#on a more fandom-ish side of things we can go wild with her character

[basicallymyentirepersonality]

Athena. Goddess of wisdom, strategies blah blah blah.

My new hyperfixation (or rather, a re-ignited one because she’s always intrigued me).

I’m going to admit she’s my favourite goddess not because of how nice or incredible she is- she isn’t. She’s a horrible person/goddess (no offense). And I think part of the reason why shes so intriguing is she actually has many layers to her and how different people interpret her is always so interesting.

People who know the myths will start to think she’s horrible and incredibly petty, always out for vengeance and stuff, yeah they’re not wrong.

“Canon” Greek Myths:

One of the most iconic myths about Athena is obviously the myth of Medusa. But if you’ve been hyperfixating long enough you’ll know that there’s so many versions of the myths. The original one was the Medusa was born a gorgon, Ovid’s version was that Athena got jealous (some even more recent interpretations) / mad at Medusa for breaking her vow of celibacy then turning her into a gorgon. Or Athena turned Medusa into a gorgon to protect her. They sound like very different goddesses. Other gods always seem to have straight forward personalities, Hermes a prankster always mischievous he delivers mail sometimes, Apollo he does music, drives a cool car. Of course each god has minor differences when it comes to version but never as jarring as Athena’s.

My interpretations/headcanons:

(Hot take)In my head, Athena is a bad person. She believes she’s being wise, she’s doing things for the greater good. Sometimes she fails to notice whether things are for the greater good or her good. She’s selfish. She’s delusional. Maybe even a bit of a narcissist who refuses to believes she can be wrong. Which makes her even more fun to imagine!!!

Modern retellings/greek mythology ‘fan fiction’:

Aka Percy Jackson. Her show and book version is already a bit different. In the book, she can be seen as a bit of a deadbeat parent, absent, a perfectionist. But ultimately someone Annabeth looked up to (at the beginning, at least). In Mark of Athena, we (I) see her to be a bit of a bully, kind of guilt tripping Annabeth to do stuff. In the show, however, she’s hasn’t even made an official appearance and she’s already so cruel. Not helping Annabeth because she ‘embarrassed’ her. This slight change did make her more similar to the more popular myths, but slightly altered reader’s impression of her.

Which is what makes her interesting.

I can go on and on about stereotypes (what’s the definition of wise?), societal standards, the change in people’s attitudes towards different things as time passes, how time passes. Heck, if I keep going on I’m certain I’m going to end up talking about the scale of time and our insignificance in the grand universe. But I’m not going to because that draws away from the main point of the blog. Greek mythology.

To me, Greek mythology is something that is timeless and up for interpretation all the time. I love debating about Greek mythology so come debate with me 🥊 (ignore my headcanon part tho leave that niche part of my brain alone).

If you noticed anything I got wrong (or maybe this post is utterly wrong in your eyes, do tell but maybe word it nicely sorry 😅) , tell me cuz I’m always up to learn more about other people’s opinions and different Greek myths!

[struggling-jpg]

Yanqing and Yunli Appreciation Post

Keep Reading cut due to 2.4 spoilers~ (also relatively long-ish post)

These two bounce off each other so well! As a writer, it feels so satisfying to see their characters shine through the quest and the event in the way their interactions highlight them. So I'm gonna use this space to ramble about it!

My previous post pretty much talked about it already, but Yanqing!!! My son!!! I was quite worried that any potential arc for him would be shoved down the road or to the side due to the scale HSR has, but the game's been actually holding up to his ongoing arc. As a result, at least to me, he's come through as one of the best written/developed characters on the Xianzhou so far.

The nature of the length of the updates lets what we get in previous quests settle in for a long while, and considering the mentioned of flow of time in-game, Yanqing's had the time to think and develop as a person. The fact that so many players have had their view and opinion of him finally turn around in this quest is a testament to that. We get to see more facets of him, as in, doing his job and the responsibilities of doing so, and how his insecurities are mentioned in a main quest for all to see. He's constantly referencing others and his past encounters. You can tell that Jing Yuan raised him with his manner and approach to things, which is highlighted by the contrast to Yunli (will get to that soon).

His position as a child soldier has made him mature faster, be quiet even when he's been wronged (filial piety/saving face (aka thank you person on Reddit who makes the banger character Yanqing (and other characters in general) appreciation posts)), take a step back and have to be able to read the room (though, reasonably, he doesn't catch on all the time), and much, much more. The fact that other official content has described him as being more worried about diplomacy and all that. He doesn't have the luxury to be as carefree or brash for someone his age.

There's a lot to unpack there still, even with the development he's had now and that's good! If the Hoyo writing team was wild enough, it'd be cool to see them address the grayness of his role and Jing Yuan's mindset in raising him as he did (We love Dad-Yuan and he loves his son dearly no question, but it'd be so interesting to explore his flaws/mistakes in this perspective!).

Now onto Yunli.

I'm saying straight off the bat, I'm irritated by her!

And that's a good thing!

Her being annoying or bratty or irritating doesn't automatically make her a badly written character! She only would become one if they don't do anything with her, and HSR most probably will, and she should be given the same room to develop in her own arc.

She acts like her age, and she doesn't have the same pressures as Yanqing does. Just like how you can see Jing Yuan in Yanqing, you can see Huaiyan in Yunli, if anything he says is to go by. She's tempremental and outspoken to a fault, and based on the way how quickly Huaiyan relented when she talked back, you can tell that Huaiyan isn't as strict/stern with her to give her a sense of being humble.

I had this thought that she's technically what the general fandom viewed Yanqing as initially, and I'm not saying that as a 100% thing, by the way. But like by some traits and the vibes. She, of course, has a lot more nuance that will be explored at one point or another.

But back on topic, she's a foil. They represent two different approaches and lifestyles and can clearly learn from each other. Her inconsideration of the fact that she's on the Luofu but enforcing Zhuming practices (which I noticed people were upset by, and same; which I imagine is the point), her bluntness to no matter who she's talking to—there's a lot to work with here.

Just like with their swordplay, Yanqing could learn from her mental strength while Yunli can learn from his focused speed and defense. He can learn to regain a more firm grasp of his recently found purpose while she can learn to mature and take in her surroundings and be more thoughtful in that front.

Another interesting note is that where we are with Yanqing currently is in the middle of his arc, we've had the time to see him take a long route of struggle to get to this point, exacerbated by irl players views of him. He's in the middle of his growth and we've had since 1.0 to get to know him. But with Yunli, she was introduced very recently, so we're technically at the "beginning" of her character arc. In a way, Yunli now highlights how far Yanqing has come and changed, and in a way Yanqing now is a potential show for the arc that Yunli can have (not being the exact same as him of course).

I think the idea with these two is that they develop to be more balanced. Balance is such an important thing, especially in Chinese culture (Daoism (Yin-Yang), etc.), and 2.4 has shown how much potential they have to make for amazing character arcs.

It's cool that while they have such similar base traits, they're so different from each other. Calling Yunli a female Yanqing or Yanqing a male Yunli is simply outright incorrect. Their backgrounds, upbringings, ideals, swordstyles, perspectives, and positions in life are so distinct. I'm looking forward to their futures!

[hazshit-hotel-hater]

Ok a rant about Cerri bomb and how much I HATE her

In the addict music video she was a very supportive friend of Angel and I loved her in the pilot! I wish we got that supportive best friend to Angel in the final product, but unfortunately she is a woman in a vivziepop show.

She’s AWFUL now I can’t stand her, the way she tried to make Angel relapse was so weird like pilot cherri wouldn’t do that! I also really dislike her design it has to be one of my personal least favourites (not the bottom though nothing is worse than alastors design to me) she isn’t enjoyable to watch anymore she had potential if she’d only been introduced earlier! Imagine if she was introduced in episode 4 and played the supportive friend she was originally supposed to be!

And GOD I hate her ship with pentious, it was SO RUSHED, so poorly done and the ship isn’t very “so cute and in love!!” When you remember she showed literally NO interest in him until Angel brought up that he has 2 dicks, and this is supposed to be a romantic relationship we CARE about.

Cherri didn’t need a romantic relationship she needed CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT we needed to get to know her! If you’ve only seen the show and no other Hazbin media at all (which shouldn’t be required you should be able to get all your info FROM THE SHOW) you’d barely know anything about her character or who she is. I wish we got pilot cherri bomb, and that she got a design update, and that her and pent’s relationship was either taken slower or didn’t happen at all

You silly little creature you, you have me writing in my notes app instead of Tumblr because I’m about to go crazy!

Cherri Bomb. More like Cherri what the hell happened

Anyway I’m gonna tackle this one thing at a time, and also forgive me if I word something weird I just woke up an hour ago at the time of writing this.

First thing, design: I personally quite like her design since it very loosely reminds me of Iris from Ruby Gloom with ofc the one eye, the very rowdy personality and kind of the hair, but those are very broad design choices and its just me remembering some random girl I thought was silly but like Iris did it better.

Okay now second thing and then we go into literally everything else: My blog has been an angry pit of despair for everything in Episode 6 as of recent so let’s tap into that again 🤏 just a little. I am going to give my classic centrist opinion and say I don’t mind Cherri Bomb all that much but I absolutely get why people dislike her, and I mean this in the kinda way as people who dislike… Idk Fukuchi from BSD. WILD jump in fandoms but gimme a second. I can’t 100% say that Cherri Bomb in the pilot was better than the series since we have no idea if maybe for some reason she was intended to be like that offscreen, but judging by the pilot and “Addict” alone, it’s very unlikely. I could see her maybe being a bad influence at times and being like “Loosen up dude we’re in hell and its Friday” or something (idk if they have Friday in hell but everyday is probably Monday 🥁) but overall I feel like she’d end up apologising for it. However on the other side of things, I can understand why Cherri did that in Episode 6. Of course not to say this is okay, but Cherri is still very clearly not in the “redemption” mindset. She’s happy the way she is and is really only focused on certain aspects of issues. We see her comfort Angel in “Addict” but thats basically the extent of it. Cherri’s definition of “self-care” seems to be less of actually taking care of yourself and more like just letting go and having fun instead which really only gives a momentary fix to the issue, much like how substances can be abused. Do you kinda see what im getting at? Cherri offering Angel drugs while he’s trying not to relapse is not okay, full stop. But her reasoning as to why makes a bit of sense for her purpose in the show which is honestly not much, since, as you said, she is a woman in a Vivziepop show.

