#mind you i only made them for 'storyline' purposes

[simphic]

They're speaking to me...

[prefer-to-be-vilified]

I saw part of an interview with Jenna Ortega about Wednesday earlier today and she mentioned how she purposely portrayed Wednesday to be very intelligent but also quite socially naive in that she’s often not actively trying to make people dislike her and struggles to grasp exactly what she did that caused them to do so. Basically that although she’s fully embraced her status as a freak and social pariah she believes this to be solely the fault of the masses and not due to her lack of understanding what “appropriate” social behaviour is. And I just find it interesting that she made such a conscious decision to do that because it’s probably one of the leading reasons as to why Wednesday is often identified as autistic. As one of the most damning aspect’s of being autistic is experiencing people quickly deciding they don’t like you and/or that you’re weird after very little interaction and having no idea what you did to cause that reaction.

The scene where Enid leaves their dorm after what happened at the Gates mansion is a really good example of this. Because in Wednesday’s mind her and Enid were good, possibly even becoming close friends. She didn’t initially understand why Enid was leaving and why she was so mad at her. Yet once their argument is over and Enid had left we clearly see her being remorseful over what she did because Enid told her what she did wrong and how that made her feel like Wednesday had betrayed her. And I think that’s why their relationship is so sweet because not only does Enid seem to understand that Wednesday’s brash and morbid nature shouldn’t be taken offensively she also tells her when that attitude (intentional or not) is crossing a line. She makes it clear to Wednesday that what she did was wrong and tells her exactly why that is, not simply reacting negatively and assuming Wednesday’s actions were intentionally made with malicious intensions. Enid accepts Wednesday for who she is while not letting her away with being cruel and manipulative within their friendship and in exchange we see Wednesday begin to accommodate Enid into her life.

It’s not that Wednesday doesn’t want friends. It’s that she’s never had anyone bother to make the effort to understand her. Consequently experiencing sixteen years of people deciding she’s a freak from day one and ultimately concluding that everyone outside of her family’s not worth her time and that she’s better off alone. And I think that’s why I love Wednesday and Enid’s relationship so much. It’s the deeply implied significance of Enid being Wednesday’s first true friend woven throughout the storyline. Enid didn’t only fight the Hyde to save Wednesday she also fought all semester to be able to love her.

[lemotmo]

Sounds like she got lots of asks complaining about this. She removed one post I sent you earlier for what she called an 'error' on her part, but responded to one of the other complaints. As I said they're so close but still so far 😂😂😂

Q. The show did us so dirty on the Tommy and Buck relationship front. I have spent the days following Thursday's episode rewatching their storyline and they actually had very few scenes that were just for and about them. Eddie was way too involved and it allowed their relationship to be overshadowed by his presence. They only had a handful of scenes that didn't directly involve Eddie and that's just dreadfully bad storytelling. Their entire relationship happened off screen. I appreciate Tim making a point of having Eddie outright state that he is straight and I appreciate both Oliver and Ryan shutting down the nonsense as well but the way Eddie was shoehorned into that relationship for no apparent reason is laughable.

A. So heads up people. I answered one of these earlier but I included something that I couldn't find definitive proof of so if you saw that reply no you didn't, lol. The good news is I have lots of complaints about this so it wasn't difficult to find another one to reply too.

Now, anon, you know what's really crazy about the Buck/Tommy/Eddie thing? That absolutely no one tried to point out the giant Eddie shaped thread that existed throughout that entire relationship. It's crazy how not a single person caught how much Eddie was present in that relationship. Weird, huh? Now I'm going to blow your mind even more. They didn't even have a handful of scenes that were just for or about them. Yes, they had a handful of scenes that didn't directly include Eddie, but he was still a factor in each of those scenes. Eddie was not present for their first kiss, but he was the topic of conversation leading up to the kiss. Eddie wasn't in the room when they had their second kiss, but he was there, and the show made a point of showing his reaction to the kiss. Eddie wasn't present for the night at the loft following Buck's shoulder injury, but he was the one who was actually with Buck at the hospital, and he was the one Tommy called to come treat Buck the following morning. Eddie wasn't present for the anniversary dinner, but he was mentioned in the scene when Tommy tells Buck he can take Eddie to the Lakers game 'and die', in what I still think was foreshadowing dialogue. Eddie wasn't present for the breakup, but he's who Buck went to following the breakup. Tommy told Buck he was his first, not his last. The last shot of that episode was of Buck and Eddie. Eddie was physically present in the scene where they met. Eddie was physically present at the basketball game. Eddie was physically present at the bachelor party. Eddie was physically present at the medal ceremony. Eddie was physically present at the virtual bday party for Chris. Eddie was physically present at the hospital following Buck's injury. Eddie was physically present the morning after in the loft. Over the course of their entire relationship Buck and Tommy had ONE scene that did not directly or indirectly involve Eddie in some capacity, and that was the dinner date during the season 7 finale. But even then Buck had spent the entire episode prior to the date, with Eddie. Yes, the point of the relationship was for Buck to discover his bisexuality, but the subtext of the relationship was Eddie. Eddie was everywhere, and that was not accidental. He was purposely written into the narrative. And many, many people tried to point that out to you all. The show didn't play you or lie to you. Lou did and you all did. You played yourselves and then you paid him to lie to you as well.

The show has never had Bobby, Athena, Maddie or Chimney directly state their heterosexuality. That's not something television shows do. Being heterosexual is the assumption. When a television show has a character state it outright it's usually an indication that they won't end up being heterosexual. Actors lie all the time in interviews. It's deliberate. Their job is to make you want to watch the episodes. Not tell you directly what will happen in the episodes. Do we know for sure? No, you're correct about that. But everything the show has done so far has been very loud and not very subtle. And I'm sorry, anon, but usually a character stating their straightness is the beginning of a sexuality arc. That's kind of starting a sexuality arc 101.

Thanks Nonny! Much appreciated!

I agree with all of this. Nothing to add. Ali has slain again, as per usual. 😂

IMPORTANT! Please don't repost this ask and/or a link that leads straight to my Tumblr account on Twitter or any other social media. Thank you!

Heads up! For anyone who is giving me the shifty eyes for reposting Ali's updates instead of reblogging. Read this.

Remember, no hate in comments, reblogs or inboxes. Let's keep it civil and respectful. Thank you.

If you are interested in more of Ali’s posts, you can find all of her posts so far under the tag: anonymous blog I love.

[acute-crashout-jeyuso]

Masterlists ⬇️

Between the Ropes Series

Plot: What began as a secret, burning quietly between stolen glances and shared moments, has now ignited into something neither of them can control—a love that defies the rules of family and loyalty. The choices they've made have left scars, not just on their bodies but on their hearts, and the world is watching.

Rating: M for Mature Content

DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fiction. The characters, events, and storylines depicted in this fanfiction are purely fictional and created for entertainment purposes only. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or deceased, or actual events is purely coincidental. This story is not affiliated with or endorsed by WWE, its performers, or any other entities related to professional wrestling. The characters are portrayed in a fictional manner and are not representative of the real-life individuals. This fanfiction is told in a non-linear narrative style, with some events presented out of chronological order. Flashbacks, present-day scenes, and future events are woven together to give a deeper understanding of the characters and their journey. Please keep this in mind as you read, as timelines may shift to enhance the emotional and thematic storytelling.

Between The Ropes Masterlist

Sacrifices/ BTR Book 2: a Jhea Fanfic.

credit to: @2dayinhistorhea on X for Jhea edit picture & for @4yourheartonly for the finishing touches

Plot: As Rhea and Jey strengthen their bond amid the excitement of impending parenthood, they must confront the resurfacing shadows of Rhea’s tumultuous history, including her former relationships and the trauma she endured. As they face external pressures and personal demons, Rhea’s past becomes a looming threat that tests their love and resilience, forcing them to confront what it truly means to build a family together…

Sacrifices Masterlist

Possession: a Jey Uso x Rhea Ripley x Jimmy Uso fanfic.

Plot: When Jey Uso is sidelined by a severe injury, his girlfriend Rhea Ripley is paired with his twin brother, Jimmy, to compete as a team. Their growing in-ring chemistry soon extends outside the ring, complicating relationships as Jimmy’s professional admiration turns into an unhealthy obsession. WWE capitalizes on their dynamic for a storyline, fueling Jimmy’s possessiveness and straining Rhea’s bond with Jey. Caught between the brothers and the pressures of WWE’s narrative, Rhea faces tough choices that blur the line between fiction and reality, threatening her relationship and career. Will Jey and Rhea’s connection survive the chaos?

This is told in an alternative Wrestling Universe with some elements that have happened incorporated..

Possession Masterlist

Power: a Bloodline x Rhea Ripley.

Plot: Demi Bennett is caught in a complex and dark dynamic with a group of powerful men—Jonathan, Joe, Joseph, and Joshua—each exerting different forms of control and influence over her. As the tension between them escalates, Demi is pushed to her emotional and physical limits, struggling to reconcile the pain, vulnerability, and occasional tenderness that exists within the power dynamics. As she endures the intense experiences thrust upon her, Demi must navigate her own desires, fears, and a growing conflict over whether to continue down this dangerous path or attempt to escape the grip of those who dominate her life.

A/N This fic was taken down after excessive bullying but after a break and some helpful contributors it is back.

This story falls into the dark romance genre and includes non con/reluctance themes that may be triggering and unsuitable for some readers. This is a work of fiction and I in no way advocate for this type of thing in real life. All characters are operating under the PRICK acronym, Personal responsibility in consensual kink. If this is not for you please keep scrolling.

Power Masterlist

[aangarchy]

Netflix atla live action review ep 4-6

So, they completely ruined Bumi. Spoiler warning.

