#i always struggle to ship my favourite characters for some reason

[deadandwalking]

Arcane but everything is good:

Jinx lives with Silco, Sevika and Isha - stays with Vander and his kids on weekends

Violet is married to Caitlyn and moved to Piltover but is in Zaun with Vander and her siblings at least twice a week

Mylo and Claggor survived and they’re still with Vander rn until they find a place to go

Vander is not a dog anymore and is back running the bar

Silco survived the dinner party, was given Vander’s letter and now they are friends again

Benzo never died he’s just chilling in the shop

Ekko continues leading the firelights and visits Benzo regularly

Jayce and Viktor and Mel are in a polycule and they all go to therapy and live happily ever after

Maddie is dead

heimerdinger is back in whatever the yordle place was called i forgot

Ambessa and Mel attend family therapy and are working shit out together

hydrated viktor, Lest, Loris, Steb and all the other ignored side characters hold hands and run off into the sunset never to be neglected again

did i miss anything

[xserpx]

morse for the ask game?

How I feel about this character?

(Caveating this with the fact I haven't yet watched Inspector Morse, so this is only about Endeavour.)

Normally I'm not at all a fan of whump and I don't like feeling sad for well-meaning characters who are hurt repeatedly through (mostly) no fault of their own, but I really love Morse's brand of melancholia. The way he struggles to deal with change is too damn real, I'm a sucker for characters who struggle to voice their feelings and whose anxiety causes them to say nothing, because bitch me too. I also like that he's shy but it's kind of a selective shyness? Like if you catch him at the right moment or say a certain thing, he can be very snappish and outspoken and even funny, but then in those (incredibly important!) moments where he feels truly vulnerable, he just clams up, and it's heartbreaking and delicious to watch.

It's also undeniable that he is a massive prick sometimes. His treatment of women, his pretentiousness, there are moments when I want to slap him upside the head and I'm like you deserve this shit buddy! Monica my beloved, she deserved so much better from him. As much as he craves deeper connections with people and as much as I really want him to find a place to belong and settle down, it's so clear why he can't, why he shouldn't, and it's so deep rooted that in a way if he actually made a more concerted to change and do better he'd pretty much be a different person. And I like that the show never compromises on providing answers or catharsis for his struggles. Change happens, that's life, and there's often no way to deal with it that doesn't hurt.

I also love his dark academia style and the way it's grounded in finding meaning/belonging. It's not that it doesn't give him a sense of superiority at times, but like... that was his rebellion in the face of anti-intellectualism and abuse at home, and in a way I feel like he's earned the right to that pretentiousness. I think it dilutes some of the intimidating effect that opera and classics and poetry can have - some people listen to the Beatles, he listens to Wagner, one thing isn't "better" than another - but without binning it off entirely so that we still get to enjoy the commentary on classism. Plus watching him school the Oxford dons is always fun :P.

All the people I ship romantically with this character?

Romantically, hmm... The trouble is I end up feeling sorry for either Morse himself or whatever woman he's got his eye on at the time!

I love Joan and Morse, and I'd love for them to work things out, but the more time passes the less and less suited they seem to be. It's one of those relationships that's more about yearning than it is about getting together. They struggle to communicate and they're constantly miserable. He puts her on a pedestal because of her family, and Joan likes him because he's an enigma, and they can't move past that. But at the same time, fanfic exists for a reason, and I still love the yearning despite it all.

I'm not sure if I ship it romantically per se, but Max is another one where I feel like they could be more than friends, they're very Sherlock and Watson (and this fic by gaytobymeres is so good I love it). That scene with Morse and Max having tea in Max's garden is one of my favourites in the series, and I want that life for Morse so badly! Literalllyyy at the end of Exeunt I was like dude just move in with Max!! He'll never leave Oxford! He'll come along to your choral recitals! You have way more interests in common than any of your girlfriends have thus far! And he's lonely too, bless him ;w;.

My non-romantic OTP for this character?

I don't think there's a single character I don't ship Morse with platonically?? All I want in the world is a pub quiz fic featuring all of Cowley CID (and Trewlove) but I'm not clever or patient enough to write it. I wish we had more teamwork episodes tbh, and I think that's the best thing about seasons 5 & 6 (as dissipated as CID is at the start, that just makes them coming back together all the more heartwarming).

Morse & Thursday are of course the freaking bedrock of the show, they're just insanely good and I genuinely want them to be together forever. As much as he misses Joan at the end, I really want a happy ending where Thursday and Morse can stay together. At the same time, what with the whole men in the 60s reinforcing one another's emotional repression, I kind of wonder what would've happened if Thursday had been able to steer Morse in a different direction, and if it would have had a knock-on effect with helping Morse express his feelings for Joan and maybe end up somewhere better. But their characters are so intertwined it's hard to separate out the what-ifs. I do think Thursday had more of an impact on Morse than Morse did on Thursday, but you could maybe chalk that up to age. Leopards don't change their spots, etc. Still... lamenting lost potential is what grief is.

I'm also a huge fan of Morse & Trewlove tbh, he's so relaxed around her?? He tells her stuff he never tells anyone else?? They fake marry?? Ridiculously sweet. They share the trait of being incredibly dedicated and detailed in their work, and it bleeds over into a genuine appreciation for one another that they don't really have with any of their other colleagues (save for maybe Trewlove & Bright, another fantastic platonic OTP in my book). I also can see them being friends w bennies but I def don't ship them romantically.

My unpopular opinion about this character?

Not sure if I have one tbh. I haven't been here long but I generally think the wider fandom has it right about most things. Maybe not including Jakes as some brand of OTP? I feel bad because I love Peter, I just don't see him and Morse being particular friends any more than Morse and Jim are tbh.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.

Um, happiness. Just, all the happiness. I wish he could communicate better. I wish he'd had a better childhood. I wish his house hadn't been burgled and that he could still listen to Rosalind Calloway without taking emotional damage. I wish he hadn't been beaten down and that he could feel secure and safe, and have a fulfilled life outside of work. Great tragedies always keep the happy ending in sight, and Endeavour does that incredibly, painfully, well.

If I had to choose something specific to have happened in the show, I guess I would have liked to see more of Joyce. I'm fascinated by their relationship and I really loved every cameo from Morse's past that we saw, plus episodes like Cartouche with cousin Carol. Tbf I have heard that Joyce shows up more in Inspector Morse, so... 👀

[ryuichirou]

What do you think about Lilia and Idia's chats? I know you ship them but did they affect you in any way?

Sorry for the late reply, Anon!

This is one of those asks that I really went “oh no I have to think about this one properly, this is a very important topic” lol But it’s probably for the best because today is kind of a perfect day for me to write about this particular topic.

As always, I ended up talking a whole lot, so I hope you enjoy reading it. I’ll try not to digress too much!

Short answer would be yes of course it affected me: I’m pretty sure it was one of the main reasons why I started shipping them in the first place.

As someone who crawled out of Homestuck’s cradle (and will stay there forever at least in some capacity), I really love it when characters chat. I think all of us act a bit differently when we’re on the internet, even if we’re trying to be 100% honest, or at least we are perceived a bit differently. And when you have two characters who know each other irl, but also know each other online as different people, and one of them is crushing hard, it creates such an interesting dynamic… so beautiful.

It’s very interesting to see Idia swooning so hard. He doesn’t act that way around anybody else, even people he is kind of close with (Azul is the only example but), which contrasts nicely to his usual snarky antisocial self. I love it a lot when this type of character gets very into someone and ends up being a bit tormented by his own inner demons: he craves to be closer to that person, he wants to spend more time together, but he is scared that the moment he accepts his feeling he’s going to get hurt. He is terrified of being vulnerable, but Muscle Crimson makes him so happy that he just can’t help himself. Idia is so cynical and pessimistic, he already accepted the fact that he’ll stay lonely forever, and yet whenever Lilia appears, he gets hopeful, romantic and longing. Very Megara of you, Idia lol

What doesn’t help is that no matter what Muscle Crimson does, somehow it only makes him more perfect in Idia’s eyes…

For starters, in ch6 Idia said that one of the things he loves most about Muscle Crimson is that he never oversteps and is very understanding of him, and how he is very natural in a way he expresses things. What I’m trying to say is that Idia never feels like he has to explain himself or push himself, like MC always gets it and never pries into his affairs. This is the thing that Idia usually struggles with the most: social expectations, the pacing of a conversation, the arbitrary rules of how two people should communicate; and he doesn’t have those issues with MC whatsoever. It’s very easy for him to talk with MC because the moment this usual obstacle isn’t present, Idia is suddenly very eager to connect with another person. MC is chill, MC is nice, MC is mature and MC isn’t needy. We see it so much with their online conversations, it’s incredible.

I also really love their chats because they very nicely show what exactly Idia wants from a relationship. Whenever I talk about Idia’s ideal type, Idia’s love language, Idia’s anything, I always end up talking about it: Idia loves quality time and sharing things that he loves with others, so the fact that he can play videogames with Lilia is massively important for him, but this isn’t the only thing. In Idia’s dorm uniform vignette (god that vignette is such a feast for a multishipper), Idia gets so excited because MC not only agreed to listen to his favourite band, but also was engaged enough to express that he wants to listen to them! On his own volition! Azul-shi who didn’t even bother to listen to their music that Idia kindly brought to him should take notes!

I’m sorry but let’s take a look at this dialogue (official translation from wiki but I just want to make a point okay):

<Muscle Red>  

Ah, I see. My apologies for not being well-informed on the topic.

<Gloomurai>   

NP! sorry for rambling about something you don't care about lol

Imagine ranting to someone about your oshiis, and instead of being annoyed or politely agreeing with you, the person goes “oh I’m sorry that I haven’t heard about them”. Of course, Idia’s instinct is to pull back a little and to apologise for his rambling and to joke about MC not being interested – not as a jab at Lilia, but as a jab at himself instead for bothering him with unnecessary information.

And instead of just letting the conversation go to some other lane (which would’ve been a bit sad, but ultimately not that bad because Lilia’s initial response wasn’t an annoyed one), for some reason, MC does this of all things:

<Muscle Red>  

Actually, after seeing how passionate you are about them...

<Muscle Red>  

My interest in this Premo group has been thoroughly piqued.

<Gloomurai>   

you're already interested just from hearing me drone on and on?

<Gloomurai>   

you're like the nicest guy. i'd give you 100 rare drops if i could

<Muscle Red>  

Would you recommend a particular song for a first-time listener?

Not only he didn’t get a “ehhh yeah cool”, but he also got a “send me their songs” instead. It’s like Lilia is actively trying to lure this poor otaku boy into his embrace lol But the best thing is that it is so casual and genuine, even Idia-the-biggest-cynic doesn’t feel like he is just trying to be nice about it. And as I always say, despite being a hikikomori, Idia is good at reading people, and someone as insecure as he is would’ve definitely thought that MC was just being nice. But he didn’t, instead he got super excited about it.  The boy is so smitten he’s melting as we speak...

And not only that! When in that exact vignette some shenanigans happen with the website of the band, and Idia gets upset about it, MC is so quick to cheer him up and comfort him. It’s interesting with Lilia because he really is wise and mature, but sometimes he doesn’t quite know what to say to comfort someone?? There are some areas in which he is a bit clumsy, I guess, but it seems like when it comes to Gloomy Samurai, it feels like he knows him super well. How his mind and emotion operates, what makes him upset. It’s sweet that he is very eager to support him and feels genuinely bad for him; we’re even shown Lilia himself in his own room being troubled that his online buddy might get depressed over what happened. It’s just so… sweet?? I don’t think Idia had anyone other than Ortho support him like that before. I’ll talk about Lilia in general in a moment though.

One last thing about this vignette is that I wanted to talk about is this little exchange:

<Gloomurai>   

it'd be so cool if we could meet up IRL...

<Muscle Red>  

Oh? Well, if you wish to meet offline, I'd gladly visit whenever you like.

