#i've read like one fic about them. i need more

[gia-d]

Back in October last year, I started reading This is an Adjuration by @not-freyja.

By the time I had made it to chapter 5, I had already started typesetting this story as I read because I knew this would be one of those stories that I needed to have on my shelf.

When I finally caught up to the story at chapter 31, I begged the author to let me bind this when it was finished.

Nearly a year later, and what is probably the most important bind of my life is finally finished. Check out these glamour shots, and if you want to hear more about the actual binding process and about how this fic actually changed my life, see below.

So funny story, before I get into the technical side of this bind, but this fic actually changed my life. Not as in I was greatly emotionally moved by the story, though don't get me wrong I absolutely was, but genuinely this fic introduced me to some of the best people I have ever had to privilege of knowing (Hello Class, you know who you are 🩷), and also, it introduced me to Freyja, the incredibly talented author, who, as I type this, is curled up in bed next to me fast asleep after flying half way around the world to go on a two week long date with me.

Moral of the story folks is comment on the fics you like. You might accidentally meet the love of your life on, and I can't believe I'm saying this, AO3.

Anyways, about the bind!

This bind was a challenge from day 1. I had to do the typeset for this 300k word fic 4 times, and had to split it across 2 volumes. This was the longest fic I have ever attempted to bind, and it was so thick I couldn't get it in the paper trimmer.

To make this book as durable as possible, I attempted a few techniques. I secured it with 3 tapes, I made an Oxford hollow, I rounded the spine, I made a slipcase and I used 2.3mm boards where normally I use 1.8mm.

The slipcase is covered with embossed faux leather, buckram and plain ribbon, and lined with gold satin fabric. I've never made a slipcase before so this was an experience.

The books are covered with an emerald green silk finish bookcloth which really gave the books the luxury they deserved. I foiled custom end papers as well as every chapter title page using heat reactive transfer foil on toner ink (never again I am never doing that again omg it took days). Huge thank you to @la-sera for letting me use her artwork which helped inspire this fic!

The grey flashback chapters I had to use HTV for the border decoration and I'm very happy with how that turned out because it was so easy and straight forward, unfortunately it just wasn't viable for the whole book.

It feels weird to finally have these books done. They have my blood, sweat, tears and my heart poured into them, and I've been working on them for so long that it's odd to actually have them finished. I'm so proud of this bind, and feel like I've grown so much as a fanbinder by making these.

Anyways, if anyone has any questions about the process, please don't hesitate to ask!

(and if you are an Linked Universe fan and haven't read Adjuration yet, this is your sign!)

[inthemaelstrom]

So we're about six weeks out from another "most important election of my lifetime" and it's predictably making me literally sick to my stomach. When Trumpacabra got elected in 2016, I threw myself into politics in a way I never had in my lifetime and it almost wrecked me. I was one of those people who never voted for religious reasons (long, separate story) and I felt I had to make up for lost time. By the time 2020 rolled around, I was an unhealthy mess. I had stopped reading. Everything. When I wasn't watching MSNBC and political commentators obsessively, I started consuming absolute junk TV: home improvement shows, crack paranormal ghost hunter crap, etc. Things with no plot, no emotional investment, no danger. No fear.

Right before the 2020 election, old fanfic friends from my days in the Master and Apprentice Star Wars listserv found me and saved me.

They dragged me back into fandom, introduced me to Discord, and got me writing again. I updated a story I hadn't touched in 5 years. I made new friends online and in RL. I got some great fiction and fic recs from those friends and discovered a subgenre called Hopepunk—low stakes fiction with very little if any violence and fear and with happy endings. (Becky Chambers writes a lot of what I read, and Amy Crook has also become a favorite.)

One morning, I had one of those really vivid, realistic, linear plot dreams that literally dragged me out of bed to the keyboard. It was a meet-cute modern au of The Phantom Menace's characters, set in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. I cranked out about 2000 words the first day. Then another 2000. Then another 2000. Then another 2000. And so on every damn day for the next four years until I had four novels, about 668k words, several timestamps written by three other collaborators who've come on board, some beautiful art I've been allowed to use, and now a fifth book in the works.

This is the Yooperverse.

