I never understood why they made him Spanish, the sudden guitar noise is always a jumps care XDDD

@shiny-is-miney

Humans do not exist in any of my Octonauts AUs, nor have they ever <:/

@catain-skyler1987

I do not <:/ sorry!

@nwo-metalscottic

Daww,, thank you 🥹🥹🥹its been rough these past.. how ever many months- my health is still poor and I still am glued to my bed/the couch 24/7.. but I'm hoping to finally see some improvement soon.. and I hope you feel better too! <:))

Any who, I'm glad to hear your views on Conkeldurr! :D Some people can be kind'a harsh :x As for the Tepigs, I can see them sticking around even after evolving into Pignites. They love their mama and would have no desire to leave her.. 🥺

As for what threatens them.. when they were apart, I kind'a image any meat eating Pokémon that thinks they could take them in a fight would be a threat. Or perhaps territorial Pokémon or protective parents that would see a big Pokémon coming near and just attack on instinct.

Now that the two of them are together, they have a lot less trouble with random Pokémon. They're a much bigger challenge to take on as a team. Plus I can see Zuora walking with them disguised as a second Emboar or Conkeldurr. Creating a group that looks like three macho parents that will fiercely protect their piglets.

As for the Minecraft movie, here's the thing about the Piglins. In the actual game they turn into Zombie Piglins the moment they leave the Nether. Why are they still normal Piglins despite running through a village??

And a Netflix show... uhg.. I'm just not interested. I feel like Minecraft looses all its charm when you convert it into a show or movie. And especially if you mess up Steve as badly as they did. Jack Black.. that's the worst casting I can think of.🤦

This is so cool! It feels like it could be canon to the Pokémon universe! :DD

Also thank you so much!! :)))

I have! :0 I watched 8-bitryan play some of it! :) ALSO THANK YOU!! :DDD

@cicutagreninja

WOW!! :00 THANK YOU SO MUCH!! :DDD I plan to return to it someday!! :)))

@astaherussy (Referencing this post)

I think I put that on almost out of habit <XD when I picture old abandoned houses I imagine notes stuck to the door warning of debts and bills that need to be paid lest the owners get evicted. So I drew that because it felt fitting!

..Only just now did I realize that the old owners were supposed to be a mystery.. if there was any at all. So having that note on the door doesn't really make sense.. 😅

ALSO WAAHG THANK YOU!! :DDD

I've seen the FNAF movie and I've seen multiple Youtubers play all the FNAF games. Though I haven't played through any of them myself. :00

As for what I thought of them.. I have a place in my heart for all the games. From the lore jumbling ruin DLC, to the classic first game, I'm a total sucker and I love them all.💞💞

The movie wasn't as bad as I feared it would be. I adored the inclusion of MatPat and the intended inclusion of Markiplier. There were some aspects I didn't like and a lot of missed opportunities in my opinion. And of course the lore is all outa whack..

None the less, I think the movie is charming. And my love for FNAF has only strengthened upon the movies release :))

@i-only-created-this-to-read

Since Metagross isn't in Black/White (Its in Black/White 2) I wont be looking into that species for a bit.. and I wont be looking at Mega evolutions-

As for a Quantum slime equivalent, I have no intentions to make equivalents for all the slimes- I didn't add trubbish to be an equivalent to pinks. I just noted that Trubbish are a common slime that can eat anything, just like pinks are :0

The slimes and foods I add will be their own thing. Not intending to replicate or replace any of the canon slimes or fruits/veggies/meats from slime rancher. If that makes sense-

@petrichormeraki

I don't really have any proper name ideas for them 😅 I've just been calling them the shiny one, the normal one, the runt and the big one. XDD

Also thank you!! :DDD

Oooo that's really interesting actually! :000 That would have been a much more tame version of my Zuoras story <XDDD

@pigeonsplural

SLAKJDJ THANK YOUUU!! :)))0

*plotting noises......

(Referencing this post)

This ask will be very relevant soon.. 😈 Also thank you! :)))

@roughsketch2010

WAHGG THANK YIU SOMUCH!! :DDD

@kermit-ydafrog

Daww 🥹 Thank you! MY question is why are you so kind?? :DDD

I've heard of it and seen a lot of fanart, but i never got into it myself😅

Thank you for remembering my boundaries and respecting them! <:) And yeah that paints a pretty vivid picture in my head XDDD

@holly-opal

He would have been a better voice for Bowser then Jack Black in my opinion..

@fandomcenteral

WAAHHG THANK YOU SO MUCH!! :DDD And its still a surprise to me that I'm considered a celebrity :00 I hope people aren't intimidated to send me asks because of that.. <:D

@muncho1234 (eye post in question)

Peso, Dashi, Tunip and Ranger Marsh have no eye bags because they have decent sleeping schedules and diets. :0 The rest of the characters either have poor sleeping schedules, deal with a lot of stress, or are very hard workers and burn up all their energy throughout the day.. :(

Oh boy 💀

@minnesotamedic186 (Eye studies post) (Kwazii and Calico Jack hug post) (Ranger Marsh jump scare post)

WAAHGG THANK YOU!!! :DD I ALWATS LOVE IT WHEN PEOPLE NOTICE THE DETAILS I PUT IN!! :))))

@caronaro-flipaclip

<XD While I agree with this, I cant help but get red in the face when people like/reblog my old artwork.😅😅 And there's nothing wrong with that! It just shows how far I've come! :)

[payidaresque]

i really don't think all galadriel feels is pride though. sure, her pride got hurt because sauron decieved her (and she trusted him), and she wants to slay him because she wants to say "i am nothing like you see me" (which is not entirely true, by the way), but her feelings are actually much more complex than that and it can't be categorized and narrowed down to one word. which is why i love her: she is just as complex as sauron

she trusted him. and as far as i've known this galadriel, trust is not something that comes easy to her. and she's not exactly a "chatty type" either, but somehow (let's put aside all the "evil incarnate" bs for a second, and just look at this as if it's a relationship between 2 normal people), she met someone (halbrand) who understood her, is probably as stubborn as her, someoone who didn't tell her what to do (and she's been told what to do by EVERYONE: elrond, gil-galad, her brother- and who knows who else), and just... accepted her for who she was? even tho they weren't nice to each other at first

halbrand helped her, she considered him a friend, they fought beside each other, she opened up to him about her feelings (which is not an easy thing to do even for a human, not to mention an elf). she felt the connection between them when he was just a human to her

so yeah, hurt pride is involved for sure, but beneath that is so much more: the pain, because galadriel feels like gave sauron too much and he exploited it, the anger, because she feels that even though she knows who sauron is now, she misses that feeling she had when he was halbrand, and she's not supposed to miss it, she's supposed to despise sauron and everything related to him now, but as i already explained in this post, she can't do that, because the connection they had (still have — but it's sort of a different connection now) is too strong, and it's fear because she also knows that not everything sauron said on that raft is a lie (which is partially confirmed by adar's speech from ep 6 by the way)

yes, she wants to slay sauron because he is a threat to her kind and all ME, but she also wants to slay him because in her mind, that way she'll be free of him and every feeling she has for him.

