#it’s really fun and it has a great story

[notherpuppet]

Hi! Question here that pop in my brain and got me curious about QPR since that is the main relationship of My Deer Nanny.

Ok, im in a hetero relationship and reading more and more radioapple has really opened my eyes to those on the Ace spectrum and the types of relationships presented jn stories, thank you Alastor for that.

Ok. So the relationship is not sexual in nature, more emotional intimacy right? So, how does falling in love feel for those in a QPR? So many of us tie falling jn love with the sexual aspect as well, especially in stories, I'm interested in learning about the other side of it. With Al and Luci, are we going to see them fall in love? (The more than anything panel with Al's reaction had me wondering)

Don't worry, I'm not gonna ask a out sex, I really enjoy the relationship in the story as QPR, and I'm super into smut, it's my go to, but I discovered QPR though this story and love it just as much as some of the other stuff I read.

Not...really sure if my question is clear...

How does emotional intimacy grow in a QPR when only 1 partner is Ace or heck, even both? How does it differ from "typical" relationships where the physical and emotional intimacy develop, if they even differ at all?

Hiiii, so imma start off with leaving this link here: QPR info

And I wanna say everyone has their own individual experiences. Language is a lovely tool, but it has its limitations. Especially with matters of the heart and mind.

In My Deer Nanny, my intention is to depict a relationship where Alastor and Lucifer grow to love each other, but it’s not “falling in love”.

So much of the fun of making this AU is using characters I adore to spotlight different depictions of love. I experience love like-every day! It’s great! (Family, friends, music, art, hobbies, and mostly my love for radioapple lol).

In the most recent post, I wanted to show Alastor’s sincere love for music intersecting with his surprise over Lucifer’s musical talent. For anyone who is also a music lover, I’m sure you have experienced the enchantment of live music and the chills you can get from an exceptional vocalist. 🤩🤤🎶

My Deer Nanny is a radioapple AU, so it is focused on the love and bond developing between Lucifer and Alastor. It’s not romantic love, but maybe a way to describe my approach could be “platonic love romanticized”??? Hmmm

IDK IF THAT MAKES SENSE BUT THANK YOU FOR YOUR QUESTION 🥰

[beloveds-embrace]

I just recently got into CoD and learning all the story’s and characters, and I absolutely love your Roomemate 141 Series!

I can’t help but think of the holiday season with them, decorating with the boys (John is always happy to help, and doesn’t mind if you tell him to adjust a garland or a wreath a million times, just as long as your happy in the end, he thinks anyway you decorate makes their home look great) or going out shopping (Kyle definitely seems the type to jump at the offer to accompany you, keeping an eye out at all the things you pick up and put down to add to his shopping list to gift to you) or (-if you celebrate Christmas,) going to pick out a tree with the boys?

Johnny is trying to convince you to get the biggest fullest tree after all you should have the absolute best for the holidays…and don’t forget when your decorating it, everyone helps even if you just buy some cheap ornaments for this year because the boys don’t have any particular special ornaments (You picked out a special ornament for each of the boys to give them on Christmas…so it won’t be cheap ornaments on the tree for long…) AND when it’s time to put the Star or Angel or whatever tree topper on the tree, Simon is all the happier to be the one to lift you up to the top so you can put the finishing touch on the tree.

(And don’t think about one of the boys putting up a mistletoe in the hallway that you always walk through so now all of them are trying to get caught underneath it with you… 👀)

Waitt omg this so cute 😭 holiday decorationing means the decor tyrant that you are is fully out and thriving but in all honesty, John doesn’t mind. He loves the boys but Kyle is the one one of them with any sense of home styling but they just never have enough time to shop. But here you are, excited to decorate the space even more than you’ve already done and who is John to even think about saying no? … even if he’s sure the fairy lights are centered, love.

Said fairy lights that you got while shopping with Kyle, who leaves your side for a while and when he returns, he’s brought all your favorite candles and snacks that have run out. Also he 100% has access to your amazon or whatever wishlist so he knows what to get you for Christmas, and still would’ve known what to get even without that wishlist because he’s always so focused on you, your likes and dislikes and what catches your eyes.

Also yes johnny absolutely does try to get the biggest tree 😭 you have to remind him that you live in an apartment and if he really wants that tree then you’d need to take a wall and maybe a good chunk of the ceiling out 💀 he still does manage to convince you to buy a relatively big tree, and rewards you with making his mom’s secret hot chocolate recipe that will have you all cozy and cuddly against his side on the couch <3

Also. Ornament painting with them 🥹 just a fun little activity to have some special ornaments to hang on the tree, and you don’t even notice you are sitting on Simon’s lap while you two are painting. When it’s time to decorate the tree, it’s a group effort that ends with Simon just easily picking you up to place the star/angel on the top. The excited look on your face was absolutely worth it.

And not only do they hang up the misteltoe, they’ll be carrying it and holding it up above whenever they manage to lololol trust that Christmas is only made better with lotsss of kisses <33

[astrologysaysno]

You know what would be really fun to do, an AU where for some reason the PIDW world is randomly breaking into song and everyone is conscious of that fact but no one knows how it started or how to stop it.

Like, it's just been a thing in this world. Everyone is just in this state of living through a self-aware version of Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist.

I think what would make it even funnier is that when Shang Qinghua arrived at CQMS, the music suddenly switched up on everyone in the sect.

For like, centuries, the music people sang were of traditional tales and epics likening their plight to them, they would take poems and proses and accompany them to a backing that would usually materialize for the occasion.

Now suddenly there's like this great expansion of musical styles and genres and it has people in a buzz, wondering if this this was a natural evolution of the strange music mandate overarching the world or was this the fault of some great manipulator pulling the shots and deciding to add new material because they got bored listening to people sing the same epic tale for the millionth time.

(The true origin of this is that Airplane in his last life had a personal playlist made that he listens to whenever he wanted to write PIDW and now it has come back to haunt him cause HE RECOGNIZES THESE SONGS)

One of these instances first occurred with Shen Qingqiu (Jiu) and Luo Qingge, with Shang Qinghua as an unfortunate witness as it began a while after that awful mission that expanded the rift of misunderstanding.

Instead of some traditional oration of a story about rivalry, something new began to emerge.

It only takes the first few lines before SQH almost has his eyes pop out in shock when he realizes what was happening

... IS THIS WICKED?!?!

Shang Qinghua watches as the two perform a duet, the younger disciples of Bai Zhan acting as an ensemble as everything played out. LQG and SJ sang as they ran into the mess hall, everyone in perfect harmony raising eyebrows to every witness who hadn't been dragged into the number as an ensemble voice.

The moment the song ended, the two are immediately called by the Peak Lords of the Previous generation, dragging along Qinghua as they are interrogated about this new change in the musical paradigm.

The new mixes in with the old. Though the usual forms of song still occur, every once in a while, the new music appears to change the pace, attracting people with its unusual and exotic melodies.

Qinghua isn't immune to this phenomena.

Throughout his days when he became head disciple and then Peak Lord, he had never broken into song once, something that very much confused his fellows peers, who have at some point in their life belted a number or two. Shen Jiu and Liu Qingge had already over a dozen of solos each.

Shang Qinghua chalked it up to the fact that the universe probably decided he wasn't worth wasting a beat on and lived in second-hand embarrassment watching his fellow peak Lords air out their feelings in song.

But the day finally came when a song spewed forth from his lips...

