#may i recommend reading fics?

[the-travelling-witch]

me after watching blue lock ep 10

jsjshs esther—

tbh i haven’t watched ep 10 yet bc i always have to go pirate mode to watch bllk

[foolishlovers]

MUTUAL PINING FIC RECS: Below you'll find a list of Good Omens fics in which Aziraphale and Crowley are pining for each other.

You can request more fic recs here.

you play with my feelings (right from the start) by PenroseSun (G, 3k)

There were three things of which Crowley was absolutely certain: 1. Aziraphale, being an angel, was required to be kind and loving towards all things, even when those things were flawed or sinful or fallen. 2. Notwithstanding that obligatory kindness, Aziraphale would never, and could never truly love a demon, in any meaningful sense. 3. Despite this, Crowley was desperately, hopelessly, in love with him.

For To Quench My Thirst by apliddell (G, 6k)

After moving to Sussex with Aziraphale, Crowley is trying so hard to be satisfied with friendship and the suddenly beautiful life he already has.

Slow by write_away (T, 9k)

It started like this: A boy with the ability to warp reality met an angel and a demon and he made assumptions. You might say it started like this: An angel and a demon found a marriage contract hung on the wall of the angel's bookshop. They didn't question it. It also could have started like this: Once upon a time, the angel told the demon he went too fast. The demon took it to heart.   Aziraphale and Crowley find themselves somehow married. Crowley fears going too fast. Aziraphale forges ahead. Neither know how to ask questions of each other.

got a pretty face, pretty boyfriend too by KissMyAsthma, leukozyna (T, 9k)

Aziraphale and Crowley are next-door neighbours. They’ve been attracted to each other since they met. The only thing keeping them apart is a thin wall between their bedrooms and Atticus and Freddie, Aziraphale’s and Crowley’s respective life partners… or are they? A human AU glued together by misunderstandings and wet food.

speed limits (and how to break them) by darcylindbergh (E, 13k)

There is a trick people do with a mint candy and a bottle of cola which results in a small eruption, and something very like it, for much higher stakes than a laugh in a car park, is about to take place in Aziraphale’s back room. Or: what happens when you finally unscrew the cap on a six thousand years of repression, and drop in Valentine’s Day.

Something We Were Withholding Made Us Weak by triedunture (M, 17k)

"Yes, exactly. Retire." Aziraphale reaches for the last remaining tartlet brimming with summer berries. "Somewhere along the south coast, perhaps." Or: Crowley and Aziraphale learn to move in tandem.

32 Questions That Lead To Love by ffonippop (E, 32k)

”First formulated in 1997, [32] questions to fall in love is a study by psychologist Dr. Arthur Aron which took place at Stony Brook University, New York. The aim? Speeding up the creation of intimacy between two strangers.” The Cosmopolitan Okay, fine. Crowley was 32-Questions-That-Lead-To-Love-ing Aziraphale. Sue him. He had no expectations, all right? Just, an innocent curiosity.

Flowers From The Grave Of Our Friendship by WaitingToBeBroken (E, 50k)

Crowley is very good at temptation, not so good with what comes afterwards. Aziraphale knows demons don't love so he is happy to take anything Crowley would give him. Both of them are too blind to realize the thing they want is right in front of them.

Fledging by FeralTuxedo (M, 53k)

Cool Dad was at the school gate again. Clambering out of his ridiculous sports car like a great big spider, all black denim and designer sunglasses. What a prat. He made his way towards the entrance, followed by his equally lanky son. All the mums' eyes were on him. Which was fine. At least they weren't staring at Aziraphale for a change. Cool Dad high-fived his son goodbye, because of course he did, then sauntered back to his car. Making it look so bloody easy. Aziraphale Fell is much too young to be looking after eleven-year old Pepper. He barely has his life together as it is, with his minimum-wage job and a half-baked dream of trading rare books for a living. And as if adopting a recently bereaved pre-teen isn’t enough, there are some rather more adult problems to navigate: playground politics, the shadows of his own childhood, and the growing question of how Crowley, the only other dad at the school gate, feels about him. A human AU/kid fic.

