#kidfic anon

[vettelsbitch]

Kidfic anon back here 🥰 Just been thinking about your drabbles once again and came up with something because 14th Feb is just around the corner: do you think either of them considers inviting the other to a dinner date? And THEN, I thought, Bez probably won't because of Theo. And Cele doesn't want Bez to feel like he has to get somebody to watch Theo. BUT what if Theo is our little match maker? Like, they've been talking about Valentine's in kindergarten and Theo understands that many people spend that day with people they like and since both of them really like Cele, he could come over? And then, he's smiling in such a cute way that Bez can't say no (plus, Bez also wants to have Cele over as much as possible!!!) and now he has to somehow ask Cele over for VALENTINE'S

Bestie, darling, your brain! I'm still thinking about the holidays drabble and what they would do when Cele goes to Bez's house and meets the parents and all that because I would like to write something for that but I can't promise when the muses might hit me.

BUT! Now I'm thinking Valentine's, maybe something not quite happened during the holidays (Bez walking in on Cele getting changed into a nice outfit, Bez's sister poking fun at her brother because he is basically 🥺🥺 at Cele, maybe they almost kiss but Matteo calls Bez over and it's a 'i should go' 'yeah' 'yeah' and ofc it reminds Bez that he has a kid and Cele is young and shouldn't be tied down), and now they've been once again a bit distant, with Cele busy with exams, but they still see each other it's hard to keep Teo away from his bestie! And of course Bez is also so happy whenever they see him, the rare occasion when they catch Cele coming back when they're going out to the park and he, no matter how tired he is, tells them to wait for him, running up the stairs and coming back without his backpack not even five minutes later. Bez loves sitting next to him, Rubik between their legs, while they look at Matteo climbing and running around with friends, soon enough coming back to them and demanding that they play ball with him.

Bez doesn't really realize Valentine's is getting close until Luca starts talking about dinner reservations. And of course his first thought is wondering if Cele has plans. His second thought is what about Teo, his friends have their own plans so it's not like he can ask them to watch him. And he isn't even sure if Cele likes him (Luca is about to hit his friend because Bez must be really blind to not see how Cele looks at him, and how Cele used to look at Luca before he made it very clear that they were just friends).

On the other side Cele wants to invite Bez to go out with him so bad, but he doesn't want to inconvenience him. And he would like to include Teo too! He's trying his damnedest to come up with some idea, his search history ranges from 'dates for people with kids' to 'how to tell if he likes me' to 'spiderman valentines'

And then, just a mere couple days before Matteo brings home a school project that he hides against his chest like it's a secret, Bez only manages to catch a glimpse at pink paper and red glitter. When he tries to ask him, Teo just looks up at him with his big brown eyes, the little gap in his front teeth that always makes Bez's mom smile, and crosses his arms tighter against his chest. "Nothing." Bez would want to know more but how bad could some kind of school project be? Teo is a smart kid, if he needs help he will ask for it.

But Matteo doesn't ask for Bez's help, the next day he has to do a double shift at work, covering for someone that's sick (which will also mean he has Valentine's day free), and when he comes back home he sees Luca sitting next to Teo, bending his tall body enough to reach the little desk he has in his room. They're so focused that they don't seem to realize Bez has gotten home, so he spends a second looking at them, the mess of coloring pencils next to the and Rubik sleeping on Matteo's bed.

When Luca realizes he's there, he whispers something to Teo, standing up while he scrambles to cover whatever they were doing. Luca asks Bez about his day, and they manage to distract him quickly enough that it's not until later that he remembers it and thinks about messaging Luca about it. But who can blame him, he's really tired and Teo is dozing off against his chest so who cares.

Anyway, the next day seems normal at first, Bez helping Teo get ready for school like always before he seems to remember something in the middle of brushing his teeth, running to his room.

The next thing Bez sees is his kid is walking up to him with a glittery heart that says "Papà" in big blue letters in the middle. And so it all makes sense.

"Happy Valen'ines, Papà"

Bez would kneel down, kissing Matteo's cheek and hugging him, uncaring if the glitter ends up all over his shirt. "Thank you, baby!"

Of course the heart ends on the fridge next to all the other drawings. Since the secret is out Teo would tell him excitedly about it, how at school they told them about the holiday and started making the cards.

"For the people you really like!" He says, before he seems to remember something else. "We need to give it to Cele!!"

Bez would be so surprised, like what??? Cele? And Teo would explain that Luca helped him because he knew how to write Papà but not how to write Cele and ofc they need to give it to him, because they like him so much. Bez promises that they will go see Cele after school is done so Teo agrees to go without trying to run to Cele's door. Bez spends the hours alone at home in a haze of 'oh god, I hope Cele doesn't have plans' and 'should I buy something else for him?' and 'of course we really like him'

He does end up getting a box of chocolates on his way to get Teo from school, and he feels as nervous as he was when he was a teen and had his first kiss. He manages to convince Teo to eat before they go and knock on Cele's door. Bez doesn't know if he wants him to be in or not, his heart feels like it's going to jump ship.

But ofc Cele opens the door, a wide grin in his dumb face the moment he sees them. Teo has the heart (Cele's is pink with orange letters) in his hands and Bez has the chocolates in his hoodie, hidden for now.

I imagine the exchange would go a little like:

"For me? Thank you Teo!"

"Yes, because I like you Cele!"

Cele's eyes moving up to Bez. And Bez would have a second of intense bravery while looking at his dark eyes and rosy cheeks.

"Would you like to come to the park with us? And have dinner later?"

Cele would stutter and flail. "If you guy's are not busy."

And that second there would be so intense, Cele's eyes shining, still crouching down to be at Teo's height, looking up at Cele, his mouth open in surprise shifting slowly into a massive smile. Bez knows he probably looks dumb, blushing and smiling, and he knows that Luca is going to be asking him how it went early next morning, but right now he doesn't have to worry about work and he basically invited Cele on a Valentine's date, with his kid, so everything is great.

"Of course not, we like you a lot."

Then they're on their way to the park, Teo holding onto Cele's hand before running towards one of his friends. Bez and Cele sit down on their usual bench, and then Bez would bring out the box of chocolates, his cheeks burning up even more than before.

"For you, Cele."

"Marco.. thank you so much."

And Cele would blush and kiss his cheek and Bez knows he's probably doing something right.

And then they have dinner and they watch Spiderman yet again and Cele and Teo fall asleep against Bez, and thankfully the next day is Saturday (because it's my universe and I say so) so he doesn't have to worry and can allow himself to rest his head against Cele's curls, grabbing Teo closer and fall asleep himself.

[hlficlibrary]

Hi! I wanted to say I absolutely love your fic recs, this is always where I come when I need something new to read :) I was wondering if you know of any parent/teacher fics? Like where one of them is the teacher of the other one's kid? Or even where Harry is Louis's sibling's teacher, or Louis is Harry's kid's coach, or literally anything along those lines would be absolutely perfect. Thank you so much!!

Hi, anon! Thanks so much for the kind words about the recs! Here are some fics for you with the vibes you're looking for!

Counterbalance by YesIsAWorld / @louandhazaf

Harry Styles loves two things: teaching ballet and racing motorcycles. Those two worlds collide when his greatest rival on the track, Louis “Tommo” Tomlinson brings his tiny siblings to Harry’s class.

Heart Beat by @allwaswell16

Hideaway Haven is the place that Louis has always called home. It's also the place that Harry had tried to leave behind him. When Harry returns to start a music academy in his hometown, he finds himself face to face with his high school crush—and his charming daughter who wants to learn to play the drums.