The more episodes pass by the more confused i get with the choices that were made. I wrote down commentary for the episodes and the thing that i wrote down the most was "why does this happen?". The writing is incredibly confusing and messy, feels too rushed in some spaces and too slow in others. There's just... so much going on and so little at the same time. They brought in elements that in the OG don't get introduced until later in s1, s2, the comics, or even the legend of Korra. The reason these things get introduced so early here is not clear at all, because they don't serve any purpose other than to be an obstacle to Aang, Sokka and Katara on their way to the North.

Mai and Ty Lee are.. there. They get introduced earlier but they don't serve any purpose at the moment other than stand around, watch Azula train, ask questions so that Azula can give us the answers the viewer needs. My guess is they only got introduced for the audience who watched the OG to go "oh we know them!". We get the secret tunnel story earlier too, but it has absolutely nothing to do with love. Somehow "love is brightest in the dark" now correlates to the badgermoles being able to sense a human's emotion. It's a waste of a storyline, doesn't teach us anything about love, gives us Omashu lore which is useless bc neither Sokka nor Katara actually use love to escape the tunnels. Also Oma and Shu are lesbians now, but you only know that bc they changed Shu's pronouns. Wow, so progressive! We have lesbians in the story now! Boy do i feel represented as a sapphic!

We get Koh early on as well, but his entire gig got changed. Now suddenly he doesn't steal faces but he "feeds", and hunts using the fog of lost souls (which is tlok lore mind you) as a tool to trap humans. We introduce the mother of faces (comic book lore!), or rather pendant of her that Koh owns. There's no reason for her to exist in this story though other than to be an easter egg to everyone who read the search (Not even the majority of the fandom!) and to offer a solution to this problem we've created, which is Koh capturing our friends in order to eat them and us not being able to convince him into letting them go. There's no feeling of dread in the Koh scenes at all because the whole problem of not showing emotion is just not a thing now. No suspense, no fear, just a weird cgi clown face worm. The worm doesn't even menacingly circle around Aang to invoke a feeling of being surrounded, it just sits there. I also just don't understand why Koh is here already bc now who is going to give us information about Tui and La?

This decision also creates a problem that Hei Bai's story just isn't about Hei Bai anymore. We get fed a few lines from a talking fox about how the forest spirit got hurt, but there's really no solution? Aang buries a pinecone in front of the statue and tells him not to give up hope but he didn't even really need to do that, because Hei Bai wasn't the one kidnapping villagers! It was Koh. Why did we appease Hei Bai if Koh was the real villain? Hei Bai/Koh's story leads us to Roku, but Roku is completely useless. All he does is undermine Kyoshi's advice to Aang, tell Aang about the mother of faces pendant so he can appease Koh, and then we leave. I knew in advance Roku wasn't going to warn Aang about the comet here bc Albert Kim already told us working with a deadline like that with child actors is just impossible. But with Roku suddenly not being Aang's main Avatar guide he just gets nothing to do. There's no suspense in this part of the story either, bc the time limit of the winter solstice isn't a thing here at all. Aang also ends up flying over Fire Nation borders without issue, and gets led right into the sanctuary without the puzzle of figuring out how to open the door, and without the problem of Zhao's soldiers waiting for him when he comes out. It creates this issue of there not being any excitement, at least for me. I genuinely am getting a bit bored with the show, which was never an issue with the OG for me. There's a reason all of this extra material didn't get introduced until later on. There's too many characters and they all get too little time to really do anything useful, they're not fleshed out, the stories aren't thought through and it ends up getting very confusing and boring. I'm genuinely curious for the perspective of people who have never watched the OG cartoon, bc i wonder if they're even able to follow along without prior knowledge of this universe.

Bumi is just... not Bumi. They completely changed his character to be this bitter old senile man that resents Aang for abandoning the world. This doesn't make any sense because in this version of the story Bumi shouldn't know that Aang is the Avatar at all, because Aang was told right before he disappeared! So why does Bumi immediately know that Aang is the Avatar, and why does Aang immediately recognize him? Also the original point of Bumi's tests is to get Aang to approach fights and puzzles from a different angle, so he can learn versatility as the Avatar. But here the tests are just happening because Bumi is mad at Aang for leaving and wants to get back at him for being gone so long. He says some lines about Aang having to learn to make hard choices and you can't rely on your friends, but Aang ends up proving him wrong in the end! What is even the point of Bumi's part in the story now, except for him just being another obstacle on the way to the North Pole?

There's a lot of instances where I feel like the bond between characters gets completely lost. We barely spend any time with the side characters like the mechanist, Teo, Jet and the freedom fighters, and the people in the spirit village. It makes some scenes feel very out of place. These storylines all happen at once, and they don't get their individual moments to shine. We have no room to feel betrayed by Jet or Sai, because we barely got to know them to begin with. Jet and Sai only spend time with One member of the gaang each, but when their betrayals come to light the rest of the group acts devastated, as if it was their dear friend. Sokka also gets really mad about the Jet thing, but he only met Jet once when he smuggled them into Omashu, and Jet didn't even tell Sokka his name. He said it afterwards when Katara met him again. It makes absolutely no sense why Sokka is yelling at Katara for trusting Jet only bc she finds him attractive, when Sokka wasn't even there during all of that!

The sense of family between the gaang that we get from the original also just doesn't happen here. Especially because these characters so far have spent more time apart than together. Aang constantly gets separated from Sokka and Katara, leaving no room for them to bond. We get Katara and Sokka bonding, but they shouldn't need those types of scenes because they're already siblings (which isn't very clear in the show either btw!). I ended up forgetting that Sokka and Katara were trapped by Koh, bc we spend so much time away from them (a whole episode, which is now an hour!).

I have little to no criticism for the Blue Spirit story. Want to guess why that is? Bc they left it pretty much untouched. We even get a little bit of an extra scene, with Zuko and Aang talking while Zuko recovers after getting hurt during the escape. I liked this choice, especially bc it highlights how conflicted Zuko is.

This is where we get Zuko's backstory. I have one question here: why did they make Ozai more sensible and less ruthless? Was that a Daniel Dae Kim decision? Bc it feels like a Daniel Dae Kim thing to do. They're very on the nose with the way Ozai is abusing Zuko and Azula, but then they turn around and make this man visit Zuko after he burned him and praise Zuko about finding the Avatar. I understand that they did this to show how Ozai uses Zuko's accomplishments in order to push Azula, but even if it were to do that: the original Ozai would NEVER. The problem here as well is that they don't let the viewers draw any conclusions themselves anymore. They're holding the viewer's hand through the whole thing, leaving no room for nuance or doubt.

I just finished episode 7 and 8 and I have Things To Say. None of which are good. Writing it down is challenging so it might take a day or two.

[maespri]

oh my i never really saw myself making a post like this, but i really wanna talk about morgana! more specifically… why i don’t really understand the hate he receives.

for starters, i know a lot of people dislike mona because he gets on ryuji’s case often. his squabbling with ryuji can get hurtful at times too, i know, but i feel like so many people conveniently leave out the fact that… ryuji returns fire? it’s not as though mona is constantly attacking poor ryuji who can’t defend himself; it’s a two-sided fight throughout most of the game. both of them are constantly fueling the fire. not to mention, it’s a fight that eventually ends. both individuals have great character development (i could talk about it for /ages/, but i digress) that ends with their fighting essentially ceasing entirely. they’re both dumb teenage boys, they both said dumb stuff to each other, and they both hurt each other, and all of that is recognized and left in the past.

the hatred toward mona in general is something i struggle to understand entirely. you hate this cat because he tells you to go to bed? the game would have told you to do that one way or another, because it’s a game. there have to be constraints, or you’d get terribly overpowered incredibly fast. i wholeheartedly agree that mona’s lacking in comparison to the other characters in many ways- but i’ve never hated him, and was surprised to see a lot of people did.

maybe i’m just weirdly empathetic toward fictional characters, but i really liked his storyline. mona’s been with the protagonist since day one, helping him out, staying with him, encouraging and supporting him in everything he does, navigating them through mementos and palaces and battles… and he’s never really appreciated for any of it. obviously, the other phantom thieves do the same and don’t require any extra praise, but morgana already has a complex stemming from the fact that he’s not human. inherently, he believes he’s not nearly as good as any of the others, and subsequently, that he isn’t good enough in general- and he’s so ashamed of that that he can’t even voice the concern to the protagonist pre-okumura’s palace. it made sense to me when he snapped and ran away; if you were constantly the black sheep of a group, unable to engage with anyone unless the guy you live with is always there as well, wouldn’t you yearn for autonomy too? (don’t even get me started on the haru parallels there; there’s a reason morgana snapped during the okumura arc.) if you felt expendable and there wasn’t ever an effort made to prove otherwise, purposeful or not, wouldn’t you also want to leave? to spare both yourself, and the people you’re leaving? i really liked his arc because it led to two realizations- that he was pivotal to the group, and it was fine if he ended up not being a human. (and honestly, he was pivotal to my group… who else would i use to heal everyone outside of battle…!)

anyway, his objectification of women was weird. didn’t like that. but this is a JRPG, and he’s not the only one who does strange things like that at times (why was ryuji looking at ann’s chest in the mona bus outside futaba’s palace man…). honestly, his flirting was also weird at times, but as long as it never got strangely sexual, i didn’t really mind? it’s not like it ever genuinely bothers ann either as far as i remember. it’s more just a stupid thing he does.

anyway… i dunno. i like the kitty. he’s silly, he kept me company, and he made my playthrough fun. life is so much more beautiful when you carry love in your heart rather than resentment

[kinardsevan]

knowing that 8x05 was filmed like that after the break up in 8x06 is what makes me 100% believe that tommy is coming back in 8b

if we didn't know they filmed in that order, or if there was 2-3 episodes between 8x05 and the break up, plans could have changed. but one right after the other makes this look very much like part of the will they/won't they slow burn rom-com oliver have talked about wanting for buck