Style and Substance by Cabernet_Woebegone (E, 89k)

“But y’know, if my boss finds out I’m helping you even a little, they’re gonna throw me out on my ass.” “Yes, I understand it is a bit of a conflict of interest for you… Is there something I can offer you in return? Something you would like?” Aziraphale questioned hopefully. You, Crowley thought loudly as he took a second sip. I want to know if you moan when you kiss the same way you do when you try something delicious. I want to know if your lips taste like Zinfandel. “Yes, actually.” Aziraphale is having difficulty running his restaurant, and it isn't helping that he believes the place across the street is trying to sabotage him. To his surprise, chef Crowley comes to him on friendly terms. Together they come up with an arrangement that could benefit them both.

On Espionage and Prophecy (or How to Accidentally, but Wholly, Fall in Love With a Soho Bookseller) by RockSaltAndRoll (E, 133k)

1941 is the London Blitz and the year that MI5 really comes into its own with the now infamous ‘double cross’ system. The service keep tabs on suspects, root out enemy agents and try to turn them into doubles. Anthony J Crowley is fucking great at this job. He can be sneaky, underhanded and damn ruthless but also charming and kind. It’s what makes him good at turning. Aziraphale is just a regular Soho bookseller who loves his shop and books and good food and wine when he’s approached by a woman claiming to be MI5, wanting to recruit him for espionage. The poor man is too trusting and gets the shock of his life when he’s approached by a charming but dangerous-looking man also claiming to be MI5. Crowley recruits Aziraphale to double cross a double crosser and Aziraphale takes to espionage like a duck to water. Danger, hijinks, and sex ensue.

Old Vines by sevdrag (E, 189k)

A.Z. Fell, one of the most respected names in wine and food blogging, has been sent on assignment with his assistant Warlock Dowling to spend six months in California Wine Country. Under direction (by his boss, Gabriel) to use this experience to double his blog followers and write a novel, Aziraphale is both excited and anxious about the opportunity. Anthony J. Crowley is the owner and viticulturalist of Ecdyses, a winery that unexpectedly fell into his lap eleven years ago when he hit rock bottom. He may be in debt, yeah, but he’s paying off his loans — and despite pressure from his lenders and their team of inspectors, Crowley has found a kind of contentment tending his little corner of terroir and producing extraordinary wine. Crowley’s old vines are the heart of his vineyard, and he’s never let anyone in. Crowley finds Aziraphale intriguing; Aziraphale finds Crowley enthralling. Turns out a famous wine expert and an experienced viticulturalist can still learn things from each other. The summer of 2019 unfolds.

[hetaliafucker]

Usuk Thought (Mini Headcanon?)

I hate England calling America fat, and I don't really care about the show or manga's canon a lot of the time for a multitude of reasons, but alas.

You cannot convince me that this immortal being who has seen the changes of beauty standards throughout centuries would One) Judge someone's body type all that much or give a single fuck. Or Two) Wouldn't be lowkey happy. His childhood was literally primal. So to him (And very likely most nations), more fat = Better fed, thus safety, and also more body warmth. His subconscious primal brain is likely thinking 'Oh fuck yeah, I bagged a good one. He'll keep me warm this Winter'.

So now I imagine Alfred getting insecure because he thinks he's gaining weight, and Arthur being like 'Absolutely not' and shutting down any insecurities Al would have, because he's hundreds of years old, dammit, and the beauty standard throughout history has changed so damn much. Plus, he can’t complain when Alfred's just comfier.

[undertale-fic-librarby]

Featured Fic Friday!

Welcome to Featured Fic Friday! A day where I, or someone who suggests one, tell you about a fanfic that I really enjoy! Spoiler's under the cut! Today's featured fic is...

A Dog in the Cat House by SoloShikigami (General Audiences, Complete)

Nightmare has lived happily with his three cats, Dust, Killer, and Horror. But one day he comes across a poor dog in need of a home, and hey, he could always use a guard dog. But will his three cats get along with the newest member of the family?

A short but cute fic, I enjoy the concept behind it! It's a little unusual to find a fic where most of the characters are animals, but the author does a good job of writing the characters regardless!

Spoilers ahead!

I think it's a really cute fic with an interesting premise, having Cross as a dog in what was previously an all cat house.

The way the author writes the characters makes it known what they think & how they feel even without any dialogue spoken between them.

[the-genius-az]

I'm really busy right now... (Not really).

But I would like to read a Tyzula dark romance fic... or maybe a soft and sweet Maizula.