To my knowledge Cherri is like 30-ish years younger than Angel Dust in Hell experience so she’s likely not reached a point where she’s gotten tired of how things work, as well as the fact we don’t really have much of an idea on her backstory aside from that random shot in “Addict” of that guy in a puddle??? But generally she seems to be in a better position than Angel is, so there isn’t really any reason for her to want to change, yknow? I will say I do like exploring characters that are good friends while still being bad influences at times, but I’m going to be honest I feel like thats really not what Angel needs right now. I wouldn’t be as pissy about it if she did end up apologising afterwards (I’m just gonna headcanon she did for my sanity) but even then as Angel’s friend we don’t know like… anything about her. I would’ve really liked to get some kind of callback to the pilot where Cherri mentions she thought Angel was dead until the random Sir Pentious turf war, and maybe we could see her actually being worried about Angel again instead of those 3 frames in “Addict”, but Hazbin is rushed and I guess we don’t have time for that. And also YES it would’ve been great to see her in Episode 4 and actually doing something but again, Vivziepop is boring.

Going forward I would really like to see Cherri, if not become a patron, at least try to be a better friend and sure if she wants to keep doing stuff she can keep doing it, but just don’t encourage other people to relapse. It is very simple.

SIR PENTIOUS! About Sir Pentious, this is going to be incredibly short. I don’t hate the ship but also I’m not really crazy about any of the Hazbin Hotel ships? I also don’t really hate any except for the genuinely horrid ones but thats basic sense. I absolutely agree with you, Cherri does not need a romantic interest. Romance doesn’t always = growth and growth should not always = romance. She needs some genuine character TLC and I hope to god she gets some in season 2. We’ve only seen a few minutes of her so I have yet to give a firm opinion, but as of now I’m just hoping they do something actually interesting with her instead of just alluding to Sir Pentious ship. Also the penis thing. 1. What was that, and 2. It made me and my friends briefly pause to sex Sir Pentious and come to the conclusion he is likely transgender/hj

TLDR; Please give us a fun Cherri Bomb again. ☹️

[acourtofquestions]

Favorite character from Throne of Glass so far? And try to guess mine 😜

Ooh, a good question! One that I actually have an answer to; despite the fact my answer really is all of them😂 (well all minus the obvious ones your NOT supposed to like; Arobynn, Maeve, Rourke Farran, the Blackbeak Matron, etc.) and while I am going to try & self-edit (something I’m terrible at, as any glance at my blog will show😂) the easiest explanation I have is probably this:

I will always utterly adore Fleetfoot like no other. Same with Abraxos. And Elide (who I seem to be in agreement with the characters; we would die for that cinnamon roll😂)

Fenrys snuck up on me & I’m still figuring it out, but I think he’s funny, and very charismatic/compassionate.

Asterin Blackbeak has really grown to have such a joy-filled place in my heart. & I really enjoy the 13’s dynamic & badassery. So, of course Manon is on there too (from the first introduction when I was like… she’s killing people… but somehow I like her? To now being the child of peace, the hope & heart of the “heartless”).

Aedion (despite our occasional moments of a tiff) I love the way he loves. Dorian (I don’t think we share an opinion on this one, which is totally okay) I just really appreciate his mind! Chaol was for a while then the opposite, right now I think I’m positive neutral-ish? … I can pretty much always find things to love in main/side/random characters.

And don’t get me started on Sam Cortland… that man… always beloved😭

Lysandra Ennar (despite that EoS plotted ending lol😅😅) I love her, I love the way she loves her found family, I love her sisterhood with Evangeline (esp. dear to me in my own life), & I appreciate the way her trauma is NOT her entire story.

Rowan Whitethorn (who funny enough was NOT a favorite for a while; twas a rough start but once I loved him, (& will never) not love him).

And now dwindled down to the answer of all answers, beyond even this series or Maasverse (of all fandoms this & she have become an all-time fav) Aelin Galathynius; I almost can’t explain it & would just say READ 8 BOOKS & you’ll get it😂 she’s such an arc & fleshed out character, a kind I don’t see often (especially in powerful female character personalities when a main character or any role for that matter) she makes sense to me, there’s a lot beyond the surface, she & that have meant a lot to me in my own life/trauma/grief & (much like the MANY characters that fall for her for this same reason) she's just something else; wild, fiery, witty & hilarious, impossibly smart, sharp but king, empathetic/understanding & compassionate, fiery yet controlled, deep-feeling & loving, bold & somehow joyful, brave (even if afraid), & very much the force of life & humanity & falling in love with living. She’s the (fire) heart of the story for a good reason.

Now, as far as your favorite goes THAT'S is a very good question (one that I will also leave in your ask box in case it’s easier; whichever works best for you whether here or there :-) is it cheating to have glanced at your blog previously?😂 … okay, so, I’m going to guess based on that & conversations plus general vibes Manon, Rowan, or Aelin. Less so the latter, esp. as I think it just vibes a little more (idk why… total guess here😂😝)? I definitely think your questions/thoughts are very well-put & intelligently written, plus fun & kind… so I’m leaning towards Rowan more so because of the amount of heart & “a dreamer's heart” he does have? We’ll see, regardless I have no doubt it’s a great one & can’t wait to hear it😆 so, thanks SO much for the double fun ask!!😊🫶

[noblehouseofgay]

Long fuckig ramble about morals and jkr and all that

It's so complicated like- seeing people with the opinion on hp I used to have vs my current opinion

Bc I used to get annoyed when I'd see any hp stuff. Bc to me it equals unsafe. It meant to me that you don't respect me or my life, as well as a lot of other people's.

But like seeing marauders fans, ik it's the opposite. Obviously this doesn't count for all fans, I steer clear of millennial white women fans, shit scares me.

But I saw someone talking about how it's a red flag to like any of it, and from someone who's been on both sides- i disagree

If you are actively speaking up against jkr and what she stands for, I think you're allowed to enjoy what you want. Especially if it's a fan made thing? Dude she gets no money from that go wild

I just think the internet as a whole needs to remember what nuance is. The internet feels likr a black hole so often and it sucks. I'd much rather have a civil discussion on shit rather than get called a slur and blocked

Anyway I'm rambling. Obviously I still feel some guilt for being a fan of hp. It literally freaks me out sometimes bc its so conflicting with who I am. But I think the fans (queer marauders fans especially) make it what it is. We took what that trash bag of a human made, and turned it into something more accepting

We saw the racism and stereotypes and all the bs, and we gave those characters real traits instead. We gave them real personalities and stories. And I think that's beautiful. Taking something gross and making it better

Tho I do absolutely understand that some people don't agree. Like I said, I had that opinion for- probably 10 ish years of my life? Idk time isn't real

Tho the mental battle I have is exhausting sometimes. Bc I'm trans. I'm literally the thing she targets the most now. I've grown up seeing the antisemitism and the racism and the homophobia from her. And it's fucked up. But I think- the whole "Harry potter fans need to grow up" shit needs to stop. Bc we could say that about any fucking fandom. A fuck ton of movies/stories/etc are considered childish. A lot of those things also have villains that people love. I think we need to acknowledge that while it's fictional, it can do harm, but we can enjoy the fiction if we still stand against the harm

God I have so many thoughts and I just needed to get it out ig

Fr tho "those fans need to grow up" yeah ok go tell it to star wars fans. Or disney fans. Or Marvel fans. Or doctor who fans. Or fucking any other fan. Bc you can have your criticisms, but get a better argument

[arolou]

17, 21, 29! also sorry i accidentally unfollowed you trying to send this flsdjlfksjfds

GASP!! THE TREACHERY!! akjhfkjs i've definitely done that before

17) Post a line from a WIP that you’re working on.

When Luke asks Julie out, she laughs in his face. (this is from a qpp juke coming later tonight!!!)

21) Tell me about another writer(s) who you admire? What is it about them that you admire?

well OBVIOUSLY there's you, first of all!!! i admire so much the way that you can take really specific scenarios and write them in a way that feels so universal??? i think all the time about that one you wrote about bobby taking the boys shopping, because you really just plopped us in a grocery store, said "buying things is scary sometimes," and we were all like [sobbing] YEAH IT FUCKING IS!!! because dammit....it IS. for so many reasons. and you managed to put words to something i've felt so many times in my life and never knew that other people felt too. you really do make people feel seen and it makes me cry lmao. plus the tactility is OFF THE CHARTS. reading about your characters hugging and touching and cuddling does honestly feel like being hugged myself. you write with such care and so much love and i love you with all of my heart

and then @chickwiththepurpleguitar is def a big one bc lilly can make stories where there aren't any, if you know what i mean? i'm not really good at creating canon-ish backstories myself, so to see the way she can reach all the way back into the past with bobbyrayrose or the molina/wilson co-family and build something from the ground up is really impressive to me. also queen of unreliable narrator!!! my english degree ass geeks out about her stuff all the time

and @joyandthephantoms because the PUNCH she can pack into so few words!!! it would take me a bazillion words to build a story like "please don't hint that you're capable of lies" and she was just like *drops it into our laps* here it is! so casual and BAM it destroys you. also the turns of phrase are IMMACULATE. more geeking from my english degree ass akjfhsljg

and @julies-butterflies because her stuff is literally the funniest shit i've ever read. i've thought about the willie-living-in-the-bathtub AU every single day since i've read it. the delivery!! the concept!! the all-around dedication to very specific ideas and then letting them gain legs and go wild!! but then on the flip side, she's really good at the serious, more angsty stuff too, like the one with luke making girls cry or the ones that deal with julie's grief. she's so good at diving deep into things and making you follow right along with her

and @weneedglitter because of the waterworks!!! i need to finish reading her stuff tbh but everything i've read of hers so far has made me cry. literally every single one...and not a little bit of crying, either. like full-on ugly crying in my dark bedroom all alone, hugging myself in PAIN. which is literally all i ask from my media so. yes.

kjahfkljh that ended up just being me throwing a list of your friends at you, but you were my window into this fandom so i found the Good Stuff through you lmao. shout out to all the talent!!

29) Do you have a story that you feel doesn’t get as much love as you’d like?

hmmm probably no compromise and no second best just bc that's one of the most heartfelt things i've ever written (like not to answer #25 about it lol but i p much SOBBED all the way through writing it), and it got a less interaction than everything else. which i honestly don't mind that much, because the people who've loved it have really loved it and that means so much to me! especially everyone who has said that they relate and that it made them feel understood. i'm not hugely bothered about traffic numbers so long as someone liked it, you feel me??

anyways thanks for the ask and sorry for the essays ksjhkljgh

[jonroxton]

can you talk about chlark beyond chloe? personally i think it's weird that the writers kept adding kisses and weird romantic moments without any pay off. i don't know much about the fandom back then but i think the writers were baiting fans since clark/chloe seems to be the second most popular ship after clex. second i personally think chloe would never be happy with clark or anyone tbh and she doesn't seem like the type of person who would have kids so the finale was weird to me.

this got looooong :)

0. it WAS weird, and the choice to never not once go for it with them was to the story's detriment. I'll get into it a little later on in this post.