...running away from Mobei-Jun

After the ceremony and the fight with Linguang-Jun, Mobei thought to leave a trap to his uncle, setting something on the steps to slow his uncle down.

Unfortunately for Airplane, he gets stuck on the trap as he runs away, Mobei-jun on his heels as the last of his strength is used to chase Qinghua.

The moment Qinghua turned around, time froze. Mobei-jun finds himself immobilised as Qinghua began to sing, his body frozen in time as his advisor belted and fluttered his voice, singing about choices.

The song ends, Mobei-Jun finally giving out as Qinghua runs away. Mobei-jun doesn't forget the song, and he understands what he must do.

[I have had "What is this Feeling" from Wicked and "On the Steps of the Palace" from Into The Woods on loop in my phone going platinum in my bedroom.

I made this entire thing from my delusions so uh, bon appetit I guess?]

[abbysimsfun]

Sims In Bloom: Generation 2 Pt. 112 (Spending Time With Family)

To mark Sportsball Sunday, River invited the Nesbitt-Gordons to Henford to watch the big game, but Heather was forced to stay behind in Brindleton Bay to work. (I was playing as the Nesbitts and invited the whole household over, but Heather never showed up!) Conrad was off duty and took Ash and Lavender to Heather's childhood home on his own - a big step considering how his past had been revealed before the holidays.

But this year's game wasn't that exciting, and the family was more content to spend time together - especially after they arrived in the midst of River extinguishing his own wife after a toilet fire! Time with family would always mean the most.

Though Cass was fine and the burns only on her clothing, Daisy remembered her fear after a similar incident left their youngest daughter, Hazel, with burn scars as a child. "We really need to replace that toilet, Neal."

He nodded in agreement. "You're right, love. It's time."

Lavender quickly found the upstairs stereo blasting Cassandra's favourite Latin music. "Auntie Cass dance?"

"I can teach you some moves," she offered warmly. "But only if you teach me your moves first."

Lavender loved sounds as much as she loved books, and she danced with her aunt to the music while Ash played with Michael in the yard.

(Lavender's 3 toddler quirks: Loves Sounds, Loves Books, and Destructive)

At halftime, River took Conrad outside. "I wanted to show you something, because I never would have come up with the idea if not for you. Remember when you suggested we try getting Mike to sleep by reading him The Giving Tree?"

"Of course. I'm glad it worked."

"We both fell in love with the story. And Henford has so many incredible old trees that can give us so much without ever being cut down like the tree in the book. Isle of Volpe Park needs a natural playground for people of all ages to enjoy or take shelter if it rains, and I think we should build a treehouse there."

"We?"

"Mayor Varner gave me planning permission, but he said the town can pay for the materials, not the labour. So I thought we could turn it into a campout and community building project at the beginning of spring, but I want you and Ash to be there, too...If you can get away from work."

"I'll talk to Heather, but it sounds like a great idea, Riv."

"Shut your stupid face, I'm not a lamp sim!" cried five-year-old Michael, racing into the house as Ash smirked in his wake.

"Then why's your ear plugged in?"

"Hey! What did you say to him?" Ash had never heard Conrad speak to him more sternly, and he turned back in surprise. Heather's family stood back quietly, refusing to intervene.

"He said he has a hearing aid, but he's not deaf. He doesn't even know SSL!"

"So? He doesn't need it. Not everyone who uses a hearing aid is deaf."

"Well, it looks funny."

"Ash, I want you to apologize to your cousin for being rude."

"He's a jerk, I don't want to!"

"So he said something that made you mad, and you made fun of his hearing aid in retaliation? Even though you're older and more mature than him, and you know better?"

Ash was quiet. "...I'll apologize."

Conrad nodded. "And you better get used to hanging out with your cousin. As long as your mom agrees, you and me are going camping in Isle of Volpe Park with your Uncle River and cousin Michael in the spring to help build a treehouse."

Ash's eyes lit up. "A treehouse? I'll go camping with just you? No mommy, no Lavender?"

"This will be a boys weekend," said his Uncle River. "Just camping in the national park and building a treehouse together."

Ash's grandfather, Neal, joined them outside in his outerwear after a quick run through Finchwick. "And when it's done, you can play in the treehouse, too - but not if you're going to be mean to your cousin. I'll make you stay at the house pulling up weeds with your grandmother and me."

Ash went inside to apologize, and Neal studied Conrad closely. "You're good with him," he noted with a smile. "He respects you. Keep that up. He needs your influence."

"I'm surprised you'd say that after finding out I kept my past from everyone. And we still haven't solved the case."

"But since then, my family still sleeps soundly in their beds at night. I know I don't have to tell you how important it is to put all of this behind you, but you're a good man. We all know you're trying."

Conrad returned home that night with the kids, grateful he'd had a chance to clear the air with his future father-in-law. But Heather was dismayed when he reported how Ash had treated his cousin. She took away his TV privileges for a week, and Conrad spoke to Ash again over a game of chess.

"You don't know this about me, but when I was younger, I used hearing aids until I was big enough to have surgery to repair my inner ears. My hearing was a lot worse than Michael's, but I wasn't deaf."

"I saw a picture of you with Daddy when you were kids, and you weren't wearing anything on your ears except glasses."

He nodded. "I didn't like to wear them all the time because people made fun of me. But when I didn't wear them it was always harder on me than it was on anybody else."

Ash considered this. "I shouldn't have told Michael he was a lamp sim," he admitted. Though he'd apologized already, only now did he truly understand why.

"You don't want to go through life being a bully," Conrad assured him. "People don't like bullies. You're a great kid, and I care about you just as much as I care about your sister, but if someone makes you feel bad, you don't have to make them feel bad in return. Talk about it with your mom and me, instead, because we want to make sure you always know how much we love you."

Ash smiled. "I love you, too, Conrad."

Heather was proud of the way Conrad had handled Ash's behaviour, and not least because River texted about Neal's approval before Conrad and the kids had returned to Brindleton Bay.

But her swooning pride was interrupted by a knock at the door, and she was shocked to see Hazel standing before her with a suitcase.

"Can I stay with you a while? I quit my job and Nicola divorced me. Just like that. She walked into the courthouse and ended it like we haven't been together for almost a decade."

"What do you mean she divorced you? And why did you quit your job?"

Hazel rolled her eyes. "Have you got three days? That might be how long it takes me to tell the story."

"Well, Dandelion, you can stay here as long as you need. So if it'll take three days to find out what happened, you better get started." ->

<- Previous Chapter | Gen 2 Start | Gen 2.1 Summary

Gen 1 Start | Gen 1 Summary

Stretching Hazel and Nicola's story over three days allowed me to push some other parts of the story to after the (real life) holidays, which I liked, and it kept Hazel and Nicola's post from being too long for a one-off. So Hazel and Nicola's Cozy Celebrations will start tomorrow but still finish up on Christmas Eve, and the Nesbitt-Gordons will be back in focus on December 26th when the family volunteers at a soup kitchen.

