#i love malee sm shes so silly ^^ *make her living hell*

[yourfavouritelaundry]

Does malee have a part-time job during highschool cuz she doesnt have parents's money

Yeahhh uhhhh i THINK she tried to have part time jobs in highschool while living with her relatives (-that can’t wait to kick her ass out once she’s an adult)

,i’m not sure how successful she was since she’s too scared of talking and job interviews not to mention is a minor lmao but Malee definitely managed by herself doing odd jobs by the time events in TWO TIME happened

[saralaurensmagalona]

Stepbrothers, a Thorki fanfic by Magalona

I'm back people ! Lots of work IRL but things are better now and I'm back to what I like ! Enjoy ! Warning : a hard scene at the end...

      Not to talk, not to look, not to hear... Loki had turned into the three little monkeys of the legend. The same ones sculpted in jade his father possessed  in his priceless collection of Asian art. Not to talk about this wedding, not to look at the preparations, not to hear the hellish nonsense going on around him. Not to say anything. Not to do anything. For, actually, what could he say ? What could he possibly do ?

A situation that was already unbearable was now becoming living hell. The two impostors were now in his house, his MOTHER's house, 24/7. Not that it was a material bother, said house being big enough for eight people, but Loki had to endure their sight, their voice, their stupid selfish happiness on a constant basis. As a result, he had a constant migraine. In fact, at first, no one noticed his growing dissociation, his silences, his secret moodiness. Of course, Loki had become a master in dissimulation. But more than that, the two lovebirds were engrossed in wedding planning, costly flower arrangements, lavish menus, even ridiculous embroidered napkins for an equally ridiculously royally set table. Loki simply wanted to puke each time they were shamelessly smooching each other like horny teenagers. It was even worse when they did it also in front of Thor who gave them an embarrassed but complicit smile that was simply even worse than the smooching session. But the worst of the worst was when Thor turned that same stupid smile to Loki who adverted his eyes most of the times. It made said smile freeze on Thor's lips. Thor was the only one to know Loki's opinion, or at least to care about it. It gave Loki's a sadistic pleasure to see Thor's hopes being constantly crushed by Loki's discreet but cold attitude. Loki simply ignored Thor's sad look each time this little scene occurred. But it was a ridiculously short release compared to the long term issue... Loki could not live under his father's roof anymore. Loki could not bear the idea of having that silly woman taking his mother's place.

Deep inside, he did not actually dislike Fran Odinson. He knew she was a kind, loving woman. But all that kindness and loveliness did not help the fact that she was slowly but surely taking Francesca Laufeyson's rightful place. And the fact that even their names sounded very similar was unbearable to Loki. When his father called her abruptly in a sing-song voice around the house, it made Loki's skin crawl for he was confused about who his father was demanding in such a loving tone. And each time, his memories got messed up and he could almost smell his mother's deep perfume in the air. And each time it broke his heart. Again, what could he do about it ?

Except for the invasion, life went on as it pretty much did. Loki woke up, had breakfast (with Thor most of the time), went to school (and Thor tagged along, of course), spent his day doing the usual courses and work (and tried as much as possible to avoid Thor and his crowd). If he had no good reason to hide at the library, he went home (sometimes he had excuses to text Thor not to wait for him but he could not use them all the time). Evenings were harder because he had no privacy now. He was supposed to go downstairs, be part of this mockery of a family, smile and be polite to avoid his father's wrath, eat at the table, answer questions, participate in the conversation...

And especially, he was avoiding thinking about his father's guns in his special closet...

He was proud of himself for keeping up the facade. It had been months since the proposal and the installation of the two impostors and he had managed to remain discreet. At least, that said a lot about himself. Yet, it didn't solve his problem. What was he supposed to do ? After long and hard thinking the answer for now was nothing. Say nothing, hear nothing, see nothing, do not make any ripple, do not create issues or conflict... Do not antagonize your father, do not raise the suspicions of Thor and his mother...

Wait till you're out of this hell.

He needed to wait till the end of the year. There he would work in an over-seas charity association or business and then enter college. He wouldn't be around this house so much and he would be too busy making a living on his own to play happy families with those people. He was done with his father. Larry had overstepped the boundaries of what was morally tolerable. Courting another woman barely a year after his supposedly beloved wife's death ? Proposing to another while she was still fresh in her grave ? Having this blond airhead and her blond oaf of a son sniffing all over the house like disgusting pets ready to pee on everything Francesca Laufeyson held dear to mark their territory... Bearing their prying and questioning, trying to “bound”, to “share” (Loki wanted to vomit each time he heard those words) with him, intruding on his privacy, on what was left of his mother and his true family... And Larry approved this horror. He even reproached Loki for being so “cold”, so “distant” while Fran and Thor were being “so kind.”

