#otp: i want to build a life with you

[forbescaroline]

235 FAVORITE SHIPS OF ALL TIME (ranked by my followers) 158. ray palmer and nora darhk - legends of tomorrow

[zenkindoflove]

Tomorrow is my one-year anniversary returning to writing fanfic. This is going to be a bit of a sappy post reflecting on the last year and celebrating some of my wins/new things I've challenged myself to do.

October 17, 2023 is when I started to write the very first chapter of Burn Forever with Me. I had finished the ACOTAR series about two weeks before and had spent those two weeks reading all the Elucien fic I could. I could feel I had a story in me, so I set out to write it in a month thinking that would be it and I would get it out of my system.

It had been a while since I had written. From 2006-2012 I wrote fanfic very regularly across a few different fandoms. Most of those stories can't be found online anymore. I took a three year hiatus from my Big Bang Theory multichapter fic at the end of 2012, and didn't finish it until 2015 when I had a burst of motivation. I didn't write again until another burst of motivation hit me (Game of Thrones ending) and wrote another one-shot in 2019.

By this point in 2023, I kind of thought my fanfic writing days were behind me. I didn't expect this new resurgence in my life that came about because of this series/this ship. I've tried so many new things writing for this fandom and pushed my writing in directions I never anticipated.

Since last year I have... -published 441,592 words. -published 20 fics (a mix of multichapter and one-shots) -completed four multichapter long fics (huge for me because I used to abandon multichapter fics all the time in my first era) -Written for several ships, including rare pairs, not just my OTP which is all I did in the past -Created many OCs, including my focal OC Alexius. Up until now I thought I was kind of hopeless when it came to writing original characters. -Wrote fanfic for three appreciation weeks -Wrote MM smut for the first time, and lots of it. I have been reading MM smut for two decades, but did not have a calling to write for a specific ship until Eris x Alexius -Co-written two fics with @crazy-ache -pushed myself in what styles of writing I tackle, including writing epistolary for the first time as well as challenging myself to write action/fight scenes which always scared me in the past -world building in general also used to scare me and now I think it feels so much more approachable as I've been filling in SJM's holes. -I think my smut writing has evolved a lot too. While I wrote smut in the past and I think I established what my writing voice/style was for smut, I have really had the opportunity to solidify it and try it in different scenes and contexts. I feel a lot more confident than I did back then.

I wanted to highlight these because I think as writers, we are often too hard on ourselves, and it helps to put into context all of the ways we've improved if we are mindful of our progress. I definitely encourage you to sit down one day and remind yourself of all the new things you've done from your starting place. Making this list really put into context all the ways I've changed as a writer in just a year.

I still have a lot more I want to do and new challenges to face in the next year. I hope if you read this, it does help to show you that you can take long breaks and even if you take a step back from writing, you will always be a writer and it'll always be a hobby you can return to and improve your skills, no matter how long its been.

[tessa-liam]

Royal Adventures 

-Prologue- 

Book: Choices, The Royal Romance Series Finale +     A Smoke & Mirrors Series Alternate Universe

Pairing: King Liam Rys x F!MC Queen Riley Brooks-Rys OTP 

Rating: Teen, not beta’d-please excuse all errors    

Category: On-going series, fluff 

Warnings: a few swear words 

Most Characters belong to Pixelberry 

Music Inspiration: I Want It That Way, Backstreet Boys 

Series Inspiration: Royal Misadventures, A Smoke & Mirrors 1-shot 

Smoke & Mirrors Masterlist

My Main Masterlist

Series Premise: A collection of stories of the journey 12-year-old Crown Princess Eleanor Rys of Cordonia indertakes as she officially starts her Royal education. Tutors and advisors, that had been personally selected by Their Majesties King Liam Rys and Queen Riley Rys, were set to begin her royal lessons, and her days were packed full of knowledge. The young princess was a natural leader, and the King and Queen could not be more proud of their daughter.   

Royal Adventures 

-Prologue- 

Busy days turned into busy evenings when Ellie Rys enjoyed her free time. As a 12-year-old, her parents wanted her to enjoy her childhood as long as she could, but the Crown Princess' life was going to change forever when she would reach her coming of age, and she would be required to take her place at court, as her father had taken previously. 

Ellie knew her parents had a strong bond, and their love for one another was the reason their country had remained at peace for well over a decade. The Princess had always felt safe and secure, knowing she was loved and cherished. 

Ellie didn't have a typical royal upbringing and was a carefree and happy child.  Liam was more than happy that his children had an American mother as a role model, that grew up in a world of freedom.

She didn't have the same pressures that other royal children had, but the pressure would eventually start to mount in the next few years as she would grow older and need to learn more about the world and her duties of a future Queen.

Liam and Riley made it a point to ensure their kids were well-adjusted and had a happy childhood. 

They'd taken trips all over the world, and their favorite place was New York, where they'd visited during the last Christmas season. 

Ellie had seen the Rockefeller Center Tree, the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, and the Staten Island Ferry. However, what she enjoyed the most was the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and the Broadway musical 'Wicked'. 

She'd been mesmerized by the performances and sang along to the music. Liam and Riley couldn't help but chuckle at their daughter's enthusiasm. 

"What?" she'd asked innocently, with her big blue eyes and her cute dimples. 

"You remind me of myself at your age," Liam replied, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and pulling her close. 

"I can't wait until we go back to New York," she'd exclaimed, as the family flew back to Cordonia on their private jet.

"Me either, Princess, but we'll make sure you have many more happy memories at home," Liam said, and planted a kiss on the top of her head. 

*** 

Liam walked into his study, after he escorted Ellie to the royal library for her first royal lesson. As he watched his daughter attentively listen and interact with the history tutor, the pride he felt was all consuming. He couldn't believe his little girl was growing up so fast. It seemed like only yesterday when he and Riley were watching their newborn daughter take her first steps. 

It was later in the afternoon when he looked up from his laptop to see Riley's soft smile as she walked in and closed the door behind her. 

"Hello, love. How was Ellie's lesson?" Liam stood and walked around his desk to greet his wife with a kiss.

"It was great, Li ... she's a natural. The tutor was impressed." Riley grinned as Liam smiled wide.

"Of course, she is. She's a Rys." 

"She's just like her father. Always eager to learn new things," Riley teased, kissing him softly in return. 

"And her mother. Ellie has the heart of a fighter, and she's smart, brave, and kind." 

"I hope she's ready for all of this. It's a lot to handle."  Riley sighed, biting her lip.

"She will be. She's surrounded by love and support, and we will always be here for her." 

*** 

Ellie's first day was going well, until ....

Leo had a mischievous grin on his face as he crept towards the library. 

"Leo, what are you up to?" Maxwell asked as he noticed him peering through the gap between the double solid oak doors of the Royal library.

"SSHHH! ... You'll see," he replied in a hushed tone.

"Come on, man, don't pull anything stupid," Drake warned him as he walked up to join Maxwell.

"Just watch and learn, boys." 

Leo peeked through the space and saw the tutor reading a textbook to Ellie. He knew it would only be a few minutes before the lesson was over, and he had to act fast. 

He reached into his bag and pulled out a remote control.

Leo found a way to sneak a glitter bomb into the library without anyone noticing earlier in the day. He'd done it a million times at parties, and he knew it would create a big mess. 

"This is going to be epic," he muttered. 

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Drake whispered.

"Oh, come on, Drake, it's harmless. I've done this tons of times. Watch and learn, boys. " 

"Fine, we'll see," Maxwell shrugged. 

Leo took a deep breath, and with one flick of his wrist, the balloon was triggered and exploded with a loud pop.

As it burst, the glitter covered everything, and the sound of the balloon burst startled everyone. 

The tutor had a look of horror on her face, and Eleanor was shocked, standing up and moving quickly away from the table.

"Oh no," Leo whispered. 

"This is not what I was expecting. Shit." 

"Well, you better think of something quick," Drake shouted.

Through the gap in the door, Ellie spotted her uncle. Her brow furrowed, she pushed the heavy oak door forward.

"I can't believe you, Uncle Leo," Eleanor scowled, "you've ruined my first royal lesson." 

"I'm sorry, El, it was supposed to be a harmless prank." Leo looked at his neice regretfully.

"Well, you ruined everything. I can't even look at you right now. " 

"I'm so sorry. I was just trying to make things fun. I was always bored in these sessions, and I was just trying to lighten the mood." 

"You are the worst Uncle, ever, you know that?"

Leo raised his eyebrows and chuckled. "Oh, come on Ellie, you know it's all in good fun." Ellie was fuming, "Uncle Leo, you've made me feel awful, and I can't believe you would embarrass me like that."  

"Hey...hey, Ellie, don't be upset. You have nothing to be ashamed of." 

"Really? How can you say that after what you did? I want Daddy to be proud of me. I want it that way!" 