but whether it'll solve the matter or not, is actually up to Galadriel herself: slaying him won't change anything if she doesn't want to forget him

anyway. i love me a complex female character ✨

[erabu-san]

First of all, I would like to thank you so much for all your support and your kind message !! Thank you so much for being patient with me too !! (you will see, I thanks a lot in this post lol)

Haha tbh I believe that ignoring and move on is a great way too! Yeees when I read this anon ask, I was wondering if they are living somewhere where pale person are oppressed and they are personally in this case and it affects them so badly that they have so much hate in them or they are just being hateful toward poc w/o any explication ? It was a bit uncomfortable And what is appealing with Genshin Impact (for me) is the fact that they use real culture to create their game ; even in the last survey, they ask if we like Natlan's authenticity (weird they only ask abt environment and music, i think they know they have issue with character design bahaha). I learn a lot about persian, algerian, but also chinese and even about french culture ! It is because people recognize themself that they start talking about it. I know there is a lot of controversial topic in Natlan, but because of this, I learn a lot on Hawai'i 's culture too. So yes, even if it is fiction, representation *is* important. And it is because they take inspiration of their culture that there is people who want a better representation, and in my opinion, this is something to not ignore !

About taking well what anon said, thank you so much ! If i can be honest tho, I didn't take it very well neither, or just I don't know how do I really felt at the moment I am an adult but I still hard time to distinguish what is morally okay or not, what is bad and good ? So if someone doesn't tell me they are explicitly a bad person with bad intention, I won't get it haha (ofc I grew up and now I identify my value and morals, but I still questionning if my morals are objectively great or not- yeaaah i was called weird for that, I am aware) Since forever I always try to understand other so I can communicate properly (at least I try), and that's why I am always interested on how does people think, why do they react in this specific way etc etc. Pro, I am patient and can take even the most violent take "well" (all depends. I am still a human) Con, I give free speech to those who have a "bad" take </3 and I apologize for that aaaa

KFSDLFSD I wish to express my angryness sometime but I just don't know if it is really adequate What if I interpret their text in wrong way as they initially try to say ? I wasn't feel offended by what they said, I was just uncomfortable because their opinion is something I consider hateful. and what if i was wrong??? But reading you all's opinion just affirm that's they were indeed rude ! I should stop overthink, life would be easier Maybe next time I have a doubt I will ask my friends's opinion before answering ksdkfsf

Oh my god thank you !!! If i can be honest, I draw Kinich this way because when I draw him w a darker skin for the first time, I thought "Oh !!! he looks so cool !!!!" and seeing a lot of positive comment abt my Kinich just makes me happy so I keep him like this ! And thank you for sharing with me informations !<<333 This is not overstepping at all ! And it is a reciprocate feeling anon ! It might be a bit weird but "angry" is such a complex feeling for me. I feel it but I don't really know how to express it in the most healthy way and it is super frustrating. So... seeing people getting mad at something I also disagree on makes me feel better !! And for this, thank you all !

I SNORT SO HAAAARD Damn Macron you again..........!! I didn't put all ask here but I read them all !! Thank you for sharing with me your opinion and reaction, it is truly interesting (and way more relaxing that the hater anon kskskss) !! and again, your support is truly meaningful for me. You all have sincere gratitude Hope y'all have a great day !! Stay hydrated too <3

[appleblueberry-pie]

I love yall, and I know I haven't been writing on here...but like what happened to being descriptive in our writing? I feel the effects of communism reaching the fingertips of the only group of writers who still (gladly) bother to give energy into this website. I barely do much, and I barellyyy give anything at all nowadays but without the explanations of anything going on, how are people new to this supposed to understand where ur coming from? I wanna feel the emotion in your story. I want you to tell your tale and i wanna feel what all those characters feel.

Im being given like literal scraps right now. All I see are what could pass as a description of what a book is about and then yall call it a day like whatttt that's not what we're here for. At all. I wanna feel what your brain felt when u wrote that one sentence. Description isn't just meant for smut, its meant for all forms of writing.

The best example I could give is with what I do best, yandere stories(sorry). Jujutsu kaisen(sorry to other Fandoms but what I'm saying does apply to everyone).

Yandere Gojo kidnapped you after you found out he was stalking you for over a week now. You don't even know him like that. He's just your coworker for crying out loud. But now you're trapped in his home for his to have, to take care of. And you can't do anything about it.

.........................okay??? Where's the rest? Why did he kidnap you? What drove him to take you in the first place? He had enough? Did he NOT have enough and just took you entirely out of sad guilty pleasure? Is he a loser that depends on you without realizing it? How does the reader feel about it?? Why isn't there anything about how the reader feels about any part of this?

What about buildup to the kidnapping? The mental work-up to that big moment? Where's the intention behind the language he speaks to you, the love he gives in every move he makes directed towards you, where's the devotion and care he shows in every touch he gives to you? Where's the absolute opposite of that care when he's around anyone that's not you?

Where is this character that you're proposing to us?

It's just hard for me to read anything when no one's....idk it just feels like no one enjoys their own writing anymore. I get everyone's busy, and they still post every now and then. And that's me. Im so fucking busy. But it's just like, somethings off. I wish I could find good writing again.

[mariyekos]

New DMC Anime Trailer Breakdown Part 2

Hit the image limit on Part 1 so to a new post we go!

This guy that Dante punches has a bunch of metal on his face, and what might be a prosthetic, might just be a metal glove. What's interesting is this anime has Dante fighting a lot of humanoid characters, which is a little bit of a departure from some of the games, but honestly not that crazy. He does fight people from time to time across various media, and in the DMC1 Novel we even hear about the people who hunt him down. What has me interested here is whether this guy is fully human, or if he's been modified in some way, and if he's been modified, if he'll have any demonic traits or it'll just be the metal. It would be interesting to contrast a human trying to transcend normal human limits through human means (by making themself into a machine) with Arkham, who is a human trying to transcend humanity by using demonic power to achieve godhood.

Skipping a bit so if you want to see the things between the last two images please go to my previous post where I ran out of room. As for the two green/turtle-like demons Dante fights on the rooftop, I've got to say I'm a little disappointed in some of the demon design. I love how creepy/demonic a lot of DMC demons are, and while some of them would probably be hard to animate, I feel like they still could've been more...I don't know. Creepy looking? Compare it to the Hell Gluttony from DMC3, which is a much creepier/more scary DMC cloaked enemy. Not sure if the demon above was meant to call back to these guys, but I think it would've been fun to have some references to DMC enemies even with the generics.