Loki did hope for everyone that his father's guns were so perfectly locked that he would never get a hold on them.

***

In all his musings, there was one thing he couldn't understand. The reason why his father had been so quick in welcoming those two burdens in their life. He understood the need not to be a widower anymore for a man largely in the prime of his life and yet, his despair at Francesca's death had been so brutal and absolute that his raising of the ashes of his dead love was equally baffling. It was as if he was overdoing it. At Fran's beck and call, ready to do all her bidding, fatherly and friendly to her son (whom he barely knew) and, of course, angry at Loki for not doing more effort to participate in this farce. There was something amiss in all his insistence. He knew his father. One tedious evening, he got the answer by accident. It happened that Loki had won the top place in an important math course (though it wasn't his forte, being usually second best) the same day Thor won several crucial matches or something, securing for a very long time his title of super-quarterback or something. Not that Loki cared but he was secretly happy that this homophobic scumbag bully Josh Randall had all his hopes of a scholarship and scouting crushed to the ground for good. Loki remembered Randall harassing some of the younger students, slamming them against the lockers only because the victims looked effeminate (according to him) and moreover because they were frailer than he was and that he could do anything he wanted and escape Scott-free, anyway. According to Loki, he deserved it. But the top grades in math had made Loki happy and mostly because it was an issue with his father, his lack of scientific spirit, he couldn't wait until he told him. Maybe it would fortify some bridges that were in peril of being seriously impaired. Except that Thor had arrived earlier and told Larry and Fran his good news first. Larry brought out the champagne and filled the crystal flutes. Those Loki had not seen in a very long time... His father was red-faced and buoyant. “There you are !” Said Larry spotting Loki in the entrance and holding a half empty flute of champagne. “ Just in time for the whole family to celebrate ! Your brother just won the last series !” And while he was laughing and chatting he paid no attention to Thor and Fran's weird confused faces. Faces Loki was too shocked to notice on his own. Your brother. He had called Thor his brother... Loki found himself lacking air. Now, he knew the reason behind this craziness.

What Larry really wanted was not only not be a widower any more. What he really wanted was a new family. A new wife to replace the ever-present ghost. A new son to replace the failing copy of said ghost. He wanted two replacements to finally feel whole. And the originals were no longer useful for him. The memory of a dead wife and the awkward presence of a resenting son too different from him and too much like her… The ghost. Loki did not make any sound or move. He had to digest this disaster, to hide his shock to avoid unwanted attention and to appear pleased to earn some time to start a plan. Mainly how to get out of here for good. And never to see any of them again. Luckily, after a little uneasiness at Larry's words, they kept on celebrating the hero boy and  forgot a bit about his less fortunate counterpart, turned into low-key sidekick. Loki swore himself he would not be degraded into comic relief…

