#feel deeply compelled to make this!! anyways i'd love to have more thoughts about this and i DO but

[oshinohoshi]

Oshi no Ko Ch 160 thoughts

I think I'll start this out with a jump scare.

Imagine this guy showing up at your door trying to sell you a nice new set of kitchen knives. I'd take ten.

The above image is so ghoulish that I'd be tempted to see it as just Aqua's distorted perception of his father, not a mask off moment where Hikaru morphed into Slenderman

But I have no confidence that this chapter didn't just toss Hikaru's character development in the bin

A well-executed twist following a twist should be satisfying but rather than getting a nice "aha" moment, I'm just getting whiplash

Even though I don't like it, I guess I can buy a heartbroken and jaded Hikaru who subtly manipulated Ryosuke into becoming more unhinged and later influenced Nino to do his dirty work

Although I don't think Ryosuke needed any help being a dumpster fire of a human and Nino really has nobody to blame but herself

But then what were chapters 154 and 155 about?

The mess that was HkAi is so compelling to me. I find their relationship sweet and tragic. It was a disaster that could have become something lovely if they weren't such fragile people already deeply wounded at a young age

In order for Hikaru's realization that Ai loved him to be as impactful as it is, then "I'm going to do what I can for Ai" can't be a lie

Which means he can't have wanted to hurt Ruby after watching the DVD

Which means that we're gonna keep spinning in circles about Hikaru's culpability and motives until Akasaka lets us off this ride

We've gone from "Aqua delivered a revenge worse than death to an already self-destructive man" to "oh, I guess that meant nothing. Time to have a knife fight"

And then there's the below panel. The worst thing Hikaru said about Ai was that she was a normal girl who could be cruel. Now she's standing next to a very accusatory speech bubble

"Make people obey you?" Hikaru wouldn't think that of Ai post 154

I wouldn't be surprised if he's just winding Aqua up because he has a death wish, but I think that's just me trying to cope

I've been waiting a very long time for "you're just like me" from Hikaru to Aqua but it would have been more effective if the panels supposedly showing Aqua's power to charm didn't seem to have been chosen at random

Can I just say, this panel makes me uncomfortable:

It's hard to think of Ruby wholeheartedly singing love songs to sweaty 20-something men, and the way Ai and B Komachi started doing so when they were just children, and not feel weird

OnK does a wonderful job portraying the good things about idol fandom alongside the heinously toxic things, but it's so heavily weighted on the good side with Ruby that it sometimes makes me think Ai's death at the hands of an obsessive idol otaku who believed she couldn't be a real person because she sang love songs to her fans was a fever dream

And I know this is Aqua's image of Ruby, but it just seems like we're completely ignoring the arc where she went into full on manipulation mode (like father like daughter, I guess)

Anyway, the standout moments of this chapter were that Ai drew a heart on her toothbrush and the below panel. The little Hoshino family melts my ugly, deceptive heart

Christ. I haven't even mentioned Aqua's big ass knife

Aqua won't stab anyone. Just maybe do some light slashing

There is a blatant retcon about Nino and Ryosuke at the hospital because Crow Girl said there was a middle school aged boy there. The only ways this could not be a retcon is if Hikaru lied, Crow Girl lied, or crows really can't see well at night

Next chapter: Hikaru lets Aqua stab him but it bounces off because Nino, who wanted to protect her buddy, secretly made his suit knife proof. Ai's toothbrush turns out to be pivotal to the plot because if only she had used an electric toothbrush as dentists recommend, none of this would have happened.

[officialgleamstar]

Yeah yeah yeah I'd love to hear your thoughts on the dynamics!!!

OKAY. SO. To restate myself: I THINK (almost) EVERY OAK AND CLOSE/FOSTER SHIP IS SO INTERESTING. They always have something fun going on … and also they’re always bi4bi which is deeply important to me. Sorry if any of this is hard to understand I am so so tired XD

Meryl and Hildy are the only two where I’ve not really dedicated thought to them. However, I could absolutely see them as like… you know that trope of a Casanova desperately chasing after the only woman who isn’t interested in him? THAT. THEY ARE THAT TO ME. Hildy is too focused on her career for men and it drives Meryl crazy

My thoughts on Barry and Bill should not be said in a public setting but I will provide this

Barry is gray and bill is blue. He should fuck that old man (purposefully ambiguous on who I mean). Anyways

My feelings on Glennry are. Well explored LMAO They’re my favorite ship! I know they can be super toxic as a ship, but I do really love them, most of all, as a ship where both parties fight tooth and nail to get better for the other. Because they understand each other and care for one another and the other person is just so so so fucking worth it to them. It makes me happy :]

Henry/Jodie is like, a sleeper agent in my mind. I think they have the capacity to be so fuckin compelling but I’m usually dedicating too much time to Glennry and Rodie to think about it. I LOVE these two though. I’m not usually a huge fan of Jodie struggling with his sexuality (it’s just funnier to me if he dated Scam with no hesitation.) but I’m in love with it specifically for Henry/Jodie contexts. Something about Henry being so loose and free with his sexuality contrasted with Jodie being so buttoned up about everything makes me so fhdksgajdhskdh!!! And of course, it is canon in that one AU-of-an-AU for MnMoms LMAO

Nark <3 one of my original ships and one I’ve been thinking about a lot this weekend. The PEAK of adhd boyfriend/autism boyfriend in my mind. As I said the other day - I love them as established but ambiguous. No one knows what their relationship is, least of all them, but it has been going on for years. I find them really interesting but I don’t tend to agree with some of the like, I dunno, trademark features of popular Nark dynamics? I think Nicky is the type to do anything to get approval from those who cares about, way more so than I’ve seen some people give him credit for (more, maybe they give him too much credit? Wording LOL), and I think Lark feels intense guilt for the mere act of existing, and I think these two characteristics are SO fun to throw up against each other. Also I know Nicky is a cool alt demon boy when they’re teens, but he’s still a cop’s son and I LOOOVE that in contrast to Lark’s hot-to-those-in-his-age-group brooding and general delinquency vibes (ie (our only real example) swapping places with his twin so he can risk his life LMAO). GOD SORRY IM RAMBLING ABOUT NARK NOW I like them. A lot

In contrast to Nark, I think the general consensus on Lovesong is awesome. Sparrow and Nicky liked each other so much as teenagers, they were an adorable T4T couple, they’re adhd boyfriend/autism girlfriend, and now they’re the worlds messiest exes ever and it’s everyone’s problem <3 ohhh sword to throat scene, you will ALWAYS be famous. I also love them with a dynamic of like… Sparrow being much more confident around Nicky, but struggling a lot in general social interactions. Something about her blossoming and opening up when around Nicky in particular, and maybe neither of them even notice at first… but then one day it clicks. They’re just SO comfortable around each other and I love thinking about like. The details of how that relationship dissolves, and how much worse it must have made the betrayal. Their current antagonism is made so so so interesting, especially when Sparrow is such a pushover to everyone BUT Nicky… OUGH. LOVE THEM!!!! (do you guys like how I automatically trans fem Sparrow in Lovesong settings specifically LMAO)

Oakworthy is another one I’ve talked about at length. They are two bugs I am raising in captivity together and they keep trying to each other, so I have to separate them, but I put them back together anyways. Because thIS IS HOW OAKWORTHY CAN STILL WIN-!! I love these two, fully immersed in the fantasy that they’re going to fix things and get together in the end. I think the fact that they both have such strong identity issues but in different ways - Hermie has no idea who he truly is and tries on a million masks to compensate, while Normal tries so desperately to be someone else but his true identity always shows in the end - makes for a REEEALLY interesting dynamic. They both try so hard to be who the other person wants, and fail to realize that what the other wants is for them to be themselves. Makes me crazy

AND FINALLY. NORMAL/TAYLOR. Tayloak <3 only something I’ve started thinking about, like… in the past few weeks XD but I think they’re REALLY FUN. Obviously there’s this massive aspect of Normals jealousy of (and over) Taylor, which can be fun to play with in a “do I want him or do I want to be him” way! I think those types of crushes are SO funny in fiction. And also. Once again. They fit the autism x adhd dynamic except this time, they’re both high energy. Tackling as a love language. To me.

Obviously, all of this is just my personal opinion!!! I do not pretend to know these characters better than anybody else (except Jodie.) and this is just my interpretation of these ships :] if people have wildly different opinions I’d love to hear em as well, just be nice LOL

[cosmos-dot-semicolon]

🌟 (I found a cool star for u)

(⭐fanfic writers’ commentary)

Yay! Free space! Let's see…

Since you're the most writerly of the three people that sent in asks, and the person who shares the most interests with me, I'm going to freestyle some of my thoughts on fanfiction in general.

I make fanworks to respond to what stuck with me through a series. It's a form of analysis in itself for me, where you try and replicate a style by trying to make it work in your own context instead of pointing out why it works in an essay. This is something I've taken from my time studying visual art, where you're encouraged to do studies of works as well as just annotating them.

You don't have to follow them completely. You can focus on just the lines, or the palette, or the composition, but the main goal is to learn how to recreate something you like about the piece by your own hands.