<Gloomurai>   

oh nonononono, i live in a super remote place rn!

<Gloomurai>   

i'd have to take planes, trains, buses, and boats to go p. much anywhere

<Gloomurai>   

meeting up would be a whole THING...

Imagine Idia fucking Shroud not only having a gaming buddy he is excited to talk to, and not only entertaining the idea of meeting said buddy irl, but also EXPRESSING THIS IDEA OUTLOUD? And once again, he is met with enthusiasm, because OF COURSE MC wouldn’t mind hanging out irl! And the moment he gets that response, he pulls back once again, keeping his distance, being anxious and overwhelmed by the possibility of meeting up with MC. It’s incredibly interesting to see Idia acting this way, and once again it shows just how much he doesn’t want to ruin what they have right now. Let’s be honest, it’s not just the fact that he is in NRC; he would’ve easily traveled somewhere if he needed to, they have portals, for fuck’s sake, although not for personal usage. In this convo Idia does what Idia does all the time in their chats: he dares to express interest in MC’s irl affairs, and then gets terrified that MC won’t like it, or MC will answer and somehow this newfound knowledge will ruin something, or that things will get weird: Idia just doesn’t want to risk breaking this balance between them that is super fragile in his eyes.

I love him being so unsure and anxious. I love him being invested and infatuated, but also being so afraid to get hurt. It’s like Lilia is taming him little by little��� which isn’t intentional on Lilia’s part lol He’s just hanging out with the guy he likes to hang out with! And the guy is out there falling in love deeper and deeper with every single one of their chat.

But the thing is, this is still not completely one-sided. It’s just that we tend to focus on Idia during these chats, and Idia is really crushing hard on Lilia, but when we’re shown Lilia’s side in his Suitor Suit vignette, we have a little more info on how he feels.

I find it interesting that after Idia’s little rant about how marriage in-game is a stupid mechanic and that it’s such a pain, Lilia changes his mind about asking Idia if he wanted to get married in-game… for unlocking an achievement of course. Which is SUCH A SHAME because Idia would’ve gone full 180 on this topic and would’ve accepted his proposal so fucking hard lol After learning just how much Idia pulls back and rambles, the whole thing really feels like Idia thinking that someone like MC would never ask him for something like this, and how suggesting it himself would’ve been stupid: what if MC thinks that he’s weird or clingy or cringe? So he threw the ball to Lilia’s side of the court so aggressively, that Lilia just figured that Idia hated the idea in general and didn’t want to play with him at all… SUCH A SHAAAME.

But still, it shows that Lilia also doesn’t want to make Gloomy Samurai uncomfortable. Not from the place of extreme shyness, but from the place of loving hanging out with him and not wanting things to become too complicated.

But also!! It’s so interesting to compare the way they act and type. Lilia is so proper with his lack of emoticons, but he is still playful with his comments from time to time. So reliable, so mature, of course Idia’s mental portrait of Muscle Crimson is “older man who may or may not have a family and may or may not be a proper businessmen” lol The boy is talking to someone else’s husband and dad in his head… I also love moments during which Lilia just goes “oh yeah I used to wear armour for work” and Idia just assumes that he’s joking around. I want to see more of their chats ahhh! And I want the big reveal!!

On a personal note (you don’t have to read that part lol), I have my own sentimental reasons to be so into this whole thing. It feels very nostalgic because the whole dynamic, the situations, even the typing style to some degree, it all feels very similar to what we went through ages ago. I won’t point at Lilia and say “he’s just like me for real” because I definitely wasn’t as slick as him at the stupid age of 16, but I did try to have this mature image back then lol But also, just like Lilia, seriously underestimated just how much that antisocial sweetheart I enjoy talking to a lot is into me.

Those early stages of the growing and blossoming relationship, moments of pulling back, showing initiative, trying and being insecure about all those things: I can see it in them, especially in Idia. Since I was technically the Lilia of the situation, I feel such warmth witnessing those early steps in Idia, his crush and his doubts about the whole thing. It’s like… flirting, but not quite? Some other style of flirting that isn’t really noticeable until you really look at it. Since I myself was quite dense back then and, once again, didn’t notice a crush (that I was told about btw) for quite some time, I feel especially sorry for Idia and his pains LOL But also, especially hopeful~

It’s precious. I could’ve written something edgier or sexier but ultimately I feel like it’s very precious, at least to me lol I really love these two. And this is why I’m writing this post today of all days. Very sneaky of me.

Anyways, thank you so much for your question, Anon <3 I love these two a lot.

[sitp-recs]

12 fics I’ve enjoyed recently…

Last year I did a short-lived “weekly rereads” series to spread love for old favourites that kept me afloat when reading new things became a struggle. I was looking for ways to stay active and contribute to the fandom with minimal effort, and I found solace in revisiting fics that I hold dear in my heart. This year, spring brought the @dronarryfest to pull me back into reading mood. Fandom is starting to speak to me again after a very long time, and the euphoria hit me with inspiration to write this short rec post for my recent reads. I am joining the party a bit late but on the off chance these escaped your radar, here are some fics I’ve really enjoyed during my catch up moment in February/March, and a few I’m planning to dive into next. It’s so nice to be able to write comments and rec blurbs again! What have y’all been reading lately?

HP fics:

Wet Leather by @lqtraintracks (E, 492 words) - Harry/Sirius

I live for LQT’s rare pair drabbles especially when it’s for my beloved Sirry because nobody writes this ship like them. The A+ characterization always takes my breath away: so much tension laced with yearning, it feeds my horniest deepest Sirry cravings tripping between guilt and absolution. This short is full of heat, want and sweet indulgence, with the usual tenderness underneath driving me up the wall and making me soft and hot for these two. Also, “my drenched little pup” excuse sir I’m??? 🥵

Nightswimming by @sweet-s0rr0w (M, 5k) - established Drarry, Dron, implied Dronarry

One of my instant faves this year, what a masterclass in tension building! As always, I’m so impressed by sweets’ short form. The brilliant banter and relentless sexual tension put me at the edge of my seat praying for MOAR. The atmosphere is so captivating I could feel the temptation on my fingertips, and have I even mentioned Ron’s spot on voice?? Superb bromance dynamics, late night drive aesthetics, an impressive amount of characterization within 5k and a teasing ending full of promise, come and feast!

Borrowed Time by @the-starryknight (E, 7k) - Dron + Harry

Another delicious Dronarry treat, now showcasing established Dron, body swap, the sexiest UST you’ll see today and an incredibly satisfying payoff. Once again Starry delivers peak romance with their “hot & sweet” trademark mixing compelling dialogue, witty flirting and uncomplicated smut full of want but also trust, understanding and intimacy. Forget the maddening anticipation, the domestic slice-of-life tone made me swoon - the characters are so clearly fond and familiar with each other it’s only natural for them to come together like this.

Heart to Hearth by @jtimu (E, 7k) - Drarry

This fic is a breath of fresh air and I still remember how excited I felt reading it for the first time. I’ll never get tired of seeing Harry get utterly horny confused at an attractive and carefully guarded Draco being competent at his odd yet surprisingly fitting job. Repairman Draco is indeed mouthwateringly efficient with his long hair and coveralls, and their tentative and awkward dynamics are just excellent. Love the subtle humour, the bits of repair magic theory and the earnest slow burn, with a smooth progression towards deliciously indulgent smutty times. Amazing concept, perfectly executed.

Long Haul by @wolfpants (E, 8k) - Drarry

Wolf is killing it lately, loved their Dronarry but this fic stole my heart with the long haul love premise. The image of their encounter - Harry holding his passport between his teeth, Draco with Muggle headphones around his neck - stayed with me the whole night. Harry loves flying and connects with NYC for the same reasons I do, so this fic spoke to me in a very personal way. I love everything from the title and bold flirting to the scorching hot and intimate smut with smooth daddy Draco! Not too long ago I prompted Florence’s “End of Love” for Wireless - unknowingly, Wolf wrote the NYC fic I’ve dreamed about when I thought of it 💜

Permanent by @citrusses (M, 14k) - Drarry, Dron

I’ve always been drawn to time travel and Citrus set up a thrilling, mysterious mood that’s impossible to resist. I was deeply intrigued not only by the plot but also by the complexity of these characters - a belligerent Harry with daddy issues and a saviour complex (yes pls!), edgy and focused Hermione, perceptive and kind Ron charming his way inside our hearts, and a lonely Draco trying to make sense of the plot, handle his feelings and find his foot in the post-war world. I loved being inside his mind - such brilliant characterization - and seeing the golden trio through his eyes. This fic has a wistful, melancholy tone mirroring Draco’s longing for Harry that hit me right in the solar plexus. It is also a great Ron study, and I’ll admit that made me fall even harder for Dron. Finally, it is tender and devastating as all good things are. A brilliant read and an instant favorite.

Dick Chicken by @oknowkiss (E, 15k) - Harry/Draco/Ron

Believe me when I say this is the Seinfeld AU you didn’t know you needed because you don’t wanna miss out on this. Hands down one of the most entertaining fics I’ve read in a while, this is hysterical funny, witty and steamy. The perfect mix of crack-y and casually horny vibes with a quirky Draco, a lovable and relatable Harry, and a hot Ron who’s 100% there for the ride, this chaotic trio will pull you into an unhinged journey and you’re gonna thank them for that 🤣 superb Harry pov, a warm and playful atmosphere that feels intoxicating, and a glorious shower scene followed by a fake orgasm competition. You’re heard it right. Run don’t walk!

Knot Your Average Coworkers by @thecouchsofa (E, 22k) - Drarry

Office romance is my kryptonite and I couldn’t stop giggling as I made my way through this wolf!Draco treat. I was instantly smitten with the charming characters, the delightful silly knotting jokes 🌝 and the good old oblivious friends/coworkers to lovers dynamics that always gets me. Pining Harry wooing Draco through cooking is SO my jam, the perfect mix of sweet comfort & unbearable UST that fills me with joy and anticipation while also wanting to smash their heads together “kiss kiss fall in love” style. Yum!

Cargo Case by @sleepstxtic (E, 23k) - Drarry

This was such an exciting ride, I love the inherent yearning & intimacy of break up/make up stories and this case fic kept me engaged and rooting for Drarry (and Pansy/Parvati!) the whole time. It was wonderful to see them not being antagonistic after a break up for a change - there’s delicious ust, fabulous Draco & Pansy brOTP, not to mention their super cool job. I was as invested in the plot as I was in the romance, and I’ve had a really fun time following them around. Undercover boyfriends for the win!!!!

Truth to Materials by @toomuchplor, lately (E, 54k) - Drarry

Another fabulous plor fic as per, this artist!Draco story immediately won my heart with the hilarious opening scene and the perfect combo of Draco’s “brazen gay” voice and Harry’s “bi panic” mind. What a delight! Love the clever dialogue, the mood so chaotic horny but the humorous tone making me giggle my way through the delicious loo sex scene. Unique premise, great pacing, fantastic cast and charming characterization - this fic is so easy to devour it doesn’t feel like a 50k journey at all. The story is great fun, very engaging but also delivering multiple tender and heartkick-y moments. It checks all my boxes including our king Ron Weasley putting a banana into Draco’s sculptural arsehole 🤣 what else could I ask for?

Skybound by @xanthippe74 (T, 61k) - Drarry

As a longtime fan of Ghibli’s movies, I was over the moon to see one my own faves adapted to fit the HP universe. This is the Howl’s Moving Castle AU we deserve, a light, enchanting and fun read with a lovely smooth Draco and a lovely earnest Harry making such a great pair. I love how Xan played with the original material making adjustments here and there, and giving life to Timpsy, the apprentice elf with a whole subplot involving mistreatment of magical beings. Very sweet and creative read!

