#his characterization suffers the most in fanfics

[feralforbeanix]

Wrightworth is not "Sunshine x Grumpy"

They are "Visibly Traumatized x Repressed Trauma", they are bitch for bitch, they are so many more interesting things than that overused dynamic.

Miles is not some sad boy who needs to be coddled, he is a grown ass adult who sent many people to jail. Some of which could have possibly been innocent. He's done some shitty things that are influenced yes--but not excused by his trauma. He can and SHOULD be called out on things he did, stop blaming all his bad actions on Manfred or Gant.

Phoenix is not a golden retriever boyfriend. Maybe he was in college when he was "Feenie" but that shit ended the day Dahlia was arrested (Hot take Feenie feels more ooc to the Phoenix we knew in the trilogy than Beanix ever did to me). Phoenix is a snarky bitch almost all the time, even thinking/saying downright mean things to/about people he cares about like Maya. He has massive big brother energy but not always in the "I'll take care of you" way but often in the "I'm gonna disgust/upset/annoy you on purpose because I think it's funny" way. (Like if you choose the fishing pole in Turnabout Goodbyes, he teases Maya by suggesting they use Missile as bait, which Maya takes as well as you'd expect).

Miles is not a princess who waited every day for Phoenix to save him. Miles was perfectly content to forget his past entirely as is his coping mechanism, and Phoenix has a savior complex that no one asked him to have. Miles never asked for Phoenix to reappear in his life, Phoenix just realized Miles was gonna ignore him, so he became a lawyer himself so that would no longer be an option for Miles.

This isn't to say Wrightworth is a bad ship by any means. This is to say that their characterization and relationship are so often blatantly misunderstood by the fandom. So often watered down to fit a basic mold. Which is a shame because their actual relationship is so much more interesting to me.

Sooo many fanfics get both of their characters wrong to either fit a dynamic they never were or because they want to give them less accountability than they deserve.

[obihoebikenobi-ficrecs]

Twenty Poolverine Fic Recs - #1

November 3rd, 2024

In not particular order, I'll be making a fic rec of 20 poolverine fics per week from now through the end of December to highlight some of my favorites. Please make sure you note the tags on ao3 before reading!

Completed Fics

Promise Me We’ll Be Back In Time - fanficbug, E, 108K

time loop, angst, getting together

I think the author says it best in their summary: "The one where Wade gets stuck in a time loop and decides to play 50 First Dates." This fic is a well-rounded masterpiece, and absolutely beautifully fleshes out this concept. This is easily one of the best fanfics I've read in years. Millions of kudos.

where soul meets body - Edgebug - E, 33.8K words

mind-sharing, hurt/comfort, getting together, mind sex

This is my absolute favorite finished poolverine longfic. It's set after the events of DPW and expands into the wildest, most perfectly deadpool-esque chain of events. This is a perfect fic, I beg of you to read it.

second nature to me now - Edgebug - E, 36.8K words

casefic, fake/pretend relationship, angst with a happy ending

As with all of edgbug's fics, this was absolutely phenomenal. I love the fake relationship trope, and this almost feels like an episode of psych with the humorous crime solving premise. Read it in one sitting and have read it twice since. Don't pass up on this one!

Dangling Like a Thread - CenturyUnited - T, 6.5K words

self-harm, mute Wade, non-graphic sex, emotion hurt/comfort

In this one, Wade loses his voice and learns how to communicate with Logan. Very sweet fic, love the characterizations of both Wade and Logan in this one.

It’s not me, it’s you. It’s more than I can chew. - sandiazucar - T, 6.1K words

hurt/comfort, emotional hurt/comfort, nightmares, Wade whump

Logan hurts Wade while having a nightmare and Wade has to take a break. Emotionally devastating in the best way possible.

like a dog with a bird at your door - midnightdragons - T, 2K words

domestic fluff, cuddling, chronic pain, hurt Logan

His adamantium bones make Logan cold in the winter and Wade helps him out. So perfectly sweet, I love this short little fic.

Not this time, peanut - peach_flavour - E, 6.3K words

insecure Logan, angst, alcohol abuse, emotionally repressed men

More angst guys, I can't help myself. This author characterizes them so well, I've read this several times.

happiness (like a bullet in the back) - handfulofteeth (s0norus) - E, 15.5K words

domestic fluff, chronic pain, bathing/washing, bottom Wade, top Logan, praise kink, dacryphilia

This 5+1 fic is soft and hot and good as fuck. Amazing writing and characterizations.

WIPS

Mr. Forgettable - Arwriter - M, 21.1K words, 4/? chapters

hurt/comfort, temporary amnesia, getting together

This fic is my absolute favorite WIP right now. Logan suffers a head injury and starts experiencing gaps in his memory and active memory loss. Absolutely delicious whump and great writing!

Don't Want To Be A Fool For You - HeavensAche - E, 45.5K words, 2/3 chapters

getting together, bartender Logan, panic attacks, PTSD

Logan works through living in a new timeline and his anger issues. Super well-written and a captivating read!

unhappy man syndrome - gossippool (fearandhatred) - no rating, 15.5K words, 4/8 chapters

Wade has chronic pain, hurt/comfort, nightmares, angst

This one is so angsty (for both Logan and Wade) and perfect. Please, please give it a read.

It's Just Chemistry - farmhandler - E, 23.8K words, 4/5 chapters

Logan and Wade whump, hurt/comfort, feral Logan, established relationship

Logan rejoins the X-men and their first mission goes wrong when Logan gets accidentally dosed with a toxin. Very whumpy and emotionally painful which is my absolute favorite. The author writes beautifully, and I adore the premise.

Hellraiser, Heartbreaker - prettyponyridetohell - E, 6.6K words, 2/6 chapters

jealous Logan (worst wolverine), references to X-men movies

Logan and Wade annnnd young cagefighter Logan appear in this fic. I suggest you just go and read it immediately, it's that fucking good.

SMUT/PWP

like the summer into rough hands - Edgebug - E, 3.1K words

claw/hand kink, coming untouched

Missionary’s Downfall - thewinkitty - E, 14.4K

sex pollen, trans Logan, breeding kink Hither, Hither, Love - phantasmagorical_rilianne - E, 4.5K words

light dom/sub, bottom Logan, angst, fluff and smut

The Urge (Is So Demanding) - sterlingstars - E, 4.2K

piss kink, established relationship, bottom Logan

Can't Sweat It Out - RatFlavored - E, 8.3K words

bottom Logan, service top Wade, rimming, overstimulation, multiple orgasms

black irises in the sunshine - handfulofteeth (s0norus) - E, 16.6K

bottom Logan, insecure Logan, panty sniffing, subspace, praise kink

guess - handfulofteeth (s0norus) - E, 16.2K words

Wade in panties, Logan has a praise kink, power bottom Wade, puppy play, blood kink

[battlekidx2]

I'm making this post purely to shout out some incredibly talented fanfic writers from the Hazbin Hotel fandom and my favorite works of theirs.

Did anyone ask me for this? No. Will I post it anyway? Absolutely. The writers in this fandom are too good.

The first fanfic writer I want to shout out is @prince-liest (ao3 link)

I absolutely love their get cared for idiot (Alastor) series (not the official name but they called it that in one of their asks jokingly so it's now the default in my head).

Knock, Knock! It's Your Worst Fucking Nightmare! (this fic gets it!!!! This is what I meant when I said Alastor is growing a heart and part of him is raging against it. He still has ulterior motives and a massive amount of pride and part of him feels like that growing fondness is getting in the way, but he can't stop it. I need to stop before this becomes a long ramble. I've written a couple thousand words on this idea, but this fic is just a better use of your time than any meta I could ever write and way more entertaining :D )

Happily Ever After, and Other Shit Nepotism Can't Buy

The Last Bus Stop in Hell, Now Boarding (Please look at the tags for content warning. Angel and Alastor body swap story.)

They're amazing at balancing on that razor's edge with Alastor where there's a heart in there (really deep) and he's unintentionally growing attached to the hazbin crew, but he doesn't lose his edge. He's still manipulative and an asshole and can easily be the scariest guy in any room. He's in hell for a reason. A+ characterization at all times.