(plans can still change before they film the rest of 8b, but as of 8x07 i still have hope)

i entirely agree, and you're 100% right. I think one thing we've learned this year though, is that when Tim says he doesn't plan more than a few episodes ahead, that's more individual story than overarching arc. and honestly as a writer, i can concur. anytime you set out to tell a story, sometimes the narrative leads you elsewhere. sometimes in television, it's someone's schedule. to that end, i sincerely hope that when they made the decision that they did to split them up and lean into the rom-com trope, that they went into it knowing they planned to bring Lou back. I struggle to imagine a version of the story where they didn't, but anything is possible, and stupider things have happened.

i also think that if you go back and read Ollie's interviews from the overarching discussion moving towards the middle episodes of 8a, there's far more context. yes, sure, absolutely the interviews from last week were damning, but again, "plausible deniability" and the idea that you don't want your story given away before it's told both come together to give a prime answer as to why those questions were answered that way. none of what they said were flat-out lies. they're not going to tell us if they work it out in interviews because they want us to watch, the same way Lou says he doesn't know. I don't believe for a second if continuing the rom-com trope was the plan from the jump that they told him they were "ending the storyline". Obviously contracts play a big part in all of that. Of the conversations I've had in my group chat, we've talked about with TM's mention of contemplating the breakup over several weeks had anything to do with Lou's schedule for Rocker. Another thought I'd brought to the discussion was whether the breakup and the responses given by TM & Co were done on purpose. It shouldn't be lost on anybody, the way that the GA and the fandom have attached themselves to the character of Tommy. However, we know that ABC probably ponies up a pretty penny for the show, between budgets and salaries. I can imagine that Lou probably has a pretty decent day rate, and I've heard of actors turning down a main cast role because the offer for being a main is less than what they're paid to guest star. To that end, if the option was floated at all after how things went over, and ABC didn't want to cough up the money, this current arc is a great way to expose that weakness and show why they need to put the money up. (Bare in mind that there's nothing evidencing towards this whatsoever other than my own speculation).

That all said, I'm still hopeful. I've been pretty sold on this not being the end of the arc for bucktommy basically since the beginning. the only question that remains is how long they'll drag it for.

[stu-dyingstudent]

Sakura Haruno fic recs: Akatsuki/missing-nin

Okay, so I actually love the akatsuki so much. They were genuinely such good characters with really interesting storylines and powers. The whole akatsuki arc/repression was quite rushed imo and many of the wins from the fights felt a little unwarranted, but that's not too unusual in Naruto...

Anyway, this list is set to include fics where Sakura is either in the akatsuki or akatsuki members (excluding itachi bc that's literally any non-mass) play a large role in the story or Sakura just somehow lands herself being a missing-nin. From my experience, it's hard to find fics of this type without it being some sort of harem, which is not what I'm interested in, so here are some that I recommend!

Started: 2024.09.28

Last Updated: 2024.09.30

note: feel free to check out my master list which has a bunch of Sakura Haruno fic recs (all organized)!

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Vertigo - Cynchick || ffn || M || deisaku || akatsuki AU || complete

Sakura accepts the most critical and dangerous mission of her life, but the price of success may very well be her soul. When your entire world turns upside down, how do you keep from going under? DeiSaku.

I made this list literally just so I could recommend this fic lmao. Sakura takes on the mission to infiltrate the akatsuki, ruining her reputation and destroying her friendships in the process. Due to a brief encounter she had with Deidara, Sakura is allowed into the ranks and joins as his new partner. Their relationship is actually quite sweet and I think it's interesting to see things from Deidara's perspective as although he was very explosive (haha) in Naruto, he is also quite intelligent and a very capable shinobi.

.

Ankle Biter - a_pastel_edgelord || ao3 || E || gen || missing-nin AU || ongoing

“Pinkie, attack.” Sakura's teeth tear through skin and tendons until they meet. Her mouth fills with blood but she doesn't let go. The screaming of her victim washes over her like water. “Sorry about her.” Haku shrugs. “She's always been a bit feral.” The only family Sakura has are Zabuza and Haku.

Sakura is just another orphan picked up by Zabuza. With him and Haku being all she has, it results in her dependance and desperation to prove herself to them, but now that they're in wave it opens her eyes to something new. I really like how the relationship they have is portrayed as even though they are her family, it is obvious that Zabuza isn't as hung up on the matter, which feels quite realistic to his character.

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New Day Dawning - IncompleteSentanc (Erava) || ao3 || narusaku || T || canon divergence || complete

One day, while visiting the grave of Nohara Rin, Obito stumbles across a young girl terrifyingly like her. He decides to ensure she doesn’t meet the same fate.As for Sakura? Sakura had no idea what she was awakening the day she went to visit her parents graves - but she never looked back. One way or another.(Feat. Sakura raised by Obito and the Akatsuki, and her eventual return to Konoha and all those she left behind)

Sakura is brainwashed and manipulated, but loved by notorious killers nonetheless. Incredibly well written and I won't lie when I say that the ending took me a bit by surprise. Just read it

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One Change in the Story - Aingeal98 || ffn || T || gen || time travel AU || incomplete

It wasn't supposed to be like this. She was only supposed to go back five minutes in time. Instead, Sakura wakes up in a dark room surrounded by people wearing black cloaks with red clouds on them. The worst part? She doesn't have a clue who she is.

Praying for One Change in the Story to be completed!! Sakura lands herself back in time with the mind and body of her four year old self. With Pein being the first one to find her, Sakura's new life purpose is to be the Akatsuki's weapon. Sakura slowly loses herself to her new roll and in a sense becomes the embodiment of a ROOT agent. It was interesting to see Itachi's internal battle with the situation and Konan's guilt. However, even with Sakura bound to Ame, there are children back in Konoha who have an itch that a pink-haired girl named Sakura is someone important.

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Old Man by the Bar - Varmint || ao3 || T || gen || academy AU || complete

All it took was one school teacher's decision for the reality of Konoha to be altered in a way that no one could have imagined. Follow Kiba Inuzuka, Sakura Haruno, and Chouji Akimichi as they grow as individuals, friends, and ninja. All with the help of that grumpy old man with all of the cool war stories.

AHHHH READ THIS!!! For some reason I thought this fic was a school AU for the longest time and only got around to reading it recently and I'm so glad I did. It's set back in the academy where Sakura, Choji, and Kiba get grouped together for a project on the shinobi wars. The three misfits end up encountering Kakuzu who tells them a tale of his time fighting. They have so much character development and although they weren't originally happy about their predicament, they grow to look past each other's fronts and form a close bond.

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Expedient - SwiftKick || ffn || T || canon AU || complete

Konoha and Iwa sign a truce and agree to an Exchange Program between recently promoted genin to "bolster village relations." Fortunately, if anything were to go wrong, Haruno Sakura was just average enough to risk losing.

Sakura gets sent on an exchange to train in Iwa just to find out her sensei is only a few years older and a bit obsessed with his explosive art... It's interesting to see how she struggles both in Iwa and back in Konoha as Sakura is as good as an outsider in both villages. Expedient is an all time favorite of mine and I didn't have high expectations going into it, but this fic is truly great. Deidara is such a fun character and I really enjoyed Sakura's growth.

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Stumble - writer168 || ao3/ffn || gen || T || time travel AU || complete

Sakura wanted to die.Sasori was fine with staying dead.But it seemed fate had other plans for them, because when they both wake up younger with blood pulsing through their veins, they had to remember how to live again.Time Travel AU

Sasori and Sakura are both sent back in time and they try to make a difference in their respective villages. Told in the perspective of both characters, but primarily Sakura. She ends up forming a pretty sweet bond with Ibiki and Genma (which I love) and they help her through some things. Sakura has a rough time

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Will of Fire - Cynchick || ffn || M || kakasaku || missing-nin AU || complete

Forced to flee their village and the new regime, the loyal shinobi of Konoha must find a way to preserve their way of life and take back their home. As they fight for their future, Team Seven struggles to overcome the past. KakaSaku

When Danzo overthrows konoha, shinobi fled in hopes of escaping their death and the cruel reign. Sakura and many others go into hiding as missing-nin and plan on how they will reclaim their village. I love this author, and they actually have many fics that would fit on this list, but trust me when I say the writing is truly great. Sakura grows a lot as a shinobi and broadens her fighting style out of desperation for survival and I love it. The characters are all really well done, so just give it a go!

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Dirt and Ashes, or: The One-and-a-Half Body Problem - Tozette || captured || gen || M || canon divergent || complete

The invasion of Konoha during the chuunin exam didn't fail. Team seven is broken, people are dead, and Sakura is hurt and frightened and a very long way from home.Alternative summary: In which Sakura carries half of Hidan across two countries, leaving a trail of blood, bodies, and other people's legs.

Super gory story about Sakura's journey with the cranky and absent legged Hidan. Dirt and Ashes is very popular and it's for good reason.

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final exams coming up! - waterpllar || ao3 || gen || M || captured || complete

Kakuzu can name numerous reasons why Hatake Kakashi could make him an excellent profit, most of which involve the numerous organizations he's sabotaged. Specific figures would certainly be willing to pay very well for free reign to relieve their violent frustrations on one of the most notorious jounin in the Bingo books.Such a business would only function with a healer on hand, but it just so happens that a vast majority of shinobi teams have a healer, and there is a pink-haired genin without a bloodline limit or bijuu on the team.What he did not anticipate is that the Copy-nin's teaching might be so remiss that he hadn't trained said genin in any iryo-ninjutsu whatsoever. Kakuzu does not like making oversights, and he decides to remedy this fact immediately (unluckily for sakura).

Kakuzu captured Sakura and Kakashi in an attempt to make money (of course) off of Kakashi's many enemies and Sakura is forced to learn medical ninjutsu in order to keep him alive. Although this is marked as complete and could be considered that to those who read it, the ending is not very conclusive tbh (I wanted more).

Edit: ok this actually just got updated even though it’s marked as complete, so ig it’s still ongoing?? Maybe???