As for the shot above this, seeing this shot all I could think was "infested chopper" and I haven't even played DMC2. I've just seen the memes. '

Zooming in I'm not sure who this guy is supposed to be. (Right image comes from later in the trailer). It can't be Agni because we've already seen him and the blade doesn't match. This demon wields a sword and has something in the middle of his chest though. I have a feeling that's going to be important. (Also complete crackpot theory: this guy's hair is a similar color to the pendant(?) from earlier, but surely this can't be related). He looks mutated, with more spikes emerging from his right arm, so I wouldn't be surprised if this was a human turned demon or something.

Looking at the gatling gun and missile heading toward an armored truck, I wonder if the military is going to get involved in this one. Police officers showed up a few times in the old anime, and the military DID come for the Qliphoth incident in DMC5, so it's possible the military may intervene in this one. That the missile is heading for an armored truck is interesting though. Are there two human factions at war with each other? Will this missile be deflected? Will it be just the military, or will there be groups like the ones we see Dante fighting that may get involved? The giant portal to Hell that opened up in the sky could definitely draw attention.

Then we have red eye/ red sclera Dante while fighting mysterious red guy from above! Interesting. We see that in the DMC3 manga too (assuming his sclera are meant to be red here instead of black). Both he and Vergil do it.

I'll probably also do a write up on overall thoughts, but I'll cut it here so I can link these posts. Edits to come!

[nmoroder]

Something about them... just keeps me engrossed, so here's a couple of askblog-styled posts i made for hokmalkuth. 1st pic is the intro one, pics 2 to 4 are about the first question (what's your fav thing in your partner's appearance) and 5 to 7 are about the second question (do you have scars and what does your partner think of them).

I usually write out these posts in the same structure of "characters + question + tag" but for some reason i didn't feel like it this time. Still the tag for this is gonna be like others, #nmoroder hokmalkuth ask i guess. I have to make a masterpost of askblog stuff one day, this is getting out of control haha

Little something to vent (?) over, so keeping this in readmore... sometimes i ask myself whether it's okay to dive into new askblog roles when i enjoy something e.g. a character or a ship too much, why should i need to seek questions and compile responding comics? Then i think that 1) doing art is okay 2) i enjoy making comics and rambling abt characters 3) askblogs are a perfect format for that. Perhaps it's a little weird to see such an abundance of askblog stuff in my blog as of now, but i don't think it's a problem. More artwork > less artwork.

Also here's pic #5 upside down since Hokma and Elijah turned out really well. and i want you to have a better look at them without fucking around w the screen

[daftdrac]

If you were in a conversation, what topic would you like to talk about? :D

Something X-Men related, probably specifically anything deadpool or wolverine (Deadpool isn't exactly X-Men but I'm counting him cause he's also a part of this hyperfixation) anyways I LITERALLY GOT THIS NOTIFICATION WHILE IM WATCHING THE WOLVERING AND THE XMEN CARTOON LMAOOO Yeah I'm super into. X-Men shit right now because I watched Deadpool 3 and my brain said YES. THAT. I am absolutely taking this as an opportunity to rant by the way cause there is so much random shit about this show that has me giggling. Errrmmm spoiler warning I guess ?

FIRST OF ALL LOGANS VOICEEEEEVEVEVDBDBE 👹👹👹 I'm not one to simp for fictional characters (lie) but I'm down bad JUST because of the voice (also lie im down bad for a lot of reasons)

ALSO THE FUCKING AMOUNT OF LOVE INTERESTS HE HAS IN THIS. JEAN, (KINDA-ISH) WHO DOESN'T SHOW UP UNTIL EPISODE 23 OF 26??? SOME RANDOM JAPANESE WOMAN WHO'S MARRIED TO A SAMURAI?? SOME ALIEN-MUTANT-THING WOMAN WHO WORKED WITH HIM AND WAS HIS GIRLFRIEND BEFORE HE LOST HIS MEMORIES OR SOMETHING ?? Emma kinda but not really she's not an explicit love interest but you can kinda tell it's a little implied at some points. I definitely am forgetting a few my memory is still shit but A BISEXUAL CHARACTER AND NOT A MALE LOVE INTEREST IN SIGHT <3 thats why Cyclops is here. He's supposed to be kind of a romantic rival to Logan kinda (cause they both like jean or whatever idk it REALLY doesn't seem like Logan likes jean all that much but I guess he does) but it really just ends in them having tension that feels less like they despise each other and more like they're waiting for everyone to leave them alone so they can go at it so I'm counting Scott even if he isn't like OFFICALLY a love interest he basically is

Oh also gambit is a thing for like 2 episodes. All he does is cause issues which. Gambit core I guess idk much about him 💀 all I know is he is REALLY like. Cunning and confident and shit. Tryin to think of the word. CHARMING yeah he's charming. Or supposed to be I guess he looks a little funny so he just makes me giggle looking at him. Honestly if he wanted to fuck Logan he could probably convince him to buy he's in love with one of magneto's daughters or whatever?? That he met for like a few hours and kissed once?? Before being thrown in a cell for kissing magneto's daughter??? And then abandoning her after promising to take her away from genosha with him?? I don't even know man.

Anyways I'm a complete noob X-Men fan I literally didn't know jack shit about anyone but Logan before I started watching this. Already a hardcore wolverine/cyclops fan they're gay to be fr with you. I should read some of the comics huh. Anyways here's my live reaction to Logan and Scott interacting like normal people:

Also silly goofy images from this show no I'm not sorry 3/4 are Logan he's BABYGIRL in this okay

Here have a poolverine meme to end this post

[amiti-art]

HI! I’m here to ask honest opinion on….Lore Olympus. I’m sorry for putting my opinion here….but I hate it. I’m sorry, I try to see it in a good way….put it paints Apollo as a horrible person. And there are other things that I’d respectfully don’t like about it.However, I want to see your opinion. That is if you’re willing to share it. BTW, I fricking love your drawings., especially the ones about Apollo and his myths! Have a good day or night!

Hello!

I'm glad you like my art 🫶🏻

So, Lore Olympus.

This probably won't come as a surprise to most people, considering how much Apollo art I've made, but I hate Lore Olympus. And not only because of how poorly Apollo was portrayed there.

I'm going to be honest with you: I never read much of it. I read maybe a few chapters some years ago because it was advertised as Greek mythology retelling, but I didn't continue because it was boring to me.

Much later, I saw a lot of posts pointing out all the things wrong with Lore Olympus, and boy oh boy, it's bad.

From what I've seen, it’s hardly a retelling; if the names of the characters were changed, nobody would realize this is supposed to be myth-inspired.

And look, I'm not saying you can't change anything when making a Greek mythology retelling, because it's simply impossible to keep everything the same as in the myths—especially when you want to create a story that covers many myths. The math isn't mathing when it comes to Greek mythology, because the myths changed over time, and different city-states had their own versions of the stories, so it's pretty impossible to make a cohesive timeline without changing something.

