#megamind vibes but you have to read it like megamind

[avatarmerida]

Pleeeeeeeeease do a one shot with THAT crew art...

You know the one I'm talking about...

(I'm God's miracle)

I do know it. It controls my every thought.

I haven’t seen anyone do it with evil!Hunter (insp @soldrawss) so here’s my attempt at combining the two. In my take of this version, Hunter is aware he is a grimwalker the whole time and basically has to do the Emperor’s bidding to justify existing (nothing new there) but he is aware that Belos is a liar and evil and he also believes he is these things because why wouldn’t he be? In case it’s not clear, this would be after ASIAS in a AU where Hunter keeps trying to recruit Willow to the coven as an excuse to talk to her. It’s less angst and more Megamind (who fully believes he is angsty so) ok bye

---

“Well well well,” came a familiar voice from behind her. “If it isn’t my favorite plant witch.”

“Hello to you too,” Willow asked, unfazed by his “dramatic reveal” as she was so sure he had intended it to be. She did not look up from her comfortable spot on the ground where she sat, gathering soil into her little pail. “To what do I owe the pleasure, Mr. Golden Guard? Did you follow me up here or were you just waiting menacingly in the shadows for me to show up?”

“I’m not at liberty to discuss the business of the Emperor’s Coven with a civilian,” he said, giving her a non answer. “If you’d truly like to know why I’m here I suppose I could entrust that information to a new recruit.”

“Hmm pass,” she said, staying focused on her task with her back to her but feeling his eyes on her. He wouldn’t ask what she was doing, he would either pretend he already knew or ignore it all together.

“Do you need any help?” He asked, uncharacteristically small. Hmm,that was new. He was clearly hoping she’d have a more elaborate response and the prepared retort he had up his sleeve wouldn’t make sense, not that digging in the dirt made any more sense.

“No, I’m almost done,” she said, shoveling the last bit of soil into her pail. It was excellent soil, a shimmering dark turquoise that helped plants be more lively and vibrant. It was well worth the distance Willow had to travel to obtain it and collecting it was relaxing. It was quiet out here, an abandoned building made it seem off-putting to other people but Willow welcomed the calm atmosphere. There was hardly anything out here to capture the attention of the Emperor’s Coven. 

But that seemed to be the case wherever she found herself lately.

“Ya know it’s dangerous to be out here by yourself,” he said, kicking at the ground not expecting her attention to linger elsewhere.

“Well I’m not here by myself now am I?” She asked with a smirk he could hear. Months ago she would be terrified to find herself alone with him, especially knowing what she knew now about the Emperor’s Coven. He did not deny it when she confronted him about what the Coven and the Emperor were really like. He was not ashamed, he claimed, rather he was content with his place and what that meant. He was delighted with the rumors depicting him as ruthless and cruel (and this was mostly from the mouths of her friends) but somehow her experiences with him differed.

He loved a crowd, a perfect chance to act boastful and righteous and flaunt his status. But when it was just them his insincerity did not seem very sincere. She suspected he never spent enough time with anyone for them to see beyond his little character, but she had seen enough repeat performances to pick up the inconsistencies. By now she could tell when his words were empty, when he was leaning into this character that he was forced to method act. But she could sense he didn’t know who to be around her, and she felt that was some of his best work.

“Ya know, the Emperor’s Coven has tons of dirt,” he tried to say casually, feeling things had been silent for too long.

“What?”

“Uh, well that’s why you’re here right?” He sputtered.

“Oh so your business can stay a secret but mine can’t?” She said as she stood up and turned to face him. She could’ve sworn he stood straighter when she did.

“The Emperor makes it a point to know everyone’s business,” he said in a low, cool voice as though he himself was the Emperor. He tried so hard to intimidate her but she somehow always remained composed, as though she was merely humoring him. She wiped her hands on her dark green skirt, the access dirt blending in nicely and shook her head at him.

“Well then ask him what I’m up to,” she shrugged walking past him, purposely brushing past his shoulder as she did. She heard him chuckle deep in his throat, as though she had said just the right thing.

“I’m not so sure he’d be pleased with you trespassing, little plant witch.” the Golden Guard said with a cocky smile. He has stopped wearing his mask around Willow, maybe because it was easier to see or maybe because he thought she could be swayed by a pretty face. She’d have to ask him one of these days.

“Pssh ‘trespassing?’” Willow laughed, flipping her braid over her shoulder. “There’s nothing to trespass out here, it’s totally abandoned!”

“Exactly,” he said, following slowly behind her. “There’s a reason for that; it’s condemned. Strictly off limits.Dangerous.”

“Aww so did you stalk me all the way here because it’s dangerous and you wanted to make sure I was safe before you kidnapped me again?”

“Pssh, what?” Hunter could never place her tone, how it was both sweet and sour, how it asked a question that seemed to already hold the answer. It was like an argument that he wasn’t sure how to win. “Of course not. W-why would I care about what happens to a foolish half-a-witch like you? If you’re foolish enough to come here, you deserve to learn the consequences first hand.”

“Hmm, I could say the same thing about you,” Willow sighed, looking over her shoulder at him. “But which half-a-witch is more foolish? The one who came here or the one who followed her here because he wanted an excuse to talk to her?”

“It’s business!” Hunter insisted, picking up his pace as his voice got higher. “My job is to enforce the rules and will of the Emperor and the signs on the perimeter clearly state-.”

“So are you gonna arrest me?” She asked,  quickly turning on her heel causing him to nearly bump into her.

“I-I could.” He stuttered, his eyes unable to decide where to look.

“Hmm, well you can’t join the Emperor’s Coven with a criminal record so... okay, go ahead.” She set her pail down and placed her arms out as though she was ready to be escorted to prison.

He was taken back. Very rarely did his banter get a response let alone ones so calm and silly. But she always managed to call his bluff and he couldn’t tell if she was wearing him down or winning him over. Either way, what a fine addition to the coven she’d be..

But she was right, and Hunter could hardly back down from what he said without contradicting his whole deal and risking losing the advantage he thought he had. This girl wasn’t scared of him or intimidated by him, heck she wasn’t even annoyed by him. His usual tricks didn’t work on her and as much as he wanted them to, it was somewhat refreshing. But either he had followed her here and hadn't stopped her or he was waiting for her and didn’t speak up right away. He barely understood why he mentioned the trespassing, the Emperor didn’t care about this area he would find the time wasted unless Hunter had actually caught a wild witch.

He was working on it.

“So um yeah I uh-.” But before he could verbally dig his own grave, the ground began to shake. A large crack formed between him and Willow and they both kept back to avoid falling in. The crack quickly sped up and reached the remains of the building, causing it to fall forward, heading towards the pair. They quickly jumped out of the way as the rest of the buildings followed like dominos.

As the walls came crumbling down around them, Hunter went to teleport away dodging the debris as he located the way out. As he looked out of the corner of his eye to see which way the plant girl was going, his heart or the equal equivalent sank when he saw her laying on the ground. A large collection of bricks had fallen on her foot and Hunter watched her remove them as a look of pain overtook her face.

She was so focused on her current situation that she didn’t see another pile was headed her way. By the time Willow did notice it was almost too late and all she had time to do was close her eyes and brace for impact.

But she was not met with the impact she had been expecting.

The next thing she knew, she was in a blur of light. Settings came in and out of focus, the constant, jagged movement made her dizzy but it was somehow sort of mesmerizing. She looked up and saw her savior, serious and sorrowful looking ahead at his destination and not being distracted by the wide eyed girl who clung poetically to his chest.

He darted from point to point, the ground growing more unstable by the second. His focus and grip never wavered as Willow took the opportunity to memorize his features. They seemed to compliment him in every sense, they made the transition from stern to soft so seamlessly. His edges were sharp, his jawline so defined it seemed to direct her to his eyes like an arrowhead. Willow had never seen this in his eyes before; it was less certain than the way they held anger but it was softer than the fear they had known.

She wanted to see them closer, but she felt the look would vanish if she entered his sight.

When Hunter felt they had traveled a safe distance, he stopped and hid behind a wall, making sure no other threats had followed them. Willow watched in wonder as he panted, his eyes desperately scanning their surroundings to make sure there would be no more surprise demolishment. He brought her closer, as though shielding her from unseen doom as Willow’s head fell instinctively on his shoulder as she listened to the sound of him breathing.

“Are you okay?” She whispered, close enough that she could see a fresh wound above his eye, another for his never ending collection.

“We should be safe here,” he said, more to assure himself than her, not quite answering her question. Something about him saying ‘we’ and not ‘I’ or ‘you’ made her heart spin. 

