#im kind of curious what i would've been like

[ferrarifudds]

What Are We. ✷ Paul Aron

Pairing: Paul Aron x Friend!reader

Summary: When all signs start to point that maybe you guys are more than friends.

Word Count: 2.1k

Vera’a Voice! Free time for me!!!! Which means I get to write and get down and dirty and grind. (Write.) this blurb is for my bbg Ellis. Hai. Suhhhhh. ok now adding this bit but I already wrote everything so its too late but im giggling bc I just searched and learned estonia is not that much of a warm beachy country oops. Ok Bye. my b. OH WELL.

The long-awaited summer break was something you had looked forward to since the season began. Climbing the ladder as a media intern in motorsports had been tough, but landing your big break in Formula 2 made every late night and early morning worth it.

It was one step closer to your ultimate dream.

Sure, it had been thrilling, but also more stressful than you’d ever imagined. Capturing the perfect shot, fumbling with your camera settings at the worst moments, and racing against deadlines—it was far from easy.

But despite the challenges, you wouldn’t trade it for anything.

Being young and working as an intern came with its own unique perks too—like getting to know some of the drivers on a personal level.

Not even a year ago would you have ever thought you’d be on a little friend vacation to Estonia with people like Paul Aron or Dino Beganovic and a couple other beloved interns that you had the pleasure of meeting.

And if you told yourself seven months ago you’d be in this scenario, you’d actually laugh.

Paul had been thoughtful enough to organize this entire trip, excited to share the beauty of his homeland with everyone.

Even after traveling halfway across the globe for this sport, Estonia easily ranked as one of the most stunning places you’d ever seen.

It was day two of this unforgettable getaway, and the late afternoon was approaching fast. The group had spent the day soaking up the sun at the beach, swimming in the crystal-clear water, and enjoying the luxurious villa you’d all pitched in to rent for the week.

But now, it was time for something even more special—Paul was finally taking you all to see his true home, where his mother had prepared a dinner that promised to be just as warm and inviting as the country itself.

Dinner in Paul’s family home was as cozy and picturesque as you’d expected. His mom had gone all out, setting the table with traditional Estonian dishes that filled the room with delicious aromas. Paul was effortlessly charming, introducing everyone to his siblings, Anna and Ralf, and making sure no one felt out of place.

You’d always known Paul had this way of making people feel special—it was part of his personality, the charm that came so naturally to him. To you, he’d always just been Paul. Sure, he was flirty sometimes, but that was just who he was, right? Nothing more.

Or so you thought.

The meal was going smoothly until Anna, his sister, casually leaned across the table and asked, “So, how long have you two been together?”

The entire table froze for half a second before erupting into giggles and suppressed laughter.

Your fork clattered against your plate as you nearly choked. “What?” you sputtered, eyes darting to Paul for backup. “We’re not—no, no. We’re not together.”

Anna blinked at you innocently. “Really? You sure? Because I would've thought—”

Ralf snickered, adding fuel to the fire. “Yeah, the way you two act—it’s like, I don’t know, kind of obvious?”

Your face burned, and you glanced at Paul, who had leaned back in his chair with a faint smirk, clearly enjoying your flustered state. He wasn’t rushing to clear anything up either.

What an idiot.

Before you could stammer out another denial, Paul’s mother chimed in, her voice light but curious. “Paul, you never told me you had a girlfriend?"

Your jaw dropped. “I’m not his—”

Paul cut in smoothly, though his eyes sparkled with mischief. “Ema,” he said, addressing his mother, “Don't worry, I would've told you.”

The laughter at the table got even louder. Dino, seated to your right, practically doubled over as he tried (and failed) to keep his drink from spilling. One of the others whispered something that sent him into another fit of giggles.

“Sorry, but this is too good,” Dino said, wiping at his eyes. “You should see your face right now.”

You groaned, burying your face in your hands for a moment, your cheeks blazing. “We’re just friends!” You insisted again, though the way everyone at the table was grinning made it clear no one believed you.

Paul leaned forward slightly, resting his chin on his hand as he looked at you, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. “Relax,” He said, his voice low and teasing. “You’re making this way more awkward than it needs to be.”

“You’re enjoying this,” You quietly gritted through your teeth back, side-eyeing him.

He shrugged, completely unbothered as he whispered. “A little.”

The laughter slowly died down, but the tension lingered. You tried to focus on your plate, but it was impossible to ignore the flutter in your chest or the way Paul kept sneaking amused glances at you.

It was just Paul, you told yourself. The same Paul who flirted with everyone, who loved teasing you, who couldn’t possibly mean anything by it. But tonight, under the warm glow of the dining room lights, surrounded by his family and friends, the line between teasing and something more felt blurrier than ever.

And the way he winked at you before taking another bite of his food only made that flutter worse.

Soon, the evening had settled in beautifully, the Estonian coastline bathed in hues of amber and violet as the last traces of sunlight dipped below the horizon.

After dinner, the group returned to the villa, laughter and chatter filling the spacious living room as everyone settled into their version of post-dinner relaxation. Dino had taken to challenging the others in a card game, while the rest debated over who would make the best DJ for the night.

You had excused yourself after a while, craving a quiet moment away from the lively energy. The villa's balcony called to you, with its perfect view of the shore and the gentle sound of waves rolling against the sand. The cool evening air kissed your skin as you leaned against the railing, letting the salty breeze fill your lungs. The horizon stretched endlessly, the water shimmering under the soft glow of the moon.

For a while, you simply let yourself get lost in the serenity of the moment, your thoughts wandering back to the chaos of dinner. The teasing, the tension, the way Paul’s gaze had lingered on you just a little too long. You shook your head, trying to brush it off as nothing more than his usual antics.

It was just Paul.

Or was it?

You were so lost in your thoughts that you didn’t hear the door to the balcony slide open until Paul’s voice broke through the quiet.

"Got room for one more?"

You glanced over your shoulder to see him step closer, joining you anyways, his familiar smirk in place. He leaned against the railing beside you, his arm brushing lightly against yours. The touch was subtle, barely there, but it sent a small jolt through you nonetheless.

"You okay?" He asked.

“Just needed a little air.” You glanced at him, half-expecting him to move away, but he didn’t. If anything, he leaned closer, his gaze fixed on the horizon, as if he didn’t notice—or maybe he did.

For a while, the two of you stood in silence, the only sound the distant waves and the occasional rustle of the breeze. It wasn’t uncomfortable, but it wasn’t exactly easy, either. The day’s events had left too much unsaid.

Finally, Paul broke the silence. “You know,” he began, his tone a little hesitant, “I almost planned this trip just for the two of us.”

You turned to him, surprised. “What?”

He gave you a small, self-conscious smile. “Yeah. I wanted it to be just us. I thought it’d be nice to show you where I’m from, spend some time together without… racing being in the way.” He let out a quiet laugh.

“But Dino found out, and he wouldn’t let it happen. Said it’d be too obvious, especially since we aren't, you know…”

“Together?,” You finished, your voice barely above a whisper.

Paul nodded, his gaze fixed on the shoreline. “Yeah. And I couldn’t really argue with him.. he said I could've scared you off.”

Your heart was racing now, the implications of his words sinking in. He’d wanted this trip to be just the two of you? You hadn’t even realized he’d thought about you like that.

“You actually planned this for us?” You asked, your voice soft.

He shrugged, his smile a little shy. “I wanted to show you something important to me. I thought maybe it’d mean something more.” He paused, then added with a teasing edge, “But I guess I didn’t do a great job of getting my point across.”

You blinked, the memories of all the lingering glances, the playful teasing, the way he always seemed to find a reason to be near you during race weekends were suddenly flooding your mind.