They're so good at writing the complicated dynamics he has with the residents, especially Charlie, and I enjoy how they expand on Alastor's potential dynamic with Angel Dust.

Anything they write from Lucifer's POV is gold too! My favorites are:

Take Two and Leave a Voicemail!

The Care and Keeping of Homo Angelus

I am also 100% here for their Aro!Alastor agenda and I'm enjoying their fic I Love Her, I Love Her Not so far!

The second person I want to shout out is @grayintogreen (ao3 link)

Their series Red Roses and Dead Things consistently gut punches me.

Just like Princeliest, they are also fantastic at balancing on that razor's edge with Alastor. A+ characterization for everyone and I love how they write HuskerDust. It's so soft, especially in the aftermath fic for Learn that Even Death May Die called If My Love Is Tomorrow, I've Forgotten Yesterday (that fic hurt in the best way).

The way they explore the aftermath of Learn that Even Death May Die is incredibly impactful. They capture the unique grief that comes from the reality that there are some things you won't get closure for so well that it's painful.

I can't say enough good things about their series. Genuinely go read it.

I found @lediz-watches (ao3 link) before the first season of Hazbin Hotel dropped (I've been a fan of the hellaverse for a few years now and have been enthralled with the Hazbin Hotel pilot since I first watched it in 2020) and I really enjoy their fics.

My favorite is Suffering Kindness. I love the Charlie and Alastor dynamic they explore in this story. I think I'm just a sucker for the Charlie and Alastor dynamic in general, but this fic hits all the right notes for me. (written pre-season 1 but man is it good. 100% recommend)

LeDiz also has a lot of one-shots/collections of one-shots that are very fun.

The Cure for Inexorable Boredom

Dollface (one-shots about Alastor theories. My favorite is the 3rd one. So fascinating!)

Choice Words (one of the few explorations of Alastor and Vaggie's dynamic that I've found in the fandom)

Don't Say It

I have to shout out @ckret2 (ao3 link) and their phenomenal fic You’ve Got a Face for Radio. This is such an amazing aroace!Alastor fic. (Embarrassingly it was this fic that made me realize I was most likely aroace myself. I’d had fleeting moments of suspecting it but it wasn’t until I saw my experiences laid out in a character explicitly written to be aroace that I put the puzzle pieces together. -_- some of these passages were too relatable.) I cannot express how much I love this fic.

I also like their fics Dumpster Baby and Bitter Grapes.

I have one last writer I want to mention because this is getting really long (whoops). The last one is tiredoflofteranditsshit and their Assume He Has a Heart series (because my favorite character and how I interpret them was not obvious enough already with the fics/authors I've recommended. I had to make it more obvious).

These fics are massive (17k and 26k words) and so much fun. Definitely worth the read. Yet another series that follows up season 1 and explores Alastor’s growing connections and how he lies to himself and pushes against it. Love this series and there’s a lot to sink your teeth into :D

[brofightiscancelled]

list of fanfics i like

ichimatsu and todomatsu get white girl wasted. it's funny

totty climbs mt fuji by himself. really really nice character study fic

totty climbs other mountains with his brothers, followup to the last fic. the brother interactions are very funny and on point

denki mystery AU fic. the only one that exists, as far as i'm concerned. captures the stilted haunted vibe wonderfully. surprise cameo in the second chapter

suuji abt the spaces left between family gaps. i really like how jyushi's POV is written in this, it's a good balance of his silly goofiness and emotional intelligence. probably the only "jyushi deals w ichi attempting" fic ive liked

karamatsu's endurance test. excellently characterized. i like how it examines kara's Suffering without it feeling over the top or dramatic, the mundaneity of makes it sadder imo

osomatsu (high school) has a heart to heart with his dad while high on pain killers. i love how matsuzou is written in this one. i love family bonding

matsuyo watches her one-in-a-billion babies fight into the world. ohhhhh i love you matsuyoooo

97k word 46 chapter fanfic about karamatsu getting a gf and nothing bad happens to him. in breaking news, the super angsty and dramatic high stakes fan-favorite does in fact have the most ic, charming and hilarious narrative voice of all time

193k(??!!?) word fanfic abt karamatsu getting stuck in a time loop. again, the super angsty dramatic fan favorite does in fact have the most ic/charming/funny narrative voice. this one leans a Bit far into the drama for my personal tastes but is still excellent

high school matsus. ichi breaks his leg and jyushi pushes his wheelchair. most of the fic writers seem to have fallen off by the time the movie canonicized their HS personalities so i like every opportunity to see them interact

jyushimatsu's girlfriend meets all of his brothers. this one is just sweet and cute. i love you jyushimatsu's sad girlfriend

jyushi and ichi find a lost dog. this whole 2 by 2 series is quite good this one is just my fave

osomatsu and chibita pull back the curtain. now This is quality childhood friends content. character writing is great

jyushi post-letter fic. devastating. deserves special mention for the most fun jyushi character voice

^ this whole series is excellent. love reflecting on childhood moments. karamatsu having the best night of his life while his brothers are all having a fucked up and miserable one is so funny to me. i NEED to know how totty's interview went

[y0ur-fr1endly-queer]

Bill Williamson.

There’s a lot of mischaracterization about Bill.

From what I’ve seen, it's like they’ve made him another Micah. They characterize him as an extra antagonist, and it upsets me. Did you guys even play the game? And if you did, you clearly didn’t look at camp interactions.

Bill ain’t just some angry fool, he’s a character with a very deep story that's looked past.

And when I say these things I want ya’ll to know I support nothing of what he did in rd1. I don't know what that thing was. I don't support specific interactions that he's had in camp, either.

Bill has done bad things, and there are things I won't forgive him for, but that's just like the other characters. These guys are a gang of outlaws, they are not perfect, and some people try and make it seem that way.

As clearly stated in the game, Bill struggles a lot with alcoholism, he practically drinks himself to death and takes it out on other people. I believe that he never wanted to be this way, but I also believe it numbed him and he put a coating of, "I deserve it." On top of it.

Bill has clearly been through a lot, I’m sure hes suffered from his time in the army and possibly childhood experiences and just life in general. He has feelings, and sometimes he cant control those feelings. That doesn’t make him just angry, or just an asshole. He’s still a person, not some antagonist placeholder in peoples fanfics or role plays.

When Sean died, he was blamed, and if you look at a specific interaction in camp you can see how much that hurt him, I don't remember the lines exactly, but it's actually the most guilty I've ever seen him (Sean’s death crushed me and that interaction made it so much sadder). What I remember is that he explained to Arthur how he didn’t know and didn’t mean it, almost as if he was trying to explain it to himself as well as convince himself. He was crying, I'm pretty sure.

He clearly struggles with his emotions and doesn't like to talk to people about it, about anything. I think when he opened up to Arthur about Sean was the first time in the entire game.

He's so well-written and has so much story underneath what's obvious.

@cupidsbeartrap and I rant about this guy so much.

[drowninginblox]

Never read Fanfiction in the Kitchen at 3am. Or do.

Kurt Wagner (nightcrawler) x reader fanfic Reader and Kurt or similar ages, GN reader (don't mind how gendered the German language can be!), Mutant reader, very self-indulgent, and fic awareness BTW You can put in any iteration of Kurt you want. I just have a '97 and Fox bias (Yes my taste is shit, why are you surprised??) Btw this is written in the second person POV. I am not sorry.

It was late. You should have gone to bed.. what? Three hours ago? But you were being f e d. Your fave just uploaded after a year-long hiatus for a ship that you knew would never happen- Nightcrawler X Reader.

You were sitting in the kitchen, kicking your feeding and giggling into the hoodie you were using as pajamas. Oh, the professor must be so disappointed in you. But who cares! If he wants to know that you think his lingering gase whenever he talked about Magneto was grounds for a classic case of internalized homophobia then that's on him. He wouldn't be looking into the hellscape known as your mind if he didn't want to know the absurdity of the X-Men fandom.