I take that attitude with me into writing. It's why my favourite bits of fanfiction and fanart tend to be 'what-if' situations just left of canon. Characterisation is usually my main focus, with tone and message as my secondary aims. But even when it comes to other things like the setting or lore, I only extrapolate if I think it benefits the things above.

(or for representation. lol)

I like the challenge of those limitations. It forces you to be more creative as a writer, knowing that you have to start from some sort of formula, but you also need to make a different, compelling story and get your own interests to align with that. The small spins you can put on that are way more compelling than any massive upheavals that you tend to find in more standard AUs and such. Kinda like plot twists, actually.

wait I just realised that's what I said about why liked Ninjago season 1 and 4 so much. don't want to think about that. moving on

As a result, I approach fanfiction for different franchises differently. I love learning how different writers approach storytelling! I don't care for how there's clear 'templates' that dominate in fandom circles, because it throws away a lot of the subgenre's appeal to me in the first place. Specific AUs based off aesthetics, certain dragged out romance tropes, etc. (also the way some people do shipping but that's a whole 'nother can of worms)

I don't have much against them, I just find that they're usually less interesting than something with a specific premise and goal in mind.

Honestly I think the way I like to write fanfiction is more like. How sometimes you get spin-off books and comics of TV shows and games. Except targeted towards my favourite media and personal tastes and actually good.

I was going to complain a bit about fanon as well, but I think you already know how that is. People get very specific takes stuck in their head, usually of neutral quality at best, and it's frustrating to see if you have opposing views, or just prefer the actual. source material.

Also I don't write fanfiction for everything. I think the old adage of 'works that are above a baseline level of compelling and below a certain level of completeness are how fandoms form' is a part of that. I find it easiest to write/draw for works that have gaps in them, regardless of quality. See Dicey versus something like Inscryption (if I ever feel like editing and betaing that script, anyway…)

But I think another factor for it is also the focus of the original work. I love Disco Elysium and I'd argue it's both good and not really complete. But it's also a game deeply entwined with politics and the creator's personal experiences: I feel deeply unequipped to handle that as a storyteller who mostly focuses on characters and plot. If I did have anything to say on it, I'd probably be doing in as an essay instead.

Fandom 'meta' (stupid name) - analytical essays - are a good thing, and I think we should be encouraging it more alongside fictional fanworks.

I'm only occasionally a fanfiction reader. I used to be really into it as a kid, when I was into a bunch of series that weren't finished yet, and when I really wanted to experience games I couldn't buy. But even then I was pretty picky and ended up blocking tons of tags and had to keep compiling lists of stuff that was actually worth reading.

I don't do that much nowadays - I've learned that it's valuable to try a lot of different things in media, and I'm now way more aware of how it fuels my maladaptive daydreaming. My mindset on it now tends to be 'if you want to read that specific thing you want to see, you're going to have to be the one to write it.'

I haven't written much original stuff recently. Fanworks have always been easier for me to do for enjoyment, and I'm in the midst of a pretty exhausting degree. I do have a bunch of original ideas on the brain, though. Maybe I will touch on those at some point.

[minimanic]

Thought I'd throw my hat in the ring for a best films watched in 2023 list. I feel like this is the first year in a while where I've actually watched enough movies to warrant making one of these and it was honestly really rewarding! Full write up on my thoughts after the cut. Plus links for the ones that are free and legal to watch online c:

Bunny Lake Is Missing (1965) Absolutely Superb psychological thriller about a missing child. Infused with equal parts slow creeping dread and unhinged mania.

Watch

Godzilla Minus One (2023) No you're crying at the giant monster movie

Dreams that Money Can Buy (1947) A truly Delightful experimental film about a man who can see into people's dreams. The ensuing dream sequences are a tour de force of avant-garde and surrealist artists of the era including Max Ernst, Man Ray, Alexander Calder and more.

Watch

The World Is Full of Secrets (2018) So. Bit of a weird one here. This is a movie about girlhood and trauma that spends most of its runtime in close up on the faces of its main characters as they tell each other the sort of over the top scary stories you would expect from a group of 14-16 year olds. It drags in places, but it's also a pitch perfect dreamscape of every sleepover you were never invited to in high school and that's without getting into the framing device. Would love to talk about this one more because the context of how I even heard about it is a conversation in and of itself. But that's a story for a different post.

Midnight Cowboy (1969) Listen. Much has already been written about what the hell is going on with Rizzo's sexuality in this movie. I'm saying that's a gay man who correctly clocked that his painfully straight, visibly traumatized, roommate, whom he is in love with, is not ready to have That conversation. Anyway this was WAY weirder both visually and tonally than I was expecting. A pleasant surprise all around. Was also delighted to see that New York film majors haven't changed in 55 years

Watch

They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (1969) The myriad letterboxd reviews comparing this film to The Hunger Games do not lie. Which, combined with the inherent realism of this type of endurance dance competition being a thing people Actually Competed In at one point in history truly makes this a bleakly compelling watch.

Watch

The Living End (1992) Gregg Araki I am in your walls. Road movie of all time. Love to see a director that spends the last 10-15 minutes of every movie he makes like 'I am going to hurt you, so. So. much right now.'

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022) Welcome back Mx. DreamWorks. You have been missed.

Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992) Another entry in the 'local man's taste in media is oops all red flags' category from me. Listen. Everybody knows this movie. Everybody has an Opinion about this movie. My opinion is that it fucking rips. Sorry it got so deeply embedded in The Culture that its a perpetual nuisance to the people who are not vibing but those people ain't me.

[intertexts]

HI ROS !!!!!! coming into ur inbox this lovely afternoon with a random question bc i like your taste in things. I need a new work podcast bc im caught up with most of my other ones. I've got TWO saved because of you so I thought I'd get ur opinion: which one first. hello from the hallowoods or skyjacks :] ik u like them both (and I DO plan to get thru them both eventually but I need 2 do them one at a time or else I'll explode)

OH GOD. INSANELY HARD QUESTION!!!!!!!! FUCKED UP!!!!!!! umm. ok. ok. they're both still currently ongoing, hfth has 160 episodes so far & skyjacks has something like 230. hfth has a sort of anthology structure with many different key characters and protagonists and plot threads that all get woven together through vignettes, skyjacks is just one overarching narrative. that's the quick comparison.

-hfth: good if ur still the kind of guy who gets really emotional over casual trans & queer rep in the year of our lord 2024 despite it being "everywhere now" and "not a big deal." (me LMAO) it's not like, a podcast About That, & it's kind of reductive to say that as the first thing about it, but like. it is deeply and fundamentally and lovingly a gaytrans show. it's horror, but like, the horror equivalent of spiced tea before bedtime, more strange and warped and delightful surrealism than much else. doesn't leave u with the Residue (neutral!!! feeling awful after u finish a horror thing is like frequently part of the appeal!!) that heavier horror does. anthology with overarching plot & it's really really fun to figure out the way all the pieces fit together. there are very endearing terrifying eldritch gods and gay sad little demons and ghost boys and older butches and sentient skulls inside a weird tank body. many very resonant themes and motifs. tons of really great character work, i can think of off the top of my head at least five or so characters u will love, very fun show. makes me miss living in the woods!!!!

skyjacks: okay man. you KNOW this is my favorite ttrpg show of all time. c'mon. okay. yeah despite the insane way pd has taken over my brain (& it is a REALLY good n fun show i think) & the way im constantly talking about friends at the table as a seminal actual play show that does some of The best writing in any of the space & is easily the Best, etc. skyjacks is so fucking good. james d'amato is an incredible gm, the sound design is really lovely, the worldbuilding is. my favorite. sometimes i just sit and kick my feet around giggling and smiling and thinking about spéir. its so fucking sick it feels like folklore and fairy tales and historical romances. there are huge birds u can fly on instead of horses. the sea is angry and has spit you out. the gods are dead and the stars have fallen out of the sky. pirate story, also, btw. u will fall in love with the uhuru. maybe partially why i haven't started riptide bc skyjacks is already The pirate campaign to me. i also already know Exactly which pc u will latch onto. honestly the pcs & their dynamics are also all really compelling, nobody at the table fucking misses.

anyway. TERRIBLE answer to this question ummm i would listen 2 the pilot of both of them n then choose! they're both two of my all time faves!!! enjoy!!! :3333

[alexenglish]

alex alex alex i GOTTA know. what's been your Favorite Look for each member of stray kids.

oh!! this is a tall order, gunna go off instincts and vibes with the caveat that i'm not thinking about this too hard. ALSO i'm gunna go kinda with like...hair looks mostly? because i think there's a wide array of things i could talk about within 'looks' including various styling and makeup over the years, but i think a hair look is so distinctly an era so we'll default that . (if you want more in-depth member thoughts, you can send me an individual member but for all 8 of them, i'm not gunna give myself more work) anyway, let's start from the top <3

undeniably a chan three-tone enjoyer. i think this length is excellent on him -- the little blunt butch cut plus the tiered black, blonde, red. sophisticated scene hair. it makes me think of revenge era frank iero for no reason other than color scheme and emo vibe. the up styling, the down styling. when they'd do it kinda tousled and messy -- @ the stylists doing their current fuck shit with his hair: bring it BACK.