You’d brushed it off every time, chalking it up to Paul just being Paul.

But now…

“I guess.. I didn’t realize,” You admitted quietly.

Paul chuckled, his arm brushing yours again as he leaned a little closer. “Yeah, I got that impression. You’re not exactly the most perceptive when it comes to certain things.”

You shot him a half-hearted glare, but the smile tugging at your lips betrayed you. “Oh, come on!" You nudged your arm against his, now even closer than ever.

"Okay, maybe I’m a little oblivious. But in my defense, you flirt with everyone. How was I supposed to know you’re serious?”

He tilted his head, his expression softening. “I do flirt a lot. But not like this—not with you.” His voice dropped slightly, the sincerity in his tone making your chest tighten.

“You’re different.”

The words hung in the air between you, heavy and undeniable. You swallowed hard, your thoughts a jumbled mess of confusion and something that felt dangerously close to hope.

Paul shifted, turning to face you fully now. “Look, I’m just going to say it." He laugh, probably feeling embarrassed it's taken this long to properly ask you.

"I’ve been trying to make it obvious that I’m interested in you, but maybe I’ve been going about it the wrong way.” He let out a breath, his lips quirking into a now nervous smile. “So… what are we? Because I know what I want us to be. I’ve known for a while now. And it sucked having to deny to my family that you're my girlfriend.” He paused.

"And you have no idea how badly I wanted it to be true." He laughed softly again, shaking his head.

“I want this—us—to be something more. I’ve been dropping hints for months, and either you’re really good at ignoring them, or I’m terrible at this.”

Your cheeks flushed, and you glanced down, suddenly hyper-aware of how close he was and how genuine he was.

“I just… I didn’t think you've ever been serious,” You admitted.

“Well, I am,” He said simply, his voice steady now. “And I don’t want to dance around it anymore. Let me take you on a proper date. Just us. No Dino, no friends, no interruptions.”

You looked at him, your heart pounding in your chest. The way he was looking at you—open, vulnerable, and completely earnest—made it impossible to say anything but yes.

“Okay,” You said softly, a small smile tugging at your lips. “I’d like that.”

Paul’s grin widened, and he let out a breath of relief, his hand brushing against yours briefly before he pulled back. “Good. Because I’ve been wanting to ask you for a while now.”

As the waves crashed softly in the distance, the two of you leaned against the railing once more, shoulders touching. This time, the spark between you wasn’t just a fleeting moment. It was a promise of something new, something real—and you couldn’t wait to see where it would lead.

comments , likes , & reblogs are appreciated ! ^_^ kinda fw this one!!!! Ur Welcome Ellis Baef.

tags! @wdcbox @planetpedri @halfwayhearted ofc.

[ailawritesfics]

✎ cw: 18+(minors dni), oral (m receiving), exhibitionism (in a meeting), cum eating, dabi is a little mean & rough

✎ I haven't written in months so im trying to get back into writing again. Not proofread

What started as a joke between you and Dabi at 4 in the morning turned into a challenge of who can rile up the other more until it became a practical execution rather than back and forth play fighting.

The meeting is underway when he had ushered you beneath the table, uncaring of the curious eyes watching and internally criticizing whatever ploy you two had cooked up today. Dabi merely offers them a silent response, a smirk here and a flipped middle finger there, much to Shigaraki's vexation. No one bothers to even try to stop either of you by this point anyway.

He spares you a glance, slouching on the chair with his hands resting on his thigh and the other on the back of your head, lightly scratching your scalp. With hooded eyes he watches you fiddle with his belt, tugging off the buckle and unzipping his pants quite eagerly.

"We received intel from one of our men in..."

The voices of the other men in the room fade in the background, rendered static noise in comparison to the loud shuffling of his clothes being tugged and moved aside by manicured nails.

And finally, Dabi exhales as you tug down his boxers enough to free his cock from its confines. It nearly slapped your cheek had you not moved back in time.

The hand in your hair tightens, wordlessly tugging you closer to where he needs you and mouthing for you to hurry up. A soft giggle bubbles in your chest, teasing as you bat your lashes at him and he swears if you weren't in a meeting room right now, he would've had his way with you already. So he plays nice for now.

"We're not short on manpower. What we need is..."

You wrap your fingers around his cock, slowly stroking him while maintaining eye contact. Cerulean eyes meet yours in a silent challenge, a battle of wits and wagers, where pushing each other to their limits warrants the winner a satisfying reward. And Dabi would be damned if he lets you win this little bet.

You lick a path on the underside of his cock, swirling your tongue on the mushroom tip. You're rewarded with a muffled groan when you finally wrap your lips around him, taking him in inch by inch and working to slacken your jaw.

Dabi leans his head back, your warm mouth feeling too good to resist. A murmured fuck and a quick tug on your hair, he shoves you down against his pelvis, the tip of his cock meeting the back of your throat and making you gag.

Tears form in the corner of your eyes the longer Dabi holds you there, one hand supporting the back of your head and the other on your neck. He looks down at you and sucks in a breath at the sight.

You look so fucking hot like this.

Choking while being forced to deep throat his dick.

You tap on his thigh twice and he lets up, allowing you to pull away. A cough strains your throat, leaving it feeling sore and aching. The death glare you send his way doesn't even deter the man, in fact it only makes his cock twitch in his hold. The bastard enjoyed it, of course he did.

He grabs your face, fingers digging into your cheeks as he pulls you back in.

His voice is low, a hushed whisper amongst the arguing voices of the other men in the room. "You talked big game back there and you couldn't even handle that? I'm disappointed, doll."

Again, your glare does nothing, only succeeding on making him act more smug. He presses hard on your cheeks, making you wince, something he enjoys a little too much, evident in the way his smirk turns into a grin.

A thumb forces its way through your lips, pressing flat against your tongue. It's salty and tastes like ash. For a moment, you think he might grant you some mercy. But Dabi had never really been kind. Using this hold on you, he tugs your jaw open and before you can react, he replaces his thumb with his cock but this time he doesn't just shove it in. He lets it rest on your tongue, waiting to see what you'll do.

At least his gracious enough to grant you some control.

Starting with a slow pace, you bob your head up and down, hallowing your cheeks as you take in more of him with each trip down. You've given him head before but it never really feels like it gets easier after each time. It's a struggle to make him fit, a struggle you refuse to show him lest you want him to become even more smug and cocky.

A large hand trails up the nape of your neck, sliding into your hair, tugging lightly as he guides your movement.

He throws his head back against the head rest, the tips of his ears flushing bright red and fighting the urge to moan and groan at the feeling of your warm, wet mouth doing wonders on him. He couldn't care less of the obvious stares, much too focused on chasing the pleasure. He'll get scolded by Shigaraki later but fuck it, this is worth it.

You quicken your pace, swallowing around the tip, trying your best to deep throat him.

Dabi bucks his hips upward to meet your movements with what little freedom the chair allows him. He relishes the sound of you choking on his cock, sweat dripping down his temples as he chases his high.

Suddenly, he shoves your head down against him again, nose burying in his happy trail. Spurts of thick, hot cum slide down your throat and fills your mouth with the sheer amount he spills.

He breathes heavily, tugging you off him but covering your mouth with one hand before you can spit any of his precious cum.

"Swallow it." He commands in a hushed voice.

[kenyummy]

Hi! I was going through your profile to read more of Spidey! Reader and I saw the ask of songs going for each character, and your comment about Reed and Spidey! Reader being parallels of Bruce and DC! Reader??