Other fandoms:

a man—with human flesh by spqr (E, 14k) - Paul/Duncan, Dune

I love that this author writes for all of my favorite ships, I feel so spoiled! This is (yet another) banger following the 2nd Dune movie and a fascinating dive into Paul’s fractured mind struggling between his long-standing affection for Duncan and the intrusive thoughts under BG’s influence. So intense, vivid and thought-provoking. I was hooked from beginning to end and deeply immersed in this universe. Love me a fic about emotional implications and complications while delivering excellent character studies, this is the shit I live for right here 🤌🏼

Next up on my to-read list:

Home series by @hoko-onchi-writes (E, 22k)

In which Draco grows up hiding and finds out he doesn't want to do that anymore. And he doesn't want his son to hide, either. (…). In which Harry grows up in darkness, falls in love, fucks up, learns some things, and falls in love again.

Passing Stranger by @lettersbyelise (E, 53k)

Five years after the war, Harry, listless and depressed, stumbles upon Draco Malfoy playing the violin in an underground bar in Muggle London. The catch? Draco lost his memories five years ago. Ignoring his friends’ advice, Harry befriends an unwitting Draco, overlooking the fact that their mutual attraction might not survive if Draco’s memories return.

The Star Splitter by @oflights (E, 219k)

On a routine time travel assignment to the past, Draco stumbles upon 7-year-old Harry Potter and witnesses his neglect and mistreatment by the Dursleys. In the moment, there is only one solution, even if it goes against all his training as a Time Agent: he has to bring Harry back to the future with him. In which Draco burns his life down for the sake of his former school rival.

[skeefee-sky]

'Song of Memory.'

@thunder-tober Day prompt: 23- Song Characters: Virgil Tracy, Thunderbird Two Word count: 585

Everyone has a song that reminds them of a loved one that’s passed, or one they associate with that person – their song. Haven’t mentioned the song in particular; gonna leave that up to reader’s interpretation <3 During a maintenance check, Thunderbird Two asks Virgil about the song he’s humming. She finds out it has deeper meaning than she thought.

💙💚TB ~~~ TB ~~~ TB ~~~ TB ~~~ TB ~~~ TB ~~~ TB ~~~ TB 💚💙

“What are you humming?”

Virgil had expected the question by now. He’d make some sort of musical noise to pass the time during maintenance. And his Thunderbird would always inquire the melodies. He personally loved her curiosities in music, one day promising to play her a few tunes from the piano.

“Just a song…” he started, glimpsing over one of the scans as he walked past.

“Captain, it’s not ‘just a song’,” Thunderbird Two lightly poked. She had been listening; it definitely wasn’t just all that. Virgil softly scoffed.

“If you’d let me finish… It’s, just a song I used to listen to with my mother… It’s her song.”

The Thunderbird quietened at that, softening her engines as best she could out of courtesy. She hadn’t quite been expecting that answer... She hadn’t heard much about the boys’ mother – they rarely spoke about her at all. But she did know they’d all been fairly young when she had passed. Being a machine, Thunderbird Two didn’t quite understand the feeling of loss, but she had to imagine it hurt something awful…

“Sorry…”

“You’re fine, Two,” Virgil reassured, a soft chuckle escaped his lips as he paced her module. “I know I… we don’t talk about her as much as we do Dad but, we definitely should. I feel like, some of us are starting to forget her…”

He turned to input a few details into the monitor behind him, frowning at some of the data already on the screen. Well that was something he’d have to get Brains to check later… Fingers swiftly moved as he typed, and he started to hum again unconsciously.

“It sounds like it’s a sad song…” Thunderbird Two spoke up suddenly, softly. She didn’t mean to keep interrupting him; she wanted to hear the whole song out. But, something felt different about this song, and know that she knew it related to his mother, her curiosity was getting the best of her. Unnatural for a ship, but not a Thunderbird.

“Can you, tell me some things about her? Your mother?”

Virgil lifted his hands from the keys, breath caught in his throat as he paused. He then swiftly put in another command and moved away from the monitor, leaning up against the side of the module as he exhaled.

“She’s who encouraged my musical talent, you know… She’d be at the piano at any given opportunity, plunking for inspiration or playing a few notes of a song,” he started, tilting his head back a little as he spoke. “This song in particular, it was by one of her favourite artists. She taught herself the piano track to it, and would sing it to us before she tucked us into bed. It’s, not so much sad, as it is, reflective, in a way.”

Thunderbird Two listened intently, playing the song silently along her processor so she could try and picture what her pilot described. She could only imagine…

“I’d sit with her when she played; sometimes John was with us… She taught me right-hand, then left, but for some reason I struggled so much to put it together at first.” The laugh that left her pilot’s lips had the Thunderbird rumbling softly. He didn’t have to, but she was glad she’d gotten him talking. The conversations they had between each other during her maintenance checks did always seem to make them go faster.

“Maybe… Maybe I can play it for you one day, Thunderbird Two…”

“I’d like that, captain… Thank you.”

[mytragedyperson]

Hi....! If you don't mind, can I ask, who are your top 7 favorite romantic relationship's couples in books/ manga/ anime/movies/tv series/etc (can be canon or non-canon) and your top 10 favorite characters ever from any media? Why do you love them all? Thanks if you want to answer....

Thank you for the ask. I'll start with characters. This isn't in any particular order. There are a lot of headcanons here but those headcanons are mostly based on my interpretations of their canon characters. Also these are more characters and ships I think about most often rather than favourites because I struggle with favourites

Dazai Osamu from Bungou Stray Dogs

I've always liked morally grey and manipulative characters. There's something about a character who doesn't really care either way which side he's on. Good and bad aren't important. There's simply his people and the people coming after his people. I also ship him with so many characters both for angst purposes and genuine i think they'd be good together reasons.

2. Ranpo Edogawa from Bungou Stray Dogs

I promise this is not just a list of Bungou Stray Dogs characters. But, considering Ranpo and Dazai often fight for the spot of favourite Bungou Stray Dogs characters, not including him would feel wrong. No, i always liked Ranpo. I took one look at this genius with zero ability to survive the normal world on his own and, yeah, he was funny. Then the flashback episodes happening with Ranpo fully believing in the beginning that he's not special, that everyone can just notice these things and just pretend not to know and just not get it. Like that scene may have permanently altered something in my mind. Also, him trapping Chuuya in Poe's book was just great. We stan Ranpo here. It's good for the soul

3. Kageyama Tobio from Haikyuu

I don't think this is surprising. My pfp is Kageyama for a reason. And, yes, some of it definitely comes from some well-written angsty soulmate AU fics. But also my guy Tobio here i relate to in some way. I'm no major sports file. But i get it, communication is hard. I've spoken to people and had my tone come out moody when I didn't mean to. I've struggled to explain things. And for Kageyama, a lot of his problems come from the fact that he doesn't know how to communicate. He doesn't know how to explain how to improve because he's been playing so long it's instinctual. I think there's a scene in season 1 or season 2 where Nishinoya is trying to explain something to Hinata but he keeps using onomatopoeia so no one understands what he's saying... except Kageyama, who explains things in a similar way. But also he's actually so respectful of his upperclassmen and admires his fellow setters so much. Like, yes, he's confident, but he still wants to earn his place on the court, he still wants to earn his victories. He's still willing to listen to other people, especially other setters, and learn from them. Can he be rude? Yes. Does he mean to be? Most of the time, no. Even people like Tsukishima and Hinata, they talk to him first.

Also my inner Kageyama apologist demands I add, when I look beneath the surface of how he says things (the words that actually come out), what he says (what he means, what he's trying to say) isn't actually that mean or bad. He just doesn't get how people cant love basketball as much as him.

Moving on

4. Karma Akabane from Assassination Classroom

Oh look, a character from the first anime i ever watched. Listen, can this guy be kinda embarrassing when he's trying to be badass? Yes. But also, he's in middle school, we're all embarrassing at that age. Like i struggle to explain what it is about him specifically makes him my favourite. Maybe I'm sensing angst potential. Like I've written before how I could kinda see him and Karasuma becoming a little found family and Karasuma adopting him. I have headcanons that he secretly likes studying and learning but was bullied for it so learned to fight so he could defend himself and that lead to him becoming a delinquent. This isn't to say he doesn't enjoy fighting and breaking the rules, he does. We can all like more than one thing. I have ships with him, i ship him with Nagisa, i ship him with Gakushu Asano, him and Rio Nakamura as besties, a platonic ship. Just... there's so much potential and that's without bringing crossovers into the mix. I can still picture him in My Hero Academia

5. Reki Kyan from Sk8 The Infinity

Listen, if I wanted to, this could just become a list of Sk8 the Infinity characters so I'm limiting myself to my favourite, Reki. So i don't think it's hard to see there's not many happy, sunshine characters. But here he is, my ray of sunshine, the guy i just need to see loved and protected, the reason i can never like or forgive Adam (no hate to people who like him ofc). He hurt my sunshine physically. My sunshine was hurt mentally and emotionally. His self doubt won out. But you know what, I'll say it. The found family was found because of him, he was the heart that brought them together. He got Langa into skating and brought him to S, he jumped in Shadow's car and adopted him as his uncle, he stood up for Miya and became his older brother figure, he challenged Adam, which lead to Cherry and Joe giving him advice. And then the people at S get in his head, make him doubt himself, but Langa only seems to love skating when he's skating with him. It was a fanfic, a really good fanfic that's a whole series and i'm pretty sure one of the parts is called to Build a Mechanic. But it has a lot of Reki interacting with Cherry, which i don't see terribly often and getting his confidence back. But it points out he himself hasn't been skating long and is self taught, and it's not like he's bad at skating. Like, ugh, i love him. His angst makes me sad.

6. L from Death Note

He's the reason I watched Death Note, but I've said before that, before i knew what Death Note actually was and just heard the premise and saw the characters, i did think he was the one with the death note. I've mentoned AUs. Lawlight is a big factor but also him. A morally grey strange overly smart man child. I just wanna throw him in the Bungou Stray Dogs universe (with Light of course) and see what happens. Just watch him interact with Ranpo and Dazai and Fyodor. I want to throw him in a universe where there is no Death Note, the stakes are so low but him and Light treat it the same as they do their canon storyline. Maybe a school theatre or academic or professional rivalry. He's so unethical and I love it

7. Cale Henituse/Kim Rok Soo from Trash of the Count's Family / Lout of the Count's family.

First you can pry the name Trash of the Count's Family from my cold dead hands. That's how it was introduced to me and so that's its name for life in my head. Now the character. Ah the perils of caring too much. For people who haven't read this web novel, allow me to paint a picture. Imagine a guy who's transmigrated into a different world. He gathers multiple powers, meets main characters, turns antagonists to his side, becomes friends with leaders, gets involved in multiple wars, saves multiple people and adopts children and takes in strays. Now, imagine that same guy's main goal is to live a peaceful slacker life. Well that seems contradicting. Yep that's Cale Henituse after Kim Rok Soo transmigrate to become him. A walking talking contradiction, who leaves destruction and misunderstandings in his wake. He does the exact opposite of what he says he'll do. Wants to get rid of other characters? Adopts more. Wants to avoid war? In every battle. And the entire time he basically thinks he's the worst, greediest person to ever exist. He's so kind and so good and so giving and so in denial about all of it. He's so smart and powerful and yet wants nothing to do with that power beyond protecting his people

Wait, just realised it said 10 characters so 3 more. Let's go.

8.Nico Di Angelo from PJO, specifically the first 3 books he's in because that's all i've read. Badass 12 year old child of Hades who rocks up to a battle with 3 gods. Summons ghosts with McDonalds. Traumatised, good angst potential, lots of possible ships. Like he's still just a kid. A kid whose mom and sister died, whose dad is a god, who is 70 years in the future from when he was. Like, someone, anyone, please, love him, protect him. I don't care how powerful he is, that is a child. A child who could kill you with a snap of his fingers. But a child all the same. or at least a teenager but my point stands.