Crossing her arms, Ellie stared down her uncle, smirking, "wait till mom finds out!" 

"Wait, you wouldn't. Not your favorite uncle," Leo pleaded. 

"Maybe, maybe not, depends how you behave from now on." 

"Alright, I'll do anything, just don't tell your parents." 

"Anything?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. 

"I will not be your servant again, though."  Leo thought back to an earlier prank gone wrong, and shuddered.

"Then don't mess with my lessons again! Deal?" 

"Deal."  Leo sighed.

Drake and Maxwell were speechless as they watched their friend and their niece, banter with each other.

"Wow, El, you've got your uncle Leo wrapped around your little finger."

"I have no idea what you are talking about, Max. I'm a reformed man." Leo admonished.

"Yeah, whatever you say, Leo." Drake snorted.

"Okay, okay, free drinks at the beer garden. Now ... are you two going to help me clean up or not?"

✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️

📌tagging my perma's in the notes❣️

📌please let me know if you would like to be tagged for this series❣️

[sparrow-the-tired-lesbian]

thoughts on episode 2 (SPOILERS)

Oh don’t  tell me we get Sylki this episode 

OH MY GOD THEYRE WEARING TUXEDOS

MARRIED COUPLE LOKIUS

oh god no not Brad 

HA LOKI SCARED THE SHIT OUT OF HIM

Mobius you’re such a dummie

B15 MY BELOVED

OHOHO GET FUCKED BRAD

Mobius is gay panicking

BRAD WHAT KIND OF RUN IS THAT

OHOHO MAGIC

WHERE DID YA COME FROM WHERE DID YA GO WHERE DID YA COME FROM COTTON EYE LO

MOBIUS IS GAY PANICKINGGGGGG

*sings along to the theme song*

Ohhh b15 you’re lookin fine

There’s a jail in the TVA??? I forgot about that

bring it to my son

OUROBOROS WHERE ARE YOU

SON

Aww he talks to himself that’s cute

So smart

He’s gonna get so fed up with people bringing shit to him when he wrote a whole book about it

Sweet Casey

Married couple Lokius building their IKEA bed

CASEY READ THE GUIDEBOOK! WE STAN A GREAT BOI

I’m going to fight Brad

Brad is so right about Lokis character but damn Mobius going to defend him is kinda gay

Why do I feel like Brad is talking directly to me when he’s talking to-

DONT TALK ABOUT FRIGGA I WILL MURDER YOU BRAD

The sass on lokis tone I’m going to cry

Mobius reign in your boyfriend

Loki is scaring me actually

That sounded kinda sexual Loki my man

YOURE RIGHT BRAD

THERAPY

MOBIUS’S PET?

Yeah Mobius who were you

Oh jeez

Mobius is about to flip out

HE FLIPPED

Loki caring for his husband <3

Following each other <3

KISS NOW

THE PIE SCENE

Awe Loki with his little legs crossed he’s so adorable around Mobius

Yeah you lost it baby

Comfort your husband Loki

WASNT TACTICAL??? BABE YOU ATTACKED NYC

Talk about your feelings Mobius

Why would you thank him for kidnapping you Mobius?

Felt that about bad and good lemme tell ya

Would you quit it about Sylvie

OUROBOROS!!!!

Don’t get hurt baby I’ll cry

Uh oh

UH OH

BRAD????

Is he dead?

Aww man he’s alive

Round two of what babe

NEED ANOTHER SESSION???

HARDBALL TACTICS?!!!??!

WHAT ARE THESE WORDS YOURE SAYING

Big machine

He’ll torture you babe

Remembering things for their husband this is cute

Uh oh Loki what are you doing

LOKI STOP IT

LOKI 

stop asking about Sylvie for the love of god

ENJOY YOURSELF?!

Mobius you’re so sweet

YEAH BRAD DONT BRING UP A VILLAIN’S MOTHER

Kill him hon maybe we won’t have to deal with his dumb ass

Terrible awful things 

He’s lost his shit I love it 

Loki please this is going too far

Okay nice we made Brad suffer and Loki is being everything Mobius could want in a boyfriend

Mobius was in on it?!

OB WHAT DO YOU MEAN WERE GONNA DIE

*gasp* OUROBOROS AND CASEY MY NEW OTP

HES FANBOYING

AWWWW BABIES 

oh no world is dead

*sings McDonald’s jingle*

Where’s my wife

Awww she’s so proactive I love her so much

NO NO NO NOT SYLKI PLEASE NOT SYLKI

One Unhappy meal please

Talk less Loki 

Can Sylvie drive

CORRECT OMG MY WIFE

THIS IS MY BELOVED 

Leave her alone Loki please

Advertisement 

OH MY GOD MOBIUS IS ON SOME SYLKI HATE

“It’s cinema thank you very much”

Murder

QUICK CHANGE WITH SYLVIE

THEYRE KILLING RVERYTHING

IHOHO MURDER

COMPROMISED OF CIURSE BABY

OH NO

call your boyfriend Casey

Don’t hold hands

NO

uh oh

Bye bye Sylvie :)

Oh she’s back

What are we looking at

Oh no…

Those are people!

Uh oh Sylvie’s angry

I might as well just make a harem of marvel women I want to wife me up 

Don’t pull that Sylki bullshit on me

Mobius is sad Loki go comfort him

At least Sylvie had her life

Does she have a friend?

What’s going on between those two?!

I’m so confused

Post credits???

Why not?

[amiserableseriesofevents]

For your boys: 9. What annoys each member of your otp about the other? Do they tell them? Do they compromise/work it out? 

From this ask list

Hi anon and thank you for your question!

We've seen them arguing about how to fold and do laundry but that's just a silly moment! There are more serious things that they're annoyed about.

For John, the thing that annoys him the most is Gale holding grudges. It happens also in the fic, when John apologizes for having flirted with a girl while drunk and Gale says he's forgiven only to then throw the whole thing back in his face during their big, serious argument.

John hates it because he feels like Gale's not being honest with him, keeping secrets and maybe even secretly hating him for things John thought were resolved — it could lead him to not trusting Gale anymore because clearly Gale doesn't trust him, so why should John? It also plays in the whole miscommunication thing that defines the early stages of their relationship.

As they progress in it, wanting to build together something sure and lasting, John tells Gale that this is a problem for him; Gale tries to avoid doing it and he finds it easier and easier going forward because they're resolving their communication issues and he learns that if he's actually pissed off about something he can just say it plain and clear to John so they can work on it together as the thing happen, and he won't use it as further ammunition in a future fight. Of course sometimes he still does it, but it annoys John way less since it's only once in a while and Gale always apologizes afterwards.

For Gale, his problem with John is the fact that he doesn't take care of himself, like at all. He doesn't sleep, he's always straining his bad knee and never has ice or hot packets on him when he needs them, he rarely limits himself when he's drinking, etc.

Gale sees those things as him effectively gambling with his life/health, and in addition to the fact that he worries about him because he loves him, it actually triggers him a little so he often tries, as gently as he can, to ask him to be more careful.

The final straw is one night at the theatre when the Hundredth is rehearsing for their new play after The Tempest and John is so agitated and nervous about it (he's afraid he's been a one hit wonder, the fight with his dad is quite recent) that he hasn't been sleeping at all and at one point he stumbles and falls on stage, hurting his bad knee — not badly but enough to scare everyone (I might actually write a Drabble about this moment, thanks for the inspo!).

That's when Gale decides it's time to fix at least his sleeping habits. It takes a while but eventually they manage to have him sleep normally most of the nights, and all the other stuff gets resolved along the way; John doesn't feel the need to drink so much to feel sleepy/numb enough to sleep, his joints ache way less, and with a sane dose of reminders from Gale he always has ice and whatever he needs for his knee. He still has bouts of insomnia, especially when an opening night is getting closer, but he can manage the stress and the lack of sleep way better!

This also becomes a problem later in their life, when they find out John has an heart condition that could bring him to a stroke if he doesn't keep it monitored. Gale almost loses his head trying to keep him safe and healthy and John promises he'll stop acting for a while to get all checked up after he's finished with his current show, but when he tries to jump to a new one anyway Gale gets really angry at him; when they settle this fight, John agrees that he should be more conscious and careful about his health and tries to do his best.

Bonus: John also hates how short Gale sells himself, especially about his acting, and makes a great effort to make him understand he's good and worthy of the praise he gets!

Thank you for this question, I really love picking those little theatre men apart 🥰🥰

[annerbhp]

So who remembers the Four Seasons Landscaping press conference debacle of November 7th, 2020? You know, the one held across the street from the sex shop. And the endless memes after of “imagine your OTP: who owns the landscaping company and who owns the sex shop”?

Well, yeah, I wrote this thing for it a long while back. And yes, of course I made Harry work at the sex shop and Ginny at the landscaping company. Decided I should just schedule it to post on the next November 7th. Enjoy!

