#i just add a tick there when a scene is complete

[caandlelit]

how did you decide what days to write lawnchair for? like why some days and not others?

thats a fantastic question and thankyou for asking it

see there wasnt actually anything that made me choose specific dates over the others, that all fell into place AFTER the moment in writing when id realized this fic was going to deal with all of summer. i'd originally started this as a very basic 'They start to kiss during the time period when it's soooo hot,' and then as the scenes accumulated i figured out i'd need almost a full summer vacation for this story, not just a short ambiguous period of time bc a scene would happen, maybe make reference to other activities, so i'd need to account for those, also VERY ANNOYING BUT HELPFUL just very IMPORTANT was oikawa tooru's "no seijoh volleyball practice on monday's bc we all deserve a day off" schtick. it was important to ME. it was like okay they can do THIS on a monday but the other thing was also monday, so i guess i need another week.

which got confusing! so i found out the typical japanese summer break duration. it tends to be july 20th to the end of august, according to every source i found. now i had a timeline!

so when id figured that out i just made this

every time i had a new scene and i needed to fit it in with everything else i had, and also so i cld make coherent sense of everything id written instead of just having it in my head. it's my best friend. its gotten me through a lot. dont look at it too closely if u dont want update spoilers but if u want to know exactly what dates i'll upload, those r the ones marked 'DAY X.' ive also cleaned it so u cant see what the notes said. i left my colors in as a little hehe moment.

so the dates of each chapter, they are basically a scene i wrote, and then ensured it fit along the 2012 calender, as well as making sense with the other scenes.

since the douglas adams chapter is out i can admit that after i'd had enough scenes, i decided the 'forty odd days' of summer break can be a nice round forty two. which it somehow was, magically. a lot of things just kinda fell into place for me, or i kicked and screamed until they made sense. ideally i wldve done something with day THREE, aka july 23rd. one of two matsuhana days in a month u know. 2 and 3. but that didnt happen bc of stuff i'd already written, like 'nothing happened on the next day,' or 'lets just do nothing,' and other matsuhanaisms. i hate them bro!

in the end it was just. day 1 day 2 day all the way till 42, bc that was the amount of days we have in the break, fit along the calender from july 21st to august and the very lucky extra weekend. bc schools not gonna start on a SATURDAY! lol!

the blue block will all be uploaded the same day, red block will be uploaded with day 34, and while counting i'd realized if i juuust put day 42 and what comes next all in one chapter. we would have 23 chapters. alhumdulilah and ameen.

have a good tuesday and see you on ao3 for day SEVEN!

[clownsuu]

Just a lil doodles smhhhh

cw: mentions of violence and distress. Also weapons-

This is probably a good time to mention everyone’s jobs since I keep forgetting to mention it JDHDGDH

Wally: Da Boss (yeah no shid) he isn’t that merciful of a boss- can be very brutal with how relentless he can be and is a bit of a (non sus) sadistic a s s sometimes. Usually is playfully humorous initially, but can quickly go sour if he feels ever so slightly ticked. Preferred weapon: his eyes and his arms.

Barnaby: Body guard, boss’s left hand man, usually the one who talks for the boss. Sometimes he’s even seen as the “unofficial” boss of the whole group (which he likes to humor sometimes) but in the end he is possibly the most loyal out of everyone to Wally (man’s best friend after all). Preferred weapon is “da biggest gun we got!!!”

Howdy: Butler, bartender, boss’s right hand man. Will do basically everything anyone says (who’s part of the family) without question, however he will always take the Boss’s requests as main priority over the others. This will often keep him awake and exhausted, and a few new stitches to add to his collection. He has the lowest ability to think freely. Preferred weapon: Ice pick

Julie: Hitman A, interrogator, mad scientist really. Killing isn’t really too much of her thing, she prefers methodical planning and slow suffering with the use of chemicals and even random substances she can get her lil paws on. She’s not afraid to use anyone as a test subject, even if it’s her own members. preferred weapon: tranquilizers

Sally: Hitman B, intimidator, c h a o s. Almost the complete opposite to Julie. Absolutely chaotic and adores violent bloodshed to a point it’s theatrical. Usually is called if they don’t really need a clean kill. Can often be seen dancing and listening to music while on the job, often says it helps her focus (nobody really argues with it). Preferred weapon: anything blunt and/or violently loud (tasers, rocket launchers, fireworks) (sally is banned from using rocket launchers)

Poppy: Medic, crime scene cleanup, voice of reason, sometimes chef. She does ok when it comes to clean ups and stuff, however she has panic attacks and gets terrified when ever she hears screams of pain/torture, and freezes. Typically Howdy is there to help her snap out of it and help her complete her work, if not do her work for her. Everyone, even including the boss, is there to support her when she’s distressed (everyone would hug her except Wally. He does not like being touched unless it’s Howdy or Barnaby). Preferred weapon: n/a

Eddie: Messenger, delivery pick up/drop off, handler of the goods. He usually goes by himself, however after an incident where he lost his arm from a deal gone wrong, he is now required to leave with at least one of the hitmen (typically Sally). Very often does he get hurt in these trips and is usually always saved by Sally. Absolutely adores Frank for always trying to find the safest routes for him and wishes they had time together alone. Preferred weapon: a simple revolver

Frank: In charge of ordering goods, making contacts, being a voice of reason, basically just a manager. The most stressed member of the group. Rarely is he seen outside of the headquarters unless it’s to talk to well known individuals. He doesn’t usually talk to anyone besides Howdy (ranting at the bar about people), Eddie (telling him what he needs to get next), and Julie (normal convos and her asking him to order new chemicals for her next project). Every time Frank thinks he has an intimate moment together alone with Eddie, out of the blue Eddie would just randomly talk about how much he loves the family and how Wally is so amazing. The next day Frank asks him about it, it seems Eddie doesn’t remember what happened yesterday. Frank has the highest ability to think freely. Preferred weapon: a simple glock.

Home: Voice of reason. Preferred weapon: Wally

[lovexjoe]

How would Armando be if he thought the reader was sweet cute never hurt anyone or a fly but when they are partnered up to go on a mission she the opposite… please do this

Damsel In Distress

A.N: This one is gonna be fun! Y/N will be used as bait for a mission, but Armando doesn't realize she can hold her own. The karambit scene from Bad Boys For Life, Y/N takes the place of Armando with some dialogue changed. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHQFzABygCI

Warnings: Violence, some fluffy fluff

Y/N POV

Armando and I have been arguing all morning and afternoon. I don't get what his problem is, he's treating me like a child.

"¿Estás loca? ¡No lo vas a hacer!" (Are you crazy? You're not doing it!)

"Im doing it and that's final!" You stormed out the house.

You guys haven't made things official yet and it's fights like this that reminds you this relationship might be a ticking timebomb. Since I've been partnered with him, he doesn't let me get in on ANY of the fun. I am talking I look like a damsel in distress even AMMO squad laughs about it.

"I think he has a crush on you. It's kinda cute" Kelly teases you as you finish up some of the files that needed to get done for the team. No one really knew what was happening behind the scenes.

"Thinks? Oh he definitely does" Rita says.

"I am sorry in advance that my son is a pain in the ass" Mike shakes his head.

"Advance? You a little late on the apology Mike. This boy been a pain in the ass since we partnered them up!" Marcus adds in.

Everyone chimes their opinion in till the room went silent due to Armando walking in.

"I don't think Y/N should be used as bait tonight, it's not safe" He leans against the wall with everyone trying to suppress their laughter.

Armando really does not know who you are. Yes, your exterior may look sweet and innocent, but out of the whole AMMO squad: you're the deadliest. Which is why you stick to the tech stuff until they really needed you. Mike and Marcus pulled him aside to have a talk: good luck cause he never listens.

Armando POV

This girl drives me insane. Someone as innocent and sweet as her just READY to jump in the fire. Mike and Marcus try to be the voice of reason, but I really wasn't trying to listen. If anything or anyone touches a hair on her head, I'm putting a bullet through them and not thinking twice.

"Mando listen, I understand and I am genuinely surprised that you care, but I promise just stay on standby and watch from the overhead." Armando shoots Mike a glare knowing he wasn't going to win this one regardless so he decided he'll just be on sniper watch.

As it started to get dark outside, we loaded up everything we needed. Y/N was geared up and she looked gorgeous. This women drives me completely insane, but I'd do anything for her. We parked in our hideout spot and started exiting out the van. I grabbed Y/N's hand.

"Listen, just signal me if you need help. " I pulled her close and placed a kiss on her forehead, then proceeded to set up my sniper in the designated area.

✧༝┉┉┉┉┉˚❋ ❋ ❋˚┉┉┉┉┉༝✧✧༝┉┉┉┉┉˚❋ ❋ ❋˚┉┉┉┉┉༝✧

Y/N walks to the pinpoint location, meeting up with the drug dealers. She brought her favorite little karambit with her. She warned Marcus and Mike that it might get bloody. These idiots knowing she's a female they're going to try to ambush her. Mike said as long as the leader isn't killed, everything else goes under the radar.

"Karina!" The leader calls out cheerfully. You drop the bag filled with fake money on the floor ignoring his gesture for a hug. Armando lurking from his position, taking quick glimpses of how gorgeous you looked right now.

