#but i'm fortunate enough that i have stories out there that some people absolutely love

[alvfr]

can i ask how long have you been writing? it blows my mind how good it is. you are very gifted and we’re all so lucky to get to read your works for free and i really hope you publish something big one day

also do you have any tips for new writers? i’ve been writing intermittently for some time but i still find it so hard not to compare myself and get bummed out or discouraged when there’s writing like yours out there 💔

Ps: I’m loving all the snippets of everything you’ve posted. keep up!

Oh, probably forever? I mean, I was making up stories before I could write and made small books by hand before I could type and I remember using my grandfather's clunky old laptop to painstakingly write my first "real" stories after I started school.

I started writing in English when I was probably 12-13 years old though and I'm 30 now so it's been a while. I posted some stuff on Quizilla back in the day (which oddly wasn't fanfic, but original stories), and I posted my first story on FFN when I was around 20 years old I think?

I go through periods of time where I write a lot and then I don't write at all for a while, mostly because real life gets in the way or something drains my creative energy. Like I couldn't write more than one sentence at a time the first year after I had my baby. Not because I didn't have time, but because the baby took all my focus and I did not have anything leftover to be creative.

Anyway, I think my best tip for new writers is just to write a lot. Like allow yourself to practice, to be bad, to experiment, to learn - just like you would any other hobby, you know? I have posted more than 1 million words on AO3, but I probably have more than twice that much that I'm never going to post that's just collecting dust in my dropbox. And that's fine! It's just practice!

Right now, I'm trying to re-learn how to write in my own language again (Norwegian) because it sounds awkward and weird to my ears and that is probably because I haven't written in Norwegian since I left high school - I need to practice.

Also, be careful comparing your first draft with someone else's finished product. I don't spend too much time editing my fanfics (because it takes the fun out of it and I never make progress), but even I re-read my writing a few times and change phrasings here and there to make it flow better. I personally like to read everything out loud (making funny voices during dialogue) to catch if it flows how I want it to flow.

Another tip is to read a lot. Preferably published books, but fanfiction too. I'm a bit weird here because I can't read fanfiction for the fandom I'm writing for and that is just because I know I will start to compare myself to others and be discouraged, just like you mentioned. Both when it comes to writing style and level of engagement. I mean, some fics have 1000s of notes or kudos/comments and I start wondering how bad my writing is because it doesn't get the same response. At one point, I almost wished someone would post a bad review of my story because it would have felt better than the complete radio silence I received. Truth is, I think engagement is mostly related to coincidence. Summaries, tags and format matters, of course, but after that it's just down to luck. If you're lucky, your story will find its readers and if you're especially lucky, those readers will let you know that they liked it :)

I'm wary of reading nothing but fanfiction though because we fanfic writers tend to get influenced by each other and use a lot of the same expressions, I think. There's a reason I never have characters smirk, chuckle or hum anymore because I'm still traumatized by how much I used that when I started writing. It's bad enough with how much eyebrow quirking and raising I manage to add in a single story. Also when it comes to characterizations, I try to stay true to the source material, but it's easy to mistake fanon for canon when you read too much of the same stuff.

Sorry, this got super long. I'm just sorry to hear that you're discouraged, especially because I am the exact same way when it comes to comparing myself to others. We are our own worst critics, but I highly encourage you to keep writing! I cringe when I look back at my first stories, but I would never have improved if I hadn't written those stories in the first place :)

[thezombieprostitute]

Hii! 🥰 If it’s okay, can I please request a Ransom x shy!fem!reader where she’s his gf and he loves making her all flustered and shy? Like he spoils her with SO MUCH love, affection, flirting, and gifts and he absolutely LOVES her reactions (she’d definitely hide her head in his chest)

If there's one thing we all know about Ransom it's that he loves getting reactions from people. This probably isn't the story you were hoping for but it's the one that Ransom gave me.

Ransom Drysdale x Shy!Reader

Warnings: Angst, Bad family, Self-esteem issues, Stalker behavior. Please let me know if I missed any!

The first time Ransom flirted with you, you were certain it was a prank. Your face heated with embarrassment and you basically ran away.

It was rather unique experience for him and he was intrigued. He decided to run some tests and see if that's just how you were or if it was him specifically. He frequented the bookstore you worked at, observing your interactions with others versus himself. Some may have called it "stalking" but he called it "research". And he'd spend enough money at the store your boss would never tell him he wasn't welcome.

When he realizes you weren't faking, that you react the same whenever anyone gives you a compliment, he's even more intrigued. He's never seen someone so easily flustered and thinks you could be a lot of fun to play with.

Just like when he first flirted with you, when he asked you out on a date you immediately thought it was a prank and tried to run off. He cut in front of you, careful not to touch you without permission (he doesn't need an assault charge, after all).

"I'm being serious," he tells you. "I'm not trying to hurt you, I just...you seem like an interesting person and I'd like to get to know you better."

Your face is burning as you look down at your feet. "I just want to work, sir."

"Please? Just one date," he offers with that look he knows works on all the ladies. Well, all but you because you're not looking at him. "How about just a coffee together at the cafe next door? Please?"

And that's how you and Ransom started dating. Much to his mother's chagrin.

Initially Linda just scoffed when she met you. A bookstore employee dating her son? No way was this going to last. Best to not even get to know the poor girl's name. Ransom was just gonna use you for his amusement and dump you like he always does.

Except he doesn't. Over the months Ransom finds himself more and more amused and intrigued by you and your overly shy reactions. Sure it was just a fun experiment to begin with but he's finding he enjoys being your anchor. He likes that someone finds him so reliable, so safe. It's a side of himself he never knew about until you. The fact that, even after all these months of "spoiling" you, you still don't expect him to is something very new for him.

You never shrug at the gifts. You never ask for them, either. Part of him worries you'll never understand that it's okay to accept compliments, to accept gifts. So he makes sure to shower you in both, hoping it'll sink in.

"For the last time, Linda, I'm not getting rid of her."

"She's beneath you, Ransom. I get you've found yourself a charity case, but you can't get emotionally attached to these things."

"She's not a thing."

"But you agree she's a charity case," Linda asserts. "I've seen your spending habits, Ransom. You can't expect me to think she's at all good for you! She's clearly just interested in getting her grubby hands on our fortune!"

Ransom rolls his eyes. "She has never asked for any of the stuff I get her. I get them for her because her reactions are so much fun."

Linda rolls her own eyes, "I don't need to hear about your exploits in bed. I need you to get your spending under control and drop the gold digger!"

"But I'm having so much fun!" Ransom pleads. If his mother won't listen to reason, maybe she'll listen to this.

"Ugh, fine. Keep playing with your...toy. Just don't expect me to like her. And definitely tell me when you've finally dumped her back in the trailer home she came from. I've got a girl lined up for you that I think you'll like."

Ransom knows whoever it is his mother wants to set him up with is the daughter, niece, cousin of one of her friends. He'd rather die than date them. But he's done with this conversation so he turns away and that's when he sees you, crying.

"I'm...I'm just gonna go," you mumble before running off.

Ransom tries to go after you but Linda holds him back saying, "it's for the best. Now she finally knows, you're both done with each other. So let me tell you about Trillia. She's Karen's niece..."

Ransom doesn't hear anything. He breaks her grip and goes storming out after you but once outside, he can't find you. He tries texting, calling, messaging, everything he can think but no response.

After a bit he drives over to your apartment complex. He hits the buzzer for your apartment, no response. Maybe you weren't home yet? The buses weren't the most reliable. Maybe you'd taken the wrong bus? Fuck. He sits in his car and decides to wait. Every 15 or 20 minutes he tries calling you but you still don't answer.

Well, there's one place he knows you'll be at eventually.

It's taken a few days of waiting. Apparently you've been calling in sick. Ransom can understand that, given the likely shock you were experiencing. He hadn't been taking the best care of himself while trying to get hold of you again. He'd even developed a bit of stubble because he couldn't be bothered to shave.

But now, finally, you were back at work and he could talk to you. Well, he could if you'd let him. He knows creating a scene will make things worse for you so he's trying his best to not call out, yell at you to stop ignoring him, whatever. But you know the store so much better than him and are frequently able to get away, making him look for you all over again.

When it finally sinks in that he's not going to give up you let him find you one last time. Before he can even open his mouth you tell him, "it's over Ransom. I knew you were never interested in me so I'm just giving us both the blessing of cutting things off."

"I was just telling my mother what she wanted to hear. What I knew would get her off our backs. How could you think I was never interested?"

"You never took 'no' for an answer," you tell him bluntly. "I didn't want to go on a date, but you wouldn't leave me alone. I didn't want the expensive gifts you got me, but you insisted. i'd practically beg you to stop buying me things but you wouldn't hear it. It was all about you, never me. How could I not know you weren't actually interested?"

"Well excuse me for wanting to shower you with gifts!" Ransom immediately regrets snapping at you, making you wince. "I'm sorry. I just...I thought..."

"You enjoyed making me uncomfortable," you sigh. "You're not the first, won't be the last. I know I'm ridiculous. That I shouldn't be so shy. But you didn't have to make fun of me for it."