HELLO?? THATS SO COOL!!! I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR MORE IF YOU HAVE ANY OTHER IDEAS

IF NOT ITS OKAY I WAS JUST CURIOUS!! HAVE A GOOD DAY/NIGHT

HII IM SO HAPPY YOU ASKED ABOUT THIS ARGHHHH i have so much to say

ok so yes! reed and spidey r gonna parallel bruce and spidey (or more accurately bruce and dc!reader) very hard as in that's what he could've had, ykwim???

in chapter 5, reed acknowledges spidey's intellect and treats them as if they're equals. spidey appreciates this immensely, feeling good that the literal smartest man in the world sees them as such. this is their dynamic. reed sees spidey as an equal, yet as somebody who needs to be nurtured. you're a genius, creating most of your web shooters and technology from scratch, yet needing help on some of the technicalities, which he's happy to provide.

spidey comes to reed when they need help. spidey isn't afraid that he'll make them look dumb. that he'll believe its a waste of time because he cares. he genuinely cares about spidey, maybe even past that of a mentor, and wants to see them succeed so bad because he knows just how incredibly brilliant you are, and he's so, so proud.

from the first moment you'd met him, still an awkward kid getting the hang of your new powers, with braces and that hormonal teen acne, begging to be let on his team because otherwise, j. jonah jameson would actually eat you alive.

bypassing the highest level of baxter building security protocols with ease and using some kind of inorganic webbing that was unlike anything hed ever seen. ever since that day, reed knew you were absolutely incredible, and wishes you'd see yourself as such.

(basically, your science dad lol)

now, here comes the parallel with dc!reader. bruce was the complete opposite of reed. he'd never had the time to see dc!reader. always busy. with this new robin, this new criminal, this new "addition to the family", bruce never gave you the time of day because he just couldn't.

he'd never noticed the things you made, the grades you topped, the things you tinkered with. he'd never seen it and probably never would've if you'd never been shot. he never saw how smart you were, and it made you feel inadequate. like no matter how many things you did, how many gadgets you made or how incredible your inventions really were; you were invisible.

you'd never come to him for help. you used to try, all that time ago, but he'd say he was too busy. always too busy. never free enough to look your way, let alone help you calculate the density needed for web shooters.

(in the end, you'd never be able to make those webs. ...not in that universe, anyway).

but eventually, he sees it. he sees you (you as in spidey haha). when you pull away, he feels the tug and soon you're too far to catch up.

maybe it's when you reveal that you're spidey. maybe it's when you babysit franklin and reed comes to pick him up. maybe he sees you and reed and sue all walking together through a night-time science convention when he's on patrol.

it doesn't matter when, he just sees it, and his heart sinks. you would wrap your arms around your science dad™ after he'd help you with one thing or another, unaware of the lingering eyes following your every move.

... just how much had he missed, he wonders. he'd never seen you hug somebody that tightly since you were a little kid. ... but you're not anymore, are you? right. he'd... he'd almost forgotten.

he never wanted you in the vigilante life. never wanted you in danger. but it consumed his life. every waking moment. always busy, too busy, always too busy for you. but now, he sees you; latching onto this older man (perhaps a similar age to him, maybe younger) and grinning up at him like you'd done it a hundred times before.

... you'd never hugged him, had you?

especially these days. your eyes are colder than ever, touch even more so. you slinked around the manor like you wanted nobody to find you and you'd escape conversations as soon as you possibly could when somebody tried to speak with you. (that part hurt dick the most).

you're so different than he remembers. (though, how could he say that? the last thing he remembers is when his boy, his jason was still young too. the last few memories he wanted to block out forever. too bad that included you, too).

god forbid you accidentally call reed dad one day, then he'd be really pissed off. especially because you stopped calling him dad (or any variant of it) for some reason. really, it was because you'd switched places with his actual kid, and you never ended up seeing him as a father, so it came unconsciously. though, he didn't know this. for all he knew, you just... given up on his one day, for that man.

who seemed... all too glad to give you the acknowledgement you wanted.

all in all, you and reed represent a very important concept that the fantastic four are literally in this story to represent. what could've been. it stirs longing, guilt, and especially in this story, a kind of obsession of "making it all better".

you once looked up to bruce, your father, so dearly, preening when he gave you a sliver of his attention. doesn't every child? you'd go back to this one day, he's sure. this time, though, he'll spend as much time with you as you want. you can go to science conventions with him, as much as he has little interest in that type of thing.

he can help you now that he sees you, so just forget that man, okay? he'll always be your dad.

tysm for the ask my love im gen so happy i got to talk about this teehee

[inchidentally]

unfortunately i feel like the whole “heart-eyes piastri” thing’s been … rampant enough for it to have Reached him (or reach him eventually) and im just curious if you think it’s something that he would step away from (or if he even could ?? since it genuinely seems so involuntary to me personally) once he’s like. exposed.

going on a tangent now but i wonder if the drivers had a part to play in mclaren moving away from their long-from content ? or if it’s like. just something their team Decided

this is a good place to just quickly reiterate this since Lando and Oscar are so much more relaxed and have clearly gone to a new stage in their friendship:

FANS SHOULD NEVER EVER BRING UP RPF OR SHIP RELATED STUFF TO LANDO OR OSCAR ABOUT EACH OTHER. ALSO DO NOT ASK MEDIA OR THE TEAMS TO BRING IT UP TO THEM. IT WILL END VERY BADLY AND UNCOMFORTABLY AND POSSIBLY MAKE THEM WITHDRAW EVEN MORE FROM FANS. THEY DO NOT DO BROMANCEY STUFF AND ARE FAIRLY PRIVATE WITH THEIR DOWNTIME TOGETHER. PLEASE KEEP LANDOSCAR RPF IN FANDOM ONLY*

anyway I fully get what you mean anon and it's part of why I've always wanted to keep the types of 'rpf is real' and 'if it weren't for those pesky gfs these men would be together' ppl awayyyy from landoscar bc Lando and Oscar are not knowingly playing into any PR bromance or engagement with fans - so it's hard when we get this great content bc it's so sweet and there is a genuine fondness and gentleness to them that is so !!! but there also isn't the same kind of like agreement that the bromance guys all have with fans. the group padel pic in Monaco is a great example bc it was well coordinated, a joint instagram effort, all those guys play up the bromance stuff for fans with various drivers - so while it's fully legit friendships and guys bein dudes, it's also expected that fans will freak out and therefore has a side benefit of being great publicity. that's the norm for most drivers tbh!

whereas yea things like Lando and Oscar simply looking at each other in sweet ways and giggling at things we either aren't allowed into or jokes that are only funny to the two of them, and spending downtime together playing padel just the two of them or with another set of drivers or hanging out in hotel rooms or chilling casually at the palace in Bahrain - but not posting about it is a very clear message of while they don't mind that fans know about their time together (there's no crazy secrecy) or that we comment on their dynamic, they have also chosen to not cultivate that PR relationship with us beyond what McLaren and sponsors require. again, not in some crazy secret thing! Oscar isn't crazy secretive about Lily or his family, but he also doesn't encourage or engage with fandom about them beyond very surface mentions.

which is more than fair and there's another anon I'm gonna reply to about how I've always suspected this was a choice of some kind between Lando and Oscar based on strengthening their relationship as teammates as well as friends - even if it wasn't necessarily a spoken agreement.

ANYWAY back to your point about the hearteyes, I will at least say that this has been talked about by fans in public spaces pretty much since the start of his time at McLaren and definitely since the finish the lyrics video. so I'm sure he's already seen it and would've altered his behavior by now if it really bothered him that fans comment on it!

but I definitely agree that in general fandom needs to observe the very obvious boundaries of Oscar being a quiet, private guy who doesn't even like discussing his relationship with his girlfriend in super emotionally revealing terms let alone have fans or the media poke and prod him about the fact that he looks at Lando a certain way. tho I do think he'd wisely sidestep somehow and bring up Carlos or Daniel again. and I absolutely think based on his social media history he's very consciously rerouting fan attention when he does that. esp the fact that he chose to interact more with Lando's merch company when he was a fan and not a fellow driver in the same formula, it's similar to how they talk to fans about landoscar and carlando etc which is kind of a filtration system so that Lando's mentions don't take the brunt of fandom. but that's even more of a reason to respect Oscar's space and not put him in those awkward positions either.