Come Again (Harry/Ginny, meet-cute, Harry works at a sex shop, bad flirting, Ginny’s into it anyway, non-magic world, Teen, no content warnings. Other than, you know, sex shop inventory!)

Harry glances up from his magazine at the sound of the shop door opening. He cursorily looks over the customer—young woman, mid-twenties, red hair, short, athletic build—before returning his attention to the magazine. He’s noticed most customers don’t particularly like the feeling of being watched. Some people flee immediately upon catching him watching them. Especially women.

Sure enough, out of the corner of his eye, he can see her slip down the aisle furthest from the cashier counter, the one full of costumes and larger objects far too difficult for anyone to steal.

“Harry?”

He looks over at Tara near the breakroom at the back where she’s pulling on her coat. “Are you off?” he asks.

“Yeah,” she says, swinging her purse over her shoulder. “Are you sure it’s okay if I take Tuesday morning off?” She’s biting at her lower lip, as thinking his offer was somehow a trap. He wonders what kind of shit she had to put up with at her last job. Or it could just be him. Maybe she’s still trying to get used to him as their manager or something.

“Yes,” he says, forcing his voice patient. “Go get your tooth looked at. I’ll cover the shift, no problem.”

“Thank you,” she says in a rush. She glances over, catching sight of the ginger. “Want me to cover this one before I go?”

“I’ve got it,” he says, and it occurs to him that maybe she’s more nervous about leaving him to do the shift on his own than she is that he’s going to get mad at her for taking the time off.

He’d be offended by that if he hadn’t spent the last three weeks completely in over his head. But he’s starting to get the hang of it now.

Tara waves and leaves out the back.

“So you’re the owner then? You don’t look like a Luna.”

He turns to find the customer standing in front of him. He glances at the big sign out front declaring this store as Luna’s sex toys and more store.

“What? Oh,” he says. “No. I’m just filling in for her for a few months. She’s out on maternity leave. Twins.”

“Ah, so you’re just the understudy,” she says.

“Something like that.”

Pull yourself together, Potter.

“Then you’re…” She waves a finger around in a circle, encompassing the whole store. “In the business?”

He laughs. “No.” He realizes a moment too late how bad that sounded, and rushes on. “She was going to have to shut the shop down or cut her time home, but I’m between careers at the moment, so I figured I could cover for her.” He has no idea why he is spilling his life story out at her, and he considers that maybe Tara had seen what he hadn’t when she’d been so reluctant to leave him on his own. “It’s been a bit of a learning curve, I admit. Though mostly it seems to be about putting customers in categories and treating them accordingly.”

Her eyes narrow, as if sensing an insult towards the kind of people who might come to a shop like this. “Meaning what, exactly?”

“No,” he says, desperately trying to backpedal. “It’s just… Look. It’s like setting expectations? There’s people who come for joke gifts, the people who pretend they are here for joke gifts because they are too embarrassed to want to buy something, the people who know exactly what they want and get right to it, and the people who are here because of rebounds. Each kind of person would prefer to be treated differently: ignored, helped, given stern looks. So it’s just about figuring out which kind of customer they are, so I can make this easiest for them.”

The customer is now frowning at him. “You know that still sounds kind of creepy, even if it makes sense.”

“Studying people is kind of my thing.”

She only looks more alarmed.

“Not in a creepy stalker way! Or in a ‘I want to draw your picture’ way. I was a profiler. You know, criminals?”

“Ah, so now the customers are criminals.”

He would think he just can’t win with this maniacal customer, but she was smiling now, clearly teasing him. “Only if you try to walk off with Gary shoved down your shirt,” he gamely replies.

She turns to follow his gesture, letting out a low laugh at the sight of an enormous oversized novelty cock with a face on the tip. It’s not a ‘I’m nervous and about to break down into a fit of giggles’ laugh either, so Harry is pretty sure this is a customer who won’t mind being offered help.

“So is there anything in particular I can help you find?” he asks.

“You tell me.”

Said in any other tone, that might sound like a come on, but it was more challenging than coy. “Excuse me?” he asks.

“Am I here for a joke gift? Profile me.”

He looks her over, eyes lingering on the details. A new sweater (he could see the strip where the sticker had been removed very recently). Her hair looked freshly cut, the way she touched it said it was not the length she was used to, maybe having cut it off recently. There was the slightest indentation on her ring finger, a faint tan line.

“You’ve recently broken off a long-term relationship, either started when you were both very young, with someone who likes vanilla sex that you found boring, or with someone who was offended by the idea of you using any toys because it felt like cheating and made you get rid of them.”

She stares back at him, eyes wide.

He said it all without thinking, really, just speaking as it came to him, these thoughts about who she was that he might come up with about a case.

“Sorry,” he says, certain he’s just cost Luna a customer. “I’m sure I’m way off.”

“No,” she says, “you’re annoyingly on-point.”

He winces, realizing that’s probably even worse.

Definitely time to try to make a tactful retreat, if at all possible. But before he can back away, she’s speaking again.

“I used to have a Shibari before he made me toss it. Any thoughts on what might be like that? Only better. And bigger. Longer battery life.”

“Uh,” he says, floundering for a moment. Then he walks over to a shelf, pointing at a slim lavender-colored wand vibrator. “I can tell you the mini halo is really popular. But Luna always says it depends on what you’re looking for, not what other people want.”

Her eyebrow lifts, and it occurs to him that he has basically just asked for detail about her sex life. Yup. It’s possible he’s out of his element. He ends up texting Luna, for some reason not wanting to lead this particular customer astray. Not just because she seems pretty great. She deserves to get what she wants after all! Everyone does!

Getting tired of the back and forth, the customer eventually just grabs his phone and texts Luna directly, debating the finer points of the Soul Sucker. The woman’s smile—stupidly lovely, really—No, not appropriate, Harry!—is wider and wider as she gets into a really long exchange with Luna. Ending with a gasp of adoration when Luna apparently texts a picture of her sons.

The text exchange eventually dies down, the customer giving Harry a bald, assessing look.

“What?” he asks, refusing to shift back and forth on his feet, reminding himself of his long career as a criminal investigator—which would mean more if he hadn’t burned out and left with no real plans for anything else he’s going to do instead. Other than manage a sex toy store, apparently.

“She wants to know how you’re doing,” the woman asks. Her eyes narrow as she studies him a bit longer, and, shit, she should consider a career as an interrogator. She nods her head, like coming to a decision and then starts typing away again, this time narrating as she does.  “Approachable, only slightly creepy, blushes at a minimum, non-judgmental, but needs an education.”

He lets out a startled laugh, not offended in the least. Actually a better rating than he’d expect. “Trust me, every day in this shop is an education.”

Her eyebrow lifts. “I can only imagine.” She hands his phone back and sweeps up the Soul Sucker and the mini halo too.

Harry helpfully points out the displays of various lubes, letting her head over there by herself as he steps back behind the counter.

A guy comes in then, picking up a pre-order which is thankfully much more straight forward, a package already put together by Tara before she left.

By the time he’s done ringing him up, the woman has made her final selections, putting them down on the counter. He scans each one, slipping them into a bag without looking at them. Not his business!

“And with the five percent break up discount, that comes to….”

“Discount?” she asks. “I don’t need your pity.”

“What?” he asks, feeling like he’s messed up yet another thing. “No, seriously. It’s a thing.” He flips the card with five different set barcodes on it, handing it over to her.

You’re better off without them! – 5% Never too late to figure out what you like! – 5% Congrats on embracing your sexual identity! – 5% You’re a few bucks short, but still deserve joy – 5%

She looks at him in surprise.

He shrugs. “Luna.”

She seems to relax then. “Which one am I getting?”

“Does it matter?” he asks.

She lets out a huff. “Guess not.” She hands over a credit card and he really does his best not to look at her name or anything, but it is sort of a part of credit safety? Or something?

Ginny Weasley. Is her name. It sounds vaguely familiar, though he can’t quite place it.

She signs the receipt, and he passes over the bag. “Have a nice day,” he says, almost automatically.

“Oh, I’d better,” she says, lifting the bag.

He really tries not to blush. He really does. Professional, Potter. Real professional.

Only then she’s giving him a wink and walking towards the door. “Let me know if you ever need help with landscaping,” she says, “so I can return the favor.” 

Harry pauses at the strange words, frowning, resisting the urge to look down at his body.

She’s definitely laughing at him now. “The landscaping company next door? Weasley’s Landscaping? It’s where I work. The family business.”

“Oh,” Harry says with a sudden rush of understanding. She works right next door. Where he will likely see her. Again. Quite often. “Right. I definitely will.” 

“Great. See you around.”

He can’t help grinning. “Come again!” he calls out after her.

He can hear her laughter as the door shuts behind her.

It takes Harry a while to realize he’s humming as he starts taking stock of the strap-ons inventory.