[ferrarifinnick]

WHO WANTS TO BE A DADDY | THE HUNGER GAMES HEADCANON

i absolutely loved exploring this with thg boys. we only ever really see katniss’ opinion on parenthood in the books, and it was so much fun exploring these perspectives. also i know everyone hates gale but honestly he’s so fun to write for. moody and stoic. just how i like ‘em!

set post-rebellion. if they want kids + how many/genders that suits them best.

includes: gale, finnick, peeta

warnings: none

gale would absolutely want to be a father, but just not for some time after the rebellion is won and over. i can see him moving back to the new district 12, building a new house for you both to live in, far away from the ruins he watched go up in flames. i think this would be his project for a while. it would be his way to grieve the loss of his old life, while focussing on building a new one. with you. i can see this being therapeutic for him, and i can see his younger siblings helping him with painting the walls and his mother cooking a meal for you to eat together once the project is complete. and as gale is eating in your new home with his family, i think he would realise that he no longer has to provide for them like he has since his dad died. they will be alright without him now, and he can finally live a life of his own. after his family goes back to their new home, i think he would finally tell you that he’s ready and wants to start this new chapter right away. but most importantly, he wants to start it with you.

i think gale would shine best with two boys, partly because he can fill the void his father’s death left in him, and to turn them into better men than he was growing up.

i’m going to defy canon and say that finnick doesn’t really have a preference. i think his attitude would be that if it happens, it happens, and if it doesn’t, that’s fine too. it would be something he’d like fate to decide, i think. after all, finnick is much more interested in all things you than about what you can or can’t give him. but that’s not to say he wouldn’t be completely overcome with excitement if you did happen to fall pregnant. i think he would occasionally wonder what your baby would look like, if it would have your eyes or his smile, and he’d spend a lot of his free time thinking of names that incorporate your favourite flowers and colours, just in case. but if you didn’t ever fall pregnant, i can see him being equally content in taking the number one spot on the list of people that you love.

finnick is definitely great with kids. i think he’d shine best as a girl dad or as the fun uncle katniss and peeta’s kids see occasionally for holidays.

peeta has three priorities in life: propose to you, marry you, and then have beautiful babies with you. plural, because peeta has so much love for you that it couldn’t possibly be contained to just you. no, he needs extensions of you, so that he can share his love with them, too. i think peeta would take his role as a husband and father incredibly seriously, and that would include cooking every meal for your family, organising family game nights every week, etc. but he would even do little things like filling up a vase with fresh flowers every week for you, crafting his own stories to read to your kids every night (and he’d definitely make a picture book to go along with it), and really taking the time to meet the emotional needs of your family. most of all, he wants to make the kind of loving family that he wished for but never had.

he would do best as a father to at least one girl and one boy, if not more. he would definitely make saturday mornings a baking day, with you and the kids helping to bake some treats for game night later that day.

lmk what other headcanons you’d like to explore. like, comment, reblog. love <3

[a-bit-too-critical]

Oh yeah, stupid obvious problems with the plot of sinsmas:

1. How the hell is Stolas able to harm Andrelphus?? Andre has even more power than before (enough to form ice in large sculptures, animate said sculptures, so yeah he’s powerful), and Stolas is literally on the power level of an Imp now. If anything I could see a joke where Stolas tries to punch Andre and gets flung back immediately, then has a mental breakdown realizing he can’t do shit to stop any of the Goetia against him

2. …so do hellhounds just have crazy ah quadrupedal forms now??? Why??? They’re the lowest class in hell they have no right to transform into big beats that could easily maul the imps, hellborn, and maybe even sinners they are supposed to work for. Makes 0 sense. Hellhounds should have no extra forms and human forms should be accessible via asmodean crystals and royal objects such as the grimore, not just a thing hellhounds can do.

And some miscellaneous stuff not related to plot issues or holes but just wanted to talk about em:

- The Stolitz dance was just a glaring reminder of Viv changing her stories based on fanwork. Two Stolitz animatics that became very popular a few years ago (Sway and Greg and Rose Dance) are so clearly inspirations for the dance. Blitz climbing up on something, an intimate and comforting moment at the end, cheesy romance music, it’s literally all there like cmon Viv :/. Dance styles are pretty similar too. Inspo is fine but this really feels like she’s just taking fan ideas again

- ohhhh look who came running back to Viv 😭

- I also wanted to yap about Millie’s pregnancy because there’s about 6 possible outcomes that I could see Viv going for:

The best outcome: Millie doesn’t want the baby, her and Moxxie discuss and eventually decide on abortion. Millie trusts Sally May with all her heart and decides to confide in her, which proceeds to turn her whole family against her. Could be a good commentary on how these kinds of political nothing-burgers can straight up tear tight knit families to shreds, and for what? A woman’s personal decision? I’d love for them to show how stupid it is for families to be torn apart over politics, but that’ll never happen

The other great outcome: Millie debates heavily on what to do over the course of many episodes, but eventually her and Moxxie come to the conclusion to keep it and we get a fun arc of them raising a kid and pulling Imp closer together along with their relationship

The neutral outcome: Millie gets rid of it and it’s not really addressed for more than one episode, it’s just kinda there lmao

The pretty freaking bad outcome: Same as the great outcome except the child is used as a substitute for Octavia by Stolas and they basically become his child :/

The really, really bad outcome: Millie is forced to “accept the gift of life” and raise a child she doesn’t want or some stupid pro-life commentary

The Jesus Christ Viv why outcome: extremely sexualized and unnecessarily long pregnancy and birth scene, no I wouldn’t be surprised if this actually happened

So yeah, this could either be great or one of the worst things that has ever come from this show

[phoenixkaptain]

Really all three of the Sonic movies are a masterclass in making films geared towards fans while still creating new stories, but Sonic 3 especially because like. They listened! The fans said “we don’t like all these human parts” and the movie went “alright” and there are almost no scenes starring solely the human characters. Even in scenes prominently featuring them, Sonic and friends either show up (making the scene no longer solely focused on humans) or they’re focused in some way on what Sonic’s doing. Like damn man, they really… Listened? And accepted the criticism they received?? And improved??? And they even technically made the wedding subplot in 2 relevent to the plot????

I really liked the movie! Part of that is my fondness for Shadow, who I will never ever get over being the saddest little ultimate lifeform in the whole world. And movie Shadow really ticks all the boxes, I mean- the way he talks so stiltedly? The way he skates? The way he teleports? The fact that he doesn’t even initiate the majority of fights? The fluffiest little ultimate lifeform in ever, truly, 2024/10 for the year of Shadow-

I like this Shadow. The opening scene of him escaping is just beautiful. Him being all drenched filled me with an urge to blowdry him so he could puff up like a lil angry cat. He’s so legitimately awkward and confused watching the Eggmans that I watched his expression more than what either Robotnik was doing. He looks so confused! He’s over there like “somehow, the human has grown weirder with age… and here I thought humans were supposed to grow wiser…”

Also Maria’s face when Shadow gets sad because the movie they’re watching is called “Alien Freak” or whatever??? Beautiful, amazing, outstanding, give this lady an Oscar.

Sonic’s relationship with Shadow throughout the movie is so fun to watch progress. He just canNOT stand this guy!!! This new hedgehog who has definitely been around longer than him!!! Let Sonic be angy, it is so cute.

Tails and Knuckles are also very cute, though they feel a lot more sidelined. Which, I mean, literally every single character aside from Sonic, Shadow, and Robotnik have no character arc. And that’s fine! That’s good, even! Side characters don’t need to be focused on so intently! It only feels strange because Sonic 2 was so different in where it focused, but it isn’t a bad thing! Do I wish there was more Tails? Always. Do I think Knuckles was great just because he could have punched through the barrier really at any moment? Absolutely. I think the characters fit their roles in the movie very well.

