#it can be misogynistic but also go against it...in my eye at least

[cyber-coke]

"im just a girl!!!" so close! you're acting like a toddler

[ninthprime]

now that hxh is officially coming back here's my attempt to count how many plots are going on at once right now

a plot: the kakin royal family, joined by beyond netero, has chartered an expedition to the forbidden dark continent on a huge whale ship with thousands of civilians. the hunter association signed on to join with the plan of actually sending the ship to a fake “new continent”, dropping off the family and civilians there, and then continuing to the real continent. the problem is the king of kakin is also using this expedition to force his fourteen (legitimate) children into a death match, with the survivor as heir

b plot: kurapika has discovered that kakin’s fourth prince tserriednich is in possession of the remaining scarlet eyes and, in order to get close to him, has signed on as a bodyguard to the fourteenth prince, baby woble, and her mom queen oito. as it turns out all the princes have autonomous nen beasts so this is a more complicated job than it looks. by which i mean at one point he gave up a substantial part of his life to possess a cockroach

c plot: to get more specific, kurapika has been trying to keep the peace by inviting the servants and bodyguards of the other princes to come to nen classes taught by him (read: he and fellow bodyguard bill are just forcibly opening their nen abilities), but a mysterious nen construct called “silent majority” killed most of woble’s other servants and now keeps killing people in the classes. there are apparently multiple people who can use nen in the classes already and who are mostly not telling him.

d plot: the three big mafia families of kakin (the hei-ly, xi-yu and cha-r) have been invited onto the ship mostly because their leaders are all illegitimately related to the king and been told to not cause any trouble…but the king’s illegitimate daughter morena, the new leader of the hei-ly and certified #gamergirl, actively wants to the destroy the world and is breaking the peace by spreading nen to her followers using her ability and letting them gain “levels” by killing people on the ship.

e plot: the phantom troupe has shown up knowing that hisoka will have followed them here and are trying to track him down and kill him. they’ve split into groups and the only group we’ve followed- phinks, feitan and nobunaga- have teamed up with the xi-yu and cha-r to deal with both hisoka and morena. during this we get an extended flashback about how the phantom troupe used to be tween anime dubbers and originally became criminals to track down those who killed their friend.

f plot: unbeknownst to the phantom troupe, the xi-yu’s underboss hinrigh has already met with hisoka (or at least someone who looks a lot like him) and given him a passage to the top level, where the royal family is, because the mafia knows a fight against hisoka will be more trouble than it’s worth while also trying to stop morena. in other words: hisoka is going to where kurapika is

g plot: tserriednich, the previously mentioned guy with the eyes, is also a misogynist serial killer and has gotten interested in nen, so his bodyguard theta has decided to teach him nen herself in order to slow him down and potentially stop him. unfortunately he’s a nen genius and has already developed an ability that lets him see into the future and overwrite reality by reacting accordingly, which he used to get out of theta shooting him. his nen beast has now marked theta for lying to him twice and will make her “no longer human” if she lies a third time.

h plot: melody, hired to be here by kurapika, attempted to sneak the teenage twin tenth and eleven princes off the ship only for the tenth prince (and the other hunter she was working with) to be killed, revealing the princes cannot leave the ship. thankfully the tenth prince kacho’s nen beast is basically her ghost. melody is now likely going to have to deal with an investigation into her actions and has also noticed that eleventh prince fugetsu is rapidly having her nen depleted. kaiser, a member of the justice bureau, claims to have fallen in love with melody after she performed her music for the ship and intends to help her, but melody doesn’t trust him and thinks he’s using manipulation nen on himself. oh and a large amount of the princes have invited her to perform for them, including tserriednich.

i plot: first prince benjamin, a nen user, has control of the military and has used his customary status as firstborn to send one of his guards to each of his younger siblings, which in at least one case led to a successful kill (the eighth prince). he’s in lockdown currently however because second prince camilla, also a nen user with an extremely powerful ability that seems to prevent her from being killed, attempted to kill him herself, and the justice bureau on the ship is trying to figure out who started what.

j plot: camilla has a group of ultra-loyal guards from the lower caste who have developed nen curses to kill her siblings in exchange for their own deaths. their captain, sarahell, has been developing a curse on woble and intends to attend kurapika’s class to deploy it.

k plot: ninth prince halkenburg, a baby marxist who progressive civilians and the younger princes both see as a potential savior, tried to kill his father and then himself after the first death in the succession battle and got stopped by nen beasts both times. he has responded to this by going apeshit and developing an ability that appears to allow him to put the souls of his guards into other people. his testing of this involved having one of his men shoot himself while in the body of one of benjamin’s men, so benjamin has him arrested now too.

l plot: third prince zhang-li’s nen beast is dispensing mysterious coins and zhang-li is dispensing said coins amongst his guards as well as to melody, whose performance he liked. zhang-li also appears to be hiding that he’s actually the son of the king’s illegitimate half-brother onior, the head of the xi-yu, who he’s asked to look into the last succession battle.

m plot: hanzo and bisky, also hired to be here by kurapika, were working as bodyguards for the twelfth and thirteenth princes until the twelfth prince was the first death of the war. the kindergarten-aged thirteenth prince’s stress in response to his sister dying now appears to have led his nen beast to trap their group in some sort of reality bubble. bisky had to reveal her battle form to head servant vergei to explain nen and what was happening, which has mostly just led to vergei getting a mad crush on her.

n plot: izunavi and basho are also here on kurapika’s behest guarding the sixth and seventh princes, who both have not done much yet; sixth prince tyson has a mysterious religious creed that izunavi has convinced her to pass onto her father and seventh prince luzurus mostly likes to smoke weed everyday but seems surprisingly perceptive and, more importantly, apparently funds the cha-r.

o plot: despite being a deranged maniac, tserriednich has a group of childhood friends working fairly standard military guard positions on the lower floors; they’re trying to find out more about nen after picking up that the hei-ly, which tserriednich was allied with before morena took over, are using it.

p plot: fifth prince tubeppa, aware she has few allies and little knowledge of nen, has been trying to meet with kurapika for a while. the literal last thing teased before this hiatus was her bodyguard longhi revealing to kurapika that she knows nen and kurapika agreeing to meet with tubeppa.

q plot: the rest of the phantom troupe has split off: machi and franklin are both on their own (but nobunaga wants to go get franklin), chrollo is making a plan with shizuku and bonolenov that appears to involve a disguise ability bono has, and illumi joined the troupe on hisoka’s request so they could have a yaoi death battle and is with kalluto. speaking of which:

r plot: mizai ran into illumi and kalluto and has them staying in a room in the quarters the zodiacs are using. he’s currently trying to figure out whether he should be telling kurapika the troupe is on the ship or not, knowing it could risk the well-being of both woble and kurapika himself. (he also secretly gave melody clearance to try to save the twins.)

s plot: beyond netero is still in lock up and being watched by members of the zodiacs. he hasn’t done anything yet, but it has been implied he’ll try to escape at the fake “dark continent.”

t plot: ging and pariston have a group allied with beyond who are going to the dark continent themselves; ging joined because he knows pariston must be up to something. it remains ambiguous whether they have their own boat or are on the whale somewhere.

u plot: leorio and cheadle are working at an understaffed clinic near the zodiac headquarters, meaning that once again Leorio Is Just Offscreen

v plot: a random member of the cha-r is trying to get the autographs of the phantom troupe members. this has been used to dispense plot info about how far we are from being out of contact with land. pray for his success

TOTAL PLOTS COUNT: 22

[sapphirerogers]

I lack the wisdom required to write this fic, but I hope someone skilled enough takes the initiative to.

Have any of you ever thought about Steve Rogers waking up from the ice and not going back to fighting?

He wakes up, Fury tells him he needs him, and Steve makes a choice for himself and says no, at least for now. Fury respects that choice, Steve gets a therapist (a good one, not Dr. Christina Passive-Aggressive Raynor) and uses his second chance in life to do the things he actually wanted to. Art. History. Maybe he goes to college again.

On top of all this, he figures out the internet (come on, he's a smart man. He's not gonna be clueless forever) and you know golden boy Steve would jump at the chance of using social media for a good cause.

And I also think Steve would be great at debates. The fucker (affectionate) has a way with words. He's also a nerd. He's well informed and has quick thinking skills. He gets into online fights a lot. Tweets and retweets a hell lot.

Gets Tumblr. (Steve would love tumblr don't lie to me) Reblogs things like it's his last day on earth. (But somehow makes sure to utilise the tag feature perfectly so everything is organised).

Some dudebro makes a misogynistic comment and he's there to verbally drop kick Dudebro into the next week.

Somebody makes an offhand comment regarding something historical and Steve gets his trusty motorcycle and drives his star spangled fine ass to the library and the next day there's a video circulating the internet of him citing sources (down the page number, paragraph number and line number) to prove why the offhand comment was grossly incorrect.

Someone angrily reposts his tweet saying "THAT IS NOT THE AMERICA OF MY DREAMS TALKING" and Steve proceeds to respond with "I'm a person. I can't be a country. What I can try to be is a good human being." and then absolutely demolishes the other person. (Yes to Steve reclaiming himself as Steve Rogers and not Captain America)

He also posts art. Like, everyday. But it gets slightly overshadowed by everything else he does and says.

He has a separate Instagram. For more personal stuff. Pictures of himself? Rarely. Pictures of birds and animals and trees and sunrises and sunsets? Absolutely. Pictures of the cat and the dog he rescued and now is a proud dad to? Everyday. (He's definitely a both person.) Maybe someday he'll step out of his comfort zone and start going live. Everyone loves him. Everyone rational, that is.

He stays away from tiktok.

2014. Fury shows up at his apartment and gets shot. Something stirs in Steve's brain as the masked assassin catches his shield. Those eyes seem familiar. Despite his reservations, he jumps back into the fray. The whole CATWS thing happens.

He finds Bucky. Brings him home. Fights tooth and nail for the charges against him to be dropped. He's got 70 years of military back-pay, he's got no problem getting the best lawyers (Matt Murdock is definitely among them) for the love of his life.

Anyways Bucky is set free. Moves in with Steve. People start gushing over him too. He stays out of Steve's internet life at first, but then the old Bucky comes back little by little. Maybe he'll join the livestreams. Maybe he'll make an Instagram of his own to post more of Steve.

People, being people, start shipping them. The two of them have a good laugh over it.

One day, out of nowhere, Steve shows up on one of his livestreams wearing a wedding ring. Comments go crazy. Bucky joins him on the couch, throws an arm around his shoulder, flashing his own matching band, smirking lazily.

The rest is mayhem. But they don't care. For Steve, life is perfect.

[I'd love to see Steve Rogers vs internet troll he'd eat that up]

I hope the good Steve Rogers authors see this. This has potential I think.

[warping-realities]

Rebranding

Monica was pissed off as she stared at Vincent. Although she was still a beautiful woman, her face was irrevocably altered by the presence of an ocular prosthesis. That motionless eye further increased the young man's anxiety. He knew he had screwed up and the reason for her irritation was that her needed solve that mess.

"How can you be so reckless Vincent? Be glad I paid your bail and put a coat over your body. But the repercussions... Don't you realize this could end your entire career?"

"I know, but that bitch..."

"You're not going to say that word again, it's enough to have it on video and circulating all over the gossip shows!"

"Sorry, that... woman..."

"Valery, your girlfriend."

"Ex-girlfriend, or do you think I would stay with her after she cheated on me!"

"Understandable you broke up, but threatening her, calling her all those names, in front of a bunch of paparazzi? Half naked, no less! What were you thinking?"

"Is what I ask, what was I thinking when I decided to date a brainless bimbo with fake blonde hair?"

"Very careful what you say, after all, that's not the image you want to sell Vincent."

"Ah, I'm sorry." He answers while looking at his agent's long blonde hair.

"Apology accepted, my dear. Also because we have bigger fish to catch. Tell me, what do I do with you?"

"I didn't understand your question."

"But I was so clear that even a brainless bimbo would understand."

"Look, I already apologized for the way I acted..."

"It turns out that in our midst just apologizing is not enough. We have an image to protect and sell. As you yourself said, the image that Valery conveys fits perfectly with betrayals and gossip sites. But not you, at least not until this week's attack. Frankly, I never understood what she saw in you. Okay, you're a well-known influencer, but you're nothing more than a nerd. While she's much more, she has more followers than you and I bet she soon will be considered a fashion icon."

"If you called me here just to offend me, I'm leaving." He said getting up.

"Sit down and be quiet." And inexplicably he found himself compelled to do so.

"Hmmm, hmmm"

"Much better, no? I should have realized your type much earlier, the nice guy who makes humorous videos, everyone's friend, protesting in favor of minorities... but who, deep down, is just a sexist and misogynist like so many others. You're much worse than a brainless jock, you know why Vincent? Because they don't hide who they are, women can smell the toxic masculinity they exude from miles away. But you, our allies... what a joke. .. allies like you I don't need. You come with your soft words and your sensitive hearts and women like us fall for you. We only notice all the microaggressions, the attacks on our self-esteem when it's gone too far, when that happens." She said pointing to the eye prosthesis.