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Your childhood home is just powder-white bones (and you'll never find your way back) - Dovey || ao3 || gen || M || captured || complete

Sasuke is not the only one who worries he's getting too comfortable in his genin life. Itachi decides to add another motivator to Sasuke's revenge plans by kidnapping the teammate who wasn't a charismatic Jinchuriki. Sakura is used to being an objective for those around her, not a person, but even for her this is a little much.In which Sakura is held captive and learns what a genjutsu specialist can do to a person's mind, that sharks can actually make great friends, joins a dying clan, and gets regifted multiple times before she's finally strong enough to fight back.*while this fic contains explicit and graphic torture, there's no sexual assault.

Okay, this was actually a really hard read for me. We truly see Sakura's decline in this as she slowly loses her mind and it is very frustrating to see what has happened to her. Nonetheless, it is extremely well written and great is you want something dark.

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Shinra Tensei - multifandom_fanfic_writer || ao3 || T || itasaku || akatsuki AU || complete

With renewed determination, Sakura stepped forward. She passed the guards, who waved at her absently. She smiled, filled with elation as her foot crossed the threshold of Konoha’s gate. She would no longer blindly follow orders. She would no longer be part of the corrupted system. Sakura felt no grief, nor regret. As of today, the old Haruno Sakura didn’t exist anymore. She would be a new person. And she would be one of the greatest. - The world of shinobi is a harsh one, filled with blood and death. Sasuke dies, and Team 7 is left scattered. Sakura’s loyalty to Konoha wavers until it breaks. Determined to find a better purpose, Sakura sets out to figure out how to live in a world where morality is merely a line in the sand. But her path is soon changed when she is summoned – by the leader of the Akatsuki.

I actually have not read Shinra Tensei, but it is quite popular, so I thought I would recommend it if any of you are interested.

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Hoshigaki - writer168 || ao3 || M || gen || sakura is kisame's daughter AU || complete

When Sakura was three, her father told her he was a criminal. When she was seven, the last thing she saw of him was the sword on his back. When she was eight, she had a friend named Kiba. When they were twelve, they met Shino. And when they were genin, they began to fight for the truth because they could no longer fight for the sake of Konoha.

Perhaps one of the more interesting AUs out there as Sakura is actually the daughter of Kisame! Definitely shines a different light on the village and is such a great story (even has a sequel).

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life goal: punch a god in the face - itsthechocopuff || ao3 || T || gen || time travel AU || incomplete

Fist poised to punch a goddess. A glare from opalescent eyes. A flicker of chakra. Sakura’s fist met Kaguya’s face at the same time her vision went black. When she woke up, it was to find herself twenty years in the past, with a pair of eyes she’d personally helped shut staring down at her.

Sakura dies and wakes up in Wind country with a young Sasori watching her. Somehow, she ends up agreeing to help him kill the kazekage once he's strong enough and sets off to Konoha where she befriends Kakashi's team.

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I love when y'all send recs! cheers

[xreaderbooks]

All I breathe (2)

Pair: Azriel x Vanserra Reader

Word Count: 4k

Warnings: language, violence, mentions of abuse, trauma, and torture

Summary: Could a mission to Y/n’s childhood home, the Autumn Court, spark a friendship between the night courts spymaster and the newest emissary? Or will they let their hatred come between, what could be, a strong bond?

A/N: I made Nuan from ACOWAR heavily OC in this, I haven't read the books in so long so please forgive any reference mistakes. I haven't read ACOSF either so keep that in mind, I did try to do my research for storyline purposes when it comes to the first 4 books. I also do not know how to describe dresses very well lol. Send me a message or comment if you want to be tagged in future parts.

Also available on Wattpad and AO3

Masterlist - Previous Chapter - Next Chapter

An Illyrian bastard! you could not stand him. He was a contemptuous brute as you knew most Illyrians were. Cassian and Rhysand were just fine, if only he turned out more like his brothers. Although the comment the former had made had you reeling. In no world do you see yourself sharing a bed with the Shadowsinger. What was worse was knowing the days to come were going to be filled with hours of what had just occurred. In the safety of your room, you had released the flames that begged for freedom, letting them kindle on your hands, careful not to get too close to the furniture.

The power you and your twin had shared assuming it had come from your mother's distant bloodline. Your mother was another factor that you had thought of constantly during your stay at this new court. While you dealt with your own struggles mentally, you and Lucien had a better life here in Velaris, you were free from all the males who once dominated your life. You couldn’t say the same for your poor mother. She was the one person you looked forward to seeing.

“He’s not right you know?” A smooth casual familiar voice echoed from behind you. Your power jolted, letting out a blast of controlled flames in your hands.

“I could have burned you, you idiot!” You shoved your brother away from you once you recovered from the shock.

“No, you really couldn’t have.” He chuckled. There Lucien stood a few feet behind you, he just left yesterday morning, there was no reason for him to be back so early.

“What are you doing here anyway?” You crossed your arms and shuffled closer to your bed, sitting on the edge.

“I heard Rhysand gave you a tough assignment, with an even tougher partner.”

“Do not call him my partner and he’s weaker than any of you give him credit for,” You snarked back.

Lucien put his hands up in surrender, “Relax I’m just here to ease the tension.”

“Like you ever,” You glared at him playfully.

“He has a way of making you tense so easily, Sister.” Lucien sits beside you on the edge of the end of your bed. “Despite your hatred for him, you need to place your trust in him fully while you’re there.”

“Why can’t you come with me?” You put on your best puppy dog-like pleading eyes, Lucien stopped falling for it once you both came to an age where life was not so easily bought by a sweet smile or those perfect doe eyes you were able to mimic.

“I would if I could, I have business elsewhere” He ruffled your hair pushing your head away lightly when you scowled at him. “Important business in the mortal realms of all places.”

“Oh please, you can feign annoyance all you want but you’ve found an interest there.”

“I don’t have much keeping me here anyway Y/n, better to keep busy.” A sad disposition had formed within him whenever he was near Elain, he couldn’t do more than he was already doing to make Elain comfortable around him.

The words stung, and suddenly the statement Azriel made didn’t seem so far off the truth. You knew you could make yourself useful enough to be of value but what did any of that mean when your own twin couldn’t find your company worthy. Obviously, he did have places to go and people to meet but you did too and if he ever needed you, you would drop everything to be there for him. The scar on your left cheek was a testament to that.

You sat there side-by-side for a couple of minutes, enjoying each other's company in silence. Lucien tapped your knee twice before declaring he walk you out before your journey. He wrapped a loose arm around your shoulders, “I will be here when you get back.” He squeezed you into his side.

Reaching the last step Azriel was there waiting for you, he gave Lucien a nod before looking away to give you and your brother privacy. You squeezed his middle, “You better.”

He gave you a kiss on your forehead, “Stay safe, sister.”

“Goodbye brother,” You whispered back to him before he disappeared into thin air. Cassian came out of the kitchen and nodded for you to come to him.

Once in the kitchen Cassian peeked out of the door and spoke in a hushed tone, “Listen, I know it’s gonna be hard but the only way this plan will work is if you both find a way to set aside your differences and learn how to communicate.”

You sighed, running a hand through your hair giving him an exasperated look, you thought he was going to give you some advice or something more useful than a lecture. “Unlike him, I believe I can be civilized. Besides we’re about to have plenty of bonding time.”

You caught him wince at the word bonding, “Let’s hope so.”

“Was that it?” You asked. Cassian hummed in response and with a finger flicked your head up by your chin.

“Remember Y/n, don’t hesitate. Hesitate and you're dead.” The same advice he gave you throughout training, a feat you had consistent trouble with; hesitation. You were decent, despite being out of shape with the lack of training and with what little you knew of combat. Illyrian training was different than what you were used to but it was better and you learned enough to be of use if you were needed. Maybe a little clumsy and lacked some confidence in your skills but in a life-or-death situation you expected your survival instincts would kick in.

He guided you to where Azriel was sitting on the couch, fiddling with his knife.

~~~

Winnowing to the dawn court went smoothly. You and Azriel winnowed separately, neither of you willing to touch each other, opting to travel alone rather than conserve energy to save time. The first big jump had you stopping for a break at the Day Court, you felt your power falter, the surge of fire from earlier draining you a little. The law of your power, where one of your powers is strong the others weaken.

You stopped by a lake for water, careful of your surroundings. A quick minute stop and when you had winnowed away to the point on the other side of the border where you knew to meet Azriel, he had given you an earful.

“Where were you?” His tone was nothing short of accusatory.

“I felt like I needed a short break so I stopped for some water,” You spoke casually so as not to alarm the always-on-edge spymaster. It took a toll on your patience but you needed him to be calm.

His eyes were narrow as he stared you down, “Where?”

“Near Day Court border Azriel, Where else?”

“Specifically where did you stop for water?” He pushed, “Shocking there were no sentries nearby.”

“I assure you whatever your mind conjured up about my whereabouts, is not true.”

“I just find it curious how you were not intercepted,” He crossed his arms and tilted his head “unless there is something that you’re not telling me.”

You were beginning to feel anxious by his interrogation, you didn’t have anything to hide but this felt familiar in the ways your brothers would question you after a night out or worse when you were on your little missions for them. Tamlin would do the same, jealous even though you knew he never truly loved you. Even when he had Feyre.

“I told you all there is to know,” You grit your teeth. “We’re wasting time on this useless topic when we would have been at Dawn already.”

“I don’t trust you.” He begins to walk in the direction of the border of the Dawn Court.

“Oh really?” Your voice is frivolous as you follow him, “I hadn’t gathered that. I can feel your shadows, they are not as obscure as you think they are. Even so, I have nothing to prove to you Shadowsinger.”

His jaw clenches, “You somehow have fooled everyone in my court that you are innocent but I will find a way to break you Firewielder.”

“And you will fail,” You stop walking when you step in front of him, blocking his way. “You think of me as some villain Azriel when I am just someone who is trying to get by in whatever way, whatever place I can. That is all I have been trying to do, all I have ever done. Gods, if your High Lady could forgive me, why can’t you?”

“You have caused my High Lady enough harm,” He says simply and starts to walk again but you block his path. “You do not deserve the forgiveness, Rhysand and Feyre have so graciously granted you.”

“I have paid for my sins just as I’m sure you have and will continue to do so, I do not need a constant reminder of my fuckups any more than you do.” Your words were like venom, you may not know all of what the Shadowsinger was made of but the whispers throughout the world of what he does to people, rumor or no- you knew would haunt him til the end of his days. “You are no better than I am Spymaster, you should do well to remember that next time you sink that knife into someone’s flesh.”

An astonished look featured on his chiseled face, you’d wager no one but his brothers dared to speak to him in such a way. You weren’t one to speak so flippantly, but Azriel brought out a side of you that you had to admit you reveled in. You hadn’t felt as strong as when you let all your anger out on him. Your brothers, your father, and Tamlin had made you cower into yourself so much so that you didn’t dare argue. Azriel lit a fire within you that fueled you to shed the weaker parts of your soul and fight back.