“Hunter?”

“Yeah?”

“You can put me down now.” Willow said, feeling as though Hunter had forgotten she occupied his arms. He held her like she was nothing and everything at the same time. Like he didn’t want to risk dropping her. Like she was precious to him. Like he wanted her close. A boy with no good in his heart as he so adamantly claimed to be could never hold someone like this. She wondered if his kindness was hidden from him or by him. She wondered if it felt familiar or forced, because it felt nice to be close to.

“Oh, right.” He said as though it was really no inconvenience and had simply slipped his mind. He suddenly became conscious of how tight his grip on her was as he gently placed her back on her feet. It felt unnatural to do something so gently, but something about her made unnatural things happen easily. As her feet touched the ground, a sharp pain shot up her body and she winced as she shifted her weight. Hunter instinctively crouched down back to her side for her to lean on him to take pressure off the leg “Sorry about that.”

“‘Sorry?’” She repeated, the shock distracting from her pain, She gave a small laugh. “D-did you just apologize to me?”

“Uh, I mean I-.”

“Were you... worried about me?”

“What? No!” Hunter’s face turned bright crimson, in embarrassment, in anger, infatuated.

“You were!” Willow exclaimed victoriously, as she summoned a large flower to sit on, as Hunter was desperate to pull away. “You were worried you might hurt me!”

“No! I meant sorry for...”

“Oh my Titan, you can’t even think of a fake reason!” Willow accused in delight, adjusting her dress as she made herself more comfortable. “It’s true!”

“Shut up!” He spat, contorting his mouth into a twisted frown. “I-I didn’t even mean to say it!”

“Exactly!” Willow said, pointing her finger at him, small yellow flowers bursting around her to emphasize her point. “You didn’t even mean to! You did it without thinking! Deep down inside of you, there is good!”

“Shut up!” He said again, but this time the embarrassment in his voice outweighed the anger. He tried to walk away from her but his pace was not a quick as it could be, he had no destination in mind.

“You did follow me to make sure I was safe,” Willow said smugly, hoopping off her her seat to skip beside him as tried to avoid her direct gaze. “You care about me.”

“No I don’t!” He insisted, hastening his pace.

“Really? Then why am I over here where’s it safe? Would’ve been easier to have just left me, ya know. Let me ‘learn the consequences first hand’ and all that, right?”

“I was looking out for myself and you were in my way,” Hunter lied quickly. “You just got lucky, but it wasn’t on purpose!”

“You had plenty of chances to put me down,” she pointed out with a bright smile, summoning a vine to carry her to adjust to his speed. Her knee high sock had gotten torn and she could tell her leg was slightly bruised and scratched, but she could worry about that later. “And I’m pretty sure you told me to ‘hold on.’ Now why would you say that to someone whose safety you didn’t care about?”

“I owed you one,” he grumbled, pausing for a moment to try and figure out where they were.

“Would someone truly evil care about his debt to a mere half-a-witch?” Willow stopped behind him, removing her hair from her braids to redo them. She knew he wouldn’t leave with a question like that in the air. He stopped too.

He did not have a response, but he wished he did. He could not blame it on a code of honor because he knew that she believed that he believed he did not have one.

“You care about me.” She stated sweetly. It was not a question.

“So what if I do?” He asked softly, trying to appear as though it was no concern of his, whether or not it was the truth. “The amount someone like me can care about someone doesn’t add up to much. I wouldn’t let it go to your head.”

“So what if I do?” Willow said back, mocking his solemn tone as she twisted her hair back into a braid. “Maybe I care about you too.”

“Another foolish decision on your part,” said Hunter, regaining the steady control in his voice as he summoned his staff, knowing he couldn’t risk staying with her longer. “But I know better than trying to tell you what to think. You’ve made it clear that my opinion is of no value to you.”

“It has value,” she said slowly, disliking the braid she had made and undoing it, giving up on the endeavor. “It values me, so it’s not composed entirely of bad taste.”

“I’ve been very upfront about-,” he said loudly as he turned around to face her, not realizing how close she was standing to him. The vine she summoned for support elevated her slightly so she was at his eye level, her hair free and forming small curls around her face in a way he had never seen before. Their faces were mere inches apart but she did not flinch or pull  away but he swore she held her breath. He cleared his throat and lowered his voice. “-about your value to me.”

“For the Coven, right?” She said gently as though she had to remind him. “It’s just that, I feel like during our meetings lately, you’ve been trying more to change my feelings about you, and less about the Coven.”

“The coven and I are essentially the same.”

“To you, maybe, but I have no interest in the coven,” said Willow, allowing her vine to set her down as she tried to apply gently pressure on her leg. “So how is it that I spend so much time with the coven head?”

He turned his gaze to the ground and did not answer.

“I highly doubt you pursue all candidates this thoroughly, I highly doubt you have the time,” continued Willow. “With all the time you’ve spent chasing me you could’ve found about ten more qualified recruits. Can you honestly say I’m worth ten scouts?”

“You’re easily worth 100.”

“How?” She asked, honestly perplexed. “Because I have potential? So what? Plenty of people do. You said the coven is no place for emotions, well that’s where my power comes from. Recruiting me would remove the thing that made you want me in the first place. You’re smart, surely you’ve realized that.”

“It's because you’re stubborn, “ he said, looking up at her like he believed he was invisible to her. “You aren’t swayed by fancy words and status and it’s not because you don’t see their worth. Your approval is guarded, it’s selective, and rare things tend to be valuable things.” His voice did not ooze its usual smugness, he said it like he was reciting a poem to her. His voice held something back as though he could not bring himself to say too blunt a compliment. He removed his worn glove and reached out to brush a loose strand of hair behind. He could not place the reason for the gesture.

Willow let out a small gasp, half lost in the complement half breathless from the cold touch of his hand lingering against her cheek. He turned around to walk away, hoping it looked convincing that he could get very far this time.

“So if I had liked you when we first met, you wouldn’t value my opinion?” She called after him.

“If you had liked me when we first met you wouldn’t have really known me.” He called back.

“Does that mean you’ve changed?”

He stopped for a moment and thought about what that implied. She liked him now? Is that what that meant? How? He hadn’t changed as far as he was concerned, but he had never been someone else’s concern before. He didn’t know what that was supposed to mean. He vanished into a flash of gold before appearing in front of her again, no other destination in mind.

“What’s to stop me from kidnapping you?” His voice was cold and demanding, the way it was always supposed to be. “You’re weak, you’re hurt, you’re helpless! I could take you to the castle and throw you in a cell! I could bring you before the Emperor and frame you for any number or crimes! I could-! Er... I could...”

“That’s what you could do, but what will you do?” Willow winced, the pain in her leg growing. “I think if that’s what you wanted to do you would’ve done it by now. But you haven’t. Because you’re worried about my comfort and you’re thinking about what’s best for me.  You’re stalling because you don’t know what you want to do. I feel like true evil doesn’t hesitate.”

He inhaled sharply, cursing himself for hesitating to respond to her. He should be long gone by now, or at least be pretending he was in control of the situation. But he had saved her with no ulterior motive in mind, and the reason that did come to mind was impossible. He didn’t like her seeing him like this, but why did he care what she thought?

“I see how you fight,” said Willow gently, reading his thoughts. “You antagonize and trap and dodge, but you rarely strike. You love to talk and it’s like you’re trying to distract from the fact that your blows are never fatal. You refuse to attack unless it’s totally necessary. Doesn’t seem very bloodthirsty to me.”

“It’s called strategy,” he said. “It’s smart to preserve energy, it’s efficient. That way you don’t end up hurt and in your enemy’s clutches.” He gestured to her current state as though it proved his point. But Willow only smiled. She did not consider him an enemy but did enjoy her time in his clutches.

“So you know I wouldn’t have left you there either,” she said and he just groaned at how she was able to see more than what was supposed to be there. Everyone else accepted he was no good and scary, why couldn’t she? Wasn’t he supposed to want her to?

“Well. since you value loyalty, let’s see you try and join another coven now after the Emperor’s Coven saved your life,” he scoffed as though that had been his plan all along and he hadn’t just thought of it.

But she could see there was no true flair to his actions or ulterior motive lurking in his words, he was simply not used to going against orders in a way that he could not justify. It would have been fitting for his persona not to save her, it would have been tactical to lure her into an agreement before doing so and taking advantage of her position. So why hadn’t he? Why would he risk his life and have nothing to show for it?

“Thank you Hunter.” She said softly. She was the only one who said his name like that. His name was not freely given, but she had managed to weasel it out of him. She hadn’t had to try very hard.