9. Natsusa Yuzuki from Number24. So manipulative. Such a little shit. So spoiled. So loved. So adored. There's something about loving a sport so much that you can't leave it even when you can't play because you're hurt. Also he just has this charm and he's so pretty. I can admit to being shallow to some extent. Like he's just a pretty, manipulative guy who has everyone wrapped around his finger and loves rugby. He is either a power bottom or a bratty sub, because i can't imagine him topping but I can imagine him as a mean dom to some people, who likes degradation and humiliation. Or a bratty sub who acts out so his top has to put him in his place. Also he's small and likes being manhandled a little.

10. Alastor from hazbin hotel. He's just a mystery. He's been gone from hell for years, he's not double dead, so where was he? Why is he back now? Who did he make a deal with? Who is he chained to? Lilith? Still doesn't explain where he was. And if not Lilith, who? Was he still in hell, just in one of the other rings? Was he out of hell entirely? How? Why? Why is he helping Charlie? Also him and Nifty are cute in like a platonic way, and him and Rosie are gossiping besties and he does seem capable of forming friendships and caring about people but it's a small list and even then I'm assuming he actually cares about Nifty, Though I will say his relationships with the female characters do seem healthier and more genuine than his relationships with the male characters. That could just be manipulation though. I'm pretty sure he's supposed to be a sociopath or psychopath, though i could be wrong. He's just so interesting

Okay this is ships. Ships are harder because there's a lot of ships I don't mind or like but no real "i need this" ships. But let's do it.

Lawlight from Death Note. Discussed this before in this post more detail. Is it toxic in canon? Yes. Is that part of why i ship it? Also yes. Look, for all i think of AUs where they actually work, either both being Kira or no death note, I was initially drawn to this for the canon. Chaining themselves together? Sharing a bed? L watching him on cameras? We don't need AUs. I can think of so many ideas for them in canon. Some kinky, others not. Some dark and angsty. I don't mind the idea of Misa being added but Lawlight is just fine for me, especially since I don't really ship L and Misa romantically, Though i do think them as besties could be fun. The Judas and Jesus parallels. God there's so much glorious potential. They can make each other worse.

Akutagawa x Dazai - Bungou Stray Dogs. Feel like people are gonna come for me for this one, I'm treading dangerous ground, and yet tread i must in honour of being honest. There are other Dazai ships I like, there are other Akutagawa ships I like. But this one, this one i wasn't expecting. Again i dare to ask is it toxic, and again i dare to say it is, and that's why. I felt guilty at first, then i remembered they're fictional. So wanting to see angst as Akutagawa worships Dazai and it becomes romantic and Dazai manipulates him with it. Akutagawa and Dazai with Dazai as a god figure and Akutugawa worshipping him. Listen even in the fluffiest of universes they'd still be unethical. Yandere Akutagawa meeting a Dazai who uses his yandereness to take out his enemies by flirting with them so Akutagawa kills them, until Akutagawa goes too far and kills someone Dazai cares about, maybe Oda somehow. This is where darkfics come in. Most of my ideas for them are dark and angsty. I know lots of people see them more familial but, even if they don't ever get together, in my head, Dazai was Akutagawa's first crush. Also Dazai purposely trying to make Akutagawa jealous. How obedient Akutagawa is for Dazai but how he will also go against his orders. Dom/sub, brat/brat tamer, gunplay, knifeplay. Also this is Bungou Stray Dogs, they're in the mafia, ethics and laws are unimportant here.

Karma Akabane x Asano gakushu from assassination classroom. Academic rivalry? Yes. Asano being annoyed because Karma doesn't seem to put in as much effort as him but still manages to beat him half the time? Yes. The taunts? Yes. Asano eventually finding out Karma's secret love of learning and studying? Yes. Bonding over shitty parents? Definitely. Asano finding out what went down with Korosensei. healing together. They love and hate each other. If True Love by Pink and Lily Allen was a couple. Again this is without getting into crossovers and AUs really. some headcanons but not really AU. Them competing in all areas and being equally matched. Them being a power couple. Their love language is making fun of each other but, also, headcanon/fic idea i thought of right now, Karma is secretly a pretty good chef. He makes something for Asano but they're still rivals so he can't just give it to him so he has to trick Asano into stealing it and then, when he does, he refuses to tell him where he got it. Asano only finds out when Nagisa accidentally lets it slip at some point and never lets Karma live it down but is secretly touched because he's not used to stuff like that. Them subtly caring for each other. Someone messes with them and they go full power couple and just destroy whoever it was in every way they can.

Reki Kyan x Langa Hasegawa from Sk8 the Infinity. Had to have these two here. Like there was no way I was doing this list and not mentioning this ship. Like all the reason i need is the scene where Langa thinks Reki didn't come to S and his heart just isn't in the race until Reki shouts his name. Like they just are the heart of the show. They care about each other so much. They'd be so soft towards each other, so loving, a truly sickening couple. But I need that.

Natsusa x Ibuki from Number24. Listen this ship list could just be ships with Natsusa from Number24 so easily, but this one. Natsusa sits on his crotch. Natsusa being a power bottom for Ibuki's service top (i think that's the term.) The size difference. The scene in the chapel. i think it's a chapel. I love religious imagery in ships. Not overly religious myself but there's something about partner worship. Ibuki being the reason Natsusa started playing rugby. It's so good. Like Number24 is basically one big polycule anyway. but these two, these two are it. Also Seiichirou. Add him in there too. Of all the polycule these three are it.

Todoroki Shoto x Bakugou Katsuki. This is mostly from fanfiction. I watched, like, one season of BNHA, though i do plan to watch the rest. But I've read some really good fics about them. Plus, i feel like Todoroki could bring some much needed calm to Bakugou. Also i feel like Todoroki doesn't fear his anger in the way others would and, actually, behind his sheltered upbringing he's a little shit who would love deliberately annoying Bakugou. Bakugo hates that he falls for Todoroki but, honestly, Todoroki's precious, everyone loves him, and Bakugou is just a man. He never stood a chance. And neither did Todoroki. They're an absolute power couple. They obliterate villains together. Or if they become villains or vigilantes just kick absolute ass. They both have a million fangirls. Katsuki lives to piss off Endeavour (whether Shouto forgives him or not). Also i need Todorkoki hanging out with the Bakusquad and learning internet slang and memes and being chaotic but is still very awkward and seems very stoic so no one suspects him.

Aomine Daiki and Kagami Taiga. I thought about it, who should be the last ship on the official list. In the end it could only be them. Kagami could very well be the person who makes Daiki fall in love with basketball again. They are rivals to friends to lovers. Each other's biggest competition. Supporters. Both so bad at feelings and too prideful. I don't know who falls first but they both fall hard and neither will admit it. They definitely sleep with each other multiple times before they're even friends and insist it will never happen again only to fall back into bed together. Also they're switches to me. Again there is possibility for a polycule but when i think ships i usually seek out in fanfics, it is them.

special mention: Kageyama Tobio x happiness. Couldn't decide on a specific ship because as long as he's happy, i don't care

Thank you for the ask. If anyone sees this, feel free to send asks for headcanons, drabbles, snippets or just questions like this. To see what fandoms i write for, check out my pinned post.

Side note: I realise all the ships are gay and all the characters are male. I promise I don't hate women or straight/lesbian ships. Also i do watch shows and movies and stuff that isn't anime. These are just the characters and ships and things i think about most often.

[mahou-furbies]

Closing thoughts on Wonderful Precure!

The season I wrote off as a complete dud turned out to actually have a lot of good stuff going on.

First things first, I'm in the camp that thinks the lack of fights is an issue. The structure of having an obligatory fight per episode isn't good (though it's not much use complaining about it), but I don't think the chase scenes were good either and just felt more limp in comparison. I can only manage with them from the angle that at least they're doing something different this time, but if we must have a mandatory action scene in every episode I really wish they'll go back to proper battles with hand to hand combat elements.

Story wise the early season also felt weak and aimless when we knew so little about the plot and didn't have a single identifiable antagonist. Which did leave more space for the character stuff, but early season Iroha was an absolute bore for me and Komugi was actively annoying for most of the time, so getting through the first dozen or so episodes was quite a struggle for me. However when the cat duo started to be more relevant the season improved dramatically, and showed its true strength with the character writing.

Komugi is a character that was never going to be very appealing to me, I just can't with these pinkie pie style hyper and cutesy types. And since she's written as… shall we say more childlike than the average Cure, her inner world is less complex and a lot of time results in her scenes being very samey. In general the reasons I don't care for her are largely same as why I don't like baby mascots when I think about it.

However in Komugi's defense I have to say that it feels so absurdly fresh that she (and Yuki too for that matter) keep being written as pets. Some of my main complaints about this franchise are how the Cures' interpersonal relationships all meld into one mushy group where everyone is just besties with everyone, and the fact that the unique origins of nonhuman Cures (like mascot based or anyone from a fantasy realm) are quickly forgotten. But that was very much not the case here, Iroha and Komugi's relationship never felt like regular friends, or even sisters, and instead was distinctly recognisable as a girl and her pet. And Komugi was written consistently and was used well in several scenes, so begrudgingly I'll have to say she is a net positive for the franchise, even though I wish we won't have a Cure like her again.

Let's do Iroha next, she was less expressly annoying but also had very little to offer, like we've seen this kind of main girl in Precure so many times already. That is until the confession & date and the pet death episodes, where she was finally given something interesting to do. But outside those she was fairly generic to me.

The cat duo worked a lot better for me. Mayu started off as a pretty standard shy-and-quiet girl, but the decision to make her a shipper really made her stand out. The scenes where she is hyped for SatoIro were comedy gold, and her teasing Satoru gave her a playful side and also further exemplified that the characters have distinct relationship with each other. And they even managed to tie this into the main plot when she also started to ship the antagonists with each other!

Not suprisingly Yuki was my favourite Cure, I am so ready for a lower energy character who has this dismissive and aloof energy about her. Yet another of my commone Precure complaints is that everyone is always super into whatever throwaway activity is going on in an episode, and it's so rare to have someone who genuinely isn't that interested. She has the most distinct arc out of the Cures too. And it's super funny when a serious character does something dumb so her going into cat mode in human form was always great.

Then we have Satoru who was just super wholesome, up there as the best Precure boy with Cure wing for me, though it was a little disappointing how he didn't really get to become a Cure. I'll take the moment in the finale but it's just so little. Meanwhile Daifuku… might just be my favourite character in the show, like there's more to analyse about the others but he's just so cute, never annoying, and has this excellent serious energy about him. I also really liked Mey-Mey and Niko, Mey-Mey had a fun comedic presence and a good chemistry with Satoru, and Niko's powerful and dignified deity energy made a fun combo with her somewhat self-important and chaotic side.

I want to give a shoutout to the date episode, which earns a spot in the list of the best episodes in the entire franchise. Just an overall really well directed episode where every character got to shine.

Overall this season lands in the mid tier for me, it has a lot of good stuff but also a lot that was just boring or annoying. Which is a lot better finish than I ever expected so that is worth celebrating.

[thevulturesquadron]

Ok so this is me sorta headcanoning, so take this with a grain of salt, but one of the reasons why the infantilization of Rogue always bothers me is because I always felt like her powers were a metaphor for disability/chronic illness and fandom police act already like disabled women aren't capable of being in their own villain romances, example being Entrapdak antis denying Entrapta her own agency in her romance with Hordak in the She-Ra reboot.