~~~

You were within the walls of the Dawn Court castle only minutes after your discussion with Azriel. Not a word was spoken after you said your peace, you stood next to each other with a generous amount of space between you as you waited for someone to attend to you at the front steps of the palace.

A friendly face appeared from behind the doors urging you both to come inside, the healer of the Dawn Court was a long-time friend of yours. You hadn’t seen or spoken to her in years yet her countenance was still the same. She hugged you in greeting and gave the Shadowsinger a nod.

“The High Lord is otherwise engaged unfortunately but he sends his regards and me of course,” Nuan clutched your arm that was already looped around hers. “I’ll be showing you to your rooms.”

“Thank you,” You smiled. Azriel repeated what you had said and followed close behind you. She guides you through a series of hallways with large pillars framing the view of the mountains.

“It’s not a problem, though I do ask that you join me for dinner tonight.” She pauses in front of a door, she’s still holding your arm so you assume this is Azriels room. “Both of you, it’ll be at that restaurant in town that we used to go to Y/n, you know the one.”

You nodded with pursed lips, “Yes, I do but I’m sure Azriel has other ideas on how he’d like to spend his night.” You tried to hint at her to leave him alone, you needed a break from him and his attitude.

“I’ll be there.” Was all Azriel said before bowing his head at her and closing himself in his room for the night.

Nuan raised her brows at you with a slightly agape mouth, dragging you through the long corridor lined with near-opalescent golden stone pillars. Once she had shown you your room a couple of doors down from Azriels, she shut the door behind her. “I had to give you this room so that I can talk to you without him hearing, Cauldron that male is astonishingly gorgeous.”

You snorted, “For a bat.”

She placed her hands on her hips, “Now I know damn well you have taste, Y/n and I know that you wholeheartedly agree with me.”

“I might have once upon a time, I’ve changed.” You smirked and strolled around the room, taking it all in. Your room had a balcony overlooking one of the many gardens, you would have chosen to stay at the Dawn Court if given the opportunity.

“Surely not because of the husband!” Nuan gasped. She reminded you of the one you were fake married to, Fae cannot lie but when one is desperate, the loopholes you find are wild.

You raised an eyebrow at her dramatics, “No, of course not.”

She walked toward you and reached out with her mechanical hand tracing the scar on your face, “Do you think he is that superficial? I have seen the scars on his hands Y/n, he is beautiful but not completely unmarred.”

“I forget how forward you are Nu,” You stepped out of her reach. “Have you heard the news of the faebane? It’s traveling all across the lands, the reason why we’re here.”

She nodded grimly, “Yes, I have heard but my information is limited. And you’re deflecting but that’s no matter, we shall continue that topic at dinner.”

“For an alchemist, you sure do like to gossip.” You teased, “You should seek out Azriel before dinner to discuss the faebane situation.”

“Why do you think I’m friends with an emissary? you make the most pleasant company for gossip.” She reached for the door handle and slipped out of the room.

~~~

You forgot how free-flowing Dawn Court fashion is, as you dressed you felt yourself grow self-conscious. The dress exposed your thighs, arms, and stomach with shibari-like knots around the torso and neck with layered sheer nude material covering. A huge difference from what you were wearing before. You reminded yourself of the fact that the fae of the Dawn Court were not judgmental people and they made dresses like this for all shapes and sizes and they saw every being as radiant. They were peaceful and kind and as you walked into the restaurant, you and Nuan had found one night, Azriel was sitting there in conversation with the dark-haired beauty.

Her dress was similar to yours, and her upturned eyes and olive-toned skin were complimented by the lavender color she was wearing. Azriel was talking intently, the loud chattering of everyone around you clouded your ability to hear what he was saying. Nuan was right, he was gorgeous. Beautiful in a way you could not compare to a male or female, he was otherwordly.

You scolded yourself mentally, as beautiful as he may be, his personality was not. His calculated, smooth-toned, encapsulating speech- your mind wandered again. You could not catch a break from him. Mentally or physically and you were sick of it. With a huff, you lifted the hem of your dress so that it would not catch onto your heel and strutted over to the table where Azriel was out of his chair and holding it out for you to take his place.

In the time you took to admire him from the entrance, you failed to see that they were sitting at a table for two. There was room for two more but you’d have to steal a chair from another table and he had given his chair to you. Your eyes flickered from the chair to him and hesitantly took a seat, he tucked you into the table, and you didn’t miss the way Nuan’s lips turned up on one side.

He pulled up a chair and sat. A Cheshire grin spread upon Nuan’s face, immediately nerves took over you.

“Now that we’re done exchanging information,” She nodded once to Azriel and directed her attention to you. “Y/n about that husband, how is he?”

Your jaw ticked, “I wouldn’t know, I don’t speak to him.”

She hummed, “Interesting. And your brother is he well?”

“Yes, he is, though I suspect you know that considering he visits you often.”

Her laugh came out in a bark, Azriel's eyes and shadows watched you two in a dance, silently observing your postures and hidden messages. He wouldn’t understand the game you and Nuan played, especially not the one Nuan was playing right now, you were beginning to lose track of yourself.

“So Tamlin is completely out of the picture now?” She went back to her original target. You coughed a little bit of the water you sipped a second before she asked. “No, Nuan.” You cursed. “I live in the night court now, everything's changed.”

“Just curious, Y/n/n-” She said lightheartedly. “Do you live there with him?” She glanced at the male sitting next to you. So this is what she wanted to know.

Azriels eyes widened, “Absolutely not!” You both exclaimed at the same time, creating looks coming from nearby tables.

“Apologies, really I thought you two were together, possibly in secret. I got a sense that you both were involved, please forgive me.” Nuan’s cheeks reddened as she stammered her apology.

You were entirely upset knowing that she was embarrassed by her display. You switch the topic as smoothly as you could, asking about how the faebane works and if there was any way she could create an antidote without knowing the exact ingredients in the newer version. She answered each question with ease, Azriel asked a few of his own and finished up the conversation they were having earlier about the theories on who could have made it. At that time your dinner was cleared, and the three of you lingered to pay for your meal.

“Excuse me, I believe I see a patient of mine who isn’t doing what he’s supposed to-” Nuan rushed out of her seat to an older-looking male.

You caught Azriels stare when you turned back into your chair. He looked pensive as he opened his mouth to speak, “How did you and Nuan…”

“Meet? Under the mountain.” You responded though you weren’t so sure why considering you still wanted to be petty for his interrogation. “She healed and made Lucien's eye, also helped me heal when I got the scar.”

A few moments of silence.

“I’d like to-” He cleared his throat “I’d like to apologize for earlier.”

Your eyes search his in suspicion, he continues. “I should have believed you. My shadows told me that you were speaking the truth and I didn’t believe you.”

“I have had enough overbearing males in my life dictating my life and questioning my every move without you being added to the list.”

“I’m trying Y/n,” He sighed clenching the table napkin.

“By telling me that your shadows tried to plead my case and even then you wouldn’t believe me?”

“When you put it that way.” He breathed out a laugh, the closest one you’ve ever heard from him that was meant for your ears. It was a small gesture, one that did not go unnoticed by you. Around you, he was always so tense.

“What is it then?” You inquire, “Do you hate me or could we call a truce?”

“As if you could hold your tongue for long enough for me not to hate you.”

You allowed yourself a small smile, “You are truly unrelenting, if this is how you are with me I wonder how are with the people you bring to your chamber.”

“You talk of my work with so much ease,” He grimaced. “You wouldn’t be able to actually stomach it.”

The humor that hung in the air was gone, you sensed a challenge. “I can’t do what you do but I am not afraid of you Shadowsinger.”

His hazel eyes beheld yours, exploring them, you weren’t sure what he was searching for but the intensity with which he stared unnerved you. “If you weren’t the sister of the male I despise the most and if you weren’t once married to the one who caused my lady so much grief, I could be inclined to like you.” His smooth low toned voice was hypnotic.

You reached for your glass of wine, the energy too much for you to take sober taking a sip before replying “If you weren’t such an insufferable bastard, I could be inclined to say the same.”

“I still don’t trust you,” Azriel said slyly.

You rolled your eyes, “Do you have mind healers in Velaris? Cause you desperately need one, you all do.”

That brought out a deep laugh from him, you looked at him in awe at the melody that came from his mouth and it was as if you were seeing him for the first time. Your stare fixed upon his smile, bright and angelic made your heart jump. He was suddenly aware of you and the wall he had when he was around you built up again.

Your mind felt the need to know if what he said earlier was true, “Is that really why you hate me?”

“You can’t just let a moment be, can you Firewielder?” He no longer carried that sharp grin that had you melting for a second.

“I am not my brother, Eris I mean, what he’s done. I have no part in it.”

He nodded slowly, “Now tell me why you hate me.”

You picked at your cuticle as you spoke- a nervous human habit that you picked up throughout your years. “I don’t. I don’t particularly like you but you have done nothing but make my life miserable since the moment you rescued us from the ice and every moment after that.”

You were being chased by your brothers along with Feyre and Lucien when Cassian and Azriel had come to Feyre's aid. That was when you had found out that Feyre was the High Lady of the Night Court when you and Lucien had been brought to Velaris and saw the city you’ve grown to love. It was the start of everything. Before and after the war.

You and Lucien were appointed as emissaries to the night court, Lucien had his assignments and you had yours. You served as both emissary and spy (occasionally), while Lucien had to send bi-weekly reports to Azriel, you had to report to him for every single assignment unless specified otherwise by the High Lord. This is the cause of the clash you had with the Spymaster.

That day was the only day you had peace from him, if only because nobody in the inner circle had warmed to your presence yet.

“My whole life I’ve heard of the monstrous fae who served the Night Court, the Court of Nightmares was real to me but I was never afraid of the stories- of you. All you did was prove that the stories were true, like the act you all put on when you go there, is real.”

“You should know that I do not find it easy to be around you Y/n.” You were about to ask him what he meant when Nuan’s figure came into view, pulling a lesser fae male along with her.

“Y/n I’d like you to meet Damian- Damian this is the friend I told you about.” Nuan shoved him your way as you stood, you stumbled into him and he steadied you by your elbows. “I took care of the bill by the way, I told Damian he should walk you to the palace. Azriel and I still have loads to discuss.”

You smiled shyly at the blond-haired guy in front of you and turned your head to where Azriel was once sitting, you were about to protest but Nuan was already dragging Azriel out the door. You appreciated your friend's efforts to set you up with the attractive male that was nothing short of a gentleman as he made easy conversation during the walk to the palace, but after dinner with Azriel, this guy wasn’t going to cut it. It would be too easy for you to bring him up to your room and spend the night with him but you were on a job and you were not going to give Azriel another to scold you. 