You only lurked from the sidelines, giggling at the headcanons and imagine scenarios that people made up for the majority of the X-men. The funniest were always Logans even though most of them are so well written. But now was not the time for that- you were indulging in your crush on Kurt. This author is characterizing him pretty well all things considered. I mean yeah, they emphasize the tail a bit, and don't really lean into his German but- you'll take what you can get. Most of these people are humans that don't really divulge into mutant territory. But you think this writer is one. It's either that or they've done their research. They really understand the struggle and don't shy away from the animosity that comes with living with physical mutations.

You take another sip of tea as you read, savoring the dialogue of the reader insert. This Y/n is hilarious but sensitive. "Whatcha reading?" You immediately close the laptop as you jump- almost spilling your tea as you see Kurt, eating a banana. You shakily put down your mug "Holy fuck Kurt-" You mumble, taking a breath. "You scared me! What the hell?!" He only laughs at your suffering, making you huff. "What are you doing up?" she asks lowly. Kurt's laughter dies down after a minute or so. "Oh, I was just hungry. And then I saw you! You seemed very invested in whatever you were reading. Was it saucy?" He mused, taking another bite of the banana. You sigh. "I don't need to tell you what I was reading, I just was." You defend as your mutation activates on its own. You, dear reader, can change color! Any color! But you don't control it all the time. Sometimes it reflects your emotions- like right now.

"That's a wonderful shade of pink you have mein bunter freund. Jetzt bin ich wirklich interessiert... What had you so invested?" Next thing you know, he's gone in a dark cloud. Then he's holding your laptop. Now he's sitting on top of the fridge. "Kurtis!" You nearly yell. "Give that back!" Your skin only grows into a hot pink. He only laughs from his position, opening up your laptop. "Come now it can't be that bad!" He looks down at your computer, reading the fanfic. All you can do is watch as his face gets closer to the screen. Your skin erupts in various shades of dark blues, purples, and greys while tears build in your eyes. Embarrassment and shame make lumps form in your throat. "I-I hope you're happy Kurt." You mumble as you walk away, not caring anymore about what he may or may not think of you because now he knows two of your biggest secrets. The first being you read fanfiction, and the second that you have a crush on him. Just great.

"H-Hey! Wait! Mein regenbogen!" You hear him call but you keep walking back to your room. This night can't get any worse if you just hide from it. Maybe tomorrow you can convince him to forget that this ever happened. Or maybe convince yourself that this is all a bad dream. He keeps calling your name until eventually he appears a yard away from your door, laptop in hand. "Listen I-" You take your laptop out of his hands. "First of all, I don't care that I like you-grabbing someone else's shit regardless of who they are is not cool Kurt. Second- I was not reading what you may or may not have seen and any mention of it that reaches me is going to equal to one hour of ass-kicking. Do you understand?" Kurt looks on at you, startled by the sudden hostility. "Kurt." Kurt blinks a few times before nodding. "Good. Nothing happened, I'm going to bed, goodnight." You manage to say before tears start to run as you rush to your room.

Before you can get inside, he grabs your wrist "Before you go- please- hear me out" You look at him. "Nothing happened Kurt-" "I like you too!" Your eyes immediately widen. Any words you had in store for him vanished, only replaced by awestruck stuttering. "Wh-what-" "I have loved you for years! I never knew you were interested let alone pining-! If I had known I'd have confessed to you earlier and I know that I shouldn't have taken your stuff, that was awful on my part. Es tut mir so leid, meine Liebe, bitte verzeih mir. Ich werde es auf jede Weise wieder gutmachen.-" You blink a few times before taking a hand, making him stop immediately. "Meine liebe... my love? You- actually?" Kurt nods. "Almost as soon as I saw you." He squeezes your hand. "I- I didn't think you'd be attracted to-" Your eyes widen even more. "Kurt! Don't you dare finish that sentence! You are so handsome! You're the most handsome man I've ever seen!" You confessed. His face becomes a darker shade of blue as you realized what you just said.

"I-I am the most handsome man... you have ever seen?" he mumbles. He takes a few moments to process that. "So... you.." You nod. "For little over a year." He smiles. You can't help but smile back.

Who knew life imitates fiction? Let alone fanfiction?

[sunflowerdigs]

The thing that irritates me most about this whole ship war is the way it's such a reminder of the enduring strength of white male privilege. Lou isn't even a very talented actor, but all he had to do was show up for 2 minutes and half the fandom decided to forget 6 years of Eddie Diaz's characterization and dedication to Buck. Eddie literally gave Buck his child, but people are saying Tommy is the first person to really care about Buck. Like, I can't imagine a man of color or a woman having a similar effect (I don't even have to imagine the latter, as I've seen how all of Buck's female love interests have been treated, especially those with problematic pasts - seriously, if you couldn't forgive Taylor for what she did to Bobby despite Bobby giving the relationship his blessing, why are you calling on the fandom to get over what Tommy did to Chim and Hen? It's the same thing, but, wait, no it's not, because Tommy is white and a dude and, lbr, the suffering of minorities at the hands of racists and their subsequent inevitable forgiveness of those racists despite the lack of any clear apology has been normalized in media to a pretty distressing extent).

And then in order to try and justify their behavior, I see a lot of people trying to claim Ryan and Lou are the same racially (even as their behavior and preferential treatment of Tommy demonstrates that they clearly aren't). As though Ryan, as a white Latino man, has access to the same privileges that Lou does as a white man, which is bonkers. You notice how no one even thought to question whether Lou was ok with playing gay as Tommy, despite his father's friendship with Trump; meanwhile, I can't go a single day without seeing people assume that Ryan is the reason Buddie hasn't happened without knowing jack shit about him. And don't even get me started on how people often prioritize Buck's happiness over Eddie's even while claiming to care about them both, or how often Eddie is written as insanely jealous in fanfic even though, canonically, that's a Buck trait. Ryan isn't white in the minds of fans, even if on a very technical racial level he is, and that's an important wrinkle in the discourse that I see a lot of people trying to flatten.

[pareidolla]

hello.

can you tell me what your biggest gripes normally are when people write broken?

like, I get the feeling that there's a fine line between "adorable pathetic sopping wet cat" and "annoying pathetic sopping wet cat" and I personally find Broken in the former. but I cannot really tell what the line is.

I have written Broken before and not to self promo but here is the link in case anyone is curious; like it got positive reviews for the most part. Still, would be nice to know.

hello dearie!! i'm so flattered you asked ♡

i did write this little post about broken a few months ago, and i'd like to first reiterate that i don't want to be labeled an arbiter of broken characterization or anything similar. one thing i admire about the stp fandom is how we all contribute our own distinct flavor to the characters, and i don't want anyone to feel like they're writing broken incorrectly simply because it differs from my interpretation. if i ever were to write a broken fanfic then his voice would be completely off (i just can't help but make him act cute!! he's just an anime girl to me!!!!) so honestly don't place too much stock in my opinions.

with that being said — i'd say my biggest gripe when it comes to depicting broken is when he's pathetic, flat-out, without any rhyme or reason to his actions. he can't perform basic actions, he cowers away regardless of who he's interacting with, and yammers away about giving up just because.

for anyone struggling with writing broken, i think you should first and foremost understand his motivations. ironically, tower is a great place to start here!

one could argue smitten and broken could have switched princesses, with smitten accepting the princess's nature as a world-ending divinity and broken's mirror image being someone equally hollow. except, that's not what either of them desires. smitten wants be the perfect knight in shining armor who whisks away the princess on horseback, and broken?

its easy: once you let her in, you'll be safe forever.

she doesn't want to hurt us. she's just doing what she has to.

what's the point of fighting if she's just going to win everytime? it hurts being sliced to pieces.

broken's main desire is to be safe. you ultimately gain him by failing to be a hero: giving up, expressing hesitance in a key moment, or fruitlessly struggling against a power so much greater than you. as a result, his princess, his love, appears not as a horrific creature, feral beast, or vicious demon, but as a a goddess, someone capable of protecting him.

think of tower less as the dommy-mommy broken was so incredibly horny for he cut his own throat just to kiss her feet, and more as a hurricane. a force of nature which tore apart his home, showed him the frailty and meaninglessness of his life, then offered him both meaning and shelter within her eye of storm—as long as he gives his body to her. which is ideal for broken because it restores the control he's lost by, ironically, offering it to someone else. if he is obedient and lovely and grovel then his savior will take pity on him and he will never suffer again.