Oh! But you make a really good point! It’s one of those subtle perspectives that can be dangerous just because of how easy they are to integrate into someone's view of the world. I'm not as vocal online as I used to be. I feel like there are people out there far better equipped to talk about it than I, while I grow old and cranky. But, you brought up a really important aspect that kinda sent me into a 'hold my beer' moment so apologies for the long answer! To start with, I wouldn’t call this a headcanon, not at all, clearly not in the context of X-men, and Rogue in particular. It’s a very apt analogy. The reason why these characters become relevant to us is because we recognize something from our personal journey in them, and the comparison you made for Rogue is a very strong one. Her inability to touch can absolutely be read as a disability! In so many of her stories/arcs it is often portrayed as a struggle, as an obstacle to a ‘normal life’. Her difficulties with gaining control over her powers and dealing with other personalities that are trying to take over her mind can also be a strong metaphor for mental health struggles/disorders. Rogue is a fantastic hero in that regard and seeing her be her own person, learning how to work and be proud of what she can do, can feel like a personal victory for so many people. It’s why it’s important to see her happy, to see her winning her battles and use who she is and what she can do in a positive and impactful way. There are many reasons why fans end up taking away her agency or attributing her choices to a different (often male) character. And, to be fair, a couple of comic-book writers have done this exact thing to her, so I can see where this skewed perspective might be coming from. Within fandom this happens mostly because it serves to support their arguments for whatever thing they prefer or project onto the character. If they don’t like a certain narrative or can’t accept that it might’ve be written for someone else, they have this to fall back on and point to. Or, sadly, one of the simplest reasons for doing this is the age-old turning their ship preferences into ‘I’m right, you are wrong’ arguments. But these things can hide some internalized misconceptions. Unfortunately I haven’t seen the reboot of She-Ra (shame on me) so I don’t have the full picture for the take on Entrapta, but now I have one more reason to invest some time in it. In this situation with Rogue, I believe that what you mentioned applies very well. The argument that I’ve seen going around a lot is that Rogue was manipulated/swayed by being presented with the opportunity to ‘be normal’. Because she wanted to be able to touch and as a result she was taken advantage of because of her ‘disability’. Which is entirely false. In no version of the relationship between Rogue and Magneto in the comics, and not even in the reinvented take in the animation, has he ever abused that. Her attraction to him has always, always, come first, and the ability to touch, second. He was never the first one to act upon it. Even in the animation, every shot in the flashback was carefully considered to portray that - she is shown as the initiator every time (my favourite scene is when she’s trying her very best to pose in a suggestive way and he just paints her as he sees her, lively and sincere). But some fans don’t want to see that. They don’t want to acknowledge the authenticity of her decisions because it doesn’t serve the narrative they want of her/for her.

I read your message and it hit like a hammer how much deeper this problem can actually go, because it’s masked by those surface-level justifications. Removing agency and responsibility from someone just because they operate differently than one’s expectations is damaging in and of itself, and within a fandom it perpetuates an idea that can stifle people’s perspective and critical thinking. (This whole topic actually reminded me of Madison Tevlin's “Assume that I can” commercial. I think it's relevant to the conversation) Thanks a lot for sharing this!!! We need to talk more about these things and if I misspoke on something or missed something important would love to hear it. 💜

[moonspirit]

Hiii Moon🌿💚

I hope your *timezone* goes well, and wish you to spend it nicely and peacefully, as much as possible~

For the fandom asks:

1, 2, 5, 6, 13, 20, 24

(for the future) Thank you for your answers, and take care (⁠っ⁠˘⁠з⁠(����)

Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii Anna!!! T^T I'm doing alright, but how are YOU??? I'm so excited for your new art and for more of your writing - I literally cannot wait, but also I wish you plenty of energy for the time being!

Thank you for the asks T^T

Oh well, I already answered 1 and 5 over here xD But as for the rest, here goes!

2. a headcanon you weren't sure about at first but have come to like!

That both Aruani are only *moderate* cooks xD Initially I always thought Armin would cook really well and Annie would be the type to throw some seasoning on plain ramen and call it a day- but. BUT. They're both actually pretty average xD And they both have terrible eating habits. He forgets to eat. She has snacks in her pockets. There you go, now I love it xD

6. something you see in art a lot and love

The horny answer is hair

Sensuality! In all the Aruani art I see, there's so much emotional expression in the way Armin and Annie are drawn and it's so so so beautiful. After all, there's a ton of feelings and emotions to pull from, so it makes for a real astounding experience, honestly. The eyes, the lighting, the mood conveyed!!! T^T Doesn't even matter if it's a chibi doodle or a 5 minute sketch or a 14-hour canvas piece or just silly, it's always so chalk full of emotions!!!

God you artists are so great T^T And YOU Anna! YOU!

Also hair.

13. your favorite type of fandom event (gift exchange, ship week, secret santa, prompt meme, etc)

Oh T^T Well aside from being there to witness fandom events I haven't actually had the chance to take part in any. Though I think exchanges are really so so so much fun! You ask, and someone makes something for you - secretly or otherwise! It's very personal, and has your favourite characters making out like they're gonna die - what can possibly be better???

20. your very first fandom!

Tantei Gakuen Q and SA! Back in 2006-08 was when I really began to get more involved in fandom in terms of creating - I still remember writing for the Kei x Hikari ship xD I was on vacation from school and the internet was "free" during the early hours of dawn (so like.. 3am to 6am), so I'd watch SA and write fic and post it all on FFN in the span of... 2 hours xD Don't know how I did that... now I take 20 minutes just to find the motivation to brush my teeth...

24. how has fandom positively impacted your life?

Eeeeeeeeeeeee fandooooooooomm my beloved!

Honestly I've been a silent spectator in many fandoms, but something about that environment of creation and discussion is very very motivating and inspiring. You see people having these fantastic conversations and you go "okay... I feel like doing something too." Creating is good for the soul, and I think this is a piece of advice doled out even to someone struggling with serious issues. Creating is healing, it works your brain, it gets you busy, it gets your imagination running. And fandom is suuuuuuuuuuch a good space for that.

For me personally, fandom has been many things, but most importantly, a place where I've made warm friends and in which I've found a reason to keep going, day to day. I'm so glad for all fandoms, but especially the Aruani fandom T^T

Thank you so much for the asks, anna, I really appreciate it T////T Sending you a lot of good vibes and energy to pull through~ 🌿💚🌿💚🌿💚🌿💚🌿💚🌿💚

[theartfuldodger26]

L O V E for the ask game :D

You're really sweet, you know that, right? Thank you for the asks :)

L: Say something genuinely nice about a character who isn't one of your faves.

I don't like Snape due to the whole bullying kids for kicks thing (and having been bullied by teachers myself), but I have to admit he is very clever and a great Occlumens. Don't like saying it, but it's true.

O: Choose a song at random. Which ship or character does it remind you of?

So, one of my favourite songs is Ghost River by Nightwish. It speaks of a child of r@pe that the river of dead children beckons him. It also sounds as though the singer is telling the mother of the boy that her only son will drown and become part of the ghost river. For some reason it makes me very emotional and reminds me of Tom Riddle and his mother, Merope Gaunt. And for some even creazier reason, I always imagine Bellatrix singing it to Merope with sadistic glee in her eyes? something is broken inside my brain for sure. Highly recommend any song by the band, though.

I'm gonna go listen to it on repeat till I fall asleep now, thanks!

He will go down, he will drown-drown, deeper down, The river wild will take your only child. He will go down, he will drown-drown, deeper down, If you want me, then do come across.

V: Which character do you relate to the most?

Oh boy, what a question. I mean, it depends on the level. On a superficial level, I guess that Hermione is a good representation of neurotic, night-and-day-studying, (supposedly) know-it-all me. But on a deeper level, I relate to the Bellatrix I have in my mind. She feels she has failed at her main goal, is deeply ashamed but still struggling to fix things. I'd rather not say more.

E: Have you added anything cracky/hilarious to your fandom? Id so, what?

I'm so glad you asked, thank you!

I try to add humour to my fics and private HCs, because life is too sad if we take it too seriously. A small, but super fun, crack HC I have is that Tom Riddle/Voldemort has cartoon pockets, meaning he has put an Undetectable Expansion Charm in all his pockets, and carries with him pretty much his entire fortune with him at all times. So when Bellatrix or Harry go, "hey, ever heard of John Doe" or whatever, he casually just pulls out a photo album and finds John Doe. Or they might ask for a favour, checking out an item or fixing something, and he casually pulls out a microscope and an entire alchemy table and starts tinkering! Those are my two crack cents XD

Thanks again for the ask, I thoroughly enjoyed the questions!

[danpuff-ao3]

20 Questions for Fic Writers

Thanks for the tag @lizzy0305! 😘

1. How many works do you have on ao3?

118 altogether. Some old Marvel fics, some meta...107 of them are HP fics.

2. What fandoms do you write for?

Currently only Harry Potter, though I've got some old Marvel ones up.

3. Top five fics by kudos:

Oh hey! It's changed since I last checked...my Top 5 used to be all from the Yes, Daddy series, but a couple of others broke through! Now we have...

Daddy's Boy

Obscene

Daddy Knows Best

Breed Me, Daddy

Contempt

4. What’s your total ao3 word count?

749,120 as of now!

5. Do you respond to comments?

I do my best to! I've had a hard time keeping up with it lately, but my goal is to get to them all eventually...I want all of my commenters to know how very much I appreciate them!!

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Haha...haha...huh. Idk. I write too much angst 😭 How am I supposed to pick? I think either A Matter of Time or In My Veins (In My Blood) are probably the worst 2, maybe?

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

...do I write happy endings? Jk, jk...Oh yeah! The Curse of Anteros for sure has a happy ending. A well earned one at that!

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Sometimes! Collateral Damage got some hate for a certain twist 👀 Most of my dead doves get weird comments, because I don't pull my punches. The odd weird or rude comment scattered elsewhere. I try to handle it with grace, but honestly I'm a big ole sensitive baby so...🥲

9. Do you write smut?

Oh hell yeah 😈

10. Craziest crossover?

No crossovers really, though I want to write a HP + PJO crossover one day...

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of, and may it stay that way.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yep! And I'm super honored by it!

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

No, not yet! But I'd like to one day.

14. All time favourite ship?

Snarry 4 life.

15. What’s a wip you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

Probably old ones from my earlier days, but anything I've posted within the past few years I fully intend on finishing. Even if smile with sweet surprise only gets 1 update a year 🤣

16. What are your writing strengths?

idk 🥲 umm...I write emotions pretty well I think. I write angst pretty well especially. I really care about the characters and portraying them as honestly as I can, and as real as I can, accepting all of their humanity, good and bad.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Hmm. I don't think I could write fluff to save my life...I've made some attempts but 😂 I struggle a lot with my work for various reasons, none of them easy to put a name to. I do have a hard time balancing the idea of...wanting to leave a lot to implication, but trying not to be so subtle people don't actually have a hope of catching on at all. (Thank god for beta readers.)

18. Thoughts on dialogue in another language?

I like it, but I worry about Google Translate failing me 😭

19. First fandom you wrote in?

Harry Potter!

20. Favourite fic you’ve written?

For sure it's Contempt, and its counterpart Devotion. Truly the story of my soul. All of my feelings about Snarry poured into it. 20+ years of passion and devotion to this pairing! I'm not sure I could love anything more or be prouder of anything more. (Though I do think The Curse of Anteros is my best work, but Contempt/Devotion will always have my heart!)

Tagging: @perverse-idyll, @writcraft, @ac1d6urn, @loneamaryllis, @fleetingdesires, @greenmegsnoham, @lqtraintracks, @somnwritessometimes, @aeternumregina, @broomsticks, @thistlecatfics, @maesterchill, @wolfpants, @mintawasalreadytaken, @saintsenara, @the-paper-monkey, @ashesandhackles, and anyone else who wants to play!

[simons-purplehoodie]

20 Questions For Fic Writers

How many works do you have on Ao3?

11! 

What's your total Ao3 word count?

464,022 😳 Dang I did not expect it to be that much!!

What fandoms do you write for?

Young Royals only so far! Although I really am thinking of writing a Dead Boy Detectives Fic. Go stream that on Netflix if you haven’t already!

Top five fics by kudos:

The Boy and the Bartender

Better With You

the sound of our hearts

Constellations of Love

A Glimpse of Us

Do you respond to comments?