Ransom feels his heart break. It's true, he enjoyed your reactions, enjoyed being the one you hugged, and hid with. But was it really fair to you? He really never considered your discomfort beyond his own enjoyment of it. Beyond his own need to feel needed.

"I'm sorry," he finally sputters. "I'll...I'll try to be better."

You shake your head, "it's for the best, Ransom. Now please, for once, respect my 'no' and leave me alone."

Ransom wants to argue. To say it's not what you think. To swear to do better by you in the future. But it would only serve to prove your point. So instead he nods and leaves.

Tagging: @alicedopey; @delicatebarness; @icefrozendeadlyqueen; @irishhappiness; @lokislady82; @ronearoundblindly; @thiquefunlover63

[copperbadge]

Hi CB! I've followed your work for a while and I'm curious - I've seen that you do many times on a repetitive and consistent manner.......how? By the love of gods, how? What is this magic? Is it inherited? Genetic? Signed, please-halp

Hey, thanks for reading! I think you may have missed a word in the ask so I am taking a best guess at what you were inquiring about, but I'm guessing you were asking about consistent and repeat ability to write and post fiction? Gosh that sounds egotistical of me but I used to be known for being prolific and I think I'm still known for, if not having the BEST prose, at least having the ability to be of consistent quality. :)

The good news is that it is neither magic nor genetic, and one of those things that anyone can achieve -- it just takes time and a bit of effort. The secret is that I wasn't always even a good writer; what I have always been is a passionate writer. My early fanfic, from fourteen to eighteen, was actually very bad. But I did it a lot. It's hard to get truly good at something if you aren't passionate about it because you won't want to do it so often that you get good at it, but fortunately I fell in love with it. And once you're good at something you do want to do it all the time!

In my teens I wrote absolutely tons of fanfic, and if you were to read it (you can't, it's not under my name and some of it is lost to the ages) you could actually see me improving, because I started out so terribly bad. We're talking "Multiple people speaking in one paragraph" bad. But I kept writing and took feedback and when I went to college I took classes (I had a kind of unofficial minor in playwriting, including having several short plays produced) and when I came back to fandom after college I was...decent. And this you can trace, if you start reading at the start of my AO3 account where all my fanfic since 2003 is stashed; you can see I used to be more awkward in my prose, my pacing wasn't as good, what I considered relevant to include for the story wasn't as polished as it is now.

So, there are almost five million words on my AO3 account, which doesn't include anything I wrote before 2003; I'm forty-five and started writing when I was just shy of fifteen. This will be my thirtieth year writing fiction in April. If you spend that much time writing, even if you don't necessarily TRY to improve, you will learn and grow. And you learn how your own creative process works and how to wrestle with that, so you become consistent simply because you gain a kind of mental muscle-memory.

The thing is, quality and consistency is nice, but it's not necessary to enjoy either fandom or fanfic, or even writing. If you love to write, that's the best thing; you will bring yourself joy. It's one reason I never even considered making a career as a writer, because I didn't want my joy to become my job. That's not to shit on professional writers by ANY means, I have several as friends and of course I admire many well-known authors. But for me, it was important to preserve the parts I loved best, and I didn't think I could do that and still try to get a paycheck from it.

So the trick of quality, consistent writing is to love it enough to do it until you develop your skills and grow as an artist. But the real trick of any artistic expression is to love it for itself, to put heart into your work, and to do everything you can to protect what gives you pleasure. Quality and consistency are nice but if you love what you do they really, eventually, cease to matter. :)

[scoonsalicious]

Unwanted: Chapter 16, Unaccompanied - Pt. 4

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Avenger!Fem!Reader

Summary: When your FWB relationship with your best friend Bucky Barnes turns into something more, you couldn’t be happier. That is, however, until a new Avenger sets her sights on your super soldier and he inadvertently breaks your heart. You take on a mission you might not be prepared for to put some distance between the two of you and open yourself up to past traumas. Too bad the only one who can help you heal is the one person you can no longer trust.

Warnings: (For this part only; see Story Masterlist for general Warnings) Language, allusions to sexy stuff, a long overdue conversation with Steve.

Word Count: 2.4k

Previously On...: You went to Tony for answers about how Carthage ended up on the Quinjet; he asks you to attend his annual shareholder gala on Saturday. You, vomiting, + a bunch of stuffy rich people. What could go wrong?

A/N: Quick note about how text messages are written herein: Outgoing messages (in this instance, from Pocket to Bucky) will be indicated by ">>" in front of them. Incoming messages are labeled with the contact name the phone owner has for that person in their phone. In this instance, Pocket has Bucky saved in her phone as "Magic Dick🍆🦾" lol

NOTE! The tag list is a fickle bitch, so I'm not really going to be dealing with it anymore. If you want to be notified when I update, please enable notifications from my Blog page!

Banner By: The absolutely amazing @mrsbuckybarnes1917!

Thank you to all those who have been reading; if you like what you've read, likes, comments, and reblogs give me life, and I truly appreciate them, and you!

Taglist: (Sadly, tag list is closed; Tumblr will not let me add anyone new. If you want to be notified when I update, please Follow me for Notifications!) @jmeelee @cazellen @mrsbuckybarnes1917 @blackhawkfanatic @buckybarnessimpp @hayjat @capswife @itsteambarnes @marygoddessofmischief @sebastians-love @learisa @lethallyprotected @rabbitrabbit12321 @buckybarnesandmarvel @fanfictiongirl77 @calwitch @fantasyfootballchampion @selella @jackiehollanderr @wintercrows @sashaisready @missvelvetsstuff @angelbabyyy99 @keylimebeag @maybefoxysouls @vicmc624 @j23r23 @wintercrows @crist1216 @cjand10 @pattiemac1@les-sel @dottirose @winterslove1917 @harperkenobi @ivet4 @casey1-2007 @mrsevans90 @steeph-aniie @bean-bean2000 @beanbagbitch @peachiestevie @wintrsoldrluvr @shadowzena43

Tumblr will not let me directly tag the following: @marcswife21 @erelierraceala @jupiter-107 @doublejeon @hiqhkey @unaxv @brookeleclerc

The gala had barely begun and you were already exhausted. Your stomach bug hadn’t let up, and you’d been vomiting for the last two days. Fortunately, you were able to get an injection of an anti-nausea medication from one of the interns down in the med bay, so even though you didn’t currently have to worry about puking your guts out on some obscenely wealthy financier, you just had to deal with the constant exhaustion you’d been feeling from your illness. 

Just a few more hours, you told yourself as you brushed off the advances of yet another man old enough to be your father. Not once had anyone actually wanted to discuss the Crisis Prediction Algorithm System. It seemed you were being viewed more as potential arm candy than Stark Industries’ CTO. That alone was enough to leave you longing for an early night in your bed. 

You did look amazing, though, you had to admit, even if you’d had to go a little heavy on the makeup to mask your pallor. When you asked Tony for a new dress, you’d anticipated taking the girls on a shopping trip. Tony, however, had other ideas and had sent a designer from one of the city’s top fashion houses to the Tower to collect your measurements, and then, the following day, a garment bag appeared in your room containing a striking dress in shimmering Iron Man-red. The bodice was form fitting and strapless, with an asymmetric neckline, and the skirt was full and came down to just below your ankles. 

It was gorgeous, and when your hair and makeup had been completed, you looked like a princess straight out of a fairy tale. You’d sent a picture to Bucky and he’d immediately sent you back a series of panting emojis that had you laughing. The following string of text that described exactly what he wanted to do to you in the dress then had you panting, yourself. Fuck your parameters, apparently.

But now, you couldn’t wait to get out of it for an entirely different reason. The call of your pajamas was so alluring. Not only were you physically tired, but you were bored out of your mind. As this was a Stark Industries party, and not an official Avengers gathering, most of your friends had opted not to come. Rhodey was here, now almost fully recovered from his gunshot wounds, but Tony wouldn’t leave his side, so he was constantly being surrounded by people and you couldn’t really find an opening to go talk to him.

When you’d asked Nat and Wanda if they wanted to come with you, Wanda had politely declined, letting you know that she and Vision already had plans to go out of town for the weekend, while Nat just scoffed at you. “I would literally rather swallow broken glass, Pocket,” she’d said. “Those things are boring as fuck and there is not enough money you could possibly pay me to go to one, sorry.” She’d ended up going bar hopping with Clint and Sam, instead.

So, there you were, all by yourself, not even able to distract yourself with the elaborate spread of food that Tony had provided, as the thought of eating still turned your stomach, when you felt a hand at your elbow.

“Hey,” Steve said softly. His presence took you by surprise– you couldn’t even remember the last time you’d truly spoken to one another, aside from clipped conversations about work and missions. “That’s a lovely dress.” A slight blush tinted his cheeks. “How are you feeling, by the way?”

“Steve, hi. Um, I’m good, thank you. Just really tired. Not quite in the right headspace to schmooze, you know?” you asked him, trying to fight off the awkwardness you were feeling at speaking to him again after so long. “You look very dashing tonight.” And he did, with his dark navy suit and cream button-up. 

He smiled, then held out a hand. “Would you care to dance?” he asked. You thought about it for a second. You didn’t want to lead him on, let him think you had any interest beyond the platonic relationship you’d always shared, but you were so fucking bored. One dance couldn’t hurt.