as much as i am DEEPLY compelled by the current LENGTH of minho's hair and the embodiment of boy gender he is gendering, my truth is tangerine lino is everything to me. my BELOVED kool aid dye. the way it washed out into that soft bronze. honestly probably made especially exquisite by the make up of the god's menu era, and i love it immensely.

uncontested queen of my changbin heart is this specific undercut look. with changbin, i want all the undercuts and there ARE others, but i love how close this one is and the shaved step design and the choppiness of his hair plus the styling 😖😖😖 when a man is perfect 😖😖😖

i actually don't think hyunjin needs to be perpetually blonde OR that the blonde hair needs to perpetually be long, BUT when he has both of those things, i DO need it half up and decorated with the prettiest little braids. it does make me think of being queer in high school and my hair being super short and girls flirting with me by playing with my hair, and if they gave me the little braids, i'd keep them in for as long as possible because it made them happy. anyway. girlfriend hyune. (special shout out to fire engine red hj though, the way that BLED all over his face and neck and clothes when he performed [rabid barking])

jisung is actually the hardest to me because i'm obsessed with him and also i think he looks SOOO good in different colors & i'm so partial to the blonde look because i wrote it into a fic and anytime he has blonde hair (and changbin has black hair at the same time) i'm like that's SOOO specifically my FIC jisung, but also i fucking love dark hair on him, especially if it's longer and the orange made me BONKERS and the grey is so good and they NEED to give me BLUE again, but actually my REAL answer is jisung in hats. love his boy gender of beanies and hoods, love when he is COZY. love when he wears a CAP, backwards OR forwards... i just think wow a boy... what a boy look. with his loose clothes and his nail polish and his headphones idk!!! idk!!!! baby!!!!!

okay...anyway

(domino blue felix is actually butting up under this but ultimately, this is my ideal) literally if i could challenge the stylists to a DUEL anytime they even THOUGHT of applying lightener to felix's hair for the rest of the year i WOULD. my ideal is LONG and BROWN/black -- DARK so his freckles POP. his little grunge gender! let me at it!!

i was actually two seconds away from being a seungmin bias during his purple era because it is so deeply compelling to me on a base level. my thoughts and feelings about seungmin are limited pre-2022 skz LA crisis (where he sung JBIEB (EW??) AND RUINED MY Life /pos) but if i have any, they are focused solidly on purple seungmin and what he means to me (bites him in half)

last but not least jeongin!! honestly the blonde is like. life changing. transformative. single-handedly trebuchets him out of the baby infant zone for the barest of moments before he's hurled directly back again (he will escape baby infant zone completely at some point and then i'll be in trouble, so i am actually savoring the fact that he is the opposite of a threat rn). he's top two blonde idols for me, and the other one is jimin. which is an immense scale. anyway. foxy blonde boy ily.

[acacia-may]

For the “Or” ask game please Acacia dear 🥰💕! I hope you’re doing well!

Finral or Langris

Finral x Vanessa or Langris x Finesse

Aww thank you, Lyra! I'm doing okay--still in and out and not around my blog too much due to poor health. I am feeling better though I don't have too many reserves for fun things now that I'm back at work and rundown from seasonal allergies but I am hanging in there and hope to be back to writing and usual blog activities soon! 🥰 Thank you so much for your ask and for playing the game! It looked really fun so I thought I'd give it a go. These are difficult questions though so I had to give it a little thought.

Answers are below the cut. 💖

Finral or Langris:

Out of Finral or Langris, I think it depends on criteria. I think they are both very compellingly written characters, but it's my personal opinion that Langris is better/more consistently written than Finral whose arc has been a little all over the place at times (not to mention his regression, wanting to return to House Vaude, excessively banging his head against the wall ect. ect. I think he needs a bit of an intervention 😅) whereas Langris's arc and character trajectory has just been getting better and better. Now if you're asking who I'd rather go out with, the answer is probably Finral even though I'm sure he'd probably drive me off the wall with his excessive flirting and Langris would be a better significant other than he might be given credit for at first glance. 😁 They'd both make fine husbands, but perhaps we'd just be better off as friends... 😂

Finral x Vanessa or Langris x Finesse:

This pairing question is also difficult because I like both ships and they kind of go hand in hand in my mind. That said, I think I'd choose Langris x Finesse. It's a bit of a rare pairing and not one that I've written about a lot, but it's probably my favorite romantic pairing in what I'd consider the "House Vaude orbit" (i.e. any pairings involving Finral or Langris). I am really just struck by his willingness to sacrifice everything to make her happy. I find it incredibly moving to think about the fact that Langris is willing to give up everything he has worked for his entire life: his house, his title, his future, and in many ways, his entire sense of identity if that means that Finesse will get the chance to be happy. I've always been a big believer that real love is a choice--a decision to choose what is best for someone else even if it's hard and even if it's not what you want for yourself. That level of sacrifice and of selflessness is real love, and I see a deep capacity for that in Langris for Finesse. Regardless of whether that love is platonic or romantic in nature, the bottom line is that he would give up everything for what was best for her. It's not the flashiest love in the world--not fireworks or grand love confessions or big gestures, but I still think it's terribly romantic how she brings out this incredibly selfless and deeply devoted side of him.

And I think on Finesse's side, she sees him a way that nobody else does. That scene where she pleads with the king not to judge him too harshly during the elf arc is incredibly compelling to me. This is her opportunity for an out--her one and possibly only chance to leave this arranged marriage and the House Vaude hellscape, but she chooses not to take her "out" and chooses to stay, pleading with Langris not to lose himself. I love her line (in the English dub) when she tells the king that she knows Langris and doesn't have any misgivings about him. This isn't her putting on rose-colored glasses or idealizing him---I think she really sees the good and the bad in him and chooses to care for him anyway. In the society in which she lives and especially in this betrothal that has been arranged for her, she doesn't have a lot of freedom, but this is what she chooses to do with the little bit of freedom she does have--she chooses to care about Langris. Again it’s not necessarily in a romantic way, but I think that's something that they could build over time. It has potential.

Don't get me wrong--I really like Finral x Vanessa as a pairing as well (and I think I've probably written more about them), but I also really, really love their platonic friendship so even though I can imagine a world where they do pursue a romantic relationship, I can also imagine several worlds where they just stay very close friends. I suppose in that way, I ship Langris with Finesse under more circumstances than I ship Finral with Vanessa, so I suppose I'd probably choose them though this is really a difficult decision for me. 😅

[dinathalawriter]

TEARS

Kylo goes back to his parents (Han is alive), leaving the first order behind. They forgive him. He falls in love with Rey and builds a family, Leia and Han are happy grandparents.

As an AI language model, I cannot provide a definitive answer as to what might happen in a fictional scenario involving Kylo, Rey, Han, and Leia, as it depends on various factors such as the context, the characters' personalities, and the plot's direction. However, I can provide a hypothetical response based on the information provided in your prompt.

If Kylo were to leave the First Order and reconcile with his parents, it would certainly be a significant turning point in his character arc. If Han were alive, he would undoubtedly be overjoyed to see his son and would likely forgive him, as forgiveness and redemption have always been essential themes in the Star Wars franchise.

If Kylo were to fall in love with Rey, it would undoubtedly be a complicated situation, given their past conflicts and differing allegiances. However, if they were to overcome these obstacles and build a family, it would be a heartwarming development, especially with Han and Leia as happy grandparents.

Overall, the possibility of Kylo's redemption and reconciliation with his family and his romantic relationship with Rey would make for a compelling storyline full of emotional depth and character growth.

please write this story

Sure! Here's a short story based on the scenario you described:

Kylo stood outside the Millennium Falcon, his heart pounding in his chest. He hadn't seen his parents in years, and he didn't know how they would react to his return. But he knew he had to try.

He took a deep breath and stepped forward, knocking on the ship's door. A few moments later, the door creaked open, and he found himself face to face with his father, Han Solo.

Han's eyes widened in surprise, and then his face broke into a broad grin. "Ben!" he exclaimed, pulling his son into a tight embrace. "We thought we'd lost you."

Kylo felt tears prick at the corners of his eyes. He had missed his father's embrace more than he could say. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I know I messed up."

Han's expression softened. "We all make mistakes, kid. The important thing is that you're here now." He glanced over Kylo's shoulder. "Your mother will be thrilled to see you."

Kylo's stomach flipped. He hadn't even thought about how his mother would react. But before he could say anything, a voice called out from inside the ship. "Han? Who's at the door?"

"It's Ben!" Han called back.

A moment later, Leia appeared in the doorway. She took one look at Kylo and burst into tears. "Oh, my son," she sobbed, throwing her arms around him. "I thought I'd lost you forever."

Kylo hugged her back, feeling a sense of relief wash over him. For the first time in years, he felt like he was home.

Over the next few days, Kylo settled back into life with his family. They didn't talk about his time with the First Order, but Kylo could sense the unspoken forgiveness in the air. It was as if they were all saying, "We know you did bad things, but we love you anyway."