Absolutely!!! Comments are literally the reason I continue writing haha

What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I honestly don’t write fics with angsty endings. I LOOOOVE writing angst and unfortunately Simon and Wille always go THROUGH IT in my fics but I always do happy endings. 

What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Haha all of them. Constellations of Love is the most recent ending I wrote and that one suggests they’ll be together forever. 

Do you get hate on fics?

Not really which is amazing! People definitely leave things they might disagree on or dislike but it’s never really hate.

Do you write smut?

I’ve written a few sex scenes but I don’t think I’ve ever written like smut smut. I actually definitely want to try to at some point though. 

Craziest crossover:

I don’t have one!

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Thankfully not to my knowledge!

Have you ever had a fic translated?

I’ve had a couple people ask to translate various fics but idk if they ever actually did. 

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

I have!! The sound of our hearts along with the wonderful and talented @little-fandom

All time favourite ship?

WILMON‼️

What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

I don’t actually have any unfinished WIPs. I just started a summer camp fic that’ll be a fun little short thing and I’ll post that at some point. 

What are your writing strengths?

I think making the characters, their struggles, thoughts, and dialogue feel authentic? I like to add real struggles and emotions to the stories to make the characters relatable and it always makes me so happy when someone in the comments says they relate to a situation or a feeling Wille or Simon is going through. 

What are your writing weaknesses?

Definitely writing filler scenes. I feel like I sometimes skip them too much because I don’t like writing them but they add context to the story, so I’m working on it haha. 

Thoughts on dialogue in another language?

Very cool!

First fandom you wrote in?

young royals! 

Favourite fic you've written?

I think A Glimpse of Us or Constellations of Love are my favorites

No pressure tags(if you have done it just ignore it): @darktwistedgenderplural @sunshine-rudberg @unfortunate17 @glassdollls or @ anyone who wants to do it! 

[mrsbsmooth]

20 questions for fic writers

Thanks for the tag @rebelrayne! @longbobmckenzie tagged me in the body of hers too so I’ll take it.

How many works do you have on ao3?

82 right now, but I’ve orphaned a few recently

What’s your total ao3 word count?

1,220,982. I’ve got about another 30-40k words in WIP documents right now, so almost one-amd-a-quarter million words 😨

What fandoms do you write for?

Love Island the Game, Too Hot to Handle game, Harry Potter (Dramione exclusive), Romance Club (Heaven’s Secret)

Top five fics by Kudos

Tell Me What You Want (HP)

This Time, I’m Serious

Jaded

Unhealthy

Kinktober 2022

TIL that my Harry Potter fic has overtaken TTIS even though TTIS has more hits.

Do you respond to comments?

Yes! There were a few on TTIS I missed that it would be awkward to reply to because it was so long ago, but I make a point of trying to reply to every comment.

What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

The only sad ending I’ve ever written was the first chapter of Jaded which was originally done as a oneshot.

What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Probably Welcome To Racers. They got the whole shebang. Love me a happily ever after.

Do you get hate on fics?

Not recently. I’ve had hate for my portrayals of Alex, Lucas, and Suresh. But I haven’t had any nasty anon comments in ages which is lovely.

Do you write smut?

Yeah it's kinda my thing.

Craziest crossover:

I don’t know if I’ve done many crossovers… maybe Bruno and Miri Make a Porno or All I Want for Christmas is You which is a hetero take on Red White and Royal blue?

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of!

Have you ever had a fic translated?

No but I think I would probably die of happiness.

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

I HAVE! All’s Fair in Casa Amor was written with my beautiful friends @i-boop-you and @crimswnred !!!!!!

All time favourite ship?

Dramione (new fave) but for LITG? Hard question because our fandom is so built around an MC. But with two canon characters? I secretly love a Bruno/Valentina. Also love Hope/Lucas. They just WORK.

What's a wip you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

It’s gotta be Recovery. I have the whole thing planned in my head but I just have no motivation to write it at all. Other than that, I don’t see myself finishing Famous Last Words any time soon. If I was going to finish it I’d take it down and rewrite it to make it fully OF.

What are your writing strengths?

Smut probably, I’m not bad at it. I feel like my narrative pacing is alright, and my prose is decent despite it being really inconsistent.

What are your writing weaknesses?

I rely too much on dialogue. I miss all the little body language bits leading up to an important line that could take it from an ‘aww that’s sad’ to a ‘holy fuck I’m sobbing’. Luckily I have wonderful beta’s who help me with this.

But more than anything, characterisation. Forming a fully fleshed out character before I start the story. I struggle with it. I’ve always felt like I’m more of a storyteller, (a plot person) more than a deep dive into a character’s psyche kind of person. I love reading character driven stories though, but I think it’s something that comes with writing experience. I haven’t actually been writing for that long and I think I’m getting better at it, but it’s still a weak point.

Thoughts on dialogue in another language?

I sometimes forget that people don’t like this. I LOVE it. I do try and use it sparingly though. It’s so nice to see a character conversing with someone in their native language. I try and put the English dialogue in brackets or italics unless it's rather clear what they're saying (like swearing).

First fandom you wrote in?

LITG

Favourite fic you've written?

I, like Sarah, absolutely hate this question. My fics are my children. I like some of them more than others, though (I never claimed to be the world's best mother). But I love them for different reasons.

I love Welcome to Racers because it was my first AU. I loved The Only Two Things because I got to create an entire world, an entire city for my characters (Yes I'm aware Waterford, Ireland is a real place but God, I loved that story so much). TT,IS was the first fic I started and it gave me the friends I have today and the amount of people who tell me it's S4 canon just makes my whole life. Jaded was something different. It was a challenge to myself and I'm so proud of it. Unhealthy has been the most difficult to write, but it's also pushed me the hardest in my development of characters. FLW has been so much fun because I get to dive back into my music roots, urghhhhhh. Love.

I don't care if it's narcissistic. I re-read my fics on a regular basis. They're perfectly tailored to my taste. I love doing a nice re-read and sprinkling in a few extra details with liberal use of the edit button. If there was someone who knew my fics as well as I did, they'd get something a little bit different on every read. Might just be a line or two, might be a thought or a reaction, but I love to add and tweak and tinker with them all.

Love.

tagging: @i-boop-you @crimswnred @ellegreenwxy @tammyisobsessedwith @operationnope @sparxaf @eskiix

[rainintheevening]

Okay, got tagged a bit ago by @musewrangler with

20 Questions for the Writer

My ao3 is CapGirlCanuck if you want to check any of these fics out.

1. How many works do you have on Ao3?

87

2. What is your total Ao3 word count?

598, 207

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Lots. Marvel Cinematic Universe, Harry Potter, Star Wars, Narnia, and Fullmetal Alchemist are my biggest.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Change My Name, 413

After All, 266

take my hand (together we walk out of hell), 266 (WIP)

From Brooklyn to Queens, 256

Sanguine Frater, 249

5. Do you respond to comments?

Yes! I confess lately it's been a struggle for reasons I'm not quite sure of, but I always reply eventually!

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I almost never write angsty endings, so there is little competition for Softly, Softly, Falling Slow.

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Hmmm, maybe Promise, one of my Christmas fics? Or possibly my Endgame fix To the End... Of Infinity.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Um, not really. Not that I can recall.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Never.

10. Do you write crossovers?

I have published one—In Another Time and Place, a Narnia/Captain America crossover. I have other crossover ideas I have half-written scenes for or would love to mess with at some point.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not to my knowledge.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yep, one into Russian.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Nope. Though with all the contributions @novelmonger makes to much of my work, I think her name should be somewhere on most things.

14. What's your all-time favourite ship?

Oh goodness, can I say Eric/Jade my original characters? They were 'accidentally' made for each other, and I love them so much. Eric is a foot taller than her, btw.

But for fandom I'd have to say... Staron. They are the best.

Also my top brotp is probably Eric and Casey, my original characters, but in fandom... Peter and Edmund Pevensie *gets clocked by @novelmonger*

15. What's a WIP you want to finish, but doubt you ever will?

Ugh. *hides* The ones I've already started posting, I am absolutely DETERMINED to finish. But then there's all these things that I've started without publishing, that I'm beginning to be less and less sure I'll finish.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Um, dialogue, emotion, poetic stuff.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Plotty stuff, subtlety, people not saying what they're feeling.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

Love it, as long as there's not so much I feel stupid. It makes the story so much realer.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

MCU, specifically Captain America.

20. Favourite fic you've written?

This is a stinking hard question to answer. But I'm going to name Peter and the Lion. With When You Love A Wild One, Sanguine Frater, and My Brother's Keeper all as high ranking possibilities.

Okay! Tagging @novelmonger @ablatheringblatherskite @clawedandcute

[shsy7573]

Two-Hundred Days

A Voltron Fanfiction by shsy7573

Description: When Keith goes radio silent after weeks of daily video calls with his boyfriend, Lance begins to worry. To cope with the stress, he begins filming daily audio recordings on Keith’s old helmet. As Lance’s mental health begins to deteriorate, each message becomes more depressing than the last. What happens when Keith finally returns, and listens to how broken his boyfriend has become?

Relationships: Klance

WARNING: thoughts and discussions of suicide. Cursing

Notes/Info: Langst. Hurt/comfort. Screw canon, Lance is Blue Paladin, Keith is Red. Depressed Lance. Suicidal Lance. I didn’t include every single recorded message (obviously), but i figured I’d just include instances that highlighted Lance’s descent into deep depression. Tbh I don’t know how I feel about this one. The writing feels awkward/out of character, but let me know what you think. I kinda just had this idea pop into my head so I wrote it down :/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lance sat down and rested his back resting against the wall. He scanned the room. It was a place he’d been to many times before, and it wasn’t all that different from the other quarters in the castle. It was quaint, small. A bed ran along the side of the wall, its blue sheets tucked neatly under the mattress. There was a long compartment for belongings located next to the door, and a coat hanger right above it with a red and white jacket. Keith’s jacket. He’d left it behind when he’d joined the Blade.

It had been days since Lance had heard from the former Paladin. Nobody else was worried. Why would they be? They didn’t get daily calls from the half-Galran. Then again, it would be weird if they did. They weren’t his boyfriend.

Lance missed Keith. A lot. It was lonely on the ship without having his favourite Red Paladin to snuggle into. He missed the long conversations in Red or Blue’s cockpits, or the late-at-night encounters in the kitchen when neither Paladin could sleep. The team just felt… empty without him. Or maybe Lance just felt empty.

Usually, though, he’d have their morning calls to look forward to. It was the only time of day Keith was always one-hundred percent free. Apparently the Blade of Marmora were late risers. Mornings had become Lance’s favourite part of the day, whereas before it had been a struggle to get out of bed.

That’s part of the reason he was so worried. He knew Keith enjoyed their time together too, his boyfriend wouldn’t miss out unless he was doing something really important. Right?

Lance sighed. He didn’t even know why he’d come to Keith’s room. Obviously he wasn’t just going to show up here. That's not how things worked. Still, he’d hoped it would at least make him feel closer to the boy in some way. That it would do something to cure the aching in his gut that had started to emerge since he went radio silent. It didn’t, though. In fact Lance almost felt more separated from him.

The Blue Paladin stood up again, about to leave when something caught his eye. A small glint coming from inside the chest - which apparently wasn’t fully closed. Curiously, Lance walked over, and opened the trunk to discover Keith’s abandoned Paladin armour.

Oh. I was wondering what he did with that. Lance thought, reaching down and picking up the helmet. Ever since Keith left, Allura had been piloting the Red Lion. She hadn’t used Keith’s armour, though, instead opting to make a set with pink trimming. The Paladin smiled, wiping dust off the visor as he sat down again beside the chest. Man, this thing’s been through it.

He wasn’t exactly sure what prompted him to do it. Maybe because it was something of Keith’s, and he missed talking to him, maybe he just needed to vent without worrying anyone with his problems. Either way, he reached inside the helmet and activated the recording function.

