#i'm gonna do my best to make sure the kids are engaged and have Fun y'know

[sapsolais]

✨

[villainsandvictimsalliance]

I'm sorry, but the leader of the LoV was Shimura Tenko. That's the whole point. Wanting to be a hero for the outcast was the part of him that persevered since his childhood despite the grooming. I don't get why people are treating the whole name thing similar to deadnaming or something, because it was a name given to him by his abuser for a character he was creating. Real people vs. their "characters"/alter egos is one of the prominent themes of the story. Any deviation from the character comes from Shimura Tenko, the real person behind the alter ego. Shigaraki Tomura is a "character" the same way All Might, Symbol of Peace, is. He is the Symbol of Fear. It's objectively a bad thing that he was still stuck as that Symbol in the end. Reclaiming the character doesn't work as a positive thing here. It's good that Deku was focused on Tenko, the problem was that he should've seen that Tomura is Tenko too. Instead he didn't engage with anything that had to do with Tomura.

Reading helped me understand why people would prefer the Tenko version, as much as it made me realize how much I disagree with that reading.

( Not necessarily a thi-or-that-is-correct situation. The way I see it, it's just a difference in both our interpretations of the story ).

You mention only one example, but it's you go to other characters for comparison, you're gonna find another themes:

Theme 1:

alter the egos as the real selves— or at least, alter egos revealing traits of the real selves that could not be because of prejudices.

Theme 2:

reshaping / reclaiming a stereotype beyond what others might believe or think of it.

Best example? Deku.

Originally, "Deku" was a mean name for Bakugo to make fun of this weak quirkless kid. It's with the help of Ochako that Izuku reshapes Deku into a new meaning and reclaims it as his hero name. He is not hiding behind it, tho. Deku is the version of Izuku wants to be— brave, heroic, strong.

When the UA kids tell their pro-hero names, they are shaping their future and themselves. Beyond the circumstances, they are deciding who they want to be. Another example of it are "Shoto" and "Ingenium". Shoto takes back his identity as a Todoroki as something to be proud of, while Iida decides he will continue the legacy of his brother.

None of those names mean something bad per se. They are not fake realities. Those names are what helped those kids be more confident and sure about themselves.

Now, the Symbol of Peace is that bad not 'cause it was bad from the beginning.

Toshinori was right at first. Society needed a real reason to believe everything would be okay. They needed an example, a champion. If someone does the impossible, then it's not so impossible, right?

The problem with that name is that people used it as an excuse to ignore individual responsibility.

" Why would I save a child when it's not my job and there are heroes who can do it? "

" Everything bad happens because pro-heroes couldn't prevent it and not because we ignored it out of apathy until it got this bad. "

Those type of things.

The "Symbol of Peace" was destroying Toshinori and the hero society because Yagi lost control over it. It didn't belong to him anymore, it was a myth, a public figure. It wasn't even him.

All Might was created when an insane quirkless kid proved the world wrong getting a quirk and facing the biggest threat out there.

Toshinori Yagi will always be All Might and that is something good. That means hope. That means he doesn't need powers to be dangerous, just like he demonstrated on the final war.

Now, I must mention that the pro-heroes naming convention is nothing like Tomura Shigaraki's situation inside the bnha world. It shares some of the dual identities themes of the story, but when you explain the circumstances, it clicks.

Tomura Shigaraki might have been created by AFO, but to say that the identity belongs to AFO alone because he created it would mean to deny the 15 years Tomura spent living as himself, no memories of who Tenko was.

In fact, Tenko and Tomura both share the fact that they were created by an oppressive person or household that tried their best to shape him as they wanted. The only moment in bnha where Tenko / Tomura decided who he wanted to be was when he chose to keep being the leader of the League of Villains.

By the way, AFO was the Symbol of Fear and they started calling Tomura that because he was going to become AFO's new vessel. He didn't want to be the Symbol of Fear at the end, but the leader of the LOV. When he asks Deku to tell Spinner his last words, he calls himself Tomura Shigaraki and not Tenko Shimura.

The final part of your asks is something I agree with. Deku was so focused on seeing past the mask that he didn't realize part of it was not a mask at all.

Well, let me correct myself.

Deku saw it and couldn't forgive him. Deku saw it and felt unsure about whether he actually saved him or not. Deku stood there, watched everything unfold and couldn't decide if the job had been done. All Might had to reassure him in that regard and we all know how wrong Toshinori constantly is about Tomura.

In a sense, I guess you can affirm that Tomura is Tenko or that Tenko is Tomura. It's more a matter of preference or interpretation what do you want to call him from here on (so far).

[raapija]

I'm curious (read invested) do you have a time line in mind for the strollonso au? Like when they met, got engaged, got married

In my pookie au, which I set most of my edits into, it goes something like this.... THIS IS GONNA BE LONG OH LORD, I have a whole thing formulated in my brain and writing is down is gonna be a struggle

2014-2015 They met for the first time very briefly as Fernando was visiting the Ferrari Academy drivers at Prema. Note that Lance is a massive Fernando fan since he was a kid, so this was like meeting his hero. Nando immediately forgot about this meeting as it was just a promotional thing, very sad :(

2017 Lance debuts in F1 at Williams, he's about 19yo and still a massive Nando fan but they rarely interact with each other (see, 'shy canadian rookie'). Sure, they talk every now and then, but no sparks yet...

2018 This is where it starts to get interesting. Nando is struggling (and when I say struggling I mean STRUGGLING) at McLaren and his interest starts to waver which leads to his little fixation on Lance. It started out pretty tame and harmless with Nando writing little notes/letters to him and hiding them around the Williams garage (no one knows how he did it without getting caught) and Lance's belongings. He gets more invested in this than driving the McLaren GP2 engine shitbox.

Eventually Nando gathers up enough courage to ask the 20 year old man out. To his absolute horror and shock, the kid says "yeah, sure" and that's how they began dating. For the remainder of 2018, they keep it strictly to themselves, not telling anyone in case their relationship gets leaked. Lots of hotel room slumber parties, discreet dinner dates and traveling in the same planes between races.

Fun little side story I got is that in 2018, Lance, Fernando and Lando took part as team LANCELANDONANDO (hilarious, I know) in the 24h of Daytona ✨ They finished like... 50th, but it was a big deal since Lando was a tiny little baby boy and Nando was a bit of a mentor to him. (see, 'nando never got kids of his own but really wants to be a father figure)

2019-2020 Nando decides to "retire" from F1 after losing all his ambition to drive because of McLaren draining the life force out of him. Now that Nando isn't in F1, they can make their relationship public since the conflict of interest is no longer an issue.

2019 is a rather dark time for Lance, as the media rips him to shreds for 1) dating a man, 2) being almost 20 years younger AND 3) the person he's dating just happens to be Fernando Alonso. He's called every name under the sun, constantly ridiculed and the fans pretty much turn against him. He tries to avoid all the drama by becoming more closed in and even more shy around people.

Fernando, on the other hand, is off doing indy and endurance racing. He's pretty outspoken about their relationship and does his best to gain respect for Lance, always praising him and telling nice things about him. This starts to work after a while as the media starts to forget about the whole thing.

Nando would visit the F1 grid from time to time and Lance would be at his indy races. Eventually it became normal to see them together and act like a couple and the fans started to support them, so the media did a complete 180°. Now it was a race to get the best Strollonso story in the papers...

During this time also, Lance starts to visit Fernando's karting school a lot more and after a while becomes a key part in its operation. He would volunteer as a race director for the kids' tournaments, pop in as a guest coach or just help around with whatever they were doing. He would become a bit of a celebrity in that community of young drivers and really like spending time there.

2021 Surprise! Fernando gets bored of the other stuff and unretires himself to come back into F1 with Alpine! Before this Lance, Nando, Alpine and Aston Martin have a proper sit-down with FIA to figure out how they can allow Nando back in without the risk of sharing team secrets. A couple rule changes, some NDA's and contracts later, it's settled and F1 gets its most popular Spaniard (sorry Carlos) back on track. Everyone celebrates!

Turns out Nando is on a revenge mission this time. All that pent up McLaren resentment is poured right into Alpine and he becomes the villain of F1, which the fans kinda like. Outside the track, he and Lance live their best comfy life, getting a couple houses together, traveling and expanding their family with a doggy, Nyla! 🥰

2022 Alpine is in shambles. Estie Bestie is threatening to strangle his best friend's boyfriend on a daily basis. Lance suggests, just as a joke, that Fernando should come to Aston as he knew Sebastian was about to retire and they hadn't found a replacement for next season. Fernando doesn't take it as a joke. So, Nando calls up Lance's dad and he agrees immediately to take the Spaniard in.

Fast forward to the end of the season, Alpine gets a couple more big L's, and finally Nando can leave that sinking ship to walk right into Aston Martin's motorhome as soon as he drops out the last race. Fans rejoice, as Strollonso is now in the same team, media is fired up from the potential content and FIA can have a breather now that company secrets are no longer at risk.

2023 Working in the same team turns out to be the best choice they ever made. The team spirit is at an all time high, everyone is enjoying working together and the fans absolutely love them. Nando's tiktok influencer career also helps tremendously and people follow their social medias like it's Friends in 1996.

Nando decides before the summer break that it's now or never and proposes to Lance. To his absolute horror and shock, the 25 year old says "yeah, sure" and they get engaged. Everyone expects a big and glamorous wedding, but turns out they have a small civil ceremony during the break with just family and close friends, away from the limelight. It's a cute and intimate wedding party in Tuscany that only gets out as Lance posts a few pictures from it. Fans rejoice once again! Future's looking all bright and rosy for them <3 And speaking of rosy... They got another fur child! Rósa was Lance's 25th birthday present 🥰

2024.... We'll see ✨

[enidtendo64]

I just finished Wednesday today and I'm full on the wenclair ship!!!! so I'm glad to have seen your art just as I'm done lmao. if you read wenclair fics do you have any recommendations?

OOOOH Okay nice nice!!!

