#my main struggle rn with this fic is deciding exactly how I want to take it in the direction I know I'm taking it

[setmeatopthepyre]

several sentences sunday tagged by @bidisasterevankinard and @leashybebes. thank you! <3

here's some more of my new wip, following this

-

Chimney just blinks at him for a long moment, his mouth opening and closing a few times. Then he says, “Play that back to me.”

“Tommy... he hasn't been acting like himself. I think something's wrong.”

“No,” Chim points an accusatory finger at him. “That's not what you said. You said 'Tommy's not Tommy'.”

Buck huffs. “Then why did you ask me to--”

“What did you mean, 'Tommy's not Tommy'?”

“It's... ” he shifts. “Just, exactly what I said, okay? He's-- not him. Not himself. Or...”

“...not Tommy,” Chimney finishes slowly. “And-- just to clarify, here--” He straightens, sets aside the bowl of popcorn so that it wobbles precariously on the couch cushion beside him. “Are we talking 'Tommy is acting differently' or 'Tommy said something strange,' or 'there's a Tommy-shaped thing walking around pretending to be Tommy'? Or is it more of an evil twin sort of situation? Mirror dimension? What are you thinking here?”

Buck hesitates. “I... don't know.”

“Okay,” Chimney says slowly, and something in his expression shifts to something Buck hopes really hard isn't pity. “So what do you know?”

Buck explains the situation, the calls, the way Tommy had barely even recognized him and then pretended there was nothing wrong, and...

“Buck...”

Yep, that's pity.

-

no pressure tags for @sugarpenchant @emphasisonthehomo @ambernotember @queermccoy @geddyqueer @rcmclachlan

tag list for the people who asked to be tagged for this fic (this is my first taglist so uhh let me know if I screw something up)

@fiyaerrigan @bisexualbrainrots @leashybebes @louuieferrignojr @rubydaiquiri @teabroomsandbooks @crimsonwildcat-blog

let me know if you wanna be added or removed :)

[randomidiocyncrazies]

i know you like them both so yunichika and oda/aoki for the ship ask

thank you for giving me a chance to gush about these kids!!! they’re precious.... this got pretty long so imma put it under a cut

YuniChika, the main boys of 2.43:

• when or if I started shipping it:

tbh i didn’t really ship them when i read the first book... they’re the kind of pairing that i can see people shipping and i think it’s cute, but i’m not super invested in them as a romantic pairing. I think i was more sold about them as a ship in the second book, but i can’t quite remember if there was a specific moment that made me change my mind, or if it was a gradual process

• my thoughts:

i think the anime definitely played up the tension between them (allll the blushes lol), but i’m glad people are enjoying the YuniChika content XD they’re pretty cute!

also, i think they balance each other well and spur each other to become better—Yuni and Chika are both self-centered(?) in very different ways: Yuni lacks drive because he mostly wanted to please people so they’ll like him, while Chika has the opposite problem in that he acts like he doesn’t care what people think of him. 

but now Yuni is able to take a stand for his interest in volleyball and for Chika, and while Chika doesn’t really soften and still has a problem with not realizing how harsh he could be, he’s more willing to communicate his thoughts.

• what makes me happy about them:

boys reuniting! relearning how to have a relationship with one another! learning from past mistakes and trying to be better people together! HELL YEAH

• what makes me sad about them:

boys, please use your words to communicate with each other...

also, from Yuni’s perspective, it’s kinda sad when someone you used to know really well comes back into your life, but they’ve changed so much that they are essentially a different person... but of course they have a new opportunity to become closer now 😉 so i’m not that sad about it

• things done in art/fic that annoys me:

... there are fanworks for them????????? 

(on a more serious note, erasing their flaws to make them more likable... please don’t make Chika ‘secretly nice’ or whatever, the kid is blunt as hell, and not realizing how his words affect others is his biggest flaw. on the other hand, Yuni can still be a little spineless at times, and sometimes his priorities are. questionable.)

• things I look for in art/fic:

hm, i’d like a future fic about them as professional players! i think their inclination is to stick together (they’re a package deal!) but it’d be super interesting to read something where they’re on rival teams years down the line

EDIT: haha Chika actually transferred to Keisei High School after their first Spring Tournament, so he and Yuni have faced each other as rivals since then (2.43 next 4years). they’re go to the same university and are on the same team now though!

• who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other:

uh i don’t really have specific people for this, but Chika would probably have to be with someone who understands his love of volleyball (like Oda, but if Oda wasn’t their team captain and thus too much of a dad friend to qualify as a romantic interest), and someone who can inspire Yuni would be good for him

also, i know who i’d NOT be comfy about: the first book (and anime i guess) had this weird tension between Itoko and Yuni, COUSINS who BASICALLY GREW UP TOGETHER. i think(?) their weird whatever was mostly dropped in the 2nd book and wasn’t really made explicit, but like. what the hell. (i have no idea what happens beyond the 2nd book.)