Or that cielocomedown updates all their fics!! but hey... we can't all have what we want. :(

[nellasbookplanet]

Book recs: many worlds, portal fantasy edition

A typical portal fantasy follows a human from our world who steps through a portal into a magical land (think of narnia). But there are many fun variations of this trope! Sometimes it's the magical people who come to our world; sometimes we get to follow people who have returned from their adventures and are seeking for new meaning; sometimes our world isn't involved at all. As might be assumed, most portal fantasies are fantasy stories, but some lean more toward magical realism, others toward sci-fi. It's a fun spectrum!

I'm separating portal fantasies from alternate timelines/parallel worlds type stories (which will get their own rec post soon-ish). I also generally do not include stories where the character travels to fairyland/land of the dead/etc as those feel like a genre of their own to me, but the lines between them sometimes blur and this is, obviously, a subjective list.

(Titles marked with * are my personal favorites)

Other book rec posts:

Really cool fantasy worldbuilding, really cool sci-fi worldbuilding, dark sapphic romances, mermaid books, vampire books

For more detailed info on the books, continue under the cut.

The Magicians (Magicians trilogy) by Lev Grossman*

You may not have heard of this book, but you have probably heard of the scyfy series of the same name that crashed and burned a few years ago. This is the book it’s based on (pros: it doesn’t end in the same way; cons: it doesn’t feature the juggernaut ship of the show in any major way). For the uninitiated: features what is essentially a (secret) magic university for tormented geniuses. When he finds magic isn't enough to grant him happiness, main character Quentin goes digging into the truth surrounding his favorite childhood books searching for meaning, and finds out that the magical other world they describe might not be so fictional after all.

Stray (Touchstone trilogy) by Andrea K. Höst*

Young adult told through diary entries. Including this as a portal fantasy is a bit of a stretch, but essentially: Cassandra unkowingly walks through a wormhole and lands herself on another planet, where she has to survive on her own until she is rescued. Soon she finds herself embroiled in a war between creatures from dreamlike other dimensions and the people who saved her. Skirts the line between scifi and fantasy (it has psychic space ninjas!), but generally feels mostly like sci-fi. Absolutely fantastic worldbuilding.

In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan*

Young adult. Kids who can walk between our world and a magical one get recruited into a magical school that trains them either to be fighters or sort-of diplomats. Our lead decides that fighting is stupid and that he’s going to peacefully solve every conflict ever, all while being the most delightfully obnoxious little brat possible and getting incolved in the most bisexual love triangle imaginable. Very good, funny, and heart-felt coming of age story.

NPCs (Spells, Swords, & Stealth series) by Drew Hayes*

This one only counts as a portal fantasy on a technicality and on the fact that I love it and this is my list. Follows a group of DnD players whose characters immediately die, forcing them to make new characters, and, parallel to their adventures, a group of NPCs from the fantasy world who find themselves forced to take the place of a party of recently deceased adventurers. The two parties do cross path on occasion, but there aren't actually any portals involved as all characters (mostly) stay in their respective world. A fun and light-hearted adventure that turns a lot of the expected tropes of the genre and of character archetypes on their heads.

The Time of the Dark (The Darwath series) by Barbara Hambly

1982 classic. Medieval history student Gil and biker Rudy are complete strangers, but when they get mixed up with a wizard from another world the two must work together to survive and get back home. Fairly traditional fantasy with its fair share of issues, but! It has cool swordswomen, creepy lovecraftian monsters and also mammoths!

The Twelve Kingdoms by Fuyumi Ono*

Young adult, light novel. Yoko Nakajima is a regular high school student, or at least she was one until a strange man showed up in her school, swore allegiance to her and whisked her away to another world. As the two get separated, Yoko is stuck on her own in a strange world, hunted by humans and demons alike as she travels in search of a way home. Absolute high point of isekai literature, with an incredible main character and really cool and unique worldbuilding (also available as an anime, however I have yet to watch it and can't speak to its quality just yet).

Peter Darling by Austin Chant*

Novella. An older Peter Pan returns to Neverland after years spent in our world, only to find that everything is different. Before he knows it, he finds himself working with his lifelong enemy, Captain Hook. Very gay and very trans, with interesting takes on toxic masculinity. Made my heart ache in the best of ways.