Just another lovely day in Luna’s shop.

[on-a-lucky-tide]

Did anyone do the character ask game for Price?

Ha, Anon, I didn't. I had a few sporadic individual ones. I think people went: ahh, he's a Price guy, someone else will ask the Price guy about Price. But no. No.

Favourite thing about him

His disregard for bullshit rules. His frustration with the bureaucracy in the way of achieving just goals. I think he has a strong sense of justice (dictated by his own moral compass), and perceived injustice cannot stand. If you slight him, or the people he cares for, he's coming for you, and nothing on this earth or the next will save you from him. We share the frustration and the strong sense of justice in common. Mine gets me in trouble a lot, because I will absolutely tell people when I think they're being cunts or what they're asking me to do isn't right. I've landed on my feet most times, but not always. So, I guess I can relate.

What else? He's an overachiever and I love exploring where that drive comes from. I think I project a lot in coming up with the cause; disappointing your parents by being queer, so you work yourself down to the bone to prove yourself worthy of a love that will only destroy you in the end, because it's conditional on your soul bending in a way it's not meant to.

I love his fiery temper. Love it when he snarls and snaps. He's not the emotionless commander, blank slate protagonist who is perfect so we can project ourselves onto him thoughtlessly. Kind of linked to the rest of him: asymmetrical face, thinning hair at the crown, receding hairline, scruffy facial hair, strong build but not Hollywood ripped. He's an every man; flaws, freckles, n' everything in between.

Least favourite thing about him

He's intelligent and manipulative. He finds the broken boys, he tells them they can make a difference and all they've got to do is what he says, he puts the gun in their hands, points and gives the kill order. I think Price cares for them in his own way, but I also think he knows when someone is vulnerable to his particular brand of maverick justice. Price knows he inspires loyalty and devotion to an almost unhealthy degree, and he uses that to his advantage.

I say "least", again, but I think it makes him interesting. I think Soap throwing himself between him and a bullet would have profoundly affected him. Soap throwing his life away for Price - not the mission, for Price - was never part of the plan.

Favourite line(s):

"Haha, you think of ev'ryfin'."

"Ahh, sing it a lullaby, we gotta go!"

"Let's get evil."

"We fight not so that the world will remember us, but so that there will be a world to remember."

"This is for Soap."

Basically every time he opens his mouth, to be honest.

BrOTP

Price & Laswell; gay-lesbian solidarity. Price & Farah is also sweet.

OTP

Nik/Price, now and forever. Ghost/Price a very close second.

NOTP

Price/abuse. So, Makarov, Shepherd. Anyone who's gonna hurt him. Can't do it.

Random headcanon

I mean... I'm constantly writing them. But the one that comes up now and then is his accent. I think he trained himself out of it at Sandhurst because he wanted to be taken seriously. There's still a lot of snobbery in the British military at that level. Scouser Price is still very fun to write.

Unpopular opinion

That man has absolutely internalised a truckload of toxic masculinity that he needs to work through to heal.

Song I associate with them

Favour picture of him

Every artist that draws Price ever. But also...

QUOKKA PRICE!

[yannaryartside]

The importance of SydLuca for Sydcarmy

"This is what you wanted"

This may be a controversial one, I originally shipped MarcusxLuca more, but that may still be my OTP alongside Sydcarmy (both ships will happen at the show's end). This may be shipper delusions, but I have a narrative-based argument.

Let me explain why I think Luca and Sydney's dating, cooking, and working together, as well as their falling in love, are essential to the show's themes.

Character development for Carmy

Guys, the reason it would be so significant for Carmy’s character development (reality check) that Sydney develops feelings for Luca is because Luca has admitted Carmy is better than him in the kitchen.

Carmy made the menu, the restaurant, all about himself. He wants to be the hero to compensate his emotional absence and issues. It gives him validation, the toxic narrative that all abuse is worth if you become the best.

The meaning of “this is what you wanted”

He kept telling Syd: “this is what you wanted,” because that’s what he learned from his toxic chef. He may not be intentionally abusing Sydney as his boss abused him, but he is still prolonging the toxic dynamics he learned to survive in the Empire, thinking that if he can get a star, it will all be worth it in the end. The pain, the guilt, feeling lost. It would prove there is nothing wrong with him.

But it would also let him keep Sydney’s admiration (and her affection) he does what to be the best also because she came to his life saying “you are the best cdc in the best restaurant in the world” he thinks he needs to be the best in order for Sydney to ever want him in any way (friend/partner/romantic interest)

Which is obviously not true because Syd has stayed with Carmy while he has been anything but emotionally absent, a bad friend and ultimately a bad boss and even a bad chef, if we believe that last review calling him “uninspiring and chaotic”

Enters Luca

But then Luca will come in and steal his girl. A man with less awards, less known. Inferior in the culinary world. But Luca is (as far as we can see, specially in Forever) emotionally intelligent, present and kind. All the things Carmy could be if he deployed himself from his toxic narratives.

To be honest, the fact that Luca is physically everything that Carmy is insecure about himself (his height, face, being funny and intelligent) is kind of the cherry on top.

You can almost see his Pikachu face. "So you are telling me that I could have Syd if I was willing to be emotionally vulnerable and do the work?" (Carmy represents the whole male species right there.)

SYDNEY SIDE OF THE STREET.

The line "is scary to rely on someone" she told Marcus could be telling us two things:

1.Syd doesn't know how to be truly emotionally vulnerable, maybe because of previous (recent) heartbreak (the 3 swords tattoo).

2. Syd is scared to rely on Carmy

And next season, this man will probably be even less reliable; he spent this whole season fantasizing and thinking Claire was the solution to all his problems. And I don't have any reason to believe that pursuing her will not be his goal next season, either. Some people even speculate that the next season will end in a fake ending, with Claire and Carmy leaving for Copenhagen and all that. Then we could have a surprise 5th season to entail all the lies. (this show has bo be put on trial)

So, if Sydney is scared of being emotionally vulnerable, sadly, she cannot learn that with Carmy. Not with the present one.

She should go on her own and stop relying emotionally and financially on Carmy for a while to get to know herself and what she wants, build a career that doesn't depend on him, trust in her own strength, grow and be confident, learn to love and be loved, and live a love that is not based 50% on struggle and 50% on hope.

So, when they decide to be together, both can start from a healthy place. The connection is there, and they still have a date with destiny.

[severinageto]

No one ———————- ONE SHOT

With her chin resting on her left palm, Shoko Ieiri stared out the window of her office, bored. She’d have to head down to the morgue soon. There weren’t any bodies to deal with this time, but still, what a hassle! If she had known this would be her reward after six years in medical school, she never would have paid that girl to take the test for her.

But here she was. B-o-r-e-d. She started scrolling, looking for something that made sense, but it was all the same crap: pretty faces, perfect bodies, and pristine smiles.

She looked at herself in the mirror. A set of dark circles worthy of a Tim Burton muse. She touched them, trying to remember what her face looked like without them. Her eyes wandered automatically to the drawers of her desk. The first one was filled with important documents. The second held her glass, her whiskey bottle, and her spare pack of cigarettes. The third was the most infamous. And no, it didn’t contain +18 doujinshis of her OTP or the receipt for her Gentleman Studio Sesshomaru figure, but something, in her opinion, worse: remnants of her first big hobby.

She clicked her tongue and looked out the window again. Trees, old buildings, more trees. God, how much of her life had she already spent in this place?

“About seventy percent,” she said to herself, lighting a cigarette. “By all the gods, I’ve turned into Masamichi. How awful.”

She opened the window and took a deep drag from her cigarette. As she exhaled, she saw the idiot in the courtyard with Panda and Maki. He had that smirk that made him look like a smug platypus and was wearing a ridiculous white bandage. She checked the time. What were they doing out there at 11:45 PM? Probably some dumb stunt only that brain-dead head could come up with.

She was about to close the window when she heard it.

“Hey, Shoko! Wait up, I’m coming up!”

“Dammit, thirteen years with him and I still forget he has X-Men senses,” she thought, while spraying some vanilla air freshener.

Satoru kicked open her door, as usual, the big oaf.

“Long time no see! Look what I got for you.”

Gojo tossed around thirty keychains from different cities in Japan onto her desk. Shoko started massaging her temples, showing her stress.

“I don’t even want to imagine what all this junk is.”

Without an invitation, Satoru plopped down in the comfiest chair, which of course, belonged to Shoko.

“Maki and Panda called me rude for not bringing gifts, so I started bringing these.”

“I think what they meant was that you always bring delicious and fancy sweets ONLY for yourself, when you know the custom is to bring something for everyone else.”

“Nah,” Gojo said, picking his nose.

Shoko sighed.

“Fine, I don’t want them.”

“Give them to your boyfriend Ijichi then.”