"We're so sorry to have to do this to you Karina. But your services are no longer needed" 6 men started to slowly close in on you. Armando positions his finger on the trigger, ready to take the leader out and fuck this whole case up. Your safety means more than any case and he'd gladly go back to prison for you. Right as he's about to pull the trigger, Mike says over the intercom to just sit back and enjoyed the show. Armando was confused as you snatched the gun from the leaders hand, placing a bullet in each of his knees and uppercutting him: knocking him out cold. Nap time! You took out your karambit and everything went black. You didn't know what happened in between, but when you came back to your senses your karambit was shoved into the mouth of one of this drug dealer's minions. With 6 bloody bodies surrounding you. You turned to Armando and said

"Oops" You wink.

"That's what im talking about!" Mike and Marcus cheered. Rita and the rest of the AMMO squad came out to wrap everything up. You headed back to the van. Armando was shocked for sure. Turned on? Majorly. Sweet and innocent was DEFINITELY not the words used to describe you anymore. You heard the door of the van open, seeing its your favorite partner in the world.

"You okay mami? I don't want any problems." He slowly creeps in with his hands up, teasing you.

"Yes I'm fine" You chuckled as he pulls you close.

"Yes, you most definitely are" He leans down placing a kiss on your lips.

[baelabong]

C04 ɪɴᴛᴇʀᴛᴡɪɴᴇᴅ ʜᴇᴀʀᴛꜱ (ᴀᴜ ꜱᴇʀɪᴇꜱ)

𝗬𝘂 𝗝𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗻 𝘅 𝗙𝗲𝗺! 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝘅 𝗞𝗶𝗺 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗷𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗴

Synopsis: Yu Jimin, the school's notorious bad girl, and Kim Minjeong, the diligent student council president, find themselves drawn to Y/N. Y/N finds herself caught between two very different worlds, each represented by Jimin's rebellious charm and Minjeong's steadfast kindness. In the end, will love or loyalty prevail, or will the truth tear them apart?

Masterlist | prev | next

The next day at school, you try to put last night’s weirdness behind you. The tension with Jimin, Minjeong’s offer to drive you home—it all felt like a scene out of some high school drama, and you’re not interested in starring in that kind of story. You decide to focus on your day instead.

When classes end, you head to the library for a study session with Minjeong. She’s already there, surrounded by books and notes, completely absorbed in her work. Seeing her so focused makes you smile as you slide into the seat next to her.

“Hey, Minjeong,” you greet her, pulling out your own materials.

Minjeong looks up, her expression softening into a warm smile. “Hey, Y/N. Ready to get started?”

“Definitely. I’m so glad you’re helping me with this. I’d be totally lost without you,” you admit, shaking your head.

Minjeong chuckles lightly, her cheeks turning a faint shade of pink. “You’re doing just fine. But I’m happy to help.”

You both dive into the project, and for a while, it’s just the two of you working in comfortable silence. Minjeong is patient and explains things in a way that makes everything click for you. Being around her is calming, and you start to feel more confident as the minutes tick by.

But just as you’re getting into the groove, Jimin walks into the library. You notice her immediately, her presence impossible to miss. When she spots you sitting with Minjeong, a mischievous grin spreads across her face, and she heads straight for your table.

“Hey, what’s up?” Jimin says as she drops into the chair on your other side without asking. She’s all smiles and energy, her usual carefree self.

“Just working on our project,” you reply, not thinking much of it. “Minjeong’s been super helpful.”

Jimin leans back in her chair, flashing you a playful look. “Minjeong’s smart like that. But don’t worry, I’m here to help too. You know, add some excitement to all this studying.”

You laugh, thinking she’s just joking around. “I don’t know if Minjeong would call this exciting, but I’m not bored.”

Minjeong offers a polite smile but doesn’t say anything, her eyes briefly flicking to Jimin before returning to her notes. You don’t notice the subtle tension between them.

Jimin leans closer to you, her arm brushing against yours as she pretends to look over your notes. “So, Y/N, what are you stuck on? Maybe I can explain it in a way that won’t put you to sleep.”

You roll your eyes but grin at her antics. “I’m not asleep! Minjeong’s explanations are actually really good.”

“Of course they are,” Minjeong says with a soft smile, but there’s a slight edge to her tone that you don’t pick up on. “But if you need a distraction, Jimin’s probably your girl.”

Jimin smirks, catching the subtle jab. “Hey, slacking off is an art. I’m just making sure Y/N doesn’t overwork herself.”

You laugh, oblivious to the underlying rivalry. “I think a balance is good. You both help in different ways.”

Jimin’s eyes sparkle with mischief as she nudges your shoulder playfully. “Exactly! See, Y/N gets it.”

The study session continues, but Jimin seems determined to draw your attention away from the work and onto her. She cracks jokes, makes silly comments, and even doodles in your notebook. You giggle at her antics, thinking she’s just trying to lighten the mood, while Minjeong quietly keeps the focus on the project, occasionally giving Jimin a look you don’t quite catch.

After a while, you decide you need a break. “I think I’m going to grab a coffee. Do you guys want anything?”

“I’ll come with you,” Jimin says quickly, already getting up.

Before you can say anything, Minjeong speaks up. “Actually, Y/N, could you bring me a tea? I think I’ll stay and finish up this section.”

You nod, not noticing the way Minjeong subtly keeps Jimin from tagging along. “Sure, no problem.”

As you walk away, you remain blissfully unaware of the brief, silent standoff between the two girls. Jimin watches you leave, her playful grin fading slightly as she turns back to Minjeong.

“You know,” Jimin starts, her tone light but with an underlying edge, “Y/N and I have known each other forever. We’ve got a pretty solid connection.”

Minjeong meets her gaze with calm composure. “I’m sure you do. But I’m more focused on helping Y/N with what she needs—academically, of course.”

Jimin’s smile returns, but there’s a hint of something more serious in her eyes. “Of course. Just remember, there’s more to life than academics.”

When you return with the drinks, you sense a slight tension between the two girls but don’t think much of it. You hand Minjeong her tea, and she thanks you with a warm smile that makes you feel instantly at ease. Jimin takes her coffee, her fingers lingering against yours just a moment too long—not that you notice.

“Thanks, Y/N,” Jimin says, her voice a little softer, almost as if she’s trying to convey something deeper.

“Anytime,” you reply with a smile, completely missing the undertones in her words.

Taglist: @multiliker @jeindall777 @yuyuy90 @idkwhatim-doinghere101 @minaripenguu @xinyusgf @gayforalll @tzuyusdoughnut @luvqiris @spidrgamer @aribunnu @saysirhc @jisooftme (open)

[lovemadethemdoit]

Hey!! A little prompt idea if you’re still doing them!

Jake shows up at Bradley’s door to apologize after the scene he caused in the briefing room. Bradley apologizes for breaking Jake’s heart years ago. And maybe there’s a hopeful ending?😁

Bradley’s just tapped out of Mav’s text telling them to meet at the beach the next day when his door bell rings. He freezes for a moment, frowns and listens.

He hopes it’s not Mav.

After his run-in with Hangman earlier, Bradley really doesn’t need another reason to lose his shit today. The day’s been long enough.

When a strong knock on his front door follows, he drops the phone on the couch and heaves himself up with a sigh.

He rips the door open and comes to face with eyes he knows well. It’s the last person he’d expect to be standing there, on his front step.

Hangman is clenching his jaw. He looks like it’s the last thing he expected to be doing, too.

“Hangman,” Bradley says when Jake doesn’t say anything.

That seems to do it. “Let’s cut this Hangman and Rooster bullshit for a moment, Bradley” he says, pushing his way inside.

“Well, come on in, Jake,” Rooster replies in the same attitude, already closing the door behind his visitor. He follows Jake to the living room. “What do you want?”

“Came here to say–” Jake swallows. “To say, that was a shit move. Bringing your dad into it.”

“Sure was.”

Jake nods once, like that’s done now. Bradley would roll his eyes if he didn’t understand the single threads Jake is made up of completely. "You gonna apologize?" he can‘t help but ask. He ticks up an eyebrow and crosses his arms, knowing how much Jake hates it.

Jake‘s jaw goes tight again, his eyes squinty. "Are you?"

Bradley frowns, ready to get angry again. He didn‘t do a damn thing wrong– but then he sees Jake lift his chin, and he knows what Jake is talking about.

They stare at each other and Bradley‘s breath catches when Jake‘s the first one to look away. Jake should never be the first to back down from him.

"I am sorry," Bradley says quietly, earnestly, waiting for Jake to meet his eyes again.

"For what?“

"You know what for–"

Jake groans, rolls his eyes to the ceiling as he interrupts him. "You always do this, Bradley." He throws up his hands, scoffs. "Never once did you–"

"For being a shitty boyfriend!" Bradley yells, because they never could let each other finish their sentences when they were fighting. "For breaking your heart," he adds, almost in a whisper.

But Jake‘s heard him. He‘s frozen in place, mouth open, like he can‘t believe Bradley actually said it.

"Why did you?" Jake asks, finding his words again.

Bradley shrugs. "I wasn’t ready. You deserved better."

Jake huffs out a laugh, shakes his head a little. "I was fine with what we had."

"Rose-colored glasses, babe." The nickname slips out. Bradley watches Jake‘s jaw tremble at that.

Jake shakes his head, looks around the room. His eyes find the picture Bradley‘s put up. The one he‘s been staring at for years, happy at the memory and regretful at the same time. It‘s not of them. No one would know its meaning, but Jake knows the view. It was one of their better days.

