#in my defense they are always beautifully written. so.

[vee-lociraptor]

the amount i read short malevolent fanfiction people post on here and almost cry is frankly getting concerning

[foldingfittedsheets]

At the local bookstore there’s a system where employees can write a snippet about their favorite stories and they go on the shelf under the book as a little endorsement. On the last visit I very quickly noticed that every book I’d loved in the past year was marked and I instantly trusted the employees.

Then I started bouncing along the shelves to see which books were marked that I hadn’t read yet and instantly put holds on all the ones I was unfamiliar with. I didn’t even read the synopsis. One upshot of this was discovering T. Kingfisher.

Nettle and Bone had a little employee card so I popped a hold on it. It came in a few weeks later and I adored it. The storytelling was beautifully done and I thought, okay, what else you got.

So I got my hands on A Wizards Guide to Defensive Baking. I think I’d seen it floating around and written it off cause of the silly cover. Fucking phenomenal, great storytelling, tight pacing, just overall wonderful. Read Thornhedge. Loved it.

So I just moved T. Kingfisher to my “Always Read” list. She has not failed to delight with any of her stories and I’m now pretty confident that regardless of content I’m gonna have a great time.

[startrekfangirl2233-writes]

Bookmark my Heart

Bradley 'Rooster' Bradshaw x Reader

Description: You're not the audiobook type. You much prefer reading over listening to books. It would just be your luck that an audiobook got you into this predicament. His eyes are piercing as you fumble with your phone to mute the volume, his voice blaring from the device.

Warnings: None! (Though I do believe Flirty!Rooster is a warning I should call out.)

Themes: Meet-Cute, Flirting, Coffee, Books, Smut Books

Word Count: 3456

A/N: So, if you all aren't aware, today is the lovely @roosterforme's birthday! I couldn't think of a better way to celebrate Em and all of the amazing things she does more than to write some Rooster for her. Happy Birthday! I hope your day is as wonderful as you are! So without further ado, I'm pleased to present you all with Bookmark my Heart, a fic where Bradley Bradshaw is an audiobook narrator and the reader, nicknamed Paper, runs right into him! All my thanks to @horseshoegirl and @desert-fern for beta-reading this fic and catching all of the places where I've missed commas as well as updating my phrasing!

My Masterlist

AO3: Cross-posted Here!

Wattpad: Cross-posted Here!

You’re not the audiobook type. Something about having someone read the pages, providing inflections and changes of tone to the otherwise inflectionless words tends to kill your imagination. So you much prefer reading over listening to the books you’re in the mood to peruse. It would just be your luck that an audiobook got you into this predicament. His eyes are piercing as you fumble with your phone to mute the volume, his voice blaring from the device. But maybe you should back up a little bit.

It all started, like it usually did for you, with a book. Unlike normally though, you aren’t talking about Keats, Byron, Shelley, or Austen. This time, the book that was your downfall was something you’d usually classify as chick-lit. Not that chick-lit is a bad thing. There are quite a few romance novels which are beautifully written and that you enjoy reading and re-reading. It’s just not normal that a romance novel, something smutty and provocative, would end up being talked about on podcasts and the news. That’s not considering how all of your female colleagues seem to be talking about the very same book. But that’s the other interesting thing. They’re not even discussing the book’s contents. More like they’re discussing the narrator’s voice in the audiobook edition - how deep and smooth and raspy it is.

It hadn’t even been a full day before the curiosity got the better of you and you purchased the book from Kindle Unlimited. It took you the better part of two weeks before you actually screwed up the courage to listen to it though. Maybe you shouldn’t have picked a Saturday morning when you were running errands to listen to the book. In your defense, there was no better time to listen to the book other than a day when you’d be spending quite a long time in the car with nothing else to do. You’d definitely miscalculated. Dear lord, this man’s voice?! It’s deep and raspy, something smooth and dark in how he voices the syllables. It’s the kind of voice you’ve once heard referred to as panty-wetting - an epithet you’ve never understood until now.

The book has you squirming as you walk through the grocery store. There’s sweat dripping down your spine as he talks about something involving fighter jets and the men (and women - you always feel like you have to correct) who fly them. You’d never have thought that flaps and ailerons could ever be that alluring. You have to take a minute as you leave the grocery store, sitting in your car in silence practically heaving just at the way the word “Doll” had dripped off of his lips. Maybe you can buy into the hype a little bit. It’s not often that you find a romance book in the male perspective after all. As far as finding the pilots sexy goes, though, what can you say? You’ve seen Top Gun - both movies - those boys in their dress whites are awfully sexy.

You send a little prayer of thanks to Rooster Bradshaw, whoever he is, for narrating this book. Just his voice has already made your boring Saturday running errands a thousand times better. You don't even mind that you're melting in the San Diego heat without the air conditioning on as you collect yourself. At least there is only one thing you have left to do today. As a reward for finishing up your errands, including odious activities like going to the bank and post office and grocery shopping, you'd vowed to treat yourself with a romp through your favorite bookstore.

Like you mentioned earlier, it all started with a book. What can you say? You're nothing if not predictable. The Breezy Bean is your favorite coffee shop and bookstore. It's a small shop nestled right in the midst of cobblestone streets and overshadowed by apartment buildings on either side. It's always a zoo trying to get parking, but you can't regret the competition for parking when the books are as good as they are and the coffee is even better.

Lara's not at the counter, but her business partner and best friend, Emily is, and you wave at her absentmindedly as you tangle the cord of your headphones around your index finger. The entire shop smells like coffee beans, paper and ink. You could spend forever here, and you're sure you have, at the very least, spent the entire day in the shop before. The shelves tower over your head, creaking under the weight of everything they hold. You're not a woman on a mission today, content to just meander until a cover catches your fancy. The eyes eat first, after all, isn't that what they say? If only you knew how true that statement would be.

The whole time you're listening to the book, tasting the words on your tongue seconds after Rooster says them, teasing the syllables out like you're trying to snatch them from his lips. Is it any wonder that after about four hours of listening to his voice, you're starting to imagine what the main character of the book looks like based on how Rooster sounds? You're only human, after all. It's quiet and dim in the back of the store, the shelves lit only by the small lights shining from the wall sconces. This is your favorite section of the store. There's a squashy green armchair here with a small table, and this is where you usually sit and wile away the hours.

It's rare that anyone ever ventures into this corner of the store. So it's a surprise when you see a man standing right in front of your favorite chair. He's tall and ridiculously handsome, wearing an eye-wateringly bright Hawaiian shirt and slim-fitting jeans. Like everyone in California, he's got Ray-Bans flung into the neckline of his tank top. The truly unique part of his look is the mustache he's carefully cultivated on his upper lip. He’s holding a book in long-fingered hands, lips pursed as he scans the pages, leaning gently against one of the shelves.

You try your best to squeeze past him in the narrow aisle, wondering if Em and Lara have squeezed more shelves back here or if you've just gained weight when it happens — your headphone cord snags on the buttons on his open shirt. You try to untangle it, unsuccessfully, but then your phone falls out of your pocket and rips your headphones right out of the jack.

You were just getting to a good part, something filled with innuendo but not quite at the sex. That's your only silver lining. Because when your phone nosedives to the, thankfully, carpeted floor sans your headphones, the audio keeps playing way too loudly for the hushed environment. To add insult to injury, your phone is closer to him than it is to you, and well, you've embarrassed yourself enough. The last thing you need is to get eye-level with a stranger's dick while your phone is narrating smut in a bookstore.

“Good book?” There's a smile on his face, and you nod timidly as he hands you back your phone. You pause the app and turn the volume all the way down before his words, or well, you should say, the sound of his voice sinks in.

If you weren’t mortified before, you're even more so now. Obviously, your brain does not compute, so your brain-to-mouth filter isn't working as you blurt out, “You're Rooster Bradshaw.”

It doesn’t surprise you at all when he starts laughing - a full body, belly laugh which fills the stacks with the mellifluous sound. If you had any doubts before that you'd run into the Rooster Bradshaw at your favorite coffee shop before (which you didn’t - see your intimate knowledge of his voice from earlier), you wouldn’t have any now. His character had actually laughed not fifteen minutes ago in the book. Well, now what are you supposed to do? You feel hot, embarrassment crawling its way up your throat as you shift your weight back and forth. Rooster's smiling at you as he stands back, lounging against the shelf like he's waiting for you to get your shit together. You'd hate to break it to him, but you don't think that's possible.

“I'm sorry.” You try your best to hide your face because he does not need to see what your facial expressions are doing.

“What do you have to be sorry for?” You shrug a shoulder as you busy yourself by turning around and trying to force yourself to read the titles. “It's not every day I run into pretty girls in my favorite bookstore, listening to me narrate a book about US Naval Aviators.”

Flirting shouldn’t be the thing which puts you at ease in this situation. There really must be something wrong with you. You’ve never done anything like this before. What happened to the girl who would have run away the minute the phone fell? She might not be facing down the sexiest man she’s ever seen, but at least that version of her isn’t at risk of heart palpitations.

“I hate to break it to you, Rooster, but a lot of pretty women are listening to you right now. This book has made its way onto podcasts and PBS. The author herself has been interviewed gushing about your professionalism and how you say the word “aileron.” Despite your mortification, you find yourself mirroring his relaxed position against the shelves. “Though I do have to correct a part of your statement there. What about yoga pants, glasses, and a messy bun makes me pretty? Because I’d call myself a mess.”