-

[ RECORDING ONE ]

There was a shuffling noise, followed by a light jostling as the helmet was set down. It was quiet at first. The only sounds being picked up were the breathing of another person, and a quiet, awkward shuffling.

Then, a small, uncertain voice began to speak. “Uh… hey man. It’s… been a couple days since we’ve talked. I keep wondering if maybe something’s happened to you. I hope not. I’m sure I’m just being paranoid. You're probably just busy, but… I can’t help worrying about you. I love you, you know? And I miss you.”

The speaker took a breath, and the muffled sound of his voice as it went on suggested he’d put his head in his hands. “Dios, this was stupid. What am I even doing?” He inhaled, and his voice became clearer once more. “Whatever, I’m doing it now. So, fuck it I guess.”

More shuffling as the speaker repositioned himself. “It’s pretty early right now. About the time we’d usually call. You got me into the habit of waking up early, you know? Mama would overjoyed to hear that.”

“Nobody else is awake yet. Uhh… the whole Allience thing with Lotor is still pretty new. It’s been pretty hard to trust him, but… if he’s telling the truth it could be nice to finally have another ally. Especially one whose Zarkons son.”

“Hunk is experimenting with the food replicators again. He’s trying to flavour the goo to taste like spaghetti, so far it hasn’t worked. I’m not sure I really want spaghetti in goo form, but it’s good he’s trying new things. Allura’s still doing really well as the Red Paladin. I was worried for a while she’d be pissed about switching from Black, but I don’t think she minds. As long as she gets to fight she seems happy. Now that we know King Alfor binding the lions with her quintessence makes her able to fly any of them, I don’t think she’ll be leaving the cockpit anytime soon. Shiro is… well, he’s Shiro. He’s… definitely getting more and more done with all my shit. So, that’s something I guess. Pidge… we’ll, she won’t admit it but I think she still misses her dad. And, with mat working with the resistance it’s like she’s all alone again. I think she’s better, though.”

“Umm, let’s see, uh… yeah, we all miss you. Me especially, even though I already said that. I know the Blade would reach out if something had happened to you— at least, I hope they would. I’ll just… try to be patient. I think that’s about it. See you, man. Hopefully, I’ll talk to you soon.”

The sound of shifting metal could be heard, followed by a soft click.

-

[ RECORDING TEN ]

A bit of static washed over the mic, before the telltale sign of something being placed down.

“Hey, Keith, I’m… yeah I’m still doing these. Still… haven’t heard anything from you yet. I’m really starting to worry. Are you alright? Surely you’re fine. You can’t be dead. Somebody would know… right? But… What if you’re lost? What if you’re hurt?! Damn it, I’m freaking out. I think the others are starting to notice something’s wrong. I just— I can’t stop thinking about you. Please just… I really need you to call. I hate not knowing what’s going on.”

Lance took a deep breath, and he was silent for a few moments before continuing. “Nothing new has happened. Still the same old Castle. I tried telling Shiro that I was worried, but he just said I needed to focus. That… I couldn’t worry about you, because you could take care of yourselves and Voltron needed my attention. And he’s right. Of course he is, he’s Shiro. I just… I don't know if I can.”

“That’s about it, I guess. I miss you, please call. I love you.”

-

[ RECORDING ELEVEN ]

“Hey, me again. It’s the next morning, and… I don’t know, I really just needed to talk. Shit’s been happening lately, Allura and Lotor think they’ve made a…discovery? Coran - and the rest of us for that matter - isn’t too sure, we’re all a little sceptical. Still, Allura seems on board with it, so we’re giving it a go.”

“Everyone’s been a little… crabbier than usual. I keep trying to lighten the mood, but that just pisses them off more. I’m sure they just need to blow off some steam. If they need to yell at me to take the edge off, then I— I suppose I’m okay with it. They don’t… actually mean the things they’re saying. So it’s fine… I guess”

“I’m still really, really fucking worried about you. I don’t—“ his voice strained for a moment, and when he spoke again it sounded teary, “I don’t know what to think. I just— Keith, if you die I don’t— I don’t know what I’d do. The team can’t afford for me to be grieving right now but, I just can’t— I’m such a fucking mess. Please… please come back. Just send a message or— or at least give me some sort of sign that you’re alive! I need you to be alive, Keith!”

He sniffled, and the microphone was shifted slightly.

“Please… please call me soon. I love you.”

-

[ RECORDING TWENTY-THREE ]

“So… listen. I know I said that I was okay if everyone started yelling at me, b-but… I— I—“ his voice broke. There were a couple moments where the sounds of crying could be heard, before the speaker composed himself and started talking again. “Fuck, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be complaining about this. We have so many better things to worry about. It’s— god some of the things they say, they fucking hurt, man. Like, I know I’m fucking stupid but that doens’t mean I want to hear it all the time. I— I’m just trying to do my best. I just want to help.”

Lance sniffled, taking deep breaths to try and compose himself before continuing. “God, Keith they— I think they hate me. Or, at least they’re starting to. That’s the only explanation for why they— they just—“ he sighed.

“I wish you were here,” he cried, not even trying to conceal his misery anymore. “I— I miss you… so much, Keith. I don’t know where you are, and I’m terrified. Keith. Please just… come home. Come back to me. Let me know you’re alright.”

The Blue Paladin was quiet, his cries having died off in the last sentence. It was so quiet there was barely an indication for when the microphone was switched off yet again.

-

[RECORDING FIFTY-ONE]

“—eith!” Lance all but yelled into the microphone. Having started talking before the recording and even started. “Oh my god, Kieth, I don’t— I don’t know what to do!” He whispered. His breathing was sparratic. And there was a constant jostling that suggested the camera was shaking. “I— I— I died Keith. We-w we were just trying to h-help fix this Galra base. It was— Allura was gonna— there was gonna be an explosion so I- I jumped in! I just— I don’t even— I knew we couldn’t lose her! I would rather it be me and so I just… and then I— died and— and nobody even—“ his breathing was out of control now.

“I c— I— h—“ the Paladin tries to force the words out, but it was no use. For several minutes, he sobbed as panic swept over him. Being picked up by the helmet as ragged and quick inhalations of breath. Lance forced himself to take deep breaths, in through the nose and out through the mouth. After a while, he settled down enough to talk again. Though, his voice was shaky and weak.

“Bl-blue saved me. She— she shared some of her quintessence with me, an-and our bond is stronger than-than ever. I can hear he-her talk now. Which… is cool I g- I guess.” He continued to breathe slowly as he spoke.

“I— I don’t even think anybody cared.” He whispered, squeezing it past the lump in his throat. “They didn’t— they didn’t even say anything, I— m-maybe they don’t know? But y-you’d think they w-would have felt something?”

Lance sniffled, and his voice became muffled as he placed his head in his lap. “I don’t know anymore. I… I just know that I miss you. I really miss you Keith,” he mumbled, voice sad and thick as he sobbed. “And I just— I— I need you, and I miss you, and I love you and I just— I- I feel so alone. I am so alone.”

“I’m sorry. Whatever I did, whatever stupid thing I’ve done to make the universe take you away from me, I’m sorry! Please! I need you! I c— I don’t want to be alone anymore!” He sniffled, wiping his nose on his sleeve, before sighing. “I just want you to come back. Please, come back. I— I love you.”

There were a couple more minutes of crying, before the recording finally ended.

-

[ RECORDING NINETY-EIGHT]

There was a sigh as the recording started. The room was silent for a couple moments, before Lance started talking. “Hey, Keith. I… was going to make this in the morning, but… I just… haven’t had the energy to do this. So, I’m doing it now, right before I go to bed.” His voice was monotone. Tired. “I don’t know what to think anymore. The Blade haven’t been in contact, so… I’m assuming you’re not dead. I’m hoping you're not dead.”

“A lot of stuff has been happening. I… if I’m being honest, I don’t really want to talk about it. Nobody on the team is very happy with me. I keep annoying them. I’m not trying to, I just— I don’t know how else to lighten the mood. The good thing is, with everyone being so pissed at me they’re not really arguing with each other. So, that’s good good, I guess. At least I’m doing something useful.”

“You’ve been radio silent for, um… gosh how long has it been? I— I think a little over three months? I don’t know, I’ve lost track. Everytime I ask the team if they’ve heard anything they tell me to stop being paranoid, and focus on the mission. They’re right. I’m already enough of a hindrance without nagging twenty-four seven.”

He sighed again, shifting as he swallowed thickly. “That’s… all I have to report. Miss you. Love you.”

- AFTER KEITH COMES BACK AND ALL THE FINALE AND SHIRO REVIVAL HAPPENS ALSO DON’T ASK BUT THE PLANET THEY STOP ON RIGHT AFTER ALL THAT HAS A FOREST NOW I’VE DECIDED -

Keith stretched as he and the other Paladins sat around the fireplace. He was pretty content. Shiro was back, actually back, and they’d gathered enough resources to get on the road again. Of course not everything was great. They’d lost the castle, obviously, and it would be a long time before they reached earth… but they’d manage.

Keith had retaken up the mantle as Red Paladin, not at all sorry to admit that he’d missed his Lion. Shiro had gratefully backed out of the Paladin position. He was still pretty shaken up after being extracted from Black and shoved into Kuran’s cloned body.

Yeah, it had been a weird couple of days.

Now that they were on the road, though, Keith figured he’d better make a note of it somewhere. Something told him he’d be wanting to keep track of events. He stood up, stretching as he spoke, “I’ll be back, guys. Just gotta do something.” The others murmured acknowledgements as he walked away. Keith completely missed the look of longing on his boyfriend's face as he made his way over to Red.

The leaned leaned down her head, opening her jaw to let him in. He entered casually, sending a mental greeting to the beast. She replied with a purr, warmth blazed through his mind at her greetings as he sat down in the pilot’s chair. Keith sat there for a moment, relaxing before reaching down to start a recording on his helmet.

To his dismay, the second it started, the recording ended, sending out a little automated message.

“Memory data, full.”

That was odd, Keith had never made a recording of this thing in his life. He opened the history, and was shocked to see that a stream of videos were practically flooding its memory banks. One for every single day for the last month.

Who the fuck has been using my helmet? He questioned, opening the latest message in curiosity.

Suffice it to say he was shocked to hear Lance’s broken, devastated voice on the other end.

[ RECORDING TWO HUNDRED]

The mic switched on, immediately being overcome by sobbing. They were loud, depressing and defeated. It sounded like they were being torn from their speaker’s throat. “I— I fucked up, Keith.”

“Lance?”

“They all hate me for sure now! I— I know they do! I do! I was just trying to help.”

What’s going on? Why is he so upset? Keith wondered, heart rate picking up as he listened to the recording.

“Allura and Lotor were— were working on the- the ship, and I offered to help but— but I don’t know how to build. I’m not an engineer, I didn’t- why the fuck did I even think that was a good idea! I just wanted to be helpful like- like Pidge, or Hunk. They said they were fine, but I insisted! And… and I made them all upset. I just kept getting I— in the way. They got so mad, Keith, they were so mad!”

What? Keith wondered, his heart breaking as he listened.

He sobbed harder, breathing quickly as he pressed on. “Pidge was— Pidge was right! And Shiro was right— a—and Iverson and-and fucking everyone! I— can’t- I can't do it! I’m just a fuck up, I’m a fucking idiot! I’m so stupid! I can’t— I can’t do anything right! I’ll never- b—be able to- t-to do anything right! I’m just a screw up! I’m— s-so useless”

“No!” Kieth protested to no one as the voice echoed through his Lion’s cockpit. What happened to you while I was gone?

He shouldn’t be listening to this. This was obviously a private recording. Then again… he sounds so sad. And.. it is being addressed to me…

He couldn’t force himself to stop listening. He was so glad he didn’t.

“I know why you disappeared now. You probably got fed up with me too. You stopped calling because y— you couldn’t take me anymore.”

