#maybe because i know how the characters will turn out

[doodledrawsthings]

you. Oh my god, you. (Positive)

listen. Before I had internet access, all I had was 1 hour of allotted browser time, bing image search, and a single dantdm play through of a hat in time that never got finished. I googled fanart and got pretty much nothing, I googled fancomics and got pretty much nothing, but you know what I did end up finding?

your art.

from ages 11-14, my goal in life, in art, was your art. I can’t tell you how much I loved finding random screenshots of your posts, because I was always just so impressed by how clean and consistent your sketches are, how the characters always stay on model, the shape language, how you could somehow sketch a character in like 20 lines when it took me 50 to draw sans in my little spiral notebook— like! Holy shit! For years I have looked up to your art! There’s still a photos folder on my dads old huge-ass 12 inch work iPad labeled “holy crap” and filled with your art. Because it inspired me so much. It’s become an undeniable part of my artstyle, now — I still have fanart I drew way back in the day of Hattie and the rest, I didn’t even know anyone’s names because I couldn’t play the game, but you’re the reason I eventually did play the game. Your coffee shop au and different versions of the prince— one of those ieterations inspired the main character of my novel! Well, novel that I tried to write, I was 13 so it was eh, but I tried!!

I’m submitting this on-anon because I don’t want to out my age on the wide internet (I like my privacy) but. Your art has really meant a lot to me. It’s the reason I played hollow knight, and it’s the reason I kept trying to develop an art style I was happy with. You’re the reason I started scribbling comics in my notebooks. Being 13-14 was pretty much the worst two years of my life, but I had Bing image search and the occasional glimpse of your signature, and I’d be so happy every time I found a new (if crusty) three-times screenshotted jpg. You literally introduced me to the concept of polyamory and nonbinary-ness with the coffee shop au. I had no other access to that in my household, and. Yeah. It meant a lot to me.

Anyway. I’m so glad I’ve finally tracked you down (in the most non-ominous way possible) and I’m so glad you’re still active— Please never stop making art. Your art is incredible, and amazing, and also you never know who’s out there on Bing image search. Thank you for creating for as long as you have. You’re pretty much the reason I’m shooting for an art degree (Wish me luck!) so just…Thank you.

(Also I had no idea you were a professional storyboarder, which is insane because that’s what I want to be when I’m through college. Hey, maybe I’ll end up storyboarding a remake of something you’ve storyboarded! hehehe)

Hi anon!

So right off the bat, I gotta tell you that this message made me start bawling when I woke up and saw it. Like I had a full-on cry session while reading your message and lying in bed for almost an hour. I am crying as I am typing this response, on my phone, still in bed. It’s 11am and i woke up at 9. So I hope it turns out coherent.

The last two years have been. weird. I say that a lot because I wanna say “rough” but that still doesn’t feel quite right. I’m almost hyper-aware that there are so many people that have it worse than me rn, so it feels hard to even acknowledge when I’m going through anything, myself, sometimes- REGARDLESS, it’s been kind of an all-time low for my mental health. There was a point within in the last year where I just HATED drawing. I struggled to bring myself to work, I struggled to bring myself to even draw for fun. It felt like I was posting just to post, trying to keep people aware of my existence and it almost felt physically painful to force myself to sit down and do it, sometimes.

I’m getting better now, I think, but. Yknow.

It’s so easy to get caught up in the “oh I can make money off this,” “oh I can get attention off this,” “oh I can prove myself a functional person in society with this,” of it all. I forget why I actually do this, sometimes, or if I even enjoy it. And then I get messages like yours, about the kid with limited internet access looking for A Hat in Time fan art on Bing image search, and I get taken back to when I was a kid scrolling Google images and deviantart for the same thing.

I don’t mean to like. Foster some kind of parasocial thing with you or any one of my followers. There’s a reason I’m saying all this, I hope it ties up in the end.

We don’t know each other. I’m not some mysterious legendary artist, or whatever. I’m a person who gets burnt out, and jealous, and insecure. I need inspiration to function, just like you, and when I don’t have it, I get art block. But I also really like to draw fictional characters kissing and hanging out. I like coming up with comics and stories and playing out dramatic and funny scenarios in my head like I’m mashing Barbies together. And when other people tell me they enjoy the stuff I put out when I do this, it makes me really, really, really happy.

I think I needed to read your message, probably. With the state of… Everything… Right now, especially recently, I feel like a lot of artists are also struggling with a sense of purpose, pride, and reason as the world makes it harder and harder to even BE an artist, these days. And when I read this message it was like Anton Ego at the end of Ratatouille, I got taken back to when I was a kid looking at my favorite artists and studying their style and striving to be better and better at it over years of my life. Not just because I wanted a job for it or cuz I wanted to be a famous Disney animator or whatever, but because it was fun and I just liked doing it.

Thank you, SO much. I say this in the most genuine and earnest way I possibly can possibly express. I wish you luck on your own path in art and art school. And if you decide that animation industry is your thing, then I wish you the best in that endeavor, as well. I think I will keep making art for a long time.

Peace and love on the planet earth ✌️✌️✌️

[stars-for-circe]

Circe's Most Frequented 🤍🤍🤍

My favourite authors over many different fandoms, for your indulgence.

@astralnymphh - TLOU, sapphic, shakespeare reborn

𖣂 There is no one else who could begin this list except for you tbh. One of the first authors I ever followed on this app and your work has never failed to blow me away; from your beautifully paced works that never run out of new prompts and tropes that you always nail, to your crazy big words you scavenged from wordhippo and managed to intergrate perfectly into your fics. To the Ellie Williams enthusiasts, give her fics a read and I promise it will change the trajectory of your lives forever. And don't be afraid to send her an ask, because she will quite literally craft a masterpiece.

𖣂 My recommendation: 'The Salvo Project'

@vifilms - TLOU, sapphic, she makes tumblr formatting her bitch

𖣂 At first it was your witty drabbles, then you graduated to 10k fics that take everyone's breath away. The way you can turn a single tiny idea into such a detailed work while also integrating the essence of each character you write into every single paragraph never fails to amaze me every time you appear on my feed. With your constantly changing layouts, and your beautifully crafted fic headers that show just how much of your heart goes into everything you put onto this app, you keep raising the bar again and again.

𖣂 My recommendation: 'Long Night, Long Ride'

@sweetercalypso - TLOU, multi

𖣂 Also one of my first follows, I remember quite clearly scrolling through the Abby Anderson tag on ao3 and being so blown away that I basically did a cartwheel when I saw you on tumblr. Your fics are the perfect late-night fix that are to-the-point, and your drabbles are filled with every trope anyone could even think up. And I'll shamelessly admit that reading your fics definitely moved Joel up quite a few slots in who I liked most within tlou.

𖣂 My recommendations: 'Texas Hold 'Em' + 'Uncharted Territory'

@the-kr8tor - Spiderverse, f/m, sfw

𖣂 I gotta say, this third movie needs to speed up so more people can come here and see how well you write for the spiderverse. Finding you in the tags was like a breath of fresh air, and your series works have kept me up at night on more than one occasion because of their binge-worthy goodness! From the adorable drabbles of Billie and Ramona, to the ups and downs that come with being a pirate, your works keep me invested even in the first, second....twenty-something times I've reread them.

𖣂 My recommendation: 'Our Place In The Middle Of Nowhere'

@s-4pphics - TLOU, Arcane, sapphic

𖣂 I hope you know that when you released 'The Call', it kept me up at night. Seriously, you're a genius. Maybe this style has been written before but it's the first time I've seen it. And amidst all the Sevika and Vi works that were being pumped out after the release of season 2, that fucking gem was put on my feed and it genuinely blew my mind. It was the perfect combination of crack-style fic and dark humour, coming together to make this smutty, hilarious, jaw dropping fic that had me pacing around my room a couple times - one of my favourites of all time.

𖣂 My recommendation, obviously: 'The Call'

@taintandviolent - Ahs, f/m, multi-fandom extraordinaire

𖣂 First of all, your username is fucking genius. Like actually, it had me saying it out loud and having such an OHHH moment and now I can't stop thinking about how cool it is. Secondly, if anyone has a taste for dark, gritty, horror infused tropes, or loves anything Evan Peters just like I do, her blog is the way to go. Her page is unapologetically for the monster-loving girlies who 'can fix him', and there's a little bit in there for every fandom that finds her. You're one of my favourite authors to send requests to, and you have definitely made me see Bill Skarsgard in a different light as of recent. 𖣂 My recommendation: 'Ouija Board’

[blueraith]

People get way too caught up in "this character is a fighter" trope.

Okay. But why is the character fighting? What cause, person, or thing are they putting their body and life on the line for? It's gonna be something if the character is well written.

Which Vi is.

What happens if they lose that something they've been fighting for over and over and over again? When no matter what they seem to do, their efforts to fight back always end in failure?

Particularly in a story with a theme about the cycle of violence and how it only creates more? When her literal father/narrative mentor figure physically grasps her fist, shakes it and tells her they're only going to cause her more problems?

What do you think the story is trying to say here and throughout the work? It happens early enough to not only be foreshadowing, but a thesis statement for Vi's character.

A thesis statement isn't always just confined to a work overall, they can be applied to characters too. That entire talk with Vander right after the heist is Vi's.

"If people look up to you, you don't get to be selfish."

"This?" Grasps Vi's fist and gently shakes it* "They’re not gonna solve your problems. Just make more of them."

Those two quotes set Vi up as a character for the entire series. Vi is set on a path in which she must learn how to live for herself and she must learn how to live outside of fighting and violence.

Those are the only two directions Vi's character can possibly grow narratively. If there were other options, Vander's talk with her would have been about whatever the fuck her haters wanted. I don't know, maybe, "Well, Vi, you blew up a building, but those Piltie oppressors deserved it. Keep fighting and free Zaun from tyranny."

Obviously Vander didn't say any of that bullshit. My point is that the narrative never, ever sets Vi up as a freedom fighter doomed to always give her life and body for a revolutionary cause. In fact, it does the exact opposite as seen by the conversation above and the later talk Vander has with her about war on the bridge.