"What you said…“ Jake says, still looking at the framed photo. "That was in past tense."

"It was."

Jake closes his eyes. Bradley watches his chest expand, slowly, deliberately.

"When you‘re not dropping literal bombs, you have such shitty timing, Bradley," Jake sighs, frustrated, but his shoulder’s drop a little. „But…"

"But?"

"If we make it through this – and it‘s a big if, darlin' – I might…" He trails off. Bradley‘s heart sings, hearing the pet name fall off Jake‘s lips, realizing what Jake’s implying. Even in the midst of what he‘s referring to, his heart flutters with hope. "Yeah?"

Jake shrugs. "Just because you stopped loving me, doesn’t mean I ever did."

Bradley shakes his head, wonders how they got here. His breath just got punched out of his chest with Jake‘s casual way of offering up his doubt of Bradley‘s love for him. "It was never that, Jake," Bradley says vehemently, taking a step closer.

Jake mirrors him. Eyes him, like he‘s considering how much of a truth it is.

Bradley lets Jake watch him. Is thrilled that Jake‘s willing to.

"I‘m sorry," Jake says after a moment, almost absentmindedly. Then he blinks and straightens up. "For bringing up your dad."

Bradley nods. "Thank you for saying that."

"Well," Jake says after another pause of them just staring into each other’s eyes. "If you fly a little faster, we may just get to pick up that other thread of conversation.“

Bradley smiles slowly, hopefully. "I‘ll take that into consideration."

"You better." Jake takes another long look, before he slips past him, making his way to the door. Bradley considers reaching out for a moment, pulling Jake against his chest and tasting those lips that always seem to get him into trouble again.

But it‘s not the right time. They need their heads in the game, one-hundred percent.

He lets himself fall back down on the couch, his eyes drifting to their picture. "Promise you, sweetheart," he tells the quiet room.

He has a conversation to have.

After.

[blackbird-brewster]

Meta: Jemily Queerbaiting

With the huge influx of posts saying 'Jemily is gonna be canon', I really appreciated seeing this post because OP was completely correct. I didn't want to write an entire dissertation as a reply, so I'm making my own post with my personal opinion on this. (All sources are noted in footnotes)

Before I began this rant, for anyone who thinks this is anti-Jemily. It is not. I have shipped Jemily for 18 friggin years and that's never going to change. This post is specifically my thoughts about queer baiting.

First off, I need to note that the showrunners (and the cast members who use social media) KNOW what a huge queer following this show has and that's why we got pansexual Tara Lewis in S16 [1]. Which, in itself, was SOOOOOOO important!!! Our first canonically queer main in SIXTEEN seasons was a middle-aged Black woman!!! That's phenomenal. (The fact it was horrible rep, because they instantly ruined her relationships once her queerness served it's plot point is a whole other post entirely)

In my opinion, the 'big Jemily moment' Paget posted about on Twitter [2] (and AJ hinted at during a recent IG live) is simply queerbaiting to get people to watch S17. I know a lot of you are newer to the fandom and I love your enthusiasm, I really do, ship and let ship, but listen, let's be real, Jemily is not going to be made canon. The showrunners aren't going to suddenly say (after 17 seasons) 'Surprise, Jemily is endgame'. This show has never cared about queer rep and now that CBS/Paramount have already ticked their queer rep box with Tara, they won't be in any rush to add any other characters to it.

Please buckle in, I've got a lot of thoughts on this matter --

What is Queerbaiting?

If you aren't aware of what queerbaiting is, here's a good definition:

Historically, queerbaiting has carried two meanings: the first is an act of aggressive heterosexuality to shut down queer subtext on screen while still teasing and catering to the queer audience in advertising, public relations, and fan engagement strategies; the second is an existing homoerotic tension between two characters played up on screen while met with derision by the professionals behind the scenes. [3]

The Medium article quoted here is from 2017, a time when parasocial relationships were really starting to take over social media. In 2024, actors are now only a mention or tag away online, they have direct conversations with fans, and this process has allowed for an even deeper form of queerbaiting.

Oftentimes online, actors are asked directly about certain ships and while some ignore these questions (usually to avoid breaking their contracts or other repercussions), others (looking at you, Paget) choose to instead tease fans about queer ships. She's done this for years upon years and if I've learned anything in the past twenty-years of existing in fandom spaces it's this -- don't hold your breath. In it's original meaning, for something to be deemed as queerbaiting there had to be malicious, or at least, purposeful intent to string queer fans along by teasing them with suggestive content about the ship in question, while knowing this ship will never come to fruition in canon.

The thing to remember is, Paget and AJ aren't the only ones who know about Jemily shippers -- the network and showrunners are well aware of this ship too. When networks/showrunners figure out they have a strong sapphic fanbase, they love to use that to their advantage to get more viewers and higher ratings. Queerbaiting is a goldmine to keep fans watching long running shows, look at Rizzoli and Isles, Supergirl, and OUAT for examples of this.

Jemily and Queerbaiting:

Ever since Emily joined the BAU in S2 (2006), there have always been fans who ship JJ/Emily (shoutout to the old LJ forums!). Way before celebs were just a tweet away from fans, back when all our fics began with disclaimers so we wouldn't get sued by networks, we went to great lengths to keep our fanworks far removed from actors/showrunners attention.

As far as Jemily goes, this reply from Paget in a 2009 interview with TVGuide.com [4] (which has now been deleted from their site unfortunately, but there are quotes on Tumblr still [4.a]) confirmed some fans' worst fear -- the actors had found our fanworks online.

TVGuide.com: Of course, a band of fans want her to hook up with Hotch.

Brewster: I know! I didn't realize that fans make these videos on YouTube? A.J. Cook sent me a hilarious one that made it look like Prentiss and J.J. were having a secret lesbian affair. You know, when Hotch was blown up in the SUV, we shot this scene where he's in the hospital and I'm standing next to him, looking at his bleeding ear. Our director came in and said, "Paget, you're looking at Hotch like you're in love with him. It looks really weird." So now, every day, Thomas [Gibson] and I flutter our eyelids at each other.

This was the first time I recall anyone acknowledging Jemily shippers publicly and at the time (Jan 2009), the show was still in Season Four (just before CBS fired both AJ and Paget [5]). Paget genuinely said it's 'hilarious' that fans shipped JJ/Emily. Even now, I'll see people say 'We know Paget and AJ have seen Jemily fanvids, so they obviously ship it too' -- but those same people rarely acknowledge the full context of the original answer. Paget not only thought JJ/Emily were 'hilarious', but then she doubled down and turned her reply back to how she and Thomas liked to play up the chemistry between Emily/Hotch.

While no one can say for sure which video it was that AJ sent Paget, just knowing they were watching JJ/Emily fanvids sent a bit of a shockwave through the femslash side of the fandom. To some it felt like an invasion of privacy, fanworks are by fans for fans -- knowing the cast were poking around in fandom spaces added an extra layer of worry around what we fans were posting online. Fifteen years ago, it used to be quite taboo for actors to outwardly discuss shipping or other fanon for whatever show they were in, and we fans were usually comfortably removed from the actors altogether.

Of course, now it's the norm for fans and actors/showrunners to co-exist online and interact with one another. This connection has opened new ways for shows to queerbait their fans. Pretty much every show has some form of social media account now and there is no doubt that the people running those accounts keep up with the most popular ships and hashtags. Not to mention that actors are constantly barraged with questions about whether they ship their character with x,y,z, or whether they think a ship should be made canon, etc. These interactions only serve to benefit the shows themselves, because whether the conversation is for or against a certain ship, it's all just free publicity (Why do you think CM now has a TikTok account?)

Every time AJ or Paget say anything about Jemily, the queer side of the fandom loses their minds. But this has been going on for YEARS now and every single time, it turns out to be nothing but social media hype and queerbaiting. Remember this AJ post? [6] Or what about the notorious reply by Paget to a fan, where she talks about how she and AJ held hands under the table 'for the shippers' [7] I've seen this cycle over and over again, so perhaps I am cynical, but I'm not getting my hopes up that Jemily will ever seriously be canon.

It's widely known now, after both Kirsten [8] and Paget [9] have talked about it, that there was an early idea where Prentiss was supposed to be queer, but that was ultimately scraped before it ever made it on screen. For context, please remember, this show has been airing for nearly twenty years. It began in 2005, during the highly conservative Bush administration. Queer people didn't have rights in the US, we couldn't get married, we were rarely protected under discrimination laws, and we could even be fired for simply being queer (in some states). Diverse queer representation on screen was extremely limited to things like 'The L Word' and 'Queer as Folk' (both aired on Showtime, so they were behind a paywall. And as far as tLw goes, that show was extremely male-gaze focused and is horrible in nearly all regards if you try to rewatch it now). As far as prime time shows went, queer rep was even more rare. Which is why Emily wasn't queer from the get-go.

Yes, things have changed since 2006 in terms of queer rep on TV. We have a myriad of queer identities represented in TV and film nowadays, which is why I think it's so easy for newer fans to say 'lf she was supposed to be gay anyway, they should just make Emily queer in canon!' I know this is what fuels most fans' demands for Emily being confirmed queer, and I get it, I DO. I would be all for it! However, I do not, in one hundred years, actually believe that is going to happen after they already canonically queer confirmed Tara in S16. The fact we even got ONE queer character is ground-breaking for this show.