to return to my main gripe, if we understand broken desires safety and fawning is his trauma response, then we should know it obviously wouldn't be triggered by every little thing, especially in a controlled environment.

for instance, if broken was invited to a game night with the boys then he's not going to be sobbing pathetically in the corner like a child. he is, and i cannot express this enough, a grown adult man. there are several approaches to writing this—personally, i'd have him decline the invitation outright, muttering excuses about being too busy and he'd sour the mood anyway. if wrestled into it then he'd sit quietly, trying not to take up too much space or attract attention, and then fudge a game once or twice to keep the others happy. ultimately, he doesn't care about winning, and just wants to avoid any fights.

having said that, being conflict-averse does not imply cowardice. broken is a hater, and i love that about him. he's very empathetic and gentle and sweet and the perfect boyfriend, yes, but he's so fucking sassy it's amazing. broken may shy away from conflict but there are several scenes where he expresses his disbelief over how unusual the other voices all are, bickers with them, or straight-up insults them in their face.

like, i'm chill with interpretations where broken secretly admires the voices and aspires to do better, especially post-para apotheosis, but most of the time he hates their fucking asses. he wholeheartedly believes he is the only normal person in a sea of freaks. a caged bird watching as the other birds fling themselves against a glass window. yes, he is a pitiful little sheltered pet who let's out a sad whine every few minutes but please he still has his teeth!!

phew. okay this got too long. uhm! i don't really know how to end this ♡♡♡ i will say i did like your fic! i've been starved for non-wholesome smitbroken look at those boys enabling eachother. if anyone else is reading this, please go forth and create your own broken fic; i will read and i will enjoy it. this is a threat.

[iwriteasfotini]

This is probably a VERY unpopular opinion, but I just saw a post about Jily becoming a secondary ship, I'm assuming to Jegulus? Ok, I'm not a ship purist, but I ship Jegulus over Jily (I can enjoy Jily fics though). My problem with Jily stems from canon Severus. I'm sorry, but you don't obsess about someone for like +20 years who doesn't love you back (and you don't get to be one of the most memorable characters of a seven book series if that is all you have going for you). I think there is bit more going on with Sev and Lily than we see in canon, namely because Harry is a horribly biased narrator where Slytherins are concerned, and Lily is long dead. And Sev doesn't want Harry to know anything about his past. We can be dogmatic and say it's because he regrets passing along the prophecy information which ended up getting Lily killed. Or we can be creative and think about other reasons why Severus wouldn't want Harry to know about his past. Maybe because it would be weird to tell your student (who looks EXACTLY like your arch nemesis from your school years, whose mother is your soul mate, and whose godfather is another one of your arch nemesis) "yeah, so your mom and I were destined for each other but couldn't be together because we ran in conflicting social circles in dangerous times, and your dad was in love with my other best friend (sorta stole him right out from under me to be honest), who was a dude by the way, and yet somehow you were conceived. But I promise they all loved you Harry."

Also, I've decided Lily was a badass (this is definitely hinted at in canon but not capitalized on at all). Badass Lily Evans and loving, doting, supportive James Potter doesn't work for me. I also think Regulus was a badass (also could be seen as hinted at in canon baring Sirius' annoying comments to Harry about Regulus which I may just end up pretending didn't happen; sometimes adult Sirius is more of a teenager than actual teenage Harry) and for some reason badass Regulus with loving, doting, supportive James Potter works much better. Sorry James, your badassery is limited to the Quidditch Pitch, your Transfiguration spell work, and how much you adore/support your badass boyfriend. But you're still an awesome guy.

Now I just have to figure out exactly what went down when Harry was conceived... and my head canon will be complete.

BTW my HC Lily is bi. And does NOT let Sev and all his annoying character complications hold her back. But yeah, Lily and Sev are "Always."

And I realize I actually aired two unpopular opinions Snily and Sev and Regulus being friends. I guess it depends on what other fanfics you have read which have stuck with you, because I haven't read any which have Sev and Reg as friends (although I can't remember what their dynamic was in Choices), but for some reason I've always assumed they would have been (they are only a year apart in age, both Slytherins, and both a bit moody, IDK?). Characterization of Sev is important here though, because I don't portray him as a dick. And the adult he turns into (bit more of a dick than he is as a teen, which I have some straight up issues with in canon) is born from immense suffering and trauma. Story of the Marauders if we are being honest.

[monocle-teacup]

On Writing Mandroid

So an actual in depth explanation about this meme I made summing up my feelings when looking at most fanfics Mandroid is in. When I read fanfics for any piece of media, I want the characters to be IN CHARACTER. Yes, I understand the concept of headcanons, but it's another thing to blatantly ignore the character's actual behavior/mindset unless there's an AU involved where you specifically want it to be a different take. "Just don't read it then!" some of you may say. Trust me, as soon as Mandroid starts acting OOC, I immediately abandon the fic. I just want to address common misconceptions about his character.

The main things I see pop up in fics that make no damn sense for Mandroid are:

-Him acting like a pervert just because he uses mind control and the tentacle draining device

-Him attacking/targeting random humans

-His speech patterns

There's NOTHING in the show that indicates he'd act like #1. He's a scientist specializing in robotics that wants to rid the world of Transformers aka machines that run on fuel. If anything, he'd find the idea that TFs are capable of sex interesting in a "I just discovered the beings I'm studying have this attribute" kind of way. He views them as monsters and machine parts so the idea of him having his way with one makes no damn sense not even with the intent of torturing/dominating. He prefers making them suffer in other ways like taking them apart while they're still functioning.

As for #2: Mandroid only targets humans that interfere with his plans or treat him like shit (which Croft found out the hard way). He didn't have a problem with Dot until she fucked with the laser while he was removing Megatron's arm. He also ignored the Maltos in Prime Time until Mo got up in his face. Yet, I see the same thing multiple times where a fanfic author has him kidnap/target a random person that didn't do anything. His mindset/viewpoint on how he interacts with other humans is summed up in this line in Age of Evolution:

"If you Maltos side with my Cybertronian enemies, then I'll destroy you like my enemies."

So he's not an asshole 24/7.

As for #3, this is a huge one. Mandroid has a sophisticated way of speaking with the occasional pun thrown in when he's doing something villainous. I could post multiple examples from fics I've read where if I didn't know it was Mandroid speaking I'd have no idea it was him. This man isn't going to talk like a thug or casually swear. The most I can see him swearing is using 'hell' or 'damn'. That obviously falls into headcanon territory, but it's in line with what the show has given us.

Just listen to the way Mandroid speaks in this scene from the very 1st episode of the series:

Look at his mannerisms as well. For the most part, he's calm and reserved until the Mandroid bit. It wouldn't be a stretch to say that he's the kuudere personality type.

Thankfully, I've also read fics where the author nails his characterization but those seem to be few and far in between.

[allastoredeer]

I read the new chapter of Holy Suffering as soon as it came out and I love the way u write Lucifer. For the past few days I have been reading Radio apple fanfic and I hate how lucifer is portrayed in most of them, shy , innocent with Alastor after the fight, and kinda out of character for the both of them, cause they suddenly like each other, and I don’t see it in them. They like to piss each other off, that’s the whole ship point.

Ur Lucifer is so sassy, Hits all the Good Characterization checks in my brain, he’s such a delight to read, same for Alastor. U had me going speechless most of the time Alastor spoke, cause I honestly didn’t know what he was gonna say next. Writing Alastor it’s probably hard, cause he is misterious and always hides his emotions but You totally nailed it. Right now he is probably angry at Lucifer cause he ratted him out lol

Al be like the audacity of this man after he forced him to do this.🙄

Anywhizzle I just wanted to ask, for the overload meeting, is Charlie gonna send Lucifer with Alastor? Maybe as a snake or something, to make sure is he okay. Cause she really sounded mortified that she didn’t notice that Alastor was suffering and man Al definitely didn’t like that, but it’s not like he can say no to Charlie so

A nd is there like a schedule for next updates? I am really invested in this story and I honestly can’t wait to read more of it.