If you did not see a rock bottom moment for Vi followed by a drastic change to her character for S2 coming, I question your ability for literally analysis severely. Because Vi surely does not learn the lessons Vander tried to teach her in S1. She actually only ever fights harder and harder and her situation continously deteriorates. Make more problems.

Vi attacks Sevika > Sevika warns Silco she's back

Vi threatens Silco when he finds her > Silco worsens Jinx's mental state with his own trauma with Vander

Vi challenges Silco's relationship with Jinx to Jinx > Jinx feels she has to choose between them in the most violent way possible due to her own trauma

Vi convinces Jayce to attack Silco's operation directly > Furthers tensions between PnZ that culminate into the memorial attack in S2

This is not to say that Vi is solely responsible for the way these events spiraled out of control, but those are her contributions to the cycle of violence. At no point in this story have her confrontational, aggressive, or violent decisions have made anything better.

It gets worse in S2.

Vi joins Cait's taskforce to kill or capture Jinx > Finds out she can't truly harm her sister but not before Jinx turns their strategy with the Grey into yet another terrorist attack on Piltover. (She also loses Caitlyn to Cait's own zeal for violence during her grief.)

Vi succumbs to pit fighting to try and punch away her pain > Hits her lowest point of all, her fighting is now aimless and entirely self-destructive

It's not until she lowers her fists while fighting Warwick that her outlook changes. She finally learns that to make peace, one has to be willing to finally stop fighting.

She does this again at the commune when she takes the gauntlets off without much fight when requested.

This is the story Arcane was always going to tell with Vi. Her's is an introspective and internalized conflict. It was never with Piltover, never as a revolutionary, but always regarding her place as someone grappling with how to escape the cycle of violence and create a life of peace on her own terms.

She wasn’t forgotten, didn't become spineless, and didn't have "nothing" to do in S2.

I think people simply missed this setup with her character. They wrote their own fanwork in their heads in the three year gap between seasons, and have become upset that the version of Vi in their heads was never the Vi Arcane was actually portraying.

I thought Vi's story was poignant, and it's a shame some viewers out there not only completely missed the mark, they're too set in their ways to actually see Vi from this perspective.

[dinogoofymutated]

Okay, since requests are open, I wanted to ask for something, especially after seeing that you are comfortable with most male characters.

I present:

Scott Summers x fem!reader who's just a little too rebelious and annoying for his taste but he still can't help but love her? Like, enemies to lovers kind of style?

If you want to do a oneshot or headcanons is up to you, I'm just starving for Scott content.

Don't know, if you wanna do is, especially since he's not everyone's cup of tea, but I thought "hey, give it a try, maybe she wants to try someting different" so here I go

Anyway, love your work, you#re amazing <3

Cyclops/GN!Reader I've had this prompt saved in my drafts for SO LONG. Basically since the moment it came in!! I was so happy you sent this in bc i had been thinking about writing for Scott, but then I couldn't think of a good enough way to carry this out so I waited on it for a good bit until I had it down to a science!! Hope you enjoy!! Man, I started writing this and then realised I had to make a banner for him too 😭 I did this to myself tho Most of the characters I write for are written as combinations from different x-men media, but I'm still figuring out how I want to characterise Scott since he's a new character for me. Just wanted to put this out there in case I change how I write for him in future fics. (also, let me know how you feel about him in this one! Tell me if yall think I should tweak his attitude a bit :) ) Edit from the future: I started this draft so long ago and damn did it turn out long. TWs: Idk at the moment, will add if I think of any! Reader has a specific power that is kinda vague at first. I've written them out at the very bottom BUT if u read u will spoil the surprise of the fic so fair warning

Scott does not like you. At least, not anymore.

You've known each other for a long time, both coming to Xavier's school within weeks of each other. You used to be friends- or at least friendly. But as you both grew and learned more about yourselves and your powers, a gap began to form, and then continued to grow once both of you became members of the x-men.

It's not like he didn't notice your tendency for rebellious behavior before, but on the field? the two of you clashed more than ever. He's doing his best out here, and the last thing he needs as a leader is both you and Logan going out of your way to put yourselves in dangerous situations because you think you know better.

And the moment you get back to the mansion? You clash all over again- and over the dumbest things. You practically avoid him all of the time, refuse to spar with him unless you're forced, will scoot away from him if he has to sit next to you on game nights. It's like the very thought of brushing against him is enough to get under your skin.

The moment the blackbird lands, you should have known what to expect. But you're in such a good mood, with the mission having gone well despite all odds. Sure, you didn't exactly follow Cyclops' foolproof plan, but when did you ever?

Scott is standing at the end of the ramp when the doors open, watching with a rather sour look on his face as you laugh with Jubilee, the others trailing shortly behind. He crosses his arms, and you barely stop short of him, acting like you had never seen him in the first place as you sigh, nodding at the others to go ahead before finally turning to him and crossing your own arms.

"Go ahead. Say your piece." You say. It only stokes the irritation in him, and he scowls.

"You can't go one, single mission and actually listen to what I say, can you?" He snaps. You roll your eyes, knowing that if he had it his way, you'd never have gone on the mission at all. Still, you stand defiantly, unwilling to back down.

"Look, you weren't even there, you can't expect me to-"

"It would be different if I was there, but I wasn't." Scott interrupts you, and the aggravation it lights in you is practically all-consuming. You can't hold back your scowl. "You were the only senior member of the team on that plane, do you understand how detrimental it could have been if you had gotten hurt, or worse?!" Oh, what a load of horseshit. It's alway the boy scout schtick with him- I'm the leader, do what I say, If I was there none of this would have happened- what an asshole! Hell, in the second half you might have actually thought he was concerned for you and the team, but you knew better.

"Don't act like you actually give a damn, Summers." You snap. "Everyone is fine, no one got hurt, I don't see your problem." You're done with this. You're tired, sweaty, exhausted, and the last thing you want to be doing right now is talking with him. You knock shoulders with him as you brush past, but he reaches out and grabs you by the arm. You feel a mix of strong emotions- anger, concern, frustration- and thoughts swim in your head, before snatching your arm away from him like you'd been burned. He pauses for a second as you whip around and look at him, a rage in your eyes. He still looks at you with that stupid, stubborn look on his face.

"I get that you think I'm just some stuck-up asshole, but there's a reason I get angry when you do something reckless." His voice has lost the smallest a bit of fire. You scoff at him immediately, before turning away to storm out.

"Eat shit."

So no. things weren't exactly cool between you two.

It's not like you weren't friends at some point though, back when you were kids. You didn't know what happened to cause this rift, but he only really thought of you as some reckless idiot as of late, and you didn't care to learn anything else about what was going on in his brain.

Unfortunately, that didn't mean you could avoid him forever. Not when the both of you are on a team.

You only realise how much pain you're in when the blackbird's autopilot clicks on. Your suit was scuffed and worn in some areas, starting to burn at the edges of your sleeves as the protective coating started to wear away. You noticed it in the midst of battle, trying to focus on manipulating debri to a colder temperature rather than a hot one, but sometimes you can't afford to be picky in fights. Your suit may have been temperature resistant, but you were temperature invulnerable. Besides, heat did the most damage anyway.

You frown a bit at the sight of your burnt sleeves. Normally, you'd be worried that Hank would be mad at having to make a new suit again, but if anything you were sure he'd be grateful for the challenge of improving it. Scott was really the only one who would scold you for it, always coming back to the same arguments of being too reckless, ect, ect... and speaking of Scott, he was being awfully quiet right now.

The cockpit is empty exempt for the two of you, being the only two assigned to the mission. Scott is sat in the pilot's chair, and you can't really see much of him besides the top of his head. He's silent, and it makes you worried.

When you stand and walk. over to him, his face looks pained. You're sure his eyes are closed under his signature visor, his head leaning back limply in the chair, hair tussled. You furrow your eyebrows. You knew he'd be tired, but he's not usually this burned out.

"Scott? You alright?" You ask. he only hums in response. It's then when you realise what's wrong.

"Migraine?" You ask, and he hums in the affirmative. You wince at the thought. You knew he got migraines often, especially when using his mutation more than usual, and having migraines yourself, you knew he was hurting. You take a look at where the emergency aid box usually is, knowing it had painkillers, but the space is empty, and you sigh to yourself when you remember you used it on a local- Scott agreeing with you for once when you wanted to leave it with them for any more emergencies. You look back at Scott, and think for a moment more.

Scott jumps when you place a cold hand on his forehead, having settled your weight on the back of the chair behind him. It sparks a feeling of surprise.

"What are you doing?" Scott asks, and instead of his usual accusatory tone, he just sounds tired.

"Don't be a baby." You respond, chilling both hands and combing through his hair gently. Scott is confused as all hell. Why were you doing this? You go out of your way to avoid him at any cost, and then... this? What even was this?

But... he'd be lying if it didn't feel nice. Scott begins to relax underneath you as you continue to comb through his scalp, pressing gentle touches to his forehead as you do so. It's... it feels good.

"My mom used to do this when I was little." You say softly, after a long moment of silence. "Whenever I had a migraine, she'd run her hands under cold water for a long time, lay my head in her lap, and run her hands through my hair. The cold usually helped." Scott's shoulder's are sagging now, and he sighs every once in a while. Although he doesn't say anything, you don't need to ask. There's a question beginning to brim, but you answer it before he can even speak- saving him the effort of talking in the midst of his pain.

"...And it just felt nice to feel her play with my hair, I guess. 'figured it might help you, too."

You try not to dwell on whatever thoughts begin to swirl after that.

It's hard to tell when things shift after that. Even harder for Scott to understand why.

Eventually you go from avoiding him at any given chance, stiff and petty with your actions, to casual. Not quite friendly, but almost.

"And... Right hand red!" Jubilee calls from the couch, having entirely too much fun for someone who isn't even playing this game. Everyone who's already lost has dispersed, either playing a different game or having good conversation. The game of twister had started with four? Maybe five of you? But at the moment, it was just down to you and Scott. -The two of you being way too competitive to let the other win. At the moment, both of you were in a bit of a strange position, with Scott managing to crawl over you at some point. Aside from that, the game had been going on for uncomfortably long- long enough for the pizza to get here.