• my happily ever after for them:

the YuniChika in college arc is being serialized rn, so in a way that’s already fulfilled? (i have NO idea what’s going on tho) 

in general i just hope they can play volleyball together until one or both decide not to, for whatever reason, and that they stay in each other’s lives and support each other even after they’ve retired from competitive volleyball. i think with Yuni’s personality he could be a good coach after getting more experience, and Chika... he’s really valuable as a strategist, but I think he’d always be a little brusque, so he’s respected but hard to bond with if he does take on coaching?

• what is their favorite non-sexual activity?

bold of you to assume Chika even cares about sex

anyway, they don’t go to movies for a romantic date night, they go watch volleyball matches. sometimes this backfires when Chika gets too frustrated at bad plays tho

and of course i will never pass up an opportunity to talk about Oda/Aoki, the main guys of my heart (my OTP for this series tbh):

• when or if I started shipping it:

they pinged on my radar when they were bickering in Ibara’s chapter, but i wasn’t super duper invested... and then I got to The Dog’s Perspective and the Giraffe’s Perspective (specifically The Kick™) and oh god i’ve never fallen so fast

• my thoughts: 

GOD WOW Aoki really loves Oda... even though objectively Oda’s height prevents him from being a super ace, he is the coolest, strongest super ace to Aoki. i think it’s beautiful that someone can see you as your best self even when you’re feeling shitty about yourself. Aoki knows that objectively Oda faces a lot of obstacles, and wants to support him as best as he can—not out of pity (pity would’ve burned out long ago), but because he really respects Oda’s passion and drive.

also, these two have unaddressed issues that they should talk about! Oda, i know you feel inferior but you are so much better than you think you are. please accept that Aoki really does respect you, and that you are worthy of it (or like, you don’t have to be ‘’’worthy’’’’ or ‘’’’’’deserving’’’’’’’’’’ of it, because it is Aoki’s choice to support you and play volleyball with you!!! it’s not something you gotta earn, it’s something freely and happily given to you)

(ahhhhhh i die when i think of them)

• what makes me happy about them: 

gosh i love their dynamic SO MUCH! Oda is exactly my type of character (passionate, determined, knowing that he can never be the best at what he’s passionate about due to factors he cannot control, trying to be kind and gracious but struggling with feelings of inferiority and jealousy, thinks of himself as a selfish person, a supporting character...) and Aoki’s devotion is really touching. 

again: even when you feel like crap about yourself, there’s someone out there who thinks you’re the best thing that happened to them.

there’s also the fact that Oda thinks the world of Aoki as well (to the point of feeling inferior, which is like... c’mon Oda :/ you are better than you think you are!) he trusts Aoki a lot, despite knowing his willingness to engage in, uh, underhanded methods

• what makes me sad about them: 

it’s their last year together, and they’d be approaching a new phase of their lives in different places... although Aoki offered to lower his rankings so they’d go to the same university, realistically they’ll go to different colleges, and most likely end up in different prefectures. (like, not only do i think it’s a Terrible Idea to give up your dream school so that you could stay with someone else, there is no way Oda would accept the offer without being crushed by guilt. something like that would actually ruin their relationship, which i think Aoki knows as well.)

there’s also a lot left unsaid between them at this point and i just want them to lay everything out between them and move forward together

• things done in art/fic that annoys me: 

the fact that there’s NONE >:[ what does a gal have to do to get some content for them???????

• things I look for in art/fic: 

at this point anything is fine.... it’s a desert out there and i’m dying

more specifically i’m Extremely Down for a get together fic; i personally only see them getting together after high school, at least several months (or even longer) studying in different prefectures and no longer able to see each other every day. (i mean... absence makes the heart grow fonder right?)

i’d also love to see Oda using Aoki’s first name, considering Aoki calls him “Shin” and all. Oda managing to surprise/fluster Aoki would be nice too.

EDIT: they’re both in the Kansai region (2.43 next 4years prologue). Oda’s revealed to be studying in Osaka, and assuming Aoki got into KyoDai, they should be around 2 hours away from each other by train? so visiting each other over short breaks would be cute! also, apparently Oda took a gap year before going to Osaka (2.43 next 4years Ch 1.2), so something set during that time would also be awesome :V

• who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other: 

hm... if i had to imagine people well-suited to them, i’d say Aoki’s type is people who are straightforwardly passionate about their interests (Oda hooked him with his unbridled love of volleyball way back in their first year of high school after all), and I think Oda probably needs someone who is willing to indulge him a little (like Chika he can be pretty dang determined about what he wants, though without the single-minded intensity at the expense of everything else)

... this is just a roundabout way of saying i think they’re ideal for each other, especially if they resolve the problem of hiding things from the other

• my happily ever after for them: 

they get careers/hobbies they enjoy, and get a place together as boyfriends/husbands. no i will not hear any criticism of this idea

i can see Aoki working in the private sector (this guy is fine with ‘joking’ about blackmail after all!) after getting his law degree. this is super self-indulgent, but given his penchant of rooting for passionate but objectively disadvantaged entities, i think it’d be pretty awesome if he works for a smaller company that truly believes in their work, instead of working at a big firm pulling in big bucks.