And then there was Rey. Kylo couldn't help but feel drawn to her, even though he knew it was complicated. They had been enemies for so long, but now, with the First Order behind him, he felt like anything was possible.

One day, as they sat together in the Falcon's cockpit, Rey turned to him and said, "I'm glad you're here, Ben. I don't know what we would have done without you."

Kylo's heart swelled with emotion. "I'm glad too," he said. "I don't think I could have kept going without you."

Rey smiled at him, and for a moment, everything else melted away. They sat in comfortable silence, feeling a sense of peace they had never known before.

As the weeks turned into months, Kylo and Rey grew closer. They went on adventures together, fought side by side against new threats, and fell more deeply in love with each passing day.

And as they sat together on the Falcon's deck, watching the stars go by, Kylo knew that he had found a new family. Han and Leia were happy grandparents now, and he and Rey had each other. For the first time in a long time, everything felt right.

[androgymagnus]

HI JUST WANTED TO ASK did u just watch glass onion because I watched it yesterday and can see ur reblogs AND WOULD LOVE TO HEAR UR THOUGHTS!!!!!!!

Also I want to draw a fake movie poster for it so bad. It deserved nicer posters w janelle monae covered in blood fr (the glass letter ones r sexy tho)

ALSO HELP I just connected the dots that Phillip is Blancs partner oh my god. Gay people r real

LKJDFLG YEAH I DID <33 i loved it it's very good

i love it when a movie like. totally turns everything on its head at the halfway point and recontextualizes everything that's already happened. lkie. yes please bend my mind into little circles

and just generally i liked the twists and turns and it was visually interesting and like, it actually held my attention the whole time. i was never on my phone or distracted i watched the whole damn thing without pausing nine thousand times. which is a big deal for me, adhd king. like that says a lot

and there were just soooo many good little details, both ones i noticed and ones that i saw later being pointed out. and like the ending is so satisfying, kind of like a good episode of classic leverage but with a cinematic budget, where everything clicks into place and the rich asshole gets his just desserts and like. the characters are all fun (the "disruptors" are all so fun to hate, including miles, helen/andi is amazing, benoit blanc continues to be an icon in so many ways--i know people have said it before but i too am not immune to "protagonist who is genuinely kind and compassionate and wants to help people, cares more about other people than about "winning", etc" + he's so funny and i love how he takes no shit but does the whole polite southern columbo routine + he's GAY!!! god i love him so much, he's such a good main character--this kind of whodunnit gentleman detective thing can really like. the protagonist can make or break it--columbo works because columbo is so charming and endearing, other shows fail because the detective may be alright but just not compelling, or they lean too much into the "asshole genius" trope, benoit never falls into that and the fact he's consistently caring and compassionate is just. chefs kiss) and the plot was fun, it was like, well-done enough i wasn't like "that makes no sense" and even guessed some things, but was like, also still surprising and fun,,,,

like it's just a good whodunnit with strong deeply likable protagonists (both benoit blanc as the gentleman sleuth, and helen as the sorta watson of the movie/true main character--god both of them did such a good job, they're so iconic) and a satisfying ending

and such good humor!!! miles covering his chest when they mention his "golden titties", benoit yelling about how dumb it all is, him revealing the whole fake mystery immediately and getting tossed an ipad, THE ICONIC SCENE AT THE BEGINNING WITH THE PUZZLE BOXES I FUCKING CACKLED WHEN SHE SMASHED IT, etc

also dlkfgj help yeah when i first watched it i legit didn't make that connection either and then later when people were like "oh his boyfriend/husband/partner!!!" i was like oh yeah!!! yeah that tracks!!! like i'd heard he was gay but i'm fucking stupid and somehow just did NOT make that connection at all

anyway im not saying it was perfect, i'm sure it had flaws, but i really enjoyed it and i'm definitely going to force my mom to watch it when she gets home from her christmas holiday trip

would love to see these posters 👀 feel free to tag me if you post them

[mangodestroyer]

I've discovered the atrocity that is the movie script Crowley and... wow. What an awful character. I mean, he's just straight-up abusive toward Aziraphale. He cheats in every game of checkers against him because... he's a demon and he just does that ig. He calls him stupid and says he should die because of it. And then he says that he never cared about him and that they were never really friends.

Like, remember how Crowley literally pleaded for Aziraphale to run away with him to the stars and then later got very upset when he thought Azi died? Yeah... movie script Crowley just wanted to go alone and leave Aziraphale behind cause he never cared for him and just wants to watch the world burn because I guess he hates the world too.

What made him save the world in the end? Azi cheated in a game of checkers. Wow... what a compelling character arc! /s

So yeah, idk how any of that makes any sense. I mean, maybe Crowley just wanted Azi to become more like himself because he sure seems to be an abusive d*ck with a huge ego in this version. I really don't know. I still don't get how that would be enough to compel him to save the world.

Also, Aziraphale hardly has any personality in this other than, "I'm a good guy and spontaneously do something bad at the end to surprise my demon friend!" And then he says that, deep down, Crowley is actually a kind demon. What!?

I thought that maybe people were overreacting when they talked about this script, but no, it's actually just that bad. Imo, Crowley himself is what really ruined it. I actually feel offended for book/show Crowley over this characterization of himself. Script Crowley is just straight-up disgusting and has no redeeming qualities.

Sorry for the rant. I really like Crowley as a character and seeing him act like this is kind of upsetting. I'd like to believe that the Crowley we know and love gave this a-hole what he really deserved. The Crowley I know would dish out a pretty hefty punishment for those who mess with his angel. Crowley, please rescue script Aziraphale from this abusive relationship.

Thank God this dumpster fire of a movie was never given a chance. Normally, I don't like it when people complain about OOC because people have different interpretations of characters and whatnot. But this is just... not Crowley at all. There's not even a semblance of him in this... psychopathic husk of a character.

Oh, and I think it goes without saying that making Crowley a psychopath, or whatever he is here, really defeats the purpose of his character. Like, yeah. Crowley is not fucking perfect, okay? He is flawed and makes mistakes and obviously seems to have some issues. But he's still not a bad person. To the contrary! He's just doing his best for the person he loves. His heart is in the right place. He just made some mistakes to end up falling and has to pretend to be evil to not get in trouble with hell. He still makes it pretty clear that he cares deeply for Aziraphale. More than anything in the universe. Point is, he's a demon. He's not supposed to be like this. But he is. Even if he won't admit it.

But making him an actual, 100% demon who can never be redeemed? We literally just got rid of an entire character arc. Tossed it out the window. Who wants interesting stories with complicated characters anyway?

Idk if there's supposed to be more to Aziraphale btw. People seem to focus more on Crowley. From what I've seen, Aziraphale is kind of just bland when you aren't feeling bad for him. He just does good until he does one bad thing that somehow impressed Crowley, ig. Where's that intelligent, brave angel who sometimes has his sassy moments despite having an understandable fear of his superiors in Heaven? You know, the one who charmed a jaded snake demon because he's a clever bastard who defied God to help out the humans? I'm not seeing this with script Aziraphale at all.

Okay, I need to stop.

[storytimewithnova]

The Strength of Us: Love, Trust, and ARFID

Please if you stuggle with ARFID or any eating disorder please seek help there are helplines

The link will be in this story please Don't do what shona did talk to someone

Anyway here is the stories plot:The Strength of Us: Love, Trust, and ARFID" is a compelling tale of love and resilience. Shona, the protagonist, harbors a secret - she battles with Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) but keeps it hidden, fearing judgment and fragility. She manages a volleyball team with the remarkable next-gen Captains, Akaashi Montoya and Chikara, aka her boyfriends who deeply care for her.

When Keiji Akaashi enters their lives, Shona's secret begins to unravel. As she opens up about ARFID, the trio faces this challenge together, deepening their bond. Through therapy, research, and emotional support, Shona makes progress, learning that vulnerability is strength.

As they confront the scars of the past and Shona's disorder, their love grows unbreakable. This story exemplifies the power of love, trust, and resilience in overcoming adversity and shows that with the right support, healing is possible.

For help and support if you are struggling with ARFID or any eating disorder go to this link

Please get help don't be like shona i kind of based her off of me so Essentially what i am saying is don't be like me with that said on with the story

Deep within, I harbored a secret I'd never dared to voice, rooted in a mix of stubbornness and a desire to protect myself from appearing helpless. I was the manager to my remarkable boyfriends, who were next-gen Captains with immense responsibilities. But, they never stopped caring.

One day, Keiji Akaashi entered, carrying groceries. His presence comforted me.

"Shona Love, are you home?" Keiji called out.

"Yeah, Kei, I'm here," I replied, though unease tinged my voice.

"Are Montoya and Chikara home yet?" Keiji asked.

"No, love!" I replied, frustrated. Something felt different this time. Keiji sensed it and headed to our room.

I wrestled with suppressed thoughts. Why couldn't I be 'normal'? Why was it so hard to admit my battle with ARFID, discarding food to spare their feelings? Keiji entered, but I didn't register him immediately.