.

.

*and honestly even with guys who are fine with it and encourage it, it's still not advisable bc this sport exists in extremely conservative spaces and these men will only want the gay jokes and bromance bits to go so far.

[the-owl-tree]

im a little too tired rn, is it okay if i ask you to elaborate on the “tbc shouldve come out after oots because of how asc was handled” post… im curious 👀

Also a little sleepy so I might become back and edit this later but I was kind of nibbling on it in my brain and I think thematically, changing the order just lends itself better to OotS -> TBC -> AVoS -> ASC. Some of this is veering into rewrite/au territory but that's the fun part lol

Omen of the Stars

Sets up the religious themes of TBC with its Heaven/Hell cat war.

Sets up that StarClan can be wrong and this has negative consequences for the living cats. Examples: Yellowfang interfering in Cinderheart's life, StarClan telling the Clans to divide themselves before the war.

Sets up that there are cats in the Dark Forest who do not deserve to be there.

The Great Battle itself, quite literally them fighting demons of the pasts and "codebreakers" who aligned themselves with said demons, creates a really good set up for TBC.

The Clans are reeling and, had OotS pulled it off better, the great battle could've been devastating...and why a more strict leader trying to "pull his Clan together" would've been more acceptable.

The Broken Code

The themes and plot of TBC just work sooo much better with the aforementioned set up.

Themes of StarClan being wrong, making mistake, recontextualizing the Dark Forest as somewhere not as pure evil but also a result of these mistakes.

Ashfur swooping in post-war to get a hold on leadership, taking advantage of Clan pride, and using the code as a guise to unite ThunderClan under an iron fist.

Like the setting feels so perfect for TBC to me?? Post spiritual war between heaven and hell where even StarClan faced losses, a malevolent spirit with a grudge comes down to take advantage of this huge split whilst the worst leaf-bare the Clans have seen approaches.

But that's also obvious connections to make, what it also lends itself to is the new theme of authority and leadership that becomes relevant in AVOS.

This is also where the seeds of code changing are being planted.

A Vision of Shadow

Like I don't like AVOS Rowanstar, I find the text tells me one thing but his actions tell me another but for the purposes of this, I'll indulge the intention of the writers: Rowanstar is supposed to be too permissive.

And like, this doesn't work right after OOTS in which multiple ShadowClan cats sided with the Dark Forest.

But it does work post TBC after the Clans just fought and faced losses against Ashfur.

We see a leader reckon with the consequences of their own unchecked power (and perhaps sees some past echoes in the process?)

We see the use of the code to justify brutality fuel a growing disrespect from those in the Clans.

There is unease and unhappiness with the status quo (and in a good series, this should not be a bad thing)

SkyClan also brings into question the benevolence of StarClan. Would they turn a blind eye to ShadowClan? To RiverClan?

Things need to change, AVoS is the straw that breaks the camel's back: things need to change.

A Starless Clan

Berryheart's role hinges a lot more on AVOS while comparatively everyone else's can be either or, so just making AVOS more relevant adds to that.

ASC, as muddled and sloppy as it got, is about change and it is about progress, even if the authors got really scared and sympathetic towards bigots who want to halt that progress.

Continuing the theme of authority: what happens when a Clan has no leader?

Continuing the theme of faith: what happens when cats turn their back on StarClan?

and don't get me wrong, ASC stumbled downhill into a bush of thorns, but these themes do have more room to stand when we reorder and stack these themes to build on one another.

I'm stretching a little but I think thematically, switching everything around like building blocks just makes ASC like...idk have more to stand on?

I think I'd have to go on more of a rewrite tangent to make this work better but I feel like using TBC to set up AVOS rather than vice versa works better.

Star Specific Point (Spoilers)

I think also the ending ultimately being about choosing to come back and faith in the living also just caps off these building themes better. Frostpaw choosing to come back because she can do more alive than dead just lends itself to ideas of autonomy and breaking from the idea that StarClan is all-knowing and all seeing.

[fairyofspringdays]

I'm the same Snape stan as you! I want him to keep on becoming better and receiving love. And I believe that had he lived, he could have become a better person. Once he had time and space to heal from his trauma, away from Hogwarts, or even England, preferably. Although he most likely would have needed external help. Not to be this person, but are they psychologists/psychiatrists in the Wizarding World? I'll add that, IMO, part (not all of it) of his harshness as a teacher was due to his need to keep up his cover for his future potential spying. So I'm curious about how he would have acted (the same or not) once free of this role. Anyway, glad I'm not the only one who doesn't want him to get worse. I respect people who do, but it's just not for me.

EXACTLYYYYY OH MY GOD YOU GET IT BRO im so happy to receive this because this is EXACTLY THE WAY I SEE HIM

to me, the appeal of his character is his tragedy. like, he's an asshole, but he has so many reasons to be, and none to be kind. despite that, he's still a good yet unappreciated person.

i think it would've been best for him to leave the country in a 'no voldemort' or 'voldemort died in the first war' au. like i said in a different post once, he just needs to fuck off to another country and get a whole lot of therapy and some FRIENDS!!! get this man some people who care about his well-being unconditionally!!!!!

i understand that victims of his situations don't owe their abusers kindness but the bullying of children...??? even if he was just "a strict teacher and he could be worse" doesn't mean his behavior should be encouraged lol.

i think what that man needs the most is a goddamn hug. or maybe ten.

[valxrsp]

um um um, a seroroki text thread even tho the fandom for this ship is dead, I'm still not over it!! Hanta Sero and Shoto Todoroki are literally boyfriends okay😓

Hanta is the blue text and Shoto is the white text!! ->

hey sho

can I ask you something

Hello Hanta

What did you need to ask?

Is something wrong?

no no everything's okay

I was just curious on something

did you like

yk

have a crush on midoriya

like before we started dating

No? I don't think I wanted to crush midoriya if that's what you're asking.

I may have been annoyed when he tried to make me use my fire but I never wanted to crush him.

That was a long time ago, why do you ask?

no sho that's not what I meant :')

I mean like

did you have feelings for midoriya before we got together

like romantic feelings

Oh

Well, he was the first person to really be friends with me, and he brought out the good in me.

For that, I admired him

So yes, I guess if that's what that means,

I had a crush on Midoriya.

oh

But why do you ask?

like I said I was just curious lol

Hmm

Okay

Well speaking of Midoriya, did you want to come study with us later?

We might get soba, too.

you were gonna go with just midoriya before you asked me?

What do you mean?

sorry forget I said anything

Hanta?

Are you okay?

You're mood doesn't feel the same as it usually is.

I'm okay

you can go on with midoriya

have fun! <3

No

Hanta

I don't want to go if you're not going.

Is this because of the crush question?

..

no

Hanta, is it?

idkkk

maybe

yes I guess

idk I just

was feeling insecure

Insecure about what?

that yk

that you still have feelings for midoriya

I mean he's the best why wouldn't you still have feelings for him lol

Hanta, you have nothing to be insecure about, okay?

I love you.

I want you, I chose to be with you, I asked you to be my boyfriend because you're the one I love.

I don't have any romantic feelings for midoriya.

if I did, I would've asked him out instead.

SHO STOP YOU'RE GONNA MAKE ME CRY

I love you too :'))

you're the best boyfriend in the world

thankyou for the reassurance :) <3

You're so odd sometimes.