“I’d love to,” you said, taking his hand and letting him lead you to the dance floor.

He was surprisingly light on his feet, given his hulking frame, and he led you through the steps with ease. You somehow managed to only step on his toes twice, which gave you both a good laugh.

“I must have forgotten all my finishing school lessons,” you teased.

“Nah, you’re doing great.” Steve sent you out for a spin, but as he twirled you back into his arms, you were overcome with a wave of dizziness and stumbled. You felt your knees give out and your body begin to collapse in its exhaustion.

“Whoa,” said Steve, using his super soldier reflexes to grab you before you could fall and hold you steady. “I got you. You wanna sit down? Rest a bit?”

You nodded and he led you over to a quiet corner where some couches had been arranged for that very purpose. He guided you down to sit, then placed himself next to you, concern clouding his features.

“Are you alright?” he asked.

“Yeah,” you said. “Just, you know, between the nausea and the vomiting, I haven’t really been able to keep a lot of food down over the last two days. It’s got me so tired. I think I overdid it with a dance number.”

Steve chuckled, then stood up. “Let me go get you something to drink,” he said. “It’s important that you stay hydrated.” You nodded, and he was off.

With a sigh, you reached into your clutch and pulled out your phone, sending a quick text to Bucky, but knowing that, due to the time difference, he was probably sleeping.

>> I miss you.

You were quite surprised, then, when you saw the three dots appear almost immediately.

Magic Dick🍆🦾: Not that I don’t miss you too, because I desperately do.

Magic Dick🍆🦾: But aren’t you supposed to be livin' it up like Cinderella at the ball?

You chuckled at that before responding.

>> This Cinderella is tired and bored and would much rather be snuggled up in bed with her metal-armed Prince Charming watching a movie or literally any other activity aside from being at this ball unaccompanied. 

Magic Dick🍆🦾: You better be talking ‘bout me, doll. 

>> How many other metal-armed men do I have in my life, dipshit? 

>> Why are you even awake, anyway?

Magic Dick🍆🦾: I’m just teasin’ you, smart ass ;) 

Magic Dick🍆🦾: I’d much rather be curled up in bed with you doin any variety of bedly activities, too >:) 

Magic Dick🍆🦾: And I’m up because we’re getting ready to act on our intel and raid the communications office we were sent to find. 

Magic Dick🍆🦾: Hit 'em at dawn when they’re least suspectin’ it, ya know?

>> Jesus Christ, baby! Be careful! 

Maybe it wasn’t a good thing you hadn’t gone on the mission– you didn’t even have the energy to imagine yourself having the energy to conduct a raid in your current state.

Magic Dick🍆🦾: Always, doll. Gotta get back to my best girl, don’t I?

>> You absolutely do. Cause if I found out you died, I will kill you.

Magic Dick🍆🦾: I have no doubt that if someone were to find a way to murder me from beyond my grave, it would be you.

Magic Dick🍆🦾: Shit. Sorry sweets, I gotta go.

Magic Dick🍆🦾: Try to have fun. I love you.

>> I love you too, Buckaroo.

You stared at the screen for a moment longer, but there was no further reply. Wonderful. Now you would be spending what little energy you absolutely did not have to spare worrying about Bucky’s safety.

Steve returned then, handing you a cold glass dripping with condensation. “It’s lemonade,” he said as you took a sip. “I know how much you like lemons.”

You smiled in thanks, but it came out more like a grimace. Steve noticed immediately.

“Are you alright? Does it not taste good? I could go get you something else…”

You put a reassuring hand on his arm. “No, Steve, the lemonade’s fine. Thank you for getting it for me; that was very thoughtful. It’s just,” you sighed, “I was texting Bucky. He and Carthage are running a raid on a communications office as we speak, and now I’m just nervous and worried about him.”

Steve’s brow creased. “Oh,” he said, though you could tell there was more behind the word than the single syllable would imply. “I didn’t realize the two of you had gotten back together.”

Fuck. You were by far too tired to be having this conversation. Squeezing your eyes shut for a moment, you decided it was time to confront the giant elephant that had been sitting between you and the Captain for far too long. “We haven’t, not officially, anyway, but that doesn’t mean that we don’t still love each other, in spite of everything that’s happened. We’re just working on building trust. Or rather, he’s working on building trust, and I’m working on determining if I can trust him again. It’s a process.”

Steve’s shoulders sagged, the movement so minute you would have missed it if you hadn’t been watching him so closely in the moment. You took a deep breath before you continued.

“Look, Steve,” you began, “I know about your feelings for me.” His eyes shot up to meet yours, and he opened his mouth to protest, but you gently held a hand up to stop him from speaking. You needed to get everything you had to say out while you still had the energy to do so. “I’ve known for a bit, and while I’m truly flattered, and honored, that you care for me, I’m also so sorry that I don’t feel the same way about you. You’re a good man. A wonderful man, and I know most people would tell me I’m an idiot for not reciprocating, but I just don’t share those feelings.”

“It’s because of Berlin, isn’t it?” he asked softly, not meeting your gaze, and for a moment, you could see the small, shy boy Bucky had told you about from his youth.

“Berlin altered our relationship, it’s true,” you told him, “but the nature of my feelings for you were cemented long before that. You’re my family, and do I love you, but I love you as a member of that family. The way I love Tony, and Nat, and Thor, but maybe a little better than I love Clint.” Steve chuckled softly at that, and you smiled, glad you could make him laugh even a little. “I’m sorry this isn’t the answer you want to hear, and I’m sorry that you’ve had to watch me be with your best friend. None of it was ever done with the intention of deliberately causing you pain, but at the same time, I need to do what’s going to make me happy, and I hope you can accept that, as my friend and a member of my family.”

Steve looked like he was going to argue with you for a moment, but he kept his mouth shut and just nodded. “Yeah,” he said eventually. “I can accept that. It hurts,” he chuckled humorously, “but I want both you and Bucky to be happy.”

“Thanks, Stevie,” you said, suppressing a yawn. “Holy shit, I’m tired. I think I’m going to call it a night. I put in enough time to fulfill my obligation to Tony.” You stood, but immediately stumbled, the motion of standing enough to make you dizzy.

Steve was instantly on his feet, an arm out to steady you. “I got you,” he said. He put a hand to your forehead, checking your temperature. “You don’t seem to have a fever, but I’m getting worried about you, Pocket. I should escort you down to med bay.”

You waved the suggestion off. “No, it’s fine. The last thing I want is a bunch of doctors poking and prodding at me all night. I’ll be fine, I just need to sleep.”

“You can barely even stand up on your own,” Steve protested. “Let me at least walk you back to your room. Make sure you get there without falling over.” You were going to tell him you’d be fine on your own when a wave of nausea overtook you.

“Yeah, okay,” you said, clutching tightly to his arm for support. You had planned on going over to Tony and Pepper to say a proper goodbye, but given the way you were currently feeling, an Irish one was going to have to do, instead. 

Steve put a hand to your back and led you out of the banquet hall. You had to stop more than once to steady yourself, and you were grateful for Steve’s assistance. By the time he’d walked you to your door, you were running on fumes.

“Do you need help getting inside?” he asked, looking worried.

“No,” you assured him. “I’ll be okay. I am literally just going to collapse into my bed. Might not even bother taking the dress off, to be honest.”

Steve blushed, and you regretted putting the idea of you getting out of your clothes into his head. “Well, if you’re sure,” he said, running a hand behind his neck, the movement so similar to Bucky that it threw you for a moment. “If there’s anything you need in the night, anything at all, don’t hesitate to call me, alright?”

“Sure, Steve,” you said as he placed a gentle kiss to the crown of your head. You were grateful for his help, but you knew that, even if you were suddenly dying, you would not, in fact, be calling him. “Thanks for your help.”

You wished each other a goodnight, and soon you were once again within the sanctuary of your room. Managing to summon the will from somewhere, you shimmied out of the dress, draping it over your vanity chair; it was, after all, probably far too expensive to either sleep in or leave in a puddle on the floor overnight. You debated whether or not to take the time to remove your face full of makeup but, God, your bed was just so inviting, you’d deal with the consequences in the morning.

<- Previous Part / Next Chapter ->

[obeymeshallwedateaddict]

The love letter

So recently I found these love letters I've written from each brother towards MC and they are absolutely adorable! I completely forgot about them tbh. Turns out I've written them about a year ago but here they are.. Enjoy!

You can find more of my work here: Masterlist

............................................................................

Lucifer

Hello, MC. It's me, Lucifer. And before you start wondering why I've written to you and begin questioning your past mischiefs, know that I'm not writing to you to scold you. This isn't an official written demand either. Though think about it? What if it was a demand? An official written demand for you to come to my office and sit beside me while I work when I'm covered in endless piles of paperwork. Or and official written demand for you to spend more time with me because the time apart has been getting to me and I feel anxious without you. It's needless to say that I need you. So take this as an official written demand for you to love me more. Me and me alone. Love me the way I love you. I want to occupy your heart just like you've been occupying mine. When did you even put this spell upon me I wonder? Nevertheless, come to my room. I want to show you the love I'm capable of, darling.