"I had a heart-to-heart with Valery this morning. And I found out that on top of all that, you're a lousy performer in bed. Hence her little betrayals with her gym mates. Poor girl, always choosing wrong, but at least the last guy had an enviable body and a even more enviable…tool, perhaps the reason for you little tantrum. In your defense she swore to me that you never lifted a hand against her. So my dear I have decided that I am not going to abandon you and Valery has agreed not to press charges. But for everyone to be happy after the mess you made, both of you will have to agree to improve your images. And for that you will participate in a reality show! Fun, isn't it?" She finished with a smirk. Vincent's startled look showed that he was finding this not fun at all.”

"Now, Valery is perfect for the reality show in question, as for you... we have a few months until the launch of the next season, which I really appreciate as we need to let the situation calm down to rework your image and make a total rebranding. Get up and take off your clothes except for your underwear, I don't need to hurt my only eye with that image."

Vincent again found himself compelled to comply and robotically carried out his manager's orders.

"It really isn't good material! But let's change that, how about a few years less studying foreign languages and more time taking care of your body at the gym, Vincent?"

Suddenly all knowledge of Spanish and French evaporated from his mind. Followed by a strange feeling in the body, starting in the feet, which stretched from a number 8 to a number 11. Then the calves, a joke among his friends, widened and showed greater definition, as well as the thighs, which increased to the point of making him move one leg away from the other, with a contribution from his penis, going from a size 5' to 7'. Then the abdomen, starting to present the shadow of a six pack, with defined pectorals to accompany it, and finally the thin arms that gained the size and definition of someone who was used to doing biceps curls in the gym. As soon as it started the feeling passed.

"Much better, flex those muscles for me, Vincent." And so he did, screaming in horror in his own head, but utterly speechless on the outside.

"I think we still have room for improvement" said Monica distractedly. And Vincent exerting all his willpower finally got a free moment, rushing to the table and trying to grab anything he could use against her.

"Stop immediately! A rolled up piece of paper? Really, Vincent? I figured with all your vaunted intellect you'd think of something better." She mocked the paralyzed man.

"Apparently that intellect isn't that great. So how about we trade twenty I.Q points for another twenty pounds of lean body mass, a few extra inches on your height, on that useless dick of yours, and on those feet, for some reason some women go crazy with that!”

Vincent was invaded by that feeling of strangeness in his body, this time accompanied by a sensation of sucking inside his own mind, which prevented him from even thinking. His feet reached a gigantic size 14, emitting a pungent odor, his calves grew until it took on the shape of diamonds, and thighs grew to the size of tree trunks, his penis -little Vinnie, the name spontaneously arising- reached an impressive 9 inches in length, along with the approximate circumference of a beer can. That hint of a six pack evolves into a defined eight pack and the pecs in two slabs of meat, completing the sculpt he developed broad shoulders and huge, vascularized arms.

"Almost there! Body's perfect and intellect down to just the right level. But something's missing. How about we trade your obsession with pop culture for an obsession with yourself? A few tattoos, and what were you saying about fake blonde hair? Let's make sure the outside represents the inside well, my dear, and the main thing is that every woman who lays eyes on you knows the type of man she will be dealing with.

…

The two girls sitting on the sand tried to focus from a distance who was the man who was approaching on the edge of the sea.

"Is he mine or yours, Val?"

"I think it's yours, Brit, from this distance I can't be sure but he doesn't resemble any of mine... except... it's not possible!"

"What, Val?" Asked the other anxiously.

"Wait and see, Britt! But I can guarantee you this is going to blow some heads!" Answered Valery seeing the young man approaching.

"Hello Ladies!" Said the man, exhaling an air of douchness.

"Vincent Parker?" Britt asked in disbelief as Valery just smiled.

"No formalities girls. You can call me Vinnie!"

[king-bumis-armpit]

hihi, let me just say i love ur writing omg it’s so good

i was wondering if you could write a maiko fic about fire lord Zuko and fire lady Mai, post war, where zuko was put to do business and he comes back early after finding out mais been attacked by another assassination attempt (obv) and he goes borderline insane even if she’s just really chill about i, you don’t have to ofc just thought it was an idea 💗💗

You're my Peace

Summary: “Kiyi! It's good to see you again. Where are Mai and Izumi?” The Fire Lord was eager to see his wife and daughter. He had been forced to travel urgent diplomatic business, and it had been nearly a week since he was home.

Kiyi refused to break their embrace, “Izzy’s with mom and Mai… is okay. There was another attack.” Zuko’s world shifted. His inner fire turned to ice. His mind stopped.

Author’s note: HELLO!! Thank you, @darkacdemiasworld I absolutely loved this idea! Thank you so much for suggesting it <3 And thank you for your kind words! Zuko is such a protective person and if there’s one thing we all know about Mai it’s that she doesn’t need any protection, lol. I changed the premise just a tad. I thought it would be more dramatic if Zuko didn’t know what had happened until his return. But I hope you enjoy! Again, thank you so much for the ask!

My inbox is always open! Sometimes I take a while to respond, but I love all of the ideas!! I’m terrible at writing from scratch so they really help me. 

ALSO! Thank you to everyone who's reading right now. It brings me so much joy that I can share what I write with all of you. So thank you <3

This fic is cross-posted on Tumblr and ao3

TW: Stabbing, strangulation, death of a side character, and one raunchy joke. 

Expanded warning: Somewhat detailed description of an attack on Mai’s life and the resulting injuries, specifically stabbing and strangulation. It is also mentioned that a minor character dies. If these topics are triggering, please sit this one out. I’ll be posting something fluffy on Thursday or Friday for everyone to enjoy.

WC: 2,798

“Zuko!” His youngest sister barrelled into his arms as soon as he entered the palace. It was hard to believe she was already twenty.

“Kiyi! It's good to see you again. Where are Mai and Izumi?” The Fire Lord was eager to see his wife and daughter. He had been forced to travel to Yu Dao on urgent diplomatic business, and it had been nearly a week since he was home.

Kiyi refused to break their embrace, “Izzy’s with mom and Mai… is okay. There was another attack.” Kiyi finally pulled back and Zuko could see the anxiety in her eyes. His world shifted. His inner fire turned to ice. His mind stopped.

— —

“I need you to take a deep breath, Zuko.” Kiyi clutched the long sleeves of her robes so she wouldn’t fidget. She didn’t want Zuko to think she was upset, even if she was. 

“Where is Mai?” His voice sounded calm. Impassive, even. But Kiyi knew better. She could see the slight quiver of his bottom lip. He was blocking out every emotion in order to deal with the situation as quickly and efficiently as possible. It was a coping mechanism he’d picked up from his wife.

“Mai’s okay. She's gonna be fine.” 

“Good,” he was grinding his teeth. “Where is she?”

“It was another assassination attempt. The assailant was one of her father’s most loyal followers. All that stuff with the New Ozai Society happened so long ago that he wasn't even on the watchlist anymore. But–”

“Kiyi!” Zuko interrupted, “Where. Is. Mai.”

She put on her stern voice. “Fire Lady Mai told me to debrief you before letting you go to her. She said she would be too tired to answer all of your questions.” Zuko humphed but Kiyi could tell this put his mind at ease a bit. He knew that Mai was conscious and communicative at least. 

“This guy held a serious grudge against her for betraying her father. His journal had a bunch of misogynistic stuff about how she should have been prepared to sacrifice everything in her father's name.” 

He grabbed her shoulders, “Please, just get to the point!” Zuko was begging now. Kiyi really didn't need to be going into so much detail. She hated keeping her brother in suspense, but she was hoping he would regain some more of his composure before she told him what happened. And Mai really had asked her to explain everything to Zuko before she saw him. She didn’t want to make her sister-in-law relive her own attack in another round of questioning.

“He posed as a member of the kitchen staff, and took a tea tray up to Mai’s office. It seems she had fallen asleep at her desk. He stabbed her in the right shoulder, but Mai woke up before he could remove the knife. He– he tried to–” Kiyi felt tears sting her eyes. She had wanted to be the one to tell Zuko because she knew that if anyone else did he would probably light them on fire, either on accident or intentionally. But she hadn't accounted for her own feelings. She loved Mai too and this awful man– “he tried to strangle her. She has bruises���”

By this point Zuko's face was buried in his hands. He let out a strangled sob, and repeated his refrain, “Where is Mai?”

“She's in the spare room in the West Wing of floor 2.” The location was chosen because it was private and easily defensible, but still close to the Royal Healer’s office. However, Kiyi did not have the opportunity to explain as Zuko was already moving in that direction. Kiyi watched her brother run, formal robes trailing behind him, and she said a silent prayer to Agni that everything would be okay.

— —

He ran with abandon and burst through the door. “Mai!”

“Zuko, you're back.” She sounded as unaffected as ever. Hearing her voice for himself again jolted his world into focus once more. He stopped to catch his breath. Mai was sitting in the center of a large bed that he remembered well. This was the very same room where Mai delivered their child. So much pain, but in the end even more joy. 

He couldn’t say the same for today. Mai was wearing a white robe so that the healers could spot it if she began to bleed through her bandages. The wrappings peeked out through the collar of her clothing, and he wondered how far they extended. As Kiyi had said, Mai had haunting bruises on her neck. He could almost see the patterns of fingers. He inhaled sharply and looked away.

Azula and Ty Lee were in the room as well, sitting on either side of his wife. There was another chair halfway between Azula and the door, but Zuko strode past it and perched himself gently on the edge of Mai’s bed. He didn't want to cause her discomfort, but he would also die inside if Azula was sitting at his injured wife’s beside while he was relegated to the corner. He sat on her left to minimize disturbance to the wound.

“Are you really okay, darling?” Zuko searched her face for the slightest bit of pain, but as usual her expression betrayed nothing. 

Mai gestured for him to move closer to her. “I'm truly fine. I trust Kiyi filled you in?”

“She gave me the basics. I was… eager to see you.” Zuko forced himself back into composure. He needed to be strong right now. For Mai. He gently tucked her hair behind her ear and kissed her forehead.

“Bleh!” Azula made a face. “I thought you two would grow out of your sappy phase.” In the past years, his sister had a change of heart morally, but her attitude remained intact.

Zuko clenched his fists and felt his anger invigorate his chi. “I can and will have you escorted out of here right now!”

Mai took his right hand in her left and brought his knuckles to her lips for a quick kiss. “It’s okay, Zuko. Azula and Ty Lee have been looking after me.” She moved their joined hands into her lap. Zuko felt awful. His poor, injured wife was comforting him because he couldn’t keep it together around his sister.

Ty Lee stood from her place. “A calm aura is important for convalescence. I’ll have the servants bring us some–” she remembered the manner of Mai’s attack and her face went pale.

Zuko felt queasy, but Mai laughed. “Oh c’mon, we can’t let this ruin tea for us. What will Iroh say? The assassin could have just as easily been bringing dinner and I would still eat.”

Azula nodded, “We can’t project fear. In the next few days, we will have to make a public statement about the incident.” She eyed her brother warily. “Do you think you’ll be up to it?”

“Of course,” he stated with more bravado than he was feeling. “But I didn’t really let Kiyi explain the whole thing. When did this happen?”

Mai looked down at their hands. Azula answered for her, “It happened two nights ago. The day before yesterday.”

Zuko blinked. “You– you didn’t send word to me immediately?” He tried to keep the hurt out of his voice. He didn’t want Mai to feel guilty or anything, but he also felt genuinely confused.

Mai leaned into his side, not meeting his gaze. “We didn’t want the public to know, and you were coming home so soon anyway. I didn’t want to worry you for nothing.”

Zuko pursed his lips. He wasn’t satisfied with that answer, but he also knew that it wasn’t the time to argue.

“Okay.” He managed a small smile and tilted Mai’s chin up so she was finally looking him in the eye. “Do you want me to write to Aang and Katara? They can probably be here in a day or two.”

Mai bit her lip, and Ty Lee piped up. “We already did. According to their return message, they’ll be here in a few hours.”

She told them before she told me. Am I really so useless as a husband? Zuko pushed the thoughts away. “That’s good. Hopefully Katara can speed up the healing process a little bit.”

He let his eyes wander to the bruises on her neck once more. Rage lit a match in his heart, and it took like dry kindling.

Mai, sensing the shift in his mood, reassured him, “Really Zuko, I’m alright.”

“As long as you’re alright, Firelily, then everything is fine.” But everything was not fine. He was going to visit that man in prison and light every single hair on his head on fire until he told him everything he knew about everyone who could be a potential threat. And then he was going to find those people and he would–

“Izumi missed you,” Mai said calmly. 

Some of the heat left Zuko’s body. Their baby girl was only six, and Zuko despised being away from her. Ever since her birth, his absences were few and far between. Of course, an assassin would capitalize on the opportunity. “I should check on her before bedtime. Poor thing. I’m sure she’s worried about you.”