Re: shipping in sv fandom. there was definitely drama (clana was HUGE when the show was airing and every ship was basically derailed by it lol) but I stayed in my clois lane with a small circle of fandom friends much like I do now. a good measure of clois fans were fans of lois and clark from other mediums, come to sv just for lois and clark, myself included. we were pretty insulated as a fandom even back then. I do remember seeing more Chlark after the S5 finale (when Chloe kisses him goodbye), but those dropped off after Jimmy was introduced right away in S6. The most drama I encountered was with Chloisers: Chloe fans who believed wholeheartedly that Chloe was Lois. They hated SV!Lois and were convinced she would die so Chloe could take her name and job and place by Clark's side, thus a Chlark endgame. this was a popular theory amongst that fandom even into s9, when the clois ball started to roll for true.

bait and switch

a lot of Chlark is rooted in this notion that chloe WOULD be the best thing for Clark, the ideal Lois, the true best friend, the human hand guiding him through Earth's troubles. she would be could be the BEST possible lois archetype for Clark. it's not a wrong interpretation. she was specifically written as a lois-and-lana-proxy (teenage lana is a reporter in some AUs and even some as an adult as a tv correspondent) and she's given many lois-ish traits (tenacious, secretly crushing on clark and in denial), but this interpretation is deeply flawed. first, because lois does eventually enter into the picture and she has her own defining traits that, when compared to chloe, make chloe seem much shallower than realized. secondly, within the complete context of the story, her position in the greater narrative is not as ~the one who got away, the way it did very early on in S1-S4, but one who clark tolerates.

they're friends because clark is forgiving and chloe has staying power. their friendship is riddled with insecurities and unknowns the characters create for themselves. their dynamic is defined by conflict, not resolutions. this is not made easy by the fact that chloe is such a strangely written character, but ultimately she is positioned as a counter to clark achieving his happiness. not a thematic narrative foil but an obstacle clark eventually relents to.

2. and it has been so from the get-go

S1 is the best season for them and the single season which actually considers Clark's side in this dynamic. everything about them later on can be explained with how they are in this season. and that's the problem. when they're 14 it's nice teen angst drama and works perfectly to establish the dynamic. when they're 24 it's at best a pattern, at worst regression. we expect certain behaviors, dismiss them too, when it's children, at least I do. clark and chloe never move beyond the dynamic they establish in s1 and early s2. in essence, clark and chloe remain children around each other. they have many discussions in the later seasons that make at least one appear petulant.

so S1 clark has just been told the greatest secret of his existence and he imprints on lana hard that same night (right AFTER jonathan tells him, he meets lana at the graveyard and talks to her for the first time EVER, a lot of childhood imprinting going on in SV). all of s1 follows clark's heartache over lana, watching her from afar and figuring out a way to be near her. this pain is exacerbated by the fact that he believes he caused her her greatest grief: the death of her parents via the meteor shower which he arrived in.

here the first beat of the chlark dynamic is established: chloe's job and passion – the wall of weird and her pursuing the meteor infected oddities of SV - directly affects clark in a negative way (he's suicidal for much of s1-s3). so her crush on him is countered with her unknowingly causing him great grief. om top of that: clark becomes part of this passion of hers and she eventually begins to pursue him as a story to be uncovered, very superman yes. here tho, it causes nothing but strife for them and paints chloe in an awful light (and clark too, highlighting his refusal to open up). I personally enjoy this aspect of them in s1. bc they're so young I give em a free pass and it's a good conflict playing around with old superman tropes, but it makes for a fraught friendship.

3. the second beat

is that neither chloe's crush on clark, nor his asking her to stop pursuing his truth, do anything to stay her. her tenaciousness becomes intrusiveness and inconsideration (many of her accomplishments irt the daily planet are directly bc she betrays clark). she simply will not listen to her friend and does not believe his livelihood and autonomy is worth losing a story over. this is literally the opposite of comics/live action lois lane, who in various versions drops the clark reveal story to protect him. this passion turns vindictive pretty early for chloe, who eventually pursues stories about clark out of jealousy and entitlement (against lana also).

4. the third beat

is that clark doesn't ever see chloe as romantic prospect except this time in s1. the tornado trapping lana pulls him away from any solidifying of the clark/chloe dynamic, and that's that. but we know clark was willing to go for it in early s2 when he apologizes to chloe about running off on her. it's chloe who decides not to go on with the relationship. clark is visibly confused, but also 15 so he can't see that chloe is putting on a brave front to protect herself from clark running off again. I liked this too as it's another play on superman tropes, but my sympathy for them stops here.

5. and stays here

these beats are the entirety of this dynamic. everything about chlark can be distilled down to their childhood. it's why I don't hate them completely, bc I have a lot of love for kids who hurt in such a way and that time is never easy. in s8 (I think its s8) when we get a flashback to when they meet as kids (more imprinting!). little tenacious cute chloe kisses insecure clark bc of the funny awkward tension, acknowledging it, and then immediately takes it back because they're better as friends. (also they’re like 11 lol)

every single romantic moment with them is undercut either by chloe herself, or by the presence of other storylines/romances the writers wanted to pursue. the lack of integrity in chloe and the lack of interest in clark, regardless of how sincere their connection or how messed up, is a central part of their dynamic that needs to be reconciled with their friendship. and its exhausting bc there is never a point they are ever truly comfortable around each other.

6. to a fault

knowing the secret doesn't change chloe's methods. it doesn't make chloe clark's great confidante. if anything, it complicates matters for both because their relationship then becomes about the greater good and clark's great destiny. everything chloe does becomes about that, which in theory sounds awesome, but is executed much the same way as s1!chlark: by reiterating behaviors that highlight the negative aspects of that loyalty and the negative aspects of their characters.

the single time they do actively examine what this loyalty means and how chloe's hero complex complicates things for chlark is with s8 and davis. she protects davis with the skills of subterfuge and secrecy she developed as clark's friend. and it costs her jimmy and a lot of her personal integrity as a character. tho ironically it makes chloe the strongest she's been as a character. this is the first time clark is forced to view chloe as an enemy and he never quite recovers from discovering the dark depths she’s willing to go to. 

it's an arc dealing with the established beats: how far chloe is willing to go for a kryptonian (very far), how much she's willing to do for him (A LOT and all of it illegal), and what it costs her (jimmy). it deals with her jealousy (always second choice) and her motivations (uncovering the truth). this great want that she struggled with for years is turned on its head and examined, revealing just how weird and dark her hero complex is because obviously davis is not clark. davis/chloe served to highlight more than any other arc how it's really too bad that clark never saw her that way, because she has so much love to give and when channeled, it's a great force. only it's a great force for evil. clark has to confront that it’s not just lex but his other closest friend who is willing to go so far. they backtrack hard in s9 and s10 but they keep this underlying wariness in clark towards Chloe throughout. it’s not anything new, but it’s no longer subtext that clark doesn’t fully trust chloe.

7. And that's the rub

in the end. chloe and clark have many storylines they're in together and chloe's important.... to develop clark and as a counter to clark. clark never instigates anything, not once, for 9 years! when the show did give us Moments TM, clark is reacting, not actively making choices to connect to her. if anything, clark is incredibly awkward about chloe when they become intimate. he doesn't seem to know what to do with her crushing on him (the elevator scene is a great one to show just how awkward chloe makes him feel). more than that. clark never tells her his secret. and later on, chloe doesn't tell him half the crazy wild shit she does to protect him bc she knows he would disapprove. I still hold that the only reason they work is bc clark is a forgiving character and would give her chance after chance after chance. that's the watsonian explanation, but the doylist explanation is that the writers just never cared to explore them beyond this point.

8. and what was beyond that point?

they would've been a great counter to lexana in S6 and early clana (clark finally having a gf who knows). it’s playing the clark/Chloe as a straight lois/clark proxy before actually pursuing lois and clark. it could’ve been the precursor to davis and caused an even more personal conflict! the kiss at the end of s5 was their chance. they could've written chlark devolving much the same way lexana did in s6 (or not). but again. the writers never went that far and clearly never wanted to. it kept chlark forever in this stage of childhood friendship always on the brink of collapsing, tittering either way. it's also tough to speculate bc clark's just not into her. in fact he becomes more and more wary of her, to the point where he believes she can do horrible things, and he's right. the stories continually make their methods complete opposite.

they go out of their way to show chloe realizing how happy clark is with lois. and even play a joke on the fandom by literally turning her into lois and seeing the sparks between her friends. it's almost... cruel but it does serve to show how clark is when he's smitten and he's never looked at chloe that way except during the dance when they were kids. other unrequited dynamics have at least some spark from the desired, but nil from clark. clark is into chloe in late s1, but she shuts him down, and when he seems to be into her again (damn that s5 kiss was a good one lol), she shuts him down again. it's just a weird writing choice all around, and that they kept nuggets of it throughout the show is the thing I cringe at most whenever I rewatch.

9. bait and switch 2

with hindsight it is definitely ship baiting and that sucks for that dynamic bc without it their friendship would’ve been the stronger, or at least not full of so much negativity. all it did was remind everyone that chloe’s been duped since she was a kid and that clark is both stupid and strange for never noticing and letting her get away with shit just bc she’s the most loyal. I don’t ship them and even I get frustrated lol

[destieldailynews]

Meet the Staff!

Here at the DDN we have a lovely crew of hard working hellers devoted to getting you the facts when you need them. We’ve each written bios introducing ourselves which are located beneath the cut. If you’re interested in joining the team, here is a post about what we need.

A note: if you didn’t get a response to your application it is possible there was a typo in your blog url that kept us from reaching out. if you applied and would like to know the status of your application, go ahead and send a DM to @lateral-org.

Hi! I’m Lina, (she/her) and I write the news! I’m actually quite a new addition to the fandom, as I only got properly involved at the beginning of quarantine, but I am already invested enough to be reading a copious amount of fan fiction and writing an essay on the queer representation in the show. My favourite quote has to be “happiness isn’t in the having. It’s in just being. It’s in just saying it,” and that is why I will never get over 15x18.

Hey! I’m T (@lateral-org), my pronouns are she/they and I’m the main editor for DDN. I used to be obsessed with SPN in 2015 but stopped watching regularly around season twelve. 15x18 sucked me back in, and now I’m invested not just in the show, but all of the stuff going on behind the scenes. I joined DDN because keeping up with #destielgate has basically just become a hobby of mine, and I wanted to make the details more accessible to anyone else who was interested. I’m a deangirl through and through, and my favorite quote is “I have no idea, but what I do have is a GED and a give ‘em hell attitude. I’ll figure it out.” 

Howdy! I’m Jas (@you-changedmedean), she/her, and I’m a researcher/editor for DDN, plus doing a bit of blog maintenance. I’ve been casually around the fandom since high school but in 2018 is when I got emotionally involved. I’m currently in college and I began my Tumblr only this year. I’ve already received so much support from everyone in the fandom and it’s been the craziest ride. Even if S/P/N is over, there’s still so much to uncover from the last season. With future conventions on the way as well as actors speaking up more, DDN will be able to provide relevant and accurate information to the fandom in a timely manner. Favorite character is Castiel and if my username (you-changedmedean) can tell you anything, it’s also my favorite quote. 