It's also worth noting, that in the time between Paget's departure in 2012 and her return in 2016, she became very active on Twitter. This was when more and more fans began asking her about Jemily and after Kirsten's AfterEllen interview, fans also pushed for Paget to address the possibility of Emily being gay. 'Pushed' is actually an understatement for some of the outright harassment she would receive. (AJ received some of this harassment too, but less so because she doesn't use social media ass often) Back then, neither of them replied to these things directly. Yet, no matter what either woman posted, the replies were full of Jemily stans begging for her acknowledgement. (Did you know 'stan' is literally a term coined for stalker fans?) I remember one time AJ's friend was missing and she posted info on her IG about it, you know what the replies were? People asking her about Jemily. It was genuinely sickening.

Within this context, it was no surprise to fans when Emily came back in S12 , she and JJ's friendship was seemingly erased. The two women were rarely on screen together in the late seasons, plus the writers saw fit to even give Emily not only one (Mark in London, but two, on-screen boyfriends for the first time in the entire series. I personally do not think these changes to Emily's character were coincidence, I saw the hellscape of what people would say to AJ and Paget online and I fully believe that upon Paget's return to the show, the showrunners purposely tried to distance JJ and Emily to dissuade the more abusive side of the fanbase.

Can I prove that, no. But it is the only reason I can think of as to why Emily S12+ seemingly didn't care about JJ anymore, despite their deep and meaningful friendship. I mean, they both CROSSED THE WORLD to go rescue each other in prior canon -- but when Emily comes back, they acted like they barely knew each other. This was even more prevalent in S16, when JJ's main storylines all revolved around Will, and Emily barely looked at JJ in the entirety of ten episodes. (Remember how Prentiss didn't even hug JJ after bomb, but she did go hug Luke?)

So, do Paget and AJ earnestly ship Jemily, or are they continuing the long tradition of queerbaiting us? Who fucking knows, not me. But based on the history of this fandom, I think I can make a safe bet. (Interestingly, if you search all of Paget's twitter for the word 'Jemily' [10] she only has 3 direct tweets mentioning the ship. I don't think it's a coincidence that two are within the past few months since they started filming S17 (the other one was a RT of Kirsten (who tagged something Jemily)

This is all to say --

Just because Paget and AJ have publicly talked about Jemily,, this doesn't mean it's ever going to happen on screen. And you know what, THAT'S OKAY!! There has been this constant outcry (after Tara became queer confirmed) of 'Do Emily next' or 'Why wasn't it Emily with a girlfriend!?' and 'Jemily needs to be canon in S17!' -- as if people believe their ships aren't worth anything unless they are canon.

That couldn't be further from the truth! Fandom is built on headcanons and fan interpretations and rare pairs and all types of shippers. Your ship does NOT need to be canon for you to enjoy it. I will ship Jemily forever, no matter what. I don't think there will be some magical queer plot in S17, at best, we might actually get to see Emily/JJ on screen together again and after the train wreck that was S16 -- I'll take whatever I can get.

And hey -- if I am completely wrong, if Erica Messer pulls a Korrasami out of her hat, I will be ecstatic. I will be happy to be proved wrong, but at the same time, I'm not going to lose sleep over it and I'm DEFINITELY not going to go hound the actors about it on social media.

Sources:

[1] 2022 Digital Spy article about the importance of Tara's coming out

[2] 04/18/24 Paget Tweet

[3] 2017 Queerbaiting article from medium.com

[4] 2009 Broken TVGuide link

[4.a] Tumblr quote from the above TVGuide Interview

[5] 2010 Kirsten interview screenrant.com

[6] 2019 AJ Instagram Post

[7] 2020 Paget video on Twitter (via @karasluthqr)

[8] 2015 Kirsten interview AfterEllen.com

[9] 2016 Paget Interview CriminalMindsFans.com

[10] @PagetPaget search 'Jemily'

[wings-of-ink]

I'm trying to make my own IF story, if it's ok to ask how'd you come up with the ideas? Or how'd you build off it to make a whole (beautiful and amazing) story?

I've had a few ideas but get caught up in trying to make everything in one section fit, and then I feel like I'm getting no where

if you have any tips Id love to hear (your game has become one of my favorites in the 24 hours it took to play ♥️)

Hello Nony! I am so glad you enjoy GC, and am happy to answer that question as best I can. I'm free-styling here, so this will be a bit long.

For me, most ideas just sort of spring up, but they aren't full ideas when they do. GC started from a thought about a cursed MC. That was it. I just dwelt on it and sort of answered questions about it - where did the curse come from, etc... It grew a lot from there as I tried to answer questions about it. The nature of those details gave me my fantasy setting, which I grew as well. I just started small and found a place for each layer that I needed to add to the structure. This can take quite a while depending on what you're cooking up. GC had months and months of building and background before I ever started writing the actual story.

In this poll, the IF idea I had for "Shivers" was literally inspired by my brother-in-law. He actually has that nervous tick, and he jokes about it, and we tease him (good-naturedly). He says that his future gravesite must be under a parking lot or a sidewalk because people keep walking on it, lol. It just made my imagination spin.

The "gritty drama" idea from this same poll stemmed from one of my OCs. I just made a setting for her and then thought of the type of world she lives in and what I could do with it.

Other ideas I have had came from thinking of a cool "scene" while listening to music. Music is a great medium for me to help me think about my characters especially. Just listen to your favorite tunes and let your brain go wild.

It just sort of also depends on how you think. There's nothing that says an idea just needs to come to you, you can set out to find one.

I would recommend focusing on themes and genres that you enjoy reading as well. I am a long-time fan of fantasy, I have written several fantasy stories in the past, and it just feels comfortable for me. You are more inclined to think of story ideas in the niches that you love the most.

One thing I would highly recommend for IF's especially is that you make sure the MC is the center/focus of your story. Some IFs can feel like the MC is a secondary character, and the story is really about the ROs. They can still be great stories, but your reader is often looking for a personal experience in addition to the story and romances.

And just an aside that I think is important, since in the IF communities you see themes repeated, especially popular ones. Do not worry about if your story is completely unique. As long as you do not pluck ideas and words directly from others, it's okay. In the literary and entertainment world, truly unique ideas are very rare if not non-existent, but your version of it has not been told before. You also don't need an earth-shattering idea to make it interesting.

I hope this helps you a bit. If you have more questions or comments about any of this, feel free to send in another ask. If you tell me more about your personal process and experience, maybe I can think of other things that would help if you like. ^_^

[nightfurynova1217]

Crazy revelation I just had about Soichiro's death. This occurred to me while writing a Beyond Birthday fic, and specifically having to keep in mind that death does not surprise him. Sure, he doesn't know how it'll happen, but he always knows when.

It's glossed over if not outright cut from the anime, but it's addressed in a blink-and-ya-miss-it way in the manga, that Soichiro was planning to commit suicide after the raid to Mello's base (for those who were unaware of that fact, it's because he believes his involvement in the case is putting his family in danger, as evidenced by Sayu being kidnapped). The reason he doesn't is obviously because he dies before then, because he cut his time in half after making the eye deal with Ryuk, and instead dies via gunshot wounds and the explosion. Soichiro's life was not taken by a death note, his lifespan was not completely cut short "before his time". My point is, his timer ran out.

MISA. HAS. THE. EYES.

Whether or not she would have figured out the exact formula for how long each tick is, or if she would have calculated the exact date and time, she would have at least seen that Soichiro didn't have much time left compared to everyone else. And she ABSOLUTELY would have told Light. A shinigami would never tell a human how much time they have left, or their loved ones, but there's no rule saying a human with the eyes can't. Even if she never calculates the exact time, she'd notice how much it's ticking down per day and could gauge about how much longer he'd have left. If you think she wouldn't, I'd like to point out that this is her future father-in-law. She would have made the effort. Even if for no other reason than to tell her long-term lover and boyfriend (whom she has lived with for nearly five years now, is her literal partner-in-crime, mastermind behind the schemes, and friggin Lord Kira himself), that his father is going to die in roughly X amount of time. Misa lost both her parents. She knows that pain. She would absolutely want to spare Light from it. She can't save him from it completely, she can't prevent Soichiro's death, but she can brace him for it.

All that now to say, it makes me wonder. Did Light know he was more-or-less sending his father to his death on that mission to raid Mello's base and get the death note back? What we see in both the anime and manga, it seems to suggest that he didn't know and it took him completely by surprise. But logically... he would have at least had an idea that it would be soon.

Now with that lens, while in the hospital and his dad is literally dying, it makes his internal dialogue about "how would a normal person react to this" make a lot more sense than that he has to pretend to care that his dad is dying. It's much less a matter of, "Light is a psychopath and doesn't care about anything other than his goals". It's now more like "he knew his dad's death was coming and has already come to terms with it". That's why it's not fazing him. I will concede that he didn't know that this would be how, or again, he knew it'd be soon but not today, so there's that aspect to consider (I bring that up to say that I like to think Light didn't put on a performance when he started crying, I wanna believe that was legit and he was grieving). But I'm totally open for friendly, civil discussion here.

I rewatched and reread the scene in question and, from a meta standpoint, I'm sure that Ohba just forgot and didn't consider that Misa would know he'd die. But from a character standpoint, I think it shifts the perspective on the scene and adds some interesting nuance.