“She is, but she acts so brave. I talked to her as soon as I was stable so she could see me, but I don’t want her to spend too much time in here. I don’t want her fixating on my injuries and having bad dreams.”

“Have you seen her today?” Zuko asked. 

Mai nodded, smiling in the radiant way she reserved for talking about her daughter. “We had breakfast together. She tried to feed me with her chopsticks so I wouldn’t have to move my right arm.”

Zuko felt tears welling up in his eyes again. Family breakfast was such a mundane thing. He didn’t realize how much those moments meant to him until he was faced with the prospect of their end.

Ty Lee was still standing awkwardly by Mai’s side, unsure if she was joking about wanting tea. But Azula took control of the situation. “How about we all have a family tea? Ty Lee, you can bring the tray. Zuko, you and I can get mom, Noren, Kiyi, and Izzy. Mai, you’re due for a check in with the royal healer. They said they should be able to dress you in something more substantial by now. If you’re feeling up to it, we’ll regroup here when the Healer leaves.”

Mai nodded again. “That sounds really nice, actually. Thank you, Azula.”

Zuko wished he had his sister’s confidence and calm. He should have been the one to think of that and get everyone in order. It was a very Fire Lord-ly thing to do. He, on the other hand, was about to cry or commit a felony. (Could you commit a felony as an absolute monarch? He was going to find out.)

— — 

As he and Azula made their way through the palace halls, he realized she was leading them off course. “Where are we going?”

She looked at him sharply. “We’re taking the long way. You need time to pull yourself together. I’m not taking you back to Mai until you’re fully under control.”

He huffed. “I thought I was doing a good job, all things considered. I had half a mind to march to the prison myself and find the pathetic–”

Azula raised her hand, stopping his tirade. She had led him to the fountain, where he had tackled Mai as children. His heart seized. If his sister was trying to make him less emotional, this was a bad choice.

“He’s not in prison, Zuko. I killed him,” Azula reported in a disinterested tone.

That brought him up short. “What– When– How– Are you… okay?”

Azula shook her head dismissively. “Of course I’m okay. Ty Lee and I were entertaining Izzy, but she started getting fussy. I volunteered to go find Mai. When I opened the door, that bastard had his hands on her throat. She pushed him off and I… I filled him with enough lightning to arc across the ocean.”

Zuko’s mind was racing. He hadn’t been there, but Azula was. Would he have been able to do what she did? To take a life? In his anger, he’d thought about it, but he had never followed through. Even in the war. When Uncle spoke about his experiences, he could tell they haunted him. 

He put a hand on Azula’s shoulder. “Umm… Thank you. And I’m here if you need to talk.”

Azula rolled her eyes. “Mai’s my friend too, remember? Even without you, she would still be a sister to me. It was the least I could do after everything in our past.”

Zuko withdrew his arm. “I know that. But I’m still grateful. If you hadn’t been there…” He choked on his words. “Azula, I wasn’t there! I’m her husband and I wasn’t even there! She didn’t even tell me. I don’t understand. Doesn’t she trust me? Why can’t I do anything right?” The tears were flowing now and he collapsed on the ground. 

Azula lowered herself awkwardly beside him. Comfort was not her strong suit. “Listen, Mai loves you very much and she trusts you completely. Why she does those things is beyond me.” Zuko shot his sister a watery glare, but she continued. “But she made the decision to not contact you because she’s the Fire Lady. She knew you would be forced to choose between her and your duty to the Nation.”

Zuko took several deep breaths until he trusted himself to speak. “I still don’t get it, Azula. Doesn’t Mai know that I will always choose her over everything else? I took a vow before Agni to put her first in all things.”

Azula patted his back, hesitantly. “Yes, I think she knows that quite well. In fact, I think that’s why she made the choice for you. Whether she was right to do so or not, Mai wants what's best for you and for the country more than she wants what’s best for her. She’s not someone who thinks of her own pain as consequential. Her wounds aren’t fatal, so she’s hardly taken account of them.” 

Zuko sighed. When did his wife get so altruistic? No, she was always like that. She always put him first, even when they were angsty teens who hated the world. When had he stopped noticing? He needed to be attentive and start listening to the words that she left unsaid. When she was fully healed, they could have a long conversation about communication. Again.

He wiped away his tears. Mai was alright. The man who hurt her was dead. His family was safe. And Azula… was empathetic now? Perhaps life wasn’t so bad after all. 

“Change of plans,” Azula’s voice brought him back to the present. She was standing above him now. “I’ll find Ty Lee and tell her to delay tea. You go back to your wife and sit with her for a bit. But we’ll be joining you in an hour so don’t do anything obscene.”

Zuko rolled his eyes. “She’s injured. Have some decorum. But, thank you. That was almost sweet.” 

“Yeah, yeah.” Azula offered a hand and helped him off the ground. “Don’t get used to it.” She punched his arm, harder than playful, and the two went their separate ways. 

— —

When Zuko was readmitted to Mai’s room, he found she was indeed wearing a slightly heavier red robe. He took it as a good sign that the bleeding was under control. The healer had also secured loose bandages on her neck, purely to hide the marks.

“Hey,” Mai greeted him with a small voice.

“Hi.” Zuko resumed his place next to her on the bed, even though they were now alone and the chairs were vacant.

“Are you mad at me?” Mai asked. “I didn’t want to hide anything from you but I knew you would worry and get all worked up for nothing.”

Zuko didn’t think an attack on her life was nothing. He took a lock of her hair and twisted it around his finger. “I could never be mad at you. Not really. I’m angry at myself.”

His wife looked surprised. “Still? After all this time?”

“No,” he laughed humorlessly. “Again. I wish I was better at anticipating your needs. I want to always be exactly what you need. I wish I could have been by your side and prevented all this.”

Mai held his cheek. “You are always exactly what I need. You’re Zuko.”

“And you’re Mai. My fearless Fire Lady.”

“And we’re still here.” Mai brought him in for a kiss, and for a few minutes he felt peace.

[navree]

me @ you calling Lucerys boring! 😆 come on, he's just a kid! cutting out aemond's eye was bad, i agree, but i don't think he was as bland as everyone says. his imposter syndrome in 8 and 10 was interesting to watch at least. he was a brave little boy.

I mean I don't really see anything brave about bringing a knife to a fight he not only had fuck all to do with but where he was clearly at fault (Aemond did nothing wrong, he tamed a free dragon, Baela and Rhaena get a pass because they're grieving but Jace and Luke had no business being involved and certainly no business escalating into 4 v 1 violence against the clear cut victim), trying to literally murder someone because I don't know what the fuck you're trying to do when you stab a knife at someone's face but it's certainly not a warning shot, showing zero remorse for it at all, and at worse acting like a little snot when in the same room with your victim. The fact that Luke got away with this scot free (didn't he literally say "I didn't do anything" you boring little asshole you stabbed out someone's eye that is the opposite of not doing anything!) is an absolute travesty of justice that stains everyone involved (mostly Viserys and Luke but I'm not letting Rhaenyra "pls torture the ten year old stabbing victim until he tells me how he figured out that these white dark haired children aren't the sons of my black platinum blond husband" Targaryen off the hook either). Aemond could have died, not only from the initial wound, but from the myriad of infections or other issues that could have plagued him during the healing process. For God's sake, Viserys nicks himself on the Iron Throne and they have to lop off his arm, his infected injuries and their treatment have already made him pretty firmly decrepit by Driftmark, the fact that Aemond healed without any serious and lifelong and further damaging complication is a goddamn miracle. And even kids know that murder is bad, I'm pretty sure that if I were Lucerys's age and I tried to commit homicide I'd have to deal with some consequences.

And I'm sorry, but I call him boring because he is! They wrote a boring character! That's not on me for picking up on it, that's on the writers and the myriad choices they made that led to them severely underdeveloping several characters, most prominently Lucerys (Jace and Baela and Rhaena at least get another season of life to develop further, Luke gets four episodes and they knew that going in). This is a song I've been singing literally since the show was airing and it's not gonna change, cuz he's dead and therefore stuck with his boring character and complete lack of characterization.

Him being a kid is not a character trait, and it certainly doesn't make him more interesting anymore than, say, his eye color would. The impostor syndrome thing they kinda tried didn't really work because 1) it's not impostor syndrome if it's true, he's not a Velaryon and Vaemond was 99% in the right in that entire thing (I don't like him throwing out misogynistic slurs, you can point out that these aren't Velaryons but Strong bastards without stooping to calling Rhaenyra a whore, I hate men sometimes) 2) in episode 8 it exists for one single line and is not a driving force for him at all for the remainder of the episode to the point that it could be cut out and mean nothing, especially since that scene was only there to introduce adult Aemond and 3) it doesn't even make sense because the person who was set up as having issues with his lack of Velaryon heritage and Harwin being his father was Jace. Jace is the one who hears the rumors and clocks it early on in childhood, Jace is the one who is deeply affected by it to the point of bitterness towards his own mother, Jace is the one who grieves Harwin but also feels angry that he can't express it. All of that was set up as part of Jace's arc, not at all Luke's, who is literally set dressing up until he decides to commit criminal offenses in the middle of the night. And then time skip, and suddenly Jace is A-OK and Luke, who has shown no issue before now (or any personality at all) is slightly concerned about it for one line in episode 8 before going back to being a piece of cardboard until episode 10.

And I'll be honest, the second that scene came out in episode 10, I immediately saw it for what it was, which was a very obvious patch job. The writers were clearly aware that they had not given the viewers any reason at all to care about Luke one way or another, so we weren't going to feel a lot when Vhagar (deservedly, imo) munches on him. So they hastily added in this really heavy-handed scene of poor uwu soft boy Lukey who is so concerned with doing right and needs to blink up tearfully at Mommy and be her sweet boy and get little kisses to assuage his worries, so that we'd feel some emotion and then be said when he becomes the Jonah to Vhagar's whale. It just doesn't work because there was nothing for him before then and therefore I don't care, I just feel bad Rhaenyra.

Luke is a bland and boring character. That's not an attack, that's just what the writers did. They tried to cram too much into a ten episode season, literally twenty years of history, and it caused a lot of characterization problems for a lot of characters, particularly for the Team Black ones. And a consequence of that is that the character with the least amount of time for development got not development and no personality. He's a plank of wood, he's a platonic version of the sexy lamp trope; there's nothing there and he exists only for us to feel bad when the lamp is smashed. Seriously, name me five individual character traits that Lucerys has. He's a momma's boy, even though I'm not really sure that's a character trait but I'll give it to him, and I guess he's devoid of empathy, considering that he doesn't appear to feel literally any remorse for mutilating Aemond (seriously, is it like the Dothraki and "thank you"? does the word "sorry" not exist in Valyrian languages? you can't even send an apology gift basket or a note?). But he's not brave, as there is no scene that shows any bravery or courage, and he's not noble or kind or thoughtful because there's nothing that shows any of that, or anything that shows him being the opposite, cruel or cowardly or weak, because he's a basically a character who could be played by sticking a wig on a mop and waving it around. And any characterization of insecurity exists as something hamfistedly crowbarred in at the last minute in his final episode to try to manipulate the audience's emotions with less sensitivity than D&D trying to tug at our heartstrings by having Drogon try to nudge Dany awake after she's killed.

But there is a character that I do consider to be a brave little boy, though I regret to inform y'all that it is Not a fourteen year old with no depth or personality or written characterization whose main claim to fame is maiming a person without apology and then dying. Nah, the brave little boy title goes to post-Driftmark Aemond. Aemond, at ten, is delivered a life altering injury whose recovery was likely very slow and very painful, involved a lot of worry about whether he'd have to deal with infection or further risk of death, and had to relearn how to do literally everything now that he was half blind, and he did all of it. He survived, and he thrived. He relearned how to walk, how to balance, his spatial awareness. He learned how to fought and even became incredibly good at it, and maintained his bond with Vhagar, as well as trying to keep himself mentally sharp as well. He did all of that, despite the huge setback he was dealt with at age ten. That's brave, go Aemond.