The doorbell rings and it's pretty instantaneous when people start to flock to the kitchen for the feast, Jubilee included. There's a flicker of panic in both of you as she quickly leaves.

"Hey!-"

"Jubilee! Wait!"

"You'll be fine, you big babies!" She calls out, giggling in her pursuit of the cheesy goodness. That just leaves you and Scott on the matt, pressed together in some places and a but uncomfortable, but awkwardly? Still competeting.

"God, that pizza smells good." Scott groans from above you, the smell of food becoming more and more tempting. You think about it, for a half a second maybe, but that competitive little devil on your shoulder gets to you before your stomach can.

"You know what? why don't you go ahead and grab a piece!" You say, causing Scott to cock an eyebrow at you.

"What, and let you win? Not a chance." He huffs. You shrug best you can, it was worth a shot! Neither of you were going to budge any time soon, determined not to let the other win. But the longer you stayed pressed together...

It's not like you hadn't noticed how handsome Scott was. Hell, who wouldn't? Even Logan isn't immune to his good looks, but obviously you weren't going to be... wierd, about it. You're just playing a game, right? But the sight of him above you, slightly flushed, shifting every once in a while while keeping his balance? It was... tempting.

It doesn't take long for other thoughts to begin swimming around, worming their way into your mind. The two of you in various states of undress... gasping, gripping onto one another... marks on his neck, your lips swollen and stained by the lipstick your wearing tonight.

Each and every thought leaves you more flustered than before, slipping on the plastic mat and accidentally knocking into one of Scott's weight bearing arms and sending the two of you colliding into the floor. You hear Scott let out a noise of pain and you're not down there for long before you shove him off of you, face burning as you grumble about his win. You stalk off without much fanfare, leaving Scott a bit befuddled.

"What was that all about?"

But regardless of how aggravated you made eachother sometimes, everyone has their breaking point...

You're surprised when Scott kisses you in the hall some weeks later, less than a second after a heated spat started to take a bit of a turn, but to be honest? You were into it.

His lips are soft, if a little chapped, heated kisses full of force and urgency before they soften just a little. You kiss him back in a similar manner his hands falling to your waist as you grab him by the collar and pull him even closer. You're quick to start moving the two of you backwards fumbling for a closet door you could have sworn was right... there.

As soon as the door swings open, you pull him inside, pushing him against the wall once it closes again and cupping the back of his neck as you pull him into another kiss. An unfamiliar feeling of warmth shoots through you as you do, and you almost giggle as his thoughts start to flood with more and more tempting situations for the two of you to be in.

After each and every dirty thought he has, you start to wonder if he even remembered your touch telepathy after having known you for so long- but hell, even if he didn't, you weren't complaining.

If u made it this far, I wanna give u details about the Reader's powers some more!! Specifically, the powers are temperature manipulation/temperature invulnerability/touch telepathy! They get a bit complicated bc reader can't light shit on fire or make ice out of the air, but they can melt shit and freeze existing water though! As long as reader touches it in some way! Due to this they're invulnerable to heat/cold for obvious reasons. Touch telepathy was added bc i love mutations with unnecessary layers (Emma frost) and... u really think I was gonna let scott get away without banging another telepath? wrONG

[yuukirita]

You have turned me into a Chronic Pain Bumblebee advocate

…. You got any advice on writing chronic pain?

EHHEHEHEHEHEH- I spread the headcannon to the four winds... and many shall be infected.

MMMMM... Pull from personal experience if you can. Doesn't have to be from chronic pain- just like... something that hurt that you had to deal with for a few days. And you turn that into something someone has to deal with all the time. And the amount they have to deal with it varies by the day according to what they do-

I'm not an expert on chronic pain just because I have some. But I know how it is for me, so I wrote that into Bee a little. Know what you write, if you don't know, you can ask around about different kinds of chronic pain and find one that fits your story/character.

For Bee it was easy: he's metal, he worked near a furnace, so his joints melted and that sucks. And then it was just about putting that little blorbo in situations.

When I write anything anytime, I just... respect the characters and what they go trough. Which is why I think a lot of people like the fluff I write.

One hurdle that maybe you might encounter is like... turning it into a superpower? It's something I did in the fic, on purpose, cuz Bee is a badass sneaky scout in canon and him having messed up joints isn't going to change that- So I turned it into a reason *why* he was so competent at moving around. Cuz he's basicaly been playing on hard mode most of his life until Ratchet helped him out- the difficulty lowered. But he's using his hardcore skills. Cuz why wouldn't he?

But yeah- most people with chronic pain don't do that... And that's fine. Whichever route you take, that's valid. Just be aware of that so you don't do it by accident.

I don't have any like... big no-no s about writing chronic pain. Just be respectful and try to pull from personal experience! Pretty much it! :D HOPE THIS IS SATISFACTORY

[gaybirdlovescrackers]

Okey here's a bit of a BATMAN idea rant.

But I kinda want a comic where Batman's parents weren't really good people.

Like I know there are such comics, but like hear me out.

For me, it was interesting when The Batman (2022) movie kinda teased that the Wayne's might actually be corrupt. And even though they pulled it off in the end, I was still disappointed when it turns out Thomas Wayne was extorted by a Mob Boss.

Like, especially with how the world is seen nowadays, old rich people fall more and more into being greedy and selfish, other than generous philanthropists.

So it was interesting how, for a moment, Pattinson's Batman had to choose to be good, not in the name of his parent's legacy, but because being good is the right thing to do.

So what if the Wayne's were corrupt? Is it really a bad thing that Brucie Wayne hates everything his parents stood up for?

I feel like it gives him more agency and more independence. Because he would have to realize that even what his heroes (parents) were doing wasn't enough. He had to really see and think about why he wanted to help. He had to think beyond: "it will make my parents proud."

I think that's one of the reasons why people like Tony Stark's character arc in the first Iron Man movie. He was a greedy piece of shit who didn't realize he hurt people because he was too focused on making a quick buck. And the only way he changed was by living the hurt he caused first hand.

They kinda teased about it in the Christopher Nolan movies as well. Bruce Wayne loved his parents, and they were nice, but what made him want to change the world was the fact that it needed to be done. The world was a shitfest despite nice people living in it.

So what if Brucie Wayne isn't just a stupid rich boy persona to help up cover his identity? What if both Batman and Bruce Wayne made a change, one through fear and one through example?

Sometimes we need both. We need a Bat to scare the bad people away, and a Bruce to use his resources to make sure the changes happen.

(Then I went into a 10k rant about other stuff that really weren't about Batman but I feel like this is enough.) Yet I kinda want to keep talking about it.

But maybe ILL DRAW IT???? MAYBE????

[quondam-et-futurus]

bbc merlin writers hate parents (transcript below the cut)

[Video Description: four characters, all played by the same person in different outfits, are having a conversation.

Writer 1: Okay so here are our four protagonists. They’re young, they’re hot, we’re putting a twist on the tradition, telling a different version of the story, cornering the youth market. Which means we gotta figure out what’s up with their parents. First up, Arthur, ideas. Hit me.

Writer 2: Well obviously we gotta have Uther there--

Writer 3: Obviously.

Writer 4: Obviously

Writer 2: But what about his mom? 'Cause in the legends she was married to another man…

Writer 3: *sucks in through teeth*

Writer 4: Mm. Can’t have that.

Writer 1: no, no, this is a family show!

Writer 2: Soooo… dead?

Writers 3 and 4: (crosstalk) Dead, yeah, dead.

Writer 1: Right. So. What about Merlin?

Writer 3: Well. If Arthur’s mom is dead he should definitely have a mom, right?

Writer 4: Yeah, makes sense

Writer 2: Yeah, like a mom we like, but we basically never see 'cause she’s in a different town.

Writer 4: Yeah, exactly!

Writer 3: Buuut I’m thinking for his dad that maybe he’s just sort of gone? Like not dead, but....

Writer 2 (offscreen): Basically dead.

Writer 3: Basically dead, yeah, exactly. Then if we need to kill him off later we can just have him show up.

Writer 1: Love it. Who’s next?

Writer 2: Morgana.

Writer 1: Right... right. And she’s gonna be Uther’s ward... So obviously both of her parents gotta be dead.

Writer 3: Oh yeah, super dead.

Writer 2: In the ground for years.

Writer 1: Great, I love it.

Writer 4: Uh By the way, have decided if she’s gonna be Arthur’s sister? Or if there's gonna be kind of a flirty vibe between them. Because I don't remember where we landed on that.

Writer 2: Eh, don’t worry about it, we’ll figure it out if we get a season two.

Writer 1: okay, nice, so that just leaves us with Gwen, right?

Writer 4: Yeah, and I mean, I don’t see any reason why she can’t have just two totally normal, perfectly alive parents, both present and named and everything.

Writer 1: Huh.

Writer 4: Just... You know, all our protagonists are kind of… lacking relevant parents, and we want to feel very, like, realistic to how it feels to be a young person in the world, like really connect to our audience on that level. And we’ve got some great variety, like, being out on your own for the first time, or living up to family expectations... But I just think it would be really nice to just show another side of that that's just a family with two nice, supportive parents caring about their daughter and being there for her as she starts a career.

Writer 3: ...

Writer 1: ...

Writer 2: ... Dead mom.

Writer 3: Dead mom!

Writer 2: (pointing at each of the other writers in turn) Dead mom? Dead mom? Dead mommm?

Writer 4: (crosstalk) You know, now that I’m hearing you say it, it actually sounds so much better.

Writer 2: And we kill off her dad at the end of season one.

Writer 1: Yes, yes.

Writer 4: Yeah, no one wants parents in the story it ruins all the adventure!

Writer 3: Uther should definitely live for, like, way too long though, right?

Writer 1: oh yeah, are you kidding me, with Anthony head on board? He’s in it for the long haul no doubt.