When Least Expected by Rearviewdreamer / @all-these-larrythings

Drowning in a sea of emails and Zoom meetings in the living room, his lonely son falling more and more behind in his kitchen classroom, and crushing weight of the world being on house arrest for the foreseeable future, one fateful online interaction suddenly has everything looking up.

[bropunzeling]

During the intermission interview aired during yesterday’s PWHL Toronto/Montreal game, Coyne Schofield and Spooner flat out said they hadnt realized how much their lives and training schedule would have to adjust for baby naps and breastfeeding, and now I’m imagining rat baby shaking up both parents’ training schedules, and how that would feed into how-can-I-mom-a-girl issues vs the immediate adoration from girl-dad Matthew.

oh gosh that sounds like a SUPER interesting interview!!! and also ohhhh my gosh yeah. yeah, like

i haven't been pregnant/a new parent but ive been around plenty of pregnant people/new parents and my god it seems exhausting. the sleep and lack thereof! the feedings! the way your whole life gets reconfigured around the whims of this tiny person who does not care about your needs! i can only imagine its even harder for people living such regimented lives as athletes because like, you have your body's schedule, but BABY'S schedule comes first. i think no matter how much you think you're ready you aren't, really, especially for first kids.

so in terms of the girl!leon of it all i think it would be a really tough transition! regardless of how wanted the baby is (very much so), even if the actual like, labor and such goes smoothly, OOF. just a real shock of cold water. and i think it would be a bit exacerbated by the fact that like, matthew would go back to playing pretty much right away (which i always feel is a bit messed up? but so it goes) and back to a somewhat normal routine, whereas leon would just be at home! with this baby! i mean i think parents/family would come stay with them, they'd have access to really good childcare, etc, but even with all of that what a tough transition. i think she'd find it super hard even despite the rewarding parts, especially because SO much of her life and self-identity is wrapped up in the athlete aspect and once again, how does she balance hockey and being able to want/have other personal things. a Theme for her.

and god the "how can i mom a girl" thing... obvi none of this is fleshed out fully bc im not writing it rn (gimme a business year and not wedding planning and shoving the current wip out the door), but i think that would absolutely be something she didn't realize she was freaking out about until something forced her to realize it. like, what if their daughter wants to be a different kind of kid than leon was? what if she does want to follow in leon's footsteps? does leon even want her to do that?? leon had so many tough moments getting to where she is, and she wants to keep her baby from being hurt in the same ways, and she has so much worry about screwing something up. she and matthew could have such a good sleep-deprived, highly emotional conversation where they talking about how you just gotta do it scared.

but yes matthew is just being such a girl dad. enamored from moment one. his girls are perfect and can do no wrong 😌 even when they are spitting up all over him (baby) / picking a fight with half the leafs (wife)

[densewentz]

Have you or anyone else written fics with sweet Kian? I'm loving Dreamling Dads and I wanna know if I'm gonna have to be the one to fic them up.

To my knowledge no one has written any yet. So far Kian is just my itty bitty art brainchild but I would be totally jazzed for people to write fic with him!! If/when anyone ever does guys please link me I eat that stuff up I swear. 💕 I'm glad other people are enjoying my self-indulgent AU baby

[marzipanandminutiae]

Who's Rosemary? I wanna hear about that OC!

I mean, hey, give me half an excuse...

Rosemary is the youngest child of Beatrice Sharpe's youngest sister (Beatrice being, canonically, the oldest of Several). She's eight years old in 1902, and her parents and three older brothers died tragically a few weeks ago when an unknown party poisoned their soup. Rosemary, having been sent to bed without supper, was spared- something the old aunt who looked after her during the inquiry proclaimed an absolute miracle.

("First poor Beatrice's youngest, and now you. That's a nephew and a niece I've seen through foul murder. If ever a family were marked for tragedy...") (Poor Beatrice's eldest does not rate a mention.)

But she must have a more permanent home, with someone younger and stronger who can care for a child. How kind of her grown-up cousins to take her into their grand country-house sight unseen! They wrote, you see. She's just misplaced the letter.

Upon her arrival at the front steps of Allerdale Hall, after barely a moment's pause, her cousin Lucille thanks the constable for seeing her here safely and ushers her inside. She doesn't yet know that no child with tattered clothes and fading bruises would have been turned away, even without the letter from their mother to hers that she's clutching like a protective talisman.

The tall man, she guesses must be cousin Thomas. An explanation of the little blonde lady will have to wait, as she's bustled upstairs for a hot bath and something more substantial to wear. Little girls can recieve proper introductions- and explain the murder they absolutely committed, no doubt in any of the Sharpes' minds -once they're wrapped in a warm dressing-gown with a nice bracing cup of tea.

other tidbits about her include:

Rosemary was not her name Before. she chose it herself. her three parents do not know or want to know what her birth family called her, and they picked a middle name for her at her request (Diana)

she falls in love with clockwork and Making Things, becoming Thomas' extremely eager workshop assistant. all her parents, of course, lavish her somewhat haphazard creations with praise. or, you know, as close as Lucille comes to any emotive display that could be called "lavishing"

Lucille is actually the best at the practical realities of child-rearing, of the three adults. after all, she's the only one with experience- even if she was a child herself at the time

left alone with a child, Thomas would be the babysitter kids love and parents hate, who lets them stay up until midnight and eat ice cream for dinner because saying "no" is hard and they're just so cute! Edith is very Oh God How Parent? at first- she expected children, but in the nebulous Future, not right now -but realizing kids are just Small Inexperienced People helps considerably

would the Sharpes be good parents to a normal child, beyond the basic Keep Kid Alive practicalities? probably not. but Rosemary wouldn't get on too well with normal parents, either. so while things aren't perfect, it evens out

Rosemary Loves Dante (the dog, who is NOT dead). Dante Loves Rosemary. this is adorable. you agree.

tl;dr- Crimson Peak OT3 kidfic, ft. the Sharpe siblings' distant cousin who pulled a Merricat on her abusive family. I may never formally write her into a story, but I love to Rotate her (as my friends can attest)

[theriverbeyond]

Idk about having kids, but I feel like Gideon would definitely really like kids and be good with them. Cam and Pal would both be very good with kids but I'm not sure how much either of them, especially Cam, would like them. I think Harrow being asked to keep a human child alive and well for any period of time would be hilarious and maybe heartbreaking. I work in childcare and I've been working on a project where I rank tlt characters based on how well they could keep a child alive and separately how well they would get along with said child it's very fun to think about.

I think many TLT characters would really enjoy hanging out with children in a babysitting/childcare context ngl!! I can even imagine Harrow having an okay time if she has A Job (concept: griddlehark, kindergarten teacher Gideon x middle school teacher Harrow). I just don't see (especially griddlehark) as particularly parental? Even with Cam and Pal, who do their best taking care of Nona, I just cannot imagine either as like... intentionally wanting to have an actual child LMAO. Especially in canon universe but even in AU 😭

... however.... a kidfic i DO want is Gideon Nav's Horrible No Good Loony Toons Childhood ft. Mercy and Augustine forgetting her in a hot car while they fuck in a Nordstrom's changing room. She DOES survive (she's immortal! a baby on easy mode), but not unscathed (she gets the trauma) </3

[wildpeachfarm]

https://www.tumblr.com/wildpeachfarm/759469775850242048/httpswwwtumblrcomwildpeachfarm75946932620617?source=share

I have another

https://archiveofourown.org/works/39078264/chapters/97756878

Omega Dream Alpha George also m!preg and kid fic :D pls read tags tho

:0

[chaoslynx]

Aww the fanart with asheiji and kids... <3 It gave me an idea for a fic: Ash and Eiji's child(ren) notice that something isn't going right in one of their friends' life. Obviously they're too young and naive to realize that their friend is being abused at home. But Ash sees, and knows... Merry XMas and Happy New Year!