“When you join the coven you won’t be able to address me so informally.” he said, putting his glove back on.  

“I think that’s one reason you’ve become less insistent that I do.”

“You have many?”

“I think you’re scared,” said Willow. “I think you’ve been doing what you’re told and are trying to convince yourself that it’s what you want to be doing but it’s not. But you’re scared because you know what Belos is capable of doing if he ever found out. I think you feel trapped and alone so you don’t listen to the part of you that wants something different because you don’t believe you’re allowed to. Because you know that’s what Belos believes.”

“So you think about me often, do you?” He said, hearing what he wanted to hear or at least trying to make it seem like he did.

“Or maybe you’re just impossible,” sighed Willow, seeing she wouldn’t make any ground in that subject matter today, standing up as much as she could.

“Grimwalkers are supposed to be impossible,” Hunter pointed out. “We’re taboo, an unforgivable sin, we’re damned from the moment we open our eyes. We can be nothing but ruthless...”

She rolled her eyes, as he continued his classic “born to be bad” speech. She should’ve known it was only a matter of time before he needed to prolong his presence with a monologue.

“Yeah, okay.” she chuckled, believing him less and less every time. The speech was more to assure him than her at this point.

“It’s true!” He insisted, the tips of his ears turning red. “I am heartless! And cold! I-I haven’t even asked you if you’re okay besides I don’t care! Because I-.”

“Because you’re checking my vitals like you think I can’t tell,” Willow finished, noting that while he did not say anything he eyed her injury to ensure it was leveled properly to reduce the pain. He was no healing expert, but he had suffered enough on the job injuries to know a few tricks. “You’d leave any other recruit out here to fend for themselves, so why am I any different?”

He looked up at the sky, it was getting late. He was tired and hungry and he knew Willow was meant to home before dark. He would think of something clever to say another day. 

“That’s what I’m trying to figure out,” said Hunter quietly as he swiftly went to scoop her up again. Consciously picking her up allowed Hunter to overthink it. He cautiously placed his arms around her back and under her knees and held her close and she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, locking her fingers together to keep her close. If not for what he would later label his momentary lapse in judgment, he would never have the opportunity to be so close to her without seeing fury in her eyes. Now, they held a calm flourishing field of green, they held pleasantly surprised gratitude and maybe... admiration.

He didn’t teleport unless it was necessary, certain the sharp movements would aggravate her injury and flying was no better. So he held her in his arms and walked back to the path, traveling in silence as Willow tried to make sense of the moment.

But it was all in his head. Because at the end of the day, he knew what he was.

He knew he was the latest and therefore the greatest and maybe the last in a long line of disappointments. He was born heartless, his emotions were nothing more than a clever manipulation to imply there was variety beyond disgust and anger. He was told what he was and what he was meant for and he was oh so good at doing exactly what he was told.

He would outlive the others. He would see the plan through. He would not be distracted. He had never had an issue sticking to these mantras until he found himself risking everything to keep a silly plant witch around. He dared to think he could keep her around if he could convince her of the benefits. But why did he want to keep her around any way he could? How was he supposed to explain the twinge in his chest when he became overly aware of how close she was to him, resting safe in his arms?

No one had ever looked at him this way. Her eyes weren’t sizing him up or predicting his next move or scanning him for signs of weakness. Her eyes graced him because she was glad he was there. His eyes weren’t reverting to her every so often because he was monitoring her for a surprise attack or suspected her disloyalty or because he thought she was impressed by him. He wanted to see her face because it made him feel safe, it sent a shot through him that envied fear and lighting.

“Is the whole ‘you care about me’ theory completely off the table?” she asked once their surroundings became familiar again.

“Grimwalkers can’t feel love,” he said casually, as though it was a common fact and not something so devastating. It was a rare truly serious moment so Willow did not cheekily mention the fact that she had not said the word “love” as he set her back on the ground, her house not far from here.

“Well, that doesn’t make you a monster,” said Willow. “Plenty of people don’t fall in love or feel attraction, but that doesn’t mean that-.”

“No, I mean...” Hunter loved correcting people, but his evidence against her claim came with a personal toll that he hoped she wouldn’t ask him to clarify and act as though it was something he didn’t mind about himself. “...I mean, we cannot feel love and we cannot be loved. We can feel fondness, I suppose, and gratitude but no more than is required to know the value of something. But our skin is thick, an armor, meant to deflect any type of affection that threatens to weigh us down. How can a creature without a heart ever feel-.”

Willow interrupted his latest monologue by grabbing the sides of his face and pulling him down to her to place a strong but gentle kiss square on his lips. Despite her warmth, he was frozen. Sweaty, shivering, stunned. Her lips curled into a smile and Hunter’s thoughts were consumed with why. Was she delighted in the action alone or was it all done for his reaction? Had she frozen time or has they been in this moment forever? Was she just trying to shut him up? He’d ramble on forever if this was the punishment. But his chest felt like he had drank of water from the boiling sea, fizzling and burning and bubbling and the warmth spread to the rest of his body and numbed him like her touch contained venom.

He was melting from the inside out and somehow it was painless. His eyes widened in shock at the source, blissfully unaware of the ailment (or maybe she just showed no visible signs?) as she held him in place. It was as though then their lips touched, the world around them became more colorful. Willow had her eyes closed, perhaps because she already knew how colorful the world was. She was the brightest thing in it, after all. Had that always been the case?

His chest was on fire as she pulled back to look at him again, her hands lingered on the sides of his face which was now entirely red. He felt dizzy and dopey and turned around, had this been a trap she had planned for him the whole time?

“What have you done?!” He demanded angrily with a rage Willow had not seen in him before. She couldn’t help but feel that he wasn’t speaking only to her. “D-Did you just curse me? My existence is already a curse! Why would you want to add onto it? Why would you-?”

“I didn’t curse you, I kissed you,” said Willow simply as though the two were often confused for each other, her voice carried an airy giggle. “It’s a way to show affection. It’s a gesture of thanks and... love.”

“Is that what this is?” He screamed, referring to the waves of fireworks in his chest that she could not see but somehow understood. “You gave me the ability to love?!”

“Well, I don’t think I gave it to you, but I think that maybe you-.”

“Well, take it back!” Hunter demanded, pulling her close to him by her shoulders and joining their lips as she had done in a swift motion. Unlike the way his hands had flailed behind him when she initiated the contact, she got over her surprise very quickly and leaned into it, reaching up to put her arms around his neck to return the pressure and keep him steady.

It felt just as scary as the first time but somehow easier. She was smiling again and while Hunter had no idea what he was doing, he was pretty sure he wasn’t doing it wrong. As he relaxed and allowed his eyes to fall closed, he could still see the dazzling display of colors as he tried to inhale the faint smell of wildflowers in her hair . Relaxation did not come naturally to him so he was quickly brought out of the moment as he suddenly remembered how he had gotten back into whatever this was and pulled away. Willow followed him as though she wasn't ready to part and when he looked at her, he saw her face decorated in a kindred flush as though she had just done battle. Another trap! Surely staying too long in the “kiss” allowed her to send the curse back to him because he felt so compelled to brush her hair out of her face again and that must be why.

“Curses aren’t really a plant magic thing,” Willow whispered, her hands still clinging to his chest. He wondered if her leg was still bothering her. He wondered why he even cared. “Just so you know.”

“Well, then it’s a reaction to one of your flowers or pollen or something,” he said. “I’m just having an allergy attack.”

“Or maybe you were raised by a liar,” said Willow. “Who convinced you that you were immune rather than neglected because he allowed no examples of any form of love.”

“Maybe...” Hunter began, dwelling over her words. He stepped back as his eyes widened when he found a solution that pleased him. “Maybe... I am the Titan’s miracle.”

“Oh geez,” Willow groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose as Hunter’s ego increased and he began to pace, drafting a speech of what this could mean. “Well I’m getting out of here before you make me regret this. But… see you tomorrow?

He stopped. Something about the nonchalant way she said the words tickled his ear like there was something more buried in the words. He had just been thinking about how much her magic had improved in mere weeks, thinking about how powerful she would be if given months. He thought about how her power could benefit the coven. He thought about her often. He thought about her outside of her use to the greater good, he thought about her smile, her laugh, the way she placed her hand beneath her chin when she said something snarky, the soft peridot color of her eyes and how they shined beneath her glasses when she rolled them at him and the way she-.

The way she was the only one who made him feel this way. A way that wasn’t worthless or vindictive. A way he wasn’t supposed to feel.