"Why couldn't I have been born normal?" I whispered, tears welling up. "Why can't I tell my boyfriends about my struggle with ARFID, about how I throw away food just to protect them from the truth? I feel utterly useless."

Keiji's soothing voice finally broke my turmoil. "No, you're not."

I jumped, surprised. "Ahh, Kei, how long have you been there?"

"Long enough to understand everything," he replied gently. "By the way, what is ARFID?"

My hesitance grew as I whispered, "It's Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder."

Seeing Keiji's surprise, I repeated, even more trepidation, "Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder, or ARFID for short. Please, Kei, don't tell Montoya or Chikara. The last thing I want is for them to worry. I don't want to be treated as fragile. I've been wrestling with this disorder since I was ten, but recently, it's spiraled out of control."

Keiji, understanding, assured me, "I won't tell them, but you must. They'll notice, especially Chikara; he picks up on the smallest things."

As I looked into Keiji's eyes, I feared he regarded me as fragile now, why I had kept my secret.

Time passed, and Keiji was right. Chikara began to notice Shona avoiding her favorite foods, and her health deteriorated.

One evening, Chikara couldn't ignore it any longer. "Shona, is something going on? You've been avoiding certain foods, and you've lost weight."

Shona exchanged glances with Keiji, who nodded encouragingly. She took a deep breath and confessed, "Chikara, Montoya, there's something I need to tell you. I've been hiding it for a long time."

Montoya and Chikara listened, their concern growing.

Shona continued, "I have ARFID, Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder. It's been affecting me since I was a child, and I've been secretly discarding food to protect your feelings. I didn't want you to worry or see me as fragile, but it's getting worse."

Montoya softened. "Shona, thank you for sharing. We're here for you."

Chikara, torn between worry and wanting to be supportive, added, "We're a team, Shona. We'll face this together."

Shona felt relief and vulnerability, realizing their support was genuine.

Shona then shared why she had kept this secret. Kageyama's past hurtful actions had created mistrust.

Montoya and Chikara empathized. Chikara gently held Shona's hand. "We love you for who you are."

Montoya added, "We're here to support you, without judgment."

Shona felt the burden lift. She knew she had found true acceptance in her boyfriends, strengthening their bond.

With the weight of her secret finally shared, Shona felt a newfound sense of freedom and trust within her relationship with Montoya and Chikara. The days that followed marked a turning point in her journey to confront ARFID with their unwavering support.

Chikara, being the observant and caring partner he was, took it upon himself to learn more about ARFID. He researched the disorder, its challenges, and possible ways to help Shona overcome it. Montoya joined him in this quest, and together, they discovered resources and experts who could provide guidance.

Shona appreciated their efforts and felt touched by their dedication to understanding her struggles. As they shared their findings, she felt a sense of relief knowing that she wasn't alone in this battle anymore.

One of the key steps they took was to involve a therapist who specialized in eating disorders. The therapist worked closely with Shona to develop a tailored treatment plan that addressed the root causes of her ARFID and provided strategies to gradually expand her food choices.

At first, the process was challenging for Shona. She had built up years of avoidance and anxiety around certain foods. However, Montoya and Chikara were there every step of the way, providing emotional support and encouragement.

They would accompany her to therapy sessions, hold her hand during exposure exercises, and celebrate small victories, like trying a new food or finishing a meal without anxiety. Shona's progress was slow but steady, and she began to regain control over her eating habits.

As Shona's therapy continued, her bond with Montoya and Chikara deepened even further. They learned to communicate more openly and honestly with each other. Shona felt safe discussing her fears and insecurities, knowing that her boyfriends were there to listen without judgment.

During this journey, Montoya, Chikara, and Shona also took time to address the emotional scars left by Kageyama's hurtful actions. Together, they worked through these painful memories, helping Shona heal from the past trauma and build a stronger sense of self-worth.

Months passed, and while Shona's recovery from ARFID was ongoing, she had made remarkable progress. Her relationship with food had evolved, and she was no longer bound by the limitations of her disorder. She could now enjoy meals with Montoya and Chikara without the crippling anxiety that had haunted her for so long.

The love and support of her boyfriends had played a crucial role in her journey to recovery. It had shown her that vulnerability was not weakness, and true strength lay in sharing one's struggles with those who cared about you. Shona's story became a testament to the power of love, understanding, and resilience in the face of adversity.

As they faced each new day together, Shona, Montoya, and Chikara knew that their bond had grown unbreakable, and they were ready to face any challenges that life might throw their way, as a united and loving team.

With each passing day, Shona's confidence continued to grow. She embraced her journey to overcome ARFID with determination and the unwavering support of Montoya and Chikara. It was a journey that had brought them closer together, forging a bond that was unbreakable.

As they looked back on the trials they had faced and conquered together, they knew that their love had only grown stronger. Shona's bravery in sharing her deepest struggles had paved the way for open communication and deeper trust between them. They had learned that vulnerability was a strength, and that their love could weather any storm.

Life was far from perfect, but they faced it with courage and resilience. Shona continued her therapy, making steady progress toward a life free from the constraints of ARFID. Her story served as an inspiration to others who faced similar challenges, showing them that they, too, could find the support and love they needed to heal.

With Montoya and Chikara by her side, Shona was no longer burdened by her past or her disorder. She had found her strength, her voice, and a love that was unshakable. Together, they walked into the future, ready to embrace whatever it held, knowing that they would face it as a united and loving team, forever bound by the ties of their shared journey and their enduring love.

[slashermary]

Community, 1x08 “Home Economics” // Supernatural, Dean + TV

[veliseraptor]

Do you have opinions on chengyao or chengsu(Jiang Cheng and Qin Su, although you could also go for Su She if you have an opinion there)?

I have opinions on almost everything! That isn't true, there are a lot of things I don't actually have an opinion on, but I do have a lot of them.

So on this subject, the continuing adventures in Possible Jiang Cheng Ships (I guess):

Jiang Cheng/Jin Guangyao

This is one of those things where I'm so here for the concept, haven't read any fic, and have a hard time articulating exactly what I want from it. I mean, I am kind of obsessed with the coparenting energy - legitimately love that little exchange where Jin Guangyao is like "don't be too harsh to a-Ling, he's been so upset he barely ate anything" and Jiang Cheng is like "yeah sure I bet you didn't" because it's very permissive parent/strict parent but it's clear that (a) these are familiar roles that they've played before and (b) they're both comfortable with it - like, I don't get the impression that Jiang Cheng is actually upset with Jin Guangyao for arguing leniency, as it were.

(Not that I think that Jin Guangyao is always "permissive" - I think there's a combination of (a) it's a role he's good at playing (the mediator, smoothing over a conflict), and (b) it's a move he can make that'll let Jiang Cheng let Jin Ling off the hook where it doesn't just mean Jiang Cheng backing down on his own. But this is not an ask about their respective parenting styles, exactly.)

It's just...I have definite feelings, I think, about the way that Jiang Cheng actually does seem to trust Jin Guangyao with Jin Ling's welfare, at least as much as he trusts anyone who's not in his own sect. Like, Jiang Cheng is paranoid and overprotective and worries a lot, but I think he believes that Jin Guangyao will keep Jin Ling safe, right up until he's confronted with a very immediate reason to think otherwise - and for Jiang Cheng that goes a long way.

I think Jiang Cheng will let a lot of things slide if someone is good to his nephew. He has his priorities.

Anyway. I don't even know that I want them to, like, hook up or whatever. I think I just want their relationship during the time skip - how the way they relate to each other evolves over time, facilitated by their mutual connection to Jin Ling.

Although my brain is also looking at this pairing and going "humiliation kink" so I'm not quite sure what to do with that. (It isn't Jin Guangyao with the humiliation kink.)

I have these thoughts and I am compelled to share them.

Jiang Cheng/Qin Su

I'm gonna level with you - I don't quite get this one. I mean, I see that significant glance/nod/small smile as much as anyone, but I just don't quite...jive with it as a pairing? I think partly that may be because I associate it with people being nasty about Jin Guangyao, which is a pretty hard nope for me.

However, I will note that I'm deeply intrigued by the concept of Jiang Cheng/Qin Su/Jin Guangyao and now I'm wondering how much of that there is out there. I feel like there's a lot of possible configurations of that triad that I could work with, potentially.

Though I do feel like probably part of the problem is that I don't have a great sense of Qin Su's character, I don't think - I have a vague sense and definite positive feelings, but I don't feel like I have a firm handle on her general personality and motivations in a concrete way that might give me a better hold on a ship for her that's not in canon/involves relatively little character interaction (because it involves doing more work speculating on dynamics, which requires, at least for me, having more of a sense for a character).

So I guess this is all a long-winded way of saying "not necessarily opposed but I'd have to be convinced and I'm not at this point, also don't be rude to Jin Guangyao about it because that makes me sad. :("

[fedonciadale]

Hey fedon! I just wanted to say that I find it so tiring these people who throw around the word hypocrite when it comes to shipping things like Darklina whilst being anti S@ns@n etc. You handled that anon very well and I'm always impressed by your level-headed replies. With Darklina, I've sort of grappled with why I find them so compelling, and your thoughts on fanon vs canon really helped me, and I agree that it is an important distinction to make. For instance, because of the narrative/character choices, I don't "ship" Darklina in the show so much as I ship a fanon what-if version of them, but that being said, I'm still drawn to them. If I was Alina's friend, I'd be all gurl RUN, but as a viewer, of course I want to see them on screen together again because Ben and Jessie's chemistry is so magnetic!