About an AshEiji [child], I'd like the name Layla for a daughter. Aslan (or Arslan/Arsalan, which is a Turkish name and not Hebrew like Yoshida thought) is the hero of a popular Persian epic. And Layla is from a famous Arab piece, Layla and Majnun, the middle-eastern version of Romeo and Juliet.

Ash has noticed that Layla's been a little ... off, for a while.

She's always bene a little introspective for her age, and generally just a good kid. Gets that from being raised by Eiji, Ash guesses. No way someone raised by someone that good could end up with a cruel bone in their body, even if Ash is the other parent. At least, that's what Ash has to keep telling himself to try to get the idea that Layla won't end up like him.

But she's been even more withdrawn lately, like she's thinking about something beyond her years.

Ash doesn't like it.

It's not quite familiar in a way that's especially concerning to him, but it's uncomfortable enough to see that he's worried. And she's been brushing him off when he asks, but he's determined to get through to her. Layla is his daughter, after all, as weird of a situation as that is for him to realize sometimes.

"Hey kiddo," he says one day, when she gets home from elementary. "You okay if we do an ice cream check in?" It's a keyword of sorts between the three of them—Eiji included—that started just due to Layla's love of ice cream. It became an easy way to talk to her about anything serious or seemingly scary. Spoonful of sugar type of situation. The ice cream makes everything a little more palatable.

But Layla frowns, now, and hugs her knees to her chest. "I dunno," she admits.

"We don't have to, but I do think it would be helpful to talk some things out, yeah? Something's on your mind."

She pouts.

"Am I wrong?" Ash says, not pushing too hard, but just a small challenge.

"Dummy," Layla mumbles. "How'd you know?"

"Hey, language," Ash says, halfhearted. Like he hasn't said worse in front of her. "Come on, let's get some ice cream and talk stuff out."

Once they're settled in with their bowls, Ash waits for Layla to speak first. She already knows that he's wanting a conversation here, since he essentially used the parent equivalent of the safe word they gave her to get her out of any situation without others picking up on it. He's inviting her to say anything and everything on her mind, but he's going to let her do it on her terms.

"... It's my friend at school," Layla says after a few bites.

"Don't talk with your mouth full," Ash reminds her softly. "What's going on with your friend?"

"He's just"—Layla makes a face—"I dunno."

Ash feels a flare of anger for a moment. "Is he bullying you?"

But Layla quickly shakes her head, barely sparing this kid from the wrath of Ash Lynx. "No, more like I'm worried he might be getting bullied. Or ... something." She frowns down into her bowl, and Ash can feel his entire demeanor shift.

Ash goes almost deadly quiet for a moment, thinking of how to approach this. He can't make assumptions too quickly, but he does know that they've taught Layla enough of how to speak up for herself and what healthy friendships should look like that she's probably right if she thinks that something's wrong.

Taking a slow breath, Ash reminds himself that he needs to not scare Layla here as well. He doesn't want her to worry any more than she already is—she's such a good kid, but it isn't her responsibility to be looking after her classmates. If she's right about this—or, rather, if Ash is right about what he thinks Layla might be saying—then the adults in her classmate's life have failed him.

Ash knows what that's like.

"... What's got you worried?" Ash asks gently. "Maybe I can help him, or we can figure out someone who can."

Layla thoughtfully scoops another spoonful of ice cream. "Well," she starts, "he seems to get hurt a lot at home."

Ash's temper flares for a moment, and it takes everything in him to remember that Layla's probably talking about the normal bumps and bruises that happen with the accidents of childhood.

Except, apparently, enough of them to worry her.

"What kind of hurt?" Ash asks.

Layla drops her spoon and runs her hands up her arms. "Like here," she explains. She taps her wrists with the opposite hands. "And here."

"Like bruises?"

Nodding, Layla says, "Like when I fell down."

Ash winces thinking of it even now—Layla fell out of her bunk bed once a few months ago. She wasn't badly injured, but she did have some really bad bruising.

"And he always seems scared in P.E.," Layla continues. "I don't know what's wrong, but ... something, I think."

Ash winces, thinking of his own experiences with sports at that age. There could be any number of reasons why a kid might not be fond of physical education, but ... it's definitely not a good sign.

Ash swallows. "Thank you for trusting me with all of this, sweetie. I'm going to see what we can do, okay? We'll make sure he's okay."

" 'Kay!" Layla says immediately. She trusts Ash so strongly that all the worry she's been showing recently seems to melt out of her. She kicks her legs back and forth, enjoying her ice cream.

... Well, Ash has a new goal. Ethical routes first: he'll bring it to the school's attention first, and then follow up with a social worker and the ChildHelp hotline.

And, if all else fails, there's still a little bit of Ash Lynx left in him these days. He's gotten his hands dirty before, and he's not afraid to do it again. Not if it means he can help someone like who he used to be.

[brandileigh2003]

Raising Harry and/or teddy recs. I know I'm missing some so send me your faves or self rec ❤️❤️

-orange juice (i've been ready for you to come home for so long) by raggedypond get back together ft Chronic Illness

-my love, take care of yourself by @littleoldrachel ft mental health and chronic

-Anything that msalexwp writes that includes the trope is fantastic

Let's Play Pretend muggle fake dating real feelings

Second Generation get back together

-the sea is a good place to think of the future by peachyybabe get back together ft Chronic Illness @lavenderhaze

-Like Real People Do by thirdcrow: coffee shop, great disability rep

-An Infinte Ocean by orphan_account muggle get together

-We’ll Make It Out Alive by wolfstar_addict417: muggle texting kidfic

-Blue Moon Café by @lazuli-moon raising teddy coffee shop

-Forever Is a State of Mind -orphaned account ft deaf remus

-Of Bookshelves and Baby Carriers by @poppunkpadfoot

-the mayors of simpleton by @fruityindividual older wolfstar get back together ft blind remus

-Till We Have Arrived Home Again by prouvairing divergent

-Of Quiet Hearts And Thundering Dreams by @tracingpatternswrites

-Spare! by B1ackCatChatsBack muggle get together

-I didn’t sign up for this by Moonystoastandmarsbars get back together

-Of Protein Powders and PTAs by @squintclover and TracingPatterns magical divergent

-A Wolf, A Bear, A Dungeon Master, and Boy Wonder by @ratmom819 ft chronic illness

-Puppy Magic by @demonbanisher thefifthmarauder17 magical divergent

-what a wonder (what a waste) by peachyybabe mcd magical divergent ft trans remus, mental illness and

-Aging Gracelessly by orphan_account older wolfstar texting

-So I'll Take My) Good Fortune by orphan_account muggle uni

-The Molinete & the Media Luna by punkwolfstar ft disability

-beautiful boy (darling boy) by @impishtubist and roaming_the_greenwood1: magical divergent ft trans remus

-Multiplying Parents by @heartofspells harry wants to find Sirius a bf

-ten reasons (to go to michigan) by @greyeyedmonster-18 muggle au get together

-The Things I Did by Lolo_row divergent

-Of Memories and Milk Thievery by moonymoment older wolfstar get back together @mayescapade

-Basilisks, Boggarts and Boyfriends (oh my) by OptimisticDinosaur

-Of Caffeine Addictions and Nail Polish by BlueAzalea au pining and fluff

Check out my fandom wife lucigoo she has some wonderful ones

Common Woodbrown by @imochan

that’s the art of getting by sarewolf

----Self rec: parks and playdates ft disability plus trans and asexual remus

~~Others' recs ~~

-Wherever I am/ you will always be - BrigidFaye

(anon): Under Foot, Under Moon by sometimeswelose

-An unexpected reunion- r33sesPieces

Rhythm & Blues by lez_writes13

stealing harry by @copperbadge

-Blanket Fort by @samynnad102687 : Regulus, James, and Harry build a blanket fort.