[quibbs126]

So after the last batch of Cyberverse sketches, I tried to do more here with Cyberverse Megatron specifically, since he kind of stuck himself in my brain, at least yesterday

Admittedly I wish I drew more, but by that last corner I just wasn’t sure what to draw. I actually did draw something, yet again trying to draw that one kissing meme thing with him and Optimus, but yet again it didn’t turn out right looking, so you don’t see it

But other than that, while I’m aware my drawings aren’t the best, I do think I’m at least getting the hang of drawing this version of Megatron. I’m aware his face is still off looking, but oh well

My only real thoughts for what to draw with him were “more of body”, “him thinking “oh no that’s hot” at something Optimus is doing”, “season 3 Megs” and “he drink coffee”. And also to attempt lineless

Note on that last thing, at least on the head, it’s not as difficult as I’d thought it’d be. I could probably do it, if I at least knew what I wanted to draw

I don’t really have much to say on the drawings themselves though? There isn’t much going on that I haven’t already said. All I can say is I tried to use screenshots for references more than usual, since I thought it’d help. I did stop at some point, but still

I don’t know how I feel about Cyberverse Megatron. I think he’s really only in my head because I was searching for Cyberverse megop fanfics after finishing the show

But also, he’s sort of your typical Megatron. An asshole, and usually the cause of alliances falling short and me saying “Megatron, you bitch”. Granted he’s not as evil as other Megatrons, at least most of the time, considering he was willing to destroy the AllSpark that one time, but it’s probably also because the Autobots and Decepticons have to team up so often in Seasons 2 and 3

But then there’s Season 3b Megatron, in which he has some adventure across the multiverse and comes back to help his universe, armed with his own Matrix and actually willing to save the day and have peace with Optimus and end the war, even if the planet is split in two. And at least in his initial appearance, he seems like he’s actually become at least a slightly better person

Like on one hand, I like this idea of him becoming better on his own time, and also we can just accept that maybe he’s become actually better since we don’t know what he was up to to cause this. But in the other, I really would have liked to see what he was up to. I guess they didn’t have enough time to show us

But yeah in 3b, he’s still an ass but he isn’t causing too much trouble, and is instead preparing for a worse threat to come, and then dies not as a villain, though he got taken out too quick to be called a hero in this scenario. Kind of disappointed he didn’t really get to do anything when the other Megatron showed up, would have been nice to see

But also I’m told that’s actually what kills him? He actually dies? I guess it is a more powerful version of him, but considering the other things other Megatrons have survived, and also we never really saw him die in the episode itself, considering he made noises of pain after being attacked and we just didn’t see him again after Bee took his Matrix, it feels kind of weak to me

I don’t know, his concepts in 3b are interesting to me

Also random side note, while I wasn’t expecting it, I appreciate his fusion cannon and mace having red lights instead of purple. I’m used to the purple but the red is consistent with the rest of his colors

Also there’s the subject of Cyberverse megop. It doesn’t have TFA’s issue of being strangers, in fact they seem to have known each other for a very long time and there’s no Elita or anything in this universe to be another past option for Optimus. And Megatron does do some bad things in this series, some worse than others, but also it seems like the characters of this show aren’t the most serious about this war, at least not like they are in Prime or something. Apparently every few millennia or so Optimus and Megatron try to have peace talks and negotiate, only for it to inevitably fall apart and things to start up again, and everyone’s just used to this

I think I can ship it, they have divorced energy and both sides are just used to it, including each other. They are in essence, the core values of typical megop I think, except they were actually on decent terms by the end of things, when Megatron dies. Sad that, why’d he have to die? At least make it heroic or something so he can go out with a bang

Yeah I don’t know, thought I should sprinkle in some thoughts on this version of Megatron while I’m here. I don’t have much honestly other than I think he’s fine and neat, and so is this version of the ship

I think I’m done now

[stxneflxwers]

Ah well, hopefully this works. I hope I understood what you meant asking for requests

Can I please request Malachy, Aventurine, and Sunday(since you're trying him out:]) with a Witch S/O who thinks they don't love the character enough, so Witch!S/O tries to make a love potion to make them undeniably smitten and infatuated with the character?

As in the reader is drinking the potion so that they aren't "accidentally unloving" towards the character, and the character finds them first(or the reader asks, whichever you'd prefer to write)

This is somewhat based off my own anxiety regarding not showing enough emotion when I feel I should, you seem like you could make a good fic of that as you're more in touch with mental illness and the like

love potion.

summary. you believe your love for them simply isn't enough – and, of course, as a witch, you think you have just the right solution.

a/n. hi pookie!! ty for the request!! it should be fun to write ! and it's honestly pretty relatable as someone who struggles to show love in any way aside from like, metaphorically sitting next to my loved ones and blinking at them slowly like a cat LMAO. also rip me, i excluded sunday from this cuz during writing aventurine's, i noticed how long it was gonna be... maybe i'll write sunday's another time 👀

characters. aventurine. malachy. gn reader.

cw. witch is used in the most gender neutral way i can manage. love potions. insecurity/anxiety. affection (physical, verbal). established relationship(s). one singular instance of oc (Malachy) x reader. all lowercase. hurt/comfort. reader cries.

aventurine.

(w.c: 739)

he's oh-so perceptive. your magical antics do not go unnoticed the vast majority of the time. there's times it will slip past him, but that's either from sheer chance or because he wasn't paying that much attention.

and, this time, he definitely cannot tear his eyes away from you.

he worries about you, of course. more than he would (or perhaps could) ever admit. he's a subtle lover, he doesn't put you in the spotlight unless you want to be there with him. even then, it can make him feel nervous, anxious.

so, when you start getting flashy and in-his-face with your affection and undying devotion – it's a little overwhelming for even him. he's not sure what's going on, but he can bet it has something to do with your potions or magic.

but, curiosity kills the cat, so he ends up turning this into a long-winded game – just to see how long you can keep doing this. he knows something is up, but whether you know that he knows is a different thing.

the longer this game goes on, the more he notices how delirious you're getting. he decides it's time for a little intervention.

when he goes to talk to you, you're brewing another potion in your organized mess of a kitchen at home. there's little tears in your eyes. he feels immediate pang of guilt for not doing this sooner, but there's a part of him that wishes you would've simply come to him a long time ago. instead of the other way around.

"hey," he greets with a soft smile, it's not one of his usual smiles, it has less edge to it. "what're you makin' this time, pretty thing?" he asks with a subtle affectionate lilt in his voice.

he doesn't step too far into the kitchen, he's instead hanging around the doorway – leaning against it with his arms crossed. he knows it's wisest to not wander too far into this "magical forest". at least, not when you're whittling away at yet another concoction.

"ah!" you squeak in surprise, nearly dropping your very precious mortar and pestle that has stuck with you for too long. it definitely wouldn't break by being dropped on the floor, but you worry anyways. "i'm, uhm..." you trail off, not wanting to confess. but you know it's difficult to lie to a liar – it takes one to know one.

"no worries, sweetheart, i think i have an idea," he tentatively steps up behind you, grabbing the mortar and pestle to set it aside. "here's my first guess... is it a...love potion?" his voice drops a pitch lower, and the interrogation has truly begun.

"wh–" you sputter, and you mentally damn him for being so observant, "yeah, it is... i just..."

he lazily loops his arms around your waist, patiently waiting for you to open up. his eyes don't stick to your face for too long, understanding it may stress you out more than necessary. he wants your trust, that's all.

"aventurine?" you mutter, "is my...is my love enough for you?" you ask bashfully, beginning to realize how ridiculous the notion may sound to him.

"it's more than i could ever ask for." he looks back at you, his soft smile growing warmer and sweeter.

"...are you sure?"

"absolutely sure, darling. in fact, i don't quite think i deserve such a pure, unfiltered love. but... that's a debate for another day, hmm?" he winks.

you twirl around in his arms, wrapping your own limbs around his neck and pulling him close for a warm, ensuring embrace. you sigh shakily over his shoulder, tears beginning to well up again.

"i love you so much, but i feel like...like it's never enough. i don't want to be unloving toward you. you don't deserve that... you deserve so much good, so much better." you whisper brokenly.

"well, i don't really care about what you think i 'deserve'," he pulls back slightly, taking your chin between two fingers and tilting your head to his height. "because, frankly, i only want you – even during the unlovable times." he says firmly, brooking no argument.

"...i..." you fall almost speechless as little tears begin to fall, "thank you..." you whisper hastily before hiding your face in the fluff of his fur-lined coat.

"hmhm," he hums, rubbing your back with one hand, "not a problem, darling... you are more precious to me than i could ever hope to convey."

malachy.

(w.c: 524)

malachy is also extremely observant. however, they're far more likely to approach you about certain issues instead of playing the long game. it may not seem like it from even up close, but they have a sensitive heart – so, they hate to see you struggle on your own, even if you want to do it by yourself.

they get it, though. independence is an addictive drug. but they still want you to understand that you can trust them, rely on them. they feel useless otherwise – not that they would ever say that to your face.

however, malachy has a certain..."threshold" for affection. it can be overwhelming for them after a certain point (despite having been married twice in the distant past). when you start getting a little too touchy, a little too vocal, they can't help the irritation that makes their only visible eye twitch.

they try their best not to vocalize this "minor" issue, though. they know what's up, but they want you to feel comfortable and safe, above all else. they put up with the sudden, frequent bouts of affection and attention. but, even a star from the very heavens have their limits to their patience...

"alright, alright," malachy grumbles, turning in your arms as you give them the nth hug that day. "what's going on?" their only visible eye narrows, but you can nearly feel the chill that their other, hidden eye holds.

"haha... wh-what do you mean?" you sputter in surprise, backing away. but malachy grabs you by the shoulders with tender hands. tender hands that have killed countless times, but they're the very same tender hands that hold you with grace and love.

"...you're not that sneaky, sorry to say," they sigh softly, tentatively releasing your shoulders; trusting that you won't run away. "i don't know what you've been concocting lately, but i'd like to know. i can smell the remnants of the potion."

you often forget how keen their senses are. despite looking and acting like a human, they're so far removed from it. they're the representation of a heavenly star from a distant universe – one you will never get to know intimately, never get to see or hear or feel. malachy is the closest you'll ever get to knowing the multiverse so deeply.