I never understand why you get insecure.

WELL BECAUSE YOU'RE LITERALLY THE PRETTIEST PERSON IN UA

AND YOUR SMART AND KIND AND CHARMING AND AMAZING AND FUNNY AND CUTE

AND IM JUST THE GUY WITH TAPE ELBOWS

IM LITERALLY SO PLAIN IDEK HOW YOU CHOSE ME TO BE YOUR BF OUT OF EVERYONE ELSE

Thankyou

But,

you're anything but plain.

I can talk for hours just about how pretty you are, and it's not just looks. You have an amazing personality that I adore.

Also, I wouldn't say I'm the prettiest at ua.

[curioushabitforarivergod]

I LOVE the historical context you add to tom riddle meta. im curious. at that time how important and wealthy would tom riddle sr likely have been? i.e. how nice was the life that Tom missed out on by growing up in the orphanage instead of with his dad?

Omg thanks so much!

We don't actually know much about the Riddles. They likely lived in Yorkshire, Lancashire, or the very west of Cornwall (200 miles from Surrey as per Goblet of Fire), but I think it's more likely they lived in the North, specifically in Yorkshire. The Riddle's name is probably locational rather than profession based, and from a village called Ryedale in the North Riding of Yorkshire. It was probably mutated over time because spelling wasn't standardised or even close to standardisation when last names were beginning to become a thing (roughly 11th century in Britain).

Okay, now the reason I went into that is because I believe the Riddles were the big guys back in the day (by which I mean late medieval period c. 1100s until the late 1500s) and were the kind of wealthy landowners who employed serfdom potentially even past the Peasant's Revolt of 1381. I know a lot of people place them as merchants who made money from trade but based on their name and location (Yorkshire is famous for its sheep) I think it's more likely they were landowners. They probably had pretty solid generational wealth, potentially even being landed gentry (a class of gentry who made their money on leasing land and known as lords of the manor), although I'm fairly certain they lost most of this later. I don't think they ever were part of the peerage (the level above gentry in the British aristocracy who hold hereditary titles) but gentry usually married into peerage and vis versa so they were likely quite connected despite never being "Lords" themselves. They got their name through their association with the village as the big whigs.

Even if the Riddles had kept up serfdom for a century or so after the Peasants Revolt (entirely plausible), serfdom was abolished by Elizabeth I in 1574. Whenever they stopped working as part of the feudal system, I don't think it had major impacts on their wealth. Like I mentioned above, they were probable landed gentry, making their money by leasing out land and still profiting off the lower classes.

With the Industrial Revolution and the Agricultural Depression of the 1870s, I think they would've lost quite a bit of money, potentially even their place as landed gentry. They would've still been quite rich, but their wealth was probably in decline and they had to look elsewhere. Maybe they never succeeded in this.

The thing is, we know next to nothing about the Riddles and the family we see through Tom Riddle's eyes is one that's lost status and connections because of the scandal of Riddle Snr. having run off with Merope without being married and (rumours have it!) having a child out of wedlock. The Riddle family probably declined economically with WWII (and to a lesser extent WWI) as well, although they never got a chance to really see the era through properly due to their… untimely deaths.

I think if Tom had been raised by the Riddles, they may not have fallen so far, providing Riddle Snr. married Merope before her death, or at least had falsified documents that he did. Tom would've still grown up in declining wealth, but more than enough money still to not have to work. Life for Tom would've been far better, what without starvation, disease, poverty and later, bombs and would've remain largely untouched by the war. The Great Depression wouldn't have it so hard, and Tom, not being surrounded by so much death, would've been fundamentally altered. I'm not sure what the Riddle's reaction to Tom being magic would've been like, but I'll leave that to any writers. All in all, Tom missed out on a far better life.

Thank you so much for the ask! It really made my day!!

[butmakeitgayblog]

how do you think clarke would have let lexa know she still had feels for her and loved her if they hadn't had to separte, they had more time together. im really curious was it sometime during the night clarke lays awake and cant shake the feeling she just needs lexa, like really needs her affection rite down to the core or would it be clarke just randomly kissing lexa because shes being all heda and she just cant help herself. i mean come on we all know lexas not going in for the kiss first this time she said she wouldnt and she all afraid of clarkes boundries now.

Ya know. That's actually a good question. And I think if you asked a dozen people in the fandom you'd probably get a dozen really different answers, but I think in my mind and just how Clarke conducted herself, I don't think she would've gone for it any time soon without there being a tipping point.

Because the thing is, Clarke is stubborn. She is bull-fuckin-headed. God love her, she's a precious little shit. Ya just wanna firmly sandwich her face between your palms be like, ".... let some shit go sometimes. Also, you're allowed to want things for yourself. Now stop bein' a dick."

So with that understanding - that she is stubborn and will hold a grudge wuh-haaay past when it's time to let it go - I have to say that no I don't see her really being completely and openly honest with Lexa about her feelings until given a clear impetus to be so. There always had to be a push for it to happen.

Having to go back to Arkadia and possibly never seeing Lexa again, seeing Lexa so resigned to the fact that they may never again get to have that kind of closeness or intimacy in their goodbye (as fleeting in that moment as it felt), knowing that they may never see each other again or if they do it could potentially be on opposite sides of the battlefield, the fact that it was Lexa who pushed forward and let slip "That's why I—..."

Those were all a storm of emotions that emotionally pushed Clarke into acting on her feelings.

Without that, I don't think she would've done it any time soon.

Because it was obvious Lexa had already done damn near all she could to earn Clarke's trust back. Clarke even understood the choices Lexa had made by that point. Had literally mirrors them herself despite, stubbornly 👀, trying to push the blame off onto Lexa's shoulders as a coping mechanism. They were rebuilding all the pieces of their relationship, but every 2 steps forward, Clarke would always take one step back. She always kept that distance. Always keep Lexa at arms distance.

This scene right here is the epitome of Clarke being Clarke

I mean goddamn girl. They had just spent the afternoon together. Clarke had sat and physically comforted Lexa after her nightmare. She'd drawn her sleeping and held that trust in such a vulnerable state. And yet, when Emerson attacked and Lexa moved to not only protect her but to comfort her by merely touching her and helping her up, Clarke recoils and harshly rejects her. Leaving Lexa startled, and confused, and hurt despite her immediately accepting the rejection, because... well, look at what they had just shared. That afternoon, those moments, they had meant something.

But that's just what Clarke does.

It's just who she is when she feels like her trust has been broken. Despite all the pieces being there for Clarke to move on from the anger she was already having a hard time hanging on to anyway, she still did hang on to it, because she's a stubborn little asshole (affectionate... mostly) in that way

That being said... if they were given A Lot more time for Clarke to pull her head out of her own ass and move on and actually allow herself to be happy within this world of chaos, I think it would've been more of a moment of Lexa just being Lexa, rather than Heda, that would've finally knocked down those few remaining bricks in Clarke's wall.

Because, while I think Clarke was attracted to Heda and Lexa as Heda and all that she embodied in those moments, truly I think Clarke fell in love with Lexa as just a person. The girl beneath the armor. And, imo at least, I think that's an important distinction to make. And I think it was an important distinction for Clarke too.

So do I think it would've been some moment of Lexa being entirely ~too Heda~ and Clarke just smooching her face off? Honestly, no. While that would've made for a fantastic moment to watch 🥵, I actually think it would've been a quiet moment of Lexa just being Lexa. Her saying or doing something with more meaning or emotion or vulnerability than she normally does. A moment of her showing Clarke yet another piece of that girl hidden beneath the sash of her duty that just hit her like an arrow right between the cracks of Clarke's already crumbling resolve.