-Trick-or-Treating by Samynnad102687: The Marauders, Regulus, and Lily take Harry Trick-or-Treating.

-Unbound by you by friendlyneighborhoodtrickster, TracingPatterns

-Moonless Nights by @sliebman10 Sirius is trying to rebuild his life after the fateful Halloween of 1981. He's struggling to come to terms with Remus's betrayal and his new role as Harry's guardian.

-Family Vacation by sliebman10: Sirius is skeptical that a family resort is where he wants to spend his first summer vacation with Harry there, but he comes to see its merits when he meets Remus and his family.

-All the soul and body scars by 1point21

-To build a family - secondsister

-Forever live and die - wolfpants

--feel free to check it my main rec list

Also - the wolfstar librarian has awesome collections for raising harry

[vettelsbitch]

Hellooo, hope you're doing alright!! I wanted to check in and ask if you think Bez and Cele in the kidfic universe would go to a Christmas market?

Either pre relationship with Bez's hands being cold and Cele warming them up? Or post getting together when Matteo is walking with both of them holding one of his hands? Or mix it all together and Teo is the one with cold hands and needs both of them close to him and each other?

Thanks in advance, and don't feel pressured!!! <3

Bestie, babe, I HAVE thought about this, I think Xmas time can have such potential for a kidfic AU. And of course this is no different.

At first I was going to answer this with a series of thoughts and ideas about what could happen, but then it started growing and growing. So I went for a blurb... that also grew and ended up being 2.5k words.

But, merry christmas and happy holidays, there you go, enjoy this unbetaed mess (and as always thanks to @dobbiamo-capire for helping me keep it italian enough)

....

Marco stops for a second in his walk down the building stairs, Matteo in his arms, his eyes drifting to Cele's closed door a little ways down the hallway. They haven't seen each other quite as much, and Matteo has started asking about him. Well, more than usual. He wonders if they should walk up to the door and knock, but what would he say? 'Hey, Teo has been asking about you, and I also miss you a lot'. So instead he just keeps walking down, Cele is probably studying for his exams. 

Marco had asked for the day off at work so they could go walk around the Christmas market a week ago. But the mechanic shop was very busy with people wanting to make sure their car was ready for long trips home or up the mountains for the holidays. So it took a bit, but finally, they are on their way to spend a whole day walking around. 

When they get to the street, Marco lowers Teo to the ground. He readjusts the backpack on his shoulders, full of juice packs, sandwiches, and some of Teo's favorite snacks, and drops to one knee in front of his kid. 

"You have to put on your hat, Teo," he says, reaching for the lump of knit fabric in Matteo's hands. 

"I don't like it, papà!" 

"It's cold, and your ears will fall off if you don't use it," he says, tugging one of his small ears, prompting a giggle out of Teo. Then he brushes Teo's curls back to make sure they don't get in his eyes when he puts the hat on, tying the little ear covers under his chin and fluffing his scarf so his cheeks get some coverage from the chilly wind too. "How excited are you for the market?" 

Matteo throws his arm open and his hands as far apart as he can stretch them. "This much!" 

"Wow, that's a lot."

Marco stands up again, offering his hand for Matteo to grab onto, and they start walking slowly towards the city center. His little gloved hand in Marco's big one makes him smile, excited to see him enjoy the holiday spirit that covers the city.

…………………

They reach the market twenty minutes and a juice pack later. It's filled with people chatting and laughing, looking at the stands offering anything from sweets to Christmas decorations, and Matteo seems to fill back up with energy at the sight of it all, pulling on Marco's hand to go to the closest stall and look at the wooden toys in it.

Every vendor is nice, and the whole square smells of wood and spices. An old man with gray hair, big round glasses, and an apron with a chocolate bar printed on it gives Matteo a little chocolate candy for free, and that makes sure his smile stays firmly in his face while they walk between wooden stalls.

Marco recognizes one of the girls tending the coffee stand, she had brought her car to his job to get a bump fixed not long ago, and she strikes up a conversation while still helping customers, which is quite impressive if you ask him. She's telling him how she can't go back home this year when he feels Matteo pulling his hand insistently. He looks down to see him pointing somewhere in the distance, throwing an apologetic smile at the girl.

"Papà, look, 'ele!"

Marco's eyes snap up immediately, looking towards where Teo is pointing. Between the rows of people having a good time, he can see the archway that serves as an entry to the ice rink, and next to it, in another of the wooden winter stalls, there's Cele. If Matteo hadn't pointed him out, it could have taken Marco a second to realize it was him, his long black curls hidden by his hat. But it's clearly him. Matteo tugs at his hand again.

"C'mon, papà, let's go see 'ele."

Marco smiles at him again, letting himself get dragged away from the coffee stall. He turns around to wave to the girl, and she just smiles back at him quickly before turning around to the next person in line. Teo walks in a straight line, his little hand tight around Marco's fingers. He can see people entering the rink, but Cele seems to not be busy when they get to him, he's talking to another young man next to him. Both of them have the same jacket on, with the university logo on the chest. Marco goes to clear his throat to catch his attention when Teo beats him to it.

"Hi 'ele!"

Marco feels his heart skip a beat when Cele turns around, his nose and his cheeks are flushed red. He's smiling immediately, looking down at Teo and then glancing at Marco. His eyes are crinkling, and his irises are so dark that they reflect the light hanging around him.

"Hey guys! What brings you here?" He says, dropping to his elbows on the stall to look down at Teo more comfortably.

Marco pats Matteo's head, the hat warm against his cold hands. "I promised to take him to the market some time ago, and we finally managed."

Matteo steps closer, rising on his tiptoes to put his hands on the edge of the wooden table. "Look, Cele! I've got Spiderman gloves!"

Cele bends over further, getting close to Teo, and Marco feels like his lungs are on fire for a second, seeing him smiling at his kid, his face soft and open, immediately praising his gloves. He puts his hands in his pocket before he does something dumb, like caressing Cele's cheek. 

"Do you guys want to try the rink? Skating is pretty fun," Cele says, pointing at the archway.

Marco looks at the mass of people skating around and then at the list of prices for the rented skates, feeling Teo turn around. Cele must notice because he speaks up. "Friends and family discount, of course," he says with a wink. Marco almost chokes on his own breath.

 "Can we papà?"

Bez looks down, patting his head again. "There's too many people, Teo, and you're small, it can be dangerous."

Matteo pouts, his bottom lip pushing forward and his big eyes looking up at him, and Marco knows he's doomed. He can never say no to his kid when he pulls the puppy eyes; even at three years old, he knows it. He looks up to Cele, looking for help, only to be faced with his crooked smile and big eyes filled with twinkling lights. And before Cele can fully open his mouth to speak, he is really doomed. 

"I get my break at around 13, in less than an hour, if you guys wait until then, we can all go in, and then there are fewer people since it's lunchtime," he says, tilting his head a little for the full puppy eyes effect.

Marco sighs, shaking his head, the curls poking out under his beanie bouncing with the movement. "Okay, we'll keep looking around and come back then. Thank you, Cele." 

"Thank you, 'ele!"

…………………………………

After another walk around the market, a sandwich, two juice packs, and a trip to the bathroom in the mall next to the market, they make their way back to the rink. Cele is no longer standing behind the wooden table, a blonde girl is in his place. Marco is about to walk up and ask when he feels a hand on his shoulder.

"You're here, guys, just in time," he says, dropping to one knee to talk with Matteo. "Are you ready to skate?"