I'm so sorry this is so late but I hope you still want some recs, bc I def got some for you! I tried to keep these pretty succinct and not too many bc a lot of these are pretty long reads but these are some of my fav Wenclair fics to read and reread! I made sure to put different types/genres of fics in here too so there's a diverse list of flavors on here! Most will be complete but I'll throw in some WIPs i've been keeping an eye on!

If We Make It Through December by overnights: If you love FLUFF and Enid interacting with the Addams Fam! A wenclair STAPLE tbh, fake dating, Enid being invited to the Addams Mansion, and CHRISTMAS fic all in one! The dynamics between the Addams and Enid are always sweet, and Wednesday and Enid just teeter on that close friendship to oh, maybe it's love??? thing and it's so sweet to see. It's just very lovely and wholesome! A great execution of that 'fake dating but oops you were in love all along haha' trope!

Magus et Lupus by wigglewyrms: Ok like I had to rep one of my pals in here but in my defense this is genuinely so good and one of my favorite wenclair fics before we even became friends! It's a fun fantasy Wenclair with dialogue that's just so fun and snappy and witty! You're gonna have fun reading their conversations and then you're gonna get caught up into the world and the story! The plot is very fun and the end is a very fun payoff! I think I might have overused the word fun a lot for this fic but like that's just what this fic is--It's entertaining, it's engaging, and it makes you feel like you're having fun reading wanting to know what's next or what's this person gonna say or etc. It's a fic you read and you feel good! 100% Recommend! I even drew art for it if you're interested (which I should honestly repost on here soon)

I'd recommend their other stuff too-- Stubborn, Single Minded, and Obsessive is great if you like the slasher horror genre with a dash of Addams Family Values Lore, and their most recent one that's a WIP, When The Moon Shines Red is a very fun fic focused on Enid's werewolfisms but dangerous, with a very sweet friendship to relationship evolution between Enid and Wednesday!

i know the end by thriftedstars: If you're an angst lover like I am, you're gonna LOOOOVE this! A sort of groundhog's day type of fic, it focuses on the day of the last episode of the first season--Enid, Wednesday, Tyler, Crackstone, all that entails in that night. It's a really fun read just to know what happens next and how Enid gets out of the situation but also to see the girls' relationship grow in this terrible situation. Lots of emotion! Listen sometimes you just need the hurt for the ending to be sweeter! Recommend wholeheartedly!

curtain call by hanjisgirlfriend: on the complete opposite side of the last fic, Curtain Call is an enemies to friends to lovers Wenclair that does an amazing job of capturing that kind of high school love story kind of vibe but like also a dash of youthful nostalgia. It gives me the same vibe of like, if I was listening to the Kids album by Mac Miller--They're kids and they're friends and they're growing up and they're growing up together. I HIGHLY recommend as well, like it genuinely makes my heart lighter thinking about how sweet this is.

raven in the den, wolf in the nest by Barbara_Lazuli: So you might be familiar with the author's name--Artist, Comic maker, Writer, literally what CAN'T she do!!! This fic is another fake dating fic but a different flavor from the first one! This one really dives into both Enid and Wednesday's relationships with their mothers, as well as the building feelings they already have for each other. Their bond in this fic is nothing short of sweet and heartwarming, and I genuinely think this is one of the best fics in the tag! Just got so much substance! Also all the Addams family media references and the Loona refs-- like Barb if you read this you're a champ for making Wednesday play Sonatine and also listen to Hula Hoop and just for making this in general????? Seriously how are you so talented bro

queen of the night by heyfools: Look, a flower shop AU hits okay? And this? THIS HITS. Wednesday is an owner of a flower shop, Enid needs a job, and we know where this is going. But man the way you get to know both characters a little more--their histories, traumas, likes and dislikes and their personalities beyond "appropriately polite cowoke" (well, polite for Enid, not so much Wednesday at first) it's soooooo good! You have a journey along with the characters and you really get invested in their relationship! A great read, especially if you wanna read something like in the afternoon light with a nice lemonade maybe, or like just a very relaxing fun read!

Forged in Blood by RiseAboveTheAshes_203: Okay so this one is a HEAVY HITTER! We're getting into the big bois! It's a 100k fic about Wednesday and Enid basically dealing with the consequences of Enid becoming a blood wolf-- and bro you are seated, belted, strapped into the ride every step because PHEWWWW what a RIDE! It has really interesting lore building upon werewolf society in the show and also witchery and magic from the Addams family. And all of that is great and amazing but the real star of this is just Wednesday and Enid being Wednesday and Enid--they are DEVOTED to each other! Even if they don't quite understand the full means of it yet, and if it gets them in trouble sometimes. It's amazing to see their relationship grow and them understand what they truly mean to one another and it's a captivating love story that also happens to have fun world building for the show and amazing moments that just leave you so tense to know what happens next! I was so tuned in when this was still a WIP I remember refreshing the tag every lunch time for a while for a chapter I was HOOKED, and I'm sure you will be too!

A Kidnapping By Any Other Name by Ravenmoon33: So bear with me this is gonna be a long one; Ok! So this is the other WIP I've put in here (aside from When The Moon Shines Red) and let me tell you--this fic changed my life fr. Some TLDR lore about it tho--the version I linked above there is a revised version! They have an old version they still have up on their account and honestly I also HIGHLY recommend that version too bc it had me in bed giggling kicking my feet like ROMANCE. ROMANCE WAS MADE in these ao3 walls!!! (The flower scene???? No spoilers if you know you know but OOOOOOOOGGHHHH I would not shut up about it for WEEKS Im so sorry to my friends and my poor gf) but I also highly recommend the new version as well! If you've read the first version and are keeping up with the new version, the new things are also so good and you can tell the author is so locked in and excited with what they've added and what they've changed, I honestly recommend both;

So onto what it's actually about-- Enid is "kidnapped" by Wednesday and is "forced" to stay at her best friend's mansion for the summer. And you know what happens? LORE. So much worldbuilding on Addams family lore like it's AMAZING!!! You read about new characters the family past and what it means for Wednesday and Enid, and if that's not enough, there's also the MYSTERY aspect too because Weds and Enid will have to deep dive into that lore to figure out a problem in the present and it's so much FUN to like try to figure out how things go together! I love that aspect of both the versions so much that it's only rivaled by my immense love of how everyone's relationships are written! Enid's relationships with the other members of the Addams fam, especially Morticia, is so healing and heartwarming, and we see Wednesday's different dynamics with her family and how Enid affects her and helps her grow and you see those relationships with her family members grow because of it! And of course, the obvious, Wednesday and Enid basically having a love story for the ages cause JESUS, this is ROMANCE. Wednesday BIG FUCKING ROMANTIC Addams!!! It's amazing omg I wanna say more but I also don't bc I don't wanna spoil but I absolutely cannot rec it enough, even if it stays unfinished it will still be genuinely one of the best wenclair fics for me.

Tumultuous Waters: Wednesday Season Two by KrackenoftheDeep: So we're here at the last one. I didn't really list these fics out in specific order but I did save this specific one for last bc I genuinely think this is my favorite Wednesday fic. This is like a full ass season 2! It's a telling of how season 2 could happen, continuing from season 1 and picking up the ball the first season threw with stuff about the Morning Song cult, a deeper dive of Crackstone and Goody, more worldbuilding about the outcasts and the school, and best of all-- THE Wednesday and Enid dynamic that to me would be so fucking ideal for season 2 if Timothy Burton wasn't a COWARRD!!! /j /maybe

The growth Enid and Wednesday have in this fic, along with the exploration of the other characters, more investigations not just by Wednesday but also the other nightshade members helping and getting involved as well! You really get to feel so many things for these characters, and all of that pays off in one of the most satisfying endings for me in a fic like the author really fucking knocked this out of the park I felt like giving a standing ovation!

I genuinely don't think the Wednesday writers could like, live up to this. At least for me, it's that good. This is everything I've ever wanted for a Wednesday s2 honestly and I honestly, HONESTLY could not recommend this enough.

And after you read this, you can follow along the author's sequel to this fic, The Infinite Black Sea: Wednesday Season 3. Again, also highly recommend! A new mystery afoot!!!

I'm so sorry I didn't expect this to get super long but sometimes you just gotta give tens where tens are deserved!!! There are so many more great wenclair fics out there that deserve a reading and loving, like I know the tag can look a little scary sometimes but seriously there's some great gems there underneath all the scary stuff lol

These are just some of my personal favs, and honestly thank you to all the authors here yall are doing God's work fr!!!

[billiuspendragon]

My Saiki K Sims Lore

I'm gonna tell you all about the lore in my little Saiki K universe on the sims because absolutely no-one asked but I'm sure you're all dying to know.

Warning: long.

Aiura and Kaido have been in a committed relationship since they were teenagers. They have been constantly loyal and are now engaged, though Aiura is now having a mid-life crisis and flirted with some people at her bachelorette party -- but that was just a one-time thing! I think their relationship has been going on long enough that it will be fine.

Info: Aiura has been a witch from birth. Kaido was born human, but was bitten by a werewolf as a teenager. It was like a dream come true for him. Since then he has bitten Satou Hiroshi, disrupting his normalcy and turning him into a werewolf too!

Nendou and Teruhashi are exes, on good terms. They dated as teenagers and went to a prom together. It was a sweet and wholesome relationship, but eventually Kokomi realised while dancing with Aiura that her interests lay a different way, so she broke up with him.

Oh, by the way, that happened while Saiki was dead. He died in a tragic accident (or was it an accident...?) while trying to fix the TV. (Was the TV sabotaged electrocute him on purpose by a certain scientist? Who knows!) Anyway, the other characters worked tirelessly to bring him back, with Kokomi and Kusuke taking up gardening so they could grow the precious life fruit, Nendou learning fishing to catch the death fish, and Akechi mastering the cooking skill so he could make ambrosia.

