#enemies to lovers maybe?

[vvyvernicus]

Shadowheart and Lae'zel stop interacting after the fight sadly, quite barebones compared to others

I see, well in my upcoming fic I plan to have plenty of interactions with them throughout it 😁

[tossawary]

Watched an online presentation today about recent book trends, both in retail sales and library borrowing. Romance gets a big section of course, being (I think) THE most popular genre, with several heavy-hitting subcategories including romantasy and supernatural and historical and contemporary and on and on.

I wasn't surprised to hear the presenters bring up the uptick in sports romance as a subcategory, particularly hockey, because yeah, I've seen that. Unavoidable lately if you have... uhhh... entered bookstores + logged onto library websites + actually follow NHL hockey on any social media platform. Still unsurprising, even if you have done none of those other things, if you have any passing awareness of the behemoth that is Sports Real Person Fiction in general and Men's Hockey RPF in particular on AO3. (As of me going to check just now: nearly 200,000 fics and nearly 40,000 fics respectively. Damn. HRPF is nearly 25% of the parent tag there. People are having fun over there.)

I WAS taken aback, however, when the presenter brought up a few titles to watch in the coming year, noting a potential rising type of sports romance: motorracing sports romances. Now, this is not actually SURPRISING if you have any passing awareness (which I again did) of the other behemoth that is Formula 1 RPF on AO3 (nearly 49,000 fics on AO3, more than HRPF), but I simply hadn't actually thought about the industry potential before now. It did make me think to myself, "How many book industry analyst people are taking cues from AO3 now? I mean, it seems very reasonable to pay fanfic some attention for a bunch of different reasons (it does indicate a potential ready market, I presume there are simply plenty of fanfic pleasure readers in the publishing industry, etc.), but wow... time flies and culture changes. I mean, people are publishing original omegaverse stories, for example, and have been for a while now. Wild."

And also: "Huh. Can we play the game of predicting future popular book genres, specifically niche romance subcategories, 5-10 years from now based on what's popular on AO3 right now?" Now, I don't actually keep up enough with broader fandom trends to do this well or accurately, but it's still fun to look at various fandom trends and imagine their future professional publishing counterparts that I will simply Not Understand because it's Not My Thing. If they actually figure out how to file the serial numbers off of Minecraft Gamer RPF or something someday and it becomes the next big thing, no one tell me, because I want to get blindsided, just absolutely bodied by bafflement, when I walk into a bookstore. It'll be fun.

[rosenr0tten]

Meljay isn’t boring. Most people are just unwilling to discuss or engage with them in a meaningful way because of their own biases + inability to think of ship dynamics beyond their cookie cutter tropes

[alien-bluez]

i don't think i posted pirate au so. pirate au.

[lyraofthestarsss]

What’s this?

AND HERE COMES AARON LYCAN WITH A METAL CHAIR!

[im-totally-not-an-alien-2]

Danny couldn't really explain why he always answered this specific summoning ritual. It was like a feeling. One of warmth. Of a mug of hot cocoa in your hands and a nice weighted blanket dropped around your shoulders as a fire blazed in the hearth in front of you, keeping the chill in the rest of the room at bay.

Danny always lost himself in the sensation and found himself back in that stupid circle of protection with that same wierd guy demanding answers. But Danny didn't know anything about a "Lazarus Pit" or a "Pit Madness" let alone a cure for it. Even if he did he wasn't going to tell Red Robin anything after all the times he'd used the marriage summoning spell to get him here.

Earlier on Red had explained it was the only spell known to thier universe that could summon an entity from "The Lazarus Dimension" Which he guessed was another name for the ghost zone and Phantom was the only one to ever be summoned.

Danny couldn't help but wonder why...

After escaping Bird boy and his supernatural pop quiz (oh look, another test for him to flunk) he returns home only to discover his parents had seen him get summoned and accused him of being a ghost that replaced thier baby boy.

Naturalally the next time Red Robin had summoned Phantom he was angry. He was tired and dirty from being on the run from his parents, his worlds US government, and Vlad. Not to mention his own rogues gallery didn't exactly cut him any slack.

So Danny decided that if Red Robin wanted to abuse the power of a marriage ritual than the very least he can do is put his money where his mouth is.

Danny grinned and exited the magic circle, taking delight in Reds widening eyes before he lunged. A kiss sealed the deal, making sure Danny had a safeish place to stay.

After all, married couples in the infinite realms were obligated and even compelled to protect and care for eachother.

[twee-tuu]

He a freak!!!! (not in the good way)

Without text + doodle👇

[toastedclownery]

Imagine Hero and Villain in a fantasy setting.

A witch has put a spell on the Hero so that they feel cold all the time. At first it's not as bad, it's like an annoying perpetual feeling of goosebumps, but by the end of the first day it has the Hero a bit on edge. And it only gets worse.