But from what I've seen, there isn't much Greek influence in this Greek mythology retelling. From the way the characters dress and speak to the food they eat, there is nothing Greek about this comic, it’s completely Americanized.

And I hate Americanization so much. I remember watching Netflix's "The Witcher" and being so disappointed because there was nothing Slavic about it. They kept Jaskier's original name from the books and called it a day. They turned it into another generic fantasy show.

I know that many Greek people feel the same way about Lore Olympus and other American adaptations of their myths. I love Percy Jackson, but the whole "gods moved to the USA because this is where Western civilization is" is just so icky to me. Greece still exists, hello??????

Back to Lore Olympus. For some reason it's fans think that the comic is a valid source for mythology, and they spread so much misinformation.

For the last time: Persephone was abducted in the myths. There is no version where she goes to the Underworld on her own.

Demeter is a heartbroken mother looking for her beloved daughter, not some evil helicopter parent standing between Persephone and her happiness. Justice for Apollo and Demeter.

Also, Persephone is sometimes drawn like a child and looks more like Hades' daughter than his wife. Why?????

And from what I've seen, Persephone is ridiculously powerful for some reason and fights Kronos or something???????

Also, apparently, Leto is portrayed as a manipulative mother????? Leto??? The Titan goddess of motherhood??? Why????

I don't understand why this comic got so popular, to be honest. Probably because of the artstyle.

[lemotmo]

I'm not sure how you feel about getting these anymore but I thought this was hilarious so wanted to share for you at least to read even if you don't want to post. 😊

Q. I really was trying to hold onto the belief that the show wasn't going to make Eddie gay but it's really hard to see what other storyline is possible given those latest Ryan interviews. I would love to say gay or not the show would just keep Buck and Eddie as platonic best friends but there is zero chance of the show not pairing them together. They really did just use my man as filler until they were ready to tell the Eddie story. That's so gross.

A. Well, anon that's the point of a plot device. Their only reason for being is to move a larger story forward. By definition their filler characters. They have no individual significance or purpose. Their purpose is the story they're being used in. I've been telling you this for months now. Many of us have. He was never going to be anything more than a plot device. The show wasn't subtle about it either. It's been pretty much a connect the dots picture of plot device usage. Go back and watch his scenes in season 7 with this new found realization and I promise it will not be hard to see. And I agree, especially with the context the latest Ryan interviews gave, there's really not any other story it could be. He also confirmed they're not turning him into the new Bobby, and he's not siding with Gerard. So it was nice of him to debunk the latest round of ridiculous takes during the interview. If I could offer you a suggestion though I would encourage you to give the story a chance. If you pay attention to Eddie, and not your fandom people telling you to hate him, you will like him. After all there's a reason you all tried to hijack his entire backstory and history for Tommy. Let yourself enjoy the character those things actually belong too. Let yourself enjoy the actual story.

Oh Nonny! I feel joyous and happy whenever I get another of these posts in my ask box. While I'm asking people to not ask Ali any questions through my blog, I'm still perfectly happy posting her asks here. 😋

Especially since, for most of us, this is the only way to read Ali's posts and we do love her posts very much. So don't hesitate to drop something in my ask box. The only things I don't post about are the direct posts about the BT fandom, but Ali has told me she isn't replying to those posts anymore anyway, so that eliminates that problem.

As for the ask itself...

Yeah, so many of us have been saying this since day one. Tommy was only ever there to help Buck out of that closet. He was never really meant to be anything more than that. Sure, the change of the storyline because of the early renewal, gave Tommy some more time on the show, but that's where it ends.

So yeah, going back to rewatch the previous seasons, knowing what you know now? It will change the way you see Eddie and Eddie and Buck's friendship and maybe you'll find some joy in them. Just let it happen.

IMPORTANT! Please don't repost this ask and/or a link that leads straight to my Tumblr account on Twitter or any other social media. Thank you!

Heads up! For anyone who is giving me the shifty eyes for reposting Ali's updates instead of reblogging. Read this.

Remember, no hate in comments, reblogs or inboxes. Let's keep it civil and respectful. Thank you.

If you are interested in more of Ali’s posts, you can find all of her posts so far under the tag: anonymous blog I love.

[jamethinks]

One thing I find very ironic about Spyxfamily is the way the Desmonds are portrayed. I understand that according to the narrative, they (namely Donovan) are the antagonists of the story, but I do find it quite tepid that so many character analysis is bonded by this very dichotomy style approach to understanding the characters (if that makes any sense).

I'm having a hard time approaching my point so bare with me if it starts to get confusing or disjointed.

I always see people talking about how the Forgers (aka the fake family) are able to have a happy relationship and a genuine bond while the Desmonds (aka the real family) are distant and uncaring of one another. There's a lot of emphasis on the parallels between Damian and Anya and how the presence of their fathers impact their lives. Most of the discussion is centered around shaming Donovan for not being more involved in Damian's life but not a lot of people are acknowledging why.

The whole reason for the fake family as part of Twilight's mission is because Donovan is a closed off skeptic who avoids unnecessary social interaction. This mission is supposedly the easiest way to get to him. As the story goes on, we gain a better understanding of just how shut off Donovan is and how much he actually isolated himself, even from his own family.

But the thing is, his actions are justified. The mere existence of Operation Strix validates his fears and anxieties. The fact that Twilight a spy is trying to expoilt the relationship he has with his children in order to get closer to him is the very reason he avoids them so much. It's people like Twilight that make him such a skeptical person.

Again, people praise Twilight for being a good dad, except he isn't really a good dad. It's all a facade. He's so dedicated to his goal as a spy for the West that he's willing to fake an entire family just to find out what Donovan is planning. Everything Donovan hates and resents is embodied in Twilight.

In the end, Twilight is just as harmful to Anya as Donovan is to Damian. He grabbed a random child from an orphanage and is using her for his own personal gain with limited regard for her well-being. We are not even sure what he plans on doing with her when the mission is over. Anya is obviously able to manipulate the situation to her own advantage, but that's only because she's a telepath. Any other kid would just be playing along, assume they just got themselves a new family overnight. We do see him grow and deepen his bond with Anya, in some cases threatening the mission for her benefit, but that was never a guarantee.

In a very frustrating way, Twilight is also contributing to Damian's strained relationship with his father and family. While Donovan obviously doesn't know what Twilight is doing, he's still aware that there are people out there who might. So, he continues to be guarded and make unreasonable demands of his children. He makes Damian feel he has to earn his place in his father's life because people like Twilight push Donovan to limit the number of people that are allowed in his life. I'm not saying it's Twilight specifically who's at fault, but people like him who are very much trying to force their way into his circle.

And I'm not saying of this yo defend Donovan or put down Twilight but I would like for less black and white thinking when talking about a Manga that hinges itself on nuance and the complexity of post war society. I find it a bit tired to keep categorizing characters as good or bad because it really hinders any conversation about them.