“HE’S NOT MY BOYFRI…!” The sorceress interrupted herself. She didn’t have the patience to deal with the albino. “What do you want, Gojo?”

“What are you doing here at this hour?”

Shoko walked over, pulled out her whiskey bottle, and tried to move Satoru from her chair, unsuccessfully. Resigned, she flopped down on the sofa.

“Night shift. What I don’t get is what you were doing with the guys at this hour. Though, honestly, I don’t care. I just want to know why you decided to come to my office. I don’t believe for a second that all this junk is for me.”

Satoru propped his feet up on the desk.

“Your third drawer. I’ve been dying to know what’s in it.”

Shoko looked at him, confused and annoyed.

“Have you been snooping through my stuff?”

“Yep. And the third one is the only one I couldn’t open.”

Shoko stood up and threw her glass at him, knowing he’d refuse it.

“That’s why nobody can stand you!”

Satoru started laughing.

“Nanamin likes me.”

“Oh, Gojo, no one’s more delulu than you.”

“You like me too, Shoko.”

Ieiri sat back down. Sure, lately she couldn’t stand him and resented him for how he acted after Haibara’s death, but she still cared about him. How could she not? He had been one of her dearest friends. Along with the other damn guy.

She tossed him the keys to her drawer.

“Look for yourself if you dare.”

Satoru opened it with a satisfied grin, and Shoko swore his face lit up as he pulled out her things: the Polaroid, the digital camera, the analog one, and a box full of photos.

The albino started flipping through them quickly, laughing at some, making disgusted faces at others (probably the ones of Utahime), and sighing at a good number.

You didn’t have to be a Nobel Prize winner in astrophysics to guess which ones made him sigh.

Suddenly, Satoru took off the bandage. He began to examine a series of photos with attention. Shoko watched him, curious.

“What did you find?”

Satoru showed her. In the first one, he was laughing out loud. In the second, Suguru was doing the same. In the third, both of them were laughing.

“I remember the exact moment you took this.”

*

Spring 2006 had just begun. As usual, the number of curses had increased, and naturally, Suguru and Satoru were very busy. Not only did they have to deal with exorcising them but also planning strategies. They used to do this while walking around the academy. Suguru said it helped him think more clearly and, besides, he could be alone with Satoru without anyone bothering them.

That day, however, things felt strange, a bit heavy. Suguru noticed that Satoru was uncomfortable and very quiet.

“Don’t you have anything to add to our plan?”

The albino shook his head.

“Sure? Not even a thing? Doesn’t it bother you that I’m doing most of the exorcising?”

“No, not at all, and it doesn’t bother me.”

Suguru stopped walking. That was really odd. Satoru kept walking at a fast pace until he realized Geto had fallen behind.

“Hey, Suguru, what’s wrong, idiot?”

Geto felt offended. That was uncalled for.

“What’s wrong with you, moron? You haven’t said anything and you don’t care that I’m doing almost all the exorcising. That’s weird.” Suguru sighed and approached him. He took his shoulder affectionately. “Sorry for calling you a moron, it’s just that I don’t understand you. Are you mad?”

Satoru bit his lip. Yes, his attitude was weird, but he wasn’t mad. Or at least not at Suguru. What was bothering him was deeply related to him, but he didn’t know how to express it. He furrowed his brows and his body tensed.

Noticing his reactions, Suguru came even closer. He caressed his cheek with the back of his hand and then took his chin.

“You can tell me. That’s what I’m here for.”

“No, it’s just... the situation has put me in a bad mood.”

“Do you want me to tell you a joke?” he asked with a smile. “If I make you laugh, you’ll tell me what’s going on. Deal?”

Gojo looked at him incredulously. Suguru didn’t tell jokes. Suguru was into making lists, recounting historical facts no one cared about, and deep philosophical reflections.

“Okay. Deal.”

Puffing up his chest and pointing to the sky with his index finger, he said:

“Why did the scarecrow win an award?”

Gojo looked at him over his glasses.

“Suguru…”

“Answer, albino.”

“I don’t know. Why?”

Suguru widened his eyes and did a little pose.

“Because he was outstanding in his field!”

Satoru stared at him with his mouth open. He looked at Suguru, who was laughing by himself. That joke was terrible. So terrible it came around full circle. Suddenly, he burst into a loud laugh.

“Please, don’t quit sorcery to become a comedian,” he said, laughing.

Geto shrugged and then kissed his cheek.

“I’m not interested in doing that, unless it’s to make you laugh.”

Gojo took his hand, excited. Suguru was too good to be true. And too good for him.

“I’m angry, Suguru.”

“Why?”

Because…” Gojo took a deep breath. What he was about to say was incredibly difficult for him. “...I’m constantly thinking about you. Listen: all the time. It doesn’t leave me alone, whatever I do, your damn violet eyes, your stupid hair, and your voice come to mind. Your voice is the one that annoys me the most, you know?”

Suguru looked at him, trying to hold back a smile.

“Why, Satoru?”

“There! Right there! You say my name like the fucking Hello Kitty is speaking! It’s so sexy I don’t know what pants to wear!”

Now Geto couldn’t hold back his laughter.

“Satoru, if Hello Kitty seems sexy to you, I think I should call the police.”

Gojo rolled his eyes.

“I meant it’s like a purr, Suguru.”

Geto touched the tip of his nose with his index finger.

“And you? You say Suguru like you want to sweep my name away with a broom.”

“…the fuck does that mean?”

Suguru started laughing.

“I don’t know!” he exclaimed, hugging him.

Gojo started laughing too. He ran his fingers through Suguru’s hair, thinking that Suguru’s love was wonderfully improbable, like a flower blooming in the middle of winter, like a shooting star on a full moon night, like a black swan among a flock of white ones. And definitely, like a dream come true.

“Are you not mad anymore?” Suguru asked, taking his hand and starting to walk. In the distance, Shoko could be seen with her camera.

“You knew I’m not like your Russian authors when it comes to talking about love when you wanted to be my boyfriend, Suguru.”

Geto laughed again.

“I’m not sure it’s the best example, but…”

“And now what are you laughing about!?

“About my name being swept away with a broom and yours coming out of Hello Kitty’s mouth.”

Satoru blushed and started laughing too. Shoko approached with her camera.

“Hey! What are you two laughing about?”

Both of them stopped laughing and surrounded their friend.

“Nothing”, they said in unison. The three of them started walking.

After a few minutes, Gojo said:

“Suguru.”

Geto burst into laughter and, between laughs, said:

“Satoru.”

Both laughed until they were in tears.

Suddenly, Suguru kissed Satoru on the mouth.

”No one makes me laugh like you do. No one.”

Shoko looked at them, pretending to be disgusted. “When did they fall so much in love?” she thought as her camera clicked.

*

Back in the present, in Shoko’s office, a small tear ran down Satoru’s face as he remembered the earlier moment. His eyes looked strangely dim and his lips curved downwards. The sorceress, surprised by his expression and moved by her friend's story, said:

“Take it if you want.”

Gojo nodded.

“Perfect, because I have to leave. It’s getting late.”

Shoko looked at the clock. Half past twelve. Where would he have to be at this hour?

Satoru opened the door to leave, but Shoko stopped him.

“Hey, Gojo, I wanted to ask you, what’s with the bandage? Are you cosplaying as Shishio or something?

Gojo opened a chocolate bar and started munching on it before answering.

“It’s so my head doesn’t hurt as much and, in a way, to see less crap.”

“Interesting. Why didn’t you think of this before?”

The albino smiled cryptically.

“Because it was someone smarter than me’s idea”,he said, while putting the photo in his pocket.

Shoko quickly put two and two together. Of course, it had to be his idea, which only meant one thing.

“Gojo, don’t tell me that…”

”Do you really want to know?”

She lit another cigarette and refilled his glass. She didn’t want to know. That would make her an accomplice.

“Is there really no one else you’re interested in, Gojo? It’s been nine years.”

Satoru adjusted his bandage again, took a candy from his pocket, and smiled.

“No one.”

With that said, he left.

Shoko sighed and, while sitting in her chair, pondered aloud.

“When did they fall so much in love?”

———————📸📷————————-🖤🤍

Art by x.com/sad_eris23

[brandstifter-sys]

Vamp Remus x human Virgil because Thomas confirmed Remus sleeps in a coffin in a tweet

Virgil was unhealthily obsessed with vampires (not to a weird annoying extent ofc but he loved them) then he met a weird vampire and was fascinated lol. That vampire was Remus. The vampire was weird asf but Virgil didn’t mind as first. Virgil was excited to have a vampire friend

But the vampire was already head over heels in love lol. He gave off the human hints of his affection but the human never gave in or noticed.

Virgil=21 year old college student

Remus= been alive since 18th century

Roman is in this au but it’s logince lol. He and Virgil are besties.