As time goes on, the Hero feels colder. They can put on so many warm clothes, try to warm themselves up with a stove next to them, but the sensation of cold won't leave their body. Their family and friends come to visit them and they're concerned when they come into their uncomfortably warm room, and they see them still shivering.

The Hero reaches a point where they cannot stop trembling. Their muscles are constantly tense and they cannot get much sleep, they become weak and sick. It's like a fever that isn't even really there. They are tired and stressed, they have responsibilities and people to protect, but their condition is only gradually degrading.

Speaking of people to protect, in comes the Villain, ready to confront the Hero. Hero was dreading the moment Villain would show up again, given their condition and the fact they hadn't found a remedy for the curse yet. But as the Villain approaches them, their limbs start warming up a little for the first time. And the areas of their body where they feel this warmth are the ones in the Villain's proximity.

And then the Hero has a wry realization.

The witch has cursed them so that their only source of warmth is Villain.

[the-genius-az]

We all agree Azula is bad at flirting, but at threatening? She's too sexy.

I bet she's made Katara and Suki feel embarrassed for having a guilty crush on Azula. Plus Mai and Ty Lee are kind of happy to be Azula's enemies now because she can finally "flirt" with them without getting all weird.

Sometimes Azula doesn't understand why her bullying methods often make her enemies (especially girls) blush, but she swears that she will soon increase her methods with ropes and some neck holds to scare them.

[deertaz]

'Byler cannot happen because Mike and Eleven are in love'

Erm...

Why that's stupid.

'Hopper and Joyce can't happen because Joyce loves Bob'

'Johnathan and Nancy can't happen because Nancy loves Steve'

'Robin and Vicky can't happen because Vicky has a boyfriend..."

THINGS CHANGE.

Let's discount the absolute tomfoolery that occurs during Mike and Eleven's relationship (which we have seen deconstructed to all hell by some very cool byler fans out there) and instead assume this is somebody arguing that...

'It's too late in the show'

No tf it ain't...So many shows pair together characters in the final season. Vlad the Impaler wasn't impaling until his mid-30s!

Gay couples in non-queer focused shows USUALLY do not get together until the final season. Because it prevents the show from getting cancelled.

'But Robin and Vickie-'

They haven't even kissed. That's how they get past censorship.

Examples:

Couple implied since Season One. Do not kiss on the lips until the final episode of the show (during their literal wedding).

A couple 'flirting' with subtext for ages. People literally missed how gay they were for each other, and were 'shocked' when they kissed in the finale.

Hate this entire ship. But again, Shiro isn't confirmed gay until the final season. He does not kiss a man until the final episode.

Not implied heavily until the final season. Confirmed verbally in the final episode by both Orel (you like my dad the way my mom likes my dad...) and Clay, declaring his love without directly saying it...

No kiss until season 2. Show is cancelled after the season 2 run, they are given a few episodes to 'wrap it up'.

Don't kiss or confirm a relationship until the finale. Alex Hirsh really said 'fuck you' to Disney's censors during the second (and final) season of Gravity Falls. But especially during the three-part Weirdmaggedon finale.

Only reveals that Castiel is in love with Dean in the last episode. We are unsure whether it is reciprocated (hated it, but still).

There are more, but I'm lazy.

Anyhow, it is really common for shows to confirm gay couples in the final episode. This mainly happens in shows where queer romance isn't the main storyline.

If ships are confirmed earlier, the show becomes a 'gay show'. They lose viewership in countries like China and have to heavily censor parts for foreign audiences. They also lose viewership in Western countries. Because some audiences do not like gay people...

Less viewers=Financial losses for Netflix=Cancellation

To prevent this, Netflix is likely to put 'blue tape' around popular shows like Stranger Things. Therefore, no leading queer relationships.

Remember this only applies to shows where queerness isn't expected or needed for the show to WORK. In terms of the basic plot and genre. There's a difference between a romantic coming-of-age like Heartstopper and a psychological horror crime drama like Hannibal.

Sex Education can be queer because it's already an R-rated show, therefore, certain countries and audiences are already going to be deterred.

Heartstopper and Young Royals can be queer because that's the whole point of the show.

Good Omens and Our Flag Means Death can do it because their main audience was already gay to begin with.

With very popular media like Squid Game, Stranger Things, and Harry Potter, streaming services will avoid adding queer characters, excessive sex or swear words like 'cunt', because their demographic reaches far out. To add a queer relationship is to lose a whole demographic of that wide audience.

But in the final season of a show. That's really when directors and writers say 'fuck it' and do the things they always wanted to do.

That could mean having more violent scenes, introducing themes that Netflix wouldn't want them to, or...having explicitly gay romances.

Hannibal is confirmed to be in love with Will in the episode before the show's finale.