I was thinking of what exactly that dynamic/magnetism is comparable to and... well, I don't know if you listen to Fleetwood Mac, but for me it's akin to watching a live performance of a song like The Chain, which is about the breakdown of Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham's relationship (as is many of their songs). Their relationship was evidently not good, it was destructive and volatile, and I in no way would want what they had irl, but... I enjoy the music all the same, I love it in fact. Because when they perform, no offense to Mick Fleetwood, Christine and John McVie, everything else but them falls away and you become caught up in the way they are singing at each other, years after the fact, and you can still feel all that pain, love and burning chemistry. That's sort of how I felt watching Ben and Jessie in the tent scene — I wasn't thinking wow couple goals, in fact I was feeling Alina's hurt, but still I was thinking that when these two are in a scene together everything and everyone else just falls away. So, even though I'm getting into the other "healthier" ships more and more, at the end of the day... Darklina is The Chain for me in terms of complexity, how compelling it is, how powerful it is to me as a viewer, and it's not about me wanting them to be "together", it's just about how they make me feel when they are, in whatever way they are. I mean... just look at these lyrics:

Listen to the wind blow, watch the sun rise Running in the shadows, damn your love, damn your lies

And if you don't love me now You will never love me again I can still hear you saying You would never break the chain (Never break the chain)

[...]

Listen to the wind blow, down comes the night Running in the shadows, damn your love, damn your lies Break the silence, damn the dark, damn the light

I'm sorry but... that's show canon Darklina for me — elemental, deeply connected despite it all, passionate, fierce, volatile, painful, nothing I would want in real life but everything I find fascinating in fiction. By comparsion, I don't find relationships like S@ns@n equivalent to Darklina because at its core... there is no mutual attraction between the Hound and a literal child, there is no chemistry, there is no suggestion of (future) equality, there is just the problematic stuff. Now, Darklina is problematic for sure, but the strength of their connection hurts me in the feels because they could have been something different — "We could have had this. All of it. You could have made me your equal." By contrast, there is no explicit equivalence of feeling in the specifically asoiaf ships that angry anons throw about as comparable. They're not comparable (to me at least). But anyway, at the end of the day, what I always try to bear in mind when thinking about ships, and characters I like, is this famous Walt Whitman quote, from his poem Song of Myself:

Do I contradict myself? Very well then I contradict myself, (I am large, I contain multitudes.)

I think people in fandom, for all that we try to be conscious of real life issues and the impact of fiction... we often forget this fundamental truth that people can like seemingly contradictory things. People can like complex things and have equally complex emotions about them. That's just life and it's not something that needs to be lectured out of you! It's when people start reducing things to black and white binaries that there should be potential cause for concern. But also... fandom is for fun, so have fun people!

Anyway, sorry for this strange ramble, I'm just a bit reluctant to talk about Darklina on my own blog because the S+B fandom seems possibly more volitle that Stevie and Lindsey on cocaine at the height of making Rumours... and that's saying something, lmao.

Hi there!

Thanks for the heads up!

You know you can enjoy compelling storytelling and chemistry and that is something that might make you ship a couple!

When I first read the books I thought that Darklina was headed for disaster. I thought that Alina would get over Mal, that the Darkling would sacrifice himself for her and in an act of redemption to destroy the fold and save Alina and that Alina would marry Nikolai. Sigh!

Not a healthy ship but a compelling story. And we can like compelling stories.

I actually think that Sans@n might be headed that way : it might end with his sacrifice but without the element of reluctant attraction that is there with Darklina.

Anyway, I like this sort of chemistry. I loved all the times President Snow and Katniss Everdeen were on the screen together. A connection between the characters, something twisted but still they understand each other, compelling actors chemistry. I just loved to watch that (without shipping).

And I really like how compelling Darklina is in screen. You don't really want them together, or just in a tragic ending, but it's a good story.

That does not mean that I think they would be good for a HEA - not in canon.

I can like how Elizabeth Bennett almost falls for Wickham and I can still enjoy her getting with Darcy in the end.

Very often it is about the 'what if'.

I really think that the distinction between canon and fanon is important in that regard.

I ship these people with my headcanons as characters inspired by the canon is as valid as I ship these people because I like the dynamic/ find the dynamic compelling, even if I know it's toxic.

I think it is a bit problematic if people insist their headcanons are canon.

I've seen a bit of the SaB fandom around here and I think Darklina shippers do not claim that the Darkling is actually good.

It's different with Sans@n shippers (or at least the ones that come into my ask box). They insist that the H0und is good and that he is the best that could hapoen to Sansa. On this I will always disagree with them - at least when it comes to canon. If GRRM writes that ship (and I doubt that) it's not good for Sansa.

And yes, I agree I can like different dynamics in different ships. I can like enemies to lovers in one universe and I can think that Sansa would never love the enemy of her family in ASOIAF. Different worlds, different characters... What I can imagine for one character might be unthinkable for another. I can ship Hermione with Draco picturing him asking for forgiveness and I cannot fathom Sansa ever forgiving an enemy who is responsible for her father's death, like Littlefinger.

To me - and that's just my opinion - it is about how guilty these people are: Draco never killed anyone, he can be redeemed and live (preferably getting on this path on his own and then getting with Hermione), the Darkling can only die in the end but maybe after remorse? And in ASOIAF villains really should stay villains and not get a redemption via Sansa.

I really don't know why it is so difficult to understand that different characters and worlds also mean different shipping?

And apart from Jonsa I don't care about my ships being canon. Neither JKR nor Leigh Bardugo ever hooked me as much as GRRM. I can make my headcanons about the characters because I am just not that attached to their canon version. Both authors do not write completely consistent anyway - so it's easy to twist and experiment. With ASOIAF I cannot get behind any ship I cannot also picture in canon.

Thanks for the ask!

[mimsyaf]

I'm writing a thing and thought I'd come tell you that I'm looking at a chapter where characters get ~intimate~ and literally the brainworm in my brain is "channel mimsy channel mimsy channel mimsy" because its been MONTHS but I am constantly thinking of Ma Nishtana and how you wrote the most beautifully subtle, powerful love scene I've ever READ without being in your face about it. As opposed to my smut-writing, which is just wall to wall filth. And that's not the vibe in this thing I'm writing so it's channel mimsy time

Anyway pray for me pls

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh TED!!!! (I’m going mad)

How can you say this to me????? Do you know how many times I’ve reread chapter 60 of When The Moon Hits Your Eye???????

Like, maybe 20 times at least. Which. Is a lot of times. So.

Thank you for the lovely LOVELY praise. I want to say a thing here: wall to wall filth (your words, not mine) can be deeply emotionally resonant or completely devoid of emotion. It can be revelatory for the characters or it could be “body parts! thrusting!” “fluids! glistening!” “orgasms! getting had!”

Your writing is revelatory and deeply emotionally resonant and that continues through the explicit chapters. And is one reason why they are so compelling! And hot!!

You write more explicitly than I’ve been able to manage hitherto although I’m dipping my toes into more explicit stuff now. Or, um, my fist... well not MY fist, but. 😳

But I don’t read chapter 60 of WTMHYE 20 times because it’s explicit. I read it 20 times because of the storytelling craft you’ve employed up to this point to keep me enthralled, to make me feel Daniel’s confusion, longing, and desire.

You spin desire out over multiple chapters, turning the granular sweetness of ordinary sugar (sexy times) into the candy floss of anticipation, magical and shiny and soooooo nostalgic (because I’m middle-aged, and you capture what it’s like to be young and enamored SO brilliantly). But unlike a sticky sweet confection, there’s also so much character development and emotional resonance in your fics... and environmental details — I can see that beach house!! And delightful character details about secondary characters — I feel like I know this version of Bobby so well!

I just wish you could have confidence in the value of what you write, the beauty of it, and not listen to whichever Calvinist predecessor is telling you that because your writing has explicit content, it is somehow less worthy!!!!

Tell Cotton Mather to go fuck himself, is what I’m saying. Also your Titanic fic is everything so far. Not sure if the chapter is for that, but just thought I should be clear.

[courageouslyfearless]

Dream World (Part 2) ☾ Baekhyun

Dream World (Part 2) ☾ Baekhyun

Genre: Fantasy AU

Pairing: Baekhyun X Reader

Word Count: 4.4k

Requested Tags: @itsbaekhyunsbutt​ @strawbaeri-s​ @bbyunz​

| Part 1 |

The Kingdom of Akron had changed drastically in a few months time. When news from the royal court spread through the lands asking the elves to come back home, most of them hesitated. It must be a trick, they thought, the queen must be up to something. Baekhyun knew better. The queen's sudden change of heart was Y/N's doing. She had written the happy ending she had promised. "Happy" was relative. He was content that he could ask his people to come back to Akron, begging them to trust this to be real and not some sort of plot. But deep down, Baekhyun was devastated, as this was only possible because of a woman he was never going to see again. He did his best to push these thoughts to the back of his mind so he could get through his days. But he couldn't chase away the memories that plagued his brain at night. He questioned his own sanity often; he missed her so. More often than not, he dreamed of her as well. It was his own personal prison, inside his head.