All in all, I like Shadow. He is the saddest little ultimate hedgehog lifeform in the history of ever. He isn’t even all that angry for most of the movie. He’s just sad and lost and hopeless and it’s very depressing! Guy really tried to taunt his way into being killed, and I just think him trying to irritate Sonic into committing murder is funny, especially since it very nearly worked. Also, the scenes of Shadow jumpscaring everyone makes me assume that he has been jumpscaring people for years, which causes me to imagine that there were many occasions of GUN agents finding a Shadow where there was not a Shadow five seconds before. When did he get into the cupboard? How long has he been standing behind that door? Can we put a bell on the hedgehog, please, this is getting out of hand!

In my imagined future Shadow series where Shadow becomes friends with Sonic and pals, Maddie makes him wear a little bell so he stops giving everyone heart attacks. He still manages to give everyone heart attacks. I like to think they will occasionally wake up to find him standing at the foot of the bed ominously. Shadow is a eldritch cat monster, I’m pretty sure that was made canon-

Anyway. TLDR: 10/10 movie. The creators listened to the criticism they received on the second movie and made changes. Shadow was perfect. Sonic being taken off guard by Shadow will never not be funny, nor will their banter grow old. The dog has subtitles and I can only assume it’s because Knuckles and only Knuckles can understand him. Stone’s love was reciprocated in the very end. And yeah, I’m with the menacing hedgehog, Gabriella should have just killed Juan and Pablo both and been done with it.

[strawhattery]

happy holidays! as my own little nod to the twelve days of christmas, i've made a list of twelve zosan fanfiction recommendations! i hope you enjoy them as much as i do!

this list was originally posted to my bluesky—complete with screenshots of the AO3 listings, which i didn't include here because the post was already really long. there's no particular order to the lists other than what was on my mind each day i posted over there!

the joy of cocking by unity1814

why i recommend it: this is a story about sanji's sexual awakening, and it's brimming with charm, silliness, and heart. the really love how this author portrays the way sanji understands the world & himself through cooking.

under these unpromising auspices by mithrilwren

why i recommend it: a delightful subversion of the "only one bed" trope, the intimacy captured in this pre-relationship fic is so special, and the author's razor-sharp characterizations really shine.

where the real road lies by theroyalsavage

why i recommend it: everything about this hades au is perfect. this author's writing style is stunning and immersive, and the zosan dynamic here is that fun, engaging blend of combative and devoted that i LOVE.

informal swordfighting, and the sorts by naturecalls111

why i recommend it: this story is bursting with wit and irreverent charm, and the zosan dynamic here is probably the funniest i've ever read. a must read for fans of romantic comedies and modern AUs!

icarus, down and out by trixree

why i recommend it: this au PERFECTLY translates the straw hats from canon into a modern world, and the way this author writes sanji learning about & falling for zoro is so good that /i/ felt half in love with him by the end!

swordbearer by glassedplanets

why i recommend it: a masterclass in outsider pov, this author perfectly captures several dynamics of zosan's relationship (and the whole straw hat crew!) and delivers it through a deeply sympathetic—and stunning—portrayal of hiyori.

in the cracks of light (i dreamed of you) by abandonedstrawberry

why i recommend it: this was the first zosan fic i ever bookmarked (and i FREQUENTLY reread it!) 🥹 i adore the zoro perspective in this as well as the perfect blend of zosan's bickering with their more vulnerable moments.

strip by aishahiwatari

why i recommend it: this is the definitive OPLA!zosan fic for me. this author captures sanji through zoro's eyes in the most arresting way, with immersive, lush descriptions of him in all his infuriating attractiveness.

the things you don't see by fruityumbrella

why i recommend it: this author has a gift for writing relationships that feel real & lived in. the conflict & resolution in this story are believable & handled SO WELL. plus: a world-class zoro and nami scene!

search and rescue by megatonnetalon

why i recommend it: i can't recommend this series highly enough. it's a modern au bursting with SO MANY charming, genius details & it had my cheeks hurting from smiling by the end. i could NOT put it down once i started.

hold me down by mellish

why i recommend it: a canonverse story with a fun & inventive plot device that does a great job of using sanji's WCI backstory to craft a compelling post-enies lobby sanji POV. if you love zoro taking care of sanji, this is for you!

pied de biche by batman

why i recommend it: i've shared a few fics so far of zoro taking care of sanji, but in this post-enies lobby story, sanji takes care of zoro. and then some. the prose here is so lush and painterly, it's GORGEOUS.

[kaibutsushidousha]

what did you think about skadi's handling in arctic summer world? as an ibuki fan i'm puzzled as to why she agreed to skadi's request to stop, but any general insight into what aspects of her were explored here is appreciated.

Thanks to Odin's questionable kindness, Scáthach-Skadi is the last survivor of Ragnarök. That's a situation she's very displeased with and her every major appearance has been her trying to process her grief in some way.

The most relevant attempt is obviously her Lostbelt. She was initially grateful for the lengths Odin went to keep her alive and believed she also needed to go great lengths to preserve the world he left her with. Skadi ruled for 3000 as the most anti-violence Lostbelt King we've ever seen. She constantly had her eyes on her world, and micromanaged all the humans and Jotunns so that there would be no fighting in her world.

She was unquestionably devoted to her Lostbelt, but by no means she made a good job. Her messed up decisions came at great personal cost for the giants who couldn't think for themselves, the humans who only got to live until age 25 at most, and to Skadi herself who had to overexert herself to keep everything in check while also maintain Surtr's seal. Skadi was a joyless woman stuck in the joyless world of her own design. Absolutely no one benefitted from her dystopia.

But playable Skadi is obviously not like that. The world that was hers to care is already gone, and she finds herself free from her queenly chains of responsibility for what might as well be the first time ever. In Chaldea, she's characterized as very lost and clueless. Someone Medb and the other Scáthach need to introduce to so many things she could never see in her small, enclosured world. She has something of a background arc through many cameos with her experiencing many new things, from food (ice cream, takoyaki, alien monster sashimi) to roles for herself (fairy godmother for Lizderella and Martha, and of course, park administrator).

There's also her Interlude, but I'll get back to it later. The reason why I covered this whole recap of Skadi's character is because Skadi's part in Arctic Summer World also feels like a recap of her character. A return to her origins without the previous stakes. In this less messed up environment, Skadi remains as awful an administrator as she was always and remains self-destructively overworking herself for something the people she's serving didn't ask for.

The difference here is that Götterdämmerung is a story about Ophelia's inability to distinguish love from emotional abuse, so Skadi had to carry the important role of sincerely loving mother that made everything worse for everyone, while Summer Skadi is in a role where she can review her mistake and not create Super Fun & Colorful Götterdämmerung 2.

But the part about vaguely self-biographical manga being the medium that lets her examine her past and assess what she needs to do feels like a mark of progress for herself and more like a mark of progress for Jalter as a mentor sharing with others what brought her solace.

As for Ibuki, I think she just stopped because she knew she wouldn't get what she wanted from Skadi's current state. Ibuki wanted things to get joyous and lively, so she ordered Douman to give the Grail to someone full of love. Douman's choice was Skadi because his initial mission was interacting with the Lostbelt Kings, so he was very aware of her love. I don't think Douman was too surprised by the mistakes Skadi repeated here. If Skadi and Fujimaru say they're unwilling, then who is Ibuki throwing this party for?

I get that the end is sudden, but I feel like it works really well for Skadi's long-term characterization. The Scandinavian Lostbelt was a shit place to because Skadi had no respect for anyone's autonomy. After going to Chaldea, disrespecting other people's autonomies remained a recurring problem with Skadi, with Summer Caenis, Lizderella, and Santa Martha all being unconsented transformations.