It's not just The Fic That Saved Me, it's the place where I'm writing a vision of what the world could be like into being. A place where people with fucking obscene amounts of money don't spend it on themselves, or hoard it, or exploit other people to get more, but use it to help other people. It's a place where people who are bigoted dicks either get their comeuppance and crawl back under their rocks, or learn better and do better. It's a place where abused kids get rescued, everybody gets therapy and healthcare and is paid a living wage, people learn to value themselves and each other, and protect each other and defend each other. It's kinky and queer (although I'm neither) and above all, if not entirely safe to be both, I'm trying to write both things as just being another setting on the dryer. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

It's not a utopia, by any means, because there are still assholes and the government is still ... the government, and capitalism is still a thing. There's some danger, especially in the first book, and there are accidents and illnesses and the vagaries of life. In the middle of the series, I had spinal surgery and was out of commission for a few months and that made me start thinking more about my main character dealing with aging and the limitations thereof. There's a LOT of mental health issues and the working through thereof, and a lot of ongoing process. Nobody's perfect. The world outside is still pretty much what it is. But in the little corners where my characters dwell, life is pretty dang good, sometimes great.

It's a vision of a life we all deserve. It's the thing I loved about Star Trek's universe, where people's basic needs are cared for and the obstacles to them developing their best selves removed. It's what I've loved about science fiction in general, especially Ursula LeGuin's: that opportunity to explore possibilities that are better than the present. It's modeled on the MacArthur Genius grants, but you don't have to prove your worthiness first. My main character invests in people's potential, young or old, with scholarships and grants and a steadying hand. His partner builds low or no-cost housing for people in need. There's an informal network of queer and straight kid rescuing going on under the noses of unfriendly governments and failed social service safety nets. The main characters build refuges, literal and emotional. They love each other fiercely and respectfully.

Right now, we're living in a country that is almost the antithesis of these ideas, for far too many of us. People are being manipulated by their fears, which are stoked by unscrupulous, lying shitbag politicians whose all too real evil would never make it past the pitch if you were going to try to sell it as a TV show or movie. They're consciously turning us on each other with lies about our common humanity, about the state of our country, about who and what's responsible for many of its faults, sewing suspicion and hate. And though the Yooperverse started as my personal comfort fic, I'm trying in my very small way to counteract what's happening in the world right now.

I've always believed in the power of story to change people's minds and lives, and I've experienced it myself. When I talk about story, I don't just mean fiction, though. I mean the narratives we tell ourselves and others about our own lives as a whole and day by day or moment by moment. I mean the stories we tell about each other when we're together, at the bar, at wakes, at a party. I mean the stories we invest in as fans in whatever kind of media we consume. I mean the stories we spin for ourselves and others to explain what the everloving fuck is wrong with the world.

Stories aren't separate from the world, they are the world. They tell it into being. They give it shape and purpose and meaning and a sense of possibility. Whatever stories we tell ourselves or each other about how things should be or how we should act as human beings (also called our "beliefs" or "morals" or "ethics"), they shape us, and we shape society. We are society, both together and as individuals. One person with a big voice and a story can tip a mass of people into either violence or solidarity.

I have no illusions that the Yooperverse will ever have that kind of power. It has a tiny audience on AO3 and Discord and it's mostly written for me to explore the things I feel deeply about, and wish I could do, and to teach myself to be a better person and live up to my own ideals. It's a world I'd like to manifest, to call into being, even in a small way. Even if it's just a story.

[somestorythoughts]

Fresh Pair of Eyes Vs Local Knowledge

I like reading Miraculous x DC crossovers and have recently been reading a lot of Danny Phantom x DC crossovers and something I noticed in the first that is also visible in the second is that, when the teen heroes are still fighting their villains, the basis of their interactions tends to be one of three things:

"A fresh pair of eyes is helpful" or "new people who aren't listen" or "where the fuck where you when we needed you?"

Because sometimes, the teen heroes do really need backup. They need a detective's help or emotional support or fighting advice or something, basically they're in a situation where the assistance of a more experienced hero is useful and the hero(es) in question aren't usually condescending about it.

Other times, the more experienced hero is interfering in some way. The way I've seen it in Miraculous is tends to involve the DC heroes trying to take over the situation or being grouchy when told that if they're going to be here they are going to damn well play by the rules. When I see it in DP it tends to be more along the lines of "the heroes came, listened to the wrong people, and actively attacked the heroes."

"where the fuck where you when we needed you?" is specifically for them asking the Justice League for help and not getting it for some reason (either never getting help or getting it much later).