[corpsentry]

there’s something so epic about hetero chinese period dramas and i think one part of it is that there is absolutely nowhere in the narrative i could exist.

lately i’ve been on a western media detox— i’ve cleaned english language music out of my playlists and have never been able to stomach western dramas anyway, so that part is easy— which might seem funny, because if i’m in singapore and i hate it and i won’t touch american music then what’s left? the answer is the false binarism of chinese period dramas, at least for me. the badly written ones are misogynistic and stupid and the better ones are less of those things, but regardless the world that emerges is clean-cut and easy to parse. there’s someone to root for and someone to hate. there’s a girl and a boy. there’s the comedy and the drama, the sheer thick drama, the music that signals to you precisely how to feel before the scene even starts going

try to jam a fifth culture transnational transgender they/them with 2 mental illness and 1 autoimmune disease into this world and it simply doesn’t work. and that’s kinda epic lolzers! it’s like watching high fantasy, or super hardcore sci-if. it both represents a simulacrum of the real world and is so far from the reality you know that you understand it as a hypothetical universe, one that disincludes you on principle. i exclude myself from the story and in doing so fangfei from moyuyunjian’s steely gaze becomes all the more important. i give so many shits and laugh and yell and spectate. but i am safe from the eyes of its inhabitants. if i entered the story it would break. so i sit outside of it, clapping by myself

in other news, we gave up on mysterious lotus casebook 16 episodes in. there are many character archetypes in these shows that i can no longer stand; the salacious sexy seductive supervillain lady is not necessarily one of them but the way they did miss ‘this man didn’t even Look at me when all men fall at my knees so i hated him’ ‘no one is allowed to steal buttchin from me’ jiao was way up there. surely a woman can have multiple personality traits and yet you would think from this drama that that is not at all true. and the strange harem that grew around li lianhua despite his absolute loser attitude— like i get it, he’s the gintoki of this show, that’s hot, but the way the women who were into him were written made me want to Eat Horse. it bothered me that di feisheng and lianhua’s homo as fuck dynamic was so intriguing and them + fang duobing was a winning trio but all the women in the show were written like complete fucking ass, and one of the big antagonists being a woman, the stakes throughout were not only lost to me but also Pissed Me Off. also, that case about the corpse flowers dragged on forever and all my pocky wilted

I Just Think, women deserve better in these damn stories. make them slutty as hell, sure, but make them other things too and i mean this in the most generous sense. slutty and proud. slutty and weird. slutty and oblivious. literally anything at all so they don’t come out cardboard flat from all angles. this is why i have a personal vendetta against the ditzy clueless female protagonist as well because if everything stems from the fact that she doesn’t know shit it’s like please someone Please tell her shit i’m on my hands and knees begging. give her more to chew on she’s dying of boredom over there

this is why i liked the so called antagonist of blossoms in adversity best (spoilers ahead). he was cruel as hell to huazhi and gu yanxi’s only parental figure. he was paranoid and selfish and lonely and craved a son’s love from the one person he couldn’t hold onto. in the end he is pushed further and further by huazhi, who won’t give in, to isolate yanxi from the people he loves and to lash out at those people as a way of punishing yanxi. and when he dies it’s because of his own distrust, his own negligent parenting, his absent cruelty from decades of insomnia and lack of faith in his people. but he cries for yanxi, and there’s something so human about that. to think of evil not as a first principle but rather an adjective for a verb that is set in motion by other events. to be honest, i haven’t seen such thoughtful writing in any chinese period drama before or after that and i strongly suspect i will never see such writing again in this genre but man, it was so fucking good (spoilers end).

in the meantime, i’ve dragged my mother to moyuyunjian/the double for the return casting of liu xiening and wang xingyue who are Eating so hard. they’ve got wang xingyue done up with the sluttiest makeup and liu xiening is breaking my heart with her pout and her Sassy Mean constitution and this is a revenge story, yes, but it’s a double revenge story. it’s a grief story. and fangfei is carrying more on her shoulders than lingbuyi imo, and doing so with much more grace too. her step mom’s a dick but she’s a smart, 5d chess playing dick who wears hot shades of green so i’m personally interested enough to keep watching (something lotus casebook DID NOT accomplish with their epic female antagonist…. mein gotte). and the princess too. unhinged as hell but god, so charismatic. and beautiful, with scary big eyes and the sweetest head tilt. fun fun fun! that’s fun character writing right there. the comedy might be too straightforward for my tastes but everything else is kind of hot and sexy And after the coming of age ceremony when jiangli appeared amidst the flowers i felt my throat close up even though we saw her for all of one (1) episode). i was like yes. they got me alright. i Care now

really that’s all that matters isn’t it. we want stories about people we care for. we want to give a shit. why else would we listen to the stories of other people. we are looking for us and the people we love in them

oh also moyuyunjian soundtrack goes hard as hell i love a little three step waltz. here’s a pic from the ‘gym’ for ur time. guten night

[thereisnolumos]

Want to discuss(or more like vent) about how horrible a character ron weasley is? Both in general and just how badly written he is. Also what's your opinion of Ginny Weasley? I dislike her character too and I think shes badly written.

I’m always ready to bash the Ronald Weasley👌🏼

1) He’s misogynistic to every single woman he meets (maaaaybee except McGonagall, but he’s scared of her, soooo…). Literally, he slutshames his sister for kissing a boy (she wasn’t even doing it in public, not that it would’ve justified his behavior), thinks of women in terms of “fuckable/dateble/attractive” only, is only ever nice to Hermione when he either needs smth from her, or against Snape. And his hatred towards Snape plays a much bigger role here.

2) He’s basically useless in the story. Except for the chess game in PS he isn’t needed for the story to progress. Everything he does can be easily done by pretty much any other character. And better so.

3) He’s stupid. Like extremely so. Many characters are not excelling at school, but are smart otherwise. Or they’re not excelling simply bcs they don’t try that much/don’t care. But he’s struggling even when focused and determined and is stupid overall in life. Neither a book smart, nor a street smart going for him. He doesn’t even have his own aspirations in life, it’s constantly a repeat of someone else’s. He wants to play quidditch not because he’s good at it (he’s almost terrible) or he likes it a lot, but because all the brothers he liked (sorry Percy, I like you a lot) played it, because Harry plays it. He chooses the same subjects as Harry before 3rd year (I actually don’t remember whom chose first, but I’m pretty sure it was done randomly), chooses the same profession on 5th year, etc. He’s never his own person, he’s barely a person for his written as “a best friend” and his lousy even at this

4) He’s a bad friend. He’s constantly jealous and allows it to take over him on multiple occasions. He refuses to acknowledge people’s trauma and problems. This goes to all Weasley’s except for Percy, who at least noticed smth was off: they didn’t fucking notice their little sister was POSSESSED for an entire year. A+ family…

I can continue, but I’d like to see your points:)

Ginny… I think she has a potential of becoming a cool character, but she wasn’t. She was written to be with Harry and be awesome at quidditch (which was what made him notice her, so…) But I can see how she can be a great character in fandom with necessary changes. Ron cannot be a good character, unless you scrape everything clean and start over, so it won’t be him anymore.

JKR cannot write women to save her life due to her misogyny. In her eyes, the only good quality a woman can have is being a mother…

But I agree, that Ginny and Harry probably won’t make it as couple. They’re too young, both waaay too traumatized. My headcanon is that they date again after the war is over, and while they’re rebuilding Hogwarts, finish their education there, all that. But then Harry decides to leave the country for a while (a long while) and they just separate, no hard feelings. Their lives move in different directions but they remain friends.

(I also have a headcanon that Ron never returned in DH, because that plot made no sense and was written simply because JKR wrote that, with no substance under it)

[startrekfangirl2233-writes]

2019, North Island Naval Base - Tinkerbell

Chapter 2 Part 1 of You Are My Soulmate

Bradley ‘Rooster’ Bradshaw x Reader

Description:

In the two months since you've been stationed at North Island, you've gotten used to being stable, finally, blessedly stable. You're surrounded by friends and work is going generally well. But something still feels like it's missing. You still haven't found your soul yet. Where could he be? Why is it that Bradley Bradshaw makes your heart race and heat slide through your veins but you still can't stand him when you see him?

It all comes to a head during a routine AMDO inspection.

Disclaimers: Misogynistic speech. Mentioned Homosexual Relationships.

This content presented in this story is for audiences age 18 and over only. MINORS DNI. I will not be accepting tag-list requests from Blank or Ageless Blogs for this story.

Warnings: Female!Reader

Word Count: 3820

A/N: Hey All! Second chapter of YAMS here we come! I'm so excited for this chapter you all! We're finally starting to see a different facet to Bradley and Tinkerbell than their explosive first meeting at the Hard Deck.

AO3: Cross-posted Here!

My Masterlist

Previous Part | Series Masterlist | Next Part

You can’t say that you’re the type to dream. When you work all day lugging around heavy machinery, you tend to conk out the minute your head hits your pillow, out for the count in seconds. Since you moved to San Diego permanently, or at least permanently until the US Navy tells you otherwise, you’ve dreamed an unprecedented number of times. The star of all of those dreams has almost always been Bradley Bradshaw. He’s haunting you all day when you’re at work and all night in your dreams.

You’re still not sure what to think of him. He’s the epitome of a mercurial, unreadable man. You’ve seen how he is with the newest Top Gun cohort, stern yet jovial, kind yet unyielding. The new students come alive under his tutelage. You wish you knew what you did to make him hate you so much. You still think back to that first night at the Hard Deck, to how sweet he'd been when you'd first met him, how he'd seemed to light your soul on fire with just a few words. Then that sweetness had drained away in minutes, leaving the calloused man you deal with day by day.

But back to the dreams. You've had them all at this point.  The vicious ones, you’ve had those where you’re screaming at him until you’re blue in the face. Those are the ones that make your blood turn into lava in your veins and have you heading to the gym on base at four in the morning so you can pound your aggression into one of the punching bags hanging there.

Shamefully, you can say you’ve had the dirty dreams, too. The ones where you’d felt the weight of Bradley’s body against yours and the heat of his hands as they’d traced over your form. Those are the dreams where you’ve felt the wet heat of his mouth as it trails over your skin and the prickle of his mustache in a burning trail across sensitive skin. Those are the dreams where you’ve most often had to take matters into your own hands.

Then there are the dreams you never want to wake up from. The dreams where he smiles at you like he smiles at his squadron, the dreams where you’re something sweet in his eyes. Not what you are, a tiny yet amazingly considerable pain in his ass.

It’s one of those dreams, the ones you never want to wake up from, that you’d had last night. Inexplicably, and perhaps typically, as the shadow of Bradley Bradshaw haunts your mind, it also makes a rage unlike everything you’ve felt before set into your veins. Why the hell does he haunt your dreams and every waking moment when he can’t stand the sight of you? You can’t avoid him either, at least not today. You’re unreasonably worked-up, and you know it, too. If you were a cartoon character, there would be smoke pouring out of your ears in great fat puffs and clouds, and you’d be seeing red, quite literally. 

You clomp your way through the hallways and across the tarmac on base. People actually move the other way when they see you coming today. You don’t have a smile for anybody this morning. There are raccoon-like circles under your eyes, and you’ve never felt so exhausted and unrested. You're also desperately clutching the biggest takeaway cup of coffee your local brewery had.

It just so happens that when you walk into the hangar you’ve got 24 aviators already assembled in front of you, each in their flight suits with their helmets nearby. At the front of the lined up aviators, who are all standing at attention, are Admirals Simpson, Bates, and Mitchell. You snap off a salute before taking your position next to Hondo. You can already feel your professional mask sliding into place. Gone is the disgruntled whirling-dervish that walked in and here now stands Tinkerbell, a Lieutenant Commander in charge of the finest AMDO team in the Navy.

You take a swig of coffee before whispering in sotto voce to Hondo, “Good morning. What did I miss?”

Hondo’s voice is wry as he grins minutely at you. “Nothing. We’re just getting started. Are you ready to have all 24 of them quivering beneath your all-knowing gaze?”

You muffle your snicker by taking another swig of the coffee in your mug. “The new ones are always so scared of AMDO inspections. Even the flight crew isn’t so scared, and they’re the ones in trouble if they’ve messed up. Look at them! They’re quivering in their boots, Hondo! What do they expect me to do? Send ‘em to you for a hundred pushups if I find something that one of the flight crew or my team hasn’t?”

“I mean, it probably wouldn’t hurt their egos to have to do a little corporal punishment.” The older man's voice is suffused with amusement. You share knowing glances with Hondo before grinning cheekily at Maverick as he lifts an eyebrow in your direction. Surprising nobody but probably yourself, you’d gotten on with Maverick like a house on fire. 

Sure enough, the briefing is exactly what you expect. You take an inhuman amount of glee at the fear in the Top Gun cohort’s eyes as they swivel to face you as you stand at attention near Hondo. In addition to the fear, you can see the men amongst the aviators looking at you in disdain. Wait until you tell the assembled company that their planes are grounded for the day while the flight crew goes over the maintenance protocols on each plane in turn. 

You’re not all that worried about the Dagger Squad. They’ve all had at least one AMDO inspection over their career. It’s the cocky flyboys in the cohort that are going to cause you issues, and maybe Rooster Bradshaw. Rooster’s never been outright terrible to you on base, but you never know. He’s got this considering look on his face with his plush lips pursed, and his mustache is outright dripping with disdain as he looks at you. 

“Alright, Aviators! Good morning. I’m the Aviator Maintenance Duty Officer in charge of overseeing the Flight Readiness Assessment we’ll be conducting today.” You introduce yourself in full and get into it, “For some of you, this will be your first Flight Readiness Assessment, and that sadly brings up the one topic that all you speed-fiends will object to.” 

You pause there, taking a sip of your coffee, before continuing. “I’m afraid, aviators, that your planes will be grounded until my team and I have completed the assessment.” 