But then came her Interlude, with the conclusion being that even though she eventually found new happiness in Chaldea because of Odin making her survive and endure 3000 years of trauma, this is not something she wanted, so Odin violated her autonomy and she doesn't need to feel grateful for it. Skadi's consent issues disappear entirely after this Interlude, but since Arctic Summer World was so shortly after it, I like to believe that Skadi saying no and Ibuki immediately respecting also played a part in fixing her flaw.

[starkenobi]

Demonic Domination | MASTERLIST

masterlist

Sumary: Y/N doesn't classify herself as a vigilante or, as people on the internet say, an antihero. No, she's just an occult detective with a fucking amnesia trying to create a new life beyond her secret mutant status. At first, she really tried to keep a normal civilian life, but it's difficult when you're rescued from a dark place by a man dressed as a mummy ninja calling himself Moon Knight. So, anyway, working as an occult detective makes her travel around the world, and it's cool because it gives her a lot of stories... Until her feet touch New York's ground. It's all downhill from there.

Pairings: Natasha Romanoff x Fem!Reader; Bucky Barnes x Fem!Reader; Matt Murdock x Fem!Reader.

Warnings: +18 romance; angst; fluff; smut; violence; torture; gore; cursing; pseudo harem; not following 100% mcu events; feelings. English isn't my first language, so please be kind. chapters have their own warnings, too, for safety.

MAIN STORY CHAPTERS (coming january)

1] Lo Hecho Esta Hecho | on a rainy night, y/n is rescued by moon knight, and for a while, london becomes her home. but no one can really escape fate, not when your former lover is death herself.

2] Nuns on Cocaine | maybe traveling around the world solving cases and dealing with cryptids isn't that bad, unfortunately someone decided that was a great idea to play around with the occult and scientific shit, now y/n needs to clean some superheroes' mess.

3] Boss Bitch | y/n isn't one to be intimidated. yes, her memory is shit and she can't really explain her knowledge, but she knows how things go. she can deal with vigilantes, their work similar to hers, there's no glamour or riches. but fuck superheroes and their super shit, y'know? even if they're hot and gorgeous as fuck.

4] Voulez-Vous? | there's an expectation in the air, a tension that's not only about want or need. of course, there's a fricking bomb and a targed on her back. if only she could remember why. at least she has the devil on her side.

5] Seal It With a Kiss | a crush, a casual fling, a passionate night, a you're made for me, a can't lose you now, a maybe im already falling in love. but y/n will deny it till the end. she's not going soft. she'll lie through her teeth, but a promise is a promise, even if you don't say the words out loud.

6] Murder On The Dance Floor | she should have seen it coming. of course, nothing is that simple. she's not jealous of their past, but she can't ignore the feeling of trying to keep up with them. she's stuck in the middle. now isn't fun anymore.

7] People Disappear Here | she knows every one of them has a terrible past (and ghosts), but this chaotic dirty nightmare is hers, so fuck it. she's going swinging it like the devil. maybe it's time to finally be the boring grown-up.

8] No Good Deed Goes Unpunished | her past officially came like a wrecking ball, nowhere to run or hide. with her memories back, she wishes everything was different. and then there's the most important question: how much does a life cost? she doesn't know, she can't fucking die.

EXTRAS:

moodboards: y/n | natasha romanoff | bucky barnes | matt murdock

characters list: moon knight boys; tony stark; clint barton; steve rogers; frank castle; wade wilson; bruce banner; logan; kate bishop; yelena belova; maria hill; fury; thor; scott lang; wanda maximoff; pepper potts; peter parker; stephen strange.

[meggiejolly]

A Quiet Storm (I Think It's You)

This is a gift for @monologichno written for the Steddie Winter Exchange 2024 ( @steddieexchange )

Happy Holidays, I hope you enjoy your gift and that I hit on some of your favourite tropes in the right way. I had fun writing these two figuring their stuff out. Eddie was a little all over the place in some places, but I hope I wrangled this into a coherent story. 

Summary: Eddie doesn't postpone Hellfire campaigns. The weather doesn't care about that and when a snow storm cancels Hellfire for him, Steve and Eddie make the best out of a bad situation and spend the day with food, blanket forts and some feelings that have been buried beneath their relationship as roommates and occasional friends with benefits. Relationship: Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson Tags: Roommates, Friends with Benefits, Blanket Fort, Getting Together, Blow Jobs Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/61518877

"It's really coming down out there," Steve said, looking outside their living room window. 

"Is it?" Eddie asked while going through the notes for that night's campaign. "Bad enough that the kids have to stay over after Hellfire?"

"Nah, more like bad enough that they might not even make it here tonight." 

"What!" Eddie exclaimed dramatically and jumped up to join Steve at the window. "Doesn't the weather know I don't postpone campaigns?!"

Steve shrugged, amused by Eddie's antics. "I doubt the weather cares about your nerd game, dude." 

Eddie scoffed. "You can call it nerd game," he made air quotes around that, "all you like, but I know you pay attention when we play and I know you're dying to find out how they'll manage to defeat the second Displacer Beast and if Inspector Grotesque is still alive." 

Steve had the decency to look a little embarrassed. "Yeah well, maybe. You're just a really great story teller, Eddie." 

Eddie had to fight a pleased little grin and instead turned back to the window. "Looks like you'll have to wait a little longer for the conclusion to that story. I haven't seen that much snow in years." 

As if on cue, the phone rang and Steve went to pick it up. 

"Harrington. - Yeah we figured. - No, of course, stay safe. - Eddie will survive." He was clearly talking to one of the kids who had called to cancel and Eddie dropped into a dramatic heap by the window. 

"You don't know if I'll survive. I might die from a lack of DnD. It's been known to happen!"

Steve just laughed at him and Eddie huffed. "Rude." 

"Yeah, that was him. He's being dramatic. I'll have him call you to reschedule once the weather has calmed down. - Yeah, we'll call them. - You too, say hi to your mom from me. Bye." Steve hung up the phone and walked back over to Eddie, offering him a hand to help him up. 

"That was Dustin. His mom won't let him leave. He's calling Lucas and Max, and wants us to call Mike, Will, and El." 

Eddie allowed Steve to pull him up with a defeated groan. 

Continue on AO3

[ohcheezusitsevie]

Evie's Quacktacular Spectacular Celebration (A Competition for No Reason)

Ducks are beautiful(Tommy: Oh, dear God...). And I wanted to celebrate their existence. January 19th is National Duck Day and January 13th is National Rubber Ducky Day...which is bull shit! Everyday, under Evie, is duck day. Why? Because there is nothing greater than a duck and a slab of cheese...man, I love cheese, too. Cheese goes with everything. And ducks? Man's best friend(Tommy: That is a dog, Evie, a dog). IN EVIE LAND...ducks are a man's best friend......Anyway, let's look at 5 great things about ducks!

Any questions so far?! (Finn: What planet are you from?). Daddy! (Tommy: Finn, we know Evie is...different, but let's just get on with it, eh....). Okay, good...any questions about DUCKS? (John: they go well with a nice fig sauce. Arthur: I do like a nice roasted duck...). We don't eat ducks in Evie land! Anyway, seeing as we don't have a single intelligent thought among us about the slide show...I'm moving on......