-Your dear Avatar of Pride, Lucifer.

Mammon

Hey there, MC it's me The Great Mammon! Of course you know it's me duh! So there has been somethin' I've been meanin' to tell ya ...How do people say this damn? So as ya might have already noticed I've been actin' little weird and been blushing quite more frequently (< I searched that word up to be sure) around you . I don't even know if I'm myself anymore. And the worst thing is that I'm thinking about you more than makin' money! But it's not like I'm in love with you nah deffo not! ... Ok fine! I-I am in l-love with ya! Ya happy? Guess I do love you more than money huh? I'm crazy 'bout ya, MC. Head over heels in love. More than I've been with anyone else. ... Well yeah that's it. All right that's done, time to get some money! Ya know me! See ya, baby!

-your Great Mammon <3

Leviathan

Hi, MC it's me Levi. How are you doing? Wanna play something? Or even maybe hang out for a bit? We could talk or s-snuggle up together while watching your favourite anime. Anything you would like it would be my pleasure to do! ... Uhh it's like recently I've been craving to hang out with you and get to know you as well as constantly play games with you. It's like a certain urge of doing so. Could it be something similar to the connection between Henry and the lord of Shadow in The Tale of the Seven Lords? But they are just close friends. Something like ... I believe they call it "partners in crime". But what I feel for you is quite different. Maybe something like the relationship between Ruri-chan and her lover. Yes differently something like that. But that puts it as if I've fallen for you. Could it be? C-Could I b-be in l-l-love with you? And if I am, does that still make me an otaku? Answer this for me Ok? See you... Love?

-Your player number 1, Levi <3

Satan

Hi, MC. You know... it's been quite some time since we last hung out together. Wanna come read with me in the library or stop at this new cat café? I could pet your head and stroke your hair like the little kitten you are to me. I could read you endless stories of fortune and love as well as spoil you until every single desire of yours is fulfilled. Let me help you indulge in a world of fantasy and passion, showing you every side of myself that you haven't seen. Every emotion I feel when I am lost in your eyes or hidden within your embrace. A world of true ecstasy and love I know you've been craving to see. Let me take you to the unbelievable debts of my heart which is spoiled from the love that's been sitting there long enough. And now that love has a name. "MC". I love you, kitten.

-your wrath-cat, Satan

Asmodeus

Hey hey heyyyyy, MC!!! Yesterday I bought a new nail polish and I'm sure it will look absolutelyyyy adorableee on you!!! Let's try it out together, m'kay? We can match! Oh just imagine the look on Mammon's face when he sees us matching! He will pull up that pouty face that I so love! Anywayyyssss.. afterwards we can take a bath together with your favourite bath salts! Let's look fabulous together, MC! Though you may not manage to look more beautiful than me but you can always be second! Actually... MC, in my heart you are the first. People may be all over me and I do show love to each of them but the most sincere love I feel is for you. I love you, my adorable, fluffy, little sheep! And this love is a lot different than the love for my followers. I love you as my partner. So what do you say to the offer? You become my partner and I become only yours? Sufficient enough? Bye bye, hon!

-Yours truly, Asmo <3

Beelzebub

Hello, MC. Are you hungry? Let's go to Hell's kitchen. Me and Belphie were planning on going to eat Devil sandwiches there but he fell asleep. Though I was going to invite you to come with us anyway I'd love to go with you alone. We could make it a lunch date at Hell's kitchen. But MC, you need to know that as hungry as I have been recently food has not been enough. Well it has never been enough but I feel even more hungry. Hungry... Hmm though am I hungry for food? Or maybe I'm hungry for your love and affection. And this hunger is stronger than the regular one, MC. Sometimes I wonder if it's even a hunger or a need for you. And it never goes away. The only time it subsides is when I'm with you. Which indicates that we have to spend more time together to fulfil my hunger. Will you stay with me, MC? Let's meet up in the kitchen so I could show you the depths of my hunger. I love you, muffin.

-Your cinnamon roll glutton, Beel

Belphegor

MC, hi. How have you been doing? Beel mentioned that when he was going to the kitchen yesterday for his midnight snack he heard you, Mammon and Levi playing games together. My point is... MC do you sleep enough? I can't imagine a world without sleep. If it was forbidden to sleep I would gladly go and die. But... That was before. Now.. I feel like if sleep was really forbidden I could manage with you around. You've made a change in me, MC. I can't say I don't like it though. I feel more productive even if I take constant naps. You make me feel this way. It's like.. I feel loved. Though it's a different kind of love than what my brothers and I share. It's more.. passionate. It's more deep. It's constantly making me tired but when I go to bed I can't fall asleep if I don't hear your voice or feel you cuddled up against me. So let me say this: I love you. Will you be my body pillow next time, my cuddle bug-... Zzz..

-Your sleepy boy, Belphie. Zzz

[weirdmarioenemies]

Name: Li'l Marcher

Debut: Yoshi's Crafted World

Remember the joke of Yoshi Tax Fraud? That was really funny as a single Tumblr post! And then not funny at all as a meme. And then kind of funny again when Suppermariobroth unearthed that Yoshi tries to sweettalk people into tax breaks in Fortune Street!

But that is all old news. Let's talk about Yoshi's real, canon crimes! Yoshi has performed a museum heist. Isn't that great?

"No, it's not great. I hate it!"

Oh. Sorry. And who are you?

"I'm Li'l Marcher from Yoshi's Crafted World. And I hate museum heists! Share my story with the world. The people need to know that I hate museum heists."

Yeah okay. Sure. I'll do that. I'm sure people will be very interested in that.

"Thank you. They will. I'll be the next Goomba."

Well, this is Li'l Marcher, and it hates museum heists! Yoshi, on the other hand, loves them, and is sort of just casually looting this place after hours. That's some Wario behavior! But he must be careful, because if he's seen by the automated spotlight, the security system TAKES CONTROL and starts ATTACKING the Yoshi! This security system is the Li'l Marchers, an endless supply of little waddling siren guys.

And being a security system is really their whole thing! If Yoshi is seen, the sirens are released to Get him, but not to alert anyone. Just to Get him. Addressing the fact that this museum is easy enough to enter that a dinosaur got in? No thank you! They just want to kill that intruder and die themselves in the process, because they die instantly upon bumping into Yoshi.

Look at that. Bumbling, I tell you! What's so important about this museum that these bulbs of buffoonery risk their life to protect?

I don't know, but there ARE paintings of Li'l Marchers displayed around the museum! Perhaps they feel in the organization's debt, due to it showing them this appreciation? Or it could be their very own art, and the poor things fear that some of the little culture they have is at risk of theft. Whatever the case, they sure love this painting, because the exact same one is displayed all throughout the stage!

Maybe the true reason they are so dedicated to protecting this museum is that it is frankly just not a good museum. A far below average establishment. The painting is nice, sure, but I only really need to see it once! When you buy a ticket to this museum, proceeds are absolutely not going toward improving its collections. They are instead going to making even more cute little security guards to Kill You. If you're dead, you won't find out that the museum sucks! It's a perfect plan! If you ever plan on going to a bad museum... be careful!

[aryesdanger24]

I'm done with comparisons here.

I need everyone to understand right here and right now.

Everyone had a good ending that befitted their character arc!

Spoilers below for the ending of Season 2 of Arcane, be advised.

We can be mad about Jayvik dying and not getting an absolute confirmation (though some may argue it is pretty clear) .

Some can be mad that there wasn't enough verbally said to add that romantic nature to CaitVi (once again, some may believe they have done more than enough)

IT ISNT A CONTEST!

I personally we are fortunate to have an ending that truly feels complete in some way. It was a good ending overall for everyone expectation wise.

Most of the time we get a physical show of love to confirm anything gay whereas lesbians often say some soft confirmation of love to be 'official' but this gave what media needed.

Lesbians showing a very physical and verbal show of their love while men are having their soft confirmation through verbalizing their love.

It's wonderful, even if you are unsatisfied by the ending for your ship (if you have one) that's why we have fanfiction, to explore what could have been.

You got a problem with the finale, write a what-if spinoff or write how it should have ended or what happened after the official ending.

Stop comparing Jayvik, CaitVi, and Time bomb. It's a waste of your time when you could be writing what you wished would happen in fanfic.

Be happy that the ending is something you can work with, be happy the possibility exists with a solid world built to utilize.

Heck, don't like the world? Build an AU (alternate universe) for them! Make them coffee shop owners, have them be military personnel, make them crazy European tourists!

Do something constructive and add to your Fandom instead of tearing down someone else's.

Getting mad at someone else's ship or flaunting about your own having a better ending is a waste of time and just literally detrimental to the show itself. Respect Arcane and what it was able to accomplish without push back, it is able to walk firmly because previous shows and their small steps.

So, in short, behave yourself. This may be the internet but your words stay forever. Don't try to bolster the status of your ship by pulling down someone else's.

If you feel called out by this, evaluate your recent behavior.

If you feel offended by this, really think about why you feel this way, because it probably isn't because of my language.

Yes yes, I know comparing shows is how we understand and make progress, but I am specifically talking about unhelpful dissertations or memes that specify a ship.