"i... i'm sorry!" you squeak, and it's pathetic to you, but you're at a loss what to say or do.

you want to run away, but the moment you turn to leave, malachy pulls you into a soft embrace. the kind of embrace you can easily tear away from. but you don't. you stay, contented to be in their arms yet scared to know what they'll say next.

"i want you to know that you're good enough, and no one else has the right to judge your worthiness. not even me." they whisper, leaning over your shoulder to press a chaste kiss to your cheekbone.

"mal... i..." you stutter before turning in their arms, grasping at the lapels of their leather trench coat. "...i love you – so, so much..." you remind.

"and i adore you, my lovely witch. i always have, and always will."

[maxdibert]

Hi, regarding your "People who defend James’s stripping Severus in front of the entire school" Post. I am struggling with this from time to time, but I also like to ponder and discuss so:

I really like the fandom version of the Marauders, and I honestly do not really care for Snape because in the fics and art I interact with he is usually not part of. (I also read a lot of Muggle AU etc.. And I think another huge part is that I never really thought about how young he technically still was as a teacher because of Alan Rickman´s age. As a child I simply disliked him and never had an opinion on the Marauders as they appear so little in the movies. I guess it´s hard to move on from that?) What the Marauders did in Canon to Severus, and probably other students, was horrible. I agree. I also think Snape has his faults too, but the abuse against him shouldn´t be excused "because he was mean too". If you abuse and abuser, it´s still abuse.

I guess my question is what´s your opinion on the take to like the fanon version but not the canon version?

"The lengths some people go to twist facts and canon to conveniently excuse their favourite characters’ actions because they can’t accept them as they were is honestly incredible. Or maybe they just need to tell themselves they’re not fans of a couple of rich, abusive bullies because deep down they’d feel terrible about it—who knows."

To take the potential the Marauders have, the idea of a tight friend group in a magical school, explore different family dynamics... I like to play around with that and what was made of it. I think I can do that while acknowledging that what they did in canon was bad. It´s why I struggle with canon compliant stories, like their behaviour sucked. If I only knew the canon version I would not like them because I wouldn´t like "rich, abusive bullies". But changing the characters and their actions is, to me, part of what makes fanfics fun?

And of course I could do the same for Snape. But I didn´t and there is probably a lot to unpack on why I mostly ignore him. But. ultimately, to like him I would have to change him a lot from canon too. What the Marauders did as kids might have actually been worse (?) but how he became later makes me dislike him and for the Marauders we have more freedom to interpret how they turned out as adults. (Even though I just said changing the story is part of fandom and I could just make Snape nice... There are so many contradictions in all my thoughts on this topic)

Okay, this got really long and aybe a bit all over the place. You don´t have to answer this. But if you have any thought´s I´d be interested in hearing them :) This is also my first ever anon ask and I really don´t want to fight on this topic I just have a lot of thoughts.

My problem is precisely that the characters this new generation of the fandom has invented are unbearably boring. A bunch of normie kids who dress like Zendaya and her friends in Euphoria and have average teen drama issues that seem straight out of a cheap Netflix series. I mean, where’s the appeal in that? Where’s the appeal in turning Sirius into a whiny twink who just goes around pining for Remus Lupin—who, by the way, has suddenly become some sort of sassy alpha male—when their canon dynamic is way more interesting? When Sirius in canon is a guy with temper issues who thinks that just because he went to Gryffindor and has the “right ideas,” he’s managed to shake off the stigma of being a Black, yet remains as arrogant and violent as the rest of his family? When he has good intentions but has never really confronted who he is, where he comes from, and how ignoring that won’t make his behavior any less problematic? When he’s willing to do anything for James but simultaneously capable of deliberately ignoring Remus’s well-being? When he’s a rebel but still falls into the same abusive, hegemonic behaviors he was raised in? When it seems like his opposition to his family is a conscious choice, but it’s actually just the result of his mommy issues? He’s an incredibly complex character in canon, full of contradictions, and there’s so much interesting psychological exploration to be done with him. And you’re seriously telling me you prefer an OC with his name invented by the fandom who just cries over his non-canon boyfriend and feels validated because he paints his nails? Seriously???

Are you seriously telling me that James from the fandom—the goofy puppy dog protagonist pulled straight out of every cliché teen movie—is more interesting than canon James Potter, who is blessed with the wonderful depth of class hypocrisy for analysis and exploration? Are you really saying that a flat, soap-opera-level stereotype is better to write or develop than a rich kid who had every reason to be a Cedric Diggory but chose to be a Draco Malfoy? Are you really telling me it’s more interesting to write about the feminist girlboss icon of the 21st century that you’ve turned Lily Evans into rather than a complex, contradictory female character like the one in canon: a girl from a working-class town, spoiled and adored by her parents, who finds herself for the first time in a world that makes her feel even more special but where she doesn’t quite fit because of her background? Someone who, in her effort to fit in and be recognized, creates an image of herself as moralistic and perfect, yet in truth doesn’t stand up for or care about anything unless it directly affects her? The bullies target Mary Macdonald, and she doesn’t lift a finger or say a word until it suits her to end her friendship with Severus. She’s supposedly Severus’s best friend, but at the same time, she downplays the bullying he endures and even flirts with his abuser. She’s supposedly the epitome of morality, yet she marries a bully. Do you know how much room there is to flesh out those gaps? The things that aren’t clear? The sheer depth you can draw from that? And you seriously prefer a character ripped out of a 2012 Taylor Swift song over that? Is that honestly more interesting to you?

Do you really think that the sassy alpha-male version of Remus Lupin, full of quick-witted one-liners, is more compelling than the kid who disapproved of his friends’ actions but stayed silent out of desperation to preserve the safe space they represented for him? Who felt consistently left out of the bond James and Sirius shared? Who, even when what they did seemed utterly immoral, stepped aside because deep down he was so afraid of rejection that it made him a coward and a hypocrite? Who eventually drifted away from his entire group of friends because of his inferiority complex to the point that they even thought he was a traitor? One of his supposed friends nearly used him as a weapon to commit murder, and he forgave him without a word because he knew that standing up to him might mean losing everything. Are you really telling me that the cheap romantic drama version is more interesting than all of that in terms of exploring a character and the dynamics of dysfunctional friendships within that group? Really? Are you seriously saying you’d rather pretend Peter was just “there” than delve into how they treated him like a pet because he went along with all their mischief and they underestimated him so much they never realized they had a sadist among them? You prefer a convenient, nice Peter over a dark, deeply flawed one? Really?

Yes, the dynamic among the Marauders is fascinating, but it’s fascinating because it’s dysfunctional, full of power imbalances, clear differences in the relationships within the group, and a ton of things that don’t make sense unless you provide a coherent and in-depth explanation. It’s in that dysfunction where the intrigue, the plot, and the character exploration lie—not in creating an idyllic, problem-free group of friends whose drama arises from stereotypical romantic relationships. Not in creating OCs with canon names who bear no resemblance to the actual characters and have the depth of a sheet of paper. Sorry, but no.

And sorry, but I’m not buying the argument that the Marauders are “easier to explore” just because Sirius and Remus made it to adulthood, and Thewlis and Oldman were already in their 40s when they played their characters, making them middle-aged like Rickman. And Snape was their same age and spent the same school years with them.

So yeah, it’s fine if you’re not interested in a character, but the excuse is always, “I haven’t seen much of that character to be interested in them.” Well, if you only move in your own echo chamber, and that chamber happens to be full of haters, obviously you’re not going to see much. There’s a huge Snape fandom with tons of headcanons, people constantly creating and writing all kinds of content with all sorts of pairings and perspectives on him—you just have to look for it. I mean, literally, everything we know about the Marauders is because of Snape. Their youth only exists to enrich and explain Snape’s character. If we know anything about Lily and James, it’s because they serve to fill in Snape’s backstory. Otherwise, we would have only had the adult versions Harry imagines or knows (Remus, Sirius, and Peter), and we’d know nothing about what happened before. There is no Marauders fandom without Snape, because the concept of the Marauders as teenagers exists because of and for Snape’s backstory.

So honestly, my problem isn’t with the fandom but with the new fandom and its vision of the characters. Characters that don’t exist because they don’t resemble canon and instead feel like self-inserts with canon names. And I find it a waste because canon is so rich, and its characters are so unexplored, yes, but if explored coherently, they’re far more interesting than if they’re just turned into inconsistent projections.

[peachsayshi]

About brutally soft reader x SUKUNA

I love how you write their dynamic with eachother and their daughter, especially the feelings she has towards SUKUNA and the small jealousy she feels just thinking about him and other women.

But I’ve got some thoughts

I understand her seeing the good in him and him being a great father but a great father isn’t always a great partner. He might have cleaned his mess up as far as she knows, we the readers of course know more.

You gave us some look into their past relationship and how toxic they were to eachother.

While people should stay in the present and look towards the future, her past shaped her. Does she trust him fully? Are there other feelings like resentment and anger she sometimes feels towards him, especially as she realizes how her daughter is growing up without two parents in the same house and how it will impact her?

While she loves her daughter, won’t she still have some anger towards him for having to take care of her all the time and work, while he has so much freedom?

Does she feel guilty for still liking him?

Does she have recurring nightmares or flashbacks as soon as she sees or talks about cheating? Does she see his cheating partner sometimes in the city and does she get that gut wrenching feeling.

There are a lot of questions I have regarding her character.

While you show the positive side of their co parenting I would love to see the negative aspects. How it impacted her her future (unexpected pregnancy), other relationships she had(parents, friends…), relationships with other men after sukuna?

How she sees her daughter, does her daughter miss him a lot or does she see a lot of sukuna in her daughter? Does reader still have some kind abandonment issues or trust issues with other people in her life because of the relationship?

Is it maybe the other relationship that seems to be on and off, that makes her yearn for sukuna who is not only her baby daddy but seems to be stable in life?