A Curse so Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer

Young adult. A retelling of beauty and the beast, where 'beauty' is a girl brought in from our world to a fantastical one and the narrative focuses a lot on what actually happens to the kingdom when the royal family suddenly disappears, and whether it’s even possible to fall in love with someone you know is deliberately trying to seduce you to break a curse. This is part one of a trilogy, however I'm only really recommending the first book as the second did not work for me at all.

The Golden Compass (His Dark Materials trilogy) by Philip Pullman

Young adult/middle grade, fantasy but has a lot of sci-fi aspects as well. Already well-known and for good reason, the His Dark Materials trilogy starts as what seems a pretty typical fantasy with some cool unique aspects (everyone has a soul-bound animal only they can speak to as their best friend!), and soon veers into a truly one of a kind story. It has magical portals, it has strange worlds with equally strange inhuman creatures, it has physics, it has god murder, it has gay angels, it has tragedy, and it’s very much worth your time.

Every Heart a Doorway (Wayward Children series) by Seanan McGuire*

A tumblr favorite, the Wayward Children novellas feature a school open to children who have returned from adventures in other realms and now have trouble adapting back to regular life. Some installments are set in our world, others follow children as they have their otherworldly adventures. The main characters vary between books, but are generally pretty diverse with among others asexual, trans, intersexual and sapphic leads. Both funny and dark, it takes a closer look at the trauma many endure growing up different.

Otherside Picnic (Otherside Picnic series) by Iori Miyazawa

Sapphic light novel with a surreal and episodic horror vibe. Following the directions of an urban legend, university student Sorawo finds her way to a reality populated by horrifying creatures from ghost stories and modern urban legends (of which I'm sure you'll recognize many). Here she teams up with fellow explorer Toriko, both to both find out more about this strange world and to help Toriko find a missing loved one. Also available as a manga and (one season of) an anime.

Last Bus to Everland by Sophie Cameron

Young adult. Brody is dealing with a lot, but it all gets a little easier when he meets Nico, who shows him how to access Everland, a magical land where he feels less out of place. But when the doors to Everland start disappearing, Brody must choose which world is really home. I'd categorize this less as fantasy and more as coming of age with a fantasy slant. It's also very gay.

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

Surreal and fairy tale-esque, The Starless Sea is stories within a story, following graduate student Zachary as he finds a strange book which, in-between other tales, tells a story from his own childhood. Trying to find out how this came to be, Zachary gets involved with a pink-haired woman and a handsome man who are doing their utmost to protect a strange, otherworldly library available only through magical doors. It's a book hard to put in words, but which I once described as "romantic without being a romance while stile having a love story at it's core", and which can be summed up only as "an Experience". It's also quite gay!

The Memory Theater by Karin Tidbeck

Listen, there’s a whole bunch of Swedish portal fantasies I read growing up that I'm dying to include here, but I'm not because they’re not available in English. The Memory Theater however is available, and is very good. Two children who were stolen into an otherworldly realm that wants them dead fight return to earth, and are followed by one of their captors across universes. The story has the feel of a dark fairy tale, and their captors, while not fey, are very reminiscent of them.

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow*

Historical young adult, more magical realism than fantasy. In the early 20th century, January is living under the care of her father's employer while he travels the world searching for valuables and secrets. But both her father and her caretaker are keeping something from her, something about her own family's history. When she one day stumbles upon a strange book, one that speaks of other worlds, she finally sets out to find the truth. However, there are those seeking to stop her and destroy the doors between worlds, no matter what.

The Hollow Places by T. Kingfisher*

Horror rather than fantasy. After having divorced, Kara moves to stay with her uncle and help him run his museum of curiosities, until one day she discovers a hole in the wall of his house. The hole leads to a strange bunker, and beyond that, a dark and dangerous world beyond her understanding. In the company of a friend, she goes to explore this world, but quickly comes to regret her decision to do so.

The Unspoken Name by A.K. Larkwood*

The sort of portal fantasy you get when all the worlds connected by portals are fantasy worlds, and none of them are ours. The portals themselves become simply a part of the worldbuilding that the characters use to travel between fascinating places, and it's all really cool. It follows Csorwe (lesbian orc assassin whom I love), who grew up in a cult, indoctrinated as a child sacrifice to a god. But on the day she was meant to die, she instead chose to follow a powerful wizard and train to become his loyal servant and sword. Aside from being an excellent fantasy, it's also a close look at the hard path of unlearning indoctrination and the search for love and validation where you'll never find it, and learning to live for yourself.