“Well, I wouldn’t go so far as to say you’re a mess, pretty girl.” Rooster grins as he tugs the shoulder of your cami up from where it is sliding down your arm. “Don’t you know exactly how devastating you look in those yoga pants?”

You’re left dumbstruck, reeling as he leans even closer to you. All of a sudden, you’re inundated with the scent of his cologne as he crowds into your space, and you’re forced to tip your head up to keep eye contact. Of course, the motion makes your glasses tip on your face, and you can’t lift a hand up to resettle them on your face without brushing up against every inch of the man, nearly squishing you into the shelf. There’s a scant few centimeters between you as you try to string words together.

“What makes you think I don’t know how good these pants make my ass look?” You smirk just a little, screwing up all of your courage to peer up at him. “But really, this outfit is comfortable.”

“Comfortable is not how you’re making me feel, honey.” There’s a heat in his gaze as his voice rasps out the words. “But maybe we can both get a little more comfortable and have a cup of coffee together?” 

Only two people will ever know if your hand strays right over the seam at the front of his jeans as you walk away. “I’d love to, but maybe you need to take a few minutes in seclusion, Mr. Chicken.”

You feel giddy as you walk away because things like this don’t just happen to girls like you. You don’t flirt with men you've just met. And you definitely do not brush over the dicks of men you've just met! The counter is nearly empty as you walk up, and you know Em has clocked onto the fact that your hands are surprisingly empty of books.

“Hiya, Paper!” You roll your eyes only a little. Buy a stack of paperbacks once a week from a bookstore for months, and this is exactly what you’ll be nicknamed. “No books today?”

“Hey, Em. Can I get a latte, please? And whatever the gentleman in the Hawaiian shirt orders is on me.” You grin at the sight of her eyebrows ticking up until they’re nearly in her hair.

“What has our sweet little Paper been doing today, huh?” You shrug just a little, grinning as she hands you your drink. “I’ve been reading, Em!”

“Of course you have!” You’re laughing as you make your way to a table for two in the corner.

You’re smiling outright when Rooster swaggers out of the shelves a few minutes later, and Em clocks the Hawaiian shirt on his broad frame. She’s half drooling when he orders an Americano. As she turns to make his drink, you get the messages in short order.

What the fuck, Paper!

This is the man you’re buying a coffee for?

Damn, girl! I’m going to need all of the details. STAT!

You put the device away only when the chair opposite yours slides out, and Rooster settles in. You'd promised a full detailing of the encounter to Em, and you wouldn't be surprised if Lara interrogates you the next time you see her as well.

“So, obviously, you come here often, then.” He’s smirking as he sips on his coffee.

“Yup!” You’re just as chipper as you blow over the surface of your own mug.

“You come here often enough that one of the owners just threatened me with the loss of my…” He pauses like he’s not sure if he should laugh or cry as he says the words, “...crown jewels…” and grimaces before continuing, “...if I hurt you.”

“She also called you Paper. Why’s that, Honey?”  

You lean forward, feeling just a little more confident as he mirrors your position. “Tit for tat, Bradshaw, if that even is your last name. You tell me something about yourself, I tell you something about myself.”

“Deal?” You stretch your hand out and gasp when he takes it and sets it down to the side of the mugs.

“Deal.”

“I’ll start.” Your faces are inches apart from each other. He's whispering, and you have to lean forward even further so you don't miss a single word. “My name’s Bradley Bradshaw. I didn’t want to use my real name while narrating those books.”

“And Rooster was what you decided on?” His chuckle and yours rise into the air in perfect harmony.

“It was a nickname I got in college. I was always the only guy in the dorm up before 9 A.M.”

You take turns sharing your life stories and quite a few secrets until your coffees are long gone. You find yourself telling him all about how you got your nickname and how you’ve been feeling stuck for the longest time. With Bradley, it doesn’t feel like another boring first date. If it weren’t for the faint hiss of the espresso machine and the clank of mugs and cutlery you wouldn't think there was another person in the room but the two of you. There are butterflies in your stomach, and your entire body shudders when he hooks his ankle around yours and tugs you closer. That point of contact has your blood turning into molten lava in your veins as his hand trails gentle patterns across your upturned palm.

“Hey, Paper?” It takes an inhuman effort to drag your eyes away from the magic Bradley Bradshaw is committing just with your hands in his own.

“Hey, Em.” As you say her name, you realize how dark it is. “The store’s closing, isn’t it?”

“Yup. It actually closed an hour ago. You looked so cute together that I called Lara, and we made an executive decision to let the two of you keep talking for just a bit longer.”

Your face feels extra hot because Em’s looking at you like she’s liable to start laughing at any moment. You don’t want to know what your hair looks like now, not after hours of running your fingers through it. It’s probably even more of a mess than it was when you literally ran into Bradley hours ago. A great first impression, right?

“Let me settle up then, Em.” If your voice is hushed and a little more subdued, it’s because reality and panic are settling in.

“No, sweetheart.” Bradley’s voice is even firmer as he stands up and places a hand on your arm. “Today is on me, I insist.”

You know exactly when Em puts it together, because her eyes widen to a comical degree. She was the biggest reason why you bought the book in the first place. “You’re Rooster Bradshaw!”

For the second time today, you find yourself laughing along with Bradley, though the sounds of his laughter doesn’t put you at ease in quite the same way as it did earlier. Em’s laughing too, and she looks gorgeous in the golden light. At least she’s put together in a way you’re so obviously not. Maybe you should have taken your mother’s well-meant advice when you were younger - dress to impress, for you never know who you’re going to meet. But you haven’t taken that advice, choosing to dress simply and comfortably. It works when you can’t wear any makeup when you work in a laboratory and when all of your nice clothes would be at risk of chemical spills at worst and covered by a lab coat at best. So you walk through life in a swirl of well-worn jeans, tee-shirts, yoga pants, tank tops, camisoles, sneakers and sandals. There are a few dressier items in your closet, but they’re so far in the back that you haven’t worn them in probably a year and a half. Em’s cute outfit and wavy, non-greasy hair probably feel like a breath of fresh air to him. The same goes for the timber of her voice and how she sounds so elegant. 

If you didn't know any better (because you know Em, you do), you'd think that the words the two of them are sharing by the counter now are flirtier than settling up a bill. It doesn’t help the green, envious monster sitting on your shoulder, though. Nor does it help when you run to the restroom and take a look at yourself in the mirror. You look worse than you thought you did. Your face is wan and pale, the bags under your eyes have bags, and your hair is so greasy that it lays limp when you release it from your bun. Your lips are chapped, and fuck, how did you manage to drip coffee onto yourself?! You only drank one cup! What's left to show you that you've made a huge fool of yourself?

Your hands shake as you splash water on your face and put your hair back in its sad bun again. Just a little longer and you'll be home, wallowing in peace at yet another failed potential relationship. At least the water has brought a blush to your cheeks and cleaned the worst of the smudges off your glasses. Bradley probably has Em's phone number by now, right? It's probably best not to get your hopes up too high, else you find yourself falling from a prodigious height.

Instead, you're pleasantly surprised to see him still in the shop.

“Hey!” His face lights up when he sees you, and you're sure your earlier pep-talk about managing your expectations hasn’t worked at all. This is going to hurt. “So, I know talking to a stranger for hours at a coffee shop probably isn't the best first date. So would you maybe want to go on a real one sometime soon?”

“Y-you're serious?” He smiles and hands you his phone, unlocked.

“Put your number in there, Paper.” Your mind's not working at all as you type the ten digits in. 

“Why me?” 

His smile is warm and fond as he takes the phone back, types something and hits send. Your notification tone goes off soon after. 

“It's not every day I run into a pretty girl listening to me reading a romance novel who doesn't fawn all over me once they realize who I am. It's been nice talking to you. I feel like you're the first person in a long time to see Bradley, not Rooster.”

He holds the door open for you, a hand finding its way to the small of your back as he walks you out to your car. He even opens the door for you, a chivalrous action which has your heart flip-flopping in your chest. “Baby doll?”

“Yeah?” He takes advantage of the height difference between you to tip your face up as he feathers a kiss across the apple of your cheek.

“It helps that your ass looks damn good in those yoga pants!” 

You're laughing despite yourself as you drive away. Maybe audiobooks aren't as bad as you think? Or, well, at least their narrators aren't.

I DO NOT CONSENT TO HAVE MY WORK POSTED, TRANSLATED, OR PUBLISHED ON ANY SITES OTHER THAN HERE, ON WATTPAD, OR ON AO3 BY ME. IF YOU SEE MY WORKS ANYWHERE OTHER THAN HERE, ON WATTPAD, OR AO3, THEN THEY HAVE BEEN POSTED WITHOUT MY PERMISSION AND I WILL BE WORKING TO TAKE THEM DOWN.

Taglist:

@desert-fern @horseshoegirl @dakotakazansky @sarahsmi13s @teacupsandtopgun @footprintsinthesxnd @roosterforme @beyondthesefourwalls @mak-32 @thedroneranger @chaoticassidy @shanimallina87 @kmc1989

[amazingmaeve]

matt murdock fic recommendations

I know that this was already uploaded ages ago but the link that it was really weird and I couldn’t edit it so I just thought about redoing it and putting them here. also some won’t be on here because the link isn’t working and I couldn’t find it.

anyways these are fics that I just love and adore and deserve all the praise and attention they get. so you should totally give them all the likes and comments because the authors sure as hell deserve it.

also what i interpret things as fluff/angst might be different to other people and it's just an opinion based.