While everyone was learning their skills, Nendou visited the graveyard whenever he could to talk to his best friend's ghost. On one, tear-jerking occasion, he kept the ghost-saiki in conversation for as long as possible in a fruitless attempt to keep him from returning to the netherworld, even as the sun rose.

His nighttime escapades to the graveyard landed him in trouble with the police many times, but that didn't stop Nendou. He kept on going again and again, until he aged up into an adult and it wasn't a problem anymore (only teens and kids get in trouble for being out after curfew).

Eventually, the ambrosia was made. Unfortunately, Ghost!Saiki chose this moment to be a really fussy eater and fucking SPURNED it, even though it was PERFECT quality -- but eventually he got it down and came back to life! It was a beautiful moment, with all his friends crowding around him and telling him all he had missed. Saiki was very surprised to learn that Kaido was a werewolf -- in fact, he fainted when he saw him transform. Poor Saiki.

Ever since then, Saiki has had sever memory issues (it must be a glitch in the game). Every time he visits the park, he makes a memory as if it's his first time going outside, and the memory fades after a day or so. He can sustain relationships, but can he remember how he got into those relationships? Not a chance. He and Kuboyasu are currently dating, but Saiki does not remember meeting him or getting together with him. And they argue a lot. It's not a great relationship honestly, but maybe it'll get better...?

Chiyo, Hairo, Suzimiya, Aren and Satou all live in a separate house together, and they all hate Akechi. One time he visited them and took a little nap on their sofa and they all came downstairs to shout at him at once because apparently he wasn't supposed to do that. Then he tried to make them breakfast as an apology and they shouted at him again!!!!!!

At one point Saiki got abducted by aliens but nothing really came out of it. Usually alien abductions result in mpreg but apparently Saiki said "no thank u" which is perfectly fair enough honestly. It was just a little adventure for him. The Disastrous Alien Abduction of Saiki K.

Kokomi is in a happy relationship with Suzimiya Hii. I don't know what it is about her, but they clicked as soon as they met.

Akechi and Kusuke are exes, on BAD terms. They had a lot of wacky little dates at first, and it was all fun and games, but then Kusuke had a mid-life crisis and started cheating. With multiple people. Akechi was very upset when he found out -- it really wasn't pretty. One of the people Kusuke had a fling with is called Brain Burger (not Brian, BRAIN) and he's the cleaner for the house, which is a bit awkward. Brain is also a total weirdo -- one time he literally just got into bed with Kokomi while she was sleeping. Like dude, boundaries????? I think I should probably fire him. I couldn't do so at the time because he wasn't on duty -- all I could do was ask him to leave.

Kokomi and Aiura are very close friends. They're the kind of besties who flirt with each other and slow dance sometimes but never in a serious way, you know? Just gals being pals.

Nendou and Kusuke became enemies basically as soon as they started talking, but that was many years ago and I don't think they mind each other now. Kusuo and Kusuke on the other hand, are "old enemies". The hatred might not be fresh, but it is still damn well there.

Kusuke's complicated. He mayyy have had a hand in Saiki's untimely death but he also worked extremely hard to bring him back. Don't know what happens in that man's head (I say, as though I'm not the one orchestrating this whole thing) It's funny because Akechi also had a hand in his death, though I'm sure he didn't mean it. For an electrical appliance to electrocute someone on the sims there must first be a puddle of water on the floor.

They all (Aiura, Kaido, Nendou, Akechi, Kusuke, Kokomi and Kusuo) live in a giant mansion together, though Kusuo has his own mini house outside (he needs his personal space) with a kitchen and a bedroom, and he just spends all his days in there watching cooking shows on the TV. Kusuke Saiki also has a cat called "Bitch" who is grey and has no tail. Don't let the name deceive you; Kusuke loves him very much. They are best friends.

Nendou's lifetime wish is to adopt a unicorn, but he's only seen wild horses so far, and none of them have let him pet them.

aaaand I think that's all the important stuff. I'm more invested in this world than I have been for any other Sims game. I'm gonna stay with these guys until they all die of old age. I'm planning to have Aiura and Kaido have a kid soon so there can be another generation to play after they're gone </3

!Oh! Another interesting thing:

Since I made Teruhashi a fairy (I thought it was fitting for her) her lifetime is about three times longer than all the others. While they're all dying of old age, she's still gonna be a young adult. Even Saiki, who is a genie, doesn't have this extra long lifespan. I didn't realise this while I was making them, but it's gonna be interesting.

[epicbuddieficrecs]

Weekly Recap | November 20th-26th 2023

107 DAYS UNTIL SEASON 7 PREMIERE!!! I'm so excited!!! 😃

Also! I just hit 100 followers! Thank you guys! I hope you enjoy my recs :)

Complete

Ruin Me Like Castle Walls and Burn Me Like a Village by letmetellyouaboutmyfeels/ @letmetellyouaboutmyfeels (PWP, Dragon Eddie | 6K | Explicit): When a call goes wrong, Buck sees a new side to Eddie, and starts to realize a lot of things about his best friend. And himself.

🔥 The Monsterfucker's Symphony by letmetellyouaboutmyfeels/ @letmetellyouaboutmyfeels (PWP, Vampires, Werewolves, Demons, Mermaids... and more | 57K | Explicit): A collection of smutty oneshots featuring Buck or Eddie (or both) as a non-human creature.

🔥 and here, too, am i by Daisies_and_Briars/ @cal-daisies-and-briars (Future fic, Married Buddie | 41K | Teen): Six months into their marriage, Eddie is still struggling to decide whether or not he wants more kids, when he knows Buck does. The universe may not scream, but it certainly talks.

you’re everything that I want, but I didn’t think I’d find by Daffi_990_ao3/ @daffi-990 (Post-S6, Proposal | 2K | Not Rated): Eddie is so in love and proposes to Buck on Christmas Eve. (sequel to come close, let me be home)

all i ever wanted comes right down to you by Iover_of_mine (I_almost_do)/ @lover-of-mine (Getting Together | 3K | General): Eddie is very dramatic in his pining and Buck overhears something that changes everything.

��� stranger sunlight, still by mmtion/ @mmtions (Catfishing/Secret Identity | 64K | Explicit): When the 118 find out about Buck’s secret thirst account on Instagram – to raise fire safety awareness, obviously – they make fun of him the appropriate amount and move on. Eddie finds it a little harder to do the same. Of course, Eddie would never invade Buck’s privacy by searching for and finding the anonymous account. Or looking at all the uploaded photos late at night. Or even directly messaging Buck’s secret account. That would be weird, because he’s certainly not planning on doing anything about his newfound attraction. However, anonymous account @elbombero118 has no such limitations.

🔥the evan buckley matchmaking agency by mmtion/ @mmtions (Season 5, Feelings Realization | 28K | Mature): Buck tries to set up Eddie. It goes well for absolutely no-one involved. 

wanna lose my mind in a hotel room with you by 42hrb/ @exhuastedpigeon (Post-S6, Getting Together | 4K | Explicit): "Think you’ll ever have that kind of love?” Eddie asks as he leans against the wall with a beer in his hand at Maddie and Chimney’s engagement party. He’s got a fond look on his face, if not a little wistful as he turns to face Buck. “I hope so,” Buck says with a small smile on his face. He’s pretty sure he’s already got half of a love like that standing next to him, he just isn’t sure if it’s reciprocated. “I-I really hope so.”

hiccuped endlessly trying to giggle by lecornergirl/ @clusterbuck (PWP | 2K | Explicit): Eddie hiccups. “Just tell me,” he groans. “Come on, how bad could it be? Hic!” “Rectal massage,” Buck says, the words tripping over each other like he just wants to get them out as fast as possible. “Apparently, there was a guy who stopped hiccuping after rectal massage. And this is in, like, Healthline, so it’s probably legit—”

impossible to know (if after this we can still be friends) by lecornergirl / @clusterbuck (Getting Together | 1,7K | General): Hen sighs. “This better be an emergency.” “Does Buck turning up on my doorstep and saying he’s in love with me count as an emergency?”

this is gonna be one of those things by lecornergirl/ @clusterbuck (Getting Together | 2K | Teen): It turns out he only has about three seconds of proper bull-riding in him before he’s tumbling to the floor. Hen and Chimney are bent double with laughter, but Eddie only looks at him, smirks, and says, “You’re doing it wrong.” “Like you’d do any better,” Buck shoots back, and Eddie gives him the most unimpressed look.  “You’re forgetting something,” he tells Buck as he mounts it. “I grew up in Texas.” 

my hands are shaking from holding back from you by lecornergirl/ @clusterbuck (S5E18, HenRen Wedding, Getting Together | 2,5K | Teen): So now Hen and Karen are renewing their wedding vows, and Buck is—Buck is a lot of things, but he’s mostly worried about the concept of Eddie in a suit. Buck is, after all, only one man. He’s a little worried it might be too much for him to handle.

Podfic

🔥 [Podfic] dream of some epiphany by MistMarauder/ @mistmarauder from a fic by extasiswings/ @extasiswings (Canon Divergent, Pre-Canon, Pen Pals | 45-60 mins | Mature): Evan Buckley is lost. It’s happenstance that he wanders into the navy recruiting center. Buck leaves ten minutes later with a set of printed instructions for sending his first letter, assured that he can drop it off whenever he’s ready, and a name. Staff Sergeant Edmundo “Eddie” Diaz.

WIP

🔥 Both Blade and Branch by Daisies_and_Briars/ @cal-daisies-and-briars (Post-S6 | 9/13 | 43K | Mature): The chances of being struck by lightning twice are incredibly minute, but Buck still manages to pull it off. During a double date with Marisol and Natalia, nonetheless. Eddie manages to resuscitate him, but as Buck recovers from yet another trauma, Eddie can’t help but notice there’s something very different about him. He’s not quite sure what version of Buck he got back.

in my head by yourcatfishfriend/ @your-catfish-friend (Friends With Benefits | 6/8 | 23K | Explicit): Buck is confidently bisexual. Eddie isn't sure. Buck helps him figure it out.