But either way, emotional or situational, there'd always have to be a tipping point.

[changbinsboobs]

i'm curious about the new dorms in pairs! leeknow said they all got to choose who they wanted to live with. is it true and are they satisfied with the member they are with? (i know its not been long since they moved in together). and how do they welcome that change on a personal level? thank you!!

Hi:) so i reformed the question a little bit, since before the reading i felt like the members theyre with was a mutual decision they're all content with. I don't feel like they really had much preferences either. So either way i think most of them would've been pretty content with whoever they ended up with. After all they have lived with everyone once, and more or less have learned to live with each member.

That being said i find the topic intriguing myself, especially after laying the cards so I've prepared a follow up reading going more into details like what was the overall reason the group decided to move. What was each members motivation to want/not want to move. What co-living in each dorm is like, like looks, vibes, routines, dynamic, personal relationship, individual relationship with oneself, changes of before, likes and dislikes etc. so stay tuned🥰✨🙌🏻

*For entertainment purposes only!

How do Skz feel about their new dorm arrangements?

Chan - 5 of Swords, The Fool, 2 of Cups

Out of all Chan seems to be the only one that didn't welcome the change with open hands. I feel he might've had some reservations and maybe feared that the bond between them might weaken or even break if they now spend less time with each other. U know you get used to someone when living together so u get a bit blind about stuff that would annoy you. And by moving out into pairs he might've feared that some members might once again start to bicker (im thinking of han and hyunjin😂) Despite that he kind if gave in or was overpowered by the majority when making that decision and is actually pretty content now with i.n as his roommate.

I.N - 3 of Wands, 2 of Wands

He was so in for the whole change. Very enthusiastic. I think him, hyunjin and leeknow are the most excited and happiest ones. He took a big part in planing and executing the move i feel like. He was definitely very involved. I think now he has way more (mental) space to indulge in things he might've not been able to before now that he has more peace and quite and more space. He's excited for the fruits of it all.

Lee Know - 4 of Wands, Page of Swords

He feels really happy, kind of like he hit the jackpot or something. This might've been something he has awaited for a while and now he finally has it. Other than that i don't see much tbh. I think he's just excited to start his living together with Han and build a closer relationship and create an intertwined life with each other(?).

Han - 9 of Pentacles, 6 of Cups

He feels the whole thing was a big success/jackpot too and is very happy with the move as well. I believe he's excited to have it easier. I see him finally being able to take care of his inner child, and also for his inner child to be taken care of by Leeknow specifically. He feels like he can relax and let himself be cared for and pampered - something he apparently couldn't do and didn't get while in the other dorms. Both of them are very compatiable as in ones needs automatically fulfills the others needs and vice versa. They really do each other good.

Changbin - Queen of Cups, The Empress

Changbin is also very content with the change and i feel like he wants to use this time and newfoudn space and peace to get to know himself better and grow. To care better for himself. To nurture himself more. I feel like he's kind of over the bachelor / youngster life and wants to slowly step into a more adult role and become more autonomous and mature when it comes to life and general. I feel like he kind of steps in a new era and is in a state of a metamorphosis or something, where he turns from a boy to a man, and other stuff begin to interest him slowly and for that he needs to change to. But he can't feel like a reliable man, capable to provide for his partner and eventually his family, if he has lived his whole life with his parents or his other bachelor friends. He wants to take this opportunity to become more "serious" and reliable - build himself and his confidence in his skills to "survive" on his own. Learn what it is to live by yourself (even if he still shares the apartment with hyunjin) and get used to, in advance, of what life with a partner would be like. Kind of like practice for the future and indirect manifesting.

Hyunjin - The Sun, 3 of Pentacles

Hyunjin feels amazing and is really, really happy about the move. He can finally flourish. I think he's that type of introvert where the more people there are around him, the more dampened his energy gets. Now when he shares an apartment just with changbin (who's also very focused on his own thins recently) he can unfold and flourish fully the way he wants to. I think he wants to learn new things and engage even more in his own hobbies and interest and he actually looks forward to when he actually misses the members or human contact. I think in the past years he's been so stifled continuously, feeling slightly suffocated by the amount if people around him that he has forgotten what it is to actually want to see people. To crave human contact. He's happy that now with his newfound peace and space he can enjoy his own company to the point where he will start actually craving other people himself.

Felix - Temperance

Felix's reading wasn't very detailed or colorful. Basically he's just content with the new living arrangements. He would've been fine either way tho:)

Seungmin - Justice, Knight of Pentacles

Fo him imnpt getting anything specific either, i guess he's just indifferent and will continue just living for himself and do his own thing, maybe a tad bit easier now that he shares his space only with one member.

[inhun]

hi tumblr user inhun. random sangihun ask time bc i love hearing your headcanons........ do u think that sangwoo and gihun ever kissed or had little experimental gay moments when they knew each other as teenagers or do u think that sangwoo was too repressed for that......... personally i can kinda imagine kid gihun being physically affectionate and hugging/cuddling with sangwoo sometimes and sangwoo being fine with it as a little kid, but as he gets older and internalises more toxic masculinity stuff he pushes him away more........ + gihun makes him Feel Things and that scares him. but i'm curious to know what your take on it would be

I CAN FINALLY ANSWER THIS YRARAAUGHHH.also please always send random sangihun asks im always here.........when im not at work

BUT! it's a bit tricky because i kind of like both angles. realistically, i think both of them would've been too repressed/unaware. because in their teens, sangwoo was most likely fully focused on college. as much as its a joke that gihun brags so much about it, being top of the class at SNU is NAWWT an easy feat so genuinely, i dont think sangwoo really had too much of a social life beyond a childhood friendship with gihun. i definitely think he had other friends! but i dont think he hung out with people much outside of school, and honestly if it wasnt for the fact gihun could probably just Walk into sangwoos house, he wouldn't have hung out with gihun much either. his focus was elsewhere! as for gihun i just dont think he wouldve clued something as gay until much later.

now. that said, i dont think them practically being in each others laps or fist fighting was that unusual for them at that time. I like to think they met pretty early on during their elementary school years and had been friends ever since, so they're very much used to each others presence, and like u said re gihun being physically affectionate, i think both of them were. holding each others faces, hugging, etc was casual (much like how gihun and jungbae were imo), and was just something they did, so even with the Ever Looming Presence Of Internalized Homophobia, stuff like that wasn't necessarily romantic/taboo to them, because theyve always been like that with each other, and most likely with other friends. Now .

i dont think any gay moments between them wouldve been intentional, but it Could have happened, and i dont think either of them wouldve been self aware enough to realize it was a little gay until Later later on. like maybe cuddling got a little too tense once but neither of them said anything because why is it weird now and not any other time. but i dont think this wouldve happened too much.

now. ☝ the prime underutilized sangihun time is when gay shit wouldve happened and it makes me so mad that pre-s2 drop ao3 sangihun tag didnt have shit or fuck for this era. sangwoos early college years. iirc, gihun literally says he drove sangwoo back and forth for his college classes. they were definitely still hanging out in that era. why were there so many fics that made them stop talking after highschool/when sangwoo went to college. bitch. they were drinking soju in gihuns studio apartment pulling all nighters. if they started making out around 3 am that's only for 3 am them to know.

[north-noire]

north!! i hope ur doing well!! im really interested and curious abt jennifer emily shes seems very giving in tough love but i hope i request some hcs or sketches im already in love with her i love her i love her id do anything for her

I've been doing well the best I could, but thanks for asking! It's been an exhausting time for me, but I'm getting by :] Here's a colored sketch of her, as you requested! Still working on her reference so she'll take a bit (same to the others as well), but I hope this suffices!