Odin's Child (the Raven Rings trilogy) by Siri Pettersen

Norwegian (vaguely Norse mythology inspired) young adult. Fifteen-year-old Hirka grew up thinking she simply lost her tail to a wolf attack, but one day she finds out she never had one: she's an Odin's child, a human, sent from another world and rumored to spread rot and ruin wherever she goes. To keep her secret safe, she goes on the run, but there are forces hunting for her, wanting to use her in their war. This reads mostly as a fairly typical epic fantasy, with the portal aspect not playing a major role until the second book.

The Barbed Coil by J.V. Jones

1997 classic. Tessa is a young woman with little going for her, until she stumbles upon a strange ring that transports her to a magical and dangerous other land. Here she meets Ravis, a mercenary who takes it upon himself to protect her, and discover her own special abilities, which she must use against an evil king whose mind has been corrupted and taken over by his crown, the Barbed Coil.

Skeen's Leap (Skeen trilogy) by Jo Clayton

1986 classic. While most portal stories are fantasy, this one has a distinct sci-fi flavour. Skeen is master thief wanted in a myriad solar systems, until her spaceship gets stolen and she's stranded on a backwater planet. Here she hears rumors of ruins leading to a strange other land. Hoping for treasure enough to get her off-planet, Skeen goes in search of this place, but finds herself stuck and unable to get back. This one has a unique, almost stream of consciousness prose that takes a while getting used to, but rewards you with a one of a kind experience.

Inkheart (Inkworld trilogy) by Cornelia Funke

German middle grade/young adult, in which the fantastical other worlds are those told of in books. Young Meggie's father has the ability to, when he reads, bring things and people out of the books, or put other people into said books. However, once having done so, he knows of no way to put anyone back where they belong. Now, years after he accidentally brought the terrible villain Capricorn and his henchmen out of their book, he and his daughter must evade them at all costs or be forced to bring further horrors out of the page and into the world.

Bonus AKA I haven't read these yet but they seem really cool

An Accident of Stars by Foz Meadows

A teenage girl accidentally follows a worldwalker from her world to a magical realm on the brink of civil war. I believe this on has both a major polyamorous relationship and ace/aro characters?

The Sleeping Dragon (Guardians of the Flame series) by Joel Rosenberg

1983 classic. A group of college dnd players find themselves transported to the magical realm they previously thought just a game.

The Wandering Inn by Pirateaba

Webnovel. After having been transported to a magical world, Erin decides to, rather than become a warrior or a mage, start running an inn.

Honorary mentions AKA these didn't really work for me but maybe you guys will like them: The Marked Girl by Lindsey Klingele, The Summer Tree by Guy Gavriel Kay, Child of a Hidden Sea by A.M. Dellamonica, Spellsinger by Alan Dean Foster, The Shattered Gates by Ginn Hale, The Awakening by Nora Roberts, Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor.

[the-millennium-curse]

Inspiration helped me finish up the third chapter of my Fullmetal Alchemist fanfiction, Fullmetal Alchemist: Reconnection, where the premise is that Mustang was shot instead of Hughes. Ed, Al, Winry, and May have returned to Amestris after 12 years in Xing, and already, they’ve run into trouble.

Leaving Rebecca’s apartment in handcuffs can only mean one thing for the Fullmetal Alchemist... or is he the Fullmetal Alkahest now? Turns out, one of those things is much harder for a military police squad to disable.

Chapters: 3/? Fandom: Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga, Fullmetal Alchemist (Anime 2003) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Alphonse Elric & Edward Elric, Mei Chan | May Chang & Alphonse Elric, Mei Chan | May Chang & Edward Elric, Mei Chan | May Chang & Winry Rockbell, Edward Elric & Winry Rockbell, Alphonse Elric & Winry Rockbell, Alphonse Elric & Edward Elric & Winry Rockbell, Alphonse Elric & Edward Elric & Winry Rockbell & Mei Chan | May Chang, Rebecca Catalina & Riza Hawkeye Characters: Fullmetal Alchemist Characters, Edward Elric, Alternate Edward Elric, Alphonse Elric, Winry Rockbell, Alternate Winry Rockbell, Mei Chan | May Chang, Rebecca Catalina, Homunculi (Fullmetal Alchemist), Original Characters, Riza Hawkeye, Alternate Riza Hawkeye, Original Child Character(s), Original Female Character(s), Original Alchemist Characters, Original Homunculus Characters, Other Character Tags to Be Added, Maes Hughes, Alternate Maes Hughes Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon Rewrite, Parental Riza Hawkeye, Dead roy mustang, Riza has a daughter, Major Original Character(s), Homunculi, Major Lore Changes, Alternate Universe, Returning Home, Heavy Angst, Angst and Humor, Other Ships Not Mentioned in Tags, May flirts with both brothers but isn't in a relationship, Winry meanwhile had a thing with Ed that didn't work out like that, There is one relationship that would spoil the biggest twist of the fic if I tagged it, I'll tag it when it's actually written in, It Gets Worse, Not A Fix-It, Trauma, Eventual Romance, Maes Hughes Lives, Action, Shounen Fights, Alkahestry