There's overlap, I've definitely seen a couple fics where Ladybug/her team needs some help but they're very clear about who's running the show, and this is of course ignoring all the fics that happen after the main villain is taken down or when the teen hero in question is well established/retired/joining the League, I just thought it was interesting.

[bucktommyfanfic]

A list of BuckTommy fics posted on April 6, 2024

These fics are carefully read through to ensure that they are BuckTommy positive. Any listed works do not feature character/ship bashing (apart from the Buckley parents or Gerrard, who do not count). These fics may feature other mature or triggering content, so please read author tags and warnings carefully and don't forget to leave some love!

Fic Recs - Navigation Page – Send a Message

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at the station house table by kitthekazoo Oneshot | General | 464

Buck tells the crew about his boyfriend.

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Buck, Realized by @some-little-infamy Oneshot | Teen | 3308

A lot can change from a front door to a kitchen island.

Buck is about to realize that, and a whole lot more.

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'Deed I Do by @cauldronoflove Oneshot | General | 2334

Her hand flattens between his shoulderblades, he doesn't even think she realizes she's doing it, splinting him. The gentle application of pressure to relieve the strain and alleviate some of the pain.

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don't need to run the yellow by Alidravana Oneshot | Teen | 1196

“Buck?!”

The table cloths were that classic picnic stripe, bright red and white criss-cross, both matching and clashing with the brightly coloured dining plates that adorned their table.

A simple Margherita pizza for two following the best breadsticks that he had ever eaten, and now the two of them were debating dessert, Buck wondering if he had the courage to suggest that they actually split something. Like a real date.

But then a familiar voice pierced through the restaurant saying his name, and his name, which normally sounded so right coming out of that person’s mouth, suddenly had Buck feeling small.

He wasn’t ready for this.

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don't you worry none, just take it like it comes by Anonymous Oneshot | Teen | 789

When Buck accidentally leaves something in Tommy's car, it prompts Buck's coming out and his family seeing him love-struck in a way they've never seen before.

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Good with Your Mouth by wilddragonflying Oneshot | Explicit | 4176

Buck's in his first relationship with a man, and he's ready to learn about all the differences that entails.

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i'm not saying never by @jennypigalle Oneshot | Teen | 1338

“Do you wanna come up?”

“Putting out on a first date?” Tommy asks, and it could be suggestive, could be teasing, and Buck could bristle at the implications, but instead all it is is soft and affectionate, and he knows, Buck knows, without a shadow of a doubt, that sex is only going to happen if he insists on it.

Or, some moments after their first date

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I've had other lips, I've sailed a thousand ships (but no matter where I go you're the one for me, baby.) by @livelaughbuck Oneshot | Explicit | 5083

When it comes to dating Tommy, there are a lot of firsts Buck experiences. First kiss, first date, first boyfriend. He's dated in the past, of course he has, but this is different. Something new and unexpected. Something he wants to get right.

A collection of firsts.

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I've yet to be the king of my castle by elizaria Oneshot | Teen | 1320

Tommy enjoyed kissing Evan, too bad work came between. Good thing there's a date coming up because that stunned adorable look with those soft lips? Tommy just wants a big bite of that.

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Illumination by @les-pompiers118 Oneshot | Not Rated | 1261

Hen notices that Buck is a little distracted during their shift. Buck decides she's just the person to confide in about what happened at his loft last night. A little coda ficlet for 7x04 ("Buck, Bothered and Bewildered").

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it's a strange way of saying that i know (i'm supposed to love you) by @babyboybuckley Oneshot | Not Rated | 1699

Buck couldn’t help the small smile that crept across his face at seeing Tommy. He still couldn’t believe he’d acted like such a teenager a few weeks ago, and he felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude to Maddie in that moment for figuratively slapping some sense into him. Buck paused in the middle of the engine bay, letting the sense of comfort and home just wash over him, and he must have blinked for a moment too long because when he opened his eyes, Tommy was suddenly in front of him.

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just kiss me slowly by @capseycartwright Oneshot | General | 1026

tommy does this thing, when he kisses buck.