Idk I just feel there's a lot of moral ambiguity in sxf that really is intended to make us question our own moral code so it's weird seeing people ignore the actual harm Twilight and Yor cause just to reinforce their own limited moral values.

I don't think this makes much sense honestly.

[bucktommyfanfic]

A list of BuckTommy fics posted on April 7, 2024

These fics are carefully read through to ensure that they are BuckTommy positive. Any listed works do not feature character/ship bashing (apart from the Buckley parents or Gerrard, who do not count). These fics may feature other mature or triggering content, so please read author tags and warnings carefully and don't forget to leave some love!

Fic Recs - Navigation Page – Send a Message

⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆

Absolutely, I’m Fine by luredin Oneshot | General | 1980

“Is that Tommy downstairs?” Hen asks with a curious head tilt.

He doesn’t exactly know what he’s bracing for when he hears the measured, heavy boot steps on the stairs but a bolt of nervousness flashes through his body so quickly it feels a lot like being struck by lightning.

He would know.

⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆

Accidental reveal by SummertimeMadness Oneshot | Teen | 1011

After a month of dating, Buck accidentally reveals his relationship with Tommy to the team, all because of a stupid t-shirt.

⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆

Another love by hxlpertss Oneshot | General | 1069

"So, why did you call me?" Hen asks, taking a big sip of her coffee. It was still pretty early and their shift will start in a few hours.

Buck pauses for a moment and thinks about his next words: "Is there..." he begins and immediately restructures his thoughts, "Do you think you can be straight your whole life only to realize at some point that you're not?"

-- Or: Buck comes out to Hen

⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆

Bothered, Bewildered, Bisexual by @jcforsapphics Oneshot | General | 1078

Buck just had a life changing kiss- with a man.

Now he's just thinking about everything that means.

⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆

Click of The Final Puzzle Piece by EmiLouGal Oneshot | General | 2522

‘So that was okay?’

His voice had been so soft, so caring. It wasn’t something he was used to. Once upon a time, Buck had been a womaniser, the one to flirt with women on calls. But yet…the kiss had felt exactly like when Taylor had kissed him for the first time. She had been his first serious relationship since Ali, since Abby. Then Taylor had betrayed, in what could’ve been the worst way a reporter could betray her boyfriend. That story still stung.

‘It was better than fake static noise…’

And he’d meant every word

Or...

Buck keeps replaying the events that transpired in his head like a broken record.

⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆

didn't know that much at all 'bout love before by TheFacelessWanderer Oneshot | General | 1028

Even after awkward dinner first date can be magical.

⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆

falling feels like flying by deflated_leaf Oneshot | Teen | 2679

I don’t think I can do this without you, Buck’s thinking. He doesn’t know why he doesn’t just say that out loud. I think I really like him, Eds, tell me what to do.

Buck talks to Eddie and also doesn't. Buck, apparently, is a mankisser and goes on his first date with a man. Buck talks to Hen.

⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆

(fragile) handle with care by @rogerzsteven Oneshot | General | 3118

Slowly, Buck pulls the door open, and a restrained smile curves up his lips as he greets the other man, his heart racing at the thought of what to come.

“Evan.” Tommy says softly, with worry, and places his fingers under Buck’s chin to tilt it up, taking another step and leaning closer. “My God.”

Tommy’s hand slides down to rest on his neck, a featherlight sensation, and traces the tip of his fingers over the ugly bruises on Buck’s throat, touching every inch of dark patch of skin so gently as he examines, like he’s scared to hurt him. * Buck gets hurt on a call, Tommy looks after him.

⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆

Hands-On Learning by wilddragonflying Oneshot | Explicit | 3004

Buck's education continues.

⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆

Happy Accident by Not_as_straight_as_i_appear Oneshot | Not Rated | 597

Just some silly 118 family feels with a dash of Bucktommy

⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆

The heart never lies by @flowersonmymind1016 Multichapter | Explicit | 4746

Omega Buck works up the courage to ask his Alpha boyfriend an important question.

⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆

I am having a crisis here, Strand. by Hale_1517 Oneshot | Teen | 970

Buck isn't spiraling...okay maybe he is. In Buck's post first kiss with a man freakout he facetimes one of the only people that he feels might understand.

⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆

Let's Fast Forward To 300 Takeout Coffees Later by BagelswCreamCheeseWrites Oneshot | General | 2728

Buck meets Tommy in other circumstances. He's oblivious to his feelings, until he isn't.

OR

I wanted a Coffee Shop AU so I made my own

⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆

Low Tides by inkandella Oneshot | General | 2128

He can't bring himself to move, yet he’s still antsy—antsy to sprint out the door and run after Tommy as fast as he can, to call him even though he hasn't been gone five minutes just so he can hear that ridiculous low voice again, to turn back a clock and kiss him just one more time before he walks out of Buck’s home.

⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆

Overwhelming, Overflowing by wilddragonflying Oneshot | Explicit | 7238

Tommy and Evan have plans, and even living in the most contrary city on Earth won't stop them.

⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆

Right In Front of Me by @princessfbi Oneshot | General | 2845

Tommy’s brows knitted together as his mouth turned down with worry.

“Evan,” he said and Buck wanted to hear him call his name so many more times. “What happened? Did someone choke you?”

“That’s what I was trying to tell you,” Buck said, clearing his throat again when his voice gave an embarrassing squeak.

⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆

Saturday Aftermath by queermatcha Oneshot | Teen | 2180

His date with Tommy doesn't go as Buck had hoped and when they are back at his loft, his insecurities make him freak out. Fortunately, Tommy is having none of it.

⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆

Seen and Heard by @harvestleaves Multichapter | Teen | 3794

Tommy likes to think of himself as very observant. So when Buck has an asthma attack while staying over, he takes care of him. Not knowing that was something Buck has desperately needed.

⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆

Step 2: Warm, Wet Mouths by TrustDivineChaos Oneshot | Explicit | 1566

After sharing a home cooked meal, Buck and Tommy learn that Tommy is very bad at video games, but very, very good at other things.

⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆

Sudden Surprises of the most Unexpected Kind by NinjaTrashPanda Oneshot | Teen | 4590

Tommy's voice, accompanied by a wide smirk, was laced with amusement. There was a certain challenge in his voice that Buck knew he couldn't win. Tommy knew very much just how Buck felt about him. Neither of them had said it yet, because, frankly, three months in was just way too soon, but Buck felt it. He always fell in love fast and hard, and it always, always seemed to come in and bite him in the ass when he least expected or needed it.

The thing though? Buck wasn't scared. He should be. This exact same thing had happened with Abby, and Ali, and Taylor, and Natalia, and it had ended in disaster with all four of them. And now it was happening again with Tommy, but somehow, it wasn't suffocating, or anxiety-inducing, or, frankly, terrifying.