No! How could you even think that?!

“You didn’t want me around! You got sick of m—me and how ann-noying I am. You d-didn’t want to b—to— be around someone this worthless!”

Keith could feel tears starting to form in his eyes. That’s not true! None of it! You’re not worthless!

“It’s okay I— I understand! I don’t either! I know th—that everyone wou-would be better off-f-f without me. I know— I know they o-only keep me ar-aro-ound is because there’s nobody else compatible wi-w-ith Blue!”

Lance, no!

“If— if you were here I— I know I’d be s—sent away. You would Pi-i-lot Red, and Allura could pilot Blue and th-a-then I’d just be nothing! Nobody! No use in keeping me around! You c-could all finally get rid of me! I want to get rid of me!”

The Red Paladin’s eyes widened. He couldn’t mean…

The crying, somehow, just became more desperate. More heart-wrenching, “I— I- d-d-on’t- wa-at to do this anymore, Keith!”

Then again, Keith didn’t think anyone could fake this level of heartache.

“I ca— I can’t! If there wasn’t- if there was an—anyone else I wouldn’t even— I would— I’d just stop! I don’t want to live anymore! I h-hate not be—eing able to do anything!”

Don’t you even dare, Lance!

“If you came back, and I wasn’t- couldn’t be useful anymore. I— I- don’t— I would just—“ he gasped, hard as he tried to force the words out, “I don’t—“ another big inhale, “I don’t think I could do-o it anymore! I co-couldn’t bear to-to have you lo-look at me! I could-dn’t stand you hating me. I w- I would just fucking end it so you all w-wouldn’t have to-o-o d-e-deal with me anymore!”

Every inch of Keith froze as he heard those words. His thoughts screeched to a halt, heart skipping a beat as his blood ran cold.

“It would b-b-e f-for the best! V-Voltron would be better off! Th-the u-inverse would be b—better off!”

Lance just kept crying. The sheer agony he felt in his soul coming out as loud, wrenching, ugly cries. Like he was trying to expel all the parts of him that he felt weren’t good enough.

“Nobody wants me.” He whispered after a while, when the crying had died down just enough to regain his breath. “I don’t deserve to go back home.”

He swallowed, and there was a shuffling, and a sudden closeness of the voice that suggested he was hugging the helmet. “I’m sorry I pushed you away. I’m sorry I wasn’t good enough. E—even though you hate me… I still love you.”

The Blue Paladin sniffled, the sound of skin rubbing skin could be heard as he wiped his tears. “I h-hope one day you come back. For the others. I promise I- I won’t bother you. I pro-promise you would have to deal with me.”

“I’m sorry… mi amor. I’m so- so sorry.”

There was a beat. A single moment taken to process everything he’d just heard. Then, Keith was out of his seat, and racing out of his lion. He tossed helmet to the ground, not even caring as his heart thundered in his chance. He had to find him, he had to find Lance.

I’ve barely even talked to him since I got back! I- everything just happened so fast! I’ve just been so preoccupied… What if he thinks— I haven’t even— oh god, FUCK!

He ran over to the others, not bothering to conceal his panic as he realised that the Blue Paladin was not sitting with the others anymore.

Oh god, oh fuck, oh no!

“Where’s Lance?!”

“Keith, what—“ Shiro started, but the Red Paladin as having none of it.

“WHERE’S LANCE?!”

Pidge shrugged, “uh… he,” she turned to where the Paladin had been sitting and shrugged, “he kinda just disappeared. I don’t exactly—“

“What the fuck is wrong with you! You didn’t even bother to—“ Keith cut himself off, shaking his head. He didn’t have time for this. He grabbed onto Cosmo’s fur.

His dog, seemingly to get the message, immediately teleported them away. They popped up in the forest somewhere, and Keith looked around desperately. His heart sang in relief as he saw the blue and white armour of his boyfriend slinking between the trees.

“LANCE!” Keith shouted, barreling towards him. The boy turned around just in time to be tackled to the ground in a whirlwind of arms and legs. Keith didn’t care. He didn’t care about anything right now. He squeezed Lance tight to his chest as the boy flustered in confusion.

“Kieth, what—“

“Oh my god, you’re okay! You’re okay! Lance y— how could you— do you know how fucking scary that was?! I don’t care that I’ve been inside the stomach of an animal, or that Shiro has almost died like five times, or that we’ve faced an army of like ten thousand Galra ships! I have never been more terrified in my fucking life than when I heard you say you’d kill yourself if I ever came back!”

If possible, he held Lance tighter. “Then— then when I came outside and you weren’t with the others I though— I— I thought that you…”

Lance was silent for a few moments, before a realisation dawned on his face. His shoulders went slack, any attempt of trying to pretend that he was fine dying on his lips.

“The recordings…”

Keith pulled back so he could see Lance’s face. He raised his hands up to grab the boy’s head firm, caressing his cheeks as he stared into those ocean blue eyes. He kept a tight hold with his other hand, as if the second he let Lance go, he would lose him. “I can’t believe— you— do you know how devastated I would be if you— if you tried to…” Keith shook his head, slamming his body into Lance again, sending them both completely to the ground.

Tears filled the Blue Paladin’s eyes. “I… I’m sorry! I’m so-s-sorry! I fucked everything up I— I didn’t mean— I just— I’m so—“

“Don’t you apologise for anything, McClain. I love you so much, Lance. I don’t ever want to lose you. I— I can’t— I don’t even want to imagine a world where you’re not in it! I would never abandon you! Do you hear me?! Never! I would never! Ever! Leave you!”

Lance wrapped his own arm around Keith. Holding the boy just as firmly, with just as much desperation. All he could do was cry. Everything that had been building up pouring out of him as he grasped onto Keith like a lifeline.

“Everything’s just—j- been so much! Ev-verybody ha-h-h-hate me! I’m such a fuck up! I’m- I’m stupid- and I’m weak and- and- I an-nnoy everyone! And it doe-s-doesn’t matter how hard I try! I j- I d- I can’t keep up!” He sobbed, his breaths deep and agonising as he forced more words out through his panic. “I can’t do it anymore! I’m so sick of getting yelled— and scolded a-a-and of p-pe-peo-ple condes-sending me! And— and I know they’re right— I -I know-I its because I’m not good enough! I d-deserve it! But I can’t— I’m sick of being so worthless and I can’t—“

“You are not worthless, Lance! Not one bit! And I… I’m so sorry! When I came back, I was just- I was so preoccupied with everything else I just— I wasn’t even thinking! God, I can’t believe— I can’t imagine how awful you must have felt when I didn’t even— ! I never meant to— I love you, Lance! I love you! You are so beautiful and smart and talented and funny and you… and you are good enough Lance! You are everything! And I hate that you didn’t have anyone around to tell you that, because it’s true! It is so fucking true, Lance! You matter so much! I love you so much! Don’t you ever try to leave me! You matter so much to me!”

Lance shook his head. Sitting up again as he pushed Keith away. “Why, though?! I’m so fucking dumb! I’m incompetent! I can’t do anything right!”

“That’s not true!”

“Yes it is! It’s how everyone has been treating me for the past month! It has to be true! I know it’s true! I just— I can’t even fathom why anyone would ever fucking want me around! I don’t understand why anyone would ever fucking care about me when I’m not even—“

Keith raised a finger to Lance’s lips, stopping the tumbling of words in its tracks. It was too painful. He couldn’t listen to the person that he loved so much talk so little about himself. It wasn’t right. It wasn’t right, and Keith wasn’t going to let it happen.

He opened his hand, trailing it from the boy’s mouth to gently caress his cheek. For a moment, he just let himself stare into Lance’s teary eyes, the liquid causing them to shine in the light of the planet. Even though he looked broken and his face was covered in tears and snot, he was still the most beautiful person in the world to Keith. He always would be. The Red Paladin applied a soft, hinting pressure to his partner’s jaw, pulling it towards him ever so slightly.

Lance allowed himself to be guided forward. Both lost in each other’s eyes as they grew closer. Finally, when their lips were close enough that their noses touched, Keith tilted his head.

“Then let me show you,” he whispered, in a voice softer than Lance had ever heard him use. His warm breath brushed across Lance’s skin, sending a cascade of shivers all the way down his body.

The Red Paladin shut his eyes, and leaned forward. As the distance between them was finally closed, their lips met. Lance, still in shock, kept his eyes open for a moment before melting into the kiss. It was light, and gentle, but full of emotion. Keith’s devotion and determination came off in waves as he tried to pass on every ounce of his love to the Blue Paladin.

It was something that, over the past few months Lance had wanted so badly. A kind of affection he’d craved for so long now, but had convinced himself he’d never feel again. Convinced himself he didn’t deserve.

At that moment, the rest of the world melted away. There was no more team. No more Voltron. It was just Lance and Keith, tangled in each other’s embrace as they’re lips met in an expression of love, longing, and relief.

[marionluth]

Thanks for the tag @snowivyimconfusi ❤️ This looks fun!

Fanfic Writer Interview

1.How many fics do you currently have on AO3?

27 works on my main account and 13 on my second, so 40 works cumulatively.

2. Top 5 fics by Kudos:

1 It's just a phase

2 It's all about the headlines

3 Of Sex Ed and Bat Brothers

4 Words Left Unspoken

5 Ink & Vengeance

3. Do you respond to your comments? Why or why not.

Yes, I do! That being said sometimes I fall so far behind my anxiety-driven procrastination kicks in and I might avoid answering the comments for ages. But I do get to them eventually!

4. What's the fic you've written with the angstiest ending?

That would be: Haunted by the lies I have loved

5. What's the fic you've written with the happiest ending?

I think that would be: Breakup Loot!

6. Do you write crossovers?

Only one so far (Jessica Jones & Batman) but I have 3 more of them in my unpublished (yet) WIPs:

✨MCU(irondad) + Suits

✨MCU(Irondad)+ Supernatural, ✨MCU(Irondad) + Batmam

7.Do you write smut? If yes what kind of?

I've never written smut and I rarely read it (though I do read some). That being said I do plan to incorporate some and try my hand at it for the first time for my Jessica Jones/Jason Todd pairing in my crossover series.

8.Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not to my knowledge 🙌

9.Have you ever had a fic translated?

Not that I know of.

10. Have you ever co-written a fic?

Yes! A monster of 560k words, co-written with a wonderful friend (we started as simply co-writers and now she's one of my closest friends/chosen family!). It's in my niche account tho 😁 I love writing solo, but the co-writing experience was awesome, too!

11. What's your all time favorite ship?

My favourite is my rare pair (Jessica Jones/Jason Todd). I love Pepperony (Pepper Potts/Tony Stark) and Peter Parker/Michelle Jones.

12. What's a WIP you want to finish but don't think you'll ever will?

None, if I'm being honest. All my Wips will eventually be finished (some taster than others!)

13. What are your writing strengths?

I've been told I'm good at immersive cinematic descriptions and making the reader “feel” the characters’ feelings. I also think I'm fairly good at dialogue 😁

14. What are your writing weaknesses?

Prose I think. English is not my first language so that's always a struggle. Also plotting stories. Like… if the whole story doesn't come to me in one go and I only have a vague idea to start with and need to actively make my brain plot the rest of the story… I suck at that!

15. What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in fic?

I don't mind it if it's meaningful to the story. If there's a reason for the use of the other language, then cool.

16. What's a fandom/ship you haven't written for but want to?

Suits & Arcane!

17. What's your favorite fic you've written?

Ugh this is so hard if not impossible to answer. I adore all of my babies for different reasons and I love different elements in each one of them. Now, If I had to choose one… I'd go with Happy Birthday Jason Todd (Happy Deathday To You). Because it's my absolute favorite character and it's a piece with very experimental prose and structuring and a ton of symbolism that actually turned out really really good.

I am tagging (no pressure, obvs): @softwarecorruption-exe-art @pennyblossom-meta @flagsfiend