***

As soon as he knew that his purpose was to get accepted in his dream college and to get out of this craziness for sure, Loki was more serene if he wasn't happy in any way… On his side, Thor seemed restless as the days went by and the wedding was coming closer. It was obvious something was on his mind and that he was permanently trying to talk to Loki. But said Loki was not going to help him. He carefully avoided the boy in a subtle way. He was always busy, always dodging. Yet, having Thor under his roof on a constant basis made Loki knew more about him, liked it or not. He was a kind, caring individual, actually trying to get into Loki's good graces. Even a bit discreet which was surprisingly mature and exceptional for someone who got such popularity at school. Speaking about school, that was another part of the problem. Loki discovered himself at the focus of unwanted attention. Word went by that they were stepbrothers-to-be and living under the same roof at the very least. Loki then unwillingly became the next best thing after Thor… Since he was a supposed stepladder to the school football hero. Being friends with Loki, they all presumed, was a way to get closer to Thor. Loki was suddenly surrounded by a pack of greedy, ass-licking jerks, both male and female, and all smelled of desperation and hypocrisy. Loki was invited everywhere, became everybody's friend at a such a speed that it made his head dizzy and only added to his growing dismay. Of course, they were all rejected, sometimes in a rather undiplomatic way. Yet, one of the cheerleader pack, another dolled-up, empty-minded wannabe actress/model, was after Loki (or rather after Thor by proxy…) and meant business. She started an almost aggressive campaign of finesse-lacking flirting. Now Loki had to avoid her in the same time he avoided Thor. Until the day she cornered him near the library and tried to kiss him. Loki had never had any physical interaction with someone that wasn't close to him sentimentally. The attack was so sudden he pushed her out of surprise and she landed on the ground. That wasn't a smart move but this was the last straw. Loki was out of his wits with that girl and her attitude. “What the fuck is wrong with you ?! She screamed, sincerely shocked from his rejection.             - Indeed !” He shouted back. “What the fuck is wrong with ME is that I am not a big fan of being sexually harassed ! Especially by people like YOU !              Loki wasn't that direct usually but, again, he was out of patience. The girl broke in tears that Loki thought it at first to be another trick. He knew Trish Feldman and her crew. All of them were the “mean popular girl” cliché. Up to the dark streaks of mascara running down her cheek. She heaved a huge exhausted sigh that surprised Loki. She DID look burned out after all...             - Look, I didn't want to embarrass you...” She said. “But you don't know anything about me...             - I know enough to tell you that trying to get into my pants won't help you getting into Thor's !            He was becoming aggressive because Trish was starting to act like she needed to talk. And he was in no mood to be a counselor or something.             - Har, har, smart boy !” She replied. “You don't understand. You've never been in love, I mean, REALLY in love, with anyone, am I right ?              Loki was startled by the retort. Indeed, he had never been in love. When would he have found the time ? Before his mother's death, he was happy and content with an already fulfilled life and thought only about the future. And after her death, well... He was billion years from that kind of things. So no, he had practically no experience in that field, never ever been interested in anyone, and didn't know what to answer to the crying girl.               - Right.” She went on, her head down, her voice dropping low. “You don't know what it is to be miserable all the time and pretend to be happy around everyone, everyday. You don't know what it is... to see him everywhere and even in your sleep... And to be nothing to him.”          Trish was wrong about the first part. Loki also had to pretend, although for different reasons. Yet, he was mellowing a bit. He had never seen any of the hated golden circle like that, seriously miserable, seriously distraught and absolutely sincere.              - So, okay. I was being a bitch but you have absolutely no idea of what it is to be…              - ...Part of the popular gang ?” Loki couldn't help but sneer at the spoiled girl's misery. “Well, I have noticed how terrible your lot must feel when you harass the less pretty, less popular girls. All the ‘nerds’” He did the finger gesture to emphasize the word. “ Not to mention the guys…             Trish lowered  her head. She did not look her usual prideful self.             - Okay, I get it. You’re not going to be fooled so let’s stay at that, alright ?            Hearing the girl's resigned tone of voice, Loki nodded, a little ashamed of having deepened her obvious wounds.             - Look,” He said. “If it's any consolation, your little plan wouldn't have worked, believe me...” He paused, realizing for the first time that he had known it for long. “ Thor's mom is going to marry my dad and he is overprotective of her. Right here, right now, nothing matters more to him than her.”              Trish smiled, looking a bit relieved. Loki had guessed right. The girl could swallow a lot more the fact that Thor's mother was his priority. They parted on friendly terms and Loki actually felt a little better. He had the feeling that he had actually helped someone, even though in a small way, even someone who used to be a bully... He felt a little lighter than he had been in a long time.

Until a fist grabbed him violently from behind and slammed him on the wall.

The shock made him see stars first. Then, he saw who was holding him by the arms so tight he could scream with pain. “ Having fun ?” growled the voice that used to be always gentle to him. First, he didn't recognized the crazy bear in front of him. The blue eyes that were always shining and kind were now almost red with rage. The blond, silky hair were now an angry mane. That same mouth that was always praying Loki for more kindness towards everyone was now a snarl, a grimace of pure fury, displaying white pointy teeth like a fighting bull. Thor, it was Thor but a Thor Loki had never seen, never suspected he existed. A Thor that looked ready to kill him.           - Answer me !!” Thor yelled. “ What are you doing with that bitch ?!”          Loki's brain was moving like a crazy clock. What ? What ? Whaaaaat ? The HELL ? What was he talking about ? What was wrong with him ?! It was difficult to hear what Thor was saying (screaming more like it) not to mention the fact that his forearms were really starting to burn. Thor shook him again and made hit the wall a second time. Loki was frozen with shock. This was madness.           - So, I am not even worthy to talk to but you're all lovey-dovey with a WHORE ?! The fuck is wrong with you ?           -I... I....             Part of Loki wanted to punch Thor in his lower parts for talking like that but the other part was incapable of moving, of saying anything, terrified like a trapped rabbit surrounded bdogs.            -  What can SHE do better than ME ? What does SHE have that I DON'T ?!            He was now throwing his yelling face into Loki's, his body crushing Loki's, making it almost impossible to breather, to move, to think... Loki was now feeling like he was five again, surrounded by the bullies that didn't know yet who his father was, on his first day at school.             - TELL ME !! What am I supposed to do to make you NOTICE me ?!            Thor was now totally glued to Loki's body like a furnace and his ragged breath was burning Loki's neck. Loki was feeling faint and weak in the legs. Thor could have killed him right away and Loki could not make the faintest move to protect himself. Please...            Even Loki's voice was no more than a whisper. Brutally, Thor's right hand left Loki's arm to grab his wrist and not in a more gentle way. Loki gasped, now in real terror and confusion. Look, for god's sake ! Do you want more PROOF ?!            And Thor slammed Loki's hand on his crotch. It was like feeling a rock.            Loki snapped.             - Stop ! STOP IT ! YOU'RE HURTING ME !!             And as brutally as it has started, it stopped.             Loki fell on the ground, shaking. Thor, still standing took a step backward. Loki slowly raised his head, fearing another blow, needing to see if that insane creature was indeed his stepbrother-to-be.             It was another Thor, one whose mouth and eyes were ridiculously opened in horror. A totally distraught little abuser. Another change of personality that Loki was incapable to understand in the state he was in.             - I... I am sorry.. I...” He blabbered.            “Not as sorry as you're going to be...” would have been an answer worthy of Loki's usual eloquence but now his mind was empty, unable to form a coherent thought.              - I won't... I swear I... “ He stammered again, walking backward again “I am sorry !”