Buck was falling in love with Tommy, and it only made him feel warm, and safe, and happy. * Three months into his and Tommy's relationship, Buck, amidst rapidly falling for the other man, feels a bit off. At first dismissive of his symptoms, the two quickly realize that this is far more life changing than they anticipated.

⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆

Sunshine came softly through my a-window today by voices_in_my_head Oneshot | General | 1653

"“So you’ve met a lot of cats named Slippers, have you?”

“A few. More dogs, really.”

Tommy finally breaks, letting out a laugh. He shakes his head, uncrosses his arms to put his hands on his waist. “You’re unbelievable, you know?” he sounds fond, looks fond and Buck thinks I never want him to stop."

⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆

That's what friends are for by @aesthetictarlos Oneshot | General | 2508

Buck needs to talk to someone because a tangle of emotions settled at the pit of his stomach as soon as Tommy turned his world upside down with a tender kiss and he could use some help to unfurl it. He’s dialing TK’s number before he can second-guess himself, without even considering the chance that he’s on shift, or on a date with Carlos, or whatever. He would rather do this over a cup of tea, but having a long-distance friendship means that sometimes you have to settle for a phone conversation. - Or, the one where Buck calls TK right after Tommy kisses him, and then calls him again after his first date with Tommy.

⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆

To whatever's coming our way by @tabbytabbytabby Oneshot | Teen | 575

When Buck and Tommy's first date doesn't go as Buck hoped, Buck worries he might have ruined everything. Tommy's there to assure him otherwise.

⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆

Tommy, Bothered and Bewildered by @some-little-infamy Oneshot | Teen | 1033

Tommy didn't know so much could change from a front door to a kitchen island.

⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆

wild again, beguiled again by @mairaiscarrierofthepaperclips Oneshot | General | 1083

The kiss had taken him out at the knees, a rush of lips and heat and just the barest hint of teeth, the graze of stubble not his own thrilling him in a way like nothing had before. Which was ridiculous, because the kiss hadn’t even been that long. He’d had longer kisses, hotter kisses. Kisses where Buck had very nearly forgotten his own name by the time they’d ended. And yet, this one kiss still had him smiling like a fool.

... or, the one after the kiss.

⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆

You Don't Know Me (or Do I Not Know Me?) by Indy_mama91 Multichapter | General | 7689

It was a wonderful Saturday afternoon. Buck had picked out his outfit, then changed his mind three more times before he decided on his blue polo and black slacks for his date with Tommy.

It still didn’t feel real, he was going on a date with a man. He enjoyed a kiss with a man. If he was honest with himself, he couldn’t stop thinking about enjoying another kiss with a man, and another, and another after that.

⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆

You Take My Hand and Drag Me Head First, Fearless by StarrySummers04 Oneshot | Teen | 1588

Buck panics before his first date with Tommy so he calls Maddie but doesn't want to tell her everything, he then goes on his first date with a guy.

⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆

you twist to fit the mold i'm in by heroic_pants Oneshot | Teen | 1375

on a rainy sunday morning, buck muses on the new feeling of being held and waking up safe in someone's arms.

⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆

you've got me surrounded by @half-bakedboy Oneshot | General | 1163

Buck never understood why he had lost so many sweatshirts and button-downs to past girlfriends. Nine times out of ten, they didn't even remotely fit their figure and they were only worn in the comfort of Buck's home anyways.

Then he puts on Tommy's pullover, and everything makes a little more sense.

⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆

& found by malignantheart Oneshot | General | 481

After the disaster that was their first date—through no fault of their own, really—Buck’s convinced Tommy won’t be interested in a follow-up. It stings, but it makes sense, really.

⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆

[sailorblossoms-rankane]

Framing: the first one is a panel with comically deformed faces, a "freaking out" comedic scream, it has a realistic background. It's not a "special moment," it's fanservice and a punchline (or the set up, if you consider something like Ryoga's consequent reaction the punchline). The second is an entire page with a dreamy, ethereal sort of background. The posing is comical but there's no comical deformation, Ranma's face and eyes are focused and entranced. What's happening is meant for Ranma's eyes only. Every choice communicates that this is a showstopper.

For one reason or another, Ranma being around naked girls is usually paired with some level of stress, some "look elsewhere" or "get out of this" freaking out and/or shyness (a shyness more traditionally associated with female characters). His reactions can make it feel like he's invaded/unwilling.

When we reach the doll arc, the situation should be stressful given that this is a possessed Akane trying to kill him, and yet this is the 1st time everything STOPS (a showstopper, if you will). Even if there's comedy in Ranma's reaction, someone being naked here is framed not as raunchy fanservice (that's less about Ranma and more about the reader looking at him and going "that should be ME") but as Ranma ~being seduced~

The FULL page is important. Akane's nakedness is never for "this should be happening to me" fanservice comedy, but for romantic tension (even if it's funny) so only she is framed like she's the dream girl (note that only Ranma gets that full page, how Akane is facing him and how Ranma's location censors what he's seeing. What's happening huge and just for him, not for the reader.)

What characters want/don't want is also part of the comedy (Mousse really wants to see Shampoo, so he doesn't). Ranma just wants to see Akane... so he doesn't! What happens in the doll arc is the exception because it's not really Akane. but it still shows Ranma's feelings (I'm not bringing up how much the whole eldritch nightmare of an arc sucks for Akane simply because it's not the focus of the post, but if it happened to me I would have been on the news, let me tell you)

Part of the comical misunderstandings is Akane toon-force kicking Ranma out of situations, but the intervention is to separate him from the other person (and to remove him from the situation)... but it's not because Ranma is enthralled and can't stop looking (hell, sometimes he doesn't even know what's going on). With Akane, the intervention is because he is enthralled and can't stop looking.

(this is all to convey Ranma's interest being tied to his romantic feelings. Interesting to see how it's done, becaue some form of "special framing" is applied to other situations too... like to elevate the feelings of the delusional suitors lol)

[steddieunderdogfics]

This week’s writer spotlight feature is:  dartlekey! @dartlekey has 11 fics in the Stranger Things Fandom and 9 of them are in the Steddie tag!.

Our anonymous nominator recommends the following works by @dartlekey:

If you were church (I'd get on my knees)

RUSH! (T4T REMIX)

At a medium pace

With great power

"I read the "with great power" series not long after I got into the Steddie fandom and was instantly like "I need to raid this author's other fics" and subscribed to them. No regrets for that choice!!" -- Anonymous

Below the cut, @dartlekey answered some questions about their writing process and some of their recommended work!

Why do you write Steddie?

For me, Steddie hits that sweet spot of strong characterization but woefully underexplored details, both for the individual characters but also their dynamic with each other in canon. That makes their relationship the ideal writer's sandbox - since they're both so fluid, you can explore the characters through each other, showcasing many different and even conflicting facets of each other while still retaining their original characters and behaviors. Either of them can be rich or poor, famous or an everyguy, Gay or Bisexual, Dom or Sub, Top or Bottom, Trans in any direction - the details are up to you! 