Thank you for being interested in my grumpy gal, and for the lovely ask! I'll try my best to explain my headcanons and that kind of thing for her! And honestly same, I would just do whatever she wanted so that I don't get on her bad side lmao.

Plus I really like the idea of Henry having an older sister - originally she wasn't really in the story, but I really liked the idea of an outsider from the Freddy's drama finding out what kind of thing Henry got himself into, and I thought Jennifer suited that role nicely.

Jennifer Emily in my AU - she's a very tough love and blunt kind of woman (Henry unintentionally got his bluntness from her partially), preferring to just be straightforward rather than sugarcoating everything. She just prefers having things done first before she deals with the ungodly things called emotions - she can be a bit brash and can get easily irritable, but she means well, she just says what's on her mind sometimes, so she can sound pretty harsh and brutal. And sadly, she's not really the best at consoling someone or helping them get through their emotions, but she tries her best to console in a different way.

She's a car mechanic, but genuinely has an interest in racing cars (even got racer's jackets and photos of race tracks/racing tournaments she had watched - she's a racing fan, damn she would've loved the Cars movie lmao) and custom car stuff (I imagine her car is like modified a bit to look like a race car for the aesthetic - probably would've collected sports car toys and the like) and that kind of thing - she really wanted to be a racer someday, but alas, that's simply just a child's dream, but she's happy enough to be someone who fixes something she loves as a living, but she was definitely frustrated with the whole misogynistic remarks she gets for just being a car mechanic. Also she doesn't Henry to repair his own car and would rather find him and his run-down car in the middle of nowhere than get him to try and repair it on his own. Another thing, it's never explicitly said in the story/treated as a big deal at all, but my Jennifer is a lesbian woman, and Henry doesn't really care and loves her all the same regardless (and honestly he's not even surprised mostly because he sort of knew she dated women before). She never really found luck finding love though, but she tries her best to go by her life regardless.

Back when Henry and William were just new friends back in college years, she highly disliked William - Henry always argued back/stood up for William, but she just never really liked him. Her personality would always clash with William's, and she really doesn't like how wishy-washy William can be and how much he puts on a show for people, and how much he can be a "people-pleaser" in her perspective. The British accent also made her feel like he was being pretentious and posh individual. Of course, years down the line, Jennifer just sort of got used and just kept her dislike for William all to herself/to Henry, but Henry sometimes alludes to it sometimes in a light-hearted manner.

She also lives alone, with her dog (A Doberman, they're very sweet) :] She never really saw herself as someone who can take care of kids, let alone know how to deal with them, so she's honestly living the best life she could! It's honestly why she doesn't mind Henry coming over every once in a while, she doesn't like to admit it but she gets a little lonely there by herself sometimes.

Sorry for another long post, but I really hope I've explained her stuff well! Thanks for the ask as well it was really fun answering this question!

[moonstruckme]

https://www.tumblr.com/moonstruckme/771756872712830976/maeee-im-curious-whats-ur-new-job-gonna-be

mae ohmg this is exactly the field i want to get in to at some point in my life!! how did you get into publishing? it feels like such a niche field even though it isn’t but nobody i talk to can give me any advice😭 (they work in english based fields but not publishing specifically)

Hey babe, just a disclaimer I don’t feel qualified to give advice but that’s never stopped me before (which is to say, take this with some grains of salt) so I’ll try to tell you whatever I can based on my experience :)

The job I have right now is at an independent publisher in the city where I live, which isn’t a major publishing city. We do hybrid publishing, which honestly also isn’t my first choice (I wanted to go traditional, and being hybrid means we also publish lots of business and economics books, which isn’t really my area of interest) but after applying to trad publishing jobs at big 5 companies (as well as lots of smaller ones, magazines, etc.) for almost a year now I’ve become more than willing to make some compromises haha. The bad news is, from my experience I would say you really do need to know people to break into publishing. I didn’t get a single interview until November, and when I finally did I’m pretty sure it was because I had friends at both places I interviewed (one of which is the job I have now). It’s a bit upsetting honestly, but the good news is you can forge these connections so long as you’re in a position to put in the effort; I got an interview at my dream imprint because a couple of years ago I messaged an editorial assistant there on LinkedIn, arranged to meet over zoom, and kept up with her from there. She said I could use her as a reference on my application, and although I didn’t ultimately get that job her vouching for me did get me a lot farther than I think I would have gotten otherwise; I have an offer from them to reach back out directly when a position I want comes up (which I get seems like small potatoes, but after 8+ months of hearing nothing it felt huge to me). So while things may not work that way for everyone, I did feel like who I knew or didn’t know played a big part in my job search.

Some other things:

try to get an internship if you can! I really regret prioritizing other things over that, and ofc now I'll never know how much an internship would've helped me but I get the sense that experience with a big 5 publisher gives you a major edge (if you can't get an internship with one of those, any pub experience should work and will likely look better on your resume than most other experience)

also I would prioritize administrative experience! Most likely no matter what you do you will start as some kind of intern or assistant, so showing that you can really do that role is great

attending any seminars/info sessions is a great way not just to learn about the industry but also to find professionals to potentially connect with

if you have any particular imprints you want to work for, I would stay as up-to-date as possible with what they're publishing. Mentioning a recent title you liked in your application or interview goes a long way

listening to the manuscript academy or the print run podcast (personal fav) teaches you a lot about the industry, as does subscribing to things like publisher's lunch and also just adding pub professionals on linkedin to see what they're up to

overall I've felt that publishing is very gatekept for people trying to enter it, so it can be hard to know what you don't know, but just learning as much as you can and taking whatever connections anyone will offer you is my best advice! If you can, try to frame your resume to make you look like someone who's both immersed in the literary ecosystem (less important if you're going into design, accounting, etc, but still) and can do the jobs you're applying to

Sorry this is so long! I'm really into publishing and have been over my head in job applications since last february, so I have a lot of thoughts lol and plenty still I didn't write down. From my own experience and from others I've talked to, the process of trying to get a job in publishing can be really discouraging, but if you're sure it's what you want I think it can happen if you keep at it! I've had a lot more interest from publishing houses in the past couple of months and I'm not really sure why that is, but I plan to stay where I am for a year or so to get some experience before beginning to apply to those dream jobs again. It's hard to predict what the industry is going through at any given time or what factors are affecting their hiring in different departments, so things can change quickly. Good luck!!

[vee-lociraptor]

might be a bit random but i've had this thought for a bit.... when i just started isat and got through my first few hours i thought that it really reminds me of omori... and yes they're a bit similar in visual and fighting mechanics ways, but to me the similarity is more about the feel of it than any direct elements.... but then i started to wonder if you feel the same way.... i dont think you ever posted about omori & im not sure if you played, sooo.... did you?? at first i almost assumed that you should be a fan of omori as well but that's kind of outta nowhere..... maybe because it feels like whoever got interested in isat would've also most likely gotten curious about omori back when it came out? like, the allure is definitely pretty similar..... anyway plz tell me what you think🙏

ive never played omori but i do know of it!! i think i literally told someone (dont remember who right now??) toward the beginning of the game that it's similar to how i imagine omori but if i didnt it definitely crossed my mind. been meaning to play it for a couple years at this point and just never got around to it. just checked and i do in fact have it wishlisted on steam so i might check it out soon!! definitely very into the feeling i get from isat and if you're recommending omori because it feels similar it probably is something i would like. when omori came out i wasnt super into video games or keeping up with them (that happened around 2021 when i first played undertale) so i wouldnt have known just yet but. yeah i probably will check it out!!