“Do you intend on needing rescuing again?” Hunter inquired, looking at her over his shoulder his throat suddenly feeling tight like the question he really wanted to ask was stuck and struggling to be known. This tight dizzy feeling that he felt whenever she was around, this growing need to be beside her, did she feel this way about him?

In response, she sent a detailed yellow flower with long dramatic petals littered with pale red stripes. She sent in on a long strong stem so it reached his eye level taking in every detail. It was a remarkably unique flower and did seem particularly special at first but as he brought it closer he saw just how intricate its details were, the small patterns within the petals invisible to the casual onlooker. The scent was sweet but subtle, a pleasure you had to be close to in order to experience. He could tell this was not a flower found in nature, this was of her own design.

The flower’s vine wrapped itself around his wrist like a corsage, twirling around his pinky link it was sealing a promise. She had made her way safely into her house by now and they had an unspoken agreement that this space was off limits. But he knew their paths would cross again. He could use returning her pail of dirt as an excuse to see her. He could say her injury was a liability of the coven and he was obligated by the Emperor to monitor her. 

Or maybe he didn’t need to explain himself, he was the Titan’s miracle after all.

[purplepixel]

Hi I saw in your pinned post that you've read over 1,000 TMNT fics. Do you have a few really good ones you would recommend?

(don't feel any pressure to respond if you don't want to)

Oh boy this is...quite an ask. Especially bc fanfic recs are so personal? What I think is a good fic will be vastly different from other people. I have a really high angst tolerance, so please double check tags with these. Also keep in mind that I mainly read donnie-centric fics.

Here are my personal favorites! My hand slipped and I have more than just a few to recommend...what can I say there are so many good fics.

CRACK BUT READS LIKE CANON

Back To School by Em_H | 10,965 [FINISHED]

Donnie enrolls in April’s school and tries to juggle his packed schedule. A shrek play is included. Do I need to say more?

☆ In Volvunt: a RotTMNT Fanfiction ☆ by kittylittersmoothie | 27,082 [FINISHED]

In which the rest of the bros continuously try and fail to rick roll donnie. A war is started, alliances are made, betrayals occur, this is a hilarious feel good fic. It’s very in line with the show tonal wise and the dialogue is very rise

Mikey's Jam-Packed, Guaranteed to Get Donnie's Memory Back, Friendship Tour! By Eyse | 92,972 [ON-GOING]

Donnie wakes up with no memory of anyone including himself. Que his brothers trying to find ways to get his memory back. Has some of the most wacky adventures and scenarios I’ve ever encountered in a rise fic. Feels like you’re reading the actual show

YOU WILL BE EMOTIONALLY DESTROYED

Quiet Your Mind by daedelweiss | 18,081 [FINISHED]

Fusion Au with the disaster twins set in the bad future timeline. I don’t cry. This one made me cry. Bittersweet ending.

Telepathy (of a Twin Variety) by vosian_nightmare | 24,423 [FINISHED] 

My personal favorite twin telepathy fic. Character study on the disaster twins.

Something Borrowed, Something Blue by Cass_Phoenix | 31,963 [FINISHED]

A Donnie from an alternate reality kidnaps Leo. Or is he bringing him home? This one will fuck with your mind. One of my bookmark notes is “Reality existentialism” 

Firefight by remrose | 94,480 [ON-GOING]

What if donnie gets trapped in the prison dimension with leo? I’m usually not a fan of changing plot points in the rise movie or suicidal leo, but this fic is the exception. It is VERY well written and has some of the best exchanges between the disaster twins. You WILL be scared for the characters and your heart WILL be crushed. Proud to say I was here for this fic since chapter 1 bc that NEVER happens with me

THE CROSSOVERS

Familiar Places, Foreign Faces by Petra4President | 36,434 [ON-GOING]

Rise/2012 Crossover Fic. The Rise Donnie & 2012 Raph fic I didn’t ask for (I read this before watching 2012) but didn’t realize I NEEDED. Donnie gets sent to the 2012 universe and must find a way home. 

A Tale of Spirits by unorthodoxx | 168,344 [ON-GOING]

Rise/Avatar the Last Airbender AU. This one is pretty popular so I won't say anything else except its really good.

I WOULD BOOK BIND THESE

All I have to say about these fics is that they’re REALLY good and BOOK WORTHY

Monsters Among Us by DanzinoraSwitch | 86,136 [FINISHED]

Violet Hues and Holy Blue by SibillaScribbles08 | 115,752 [FINISHED]

I May Be Invisible, but I Still Look Good by Dandy | 124,862 [FINISHED]

MY PERSONAL COMFORT FICS

Things will never be the same (but that's okay) by Petra4President | 14,493 [FINISHED]

Post movie aftermath fic that focuses on the changes created by the events of the movie. Idk what specifically has me rereading this occasionally, but its really well written and a little different than most aftermath fics I've read.

Corrupted Upgrade by Dandy | 25,898 [FINISHED]

Donnie Villain AU with a twist. He really gives off megamind vibes. DO NOT BE FOOLED. THERE’S A REASON EVERYONE IS OUT OF CHARACTER IN THE BEGINNING. I almost slept on this fic and it became one of my favorites. It’s the type of fic that I can read over and over and over.

Turning Purple by Lizardstuff | 48,123 [ON-GOING]

Donnie slowly gets more and more sick post rise movie and the rest of the characters must find out what’s wrong and find a cure. THIS ONE’S FOR YOU, MEDICAL NERDS. Author has done research and any inaccuracies have gone over this EMT’s head. I reread this one every chapter update and every time I’m haunted by “the blueberry french toast paragraph” No I will not explain further, go read it.

MY TOP FIC RECOMMENDATION

Spider's Web with Strings Attached by CurlySwirly | 125,661 [ON-GOING]

Donnie and Leo get kidnapped and are forced to fight in the battle nexus. This is my pick for the most well written fanfic and most in canon characterization with ALL the characters. You will HEAR the characters not just through the dialogue but also through the writing itself. As the reader, you will be beaten down and have your heart crushed mercilessly which makes the pay off the most rewarding, satisfying experience that I've personally ever felt with a fanfic. This fic lives in my head rent free and I think about it at least once a day. It is my all time favorite rise fic and I highly recommend it.

[francesderwent]

Please rank some of MY favorite movies: How To Train Your Dragon, Crazy Rich Asians, Megamind, The Scarlet Pimpernel, Free Guy

I haven’t seen Scarlet Pimpernel! only read it

most romantic:

Free Guy (am I overly influenced by Joe Keery’s cow-eyes? maybe.)

HTTYD (it’s about being seen for who you truly are!!!!! she’s the FIRST one to see him!!)

Crazy Rich Asians

Megamind

most impeccable vibes:

HTTYD (vibes are hugely influenced by score and BOY DOES THIS FILM HAVE A GOOD SCORE)

Crazy Rich Asians (it just feels so classic rom com in a lovely way)

Megamind

Free Guy (i kinda like free guy despite the vibes?? it has annoying vibes to me, BUT excellent symbolism)

most brainrot inducing:

FREE GUY (they really just put that line about the author in there!!!!)

HTTYD (I just think about it sometimes yknow??)

Crazy Rich Asians (enjoyed it, never thought about it again)

Megamind (I am sorry to announce I have never had a solitary thought in my life)

[shaunamilfman]

More Random HC’s cause I’m waiting to go into work :)

Nat:

- Unironically LOVES shirts that are/have the same energy as “women love me, fish fear me”/“Big dick is back in town” etc. she wears them more often than you’d like

- She lives off of Mountain Dew, Red Bull and hot Cheetos, that’s all she packs for lunch everyday and you have to drop off water and a snack for her at practice so she doesn’t pass out since she barely takes care of herself

Misty:

- was one of those girls that had a thing for the Onceler from the Lorax

- She was def apart of the 2012 tumblr culture, (superwholock or whatever it was) one of those girls that would get a tattoo off of one of the YA books they read, hunger games, Harry Potter, stuff like that

Jackie:

- Either really knows how to play American football and is super invested in the NFL, or does not know anything at all “What is a down?”

- Is SO CLINGY (Derogatory) sure you thought it was cute at first until she gets up at 5 am for her morning practice and wakes you up too so you can “brush your teeth together”. It gets even worse when she’s sick, shes the hugest baby when she’s sick and you know if she gets sick you’re bound to get sick a week later because she’s plastered to your side

Van:

- Legit loves anything you get her, even if it’s kind of a joke. Stupid $2 tourist T shirt? You got it for her so she loves it, childish Spider-Man socks, thinks they’re cool as fuck. Just overall very appreciative and excited to recieve anything from you

Lottie:

- I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again; She’s absolutely good at all the fine arts; she can draw well, she definitely can play the piano and violin, bc her rich parents paid for her to have lessons, etc

- She definitely also did some nerdy shit like take taekwondo until she was 14. Idk why I can just imagine this girl in like that white martial arts gi, doing like punching exercises.