I hope it does not come off as aggressive or rude but I am really interested to see her have some female rage and anger she will express toward sukuna.



nonnie!! please don't ever apologize!! as a writer I live for these kind of questions!! I am just an awe that you that this fic made you this interested like I am truly beyond flattered. okay, okay let's break it down: "a great father isn't always a great partner" is the basis of what this story is about. regarding your question on trust, I will say that the reader does not trust him - he had to repair that trust himself. and it took him years to do it. the fact that he cheated on her isn't a small thing (to either the reader or sukuna). he lives with that mistake and the reader lives with that hurt. in one of my previous posts about them, I mention how all of this changed when sukuna found out you were pregnant. the thing is, he grew up with shitty parents. he wasn't about to turn into one himself. I don't think she resents him as much. because she truly didn't even think that he would step up to the plate and be an actual father to his child. she only revealed her pregnancy out of moral obligation, but she was clear that she doesn't expect him to be involved. the fact that sukuna is putting in the effort is more of a surprise to the reader herself.

now regarding the freedom thing, I definitely think that's more of a choice on the reader's part. sukuna wants more team, but our reader keeps the boundaries for a reason. let's not forget that she knew and loved sukuna at his worst. saw how irresponsible he could be. saw how selfish some of his actions were. I think a small part of her believes that if she isn't too cautious, he might slip up. that's the reader taking control of a situation that she cannot predict. I don't think she feels guilty for liking sukuna, I think she's scared that those feelings are still there. how could she still want someone who hurt her in that way? how could she think it would be safe to go back to him? that's what I was really trying to portray in the updated part of their little story. without giving away too much of the story, she definitely does bring it up in conversation with sukuna and it's an extremely sore point for both of them. it's the only time she sees how small he looks in her eyes. he carries so much shame with that mistake, with that woman...

oh there definitely will be some insight on the negative aspects - but it will be framed in a way to show sukuna's growth. the point is to highlight his redemption journey, rather than him being a shitty guy. however, that past still exists in both his and the reader's memory. and regarding abandonment and trust issues: they both definitely deal with it in their own way. in this particular case, it's sukuna who gave did it to her. his parents did it him.

I briefly talk about sukuna's childhood, and how compared to his brother yuji he had to witness his parents because a healthy, loving couple towards his younger brother. sukuna never got any of that. and it kills him that the same abandonment and trust issues they gave him, he just off loaded onto you with his own shitty mistakes.

sukuna's daughter is so much like him in so many ways. you can definitely see that but you believe she got the best parts of sukuna rather than the worst. and he only wants to show her the good, not the bad.

I hop this answers some of your questions! I really can't wait to explore more parts of these two - and see how their dynamic unfolds. I think as of now, sukuna simply resigns in his role as being your baby daddy and nothing else. he really wants to show you that you can rely on him, but it just isn't that easy for the reader to give in to him like she used to.

[brummiereader]

@zablife well I wasn't expecting that little twist at the end 😳😈!

She baby trapped him 😳! And he fell for it! I mean, are we that surprised though? I don't think he has much hindsight when all the blood travels south 😂.

Ahhh this was perfect, Lee! Yes, yes, yes give me Tommy who thinks he's doing something for the greater good only to completely fail when it comes to his future sister in laws provocative advances. But you've left me wondering after this part...Because you wanted to marry me once, you thought before turning your bitterness to insults. "He's a fucking child you can't trust with a simple task!"...what went wrong with them for Tommy to make such an arrangement, and with bloody Finn of all people 😳??

He did a poor job of concealing the hunger in his eyes, especially when his pupils dilated in such a way. "Come on, don't just undress me with your eyes," you beckoned in your sweetest voice. Ooh she's sneaky! There's no way Tommy turns sex down. And especially not with someone he's already got history with. You have me kicking my feet at how quickly he gave in👌🏼.

Tommy nodded slowly. "Has his whole life before him. Mine faded long ago." This sounded so much like him, Lee. He's the biggest melancholy character out of all the Peaky universe, and this fantastic line pretty much depicts his feelings throughout canon.

You'd never felt so possessed by him, hands gripping you tightly to him as though you were his last breath. His mouth sucking a bruise into the delicate flesh of your neck to mark you for all to see. There was a blind devotion to his actions that didn't make you feel guilty for tugging him closer when he came inside you. I had to quote this whole part because I love how you cleverly described her justification for what she's done 👌🏼.

Who knows, maybe Tommy knows what she's up to and he gave in so he could find an excuse to be with her too. But either way, I loved the twist. We don't often see Y/N as ruthless as Tommy in fanfiction, and I honestly loved the switch up 😍!

Hello darling! For your requests I found this prompt, would you give it a try? 🔥 😇

"Come on, don't just undress me with your eyes." - For Tommy

Thanks for the lovely inspo, Mar! I do love this GIF 😍

Tommy x female reader

Undress Me

"You can't be serious," you scoffed with an indignant toss of your head.

Tommy only stared into his glass, finishing off the last of his whiskey as he waited for the footsteps in the hall to fade into the distance.

"We discussed this," he mumbled, dispassionately rising to refill his glass.

"You never mentioned Finn," you reminded him.

As he passed before you, you grabbed onto his shirt sleeve. "I can't marry him," you insisted.

Tommy turned slowly, eyes falling to where your fingers dug into his forearm with disappointment. "Why not?" he asked in genuine confusion.

Because you wanted to marry me once, you thought before turning your bitterness to insults. "He's a fucking child you can't trust with a simple task!"

He rolled his eyes before producing a check from his pocket. Only then did he meet your insistent gaze. "Not even for this?" he asked, the steep arch of his brow demanding an answer. "Said you wanted security and a good life for your family, didn't ya?"

With the haunting memory of your original plea for help echoing in your ears, you eyed the check warily. "If he's the brother you've chosen for me, I want more," you replied, chin held high with what little pride you had left.

"Overplay your hand and see where it gets you," he warned with a sharp tug of his arm.

You staggered forward, feeling the acute loss of him. When had this all turned sour? you wondered.

He turned his back to you as he reached for the crystal decanter and you filled your lungs with a courageous breath. You'd need strength to keep going, but you were accustomed to it. Unlacing the front of your gown in anticipation, you waited for him to face you.

He did a poor job of concealing the hunger in his eyes, especially when his pupils dilated in such a way. "Come on, don't just undress me with your eyes," you beckoned in your sweetest voice.

Raising an accusing finger toward you he warned, "I know what this is."

"What?" you shrugged with practiced nonchalance.

"You're young and full of promise, don't waste it on me, love," he said with sadness tingeing his voice.

"So that's why you chose Finn for me?" you asked, wanting to understand his reasoning.

Tommy nodded slowly. "Has his whole life before him. Mine faded long ago."

"That's not true," you swore to him, taking a few tentative steps in his direction. "Come back to me, Tom," you gently urged, fingers tracing his rugged jawline.

He closed his eyes to your touch and you knew he could still be yours. Leaning in to swipe your full lips against his, you begged him to take you then and there. And he did, giving into his desire fully the moment his self control snapped.

You'd never felt so possessed by him, hands gripping you tightly to him as though you were his last breath. His mouth sucking a bruise into the delicate flesh of your neck to mark you for all to see. There was a blind devotion to his actions that didn't make you feel guilty for tugging him closer when he came inside you.

If you'd timed it correctly, you'd be with child before the cursed wedding day. Tommy wouldn't dare deny you then, taking you for his bride instead. You sighed contentedly at the prospect as his heart hammered against yours.

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

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[wellwornworldwalker]

I have an obsession with assigning theme songs to characters I like. Since Linked Universe is my current hyperfixation I realized I have a golden opportunity. Sleeping at Last is one of my favorite artists and he has an album called Enneagram. 9 songs for 9 personality types for 9 Links so without further adieu here is my totally flawed assignment of songs.

One - Warriors.

The list goes on forever Of all the ways I could be better, in my mind As if I could earn God's favor given time Or at least congratulations Now, I have learned my lesson The price of this so called perfection is everything I've spent my whole life searching desperately To find out that grace requires nothing of me

In the Swords comic Warriors admits that wielding the Master sword made him feel invincible and that nearly cost him his life.

Now Warriors has learned that his true strength is his ability to work with others, a strength he brings to the chain. I see Warriors as someone that likes rules, he needs the world and people to follow a predictable pattern. That puts him at odds with the chaotic members of the chain (That’s everyone, including Warriors.) He’s a perfectionist, specifically the type of perfectionist that believes if you want something done right you’ve got to do it yourself. He’s learned to work with others, and has overcome his initial instincts as The Hero.

Two - initially I thought Hyrule was the best match for Two but as I was writing this analysis I changed my mind to Twilight.

Sweetheart, you look a little tired When did you last eat? Come in and make yourself right at home Stay as long as you need Tell me, is something wrong? If something's wrong, you can count on me

You know I'll take my heart clean apart if it helps yours beat

Twilight is running himself ragged. He was pulling double duty as Wolfie and Twilight. He’s trying to make Time proud, then turns around and tries to mentor Wild. A thankless task because Wild is not interested in his mother Cuccoing. He's more used to the mature blue eyed wolf that pushed him to his limits and never coddled him.

And in Twilight Princess he became The Hero to save his village. Mayhaps Twilight is a bit of a people pleaser but…

I know exactly how the rule goes Put my mask on first No, I don't want to talk about myself Tell me where it hurts I just want to build you up, build you up Till you're good as new And maybe one day I will get around to fixing myself too

Twilight recently had his heart broken when Midna left and shattered the mirror. Maybe he’s trying to avoid those feelings by concentrating on everyone else?

Three - Time and Legend were fighting back and forth with songs Three and Eight. Those two are very similar . Both young hero’s that had their childhood stolen in a single defining moment. Legend watched his uncle die and went on the run. Time drew the sword and woke up seven years later having slept through his childhood. And they’ve become pessimistic and cynical because of that.

And a nice little detail that shows how similar Time and Legend are is when Legend and Warriors were betting on who Time’s wife was. War’s thought it would be the princess. But Legend correctly guessed it was someone different because he knew that wasn’t Time’s style.

But back to Time, because these two are different and maybe that just because Time has the advantage of years and age on his side but he settled in a way Legend hasn’t

Maybe I've done enough And your golden child grew up Maybe this trophy isn't real love And with or without it, I'm good enough

Time is who he is because he has Malon and the ranch. Malon loves the very normal man Time is not The Hero he had to be. The others immediately notice how different Time is when they get to the ranch.