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Like a lightning bolt, your heart will glow by @aesthetictarlos Oneshot | General | 2204

Tommy walked out the front door ten minutes ago and Buck's still rooted to the spot, leaning against the kitchen island. His lips are still tingling from Tommy's soft kiss, and if he closes his eyes, he swears he can feel the phantom of Tommy's fingers tilting his chin up. Tommy– Tommy kissed him, and Buck has had his fair amount of kisses but he's pretty sure no one has ever kissed him with such reverence and tenderness before. It was brief and chaste, barely-there, but ignited something in his chest, a fire he hasn't felt in a while, maybe ever. - Or, the one where Buck's finally free and goes on a date with Tommy.

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Like Butterflies With Metal Wings, Tearing Me Up At The Seams (Letting All This Light Inside) by olistark (daxamsquarry) Oneshot | General | 604

Buck realizes that when walls come down, light comes in.

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like real people do by yourcatfishfriend Oneshot | Teen | 1016

Buck, after a kiss.

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My Forever by Bucksloverboy Oneshot | General | 1073

Moments where Buck realize that Tommy is his forever.

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Nightcap by @inell Oneshot | Explicit | 4366

After their first date goes a bit astray, Buck invites Tommy to his loft for a nightcap.

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No story I could weave would have ended like this by @daddy-kinard Oneshot | Explicit | 2410

“Interesting place for someone to get their mouth on you.”

Chimney scrunches his face in confusion, and it takes even Buck himself a moment to understand the dawning realization in Hen’s eyes. Because Buck’s tall and broad, and a bruise sucked into the space where the base of his neck meets the curve of his shoulder doesn’t make sense for any of the girls Buck’s previously hooked up with. Doesn’t make sense unless the person that gave him that bruise was behind him, tall enough for their head to fit over Buck’s shoulder.

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not a thing, but the lack thereof by @tiltingheartand Oneshot | General | 658

Buck’s beer is still cold.

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Quell My Soaring Thoughts by finbish Oneshot | Teen | 1129

Buck knows he’s falling in love with Tommy, but he won’t allow himself to admit it.

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Ready or Not by lwcast Oneshot | Teen | 1715

Tommy doesn’t know Buck isn’t out.

He stops by the 118 to surprise him.

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rebirth by @renecdote Oneshot | General | 752

“Bisexual,” he says aloud, just to hear himself say it, to taste the way it feels on his tongue not just as a word but as an identity. It feels like an exhalation, trembling at the edges but not just with fear, or excitement, but with relief. He thinks of that first breath of air when his head came above water in the tsunami, he thinks of being struck by lightning, he thinks of stepping into Station 118 for the first time, he thinks of catching the Jeep keys Maddie tossed him in the dark of a Hershey street all those years ago. Buck knows what it is like to be reborn, but he has never had a kiss make him feel like this before.

Buck introspection, post 7x04.

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set ourselves free by @filet-o-feelings Oneshot | General | 785

That was new. He thinks so, anyway. He may have to examine some prior interactions with other men. Has he been flirting with Tommy this whole time? Has he ever flirted with another man? He tries hard not to think about Eddie as he examines this.

This isn’t about Eddie. Hell, this isn’t even about Tommy, not really.

This is about Buck. Evan Buckley, who is currently realizing some things about himself that he’d never considered before, but they’re making a hell of a lot of sense.

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Step 1: Slow, Steady Hands by TrustDivineChaos Oneshot | Explicit | 1627

After spending the day together, Buck invites Tommy back to his place…even though the butterflies in his stomach are making it hard for him to take their relationship to the next level.

(Takes place after they’ve had at least a couple dates together; i.e. this is not the outcome of the “Saturday” mentioned in episode 7x04)

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stick with me baby, i'm the fella you came in with by @kirkaut Oneshot | Teen | 1989

It takes him a few tries and most of the date to get the words out.

It's all very start-stop and stilted, but they just keep tangling on his tongue or catching behind his teeth before he can form an actual sentence.

Tommy doesn't push, though. Tommy waits him out, all patience and understanding and yeah, maybe a little bit amused. But he doesn't push, so Buck is eventually able to get it out all on his own.

“I've, uh, I've never.” He stops, and swallows dryly. “I've never…done this before?”

---

Buck and Tommy go on that date. Buck does his best not to 'Buck it up.'

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Teach Me New Things by @jesuisici33 Oneshot | Explicit | 1899

“Found it,” Tommy sounds so smug. His fingers keep rubbing that one spot inside Buck. That one small part of his mind that still has the capacity to think is now understanding all those women he’s been with when they kept demanding right there, more, and don’t stop.