Thoughts?

[olderthannetfic]

Do you have any idea why authors of multichaptered works INSIST on putting things like "Good news! We're about X of the way to the end folks" and "Sorry folks! I keep thinking it's almost done but then a new chapter happened and it's not going to be done as soon as I thought"? Like, are they fishing for compliments? Like, the fic is getting read. It has subscribers. Ppl are leaving comments. Do they think ppl WANT it to be over? I mean, these are writers we're talking about. So they were naturally readers first and presumably still are. So the concept of fellow readers not wanting what they enjoy to end shouldn't be such a novel concept to them! So why remind us and remind us and remind us that we're closer to the end? If the chapters are already numbered, we can see it thanks! We don't need a reminder! And if the chapters are written like "5/?" we don't WANT to know when the story is going to end! And the apologizing because there's more story? It's so unbelievably infuriating I have often just closed the tab because I was so mad I didn't want to read anything by someone so moronic (or fake-modest or fishing for compliments) anymore. So many writers seem to absolutely have no awareness or understanding or respect for the concept of a reader being immersed in a story. In published multichaptered books, you don't find little author's notes full of unfunny self-deprecating jokes and anecdotes and life updates at the start AND end of every chapter. You're immersed in the story and eagerly going from chapter to chapter. But sure, chat about anything and everything under the sun and completely break the hold your storytelling had on me! Author's notes are not a chat room. It's for stuff that affects the story or a heads up about a tag that hadn't been in the tags until that specific chapter but warrants a warning. Ugh to be honest lately I've completely stopped reading author's notes. From weird "haha see what I did there" after the most achingly written pining and temporary heartbreak scene, to smug and inane and ridiculous declarations of "X and Y switch because I believe in equality" as if it's a moral issue instead of a very real life preference for many men who sleep with men, author's notes are just idiotic most of the time. I will only read them by authors I trust, who will add a quiet few lines about the translation of a Latin phrase, or a link to pictures of a real-life place they featured in a poignant scene. Otherwise they just make me wring out my hair and who needs that. And for the crowd that LOVES to get offended: No I don't mean this is gospel. I mean this is MY experience. And since I'm clearly not one of a kind because no one is, there's bound to be others like me. So authors who WANT to keep ruining the mood they managed to craft can keep doing it -- most of their readers probably don't mind! The authors I trust though (the ones whose notes I will read, and whose notes have never ruined the mood for me) never do that anyway. But this is a heads up to those who are interested in finding out what makes SOME readers tick, because there's a first time learning about something for everyone. Thanks for letting me vent!

--

[anzynai]

Ah!! I just saw your Housewarden tickle HCs and I was wondering if I could add to that person’s request and ask for vice house wardens (+ Ruggie and Ortho) tickle HCs if you can? Thanks in advance! 💖💖💖

Vice Housewardens Hcs

a/n: as the ask said, ortho and ruggie aren’t housewardens but that’s fine! sometimes i forget that fact too UHHH also there probably won’t (or i’m not really sure) be as many headcanons as the housewarden one but we shall see. this is a super late ask but i hope u like these heascanons anyway.. i mean, at least i got them out haha but as always, enjoy!

——

Trey

so i think that he would be a 7? LIKE some spots he will be like “😊” (the smile is out of pity) and some he will be like 😂😂 (laughing his head off)

ITS PRETTY HARD TO GET HIM TO THAT POINT THO because his worst spots are his back and his thighs, which aren’t always so easily accessible?

but if someone happened to just,, trace a finger down his back while he’s doing something, he will jump and flail and produce the silliest noise you will ever hear in your life

he’s the type to be shy-embarrassed about his ticklishness. like he wouldn’t want to be known for it, but at the end of the day, he doesn’t mind it too much, yk?

he’s really strong so it’s difficult to pin him so it’s probably not even worth trying. it doesn’t matter though, because he’ll usually let you tickle him anyway. (at least if he can get you back)

when he gets you back, he has this wholesome smile on his face and you can’t help feeling embarrassed. he’s super gentle and does it to try and make you happy.

he’s done it to riddle though when he feels like the redhead hasn’t been smiling enough, yk?? like he loves cheer up tickles and while it mostly happens to riddle, he’s done it to others too.

he would also be the type to use it as a sort of motivation. “every question that you get wrong is ten seconds of tickling. how is that?”

Ruggie

ergggg tickles with this guy,, they were always a pretty big thing with him! growing up, his family always would tickle eachother (meaning ofc he was involved as well) and as of late, tickling between leona and him has been becoming more and more frequent (to leona’s disdain)

he’s definitely like an 8, leaning a bit towards a 9? idk he’s pretty ticklish.

his worst spots.. his sides AND his tail. most people learn he’s ticklish if they try to pet his tail, so he doesn’t let people, unless he really trusts them (such as yuu). only leona knows his sides r ticklish cuz he tickles ruggie if he wants him to stop bothering him. rook knows about his tail if you’ve seen that one scene 😊😊

he enjoys being tickled and can usually last for a while, but he doesn’t like when it’s so intense.

if ruggie had an s/o, i think he would be the type to like,, nibble on their neck to make them giggle yk??

not really anyone KNOWS about his sensitivity (apart from his fam) but leona and rook. leona found out one time cuz ruggie kept pestering him and he pushed him away in his side and was very shocked by the very loud squeal that ruggie let out.

i think that he’s not necessarily embarrassed about his sensitivity but also like, not for any real reason. he just doesn’t think about tickling all that much. like, it’s completely normal to him. so it’s not like he’s all for it but he’s just pretty neutral about it (if that makes sense)

that being said, that is regarding his OWN sensitivity. for others, while he doesn’t do it often, he looooves tickling others

he gets teasy w it too!!! “you’re so ticklish, it’s so funny!!” all that stuff yk?

he is for sure the type to use tickling to “exploit” people into doing what he wants them to do. obviously, nothing super bad but if he REALLY wants something and u happen to be ticklish? well, yk what that means.

he has a sneaky, gentle touch? like hes strangely good at finding the spots that makes someone tick. comes from experience LOL

Jade

to be honest, among the three, i kinda see him as the least ticklish. now that doesn’t mean hes NOT ticklish, i mean, its AZUL and FLOYD im talking abt?? so yeah, id say hes like.. a 6, leaning towards 7!

AHHHH deep breathy laugh ftw!! most spots that ppl get him elicit this kinda laughter which is like literally to die for. like, its just so…

ofc, this required training(?) on jade’s part because he wanted to maintain his persona of being the calmer twin because floyd’s got the complete opposite laugh (cackly and loud)

STILL, it doesnt mean he never breaks! tbh, he doesnt necessarily hide his ticklishness, but as someone who would prefer to be the one in power, he doesn’t bring it up either. sometimes, when the ler finds a really good spot (his armpits or i imagine the area JUST below his ears, like just at the top of his neck is ridiculously sensitive), its a lot harder to keep himself from squawking lol

kinda circling back to my last headcanon, i think its super funny how jade could definitely manipulate YOU into thinking hes still the one in power while being wrecked to pieces hehe

like idk how he manages it, but he can make you think that hes just indulging and that he could get out anytime he wants. not that this isnt true, but he would definitely struggle more than he lets on. especially if its floyd or azul (or both) who happen to tickle him

like vil from my last post, i think he would be good at keeping himself still for the most part.

no one really gets near him, ESPECIALLY to tickle him except for floyd and azul (and yuu/reader(??) if youd like) so he doesnt get tickled often, especially when he tends to get to the upper hand with them from the get-go.

still, he doesn’t mind this dynamic. he prefers to be the ler than the lee.

on the other hand, as a ler, hes not so bad when hes teaming with someone (usually floyd) like most of the time, he will let the other tickle the person more while he holds onto their arms or something

but alone? ABSOLUTE menace. he knows just the right things to say to make you as flustered and right where he wants you. he knows just the spots he needs to touch to have you squealing. and the worst part of it, is that he will keep it stored in his brain for later use.

like going further with that, im saying if youve got a sensitive neck, he WILL be swiping his finger across his neck and then gaslight you and everyone else into thinking it had never happened in the first place. and if you lose ur sanity over it, thats just part of the fun in his eyes.

hes very attentive when it comes to ensuring the ler doesnt like, completely die. hes actually really good at telling when a ler is about to reach their limit and will stop when he realizes that. hes saved a few from floyd’s wrath because of this.

generally gentle tickles when he first begins, but he can change his style depending on which works better on the lee, compared to others, who often have a pretty distinct tickling style

Jamil

people tend to overlook this because kalim is like super ticklish, but jamil is actually very ticklish as well and he hates it. id say hes about a 7, actually.

tbh i think he would be the type to think of it as a weakness😞😞 like its not necessarily the sensation that he dislikes, but moreso the fact that it makes it much harder to fight back

he seems like he would have a ticklish back im not even gonna lie AND HEAR ME OUT. like his muscles just right below his armpits (blanking on the name rn) so he would never let anyone touch his muscles because it tickles

also think he would have a ticklish collarbone but people arent really aware of that so hes safe? (only for now ofc)

he would be the type to try to hide his face. like maybe stuffing his face into a pillow, into his shirt, etc. he is shy about people seeing his blushing face which is so cuteeee

i feel like kalim would try to tickle him all the time. “its what friends do!” “you look so glum.. let me cheer you up!” “i know a way to take a break from all this studying!” it offers a pretty good distraction tbh

i think yk when ppl lightly tickle ur arm and it tickles but not enough to make u laugh? i feel like jamil would secretly find it comforting

as a ler, he would be suuuuper teasy. im talking like “how embarrassing for you to be this ticklish, huh?” or even worse if the lee cant say “tickle” he will be like “cant even say the word? you must be more ticklish than i thought.”