Shows have been cancelled in the past due to having 'gay' couples at the forefront of the show. There's a difference between implication and verbal confirmation (that can be written out or brushed over) and explicit actions. When a ship between two main same-sex characters becomes canon, it is very hard to cut it out without ruining the story.

Sorry to say it, but Robin's character still reads as normal if Robin is straight and just doesn't like Steve that way. There aren't enough scenes of her 'being gay' that would prevent it from being aired for international audiences. If Robin's character is cut down, her 'queer' scenes taken out, the plot of the show still makes sense.

However, if Byler were to become canon, there is no way they could get around it without messing up the plot. This is because both Mike and Will are very, very important to the show. If Mike is in love with Will and reciprocates, it's going to be a bigger narrative device than just a 'love interest'. Vecna is going to use it against them. We are going to get high-stakes scenes where confessing or telling the other they love them is the only way to 'win' or 'spur on' a victory.

I mean. Will being in the show is more important than Robin. If Will isn't a character, the show makes no sense. It changes the plot.

If Robin isn't a character, the show still continues without issue.

Therefore:

Vicky + Robin: Easy to censor, therefore is permitted by Netflix

Will being gay in Season 4: Never said out loud explicitly, could 100% be removed for foreign audiences.

Will and Mike being in love: There is no way they could get rid of this without interfering heavily with the story.

Edit: Just a note about Squid Game. Yes, there is a transgender character in the show, who is important to the plot. But again, there is definitely a way to cut out her identity with dubs. She can be a character in the show, but without acknowledgement of her identity. Being trans isn't a 'hot topic' in non-Western countries to the degree it is in the UK, Europe and the US. This is because being queer/gay is the first thing people attempt to tear down (because it's more common, and more visible). I mean, in the 2000s, 'crossdressers' did get made fun of on television. But, there weren't any politicians or random podcasters heatedly debating on whether they have the right to exist or not. Also, I do not think it's offensive that a cis man plays her; the portrayal is good. Of course, it would be better if they hired a trans actor, but I just don't think they could find one (in South Korea). Also I really think there's a difference between a character being trans and showing queer relationships. I liken it to the difference between having a gay character on the show for brownie points VS having two lead characters enter a same-sex relationship. It's just...different things. The same goes for Dumbledore and Grindelwald. Do we know they are gay? Yes. Do they kiss? No. Could it be censored easily? Yes. Does the plot still make sense if they are not lovers? Pretty much yeah.

[nadiajustbe]

I think the most beautiful thing about writing of Howl and Sophie's pair is that they are written as people before being written as a pair. Let me explain this very quick.

The thing about book Sophie and Howl is that they are not really fully fitting into any "classic" romantic trope. They are not exactly enemies to lovers, as their angry chats are definitely cannot be considered a life or death battle, they are not rivals to lovers because the only aspect of rivalry between them is the cleaningness of Howl's room. They are not friends to lovers, as their relationship just doesn't fit into "friendship" structure at the very start, nor they are roomates (yes, they live in the same house but that's not the core aspect of their relationships). Of course, you can go on and fit the name of the trope you found specifically for them, but that's the thing.

They simply cannot be processed through a pairings lenses only, in order to understand how they act in relationship you need to analyse them separately, as a characters first of all. Cause that's what the book itself does!

Sure, it doesn't have a whole lot of romance instead, but it gives us time to learn and observe the life of incredibly written, alive characters, understand them as personalities first of all, while slowly immersing the dynamic between two characters (in this case, Howl and Sophie) into work. They are written as personalities, both being fully separated and interviewing, changing eachother's point of view.

It's difficult to find a trope for them. They're are not a trope. They are Howl and Sophie, and that's probably the only way their dynamic can be properly described. Just as real people, they are not really fitting into the boxes of linial character progression, but go way deeper into being complex, filled with little differences and moments only people with their personality can have in romantic (or any different) kind of interaction. They're imperfect, and silly, and multidimensional and the reader knows them well enough to imagine them interacting way beyond of what the book says to them.

They are being people before being a ship, a pair of a trope — and that's why they work so perfectly charming in the end.

Howl and Sophie are unique in being themselves.

[gideonsgirldick]

I just realized that The Locked Tomb series would be waaaay more popular than it is right now if one or both of the leads were male cause people go nuts for hogwarts esc houses, enemy's to lovers romance, and lore as deep as my fingers in your mom.

Someone please talk to me about this I am genuinely out raged.

[black-ak9]

"So many problems for such a small and fragile young lady"

- mischievous Dracula

Do you recognize the scene?

[kazuma-nyasogi]

ive just drawn my most beautiful ryuunosuke yet. for a memey injoke with my friends. please enjoy him regardless.

falls to my knees in shame

[dilfdater420]

#dilfdater420 : SCENARIO--what if you and Cecil Stedman were sworn enemies with similar jobs (both rallying assets for your own interests, so you'd be the leader of the "Evil GDA" (lol)) and you were finally caught? headcanons and drabbles under the cut

TAGS: no beta we die like ... i shouldn't say... gn reader (they/them pronouns are used when referring to you). "___" is used in place of y/n. "<>" means timeskip btw. cecil hates you. you love antagonizing him. interrogation scene. enemies to two individuals who understand each other, one begrudgingly so.