[starflungwaddledee]

ooooh aaah my first anonymous hate mail!

now i know i said i'd post this sort of stuff publicly to shame the sender, but i'm faaaaiiirly sure this is a kid. so! i'm not gonna post it, or engage, and have in fact already deleted it, because i really really suspect it's a kid.

i'll address one part: about me not tagging my work.

like many other things in the ask, that's an outright lie. i actually do my best to tag comprehensively and liberally, and if you're hatescrolling my blog you already know my tag for the shipaganza in particular is this: 🎀💖

i have put this tag (again, it's 🎀💖) on every post related to the shipaganza. even the explicitly non-romantic, platonic ones (like bandee's and kirby's) and the what the heck is that? ones (like marx's) so that people can liberally avoid it for any number of reasons. i'm just doing this event for fun, and want it to be fun for people viewing the work as well!

i also make it clear regularly that earnest folks can ask me to tag anything in particular and i will do so. however, i cannot control what tags are used on a post once it leaves my blog, so i recommend that you use this handy feature

to make sure you never have to see any of my content ever again, no matter who else might reblog it onto your feed!

if that's not enough and you're still finding mentions of me on your timeline (such as when other people @ me), you can also apparently use "filtered post content" and just put my username in there. now i haven't tried that in particular, but it seems comprehensive as it searches the entire post for instances of a phrase. here are the instructions on how to do that.

anyway! i hope these steps successfully help you to never see my content or mentions of me ever again!

[mdhwrites]

Going back through TOH's episodes, it strikes me how boring they are. Part of the problem seems to be how criminally unfunny the show is, generally speaking. I can count how many times I've laughed on one hand. In fact I can list them:

There was the "It's been my dream since I was a boy" guy pushing kids off cliffs (Moving Hassle), Luz's "He'll be fine" after throwing Hunter overboard - and then his subsequent re-entry (Hunting Palismen) - and lastly Luz tumbling offscreen in front of Amity after a spider crawls on her face (Grom). That's 3 scenes, 4 jokes if we're being charitable. And sure, maybe my sense of humour is just incompatible with TOH's and I'm being harsh.

But I can't deny that I just feel like there's no rewatch value in TOH? Like it's just... the jokes are so bad to the point it's not fun, it's not entertaining, it's a slog, I see no value in retreading the same ground. And I am a SERIAL rewatcher! This is coming from someone who spends maybe 85% of their time experiencing the same stories! I love seeing well-done media all over again, because even if I know what's going to happen or what they will say, a well-structured joke or a skillfully delivered line is still gonna engage me.

I can't even recommend the show to anyone because I HAVE in the past... and what ends up happening is they watch the first couple episodes, get bored, go "I recognize that you like this, but it's not my thing" and drop it. And I CAN'T BLAME THAT! Because that's how I reacted too when I got into the show! I only stuck with it because it seemed like it was going really interesting places. And it tried to, I think, and failed.

I'm also a very fandom-heavy person so TOH's boring episodes have made it increasingly harder for me to stay within it. Because I'm not rewatching anything, I can see myself in real time as I forget more and more of the plotlines, and even a lot of the characters. It's just... kind of disappointing. It's like I just had a gradual fizzling out of interest. I don't even hate the show, which might be better in some ways - instead I just can't muster enough shits to feel any type of way towards it.

I rambled a bit but I guess my ultimate ask here was: what are your thoughts on whether or not TOH manages to entertain new/old viewers?

So I like S1. I think the characters are what carry it and that they are at their most interesting, EASILY, in S1.

The vast majority of S1, in terms of concepts and executions for plots, is OKAY AT BEST.

This actually just comes down to a simple tonal decision of TOH and also just the fact that a boring world with boring magic creates little to do with bog standard plots and TOH actually has a LOT of bog standard plotting. It is a pretty classic story structurally and takes genuinely very few risks in the structure... Which is okay in theory.

There is nothing wrong with not reinventing the wheel and TOH talks a big game about subverting tropes but no. As a fantasy fan, I can tell you this is EXCEPTIONALLY normal. Like... Insultingly from how much it talks a big game. Especially because if you're going to do classic, you have three options: Shoot the moon, lean into the unique elements of your concept or do it VERY. VERY. WELL.

And remember: They did a body swap episode and it is one of the most hated episodes of the entire show. That's not a good sign.

But this touches on the second problem I brought up: This is a boring world with boring magic. Because TOH's fantasy world is so basic, has little magic and little flair with its magic, it inherently limits what it can do. Now, it doesn't have to be this way but the show made it this way with how little we see of it, how limited it is (like how plant magic is 99% vines), and how often it just blatantly makes one to one comparisons between it and our world with effectively NOTHING altered like how the covens are just jobs, right down to them being introduced through a job fair and a boring one at that.

So when we look at a classic episode concept like the body swap episode, the three plots are... Easily replicated elsewhere. One person gets in trouble in the swap's job because they don't know what they're doing (with the most unique twist of this actually landing them in prison), a classic animal plot where they're taken in by a place that seems cozy and then isn't with literally no changes, and finally... Teenager pisses off bullies and agrees to jump DEAD MAN'S GORGE! But instead of skateboards and people really building it up, its rat beasts.

None of these plots are actually bad, they're go tos for a reason, but... No one is bringing anything special to this. Luz is entirely ignored so her character may as well not matter, Eda is doing NOTHING to add to her plot and King... King is fun for about two minutes leading the bullies and otherwise is just any other character in this situation. It's not bad, I personally enjoy parts of the episode... But it's nothing special. From the second the thing that X character is going to do is revealed, you can guess every step of the plot and they don't even really throw in good jokes in the process. A couple jokes but nothing memorable because everything is weirdly subdued compared to how other shows would be, even in an episode that is definitely trying to be more over the top.

And this runs into the inherent tonal issue of TOH: It doesn't want to be an adventure comedy. Those are genres that are commonly really over the top. They hear jump the shark and go "How about a shark jumping ten other sharks in order to finish making a can of tuna for their fire giant overlord?" And the face of this fact, in that the genres it pitches itself as for the first two episodes!

TOH flatly refuses to be silly and over the top. It's characters are very... 'realistic'. I don't mean real, just that they're meant to feel more mature by being more in control. They don't let them interrupt each other for a joke, they don't let a character be potentially OOC for a one off gag like Hop Pop screaming "EAT THE RICH!" or Sprig asking "Have you ever killed a a man, Hop Pop," and I can only think of one time Luz got mad for the sake of a joke and honestly, yelling about the Rusty Smidge barely comes across as a joke because of how genuine the anger feels after a point. Otherwise, stuff that would normally get exaggerated frustration or the like to at least let you laugh at the reaction just... doesn't get one, like how Luz yells about Luzura being killed off but then... Just walks off and is passive aggressive mostly instead of even exasperated. For a drama or romance, this is not a bad approach but for even just an adventure kid's show... It's not great to put it mildly because people meet odd situations with weird levels of nonchalance. Not quite irony poisoned levels but getting there.

It's why TOH is mostly remembered for the romance and drama episodes. Not only do they allow some of the romance scenes to actually include melodrama, they also just fit how the characters act better. It's why Amity has some of the biggest emotions of the series and why Lumity have such great lines between each other because they're actually willing to lean into the sort of genre fiction that they're doing. This is also why S2 works better than S1 because a lot of the pretense of being a comedy adventure gets dropped but like... There's still plenty of boring in S2 with stuff like how Elsewhere Elsewhen takes time travel and includes a couple jokes at the beginning and then is just... horribly bland and barely qualifies as an adventure.

This lack of allowing people to be emotional and jokey also leads to the reliance on comic relief characters. People like Gus, King or Hooty, or S2 Lilith, who the characters can mock in someway, including the writers. Characters who can be the punchline even if it means a lot of people come off a lot meaner than they should, i.e. Luz absolutely rejecting Hooty for the vast majority of the series despite supposedly liking the weird and rejected. That also means that most of the time they're not on screen, either the scene starts getting pretty dry or you have a character suddenly warp to be comic relief, like how Eda gets in some S2 episodes like Elsewhere Elsewhen or Eclipse Lake where suddenly she's MUCH more of a joke than she normally is and also REALLY bad at it too and seeming potentially brain dead for it. Thanks to Them even does this to Amity even though she is probably the last person in the cast to make sense as a sudden clutz.

All of this stuff makes it so that if you go in wanting a kid's show, a fantasy show, ANYTHING that is pitched in the first episode... S1 is going to be just okay to you. I enjoyed it... But I also fell off when I first watched it. I thought the characters were good but none of it stuck with me as actually memorable and I watched until I think Adventure in the Elements. I never was never compelled to come back until Lumity animations (literally THE Little Miss Perfect animatic that is nowadays probably hard to find actually) made me go "I remember this show being neat." And Lumity was what kept me, not because I was generally laughing or calling these episodes something special. In fact, that sense of unsatisfaction is probably why I watched through it faster than Amphibia. No one episode of TOH is really great to watch on its own because... It's just kind of boring, or like half of it is boring because the B plots across the board are SO BLAND. S1 or 2 for that matter since Lumity starts getting boring B plots like with the archives or finding out the author of Azura. Both concepts btw that could have been really interesting setups and instead... If you're not into blushing Amity, get FUUUUUCKED.

That's without getting into REPETITION. Repetition kills comedy so King having one joke for S1 and also taking up like half of the B plots for the first ten episodes means you are going to be in agony eventually anytime someone talks to him because you know where it's going and you have DEFINITELY heard this joke before. And you know, he also gets three repetitive B plots which just hurts the joke even more, even as they try to make twists on it, and hurts the feeling that the show is doing... Anything..

It's just not good. Which is probably why once the characters and the 'subversive/unique' elements of the show both weakened, more and more people left because... Why would you keep watching this then? Those elements are what made up for boring plots with boring execution in a world that didn't allow for more interesting storytelling because it had few ideas and expanded on NONE OF THEM. So of course people pitch it using the elements that say "this isn't like other kids shows/fantasy shows" because if you pitch it to people who like those... They'll just be disappointed eventually and bored quickly. Like i think a lot of people did to be quite honest.