            And Thor, Mr. N°One, the Mighty Thor, ran pitiously away from his victim.             Loki was left, crouching against the wall, eyes dry but shaking like a leaf and his body burning.

[gypsin]

Thoughts on the Soulmate Trope

Here are some of my thoughts, notes & tips on writing the soulmates trope. (clearly, I’ve been thinking about writing my own soulmate fic someday and how I want to do it)

It’s also pretty clear that I went a bit overboard with my thoughts. So since that’s the case I thought I’d share.  Below are soulmate ‘quirks’, my thoughts on them, and ‘roadblocks’ followed by a general example and some ranting.

Enjoy!

Quirks: (These are mostly just the ones I can remember other people using.)

- writing on your skin shows up on your soulmate too.

This is basically just a pen pals trope. XD

-dream sharing

Always a fun one, but it takes a lot of creativity to be pulled off really well IMO.

-sharing/splitting injuries

almost a surefire hurt/comfort fic if you use this one, but some people use it like the ‘writing on your skin’ quirk and just hint at the connection with bruises and small cuts.

-telepathy

(especially in moments of physical or mental weakness)

-seeing something about the other that no one else can see

It could be anything from a weird/supernatural physical trait, (pointed ears/ fangs/ weird eye color/ mysterious tattoo, etc) to something even stranger (tiny spirits that follow people around, each others aura, flashes of who they used to be in a past life) whatever appeals to you and your story.

-shared birthmarks / soulmarks

Oh man soulmarks, it’s like one of the most popular quirks in the trope. And it’s really versatile too! For example, the position of the mark could indicate the kind of relationship it will be  (ex: over the heart = true love, on the hand = steadfastness and resolve)

And a lot of the time the mark is a clue toward who the other person is. it’s a great opportunity for symbolism in a story. Or you could just straight up make the soulmarks be each other’s NAMES, there are a billion ways you could play it.

-first touch/ eye contact triggers intense mental or physical reaction

(usually feelings of love coming from a past life or some sort of future nostalgia’?’) this is sort of the bread and butter quirk of the trope. Its main issue is that it makes for a SUPER short fic if the two people just fall in love at first sight/touch with no hijinx involved. But I’ve also seen it effectively mixed with quirks like shared emotions, telepathy, and dream sharing so it all depends on how you use it I guess.

-shared emotions/sensations

(intense anger, sadness, joy, pain, pleasure, etc)( intensity can likely be controlled or varies based on the situation) this is a fun one if you’re writing smut for sure, but it's interesting to play with all around too. It basically means every stressful/amazing moment gets shared with the other person and with a supportive couple that’s going to get you far in the fluff & hurt/comfort camps.

-intense need to be near each other

(can compel one or both to drop what they are doing and go to each other, especially in times of distress.)

the weird thing about this one is that I’ve seen it used alongside all sorts of other quirks, and it totally works. Like if one character gets hit by a car in a soulmates fic it's almost guaranteed that this quirk is going to hit the other person like a freight train for no good reason and they are RUNNING to the scene of the accident/hospital.

But it’s sort of unsurprising that it works considering the fact that the whole point of the soulmates trope is that the characters share a weird magical/spiritual bond.