Remus lives in a castle with Roman. Their parents abandoned them when Roman and Remus were teens and left for a better life. (Roman is bitter about it but Remus doesn’t care)

The twins are close but Remus annoys Roman and Roman wants Remus to be more empathetic and more humane.

Roman is number dukexiety shipper cuz he’s never seen his brother like this before lol.

This is where I'd insert a joke about emo kids being mistaken for vampires if I had one

You know Remus would immediately latch onto this weird human gremlin. Unfortunately for him, courting in the 18th century is very different from modern dating, so of course Virgil doesn't catch on at first

And of course Remus would be just as oblivious if Virgil had the guts to flirt with him. The pure frustration building between the pair would drive Roman absolutely insane. How can his OTP be so dense?? This is why he's single. im gonna go ahead and willingly ignore that part of the ask before the ick hits

[faytelumos]

Jason Todd

Give Me a Character

How I feel about Jason? I love him. He's my boy. He's a martyr. He's a cautionary tale. He's always been doomed since the day he was born. The very universe itself conspires against him because readers wanted him to die. So he dies. Again and again, in every universe, he dies, and he fights, and he tries to make the world a better place, and he wants to be kind, but he is doomed, always, every time, even when he comes back. It's tragic, and I hate what they've done to him, but without it, he wouldn't be the same person. He wouldn't be my blorbo.

JoyFire (Jason Todd x Roy Harper x Koriand'r) is my OTP for this guy. And I will say it out loud, I also enjoy JayTim and JayDick. I like JoyFire because it's like… the family you choose. Each of them has trauma about getting left behind in some sense. So they'll never leave each other. Even if Jason's a jerk sometimes, he will never, ever leave either of them hanging when it matters even a little. And they're the same for him. I like JayTim because Tim thinks Jason is so annoying, and Jason thinks Tim is so smart and capable, and so there's a little bit of pining in there? Especially in the opposite way one would expect by looking at them. But Tim knows that Jason's smart, and I kind of ignore a bunch of the ugliness that happened right around Under the Red Hood with them, to be honest. Not completely, but some of it. I think that Tim can admire Jason's ingenuity and persistence even when he's rolling his eyes at him, and I think that Jason thinks so highly of Tim, even when he refuses to ever say it out loud. And as for JayDick, maybe some of it is just me smashing my favorite dolls together. I freaking love Dick Grayson. Who doesn't? And I freaking love Jason, and they have a complicated relationship, but they love each other, whether you want it to be brotherly, friendly, or romantic. They love each other, and I'll take that in any flavor I can get it.

Non-romantic OTP is also Jason and Dick. You cannot tell me these two don't share the braincell when they're in a room together. But also, they can be hyper competent together. If they're both motivated and working together, they can do anything. Including building a heated roof pool out of cardboard, a carbon metallic alloy, and a "borrowed" shop vacuum.

(Also gotta mention that I adore father-son pair Bruce and Jason. The two of them are just so wonderful together, how Jason brings such joy into Bruce's life and Bruce just wants Jason to heal and realize his dreams, ah!)

Unpopular opinion about him? Willis was a good dad. [lifts a megaphone] Willis Todd was a good dad! He was a victim of a broken system and turned to crime because it was the only means he had to provide for his family! Any time he laid a hand on Jason or Catherine was still unjustified, but it was because Willis was a deeply frustrated and scared man who had no system or room to handle his negative emotions or feel accomplishment in his life! [puts down the megaphone] Domestic abuse is never okay, and that goes the same if a woman is the abuser. But Willis was not an asshole, he was a poverty-stricken petty criminal with the most minimal support system. He loved Jason, and he loved Catherine, and he tore himself up to do his best to provide for them all the way to the end. His story is a sad one, he was not the villain, and I hate it when people say Jason is better off without him and didn't mourn him or feel bad about his death.

There's a lot of things I wished hadn't happened to him in canon, but most of all, I hate what Zur En Arrh did to him.* It was absolutely terrible, and then the fact that nobody was left to give Jason any support at all after the fact because they were all chasing Zur really gets to me. The way that one panel just showed him trembling, so small, alone, asking anybody at all for help…. It breaks my heart. Because it's always like that for him. He ends up alone, on his own, because he's the black sheep and he's mad about it, and he defends people who others leave behind. And it breaks my heart in a way that actually very truly makes me sad. Because there are people who think he deserves it. Including the writers.

[skyartworkzzz]

📢 LADIES, GENTLEMEN, THOSE IN AND OUT BETWEEN, I PRESENT YOU.............

🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

THAT'S RIGHT!!!!!!!

WE ARE OPEN FOR BUSINESS!!!!!!!

👇 👇 👇 CHECK OUT THESE COOL PRICES BELOW 👇 👇 👇

📢 COME AND REALIZE YOUR CREATIVE DREAMS AT SKY'S OFFICE

HAND ME YOUR OC, FAVORITE CHARACTER, OTP, PET ANIMAL, WHATEVER YOU WANT AND WE (singular) WILL MAKE IT COME TO LIFE!!!!!!!

📢 BUT HOLDUP!!!!! WATCH OUT FOR THESE REGULATIONS 👇 👇 👇

✅ I WILL DRAW: - Furries - Ship art (self-insert and OC x canon included, dont be shy to ask!) - Blood and/or slight gore - Simple mecha (small guns, tech devices etc) - Fanarts - Suggestive content (depending on what it is, I might allow it) - Simple backgrounds

❌ I WILL NOT DRAW: - NSFW - Hateful concepts (racism, sexism, trans/homophobia etc) - Pedo- - Zoo- - Incest - Abuse of any kind - Complex mecha (big guns, detailed robots etc) - Complex backgrounds (too many buildings, too many people, too much going on is a no) - Logos or business cards

Any further questions plz ask me! <3

PAYMENT IS CURRENTLY DONE THROUGH PAYPAL ONLY!! I will be asking for it FIRST before handing u the art Ive put my blood and sweat into making 😌

HERE IS MY CARRD IN CASE YOUD LIKE A MORE COMPLETE GUIDELINE:

THANK YOU ALL EVER SO MUCH FOR YOU ATTENTION, PATIENCE AND SUPPORT 💜💜💜

Reblogs are appreciated! DM me if interested, love yall! 🦧

(Disclaimer: I will be normal when discussing ur order I promise, just thought it was funny to promo my work this way-)

[silviakundera]

Dramas I watched in 2023

[Chinese Dramas]

My Journey to You - Wuxia. Spy games, badass ladies, subtextually homoerotic cousins. Gentle & sweet ML who melts the cold & calculated heart of FL assassin. Gorgeous setting and cinematography. Left me with a burning desire to see Zhang Ling He play more gentle babygirl MLs and Esther Yu to play more anti-heroes. Absolutely perfect to me.., if we just pretend the director didn't add a pointless cliffhanger in the last 5 min. Which is how I choose to live my life.

Story of Kunning Palace - 'rebirth' costume drama that I waited to air for like 2 years or something and then it... actually didn't disappoint? And was almost everything I wanted? 😳😲 This is THE couple for that post about the pair that need to be stuck in a neverending monogamous relationship with each other as a quarantine measure to protect everyone else.

A Journey to Love - wuxia perfection. The stand-out drama that I wasn't expecting. Murder mommy & murder daddy became an otp for the ages and all of the supporting characters were interesting and dynamic. I cared about so many more characters than I expected and never fast fowarded. Just immensely satisfying.

The Ingenious One - wuxia with a weak, scheming scholar protagonist on a revenge quest (yes, we've all heard that before!) who puts together a group to execute his cons, Leverage style. I love me a martial artist x weak scholar couple 👌. Some exciting twists & turns in this one. Both A Journey to Love and The Ingenious One are best enjoyed coming in with little to no information. Hell, skip the trailers and simply dive in!

Hidden Love - Modern drama. Top tier romance-novel-on-screen writing and acting. It felt honest and real. The coming of age arc for the FL was well done. Great brother & sister relationship that feels authentic. The ML's backstory was so heart breaking because it was never overplayed for melodramatics. Just a quiet pain, a distance and a burden he carried with him.

Road Home - Modern. "Do you remember who I am?" / "Yes. If I were to turn to ashes, I would still remember you." I am very weak for the "reunited exes", "second time around" trope when the actors are capable and the breakup wasn't a narratively convenient 'misunderstanding'. As a career woman who works very long hours, I also tend to appreciate modern drama relationships where the couple manages to stay functional & supportive while not having a lot of free time for each other. That's my version of wish fulfillment 😂. I felt like this narrative made me fully understand why they couldn't make a long distance relationship work as young adults but now they're ready and have experienced enough of the world to know that they are happier with their lives joined together than apart.

Love You Seven Times - xanxia. I wrote a whole review post (love letter) on this one, since it seems rather underrated. I feel like this one may actually end up one of my fav examples of the genre. I just sincerely bought into the couple and their mutual devotion.