i feel like he would be one of those ppl who is intimidating yet gentle at the same time. he doesnt want to hurt you obviously but he wants to make sure you feel everything that he is doing to u

like jade, hes pretty good at sensing when the ofher cant take it for much longer so he always stops before they reach that point

he usually tickles kalim, because he feels its too awkward to even try tickling someone else (unless they tickle him first, them its war)

azujami again sorry: jamil likes poking him in the side at random times to hear him gasp and blush because he finds joy in breaking azul’s business persona LOL he relishes in the glare that azul sends him afterwards

Rook

im gonna be so fr. i lowkey see him as not ticklish, except for ONE SPOT. so ill say 1.

that one spot? his SPINE like running a finger down his spine will have him shiver, gasping, and giggljng. hes really ticklish there, but no one has tickled him there since his arrival to NRC so to everyone, he may as well be not ticklish at all.

one time, vil poked him on his back and when vil noticed his reaction, he thought he was busted. still, vil seemed to brush it off after rook started spilling out nonsense.

because of his lack of sensitivity, he doesnt hesitate to tickle others because he knows he doesnt have to worry about retaliation

in fact, he loves when they try and he just laughs at them and tickles them to pieces

that being said, sometimes he wishes he was ticklish because he really loves seeing people laugh and have fun and let their walls down and he kinda wants that too?? but he doesnt always feel like that, he just cant help being a bit envious at times

since hes literally a canon ler, i think its safe to say that he tickles people when he feels they arent smiling enough. whether its jusy because theyre spaced out, or are sad, or just dont happen to be smiling, the reasons matter not. he will get them.

going off of that, cheer up tickles are a big thing with him. especially with epel and sometimes with vil, though vil usually pushes him off after about a minute talking about how “childish” tickling is and all that. but he notices how it makws them feel more relaxed so he never takes either of them seriously

his tickling depends on the ler. he likes to experiment. he noticed that for people like jack and epel, rougher tickles work best. as for vil and ruggie, gentle tickling is better.

kinda (???) unintentionally teasy. of course, he knows what teasing is. but, he’s just a very blunt person (though not everyone understands he is because of the way he says things) but he will talk about how beautiful they look and fluster the other

of course, he knows how to tease and uses it sometimes when he wants to see the other all red and flushed when regular compliments dont work, but he tends to just be blunt because that yields the same results oftentimes

all in all, he loooooves tickling and tries to tickle people a lot (which to some, makes him come off as a weirdo, but that has never stopped him).

Ortho

so i might be wrong but im pretty sure hes actually canonically ticklish, which is think is so cute

and then if u think abt it, idia must have done that on purpose. anyways, i give him a 5. hes sensitive in some places and not in others. (thatd be a LOT of work for idia)

i think it would be like.. in the crevices of his body that get him. like just below his neck, especially

he doesnt really mind his sensitivity! in fact, he finds it pretty fun and he thinks of tickling as a bonding activity hehe

he got more ticklish once he owned like a soul/heart, idk how it works but it does

he loves tickling people! especially his brother. sometimes when idia doesnt get out of bed or is being too snarky, he tickles him

or sometimes i would imagine ortho uses tickling as a way to help people out of their comfort zones. not even just for idia, but like when people are awkward around each other and whatnot, he might be like “i think we should have a tickle fight!” the funny thing is that it actually works

hes the type of teaser thats not really aware they are teasing like “are you having fun!!?” “you’re smiling and giggling a lot!” “you seem so happy, do you like this?”

hes kinda gentle?? i mean as gentle as a robot could be. could u imagine how funny it would be if ortho started off as being too rough when tickling so he has like feathers on him at all times (in some kind of compartment) when he thinks he might be hurting the other.. however, he doesnt need to use them much because he has gotten a lot better

like can tell ur heartrate and when ur at ur limit or getting close, never goes too far basically

is about half and half lee and ler! mostly any tickle fights are between him and idia, or the freshmen, but occasionally others in nrc

LOVESS tickle fights!! thinks they r so so fun and honestly cant blame him lolll

Lilia

honestly. not that ticklish, like im gonna say a 4 and even thats pushing it.

not that i dont want him to be super ticklish, but i think that with old age comes him being less sensitive to tickles

though, i think his back would be a pretty bad spot!! he cant ever get back massages because it makes him laugh

when he laughs while being tickled, its super breathy and deep and its just to die for— cuz its not like his normal laugh..its literally a laugh that only occurs when he is being tickled

also very open when tickled, like instead of curling up, he kinda spreads out and kicks out?? its easier to access his spots though

he used to hate being tickled when he was younger because he was more ticklish and it made him feel weak, though as he grew older, he learned to embrace it and likes tickling now

while its true he doesnt mind being tickled, he definitely prefers to be the one doing the tickling lolll

his main victims r obviously the other members of the diasomnia dorm! he gets silver and sebek the most, but that doesn’t mean he doesnt get malleus quite often as well. its just that.. malleus puts up a fight— a pretty good one, at that.

great tickler, somehow knows all of ur spots before he even touches u and ur just like… how??

i think he likes to sneak attack ppl like will just randomly appear behind someone and tickle them cuz he thinks its funny, will do it to anyone he considers a friend LOL

he would be the type to say “tickle tickle tickle~” or “coochie coochie coo~” stuff like that or even just teasing his lee by wiggling his fingers

he would be the type to use punishment tickles its very funny like if someone does something wrong, “for your punishment, u must endure __ minutes of tickling” (time depends on what was done LOL

[veilkeeper]

No no no, I saw those tags on that post of Astarion's "Midnight Chimes, eh?" Line.

Let's talk about Astarion in a relationship with Tav that he feels is a ticking time bomb, about to explode and then it's over!

Cuz like...that's HEAVY. That's HARD. That shit HURTS. Tav's perspective on their relationship has to be very different than his, and he probably can't even comprehend that it's real for a long long LONG time. And a LOT of that almost DEFINITELY comes from his own insecurities. ESPECIALLY if you get together during the confession scene BEFORE meeting Araj. The GUILT and WORRY he must feel??? Gut wrenching.

to catch people up this is the post and these are my tags:

#literally i got all the break up dialogue just to see and every time he says midnight chimes with that sad little face#its like.... man he really thought it was too good to be true huh#and it adds a lot of... umm.... context. to certain paths that can be taken in the conversation where you get together#because he really does think he doesnt deserve the PC and hes very vulnerable in that convo & in the early days of the relationship i think#*forcibly drags myself away before i add more tags to this innocent ops post*

and i completely agree with you, i think for quite A While astarion is waiting for that other shoe to drop and for his partner to come to their senses and "realize" (heavy air quotes) that he has nothing to offer them. hence why he says "this facade." not because his feelings are fake (theyre not) but because their whole relationship feels like a sham to him because he cant give them a "real" relationship (i.e. one where he is able to provide, sexually, emotionally, romantically, etc). because as he says, he doesn't know what any of this means or what he wants their relationship to look like. and people can hc any number of romantic overtures or whatever (im not your mom) but the text of the game very much implies (to me) that the relationship is progressing at a snail's pace.

and that dialogue, the immediate acceptance when he's broken up with (and his fixation on protecting them in act 3 in the lead up to the ritual), is why i just cant take anybody who says "nah astarion isnt afraid of losing the PC" seriously. because like. no i think he's very afraid. he just shows it/doesn't talk about it in the way other characters might, and he's completely prepared to lose them at any moment because he can't even fathom why he has them to begin with.

[sgiandubh]

Jottings: Season 7, episode 7. If my Latin serves me, that must mean star traveler

Finally made it. Ticked that box. Doubled Cape Fear. I deserve an ice cream, I suppose.

To be honest, I was expecting way worse. And it ends much better than it started, despite SS moaning like a banshee, despite the chopped editing, despite that finger-in-mouth failed transplant (I shall not thank thee, Vanessa Woman) and despite an almost unreadable storyline for us, show-onlies.

A few words on this season's Lallybroch set. I know the Eighties were dubiously fond of shrieking orange shades, diarrheic golden browns and horribly impractical furniture, of course. But am I the only one that feels modern-day Lallybroch is tacky and kitschy AF, as compared to the wonderful, really perfect J&C& the Murrays' timeline? I also find it disturbingly confusing, a failed hybrid between a Texas ranch and a Brittany gentilhommière. To bear the shock, my gaze needs the active help of details with a story and a destiny, such as the Jacobite 'Nemo me impune lacessit' saltire I've noticed ever since Mrs. Graham was reading Claire's teacup, in season 1 - now almost an afterthought. Therefore, the overall result feels like J&C's shrine has been colonized by anachronistic hipsters, not to mention that horrible caravan. There is a complete lack of coziness to a space that did not have the time to become a real home. That only makes things worse when #Broger try their best at mimicking a functional, credible marriage, sex included.