~~~

Next Chapter

Taglist: @americancowgirl19 - @feyres-fireheart - @brekkershadowsinger - @marina468

[zahri-melitor]

Thinking about the shape of A Lonely Place of Living in relation to Tim's story and what Tynion was trying to do with it, and it's interesting to me, as I don't think it's his most successful story in terms of a narrative beyond re-establishing and re-centring a character, but he's once again playing with a lot of Tim's storylines and echoing various things (and not just ALPOD though obviously ALPOD, it's in the name).

Like you cannot get around that the story is about Gun Batman, because Gun Batman is right there. But the shape of how that works: it's a recapitulation of Red Robin themes. Because Tim's trapped, and Tim strategises a way to escape from his prison, and he has to cooperate with his enemy somewhat to achieve his goals, and as soon as he gets out the first thing he says to his family, to those he's closest to - is to warn them that Gun Batman is coming for them and particularly for Batwoman. It's SO Yost arc coded.

Gun Batman and Tim's discussions over whether the ends justify the means, and whether killing is acceptable echo through a lot of stories where Tim faces that and refuses to do so (The Young El and Dava arcs in Robin around #50 are always worth pointing out, because people don't know they're there, but of course also Red Robin #26 and trapping Captain Boomerang), but it's interesting here, as the story also establishes...if Tim doesn't even remember who Conner is, this Tim also may not remember having that fight with himself and redrawing that line, and then he gets to do it all over again.

And then we also get to do a Brother Eye aspect of the story, with the intertwined narrative of Bruce's paranoia, Tim's growing paranoia over the years, the echo between those all the way back for Tower of Babel when Tim tells his friends he'd never go so far as to have protocols like Bruce, but we know by 2010 he does have protocols as the life he's led has brought him to that, and what Brother Eye in itself says about Bruce's paranoia and that whole arc of Infinite Crisis and ongoing, about programming and about watching and observation and about control and about the overwriting of control of Brother Eye over the years (want to talk about OMACs and REMACs? there is stuff here to dig out about both) and about the similarities that exist between Bruce and Tim for Gun Batman to be able to exploit this faultline.

And also: you have Bruce's guilt threaded through all of this. Because the last 25 issues have been about Bruce mourning the loss of Tim in his heroic sacrifice, but interestingly in a way that is not like he mourns Jason and not like he mourns Damian, but in a way where he refuses to lose control.

In ALPOD the reason Tim approaches first Dick and then Alfred and then Bruce is because Bruce is losing control as he doesn't have a network. For Tynion's run, Bruce DOES have a network; and not only his family, he has all the other allies that Tim specifically recruited and anchored and befriended and he helped design and set up the Belfry for - a system that Tim sees as greater than himself and that he hopes can sustain things if he is selfish and steps away for his own purposes. But while it works, it's also shaky, because part of what made the post-Crisis Bat family and Gotham network function was Tim's presence as an anchor and a recruiter and a linchpin holding people together, and Tynion is saying things don't work as well without Tim's actual presence, and repeating the narrative that Tim learns over the years - he can't retire, he cannot step away, because when he tries to bad things happen.

Bruce can avoid losing his mind with grief because Tim built him a network (like he did while initially mourning Jason). But Bruce also doesn't allow himself to try to resurrect Tim after his sacrifice; whereas Bruce had to be talked through the 5 stages of grief by family members after Damian's death and then set out on a quest to alternately protect Damian's corpse/find ways to resurrect Damian (it ping ponged back and forth) when it was Damian who was dead.

And Bruce is so mad at himself when he realises that by allowing himself to process his grief like he did with Jason and live through having a dead son, every day, and remember his sacrifice...he's left Tim trapped, thinking people were searching for him and coming for him, when...they weren't. And he starts working to try and find Tim. Especially as Tim lived through Jason's death and Damian's death and Bruce's under-reaction to Dick's 'death' and he knows how Bruce reacted - and he's waiting for rescue. He could expect Bruce to come for him and storm the Gods themselves to get Tim back: because that's what Bruce so recently did for Damian.

Tim came looking for Bruce, because he didn't believe Bruce was dead. But Bruce didn't come looking for Tim, even though he's fought to resurrect another son, and realising that you haven't gone searching for the son who searched so hard for you when you were lost and believed dead? Yeah. Ouch.

And so Tim has to rescue himself and find his own way out - but he comes back still full of belief and forgiveness for Bruce. I also think there's something here in an inflection where Bruce gets the alert as they ARE now looking, and he storms into a hospital to get to Tim, as opposed to Jason's unknown, unrecognised resurrection and HIS hospital stay in Gotham.

The layers are there! There's a bunch of interesting themes! I just really wish it wasn't held together by Gun Batman. Though admittedly it's interesting to me that Tynion's version of Gun Batman posits that this is a universe where Damian was still Batman!666 and Tim had to kill him for it. AND that it can't be the future, because Gun Batman is being torn apart by the timeline, because of the changes made. He's not Tim's future. He's a nightmare, instead.

[theokusgallery]

I wonder what's their relationship with their siblings. (referring to Nick and Sunny)

Also...Will there be Mari, Aubrey, Kel, and Hero?... I wonder if you're going to add them or not (hhshjsjs I'm getting a little bit *too* curious)

Interesting question ! I was literally continuing a WIP about Nick and Statice's (Nick's sister) realtionship as I saw this ask, lol. (No link with the picture above, I just drew that one for fun). I was also just talking about them extensively in Tosteur's server, sooooo...

Statice and Nick love each other very much. They grew up constantly around one another, and since their parents weren't always around, they always had to stick with each other and play with each other... They basically only had each other for most of their childhood. So they stick together.

Now, I can't remember if I've ever talked about it here, but Arsenic wasn't really liked by other people as a kid (and that hasn't really changed). He's weird, he's queer, he's mean (socially incompetent), etc etc. Statice, on the other hand, is a lot more normal than he is. They're identical twins, so they were in the same grade growing up, and when they made friends, it was usually together. But every friend they made always, consistently preferred Statice to Nick.

That's not to say Statice doesn't have her fair share of "weirdness", but when it came from her as opposed to Nick, kids around them didn't mind it as much. Like, sure, Nick was into boys, and that was weird and creepy and embarrassing to other kids, but... not only does Statice also like guys, she's trans. Weirdly enough, Nick was ostracised for being queer a lot more than Statice was.

Nick and Statice are very, very close. They spent 99% of their time together, growing up, shared a room, went to the same schools, in the same classes, they still go to the same university (though they don't study the same thing). They share a lot of things and know each other very well. But they have... unaddressed issues and built up resentment on Nick's part, and judgement on Statice's part. S o it's not exactly perfect.

I feel like it's important to note that Statice is the one and only person that Nick doesn't have an unhealthy power dynamic with. She's quite literally the only person that Nick is an okay guy around.

(She's also Sunny's best friend, so you can imagine how that goes when Sunny and Nick get together -- while Statice disapproves of it very much because she knows exactly how much of a creepy piece of shit Nick is :)...)

--Sunny and his sister Mari were also very close growing up. After growing up, though, they kind of drifted apart as Mari moved away for college and Sunny started seeing flaws in her that he... hadn't really wanted to see before, because he idealized her as a kid. They talk sometimes, and they still love each other, and they have an okay relationship, but they're not nearly as close as Nick and Statice are. Sunny kind of gets jealous of them for that sometimes.

I'm not actually sure if i want to add Kel or Hero or Aubrey to the story or not. There's a third friend in Sinny and Statice's friend group that's essential to the storyline, and I'm not opposed to making them Kel or Aubrey, but I haven't thought about them too much, so I don't know yet. Might make 'em an OC. I was hesitating on making Sunny's sibling an OC as well, but the characterization/role I was planning for them ended up being taken by Statice (who I actually care about and think about a lot), so I don't mind it being Mari. Hero is in the story by virtue of being Mari's boyfriend in every universe (/ref), but he has no role or purpose. Imagine he's standing in the background if you so wish

[astral--horrorshow]

Around-The-Clock Shadows

Platonic Yandere ROTTMNT x Reader

Info: This will be a full-length fic including multiple ROTTMNT characters, the main storyline revolves around the Mad Dogs.

Fic Summary: You sure are likeable, aren't you?