[softpine]

I just remembered you haven't seen Twilight but I'm going to ask anyway! Do you know what teams your characters would be? Like team Edward or Team Jacob? Oh! Actually I'm also curious what Fandoms would they be in? I recent realized im a Bielieber

oh i have seen the first twilight movie!! i just wasn't a fan. but it was my best friend's favorite series so i do know a lot about it! was anyone actually team jacob? he's like gale in the hunger games. the only reason anyone would actually prefer them is because they're Not the main love interest (sorry to any galeheads out there...)

anyway now i want to imagine what fandoms each of them would be in, so:

🎭 caroline: well, she's a great artist and a monster fucker.. i don't think i have to spell out what she was doing online fjkjsdsj and she loved comic books as a kid, so i feel like at the start of the MCU madness she was really hype and then she got more and more angry with the state of things

💬 beth: she's written some star trek fanfiction more highly researched than her master's thesis and she loved nsync because what is a baby dyke without her emotional support boy band / comphet crushes

🎸 danny: music is the obvious answer, but i'm not familiar with musical history so i can't go into detail 😭 but his dad introduced him to bob dylan and taught him how to play guitar, then he learned piano, then he taught himself how to produce his own music from scratch. this was in the 90s btw so it wasn't very easy to learn. also he used to seriously follow skateboarding

⛅ mikaela: she loved old school country music from female artists like tanya tucker, reba mcintire, loretta lynn, etc. she's less interested in modern country but she looooves shania twain. and she's worked nights (first as a bartender, then a nurse) for most of her life, so she got really into daytime soaps

🌲 asa: he's literally the only one on this list where i'm like...... stumped. he doesn't pay attention to anything online, celebrities, music (he'll listen to whatever), movies (doesn't care), could never commit to watching a whole tv show, etc. he's very floaty and daydreamy? lmao he just doesn't have the headspace to get attached to fictional media like that

🎥 finn: we know he's always been a harrison ford fan boy and in any universe where he survives past the 80s he's a huge nirvana fan!! (if he and jules had a son, they would've named him kurt... he's deeply serious) he's also read every stephen king book that came out while he was alive. he was a big reader in general, particularly horror

🧸 stevie: canon seth rogen super fan, has seen every adam sandler movie (every last one of them) and i knowww she knows the fnaf lore... as soon as she finishes a show/movie she likes to find the weirdest fan art to terrorize her followers. also loves musicals and wants to see cats on broadway someday (a girl can dream)

🎀 elaine: she loves following celebrity news but she watches them like animals in the zoo; ie. she's observing from afar, she has no personal stake in them. she's a frequent flyer on gossip forums like fauxmoi. she was on the ground floor of lipstickgate and was SEATED for dramageddon. and she had a serious twilight phase

🎨 jada: SOMEONE on this list had to get assigned supernatural... i'm not saying it just to say it, i really think she would connect with (early seasons) sam what with the dead mom... fear of losing their humanity... having powers they don't understand... a hot girl manipulating them to use their abilities in sketchy ways... yeah. i'm sure she has favorite contemporary artists (painters specifically) that she'd be able to talk about on end but sadly i don't know anything about that world 😭 oh and she's kind of obsessed with hate-reading booktok books to feel alive

🏈 casper: sports count as fandoms and i don't want to hear a word about it!! his team is the patriots but he's kind of a fairweather fan (maine doesn't have an nfl team so he doesn't have that state loyalty factor). miley cyrus is his problematic fave forever but he's kind of a pop girlie in general

💋 coco: in high school she was a speedcuber if that gives you an idea of what we're working with here.... she grew up with pokemon, naruto, dragon ball z, she collected trading cards, etc. she still likes anime and video games and stuff, she just doesn't have the time to get invested like she used to, and it makes her sad because it reminds her of her late best friend liam. she makes time to play fortnite and minecraft with his little brother and she plays other games on twitch sometimes. has done a LOT of cosplay. she's a huge nerd basically

[alovenotsofragile]

so im sure we've all seen the questions regarding the new movies at d23 expo and i was very much surprised and thrilled about the kristoff centric questions. i think the one about him becoming a king was inevitable and them not including it would've been pretty questionable; but the fact that they are willing to dwel on his past and other aspects of his life makes me really hopeful. i've seen a couple of people hoping for him to have an arc that doesn't have anything to do with anna; while im not against that idea at all, i just don't see it happening tbh. maybe not to the extent of f2 where almost all of his attention was on anna and proposing to her, but i think his storyline is going to eventually tie down to anna and their relationship even if anna herself isn't directly involved in it. kristoff's character was created to be anna's love interest from the very beginning, so him having an arc that's completely free of her would be unlikely in my opinion. but i guess we'll just have to wait and see.

now the first question and what i think will be kristoff's main story arc in the movie: will he be a king? or will he be a prince consort? there are a lot of differing opinions on this matter but either way it means he has to make huge adjustments in his life. i truly hope they don't recycle the "i don't like my life in arendelle and i've been lying to anna this entire time" plot from f2 drafts. i would much rather see him struggling to find his place in arendelle instead of downright disliking it. we all know anna is completely fine with his not wearing formal clothes and would never force him to do anything, but formal clothing is just a tiny fraction of what he's expected to do from now on. while some people deem it unlikely for him to live and have a happy life in arendelle, i think they will eventually be able to work it out. anna is the one handeling the kingdom's affairs and he can be there by her side to help her out using his experience with his business throughout the years. balancing out his passion and his life alongside anna is something he can definitely work on and it's not impossible at all.

moving on the second question and the one that caught me off gaurd the most: do they want kids? this one was truly a surprise to me and many others im sure. i think throughout the years we all just kind of gave up the idea of seeing their children one day and given the fact that they're not even married yet, it certainely was not expected at all. the thing is are we going to actually see their children? maybe we're just going to see them anticipating a child? or maybe it's just as simple as them discussing having children. now don't ask me how this might go cause it can either be a cute and playful exchange with a little sexual innuendo (don't look at me, disney loves to pull that with these two) or a conversation that can lead to anna talking about agduna and kristoff questioning his own parentage (which is the next big question). as for the question itself, i think they both want children and would be the most lovely parents ever. becoming a mother was probably one of anna's dreams growing up and im super excited to see how they're going to bring that up in the story. but we're most likely going to see that in the fourth film, which is for the better.

as i said the next big question is where are kristoff's parents? this is actually a super popular one that's been asked since the first film was released. im going to be honest here and admit the fact that i was never really particularly curious about his parents that much. i mean we see him as an orphan in the beginning of the first movie but that was always a part of the world building to me and i never really felt the need to know what happened to them. but since they've decided to touch on that subject, im pretty interested in the matter. i hope the revelation is at least impactful to the story in some way and i seriously hope it's not some "kristoff is a lost prince and his parents are alive and well blah blah blah" bs because i will truly be infuriated if that's the case lmao. i don't think it'll actually happen but im still keeping my fingers crossed for it to never ever come true because its just. ugh. stupid.

i will be combining the last two together just because i don't have much to say about them: how did kristoff meet sven? and how can sven be so old and still so virile? honestly i can just see the first question being answered by a passing comment, nothing more. they obviously met as children at some point and kristoff decided to keep him, its as simple as that. the next one is a bit tricky tbh; i love sven and it would absolutely crush me to see him pass away. im not even kidding if that happens i will be sobbing. my. eyes. out. but if its necessary to the story, then i guess we'll just have to bear with it. i do hope we get to learn about his passing in a timeskip or something to lessen the pain lmao.

so here are my thoughts revolving kristoff and kristanna for the upcoming movies. i have more hopes and wishes and a list of what i'd like to see in f3/f4 but that's a topic for another day. im sorry for the longass post! if you made it here, thank you a lot and i would love to know you guys' opinions and whether you agree with me or not. have a great day/night everyone (๑>◡<๑)