Matteo nods quickly, his smile a little tight with equal parts excitement and nerves. Marco feels nervous himself, butterflies causing a ruckus in his stomach when Cele looks up at him.

"Okay, I need your shoe sizes for the skates," Cele starts walking towards the wooden stall as soon as Marco stumbles through telling him the two numbers.

When they reach him, he's struggling to carry three pairs of skates to the bench next to the archway into the rink. It's cute, how excited he also looks to be skating with them, and the butterflies in Marco's stomach start dive-bombing once again.

"Wait, I haven't paid yet," Marco says, helping Teo onto the bench, his legs a bit too short to jump by himself.

Cele shakes a hand in front of his face. "Don't worry about it, friends and family discount, remember," he says as he turns back towards Matteo, kneeling in front of him to help him get his shoes off and the skates on. When he tickles his little socked toes and they both giggle, Marco feels his chest burst with affection. 

He's still standing, his skates waiting for him next to Cele's, so he sits down to put them on before he says something dumb. Or incriminating. Like how pretty Cele looks with his cheeks pink from the cold.

Once they're all skated up, their shoes safely back in the hands of the blonde girl, Cele gives them some quick pointers with the ease of someone who's probably been doing it for some days already. When he's done and asks if they have any questions, Matteo raises his hand. Marco can see Cele's mouth tighten to contain a giggle.

"Cele, papà doesn't have gloves!"

Marco feels his cheeks heat up under Cele's gaze. He shakes his head, opens his jacket, and starts digging around in the pockets of the hoodie he has on underneath.

"Well, that can't be, right, Teo? The good news is I always carry extra because I also forget them all the time," he says, pulling another pair of gloves, dark gray like the ones he's wearing, from his pocket. "So I can lend them to your papà while we skate."

Marco grabs the gloves, immediately putting them on under the focused gaze of his kid. They're slightly warm to the touch, probably from Cele's body heat, and feel like heaven going over his freezing-cold fingers. He wiggles his fingers, they're a little big for him, and they look snug on Cele, but he has a bit of extra room at the tips of his fingers. His brain floods with the realization that Cele has bigger hands than him. He's never cared about that, and now his eyes keep glancing at the other's hands.

When they're fully ready, Cele guides them through the archway carefully, Matteo gripping their hands tight to stay upright on the suddenly much more slick surface. The rink is much emptier than before, some couples and one group of teens are the only ones skating around. They start slowly, Cele giving pointers to their form, and quickly enough they're skating around, Matteo grabbing their hands with a huge smile on his face.

Marco looks over at Cele, on the other side of his kid, and mouths his thanks. He swears he sees Cele's cheeks flush darker, but that's probably from the ice underneath their feet.

"So, Teo, have you written your letter to Babbo Natale already?"

Matteo nods, sliding a bit with the momentum but catching himself easily with Cele's help. "Yes, papà is helping me, writing is a bit hard."

"It is, you're right there, Teo."

Matteo starts going on about what he's asking for, and what he's sure he will get because everyone says he's a good boy. Marco feels warm all over—the swirling lights around them, his kid's hand in his, soft gloves, and softer eyes across the ice.

"Cele," he says in a lull of their conversation. "How is it that you're working here? Don't you have exams?"

Cele nods, smiling. "I do, but I can revise here easily, that's why I asked to be at the front instead of in here. Also, the extra cash is nice, I'm not going home until New Year's Eve, so I had the time."

"So you're here for Christmas?"

"Yes, this year is a bit complicated with scheduling, so I can't get up there until afterwards. But it's okay."

Marco knows what he's going to say before he can reel it in and stop the words from tumbling out of his mouth. "We're going to Rimini for Christmas, you could come with us and spend the day together," he says. "If you want, I don't want you to be alone."

He can see it hit Cele, the moment the words sink into both of them, at the same time as he loses his footing on the ice, sliding backwards. He lets go of Matteo's hand, not wanting to bring his kid down with him, but it's too late for himself, his limbs flying, trying to catch himself, and Cele moving towards him to try to help.

One second later, he's flat on his back, his ass sore from the fall, the warm, solid weight of Cele on top of him, and his dark eyes worried. "Are you okay, Marco?"

He wants to bury himself in the ice, let the embarrassment pass, he wants to pull Cele closer, he wants to run away. He's stalling until Matteo's laughter next to him brings him back. Teo's sitting down on the ice, giggling up a storm at his dad's fall.

Cele moves back, getting up, and Marco has to stop himself from tugging on his sleeve, so he lays on top of him again. The cold is starting to seep into his back, so he should get up too.

With the help of Cele, they all get back on their feet and skate slowly back to the entrance. There was nothing other than a sore butt and a dent in his cool persona to cry about. When they get their shoes back, Matteo's legs are a bit wiggly from the change back to solid ground, and he starts imitating his dad falling on his ass and laughing loudly.

"Yes, yes, I fell. Very funny," he says.

Cele has been a bit quiet since the fall, so he turns towards him, grabbing his arm and squeezing. "Hey, the offer stands, I think Matteo would really like to have you there, and you shouldn't be alone for Christmas."

He sees him stutter, looking down at Teo, before nodding with a shy smile on his face. "Okay, if you insist, thank you, Marco."

The blonde girl at the stall calls Cele's name, his break is up.

"I had a great time with you guys, I need to go back now."

"Oh, right," says Marco. "Thank you, Cele, we had a lot of fun."

Matteo hugs his legs, thanking him too. Cele's hand comes down to ruffle his head through his hat. Marco finds himself unable to shut up again. "We're going to walk around until they turn on the lights if you want to go see them with us later. When do you get out?"

Cele's smile widens. "My shift ends at 17, and I'd love to go with you guys," he says, walking backward towards the stall.

"We'll be here," Marco says, letting Matteo tug him back to the market.

He squeezes his kid's hand, his chest feeling raw with emotion, and his brain is busy thinking about how he's going to tell his mom that she needs to add another plate to Christmas lunch. He's still wearing Cele's gloves.

[hlficlibrary]

hiiii i was wondering if you had any recommendations for fics where either harry or louis are single fathers and keep the kid secret when they met/started dating. I know I've read one or two like this but I can't remember the names and would like to read them again or others with a similar plot. Thank you!

Hi, anon! You're very welcome! Here are some that fit what you're looking for! I added the last one as a bonus because it has a similar premise but with a twist.

He Was a Different League (When I Was Nothing Much) by AFangirlFantasy / @afangirlfantasy

Prompt: Louis and Marcel dated at school, but they ultimately drifted apart. Years later, a lonely Marcel is made to start online dating by Niall, only to be matched with Louis.

Sick of being alone, Marcel is forced (by Niall) to join an online dating app. The idea is well and all, except for the inconvenient fact that he hasn’t moved on from his childhood sweetheart - Louis. If only Marcel could learn to let go, he might actually be able to love again.

Or, an AU where finding that 'someone new' actually leads to finding that 'someone old,' and Marcel is painfully oblivious.

How It Begins (series) by phdmama / @phdmama

New town, new job, new school for his daughter. It's a chance to start again for Louis Tomlinson, a clean slate.

Or is it?

Love This Christmas by lovelarry10 / @chloehl10

“Touch those toes, Mr Styles, come on, bend down a little more. Excellent, well done. Look, the five year olds are showing you up here!”

“I’m trying,” Harry replied through gritted teeth, coming back to a standing position, much more red in the face now than he had been at the start. “I can’t say I’ve seen you- oh.”

Louis promptly bent himself in half, almost laying his palms flat on the playground as he showed off, well aware this was entirely for Harry's benefit and no one else's. He could almost sense Harry's gaze burning into him, and he held the stretch for a moment longer before he slowly stood up, walking his fingers up his legs as he did so.