Cecil feels like a weight has been lifted of his shoulders.

The two of you have been in a heated battle of loud atrocities committed on each other. You're the one behind the scenes of plenty of villain operations, guiding them, gathering intelligence, making deals with devils—which is actually something you and Cecil have in common.

The similarities between you both is something Cecil adamantly dislikes. It makes him think about himself too much. His logical sense of what's right and what's wrong is almost the same, the only thing separating the both of you is your individual philosophies. His, the fact that humanity deserves to be protected, yours, the complete annihilation of mankind is due.

You both do anything to act in accordance with your beliefs.

When captured, extensive measures are taken to make sure you, not only never leave being the same person you were when you came in, but also reveal all of your secrets to the GDA.

The difficult part of this is that you're not an easy target. How do you threaten someone who's ready to die for their beliefs?

Unfortunately for Cecil, he has one last idea—but that means having to talk to you.

—

"Sir, they're not complying with anything we've thrown at them."

Cecil sighed, head in his hands, elbows pressed against his desk. This whole couple of months has been exhausting.

There's no reprieve from you, anything Donald could think of, his department could think of, hell, even he could think of, none of it would work. You were so set in your morals, prepared to die to prove a point.

"Of course they aren't, Donald. Of course."

"Our team that's been trying to crack them," he pauses, "they don't know what else to try, sir."

"And we have tried water boarding, right?"

"Yes."

"White torture?"

"Hm."

"Attempted death by a thousand cuts?"

"Yes, sir."

"Fuck." His frown lines deepen. "I really thought that would work."

After a moment, Cecil piqued up. "Let me talk to them."

Donald's eyebrows raised. "Are you sure, sir?"

"If nothing else has worked, I might as well. Plus, I have an idea that might scare them into working with us."

<>

"What an unexpected surprise!"

"Well aren't you a ball of sunshine?" Cecil deadpanned.

You smiled. "You haven't seen anything yet, outside of these chains my shine is atomic."

He hated this. He didn't like the way you looked into him, as if you knew him. "Listen, ___, you aren't getting out the easy way. Either you work with us or we keep trying."

You kept staring at him.

"What are you trying to gain with this? Is the damnation of an entire race of people this important?"

You raised a brow, "Is you going the lengths you do every day to protect the human race important? Then you have your answer."

He grunted, "What if it wasn't? What if I do it because no one else will?"

"Then it still has merit, importance—same as my job."

"No, what you do isn't a job. It's not noble, not a sacrifice."

"I've sacrificed."

"At the expense of a stupid dream." He leaned onto his knees in his seat, fists clasped together.

"Just as stupid as your determination to resist against Viltrumite rule."

Disregarding the fact you somehow have that intel, "Do you want humankind to be enslaved? I thought you wanted us all dead?"

"Of course I don't. I'm just pointing out the obvious."

You peered into each other's eyes.

"We're more similar than you like to admit."

You've touched him.

"Bullshit."

"Don't dismiss it, if you're anything like me, you've thought about it."

He broke eye contact.

"We both act in drastic ways for opposite beliefs. We are two sides of the same coin."

"No, I am nothing like you."

"You recall Mr. D.A. Sinclair do you not? He's employed under you."

"Don't you dare try to compare that—"

"He should be rotting in jail. He's a mad man, irreparably ruined many lives of mankind that you so undoubtedly protect. Why employ him?"

"His reanimen are—" Cecil cut himself off.

Your smile deepened. "Cmon, you can say it."

Cecil stayed quiet.

"I'm not criticizing you, Cecil. When I find useful pawns for my work, I exploit them too."

"We are not the same."

"I'm the worst reflection of yourself that you will ever see."

Cecil stood up, walking to the door, fists balled. "This isn't over, ___."

"I hope not. Good talk, Global Defense Agency Director."

He stopped at the door for a second before continuing. "Fuck you."

He slammed the door behind him.

a/n: Cecil knows he's a pos, but to what extent?

I love scenarios where characters have to question their actions and if they're really at the level of merit they ascribe them to. Dusttale Sans fics prepared me for this day.

I would've added more exposition in the middle, but the dialogue should speak for itself. Same think with the reader and what tone to employ. I don't want to speak for you guys more than I already do lol.

Hope you all enjoyed. Lemme know if you'd like a part two of this. I have ideas for the reader and ways to mess Cecil tf UP.

Oh and if you ever wanna request something I have guidelines/boundaries up now. I also have commisions for those that like might like my writing

Thanks for reading <3