Hi! I'm Amber, she/her, (@my-people-skillls-are-rusty) and I am a researcher/editor for DDN. I've been in the fandom since around 2015 but got a lot more active in the last couple of years. I don't really know why I joined DDN, I just had a lot of free time and was very invested in the fandom, so might as well have it directed somewhere. My favourite character is either Dean or Castiel, I can't choose between them.  I also don't have a favourite quote as there are so many to choose from, but as its my user name I will go with 'my "people skills" are "rusty"'

Hey! I’m Ally, she/her (@larandomfangirl) and I am a researcher/writer/editor for DDN. I started watching Supernatural back when I was in 8th grade in 2017, and have remained caught up and active in the fandom since then. I joined DDN because 15x18, and everything that has happened since then, made me even more invested in the show and I wanted to help spread factual information about whatever occurs next. My favorite character is either Sam or Cas (I blame being a younger sibling for that), and one of my favorite quotes is “happiness isn’t in the having. It’s in just being. It’s in just saying it.”

Hi! I am Saffa (she/her) (@castiel-holmeshasthephonebox), and I am one of the writers on DDN! I was introduced to Supernatural by tumblr only a year ago, and since then I have been completely hooked. First, I fell in love with Dean and then I fell in love with the creative side of the fandom, all the fics and edits, and I just tumbled deeper down the destiel hell-hole. My favourite quote is "I'm hunted, I rebelled, and I did all of it for you."

Hey! I’m El (they/them)  (@desperately-human) I am one of the writer/editors here at DDN. I only started paying attention to Supernatural this fall (november 5, really) but since then, having every update on #destielgate has been my main hobby. Almost everything I know I have absorbed through memes, liveblogs, and those amvs on youtube. I’ve never actually seen an episode all the way through. That said, upon reflection i believe I am a Cas girl gender neutral term. Cliche but intense, I like “I’m the one who gripped you tight and raised you from perdition.” 

Hello! My name is Liz (@bart-ska-mpson) and I am a researcher/writer. Got into SPN in 2014-ish because of superwholock tumblr peer pressure, and whattaknow, it became my favorite of all of them, mainly because of the sheer power of Destiel! I read meta like the morning newspaper back then. I became frustrated by the end of s10 and by the time Lucifer possessed the president I just could not take it anymore (if only I kept watching til Lily Sunder :’(...). But really I never totally lost faith in canon Destiel and  words cannot describe the feeling I had when I heard through Tumblr that it finally happened. I’ve been so obsessed with trying to figure out what's “really happening” so I figured I might as well help out here. My favorite quote is the whole conversation Dean and Cas have when he finds him in Purgatory. “I prayed to you Cas, every night!” “I know” </33333

Hi! I'm Kat (@team-free-memes), she/her, and I'm a researcher and editor here at the DDN. I was internet-pressured into watching the show after seeing so many posts about it online. I've been in the fandom for over a year. I joined the DDN because I've always been an avid Destiel shipper and season 16 has gripped me tight and raised me from sanity, so I want to help clear things up for other fans lost in the sea of conspiracy theories to ensure that the truth circulates. I can't choose between Cas and Jack for the title of my favorite character, but in any case I am definitely Dean coded. My favorite quote is, "Now I realize that there is no righteous path. It's just people trying to do their best in a world where it's far too easy to do your worst."

Hey! My name is Lana (@curvedsphere), she/they, and I’m a part of the research, editing, and blog teams at DDN. I started watching the show when season 11 was airing, but didn’t get into fandom until early season 13, where I fell hard and fast into this community and have been here ever since! It’s also when I started actively and avidly shipping Destiel (I was just a casual shipper before then). I joined the DDN because I’m so truly invested in season 16 - in finding/figuring out as much of the truth as possible about the finale and the rest of season 15. My favourite character is probably Cas, but I love all of TFW 2.0 and Wayward a lot. I have so many favourite quotes that I love, but not-surprisingly I think I have to go with either “Happiness isn’t in the having, it’s in just being”, or “for love”.

Hi! I’m Steph (@stephlovessubway), she/her and I’m a researcher at DDN. I started watching the show in 2007 (on YouTube no less) and then watching live with season 4 in 2008. I have seen the highs (season 4 and season 5) and the lows (season 7) on Tumblr, and took a break for a few years and started back with season 10. I rewatched all the series in the first UK lockdown and managed to witness the wild end of season 15. I’ve shipped destiel from the beginning, mainly because Cas is my favourite character, and have thoroughly enjoyed season 16 on Tumblr. My favourite quote is Cas’s monologue at the beginning of The Man Who Would Be King.

[certifiedceraunophile]

More Salty asks 👀

18, 21, 5, 4, 3, 7, 10.

ty <3

So sorry it took me so long to answer anon but here's the salt you've asked for

18. Does not shipping something ‘popular’ mean you’re in denial and/or biased?

God no, wtf kind of logic is that, you can or not do something, as in shipping, or stanning or being an anti, for literally ANY reason including no reason, I repeat, you dont need a single fucking reason, much less a "valid" one, there is literally nothing called a valid reason when it comes to fandom bc all reasons are valid at the end of the day, since it's ffs JUST fiction. If you dont ship/stan something popular good for you, hang out w your rare pairs and fall in love w your minor characters, you want to write terrible fucking incoherent anti-metas about a character that's very popular, go ahead DO IT, literally nothing should stop you, it is not problematic to HATE an objectively good character w absolutely no reason, it's not problematic to LOVE a scumbag character for the shallowest reason, it's not problematic to condone evil acts done by your fav character and praise them and love them for it, it is not problematic to want a character killed simply bc they mildly grate you, it is not problematic to do or feel anything about a character as long as your aware that this character or ship cannot be removed from their fictional world and you are simply judging a fictional object who's actions and principles are bound to the fictional world they exist in and cannot in any way affect the real world beyond the value of entertainment.

--also completely tangential side note but if anybody thinks the depravities or deplorable actions explored in a fictional work can in anyway enable real life people who have consumed such media, to do and/or consider the same, I would politely suggest you to restrain from projecting your grossly malleable mind that's clearly more impressionable the wet stinking cement on to others, bc believe it or not most of us have this innate ability to not only separate fiction from reality, but also pick and choose what media we consume is allowed to influence us in addition to entertaining us--

But back to the point, my answer to that question is no, you are not biased, you are not in denial, you simply choose not to invest your time and energy and mindspace into this one fictional being or couple and that is just about the most valid thing as any.

21.What are your thoughts on crack ships?

absolutely love them, I really wish there are more absolutely WILD ships that have no logical reasoning behind them to exist in the fandoms I am part of.

5.Has fandom ever ruined a pairing for you?*

Nope. although it has made a ship I was already mildly averse to even more worse in my eyes, but I dont think that counts.

4.Do you have a NoTP in your fandom? Are they a popular OTP?

Yep and it's a LIST, let's see Steroline, Bamon, Klayley, Klamille, Marbekah, I HATE KOLVINA.

And yeah that's about it, don't get me wrong I dont like many ships and need to click off ff if they are a part of it as a side pairing, but these are the ones I loathe w a passion bc one half of the ship is a character I absolutely LOVE and the other half is just the GREATEST disservice done to said characters,

For steroline- I wish stefan was never fished out from the bottom of that lake.

Bamon- Damon can get his dick skinned.

Klayley- Klaus is a fucking cockroach I agree. but Hayley good god is not helping the situation at all. Same for Klamille.

Marbekah-it's incest yall first of all, and second Rebekah deserves a man who fucking chooses her EVERYTIME and not just once when it's convenient for him.

Kolvina: I-I-do I even need to elaborate?? THE DISSERVICE DONE TO KOL. Christ. I am sorry but this ship I truly hate w a passion too strong for me to even bother playing it cool.

3. Have you ever unfollowed someone over a fandom opinion?

Nope. But I do block that specific tag/content so that when they post about the specific topic we disagree on I am not able to see it, CURATE YOUR FANDOM EXPERIENCE ALWAYS THANKS, and also having shitty shipping opinions is the last thing you can do to get me fired up and stop talking to you, my bff is both a steroline shipper and a Kolvina shipper, but she's my ride or die, like fandom opinions and thoughts on a fictional character amount to literally NOTHING in real life, and I really hope people understand that, but also at the same time in tumblr specifically, if a blog you follow posts anti-posts about your fav character or something like that absolutely unfollow them if you are not comfortable seeing it? following them to engage in fandom discourse is not something I personally would ever do, but as long both the parties involved are interested in discourse i see no harm, but if youre not willing to engage or even see such content ma'am wtf is it even doing on your dash UNFOLLOW and block the tag please.

[already answered the next q so I'm copy pasting it here]

7. Is there anything you used to like but can’t stand now?

oh lmao I wouldnt have been able to understand this question yesterday, but like today I was again hunting scenes for gifs, and I found that Marcel actually holds no appeal to me, in fact, If Elijah decided to slap his head off, I wouldnt have minded at all. Also I was a forwood shipper at the time but now I look at them and have this inexplicable urge to scratch something.

10. Most disliked arc? Why?

Redemption arcs, jfc I HATE THEM, mostly bc my ability to perceive villains shuttles between two distinct opposites, "They are depraved, and evil and everything wrong in this world and I LOVE THEM." or "They are depraved and evil and everything wrong in the world and I HATE THEM" there is literally no in between, so in the first case I love them precisely because they are the scourge of the earth, and a redemption arc [not that I've ever seen one done even mildly ok-ish for the characters to actually redeem them] will literally work to unfuck their fuckiness that I absolutely ADORE. So no I do not want redemption arcs for them at all, and on the flip side when I hate an evil character the only redemption I will accept is them being of good use to the maggots that feast on their dead rotten corpse.

This is the ask

[mistyeyedbi-archive]

End Of Year Faves 2020

Tagged by the legendary @kiki-the-creator! I’m pretty late so whoever sees this can go ahead! Tag me back if you decide to join so I can check out your stuff!

Rules:

It’s time to love yourselves! Choose your 8 (ish) favourite works you created in the past year (fics, art, edits, etc.) and link them below to reflect on the amazing things you brought into the world in 2020. Tag as many writers/artists/etc. as you want (fan or original) so we can spread the love and link each other to awesome work!

I don’t think I have eight things to present lol. This year hasn’t been my best from a creative point of view, but I guess something is better than nothing. I’ll just put whatever I’m proudest of (including things I haven’t posted)

1. Compromised (LITG)

“Iona seems pretty blunt and out there. You can’t not notice her, you know? Rejecting six proposals though? She’s probably hard to tie down. If those were all from the same person, I extend my lashes to you babes.” Kioni paused and smirked before adding, “I can see why it’s hard to resist getting on your knees for her.”

I mean, of course! It’s the first fic I’ve posted in years that wasn’t a oneshot. I had a lot of fun coming up with Kioni and the plot; I love it too much to bail on it completely. Maybe if I stopped myself from rewriting it so much it would be updated fast. Nicky x Kioni

2. Drive and Disconnect (LITG)

“We only have a few hours before we're kicked out anyway. I know the reunion was a shitshow, but we can’t stay in our hotel rooms forever.”