Let's be done already with the Phil Collins moment. And go tell it on the mountain that, despite the multiple warnings received recently, my reaction somehow managed to surprise myself. Reader, I HOWLED, which is beyond redemption and potentially much more cruel than a heavy disappointment. The hydraulics were shaky. The afghan was mustard. She was indescribable and he was elsewhere. I shall only add that my brain refused the connection with In the Air Tonight and went instead for I Can't Dance. If there is any truth in that old symmetry between dancing, driving and canoodling - go figure. Enough said.

The two people who totally slayed this episode were Buck Mackenzie and Vandervaart - I know, indulge me, I am a poor woman of feeble mind. I do not intend to insist on young William, simply because I don't think it's savvy to shamelessly fangirl two days in a row. He shines in that very difficult battle scene, and yes, it reminded me of Culloden J sans the kamikaze touch. And yes, by the end of Saratoga 1.0, William is easily ten years older: the whole world's burden weighs on his shoulders and there is a taste of ashes to that Pyrrhic victory.

Spoiler: [looking at Jemmy's toy plane] Of all the things I have seen... have you been inside one? (...) My Jeremiah would love this. Buck is phenomenal. He is versatile enough to seamlessly transition from a hungry animal to the 18th century lawyer to the unwanted, macho cousin-ancestor to the father who misses his children, all of this in less than an hour. And even if I shall never forgive Herself for not bringing You-Know-Who through the stones, this could be as good as it gets, in terms of a second-best narrative solution. Still, unfair, Herself. Unfair to bits.

Spare the cosmic booing in the air these days, the J&C/S&C PDA issue has also been debated at length, in quite tired terms, to be honest. What I did see was a couple sure of itself and completely at ease with one another. And if you think S&C were nowhere to be found, think again about C's chuckle just after J cheekily tells her she needs spectacles, with a very 21st century flirty-coffee-in-town attitude that is not J.

I believe the next and last episode is on August 11th. That should be the one with the blue light mojo, right? Right.

I can't wait.

Credit given again to @flllk. Of course.

[trashboatprince]

Oh i just thought of a prompt idea! Aziraphale trying to write a book? Maybe under estimating how easy it would be?

Hahaha, the massive difference between reading something and writing something.

On with the fic!

--

"Angel!" Crowley shouted as he loudly threw open the doors to the bookshop. "You in? Cause I know you are, I can sense your 'goody-goody' angel essence here. Plus, you tend to call me when you're gonna take a little trip or do somethin' for Heaven."

He glanced around, there looked to be more dust than usual, and he could smell the unmistakable scent of forgotten tea cups. Bleh.

Which means that Aziraphale either found a new, ancient tome to pour over for days to make sure he reads every single thing, examines every damn, little detail. Or, he's bookbinding/repairing for a commission and completely forgot about everything else in the world, including answering his blasted phone.

Crowley rolled his eyes and headed right for Aziraphale's work space, and as he got closer, he seemed to pick up on a ticking sound. And a metallic ding, followed by some odd sound, then more ticking.

Gosh, that's a combo of noises Crowley hadn't heard in person in ages, mainly you heard it in movies or TV shows from bygone times. Or, when Aziraphale decided to pull it out of its case and use it because his ancient-as-anything computer just won't cut it.

Peeking into the work space, Crowley found a mess.

Papers everywhere, stacked into what had to be piles of organized chaos, or simply discarded, judging by some of the crumbled up paper balls. And there was Aziraphale, with several cups that may or may not contain mold, glaring as he rapidly typed away at a typewriter that had to be from the 1890s.

Aziraphale growled and yanked out the paper. "No, no! Terrible, all of those were incorrect for the scene! Fine, attempt number fifteen should be it..."

The typewriter suddenly had paper again and Aziraphale began typing away, muttering under his breath.

"Hell's teeth, angel, what's all this about?" Crowley asked, picking up one of the discarded papers. He looked at what was on it, and it seemed to be dialogue between two characters, though the conversation was very prissy, very Aziraphale-like.

Aziraphale squeaked and turned, blinking owlishly behind his little glasses. "Oh! Good... uhh... what time is it, dear?"

"It's 10 in the morning."

"Ah! Right, good morning! Dreadfully sorry, been a bit busy lately."

"I can see that." Crowley tossed the paper aside. "You writin' somethin'?"

Aziraphale looked excited. "I am! I decided that it's about time that I add to the literary world, and not just contribute to it through my reading!"

"So, you're trying to write a book." The demon picked up a few more pages. "This is why I haven't heard from you for over a week?"

"It's been over a week since we had brunch?" Aziraphale blinked. "Gosh, I seem to have been more into my work than I thought."

Crowley snorted, tossing the other papers aside into the mess. Then he stopped, and a big, toothy grin came to him. "Brunch! Oooh! This is why you're writing a book, isn't it? Cause I told you that it's a lot of work for good literature, after you complained about all those annoying books that 'popular' authors these days just churn out every two months! You were all 'It takes time and effort for memorable books, anyone who doesn't just want the next paycheck can do it'."

Aziraphale huffed and fixed his bowtie. "I stand by that, Crowley. And it's true, a love for writing and reading can create amazing stories. And I decided to prove my point!"

"From all this paper, and how pissed you looked when I came in, it's not going very well?"

"Well..." The angel coughed, looking away and back at the typewriter, "it is a work in progress, and not everyone can create a masterpiece on the first attempt! Besides, I think I'm onto something with my story, finally! Inspiration struck me and I've been on a roll, I just have to make sure I get everything right! I will not settle for anything less with this specific plot!"

"Uh huh. And what's it about?"

Aziraphale's cheeks pinked and he tugged at his vest. "W-well, it's a secret, I'm not ready to reveal the plot just yet!"

Crowley grabbed a random page off the pile next to him and cleared his throat. "'It would be the most magical of nights, if one excuses the pun, of course. A chance to show my skills to a real audience, on the West End of all places!' I think I can take a wild guess as to what this-"

The page was snatched from Crowley's hands and Aziraphale shoved it into his vest, hiding it from the demon. His face was red and he looked embarrassed. "It's a secret! No reading!"

Crowley chuckled, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Fine, I'll just have to wait for when it's finally released. You'll have to let me know when it's available, I'd just love to read it." He lowered his glasses to give the angel a wink before snatching up the forgotten tea cups.

"Now, how about we take a little break, Mr. Writer Man. We can do brunch again."

--

Aziraphale seems like the sort of writer who won't settle for anything less than perfect if he's gonna write something based on his life. And that magical night in 1941 must be correct!

[jaal-ama-daravv]

Dragon Age: The Veilguard Review

i need to put my thoughts into words so hear it goes - dragon age veilguard review

keep in mind my playthrough was the following -

female, elf, mourn watch, romanced emmrich, solavellan import, completed 90%.

full spoilers below - you have been warned!

ill add to this if I think of anything through my next playthrough

Combat

Im gonna cop it for this but I fucking loved it. Its literally fantasy Mass Effect Andromeda. and I have ALWAYS, FUCKING HATED STAFFS FOR A MAGE. Now im a mage ninja and im in heaven.

1000/10

Story

Ill keep this short in a few words -

This is if Mass Effect 2, Mass Effect 3, and Dragon Age 2 had a lovechild. Mass Effect 2 ending choices and companion focus, Mass Effect 3 cinematics with pizazz and impact, Dragon Age 2 haha and compantion depth.

I was genuinely in shock for some outcomes/consequences but other times im like, what, is that IT. looking at you lucanis personal quest

I wish they put more weight on the 'this may be my final mission' but I digress.

The pace was good.

minimal cameos????? I feel bad for anyone who romanced someone in inquisition that wasnt dorian or solas

I was violently sobbing at numerous points and cheering at others. The choices I made, made a difference.

7/10

Solavellan/Solas

Bioware did a good job. They ticked every fucking box for ME personally when it came to the reunion and the ending.

I called it when I said that Solas would turn around and go 'vhenan'.

also talking love to eachother in elvhen? jesus fuck my heart.

I will add that at times i felt like the game was pushing me to hate solas, where if you are coming in from a solavellan experience, can be offputting

I do think they couldve added more OOMPF to solas and his regrets. like one regret about the inquisitor, or mention. but solas keeping his vhenan card close to his chest till the end made me fucking cry like a baby so

regardless, 10/10

Romance w/ Emmrich

I LOVED this romance. It was very well written and suave. The main choice in Emmrich's personal quest does have an impact and I love that. I chose for Emmrich to choose mortality over lichdom in a 'face your fears' type of way.

the romance scene is quirky. sad boy hours there is no naked emmrich.

long story short, sacrificing lichdom causes Emmrich to clench up more and insists that he is a burden to you due to the age difference. The romance still continues but in the LICH path, Emmrich expresses that he is afraid to mourn you for eternity. which i think is way hotter. PLUS. I can HC that my rook seeks lichdom too.

The argument scene has left a hole in my heart

9/10

devastated there is like FOUR WORDS in the epilogue about any romance.

therefore, 8/10

im tired of writing fanfcition bioware just give it to me in game

argument scene

Epilogue

Now this, I have an issue with. It is way too vague. There is no mention of what the companions get up to next, and minimal mention of the world state following the final quest. I mainly remember it just telling me the story isnt over. It is pure sequel baiting, which they couldve still done AND mentioned brief 'what the got up to'. BUT, I shouldnt be too surprised considering this happened with Inquisition as well. Also, huge set up for Rook to be the protagonist in the next game too. WHERE IS THE EPILOGUE SCREEN ABOUT WHAT THEY GET UP TO. I cant with it. Don't get me started on the sequel baiting for a BIG BAD guy in the secret post credit scene where they claim to control all the whacked out characters in the past.