“Right, is everyone warmed up? Good. Now you need to line up, and listen to what Mr Styles says you need to do next.”

Teacher Harry is excited for Christmas with his class. When new TA Louis starts, sparks fly between the two men. But Louis’ always dashing off, and Harry's left pining. Will Christmas help them find love?

Falling in the Wrong Direction by @fallinglikethis

When Harry’s fiancé, Liam, passes away just before their wedding, he doesn’t know how to cope. As time goes on, Harry learns to heal, but is left living in the house his fiancé used to share with his best friends and Harry is uncovering a lot of secrets he didn’t know Liam had... while possibly falling for the one person who helped Liam keep them from him.

Harry never quite got along with Louis, but maybe he’s the one person who can help Harry bridge the gap between the life he thought he would have and the one he is now living.

A Catch and Release au

[doumadono]

I just wanna know why so many adult mha smut creators say they age up minors as if it justifies their attraction to them. Would you say it's okay to age up Eri too?

Ah, aging-up fictional characters, my favorite controversial topic! ♥ You know, I was low-key anticipating an anon to drop this kind of question, sooner nor later (what a pity you didn't have balls to come off-anon tho!). I've had my fair share of childish anons before, and trust me, those went straight into the digital dumpster. But hey, this time, I've decided to lay it all out on the table, crystal clear 🙅‍

You know, I've done it all – murder, rape, summoned demons, even glorified Satan and had several children killed in my stories. But guess what? Not a single pair of handcuffs in sight! 😎 And don't get me started on the horror section at any bookstore - it's like a buffet of dreadful deeds.

Let's be real, the purity police can take a hike. There's something oddly fishy about the fact that fanfic, mostly crafted by awesome writers, gets the brunt of the criticism or some ridiculous accusations, especially the smutty bits, while the gruesome stuff gets a free pass 🤷

Look, folks, it's all about context. Fiction is a realm where creativity knows no bounds, right? So, if I want to age-up a character for a mature storyline, I'll go for it 🤷 Look, it's all a part of the creative process. Fiction is like a playground where we can swing from the monkey bars of imagination, right? Aging-up fictional characters is a common practice in creative communities, and it's important to remember that these characters exist solely within the realm of fiction - they are not real, so it doesn't hurt them in any single way. It allows creators to explore different scenarios and relationships without crossing any ethical boundaries :) Also! Aging-up characters isn't some sneaky scheme to write "inappropriate" content about youngsters. It's about taking characters you adore or find fascinating and giving them a new lease on life. It's like those college AU fanfics for characters in their late 30s or kidfic for full-grown adults. It's all about exploring different phases of their lives. So, whether it's smutty or not, the essence remains the same 😎 You see, the whole "aging-up" thing in fanfic/fanart is just common sense. We're not into the whole "let's sexualize kids" scene, so we gracefully turn our characters into adults. It's all about creating content featuring responsible, grown-up folks. And let's get real, if reading about something meant you were all in on it, then every mystery novel reader out there would have to be either an undercover detective nor a murderer 😎 So let's dial down the judgment and just enjoy our creative freedom, shall we?

But you know, trying to equate aging-up with things like grooming/pedophilia is like saying eating a banana is the same as piloting a spaceship because they're both hands-on activities. Let's keep our perspective here, folks, and not get too carried away with the terminology 😂

If you don’t want to read those stories (containing aged-up characters/dark content/smut with aged-up characters) - then don’t read them - problem solved!

Oh, how times have changed, my friend! Back in the day, I used to let all those comments and anonymous hate bring me down. But guess what? I've evolved, and I've got news for the critics: I write what I want to write, and nobody's gonna tell me otherwise. I've got this little thing called free will, and I'm not about to hand it over to anyone who thinks they can dictate what I should or shouldn't put on paper. If that means ruffling a few feathers, so be it. I've shed my tear-soaked days and embraced the fact that I couldn't care less about those sensitive souls who can't handle a bit of fiction. So, to all you "snowflakes" out there, if you're trying to stifle my creativity, good luck, because I'm just going to crank up the heat and write even smuttier storylines with aged-up characters! Thanks for the encouragement, dear Nonnie – you've only fueled my fire! 🔥😎 I might even consider writing some very dark-themed fic with aged-up Eri, why not! 😈

Oh, hey Anon! Quick question for you. Have you ever picked up a Stephen King book? You know, the master of horror and suspense? Well, if you have, you might've noticed that he doesn't shy away from some pretty explicit content, and not just with adults. Sometimes he writes about kids too, and they're sometimes off legal age as well! Surprise, surprise. You can stroll into a bookstore, grab a book off the shelf, and guess what? There's a good chance that some of those books contain content that would make a sailor blush! Yet, the world isn't collapsing because of it. The point is, even in mainstream literature, you'll find situations that might make you raise an eyebrow. So, let's not throw stones at age-up fiction creators when the literary giants sometimes walk on the same edge, right? 😏

In the conclusion, if you've got a problem with aging-up fictional characters, dear Nonnie, you might want to take a chill pill and remember that it's all just a bit of fun in the end ♥ Well, you know what would truly make my day? If you took the liberty to hit that "block" button with glee and gracefully vanished from my interactions. And if, by some chance, you decide to stick around, don't hold your breath for a response. I'll be too busy conjuring up some fiery, smutty tales featuring Bakugo or Shoto or any other character I like to bother with your, shall we say, less-than-enlightening queries. But hey, chin up, pal – here's a little nugget of wisdom from your "older and wiser" friend: go get a life. It's an absolute game-changer 😜 I'm tagging some content creators who write dark fics or use aged-up characters and might face similar anons/anon hate: @mrskokushibo @ectologia @kyojurismo @bakubunny

[thefootnotes]

Do you read any one direction fic/have any recs?

*chanting* FIC RECS FIC RECS FIC RECS

as we know there are so many incredible 1d authors out there. first off, just any works by @enchantedlandcoffee (same url on ao3) are my favourites, as are the works of @louisthiccsexyglitteryass (again same ao3 url) who has also done some betaing for me.

i mean....i obviously write 1d fics if that floats your boat too......

but i've got some individual recs from authors who i havent read a lot of their work; some of these are long, some are quite short, all of them are good, and they're all on ao3!

COMPLETE WORKS:

No Good Deed (Goes Unpunished) - JasTheLarrie (168k, larry, enemies to friends to lovers, kidfic au.... just beautiful writing)

Heart Beat - @allwaswell16/same ao3 url (35k, larry, advent fic, kidfic au, harry's had a crush since they were in high school. very very good plot, a little angsty around the edges. great christmastime fic.)

Now I've Got You In My Space - unscattered_horizons (160k, ziam, my all time favourite fic fs. genderqueer characters, slow burn, college au.... enemies to lovers but beautifully done. angsty but not just about the relationship, and so well written. truly couldnt pick a flaw in this fic, i love it so much.)

Pieces Of You - JamieJam93 (280k, larry/niam, a pretty old fic. very much centred around eating disorders so take care. everybodys traumatised! we love it.)

i'll knock on your door, it will save me from calling - @hl-obsessed/same ao3 url (5.8k, platonic zouis, larry, very angsty. written for round one of zaynsalbumsficfest, based on good years. very poignant. lovelovelove.)

All In - series by JasTheLarrie (120k, larry, flower shop au where louis' ex is absolutely awful. lots of platonic zouis. very cute fics, angsty in parts)

Bloom - Goldenhazandlou (48k, larry, 1950s au where harry and louis were in a secret relationship, and louis' granddaughter finds old diaries and photos of them. beautiful and poignant and tragically sad. makes me cry every time i reread it.)