Thank you ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ Hahah Lucifer's got bite to him, for sure. He doesn't come off as the shy type to me. Awkward as hell, certainly. In the throes of depression, absolutely. And he cares about Charlie's opinion of him to a fault. But when it comes to someone throwing their weight around--or, more accurately, getting involved with Charlie (cough Alastor helping Charlie with the hotel, couch Adam fighting/hurting Charlie cough) he isn't afraid of getting his hands dirty.

Alastor is hard to write ಥ_ಥ I love him so much, but sometimes, I want to cut open his head and properly study his brain because f;knslnjsbj out of all the characters, he's the hardest for me to pin down, in terms of both dialogue and actions. He has such a way of talking, and such a distinct voice (his radio filter) that it's simultaneously easy to imagine his voice, but hard to put it to dialogue. So, I really appreciate hearing that I nailed it (;´༎ຶД༎ຶ`) Seriously, it's so appreciated to hear.

Nah, Alastor is going to be going to that one alone :3 It's going to be set in his POV, so we'll get some insight in his thoughts on the whole thing, and how he's handling his current affliction. I'm both excited to and nervous to get into it, because writing him in someone else's POV is hard, so writing him in his OWN POV is a little intimidating, but I'm mostly excited. I have a lot of thoughts for this series, and it's gonna be fun to explore them.

As for a schedule, I used to try to keep myself to one, and I've found that I have both a love/hate relationship with it. One the one hand, keeping a writing schedule is nice because it gives me a clear view of what I want to work on and an goal date to get it done, which is very nice for my ADHD brain.

BUT, on the other hand, when I start putting that pressure on myself to get it down, and I fail to actually reach that goal, it hits me pretty hard and it can take away my motivation and joy in writing the fic. It starts to feel more like a chore than a fun hobby I can do in my downtime.

Thankfully, I am DEEP in Hazbin Hotel hyperfixation, and the amazing feedback I've gotten from my fic's is certainly fueling my motivation. So thanks to everyone leaving kudos and comments! It's seriously so helpful and I cherish ever single one of them.

If I had to give an estimate for when the next installment of the series will drop, I'd say either at the end of this week, or the beginning/middle of next week. I have an unrelated AppleRadio one-shot I want to bust out before I work on the next installment, and that one I'm going to try and post by Thursday or Friday.

To quote out favorite Radio Demon,

~Stay Tuned

[saikolikes]

Aki’s P5R  fanfic recs! (part 2)

Hi and welcome to another one of my recs posts! As you can see, this is part two: part one of this post can be found HERE and includes fics I bookmarked between April 2019 and December 2020. This second post will deal with everything I bookmarked during 2021 and 2022 (... so yes, part 3 is bound to happen some times in the future)

Here a brief disclaimer:

Everything in here is spoiler for either P5 vanilla, Royal, or Strikers;

I won’t report the tags, as it would take too long, so if you’re interested in a fic, please open the link;

Fic recs obviously reflect my tastes and preferences. For example, I love suffering and I don’t like fluff or domestic works, so browse this list knowing that;

The stark majority of the works here is shuakeshu

If you want more recs you can find them in my bookmarks, most of them are public!

MY ONGOING RECS Again, I don't read a lot of ongoing works (although, admittedly more than in the past) and these are the ones I'm subscribed to that I'm adoring!

The Lovers, Reversed by salexectria, Terra5 (E) | Royalty a/b/o AU | akeshu | series in three parts, ongoing "A Thief is caught stealing from the Northern King, and is sentenced to death for his crimes. The Alpha Prince intervenes, but at what cost to them both?" What I love about this AU is the amount of politics and worldbuilding put into it, as well as the uniqueness of double povs who constantly switch from Akira to Goro creating one back and forth that acts literally like poking into their minds. Plus the slow burn and the pining are just on point.

never die when I'm dead by threerings (E) | Royal & post-Royal | akeshu | series in 2 parts, ongoing Two one shots featuring one of my absolute flavors of this ship: sad, intense and unhinged

IDC FOR UPDATES I resolved to defeat my abandoned-wip trauma one excellent fic at a time so here's a list of works that haven't been updated in a while or the author straight up confirmed they won't keep writing them, but they are so good you just have to read them and let them remodel you. Do it. Do it now.

the year of the knife by theexistentiallyqueer (M) | No powers AU | shuakeshu | 2 chapters "The plan for Akira's junior year of high school was to keep his head down and his nose clean, but he hadn't counted on his new high school having more trouble than it was worth--and he specifically didn't plan on Akechi Goro, the haughty, machiavellian vice president of Shujin Academy's student council, dragging him face-first into political scandal and a series of encounters that would change his life." Please let teq bring you through a journey of spot-on characterization and stunning prose that will rewire your brain chemistry completely. Their take on machiavellian Akechi is really good, and the snark Akira spits in this fic is really something I cherish.

kiss & cry by MajorGodComplex (T) | Figure skating AU | shuakeshu | 2 chapters "Goro’s first thought when he hits the ground is some combination of the words ‘shit fuck hell fucking bullshit bitch fuck motherfucking hell.’ His next thought is wondering whether Akira Kurusu, senior debut, constant thorn in Goro’s side, and the only person anyone this season seems to talk about, is also trying to land a quad axel at the moment." I don't know what to tell you, the prose of this one is so witty and funny you just have to read what's published of it as of now!

honeybrains by succubused (T) | Time loop | shuakeshu | 4 chapters "a chronicle of the twenty-fourth time akira kurusu lived through the month of january 2017" What can I say, I am really a sucker for time loops and this fic took me by the heart. Tagged as character study and with rights because the characterization here is very interesting!

in the snow globe by aminami (E) | Time travel | shuake | 1 chapter "It’s your heart,” Joker says like it’s the most obvious thing. “Your desires, your hopes, your fears. I’ll carry them with me always. My little snow globe." This fic will hurt you so badly but it will be so worth it, I swear. It's just so melancholic and tender and angsty and it carved a place in my heart.

my love has never lived indoors by rhodophytae (E) | a/b/o | shuake | 1 chapter "Ren Amamiya knows he's an alpha, and he's comfortable with that, but he's pretty sure that being an alpha is, well...different for him than it is for other people. He resigned himself a long time ago to the fact that he'd probably go his whole life without finding anyone else like him. And then he meets Goro Akechi." This fic has such an interesting take on omegaverse! Paired with a stellar characterization and delicious pining, it's no surprise it's a fic I will never forget.

GENERAL RECS The fics I’ve enjoyed the most and that I go back to reading sometimes.

how joker and crow survived the coronavirus pandemic of 2020 by shntlvs (T) | Royal | shuakeshu | series of 2 works "Escaping from Maruki's false reality gets interrupted by the Coronavirus pandemic." Could you have ever imagined reading a fic centered around the pandemic? Me neither, but this one and its sequel work so well and have very compelling bits of characterization for the boys. Unexpected premise, but I utterly loved it.

straw house, straw dog by caelam (T) | 3rd sem | gen | one shot "In the saccharine utopia of Maruki’s reality, Goro Akechi’s mother is still alive." I admittedly don't read too many fics with mamakechi so I won't claim to be an expert, but this one really left me impressed with how clear and tangible the tangle of feelings is.

Knight of Pentacles, King of Spades by Naometry (M) | Medieval AU | shuakeshu | 11 chapters "“Hifumi passed on your greetings,” Akira Kurusu says, fury simmering beneath his conversational tone. “And I’m polite enough to give you my own in person. So greetings, General Goro Akechi. I am the man who will kill you.”" I started reading this fic for the war captive trope but this story has so much more to it than just that. Nao's superb skill with writing violence and viciousness will have you thrust into a cruel world where two boys seem to be bound to kill each other... unless?

Ripples by Riona (T) | gen | canon compliant | one shot "Ten people know exactly who the news is talking about, and now they’re going to have to deal with that." A peek into the heads of 10 of Joker's confidants upon learning about his death. The fic I would never imagined myself reading, but I did because it was recced to me, and now I'm recc'ing it to you, too.