You can hear the grumbling already and put up a hand to forestall any further complaints. “I know, I know. You’re here at Top Gun to fly. But a Flight Readiness Assessment is how we folks on the ground know that when we launch any of you into the blue yonder that you’ll be coming back home safe and sound. It’s a vital part of flight operations and one you’ll see many times over the course of your careers. It’s nothing to be afraid of. Can I have the planes of Lieutenants Payback and Fanboy, Omaha and Halo, Calypso and Dex, and Blackjack and Athena in Hangar Three and the planes of Lieutenants Phoenix and Bob, Harvard and Yale, Arrow and Cricket, and Renegade and Quicksilver in Hangar 4?”

With that, you dismiss the aviators with a snappy salute and head out into the unforgiving sunshine of a San Diego morning to make your way to Hangar 2, where your team is awaiting their instructions. You can already hear the tramp of boots as the 16 pilots whose names you’d called out make their way to their respective jets to taxi them into the hangars.

Your team is already poring over the material for the inspection in what you've designated your team's home base since your first day on NASNI two months ago. Hangar Two may be the smallest on base, but it's the perfect size for your team. You've got enough space for desks and paperwork as well as enough clear area for one sofa, which while not Navy regulation, Admiral Mitchell prefers napping on, and two fighter jets parked nearly wing to wing. 

There is an F-35 and a shipping container in the hangar right now. The F-35 is because your team is currently reformulating the maintenance protocols for it. The shipping container? That’s a special project given to you by Admiral Chester Cain. You hate old Hammer-face, mainly due to his attitude regarding pilots, but you have to admit he knows what he’s doing with unmanned aerial vehicles. The drone you have in the hangar right now is top secret. Your team isn’t allowed to see anything about it. Before you’d even been able to assume responsibility for the drone, you signed what felt like a million release forms and a non-disclosure agreement. The admiral had actually dropped off an entire mobile lab unit containing the drone, and you were the only person with the key. 

But as much as you’d like to dive right into continuing to formulate the maintenance plan for the drone you have under wraps, you have a team of AMDOs to oversee and sixteen planes waiting for an inspection. So it’s with a less than excited tilt to your shoulders that you lead your team towards Hangars Three and Four. 

Sure enough, there are four planes waiting for you when you walk into Hangar Three first. Their respective aviators are standing at attention below their open cockpits. The scent of jet fuel is thick and cloying in the air. It was completely intentional that you chose the eight F/A-18F jets. The maintenance on the two-seater configuration of the Super Hornet is different from that on the single-seater configuration, in part due to the additional checks that need to be completed on the laser-guided targeting system. So you’ve opted to have the team start on these checks first. 

For much of the morning, everything is smooth. You split your time between each hangar in turn, enjoying the clanking of metal and the screaming of the hydraulic machinery as your team and the flight crew work in tandem going over every inch of the planes in their care at the moment. It's during the transition from the F/A-18F jets to the F/A-18E jets that things seem to start going wrong. At first, it's the small things, like a screwdriver going missing. Then, the problems seem to compound. 

The root of the problems seems to be centered around Hawk's jet in Hangar Three. For some reason, he's screaming outright at both Marissa, the AMDO Lieutenant conducting the inspection on his plane, and the members of the flight crew who are helping out. You reach the scene seconds before Lieutenant Bradshaw, who you'd seen out of the corner of your eye on the other side of the hangar.

"Hawk." Your voice is firm, not that anyone hears you. "What's going on here?" 

He doesn't even pretend to notice you're there and just continues to berate Marissa. You let him pipe on for exactly 60 seconds, timing him on your watch before you reach into your work belt and pull out an air horn. One short blast and the area is finally, blessedly silent.

"That is enough." Your voice cuts through the silence like a whip. "Lieutenant Junior Grade Taylor. If you have a problem with a member of my team, you are to come find me. You DO NOT yell, scream, curse, or berate my AMDOs. Frankly, you do not have the authority to do so." 

It's obvious this young flyboy has no idea who he's dealing with. You have a page in your book for handling each type of disdaining man you've ever met. Your voice is like steel when you continue, "You have two minutes. Tell me what happened. Plain and to the point. No flowery language, no blame games, just the facts."

Hawk doesn't even try to look contrite as he spits out how Marissa has been screwing the panels back in wrong. There's cruel turn to his words, and in truth, you tune them out, choosing to stand under the jet and examine her work yourself. It's perfect, but just as you're about to tell him to shut up and go do one hundred push-ups with Hondo for his impertinence, you hear one final thing that makes your blood boil.

"I mean, I don't even know why the Navy trusts such important tasks to women." The derision in this cocky, arrogant ass's voice has your hackles raising. You've seen the files. At barely 24 years old, Hawk has an impressive record. That's a given in order to be at Top Gun. But you've also seen the many citations and red marks blanketing his record. He's got a history of doing exactly what he is today. "It's not like any of you know how to even use a screwdriver properly."

His once over of you as you drag yourself up to your full height feels like you just walked through an oil-slick. He's attracting an audience, and the more people who gather around, the louder Hawk seems to get. You can see the admirals behind the milling crowd of aviators, and that's when you react. One more burst of the air horn, this one long enough that even crickets would be loud with the silence that ensues.

"Lieutenant Junior Grade Taylor, enough!" Your voice is as menacing as you can make it. "Lieutenant Green's work is immaculate. While you've been ranting and raving like a lunatic over there, I've been reviewing her work. I dare say that your jet is far more aerodynamic than it was before you brought it here for the inspection."

You pause, heaving in a deep breath while trying to collect the frayed ends of your temper. A Tinkerbell implosion would not go over well, not here.

"As far as your other comments, I just have one question for you. I've seen your file. You graduated from Flight School. So that means you know everything there is to know in the NATOPS for the F/A-18. Correct?"

"Damn straight!" You can tell how proud he is from his voice alone. He has no idea what he's in for, and you can already see his reaction play out.

"Lieutenant Green knows the F-18 NATOPS, too." At his confused look, you motion towards Marissa as she stands behind you. "You know, the officer you were just calling stupid because she's a woman? She knows the NATOPS for the F-18, F-22, and F-35 forwards and backward in addition to the E-2 Hawkeye and C-130 Hercules. That's four planes in addition to what you know, correct? You clearly have no idea what an AMDO does. We don't just inspect your planes. We inspect the maintenance protocols for them. There's nobody I'd trust more to inspect a plane I'm responsible for than her."

Your final words are so sharp that they're practically a slap to the face.

"Lieutenant Junior Grade, your conduct is unbecoming when speaking to a superior officer." Hawk's gawking with his mouth open like a fish while you lay into him. "Be assured, I will be speaking at length about your conduct to Admirals Simpson, Bates, and Mitchell. As for your treatment of Lieutenant Green, I'll expect a full written apology across my desk by 10 AM tomorrow. You're to report to Chief Warrant Officer Coleman for 300 push-ups while Lieutenant Green finishes up her work."

You're really enjoying the fish-eyed gaze Hawk is giving you.

"ARE WE CLEAR, LIEUTENANT JUNIOR GRADE?!" Your final bark rings out quite satisfyingly in the silent hangar.

"Y-yes, ma'am." It gives you so much satisfaction to see him walk to Hondo with his tail between his legs. You watch him go with a gimlet gaze before turning to the remaining people arrayed around you.

"Alright, folks, nothing to see here! The US Navy doesn't pay us to engage in scuttlebutt! Back to work unless you want to spend all night here. I'm not all too sure our complement of Admirals would like the thoughts of us in pajamas braiding each other's hair as we gossip about which plane is the best!”

 Your last remark gets chuckles from the crowd, and you're gratified to see them all disperse. Your heart's racing, and you desperately want to put your head into your hands and scream. You can't, though. Now more than ever, all eyes are on you. You give Marissa a few more words of encouragement and make the rounds to all of the other jets in the Hangar before making your way towards Hangar Four. If you stop on the way and hide in the shadowed alley between the two hangars and take fifteen minutes, nobody will notice, right?

Wrong. You’ve barely spent five minutes in the shade before the clearing of a throat has your eyes snapping open. Of course it's him. Who else could it be?

“Bradshaw.” You can’t help how curt your tone is.

“Tinkerbell.” His voice is gentler, softer than you’ve ever heard it. “Was that - um - Was that the first time you’ve had to give a subordinate a dressing down?”

“No.” Your chuckle is wry and mirthless as you stare up at the sliver of cobalt blue sky you can see through the gap between buildings. “I’ve given a lot of those. This is just the first one since my promotion. Each one leaves me feeling terrible after, though. I don’t know what it’s like for men when they have to do something like what I just did, but I know one thing. Taylor’s going to be all over base calling me a bitch, or any other thing which comes to mind. If it were a man telling him the same thing, he’d probably have bitched and moaned for a little bit before ultimately accepting it.”

You can’t hide the tremble in your voice as you breathe in and out raggedly for a few minutes. “H-he’s going to be swanning around for the rest of his time at Top Gun glaring at me, and he and I are going to be the center of all of the gossip and rumors floating around because of it. I’ve heard it all before, you know? She’s fucking him, she’s trying to seduce him, etcetera, etcetera.”

You have no idea why you’re spilling this out to Bradley Bradshaw of all people. If past months have taught you anything, it’s that Bradley Bradshaw and you are always going to be opposites. But that same electric current that was coursing through your veins at the Hard Deck all those months ago is coursing through them again. You can’t help how easily the words spill from your tongue or how he just listens, leaning against the dusty hangar wall for as long as it takes for your words to run out. He doesn't say a word, just hands you a water bottle once you're through and squeezes your shoulder comfortingly before motioning you towards Hangar Four again. He strikes up a light conversation about AMDO inspections and you’re smiling by the time you enter the hangar and continue with your day.

That warmth, that ease? It sticks with you for the rest of the day. You can’t shake your good mood even while you have a powwow with the Admirals about Hawk.  You sign off on twenty-four Flight Readiness Assessments and submit them to Rear Admiral Mitchell’s assistant much later that same day. It’s just hitting half past six when you walk out into the parking lot keys in hand, more than ready to get out of your uniform and into your pajamas with steaming hot takeout in hand. There aren’t many cars in the lot this late in the day. In addition to your own cherry red convertible, there are a few sedans and one canary blue Ford Bronco. Like any other time where you’ve seen a car like the one in your soulmarks, you wait, wondering if the others will link themselves, make home in one person.

Maybe you’ve read too many stories and legends about soulmates and soulmarks. Maybe it’s the romantic in you that dreams of that instant connection. You know that even with a soulmate, it isn’t easy. Your parents are soulmates, but they struggled a lot. They love each other, but it wasn’t enough to make a life. They fought with each other sometimes too. You always knew that while they were fighting it wasn’t because they hated each other. It was just the stress as they were fighting tooth and nail to give your family a better life than they had as they grew up. As an adult, you know that people argue all the time. It’s just a normal part of relationships.

But you can’t help but wish for that instant easy connection. To want to be with your soulmate all the time. To want them to know you better than you know yourself. You’re seated in the front seat of your car, surreptitiously watching the Bronco when you see something you’d never have guessed, but definitely should have expected. 

None other than Bradley Bradshaw walks out of the building on base that houses the gym. He’s wearing baggy shorts and a loose tank top. His curls are loose, falling over his forehead as he sticks something into the back and gets in. Your throat is dry at the play of sun over his golden, glistening skin. To avoid looking like a complete dweeb, you put on your headphones and busy yourself looking at the screen of your phone. Right as he pulls out of his spot, he gives you this half wave and head nod which sends your heart into overtime. A headache sets in the minute you see that car drive away. You’ve seen it in action before. In Rhode Island a lifetime ago, when the world was full of hope and your soulmate was an unknown person you could dream about.

Over the relentless pounding in your head, you’re only thinking about one thing. Curled up in the seat of your car, you’re cataloging your soulmarks one by one, thinking about each of them in turn and how Bradley Bradshaw has inexplicably filled most of them.  He’s definitely got the auburn curls and whiskey-dark eyes,  he’d recognized Tramp by Otis Redding without even trying and now he has a canary blue truck. 60% of your soulmarks are fulfilled by the same person. How is that possible? You’d normally be ecstatic, but the person all your marks are pointing to is not a friend, and he’s decidedly not a romantic interest. Sure he’d listened to you earlier, but that was probably just sympathy. Why else would he be so kind?

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

Taglist:

@roosters-girl 🛩️ @infamous-reindeer 🛩️ @caitsymichelle13 🛩️ @mattyskies 🛩️ @cosmic-psychickitty 🛩️ @mygyn 🛩️ @julesclues 🛩️ @greenbaby12 🛩️ @bubblegumbeautyqueen 🛩️ @briseisgone 🛩️ @soulmates8 🛩️ @adoringsebstan 🛩️ @meganlpie 🛩️ @daphne-turner 🛩️ @captain-fandomwriter58 🛩️ @caidi-paris 🛩️ @adoringsebstan 🛩️@mazzbarnes 🛩️@devylindisguise 🛩️@super-btstrash-posts 🛩️@eli2447 🛩️@chaoticassidy 🛩️@genius2050 🛩️

[ceruleanmusings]

No Idea; 1: Miscalculation

Summary - After getting called out for his past actions, James vows to change his ways and prove to Mickey that he can be her friend. (James x OC)

Contains: entitlement, mentioned harassment, deconstructing misogynistic outlooks

a/n: i can't promise all my updates will be speedy but i have been thinking about this a lot so i already have a lot of it mentally planned. it's just the writing part i need to do. and this exists because i have a deeeeep frustration with how james was treated in the show and how he never got proper character development (yes i say this a lot but i'm not joking when i say the frustration is deep!) so this is one way i'm working to fix it and, hopefully, change people's ideas of james. also this is set in season two and if i had to place it anywhere it'd be between BTGirlfriends and BTLive (though that's not super important.)