- soulmates can hear each other sing no matter how far apart they are

I’ve seen this one before in a MLB fic and it was cute/silly as HELL. I firmly encourage more inventive and oddly specific quirks like this to fatten up the trope.

-the ability to share what the other is seeing and/or hearing.

(If it’s at will then it probably requires concentration for a clear picture/sound)

I’ve seen this one in movies and it’s pretty cool! But a lot of what’s makes it work is the story going on around them and not the romance itself. I’m not saying to neglect the romance but if you use this quirk you’d better have a super good story to go along with it because this one is all about how the character’s share their lives and situations with each other. If you don’t make those lives interesting then the quirk is wasted. But that’s just my opinion.

With soulmate AU’s you could have it so that everyone has the same quirk or You could mix it up and use all of them (In that instance, I would make some of these more common than others. ex: writing on the skin= rare, birth/soulmarks = semi-rare, first touch/ eye contact = common.) OR you could even make it so that nobody really knows about or believes in soulmates and make your couple an oddity.

Either way,  the point of the soulmate trope is that the side effect of the bond helps lead the couple together. But if you make it too easy then the relationship won’t feel genuine or earned.

Typically, you have one character who is cautiously hopeful about finding and falling for their soulmate (or is extremely eager about meeting their soulmate. See below.)

And the other character has hit some sort of roadblock that has to be overcome.

But they could both have their own issues on dating their soulmate too. It’s all up to the type of characters you're portraying and their circumstances.

Common soulmate roadblocks:

-not everyone HAS a soulmate or theirs died before they could meet and someone that doesn't have one gets jealous and tries to separate the couple.

-one of them is confused by the bond’s clues and think its leading them to someone else.

-one of them thinks the bond is wrong or that they've over thought it because they don't initially approve of their chosen partner / think their partner is too good for them /etc.

-the bond’s side effect gets in the way of their everyday life and they come to resent the other person regardless of if it's their fault or not.

-one of the characters flat out disapproves of their partner being ‘chosen for them’ regardless of who it is.

-one of them (or possibly a family member/friend) is WAY too eager about the soulmate thing and puts pressure on the other person to start a romantic relationship with their partner asap and ends up scaring them away.

-regardless of the bond they still don't find each other for years or were looking in the wrong places. (likely only find one another after they've given up) (god I hate this one, it's so sad)

-one of them gives up on finding their soulmate and goes out with someone else (only to find them during or after the breakup stages) (not fond of this one either)

-saw/ heard about a soulmate bond that should have been platonic turn romantic and then go up in flames.

-knew someone who's soulmate died and doesn't want to go through all that pain someday.

I suggest choosing at least two to make a more complex relationship that will feel earned. But you should do way more if you’re writing a multi-chapter fic. Just remember to stay consistent with the character’s situation and reasoning, and try not to overcompensate with roadblocks.

Example:

The setting is an Au where everyone knows their soulmate via soulmarks

Character A (female) wants to have a relationship with their SM and has a mark of a black fox on her shoulder.  

Character B (male) disapproves of their partner being ‘chosen for them’ regardless of who it is. This is probably compacted by the embarrassing fact that he has a pink butterfly on his shoulder. This has affected his day to day life and he resents his SM for it.

When they meet B see’s A’s fox soulmark (because she’s purposely showing it off so she can find her SM.) But he keeps his hidden.

B tries to avoid A but can’t completely. A does/says something endearing and B’s walls come down a little and they get to know each other. B starts falling for A.

From there you can go a bunch of different ways. You can end the story there by having A do/say something that makes B fall completely in love, reveal his soulmark and admit to his feelings, OR you can drag out the roadblocks you have by making B unwilling to admit to anything and have him agonize over it a while longer.

Adding roadblocks at this point is okay too.

Maybe A finds out B hid his soulmark from her and didn’t originally want to be with her and gets offended. Or Maybe A’s family is WAY too eager about the soulmate thing and ends up spooking B away again. Or you can add a jealous coworker or friend to try and sabotage the relationship and have B get jealous/ protective.

Just bear in mind that their mental states have already been covered in this example so you shouldn’t make any more mental roadblocks. Making B suddenly cut off A after they’ve gotten close because he knew someone who's soulmate died and he’s totally traumatized doesn’t make sense. Either lay out all the emotional issues at the start or keep quiet about them and lay it out later to make it a surprise. Don’t just ADD emotional issues into the mix randomly.

On the same note, I think other kinds of roadblocks get more leeway. Just don't constantly tease the reader with potential relationship development and then have some event or drama just as constantly interrupt/ruin it. People WANT to see the couple get closer. Don't drag out the story just because you can, you have to make it flow naturally. (but I feel like that should go without saying)