Fix My Heart - SchwarzwalderKirschtorte (6.4k, mostly gen but also larry. sickfic, zayn comes back to the band, lots of angst. touches on a lot of mental health stuff, so take care. probably my favourite ever one shot tbh.)

Stars over Amsterdam - @hellolovers13/same ao3 url (4.7k, larry, enemies to lovers. the BEST eras tour au i have read in this fandom. hands down. you don't need to be a swiftie to appreciate the storyline here (although i am!))

And I'm Okay (With What I'm Not) - red_panda28 (6.6k, larry. for the 1d aroace fest, a very beautiful work based around asexuality and the sexualisation of the industry. really kind of made me rethink the way i view aspec people, for the better. incredible read)

WIPs I LOVE:

Shout Out To The Old Me - Strawberries_And_Cigarettes28 (15k so far, larry, internalised homophobia, café au, involves gemma a lot as a friend of louis. angsty but also quite funny. awesome fic)

Meet Me In Montauk - series by make_this_feel_like_home (94k so far, larry, amnesia au. tragically sad, absolutely fucking broke me; happy ending though so.)

this is absolutely *not* all of the 1d fics i love - this is just a selection of my favourites, ones that i've found myself coming back to time and time again. i hope you enjoy, anon!!

[pathsofoak]

Hey anon! My upcoming fic, The Cold Half (intro post in the pinned post on my blog), of which the first part should be released on AO3 september 25th (excuse the shameless self-promo), will feature a chapter that is indirectly from DeeDees POV. That's to say, Teresa tells the reader about something that happened at that time. Later on in the story there will be some more in-depth discussion of her childhood (primarily of WCKD, but thematically her time before is incredibly important).

TCH follows Thomas, Brenda, Gally, Frypan, Minho, Teresa, and some other characters (hidden bc spoilers) after the events of the TDC movie. Janson succeeds in taking Thomas there, and he and Teresa are at WCKD, whil the others (plus Vince and Jorge, though they're not POV characters) try to find them. Teresa's arc will center about her relationship with WCKD and how it influences the way she thinks about herself and her self-worth.

hav u ever thought about writing something from Teresa's POV when she was deedee? i was just wondering since her being deedee is only referenced like 3 times and i think it would be cool lol (if u dont want to thats ok dw about it :) ive just gotten back to rereading the books lol)

hiya! exciting to get a teresa ask 🙏🏻🤍

‘referenced like 3 times’ where do you mean, in the books? if you mean the books, and by books mean the original trilogy, then i can happily tell you that there are 2 prequel books, the first of which (the kill order) is basically teresa‘s backstory as deedee before she comes to wicked! (it’s not only teresa though, so don’t go in expecting a complete book from her pov.) (it’s from a new characters pov, and everyone apart from teresa is a new character, too)

i have personally not written anything specifically about teresa when she was still called deedee, although my thomesa fever code fic A Story contains flashbacks to that time. (fever code is the 2nd prequel book, set when the gladers are kids at wicked)

if you’re yearning for more teresa backstory, you could stay on the lookout for @pathsofoak ‘s monumental fic project.

as for me specifically writing teresa‘s pov when she‘s still called deedee, i don’t see myself doing that. not out of principle, but kidfics aren‘t really my thing, and i‘m more interested in how her experiences shape who she becomes as a teenager and adult.

thanks for the ask, exciting to see people think about teresa 👋🏻

[theriverbeyond]

I don't know about Harrow, but I can imagine Gideon wanting kids because in the tlt universe having children is almost completely divorced from physical pregnancy, to the point that it is treated as a novelty that both Gideon and Harrow were physically born. Ianthe would also want to babytrap someone and then forget the child existed.

have i got the fic rec for you!! and rising in the dead of night by a_big_apple, where Ianthe gets a vat womb and then Kiriona gets a kid

[autistichalsin]

I'm going to go off here just because I'm so frustrated.

So this drama all started when someone- a self-identified anti- posted a rant that I "wrote Halsin rape fantasy fiction." I was annoyed, as anyone would be, but even more because such a fiction didn't exist! But also, it sounded like a great fic, Halsin using a rape fantasy/consensual nonconsent to work through his Underdark traumas. So I said "you know what, I can't let the fake version of me you invented be cooler than the real me, can I?" And then I set to work plotting out Too Many Burdens to Bear, which would take about another month to be ready to post after that.

The group were angry at this, and soon after, they started a callout, cancelled me, harassed me, whatever word you want to use for this nonsense. They couldn't keep their story straight, from the start. Some of them claimed it was the simple fact that the fic was CNC that was wrong. Others, who were okay with CNC themselves but still wanted to have a reason to hate me, said my fic WASN'T CNC, and obviously that was the problem, it would be different "if" it was just CNC. (Then, when they were corrected, they....... never changed their tune.) Another said I was planning to write a fic about "Halsin being raped again" and had said "getting raped would help Halsin heal from his traumas."

It's like they're playing a game of telephone, but instead of changing a single word, the goal is to change the entire sentence.

Others insisted the problem was that I wrote it to "spite" the person who "only said they were uncomfortable with rape" (lol, then don't read it, you fucking dumbass!!!) I got told I was retraumatizing myself and others, that I didn't care about/fetishized rape, etc. They have since gone on to claim I posted the fic untagged, hoping to trigger the anti who started this.

These are the tags on the fic in question, which they would know if they bothered to LOOK at what they were criticizing.

Could this possibly be ANY better tagged? I even had someone who is squicked by PIV sex reach out to thank me because no one EVER warns for that. That's how above and beyond I went in avoiding squicking anyone.

Like, literally everything this group claimed about my actions being problematic falls apart with the most cursory check at the ACTUALITY of what has been posted.

And these people, who claim care SO much about rape, who care SO MUCH about survivors? Yesterday, Mish made a post about Neil (as in, Astarion's actor) getting sexually harassed, and one of these people replied that it was "hypocritical" to say so while supporting me, who writes CNC. When someone replied that this was about a real human, not fiction, they literally said they DIDN'T CARE. They care more about defending the honor of Halsin, a fictional survivor of rape, than they care about the real person who played Astarion, who is a REAL survivor of rape.

When Mish and I said we are both survivors of rape and sexual abuse, respectively, these people said we were "playing the survivor card" (an utterly vile thing to say). I received an anon questioning whether I was really sexually abused.

They also, at the same time as the initial bout of drama over my CNC fic, began calling me a pedophile because of an omegaverse Halsin headcanon I made. For those unaware, omegaverse is an AU with many related tropes. Which ones get used vary by the author, but they always include heats and animalistic behavior, and often include knotting, mpreg, themes of subjugation based on gender, breeding kink, and others. However, while the trope started as a kink one, it has since branched out, and some write fics without smut at all, instead focusing on gender dynamics, kidfic, or other aspects of the universe.

I made a headcanon that Halsin, who in that universe I headcanon as an omega- who, in omegaverse stories, can get pregnant, and have heats- would want children of his own. I headcanoned that after taking care of children at his commune after the ending, that this might trigger a heat for him.

A normal person would look at this and go "aw, Halsin has baby fever! Cute!"

These are not normal people, so they looked at it and went "ewww, this pedo thinks Halsin gets turned on by being around kids!"

They literally said this. While also admitting that they do not read omegaverse stories. Multiple people who do read them tried to explain that it's just how reproduction works in that AU, but this person just stuck their fingers in their ears and yelled "lalala HEATS ARE HORNY IF YOU WRITE HEATS IT'S ONLY TO BE HORNY HORNY HORNY! NOT LISTENING!"