《Directory》

Chapter 6: A Plan

Characters: Donnie, Mikey, Leo

A/N: So sorry for the short length for such a wait! I was feeling very unmotivated with this chapter, for some reason. Don't worry, though, I have no intention of abandoning this fic! I am going to quit the schedule for it, though. It was an unrealistic standard to hold myself to, and it made me rush the chapters just so I could get them out on time. I'm going to focus on some other writing, but I promise to be better with updating!

If you want to be added to a taglist, just say the word! If you want to draw fanart or make anything based off of this, I would be literally honored. Please don't be shy, I will love whatever you make! If you have any questions about the fic, feel free to ask!

TW: Unhealthy relationships, toxic mindsets, melodrama, unjust frusteration, kidnapping, harsh words

I do not condone any of the behaviors found or done in this fic. This story is purely for entertainment purposes. If you or someone you know is being treated like this, please contact the authorities.

Chapter Summary: Donnie pays you a midnight visit, Mikey and Leo have an argument, and a plan forms in your mind.

Word Count: 899

☆~☆~☆

Your bleary eyes opened, the ceiling swirling around and venturing in and out of your focus. You blinked a few times to see clearly. When the initial drowsiness of a midnight wake-up wore off, you finally noticed how dry your throat and mouth were. The taste of phlegm haunted your every waking millisecond, and so you reached over to the spot on the bedside table where your glass of water was usually kept, where only the fridgid air of the sewer met your outstretched fingers. You looked over in confusion, and sure enough, the glass was missing.

"Don't worry, I have it right here."

You turned towards the voice of Donatello, and sure enough, there he was. He was casually leaning against wall, glass in hand. "It's not good to consume anything old," he said, holding it out towards you. You grabbed it, the sudden chill on your hands almost making your grip loosen. "Be careful, don't spill it," Donnie said. You drank the water, internally sighing in relief as it poured down your dry throat. After lowering it from your lips and placing it on the side table again, Donnie reached towards your face, sitting down on the bed so he could grab your chin and tilt it upwards to stare into your eyes.

"Have you been getting enough sleep?"

"Of course I have!" You hadn't. Believe it or not, being kidnapped by mutants would throw off one's sleep schedule in most cases.

"Lower your voice. It's nighttime. And no, you haven't."

"I have..."

"Don't lie to me. I can always tell."

You averted your gaze to the side, embarassed at his callout of your bluff. Donnie simply pushed at your cheek, forcing you to look at him. "Don't act like that. I only want to help you, the only reason that it's not happening is because you're not letting me."

You refused to answer still, nearly making Donatello's irretation bubble up to the surface, but he controlled his temper. Lashing out would only drive you further. Patience was a virtue, his father said.

"Go back to bed. Sleep deprevation can lead to death."

With that, he left you with you with his hyperbolic warning and a half-empty glass of water.

☆~☆~☆

Mikey rolled towards you on a bright orange hoverboard, which was adorned with stickers like his battleshell was. Just as you turned around to see the source of the noise, Mikey plucked you up from off of the ground and held you from under your armpits, arms wrapped around your chest, akin to how one would hold a cat. He traveled with you like that all the way to the kitchen, where he set you down at a barstool at the kitchen island.

You didn’t react at all, not when he picked you up or the whole time he was carrying you. You had grown used to being picked up or dragged along to wherever one of the turtles wanted to bring you. “What’s up, Mikey?” You asked, resting your cheek on the palm of your hand.

“Nothing much,” he said with a grin, “Have you eaten today? You don’t seem like you’ve eaten today. I’ll make you something.” He rambled without letting you get a single word in, already flitting around the kitchen and gathering ingredients and cooking utensils.

As you watched him chop up chicken, Leo strolled into the kitchen with his trademark casual energy. “Hey, party people, what’s up?”

“Makin’ lunch!” Mikey cheerfully chirped at his brother, who seemed chuffed enough with the answer. “Okie doke, then. Anyways,” Leo didn’t further converse with his brother in favor of talking to you, “Have you ever been tubing, hermanito?”

You shook your head, “No, I don’t know how to swim.”

Leo gasped and held his three-fingered hand up to his chest, “Really? Wow, I didn’t realize that nobody loved you enough to teach you how!”

Your eyes widened in shock, and you opened your mouth slightly, tears welling up.

"Leo!" Mikey had abandoned his cooking pursuits to glare at Leo with his hands on his hips.

"What?!" Leo shot back, "You don't agree?"

Mikey's face fell, and he not-so-slickly jerked his head in your direction.

"Don't say it in front of them! It'll hurt their feeling!"

"But it's the truth! We're the only-"

"Stop!"

As the brothers continued to argue, the tears in your eyes spilled down in your cheeks. You quietly sobbed as Leo and Mikey continued to go at eachothers throats.

The brothers ceased their arguing and glanced in your direction after a noticebly loud sob from you, causing looks of regret and guilt to spread across their faces.

"Awe," Leo cooed as he and Mikey approched you with their arms outstretched, "Don't cry, poor baby."

"That's right, Leo didn't mean it," Mikey chimed in, shooting a dirty look at his brother over your head, "Plently of people love you!"

Mikey wiped away your tears as Leo wrapped his arms around your shoulders, hugging you tight. "Don't fret, hermanito. You know what? I can teach you how to swim sometime."

You perked your head up, "You mean, like, at a beach?"

He laughed, "No, silly head! There's plently of water down here!"

An idea blossomed in your mind.

"Like, the sewers?"

"Yeah, it's not as gross as you think!"

The sewers had manholes. Manholes lead outside.

"Alright."

☆~☆~☆

A/N: I'm going to try to write as much as possible in early-mid-august, because I start my sophomore year in a month, and my piano lessons in the fall, so I can have plenty of content to give to ya'll!

Taglist <3: @ssak-i @yanteetle @averagerottmntsimp @oleander-nin @whyiseveryonesodamnfinetho @writelikenobody @takottai @moths-and-mantids

[riofy-ramshackle]

☆ Project Q&A ☆

Hosted by @raguiras.

☆ STATUS: open to join ☆

Sharing is appreciated!

Here's all fundamental information you need about the Twisted Wonderland fan project "Ramshackle Isn't on Fire (Yet)" [= RIOFY]!

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

150+ OCs and 70+ members (currently)

fun shenanigans with OCs

show your OCs off & make friends

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

For further questions, DM @raguiras.

☆ GENERAL ☆

What is this project about?

This project is somewhat similar to an AU — instead of one Yuu, there are many, and they all live at Ramshackle together. In other words, chaos is prone to happen... (hence the project's name)!

Other than that, it follows the canon storyline from the game.

What exactly is the focus of this project?

The project focuses on the members' Yuus and their relationships with each other. The canon characters and OCs from dorms other than Ramshackle obviously play an important role, too! We develop friendships and rivalries between our OCs, come up with scenarios, and also have an official OC x canon ship list!

Apart from all this, the main purpose is to make friends within the fandom, showcase and further develop your OCs, and discover other people's characters!

How do I join?

Send me a DM! Please DO NOT ask to join or submit OCs via my ask box.

Who can join?

Anyone who isn't racist, anti-LGBTQ+, or a proshipper.

You might also not want to join if you're a non-sharer of a main cast member/get triggered when seeing them paired up with someone else/have a character whose OC x canon ship is essential to their lore, as all of the 21 main characters have an official ship by now.

What types of OCs can I submit?

All types of OCs that aren't fanchildren or fandorm OCs are allowed!

No matter whether it's a Yuu, someone from another dorm, a faculty member, or a student from another school — everyone is welcome!

What ships can I submit?

Any OC x canon ship with a canon character who hasn't been taken yet (here is our official OC x canon ship list).

A canon character can date only one OC unless both of the OCs' owners decide to make it a polyship.

Please DO NOT fight over a canon character with another member/OC!!!

OC x OC ships are obviously allowed as well.

Please keep in mind that all OCs shipped with an adult must be of age themselves and that Ortho and Gidel ships are not allowed.

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

☆ PARTICIPATION ☆

Do I have to make any art/videos/fanfics for this project?

You don't have to at all! This project is meant to be fun and not a duty.

However, all types of art, videos, and writings are extremely appreciated nonetheless!

Anything made for this project will be reblogged here (or, if you don't feel like posting it on your main blog, send it to me so I can directly post it here).

Do we have project-exclusive events?

We do! Any member can suggest server-exclusive events to me and I'll manage them.

How do I get in touch with other members?

We have a very active Discord server for project members. Once you're officially a member, I'll send you the link to it.

If you don't have Discord (even though this is preferred), I can update you on important happenings via Tumblr DMs!

You can also easily make mutuals and get into contact with others by following the project's members, whose work will be reblogged here.

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

☆ LORE ☆

Who is the prefect? Who "owns" Grim?

We don't have an official Ramshackle prefect. Grim is pretty much the dorm's shared "pet".

Who's closest to Ace and Deuce?

Their respective partners, obviously!

As for OCs' friendships with/general closeness to canon characters, most of it is being established in the project's Discord server.

If you don't have Discord, I can give you an overview of the relationships in our DMs.

Is there an established lore that this project follows?

Other than the fact that all the Yuus live together in Ramshackle at the same time and that we have established ships, there isn't.

In order to make the project as easy and fun as possible (especially due to the large number of OCs), we don't have a defined storyline and focus on situations rather than larger plots.

When does this project take place?

Primarily during the same time/school year as the game. Scenes can take place before the prologue, way after book 7, during any of the books, or at another point entirely!

However, one thing stays the same no matter what: the Yuus presently don't know why they're in Twisted Wonderland, and the major mysteries remain hidden from sight...

Are fandorms allowed?

No, as we're trying to keep the school's overall setting as close to canon as possible.

Are fanschools allowed?

Yes, but they're going to play a rather minor part in the project.

Do the Yuus from the official manga/light novel exist here?

No.

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

☆ MANAGEMENT ☆

Who runs this project?

Mionn aka @raguiras.

Who runs the project's blog?

Also Mionn.