“Fuuuuck! God, holy shit, fuck!” Buck moans. “Is that-is that my G-spot?”

“You mean your prostate?” A chuckle escapes Tommy’s lips. Buck loves the sound of Tommy’s laugh. Would want to hear him laugh at Buck like that if it meant he kept touching Buck right there for the rest of his life. “You like it?”

“More. Don’t stop, keep going,” Buck can only respond. He’s pretty sure there’s drool coming out of his mouth. He’s too out of it to care.

Or, bucktommy smut, because we deserve it

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third time's the charm by @gregorygerwitz Oneshot | General | 1594

Buck and Tommy's first date takes three tries to get it right. After the first two attempts result in an awkward double date that only two of them knew the details of, and a three year old giggling at an animated movie every five minutes, Tommy finally figures out the perfect solution.

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To Be Free by heartofash Multichapter | Teen | 5184

“It's like I’ve been looking for something I didn’t even know was missing but then-then it was there right in front me and it felt so right and I just kinda went-” Buck’s voice breaks “oh.” - Picking up directly after 7x04, Buck comes out to his family.

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What Do I Do? by Sonayesul Oneshot | General | 1789

Buck comes to Maddie after his kiss with Tommy, worried he's going to mess it all up. He's never dated a man before, what if it's different than being with a woman? Maddie talks it out.

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when we were younger, we didn't how it would be by xhaoticghost Oneshot | Not Rated | 2409

"Tommy is strong and masculine. He's bigger and taller than Buck, and although not by much, it's enough that Buck has to strain his neck and push his face upward just a bit when Tommy leans close to him. His stubble scratches against Buck's chin when he kisses him."

-

Buck kissed a man. Well, he was kissed by a man. Buck was kissed by Tommy Kinard. Buck is fine about that, he's not freaking out. Not at all. (Thankfully, he knows someone he can call for help.)

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You Need To Calm Down by StarrySummers04 Oneshot | Teen | 1383

Buck's world had been turned upside down when Tommy kissed him and he didn't know what to do so why not call TK Strand, the firefighter turned paramedic that he met once for advice?

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[works-of-heart]

The fandom is so lucky to have you! We appreciate having you here and all that you contribute to it ❤️❤️

1. What brought you into the fandom?

2. What character(s) do you feel the most connected to and why?

3. Out of all of SJM’s books, which one means the most to you and why?

4. Out of all of the SJM couples (fanon, canon, endgame, etc) which one means the most to you and why?

Keep doing you ❤️

Awww!! Thank you so much! This really warms my heart!

1. I got into ACOTAR in 2020, I am not sure why I delayed so long, I was eyeing the series since 2018, and decided to dive straight in. Since the first book I was hooked and immediately picked up the rest of the series! I loved it so much but there wasn't anyone else I knew to talk about it with. So I found reddit and wanted to share my feelings.

I found some parts of the fandom so polarizing, and many of my thoughts and likes were the unpopular ones, so I retreated for a while. I recently stumbled back into Tumblr when I found that there were quite a lot of people here who enjoyed the books as I did and art and fics to share. I wanted to add to that, to be in this space and contribute my own works that I've been dying to share and geek out with others.

I've met so many incredible people in this fandom, many who are super talented and skilled artists and writers, others who contribute in their own ways, and I have been glad to be here ever since!

2. Honestly? Lucien and Elain.

Lucien because he doesn't ever really fit in. He's made a home for himself in spring yes, but then thar fell apart. He lost everything and is with two others who have been his companions and made their own way. He doesn't think a whole lot of himself, he doesn't believe he's needed, as he said "a whole lot of nothing." I resonate with this so much. I've had friends whole dumped me and left me for their own group, I've known what it's like to be invited into gatherings but feel so utterly alone and unwanted, those moments really sat with me when reading his parts of the story, and so I'm excited to see him find himself and grow into truly valuing who he is, realizing he isn't just some seventh son of a lord.

With Elain, the way she's seen by her family is something infeel all too well. She's the people pleaser, the one who tries to balance out the bad with good. She's the one people think is just simple, plain, and 'pleasant'. People think she's uninteresting because she isn't causing waves, that she just enjoys her hobbies and that's it. No one thinks she's capable of more and generally deny her of trying anything else. This really spoke to me on a personal level.

I resonate a lot with Elain who tries to make the best of every situation, but also has a side of her that many have yet to see.