And a lack of creativity, and a lack of genre understanding, isn't something time could have ever fixed.

======+++++======

The short version of proving this point btw is going "Compare Bumi's introductory episode, which is a character giving three trials to prove another's worth, versus when the Bat Queen challenges Luz. One is exceptionally funny, interesting and has genuinely interesting twists while the other is... There. So very there. Painfully just... there. Not even bad, just... There.

Also, yes, comedy is extremely subjective which is why I tried to talk more about how a lot of these premises are boring because that can be a bit more objective.

I have a public Discord for any and all who want to join!

I also have an Amazon page for all of my original works in various forms of character focused romances from cute, teenage romance to erotica series of my past.

I have an Ao3 for my fanfiction projects as well if that catches your fancy instead.

If you want to hang out with me, I stream from time to time and love to chat with chat.

A Twitter you can follow too

And a Kofi if you like what I do and want to help out with the fact that disability doesn’t pay much.

[hackedxy0x]

My top 10 favorite shows (take two)

A couple of years ago, I posted a 'top 10 favorite shows' list right here on Tumblr. Recently scrolled through it again and was very much surprised by how DIFFERENT it was from my current one. A lot of new entries, a lot of new faves (and I have a LOT of faves). So I thought it might be fun to share my latest top 10 for anyone listening in the void. And hey, maybe you walk away with a few recommendations if our tastes are similar. You should note that these are ranked by how much I love them and nit by how good they objectively are.

Gonna drop my old list at the end if anyone's curious too. If not, let's get going.

10. Arcane

Arcane is, simply put, an amazing show. The animation is absolutely stunning, probably one of the best animated pieces of media I've seen in my life and I'm looking forward to seeing more from this studio. It's incredible how the writers managed to take a few game characters and turn them into layered and interesting individuals whose story captures you without fail. My favorite part of it has to be Silco's relationship with Jinx. Really pulled at my heartstrings. The show used to be in my top 5 (maybe a slight bias considering I made the list right after I was done with the show), but with so many new entries on the list, some shows had to go down. Still very much excited for the new season coming out in a few months.

9. Killing Eve

Ah, how the mighty have fallen. This show used to be in second place, but I'm pretty sure that was before the last season came out and ruined everything. Well, the last season wasn't as much to blame (even though it wasn't half as good as the rest of the show) as much as the horror that was the last episode. If I could delete that mess from my head, I would. Anyway, with that little rant being done, the rest of Killing Eve was absolutely incredible and it would've stayed in top 5 for sure. It has amazing humor, emotion, messiness, amazing characters, sapphic tension... For those of you who don't know, Killing Eve features a sort of cat and mouse game between an MI6 agent with a fascination for female killers and, you've guessed it, a badass female assassin. I couldn't not put it in top 10 even after witnessing the last episode.

8. Fleabag

Fleabag's "This is a love story" from s2e1 and her self-depricating monologue from s1e1 still ring around my head. Fleabag may be a mini-series, but it sure packs a punch. A dark comedy filled with British Humour . Fleabag (and yes, that's the protagonist) is both awful and relatable. And if you love morally grey characters, you're in for a treat. Because Fleabag is very much grey. Empty, apathetic, lonely, filled with love, a mess. You constantly wonder what she'll do next, is she going to reach a new low or heal. Another bonus, the hot priest. This one didn't drop much from the previous list, a consistent good. (Fun fact: Fleabag was written by the same person who wrote season 1 of Killing Eve).

7. Gravity Falls

And now we have one of the best cartoons in cartoon history (around the same spot on the list too). Gravity Falls is a classic. One of the cartoons that shaped the modern cartoon blueprint (along with other amazing cartoons, such as Adventure Time, Regular Show, AWOG...). Only two season and it still left such an impact. A cast of lovable characters, an engaging plot that doesn't miss, the funny jokes that are just the kind of kid friendly (baaaarely) that even the adults could enjoy. Just had to put it in my top 10.

6. The Mentalist

A blast from the plast. And a new entry even though it shouldn't have been since I've seen this show a long time ago, but it slipped my mind when making the original list. Rewatched it in the meantime, so here we are. This was the show you watched when tv shows were something that was still mostly for, well, the tv. I used to love getting my daily fix of it when I was younger. Crime shows were very popular (and still are), but Mentalist really did it like no other. The Mentalist was about a fake ex psychic Patrick Jane who joins the cops as a consultant so he can get revenge on Red John, a serial killer who murdered his family. Sounds glum, but a lot of the show consists of silly, murderer-of-the-week formatted episodes. But the star of the show definitely was Jane's slow burning quest to catch Red John. All the clues, the intrigue, the suffering. Not to mention that Jane was an absolute legend. (Shoutout to Cho).

5. What We Do In The Shadows

Another new entry! (Actually, all of the shows in top 5 are new entries except for num 1). What We Do In The Shadows is absolutely hilarious. A mockumentary about a bunch of vampire roomates who get up to all kinds of trouble. A simple, but effective concept based on an existing movie. This show got recommended to me along with OFMD, and it really captured my heart. The humour is silly, a lot of gags about sex and weird shit, but the acting is what really sells it. Ever member of the cast has prefect comedic timing, accent, expressions and a way of delivering a phrase that will have you in stiches. A great pick-me-up show.

4. Bungou Stray Dogs

The first and only anime on the list. I was actually debating if I should place it on spot number 3 instead, but let's leave it here for now. I f-ing adore bsd. I was reluctant about starting it because I thought it was too long, but, finally, it was seeing Nikolai's badass as fuck villain design that made me watch the show. And now I'm drowning in manga hell. How can an update be so short, yet so insane? The show progressively becomes more insane and senseless, with a cast of characters so likable that you're happy that their plot armor is close to unbreakable. The author sure loves to watch them suffer though. Did I mention that the characters are named after real life authors? And that everyone has a sexy rival and trauma? Yeah, good stuff.

3. Merlin

In a land of myth... An entry that should've been old considering when the show came out, but I've only seen it after creating my original list. Did it air on the telly when I was a kid? Maybe, can't really remember. A plot summary. Merlin is a young lad who was born with magic. He goes to Camelot for some reasonn, a place known for having a king who kills people for doing magic. He becomes a servant for a royal prat, prince Arthur. A once and future king who is supposedly Merlin's destiny. Watch as magical hijinks turn into ANGST, OH PLEASE NO. Another show I avoided due to its length, but those out of context videos on YouTube really wore me down with their charm. Not to mention that one "Are they gay?" video featuring Merthur, so I had to judge it for myself. Verdict: up to the viewer to decide the nature of that particular relationship (ship the shit out of the though).

2. Interview With The Vampire

I will NEVER stop screaming about how good this show is! It's so underrated that it pisses me off. Why isn't it mainstream, why isn't it drowning in awards? I'm trying to think of a bad moment from the show and I just can't. The writing, the casting, the acting, the directing, the scenary... High quality stuff. And this is just the kinda show where it's just so obviously a passion project where everyone involved is highly invested in the plot and knows their stuff. This show makes you feel 50 different emotions at once and, somehow, the cast manages to handle that perfectly. Just give them the awards already! One of my favorite things about the show is the use of the unreliable narrator. You never know how much of what's being said in the interview is credible. Anyway, I'm riding the high of the new season, but this is one of the rare shows that almost reached my number 1.

1. Hannibal

How do I describe Hannibal other than a masterpiece. A consistent number 1 on my list. This show combines everything I ever might want in a show. It's funny, it's dark, romanting, eldritch horror-like, smart, poetic etc etc. The finale of season 2 is one of the best episodes I've seen in my life, if not the best. Every plot point wrapped up, every character dealt with. It's kinda funny how the more you watch the show, the funnier ir becomes. Give me a billion cannibal puns, give me Will shaking like a wet dog. It really made me appreciate consumption as a love language.

-----

Anyway, that's all folks. Link to my previous list:

https://www.tumblr.com/hackedxy0x/669381723127185408/my-top-10-favorite-shows?source=share

[buginateacup]

🍄 ⇢ share a head canon for one of your favourite ships or pairings

🪐 ⇢ name three good things going on in your life right now

🍬 ⇢ post an unpopular opinion about a popular fandom character

🌿 ⇢ give some advice on writer's block and low creativity

🦋 ⇢ share something that has been on your heart and mind lately 

:green beetle: ⇢ add 50 words to your current wip and share the paragraph here (emoji is not working for me smh)

🍄 ⇢ share a head canon for one of your favourite ships or pairings

I was gonna say Drifter/Eris and that they both smell really weird in very different ways...

But let's be honest I gotta go Megarox. Megamind is a flower eater, he enjoys nectar, and Roxanne can and will encourage this, usually by bringing him flowers or when they go on walks in parks together (night walks, naturally. Those are the best kind), she plucks flowers and feeds them to him, usually by shoving them in his face because she is a terrible gremlin and it's why we love her.

🪐 ⇢ name three good things going on in your life right now

My wife came out to a bunch of our friends and they are all so loving and supportive! She smiles so much now!

We are getting a patio installed out the back! It only took 7 years but finally we can eat out there without having to balance on gravel

There is a very cute cat loafing beside me

🍬 ⇢ post an unpopular opinion about a popular fandom character

This is not me trying to yuck anyone's yum but I really, really cannot stand casting Megamind and Roxanne in parental roles for Keiko or her calling them her parents. It squicks me out to the point of repulsion. I am all for feral aunt and uncle to a wild niece, but fun characters who are NOT reduced to parenting (reluctant or otherwise) in sequels are so few and far between that I just don't want to see it. They can be supportive and caring without having to force everyone into Nuclear Family Unit.