[terrahlee-cup]

*Inhales* I have like three hours of sleep time to read NLW and write down my reactions by chapter! Surely this can only go well. (I am so sorry in advance.) @raphaelesbian I have thoughts look at them.

Oh we’re fully just starting with Raph fighting off a panic attack this poor baby oh my gosh. Like a paragraph in and I need to stick this child in a pile of blankets. Good.

Hehe, “Storkman.” Deserved.

“And how would that work out for us, exactly?” Leo, honey, your brother is so fucking traumatized by when he was controlled of course he’s willing to rush in to get someone else out. Someone please give this dumbass the brain cell <3

Okay please give ANY of them the braincell. Teenagers I swear lol.

Oh that would be the trauma this bodes well for Raph dealing with Karai’s situation uh-huh. Aw, Casey to the rescue though love him.

Aw they’re having f- OH THAT’S NOT GOOD. MMMM THAT’S REALLY NOT GOOD.

“My pet dumbass.” You’re all dumbasses you’re like 15.

Oh hey having your own experience mirrored back doesn’t end well I wonder why I’m not surprised. Ouch his arm jeez- annnd Casey saving the day again by way of bonk nice.

This kid has had like 3 panic attacks in one day and this chapter ends with “FUCK. MY SAI.” Perfection I love it /gen

I will repeat what I have said before: AN ACTUAL BABY. HE IS 15 (or 16? I… how old is he during this fic I can’t remember if this has been mentioned-) AND HE IS TINY AND I HAVE A LITTLE SISTER HNGH MUST PROTECT. I have the incredibly strong desire to create a turtle burrito with this kid he is not allowed to be sad anymore it is BANNED. So yeah this is really good so far thank you for the suffering <3

[sinfulsunni]

started getting an itch to read some izzy smut for the first time in a while and I immediately checked my period app to see if I was ovulating

[kariachi]

2 am fic! Oh look, Reboot!Kev pre-show! Featuring Kev being trans and his dad being... better than he could have been.

Warnings for shit parenting, transphobia, homophobia, misgendering, that sorta jazz. Kevin's dad's an asshole, people are assholes, Kevin deserves better.

~~

“Eden’s been insisting on being called ‘Kevin’ for the past few weeks now.”

“Okay, and?”

“She’s been ignoring teachers when her name is called.”

“Does she answer to Kevin?”

“Yes-”

“Then there you go, problem solved.”

“She’s also been getting into fights with other children for using her name and treating her as a girl.”

“They’re gonna wanna stop doing that then.”

“Mr Levin, I don’t think you understand-”

“I understand you’ve got so much free time rather than just calling my brat by a new name you gotta drag me out of work for a whole-ass meeting. Gotta whine to me about my kid being mean instead of telling these other parents theirs are fucking morons picking fights.”

“Eden-”

“You said yourself, kid’s made it clear how he’s gonna be called, this point it’s on those other brats for pushing their luck.”

“Mr Levin, we can’t allow any student to just run roughshod over the rest of the school.”

“Well I don’t know what to tell you then, ‘cause I’m not telling my kid to kiss your ass just ‘cause you fuckers are too lazy to do your damn jobs. Now, if you don’t mind, some of us have shit to do.”

“Alright then. You should know Eden is suspended for the five days.”

“…” “…Kevin is suspended for the next five days. She won’t be allowed back in the school for that period.”

“Of-fucking-course not…”

~~

“And don’t you think this is some sorta vacation, I expect the house to be damn spotless if you’re gonna be home all day!”