3. I don't think I particularly have one that means the "most" to me persay. At least not yet. I would say the CC books hold a special place in my heart. My husband bought HOEAB on audio book and during a long road trip we listened to it and he was so into it, that it made me smile. He enjoys the series and eagerly bought HOSAB audio book so we took a long drive to listen to it.

4. This will come as no surprise to anyone that it's Elucien for me! The moment Lucien lunged for Elain to try and stop her from being thrown into the cauldron, I was already shipping them, and him whispering with shock "you're my mate" I was sold!

I don't know what it is about them, but the potential they have, the slow burn, the thought of Lucien having given up on true love after Jesminda, only to be given a mate in Elain??! I want it all! I want to see Elain and Lucien having the most tsundere romance, the kind where she's denying her feelings aloud as if it would assure her that she's totally not falling in love with him. The way we can see how their powers will sync, and find home in each other. Their relationship reminds me so much of my own journey with my husband that I can't wait to see it unfold.

I could go on and on as to why I personally love these two together, but at the end of the day, they bring me so much joy and have been the inspiration to so much of my artwork. ❤️

[sinful-karateka]

I'll bite and talk about something that doesn't get enough spotlight in general, which are Demetri's and Eli's family life. So obviously several fic authors have their own twists and flavors to this, but if I may sell you something for a sec.

So far into the series, what we've got are these facts:

Demetri's Mom is the only family member to be mentioned in the show.

Eli's parents were mentioned a couple of times.

That should be enough context to deduce two things:

Demetri could be an only child to a single mother, and;

Eli's parents involve themselves in the stuff that he does — including karate, who knows — though they tend to be tone deaf with his actual needs.

There's strong evidence to why the boys act the way they act (brain functions notwithstanding, but this isn't the post for that), which is why I think these deductions make sense. How their hypothetical upbringing is part and parcel to how characters behave in this series. Of course societal influence comes in second because obviously you've got a show that encourages learning karate as defense against bullies, but this show is also about generational chains and traumas! So why wouldn't their home life inform the way it informs the LaRusso's, Lawrence's, and Nichols'? But I digress.

In the span of the entire series, I've held onto this headcanon that Demetri's neuroticism and ability to anticipate his actions carefully stem from a household that needs these systems in place, much more for someone who likes to be on top of things. Since he's just a student, the only authoritative figure who can make executive decisions... is his mom. Add to the fact that she may be a working mom, so when Demetri tells Daniel about certain restrictions in learning karate, what could have made her decide to just write a letter instead vs. taking the time out to go with his son herself? I know I know it's narrative writing but like do you seeeee where I'm at here

Eli's family life is by far gave us early indications of his dynamic with his mother — but not so a father — in earlier seasons. It's possible that his mom is a stay-at-home one, but if I were to push the bounds of this box even further, I'd even speculate that she's retired early if it meant that Eli's dad is the one making most of the living. Like of course they'd get mad at Hawk for getting a tattoo at his age, I think any parent would! But the way he tells Aisha to exclude him from her stories tells us that there's not a lot that his parents know about the life he lives as Hawk. At this point we all know the kind of effort it takes to successfully carry it out because he has to go home every night. It's either he a) puts in a lot of effort into concealing this identity once he gets home, or b) his parents are rarely ever home, which again, feeds into another assumption that maybe Mrs. Moskowitz works certain hours.

All we know is they're never around a whole lot for these boys, which is sad! and also again, very Indicative of their classification as awkward nerds pre- and early karate. When I read along certain fics that consider and include how the rest of their characters besides the found families they've formed, it gives much more depth and potency to writing them, their flaws, and how they think.

For all we know, Mrs. Alexopoulos could be a lesbian making fun of her son for not slinging pussy like she does being rizzless unlike her, but don't let me explain that when we have @demetriandelibinaryboyfriends!