It's fine to write a logical explanation of why you prefer a different ship. It's absolutely fine to explain how something could have been better or evaluate the show and what it has done and could do better.

What's not fine is bashing it because your ship didn't have what you deem a good ending.

Not all people have good endings, not all characters will achieve their good ending despite how good they may be. That's simply the truth of reality and sometimes an author wants their story to mirror their idea of truth.

Respect the show and the work people put in it, and respect that someone else's joy does not deserve your anger just out spite.

[the-sinful-voice-witch]

TIME TO LOVE AMY ROSE part 3:

(another repost of a 2022 post because i miss Amy in the trailer...)

Amy Rose movie Theory time

Ok let's start the theory with why would Amy end up in earth in the first place and how? Well in this theory of mine it will be for similar reasons as Tails and knuckles, few points to remember:

1. The chaos emeralds were conveniently spread out in space by Sonic himself and he and shadow conveniently will need it.

2. Lately the most recent version of Amy in both modern and Classic (that is the perfect version), Amy is someone ready to be a hero and take action and I inspired this theory thanks to this panel over here👇👇👇

You will my girl, you will absolutely prove your are a worthy warrior ( words probably said by Knuckles)

3. Unlike Tails who used his gadgets to know about sonic and about knuckles and how trace him to find him and unlike knuckles who always knew about him and hired people to find him... How would Amy know about sonic in the first place and how will she know how to find him? Are we forgetting something canon that Amy is skilled at besides swinging a hammer?👇👇👇

The fortune cards should be used in the movie your honor, literally Amy knows how to use magic with them cause she always nails it!

Know let's mix all the ingredients, i chose to write this as a prologue back story through Amy's pov:

Hi, nice to meet you my name is Amy Rose😊 and I'm on an important mission to help save a different planet! Isn't it exciting?🤩 Oh yeah you're probably wondering how I ended carrying this mission and how i know where I'm going jeje 🤭cof cof well it's all thanks to this girls over here:- Amy's hands starts shining surrounded by some kind of pink electric light and a deck of cards shows up out of nowhere- impressed? 😏Jiji this are fortune cards and I have mastered the ability to read them and they always tell me things i need to know, oh and these aren't the only thing I can summon, take a look at this: -Amy extended her arm straight with her palm open and again her hand is surrounded by pink electric light, this time the light grows bigger forming a shape and in a blink she is holding a giant hammer- cool isn't it? Your head won't get away uncracked if you fight me fellas😤 😏 I can crack mountains

oh you also wonder where did I get all this stuff? Ok I'll tell you, bring the flashback:

Some years ago i was a little girl who ended up all on her own, i used to help in a food place but I wanted to do more than that and I craved to prove my independence and strength! Cause I was seen as a weak lonely nobody little girl so... I started to do boxing 🥊🥊 and trained to be more athletic but it wasn't enough, i love boxing but I don't actually like to fight using my fists... and one day finishing my training next to a nice valley i found something... There were some kind of ruins hidden and I felt something calling me under some rocks and there were them... I found a bag with a full thick deck of cards surrounded with a shiny aura and I was so hypnotized with them, i remembered some tales and legends about some mysterious powers that came from the energy of chaos and I wondered if there were items with chaos powers too... As I was checking one by one the cards i stopped when I saw one with a big beautiful hammer image on it and I realized that what I was lacking for was a personal weapon and then... How do I describe this... Well the card started to shine and there was some pink electricity and there was an explotion boom 💥🤯 and them poof the hammer of the picture fell on my hands!!! 😶 And I felt connected to it like with the cards and few years of training latter here I am! See? I was a bit more Little back them i guess it grew up with me or maybe Is because I'm stronger 💪💪 Anyway I'm on this mission because... It happened again! I found a chaos item! A lot more powerful than my cards! It was an chaos emerald! I learnt about them thank to the cards knowledge because like I said they always tell me what I need to know and in fact when I tripped with the emerald while training the cards reacted to it and gave me my mission:

"A foreign whole planet is in grave danger, a future legendary hedgehog hero needs the emerald to save that world so you must give it to him"

And that's what I'm doing! Traveling between worlds until I find that hedgehog hero! And I hope he lets me help save that world! I'm so exited to finally have a chance to prove myself!!!😖😤

Next post will be my theory about with who will be living Amy Rose at the end of the movie

He is a hedgehog like me... I wonder how he looks... He must be handsome! 🤔😍I hope I can recognize who he is... I don't want to give the emerald to the wrong person and make a fool of myself... Enough Amy! Be more confident 😣😣 ok ok I'm fine, let's do this! 💪😤 Is going to be fine! Uff I can already feel the upcoming danger... How curious... I feel like someone is following me? (🦇) I have to protect the emerald! Let's go! I'll see you later! Hope you liked my story! 😘😘

[yzy-dragon]

I absolutely ADORED S2E9 "Three Stories" of Link Click and was a bit surprised to see the discontent here on Tumblr, and I totally understand the reasons why people didn't like it, especially in the context of the pacing of the rest of S2 (which I also have some opinions on but I won't talk about that here), but I also felt the need to just get my heart out why I love it so much. A bit of background, I'm Chinese American but have lived in and visited China numerous times.

Music and theater. As a western classical musician and an amateur Chinese opera singer enthusiast (I saw someone else post about the possible inspo this episode got from Chinese opera), I VIBED with the artistic direction of this episode SO much. The three-part structure was almost like a sonata/symphony (and remember that one scene where Qian Jin was air-conducting in a previous episode!!) or scene changes in a Chinese opera. Nothing needs to be said about the animation style that hasn't been said already, but I like how scenes from the three individual "stories" were interwoven and reused like leitmotifs. Especially that crazy, tortured laughter. Idk if any of the parallels were intentional on the part of the director, but it's what I got from it due to my personal experiences. I know that's a highly subjective takeaway though, which brings me to my next point....

Qian Jin's "tragic" backstory. I know a lot of people were upset that the extent of Qian Jin's tragic backstory was "oh his wife cheated on him", but I think the "basicness" of his struggles was the whole point (by the way, this segment displayed various attitudes towards work, family, marriage, individual pride, and life in mainland China so subtly but so well!). I also don't think sympathy was the main thing we were supposed to feel for him, although of course there is some. The whole "tragicomedy" aspect of Qian Jin's story is that it's not some horrible, terrible, rare thing that happened to him, but a common problem faced by so many hardworking but busy married men trying to provide for their families: infidelity. But Qian Jin sees himself as the main character of an elaborate play that rivals the great dramatic classics (which, funnily enough, often depicted very DRAMATIZED versions of a rather basic series of events). And his viewpoint is validated when....

Qian Jin meets the twins. That segment is still largely from Qian Jin's perspective, because we still don't really know how LTC and LTX even feel about him. But for Qian Jin, it's a stroke of fate and fortune that could only possibly happen in theater. He's very far removed from reality at this point. Reality is that a cop whose job it is to investigate violent crime comes across two kids who are the victims of a violent crime. Again, nothing particularly special or even coincidential. It's comical like that.

The fairy tale section.  Unlike the first two, I think this segment is from Xixi’s perspective, which not only justifies the cartoony artstyle but also makes it heartbreaking, due to her childlike innocence.  Like Qian Jin, she also perceives her reality as something it’s not, but unlike him, she doesn’t have delusions of grandeur of being a tragic protagonist.  It’s just a little fox trying to survive in a forest full of predators and hunters.  

All that tortured laughter. I’ve actually noticed in a lot of Chinese media that they like to use laughter as a way of signifying a person’s complete mental breakdown due to the tragedies they’ve suffered.  It’s a very internal thing that has people on the outside going, “WTF?”  In this episode we have a lot of characters crazily laughing together at the same time and it seems like they’re relating to each other, but in reality they’re all trapped in their own nightmarish hells and motivated by selfish purposes. 

Back to the topic of Qian Jin, even though he (innaccurately) may see himself as the hero of his own story, it's not enough for him. He wants to use Cheng Xiaoshi to change the past. He wants to become the director of the play.

I know a lot of people were disappointed this episode didn't advance the plot, especially in regard to Cheng Xioashi and Lu Guang's storylines, but I was actually prepared for a backstory episode and couldn't have been more satisfied. Again, I have other opinions on the rest of S2 but at least standalone, I think this episode was nearly perfect. And I really wasn't expecting this, but it's really elevated Qian Jin to one of my top characters.

[freesia-writes]

Day 7 - Free Space!

Thanks again to @clonexocweek for creating this AMAZING event where we get to show off all the unique characters and stories we've crafted! As I'm finishing up the revamp of the Howzer fic, with a bunch of new chapters, I wanted to share a lil more about Aurelia.

I know it can be hard to get into a story with an OC, cause it's a totally foreign dynamic and might not be your cup of tea. So here's a glimpse into her life and a bit about her journey with Howzer (below the cut)! Whether or not she resonates with you now, I think the best part about the story is her dynamic with Howzer and how it grows over time, shaping them both around each other and the ever-changing world.