Clutching the strap of his backpack like a lifeline, Kevin slipped out of the car, the slamming of the driver’s door shooting up his spine. He said nothing, careful not to fall too far behind as he shut his door and followed his grumbling father up the front steps. There were plenty of ways to guarantee a bad day would get worse, and a top one was him having to come in and talk to the principal. To the point Kevin preferred to just get detention- nobody expected meetings over detentions, and it meant he didn’t have to go home for another hour or more. But then, that was also assuming it was the normal reasons his dad got called in. He was dirty, he was getting into fights, he used too many bad words or words he knew weren’t bad but that got the grown-ups all antsy anyway.

Kevin knew perfectly well this hadn’t been one of the normal reasons. Some part of him had known it was coming ever since he’d taken those scissors to his hair. Since he’d gone to up Mr. Dilgard in homeroom and told him his name. Since Tina had called him a lesbian like she was calling him a worm and nearly lost a tooth. In all truth he’d been hoping that it all would just, never come up, that his dad would just completely miss the change.

His last birthday had included a new sweater that’d been at least three sizes too small and also Blue’s Clues themed- there’d been decent odds.

And instead there he was, shutting the door behind him, eyes on the floor as he turned inside. Catching sight of his dad’s worn work boots planted firmly in the middle of the entryway, gaze climbing up his jeans, passed the crossed arms to the cold, unimpressed frown on his face. Kevin could hear his heartbeat going too fast, his gut knotting, something lodging itself in his throat. It was always hard to tell just what was going to get thrown his way, from a half-hearted compliment to a cutting dismissal, waved off as not worth the time or insulted as a waste of it. The uncertainty hurt worse than usual.

“So, a boy, huh?” Cornered, he shoved the fear trying to claw up his windpipe as far down as he could. Drew himself up as large as possible, shoulders back, meeting his dad’s eyes. Clenched his teeth till they ached as he forced himself not to blink, not to waver. A silent dare even as something awful wrapped around his spine.

(He’d listened to all the horror stories, curled up under his covers at night. He’d still chopped off his 'pretty' hair until the word stopped ringing in his head.)

(He’d read all about the pros of sitting in the closet until you were far away from your family. He’d still thrilled at the feel of his name on his lips as he told all his teachers.)

(He’d never been made to feel or be by halves. Pretending to be somebody else damn well might have killed him.)

He wasn’t going to pretend to be sorry.

His dad huffed a breath of air through his nose.

“Well, at least you’ve got some balls on you,” he said. Some amount of weight fell off Kevin’s shoulders, he could almost hear it crashing to the floor. Still, he kept tight as a support cable as his dad’s arms dropped, the man turned and headed deeper into the house. He probably wasn’t going to get thrown out, or sent to some sort of asylum or something...

(Mr Levin didn’t do things by halves either, if he’d been angry there’d have been no question of it…)

“You wanna be a man then I expect you to act like it, no more crying, no more of that girly shit-”

It could have gone much worse.

[early-sxnsets]

by fuck i WILL make my own AO3 wrapped this year

[longer-than-i-should-admit]

I just got through reading What a Wicked Game to Play and ohhhh my god. @crackinglamb this is a masterpiece. I will never be over this. This is one of the best Solas characterizations I’ve ever read. Imogen is such a delight. The entire world state is so vivid and I am so very intrigued by all the background lore interwoven into the story and highlighted and featured that normally falls through the cracks. I just. There’s so much. I can’t possibly express it all into words. Thank you so much for writing this fic and sharing it with us, it was such a wonderful journey🥺the ending certainly had me in its grips, I was nearly in tears! I can’t wait to see where you’ll take it next!

[suffarustuffaru]

what do you think of 'grasp' so far

like that Pridebaru fic where he gets kidnapped by Reinhard

ooh this is an interesting question… anon im curious as to why you asked me HAH but i suppose im flattered!!! very grateful to have the chance to speak my Opinions… (warning this is gonna be kinda long i have a lot to say 😅 i put it under the read more!!)