Tags: @witchofinterest @myloveforhergoeson @partiallypearl @raging-violets

------------

“And she has no idea, no idea, that I’m even here, I’m even here. She has no idea, no idea, I’m standing—no, wait—I’m lying here, I’m lying heeerrreee…”

The orange vinyl stuck to James’ face and probably wasn’t doing good things to his skin. He was too heartbroken to care. It was supposed to work this time. He had it all planned! New haircut—check.

New clothes to go with new haircut—check!

The perfect date idea—check!

The perfect opening to ask Mickey on a date—check!

It all lined up! It was all perfect!

How did it go wrong?

He ran his tongue along his teeth, even though he knew they were free of any unsightly bit of spinach or poppyseed, still smooth to the touch. He would never run the risk of bad breath. C’mon, a world-famous singer with bad breath? No one would live that down. And he was James Diamond, everything was on point with him. But she still said no! How was that possible?

“Are you okay, sweetie?”

James tilted his head, turning his view from shiny orange plastic to Mrs. Knight approaching with a laundry basket on her hip. “No,” he uttered. How could he be okay when the girl of his dreams shot him down? Again.

“What happened?” She sat and set the laundry basket on the table, pulling out one of Kendall’s shirts. Or was it Carlos’? They both tended to prefer off the rack sacks that hung off them. Logan, at least, leaned towards the collar shirts that fit him a little better. James had tailored clothes all the way.

Huffing a breath, James pushed himself upwards. The couch peeled away from his cheek. He rubbed the back of his hand against the line that formed and tucked himself into the corner of the couch. Crossing his arms, he flicked his head, moving his hair out his face. “I did what I always do. I asked Mickey out and she said no.”

“Is that all?”

He balked. Is that all? As if he’d said he dropped a toaster waffle on the ground or his that his fish sticks were soggy. How come no one ever understood the gravity of his life? Why did they always laugh at it? Okay, so, maybe it wasn’t a good idea to call the FBI over because he ran out of hairspray but it was a hair emergency! It was important! This is important!

“I don’t think you understand.” James cleared his throat and slowed his speech, “She. Said. No.”

“I heard you.” Mrs. Knight snapped another shirt in the air and, with a few quick folds, added it to the quick growing pile on the table. He almost asked her to separate his clothes from his buds’, but held his tongue. He wasn’t sure she’d take that too well. She got weird about things like that sometimes. “She’s said no to you before.” Rude. Hurtful. But…true. “What was different about this time?”

Wincing, he sucked air in between his teeth as the deep, throbbing ache came back; souring his stomach with that ugly feeling of shame he tried to ignore. He couldn’t exactly do that when Mickey’s face—twisted; anguished; red, wet eyes and all—came slamming back into his brain. He’d never seen her like that before.

He didn't know which was worse: seeing her so upset or being the reason she was so upset.

He twisted his fingers, spotting a hangnail. That had to go. “Well…it wasn’t exactly a no…” It wasn’t as short as a no. And it wasn’t as quiet as her usual no. It was louder. Much louder. And faster and more pointed than she’d ever turned him down before. And longer, definitely longer.

“What was it, exactly?”

Maybe it was the way Mama Knight looked at him, maybe it was the soft tone to her voice, maybe it was that she actually asked instead of brushing him aside. Either way, the cork was popped. There was no coming back now. “That’s what’s so weird.” He hopped off the couch, pacing, words spilling out of him. “I’ve asked her out a hundred and twenty-seven times”—yes, he’d been keeping track—“and she’d always say ‘I don’t think so’ or ‘I’ not sure that’s a good idea’ or ‘I’m busy’ or ‘I have to feed my ferret’—she actually does have a ferret.” Mama Knight made a silent ‘oh’ and nodded. It was a cute ferret. His name was Gizmo, she called him Pipsqueak or Pip for short. She absolutely loved him. He wished he knew how that felt. “Anyway! We’re hanging out in Studio A, just messing around after practice. The girls are packing up to head home and I figure, now that she’s alone, it’s the best time to ask her to the Griffith Observatory. So I do.

“And she says she’s not sure. So I try and sweeten the deal by reminding her that I’d pay for everything. And she says ‘I don’t know’. And I said what could be better than spending time with me? And she…well…” Sighing, James rubbed the back of his neck. The sour pitching of shame hit him again and, God, it was worse the second time around after everything happened. “She…kinda…yelled at me.”

“…Mickey yelled at you?”

“Yeah, I know. Surprising right?”

Mickey wasn’t just called ‘Mouse’ by her sisters because of the obvious name association but because she was just that quiet. In fact, the day they met by the Palm Woods pool, he couldn’t get a word out of her. And he pulled out all the stops.

The first time he’d heard her was her laugh at dinner that night. Kelly had invited them, Mama Knight, Katie, and Gustavo over for dinner so they could all get to know one another. They’d never met quadruplets before—really cute ones at that—so the questions were flying. She didn’t outwardly react, responding mostly with shrugs, faces, or waves of her hand. But then Carlos said something that made her laugh and—

Oh. My. God.

It was the most beautiful thing he’d ever heard in his life.

She first spoke a couple days later, some sarcastic comment about how they were stupid—which was fair—and none of them realized she’d said it at first until her sisters started cracking up. But the first time she’d said something to him? The first time she’d looked him in the eye, had his attention, and said, “You were meant to be here”?

His entire world stopped. Gustavo yelling at him for having “no talent” and being “the absolute worst” suddenly didn’t matter anymore. He was a goner. It was the best he’d ever felt in his life.

Mama Knight hummed and snapped another shirt. James frowned. What was he supposed to do with that? “Well, what did she say?”

Might as well get this over with. “She said for me to stop. To stop asking her out and to leave her alone. And why do I keep doing that to her? That she can’t take it anymore. And I was saying I didn’t realize she was serious and thought it was a joke or a game, our thing. Cause, you know, girls can be confusing, and I thought it was just how we were. And then she’s like ‘Why would you think that? We’re not friends. You don’t know me. You know nothing about me. Leave me alone.’ Which, I don’t know how I can do that when she plays in our band and she goes to school with us and they hang out here all the time. But now I’m here and I’m sad.”

He flopped onto the couch again, letting out a low moan, partially at having to recount something so uncomfortable and partially because it hurt all over again. Was this what embarrassment felt like? Her words echoed in her mind but it was the look on her face that hit him straight in the chest. He high-tailed it out of Rocque Records after that. He and the couch had become one ever since.

“I see.”

“What?” He didn’t meant to be so loud but…damn! She was being too cryptic for his liking. He needed answers! Popping back off the couch he demanded, “What do you see? ‘Cause I’m not seeing anything! And I don’t need glasses! I have perfect vision!” He pointed his fingers around his face, just missing poking himself in the eye.

“Well, sweetie, you have been coming on a bit strong.”

James crossed his arms. “Explain.”

With a few quick curls of her fingers, she paired and matched sock after sock. “Well, it’s…possible you’ve been making her uncomfortable with all the attention you’ve put on her.”

“What? No.” James scoffed. “Girls like that sort of thing.” She didn’t know what she was talking about. How long had it been since Mama Knight had a date? Right. She had no idea what dating was like now. It wasn’t the 80s.

“Not all of them,” she insisted.

That couldn’t be right. It always worked for him. It especially worked for his dad; he’d seen it with his own eyes.  He’d seen the videos of his old rock shows, the girls lining up just to catch a glimpse of him before and after a show. The way they held onto his every word at meet and greets or parties. The way they practically melted beneath the attention he gave them. It worked for him. That’s how he got his mom (so he says, his mom had a different story.) That’s how he got his second wife. It worked. He had the proof.

…Didn’t he?

“Why do you think it was different this time?” Mama Knight added.

“I don’t know!” He threw his arms in the air. They landed on his denim-clad thighs with a smack. “That’s the problem!”

“Just think about it. Based off her verbiage, she sounded distressed. And she said that you weren’t friends.”

“Yeah, that was the really weird part. Because we are.”

She lifted an eyebrow. “Are you?”

“Yeah.” He paused. Then, “I think so? I mean, we’re always hanging out.”

“In a group.”

“I mean, there’s enough of us so…” Even numbers between his buds and the Mason girls made it easier to play games or do homework or teaming up for playing pranks or bothering Gustavo. It made sense.

“Have you ever spent time with her alone?”

“I’ve been trying to, but she keeps saying no!”

“She’s saying no to going on a date with you.” She put a stack of folded denim into the basket. “What I’m asking is have you, James, ever spent time with her as a friend?”

“Well—”

“Have you ever asked her about her day? What she’s been reading? What movies she’d seen lately? What she’s interested in?”

“Yes! I definitely have!” Ha! Mama Knight couldn’t poke holes into that one.

“Have you ever asked her those things without the expectation it’ll lead you to a date?”

“Um—”

“Have you ever asked those things just because you wanted to know?”

“I—” That’s not where this was supposed to go. She was supposed to have all the answers. Not ask him a bunch of questions.

“Here’s the thing; girls can tell when all you want from them is a date or a kiss or something else. And you’ve made it clear that you’ve been chasing after that instead of trying to get to know her.”

James shook his head before she finished speaking. No no no, she didn’t get it! That wasn’t what he was doing at all! But something niggled in the back of his mind. But...but what if she was right? Any explanation that came to his mind died on arrival because none of it sounded right. Not anymore. Wouldn’t that be the point of a date? To get to know her?

“Let me ask you something.” He groaned. He couldn’t take anything else. “Why do you like her?”

…Huh?

What kind of question was that? Apparently, he’d asked it aloud because she followed it up with, “What do you like about her?”

His lips blew in a raspberry and answers collided in his mind. Where to start?

“I like how much she loves playing the bass and how she puts her all into it even when it’s just practice. You can tell she really cares about it.” When Mama Knight didn’t laugh or make any sort of reaction he cleared his throat and kept going. “I like how much thought she puts into making sure fans have a great experience at our shows. I like how when she’s talking to someone, they’re her entire focus, like they’re the only one in the room. She’s a great listener and very understanding. She has this way of making people who walk away from her feel special, but I don’t think she realizes it. I mean, yeah, it takes a bit for her to talk but you when she does you can tell she’s taken the time to think about the right thing to say and that it means something.”

He stopped and shrugged. He could go on, but the thoughts collided into one another into one unintelligible jumble. What wasn’t there to like? Something about her drew him to her since he first saw her but he couldn’t put his finger on what it was that lit him up inside. That made him want to be around her all the time. Maybe a word hadn’t been invented for it yet.

“Hmm.” That humming was starting to get on his nerves.

“What?”

“Most people, when asked that question, they say things about what the girl does for them. Or they focus on their looks or something physical.”

“I mean, yeah, she’s gorgeous and funny and sweet and she has cool hair and she’s gorgeous, but that part’s a bonus.” She stopped folding, staring at him hard. His skin prickled beneath the scrutiny of her gaze. Did all moms practice how to look at them like that? “Sooo…what do I do?” She had to have some sort of idea to fix this. She always did. Otherwise she’d just be torturing him with facing his actions? That’d just be cruel.

“Okay, I’m going to tell you a secret. It’s really big and but it’s guaranteed to win anyone over. Are you ready for it?”

“Yeah!”

Mama Knight placed her hands on her lap and leaned forward. “…Treat her like a person.”

James blinked, shook his head, and blinked again, his eager smile instantly dropping off his face. “….That’s it?”

“That’s it.” Pushing out a sigh, she reached out and stroked his cheek. He leaned into her touch. And so what if he was pouting a little? That wasn’t the answer he expected. “Honey, I don’t think you’re bothered that she turned you down, I think what really bothers you is that she says you’re not friends.” He was ready to rebuff but she continued. “But she’s right. You haven’t been treating her like a friend. Or like a person. It’s like a consolation prize to you, and having a real good friend shouldn’t be less than.”

But it kind of was wasn’t it? “Just friends” didn’t go on dates or dress up or look at each other in a certain way or kiss or hold hands or whatever else it was that Kendall and Jo used to do and Kendall and Jazz now did. He claimed they talk a lot which, okay, that didn’t sound particularly exciting. He could talk to anyone if that’s all they did. He was good at that.

But he didn’t want to be in the Friend Zone. That was filled with airport pickups and shopping trips and ex-boyfriend talks (not that Mickey had any that he knew of but he couldn’t risk that.) His nose scrunched up at the thought. Mama Knight gave him that look again and sighed.