When Your Eyes Meet Mine by seths_dream (E) | no powers AU | shuake | one shot "The way the bellboy lingered on him made his heart jolt, made him think that maybe, maybe the bellboy was looking at Goro the same way Goro was looking at him." I've lost count of how many times I read this fic because the horny is just so juicy, it's unironically one of the fics I come back to when I need to remind myself how to write horny stuff. (the same author also wrote this delicious pegoryu that you have to read)

a study in what not to say by succubused (T) | 3rd sem | shuake | one shot "Akira has finally had enough of Akechi's bullshit; they resolve it the only ways they know how." If you like the boys being really nasty to each other, this fic is a must. It has excellent dialogue, dynamics, and a tad of homoerotic wound tending which can't hurt no one!

MY ALL-TIME FAVOURITES The fics that rewired my brain chemistry, took my heart out, slapped it, put it back, and left me a whole new person.

27 steps to seduce a crow by relationshipcrimes (G) | Royal | shuakeshu | one shot "A handy bullet-pointed list on how to flirt with, seduce, and keep your local Akechi Goro." Still to this day, I think of this fic in terms of Goro's characterization. If I have a thing for post-canon shuake chasing each other, it's probably due to this one.

The Brigverse by TzviaAriella (E but most works are M) | Pirates AU | akeshuake | series, ongoing I admittedly don't care that much about pirates but the og fic from this series (A Brig Too Far) was being passed on so much that I gave it a try and. Oh boy. Not only is the characterization impeccable, the story compelling, and the action thrilling, but at least one scene and/or line from each work in this series has altered my brain permanently. I am a new person after reading Brigverse.

wild and free by bangandawhimper (E) | a/b/o | shuakeshu | one shot "Akira Kurusu hasn’t always been an omega. But now everyone he meets in this city assumes he’s an omega. He’s treated like an omega. He feels like an omega. He knows he feels like an omega because he remembers what it was to be an alpha." This work might have my favourite take ever on shuakeshu omegaverse, it's so fitting for them, so thought out, and the characterization is so on point... my god. Read this fic now.

The Diamond Chest by kinneas (E) | post-Royal | shuakeshu | 3 chapters, complete "Who says you have to see Morgana speak in the Metaverse before you can hear him in the real world? Not the few hundred officers who arrested Ren in Sae’s Palace two years ago, that’s for sure." Honestly everything kinnes writes is gold but I'm shouting this fic out because I reread more than a few scenes from this fic more than once, and it's a 100k-words baby. I am a sucker for heist stories, I am a sucker for dealing with trauma in very tangible ways, and I'm a sucker for kinneas' characterization of the boys.

before midnight by specterthief (Not rated) | 3rd sem, canon compliant | gen | one shot "“I—” Swallowing past the lump in her throat, Sumire sets down her chopsticks and rubs her face with both hands. “Um—who told you I was going to training camp?” (On January 9th, Sumire goes home.)" This is the stellar Sumire characterization fic you're looking for. Read this. Read this right now.

I HOPE THIS DOESN'T AWAKEN SOMETHING IN ME (DELUSIONAL) I clicked on these fics solely due to my trust in the authors/the summary/one rec and now I find myself with a new kink. Thanks.

Containment Breach by salexectria (E) | Space pirates AU | akeshu | one shot Akira gets stranded on an abandoned spaceship seemingly infested by a terrifying creature. He finds the lonely survivor of the crew and they begrudgingly start to work together to contact help and survive. I am just going to say that I clicked for salex's name, I stayed for the stellar characterization, pining and top-tier bantering, and got overwhelmed by the tentacle sex. (/pos)

it takes two by lumensd (E) | 3rd sem | akeshu | two-shots By all means, this series has some things I usually am not interested in (phone sex, degradation) but Jay is so skilled and his akeshus are so fucked in the head that now I've signed up for the masochist Joker agenda. Hurray!

i dream of you draped in wires by rime (E) | 3rd sem | akeshu | one shot "Maruki's Shadows don't want to fight; they just want to collect data. Wait, are those cat ears?" You would think a work with the tag "catboy shibari gunplay fuckordie" can't be too serious. Wrong! Excellent character study attack 🔪🔪🔪 (from the same author there's also this P5 vanilla fic that is excellent)

Darken my doorway by EnlacingLines (E) | 3rd sem-post canon | akeshu | one shot ""I don’t need to test my theory. You should be thanking me, really. Opening this door for you.” “A door to what?” Akira says, exasperated by just how self congratulatory Goro still sounds.“ Submission.” Or: I am a firm switch shuake shipper, I don't vibe with too-extreme dynamics *proceeds to go ballistics over this fic regardless*, *awakens to the wonder of d/s a lil fucked up dynamics*

[dungeonmeshimybeloved]

Hey there! My names eage, I'm 22 and this is my dungeon meshi sideblog! I sometimes draw but I mainly write fanfic

Currently in a hiatus

Fanfic masterpost

The Bed They Made

Chilaios, ongoing, everything is the same but Laios is knocked up and no one but Chilchuck knows

It was a mistake. It was supposed to be a one-time thing, and then he wouldn't ever think of it again. Yes, it was a risky move, one that was both incredibly fun but also so stupid in hindsight. Of course, the one time he caved to his desires, this happens. With his party leader of all people! Laios is carrying his fourth child. And he didn't even know it. Not yet.

Hug me like you mean it

Chilchuck and Laios, 2546 words, pre-relationship

Chilchuck has exceptional hearing, and Laios is terrible at hiding his feelings.

Sick in the Head

Chilchuck and Laios, 2091 words,

Laios thought he knew Chilchuck well enough, but now he wasn't sure. Since his fight with Shuro, he started questioning what exactly he knew, and it made his stomach twist. So when Chilchuck asks to talk to him alone, he can't help but prepare for the worst.

Mana Sick

Chilchuck and Laios, 1288 words,

Coming back from searching for herbs to cure Marcilles petrification, Chilchuck stumbles upon Laios in the throes of mana sickness, and reluctantly helps him

"No, I'm the one whose honored."

Chilaios, ongoing, 9,126 words, based on the smiling friends qoute

Sometimes when Chilchuck drank, he would start spouting nonsense. Looking back, this was probably one of those times.

We Run Faster than Others

Marcille and Fionil, 6509 words, post Canon hurt/comfort

Marcille has a nightmare and Fionil does her hair.

Sleepless Nights

Unrequited Chilaios, 6690 words, pre-canon, Laios has a guilty crush

Chilchuck was always on his mind. Laios wasn't sure when it started. They had worked together for a couple of months, maybe a year, he wasn't too sure. But he knew one thing for certain, and that was Chilchuck was endlessly cool, confident, and skilled. After a certain point, the half foot had popped into his head and made a place for himself.

Language Barrier

Chilaios, 3873 words, pre-Canon Hurt comfort

Over the years, Laios had seen the many sides of a drunk Chilchuck. There was the affectionate variant—one of the more common sides—where Chilchuck was sappy and sweet to the point it felt out of character. There was also the angry variant. This one was more like Chilchuck's usual snippy attitude, but turned up to an extreme. Right now, Chilchuck was neither affectionate nor angry, but... well, it was hard to describe.

Chilchuck has a moment of weakness, and Laios stays with him despite it.

An Unlikely Pair

Chilaios Inktober 2024 Challenge, 1220 words, ongoing, 31 planned chapters, collection of oneshots,

To everyone else, their friendship - much less relationship - must have been odd. A prickly lockpick with his personal life under lock and key and a curious leader with a habit of overstepping boundaries. A man seemingly defined by his abstinence and a man characterized by his indulgence. A half foot who has to demand and fight for respect, and a tallman who gets trampled on far easier than most would think.

Despite their differences, the two fit like pieces in a puzzle.

"Hunger, Lust, Love, and the weird ways we connect"

The work of Nightmares

Laios and Chilchuck, Laios and Marcille, 1504 words, Laios has a fucked up nightmare and Marcille suffers for it, part 1

In the middle of the night, Laios began to shake from a nightmare ravaging his mind. Marcille dives in to help him but finds a gruesome scene.

The Laios with terrifying eyes

Chilaios, 3726 words, Shapeshifter episode gone wrong, part 2

Among the duplicates of Laios, one of them stood out particularly well. No, it wasn't the one who towered high enough to hit the ceiling, or the effeminate one who spoke in a breathy voice.