ೃ⁀➷ fluff/smut

a slow day by @solemnly-mischievous god it’s just so good and the writing is just *chefs kiss* no other words than amazing!

ೃ⁀➷ fluff/a smidge of angst

sleepless nights by @carters-things it’s just so amazing and great I love the boys of angst followed up by fluff and it will always be one of my favorite fics for matt.

ೃ⁀➷ fluff/smut/little angst

nighttime activities by @crazyxshit can feel the angst in this and it is so good that I would love to read it for the first time again because it’s so amazing. so if you hadn’t read it do it now.

ೃ⁀➷ angst/smut/teeny fluff

spawn ii by @elsolario it’s an au obviously and I love it because it is the devil!matt and it’s so great and it is executed so perfectly. it’s just so good and I recommend everyone should read it. (18 up of course)

ೃ⁀➷ angst/smut/kinda dark

blasphemy by @spencer-van-sunshine so it’s an au again I just love au and it’s a priest!matt au and it’s so good and the author is amazing. as the author states it has some dub con elements so if you aren’t comfortable with than you shouldn’t read it.

ೃ⁀➷ fluff/smut

im gonna ruin you by @aimerriarkle as the other fics listed here it is amazing and I love reading it, it just gives my stomach the butterflies.

ೃ⁀➷ fluff/smut

zip and rewind by @clints-lucky-arrow it’s just so steamy and I love it. the authors amazing and it’s written so beautifully. it’s just ugghhh these are the fics with the writing that i have strive to have.

ೃ⁀➷ fluff

heartbeats by @clints-lucky-arrow it’s just so fucking fluffy and I love it, I love pregnancy fics even though right at the moment I can’t even see my self with a child. idk why I just love these types of fics so much.

ೃ⁀➷ fluff

moving in by @darling-i-read-it matt is just…… a bit of a mess in this fic and you know what I don’t blame him, and it’s just amazing and I love it.

ೃ⁀➷ fluff/smut/teeny bits of angst

the devil of hell’s kitchen by @arahxdjarin there are multiple fics that I love that have the reader basically being matt’s personal nurse and this is one of these. it’s so fluffy with sprinkles of angst and smut it’s just too good.

ೃ⁀➷ fluff/smut

stress by @stranger-nightmare amazing, beautifully written a piece of art that should be praised til the end of times. so good and I recommend everyone who is of age to read it.

ೃ⁀➷ fluff/angst

the defense rests by @dameronology love the fics where they have to hide their relationship and this one of them and as said before I love it.

ೃ⁀➷ fluff

new case by @darling-i-read-it spoilers for spider-man no way home and let me tell you I got so excited for the fic while reading the synopsis because I had seen the movie and loved it. but it’s amazing. the fic and the movie of course. but if you hadn’t watched the movie watch it first.

ೃ⁀➷ fluff/smut/angst

let me hear you by @stranger-nightmare it’s just such a comfort fic for me. comfort fluff, comfort angst, and comfort smut and i love reading it when I’m in my feelings because it always perks my mood up.

ೃ⁀➷ fluff/smidge of angst

bad dream by @ola-elaina another comfort fic that just makes my heart flutter every-time I read it and it never fail to make me happy.

ೃ⁀➷ smut

stress relief by @fluffyprettykitty i LOVE dom matt fics and this one of many examples of those fics and it’s amazing.

ೃ⁀➷ fluff

heartbeat by @darling-i-read-it another fic where the reader is pregnant and matt finds out through his hearing. i love this fic as much as the other one and they’re not the same fic obviously but nonetheless you should just read it.

ೃ⁀➷ fluff

flirting at work by @pastafossa more tooth rotting fluff and god it’s good and foggys there and he is annoyed at the two and if you were in his shoes probably wouldn’t blame him. such a cute fic.

ೃ⁀➷ fluff

up against the wall kiss by @pastafossa it’s such a trope but it’s an amazing way at writing a trope that I adore so so much and it’s sfw so just go and read it if you like matt murdock fics.

ೃ⁀➷ smut/teeny fluff

no sympathy from the devil by @write-orflight it’s kinda enemies to lovers and set in the college time. just so good and great I love enemies to lovers when done right and it’s done so right here since they’re still kinda enemies.

ೃ⁀➷ angst/fluff

running red by @titan-sl8yer it’s such a role reversal where the reader gets attacked and matt has to clean her up and it’s amazing it’s just amazing.

ೃ⁀➷ smut/fluff

overworked by @writingdumpster this fic is just matt being a good boyfriend and the reader is just trying her best to get her work done and I love it.

ೃ⁀➷ smut/fluff

what’s your middle name by @thegingerwriter there’s a lot of humor in this that makes it even greater than it already was and it’s just the reader guessing matt’s middle name.

ೃ⁀➷ smut

justice is blind by @lovelybucky1 friends with benefits is another trope that i absolutely love and adore and this is again one of these fics and read it please if you’re of again obviously

ೃ⁀➷ smut

nsfw alphabet by @lovelybucky1 self explanatory and I always love these ones so please give it a good ole read.

ೃ⁀➷ smut/kinda fluffy

far from innocent by @singledadharrington as said before love dom matt murdock and this fic is just full of it so if you’re 18+ and love dom matt murdock smut this is the fic for you.

ೃ⁀➷ angst/fluff

fleeing moments by @titan-sl8yer god it’s just so fluffy with some angst that melts my heart every time I read it. amazing.

ೃ⁀➷ fluff

morning after by @spideyhexx this fic is the epitome of fluff and matt murdock and if you want to read all that good stuff don’t look any further it’s right here.

ೃ⁀➷ fluff/smut

woman ii by @petertingle-yipyip there’s so much flirting and teasing in these fics that make my heart skip a beat. and they’re ugghhh so amazing.

ೃ⁀➷ smut

client calls by @clints-lucky-arrow a lot of teasing matt in this one and it’s great I love it.

ೃ⁀➷ fluff/teeny angst

the seven stages of matt murdocks jealousy by @alrighty-matty this one is amazing because I usually fics of the reader being the jealous one and it’s swapped here and I love it and I’ll always love a jealous matt.

ೃ⁀➷ fluff/smut

I know you wanna go to heave but you’re human tonight by @2-fast-2-curious husband matt this time and with a breeding kink it’s great and paired with so much fluff and I can’t help but to love it.

ೃ⁀➷ smut

idle hands by @beyondspaceandstars just pure smut and as before I love matt murdock smut and I can’t help but to read every time I see it.

ೃ⁀➷ smut/angst/fluff

not again by @mvtthewmurdvck exes to lovers not a very appreciated trope and one I love and I think I love a lot of tropes fyi. it’s angsty but with a happy ending which I personally love.

ೃ⁀➷ fluff/smut(?)

the girl next door by @deceitfuldevil the reason of the question mark is due to masturbation that’s why I put that here but most of the fic is just fluff and it’s amazing.

ೃ⁀➷ smut

devilish by @foli-vora it’s a lot of teasing and smut which I personally love and this something that every matt murdock lover above the age of 18 should read.

ೃ⁀➷ smut

distractions by @milf-murdock movie night to fucking is an amazing plot ugh.

ೃ⁀➷ angst/fluff

sick twisted fantasy ii by @multiharlot it’s so angsty but with fluff and a happy ending and it’s also a fic where it doesn’t end up blaming karen. I know confusing just read it please.

ೃ⁀➷ angst/fluff

fragile by @devils-dares so angsty where matt needs a hug and he gets some comforting.

ೃ⁀➷ fluff

matching pairs by @peachiswritingg I love, love it when authors write love languages and this the matt murdock version of that and it’s so adorable.

[artiststarme]

Shakespeare? Gay as hell

Based on this post about Eddie getting held back for writing about gay characters in Shakespeare. Thanks to @lunaraindrop for needing more of his essays! I hope you guys like it and please leave your thoughts in the comments!

~*~*~*~

Many relationships can be observed in William Shaksepeare’s Romeo and Juliet. However, the most important relationship is not between the famous star-crossed lovers. No, instead the most important relationship is between Tybalt and Mercutio, another pair of star-crossed lovers often overlooked by the conservative, religious audience of the play. This relationship highlights the struggles of the homosexual community in the fourteenth century as well as those that still exist today. By analyzing the tragic gay relationship between Tybalt of the Capulets and Mercutio of the Montague side, efforts can be made in the present day to prevent tragic endings to gay relationships in the 80s.  

Eddie didn’t know why he got called into the principal’s office. He was three weeks into the school year and he hadn’t even done anything yet. He’d been attending all of his classes despite how goddamn early they were and he’d been turning in all of his schoolwork. They had no reason to pull him from his lunch and tentative new Hellfire members. 

His confusion only grew when he saw Wayne sitting awkwardly in one of the office chairs. “Uncle Wayne? What are you doing here?”

“Hell if I know,” he grumbled. “They said it was important that I be here. Boy, I haven't been in the principal’s office in over thirty years. What the hell did you do?”