And sure, a lot of this stems from growing up with the expectation in both media and irl that of COURSE becoming a parent is the only outcome for you. But that doesn't make it any less of an ick! We SHOULD be getting more non nuclear family options, we SHOULD be getting more it takes a village. But if your only approach to setting characters up as a family is to make them "Here is the mummy and here is the daddy and here is the baby" just no. Please. There are a thousand more possibilities there, open your mind.

🌿 ⇢ give some advice on writer's block and low creativity

Go for a walk, take some music with you, or do dishes or sweep (also with music).

Additionally, if you're wanting to write something but are holding off to find out if future canon will change things, stop waiting. Just go. Do you think we'd have anywhere near the creativity and wildness of fanfic if we had to stop and wait for canon's blessing every time. it's FANFIC! Who fucking cares if canon contradicts you down the track, it's not gonna be any less fanfic for waiting!

(I do think we actually saw a drop in the level of creativity and engagement with fandom ideas when the show was announced, which is a bummer. Kill the cop in your brain. Write shit that will be immediately contradicted, have someone come to your completely disproven fic years down the line and go "I thought this was going to not work because we know X but holy shit this is a whole new way of looking at things!")

🦋 ⇢ share something that has been on your heart and mind lately

I uh....no thoughts, head empty. How do I stop my cat attacking me for wearing jeans in the house? I got my other rants out up above so... *le shrug*

:green beetle: ⇢ add 50 words to your current wip and share the paragraph here (emoji is not working for me smh)

Oh you sneaky little shit, you got me writing!

(context: Look we aint supposed to let the prisoners get gifts. There's a whole chapter in the handbook about what happened last time we let the kid get so much as a bobby pin.

But you tell me how I'm meant to turn down such a sweet little old lady when she comes in with two pristine old shoe boxes, all carefully packed with tissue and hands one to the kid and the other to the repoter and with a quavery little voice about how she and her husband, god rest his soul, used to go dancing every saturday night for almost forty years and how they entered the ameature ballroom competitions together. Told us they were the last pairs they brought together, before the cancer took him and oh she'd never get these on over her bunions now but it would do her old heart good to see some use coming to these shoes which hadn't seen the light of day in nigh on twenty years.)

There's only so much a man can take right before retirement.

I might have been able to hold her off if she hadn't handed one of the boxes to Miss Primetime, who looked really touched and immediately buckled herself into a pair of sparkly red shoes to the encouragement of all the old biddies.

So now the kid's the proud owner of a pair of actual ballroom dance shoes, all polished black to go with the bright orange jumpsuit.

[girlfailgaymer]

15 QUESTIONS FOR 15 FRIENDS 🌸

@avataraloy and @minniestronni both tagged me in so thanks to u both :3

i for SURE don't have 15 ppl to tag but i'ma play along anyway ✨️

ARE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE - no but i could have been! my parents' other potential name for me was Kristopher Robin, like the little boy in Winnie the Pooh, but also their best friend Kris and my grandpa Robin :') kinda wish it'd worked out that way tbh but my current name is also cool so can't complain

WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED - oh like an hour ago, listening to hozier in the shower. empire now amirite guys?

DO YOU HAVE KIDS - nope lucky me!!!!!

WHAT SPORTS DO YOU PLAY - HAHAHAHAH that's funny!! does riding my bike in college count? i was already unathletic but then i broke my leg real bad at 19 and it's been all downhill since 🙃

DO YOU USE SARCASM - nooooo i'm like totally serious all the time (/sarcastic/)

FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE - tattoos and jewelry for sure! whatever little accessories say the most about a person 💓

WHAT'S YOUR EYE COLOR - denim blue with a faint gold streak in one eye 👁

SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS - both make me cry but happy endings all the way

ANY TALENTS - ummm hmm. i'm a pretty good writer, or at least i used to be. i make a mean breakfast sandwich. gaming for sure. i make cute bracelets sometimes. often a thoughtful gift giver 🎮🩶

WHERE WERE YOU BORN - bay area babyyy 💃 central california along the coast. blessing to grow up there, i would never go back

WHAT ARE YOUR HOBBIES - watching anime playing videogames reading gardening crafting drinking and 3hr phone calls with my friends 💞

DO YOU HAVE ANY PETS - one old lady kitty cat! used to have dogs but when we moved they went with mom :(

HOW TALL ARE YOU - 5'5" with a terrible slouch

FAVORITE SUBJECT IN SCHOOL - english bc i got to read & talk about books. science because it's FACINATING (ecology and geology specifically)

DREAM JOB - AUTHOR!!!!!! i wanna stay home and write books that make people feel things so badly :'(

okay i'm gonna tag kinda generously here, obviously only engage if yu want to <3 sorry if this annoys anyone i'm just having fun being part of the tumblr community

@charlottebiscuit @pure-of-fart @azaraeth @ego-rapture @springbeemaya @theoldgodsaredisappointed @dysaniadisorder @vinylfruitcake

[satancopilotsmytardis]

I am fully addicted to your fics and go feral whenever a new one is posted. Because of your writing I’ve firmly become a Shiggy/Hawks shipper. Headcannons for Shigadabihawks.

☾,∇, ൠ, ✿

Buddy, I'm so glad you like my work, but I feel immeasurable guilt over turning you into a shigahawks shipper when I never make content for them anymore 😔

☾ - sleep headcanon

As a group: Hawks is on one side with his wings wrapped around the other two, Dabi is in the middle, usually holding onto Hawks, Shigaraki is on the other side holding onto Dabi until he's sure that they're both asleep and then he gets up to do something else unless it's a rare night he's not suffering from insomnia.

Dabi: Has nightmares a lot, and is always tired, can fall asleep anywhere and even standing up if he feels safe enough

Hawks: Sleepy boy, when he has a day off he is washing his sheets, fluffing his pillows, and making sure his softest blanket is fresh from the dryer so that he can indulge in the Peak sleep experience

Shigaraki: What the fuck is sleep? No real reason, no nightmares even after remembering his past, he just doesn't sleep very much.

✿ - Sex headcanon

As a group: Dabi and Shigaraki like to work Hawks over together best, there's just a lot more they both can be doing with the addition of his wings, and Hawks will never admit it, but he loves being a pillow princess for them.

Dabi: Lost his virginity last of the three of them (the skin falling off and coma were contributing factors). Down for whatever, but does generally prefers AMAB anatomy because he has an oral fixation and loves getting his throat fucked (straps are fine but it's not as good)

Hawks: Thinks he has a low sex drive, but it's really mostly his baggage. He's been a sex symbol in Japan since he was 19 and he's been working as a spy doing honeytraps for a lot longer. He's so unimpressed with sex he's almost uninterested until he finds people that he actually clicks with and genuinely wants.

Shigaraki: Sex is a game and he is winning. Lol no, but he does engage with sex/kink as a form of entertainment. It's something fun to do that feels good, and it's one of the only times he gets to touch someone and they actually want that which helps settle something in his brain.

∇ - old age/aging headcanon

As a group: Hawks an Shigaraki mock Dabi for being an old man, Hawks calls Shigaraki whippersnapper, they are the same as they've always been, but their joints ache now and it looks like Hawks is going to have white hair too soon.

Dabi: did not think he was gonna make it this far and for a long time he's got even more self-destructive tendencies. Takes him deciding that he wants to stick around to see his nieces and nephews grow up before he decides to be a more mature adult. (If he's no longer a villain, he starts a program that can help teach quirk regulation to people like him who have unstable ones.)

Hawks: Also assumed he would die young. Retires from being a hero and focuses on making himself a little life of his own. Has a bakery he goes to for pastries, becomes the old man who feeds the birds, leaves his wings at home when he does those things so he can just be Keigo and not 'retired number two hero: Hawks'

Shigaraki: As he gets older he tries to find kids like him who need someone to take them in. Makes a home for them like AFO did for him (ideally without the ulterior motives). Just eventually the anger and the disgust fade and he is more interested in making sure no kids get abandoned because they're hard to deal with.

ൠ - random headcanon

As a group: One of the best days they've ever had together was the three of them just spending time together on a nice afternoon. They were just a tangle on the couch, Hawks napping, Dabi reading, and Shig playing one of his games. It was incredibly chill and lowkey and none of them will admit it, but for that afternoon they all wished they weren't heroes/villains because if they weren't then this could have just been their life together.

Dabi: Hates that he's always so hot because fluffy sweaters and stuff look so comfy, but he literally can't wear them without overheating.

Hawks: Every time he sees a birdfeeder he wonders. He's not a bird. But. But what would that taste like to him? This haunts him.

Shigaraki: He is the most ride or die person you will ever meet. Once he has imprinted on a person then he is going to make sure they're taken care of and happy. (This is a threat (: )

[heich0e]

wait if you said that you're gonna stop the oopsy baby series 'for now' are you implying that you're gonna continue it at some point in the future or....? 🤨

I've gotten way more asks about this than I expected, and I won't reply to them all to spare your dash (since they mainly address the same things) but in the interest of transparency here are the highlights:

1. Are you going to continue the mini megumi series? /post any other parenthood fics?

I honestly don't know. I was going to add more to this reply but I've just been staring at the screen for like 10 minutes.

2. Why?

A couple of reasons, but if I'm being really honest I saw a lot of mutuals (who I sincerely like and respect, present tense) posting about how much they dislike parenthood/pregnancy fics and how sick they make them feel and it just didn't feel good.

I want to be really really clear that I TRULY and wholeheartedly believe that everyone is entitled to like what they like, and dislike what they dislike. But the problem is that when you express those opinions while disparaging the people whose opinion are different from yours, or if you choose to be vocal about your dislike of something when you see someone enjoying it, it can be really hurtful. It made me feel uncomfortable about continuing the series if I knew people felt that way and I was possibly upsetting them.

3. Is it because of the "exclusionary" ask?

No! This all happened before I received (or at least saw) that ask. And while I do completely and totally understand where that anon was coming from, and I support them 100% in sharing that very valid criticism with me, the fic probably wouldn't have changed because of it—though I would have started putting a tag in the updates alerting readers to the fact that Kota is described at multiple points throughout the story as being identical to Megumi in case it was sensitizing/alienating/in any way offensive to them.