After they accused me of being a pedophile for this, I fired back and said "if you can look at this headcanon and think it has anything to do with attraction to children, you're the pedophile." I should not have called them one back, and I apologize for it, but this person has since gone on to lie and play the victim, saying "I just said their tweet was a bit sus and they called me a pedophile FOR NO REASON." They also said that they "wouldn't have been so quick to call it pedo if [I] wasn't so open about being a proshipper."

If I wasn't so open about saying that fiction is not morality, you wouldn't have been so quick to say that my fiction represented my morality? Hmmm.

If you notice, their posts all have the same formulaic deception and manipulative slant to them: they will say something about the fiction I write/enjoy, or the characters I don't like, etc, with a personal attack against my character. When I respond, they will then claim to have been attacked, violently and without provocation, "just because" they (x), where (x) is the most blatant glossing over of their actions. Them calling me a pedophile became "just saying their tweet was sus." Them harassing me for weeks over a CNC fic that HADN'T EVEN BEEN WRITTEN YET was "just saying we aren't comfortable with rape." So uncomfortable with rape, remember, that they said they DIDN'T CARE about Neil being harassed, because CNC about Halsin was worse.

You would think these two things alone would be enough to utterly destroy this group's credibility; they are either blatant liars, or their perception of reality is so poor that nothing they say is to be trusted. Anyone who prioritizes a fictional character's rape over a real person's is not living in reality. Anyone who thinks baby fever is pedophilia should not be trusted on, well, anything. It would be like trusting a flat-earther to give geography lessons.

But unfortunately, people wanted to listen to them over Mish and I, and sadly, it's easy to see why. The antis positioned themselves so that if you disagreed with their harassment, you were "pro rape". And no one wants a label that toxic associated with them, so they jumped ship on principle. Even though Mish is the nicest person in the entire fandom and has never hurt anyone at all, even though Mish is an IRL advocate for rape survivors and against gender-based violence in her country and has thus done more for rape survivors than these people ever have or will. It doesn't matter to them.

Other equally bizarre accusations have been lobbed at us; I'm "lesbophobic" and "called all lesbians TERFs" (I called the rhetoric from a group of like five people TERF-ish, but since they think they represent all lesbians, they claimed it was against all lesbians- WHICH, by the way, is my identity as well. They are calling me a self-hating lesbian over this.)

This group has a history of starting harassment against people, then cry-bullying that the pushback they get is a form of lesbophoia; for example, a few months ago, they harassed a bi woman off of Twitter who asked them to stop being biphobic by calling it gross to ship Shadowheart, a canonically bisexual woman, with men. They branded this user lesbophobic and harassed her until she permanently deactivated. They posted that it was gross to ship Karlach with Dammon, too, and when a user, who is herself lesbian, headcanons Karlach as a lesbian, and doesn't ship her with Dammon chimed in to say why OTHERS ship it, they attacked her too. They attacked the actor for Rolan for sharing/supporting a fan petition for Rolan to be romanceable. They called Dave, Halsin's actor, a creep for sharing NSFW art of Halsin on his page, and tried to insinuate he was a pedophile (saying they wouldn't be surprised if he had a scandal like "that Genshin actor," who, for those who don't know, was found to have groomed a child online.)

They claimed that I "called everyone who doesn't like Halsin ableist", when what was actually said was that IF we call everyone who doesn't like Minthara lesbophobic because a lot of her fans are lesbians (which is a thing that one of them had just said), THEN using the same logic, we could say that hating Halsin is ableist because a lot of his fans are autistic. (Sidenote: this group of people repeatedly mocked my special interest (making meta essays) after being told it was my special interest, which is pretty gross, to me.)

It genuinely boggles my mind that a group of people can be so toxic to the actors and still given a platform in the fandom. This is entirely new behavior to me- even in the most toxic fandom's I've been in or rubbernecked on, harassing the actors was always considered the line not to cross and would make you persona non grata. It was the one thing everyone could agree on as unacceptable. Yet these people are openly attacking Dave's character and are still not only listened to when they make up allegations against people, but they are well-respected in the fandom. Either people don't think harassing an actor is a big deal anymore, these fans secretly AGREE with the harassment and slander against him, or (most generous explanation) they don't know who they're actually supporting here.

These people gleefully mocked my abuse from my mother. I said that some of Minthara's abusive actions (poisoning a romanced player without her consent) reminded me of similar actions my mom did, and are part of my aversion to the character. I posted this untagged- I even censored Minthara's name so that her fans wouldn't find it. But because they were cyberstalking me so obsessively, they QRTed it and proceeded to bring it up multiple times to snark about "the essential oils". When someone called them out and asked if they really thought it was funny, they answered, without hesitation, yes. They said that I had already "mocked my own abuse" by bringing up how Minthara triggers memories of her, so they therefore had every right to laugh at the bodily harm I faced when my mother would deliberately cause me asthma attacks by forcing me to inhale essential oils. Because I said that a fictional character's similar actions triggered memories of it. That was worthy of mocking to them.

So they support survivors of rape and abuse who have triggers related to fiction, unless that survivor is a survivor of child abuse who is triggered by their favorite character, in which case they deserve to be mocked. I guess they don't believe in supporting survivors who have trigger reactions to fiction after all... what a surprise. Almost like they never cared about anything they claimed to.

They're actually remarkably transparent about not actually caring about ANY issue they claim to champion. They claim to be fighting for rape survivors while harassing not one but two survivors from the fandom into mental breakdowns (the tweet about my mom was so bad it made me have a flashback, and their harassment of Mish did similar to her) and saying they DON'T CARE about Neil's sexual harassment because fiction about Halsin is more important. They claim to oppose lesbophobia while repeatedly attacking lesbians who disagree with them on anything from shipping to whether queer male sexuality is inherently predatory. I could go on.

Somehow, no matter how blatant it is that they don't actually care about anything, and are just using fake moralizing as a vehicle for sadism, people still keep taking them at face value. Again, I get it. They have positioned themselves as fighting against rape and abuse, so by extension, they have positioned it so that anyone who is against them is liable to be accused of supporting rape and abuse. It's a great system for them, really; bullying is a behavior that would otherwise be reviled, but by framing everyone they don't like as a bad person, as an existential threat to marginalized communities (who, conveniently, always have their own marginalized identities ignored until it becomes convenient to bring it up again to harass them for it), they turn their bullying into not only something acceptable, but into a moral act to be commended. A moral obligation, even, because don't pedos deserve to be hunted for sport? (This is the same reason why the alt-right is obsessively pedojacketing the entire LGBT community as they move to censor queer fiction, for the record.)

I don't know what else to say besides that I really, really hope that people are waking up to that group's nonsense, or at least that they will soon, and will realize that fiction is not reality, and that that group of known disingenuous liars and manipulators are being... disingenuous liars and manipulators, yet again.

Unfortunately, it's too late since they've already chased Mish out of the fandom, and I will honestly never forgive that group of people and their enablers for it. But I have hope that maybe the rest of the fandom will come around, especially because, as all of us who have experience with antis know, they are never going to stop. They aren't going to stop targeting people for everything from making a harmless mod that turns Scratch into Astarion to saying it's okay to ship Karlach/Dammon or Shadowheart/men to writing a fic about Halsin using kink to explore his trauma from being enslaved to being an actor for the show who retweets NSFW art of his character to making a headcanon that Astarion wants to dance with Tav to making an omegaverse headcanon... I could go on and on.

Sorry for the novel, and I hope this is the last post I make about this drama, but I am so beyond tired and frustrated. This hurt Mish deeply- the nicest person in the entire fandom- and seeing the raw sadism from her bullies, sadism that is being praised, makes me feel physically ill, honestly.

I won't be using any fandom tags for this post, but I will be tagging this with various proship related things since I feel this is relevant.