Shauna:

- I don’t know if this makes sense but the kind of gf that when you guys go out to eat, you’ll both be quiet/not talk so you can eavesdrop onto people’s conversations and talk about it in the car on the way home

ugh no nat is such a loser she so would. she shows up at your house wearing this

asking her when the last time she drank water was and she's really got to think about it. she gets so shy if you like cook her something though omg

Misty would have crushes on the weirdest fucking cartoon characters and shit I swear. she pulls you a picture of megamind and you're like "... okay"

superwholockian misty i know that's right. misty has like collectors editions of the Sherlock books. she has like an original printing displayed in her living room fr

Misty def had one of those shirts like "heading off to the shire to become a jedi because my hogwarts letter never came."

i take that and I raise you Jackie being super super invested in the NFL but still does not know how football works. she's into the vibes she's just competitive as fuck. you look over and she's googling what a halfback does.

also Jackie totally follows a soccer team obsessively. she has like 5 jerseys and so so much merch. she even buys you some so she can make you wear it. she's so excited whenever there's a game on. she's def screaming at the ref for making a bad call

jackie's dramatic ass makes you sit in the bathroom with her as she showers. your just sitting on the sink with your head against the mirror barely able to keep your eyes open and she's excitedly rambling on like she's on fucking crack.

also i feel like jackie is such a morning person. you're half an energy drink in and barely awake and she's bouncing off the walls at 6 AM

she definitely gets you sick whenever she gets sick for sure. she's expecting princess treatment squared when she's sick. omg you thought she was needy normally?? your ass is not ready.

Van is so fucking sentimental bro she has a whole box dedicated to little things you gave her, even if it was just something you randomly handed to her lmao

artist lottie has such a hold on me tbh I love it.

martial arts lottie def got a participation trophy and a pat on the back i can not see her being good at it lmao

oh no fr shauna is such a hater she loves doing hater activities with you. jackie's talking about jeff or something and yall are like 😒🙄. she always looks straight for you when stupid shit happens.

[adrianfridge]

Teen Wolf is a werewolf soap opera horror that gradually changes into a gritty horror thriller. And I’d like to explore that in terms of its campiness.

For me, the campiness is determined by the personality of the villain. I’m going to focus on their theoretical willingness to put on the most flamboyant outfits, but that’s merely an illustration of their vibes.

Season 1 has Peter and Kate, who, if we’re being honest, would both go on stage wearing just the most glitter, feathers, and wig to have an epic lip syncing battle. There would be surprise outfit reveals and at least one would do a split. It would go down in history. 10/10 perfection

Season 2 has Matt and Gerard. Matt would only reluctantly put on an outfit, and it’d be something spandex to emulate the superhero comics he reads. Meanwhile Gerard would be eating up the frenzy that Kate and Peter left behind. His outfit would be more grand than both of them combined. He only pretends he’s retired while being the Final Boss of Drag Race. 9/10 some hesitation to cheer for an incel but grandpa can work those high heels

Season 3A has Jennifer and Deucalion. Jennifer is gothic rock opera chic. She’ll flip her hair while singing soprano in an obsidian gown. And Deucalion? He’s gone mad from losing to Gerard at Drag Race, and now he’s back for a rematch, this time with a BDSM-kink themed outfit to display he’s gone darkside. 8/10 trying a little hard but I can get behind it

Season 3B is the Nogitsune. It’s here when the show begins to get more serious, which I think is the wrong lesson the writing room took from its popularity. The Nogitsune has multiple outfit changes. It is kabuki theater. It is a troll dressed as Stiles while wearing the most bombastic display of practical special effects. There’s a smoke machine running underneath the robe that lights up with each step while a soundtrack plays. 100/10 Megamind would be proud

Season 4 is a mixed bag. It promises a rematch of Peter and Kate, but it doesn’t do either of them justice. Instead they’re pushed to the sideline in favor of a more traditional thriller Benefactor arc. The one highlight is the episode 4x07, Weaponized, which has The Chemist bringing back the pizazz (highly recommended; the episode is practically a one shot with everything you love from the early seasons). 5/10 averages to meh

Seasons 5-6 are entirely dedicated to seriousness.

Season 5A is Theo and the Dread Doctors. Theo is like if you took Matt and then squeezed out any joy. He’d refuse to dress up because he’d feel it’s beneath him. Meanwhile the Dread Doctors, who are already in full Steampunk attire, are doing nothing with it. As stiff as mannequins. All business, no play. They’re just here to get the job done and leave. 3/10 but has the potential

In season 5B we get Valack and the Beast, aka Sebastien. Valack, whose power is to disguise himself as other people, is the type to hate costumes. He’s going to wear an accurate reproduction of a medical professional, and he’s going to be annoying about it. Sebastien tries to be camp but it comes off like a parent incorrectly using lingo to try to be hip around their child. No one wants to see it. 1/10 please stop

Season 6A has… a literal Nazi. And the Ghost Riders, who only know how to walk a cat walk. They’d make great supermodels if their job wasn’t to make people forget they exist. 0/10 I want my money back

Season 6B is just straight up trying to be an allegory for modern day political discourse. There’s also the Anuk-Ite, a creepy-pasta knock-off of the greatest hits. You can’t even look at it without being turned to stone. -100/10 I’d rather fight a muskrat on twatter

Ultimately, my point is you lose much of the dramatic flair after season 3B. For many people, such as myself, it’s a disservice to why I started the show. But for other people it’s a good turn since they prefer the gritty realness. It ends up being one of the many reasons for the split in fandom over the direction of the show. And I can bet money that the movie is going to suck all the glamor out of the Nogitsune in favor of the same sort of straight-laced horror the later seasons embodied. Which is to say some people will love it, and it’s not going to be me or Megamind.

[hashtagdrivebywrites]

Reading through your list of WIPs, I was like, “T-posing for dominance? That sounds fun.” But then I saw Red Devil Rowdy and OH MY GOD I NEVER KNEW I NEEDED THIS CROSSOVER.

For Essays on T-Posing, the concept was, "Janet Drake is Loki" and it's my first honest attempt at a Tim-centric fic. (I've actually been waiting for someone to ask about this one because I think it's pretty fun, at least to me anyway.) Emjoy lmfao.

* Crack Treated Seriously * Mama Loki (possible tie in with the Loki series? Like they're a variant? have not decided) * Weird/Annoying Siblings as Roommates * Power activation and Learning Curve(?) * Nobody else knows but they're suspicious

--

“I wasn’t aware you had a dog, Drake,” Damian’s voice, level and forcibly calm in what Tim knew was an effort to keep from cracking, said from somewhere in the living room with Mild Interest.

“A big dog,” Jason said. He shifted, “What the hell is it? A Pyrenees? You could make a whole other animal out of this hair.”

Damian scoffed, “It’s the wrong color,” like everyone had encyclopedic knowledge of different dog breeds built into their brains.

“He's a hybrid, actually,” Tim said after he finished quietly knocking his forehead against the door frame because god, what a time for a health and wellness check. “Canis Lupus - Gray Wolf, and some Irish Wolfhound. I think.”

“You think?” Jason echoed back, incredulous.

“I haven’t exactly had time to get him DNA tested, Jason.” Not that Fenrir would let Tim get anywhere near him unless a turkey leg or peanut butter filled Kong was involved.

“Where is he?” Damian said, the can-I-meet-your-dog tunnel vision activated at full strength.

Hopefully not terrorizing some poor idiot with mom somewhere. “At doggy obedience school.”

“Without you to guide him? For every dog there are two participants when it comes to obedience school, Drake.”

-- -*-*- Y'all gonna make my head blow up like Megamind over your reception of Red Devil Rowdy, lmao. I'll share a little more about it since you mentioned it in your ask.

* Jason (and batfam) is the only one that know the Gang is real because they've worked with Bruce at the beginning of his vigilante career * Danny is still fairly early in his Phantom days (14 years old, can't remember if I mentioned that in the first ask) * Mentor Jason, Velma and Daphne vibes * Bobby Singer basically functions as the team Fairy God Mother

[anasui-at-disneyland]

Just watched Ruby Gillman: Teenage Kraken

It was fine, not incredible nor awful, just fine.