It was the one with wide, hungry eyes. He stood with his back straight, taut, and braced, an 'innocent' grin stretching along his face.

Plagued by Visions of You

Pre relationship Chilaios, ongoing, 11,896 words, porn with plot - Chilchuck gets struck by a horny beam, part .5

Laios is haunting him. Despite being alive, he has infested every part of his mind, clouding every thought, and Chilchuck was sick of how aroused it made him.

Chilaios week

The Laughing Wolf Tavern

Gen, 6683 words, day 1 - Drinking buddies/Seasons

A series of moments across the first year of their working relationship, highlighting the tumultuous relationship between the ever curious fighter and the prickly lockpick. The best way to bond was over booze after all!

A wounded Changeling

Chilchuck and Laios, 3345 words, day 2 - Changelings/Wounded

Fascinating was the only way Laios could describe the whole situation. Swapping to a different race entirely posed issues and highlighted the things he liked more about his old body, but it also gave him a lot to wonder about. Such as - was a headpat supposed to feel a certain way? It didnt feel bad, but it wasnt good either. Without this occurring, Chilchuck would have never done that, and Laios would have never found his answer.

To hold a Half-Foots tools is a Privilege, not a Right

Chilchuck and Laios, 524 words, day 3 - Hold/Carry

Chilchuck reflects on how he's come to trust Laios with carrying his lockpicks.

When I wake up next, I know you'll be there

Chilchuck and Laios, 3544 words, day 4 - Nightmares/Trust

In the dungeon, they were all well acquainted with death. If you hadn't yet met them, you were incredibly fortunate, or it was creeping up on you when you least expected it. Nightmares were just as familiar. It was as unavoidable as death itself, since it came with the territory. Number one is to thoroughly prepare for the worst-case scenario. There would be no nightmares if no one died. No party was ever that lucky, however. Which leads to the next best thing: relying on your party for support. Confiding, or better yet, sharing a bedroll together, chased the bad dreams away most times.

You've Got Some Nerve, Laios

Chilaios, 1658 words, day 5 - Shapeshifter/First Kiss

The group has been infested by shapeshifters, and Laios chooses to utilize information that only the real Chilchuck would know to lure out the fake.

Is it too late?

Chilaios, 3397 words, Day 6 - Beach episode

He followed Marcilles advice, went back to Kahka Brud, and spoke with his wife. She asked that they separate for good. In terms of marriage. So, he came back to Melini. He had nowhere else to go. Even if this place felt like the furthest from home... it held some special people.

Marcille will probably cry when he breaks the news, Senshi will usher him to the kitchen and show him how to make a dish to give him something to do and help him reflect, Izutsumi will give him an awkward pat on the back, and Laios... Laios would sit him down to eat.

Of course I came back for you

Chilaios, 11,401 words, Day 7 - Freeday! Laios got eaten by the dragon

Laios Touden was the biggest idiot in the world, he went and got himself eaten by a dragon! Of course Chilchuck would delve back into the dungeon with Falin and Marcille to get him back, even if that meant confronting things he would rather keep buried.

[poetryandbloods-blog]

My thoughts on Ron and Hermione or why I don't like 2/3 of the golden trio in the books/movies.

Starting with Hermione:

First, I want to make it clear that I like the trio's dynamic in most of the books, because I think they tend to smooth over each other's worst edges, until around book 5 when things finally go off the rails.

Second, I like Hermione as a character until part of book 4 (although I personally wouldn't want to be around someone like her on a daily basis), but from book 5 onwards I believe that J.K.R. was too influenced by the movies to the point that Hermione becomes a deus ex machina, while Ron and Harry (to a lesser extent, since he's the main character) become her mere sidekicks.

Hermione, like most female characters in the books, often suffers from a characterization that seems to arise from the writer's prejudices about what she considers inappropriate in a woman. She needs to be hyper-competent, because in this universe, ultra-feminine (Fleur) and ultra-masculine (Bellatrix and her struggles) traits are frowned upon. So she teeters on a tightrope where she has to constantly prove that she's not like the other girls (a problem Ginny also suffers from to the point of exhaustion) while at the same time not falling on either side. What keeps Hermione from becoming a Mary Sue character is that she's had more time in the books and we, as readers, get to see her flaws as well as her strengths.

But from book 5 onwards, her flaws become so excessive and she gains a streak of cruelty that can only be compared to the villains of the series. While Harry also has a ruthless streak, it's controlled by his most redeeming quality, empathy, Hermione has no such restraint. She does what she thinks is right and everyone else should take that as the word of God. This ruthless streak, extreme difficulty in listening to opinions different from her own and always wanting to be right are things that would make Hermione an excellent lawyer, but a terrible politician (in fact, of the professions attributed to the golden trio by the writer in the interviews, I only agree with Ron's statement).

I would like to know what the books would be like if the films had come out only after their conclusion, how much Hermione was influenced by her visual counterpart and how much of her personality change comes from the will of the writer himself.

Another point that irritates me about the character, although this is more of a characterization from fanfic than from the books, is this whole issue of the most brilliant witch of her time. When Lupin says this, he is clearly referring to intelligence in a school environment and, although I don't think Hermione is stupid, her intelligence is not on the same level as characters like Snape, Dumbledore or Voldemort. She is not interested in testing the limits of magic and creating new things, but rather in perpetuating the status quo.

I think Hermione is a character who has little empathy, she doesn't understand Harry's pain after being trapped in the summer after seeing a classmate die, she doesn't understand why Sirius is depressed about being trapped in his childhood home, she doesn't understand why a girl whose parents work in the ministry would be so afraid of finding out what they are doing with the army, but although the lack of empathy alone is not a determining factor for me to dislike her as a character, this, added to her habit of thinking she knows everything and the way she wants to control the characters' lives, irritates me beyond measure.

[pixiecactus]

sorry nonnie for the second time, and thank you for your patience!

but i think that i need to make this a separate post completely, but i'll start putting up the first part of your ask here, if you don't mind (i really hope you don't!)

to get people on board of what i will be talking about here, let me show you the quote once again and give you the link to the fanfic.

the supposed grrm quote is this:

“Okay so GRRM, arrived in Toronto yesterday for a book signing and unfortunately because of an exam, I was unable to attend (BOO!) so I asked my friend to ask him about Gendry and Arya’s “relationship” and if they would ever reunite again. His response was that Arya and Gendry have separate futures but whether they’ll ever meet up again, you’ll just have to keep reading.”

the fanfic is called the lost wolf and in chapter 21, you can find the first time that this quote was posted.

About G/A and the separate futures phase. Whoever published it was a very dedicated shipper who got devastated by his response. I don't think anyone would lie about that because this fan was genuinely very upset over this.

what i can say about this (for the second time because i lost what i had written as a response completely before) is that i recognize the username of the writer, and yeah, the fic was published in 2012, so we can say it was a different time... but i made the mistake of reading the fic in which the quote was posted, and this is not me trying to discredit the writer as a gendrya shipper, but oh my god, how i wish i hadn't read that fic at all; i have so many problems with it and the characterization.

i'm going to put the link to the google doc i made here, in case someone wants to share the suffering i went through. no one is obligated to read it, but i think that is going to help to support a little bit of what i'm going to write next about the author. but then again, let's put a little reminder here that everything i'm going to say is my own assumption and that this person seems to no longer have a presence on the internet or in the asoiaf fandom to defend themselves.

now here's my opinion, so if you have read my ranting session, i think that would make sense for you what i'm about to write next: i'm like 95% sure that the author was pretty young when this was posted. why? you may ask because the characters act in ways that are nonsensical to an adult with a fully developed frontal lobe. here's where my own experiences come into play to defend this opinion of mine, but i did write a fic like this when i was a kid; i was around 12 or 13 at that time, i'd like to say that it wasn't this awful in comparison, because there wasn't a rape storyline in it, but the main couple surely had moments where they were hating each other and threatening to break up because of a stupid and idiotic misunderstanding like "you didn't look my way when i was talking to you... so you don't love anymore" and the classic "i love you but i kissed x person or x person kissed me and now i think that i may love them and not you, my honest mistake" thankfully i didn't have an internet connection available at the time and my home's computer was back in my house (duh!) and i spent most of my childhood at my aunt's house, so i wrote those fics the good old fashion way with a pen and a notebook, and now those notebooks are lost to time and the act of moving out.