What’s your favorite trope to READ?

I love a good slowburn friends-to-lovers fic. It needs to be a specific kind for me though - I'm not much one for prolonged pining, but I love it when the friendship is explored in such depth that the next step feels like an inevitability. Watching that deep platonic affection turn not-so-platonic, that's the good shit. 

What’s your favorite trope to WRITE?

My specialty as a writer, I think, is crack treated seriously, or crack with a twist. Usually the first question that sparks one of my fics is “If X happened, would that be hilarious or what?” and then the second is “But if it was because of Y, would that be fucked up or what?” I think you can see it best in If you were church I'd get on my knees (what if Steve was a stripper at Eddie's stag party BUT it was actually a social commentary on queerness and sexuality in the face of religious oppression), but it's in At a medium pace too (what if Eddie couldn't move his arms because of injury so Steve “has” to jerk him off, but it's actually about how growing up queer can warp your perspective on healthy sexuality) , or even in Don't look back (What if Eddie had to dom Steve for plot reasons, but it's all body horror and trauma and spiraling codependency). 

What’s your favorite Steddie fic?

I don’t think I could name one all-time favorite, because what I enjoy most about fanfic is that different writers bring different character interpretations, storytelling styles and plot ideas to the table, which I find incomparable. I have enjoyed many of the well-known classics, of course (pukner I owe you my life--), but let me use this chance to give a shout-out to some less well-known masterpieces! My top three underrated fics are Three Days on the Red Planet by CaptainHoney/@grandmastattoo on tumblr (retro scifi, gritty but humorous hopepunk, every single fic of theirs is a certified banger but I love this one the most for some reason!!), Love dirty men alike by wrenowich (chef au, an ode to kitchen culture in all its griminess, I love a detailed backstory plus Steddie being wonderfully weird about each other), and That’s just wasteland, baby! by fastcardotmp3 (post-s4 apocalypse survival, sweet and aching and tired and yet hopeful, made me cry in the best way). 

Is there a trope you’re excited to explore in a future work but haven’t yet?

One that's pretty unique to the steddie fandom, or perhaps general stranger things fandom, is “if canon event x had happened differently/hadn't happened at all/had happened to a different person, how would the rest of canon change?” I still need to work out a lot of details in my head, so that's all I'll say for now, but it's something I'm very interested in exploring.

What is your writing process like?

Much to the horror of fic writers everywhere, I don't do first drafts, I just write out everything in detail, scene by scene in chronological order. I edit as I go, and consider the many-numbered, often unplanned writing breaks an important part of my process - when I let the written portion sit for a while and the unwritten ideas percolate in my brain for a bit, I often end up with new plot points or solutions for problems I've been having! And when that inspiration strikes, I can write anywhere - on the train, during lunch break at work, in the vegetable aisle of the grocery store… I have gdocs on my phone and I use it liberally; I'd say I write at least 80% of any given fic on my phone. 

Do you have any writing quirks?

Apart from the hot mess I just described, I'd say it's that I never use Beta readers. I'll occasionally ask friends to help with specific details if I need an expert on certain subject matter, but I've found I get very grumpy and fussy if someone pokes at my plot (even if or rather especially if they’re right lol), and I don't want to subject anyone to that. 

Do you prefer posting when you’ve finished writing or on a schedule?

For oneshots or series comprised of single-chapter fics I like posting as soon as I'm done, but for multi-chapter works I've recently found that starting to post only after I've finished most (if not all) chapters beforehand improves the quality of the story! Since I tend to integrate new ideas or shift around plot points a lot while writing, I often end up in completely different places than my original concept, so if an early chapter isn't posted yet I can retroactively edit it to add foreshadowing or tone-match the end of the work, remove loose threads and suchlike. Don't look back is a good example of how this has worked out for me; comparatively It don't bite (Yes it do) - which I wrote and posted chapter by chapter - is tonally all over the place. 

Which fic are you most proud of?

Naturally I love all my babies, but I consider Don't look back my magnum opus - both because it is the longest fic I've ever written (13 chapters and 90.000 words in total, that's practically a novel!) and because it's the most plot-rich, labor-intensive, and overall serious in tone. I even worked in subplots about the rest of the cast, so it almost reads like its own season. I wrote it for last year's Steddie Bigbang, which means there's also a gorgeous accompanying artwork by @the-chilly-kat. 

How did you get the idea for With great power?

At the time I'd seen a few marvel AUs floating past me on the tumblr timeline, usually with Steve as Spiderman and Eddie as the human component of Venom, and having just recently seen the Venom movie depicting the rich relationship between Eddie Brock and the symbiote, it surprised me that most left the symbiote as its own character, and not substituted one of the ST main cast. The symbiotic relationship of Stobin immediately came to mind, though I also still loved the idea of Steve as Spidey - then I remembered that in the Toby McGuire movies, the two are not mutually exclusive, and it all spiraled from there. Eddie as Deadpool just made sense - immortal wild-card with a dubious moral code but a heart of gold? Obviously! Plus Spideypool is, of course, a classic ship. 

When writing With great power, what was something you didn’t expect?

I actually got several curious comments about the sex toy Steve uses in Because the night - a grindable or grinder, which is a flat-ish silicone structure, usually ribbed in an interesting way, that one can grind against to get off (as the name suggests). I thought it was pretty common, but apparently it's not very well known!

What inspired  RUSH! (T4T REMIX)?

Oh, it's my time to gush! Because the idea for the first work actually came about from a late night conversation I had with the beautiful, amazing, wonderful @maikaartwork, back when we were, how should I say, in the courting stage? Seeing as we met through the Steddie fandom, I decided to write Baby Said basically to seduce them - and I am happy to say it worked, as we've been dating for over eight months now and are planning to move in together next year! Both works from RUSH! - T4T REMIX (and the secret new WIP, shh) are thus somewhat inspired by our conversations and our t4t relationship, but also by the many interesting and different trans people I've met over the years, and trans solidarity and relationships in general.

What was your favorite part to write from At a medium pace?

The small-talk in between position changes - no, really! I love a mindless marathon-fuck story as much as the next person, but there's something very sweet and intimate about those little breaks in sex, the pass the lube, move your leg a bit, what's for dinner later of it all. That's where you see that emotional connection - there's no admission of crushes or big love confessions in this fic because it's right there in the details.

How do/did you feel writing RUSH! (T4T REMIX)?

Honestly, it's just really really fun and self-indulgent. The Steddie dynamic in it is so bitchy, all the bickering makes me laugh even as I'm writing it. It's also just really fun to write about the trans experience in a way that is curious and loving, and reflects all the very different and yet similar ways people experience living in a body that defies expectation. I've loved all my fellow trans people sounding off in the comments about their own transition experiences, it's wonderful to have such a fantastic community!