(Small review under "read more", with spoilers, obviously)

I feel that my perception of the movie was a bit altered because of the trailers: They revealed so much about the plot that I felt that there was something else to see, some huge twist that would change the way I saw the movie (From the trailers Chelsea was giving me really strong "Metroman" vibes from Megamind), but no, If you saw the trailers pretty much you already saw a fillerless version of the movie.

It also felt REALLY rushed, like, I feel that the writers really wanted to fit all they wanted to tell on 90 minutes, but they ended up struggling so a lot of things were explained with a "because the plot needs it to be like that", it could had benefit with 30 extra minutes OR making the movie into a series where they have the proper time to explore everything.

I think my biggest issue of all is Chelsea, going back to the trailers point, they already told us months ago she was going to be a villain and every single interaction with Ruby was fake, so I walked into the movie thinking:

"Maybe she´s just a decoy villain, and there´s a bigger one pulling the strings"

But no, in the end she flopped and ended up being a "villain who´s evil just because the plot needs her to be evil". If I were given the choice between canon Chelsea with the over-played "I was never a good guy" and fanon Chelsea with the silly ending of "Ruby and Chelsea end up being besties. YAY", I´m totally picking the fanon one.

So yeah, I do not hate this movie, I actually quite enjoyed it, it just hurts me everything this movie could had been, but it wasn´t.

Maybe a sequel could fix it, but, I´m not holding my breath on that one.

[tsaritsa]

First thank you for all the amazing Royai you’ve written! Is there a particular Royai fic (or two) you’re looking forward to writing? Is there a particular Royai fic (or two) that you’re looking forward to reading? I know anything you share is amazing!

hello and ty friend! of all the royai wips i have chilling in my scriv files, the two that i'm the Most Interested rn is a piece in very early days i'm calling better the devil you know which is a piece from grumman's pov about realising who riza hawkeye actually is, as well as my subsequent chapters for and delivered a crime.

idk what it is about grumman that i'm so interested with rn -- meddling family? the rejection of some found family? some weird succession vibes???? but there's Something Going On There. i like how he provides an outsider's pov to royai, and how his interest don't always align neatly with theirs. it makes for more tension i think, espe when he is saying one thing and then doing another. cognitive dissonance? or perhaps he's well aware hehehehe >:))))

right now i am literally sitting down to read a couple of fics bc i am trying this new thing where i deliberately read fics and then comment. it's so easy to consume fics -- i don't wanna even look at what my history says about astarion/tav rn -- but usually i'm reading them right before bed and i'm not at all in the mood to use my brain enough to make legible comments. i find it espe hard on my phone, but on my laptop i have a cool add on that lets me highlight and insert text into the review box and so anyone who's got comments from me int he past year will be familiar with my literal live reaction comments as i work my way thru the writing.

first fic is God Forbid by @aicasey -- they had me at military ball and whispered confessions (royai week 2k24???? maybe) and so i am going to devour all 4359 words and then vomit out some comments that i hope make sense.

after that i'm inhaling @megthemighty and her megaminded brain that brought us a posse ad esse. fics that are royai but basically just a study in riza and how she experiences the world are my all-time fav. i know without even having read it yet that i am gonna be wanting the second chap immediately.

[mad-scientist-showdown]

Love all these Donnie propaganda posts that are like "oh he made robot replacement of his brothers" or "he canonically tried killing them with a laser" like bro thats not mad scientist behavior thats just homicidal tendancies. Mad scientist does NOT equal "cares so little for family that a robot replacement works just as fine".

This is why megamind and doof should win- both actually care about their loved ones and know they cant be replaced by robots!! Cant speak for bubblegum, never watched AT, but im not gonna lie yall all the donnie propaganda is NOT working in ur favor. Sounds more like evil scientist behavior to me :/

that's a bold statement! a valid one if that's how you think! but you are definitely the minority here! And my opinion is known:

[ID: a point from the nominations post that reads: "They don’t (italics start) have (italics end) to fit the “mad” or “evil” scientist role. It is the vibe we’re aiming for, so the more chaotic and morally loose the better, but just a scientist is enough" /end ID]

[eemcintyre]

"Stretch" (2014) review

Aka ✨ why this movie is one of the most underrated ones I've ever seen and why it is some of Patrick Wilson's best work ✨

"If you like stories about chance and coincidence, here's one you've never heard" gives me the chills every time 😮‍💨

Patrick Wilson is one of the most underappreciated actors of his time, like, not only do his other projects demonstrate that he has drama, romance, instruments, and singing down ✨, but here he is finally given a chance to flaunt his impeccable comedic timing, vocalizations, and expressions

Idk maybe I just love movies with narration (ex., "Heathers," "Jerry Maguire," "Amelie," "Eloise at Christmastime," "Megamind," "American Made," "The Outsiders," etc.)

But jokes aside, I will defend Patrick Wilson's narration throughout the movie no matter whAT ANYONE SAYS YOU CAN PRY IT FROM MY COLD DEAD FINGIES; IT IS AT TURNS FUNNY AND RELATABLE AND PROFOUND AND WE GET TO KNOW THE MAIN CHARACTER BETTER 😤😤

It does start a bit slow, especially if you aren't as invested in Patrick Wilson as I am 🙃🫠 but if you stick with it and pay attention to the subtle comedic elements in the meantime 👌🏻

This movie is not afraid to be a bit irreverent, which is a modern and mainstream rarity

Stretch and Charlie are so cute together; I wish more of their interactions had been kept in the final cut because when I think of the quality content that we missed 😩💖

"Who gains weight in their neck?" "Sexy people." "Three months of Rosetta Stone- I HATE THE FUCKING FRENCH." "We was gettin' all romantic, watching Titan-tic..." and so, so many more

Honestly, Karl is an integral part of this film as well- he may seem overtly cartoonish to some, but again, we get to know the main character better through him, as his presence gives us a visual of Stretch's inner struggle; he contributes to the dark humor vibe, and Ed Helms was clearly having the time of his life (as was the entire cast)

Speaking of which, stellar casting all around, especially those who were cast against type; love when directors give that stuff a chance. Everyone was made for their role

Dark humor, satire of Hollywood, homage to 80s films

The Navstar scene. If you know you know

Same goes for the post-Candace club exit scene with the valet, the wannabe rapper, and the sex club exit scene (there's a man wearing only balloons. need I say more). I mean, the whole movie is basically the best part and I'm trying not to make this review me just naming every scene and going "yes. this is good" but these are some of the most standout parts

The soundtrack may be atrocious overall, but the exception is the song at the end (although I was disappointed when I read that it was originally supposed to be "Telephone Line" by ELO but they didn't have enough in the budget because that would have gone so hard) 😩💕

Speaking of the ending, why is it so incredibly pure and sweet to me that it would almost make me cry if I weren't medicated? 🥺 Something about the setting of the diner, exuding vintage charm and glowing in the sun the quiet morning after the previous night of chaos, and the serendipity of how Stretch and Charlie finally reveal how much they've obviously liked each other for a while, and after all of the danger and depravity, everything ends soft and gentle and alright 😊💖

This film is somehow so sleazy and wholesome at the same time- against the backdrop of drugs, sex clubs, threats of violence, and constant swearing, it's ultimately a story about overcoming cynicism and self-destruction, getting your "mojo" back, taking control of your life, and allowing for the possibility that things happen for a reason ✨ Honestly? 10/10

[fanfiction-artist-prototype]

20 questions for writers, tagged by @aobawilliams

how many works do you have on ao3? 76!! If i hadn't purged a few a couple years ago (and they truly were ones that needed to be gone forever and i feel no guilt bc they all had like 3 views and i think they were all mine tbh.) it'd probably be nearly 200 by now.

what's your total ao3 word count? 1,126,631... hm. Maybe i have a problem? nah. I'm sure it's fine.

What fandoms do you write for? My Hero Acadamia; Trash of the Count's Family; Person 5; Batman; Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild; Danny Phantom; Justice League; Miraculous Ladybug; Fire Emblem: Three Houses; SK8 the Infinity; Megamind; Kiss the Abyss; White Collar; Dio Field; Scum Villain Self-saving System

What are your top 5 fics by kudos? 1) The old bait and switch 2) Uncle John 3) #NewestWayne is trending 4) Blood Stains the skin red 5) Rooks and Bishops don't get to choose their moves

Do you respond to comments? why/why not? I do occasionally. I guess it depends on what kind of comment it is? If it's a 'More!' or 'Update?' comment i just ignore it. I also tend to leave like emoji comments on their own bc honestly like thank you for giving me an emoji but i am a bit lost as to what I'm exactly meant to respond with you know? Longer comments or compound sentence comments are the ones i tend to respond to purely because there tends to be something to respond to!