another point that is more credible than my own word is that in the author's note this person talks about going to school most of the time; that's the chosen word, i believe if they were in university they'd just say so. also this person said that they have a job, and i know that child labor laws are different around the world, but it seems that this person was based in canada, since the "quote" mentions grrm in toronto, so the info i could find about it told me this:

the lack of any other people's accounts that could collaborate on this info as truth, it's what does it for me. i think that if it was a truthful statement, we would have a lot more info about it. since the author's friend wasn't the only one who was at this book signing, there would be a lot more people around them both and within hearing range... but everything you see about this quote is a short copy and paste.

after all this time, why don't we have any kind of official source? it's been 12 years; that's more than enough time for it to appear somewhere; a reputable source would be the most ideal of all, though.

it's just people lie for attention all the time on the internet, and it's more common for kids to do it too... so i tend to lean that this is the case here.

i can admit that this "quote" absolutely wrecked me during my teen years, but now as an adult, i see it more as asoiaf's very own "my uncle works at nintendo" type of rumor.

i know that i'm not making a strong case because i don't have the intellect for it, so i think that this post is more food for thought than anything else.

now i promise you anon that the next thing i'll post is your ask with my answer, and i'll give the little spoiler that i actually agree with you

[meruz]

hi im putting all my asks in one post again. these are from like the past month and a half approx? some digimon thoughts some tmnt thoughts some art musings u know the usual

@waywardistics YAYY thank you so much for ordering! I'm glad it got to you & that you are enjoying it!

this is kind of a missive to everyone who ordered but: I am very nervous about pre-orders whenever I do them... nervous that not very many people will order, nervous that there will be supply chain or production dilemmas and I won't be able to get copies out to people in a timely fashion, nervous about having people's money but having an indeterminate amt of time where i have not yet "held up my part of the bargain" etc etc SO. THANK U GUYS...FOR ORDERING and being patient and im so glad it got to y'all

@seanonthemoon (idk why i cant tag u BUT) interesting... i gotta be honest I don't think abt the crests that much. i agree that they're very much like heres the "girl" crest heres the "nerd boy" crest etc to the point that it becomes almost meaningless. but i think what makes them even more meaningless to me, and is probably the reason they kind of designated girl/boy crests etc is that i think like the digivices they're toys and merchandise more than they are actual narrative tools LOL. I wouldve loved something with cody and mimi! theyre both so deeply empathetic and sensitive.. theres a lot they share but i think because they look so different on the surface it would make it difficult to market that merch...booo capitalism boooo toy marketing its all sexist bullshit at least here in the u.s. idk if japan is that different though.

I'm actually a little frustrated with how often 02 and 02 related media squanders cody in general lol. he feels like a parallel of izzy, joe, and TK(season 1 tk) while also being kind of none of those and suffering through lackluster characterization as a result... and then once ken joins the team it feels a little redundant. there's a couple cody-centric eps of 02 I remember really liking but then i think abt how he's been used since in like post-series content and 02:the beginning where they made him type on the computer even though obviously that's yoleis thing but because he had nothing else to do and aghh... my blood boils. i feel like the youngest but most serious anime achetype even at its bare bones is actually rly interesting idk why they don't play it up. UM. Once again my opinion is that he should be taller LOL and maybe they should play up his kendo martial arts honorable training stuff more idk. tallest + youngest + most serious just seems like a recipe for success for me. well. theres still time. and theres always fanfic.

THIS IS SO NICE TO SAY and not the first time someone has said it but i appreciate it everytime because i really admire the mm art style so much. It's like part of why I got really into the movie because I really recognized my own artistic sensibilities and aspirations in the way they stylized everything.

UM And i feel like since watching the movie and looking at all the concept art and making my own art i do feel like its only become more obvious how much my own art is lacking LOL LIKE when you see something that feels so similar I think the differences only become more stark. those artists are definitely on a different level than me. But it's nice to hear people say it doesn't look so different from their pov. thank u ^^

thank u!!!!!!! i love mundanity and naturalism... there's something so beautiful abt it to me lol... I feel like my anatomy needs work actually but ive been feeling better abt it this year so it's good to hear! thank you!

DLKGDSGDLALSNDF WAS IT TOO FAR..?? firstly, yeah I was thinking late teen/young adult ages for both of them ie 18-19ish, definitely not the age the kids are in the movie lol.

but also they arent DOING anything in that pic it is literally just a confrontation + some innuendo... I think teens should be allowed some less than subtle innuendo.. its like one of the top 3 classically teen pastimes...

this is such a funny ask to get because i feel like i haven't been able to do thin lineart until like. this past year or two maybe LOL. UM having a line-centric art job helped I think. I started on craig of the creek back in 2022 and thats a show where we spend a lot of time inking so I had a job where I was constantly moderating my line weight 40 hours a week every week for over a year. disappointingly, much of improvement is simply horrendous amounts of practice.

Here's a tip though: I think a lot of thin lineart boils down to confidence. I think instinctively we read thick, bold, fast lines as confident but theres actually a lot of obscuring you can do with a thick line. if you're not sure whether the nose on the face or a browline should be a little more left or a little more down you can hide that with a thick line and pretend its a shadow. or hide it with a bunch of quick lines and the eye can kind of approximate where looks best among the mass.. whereas a thin line is rly singular and stark and hides nothing, it needs to be precise. so anytime i know i want thin lineart i spend a LOT of time sketching, making sure i know exactly where i want my lines to go. so im not second guessing by the time im inking...

ok thats kind of a broad tip lol... here's one thats more applicable: IF POSSIBLE, lower your pressure sensitivity on your device. most devices have some way to edit your pressure sensitivity curve. I use a surface pro at home and this is what my pressure curve looks like most of the time.

When I work on a wacom it looks even more like a reverse L shape LOL. I'm naturally a really heavy-handed artist and I use a "light" or "hard" pressure curve to compensate for how hard I'm always pressing on the pen lol. if you're like me and you struggle with going too hard with the ink too fast... this will probably help a lot!

SFHASLDFH I LOVE THIS ASK this is like the type of question a person gets asked when chalk drawing on the sidewalk at recess LOL. but i understand because I've been struggling also for like. months. I think I'm finally starting to nail it down though so here's some of my observations.

[feel free to save this img but **please do not re-post it or share broadly**. my biggest fear in the world is to spend 30 min on some notes and become a widely proliferated art tutorial im not even kidding. i made it low contrast and difficult to read on purpose.]

my other tip is to just look at and study a lot of reference because that's all ive been doing. the tmnt are really cartoony so its difficult to use like actual anatomical reference unless ur going for that look BUT theres been so many adaptions in so many different styles that there's a real treasure trove of stuff to look at for how to simplify, stylize, and dissect these characters while keeping the recognizable essence. so theres lots to pull from.

If you want to expand further, it's also good to have 5) something sci-fi 6)something fantasy 7)something mundane/slice of life. a bedroom is a really good go-to. And of course some bgs can be two or more of these things at once.

I've definitely answered asks abt bg tips before but here's one specifically for if you want to do bg design for a job:

Your portfolio should probably have at least one of each of the following 1) an interior 2) an exterior 3) a cityscape 4) a nature scene. Just to cover kind of the basics of what you'd be asked to draw on any given project.

I actually feel like I don't have that many cityscrapes in my portfolio... this is something I'm gonna try to work on in the coming year LOL. OH ALSO. This is a very basic tip and people will tell you it all the time but its worth repeating: look up portfolio websites of artists who have the job you want. An easy way to do this is to go onto imdb for any cartoon or movie you like and to find the names listed as "bg/background designer" or whatever then just google that name +"art" or "animation" most artists have some public facing internet presence so it's not hard. spend time studying their work and hold those images in your head! it's a good way to get a good idea of what "industry standard" looks like and comparing ur own art to it... I know people sometimes get bummed comparing their art to others but if you can keep your head up lol.. it'll help you figure out what you need to work on!

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ok thats all i have to say sorry for typing so much. happy new year everybody who read this far LMAO!!!!!