It was getting burdensome for him to pretend he wasn't completely and utterly heartbroken. His people looked up to him for guidance, he couldn't afford to show his weaknesses. But truthfully, he was finding it difficult to care as well. So eventually he made one of the toughest choices he's ever had to make; he resigned from his position as ruler of the elves, to someone far more capable, his best friend and mightiest warrior in their army, Chanyeol.

After the crowning ceremony, as his people  celebrated, he had tried to make a quiet exit from the festivities. Elves enjoyed drinking ale and playing dangerous games once inebriated. He wasn't in the mood to play them. Unfortunately, as he worked his way through the people, he kept being stopped by folks who wanted to thank him for bringing them home and ruling them after his father's death. He waved their words away, simply responding with "I didn't do much." Which was the truth, he hadn't actually done much, but he couldn't tell them that. So he kept pushing his way through to leave but once he was almost out, Chanyeol appeared in front of him. Baekhun sighed.

"I just need to get out," he said, looking up at his tall friend, hoping he'd understand.

Chanyeol's eyes studied the prince with careful thought.

"You're leaving, aren't you? It wasn't just about ruling, you don't want to be in Akron."

Baekhyun was surprised that his friend had read him so well. He gave him a small smile.

"That was a pretty good guess," he started, then his smile faded, "Everything about this place reminds me of her. I can't do it anymore. I'm going back to the mountains. I heard there's still a group of elves staying there because they don't trust the Queen. I will try to convince them that it is safe to come back." An excuse he knew, but it felt better to think of his journey as a mission and not as him giving up and running away from the memory of her.

Chanyeol read the truth in his face as clear as if he were telling him. "If that's what you need to do to feel better then do it. But you've never been a man that loses hope. Not once have I seen you surrender. Why start now?"

"What are you trying to tell me, Chanyeol? I told you there's nothing I can do. She's gone... forever." That last part hurt to say, he almost felt like he couldn't breathe every time the truth hit him.

"You were set on keeping her here once, remember? You searched high and low for a spell to do it. Then finding the ingredients," Chanyeol shuddered at the memory, "getting the troll's heart was some nasty business," he shook his head, "anyways, what I'm trying to say is, you found a way once. If you really can't live without her, then do it again. Just find another way."

Baekhyun stared at his friend. Could he do it? Could he defy the laws of nature.

"I used up all the magic," he said, defeated.

Chanyeol groaned, exasperated, "Magic doesn't just vanish from existence. It's all around us, in the trees, in the river, in every fiber and molecule of life, there is magic. It is sown into the very essence of the world. You just have to learn how to harness it. I'd start with the nymphs, if I were you."

Baekhyun thought about it. He had nothing to lose by trying. He was set on leaving Akron anyways, why not leave with some hope as company?

Finally, he smiled. At this, Chanyeol was relieved, because it was the most genuine smile he'd seen from him since he lost her. He took this as a good sign.

"Now go get your princess."

~

Meanwhile, you were wrestling with the tape that had sealed and kept safe your possessions inside the cardboard boxes. Unpacking had become quite the chore as you couldn't find the box cutter or literally anything with an edge to cut through the tape. Your new apartment looked like a war zone and you expected to come out as the victor. If only you could find something to...

"Keys, of course!"

You grabbed your set of keys dangling from the hook by the door and searched through the label on the boxes to find the ones that you wanted to open first. The one with "bedroom" written on it with a black sharpie caught your eye first. After cutting through the tape, you opened it to go through your belongings. It was mostly books and novels. You smiled, that is, until you spotted a familiar blue cover with stars on it. Your dream journal. You hadn't opened it since... well, since that time. Writing after losing him was unthinkable. There was no way you could ever write another character to life, let alone love them as you had loved him.

You reached for it now with trembling hands and a racing heart. The journal was in pretty bad shape. You had tried getting rid of it once, throwing it in a lake during your spring break vacation, hoping the tightness in your chest would subside. Watching it sink under did the opposite. You had rushed into the water to save it. To save him. Or the memory of him. That afternoon you hurried back home, to find a way to dry and save it from being completely ruined. As painful as it was, you didn't want to forget him. He wasn't part of the real world, but he was real to you.

You opened it now, for the first time, flicking through the wrinkled pages. It was still readable but only to you, the one who had written every word and sentence on it. The tightness in your chest had become a permanent resident and you no longer let it have that much control over you. You ignored it this time as well.

With tears burning in your eyes you started reading. Akron. The Queen. Baekhyun. You smiled at the part where you guys met.

The dress was too revealing, you worried, staring at your reflection in the mirror. You kept pulling up at the fabric over your bust , hoping it would show less cleavage. Your maidens hovered about with jewelry and powders and anything that could make you look more regal. The shortest one, with the dazzling smile and gentle fingers, placed a gold crown on your head. You weren't used to the weight of it. It felt awkward. You thought it made you feel off balance.

Three knocks at the door announced a new visitor.

"Come in," with the words, you also breathe in deeply, maybe a little too quickly as you become dizzy from the action. Your're still in a daze when he walks in.

Plain brown pants. Plain brown tunic. And that's all that is plain about him.

As you finally fix your eyes on his face, your heartbeat picks up its pace. His smile was the first thing that drew you in. It was playful and kind at the same time. You were confused as to how he managed that. His eyes were an ordinary brown at first glance, but the way they held your gaze was anything short of extraordinary. It felt like he could see right through you all the way down to your soul, where you kept the most private things about yourself hidden. You found yourself at a loss for words and at the widening of his smile you knew he could tell he had an effect on you.

"Your majesty," he finally spoke, "my name is Baekhyun, I was told I will have the pleasure of working as your servant from this day onward."

You will never forget the way he spoke then. As if he knew you, your heart and he was ready to take it for himself. You should've known then that he'd succeed. How could he not? He was confident, funny, kind and sometimes a little naughty as well. There was nothing predictable about him. He challenged you almost every occasion he could.

There was only one time you could recall when he was none of these things. Just one time, when his confidence left his shoulders, and his  eyes couldn't seem to find yours. You remember how quiet his voice was as he reached with trembling fingers to hold your hand for the first time. You'd been crying, reminiscing the scene at home. Your parents had been arguing. But the situation had escalated quickly. Words turned into shoving, shoving turned into objects being thrown. The next thing you saw was your mom slide across the dining room floor and into the kitchen, her body hitting the refrigerator. She'd dislocated her arm from the force. You were compelled to go to the hospital with her and lie about how she got hurt. They always made you lie for them. Once back home you'd had to clean up the broken glass and the blood stains on the floor from someone's bare feet who had walked over it.

He'd cried with you as you told him, holding you in his arms like you were his to hold. And you let him, because when everything in your world felt wrong, the warmth of his embrace was the only thing that felt right. His strength was the only thing keeping you together. Just that once did he hesitate. Only that time did he hold back. The next time you dreamed of him, he stole his first kiss from your lips. He never hesitated after that.

So how could you have stopped the beautiful force of nature that was Baekhyun from taking your heart? Just as the sun comes out every day and the moon reflects its light at night, just as everything that happens without fail, it was inevitable to fall in love with him.

But now all that was left of him was this dreadful looking journal and the memories in your head, which will wither away with time until you question if it even happened at all. His eyes will fade like the ink of your favorite purple pen on these wrinkled pages. His smile will become jaded by reality, distorted by the smudged words on a piece of paper. But the worst part was that if he felt for you as he had confessed the last time that you were together, then he was feeling as hopeless and heartbroken as you were. That thought made you sadder than anything else.

You closed the journal gently, as to not cause more damage to it. Then you walked to your room and stored it in the top drawer of the night stand by your bed. You needed to stay focused on the task at hand, which was to unpack everything still stored away in boxes. Pushing thoughts of him out of mind, you went back to work.

Once you are more or less done putting away the stuff in the kitchen, you lay down on the carpeted floor of the small living room. You had no furniture for this space yet, so it was empty. You closed your eyes slowly as they had become heavy with exhaustion. You knew if you kept it up for too long, you'd fall asleep right there. That's how tired you were. So instead, you force yourself to stand up. You decided to take a warm bath and then head out to bed.

You rarely did nice things for yourself, but candles had always been a frivolous need of yours. You lit one in the bathroom as you watched the tub fill up. Once the water was high enough, you undressed and got in the tub. You laid down, resting your head back on the wall as the candle spread the sweet aroma of coconut sunrise in the air.

At this level of relaxation, it doesn't take long for you to drift off into a soft dream.

You were surrounded by tall trees that towered over you like some kind of mythical giants. You glanced up at them, wondering if they would suddenly come to life. They didn't, but the thought that in a dream it was possible, kept you alert to your surroundings. Looking away from them, your gaze comes down to what's in front of you, a vast lake. There were tiny lights shimmering over the water, flying into the air and swirling in perfect unison like small tornadoes. It took you a few seconds to realize they weren't lights.