The Last Immortal - xanxia. Terrible trailer but turns out to be a decent show. I'm a fan of the genre, so I'm enjoying it. (I think you do need to be, to enjoy it - it doesn't transcend or really subvert..just a solid representation of xanxia) I like both lead actors and they do a good job with the material. It's working better for me than Ancient Love Poetry and Ashes of Love. After being eager for Song of the Moon in 2022 but then being let down (I dropped that one quick), I'm very happy 2023 brought me 2 xanxia I liked.

Three Body - modern sci-fi. Book 1 of my fav sci-fi trilogy of recent years. As a novel fan first, I was pleased to see it on screen with talented actors. Eager for book 2.

Love Me, Love My Voice - modern drama with an unusual couple (2 introverts) and dubbing fandom hyper fixation. A laid back relaxation drama, to de-stress with. Minimal plot, no conflict. Just sweet slow burn relationship building, singing & audio performances. Supportive friendships.

Here We Meet Again - modern drama that suffered from sloppy editing. I mean almost incoherent editing in a couple places, like when they are counting down the days until getting married and then.. It's not mentioned again? 🙃 But I very much enjoyed the couple's chemistry. I can't say it was objectively good but it sure was compulsively watchable for some reason.

Royal Rumors - Costume drama that was so aggressively mediocre that I don't have any real explanation for not dropping it. Except I find the lead actress unspeakably alluring. Blame my hormones.

Dropped

Back to the Brink - xanxia. Great concepts but the execution didn't work for me. I'm not a fan of slapstick and wacky humor within serious subject matter. (It's the reason kdramas can be very hit or miss with me.) The amount of humor layered into AJourney to Love is basically my limit for tragicomedies. (Note: I did go read the book and it was very entertaining - the tone was much more to my taste.)

My Lethal Man - modern. Embarassing english name, but they had me in the first half, not gonna lie. Then after her identity was exposed, I wasn't feeling it idk. Sometimes it's just not that complicated.

Destined/Chang Feng Du - costume drama. idk really why I dropped. I watched about a 3rd of it and then was distracted by other shiny objects. I plan to come back to this one in 2024 and finish.

Romance of the Twin Flower - costume drama; unholy abomination of a great novel. I hope somehow, someday, the culprits pay for their crime. Need I say more?

[Korean Dramas]

Perfect Revenge Marriage - a modern rebirth tale. For the 90% of it, I was high on the love of a drama that is just what you didn't know you wanted. The camp, the dedication, the scenery chewing, the glorious evil step mother. It was magical. And then the last 2 episodes I found underwhelming. I can't really explain it, the climax just didn't hit for me. But that's very much a personal taste issue and I'd definitely recommend to all drama lovers who enjoy the genre. Seriously, the performance of evil step mommy was a master class.

King the Land - modern workplace romance. I've heard complaints that there wasn't much of plot. But tbh that was fine with me, because some dramas are simply character pieces. This was all about the personal growth of the FL and ML. I ended up invested and rooting for the ML to become a decent guy who isn't a gross classist like his dad.

Destined with You - modern reincarnation drama. I blame my lingering kdrama good feelings about King the Land for convincing me to keep powering thru this one. Such a strong start but then half-way in I began to realize it simply wasn't going to go into the direction I wanted it to. I still have no idea what they intended to communicate with that love potion subplot.

Vincenzo - modern crime drama. I was late to the party on this one. But after I got around to watching the delightful Kinnporsche, this was rec'd to me as another drama that embraced the bigger than life unreality of Fantasy Mafia™ and provides a rollicking good time. Absolutely ridiculous and compulsively watchable. 10/10.

[American]

House of the Dragon - Awful people doing awful things to each other, as a 1st act before everything goes straight to hell. Plus freaky dragon-riding fantasy incest. What's there not to like?

Fall of the House of Usher (YES i DO watch every horror drama by Mike Flanagan thx) - Was it as good as the first 3..? No. Did I still breathlessly binge it in 2 days? Yes. Awful things happening to awful people, poetically. 👌 👌

[ran-orimoto]

To all my friends and Anons who have written such adorable things on my parents Junzumi stories,I can reply you with sudden inspiring Muse aka 1000000 ways to be lazy and avoid bracing more committing projects (I will, I promise I WILL).

This is a silly redraw of a post I drew long time ago featuring the whole family. They have changed a bit but not THAT MUCH, because the idea of basing their daily lame clothes on Kokabuterimon’s and Tinkermon’s palette has lingered.

Grazie, my friends! Let’s open a new Junzumi period leading us to Christmas. All day can be a Junzumi day at home💜💛.

[ Normalize just admitting you want your OTP to be happy, serene, live the best life ever because drama is too much irl~]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Such a fuss for nothing! Years and years spent worrying, hyperventilating, feeling like being about to die, -oh if he was going to die! If only a lightning could hit him on the spot!-, getting nightmares, daydreams of doom just to see Izumi running to him in the chaos of the post-spectacle and whispering words the wind had blessed beforehands in his ear.

• Izumi Orimoto, 40: Chef, owner of two restaurants, Gambero Rosso’s favourite guest, Slow Food member, homemade DIY stylist.

After high school, Izumi understood her wind’s gusts were supposed to carry and spread something else than just fashion trends. Smells, savours, laughters and emotions, all the colours food can be given by love and passion. Once got her degree, she decided to study in an academy in Naples to learn more about italian cuisine and is quick at showing her talent and enthusiasm ,gaining support from generous people who help her open a little restaurant in Milan, il Brezzo Petalo, already brimming with successful potential.

Having become a starred chef, she is often a privileged guest in cooking shows and conferences during which she commits to teach healthy food habits and all the wonders food can give birth to, connecting different people from all around the world. Since she has been so great at languages throughout her whole life, she couldn’t not learn an universal language such as food’s.

Though her contacts with modelling are just guardians of her past, she still retains a soft spot on fashion pushing her to often spend her time in front of an old-fashioned sewing machine, surprising her family and friends with lovely handmade presents and occasionally selling them in markets for the poor. It’s not rare to spot her behind the scenes of the theatres Junpei works for, fundamental member of every crew he has been in thanks to her original touch on theatrical clothing.

• Junpei Shibayama in Orimoto, 41: International star tenor, occasional VA in kids’ stuff, former singing teacher (during Covid period), co-owner part—time waiter.

When Junpei succeeded at unleashing the thunder residing in his heart through his voice, he won a scolarship in Italy placing him in front a choice he had never taken in consideration before. Suddenly, all the frivolous plans he had been projecting since he was a kid, those about building a future with Izumi gained a new meaning, his world began crumbling under his feet. If left, -he knew that-, he would have to say goodbye to the hope of sharing a whole life with her like he had always wanted; but if he didn’t, if he stayed in Tokyo to keep on trying and trying conquering Izumi with no avail, he wouldn’t be able to follow that dream that had been growing in his spirit, the one of conveying his audience genuine feelings through his singing. Though it was difficult to him, he bid farewell to everyone and Izumi to open a new page of his life. Yet, he himself had said it, “Maybe it was Fate”, and since he is a romantic type, a very romantic type to Izumi’s joy, he’s still convinced nothing else but Fate eventually made them meet again, maybe when the times were mature for both and he especially had improved as a person even more thanks to the purity of the soul music holds in itself.

Now smiling on the walls of so many theatres, Junpei likes considering himself as a husband and father fo first and an internationally famous opera singer for second. Now that he owns kids on his own, he has started cherishing kids’ smiles even more and while in his free time he resorts to his magical tricks to entertain the whole family and the little diners of Izumi’s restaurant, in the big adventure of his opera singing career he cares about letting children discover the fun and beauty of opera and music in general.

[wannabanauthor]

Another tin foil hat speculation about that disastrous sneak peek, and it’s going to sound completely stupid and bonkers:

Maddie and Chimney are pushing Buck to date so soon as a form of reverse psychology.

They want him to get out there and see that he really wants to be with Tommy and build a future with him.

Yeah, told you it was stupid. At least I’m aware of when my ideas are batshit nonsense.

Second tin foil hat thought: Maddie and Chimney could just be ignorant about the complexities of sexuality. I doubt they’re aware of biphobia specifically.

And it’s still a valid although bad type of logic. Not everyone in your life is going to understand that each letter in the queer community has their own specific brand of hatred perpetuated against them.

Reminder, this is me coming up with plausible explanations for the batshit writing we’ve received so far. The source material is unreliable because of too many retcons, OOC moments, and rapid storylines.

I doubt any of this is true, but I can at the very least provide a somewhat satisfying explanation for my fellow shippers. This ship/OTP was one of the few bright spots in my life, and while I can’t control what the writers do, I can help y’all process what we do have.