I'm Aurelia. Just... Aurelia. Because if you knew my family name, you would have very different expectations of me. 🥸

I was born and raised on Corsucant. My parents are big-shot politicians with more networking events than there are hours in a day, and my older brother owns a chain of luxury restaurants. I could totally dine there, if I just "put some real effort into my appearance"... oh, and changed my entire personality to be super bubbly, ingratiating, and manipulative. I mean, I could do all that, but I’ve heard the velouté has a heavier mouthfeel than it should, and that’s kind of a deal breaker for me. You understand, I’m sure. 😉 Anyway, their entire lives revolve around their social connections and maintaining a carefully curated image of success. It reminds me of birds doing hilarious mating dances. Which, don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love, but it’s not as cute when it’s your disgruntled aging father doing the squawking. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Growing up, I wasn't really into all of that as much as they were, and I wouldn't say they were disappointed in me when I didn't show a promising propensity for strutting and schmoozing, but I guess they kinda decided at one point to just... not get their hopes up too much, you know?

But alas, they had no idea that I would grow to become such a prominent, influential, celebrity… bartender. 😜 (They love having to confess that, after they finish choking on their shrimp, when well-meaning people ask about me.) And I wasn't working at just any bar, but a dive bar in the underworld that catered to clones. The war had just started, and apparently the GAR was gracious enough to decide that the proper care and feeding of actual human soldiers included a bar. I could have been swirling cocktails into expensive crystal instead of slinging cheap beer across a sticky, pockmarked wooden counter, "if my priorities had been in line", but here I am! I’m not complaining about it. Unless the janitorial droid has broken down while trying to make drinks again.

Anyway. This was quite the wandering introduction... I just need to come up with a better explanation when people ask about my last name. Something mysterious and sexy, perhaps. Just like me. 😉

Fortunately, not a lot of people care about your last name when you're a bartender. They usually prefer to ask about your sleeping habits, or what your tongue can do, or what's the deal with that hot Mirialan over there. It's a sweet gig though. The clones are a hoot, for the most part, and this is kinda my "place holder" while I figure out something more long-term. There are so many awesome things to do out there, whether they're "glamorous" or not, and it's overwhelming to even try to start in any one direction.

So here I am, serving a million different souls with the same face and trying to avoid thinking about the reality of their existence and purpose. I think we're all pretty good at it, though. Especially when the DJ droid starts to play that sweet jizz. 😏😂

Some other fun stuff about who she is... at the start of things at least.

Seemingly quiet and plain, but has some fun, snarky humor beneath it all. Although if she gets legitimately flustered, it goes from witty to awkward real fast.

Generally low-key, satisfied with the simplicity of having a job whether it's prestigious or not... Content with life as it is (but also might be too overwhelmed by too many choices to actually make a big change).

Not much of a daredevil. Gives up easily. Insecure. Can be a pushover.

Acts of service. Quality Time.

Not great with emotions.

Reflective. Enjoys thinking and pondering but also finds it overwhelming in the lack of a singular “right” answer. 

Finds intimacy in working side by side.

In a lot of ways, she flies under the radar. Physically, there’s nothing that would strike you in one way or another. Personality-wise, it opens up over time when there’s more than just the mask of a shallow meaningless encounter.

Her interests change; she's doesn't have any crazy passions or obsessions but will enjoy something for a while and then move on to the next thing. Sometimes she feels bad about it, but why?

But you never know when someone might come along and start to shift your life trajectory whether you're aware of it or not...

(Maybe a little somethin like this, LOL)

If you'd like to be tagged when I start posting the story, you can sign up for my tag list (or opt out) here, or even better, message me for a link to my tag list discord server, used only for posting works, no chatting or other stuff. 😊

[tracybirds]

It's nearing the end of the year and I'm thrilled to have finished up my little Thunderbirds Reading Challenge yesterday! It's been a whirlwind year with major lows but also some cherished highs and I'm still finding my feet a bit but we're getting there <3 I'm looking forward to 2025 and getting to dive into this world that I love once more!

I want to chatter about my thoughts on each book so I'll do that under the cut <3

Also this is my second year of making prompts for myself and I do plan on doing it again next year, so let me know if you want to be tagged in a post for that.

On to the books!

---

Thunderbird One: A book with silver lettering on the spine

My pick for this was A Zoologist's Guide To The Galaxy by Arik Kershenbaum. This was a book a biology teacher friend had recommended to me and so when I spotted it at the library and saw the silver lettering, it felt like it was meant to be and I snagged it! And I'm so glad she did tell me to read this one - I had so much fun dipping into the concepts and ideas this book presented. It was a really interesting way to explore key biological principals in the context of evolution on an alien world.

My favourite chapters were related to movement and communication, but there were so many fascinating tidbits of information and incredible solutions that life on Earth has come up with, that is gave me a whole new appreciation for the variation present on our own world!

This book has gone on my wishlist to purchase and I think everyone with an interest in natural sciences should check it out :D

Thunderbird Two: A book featuring a musician

For this I chose the appropriately named The Instrumentalist by Harriet Constable. This caught my eye as a new release and it was the setting that interested me most. The focus was on Venice, in the time period when Antonio Vivaldi was active, and that setting has some nostalgia for me as my family owned a CD audio drama set in the same period and place, designed to introduce children to Vivaldi's music. Not only that, but I was fortunate enough to visit Venice this year and so the environment was fresh in my mind.

This novel is based on Anna Maria della Pieta who was an orphan and violinist taught by Vivaldi. I've thought about this book a lot since I've read it - it's beautiful and the depictions of how music can consume you is truly stunning, but it's not a beautiful book, it's brutal and dark and doesn't shy away from the struggle that women in the time and place in which it's set. More than music, I think this book covered the soaring heights and despicable depths of what humanity can be, and demonstrates how easily one could become trapped by their circumstances.

As an aside, I did also cry when I read the author's acknowledgements at the end, they were absolutely stunning and I read them out loud to my friend and wow they hit home. I really enjoyed this one too <3

Thunderbird Three: A book you had to read in high school

I knew The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien would be the book I chose as soon as I wrote the prompt. I first read this book in my final year of high school as part of a study on short stories, and it was one of my first real exposures to the Vietnam War. I knew the bare bones of the conflict secondhand from friends who were studying history, I'd heard it mentioned a dozen times in TV and books, but in NZ when it came to military history we spent a lot more time discussing the events of Gallipoli and the ANZACs in WWI and of course the Holocaust in WWII (We can have a discussion another day about why we didn't even learn about the New Zealand Wars but whatever). So when I read it for the first time, I was struck by the raw brutality of it all, and it made a deep impact on me.

Now that I'm older, more than a decade on, I wanted to revisit it.

I know a lot of people who would want to analyse this book with a political framework, and I don't think it's wrong to do so, but I do think that if you do that you miss what this book is. The non-linear nature, the ruminating and revisions inherent in every story told, the oscillation between being blase and being horrifically scared and being alight with a monstrous rage and so on and so on and so on. It's a confronting novel and the way it meanders and feels so pointless at times was something I really struggled with this time around.

But then it's a story about drafted soldiers, trapped in a war they didn't choose and couldn't escape. What else could it have been?

Thunderbird Four: A book exploring somewhere new

The Apollo Missions: In the Astronaut's Own Words by Rod Pyle was not what I expected my pick to be. Even after I read it, I didn't immediately realise how well this fit the prompt. It's such a cool little nonfiction book, taking the transcripts of key points during each of the Apollo missions and pairing the astronauts' awe and wonder (and humour!) with photos from each of the missions was such a cool way to learn more about the goals, the successes and the failures faced in exploring the lunar surface for the first time.

It's such an incredible project that I still can't believe NASA achieved and I love learning more about it <3

(And from a Thunderbirds perspective... it was very fun to see some familiar names cropping up too!)

Thunderbird Five: A book featuring a non-organic lifeform

I won't lie, I 100% thought I was going to reread Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir for this one. But then, a book that had been sitting on my shelf for two years found its way into my suitcase when I went to Italy, and to my surprise it featured a non-organic lifeform! Kind of. I'm still not really sure what exactly the Fremda were...

I don't remember very much of this book to be honest. While the premise was interesting, I found the story got pretty bogged down fairly quickly and although it was fine and I enjoyed it enough to finish, I knew I wouldn't be continuing on with the series.