while I’m not sure what Oda is canonically studying, I can see him going into sports education or sports therapy—i think he’d be really good at nurturing the talents of other athletes, and he’s good at rallying the team (Aoki pretty much says he’s the heart of the team in the epilogue of the first book, though Aoki’s kiiinda biased lol). i think it’d be really cute if Oda coaches a grade school team!

neither plays volleyball competitively after high school, but sometimes they watch matches for fun (esp if their ex-teammates are playing). Oda also makes Aoki come to his students’ matches if he doesn’t have work

EDIT: apparently Oda continues competing as a wing spiker in college, playing in Kaisai’s 2nd Collegiate Division (2.43 next 4years Ch 1.2)—Aoki probably watches his matches, even when he’s busy (and Oda probably chides him for neglecting his work, but they both know Aoki can manage his workload).

• what is their favorite non-sexual activity?

hm... idk, i think they’re the kind of couple who are cool with just chilling with each other doing their own work. like, Oda planning strategies for the kids he’s coaching while Aoki reads next to him, occasionally glancing over to make comments, stuff like that

also since Oda says they mostly talked about volleyball during high school, I can kinda see them finding something new they both enjoy after they get together? Maybe shounen manga, for something fun

[tsukidrama]

hi!!

yes the new format is way better! scrolling back and forth was a bit annoying so it's good like that 😊

you're right about onyankopon, he just has less fans and the reasons why aren't really surprising in the anime fandom tbh but he really is a good person, and he and hange make such a good duo!!

okay okay good!! no more scrolling and struggling to remember what's being replied to!

exactly yes!! i also love the fact that Levi and Onyankopon end up still spending time together in the flash forward. i've seen some really sad shit about how they bond because it's all they have left of Hange and it kills my soul on the inside.

omg i love brooklyn nine nine!! i think i missed the reference because i watched the show in dub in my language though, but this was a very funny quote. i forgot to ask but in different chapters in the fic you also make references to some books but i really suck at guessing them, would you mind sharing the book titles?

makes sense! it's such an iconic show 🥺 i think the ending did it justice & i've been trying to get my mom to watch it. Annie and Papa both kind of remind me of Holt in their humor, lmao. Papa would refer to the pets at "Donut the cat" etc and even the way he talks and acts, OMG LIKE THE EPISODE ABOUT WHEN HOLT PLAYED WITH MODEL TRAINS AS A KID — PAPA.

sure! they aren't essential to the plot so i intentionally leave it kinda vague, idk i just don't want to take away from the focus of the story. in COTMC (ch 5) the trilogy of books reader brings out in the barn with her is supposed to be lord of the rings, although that one isn't really significant. no wonder reader couldn't focus, that shit is so long and wordy 😫

in chapter 3, where it talks extensively about the books, those ones are a lot more significant about the two brothers and the evil woman is john steinbeck's east of eden. Annie's childhood favorite (and one of my own favorites from high school) about the axe murderer and redemption, is fyodor dostoevsky's crime and punishment.

tbh i only trust you to fix papa's character lmao

lol. me too...

hehe i'm kinda happy i guessed stuff about the plot 😌 i'm more invested in your fic than in some mangas and books i'm reading right now alskzkz and thinking about next chapter + reiner and pieck is making me ever more excited to read it!! i'm curious to how you write pieck too! she's one of my favourites. and even more curious about chapter 8 because i saw the other ask (which was so nice and interesting to read, i love reading what other people think about the fic too!!) and now i'm a bit scared lmao. by the way do you already have a certain amount of chapters planned?

oh my god WHAt, that's genuinely such a compliment! ahshwkdkel i've been out here writing this shit entirely for myself. i mean i knew people read it and enjoyed it but it's different to hear somebody say that they're genuinely invested in the plot like this?? imsjnahls does that even make sense?? aah i put a stupid amount of effort into this series so thank you soooo much.

i don't want to share TOO much! this is where i get myself into a bit of a conundrum because i totally want to tell you, but i don't want to post it on main yknow?? i will tell you that Pieck and Reiner get very concerned about Annie. they'll show up unprompted trying to check on her, and she basically beats them away with a stick since all she wants is to get some god damn peace and quiet.

i haven't decided the exact number but it'll be somewhere around 20-22 chapters depending on how it all unfolds. i have up until about chapter 10 very well planned out and just loose outlines for the rest.

kinda oversharing rn but i made one of my friends watch first season of aot for the first time and annie quickly became one of her favourite characters and she doesn't even know her whole story yet. i'm very proud to spread the annie agenda lmao

YYYYYEEEESSSSS!!!! i just know that whenever she watched you were right there talking about and hyping up our girl like:

jhfhalk.ehjevi i know i do!! good for you. you're out there doing the good work. now just casually steer her away from the shitty parts of the fandom.

i hope you have a nice day!! - j

you too! have a great Sunday and a good week.