To celebrate the beauty of ducks, I will host a competition. It is not a serious one, but just something silly for laughs. Anyone in the Peaky Blinders fandom can contribute, whether or not they follow my story. :) As long as you are 18 and over. None of the sections are overly strenuous or hard, but all three are incredibly silly. Please enjoy and there will be prizes! You can join all three, but you cannot submit more than one submission per a game. :) All entries must be submitted by Friday, January 3rd at 8:00pm EST. All winners will be announced Saturday, January 4th at 8:00pm EST. Some Rules: ---> You can enter all three games, but you can only submit once per a game. You can win a spot in all three, but you can't win #1 in more than one.

---> You don't have to follow Novashelby or ohcheezusitsevie, but all submissions have to be submitted to ohcheezusitsevie. You want to submit it through the ask box and you can't be on anon!

---> For the drawing, it has to be YOUR OWN. For the joke, you can use a previously published one, just tell me where you got it.

In game one, you will submit a little drawing that you did of a duck. You are probably wondering to yourself, I CAN'T DRAW. And guess what? You should still do it because it is funny and for fun. I am not judging on accuracy or artistic skills. I am judging solely on how much I smiled and giggled. :) This drawing doesn't have to take fancy art supplies or a lot of time. Just a pencil is fine! Prizes: -> There are 3 winners spots and so, there are 3 prices. ->1st Place: You will win a 1,000 word one-shot. Nova, my creator, will write anything of your choosing within the Peaky Blinders Fandom. It can be an OTP, smut, fluff, Y/N, and so on and so forth. ->2nd Place: You will win an 800 word one shot that abides by the same rules as above. -> 3rd Place: You will win a 500 word One Shot that abides by the same criteria as above!

This one is really silly! And kind of a lie because...there are no ugly ducks(Finn: Really? I can name one-OW!). Ignore him, he's insignificant. In this game, you will find the "ugliest" duck picture you find and submit it. The one that makes me snort my choccy milk out of my nose the hardest, wins. These pictures should be kind to the ducks...obviously nothing that shows abuse or neglect. We don't like that in Evie land. And no ducks with fig sauce on it, either....(John: ☹️). Prizes:

->There will be three winners, and so there will be three prizes.

-> 1st Place: You will win a Moodboard of your chosen theme, and Nova will surprise you with a 200 word drabble. ->2nd Place: You will win a Moodboard of your chosen theme, and Nova will surprise you with a 100 word drabble. -> 3rd Place: You will win a Moodboard with a 50 word drabble of your choice.

For this game, you can either send in an original joke or the funniest one you find. They have to be duck oriented, but no jokes about abuse or eating ducks. :( Only duck friendly jokes. If you get it from elsewhere, you should tell me where. :) And the joke that makes daddy laugh the most, wins. (Tommy: what?! Evie, you can't just subject people to things...I did not agree to this. Am I being compensated?). And that will be hard, considering Daddy hasn't laughed since 1914.....I'll give him some whiskey before...

Prizes:

-> There will be three winners and three prizes!

->1st Place: 350 word drabble of your chosen themes and characters. -> 2nd Place: 250 word drabble of the same criteria as above. ->3rd Place: 150 word drabble of the same criteria as above!

Well, that's it for now folks! I urge everyone to join whether or not they are familiar with me. :) It is all for silly laughs and fun, and Miss. Nova just wants people to have a good time. There is no need to follow or be following Nova or me. Remember, all submissions should be entered here at this blog, not Novashelby. If you have any questions, remember to ask them at this blog as well. :) Remember, adhere to the deadlines and rules.

Have fun my ducky friends!

[muxas-world2]

@rooooooossssssse Cause the ranch wasn’t the reason—I don’t even think Marc believes that. Since the doc, he barely brings it up. For me 2022 Marc is fun as hell when talking about Rosquez because he has this “move on but I’m setting the record straight” vibe. Really think the ranch incident and the whole infamous narrative abaut the race track record around it? That’s just Marc being a dick with his comments (as he shuld). The whole ranch’s thing whit context seem less important in terms of their right or fight cause , Marc didn’t even win that race, and there are multiple accounts of what really went down. Yes they were trying to kill one and another and went crazy but like for all acaunts and videos seems ther were having fun for example, Lacave (who I usually take with a grain of salt but he has a great rosquez article that is well documented and has good sources) wrote a pretty solid piece about the incident. According to that, Uccio was already mad at Marc and tried to badmouth him to Vale, saying, “He comes here with his mechanics, etc.” But even during the ranch race, Vale dismissed most of that drama.

I think what really happened is that Vale probably felt a bit weird seeing Marc show up with his own mechanic to what was supposed to be an amateur-style race. That’s all. The real fallout didn’t start there. It was the result of everything else that year the incidents, the escalating tension, and the whole story we already know from different perspectives.

In my opinion, Vale started to distance himself from Marc(and others people like idk his ex ) because, after the first test and early races in 2015, he realized that this was his year his last real shot to win a championship and finally claim that 10th title. By then, the Vale that Marc met in 2013–14, who was more relaxed and less focused, was kinda gone 2015 Vale was much different, and completely centered on the championship. That’s why he probably felt more vale more distant and acted the way he did like probably at the beginning it wasn’t just about Marc or the fears it was about the pressure of knowing this was his final chance to really get the 10th.

[classicanalyzer]

What If Season 3 - What If... Agatha Went to Hollywood? Thoughts

"Everyone has a story worth telling. Even two lost souls on the wrong path. But sometimes, all it takes is a trip to the movies to remind you that anything is possible, even a happy ending. Then again, who doesn't love a cliffhanger." Uatu

This episode goes so hard. I really love the dynamic between Agatha and Kinko. Howard and Jarvis are a comedic blast. It's such a fun episode playing around with three diva characters who would've been around by this point of the timeline. The episode is also a love letter to cinema and the history of 1940s Hollywood with little details sprinkled out. This is What If at its best.

I love how this AU results from Agatha learning of Tiamut's existence. I also can't believe and love how What If also connects to Agent Carter since Howard did try to become a movie director (with mixed results to say the least). I think they also brought back Bernard Stark when Jarvis was trying to shoo away a flamingo from the set.

The dance choreography goes so fucking hard. I love musicals, so to see a musical dance number in the MCU is pretty great. The Hollywood and Bollywood dancing and music styles meshed really well in this episode. It was a pretty smart idea to acknowledge Agatha's power absorption powers would make it relatively easy for her to take the Eternals' powers. The real goats are the dancing teams of Agatha and Kingo for improvising so well during their fight lmao. Howard mentioning the Hinderberg is pretty funny since Agatha All Along said Agatha was suspected of causing the Hinderberg's destruction.

Agatha is amazing. Kathryn Hahn really loves playing this character and you can tell it. Whoever had the idea of pairing her up with Howard, Jarvis, and Kingo deserves a raise. I really love how she really leans into the actress role so much that she loves it by the end. Her Celestial design is simply beautiful. Her costumes are also great. Agatha becoming a Celestial would've been so in-character for her if she knew about them like we saw in this universe. There's something funny and cathartic about Arishem the Judge calling Agatha, a witch who lived through the Salem period, a heretic, then Agatha proceeding to beat the shit out of Arishem, that was a great historical joke.

I really love Kingo in this episode as well. While the Eternals was flawed, it had a great cast and worldbuilding. I love how Kingo was able to reach out to Agatha by appealing to an empty void inside of them until they did film. I really love his speech to Agatha. Stories whether that be film, games, etc inspire other people like me and I really connected with what he meant. It just reminds you that Kingo has a lot of depth to his character. I will say Kingo turning on Arishem in exchange for a three-picture deal is pretty hilarious (and other requests including his friends being freed). All the Eternals had to do was offer him that lmao. Kumail Nanjiani did an amazing job playing this character.