i really like grasp!! pride if reinsuba seems to be pretty popular in this fandom (which im guessing is because reinhard and pridebaru are both like. powerful in their own ways. and they have the most feral relationship out of any version of reinsuba) and tbh i eat up any pride if reinsuba content every time. i enjoy their dynamic and i like seeing the different takes people have on it!! grasp is particularly fun for me in that iirc there isnt really much fics specifically about reinhard capturing pride, plus reinhard’s characterization here is super interesting. grasp emphasizes how much reinhard genuinely cares about subaru and also emphasizes reinhard’s softness—even as hes. you know, kidnapping pride, imprisoning him, gaslighting, etc etc. and grasp’s reinhard is Specifically most likely from the main route, judging from the events he describes. i love seeing darker versions of reinhard in general, and i suppose it’s unique to see a reinhard from the main route act like this. though i will say that reinhard in like ch6 does say he doesnt “give a fuck” iirc which. im sorry i cant imagine reinhard saying that 😭😭 but i do like the addition of him going fuck you to the literal council though!!

on the other hand, though, i feel like grasp’s pridebaru characterization isnt sharp enough for my personal taste. like i know grasp’s pridebaru is still like not that far into pride if—like he was whisked away right before he killed petelgeuse. but at this point i still feel that like. hes jaded and accustomed to violence and i feel like he would be A Lot More Pissed Off in this situation (being imprisoned by reinhard of all people). like the way i see pridebaru, he very much Is Pride, you know? hes stubborn as hell and he wants to be in control and Powerful at all times and he LOATHES reinhard specifically for his power and heroism. i just feel like that even while pride is afraid of reinhard here for knowing personal shit about him + insisting that main route events happened (ie subaru being close with emilia, saving the day, etc etc), i still feel like prides gonna like double down and do Everything he can to make this difficult in any way for reinhard. like i feel like to pride, hearing reinhard talk about this other version of events is like. prides like hearing about basically some other version of himself, which probably sounds like hearing about a literal stranger to him bc Why would he even be friends with reinhard. itd sound totally alien to pride. but this is like, all my personal opinion and i mean no disrespect!! that and 95% of my personal taste in fiction is like composed of the most unhinged things, meaning that my general (kind of biased) consensus with most ifbarus is that you might as well write them to be as insane as possible T^T so take my opinion with a grain of salt maybe, i suppose!

but anyway that aside thats just a very long explanation of basically saying while grasp’s pridebaru take isnt a personal favorite of mine, i do really really enjoy the fic and seeing reinsuba shenanigans happen in it!! and ill definitely be tuning in for each update whenever i get the chance :o

[burst-of-iridescent]

Hi! I stumbled upon the anti-Ma/iko part of your dissertation and it made me think that someone like Jet would probably be a better match for Mai. Since he’s basically an unseasoned version of Zuko and would vibe with Mai’s downbeat energy

hi anon! i have to say this is a ship i have never considered (or seen) lmfao but i am now very intrigued.

in canon i do think jet's trauma and rage would be a major obstacle for him in being able to date anyone from the fire nation. he couldn't even let go of his anger towards zuko and iroh, who were, for all he knew, just fire nation refugees fleeing the war - he likely wouldn't react kindly to a rich, spoiled noble girl who willingly participated in hunting down the avatar and displayed nothing but indifference towards the war. i think even a healed jet would have trouble being anything more than acquaintances with mai, if that. i also suspect they would have some struggles regarding how compatible their personalities are; jet isn't grumpy like zuko, but they do share a very similar intensity of emotion (which is one of the reasons they're such great foils) and jet would probably face some of the same problems zuko did in understanding and connecting with mai.

but in an alternate universe, perhaps a modern one with no war... well, who's to say? they might very well become an interesting (albeit unexpected) couple.

[mars-ipan]

trying to read a fic you’ve been told you would like when the writing style rubs you the wrong way

[kindlythevoid]

Well, I’m usually super supportive of whatever fandom I’m in. Like I’ll go all in, little to no shame, if it’s my problem it’s yours now, too. But the moment I get back into Supernatural I just. Ultimate Cringe Moment. I sit there staring at the screen and feel tears streaming down my face. Why am I writing these silly little stories for these silly little guys? I wasn’t even invested in Supernatural ten years ago and suddenly I am transported to those vibes as soon as the first word is typed out by my silly little hands. How dare I write Supernatural fan fiction in the Year of Our Lord 2023? Sam? Dean? Cas? Why can’t I be obsessed with a respectable fandom like Merlin or Pacific Rim or even Violet Evergarden? Yet here I am, gripped by my 96th fic idea for these idiot brothers and their idiot angel and their idiot son that I Must write out Immediately. Disgusting. I finish a 60k crossover fic and Perish.