Kioni rose from the edge of her bed and picked up her journal, leaving her phone on the bed. She flicked through the pages before stopping on an entry detailing a getaway she planned a year ago. This was perfect! She wasn't planning on having company on the road but spending more time with Nicky and dodging shady photographers sounded much more interesting.

Kioni and Nicky on a roadtrip! This was fun too! I made a playlist and a moodboard and everything. I haven’t gone far with this one either but hey, maybe one day. Nicky x Kioni

3. Yes, I’m Changing (LITG)

A warm hand lands on her bare shoulder. She jolts before sighing at the dark brown eyes gazing at her. “Do you get off on startling me, Nicky?” asks Kioni.

He smiles softly and draws slow circles into her skin, “I called you three times. Are you okay?”

Her heart flutters. He was always so caring, always looking out for her. And he already knew so much about her, even before the unintentional confessions they made a few minutes ago. She couldn’t lie around him if she tried, and boy has she tried. The sides of her lips curl upwards despite herself, “I’m just lost in thought, I guess.”

Ah, yes, my first contribution to the litg fandom. It’s cute! Nicky x Kioni

4. It’s 3 In The Morning (LITG)

"Where are you going?" she said, mumbling into the pillow.

"I uh," Kioni's eyes darted towards the door. She was going to be gone for a while, so the bathroom wouldn't be a valid excuse. She sighed and smiled sheepishly ."I'm gonna look for the guitar."

AJ used her free hand to fumble with her phone after reaching for it blindly on the nightstand beside her. She squinted at the light and groaned. "Kioni, it's three in the morning."

A self indulgent fic that kept me up at night! AJ x Kioni

5. Are You High? You!? (LITG)

Surely she wouldn't mind if she ate one. She popped one in her mouth and smiled. Then grimaced. It tastes weird.

Another self indulgent fic! Lottie x Hannah

6. It’s On My To-Do List (LITG)

After being on Love Island she had become accustomed to being around unnaturally gorgeous people, she had to. There's no way she could survive if she was a nervous wreck every time someone looked her in the eye. Something about Priya was different and she couldn't stand not knowing what it was. Maybe that's why she was so enamored by her…

She gasped when Priya's eyes met hers. Goosebumps raised on her skin. Kioni snapped her head towards Noah, grasping her drink more firmly.

"Oh shit, she caught me staring."

A prompt for yours truly. Priya x Kioni

7. Detective Moodboards (TWC)

Zuri Jackson

Lucille Le Beau

I finally caved and made twc ocs! I adore them and I spend way too much time thinking about them. Eventually I’ll muster up the guts to write some fics with them.

8. Venomous Tongue (TWC)

“Oh, Rebecca,” she sighed in a sickly sweet voice. “You don’t seem to understand.”

She raised her hand and planted it on her shoulder in faux comfort. Muscles tensed beneath a grey blazer. Her smile widened by a fraction. Today, Zuri embraced her burning skin. She embraced her polluting touch.

“As far as I’m concerned, I’ve already lost both my parents.”

Some mother/daughter angst for my detective, Zuri Jackson. This hurt to write but I love it. I haven’t posted it because it’s not something that actually happens, and it would be a WILD introduction to her character like SHIIIT.

[shy-magpie]

RQG 152

Poor Alex, there was no way to know and changing the story would be more of a breach of the implied contract than going forward. Plus side this warning implies we'll get more info on how the biology of the infection works before RSB actually explodes. To be clear I am all for warnings, I just imagine this was one heck of an awkward position for Alex & co to find themselves in. Well one would think they wanted to get through the intros as fast as physically possible! Seriously bless em for sticking with the structure instead of saying screw it and diving right in. Must be frustrating but it really helps me get in the right space to listen. Yeah it was a bit of an altruism run. That Ben physically ill at the prospect of characters talking? Yuck it up, I was specifically promised three (3) distinct topics would be addressed including both coping mechanisms and back stories. Poor Azu. If someone doesn't hold her while she has a proper cry I will be an unhappy Magpie. Are the new kids going to be invited to the conversations that are totally for sure not going to be put off for a month? Retcon: Barnes and Carter actually fought well it. I guess they were just down to the tricky ones. Theatrical much? Cel is great, have I said that enough? Well obviously not it should be declared at least hourly: "2 o' clock and Cel is great". But right after last episode instead of backing down (and IDK implying Wilde told the new kids their pronouns), Cel is immediately introducing themself with them and emphasizing their importance. Hamid right in there with the leadership, telling the duo that the party needs to go into isolation. I know having Zolf around must have took some weight off his shoulders but the man has grown since season one or even since Prague. He didn't lose that just because he cheers up when not solely responsible for leading the party. Note there is a messy negotiation with Zolf about who is in charge coming up and it is a mark of my trust in this show that I'm not dreading it. Am curious if it will be explicit enough for the white picket fence kids to pick up on, I know I have a thing about rank but some people seem to miss that aspect entirely. OK point Zolf but even with his charisma score there has to be a better way to put it than "do that and you are responsible for infecting Jasper and the village". Wow I guess that is the case isn't it. Thank you leader!Hamid coming in again. Getting Cel the kind of updates on home Hamid was denied in quarantine is fairly low risk for great gains in Cel's comfort with the whole thing. Point of clarity: as much as I hate to admit it, once the quarantine began they couldn't really keep Hamid in the loop since Ishaq was in the care of the Harlequins. Its been implied even without simply escaping an infected person could have means of communication that work in am anti magic cell. The village however is public info. Zolf, I want that again in small words! Are we talking black death or infrastructure problems? Because a few targeted infections could take out the government but not directly kill the citizens. Cel is doing the forced cheer again. What the hell have they been through that they default to words of affirmation for gory violence? Like most characters acknowledge the gore or that it was helpful, not both. Barnes is more reserved outside of the fight. Issues? Trauma? Oh Helen spelling it out, he's my type, crap. "Emotionally unavailable pirate" is a lot of people's type TBF. No wonder I made a warding gesture on hearing Zolf's description and didn't warm up till Dover. These characters wear the red flag as a cape and I'm surprised when my heart gets broken every time. Eh Zolf came back and is doing well enough, maybe Barnes will turn out to just not be chatty vs heart rending. And Hamid in there with the initiative casting Detect Magic so they don't have to face all the risks implied with not checking over the bodies. Barnes and Carter are glowing "like a fireworks factory where things have gone wrong". Only Water Breathing on the mooks. Speaking of emotionally unavailable pirates, Zolf sounds resigned as hell. I know he's working on it but the situation would depress anyone and he's been having a time of it, what with the puzzles and all. Shutting down isn't actually coping better than being shouty just more convenient. Have I already mentioned I want someone to comfort Azu on screen so she can put herself first for once? Remember how bright she shone in Cairo? If she doesn't process soon she's going to echo Zolf's arc. Carter is trying to looking at the bright side. Thank you Ben and Alex, not only a mood lightener but one that reminds us that Zolf asks direct questions now. And Zolf just moved as clearly as possible to protect Azu after Carter lashed out in response to her. I know they have a ways to get to where Grizzop & Azu were but I think they are at least proper team mates. Maybe having Zolf on this side of the bars this time will ease anything Azu is carrying from their introduction. Cel is a delight. Did they just suggest hamster balls? I love how Alex jokes about his own set design. Ah there is Ben's Minecraft joke. I think that's what you call environmental story telling. I love the mental image of them making their entrance crashing the mine cart into the ambush, like half way between a roller-coaster and sledding. Ah its been so long Zolf can't apply his memories of mining. They are officially out! Azu and Zolf are finally breathing right. Hey Zolf broke the weather machine! Cel takes a look see. Plumes of smoke from Shoin's? Wreckage from all the storms. Zolf joins Cel and USES HIS WORDS! I am so proud of him. Like not kidding learning to proactively offer praise & comfort instead of only offering concrete assistance in reaction is a huge step. Oh Cel! Getting yourself killed fighting alone would not have been better than defending your patch. And Zolf is right there, god remember Paris? Remember Prague? Now look at him. And there is the reality check. Not as jarring as it could have been. Azu is face down on the ground near Hamid! No more putting on her game face and slogging through it! Yes, process all you need darlin, no reason to rush. Hamid checks in! Azu takes his hand and explicitly talks about how scary it was when he was missing. Hamid talks about putting on a brave face for Skraak! RQG really just said "we're giving the fandom everything they want" in an episode recorded before we had a chance to ask. Azu checks in with Hamid! Oh Hamid its ok not to be ok. Oh hat Azu! Hamid call your family 18mumble is a go! Alex I will scream if he gets another delaying tactic. Cross your fingers we might get Ishaq and Saira! Azu assures him it would OK. Timing Zolf Horses! Topaz! Barnes: right Well that's a fair reaction to a celestial camel, he doesn't even know what the T stands for. Azu hugs Topaz Thank you Alex for making judgmental celestial camel canon.  How GMs don't all go insane with power from the moment it hits they can rewrite their world on a whim is beyond me. A Shetland for Hamid, a standard sounding horse for Cel, a cart horse for Azu, and another Shetland for Zolf. Carter can't get the question out before Zolf shuts him down. He is sticking to his word to Skraak, the island belongs to the Kobolds. Hamid calls en route! Bryn remembers to roll for it! Ishaq is a great kid, such a good sign he sounds like a kid too. Yes the kids are all together in the country house! Dad is at a redacted location, thank you Alex! Mom is alright! Saira is busy and the biggest problem with Ismail is that he is now taller than Ishaq! Ismail is good at magic too. Family bonding time. Einstein is working. Emeka & Veseek are helping things. Ed is with the family. Zolf is not happy about the call. Fair Zolf but none of us are regretting that call. Eh it being a one time thing is fair. Have I mentioned I like how Hamid & Zolf bicker? Its not like with Grizzop. They assume good faith and argue about the issue not score points. Part of why I shipped them in the beginning honestly: charismatic as Hamid is he probably impressioned like a duck on the first person to care more about what he was saying than how he said it. They joke about how hard nonverbal shots are in a podcast. Yes Alex we really do respect your craft. Might have been reassuring Ben. Helen is on the audience's side as always and tells him to pay up on the promised coping mechanisms talk. And Alex makes them roll a perception check. Do not talk block. Carter has been trying to eavesdrop. Azu tells him he isn't invited and Zolf tosses something at his head. Carter slinks back off. Zolf is still not good with words but he is resisting the urge to take it back. That counts damn it! Azu: your not good at talking for someone who says we need to talk. Yes Azu, and thats what makes it special. He is willing to put himself out there and do things he is bad at for the sake of the team. I like how Helen plays Azu getting over her issues with Zolf rather than just leaping to "Hamid vouched for you so we're besties". I need a clip of this, Zolf is offering to listen and be there while respecting boundaries and citing his own experience. Helen is great, Azu jumps right into the 18 months by asking about his relationship with Poseidon. Which again makes sense, as Azu is still working on "we met after you drugged, trapped, and imprisoned me". Which I get but seriously couldn't it have been in the stew or something? Drugging a woman's drink has connotations. Azu backstory(ish) oh thank Alex her cult is still doing the good work. Zolf tells Azu this, and offers her an out? Hamid & Zolf offer reassurance. Yes Hamid specifically tells her it isn't her fault. Zolf assures her that she isn't responsible for Sasha's decisions. Cel and Carter are chatting about what they've seen on the island.  Barnes tells them to keep the volume down and does Zolf's thing of bouncing something off Carter's head when he's loud again. Hamid moves to check in with Cel. Cel calls him on it.  Hamid asks what Cel plans to do after quarantine! Thank you Bryn! Cel doesn't know, ow. Cel feels obligated to be more proactive. Hamid reassures and points out that they were able to do it as a team so its not on Cel for not acting alone. Cel what is your backstory, afraid of being the monster. Thank you, I could wrap myself in this episode like a blanket. Cel how do you know that about being friends with mercs? Hamid would do it again but wants them to have a choice. Cel: When I call you little buddy I m not referring to the size of your heart. And that was veering saccharine so Ben swoops in with the Harrison Campbell joke. Do not make me get into why Hamid might be using snobbery as a cover for continuing to care more about what people might think than what he wants. Its a cheap shot for what could equally be he's that age and still has some flaws to work through. Thank you Alex for being realistic about horse pace without turning it into a word problem. Wilde! Cel points out the inn keeper could be infected, the boys explain the system of watching one another. Zolf is not letting Wilde get cute with his team again. Wilde wants them "fully supervised" in the bath. I feared that Alex, Wilde turned himself off again. Zolf calls him on it, kinda. They skim past the bath, thank you that could have been problematic. Thank goodness they are leaving the cell door open but locking the trap door. The new kids are in quarantine with them. Fair, going to be fun, but fair.  