The inspiration for the fic was that a child who is virtually identical to him shows up at his doorstep, and the entire series is predicated on that idea. I should have made that much clearer at the outset and I really apologize for my oversight and to anyone who I hurt by being careless in that way. I have since gone back and edited each instalment to feature a warning about this in the header, and hope that people who will feel excluded by this plot point can make whatever decision feels best for them in regards to engaging with the fic!

4. I don't like you.

Me neither.

5. I love parenthood fics and I think you should keep writing them.

I also like parenthood fics, and I think they're fun to write! And this is coming from someone who isn't even sure they ever want to have kids themselves. But sort of nodding back to point 2, I don't want to post any kind of fic that people who i consider friends begin vocally posting about disliking. Especially because I really don't follow that many people, so when every third post on my dash is dunking on the trope I'm actively posting about, it just makes me feel kind of sad and unwelcome.

This is absolutely NOT intended to be an indirect/vague about those moots, and if you're reading this I hope you know that I mean that from the BOTTOM of my heart. They are JUST as entitled to this space as I am, and I am in no way at all trying to impose myself and my opinions onto them. I just don't know how to filter anti-trope content from my user experience without inadvertently also filtering the content I DO want to see, and if I'm being honest I just don't think it's not worth losing mutuals who I really like over.

I'm saying all of this with nothing but love, and I hope that no one is too upset about it. I'm sorry if you were enjoying the series and now aren't sure about its future. I'm sorry if me expressing the way I was hurt makes you feel bad too. I'm really logging off now for a bit, and I hope you all take care of yourselves!! Be good, sending love, talk soon <3

[audioaujom]

Demetrius v. Robin

Stardew Hub, < prev, next >

Proud member of the Demetrius hate club!! Lmao jk, he has just always kinda rubbed me the wrong way and I don't like the way he interacts with Sebastian in canon. Guess it just makes me wonder, and when I wonder bad things usually happen lmao

Word Count: 1464

Chapter TWs: Abusive language/behavior

--

“Hey Maru, what do you think of my snow goons?” Stepping back from the carefully shaped lumps of snow and jagged sticks, Sebastian grinned as he called out for his half-sister across the yard.

“Don't mean you snowmen—” Maru started to correct, cutting herself off as she turned and saw the monstrous creations in front of him. “Oh. No, yeah, those are snow goons.”

“Do you like them?” 

“No, they're ugly.” She laughed, rolling her eyes and going back to carefully arranging the stones to make a smile on her much more traditional-looking snowman.

“C’mon, they're not that bad!” Sebastian whined, approaching her to stand and watch over one of her shoulders. “It’s all a part of their charm.”

“I bet they have very nice personalities.” Maru commented carefully, watching as Sebastian’s jaw dropped in feigned angry shock from the insult.

“This is beginning to border on slander, which I did not ask for.” 

Maru turned around to look at him, head cocked to the side with a small smirk. “But you did ask for it.”

Sebastian frowned, brows furrowed. “That’s it.” 

Maru opened her mouth to say something but was cut off by a face full of snow, looking to see Sebastian bent down and packing together another snowball to throw at her with a grin. She smiled as well, immediately reaching for the nearest patch of snow to return fire.

Robin was kneeling on the floor in the main room when Demetrius came in, holding a fire poker in one hand and a freshly cut log of firewood in the other. The fire in the fireplace was no more than a few flickering flames, her sighing in frustration as it didn't seem to be catching.

“Hey, I'm gonna head outside and check on the kids.” Demetrius informed with a smile, leaning down to give Robin a light peck on the cheek as she worked. “To see when they want dinner.”

“Thanks.” Robin smiled gratefully, stoking at the slowly dying fire. “You’re the best.”

Grabbing his puffy jacket from where it was hanging on the coat rack by the door, Demetrius stepped outside into the winter chill to see where his daughter and step-son had run off to since they ran outside to… play? He wasn't sure what they were doing, actually.

He never really knew what Sebastian was up to at any time, anyway.

The scene outside to a normal observer would have been rather domestic and cute, the half-siblings engaged in a wild snowball fight—snow sticking to their faces and hair as they laughed and ran around the yard like children.

But for Demetrius—

“What's going on out here?” His yell interrupted the two siblings, them both turning to look at him with matching startled expressions.

“Not much, I'm just absolutely owning Maru in this snowball fight.” Sebastian shrugged lightly, turning his attention back to the snowball in his hand that he then launched at Maru without any warning.

“No way! You're so cheating!” Maru complained, barely ducking out of the way before throwing her own held snowball back at him—which he dodged easily.

Demetrius sighed at their childish behavior, placing his hands on his hips as he tiredly asked, “Why are you two fighting, anyway?”

“She said my snow goons were ugly.” Sebastian crossed his arms, huffing as Maru puffed up in annoyance.

“Because they are ugly!” 

“I agree, and I think you should take those down before your mother sees.” Demetrius shook his head disapprovingly, gesturing at the set of snow goons as he said, “We wouldn't want anyone coming by the house and seeing… that.”

Maru’s expression dropped, the playful mood killed in an instant. “Wait, what?” 

“I'm not taking them down.” Sebastian frowned, levelly holding Demetrius’ gaze. “I made them for fun; what's the big deal?”

“The big deal is your attitude.” Demetrius’ gaze hardened into a glare, him stepping over to the nearest mound of snow with a confident, “If you won’t take them down, I’ll do it myself.”

“What— Hey!” Sebastian ran over as Demetrius kicked one of the creations over, his work boots splattering the carefully molded snow back into the yard.

“Don’t try and stop me, young man.” Demetrius warned as Sebastian got between him and the other snow goons, pissed.

“You’re being unreasonable!” 

“Who’s really the unreasonable one here?” Demetrius asked with a sigh, punching the bridge of his nose exasperatedly. “The one concerned about our family or the one mouthing off?”

“You’re such an asshole!” Any further complaint from Sebastian was cut off as Demetrius swung a backhanded slap at his face, sending him crashing to the ground of the front yard with a startled yelp.

“Dad!” Mary chastised, worry for her brother sending her running inside to find her mom. The other two didn't pay her any mind, too focused on each other to notice she left.

“You don’t get to talk to me that way!” Livid, Demetrius wound back for another hit only to be cut off by the front door opening and two figures running out to interrupt.

“Demetrius? What’s— Sebastian!” Robin immediately focused in on the fact her son was holding his face from where he was crumpled on the snow-covered lawn, running over and dropping to her knees to get a better look. “What happened, Sebby? Are you okay?”

“Yeah.” Sebastian answered sourly, letting go of his face so his mom could see the bright red impact on his cheek. “Your shithead husband hit me for making snowmen.”

“Excuse me?” Torn between her bubbling worry and wanting to scold him for his language, she finally turned to Demetrius to ask, “Demetrius, is that true?”

“It was his fault for talking back!” Demetrius defended hotly. “I was simply concerned about our family's image—”

“Bullshit.” Sebastian growled from the ground, carefully standing back up to his feet to accuse, “You've always had it out for me!”

“Maybe I wouldn’t have had to ‘have it out for you’ if you didn't deserve it!” Demetrius fired back, Sebastian ready to continue the argument until he saw his mom stand up beside him and dust the snow off her jeans.

“How dare you speak to my son like that!” She yelled, stepping between the two men without missing a beat. “This type of behavior is not welcome in my house!”

“Don't be unreasonable, honey.” Demetrius’ anger instantly disappeared from his face as he stared at Robin, hands out as he tried to placate, “If he apologizes and offers to change his attitude, I'll—”

“There will be no such thing!” Robin didn't even let him finish, the two half-siblings sharing a glance of surprise as they'd never heard their mom this angry before. “You can find somewhere else to stay until I'm willing to talk to you about this!” She glared, before whirling around and hugging Sebastian over the shoulders worriedly. “Let's get you inside, Sebby. You too, Maru.”

Reeling from the shock of being kicked out so easily, all Demetrius could do was dumbly stutter out, “Why wouldn't she come with me?” 

“Cause I don't want to.” Maru answered immediately, gluing herself to Sebastian's other side as Robin guided them back into the house. “You’re acting crazy, dad. I'd rather stay with mom and Sebastian.”

Demetrius reached for his retreating family with one hand, the back of it tingling as none of them turned to look and disappeared inside.

“Maru, can you go grab your brother some ice?” Robin asked as she helped Sebastian out of his wet jacket and set him by the fire she’d barely managed to get roaring.

“I'm fine, mom.” Sebastian tried to protest, but the tame glare she sent his way had him swallowing the words back. “Nevermind.”

“Sorry, I'm not mad.” She apologized, sitting down next to him to put her head into her hands. “Well, I'm not mad at you.”

Sebastian chewed awkwardly on his bottom lip for a moment. “I'm sorry. It's my fault all of this started, if I'd just—”

“Nope. I won't hear it.” Robin cut him off with a firm shake of the head, gently reaching out to cup his uninjured cheek with one hand and giving him a soft smile. “We’ll figure this out, okay? But he is not allowed to treat you like that.”

At that moment Maru popped her head into the main room, one hand holding an ice pack from the freezer as the other gestured back over her shoulder towards the kitchen. “I brought some ice. I also put a pot of coffee on, it should be done soon.”

“Thanks.” Sebastian smiled up at her, taking the ice pack as Maru took a seat on his other side and the three slowly let themselves be warmed up by the steadily growing fire—and each other’s company.

[celestelunisea16]

I would like to see what cowboykingshipping would be like but in the form of ageswap, knowing each other as children, since it is ageswap then clover would be Star's father and Charlie and Vaggie would be Luci's loving mothers (and how they interact with their parents)

OK SO... I dunno how this would work nor have I ever done anything like this, but let me think...

So Starlo would take Clover's age, which is like... 9 or 10? So would Lucifer also take around that age too or...?