Jarvis eventually accepts the insanity and chaotic nature of the cast, which is pretty funny to see. He's such a comedic riot in the episode alongside the rest.

This episode really is one of the best episodes. This really showcases What If using its premise to create stories we never thought we needed until now.

"At some point, somewhere in our lives, the world made us feel small, so we set out to show them. But, Agatha, you never needed all this power. Because you've always had the only magic you'd ever really needed to leave your mark on the world." Kingo

"Uh-huh, uh-huh. And what magic is that?" Agatha Harkness

"The movies. The movies are magic, Agatha. Hell, they're better than magic. Because they change the world by changing people. By making them feel something real. And with that kind of power, you don't have to be feared. Because you can be adored." Kingo

"You can't possibly understand how long I've worked for this." Agatha Harkness

"Well, I've been on Earth for thousands of years, so I kinda do. And if you're anything like me, maybe all this time, you've just been looking for the right collaborator. So, what do you say? Wanna change the world? For real?" Kingo

[reddblight]

So I started a fun lil thing, idk what i’m gonna do with this atm, but i like it. Some spoilers for Harumasa’s story quest btw, if u haven’t played it yet you’ce been warned. Thinking of calling this Cat & the Canary if i do continue it.

Seth needs an apartment.

He’s been on the force for over half a year now and mostly he’s hopped back and forth from the precinct to his parents place. Which is fine for him! He doesn’t mind it. He’s never been a guy who really needed much personal space, honestly he doesn’t really know what he’d do with most of it given the opportunity. But as he’s once again pulled aside by Zhu Yuan he’s reminded.

“Officer Seth, how are you settling in?” They’re standing in a mostly empty hall, two officers on the far end having a friendly conversation about their weekends.

“Same as last week Captain,” Seth briefly notices that her posture is a little stiff and her smile seems a little worried. “Can’t really complain. You and all the other officers have been taking care of me well! Why do you ask?”

The captain sighs, deflating slightly, “Seth, I know I’ve said it before, but you really should get your own apartment. Qingyi has noted that you sleep here between 3-4 nights a week on average. I’m just worried is all.”

Zhu Yuan and Qingyi have been suggesting this to him for about a month now, albeit more subtly on Qingyi’s part. Seth was beginning to think they make a decent point. He doesn’t mind the barracks, and the lack of a commute is certainly nice, but he doesn’t really have a place to put things, or take his friends to hang out. He just doesn’t know how he’d manage his own apartment… it’s intimidating.

Zhu Yuan’s hand found its way, now resting on Seth’s shoulder as she met his eyes directly. “Promise me you’ll think about it at least?”

“Promise, I will.” He gave her a lopsided smile in return.

Which is why he now found himself sitting on his bed in the barracks. Thinking about it. It’s certainly not like he couldn’t afford a place if he really wanted to, his parents give him plenty in his weekly allowance that he keeps saved up. He just doesn’t wanna live off his parents’ money for the rest of his life. He’s got a decent amount saved up from his salary, so he could probably afford a smaller place for a while.

He pulls out his phone and readjusts his pillow to get marginally more comfortable on his maybe 4 inch mattress. He starts scrolling through some apartment listings. What neighborhoods should he look at though… It’d be nice to live near some friends, have someone to hang out with nearby. He opens a new interknot tab and looks at Zhu Yuan’s neighborhood and wOAH! That’s certainly a bit expensive for what he can afford right now, damn cap, good for you. Hm… who else. Qingyi lives in the precinct because she’s technically government property. Oh, Jane! Wait… where does Jane live? Huh.

Well that’s fine! He’s got other friends outside of work. Like… uh… Oh! Like the managers! Sixth street is pretty nice, and Wise & Belle are always inviting him to eat at General Chop’s, so at least he’d be closer to that. He’s pretty sure he remembers seeing an apartment complex across the street from Random Play. Seth rushes to open a tab and see if there are any open rentals in the building. Luckily there are a couple! Unluckily they’re all 2 bedrooms. Uff, he doesn’t need a 2 bedroom, he barely knows what he’d do with all the space in a 1 bedroom. It’d be so much easier if someone else could decorate the space and help him with all these application processes he knows literally nothing about.

Wait a minute. Seth, you’re a genius! A roommate! ‘Great thinking Seth.’ ‘Thank you Seth, I appreciate that.’

Maybe he does need to get out more…

Hmmmmmmm, a roommate. Does he know anyone who’s looking for an apartment? It’d certainly be easier if he did. Finding someone new to move in with him sounds kinda exhausting. Think Seth, think!

Seth gets up and walks over to the bathrooms to start brushing his teeth as he thinks. He’s so sure he heard someone he knows is looking for a place. He doesn’t think he imagined it.

Ooh! He does know someone looking for an apartment! Or at least he’s pretty sure he does. Didn’t the Captain bring up that Asaba Harumasa was looking for an apartment too? He’s like 83% sure she was talking with Executive Officer Hoshimi about it the other day. He’ll have to ask her tomorrow to make sure.

He excitedly skips back to his bed, earning a few odd looks from other officers trying to sleep in the barracks.

Seth and Harumasa haven’t always seen eye to eye in everything. Harumasa seemed to assume a lot of things about Seth and tended to steer clear of him most of the time while they were at the academy, but when they did talk he was snarky, a little but of an ass, and a lot of what he said tended to go over Seth’s head. But then, just last month they’d had that weird conversation at Port Elpis. Seth had thought they were arguing, Harumasa had said that awful thing about people with Ether Aptitude Regression Syndrome, but then when Seth had yelled at him about it he’d seemed to soften. He’d said “Seth Lowell, you’re an honest man. You’re going to make an excellent public security officer.”

Seth found his tail raising slightly at the memory. It had been such an odd interaction, another strange conversation with Harumasa that seemingly went over his head. His colleague had thought Harumasa was making fun of him, but Seth disagreed. He sounded so… genuine, so sure.

Ahem anyway.

So maybe it wouldn’t be so awful if he asked Harumasa to be his roommate. Worst case scenario if they didn’t get along he knew they could at least be civil, not like they’d really see each other all the time either with the odd hours their jobs could have. Really just weekends, and they would potentially have separate rooms.

Yeah, it was all coming together now. Seth got under the thin sheets of his cot and smiled to himself, committing to ask Zhu Yuan if he was remembering correctly when he sees her in the morning. Though he didn’t have many blankets, Seth felt pleasantly warm as he fell asleep, the memory of Harumasa’s words on his mind.

•••••

Asaba Harumasa is having a fucking rough couple of months.

Sitting at his desk, he thinks over how insanely busy Section 6 has been. First they start going traipsing through Hollow Zero because the Chief wants to obliterate all evil. A noble goal, but it’s hard to slack off while ethereals are actively trying to kill you. Technically this isn’t really the bad part, just his regular job, but still. Then they’re suddenly famous for some reason and he’s got people all over him trying to get his signature, some even trying to find where he lives (looking at you t-shirt guy)! Then of course they were trapped in the VR system at the HIA with a hacker trying to make his ass braindead for real. And as if all that wasn’t enough they got dragged into a fucking conspiracy with a proxy and had to kill the acting-commander of the Janus Quarter because he was committing treason and then corrupted himself into an ethereal. Not to mention last month Asaba had, with the help of the formerly mentioned proxy, gone on a suicide mission to stop his former master’s assistant from harvesting children’s spinal fluid for drugs, then nearly died in a hollow after killing his ether corrupted master. So yeah, bad couple of months.