[writteninsunshine]

Worker Bee - Andrea Rhodea/Reno - SFW-Ish

Title: Worker Bee Author: Donnie Fandom: Final Fantasy VII Remake Setting: The Honeybee Inn Pairing: Andrea Rhodea/Reno Characters: Andrea Rhodea, Reno, Honeygirl OC: Chastity, Honeygirl OC: Lacey, Honeyboy OC: Darnell, Honeyboy OC: Haddick Genre: Romance/Humor Rating: T Chapters: 1/1 Word Count: 1423 Type of Work: One-Shot, Part of the Honey Bucket series Status: Complete Warnings: Gay, Slash, Yaoi, MLM, AU - Canon Divergent, AU - Honeybee!Reno, Burlesque Dancing, Canon Mentions of Noncon, Reno Wears The Honeygirl Outfit Because Andrea’s Cool, Crossdressing, Crossdresser, Some Suggestive Touching Disclaimer: I don’t own anything. Summary: All Work Reno and no Fun Reno made Reno less money. AN: Hey guys, it’s me again! Just thought I ought to say, if you want vague updates and to talk to me more, I have Twitter and Tumblr, too! Twitter is Sunshinecackle, and Tumblr is Writteninsunshine! I also have a writing Discord that is currently pretty dead. xD I can PM it to people who want it on FFN, for everyone else, it’s here: discord.gg/FyaWw25 So, here we are again, with the start of the Honeybee!Reno fics! There will be quite a few of these, and I’m already in love with this AU. Reno works more as a Honeygirl, because he’s allowed to wear the outfit and Andrea is cool with breaking gender roles. Also, who wouldn’t want to put his tits in that outfit? Oof. I can’t help it. Buuut, I hope you guys like this! It’s mildly NSFW but not really more than suggestive.

Final Fantasy VII Fic Masterlist

Worker Bee ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Hands up by his shoulders, fingers curled in, Reno bobbed along with the gaggle of other girls, giggling alongside them to keep up. The quartet buzzed about, getting ready for the show and pausing to give gracious smiles and feather-light touches to return patrons. Reno diverted for just a second to run his surprisingly soft fingers under a man’s chin, drawing his eyes from the floor to see the sparkle in Reno’s own blue eyes.

Rejoining the swarm, he let the bumblebee butt on the back of his outfit bounce, no doubt keeping the man’s attention until he disappeared around a corner. Heading backstage to prepare for the show, a strong hand tugged him to the side and he looked up just in time to catch his boss’ smiling face. It was careful, sweet and gentle, something that fluttered Reno’s heart in his chest. A gentle kiss was pressed to his plump lips and it melted him in his heels, both arms wrapping around Andrea’s neck to keep him from losing his balance. “You’re going to do fantastic tonight, Reno.” Andrea purred into his ear, kissing it softly, “I’m looking forward to the show.” An ear to ear grin blossomed over Reno’s lips and he nodded, leaning in for another kiss to keep himself tided over until he was off work. “You bet your ass the show’s gonna be good,” Reno replied finally, having spent too long pushing back into kisses, lingering and needing more attention, “It always is.” His hungry mouth parted to invite the other’s tongue to explore, and Andrea gave him a fleeting taste of what was to come later. “You make a difference,” Andrea responded softly, breath washing over Reno’s lips as he spoke. He pulled away, finally, gently patting the back of Reno’s thigh, “Off with you, the show is about to begin.” He winked, provocative smile in place as he nodded in the direction that the other needed to go. Reno had to force himself to double-time click-clack backstage, getting into position with the other girls. “Andrea give you a personal pick-me-up, Honey?” Chastity questioned, shaking her head to toss her brunette to blonde ombre hair over her shoulders. Reno took up his spot beside her, copying the motion if only to show off how much longer his hair was than hers. At the very least, she giggled it off, playfully smacking his arm. “Show-off.” “You know he did.” Reno replied with a grin, “And you already know that about me, Honey Pop.” He winked, shifting into position as the lights dimmed on the floor, and the spotlights shone on the curtains. “Good luck!” “You, too, Honey!” Chastity chirped happily, just in time for the music to start. As the show began, Reno executed his moves in time with everyone else, keeping up with a kind of dedicated caution he never showed in his other job. Being a Turk sometimes meant he had to get creative, and he was valuable enough that his occasional upsets didn’t cost him too much. A lecture or two, a few disparaging comments from Rufus, and he was back on his feet with his job still as secure as ever. Here, however, the wild Turk he was in his day job took a backseat to the charm he turned up to eleven every night. The Honeybee Inn wasn’t a place where you wanted to stick out, at least not so much, so violently, and he wanted nothing more than to keep impressing Andrea Rhodea. The better he did at his job, the more the man seemed to grow attached to him. Even off-hours, they spent as much time together as was feasible. It had started as simply offering Reno somewhere to crash one night when he was practically sleeping on his feet, but things could never stay so simple in either of their lives. One night of cuddling in Andrea’s incredibly soft bed had turned Reno onto the finer things in life, and an odd kinship had been born. Around a lot of people, Reno had to tamp down on himself, even if he could get overexcited and his filters eroded under his opinions. Around Andrea, though, he could be himself, he could wear what he wanted to, do what he wanted to. When repairs on his home had become too costly, Reno had even badgered the other man into giving him a night job. As far as he knew, the other Turks didn’t know about his double life, and he wasn’t interested in divulging such things. No, this counted as Fun Reno time, and Work Reno had a restraining order on anything Fun Reno thought was a good idea. Okay, except for the occasional prank to light up the office. But beneath the bright lights, with the music pumping around him and the stage bringing attention to the veritable herd of them, everything fell away. He could cut loose and have the time of his life showing off for total strangers, faces obscured by the fluorescent glare blinding him to the dim room full of half-lidded eyes. Everything felt as comfortable on this stage as it did when he was in bed with the man he would call his sometimes-lover. It was no wonder that Andrea was on his mind more when he was working for ShinRa. Crawling out of his bed and slinking back plateside was the kind of walk of shame he actually didn’t appreciate. Even still, his mind was focused on the end goal, even as the finale of the show began, and he twirled into the arms of his designated partner like he was made for it. Reno was good at physical things, keeping his hands and feet busy kept his mind busier than paperwork every could. With one leg in the air, one arm above his head and his partner dipping him, he finished out the song while panting hard through his nose to avoid looking like he’d expelled too much effort. Following the others off stage, once the curtains cut to a close, Reno grinned at Chastity, who made a beeline for him as they were ushered to the back hallway where the dressing rooms were. Her comically tiny steps only fuelled Reno’s good mood, and she excitedly gestured with her hands as she spoke. “That was so good! I swear, we’re getting better all the time! I sure wish we could do another big show tonight.” “Well, everything else falls into place, don’t it? You get to dance again tonight, don’t you?” Reno drawled, smirking slightly as they rounded the corner towards the private rooms. “Yeah! I’m excited, it’s me, Lacey, Darnell, and Haddick.” She replied, clapping her hands several times in rapid succession as she shimmied along beside him to his usual private room. “You’re on Appointment Duty tonight, right?” “Oh, yeah, and I got some pretty big customers.” Reno almost cackled, shaking his head as he put his hands on his hips, “The kind that might get my shoe shoved up their ass if they try anything funny.” “Isn’t that like, everyone, though, Honey?” Chastity laughed, bending forward a bit to put her hands on her knees as she giggled happily. Parting her lips to speak again, she paused when a hand slid around Reno’s waist and he was tugged back into someone. Looking up, brows drawn in, she grinned the second she noticed it was Andrea. She waved with a little squeak of surprise, before giving a playful wink and turned on her heels to disappear into the crowd. “You did so well.” Andrea purred against Reno’s exposed back, kissing along the freckled skin there as he tugged the smaller in close. With his costume keeping them separated due to the large bubble of fabric and plastic, Reno was half-tempted to turn around, but Andrea managed to slot himself against the Honeyboy’s rump and kissed his ear anyway. “I always love watching you dance. You’re exquisite.” “I always love knowing you’re watching.” Reno nearly purred, finally managing to turn in the other’s arms before squeezing all the air out from between them. Andrea brushed the other’s hair out of his face, leaning in and tilting Reno’s head with two fingers on his chin to swipe his tongue against the redhead’s lips. With a little shudder, Reno melted against him, enjoying the strong hands dropping to his waist as they tugged him in tighter. “You have some work to do still, don’t you?” Andrea whispered against his mouth, and Reno licked at the other’s bottom lip. “I do, but as soon as I’m done, I’m gonna buzz on over to see you.” Reno winked, having to separate from his boss as someone cleared their throat behind him. “See you soon, Boss Man.” The redhead smirked as he gave a mock salute, taking a couple swinging steps backward before turning and fluttering to his first client of the evening. “This way, Honey~ Hope I didn’t keep you waiting too long.” ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ AN: I’ve been really loose with my ships and stuff lately, and honestly, I’m really loving playing with all of these. It’s too much fun, and I hope you guys are enjoying my ADHD brain on shipping the Remake. Reno’s gonna get a lot of attention! There will be at least 16 fics in this series, if every person on the list gets a single fic. We’ll see, though, I’m loving this Honeybeeno AU!