5/10

~~

this is mainly me ranting and/or loving it and my personal views after my initial playthrough

i also love bioware where I will play everything they put out and be thankful I am recieiving something, but do wish they would learn from their mistakes.

[j-nipper-95]

Fic Rec (plus late Six Sentence Sunday) Monday!

Ok, so I’m late posting this, but oh well. It’s being posted!

I’m not sure if my tumblr notifications are working properly at the moment (I know I missed at least one tag last week, so if I’ve missed your tags the last couple of weeks I’m sorry, I’m not ignoring you, tumblr is acting up!) but I’m still alive. I’m back, and I have words to share!

July’s Camp NaNoWriMo has been amazing for getting words down for COTTA, and I am finally back on track with following the El Dorado plot line again! I managed to double the word count goal I had by 1am this morning, so all in all, a very productive month. So without further ado, here’s six(teen) sentences from that! Thanks for the tags @artsyunderstudy @theearlgreymage and @hushed-chorus (and anyone else if I’ve missed your posts!!)

Baz POV

“Get in the back,” he grunts, nodding at the truck. “I’ll cover you.”

“With what, Snow?”

“Just do it.”

No. I won’t leave him.

“They’ll shoot you on sight,” I say (I plead, I almost beg. Don’t make me face the thought of losing you, Simon). “I can’t get over there without your help,” I add. If there’s one thing I can count on right now, it’ll be Simon’s inner heroism.

“Bet you can,” he says, without thinking.

“Two shillings say I can’t.”

The challenge in my voice is enough to make him turn to glare at me. And knowing how much it irritates him, I cock an eyebrow and tilt my chin up to look down my nose at him.

Snow opens his mouth to argue but snaps it shut when we hear the Now Next almost at the corner we’ve just run around.

“You’re on.”

And then Jas also tagged me in a fic rec post, so here’s a few I’ve been enjoying recently!

Someone Wicked by @artsyunderstudy ([E, 53.9k, Carry On, complete]

I had the chance to beta read this fic with @cutestkilla and oh my God it was a rollercoaster of emotions and tender smut and I loved every single second of it!

Normal AU, complicated family relationships, religious guilt, chronic pain rep, escort Simon, this fic had me hooked from the second Ashton pitched it to me! It’s angsty and soft and emotional in all of the ways we’ve come to expect from her fics, and it ticks all of the boxes.

Ashton managed to tackle some really tough emotions and relationship dynamics in this one, and I don’t really want to say any more and risk spoiling any of it.

Check it out if you haven’t yet, but just remember it is explicit with plenty of on page smut/sex scenes!

More Than Friends by @fatalfangirl [E, 19.9k, Carry On, incomplete]

This fic updated today. It was a good day!

Simon and Baz are roommates, and having survived lockdown together their feelings are becoming much more than platonic. Both of them like the other, but neither is willing to compromise their friendship.

Another Normal AU, this time ‘friends with benefits’, featuring lots of unhealthy coping mechanisms, a sexually promiscuous Simon (which I for one am loving!), Baz as a writer, and some new tags that were added today (trigger warnings for mentions of past ab*se and panic attacks).

This fic is updating currently, and I cannot wait to see what Stacy has in store for the boys! (Again, it’s explicit, so minors begone!)

What Remains After the Storm by @hushed-chorus [M, 86.3k, Carry On, complete]

When I tell you this fic had (and still has) me in a fricken chokehold, that’s an understatement! I still think about this fic on a daily basis, and Demi’s writing is simply stunning.

A fantasy/historical fiction(ish) AU, with fae, curses, much pining, and plenty of cute goats.

Simon is a goatherd on the edge of a fishing town, and while he’s not entirely trusted by the townsfolk, he’s not outright despised either. He works the land, and always pays his tithe to the fae. Until he pulls something from the ocean. Or rather, someone. When Baz flees his fae captors and returns home, he and Simon have to work together to help him remember his humanity.

This fic. Oh. My. GOD! Every update had me on the edge of my seat. Do yourself a favour, and go and read this fic. Especially as Demi is considering writing more in the same AU!

Strictly Professional by @palimpsessed [E, 38.5k, Carry On, complete]

This fic completed a couple of days ago, and I didn’t have time to finish reading it until this morning, and my god was it worth the wait!

Simon is a new recruit at Baz’s firm, and he’s joined the company just in time for the professional conference. But not in time to get his own hotel room. Cue only one bed forced proximity fast burn get together!

This fic pays off so quickly in the best way possible! The emotions Pal has managed to get into such a short space of time for the boys is incredible, and had me so invested in this relationship! Baz trying to remain professional, Simon’s unabashed flirting, neither of them managing to keep their hands off each other. Again, every single box ticked!

The Selkie and his Boy by @hushed-chorus [T, 21.8k, Carry On, complete]

It’s very rare that I pick up a T or G rated SnowBaz fic. I usually go for M and above, but once again, Demi had me hook line and sinker with this one.

Every year, Baz and his family holiday in Cornwall (can I just say how much I love Demi’s writing about Cornwall? It’s so nice to see the South West represented in fic!! As a Dorset girl who holidayed a lot in Cornwall as a kid, I love this so much!). Everything goes to plan … most of the time. One year, he meets a boy with bronze hair and blue eyes that utterly captivates him, and who he expects to spend the whole summer getting to know.

But the boy never shows up the next day. Or the next. Or indeed for the next several years.

Flash forward seven years, and an embittered Baz finally meets Simon again, and finds out why Simon never came back all those years ago.

An AU where Simon is a selkie, Baz is still a vampire, and Mordelia is unabashedly sassy!

Tagging (for both SSS and fic recs): @artsyunderstudy @aroace-genderfluid-sheep @aristocratic-otter @palimpsessed @larkral @orange-peony @dragoneggos @prettylightsbigcity @stardustasincocaine @fatalfangirl @cutestkilla @ileadacharmedlife @chen-chen-chen-again-chen @ebbpettier @martsonmars @erzbethluna @hushed-chorus

[checkoutmybookshelf]

Regency Romantasy

So...it has been brought to my attention that I perhaps have a type, and this book ticked a lot of really good boxes for me. It's regency-inspired. It's fantasy. It's a romance. It has a chronically ill main character. It has sewing and fashion. Literally 90% of the characters are LGBTQIA. It has a BALCONY SCENE for crying out loud. It even has a gossip columnist who might be better than Lady Whistledown (do NOT come for me, Bridgerton Fandom, I said what I said). I could go on, but at that point I think we would have completely dissolved from actual review to screamed list of things I enjoyed, so let's rein it in for a minute and talk A Fragile Enchantment.

I'm going to start with setting, because while this book is regency-inspired, it also plays a little fast and loose with other historical inspirations. The reality of the blight and famine in historical Ireland (and frankly also the troubles and every time that Ireland revolted against England) was that it came after the regency, but here Niamh is the first generation after a similar event and subsequent revolt in her home country of fantasy Irel--I mean Machland. She has grown up surrounded by survivors of the blight and revolt, and like everyone who reads Maus learns, generational trauma is a BITCH. So when our dressmaker protagonist is invited to make the wedding clothes for the son of the king who murdered her people, it's politically and emotionally charged. Add to that the fact that Niamh's magic is hereditary and weirdly murdery, and yeah, things are emotional as heck.

Possibly I shouldn't relate quite so hard to a protagonist who is literally hurting herself for people who ultimately couldn't give a damn about her, but that IS my villain origin story, so all I had for Niamh was compassion at how hard a position that is to be in.

Niamh herself is beautifully written, and Saft balances all the threads tied around and pulling at Niamh's heart just beautifully. Every choice is complex and fraught, and so-deeply-ingrained-she-doesnt-even-notice-it impulse to shape herself around other people's pain and grief and comfort them instead of sitting with her own feelings is just stunningly well executed without feeling dramatic or indulgent.

Niamh is so desperate for friends, and the little ring she constructs around herself couldn't be stranger or more wonderful. From the enraged, grumpy Kit to Sinclair to Rosa and Miriam, this found family is wildly unlikely and prickly, but they fit between each other's thorns just perfectly.

And speaking of people having thorns...we need to address Kit Carmine. Younger son of a mad (and abusive before he went mad) king with an alcohol problem and green magic, our boy is GRUMPY. And BLUNT. And honestly I love him for that, because those thorns are hiding a very stressed out, distinctly squishy center. And also one that is deathly afraid of hurting people, because that's also a thing.

Kit is so tangled up between rage and duty and the few people he cares about that he and Niamh really have to work to develop a compassionate understanding based on wildly different personalities. And then you add all the imperialist and decolonizing stress between them plus the fact that KIT IS LITERALLY ABOUT TO MARRY SOMEONE ELSE and it's a whole deal.

There are so many wonderful moments in this book, it was a delight from start to finish. I objectively have more to say about this book, but I want to avoid spoilers here to inspire y'all to go read this book. I promise, it's worth it. Now, go get it and read. *shoos you toward the bookstore/library/tablet/place you get your books from*