[aeternallis]

Ren's Kimchay Fic Rec List

I'll try to add onto this as I read more, but suffice to say that having enmeshed myself into the world of Ao3's Kimchay tag for the past seven months, I have definitely found some hidden jewels that I highly recommend you give a go if you can! :3 I read all kinds, if you're looking for something out of the ordinary and special! And yes, I also read smut gratuitously, so there will be a handful of that as well here!

I myself also write, but I only have one ongoing Kimchay fic at the moment, if you'd like to give my work a shot!

The fics are in no particular order! This list is also a work-in-progress, since I have a lot of talented authors to cover! Most if not all of these are either one-shots, completed, and/or can be read as stand-alone.

Long post, so the fics are under a cut!

Last Updated: 08/21/2023

come home by reasonwasoutforlunch (@emmelineprufrock) Eldritch!Horror Kimchay, monsterfucking, memory alteration shenanigans, supernatural elements, etc. Comments - This is one of the most beautiful and haunting Kimchay fics I've ever read and thus, one of my ultra faves the fandom has to offer; the prose is so elegant, and the horror elements (Tankhun's mindset and abilities are fucking scary and nerve-wracking, but he loves his brothers, //sobs) the author implements just works for the overall setting. I first read this fic at work a few weeks back, and believe you me, it's still churning around my noggin. Like, for reals, this is one of those fics that just stays with you for some time, yknow? I definitely want to draw something for it in the near future!

there is no time for this by heedoyurims (@radishayuan) Kimchay smoochies while there's a gunfight outside. Comments - I love reading short pieces like this, and the author does such a wonderful job creating the atmosphere between these two lovebirds. You can just feel the want and desperation between Kim and Chay in this fic, and I regularly go back to it since it gives me wonderful art inspo!

ninety-six hours (KimPorchay) by coldeyesroni (Twitter - soobellus) Novel!verse, canon-divergence. Kim and Chay meet while Kinn and Porsche are lost in the woods. Incomplete, but each fic in the series can be read as a stand-alone. Comments - Such an awesome read when I first stumbled across it a few months ago! The chemistry between Kim and Chay is electrifying, and the author does a marvelous job of hinting at the different aspects of Kim's character. Highly recommend so you can get a taste of how Kimchay is in the book!

wolf house by venagrey (@venagrey) Dystopian, Dubious Consent, ABO Dynamics (Alpha!Kim/Omega!Chay), Wolfboy!Kim agenda, Feral Kimchay agenda, Respect the Sex Workers. Comments - Honestly, every fic Vena has written for Kimchay is to die for (this fic is but one of them), and I am one of those on my last ounce of life whenever I read their work, for reals. Vena's world building when it comes to their fics is incredibly rich, detailed, and just freaking phenomenal. Vena is truly #writinggoals. They never fail to build the tension and rawness that surrounds Kimchay's relationship, and I am HERE for it. Wolf House in particular reads like a classy, vibrant noir film to me, so it's definitely one of my most favorite fics in the fandom! Definitely art inspo material!!

Reversible Error by saturnscoded (Twitter - saturnscoded) Lawyers!Kimchay, canon-divergence, Angst, friends to enemies to frenemies to lovers, Porsche goes to jail for a crime he didn't commit. Comments - A true comfort fic for me. It's a marvelous AU that the author has created for Kimchay, and the tug and pull of their tense working relationship never fails to make me both swoon and breathless. The author also does a good job of highlighting Chay as a very determined and brave character with real human flaws, which I truly appreciate and can never get enough of.

Year of the OTP (Kimchay Edition) by sapphicblight (@sapphicblight) weathered down by pouring rain ain't no time for talking when we're tongue tied blow out all the candles Canon-compliant, Reconciliation, Post-Canon, Mutual Pining, Light Angst. Comments - When it comes to a good 'ol reconciliation fic, this author is among one of the best! <3 I love this author's characterization of Chay specifically, and how much of a simp their Kim is. Their fics are my comfort zone, and on bad days at work, I often turn to their fics to get me through the day. Their Year of the OTP fics are all marvelous in their own right, but I wanted to take the time to list out my favorites from the ongoing list. They also have a Hanahaki fic that never fails to make me cry and which features 2 endings, so like—whichever you’re in the mood for in terms of ending, this author’s got you covered. XD Please give their stuff a read whenever you can, they're like balls of sunshine that'll make your day better~

Stain of Sun by Lilla_Torg (@lillatorg) Hacker!Porsche and Grifter!Chay, Aged-up characters, ABO Dynamics (Alpha!Kim/Omega!Chay), Mating Bonds, takedown scheme gone wrong. Comments - All of this author's works for KP are truly stunning, and I have them all on my iPad for my regular reading pleasure. Their worldbuilding is downright amazing; particularly with Stain of Sun, it's a fast-paced story that keeps you on the edge of your seat with its twists and turns (I love me one crafty Chay, Your Honor). I genuinely admire this author's prowess when it comes to dialogue as well, and they do an awesome job at balancing out the three main ships. Definitely recommend this author's works! <3

Chains And Crowns, A Flower Can Both Make by Sweet_William (@sweet-william-writes) Regency Era!Kimchay, Arranged Marriage, Hints of MPreg, Angst. Comments - Listen, I am a sucker for Regency fics of my ships, and this fic definitely delivers, okay! I love this one-shot fic to pieces, and it's also a work I regularly go back to and reread! The dialogue of the era is perfectly captured by this amazing, brilliant author, and the smut ofc is to die for! The Kim in this fic doesn't know how to communicate his feelings very well, but he's trying dammit, he's so much in love with his gorgeous wife and I. AM. HERE. FOR. IT. They do a lot of dead dove KimChay fics as well, so if you think you’re up for it and can handle the glorious madness this author writes, I also highly recommend them~

You are my last peace by nubeazul Light Angst, Reconciliation, Domestic Bliss, Fluff Comments - This author’s post-canon fics for KimChay are so poignant and lovely, I love them so much. There’s a softness to their KimChay that I appreciate so much, especially since we hardly get any domestic scenes of KimChay together in the show, yknow?

Whiskey Sour by alphanetic Canon-divergent, Angst, Reconciliation, the Kittisawasd siblings disappear after they are threatened by Korn. Comments - Say what you will, but I am a hopeless romantic/sucker for “I will find you to the ends of the Earth” kinda vibe fics, yknow? And this fic just satisfies that trope so very well for me. The desperation of the chase, the unhinged pleas to return home, I just love it so much. This fic is actually part of a series called Alcoholism, in which the author delves into KinnPorsche and Kimchay’s respective relationships from a variety of different angles, both canon-divergent and canon-compliant. I always love me a versatile author, so I definitely recommend their works! //chef’s kiss

The Success by s6115 Werewolves, Some body horror, elements of Teen Wolf and the Dread Doctors, non-linear narrative, Chay is dying from a certain condition, and Porsche chooses to make his little brother’s last days count. Comments - One of the very first KP fics I ever read for this fandom, and still one of my most favorites. This one isn’t actually centered on Kimchay, but Kimchay is featured in the story. Truthfully, I’m in love with this author’s world building of their fic, and the marvelous way in which they’re able to really establish the tension and fear that Porsche and Chay go through due to their condition. The story reads like a high-stakes adventure with lots of angst and dealing with impending death; it’s very dark in some places, very intense in some, but at the end of it all, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. And by that I mean it’s a happy ending, despite my short summary. XD

Hunting Down the Bambi by fancifulnim (@fancifulnim) Canon-Divergence, Suicide Attempt, Non-Consensual Touching/Kissing, Toxic Relationship, but when all is said and done, they’re gonna make it work somehow. Comments - Another fic that was one of the very first I came across for this fandom and thus, one of my most favorite and holds a special place in my heart. To this day out of all the fics I’ve ever read for Kimchay, the characterization of Kim from this particular work is definitely the darkest I’ve read, and to be frank? I just love it so much. This fic is wonderfully a partial thought-provoking character introspection piece, as well as a vibrant experiment of seeing how far down the rabbit hole one can go for this ship. I still re-read it regularly, so I highly recommend it, if you’re willing to give this author’s Kimchay a shot!

In this Moment (Picture Perfect) by eggwars (@eggwars) Canon Compliant, Character Study, Missing Scene, Fluff, Sweet Kimchay, set during before the break-up Comments - Such a fluffy, wonderful fic! <3 Perfect for any day, any time! I read this one on a particularly bad day at work, and lemme tell you, it did wonders for lifting up my mood (the text messages were so cute, omfg)! This is definitely a scene I can picture happening in the show, considering for at least half their airtime, Kimchay were pretty much off in their own little world and playing out the Wattpad story of Chay's dreams. Lol It's a brilliant piece that also explores Kim's different facets and how he's seamlessly able to create some semblance of order in his lifestyle, despite his two opposing careers. The fic is heartfelt and tugs at your heartstrings with the sweet innocence of their relationship in the beginning~ Ah, I love it so much!