[usedtobewerealpacas-blog]

i’ve seen a lot of people saying that after all the e48/49 reveals with nott, they kind of… want her to be called out for using caleb? as a replacement for her own family? and i just wanted to write a quick thing and get my thoughts out about that, because that entire premise makes me really uncomfortable.

the basic idea is that, you know. nott and caleb have always been the mighty nein’s team-within-a-team. she’s half-jokingly his mom, and fandom i’ve noticed tends to treat her sort of as his pet -- a dear and beloved character, but also his accessory, there to be loyal to him and not much else.

and now all at once she has her own drama and family and other people in the world besides caleb she loves, and the reaction from some people being “oh wow! she never cared about caleb, she was just pretending he was her lost son!” is… strange? but it’s also really insulting to nott and caleb.

from the very first episodes, nott has been not just “caleb’s buddy” or even “caleb’s protector,” but has utterly devoted herself to him and his cause. by her own admission under magical manipulation, her motives have always been a little murky -- but as she says, it’s because she hopes he will someday help her (become halfling), not because she’s using him emotionally or whatever. on the contrary, nott puts herself into emotional crosshairs for him. she’s usually pretty easy-going and unassertive -- loud and weird, sure, and she sometimes  complains, but she generally does what she’s told and goes along with the group and doesn’t get mad. but when caleb is concerned?

that clip where nott explains she is the parent and he is the child, i think it is important to remember, comes after she’s put into a long confrontation with the other nein. molly, fjord, and beau are angry at her for trying to steal fjord’s letter, and then the argument turns to (the not present) caleb, with all three accusing him of being a poor team member, selfish, putting them all in danger, etc. they try to appeal to nott to intervene or to side with them, putting it as though she’s a child hostage who doesn’t know better. that’s when nott speaks up and clarifies that they have it wrong, that she is not some dumb child under caleb’s wing but actually his guardian. and then, in case you didn’t realize she was mad at the others, she goes downstairs to caleb, gives him the scroll everyone was angry about (that she had previously stolen), and basically shit talks the other nein for a minute. she does end up admitting they should probably be somewhat more team players, which caleb agrees, but nott was completely willing to be mad and burn her bridges with everyone else (but jester) in that moment. and unlike caleb, she’s always liked being part of the team more. she benefits a lot more, i think, than he does from being part of the nein: he does too, but he’s adept (if unhappy) living on his own, and she, we now know, has only very recently left the goblin clan and really really craves the nein’s acceptance. 

and yet she is willing to take responsibility for what molly et all deem caleb’s transgressions, throw them all away, and ally herself with caleb unconditionally. a few episodes later, he asks her to leave with him, and she says yes without hesitation. in episode three, nott at four hp throws herself over caleb’s body, willing to die for his safety. she loves the nein. she has made a habit of reckless dangerous moves to save the others. but she absolutely will and does put everything else  aside for caleb. a good half of the things she steals are things she’s not interested in, but she knows he’ll like, even.

it’s like sam said in the talks machina after e47 and the temple -- it’s really, really good for jester that caleb escaped the dragon first. nott would have cared about and wanted to protect jester, sure. but it’s never going to be a choice for her. she’d feel terrible after, but it’s never a choice. caleb is always her first priority.

but now all at once he is her second priority because her actual husband has been kidnapped, and she has a young son, and fandom is accusing her of having … what? done those things under false pretenses? been willing to die or burn her bridges with her friends for someone she’s just holding onto as a backup? that’s incredibly insulting, frankly, to nott and to caleb, because it also suggests that caleb is going to find out nott has a blue-eyed son and decide that all of that, his entire relationship with nott, is built on lies and therefore meaningless.

because LET’S TALK ABOUT CALEB REAL QUICK, since he is just as ride or die for nott as she is for him, frankly. we all are well aware that the fastest and best way to destroy him is for nott to get even like, a papercut. he teaches her magic. he knows she has parental-ish feelings towards him (i don’t think she’s ever said it to him directly? but i know jester has said it around him), but he also is on the record that she is like his little sister. his adored little sister, no less. he tries to treat her to things, make sure she is safe and happy, defends her from any and everyone (worth pointing out that after nott told him about that scroll fight, he straight up didn’t say a fucking word to fjord or molly for episodes. he and beau were tense too, and then the colbalt soul library happened, and that shifted things). sure, caleb relies on her for support -- but for him, even with his ENDLESS WELL of self loathing issues, to go “well, she has a REAL SON, so i no longer matter,” is FUCKING WILD. and would insult her and her motives and time knowing/protecting/defending him in a way i cannot believe caleb would ever do. he thinks nott is amazing. i can imagine him surprised she never mentioned her family to him (but it’s not like he doesn’t have secrets too). i can imagine him a little hurt about it. i can imagine him worried she’ll quit the nein once she has her husband back and leave him.

i cannot picture him blaming her or doubting her or deciding everything has been a giant lie, that nott — who has always been willing to sacrifice herself for everyone she loves, who sends letters home even sure her family would hate her if she went home, who has always been just a font of loyalty and devotion — just wanted Replacement Son. and if he did, i would honestly think a lot less of him. because what a shitty thing to throw in someone’s face. i know you’ve done  a lot for me and been willing to die for me and do anything i asked, but i don’t think you meant it because you have another family! okay see ya!

maybe day one caleb did remind nott of the family she’d lost. maybe nott was so tired of feeling like she wasn’t able to do anything, and then she met someone who needed her, and for the first time in a long time she felt needed and as though there was something she could do, she wasn’t just ‘nott’, she was caleb’s protector. maybe nott actually is that weird and really does think caleb is her new son. who knows!

but to reduce everything she has done for caleb and all the ways she continues to devote herself to him and his well being into “well, she probably doesn’t care because she has a real family” is just incredibly insulting to them both. 

you can love multiple people in your life! it is not a finite resource! thank you for coming to my TED talk!

[nire-the-mithridatist]

Dear Yuletide Writer,

 Thank you for writing a fic for me! You have an excellent taste in fandoms, if I may say so myself ;)

This is my first Yuletide ever and I am so very excited. I wish you the best with your (our?) fic, and I hope my prompts inspire you. For further details...

General Likes/Dislikes

I will read most stories. From angst to the crackiest crack, you name it! I have several squicks which I will mention below, but other than that, have at it. You can use whatever tense you want, and though I naturally gravitate towards limited third person, I absolutely welcome any POV. I love getting-together stories and post-relationship stories where they’re still kind of figuring things out and found family feels. I love character studies. I love introspective stories. I love outsider perspective stories.

I don’t prefer too-deep angst. Hurt/comfort and mild angst are preferable. As for squick, anything that’s a little extreme on the kink side. I am alright with light D/S, though honestly, sticking a little closer to vanilla is a safe option for you, if you’re writing something smutty for me (the exception being Belinda Blinked, whose selling point is its weird gross canon). I’d rather not read character death, gore, rape/non-con, and/or infidelity.

Most of all, though, I want to read something that’s true to the characters. A fic with a wild premise and unexpected AU with strong characterization is preferable to a canon-compliant fic that’s less about the characters.

Fandom-specific Preference: These are things I like from canon and would like to see more in a fic. Naturally (and you know it), these are all optional, but hopefully they’re helpful.

ヲタクに恋は難しい | Wotaku ni Koi wa Muzukashii | Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku (Anime & Manga)

What I love about Wotakoi is that it’s such a wonderful depiction of fannish life. A mundane dayjob, a mostly functional adult life, and the panic of making a doujin right before Comiket and game nights and Animate trips. Debates about OTPs. Shipping your boyfriends with each other (and arguing about who tops and who bottoms, between them). How sometimes we don’t end up with our exact ‘type’, and that’s somehow ideal anyway. 

From this fandom, I want to experience a soft content sort of happiness. I want friendship or soft romance or found family shenanigans. The details are up to you, of course, but ultimately, I’d like a soft sort of happiness for these dorks.

Belinda Blinked Series - Rocky Flintstone 

I’m sure you know why I love this. The same reason why anyone loves this: this is a ridiculous, silly, hilarious, wild story. If you’re writing for this fandom, please feel free to go a little wild. My DNWs stand for extreme kink, but I trust your judgement. My limit is probably the absolutely bonkers Magic Flute chapter in canon, so anything milder or around that level of kink is fine by me.

In this canon, I’d prefer a tone that’s either very absurd or very serious (a curveball!) and I do like the espionage plotline a lot. I probably would like something a little meta that may address the podcast side of things, but... up to you, really.

Uprooted - Naomi Novik

Nieshka is my hero and I love her to death. I love how badass she is. I love how absolutely horny she is throughout the book. I love her deep, enduring, unconditional love for Kasia. Though I’d prefer to read something from Nieshka’s POV, I’d take a Sarkan POV or Kasia POV too! As I mentioned in the optional details, Sarkan does not have to be included even though he’s listed. He’s optional. I am rather fond of him, but I understand if he can be a little difficult to work with (because we all know he’s a butt). The magical, folklore-ish aspect is also something I’d enjoy, either as a plot point or a backdrop to the fic.

Dimension 20: Escape from the Bloodkeep (Web Series)

SHENANIGANS. They are my favourite found family and I do love them TO BITS. I adore how they genuinely care for each other even when committing cartoonishly evil deeds. Have I mentioned that I love found family feels? I WILL DIE FOR FOUND FAMILY FEELS. I also really am fond of Leiland’s horniness for Markus, and Efink and Lilith’s deep friendship (that... can be more?) and I know that Sokh-barr, J’er’em’ih, Maggie, John Feathers, Galfast Hamhead, and Leiland Jr. are not listed in the tagset, but I will welcome them with open arms nonetheless (though of course, optional. I will not demand it of you). In short, shenanigans, please and thank you.

Fleabag (TV)

I’d like a single-character, or a two-character focus for this fandom. Something quiet that captures the inner monologue and the slightly absurd and yet still day-to-day struggles faced by the characters. Character work is my absolute do want.

[drgnrder82]

Fictober 2019: Day 23

Fandom: Pokemon / Detective Pikachu

Prompt: “We could have a chance.”

Rating: T (swearing, blood, horror-ish themes like Ghost types stealing souls)

Trigger Warning: Blood and general horror themes (see above)

Characters:  Tim Goodman, Harry Goodman, Pikachu, Emolga, OC’s Alison Angeles, Lampent

A/N: These snippets follow after the events of a fanfic I finished called Heart of Gold that can be read in full on AO3 here.

Figure this is fairly Halloween themed so...Happy Early Halloween!