Is Mionn the sole person managing the project and blog?

Yes.

How active is Mionn?

I'm generally active whenever I'm not sleeping (my current timezone is GMT+2). However, it might take me a while to reply to DMs at times, so please be understanding!

[laughhardrunfastbekindsblog]

What Needs to Be Done

Summer of Bad Batch | Week 13 | Prompt: Crashing Hard

Summary: Crosshair was so sure he made the right choice, the only choice... But now he has doubts.

POV: Crosshair

Rating: PG

(Word Count: 650)

Notes: I've been wanting to delve more into what Crosshair might have gone through in season 2 before "The Outpost," especially since I think his confession to Hunter of "I've done things. I've made mistakes" refers to far more than just the Imperial missions we saw him on. I might expand on this storyline in the future; for now, here's a short little ficlet since there's only so much Crosshair angst I can write at the moment.

"CT-9904, report to Captain Dask for your next mission."

The operation involved relocating the inhabitants of Quwan to an Imperial holding facility to await the construction of a factory on their homeworld, a factory they would man in service to the Empire. Those who did not appreciate the opportunity, those who resisted, were not given a second chance, and so the people learned very quickly not to resist. The families cried as their homes were burned to make way for the factory; the children cried as they were hustled onto ships by armed troopers. Crosshair had completed operations very similar to this before; but for some reason, this time he heard Hunter's voice echoing through his mind: Crosshair, I've seen what the Empire's doing, occupying planets and silencing anyone who stands against them. You know it's not right.

But it didn't matter what he thought was right. "Good soldiers follow orders," he thought to himself, though the words had started to grow stale. "We do what needs to be done," he repeated like a mantra, drowning out the memory of Hunter's plea.

******

He heard the rumors, whispers about an attack on Rampart's Venator, intel extracted that proved instrumental in causing Rampart's demise. The Defense Recruitment Bill was passed, but Rampart was gone. And while no one had been able to ID the infiltration team, Crosshair listened to the details of the attack, and he knew who had done it. "They were fools, they won't let themselves see the bigger picture," he told himself, ignoring the painful wrenching in his gut at the reminder of his old squad, though the traitorous thought crossed his mind that he wished he had been with them, wished he was with his brothers now.

******

"Three CTs have gone AWOL and were recently spotted in the market district," the lieutenant addressed the hand-picked squad. "You are to apprehend them. One chance to surrender, one chance only. That is all."

"Traitors," he scoffed to himself, pushing down his unease upon learning that the CTs in question had been part of his detachment during their most recent operation on Vurun. He knew nothing about them, they hadn't even spoken to him the entire mission... so why did he worry about what he might have to do? And why did wish he could have left too? Going AWOL was pointless; they were tracked down soon enough.

"Traitor," he thought again, carefully aiming as one of them tried to run, though his finger trembled on the trigger...

Cody weighed on his mind, haunted his dreams for weeks afterwards...

******

He waited outside the ship preparing to depart for Barton IV; there was no point standing any longer than he had to inside the ship with all the other clones who always ignored him. A group of unarmored clones passed by, questioning an Imperial officer about forced retirement. He knew more clones were being decommissioned, but he wasn't concerned. That wouldn't happen to him. He was useful to the Empire. He had purpose as a soldier.

And he tried not to think about the long years stretching before him, serving as a soldier until the day he died, no friends, brothers gone, all alone.

******

Mayday.

Gone.

He had served as a soldier until the day he died, had outlasted most of his friends, all his brothers gone, and the lieutenant was now ordering Crosshair to leave him... to leave him all alone.

Crosshair had believed the Empire offered him purpose.

He didn't believe it anymore.

"Lieutenant," Crosshair said, the only warning he was willing to give.

He released all his anger and doubts as he avenged Mayday, and suddenly found that this release had sapped all his strength, sapped all his belief in purpose, and he collapsed, no longer caring what happened to him.

I... It needed to be done, was his final thought as the darkness closed in around him.

@summer-of-bad-batch

[oscconfessions]

ii is like actually really good, amazing, even. like it's not perfect since nothing is but it is REALLY good. you can tell AE cares about the show and the characters and the story. i will say, though, a big problem as to why people often come across as pretty negative towards the show, it's thanks to the fact that pretty big people on the fandom often treat ii as terrible, completely misunderstand the story on purpose, make up things about it, and actually don't care about the characters themselves. i know, i know, listen, crazy, how does a fandom not even care about the show they like? and i think that it is thanks to said popular people and how the fandom treats the fanon as canon, and thanks to the fact that again, the fandom only really seems to care about shipping and the character designs and. it's really discouraging. since back then from what i saw, the fandom actually cared about the show. you could tell they cared deeply about it and looked into the characters deeply, and were overall pretty calm too.

i really hope that with the coming back of s2, the old fandom of ii comes back. it is much nicer to have people who care and want to learn more about it than people who just... hate the media they're watching and genuinely believe it is bad, but that the fanon "made it" good. (spoiler: it did not).

like even regarding the things the big people on the fandom say, you can literally just rewatch the show yourself and realize that "Wow, they're wrong" or that they're straight up lying in some cases (that one Cabby thread, Mic's character in the way the fandom sees her as a whole and the way people insist that Nickel hasn't changed). Like. I genuinely encourage all of you to actually watch the show and to look deeper into it outside of ships and designs and the basic storylines, AND outside of the fanon. And also please watch III. People complain about it being bad but it's not! It's really not! Main problem is that most of the rejoiners are characters who's arcs have been already closed (those being TT, Fan, OJ, and Paintbrush), so that ultimately only leaves Yinyang, Nickel and Balloon as the only guys who get development (the invitationals do too, of course, but what I mean is that those 3 guys are the s1-s2 rejoiners that ACTUALLY get development and it was for the better.)

And people willlll complain about it "not living up to s2's writing" when that was never the purpose of it! S3 was made so that AnimationEpic could take a break from Season 2, which was emotionally taxing to them! They even said it themselves! It is meant to be more lighthearted, but that doesn't mean that it can't portray emotional or serious moments because of it. Do I think it could've been better? Of course! But that's still not really AE's fault nor I think people should hate them for... wanting to enjoy making a show again. And the reason as to why PB, TT and Fan were even there was because of viewer voting. AE ultimately wanted to make their fans happy and I think that's a nice sentiment. I am very sad on the way the fandom treats AE and how they overall act regarding the show.

Please, stop believing everything that the popular people on the ii fandom say, it is usually pretty bad takes on the show and they often take things out of context as well. Make your own judgement on the show. Be interesed on it. Don't stay in the fanon. Please, please care about the show. Care about the stories. Care about the characters. Care about the friendships. Care about the growth these guys had. Please. Give the show the same love AE has been giving it.

I'm usually more angry about II not being treated the way it should be (with love) but honestly, I'm just heartbroken nowdays about it. Not even angry. I just want people to care about it and to not follow fanon, to not believe what big artists say all the time, to make their own mind and to look deeply into it. I want people to care about II the way people used to do, to care about it the way AnimationEpic and the people who worked on the show do.

I love Inanimate Insanity and I love how much care AE has poured into it. And I hope that with time, the fandom gets to understand it and to care about it for what it is. Or that it goes back to how it was. When people actually liked it.

I really do hope so.

(also, mods, you don't have to tag the characters here! i just mention them briefly and it is mostly just my thoughts on the way the osc treat inanimate insanity and it's content.)

- 💛🎤 anon

.

[gayofthefae]

Another hard truth of the matter for arguers is: if they wanted to write an endgame ship, they wouldn't have made it so easy for their build up to confession towards El to be confusable with buildup to confession towards Will.

You and your girlfriend are having trouble and you keep telling your best friend how you wish you had told her you love her and you don't know why you can't? That is not clear enough for me to be rooting for you to "tell her the truth".

As Pink Podcast recently said about Francesca Bridgerton before she met John, I want to root for you to get what you want but I can't do that if I don't know what you want.

They didn't tell us what we wanted, leaving us to split off in our guesses based on his ambiguous words - which they could have made less ambiguous. Half of us split in the direction of his strange behavior towards Will being over-correction, half split in the direction of the last thing we saw in his point of view behind him happy in his relationship with El.

But if they were making Mike and El endgame, they wouldn't have constructed that split off at all. The only reason to encourage confusion is to get people to both jump ship and be surprised when it comes. They have no reason to disguise whether Mike and El will stay together unless they are playing Will as an option, which he wouldn't be unless Mike is queer, which wouldn't make sense for his storyline unless....

Plus, they already have their "Team X" "Team Y" marketing quota filled. They haven't been using that for marketing, so why split opinions then not use it? Because the more you poke the bear, the more passionate people get, which only works for characters whose relationships aren't the center of their arcs like Nancy, Steve, and Jonathan. And they want you to be as calm and open minded as possible, with no fear of "I told you so"s so you can be fully onboard when it happens.

They made you root for what Mike wants but didn't tell you what that was for 8.5 of 9 episodes, only having Mike present a question with no indication of whether the answer was of the ONLY two options: "if I loved you less maybe I could talk about it more" or "I don't love you anymore"(which has other implications when you consider Will's plot), and only providing payoff for people who had vaguely guessed that the answer of reasoning and what he wanted - which they chose to convey HE didn't even know until late in the game - was vaguely "El", but they still didn't know the details enough to root for him to confess the "truth" because they still didn't know what that was and so were happy because the characters said they were happy but not invested as it was happening because they couldn't empathize enough to predict the next word with the characters or read the subtext.

They did some weird shit to make even the die-hards be invested in only the rewatch because they couldn't predict the reasoning even if they predicted the outcome and made a a large portion of people become indifferent to the relationship, with an even larger group actively rooting for him to be with someone else. They did some weird shit. And it ended up exactly how they wanted to.

The only people left invested are the people who nothing could have swayed. Everyone else is indifferent, "Team Will", or a combination of indifferent and hopeful for Will that makes them obliviously "Team Will". They did some weird shit and they did it on purpose.