They can't all be winners I suppose ahaha

Anyway, that's my Thunderbirds Reading Challenge for 2024 all wrapped up! Hope you enjoyed a little foray into something different and once again let me know if you want to be tagged when I make the 2025 prompts <3

[mineonmain]

A concise (and biased) summary of GMMTV 2025 Pt.1 shows (2/2)

In no particular order:

11. Cat For Cash (Firstkhao, Cat Cafe AU (?), Magical Realism AU. This is the fluffy romcom that firstkhao and all the Soms have been praying for. Enough angst and crying, let them be cute and fall in love!! Also Khao cat confirmed!! I don't make the rules. Silly but cute) 6/10

12. Girls Rules (NamtanFilm, MilkLove, ViewMim. Jojo said he supports women's rights, and women's wrongs, and he's so valid for that. Love seeing women in a male dominated field. Female Only Friends, dare I say?) 6/10

13. Boys In Love (High school AU. Debuting Mick Metas, aka baby Win Metawin, and we all cheered! also featuring a lot of babies, presumably the newest crop of gmmtv recruits, and so far i'm not mad about it. I'll have to wait and see how they actually do. Classic 3 high school couple stories, general sweetness all around) 8/10

14. My Magic Prophecy (JimmySea, Doctor AU, Urban Fantasy AU. I'm personally not the biggest JimmySea girlie so this doesn't do anything for me, but I know there's people out there who are loving this, and i'm so happy for them. Jimmy is a doctor (what a concept) and Sea can see the future sort of? So what happens when Sea tries to change the future for someone he is close to?) 4/10

15. A Dog and A Place (Taynew, side MarcPoon. New is a flight attendant, and Tay is just some random clown, and since Tay owes a debt to New, he agrees to stalk New's bf and find out if he's cheating on New or not. Silly ahhh goofy ahh show, for anyone looking for a light watch and a laugh) 4/10

16. Memoir of Rati (GreatInn, side AouBoom. Historical AU, absolutely serving I Feel You Linger In The Air minus the time travel. I'm sorry to say but this is the genre of show that Earthmix deserved, we need them in a period piece STAT. That being said, it does look beautiful, it looks worth watching for the aesthetics itself) 5/10

17. Me and Thee (PondPhuwin, side PerthSanta. Photography AU, Mafia AU, except it's on crack??? looks so funny and they both do comedy so well with each other honestly i'm just having such a giggle. Can't wait for this one. Big mafia bossman Pond needs help of 'ordinary guy' Phuwin to learn how to seduce. Shenanigans ensue) 8/10

18. Ticket To Heaven (FourthGemini, Historical AU (sort of), Church AU. P'AOF COME FUCKING THRU I SAY. This is what i've been waiting for. Repressed seminary boy meets rebellious new kid, and struggles to come to terms with his sexuality while being in the church and close to God. As much as I would love for FourthGem to exercise their skills with new directors, i'm so happy to see them working with Aof again bc I just know he knows how to bring out the best in them. Fourth is absolutely going to kill this role, he's in his actor bag and i'm so proud of him. I can't wait to see how he pulls this off) 11/10

BONUS!! Purely non-queer shows:

19. I Love 'A Lot Of' You (NanonMind. Mind has DID with 5 distinct personalities, and Nanon is hired by her father to make all versions of her fall in love with him. Not sure why, but an interesting premise to use for a show, that's for sure) 3/10

20. WU (SkyNanin bromance, Boxer AU, Magical Realism AU. Sky is some kind of psychic/fortune teller, and he enlists down and out boxer Nani to protect him. I never watched Frenemy myself but I've heard nothing but amazing things about both of their acting, esp Sky. So if you need a reason to try this show out, it's Sky's phenomenal acting chops) 9/10

[dipendenteconad]

Some LiuHan/BiKang headcanons for MY soul (SFW) pt. 1/?

From some chats I had with a friend

So, for instance, I'm well aware of Bi-Han's nasty attitude towards everyone, and I'll try my best not to write something ooc. Tho I can't help but see him more like the bratty type more than the dominant one (or better, a brat who pretends to be a dom iykyk); he wants to appear mighty, but he's not as cold as he presents himself to be. In fact, I think he might warm up under the right attentions, but they have to be from the RIGHT PERSON and them ONLY. He actually looks for someone who can keep up with him, either because they're on the same page as him or because they can predict his moves;

I think Liu Kang is perfect for him because they're so different, yet they can understand each other to some extent (opposites attract each other type of trope). I'm pretty much disappointed by Bi-Han's writing in MK1 because it gives too little explanation to his actions in story mode, this way I don't have much to work with and I have to let my delusions take the lead. But I can say that imo both Liu and Bi-Han are lonely souls who are looking for someone to fill that gap in their hearts. Liu would find amusement in trying to tame a beast like Bi-Han, and the latter would come to appreciate being taken care of;

Liu Kang can be very sweet and caring, but he's not afraid to impose himself, and I imagine Bihan to find enjoyment in messing with him, just to see for how long Liu Kang is willing to put up with him (spoiler: for eternity). Not used to affection, Bi-Han tends to destroy his relationships before they can hurt him: this way, he shields himself from eventual disappointment (see the outcome it had with his family, for example). Liu Kang knows what he's trying to do, and he promised himself not to let Bi-Han win this easily;

At first, Bi-Han would find Liu Kang's love annoying (even if he's hungry for it, he just doesn't know it yet). Whatever he does or says, Liu Kang has the right answer and the right solution for it, and no matter the situation he'd always try to understand Bi-Han so that he can be on his same side and support him. This would initially send Bi-Han on fire (eh) because he somehow came to think that he doesn't deserve/need any of that trust. He'd swear to hate Liu Kang due to his forgiving nature and his gentle approach towards everyone, but later he'd realize that what Liu Kang is offering him personally is way more than that: it is not courtesy, rather unconditional love;

So, the more Bi-Han tries to build a wall between them, the more force Liu Kang uses to demolish it;

People like Bi-Han, with such complex feelings, tend to contradict themselves: Liu Kang's presence morphed, with time, into a source of comfort. At last, he tried to focus more on enjoying what him and Liu Kang were having rather than destroying it before it had the chance to grow. Easily his best ever decision, because Liu Kang spoils and worships him in unimaginable ways;

Ever since he became a Titan and he lost his Kitana, Liu had been by himself. And I imagine him as someone who has so much love to give. Do you think he would really lose the opportunity to drow Bi-Han in it? Absolutely not;

Bi-Han would rather die than act all romantic, but fortunately for him, Liu Kang is enough for the both of them: each night Liu has the chance to have Bi-Han in his bed, he cuddles him and caresses his cold skin with warm hands, also enjoying the feeling of Bi-Han's body trembling under his touch at the sudden change of temperature. He would cover him in praise between each kiss, which can sound a bit cheesy for someone external but for Liu this is their moment and he wants to to make the most out of it; he also isn't shy when it comes to praise because he means every word of it (he would never say empty words to Bi-Han, he wants to gain the man's trust after all);

He compliments his body, his skill, his character, and Bi-Han doesn't really know how to react because he had never heard someone say such things to him before. One part of him wants to cringe, but the other wants to hug Liu tighter. Also, knowing that Liu Kang believes every word excites him even more;

So imagine Liu Kang's surprise when, after months of them being together, Bi-Han finally gives a compliment back. Maybe even a simple phrase said awkwardly, but still sincere and genuinely loving. He would cry, if those bioluminescent eyes of his were capable of such a thing (can they, actually?).

So what I like for this ship is a touch-starved Bi-Han with way too little relationship experience and an overly romantic Liu Kang who would do anything for him to make him feel loved again, even close an eye to more than one red flag.

Additions to this are very welcome

[deconstructthesoup]

All right, I've been thinking about the Fantasy High Leverage AU more lately, so have yourself some updates to the story:

-Since there are just too many good Leverage episodes that spring from Nate's thing with hospitals, I decided to change Riz's motivation from Pok dying on the field and it being covered up to Pok having recently died of cancer. I think that Pok never mentioned to Sklonda or Riz that he couldn't get coverage for his treatment, even from his old bosses, so when Riz found out after his death, it was... definitely a shock.

-I wound up throwing my idea of Kalina being Sterling out the window in favor of Kipperlilly being Sterling, because... well, she's too lawful to be a thief, let's be real, and she just gives off Sterling vibes in general. Also, it contrasts nicely with Riz only really caring about her when she shows up to ruin his plans, but the rest of the team absolutely hating her guts.

-The other reason I threw out my idea of Kalina being Sterling is because it makes so much more sense, narrative-wise, for her to be Jimmy Ford. I debated making her Moreau, because that'd be a great way to tie her into Kristen's story, but ultimately, she's had way more narrative impact on Riz than on Kristen, and I adore the concept of Riz growing up idolizing his cool, motorcycle-riding godmother until he found out that she was a criminal, is still a criminal, and cares a negative amount about the sanctity of human life... and then running into her again when he's an adult. And, also? Kalina genuinely caring about Riz is also goldmine storytelling potential.

-Mazey is Tara! I realized I completely forgot about Tara when I made the original post, and after much deliberation, I decided that if it's Fabian who goes on the sabbatical, and if whoever he calls in to replace him is someone that even Fig wouldn't know, then Mazey would be the best choice. I think that Fabian knows her due to them targeting each other at one point, not realizing that they were both grifters, and after that hilarious misunderstanding, they kept in touch---Fig knew about it, just not what Mazey actually looked like. Mazey's a bit nicer than Tara is, but she's definitely constantly confused by all of the inside jokes.

-Some people have already guessed this, but Porter is Dubenech, and Jace is... uh, his millionaire sugar daddy whose name I've forgotten, whatever, the season 4 antagonist. Yeah, I know, I'm switching up the usual Porter-Jace dynamic, but what can I say? I like making Jace a genuine threat.

-The Abernants are a version of Moreau, because... well, they're way too interesting and way too malevolent for me to make them anything but full-season baddies, and I've already established that they made their family fortune off of theft---why not turn that into also funding every single bad guy in the world? And honestly, given that they stopped acting like Adaine existed after she got caught, it wouldn't be too far from the realm of possibility for Kristen to have worked with them in the past without knowing that they were Adaine's parents... but, of course, this is mere speculation at this point.