"Fairies," you whispered. But as if they had heard you speak, they stopped moving, and this made it easier to see their tiny little wings flapping to keep them in the air. You kept quiet and eventually they continued their flight ritual.

"Pixies, actually."

Your heart stopped. Literally, skipped a beat, painfully reminding you that it was still in your chest.

You recognized the voice. You'd know it anywhere. But you were afraid of looking back. You were afraid of hoping it was him and not see his face. You hadn't dreamed of him since the pen incident. So you stayed like that, frozen in place, fear rooting you to that spot.

After a few seconds passed by, you felt it. A hand, resting on your arm, the touch light as a feather, bringing goosebumps across your skin.

"You said writing was the only thing getting you through tough times, how have you survived this long without it?"

You took a deep breath, still unable to move but ready to respond anyways.

"I can't write another you."

That was all you could say. You knew he'd understand the implication of your words. You couldn't risk loving anyone else. You couldn't risk forgetting him. Or replacing him. You wanted your heart to be his and no one else's.

"Then write me again. Write about all the moments we should've lived together. Write me into life."

What was he saying? Why did he want you to torture yourself by writing about him?

"But it hurts," you find yourself saying, tears welling up under your eyes.

"I know, princess, I know. But I need you to write me as if I was never gone."

You turned around then, half expecting to find him standing there, but you were met by a rush of wind that carried his last words as a whisper.

"Write me."

You woke up from the dream in a start, looking around your bathroom like he might appear there from thin air. But as reality set in, your heart sank. Of course he would never be there. Even in the dream you couldn't see him. You brushed away a stray tear from your cheek. He wanted you to write him. About him. You didn't know if it was really him or just your brain playing games with you again, but it was the only sign you'd received from him in months. You wanted to believe it was really him. Your broken heart needed to hope it was him.

So that night you wrote him. Every detail. Every habit. Every look. The way that his lips taste. The hint of gold in his eyes when sunlight washed over his face. The feel of his hand on your cheek. Anything that you could remember about him.

You also wrote about moments that never happened. You wrote him as someone who walked in the real world, facing your kind of problems. Working a 9 to 5 to pay the bills. Running to the corner store to get you that chocolate ice cream you'd been craving since the week started. Eating ramen several times a week when money was tight. Sitting on the couch, the T.V. on in the background as he watched your face  instead of the screen. You wrote about anything you could think of. Anything that you wished you could do with him. You painted his image with vivid and ordinary description, because you wished to live the simplest and most common every day moments with him.

You lost track of time again, as you often did when you were writing. Your hand ached by the time you stopped. You could feel the beginnings of a blister on your middle finger from where you'd been holding the pen with fierce purpose. The shot of adrenaline that hearing his voice gave you had fueled you for hours. But now exhaustion was pulling at your eyelids, making it hard to keep them open. With a sigh, you laid down in bed and hid your body under the covers. You fell asleep then, staring at the ceiling, hugging your journal close to your chest and with a wish in your mind to meet him in your dreams again.

But no such thing happen. You had a dreamless and uneventful night. When you woke up, it was from the sunlight hitting your face because in your tiredness you had forgotten to close the blinds to your windows.

"Stupid sun," you mumbled at your pillow. Covering you face with a blanket to give your eyes time to adjust to the brightness.

"What did the sun ever do to you, princess?"

You froze. Literally, stopped moving in your bed at the sound of his voice.

I've finally lost it, you thought, I've finally lost my mind.

That must be the only explanation. His voice, had been so clear it almost sounded like he was next to you. Writing about him last night must have driven you over the edge. You laughed at yourself and where your imagination had taken you. It wasn't funny, but still you laughed, because there was nothing left for you but to do so, or you'd end up in tears.

"I missed your laugh," you heard the voice again.

This time you didn't laugh. You couldn't. The voice was closer and with the tone you were able to visualize what his face would look like as he spoke. He'd be cupping your face in his hands, his eyes holding yours as if to project his honesty through that one look. It was such a beautiful image the one in your brain, that you could couldn't move to confront it. If you indeed had lost your mind, at least you'd have his words to keep you company.

"Y/N." This was the second time you had ever hear him call you by your name and upon hearing it, your heart did somersaults. You pulled the blanket down, ever so slowly, afraid of meeting an empty space besides you.

But it wasn't empty. Baekhyun laid there, on the side of the bed that was always unoccupied. Until now.

You felt your eyes widening, but you couldn't open your mouth to speak. You didn't know what to say. You were speechless.

Baekhyun smiled as you stared at him. Reaching a hand to touch your face. His touch was warm against your skin. You almost closed your eyes to enjoy the sensation, but you were afraid that he'd be gone when you opened your eyes again. So you kept staring at him, but finally found the will to speak.

"Is this a dream?"

He smiled wider, his eyes twinkling with mischief as he moved closer to you. He only stopped when his face was an inch away from yours. Your breath caught in your throat with the proximity. He was so close you caught a whiff of a woodsy scent that you remembered as exclusively his from your time in Akron.

"Baek-"

Before you could finish saying his name, he trapped your lips with his in a kiss. You didn't want to close your eyes. You didn't want to end the fantasy. But he kissed you fervently and you found yourself losing the will quickly as you kissed him back as desperately. His hand moved under the blanket that covered you and found your waist, pulling your body closer from there until it was completely against his.

As quickly as he started the fire, as swift he was about putting it out when he stopped kissing you. You almost whined in protest and he chuckled in response.

"Does that feel real enough to you?" he asked.

You opened your eyes to meet his beautiful brown ones. The sun was hitting them just the right amount and you could see your reflection in them. You pressed a hand to his face, touching him for the first time.

"How is this possible?" You wanted to ask other questions too, but this was the most important one. "You told me... you told me you used all the magic in Akron. That I would never return once I left."

He smiled, that smile of his that you loved. The one that made him look years younger than he is. His playful smile. "There is always more magic to be found and to be created. A friend reminded me of that. You couldn't come back to me, so I came to you instead."

Your heart was beating so fast that you wondered how it didn't just stop working. There was no way it was healthy for it do that every time you were with Baekhyun. You were still confused and he was being very vague.

"But how did you do it?" you pressed.

He reached for your hand, the one still touching his face and intertwined your fingers with a look of awe in his eyes.

"I didn't. You did," he paused, his gaze meeting yours, "you actually wrote me to life".

You thought he must be kidding, so you waited for the punchline. But his one never came. He was serious.

"I did what?!"

He smiled at you with so much fondness, seeing you as confused as you were.

"You wrote me to life, Y/N. First in your dreams and now here."

"You're real? Like real real?" you knew you sounded idiotic, but it was something hard to wrap your head around.

Baekhyun was a character to a story that you poured a lot of love and time into. Some writers like to say that their characters have a life of their own. But it's just an expression, it's supposed to mean they basically write themselves. They come without effort. But what he is saying is very different. What he is saying sounds so incredibly crazy yet wonderful and though you don't want to let yourself feel hopeful, a seed had taken root in your heart. A seed that you hoped would bloom into reality, a reality where you could live a life of happiness with the one you love.

You knew he could see it on your face, what you were thinking and what you were feeling. So he finally stopped being cryptic.

"I am real. While you wrote me and created a connection between me and the real world, I had one created from Akron to here. The field with the lake where I spoke to you last night, well, the water pixies conjured a portal from our side and you fabricated one from this side, through your journal. Now I can come and go as long as you don't destroy the journal."

He was being truthful, not a note of humor in his expression. You couldn't believe it. It was something out of a fantasy novel. Before you knew it, tears were clouding your vision. Baekhyun reacted as quickly as usual, out of pure instinct, arm draped protectively around your body. You hid your face in the crook of his neck to hide your crying face from him.

"I can't believe I get to live with you." You words are strained with emotion, but you say them anyways.

"I can't believe I get to love you," he says in return. "I thought... I thought I'd lost you forever." His voice cracked at the end. This made you pull back to look at his face. You were surprised to see him crying as well. You knew his pain and that sense of loss because you had felt it yourself.

"Baekhyun." You didn't know what else to say.

"I love you, princess. In Akron and here, in a world I know nothing about."

You smiled at this. The most genuine smile you had ever smiled before. You finally let yourself think about a future with him, because for the first time, it was possible.

"I love you too. I can't wait to teach you all about it. There's a lot you'll love and... well, like you told me once, it's not all rainbows and butterflies."

He smiled at that and you did as well.

Overcome with emotion you kiss him again. Because you can. Because you thought you would never get to do it again. You kiss him and he kisses you back. You both try to project how much love and devotion you have for each other. Your love is literally one from stories. Made up. But more real than anything you had ever experienced in your life. And now you will get to live it and test it and maybe even get that happy ending people like to dream about.

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* Masterlist *

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A/N: So that came out very meh. But also I always think that about the stuff I write so it’s probably me being a perfectionist. Anyways, hope you still enjoyed it! Thank you so much for the support and love you showed for this random idea I had that turned into this story. Love you guys!