What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? Oh god... uh. I had to have a quick glance and... i don't really know? There's a few options okay! You have 'Fine, I'll do it Myself' as a strong contender because of the whole 'the person you most love is trapped an entire universe away and you have to wait years to see him again' vibe going on. There's 'Blood Stains the Skin red' because it's literally about what if shit was even more fucked than canon and Midoriya had blood in his hands. Oh! Or "We Don't Remember a Boat in a Bottle" which damn... forget how angsty that one was ngl. I mean there's also 'Group hug' where the champions reunite post BOTW only for Link to die in their arms... (These are the especially angsty ones like the question asked bc honestly... most of my fics are angsty.. hehe.)

What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? Between 'well then...' and 'This is Love' both Trash of the count's family fics. Well Then is a strong contender because it's just a silly little 'identity reveal is so misconstrued everyone thinks there's *so* much angst and the protag is just vibing. like cale literally starts having a canon-typical spiral bc he thinks people are trying to intimidate him and it's kike a 17 year old being like 'im telling my adopted dad/adopted big brother about all the fun me and my younger siblings have had!' And 'This is Love' is still in progress but each chapter end is a comedy so ya know.

Do you get hate on fics? I used to. I don't really clean my fics up all that well since i tend to miss things so i just stopped and the only times i ever tried to get a beta i got blew off so.. Anyway. I used to get shit and told my work was so horrendous that I was lying about english being my first language. Even looking back at it now it's horseshit that it was 'that bad' bc it really wasn't. I also got this one guy who got really pressed because he didn't have the reading comp to see the tags 'canon divergence' and 'crack treated seriously' and then understand why the characters in the fic weren't acting canon compliant.

Do you write smut? if so, what kind? I do, kind of? Like I've written something that *I* would class as smut but it's not like *full on* explicit descriptions of stuff so it is smut but not in the way people would probably normally think? It's my fic 'pretty boy' and im not even going to lie it was my excuse to write a praise kink fic for Cloeph/Cale.

Do you write crossovers? what's the craziest one? OH DO I. I don't publish nearly as many crossovers as I used to. When I had a wattpad that bitch was almost nothing BUT crossovers. I've written: Ass Class/OHSHC, Ass Class/BNHA, DC/MLB. Those are my tame ones. I have 2 in the works and i think they fit the 'craziest crossovers you've written.' They are: Scum Villain/Trash of the Counts family (aka woke up as a scum villain show down) and Persona 5/BNHA (aka i make Akechi's life so much worse)

have you ever had a fic stolen? Yeah, I had one of my Miraculous Ladybug fics stolen, but i contacted AO3 and it got taken down.

have you ever had a fic translated? No, not with my permission at least. I've had a few people as permission that I've given but they haven't been uploaded so. I have a rule that if it's translated i'd like it to stay on ao3 and unfortunately not a lot of the people interested in translating my fics want to translate them on the archive so i've said no a bunch of times.

have you ever co-written a fic? Yep. A friend-insert fic from when i was 12 with my friend cookie on wattpad. Alas, it is lost to time.

what's your all-time fave ship? There is not a singular answer to this so imma pass-

what's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you will? All of them. But probably my Persona 5/BNHA crossover. Like I really want to write it but every time i open the document i just sit there like 'eugh.'

what are your writing strengths? According to my creative writing class leader, it's my descriptions and suspense build ups.

writing weaknesses? Again, according to my class leader, it's my inability to resist telling rather than showing. Also I sometimes make my sentences too long, when i could cut them shorter.

thoughts on writing dialogue in another language? It depends? For example if it's something that *absolutely* must be there - for example if I was to write a Percy Jackson fanfic and some exchange in the book was in broken greek/english then YES, but if its not something like that then no i just slap the text in italics and make sure it's obvious somewhere in text a non-english language is being spoken.

first fandom you wrote for? Batman. Self insert fan fic.

fave fic you've ever written?

Ooh..mm.

So. Proper hard question here because like how am i supposed to choose ya know?

It comes down to though, when im pushed to answer, probably 'the old bait and switch'.

I wrote that bitch in the car to high school and between revising for exams so it holds a special place in my heart.

---

Tagging...........

@gremlin-bot , @grubus (hope its okay to tag you), @salaapaoo and @vveirdnobdy

[hermesserpent-stuff]

ive done an excise before of limiting characters to one word before. I think it would be helpful to list out the core four words for the Tobacco AU as it stands now.

this'll get long as i got a few things im working through

Southern, Supernatural, Steampunk, Poor

southern: Richsten is in the south. and southern food and culture are sort of essential to the au. I didn't want to be in new york. so its not. Tobacco, sweet tea, and shifting seasons define the world. its in the characters and in the city. I like the idea of an overlooked city due to it not being important to the world stage, but being super important to those that live there. Like my home town lol

Baccy cant be herself without this as part of the setting

it also is why electro is dressed the way he is. plus that's a reference lol

Supernatural: Ghosts are freaking fun. And scary. Salt and silver has always sorta detered them. So that goes into Baccy's defenses.

i think there needs to be a separate tool kit for dealing with ghosts. and a sliding scale of what works. Baccy could have like a belt of salt bags to carry around. and sage to burn. her ghost belt! lol. and for stronger ghosts she'll need holy water, mantras, chants, and prolly symbols. Destruction of what holds the entity to this plain of existence is also a method.

Knowing the name of the entity makes it easier to expel them from people and places. I think there might be a funny little place for daredevil as a traveling blind 'priest' who expels demons and ghosts, whose batons are tipped in silver and whose knuckles are decorated with the same metal.

if the ghost knows your name it can control you.

not sure what im going to do with a ghost giving Mysterium his name. Maybe it makes it mentally harder for people to connect the dots, even if it seems obvious that mysterium is Quentin.

I also want to involve sound in some way. like ... tonal magic? Where certain pitches or tunes hold power. idk

steampunk: I love the steampunk look. i think it pairs with the ghosts neatly, as victorians were obsessed. and it fits with the old vibe richsten has. Its why ocks arms are colored the way they are lol. and why mysterium has some coppery look. Steampunk mostly informs the look.

semi related point:

I love the idea of something like this for Tremors (Montana aka this world's shocker) kinda janky looking with hydraulics and powered by steam from a pack on his back. still working on drawing it lol.

and lastly

Poor: Almost everyone is scraping by. Even the city is past its heyday and is declined. Baccy builds her suit herself and stitches it back up after each fight. goggles? from the trash. Skirt? left over leather she scraped from the stable. and she has to help her grandfather run his business. I feel like offering help from a hand already at a loss is more meaningful. idk. She doesn't have much, but she's going to share what she can.

Montana is facing down the harsh realities of being a single 'father' at 19. he has to do whatever jobs he can and builds the Tremors suit from the trash.

but poor is not a core word just in its monetary definition. Ella has poor living conditions. She should be able to go out an participate in everyday life. She just needs mobility aids. but her father denies her this.

I guess my fallout and skyrim influences are leaking through. i guess to be like dnd i could list out other influences: A-Team, Smokey and the Bandit, history museums, and Megamind.

(ill have to sort these ideas into the doc later AHHHHH that do is whoo boi ahhh)

that all aside. I should write more for this au. its warm to read. like home.

[ice-sculptures]

oh my god, I am so sorry for these not all being in one ask. More parallels/ideas keep popping into my brain. I'm literally just keeping this open in a tab so I can collect my thoughts before I sleep instead of you receiving a million more asks.

El in the Red Room* instead of Brenner's lab? P A I N *

Even though this would be funny with either El or Max, the idea of Max being the one teasingly suggesting ladies to date feels very on brand for her.

El as Sharon Carter/Agent 13 is particularly funny if Mike is Cap since Sharon and Steve are supposed to have a romantic relationship. (I hear it's way more fleshed out and awesome in the comics, though I haven't read them myself). But also- Sharon/Natasha = Elmax vibes?

Dustin deserves to be here. My brain is too tired to figure out where to put him. At the very least, I can see him as one of the agents who stood up to HYDRA agents and helped out Cap. He's too good and pure to be Arnim Zola. For whatever reason, my other idea is Dustin as Ant-Man even though he isn't even in CA:TWS.

Lucas is the best, and so is Sam Wilson. That's it. That's the bullet point. Really though, both are SO loyal, skilled in combat/strategy, and has a good head on his shoulders but also is gutsy enough to follow Steve/The Party when they decide to do stupid shit. -I just imagined Lucas in the scene where Sam fights the Hydra Agents using just a knife and his broken steering wheel during that freeway scene???? I'm sorry, I need to lie down.