[foxstens]

can we please talk about kevin and abby

[necrotic-nephilim]

do you ship helena bertinelli with anyone? if yes, then which characters and why? what's your favorite helena ship? do you have any helena rarepairs? (i know you've talked about helena/steph and you're so right about it, it's a very interesting ship)

!!!! i have so many ships for my best girl ever yes oh my god thank you for asking.

my top pairing is probably Vic Sage/the Question. Vic is the basic answer, but man. i love them so much. no couple has matched each other's freak like that have. Justice League Unlimited is a great adaptation of Helena in general, but it also did a great adaptation of Helena and Vic's relationship. how he just dedicates himself to helping her with no expected return, but also wants to make sure she doesn't go too far in a hunt for vengeance that never ends for her. i think a lot of characters often want to change Helena or expect things out of her for their own needs, like the Batfam and the BoP. but Vic is one of the few people who just wants her to be better for her own good. when he tries to stop her from killing it's not because of his morals, it's because he doesn't want this crusade to consume her. and i just. man i think about them a lot. Helena rlly likes weird little men who give themselves wholly to her.

Zinda Blake/Lady Blackhawk is also a top ship for me. tbh i just like Zinda. but i do love how Helena and Zinda interact, being the more rough and tumble members of the BoP. they're both outsiders, in different ways. Helena is an outsider of the Batfam and Zinda is literally from a different time and an outsider to the current world. their friendship is so genuine and i think if Babs and Dinah can have. whatever homoerotic nonsense going on during BoP, then Zinda and Helena deserve some homoerotic nonsense too. as a treat.

if we're willing to count New-52 Helena, then i enjoy Helena/Dick/Tiger. i think Helena and Dick being a past relationship is really important in pre-Flashpoint for Helena's development, though i don't ship them as a serious couple beyond a fling. but in the New-52, i think this throuple be fun. Helena and Tiger respect each other as two very driven, no-nonsense agents and then well. they both clearly have some kind of thing for Dick. so it's fun finding the balance of how they could all work together romantically.

and ofc. it's a crime to mention Helena ships and not mention Renee Montoya/the Question. every time they interact it's really fucking gay. it's so gay that Kate Kane, Renee's own ex, assumed Helena and Renee were gay. i cannot be convinced against this ship. i genuinely think this ship should be canon. i mean. DC did tease us with this moment from an alternate universe and it's lived rent for me since. fucking criminal for us to only get one panel of what we could have if DC let Helena be a fruit in the main universe. being in love with Helena Bertinelli should be a right of passage for the Question mantle, i personally believe. if you asked me like. genuinely who i want to see Helena date in the current comics, Renee is my top pick. (i would say Vic but he's fucking dead and the New-52 butchered him so rip my mans-)

lois lane (2019) #10

besides those ships, just about every ship for Helena probably falls into the category of rarepair. like you said i've talked about my love for Helena/Steph before bc god. i think it should be a thing more people ship. once i finish the fic i'm writing about them i will convince others to like it.

i also think Helena/Cass could be fun. in a *lot* of ways Helena and Cass are narrative parallels to each other. Helena was a victim of her family being murdered at about the same age Cass was forced to be a murderer. Helena grows up to believe in lethal justice because of this, and Cass grows up to be staunchly against it. Cass' Batgirl suit was made *by* Helena. they both want to be protectors of the most vulnerable people. they balance each other out in a lot of ways and i think they should kiss about it.

also probably a rarepair, i think Helena/Lady Shiva is fun. their fight during Birds of Prey (2010) had... questionable moments for Helena's characterization, but i do love so much that Helena knocks Shiva off her feet and gains a deep respect from Shiva. like. Shiva gives her a nickname and shows her admiration. i would like to see fanfic where Shiva continues to be weirdly admirable of Helena and bothering her non-stop. they could be a fun fucked up toxic yuri moment. this is just. so gay to me.

birds of prey (2010) #6

my most rare Helena pair would probably be Helena Wayne, actually. but specifically Helena Wayne of JSA (2022). ever since, for some reason, it was made canon that the current Helena Wayne was named after Helena Bertinelli and took the name Huntress to honor her i *cannot* stop thinking about them meeting. because in-universe it makes *no* fucking sense for Bruce to name his kid after *Helena Bertinelli*, someone he's regularly at odds with and doesn't like. it's clearly an awkward explanation to try to make the whole two Huntress situation make sense. (it's almost as bad as Helena Wayne in the New-52 using Helena Bertinelli as an alias.) but because it's such an odd choice, i do think it could be fun for Helena Wayne, when she's back in time to see Bruce, to find Helena Bertinelli to get to know the woman she was named after and Helena Bertinelli just being. baffled by the idea of *Batman* naming his kid after her. it could be a fun fucked up moment.