______________________________________

Screeching tires and horns blaring preceded the sound of metal furiously colliding. Then it was the cries of all the onlookers that led Tim and his dad down the street. Tim felt a cold dread. He’d thought maybe they could help but when they got to the twisted wreckage he felt a pit open wide inside of him.

A tiny voice called out to him. Over and over screaming his name before he realized he’d been on the phone with Alison. She was still calling his name when he answered, “There was an accident.” A woman lay bleeding in the street, her partner Eevee whining and whimpering at her side with red patches soaking into her fur. “Oh my god, I...” Harry snatched the phone from Tim’s ear to guide him to the woman. Eevee wobbled as she went to nuzzle her partner’s hand.

Harry’s hoodie became a makeshift bandage. “Hold it here,” he guided Tim’s hands to the her face where he’d covered it with the cloth. “Firmly. Talk to her.” He rushed off to the other car where some other bystanders were trying to pry the door open. Anyone who tried to get through to emergency services got a busy signal and there were no sirens blaring toward them.

They needed something to pry the door or break the glass or, well, some way to get in. Laying across the deflating airbag were limbs that probably belongs to a man. Harry couldn’t tell how old. Older than Tim at least. He couldn’t see a partner but that didn’t mean much with how dark it was.

There wasn’t much to use and any partners that were around were small or their attacks would make it worse and cause more injuries than help get the door off.

“This is Investigator Angeles. Sir, there’s been an accident at Tenth and…uh,” Alison rounded the corner, “and Dusk.” Em surveyed from overhead, circling the wreckage before landing. “There’s a problem.” She was still holding the phone to her ear as she tried to smash through the driver side window with the opposite elbow.

“Besides dinner being postponed?”

“Yes, more important too. Emergency services is down. 9-1-1 is literally not working. There are major emergencies all over the city thanks to some stupid ass coordinated attack or something by Team Rocket. I don’t know.” Yes, more immediately important was the glob of thick, sticky blood ran from her nose cutting through her thoughts. “Shit.” A faint blue glow grew in strength behind her, trapped in the car. Harry shoved her away from the wreckage. “No.” She clutched at her head while starting to shout orders, “Form a perimeter! Get back! Get everyone back!” Another blue flame came to life next to Tim so Alison threw herself over the warped metal to tackle him. “Sir, you need to connect me to whoever is in charge at the hospital. They’ve had a breach in containment. I repeat we have two Lampent out of containment.”

And they had, what, two Electric types and a handful of Normal, Grass and a Fighting Type. Plus at least two injured people that they were soul stealing from.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Holding Tim back was physically draining as the metallic taste filled her mouth and turned her stomach.

“Come on! We could have a chance!”

“Tim! Pikachu and Em’s attacks are too wild. We could hit any one of these people around here. Especially the two injured.” He should know as well as her, if Lampent’s flame is so bright these people are nearing their end. They’re only blocks from the hospital that had an infestation after an eight car pile up led to, well, an abundance of fuel.

Lieutenant Yoshida’s voice barely made it over the commotion that the Lampent stirred, “They are sending backup your way. We need to keep those Lampent’s under control so we can relocate them.”

“Understood.”

Blue light sputtered causing shadows to dance wildly from the car. Fine, maybe they had a small chance.

“Fine. You win.” Turning Tim to her she motioned around at the people, “Get them back.” From across the accident scene Harry could see what they were doing and disagreed. Too bad. “Em, go for the window. Quick attack.”

Lampent hovered around unconscious woman silently watched Em go by without a reaction, just kept flickering away nice and bright. Alison edged her way around out of it’s eyesight with her service weapon unholstered.

The crowd of people thinned, shying away from the Ghost Type, while others insisted on live streaming the whole thing. The screech of Em’s claws on glass made both flames grow. Moving to converge on her. Acting quick Alison slammed the butt of her gun against the glass, shattering it against the other Lampent who’d started to sputter again. In the passenger seat a small Larvitar growled, a sharp rock. He’d used Stone Edge once and was preparing to attack again. “Come on buddy, more space out here.” Taking hold of his little arms he scrambled out of the car. “Got anymore left in ya? He could use a good hit from your Stone Edge.” Larvitar groaned weakly. “Ok. Uh.” Her head was splitting in two. Thoughts jumbled and fuzzy. God, what else could he do? “Crunch? Payback?” Whichever one he did Alison didn’t see. Her vision went blurry as she stumbled and fell into the car.

When she could hear again, and begin to see again, both Tim and Harry crowded her field of vision.

“You did good.” He was patting her head in that stupid patronizing way. “The woman might make it, her Eevee too.”  

“Dinner.” She moaned even though her stomach was still churning, her head tearing apart and she could still taste the remnants of blood on her lips.

“I’ll even buy you a beer.”

[faintly-aloof]

The Skam 11 questions tag

rules:

1.       always repost the rules

2.       answer the questions given to you by the one who tagged you!

3.       give 11 questions

4.       tag 11 people

Thank you @homofilskammer and @hufflepuff-ish for tagging me, guys! I appreciate it, you rock!

1. When did you first start watching skam?

It was during Christmas right after season 3 of og finished, I binged all three seasons in a few days.

2. What is your favourite season to watch out of the 4?

Season 3 without a doubt. I love that season with all my heart.

3. Favourite remake

That’s a hard one, I feel like I can't really choose. Season 1 is my favourite in Skam it and Skam nl, season 2 in Druck, Wtfock, season 3 in Skam fr, Skam it and Skam es and Druck (i just said all of them lol), season 4 in Druck even though just one episode is out.

4. Least Favourite scene to watch

The one in season 2 where William leaves Noora crying on the ground because I hate that, and hotel scene in season 3 because it hurts too much.

5. Character you relate to the most

I guess it could be Eva, since she was feeling alone in her season, she was trying to find herself, trying to belong somewhere. And Even because of his mental ilness.

6. How many times have you rewatched skam?

A lot of times lol. I don’t usually rewatch other series but Skam is the exception. It always makes me feel different things. I always find smth new in it that I haven’t noticed before.

7. What remakes have you watched?

All of them, Im obssessed ok.

8. Which characters do you wish would get their own season after season 4?

Engel from skam nl, that girl deserves it, she would be an amazing main.

Elia from skam it, Eliott from skam france.

I’m buzzin‘ about Arthur’s season, i can’t even describe how excited I am.

9. Remake with the best soundtrack

Druck and Skam nl use amazing songs. And actually, what i didn’t expect at all was the soundtrack from Skam fr season 3, even though they had a low budget they used such an amazing artists that i haven’t heard about before.

10. What country would you want to get their own remake?

I would love to see a Slavic country, like Polish maybe. I know it wouldn’t be perfect, it would probably be a disaster, but i would watch it anyway. Also what about a Vietnamese skam? That would be wonderful.

11. One thing you would have changed in Skam and/or the remakes

It would certainly be the moment from season 2 where William walks away from Noora while she is crying and begging him on the ground, I hate that scene to pieces, that’s why I’m so glad that skam it and druck got rid of this scene

Also, I would love to get a season 3 without cheating, and I would change season 4 of og and france because Sana and Imane deserved so much more.

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 1.       If you could create an ultimate girl squad, who out of the skam universe would be in it and why?

There would definitely be Noora and Sana from og, Eva from Skam it, Cris from Skam es, Kiki and Amira from Druck, Imane and Alexia from Skam fr and Engel, Isa and Liv and Janna from Skam nl, and Zoe from Wtfock.

2.       If you could change one thing in each remake, what would it be?

(same answer) It would certainly be the moment from season 2 where William walks away from Noora while she is crying and begging him on the ground, I hate that scene to pieces, that’s why I’m so glad that skam it and druck got rid of this scene

Also, I would love to get a season 3 without cheating, and I would change season 4 of og and france because Sana and Imane deserved so much more.

3.       What is one plotline that you wish to see in a remake of your choice? (go wild lol)

Mental illness. I know that they acknowledged mi in season 3 but that's not enough since it's not from the point of view of a person dealing with mi. I feel like so much ppl would be so grateful to finally get our Even season since we didn't get it in the original. I want to get into his head, to feel his struggles, pain, thoughts.

4.       Which side character would you want to have their own season?

I would give my life for an Engel season. I love that girl to pieces, she is so well written. Also, an Elia’s season would make my life so much happier lol.

5.       What do you wish the fandom would appreciate more in each remake? (could be a season, a character, a scene, anything)

I feel like season one of each remake is not very appreciated. Like I get that it doesn't really have the biggest plot twist or whatever, but it's so important. The loss of friends, trying to find new ones and belong somewhere, finding yourself, struggles in a relationship, people deal with these themes on a daily basis. It's actually so helpful to see it on the screen.

6.       If you could create a crossover between the og/one of the remakes and a movie/tv series/book, what would it be?

Can we get a Skam in Harry Potter’s world? How freaking amazing would that be? The characters being wizards in Hogwarts while dealing with the problems that are acknowledged in Skam. Now I want this really bad.

7.       A crack ship that you wish would happen?

Elippo! pls made it happen

8.       Is there a character that is very different from you/you never thought you would like, but you ended up loving?

I have never really been a fan of Jonas, idk why, he wasn't bad or anything just not a person I would have a lot in common with but that changed with Giovanni, he is the best friend you could get, so helpful and understanding and omg everyone should have their own Gio.

9.       What is your favorite friendship? 

The Italian boy squad is the definition of friendship, also the Skam nl girl squad.

10.   Do you read any og/remakes fanfiction and if so, do you have any favorite fanfictions?

Actually, i don't. I used to love fanfics when I was younger but now I don't really like it as much? I am certain that the ppl writing these are doing amazing jobs and maybe I will give a shot to some of the fanfics I sometimes see on my dashboard, but now I'm not really in the mood for it.

11.   Would you have preferred if Skam worked a bit more like Skins did, in terms of every character gets a full episode from their pov instead of an entire season?

Definitely not. I loved Skins but just the thought of not being in the main character’s head for like three months straight? no i don't want it lol

But i wouldn't have a problem with the entirely last season to have episodes about the characters that didn't get their own season.

My 11 questions:

1. If you could get a Skam from any country where would it take place?

2. What character in all Skam universes is your least favorite?

3. If there would be a chance to get a Skam feature movie, about which character would you want it to be?

4. If you could play one of the characters, who would you choose?

5. What would you say to your favorite characters if you met them?

6. If you could create one Skam character, what would the person be like?

7. Which Skam would you choose to get renewed for their own seasons?

8. What character is the most similar to you?

9. If you could change one season from Skam and do it your way, what would it be about? (it can be anything)

10. Would you want to see Skam taking place in your country (if it already doesn't)?

11. In which girl/boy squad would you love to belong to?

I tag:

@loveforpiccolinoandbambi @lucasonthesun @sunflowerchaos @notactuallygay @idonthaveanydamnidea @amorgignitamore @247-series @icnthndlemylifesorry @skamuniverses @all-the-mecs @children-with-the-cheap-cocaine