Eddie threw his hands up in defensive surrender. “I haven’t done anything! Whatever they say is lies and slander! I’m innocent!”

He heard a scoff behind him and turned around to see Mrs. O’Donnell, his senior English teacher. She was a rigid old woman that wore three too many layers and went home every night to her twenty-seven cats and no husband, or at least that’s what Eddie assumed. She was standing next to an unimpressed Principal Higgins that glared at Eddie when their eyes met. 

“Sit down, Mr. Munson. Now, we’ve called you both here today to discuss some concerns. It seems that Edward here has some… perversions that we are concerned about.”

“Perversions?!” Eddie shrieked. What the fuck?

Uncle Wayne sat up straighter in his seat. “No, that’s not Eddie. I don’t know what this is regardin’ but my Eddie is a good kid so you must be mistaken.”

Mrs. O’Donnell slapped his latest essay on Hamlet down on the desk in front of Wayne. “Read it! He’s disgraced one of the grandest plays of all time!”

Everyone sat in silence for a moment while Wayne read his paper. Both Principal Higgins and Mrs. O’Donnell looked almost giddy as they waited for Wayne to start yelling at him and his ‘perversions’. Instead though, Wayne just hummed and leaned back in his seat.

“I think it’s great, wonderfully written. The sex scene between Tybalt and Mercutio was a little graphic for my taste but it was beautifully written. Eddie always has had a gift for writing stories.”

Mrs. O’Donnell’s jaw dropped in the utmost offense. “Excuse me?! This is not ‘wonderfully written’, this is a travesty on Shakespeare’s good name!”

“You’re his teacher, ain’t you? You should be happy that your teaching is inspiring such creativity. Great job on your part,” Uncle Wayne told her. 

Principal Higgins dismissed them hurriedly and as they left, they could hear Mrs. O’Donnell’s shrill screeching from down the hall.

He didn’t pass her class that year.

~*~*~*~

In the play Hamlet written by William Shakespeare, the most important theme is love. The love between King Hamlet and his son allows his ghost to appear from beyond the grave to pass along important information to aid in revenge. The false love between Claudius and Gertrude causes revenge to spark and ultimately people to die. Perhaps most notably, the romantic relationship between Hamlet and Horatio proves the most important. It shows that love can persist beyond heterosexually bearded relationships, as Hamlet’s is with Ophelia. Furthermore, it shows that love can exceed death, as Horatio’s feelings continue even after Hamlet’s death when he kills Claudius in revenge. 

Honestly, the calls down to the principal’s office had become routine. Eddie was always being pulled out of class whether it was for goading on the basketball team, stealing Billy Hargrove’s clothes while he was in the shower, or allegedly selling marijuana to freshmen. It was always something. 

But when he walked in to find Wayne sitting uncomfortably in the office chair once again with Mrs. O’Donnell and Principal Higgins standing behind the desk, he let out a groan of annoyance. 

“Jesus Christ, can you not just let me live my life?”

“Eddie, don’t talk like that. Treat them with respect,” Wayne scolded him. 

“Mr. Munson, I don’t want you exposing my eyes to your homosexual writing urges. Unlike you, William Shakespeare was not a faggot!”

“Now you wait a damn minute,” Wayne said, whirling around to face Mrs. O’Donnell. “It ain’t my Eddie’s fault that this Shakespeare fellow was writing about gay characters in his plays. Just because Eddie is noticing them doesn’t give you the right to put him down or spread your lies. Grade his paper properly like you should be doing and stop trying to stomp all over my boy’s creativity!”

Uncle Wayne grabbed his arm and pulled him all the way out of the school to his truck. They drove to the diner a town over, the best place now that Benny’s was closed. He turned to Eddie in the cab of the truck and rested a calloused hand on his shoulder. 

“Look Eds, people are always gonna try and put you down but it’s your job never to stay there, alright? They don’t like your paper because it's too gay in their eyes? Write some more, do what makes you happy. And if you are gay, that’s okay too. I’ll always love you no matter what.”

By the time he’d finished, Eddie had tears dripping down his face. “I’m so sorry, Uncle Wayne. I didn’t want to be and I tried so hard-”

“Hey, stop that. There’s nothing wrong with being gay and you can’t believe anyone that says that there is, you hear me? Now c’mon, let’s get some burgers and you can tell me about any crushes you have at school. Any handsome fellas around here, you think?”

From that day forward, Eddie stops putting filters on his writing. Wayne told him that there was nothing wrong with him and he’d never lied to him before. He started making every character in his essays gay, he even added some gay characters to his campaigns and when no one questioned him, he centered the entire campaign around a lesbian elf saving her girlfriend from a horde of homophobic goblins. His friends didn’t so much as blink and Wayne beamed at him in pride when he told him about it later.

No, he didn’t pass his English class that year either but he remained true to himself and according to Wayne, that was the best thing he could do.

~*~*~*~

In the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare, the major theme of the play is homosexuality. This can be observed when Lady Macbeth convinces her husband to start killing all of the men that she thinks had a crush on him such as Duncan and Banquo. However, it can be seen most prominently when Lady Macbeth kills herself, may she rest in peace, because she realizes that despite all of her actions, Macbeth will remain fucking gay as hell. 

Eddie received a note from Mrs. O’Donnell the last class before Spring Break that summoned him to the Principal’s Office upon his return to school. However, with the murder accusations, earthquakes, and sheer amount of deaths, his summons was thrown to the back of everyone’s minds. 

Eddie graduated that year, passing Mrs. O’Donnell’s class with a pity A- but passing nonetheless. He walked across the stage with Uncle Wayne and the Party in the audience, ignoring the slurs and hate being screamed at him and focusing on Steve’s wolf whistling. Afterwards, everyone went back to the same diner that Wayne had taken him to a year prior and they celebrated the fact that he finally graduated. Who knew that all he had to do was remain true to himself and win over Mrs. O’Donnell?

(Or maybe it was the horrific events over Spring Break that allowed everyone to graduate despite how bad their grades were, but no one will ever know.)

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[moorishflower]

Re: Your Addams Family Post, I now have the mental image of Gomez pretty much adopting Hob as another brother/cousin/what have you. "Children! Met your new Uncle!"

It starts with the auction.

Hob doesn't think of himself as a collector, but he's also self-aware enough that his doing so is more of a defense mechanism than anything else. Because he does. He collects. He can't help himself -- so much of his life can only be traced backwards through the shapes he's left behind, his self, of a necessity, always needing to vanish into the background. He follows his own history through letters to Dear Robert Gadlyn, portraits painted with one of his hats in the background, an authentic Victorian jacket supposedly worn by Wilde himself, and which Hob vividly remembers shucking from Oscar's shoulders, leaving it to puddle forgotten on the floor while they'd kissed in sweet silence on the settee.

So when he gets an email from his friend Kev at Hansons, a "check this book out mate" sort of deal with an eyes emoji appended to it, Hob is already intrigued. Kev is good at finding him the more esoteric things for his not-collection, and hasn't steered him wrong before, and he's not disappointed when he opens the link to find a listing for a book. A book, specifically, from the 1600s. Being an Account of the Dread Pirate Sylvia, her Ancestors, her Descendants, and Her Pets, it says, though it's not the title that catches his eye so much as the provided scans of some of the pages. The handwriting is beautiful, flowing and elegant and heavy on the page, and it makes his heart ache for a time before keyboards and typewriters, when gorgeous penmanship could be counted as a virtue and not just a hobby. There are sketches of fantastical sea beasts, navigational maps, the most beautifully-rendered charcoal drawing of an orca he's ever seen, and.

And a drawing of him.

Not him as he was in 1699, when this was apparently written, but him in 1374. Him, younger, fresh-faced, just a slip of a beard still, his head tilted back, laughing. Great great etc grandmother's cousin, says a caption beneath it, in that same heavy and flowing hand. Late 1300s? Must track him down

Motherfucker, Hob thinks, and sends a few emails.

Twenty-four hours later, he's the proud owner of a fantastically well-preserved diary/travelogue/grimoire, having shelled out a significant amount of funds to even get the thing, on account of some American trying to outbid him at every turn. He's not surprised, then, when he gets an email shortly after his final bid has been locked in, from the rather posh-sounding addamsfamilypatriarch@addams.com

The contents of the email, though. Are, to say the least, alarming.

I say my dear boy, it starts, I don't suppose we could come to an agreement as to a different price for Lady Penelope Addams' only surviving diary? If you're interested in antiques of rich and unusual history, I am certain I can provide. Only it contains one of very few references to a lost branch of our family, the Lady Penelope's great great etc grandmother and her kin, and I, being invested in genealogy, am eager to explore this hidden part of our family tree.

Absolutely not, Hob thinks, shutting his laptop with a click. Absolutely buggering bloody fuck not, he thinks, shoving a sweater into his suitcase, because it's winter, and it's Chicago, and he has no idea what sort of weather to expect. This is fucking insanity, he thinks, hands folded in his lap on the plane.

What are you doing? he asks himself, as the door to the grand gothic manor opens, and Hob, who has just trekked a portion of a mile through a swamp and had to kick an alligator to keep it from lunging at his suitcase, looks down at the man who had identified himself in emails as Gomez Addams, his. His relative. Somehow, far distant, but his.