“The Friend Zone doesn’t exist,” she said, as if she could read his mind. How did all moms have that ability, anyway? “Looks like we’re going to have to have that conversation again.” He rolled his eyes but fought off a huff. She nearly bit his head off the last time he mentioned the Friend Zone around her. He didn’t want a repeat of that, thank you very much. Besides, she was a girl. She wouldn’t get it. “If you like Mickey as much as you claim you do, then being her friend or her letting you into her life would be enough. Because if you’re only being her friend with the hopes to date her, then you’re not friends at all.”

He clicked his tongue. He’d never felt like this for someone before. It could have been one of her sisters he met by the pool that day instead of her and he knew, deep down, he wouldn’t have the same feelings. Something made it nearly impossible for him to get her out his head, made him want to be around her, made him want to impress her.

But was that enough?

“It is.” Well, he could fake it until it was. Or until he liked her less. If that were even possible.

“Great. All you have to do is let her know that.”

“How?”

“Words work but, in this case, I think actions would work better. Be there for her. Be her friend. Everything else will work out the way it’s supposed to.” Slapping her palms onto her knees, she got up with a long sigh. Placing her hands on her hips, her mouth twisted to the side. “You boys are focusing so much on having girlfriends, you’re missing out on having great girl friends. You’re young, you’re in a successful band, you have all the time in the world to get girlfriends. Don’t let good friends pass you by on the way.”

[kerrikins]

With things finally getting underway in the legal system, I feel the need to finally get some things off my chest. 

I’ve seen some truly disappointing behaviour in this fandom over the last month and it’s honestly so frustrating and eye opening. 

I’ve seen blogs that blew up the initial allegations remain stubbornly, *completely* silent on everything else that has come out since. I don’t care if you posted every drib or drab of information at the start (though I have to say, I’m side eyeing those who jumped on random-ass tweets with no sources, especially since at least one of them was *sued* by Build and turned out to be a complete and utter lie that was INCREDIBLY serious), I care if you haven’t presented anything at all on the other side. 

I’ve seen multiple users on Twitter basically admit that they don’t really care if it’s proven that the allegations are false. 

I’ve seen multiple users on Twitter claim that Build has no rights to speak out because he should be silent for the sake of Be On Cloud or his fellow former cast members. 

I’ve seen at least one user say that if Build was truly innocent then he would stay silent. 

NONE of these things are okay. 

None of these things are acceptable. 

None of these things help feminism or fight misogny or prevent abuse. 

You cannot fight against injustice if you say that you do not care about the truth. (Full disclosure, if you think that he’s a raging misogynist due to his past tweets then I respect and understand that. That’s fine. Implying that the results of this suit do not matter or are not important is *not*.) 

You cannot support victims if you are saying that for the good of *others* Build should be staying silent. This sort of rhetoric can also be used against POI, for god’s sake. This debacle lost BOC 200k followers, it could be said that she should have stayed silent rather than stir all of that up. Is that okay to say? No, it’s vile and reprehensible. People have the right to speak out in this sort of situation, *even if you disagree with them*. One of the foundations of civil and free society is that everyone has the right to their day in court and to speak on their behalf.

You cannot support victims if you are spouting rhetoric that I have seen used AGAINST victims. ‘Oh, if they were truly innocent then they would have gone to the police. Oh, if they were innocent then they would just let the evidence speak for itself.’ 

EVERYONE has the right to speak out, especially if it is with their lawyer at their side in response to having their character damaged in the public eye. If you are advocating for the opposite then you are saying that VICTIMS do not have the right to speak out because ‘the evidence should speak for itself’. There are cases where the statute of limitations has passed, are you going to tell victims that if they can't present the evidence in court then they should say silent? No? Well then maybe keep that in mind here.

Given that I have a feeling that this person did not intend to say that, I hope that if they ever see this post they will reconsider just what they are advocating for. 

To be clear, here, I am not asking for anyone to advocate on Build’s behalf. If you are choosing to stay entirely silent throughout this whole thing, I have no problem with that. If you’re waiting to see the legal results I have no problem with that either, because I do myself think that certain things need to be clarified through the legal system. 

However I am really tired of the complete silence as though only one side of the story matters. There are three points of view: her side, his side, and the truth. 

The truth will out, but it would happen a lot easier if people weren’t actively trying to prevent one side from being heard.

This time it’s someone you disagree with or hate. 

What about the next time when it’s someone you don’t? 

What if it turns out that what you've decided you support and believe isn't the side of truth and justice after all?

Just something to think about. 

[jakeperalta]

Regarding what you said about being happy for Kelsea when she does the things Taylor did last night:

One of the main things why I get a bad feeling whenever Taylor and Travis do anything it just because I know the fandom will hate on Joe immediately. I'm not very invested in her relationships (apart from knowing what kind of songs I can expect on the next album), but I can't feel indifferent about it or aviod it, because 90 % of the swifties will say how much better Travis is and how much more he appreciates Taylor compared to Joe. Half the posts are just "This js how it looks when your partner supports you and is proud of you😍"

Everybody knows pitting two woman against each other is outdated and often misogynistic, but they love pitting these two men against each other. Just stop hyping Travis up just by shitting on Joe. I know next to nothing about him, apart from him being very private, which I very much understand. I already fear what's gonna happen when he has a new girlfriend...

Sorry for the rant, your blog is just one of the very few (at least that I follow) that criticizes this behaviour from the swifties. I really want to be happy for Taylor and Travis, but the fandom is making it hard to like the relationship when every appearance of them leads to bullying of private people

yes you're right!! one of the things that has made me actually unfollow people not just like roll my eyes and scroll past is when they've been making rude jokes or comments about joe. you can be happy for taylor and even be excited about this new relationship without going on about how joe was actually terrible and never deserved her because he's not wealthy/big/macho/outgoing enough and acting like you know everything about what went wrong for them.

(also it makes it all feel less genuine when the same people raving about how taylor and travis are the best relationship ever now used to say the same about joe, then immediately decided he sucks once they broke up because you know they'd do the same about travis if they breakup too)

[borathae]

Chapter 4

ooh looks like he is a gentleman

You can see it in the way he looks at his knees ever so often. dont tell me he slept

HE DID AHAHAH PLS this is peak comedy for me, idk i had this image of "ooh mysterious ancient being, must find sleep, and other stuff as something for the weak", basically a grandpa on him. (i see yoongi like that from reading the drabbles, but now that im reading it, tae felt like that in 1st chapter lol)

Of course not, I was merely resting my eyes” ofc i believe you, u were having a meditating/communicating with your ancestors moment

As if he doesn’t even notice his hand touching you the way it does. STOP I LITERALLY DIE EVERYTIME THIS HAPPENS WHEN IM READING LIKE AAAAAH *bites, slaps, giggles, fans myself, pretends to be dead soo much ah

Your chest heaves up and down in a heavy breath, your legs parting slightly. sis is gone already. mood

Come go with me. I SAID I HAVE NO TIME HEE HEE

Taehyung placed his hand on your thigh instead. OH NO HE IS GETTING DANGEROUS

Your nails dig into the edge of the seat, her: (literally made it, if only i had this devotion in my studies 😭)

Taehyung’s delight as another smirk washes over his face. He stops moving, the only sensation he allows you to feel is his big, warm hand against your inner thigh SDTOP I CANT HANDLE HIS ASS I CAN ALREADY IMAGINE THE FAKE GUM CHEWING AAAH

Tapping on your inner thigh rhythmical AAAAH WE MUST STAY FOCUSED BROTHER

Stay, fellow, I can read. I DOUBT I CAN IM LOSING MY SANITU

“Are you alright?” he rasps DO U THINK IM OK?????

My master’s. THAT FAST?? really said wanna see some speed?

You whine at the loss of touch, pulling at his necktie. PULLING NECKTIE WWWOOOO IM SQUIRTING

The door, which normally always squeaks, opens silently when Taehyung opens it mythical being or has strict parents pt 3 (pt 2 during the date)

I want to devour you.” yn my love, what if he actually does 😭(missed the vore tag on ao3 once and i have ptsd from that)

You’ll probably call me crazy but I named all of my houseplants after famous painters TAE MOVE UR ASS, SHE'S MINE WE ARE MARRIED BYE

Just mere seconds ago it felt like he wanted to devour you whole and now here he is, as patient as ever.  i take that back, we can be a throuple

I didn’t even hear you come outside mythical being or has strict parents pt 4

It’s one of those weirdly dishonest smiles again. maybe he is in lactose intolerant and is worried destroying ur toilet with the volcanic diarrhea

It makes you look so perfectly alive." THATS EXACTLY WHAT A VAMPIRE WOULD SAY. i would have said that tho lol

I guess you are right. What a silly thing for me to say."  OFC ITS VERY SILLY CUZ U IS MR.DRACULA

“Actually this is just a myth some misogynistic doctors made up in the sixteenth century to shame women for having sex”, SLAY now marry me

“so enjoy it ___ for as long and as passionate as you can.” THATS WHAT A GRANDPA WOULD SAY or A VAMPIRE

I am glad that you aren’t pretending with me hold ur horses he didnt say he is 95% honest, also the 5% could be more shocking than the 95%

swirling the tea in his cup with a flick of his wrist. LOOK AT DA FLICKA DA WRIST

My dream is to own a really big greenhouse. THE GARDEN IN THE DRABBLE

“you’re not having a heart attack, are you?” damn grandpa is dying (im sorry i had to)

OH SHIT WHATS GOING ON?? did she put some anti-mythical being stuff in the tea?

0-100 real quick

she is so cute im feeling it soo well, you wrote those parts well. it made me feel like im intruding them

Throw it on the floor *starts throwing it back Tae: i meant the tie me: oh sorry, silly me

that wasnt me, that was the demons bye

He has a really nice spine, my bestie to me - your spine is ... um how do i put it to words, spines very well. i will definitely count them for anatomy 💀💀LIKE STOP AT LEAST ITS BETTER COMPARED TO 4TH GRADE

thankfully Taehyung can’t read minds because this was one silly thought. you sure about that? u sure about that??👀👀

OH MY GOD HE IS IRRESISTIBLE LIKE STOP JUST AAAAH

Dearmotherofchrist what the hell? Okay, goodbye cruel world this is how you will die. PLS 😭😭

This is madness. Heaven. ME AT YOU POOKIE

besides, we have many more occasions to practice your stamina SUCH A TEASE AAH

im sick and feeling cold. guess who isnt cold anymore cuz they are reading a smexy, gobsmacking as usual smut by THE MOMMY, SIBI?? ME YALL. a hoe(mentally) doesnt get cold, until they get runny nose.

don’t rip it because this cost like forty bucks” WE LOVE REALISTIC SMUT HERE

He scissors them, fucking in and out of you slowly. His teeth craze over your nipple before he bites down. poeple died sir I DIED

During class, on the bus, whilst talking to people. same here girly pop, relatable after reading smut

watching you be like this drives me crazy I AM CRAZY

me: i hope i dont fall him: he praises me: ana oop

It is a stupid name, but it has never been more accurate than tonight. no it aint stupid when true af

"Hold me"..“That’s it, draw me in deeper. Keep me there” bye i will be jumping off the cliff(my bed's name)

seven matches this soo well, cuz its sexy but very romantic

that was too hot until u think (wait this is bts songs in a nutshell)

 oh boi tae is just trying feel humanity, life, and the whole "live in the moment", "yolo" by asking to hold closer and feel what she is feeling

horny - sad real quick. (bts albums and playlists be like)

Sex is merely a wonderful byproduct from being with you. You have truly bewitched me, body and soul” this is too good holy fuck

reminds me of blood sweat and tears lines and the whole mood is hold me tight

they are soo cute, being all warm and cozy with each other.

shitting tears as we speak bye,

the emotions were emotioning, smut smuting (do i even have to say about this anymore lol) i love how your smut isnt just focused on sexy parts, emotionally, yes very much connected and love it and also shows other parts, like its soo easy to have the entire view from pillow to toes, with lil frames with focused parts.

now that we still havent seen 2seokkook, its making more nervous like

EXCUSE ME??GOOGLE JUST VIOLATED ME 💀

HE DID AHAHAH PLS this is peak comedy for me, idk i had this image of "ooh mysterious ancient being, must find sleep, and other stuff as something for the weak", basically a grandpa on him. (i see yoongi like that from reading the drabbles, but now that im reading it, tae felt like that in 1st chapter lol)

this is actually so funny HAHHAHAH he is always acting like such a well-put mysterious man and then he is sleeping in class BHAHAHAHAH

As if he doesn’t even notice his hand touching you the way it does. STOP I LITERALLY DIE EVERYTIME THIS HAPPENS WHEN IM READING LIKE AAAAAH *bites, slaps, giggles, fans myself, pretends to be dead soo much ah

this is so valid HE IS SO HOT LIKE SIR PLEASE FADNFDSN

Taehyung’s delight as another smirk washes over his face. He stops moving, the only sensation he allows you to feel is his big, warm hand against your inner thigh SDTOP I CANT HANDLE HIS ASS I CAN ALREADY IMAGINE THE FAKE GUM CHEWING AAAH

the gum chewing pisses me off with any other person BUT ITS SO HOT WHEN HE DOES IT LIKE PLEASE KEEP DOING IT SIR IMMA SUCK YOUR COCK

You whine at the loss of touch, pulling at his necktie. PULLING NECKTIE WWWOOOO IM SQUIRTING

jajdfj valid.