He laughs, smiles, and jokes around. While on the road he’s tense and serious. He sees this quest as a duty and a responsibility, but he wants to be home. Makes you wonder why he’ll leave home and die to become the hero’s shade?

Four - Is FOUR

Jk jk it's Sky. The song Four is about ordinary touching divine. And if that doesn't sum up Sky I don't know what does.

Bodies fashioned out of dirt and dust For a moment, we get to be glorious

When Sky first encountered Demise the Demon King spends a lot of time pointing out that Link is human, brave for a human but still human.

Then there are these lines

But I've fallen in love with a ghost I lost my balance when I needed it most

He loves Zelda, a mortal incarnation of a goddess and in his quest to save her he is so often just a little too slow. He's there in the end and gets the job done but it's a close thing that haunts him.

Five - For real this time. This is Fours song.

The opening lines are

I want to watch the universe expand I want to break it into pieces small enough to understand And put it all back together again In the quiet of my private collection

He's a curios little guy and a smith. Always looking into the mysteries of the world, take them apart and remake them. Maybe that curiosity got him into a little trouble. He's got the four sword and one magic sword is more than enough for him.

The last lines of the song are

I finally feel the universe expand It's hidden in heartbeats Exhales and in the hope of open hands

Four has got the four sword but he is also the hero of Minish cap. He see's the large universe and the small important things that are closer to home. He's recognized this after the events of sunset and dawn. If this quest is to succeed he needs to let his brother's in. Wild knows his secret but that was more of a spur of the moment angry reaction. I'll be interested to see if he purposefully reveals his secret to anyone else.

Six - Six was originally my pick for twilight but I switched him and Hyrule. Fanon characterizes Hyrule as the healer but so far we've only seen him healing once. So I'm basing this off of his games, Linked universe canon and my hopes for his character arc.

We laugh about this line because Hyrule has what is considered the hardest game. Oh you sweet summer child. You complicated, pixilated little hero. Do you know what you've done? That's why I associate these lyric's with Hyrule's character

I want to take shelter, but I'm ready, ready to fight Somewhere in the middle, I feel a little paralysed Maybe I'm stronger Than I realize

Like Legend Hyrule lives in the fallen hero timeline. That's caused some serious problems for his kingdom. But unlike Legend, Hyrule seems to be open and friendly.

Is it courage or faith To show up every day? To trust that there will be light Always waiting behind Even the darkest of nights

It takes real courage to live in a dying world and still love it and it's people.

Seven - There was never any doubt in my mind that Seven was Wild's song. Some of these were difficult to nail down but not Seven and Wild. This song is about being restless and wanting to explore. Perfect for our Hero of the Wild

Then the song hits you with this sucker punch

But I want to be here Truly be here To watch the ones that I love bloom And I want to make room To love them through, and through, and through, and through The slow and barren seasons, too

Twilight has pointed out the Wild should talk to his Zelda about who he used to be and who he is now. But that means looking to the past and he's can't bring himself to do that yet. Instead seeing his life as two different people. The before and after.

Eight - I mentioned that I flipped flopped on choosing Time or Legend for this song but I finally decided that this is more Legend's song. Truth be told Eight could have been just about any Link's song. It's such a protagonist song. It's my favorite :)

Jojo has draw a picture of Legend with Marin and he looks so happy and playful. Something we don't see with the group.

But I can't let you see all that I have to lose All I've lost in the fight to protect it I can't let you in, I swore never again I can't afford to let myself be blindsided

He was open and loved once before but then he lost it. Not only lost it but had to be the one to destroy it himself, confront that maybe this happiness was never real to begin with. Now he's withdrawn and cynical. Legend is still all in on being a hero. (Unlike Time he's not looking to settle down.) But he wont be opening his heart anytime soon.

Can we talk about this panel from the bet

Are you talking about Time or yourself?

I'm standing guard, I'm falling apart And all I want is to trust you Show me how to lay my sword down For long enough to let you through

I can't wait to see his brother's break through that hard exterior and see the kind and empathetic person underneath. We see flashes of it.

(Memories is a gold mine for everyone's characterization, just saying.) He's emotional mature enough to know where to really lay the blame. I hope he can help Wild see that. But I think to really get through to Wild he'll need to be emotional vulnerable and he's not prepared for that yet.

But in the end Legend is a hero through and through. Since he was 11 he's been The Hero and he shows no sign of stopping.

I'ma shake the ground with all my might And I will pull my whole heart up to the surface For the innocent, for the vulnerable And I'll show up on the front lines with a purpose

He's grumpy and cynical but still a hero.

Nine - By process of elimination Wind is number Nine. I'm not really happy with this one but none of the songs really fit Wind . So I decided to speculate about Wind's future. Wind and Tetra are supposed to reestablish the Kingdom of Hyrule, a daunting task for a 13/14 year old. No wonder he admires the kings of Hyrule so much

Wake up Fall in love again Wage war on gravity There's so much Worth fighting for You'll see Another domino falls Either way

Quite the opposite of Wild , Wind is always looking to the past to build the future.

This ended up being longer than I thought it would be but I also didn't even talk about half my feeling when it comes to this album and Linked Universe. IDK how that possible. But I've said enough and I just needed to share my thought. And you guys should totally listen to the album.

[the-wip-project]

January 26

Hello writerly friends!

I hope you are deep in your story and got a first grasp of what your story wants to be. Maybe it even surprised you, developed in a way you didn't expect. 

Your most important trait as a writer is perseverance. You have to stick to it, you have to keep going, because you cannot discover your story if you don't write it. But there will come a point where you get stuck. Writer's block is extremely difficult for discovery writer, because we don't have an outline to guide us forward. We're stuck and we don't know where to go next.

Maybe you've already run into that kind of wall, so let's return to Patricia McLinn's book "Survival Kit For Writers" to find some advice about how to deal with writer's block as a discovery writer.

Patricia McLinn turns to brainstorming when she gets stuck. She advises to leave the actual story, but work inside the world you've created. Take your characters and ask them questions. Specific questions. This is not a friendly interview, grab your character and ask them "What the fuck was that about?" and then write down everything you'll find. Be demanding, make it an argument. Poke your subconscious until it spills the beans. These are not words that will end up in your story, but they will show you where your story is headed.

Another piece of advice you'll always hear around writer's block and its remedies, is to "refill the creative well". Meaning: reading and watching stories. McLinn specifies this more, she recommends that you read specific chunks of other books for inspiration. If you're stuck on a fight scene, find fight scenes in other books and analyse what you like and dislike about them. 

That's also a general point regarding the books we read. What stands out to you? What do you find important in the stories you read? What speaks to you about a specific scene? I'm usually too lazy to write that down, but it probably makes sense to write those sort of findings down. Don't be lazy like me, be smarter.

As always, accountability and writing sprints are good tools that work well. Posting here on tumblr how you write and how it's going, may look like nothing important now, but you will look back on this one day and be amazed at what you did. It means something to say "look, I did that".

We have a check-in channel on our discord, where we post our wordcounts for accountability. It's just a little thing, but I look into the channel every day and it makes me so happy to see all those numbers. Someone follows this project on bluesky and posts daily (very impressive) wordcounts, and really tickles me to see that. 

Our sprint bot died, so there aren't any sprints right now, but you can always use a focus app on your phone and set it to 20 minutes, or you can use a site like OhWrite (https://ohwrite.co/) to sprint with other people. These things work, honestly. I know it's annoying but these are like the easiest tools in the box and it would be stupid not to use them. 

So in that spirit, let's see your accountability!

@creativelyfueled @wildswrites @pheita @koiwrites @wickedwitchofthewilds @theburnedoutnerd @fontainebleau22 @illegalcerebral @incognitajones @theglitchywriterboi @sashakielman @satashiiwrites @lilliebellfanfics @jeaniefranklins @iressails @lastelle21 @sgam76 @tryingtimi @randomquadballpun @dragonnan @mclavellan @bisexualdawnsummers @hiraethwritings @523rdrebel @thebonesongs @gewhanaa @broodwolf221 @batteredrugosa @quilleth @exceedinglyfilledwithfolly @vigilskept @drowsy-quill @i-had-bucky @direquail @jacqueswriteblrlibrary @bogunicorn

[the-invisibility-bloke]

fic writer interview

Thanks for the tags, @galaxostars, @microdamage, @shoopsthereitis, and @wolfpants! I love your deep dives, so much of y'all's on my TBR.

How many works do you have on ao3? 40

What is your total wordcount? 468,229

Top 5 stories by kudos: (please don't perceive these, I loathe my old work) now we walk, manie sans delire, Five Times Walter Meets Jesse and One Time He Says Goodbye, don't give me your heart i can't take it, blindsight

Do you respond to comments? Always <3

What's the fic you've written with the angstiest ending? ​Hmm how 'bout the Starcest where Reg DIES​ (don't come for me it was by request)

What's the fic you've written with the happiest ending? Most have happy endings (heh), but I think this one's extra sweet bc Teddy's a lil honeybear (which sounds dirtywrong so all the better)

Do you write crossovers? Not unless you count the one in the next question

Have you received hate for a fic? Rarely because I disable guest comments. 😅 The artist and I both got death threats for this blip on the radar, which is especially hilarious because it's hardly my most problematique work. (It also scared the artist out of the fandom, which is. Less hilarious. Fuck antis.)

Do you write smut? With great disdain (my style is ill-suited to action/logistics)

Have you ever had a fic stolen? Reposted but not plagiarized, I’m way too niche to attract that attention 😂

Have you ever had a fic translated? My Breaking Bad fic, randomly enough

Have you ever co-written a fic before? Kinda, or do artist collabs count? Those are the frosting on fandom cake.

What is your all-time favourite ship? A multishipper's nightmare. Gotta be the Sirry > Heddy or Sirry > Drarry > Tedrarry pipeline. Sirius died so Tedrarry could live.