"Robert Gadling," he says, with obvious relish, and Hob feels himself hooked by the crook of his elbow, hauled into the foyer with surprising force. "Come in! Come in! Children! Come meet your new uncle!"

[bandsandwristbands]

P H O T O S Y N T H E S I S + Agoraphilia 🖤🖤🖤

shgdbcfsjkl you picked two of the horny ones lol

one gaalee and one lulaw comin up

P H O T O S Y N T H E S I S

I wanted like a summer vibe and I wanted to write Gaara's versionn of seducing Lee which I think would be very tongue in cheek and coy. I especially wanted it to take place in Gaara's personal greenhouse and have lots of plant motifs lol

Here's the first couple blurbs that started the idea

Gaara in all white soaked through from greenhouse sprinklers. Gaara is made of a beautiful juxtaposition of hard angles and poking bones into soft sloping lines of muscle and flesh. The wet cloth reflects brightly in the sun, casting a dream like haze as it clings to Gaara's sparkling skin. The soft plains of Gaara's relaxed lower half is contoured so beautifully by the more visible white wrinkles of fabric. Lee pinches himself as Gaara coily glances at him from folded arms. Water droplets run winding paths down his skin, plops from slightly overgrown strands of fiery red. He must know how he looks. Like an otherworldly being, kept in a beautiful garden, glowing seductively like a lure, nymphlike. His eyes are even a bit devious, an innocent turn to his mouth that feels a little too exaggerated. Lee thinks someone else might be intimidated, with such a lurid trap laid out before them. Lee, however, had never been one to heed such threats. Nor has he ever been able to resist the pull gaara has on him. Oh how Lee is a goner.

Gaara does not ever ask but Lee knows that he gives something to Gaara that he cannot trust anyone else to give him. He drinks in Lee’s love, overdoses on affection and intimacy and allows Lee to overwhelm him with sensation and touch. He allows his empty hollows to be filled with life. Green plooms take root in the mud of his heart and sprout up to push his thoughts out of his ears. Sunny warmth burns on his skin and his eyes sting with it. He thinks himself a starved, neglected orchid now being overhydrated and burned up in the sunlight. He overindulges on everything he’s ever needed and wanted until it hurts; heedless. Lee strips his armor away until he is undeniably human. He is methodical, determined and reliable and safe. Lee reads Gaara without needing to ask, knows exactly what he wants and when and is diligent in meeting those needs. Gaara thinks Lee and his big, calloused hands could wrap all the way around him sometimes, repotting him from the ultimate defense into the absolute comfort of warm skin and round, sparkling eyes.

This one is almost doneeee so I'll probably post it soon lol

Song inspo Sunny Delights by iMonster

Agoraphilia

I have very little actually written out for this one lol It's a lulaw/lawlu smut fic about banging in semi public/ public spaces.

My little inspo bullet points are as follows

You already know Luffy is like yum at a party where Law looks extra pretty and Laws like stoppppp we can'tttttt maybe he fingers law under a table! 😱

Orrrr maybe the running from the marines idea? (What I mean by this is they're escaping from some low teir marines and the adreneline gets them all horned up so whilst hiding somewhere cramped close in an alley, Luffy gets handsy and Law is like Okayyy)

Law's like "😳😳this is illegal"and luffy is like "we're literally pirates"

Something about Luffy makes Law's own eyes bigger than his stomach. Always biting off more than he can chew when Luffy's involved. Law always ends up a bit overwhelmed (in the best way??) 

Song inspo Agora Hills by Doja Cat

[xenokattz]

Beautifully Created - Ch 8 snippet (Attoye; Black Panther Wakanda Forever)

Hi all. IDK how many of you are here for the sweet fandom memes vs fanfic but *kicks dirt* *hands in pocket* I kinda am not gonna be able to post Beautifully Created for another few weeks. School is SO much harder when you've been out 10+ years who knew?

The good news is 90% of the story is already outlined! It just needs to be written. The bad news is I don't have the spoons to write it at the mo. So here's a little snippet I wrote prior to the vicious cycle of giddyness-despair-rage that is grad school to tide all 5 of you over until I find said spoons.

Attuma saluted Ramonda as deeply as he would have bowed to K'uk'ulkan. The doors to the Council Room shut. The Dora Milaje on the other side banged their spears on the stone floors. He cupped a hand over his fist, shifted his feet, and resting in ready stance. Only a minute or so had passed by when he heard the door open again.

"My-Tuna?"

Attuma startled out of his stance. "Ife?"

"My-Tuna!" The little girl ran out from behind a smaller set of doors behind a pillar. As before, she jumped up at him, trusting him to catch her. And of course he would catch her. He would always--

Attuma blinked and cleared his throat. "What are you doing here, yuyum? Where is your mother?"

"She working," said Ife. "I stay with Makhulu and Makazi sometimes when she working."

Now he understood why she was so confident. Who would not be if they could call Queen Ramonda "grandmother?"

"I do not think you should be here," said Attuma. "This room is only for  grown-ups. Who is with you here? Do they not have a guard for you?"

Ife ignored his questions in favour of squeezing his face between her little hands. "You not visit me ever."

His heart shattered. "I know. I am sorry, my pearl. I have been working a lot these past five days."

"I ask Mama. She say that, too." Ife brightened. "We play now!" 

"I cannot. I must wait here to speak with the queen and the princess."

Ife locked her arms around his neck and sighed, so deep and so sorrowfully, that Attuma nearly left to play with her as she requested. 

"I promise, yuyum, as soon as I am able, before I leave for Talokan, I will visit you again."

Ife reared back. "You leaving?"

"Not for another few days."

"No!"

He pressed a hand on her curls, like coral, like anemone. "Let us not speak of it. Tell me, what shall we do when I visit? Do you want to make a necklace?"

"No leaving!"

"Or we can visit M20 and J10 again to see how the baby is doing."

"You. Not. Leaving!!" In her anger, Ife smacked his shoulder. Hard. Harder than any child, Wakandan or Talokanil should have been able to hit. The membrane on his gill rebreather burst and her fist slammed into the sensitive skin flaps. Attuma's vision flashed white with the pain. His arm went numb. Ife slipped out and she fell on the stone floor, shocked into silence. A second later, she wailed.

The throne room doors slammed open. Four Dora ran in, spears pointed. Behind them were two Talokanil with their own weapons raised.

"Get away from her!" yelled one of the Dora as two others charged in. Seeing him surrounded, the Talokanil let out a war cry and leapt to his defense.

"Ma'!" Attuma commanded, shooting up to his feet with his arms raised. He sensed the Dora reign her rage in but one of the Talokanil-- a scribe, perhaps, the name slipped his mind-- was not as well trained. He could not stop the downward arc of his axe. It connected with the shaft of the Dora closest to Ife. The Dora twisted to change the direction of her spear point but it was still too close. Attuma reached out with one arm and dragged Ife under his body. The point skimmed his flank.

Furious, he grabbed the scribe's axe and stomped it into two pieces. "Control yourself! There is a child here!"

"We thought–"

He grabbed the man's collar and hauled him up, dangling, half-choking. "When I say stop, you stop. I do not care if your head is in the mouth of a shark, you will stop, or I will have your balls bled for the next harvest festival. Do you understand, warrior?"

"Y-yes, Nacom. Forgive me, Nacom."

"And you!" Attuma turned his wrath on the Dora whose spear nearly hurt Ife. "Weapons are never drawn so close to a child! Never! Four centimetres to the left and it would have cut her leg. I will speak to your general about your carelessness."

The Dora crossed her arms in a crisp salute, her eyes widening a second later when she realised what she had done.

Of course, the queen, the princess, and General Ayo stalked in at that moment. Queen Ramonda scanned the scene in front of her as she demanded, quiet as the eye of a storm, "What happened?"

[erablaise-blog]

What are your fleurmione comfort fics?

HIIIII I'M SO GLAD YOU ASKED BECAUSE I HAVEN'T READ FLEURMIONE IN AGES AND I SHOULD HAVE CAUSE IT'S SO GOOOD

First of all, this, is like, in no particular order. All of them are my comfort fics okay, because Fleurmione is my comfort ship. I am also putting in a keep reading thingie cause this is gonna be a long ride, so buckle up sweetheart.

The Magic of Butterflies By: jess8788 "Hermione starts her fourth year at Hogwarts. Hoping to just relax, and get rid of her strange dreams She gets caught up in something she never expected, and they have the most beautiful blue eyes."

This one is not finished, but you will have to take it out of my cold, dead fingers because it's the most beautifully crafted comfort blankie.

On Teenagers And LoveBy: anamatics On the surface, things are not always what they seem. Everything has taken on a far more serious tone as Hermione and Fleur attempt to navigate their constantly shifting relationship during Hermione's sixth year at Hogwarts. War is coming, and they can feel it in their bones. Fleur/Hermione!

If I could take everything anamatics has ever written and wrap it around me like a weighted blanket, I would.

Fleur De Mon CoeurBy: SkyKnight07 Goblet of Fire but in a different year. Fleur comes to Hogwarts to take part in the Triwizard Tournament not realising that her life is going to change drastically, by the simple presence of Hogwarts' All-Time Smartest Witch, Hermione Granger, who she finds to be her lifelong mate. Notes: This is kinda modern AU, set in 2015 & there are no Horcruxes in this fic.