I want to devour you.” yn my love, what if he actually does 😭(missed the vore tag on ao3 once and i have ptsd from that)

NO BUT WHAT IF??? oh god hahhaha I feel you I once missed the impregnation tag and actually triggered myself when he started speaking about putting babies in her like BACK OFF ILL BITE YOUR BALLS OFF

It’s one of those weirdly dishonest smiles again. maybe he is in lactose intolerant and is worried destroying ur toilet with the volcanic diarrhea

PLEASE hhahahhaha this would be so iconic of him tbfh

“Actually this is just a myth some misogynistic doctors made up in the sixteenth century to shame women for having sex”, SLAY now marry me

he is SO HOT I need him to fuc-

My dream is to own a really big greenhouse. THE GARDEN IN THE DRABBLE

👀👀👀👀

OH SHIT WHATS GOING ON?? did she put some anti-mythical being stuff in the tea?

THAT IS A VERY GOOD QUESTION INDEED

He has a really nice spine, my bestie to me - your spine is ... um how do i put it to words, spines very well. i will definitely count them for anatomy 💀💀LIKE STOP AT LEAST ITS BETTER COMPARED TO 4TH GRADE

LISTEN. don't judge me but I genuinely think that spines (inside the body where they're supposed to be) can be so sexy like if someone has a nice spine I just wanna trace and lick and kiss and touch it like-

thankfully Taehyung can’t read minds because this was one silly thought. you sure about that? u sure about that??👀👀

THE RIGHT QUESTION INDEED

im sick and feeling cold. guess who isnt cold anymore cuz they are reading a smexy, gobsmacking as usual smut by THE MOMMY, SIBI?? ME YALL. a hoe(mentally) doesnt get cold, until they get runny nose.

I gain ten years of life each time one of you calls me Mommy HAHHAHA like yes I am indeed mother HFAHDSF

don’t rip it because this cost like forty bucks” WE LOVE REALISTIC SMUT HERE

BAHHAHAHAH I LOVE REALISM

me: i hope i dont fall him: he praises me: ana oop

BITCH (affectionate) SAME HOLY FUCK praise works so well with me like it got me thinking about the person for the next five weeks for real

 oh boi tae is just trying feel humanity, life, and the whole "live in the moment", "yolo" by asking to hold closer and feel what she is feeling

*sobs*

reminds me of blood sweat and tears lines and the whole mood is hold me tight

OMFG I LOVE THIS THANK YOU

shitting tears as we speak bye,

hahahhaa shitting tears jfadsjf

the emotions were emotioning, smut smuting (do i even have to say about this anymore lol) i love how your smut isnt just focused on sexy parts, emotionally, yes very much connected and love it and also shows other parts, like its soo easy to have the entire view from pillow to toes, with lil frames with focused parts.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SAYING THIS!!! that's exactly what I want most of my smut to be for 😭😭😭

[rollercoasterwords]

HELLO HAVE I SENT YOU ONE YET. IF NOT I AM SO SORRY MY DARLING I THOUGHT I HAD. BUT!! ALLOW ME TO RECTIFY IT NOW!! ☕️ a steaming hot beverage for you...in exchange for your thots on...well lets do it lets go all in shall we. lets tackle taylor swift if you will its me and you against the world xx for a LESS risky option though i appreciate you may not want to be run out of town with pitchforks so: honest opinion on your least favourite foods xx the more controversial the better xx

RIDI!! u are going to get me burned at the stake my beloved but. well truly i have been keeping my silence on this topic for so long and i'm feeling a bit frisky this tuesday morning so let's get into it xx

(to my dear sweet swiftie friends PLEASE look away i am about to go full hater mode i'm so sorry but i simply cannot hide any longer xoxo i still love u guys no matter what)

ok so first thought about taylor swift is that i don't like her. let's just put all the cards on the table right off the bat i do not like that woman one bit.

NOW before we get into it i will say i do enjoy some of her music i did very much like folklore and of course she has quite a few classics under her belt that will always be bangers and karaoke go-tos. i myself can be found belting "dear john" on roadtrips from time to time xx

that being said however what truly activates my haterism when it comes to taylor swift is that i think she is the EPITOME of capitalist girlboss feminism and she gets away with it because her fans have deified her to the point that any criticism of anything she does results in people getting ripped to shreds and called misogynistic lmao. for example when people called out the fatphobia in her...which music video was it? antihero? whatever the recent scandal where a few brave souls called out her fatphobia and the swiftie mobs were like SHE HAS BODY IMAGE ISSUES!!! like yeah babes....she can talk about that without publicly perpetuating fatphobia....grow a few more braincells please xoxo

but like even aside from that example. taylor swift is an incredibly privileged white woman who is deeply invested in capitalism and is actively harming the planet and hoarding wealth in a way that i find frankly unethical. and yet she is very good at portraying herself as "woke" and falls back on "i've experienced sexism!!" anytime people start to critique her, and then her rabid fans go on the attack and she just gets to sit pretty on her private jet with everyone acting like she's god's gift to earth. i think u should be able to enjoy someone's music and still acknowledge the ways in which they are both complicit within and actively benefiting from corrupt systems of power.

another thing that bothers me is the whole "is she gay???" thing. like whether or not she's gay makes no difference to me because she is certainly not queer and if u don't understand the difference between those two things. well i recommend reading up on homonormativity xx

and finally. the cherry on top of my haterism. well boys i just do not think ms. swift is all that talented when it comes to songwriting. sure sure as i said there is plenty of her music that i enjoy. however there is also plenty of her music that i find boring and uninspired. like i'm sorry "draw the cat eye sharp enough to kill a man" <- THAT is the person who u think is the greatest lyricist of our generation??? baby that is a forever21 graphic t-shirt from 2014. PLEASE get a grip.

[erigold13261]

>:D hey can I ask for the ask with my hubby DK and my wifey Eve?

Already did Eve, so here's DK West!

First impression: I'll be honest. I didn't know he was speaking another language with English sprinkled in at first, I thought his accent was just making it hard for me to understand him lol. Other than that, my initial reaction was that he was weird and his boss battle was way too hard (even though at the time I could only finish the first one). I did like the reference to Nadia that got revealed later, that was a mindblower to me haha.

Impression now: He's an asshole and I love him. He still deserves an apology from Tatiana and NSR as a whole (in my version he at least got it, but it would have been cool to see it in game). He is also a very masc looking character that I really like aesthetically to look at. I am a person who love fem presenting characters, or characters with feminine traits, whether they are man, woman, or anything in between, but I think West was the first really masculine character I liked in the same way I like to look at women. He really opened my eyes to liking men lol.

Favorite moment: Him running at full speed to the NSR tower is something I love to see!

Idea for a story: Okay, I want to kinda rewrite the third fight a tiny bit. When West was showing the Zuke the recording, I honestly thought when he did the rewind and heard "promise you'll never ever play this again?" that he would have a moment of realization he was being a dick. I didn't expect him to change right then and there, but to have SOME kind of clarity that he might be to blame for his actions and the way their relationship is, I was hoping for something like that. But it was just brushed to the side and he didn't realize anything until May had to smash the point over his head. I get West is supposed to be dense and clueless, but the way the narrative rewound the recording back to the beginning instead of just starting it at the Zonkey part again, made me think they were going to do some kind of self reflection with West, but it never came. I'd like to make a version where he starts to realize at that moment he was in the wrong and then the fight happens and he gets his full redemption.

Unpopular opinion: Other than what I said for the idea part, I guess it's me not liking the idea that West is a full blown misogynist. I know he is like that in canon, but it kinda goes against my idea of Zuke being a transman because i can see West not behaving like that as kids because he loved his sister. However, I do think he has some misogynist tendancies from assholes he spent time around, him and Zuke. Both grew out of it, though West can still be misogynistic at times, it's not nearly as bad as in canon or how some people tend to portray him.

Favorite relationship: Hmmm, gotta give it to the brothers. Their relationship was a fresh look for me in how I see most siblings portrayed in media. I'm sick of seeing the perfect families or siblings who are literally hurting each other on purpose to the point it's just straight up abuse.

Favorite headcanon: I don't really know, can't really think of one that I really like over the others. Maybe West being ambidextrous is one that I really life.

[godeyed]

a  novel  based , independent , highly private and mutuals only portrayal  of  

𝖆𝖊𝖒𝖔𝖓𝖉 𝖙𝖆𝖗𝖌𝖆𝖗𝖞𝖊𝖓 : kinslayer , aemond one - eye.

second  son  of king  viserys  the  i  and  alicent  hightower.  based on  george  rr martin's  fire  and  blood.  

triggering  themes  will be tagged / include  : anger and violence,  murder,  death,  particularly child  death  and  the celebration  of  it  (  especially  when  it comes  to  lucerys velaryon  , rest in peace king )  misogyny,  mentions  of  incest  (  but  never explicitly  written.  ) 20+  only.

interest tracker . . . prompts

please read my rules before following : i will not follow first as i want writers to read my rules and decide for themselves if they want to follow <3

my boundaries include:

since incest unfortunately is a huge part of the ' a song of ice and fire ' universe, it can't be avoided, and so it will be mentioned ( and tagged ! ) however, it will never be explicitly written.

do not follow me if you write lucerys x aemond / lucerys x aegon.

anti - daemyra. and i just generally will not be cool w ppl writing incest in anyway which includes aemond and helaena and aemond/aegon .. pls no thank u ! i firmly rebuke all of the canon / fandom ships for aemond sorry fjdjf. this includes aemond x alys , who i don't ship for my own reasons. ( i am uncomfortable with age gaps mostly but am willing to write them in a non - romantic way ! ) i also ask if you do ship them in a romantic way and decide to follow me, to please tag it so that i can block the tag.

there will most likely be criticism of house of the dragon found here. it will be tagged as : hotd crit / with that said i do not mind writing with hotd based muses at all, this is just a personal thing when it comes to the way they decided to depict aemond / it goes directly against my portrayal.

i assume if you follow me, you have an interest in the greens in some capacity ( as do i ! ) however : if you are anti - team black , anti - rhaenyra , anti - alicent , anti - targaryen women , please don't follow me. criticism of all of the above are welcome , but i tend to avoid people who proudly claim they hate any of the those characters / especially targaryen women. if you can't acknowledge the fact that a lot of them ( especially dany and rhaenyra ) are the heroes / victims of the story , who have flaws along with any other character , then maybe i am not the person to follow.

this blog is an attempt at writing aemond in a very novel - based way. he's cruel , a loser , narcissist , definitely a misogynist etc. he kills his poor nephew because he wants to kill him, it wasn't an accident. despite this, i'm interested in writing a very nuanced character who does bad things bc he feels entitled to it , as well as stepping away from the way media always needs a reason for a character to do bad things. sometimes there is no rhyme or reason. if you don't like that, then this blog may not be for you. <3

with all that said, i do think aemond serves cunt. he has a lot of qualities that i like and want to portray / really love the idea of his position within his families dynamics. i'm going to try talking about all his cool and cunty qualities a lot here without erasing the bad.

writing , shipping , general etiquette:

multi - verse, multi - ship, i do and will practice mains and exclusives. duplicate, crossover, and oc friendly. ( for ocs please have a bio or at least some stats ! )

very important note : do not approach me immediately for shipping purposes. i hate feeling like someone doesn't care about my character beyond a ship that they can offer.

with that said, shipping is so fun, and i'm not gonna pretend that i don't want to do it ... but it's just not a priority for me. if you'd like to, we can discuss it only after we have already established some sort of foundation whether that is through a thread or through plotting. keep in mind that he's not a particularly fun guy so ... just you know, please remember that when you approach me.

please do not god - mod! please also keep in mind that my activity is very low. you can remind me about a thread you might think i missed, but please leave it at one reminder and do not pester me. i have a full time job and writing is just a hobby. if i do not reply to a meme you sent me, or if i don't continue a thread, it doesn't mean i'm uninterested.

if you want to unfollow, please hard block so that i don't forget and try to refollow you. i'll do the same.

i don't care to see vagues or ooc drama, we're all adults and if you ever have a problem with me, i'd love it if you communicated that or simply just block me!

this really doesn't need to be said but i'll say it : if i see racism, transphobia, homophobia, white washing, etc. i will simply hard block.

thank you for taking the time to read this. i know it's a lot but i just want to make sure that i'm comfortable in this space, and set clear boundaries so that there is no confusion in the future. i am super excited to explore aemond's character in a way that feels right to me and to the depiction that we received of him in fire and blood!