The cherry on top of it all was that he was being evicted at the end of the month. Some PTA mom had reported him to the land lord. She must’ve either saw his scars at some point or seen him taking his meds or pain killers and assumed he was a junkie. Technically could he fight it? Yeah, but that was so much work for an apartment he barely liked. So fuck it, he’ll get a new one with less nosey neighbors.

Would getting a new apartment be hard? Probably. It certainly wouldn’t be easy now that he was donating a hefty chunk of his paycheck to the EARS kids that Kirishima was experimenting on, but it was worth it. He’d get a roommate. Two birds with one stone on that one, since Yanagi had been bugging him about it. She was concerned about him since the rest of Section 6 had found out about his condition. He gets it, he’s gotten himself a reputation for being a slacker and pretty unserious at work, add that to his recent close call and he doesn’t really blame Yanagi for getting worried. She was specifically worried that he was forgetting to take his meds some days, which was of course ridiculous, he was like 76% sure that he wasn’t. That’s a pretty high percentage! Anyway, because of that concern she wanted him to get a roommate to make sure he remembered his meds. It was a little annoying that she was inserting herself into his care, but he was trying to be understanding for the aforementioned reasons.

Even if the Deputy Chief’s concerns were annoying, Harumasa had to admit that given his current circumstances a roommate wasn’t an awful idea. He wasn’t gonna turn them into his personal nurse or anything, probably wouldn’t even tell them about his condition. Though a nurse had been another suggestion of Yanagi’s. Like he could afford that shit on a government salary. Ha!

Even though getting a roommate was his only option right now, he wasn’t thrilled about it… He didn’t need some stranger getting all in his business. He also didn’t really wanna risk bothering anyone with his night terrors, or worry about them seeing his scars. It’d be a bit of a hassle. Harumasa lays his head down in his arms onto the paperwork he’s supposed to be filing. He doesn’t wanna be perceived as frail or weak or sickly. What he really needs is someone unobservant enough or polite enough not to pry into his life.

The regular sounds of hustle and bustle in the office are briefly interrupted by his phone’s ringer, alerting him to a notification. Harumasa musters all his energy to look up at his phone screen. A text from Seth Lowell? What does he want?

Harumasa will admit he wasn’t a huge fan of the Lowell family in general. Was that fair? Maybe not, but Seth’s older brother left a bad taste in Asaba’s mouth. When he had started at the academy the elder Lowell brother had been in his final year, and he had a bit of a reputation for riding on the coattails of his family name, aiming for a cushy job. He didn’t work particularly hard or care particularly much and it just rubbed Harumasa the wrong way, so the next year when Seth came to the academy he steered clear. Now Seth was a pub sec rookie and his brother was a big wig behind desk who hadn’t worked a day in the field to earn it. It confused and frustrated him. He didn’t talk to Seth much but had assumed he’d be like a mini-me of his brother. He was proven wrong though, he was big enough to admit that to himself. When Harumasa had confronted and pushed at Seth at Port Elpis he’d snapped back that just because the EARS kids were sick, they were not worth sacrificing for drug research that may better New Eridu. Nice to know the Lowell’s had produced one good kid. Maybe he’d be worth getting to know.

Anyway, he opened the text to a somewhat surprising sight. “Hey senior Asaba, I heard through the grapevine that you were in the market for a new apartment! I’m also looking for a new living situation and was wondering if you’d wanna possibly be roommates? I’m currently looking at a couple 2 bedroom places on sixth street, right near Wise and Belle’s place.”

Well. That’s wildly convenient. Someone both polite and oblivious enough not to pry into his life? Fuckin ding ding ding. Harumasa started typing his response.

Uff all this thinking is making him tired. He needs a nap. He’s sure the Deputy Chief won’t mind heheh.

Thanks for reading btw guys, hope u like it. Lmk if you guys like it or have any notes, i’m more than happy to chat about this weird lil thing i thought up lol. Also i probably need name suggestions for Seth’s brother bc i think he has no canon name? And Harumasa’s cat.

[tookishcombeferre]

Ooo ... fun question.

This vastly depends on how much Arthuriana backstory we want to incorporate into this version of Merlin. Because, Arthuriana Merlin has a really crazy history that is quite checkered, and I honestly think, with even a smattering of those experiences, Merlin would just try to get through to Cedric through forgiveness and rehabilitation and not like straight up smiting him. (Silver candlesticks anyone?)

I personally play the Merlin of the Sofia Universe as the Immortal!Merlin from the story of "The Fisher King" who is in eternal mourning for Arthur. (There is a very, very brief "Morte d'Arthur included after that tale that establishes that Merlin becomes immortal because of his prophecy regarding the Grail. So, he goes into deep mourning over Arthur's death forever.) So, that version of Merlin is hella going to have sympathy for Cedric. Even if Cedric can't see it, I think Merlin sees a lot of himself in Cedric. I think Merlin sees this kind of lost and confused, but still loving, soul in the midst of a lot of turmoil. He sees the way that Cedric is sort of weird, and Merlin straight up vibes with that. Merlin is weird as hell in almost every iteration of the Arthur stories - Sword in the Stone being no different.

I really do think the Bishop and Valjean is a great comparison for how Merlin would want this to go down. He wants to "make a present of the silver." He wants to see Cedric redeemed. Like, Merlin would love nothing more. I also really don't see Merlin holding anything against Cedric. Especially not if he got an honest confession!

As for Cedric? Oh cold day in hell Cedric wants to meet up with Merlin again after DotS. He'd rather die. He's having a full on "No One Must Ever Know" level existential crisis over this. It doesn't matter if he's got valid reasons, or if people would or can forgive him. Once Cedric is back in his right mind? He's holed up in that tower for days processing just what he decided to go through with. Then, he's slowly coming back into polite society. But, as for Merlin, nope. He's not facing Merlin until he absolutely has no choice.

Which, I think is a shame because I think Merlin could give Cedric a lot of peace.

In 'Day of the Sorcerers', when Sofia secretly got Cedric's attention during the Order of the Wand's meeting and pulled him out of the room, expressing horror for what she overheard Grimtrix plotting, Cedric distracted Sofia by fibbing that he intended to stall Grimtrix and the rest of them, and told Sofia to fetch all the good sorcerers to stop the Order.

After she left, Wormwood (disgusted by how much Cedric's grown to care so much about Sofia, especially now that he was closer to taking over Enchancia than ever before) smacks Cedric upside the head and tells him he can't let Sofia ruin a perfectly good wicked plan. Cedric snaps back at Wormwood that he only said all that to Sofia to get her to leave.

And that was true. But here's something that didn't get brought up in the episode, and something I don't see brought up in the fandom. I think the main reason he distracted Sofia like that and sent her away was not only so she wouldn't find out he was going to take over Enchancia (or at least considering it at the time) and have her heart broken, but also to protect her. Because if Grimtrix and the Order discovered the princess snooping around there, especially if they knew she overheard their plans to conquer all the kingdoms and control the world, they wouldn't have hesitated to freeze her with their Medusa Stones (like they were going to do to all the royals anyway).

@mushroomsie224 @sweetmariihs2 @bettathanyou @fantadym @cedric-my-beloved @anticedfiaweek @tookishcombeferre