I cried actual tears when this fic got updated after years. *chefs kiss*

Aucune Defense Pour ToiBy: D. Geheimnis Fleur is not an expert in the ways of love, but in Hermione's final year with time running out, the learning curve is steep. Written, with permission, as a companion piece to Dreiser's "No Defense for You" in Fleur's POV. 

This one is perfection.

Second Chances by Kamaro0917 Everything changed in the blink of an eye. Harry Potter was dead and the war was lost. The remaining members of the Order of the Phoenix go into hiding and Voldemort’s rise to power is complete. In a twist of fate, Hermione finds a Time Turner and makes plans to fix the mistakes of the past. Little does she know, she’s not the only one making the time jump.

Dusk of Summer by ReginaCorda Dusk of Summer takes place during Hermione's fourth year at Hogwarts, the same year that Fleur Delacour visits the school in hope to compete in the Triwizard Tournament, and the same year they begin their love affair. This is an alternate universe, so possibilities are limitless. I must apologize for the terrible summary, but there's quite a bit more information inside.

Wherever You Go, That's Where I Am by RachelC978 Set two years after the downfall of Voldemort, Hermione is forced to face old feelings when Fleur moves into her apartment block. Prepare for some hopeless gays and the ups and downs of a group of friends in their 20's.

[according2thelore]

wait i have more to say. i saw someone else say that youre their favorite wincest writer and i just need to raise my hand and say ME TOO!!!!

i only VERY recently admitted to my best friend that i ship them and when i was reading house song i was going NUTS and i NEEDED to talk about it. so i ended up sending my friend a 10 minute long voice message going through the plot and how beautifully written it is and how its fucking me up!!!!!! im going crazy and shaking dean just SHOT HIS DAD!!!!!!!!! AND IT WAS BELIEVABLE!!!!!!!!!!!! and my friend was like holy fuck that fic sounds crazy but in a good way and they dont ship it but i think they at least get it now lmfao because wow.

and deans guilt over the life he has given sam. an orphan living on a mattress with no money and just his fucked up older brother. goddamn. i want to hug dean. and sam thinking the worst that dean left him like dad. but then ultimately realizing there is literally NOTHING dean wouldnt do to reach him. its just so cathartic and OH THE FLASHBACK TO BABY SAM. ‘no boo boos?’ ARE YOU KIDDING ME? and then then the parallel because sam is covered in blood again and it ISNT HIS. NO BOO BOOS!!!!!!! but he is so so so hurt oh my goddddd

im sorry im so feral about you i just dont have the magical talent with words that you do. like deans admission and saying that the word falls out of his mouth like a dead body hits the ground????? how can i even attempt to match your beautiful fucking mind. ugh. i wont recover from this. your an inspiration for real. okay i will leave you alone now thank you for the brain worms

HELLO!!

GUH the hits keep COMING!!!!!!

i am giggling and kicking my feet that you explained my fic to a FRIEND HOLY SHIT!!!!! oh to hear this voice message lol <3

i had to read this ask series out loud to charlotte, who was also giggling and kicking her feet on my behalf.

i am so glad you found it believable! that was one of the biggest struggles for me, and i liked the boys' characterization in this one, so i'm so sososo happy that you did too!!!!!

i've never done this before, but i thought since you like it, you might find the planning process interesting! i don't do outlines for all of my fics, just the really hefty ones (the heaven fic, this one, and a few others), and i've found this helps me a lot! you can see some things that i've cut or changed. charlotte and i usually plan these out over face time, lol, and she was mostly asleep through this entire planning one (in her defense, she had been working all day). i hope you find it interesting!

i hope you don't think less of me now that you know i wrote that they "boink" 🙏 it was like two in the morning. also handwriting reveal? omg?

anon, i've said it before but i'll say it again--THANK YOU SO MUCH🥺🥺🥺🥺 uno reverse card as well bc folks like you encourage/inspire authors to keep writing!

i always love hearing which parts folks like best, and this fed me for months to come!!!!!!

and please feel welcome to come back and scream with me about these two any time the mood hits you, lol!

-lizzy BELIEVE IT OR NOT BECAUSE ANON IS TRYING TO MELT ME this is 2/3!!!!!!

(house song, the fic in question for anyone curious!)

[cinderella-ish]

Fruits Basket Personality Types Part 6: Yuki Sohma

I've mentioned before how much I identify with Yuki. He's such a beautifully-written character; I love, love, love his arc, and the way he slowly takes control of his own life and finds his place in the world.

Yuki himself would probably disagree, but I think he's actually quite perceptive about people, even from the beginning. He's deeply reflective and has a rich inner monologue, noticing things about people that they may not even realize themselves.

I love him. Here's how I see his personality!

Yuki Sohma's Enneagram

Wound: Yuki was sold by his mother to Akito, who verbally abused him over years. He was brushed off by Ayame, ignored by his mother, and rejected by Kyo. He was put on a pedestal as the Rat, and expected to fill the role he was born into. The first friends he made were taken away because of the curse.

Wounding message: You are a tool for others' use. Your desires do not matter. All good things will be taken away in the end.

Core desire: To be independent, to have a mutual relationship, to be seen for who he is.

Core fear: That he's insignificant and wouldn't be missed; that he's always going to be pulled back into that dark place.

Defense mechanism: To lean into the "Prince" archetype and hide his true self, acting aloof, mysterious, and charming.

Strengths: Yuki is reflective, compassionate, intelligent, thoughtful, observant, polite, aware of social expectations and niceties, diligent, funny, and in tune with his feelings.

Challenges: Yuki is closed off, judgmental, rigid, moody, withdrawn, melancholy, reluctant to open up to people, passive-aggressive, and inauthentic.

When healthy: As Yuki develops, he becomes more willing to try new things, to open up to new people, more in tune with others' feelings, and more laid back. He shows his true self to more people and takes risks that help him grow.

When unhealthy: Yuki is depressive, completely shut down, trapped in his head, needy, unable to take action (and therefore reliant on others), and even less authentic.

Looking at all of this, here's what connects when I go back to the Enneagram post:

Wound: could be 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, or 9

Wounding message: could be 2, 3, 4, or 5

Core desire: could be 2, 3, 4, or 9

Core fear: 2, 3, or 4

Defense mechanism: tricky, but I think 4 is the closest fit, possibly 3

Strengths: 1, 3, 4, 5, or 6

Challenges: 3, 4, and 9

When healthy: 1, 2, 3, 4, or 9

When unhealthy: 1, 3, 4, 7, 8 and 9

It's not totally clear from this alone. Yuki connects quite strongly with both 3 and 4, and then to 2 and 9 to a lesser degree. This is fascinating, because 3 goes to 9 when unhealthy, and 4 goes to 2 when unhealthy!

The next two that Yuki connects with most are 1 and 5. Yuki doesn't connect much with 6, which is where Threes go when healthy. Because Fours go to 1 when healthy, and Five is a possible wing of Four, I think Yuki is an Enneagram Four.

From The Enneagram Institute:

Fours are self-aware, sensitive, and reserved. They are emotionally honest, creative, and personal, but can also be moody and self-conscious. Withholding themselves from others due to feeling vulnerable and defective, they can also feel disdainful and exempt from ordinary ways of living.

Emphasis mine. That's totally Yuki, right?

Fours live in the Heart center, and tend to overexpress sadness and shame due to a subconscious envy of others.

Wing

I think it's pretty clear from my analysis above that Yuki is a 4w3.

The Enneagram Institute refers to 4w3s as "The Aristocrat," and 4w5s as "The Bohemian," which I don't think suits Yuki quite as well.

In their book The Wisdom of the Enneagram, Don Richard Riso and Russ Hudson describe 4w3 like this:

4w3: They feel the need to communicate themselves and their creative efforts to others, and so they care both about finding the right mode of expression and about avoiding anything off-putting or in bad taste. These people are more self-conscious and aware of issues regarding their self-worth and how they are coming across to others than people of the other subtype. They create with an audience in mind.

Subtype

Yuki has a strong focus on his own identity, and on being the best version of himself he can be. For this reason, I see him as a SP 4w3.

Enneagram Explained describes SP Fours like this:

SP 4s are the Countertype of type 4 as they react in an opposite way with their vice (envy). They work to get what they feel others have/that they lack (not generally material envy but a more characteristic/wholeness envy). Nicknamed the “happy 4” they tend to keep the sad/hard emotions for behind closed doors.

The characteristic envy they describe is exactly how Yuki relates to Kyo!

Tritype

Yuki has a strong expression of all the Heart types, and a moderate expression of 9. Looking at the Tritypes that include both 4 and 9, I think the 4-6-9 Tritype (The Seeker) is the best fit, as described on Katherine Fauvre's website:

If you are a 469, you are intuitive, inquisitive, and accepting. You want to be original, certain, and peaceful. You are very sensitive and can easily feel reserved and inhibited. You are a deep thinker with strong emotions and can struggle with intense feelings of self-doubt. You seek answers to life’s questions. As a result, you need multiple sources of confirmation. You want to be individualistic but avoid confrontation because you fear it will cause separation.

Yuki Sohma's MBTI

E vs. I: Yuki is highly introverted, directing a lot of his mental energy inward.

S vs. N: Yuki is highly iNtuiting, noticing patterns and thinking abstractly about the bigger picture.