I don't really know, but I'm just gonna say let's take them both being around those ages cause yeah- (Cause I am not putting a teen with a kid. ._. Absolutely not. Ì_Í)

So I feel like, they would be a platonic ship as kids. (Cause I ain't shippin' children around the ages of too young for love)

Clover would be the single parent who is both reckless and responsible at the same time. At first, when they hear that their adoptive son, Starlo, made a new friend, they are happy, because the only friend he had was Ceroba, and he was really timid to make another friend. Then, when they find out that his friend is literally the Prince of Hell, they're like, "WAIT, WHAT?" I feel like they would be absolutely surprised and cautious, but also like, "That's my boy!"

On Lucifer's side of things, Charlie is absolutely ecstatic about Lucifer getting a new friend, even hoping that this may be a good sign for Hell to be able to be able to make an agreement and peace treaty with the Underground while Vaggie asks Lucifer why choose Starlo instead of someone else? To which Lucifer says, "He's just really cool and fun! He even likes the rubber ducks I made!"

As they become teens, it would be the childhood friends to lovers trope, maybe?

Or if you wanted, you could make it like one-sided love until realized? Where Lucifer could gain a crush on Starlo, but because Starlo gets a crush on Ceroba, it ends up one-sided, then when someone comes along and Ceroba gets engaged to them, and due to that, Lucifer would comfort him and put his feelings aside until he accidentally let's it spill out or asks Starlo out a few weeks later when he recovered from his depression.

When Lucifer and Starlo end up as a couple, this is how the both of their parents act:

Clover is just like, "I wasn't expectin' this at all, but I can't say that I'm fully surprised. I'm happy fer ya son!" I'm pretty sure they even offer to tell Starlo that he can bring Lucifer over anytime he wants to so that they can all shoot guns together and practice their aim.

Charlie just has the brightest look on her face, like

^ This is literally her face. She's absolutely proud, not because this is a sign that demons and monsters from the upper/human realm can be united, but because she's so proud of her son for finding someone he loves a lot! (At the same time, she knew that he was gonna choose his childhood best friend to date.)

Vaggie is just proud of Lucifer as well, because he's found someone he's in love with and would fight to protect. She's even happy to oblige to train Lucifer if he ever wants to spar with her to protect Starlo from any upcoming dangers.

(Y'all, this was my first time doing one of these ageswap things and I dunno how they work, so I hope this is good- quq)

[clockwise-works]

🔥, ❓: how did legend of Zelda and/or rather the community changed ur life

🔥 What’s your favorite part of Zelda games? (Adventuring, Characters, Dungeons, Combat, etc.)

hmmm, this is a little tricky to answer. Since I've only made it through the Wild Trilogy (And AoC is already a very different game style from the others) I'm well aware that BotW and TotK are very different from the other games in the series in a gameplay sense. However, the one thing I think all the Zelda games share between each other, at least for the 3D installments, are the world building and emotion, which is what made it stand out to me compared to other really fun Nintendo developed games. Like, Mario is really fun and genius in how its designed for the most part. But Zelda? It's got that, sure, but it's also got the heart. You have OoT Link's story where yes, he does save the day, but no one can remember him, leading to him losing every person he cares for. He can't really return home because he's not a Kokori. He loses Navi, a close companion. All the connections he made, were sacrificed for the greater good. And this all leads to him becoming the Hero's Shade, a genuinely sad story where this once hero is now a forgotten soul, yet there is some heart there too. He's given the chance to train his successor, TP Link, to pass down his techniques to ensure Hyrule continues to thrive. TP itself has the whole growing bond between Midna and Link, and so when the two must seal off their worlds from one another, it's no doubt saddening. BotW, the one I'm most familiar with, has this in spades as well. The world is nearly a wasteland, with destroyed villages lost to time. Most of Link and Zelda's friends, their loved ones, are killed. And yet, hope shines through in the end, there is still a beauty to be found in this world.

And I think that's what I look for in a Zelda game. I know the gameplay will be fun, even if it varies from title to title, I know most of the stories will be engaging and well written (...TotK), I know the music and the characters will be great, I know all of that. But I expect that from most games now. Nintendo, for the most part (...TotK) know how to make games. But what makes Zelda unique compared to Mario, to Kirby, to Donkey Kong, is the emotion and heart.

❓how did legend of Zelda and/or rather the community changed your life?

Now THIS is a really interesting question! There's... actually a good amount to say, too, so I'll try to go through them one by one.

This is gonna be a weird one to explain, but Zelda... made me care for romance and love in media. Funny, I know, but hear me out. I guess this is a result of growing up in the late 2000's/early 2010's, where pretty much every action, comedy, superhero movie, etc, has a forced and contrived romance storyline, but I never cared for love in my youth. I was a kid, and I wanted to watch action and comedy, so when watching that and seeing these bland love stories where the lead guy and girl end up together because reasons, it made me just not want to see it at all. And this caried with me for many years, up until roughly 2022.

In 2022, I graduated from High School, and with this being in the middle of Covid, where 2 and a half years of my high school years were spent in online classes, disconnected from the rest of my peers, ... wasn't doing the best, mentally. So, I started playing games that I knew for years I would love but didn't have the time or proper headspace to truly appreciate it. I started with GoW 2018, and my god was that game amazing! The gameplay was excellent, the story was masterfully written, and oh my god the beauty of that game. No "pause the gameplay" load screens, no cuts in shots, just one long take for the ENTIRE journey. The game was amazing... but really got me was the story between Kratos and Faye. It, just like the story, was beautifully written, and was the first time I ever truly cared for a love story. I loved the way Kratos and Atreus were broken by her death, how they proccessed their respective traumas, and learned to understand one another and grew closer. I loved how the whole story was essentially a trip to spread her ashes at the tip of all the realms, how far Kratos would go to do good by his wife. I... liked a love story? Weird. (I swear this is important)

I think this is why Miphlink had such an impact on me. Right after GoW, I jumped straight into BotW, and I so much fun! The world was so well designed, I had an insane amount of fun and entertainment just running around in the world, seeing what I could do. During the summer after each day of work, I'd grab my switch, and just have fun for a few hours. This continued for about a week, maybe two, but while the game was fun, it hadn't exactly hooked me. I loved running around, exploring, fighting, puzzles, all that! ...But, I had little incentive to do the story quests. In my mind, that was kinda like going to the Nether and the End in Minecraft. It signaled the end of the game, and I didn't want that. But after two-ish weeks, I eventually decided to make my way to Kakariko, in which I was then directed to go to one of the main four Divine Beasts.

I saw that there was one relatively close to Kakariko, so I was off! It took some time, and after getting frustrated during the Zora River pathway to the Domain by all the enemies and putting the game down for two days, I finally made it to Zora's Domain! And... hey, wait a moment. This guy... knows me. Whoa... so does this guy. And he... blames me? For all of this? Weird. I run around, talk to some people, see a cool statue, and then make my way to the throne room. And then it happens.

I'm told all about Mipha, how the Zora are long lived and how Link had an impact on the Domain 100 years prior, I go through it all. And then the memory plays, my very first memory in fact. And it all clicks. The framing of the memory, the music, her voice acting, knowing that she had loved Link, enough to make an armor, and now was most likely dead, leaving her people to mourn her, broke me. In that moment, the game changed. It had hooked me. It was no longer just a fun sandbox to run in, it became a world I cared for, one I wanted to see safe, to see better. BotW doesn't exactly have a gripping narrative or anything, but the worldbuilding and tone were brilliant. The whole Domain arc was the peak for me, and Mipha's death, her impact on the whole Domain, how Link had specific dialogue options showing he mourned her too now, how they allude that he cared for her a good amount, hit me like a truck. That was now twice, back-to-back, where I played a game following a man with a dead wife/potential fiancé, learning to see the beauty in the world. I grew to love, well, love in stories. I wanted to see the Champions, to see Mipha, her family, all of them, happy. And part of her happiness... was Link. She loved him, and I believed Link loved, loves her too. So, I wanted that, I found myself WANTING stories of the two together. I wanted art showing them before the Calamity, when they were at their most happy and comfortable. And then, I found myself in the community.

I had never been part of a "community" before. Never. Honestly, I was afraid to be one. I've seen how toxic communities can be, the discourse, the debates, the hot takes, all that. I grew up a Sonic fan, we didn't exactly have the best reputation. So... I was afraid to "join the Miphlink" community, in a sense. I wouldn't say I'm all that involved in the Zelda Community, to be honest. I haven't played many of the games, and I only really engage with the Miphlink shipping side. It's a subsection, I guess. But shadow following-then-joining the Miphlink community was probably one of the best things to happen to me. I don't think it couldn't have been a better community, truth be told.

In my time here, I have begun to share my own art and writing, for the first time at the good ol' age of 19. I'v been drawing for years, but never had the confidence to put it online. And then, after joining the Miphlink discord server and essentially getting a "oh my god so many of the writers and artists I love are here" high, I drew my first ever piece of Zelda Fanart.

And it was... not good 💀. I plan to redraw it as a one-year blog post, but regardless. This was a post I was in the moment happy with, but quickly grew disappointed. And then, people liked it. They left nice things in the reblogs, I shared it in the server and all those people I respected immensely, artists who are leagues better than me in every way, writers who painted beautiful scenes with just their words, left some of the nicest compliments about it. And that gave me a newfound confidence. I started drawing a lot more after a near two-year break, to the point I can see a real improvement over the course of these last few months. I've made incredible connections with so many of these insanely talented and nice people in the community, who all have had a genuinely positive impact on my life. I know no fandom is perfect, I know there are people in the Miphlink community who "give it a bad name", but all the people I've engaged with, who have engaged with my stuff in return and have helped with art/writing tips, good conversations, ideas and jokes, have made this one hell of a year.

I guess this was a little all over the place. But mainly, playing BotW had led me to better understand love and emotion in storytelling and how to appreciate it, and joining the Miphlink community has given me the courage to share my works online and gave me the opportunity to improve my craft. Ya'll are incredible, I don't think I say it enough.