What was the most difficult part of writing If you were church (I'd get on my knees)?

Curiously enough, not the many religious trauma bits! Much like Eddie in the fic, I'm only church-freak adjacent - I grew up in a non-religious household but with extended family that were extremely catholic, so the odd juxtaposition of being occasionally close to but definitely not involved in what is pretty much cult behavior inspired much of this fic. The most functionally difficult part to write was actually the wedding - as an aro-spec & trans relationship anarchist, church weddings have never been relevant to me, so I had very little idea what actually goes into one! Very little of the research I conducted on the topic actually made it into the fic, but hey, the more you know. 

Do you have a favorite scene and/or line from any of your fics?

People keep asking me that, and I never know what to answer! If I had to pick one, though, maybe the last few paragraphs of Don't look back - where you can see the tragedy coming, but there's no way of stopping it, because it was always going to end this way. And then Eddie's last words before the end of the fic call back to the title as well as the general theme of the fic - it just all comes together for such a crescendo of an ending. 

Do you have any upcoming projects or fics you’d like to share/promote?

Yes, actually! Coming soon in the SteddieBang'24, me and my lovely artist @hawkinsleather have been working hard on a 20k post-s4 fic called A glimpse of your canvas, which is about closeted transfemme!Eddie, women's solidarity, and Steve's very confusing no-good trip to the gay bar. Both With great power and RUSH! (T4T REMIX) have another WIP pending which I'll eventually finish (I promise, I'm just easily distracted!!), and for those who are still mad about Don't look back’s open ending, I'm almost done with the sequel, which features a lot of bad decisions by all characters involved, the healing power of community, and a bit of accidental child acquisition. 

Outside of these questions, Is there anything YOU would like to add?

Given the chance of this platform, I would like to notify my readers that I'm a terrible procrastinator when it comes to replying to comments, but I read and cherish every one of them - and repeat commenters, I see you, I love you, I am chewing on your arm like a dog with a bone!! I would also like to thank the steddie fandom in general for giving me the hottest partner known to man or God, and for the many friendships I've been so fortunate to build here. Talk about transformative works, am I right? <3 

Thank you to our author, @dartlekey, and our anonymous nominator! See more of dartlekey's works featured on our page throughout the day!

Writer’s Spotlight is every Wednesday! Want to nominate an author? You can nominate them here!

[pynkhues]

https://x.com/snow_droplet/status/1836806686041944275

lots of people see this scene (louis reading madame bovary) as a one more confirmation of louis = housewife = mother. just as the yellow painting depicting mother and child. why do you think he relates to these works so much? and what do you think it says about writers' intent wrt his character?

Mm, I can see the thought process, but having read Madame Bovary a number of years ago, I'm a little surprised at the interpretation of Louis as Emma, who cheats because she finds monogomy boring, provincial life even more so, and dislikes motherhood - three things that I'd associate a lot more with Lestat than I would with Louis given a) Antoinette, and the fact that Louis never cheated on Lestat given he only had sex with Jonah when the relationship was opened up, b) Lestat spent most of his mortal life trying to escape the French countryside when Louis has only ever lived in cities, and c) his Whole Deal with Claudia.

I do think that it's worth noting too that the copy of Madame Bovary Louis' reading is actually Lestat's, not Louis':

It also shows I think a real sense of taking Louis' self-assessment when he's at one of his lowest points of depression across the course of the series, as an actual representation of himself? Claudia calling Louis a housewife was pretty specifically about trying to emasculate him into action, and we're sitting with Louis here where he does feel emasculated. Louis does find purpose through work - he's an ambitious man and a capitalist from the moment we meet him - and him being forced out of the upper echelon of earning capacity due to his race is both, of course, racist, but I think also is something he does find emasculating.

Louis always took his role as provider seriously with the du Lac's, I think both as eldest son and patriarch (and I kinda touched on it in my post about Grace, but the show flirts a little with gothic themes of a perverted family structure there in that Louis is both father and brother to Grace and Paul, and son and husband to Florence), and I think even having the illusion that he was providing for at least Claudia, if not Lestat (who of course is cashed-up from Magnus), was still a crucial part of his identity. It's why it's easy for him to fall into a (again, perverted) version of that role with Armand.

That's even without getting into the Capitalism of it all, haha. I actually forgot this and just caught it again on my (very slow) re-watch, but The Azaelia isn't Louis' only business at the time when it starts getting targeted. He's invested in, at the very least, grocery stores and millineries, which Lestat points out to him when Louis' making his No Whites Allowed sign:

This - - again - - is emasculating. Grocery stores and hat makers are very specifically pink-collar industries, and Louis' been making a fortune not off women's quote-unquote 'interests', he's been making it off women's bodies. And again, one day, I'm going to write my Louis-is-a-misogynyst post, but for now, my point is that it's the insult of this that fuels Louis' (rightful!) anger, not his relation to it.

The painting I do think is a bit different, but that's kind of harder to talk about given visual art is so subjective (and honestly I know less about it / can speak to it less). I do think it's significant though that the artist is a Black man, and someone who's still pretty up and coming. The maternal side there I can see, but I don't think it's as absolute as others, just personally.

[la-pheacienne]

I am not a fanfiction reader typically but I have read some great fanfics in my life and I have deep respect for the fanfiction community and the fanfiction writers. However there is one minor but very annoying side-effect of fanfiction that is very obvious to me because I don't read fanfics, but might be less obvious to the majority of fans who do. What I've noticed in a lot of fandoms, especially if I'm new in a fandom, is that there is always a certain part of fanfiction that is mischaracterizing characters and themes, misinterpreting symbolism etc. It is inevitable. Sometimes these fanfics become very popular, and their misguided themes/characterizations/weird fanon gets confused with canon. This becomes a problem, (sometimes reinforced by BNF's equally questionable interpretations retellings of the source material). Both dynamics reinforce one another in an endless vicious circle but fanfic plays an important role. The part of the fanbase that still holds onto the source material and is fed up with the mischaracterization/misinterpretation as a result of reading these fanfics/metas for years and years, tries to overcorrect this by focusing on the parts of the source material that are erased in fanon/fanfics, while at the same time dismissing other parts of the source material that are being selectively appreciated by fanon/fanfics. This of course polarizes the discourse and in the end, a person like me, (someone who generally doesn't read fanfiction/may not be familiar with a big part of fanon) cannot find themselves in any side of the discourse. Like, just because you have read 9328923 fanfics that misinterpret a certain character as being, let's say, white (no relation to the skin color), you don't necessarily have to insist that they're black instead. Yes, they're not white and it's a mistake to present them as white, but they can be grey, or orange, or ochre for all I care. Doesn't mean they're black. If you present them as black to correct a mischaracterization, you're also mischaracterizing.

TL;DR being part of a fandom is extremely polarizing and sometimes I find it hard to find my place.