T vs. F: I think Yuki leans more toward F, making decisions based on his values and how they'll affect people.

J vs. P: I also think Yuki leans toward J. He tends to make decisions quickly, and he sticks by them.

Type Dynamics: Without working out what an INFJ's type dynamics are (since that's my most likely guess for Yuki), I see Yuki's Type Dynamics as Ni Fe Ti Se.

Ni: Yuki is in his own head a lot of the time, and is deeply reflective about the world around him. He doesn't always share his thought process, but he's able to make powerful connections through his reflection.

Fe: Yuki seeks harmony with the outside world and with others, and his feelings are often centered on how he sees others.

Ti: Yuki is analytical, which we see in his reflectiveness. He has a strong internal framework and aims to be consistent with himself.

Se: Yuki grows by seeking out new experiences and trying new things.

Ni Fe Ti Se is the type dynamic of INFJ!

Here's how the Myers & Briggs Foundation describes INFJ:

INFJ: Seek meaning and connection in ideas, relationships, and material possessions. Want to understand what motivates people and are insightful about others. Conscientious and committed to their firm values. Develop a clear vision about how best to serve the common good. Organized and decisive in implementing their vision.

INFJs are often referred to as "The Counselor," although they're also sometimes referred to as "The Advocate," or "The Visionary."

So, to summarize:

Enneagram: SP 4w3 (The Individualist/The Aristocrat)

Tritype: 4-6-9 (The Seeker)

MBTI: INFJ (The Counselor/The Advocate/The Visionary)

What do you think? Did I get it right or wrong? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Next up: Haru!

Fruits Basket Personality Types: Enneagram | MBTI | Tohru | Akito | Kyo | Haru | Kisa | Momiji | Hatori | Ayame | Rin | Hiro | Ritsu | Kureno | Shigure | Kagura | Kazuma | Saki | Arisa | Machi | Kakeru | The Hondas | Kaibara Students

[imakemywings]

Saw your Thranduil defense posts, and I hope you don't mind me asking for fics that centered on or spoke of Thranduil with respect? Especially when it tackles his relationship with his son or with his other kins.

I am ALWAYS happy to give recs!! []~(￣▽￣)~*

I've written a couple of Thranduil fics myself, so I have to mention those, but aside from that, here's what I have immediately on hand:

Elvenkings by @meadowlarkx - This covers viewpoints of several Doriathrim, but it is so beautifully and lovingly done, and so well captures the potential history behind Thranduil's attitudes as a ruler.

A Gift by serenityabrin - Adorable re-imagining of the scene where Bilbo gives Thranduil the necklace he took from Erebor, which makes his crush on Thranduil official ;)

Devices of the Heart by stewardess - A really very fun fic where Thorin runs into a mysterious stag while lost in the forest and must learn to break a spell...Excellent fairy tale energy in this AU!

A Light Burns in the Forest by tinnurin - Wrenching depiction of Thranduil and Oropher fleeing the Second Kinslaying with beautiful accompanying art.

Of Roots and Where They Lie by humancorn - A great look at Thranduil's upbringing in Doriath, in a scenario where he learns magic from Melian.

The Fathers of Fools by carlandrea - Gloin and Thranduil discuss their sons joining the Fellowship. Really captures Thranduil's grief over the danger Legolas is in :(

Ear to the Ground, Eye to the Sky by allthegoodnamesaretakendammit - This is a more Thorin-centric fic, but Thranduil does feature heavily, and I really enjoyed the AU. Here, Thorin dreams the events of The Hobbit and when he wakes up, tries to avoid that outcome.

Since I've already listed them all out, I'll also just link to my Thorinduil rec list, all of which I would say treat Thranduil well as a character.

If anyone else has others, please feel free to add!

[ardenrabbit]

I love your fic - A Long and Slow Recovery. It’s so beautifully written and the emotions felt are so palpable. Just wanted to pass along my thanks for writing it!

Completely separate from the fic though- What are your thoughts on the Xianle trio - their break up and slow rebuilding of friendship in the novel. 😁

Thank you so much!!! ;-; I'm really glad you're enjoying alasr! I'm really proud and excited about it!

Ah I think about this a lot! As in, I think about it a lot to try and decide my thoughts lol. I'm actually rereading the whole novel rn to try and get a feel for everyone, especially the trio. I've been REALLY excited to write them.

Summary: I love them, I'm sad for them, and I wish them well. Rambling to follow:

So my opinion right now is I love them. I think Feng Xin and Mu Qing are really interesting as foils as well as just completely independent characters, and I love that Xie Lian can see them in both of those lights too. Neither Feng Xin nor Mu Qing are really understood or given enough credit by anyone except Xie Lian, and I don't know if any of them know what to do with that. The impression that I've gotten is that Feng Xin and Mu Qing don't even really want to understand each other, and that's really sad, but understandable. Feng Xin's straightforward form of loyalty doesn't translate to Mu Qing, and Mu Qing's fear that no one will ever care to see the best in him makes him preemptively prickly and eager to beat them to the punch, and that does not play well with Feng Xin's earnestness.

(I'm trying to figure out Mu Qing, especially. I like him as a character and want to do him unbiased justice while writing him, but he's such a unique, self-contradictory case lol. I've met people with his kind of defensive cynicism before--the "stop pretending to be a good person" mindset in the face of altruism--and I've always been annoyed with them as much as I pity them, but I like that he's such a realistic character in that way. I'm intimidated by the prospect of writing him but I'm looking forward to it.)

The Xianle trio breakup, to me, just shows exactly the differences in FXMQ's approaches to conflict. Feng Xin stays with Xie Lian as long as he does because it's a simple answer to him: he's Xie Lian's bodyguard and Xie Lian is his friend, so Feng Xin will stay because that's what is both honorable and personally loyal. It's the right thing to do, and it looks and feels right. Mu Qing leaves before Feng Xin does because 1) his mother needs him more and 2) he hopes he can help more by gaining power and resources elsewhere, because what they're already doing isn't working. It's the right thing to do, even when it doesn't look and feel right.

So at that point, Feng Xin displays the kind of loyalty that traditionally gets praised because it's shown in no uncertain terms, even when it's not performed in the most enterprising way. By the more cynical, Feng Xin's approach can be seen as short-sighted, naive, or even pretentious, when he's really just honest and incredibly steadfast. "Loyal to a fault" is canonically used to describe him somewhere. Mu Qing's integrity is easier to doubt by most people because 1) his reasoning can be interpreted as selfish, even when he's sincere and 2) his intentions aren't always purely good! He's a flawed person and his reasons for doing things can include pettiness and selfishness within the greater good intentions, but that doesn't discount the good in them, at least to Xie Lian. Even when Mu Qing is looking at the bigger picture, people can interpret that as him being cold and uncaring about the immediate problem, and he gets angry that he's the only person acknowledging the complexity or futility of the situation. Anyway, they both try their best to help Xie Lian Back Then and refuse to see the merit in what the other is doing. I forget exactly how much Xie Lian acknowledges that they're both trying to help, so, rereading lol. But Xie Lian is definitely Not in a good place and is definitely lashing out at everyone by the end, which I'm sure he feels ashamed of later.

And reconnecting and rebuilding the friendship!! When Xie Lian ascends again, "Fu Yao" and "Nan Feng" are sent to help him and of course their generals don't know about it. And Xie Lian sees through them pretty early and just doesn't mention it because he's a little shit (extremely affectionate), but he knows what they're doing and appreciates it. But FXMQ both feel like they've failed Xie Lian and want to make it up to him, whether he knows about it or not. And they have to work together to do it, as much as they hate it, but at least they recognize that they share that much in their priorities. I think that while it's ultimately hopeful and sweet, there's a lot about their reconnecting that's just straight up tragic. I'm assuming that FXMQ both feel so much shame and regret about what happened and how they left him, and now that they have another chance to help, the literal devil (extremely affectionate) walks in and takes their spot as Xie Lian's protector and right hand. I think Xie Lian still feels awkward around them, too, as much as he still loves them. I am really proud of them for talking it out as much as they do in the end, though. I need to reread some stuff to see how much they reconcile by the end and in the extras, but I remember it being a good prognosis.

I guess also, I think Feng Xin sees Xie Lian as someone he's been proud to serve and call his friend, because he believes in Xie Lian's ideals and good heart. Mu Qing, though, doesn't know what to do with this mixture of gratitude and the resentment that comes with being indebted to someone, especially because Xie Lian is the only person who's really shown that he believes in Mu Qing's potential, good intentions, and worth as a person. The classic "stop trying to be a good person, altruist" thing doesn't work on Xie Lian, because he really just IS that good, and I think that makes Mu Qing want to tear his own hair out as much as it makes him love Xie Lian. MQ and FX's opinions of each other, though, wow?? They're so convinced that the other's intentions are insincere (mq saying fx is holier-than-thou, fx saying mx is selfish), up until they're tested and they have to act together. They're competitive against one another, but they also know that they act well as a united front, so there has to be some grudging respect and extremely grudging trust there. It's funny how the breakup has FXMQ as divided, conflicting forces where in present day in the reunion, they're much more cooperative. Despite their issues, they've grown to speak the same language on some level.

Might have some serious errors in here lol, but I don't really think I have any particularly hot takes on the Xianle3. Again, I'm rereading the novel so I can get this stuff right, but pls forgive me if I'm off-base on something.