my other super rarepair is Kara Zor-L/Power Girl. they had like. one meaningful interaction of JSA Classified and it's been PLAGUING me. something about when Power Girl doesn't remember her past and she's seeking a friend, she instinctively goes to find Huntress? but it's wrong bc this isn't *her* Huntress and neither of them understand why Power Girl would seek Helena out? god it's so good. i'm always a big fan of ships where one person in the ship is *so* obviously using the other person as a replacement for someone they lost and they both know it. it's such a doomed angsty thing where you could play with Helena actually really liking Kara, but knowing that she's just a replacement for Kara's Helena Wayne. good fucked up shit man.

and lastly: i really ship her with Dawn Granger/Dove. there's no canon basis for this, they didn't have a ton of interactions even when they were both on the BoP. but there's a very kind innocence to Dawn that contrasts Helena's violence really well. and i do love a ship with a corruption kink vibe to it. let Helena corrupt Dawn. i could write such fucked up porn about these two.

[pocketramblr]

fae court but it's a legal court, changelings are fae they leave in place of human jurors during the trial because it's the best way to prevent the trial from just becoming a bunch of fairies trying to one up the best bargain for their vote with the accused

[loppiopio]

the chances of the people seeing this aren't super likely so this is highly inefficient but i'm too afraid to approach people personally…. yet i've been burning with the need to express my gratitude for the tags i've received individually somehow and figured, i could do it the way i do best. in the tags 😅

(sorted by most recent) (i capped the limit hard here) (some ✂️✂️ had to be done 😔) (i still like this format a lot though) (might do this again in the future idk would people like that??) (i hope it's not mortifying for anyone……..)

it's sorta the way i like it, indirect and unimposing, even if it's kinda. wieldy. but it's just on my blog so anything goes right? although in saying that, i am open to being imposed on. like if someone wants to talk about aci or something, like other fic?? i'm a big fic fiend. or anything else lol not sure what else you'd wanna chat about since so much of the stuff i've put out is just. about fic. but hey, if you're a person i don't mind being approached :>

(lol the way i've made this like a *throws out a bunch of paper slips* find your's 🎉) (might be obnoxious hm) (sorry...) (find your's if you want though 🫡)

[girlscience]

I hate getting into something that has a canon(ish) sapphic couple, but I only end up caring about one of the two women 😭😭😭

[zecoritheweirdone]

me when i think about vagabonds by scorpionoesit for too long

[candyriku]

finally getting a chance to work on chapter 15 today :-)

[steakout-05]

i was thinking about how it took me a while to figure out i'm aegosexual (which basically means that there's a disconnect between yourself and being the subject of attraction) and i thought about how much i really dislike and just cannot see myself in slash reader fics. i tend to dislike these fics for multiple reasons, but some of them include that the reader self insert is usually really boring, has no personality outside of being lovey dovey and isn't unhinged enough for certain characters for reasons outside of contrasting personalities for my tastes (like spamton for example, why are you writing a normal protagonist to pair with fuckin spamton of all characters). but another reason is that i literally cannot connect myself to the reader self insert. like i cannot imagine myself in their place at all, it's always another stand-in that i imagine instead and thinking about myself in their place makes me uncomfortable. i can't see myself in their place because i don't see myself as a subject of attraction, and i'm repulsed to that idea. so i imagine someone else instead because that's better to me. and also because of the aforementioned reasons that have more to do with the writing of the self insert, i just cannot imagine myself acting the way the self insert does because I Personally Would Not Fucking Do That™. like i would not be romantically kissing a guy on a date, i would be infodumping about my special interests for 3 hours and then start ranting about how funny cars are while he just smiles and nods lmao

this is why i've never really self-shipped with any character. like i can be attracted to them and be like "i wanna hold his hand/kiss him/do inexplicable things to his psyche", but in reality i could never actually see myself as a subject of attraction by this character, so i'd either ship them with another character i like or imagine a sort of stand-in that has some of my traits and lives out my fantasies but still isn't me. i can fall in love but i can never connect because ew that's gross and weird. watching from the sidelines by reading fics and looking at fanart about characters being shipped with others and being intimate with each other is more my cup of tea.

[moinsbienquekaworu]

The true pain of reading a good AU is you want more of these specific guys but that characterisation only exists in the one specific fic/series

[revenantghost]

Oh no... When you post a fic and it does well enough that you make it a multichapter but that first part was a fluke ahhhhhhhhhh