-Fig and Fabian's little sister---who I've named Faroe---does appear, but I'm giving my girl her own unique role. Yes, I did have the option of making her an equivalent of Breanna or Astrid, but as much as I love Redemption, this is an AU that follows the OG Leverage... and I like Riz too much to have him be dead, even in the future.

-Lucy is now Peggy, because she's sweet enough, I love the idea of Adaine accidentally becoming friends with her, and I also love the idea of her and Ragh becoming best friends---since, well, Ragh is Hurley and all. Gay man and lesbian solidarity for the win.

-Kalvaxus is our season 1 antagonist, the CEO of KVX Insurance and Riz's sworn enemy. Honestly, there was no better character role for him.

-Baron is The Italian. I don't want to explain, because it's too perfect for me to attempt to put into words.

I've got other stuff in the back of my mind---like, for instance, Gertie being Kristen's ex from back home, there being an episode called "The 3 Dads Job" where suddenly all of Fig's various dads are in seemingly wildly different crises that are, against all odds, intrinsically connected at the source, Sklonda acting as the Detective Bonano equivalent---but I think that's a good stopping point for now.

[r0t-t1ngxeyy]

Tw: Loli/shotacon, proship, Levi x Luke, Dark romance/abuse/kidnapping, NSFW!!! and

the Lollipop joke..

Im not letting anyone in this fandom forget those two obey me fanfics on ao3 from like 2?? Years ago. Please tell me I'm not the only one who remembers them?? It was such a big thing for the fandom, Im so glad I read them before they got deleted because the memory is soo FUNNY HELP ?? I need opinions on these two fics, if anyone actually remembers them:(

Dia x Luci : The Red Means I love you

ABSOLUTELY TRAUMATIZING SHIT BRO WHAT IN THE DARK ROMANCE?? wouldn't even call that romance it was such a hard read. Stumbling across videos of it made on tiktok was probably the worst event that I experienced 👽 ON MY MOTHER THE SCENES WERE SO UNNECESSARY (but the adrenaline rush was pretty good ngl)

I read through that with my heart dropping with each new chapter bro?? I couldn't even read through the entire story. I'm pretty sure it's deleted now cus I've been searching for it to make a whole OM fandom lore post but heyy

To sum it up for the people who were fortunate enough to not read it;

Diavolo kidnaps Lucifer, and keeps him in some cage/almost prison cell area. I think he's chained up to the ceiling, I'm not so sure. It starts off with Dia being nice I think, trying to gain Lucifers trust and eventually have him submit but that shit doesn't work and all of hell releases. Lucifer endures some physical and sexual abuse and attempts to escape. But before he successfully escapes,he bumps into Barbatos who offers to help him

He does not help him. Infact, he locks him back up and informs Diavolo.

What the fuck

The most notable things I believe Dia did was clip lucifer's wings?? And pulled out his teeth (i think Barbatos actually did that I'm not so sure). But I can't really explain how gruesome and detailed the writing was. What's worse is that it also included how the brothers were reacting to Lucifer just disappearing. Very interesting fic, story wise it was fine and well written. It's just the plot in general was what the actual fuck??

LEVI X LUKE : i forgor the title and I'm very relieved that I did

VERY UNCOMFORTABLE READ BTW!! i hated summing this up so much

An absolute wreck, these fanfics were so well written I can't even hate the authors for what they did (the Dia x Luci one didn't deserve any hate imo, but this one?? Holy fucking shit??) This fic was so out of pocket, it ruined the way I saw Levi for a good while.

P.s!! Not the same author!!

WHAT I RECALL!!! aka summary?? Kinda...

So I think Simeon called Levi to look after Luke? Which is really fucking weird because Luke is an angel, sure he's depicted as a kid but if Micheal chose him to follow Simeon down to the Devildom for the exchange program then I'm pretty damn sure he can at least take care of himself without adult Supervision, but whatever. Nice plot, I hate it

Levi was totally against the babysitting thing and actually disliked having to look after Luke

Until

At some point, Luke wants to take a bath and Levi's like suree okay.

THEN ACCOMPANIES HIM TO GIVE HIM THE SAID BATH??? Obviously that's where this all downplays from what could've potentially been a found family fic to some proship shotacon fic. Levi gives him the bath and Luke gets

turned on... (I hate typing this out so much)

So, Levi gives him head. I fucking hate this with burning passion :(((

His mouth 'pops' when he stops which reminds him of a Lollipop!! And I quote this from memory:

Kinda like a Lollipop. Heh.. Loli.

I hate this fanfic so much, I don't claim it in this fandom,its a fic not a fanfic👽👽👽

And yeah, the rest of the story went on with Levi doing that bullshit!!! I don't think I read through the entire thing because curious kills the cat. I just saw some tiktok post about it and decided hey!! Im gonna look for it and read it.

I would've been fine without reading this fic, ever, i would've turned out the same as I am today LMAOO

[anonymousbeefriendfanfics]

My Thoughts on Touchstarved

So, I've finished the demo! Let me start off by saying that I love the story! The concept is awesome, I adore that you can choose your own background, I love how immersive the setting is, everything is just... amazing. I can't wait for the full game to come out! Especially with all the special treats we're getting from the Kickstarter goals, it's going to be fantastic! And now, my friends, I shall share with you my thoughts & Headcannons for each of our lovely love interests, in order of appearance. If you'd like to see more, my requests are open!! I haven't gotten any for Touchstarved yet but I'm itching to write for them, I just... need some inspiration, so the more the merrier!

Kuras

First of all: pretty. I love his design, it's wonderful. He looks so ethereal! And very doctor-y, which was the point.

Can we talk about the hair, though???? How cool is that?? I love it. It looks very soft and fluffy. And so long... Could you imagine sleeping next to him? You wake up and you're drowning in floof.

He's very kind and gentle, but is obviously holding back. He distances himself from people, and like everybody else on this list, he needs to find someone he can really trust to open up and be himself with.

And he stays so busy, like... when does he ever take the time to relax? I know the city needs him and his clinic, but he deserves some time off, too.

To be honest Kuras gives me kinda like.... asexual vibes? Maybe demisexual? Idk, maybe I'm reading too much into him being reserved, but. I just feel like he either wouldn't be interested or he'd want to fall in love with someone before taking them to bed.

Leander

I love him, he's incredible. So talented, so kind!! I love the respect the Bloodhounds have for him, and how willing he is to go out of his way to help a stranger.

Also he blushes very easily and I love it, he's absolutely adorable

I am very very curious how he got so much skill with magic, because that doesn't seem to be normal. I bet it has something to do with his secret.

He very clearly has some serious trauma in his past, too. I wonder how he got that scar, if it has anything to do with his magic, if it is indeed the same scar running from his face to his arm....

Seems like he drowns his trauma in alcohol, his gang, and keeping himself very busy. Poor thing clearly doesn't get as much sleep as he should.

I think he just wants to be loved, but he's afraid to let himself be too vulnerable.

Vere

Foxboy Foxboy Foxboy Foxboy Fox-

Can I just say that I'm a little bit in love with his design. I mean I am with all of them but. Especially Vere. I love foxes and it's just. *Chef's kiss*

He's a cocky lil son of a biscuit tho. That tongue of his is quite sharp... as are his teeth~

I feel like he'd flirt with a Soulless to get what he wanted. In actuality he'd just murder it, but... you get my point. You're never sure if he's gonna seduce you or slit your neck.

Literally if Sage and Rime from Last Legacy had a child.

He's absolutely not trustworthy but I wanna get to the bottom of things and form that trust with him.

Romancing him would be very interesting. He's always three seconds away from eating you, but the question is... will he eat your soul, or your [redacted]?

Ais

He reminds me far too much of my friend's OC, and for that, I am the sliiiightest bit obsessed with him. At least that gives me a headstart on his characterization.

Would sell you to Satan for one cornchip, but fortunately MC interests him enough to keep them around

And Princess???? Oh my god. My heart. I adore her, I adore him, yes please

And he calls the MC "Sparrow"!!! That's absolutely precious. I love how he has nicknames for people, it's wonderful

Ais seems like the person who will tell you he doesn't care what happens to you and you can go get yourself killed for all he cares, then move heaven and earth to save you once you're even slightly in danger.

Mhin

Baby needs a hug. Enough said.

l absolutely adore them. They have stolen my heart.

And yes, maybe I do have the slightest bit of a savior complex, shut up. I'm just addicted to the hurt/comfort angst of it all, okay?

Literally hates everyone and everyone hates them (Except for, y'know, Kuras) because they're such a grumpy little loner and dear god just let me love you, let me teach you what love is.

They definitely fit into the whole "stronger than they appear" archetype because they're specifically mentioned to be pretty scrawny, but they have an impressive amount of strength and holy hells they're good with that dagger. That's incredible skill

I just. I want to break down those walls and earn their trust and teach them they have someone they can rely on who won't betray them, no matter what happens or how dark things get.

I just want to cuddle them and reassure them that everything's gonna be alright, is that a crime?