What's a WIP you want to finish but don't think you ever will? ​My Gauntcest... it's all outlined, but I have to go where the hyper fixates

What are your writing strengths? ​Turn of phrase, dialogue​, ​cadence, emotion

What are your writing weaknesses? *cracks knuckles* Plot, action, pacing, versatility (I am not as well read as many of my counterparts because yep I’ll admit it, most tradpub bores me), the balance between ​poetic prose and character voice. I get Artax-swamped in descriptors, I recycle metaphors, I'm a cringey tryhard in the face of transitions, never know if they land and I can't ever leave a sentence bare. I know, I know sometimes you can just say "He walked to the door" but good sir no I cannot.​ I could parse my shortcomings at the dissertation level... oh... oh maybe a ppt... El’s Insecurities: A Treatise.

What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in another language? I love the immersiveness and/or hotness, but I’m biased because I usually only run across French and I can muddle through. If you’re unfamiliar with the language it might be hard to follow. (I’ve seen translation footnote links, which, genius, can a tech-savvy gen Z teach me this?)

What's a fandom/ship you haven't written yet but would like to? ​Jalbus. Dralbus. Scarry. Drarry/Scorbus OT4. (Does Draco/Scorpius have a ship name? Scorco and Drapius are… yikes. Malfoycest it is.) Drarry as a two-wheeler and not a tricycle (soon soon soon).

What's your favourite fic you've ever written? ​Passion cools fast for me, but I like my Tedrarry. It got the biggest dose of my wit and sold me on Drarry (which, fail, given I wrote it for a rarepair exchange).

Everyone's already done this, I think? If you haven’t, tag you’re it, @ me. 🩵

[fenya-scribbles]

Collide - Part 1

♥--------♥--------♥

Pairing: Non-Idol!Dancer!Hyunjin x Dancer!Fem!Reader

Other Characters: Non-Idol!bff!Minho, Non-Idol!Jisung

Summary: Dancing alongside Hyunjin is hard, especially because he seem’s to dislike you, but your best friend will not let that stop you. And maybe he also has other plans, who knows?

Genre: fluff, rivals to lovers

Content warnings: none in this one :) 

Word Count: 1,643

A/N: So, I had this idea while I was out on a walk. And I really wanted to write something for Hyunjin, because have you seen the man? He's occupying the first spot on my wrecker list of a reason. Also, yet again, Minsung is a thing here. This is obviously a part 1 and I will add links and stuff when I post the next part :) 

♥--------♥--------♥

The beat blaring through the speakers accelerated, marking the most difficult part of the choreography you were currently learning. It involved spinning and crouching and lots of footwork, and more often than not you lost your balance and had to catch yourself ungracefully with your hands in order to continue the rest of the dance routine. That’s how it went down again this time. You cursed under your breath, knowing full well that not only your instructor and best friend Minho saw it - your fellow dancer Hyunjin did as well. 

When the music stopped, the room was filled with the collective panting of you and the other dance students. You risked a glance at Hyunjin, all sweaty and gorgeous, his eyes fixed on you. Quickly, you turned away again, ears turning red. “Alright, that’s it for today”, Minho said loud enough for everyone to hear, “I’ll see you next week!”

Slowly, everyone scurried towards the door, except for you. You had to wait for Minho to pack up, since he was your ride. When Hyunjin passed you, your eyes briefly met again and he said with a devilish grin: “You’ll get it next time, leftie.” You huffed, but before you could throw anything back at him, he was already out the door. 

“Ugh, I hate him”, you said when you were finally alone with your best friend. “Sure you do, kitten”, he said with a knowing smile. “Oh, shut up”, you said, letting yourself fall onto the bench that went along the back wall of the practice room. “I didn’t say anything”, he said, his hands up in the air, before offering you his water bottle. You accepted, giving him a side eye.

“He calls me leftie, you know”, you said, “because of my two left feet.” “Which you don’t have.” “I still can’t get this choreo right.” Minho chuckled. “That’s because you keep staring at Hyunjin instead of focusing on your footwork.” You let out an exasperated groan. “Ugh, whatever”, you mumbled.

“So, have you thought about the spring competition?”, Minho asked after a short silence. You sighed. He’d been pestering about joining the competition since before it had even been officially announced. It was a yearly tournament hosted by the dance studio. Another one would be held in the fall. The winner would get some money and be spotlighted on the studio’s website and socials. Part of you wanted to join, to further your career as a dancer, but especially after today, you felt discouraged again. You just didn’t feel like you were good enough to enter a competition yet. 

“I don’t know, Min”, you said, “I think I should skip this one.” He furrowed his eyebrows in disappointment. “You still have a few more days to decide”, he said, “just think about it? For me?” Once again, a groan escaped your lips. “What if Hyunjin enters?”, you asked, “I could never beat him.” “You don’t know that, kitten.” Minho gave you an encouraging nudge. “You’re already better than most of my students.” You couldn’t help but smile at your best friends unwavering believe in you. He’d always been like that, which was why you had picked up dancing seriously in the first place.

Minho dropped you off at home, pressing a light kiss to your temple before you got out of his car. “Say hi to Ji for me”, you said, one leg already on the pavement. “Will do.” Minho waved as he drove way, and you made your way to your apartment.

A few minutes later, you enjoyed the hot water in the shower running over your sore muscles. And once again, Hyunjin invaded your mind. The way he moved had you awestruck every time. You’d tried to befriend him in the beginning, but he’d quickly started to throw dismissive comments your way, and so you’d given up your attempts. You didn’t know why he didn’t like you, but that combined with the effortlessness with which he seemed to master every choreography in no time, had you boil on the inside. He just did something to you and you didn’t like it. Or did you?

***

The next day, you found yourself in the middle of the grocery store, when your phone vibrated in your pocket. You pulled it out to see a message from Minho. “Ji wants to know if you want to come over for dinner tonight.” You smiled and send back an affirmative gif.

You loved having dinner at Minho’s place. He was a great cook and you also enjoyed spending time with his boyfriend. You’d been friends with Minho since before they’d gotten together and seeing their relationship build and grow had always given you immense amounts of joy. 

“Y/N!” Jisung flung his arms around your neck as soon as he’d opened the door for you. “I have to show you something!” He barely let you take off your shoes and coat before grabbing you by the wrist and pulling you into the living room.

“Look”, he said, grabbing an acoustic guitar from a stand next to the couch. “Oh, is that the one you’ve been telling me about?” He nodded and put the guitar strap over his head. “It sounds so good, listen!” You let yourself sink onto the couch as you listened to Jisung play a sweet, beautiful melody on the instrument. You marvelled at the way his fingers slid over the strings, as if he’d been born to do just that.

Minho poked his head in from the kitchen. “Jagi, can you serenade my best friend later?”, he said with a grin, “dinner’s almost ready.” Then his eyes went over to you. “Hi kitten!” “Hi Min!” You turned your attention back to Jisung. “It sounds beautiful, Ji”, you said with a warm smile. You meant it, but then again, anything Jisung did on any guitar sounded like heaven. He was a musician for a reason, after all.  “Let’s go eat, hm?” You got up off the couch and made your way to the dinner table, Jisung following shortly behind, after placing his new baby back in the guitar stand. 

Dinner was excellent, as always. The three of you chatted about everything and nothing, laughing over Jisung’s stupid jokes and complimenting Minho’s cooking skills.

“So, Min says you’re not sure about the spring competition?”, Jisung said eventually. You gave Minho a look, but he just shrugged. “I don’t think I’m in competition shape yet.” Minho huffed. “That’s stupid”, he said, “you’re one of my best dancers.” “But I’m not the best. I should train more. Maybe I can enter the fall competition.” Jisung narrowed his eyes at you. “You’re afraid of competing with Hyunjin, aren’t you?”, he asked with a smirk. 

You could feel your cheeks blush. “He hates me, you know”, you said, trying to defend yourself. “He does not hate you, kitten.” “Nobody could hate you”, Jisung added. You shook your head. “You don’t see how he talks to me, Ji”, you replied.

“So, he is the reason why you don’t want to compete?”, Minho asked. You shrugged. “I mean…I guess?” “That’s a stupid reason,” Minho said, a stern look on his face. “There’s still a few days do sign up, you know?” You shook your head. “Can you please just let it go, Min?” He let out a disapproving hum. “Fine, but I still think it’s stupid.” “Yeah, I heard you.” 

Thankfully, both of them dropped the topic for the evening, and after helping with the dishes, the three of you settled on the couch and watched a movie. And even though neither of them brought the competition up again, your mind kept wandering there again and again. And with that, Hyunjin took up residence in your mind again. Hyunjin, with his perfect eyes and his broad shoulders and his unfair ability to rock every hairstyle. Hyunjin, with his cocky smile and his fluid movements and his gorgeous laugh. You would never be able to compete with him. Never. 

***

A few days later you were walking through the dance studio’s hallway, when you noticed a presence beside you. “So”, an all too familiar voice said, “you signed up for the competition, huh?” You stopped in your tracks and whirled around. In front of you stood Hyunjin, looking down at you. He was so deliciously tall, you had to lift your head a bit to meet his eyes. “What?”, you asked. You were sure you'd misunderstood him.

“The spring competition, leftie”, he said with a smirk, “your name is on the list of contestants.” “What?!” You could hear Hyunjin chuckle, as you turned and sprinted to the blackboard that was positioned on the wall a bit further down the hallway.

You scanned the board, finding the list with the contestants for the spring competition - and there it was, your name, right underneath Hyunjin’s. It had to be a mistake. You did not sign up. There was no way your name could be on that list. Unless…

“Minho!”, you yelled as you flung open the door of the practice room. Your best friend was currently practicing on his own, stopping mid body roll as he watched you storm towards him. “You signed me up for the competition?!”

“You’re welcome”, he said with a self-satisfied smile. “What were you thinking?! I can’t compete! Not when he’s my competition!” “Breathe, kitten”, Minho said, placing his hands and your shoulders. “You’re gonna be fine. This is a big chance for you and I couldn’t let your stupid obsession with Hyunjin get in the way.” “Obsession? Min, I’m not-“ He raised his hand, interrupting you. “I know, I know. Just thank me later, okay?” 

♥--------♥--------♥

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