TROY AS THAT ANNOYING PRICK BROCK RUMLOW. Troy doing some shitty monologue and Lucas shutting him down, as he should!

In my mind, Will = Steve/Cap and Mike = Bucky/Winter Soldier is more obvious, but there are a few things where I could see it the other way around:

Will=Cap & Mike= Bucky

Will has light hair and has that pure, good heart like Steve. He's grown up with a single mom, a poor family, and an abusive father. He's also very artistic and intelligent. Will has a strong bond with Lucas that gives me Steve and Sam vibes (esp if you also ship Byclair). Also, seeing Will lose his shit at the Bucky/Mike reveal??? and the ELEVATOR FIGHT SCENE?????

Mike has that dark, wild hair like the Winter Soldier. He is fiercely protective over Will, taller than Will when they were kids, and has mastered the art of wrapping an arm around Will's shoulders and pulling him somewhere else. Also, Mike's and Lucas's bickering feels similar to Bucky and Sam's in Civil War. Except Wheelclair get along better than Bucky and Sam do.

HOWEVER

Mike=Cap & Will= Bucky

Mike is the receiver of the Megamind meme: No bitches? Besides El and of course Will himself. Will loved him from the very beginning, like Bucky. Mike is the leader and a good strategist. El could be Peggy, but also I don't want her to be dead XD Mike had the survivor's guilt when he thought that he failed to save Will from dying, and when he found out that Will was ACTUALLY alive? No one and no thing was going to stop him. Not the government, not the military, not shadowy organizations, and not whatever was messing with his best friend's head. He, like Steve, is also due for a complete breakdown.

Will is the one who disappeared after an unsuccessful campaign and came back irreversibly different. He's been mentally manipulated and had his body used for killing people without his consent. Will gets all the girls. Will canonically knows how to use a gun, just like our favorite sniper <3**

Thank you for being patient and reading my ramblings if you've gotten this far! I clearly love both movies/shows, and also you were the first ST fanblog I followed, which made me even more excited! I hope you're having a good time whenever and wherever you are! May your new year be filled with inspiration!

-

*Especially since I think comics!Natasha has some experimental "replicated" super soldier serum = El's powers. It's a reach, but isn't that what brainstorming is about? **I'd give the sniper position to Lucas if this were a Cap 1 fic with the Party as the Howling Commandos. I need to sleep before my brain decides wreak more havoc with a CA:TFA/ST crossover. I've been adding to this for almost two hours now XD

i'm sorry i never answered it when you first sent this but i want you to know i typed up a gigantic response in my notes (along with my plans for an honest to god byler stevebucky AU, as well as a full list of byler and stucky parallels) and then had it all erased when my dumb ass spilled water on my laptop 💀

[insipidenvy]

hiii buka!! 📝 and❔from that wip question post, if you dont mind hehe :33

Hiii Kris!! I completely forgot I queued some ask posts lol but I don't mind at all :33

📄What’s a WIP you never finished that you would like to go back and revisit?

Around the same time as "They're Stupid(ly in Love), Your Honor!" was written, I'd been writing a Mother's Day fic based on the song "Slipping Through My Fingers" by ABBA! It's about a Modern AU focusing on the Yugi Family with Yugi Mama as the POV character! But finals were upon me and I also had to deal with some move-out/graduation stuff so I never managed to finish it by Mother's Day :( I hope I can finish it one day, though, since that piece is written with my mother in mind and even though she doesn't read my stories anymore I hope that, if she ever sees it, she knows how much her support means to me!

❔Choose a random WIP and talk about it.

I've been trying to write for other fandoms for a while but I'm still taking summer classes despite having graduated so I haven't had the time to really write anything 😅This one is for Ensemble Stars, which I've written for before but not around the characters or genres I've posted about previously. It started as a silly Megamind vibes kind of fic but somehow the plot made it into an MLB "suspension of disbelief" fic and I honestly don't know what to do/where to go from there considering the recent finale of said show lol Should I run with it or should I dial it back a bit and try to make things more serious... 🤔

Thanks for the ask, Kris!

ask away!

[noknowshame]

nonexhaustive list of things about my Saw movie marathon that I'm enjoying so far:

they all have this unpolished yet earnest vibe of an early-2000's episode of CSI that kind of makes you instantly forgive the parts where they forgot to put the good in it

I'm five movies into this franchise and no time has passed whatsoever. I'm pretty sure at least three of them have all occurred on the exact same day

half of these traps would not even be that hard to muster through if people actually listened to the fucking instructions. have you learned nothing from IKEA furniture

HOW does he keep recruiting people like this

Narratively Relevant Clocks.

the ex-wife subplot. im so sorry babe but you are never going to live this down

John's morally outdated philosophy but the outdatedness has nothing to do with the torture itself. buddy you've gotta stop putting people in traps for being addicted to drugs. maybe read up on institutional violence

where does he buy all of this stuff (*minion from megamind voice* actually most of it comes from an outlet store in–) (....Romania)

kind of makes me want to go to an escape room

post- Saw VI addition:

in every single installment you find out that someone from the last one has been Secretly Involved the entire time and it gets funnier and funnier each additional time they do this

doing a Saw marathon was such a great idea these movies are so funny. I never realized before that after the first movie its not even a ~spooky mystery~ who Jigsaw is. like yah there's the puppet but we know who's doing this. his name is john. he's right there. hi john :)

[hyperfixations-and-hecticness]

I hate when they change like vital plot points of a book to fit in a movie. I mean, first of all the iconic F outfits. The Circus of Talents. We lost Princess Uma, a bad bitch if there ever was one. Anyway thoughts below but I can’t add a read more on mobile so sorry. Spoilers obviously.

Thoughts on the School for Good and Evil movie

Good

- The design and aesthetic of all of it was beautiful. I mean like everything was elegant and stunning and just visually incredibly pleasing.

- Sofia Ann Caruso is a great Sophie, she’s cringey and mean and overdramatic. She is the love child of Megamind and Regina George.

- Also Theron and Washington made great professors.

- The Tedros had a cool sword, iconic dumbassery, was pretty and also had cool fits which is how I like my men personally.

- Sophie and Agatha’s friendship at the start was super natural and well written.

- Soman cameo.

- I loved the little addition of Professor Anemone previously being a history teacher. It was just such a nice little touch to the world building and her character.

- The inherent creepiness of the casting for Rafal. I mean I always imagined him looking like a teenager but him looking like he’s in his twenties and trying to claim Sophie as his child bride really adds that extra layer of ickiness.

- Literally everything with Gregor Charming. An icon, a legend, he is the moment.

Bad

- Sofie Wylie is a good Agatha but they wrote her so blandly. Also like where was the initial awkwardness? We deserved bitchy goth loner Agatha. And like it would’ve been cool if Agatha was more conventionally unattractive. Like no hate to Sofie Wylie she’s absolutely gorgeous but it would’ve been nice if she did have that whole thing of yeah people don’t think she’s pretty but then her personality begins to outweigh that.

- Where the actual everloving fuck where Anadil’s rats? I was promised little rats. I was robbed.

- Why were all the Ever girls such bitches? I mean like passive aggressive? Yeah sure. But they were outright bullies.

- The plot change of Rafal purposefully letting Good grow complacent and vain. I think it’s more interesting when you have Good who genuinely have grown complacent without the manipulation of true evil or whatever. It adds more weight to it.

- The Circus of Talents was iconic and we deserved to have the wolves and fairies reveal.

- The blood magic? I mean like what? You have regular magic, no deus ex machina necessary.

- More development between our girls and Teddy. Like I love him being a pathetic little scrunkly but it felt like everything happened in two days. This may have been better adapted as a show considering it’s meant to be covering a whole year of school.

- We deserved hot pink finger glows.

- Lack of iconic book characters: Princess Uma, Castor and Pollux, the Golden Goose, the little pets they had, Anadil’s rats (yes I’m bitter), the librarian dude whose name I’m forgetting, he has Giles vibes, the seer, you know the dude.

- I wanted to see Hort’s frog pajamas.

- The actual explanation for the nemesis stuff like in the books.

- Where was the witches/Agatha friendship? Sophie betraying Aggie to avoid going home? Dovey caring about Good?

- More mean Sophie. Give the people what they want

- It felt so queer-baity. I know the book three twist but like it was just annoying.

Edit - Also the iconic line ‘I’m worse than my father. Because I still love you.’

All in all it was a fun movie but having loved the books as a kid I felt like they didn’t really get done justice. Two and a half hours wasn’t enough to cover the whole story adequately in my opinion.