[lucigoo]

Weekly Roundup 9th June - 30th June

So, im a little behind with weekly round up as im sure you can see. A broken wrist and RL really has been kicking my arse. Thankfully my wrist ismuch better and Rl seems to have calmsed down somewhat so im back. Between the 9-30th June I uploaded 19,849 words (thats not all I wrote but I didnt keep track lol) and as always I will put 6 recs and mine under the read more.

So, as always, recs first: The Best of You and Me - giddytf2 - The Witcher (Geralt/Jaskier, I love it hwen they are both idiots tbh)

Summary: In which Jaskier discovers that he's mysteriously pregnant but wants the baby, Geralt finally learns to use his words after twenty years, Yennefer is so done with two idiots in love and their communication problems, and Ciri gains a new family.

A Dream or Something More - amloveabledeathmo - The Hobbit (Jackson Movies)(Bilbo/Thorin, Quest retelling, The Rivendell scene is just so precious)

Summary: Bilbo gets a second chance, but how long is it before he realizes it. He does things to make himself happy and treats the dwarves like the lovely family they are. Also setting Bilbo a bit younger here not middle aged but about 40ish so like 10 or so years earlier to give him more time with his dwarves.

My Ego Dies - Conkers - The Hobbit (Jackson Movies) @conkers-thecosy (Bilbo/Thorin, this is just all around adorable)

Summary: What if Frodo Baggins visited Erebor ten years after Bilbo returned to the Shire, and met with Thorin Oakenshield.

White lies - ylc - The Witcher (TV) (Geralt/Jaskier, Fake/pretend relationships are just so much fun) Summary: In Jaskier’s defense, he hadn’t actually believed Geralt would come looking for him eventually, so he figured that telling his mother that the Witcher was the father of the child he was carrying would be a completely harmless lie. And then of course Geralt had walked back into his life and things got… complicated.

Moonlight Feathers - Akikofuma - Wiedźmin | The Witcher (Geralt/Jaskier, both are griffins and its so bloody cute)

Summary: Due to his coloring, Geralt will never have a family of his own, he's sure of it; until he meets Jaskier.

Learning how to be free - tashaxxxxxx - Wiedźmin | The Witcher (Geralt/Jaskier, A/b/o, please mind the tags but this is so beautifully done)

Summary: Jaskier is a badly beaten omega belonging to King Vizimir with little hope for the future. He had even less hope when he’s told he’s going to be given away to the Witchers, bloodthirsty beasts, as assurance that Redania will keep to the peace treaty.

Jaskier has little hope of surviving the next few days, let alone of finding freedom and love.

And, as always, my fics. I have 6 fics to share with you for this time period <3

Ereborian Pride (Bilbo/Thorin and the final of my Baggin-shieldtober series that took me 9 months lol. Once again, thank you @smolestboop for the amazing prompts. Summary: On the afternoon of Kili's 18th birthday, Thorin and the rest of the company and their families) remembeed their past lives. Their quest, living in a thriving Erebor.

Thorin remembered loving and losing Bilbo. 4 year later there still hasn't been any word from their burglar. Thorin needs to find the other half of his heart.

Count, Count, Count before you Cry: Count, Count, Count before I Die (Bilbo/Thorin, written for @flashfictionfridayofficial prompt count the days, very sad, please read the tags)

Summary: Thorin and the dwarves are Gold sick and they have NOT forgiven Bilbo his betrayal

A pair of scarlet rain boots (Geralt/Jaskier, My very first Witcher fic that I think is one of my fav things I've written)

Summary: Jaskier passed away a long time ago. The only human in a family of non-humans.

Cirilla has just had her first child and she wishes with all her heart her only human parent was here. Of course, he loved her so much he has never left her.

My brothers, my boys, my twins (Horry Potter, its Percy and George, gen fic for the @hp-abandonshipfest, its also part of my FireSeeker (Percy/Viktor) Series)

Summary: Percy was unintentionally parentified at a young age. He was tasked with being an extra parent to the twins. Now, having dumped his boyfriend, the night before the twins 22nd Birthday, the first birthday without Fred, he finds himself with George and Harry. Reminiscing about the boys he all but helped raised. His twins, and one is missing forever-more.

For the Abandon ship fest, prompt 67: Pre canon, Percy being the one who mostly watches the twins.

Dorcas the Orca, The Maruaders and a jail cell (A marauuders gen crack fic for a wonderful friend of mine)

Summary: Sirius, James and Remus are put in a jail cell.

As annoying as it is, Remus would have dealt with it, but theres an orca in the corner of the cell somehow...

If I sing it loud and clear, will you finally hear? (Geralt/Jaskier, for the @flashfictionfridayofficial prompt - House of cards)

Summary: Jaskier has a new song and is as subtle as a drunken Lambert.

If Geralt doesnt see Jaskier's feelings for him now, well theres no hope for him.

[valkyrieandstrangeridingaragorn]

I'm not one who likes to engage in "whataboutism", but I will ALWAYS maintain that between Wanda and Clint, what Clint did in his grief was morally worse than what Wanda did in Westview.

I think it's a point in Wanda's favor that she had an accidental unleashing of her powers in a moment of anguish. And no one died in Westview.

(I'll even bite and argue that Clint's crimes as Ronin were morally worse than Wanda's kills in DSMOM because Wanda at least has the defense/excuse of being corrupted by the Darkhold, while Clint was completely himself when he committed his crimes.)

It's an interesting debate. A lot could be written about free will, self-awareness, temporary insanity and grief. I think Clint's experience is a little more complex than what those comments try to imply... but if I start talking about my beloved hawk guy I might end up with a crazy-ass long answer, so let me focus on Marvel instead.

I never took the Hawkeye series as an attempt to justify his crimes as Ronin, he was given a story that tackled his guilt and let him move on from that. And THAT is the main issue here imo.

Marvel is wildly inconsistent when it comes to judging and framing characters. You can't tell me Bucky has to make amends and take responsibility for the Winter Soldier, and then refuse to acknowledge Clint's crimes in EG + let him off the hook in the season finale of his series while other characters still have to pay for shit they did a decade ago.

How are we not going to complain? The Hawkeye series came after TFATWS where Bucky was retraumatized & victim blamed and after the Loki series where everything in his past is ignored and he's even blamed for things he didn't even do. So of course when we see a story where Clint is allowed to move on, a lot of people are mad. And rightfully so!

But the problem is not that Clint is being given narrative protection, the problem is that victims are being treated as executioners in other movies/series. At least Wanda was treated beautifully in her series, but she's the odd one out.

And I think that's why many fans see Clint's series as justification for Ronin. But it's not. At least not for me, I think both he and Wanda got series that focused on their pain, guilt and grief. Wanda got ep8 and Clint said this in ep4:

"Everybody dealt with the Blip in their own way. I continued doing what I was trained to do. […] Hurting people. Investigating first, but in the end, my job has always been to hurt people. […] I was a weapon. I was aimed by the right people at the right targets, so… […] (Those mistakes are) tied to me. Tied to my family. That’s why I’m here. And I can’t go home till I fix it."

I don't think that's narrative protection, that's giving a character the chance to move on from his mistakes, which is something we don't get often. He got an awful lot of narrative protection in EG but I didn't see that in his series. One of the main differences though is that his victims were never humanized nor given the time of day, whereas Wanda's get names and we know them pretty well.

Either way, if it comes to comparing his and Wanda's actions.. dunno. Like I said at the beginning, he was aware of what he was doing but man, that pain and grief must have been insane. He was retired while all the others were fighting Thanos. Imagine him finding out about that. I know it's "cool motive, still murder" but... I don't feel comfortable pitting them against one another, you know?

[redhead-reporter]

4. which muse of yours is your all time favorite? if you stopped writing them: why?

º ✧ 。questions for muns with @fightwing !

oh gosh - you're looking at her, doll :')

i've been in various fandoms and on various platforms for over a decade. i've written two OCs and mj is my sixth canon character. if you're doing the math at home, you've probably realized that this means i've spent a LOT of time writing each of them. i don't pick muses up very lightly and when i do i intend to spend serious effort and time in fleshing them out - in fact, the shortest amount of time i've ever spent writing a single muse was my OC ashton, and i spent THREE YEARS writing him and his twin sister. i've poured countless hours into each of their backstories, their mannerisms, their motivations and their flaws...

mj is BY FAR my favorite of the whole lot.

i love that she's so LAYERED - beautifully flawed, more fiery than a five alarm blaze, but at the end of the day just always trying to do the right thing. just when you think you know her she shows another side of herself, peels back a layer of DEFENSE and surprises you with her vulnerability and earnestness. she's a BARREL of laughs, the most ferocious of friends, and disarmingly charming to everyone she meets.

i love that she's an ORDINARY GIRL in the midst of extraordinary people. i love that she's the anchor for peter to himself, not allowing him to disappear into the mask when the temptation is there. i love that she's CONFIDENT in herself, that she knows what her boundaries are and will not budge on them for anyone. i love that she remembers how important NORMALCY is, even in the midst of pure chaos.

it's genuinely an HONOR when people tell me they enjoy my portrayal of her because i've never worked harder in my rp career to "do right" by a character than i have with mary jane watson-parker ❤️